News: August 2010 Archives

from Dot Howes

It is not too late to enter the Star and Garter Vegetable and Produce Show to be held on Monday September 6th. Classes are for marrow, onion, tray of vegetables, cookery items and flowers. Following the judging and buffet there will be an auction involving entries and other items and a large raffle. Entries need to be delivered between 10.30a.m. and 11.45a.m. before judging at 12noon. For further information see posters or contact Andy at the Star and Garter on 01526 320317.

by Dot Howes

Nocton Dairies Ltd are preparing to re-submit their plans for an 8000 cow super dairy to North Kesteven District Council (NKDC) by holding a number of public meetings to try and address the issues raised by local opinion. This will give the consortium of farmers the chance to try and make any feasible adjustments to the plans before the submission takes place.

A delegation from the UK including representatives from the RSPCA and NFU and other interested bodies recently visited the United States to inspect some super dairies to assess some of the issues raised by public opinion when the idea of the dairy on Nocton Heath was first suggested earlier this year. Other environmental issues including the risks to the local aquifer have also been addressed. Some of the issues concerning local residents appear to be slurry spreading, additional traffic, smell, flies and house prices. The proposed temporary spreading area stretches from Metheringham and Scopwick to Potterhanworth. The additional traffic will be tankers joining the B1188 near the Nocton turn. Further meetings between the consortium and the NFU are taking place. Ultimately there is a need to try and find an acceptable way to maintain the UK dairy industry following the loss of many small to medium sized herds and increasing imports from abroad.

A vociferous group of local residents and some animal welfare groups are working hard to keep the issue in the public arena to the point of sometimes stretching the relevance of their agenda to this proposal by the most tenuous of links. Parish councils including Metheringham are being encouraged to ask NKDC for public meetings in the villages when the application has been submitted to the council.

Nocton Dairies are well aware of the strict regulation surrounding slurry spreading and exclusion zones but the timing and location of spreading will ultimately be up to the individual landowner and will not be relevant when there are standing crops. The intended standards of animal care, health and disease prevention will be the best available and the dairies will be constantly under scrutiny from the industry and the public. It has also mistakenly been suggested that cubicle housing is a form of caging when it actually allows groups of cows to roam freely between feeding and lying areas in airy open sided sheds at will.

Once the plans including full environmental impact assessments have been submitted to NKDC it will be several months before a decision on the proposal will be made. We will let you know how things progress.

From Dot Howes

Metheringham WI met in the village hall on Wednesday 18th August where they were treated to a nostalgic journey through television in the 1950s, 60s and 70s by Terry Richards. Sound bites ranged from Billy Cotton and Gert and Daisy in the early 1950s to Dallas and Dad's army in the 1970s. During the business of the meeting President Audrey Webb welcomed five visitors and announced several birthdays. The Institute have 161 entries for the Make, Bake and Show event on Saturday 30th October and there are over 1000 from the Lincolnshire South federation.
The skid pan event at Nettleham was heavily over subscribed ( nearly 5-
fold) but Metheringham were allocated two tickets in the ballot. Jayne Palmer and Irene Exton were selected to go. The recent coffee morning raised £96 for the institute. Items are now needed for the Fayre and Feast on Saturday 23rd October. The WI have an indoor stall this year and will have to keep it open until 9.00p.m. so many more tombola and sale items are needed. Tombola items and preserves, cards, craft items etc are welcomed at the next meeting on 15th September.
There will be a table top sale on 20th November. Members can book a table for £5, non-members for £6, by contacting Ronnie on 01526 320220.
The competition for something beginning with F was won jointly by Mary Goddard's fudge and Jill Spooner's frog. The flower of the month was won by Kathy Mandell. Because the extra membership and activities has meant the WI meetings have become a bit of a rush, forthcoming meetings will last from 7.15 - 9.45 p.m.. Next month's meeting on 15th September will see Steve Lovell taking members "Around the World in 80 pictures".
The competition will be for something beginning with G.

Cheques totalling £ 4692 were handed out to four Lincolnshire Animal Welfare charities when Metheringham Animal Welfare Supporters Group held their Annual General Meeting at Martin Moor Golf Club on Monday 16th August.
The Weirfield Wildlife Hospital, The Ark Retirement Home, Hedgehog Care Hedgehog Hospital and Lincoln Cat Care all received cheques for £1173. The Chairman, Yvonne Denman, said that although the committee had expected a poor year financially it had not been too bad. The details in the treasurer's report showed that this was in part due to a bequest from the late Trudy Pilsbury. The perpetual shortage of volunteers continues as some people are only available for occasional help. There is a much appreciated band of stalwarts but more new volunteers are needed. Thanks were given to RAF Waddington for their donation of a printer and the army at Aldershot for their donation of a second hand computer.
A good calendar of events had been planned with everything from the Christmas Market to an evening of Clairvoyance, the latter had raised over £1000 profit. The Ceilidh evening had been much enjoyed but poorly supported and only broke even and two table top sales had been cancelled. Yvonne had been both amused and saddened by a letter from North Kesteven Voluntary Centre Services warning of the hazards associated with biscuits.
Three committee members had announced their resignation from the committee though will be continuing to help where and when possible.
Iris Irving, Mary Green and Kevin Doughty were all thanked for their commitment to the group.
The cheque recipients fro the August 2009- August 2010 year were most appreciative thanking the group for their continued dedication and enthusiasm in extracting money from the public. They all stressed how this year the money will be especially helpful as it has been particularly busy for referrals in most areas. The Weirfield Wildlife Hospital are planning to purchase an incubator.
The only change to the committee officers was the appointment of Sue Powell as Secretary. Mandie Stewart, Brian West and Loretta Hammonds joined the committee.
After the refreshment and photography interval at which Barney the Owl stole the show the voting took place for the August 2010 - August 2011 recipients. There were 18 animal welfare charities and sanctuaries nominated and all members had four votes. After the count, the winning four were Bransby Home of Rest for Horses ( 13 votes), Silver Florin Equestrian Centre (13), the Lincoln Swan Preservation Society (12), and the Retired Greyhound Trust (9)
As it is 10 years since MAWS came into being in its current format there will be a big party and meal on Friday 17th September at Martin Moor Golf Club. Tickets for a full three course Roast Meal will be £11. Mrs Denman expressed sincere thanks to Alan and Carol from the Golf Club for their support in hosting the meeting.

Nocton Dairies potential planning application will be discussed at Metheringham Parish Council meeting on 31st August.

From Dot Howes

Please Note - Metheringham WI will still meet on Wednesday 18th August in the village hall at 7.15p.m. but it will be an evening of TV Nostalgia with music from Terry Richards as the previously advertised speaker Jane Means is unable to attend.

The Annual Vegetable and Produce Show will take place at the Star and Garter on Monday 6th September. Entries should be delivered after 10.30 a.m. for judging at 12 noon. There will be classes for best and largest marrow, best and largest onion, best vegetable tray, best flower arrangement, best plant, best cake, best 6 fancies and best child's novelty fruit or vegetable. Entries are 50p each and following the judging there will be a buffet followed by the auction of produce and drawing of the raffle. Further information is available at the pub or from Andy on 01526 320317. The proceeds from the day will as usual be distributed to a local good cause.

From Dot Howes

Metheringham Squash Rackets Club recently held the finals of the 2010 club tournaments. The junior winner was Sam Palmer with Jack Pembery as runner up. In the Ladies competition Ann Davis won and the overall mens winner was Mark Kay who also won the Over 35s. Graeme Pembery won the Over 45s and Alan South beat Roy Greenwood to win the Over 55s.

The Spires and Steeples Challenge takes place on Sunday 17th October and is an opportunity for both the physically active or those who just like to support and encourage to join in. To participate in the 26 or 13 mile run or walk through the glorious Lincolnshire countryside enjoying the natural and man made features of the route between Lincoln and Sleaford or Metheringham and Sleaford you can download an application form from www.spiresandsteeples.com or receive a copy via email or in the post by contacting eventsofficer@leisureconnection.co.uk or telephoning 01522 694 353.
Anyone with the time to spare will be welcomed as a Marshall along the route. record the walkers/runners at the checkpoints or simply help with handing out refreshments and cheering the participants along.
Local checkpoints will be at Branston, Metheringham, Digby, Ruskington and Leasingham Moor as well at the Lincoln Castle start, Metheringham Playing Fields start and Sleaford finish. If you live in or near any of these villages and can help out on the day please contact Jayne Olney via her email eventsofficer@leisureconnection.co.uk to get more detail.

Metheringham Animal Welfare Supporters Group hold their annual General Meeting on Monday 16th August at the Martin Moor Golf Club at 7.30p.m.
Doors open at 7.00p.m. At this meeting the cheques will be presented to the four animal welfare charities benefitting from the fundraising from August 2009 and the beneficiaries for the coming 12 months will be elected.

Metheringham WI meet on Wednesday 18th August when Jane Means will be giving an insight into how to improve your gift wrapping skills. The competition is for something beginning with F.

Metheringham is through to the final round of the Lincolnshire Best Kept Villages and Small Towns competition 2010 in the Class III category.

Final judging will be carried out in the month of August.