Looking back over the years with our Mercury Memories

A housing block at an RAF base is being renovated before the return of troops serving on the frontline in Afghanistan.

RAF Wittering has received funding from the Defence Estates to update a living accommodation block before air personnel return in April.

More than 100 troops from RAF Wittering’s No 3 Squadron and No 1 RAF Force Protection Wing HQ were deployed to Helmand Province in Afghanistan, earlier this month.

They have been tasked with the vital job of patrolling outside the wire at Camp Bastion to enable air operations to take off and land.

The Beaufighter Block provides 53 improved bed-spaces complete with new furniture, fixtures and fittings.

It will also have modernised communal kitchens, showers and toilet facilities.

It is the second block at Wittering to be upgraded in the past few months, following the 28-bed Whirlwind block which was handed over to the base in September.

l Vandals who went on a window smashing spree in Stamford over the Christmas period have been slammed by traders.

Finnan’s Brasserie, Sinclairs and Nelson’s Butchers have had to replace windows broken by yobs in separate attacks over the last two weeks. Sinclairs’ manager Linda Bowskill and restaurant owner Nigel Kaye have hit out at the vandals.

The window at Sinclairs, in St Mary’s Street, was damaged on Wednesday last week when an 18-year-old Stamford man was pushed through it during a fight.

Mrs Bowskill said: “It is a shame that people can’t go out and have a good time without throwing things at the window. Last time it was a beer bottle and this time it’s fighting.

“To repair the window we have to have the electrician to get the grids out and then the glaziers to replace the glass and then have the grids put back in again.

“I think they should be made to pay for it – why should Sinclairs have to keep paying out and the insurance companies?”

Mr Kaye was called out during the early hours of Christmas Day after one of the front windows at his restaurant was smashed. A plant pot at the nearby Tobie Norris was also knocked over and broken at the same time.

Mr Kaye said: “It would be nice to have an apology and an offer to pay for the damage.”

A pane of glass in the door of Nelson’s Butchers in Red Lion Square was smashed on Monday night.

l A boy of nine has gone into the studio to provide the voice-over for a key character in a popular children’s TV show.

The animated series follows the adventures of three trains Wilson, Kiko and Brewster in the fictional town of Chuggington.

Morgan Overton, of Oakham, has been involved in the show for the past two years and on Wednesday he was busy laying down the voice-over for Wilson at a studio in London for the second series.

Once the vocals are recorded they will be edited.

They will then later be paired up with the relevant animated sequences ready to be broadcast.

Morgan revealed that when reading from a script and recording, the actors did not get a chance to see the animation in progress.

He said: “I really enjoy doing it.

“One of the best things is when I see the show on TV, with everything put together.”

25 years ago

An Easton-on-the-Hill motorist has described police funding threats as “frustrating and infuriating” after his car was broken into and then stolen in the same week.

Nick Morton, of West Street, contacted the Mercury to give his support to our campaign to stop the cut-backs threatening policing in the Stamford region.

He said: “It’s frustrating and infuriating that police resources are so stretched. When I called the police on discovering my car had been stolen my call was diverted to Corby and then an officer had to come from Oundle. He was just one of two officers expected to patrol 34 villages.

Mr Morton’s G-registration Vauxhall Astra GTE was broken into and a mobile telephone taken earlier in the week. And on Friday morning, as he prepared for work at a Weldon publishing firm, Mr Morton discovered his car had gone.

Mr Morton blames the Government for cutting back police budgets.

l A potato store at Colsterworth, owned by a Wothorpe-based company, was hit by a massive blaze on Wednesday.

Firefighters from two counties dealt with the fire in Honey Pot Lane shortly after 2pm on Wednesday, after a member of staff discovered smoke and flames.

The fire – arson has been ruled out as the cause – follows a blaze in 1991 when 2,500 tonnes of potatoes and a store were completely destroyed, causing damage totalling £300,000.

The store, owned by CEP Farms Ltd of Wothorpe, was quite badly damaged by this week’s fire, but it is believed that a considerable amount of the 2,610 tonnes of potatoes in the store can be salvaged.

Lincolnshire Fire Brigade’s assistant divisional officer, David Glossop, said: “Because of frost these stores are insulated with foam and we think the fire may have started there, although there is no sign of a break-in or malicious ignition.

l Parents are being urged to lobby local MPs over the effects that cuts will have on school next year after the recent Government spending limits set for Cambridgeshire.

This year, with inflation at 2.5 per cent, schools face up to a 3.5 per cent cut in budgets.

The Local Education Authority (LEA) and schools have been advised to look ahead and see what savings can be made.

But head teachers say the cuts have come at a bad time for schools when pupil numbers are rising, responsibilities are increasing as a result of changes in legislation for special education needs and new demands are being made in curriculum changes.

While they welcome the additional funding which the county council has made available from reserves to cushion some of the cuts, they are fearful for the longer term effect these cuts will have on schools.

Chris Walford is the chair of LEA secondary headteachers (LEASH) and spokesman for primary, secondary and special school head teachers in Cambridgeshire.

He said: “We want to alert people to the effect these cuts will have on education in the next few years. There’s not enough funding to meet existing demands and new legislation requires additional commitments from schools – but without the appropriate funding we are unable to give young people the education they need.”

50 years ago

The local flu epidemic, now nearly two weeks old, took a new turn this week as Stamford and Bourne hospitals banned all visitors except to patients who are seriously or critically ill.

Fortunately local hospitals have so far escaped lightly. The number of staff affected by the flu has not reached serious numbers and there have been no “red” alerts.

The following statement was issued by the Peterborough and Stamford Hospital Management Committee on Wednesday.

“Due to the continuing influenza outbreak it has been decided in consultation with the medical and nursing staff, that it would be advisable to restrict visiting to the hospitals in the Peterborough, Stamford and Bourne areas to those patients who are seriously or critically ill until further notice, in order to prevent the further spread of infection.

“Visiting to the seriously or critically ill patients will continue to be at the discretion of the medical and nursing staff.”

Local doctors are working flat out to cope with the epidemic and are just succeeding in keeping it under control.

l The traffic lights that caused motoring chaos in Water Street, Stamford, last autumn lapsed once more – at Christmas.

Only two weeks after the fault that brought a three-month spell of inaction was rectified, the lights failed again.

Stamford Town Hall foreman found them showing red in all for directions at 3 am on Christmas Day, said a spokesman for the Borough Surveyor’s department.

The lights were turned off until early on Monday.

“When we switched them on again we found they were working perfectly,” said the speaker. “We can only assume that there must have been a small fault.”

l Rude and impatient customers at the Post Office during the Christmas rush have upset Stamford’s Postmaster, Mr C. W. Wightman.

He explained to the Mercury on Tuesday that because of the flu epidemic his staff behind the counters had been cut drastically.

He said: “Over the Christmas period we were sometimes reduced to only two and I must say they really worked hard and to the best of their ability.

“Despite this some members of the public were not content to wait in the queue and started calling for service. Some of them were extremely abusive and rude.

“A number of my staff came to me to complain about the treatment, but I could do nothing. It really turned out to be a fly in the ointment after we had managed so well with the Christmas mail.”

Mr Wightman added that there had been about the same amount of Christmas mail as last year.

“But with people posting earlier this Christmas it really made it a great deal easier for my staff than in other years.”

Mr Wightman said that because of the flu epidemic none of his staff had yet had a chance to work out any actual facts or figures.

l Mr D. Cross, of Wothorpe, was welcomed as a new member of Stamford Rotary Club by president (Mr John Smith) at Wednesday’s luncheon meeting at the George Hotel.

100 years ago

On breaking up for the Christmas holidays the children attending the Council schools in Bourne (upwards of 500) were presented with oranges by Mr. T. M. Baxter, whose seasonable generosity was appreciated. The infants’ school was beautifully decorated, the centre of attraction being a fine Christmas tree, laden with gifts for the children. During the day, Mr. Haslam, H.M.I., aid a visit. The schools re-assemble on Monday, Jan. 5th

l The Anchor sick and dividing club at Bourne have experienced a heavy year of sickness and one death during the past year. With a membership of 56, they had paid £24 12s. in sick pay and their dividend was this year accordingly reduced to 16s. It was decided to continue with the club, and the following officers were elected: Messrs. W. Dodd, Chairman; J. Cartledge, vice-chairman; G. W. Skillington, treasurer; W. T. Pick, hon. Sec.; H. Atkin, auditor; C. Sneath, W. Rodgers, E. H. Peacock, A. Bull, J. Bradshaw, J. Bannister and T. Rodgers, committee. After the distribution of funds a musical evening was spent.

l Before the commencement of the business at the meeting of Stamford Town Council on Friday night, the Mayor presented to Mr. C. H. Thrower (headmaster of the Boys’ Endowed School, Stamford) the Military Medal awarded to his late son. The Mayor said the medal was awarded for conspicuous bravery in the field by Sapper Philip Thrower, who afterwards lost his life in the war. He would ask Mr. Thrower to reflect that his son lost his life in the greatest cause for which ever war was waged. His name stood out in a glorious company of men who gave everything they had, body and life, and gave it freely, and it was a precious heritage to the town of Stamford. It was a great example that he set, and it ought to be an inspiration to young and old to see that out of the ruinous state following the war, a better England was built up. He felt that they assembled there would best do that by putting unflagging zeal into their work for the welfare of the town.

As the medal was presented, the Council rose out of respect for the memory of the gallant young soldier, a large photograph of whom graced the wall of the Chamber, behind the Mayoral seat.

Mr. Thrower suitably acknowledged the Mayor’s remarks. He said that was one of the proudest moments of his life. His boy’s death was naturally a great loss to his family and himself, but it would be a pleasure and a consolation to Mrs. Thrower and his family to hear the Mayor’s kind remarks that night. They would appreciate them as fully as he himself did. His son had won that distinction by a purely voluntary act, in offering to repair a cable, the cutting of which had isolated his headquarters, thereby perhaps saving hundred of lives He died for his friends and his country, and he was proud to have been the father of such a son.

l In connection with the Bourne branch of the Peterborough Co-operative Society a concert was given in the Corn Exchange on the 17th inst. by the Peterborough Co-operative Choir, the whole of the proceeds of which are to be given to the Permanent Memorial Fund which is being raised in the town.

150 years ago

The Christmas holidays were kept at Stamford as at other towns where market-day did not follow the Sunday, and nearly all places of business were closed from Christmas-eve until Tuesday morning. It is pleasing to be able to state that the holiday indulgence was not abused in such a marked manner as to employ magisterial jurisdiction. There were only two cases of drunkenness before the Borough Bench after Christmas-eve and Christmas-day, and the police-sheets were clear of reports on the morning after “boxing-day.” The weather has been seasonable, and on the whole favourable for out-door recreation. The close and drizzling weather of Friday was succeeded at night by a fall of snow and frost, and real winter weather has since prevailed. So low a point did the thermometer mark on Monday night that the lake in Burghley Park was available for skating on Tuesday, and on Wednesday the Welland was completely frozen in, and bore upon is surface hundreds of young men and boys, who skated with apparent safety from the town bridge to the railway bridge by Hudds
mills.

l As many as 216 persons (men, women, and children) partook of the Christmas dinner at Stamford Union-house, for whose enjoyment nearly 20 stones of beef were purchased beside vegetables and plum pudding. That the treat was appreciated was shown by the gratitude expressed by many of the inmates on the following Board-day. The number who sat down to Christmas cheer was larger than had been experienced for several years. For a Christmas tree for the children Mr Sneath has sent a very liberal supply of various kinds of toys.

l The senior magistrate of Stamford, Charles Lowe, Esq., died on Tuesday last, in his 81st year. Mr. Lowe, who had long ceased to act on the Bench, in consequence of failing memory, was the founder of the firm of wine and spirit merchants so well known in this and the adjoining counties, and during a long and successful career he enjoyed the highest respect and confidence of his fellow-townsmen.

l A lamentable instance of sudden death occurred in Stamford on Friday morning last. On the preceding day Mr. Chas. Wright, of Polebrook, attended the funeral of Mr. Wm. Richardson, his father-in-law, and then seemed in average health. At night he was seized with a fit of paralysis, and before day-light next morning he was a corpse.

l The telegraph line from the Great Northern railway station to Stamford post-office is now nearly completed. The posts skirt the north side of the river from the Gasworks garden to the west side of the town bridge, where the wires (20 in number) are conducted to the post-office premises in St. Mary’s-street.

l On Monday morning last an accident happened on the Midland railway near Manton, which delayed the traffic for several hours. An empty goods train which left Stamford station at about 9 o’clock was delayed on the road so long that a “full” goods train which left Stamford at about 10 o’clock overtook it at the above named station, and ran into it, smashing the guard’s van and several waggons. The guard fortunately escaped with a severe shaking. Both lines were blocked.

200 years ago

This week we have received our letter from Wisbech, Lynn, &c. in due course, from which it seems that an effectual remedy has been applied to the irregularity of the posts, which we noticed last week. The complaints to the General Post-office, upon this, as upon every other occasion, have been met with the most gentlemanly attention, and the most prompt application of redress: and nothing can more attach persons to the institutions of the country, than this constant urbanity on the part of those in real authority, in receiving and attending to the representations made to them. We find that the delay in the posts was not owing to the mail between Wisbech and Cambridge, (which has always been well worked by the contractors,) - but was owing to the bad working of an irregular mail-coach between Newmarket and Huntingdon. The negligent parties have been dismissed, and the contract made with punctual persons.

l On Tuesday, Wednesday, and yesterday, the charitable donations of the Marquis of Exeter were dispensed to upwards of 200 poor persons in Stamford and St. Martin’s (including all those belonging to the chalices and hospitals), and to about 100 of the necessitous objects in the neighbouring villages. Each widow received 10s.; and besides this liberal distribution of money, clothing to a large amount was distributed to the poor around Burghley.

l The poor of Thistleton, Ayston, and Wardley, were made happy in the Christmas week with the usual bountiful donation of Mr. and Lady Mary Fludyer, consisting of beef, bread, and money, sufficient for the consumption of each family for the whole week.

l On Friday the 24th inst. the poor of North Luffenham had distributed amongst them a fat ox (weighing 74 stone), 200 quartern loaves of bread and 183 yards of flannel, the benevolent gift of the Right Hon, the Ladies Noel.

l The Hon. Charles Noel has remitted to Mr. Mould, of Oakham, the sum of £50, to be given away to the poor of that place. The prisoners in the gaol, on Christmas-day, were regaled with roast beef and ale, out of the handsome gratuity.

l The Duke of Rutland is entertaining a large party of distinguished fashionables, during the holidays, at his seat Belvoir Castle. The poor in the neighbourhood partake largely of the princely hospitality of the mansion.

l Last week, at Lynn, an ox, of the short-horned Lincolnshire breed, grazed by Mr. Derry, of Gedney, was slaughtered and sold by Mr. Cooper, butcher, in the Saturday Market-place; its height, when living, was 6 feet 2 inches, and it weighed two hundred and fifty stone.

l On Sunday night the 19th inst., a live fat pig (weighing 18 stone), a quantity of wheat in the chaff, and a pitch-fork, were stolen from the premises of Mr. Joshua Tewson, of Deeping Fen. The pig was driven from the sty and killed in a neighbouring close, where a young ash tree was cut up, apparently for the purpose of carrying the carcase away.