A look at stories in the Rutland & Stamford Mercury archive from 10, 25, 50 and up to 200 years ago
With the help of the Rutland & Stamford Mercury Archive Trust, we look back through the newspaper's archive to find interesting stories from years gone by…
10 years ago
Dog show raises over £500
A charity received a welcome boost with a donation from Stamford Dog Show and family fun day.
The event, organised by Barn Hill Methodist Church, took place in September and featured two rings for pedigree and open classes.
Visitors got to meet creatures great and small, from alpacas to lizards and everything in between.
The show raised £540 and mayor of Stamford Clem Walden was happy to present the cheque to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
Coun Walden said it was good to meet the people and animals behind the charity.
Biology day returns for second year
Hundreds of people got to touch and taste the biological world at a science festival.
Stamford High School hosted Big Biology Day for the second year.
Visitors came from Stamford and further afield to get to grips - sometimes literally - with the exhibits.
There were live animals on the Big Red Zoo Bus, and a chance to dig through yeast for hidden treasure with Stamford firm Alltech.
Tim Mackrill and a team of volunteers from the Rutland Osprey Project explained how they helped reintroduce the bird to the county, and Adam and Mary Cade introduced visitors to apple pressing.
There was so much to do that many visitors stayed for the whole day. Dr Mike Leahy, who runs the Big Red Zoo Bus, said: "It was a fantastic event from my perspective, far busier than last year."
Pupils’ appeal to transform garden
Pupils at a school in Stamford are appealing for help to transform their school garden back to its former glory.
Bluecoat School in Stamford needs help from local businesses to help make-over its school garden into a well-loved outdoor classroom area.
The Year 4 class have decided to turn their overgrown and disused school garden into a place where they can grow their own vegetables and enjoy learning outside.
The pupils have already gained support from Waterside Garden Centre in Baston, who have kindly donated £100 worth of vegetable seeds for the pupils to plant in their new garden. Spurred on by this donation, the pupils have set out writing letters to local businesses for more donations for their ambitious project. Hot on the heels of the seeds, Northfields Garage donated tyres to be used as planters for herbs, whilst Dobbie's Garden Centre has also offered to support the work.
The school also plans on creating a woodland for future generations of Bluecoat pupils to enjoy, which Burghley House head gardener John Burrows has been helping with by nurturing trees for planting in the garden.
The pupils are currently in need of someone who can help install a patio, they already have some old slabs from a former patio, but they need help re-laying them.
Year 4 teacher, Mrs Walker, said: "The children have really thrown themselves into this exciting project, I am so proud of what they have achieved already. "There is still a long way to go and we'll take any help we can get to bring this plan to fruition."
Famous journalist visits school
The BBC’s former chief news correspondent spoke to pupils and parents and women’s rights in the early 1900s.
Katie Adie OBE visited the Stamford Endowed Schools as part of the Foundation Lecture Series last week.
Kate is one of the most recognisable faces of British broadcasting, reporting on such major world events as The Gulf War, the breakup of former Yugoslavia and the student uprising in Tiananmen Square.
During the lecture she discussed the topic of her new book Fighting on the Home Front: The Legacy of Women in WWI.
Her lecture covered the state of women’s rights leading up to the First World War and how, despite initial outrage at the thought of women assisting the war effort, the work provided by these women back on home soil created a pivotal moment in the battle for getting the vote.
Principal Stephen Roberts said: “It was an incredibly insightful lecture about a relevant topic of history and it fascinated the audience.”
25 years ago
Bid to save sports club
Doctors worried about declining levels of fitness are fighting the bulldozers to save a Stamford sports and social club.
The Blackstones sports complex in Lincoln Road has been under threat since the owners Invensys agreed to turn the land over for new housing.
But now 16 doctors from three Stamford surgeries have sent a letter - to chief executive of South Kesteven District Council Chris Farmer, warning local people's health is at stake.
Dr David Babbs, of St Mary's Medical Centre, Wharf Road, Stamford, said: "Many of the medical problems we see are to do with a lack of exercise, for example, obesity and diabetes.
"People spend a lot of time sitting in front of computers and TVs - and this sort of modern lifestyle is having a negative impact on health. We need to encourage people to exercise, but this becomes much harder when there are no sports facilities for people.
"The area which Blackstones serves is where many of the less affluent houses are, and it’s a facility people are using. New homes are of no benefit to them."
Children left spellbound by magician
A visiting magician held children spellbound and helped conjure up some laughs.
And by the end of the show, John the Abracadabra Man had pupils from Northborough Primary School making balloon poodles and pulling rabbits from hats.
John Knight - the Abracadabra Man - has been a magician for 10 years, and turned his talents to entertaining the children at Northborough Village Hall.
The fun-packed show organised by the school's Parents, Teachers and Friends Association (PTFA) included Punch and Judy and a magical story for the children to join in.
John said: "The children all seemed to enjoy the show and really got involved - I always say if the children don't laugh then there's no fee."
Craft fair aims to raise money for hall
Crafts and goods of all kinds went on sale in Duddington to raise funds for the village hall. Items ranging from personalised director's chairs and stationery, children's giraffe height charts, African fashion accessories, jams and preserves were snapped up by a good sized crowd who came along to support the event, last Thursday.
Audrey Kilsby, of Duddington, said: "It went really well. There were some excellent crafts on sale and people stayed for refreshments.
"We raised around £200 which will be spent on new tables for the village hall."
Audrey said the village hall is also being equipped with central heating, and better disabled toilet facilities are being introduced.
Family clocks to feature in London Marathon
Just a decade ago, Roz and Dick Hughes were running their family business from their Deeping home.
But now the eyes of more than 40,000 London Marathon runners will be fixed on the clocks which they produce.
This year the Hughes family business, Running Imp UK won the prestigious contract to provide the 56 electronic timing clocks to be displayed throughout the 26-mile course.
But their business started from very humble beginnings. Mrs Hughes said: "My husband and I were both teachers at the Deepings School, but retired to set up a business on our own selling everything needed for running events - right down to the safety pins to hold the runner's number on.
"Dick used to be a runner, and found it difficult to get everything he needed - so we set up this one-stop shop. When we first started out we used to get calls at all times during the night from suppliers and buyers, but now we live away from the business which is based at The Gate House in the High Street, Market Deeping.
Head of marketing for the London Marathon and former world 10,000 metres world record holder David Bedford said: “During the last decade we worked with Running Imp UK on a number of smaller contracts and have built up a very good working relationship with them.
“I asked them to tender for this vital contract for the Millennium race and beyond and they have provided exactly what’s required.”
Blockbuster film brought to life
The Hollywood blockbuster film Saving Private Ryan was brought to life for students who went on a tour of Normandy beaches and Allied war cemeteries.
Setting off on November 11, Armistice Day, 61 students from Arthur Mellows Village College, in Glinton, travelled by coach to Portsmouth and took the ferry to Le Havre.
On arrival in France, they toured the historic Normandy beaches where British and American troops landed during World War II.
The British ‘Gold’ and ‘Sword’ D-Day beaches were seen, as well as the American Omaha shoreline where GIs faced a massive German assault.
The tour also took in the peace museum in Caen, a site in Authie, Normandy, where 27 Canadian servicemen were killed by the Gestapo and cemeteries housing Allied and German war graves.
They also saw Pegasus Bridge in Normandy where battles werre fought after British troops came in by glider to take the enemy by surprise.
The college party arrived home on November 14, Remembrance Sunday, as the nation was honouring its fallen heroes.
History teacher Deborah Mellor said: “It was an excellent trip, very moving, and well timed for Remembrance Sunday.”
50 years ago
South Kesteven District Council has joined in the fight to retain the childrens' unit at Stamford hospital.
The council’s environmental health committee agreed, on Thursday, to urge the Cambridge Area Health Authority not to close the section.
The authority’s scheme means that child patients from the town will have to travel to Peterborough.
100 years ago
Street Accident - The third street accident within a week occurred on Saturday, the victim being Arthur Lilley, aged 12, of 5, North Street. motorcycle was being driven by Mr. R. Wright along Scottgate then the boy was unable to avoid him, was knocked down and received a badly lacerated leg.
150 years ago
Thos. Rowley, horse clipper, of Stamford, died very suddenly on Wednesday morning.
He was going to Essendine by train, and being rather late he had to hurry to the station. As soon as he got into the carriage he fainted, and on being lifted out on the arrival of the train at Essendine he died in the porter's arms.
200 years ago
A daring burglary was committed on Saturday night last in the house of Mr. Robert Nicholls, of Edenham, and a large sum of money stolen, as stated in an advt. in preceding page. The robbers are supposed to have been well-acquainted with the premises.
