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A look at stories from 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

Pupils take part in employability session

Year 10 pupils from The Deepings School took part in an employability and enterprise skills day, delivered by entrepreneurs from the Bright Futures organisation.

Year 10 pupils from The Deepings School 10 years ago.
Year 10 pupils from The Deepings School 10 years ago.

Pupils worked in teams of five and spent the day learning how to be enterprising, discovered how earnings are linked to government spending, setting up your own business and developing key employability skills.

Pupils also had to design and build an innovative model theme park rollercoaster ride and 'negotiate' the purchase of materials to design and make a loyalty card holder for Sir Darren Sugar!

Singing star receives special honour

Singing star, Rhiannon Rainbow had the special honour of meeting a Princess at the weekend as part of her big performance for a cause close to her heart.

Rhiannon Rainbow presents a posy to Princess Alexandra 10 years ago.
Rhiannon Rainbow presents a posy to Princess Alexandra 10 years ago.

Seven-year-old Rhiannon, from Bourne, travelled to the capital city at the weekend to perform at the concert in aid of HemiHelp.

Rhiannon got the opportunity to sing with the HemiHelp Choir at The Children Helping Children concert on Saturday.

She had the special honour of presenting the charity's royal patron Princess Alexandra with a posy.

Rhiannon said: "The concert was really good, I did lots of singing. My favourite part was giving the flowers to the Princess.

“I really love singing, I sing all the time at home. I hope to be a popstar one day."

The event was organised to help raise funds and awareness of HemiHelp, a national charity that helps the families of children affected by Hemiplegia.

Rhiannon knows all about the support HemiHelp provides, as she herself has left-sided Hemiplegia after she suffered a stroke following a premature birth.

Her mum Hayley said: We were really proud to see her up on the stage performing, it was such a great experience for all the family.

“It was really good for her to be able to meet other children with Hemiplegia, along with meeting Paralympian Sascha Kindred who is a patron of HemiHelp and very inspirational."

Nursery turns 25

A nursery celebrated its 25th birthday with some old friends and scaly visitors.

Maxey siblings Jack, 10, Keira, eight, and Harry, five, meeting a Burmese python with Reptile Life handler Jonathan Linton 10 years ago.
Maxey siblings Jack, 10, Keira, eight, and Harry, five, meeting a Burmese python with Reptile Life handler Jonathan Linton 10 years ago.

ABC Day Nursery in Tallington held a party for staff, parents and children on Saturday.

Owner Tracy Neal invited anyone with a connection to the nursery through its 25-year existence to the party.

Nursery walls were covered in old photos. And those who did make it got to meet some new friends thanks to Reptile Life, which brought a range of snakes and lizards to the party.

Tracy said: "It was really nice. We had quite a few past parents with grown up children that came to us many years ago.

"The animals were really popular and we also had a magician. It was a lovely get-together.

“It was so nice that so many people turned out."

World of Harry Potter brought to life at library

The magical world of Harry Potter was brought to life by youngsters at Stamford Library.

Jane Barber, left, and Chloe Gregory, right, with Christopher Gib-bon, Nicholas Gibbon, Adam Clipsham and Toby Woodward, centre, 10 years ago.
Jane Barber, left, and Chloe Gregory, right, with Christopher Gib-bon, Nicholas Gibbon, Adam Clipsham and Toby Woodward, centre, 10 years ago.

The library in High Street, Stamford, held a day of activities to mark Harry Potter Book Night on Thursday last week and 35 children, many of them dressed as the young wizard, joined in with the fun which included trying on a sorting hat to see if they were a Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin.

Team leader at the library Lea Rickard said it was a great event, which the staff enjoyed just as much as the children.

The library is now considering making it an annual event.

25 years ago

Couple enjoy trip to Paris

Romantic couple Beverley Wrigley-Pheasant and Robert Pheasant will return to the city for their first weekend away after winning a Mercury trip to Paris.

Valentine winners Beverley Wringley-Pheasant and Robert Pheasant 25 years ago.
Valentine winners Beverley Wringley-Pheasant and Robert Pheasant 25 years ago.

The couple from Essendine were chosen from loads of entries we received for our Paris Valentine Competition to find the world's most romantic person.

Beverley, 40, said her husband, a lorry driver, is the most romantic person because: "After a long week at work he will come home, ignore the children until he has kissed me with pas-sie will pend time with our children together, and then Beverley, a supply teacher, and Robert, 48, met in 1988 when he bought Beverley's business.

They now run the firm together. They went to Paris eight or nine years ago before marrying in Oakham in 1992.

The couple have a seven-year-old son George and two daughters Katherine, 19, and Lydia, 11, from Beverley's first marriage.

She said: "This is the best thing to happen to us in a long time. It has been a struggle but we have stayed together.

“We are really looking forward to the trip. We have not been away for a long time so it is going to be fantastic.”

Frog race raises over £700 for new school computers

Parents and teachers jostled for tadpole position at a fundraising frog race.

Organisers and guests cheer on their frogs at the John Clare Primary School 25 years ago.
Organisers and guests cheer on their frogs at the John Clare Primary School 25 years ago.

And they leapfrogged their way to collecting £700 for new school computers and an additional classroom.

Guests at the John Clare Primary School in Helpston had a great time betting on the wooden frogs, which were pulled along to make them hop.

And then the frogs, decorated by pupils at the school, were auctioned off by organisers from the Friends of John Clare School and the Helpston under-fives pre-school.

Chairman of the Friends Anne Bennett said: "There were six frogs in each race, and people placed bets on which would win.

“The frogs went through to semi-finals and a grand final, so there were plenty of races going on.

"Each race also had a sponsor, which helped give a boost to funds. It was a terrific evening and everyone had a brilliant time!”

Dance and drama group receives reward from bank

Deepings Youth Centre In-Er-Self dance and drama group has received a £100 community action award from National Westminster Bank.

Deepings Youth Centre In-Er-Self dance and drama group receive £100 grant 25 years ago.
Deepings Youth Centre In-Er-Self dance and drama group receive £100 grant 25 years ago.

Matt Bessent, an employee of Nat West, applied for the award for the group just before Christmas.

A youth worker at Deepings Youth Centre, Mr Bessent provides many hours of voluntary help to the group and was instrumental in helping produce their recent successful show Songs From the Musicals.

He said: "I am pleased Nat West has joined the list of organisations who have helped our young people. I can assure them that their money will be well spent."

History made at computer centre

Millennium Mayor Cedric Cadman had technology at his fingertips on Monday when he sent the very first e-mail from Stamford Library's new computer centre.

Stamford mayor Cedric Cadman makes history by sending the first e-mail from a new computer centre in Stamford 25 years ago.
Stamford mayor Cedric Cadman makes history by sending the first e-mail from a new computer centre in Stamford 25 years ago.

Mr Cadman, joined by his wife Judy, tapped in a message to their daughter Vicola, 26, who is travelling in Australia.

He said: "Nicola only went two weeks ago so Judy and I were particularly delighted that the centre was open so we could send an e-mail to her in Sydney."

Mr Cadman told his daughter she was making history as she would be the first person to receive a message from the new facility.

The centre has 15 computers which people can use to send e-mails or surf the internet.

Mr Cadman, who had never used e-mail technology before, likened the experience to learning to drive.

He said: "You can convince yourself you will never get used to driving with three pedals but then it becomes second nature."

Stamford man wins free holiday

A Stamford man couldn't believe his ears when he was contacted by Nottinghamshire Scouts to say he had won a holiday worth £2,000 along with £1,000 spending money.

Presenter of BBC Radio Nottingham show Karl Cooper (centre) helps Matthew and Nick Clift choose the holiday of a lifetime 25 years ago.
Presenter of BBC Radio Nottingham show Karl Cooper (centre) helps Matthew and Nick Clift choose the holiday of a lifetime 25 years ago.

The prize was drawn on BBC Radio Nottingham's Sunday Morning Show but the winning ticket only had a phone number on it and no address.

And when the number was dialled it was found to be no longer in use.

Nick Clift had bought the winning ticket at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham when his son Matthew was in the Scout and Guide Gang Show early in 1999.

However, during the summer the Clift family moved to Stamford and changed their phone number.

The Scouts then started the difficult work of tracking down the Clift family. Luckily the records the Scouts kept indicated a link to the family from the gang show and eventually contact was made.

Mr Clift was delighted and said: "We are over the moon with the prize and the fact that no-one gave-up trying to contact us.

"We have never won a major prize before. Last summer we moved from Nottingham to Stamford and were unable to take a holiday.

"This prize will put that right - our children have already picked out Florida — so it looks as if it's Disneyland here we come.”

50 years ago

The Stamford Ice Cream Company Ltd, who own the Sally Morelands supermarket in Stamford, have bought the old Metalcraft premises in Little Casterton Road, Stamford.

Plans are now to be heard by South Kesteven Council to alter the premises into a retail outlet with minor alterations to the building.

100 years ago

Brazencose school, Stamford - Pupils are prepared for the Oxford local, Cambridge higher local, London matriculation, Board of R.A.M and Royal Drawing Society Exams. Painting, dancing, gymnastics, swimming, games, shorthand. Very inclusive feeds. Reduction for sisters.

150 years ago

Stamford Rifle Corps Invitation Ball took place on Friday last in the assembly rooms, which were kindly lent by Mr. Langley. It was a most successful affair, there being nearly 300 present.

200 years ago

Tippling in public houses - at a petty sessions held at Bourn on Saturday last, (before W. A. Johnson, the Rev S. E. Hopkinson, W. Waters, and B. V. Layard, clerks) - Sandal, of Rippingale, publican, was fined for suffering tippling in his house on a Sunday, and his conviction recorded with the clerk of the peace.



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