Stamford residents' parking scheme introduced and other stories from the Rutland & Stamford Mercury archives
We take another trip down memory lane in our Mercury Memories feature.
Every week, we delve into our long archives with the support of the Stamford Mercury Archive Trust.
10 years ago
March 8, 2013
Stamford will not get a residents’ parking scheme after too few people responded to a council questionnaire.
South Kesteven District Council asked residents of five zones around the town centre whether they were willing to pay for a permit to park outside their homes.
For permits to be introduced 50 per cent of residents needed to be in favour, but less than 30 per cent responded. This means that residents who ignore parking restrictions outside their homes will face fines.
Steve Marsh has parking restrictions outside his house in Broad Street. He said: “We are in despair. We are back to square one which is really difficult.”
Mr Marsh said he was not surprised at the result due to the format of the survey, which required half of residents to be in favour rather than 50 per cent of respondents.
He added: “We are keen to see the detail of the survey results because we believe there are subsets of streets where the majority are in favour.”
A total of 2,904 questionnaires were sent out to residents and businesses and 854, or 29.4 per cent, were returned.
A new toilet block at a park in Stamford is still not ready to open six months after its target completion date because of a dispute.
Stamford Town Council is exploring its options, which could include taking legal action, after a dispute with the builders over the new toilet block on The Rec in Stamford.
The contractors had been set a target completion date of July and work started last spring.
But the council is not happy with the work that has been done and will not open the toilets until this is resolved.
Coun Tony Story (Ind) approached the architect with a list of 22 snagging points in November.
There are still five points not resolved to the council’s satisfaction. He said the five unresolved snagging points are: a top coat of tarmac not completed; there are no air vents in the toilets; the men’s urinal does not flush properly; the drinking fountain has not been satisfactorily completed and a rubber protection has not been placed on steel bollards meaning the exterior doors could get damaged.
The Mid-Lent Fair will start in Stamford on Monday but the biggest rides will be missing after it was decided The Meadows was still too wet.
Stamford Town Council, which is responsible for The Meadows, and the Mellors Group, which provides the rides, took the decision during a site visit on Thursday last week.
In a statement the council said: “The past year has seen unprecedented rainfall and it was felt in the best interest of this sensitive site to give the ground time to recover.”
The Meadows is normally home to a handful of rides but they are the biggest on the fair, which stretches into Bath Row, Castle Dyke, Sheep Market, Red Lion Square and Broad Street.
There is nowhere else suitable for the rides, meaning they will be absent this year.
Chairman of the amenities committee Mike Exton (Con), who carried out the site visit, said it was “disappointing” but the most important thing as preserving The Meadows for future use.
25 years ago
March 6, 1998
Landlords with an ‘axe to grind’ have been blasted by super pub chief Tim Martin.
Mr Martin, chairman of JD Wetherspoons Plc, said he was disappointed magistrates refused the company’s licence application during a two-day hearing at Stamford Town Hall on Thursday, and that landlords were to blame.
He said scare stories on the number of people expected to use the pub were bandied around, which put magistrates off granting a licence.
Plans for the premises, to be known as The Stukeley Stones, at the former electricity showrooms in St John’s Street, included no music, a 30 per cent smoke free zone and no games such as pool.
Magistrates turned down the licence application on the grounds that Stamford, which has not had a justices’ licence granted for 30 years, already has adequate pubs.
Jim Battersby, landlord of the Golden Fleece and chairman of the Licensed Victuallers Association said: “The fact is that Stamford does not need another pub.”
Stamford Rotary Club is urging young people and youth groups to come forward and apply for grants.
The club set up a Jubilee Committee to help celebrate its 50th anniversary in the town.
The committee, which raised £6,500 last year for young people, was formed to provide youth-based projects with funding for community based projects.
Committee chairman Alan Rose said: “I can’t believe people haven’t come forward with an idea – have Stamford youth no initiative?
“Despite all the publicity we have done, not even one person has applied for participation in the scheme.
“Any project will be greeted with open arms. We want it to be the idea of people aged between 11 and 21 – and that includes schools and youth groups such as the YMCA.
“We have advertised the appeal every way we can, but to no avail – no one seems to want our money.”
Coachloads of protesters from Stamford and Bourne descended on the capital and took the countryside fight to London on Sunday.
An estimated quarter of a million people from the rural communities gathered to march through the streets to highlight what they see as an attack on their lifestyle.
Alongside those marching in support of the original objective, a protest against the Bill to ban hunting with hounds, were other groups including those angry at the ban on the sale of beef on the bone.
Nearly 300 people aged eight to 80 left from Toft House Hotel, near Bourne.
Roger Dungworth, a farmer from Lound who helped organise the protesters, said: “The day was a huge success and the numbers that turned out showed what strength of feeling the rural community has and how we cannot be ignored. All sections of country sports were on board including hunters, shooters and fishermen.
“They were joined by farmers and representatives of all the allied industries with grave concerns about the present Government bulldozing around with legislation without proper consultation with, or respect, for the rural community.”
The Countryside Alliance hailed the march a success, with Clarissa Daly from the organisation saying the atmosphere was fantastic.
She said: “It shows how strongly people feel about the future of the countryside. They are prepared to get up early to come to London, march and go home. Those in Westminster cannot ignore this protest.”
50 years ago
March 9, 1973
When the oven at a Stamford butcher’s became something of a hot property, the staff did not lose their cool.
They kept their customers supplied with their pork and steak and kidney pies – by asking local bakers to pop them in their ovens for them.
Said a spokesman for the butchers, Nelson’s Ltd, “I think we kept up to schedule.
“In fact, I doubt if any of our customers would have known.”
Nelson’s oven, which was converted to natural gas in November, blew its top deck out, and the firm have had to pay about £1,000 for repairs.
Stamford police have issued a description of a man they want to interview in connection with a £100 cash theft from a Stamford florists, on Saturday afternoon.
And the theft, from W. and J. Brown, High Street, was exactly the sort police warned Stamford shopkeepers about before Christmas.
Said a police spokesman, “The thief worked with another man, as a pair.
“One engaged the assistant in conversation while the second man went and took the money from the office.
“We warned people about this sort of theft.”
The police have a description of one man who w as in the shop at the time.
They want to see a man aged 35-40, 5ft 7ins, with short wavy hair, going bald at the front.
He was a plumpish build with a large stomach, and wore a mauve T shirt.
Transport troubles are over for a little Wilsthorpe girl who had to live away from her parents to go to the school of her dreams.
And it is all because of a ‘bend the rules’ decision by Kesteven Education Committee on Wednesday.
Twelve-year-old Helen Baxter had to live with her aunt at Greatford so she would be inside the catchment area of the school she’d always wanted to attend ...the Deepings County Secondary.
But when her aunt became ill she had to move outside the catchment area to her parents home at Church Farm, Wilsthorpe.
That’s when Kesteven Education Committee ruled that they could no longer pay for her transport.
A doctor told education officials that living away from home had a bad effect on little Helen.
Now Wednesday’s decision means Helen will be able to live at home – and still go to her favourite school with the committee paying her parents a concession towards transport.
The mere suggestion that Bourne Urban Council should move the street market stalls from North Street and West Street, and reposition them on a car park, has engendered strong feelings among stallholders and Bourne business people.
Stallholders interviewed said that they did not want to move, and any change which took them off the streets would be detrimental to the town.
“I have been on markets since I was 10 and I have been coming to Bourne for something like 20 years,” said Mr Herbert Pauley, greengrocer.
“If they move these stalls it will kill the market and will hit the small traders of the town, It has happened to other markets. The only trouble is that the market is sprawling.”
100 years ago
March 9, 1923
Our A1 Boys – On Monday the members of the Church Lads’ Club gave a gymnastic and boxing display to a highly appreciative audience, which included the Mayor and Mayoress. The performance of the lads was of a surprisingly high standard, and evoked merited applause. Miss V. Martin, who was accompanied by Mrs. Tinkley, added to the enjoyment by her singing, and was compelled to respond to several imperative encores, Mr. A. E. Dixon, in a short address, bore tribute to the fine work of Miss Lowe (hon. Sec.), Mr. F. A. Forde (gymnastic instructor), and Mr. F. Palmer (boxing instructor) towards making the club a success, and appealed for more general support for the club. The Mayor endorsed Mr, Dixon’s remarks.
Among the Sinhalese – On Monday night, at Browne’s Hospital (kindly lent by Canon Moore), a lantern lecture, organised by Miss Whincup, and under the auspices of the local auxiliary of the Church Missionary Society, was delivered to a large and appreciative audience. Rev. J. D. Day presided, and the Rural Dean (Rev. E. Louis C. Clapton) opened the meeting with prayer. The lecture was delivered by the Rev. D. E. Shorten, who dealt in a most interesting way with his experiences during 22 years’ mission work amongst the natives of Ceylon. Mr. Pettifer operated the lantern. The lecturer paid tribute to the good work performed by the local branch.
Meant to be Inside – Released from Lincoln gaol on Saturday morning, Wm, James Aslett, of no fixed abode, was arrested in Oakham for being a suspected person at 1.30 a.m. on Sunday. He said to the officer, “Lock me up. If you don’t now you will have to in the morning. I’m going to break in somewhere.”
When he was charged on Monday, P.c. Swann said he saw prisoner in a crouching position in the doorway of the post office. He spoke to him and received the above reply. He further stated that he had tried to get in “the corner shop” (Jermyn and Perry’s).
Insp. Bottom said he asked the prisoner if he really understood the nature of the charge, and he replied “I meant to get in somewhere to get locked up.”
The Chairman (Mr. E.Guy Fenwick): “Have you ever tried to get any proper work?”
Prisoner: The workhouse do not give you a chance. They keep you till 11 o’clock, and then it is too late.
Mr. E. G. B. Fowler (Magistrates’ Clerk): You think the prison is better than the workhouse? - Yes.
The Chief Constable (Mr. F. W. Golder) said prisoner had 17 previous convictions, and sentence of three months’ hard labour was pronounced.
Bourne
The Rural Rate – Estimates for the ensuing half-year, presented by the Finance Committee at a meeting of the Rural District Council on Thursday showed a total of requirements of £13,545, of which £6795 would have to be provided from the rates. The rate will work out at about 1s. 4d.
n Surveyor Appointed – Holding a special meeting on Thursday, the Urban Council appointed Mr. Plowright, of Alford, as surveyor and sanitary inspector in succession to Mr. R. G. Coles, resigned.
150 years ago
March 7, 1873
The monthly meeting of the Sanitary Committee of the Stamford Town Council was on Monday last attended by 14 members. Plans for the building of small tenements on the North-road, near Clock-cottage, on the Eight-acres, and on the Empingham-road were submitted. The last named was approved, but the others were referred to a committee of inspection, it being stated that the plans were not in compliance with the bye-laws.
An old man named Sam. Ingram, a scavenger, died very suddenly this morning. He awoke about five o’clock, and while his wife was getting a light for him he died. He had been ailing for some time, but had not been under medical treatment since July, 1872, and he went to bed in his usual health.
The Weather of February, 1873 – Observations taken at Tickencote daily at 9 a.m. (166 feet above mean sea level): Rain and snow fell on 13 days of the month. The greatest fall was on the 2d, when 0.31 inch was registered. There was frost on 15 nights. The lowest temperature was on the morning of the 20th, when 13 degrees of frost were registered. The total rainfall for the month was 1.51 inch. The fall of rain in February, 1872, was 1.73 inch. - W. Hayes.
Stamford Union – At the Board meeting on Wednesday last the Vice-chairman (Mr. Bromhead) alluded to the loss the Guardians had sustained by the death of Mr. Lowe, the senior vice-chairman, who had been a member of the Board ever since the Union was established, and who had invariably shown himself the friend of the ratepayers as well as of the poor. He proposed a vote of condolence with the family, which was seconded by Mr. Thompson (Gretford), and a copy of it was ordered to be forwarded to Mr. Conyers Lowe, the deceased’s son and executor. It was proposed and unanimously adopted that in consequence of the exceptionally high price of coal the aged and disabled householders in receipt of out-relief should be paid 6d. a week additional during the next six weeks, to enable them to procure a little more fuel than they have been able to get of late. The number of inmates of the workhouse was precisely the same as in the corresponding week of last year – viz., 154. Recipients of out-relief 834, at a cost of £95 10s 11½d.; corresponding week of last year 894, at a cost of £100 10s. 2¼d. Wayfarers relieved 14.
Novel Wedding at Bourn – A marriage which we last week announced as having taken place at the Abbey church, Bourn, was conducted on a somewhat novel plan, and “in a very quiet sort of way.” The bridegroom, who is a farmer’s son having previously obtained a licence and made matters right in that respect, proceeded to Bourn on Monday morning with a load of corn. On arriving at the south end of the town, the corn, &c. was left in charge of another person, the bridegroom forthwith presenting himself at the railway station where the bride elect was in waiting, and they at once made their way to the church in their usual attire. The ceremony over, the parties proceeded again to the railway station where they parted company: the bride to take a trip alone to Nottingham, and the young bridegroom to go on his way to deliver his corn, and after this had been properly done he returned to the home of his father.
200 years ago
March 7, 1823
On Monday was committed to Northampton gaol, (by the Rev. H. Y. Smythies and the Rev. Jos. Parsons, two of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the liberty of Peterboro’,) for trial at the assizes then holding, Richard Hamerton, of Helpstone, and Joseph Dyson, of Glinton, labourers, on suspicion of slaughtering and stealing, in the night of Friday last, a shearling wether sheep, the property of Mr. Bellars, of Woodcroft.
On Saturday the 22d ult. an inquest was held by Mr. Hopkinson, coroner for the soke of Peterboro’, at the Bell Inn, Helpstone, upon the body of Mrs. Jane Baines, a respectable widow of that place, who on the Thursday preceding was found drowned in the well upon her own premises. It appeared that the deceased lived by herself and was subject to giddiness of the head. She had not been seen by her neighbours for four or five days. Verdict, found drowned.
On Monday night the 24th ult. The workshop of Mr. Chapman, shoemaker, at Barrowden, Rutland, was broken open and robbed of a watch, with shoes and leather to the amount of £20.
The good people of Bourn had their feelings excited on Saturday se’nnight by the funeral of a deceased merchant, shortly before of considerable consequence in that place. It was clearly wished to inter the corpse with the utmost dispatch and privacy. Accordingly, no funeral bell was tolled, but the coffin and its dishonoured contents were at an early hour in the morning carried to the grave, from the dwelling-house in which the deceased had for many years resided in comfort and supposed opulence. There were not any pall-bearers; and from the inadvertence of those who bore the coffin, the pall was caught by the wind and blown off. This unceremonious way of consigning to the ‘narrow house’ the remains of one who until very lately had filled so considerable a space in society, was to the contemplative mind affecting; and the notice of it may perhaps be instructive to many persons. The deceased has been speculative and imprudent, and his recent failure has involved numbers in distress.
The seat of Sir J. H, Thorold, Bart., at Syston Park, near Grantham, had a narrow escape from destruction by fire on Monday se’nnight. The conflagration began in part of some new works which Sir John is erecting for the reception of his splendid library, and was owing to fire by some unknown means getting between the wall and the floor. It is supposed to have been burning secretly from Saturday until Monday morning at eight o’clock, when it appeared in a most alarming way, entrance to the apartment being rendered impossible by intense smoke: however, by prompt aid, good engines in the house, and plenty of water, after about two hours’ incessant labour the mansion was preserved: the floor of the room, and new ceiling of the ante-room to the library, were alone destroyed. Had the flames broken out in the night, or on Sunday, when help was not at hand, and during the violent wind of that day, in all probability nothing could have saved the whole house from destruction.