£5,683 GRANT WILL HELP KEEP CONGREGATION WARM

Scunthorpe Telegraph 29 July 2004

Church-goers in a North Lincolnshire village will be able to attend winter services, thanks to a generous £5,683.50 grant.

All Saints Church, Winteringham, was faced with the possibility of closing its doors because its heating system, an oil-fired heater, had broken down beyond repair. The church was already losing members of its congregation, who were staying at home during the colder months, unable to bear sitting through a service in such a cold building.

But thanks to the grant from Enventure, through the Corus Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, the money will go towards the cost of a new heating system, which will prevent the need for the church to close for the winter.

A new electrical heating system is to be installed in August, enabling the congregation to continue to attend services throughout the year. It will be up and running before the weather starts to turn cooler.

Margaret Knowles, spokeswoman for the church, said: "It is virtually impossible for the small congregation at All Saints to fund a capital project such as the heating scheme, but the work must be undertaken to ensure future availability of the church for the community as a whole.

"We are extremely grateful to Enventure and Corus for awarding such a generous grant which enables us to proceed immediately with the project. The church will be warm next winter."

Corus releases funds for projects on an annual basis and has a separate fund specifically for church projects.

Enventure has supported more than 500 projects and distributed more than £15-million in Landfill Tax Credits.

The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme was introduced with the landfill tax in October 1996 and enables landfill site operators to donate up to 6.5 per cent of their landfill tax liability to environmental projects in return for a 90 per cent tax credit.

27 HOURS OF HOCKEY IN WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT

Scunthorpe Telegraph 26 July 2004

A North Lincolnshire hockey club is hoping it has played its part in establishing a new world record.

Players from Normanby Park played for 27 consecutive hours at the grounds of the KC Stadium on the invitation of host club Kingston-upon-Hull. The marathon hockey fest incorporated 22 and a half games and raised approximately £1,000 for Cancer Research and a local diabetes charity.

And while the result of the games was largely academic, it was Normanby who clearly held the upper hand over their local rivals, winning 20 of the matches, scoring 156 times and conceding 96.

Breaks of just five minutes were permitted at half-time and between matches.

Games took place to regulation hockey rules with 15-player squads and 11 players on each side at all times.

Umpires officiated in four-hour stints, and some of the support staff did not sleep at all.

The Normanby players were joined in the attempt by the club's academy players.

Team leader and youth development officer at Normanby Park, Dylan Lamb, paid tribute to the players who took part.

"They all did brilliantly, they are all a credit to the area," he declared.

"They were absolutely shattered when they came off, there were quite a lot of blister plasters used, I can tell you.

"The most difficult thing for them was playing again after they had just got an hour's sleep, and more often than not it was me who had to wake them up and tell them it was their turn to play."

The club now face an anxious wait to find if the record will be ratified by the Guinness Book of Records committee.

"We've now got a bit of a nervy wait to find out whether what we did was good enough or not and whether we will have to do it again!" added Dylan.

Normanby Park players: Peter Foster, Jamie Warrilow and Barny Summerfield (Scunthorpe), Jason Jarvil, Matthew Collingwood and Louise Davaron (Winterton), Stuart Smith (Grimsby) Pete Moss (Brigg).

Academy players: Matthew Stansfield and Tommy Higgins (Burton Stather), Adam Belt, Adam Sowerby, Jason Page and Jack Helps (Winterton), Luke Gardner (Winteringham).

ROBERT CLAIMS TOP CHEF AWARD

Scunthorpe Telegraph 26 July 2004

A talented young chef from North Lincolnshire has beaten off competition from up and down the country to be named 'Young Chef of the Year' at a prestigious London ceremony.

Robert Thompson (22), head chef at the renowned Winteringham Fields restaurant, was honoured during a glittering awards ceremony at the Savoy Hotel on Tuesday evening. Robert beat off stiff opposition from young chefs around the whole of the UK to be awarded the prestigious Craft Guild of Chefs title.

And Robert was not only flying the flag for North Lincolnshire but for the whole of the north, as his was the only award which did not go to the south of the country.

Restaurant owner Annie Schwab who nominated him for the award, said Robert knew he had been shortlisted for the title, but had no idea he had won.

She said he received a special jacket, a crystal trophy engraved with his name and a magnum of Champagne.

The trophy was presented by the Countess of Wessex.

"To win the award they have to excel above any other young chef. He is only 22 and already head chef here with us," said Annie.

"We are really proud of him. He has been with us two-and-a-half years and he has really come on - he's going to be one of the stars of the future."

And the young chef, who dreams of owning his own restaurant one day, said he was proud to bring a trophy home to the North.

"It was brilliant - I am still on cloud nine at the moment," said Robert.

"It's really great and nice to feel you have been noticed, especially when we are working out this way. It was a really good atmosphere on the night - there were lots of people from the industry there."

And, he added, as always, there were more competitions he was hoping to enter in his bid to scoop more awards for the restaurant.

Established in 1965, the Craft Guild of Chefs has developed into the leading chefs' association in the UK and has many members worldwide.

The awards recognise the work of Britain's finest chefs and acknowledge standards of excellence in the industry.

Robert, who scooped third place in a practical contest during October, has worked at Winteringham Fields restaurant for two years.

He did not have to cook for the Craft Guild of Chefs event, but Robert was selected by a panel of judges after being nominated by his boss.

The Winteringham resident is now planning to gain more experience at the restaurant and to build up a reputation of his own before fulfilling his dream of owning his own place one day.

MOD: 'FIRE CAUSED JET FIGHTER CRASH'

Scunthorpe Telegraph 26 July 2004

Mechanical failure has been blamed for the destruction of a Tornado jet which came down near Winteringham more than two years ago.

A report on the accident, which happened on May 17, 2002, issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said a fire broke out in the plane, causing it to crash. Both crewmen ejected safely when the Tornado GR4, from 13 Squadron, based at RAF Marham, Norfolk, was destroyed as it went into the River Humber.

The jet had been on a low-level training exercise when the accident happened.

The Ministry of Defence has now released information saying a fuel fire began in an area where there was no fire detection or suppression system installed.

The crew, both of whom survived the accident, had little more than one minute to eject.

The MoD said the pilot was unconscious when he hit the water and his personal survival pack had been ripped off, and the navigator also found part of his safety equipment missing from his lifejacket.

Three helicopters - from RAF Leconfield, RAF Wattisham and Humberside Police - and lifeboats assisted in the rescue.

Both men were rescued and taken to hospital.

The MoD report has recommended the flying control systems on the plane needed better protection.

It also suggests crew safety equipment be redesigned so it was strong enough to withstand ejection and landing.

The Tornado GR4 crashed into the River Humber just before 3pm that afternoon.

At the time, eyewitness Richard Button (39), of Waterside, Winteringham, was working on a farm, which is situated between Whitton and Winteringham, when he saw the plane crash.

He said the plane came down into the water between Brough and Read's Island.

He said: "I saw it for about two seconds flying very low. The next thing, it disappeared behind the beach and there was an explosion. By then I realised the plane had landed in the water as it had splashed high up in the air."

His wife Louisa was at home emptying her shopping from her car when she heard a loud thud.

She said: "I looked up and saw two parachutes and I thought 'that is a funny place to land'."

She rushed into the house and phoned the police, only to be told they had already been alerted.

The wreckage of the plane was recovered from a navigation channel of the River Humber, between Brough and the Humber Bridge in June 2002.

The report into the accident comes just two days after two crewmen were rescued when another Tornado GR4 from RAF Marham crashed into the sea, off the Northumberland coast.

EMMA'S IN LINE FOR TOP HONOUR

Scunthorpe Telegraph - 23rd July 2004

A roller hockey star who has represented Great Britain for three years has been nominated for a Scunthorpe Telegraph Young Achiever award, sponsored by Dee Jays.

Emma Bird first took up InLine hockey when she was just 11-years-old, after seeing an exhibition at the Baths Hall in Scunthorpe. She joined Bottesford Roller Hockey Club and quickly shot to stardom, being selected as a member of the Great Britain Women's InLine Hockey squad three years ago.

Now 17, the Winteringham girl enjoys travelling around the world, competing in locations such as New York, the Czech Republic, and - most recently - in Canada.

And her dedication to the sport has now earned her a nomination for our Young Achiever Awards from her grandfather, Ralph Fox.

"Emma has been a good all-rounder for sport from being a junior at Winteringham Primary school," said Mr Fox.

"She took part in athletics and netball teams and continued with it at High Ridge Specialist Sports College.

"Emma has been really good at all sports, but she is now concentrating on roller hockey and ice hockey."

And he added: "She has represented Great Britain for three years. It's something special - she has gone a long way.

"I certainly am very proud of her and she definitely deserves some recognition - kids need encouraging."

Emma, who has recently taken up ice hockey and plays for the Kingston Diamonds in Hull, is currently studying at John Leggott College.

Her dream is to secure a scholarship to study at a University in Canada, where she recently competed in a World Championships event.

"It's just fun and it's something interesting to do and it's different to everyone else," said the Great Britain defender.

The modest international sports star added: "It just comes to you, it's natural, I don't have to think about it - I just see the puck and hit it. I don't think about the skating part."

Emma added she would like to thank the Winterton Lions, the Withington Trust and John Leggott College for supporting her.

As previously reported, every month a panel of judges will pick a young person aged 11-19 who has done something positive for the local community.

Telegraph Editor Jon Grubb, Brigg and Goole MP Ian Cawsey, North Lincolnshire Council leader Coun Don Stewart, principal of John Leggott College David Linnell and Des Comerford, of Scunthorpe fashion store Dee Jays, comprise the panel.

Each month a winner is selected from the entries and he or she receives £100 in Dee Jays clothes vouchers and a trophy.

The individual or organisation which nominates the monthly winner also receives a £50 cheque for the charity of his or her choice.

All the monthly winners will be invited to a special awards dinner, where the overall Young Achiever of the Year will be announced.

ROADWORKS SET TO IMPROVE BAD BEND

The Scunthorpe Telegraph 17th July 2004

More than £250,000 is set to be spent on a two-month project improving one of the region's busiest roads.

North Lincolnshire Council is planning to spend the money on the A1077 to improve a 'confusing' junction, to resurface the road and improve the edges to make it a better ride for drivers. There will inevitably be some disruptions to motorists, and some occasional Sunday closures, but drivers are being asked to be patient.

Work on the improvements will take place from south of West Halton Road to Mere crossroads.

Roadworks are scheduled to begin on Sunday, July 25, and are expected to be completed by mid-September.

The project will mean the road will be affected by closures on several Sundays.

The junction where drivers can go straight on towards Winteringham instead of following the bend on the A1077 round towards South Ferriby is being moved five metres.

New kerbs are being constructed and the edge of the road will be raised on the bend - meaning drivers will not be able to speed straight on.

Geoff Popple, head of services for North Lincolnshire highways and transport, said the bend was not an accident blackspot.

Although there had only been one accident involving a slight injury at the site in the past five years, the bend as it stands at the moment can be confusing, with many motorists accidentally going straight on when they really want to follow the road right, he explained.

Mr Popple said: "Not only are we making the corner safer, we are also improving the ride by resurfacing the strengthening the edges of the road."

Local businesses, parish councils and Lincolnshire Roadcar, the bus company affected, have all been consulted about the works, Mr Popple explained.

To allow this work to be completed, temporary traffic lights and a 30mph speed limit will be in operation in the week commencing Monday, July 26, until the end of August.

The Sunday closures will be on July 25, August 1, August 22 and every Sunday from then on until the work is complete.

Coun John England, cabinet member for environment and transportation, said: "The new junction will be a major improvement and will make it much clearer for drivers to see the bend."

He said drivers needed to be patient while work was carried out.

"I would urge drivers to stick to the speed limit and be patient," the councillor said.

"The end result will be worth it, and be of great benefit to motorists."

The new repair scheme comes four months after another big budget scheme on the A1077 has been completed.

The work to improve the A1077 passing through South Ferriby, near Barton-upon-Humber, has been given the thumbs-up by motorists, according to Mr Popple, who said many people had contacted the council to congratulate workers on the scheme.

Before the work was carried out in South Ferriby, the road was described as one of the region's 'worst roads' by a council official.

But now the road is smoother, the path has been improved and there are more speed warnings.