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By now most of you will be aware of plans to build 1340 houses north of St.Johns Church bordering on Manthorpe road and Belton Lane. The developers are holding a presentation at Filkin St Methodist Church on the 18th of September between 1400hrs and 1800hrs.
Your Committee have approached the developers who have agreed to attend a special meeting at a venue and time of our choice. As soon as it has been arranged details will be sent to you.
Further news on the above item a spokesperson for SKDC appeared on BBC Television North to state that SKDC were in favour of the application to develop north of Grantham given the fact that that planning approval has yet to be given this is rather surprising and certainly a departure from the norm.
Councillor Scott whose ward covers Grantham North has agreed to work with our Councillor Ray Wootten on this issue. However it has to be said Councillor Scott is on the fence on this issue. Maybe you can change his mind by writing to him at Grange Farm House West
Willoughby Grantham Lincs NG32 SL.
21.09.2009
Click here to view developers website
14.09.2009
A.G.M OF MANTRA 24.FEBRUARY 2009 |
The meeting was a reasonable success some 37 members were present our lowest turnout to date. This was easily explained by the fact that there were two major football matches that evening and also a W.I. Meeting which rather cramped our style a bit.
Mr Stuart Vickers a Council officer was kind enough to give us a talk on Planning regulations. The minutes of this meeting can be read in full on the Mantra website.
LATEST NEWS ON UNITED LINCOLNSHIRE HEALTH TRUST |
Chairman David Bowles has resigned after pressure from the SHA to make government targets a priority over patient care.
Mr Bowles was a charismatic leader who held the post of Finance Director of Lincolnshire County Council for many years.
What has happened here is a typical example bureaucratic bullying Unfortunately they chose
the wrong man. It is interesting to note although this resignation took place on Tues 21st of July there is still no mention of it on the ULHT website.
Just recently I contacted ULHT for their comments about the above statement and I was told unofficially that some time earlier in the year that they had difficulty in hitting Government
targets for waiting times.
This takes me back to the time when the then Board tried to discipline Paul Lewis for bending the rules in order to avoid Ambulances backing up at A&E. The important lesson to be learned here is that Patients don't matter but Government targets are more important. This is what led to so many deaths at the Tunbridge Wells and Stafford Trusts. In his letter of resignation Mr Bowles pointed this out in somewhat Trenchant terms.
Unfortunately until Trust Boards are publicly accountable to the people they serve this will never change.
Further information relating to the above details are now in the public domain. During the year 2007/8 admissions to the Trust leapt by 13.5% this was a huge burden and made it very hard to deal with seriously ill Patients and meet Government targets. David Bowels to his credit thought seriously ill patients were more important. The Trust opened some 200 extra beds at considerable cost.
About four days ago I e-mailed the Strategic Health Authority to find out if any financial help had been offered so far I have not had a reply.
27.8.2009
As you know Mantra has been successful in getting Crossroads to open up an office in Grantham on the 8.06.2009. We were delighted that our Mayor Councillor Wootten ceremonially cut the cake to celebrate the opening. Pictured are the Mayor and his delightful wife together with the two organisers from Crossroads Janet and Mel.
We are pleased to report that a member of our committee Mr Frank Batchelor who is also a member of the Rotary club has obtained a grant of £500 for Crossroads. They should get regular help from the Rotary on an annual basis. No help was given from SKDC they had their hands full paying off their former CEO. It would appear they intend to appoint someone internally on an increased salary of £110,000 a mere £5000 grant to Crossroads would have set them up nicely.
6.07.2009
Why section 106 agreements are vital. In the last two years Huntingdonshire Council have accrued a grand total of nearly a million pounds from property developers and
builders. I can't give you the figures for SKDC as due to their secret squirrel policies the information is not publicly available. In 2005 what is now known as Communities and Local Government issued guidelines on how section 106 monies should be accounted for.
As these guidelines were not mandatory SKDC decided to ignore them in order to save money. Now four years late they have decided to appoint a section 106 monitoring officer. This late conversion on the road to Damascus was probably brought about by the fact that developers can claim their money back plus interest if the Council cannot prove that the money was not spent in the way it was mandated.
This is the same Council that thought it was prudent to arrange a large payment to a departing CEO and then cover it up under a blanket of secrecy. I believe a closed
Council meeting was held on Friday 11th to discuss who should be appointed as the new CEO and their terms of employment No doubt this information will be kept
under wraps.
For a Council that talks a lot about democracy it seems reluctant to practise it. But this is on a par with the silly slogan “Listening Learning and Delivering”. This not
democracy it's governance by hypocrisy.
11.07.2009
RACE MEETING CLIFFEDALE SCHOOL 7.03.2009 |
This was a very successful joint venture between MANTRA and Cliffedale School to raise funds for for both organisations. A full breakdown will be available on the Mantra Website in due course.
HOW TO BECOME A DEFECTIVE IN THE POLICE "FARCE"
19.03.2009 |
The above heading is not aimed at ordinary members of the Police Service but at the management structure which we will show as shambolic. According to figures provided under the FOI act Lincolnshire enjoys the one of the lowest public confidence of any Police Force in the U.K. Some 38%. How did this deplorable state of affairs happen. There are a number of very good reasons in the writers opinion. The key to most of the problems is the target system imposed by Central government. Thus it is easy to arrest people defending their own home but not at all easy to arrest the people causing the trouble.
It was easy for the Police to hit their targets thus ensuring some £40,000 was paid to senior Police officers nice work if you can get it. This same administration put in a large claim for the annual Police grant which as we know was refused thus forcing the Police to pay for the re billing of
Council Tax bills costing some £400,000.The Police are not publicly accountable . We need the right to sack senior Police officers if they are not up to speed.
I DIDLE DIDLE IT SEEMS WE ARE ALL ON THE FIDDLE |
I watched Question Time the other night when a number of M.Ps faced a very hostile audience querying their creative Accountancy in trying to justify their expenses. This financial sleaze was bad enough but attempts by Mr Speaker Martin to block access via the FOI Act was an abuse of his position.
Which brings me to Duncangate where Councillor Neal's efforts to cover up a series of blunders has been more successful albeit at some expense to the taxpayer.
Most Tory Councillors when challenged would say this matter is confidential and therefore cannot be disclosed how very convenient. Who appointed this man? Why it was the ruling Tory group. Who sacked him why it was the same group. Who pays for their gross error we do.
There is something rotten in the state of Denmark and with this administration the stench of abuse of power is overwhelming.
18.05.2009
DID HE FALL OR WAS HE PUSHED VERSION TWO 25.04.2009 |
The following reply was received from Mrs Lucy Youles head of Legal services in respect of an FOI request made by me as to the cost of Mr Kerr's redundancy package.
Full Story
REPORT ON CROSSROADS MEETING ON FRIDAY 30.01.2009 |
The meeting was held in the Manners Community Centre at 1130hrs. 37 people were present. It was judged to be a great success. Crossroads have been given an Office in the Gifts Hospice they will have enough funding to start the service.
It is hoped the service will start covering the Grantham area before Christmas 2009. As more funding becomes available the aim is to cover the whole of the SKDC area. Further progress reports will be made as information becomes available watch this space.
13.02.2009
REPORT ON CROSSROADS MEETING ON FRIDAY 30.01.2009 |
The meeting was held in the Manners Community Centre at 1130hrs. 37 people were present. It was judged to be a great success. Crossroads have been given an Office in the Gifts Hospice they will have enough funding to start the service.
It is hoped the service will start covering the Grantham area before Christmas 2009. As more funding becomes available the aim is to cover the whole of the SKDC area. Further progress reports will be made as information becomes available watch this space.
13.02.2009
The unrepresentative Cabinet system of local Government has proved just how inept it really is. Purely on the grounds of cost it has disenfranchised the elderly and disabled by limiting their travel rights to after 0930hrs. The Council say the Government has underfunded the scheme how can they know this if as they say they don't know the full cost.
This touching concern for the Council tax payer has a slightly hollow sound when we consider .that the Council created 23 posts in the last five years at a total cost per year of one million pounds. These figure includes their gold plated pension pots.
Despite employing all this expensive expertise they still found it essential to spend a further million pounds on management Consultants in the last two years. This information was supplied by SKDC under the FOI act.
I would make the point that these expenditure or wastes are the only the ones we know about I am sure there are other skeletons in the cupboard waiting for their grisly remains to be revealed.
Copies of this memo will be passed to every candidate in next Council elections and hopefully the people will vote for the candidate and not the party.
12/06/2008
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This lovely old boy called Nipper is a Collie approx 12 years old. We are looking for a special foster home for him as two months ago he was diagnosed with a form of mouth cancer. Nipper still enjoys going for short walks, loves to play with his frisbee and likes football. He eats well and likes nothing better than his tummy being rubbed and taking his ease in the lounge.
Unfortunately due to the type of cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy will not work and because of his age our vet is advising he can not undergo major surgery. However should he incur any veterinary bills this will be met by the charity provided our vets are used.
At the moment he is enjoying a quality of life and does like doggy company at times but would like nothing more than a quiet and peaceful home, where he will get loads of love and TLC to spend his remaining time. Nipper needs a special kind of owner who can cope with his illness and the eventual outcome.
If you think you could offer Nipper a chance of a loving foster home then please contact Anne on 07724888864 or Joanne on 07783723203. Please be prepared for the sanctuary to request a reference from your vets and undertake a rehoming a nd follow up visits.
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The first pictures relate to 193 the old Post Office in Low Rd Manthorpe Village. The gentleman who owns the garden is 99 years old and is still gardening, This is a truly formidable performance.
The second set of photo's are of Mr Ledenhams garden who is a mere stripling of 93 both of the gentlemen were farmers and moved into the Village about 50 years ago. All of the money raised goes to a different charity each year.
Last Monday (16 th ) two houses on Wensleydale were targeted with eggs, causing no particular damage, but instilling a sense of unease in some of the residents as we had become a little slack on the security front and perhaps a little blasé, believing that we were a quiet little area devoid of crime and anti-social behaviour.
Yet again on Saturday 21st shortly after 2200 hours the same houses were targeted again and again garages, cars etc were covered. The Police have been very helpful and the PCSO in question a breath of fresh air, but I thought it pertinent to bring it to your attention as the persons believed to be responsible were seen earlier on Monday evening weaving numerous times in the road on BMX bikes looking into the properties concerned. Both were white and teenagers, one with a red hoodie and one with a white hoodie. They both had the drawstrings drawn tight to avoid clear identification. I managed to follow them over public land to where said land meets Longcliffe Road at the roundabout with Kingscliffe Road . Both were seen to ride off down Kingscliffe Road and out of sight.
I have spoken with the residents in my immediate vicinity about what has happened, some of whom are elderly and are therefore doubly concerned. As mentioned earlier PCSO Bownes is aware. He was due to visit the corner shop on the estate yesterday (23 rd ) to ask if they have been selling eggs to teenagers and, if so, to politely decline any such transactions in future, just I case.
We do not believe these are targeted incidents as we have not lived on the estate for very long and do not know anyone properly. However we are also keen to nip this in the bud and live our lives quietly like anyone else. Clearly these young individuals are riding around with eggs on them with nothing better to do then lobbing at houses – not good news. I would appreciate this message not being published (certainly not in its current form) and would ask that names and addresses are also not allowed into the public domain without consultation.
Resident
Wensleydale Close
The above charity are arranging a sponsored dog walk on 31 st August 2008 between 1300hrs and 1600hrs at Queen Elizabeth Park Belton Lane Grantham . The walk will last for approx. One hour and is suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs.
We are trying to raise much needed funds for the Charity to continue to assist the dogs still in our kennels that have yet to find a home. For those of you that are interested why not visit their either via the link on this website or directly to
www.dogsos.co.uk
Just to whet your appetite here is a list of prizes on offer. First prize a 42” gas plasma HDTV kindly donated by Currys Other pizes include an ipod meal voucher and bottle of drink.
The Old Pavilion Tea Rooms in Wyndham Park have kindly agreed to make a donation to the charity based on any food bought from them during the afternoon. Please collect a ticket on the day before visiting the Tea rooms. Parking is available in the Queen Elizabeth Park via the main entrance from Belton Lane. If you need further help please ring Joanne Craik on 07783 723203. Or Anne Lockwood 0n 07724 888864.
11.08.2008
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The above charity are arranging a sponsored dog walk on 31 st August 2008 between 1300hrs and 1600hrs at Queen Elizabeth Park Belton Lane Grantham . The walk will last for approx. One hour and is suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs.
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At Around 0945 this morning the 27 th of August an intruder entered a house in Longcliffe Rd and attempted to steal a drill from an electrical contractor who was working in the house. When the contracter challenged the intruder he was stabbed in the wrist with a needle and is now in Grantham Hospital being treated.
A description of the intruder follows. He was aged 25 to 30 about 6ft tall and was wearing a blue hooded top and a baseball cap and light blue jeans.
This information was supplied by PCSO Aaron Bownes. We have a new Police Inspector Mark Housley who has promised to keep the Residents Association informed of crimes on the estate when they happen.
ADDENDUM
After the saga of the quad bike being stolen off a drive in Longcliffe Rd. As vice chair of the association I had a long chat with Inspector Hously. He agreed the need for information to be given as the crimes are committed both to us an Neighbourhood Watch. He has kept his word it is up to us to play our part. For instance during the warmer weather a lot of people lock their front door but leave their back doors open this was how the intruder gained entry
1.09.2008
We would like to thank the Grantham Journal for the support and coverage they have given to our Association.
As you can see from the Photo's the meeting was well attended ;around 90 people were there. The little boy in the buggy below will be our youngest adopted member. His name is Oliver. A copy of the meeting minutes is available for download here.
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Tony & I would like to thank everyone who has returned their survey forms so-far. We would like to encourage people to join the Residents' Association, whatever your views for or against whatever is being proposed. It is helpful if we know what the residents want & by returning your surveys it gives us a good idea, even if it is only to say something negative. As a great estate of people & a great area to live in we are not all going to agree on everything, but the Residents' Association gives everyone the opportunity to express their opinions about what is or isn't going on in our area.
Editors Manthorpe News
The cattle pictured here come from the Isle of Skye and were brought down here by a local business man Mr Tony Snarey. They are not farm animals. They will never be ill
treated and are intended purely to graze and look magnificent and this they certainly do.
The whole property is called The Mill and was last used as a Mill in the 1963. Attached to the Mill is what I think was a farmhouse; both buildings look as though they were listed buildings. The farmhouse is used by Mr Snarey and his wife as their home and the Mill is Mr Snarey's Office; some of the old machinery has been left in situ. Cushions have been scattered on the flat plates where the wheat was ground, this was a very nice touch.
The whole setting is idyllic; you would not dream this was a short distance from the very busy Manthorpe Rd.
The Bullock pictured with short horns is named Angus; he is only two years old. As he matures the horns will grow and he will begin to resemble the other bullock who is about
ten years old.
There were originally ten bullocks in the herd but two have since died. I understand they will be replaced. These animals are not tame but neither are they aggressive but
because of their huge size and weight should be approached with care. The residents of Grantham are so lucky to be able to drive by and view these beasts in their natural surroundings safe in the knowledge that they will be allowed to live out their natural life span.
30.04.2008
As we approach spring, and blossom is starting to appear on the trees, I am reminded why, twenty years ago we chose to live on the Manthorpe estate. I think that, confronted with the estate as it is today, our decision to move here may well have been different.
Longcliffe Road was a real spectacle with trees in blossom, well kept houses and gardens which seemed to welcome visitors.
Not today, alas. A number of trees have been damaged or removed, the verges in some parts of the estate look like an off road track, churned up by inconsiderately parked vehicles, the roads themselves are in a terrible state of repair and in desperate need of resurfacing and the amount of road signage would make any motorway engineer envious. The so called traffic calming measures have done their job well, if you travel over the road humps at anything greater than ten miles an hour, you stand the risk of losing your exhaust, and the roundabouts have succeeded in confusing everyone. Litter also seems to have found an un welcomed home here as well.
I don’t ever remember the amount of cars parked dangerously and inconsiderately at sixes and sevens on Longcliffe Road and around the entrance to Cliffedale School on Peascliffe Drive and Northcliffe Road.
So:
If you are a pavement parker, remember the damage you are doing to the environment and the inconvenience you cause to people pushing buggies and wheel chairs.
If you are a parent who needs to get little Johnnie as close as possible to the school gate, remember the risk of accident you are causing to others . If you live on the estate, please walk to school, it’s cheaper, more beneficial to your children and our environment.
If you are a member of the council, fix the roads and, please, no more signs.
And to everyone else, respect your environment and your neighbours. We live in a very good area, respect it and encourage your councillors to do more to improve it.
Graham
OH to be in Manthorpe now that April's here
The lovely friendly people, not snooty & austere
The quiet of the countryside , the town is very near.
We have just about everything
Now that spring is here
We came up from London where people live their lives
Not knowing other people not even giving smiles
Politeness is an age ago
No-one nods or says “Hello”
Everybody's life is go
As for cleanliness that's gone
Littered streets and rubbish heaps
Traffic measures, there's a lot
Signage goes with all the grot
Children never walk to school
Parents drive them as a rule
As for all the houses all squashed in a row
They all look like boxes, where trees never grow
No green verge but concrete, mile upon mile
Adorned with graffiti that doesn't make you smile
No parking spaces either, perish the thought
So it's probably better if the car is never bought.
So why we moved to Manthorpe nearly three years ago
because we needed somewhere else better to go
We wanted peace & quiet & cleanliness & space
A friendly environment to take life at our pace
A place to live where people care
Oh to live in Manthorpe now that spring is here.
Crossroads is a voluntary organisation named after the TV soap of the same name. It provides a sitting service for carers who would like an evening free from there duties occasionally. It is not a free service but it is a boon for carers looking after an aged relative.
The next steps will be the most difficult 1. Obtain funding from Lincolnshire County Council and the use of an Office from SKDC. To this end one of our ward Councillors is submitting a report requesting funding.
5.3.08
The Government in its wisdom has created a new department to handle distribution of these funds; it is called Local government and Communities and the money was due to be made available some time in April 2008. SKDC were unable to get confirmation of when this would happen. I spent most of one morning on the phone trying to get some answers eventually I was told the Department had some unresolved legal problems and they hoped to have the scheme running some time in May but they seemed very vague and unsure. Another scheme full of
good intentions falling at the first post because it wasn't thought through.
This same organisation has been handed responsibility by the Home Office for Police funding. When our Police Authority presented their figures the government officials didn't seem to understand what they were talking about. You can be sure when it's finally sorted it will have cost the taxpayer a lot of money
15.4.08
As from 5th of March every Wednesday from 1030hrs to 1400hrs a room in the Admin block at Grantham Hospital will be manned by a PCSO who will assist the public with their enquires. These officers will come from Grantham Town east and west neighbourhood Policing Teams.
Lincolnshire County Council has been granted a £1 million in government cash to transform 20 play areas. Councillor Patricia Bradwell said ”The county was delighted about the funding which would result in high quality safe and well maintained facilities". The bid was promoted by the county in co-operation with district councils and a variety of local health and community groups.
The county council are also making available to community groups up to 25 small trees or 5 large trees for open spaces free of charge. This and other matters will be discussed at our next committee meeting.
EDITORS COMMENT . This can only be good news for the Manthorpe Residents Association
6/4/2008
There are lots of different age groups living on the Manthorpe Estate but it seems that young children are not catered for. Buttercup Meadows is a haven for dog walkers, in the winter some children play football & in the summer cricket, but there doesn't seem to be a swing in sight. Buttercup Meadows was the subject of a 106 agreement with Wilsons Homes which has never been activated, & under this agreement the land can only be used for recreation purposes. Would the top part of the field make an ideal childrens playground? How do other residents feel?
Probably a lot of you have never heard of the above gentleman I certainly had not. MI5 have just released their files on Mr Kendall. He certainly was a colourful if rather distasteful character. He was Grantham’s Independent MP from 1942 to 1950.
According to the recently released files he was both a gunrunner and a drug smuggler a Nazi supporter and a great friend of the then Lord Brownlow. He was also suspected of spying for the Germans although MI5 could never get enough evidence to convict him. He was a very popular man because of his generosity he once treated all of Granthams Councillors to a slap up meal at the Paris Ritz couldn’t happen today or could it?.
He arrived in Grantham in 1938 with some engineering skills and became works manager of the Hispano Suiza 20mm Cannon factory in Grantham and became very popular by paying very high wages around £11 per week. He spent very lavishly and increased his popularity so much that he had £22000 house built in Grantham does anybody know where it was and is it still standing.
His early history was equally interesting he was the son of a Yorkshire Miller born in 1903. At 14 he ran away to sea and made $5000 helping police raid opium dens along China’s Yangtze river he also ran a waterfront cabaret in Shanghai. He next surfaced as a steeplejack in the US later he went to work fo a US car plant and eventually became works manager at Paris Citroen car plant his next move was to Grantham. He died at his American home in Los Angeles aged 92.The rest as they say is history. Do any of you know anymore about this man?.
Another famous if much nicer Granthamite is Nicholas Parsons who was born here.
Picture of Clark Gable, Lord Brownlow and W.D.Kendall
This report was published as part of British MARCo military history of the second world war as seen by William Denis kendall.
I was operating the Citroen motor car factories in Paris for nine years when I was approached by the Air Ministry ,who visited me in Paris to persuade me to come, to England to help the country rearm, and through the persuasive efforts of Prince Poniatowski and the Air Ministry I finally decided to come to England , even though my proper home was in Philadelphia USA. Count Poniatowski was an administrator of the Hispano Suiza Company. The Company that invented the 20mm aircraft cannon and shells. The Count was a good friend of Lord Brownlow. It was through this friendship that it was decided that we would build our factories in Grantham.
I vividly recollect when arriving at the top of Spittlegate Hill and looking over the Town of Grantham what a depressing sight it was after both my life in Philadelphia and the nine years I spent in Paris.
A lease was signed with “Escrit and Barrell for the land on which I had to build and equip the factories for the manufacture of the guns and shells.
I looked around for a contractor and came across a small builder named Foster ,who had two sons both of whom were bricklayers. Mr Foster senior put Mr Ralph Foster in charge of the Grantham operation. Ralph proved himself to be energetic imaginative and a good organiser of labour , and eventually became a very large national building contractor.
Whilst the buildings were in progress I went to the United States and bought a large number of machine tools that were not available in Britain, and had them transported urgently to Britain. The balance of the machine tools I purchased in Britain where I also bought all the jigs and fixtures required to manufacture the guns and shells. Some of the forgings and shell cases I had to buy in the USA.
The senior supervisors for the factory operation I took from I took from the Pressed Steel Company of Cowley Oxford, and sent them to off to the Hispano Suiza factory in Paris for a two or three week period to give them a general conception of the type of products we would be manufacturing in Grantha
During this construction I was staying at the Red Lion Hotel until I was invited by Lord Brownlow to stay with him at Belton House whilst my own house was being built in Belton Lane on land that I had purchased from Lord Brownlow who by this time had become a close and very dear friend of mine.
It will be interesting to note that from the day that I signed the lease for the land on which the factories were built to the time when the first the guns and shells were fired by the Duke of Gloucester was exactly six months an admitted record.
About this time the Ministry of Aircraft Production came into being headed by Lord Beaverbrook with Lord Brownlow being his Parliamentary Private Secretary.
All guns and shells were produced to equip our Spitfires and Hurrican fighter planes 4 cannons per plane.
When world war2 heated up and the bombing of Britain commenced , few people realised that my factories were the most bombed in the country, and during the raids I lost approximately 200 of my workpeople killed and wounded when their shelter sustained a direct hit.
I had a fine medical staff of three Doctors and thirty Nurses out of a total 7800 employees and of course , I had to build accommodation for them. At the same time I built a social hall for recreational purposes and religious services on a Sunday. I also bought for the social hall the organ from the local cinema and hired the organist to play it, although he was also employed as foreman in the explosive shell-filling department.
We organised a first class variety show, using the talents of the factory employees. For this purpose we hired the town cinema for the shows. The first one was opened by Lady Rothermere, and another night the show was opened by a good friend of mine, Leslie Howard the well known English actor. Another time I had Gracie Fields staying at my home while she was in the general neighbourhood entertaining the troops. I was also fortunate to be able to get Glen Miller and his band to entertain not only my factory workers, but a large number of the populace of Grantham.
As you know Clark Gable although stationed in Peterborough stayed with me several nights during intervals between bombing runs over Germany
At one time we were bombed every night so I formed my own factory defence force using our own cannons together with our own gun mountings. I had the personal pleasure of shooting down a JU88 bomber. We captured the crew and handed them over to the authorities I still have the propeller as a memento.
There is much more that involves British Marco and my parliamentary career and the secret missions that I flew to Spain on behalf of the British Government to steal the plans from the German scientists who were working on a new fuel injection system for the ME 109bf. This system could be used on our own fighter planes.
Mr Winston Churchill put me in sole charge of all similar type weapons manufactured in Great Britain I became one of the elite members of Churchills war products board.
As you can see the above gentleman aquired a knighthood and finally left Britain in 1957 to return to America where he became advisor to the Pentagon on rapid fire small arms. By now he was CEO of an ordinance manufacturing plant turning out the weapons he designed.
He was involved with a firm who were trying to produce a DNA based virus that could be modified to genetically attack people of different racial groups a real live Satan bug. How successful he was we shall never know because the CIA will not release any information about the project.
Showing his true political colours he supported Colonel Oliver North who was implicated in the Iran Contra affair. He died in the late 1990s aged 92.
It is beginning to look as though most of M15 suspicions were well founded. If any of you found these details interesting please make your comments on the website.
04/04/2008
It is not normally the policy of the Editors of the Manthorpe News to publish anonymous letters, but we make an exception in this case. This letter was sent in the post directly to our house from “A group of non-members, Manthorpe Estate”
Dear Mr & Mrs Burns
Please stop developing Buttercup Meadows into a play area. Perhaps you have too much time on your hands? Some of us have enough problems such as mortgages to think about, the last thing we need is for someone to come up with such impractical ideas without considering the long term detrimental effects it will have on our estate.
Manthorpe Residents Association only represents its members, not all the residents of Manthorpe Estate. As long as there are non-members, you have no right to decide the future of our estate for us. How about we build a playground in front of your house instead? We doubt you’d like the idea of anti-social behaviours and underage drinking right in front of your own house every single night. Our local police officers are already extremely busy, so please stop increasing their burdens by building a new focus for anti-social behaviours and underage drinking on our estate. Will you be responsible if our cars and windows are damaged by gangs of youths? If no is the answer, then think more carefully next time before you make any suggestions regarding development of our estate.
This is a housing estate, not a tribe, so we do not need any chiefs to tell us what to do. We are fully capable of making decisions for ourselves, so please stop representing us against our wishes. All we want is quietness, peacefulness and a low crime rate, not an area full of noisy children screaming during the day and gangs of anti-social youths during the night. If you are still hoping for such an area to be built, then please build it in your own garden.
Any future suggestions by Manthorpe Residents Association will only cause further disagreements amongst residents. How ironic is that? We thought the association is supposed to promote unity on our estate? Very interesting isn’t it? If you would like to promote unity amongst residents, then having a few more house parties and barbeques might be more practical than making poor suggestions such as the one regarding the development of Buttercup Meadows. Please remember that promoting unity and making unnecessary suggestions are two entirely different matters.
Finally, the number of Manthorpe Residents Association members is unlikely to exceed the number of non-members, therefore please do not act as our representatives. Manthorpe Estate is already a beautiful residential area, please leave it alone and let the rest of us continue with our normal lives. Manthorpe Residents Association has no authority over non-members, so please do not continue to make decisions for the rest of us. Just to clarify, your association has no control over our building extensions either.
Thank you for respecting the views of other residents who aren’t members of your association.
A group of non-members, Manthorpe Estate.
The first point is that any decision made regarding a play area on Buttercup Meadows will be the decision of the residents who live on the Manthorpe Estate, whether they are members of the Residents’ Association or not.
Secondly – funding would have to found in any case.
The idea of a play area in Buttercup Meadows is not new. It was suggested long before Tony & I moved here.
Tony & I have no intention of deciding any future for the residents of the Manthorpe Estate, everyone has the right to their own opinion.
Anti-social behaviour and underage drinking will always be a problem whether there is a play area or not. There are other methods of combating this problem other than police intervention – as you say “they are already very busy”
No-one is being a chief. At our recent meeting a democratic vote was taken. Did this happen at yours? If you did not wish to live in an area where children could congregate then perhaps Buttercup Meadows is not the place for you, since it has been designated as an area for recreational purposes.
You may be right that non-members of the association may exceed members, but that is an entirely personal decision. No-one forces anyone to do something they are not happy about. If it should turn out that the majority of residents who live on the estate wish to have a play area, are you going to send them anonymous letters or will you have the courage to stand up & be counted?
My final point - Manthorpe Estate is a beautiful estate but it is not the property of any individual and everyone has the right to decide.
Today was one of our down days, when our beloved Byron succumbed to morphia. We only had a few months, he was a rescue dog, who when we saw him stood out from the others. He was pathetic to look at, he melted our hearts. He stood in his pen, very quietly covered with a coat and shivered. Whilst all the other dogs were barking and jumping up and down, he sat there all quiet. How could we not have taken him home. He was 10.
Not much was known about his past life except that he was dumped because his previous owners didn't want him any more. What a joy they missed. We loved him so much and he us. It took a while for him to realize how much we loved him, and in return he loved us. Our dog Sooty was his big brother & the cat TC after a shaky start grew to love him as well.
When he became ill a week ago his demise was rapid, and when the vet said enough is enough we held his face and told him we loved him as the dreadful deed was done. At once he was at peace.
19.3.08
THE ODDFELLOWS FRIENDLY SOCIETY
Tony and I belong to the Oddfellows Friendly Society. This Society is everything it says in its title, Friendly---VERY, Society---Yes, Odd, well you should visit the site & make up your own minds. All I can say is that we have enjoyed our stay with them so far. We meet every month in Grantham for coffee & discuss our social activities within the group, whether it is a meal, theatre or visiting some venue. If you are interested and wish to come along please contact us and we will put you in touch with our Secretary.
www.oddfellows.co.uk
26.2.08
PROGRESS SO FAR
Tony & I would like to say thank you to all the Residents who came to the first meeting, we felt very encouraged and uplifted by the amount of interest shown, especially as it is obvious that the residents of Manthorpe would like their own association. We promise that we will do our best to suit the requirements of all residents and with your help to keep the interest going.
As you are aware the next step to take is the formation of a committee which includes four officers. Chair, Vice Chair , Secretary and Treasurer. Anyone who feels they could help with any of the positions or who would like to help on the committee please contact us by
Emailing editors@manthorpenews.co.uk
Telephone 01476 570780
Drop a note to 6 Longcliffe Road .
Our next meeting scheduled at
Click here to download application form to join the Association
No this is not a second world war 2 fighter bomber but a sonic device that can only be heard by people of 25 years of age or younger ideal tool for all purpose yob control. Demo's have shown that it is very effective youngsters have claimed it infringes their Human Rights this is almost certainly true. But one has to strike a balance between the youngsters rights and those of elderly people who do not wish to be intimidated or kicked to death by yobs.
It has been apparent for some time that the Police are unwilling or unable to maintain law and order. As these devices are legal there is no reason why they should not deployed in sensitive area's . A good example would be if we got the play area we are seeking one of these devices would protect the area at night or during the late evening when you would not expect young children of school age to be active. They could be mounted on emergency vehicles which seem to be the target of these antisocial yobs.
These devices cost around £450 about the same as the bottom end of the burglar alarm market and can be controlled by PIR detectors and timers in the same way as burglar alarms are controlled.
The US Military have developed much more powerful sonic devices for non lethal crowd control maybe we will have to go further down this road.
Another possibility is a small highly mobile water canon loaded with stinking dye which would enable the Police to recognise and arrest the offenders it would not be popular with their friends and family. Something to think about anyway.
27.2.2008
Saturday is International Women’s Day. The first Women’s Day was held on the final Sunday in February 1908. It was initiated by groups of American socialist women for the purpose of demanding the vote & to call attention to the political & economic status of women. When the Russian Czar abdicated in 1917 the provisional government granted women the right to vote. According to the Julian calendar, then used in Russia, this took place on February 23, but by the Gregorian calendar used by most of the rest of the world it was March 8.
Agitation for suffrage (the right to vote) in Great Britain began in 1897 when Millicent Fawcet founded the National Union of Women’s Suffrage. Although Women could hold responsible posts in society they were still denied the vote. Millicent believed in patience & logical arguments. In 1903 the “Women’s Social and Political Union” was formed by Emmeline Pankhurst & her daughters Christabel & Sylvia. They were later known as the Suffragettes. Some members had more extreme ways of bringing womens’ plight to notice. The famous Emily Wilding Davidson threw herself under the king’s horse Anmer. She was killed. In 1918 the Representation of the People Act was passed by Parliament, but this only gave the vote to women who were over 30 & owned property. Women achieved full equality regarding suffrage in 1928.
The website and the creation of the Manthorpe Residents Association is arousing a great deal of interest. The success so far has been due to the help we have received from Mr Robert Young of use of school. Councillors G Wheat & R Wootten will attend the meeting. Another gentleman who proved helpful was Mr Anthony Hardy an SKDC officer who lives on the Manthorpe Estate he used the good offices of the Council to get our leaflets printed.
In order to obtain Council funding and recognition we must adopt an approved constitution one of the important points is that an RA must be non political we can then hit the ground running. Wendy will take the minutes of the first meeting she has done this many times before. I will attempt to Chair the meeting something I have never done before so you will have to bear with me on this one.
A petition will be presented to you in respect of 173 Manthorpe Rd when completed this will placed before the SKDC Planning and development Committee. You may feel if you live on the other side of the Estate that it does not affect you if so think again. There are three main points to consider for those living on other parts of the Estate. 1. There are only two access points to the Estate both of which are congested at certain times of the day. 2. If this development were to be allowed it would change the character of the Estate and would provide a precedent for similar development on other parts of the Estate . 3. There is no need for this type of developement as there is plenty of new builds and second hand homes available which accounts for the low price of property in Grantham.
24.2.2008
If you would be interested in helping to form or just belonging to a Manthorpe Residents Association please contact us. Whatever your opinion we would be glad to hear it. There will be a meeting on the 28th of February at 7 o'clock at Cliffedale Primary School.
Click here to Email
or
Phone 01476 570780
The Health Service delights in acronyms this one stands for East Mdlands Ambulance Service and was created recently from the amalgamation of Nottinghamshire Derbyshire and Lincolnshire Ambulance Services.
All of these three services have scattered rural communities which are difficult to service. Putting three basket cases into one simply created a super basket case. The Governments own watchdog the Healthcare Commission rated the Trust for 2005/6 as being fair for use of rescources but weak on the quality of services hardly a ringing vote of confidence.
The Trust is now proposing to limit the provision of Ambulance services for appointments to those disabled patients who can show they need assistance to get in and out of the Ambulance. This is going to cause considerable hardship to scattered rural communities.
The United Lincolnshire Health Trust have published their financial plans for 2007 to 2010 all 62 pages a good bedtime read if you want to stay up all night.
Despite all the promises made in the Public consultation documents the fate of the Hospital lies in the hands of the Primary Care Trust who hold the purse strings. If the PCT does not wish to fund certain activities at Grantham they will go as has emergency surgery at A&E . So don't take anything for granted until you see the colour of their money.
Good afternoon from pcso Mark Barr,at 3pm on february 3rd at Denton Reservoir a vehicle was damaged by having its locks removed.A handbag,cd player & cds were stolen.If you have any information please contact Grantham police on 01476 402222 quoting incident number 266 february 3rd,thank you.
Good afternoon from pcso Mark Barr,overnight on february 2nd the rear windscreen of a vehicle was smashed in the Church Lane area of Londonthorpe.If you have any information please contact Grantham police on 01476 402222 quoting incident number BA/08/559,thank you.
Good afternoon, This afternoon there was a theft of an anglian water van in the peterborough area. It could be likely that this vehicle is used in the commision of distraction burglary type offences. The registration is FN56 WGZ. If you have any information regarding this vehicle please contact Lincolnshire Police 01476 402222 Quoting Incident Number: 129 (04/02/08). Kind regards PCSO 2039 Rob Chester.
Good evening from pcso Mark Barr,at 12:00pm on February 1st a house was broken into and items taken in the Debdale rd area of Barrowby. If you have any information please contact Grantham police on 01476 402222 quoting incident number 170 february 1st, thank you.
Good evening from pcso Mark Barr,overnight on January 31st a shed was broken into at a village hall in Marston.If you have any information please contact Grantham police on 01476 402222 quoting incident number 89 February 1st, thank you
Good evening from pcso Mark Barr, at 5:30pm on January 29th a male claiming to be from the electricity board approached a property in the Church st area of Denton. When told to go away he later entered the property by breaking through a rear kitchen window. The male was described as white, early 20,s,slim build, clean shaven 5ft 6 and smartly dressed. If you have any information please contact Grantham police on 01476 402222 quoting incident number 61 january 30th,thank you.
Good evening from pcso Mark Barr, at approximately 6:45pm on January 29th a property was broken into in the Church St area of Denton. If you have any information please contact Grantham police on 01476 402222 quoting incident number 271 January 29th,thank you
Hello, this is a message from Sally Picker in the Crime Reduction Department at Grantham Police Station on Wednesday, 30th January.
In the Grantham area we have had further incidents of distraction burglary over the last few days. The caller has purported to be from the Electricity Board to try to gain entry to the elderly person's home. It would appear that elderly people who have hearing or sight impairment are becoming victims.
Can we ask for everyone to be vigilant and report any suspicious callers? Always check identity thoroughly and never let anyone in unless you are sure they are genuine.
If you have anyone in your scheme who could benefit from our Nominated Neighbour Scheme please contact Sally Picker either by email or direct dial telephone 01476 403331.
Thank you for supporting Lincolnshire Police and Neighbourhood Watch.
Good morning this is a message from Sally Picker in the Crime Reduction Department of Grantham Police Station on Tuesday, 29th January 2008.
Recently we have seen an increase in burglaries from building sites and properties that are being renovated. Items being stolen include white goods and power tools. If you live on a new development where properties are still being built or indeed near to a property that is being renovated we would like to ask for your help.
If you have seen anything suspicious we would appreciate a call to Detective Sergeant Jon Hammond in the Divisional Intelligence Unit. Direct dial telephone 01476 403271 or mobile 07766 442194.
If you believe you are witnessing a crime occurring please ring the Police direct using the 999 system.
We thank you for your assistance.
Tony & I have two dogs and a cat. The cat thinks that he is a dog and the five of us go for a walk in Buttercup Meadows every morning. Click here to tell us about your pets
Tony & Wendy Burns
This Government has encouraged Local Councils to create Forums they say to allow ordinary people to express their views on matters of Public concern. Because these forums lack any decision making powers they are largely ignored. A good case in point was the decision to close the local Post Offices this was on the agenda but because the meeting was called at six monthly intervals instead of four monthly intervals they were closed before we could discuss the matter.
In fact at this meeting there were more Councillors and Council officers present than members of the public. This is probably because officials present all get paid.
In the writers view these meetings are a crude way in which the Council can fly their kites to test the public reaction mainly to the next rise in Council tax.
The best part of this meeting was the financial presentation by Sally Marshall it was clear and concise but it wasn't good news. One interesting fact that did emerge was the salaries bill for SKDC is now running at £15million annually. This has prompted an FOI act request for the following information “Total Salaries Pension contributions by employers and Council income for the years 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8.” I have been promised a reply quickly.
Recently the BBC calculated that for every £11 of Council tax collected £1 had gone to create posts with salaries in excess of £40k a year. This item has prompted a further FOI request as to how many posts SKDC has created in the years quoted above. When this information is available it will be published on this website.
We were recently treated to a public slanging match between the Leader of our Council and a Government Minister over the level of Grant to SKDC. Both parties were being a little economical with the truth. The reason for the Governments bind is not difficult to see. It has an insatiable desire to waste more and more of our money hence the need to raise more stealth taxes these of course hit pensioners and those on low incomes the hardest.
Our Council is going down the same road they are now trying to raise money from the disabled how low can you get. It has to be said most of the people making these decisions are almost certainly earning more than £30k a year.
Just recently my energy costs have risen by about 14% its no good me asking the Government for a rise in my pension I would get a very dusty answer. I will have to do what SKDC should do live within my budget. I would be interested in any comments on this issue.
Tell us what do you think by clicking here.
New developments on plans to re-develope 173 Manthorpe Rd are under consideration. As soon as the plans are on the Council website we will publish on this site in full.
At 1415hrs on the 8th of January SKDC Development and Planning Control Committee finally buried the Plans for 173 Manthorpe Rd the vote was seven against with no votes for.One member abstained. A victory for commonsense decency
There are approx 4000 people living on the Manthorpe. The intention of this website is to foster the building of a community spirit and the formation of a Manthorpe Residents Association. For this to work we need feedback and opinions. Subjects that could be of interest are the Policing on the Manthorpe and the restoration of all A&E cuts at Grantham Hospital. Feedback can be sent to the editors by clicking the "Contact Us" button.
So Duncan Kerr wants 5 months unpaid leave. Imagine the reaction of The Stagecoach Company if one of their drivers asked for this kind of leave. The answer would have been yes but don't expect your job back when you return.
Council Chairman Mike Taylor seems to think existing staff can cover for five months if so why not a year and save the hard pressed Council taxpayers a lot of money.
I recently applied under the FOI act for some financial statistics relating to SKDC salaries & pensions. The results made interesting if somewhat grim reading.
2003/4 Gross pay £9.5 million N/I contributions £638000 Employers Pension contributions £1.181 millions
2004/5 “ £10.892 “ “ £755 thousand“ “ £1.687 “
2005/6 “ £11.778 “ “ £822 “ “ £ 1.992 “
2006/7 “ £12.463 “ “ £882 “ “ £ 1.991 “
Because the current financial year is not complete Sally Marshall estimated the total was around £15million
The days of Empire may be long gone but the days of Empire Building are not and can only be sustained by constant increases in Council and stealth taxes. Is this what the citizens of SKDC want. If as I suspect the answer is no then we have to look at changing the balance of power within the Council.
A further FOI request has revealed that between 2003/2006 the Council created 23 posts with a salary of £40k or more. The total cost of this municipal generosity has cost Council taxpayers well over a million pounds when does the gravy train stop?
