Oakham Army reservist honoured for Afghanistan service and other stories from the long archive of the Rutland & Stamford Mercury
We’re on our weekly stroll down memory lane looking at news from up to 200 years ago.
Our Rutland & Stamford Mercury Memories is produced thanks to the support of the Stamford Mercury Archive Trust.
10 years ago
NCS pupils hold fundraising events
Students on the National Citizen Service scheme ended four weeks of preparation with fundraising events. A group of 16-year-olds from the Stamford and Bourne area held a fun day at The Shack in Stamford.
The teenagers put on games for young children, organised face painting and loom bands, and held a raffle to raise money for the Evergreen Care Trust.
Lauren Proctor, 16, said: "We want people to have a better opinion of teenagers. We wanted people to feel that not all teenagers fit a certain stereotype."
The group hoped to raise £200 on the day.
In Bourne, a group of teenagers taking part in the programme held four weeks of activities, including two residential weeks and two weeks delivering a social action project, where they were fundraising for Help for Heroes. The teenagers raised £1,285.
Mentor Steph Wilkinson said: "I feel my team of young people have done a great service to their local community."
Army reservist honoured
An Army reservist from Oakham has been honoured for his service in Afghanistan.
L/Cpl Shaun Fowler of 158 Transport Regiment Royal Logistic Corps (158 Tpt Regt RLC) was presented with a Joint Commander’s Commendation and his campaign medal at a parade in Ipswich.
The parade marched through the town centre to Christchurch Park, where Mayor of Ipswich Coun Bill Quinton took the salute and presented campaign medals to 23 soldiers who have recently returned from a six month tour of Afghanistan.
The troops came back in March after deploying an Operation Herrick alongside regular colleagues from 2 Logistic Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps.
Their role was to run a fleet of trucks carrying out combat logistic patrols from Camp Bastion, to both deliver supplies to forward operating bases and return equipment as part of the drawdown British Forces.
L/Cpl Fowler was one of five soldiers from the Regiment’s 203 (Loughborough) Squadron which deployed on the tour.
The citation for his Joint Commander’s Commendation described how his performance on tour had ‘exceeded all expectations from a soldier of his rank and experience’.
The 46-year-old builder said: “As a section commander I was responsible for looking after a group of soldiers and vehicles, commanding them out on the ground and ensuring everything was well maintained.
“I’m deeply honoured to receive this commendation when, to me, I didn’t put any more effort in than what the other guys did.
“The parade was a really good experience, it makes you feel so proud to have people cheering as you’re marching.”
Locals help three-year-old Honey
A little girl who is “trapped in her own body” is getting comfort from the colours of two bubble machines - thanks to people’s generosity.
Honey Gloster’s rare condition, Ohtahara Syndrome, was featured in the Mercury earlier this year when her mum Hannah appealed for help to buy a Mixed Light Sensory Pack to help the three-year-old relax when she is distressed.
Within weeks the Deeping Men’s Group donated the full £1,320 needed and the charity Caudwell Children, through whom the appeal was made, also raised enough cash.
Now the sensory pack and mobile sensory kit, which can be moved from room, are helping to sooth little Honey when she has an epileptic seizure or is in distress.
Hannah said: “She cannot move or lift her arms. She is trapped in her own body. So we are never sure what she can see or hear. But when we close the blinds in her room and switch on the sensory pack she seems to really like it.
“The pack has a big bubble tube and when it turns blue and green you can see her eyes light up. It is fantastic to see that.”
Ohtahara Syndrome is a rare form of childhood epilepsy that also affected Prime minister David Cameron’s son Ivan, who died at the age of six.
It leaves a child very floppy, often results in regular chest infections and severely restricts development.
Honey needs 24 hour care. Her life rotates between hospital visits, physiotherapy sessions and treatments.
The family, of Lime Tree Avenue, Market Deeping, including dad Darren, sister Hope, seven, and brother Kodi, two, work together to do their best for Honey, Hannah said.
Grant to help restore castle
A total of £2m of grant money will be used to restore the historic Oakham castle and introduce an exciting events programme. The Heritage Lottery Fund accepted a joint bid from Rutland County Council, Oakham Town Council and the Friends of Rutland County Museum and Oakham Castle.
The money will be used to carry out extensive restoration work, put in place an events programme and allow the castle to host reenactments and living history. The work will be led by a project board formed by the organisations that submitted the bid.
Council leader Roger Begy (Con) said: "It's hard to put into words how delighted everyone at the council and on the board is to have our bid approved by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
"We knew from the outset that this was an extremely competitive process and we have given 110 per cent on behalf of the local community to make this happen. It is a very proud day for Rutland."
The castle is one of the key tourist attractions in Oakham. It was in the spotlight last week when the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visited. As is tradition for Royal visitors, the Duchess unveiled her own horseshoe to be placed next to the one her husband gave to Oakham in 2003. head of heritage
Lottery Fund for the East Midlands Vanessa Harbar said: "Oakham Castle is, without doubt, one of Rutland's finest heritage treasures. The stunning great hall is home to a unique collection of horseshoes dating from the 12th Century, it attracts thousands of visitors every year.
"We felt it was timely to support essential restoration work to the site and also support the council's plans to refresh the complementary activity and education programmes. Once the project is completed, we are confident the castle and historic town will continue to draw in both established as well as new visitors to the area."
25 years ago
Brothers to embark on charity cycle ride
Ketton half-brothers Steve Fay and Christy Acton are about to embark on a fundraising cycle ride to Istanbul.
The pedal pushing duo are due to set off from Town Hall Square, Leicester, and hope to cycle the 3,000 miles in 30 days.
Steve (33) and Christy (23) of Church Road, Ketton, are taking on the gruelling journey to raise money for SPIN - a charity which cleans up biohazards in Antarctica left by disused science stations.
The pair have been in training around Rutland Water and are said to be raring to go. Their cross-Europe route will take them through France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, and Romania before finally reaching Istanbul.
The pair plan to make the expedition as sustainable as possible. Solar panels will provide their energy needs for cooking and they plan to visit the most environmentally friendly camp sites along the way. Regular reports of their trip will be put on the internet.
Boats take to the water
A record 112 teams defied the rain and turned out to this year’s Deeping’s Raft Race the most successful year yet.
The £7,000 profits from the raft race will go towards buying computers for the primary schools of Deepings.
Organisers were dismayed at the appalling weather on the day of the raft race, but were delighted at the way people overcame the difficulties with enthusiasm.
Event organiser Mike Shattock was very pleased with the event’s popularity. “It was a fantastic day. There were about 600 people rafting and thousands more umbrellas cheering us on!
“I’ve never seen rain like it in August before, it was torrential. But the weather didn’t seem to put anyone off, and we all had a great time.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t give the kids their certificates and prizes for the raft race because of the bad weather, but we’re going to organise another time to have a presentation.”
The children were invited to design and test their own rafts, floating them on the River Welland in Deeping St James.
There were awards for rafts in various categories on the day, for those which endure the one-and-a-quarter-mile course in style.
Winners of the main race were the Classic Fireplaces team which can now celebrate a hat trick, taking first place for the third time. The Bourne Boys tied with the Raging Rafters, both with a time of 32 mins 16 seconds in the fun race.
The pub race prize was scooped by the Bell Boyz, and the ladies race by St Nicholas Pirates. Best decorated raft went to Shark Attack. The night before the race, competitors warmed up at the Deeping Raft Race Dance, with live music and a hog roast.
Budding film makers see ideas in action
Budding Spielbergs and Hitchcocks have been seeing their ideas in motion at Stamford Arts Centre.
The mini movie masterclass has been organised by the Lincolnshire Film Consortium to give children the experience of making their own film. Youngsters aged between 10 and 11 have been getting behind the camera and putting their creativity to the test.
During the course, the children explore technology and animation techniques and create characters and plotlines. The kids make the sets, scenery and have artistic control over the finished film.
Avril Harpley, one of the course leaders, says the children have made excellent directors. She said: "It's wonderful to watch them, because they are so stimulated, motivated and excited - and they seem totally at home with the technology.
"They're very influenced by Star Wars and other things they've seen on television, but they have their own ideas too."
Pupils take on intensive literacy course
Superstar pupils who got off to a flying start on a two week intensive summer literacy course received awards on Friday. The course, which was run at Queen Eleanor Community School, Stamford, is part of the Government's pledge to boost literacy and aims to improve the reading and writing abilities of selected children.
Supported by local businesses who donated more than £1,000 in sponsorship and prizes and Lincolnshire County Council the course catered for around 30 pupils.
The course, called A Flying Start, mixed intensive tuition with trips and fun activities. Head of learning needs at Queen Eleanor Kay Wright said: "Last year we raised more money than any other school and all the children who attended last year have benefitted from the course immensely."
50 years ago
Mr Joseph Heath (46) of Essex Road, Stamford claimed at an industrial tribunal that he was unfairly dismissed by Barton's Transport, but his appeal was turned down after a five-hour hearing at Nottingham.
100 years ago
The holiday fixture in Stamford on Monday was a carnival and athletic sports meeting on behalf of the Stamford Town Football Club, and as a result of the effort the club should be lifted a long way towards the surface of the financial "slough of despond" in which it has been wallowing for several years past. The organisers had worked well, and Mr. J. W. Aughton is deserving of the praise in this respect.
150 years ago
A serious accident befell Mr Marriott, of Ryhall, on Monday whilst driving home from his farm. On descending the steep bill near the Tallyho at Ryhall, a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder startled the horse, and the trap, owing to some of the harness not having been properly adjusted, running on to its heels at the same moment, it became unmanageable, and ran the vehicle on the embankment by the side of the road.
Mr. Marriott was thrown out, and three of his ribs fractured.
200 years ago
On Thursday the 5th, the twelfth anniversary meeting of the Rutland and Stamford auxiliary Bible Society was held at the Grammar-school in Oakham; when an animating statement of the good success with which the labours of the parent institution have been crowned, (as contained in the Report, and confirmed and dilated on by the many eloquent speakers who addressed the numerous assembly,) was received with the strongest marks of approbation. It was mentioned in the report that 552 bibles and testaments have been distributed within the district in the course of the last year, and that the funds of this auxiliary society are in a very prosperous state.
