News

A Holbeach man who thought he’d never return from an invasion scheduled to happen the day World War Two ended has died aged 101. Alan Barkes didn’t believe he’d have made it through the war if the Japanese hadn’t surrendered on what became VJ Day on August 15, 1945. The leading aircraftsman, of the 2810 Parachute Squadron, was onboard a ...

The ‘money pit’ South Holland Centre is in a much better place after last year’s cuts, it’s been claimed, amid an increase in usage in recent months. The recommendations put forward by a task group set up to look at the district’s main arts venue were passed by South Holland District Council’s Executive on Tuesday. The meeting heard that cost ...

A Long Sutton dad who has been campaigning for equal parenting rights has launched a website to help parents get the correct legal advice. Simon Cobb launched PAPA (People Against Parental Alienation) before the pandemic, calling for equality between divorcing parents in terms of children. And he’s looking to help others that are in a similar situation as he was ...

More examples of street art have been appearing in Spalding town centre. One of the most striking is a representation of Tank Man, an unknown person who defiantly blocked tanks in Tiananmen Square, Beijing on June 5 1989, the day after the Chinese government violently ended a demonstration against it there. Edgars Bokans created the image to mark the 33rd ...

The patient group from a Spalding surgery is staging a health and wellbeing event in a bid to give support and advice to all. Beechfield Medical Centre Patient Participation Group (PPG) is a long standing group of patients whose aim is to help and improve services for patients across the local community. The group has been involved in several health ...

The lack of a footbridge over a soon to be expanded busy A16 junction is ‘an accident waiting to happen’, a councillor has claimed. Coun Rob Gibson says he will continue to push for such a pedestrian crossing where the road meets the A151 near Spalding. In June 2021 when Lincolnshire County Council announced it was bidding for £20m of ...

A Spalding man says he has been inundated with offers of help after pledging to bring back an event similar to the town’s former Flower Parade. Steve Timewell has already had conversations with the likes of South Holland District Council after a social media post at the weekend about a lack of celebrations in the town received hundreds of comments ...

A road just outside Spalding was blocked this morning after a lorry became stuck. Part of Clay Lake Bank just off the A16 near Bridge Farm Nurseries was impassable following this morning’s (Tuesday, June 7) incident. A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police said: “We received a call at 8.42am today that a lorry had left the roadside. “This was a non ...

A proposed £20m plus new leisure facility is proposed to have three pools its been revealed. The South Lincolnshire Swimming Club have also given their backing to the project to rebuild Spalding’s Castle Sports Complex. The building’s owner South Holland District Council announced last week it is to bid for £20m of Levelling Up funding from the government to revitalise ...

Data released this week shows Lincolnshire Police are one of the best in the country when it comes to answering emergency 999 calls. Home Office figures made public on Tuesday showed that the average, mean time it took to pick-up a 999 call during April this year was just 6.3 seconds. The table is topped by Northamptonshire which comes in ...

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will be forever remembered by a South Holland man who has been awarded the MBE. The list of her Birthday Honours was revealed yesterday and in this special year, Eric Fragale will receive his MBE for services to education. Mr Fragale, of Cowbit, discovered three weeks ago that he was to receive an MBE and has ...

They’ve left loved ones behind to flee a war zone, but for a few moments last week it was all smiles as Ukrainian refugees now living nearby met for the first time. They included three-year-old Davyd Pidvinskyi, an image of who in a bomb shelter inspired Mandy Baxter to set up Boxes of Hope in Fleet, which has organised thousands ...

A Spalding man who was driving a friend home after a drink, crashed his car while more than twice over the legal alcohol limit. Edvardas Adomenas, (32), of Gamlyn Close, who admitted the offence, was said to have been the driver of a VW Passat when he was involved in a single vehicle collision on Nene Terrace Road at Crowland ...

A coroner has apologised to the family of a Spalding man who experienced a three-year wait for an inquest into his death to be concluded. Stephen Martin (46) was found hanged on January 19, 2019, but his case was only heard this month at Lincoln Coroner’s Court. While ruling his death as a suicide, coroner Paul Cooper apologised to the ...

A Whaplode man who posted a topless photograph of his former partner onto social media, has been ordered to pay her compensation and undergo rehabilitation sessions. Peter Briggs, 46, of The Tilney, admitted disclosing a private sexual photograph with intent tocause the woman distress, when he appeared before District Judge Peter Veits. Prosecuting, Paul Wood said Briggs had pleaded guilty ...

Staff members at Johnson Community Hospital in Spalding are giving brave young patients, who need to come into the hospital for blood appointments, personalised stickers, sweets, and fluffy bugs to try and help ease their stress. The goodies have been funded thanks to the Lincolnshire NHS Charity, which plays a vital role in supporting both Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS ...

South Holland District Council has reaffirmed it’s commitment to support Armed Forces personnel and their families alongside its council partners. The authority’s leader Coun Gary Porter recently signed the Armed Forces Covenant alongside counterparts from Boston Borough and East Lindsey District Council which make up the South and East Lincolnshire Local Councils Partnership. Observers of the ceremony included the Veterans ...

Public art commissioning will see three Spalding locations used for installations. The Abbey Passage, The Hole in the Wall Passage and the empty space above Superdrug have all been identified as potential recipients. A report to go before members of Spalding’s Town Centre Forum on Wednesday (June 8) says improvement plans also include targeting ‘poor quality’ properties. Informal approaches ahead ...

A stunning host of golden daffodils has brought more Chelsea Flower Show success for a South Holland company. Hours and hours of hard work paid off when Taylors Bulbs took its 27th consecutive Chelsea Gold Medal. The company grows 18,000 daffodils to find the perfect 1,200 for its show-stopping display at the world famous flower show. Flowers are cropped fully ...

Spalding Primary Academy pupils had a fabulous time as they celebrated the Jubilee. There were around 1,000 people taking advantage of the glorious weather as families joined the pupils and staff at Spalding Primary Academy for a special outdoor picnic. Co-head of school Katie Thompson said it was the first such event post pandemic. “It was wonderful to have our ...