It’s a big day for Holbeach United when they travel to Deeping Rangers on Saturday but it’s an even bigger day for one of their star players.

Tommy Treacher will be missing when the Tigers take on his former club because he is getting married.

Treacher played in Tuesday’s 2-1 UCL Premier Division defeat at Wellingborough but will miss the trip to Outgang Road.

Defender Matt Warfield will be attending the wedding so also misses the trip and manager Glenn Maddison admits the pair will be missed.

He said: “Tommy and Matt are well-built lads and have plenty of experience so we will miss them.

“Matt has really steadied us at the back and has skippered the side when he has played, while Tommy has a raw talent that causes opposition defenders so many problems.”

Pupils from Gedney Church End primary School can expect a few extra treats and things to do following the big success of an EggStravaganza put on by parents and friends (FOGS).

The event at Victory Hall, Gedney, raised almost £300.

One of the highlights was an Easter Parade, where youngsters wore bonnets or crowns.

Our picture shows winners, from left, Emma Walmsley (3), Joshua White (4), Emily Pearson (5) and Jack Steadman (4).

The competition was judged by the Rev Erica Crust and Astrid Appleton, founder of Knit and Natter, which meets at Long Sutton Library on Thursday afternoons.

Astrid said: “It was very difficult to judge winners as so much work had gone into the hats.”

Activities on the day included an Easter treasure hunt, skittles, face and nail painting, a tombola and a barbecue.

Volunteers baked a vast array of cakes and there was also a tuck shop. Photo: Sophie Currell

The Crown Prosecution Service has discontinued a criminal charge against a man accused of stealing £1,000 from his employers, Ladbrokes, of Hall Place, Spalding.

The case against Craig Ayto (25), of Eaugate Road, Moulton Eaugate, was halted at Boston Magistrates’ Court on Thursday because he repaid the money.

A Walk of Witness took place in Spalding for Good Friday.

Members of St Mary and St Nicolas Church and St Thomas Road Methodist Church walked to Hall Place carrying a cross for a service of song and prayer.

The latest hearings

Lincoln Magistrates’ Court

March 24

Donatas Krisciunas (29), of Eastfields, King’s Lynn. Driving otherwise than accordance with a licence (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, 3pts.

Michael Chinn (40), of Old Fendike Road, Weston Hills. Speeding (Cowbit). £625 fine, £63 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 60 days.

Ben Creamer (34), of Hardwick Estate, Kirton. Speeding (Whaplode). £130 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Christopher Grant, Hazel Croft, Werrington. Speeding (Spalding). £270 fine, £27 v/s, £85 costs, 5pts.

Mark Nunn (55), of Riverside Park, Kirkhouse Green, Doncaster. Speeding (Whaplode). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

March 31

Greatford Garden Services, Water Lane, Thurlby. Failing to give driver ID (Nettleham). £250 fine, £25 v/s.

Richard Yiu Wai Li (31), Ashby Gardens, Moulton. Speeding (Boston). £150 fine, £20 v/s, 4pts.

Brian Blakey, Laceby Road, Grimsby. Speeding (Horbling). £200 fine, £22 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Cherie Burkitt (38), of St Helena Drive, Spalding. Driving while using a mobile phone. £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Jason Clayden (41), of West Street, Long Sutton. Failing to give driver ID (Nettleham). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Leanne Mills (20), of Ragdale Close, Peterborough. Speeding (Langtoft). £200 fine, £22 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Duncan Edwards (56), of Mill Drove South, Cowbit. Driving without due care and attention (Spalding). £110 fine, £20 v/s,£85 costs, 3pts.

Tomas Jasaitis (26), of Crocus Walk, Spalding. Defective tyre (Spalding). £300 fine. No separate penalty for a second defective tyre. No insurance. £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 6 months.

Steven Leighton (53), of Hart Lane, Hartlepool. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £200 fine, £22 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Alan Stewart (33), of Oxney Road Caravan Park, Peterborough. Speeding (Whaplode). £50 fine, £22 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Boston Magistrates’ Court

March 19

Amanda Scales (31), of St Johns Road, Spalding. Driving while unfit through drugs (Spalding). £130 fine, £20 v/s, disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Iain Clifford (42), of Alderlands Close, Crowland. In charge of a vehicle having consumed excess alcohol (Crowland). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 6 months.

March 26

Daniel Bristow (37), c/o Kingsway, Bourne. Rode a bike knowing it had been taken without consent (Pinchbeck). £35 find, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Daniel Featherstone (22), of Hallgate Road, Moulton. Driving while disqualified (Holbeach). Community order with curfew requirement, £60 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 6 months. No insurance. £110 fine.

Fred Pope (47), of Boston Road, Kirton. Threatening behaviour (Boston). 12 months conditional discharge, restraining order. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence. No insurance. £400 fine, £40 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Matthew Leading (20), of Acklam Avenue, Spalding. Firing a BB rifle from his address with missiles going beyond the premises. £130 fine, BB gun to be forfeited and destroyed. Assault. Community order with 120 hours unpaid work, £60 v/s, £85 costs.

Terry Parbury (28), of NFA. Stole meat joints worth £50 belonging to Co-operative Retail Services (Long Sutton). £70 fine, £50 compensation, £20 v/s. Stole two bottles of Southern Comfort worth £32 belonging to Co-operative Retail Services (Long Sutton). £32 compensation.

Deniss Ukolovs (26), of The Granary, Bedford Place, Spalding. Stole three bottles of rum worth £41.97 belonging to B&M Store (Spalding). Community order with 40 hours unpaid work and requirement to take part in drug rehabilitation programme, £60 v/s, £85 costs. Breach of a conditional discharge and sentenced for the original offence of theft.

Grantham Magistrates’ Court

March 17

Macourtney Taylor (20), of West Street, Bourne. Failing to meet the needs of animals, five charges involving birds, kittens and a dog. Disqualified for being involved with animals for six years, community order with 210 hours unpaid work, £60 v/s, £500 costs.

Helen Pettit (39), of The Yarde, Bourne. Drink driving (Bourne). £10 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 25 months.

March 19

Paul Blake (40), of The Lane, West Deeping. Failing to give driver ID (Nettleham). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Michael Reims (61), of Rectory Road, Tydd St Mary. Speeding (Whaplode). £35 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

James Kulesza (34), of Kirkmeadow, Bretton. No insurance (Bourne). £110 fine, £20 v/s, £40 costs, disqualified from driving for 28 days.

Olegs Pirogs (30), of Laughton Road, Boston. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £100 fine, £20 v/s, 3pts.

Tony Roberts (32), of Brock Crescent, Bourne. Speeding (Deeping St James). £145 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 5pts.

Mantas Rasytinis (16), of Carrington Road, Spalding. Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence (Spalding). £55 fine, £15 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

MP John Hayes writes for the Lincolnshire Free Press

Amongst my possessions is a sepia photograph of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas 11, with his young family. All were executed in 1918 on the orders of the Bolshevik brute Lenin.

Whenever I look at the picture of the five children with their mother and father I am reminded that communism, far from being a reasonable alternative to the free democracy that characterises the Western world, was defined by murder from its very inception.

We should never allow ourselves to forget the sheer horrors of communism; the millions of deaths in Russia and China, the gulags, and the complete suppression of all free thought, free choice and free will.

Recently I came face to face with the modern world’s last remaining bastion of Stalinism, North Korea. I was in its southern neighbour along with 45 British firms promoting our nation’s products. Boosting exports is central to an ambitious view of our country’s future.

The CBI recently welcomed the projected rise in export growth from 1% in 2013 to 3.6% for this year. Britain is selling more to countries across the world, including South Korea.

Nowhere else in the world is the contrast as stark as that between the communist, closed and cruel regime of North Korea, and the open, free and prosperous South. It is a salutary reminder of how Marxist totalitarianism cruelly damages the prospects of the people.

Russia is today, of course, a different society from its post-revolutionary incarnation though many of those that lead it, including President Putin, have a shady past. Putin served as an 
intelligence officer in the KGB for 16 years, which included time working with the despised Stasi in East Germany.

It is plainly wrong that Vladimir Putin’s apologists and fellow travellers– including, sadly, some in this country – are willing to turn a blind eye to, or worse still express admiration for, his oppression of liberty in Russia and its expansionist policies in neighbouring countries.

The Prime Minister was right to dismiss the “Kalashnikov referendum” in Crimea. Russia’s actions are a disturbing echo of the annexation of the Sudetenland by Nazi Germany in 1938 which was justified on the basis of protecting ethnic Germans living there. It is only thanks to the calm response by the Ukrainians – in the face of 
extraordinary Russian provocation that more bloodshed has been avoided.

For our part David Cameron has been right to stop military co-operation with Moscow, subject Russian officials to a travel ban and asset freeze, and prepare further economic sanctions if Russian aggression continues.

Winston Churchill once described Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” Frankly, there is little mystery about the politics of fear and still less of an enigma about Russia’s current contempt for the national integrity of its neighbours.

Everyone was a winner when young film makers saw their work on the big screen in Spalding.

Eleven youngsters aged six to 14 took part in the South Holland Centre Mini Lego Movie competition, run in conjunction Beales department store in Spalding.

The competition was run to mark the arrival of the The Lego Movie (U) and the young film makers were asked to make a short film using stop frame animation.

Judging took place at a special screening on Friday.

The standard was so high it was a difficult task for the judges on the day – Jan Whitbourn, of Tulip FM; Dan Skerritt, SHC projectionist; Chrissie Redford, of the Spalding Guardian and Lincs Free Press; and representatives from Beales Department Store Brenda Morgan and Karen Kelso – and others who were absent.

There were two categories – 14 and over and under 14s.

Winner of the under-14 category with Mayhem at the Movies was Sam Maxwell (13) and 14 and over winner with Lego Movie Audition was Jack Howard.

Their films are being shown ahead of The Lego Movie, which runs until Thursday. Winners also received £25 worth of Lego, courtesy of Beales Department store and four free tickets to any showing of The Lego Movie (U).

Your readers may be interested to hear that the Spalding Oxfam shop is participating in the Living Below The Line campaign.

In the week of April 28 to May 2 I will be joining thousands of others up and down the country by trying to live for a week on £1 a day or less (see www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/fundraising/fundraising-events/live-below-line-2014 for details).

This is designed to raise awareness of the problems faced by those millions of people in poverty all over the world for whom this is a necessity, during this week and every week.

You can help them by popping into our shop on Station Street or calling on 01775 760229 to pledge to sponsor me: all donations will go towards the purchase of Feed a Family Oxfam Unwrappped, and help a family in poverty.

Readers may also wish, for a small donation, to share my last slice of cake before this testing week at the shop on Saturday, April 26.

G Peatling

Spalding Oxfam shop manager


News from the South Holland Centre

With the Easter holidays well and truly on their way, we’re already planning the next big family event here at the South Holland Centre.

The first Saturday in May has traditionally marked a time when families get together for festivities and fun. So we thought we’d run with the theme and create a family day all of our own. And we’re doing it Jungle style! Saturday, May 3 is the date, and it’s a full day of drama, dance, music, craft and cake decorating, aimed at primary school aged children and their grown-ups.

Starting at 10.30am, you’ll get the chance to go wild throughout the whole of the Centre with four rather lush activities including: jungle samba and puppet sessions with Act II Theatre Company in the auditorium; monkeying around in the function hall with Polka Dot Academy in their ‘I Wanna Be Like You’ dance workshop; animal finger puppet making with Janet Strickland in the basement; and animal cupcake decorating with our in-house catering team, Caterwell East Anglia, in the lounge bar.

There’s even a chance to go on safari in a rare outback ‘Behind the Scenes’ tour with the Centre’s own talented technicians! All this is rounded off with a screening of Disney’s The Jungle Book at 4pm.

The idea is for families to feel at home at the Centre and to take part in activities with some of the people and organisations that make it the happy, creative place it is!

We want family groups to feel as welcome as possible – so some of the things you can expect from your visit are help with pushchairs, baby changing facilities, high chairs in the café, booster seats in the theatre and toilet steps in the loos!

We’re also always on the lookout for the best live shows and top family films to programme throughout the year. This Jungle Family Day is another way to get to know us. Whether you are completely new, or a regular, please do come along. Tickets for the whole day are just £5 per person in advance, so swing into the Centre to catch your tickets or book online.

It’s A Vet’s Life by Vetsavers of Spalding

We are starting to see more and more pregnant cats and cute little kittens and it’s not unusual for this time of year.

So let’s start at the beginning of the cycle for those of you that may not know what the ‘signs’ are that you should be looking out for in your female cat (queen) when she becomes, shall we say, interested in the neighbourhood male?

Did you know that a female cat becomes sexually active as young as four months of age? That could be only ten weeks 
after you bought her home!

Signs a cat is on heat are:

* Vocalising, ­ sometimes to the point of sounding as if she is in pain, known as ‘calling’.

* Rolling on the floor – displaying very affectionate behavior.

* Rump in the air (estrus posture ­) - her hind feet may appear to “tread” the carpet.

* Moves tail to one side, commonly seen with estrus posture.

* Wants to escape ­ at every opportunity.

* Excessive licking of genital area ­

If you do suspect that your cat has been mated then you can expect to see changes in her behaviour. The gestation period of a cat is usually 61 to ­69 days.

Physical changes in a pregnant cat:

* Heat cycles cease

* If a cat has been ‘calling’ every ten days to two weeks and suddenly stops, it is very likely she is pregnant.

* Nipples swell and become rosier, which may be the first physical sign you will see.

* Appetite increases.

* Possible vomiting.

* Abdominal enlargement.

* Increased affection.

* Towards the last few days (normally 4­6) she will want to make a safe nest somewhere.

If your cat is pregnant, a nice box with a soft bed where she can feel safe is a good idea

In next week’s column I will discuss the care of the mum and kittens post partuition (giving birth), weaning the kittens off mum and neutering!

Question

This week’s question comes from someone who was refused treatment by their usual vet due to lack of funds and asks, what should she do?

Answer: Sadly, many veterinary practices don’t hold a credit licence. There are options though a - maybe a friend or family member could to lend you the funds. There are organisations that can help but you would need to meet their requirmemts, such as the PDSA which help fund treatment in emergency cases.

My advice is put a little amount away every month in a ‘pet account’ to cover these unforseen conditions.

Daffodil enthusiasts from around the county answered a trumpet call to attend the 105th Lincolnshire Daffodil Society Spring Flower Show.

Entries were up compared to last year when there were hardly any due to cold weather.

Rodney Harrison, chairman of the society, said: “We were very pleased to see a much improved level of competition entries this year, following the disappointment of last year, when the extremely cold weather meant that we had virtually no entries and had to rely on daffodils picked from our own gardens and Springfields Gardens just to ensure we had something to display.”

This year, the county’s daffodil enthusiasts still had plenty of challenges dealing with the weather – a wet January and February and then an unusually mild March – but all those who entered the competition classes succeeded in presenting some wonderful examples of Lincolnshire grown daffodils.

Daffodil judges Adrian Jansen (Lingarden Bulbs) and Frank Teeuw (Gee Tee Bulbs) congratulated all the competitors on the quality of the entries and also the wide range of varieties.

Cups and trophies were presented by the president of the Lincolnshire Daffodil Society, Lady Bruce-Gardyne.

As well as individual entries there was also a combined entry from the students of the Priory School in Spalding.

Other show highlights included a special display of daffodils in bowls presented by Chelsea Gold Winner, Johnny Walkers, and a daffodil display bed created by Springfields head gardener, Andy Boyton, and his team of gardeners.

Church displays included entries from Donington, Whaplode and Pinchbeck, who were also promoting their own local Church Flower Festivals.

The children’s art competition included entries from Moulton’s John Harrox, Pinchbeck East Primary and St Bartholomew’s Primary, West Pinchbeck. There were also over 40 entries in the photographic competition.

Spalding and District Flower Lovers’ Club members created a display of table arrangements and club members Pat Ashley and Nicky Thurlow provided flower arranging demonstrations in the show theatre area to an enthusiastic audience.

Garden plants were on sale from Andrew Sankey and Foxglove Nurseries, and there were a wide range of crafts, gifts and garden accessories available for visitors to “browse & buy”.

In a special presentation, Lord Taylor of Holbeach presented the Carlo Naef silver trophy to Peter Ruysen, chairman of Springfields Horticultural Society and also chairman of the British Flower Bulb Association, in recognition and appreciation of his lifetime’s work supporting Lincolnshire’s horticultural industry and in particular his continued efforts working on behalf of local bulb growers and the Springfields Horticultural Society.

David Norton, chief executive of Springfields Horticultural Society, said: “In addition to the society’s charitable objectives of maintaining the Springfields Festival Gardens as a local community resource and visitor attraction, we very much welcome our association with the Lincolnshire Daffodil Society.

“We look forward to continuing to work with them to encourage people to celebrate the county’s daffodil growing industry and to use this annual competition and show as an opportunity to display to a wider audience the wonderful varieties, colours and petal arrangements of this wonderful Lincolnshire flower.”

Details of how to enter next year’s competition and also a review of this year’s show will shortly be available on the Lincolnshire Daffodil Society website www.lincsdaffodil.co.uk

Results: The pick of the bunch

Results:

NS Robinson Cup - Class 37 – Mrs Gill Boldy.

* 12 Cultivars, One Stem of each to be shown in separate vases.

Farrow Cup - Class 41 – Mrs Gill Boldy.

* Collection of 6 Cultivars from any of the Divisions 5, 6, 7, 8 and/or 9. One stem of each, shown in separate vases.

The Hall Jones Cup - Reserve Best Bloom – Mrs Gill Boldy.

The Norfolk Cup - Class 40 – Mrs Sarah Billings.

* Collection of 6 Cultivars from any of the Divisions 5, 6, 7, 8 and/or 9. One stem of each, shown in separate vases.

The Wrisdale Cup – Class 49 – Mrs Gill Boldy.

* Three different hardy cut flowers from any species or variety of herbaceous or bulbous plant. (Shrubs, daffodils or narcissi excluded).

Walker Rose Bowl Class – for the winner of class 38 – Mrs Gill Boldy.

* Nine different cultivars, one stem of each from any division or divisions

The Caudwell Cup – for the most points in class 51 & 52 – Lady Bruce-Gardyne.

* 51. Stems from one hardy flowering tree, shrub or climber

* 52. Stems from three hardy flowering trees, shrubs or climbers. To be exhibited in separate containers.

The Lady Maitland Cup – for the winner of class 53 – Lady Bruce-Gardyne.

* One pot plant in flower which has been both in a pot, or pots, and cared for by the exhibitor for not less than three months.

The Gaunt Trophy For the winner of class 56 – Mrs Gill Boldy.

* One pot plant, any variety bi-annual or annual, of any kind grown by the exhibitor from seed sown within 12 months of the date of the show.

Lady Bruce-Gardyne – the winner of class 49 – Mrs Winn Iremonger.

* Three different hardy cut flowers from any species or variety of herbaceous or bulbous plant. (Shrubs, daffodils or narcissi excluded).

On The Beat with Inspector Jim Tyner

Good policing is about using what you know so that you’re in the right place at the right time... and a sprinkling of luck.

There had been several vehicles broken into in Sutton Bridge. We had received several snippets of information about who was responsible and my team had been drafted in for several nights to try and catch them.

It was October and the culprit was using the darker evenings as cover. For three cold wet nights we had patrolled the back alleys and side streets. For three cold wet nights not a single vehicle had been broken into. We needed some luck.

Our fourth shift was a Saturday night. Brian and I had been on patrol for four hours and had just nipped in to the nearby McDonalds on the A17 for a warming cuppa when the dispatcher alerted us to a 999 call that had just come in.

A young man had just been disturbed breaking in to a car in Sutton Bridge. Luck was against us. Although we were only minutes away, a local cop got to the scene first and passed a description of the man.

Instead of going direct to the scene, Brian and I diverted to a nearby side street. At the end of the side street was an alleyway that ran along the rear of a row of terraced houses. Using what we knew about the area, Brian went to one side of the alleyway and I hid in the shadows on the other side.

No sooner had we hid ourselves in the shadows, when luck finally came our way. A man had just turned down the alleyway and was walking towards us. From the light of the street light at the end of the alleyway I could see that he matched the description. In the quiet of the night, I could hear that he was out of breath, as though he had been running. But luck can be fickle. Just as the man was getting close to me, my police radio squawked: the sound piercing the quiet of the night.

The man was on his toes like a robber’s dog. He dived in to the nearest back garden at the same time as I shouted to Brian. The chase was on!

The back garden was dimly lit but I could see that it bordered on to several other gardens and there were no obvious fences inbetween.

The man was running diagonally across the gardens, with Brian hot on his tail. I ran at a slightly different angle, to head the man off and promptly tripped over a low wire and landed face down in a flower bed.

To my left I could hear splashes and curses in the shadows. I got up again, smelling of garden mint (at least it wasn’t the compost heap) and this inglorious little foot-chase ended with me stepping out in front, slowing the man for a second and Brian grabbing his collar from behind. He was literally ‘collared’.

The young man’s energy was spent and it was as though he had given up. He was quickly arrested and handcuffed and we then had to get our bearings and find a way back to our police car. I noticed that the man’s legs were soaking wet and it turned out he had splashed through a garden pond. As we started to walk back to the police car the man got second wind and became increasingly belligerent.

As we stepped from the alleyway in to the parking area where we had left the police car the man suddenly started struggling violently and we ended up in a heap on the ground.

Now, a handcuffed man should be no problem for two cops to control, but for some reason this was more difficult than it should have been. As I restrained the man, face down on the floor, I paused for breath and couldn’t see Brian. I then saw that Brian had got to the police car and was sat sideways in the front passenger seat, with the door open.

He looked at me apologetically: “Shin splints!” he shouted to me: “You’re on your own.”

Shin splints is a term used to describe exercise-induced pain in the shins. It can be caused by sudden exercise without warming up and is agonizing.

So, Brian was incapacitated and I was out of breath, restraining a violent man on the floor in a stalemate: he wasn’t going anywhere, but I didn’t have enough energy to get him to the police car.

Then our luck seemed to take another turn. There was the sound of angry voices as a large man loomed in to the parking area surrounded by four or five others.

“Have you got my son?” he boomed. “You’d better let him go.” Actually the language was a lot more flowery than that, but you get the idea. He was being egged on noisily by the rest of the group.

This was not good. My heart was racing as the man stepped threateningly towards us. I could see that Brian was fighting through the pain of shin-splints and hobbling over to support me, but this was going to be an uneven fight.

Brian shone his torch on our struggling prisoner. As he did, the attitude of the angry man changed completely. There was a long pause. “Oh... that’s not my son.” Silence. He then turned to one of his sidekicks and said: “I thought you said that was Kevin.”

“Sorry, Dad,” came the reply. The man then turned to me and said: “Sorry officer, we’ll leave you to it then” and the group simply walked away, presumably looking for Kevin. Just as they did, our roller-coaster of luck changed again as other officers started to join us.

The young man was later charged with vehicle interference. The main dispute of the evening was over who should buy the cakes.

Brian said I should buy them as he got to the prisoner before me and made the arrest, but I argued that he abdicated all rights to cakes when he shouted: “Shin splints! You’re on your own.” Was I in luck? What do you think?

The latest decisions...

Grantham Magistrates’ Court

March 12

Liudmila Jasinauskiene (55), of Hall Hill Road, Holbeach. Driving without due care and attention (Holbeach). £65 find, £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, 3pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Arkadiusz Markow (22), of Willonholt, Peterborough. Driving a vehicle with too many passengers on board (Pinchbeck). £400 fine, £40 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts. Defective light. £200 fine.

Ian Peckett (29), of Eaugate Road, Moulton Eaugate. No insurance (Wyberton). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 8pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Judith Thomas (55), of Eastgate, Deeping St James. Speeding (Deeping St James). £535 fine, £54 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Dennis Croft (77), of Six House Bank, West Pinchbeck. Speeding (Boston). £75 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Louis Lawson (20), of Braeburn Road, Deeping St James. Assault (Market Deeping) and failing to surrender to custody (Grantham). Community order with requirement to take part in drug rehabilitation programme and participate in Resolve, £200 compensation, £60 v/s, £40 costs.

Anoma Pope (53), of Moulton Road, Kennett, Newmarket. Speeding (Deeping St James). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 4pts.

Isabella Williams (66), of Grove Road, Thrapston. Speeding (Whaplode). £65 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

March 14

Steven Brain (23), of The Parslins, Deeping St James. Driving without a seatbelt (Deeping St James). £35 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Shaun Doyle (68), of Rosehip Road, Morton. No insurance (Bourne). £375 find, £38 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Paul Johnson (38), of Goodminns Estate, Sedgeford, Hunstanton. Speeding (Whaplode). £265 fine, £26 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Kamil Krzyczowski (30), of Clay Lake, Spalding. No insurance (Boston). £400 fine, £40 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Lisa West (43), of Toftland, Orton Malborne, Peterborough. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Skegness Magistrates’ Court

March 20

Benjamin Seaton (23), of St Thomas Square, Cambridge. Making off with paying for fuel worth £36.40 (Long Sutton). £100 fine, £36.40 compensation, £20 v/s.

Boston Magistrates’ Court

March 12

Luca Hall (19), of Fenhouses Lane, Swineshead. Assault (Boston). £200 fine, £100 compensation, £20 v/s.

March 13

Sharron Goldie (46), of Sandygate Crescent, Old Leake, Boston. Drink driving (Sutterton). £220 fine, £22 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for two years.

Macauley Grimwood (18), of Wignals Gate, Holbeach. Assault (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Kazimierz Wondzinski (51), of Knight Street, Pinchbeck. Drink driving (Spalding). £280 fine, £28 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Ori Abrahams (18), of Churchgate, Gedney. Theft of a mobile phone worth £300 (Cowbit). £300 compensation, £85 costs. No separate penalty for second theft of mobile phone.

Lajos Takacs (54), of Bourne Road, Spalding. Drink driving (Spalding, 3.2.14). 12 weeks prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, £80 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 36 months. Drink driving (Spalding, 9.2.14). 12 weeks prison sentence concurrent, suspended for 12 months.

March 17

Jiri Zejthaml (66), of Herdgate Lane, Pinchbeck. Failing to give driver ID (Nettleham). £675 fine, £67 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Lincoln Magistrates’ Court

March 13

Jason Heath (45), of Grey Street, Gainsborough. Untaxed vehicle (Morton). £400 fine, £73.34 back duty, £90 costs.

March 17

Stuart Bradley (27), of Whipperley Ring, Luton. Speeding (Wyberton). £100 fine, £20 v/s, 3pts.

Julian Pintilie (23), of Spendlas Lane, Long Sutton. Speeding (Wrangle). £100 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

James Chinn (35), of Livingstone Drive, Spalding. Driving otherwise than accordance with a licence (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Kime Lee (34), of Rugeley Road, Burntwood. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Pavel Bockay (46), of Pennygate, Spalding. No insurance (Spalding). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Leroy Forde (51), of The Broadway, Morton. Speeding (Butterwick). £135 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Nigel Oliver (56), of Crowland Road, Eye. Driving without due care and attention (Langtoft). £220 fine, £22 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Colin Osborn (47), of The Chase, Pinchbeck. Defective tyre (Graby). £155 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Stuart Bowden (32), of Wellington Way, Market Deeping. Speeding (Spalding). £100 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

The latest planning applications

South Holland 
District Council

Mr D Goddard, 24 Percheron Drive, Spalding. Re-
position boundary fence.

Mr and Mrs A Stockdale, Fernside, 1 Bells Drove, Sutton St James. Extension.

S Anderson and J Dewsberry, Blacksmith House, Hurn Bank, Holbeach Hurn. Details of contamination report and external materials.

Bridge Farm Nurseries, Bridge Farm, Horseshoe Road, Spalding. Glasshouse extension and biomass plant room.

Mrs A Hudson, Oakland, South Drove, Spalding. Works to TPO.

Mr A Fitzjohn, 2 Quadring Road, Gosberton. Use of domestic garage for dog grooming.

C and J Dobbins, Green Lane, Holbeach. Renovation of front elevation of store/garage.

R and S White, Green Lane, Holbeach. Create two one-bed studio apartments.

McDonald’s Restaurant, Vicarage Lane, Long Sutton. Resurface car park extension.

Mr D Roberts, 30 Holland Road, Spalding. Details of archeological watching brief and external materials.

Mr C Hammocks, 13 Exeter Drive, Spalding. Brick wall to front and timber fence to left and right boundary (retrospective).

Mr A Dunnage, 14 Beech Grove, Donington. Conversion of store room into self contained annexe.

STP Properties Ltd, rear of 14, 17 and 19 Market Street, Long Sutton. Demolition of workshop and erect accommodation block.

T and D Ball, Horseshoe Nursery, Horseshoe Road, Spalding. Glasshouse incorporating biomass boiler and creation of lagoon.

New Linx Housing Trust, Main Road, Surfleet. Eight affordable units, removal of condition.

University Academy Holbeach, Postland road, Crowland. Change of use of school kitchen to B2 (general industry - catering food preparation place) to provide meals for other schools.

Sunbeams Playgroup, Westmere County Primary School, Anne Road, Sutton Bridge. Mobile classroom to accommodate under twos at Sunbeams Playgroup for five year
South Kesteven 
District Council

Stimpson, 43 The Orchard, Market Deeping. Extension.

Hammond, 18 Chapel Street, Haconby. Demolish garage and utility room and erect extensions.

Atterbury, 32 West Street, Bourne. Alterations to listed building.

Linchfield County Primary School, Crowson Way, Deeping St James. Mobile classroom (retrospective).

Barns, 31 Godsey Lane, Market Deeping.

William Hildyard C of E Primary School, Godsey Lane, Market Deeping. Mobile classroom (retrospective).

Tarabad, 56 Church Street, Market Deeping. Extension.

Griffin, 36 Paddington Way, Morton. Extension.

Boston Borough Council

A Bertin, Connell House, 12 Meeres Lane, Kirton. Extension to garage and porch.

S Higgins, Sheaf Meadow, , Kirton Holme. Demolish conservatory and garage.

J Burton, La Vern, Washdyke Road, Kirton. Agricultural machinery and storage building.

News from the South Holland Centre

It’s been an especially busy fortnight here at the South Holland Centre. The Easter holidays brought in over 2,000 of you to see an event or film – with The Lego Movie being the most popular.

On top of that, the summer programme brochures have arrived, marking a time when all hands are at the box office pumps to ensure bookings are attended to as quickly and efficiently as possible. Online bookings spike in popularity at this time too, enabling specific seats to be chosen and tickets purchased in the comfort of your own home, 24 hours a day.

The Centre’s programme of satellite screenings is ever expanding and early indications suggest that broadcasts from The National Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company are set to be as popular as ever this season.

First up is Sam Mendes’ gripping National Theatre production of Shakespeare’s King Lear which will be beamed live from the Olivier Theatre to the South Holland Centre cinema screen on Thursday, May 1 – with encore screenings on Wednesday, June 4. Director Mendes has teamed up with his “professional soul mate” and lead actor Simon Russell Beale to deliver an epic and intimate production, attracting critical acclaim with a clutch of four star national reviews.

The National Theatre’s next offering is the stage adaptation of Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time which won no less than seven Olivier Awards in 2013. Over 100 tickets have already been snapped up for a special encore screening of the production at the Centre on Tuesday, May 27.

Completing the current line-up from the National Theatre is a revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s highly successful, funny and farcical 1987 play A Small Family Business.

This award-winning satire on the ‘greed and corruption’ decade is said to be just as relevant today, and will be broadcast at the Centre on Tuesday, June 24.

Meanwhile, we know the Royal Shakespeare Theatre is a pretty special place to see the Bard’s work, but if you can’t get there, we believe the Centre offers a very convenient and comfortable alternative. This season you can see Shakespeare’s thrilling vision of a nation in turmoil when the RSC’s ‘Henry IV part I’ starring Antony Sher is broadcast live from Stratford-upon-Avon on Wednesday, May 14.

Part II, the dramatic conclusion, will be screened on Friday, June 20.

Then there’s another first at the South Holland Centre – the chance to see the debut broadcast from the British Film Institute in London when Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy play Driving Miss Daisy, starring Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones, is screened on Sunday, May 25. The play will be followed by a question and answer session with Angela Lansbury, live from London.

There’s always a heightened buzz around these busy screenings as people arrive in good time to enjoy a coffee or glass of wine in the bar. Tickets are £13, £11.50 for concessions and £10 for school groups.

We would strongly advise booking early for the best choice of seat.

by Vetsavers of St Thomas’ Road, Spalding

Cats are very proficient breeding animals and rarely need assistance, but it is useful to know what to expect as at times they do need help.

Usually about two days before giving birth your cat’s mammary glands will increase in size and she will begin producing milk.

Around 12 hours before the appearance of the first kitten, the cat’s temperature will decrease to about 99°f and you may notice a drop in her appetite. She may become restless and begin nesting in earnest. Other signs are that she may begin purring, meowing, panting, licking her genitals and she may vomit. You may notice a vaginal discharge. Not all signs apply to all cats.

The visible signs that a cat is actually in labour ­ are evident after she has entered her nesting box and is disinclined to come out.

Most cats will begin to display contractions which can be seen or felt – in the beginning the contractions are not terribly strong. She will expel the placental plug which has been protecting the uterus from infections and this can be sometime before the birth of the first kitten usually accompanied with some fluid.

Contractions increase in strength with a shorter space of time between them. Individual cats may become disturbed and want your attention others become very introvert.

First sign that birth is imminent is a water bubble of amniotic fluid that precedes the birth of a kitten. This can appear and seemingly disappear as the contractions increase in strength, but indicate that a kitten is in the birth canal.

As contractions increase in strength she may pant or cry out and move around trying to get comfortable – some use the side of the box with their back feet to help them push.

Kittens are born front feet first or back feet first – the latter is normal but delivery can take a little longer.

The kitten should be born within 30 minutes to one hour after strong contractions commence and subsequent kittens within 15 minutes to 30 minutes between kittens.

There is often a rest period which can be one to several hours while the second ‘horn’ of the uterus is engaged (the uterus has two horns).

Birth of the kitten

As the kitten is delivered it will arrive attached to a placenta and wrapped in the amniotic sac membranes that will cover its muzzle. The mother cat should break these by licking to enable the kitten to breath. If she delays and time passes you may intervene and break these membranes for her using clean sterile cloth to clear its nostrils.

The placenta will be still attached to the kitten and it may be delivered with it or later. Each kitten has an individual placenta. Keep count of placenta delivery as retained placentas can cause infection and even death.

The mother cat should chew through the cord and eat the placenta which is normal and nutritionally valuable for her. With an inexperienced mother make sure she does not try to eat the kitten.

When you are sure that all kittens have been delivered and the queen is settling with her babies you can offer her some food and a drink. Her food and drink should be left close by as should a litter tray and many a queen has to be offered breakfast in bed to encourage them to eat.

A quick check should reveal all kittens tucked in and some suckling already. If she is relatively dry and warm and you have not handled her kittens at all just leave her until the next day before changing bedding.

She will probably want, or in the case of a first time mum, need to be given peace and quiet for the next few days. Restrict disturbing her but check on her at least twice in a day as there are rare complications that can occur post birth.

How do I care for the newborn kittens?

In the early days the mother cares for the kittens almost totally. It can be useful to quickly weigh each kitten at the same time each day to be sure they are gaining weight and if they are not gaining supplementary feeding may be required – a good brand supplement is called Biolac.

Points to note

l Weaning can start any time from around four weeks up to six weeks of age.

lFemale cats can come into heat again while nursing kittens often when the kittens are just a few weeks old

l Kittens should be wormed around six to eight weeks.

flea free.

Kittens should not go to new homes under the age of eight weeks while 10 to 12 weeks is preferred as kittens learn their social behaviour during this time both from their mother and also from siblings.

Sporting clubs across South Holland are being urged to apply for a slice of £32million of funding.

Sportivate is a nationwide campaign that gives people aged between 11 and 25 the chance to receive six weeks’ sport coaching or led sessions for little or no cost. This includes disability sport.

An example of one local recipient of funding is Volleyball Spalding, which was granted £730 to target 29 new participants.

The next deadline to apply for funding is Friday, May 30, 2014. This date is for projects which are looking to target women and girls’ sport between July and March 2015.

The final deadline for the current year of funding is August 1. This is open to all clubs and organisations looking to run a project between October this year and March 2015.

To find out more about Sportivate and download an application form visit lincolnshiresport.com/sportivateor contact Lucy Blakey by email at lucy.blakey@lincolnshiresport.com or call 01522 585580.

A weekly column by Dr Miles Langdon of South Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, addressing topical health issues

Our feature writer Jean Hodge arrived at the Spalding Guardian office with her eyes streaming.

The grass was being cut along the river bank and that gets her every time.

Now spring has arrived we’ve noticed a lot of readers sneezing around town, so this week Dr Miles Langdon has written his column on allergies – because now the weather is getting warm we want to be out enjoying it...

Allergy UK says that on average, £900 million is spent on allergy related illnesses annually.

The number of sufferers is increasing every year and as many as half of those affected are children.

Some of the most common allergens include pollen, house dust mites, mould and pets.

An allergy develops when the body’s immune system reacts to an allergen as though it is a threat, like an infection.

It produces antibodies to fight off the allergen, in a reaction called the immune response.

Common allergic disorders include asthma, eczema and one that is particularly rife during this time of year- hay fever.

Symptoms of an allergy can include sneezing, wheezing, coughing and skin rashes, and in more extreme circumstances can lead to anaphylactic shock.

Lincolnshire can be a hot-spot for hay fever sufferers due to the large areas of agricultural space, and with one in four people in the UK suffering from Seasonal Allergy Rhinitis, also known as hay fever, it has been named the most common allergy in the UK.

Sufferers usually find their symptoms flare up between the months of May and July due to release of grass pollen, which is the most common cause of hay fever.

Here in Lincolnshire, we have already experienced a high pollen count due to the extraordinary weather patterns and unfortunately for some, this has meant hay fever symptoms have started to kick in. Sufferers of mild symptoms can ask the advice of their local pharmacist as often over the counter remedies are effective and relatively inexpensive.

For more persistent symptoms and for sufferers of other common allergic conditions like eczema and asthma sufferers should see their GP as they may need regular preventative medication as well as advice about emergency treatment.

For more information about allergies, their symptoms and treatment visit: www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Allergies or you can phone the Allergy UK helpline on 01322 619898.

Police are investigating after a for sale sign was ripped out of a garden and used to smash a window in Holland Road, Spalding.

The incident happened at 2am on Friday.

PCSO Kimberley Marlowe, from the Spalding Estates police team, said: “After speaking with neighbours it would appear that there was a group in the street being rather loud and going up and down the street.”

Police are warning Holbeach residents to step up security following three shed burglaries in the Battlefields Lane North area.

Officers are asking residents to seek help on security from the neighbourhood police team at Holbeach – and also cut their chances of being a victim by having property security marked.

PCSO Jane Gardner said: “Marking your property assists us when dealing with found property and also deters would-be thieves.”

• Anyone who knows anything about the break-ins is asked to call police on 101.