News from Metheringham........

Margaret is our new correspondent

Published on Sunday 29 January 2012 12:05

NEW CORRESPONDENT – The Sleaford Standard has appointed a new correspondent for Metheringham.

Margaret Kristen is now the point of contact for all news, events and activities in the village which you wish to be published in the Sleaford Standard.

Please contact her about your event or let her know it is happening and she will attend.

You can contact her on 01526 322169 or 079458066366, or by email at maggiekristen@hotmail.co.uk

Let her have details of any events or activities before Thursday evening to be included in the following week’s issue.

HALL NEEDS HELP - Metheringham Village Hall Management Committee are looking to appoint a treasurer, chairperson and a secretary. The situation is getting quite desperate now.

Anyone wishing to apply for any of the positions should contact Jenni Honisett on 01526 320968 or email Dot Howes at dot.howes@tiscali.co.uk

The current chairperson will step down at the annual meeting.

BADMINTON – Anyone interested in playing badminton on either Tuesday or Thursday afternoon at Metheringham Village Hall should contact Kay Bulled on 01526 320589.

FOOTBALL CLUB - Metheringham Football Club is seeking people to run the under-7, under-8 and under-9 teams.

The club has plenty of children wanting to play but no one to run these teams. If you could you spare a few hours to help run the teams, contact the club secretary Pete Ford on 01526 320016.

PANTOMIME – Metherinham Amateur Dramatics group will be performing their latest pantomime, Red Riding Hood, this weekend.

The panto, directed by Darren Hawbrook, can be seen at the village hall on Friday at 7.30pm and on Saturday at 2.30pm and at 7.30pm.

Tickets, priced £6.00, are available at D&K News or via metheringhamamaturedramatic.co.uk

Margaret is our new correspondent - Community News - Sleaford Standard

Margaret is our new correspondent - Community News - Sleaford Standard

Police in Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire Police force praised for good leadership

Monday, January 30, 2012

Lincolnshire Echo

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A review into the way Lincolnshire Police records crimes has praised strong leadership which encourages high standards.

In the first review of its kind by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), it was revealed that out of 120 records created by Lincolnshire Police as a result of calls for assistance from the public, just three had been closed without a crime being properly recorded.

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The systems in place for recording incidents reported by the public were also deemed "good", and the way officers deal with victims and identified repeated victims was "good".

The report, called The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports, aims to ensure police forces are keeping accurate records of when crimes are reported so areas prone to anti-social behaviour can be monitored as well as offering the right level of support to victims.

Heather Roach, Detective Chief Superintendent, head of crime support, said: "The force has a real commitment to 'getting it right first time'.

"Supervisors within our control room carry out daily audits of incidents and the central point for recording crime – the Crime Management Bureau – is staffed with experienced and skilled individuals.

"The results are really good for Lincolnshire and we feature in the top two or three forces within the country around these standards.

"However there is always room for improvement and what really matters is that at the end of each crime there is generally a victim who deserves the best response we can give along with a successful conclusion."

The findings in the report place Lincolnshire as one of the top-performing forces.

The review did highlight a need to improve how victims are kept in the loop about the progress of their case but said officers do give victims "good" support.

Angry fans show red card to Poppies boss

Published on Monday 30 January 2012 09:47

Poppies fans have shown their club’s owner the red card in protest of his handling of the stricken club.

Up to 1,500 supporters held up red placards saying Show Imraan Ladak The Red Card and unfurled banners before Kettering Town’s game against Lincoln City at Nene Park on Saturday.

Mark Severn, chairman of the Kettering Town Supporters’ Trust, which organised the protest, said: “It’s down to Imraan’s conscience now. We are down to one man.

“He has always said he will do his best by the club. We thank him for the good times, but his time here could be up.”

The trust want Mr Ladak to sell the club, to which HMRC issued a winding-up order over unpaid debts to the taxman earlier this month, to someone who can invest money into it.

The four banners carried quotes from Mr Ladak about handing the club to the fans and having supporters’ interests at heart.

Mr Severn said there was also a lot of chanting calling on Mr Ladak to leave the club.

Fans had initially aimed to hold the demonstration at the Poppies’ home game against Forest Green Rovers earlier this month.

But following its postponement because of a frozen pitch the supporters’ trust delayed the protest to Saturday’s home game.

The team did play a home game against Gateshead last Tuesday night, but the fixture was instead used to celebrate the life of Ryan Kirk, a 19-year-old fan who died in a car crash near Grafton Underwood on January 10.

At last Tuesday night’s game there was a mild protest with scoreboard operator Chris Knight writing a message at half-time asking Mr Ladak to go.

Mr Knight said: “Everyone got behind the protest and sent a clear message out there.”

It is understood that former Poppies director Lee Thorn, who made an offer for the club which has since been withdrawn, has organised a fans’ forum at Nene Park at 7pm on Friday.

The trust has launched a fighting fund to help with any potential takeover. For more information visit www.poppynet.co.uk.

Two teams of supporters will play at the Poppies’ old ground in Rockingham Road on Saturday to pay for the funerals of Ryan Kirk and 17-year-old Charlotte Filer, who also died in the accident. The captains will be Ryan’s cousin Curtis and Charlotte’s brother Aaron.

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University of Lincoln benefits the City.......

University applications for the first year with tuition fees of up to £9,000 are up in Lincoln, despite a national drop of almost 9%.

UCAS figures published on Monday show the number of UK university applications dropped by 8.7% nationally.

In Lincoln, however, the number of applications has actually increased.

Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln recorded an increase of 18.1% in applications to the official deadline of January 15, to 1,919 from 1,585 last year.

BG is charging £7,500 per year for student tuition fees for the majority of its courses and £9,000 for PGCE courses.

The University of Lincoln, which had to reduce its student intake by 11% due to funding cuts, has seen a slight increase of 0.5% in applications as well.

Applications for its £9,000 per year courses went up to 12,576 from 12,387.

University Registrar Chris Spendlove said: “We have seen strong demand for subjects with clearly defined routes into established professions, with notable increases in applications for engineering, accountancy, architecture, nursing and law, among others.”

The University of Lincoln also noted an increase of almost 75% in applications from international students, mainly from China and India, while EU applications remained “steady”.

UCAS Chief Executive Mary Curnock Cook said: “Our analysis shows that decreases in demand are slightly larger in more advantaged groups than in the disadvantaged groups.

“The indications are that demand for HE will continue to outstrip the number of places available in 2012.

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• Number of UK university applicants drops 8.7%, Ucas figures show (guardian.co.uk)
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Jim Broadbent & Nocton.........

Film footage of Hollywood actor Jim Broadbent – which pre-dates his official silver screen debut – has been discovered in Lincolnshire.

A film reel has been found in which the Oscar winner assumes the role of a worker at Nocton Estate, south of Lincoln.

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   William Franklin from Dunston, pictured left, took part in a film about life on a farm in Lincolnshire in 1976. He didn't realise until his son found a copy that the well-known Lincolnshire actor Jim Broadbent, pictured right, was also in the film.

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Named The Greenhouse, the 18-minute black and white production was made in February 1976.

According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), Broadbent's first movie appearance was in The Shout two years later.

But the documentary suggests his first performance may have slipped under the radar.

The star, who plays Dennis Thatcher in the new film The Iron Lady, is seen doing jobs on the farm and speaking to other workers while on his lunch break.

Originally from Holton cum Beckering, near Market Rasen, Broadbent, was then aged 26 with dark curly hair and a goatee beard. Early in the footage, he speaks about the county's landscape in a voiceover recording.

He said: "The land is good around here, very easy to farm with it being so flat.

"Good farming land Lincolnshire."

The film was made by Broadbent's friend Alan Coddington as part of his studies at the National Film School.

It features shots across the fens towards Lincoln Cathedral, potato planting in the fields and glimpses of Dunston, south of Lincoln.

Mr Coddington discovered the original 16 millimetre footage in his loft around six years ago.

He then decided to make a DVD copy as he had no way of watching it in the old format.

One other copy was made for the only surviving worker featured in the film, former tractor driver William Franklin.

However Mr Franklin, 90, of Dunston, was unaware of who Broadbent was until the film was seen recently by his son.

Graham Franklin, 58, a nightclub owner from Cleethorpes, said: "When I looked at the film I thought I recognised his face and then I looked at the case and I recognised the name.

"It was a bit of a 'wow factor' that my dad had been in this film with someone who has gone on to be so famous."

William Franklin received a card from Broadbent when he celebrated his 90th birthday on Saturday, January 14.

He said: "It was lovely of him to send the card.

"He was a nice enough chap with the bit I had to do with him. He seemed a bit like us I thought, a bit broad.

"He was a grand fellow."

Since The Greenhouse, Broadbent has starred in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Bridget Jones' Diary, The Borrowers and Moulin Rouge.

He has also appeared in television shows such as Only Fools and Horses.

Mr Coddington, who now lives in Cornwall, said very few people had seen the film.

He said: "I knew Jim quite well at the time. I had known him since I was about 16. But I haven't seen him for about 30 years.

"I don't think a lot of people have seen the film and I don't think Jim has seen it since it was made.

"I couldn't be 100 per cent sure it was his first film but I know he hadn't done much.

"He has gone on to do some great stuff. I'm very pleased for him."

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