About 20kgs of lead flashing along with copper piping has been stolen from a house in Pointon.

The property in Main Road was targeted between 8am on Friday, November 20 and 4pm on Monday, November 23.

If you have any information for police, call 101 and quote incident 90 of November 24.

Meanwhile, a Land Rover found burnt out in Sempringham Fen, near Pointon, at the end of November is being treated as arson.

The vehicle, part registration number N323 ***, was hidden in a spot more than a mile on the eastern side of the fen.

Anyone with information should call 101.

Christmas is a time where we enjoy special moments with our families, so the last thing we want is having that time spoilt by not being able to take our regular medication.

The South Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group says that if you take repeat medication you should make sure that you request your repeat prescriptions in good time to ensure that you have adequate supplies for the Christmas and New Year period.

During December, GPs are happy to take early requests for repeat prescriptions.

Your GP surgery will be closed on Bank Holidays and not all pharmacies will be fully open either, so it’s important that you pick up repeat prescriptions in advance. Most practices need at least 48 hours to process a repeat prescription request.

Young people and the elderly are particularly susceptible to winter illnesses so make sure your medicine cabinets are well stocked. Make sure you have stocks of cold remedies, painkillers, antiseptic cream and plasters. Always keep medicines out of the reach of children.

Many of us are out and about getting organised for the festive period and it’s important not to forget about putting your winter health necessities on your ‘to do’ list. It only takes a few minutes to collect some over the counter remedies for winter ailments.

If you think you need to see a doctor but your surgery is closed, just phone your usual surgery number and you will be redirected to the out of hours service.

You can also call NHS 111 for advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Dr Kevin Hill, chair of NHS South Lincolnshire CCG, said: “With so much going on in the run up to Christmas, sometimes less exciting tasks like repeat prescription ordering can get forgotten, but this can make it more difficult for patients to get the medication they need nearer Christmas. If you are going away it is always useful to take your repeat prescription request slip with you, as it contains details of all your medication should you need this information while you are away.”

Columnist James Waller-Davies gives his view of some of the recent events on television.

Where’s that old moralising marauder, Mary Whitehouse, when you need her? The epidemic of ‘food porn’ on TV must have the prude-protester spinning in her tomb.

Simply Nigella (BBC2) is the epitome of food as a voyeuristic, effete and pretentious lifestyle delusion that makes me want to stuff a cold and congealed doner kebab in my gob as some form of dirty protest.

Nigella, the self-styled ‘domestic goddess’, certainly comes from some unearthly realm. When she speaks, it sounds like English, but I’m never quite sure. Maybe it’s the affectations of the deity that are just beyond my dull human ears to understand.

The goddess Nigella has ‘entry level’ and ‘warp factor 9’ liquorice in her special liquorice box. (Should I feel inadequate because I don’t have a liquorice box?) Perhaps I’m more of a warp factor 6 person? And how would I know, there’s nothing on my Bertie Bassett packet to help me out?

Then there’s the measurements. Nigella adds a ‘whisper’ of this, a ‘slight flirt’ of that and a ‘more boisterous’ bit of the other. Just how many ‘whispers’ to the teaspoon are there?

While the rest of us squeeze lemons, Nigella has ‘serious impaling work to do’. She has ‘peeps’, not people, coming for dinner (maybe it’s Pepys – that would be impressive) and she has ‘yog’ in her salad dressing.

And finally, while the rest of us mere mortals would just eat our food, the ethereal Sloane-Queen picks up her Chicken Shawarma wrap and ‘applies to face’. A wonder!

But the divine dinner-lady is a benevolent god and she helpfully shows her guests how to use a spoon. A miracle!

Whatever happened to food as just food, presented as real, not hidden behind soft focus camera-shots, and eaten at a table rather than an alter?

When the anti-food-porn revolution comes, I’m going to be first at the wall with the ghost of Mary Whitehouse and all the other food atheists stoning Nigella with her own pumpkin seeds and liquorice almonds. Long live the revolution!

On Masterchef: The Professionals (BBC2) unbelievable dishes of a different flavour were being served up.

‘Professionals’ (the clue’s in the title), one would have thought, would be able to knock out a dish or two, and the old 1970s perennial classic of the prawn cocktail should be a breeze.

But no. After mangling the prawns and concocting a Marie Rose sauce from oiled down ketchup, one chef served up what looked like the blooded remains of three severed fingers clinging to a lettuce leaf.

It was a dish never to be tasted, let alone eaten, as all three judges refused to even try it. What we got was three cut-to shots of the fixed, incredulous eyes of Wallace, Wareing and Galetti. It looked like a ‘Paddington-Bear-Stare’ competition.

Parliamentary debates, especially of the almost box-set, 10-hour-long, variety are not always up there on the riveting telly list. But this week’s Syria debate (BBC News) produced one of the great speeches and theatre of the modern parliamentary era.

All of the contentious politics aside, Hilary Benn’s speech in support of the government motion will be remembered as part of the great fabric of Commons’ oratory, applauded and glowered at in almost equal measure.

If the speech provided the drama, Benn trying to squeeze himself back into his seat between the unmoved and unmoving bookends of his leader and the shadow chancellor provided the comedy. You could just imagine the thought-bubbles.

In this age of social media, when consensus is claimed by the number of ‘shares’ and ‘likes’, and where a misplaced tweet can sink a career, it is somewhat grounding and reassuring to know that well-crafted language, spoken with conviction, can still hold sway - even if it may cost one ones seat.

TRISH TAKES FIVE: By Trish Burgess

It is December 1 today, so I think we can safely say that Christmas can now begin.

I know the shops have been stockpiling Quality Street since the summer but the proper countdown does not start until that first door is open on the advent calendar.

Of course, advent calendars have changed beyond recognition since I was a child. In the 60s and 70s, I shared a piece of flimsy, glittery card with my brother, taking turns to open the tiny doors, revealing a picture of a toy drum, bells or an angel.

No chocolates or treats behind the doors: just a very small drawing.

If you were the lucky one opening the even numbers, the double doors would open on to a nativity scene.

I remember being so excited each morning, wondering what each door would reveal. I would occasionally pick at the corner to peep, or hold it up to the light.

How I would have contained myself if there had been chocolate in the calendar, I have no idea.

Which is why it always surprised me how restrained my own son was, once advent calendars offered even more temptation for a child.

I have an old video of Rory, aged two, about to open his final door. Full of cold, sniffling and coughing, his ritual that year was to reopen the doors from the previous days and tell me what shaped chocolate had been behind each one.

“One’s a n-angel, two’s a king, free’s a nuzzer king ...” It’s adorable to watch and I clearly remember he never snaffled a chocolate before the appointed day.

Over the years, I did rather overdo it with regard to the calendars. My mum made him a beautiful quilted one when he was born: it had a little red stocking which I filled each day with a chocolate coin or sweet.

Later on, we acquired a wooden one, with small toys hidden in little boxes. When I think back, I must have been mad: one child and up to three advent calendars.

It’s a wonder we ever managed to leave for school on time, with the ritual of opening each one to be fitted into the usual morning routine.

Now Rory is at university, the advent calendars are still on show, even though he won’t be here to open them until later in December.

Do I leave them unopened so he can reveal them all on his return or treat myself to a sliver of chocolate with my morning cuppa?

It might be easier to just buy my own. I’ve noticed more adult advent calendars have made an appearance in recent years: lipsticks, nail varnish and whisky to be found on each day.

I’m sorely tempted to buy myself a Ginvent calendar: 24 different makes of gin from across the world.

Now that would make for a jolly Christmas: ho ho hic.

Spalding’s Christmas street market will go ahead on Sunday with more than 40 stalls as well as fairground rides expected to be in town.

The market was speedily rescheduled after forecast high winds and rain forced the cancellation of last Sunday’s event.

Spalding town centre manager Dennis Hannant had expected it to be impossible to have a Sunday market before Christmas as it normally takes 13 weeks to go through official procedures to notify the public of road closures.

But Lincolnshire County Highways confirmed on Tuesday that the market can go ahead from 10am-4pm.

Mr Hannant says some traders have had to drop out, because they are booked elsewhere, but the market should go ahead this time.

He said there will be an inspection on the day and the only reason for the event to be called off would be if bad weather puts people’s safety at risk.

“If the market inspector and I turn up in the morning, and it’s blowing a gale and raining, we need to make the decision as safety officers,” he said.

He wants to see Spalding’s Christmas market go from strength to strength and says its important for it to be held this year.

“I want to establish that we have a Christmas market every year and get it bigger and better every year,” he said.

When the Guardian checked the weather forecast for South Holland on Sunday, it gave rain with a high of 12C for the day.

Sunday will also see Holbeach holding its Christmas market – with stalls around All Saints’ Church – and it too has a 10am start.

Christmas florist Paul Foyster and his wife Sue were due to stand at Spalding’s Christmas market last weekend and Holbeach this weekend.

Now they will split their efforts, with Sue covering Spalding and Paul manning at stall in Holbeah.

He’s delighted Spalding’s Christmas event has been rescued.

“It was the right thing to do,” said Paul. “It just shows how quickly Lincolnshire Highways can do this when they want to.”

The east coast flood of December 2013 saw hundreds of properties flooded in Lincolnshire’s East Lindsey, Boston, and South Holland areas.

Many people in those areas would have benefited from early warning of the flood had they been signed up for alerts from the Environment Agency.

Preparation is part of the key to surviving and minimising flood impact, and being alerted in time to be prepared can be crucial.

South Holland District Council continues to promote the free flood warnings by the Environment Agency – and this now includes a new £100 monthly cash prize 
lottery. Starting this week and taking place over the next five months, anyone who signs up to the warnings could be in with a chance of winning the money.

The sponsor of the first month’s raffle is Gravitas (international) Ltd – a family-run business with more than 40 years’ experience working with non-woven fabrics and other textiles.

Managing director Jacob Sallon said: “As manufacturers of biggest brands in flood prevention ‘the Hydrosack and Hydrosnake’ we recognise the importance of being pre-warned and prepared to deal with flooding. We are pleased to support any initiative which encourages more people to be prepared for flooding.

Other sponsors will be Lincs Flood Defence, of Boston, Kier, and UK Flood Barriers. To enter, details can also be provided online at www.
boston.gov.uk/floodline
lottery

The deadline for entries is 9am, on Friday, December 18.

A Lincolnshire woman stepped up to the mark and took control of her family’s painting and decorating business after he became seriously ill.

Now Lucy Goldsmith (21), of Bourne, has been awarded the Daily Mirror Hero of Construction prize at the prestigious Pride of Construction ceremony.

It is the annual industry prize-giving run by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Lucy was a second year apprentice at K Goldsmith and Daughters when her father Kenny had a triple heart bypass.

As well as going to college and working all day every day, Lucy put her social life on hold to concentrate on the family business at evenings and weekends.

She undertook quotes for clients, took stock counts, negotiated with suppliers to arrange grace periods for payments, interviewed and employed extra painters and labourers, managed the accounts and carried out administrative work.

After the ceremony, Lucy said: “The best part of the awards was to hear my dad say how proud he is of me, it means the world.

“Taking on my dad’s business when he was sick was tough but he would have died inside if I didn’t step in and sort things out.

Her sister Emma said: “Lucy realised if she didn’t act, the business would fold. It was amazing how she stepped up to the mark and took over the running of the business.”

“Her social life and everything else was put on hold and, for a 21-year-old that is a massive sacrifice.

“Thanks to Lucy, dad has been able to slowly get back into work at his own pace, his reputation is still intact, the business turnover has tripled in one year and the firm is more widely visible because she’s organised advertising and social media.

“Lucy is highly respected and loved by all of us, we’re very proud of her and it’s a joy to see my little sister grow and be the best she can be.”

Steve Radley, policy director at CITB, said: “Lucy is truly an inspiration and fully deserved the Daily Mirror Hero of Construction prize. Not only did Lucy keep her father’s company going, she tripled the business turnover. It’s so important for us to recognise Lucy’s achievements, in order to encourage more people just like her to take up a rewarding career in construction. I’d like to congratulate her and her family on this award and wish them all the luck for the future.”

This year’s ceremony, which was hosted in London by television personality Alistair McGowan, arrives at an exciting time for the construction industry, with 15,000 jobs forecast to be created in the East Midlands over the next five years.

A regular column from South Holland Centre in Spalding.

After a SPECTRE-tacularly busy 12 days of Bond, we’re taking a break from movie screenings for a sparkling three-week adventure into one of the most uplifting pantomimes of them all, Peter Pan.

A thrilling fantasy adventure to Neverland awaits audiences this December (10-31) with lots of family fun, fabulous flying and a generous sprinkling of fairy dust! Performance dates and times are on our website.

But after the dust has settled we’ll have our feet back in movie-land from Saturday, January 2 with the batty comedy sequel Hotel Transylvania 2 and the final instalment of the popular Hunger Games series, Mockingjay – part 2.

Then audiences can strike up their light sabres from Friday, January 15 with screenings of the much anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This seventh instalment reunites Harrison Ford as Hans Solo, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia.

But winning hands-down at our Box Office is another Maggie Smith smash hit in the making, The Lady In The Van. This comedy drama written by Alan Bennett is based on events from his own life when a colourful Miss Shepherd ‘temporarily’ parked her van on his drive – only to stay there for 15 years. As well as Maggie Smith in the lead role, the film is chock-full of sterling British actors including James Corden, Alex Jennings, Frances de la Tour and Dominic Cooper, and is directed by Nicholas Hytner. Screenings run from Friday, January 8 to Thursday, January 14 and with almost 500 tickets sold so far, anyone hoping to come along should not delay in securing their preferred seats.

Details of the Spring 2016 film and live programme are on our website now and printed guides will be arriving on doormats any day.

Villagers from Sutton St James are battling to save Friday night auctions after the village hall committee pulled the plug.

Michelle White and mum Annette White distributed petition forms at the hall on Friday and hope to continue their sales next year rather than be forced to quit on December 18.

“We are gutted but we are going to fight it,” Michelle said.

Their supporters include newly appointed village hall committee chairman Jennifer Garbutt, who is now gathering information in the hope of calling a special meeting to reverse the decision.

Mrs Garbutt said complaints about the auction included an allegation that it had taken six hours to clean the hall afterwards, but she photographed the hall after a recent auction and found it “spotless”.

She said there are petitions, letters and comments on Facebook in support of auctions continuing.

“I think it was one excuse after another to get rid of them by a few people,” she said.

Resident Tina McNeil said the announcement at the November 13 auction that the last sale would be on December 18 had “stopped us all in our tracks”.

She said: “Do they (the committee) not realise that much like the bingo on a Monday, people rely on that Friday for friendship, buying, selling and catching up with local news.

“I felt physically sick that the family (running the auctions) had been treated so appallingly.

“Perhaps the committee would like to organise a regular event on a Friday where people from all walks of life congregate, communicate, have a cup of tea and a snack, sustain their businesses and approximately £3,500 is contributed towards the running of the village hall.”

She says people from surrounding villages attend, everyone is welcome, and South Holland and The Deepings MP John Hayes attends when he can.

As well as raising cash for the hall, Michelle White says the auctions boost businesses in the village, with the fish and chip shop and butcher’s getting a lot more trade.

Money is also raised for Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance and other charities.

Miss White, from Moulton, says the air ambulance saved the life of her brother Simon (32) when he had a crash on his motorbike 14 years ago.

Previously ...

Sutton St James Village View

Getting active in Sutton St James

I waited with baited breath for an explanation from Mr Turp and got one (of sorts).

I have to point out that our nearest EU neighbour is the Republic of Ireland, who we share a border with that is a bit over 300 miles long.

Yes, we have a physical link to France but that is via the supposedly secure channel tunnel.

Mr Turp’s captain must have been a bit of a martinet as, when I was in the Army in Germany, there were IRA alerts but my leave was never cancelled.

Even in those days, we had telephones and teleprinters to disseminate information, so perhaps our MP was aware of events and any countermeasures required.

It is possible someone had actually been to his house to brief him, although I doubt it.

Hopefully, our government has plans for such eventualities as the Paris atrocity that are automatically implemented.

I have never said that Mr Hayes has anything, let alone everything, under control.

However, apart from regular assessments and necessary actions, there is not much that any minister can do as relevant duties will be carried out by hopefully well-trained, prepared and equipped security services, armed forces and police.

In any event, there is no way that any security measures will prevent a determined attacker who is willing to die for his or her cause, as we have to be successful all the time and they only have to succeed once.

As an old soldier, I can tell your readers that, in the event of armed conflict, after food, drink and rest were taken care of, I would be playing cards (definitely not bingo) during any lull in hostilities.

Lincolnshire Police are warning the public to be wary and offering advice on dealing with unexpected visitors after reports of an ‘unknown male’ cold calling a property in Skegness on Thursday.

PCSO Dave Bunker of the Skegness Neighbourhood Policing Team, sent out a Lincs Alert regarding the incident, which occured in the Gayton Close area.

He said: “The male called at a property unexpectedly asking to check the windows at the property. He did not show any identification and left the area within a short time.”

PSCO Bunker asked anyone with any further information to call 101 quoting incident number 215 of December 3, 2015.

He further warned people in the area to be wary, adding: “Most callers are genuine and mean you no harm, but bogus callers can often seem very plausible and will try to fool you.”

He offered the following advice for anyone worried about keeping safe and secure.

- Close and lock the back door and any accessible windows before you go to the front door.

- Bogus callers often work in pairs. One of them will try to keep you talking at the front door while the other tries to get in through the back door or a window.

- Look through your spy hole or window. Try to check who a caller is before opening the door. Don’t let any caller pressure you into making a quick decision - if you are unsure‚ do not open the door.

- Before you answer the door, put your door chain on and keep it on while you check the callers’ identity.

- If you want to check with their company, keep the door chain on‚ tell the caller you are going to call their company and close the door. A genuine caller will not object to you leaving them on the doorstep and closing the door while you confirm their identity‚ even if it is raining.

There are further things you can do if the caller says they represent an electricity‚ gas or water company or another organisation such as the council or a charity.

- If you have a password with the company, ask for it.

- Ask to see an identification card and if not ask the caller to go away and close the door. If the caller persists‚ dial 999 and ask for the police. If the caller does have an identification card, ask to see it.

- Examine the card to see if it looks genuine. Check the expiry date - is it still valid? Does the photograph on the card match the person at the door? Check the photograph is the original – has anything been stuck over it?

- If you want to call their company, do not use the telephone number on the caller’s identification card - if the identification card is not genuine then the telephone number on the card will not be genuine either. Find the telephone number in your phone book, on a bill or call directory enquiries.

- Ask the company to confirm they have sent someone out to you. They will ask you for information about the identification card, what the caller looks like and may also ask for the date of birth or password of the caller.

- If the company does not know the caller, dial 999 and ask for the Police, who will tell you what to do.

A warning has been put into place by the Met Office this weekend as winds ‘increase expected impacts to medium’ - with the office saying the worst conditions will be during this afternoon (Saturday).

The warning on the MET Office website said southwesterly severe gales will affect much of northern England, north Wales, Northern Ireland, southern and central Scotland at times during Saturday and overnight into Sunday.

It said: “The worst conditions seem likely to be during Saturday afternoon and evening across parts of northern England, southeast Scotland and perhaps northeast Wales and the northwest Midlands

“Here gusts to around 70 mph are possible even at lower levels, with hills seeing even higher gusts.

“Elsewhere in the warning area, gusts are likely to be around 60 mph, with some less windy interludes, especially through central parts of Scotland.“

The office warned of likelihood of travel disruption on roads with winds capable of bringing down trees and causing damage to buildings.

The MET office’s Chief forecaster said: “By Saturday a very strong west to southwest airstream is expected to be in place across much of the UK, but will be particularly strong along, and to the south of, the trailing frontal zone. A wave running along this zone seems likely to supply a further “squeeze” in the Saturday afternoon/ evening period, and it is the extent of this “squeeze” which remains somewhat uncertain - enough perhaps to boost gusts by 10 mph or so.

“Because the airmass is stable, this will mean that not only do exposed coasts and hills see very strong gusts, but some potentially damaging gusts may be experienced in the lee of high ground, as for example in northeast England, northeast Wales and southeast Scotland.”

A period of heavy rain will also affect much of the area.

Trees blocking roads have already been reported, with Louth Police (@LouthPolice) tweeting out a picture of the first one they have come across.

Have you seen any trees down? Any problems on the roads to report due to the bad weather? Email daniel.jaines@jpress.co.uk, Tweet us or post on our Facebook.

HAYES IN THE HOUSE: By John Hayes

Mao Zedong was one of the greatest mass murderers in history, his ‘Great Leap Forward’ causing a famine which led to an estimated 45 million deaths in China. Central to his poisonous doctrine was a hostility to private ownership; in common with other zealots of the totalitarian left – Stalin and Pol Pot – he regarded private property with particular disdain.

By contrast, in free countries like ours the acquisition of private goods, and in particular owning a home, is an aspiration which is at the heart of defining our sense of place and value.

Central to the Government’s programme of economic security is support to help more hard-working people realise their dream of home ownership. Britain will embark upon the biggest house building programme since the 1970s by delivering 400,000 new homes by the end of the decade.

This should not be about merely having a place to live owned by someone else, but the feeling of worth and security that comes from knowing that where you live is yours and will be until you choose otherwise. In building more houses we should always first look at helping people to own, which is what the overwhelming majority want to do, and why Margaret Thatcher’s Right to Buy was so important – taking people on the journey from lifelong dependency on a landlord to the freedom of home ownership.

That 135,000 of these new properties will be available through shared ownership - a scheme I developed as Shadow Housing Minister some years ago - is something in which I take great pride.

Shared ownership has a number of advantages over other ways of helping people to buy their home. Crucially, it can help increase the sustainability of home ownership through greater flexibility. A householder can adjust the stake they own in a property according to their circumstances. So, as a young person’s income increases over their working life, they are able to increase the size of the stake they own, eventually becoming the full owner of their home.

Support for home ownership is one of the many practical steps the Government is taking to ensure that we leave to the next generation a stronger country than the one we inherited.

Families in our area aspire to home ownership, and they deserve political leaders that are on their side. As the Chancellor said in last week’s Autumn Statement, the representatives of the working people of Britain are ‘the builders of our better future.’

A Gosberton care home has been labelled inadequate after a surprise visit by the Quality Care Commission in October.

Of the five criteria homes are judged on, Bank House Care Home, on Gosberton Bank, was found to be inadequate on ‘safe’, ‘responsive’, ‘effective’ and ‘well-led’.

The home was found to be ‘requires improvement’ on its quality of caring.

The Commission is now making further checks at the home before deciding what action to take.

The home had 12 residents at the time of the unannounced visit on October 21, which followed previous visits on April 13 and September 2014.

The care provided is mainly for older people, some of whom experience memory loss and have needs associated with dementia.

A report says that previous inspections found the provider was failing to ensure care was planned and delivered to meet individual needs.

They had failed to maintain appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene and did not have appropriate arrangements for the management of medicines.

The provider did not ensure staff were appropriately trained and supervised and did not have effective systems to assess and monitor the quality of service.

The provider was not aware of its responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the environment had not been maintained to an acceptable standard.

At the most recent visit inspectors found the provider had made improvements in the cleanliness of the home and the number of staff available to provide care to people.

Also, the induction provided to new staff helped them provide safe care for people. However, there was little improvement in the other areas.

They found the home had not complied with laws which protect people when they were unable to make decisions for themselves.

It had not ensured people’s human rights were protected. Care plans did not record if people were able to make decisions for themselves.

Some medicines could not be accounted for and there were numerous inaccuracies between records and medicines prescribed.

Risks to people had been identified in their care plans. However, care was not always delivered in line with the care plans. Therefore, people were not fully protected.

Staff were unable to demonstrate competencies in key areas and people’s malnutrition risk was not always calculated accurately.

However, there has been some improvements to the environment with dementia-friendly signage in place and minor improvements to the fixtures. But people were still living in rooms where the standard of decoration and furniture was not of an acceptable quality and did not support people’s well-being.

Staff were individually caring to people and ensured people’s dignity was maintained.

Staff were aware of how people communicated their care needs.

However, the provider and staff did not understand how people living with a dementia communicated their emotional needs.

Mum of two Helen Deans hopes to raise more than £1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support after braving the shave at the pub where her late dad, John Walsham, had captained the pool team.

Helen (46), from Long Sutton, suffers from the neurological illness ME and couldn’t manage a sponsored walk or bike ride.

She said: “I wanted to raise some money and then I saw Macmillan’s Brave the Shave on Facebook and thought it’s fate, I think this is a sign that I have got to do it.”

Her dad John Walsham (80), also from Long Sutton, passed away from cancer in March this year after being diagnosed with the illness in May 2014.

Until the latter stages of his illness, John remained captain of the pool team at the Horse and Groom pub in Holbeach.

Helen had her head shaved by landlord’s daughter, Samantha Williams, in a bar crowded by family and friends, including her mum Edna.

She said the shave went very well – and Samantha was talking her through it.

Days later Helen shaved her own head again in a personal tribute to a man she’d never even met after hearing of another family’s loss via Facebook.

The mum is lining up other fundraising events because as well as getting help from Macmillan, her dad benefited from the services of St Barnabas, Marie Curie and the district nurses at Long Sutton Health Centre.

Helen said: “I think they were all golden and I just want to give something back and I am going to do something for each one of them.”

The family’s link with the pool team remains because Helen’s son, Matthew, plays there.

She said: “He’s in the pool team and he’s the captain and he’s keeping the legacy going.”

Helen, who is married to Chris, also has a daughter, Rebecca (17).

Sutton Bridge cancer patient Sarah Jane and friends to brave the shave

Close shave at the double for brave Jason

Joshua’s hair-oic challenge helping cancer charity

Christmas is round the corner but it doesn’t feel like it with all this mild weather, writes Sue Lamb.

A first ever for us I think half way through October we were planting tulips for winter production and at the same time packing out sunflowers. Most products have sold well this year but I feel our testing time is to come. Mr Osborne pulled the rabbit out of his metaphorical hat when he delivered his autumn speech announcing the introduction of the national living wage. His long-term idea is to increase our productivity as a nation, which is all very well but very difficult to meet when your industry spends 20-30 per cent of its turnover on wages alone. As an industry we agree and encourage people to earn more; nobody agrees with people working for less than they need to live on, but with a strong pound or weak Euro this presents some difficult problems. This could go one of two ways: either the supermarkets and then the customer has to pay more for their fresh products or we shall see more than ever imported product on the shelf, and with this comes less traceability. It is a fact that the British product, both edibles and ornamentals, is losing momentum and I think most of this comes down to price. While there are machines out there to help our industry make labour savings, the investment is huge and to make that investment one needs confidence and basically that is the bit that is missing.

So again I ask you when shopping for that special time of the year, for your meat, fruit, veg or flowers and plants, look for the ‘red tractor’, the ‘home grown’ and the ‘flag’: support your growers. Which only leaves me to wish you good health and prosperity for 2016, and those two should bring you happiness. Merry Christmas!

Spalding’s Oxfam manager Gary Peatling stepped up his campaign against climate change after staging a vigil in the charity shop on Sunday.

He started a Facebook page – South Holland for the Climate – and hopes residents will nail their colours to the mast because he believes climate change “is the responsibility of everyone”.

He wants residents to call on elected representatives, governments and communities the world over to join forces to preserve what he calls “our most precious inheritance” because climate change is happening now.

Sunday’s vigil was held in darkness on the eve of the UN’s conference in Paris – known as COP21 – with nearly 150 global leaders expected to try to agree a deal to limit carbon emissions.

On his Facebook page, Mr Peatling says: “The United Nations Climate Conference in Paris forms an opportunity for the world to renew and extend its commitment to ensuring our fragile environment is passed on intact to our children and future generations, and to helping the poorest and neediest among our fellow citizens of the world.”

Mr Peatling says the Spalding vigil was organised under the umbrella of Avaaz, a global network comprising 42 million activists, rather than Oxfam itself – although Oxfam is interested in climate change and had been sending out tweets for a week.

He began the four-hour vigil alone, although a handful of visitors dropped in during the evening with words of support.

Mr Peatling told us: “My particular interest in climate change was focused when I spent some time in Southern Africa five years ago. I was there as a volunteer development worker and spent six months in Angola.”

He said there is evidence in Angola – and other countries – of desert encroachment and climate change is something we should be worried about now and not because it’s something that might happen in the future.

“In some places it’s getting harder to farm because of desertification,” he said.

• US president Barack Obama told the UN conference: “I came here personally to say the United States not only recognises the problem but is committed to do something about it.”

And UK premier David Cameron said nations should be taking action “instead of making excuses to our children and grandchildren.”

A dying mum came out of hospital for a few hours on Saturday to take her daughters to a Christmas fair that will help secure their long-term home.

Spalding mum of four Rebekah Dolby (33) toured tables in a wheelchair, pushed by her mum, Teresa Dolby (56), to personally thank supporters who backed the Rebekah’s Wish Appeal.

That night Teresa was presented with £1,141.40, some £600-plus from the fair as well as cash raised at recent events, including a disco at St Paul’s School and a clairvoyant evening at the services club.

Appeal stalwart Stewart said: “We said right at the start ‘we are shoulder to shoulder with the family’.

“Even beyond the unthinkable, we will still be there with them because they are so brave and it’s so sad and they need to know people are there with them.

“Every one of the people who had stalls on Saturday has said to me ‘anything, anytime, please let us know because we want to be there for the family’.”

The fair was organised by Stewart and his wife, Tracey, helped by volunteers including David Hales, Daphne Evans and Chris Joyce, and they are already planning more events to be held this month and well into next year.

On Saturday, Spalding Grammar School donated free use of the hall and there was a team of Year 12 students on hand to help as well as school staff.

Student Harriet Daley described Rebekah’s Wish as a “brilliant cause” for people to support.

Rebekah herself told us how grateful she was for the help being given to secure a long-term home for her children.

And Teresa told us: “I just want to thank everyone for everything that they are doing for us.

“Stewart and I grew up together and he and Tracey have been absolutely brilliant and I can’t thank them enough.”

• The appeal is holding a children’s disco from 6pm-9pm on December 18 at St Paul’s School, in Queens Road, Spalding, and tickets are available on 07544 147770.

The Rebekah’s Wish Appeal was set up in June this year to fulfil Rebekah Dolby’s greatest wish: that her children and her mum will always have a home of their own after she dies.

The appeal aims to pay off Teresa’s mortgage.

On Saturday stallholders came from far and wide to sell everything from quality crafts to home baking.

Judy Morley, from Donington, had been baking for a week before setting out her stall at the grammar school.

She said then: “I started doing the fruit cakes last Saturday, I did the tarts on Thursday and the sponge cakes yesterday.

“I think this is a very good appeal and we want to try to raise this money for the family.”

An account has been set up at Lloyds Bank in Spalding to help the Rebekah’s Wish Appeal achieve its £45,000 target.

The account name is Rebekah’s Wish, the sort code is 309795 and the number is 33575768.

Sutton Bridge drummer Joe Evans made a return to the big time last week when his band Walkway again supported rock legends Status Quo.

Following on from their successful Stately Homes Tour dates with the famous band this summer, the four-piece classic rock band were asked to open for the Quo at Blackpool and Manchester.

The band – which also features Chris Ready (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), James Ready (lead guitar and backing vocals) and Alex Rosedale (bass guitar and backing vocals) – has already supported The Darkness, Bernie Marsden (White Snake) Eric Martin (Mr Big) and more.

They were contacted just days before the dates by Status Quo’s tour manager, asking if they would fill the support slot for the first two dates of Status Quo’s Accept No Substitute UK tour.

They played at Blackpool’s Opera House on Saturday and Manchester’s Palace Theatre on Sunday, before Wilco Johnson of Doctor Feelgood fame took over.

Walkway were asked because they had impressed Status Quo on their recent tour dates with their professionalism, attitude and reliability and were very popular with the Quo fans.

The band has recently recorded a single in Wales called Mission Impossible and is currently working with students at King’s Lynn College to film a video for it.

Featured in the video is Claudia Adshead, who is in the new Sacha Baron Cohen film Grimsby, which is released in March.

The video of Mission Impossible should be released sometime around Christmas or early New Year.

The last Walkway video Streetwise received over 50,000 hits in the first two weeks of release and was filmed in London’s Music Bank Studio’s by Hollywood cinematographer Pete Burglund, who worked on the Iron Man and Final Destination films.

More rock legends – heavy metal greats Motorhead – were rehearsing in the studio next door.

Joe, who lives in New Road, previously told the Spalding Guardian: “Rick (Parfitt, Status Quo’s guitarist) came up to us after the show and said he was really impressed and that they’d love to have us with them on tour again.

“He complimented our music and said we got the crowd going. I got some great comments from their drummer.

“Francis Rossi (lead singer) also complimented us. He’s a nice bloke but you don’t know when he’s being sarcastic or not!”

Joe joined Walkway after responding to a voicemail left on the phone at West Norfolk Academy of Music in King’s Lynn, where he teaches drumming, calling for people to join auditions.

He said: “The band are based in Suffolk so it was always going to be a bit of a trek. I went to the audition, got through and the rest is history. It was always a goal to support a band like Status Quo but I never expected it to happen.”

Walkway play the UEA in Norwich tomorrow (Friday).

A six-year-old boy with Cystic Fibrosis won the hearts of the crowd at a Spalding United match – and helped raise £520 for charity that researches the disease.

Stanley is the nephew of Spalding’s captain Nathan Stainfield and, as mascot for the day, inspired the home team to a 5-3 victory against Carlton Town.

Mum Sadie said: “It was a very cold and windy day and there was only a crowd of about 150 people, but Stanley was amazing.

“He wore the kit over his jumper and trousers and had a kick around with the players – he’s such a fan of Nathan’s and he loved it.”

Proceeds of the charity match were in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and Sadie and her family are keen fundraisers.

Former Spalding High School student Sadie said: “Considering the weather meant the crowd wasn’t very big, people were so generous. We had donation buckets and ran a raffle and Stanley’s godmother’s daughter, Nicola Marshall, made a Spalding United T-shirt cake and each of the players bought a slice in the clubhouse afterwards.”

Stanley was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was just three weeks old. Every day he has a rigorous medical routine, including taking more than 20 tablets and nebulised drugs and intensive chest physiotherapy.

Sadie said: “I was devastated when I found out. You touch on cystic fibrosis very briefly in Year 9 biology when studying genetics, so I had no idea really what it meant.

“I went back to the school a couple of years ago to address the students and said I never dreamed I would be going back to talk to them about my son. I can remember some of the teachers being in tears.

“But Stanley is such an inspirational boy. He takes everything in his stride, I’m so very proud of him.”

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust promotes world-class research and clinical excellence, focused on the development of innovative and life-changing treatments and care shaped by people with cystic fibrosis. It is hoped Spalding Utd will hold another charity event for Stanley in the Spring, when the weather is better.

Meanwhile, donations can be made online by visiting ww.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/get-involved/
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