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WEEKEND WEB: Spalding Guardian letters




Letters
Letters

Your views on the Bridge Hotel, Glen Park in Surfleet, Spalding In Bloom and MP John Hayes...

SHDC did a great job at Bridge Hotel

Through your pages I would like to thank South Holland District Council for arranging to tidy up around the old Bridge Hotel at Sutton Bridge.

Three men worked extremely hard and did a great job of cutting back overgrown plants which hung across the footpath, clearing weeds and debris and sweeping up.

Jenny Rowe

Sutton Bridge

Keep up the good work

I was disappointed (but not surprised given his past record) to read Alan Meekings’ verbose letter about John Hayes’ excellent column in the Free Press (our sister title).

I don’t think Mr Meekings and I can be reading the same newspaper, because Mr Meekings wailed that Mr Hayes does not address the “real issues” in his column, but just over the last few months I can remember him writing about immigration, trade after Brexit, Islamic extremism, housing policy, railways, tackling rural crime and much more besides. It’s great that Mr Hayes finds time, each week, to speak to us through your excellent pages, despite the obvious pressures of being both an MP and a Government Minister.

It does you great credit that you make space for all kinds of elected local figures to let us know what they think – it’s exactly what a good local paper should do and others could take a lesson.

Mr Meekings strikes me as exactly the sort of person who would be ranting about “never hearing from our MP or councillors” if Mr Hayes and his colleagues didn’t write his column. As for his rant about Keats and Betjeman, I am only sorry that fine use of the English language and an appreciation of poetry offend him so much. I would be happy to donate a dictionary if it helps.

Can there be a more fluent, eloquent and thoughtful MP than Mr Hayes? I think not. Keep up the good work, John!

Andrew Livsey

via email

The future must be invested in

Regarding Surfleet residents being asked to pay £12-a-year to keep Glen Park open, I’ve used the facilities many times as a Long Sutton hockey player over the years and now live in the centre of Spalding.

I’d happily pay £100 extra a year to keep it open – it’s an essential part of a community which from a hockey view has produced some talented youngsters.

Also, pen spaces like that are rare and need to be preserved so children have somewhere to express themselves and play regardless of age in safety either on the hockey pitch or surrounding grass areas with theirfriends or parents.

What’s £12 a year? The price of three pints. The future must be invested in and I don’t think this cost is above anyone.

Andrew Clarke

via email

Thanks from ‘in bloomers’

Spalding in Bloom would like to thank everyone who helped this year in all the various initiatives with litter picks, clean ups and weeding. Especially all the volunteers who joined in when we had ‘Clean for the Queen’ in the Spring and Spruce Ups throughout the year.

Special thanks to Monkshouse Cubs and Beavers, 4th Spalding Cubs, 1st Spalding Cubs, Jack McLean and his Spotless Spalding group and many individuals who joined in and those who regularly go out in their areas with their own litter picker and bags to clean up. Not forgetting Dan and his team at Ayscoughfee who maintain the beautiful gardens.

Also Richard Knock and Jim Harvey and the South Holland District Council grounds maintenance team and Coun Gambba-Jones, the portfolio holder responsible. Following all Spalding members agreeing the additional cuts a year, they stepped in to deal with the overgrown verges when Lincolnshire County Council reduced their programme to only two cuts a year.

Special thanks to all the shops and businesses who sponsored hanging baskets, troughs and tubs. Thanks also to South Holland Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Spalding and Welland for their very generous donations which enabled us to provide hanging baskets at the charity shops in town.

The East Midlands in Bloom judges were impressed with their programme which included visits to Springfields Exhibition Gardens and Retail Outlet (Individually awarded a Gold Certificate); Southfields House Care Home to view specially constructed troughs to allow wheelchair users easy access to plant and maintain flowers; St John the Baptist Primary School to view their allotments and outdoor teaching area (Awarded the best School Fruit and vegetable garden in the East Midlands); Horseshoe Road allotments; Mr and Mrs Clarke’s Best Front Garden in Ambleside Drive (awarded Silver Gilt); Ayscoughfee Hall and Gardens, meeting Dave Rodwell of the Environmental team who gave an overview of the Council’s weekly refuse and recycling schemes, energy saving initiatives and update on the green waste pilot scheme; The Crescent and Francis Street Traders, noting several retail shops’ floral decorated windows.

They then walked through The Sheep Market, Victoria Street, The Library, Pied Calf Yard and Swan Walk to view massive support from small Independent traders.

Then they went to Spalding Station to see work to transform the derelict flower beds and platform shelter, noting sponsorship by Bakkavor, The Butters Group, Bourne Skip Hire, Baytree Nurseries, Spotless Spalding, Spalding and Peterborough Transport Forum and Springfields Garden Centre.

Then on to the remarkable garden at the Punchbowl pub (Gold Certificiate).While there the judge met Ben Williams who puts up all our brackets, checks them before new baskets are put up each Season, and hangs and takes down our baskets.

Thanks also to Lilford Nurseries of Gosberton who filled our baskets and troughs, and South Holland Maintenance for watering throughout the Season.

The Bloom Group also thanks our local press for being very supportive throughout the year and Ian Oliver of South Holland District Council communications team for helping produce our much admired brochure.

We are already looking for additional sponsors for 2018. If you can give us any winter plants or shrubs to set in the barrier baskets in Swans Street and Swan Walk, tubs and flower beds around the town and riverside, please let us know.

Angela Newton

Chairman, Spalding in Bloom

Previously...

Free Press letters September 19

Guardian letters September 21



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