THERE are big families about and then there are those whose combined ages add up to an impressive 767 years!

Sally Cunningham (80), of Roman Bank, Saracen’s Head, has done the maths and worked out that she and her nine surviving brothers and sisters have achieved that magnificent number of years between them.

The large family grew up in Whaplode Drove, the gap between the youngest and the oldest meaning that all 11 children weren’t at home at the same time. Sally admits: “It was crowded. We lived in a three-bedroom house and there was a double and single bed in each room and a little box room with a little bed in it. Mum and dad had a room downstairs. We were crowded, but we were happy.”

Annie and Edward Abrams had Joan first of all, now 87 and living at Wyberton, and she had three children, and then along came Archie a year later, and he had two children and is now living at Coates near Whittlesey.

After a break of a couple of years, Esther arrived, and she would have been 84 but she sadly died in 2005. Esther had five children and lived at Moulton Chapel.

Then came Raymond (82), of Oakham (one child), Sally (two children), Betty (77), of Whaplode Drove (four children), Billy (76), of Spalding (one child), Alan (74), of Gosberton (two children), Mavis (72), of Spalding (four children) and Janet (67), of Gosberton (three children).

Youngest of the brood was Carol Smalley, who is 66 and lives at Deeping St Nicholas, and who has one child.

Tragically, Carol was born seven weeks after the death of her father, aged 44, from cancer – Carol believes as a result of a kick from a horse.

Edward was a farm worker, a horseman all his life, who lived for his horses, and Sally remembers as a child him waiting for her to come home to help lead the horses across the field.

Carol says wistfully: “I always wished I’d known my dad. I always said I would never leave mum and I didn’t. She was mum and dad to me. All my sisters got married at 19 but I said I wanted to stay and look after her. I was 22 when she died and mum was 67.

“After Dad died Mum brought the rest of us up and we were never hungry or cold and always well dressed, although they were perhaps hand-me-down clothes.”

Both women have very fond memories of Annie, known around the village where she helped out on the land as “Mam Abrams”. “She was the sort of person people would come and ask for help and she would always say yes,” says Sally.

“She was everbody’s mum and you couldn’t have wished for a better mum,” agrees Carol.

Naturally, there were fights and siblings would fall out, and – something that will come as a shock to teenagers able to lock themselves behind a bathroom door for privacy – baths were taken once a week in their mother’s bedroom in front of the fire. “By the time the last one had it the water was perhaps getting a bit thick,” jokes Sally.

They stayed close, enjoying family Christmas parties in Whaplode Drove chapel where the oldest would dress up as Santa Claus, and each family bought presents to put under the tree to make sure every child had a gift to take away.

The brothers and sisters are still close, although they are not all able to get together as much now as they once did.

However, Sally does have one precious photograph of them all, taken before Esther’s death, and when they do meet up they are all able to share beautiful memories of a happy childhood.

IT WOULD have come as no great surprise if Morecambe & Wise had suddenly appeared in Saturday’s Spalding Flower Parade, doing their signature skip-dance to the strains of Bring Me Sunshine.

After days of, at times, torrential rain, the event organisers and spectators were rewarded and the sun came out for what was a magnificent parade of floats, each celebrating the district’s heritage in tulip and food production to the theme of Food, Glorious Food.

A crowd estimated to equal last year’s 35,000 to 40,000 was able to sit or stand in sunshine while they enjoyed the spectacle. The parade of floats was headed by 2012 Flower Queen Amy Harrison, looking radiant as she passed by on her coach and horses, accompanied by runners-up Jessica Hallifax and Lauren Rate.

The royal entourage continued with the float bearing Miss Jersey Battle of Flowers, Rebecca Houzé, who was accompanied by the Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian Parade Prince and Princess, Jordan Cunningham and Milly Hitcham.

The crowds were then treated to fabulous float after fabulous float as well as bands, with children in fancy dress adding to the fun – as did a giant red lobster, visible for some distance down the parade route as it waved its legs around.

There were cubs, scouts and brownies in the parade as well as the traditional vintage cyclists. The lead rider in the Long Sutton and District Veteran Cycle Club’s contingent was making an impressive 50th appearance in the parade.

The attractive tulip decorated floats, lively bands and other entertainers made the procession from Springfields Arena around the town in front of a crowd of thousands without major mishap.

There were a few trips and falls by visitors, which parade safety officer Peter Odam said is to be expected of what is a predominantly elderly audience.

As a result of the rain, the parade did not finish at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field as planned and so visitors were denied the opportunity to get close up to the floats and to hear the sassy Andrews Sisters tribute act, The Swingcats, perform on the field.

Instead, the chilly wind meant the crowds dispersed quite quickly and the town soon started to look back to normal again.

• What did you think to the day? Let us know your view by commenting on this story, emailing spaldingeditor@jpress.co.uk or tweet us @LincsFreePress

• Got some good snaps from Saturday? Why not share them with others by posting on our Facebook wall or tweet us @LincsFreePress

• Our 54th Spalding Flower Parade souvenir edition of the Lincolnshire Free Press is out on Tuesday. If you wish to order one to be sent in the post call 01775 765433 during office hours (not open Bank Holiday Monday).

• To see loads more pictures from the day and for details on how to buy them, click on Buy A Photo at the foot of this page

When we acquired The Patch in 1990, it was, and still is, our intention to increase the wildlife that was sadly lacking there 20 years ago.

First we planted berrying and nut-producing trees that would benefit a wide range of birds and animals. A decade ago we planted the native saplings that have, albeit more slowly that we would have liked, become to resemble the woodland that is so necessary in this area. We have sown and planted wildflower areas that are now a sea of cowslip yellow and bluebells, and seen the bee, butterfly and other beneficial insect population increase enormously, and there is now an establishing hedge of indigenous shrub species, including wild cherry, crab apple, hazel, sloe, alder, hawthorn, native roses, guelder rose, oak, beech and hornbeam around three sides of the field.

This year we have seen the first signs of nesting in this hedge – the birds beat me to it when it needed a trim, so I will have to do the job in the autumn to avoid disturbing our new residents.

I keep all pesticides and weedkillers away from this project; in the beginning viburnum beetle, couch grass and other beasties threatened to wreck our good intentions, but now that the beneficial wildlife population has taken over and the hedge has begun to smother the unwanted herbage at its base, these kinds of problems are diminishing to a tolerable level.

We are lucky in that we have a large area in which to create such a haven, but anyone with even a tiny garden can create a similar sanctuary – it doesn’t need to be covered with nettles or old fridges and redundant carpet to bring all kinds of wildlife to your back door; just plant food and shelter and lay off the pesticides as much as possible and you will soon notice a difference.

You can imagine my horror on discovering this weekend that whoever has sprayed herbicide on a neighbouring field has managed, not only to rid the shared dyke of “weeds”, but has caught a section of our hedge and the grassed ride in front of it as well, which are now turning delicate shades of brown and cream. I know not what the chemical was, so it will be some time before I find out whether or not this careless spraying has put paid to a part of our project that has taken so long to establish; I have my fingers crossed that because we have had so much rain recently, the damaged area will recover; perhaps anyone using agrochemicals (which I am not licensed to use, nor wish to) might enlighten me on what would be used on brassicas and whether there is a chance of recovery.

I am not anti-pesticides in the right place, either on an agricultural scale or in the garden – I saw the first signs of blackspot on my roses this morning and I shall take careful steps to ensure they aren’t completely bald by high summer – but I would appeal to anyone using them to remember the neighbours – consider that they would probably prefer to have control over what lands on their plants and in their ponds, and use them with care and consideration. It is our duty while we have the privilege to be alive to conserve for the generations to come what Nature has given us; careless management today means so much less to pass on tomorrow.

Check out our coverage of Saturday’s superb spectacle around the town.

Our photographers – Tim Wilson, Mike Davison and Nikki Griffin – have put together a brilliant snapshot of Saturday’s events.

If you were there try and spot yourself on a float or in the crowds. And if you weren’t there get a flavour of what you missed and make a note in next year’s diary – Saturday, May 4!

CONCERNED parents have been warned not to take the law into their own hands after discovering a paedophile living in Surfleet.

A number of parents have written comments regarding hounding Paul Tumber out of his home or physically harming him on social networking sites such as Facebook after it was revealed in Tuesday’s Lincolnshire Free Press that he was living with his wife Nicola in Seas End Road.

But Insp Chris Davison, of Spalding Police, said such reactions were unhelpful when dealing with paedophiles as it could force them to “go underground”.

He said: “I can’t comment on individuals but sex offenders who are released into the community are rigourously risk-assessed for the likelihood of them re-offending.

“They are also visited regularly and continuously reassessed.

“Vigilante behaviour doesn’t allow us to assist with their rehabilitation and can drive them underground, meaning it is impossible for us to control their behaviour or manage the risk they pose to the community.

“So my message to worried parents would be to not take the law into your own hands because it could end up driving them away from the effective controls that are in place to keep the community safe.”

Tumber (42) was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life after molesting a nine-year-old girl.

He was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison by Peterborough Crown Court in 2003 after admitting four indecent assaults.

The judge said his victim had endured “extreme terror” for more than a year and described it as “an extremely bad case”.

It is believed Tumber moved to Surfleet recently after being hounded out of his previous home in Scotland after worried mums began a Facebook campaign.

His whereabouts was revealed in The Sun newspaper which claimed that he was attending toy fairs frequented by children to help his wife on her teddy bear stall.

She runs an internet-based company Buckie Bears.

Horseshoe Bridge

Horseshoe Road

Spalding

PE11 3BE

Price: £249,950

Taylor Wimpey has launched an informative new video guide explaining the recently launched 95 per cent mortgage scheme, NewBuy.

The Government and housebuilder-backed initiative has been hailed as a great boost for the industry and is being offered by a number of the major mortgage lenders.

NewBuy is available on brand-new properties up to £500,000 and means that credit-worthy first time buyers may now only need to save a five per cent deposit before they can get on the property ladder.

Home movers with limited equity in their existing house will also benefit from the increase in availability of 95 per cent loan to value mortgages.

Taylor Wimpey has developed the new, easy-to-understand video to explain how NewBuy works. It gives house-hunters an overview of the scheme, highlighting who is eligible, how NewBuy can assist them and provides a handy worked example.

It also gives viewers details on how they can find out more information and subsequently apply for the scheme.

To view the video guide visit www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/newbuy or contact the following local Taylor Wimpey developments to find out more about NewBuy availability:

nOak Springs, Bourne. Tel: 0845 6882060.

nPilgrims Chase, Spalding Tel: 0845 2398129.

A quake-hit cathedral on the other side of the world is being rebuilt with the help of a saw from Deeping St Nicholas.

Plans for the 82ft high church in Christchurch, New Zealand, hit national headlines because it will be made of cardboard tubes, as well as timber beams, structural steel and a concrete pad.

Wellcut Ltd was approached to build a 1200 wellcut diamond-tipped saw to cut hard limestone corner stones that are also being used in the building.

A family business based in Main Road, John Wells said they were thrilled to get the order because the cathedral will be such an iconic building.

Mr Wells said: “Although we have exported around the world before, we are particularly excited to get this order because everyone saw the devastation in Christchurch and what happened to the cathedral. It is such a nice project to work on.”

The 131-year-old Gothic-style landmark was left beyond repair by the earthquake in February last year, which killed 185 people and destroyed much of the city centre.

Its £5.3million replacement has been designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who has used cardboard as a material for other temporary buildings, including a “paper church” which used as a community centre after the 1995 Kobe earthquake in Japan.

The new cathedral is expected to have a 20-year life span, so the community can deconstruct it in a few years and reassemble it for a community centre or other purposes.

Wellcut’s saw, which took a month to build, was shipped out to New Zealand last week. Cathedral leaders hope to have the building completed by November for the visit of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.

Established 30 years ago, Wellcut Ltd is now the only company in the UK to build bespoke stone cutting saws, mainly used by the quarry industry.

A NEW ultrasound scanner is set to transform diagnosis and treatment for patients in the Spalding area.

The new state-of-the-art Toshiba scanner, which cost about £60,000, will be installed in the x-ray department at Johnson Community Hospital in Spalding Road, Pinchbeck.

The United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust scanner will mean that from mid-May many patients will be able to have their scan locally and will no longer have to travel to Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital.

Business manager Paul Walker said: “Mr Magd was the clinician leading on this, as lower risk obstetrics (women’s reproductive and pregnancy-related care) will be a main user of the scanner.

“He will be running clinics in Spalding all day on Tuesday and Thursday. This will prevent people having to go to Pilgrim Hospital for this.”

Superintendent sonographer Gill Massey added: “The scanner will also be used for other general ultrasound work and many patients will be able to have investigations such as kidney and gall bladder scans locally.”

“Vascular and gynaecological investigations will also be available.

PARENTS have been left fuming by changes to the school bus service in Moulton Seas End following safety fears.

Since a parish councillor raised concerns that buses stopping outside the village pub were putting children’s safety at risk, parents claim coach company bosses have ordered drivers not to stop and wait for pupils.

Instead they have been told to stop, pick up children as quickly as possible and move on.

But the decision has angered mums and dads who say there have been no safety concerns, while the changes are causing difficulties.

Dawn Adams, of Seas End Road, has two children who use the school bus to John Harrox Primary School in Moulton. She said: “It seems like the world has gone mad. There have never been any problems with safety but this councillor has decided it’s dangerous and asked highways to come and assess the situation and they have decided it’s a risk.

“Now the bus drivers for the primary school bus and the secondary school bus have been told they can’t both stop in the village at the same time, so they are coming in, picking up the children who are there and then going again.

“It means we have to be there at the exact time the bus turns up or we could miss it. There have already been a few near-misses. The only other option is to be there ten minutes early and stand around in the rain.”

But the parish and district councillor who raised concerns said his only comment was that the secondary school bus was stopping in a dangerous place.

Coun Andrew Woolf said: “If these changes have been made it is nothing to do with the concerns I raised. I was only worried about where the secondary school bus was stopping because cars were having to pull out to get round it without being able to see what was coming.

“I shall visit Mrs Adams and try to get to the bottom of it.”

THE “fairer fuel” deal for South Holland residents has gone on the back burner until September with the so far unnamed company refusing to start until its high-tech smart meters are ready for mass production.

South Holland District Council leader Gary Porter aimed to be the first councillor in the country to pilot a mass switchover – with thousands of residents expected to save at least 15 per cent on their gas and electricity bills.

The company’s change of heart came last Wednesday as arrangements were being made for a “battle bus” to be out and about to boost the 2,000-plus signs-ups gathered so far for the scheme.

Coun Porter says the deal remains on the table, but the company won’t budge until its meters are ready.

He said: “It’s more than just a smart meter, it’s like a laptop.”

As well as gathering information on power consumed for everyday normal use, the smart meters feed information to a central point – and consumers could get an email if there is a usage “spike” caused by something like leaving the freezer door open.

Coun Porter says the smart meters will be more useful for people who take up the company’s offer on solar energy panels and he’s angry it has stalled at this late stage.

He said: “I am seriously really disappointed. You can’t even write in the newspaper the words I was using on Friday.”

But the council leader revealed there is the possibility of a second cheap energy deal on the horizon with a company called I-Chooser waiting in the wings to give a presentation next week to the Local Government Association.

The company has already run successful schemes in Holland and Belgium – driving down energy prices to below state subsidy tariffs – but the go-ahead it will depend on group leaders at the LGA.

Coun Porter said: “That’s a national scheme so obviously we will get access to it but it won’t be exclusive to us.”

FAST-RESPONSE police cyclists will soon be keeping the streets of Spalding safer.

Police officers have been taking part in a course this week to help them use bikes more efficiently at speed.

It is hoped the extra pedal power will also put an end to public snubs, such as those posted by some users on our website spaldingtoday.co.uk

Last month, Spalding police’s cycle fleet was boosted to eight by six new cycles, thanks to a donation from Coun Gary Taylor’s Designated Councillor Budget.

The story in the Spalding Guardian prompted a number of comments, including one saying: “I’ve seen Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, rising from a local puddle... OK, maybe this is not all true... but there is more chance of seeing this than there is on seeing the police on wheels.”

Sgt Stuart Hurst said it would be impossible to have eight officers permanently riding about town on bicycles.

He said: “Officers are split between foot patrols, driving out to patrol the outlying areas and responding to calls.”

However, yesterday’s course on the Castle Sports Complex field will help officers using bikes to improve response times and deal with incidents safely.

PCSO Ryan Ellis said: “Officers are learning techniques so they can use bikes more efficiently at speed. Part of the course even teaches officers fast dismounts when pursuing suspects and various techniques where multiple cycles can intercept offenders with a dual approach.”

Since the cycle fleet was increased, officers have used them in a number of incidents. One involved a homeless man found beaten in a Spalding alleyway. PCSO Ellis said: “The bikes carry a first aid kit and foil blankets and we gave first aid before the ambulance arrived.”

A SATURDAY school teaching Polish children about their homeland’s language and culture is proving so popular it will soon need to move to larger premises.

Diana Gajek started the school in March, but it already has more than 50 children on its books and many more lined up to start in September.

Diana is now planning to start approaching local schools to see if her weekend venture can use up to four classrooms on a Saturday morning to cater for different age groups of children.

She said: “It has proved really popular with a lot of parents who want to bring their children for them to learn about Polish culture.

“But we only have one room at our current premises, which means it is difficult to teach the different age groups.”

The school has four teachers – two fully qualified early years teachers and two secondary school teachers.

But Diana’s other plan to start up an integration centre to bring together Polish and English children is facing more difficulties, with the main barrier being money.

She said: “We really want to break down the barriers that exist between different groups and a lot of people have said they are excited and are willing to be involved, but we can’t do it without money.

“I am only one person and I do not have bottomless pockets.”

But Diana does have plans in the pipeline to help Polish people integrate in Spalding, with English lessons lined up for Polish adults and drop-in sessions on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the school premises in Spalding’s Abbey Passage. She is available to help those who struggle with English fill in official forms, make phone calls or write letters for example.

Anyone who can help with new premises for the Polish school or help with funding for the integration centre can call Diana on 01775 760996 (Wednesdays and Thursdays) or 07413 394435.

UPDATE 10.45am: A DOG and a cat died in the house fire at Daniels Crescent, Long Sutton, on Saturday.

Fire engines from Long Sutton and Holbeach were called out just before midday.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said the blaze started in the living room due to a fault in a four-way electrical adaptor.

ALARM bells rang when a Whaplode Drove woman was told she would be receiving a cheque for £800 for mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI),

Amanda Collier (54), of Gull Bank, was informed by phone on Tuesday she would be receiving the cheque from the Department of Justice.

She said: “I was told I would have to provide bank and passport details in order to get the cheque, and deposit £200 at the PayPoint at the post office.

“I said ‘this sounds dodgy. A government department would not ask for my personal details or for me to deposit any money first’.

“Then I was told they would send me a cheque for £1,000, but I turned the phone off because it was obviously a scam.

“I’m just worried someone more vulnerable might get taken in by this.”

A police spokesman said stopping the call was “absolutely the correct action to take”.

She said: “Never give out personal information, especially if it involves Western Union or PayPoint.

“People should ask themselves if they have ever bought PPI.”

To report a scam, call police on 101.

A HOAX e-mail was sent to a Moulton woman’s friends and family saying she had been taken hostage.

Susan Wilson was alerted to the scam after people in her contacts list started calling her to check she was OK.

They had all received an e-mail claiming to be from Susan saying she was being held captive in Spain and asking for money to secure her release.

She said: “The e-mail asked these people to send 1,000 euros to pay for me to get home.

“I think most of them realised straight away that it was a scam, but a few rang to check because we were actually on holiday and away from home at the time.

“As I am clerk to Weston Parish Council my contacts list also includes details for the police so they received one of these e-mails claiming to be from me and they did send someone out to my home to check.

“They said they were 99.9 per cent sure it was a hoax but needed to be 100 per cent.”

Fortunately, Susan doesn’t believe any of her contacts fell for the scam, but she wants to warn others who might have their e-mail account hacked in the same way. She said it could potentially be very distressing to some people.

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police said they had received reports of a similar scam where a person’s e-mail account was hacked and friends and family received an e-mail purportedly from them saying they were stranded and needed money for a plane ticket home.

She said: “This type of scam can be pretty convincing because people’s first reaction to a plea for help from someone they know is to hand over the money to get them home.

“Often when you receive an e-mail from a stranger asking for money it is obvious straight away that it is a scam, but this one is different because it’s an e-mail from a familiar name.

“It can be quite easy for these people to hack into e-mail accounts so everyone should think carefully before handing over money in response to something like this.

“Our advice would always be to check first.”

Mrs Wilson said the e-mail went out to more than 100 people in her contacts list, with at least a dozen people calling to check on her welfare.

But she said: “I rang work to ask them how much they would have paid to rescue me and they said they wouldn’t have paid anything because I wasn’t worth it.”

PUPILS from three Spalding primary schools were treated to inspirational insights into the lives of authors Andy Briggs and Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs.

This years marks the 100th anniversary of Tarzan and Andy has penned a modern day version as a celebration.

Andy’s visit to Spalding was hosted by St Norbert’s Roman Catholic School with pupils from Spalding Primary and Monkshouse invited to join in.

Children took part in a survival quiz, to test how much they had learned about life in the Democractic Public of Congo, where the book is set, and listened to Andy talking about his experiences as a writer.

St Norbert’s inclusion manager Melissa Ford said: “It was lovely to see children being able to relate to Andy’s story of not believing they could one day be a writer and I hope that some of the children feel inspired to follow in Andy’s footsteps.”

A SPALDING woman is encouraging people to put on their dancing shoes and help save lives by attending a charity event with a difference.

Dianne Vassalo, whose family has a long history of polycystic kidney disease, is hosting a traditional Gaelic evening on Friday at St Nicolas Church Hall, The Vista, Spalding.

It will involve live music, dancing and a ploughman’s supper, with proceeds going to Kidney Research UK.

Mrs Vassallo, who lives in Bourne, said: “Most of my family have polycystic kidneys and there is currently no cure for kidney disease.

“My mother had polycystic kidneys and my children also have the condition, as it has been passed down through the generations.

“I am hoping the ceilidh will be a great evening and everyone is welcome. We want to raise as much money as possible to help research aimed at finding a cure for kidney disease.”

Tickets for the event, which starts at 7.30pm, cost £7.50 per person.

l For more information, or to book tickets, call 01778 393026.

POLICE arrested a man on suspicion of assaulting his partner during an incident at Tesco, Holbeach, on Wednesday, May 9.

Officers were alerted at 4.10pm that day. A 34-year-old Spalding man was bailed to May 17.

STAFF at Clinton Cards in Spalding and Bourne face uncertainty over their jobs now the greetings card retailer has gone into administration.

The troubled chain, which operates 628 Clintons and 139 Birthdays stores, employs more than 8,000 people.

Branches in Spalding’s Market Place and Hereward Street, Bourne, are currently operating normally.

Administrators at Zolfo Cooper said the group had made losses of £130million since 2004 and it was likely that a number of stores would have to close.

• Boots The Chemist is understood to be closing some of its photo labs but the Spalding store is unaffected.