June 2011

Concern as damaged river crossing needs repairing

Scunthorpe Telegraph 28th June 2011

SAFETY concerns have been raised in Winteringham after residents were told that money was not available to repair a damaged bridge.

Two sections of the bridge's railings were damaged by vehicles, with North Lincolnshire Council currently unable to carry out permanent repairs.

The bridge, which crosses the River Haven, has had plastic barriers erected as a temporary measure, but members of Winteringham Parish Council are desperate for a permanent solution.

Christine Hammond, clerk for Winteringham Parish Council, said: "Since they were installed they have had barely any maintenance and there has been no indication as to how long the repairs will remain temporary.

"We have been told several times that there is no money available for proper repairs to be made, and we are very concerned about the impact it could have on the village.

"Winteringham is a very popular destination for tourists, with walks along the river one of the highlights for a lot of people.

"There is so much wildlife to see, and these orange barriers are spoiling the quaint image of our village.

"We are also worried that if another vehicle were to hit one of these temporary barriers, it would not do enough to stop it going straight into the river.

"This is very important to our beautiful village and we can only hope that something is done soon."

The bridge, located on the corner of Water Side and Lower Burgage, is close to recently developed flood defences.

Kay Ashberry, chair of Winteringham Parish Council, said: "One of our major concerns is that inadequate repairs will pose a significant health and safety risk.

"If the bridge gets more wear and tear, there is a possibility that the temporary barriers may not be sufficient."

A North Lincolnshire Council spokesman said: "The council put up temporary barriers on Winteringham Haven Bridge as a safety measure when the guard rails were damaged.

"This is a minor, single track road and the temporary barriers will make it safer for people using the bridge until more permanent repairs can be carried out."


Inspectors praise pre-school

Scunthorpe Telegraph 28th June 2011

OUTSTANDING praise has been given for a pre-school's success in helping children enjoy their learning.

The Winteringham Under- Fives pre-school was given good marks throughout for improvements in all areas since inspectors labelled the site satisfactory in 2008.

And the pre-school, which is based at the village hall in Winteringham, was given an outstanding rating for how much pupils achieve and enjoy their learning.

Inspectors noted the seven members of staff who run the play group have excellent relationships with the children.

And the report said that because of high levels of involvement in play, children make good progress in their learning.

Now staff say they are delighted with the report.

Manager and leading supervisor of the pre-school, Sandra Wilkinson, has worked there for the past 30 years and says the commitment of all the staff is incredible.

She said: "I am delighted with the overall report and it highlights the main strengths that we have at the pre-school.

"Our last Ofsted report was done in 2008 and over the past three years we have worked very hard to improve our facilities for the children. We did not have any outdoor facilities for the children three years ago.

"Now we have a brilliant play area where we can go out and widen the children's learning skills. The report expresses what we are all about and shows the hard work that has been done over the years."

Mrs Wilkinson believes the dedication of a strong, long-lasting team has provided the pre-school with a good report.

Ofsted inspectors picked out the staff's interaction with children.

The report said: "The children's confidence and self-esteem is good.

"This is because practitioners praise and value their contributions, such as incorporating their ideas into the planning."

Mrs Wilkinson has just involved the pre-school with a North Lincolnshire Council project called ECAT, Every Child A Talker.

She said: "This scheme offers children the chance to use interactive stories.

"Chatter Packs have been given to us and each one has different story that gets the children involved in some way.

"They are designed especially for those who do not have much confidence or who find it hard with language.

"This is just another way in which we show how much the children mean and how we try to benefit their learning."

Annette Corney, a supervisor at the pre-school, has worked there for 21 years.

She said the staff who have worked for years at the site provide the children with consistency.

She said: "There is more than 50 years of service between us.

"We are very dedicated in our work and this shows through the service we provide.

"I am thrilled with the report as I think it sums up our own achievements since the last report."

Areas highlighted in the report for future improvement focused on documentation and making sure records include dates of reviews.

Mrs Wilkinson said this was something that was immediately attended to once recognised.

She also spoke about future improvements the staff wanted to make.

She said: "One of our main focuses will be developing computer technology and getting more equipment for the children to use."

River rescue sparked by pleasure boat fault

Yorkshire Post Thursday 16 June 2011 07:00

A DRAMATIC rescue of 15 people on the River Humber was sparked by a mechanical fault on an historic pleasure boat.

The 12 passengers and three crew members on the Amy Howson had to be airlifted to safety when the vessel ran aground after a problem with a lee board, a side panel which is lowered to stop it being blown off course.

The Humber Rescue lifeboat was launched but could not reach the stricken boat and its passengers were winched off by an RAF Sea King helicopter from Leconfield.

Two crew members remained on board until the ship was freed by the tide and she is now safely back at South Ferriby. No one was hurt in the incident on Tuesday night.

Skipper Alan Gardiner of the Amy Howson, which is on the National Historic Ships Register, said: “The sailing vessel was blown on to the sand bank off Winteringham after developing problems with a lee board roller, which affected its ability to manoeuvre.

“The historic vessels were essentially flat-bottomed and were designed to sit comfortably on sandbanks. At no time was there a danger to the passengers and crew but assistance was called.”

Dad died in crash 'after losing control in snow and ice'

Lincolnshire Echo Friday, June 17, 2011

A DAD of two who died in a car crash lost control on snow and ice while overtaking, an inquest heard.

Christopher Alan Lancaster, 33, was travelling north on the A15 close to RAF Scampton when his white Honda Civic left the road and hit a lamp-post.

He suffered fatal injuries in the crash, which happened at about 6.20pm on December 9 last year.

An inquest into his death was held at the Cathedral Centre yesterday attended by family and friends.

The court heard that Mr Lancaster overtook a car using a ghost island – an area of road marked with cross hatching that provides a safe spot to turn right across approaching traffic.

But the island was covered in snow and ice and Mr Lancaster lost control of his car.

Giving evidence at the hearing, Gregg Richardson, who was driving his Fiat Punto in front of Mr Lancaster, described the roads as clear but said snow and slush were piled up on the island.

He said: "I was driving along the A15 and at the time I was speaking to my wife on the phone, on hands free.

"There are two lanes then a middle section, and the middle section was covered in snow and ice.

"It was at that point I saw a white car and it went to overtake me. As it went onto the central carriageway I saw the back end of the car start to go outwards.

"The car then just flashed straight in front of me.

"It all happened so quickly. No sooner was the car behind me and at the side, it was spinning out and it was matter of seconds.

"I just heard a bang, that was it."

Mr Richardson stopped his car at a safe point and returned to the scene where the Honda had hit a lamp-post.

Joiner Jonathan Dennis also saw the crash and assisted paramedics in getting Mr Lancaster out of the car.

A post-mortem examination concluded that Mr Lancaster, who was a store manager at Next in High Street, Lincoln, died from chest injuries.

Collision investigator at Lincolnshire Police, Michelle Ford, concluded that Mr Lancaster, who lived in Winteringham, Scunthorpe, had not worn a seatbelt.

But she added that had he been wearing one, it may not have been of any benefit.

On being asked by Mr Lancaster's parents if speed had been an issue, she said: "I don't think speed would matter – snow and slush would cause tyres to lose grip."

Deputy Coroner Paul Smith returned a verdict of accidental death.

He said: "This death was a result of chest injuries.

"The collision is described as involving two vehicles, although it's fair to say it's common ground that there was no collision between the them.

"The weather was very cold, the country was gripped in the Arctic blast of winter.

"The snow covered the verges and although the carriageways were clear, there was compacted snow and ice in the ghost island.

"I am satisfied that as a consequence of that fact, he lost control of the vehicle."

His dad Kenneth Lancaster, 59, mum Pauline, 56, and sister Jo, 30, attended the inquest.

Mr Lancaster said: "We are still going from day to day, helping each other and we are living with it.

"We all talk about him. We want to remember him for who he was, not what happened because he was so much more, he was just brilliant.

"We want to thank everyone who did everything they could.

"We miss him."

Mr Lancaster leaves his children Abigail, 7, and Thomas, 2.

'I've been amazed by the generosity'

Hull Daily Mail, 17th June 2011

THE grandmother of a teenager suffering from a rare neurological disorder has praised the region's response to help her granddaughter. Almost Pounds 9,000 has been raised to help the Bickerton family pay for specialist equipment for Emily, in which a person's eyes act as a mouse to carry out commands on a computer.

In the latest fundraiser, Emily's grandmother, Jean Bickerton, 67, cycled more than 60 miles from Hornsea to Winteringham in North Lincolnshire.

She said: "It was an excellent ride. The wind blew me across to Winteringham and, coming back, there was no wind. The weather couldn't have been any better.

"The support so far for the computer has been brilliant and Emily is so excited.

"I've had donations from Hornsea Lions and Hornsea Pentecostal Church, as well as anonymous donations through the post.

"I've been amazed by the generosity.

"I've been telling Emily about all the hard work. She knows what is going on and is really pleased." The computer would help Emily, 13, communicate better and interact with the world around her.

The Leven teenager suffers from Rett syndrome, which has left her unable to walk and talk and she has little hand control.

Mrs Bickerton, of Hornsea, said: "Emily is a lovely girl. I have lots of fun with her.

"She really gives a lot back. "It's amazing what she would be able to do with this computer. Thanks to the generosity, I'm hoping we could raise the money by August." The family need to raise more than Pounds 11,300 for the Eye Gaze computer.

They were first introduced to the specialist computer when Emily tried it out at Frederick Holmes School in north Hull.

The device tracks a person's eyes to determine which part of the computer screen they are looking at.

To click the mouse, a user must stare at the same part of the screen for a short time.

Mike Bickerton, Jean's son and Emily's father, said: "I did think my mother was bonkers, doing this at her age. "We originally thought it was only going to be 50 miles. "I secreted a GPS gadget in her panniers to log the journey and discovered that she had actually travelled 63.1miles. "I am very grateful to her and everyone else who is helping us raise the funds needed.

"When we reach the target, it is not difficult to imagine Emily choosing a video to watch, listening to music, and reading books on her computer." Anyone wishing to donate should visit www.emilyscomputer.org

Lincolnshire chef unveils sustainable restaurant plans

By Emma Eversham, Big Hospitality, 15-Jun-2011

A chef in North Lincolnshire has almost achieved the dream of running a completely sustainable business after setting up a working farm behind his restaurant with rooms.

Colin McGurran, chef-owner of Winteringham Fields in Winteringham, near Scunthorpe, began planting seeds for vegetables and keeping livestock on eight acres of farmland behind his 40-cover restaurant with rooms 18 months ago.

Now the chef, who oversees a team of eight chefs, has such an abundance of produce, he only uses ingredients on his menu sourced from his own farm, or from within a two mile radius of it.

"Everything on the menu is grown by us. The only thing we can't say is ours is beef, because it's not economically viable for us to keep cows," he said.

Sustainable and ethical

McGurran's chefs not only prepare and cook food, they are also involved in every aspect of growing the produce and caring for the livestock, which includes lambs, pigs and chickens.

He said: "We do all the work. We spend at least an hour a day weeding the vegetables and checking the animals. We try to give the animals the best kind of life and I'm sure the produce tastes better because of it. It also gives the chefs a new level of respect for the produce. When they’ve seen a lamb born, bottle-fed it, seen it grow then sent it off to slaughter they give extra care when they are cooking it."

Front-of-house staff also take a keen interest in the menu's ingredients: "They take great delight in telling customers that the tomatoes, or the sprig of parsley on their plate has been grown just a few feet away," said McGurran.

Waste and energy efficiency

Because Winteringham Fields' team has such involvement in the produce used, McGurran said his chefs try and use every part of an animal or vegetable. Any leftover food and unused fruit and vegetables are used as pig feed.

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The gas kitchens will also be re-fitted with electric appliances next year in a bid to reduce energy output and help save money.

"A lot of it is driven by finance," said McGurran of his efforts to run a sustainable restaurant. "I've paid out for seeds this year, but next year my vegetable costs will be nothing. When you think that most restaurants will pay about £8 for a large punnet of vegetables, that's a big hit to your GP. We are also producing animals far cheaper than we can buy meat for."

He added: "Once you have sowed the seeds it's relatively easy and you actually don't need that much space. I'm learning as I go, but the more this happens, the more I'm getting interested in it."

Sustainable restaurant reviews

McGurran's accomplishment coincides with the news that Times restaurant critic Giles Coren is to include a sustainability rating alongside ratings for food, wine and service in his restaurant reviews.

Restaurants where Coren has dined at will be contacted by the SRA and asked to answer a 70 question survey on sustainability to determine their rating out of 10.

It is the first time a national newspaper has been involved with the SRA at this level. SRA managing director Mark Linehan hopes it will lead to more restaurants operating sustainably and being recognised for it.

"Restaurants deserve recognition for their good practice and diners want to be able eat out without worrying about where the chicken on the menu was sourced or how much the kitchen porter is paid," he said.

Green-fingered chef sources 90% of ingredients within a two-mile radius

14th Eat Out une 2011, 10:30am

With discerning customers increasingly aware of the provenance of ingredients, Lincolnshire chef Colin McGurran has decided to take things into his own hands.

After establishing a small farm at the award-winning restaurant with rooms, Colin has become so passionate about the quality of ingredients and championing local producers, nearly everything served at Winteringham Fields is gathered, picked or plucked from within two miles of the restaurant itself.

Chef-patron Colin McGurran explained more about the restaurant's philosophy: "Similarly to the foundations of a building, ingredients are the very essence of a faultless dish. At Winteringham Fields, nothing less than perfection will suffice and in exercising 100% control over the production and selection of our produce, this can be achieved.

"From the hen's eggs we serve at breakfast, to the belly-of-pork on our famous Menu Surprise, guests will be treated to nothing but Lincolnshire's finest. Our customers have been delighted with the results. Not only are we highlighting sustainable and forgotten ingredients from the local area and championing our own producers but diners are not forced to choose from a menu which showcases imported, exotic and endangered produce."

WORLD FAMOUS GOLFER STRUTS HIS STUFF FOR CHARITY

News release; Cision Wire 13th June 2011

Internationally renowned trick golf show maestro David Edwards will be entertaining the crowds at a charity golf day organised by Lincoln estate agency Mundys in aid of Strut in the Community.

Having just returned from China, where he entertained the galleries at the Volvo China Open at Luxhills International Country Club in Chengdu, the Lincolnshire-based golf trick shot specialist will be performing at the popular annual event at Blankney Golf Club on 24th June.

David, who lives in Winteringham near Scunthorpe, is renowned around the world for his trademark ‘scissor shots’. In 2010 he set the record at the Scottish Golf Show by hitting 312 golf balls in three minutes.

He is also well known for the range of original clubs he uses in his show, which includes clubs with a shaft made of a hose pipe, a cricket bat, a fishing rod and one where the driver head is fitted at the end of a golf umbrella.

A record 36 teams have entered this year’s Charity Golf Day and Mundy’s Senior Partner Philip Barnatt said they hope to raise over £5,000 for the Lincoln-based children’s charity.

“In 2010 we raised £4,000 for Strut in the Community,” explained Philip, “but this year we’re hoping to beat that total and given that we have an appearance by the unbelievably talented and entertaining David Edwards I’m confident we will reach our target.

“While it’s fantastic to be able to raise thousands and pounds for charity, the main emphasis on the day will be on having fun. We want people to enjoy themselves and have a really good day out and I think that’s why we’ve had a record number of entries this year.

“The highlight of the day will be undoubtedly David’s show. Regarded by commentator Peter Alliss as the best trick show entertainer in the world, he’s recently performed at the Dubai World Championship so we’re really honoured that he’s agreed to support our golf day.”

As well as David’s trick show at 6pm he’ll be throwing down the gauntlet and inviting team members to test their skills in the High Tee Challenge and win a framed photograph of Tiger Woods in the Hit and Miss competition.

There’ll also be an opportunity to bid on lots in the charity auction including a round of golf for three people with David Edwards at Forest Pines Hotel and Golf Resort and win tickets for the 2012 Olympics with overnight accommodation in the raffle. Tickets cost £1 or £5 for a book and are still available from Mundys estate agency on Silver Street, Lincoln.

Commenting on the day, David said: “I look forward to coming along to the 2011 Mundys Charity Golf Day at Blankney Golf Club on Friday 24th June and hope that I can bring a few smiles to the faces on this wonderful golfing day.

“I ask all golfers to give their support to the very worthwhile children’s charity Strut in the Community which provides much-needed respite care for young people with disabilities and their families.”