April 2010

Janney's Allstars make it a top 10

Scunthorpe Telegraph Thursday, April 29, 2010

Winteringham are aiming to match last season's third place position after beating Bottesford 4-2 in division one action.

Lee Markham conceded a penalty early on, which the visitors scored from, but David Moulds headed Winteringham back on level terms.

The hosts started a little brighter in the second half and a good 15 minute spell saw them take a three-goal lead, courtesy of Dec Marshall, Rob Watson and Lee Moulds.

Bottesford managed another consolation effort, but Winteringham always seemed in control.

....

After clawing their way back from two goals down, Winteringham Reserves then let victory slip from their grasp as Real Ale Crown salvaged a 3-3 draw in division five.

Winteringham fell behind when stand-in keeper Ben Griffiths conceded a penalty, and Real Ale made it 2-0 shortly after.

However, Declan Bond started the hosts' revival when he blasted home from close range.

An inspired substitution then turned the game Winteringham's way in the second half when David Bramhall levelled the scores.

The substitute then handed his team the lead from a long-range free-kick.

However, in the dying seconds, another penalty was awarded against Griffiths and Crown were able to snatch a point.

Winteringham chef finds duck rearer fits bill

Scunthorpe Telegraph Tuesday, April 20, 2010

A RENOWNED south bank chef and restaurateur donned his wellies in a visit to Rothwell-based Cherry Valley, to experience first-hand where the duck he serves up on his menu comes from.

Colin McGurran, chef patron from the highly regarded Winteringham Fields, was given a tour of the facilities, where the higher welfare range of duck that Cherry Valley has supplied to the restaurant for the past six months, is produced.

He saw the high standards in which the Farm Fresh Duck is reared, including a visit to duck houses with purpose-built verandas where the birds have constant access to daylight and fresh water. He was also shown the benefits this system has for the ducks over conventional systems.

Mr McGurran said: "We are committed to supporting local farming and sourcing local produce and Farm Fresh Duck provides the premium quality our clientele expects.

"Duck is a popular choice on our menu, so I was keen to witness the higher welfare rearing system Cherry Valley has developed for the Farm Fresh Duck brand, and have been impressed. It is fantastic to see such innovation, and also to know that a supplier is so committed to welfare."

Rachael Bennett, marketing manager at Cherry Valley, which was recently bought out by Thailand-based Bangkok Ranch Group, said: "We are proud to be supplying a successful and renowned restaurant such as Winteringham Fields with our Farm Fresh Duck.

"We welcomed the opportunity to give Colin a tour of the farm so that he can have every confidence in the ingredients he works with."

I want to help quake victims

Scunthorpe Telegraph Monday, April 19, 2010

A SCUNHTORPE General Hospital worker is hoping to help thousands of Haitian earthquake survivors when she jets out to take part in a rehabilitation programme.

Tracy Eyre, 45, has been accepted by New Zealand charity Global Volunteer Network (GVN) to travel to the Caribbean island in June where she hopes to be working with other volunteers in two main camps.

The Healthcare Assistant, of Cliff Road, Winteringham, has worked in the local NHS for the last nine years and has wanted to volunteer for a long time.

She said: "I am thrilled to have been accepted by the Global Volunteer charity to be a member of a volunteer party going out to Haiti.

"I have always wanted to volunteer but until now there has never been a good time. I have always wanted to go somewhere I can make a difference. I think going to Haiti is going to be extremely emotional and traumatic at times." At present they are home to more than 3,000 people who became homeless after the earthquake which devastated the country.

Tracy added: "I will be working with people who have lost everything.

For information on how to donate contact 07898900353 or by email at tracyeyre1@hotmail.com.

Banning killer drug will save other families this anguish
 
Yorkshire Post 8 April 2010
By Mike Waites
Nick Smith was a happy, hardworking 19-year-old. But the 'legal high' drug mephedrone left him dead and his parents grieving. Mike Waites meets them.

THE scores of cards covering every available surface at Nick Smith's family home are eloquent testament to the love and affection in which the teenager was held.

More than 1,000 tributes have also been posted online for the trainee chef from Winterton who died last month aged just 19 after taking the drug mephedrone on a night out in nearby Scunthorpe.

Another teenager, Louis Wainwright, also died and around two dozen others are believed to have been to hospital for checks after police warned of the drug's dangers.

His parents Tony, 52, and Elaine, 50, had given general warnings about drugs to Nick, his twin sister Holly and their elder son Matt, 22.

But, like many parents, they did not imagine any drug would impact on the family, let alone have the devastating consequences which will now forever touch their lives.

Elaine, a Macmillan nurse in East Yorkshire, said: "If it can happen to us it can happen to anyone. I suppose we buried our heads in the sand – we never, ever considered drugs would come into our lives. It's a wake-up call for us and most of our friends as parents because they'd not heard of mephedrone either.

"Of course we weren't with him 24 hours a day and we don't know if he'd taken anything before, but he worked 16-18 hours a day as a chef.

"He was happy, he was fit, he was healthy, he was successful, he was doing really well at work. He was just a really outgoing, bright, happy lad. Our guess is he hadn't tried it before.

"Because it was legal, Nick would feel it was safe. With peer pressure and because it's so easy to get hold of, Nick wouldn't think there was anything wrong with it."

Nick was a trainee chef at the award-winning Winteringham Fields restaurant, working six days a week at a job he loved. He spent so much time there the staff became a "second family".

He had worked on Mothering Sunday before heading out with friends for a night out.

When he did not return during the next day his family became concerned but did not think anything was amiss, until they heard about Louis's death and contacted police.

His father, Tony, said: "It never crossed my mind that he had died – I just thought he had got himself into a bit of bother."

Now his family face a future without him – but are determined others will not be affected in the same way by mephedrone.

The drug is marketed as plant food, but in the past 18 months it has become popular as a party drug due to its cheapness, easy availability and, perhaps above all, because it is legal.

But concerns about dangerous side-effects have been growing and it has now been linked with as many as 25 deaths in England and Scotland.

The double tragedy in North Lincolnshire spurred the Government into action and the drug is expected to be banned this month if legislation can be rushed through Parliament before it is dissolved – although the decision is not without its critics.

Last week, Eric Carlin, a member of the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), resigned claiming it was "unduly based on media and political pressure", to make the Government look tough prior
to the election.

He said he was unhappy to work for a body which led to the "potential criminalisation of increasing numbers of young people".

In stark contrast, the Smiths want the ban imposed as quickly as possible. An online petition following Nick's death has already attracted 14,000 names.

"We feel it could be someone else in the same position as us next week," his mum said said.

"Surely if young people still continue to take this drug knowing it to be illegal and unsafe, they must suffer the consequences of a criminal record.

"The potential to save lives should be paramount.

"In a growing culture amongst young people of 'party highs' our children's lives are increasingly in danger.

"With the relationship between the Government and the ACMD breaking down, how many more families will be devastated before Mr Carlin and some of
his ex-colleagues have had enough time to consider their actions?

"My son's death was the trigger for political and media pressure. If steps had been taken sooner he may still be alive today."

In the weeks since Nick's death, his family have been tremendously grateful for the support they have received.

Tony, a retired fire officer who now works as a community safety officer for the fire service, said he still could not accept Nick had gone.

At his funeral service, he had instead recalled all the things he would miss about his son like his smile, bailing him out at the bank, or even little things like dealing with the faulty petrol cap on his car.

They had also been touched by the special memories so many people have of him, including the time of his prom to mark leaving school in Winterton, when he asked if he could bring some friends back home – and invited the entire 120-strong year group.

The family have been back to the restaurant where he worked where, in a special gesture, staff served them a menu of his favourite dishes.

Nick's work station there is still set up for him and the family have kept his chef's whites and shoes out where they had been left ready for work.

"We cannot bring ourselves to touch them at the moment," added his father.

His wife said one of Nick's former teachers had sent a message which said "he had a silly moment and paid the ultimate price". "We will all pay it now forever," she said.

She added: "We feel robbed that someone so special has been taken so unnecessarily.

"Nick was a decent, hard-working lad. This could have been a one-off and he has just been dreadfully unlucky. But because it happened to Nick, it could happen to any other kids out there."
 

TV gardener warns of drug danger

PEOPLE WARNED NOT TO BE CONNED BY SO-CALLED ‘PLANT FOOD’ CREDENTIALS OF MEPHEDRONE

BY RYAN CRIGHTON Press and Journal Friday 2nd April 2010

Scotland’s top TV gardener has warned people not to be conned by the alleged gardening credentials of a soon to be banned “legal high” drug being sold as plant food.

Earlier this week, the UK Government announced plans to make mephedrone a Class B drug amid growing fears about its use as a recreational drug.

It is claimed the drug began life as a plant fertiliser and up until now users have been free to buy it on the internet, where it is sold as plant food, not for human consumption.

Last night, Beechgrove Garden presenter Jim McColl – a Press and Journal columnist – said some “naive gardeners” may have been taken in by claims mephedrone, also known as Mcat or Bubbles, could help their plants.

While he was unsure if the substance would kill flowers and vegetables, he was adamant it would do nothing to help them grow.

“It is a combination of chemicals, but none of them ring with me as a genuine plant food,” he said.

“Naive gardeners may have been taken in by this, but not in a million years would this be good for your geraniums or your cabbages. It is being sold as plant food and I think some people have been taken this literally.

“I would be suspicious of anyone who tried to pass this off as food for plants.”

Despite the substance being marketed for gardeners to get around drug laws, those in the know have been ignoring the so-called warnings and using it as a substitute for cocaine or amphetamines.

The drug has now been linked to 25 deaths in Scotland and England.

Yesterday, hundreds of mourners wearing brightly coloured flowers packed a funeral service for an 18-year-old who died after taking it on a night out.

Louis Wainwright, from Winteringham, North Lincolnshire, died on March 15, on the same day as his friend Nicholas Smith, whose funeral took place on Wednesday.

As well as plans to make mephedrone a Class B drug, the government has also moved to ban its import.

A 220lb package of mephedrone was stopped at Stansted Airport on Tuesday, the UK Border Agency said.

Customs officers impounded the drug, which was being shipped from India.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which advises ministers on drugs, released its report on mephedrone yesterday.

It said 18 deaths have been potentially linked to mephedrone in England, seven in Scotland and one each in Wales and Northern Ireland.

The report found mephedrone users tended to be younger than cocaine and ecstasy users, and were more often in their teens or 20s.

It added police faced major difficulties in testing for mephedrone.

“Currently there is no simple drug field test available for cathinones. There is an urgent need to develop a simple and reliable test,” it said.

[Editor’s note: The Press and Journal covers the north-east of Scotland]

Funeral for Louis Wainwright, 18

Scunthorpe Telegraph Friday, April 2nd, 2010

MORE than 300 people gathered to pay tribute to Winteringham teenager Louis Wainwright at his funeral in Scunthorpe.

Family and friends wore bright flowers in memory of the 18-year-old, known for his 'cheeky grin' and 'love of life'.

A packed crowd gathered at the town's Woodlands Crematorium for an emotional 50-minute service, with up to 100 more people listening in the bitter cold outside the building.

Louis died on March 15, after a night out when he is believed to have taken the drug mephedrone.

Silence greeted the arrival of the hearse on a bright and sunny morning, with Louis' coffin covered in photographs of the smiling teenager.

Alongside the coffin was a green and white floral wreath shaped into the letters SRUFC, for Scunthorpe Rugby Union Football Club, where Louis was a youth team player.

Mourners were led by his mother, Jacqui, father, Andrew, and brother, Alex, along with other family members.

Floral tributes left outside the crematorium included one from Louis' friends, with a card bearing the red rose of the England rugby union team.

The tribute read: "Louis, there is not a word anyone can say to explain you: the way everyone loved you meant so much more.

"You have made such an impact on so many people, everyone that you met really. Showed up with your cheeky grin looking like you're up to something already.

"Made people smile when they didn't want to and was always there if someone needed to talk.

"So many different people have had lots of stories, memories and good times with you that they will never forget.

"It doesn't feel right saying goodbye to anyone, but it's so hard having to say it to an amazing young lad like you.

"Keep an eye out for us from up there, I'm sure you will.

"In our minds and hearts always, you'll never be forgotten."

Hundreds attend Louis Wainwright funeral

Scunthorpe Telegraph Thursday, April 1st, 2010

THE funeral of teenager Louis Wainwright has taken place in Scunthorpe.

The 18-year-old, of Winteringham, died on March 15 after supposedly taking the drug mephedrone on a night out.

Hundreds of mourners packed into the service at Woodlands Crematorium, most wearing bright flowers after a request by Louis' family.

Around 100 who were unable to get into the crematorium instead listened to the service outside.

The silver hearse arrived with the coffin covered in pictures of Louis and surrounded by white flowers.

One of the wreaths was in the shape of SRUFC - referring to Scunthorpe Rugby Club.

The service came one day after the funeral of Nick Smith, 19, of Winterton, who died on the same day after also supposedly taking mephedrone.

Cherry Valley announce Easter duck deal

Meatinfo.co.uk Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Butchers and farm shops are being offered an exclusive deal on Farm Fresh Ducks this Easter weekend from duck supplier Cherry Valley.
In association with Weddel Swift and Diaper Poultry, butchers and farm shops can save 15% on all orders on Cherry Valley Whole Ducks (2.4kg) and British Duck Fat until 6 April (Tuesday).

Outlets where this deal is available are Weddel Swift premises in Canterbury, Brighton, Market Harborough, Hull, Chester, Rochdale and Wolverhampton as well as Diaper Poultry in Stowmarket.

This week Cherry Valley also welcomed local chef Colin McGurran of the Winteringham Fields in North Lincolnshire who was given first-hand experience of where the duck he serves on his menu is reared.
He said: “We are committed to supporting local farming and sourcing local produce, and Farm Fresh Duck provides the premium quality that our clientele expects.

“Duck is a popular choice on our menu, so I was keen to witness the higher welfare rearing system that Cherry Valley has developed for the Farm Fresh Duck brand, and have been impressed by every stage of the tour. It is fantastic to see such innovation, and also to know that a supplier is so committed to welfare.”

Cherry Valley marketing manager Rachael Bennett added: “We are proud to be supplying a successful and renowned restaurant such as Winteringham Fields with our Farm Fresh Duck. We welcomed the opportunity to give Colin a tour of the farm so that he can have every confidence in the ingredients he works with, and also see how the systems we put in place result in the best quality duck to complement his menu.”

Football

Scunthorpe Telegraph Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Sean Stevenson bagged a hat-trick for Winteringham Reserves as they saw off Ashby Villa, 7-1 in division five.

Villa quickly cancelled out James Tune's left-footed strike, but Ben Griffiths put Winteringham back in front early in the second half.

Stevenson then struck three times in the space of 15 minutes.

Simon Stocks added a sixth when he rounded the keeper and manager Ian Brown made it seven from the spot after Stevenson had been brought down.