An eye-catching proposal for a new war memorial in Fleet has been created by a 17-year-old student. Austin Walker-Hyde’s concept of butterflies flying out from an open book won a competition run by Anglia Motel owner Harold Payne. The design symbolises the spirit of fallen personnel being released and living on. Sixth form art and design students at University Academy ...

A cribbage fan who set out to play the game in all 39 historical counties of England before his 39th birthday next month completed the feat in Spalding. Siv Sears has played it in pubs, clubs, a barge, a prison, a castle, an Indian restaurant and a guesthouse. His record before he arrived at The Royal Mail Cart in Pinchbeck ...

Spalding market traders surprised their colleague Tony Schofield to mark his 75th birthday. He was on holiday for the actual day so friends on the market presented him with gifts on Saturday (April 30) – after a little distraction. Tony said: “They got me to go to a shop and when I came back there was this crowd at my ...

Fewer and fewer people in future are going to be able to emulate the loyal working-life achievement of Mick Taylor. He has just retired from Spalding’s Elsoms Seeds after a remarkable 49 years and nine months’ service. The company’s longest-serving employee began his career as a Saturday boy at the retail shop Elsom House in Broad Street, Spalding. Around a ...

A teacher at a South Lincolnshire school accused of sex offences against young girls has been cleared of all charges by a jury at Lincoln Crown Court. James Sharpe was alleged to have deliberately touched four girls during lessons. During his trial Sharpe, who taught ICT (information and communications technology) and physical education, was asked by his defence barrister: “Did you ...

Cash was stolen during a robbery at a Spalding town centre bookmaker’s shop this morning (Thursday). Police said a man got away with “a quantity of cash” in the incident just before 10am. A Lincolnshire Police spokesman said: “The suspect is described as a white man, aged 20-25, with short hair, facial stubble, and a light moustache. “He was wearing jeans ...

South Holland District Council has been praised by residents for getting tough on criminality in Spalding off-licences and throwing out the latest application. Scores of Voice readers have welcomed the rejection of a bid for a premises licence at the former China City Restaurant in Winsover Road. It was refused due to the history of criminality between the property’s leaseholder ...

A trail of small plaques depicting various aspects of the heritage of Spalding and its surroundings has been mapped out. Half of the 14 bronze casts have already been attached to buildings in Spalding town centre; the others are due to go on listed properties, with planning consent expected soon. The £18,000 Spalding Public Art Trail is part of arts ...

Aldi is planning to extend its Spalding store in the near future. The discount supermarket has confirmed that it wants to extend the Winsover Road store and provide more car park spaces. The Voice understands that the development would be achieved by demolishing a small number of neighbouring properties. A spokesman told us: “Aldi owns a number of units on ...

It was a moment which Dougie Hern always hoped to live to see. The Aged Veterans’ Fund, which will enable payments to projects of benefit to the nuclear test veteran community, was officially launched last week. Dougie (79), of Moulton, is a Christmas Island test veteran and has been a leading light in a long campaign calling for the plight ...

Twenty volunteers spent over two hours cleaning graffiti from Spalding’s riverside on Sunday.(April 24) Graffiti is a regular item brought up at The Community Riverside Forum meetings. So with the help of town business Premier Property Management, which supplied materials and manpower, social group Spotless Spalding got to work on the clean-up. Spotless Spalding organiser Coun Jack McLean said: “Thanks ...

Twelve employees who between them have clocked up more than 170 years’ service with Bakkavor Meals have been rewarded. The company, based in Spalding and Sutton Bridge, held a celebration event at Moulton Mill on Monday. The dozen staff members have all completed at least ten years’ service and were presented with gift vouchers and certificates by Martin Husselbee, head ...

Residents could be living in a new £5.8million supported housing scheme in Spalding town centre within two years. South Holland District Council wants to see 39 ‘dementia-friendly’ homes built on a disused plot of land which it owns in King’s Road. The three-storey complex of 39 apartments (26 two-bedroom and 13 one-bedroom) would also include a shop, restaurant, hairdresser’s, games ...

A mum who left her 12-year-old son home alone living in squalor has been jailed for 12 months. Social workers found appalling conditions at the property in Spalding when they arrived to find the boy inside on his own. Richard Sheldon, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court on Monday that there had been no electricity in the flat for 48 hours and no ...

South Holland District Council is struggling to fill one key role within its new management team. The post of planning and building control manager was created when the restructure began last year. However, the council says recruitment to it is proving difficult due to a national shortage of people with the requisite qualifications. Four officers – including head of economic ...

Among the first-time competitors in this Sunday’s Virgin London Marathon will be cancer survivor Sharon Brooks and special schools headteacher Daran Bland. Sharon (47), , of West Pinchbeck, is the auntie of Faith Robinson, who suffers from Type 1 diabetes, and is fundraising for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). About £1,000 from last Saturday’s 90s disco at the South Holland ...

QV Foods is planning to create 125 jobs at its Holbeach Hurn base by consolidating its potato business. But the proposal has sparked a consultation period with 140 employees at the company’s potato packing site in March. The business – one of the UK’s leading potato and vegetable growing and packing businesses – says it hopes to minimise redundancies by ...

Unusually in recent weeks, the only matches played in Spalding and District Table Tennis League (sponsored by Vital Recruitment) were league fixtures. On the minus side, five more went on to the unfinished/postponed listings. In Division One the top two met again; the league is now into the third and final round of top-flight fixtures for the season. Although the ...

It’s looking certain to be a nip and tuck finish to Division Two in Spalding and District Snooker League. Third-placed Gosberton B underlined their intentions with a five-point haul last week, while the top two of Services C and Pyramid B were both losing 4-2. Now just three points cover the top three sides ahead of the final two fixtures. ...

Long Sutton Athletic player/manager Matt Cawthorn would love to continue in the role next season. Cawthorn, who recently succeeded Danny Goddard at the ChromaSport Peterborough League Division One side, made the declaration after a 6-3 defeat at Wisbech Town Reserves on Wednesday (April 13) – a result which left him disappointed but not too downbeat. Tommy Treacher fired the Magpies ahead ...