There are some birds which everyone knows by sight. The robin on our Christmas cards, the elegant swan, the town pigeon. But there are rather fewer that people know the sound of. The cuckoo is one, or the quacking of a duck. And of course the owl, which goes “Twit-twooo”. But does it? It may surprise you to learn that ...

I recently attended the Labour Party Conference in Brighton as an observer for Unite the union. I was impressed with my Euro MP, Glennis Willmott as she gave a rousing speech and spoke about going forward and fighting for our young people. The importance of being at the centre of EU politics, not out in the cold on the fringes, ...

The Voice article about the grant of £9,800 to the Gentlemen’s Society in Spalding over William Stukeley’s drawings drew a bit of a mild smile from me. All credit to the Gentlemen’s Society and the granting of this financial award. It is more than ironic to me now that Holbeach missed out on the financial input of visitor, or tourist, ...

I was recently asked to accompany Chairman of South Holland District Council, Coun Francis Biggadike and his wife Freda, to attend a blue plaque unveiling ceremony of William Booth the founder of the Salvation Army. William Booth was 23 when in 1852, without any theological or ministerial training of any kind, he was invited by the Spalding Free (or Reformed) ...

Bourne Woods should be renamed Bourne Dog Toilet. Today being the first day of the half term holiday I decided to take my five-year-old daughter for a walk in Bourne Woods. With new walking boots on we set off from the car park and was amazed at the quantity of dog mess, it’s everywhere! I told my daughter to be ...

Having been a member of the Castle Sports Centre for the last ten years (50 plus badminton) I have noticed that the centre is used more and more frequently for social events, resulting in the sports hall being unavailable. As an example, from mid-December to mid-January we are unable to use the sports hall at all due to the fact ...

TODAY South Holland Healthy Walks, 10.30am, Holbeach Services Club. Meet your local Health Trainer, 9am-4pm, Sutton Bridge Community Centre, 07532 236616. Holbeach and Spalding Explorers: Spalding, 7pm-9pm; Holbeach 7.15pm-9.15pm, open to 14-18 year olds., www.handsscouts.com Tots and Carers, 9am-11.30am, Moulton Village Hall. Vitality classes, Broad Street Methodist Church Hall, Spalding, 11.30am-12.30pm and 1.45pm-2.45pm; Weston Village Hall, 2pm-3pm, £1.50, 01529 411941. ...

Brian Payne has been an armed forces standard bearer for the Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and south Yorkshire area since 2000. Brain was not in the Armed Forces but he is part of the Royal Naval Association and has represented them at many Armed Forces events. Brain paraded at the 90th anniversary celebration for the battle of the Somme, The ...

The X Factor & I’m A Celebrity star Jake Quickenden will be kicking off Christmas at Springfields on Thursday (Oct 29) when he switches on the Christmas lights. With only ten weeks to go until Christmas, the event compared by Heart DJs Kev & Ros, will see Jake flick the switch and be available for autographs accompanied on the night by live ...

The Proclaimers King’s Lynn Corn Exchange Friday, November 6, 7.30pm Tickets £29.50 Box office: 01775 476777 Strikingly individual, twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid have over the years enjoyed huge successes across the globe and in April 2015 release their tenth album on the Cooking Vinyl label. They have carved a niche for themselves where pop, folk, new wave and ...

On October 9 my wife, Christine, and I were invited to a charity race night by Mayor Colin Manning at King’s Lynn Town Hall in aid of the mayor’s charity “Bridge for Heroes”. The Bridge for Heroes charity was established in September 2010 by Mike and Helen Taylor with the aim of delivering direct and immediate support to the HM ...

Final accounts are now in for the Rotary Club of South Holland 2015 charity golf day. The event raised a record £2,780 for Rotary charities. That money will be well used to help the sick, disabled and needy – most of them here in Spalding, but some overseas. We have played our part, for example, in the Rotary International campaign ...

I must thank you for placing the article re parking on Chancery Court. It seemed to work for a week or two. However today (October 20) was absolutely manic. At 11:45am Georgian Court residents and people living down Chancery Court were unable to gain access to the complex or their homes due to the number of inconsiderate drivers parked on ...

Following his huge success earlier in the year, DJing legend Judge Jules returns to Spalding’s Loaded nightclub on Saturday.(October 31) He remains one of the most well-known DJ’s and defines a generation in clubbing. Judge Jules first took to the decks in the late 80s whilst studying law at university, hence the ‘Judge’. Jules’ sets are the epitome of what ...

Get in a spooky mood this Halloween with the Wytches & Wizards Fayre. Organised by Rainbow Festivals, the event takes place in the greenhouse at Silverwood Craft and Garden Centre at Long Sutton from 11am to 4pm on Saturday. Be greeted by stunning live owls when you arrive, then go inside and mooch around the fayre for some cackling crafts, ...

Physical theatre company Tangled Feet will be performing free outdoor show “Trade” in Spalding market place on Saturday. Following the success of the outdoor performance “Burntwater” in Spalding last year, the singing seed traders will return to set up their stall for a different kind of market. Based on the historic Hiring Fairs that once took place in the towns, ...

Big Country South Holland Centre, Spalding Saturday, 7.30pm Tickets £24.50 Box office: 01775 476777 Scottish band Big Country exploded on the scene in 1983, with Top Ten hit Fields Of Fire, and the million selling In a Big Country. Their debut album The Crossing sold over two million copies (and went gold in the US), and their second album Steeltown ...

South Holland Concerts will be opening its 32nd season with a performance by exciting brass quintet Pure Brass. The concert takes place at the South Holland Centre, Spalding, on Saturday, at 7.30pm. They will be playing music from traditional brass band compositions to classical renditions, modern compositions and vibrant jazz numbers. The quintet consists of Andrew Connell-Smith and Iain Archibald ...

TODAY South Holland Healthy Walks, 10.30am, Holbeach Services Club. Meet your Health Trainer, 9am-4pm, Sutton Bridge Community Centre, 07532 236616. Holbeach and Spalding Explorers: Spalding, 7pm-9pm; Holbeach 7.15pm-9.15pm, www.handsscouts.com Tots and Carers, 9am-11.30am, Moulton Village Hall. Vitality classes, Broad Street Methodist Church Hall, Spalding, 11.30am-12.30pm and 1.45pm-2.45pm; Weston Village Hall, 2pm-3pm, £1.50, 01529 411941. Vibe Contemporary Youth Choir, 5.30pm-7pm, South ...

We recently had the pleasure of spending an hour in the company of the two stalwarts of the local branch of the Royal Naval Association, Keith and Yvonne Crawford. Keith told us of his early days in the Royal Navy and the square bashing he had to endure as part of his basic training. He later joined the Fleet Air ...