February 2008 Archives

Some people may not be aware but Metheringham FC ran a successful 6-a-side football tournament for 15 years. However in 2007, due to external factors the number of teams entering was such that it would not have been a viable financial operation to run. It was therefore decided, at very short notice, to organise a Fun Day on the Village Sports Field and this proved extremely popular with those people who attended.

It has therefore been decided to carry on with this event, but this year to open it up to other village organisations to make it a truly memorable Village Fun Day, where all monies raised will remain within each village organisations. The date we are looking towards is Sunday 1st June 2008.

The Football Club already have provisional ideas for events which include:

• Charity football match
• Car Boot Sale
• Bouncy Castle
• Food vendor
• Licensed Bar
• Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
• Local Radio

In order to get the arrangements under way, we propose to hold a meeting in March in the Star & Garter where all interested parties can attend to put forward their views on how the day can be a success.

If your organisation wishes to be part of this event, then forward details of your contact and some idea if possible of what activity on the day your organisation would manage, either by post to Metheringham FC. c/o 31 Caroline Road, Metheringham, Lincoln, LN4 3HF or email to steve.asher@tesco.net

Hoping that you will join us in making this event a successful and possibly an Annual Village event.

The Saturday XI missed the chance of reaching the Lincoln Amateur Cup final last Saturday (16th Feb 08) as they lost 5-3, after extra time, against arch rivals Plough FC Skellingthorpe. Meg have not beaten Plough in five meetings, since they overcame them in the final of the Village Trophy in April 2006.

On Saturday Meg led twice through Matt Purbrick penalties and then came back from 3-2 down to take the game into extra time as Purbrick completed his hat-trick with an injury time equaliser but the extra half an hour proved too much as Plough netted twice in the second period.

The Metheringham Area is a largely agricultural area. Using the various national census reports from 1801 onwards, it is possible to see how the population has varied over the past 200 years.

The graphs are adapted from information obtained from A Vision of Britain Through Time website, a lottery funded project run by the University of Portsmouth.

Calling all library users

There are serious suggestions that village libraries, including Metheringham Library, are going to see drastically changes. It is a know fact that there are ongoing issues being discussed about opening hours for this service.

Already there have been articles in the Sleaford Standard and in the Lincolnshire Echo on this subject and there has also been phone-in on Radio Lincoln on Tuesday 12th Feb about the fact that library opening hours are to be changed by the Lincolnshire County Council following their new financial year (1st April) should the new proposals be accepted. Most of our rural libraries (again including Metheringham) are to have their hours cut drastically, with the idea being that if your local library has its hours reduced you can always travel to another one within reasonable travelling distance. Some people have already written to the Lincolnshire County Council expressing their horror at these changes.

If you don’t want to see Metheringham lose its library or see this excellent facility vanish like so many other rural facilities (including Post Offices) put pen to paper and vent your feelings. The more letters sent the stronger our fight will be respected and considered – we hope!!!

Excerpts from the 1947 Ordnance Survey 1 inch to the mile map sheet have been added to the Metheringham Area Map Archive. The map sheet forms part of the Sixth (New Popular) Edition of the OS series. Whilst the publication date is 1947, there doesn't appear to be any updates to the sheet after 1939 as there is no evidence of any WW2 building activity. The absence of any of the many military airfields in our area demonstrates this.

The Map Archive already contains maps from the Ordnance Survey First Edition of 1890/1891 and from a much earlier survey by A Bryant of 1840.

Back in the 1960's, the Fenlanders, Metheringham's very own band had a brush with fame. At their height, they were one of Lincolnshire's top beat groups who opened the pop concert on Lincoln South Common in May 1966. The line up included The Who, The Kinks, The Small Faces ( and possibly Status Quo).

Band member, Brian Garill remembers:

The band was formed by Kenny Spencer and myself and we were joined by George Byers and Keith Rossington our early sessions took place in the Royal Cinema. Our biggest claim to fame was an appearance on a Radio program called "Down your way", who visited our new practice site (cowshed on my fathers farm) and recorded the “Cowshed Blues” which then went out on national radio, sadly the recording contracts didn’t exactly roll in !! so more practice needed. We operated for a short while as an instrumental band only, Keith left and was replaced by John Reeves (pictured) and Susan(Vocals) and Richard Byers (organ/keyboard) joined, we also had a singer by the name of Brian Mason for a while.

We were out in that format for possibly 18 months or so,George Byers left and was replaced by John Sweeny(Nth Hykeham) for a brief period until he was replaced by John Clarke (Sleaford).We played many venues in that format but not with anyone famous.

We re-named to “The Brotherhood” with myself (bass)John Clarke(drums) Chris Elkington (lead guitar)and John Clare vocals with Alan Garrill as manager and roadie.

The Brotherhood
Brian Garrill - Bass, John Clarke - Drums, Chris Elkington - Lead guitar

We went to greater heights with this format and worked with quite a few famous bands, still rehearsing in the “cowshed”.

We opened the first night at the then new village hall in Metheringham, it was absolutely packed to the roof!! We were into rock & Blues and no one had a better lead guitarist than Chris Elkington he was quite special and we had some great times together as a band.

We were entered in a competition run by lincolnshire standard group to find the best Lincolnshire band (which then included South Humberside) we beat 11 other bands at The drill Hall in Lincoln and I still have the trophy. Part of the prize was to open the pop concert which was held on Lincoln City's ground and not on the common. We were in the company of some very good bands and stayed to watch a few after us, in particular Georgie Fame, we were supporting a band that night at Cleethorpes called The Pretty Things. We played with The Yard Birds, Dave Dee & Co, Unit Four Plus Two. We played many venues throughout the midlands often sleeping in the van.

I left the band to join the Sleaford Band “Dawn & The Dee Jays and stayed with them for a couple of years and then stopped playing regularly.

The Brotherhood carried on for a couple of years before breaking up.

The Brotherhood members have played on in various bands around including Brass Roots and others and a couple of us turn out together on occasions and stand in for other bands etc.

Done some stupid things in my life but none worse than selling that bass!! (The bass was the same type as Paul McCartney used, hence the reference to the decision to sell it).

Brian Garrill

Thanks also to Alan Harding for use of the photos and help in triggering the memories.

Whites Directories are a valuable source of information about locations in England during the 19th century. They give a comprehensive description of cities, towns and village throughout England. Unlike the national census returns, they are not comprehensive, tending to give only a list of landowners and tradespeople. They are nevertheless indispensable as a research tool.

Thanks to some sterling research work by local amateur historian, Pete Ford, the coverage of Whites Directories for the Metheringham area has now been extended to include relevant entries from 1872, 1882 and 1892. This is in addition to the 1842 and 1856 entries which this site has hosted for some time.

All the Whites entries can be accessed from this page, or from individual village pages.

Please provide feedback on the Metheringham Area Family History forum if you find this feature useful.