NEWS The best ‘good news’ stories from across the county. This month an out of this world visitor lands in Lincoln Cathedral.

Approval for £500m Western Growth

3,200 NEW HOMES, £300m INVESTMENT, TRANSFORMATIVE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

The secretary of state last month gave notice that the office will not scrutinise the decision to proceed with plans for Lincoln’s Western Growth Corridor, effectively giving the City of Lincoln the green light to proceed with plans. The Western Growth Corridor will be the largest project undertaken in the city for decades, bringing more than £500 million worth of investment into Lincoln over its lifetime and providing hundreds of jobs locally. The development will supply the city with 3,200 much needed new homes, a leisure village, an industrial park and transport infrastructure that will help alleviate some of Lincoln’s worst traffic problems. Plans include the creation of new homes, plus retail and commercial developments, 20-hectares of space for new businesses, plus a regional sport and leisure complex, including a new stadium, health and leisure facilities, a hotel and ancillary food and drink elements. Other plans for the area include the creation of a new stadium for Lincoln City Football Club. Initial works on site, which is situated north of Skellingth-

LINCOLN orpe Road, are expected to begin later this year, despite Lincolnshire County Council raising questions as to the site’s suitability because of traffic concerns. n

Darren’s competition joy

LUCKY GAINSBOROUGH MAN’S SURPRISE AS HE WINS TWO CARS, HOLIDAY AND CASH...!

GAINSBOROUGH As the expression goes, you’ve got to be in it to win it, and Darren Godson from Gainsborough is certainly in it when it comes to being lucky in competitions. Hot on the heels of winning a Bentley Continental and a £10,000 week-long trip to New York in October, Darren has once again proved lucky, winning a brand new Range Rover Evoque worth around £50,000 as well as £20,000 cash. Darren was surprised at work when the presenter of competition organiser Best of the Best dropped by unexpectedly to hand over the keys to Darren’s new car and present him with a briefcase full of cash. “I can’t believe it, I am so sorry to everyone who plays because I’ve been so lucky,” he said. The competition is a ‘spot the ball’ game format and there are two winners each week. It has been running for 22 years and back in 2020, Heckington’s Stephen McHugh was also a winner, after a ‘lucky guess’ led to a knock on the door and the delivery of a very smart Bentley Continental supercar. n See www.botb.com.

Upgrade for Pilgrim

PLANS SUBMITTED TO DOUBLE SIZE OF A&E

BOSTON Plans have been submitted to Boston Borough Council for United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust to double the size of Pilgrim Hospital’s Emergency Department. The supersized department will introduce state-of-the-art infection control and prevention measures, add more cubicles, create a new resus area for the sickest patients and provide a separate area for the youngest patients and their families, as well as providing a better environment for staff working hard in the department. NHS Trust Chief Exec, Andrew Morgan, said: “Work can be started straight away and once all of the necessary permissions are in place, we will be in a position to hit the ground running on the transformation of the new Emergency Department.” Boris Johnson visited the hospital in August 2019 to reveal plans to invest £21m in ULHT and £1.8bn in the NHS nationally. n

£15,000 from Scunthorpe MP

HOLLY MUMBY-CROFT PRESENTS CHEQUE TO LOCAL SAMARITANS GROUP, CASH RAISED BY LOCAL FAMILIES

Made in Lincolnshire, enjoyed world-wide!

LINCOLNSHIRE From the kitchen table to all over the world. The Lincoln Tea & Coffee Company was founded by Susie and John Carlisle, and has just moved into new premises to help it to sell its products all over the world. “We launched our Lincolnshire Tea in 2017 and have now sold in excess of 4,000,000 cups We were bursting at the seams, so we’ve now got space to grow and develop into the future.” n

SCUNTHORPE A cheque for £15,000 has been presented to Samaritans by Scunthorpe MP, Holly Mumby-Croft. The cash, which has been donated on behalf of bereaved families, will be used to raise awareness in the local community of the work that Samaritans do to ensure anyone who needs emotional support knows how to access it. “Every day, Samaritans volunteers respond to 10,000 phone calls across the UK, but we want to raise our profile of The Samaritans even further, so people in North Lincolnshire know about us when they need to talk, day or night.” n Dry your tears at supper time, as Spalding-based Moulton Bulb Company has partnered with Chemical Company BASF to create a new variety of onions that don’t make you cry when chopping them. Robert Oldershaw has helped pioneer them, and his new

SPALDING Sunions will be sold via Waitrose. n

No More Tears!

LOCAL NEWS

In Brief

GRANTHAM x

480 new homes for Grantham as Larkfleet is purchased by Pimco...

480 new homes will be created on the edge of Grantham by the company formerly known as Larkfleet. The company, based in Bourne, will now be known by its other brand, Allison Homes, after a successful takeover by US-based investment firm Pimco. The new homes will be created north of Grantham off Belton Lane and Manthorpe Road with a new primary school and shops created as part of the development. The company, founded by Karl Hick, aims to create over 2,000 new homes a year across the UK. n

First British astronaut in Lincoln

OUT OF THIS WORLD EVENT WITH HELEN SHARMAN AT LINCOLN CATHEDRAL

A very special visitor lands at Lincoln Cathedral as Pride goes to press. Helen Sharman will be hosting a one-off speaking engagement discussing her status as the first British person in space. Helen became the first person from the UK in space in May 1991, when she launched on a Soyuz spacecraft to spend eight days orbiting the Earth, most of which was living and working on the Mir Space Station. These days Helen works part-time at Imperial College, London. She also speaks, live around the world and virtually, about her space experiences. Helen has written two books – Seize the Moment and The Space Place (a children’s book making sense of science). During her appearance in Lincoln, Helen will enthrall her audience about her time in space, STEM and the wonders of science. She’ll describe the training and preparation, learning Russian, launch and landing, how weightlessness feels, her science experiments, and adjusting to life back on Earth. The event coincides with Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon installation which presents a seven metre illuminated model of the moon in the Cathedral’s nave.

LINCOLN An Evening with Helen Sharman will take place on Friday 18th February 2022. Tickets for the event are still available as Pride goes to press from lincolncathedral.com. n

LOCAL NEWS

In Brief

THREE WEEKS ON THE RUN FOR ANT THE WALLABY..

A seven month-old wallaby which escaped from the Tiny Steps petting zoo has been reunited with its brother after spending three weeks on the run. Ant and Dec are residents at Thurlby’s Tiny Steps petting zoo. He was found in one of the feeding cages left out to catch him, happy and unphased by his adventure. n

Boston Marathon 2022

26-MILE ROUTE WILL TAKE IN SOME OF THE AREA’S MOST PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES BOSTON Boston Marathon organisers are pressing on with the arrangements for the 6th Boston Marathon on Monday 18th April. Central Park will continue to be used as an assembly area and groups of 250 runners will depart from the Market Place at 10 min intervals. The finish line stays at the Boston College, and along the way, runners will pass many fields of vegetables on their 26 mile route through local villages. This year’s medal design includes an image of runners in a flat landscape with The Stump in the distance as well as vegetables and a tractor. n See www.bostonmarathon.co.uk.

WEST SKIRBECK HALL AND PARK London Road | Boston | Lincolnshire | PE21 7HF

• Exceptional Grade II Mansion Set in Over 11 Acres of Secluded Historic Parkland • 4 Reception Rooms, 7 Bedrooms, 5 Bathrooms, Extensive Entertaining Facilities • Landscaped Gardens, Original Architectural Features, Coach Houses and Outbuildings • Recent Upgrades to Allow for Immediate Use as Superb Holiday Letting Accommodation or a Private Haven

FOR SALE FREEHOLD WITH VACANT POSSESSION £1.95 Million Subject To Contract

DELAMERE Main Road | Wrangle | Boston | Lincolnshire | PE22 9AN

• 5 Reception Rooms Comprising 3 Living Rooms, Large Sun Lounge and Dining Room • Spacious Six Bedroomed Bungalow in ¼ of an Acre of Mature Gardens • Unique Opportunity to Acquire a Large Family Home • Set in Beautiful Mature Gardens with Private Patio • 5 Ground Floor Bedrooms with 1 First Floor Bedroom • Large Kitchen with Separate Utility Room, Double Garage FOR SALE FREEHOLD WITH VACANT POSSESSION £425,000 Subject To Contract 4 BARNACK ROAD Stamford | Lincolnshire | PE9 2NA

• Desirable Cottage Opposite the Entrance to the Burghley Estate • Close to the Town Centre For Sale Freehold with Vacant Possession • Characterful Property with 2 Bedrooms, Large Living Room and Conservatory • Private Rear Patio & Gardens with Scope for Extending to the Rear • Walking Distance from all High Street Amenities • Close to the Railway Station and The George Hotel • Opportunity to Acquire Desirable Freehold in Sought-After Town

FOR SALE FREEHOLD WITH VACANT POSSESSION £395,000

Subject To Contract

Weirs Farm, Butterwick £525,000

Dating back originally to 1822, Weirs Farm was totally re-built and extended in 2005 by the current owner and is now offered with no onward chain. With solid wooden and stone flooring, oak doors, an oil fired Rayburn and wood-burning stove, the house is filled with character features and has three good sized double bedrooms with the potential to easily create a fourth. Situated upon a mature and well established plot of approximately one and a half acres, Weirs Farm enjoys a mature and well established plot which has a large driveway and outbuildings to include a workshop, several garden stores, an open ended garage and a brick built studio and a detached self-contained annexe.

Slate House, Frithville £595,000

This five bedroom detached farmhouse occupies a plot of just over 13 acres (sts). Offered with no onward chain, the property includes a brick built and a steel framed barn and requires total refurbishment but offers a wealth of opportunity for the right buyer.

Witham Grove, Boston West £595,000

Enjoying a rural feel with woodland and riverside walks literally on the doorstep, this lovely family home is only five minutes away from all of the amenities that the town has to offer. The property has four double bedrooms with en-suite and dressing room to the master bedroom, and two reception rooms. It enjoys a plot that extends to approximately one and a half acres to include three enclosed paddocks, an all weather menage, three stables, tack room and an open ended barn.

Gedney House, Kirton Offers over £395,000

Five bedroom detached period property within only a short walking distance to all of the amenities in the popular village of Kirton. The property benefits from many character features such as reclaimed quarry tiled floor, old doors and original stained glass, but has been updated within recent years to include uPVC windows and a brand new five piece bathroom suite fitted at the end of last year. There is ample off road parking for many vehicles and an attractive established garden to include heritage apple trees, pear and quince. NO CHAIN