A mother who was told by doctors to raise her baby boy as a daughter has spoken of the pain she felt when her child grew up and admitted he needed to live as a man. Julia Farmer (47), of Oldham Drive, Pinchbeck, fully supports son Joe Holliday in his recent transition back to male, but has suffered terrible guilt ...

Hollywood hits and British blockbusters were represented at a successful flower festival on the theme of a Day at the Movies. Whaplode’s St Mary’s Church hosted its annual event from Friday until Tuesday, and as well as the floral displays, there was fresh produce, bric-a-brac and book and jigsaw stalls. There was also the chance for visitors to find out ...

Family and friends have offered a reward to catch the culprits who stole hanging baskets from a memorial to a village stalwart affectionately known as Mr Whaplode. Police were called after the flower-filled baskets disappeared between 7pm on Friday, August 21, and noon the next day from the memorial to former parish councillor Alec Welch in the centre of Whaplode. ...

More than 2,000 people attended the new-look Spalding and South Holland Festival of Food and Drink. The event, held in the car parks and area surrounding South Holland District Council’s offices, made a comeback after a three-year gap and, despite pouring rain on Sunday was hailed a success. But Spalding Town Centre Manager Dennis Hannant has said some lessons have ...

It is important to choose the right preschool (which could be a playgroup or a nursery school) for your child and the right age for your child to begin in this childcare setting. Most playgroups start taking children from two years, nine months although some are registered to take children from two years so it worth getting in touch to ...

Two aircraft were involved in a “near miss” incident over Spalding earlier this year, it has been revealed. A Tutor plane came close to colliding with a PA28 in the skies above the town in February, with one pilot describing the incident as “medium risk” of collision. It came just months after a £28million US Air Force F-15 crashed into ...

Ok, it’s only just September and you don’t want to be talking about Christmas. But we’re here to tell you why you should get booking your Christmas party as soon as possible! Whether you love it or hate it, Christmas is already starting to loom and there’s no excuse for leaving it to the last minute, like most of us ...

As the summer draws to a close and autumn begins the mild, damp weather contributes to an increase in the number of mushrooms and toadstools growing. It’s a good idea to check your garden and keep a close eye on the areas you exercise your dog for mushrooms and toadstools as we see many dogs that become ill after eating ...

A businessman who has dedicated more than 20 years to fundraising to support veterans has been nominated for a Pride of Britain Award. Harold Payne, who owns the Anglia Motel in Fleet, has raised almost £600,000 over the past 22 years and taken hundreds of veterans on visits to the battlefields and war cemeteries in France and Belgium. He has ...

Plans are being put in place to ensure Lincolnshire secondary schools are able to cope with a spike in pupil numbers. Over the past three years Lincolnshire County Council has invested £34million in new primary schools and expanding existing ones to provide an extra 3,000 places. These include the new Wygate Park Academy in Spalding, as well as expansion at ...

A newly-installed tidal gauge at Sutton Bridge has started collecting data that will help measure tides, predict flooding and assess the impact of climate change more accurately. The project, which began last September and was finished in May, completes a national network of 44 gauges that record information about sea levels to provide more accurate forecasts. The instrument is on ...

Spalding accountancy firm Moore Thompson is encouraging business owners to prepare for a change to company legislation that will require them to register individuals with “significant control” over the company. Under proposals, laid down in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, all businesses that are not subject to specified separate disclosure requirements must create and maintain a register ...

A new competition aimed at encouraging people to try out a range of fun activities kicked off in style. A special SHout and About launch event saw visitors enjoying a number of activities which will be featured in the competition, including hula hooping, arts and crafts and aerobics. There were also live demonstrations, free food and the chance to meet ...

A Deeping St Nicholas farmer can surely say he has done his bit for nature conservation after sales of his homegrown bird food helped raise £1million. Nicholas Watts grows more than 400 acres of seeds for birds at Vine House Farm and is the largest grower of sunflowers in the UK. Since 2007 his award-winning business has produced 13,000 tonnes ...

People caring for someone with dementia are being offered the chance to learn more about the condition in a series of courses. The courses are being run in Spalding by the Alzheimer’s Society and aim to help carers understand more about the condition and its symptoms, legal and money matters, providing care and coping day to day. Nasim Minhas, Alzheimer’s ...

Wartime came to Whaplode at the weekend when a 1940s party helped raise more than £200 for good causes. Dave Carroll and Jane Crampton invited family and friends to join them at their home in Stockwell Gate for the night of nostalgia, which included performances by the D-Day Darlings and the ukulele orchestra. Guests, who were asked for donations, were ...

A Spalding off licence which was caught selling counterfeit bottles of whisky and vodka as well as illicit cigarettes has had its licence to sell alcohol revoked. The action was taken by South Holland District Council’s Licensing Committee after Lincolnshire Police and Lincolnshire Trading Standards requested a review of the premises licence for Europe Store, based in Holbeach Road. At ...

The family of a human rights campaigner who could face seven years in a Thai prison have said he is “staying strong and positive”. Former Spalding man Andy Hall is due to appear in court in October to face criminal defamation and computer crimes under what his family have called “draconian laws” relating to a report he co-authored which accused ...

Almost 20 bin bags of rubbish were picked up from some of Spalding’s worst grot spots during a three hour clean-up operation. The mammoth litter-pick was carried out by a team of seven people – including six members of staff from a town centre business and a member of the public who volunteered to help. The workers from accountants Moore ...

A camera club which has been going strong for 30 years is inviting potential new members to go along and find out more. Established in 1985, Deepings Camera Club (DCC) is growing year on year and in the past 12 months has enjoyed great success in a number of competitions and exhibitions. Many members had their work selected for these ...