Letter writers from Stamford, Spalding, Grantham and Rutland share their views
Readers have had plenty to say on what’s in the news.
Here we share some of the letters, emails and comments that have come in over the week, including this cartoon from John Elson.
Send your letters to: news@lincsonline.co.uk
At one with nature
I walked the lonely path across the Meadows in Stamford - lonely as the flood gate was closed so I walked round.
Anyway I had noticed my friendly eight swan crew were only just off the path and nobody else in sight. I stopped to say ‘hello’ and to my surprise they casually wandered up and surrounded me. There was no menace in their mood but I did feel somewhat intimidated as they are so very big.
I had no camera with me but thought I must get a picture on my phone which I keep in a pouch on my belt. I very slowly reached down to retrieve it and suddenly without warning, one signet, huge they are, grabbed my little finger I obviously pulled away and she/he looked up at me in surprise thinking "what no food?”. Sadly I did feel a little guilty that I could not oblige. Anyway I stayed among them for a while and they simply carried on doing swan things. I eventually wandered off after thanking them for their time and presence.
In those few moments I had felt really at one with the beauty of nature and how moments like that suddenly appear from nowhere but also add enormously to life's experience. Not until I arrived home did I bother to check online and discovered that they do not have teeth but then I already knew that he/she only wanted to be friendly and perhaps beg a bite or two.
Alan Romaine
Stamford
Scrooge at Christmas?
Like Scrooge I have become an angry old man. I am angry that Christmas brings about the greatest amount of food waste. Angry that 11% of the people in this country are in food poverty. Angry that there are young people in Stamford from all our primary schools and college going home to no evening meals. Angry that our councils give permission for more and more million pound houses to be built with apparently no or very much interest in those people in food poverty. Angry that there is a great need for the three agencies, George's Food Hub, Second Helpings and the Foodbank, to try and cope with food surplus and food poverty.
Perhaps, like Scrooge, my heart has ben warmed by the way the community responded to my cry for help. Bland's Coaches provided a double decker bus to take near 70 folk out for a meal. A meal provided by the White Hart Ufford, a wonderful Christmas dinner. The scene being set by the Kiwanis of Stamford, as, Father Christmas on his sleigh greeted the folk getting off the bus for their meal and presents for all the children provided by the Rotary Club of Stamford St Martins.
I cannot forget of course the hours of work put in by my volunteers to help me and the community to 'save food surplus and serve the community'.
A massive thank you to them all.
Yes Scrooge had a happy ending that changed his life. ME? Well we at the HUBS still have lots of bellies to feed and not bins.
George Hetherington
Stamford
Surgery will be appointment based
As previously advised, we are moving to an appointment-based surgery from January 6, 2025. We believe that this will better meet the needs of individual constituents, than a single date and time each month.
Please contact us through our Rutland County Council email address to make an appointment:
Coun Steve McRobb: SMcRobb@rutland.gov.uk
Coun Ramsay Ross: RRoss@rutland.gov.uk
Appointments will be held in the George Hotel at a time to suit you.
A notice will continue to be posted at the beginning of each month.
We would like to wish all constituents a very happy 2025.
Steve McRobb and Ramsay Ross
Rutland County Council (Lab - Oakham North West)
We delivered 7,500 cards
Most sincere thanks to all the people of Grantham who supported this year’s Christmas Post Campaign. We delivered just over 7,500 cards, less than 2023. All of the money raised by this effort will go the benefit of local boys and girls in scout groups in the district.
The campaign brings together a great many people in the organising, sorting and delivering of the cards. Our grateful thanks must go to the businesses who acted as our ‘post offices’, the parents of the boys and girls who deliver the cards, and to the Scouts Active Support team and their families, who collect and sort the cards and help in so many ways.
Normally each year we have a number of wrongly or badly addressed cards, the delivery of which tests our ingenuity, but this year we have none!
Finally, a plea for full and clear addresses (preferably correct) on all cards, and again, please, only within our delivery area. We have this year made it clear that we will not be able to post or hand deliver cards which were not for addresses within our advertised delivery area. The cards have been retained and these will be available to collect from the Scout Shop, which is at the 2nd Grantham HQ on Broad Street, Grantham, on Saturdays from 10am to midday, until the end of January. Postcodes would be useful as an aid to searching for addresses if necessary.
We have cards for addresses in Frieston, Fulbeck and Welby. There are also cards for addresses in Aslockton, Compton, Berks; and Lightwater, Surrey. If anyone thinks they may have sent a card to an address in any of the above, please call at the Scout Shop or email chairman@granthamscouts.org.uk
Once again, many thanks from the Scouts of Grantham and district.
Malcolm Hall
Grantham and District Scout Association
Belton Lights were wonderful
I was lucky enough to win a family ticket to see the lights at Belton. Our family ages ranged from 10 months to 77 years.. We all had a wonderful time. The weather was good and showed the light trail off at its best. We had a glass of mulled wine and toasted marshmallows to finish our evening. So a big thank you to all who made this possible.
Jacky Elvy
Gelston
We never use A1 crossovers
We live in Skillington. We never use cross overs on the A1. Going north is not a requirement and going south from the village, we drive to Colsterworth and enter the A1 there. Coming south from Grantham, we again use Colsterworth.
Quarry lorries crossing the A1 onto Crabtree Lane cause real issues. They should go down to Colsterworth, back up north on the A1 then left into crabtree lane.
There is far too much traffic for cross overs. It is usually difficult to join the A1 when going north from Crabtree Lane. The run off in both directions is far too short.
Darryl and Wendy Scott
Skillington
I felt compelled to return to politics
I served as a Conservative district councillor for 14 years and as a Conservative county councillor for four years. I was also a member of the Conservative Association for nearly 15 years. In May 2023, I took a step back from politics and, after much reflection and witnessing the current state of our country, I felt compelled to return, this time with a renewed vision and purpose. During my time as a Conservative councillor I grew increasingly disillusioned with the direction of the party. The infighting and policy failures emanating from Westminster made it clear that the Tories were abandoning their promises and our communities. After speaking with residents it became apparent that I was not alone in my frustration. I believe that the two party politics is finished. In May 2023, I lost my district seat to an Independent candidate who campaigned on local issues like Moulton Park, 18 months later, there is still no progress on this particular issue, just endless consultations. Following that election, I handed in my Conservative membership card feeling that the party no longer represented the values I once stood for. I have been out of local politics for 18 months but I have kept busy, exploring new avenues and contributing to my community in other ways. I am now a published author and I proudly serve as the Public Relations and Recruitment Officer for the Royal Naval Association – Spalding Branch. These roles have kept me engaged and connected, but my passion for public service never truly left me. The state of our national politics has only reinforced my belief that change is urgently needed. At the last General Election in May 2024 the Conservatives suffered significant losses, with our local MP holding onto his seat but losing 20,000 votes. The electorate, disillusioned with Tory failures, turned to the Labour party – a choice that for many has proven equally disappointing.Neither the Conservatives nor the Labour Party have got to grips with immigration. Legal immigration and illegal immigration is totally out of control, and a lack of real leadership has underscored the inability of both Labour and the Conservatives to address the challenges facing our nation. The revolving door of tired, recycled politicians has left Britain yearning for real Statesmanship.Believing there must be a better way I began exploring alternative political avenues. In doing so I discovered Reform UK. Their manifesto struck a chord with me, addressing the issues that matter, with practical forward thinking solutions. If you haven’t already I encourage you to read it for yourself.In September 2024, I attended the Reform UK Party Conference at the NEC in Birmingham. I was amazed by the turnout – over 5,000 like minded individuals, many of them former Conservative voters like myself.Hearing Nigel Farage speak solidified my belief that Britain has a potential statesman in its midst. A leader with the vision and conviction needed to steer our country back on course.Since joining Reform UK, I’ve attended two vibrant local party meetings of the South Holland Branch, and I’m excited about the party’s future. I’ve put myself forward for the role of vice chairman of the South Holland Branch to be decided at our up and coming annual meeting. I’ve also thrown my hat in the ring to be a candidate for Reform UK for the county council elections in May 2025.The Conservatives have had 14 years to address the pressing issues facing our country. Fourteen years to make meaningful progress. Yet, despite their time in power, they failed on almost every front.- Immigration: record numbers, porous borders, and a lack of clear strategy to address the issue.- The NHS: waiting times for hospital treatments have never been worse, and the struggle to see a GP continues to frustrate millions.- Environment: our rivers remain polluted, and instead of holding water companies accountable, bills for the public keep rising.- Public Safety: Streets feel less safe, and crime remains a significant concern. Simply put, the Conservatives had their chance and failed to deliver.Labour, on the other hand, has only been in power for seven months, but they’ve already managed to alienate key groups across the country.- Pensioners: the cancellation of the Winter Fuel Allowance is a direct attack on those who’ve worked hard their entire lives.- Farmers: Changes to Inheritance Tax are leaving a sour taste, undermining generations of farming families.- Businesses: Labour’s broken tax promises have shaken confidence in their ability to foster a thriving business environment.In just a few months, Labour has proven they are no better equipped to lead, showing a lack of vision, strategy, and respect for the people they are supposed to serve.Britain deserves better. Our great country is crying out for real leadership, bold ideas, and a government that puts the people first. It’s time for change – real change.Let’s stop settling for failure and start demanding a brighter future. Reform is possible, and it’s time to make it happen. If you share my concerns and aspirations, I urge you to explore the Reform UK manifesto. If it resonates with you as it did with me, consider joining the party. Together we can work to make Britain great again – a country led by a true statesman who cares deeply about its people.If I am chosen to stand in the county council elections in May 2025, I look forward to meeting many of you on the campaign trail. I’ll be knocking on doors, listening to your concerns and discussing how we can build a brighter future for our children and grandchildren, and generations to come.Thank you for taking the time to read my reintroduction to politics. Let’s work together to create a better tomorrow for South Holland and our great nation.
Rodney Grocock
via email
Introduce a wealth tax
In 2024 Unite the union stepped up in defence of pensioners like never before, and we will continue fighting into the new year. During the general election, we launched the Decent Retirement for All manifesto. Then, a Labour government was elected with a historic majority, on the promise of change. But instead of uniting the country around a programme of change, their first act in government was to pit public sector workers against pensioners.Unite was clear from the beginning. We reject the idea that pensioner’s winter fuel payment must be cut in order to pay for public sector pay rises. We reject the idea that the winter fuel payment must be cut in order to pay to fix the mess left by the Tories. Cuts are not the answer.Just 50 of the richest families are worth £500bn combined, the same as half the population. The money is there, it just needs to be taxed. A wealth tax of 1% on the assets of the richest 1% could raise £25bn. That would pay for the winter fuel payment more than ten times over.We took the fight for pensioners to the Labour Party Conference and defeated the Labour leadership, successfully passing a motion that called for the winter fuel payment to be reinstated, a wealth tax to be introduced, and the fiscal rules to be abandoned.We led the news for days, establishing Unite as the leading voice in defence of pensioners and putting our demand of a wealth tax on the political agenda. We then organised a mass lobby of Parliament, with 500 pensioners rallying outside and demanding meetings with MPs inside.Rallies at Holyrood and Stormont were held too, driving forwards our demands in Scotland and Northern Ireland.And we have begun legal action against the government, the first time Unite has launched legal action of this kind against a Labour government. We believe the cuts to winter fuel are not just cruel and callus, they are illegal. The government did not follow the proper processes, and pensioners may die as a result.Our campaign is working. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, we have won significant concessions for pensioners. In Scotland, the government will be introducing a £100 payment for all pensioner households from next winter, rising to £200 - £300 for households claiming pension credit. In Northern Ireland, all pensioner households who lost the winter fuel payment will receive a £100 payment by the end of March. Though they do not go far enough or come soon enough, these wins are a direct result of our campaigning.In 2025 we will continue fighting for pensioners. The campaign to reinstate the winter fuel payment will continue, in solidarity with other organisations.The fight continues.
Rodney Sadd
Crowland Unite the union delegate
Sorry we had to cancel the event
After the online hate stirred up over the weekend by a political wannabe I thought I best submit a letter of apology after having to cancel the event planned for Ayscoughfee on Saturday afternoon. After several months of planning and organising the last thing we wanted to do was cancel the event. We are aware of the pressure this puts on stall holders, musicians, the cafe and our volunteers. Those of us that had put effort in to organising the event did so to provide something for the residents of South Holland as we feel you often miss out by not having a town council. If this isn't wanted we will listen and cancel any future ideas so as not to upset people.On the day we were advised at 13:45 that we could not use gazebos by the independent safety officer for the event. At the time the wind was gusting too high and a decision had to be made. Unfortunately the majority of the entertainment booked needed shelter of some variety so a decision to cancel had to be made. We attempted to get the word out on all social media platforms at this point. We did make the mistake of not having some visibility at the gates for the whole duration of the event, which would have ensured there was consistent communication to everyone who made the effort to attend and had not seen that the event had been cancelled. I am very sorry for any inconvenience and upset this may have caused anyone and I apologise profusely. We will learn from these mistakes going forward.
Coun Rob Gibson
Chairman of Spalding Town Forum
