Pupils at Spalding High School raised £1,122.10 for Help the Aged in 1995.
Around 150 girls from the lower school raised the money with a sponsored aerobic session.
As well as raising money for a good cause, pupils also used the aerobics session to add towards the work they were doing for a Heart Shield Award. Lower school head Jill Abrams said it was a great effort.
New chief executive Jan Sobieraj takes up his post at the helm of Lincolnshire’s hospitals from today (Monday).
Jan joins United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust from the NHS Leadership Academy, where he was managing director. He has over 24 years’ experience in the NHS, of which 13 years have been as chief executives for various organisations, including an acute hospital trust and a commissioner.
Jan said he is incredibly grateful to Kevin Turner for the great job he has done in his time as acting chief executive of the trust. He added: “Kevin has led the organisation very well and I look forward to working with him as deputy chief executive.
“It seems ages since I was offered the CEO post but at last I take up the role today. I am becoming familiar with the issues that the trust and local system face and I am very much looking forward to working with staff and patients to ensure we provide the quality of care our patients deserve and expect.
“Part of my role is to develop a longer term strategy. Obviously, with Lincolnshire Health and Care and the trust’s clinical strategy, this gives us a great opportunity to do this. We want services to be clinically and financially viable for the future.
“We cannot have one without the other and that’s what matters to the people of Lincolnshire – great clinical care.”
Trust chairman Ron Buchanan said: “The board is really looking forward to working with Jan and we believe he will be a great asset to our organisation.
“I’d like to take the opportunity to recognise the great job that Kevin Turner has done as acting chief executive, leading the trust in a very positive way during challenging times.”
Stamford came to the Memorial Field on Saturday as league leaders with Spalding’s single victory leaving them one place off the bottom.
But with a strong wind blowing down the pitch, Spalding unwrapped a superb display of teamwork, commitment, discipline and tactical awareness against the best team they had played this season and came away with a superb win.
Having recovered from a hamstring injury at the start of the season, there was a welcome return for James West at fly-half and with scrum-half Will Shields suspended, the experienced Rob Lucas was in.
Lock Mikey Watts, having also recovered from injury, was starting and with a solid looking bench of Pete Waudby, Mark Heighton and Adam McHugh, new coach Bruno Figueirido led the pre-match warm-up in front of a crowd boosted by the confident Stamford supporters.
The match was only two minutes old as both teams were getting used to the conditions when Stamford infringed at a breakdown on the halfway line.
West immediately stepped up for the penalty kick, electing to go for the posts and with the strong wind assisting, the ball sailed over for an early lead.
Both teams demonstrated the commitment and support play with not a tackle being missed that a derby normally brings.
But greater discipline was being shown by Spalding and Stamford started to suffer as the referee awarded penalties against them for back-chat and two long-range penalty kicks by West increased the home advantage.
Stamford responded with a good backs move releasing their left-winger to go over in the corner but soon their scrum-half was yellow-carded.
The Spalding axis of Lucas and West were intelligently using the wind to kick for territory to keep the pressure on the visitors.
Both Jordan Templer and Harry Sharman at the line outs were challenging on the opposition ball and with the wind making life difficult for the throwing in, pressure continued to mount.
Ryan Chappell, playing in the back row, saw yellow for dissent and although Spalding’s scrum came under great pressure with a man short, further penalties came Spalding’s way and by half-time six successful penalties resulted in a lead of 18-5.
McHugh came off the bench, replacing George Brown at outside centre, and it was Spalding’s turn to face the stiff wind.
The forwards drove the ball forward, setting up a ruck and picking and driving again.
Watts was showing the way and the front row of Kier Moore, Sam Cooke and Sam Cowell were also putting in some tremendous guard defence tackles as Stamford using their forwards tried to break through.
Finally Stamford created an overlap on the right-hand side and they were over for their second try and with the benefit of a successful penalty the score line read 18-15 with over 20 minutes remaining.
The response from the Spalding team was outstanding. With great unity and support play by everybody in a Spalding shirt and in stark contrast to Stamford very few kickable penalties were conceded in the contact areas.
Lucas, having twisted his knee, left the field and Sharman switched to scrum-half with Heighton, off the bench, taking up his normal lock position.
Moore, having run himself into the ground, was also replaced at prop by Waudby.
Spalding’s confidence was growing and in the backs Shaun Williams, at inside centre having given an outstanding display of defence tackling, was finding some space for the backs to counter-attack in support of the forwards.
The match was in the balance and Stamford with just a few minutes to go pressed down the left wing.
George Douglas, covering back, put in a decisive tackle which released the ball to full-back Josh Broome.
With a burst of pace he was down the wing and as the cover defence came in, a kick infield and the ball was fumbled by Stamford on their 22-metre line.
Spalding’s flankers were immediately up and tackling as the home forwards drove the ball ever closer to the try line. With space running out the ball found its way to left-winger Kieran Lake to squeeze over the try line inside the corner flag.
West stepped up for a superb conversion into the wind with only one minute left on the clock.
Spalding: Moore, Cooke, Cowell, Templer, Watts, Chappell, Sharman, H Brown, Lucas, West, Lake, Williams, G Brown, Douglas, Broome. Subs: Waudby, Heighton, McHugh.
Bourne Town are making late goals to earn points something of a habit of late and on Saturday a stoppage time goal earned them a 2-2 draw at home to Thrapston Town.
Last week Kieran Blanchard struck two minutes into injury time to beat Potton United and there was equal drama this weekend at the Abbey Lawn.
How Trapston did not get all three points from this match only they will know.
Ben Morgan had put Thrapston ahead after ten minutes and they continued to threaten through out. In fact Bourne were walking a tight rope as they saw the visitors have two goals scrubbed off in the second half.
Unsurprisingly there is no goal line technology in the UCL Division One but they could have done with it after a Thrapston strike bounced down off the bar midway through the second half and hit the line. The visitors were convinced it was in but neither the referee or his assistance agreed. The rebound was tucked away but the Trapston man was judged offside just to add injury to insult.
Lewis Dupree had earlier seen a Thrapston goal disallowed for a foul in the build up.
So when Bourne levelled the score at 1-1 in the 83 minute when Tyler Sculthorpe finished a Zak Munton cross, the visitors couldn’t believe what was happening.
But just three two minutes later Jack Wisniewski added a second to give Thrapston the lead at the Abbey Lawn for a second time and set up the victory - or at least so they thought.
This young Bourne side don’t know when they are beaten and kept fighting away. A minute into injury time Bourne captain Dan Smith levelled the score with a powerful header to earn a share of the points.
The draw sees Bourne in eighth in the league table.
The points comes as a welcome boost as the Wakes lost promising attacking midfielder Henry Dunn to Deeping Rangers this week.
Dunn was last season’s players player of the year winner for Bourne and their top scorer in 2014/15 with 10 goals.
However the club, which has become a real production line for developing players to play at a higher standard, wished him well as the 23 year-old takes the step up to UCL Premier Division football.
He came off the bench on Saturday in Rangers’ 1-0 victory over Newport Pagnell Town.
In the mean time Bourne Town Reserves came back from Thrapston Reserves with a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Daniel Munton and Ashley Firth in the UCL Reserve Division while Bourne Town U18s completed a pretty good weekend for the club with a 5-1 victory over Spalding United Youth.
Bourne Town: Alex Brown, Jack Botterill, James Zealand, Dan Smith (c), Aaron Jesson, Andrew Moss, Craig Rook, Sam Wilson, Jake Mason, Zak Munton, Kieran Blanchard (Tyler Sculthorpe).
Substitutes unused: Jonjo Roberts, Dan Wilson.
Thrapston Town: Liam Fox, Carlos Lewis, James Langin, Lloyd Buckby, Duncan Charles, Wayne Brown, Lewis Dupree, Peter McDonald, Jack Wisniewski, Michael Rogers, Charlie Parkin.
Substitute unused: Dom Whitehouse, Thomas Mason, Gavin Cullum.
Ken Doughty’s player of the year trophy at Tydd St Giles Golf Club was awarded to competitions secretary Gino Ciuffini for his outstanding golfing year, taking his playing handicap of 12 down to 7.
The men’s Stableford betterball fourball team competition (two best scores to count, shot gun start) was followed by the trophy presentation.
Result: 1 Ken North, Andy Ward, Mark Crawley, Steve Thompson 84 points, 2 ocb James Woods, Paul Burrell, James Hale-Smith, Ken Doughty 81, 3 Mick Vassall, Wayne Alder, Neil Capper, Garry Thornhill 81.
MEN’S COMPETITION WINNERS 2015
Spring Open – Mick Vassall; Autumn Open – Lee Smith; Winter Pairs – Jamie Stott & Mark Gedge, runners-up Luke Rowell & Ady Rowell; International Pairs – Chris Bunting & Nicky Bunting, runners-up Jamie Stott & Mark Whittaker; Scratch Club – Kevin Goude, runner-up Lee Willis; Handicap Club – Neil John, runner-up Tom Carnihan; Directors Salver – Terry Pease, runner-up George Pawson; Gold Medal Cup – Phil Tilney, runner-up Andy Sleath; Rabbits Cup – Jordan Elsey, runner-up Karl Barker; Summer Matchplay – Paul Brown, runner-up Paul Jackson; Summer Pairs – Vaughan Dibble & Tom Carnihan, runners-up James Woods & Garry Withers; Summer Plate – Paul Chaplain-Barton, runner-up Steve Slim; Summer Pairs Plate – Luke Rowell & Ady Rowell, runners-up Steve Thompson & Barry Hill; Captains player of the year – Gino Ciuffini.
Seniors Monthly Medal: Division One: 1 Lee Smith 77-10=67, 2 Brian Newby 83-14=69, 3 Tom Jolly 85-13=72. Division Two – 1 Barry Hill 86-18=68, 2 Richard Talbot 91-21=70, 3 John Gamble 93-21=72. Division Three – 1 Colin Page 93-24=69, 2 ocb Lee Newman 97-25=72, 3 Steve Wing 98-26=72.
Men’s Parr Bogey Competition: Division One – 1 Tom Carnihan +2, 2 Andy Betts 1=1, 3 Keith Jakings -1. Division Two – 1 ocb David Barnes +2, 2 Mark Boughen +2, 3 Vaughan Dibble -2.
SPALDING LADIES
Groom Shield second round: 1 Olive Gooderson +2, 2 Lesley Williams +1, 3 Ruth Atkins all-square. Third round: 1 Williams -2, 2 Paula Brown -4, 3 Ruth Atkins -5.
Winter Stableford competition: 1 ocb Julie Gooderson 34, 2 Elaine Hancock 34, 3 Jean Wilkinson 34.
Turkey Trot / Hazel Peck Trophy: 1 Jackie Bailey-Scott 36 points, 2 Paula Brown 34, 3 Sue Dewar 33. Birdy Tree – Angela Roper (10 birdies). Par Bar – Debra Ward (54). EGA Medal for the best four medal scores – Tilly Garfoot who also received the Handicap Cup (36 to 25). Tomlinson Order of Merit – 1 Barbara Newcombe 30 points, 2 Elaine Harrison 26.
Spalding’s rescheduled Sunday Christmas Market and the two-day St Nicholas Fayre at Holbeach were big crowd-pleasers.
A funfair, live music and 40 stalls brought shoppers to Spalding – and stallholders and shops alike reported a great day’s trade.
The St Nicholas Fayre was staged in and around All Saints’ Church but high winds on Saturday meant it was mostly inside.
Organiser Jane Francis said: “We rehoused most people in the church on the Saturday. I opened the west doors to let people in and just everything went flying.”
But it was still a brilliant weekend, with hundreds of people turning up, and the fayre is expected to at least match last year’s event when £4,5000 was raised for charity.
Gavin Allmand, from Spalding Town Retailers’ Association, praised Lincolnshire County Highways for the speedy decision to allow the town’s fledgling Christmas market to go ahead on a different day.
He also praised Sue Stubley, from Occasions Jewellery, and Mike Knight, the district council environmental services inspector responsible for markets, for their hard work in putting the event together.
Mr Allmand said: “I think, given the circumstances, it actually went very well.”
High street discount retailer Poundstretcher has been fined £350,000 for selling tens of thousands of dodgy batteries that were potentially harmful to young children.
Crown Crest (Leicester) plc, the importer and majority share hold of Poundstrecher PLC, which has branches in Stamford, Wisbech, Huntingdon, Spalding, Boston and Grantham, was also fined £140,000 for their involvement with the importation of the batteries.
The fines, among the biggest of their kind for a High Street store, were imposed by a judge sitting at Swansea Crown Court because he wanted to make the sale of such batteries uneconomic to companies which sold them
The fines came at the end of a nationwide probe launched by Swansea Council’s trading standards team after they were tipped off about the sales of batteries at the firm’s stores in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea.
It resulted in more than 85,000 AA, AAA and other everyday batteries being seized from the firm, following tests funded by National Trading Standards’ National Tasking Group. And it emerged that Poundstretcher had sold more than four million of the batteries, normally in packs of 20, in its stores up and down the country as well as online since 2011.
Trading Standards Officer Rhys Harries said: “The fines are the biggest I’ve ever seen in a single prosecution of a High Street store.
“I think it reflects the seriousness of the offences as far as the court was concerned. People buying batteries – especially at this time of the year – expect them to be safe to use. Tens of thousands which were being sold by Poundstretcher were not.”
Poundstretcher pleaded guilty to a total of 35 charges of selling AA, AAA, C2 and D-type batteries, contrary to the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 at a hearing In September. It also pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a ‘suspension order’ issued under the same legislation.
Crown Crest Ltd, the company which owns most of Poundstretchers, admitted it imported the goods from the Far East and had sold 3.9m of them since 2011.
During its investigation, trading standards officers could not find evidence that Poundstretcher had a written procedure for reporting safety concerns.
In evidence to the court, the council said: “Poundstretcher was asked about the procedure for safety concerns and they stated they would report via the company QA department, area manager, health and safety manager or company secretary. However this procedure isn’t written down anywhere.”
MIDLANDS FOUR EAST (SOUTH): Queens 53 Bourne 10
Dixon’s men knew they were up against it without injured kicker Adam Binns, hooker Jake Appleby and centre Rab Forbes, leaving coaches John Forbes and Nigel Lindley to shuffle the pack.
Queens hurt Bourne, particularly from wide areas, as a stream of tries from overlaps and the wings made it a tough away day for Dixon’s side.
“We were going to struggle from the outset with a weakened side against quite a well-drilled team like Queens,” Dixon said.
“We went there with the right intentions but couldn’t put it down on paper and the wind played a big part in the match.
“As a team, we managed to hold Queens off for a bit before we conceded a few soft tries, mainly out on the wings and with overlaps.
“I managed to score a converted try and a penalty, getting all ten points for us, but I missed another penalty due to the wind which was a bit of a pain.
“But we were happy to get some points on the scoreboard.”
Bourne host Sileby Town at Milking Nook Drove on Saturday on the same day as the club’s annual Christmas dinner.
Moles, wasps, mice and rats – they’re pests and we want rid of them.
Terry Wilkinson is glad about that because that’s what has kept him in work for years, firstly alongside his role as game-keeper and for the last ten to 20 years as a pest controller.
He’s young looking for his 68 years, and puts that down to his active, outdoor lifestyle. His wife Milly explains away the fact that she doesn’t look 69 thanks to hard work, firstly with Terry in pest control, but now largely looking after their large home and garden in Raven’s Bank, Whaplode St Catherine.
Terry has no plans to retire from the business, despite the early starts and hard work, saying he’s as busy now as ever.
“If you retire you pop off, so you might as well keep going. While I can work, I will.
“There are always going to be moles and rats,” he says.
Something else is also true. We may want rid of the pests that damage our sports fields and lawns, but many of us (particularly females, Terry finds) are squeamish about the process of eliminating them.
Terry says: “My job is killing things whichever way you look at it. People ring me because they want something killing.”
It’s provided a happy life for Terry, and a fulfilling one because, as a young boy at school in Kirton, while other lads dreamed of becoming a firefighter, all he ever wanted was to be a game keeper.
He achieved that after a few years spent firstly as a deck hand on the pilot boats at Fosdyke and then doing farm work. The farm work brought him into closer contact with something he has grown to appreciate over the years, wildlife and nature.
He and his sons Garry, Paul and Mark – and now 15-year-old grandson Harvey too – all go shooting together, but these days Terry is the one looking around him while the others shoot.
He says: “I don’t like killing things in that sense. I would sooner see them running about and flying about now. I have had enough.
“I definitely appreciate wildlife more and more as I get older. I shall go with them, but I won’t shoot. I can just stand with one of the boys, and have a drink.”
Terry Wilkinson’s three sons have all followed in his footsteps in their careers.
Garry and Mark are in farming, Garry as assistant farm manager at Sutton Bridge, while Marks works on a farm in Moulton Eaugate.
Paul worked as a game keeper in the Lincolnshire Wolds before starting his own pest control company, Pest Force, based at Boston. He went on to set up franchises across the country.
The boys have provided Terry and Milly with seven grandchildren, Jade, Harvey, Lucie, Johnny, Terry, Sophie and Russell.
Terry says: “I feel proud of them. They were the right age when I was a game keeper and they were always with me.”
Milly adds: “They used to go beating when they were little and they all got their gun licences in time.”
A driver aged 77 has admitted causing the death of a mum-of-two who was taking part in a charity cycle ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
Sally Preece (49), formerly from Spalding, was fatally injured in the crash on September 12, 2014 on the A85 near Killin, Stirling, and died the following day in hospital.
Pensioner Kenneth McClelland, from Largs , Ayrshire, appeared at Stirling Sheriff Court last week where he admitted causing Mrs Preece’s death by careless driving.
McClelland accepted he had failed to maintain proper observations, overtook when it wasn’t safe to do so and entered into the opposing carriageway, where his vehicle struck Mrs Preece.
The pensioner was bailed for reports and sentence was deferred until later this month.
Mrs Preece was the daughter of Spalding couple Terry and Judy Wing and, at the time of her death, left family including her parents, brother Martin, sister Hayley, and her family in Chelmsford, husband Philip and children Brad (16) and Amy (13).
Mrs Preece was riding for a Lloyds Bank team in the Deloitte Ride Across Britain and raised thousands of pounds for Alzheimer’s sufferers.
She had previously run the London Marathon but switched to cycling because of arthritis in her feet.
Previously ...
A pink and white caravan that was stolen in Toynton All Saints has been recovered in Croft.
The caravan, which was full of items of sentimental value, was stolen from a driveway in Fen Lane overnight between December 3 and 4.
Police say a member of the public who saw the photograph on social media contacted them to say they had spotted the caravan at a rural premises near Croft.
Officers attended the property yesterday afternoon and identified the caravan as the stolen one.
The caravan has been recovered and enquiries are continuing.
Getting the right puppy is an important decision for you and your family. A happy, playful puppy is a very enjoyable experience but it is also a big commitment and demands time, money and care for many years to come.
When buying a dog it is important to think before you click and do your research first. This way you are more likely to find a dog that is well suited to your whole family and your everyday life.
Charity The Dogs Trust is asking everyone thinking about getting a puppy this Christmas to consider the following:
*Are you committed to looking after a dog for at least 12 years of your life?
*Do you have the time, space and money to devote to a dog every day for the duration of their lifespan, regardless of how your lifestyle may change over the years?
*Did you know owning a dog can cost around £21,000 over the duration of their lifetime?
*How much exercise does the dog need?
*How big will the dog grow?
*Are you prepared to train, socialise and settle in a puppy?
What should you look for when buying a dog:
Can I see the puppies with their mum? It is absolutely essential to see the puppies with their mother. Be sure mum is a nice, friendly dog because temperament can be inherited. She might be defensive of her puppies so take that into account. If you’re not allowed to see them together, it might be that they’re not really her puppies! Some unscrupulous people claiming to be breeders might in fact be dealers who have bought the pups in. They are likely to be poorly bred, might be ill and are usually too young to leave their exhausted, ill-treated mothers. If they survive, these puppies rarely make good pets, and you will be fuelling this cruel trade where money is the priority and welfare of the dog is ignored.
How old are the puppies? They must be at least eight weeks old to leave their mother.
Are the puppies weaned? At seven weeks they should be fully weaned. If they are not, they could be younger than the breeder claimed.
How old is mum? She should be over a year old, but not obviously very old.
How many litters has mum had? It is against the law to breed a bitch more than six times in her lifetime. If the breeder breeds frequently they are required to have a licence.
Have the puppies been wormed? All puppies have worms at birth. Worming should start with the breeder at about two weeks old, be repeated every two weeks and be continued by you.
Have the puppies had any vaccinations? If so, when is the next dose due? Puppies should be vaccinated at 6-9 weeks of age and then again at 10-12 weeks. Most puppies will become fully protected two weeks after the second vaccine. Rarely, some puppies will require a third vaccine at 16 weeks. You will need to do this if the breeder has not and your veterinarian will advise you if any further vaccines are required.
Does the puppy look healthy – clean eyes, ears and bottom? If the puppy is unwell, ask the breeder if you can collect him when he’s well again. If the breeder will not allow this do not take him and try another breeder.
What should I feed my puppy? Do you have a diet sheet to take away? A good breeder will give you enough food to continue exactly the same diet for a couple of days. They should also give you a diet sheet that shows how feeding should change as your puppy grows.
What sort of socialisation or experiences has my puppy had so far? Puppies should preferably be raised in a home environment with all the noise and through traffic of a normal home. Those raised in kennels away from the house will need more intensive socialisation training to ensure they can cope with daily life as a pet. If puppies have already met other dogs, domestic animals and people they will have more confidence than those that have not.
Can I return the puppy if there are any health problems? You should take your new puppy to a vet for a health check within 48 hours. A good breeder will offer to take the puppy back at any point should you be unable to keep him.
Is the puppy Kennel Club registered? If so, make sure you are given the registration certificate and pedigree when you pick up your puppy. You should also get some free health insurance for the first few weeks.
What should I do if I have doubts about a breeder or are concerned a puppy has been smuggled into the UK from abroad? Contact your local authority or Trading Standards Office and make a report. If there are signs of obvious neglect or cruelty, contact the RSPCA as soon as possible. Investigating and thoroughly researching the best place to get your dog will make this journey all that more wonderful. If you have questions about this, or would like some impartial advice on the best way to go about this and the commitment involved, please call our expert helpline on 020 7837 0006 or ask your local vets or rescue charities for advice.
Two fire engines were sent to a farm fire at Crowland last night (Monday).
The blaze in Spalding Road involved around 300 tonnes of waste straw and compost.
A report from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue two hours ago said one of the fire engines was still on the scene.
The alarm was raised shortly after 10.30pm.
For most people, weddings and funerals are highly emotional events which bring together families for a boozy get‐together.
But it’s the potentially explosive cocktail of alcohol, tears and infighting that have been blamed for a spate of weddings and funerals ruined ‐ by the police turning up.
A Lincolnshire Police investigation has unearthed the incredible reasons why mourners and wedding guests call 999.
Police were called to a Boston church after one light‐fingered mourner made off with up to £50 ‐ from the funeral plate.
At a Sleaford funeral service, a newly‐widowed woman was burying her husband when she was assaulted by her step‐grandson, who pushed her over.
And one Grantham couple’s perfect day was ruined by one of their nearest and dearest ‐ who ran off with a wedding post box full of cards and cash.
The boys in blue have crashed at least eight weddings or funerals in the region so far this year.
The information was obtained via a Freedom of Information request to Lincolnshire Police.
Other cases disclosed by the force include criminal damage claims in Market Rasen, in which two separated parents got into a row at a wedding reception over their child.
The mother then snapped, repeatedly punching her ex’s car doors and roof.
And at a Branston wedding reception, a youth caution was dished out after two women got into a boozy brawl after one tried to snatch the car keys and drive off ‐ despite police describing her as “well in drink”.
However nobody has been prosecuted with many victims, seemingly willing to forgive and forget once the hangover has worn off, dropping charges.
Bestselling celebrity author GP Taylor was a vicar before leaving the church a decade ago.
In his 13 years as a man of the cloth he said he witnessed some incredible sites ‐ and claimed alcohol was usually at the root of them.
“There was one incident when the service went well but once this family all left the church and moved outside, they all just started fighting,” said Mr Taylor, author of the bestselling Shadowmancer books, which have been turned into Hollywood movies.
“It got so out of control they brought a dog handler in ‐ it was absolute carnage.
“There were people running around with blood on their shirts, which had been ripped in the scuffle while people were screaming and crying.”
“I said to them ‘This is a house of God and a place of peace!’ But it didn’t stop them, and it just kicked off.”
But it isn’t just days of celebration in which tempers flared.
“There was a funeral at a church in which the police had to remove a mourner as she was paralytic drunk,” added Mr Taylor.
“She was screaming shouting, falling over people and falling over the coffin.
“It was hysterically funny but it is a time of great sadness so you have to be sensitive.”
He also recalls another incident where police were called to collect a vicar from a hedge after he drunkenly fell into it prior to a christening.
“Another vicar was called to do the service while he sobered up in the back of the police van,” added the author.
However, Lincolnshire’s offences often pale in comparison to those committed elsewhere in the country.
In South Wales, someone working at a wedding reception exposed themselves to a guest, while in East Yorkshire a bride’s parents were arrested after hurling expletives at the groom’s family.
And in perhaps the most shocking incident, one guest at a Derbyshire wedding was arrested for rape.
The alleged rapist was only cautioned for the sex attack.
And while most services pass without incident, Mr Taylor added: “The trouble is these are times of incredible emotion, and any time alcohol is involved and families are brought together that can be fractious.”
A teenager from Frampton has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after admitting to robbery and assault.
Alan Ambotas of Grosvenor Road was charged with robbery at a house in Bartol Crescent, Boston, during the early hours of Friday, June 27 2014.
Ambotas also admitted possessing a prohibited weapon, namely CS gas, which he sprayed in the victim’s face before stealing a mobile phone.
The sentencing took place at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday.
Spalding’s Castle Swimming Pool is open as normal after a technical fault led to its closure over the weekend.
A plant room fault was discovered on Friday and then repaired, but swimmers found the pool temperature colder than normal when using it on Saturday.
The main pool was closed again on Sunday after “temperatures dropped below acceptable parameters”, according to a Castle spokesman.
However, the issue has now been resolved and all pools are open as normal.
The spokesman said: “The main pool was closed on Friday due to a technical issue in the plant room which overdosed the main pool.
“The pool remained closed on Friday but both the dive pit and the small pool were fully operational.
“Due to the need to flush the main pool with cold water following this fault, the pool was cooler than normal on Saturday but was re-opened anyway.
“However, it had to close again on Sunday as temperatures dropped below acceptable parameters.
“Once again, both the dive pit and small pool were at normal temperatures and fully operational.”
Twenty-four South Holland primary schools took part in the 12th annual Tag Rugby Festival for Lincolnshire South-East.
The event is part of Sainsbury’s School Games and intended to get more children participating and competing in school sport.
Organiser Rupert Gibson, from Agilitas, said: “As usual we ran two competitions, one for small schools and one for larger ones.
“Both competitions where keenly contested and the children had a great day, despite the muddy conditions.
“Our thanks to Spalding Grammar School and Spalding Rugby for hosting us. Special thanks to the 20 sports leaders from Spalding Grammar who did a great job refereeing the matches.”
Schools competed in pools of five or four. Winners and runners-up respectively were Langtoft and Pincbeck East A; Moulton John Harrox and St John’s, Spalding; Ayscoughfee School, Spalding, and Market Deeping’s Linchfield Primary A; Edenham and Tydd St Mary A, and Tydd St Mary B and St Bartholowmew’s B, West Pinchbeck.
With only a couple of weeks until Christmas, clubs and organisations all over South Holland are in the festive spirit.
At Saracen’s Head the village’s fortnightly bingo club met for their party night in the village hall.
Players had put aside enough cash during the year for food, drink and great bingo prizes on the night.
Some 83 people attended and enjoyed a tasty buffet from Roffe’s Catering of Sutton St James.
At The Curlew Centre in Sutton Bridge, the Festival of Gifts and Crafts for Pets focused on Christmas treats for our four-legged friends as well as presents for humans who are just crackers about animals.
Organiser Dawn Nicholls, from Rainbow Festivals, said there were around 30 stalls and the event raised about £200 for Lincolnshire, Essex and Trent Boxer Rescue.
She said: “We had all kinds of Christmas tree gifts for dogs and cats, things like coats and bandanas, and for people who are mad about their pets we had things like cushions with Labradors on.”
Fleet Baptist Ladies and guests – 77 in all – enjoyed their Christmas celebration at Gedney Victory Hall.
As well as having a wonderful meal, the gathering was serenaded by an Irish singer.
Janet Doy, treasurer and programme organiser with Fleet Baptist Ladies, said members received diaries and visitors had Christmas gifts,
She said: “It was an absolutely brilliant day. Everyone went away happy.”
A tale of the high seas, The Pirates of the Curry Sauce, entertained a 150-strong Christmas party gathering at Swan Street Baptist Church in Spalding on Saturday.
Two pirate crews had come across a treasure map and encountered monsters and ghosts as they fought one another to be first to the booty.
Church secretary David Taylor said Santa Claus had a busy time, giving out nearly 80 seasonal selection boxes.
There were also refreshments for those attending.
Concern is growing for a teenage girl who has gone missing from her Lincolnshire home.
Katie Hughen, 15, was last seen in the south of Lincoln on Sunday, December 6.
She is described as being of slim build, about 5ft 6in in height, with long, straight, light-brown hair.
She is believed to be wearing jeans, black Nike Air trainers, and a burgundy Nike hooded top with a grey Lacoste hooded top over that.
Police, along with Katie’s family, are concerned for her welfare and would like to hear from Katie or from anyone who may have seen her or knows where she is.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Lincolnshire Police on the non-emergency number 101.