Around 100 people joined a church service and wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial as Holbeach St Johns marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

The church service was led by the Rev Barbara Hutchinson and then the congregation, including four standard bearers from The Royal British Legion and eight air cadets from Spalding, moved to the war memorial for the wreath laying and the playing of Last Post and Reveille.

Churchwarden Alan Sears said there are 16 names on the war memorial and all were read aloud. There were also readings. The event was organised by ex-serviceman Barry Joyce and his wife, Joan.

The Battle of the Somme took place from July 1 to November 18 in 1916 and came to symbolise the enormous losses of the First World War.

Almost every community across the UK lost men in the battle.

The Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, head of remembrance at the Royal British Legion, said all communities were being asked to commemorate those who fell at The Somme.

He said: “Their sacrifice, and that of communities across the country, is as relevant today as ever but in this centenary year we pay special tribute to their service.”

Pictured above is the Reception Class at Tydd St Mary Primary School.

• To buy a picture call 03301230203 or visit www.spaldingtoday.co.uk and click on ‘Buy A Photo’ at the bottom of the page.

People living with the respiratory condition COPD can access a new style of community clinic in Spalding as part of a pilot project.

The project is designed to improve the wellbeing of people living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and their carers by reducing social isolation and providing a range of care and support in a non-clinical community setting.

Denis Burke (68), of Spalding, was diagnosed with COPD six years ago and says the clinic is proving a valuable opportunity to be proactive in managing the disease.

He said: “This clinic is valuable because it can help ensure COPD sufferers are not so isolated indoors and is somewhere to get more information.

“You go to the doctors and they say ‘come back next time you’re feeling unwell’.

“It’s nice to be with people with the same complaint and take positive action to keep well.”

COPD is a condition where the airways become inflamed and the air sacs in the lungs become damaged. This causes the airways to become narrower, which makes it harder to breathe in and out.

There is no cure for COPD, but there are lots of treatments available to help individuals manage the condition, improve their symptoms and live an active life.

Symptoms of COPD include wheezing, breathlessness when resting or active, a tight chest, coughing and producing more mucus or phlegm than usual.

The symptoms may be all the time or they might appear or get worse when individuals have an infection or breathe in smoke or fumes. Individuals may need oxygen therapy.

Terry Littlewood (70), of Surfleet, has had COPD for ten years and has begun attending the clinic, seeking improved fitness and company.

He said: “With COPD when you are well you feel like a fraud and when you get an attack you’re scared stiff.”

The clinic launched at the Ivo Day Centre, Albion Street, Spalding, 2pm to 4pm, Thursdays, in August and is already attracting around a dozen people per week.

It is designed to recognise that people are often the experts on their own situation and condition and therefore those who attend have a large say in what it includes.

Sessions are attended by Lincolnshire Community Health Services (LCHS) respiratory clinicians and opportunities are often available for one-to-ones as well as group advice and information.

The sessions are intended to be informal and people do not have to attend every one. There will be talks and demonstrations on relevant subjects such as benefits, suitable exercise, medication, physiotherapy and safety in the home.

The sessions also provide a valuable social opportunity and include time to chat, with free refreshments.

Pauline Spring (73), of Holbeach, has had COPD for around 14 years.

She said: “We have all got the same problem whether it is severe or not severe and can discuss between ourselves the problems. We can have a good talk to each other and make friends.”

The clinic also offers an opportunity to find out about and share information on other services available in the local area such as regular health walks that take place, including in Ayscoughfee Gardens, Spalding, at 11am on Friday mornings – social, informal, low intensity walks open to all. Some light tailored exercise may become a regular part of the clinic.

South Lincolnshire CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) is working with partners including Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service (LCVS) to deliver the clinic, based on the RIPPLE model developed in Coventry.

Funding is in place for it to continue to the end of March next year and the impact of the clinic will be reviewed over the later period with a view to developing a business case for continued funding in 2017/18 and beyond.

Seed funding of £25,000 to support the set-up and running costs of the clinic has been provided by the Health Foundation.

LCVS’s Healthy Living Team is facilitating the group to help ensure it delivers what people want and need.

To find out more about the COPD community clinic contact LCVS’s Healthy Living Team at its Spalding office on 01205 510888 option 3, email health@lincolnshirecvs.org.uk or go along to the Ivo Day Centre, Albion Street, Spalding, 2pm to 4pm, Thursdays.

• LCVS is a registered charity with teams in Boston, South Holland, South Kesteven and East Lindsey. LCVS works to help community-minded individuals and groups to get established, achieve their goals and flourish through providing support with paperwork and governance, resources, sourcing funding and finding and training volunteers.

LCVS runs accredited Volunteer Centres in Boston, Spalding, Louth and Grantham.

In addition, the LCVS Healthy Living Team offers health advice and support via individual, group and remote sessions. It also offers workplace health packages and guest speakers.

Pictured is the reception class at Baston Church of England Primary School. (SG200916-100TW)

To buy a picture call 03301230203 or visit www.spaldingtoday.co.uk and click on ‘Buy A Photo’ at the bottom of the page.

Our photographer Tim Wilson has been taking picture of the new reception intake at local schools – we are publishing them in the Free Press and Spalding Guardian throughout September and October.

Pictured is the reception class at Holbeach Bank. (SG190916-121TW)

• To buy a picture call 03301230203 or visit www.spaldingtoday.co.uk and click on ‘Buy A Photo’ at the bottom of the page.

A flying, Del Boy Trotter style Reliant Rialto was one of the big attractions at Washkosh in Gedney Dyke.

The “Reflyant Robin” was driven and piloted by its creator, Bobby ‘the plonker’ Frankham, who was among 40 visitors on wings and chutes who responded to Wingland Aero Club’s invitation to drop in to the four-day event.

Pete Wing, who has owned Wingland Airfield for 16 years, says the airfield is mainly used as a base for microlights but the summer fly-in was open to all.

“We had about 40 come,” said Pete. “They were all classes of microlights.”

Washkosh was held in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance and Pete’s wife, Jenny, presented giant cheques to both charities at the event.

Pete said Bobby’s flying Reliant was built around a buggy, which was lifted into the air by a paramotor wing.

“Bobby is renowned throughout the paramotor world,” said Pete.

There were hundreds of spectators but Pete says the weather was a little against the event.

“We only had one good day in four,” he said.

Ambitions for the club this year include building a bigger clubhouse to enable people to stay over for training.

THOUGHTS OF A FRUITCAKE: By Carolyn Aldis

So, this week I have been struck by a couple of things that happened during the Paralympics. I don’t have much interest in sport but the thing that caught my attention this week was hearing the name Alex Zanardi again…I remember being at home on a Sunday afternoon many years ago, my daughter asleep in her cot, having had a lovely roast dinner.

I have a habit of reading the Sunday magazine and, that week, there was an article about this remarkable man, a Formula One driver who had been involved in an horrendous crash that had almost killed him…it went into graphic detail of how his legs had been severed as his car was sliced in two, leading to blood loss that would usually end in death…but then this was Alex Zanardi they were talking about and I could see what a determined, optimistic man he was, even then.

When my daughter woke from her nap, my head was still full of Alex’s story and as she toddled off down the stairs, I marvelled at how he had managed to learn to walk again, even though he was in excruciating pain; his determination fascinated me.

I’ll be honest and say I haven’t thought much about him since…I do this a lot, read about amazing people and think “Wow, they have been through so much, I’ll never moan again!” and then something will come up and I’ll be sobbing “Why me!” and forgetting all about these incredible stories of people who overcome adversity.

When I heard that he had won gold at Rio, I felt compelled to look him up. I was astounded to learn that he had been back in a Formula One car, even driven on the same circuit where his life had been forever changed…most people would never want to revisit the site of such a traumatic event.

To train as he has, to become a world class hand cyclist must have taken immense effort, courage and willpower, but for me, the most amazing thing about him is his humility. I would have thought somebody who has achieved all that he has, would be proud and rightly so.

Yet his response to his Paralympic win was so humble: “Normally I don’t thank God for this type of thing as I believe God has more important stuff to worry about but today is too much. I had to raise my eyes and thank Him. I feel very lucky; I feel my life is a never-ending privilege.”

Such humility is unusual to see and so it was refreshing to see it again just days later as Alistair Brownlee helped his brother Jonny, who was struggling to keep going, to come second in the Triathlon, by supporting him as they ran together for the finish line. He said it seemed the most natural thing to do and he would have done it for anybody.

Some things are far more important than winning.

In the words of Alex Zanardi, life is a never-ending privilege and seeing others respond to difficulties with grace, strength and humanity inspires me to want to do the same.

WARD’S WORLD: By John Ward

Being the now accepted windy day as par the norm in recent times, a trip or even a journey into town was required. It’s interesting that the nowadays trendy description of a ‘journey’ covers everything from the antics of ‘never do wells’ to dodgy sounding life stories or in lot of cases, both. In my case my journey was the need to pop around and buy a few bits and bobs, pay this and that and I really needed the stuff anyway, but if it’s on offer, it could or may happen depending on what size it is.

Once in town and feeling a bit uneasy as there were no roadworks in operation along the route which gives you the time to sit among such holdups, either to wait, read or have time to do the crossword, although at times I could think of a few crosswords that did not involve any clues or skull scratching and so the journey went okay and I did get to park reasonably well, although the usual reversing out of a space malarkey in quite a few cases had all the aura of seeing contestants taking part on an obstacle course and can be quite entertaining.

The marked out lines or bays in parking areas are there as being a guide and not a form of gladiatorial challenge as some seem to consider it. Once parked and walking towards the shopping area, I was nearly run over by somebody who lowered his window to ask, among other things, did I know where I was going or was I blind and I tactfully pointed out that I knew where I was going and no I was not blind although I pointed out, at no extra charge, that those big white painted things on the ground called arrows - that’s a-r-r-o-w-s – are there to assist the motorist to drive along in their general direction as in one way traffic and not an indication that the Olympic Archery Team are in training nearby, so despite the very expensive car, it’s a shame the person driving it was not aware of this minor point and made me wonder how long they have been afflicted like this and more to the point, how they have survived so far.

Once away from doing my diplomatic mutterings, I got into the town centre and I was wondering was I still cut out for this mind numbing thing called Life when a lady approached with a little query - its small breed of dog I believe - and asked, I quote at this point, “Is this the town centre or is there more to it than this?”. She explained that she had come from Cambridge but had brought her mother, who lives in Peterborough, to see friends in the area and was basically killing a bit of time before picking her up to take her home so I assumed she was on a fact-finding mission to see how we survive in our natural habitat, although perhaps more tat than habi based on her observations so far.

On looking round and back at her I explained this was indeed ‘it’- the Luftwaffe were not recently responsible or involved in any way for its current disposition, although word has it they did include it in their last apology for the wanton destruction because as is the case, much like it was all those years ago, they were ‘acting under orders’ although time has moved on and instead of bombers coming over to do their dastardly deeds, it’s now more civilised and its called business rates, rents with the occasional burst of planning permission and Health and Safety restraints slung into the equation that has the same effect in that it also leaves buildings gutted and empty but happily still standing, or at least this is the situation in most cases.

I also pointed out that the Japanese were not involved due to the travelling, the cold weather we get this side of the globe, but that is being dependent on whose forecast or guesswork you believe in (to be honest at one time, I was more engrossed in the shirt the perceived weather forecaster or fortune teller was wearing plus the multi-patterned (usually) tie dangling down the front of it looking like a barber’s razor strip) plus they had now veered away from the destructive side and were more involved in making things, mainly electrical that are smaller, compact and very expensive if brought when first launched on an unsuspecting public although there is an alternative.

It’s perhaps best to wait, and this can take anything from mere days to weeks, until the mark two model comes out and buy the mark one, less trendy but usually cheaper by now. Undaunted by this general overall help in chosen areas of conversation, she then went on to ask had I ‘lived here all my life?’ and I replied that One, no I go home once the essential business that brought me into town has been done and Two, I have not had a ’life’ yet so it’s presuming a lot to ask ‘all my life’.

It was during this cultural exchange that it made me wonder could I have been cut out to act as a tourist guide or similar soothsayer?

Thinking back a year ago, my ‘personal best’ in helping folk could well be the gent who accosted me with a map of the North Circular road area - the London one - and to be honest, until he showed me this I was not aware such maps existed but there you go or rather you might have done if used in a proper manner.

His query was: How far was he from the said North Circular road area that he was pointing his finger at and on said map or ‘mip’ as he actually spoke in a language that was basically ‘Allo, ‘Allo’ speak as in the TV series.

He explained that he was ‘peeking (picking?) his ‘ant’ (aunt?) ‘hoop’ (up?) at ‘wone’ (one?) ‘oh-click’ (o’clock?) at, and he pointed at a well rubbed or smudged bit on the mip/map and looking at my watch, unless he had an ‘hoolychropter’ (helicopter) or whathaveyou, this was looking decidedly iffy, from his point of view as to get to ‘Loondoon’ (London).

I tactfully pointed out we were standing in Spalding, not a particularly well known suburb of ‘Loondoon’, and it was ten fifty three as in morning, same day, time-wise and so looking like a bit of challenge really. I will point out that I did furtively look round to make sure “Candid Camera” had not started back and this was a ‘set up’ but all seemed well.

I suggested he best get to the A16, then on to Peterborough and the A1 as in ‘big roods’ and then to ‘Loondoon’ and this was greeted by ‘wus his cur (car) facing the root way?’ and just to make sure, I looked again to see if the Candid Camera lot had just arrived late, but no sign of them yet.

He eventually went away, folding his ‘mip’ as he went and I have not seen him or his ‘mip’ since – thankfully.

A Long Sutton cat rescue charity says antifreeze or rat poisoning was to blame for the death of a cat in its long-term care.

The cat had been with a foster carer for 18 months when it became ill and died.

A volunteer with P J Cat Rescue said a vet blamed the death on antifreeze or rat poison.

The volunteer, who asked not to be named, has since heard of two other cats becoming seriously ill, as a result of suspected poisoning, and is asking residents to take care with substances that are known to be deadly to cats.

“We think someone has been a bit careless by leaving an open container of antifreeze in their garden,” he said. “Or it could be that someone has put rat poison in the wrong type of dispenser. In the past, people used the pipe and funnel dispenser filled up with poison grain to put outside, but now you are only allowed to use an enclosed trap box.”

The volunteer also warned cat owners to take their pets to the vet as soon as possible if they suspect poisoning.

According to the RSPCA, signs of antifreeze poisoning in cats can include: vomiting, the pet appearing depressed, sleepy and/or drunk and uncoordinated.

Fits (seizures) and difficulty in breathing are also symptoms.

Pet MD say signs of rat poisoning can include loss of appetite, impaired movement, paralysis of hind limbs, slight muscle tremors, generalised seizures and depression of the central nervous system.

• If you suspect your pet has been poisoned, please call Lynne Harrison in our newsroom on 01775 765413.

Pygott & Crone is selling the property in Tasman Close, Spalding, for £152,000.

Pygott & Crone is pleased to present this modern semi-detached house for sale.

The property benefits from the fact that there is no forward chain.

The house is situated among similar style properties in Tasman Close in Spalding.

It comprises a kitchen with built-in gas hob, a cloakroom, lounge with French doors into the garden.

There is a first-floor landing, plus three bedrooms and a family bathroom.

Outside there is allocated parking for two vehicles, front and enclosed rear garden which is laid to lawn.

Pygott & Crone is selling the house in North Parade, Holbeach, for offers over £210,000.

Pygott & Crone is pleased to bring to the market this versatile family home.

The house, set in North Parade in Holbeach, has an original part dating back to Victorian times.

The main house has spacious rooms and comprises a lounge, dining room, kitchen, utility and WC on the ground floor.

On the first floor is a larger than average landing with feature window.

There are three bedrooms and a family bathroom.

Outside, there is an enclosed courtyard leading to an attached annexe with a bedroom, lounge and recently re-fitted shower room. An attached store room could provide more space.

Sedge Estate Agents is selling the bungalow in Wargate Way, Gosberton, for £299,950.

Sedge Estate Agents is delighted to offer for sale this brand new chalet bungalow.

It is within the village of Gosberton and the detached property has been built to an extremely high standard and has open views of fields.

Highlights include under-floor heating throughout the ground floor, a large kitchen diner and three double bedrooms.

In addition, the property comprises a utility room, lounge, downstairs toilet and bedroom three/reception room.

Stairs lead to an extensive open plan landing area with room for a snug/reading area.

The master bedroom has an en suite, and there is a further bedroom in addition to a family bathroom.

Outside, there is a single garage.

The rear garden is mainly laid to lawn with fence borders.

There is access to the front from both sides.

An extensive gravel driveway offers off-road parking for several vehicles.

The property benefits from an Architect’s Guarantee and is serviced by mains gas and mains drainage.

It is being sold with no chain.

SHOWCASE CINEMAS PETERBOROUGH, OUT NOW

CAST: RENEE ZELLWEGER, COLIN FIRTH, PATRICK DEMPSEY, SARAH SOLEMANI, EMMA THOMPSON, JIM BROADBENT, GEMMA JONES, AGNI SCOTT, JULIAN RHIND-TUTT, SALLY PHILLIPS, JOANNA SCANLAN, NEIL PEARSON, SHIRLEY HENDERSON, PATRICK MALAHIDE, KATE O’FLYNN, CELIA IMRIE & ED SHEERAN

RUNNING TIME: 2 HRS 3 MINS

DIRECTOR: SHARON MAGUIRE

After a 12-year hiatus there would have been justifiable fears that Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth and Co were just back to milk the Bridget Jones ‘cash cow’ – by potentially providing a half-baked sequel.

But this surprisingly passes the ‘pessimism’ test by providing a couple of hours of consistently British-influenced comedy-laden entertainment that is closer in terms of quality to the 2001 original than the lacklustre 2004 first sequel.

Oscar winners Zellweger (Cold Mountain) and Firth (The King’s Speech) both reprise their iconic roles as Bridget and Mark Darcy respectively, with Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey replacing Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver – who’s absence gets explained in a noteworthy early sequence – as secondary love interest and online romance guru Jack Qwant.

Now well into her forties (43 to be exact) the hapless British media executive is lonely and single again after finally breaking up with Darcy after an on-off relationship over the past ten years.

So work colleague and pal Miranda (impressive rising British star Sarah Solemani from TV series Him & Her) whisks the downtrodden Bridget to a music festival – cue publicity vehicle for Ed Sheeran which just about works in an uneasy fashion – where she inadvertently bumps into Qwant and ends up having an alcohol-fuelled one night stand.

Then likewise does the same with Darcy at friend’s christening the following week, ends up falling pregnant, and it’s 50/50 who the father is – leaving to a 2016 twist on the Three Men and a Baby-esque theme.

And while the film does threaten to drag a touch, and become a bit self indulgent at times, it deserves immense props for delivering more laughs than distressing contractions.

It also manages to not only be a movie for just the female demographic – or fans of Helen Fielding’s famous character – but offers more than enough for the fellas, too, due to its impressive quota of generally notable comedic set pieces.

It has taken more in little old Britain than the whole of America in its opening weekend – which will undoubtedly put a fourth entry at risk – so if this is the last instalment in the series then Bridget definitely exits with her integrity intact.

And therefore comes highly recommended that you go and see her final big push.

Rating: 4/5

Gavin Miller

SHOWCASE CINEMAS PETERBOROUGH, FROM FRIDAY

Oscar-winner Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke re-team with Training Day director Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer) in this remake of the iconic 1960 Yul Brynner/Steve McQueen Western.

Jurassic World’s Chris Pratt joins the ride as explosives expert Josh Farraday, who teams up with ‘Seven’ leader and bounty hunter Sam Chisholm (Washington), sharpshooter Goodnight Robicheaux (Hawke), tracker Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio) and three other deadly outlaws, who are enlisted to protect the town of Rose Krick from industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgard) and his army, in what looks like a suicide mission.

Justice now has a number.

Police are dealing with two cases of vehicle crime which happened in Wygate Park, Spalding, at the weekend.

is believed to have happened overnight between Sunday and Monday on the estate.

It has led police to advise people not to leave any valuables in vehicles and to make sure it is locked.

Anyone who sees suspicious activity should call 101 or, if it is in progress, 999.

Police have confirmed that a case of unexplained death reported in Morton on Tuesday, September 20, is not being treated as suspicious.

No further details about the death have been released at this stage.

But a Lincolnshire Police spokesman said: “Following a thorough investigation, this is not being treated as suspicious.”

A worldwide blood cancer charity is urging people from South Holland and south east Lincolnshire to register as potential blood stem cell donors.

DKMS is marking Blood Cancer Awareness Month by trying to boost the number of donations to help save the lives of blood cancer patients, including mother-of-one May Brown (23) of Frampton who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in June 2015 and is in need of a blood stem cell donation.

May said: “Please register today as a potential blood stem cell donor, if not for my sake then for the sake of my little girl Selina-May.

“She is only two years old and needs her Mummy.

“Your selfless act of registering could ultimately save my life and those of other people suffering from blood cancer or blood disorders.”

According to Cancer Research UK, at least one person in the UK is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma every 20 minutes.

Caroline Portlock, head of donor recruitment at DKMS, said: “We are delighted that many people from Lincolnshire have already registered to potentially help save a life.

“There are over one million people registered as potential blood stem cell donors in the UK, but around 2,000 people in the UK cannot find a donor within their family.

“Registering as a potential blood stem cell donor only takes a few minutes but it could be one of the most important things you ever do.

“So I would encourage anyone aged 17 to 55 to take a few minutes during Blood Cancer Awareness Month to register online at www.dkms.org.uk and request a cheek swab kit that will allow you to add your tissue type to a database and become a blood stem cell donor.”

Young mum’s appeal in leukemia battle - ‘you could save my life and many more’

A grieving mum is petitioning Parliament in the hope no one else will lose a loved one in a road crash because a driver is chatting on their phone.

Alice Husband (42) suffered the heartbreak of losing her son, Seth Dixon (7), after he was hit by a car in December 2014.

An inquest in May this year heard driver Amy Asker was talking on her phone – which was on speakerphone in the driver’s side door pocket – as Seth crossed Station Road, Tydd Gote, to get home after posting a letter.

Coroner Paul Cooper said: “I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Ms Asker’s use of the mobile phone contributed to the cause of this child’s unfortunate death.”

Alice publicly forgave Amy Asker after the crash, but wants a law change to ban all mobile calls while driving because research shows drivers are distracted from driving and their reaction times are slowed.

Alice said: “It is important to acknowledge that the driver could be any one of many of us who have been told in the past hands free is okay. She was not speeding. It was a terrible accident.”

Alice’s campaign to stop drivers using mobiles is gaining momentum, with around 1,000 signing her petition to Parliament in the 24 hours to yesterday (Wednesday) lunchtime.

More than 7,0000 have signed so far. It takes 10,000 signatures to win a Government response and 100,000 for the petition to be considered for a parliamentary debate.

Teacher Alice wants an across-the-board phone ban for drivers, including hands-free, because evidence shows all calls are distracting.

“It needs to be shown that this is as unacceptable as drink driving,” said Alice. “Lives are too precious, Seth was too precious, saving life needs to be put before a phone call.”

Alice began her petition in June, soon after the inquest into Seth’s death.

She was interviewed by the BBC Radio 5 live and was due to appear on the Good Morning television show, but her campaign was knocked off the news agenda by international and national stories, first the Orlando nightclub attack and then Brexit.

Alice is still waiting for an interview with the BBC’s Inside Out to be aired.

The dangers of using mobile phones was back on the news agenda last week, with national newspapers taking up the story, which saw Alice’s own petition take off once more.

The petition gained a further major boost after Alice posted it on the Spalding Guardian’s Facebook page.

Alice says no one could ever understand the pain of losing a loved one like Seth unless they go through it themselves.

“It’s unlike most things in life,” she said. “There’s nothing you can do about it. There’s nothing that’s ever going to change it. It’s the hopelessness of it, it’s the finality of it all, and how much it impacts on everything you do and everything about your life.”

Seth Dixon was a happy little boy who earned the nickname Smiler at Tydd St Mary School and at the Forrest School Camps he loved to go on.

“He was so full of life,” said Alice. “He just seemed to enjoy life and really embrace life. He was outgoing and happy and everybody really warmed to his nature.”

Seth made friends in all years at his primary school and school-leavers would even pop back just to see how he was getting on.

Alice said: “He was called Smiler at school and at his last summer camp they nicknamed him Smiler.

“He loved music and he loved dancing.”

Seth’s dancing prowess earned him a prize at a school disco.

He was the youngest of three brothers.

• To sign for Seth, visit https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/132875

Until very recently, using a phone at the dinner table was frowned upon.

But now, this seemingly anti-social behaviour is becoming much more commonplace - with 18 per cent of Britons admitting to checking their phones three or more times during a meal at a restaurant.

With 30 per cent of people eating out more often than they did 10 years ago and 93 per cent of UK adults owning or using a mobile, the fact that 72 per cent also having at least one social media profile means that sharing an ‘eating experience’ is easier than ever.

So the fact that as a nation we are becoming more snap-happy is also no surprise - with 27 per cent of UK restaurant visitors saying they always or frequently use their phone to take a photo while eating, and a further 17 per cent admitting to sharing a restaurant experience on social media with a photo.

‘Checking in’ to a restaurant via social media is also a common way for diner to register where they are eating. Interestingly, three-quarters of those doing so were in a high-end burger chain at the time.

The go-to app for sharing content from our smartphones is Twitter, with this channel proving most popular, at 63 per cent, for diners to inform the world what and where they are eating.

There are more practical reasons for smartphone use when dining out - 12 per cent of those surveyed have used their phone for mobile payment at a restaurant, but while 43 per cent said they have never used their smartphone to pa, they were open to the idea in future, as Apple Pay and Android Pay become more widely available.

And social media can also be the first port of call for unhappy customers. But perhaps surprisingly, while 26 per cent per cent shared positive experiences in the study, only just 7 per cent were negative.

Of the report, Andre Johnstone, Head of Digital and Loyalty at Wagamama, said: “Eating is one thing that everyone has in common and taking photos of amazing food is so appealing - particularly as the world is broadening its tastes, and people are trying dishes that they haven’t tried before.”

Matt Turner, CEO of Tastecard, the UK’s biggest discount dining club agreed, saying: “Mobile has continued to grow across many different fields, but the restaurant industry in particular has seen a massive impact. From checking in to restaurants to sharing pictures of our food, phones are involved in every step of the eating out process. With people wanting to use their phones more and more for day to day tasks, it makes sense that they would want a range of discounts available at their fingertips.”

Parents and staff are celebrating the arrival of a new lollipop lady, who is making a “dangerous” road outside Gosberton Academy safe for children to cross.

In mid-November a boy pupil was hit by a vehicle wing mirror, prompting head of school Sarah Gray to question whether the “quite confusing” road markings outside the school should be replaced and “a proper crossing installed”.

The county council has responded by appointing lollipop patrol Sheila Coles.

Welcoming the appointment, Ms Gray told us: “We are really pleased we have got a new crossing patrol. The children are really happy and the families are happier too. It makes it absolutely explicit that the traffic has to stop and it just removes that element of confusion.”

Donington mum Zoe Russell has three children at the school, Alec (10), Kaitlin (7) and Andrew Pendry (5), and says it was “a nightmare” trying to cross the road before the lollipop lady arrived.

Zoe said: “You would try to hold onto the bags and the kids’ hands and try to cross in between vehicles. None of the drivers would stop for you.

“I think it’s brilliant to have a lollipop lady. It’s a lot safer.”

Gosberton mum Karen Twyman, who has children Ashton (9) and Evan Hayes (8) at the school, said: “The new lollipop crossing at Gosberton is excellent for children and families because it is now safe to cross the road.

“The road has lots of heavy traffic and it was dangerous to cross before.

“My children now look forward to walking to school because the lollipop lady is friendly and helpful.”

Area highways manager Andy Wharff said: “We’ve been working with Gosberton Academy and the local parish council for several months now to address safety concerns for pedestrians outside the school.

“In July, we agreed a school crossing patrol should be established there to make it safer for children and families to cross the road.

“We started the recruitment process for a school crossing patrol person and installed signs to make drivers aware of the school crossing zone over the summer, in readiness for the new school term.

“The Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership has been closely involved throughout the process, and has been going into the school and talking to pupils about road safety.”

Previously ...

MP backs road safety fight in Gosberton

Plea from Gosberton: ‘Cut volume and speed of traffic before we see someone killed’

Crossing campaign is sparked by accident outside Gosberton school