Delve into the past with Mercury Memories
10 years ago
Heavy snow caused mayhem in the area this week as icy roads and pavements made travelling a misery.
A large number of schools in Lincolnshire and Rutland were closed on various days while bin collections and public transport were severely disrupted.
On the roads, gritters ensured most main routes were clear but conditions on side roads and in villages were treacherous.
Lincolnshire County Council said it had priority routes for gritting, which were the A1 and A46 to Lincoln and all other A and B roads. About 35 per cent of the county’s roads are being gritted.
Conditions are monitored 24 hours a day and the county has 43 gritters working throughout the night to keep 1,870 miles of roads salted.
Fancy having a laugh with your mates by playing It’s a Knockout-style games while raising money for good causes?
That;s exactly what you and your friends could be doing if you take part in the Rotary Club of Stamford St Martin’s fundraising event next summer, which will be based on the popular game show from the ‘70s and ‘80s.
It will take place on Sunday, May 22, at Stamford Rugby Club on Hambleton Road.
Although the activities for the day are still to be finalised they could include a human washing machine where people are flung around a massive spongy replica.
Other may include hurling wet sponges at each other using a specially designed bungee device or trying to knock your opponents over with a huge soft wrecking ball.
There is also a football shoot out with the chance to score score extra points if the ball passes through the “bonus holes” and the chance to help a giant chicken collect as many eggs as it can while dodging straw bales.
One of the organisers Kevin Patterson said: “We’re looking for teams from Stamford and the surrounding area, including local businesses, sports clubs, schools, colleges, churches, clubs and societies. There’s even a £500 prize for the winning team to donate to a charity of their choice.
Youngsters suffering from brain tumours will once again benefit from a spectacular ice show.
Skaters from the Holiday on Ice show will be performing Energia at the Exec at the East of England Showground in Peterborough in February.
For the fourth year, the show will be supporting Anna’s Hope, a charity which supports children and young people with brain tumours.
The charity was set up in 2006 by Rob and Carole Hughes, of Stamford. They set up the charity in memory of their daughter Anna, who lost her battle with a brain tumour in 2006, aged three.
Money raise from the opening gala night on Thursday, February 3 will go towards the charity and youngsters, which the charity helps, will also be going to watch the ice show.
Carole said: “All the children are very excited and it is something for them to look forward to. It’s a real treat for them when they are going through gruelling treatment.
“The show was absolutely fantastic last year and I am really looking forward to going myself.”
Last year’s show raised about £1,000 for the charity. As well as the gala night, volunteers from the charity will also be doing bucket collections at the event, which runs until February 6.
25 years ago
The Deepings bypass has been given the go-ahead.
And a relief road for Stamford has been reinstated into the national roads programme.
This sensational news was broken to the Mercury yesterday by MP Quentin Davies, who confirmed funding for the Deepings bypass has been agreed and that Stamford will now have a public inquiry to decide the route of a relief road.
Finance for the Deepings bypass survived £4billion in cuts to the national roads programme announced in Tuesday’s Budget.
On Wednesday the Mercury received the news that the Deepings bypass had been placed in the “start of work” category and that the Stamford relief road had been given a higher priority in the national truck road programme.
However, there was no official confirmation that finance for the bypass scheme had been approved until MP Quentin Davies told the Mercury yesterday: “It’s going ahead.”
A county councillor has agreed to try and re-open talks on the controversial plan to scrap Stamford’s scholarship scheme.
Lincolnshire County Council voted in July to abolish the Stamford Endowed Schools Scholarship scheme, which pays for 50 pupils annually at the Stamford High School and Stamford School, in a cash-saving bid.
But this week county councillor Elaine Belton said that as local representative for the Liberal Democrats said she was prepared to re-open negotiations with the Endowed schools.
Stamford School headmaster Geoffrey Timm has welcomed the new initiative.
Mrs Belton was unable to speak at the county council meeting in July that voted to end the scholarships in September 1997.
As a governor of Stamford School and chairman of the governors at Queen Eleanor she had to declare an interest and leave the debate.
But this week she said: “If we can agree to have an even-handed approach to funding, with the Endowed Schools accepting the principle that its pupils would get the same funding as any other child in Lincolnshire, then I believe we can get this back on the county council agenda.”
Mr Timm said of Mrs Belton’s offer: “I would be delighted if some new arrangement could be made allowing Stamford children to continue coming to the Endowed Schools.”
Detective are warning motorists to take extra special care following a spate of car thefts and thefts from cars over recent weeks.
Det Con Barry Bawden said: “In some instances, the vehicles are being stolen and driven over-zealously by the thieves before being abandoned. On other occasions, the cars are being targeted for their contents, normally radio/cassette players.
“In almost every case, there is considerable expense to the vehicle’s owner. Damage is caused to windows, locks, paintwork, ignitions and mountings.”
At the weekend, thieves tried to steal a red Vauxhall Cavalier from Drift Road and a Vauxhall Astra from North Street. A radio/cassette went missing from a car in the Cattle Market and on Friday two MG Metros, parked in Keeble Court and Waverely Gardens were attacked.
DC Bawden said: “Many vehicle owners believe all is well if they are fully insured, but more often than not this is not the case. Repairs take time, you have compulsory or voluntary excess to pay, no claim bonuses to consider and in almost every case, a car crime victim is considerably out of pocket.
“Most of the steps to take are common-sense ones – garage your car overnight if possible, fit anti-theft devices, park in well-lit areas and do not leave valuable/personal belongings in your vehicle.
“A small amount of thought and effort could save you considerable inconvenience and expense in the near future,” said DC Bawden.
50 years ago
Plans for the use of St Michael’s Church, Stamford, as a spiritual healing centre will be discussed at a public meeting in the town next month.
The building has stood empty since 1962 when it was closed because of church re-organisation.
Several ideas have been put forward for its use, including turning it into a covered market, but so far nothing has come of them.
The latest scheme comes from Mrs Pat Barnes, of Gladstone Street, Bourne, who is organising the public meeting on January 21.
“The majority think that the miracles of healing performed by Jesus and his disciples just don’t happen today”, she said.
“This lack of belief is the reason that healing cannot happen.”
She wants to see St Michael’s used as a healing centre where people can stay for holidays, helping with work and hearing about the healing ministry.
Deeping St James residents are ready to fight a plan to build a filling station near a school and old peoples homes in the village.
A planning application to build a filling station on the Manor Park housing estate has been lodged with South Kesteven Rural Council.
Estate residents are angry about the application because they feel that a filling station would bring more traffic on to the estate. This, they say, would endanger the lives of schoolchildren and old people living nearby.
The site is next to the estate’s shopping precinct. It is within 100 yards of Deeping St James primary school and close to old people’s homes in Exeter Close.
Both the estate residents’ association and the parish council have stated their opposition to the scheme.
Rutland can rightly claim to be ahead of the Government on the question of the replacement of old primary schools.
Much publicity has been given this week to an announcement by the Department of Education and Science that a substantial allocation of funds was being made to enable education authorities in the Midlands to replace a large number of old and inadequate primary school.
While the announcement has been welcomed by the authorities, it has come a little late so far as Rutland is concerned because the county’s programme for the replacement or modernisation of old primary schools is nearing completion.
What the Department of Education and Science have done is to reuse what they call a design list for 1971/72 for building work to be carried out in 1972/73.
For £50,000 is being allocated for the improvement or replacement of pre-1903 schools, but the county now has no such school.
100 years ago
Workmen’s Munificence - The Benevolent Committee of Messrs. Blackstone and Co.’s works have voted £20 for the Leicester Eye Infirmary, where employees of the firm which have sustained injury to the eyes in the course of their employment are treated. In previous years a grant of £5 has been made.
Tradesmen’s Association – In connection with the forthcoming Shopping Week, Mrs. Seccombe has also been invited to act as a judge, and the local adjudicators will have the co-operation of an expert from London.
Hockey Club – The newly-formed Stamford Hockey Club opens its match campaign his week. The officers include: Chairman, Mr. Jury; captain, Mr. S. H. Scott; vice-captain, Mr. Mills; vice-captain ladies team, Miss M. Gooch; secretary and treasurer, Mrs. H. J. Tillson.
The Marquess of Exeter presided at the fortnightly meeting of the Stamford Board of Guardians on Monday.
The announcement by the Clerk (Mr. J. J. Tillson) of the long deferred settlement by the military authorities of the claim for £109 15s., for damage to the Board-room during the military occupation was received with loud and somewhat ironical
cheering.
The Vice-chairman (Mr. J. W. Coulson) gave a brief account of the main proceedings at the recent Poor Law Unions conference, and said the conference was very emphatic in its opposition to the proposal to transfer the duties of Boards of Guardians to County Councils, realising that the personal touch pervading the present administration of the Poor Law would be lost under the altered system (Hear, hear). The Clerk also stated that the ex-president of the conference drew attention to the comparison so unfavourable to the latter, between the present system of poor relief administration by Guardians, and that of the much-talked-of pensions scheme. Lord Exeter remarked that it had always been his opinion that it would have been far better if the work of the pensions authorities had been entrusted to such Boards instead of to new authorities.
Bourne Christmas Holidays – A canvass has this week been made of the tradesmen of the town with regard of the Christmas holidays, and with one exception all have agreed to close on Tuesday, 28th December, and to open on Wednesday morning, closing as usual at 1 o’clock on that day. This arrangement does not, of course, apply to bakers and butchers. This will give all assistants who live at a distance the full week-end for the Christmas holiday.
Tractor demonstration – Not a little interest was shown by farmers of the district in a demonstration, organised by Mr. E. Abbott, tractor and motor engineer, of Bourne, of work by the Garner tractor, last week. Land had been kindly put at his disposal on the Hall Farm, Haconby, and the Park Farm, Langtoft, by Mr. T. W. Atkinson and Mr. R. K. Watts respectively. The machine acquitted itself in very gratifying style, and met all the demands made upon it in a manner that evoked the admiration of the spectators. Its work was cleanly and thoroughly executed, and the numerous enquiries made of Mr. Abbott afforded promise of satisfactory
business.
150 years ago
The hearing of the appeals at Stamford on 24th ult. against the assessments for the inhabited house duty occupied until ½ past 3 in the afternoon. It turned out on investigation that the appellants for the most part had no cause to complain, as the assessments were in reality made on their own returns, and that the surveyor, who had been blamed by both the public and the Commissioners, had done no more than his duty, the clamour against him being founded in misapprehension.
On Monday last a temperance meeting was held in Mr. Love’s room, Great Casterton, when a deputation from the Stamford Temperance Society, consisting of Mr. Harrup (of Leicester), Mr. Daniels, Mr. C. Chapman, and Mr Wilson, addressed the meeting. The place was crowded, many not being able to get it. At the close the chairman announced his intention of signing the pledge, when several others followed his example. A wish was expressed that the Stamford Temperance Society would organise a series of meetings in this place during the winter.
A robbery of a watch was last week reported to the police-officer at Ketton by an inhabitant of that village, who had been in company with a female at a public-house in Stamford and make known his loss at the police-station, which he did; and after some inquiries had been instituted the watch was found, or alleged to have been found, in a lane at Ketton by a person in some way connected with the woman who was in company with the man just before he missed his watch.
Boyish frolic is getting a little too licentious in Stamford. One dark night last week a portly gentleman, walking unsuspectingly along St. Peter’s-street, stumbled at a rope which had been firmly drawn from the post-office pillar-box to the handle of a neighbouring door, he succeeded in clutching a friend who accompanied him and so saved himself from a fall which might have proved serious. In High-street a child was thrown violently to the pavement by a cord which had been cunningly fixed by two other youngsters; and in the same street the occupants of a house found that a large dog had been tightly tethered to the bell-wire by some merry spirits. Amusement for the young is highly desirable, and for the future the police will no doubt see that is does not run to dangerous limits.
Rutland – The managers of the poultry show at Oakham are seriously contemplating the propriety of providing a more substantial building for the exhibition in the future, as, partly through the disaster of the tent being blown over, and the morning of Thursday being unfavourable for visitors (especially ladies), the receipts were much below those of last year.
A case of sudden death occurred at Edithweston on the 24th ult. A plumber named Henry Brown, aged 49 years, employed by Mr. Thornton, had been at his usual employment, and although feeling unwell no serious apprehension was entertained, as upon returning home towards evening he attended to some little affairs; but he retired to rest rather earlier than usual, when he was seized with coughing and violent pain. Medical aid was immediately sent for by his employer, but it was of no avail, as the poor man died in a few hours. Disease of the heart was the supposed cause.
200 years ago
To be Sold by Auction,
By Mr. Henson,
At the Bertie Arms in Market Deeping, on Wednesday the 6th day of December next, at 6 o’clock in the evening, unless previously disposed of by private contract, of which due notice will be given, subject to such conditions of sale as will then and there produced;
A Close of Exceedingly rich Arable Land, situate in Market Deeping Hards, near Sheepskin Hall, containing 4A. 1R. 18P., bounded on the east by the Crowland Road, on the West by lands of Mr. Smith, on the North by lands of Mr. John Weldon,and on the South by lands of John Clarke; Copyhold of the Manor of East and West Deeping, now in the occupation of Mr. Jno. Barber.
For price and further particulars enquire of Mr. John Dixon, of Market Deeping aforesaid; or of Messrs. Cheales and Forbes, solicitors, Sleaford.
Sleaford, 14th Nov. 1820.
Notice to the Debtors and Creditors of Mr Thomas Wyer, deceased.
All persons who have any claim or demand upon the estate and effects of Thomas Wyer, late of Hacconby, in the county of Lincoln, grazier, deceased, are desired forthwith to send an account thereof, with the nature of their securities (if any), either to Mr. Robert Chapman, of Hacconby aforesaid, grazier, or to Mr. Smith, solicitor, Horbling, near Falkingham, in order that the same may be discharged. And all persons who stood indebted to the said Thomas Wyer at the time of his decease, are requested to pay the amount of their respective debts as above. By order,
Benjn. Smith, Solicitor,
Horbling, 29th Nov. 1820.
Stamford & Kettering Turnpike-Road.
In pursuance of a Requisition under the hands of five Trustees, to me directed, I do hereby give Notice, that the Trustees appointed for putting into execution the several Acts of Parliament of the 34th and 56th years of the reign of his late Majesty King George the Third for repairing and widening the road leading from St. Martin’s, Stamford Baron, to Kettering, and from Oundle to Middleton-lane, in the parish or hamlet of Middleton, in the county of Northampton, will meet, at the King’s Arms Inn in Weldon, in the said county, on Thursday, the Seventh day of December next, at 12 o’clock at noon, for the First District of the said road; and at the said Meeting will appoint a Treasurer to the said first district of road, in the lieu and stead of Mr. John Webster, who has tendered his resignation. And also to take into consideration what remuneration the said John Webster ought to receive for the time he has filled the office of Treasurer.
John Balderston, Clerk to the Trustees
Oundle, Nov. 22d, 1820.
Wanted, at Christmas next, in the neighbourhood of Newark, a Young Lady as Governess, who is capable of teaching English grammatically, Geography, Drawing, &c. - Reference to Mr. Hage, bookseller,Newark, will be attended to, if by letter, post pd.
