Stamford, Rutland, Bourne and the Deepings news from 10, 25, 50, 100, 150 and 200 years ago
We’re on our weekly stroll down memory lane looking at news from up to 200 years ago.
Our Rutland & Stamford Mercury Memories is produced thanks to the support of the Stamford Mercury Archive Trust.
10 years ago
Pupils experience West End theatre
The thrill of performing at a West End theatre in London was shared on Sunday by pupils of the Stamford-based Wildcats Theatre School.
Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket, home to Phantom of the Opera, every month allows theatre schools from across the country to showcase young performers.
Wildcats, which runs classes across the East Midlands, has worked with the director of the Sunday Night Live shows for years, a link which secured slots for several of its students. Nineteen-year-old Helen Holroyd performed a very special solo on Sunday.
Helen, from Stamford, has been with Wildcats since it opened in 2008 but will soon be leaving for higher education training.
She sang Times Like This from the musical Lucky Stiff. As a youngster she loved swimming at Deeping pool, but volunteering with friend at a holiday dance and drama workshop when she was 12 sparked a new love.
She continued to volunteer, became an assistant at Wildcats, then a class teacher before joining its Post-16 academy.
Helen said: "The course gave me the opportunity to develop my technical ability in voice, acting and dance whilst continuing to work and develop my teaching experience."
Wildcats owner Caz Dolby added: "She is a huge part of Wildcats and we have watched her grow and develop over time. Her performance in the West End was outstanding."
Events mark Dementia Awareness week
A host of events are being held to mark Dementia Awareness Week across the area including the launch of Bourne as a dementia friendly community.
Bourne is starting a journey to become the first dementia friendly community in Lincolnshire and a launch will take place on Wednesday as part of the annual general meeting of Dementia Support South Lines.
The main idea of creating a dementia friendly community that small changes can make a huge difference to someone living with dementia, and their carer.
Heather Gilling, chairman of Dementia Support South Lincs, said: “A dementia friendly community is one where people with dementia can live as independently as possible, are met with understanding and given support when they need it, and can continue to be valued members of their community.
"We are thrilled to be launching Bourne on this journey during Dementia Awareness Week. "Our membership is drawn from Bourne, Stamford and Market Deeping and surrounding villages, and we very much hope they too will become dementia friendly communities in the not too distant future."
Competition winner gets behind-the-scenes access
A youngster and her friends enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of an animal shelter.
Scarlett Ball, 9, a pupil at Malcolm Sargent Primary School in Stamford won a colouring competition in Animals and You Magazine.
As part of her entry, she drew a picture of her labradoodle dog Monty.
Her prize was a behind-the-scenes tour of Wood Green Animal Shelter, near Cambridge, and she took her friend Eve McClarnon.
Scarlett’s mother Sarah said both girls had a fantastic time feeding and holding chickens, feeding greedy goats, meeting a giant rabbit called Harry among other things like making cat toys for the cattery and meeting a beautiful husky puppy called Kai.
One step closer to outdoor learning
Youngsters at St Augustine’s Primary School in Stamford are a step closer to being able to move lessons outdoors to learn about environment and nature - thanks to Linden Homes Midlands.
The house builder has given £250 to the school, which will go towards its plans to develop a designated outside learning space - with a wildlife garden, tree planting, fire pit and wildlife surveillance/tracking equipment.
25 years ago
Pupils celebrate May Day
Barnack School pupils learned about the country's history and heritage as they celebrated the former Pagan festival of May Day on Friday.
A special May Assembly saw Barnack pre-school youngsters join the primary school pupils in performing songs and dances in front of parents and friends of the school.
Pupils voted for Tizzie Abbott-Donnelly to be the May Queen and she was assisted in presiding over events by other year six girls.
Headteacher John Green said: "It's good fun and the children enjoy it. It keeps cultural traditions going. The parents love it as well."
He added: "The pre-school children adored the maypole dancing - they just sat there looking at it with wide eyes."
Fundraising for Scouts trip abroad
Getting to Iceland for an international Scouting and Guiding jamboree is proving a snip for 14 year old Morgan Aird, of Wittering.
Morgan, who is a Young Leader of the 1st Wittering Guides, was selected to represent Lincolnshire South in the three week event at Lake Ulfijostsvath near Eeykjavick earlier in the year.
Since then, Morgan has been busy fundraising to cover the costs of her trip, and this continued with a sponsored haircut at the Stylistics salon in Stamford.
Shelby Bradshaw (4), who is a Burghley District Guides Rainbow, agreed to have her blonde locks lopped off to help Morgan on her way.
Stylistics salon owner Christina Mee (31) said: "Shelby thought it was wonderful to have her hair cut, she looked like a little princess.
“Shelby's mum pleated her hair to start with, then I cut it into a bob which took about half an hour. Shelby seemed really happy with her new look."
And Jan Dummigan, the Burghley District Guide Commissioner added: "It was really good Shelby to help Morgan out in this way. Morgan still has some way to go and more fundraising is being planned."
Morgan, who lives with her parents at the RAF base in Wittering, will be jetting off to Iceland for the jamboree which starts on July 12.
Teachers brave charity skydive
Teaching assistants from Copthill School, Uffington, will be hurling themselves out of a plane on Sunday to raise money for the National Eczema Society.
Matthew Sutterby (19) and Tom Smith (20) who help out with physical education at the school will be heading to Sibson airfield near Wansford on Saturday to have a full day of training before they jump.
They will be jumping 2,200 feet above earth. Matthew said: “We’re feeling excited and nervous as it's our first experience in a parachute. Hopefully, there won’t be any problems. If all goes well we might raise £60 for the cause.”
A number of pupils turned out at the school to wish Matthew and Tom all the best for their dive.
Wine night to support school
It was bottoms up at the William Hildyar school in Market Deeping this week as a wine tasting night was arranged to help pay for the school’s new outdoor play equipment.
Chris Bruce, of Unwins Wine Shop, Market Deeping, was invited and he brought along a large selection of wines for the parents and teachers of the school to sample.
The wine tasting was carried out in the form of a quiz in which the tasters had to identify which kind of wine they were sampling.
William Hildyard PTA chairman Jenny Spicer said: “It was a really good social evening.
“The sale of tickets for the wine tasting night raised more than £200 which will go towards the cost of the new outdoor adventure play equipment we have bought for the pupils to enjoy.”
Coffee morning helps pensioners
A coffee morning with stalls has raised over £250 to help Deepings pensioners.
The event, which netted the money in aid of the Age Concern Day Centre in Deeping St James, took place on Friday in Park Road, Deeping St James.
As well as drinking tea and coffee, local people who came along could try their luck on the raffle and tombola or buy cakes, craft items or bric-a-brac from stalls.
Heather Newton, day care centre co-ordinator, said: “People came up to me and said they really enjoyed it. I’ve had good feedback.”
Some of the money raised may be used to take the old people who attend the day centre on a trip, possibly to Peakirk.
50 years ago
A £1 million expansion programme is to be carried out at Bourne by J. C. Firth Refrigeration Ltd.
The expansion to the company's refrigeration and vegetable processing lines will have a considerable impact on the town, says Mr M. G. Spenceley, a newly-appointed director and general manager.
There will be a need for extra labour to man the additional lines but how many jobs will eventually require filling has not yet been worked out.
100 years ago
Suggested Meat Inspector - The Mayor (Coun. A. Cliff) presided at a quarterly meeting of the Town Council on Monday, when on the recommendation, of the Health Committee, who had received a deputation from the Butchers' Association with respect to various matters in connection with the upkeep and condition of slaughter-houses, the Borough Surveyor was directed to submit a plan for catch-pits to be placed in various slaughter-houses.
The Association suggested the appointment of a meat inspector and undertook to help the Corporation to alleviate any nuisance brought forward.
150 years ago
A new offer for supplying Stamford with water has been made to the Water Supply Committee.
Reading Mr. Bateman's report in the newspapers, Mr. Hopwood, of Ketton Hall, who is about to serve his own residence from Ketton springs, thought if he constructed a capacious reservoir on the high ground leading to Witchley Warren he could make it available for supplying Stamford; a id Mr. Easton, his engineer, has suggested that the Town Council should take the matter into consideration.
200 years ago
Samuel Wade, labourer, of Moulton, was tried for stealing 18lbs, of flax thread, the property of Mr. John Molesworth.
The thread had been left with Mr. Tyers, weaver, of Moulton, to work into cloth; and during the time it was in his keeping, Tyers's shop was broken open, and the thread stolen.
The stolen property was traced to Wade's sister, who appeared in court as evidence, and deposed that she purchased it off the prisoner.
In his defence, he stated that he purchased the thread of a young man who said he came from Boston. He called as a witness Geo. Slater, one of the prisoners, who was admonished by the presiding magistrate, previously to his being sworn, of the awful responsibility he was about to take upon himself.
