Craig Rook has become the third Bourne Town player to join last season’s UCL Division One champions Oadby.

Having already lost Aaron Bellairs and Dan Smith to Oadby, it is a further blow to Rafa Mazzarella in his first season in charge of the Wakes.

Things won’t get any easier on Saturday when Bourne host Division One leaders Lutterworth, who have won all three of their matches to date.

Mazzarella was pleased to see an improvement last time out when the Wakes drew 2-2 with St Neots Saints.

Although conceding an equaliser in added time, Mazzarella felt his side worked much better as a team than in their 7-3 opening day defeat by Irchester.

He said: “We were very nervous in our first game but we are getting there, we just need to become a bit smarter.

“It’s a blow to lose Craig as three of our core players from last season have now gone to Oadby.”

Matt Heron returns for Deeping Rangers on Saturday after a goalscoring performance in midweek for Whittlesey Blue Star.

Heron, who scored 19 goals as Deeping finished fourth in the UCL Premier Division last season, missed Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Norwich United due to work commitments.

But he is available to face Cogenhoe United and in form after scoring twice in a 5-4 win at Netherton Reserves in the Peterborough League.

Recent signing Chris Logan, who can play in defence or midfield, is also set to be involved but Martin Wormall is unlikely to be available for another two or three weeks.

Manager Tuncay Korkmaz said: “Matt is likely to go straight into the team because we need his physical presence.”

Deeping began the campaign with two victories before suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat at Holbeach, but Korkmaz was more concerned with last week’s cup defeat where they lacked creativity.

Pinchbeck maintained their unbeaten start to the ChromaSport & Trophies Peterborough League campaign with a 4-2 victory over Holbeach Reserves on Tuesday.

Elliott Price and Adam Abell scored two apiece as they moved up to fifth in the Premier Division table.

Matt Cawthorne, who netted twice three days earlier when Holbeach Reserves won 4-1 at Crowland in the President Premier Shield, again found the target while Paul Newcombe scored for the third time in four games.

Moulton Harrox made it three draws in a row as they shared six goals at Leverington Sports, having drawn 2-2 with Thorney on Saturday.

Langtoft United suffered a reality check on Saturday as they lost 3-1 at ICA Sports.

Having won their debut fixture in the Premier Division against Peterborough Sports Reserves a week earlier, and then battled hard in defeat against much-fancied Oakham, the manner of the defeat disappointed manager Phil Gadsby.

Langtoft fell 2-0 behind but pulled one back when Dan Evans turned home from Calum Parker knock down.

Langtoft had strong appeals for a penalty waved away when Jordan Avis went down and ICA struck the killer blow 15 minutes from full-time.

n Wyberton made a superb start to their first season in the Lincolnshire League.

Gary Frost’s side joined the league after dominating the Boston and District League in recent seasons and they romped to a 4-0 victory over Ruston Sports.

Curtis Revell opened the scoring and could have made it 2-0 before a Ruston full-back chipped his own keeper for a bizarre own-goal.

Daniel White and Ben Jacques added second-half goals as Wyberton turned on the style.

Delighted boss Frost said: “We came flying out of the blocks and they didn’t know what hit them.

“We played really well but it will be tougher on Saturday when we travel to reigning champions Skegness Town.”

My father started to write his memoir in 2000, following a diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease a few years earlier.

He was fortunate (if you can ever use the word ‘fortunate’ when talking about such a devastating illness) that he lived for 18 years after that first diagnosis.

In those years, despite decreased mobility, he wrote about his life, in freehand and later verbally on tapes when his hands could no longer grasp a pen.

He died in 2011 aged 76 leaving us all bereft but grateful that he had taken the opportunity to share memories of his childhood, National Service, university days and his early career in architecture.

Rather than just type out his memoir and print copies out for members of the family, I decided on a more modern way to preserve his words.

Chastising myself for not having had the idea while he had been alive, I set up a blog (www.johngrinsell.blogspot.com) and over the last few years, have turned his life into a series of posts, hunting out appropriate photos to attach to them. It has been such a wonderful way to remember my dad. I sit at the computer, trying to decipher his handwriting, and can hear him speak the words to me.

My dad was born in Ely and moved to Peterborough aged 11 so many of his recollections are of particular interest to me.

How funny that I should now live, by chance, in the area of the country where my father grew up.

I discovered dad had been crowned Bonniest Baby at the Ely Allotment Show in 1935 and spent summers as a student in a pea canning factory in Peterborough as well as single­handedly burning a field of stubble armed only with a box of matches and a small branch.

The fact that his words are now on the internet has had interesting consequences. His old school friends have been able to read and share stories and The King’s School in Peterborough were delighted to hear about a linocut design my dad had created, aged 15, which had been used as the school’s Christmas card in 1949. A chap from the United States, who had also done his National Service in Elgin, Scotland, got in touch to share his experiences too.

His memoir has been an inspiration to me. Reading about his two summer trips to Scandinavia as a student in the 50s, I was keen to follow in his footsteps. In the last few years we have visited Copenhagen and Oslo plus taken a two-week drive around Sweden. It was fascinating to compare notes, over 50 years apart.

He was a great admirer of the architecture and bold thinking in design: he would have adored hearing about how the cities are still constructing stunning public buildings.

Although my dad is no longer with me he has given me such a gift with his words. For that I am eternally grateful.

• You can follow Trish on Twitter @mumsgoneto and read her blog at www.mumsgoneto.blogspot.com

The following decisions have been made by magistrates at court hearings. In all drink-drive cases the legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood or 107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine. Addresses of defendants published here are taken from the legal records held by the magistrates’ courts.

Lincoln Magistrates’ Court

July 23

Martin Mendum (48), of Moortown Road, New Marske, Redcar. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £500 fine, £50 victim surcharge, £85 costs, 3pts.

Rasa Jureviciute (25), of Link Way, Spalding. Speeding (Spalding). £100 fine, £20 v/s, 3pts.

July 30

Tony Gash (42), of Tytton Lane West, Wyberton. Speeding (Heckington). £170 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Dariusz Stachyra (37), of Royce Road, Spalding. Speeding (Heckington). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Darrell Allen (39), of Cardinals Gate, Peterborough. Speeding (Gosberton). £100 fine, £20 v/s, 3pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

John Claydon (55), of Low Grounds, Swineshead. Speeding (Bracebridge Heath). £100 fine, £20 v/s, 3pts.

Antony Maynard (37), of Jubilee Close, Kirton. Speeding (Atterby). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £43 costs, 3pts.

Daniel Pethers (24), of Station Road, Morton. No insurance (Bourne). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £43 costs, 6pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Sean Welsh (39), of Kyme Road, Boston. No insurance (Sutterton). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £43 costs, 6pts.

Sam Williams (20), of Station Road, Surfleet. No insurance (Boston). £110 fine, £20 v/s, 6pts.

August 7

Harry Dye (25), of Sholts Gate, Whaplode. Speeding (Spalding). £75 fine, £20 v/s, 5pts.

Alison Taylor (57), of Kirton Holme. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £35 fine, £20 v/s, £25 costs, 3pts.

Scott Wright (42), of Watt Close, Peterborough. Driving with an insecure battery (Crowland). £75 fine, £20 v/s, £25 costs, 3pts.

Boston Magistrates’ Court

July 24

Alan Gammon (47), of Marketstead Estate, Kirton. Possession of a lock knife (Surfleet). £100 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, knife to be forfeited and destroyed.

Daniel Miller (21), of Reform Street, Crowland. Assault (Crowland). £125 fine, £100 compensation, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Karolis Asijevicius (26), of Deldale Road, Wyberton. Failing to give a specimen of breath (Boston). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 10pts. No separate penalty for no insurance.

George Smith (18), of Oakley Drive, Spalding. Two counts of assault (Spalding). Community order with 100 hours unpaid work, £50 compensation, £60 v/s, £85 costs, £100 compensation.

Hannah Amphlett (22), of St Peter Close, Gosberton. No insurance (Spalding). £110 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 70 days.

July 28

Amy Barker (29), of Windcatch Caravan Park, Kellett Gate, Spalding. No insurance (Spalding). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £43 costs, 6pts.

Deborah Garner (53), of Dozens Bank, West Pinchbeck. Speeding (Bracebridge Heath). £400 fine, £40 v/s, £43 costs, 5pts.

Sebastian Stanberry (34), of Hallgate, Holbeach. No insurance (Sleaford). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £43 costs, 8pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Silvija Brinke (40), of Albert Avenue, Gedney. Driving without a seat belt (Holbeach). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £43 costs.

Andris Rogainis (40), of Albert Avenue, Gedney. Driving without a seat belt (Holbeach). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £43 costs.

Janis Safronovs (24), of Willow Walk, Spalding. Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £43 costs.

Dita Savane (47), of London Road, Long Sutton. Driving without a seat belt (Holbeach). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £43 costs.

Amy Scott (28), of The Spinney, Twenty. Speeding (Bourne). £400 fine, £40 v/s, £43 costs, 4pts.

July 30

Chase Gowland (20), of Belisana Road, Spalding. Failed to comply with the requirements of a community order by failing to attend unpaid work. £60 fine, £75 costs.

Victor Ford (37), of Pinchbeck Road, Spalding. Intentionally touched a woman aged 16 or over and that touching was sexual when she did not consent (Spalding). Community order with mental health treatment requirement, £60 v/s.

Andrew Yallop (31), of King Street, Wisbech. Drink driving (Spalding). Disqualified from driving for 40 months. Driving while disqualified. Committed to prison for 16 weeks consecutive to sentence currently being served. No separate penalty for no insurance.

Lloyd Hook (19), of Daniels Crescent, Long Sutton. Stole scrap metal worth £72.53. £120 fine, £25 compensation, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Nathan Stubley (22), of Royal Way, Fishtoft. Stole scrap metal worth £72.53. £75 fine, £25 compensation, £20 v/s.

Nygel Sylvester (46), of Parthian Avenue, Wyberton. Producing cannabis (Wyberton). £350 fine, £35 v/s, £85 costs. Cannabis to be forfeited and destroyed.

Darius Grazys (32), of Park Road, Spalding. Assault (Spalding). Community order with alcohol treatment requirement, £250 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs.

Alvis Hlomovs (28), of Flaxmill Lane, Pinchbeck. Driving while disqualified (Spalding). £330 fine, £33 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for eight months. No separate penalty for no insurance.

Konrad Wloch (32), of London Road, Spalding. Stole pair of shorts worth £15 belonging to Peacocks Store (Spalding). Twelve months conditional discharge, £15 compensation, £15 v/s, £85 costs.

Grantham Magistrates’ Court

July 28

Tracey Quinn (49), of Belsay Drive, Park Farm, Peterborough. Drink driving (Bourne). £110 fine, £20 v/s, £45 costs, disqualified from driving for 21 months.

Lewis Austen (24), of Abel Close, Deeping St James. Used abusive or insulting words. £255 fine, £25 v/s, £85 costs.

After a recent visit to Springfields I was very disappointed by the state of the designers’ gardens. There were weeds, bare patches and flaking paint on the structures.

Chris Beardshaw would be appalled to see how his garden is. Also Kim Wilde’s garden was as bad. Some parts of the gardens were lovely, but the ponds need tidying up as you couldn’t see the fish for dead lily leaves.

Was the green flag award for the whole garden or only part?

Mrs M Mitchell

Fleet Hargate

In last weeks Readers’ View column there was a letter from Paul Foyster, headlined ‘Vote is your decision so make it wisely’.

I agree that the electorate will be making an important decision in May 2015 so let’s look at some of the myths that are being spread to divide us.

Mass immigration: on January 1 journalists flocked to airports across the country – but the mythical hordes failed to appear.

Myth – immigration causes unemployment. It is the booms and slumps of capitalism, rather than immigration that cause unemployment. Immigrants did not slash a million jobs from the public sector, preside over the mass job losses at Barclays or Portsmouth dockyard, or push through hundreds of thousands of job losses in manufacturing.

A million more people are unemployed in Britain today than fours years ago. That is not because of a surge in immigration, it is because the world economy went into deep crisis, and bosses and bankers expected workers to pay the price.

Myth – migrants cause the housing crisis. There are 900,000 empty homes in Britain. Most of them are in the private sector and their owners won’t sell them because the recession means they won’t make enough profit.

What has Europe ever done for us? As it happens quite a lot. Every day, thanks to Europe, our workplace is a safer place to work. Sickness/holiday – you don’t lose holiday rights accrued during periods of ill health. Equal pay – men and women must be paid the same for doing the same job or of equal value.

Holidays – thanks to Europe, UK workers got the legal right to holidays for the first time in 1998.

Time off work – your boss cannot force you to work more than 48 hours a week and must give you regular breaks. Fairness at work – it doesn’t matter if you are full-time or part-time, temporary or permanent, all workers get the same rights.

Parental leave – new parents are entitled to time off work to look after their children. Maternity rights – Statutory maternity leave of up to a year. Discrimination – protection from being discriminated against for your age, gender, race, sexual orientation or if you are disabled.

So there is a lot to think about here and don’t let us forget our valued NHS. I would like to know who gave the government permission to sell OUR NHS off?

The next Labour government will repeal the Health and Social Care Act, ensuring that the NHS is the preferred provider. Only Labour can save our NHS.

Rodney Sadd

Local Labour party member

All your readers should support MP John Hayes in his determination to assist dementia sufferers in any way he can.

In her reply to Mr Hayes, Mrs Woolard mentions, as he did, dignity in old age. I’ve always felt that this is a generalisation – every old person is not dignified. But as we grow older we begin to realise the things that really matter, eg Have we made a will? What will happen to our loved ones when we are no longer with them? And we begin to reflect on our own departure from this life.

Obviously I do not know whether Mr Hayes has watched a loved one die slowly and painfully – I have, three times, so I fully understand Mrs Woolard’s feelings.

With regard to sanctity of life I must support Mr Hayes. However, most of us will have read where a patient has been allowed to die by a machine being switched off or a medicine discontinued. And some will know the words: ‘Thou shalt not kill, but thou shalt not strive officiously to keep alive’. My concern about euthanasia, if made legal, is that it will grow from small beginnings to greater proportions, as in other spheres of legislation, eg health and safety.

In over 60 years of active ministry (I am in my early 90s, I know a little about old age) I have visited hundreds of sick people, young and old, in their homes, care homes, hospitals, and marvelled at the care they have received. Indeed, all carers deserve every possible support.

The real question is ‘why any suffering’? – a vast and complicated subject. But allow me to quote the former Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Basil Hume: ‘I do not believe that the human mind has ever been able to resolve this great dilemma, I know of no philosopher who has ever given a convincing explanation for the prevalence of evil and suffering.’

John Moon

Moulton

Motoring in Britain can be one of life’s great pleasures. From the wide skies of Lincolnshire to the mountains of the Lake District; whether by car or motorcycle, there are few things more agreeable than the joy of exploring our blessed plot.

But for too long, too often driving has been like a trip to the dentist – a necessary endurance.

Potholes, seemingly endless miles of road works, and traffic jams have limited or eliminated enjoyment.

Congestion on Britain’s motorways and A-roads (collectively known as the Strategic Road Network) is estimated to cost the economy over £2 billion each year, not including the cost of appointments missed, family gatherings abandoned and uneaten cold dinners, all familiar to regular road travellers locally in Lincolnshire and beyond.

As our population grows over the coming years, if we do nothing, delays and their miserable effect will become even worse.

The problems with our road network have developed for two principle reasons. First, there have been decades of under investment; between 1970 and 2010 traffic on our major roads tripled while investment more than halved!

Secondly, the money that was made available was often misdirected or spent inefficiently. These difficulties have been compounded by investment stopping and starting more often than a tube train on the circle line. Brief periods of plenty followed by years of financial famine encouraged short-termism and one-off projects, rather than prioritising a long-term approach to the whole network.

Most drivers who have encountered a dual carriageway that suddenly ends at its busiest point will recognise the result of what I describe.

As the nation’s new Minister for Roads across the United Kingdom, I am determined that the failure to plan ahead, resource sufficiently, and maintain consistency must end.

I want all who those who use Britain’s major roads and motorways to enjoy much more reliable, safe and joyful journeys.

That’s why I have made a gear change in investment; the Government has committed to invest £24 billion on the road network by 2021, which will see spending tripled to £3 billion each year on England’s key highways and motorways, including resurfacing of 80% of these roads.

This should mean a much better road network; road works will be completed quicker, traffic flowing more smoothly more often and fewer damaging potholes to avoid; inspiring confidence in travellers and restoring the joy of motoring.

Giving a tablet to a cat can be daunting for anyone, if you are calm and appear confident it is often much easier than you first think.

Make sure you ask your vet so that you know whether the tablet can be divided or crushed and whether it can be administered with food.

Have a confident approach and keep calm at all times. If you run into difficulties or cannot manage, always contact your vet or vet nurse at your local practice – they are there to help.

Make sure you:

• Have everything you need prepared and ready in advance.

• Be gentle with your cat, keep calm, and avoid putting yourself at risk.

• If possible, always have a second person (preferably someone your cat knows) to help if you are going to administer the tablet rather than put it in with food.

Always try firstly giving the tablet with food. First ensure that the tablet can be given with food. ­ Some tablets should always be given with food:

• Make sure your cat is hungry! Take all food away for six hours (or overnight) to make sure your cat will want to eat when the tablet is due.

• Some tablets are made specifically to be palatable to cats and you can try just feeding these tablets to your cat as a treat. However, often cats will not eat a tablet voluntarily on its own because (even if designed to be palatable) the flavour or texture may be unfamiliar to them.

• If the tablet is small, your cat may take it hidden in a small amount of a favourite food, such as soft cat food (or jelly from cat food) that your cat really likes, soft cheese, a small piece of soft meat or fish, or even butter (BUT a tiny amount only please)

• Make sure the tablet is completely in just a small amount of food that you offer to your cat.

• You can offer the food in the cat’s normal bowl or from your fingers ­ as you prefer – ALWAYS wash your hands after handling medication.

• If your cat eats the food, check to make sure it has also eaten the tablet and not left it behind or spat it out, then feed them the rest of their meal.

• Some cats are clever at finding the tablet buried in food and spitting it out, or just eating the food around the tablet. If it is safe (check with your vet or the instructions that came with the tablets) you may be able to crush the tablet and mix it thoroughly in a small amount of very tasty food. This works best with palatable tablets, and with a strong-flavoured tasty treat that your cat really loves (such as some tinned fish in oil). A pill-crusher may help to crush the tablet thoroughly

Administering a tablet by hand:

If your cat will not take the tablet voluntarily or in with food, you will need to give the tablet by hand. Gentle, safe restraint of your cat is important, and it’s always easier with two people – one person to give the tablet and one to hold the cat.

Restraining your cat with your hands or wrapped in a towel:

• Make sure your cat is on a stable non-­slippery surface such as the floor; otherwise a firm table or work surface with a non-slip surface

• Allow your cat to sit upright, in front of you, but facing away from you.

• Gently hold each front leg above the elbow with your hands pressed gently against the sides of your cat. This helps to prevent your cat running off, keeps your cat sitting upright, and controls the front legs, paws and claws.

• Having restrained your cat now with one of the above methods, again it’s much easier with two people. The one giving the tablet needs to hold the tablet between the thumb and forefinger in one hand.

• Place the other hand on the top of your cat’s head (it is best to approach the cat from the side rather than from above – this is less threatening for your cat).

• The head should be gently but firmly held between the thumb and fingers, with your thumb and forefinger extending downwards to either side of the jaw at the corner of the mouth.

• Gently tilt the head upwards, and use the middle finger of the hand holding the tablet to pull the lower jaw down and open the mouth.

• Keep the head tilted up and quickly place or drop the tablet as far back on your cat’s tongue as you can. Aim for the centre of the tongue as far back as you can see – the further back the tablet goes the harder it is for your cat to do anything other than swallow it!

• Hold the jaw closed for a few seconds and wait for your cat to swallow. Gently rubbing the throat under the chin may help. If your cat licks his lips or nose, you know he has swallowed.

• Sometimes your cat may not swallow the tablet on the first attempt and may spit it out. So long as your cat does not become distressed, you can try repeating the procedure. Always try to get the tablet as far back on the tongue as possible.

You can also us a ‘pill­giver’ (available from your vet):

• This is a little like a syringe with a plastic plunger and rubber tip. The tablet will fit in the soft nozzle at the end of the pill­giver, and it is released by pushing down on the plunger (practise this before using it with your cat). A pill­giver can help you administer the tablet right at the back of your cat’s tongue while avoiding any need to place your fingers in your cat’s mouth.

Further education and skills provider Steadfast Training gives students the opportunity to continue learning via apprenticeships and vocational qualifications.

Based at Welland House, Spalding, the company was established in 2005 by managing director Jason Parnell to make a difference in the community and help students who have been unable to secure a university place via traditional methods.

The nationally accredited firm now employs around 40 people.

Speaking of students who may not have achieved the grades they desired, Mr Parnell said: “There is always options, one disappointment doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t succeed in life. Every cloud has a silver lining, there’s always an opportunity out there if you look.”

Steadfast Training provides young people with an alternate avenue in to university or employment through apprenticeships in various subjects such as business administration, social media and customer service to name a few.

Recruitment and training advisor for Steadfast Training, Denise Sheed said: “We place probably 150 people a month which is fantastic.

“We’re going to be doing a presentation for one of our apprentices that came from Spalding Grammar School that has got a local job and he’s our 500th apprentice we’ve put in to work.”

The company was recently awarded its grade two by the independent regulator Ofsted, which indicates a good standard of practice.

Mrs Sheed said: “This has opened up a whole new road for us and we now plan to go in to traineeships, which is where we can link in with Lincolnshire County Council’s career advice team.”

Working with employers and learners not only throughout the East Midlands but across the East of England and Greater London areas, the training provider continues to go from strength to strength.

Sheed said: “We’ve just won a million pound contract to support people who have gone in to work with more training, so as a company, we’re doing extremely well.”

For information contact Denise Sheeds on 01733 440854 or visit www.steadfasttraining.co.uk/home.asp

Primary school children in reception, year one and year two will get free school lunches from September.

Free primary school meals was one of the recommendations of a review of school food by two founders of the Leon restaurant chain for the Department for Education.

It concluded that packed lunches were nearly always less nutritious than a cooked meal, and that giving all children free lunches would raise academic standards.

In fact, The School Food Plan website claims that just 1 per cent of packed lunches meet the nutritional standards that currently apply to school food.

It reads: “Many parents mistakenly imagine that a packed lunch is the healthiest option. In fact, it is far easier to get the necessary nutrients into a cooked meal – even one of mediocre quality. Only 1 per cent of packed lunches meet the nutritional standards that currently apply to school food.

“This country faces a serious health crisis caused by bad diet. Almost 20 per cent of children are already obese by the time they leave primary school at 11. Diet-related illnesses are putting a huge strain on the nation’s coffers – costing the NHS £10billion every year. We need to tackle the problem now, before the costs (both personal and financial) become too heavy to bear.

“Many studies have shown that hunger affects concentration, and that well-nourished children fare better at school. The government has agreed to allocate money to help schools in the poorest areas establish breakfast clubs. And it has promised to look at extending free school meal entitlement, to ensure that the children of the so-called ‘working poor’ do not go hungry at lunch.”

However, the site suggests: “It means cooking food that is both appetising and nutritious; making the dining hall a welcoming place; keeping queues down; allowing children to eat with their friends; getting them interested in cooking and growing.

“The only person with the power to orchestrate all this is the head teacher. They need support from their governors and leadership team, but if the head isn’t behind changing the food culture in a school, it won’t happen.

“The vast majority of head teachers already believe that good food is vital to children’s health and academic achievement, and to the broader life of the school. But many feel they lack the knowledge and experience to improve their food culture. So this plan is aimed primarily at giving head teachers the practical support, advice and information they need.

“Good food provision in schools has been shown to lead not only to healthier children, but to improved attainment.”

More than 600 people voted for a public inquiry on planned wood-fuelled and gas-fired power stations in Sutton Bridge.

A local referendum, known as a parish poll, was held in the village yesterday (Wednesday).

Some 614 people voted for both plans to be decided at a public inquiry so all issues, including potential threats to health, can be examined.

Seven people who voted were against a public inquiry and there were two spoilt papers.

Turnout was 17.7 per cent.

Parish councillor and campaigner Jenny Rowe said it was “a good number of people to request a public inquiry”.

• Full story in Tuesday’s Lincolnshire Free Press.

Spalding High School’s GCSE students achieved a 98 per cent A*-C pass rate – almost a staggering 30 per cent above the national figure.

Overall, the school’s results were a little down on previous years, but headmistress Michele Anderson said schools had been warned to expect “variability” by the exam regulator, Ofqual.

Some 96 per cent of the school’s students achieved the Government’s benchmark basics measure of five A*-C passes, including English and maths.

Forty-two per cent of all grades were A*-A and 75 per cent of all grades were A*-B.

The top scholar out of 20 outstanding performances was Amy Tall, who was celebrating ten A*s and an A.

Mrs Anderson said: “These GCSE results remain a testament to the very high standards set at the school and to the hard work of both students and staff, supported by parents and governors.”

• Keep checking out www.spaldingtoday.co.uk for more GCSE news – and there will be full reports from all of our schools in a 16-page special supplement in Tuesday’s Lincolnshire Free Press.

Stars of Sir John Gleed School in Spalding were shining bright today, with several students bucking the national GCSE trend and achieving As in English.

Ellie Doubleday (16) of Spalding was one of the high achievers - with 10A*, 3Bs and 3Cs. Now she has her sights set on college and university and a career in performing arts.

She said: “I’ve been very nervous, but I’m very excited now. The last two years with the new course has been very hard. I never thought I’d do so well, but I’m really happy.”

Nationally, this year’s results show a slight rise in A* to C grades, but a sharp fall in English grades. The tougher syllabus without the inclusion of course work was always going to be challenging for the school which is fighting its way out of special measures.

But today the focus was on success and the hard work teachers and students had done to achieve the best results they could.

Headteacher Will Scott, in the school foyer to welcome the nervous students, was especially emotional. He said: “Today is a great day for our kids. Many of our students did extremely well and achieved what they hoped they would get.

“However, we are hugely disappointed for some of the students in Year 11 who have worked so hard over the last two years because many of them have missed out on a C grade by just one or two marks, especially in English.

“We were alerted by Ofqual to expect turbulence in results at school level and it looks as though we are one of the many schools that has seen a negative impact following the many changes to the exam specifications that were introduced this year.

“We will obviously need to analyse the pattern of these results carefully before deciding what, if any, action we need to take as a school in the light of the emerging picture from across the region and the country.

“But there is a lot for our teachers and students to be proud of and we will be celebrating with them.”

High achievers include:

Joshua Baldwin(Headboy) – 4xA*/ 1xA/ 2xB/5xC

Sophie Rodgers (Headgirl) – 7xA*/ 3xA/ 3XB

Ellie Doubleday – 10A*/3B/3C

Raith Else – 4A*/1A/4B/2C

Alicia Gornall – 4A*/ 1A/ 4B/2C

Owen Halsey – 4A*/ 3A/2B/5C

Mollie Howitt – 8A*/ 1A/1B

Robert Hulley – 3A/ 4B/ 1C

Rebecca Loveridge – 4A*/ 3A/ 3B

Joshua Robinson Greem – 1A*/ 3A/6B

The Thomas Cowley High School at Donington is once again celebrating good GCSE results.

Fifty-one per cent of students gained ten or more GCSE passes at grades A* to C. Among them were some outstanding students, such as Macaulay Ealham, who achieved ten GCSE passes at A* and a further four at grade A.

Torie Morrisey clocked up an astonishing 18 GCSEs at grades A* to C and other students excelled.

Headteacher Martyn Taylor said: “The students performed extremely well across the whole year group.”

Full results and more stories in Tuesday’s Lincolnshire Free Press.

Spalding Grammar School is celebrating after surpassing last year’s GCSE results and posting some of the best grades in its history.

A number of subjects performed extremely well with the school achieving a 91 per cent pass rate for GCSE grades A* to C.

Headteacher Nigel Ryan was delighted with the performance of his pupils and said they should be proud of their efforts throughout the year.

He said: “It has gone very well, the students and the staff can be very pleased with their performances.

“Overall results are on the up from where they were last year, with some subjects performing incredibly well, such as maths which is the best we’ve ever had.”

There have been a number of personal successes among students at Middlecott School at Kirton.

Headteacher Julia Polley picked out a number of young people for praise, and said: “For our kids, these results are outstanding. I’m really pleased.”

Among the boys who did well was Connor Lonsdale, who achieved 100 per cent pass rate at grades A* to C.

The school has seen an overall rise in grades across all subjects, with “good performances” in French, which increased its A* to C pass rate by 25 per cent, history by 42 per cent and science by 25 per cent.

Julia added: “As ever, we are delighted with the BTEC results with 100 per cent of students across all subjects achieving higher grade passes.”

The Earl of Yarborough, High Sheriff of Lincolnshire, was in Holbeach yesterday for visits to hospital residents and O A Taylor Bulbs, the UK’s leading supplier of flowering bulbs to garden centres, nurseries and supermarkets.

Lord Yarborough was shown around the hospital by Dr Bharat Khetani, chairman of Holbeach and East Elloe Hospital Trust, the trust’s treasurer Karl Ellerbroek, and manager Loraine Wigston.

Mr Ellerbroek said: “Apparently he (Lord Yarborough) is trying to get to know a little bit more about the south of the county. We are a bit of a forgotten corner – especially Holbeach – because we are so close to the border with Norfolk.

“We gave Lord Yarborough the full tour and he showed a great deal of interest in what we are doing at the hospital and he was quite interested in our proposals for the future. We are looking to develop a dementia unit in the not too distant future.”

Lord Yarborough met flower bulb company directors Roger Taylor, Adam Taylor and Sam Taylor.

Roger said: “He spoke to a lot of members of staff and expressed quite a lot of interest in what we are doing.

“He was delighted to hear not only that we supply nationally but also export as well.”

• The office of High Sheriff is of great antiquity and importance in England and Wales. Originally it was the High Sheriff’s job to prepare for assizes (periodic court hearings), including arranging accommodation for judges. Today the role is regarded as having social and symbolic importance.

“Superb” was the reaction of Donington’s Thomas Cowley High School deputy headteacher Ian Dawson to this year’s GCSE results.

In the face of changing rules, more than half of this year’s 131 students sitting the exam achieved five grades at A* to C, including English and Maths, and there was a 100 per cent pass rate.

Mr Dawson explained that the way grades are calculated has been changed by the government, so where previously a BTEC diploma could have been counted as the equivalent of four GCSEs – and in fact is still worth that to the student – it now counts as just one GCSE.

In addition, the school also suffered from the government’s new ‘first entry’ rule, which means students’ first attempt at the exam counts, rather than re-sits.

Despite the setbacks, headteacher Martyn Taylor said: “The Thomas Cowley High School can yet again celebrate its GCSE performance. Sixty-six per cent of students gained a C or above in Mathematics and 60 per cent of students gained a C or above in English. It’s a terrific result.

“The students performed extremely well across the whole year group.” olme, gaining 18 GCSEs at grades A* to C.

There were highlights, with one student, Torie Morrissey of Kirton H olme, achieving 18 GCSEs at grades A* to C.

Torie, who said she was “thrilled”, admits she has been working hard in order to move across to Spalding High School to study sociology, biology, health and social and psychology at A-level.

Macaulay Ealham, of Donington, gained ten GCSEs at A* and four at grade A. Macaulay – the first student in the school to achieve ten A*s – said: “I am elated. I tried hard, but I didn’t think it had gone quite to plan. It’s down to good teachers, like Miss Jesson.”

He’s joining the 6th form at Boston High School to study maths, businss, economics and English at A-level.

There were many more relieved and happy students, including Sam Smith, of Northorpe, who was “over the moon” with 15 passes at grades A* to C; Connor Hollyoake, of Donington, who was “pleased and surprised” with his 14.5 GCSEs; Ellen Richardson, of Fosdyke, who got 9 GCSEs; Katie Fear, of Sutterton and Saffron Barlow, of Gosberton, who both achieved eight.