Lisa May says….

Having just finished shopping in Morrisons, I proceeded to the carpark upstairs to retrieve my car with trolley full of Christmas shopping, accompanied by my disabled mother in law.

Once at the lift the security guard told me I couldn’t use the lift as it’s locked.

I explained we were in the disabled bay as mum on law a blue badge holder.

Asking him how would I retrieve my car he said you can walk up the ramp (which is not a good idea when there is on coming traffic coming out of the carpark)

I said I wanted to use the lift with my mother in law and the shopping. He said no, I would have to walk and leave my mum in law here and drive down and collect her or take her with me !!

The clue is in the title, she’s s BLUE BADGE holder !!!!

To say I’m extremely angry is an understatem

Tina Shaw,  HCA at Grantham Hospital dementia ward says she has 18 patients over Christmas and really wanted know if anyone would be willing to donate some smellies.

She said: “Some of our patients don’t have families and the ones that do don’t live in our area. Anything will help them out. Thank you.”

And after Christmas they would be thrilled if anyone wished to contribute unwanted gifts.

The dementia unit is in the Manthorpe centre at Grantham Hospital (on the immediate right as you enter).

Tina says parking while dropping off the gifts will not be charged.

Families coping with a recent separation or divorce can look to advice from family law experts this Christmas to ensure a conflict-free holiday.

From making independent plans, to keeping interaction civil or applying for court orders, the family law specialists at JMP Solicitors have shared advice on the best conduct for Christmas.

Neil Remnant, Resolution accredited, Law Society Lawyer and head of family law at JMP Solicitors, said: “Christmas is a time for family and showing solidarity, following a relationship breakdown it can be very difficult to keep a sense of ‘togetherness’ but this is so important, particularly during the festive season.

“To ensure Christmas is without conflict it’s very important to consider the family dynamic and the fact that it’s a sensitive and important time for keeping children as undisturbed and happy as possible to minimise damage in the aftermath of divorce or separation. We’ve compiled a list of important considerations to help keep Christmas conflict-free to minimise any further damage.”

Here is the list of five considerations for keeping Christmas family-friendly following a divorce:

1. Make arrangements 

If you can make arrangements for Christmas without legal interference, then it is advisable to do so. Being civil and organising a Christmas that’s fair to both parents and the children is the best action. If such agreement is not possible, then the court may become involved to ensure contact time with children at Christmas is fair to everyone. This can often involve one parent having children over the Christmas period one year, the other parent the next – this arrangement may suit parents, but if they’d like to see children at Christmas each year then it’s best for parents to sort arrangements between themselves.

1. Invite the grandparents

The presence of grandparents at Christmas time can be helpful when trying to create a consistent, unified, happy environment following a divorce or separation. Grandparents do not have automatic rights to access with grandchildren, but they can apply to the court for contact.

1. Don’t argue

Following the separation of parents, children will already feel unsettled, so it’s important that differences are put aside at the sentimental festive time. Christmas is a time for family, so for the sake of keeping children happy and secure, it’s important to stay calm, cheerful and to keep arguments for another day.

1. Be amicable

In terms of previous Christmas routines – it’s important to stick to what children will remember and what is traditional for them. If you used to have dinner at a certain time, open presents at a certain time or even in a certain order, play board games in the afternoon etc, then try and stick to these. It’s these traditions that keep Christmas spirit alive, it’s what your children will remember and whatever arrangements are decided for Christmas, it’s important to know that structure is key.

1. Stick to court orders

If the post-divorce or separation situation means it’s not possible for arrangements to be made by yourself, then the court can get involved to ensure that Christmas arrangements are sorted. The court will seek to deal with matters in a constructive way and in the interest of the children. As this will involve a court order, the arrangements made will be legally enforceable.

Silvia Potts said…

Found in Asda car park tonight and handed it in at the kiosk

Trish says…

These keys found this afternoon at top of my friend’s drive on Ash Grove.

She will tag herself on it once posted.

BY LUCY DARNELL

Love it or loathe it, the weekly shop is a necessity for most households.

The UK has 27.8 million households and 19.2 million families all of which require feeding.  But just how much of the food we buy do we eat and how much do we throw away?

With Christmas just around the corner we at Wren decided to investigate how much food is wasted over the Christmas period with the aim of raising awareness of this important issue.

Our findings:

Over the week of Christmas, the UK will waste over £485 million on food, contributing 3% to the yearly cost of food waste. The biggest offenders at Christmas are Northern Ireland, who throw away 22% of all food bought for the festive season.

When it comes to the rest of the year, food waste costs the UK a whopping £16 billion annually. Northern Ireland once again takes the unfortunate top spot, throwing out a fifth of their purchased food.

Top ways to cut down on food waste

Our results have found that food waste in the UK is still a very serious issue, costing households billions each year.

To try and save yourself a penny or two, and to do your bit to waste less food why not try to follow our 5-step plan and reduce your household waste and food bill.

1. Don’t over buy. Write a list before you go shopping and never enter a supermarket on an empty stomach. This planning will allow you to stay strict and only buy what you know you will use.
2. Check the use-by dates of fresh food.Try and get the longest date possible, allowing you more time to consume the product.
3. Plan ahead. Try and plan your meals for the week ahead, if possible, also include meals made from any leftovers.
4. Freeze your food. Cooking fresh and freezing any food you will not use is a great way to make food go further. Always make sure you follow advice though before freezing/defrosting any food.

Geoff says…

Put it down to Christmas shopping, the the town is solid.

Harlaxton Road, Dysart Road, New Beacon Lane, Manthorpe Road – in fact virually everywhere is crawling traffic. And when you get to your final destination – there’s no parking spaces left.

Huge puddles on Barrowby Road, Harlaxton Road, Trent Road, Bridge End Road etc, means pedestrians are getting a soaking too.

Roll on Summer

Following an appeal on Grantham Matters by Mill Lodge cattery to rehome 12-year-old Toby, yesterday, we have received the following reply.

“I’ve had an enquiry about Toby from someone who saw the flyer on facebook – and he goes to his new home tomorrow.

” Result!”

GOOD LUCK TOBY

Lennie Walker says…

Lennie

Dumped charity bags around Twyford W oods – absolutely disgusting!

I collected all I could see

TOBY

Toby’s owner can no longer look after him so he is looking for a new home. He is about 12 years old, in good health, and is used to going outside. He is affectionate and very chatty.

If you feel you can give Toby his forever home then please contact Jane 01476 530414

Tricia Bower says….

PLEASE HELP

I need witnesses to the incident on Monday 9th December where a hay baler/lorry hit my car and carried on.

It happened at about 2.40pm on Dysart Road,Grantham. My car is a silver Vauxhall Zafira.

This lunatic could get away with writing my car off.

I will be grateful for your help.

EVERYBODY PLEASE SHARE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Share with anyone,PLEASE.Share far and wide,keep sharing PLEASE.Thanks in advance.x

Charlie and Becca say…

Just want to say thanks to the council for letting everyone know when the bins are being collected over Christmas via the tags on every bin,.

But could you please let us know if we can recycle the tags or not as they appear to be some form of plastic?

Anne Gayfer, South Lincolnshire Green Party says….

The headlines after last week’s election would have been very different if we had proportional representation. 

We would have no overall majority, forcing MPs to work together for a better future.

As it was, despite the Green vote going up by the same amount as the Conservative vote (300,000), Greens retained their one MP – Caroline Lucas – and the Conservatives got a landslide victory. 

In other words, it took 864,743 votes to elect 1 Green MP and 38,300 votes for a Conservative MP. 

The Brexit Party polled 642,303 and did not get an MP at all.  Figures for the other main parties in England are 334,122 votes to elect a Liberal Democrat and 50,817 votes for a Labour MP. 

Anyone who did not elect a winning MP (45.3% of the population) felt annoyed and disenfranchised. 

No wonder people lose faith in politics when a huge minority is not having their voice heard. 

This is what the House of Commons might have looked like under PR (image from the Electoral Reform Society).

Anon says..

Where is our new Tory MP?

Excuse me if I’ve missed it but shouldn’t he have made some sort of announcement thanking his constituents for voting for him?

I understand that it’s not a great achievement ‘winning’ such a safe Conservative seat but maybe some kind of acknowledgement?

Where is he?

I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come!

·         A new report by Wren Kitchens reveals that the average Brit consumes over 5,000 calories on Christmas day alone.

.         UK households are still frivolously over buying at Christmas, resulting in £485 million of food is wasted at Christmas.

·         Wren have created some top tips to help you to avoid binging over the festive period. 

Christmas is known to be the season for piling on the calories and over-indulging on festive delights. A study by Wren Kitchens reveals that the average Brit manages to make their way through 5,905 calories on Christmas day alone, that is the same as eating 12 big macs! This feast is nearly three times the recommended daily allowance (RDA).

According to the survey of 2,000 Brits, the results also revealed that the UK’s shopping and eating habits are equating to £16 billion of food waste. What’s even more shocking is that £485 million of that is during Christmas week alone!

Counting calories appears to be a taboo during the festive period, with an astonishing 70% of Brits admitting that they simply don’t worry about their food intake over Christmas. We wonder how many regret this by the new year! 

If the famous song came true and it really was Christmas everyday, then the average Brit would be 26 stone heavier by Christmas 2020!

With shoppers frivolously overspending in the festive season, Brits end up wasting an incredible amount of food, with Northern Ireland and secondly South East England being the biggest culprits.

5 Tips to avoid binging over the Christmas period

Wren Kitchens have rounded up some practical approaches that you can take on-board to help you avoid binging over the festive period and stay on track of your fitness goals. 

1. Don’t go to a Christmas party hungry

It can be hard to resist plates full of delicious food especially if you are attending a party on an empty stomach. Eating a nuitritious meal before the attending the party can ease temptation while allowing for a small indulgence later

2. Focus on how much alcohol you are consuming 

Drinking over the festive period is tricky to avoid but it can be made manageable. An easy way to manage consumption is to drink a glass of water between every alcoholic beverage. Also try to avoid too many sugary drinks such as mulled wine and cocktails, instead opt for a gin and slimline tonic or a glass of wine. 

3. Stay hydrated

During the busy festive season it can be easy to forget to drink enough water. Drinking water helps to main bodily functions from digestion, controlling of calories and absorption of nutrients. Always remember to carry a bottle of water on your festive travels. 

4. Get plenty of sleep

Tiredness can cause drowsiness but can also lead to overeating. With a busy social calendar over the festive period it can be hard to get a correct sleeping routine but it is important to try and maintain at least 7 hours of sleep a night. 

5. Don’t be afraid to say no

Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ to food that you know you shouldn’t have. You don’t always have to feel obliged to eat what other people are giving you. When you focus on supporting yourself, it will give you a positive mindset! However, It is important to treat yourself and indulge a little at Christmas. 

Northern Ireland are the biggest offenders for food waste

The study by Wren Kitchens reveals that Northern Ireland waste the most amount of food not only at Christmas but also throughout the year. Over the Christmas week, the UK wastes over £485 million of food, contributing to 3% to the yearly cost of food waste.

A list of how much food each region throws away over Christmas can be seen below:

[ENDS]

Sources:

Report statistics revealed by a data driven survey run by The Leadership Factor on behalf of Wren Kitchens.

Data was calculated by the amount wasted by average UK household at Christmas and during the year multiplied by the total number of UK households (27.million):https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/families/bulletins/familiesandhouseholds/2019

ABOUT WREN KITCHENS:

Wren Kitchens is the UK’s number 1 kitchen retailer and has supplied kitchens worth more than £1bn in the last two years alone. Launched in 2009, Wren Kitchens is a family business, and manufactures all of its kitchens at production facilities in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It has over 85 showrooms nationwide and many kitchens are delivered fully built, with doors, drawers and wirework pre-installed, throughout the UK by Wren’s fleet of lorries.

Wren offers the widest choice of kitchens in the UK. There are three product ranges: Vogue- an affordable flat pack collection; Infinity –  available in six styles, nine colours and comprising more than 100 types and sizes; and Infinity Plus, with 24 styles, more than 2,000 colours and a choice of over 2,000 different units.

Wren is committed to the highest standard of manufacturing and service, providing the perfect experience for every customer, acting responsibly and with honesty and integrity.

Earlier this year, it was awarded the Manufacturing Guild Mark by the Furniture Makers’ Company in recognition of its exceptional manufacturing standards and the Made in Britain mark in recognition of its commitment to excellence.

https://www.wrenkitchens.com/

Stuart says…

I have dash cam footage of a collision on London Road/ Station Road yesterday (Monday) between an Audi A3 and a Citroen Picasso (or similar) at around 3pm .

If the people involved want a copy for insurance purposes they can request it from me .

Pop-up Disco Parties for Grown ups

Everyone loves to dance, whatever age they are…

Discos for Grown Ups create exclusive pop up parties for ‘grown-ups’ who love to boogie the night away to the best ever soul, disco and feel good classics from the 70s and 80s.

DFGU’s was founded by ex -record industry executive Simon Stanford after finding there was nowhere to go to have a great night of dancing if your over 40.  Where do you go if your too old to go clubbing, but you still love to dance?

At our pop up Disco events you can dance the night away to the super cool vinyl sounds you know and love from the 70s and 80s. It’s all about a fun and safe night of boogieing to the music you love.

Dress up, glitter up and dance…Why should the kids have all the fun?

DFGU’s are based in Nottinghamshire and have held pop up party events across the UK. We are also the resident vinyl DJ at all Chris Evans Car Fest North and South events.

DFGU’s has recently been featured on BBC Radio Nottingham, Lincoln and Derby

GRANTHAM get ready to dance the night away at the

Guildhall Arts Centre, St Peters Hill, Grantham, NG31 6PZ

Friday 24th January 2020

8pm to midnight

Dress code – disco glamour. Free glow sticks

Limited early bird tickets only £12.50 (standard price £15) 

Tickets on sale at the Guildhall Box office and at www.wegottickets.com/event/489355

Get your Groove on to vinyl classics from – Chic, ABBA, Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, Earth Wind and Fire, Donna Summer, Madonna, Bowie, Chaka Khan, George Benson, Depeche Mode, Prince, Bee Gees, Shalamar, Candi Staton, Whitney, Wham, Rose Royce, Odyssey, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Human League, Blondie and many more!

It’s the best disco in town…