Here are the results from the operation from January 13, 2015.

l A man from Nottinghamshire was reported for summons for trespassing in the pursuit of game in Deeping St James.

l A teenager was reported for summons for hare coursing at Sutton St James.

l Also at the above incident a man from Surrey was given a formal direction to leave Lincolnshire.

l A man suspected of being involved in hare coursing was given a fixed penalty notice for having no MOT and given a formal direction to leave Lincolnshire.

l Four men from Derbyshire were given a formal direction to leave Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire.

Chief Inspector Jim Tyner, the force lead for rural crime, said: “Today was a good example of joint working to tackle a problem that cuts across many rural communities.

“Further days of action are planned and the message from me is that if you come to Lincolnshire to take part in hare coursing, you are not welcome.”

Anyone who spots hare coursing should call Lincolnshire Police on the non-emergency number 101, or 999 in an emergency.

The ‘beautiful game’ turned ugly with more yellow cards than goal-scoring chances.

This stalemate was lucky to get one star for entertainment and Spalding United should certainly consider it as two points dropped rather than one gained.

Thankfully there must have been more action when the world’s first football club was formed in Sheffield in October 1857, otherwise they surely would have given up!

It was a classic example of two teams cancelling each other out on Saturday.

If you are desperately looking for positives then, yes, the Tulips kept a clean sheet for the second successive home game.

How fitting that was on goalkeeper Michael Duggan’s 150th appearance for the club.

Before kick-off he was given a special award to mark the milestone as recognition for ‘the loyalty, outstanding ability and total professionalism’.

However, anyone else in the Sir Halley Stewart Field could have played in goal as there was very little to do.

Duggan tipped over a left-wing cross in the first half but he waited 89 minutes for the only shot on target which brought a routine catch.

With plenty of attacking options in the squad, you would have expected so much more from Spalding.

Charley Sanders had the first half-chance but a low drive was easily gathered by Tom Dunn at the near post.

Josh Moreman was denied before the break and early in the second half Dan Lawlor’s corner was nodded over the bar by Neal Spafford.

The Tulips came close to breaking the deadlock when Dunn’s weak punch fell to left-back Adam Jackson whose 35-yard lob was then hooked off the line.

Duggan’s first-half error almost proved costly but a right-wing cross was headed too high by Benny Igiehon.

Moreman cleared inside the six-yard box when Glyn Cotton’s corner was met by Conor Glavin.

But clear-cut chances were not being created with defences very much on top.

The lack of goalmouth action meant that the focus switched at times to referee Christopher Hunter and his yellow card.

Three bookings followed a silly fracas which started as Spafford guided the ball out of play under pressure from Ash Worsfold.

Spafford and Moreman were both given final warnings later for what might have been considered as second bookable offences, although a sending-off would have been very harsh.

Moreman’s caution was bizarre as dragging the ball under his boot for a short corner was adjudged to be unsporting behaviour.

Overall, though, Sheffield would be much happier with a hard-earned point.

SPALDING UNITED

4-2-3-1: Duggan 6; Walker 6 (sub Humble 89 mins), Spafford 7, Stainfield 7, Jackson 6; Murphy 6, Lawlor 6; Davies 5 (sub Thomas 66 mins, 5), Banister 6, Moreman 6; Sanders 5 (sub Graham 70 mins, 5). Subs not used: Lee, Waumsley.

SHEFFIELD

4-4-2: Dunn; Cotton, Ludlam, Cooksey, Turner; Thompson, Foster, Glavin, Gregory (sub McKenzie 78 mins); Worsfold, Igiehon. Subs not used: Stevens, Martyn, Roney.

REFEREE

Christopher Hunter.

BOOKINGS

Spafford, Foster, Worsfold, Moreman (unsporting behaviour); Banister, Igiehon (fouls).

ATTENDANCE

118

STAR MAN

Neal Spafford – simple choice as it had to be one of the centre-halves.

WHO’S NEXT

Loughborough Dynamo (A) – Saturday.

Michael Duggan celebrated his 150th appearance for Spalding United with another clean sheet on Saturday.

The goalkeeper was handed a surprise honour before the goalless draw against Sheffield.

The Tulips recognised ‘the loyalty, outstanding ability and total professionalism’ of Duggan with the presentation of a framed ‘outstanding achievement’ certificate and an inscribed silver salver.

Manager Marcus Ebdon said: “I must congratulate our goalkeeper Michael Duggan on achieving a 150-appearance milestone for the club.

“He has been, and still is, a great and loyal servant to the club.

“He is a very reliable goalkeeper – a great shot-stopper – and long may it continue. He deserves this accolade.

“It’s a great achievement to reach 150 games at one club which is so rare at any level.

“It was a nice bonus for him to keep a clean sheet, although I could have gone in goal on Saturday as he had nothing to do!”

Duggan joined the Tulips in February 2013 and made his debut in the FA Cup tie against Guernsey.

He signed from St Neots Town, having been a member of their Evo-Stik Southern League Central Division One championship-winning side.

A physical education teacher at Spalding’s Sir John Gleed School, Duggan has also played for the University 
of Bedfordshire and won representative honours with East Midlands Universities.

Duggan’s clean sheet at the weekend was not enough to keep Spalding in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League’s First Division South play-off pack.

The Tulips dropped to sixth place on goal-difference following their first draw at the Sir Halley Stewart Field in the league this term.

Ebdon reflected: “It was a dour game – not one for the purist – and a bad point rather than a good one for us.

“If we had played on for 
another 90 minutes then I don’t think we would have scored.

“Another clean sheet is a positive and, having lost five in a row, we’ve now taken four points from two home games.

“Hopefully we can add to that tally at Loughborough Dynamo on Saturday.”

The East Midlands Operations team, also known as EMOps, is a combination of four forces from across the region.

The Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire forces now share their resources in a bid to tackle a number of issues, ranging from major collisions and crimes, to anti-terrorist activities.

PC Shaun Gent has just recently renewed his anti-terrorism training.

PC Gent has a background in roads policing and he spent a number of years serving with Leicester Police.

He described the collaboration of the forces as ‘quite effective’.

Having started on May 5, 2015, he said it had not been without its ‘teething troubles’ but said the forces were ‘starting to find our feet’.

Problems included issues with different 
systems and methods being streamlined to find best practice.

He praised, however, the move towards taking people out of ‘specialisms’ and training them in a ‘variety of skills’ to make them more effective in general policing.

Read more:

{http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/local/feature-part-one-on-patrol-to-disrupt-hare-coursing-1-7176023#ixzz3yFlh5Ock|Part One: On patrol to disrupt hare coursing.}

{http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/local/feature-part-two-dealing-with-hare-coursers-1-7176025|Part Two: Dealing with hare coursers.}

{http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/local/feature-part-four-how-did-the-day-of-action-go-for-police-1-7176024#ixzz3yFlTrqbl|Part Four: How did the day of action go for police?.}

I’m pleased if my poor efforts to draw attention to the problems of Holbeach at least seem to have attracted Roger Gambba-Jones’ attention, though he will note my comments were not directed at him by name.

Clearly he is now even more aware that there is more to South Holland than Spalding.

At no time did I state that the market would be worse off on the car park. My position, expressed publicly, was try it and see.

It is good for the traders that it’s looking brighter. The problem lies in the decreased footfall in the high street caused by the move.

The apology for not consulting the parish before the implementation of significant changes is appreciated. It usually pays to ask nicely first, even if you don’t have to.

I do have the same budget as other councillors but since I regularly run a stand on the market at Christmas, I hope he can see that it would be inappropriate of me to use public money to support something I may benefit from.

It would be unreasonable to expect the district to hold sway over any large commercial organisation, like Aldi. Few councils can manage that, but there is no reason why the South Holland District Council could not ask if a suitable opportunities arises, as it has done several times in recent years. I was merely making a suggestion for the future.

Yes, section 106 money must be spent in the immediate area of the development concerned and for the benefit of those who live there.

Last time I looked, both Manor Farm and Peppermint junction are rather nearer to Holbeach than Spalding.

I have little doubt that we can think of any number of appropriate local projects or improvements to our crumbling infrastructure that need extra funding and would be of benefit to both new and existing residents. I do hope that district remembers to ask us.

The idea that Holbeach Parish Council should take over the market, or the car park, came up before or very soon after many of the present members joined.

At the time, I doubt the district council would have assisted with any appropriate funding, especially since it has removed what was left of our support grant, which will bump up the parish precept and save a bit on its own rates increase.

The parish council is now considering what, within its very limited powers and even smaller budget, it can do to help revive the town centre.

I do believe in working together and accept that services in Spalding are used by all the residents of towns and villages throughout the district – it’s just a bit harder for residents outside Spalding to access them.

Parishes must work with district authorities, our district councils with neighbouring ones (which they actually do rather well, sharing back-office services to keep down costs) and likewise with county councils.

We all have to do what an elected Government tells us, but that does not mean that any one group should simply dictate to others or that the higher authority, by virtue, is always right.

Mr Gambba-Jones is welcome to talk to me about anything if he has the time. It need not be through these pages, so long as I get reasonable answers.

After the recent tragic events in Paris, is it not time that the British government considered closing our borders for good?

We face a very real danger from evil fanatics like IS and home-grown Jihadists who leave this country to fight for IS – only to be welcomed back.

They, in my opinion, should face charges of treason and should be imprisoned if found guilty.

This country has become too soft and forgiving.

If you take up arms against this country, you should never be allowed back in.

These people are traitors and should be treated that way.

If they do not like or respect our way of life, they should be deported for good.

The time has come to leave the EU. Too many evil fanatics are claiming they are refugees and are using this excuse to plot to kill and murder us.

If our government does not act soon, it will be too late and our future will be in mortal danger.

Police have released a CCTV image of a man they want too speak to about a theft from Sainsbury’s in Bourne.

A thief stole PlayStation games and DVDs from the supermarket in Exeter Street on January 5. Police want to speak to the man pictured above.

If you are the person pictured or can identify him, call 101 quoting crime number 16000002930.

Members of the public can chat with the ploce at a number of locations next month.

The Spalding East Rural Neighbourhood Policing Team will be aboard the mobile police station at a number of locations, where you can have your say on local issues and concerns.

Issues put forward could then be set as a priority for the Neighbourhood Policing Team over the next quarter.

February 10, Cowbit Village Hall, 10am to noon;

February 11, The Jolly Farmer, Moulton Chapel, 9.30am to 11.30am; Moulton village hall, noon to 2pm; Moulton Seas End village hall, 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

February 12, Weston Hills village hall, 10am to noon; Baytree Garden Centre, Weston 1pm to 3pm.

Deeping Rangers manager Michael Goode was full of praise for the performance as they found top form.

They were 4-0 up at half-time against his former club Peterborough Northern Star who struck back twice.

Goode said: “In the first half we were excellent.

“The way we played last midweek at AFC Kempston Rovers in the Hinchingbrooke Cup gave us plenty of momentum.

“We created chances and we were back to our old selves while also defending robustly when we had to.

“Our attacking play was as good as it has been all season when we opened them up.

“It wasn’t all one-way as Daniel Bircham also made a couple of saves but we had good delivery into the box and clinical finishing.

“They had done a good job on us at their place when they beat us so we knew we had to get the ball forward quicker.

“In the second half we took our foot off the gas but I told the lads to enjoy being 4-0 up.

“Although they scored twice, we always felt three points were secure.

“Everybody played well and it was a good day for the club with an attendance of 123 which was pleasing as both Spalding United and Stamford were also playing at home on Saturday.”

Deeping went ahead after 15 minutes through Scott Mooney then Scott Coupland struck twice in a five-minute spell.

Goalkeeper Dan George saved David Burton-Jones’ penalty but was beaten by Chris Hibbitt two minutes into first-half added time.

Craig Smith reduced the arrears three minutes past the hour mark and an own-goal by Spencer Tinkler six minutes from full-time gave the visitors a second.

Deeping: Bircham, Flack, Smith, Burton-Jones, Tinkler, Hunnings, Avis (sub Dunn 66 mins), Hibbitt, Mooney, Coupland, Humphrey (sub Bird 61 mins). Sub not used: Marsden.

Before the local councils...

South Holland

District Council

Mr and Mrs T Baker, off Church Lane, Lutton. Five bed home and garages.

Pro-Petro Ltd, land north and south Barrier Bank (B1173) and north west of A1175 and A16 southern edge, Spalding. Restaurant/cafe relating to area A3B.

Sutton Bridge Parish Council, land rear Curlew Centre, The Memorial Park, Bridge Road, Sutton Bridge. Works to TPO.

Mr and Mrs R Duffield, 55 Backgate, Cowbit. Details of archaeological investigation, management agreement and elevation of wall.

J Edwards, rear of 55 Langwith Drive, Holbeach. Residential development (re-submission).

Mr and Mrs C Styles, 56 Spalding Road, Holbeach. Veranda in rear garden (retrospective).

M Chalkley, 15 Halmer Gate, Spalding. Works to tree preservation order.

J Smith, 13 Halmer Gate, Spalding. Works to tree preservation order.

T Hicks, 104 Barrier Bank, Cowbit. Extension and new garage/store.

R Wilson Builders, adj 4 Swapcoat Lane, Long Sutton. Terrace of three houses, two three-bed and one two-bed (removal of condition relating to affordable housing).

Mr and Mrs B Russell, Silverhill House, Lutton Gowts. Extension and alterations (retrospective).

Bon Marche, 21 Bridge Street, Spalding. Signage.

C Longstaff, Westbourne Lodge, Cowbit Road, Spalding. Rebuild existing garden wall.

D Brown Building Contractors, land fronting Kirk Gate, Whaplode. Three detached bungalows (amendment).

S Ball, Bensgate Lodge, Bens Gate, Fleet. Siting of mobile home.

A and C Drakard, land rear 1 Clough Road, Gosberton Risegate. Six dwellings (re-submission).

Gosberton Medical Centre, Low Gate, Gosberton. Terrace of three houses and two detached bungalows.

Z Karim, 17 High Street, Holbeach. Details of doors and windows, large scale constructional drawings and external colour scheme.

Mr and Mrs D Powell, 10 Clough Road, Holbeach Clough. Extension (re-submission).

Tidy Rentals, rear 34 and 34A Cowbit Road, Spalding. Residential dwelling.

Salvation Army Hall, Hall Street, Crowland. Upgrade windows from single glazed to upvc double glazed and fit fire escape French doors with panic bars (part retrospective).

Mr and Mrs E Bell, Edelweiss, Hunts Gate, Tydd St Mary. Replacement dwelling, three bedroom bungalow (re-application).

Boston Borough Council

Tomlin, adj Rodrest, Little Drove, Kirton Holme. Maintain supplies to cottage by overhead line.

Footer and Hill, adj Ashnola, Low Road, Wyberton. Four bed house and associated works.

South Kesteven 
District Council

Longhurst and Havlok Homes, 46 Wellington Way, Market Deeping. Conversion of bungalow into two semi-detached bungalows and provision of new driveway.

M Shaw, Harthover, 2 Knotts Close, Morton. Works to trees.

P Cook, 10 Tattershall Drive, Market Deeping. Extension.

P Miller, 35 Manor Close, Langtoft. Extension.

J Griffiths, Ludlow Close, zone 4/6 Bourne. Electricity substation.

I Watts, Bourne Enterprise Park, Tunnel Bank, Bourne. Premises licence.

R Smith, 33 Northorpe, Thurlby. Dwelling including demolition of timber outbuilding.

Figures released this morning show that since the start of the hare coursing season on September 1 there have been 160 men arrested or reported for summons.

This is compared to 65 for the whole season September to March last year.

Also, 17 vehicles have been seized. 70 other men have been dealt with by other enforcement action such as Direction to Leave, traffic offences, etc.

• On January 23 a man from Wrexham was reported for summons for trespassing in the pursuit of game in Weston.

• The driver of a vehicle suspected of being involved in hare coursing in Langtoft on January 22 is being dealt with for traffic offences. There was insufficient evidence to link to hare coursing.

• On January 20 a man from Wrexham and a man from Leicestershire were reported for summons for suspected hare coursing at Deeping St Nicholas.

• On 20 January 20 a man from Peterborough was warned to leave the area following a suspected hare coursing incident. There wasn’t enough evidence to link him to hare coursing but he is being dealt with for traffic offences.

• On January 20 two men from Chester were reported for summons for trespassing in the pursuit of game in the Bourne area. A Honda CRV was seized.

• On January 17 a Subaru Legacy suspected of being linked to hare coursing in Dunsby was seized under the Hunting Act.

On January 13 officers from Spalding joined with officers from the East Midlands Operational Support Service (EMOpSS) and officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary for a joint day of action as part of Operation Galileo. As a result of joint patrols along the Lincolnshire/Cambridgeshire border the following enforcement action was taken.

• A man from Nottinghamshire was reported for summons for trespassing in the pursuit of game in Deeping St James.

• A teenager was reported for summons for hare coursing at Sutton St James. At the same incident a man from Surrey was given a formal direction to leave Lincolnshire.

• A man suspected of being involved in hare coursing was given a fixed penalty notice for no MOT and given a formal direction to leave Lincolnshire.

• Four men from Derbyshire were given a formal direction to leave Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire.

• Three teenagers were arrested following an allegation of a burglary in Spalding.

Lead for rural crime, Chief Inspector Jim Tyner, said: “Operation Galileo continues and I remain determined that we use all legislative powers available to us to deal with the scourge of hare coursing”.

Previously...

Car damaged in hare coursing report in Long Sutton

Talks on ‘plague’ of hare coursing held in Spalding

Hare coursing operation across South Holland and the Deepings brings results

Cars seized by hare coursing police are scrapped

Police arrested 17 hare coursers at the weekend

Fire crews used hydraulic cutting equipment to remove the roof of a car and release a casualty after a collision between two vehicles in Sutton Bridge this morning.

The accident happened at around 10.30am at the A17 Railway Lane North and involved a van and a car. Crews from Long Sutton, Holbeach and Spalding attended.

The new Next Outlet store in Spalding has created 35 permanent, new jobs.

The 10,000sq ft store, between M&S and Gap, is due to open its doors to the public for the first time on Thursday, February 4 at 10.30am.

A spokesman for the store management team said: “We would like to welcome all of our customers to the fantastic new store at Springfields Outlet, Spalding.

“We can’t wait for everyone to experience our new Next Store; filled with fabulous products from our women’s, men’s and children’s collections.”

Store opening times for Next at the retail outlet centre in Camel Gate will be 10am-6pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10am-8pm on Thursdays and 11am-5pm on Sundays.

Last year Springfield boss Ian Sanderson said: “We have worked hard for years to secure the introduction of Next, the most requested brand from our customers.

“Springfields already attracts over 2.3 million visitors per year from up to 90 minutes away, and we are confident that additional footfall created from the arrival of Next will not only benefit Springfields but Spalding and the entire South Holland district.”

Spalding suffered a familiar defeat away to Market Bosworth, who are second in Midlands Two East (North), as they had a couple of weeks earlier at leaders Dronfield.

Town produced a good first-half performance, being only a couple of tries down, but during a tough second half Bosworth’s dominance increased as they took a stranglehold on the game with three tries being scored in the last 10 minutes.

With James West injured and Adam McHugh unavailable, Jos Broome moved up from fullback to fly-half, with Ed Booth retaining the full-back position 
after impressing last week having come on as a substitute.

Kieran Lake started on the right wing with Christopher Eggleton at left wing and Keir Moore in the front row.

On a rather sticky pitch the match started at a good tempo as both teams tested each other out with Bosworth having a slight upper hand with a good lineout and a solid pack.

Sion Williams, who has in recent weeks put in some excellent performances at inside centre, pulled a calf muscle.

The backs were reshuffled with Lake moving into the centres and Brian Browne off the subs bench at right wing.

Shortly afterwards Bosworth opened their account with a try but Town responded with the back row of Ash Anker, Ryan Chappell and Ash Piccaver 
working the ball down the left-hand side and Bosworth conceding a penalty.

A good Spalding lineout and a driving maul was illegally stopped and another lineout followed with a similar result.

Unfortunately the third lineout was lost which illustrated Town’s failure to execute and capitalise on their opportunities on the day.

Bosworth came back and it was Town’s turn to give a penalty away just a couple of metres from the try line.

The referee allowed the penalty from that position, instead of from the five-metre line, and a quick tap penalty caught Spalding’s defence 
napping.

Spalding pushed downfield to try to get on the scoreboard with Piccaver gaining territory on a charging run and going to ground, only to be stamped on by a Bosworth player, with Piccaver retaliating.

Both players were red-carded and at half-time Town were unlucky to be 10-0 adrift.

The second period was a different story as Spalding struggled to get out of their own half with Bosworth’s scrum-half starting to spray the ball around and a couple of tries followed quickly on both wings.

One of the few counterattacks by Town was led by Broome, who was having a deeply uncomfortable time at fly-half, as he broke with speed down the middle releasing Harry Harrison to score under the posts with Broome converting.

Harry Brown and Jordan Templer both came off the bench with Booth and Chappell sustaining knocks but Bosworth turned the screws in the last 10 minutes with three tries to secure a good home win and leave Spalding one place off the bottom.

Spalding: Waudby, Cooke, Moore, Waltham, Watts, Piccaver, Chappell, Anker, Shields, Broome, Eggleton, Williams, Harrison, Lake, Booth. Subs Browne, Brown, Templer.

Spalding are at home to Melbourne on Saturday.

According to community artist Carol Parker the last part of the brain to be affected by dementia is creativity.

She believes that helping people living with dementia to engage in creative activities can trigger other parts of the brain.

She can cite examples of one man suddenly mentioning his wife’s name, something he hadn’t done for a long time, or another with his hands in clay being reminded of making chappatis in India.

Marilyn Morris uses nostalgia in the same way to trigger memories for people who attend the Dementia Cafe. There they use artefacts such as old photographs and adverts as well as serving the type of food that might have been familiar to people in their earlier days, such as stew and dumplings, liver and onion and rice pudding.

Art has the power to get a man back in his shed when he’s lost his confidence.

It’s also a tool to make new friends, to enjoy social interaction and to feel useful again.

Community artist Carol Parker understands the power that art has to transform lives.

She says: “It does make a difference to people. I have been doing it for 30 years and I know it’s going to help them.”

It was a man at one of the creative sessions she runs at Boston who had stopped going into his shed following a diagnosis of early onset dementia.

Carol gave him a project: a chunk of wood and a request to carve a curvy line in it. He came back with a piece of art, complete with carved holes and a channel for pebbles. He’s now working on wire sculptures.

Carol is now hoping that art can make a difference to people from Spalding and the surrounding area who are living with dementia as well as their carers .

She is running creative classes for this group of people at Tonic Health, which is behind the Job Centre in Broadgate House, Westlode Street, Spalding.

Sessions are run in 11-week blocks on a Thursday from 11am to 1pm – there is one running now, a new one starts on May 5 and another on September 15.

The venue is perfect as it is one that is familiar to some people who attend the Dementia Cafe held there each Wednesday (1.30-3.30pm) and run by Marilyn Morris, mother to Bowen practitioner Michael Morris, the proprietor of Tonic Health.

The cafe offers a weekly mix of gentle exercise or Laughter Yoga, beauty therapies, health talks and nostalgia – as well as food and companionship.

The creative sessions are not meant to be art classes – Carol will share techniques and ideas and then it’s up to those who attend what they would like to do.

Carol said: “It could be writing, embroidery, painting... it’s whatever people want to do and they will bring their skills to the group as well.”

At Carol’s sessions there is a small charge for tea and coffee, while a suggested donation of £2 is requested for those who attend the Dementia Cafe.

Recognition for the ultimate responsibility of fighting for king and country has finally come for Spalding D-Day veteran Tom Fowler (96).

The former milkman who served with the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment during World War II was presented with France’s highest honour during a ceremony at The Lighthouse Church, Spalding, on Saturday.

Mr Fowler, of Wygate Road, Spalding, was joined by his wife Gwen, family and guests for the presentation of the Legion d’honneur by French honorary consul Jean-Claude Lafontaine.

The Legion d’honneur, established in 1802 by French military leader Napoléon Bonaparte in recognition of both military and civilian service, is the equivalent of an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the UK.

Mr Fowler, who served in Norway and Iceland before he was wounded by a mortar shell during the Battle of Fontenay in June 1944, said: “It was special to have my family here with me and to have seen so many people here as well made me so proud.

“It brought back a lot of memories of 1944 and I’m pleased to see that the memories are being kept alive by me being given this medal.

“The thing I probably remember the most was when our craft landed in Normandy and, within a short while, we were fighting the Nazi German army.

“The mortars came over the trenches six at a time and one of them landed near me which put me in hospital.”

Guests at the medal ceremony included South Holland and the Deepings MP John Hayes, South Holland District Council leader Coun Gary Porter, deputy leader Coun Nick Worth, chairman Coun Francis Biggadike, vice-chairman Coun Rodney Grocock and Spalding town centre manager Dennis Hannant.

Mr Hayes said: “People who risk their lives in a noble cause are heroes and how wonderful it is that the government and people of France have recognised this.”

Coun Porter said: “It’s really good that the French people have recognised the sacrifice men like Tom Fowler made and it’s a day Spalding can look back on for a few years to come.”

After presenting the medal, Mr Lafontaine said: “It’s an amazing opportunity to say thank you to Tom Fowler who came to France nearly 70 years ago and was ready to give his life in a way that we will never forget.”

HAYES IN THE HOUSE: By Mp John Hayes

Last week Spalding lost one of its most notable characters with the death of Pam Munro at the age of 96. She meant much to me, as she did to so many in Spalding and beyond.

Most will know her from her life’s work, in which she took such great pride. As the school secretary at Spalding Grammar, for a remarkable 45 years, she was a redoubtable figure, remembered with respect bordering on awe. She took the job straight from finishing a secretarial course at Peterborough Technical College in 1939, the year war broke out. A constant, devoted presence in the ever changing post-war grammar school, she worked there until she was 65 – five years past the then retirement age. Generations of local lives were touched by the formidable Miss Munro who was said to wield at least as much authority as any school master.

Spalding born and bred, Pam lived locally all her life. An only child, she took care of her mother, Ida, for many years and, devoted to her 
family, she was a loving aunt to Anne, Hilary and Claire, and great aunt to Kate and David.

In her youth, Pam loved to play badminton and tennis and, whilst a pupil at Spalding High School, won the Lincolnshire Junior Tennis Championship in 1936. Later in life she was instrumental in setting up the Spalding Badminton Club. I remember too that her passion for sport extended to cricket, for she was a regular visitor to Moulton to watch, in its early years, my annual charity match.

She was Pam to those who knew her, except for the Grammar School boys to whom she was always ‘Miss Munro’. It was often said the boys feared her more than their headmasters – of which she outlasted several – and she is particularly remembered for thoroughly examining pupils’ exercise books; she was not fooled by blank pages hidden away, no new books were issued until every page was used up; in Pam’s view that was the way it should be, and that was the way it was.

Though the school boys would undoubtedly have found her a force to be reckoned with (her rumoured nickname, presumably in reference to Mrs Thatcher, was Maggie), Pam was the kindest of souls. She was one of those rare people who would readily put others’ interests before her own. A devout Christian, Pam attended evensong as often as she could, and was especially fond of Father Bernard.

Her politics were just as devout; a stalwart of the South Holland Conservatives for decades, her half century’s worth of dedicated service being formally recognised by the then party leader William Hague. Pam would travel, each year, to whichever seaside town hosted the annual party conference.

So, in 1984, when the IRA bombed the Grand Hotel in Brighton, she was to be found handing out cups of tea to the shaken guests, as selfless and considerate as ever. This simple act of kindness resulted in a hug from Margaret Thatcher.

Closer to home, come election time Pam gained local renown for –having attaching loudspeakers to her car– driving around South Holland loudly extolling the virtues of voting Conservative. She took the trouble of constructing a loud speaker system to mount on my car with the instruction that I should do the same! I remember well, as a new prospective MP, as she took me round Spalding encountering, by chance, numerous middle aged men who greeted her with the demeanour of the young boys they had been when they first knew Miss Munro. She became a friend of my wife Susan and cared for my sons with the well-honed skills of a lady who knew and understood children.

Miss Pam Munro who marked so many lives certainly made a lasting impression on mine. She typified a generation of strong women born in a more gentle age. She saw boys who had been in her care – shaped by the school she loved – go to war, make the peace and prosper.

Thank goodness for Pam Munro and all like her.

A new fence could be installed to deter intruders from causing damage at a town sports club.

It will also unveil Spalding’s “best kept secret” – the tennis club in Holyrood Walk, which is inviting people from all walks of life to join its growing membership.

The club hopes to replace dense hedging with a smart, green perimeter fence, associated netting and low maintenance planting, and has applied for planning consent from the district council.

Club chairman John Constable says the club has had several incidents of vandalism and trespass, resulting in courts being locked when not in use.

There have been break-ins at the club room and recently entry was made through a forced gap in the roadside hedge.

He said: “We believe we need to be more visible to the local population in a numbers of ways – the tennis club is probably Spalding’s best kept secret.

“The hedge has grown far too big to significantly cut it back and maintain any sort of secure boundary – it is nearly 2m thick in some places.”

Because the hedge is so dense, police have advised the club that it’s unlikely passers-by will spot intruders and Mr Constable says the hedge means some people don’t even know the club exists.

Making the club more visible through the proposed open-style fence is expected to deter trespassers.

Installing a fence will also significantly cut maintenance costs.

In the last 12 months, Spalding Town Tennis Club has resurfaced three of its acrylic hard courts and installed security lighting at a total cost of £25,000.

Mr Constable said: “As a committee we are trying to maintain and improve our facilities so that an increasing number of residents in and around the town can enjoy some of the best tennis facilities in the county.”

He says tennis isn’t the preserve of the middle class.

“All you need (to play) are a pair of trainers, a bit of clothing and a racket, they are all pretty inexpensive commodities,” he said. “Playing tennis in Spalding is not an expensive occupation – senior membership currently at £95 per year means than some members who regularly play two or three times a week pay between 65p and 90p per session. Junior membership starts at less than a third of that.”

She’s been competing in the ring ever since she can remember and now Para horse rider Bert Sheffield is preparing for the biggest competition of her life – the Rio Paralympics.

Bert (35), of Bourne, developed rheumatoid arthritis when she was just 15 – with the condition progressing through her limb joints, neck, shoulders and jaw – but thanks to specially adapted equipment she rides at the highest level.

Now she is set to represent Canada on Double Agent, a nine-year-old British bred mare, in the Dressage Grade 3 discipline this summer and has high hopes.

No stranger to the big stage, Bert won the British Dressage Para National Championship in 2014, the same year she finished fourth in the World Equestrian Games in Normandy.

“I’ve always been a focused person and always wanted to do something with the horses career-wise, although my mum always wanted me to do something else and have them as a hobby,” she recalls.

“She thought I would lose the enjoyment, but I persisted.

“I was born into an oddly sporty family – my mother is horsey and my dad was a world champion Skeet shooter. 
I learnt the value placed on sporting success early.

“I could see the value of all the preparation and the back-room boys working behind the scenes to allow the athletes to succeed.

“I’ve had medals hung around my neck since before I can remember – now I want my own!”

Bert, who was five when she began riding, gave up her passion for several years following her RA diagnosis.

She started again when she was 19, and it wasn’t long before she had a major event under her belt, winning at the Royal Welsh Show.

After gaining a politics degree Bert continued to follow her dream of working with horses, becoming a groom for GB dressage rider Gareth Hughes – the man she credits with getting her into Para riding.

She initially rode for Great Britain, but found her age was a stumbling block when it came to selection, so switched to representing Canada as she has dual nationality.

“When it comes to the games, I’m just going to take it as it comes, I want to experience it while I’m doing it rather than have preconceived ideas – what will be, will be,” says Bert, who is sponsored by HorseHage, Bliss of London, Showerking, TopSpec, Kastel Denmark, 
SEiB Insurance Brokers, MDC Stirrups and Safemix.

“My horse just needs to be strong, fit and polished – she’s already beyond the level she needs to achieve, but just like humans they can over train.

“I was fourth in the World Championships, which is possibly the worst place to come, and now I’m determined I can go one better.”

Bert was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) – an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the joints, causing pain and swelling – when she was a teenager.

She was initially epileptic too, and says the drugs used to treat that condition distorted her brain while the RA ravaged her body.

“It was a real double whammy. It all left me very depressed and took me several years to get through it,” she says.

To manage her condition Bert takes Anti-TNF medication and painkillers and also has regular chiropractic treatment to help keep her body working evenly.

She has to be careful not to overdo things as fatigue is another symptom, but also needs to make sure she keeps moving to avoid her joints 
swelling.

“When it comes to the riding I’ve got to be careful about falling off, as my joints shatter like glass as they’re not as strong.

“But I run my life to be able to do what I want to do and I’ve had to make some sacrifices.

“Although it’s painful and makes life awkward, RA has given me the opportunity to compete in top level Para competition, which gives me tremendous freedom from my condition.”

To follow Bert’s progress visit www.bertsheffieldparaequestrianrider.com