Community

Happy 50th anniversary celebration for Holbeach’s air cadet squadron

Holbeach’s own air cadet squadron – correctly known as 2430 (Holbeach) Squadron RAF Air Cadets – has just celebrated 50 years as an independent squadron. There have been air cadets in Holbeach since 1941, but as part of the Spalding squadron. Holbeach moved to its headquarters in Church Street in 1964 and became 2430 Squadron 50 years ago this year. To ...

Read More »

Councillors’ budgets enable new dehumidifier at Moulton Methodist Chapel

A problem with dampness at Moulton Methodist Chapel should be resolved now thanks to a donation from South Holland district councillors. Ward members Anthony Casson, Rodney Grocock and Andrew Woolf chipped in £50 each from their designated members’ budgets to buy a dehumidifier for the Bell Lane building. Installation was done by a qualified member of the congregation.

Read More »

Fybromyalgia meeting scheduled in Spalding

A meeting to raise awareness of Fibromyalgia, a long-term condition which causes muscle pain and tiredness in the body, is being held in Spalding on Monday.(May 8) Christine Johnson, who runs support groups in Spalding and Stamford for people affected by Fibromyalgia, will be speaking about what it is like to live with the condition, the issues surrounding it and ...

Read More »

Former Squeeze member as keen with a brush as drumsticks

Gilson Lavis, the former Squeeze drummer and member of Jools Holland’s Big Band, is a very useful artist too. He’s painted portraits of Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and many other rock stars – some signed by the subjects. His latest work is Jeff Woods – aka local singer Pavanotti. Jeff spotted some of local resident Gilson’s pieces at Uptown ...

Read More »

22 winners in colouring competition which ‘amazed’ Springfields

The 22 winners in Springfields’ hugely popular Easter egg colouring competition have been announced. More than 3,000 children who took part in an egg hunt around the gardens were given the opportunity to enter the colouring competition, judged by staff at Thorntons. The overall winner was Beth McLaren (8), who gets a tour for four of Thorntons’ chocolate factory in Derbyshire. Runner-up was Tamzin Naish ...

Read More »

Eleanor sees sunglasses prize in Molsoms’ Easter competition

Five-year-old Eleanor Perkins was the winner of a Spalding town-centre Easter egg hunt organised by optometrists Molsom and Associates. The Hall Place business held the free competition for children aged four to 12, thanks to help from other local businesses and public buildings Eggs were displayed at Simpson Butchers, Flowers ‘n Things, Gibbs Shoes, The Loft, the library, Stennetts Jewellers, Hills Department Store, Bookmark and The South ...

Read More »

Ladies’ night in Donington in memory of Deneez

A ladies’ night in memory of a popular Donington woman raised £1,885 for Spalding and Holbeach Macmillan Cancer Support. Samantha Danyluk organised it to mark the tenth anniversary in June of the death of her mum Deneez Cook from pancreatic cancer at the age of 45. Samantha said: “Macmillan were our heroes during this time.  “Mum knew how to have ...

Read More »

Support fund for cancer sufferer Kieran (7) tops £9,000

The appeal to help Deeping St Nicholas cancer sufferer Kieran Taylor has topped £9,000. A table top sale at Spalding Grammar School last Saturday raised £540 and Spalding and District Round Table officially handed over a £2,500 donation on Monday (pictured). Kieran (7), a pupil at St John’s Primary School in Spalding, is to undergo specialist follow-up treatment in America following the removal ...

Read More »

Three Peaks climb for Pinchbeck work pals

Six work colleagues are temporarily swapping Pinchbeck for the Three Peaks Challenge. The friends from Coveris in Wardentree Park are hoping to climb Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mount Snowden all within 24 hours from 5pm on Friday, May 5. They hope to raise £1,500 for Clic Sargent, which is the company’s charity and has benefitted by £15,000 over the ...

Read More »

Spalding firefighters blaze a fundraising trail at Sainsbury’s

Spalding firefighters have thanked the public and Sainsbury’s staff for their support of a fundraiser in the Holland Market store. Crews collected for The Fire Fighters’ Charity and Newlife The Charity for Disabled Children, in support of their colleagues Clive Baillie and Kyle Campbell, who will be completing the Three Peaks Challenge and cycling in between. There were two static bikes and ...

Read More »

Top DJs on the decks at Spalding pub in memory of Mark

Two of the country’s top DJs are due to perform at The Black Swan in Spalding in a charity fundraiser. The event on Friday, May 5, featuring Mark EG and Chris Liberator, is in memory of local DJ Mark Blyth, who died last year. Friend Adam Squance, of Holbeach, said: “The idea for the event came after the untimely passing of my ...

Read More »

Winning photographs on display at Holbeach Cemetery Chapels’ busy open day

Tales of people draping dead moles around their necks to cure toothache were among those heard at an open day at Holbeach Cemetery Chapels on Saturday (April 22) attended by more than 60 people. Linden Secker, a leading researcher working with Holbeach Cemetery Chapels Trust (HCCT), led a trail of 20 graves telling stories of the occupations of the Victorians ...

Read More »

COLUMN: Sport has many health benefits

By Karen Johnson South Holland District Council community development officer It was great to see so many people come along to the Give it a Go! event at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field on April 2. More than 350 people came to meet South Holland’s sports clubs and try activities including football, golf, rugby, rowing and bowls. Playing sports ...

Read More »

Karen’s London Marathon challenge for meningitis charity

A Spalding runner will be pounding the streets of London on Sunday to raise money for a charity close to her heart. Karen O’Rourke (46) has set herself the gruelling challenge of competing in the London Marathon, in aid of the charity Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF). Karen, of Osier Road, who works in the town’s Sainsbury’s, will be running for MRF ...

Read More »

Spalding Market traders’ fundraising contines with tombola

Spalding market traders will be fundraising again on Saturday in their bid to gather enough funds to kit out a Skegness lifeboat (about £1,500). A tombola will be held next to the watch stall in Hall Place and donation tins will on several stalls. The latest fundraiser follows an auction in Market Place on April 8, which raised £444 for ...

Read More »

Delve into Victorian lives at Holbeach open day

A chance to discover the occupations of Victorians buried in a Holbeach cemetery and see inside its Grade II listed chapels is on offer on Saturday.(April 22) The open day is the latest event in a diary of activities being supported by a £49,000 Heritage Lottery Fund award. Gill Graper, a trustee of Holbeach Cemeteries Chapel Trust, said: “There aren’t many ...

Read More »

Springfields ‘overwhelmed’ as nearly 3,000 children do Easter egg hunt

A record number of nearly 3,000 children participated in this year’s Easter egg hunt at Springfields – more than double the previous highest. Children could complete a fun hunt in the Festival Gardens in return for a Thorntons Easter Egg and activity pack, which included entry to a ‘Design an Easter Egg competition’. The top prize being a family tour ...

Read More »

Swimmers on their starting blocks in Spalding thanks to fundraising support

South Lincolnshire Competitive Swimming Club has six new starting blocks at a cost of £11,797. Spalding Beer and Music Festival, which is organised by Spalding Round Table and Spalding Ladies’ Circle, donated £3,212 towards the purchase. Parents of the swim club members helped man the bar at last year’s event. Phil Cookson, fundraising chairman at the club, raised additional funding ...

Read More »

Spalding Classic Car Club donation in memory of Ivan

Spalding Classic Car Club has donated £500 to Holbeach Hospital in memory of friend and club member Ivan Cunnington, who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, spending his final days in the care of the hospital. Ivan, of Gedney Dyke, was also one of the founding members of the King’s Lynn and District Motor Club, chairman for many years, and ...

Read More »

Porter’s horseshoe: Made in Spalding, hanging with royalty’s in Rutland

A symbolic horseshoe made in Spalding and bearing the name of South Holland District Council leader Gary Porter is now hanging on the walls of Oakham Castle to mark a celebratory event. Lord Porter was special guest at the venue for Rutland 20, a series of events to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Rutland regaining its status as an independent county. As part ...

Read More »