What midsummer looked like in Rutland, Stamford, Bourne and the Deepings in years gone by

The Queen was greeted by 8,000 people who packed into the Burghley Park estate when she visited on Wednesday.

The event was organised by the Lord Lieutenants of Lincolnshire, Rutland, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire as part of the Queen’s diamond jubilee tour.

The Queen arrived at Burghley House in a helicopter from Nottingham at 12.25pm, about half an hour later than expected.

She was escorted to the house by Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire Hugh Duberly.

Wearing a long teal green coat and hat, white gloves and black shoes, she looked relaxed as she waved at well-wishers.

Crowds watched the scenes on a large video screen from the stage.

A guard of honour made up of 150 staff from Burghley House applauded her as she walked towards the stately home.

The Queen stopped to admire a hedge with “ER II” carved in it last week by sculptor Rodney Slater, before she was given a whirlwind 10-minute tour of Burghley House with its current residents, house director Miranda Rock and her husband Orlando. The Queen also signed the Burghley House guest book

Her Majesty planted a lime tree outside the south entrance, just as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had done in 1844.

She then got into a black Bentley to explore other parts of the estate.

Her Majesty visited four VIP tents, one for each of the counties, and met dignitaries and representatives.

She also wrote in the visitor book for Stamford Town Hall, which was presented to her by the mayor of Stamford Bob Sandall, to mark her visit to the building on June 19, 1961.

The Queen smiled as the crowd sang the national anthem before she left Burghley House to travel on to Stamford town centre in a black Bentley.

A season of outdoor plays has begun with a bang – despite the occasional downpour.

The Stamford Shakespeare Company kicked off its summer schedule on June 4 with a week of Twelfth Night performances, followed by a week of Henry IV Part 1.

And despite sometimes soggy conditions the crowds have flocked to Rutland Open Air Theatre in the grounds of historic Tolethorpe Hall.

Marketing manager Steve Whittaker, who has been playing Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night, is pleased with the shows so far.

He said: “People are not being put off, they are bringing rugs and having their picnics in their cars if need be.

“We did have a real downpour last week but we carried on.

“We are used to it. You can’t knock the British spirit.”

The audience at Tolethorpe is protected from the worst of the elements by a canopy but the actors on stage, along with the backstage dressing room, are in the open air.

Steve added: “We have brought in heaters and dehumidifiers to dry out the backstage area so the costumes don’t get damp.

“The nice thing is that the cast never moans, they are absolutely brilliant. If the rain falls we try and project even harder because people have come from a long way to support us.

25 years ago (June 13, 1997)

Lorries could be banned from Stamford town centre if councillors succeed in gaining an extension of the town bridge weight restriction.

At a meeting of the Stamford bypass ad hoc committee last week members decided to ask Lincolnshire County Council for an extension of the 7.5 tonne limit across the whole conservation area.

Mayor Coun Alec Burt said: “Taking lorries out of the centre of Stamford would be an excellent move, and will help relieve congestion. Of course it would not affect lorries delivering goods to the town.”

If the ban was imposed, it would also affect plans to transport gravel from the proposed quarry at Pilsgate along High Street St Martin’s and Barnack Road, which would come under the new restriction.

Town clerk Tony Wain said: “The county council said it would consider this. But when the quarry application on Barnack Road came up, the county council told Cambridgeshire there was a weight limit on the bridge, and it didn’t want 20 tonne lorries driving through St Martin’s.

“If Cambridgeshire was to permit the quarry, the county council will look at imposing a ban on that part of the conservation area. We have reminded the council and asked to extend the ban across the whole conservation

area.”

Stamford may lose one of its youth clubs after inspectors declared its building a threat to the safety of teenagers and youth workers.

South Kesteven District Council has given the Weigh Bridge Drop-in Centre until June 30 to vacate its Cattle Market premises.

Dozens of youngsters go to the centre every Tuesday and Thursday and, according to youth worker Rita Saunders, they are distraught at news of its possible closure.

She said: “Everyone is very upset about this. If it closes, the youth of Stamford will have nowhere to go. The youngsters are getting ready to fight for their club if nothing is done.”

Mrs Saunders and her husband, Trevor, have run the club since it was founded in 1990. Former Stamford mayor Paul Douglass was one of the councillors who helped set it up and he is disappointed by the council’s decision.

He said: “The council let the building to us on a short-term lease, so I don’t dispute they can ask us to leave. It seems as if facilities for young people are just being constantly chipped away at.

“In the meantime we have to do what we can. I will be writing to the council to see if we can get an extension on the notice.”

Volunteers from across Rutland have helped an Oakham company get “stitched up” by raising £45,000 for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Simply Cross Stitch, John Street, Oakham, designed special sponsorship stitching kits. With the help of pensioners from the Lodge, Oakham School pupils and Voluntary Action Rutland volunteers, they distributed 45,000 of the free packs nationwide.

For the last six months individuals and groups across the country have been busy stitching.

Husband and wife team Stuart and Sylvia Poore, who set up Simply Cross Stitch 15 years ago, have been overwhelmed by the response and the letters of support and thanks they have received.

Mrs Poore said: “It was great to see such a good idea come to fruition. It’s been unbelievable – everyone was thrilled to raise money for the NSPCC. We even had letters from six prisoners who completed the kits for us and sent us their sponsorship money.”

50 years ago (June 16, 1972)

The cause of Tuesday night’s devastating blaze at Mirrlees Blackstone Ltd, Stamford’s biggest factory, seemed likely to remain a mystery yesterday.

Fire experts and detectives were unable to find many clues after a day of investigations at Mirrlees Blackstone on Wednesday.

And a spokesman for the Kesteven fire service at Grantham said the fire had gone into their “Cause unknown” file.

Police, who at first said the possibility of arson could not be ruled out, told the “Mercury” later that there had been no developments in their investigations.

Three firemen were injured and hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused when the flames ripped through the loading, packing and engine stores section.

A company spokesman said about 25,000 square feet had been affected. Roofing was ripped out and afterwards the section presented a scene of chaos.

Expensive engines ready for export all over the world were wrecked.

The drama started at about 9.10 pm when a night worker at the factory spotted the smoke and flames from about 200 yards away. The alarm was raised.

Within minutes squads of police, firemen – including the company’s own brigade – and an ambulance were on the scene.

Work on the multi-million pound Empingham Reservoir dam is well under way and generally on schedule.

Chief Resident Engineer Mr A. J. H. Winder told the Mercury: “There is nothing to show we can’t complete the whole work on schedule.Things have been going pretty well.”

Work on the dam started in September last year and is being carried out by Gleeson Civil Engineering. The contract is worth £5,298,462.

The dam is due for completion in December 1974 and pumping from the rivers Welland and Nene will start early in 1975.

The reservoir will be filling during 1975 and 1976 but the actual time it takes to fill depends on the flow of the rivers.

So far the work that has been completed is a tunnel and shafts to divert the River Gwash around the dam site, and the new link road along the reservoir site from Empingham to Normanton.

The dam will be the highest clay dam in the country and will be 115 feet high, but will have very gently sloping sides.

Roads left in muddy condition by developers of Bourne estates have led to the Urban Council sending more letters of warning to the offenders.

“In wet weather, mud in considerable quantities has been left on new roads leading off construction areas,” Mr Michael Silverwood, the surveyor, said, on Tuesday.

“Several of the roads affected are public highways and strong action can be taken on owners of offending vehicles.

“The general public, on the fully developed areas of the town, cannot be expected to tolerate the conditions in which some of the roads have been left.”

100 years ago (June 16, 1922)

Against Sunday Games – A resolution deprecating games and pleasure-seeking on Sundays was passed at the quarterly meeting of the Wesleyan Circuit on Monday, on the proposition of Mr. G. H. Turner, seconded by Mr. W. Sharpley, of Wittering. The Rev. J. Westcombe, superintendent minister, who presided, announced that he had accepted the invitation extended to him at the last meeting to remain in the circuit for a fourth year. (Applause.) The second minister, the Rev. J. E. Eagles, who has been invited to the Lincoln circuit from next September, was thanked for his services in the Stamford district.

Alleged Bicycle Theft – On Thursday (June 15), Wm. Hamer Jones, of High Broughton, Manchester, was charged with stealing a gent’s bicycle, valued at £7, the property of R. Peel, 14, Queen’s-street, Stamford, who said he left the machine outside the public library on June 8th, and when he came out it was gone. P.s. Fieldsend said that on making enquiries he found that a man answering prisoner’s description had been asking the way to Skegness. Later witness saw him in custody at Market Harborough. In the train, prisoner told witness that last week he walked from Uppingham to Stamford. He was very foot-sore, and wanted to go to Skegness. He took the bicycle and rode as far as Bourne, where he slept under a hay stack. The following day he cycled to Skegness, stopped there for an hour-and-a-half, and then returned to Market Harborough. Prisoner was remanded until Saturday.

Preparations for Next Season – Stamford Town Football Club’s application for re-admission to the Northants. League next season has been granted. In the preliminary round of the English Cup competition the club is drawn to play Kettering away.

It is hoped to wipe out the deficit of nearly £40 on the club’s finances before the season opens, and the Mayor (Mr. J. W. Pepper) has kindly offered to start the effort with a donation of £5.

Bourne

Swimming Club – At a meeting of the Swimming Club it was decided to proceed with a scheme for adapting the Monks’ pond as a swimming bath at a cost of approximately £250 which it is proposed to raise by public subscriptions. A promise of £10 has been received subject to nine others of the same amount being given.

Motor Mishap – Through collision with a Ford car when riding his motor-cycle, on teh 7th inst., Mr. Geo. W. Darnes sustained a compound fracture of the arm and other injuries. Conveyed to the Butterfield Hospital, he was attended by Dr. Gilpin.

Secondary School Salaries – A meeting of the Governors of the Secondary School was held on Friday, when Mr. J. T. Swift was re-elected chairman. A letter was received for the County Education Committee, enclosing a copy of a letter from the Board of Education which stated that in any future appointment of a headmaster at Bourne, the maximum should not exceed £700 instead of £800.

150 years ago (June 14, 1872)

The second meeting of the Stamford and District Association of Elementary Teachers was held in St. George’s school-room, Stamford, on Saturday last. The following propositions were put to the meeting and carried unanimously: That Mr. A. Brake, of St. Michael’s school, Stamford, acts as secretary and treasurer to the association; that Mr. Knight of St. Martin’s, Stamford, be president; that Mr. Roe, of Oundle, be vice president; that Mr. Maxlow, of Ketton, Mr Dennison, of Peterborough, and Mr. Groome, of Thurlby, Bourn, form the committee.

In digging gravel at Water Newton last week a Roman silver spoon, in an excellent state of preservation, was found. The handle is round and slender, tapering to a sharp point, and the part which represents the bowl has the slightest possible concavity, being indeed nearly flat. It is unquestionably of Roman workmanship. Several pieces of a course kind of pottery have been also recently picked up at about the same spot. The Roman road, Ermine-street, passed from Water Newton across the Nene to Castor, which was the ancient Durobrivae, and the whole district has from time to time yielded many curious vestiges of the occupancy of the Anglo-Romans.

On Monday Messrs. Richardson sold by auction, at the Stamford Hotel, the old licensed public-house called the Star and Garter, in Scotgate. After a spirited competition it was knocked down to Messrs. Melbourn and Co., brewers, for £670. The same evening 10 shares of £50 each, in the Stamford Gas Company were sold by auction, and were rapidly bought up to the following prices, viz, by Mr. Gilbert, three shares at £93, £92, and £92 respectively; Mr. Dent, three at £92, £92, and £92 10s.; Mr Caswell, two at £92 and £91 10s; Mr. Fardell, one at £92; Mr. Bamford, one at £91: average £92 per share.

The Primitive Methodists of Stamford and the district made arrangements for a camp meeting on Sunday last in the Eight Acres. The weather was not favourable, but services were conducted with the usual zeal of these earnest religionists. The rain did not prevent them from marching through the streets in procession singing hymns as they progressed.

The Shambles – The following notice respecting the re-building of the Butchers’ Shambles, at Stamford, has been extracted from the borough records by a local antiquary: “1751, April 15: The Corporation ordered that the shambles be pulled down and re-built at the expense of the Corporation, and that the buildings be carried on by Mr. Mayor (Robert Henson), Mr. Ald. Berresford, and Mr. Ald. Exton, and the two chamberlains (Robt. Ridlington and Matt Judd).” It is inferred from the above entry in the municipal archives that a building appropriated for the same purposes existed on the site prior to the erection of the present stalls, although no notice of it has been previously met with. The portico adjoining was advertised in the Mercury of June 3, 1808, to be appropriated for the requirements of those usually attending the Monday market, which in future was to be held here, and the space between to the sellers of fish, &c.

Bourn – The four cottages in West-street, Bourn, belonging to Mr. Thos. Heaton were offered by auction, by Messrs. Lawrence and Carter, at the Angel Hotel, on the 6th inst., but were not sold, the highest bid being £375 and the reserve £400.

200 years ago (June 14, 1822)

This week the spirited individual who has projected the lighting of Stamford with gas, has been engaged in making the necessary survey and admeasurement of the principal streets, preparatory to laying down pipes, &c. We understand his gasometer, or reservoir, is to be built in Tenter Meadow. The name of the gentleman is Weston: he has not been engaged at Melton, but has lighted Stockton on Tees, Ripon, and Richmond.

After a sultry day on Monday last, the neighbourhood of Stamford was at night visited by one of the most severe tempests of thunder and lightning ever experienced in this climate. It commenced between 8 and 9 o’clock, and it was not over till nearly 11; during which time the lightning was extremely vivid, and the thunder sometimes very awful. At North Luffenham, seven miles west of this place, a flash of lightning at a few minutes before 10 o’clock, by its intensity and continuance spread terror and dismay through the village beyond what the oldest person had ever experienced, The flash was accompanied by a whizzing noise and strong sulphurous smell, and the thunder ensued so instantaneously, that the inhabitants were not aware what mischief it was occasioning, though all persons in the neighbourhood of the church supposed their own houses to be falling. In the morning, it was discovered, however, that the spire of the church had been much injured, upwards of ten feet having been struck off from the top of it, and some of the stones carried to the wonderful distance of 170 yards. The iron spindle of the weather-cock had acted as a conductor to the lightning; and the electric fluid, after demolishing the top of the spire, had passed to one of the windows lower down, and forced out a large part of the wall of the steeple on the north-east side. From this point the lightning descended into the church, which it filled, and where its shattering effects are visible in nearly all the lower windows in the body of it. The solid walls have been in several situations pierced through by the fluid, whose course is wonderfully traced. Under one of the arches of the south aisle there is a burnt zigzag mark on the stones – an irregular dotted line of smoke – presenting one of the most singular evidences of the harmless presence of electric phenomena ever beheld. The marks, we understand, will be allowed to remain as a memorial of the visitation. Several of the pews on the south side of the church are shivered to pieces, and the walls are much damaged. In the chancel and body of the church, which has been new pewed within a few years, little damage is done. It is remarkable that the visitation at North Luffenham has happened exactly on that day twelve month (the 10th of June) which saw the similar dilapidation of Carlby church and steeple.

On Friday the 24th ult. a poor man named William Banks, of Casterton, 76 years of age, fell off a carrier’s cart at the door of the Boat public-house in Stamford, and broke one of his thighs, and otherwise so much bruised himself that he now lies with little hope of recovery.