Things to do

I’ve always felt that The Maze Runner films have stood out in the very crowded young adult (YA) fantasy genre. If you consider The Hunger Games to be the gold standard and the Twilight films to be at the other end of the scale, I’d argue that the Maze Runner trilogy have a good shout at being towards the top ...

All young people can benefit from acting, says the leader of Spalding show group Act II. On Saturday, January 27, Act II Theatre Company will welcome youngsters and their families or carers to the Clay Lake studio for a chance to see what goes on at the company that puts on scores of performances a year. “Act II is not ...

A music festival dedicated to those with a disability or learning difficulties is being held in Spalding this year – and organisers want to hear from those who wish to get involved. The Going Forward Music Festival is set to take place later this year on Saturday, July 28 at The Priory School. Spalding-based poet Callum Brazzo is one of ...

A Spalding singer-songwriter has started the year on a musical note with the release of a three-track EP. Matthew James Aylett (31) released his rootsy, country-inflected Factory Blues EP online on Friday. Matthew, who has lived in Spalding all his life, said his music reflects the area and his experience working here, best summed up in the opening track, Ain’t ...

Often dubbed the best of British, there have been plenty of films about Winston Churchill over the years. But it’s perhaps fair to say that none of them have ever measured up to a man considered (by many) to Britain’s strongest-ever Prime Minister. Darkest Hour, headlined by a tour-de-force performance from the always excellent Gary Oldman, does its very best ...

Anyone looking to get active in the New Year can try their feet at jive dancing as a new beginners’ class opens in Pinchbeck. Run by Boston Jive, aka Claire and Neil Seabrook, the classes teach jive and swing dance, to the backbeat of good old-fashioned rock and roll. Claire, who teaches across the county said: “Thursday nights are now ...

New swimming classes are coming to Spalding. Billie’s Fins Swim School will offer classes at Woodhouse Lodge hotel in Spalding from February. Billie Whyatt, who runs the swimming school for more than 350 pupils around Peterborough said she is looking forward to starting in Spalding. “Woodhouse Lodge is a beautiful venue, it’s private, clean and quaint. There is a restaurant ...

Award winning artist Vic Bearcroft had Spalding Art and Crafts Society howling at their latest meeting. Vic specialises in animal portraits and he provided a demonstration of pastel and black valour using just four colours.   Vic created Howling Wolf from an original photo taken in a Berkshire Wildlife centre of a North American grey wolf called Nuka. The meeting ...

The Alzheimers Society is running a free course for carers at Holbeach’s WI Hall on Wednesday, January 10. For more information including times and to book a place please contact 01522 437069.

Youngsters who want to get into the arts have the chance to plan, organise, perform at or run a mini-festival at the South Holland Centre. South Holland Centre’s Youth Takeover Team and Lincolnshire One Venues network host the Emerge project that aims to give young people a start in the arts. The scheme will also offer an arts award. “There ...

It’s perhaps an understatement to say that the return of Star Wars two years ago was a massive success. The Force Awakens borrowed all of the best bits of George Lucas’ legendary original trilogy and allowed a fresh generation to fall in love with the biggest science fiction franchise of them all. It bridged the gap between generations and found ...

Ahead of their gig on Friday night (December 15), we pinned down Spalding punk-rock band I Got Spiders who explained their new genre of music – grapple punk. We find I Got Spiders rehearsing in their Spalding lair in preparation for the gig at The Black Swan with Peterborough Polish punk group The Moonshiners and Peterborough alt-rockers The Deadites. Local ...

Extra trains to Lincoln Christmas Market are stopping at Spalding Station on Sunday, December 10. The Peterborough to Lincoln services will leave Spalding at 9.31am and 10.31am arriving in Lincoln at 9.11am and 10.11am respectively. There are two return journeys. The first leaves Lincoln at 2.45pm arriving at Spalding at 3.41pm. The second leaves Lincoln at 4pm and arrives at ...

After the success of the original, you’d think that adding Mel Gibson and John Lithgow to the Daddy’s Home ‘world’ would elevate the sequel to new heights. If, like me, you missed the popular 2015 comedy starring Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, here’s a brief catch up for you. Sensitive stepdad Brad (Ferrell) and macho dad Dusty (Wahlberg) clashed and ...

I must admit, the lack of hype ahead of DC’s Justice League really surprised me. Although Batman v Superman (BvS) and Suicide Squad flattered to deceive with critics (I remain one of the few that enjoyed BvS), the success of the excellent Wonder Woman felt like it breathed fresh life into the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). However, the buzz that ...

This weekend sees a raft of Remembrance Sunday events taking place right across South Holland. Pinchbeck: On Sunday there will be a service at the Baptist Church from 10.30am. The service at St Mary’s Church, Pinchbeck, beings at 10.45am. The parade will leave the village hall at 10:30 and then proceed to church. After the service, wreaths will be laid ...

It’s pretty rare that almost every character in a film is played by a major actor or actress – but that’s very much the case in the hotly-anticipated remake of Murder on the Orient Express. Directed by Kenneth Branagh – who also plays legendary detective Hercule Poirot – the latest version of the 1934 Agatha Christie book is certainly an ...

Spalding residents are being invited to remember loved ones with a Light Up a Life event later this month. St Barnabas Hospice will have a Tree of Life at each of its buildings and the community is being invited to dedicate a light. There will be nine events in November and December and each will feature readings, music and a ...

If you had to rank the many films in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU), it’s a fair bet that plenty would place the two Thor films towards the bottom end of their list. For whatever reason – and despite having some of the best MCU characters (take a bow Loki) – the Thor movies haven’t really captured the imagination in the ...

Youth theatre group Act II brought the thrills and fun of a portmanteau horror to Ayscoughfee Hall in an innovative and triumphant three-night run of Ghostly Tales. In the tradition of classic anthology horror films like Dead of Night and Dr Terror’s House of Horrors – which usually had a chiller, a thriller and a lighter tale – Act II ...