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 ...

Funhouse Comedy Club returns to the South Holland Centre, Spalding, tomorrow (Friday) for another laughter-packed night. Headlining is sharp and intuitive Irishman Keith Farnan, who has performed as a stand-up all over the world, from Montreal, to Amsterdam, to Hong Kong and has appeared on radio and TV including Michael Mcintyre’s Comedy Roadshow. Both charismatic and bold he delivers his ...

Tomorrow night (Friday, October 1), the South Holland Centre in Spalding is hosting a play on national tour that has had all the critics raving. Gaining four star reviews across the national media in both the UK and New York, Every Brilliant Thing is a funny play about depression. Performed by Duncan MacMillan, it tells what happens when a six ...

The high-flyers and the bad guys descend on Holbeach Community Centre on Saturday, October 10 for another night of international professional wrestling action. The show, which is family friendly, will feature championship and tag team tournament matches. Wrestlers scheduled to appear include “Dangerous” Danny Steel, Captain Rick Wildfire, Mad Dog Maxx, Johnny Thunder, Big Paulie and many more. Tickets for ...

A pioneering social reformer and evangelist is to be honoured in Spalding. The latest heritage blue plaque – which recognises a person of historical significance – is the fifth in the series and will honour William Booth, the co-founder of church and charity The Salvation Army, which is celebrating its 150th year. Booth’s 86-year-old great-grandson, Colonel Bramwell Booth, will conduct ...

Fleet took a step back in time when tractor drivers descended for the annual Fenland Working Weekend. A field in Branches Lane was filled with tractor drivers from far and wide demonstrating how traditional machinery was used in the past. This popular event attracted many tractor drivers with farming machinery, along with farming enthusiasts who took their tractors and machines ...

On September 13 my wife Christine and I were invited by Douglas Marsh from the Royal Air Force’s Association to attend a service in commemoration and thanksgiving for victory in the Battle of Britain 1940. The service was held at St Matthew’s Church in Sutton Bridge. From the outset, I knew the service would be a dignified occasion because the ...

Having been recently retired I have noticed that when it comes to our weekly recycling collection, one of the refuse collectors goes ahead of the lorry and piles up all the road’s green bags in one pile – which obviously saves time and effort, and means they can collect more efficiently. I have spoken to council employees and I understand ...

I am writing this email to you to express my disgust at the plans now being put in for more houses to be built in Holbeach. The problems with this are as follows: 1. There are already 900 new houses being put in by Mr King who seems to be able to build what he wants wherever he wants. He ...

I have just read your article about Spalding swimming pool being too cold. I went there two weeks ago for a leisurely swim with a friend and found the water temperature comfortable, and managed around 25 lengths. However, I visited again on September 16 and found it far too cold to swim in! My friend and I managed about five ...

I used to go to Spalding Swimming Pool regularly to teach a friend, of 60 years old, to swim after she retired. I am 72, but the water was so cold standing helping her and she used to get cold after too short a time, plus the changing rooms had mouldy ceilings and were not pleasant places to be either, ...

Three friends have undertaken the trip of a lifetime in a bid to raise cash for a children’s charity. Mark Herd (37), of Pinchbeck, Jason Dixon (44), of Boston, and Tom Pell (27), of Swineshead, have travelled 2,000 miles around Europe in a decorated London black cab as part of the Screwball Rally. The trio, aptly named The Last Fare, ...

A lorry driver who attempted to ruin a Spalding farmer after threatening to poison his crops has been jailed for eight years. Michael Young demanded £50,000 from Low Fulney grower David Bowman warning that he had injected the farmer’s pumpkins with deadly potassium cyanide. Young struck just a week before Mr Bowman’s business was about to harvest the crop for sale. Stuart Lody, prosecuting, said: “There is no evidence whatsoever that cyanide ...

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, 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 Holland ...

Ye Olde Red Lion Bicker Telephone 01775 821200 www.redlionbicker.co.uk Having previously enjoyed a lovely evening meal at Ye Olde Red Lion in Bicker, I jumped at the chance to go along and sample the restaurant’s Lincolnshire tapas menu – and I wasn’t disappointed. My colleague Mel and I dined at the restaurant on a Friday night and when we arrived ...

The Fenland Family History Society is holding a Family History Day on Saturday. The event runs from 10am until 4.30pm at St Peter’s Church Hall in Wisbech. There will be the chance to get help from experienced researchers and Family History Society stands offering books, CDs and advice. There will be two special Sessions in Wisbech Library – Martin Edwards ...

South Holland Centre, Spalding Box office: 01775 764777 Royal Opera House Ballet: Romeo & Juliet Sunday, 2pm Roger Waters – The Wall Tuesday, 8pm 45 Years Tuesday, 2pm, and Wednesday, 2pm and 7.30pm Blackfriars Arts Centre, Boston Box office: 01205 363108 The Comedy Tea House Tomorrow (Friday), 8pm King’s Lynn Corn Exchange Box office 01553 764864 Comedy Club Today (Thursday), ...

Hollyoaks star Fabrizio Santino is the latest celebrity confirmed for a visit to Spalding. The actor, who plays Ziggy Roscoe in the Channel 4 soap, will be at Loaded Night Club, Westlode Street, on Saturday, October 10. Dave Charlesworth, of Loaded Night Club, said: “It has been over a year since we went down the ‘hunky male’ route and keep ...

This year’s Pumpkin Festival is set to be better than ever before. It is being held on Friday, October 9, in Hall Place and Sheep Market in Spalding. The Pumpkin Festival is a celebration of local horticulture and harvest. It is a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with your friends and family and enjoy the abundance that the South ...

Green-fingered families enjoyed a gardening workshop as part of South Holland District Council’s SHout and About competition. The event took place at Silverwood Garden Centre in Long Sutton where participants learned how to fertilise and care for plants as well as enjoying a variety of gardening-themed games. They also got to take away a hanging basket of pansies and herbs. ...