A pensioner has been jailed for four years over sexual offence charges involving a nine-year-old child. Melvyn John Brannan (pictured), of Glen Avenue Pinchbeck, was sentenced by Lincoln Crown Court on November 14. The 65-year-old was given four years for causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and two years to run concurrent for engaging in sexual ...

There could be no festive football at Holbeach United this Christmas after a fire damaged the away changing rooms on Saturday. The Carter’s Park club’s reserves were due to play there on Saturday, but at 9.50am machinery on fire was reported to Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue. A spokesman for Holbeach Parish Council said it was believed the fire was started ...

A Spalding woman has been awarded for her 40 years’ service to the Guides. Lyn Kite, from Spalding District Guides, received her 40 year Long Service Award at a ceremony last month. Lyn has held many roles within Guiding, beginning as a leader in training with 7th Spalding (Methodist) Guide Unit in 1979. She was also the leader of Spalding ...

Passengers on Lincolnshire County Council’s CallConnect bus service are being offered a Christmas bonus. From December 23 until January 2 (inclusive) the countywide bus service is giving users the chance to travel free for 15s and under and only £1 for adults. This fabulous festive offer is available for travel on all CallConnect services including pre-bookable and timetabled. Paul Sanders, ...

Spalding’s schoolchildren were in fine voice at the amazing choir competition held last week. The packed St Mary’s and St Nicolas Church was filled with song as the sound of school choirs soared and lifted spirits. More than 400 people attended the concert, where St John the Baptist school took top spot. Second place went to St Paul’s Community Primary ...

Market traders in Spalding claim to have lost a day’s takings after saying the district council’s Christmas lights switch-on forced them to abandon trading on Saturday. Trader Fee Taylor has run a toy stall at Spalding for five years and said traders at the Hall Place end of town were told two weeks ago they wouldn’t be able to pitch ...

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas and Spalding is lit-up and ready for the big day. An afternoon of fun and games was held in the town on Saturday when a pair of reindeer joined the entertainment. Craft-making sessions were held at Ayscoughfee Hall Museum and Gardens where there was also a special Christmas story time with Father ...

It takes more than three hip operations and debilitating conditions to stop Jean Ruck from volunteering at Holbeach Hospital. This month marks 20 years of the Holbeach resident helping out at the hospital through its League of Friends. And at the monthly entertainment event she hosts for residents, this month with singing group Velvet Souls, the hospital surprised her with ...

Pupils from Weston St Mary C of E Primary School have helped plant 150 trees in the school grounds. The school teamed up with London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and Carbon Footprint as part of a new project which aims to raise awareness regarding environmental issues. A combination of Birch (Silver), Common Alder, Dog/Guelder Rose and Green Beech species, totalling ...

There are fears for the future of a Holbeach play area which was due to be refurbished. The Hall Hill Road site is owned by South Holland District Council and there is money in the bank to provide new equipment. But the parish council has been trying to secure a lease for 18 months in order to release the cash ...

It’s your last chance to help make a child’s Christmas by donating to the Give a Gift appeal. We’ve had a fantastic response so far but every gift will unwrap a whole world of delight for a young person aged between three and 14 on Christmas Day who might otherwise receive nothing. The generous people at Westlode Fisheries in Spalding ...

Holbeach Air Cadets have drummed up enough support to allow them to start their very own marching band.   Members of the 2430 (Holbeach) RAF Air Cadets are now learning to play their instruments thanks to two fantastic donations.   Town based charity Chosen provided them with £500 worth of funding.   And that was backed up by a fantastic ...

Holbeach Parish Council has announced the nine finalists in the town’s Christmas window competition. Between now and December 17, you can cast your vote to name the crown the festive shopfront in Holbeach. Numbers will be displayed on each of the shopfronts and that number can be used to vote at either the Parish Council offices or post on the ...

There’s been a significant increase in the theft of bikes with one Spalding mum urging others to be vigilant after her 11-year-old son’s bike he’d bought himself with birthday money was stolen in the town centre. Nichola Good is warning people to wary after son Thomas’s silver Carrera bike was taken while locked up outside Barclay’s Bank in the town. The ...

A village’s public hall is a few hundred pounds closer to its goal of a new boiler thanks to a donation by a Freemasons lodge. Fenland Masonic Lodge of Long Sutton has donated £750 to Gosberton Public Hall. Rona Perry, treasurer and trustee of the Public Hall, said: “We are over the moon to get this unexpected and most welcome ...

A Spalding Freemasons lodge has donated hundreds of pounds to one of the town’s health and wellbeing charities. Michael Morris, Chair of Trustees for Tonic Health, the local health and wellbeing charity, was delighted this week to receive a donation of £750 from Welland Lodge 9556 towards the Focus Group which is run from Tonic Health for those with dementia ...

Today (Friday, December 14) marks exactly 100 years since the first women voted in a General Election. And to celebrate, some prominent local women held a Suffragettes Tea Party at Ayscoughfee Hall last week where they paid tribute to those women who helped take huge steps in the fight towards equality. They included Jennifer Alcock who recently found out her ...

If you are interested in the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, there is a special presentation on Saturday. The M&GN Circle is hosting an open afternoon for anyone interested in local railway history. There will be a presentation from what is probably the most complete collection of 35mm colour slides from the late 1930s to present day, followed by ...

Hal Cruttenden: Straight Outta Cruttenden South Holland Centre Friday, 8pm Tickets £18 Box Office 01775 764777 www.southhollandcentre.co.uk Top comedian and Edinburgh Festival veteran Hal Cruttenden makes his hotly anticipated debut on the Spalding stage with his Straight Outta Cruttenden tour. Star of his own Radio 4 sitcom, Hal has also been seen on TV in comedy shows including Have I ...

Sneath’s Mill Annual Autumn Show will be held in Lutton Village Hall on Saturday. Show entries can be delivered to the hall on Saturday between 9am and 11am, the hall will then be closed for judging and will reopen at 2pm. Look out for the show booklets which include details of both adult and children’s categories, the entry form and ...