Urgent appeal for donors. Nicole Di Pietro-Fisher.

http://m.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/devastated-woman-24-told-she-could-be-dead-within-weeks/story-29548753-detail/story.html

Opposition to new Sleaford Tesco store plan shown in recent meeting

http://www.sleafordstandard.co.uk/news/business/hundreds-pack-meeting-to-debate-sleaford-link-road-plans-1-5435175

http://www.tescopoly.org/campaign/sleaford-lincolnshire

When is parking on yellow zigzags outside school ok?

.

The answer of course is that it isn't!.

However it appears that some school coach companies in Sleaford and area consider that the laws laid down to your "ordinary" motorists don't apply to them!

I had a very short but intense chat with some bloke who was making notes on a clipboard outside my sons school today. At first i thought he was taking the 2 vehicle registartions down in order to tackle the problem, but soon found out he actually worked for the bus company and was simply carrying out some sort of check.

After establishing this fact I enquired as to why the double decker and the transit mini bus drivers thought that parking in close proximity to the schools gates, on a corner and more importantly on yellow zigzags, was acceptable practice?

The answer "we have permission" without any further qualification of that statement did not convince me of his concern, and when i asked who would carry the can in the event of an injury/death of a child, strangely there was no answer forthcoming....Mmmmm!

I have just Googled the question relating to parking of school vehicles on the zigzags and this is what the local (North Kesteven) website says:

School Keep Clear’ ‘Zig-Zag’ markings (£70 fine)
Stopping on zig-zag markings outside school entrances is inconsiderate and potentially dangerous. Keeping the road clear outside schools gives children a clear view in both directions before crossing. The restrictions are displayed on nearby signs and will be enforced

This is their webpage:

http://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/residents/transport-travel-and-roads/street-services/traffic-management/civil-parking-enforcement/know-your-signs-and-lines/113667.article

I wonder what the guy will say tomorrow when i advise him of his misconception?

ZIGZAGS ARE TO PROTECT ALL SCHOOL CHILDREN>>>NOT JUST SOME!


ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

" Parking on the zig-zag area can mean those using the crossing cannot be seen clearly by approaching cars and the cars cannot see them. “We have been up at the school at peak times to remind motorists not to park there but anyone who ignores these markings from now on will be dealt with.” Motorists who are caught parking in the marked crossing area could face a £70 fine and three points on their licence. PCSO Nixon added: “We have been into the schools to talk to pupils and letters have been sent home to remind parents why the road markings are there.” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/8009525.stm

Fuel prices in Sleaford being debated on BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

Just listening to the comments being made about the over inflated price of fuel in Sleaford compared to the surrounding towns and villages.

I remember midway through the year filling up with Diesel at a JET petrol station in Grantham at a cost of £129.9 per litre whilst the cost in Sleaford was approx £136.9...a differential of 7 pence!.

Fuel costs in Sleaford have always been higher than the surrounding area since i have lived there.

Anyway, i now run my trusty 17 year old VW Golf on a mixture of diesel and veg oil....brings the average cost of fuel down to around £1.10 :-)

**Heads Up!
.
3 Ltrs of ASDA Veg oil is currently at £2.70...thats 90p a litre......will be popping along to my local branch soon to check out a few litres ;-)

at 0.90p for oil and £1.38 for diesel in a 50/50 mix it would make the average cost per litre only £1.14!....Nice :-)

Des ready to make his marathon debut for Leukaemia Charities

.

.

A SLEAFORD man will be joining thousands of athletes and joggers from across the globe for one of the world’s most famous road races.

Des McCauley will be taking on the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday, April 22nd to raise money for a Leukaemia charity, a cause close to his heart.

While Des has always been a fit and healthy person, playing for Sleaford Town FC for 16 years and working as a PE teacher before becoming a prison officer, this will be his first marathon.

To read the full story click HERE to visit the Sleaford Standard Web Page.

To Sponsor Des Click HERE.

Good Luck Des :-)

.

A poem/song written for Nathan Cook

.


This poem, or perhaps song, was written on the first day of this year for local lad Nathan Cook who so tragically died only a few days ago when he developed Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML). Written by song writter L.J Radnor from Nashville,USA.

I though it was worth sharing with you...........

smile for you

Wishing you were here, still can’t believe you’re gone
But I know that you are with us, to keep us going strong
Just to hold you once again, there’s nothing we want more
To hear your voice again, but the tears begin to fall

You gave it all you had, until the very end
No one could have fought braver, so until we meet again
Your memory will never fade, and all that you once knew
We’ll send all our love to heaven, and share a smile for you

You inspired those around you, loved with all your heart
But now you are an Angel, wish we didn’t have to part
There’s not a day goes by, since you went away
That we wished with all our hearts, it was yesterday

You gave it all you had, until the very end
No one could have fought braver, so until we meet again
Your memory will never fade, and all that you once knew
We’ll send all our love to heaven, and share a smile for you

All our love and kisses, are yours eternally
Wishing that you were here, where you’re supposed to be
Your memory will never fade, but as we shed a tear for you
We’ll send all our love to heaven, and share a smile for you

You gave it all you had, until the very end
No one could have fought braver, so until we meet again
Your memory will never fade, and all that you once knew
We’ll send all our love to heaven, and share a smile for you

L. J. Radnor 01/01/12




This video was posted on Youtube recently. Has a brilliant song as it's soundtrack.....









.

Leukaemia.Please learn how to spot the symptoms of this cruel disease....

.

This week I heard the shocking news that a local healthy teenage boy had died from Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) after initially feeling unwell for a few days during the Christmas holidays.

My two daughters attend the same school, and had known Nathan for many years. There was no warning of the Leukaemia or of the fatal outcome...it was such a tragic event. I can only try to imagine what his family must be going through right now.

How can this sort of thing happen? How can a normal, healthy teenager suddenly go from being a little off colour to being seriously ill and then die?

Well the answer is mostly due to the way that Leukaemia presents itself in the individual, in the way it mimics the effects of a heavy cold or flu. The wolf is, in the case of this disease,very well hidden in sheep's clothing.

Sadly, what happened to this young man this week has happened too many times before.Please make sure that if you have any suspicion that the cold may be anything more or you recognize any of the symptoms mentioned below give NHS Direct a call, just to be on the safe side.

NHS Direct can be called on 08454647 or click HERE to view their website. 



Symptoms that MAY indicate Leukaemia but are by no means unique to this illness.

1

Look for red pin points under the surface of the skin.

This condition is caused by blood finding its way out of the capillaries near the surface of the skin. Its technical name is petechiae. This is often due to a lowering of the platelet count due to the ongoing affects of leukemia.

2

Pay attention to ongoing fatigue and weakness in the body.

Especially in children this should be a sign for concern. Children are active and energetic, playful and full of life. Weakened children who are always in need of rest may have a serious condition. Any active human being, child or adult, who faces ongoing unexplainable fatigue is showing signs of a problem. Leukemia may or may not be the culprit, but a visit to your health care provider is in order.

3

Notice any aching or bone pain.

Leukemia affects the bone marrow and spreads out to affect the rest of the body through the blood. Do not put off getting bone pain checked out as it is one of the common leukemia symptoms. As with all cancers, cancer treatments for leukemia are most effective when the disease is discovered early.

4

Report any swollen lymph nodes or hard places in the abdomen.

In lymphatic leukemia the nodes can swell to unusual size. Note around the neck, armpits, and groin where any swelling occurs and make an appointment for a full screening if you suspect something your symptoms are more than a brief illness.

5

Keep track of repeated infections or easy bruising..

Since leukemia affects the white blood cells, the body's ability to fight off infections is dramatically reduced. Keep records of your own or your child's infections and be sure that they are not forming a pattern. Easy bruising can also be a sign of the blood's low platelet count.

Our heartfelt sympathy and thoughts go out to this young mans family at this tragic time and judging by the hundreds of flowers laid both at his home and at the skate park across the road, many many others are also shocked and saddened by Nathan's passing.


.

.

Dedboy - Christmas Number One. Awesome Crimbo Song!

Just thought that you may like to know of a new Christmas song that is currently rocketing up the music charts.

Christmas Number One, written and performed by Chris Clark of Sleaford is THE NEW "can't get that tune out of my head" Christmas song  :-).





Now available for download on AMAZON and itunes. (Amazon is cheaper !).

"Is that a real beard?"...... :-)

.

Sleaford Vintage and Classic Car and Bike Show 2011

For a change this year I did not take Scarlett to this annual show, and instead, for a change, i took my father in laws 1972 VW Beetle 1300.

Due to building work at St Georges college, this year the show was held in the car parking area at the Sleaford Town Council offices on Eastgate and to be honest it seemed to be just as good a venue as the regular location.

Anyway, a great day was had by myself, mini me and his grandad, and, apart from a slight hiccup when mini me decided to fall over and remove a lot of skin from his knees and hands, the day was very very enjoyable. Sadly Tom's Beetle did not receive any awards or prizes, but we did get our pictures taken by both local newspaper photographers so there is a good chance that we may get a mention in the local press!.

Here are a few piccies that we got of the event.....

Nexy year I will get organised and make sure that a special car and a half make an appearence at the show :-)

.

New Tesco store in Sleaford Lincolnshire.Things you should know....

.

A few things that you should know about the new store that is planned....sorry, going to be built for(?) Sleaford.

The existing store will not be left in a state for other supermarkets to use to provide competition to the New Tesco store, it will be turned into several small retail units.

The current petrol station will not be kept open to be able to compete with the new one at the new store, it will be closed due to an as of yet unspecified reason.

Tesco have given over £160'000 to aid a new "transport plan".....no doubt involving dropping off points at it's new store!.

Most worryingly the proposed footbridge planned to cross the rail crossing at the Southgate/Grantham Road junction was not even discussed with Sleaford's residents, it was simply decided to build one and then 4 designs where offered to Sleafordians for their approval!. Democracy in motion....almost!

Not wanting to sound like I think that Tesco have far to much influence in our "Market Town", but I have heard that even the welcome sign at it's boundary is to be changed to..........

"Sleaford, twinned with Tesco"

If you would like to air your views about this subject please feel free to post your comments on this blog via the comment option. Thanks.Andy

.

Moy Park syndicate win £3 Million Lottery Jackpot.

.

I read in the local paper the other day that a syndicate from the Moy Park Poultry Factory in Anwick (pronounced Anick!) had won £3 million quid on the national lottery.

In a slightly sad twist to the tale it appears that several of the members had only recently pulled out from the group, shortly before their big win. It is also reported that one of the remaining members then "bought up" their stakes in the syndicate, meaning that they will get the lions share of the cash...nice.

Now, as I have never won more than 10 quid on the lottery since the first draw way back when (many years ago!) I can't imagine what it must be like to win such a huge sum of cash, but If (by any miracle) one of the members of the syndicate reads this post can I just suggest one thing.

Give the people who left the group something. Please!

Why? Well Just for one moment think how you would feel if the shoe where on the other foot. I would guess you would be pretty gutted. Now, think of how you would feel in that situation, if one of the winners (or perhaps a small donation by all?) where to bung you a few grand to cheer you up!. Get the idea?

Giving is ALWAYS better than receiving, and the respect you would get for such a generous act would be worth more that al the money in the world :-)

Oh, and if you have a few quid left over I know a bloke in Sleaford with a Scirocco that needs some overdue repairs and is a bit brassed at the mo!...just a thought :-)

.

NEWSFLASH.Madman in 23 year old VW Scirocco drives 43 miles to Mansfield in snow!

.

Durocco.Awesome 4x4 twin engined Scirocco.I want one!.

Yes, this morning, against my better judgement I decided to attempt the 43 mile drive from Sleaford to Mansfield...and ,amazingly!,I made it -).

To be fair it had not really snowed much during the evening in Sleaford, so the car only had a very light "icing sugar" coating this morning. Mansfield though,as I later found out, was a very different story!.

According to conversations that I had with several people at Kings Mill who have been on site overnight, the snow has been coming down in buckets, the result of course is that most area's of the hospital site have perhaps 8-12 inches of snow, and, where the plough has pushed aside material from the roads, it can be found in huge piles over 2 feet in height!

Of course I did not know this as I set of at 7am, and, after making a brief stop at Cranwell service station on the A17,where I ended up helping them to open the pumps, I made my way to work.

The A17 was pretty clearwith only a light "slush" on the road surface,but by the time I got to Newark the depth of extra snowfall since last night was obvious and more of it was now on the carriageway.

The A617 to Mansfield was not that much worse, that was until I got to Bilsthorpe when the road became a little to white for comfort, and the dual sections of the road at the Rainworth bypass and the Mansfield bypass had been reduced to one lane, only used by idiots and people in 4x4's!.This was pretty much the way it remained from that point until I arrived at Kings Mill, but just as I thought that I had cleared all of the obstacles I found a few more in the last few hundred yards.

The slip road from the main carriageway into the rear of the site was very slippery, and as I pulled into the site entrance the incline as I went through the gate appeared to have not been cleared causing the car to scramble for grip.I managed to crawl up the slope eventually, but then when I turned into the compound where my Dept is located I found that the entrance to the Dept car park had been blocked by a huge wall of snow made by the snow plough!. I managed to "abandon" the car in another area, and after wading knee deep up to the entrance to my Dept I finally arrived at 0940...ish!.

More snow is expected today....i think an overnight stop at my folks house in Mansfield Woodhouse could be on the cards !.

A request to (some) 4x4 drivers

Please,please could you stop driving right up against my rear bumper as I try to make my way along some pretty awful roads!. Ok, I know you have a 4x4 and that I may be holding YOU up, but sadly I don't have 4 wheel drive (unlike Anson Clements Durocco!) so I have to be a bit careful. Oh, and to the prat (pr@) in the "60" plate Range Rover who decided it would be fun to spray all of the pedestrians on Berry Hill Road in Mansfield the other day...you are quite simply a total Tw@!

Have a nice day !

.

Snow in Sleaford......COOL! :-) (Well it's freezing actually !)

.

Yes, overnight snow has arrived in Sleaford (Lincolnshire,UK) and as I speak 2 of the 3 kids are busy getting freezing cold and wet in it....don't you just love snowballs?

Just in time for the towns Annual Christmas market then, assuming that the white stuff hangs around for at least another 24 hours or so. We will have to see...

Anyway, got to get out there now and dig out the sledge again!....seems like I only put it back in the shed a few weeks ago.

Time for a thick coat and a scarf I think...see you later :-)

.

Car Sorted...just need to put interior back in now!

.

At long last it appears that Scarlett's clutch woes have finally been resolved after she spent a weekend away at my local Pitstop Garage in Sleaford.

The problem with a VERY heavy clutch has been plaguing the car for a few months now after a clutch cable snapped in September, but, after a lot of work being carried out including:

New clutch 3 part assembly (Cover,pressure plate and bearing)

New Clutch Cables (x3)

Bulkhead reinforcing plate welded on

New rear Brake shoes

New front Brake pads

New front shock absorbers

New rocker cover gasket

the problem appears to now be sorted out.

Once again, many thanks to the boys at Pitstop garage in Sleaford for a quick and efficient bit of work which has helped to keep the Rocco on the road for a bit longer....well until December when her MOT is due to be renewed!

Today I will be refitting the trays and covers from underneath the dashboard which have been left off for several weeks now so that I could keep an eye on, and fiddle with, the clutch cable as required.

I must say that the car feels so much easier to drive now that I don't have to stand on the clutch to change gear!. I have noticed though that due to the extra force required to press the pedal, my left leg appears much larger than my right! Does that mean I will have to press the accelerator down harder to balance things up?.......Not sure if Mr Plod would accept that excuse if he catches me going a bit quick though! "Sorry officer, I am just trying to build up the muscles in my right leg to match those in my left one, I need the exercise....honest!"

Have a nice day :-)

.

Sleaford Petrol Prices in Question again!

.

.

There has been an ongoing debate in the local press for many years now about the fuel prices that are charged to people living in Sleaford and how these prices appear to be a lot higher than those that can be found in villages less than 4 miles from the town.

This week there was a letter in the Target newspaper calling for a boycott of the petrol stations within Sleaford which (it was hoped!) would force the local stations to lower their prices.

In an effort to get to the bottom of the claims that fuel prices are indeed higher in Sleaford than in the surrounding villages/towns, I have decided to incorporate a fuel station price finder map into the sidebar of my blog.

All I need now then is for you (my readers!) to use the map,locate your local area (just type your postcode in the top lefthand box) and ensure that the prices quoted are correct. If the prices are wrong or have not been updated recently you can edit these yourself very easily.

As a commuter myself who drives almost 90 miles per day between Sleaford and Mansfield I can indeed confirm that the price differential at Tesco's stations is 5 pence per litre....that,as they say, is a FACT!

Anyone who would like to leave a comment about this story please feel free to do so by clicking "comments" at the bottom of this story!...Ta :-)

.

UK may have a hung parliament!....So they should be....all of em!

.

Oh alright then...just a few of them, due to the fiasco about expenses and the downright idiotic things that some of these pillocks were claiming (Cleaning garden moats, buying porn DVD's for their spouses etc).

As per usual in Sleaford we have (not me!) elected a Conservative MP, the one that has been brought in to replace Mr Douglas "Dirty Moat" Hogg recently.

Still waiting for the final result later today, but lets just hope that whatever the outcome, we end up with a few descent people in our "new" parliament who don't use the job to simply line their own pockets whilst their constituents are finding it hard to make ends meet !

As Sir Winston Churchill so aptly put it in 1902 "politicians are asked to stand, want to sit and are expected to lie.". Little has changed in 108 years!

Watch this space! :-)

UPDATE:

Britain has a hung Parliament after an inconclusive result to the most tightly fought General Election in a generation.

With the votes in 36 constituencies still to be counted, David Cameron's Conservatives had secured 289 seats - making it impossible for them to reach the 326 threshold for an overall majority - setting the scene for behind-the-scenes horse-trading possibly stretching into the weekend and beyond, as the parties struggle to form a viable administration.

Told ya so! :-).....now this is where the fun starts!

.

Guess who now has a new set of alloys and wheels fitted ?

Glad to report that a deal was struck between john at Wheelcraft and Team Dynamics Alloy wheel manufacturers, and as a result, Scarlet is now wearing a full set of matching "Tornado S" Black alloys!.

I think you will agree that they suit the old girl very well!. Tomorrow we are off to see Biff at Paw-prints graphics in Newark to get the first set of vinyl's fitted...it's all starting to fall into place now!

I must also mention my good friend John at Pitstop Garage in Sleaford who has yet again helped me out with this project by donating 4 brand new tyres free of charge....well i hope they are or I am going to get a big bill next time i see him!....Cheers John :-)

.

Sleaford has some more long term roadworks...shall we rename it "Gridlock" ?

I am of course refering to those annoying one way (into, but not out of Sleaford) ones on Grantham Road.
Now me being an inquisitive sort of bloke i have made a few enquiries and have discovered the following facts about these...erm.....pains in the posterior.

1) They are known as "Phase one"...because after they are completed,phase 2 will start!.....then (strangely enough) phase 3 apparently.
2) Phase one is the first part of 3 phases of work that are being carried out by LCC to link the new Hamlett of Greylees with the Market(!) town of Sleaford.
3) The work currently being undertaken is to install street lighting,pavements a cycle lane and drainage.
4)The work is scheduled to run for another 4-5 weeks........all good news then!....GROAN!

If you had asked me a few weeks ago when I was sat in yet another traffic jam somewhere in this gridlocked town I would have said that the best thing in Sleaford was the road leading out of it!.

Sadly, this is no loner the case.Why? Well, because now,the powers that be have made it a lot harder to leave the town by closing off the Grantham road exit !.Now, in order to leave Sleaford along the A153, you need to take a "slight detour" along to and then through Silk Willoughby...an extra 3 miles on my 42 mile trip to Mansfield in a morning...oh bliss!.
Of course I could decide to go through the town centre, but then you hit a large line of traffic waiting to get onto the Holdingham roundabout, but that can be complicated even more if you happen to get your times wrong and end up stuck at the level crossing waiting for a train loaded with...oooh...at least 4 people.

I had a questionaire sent to me the other day asking what I like about Sleaford...i am going to have to think about my answer very carefully now!.

P.S Don't get me wrong, if you like charity shops,pubs,restaurants,cafes or hairdressers then this is the town for you......just not much else going down, and the "Market" in the accolade of "Market town" is sadly almost non existent now days due to the powers that be making it so bloody hard to get A) Into Sleaford and parked, and B)...Erm..out of Sleaford.Bless em!.

P.P.S Last week the local paper reported that the council is planning to pay a bunch of consultants £200,000 to tell them what Sleaford should aim to be in the next 20-25 years. The answer is of course.....rebuilt from scratch! :-)

Anyway,If you would like to keep up to date with all f the planned and current roadworks in the Lincolnshire area,click HERE to get the lowdown from the LCC Website....nice :-)

Not posted for a few days. Time for an update then !

Lets start on Thursday night when,after a quick trip to Newark hospital,I was stopped at a junction on the way home by traffic lights.I was just pulling away from them when...BUMP! I was rear ended by a Nissan Micra !.
I remember thinking that this was just so bl++dy typical...last day at work,last drive home and this happens.I put on the hazzard lights,jumped out and took a quick look to see what the damage was.
Aren't towbars wonderful things ? Mine took the full impact of the collision and saved my arse..well the cars arse anyway!.Sadly the lady who hit me (and who was very apologetic) was not quite so fortunate and lost her front reg plate.I took her details and then told her that i would call if we needed to go further pending a more thorough examination the next day.After doing this, it was clear that the damage was zero,so i will not be calling the lady and hope that the worry of an insurance claim can now be deleted from her "to do" list this Christmas :-)
Sadly, the following day, after dropping off the kids at thier respective schools, i had another bump,this time due to the recent heavy snowfall and bad luck.
After dropping off number 3 sprogg, i was making my way home along a very wet and slushy Grantham Road when,attempting to turn into Ancaster Drive, i hit an area of very slippy and compacted snow.The result? The car decided it did not want to go around the corner, and instead it slammed into the kerb...only at about 6-7mph, but OUCH did it go with a hell of a bang!.Upon first examination it appeared that I had only dented the alloy wheel on the passenger side, but after getting back in the car and driving the remaining 3-400 yards to our home, i knew it was a lot worse than just that.
When your front wheel is rubbing against the rear of your front arch, you know somethings wrong, and in this case it was due to the front wheel having been pushed back by some 2-3 inches...not good!.
To cut a long story short, i called the folks at PitStop Garage in Sleaford who managed to not only repair the car in 5 hours, but presented me with a bill for a lot less than i had imagined it would have been :-) (About the same as our insurance excess!).So thanks once again to John,Chris and the crew for saving my bacon once more!(Hope you enjoy the Stella Artois fella's!)
The snow is still with us today (Sunday) and there was a very lighht sprinkle of it again last night, but not much (thank goodness!). Yesterday I took 2 of the kids sledging and we had a great time...i had forgotten what it was like to have fun like that.....you do as you get older sadly.

Got these pictures from John,my photographer neighbour the other day....

Looking at these images that my photographer mate John gave to me the other day, it is hard to believe that only a few months on from when these pictures were taken, myself and Glen drove this same car 4000 miles in under 10 days.and I still have to pinch myself to comprehend just what an amazing repair job AW Accident repairs managed to perform to keep our dream alive.I will be eternally grateful to Andy Walsh and his amazing repair crew in Sleaford.

Ouch!....April 2008

Andy Walsh surveys the damage....it looked bad to me !

Amazing to also think that the car has since covered over 20'000 miles and passed 2 MOT tests post the "incident".