MACLA News Magazine - 28. Autumn 2007

Autumn is fast approaching and I would like to suggest that you have all had a good Summer but if you did you were the fortunate ones in what has been the worst English Summer on record. No wonder more and more people decide to go abroad to get away. But if they did they will have missed the masses of events which took place locally and from articles in this edition of your local news, most if not all, were raving successes. Now all we can hope for as the dark nights arrive is that it is fine for everyone involved or attending the forthcoming Metheringham Fayre and Feast on 20 October.
I am sure there is something for everyone in this issue although I must admit I have nearly had to be a dentist to extract articles from people this time around. I would just ask though, for people from Scopwick, Nocton and Martin to get into the spirit of sending me articles as we are trying hard to create a Community Magazine for All our villages.
Thanks -

When you are asked to write a piece for a magazine and it has to be written far in advance of the readers actually reading it, and what you want to write of happened some time ago it can be a bit of a nightmare. Those of you who read the Parish Magazine will know that I tend to rabbit on a bit.
I was the last one standing when it came to seeing who would organize the 'All Our Yesterdays' exhibition at St Peter's, Dunston. I have always, where possible, put "my two penn'th" in to help but never actually organized one. At the time it seemed like a good idea. Oh the naivety of it all!!

This edition of Web Watch will concentrate on environmental issues. First up, there is the Government's CO2 calculator at Act On CO2. This site features an online calculator that enables you to find out what your carbon footprint is and how you can make some simple changes to help tackle climate change.
In a similar vein, the sustainable transport charity, Sustrans runs a site at changeyourworld.org.uk where you can pledge to make one less car journey next week … If all UK drivers do the same, car traffic will be reduced by 10%. The aim is to show that even small changes in behaviour can make a big difference.
Finally, the BBC provide an excellent resource called Climate Change where you can find all the news, opinion and explanations from around the world on Climate and Environmental issues. To access this site go to BBC.co.uk and enter the words 'Climate Change' into the search box. Follow the first link on the results page to find the Climate Change resource.

The Weaver

- now entering our 21st year
The twinning association looks forward to the next visit from our friends from Trange, scheduled for April 2008. Over the past 20 years many families have participated in the hospitality and friendship ,some have developed lasting bonds. Whilst it can be easy to focus on the differences between our two cultures, we have all been delighted to discover there are many things which enable friendships to flourish - one of the main things being able to laugh together.
As the French willl be visiting us in Spring we hope to visit the fens and enjoy the spring flowers / History of the Fens in the Spalding area.
Are you interested in becoming involved?
contact Beth on 321919 or Jim on 322673

Many thanks to all who have supported us over the summer period. Our biggest money raisers have been the Friday night lessons and the party hire but we did have a couple of good weeks weather-wise, at the beginning of August, which brought out the crowds. The Aquafit sessions on a Monday evening were poorly attended and also the holiday fun sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. We will have to consider these options next season.

Hello from your local beat team - The Bracebridge Heath East team.
Firstly, some good news in relation to the amount of crime in our area:
Lincoln Rural sector, which is policed by Bracebridge Heath and North Hykeham police stations, has the best-performing sector for crime for the whole of Lincolnshire Police.
We are the top-performing sector for DWELLING BURGLARY - down 51% = 80 fewer victims.
We are the top-performing sector for CRIMINAL DAMAGE - down 21% = 176 fewer victims.
We are the top-performing sector for VEHICLE CRIME - down 32% = 121 fewer victims.
We are the top performing sector for "ALL OTHER CRIME" - down 15% = 307 fewer victims.

We are pleased to say that our fundraising activities are continuing to be very successful. Following the plant sale in May, we also supported the Fire Station open day on 28 July.

The 50/50 Auction, which was held on 1 September was an excellent occasion. We would like to thank everybody for their support. The team worked very hard for the whole day, but we were rewarded with another good fundraiser, raising nearly £600.00

Now, our special thanks must go to Butch at the Star and Garter, who donated £650 to our fund from the proceeds of his Autumn Vegetable Show. Great stuff, Butch and we look forward to a race night on 26 October there in company with the football club.

Altogether we have raised nearly £3,000 for the village hall funds, which has enabled us to pay for the new boiler.

We have exciting plans for the rest of this year. On Friday 23 November we are putting on a one-off concert at which the Lincs Harmony Group and MAD are providing the entertainment, watch out for local publicity.

For Christmas we are having a Village Hall Open Evening on Friday 21 December. You are warmly invited to come along and enjoy the facilities of the village hall. Father Christmas will be in attendance for the children and there will be carols and Christmas songs around the Christmas tree. Do come along to this festive evening. Entry is free and there will be refreshments available, including mince pies and mulled wine, to get your Christmas off to a good start.

Nocton Village Trail has grown from strength to strength since its launch. With a new online presence and downloadable map www.noctonvillagetrail.com it is now set to attract even more visitors. The trail was launched in May 2007 with a village walk consisting of 100 residents and special guest the Rt. Hon. Douglas Hogg MP. After taking five years to develop, this was a massive result following all the hard work and dedication from both residents and ArtsNK.

Those of you who came to see "See How They Run" will know what a successful production that was, with a magnificent new set built by members of the MAD team.

MAD has a busy season planned leading up to the Panto. Rehearsals are now under way for our next production which will be on 26/27October and 2/3 November at Metheringham Village Hall. We shall be performing two one act plays, one being "The Allotment" and the second "Murder Play" with additional entertainment during the interval. Don't miss this evening of varied entertainment, why not make a note of the dates in your diary now.

On Friday 23 November we will be supporting the Village Hall by performing at their fundraising concert and then our singers will be performing carols and Christmas songs around the Christmas tree at the Village Hall open evening on Friday 21 December.

Which leads us up to the 2008 pantomime which, this time, will be 'Sleeping Beauty'. Rehearsals are about to start and as always, we are looking forward to providing lots of fun for all the family. Dates for the Panto are 18/19 and 25/26 January.
Gwyneth Holland

The summer is drawing to a close after what has been a very busy time for us. We were very lucky with the weather on our outings after all the rain this year. There are still two trips before the end of the year, Skegness and Chatsworth House, contact Doreen 321478 for availability.
The highlight of this year was the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the club by the Rev. Sam Radford in August 1957. To celebrate this great occasion we held a dinner at the Petwood Hotel on 22 August with 165 members and invited guests attending. We were honoured to have Mr John Tipler who was one of the original committee and organiser of the trips, although he couldn't go on them due to his work commitments (a young lad in those far off days) and Rev Radford's daughter Christine as our guests. After the meal we were entertained by the C.S. Band, what nostalgia, listening to a live band playing music of the era when we frequented the dance halls and danced to live music instead of the discos of today.
Many happy memories were recalled and some sad ones too. Each member received a yellow rose and was presented with a pad and pen commemorating the event. A very enjoyable evening all round.
We have a Coffee Morning in November to which all are welcome. We will have all the usual stalls so come along and enjoy a coffee, you may even find a Christmas present or two!
The Christmas Dinner in December is a members only meeting. Please remember you must attend TWO meetings between September - November to qualify (see back of membership card).
We have a waiting list for membership so if you would like to join us contact Ann (323559) to put your name on the list.

Diary Dates:

12 September Skegness
3 October Harvest Service / Auction
7 November Nick and Anita
14 November Chatsworth House
5 December Christmas Dinner/ Draw

Metheringham ladies have been lucky and unlucky with the weather this summer. In July the WI and friends boarded a coach to Sandringham where they enjoyed a spectacular day out. Despite forecasts the rain held off until they were just back on the bus so the house, museum, gardens, refreshments, shop, church and country park were all fully appreciated.
In August Jean Simpson and David were our hosts for the WI Olympics, a social afternoon of outdoor quizzes, games and afternoon tea - again the weather was very pleasant. Unfortunately the quiz night in Ropsley coincided with some of the bad weather and the three teams we had hoped to send decided it was not a night to be out on the roads. Members have also been entertained and educated by Brian and Dave about the inspiring work of Cop Drop and they sat up straight and pointed their toes when Jennifer Parker brought the World of Ballet to life at their August meeting. Members were sad to hear that their friend Janet Baumber died in August.
The next meeting will be on September 19th in the Methodist Chapel rooms at 7.15p.m.when Ann Barnes gives a talk /demonstration entitled Christmas is A-Coming.
There will be a Table Top Sale in Metheringham Village Hall on Saturday 10 November . To hire a table for £6 please contact Audrey Webb.

On Monday 3 September the Star and Garter was packed to the rafters for the annual show. An excellent effort was made by all contributors and special thanks go out to Mr & Mrs Mo Mitchell, Maggie & Lynn, Jean & Bert Wood, Janet Brown and her mum and to Colin Doughty for their contributions to a successful event. Mo Mitchell, in his usual exuberant style, was the auctioneer and things got so serious that he even auctioned the shirt off his back, allegedly not a pretty sight!.
Monies raised totalled £675.00 which, this year, was donated to the Metheringham Village Hall, to help with the costly upkeep of this important village amenity.
Below is a list of the category placings - please note there is an on-going "stewards enquiry" into the runners-up position for the Victoria Sponge - with an allegation that it was not made by the said winner but by the proprietor of Sweet and Savoury, Caroline Rd!!!!!

Victoria Sponge 1st Colleen Redshaw - 2nd Butch - 3rd Len Woodhead
Jam 1st Carol Pearse - 2nd Stella Whitehead - 3rd Janet Brown
Pickles 1st Colleen Redshaw - 2nd Carol Pearse - 3rd Colleen Redshaw
Cut flowers 1st Sarah Pearse - 2nd Sarah Pearse
Animals 1st Alex Pearse - 2nd Coral Flintham - 3rd Declan Hastie
Children's Fancy Cakes 1st Molly Searle - 2nd Alex Pearse - 3rd= Sam Locke & Declan Hastie
Decorated Cake 1st Sarah Pearse - 2nd Carol Pearse - 3rd April Sutton
Fruit Cake 1st Kathy Winn - 2nd Louise McLaren - 3rd Carol Pearse
Fruit Pie 1st Carole Pearse - 2nd Janet Glossop
Small Fancy Cakes 1st Stella Whitehead - 2nd Nadene Bate - 3rd Karen Atkin
Best Tray of Veg 1st Jeff Kay - 2nd Marlene James - 3rd Fred Darwood
Best Onion 1st J. Broomfield - 2nd George Gray - 3rd John Harrison
Hugest Onion 1st Fred Darwood - 2nd John Harrison
Hugest Marrow 1st George Gray - 2nd Ernie Dickinson
Best Marrow 1st Fred Darwood - 2nd Bill Glossop - 3rd Fred Darwood

The Local Branch of the South Lincs Blind Society meet each fortnight in Heighington Jubilee Hall
On 13 June, Margaret Mayne gave those present a really interesting talk on raising money for Goa and how it is spent once over there.
Unfortunately our meeting on 27 June had to be cancelled due to flooding but we made up for it on 11 July when we all enjoyed a strawberry tea and a few games of bingo.
Then on the 25 July the club went out to the Canwick Golf Club where they all tucked in to another scrumptious lunch.
The club was closed during August and is due to re-open on 12 September.
Anyone wishing to join must contact South Lincs Blind Society on 01476 592 775.

Patricia MacPherson

The Senior Citizens went to Hunstanton on 15 August but sadly the weather was not too kind to us as it was windy and rainy. As we are all a bunch of hardy souls most people enjoyed the day out.
The next outing is scheduled for Tuesday 16 October, when we will be going to Brigg Garden Centre. We will be leaving the village at 10.30 am to arrive for lunch.

Can I just say thank you to all who support the Thursday Coffee Morning. At least once during the period ever seat is taken.

Pam Woolley - Secretary

With the 2007 season fast coming to a close the "Friends" have three further events taking place this "term"
On Wednesday 26 September Mr Ken Ellis (Editor of Flypast Magazine) will give a lecture on "The World of Flypast"
Then on Wednesday 17 October there will be a Presentation by The Red Arrows.
The final lecture of the season will be on Wednesday 28 November when Mr Peter Stevenson will present "Development of Long-range Flying from RAF Cranwell".
On Sunday 11 November there will be a Remembrance Ceremony at the Airfield Memorial at 10.45 am
Members will again be showing their wares in the Village Hall at Metheringham Fayre and Feast on Saturday 20 October.

Can we be the only residents in Metheringham who are sick to death of garden bonfires on lovely days? It is the same year in year out!
As soon as we have a lovely sunny day when you can throw open the windows and doors, hang the washing on the line and sit outside for lunch, some selfish unthinking person, to put it politely, lights a stinking garden bonfire, which means, closing all doors and windows, bringing in the washing and sitting inside until the said bonfire has stopped smoking.
May we remind these people that lighting bonfires when there is a breeze is against the law. We are totally fed up with having our bungalow filled with the smell, often acrid, and not being able to have our bedroom window open during the night when we are lucky enough to have the weather to do so.
To all bonfire lighters. Please think of your neighbours and neighbourhood and stop being so selfish.
Sue and Jim Greenslade

This year’s Harvest Festival Service will be held on Wednesday 3 October at 6.30 pm. It will be followed by the Harvest Supper in the Old School Blankney at 7.30 pm
Tickets for the Harvest Supper will be available from Blankney Estates Office from Mid-September - priced £9.00 (under 12's £4.50)
Service will be held on Sunday 23 December at 4.30 pm - followed by coffee and mince pies.

By now most of you "doggy" people will be aware that Metheringham has a new Dog Warden. To those of you who automatically clean up after your dogs, I would like to say a big "Thank you". To those of you who only clean up because you have spotted me lurking - it’s better than nothing, but I'll still be watching!

To the few who believe that the law does not apply to them, remember it could be your child's shoes that need scrubbing. It is unhygienic, unsightly and I can not understand why you should want your own village in such a state. I operate a "ZERO TOLERANCE" level and will not hesitate to issue a fixed penalty on the spot to any offender.

2006 for Nocton CC proved to be one of the best seasons in recent times but the 2007 season even surpassed that one. All being well, going into the finals matches the club will finish in their highest position in recent years (i.e. not in the bottom two).
Already this season two achievements have been made which did not happen last season and that was to win two games in a row and in actual fact three wins from four games. Also a league double was achieved over near neighbours Heighington (another achievement not made last season).
The weather again played havoc with the season with four games rained off but Nocton players are made of hardy stuff and that was a lot better than most clubs who saw six and seven games lost. The season opened with a quick exit from the Major Hoult cup but it was against higher league opposition in BBH. Of the next six games, two were rained off and then four were lost, but all four were by narrow margins. It took the sixth game to achieve a victory and also the first time the club scored a total of three figures and this came with success over Heighington by one wicket when chasing 107. Although the next two were lost the team then found the missing form and picked up three wins from four games, including an epic in the return match against Heighington when Nocton made only 63 runs but defended it, bowling Heighington out for 38. Once again Dave Franklin will be the leading run-maker for the club and at the time of going to press had an average of 19.38. He was also the leading wicket keeper in the league with seven victims to his name.
Best bowler was Bruce Donald who had an average of 9.50 with over 16 wickets

Connect2 : Bridging Transport Gaps for Local Walkers and Cyclists

Sustainable transport charity Sustrans plans to join up the dots between communities and amenities, with its groundbreaking Connect2 programme to develop new walking and cycling routes around the UK - and the nationwide programme of seventy nine projects includes two projects in Lincolnshire, a route over the A17 at Holdingham and Sleaford and a green link between Carlton-le Moorland and Bassingham.

At the end of July we said a fond farewell to Deacon Mary Neal, who has been in Metheringham for 5 years, and hoped that she and Ron will be happy in Lancashire. The Rev. Gill Riley has taken on responsibility for the Metheringham Chapel.
September sees the start of the new Methodist year; the Harvest Festival Service on the 16 Sept. is one of our first services. The Sisterhood Meetings starts on Thursday 11 Oct. at 2.30pm in the Chapel Hall and run weekly. Besides having guest speakers who provide a range of interesting talks, there is an opportunity to get together with friends over tea and biscuits.
At Metheringham Fayre & Feast you will be very welcome to come and see us and meet new and old friends. We will be serving a range of refreshments throughout the day.
Our Christmas Coffee Morning will be held on Saturday 24 Nov. 2007, 9.30am to 12.00, in the Chapel Hall. We look forward to seeing you for a cup of coffee and a mince-pie.
Next year, as many of you know, will be the Chapel's Centenary Celebrations. Planning for this special occasion is well underway and arrangements are being made for a celebration dinner, special services, a flower festival and a number of concerts. Watch this space for more details.

Yet another season is under way for Metheringham Football Club. The club is one of the oldest in the county having been formed around 1885. Then there was just one team but now we have a multitude of sides for all age groups from Under 7 right up to four senior sides (one on a Saturday and three on Sundays). If anyone is looking for a team for their youngsters to play for or for themselves we are always looking for players so get in touch with Secretary Pete Ford (01526) 320016. He will direct you to one of our team managers.
Over the next nine months you can be assured of a football match on the village sports field at some age group or other every Sunday, so instead of sitting by the fire, get out and get some fresh air and give support to your village teams. you might just enjoy it.
On the fund-raising front the Club will be holding a Race Night in the Star and Garter on Friday 26th October (starting around 8.30 pm). This is in conjunction with the Village Hall, who need funding to keep on top of continual expense which they are faced with. so get yourselves down there as we would like to see as many people there as possible to swell the funds for both organisations.
Looking to future, but not yet confirmed, the Club is trying to set up a Charity Football Match with the cast of Emmerdale. If this comes off we hope to arrange it for our Fun Day which will be towards the end of May 2008. Last years Fun Day proved a great success considering it was arranged at short notice when insufficient teams entered our Junior Six-A-Side competition. There were mini soccer games, a variety of side stalls, bouncy castle, games of skill, a bar and even a fly-past by the Battle of Britain’s Memorial Flights - Spitfire - which was truly spectacular.
If an other organisation would be interested in joining us in this venture to make it into a regular Village Event please contact Club Secretary Pete Ford (01526 320016)

This is your invitation to become a member of. F.O.M.A.L (Friends of Metheringham Area Lives)

Cost of Our Operations
We are entirely funded by local donations and community grants. We also actively fund-raise.
Our annual cost of operation is usually in the region of £2,850+ This is made up of:
L.I.V.E.S = £1,650 - Covers Training, mobile phones, stationery, kit, supplements and annual subscription to L.I.V.E.S.
Eqpmnt £700 - Oxygen cylinders, Defib Pack etc
Sundries = £500 - Whilst this is a large sum, we only need 150 friends so that we can operate in the future. This is only a small cost for the reassurance of knowing that we will be there should you ever need us.

As I write this the last of the Summer sunshine is half heartedly peering in through the windows and Autumn is definitely on its way. I hope you all had a good break and managed to make the most of the little bit of good weather that we did have?
During the holidays our junior readers were learning about the environment and hopefully helping the Woodland Trust to plant some new trees as part of their summer reading scheme - The Big Wild Read. Various non fiction and fiction books on this theme were bought specifically for the scheme and it seems to have been a great success. We had a Big Wild Read activity on 21 August and the library was full of "Sticky bugs", recycled creatures and Bill and Bens (remember them?!) popping out of flowerpots, before going on a "bug hunt" around the library (we're not too sure how many "bugs" were hiding so there may be the odd one still lurking underneath the bookshelves somewhere!) We had a good turn out and it was lovely to see so many children having fun.
Another exciting event that took place was a Workshop run jointly between NKDC and the artists commissioned to rejuvenate our car park - the electricwig company. Our car park was identified as being an area of the village in need of refurbishing and Tim and Johanna - the artists - had put together a workshop for people to go along and give their ideas for some "living furniture" which we could incorporate into the designs for the car park. The idea was that you took along your favourite plant and used that as inspiration for a piece of furniture. Various impressive items were designed and then actually made up to full size. I imagine quite a few gardens in the village are now the proud bearers of some very impressive garden benches, tables etc! To learn more about the project log on to www.electricwig.com - from there you will see a link to the Metheringham project and some pictures from the day.
Readers Group is still increasing in numbers but we always have room for one more so if you like to find new authors or even just come out once a month for a natter we meet on the first Wednesday of the month, at 7.30 in the Star and Garter. Our latest review can be found elsewhere in this edition.Thanks for all your support

Sue Miller Community Outreach Officer

The U3A in Branston is now in its fourth year and approximately 130 local residents from Branston, Heighington, Bracebridge Heath, Metheringham and surrounding villages, who have retired from full-time employment, participate in its social and /or cultural activities.
Presentations on Flying the Shackleton, the History of Windmills in Lincolnshire and the Development of English Country House Gardens were given by speakers at the Monthly General Meetings held in the third quarter of the year, and these meetings, usually attended by upwards of 70 members and held in the Branston village hall at 13:30 for 14:00 on the fourth Tuesday of each month, will continue in the fourth quarter with presentations on Antarctica, Marconi and 'Operation Monarch'.
Group activities have continued to flourish and expand and there are, for example, three walks group, long (ending in lunch), short (optional lunch), and local (not more than 10 miles from Branston). Enthusiasm for local history and gardening has resulted in the establishment of duplicate groups, and recently, Conversational French, Opera, and Creative Writing, have been added to the list. .
Visits to Sewerby Hall and Gardens, and to Epworth, home of John and Charles Wesley have recently been undertaken following arrangements by the Armchair Travel and Local History Groups respectively.
Further information can be obtained from Christine on (01522) 790951 or Alan on 790909 or by attendance at the aforementioned meetings

Searching for Wilkinson, Jickels and Burrows
I would be very grateful for any help with the following searches:-
1) The baptism of my great x 2 grandfather John Wilkinson is recorded in the Timberland Parish Register in February 1801, the son of John and Ann Wilkinson from Martin. I have been unable to trace the marriage of his parents or find any siblings.
2) John's marriage to Maria Jickels is recorded in the Blankney Parish Register in January 1824, both shown as residents of the Parish. Although Maria always gave her place of birth as Blankney Fen in census records, I have been unable to trace her birth or any siblings or her parents.
3) John and Maria's son William Wilkinson was my great grandfather. He married Emily Burrows in 1865, the daughter of William Burrows and Elizabeth Corden. William Burrows appears to have been born in 1771 and is shown as a farmer in Whites Directory for 1841. I have been unable to find any further trace of him or his wife Elizabeth
johnwilkinson.abacus@btinternet.com

Searching for Wright Family
I am researching the family of William Wright 1798 - 1861 a farmer in the hamlet of Linwood. On the 1841 census he and his wife have a Susan Wright born 1790 listed in his household and in 1851 two lodgers including Susan who is listed as being a pauper and blind and a Rebecca Wright born 1799 , also a pauper.Does anyone have any information on these two ladies? asjtocon@hotmail.com

Elizabeth Lupton 1777 Dunstan
Does anyone have info re above. I think Eliz was married to John Lupton, mother of Harriet Lupton who would be my ggggrandmother and gggggrandmother respectively

John Waddingham 1784
John Waddingham is my ggggrandfather. He was the father of Thomas Waddingham.
Does anyone have more information on John. Think his wife was Mary Thorpe.
Clarence Young YoungPC@Shaw.ca

The Parish Council have a number of ongoing issues at the present time and it would be premature to discuss these in detail until further developments have taken place.
One issue we are pleased to report is the overwhelming success of our survey on the Cross. There were around 600 replies and we are very grateful to everyone who took the trouble to respond. In addition to answers to the questions there were many comments and we are still very busy reviewing everyone's response. One thing is very clear there was very little support for removing the Cross, SO THE CROSS REMAINS, which will mean little if any changes to the road layout. There was considerable support for changing the pillar of the Cross and present proposals are to go back to the Pre-war design.
A full analysis of the results will be available in time for the next edition of the magazine.
We are still discussing land issues with the County Council and await their response to proposals made by the Parish Council. This would require changes to the current 'chance to share field' and the 'Star and Garter field' but these will only go ahead if we can protect the interests of the Village.
We have now co-opted a new Councillor and with the Council back up to full strength look forward to moving forward with our long list of outstanding action items.

Dr Mike Allen
(Chairman)

The Metheringham Animal Welfare Supporters Group held their AGM at the Scarf and Goggles on 13 August. 45 enthusiastic animal lovers attended and it promised to be a great evening. The chairperson, Yvonne Denman welcomed and thanked everyone who had helped through the year. In the absence of Treasurer Donna Baumber , Ann Heading read out her report and a gasp went up as she announced the cheque to each charity would be……£1,707.00 - Wow £6,828.00 in total. That is the best MAWS have ever raised in a year.

E. E. C. & Health & Safety (or Extra Employer Costing Hundreds no sense)
Why do we need those Europeans can't we make our own rules
If we need our own MP's, then they must go to better schools
We never used to need those Frogs and Gerry's our nation almost ruled the globe so round
Now we are breeding straight Banana's does it matter if there's 8 per kilo or 4 to the lb

HEALTH &SAFETY its common sense
What do they know about baking cakes and pickles, our village ladies can't be beat
What's wrong with miles and feet and inches, we know how tall we are in feet
If Cheddar cheese is not made at Cheddar and Mowbray's pork pies are contracted out
And Yorkshire puddings aren't all made in Yorkshire does it matter if they are all spread about

HEALTH & SAFETY its common sense
If men and women in our great country want to work a little longer, to pay there bills
Why do these foreigners tell us to shorten our working week, why stop, it helps to fill the tills,
All these rules and regulations, we don't encourage our young to work
Why limit the Lorry Driver, don't let him drive to far when he gets to depot he as another 20 miles in car

HEALTH & SAFETY its common sense
For centuries we managed to build a Great Britain, and proud to fly the flag
What have we got to fly it for now there's nothing left in the bag?
What happened to our farmers they worked hard and prospered each year to fill the store?
And now these UN Qualified Europeans won't let us farm no more

HEALTH & SAFETY its common sense
The rules they make in Europe are made for us all to read
But it's mostly us silly b****** in England who have to obey and lead
Why can't we cut our hedges like we used to, we always made the drains good
And the waterways are left for wild life and now we a have the flood

HEALTH & SAFETY its common sense
And what about the hedges that are left while the birds have flown
We used to manage nicely when we were left to make that decision our own
Why when building plots are started, don't we check the sea level before we start
Then when we get heavy rainfall then the houses should be in a higher part
HEALTH & SAFETY It's common sense

Len Woodhead

In Metheringham

Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme offered at Bronze, Silver and Gold Level - starting in September.
For information please ring 01522 820814

Book Readers Review

This book is set in 1847 and tells the story of the passengers who are emigrating to America on the ship The Star of the Sea in the hope of finding a better life for themselves after the potato famine in Ireland. Grantley Dixon, an American journalist and one of the first class passengers, tells the tale and it is written as though compiled from a variety of historical documents including diaries, letters and eyewitness accounts. The lives of both first class and steerage travellers are interwoven and the story is about why they are on the Star, where they have come from and why they are going to America. Lord Merridith, a bankrupt aristocrat, has had to leave his home in Ireland and is travelling with his wife, young sons and their nurse Mary Duane. The book is described as a murder mystery with Pius Mulvey "The Ghost" having been detailed to murder Lord Merridith.
Once I had got into the story and sorted out the characters I loved the book and had to keep reading. As always in the reading group we were sharply divided in our opinions, but on the whole, more people liked it than not and it ended with a score of 6/10
Pauline

Success continued for Martin CC this season as they gained promotion as champions for the second season in a row. Now they return to the top flight of local cricket ,a position they used to hold with some esteem, in years gone by. With a few new faces in the club, including batsman Dave Newman and bowler Rob Noble, Martin have been formidable this season and in league games they have lost just once and that was against Market Rasen who will be promoted along with them.The season got off to a losing start with defeat in the Premier Trophy tie against Premier side Southcliffe who made 220-6 with Martin falling 21 runs short. Progress in the Village Trophy was also brief , going out to local rivals Blankney when chasing just 106 but falling five runs short in an exciting finish. Six games were lost to the elements but of the matches played, the team hit a record 374-6 against neighbours Timberland in their last game, to snatch the title from Rasen, with Dave Newman scoring 139. They also twice hit scores of over 200 with 243-9 at Saxilby, this time Dave Newman made 122. Then they hit 223-7 at Winthorpe and Rob Noble took 6-15 as the home side were bowled out for just 36. Top batsman for the side was Dave Newman who has hit over 400 runs for an average of 68. Rob Noble proved the bowler with an average of around 6.00

Blankney took another step in their history, entering their Second XI (Saturday side) in the South Lincs and Boarders League. This was again a learning curve for the club and at times they found the going tough but came through it with respectability although in the lower reaches of the table. They found in this league a score of around 200 was needed when playing 45 over matches. This figure was achieved three times, once against Grantham 2nd when Simon Behan hit 95 and the match was won and then at Long Sutton when they reached 222-7 with Lee Allman out two short of his ton, but the game was lost on the last ball of the match.

Lincolnshire's summer finally arrived at Digby's Party in the Park on 4th August as the RAF station welcomed over 2000 party-goers to a fun-packed day of family entertainment and music stretching late into the night.

Station Commander, Group Captain Sean Corbett, said "this was a truly cracking day, and blessed by good weather. We met all our objectives of having a fun day for the local community and service personnel, and raising substantial funds for our supported charities with the help of our sponsors."

His Recollections and Reminiscences of Metheringham; pre and post WW2.

Reg Rush - Aged 17

Reg Rush was born in Metheringham around 86 years ago and in the last issue we wrote about his grand-father Amos Cooling. Reg himself has had a more than interesting life and leaving the village as a sixteen year old he went on to attend the Midland Agricultural College in Leicestershire. He was never to return to live in the village as he became a member of the crack 30 Commando Unit in WW2. This Assault Unit was the brain child of Lord Mountbatten and Commander Ian Fleming (author of the James Bond books) and until recently their actions in the war were top secret. An interesting website www.30AU.co.uk shows Reg as a 20 year with the unit. Another member of this unit was Charles Wheeler who later became a journalist with the BBC. Reg later became the Secretary of the Royal Marine Command Veterans’ Association and now lives a busy life in Wells next the Sea, Norfolk. Below is his "Recollections and Reminiscences of Metheringham.

-- YOUTH BRASS BAND MOVING TO THIS AREA --

JOIN US AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR LOCAL BRASS BAND.

An existing youth Brass Band is relocating to the Metheringham & Dunston area, and we are looking for more players to join us. The instruments we have in a brass band are:
cornet, flugel horn, tenor horn, baritone, euphonium, trombone and bass
So whether you already play, or would like to learn, come along and join us. We will provide tuition, loan of an instrument and music; and the subs are only £12/qtr. We play at fetes and concerts, and players from the Band had great results at the Lincoln Music & Drama Festival earlier this year.

RECRUITMENT DAY: SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER
METHERINGHAM VILLAGE HALL 11am–3pm

Come along to listen to the Band, meet the players and try the instruments
We also need percussionists, so come along and sign-up!

Practice times: Tuesday & Friday (6pm – 8pm)

If you would like more information please contact Helen Duncan
Tel: 01526 323860 email: brassylady@btinternet.com

Need a helping hand onto the Property ladder?

With house prices and interest rates on the up, new affordable housing opportunities
are being developed in North Kesteven, then shared ownership could be the solution for you.

Further details are contained in this leaflet from North Kesteven District Council.

Shared Ownership (pdf, 129 kB)