RAIL FIRM'S GETTING THERE

The railway line through Brigg will be closed from sometime next month until June, so essential maintenance work can be carried out.
Presumably we can expect a Saturday bus service to be provided, picking up passengers at stations along the route, including Brigg, although no details have yet been revealed.
A stretch of embankment needs replacing in Brigg so the line will be able to handle heavy freight trains to, and from, the Immingham area. It's going to be a major job - and a very expensive one.
Currently the Brigg line is only open on Saturdays (chiefly for three Sheffield-Cleethorpes passenger trains in each direction) - unless problems crop up between Barnetby and Doncaster, in which case the track between Brigg and Gainsborough is brought back into use as a diversionary route.
However, in summer/autumn next year our line will be fully operational on other days of the week to handle freight trains. It's intended to run them through Brigg on a 24-hour basis.
Signallers are now being recruited to man the boxes on the line from Brigg to Gainsborough, via Kirton in Lindsey and Northorpe.
In response to the Brigg line reopening during the week, councillors here, and in the Gainsborough area, are hoping to persuade train operating companies to take a look at running additional Monday-Friday passenger services, linking us with Sheffield, Grimsby and possibly Lincoln.
A meeting of councillors and other interested parties is expected to be held early next year, with Brigg a likely venue.
The prospect of being able to get weekday trains to Sheffield will certainly appeal to shoppers who have been unable to get a direct ride to the giant Meadowhall complex since the withdrawal of the Stagecoach 909 bus service through Brigg.
Although long and heavy freight trains are good for the UK's 'carbon footprint' as they can move huge amounts of coal and other bulky items for relatively little fossil fuel (compared with fleets of lorries), a number of Brigg residents will be unhappy at the prospect of clanking wagons and big diesels rumbling through at all hours of the day and night.
People who have bought houses near the line in recent years, thinking it was pretty much defunct, fear the noise and vibrations will affect the market value of their properties and make them more difficult to sell.
Householders living on the far side of the Bigby Road level crossing, or looking to go to and from Brigg Garden Centre, will also have to contend with delays at the gates, while trains trundle by.
The contrary view is the railway has served Brigg since November 1848 and the idea of reopening our line during the week for heavy freight has been extensively reported in the Scunthorpe Telegraph in recent years.
The matter has certainly not been kept secret by the railway authorities, who have been very open about their plans. Now, after many false hopes, the return of the Brigg line to round-the-clock working is not too far away.
We will keep readers of Brigg Blog and the Scunthorpe Telegraph's Tuesday Brigg Extra page in the loop, to use a railway phrase!

BOARD WITH IT ALL

Why is there no cardboard recycling bin, or skip, on Tesco's car park in Brigg?
If your red household bin, provided by North Lincolnshire Council, becomes full it would be nice to take the surplus to Tesco for recycling, while paying a visit to do some shopping.
You can usually get rid of cans, bottles and even old shoes by visiting Tesco's store. But there's no facility for cardboard, which is a pity, as it's one of the most valuable sorts of rubbish for re-use.
Praise is due to the major retailer for housing recycling bins on its land and helping Brigg folk to do their bit for the environment, in accordance with the council's wishes.
But - at certain times of the year - the red council bin is just not big enough to last between collections for many households.
The easy option is just to stuff the cardboard into the black general waste bin and send it for dumping at the landfill site. But surely that's not what the council wants to see happen?
Talking of Tesco, the 'can bank' in its car park, off Barnard Avenue, was full to bursting this morning. Hopefully, with new year almost upon us, the lorry will arrive to empty it tomorrow. Otherwise it's very likely other would-be recyclers will do what someone has already done and leave a carrier-bag full of cans alongside the full-to-overflowing bin.

TIDY MOVE

How much longer before the new owners of the former lorry wash site in Brigg start developing the site?
The area of land at the top of Atherton Way - near what many in the town call Tesco roundabout - sports a 'sold' sign, having been on the market for some time.
Until recently it was being camped on by a small group of travellers.
It's a sizeable site, near to the town centre, with excellent road links.
Housing? Retail development? Industrial units? A car lot? Fast food restaurant? All seem possible, subject to the views of North Lincolnshire Council planners.

DO YOU REMEMBER?

There used to be a long stream running from Wrawby Road, Brigg, across the grammar school field, crossing under Glebe Road, then along the primary school boundary as far as Grammar School Road, near the junction with Preston Drive.
As a boy attending Glebe Road School I can remember splashing about in the stream when lessons were over. Ill-advised, as it was supposed to be rat-infested.
Perhaps on health grounds, the stream disappeared in the early to mid-1960s, if memory serves me correctly, to be replaced by an underground pipe.
Memories of more than 40 years ago were re-kindled by a surprise reference to this piped-in section at Brigg Town Council's latest meeting.
Officers from North Lincolnshire Council were talking about parts of the town which experienced flooding last June, and an area of land near the old school site and the end of East Parade was identified. A map was shown to councillors, with the piped section identified by council officer Wayne Hill.
Coun Carl Sherwood was at that meeting and told me later he could also remember the stream running past the school during his boyhood days.
Maybe he will remember the following incident? Or perhaps Nigel, his younger brother and fellow councillor, will?
One severe winter's day some of us were having a great time after school messing about and throwing snowballs over the stream onto a glass classroom roof when, in the gathering tea-time gloom, headmaster Reggie Stocks suddenly appeared on the scene.
He caught sight of some members of our group, but it was getting dark and most of us sped away round the corner into Hawthorn Avenue, without him recognising who we were.
A lucky escape - for a visit to the head's study was definitely not recommended during days when use of the cane was still permitted!
Returning to the present day, this area of town is about to undergo great changes during the redevelopment of the old school site, sold for more than £1-million. New homes are highly likely to be approved by council planners.
Sadly, the massive and distinctive poplar tree at the very end of East Parade is now but a memory. And many of the old concrete garages nearby have suffered severe vandalism. None more so than the one I used to rent from Glanford Borough Council to house my very first car - a Mini 1000.
It's funny how such a seemingly insignificant area of Brigg can hold so many memories if you've lived in the town for a lot of years.
Our picture - taken this morning - shows the course of the stream, which went under Glebe Road and ran over the grammar school field. The railings on the right mark the boundary of the former primary school site.

THE FULL MONTY

This is the complete quarterly Brigg area crime update delivered by Insp Brett Rutty to the public meeting held in the Angel Suite. Extracts from it have appeared in the Scunthorpe Telegraph, but www.thisisbrigg.co.uk is pleased to be able to run the officer's interesting report in full. We intend to offer similar updates throughout the year. Pictured right is Pc Steve Wash who is not working on Brigg streets at present, as Brett's report explains.

Crime overall for the Brigg Neighbourhood Policing area during the last six months (to the end of November) has decreased by 10.9 per cent compared to the previous six months. That’s 64 fewer victims of crime.
This includes burglary to people’s homes (reduction of 14.3 per cent) but an average of 28 per cent of burglaries over the last year have been sneak-in type offences. These tend to be opportunist crimes where the offender has taken advantage of insecure doors or windows. We all need to take care of our property and ensure homes are secure even when at home in another part of the house. This is particularly so over the coming weeks when extra goods in the form of Christmas presents will be in our homes.
Criminal Damage is a crime area the Neighbourhood team is focussing on, providing a presence to Hot Spot locations and with PCSOs visiting victims to offer reassurance and seek further information or evidence.
During the last six months we have had a reduction of 15.9 per cent in this crime across the Brigg policing area compared to the previous six months ( 26 fewer crimes).
Regarding Anti-Social Behaviour we have seen a slight increase in calls for service for anti-social behaviour during the last six months of 1.6 per cent compared to the previous six months. This was to be anticipated as we do tend to get an increase in nuisance incidents in October and November.
We did put out extra patrols on Halloween, Mischief Night and Bonfire Night which meant we were able to respond better to calls for service. The Respect Patrols are continuing on Friday and Saturday evenings, specifically to focus on Hot Spot locations and to respond to calls for service.

At Ridge Neighbourhood we have been working at Hibaldstow where PC Tracey Teal has been tackling a graffiti problem. One youth has now received a reprimand, another has been interviewed and this has led to further lines of enquiry to identify others involved.
Kirton Lindsey seems to be a Hot Spot location for anti-social behaviour and nuisance caused to the community by teenagers. We have teenagers converging on the town from surrounding villages in the catchment area for Huntcliff School. Tracey and PCSO Kev Horsfall are paying attention to the area and are working closely with the youth club to explore the possibility of it opening on a Friday evening.
PCSO Lyndsey Stamp is spending a lot of time at Messingham, getting to know local people, understanding the community issues there and providing a visible presence on the streets.
The next NAT meeting for the Ridge Neighbourhood will be held in the New Year. The date and place will be circulated to all key individuals once established.
On-going issues at Broughton and Appleby Neighbourhood included a spate of criminal damage offences around the Greyfriars Road area of Broughton. All victims have been visited by PCSO Vicky Petty but at present we have no leads. Some shop premises have also suffered from criminal damage and PC Vince Potter has some enquiries and names of possible suspects to follow up.
Drunken behaviour by a minority of young adults has caused concern in the community. Vince and Vicky were able to identify one offender who received a Penalty Notice for Disorder. We have also worked with our Incident Resolution colleagues and the Respect patrols to pay attention to the issue.
The former Bishop Burton College site has been a problem location with teenagers gathering there and causing damage and nuisance. Some arrests were made but the site will be in it’s current condition for some time until the development work can begin. I ask that parents help the police and the community by dissuading their children from entering this site. It’s not just about criminal offences being committed but derelict buildings and building sites are dangerous places to play on.
The next NAT meeting for Broughton and Appleby will be in the New Year at a date to be fixed.
On the Brigg and Wolds Neighbourhood, PC Rob Armstrong has taken over from Steve Wash (pictured above) while Steve is unable to perform full police duty. He has quickly settled into the role of Neighbourhood Officer and is assisted by PCSO Lisa Bogg.
Shop Watch is now up and running. There have been a few administrative teething troubles to be ironed out and it is probably too soon to assess the impact it is having although there have been fewer calls for service to the Tesco and Lidl area.
Teenagers still congregate under the bridge and at the Millennium Green and alcohol has been seized from some of them. Rob and Lisa will continue to pay attention to these locations and would welcome any information as to where teenagers are getting their booze.
The Sir John Nelthorpe School is suffering from a significant amount of damage as well as older teenagers gathering there in cars which have on occasions been driven across the playing fields. Schools are not public places for teenagers to congregate after hours, at weekends or during school holidays and I would like parents to help getting that message to teenagers. Sgt Staff will be liaising with the school to consider what crime prevention methods they can implement to help reduce the problem.
At Barnetby the One Stop Shop is again a focal point for teenagers to congregate often to the annoyance and disturbance of shoppers and residents. Rob and the Respect Patrols will continue to pay attention there
The next Brigg and Wolds NAT meeting will be held at Worlaby Village Hall at 7pm on January 9.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED...AGAIN

Brigg households' black (or light green) bins, containing general waste, will be collected on Saturday (29th). That's a special visit to cover the non-collection over Christmas.
We saw some unemptied black bins left outside properties earlier this week, so clearly not all householders gleaned the necessary information about revised collections from North Lincolnshire Council's stickers on bins, or from the authority's website, or read the helpful reminder given on Brigg Blog.
Remember to have your bin at the end of the drive by 7.30am on Saturday.
Sorry to keep banging on about the bins, but it's no joke to be left with a full, unemptied one at this time of year, with all the extra household rubbish Christmas generates.
If you put your bin out tomorrow, ahead of Saturday's collection, and spot your neighbour's is still in the drive, pop round and give them a reminder.
It is, after all, the season of goodwill to all men...and women!

GREEN LIGHT

North Lincolnshire Council planners have given the go-ahead for a conservatory at 30 York Road, Brigg, the applicants being Mr and Mrs Britcliffe.
Meanwhile, Helen and Charlene Jaques are seeking permission to erect a side extension to a dwelling and detached single garage at 1 East Parade.
Keep watching Brigg Blog and the Brigg Extra page of the Scunthorpe Telegraph for further planning decisions/applications relating to our town.

EVERY LITTLE HELPS

Police have been asked to look at the issue of motorists illegally turning right onto very busy Barnard Avenue, Brigg, when leaving the Tesco store.
Coun Maureen Glossop, a member of Brigg Town Council, says figures have been passed to the police.
Now Insp Brett Rutty (pictured) is to consider the issue, raised at a meeting of the Brigg Police Authority Neighbourhood Panel, held in the town’s Angel Suite.
A ‘no right turn’ restriction was installed on road safety grounds, with motorists now being required to make a small detour and use the nearby roundabout at the top of Atherton Way.
But some drivers – in an effort to save time – ignore the restriction and turn right onto the A18.
All motorists who use Tesco - and that's hundreds of us in Brigg - should keep an eye out for the uncaring minority who can't be bothered to wait and who put themselves and other road-users at risk by deciding to turn right, rather than go left and make the short trip down to the roundabout. If you spot someone doing this, try to remember their number - and send our police the details at the end of your journey. The non-emergency number is 0845 6060222. Or visit the website www.humberside.police.uk

REUNITED

Many people leave school at 16 or 18 and then lose touch with former classmates and teachers. But it's not necessarily like that for hundreds of ex-pupils of Brigg Grammar School, Brigg Girls' High School, Sir John Nelthorpe School and Brigg Sixth Form College.
For the Briggensians' Association helps keep them in touch, hosting an annual dinner and sporting reunions and producing a comprehensive annual newsletter which is sent all round the world - by email and post.
There is also a popular website www.briggensians.net
And if that wasn't enough, some former classmates arrange get-togethers of their own.
News of the latest of these comes courtesy of David Booth, a former Brigg Grammar pupil who says three people who left BGS in 1972 met up again in Oxford - 15 years since they had last seen each other.
David explains: "The occasion was The Queen’s College Boar's Head Gaudy (yes, with a real boar's head brought to the Provost at High Table accompanied by choristers), but don’t let that put off any current students thinking about Oxbridge.
"The occasion is uniquely traditional, having started in the 14th century and being held originally on Christmas Day, and is only the prelude to some very good food and wine.
The reunited trio were Paul Reilly (who had studied modern languages), Dr Martin Green (chemistry), and David himself (mathematics, and football).
Paul has been living near Paris for several years, working as a translator. Martin is now living near Cambridge, still working for Unilever - he mentioned that he was still in touch with Richard Neish and Stuart Fox, colleagues from his two years in the Boarding House at Brigg Grammar.
David adds: "We were all of the 1965–1972 cohort (although Martin came to the school in 1970). There were four of us who went to Oxford (Simon Bradburn chose Christ Church, the rest of us Queen’s) – and at the time this was seen as an excellent achievement by a small (360-strong) country state-funded grammar school.
"Oxbridge entrants were one of the ways in which schools could demonstrate academic success. No league tables then, of course – although I suspect that BGS would have ranked very highly in terms of the 'added value' - academic, sporting, and social – that it gave all its pupils. We became students only when we went to University!
"We weren’t the most successful year in this respect, though – two or three years earlier an exceptional five had won Oxbridge places, several ably tutored by the renowned and very dedicated Harry Stinson, who never missed an opportunity to use their example to try to spur us mathematicians on to greater efforts.
"The headmaster, Brian Williams, was also influential and very supportive in his customary quiet and wise way."
Watch Brigg Blog and the Brigg Extra page of the Scunthorpe Telegraph for details of March's Briggensians' annual dinner. If you haven't been before, it's well worth considering. You could well bump into someone you haven't seen for years.
This Blog entry is being compiled in the Scunthorpe Telegraph office as the clock approaches 3am on Boxing Day morning and we/I put the finishing touches to today's paper. Some old boys of Brigg Grammar might taste the high life at Oxford University social events but for others things can be a great deal more mundane. Clearly I should have paid much more attention in Mr Stinson's lessons!

SNOW REAL SURPRISE

So, despite the recent cold snap, no white Christmas again for Brigg this year.
However, we can get into the spirit of things courtesy of this Christmas card kindly sent to us by Josie Webb, hardworking chairman of the Brigg Amateur Social Historians group (BASH).
The snowy scene was captured by Brigg's Tony Pottage in the 1970s on the County Bridge, looking towards Cadney Road and Manley Gardens.

EVERY LITTLE HELPS

Tesco's Brigg store, off Barnard Avenue, has been open since midnight, and judging by the number of customers in there before 7am today it looks like being a welcome move by the giant retailer.
Tesco had also taken the trouble to de-ice the sloping path from Cary Lane to its Brigg store - another nice little touch to assist those of us out and about early on Christmas Eve.
Before dawn this morning, Barry Chilvers' fruit and veg stall was setting up in the Market Place, while Brigg folk were already inside Waters' Butchers, in Wrawby Street, collecting their meat for the festive season.
Returning to Tesco, Ken Harrison, from Wrawby, offers this festive photo showing 'pantomine figures' inside the store, taken during a pre-Christmas visit. We welcome submitted photos of this type. Just email them, if you will, to nigel.fisher@gsmg.co.uk
And finally...A very happy Christmas to all followers of Brigg Blog.

WERE YOU CAUGHT OUT?

Many Brigg households failed to put out their red recycling bins for collection this morning by North Lincolnshire Council.
As regular readers of Brigg Blog will know, the council reorganised its collections in Brigg over the Christmas and New Year period, sending the binmen round specially today (Saturday) to collect the plastic and cardboard in our red ones.
Contacted for a comment on this issue a couple of weeks ago, the council did not accept our suggestion many Brigg householders could do with a reminder/clarification of the revised dates.
The authority's view was stickers had been put on bins months ago to tell people the revised collection dates, and a prominent article on recycling included in the council's Direct magazine, delivered free to households.
Although the council might rightly say it's unfair to draw conclusions based on one Saturday collection of red bins, I can't help feeling we are in for a repeat on Saturday, December 29 when a special visit will be paid to empty Brigg's general waste bins.
Make a careful note of the date and, this being the season of goodwill to all, tell your friends and neighbours, just in case they hadn't heard.
Note: If you were one of those households which failed to put the red bin out today, you will now have to wait until January 8 for the next collection.

SET FAIR FOR CHRISTMAS

Today's special pre-Christmas Brigg Farmers' Market drew large crowds of eager shoppers to the Market Place, many town residents being joined by visitors from surrounding town and villages, and a few from further afield.
Barrow Band provided suitably seasonal tunes from within the bandstand, and there was a good range of stalls, selling everything from cheese to spices and ostrich burgers.
This being Christmas, many folk were prepared to flash their cash a little more liberally than they would at the monthly farmers' markets held at other times of the year.
Brigg's shops also gained, with many people attracted to the town centre by the market also going on to set the tills ringing for our established businesses.
Although the weather was cold, at least the rain held off.

ANYONE FOR HOCKEY?

If proof were needed about the too-high cost of playing hockey in this area, Brigg followers of the game need look no further than the findings of a new national survey by a team of experts.
Brigg can boast thriving men's, ladies and colts set-ups, but unfortunately there is no full-sized, floodlit, artificial pitch within the town boundaries, meaning facilities must be hired in Scunthorpe, Winterton and even Lincoln for home games.
Very little grass hockey is played these days, certainly at league level for men.
And it costs a lot, lot more to hire so-called plastic pitches than it does to turn out on grass.
This is demonstrated by a new survey which shows the hourly rate for playing on all-weather surfaces in Yorkshire and Humberside is over £20 per hour more expensive than a game on grass.
Carried out by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), the survey shows the cost of an all-weather pitch now averages £63.42 per hour, leaving Yorkshire and Humberside nearly £10 more expensive than the national average (£53.56) for the special surface.
The cost of playing on grass in Yorkshire and Humberside declined slightly, however, to £40.63 per hour - well below the national average of £46.75.
The figures are published as the Government launches a campaign to encourage children, adults and pensioners to take more exercise in an attempt to combat obesity.
Julian Mund, director of operations for CIPFA's Commercial Services, told Brigg Blog: "Local authorities have so many spending priorities it is difficult to price sporting and leisure facilities in a way that keeps everyone happy. It is important to maintain a prioritised balance across all services."
Having been a keen playing member of Brigg Men's Hockey Club for the best part of 20 years, a team captain and a member of the committee at various times (but now retired), it's disappointing to find councils in this region charge over the odds for hiring artificial pitches.
The Government is right to encourage healthy exercise, but it certainly doesn't come cheap for hockey clubs trying to do just that in Yorkshire and Humberside.
Is this just another example of the Government saying one thing (nationally) and local government seemingly working against what the people running the country want to achieve?
If they really want to get more people playing sport, then cut the cost. Either by subsidising pitches or instructing local councils to cut their charges.
With the cost of pitch hire being at the level it is, a great deal of fundraising has to go on to keep clubs like Brigg going from year to year.
This season is proving a very successful one for the men's club, which has four senior teams, despite a difficult early period when Quibell Park, it's home base, was out of action after being contaminated by sewage during the summer floods.
On a personal level I must admit to being a hockey dinosaur. Playing on grass - at Brigg Recreation Ground - was far superior to having to trek to Scunthorpe for a home match.
But the game moves on with old players fading away into retirement. And that's how it should be.
Note to North Lincs Council and the Lottery folk: We have been trying to get a floodlit, all-weather pitch in Brigg for more than a quarter-of-a century now. With the new anti-obesity initiative to the fore, let's get the necessary cash released and the go-ahead given.

KEEPING (TIN) TABS

The Tin Tabs wooden shelter, near The Monument, played host to a worrying amount of litter first thing this morning.
What a shame some folk just don't care, as there are TWO litter bins within a few yards.
It's not long since this column praised the efforts of our long-serving roadsweeper for getting out and about on Brigg streets with his brush.
We haven't seen him for some time, and this morning, yet again, a street cleaning vehicle belonging to North Lincolnshire Council was out at dawn.
This machine is great for getting at the rubbish discarded on public thoroughfares.
But a human roadsweeper can, to paraphrase the Heineken adverts, get at litter others cannot reach.
Like the pizza box-strewn seats inside the Tin Tabs?
PS Pleased to report all the mess had been tidied up by teatime.

IN PARTNERSHIP

There's an interesting sign at the entrance to the White Horse Inn car park, off Grammar School Road South, saying the facility is reserved, during the working day, solely for use by vehicles belonging to people from the contracting firm which is building the Golden Living apartments on the former Ernest Ward Roofing site in Bigby Street.
Clearly the arrangement benefits both parties, as the pub car park is not exactly full during the day.
Without this, the workers would have needed to park their cars in either of the North Lincolnshire Council car parks...and pay and display!
Perhaps other Brigg businesses with surplus during-the-day car parking space could take a lead from the White Horse arrangement.

THAT'S A RELIEF

Thanks, North Lincolnshire Council, for ensuring Brigg does not miss out on refuse collections over Christmas. OK, we pay our council tax and shouldn't really expect less than full value for our money (£1,000-plus a year in most cases). But this IS the season of goodwill to all men...and women...including our friends at Hewson House!
Some of us cynics were fearing the worst with unemptied bins and frequent trips by car to the skip site at Broughton. We could all do without that, given the amount of other things to think about during the festive season.
Brigg's collection details are:
Tomorrow (Tuesday, December 18): Paper (blue box), general waste (black/light green bin), glass/cans (green box).
Saturday, December 22: Plastic/cardboard (red bin)
Saturday, December 29: General waste.
Saturday, January 5: Paper, glass/cans
Tuesday, January 8: General waste, plastics/cardboard.
You will note there's no brown bin collection over the Christmas and New Year period. Given the fact there's nothing growing in the gardens at this time of year, perhaps not a great loss to most households who only put potato peelings and tea bags into their brown bins.
There has been a lot of ill-feeling between Brigg householders and the council over festive and other bank holidays collections in the past. Something now, it seems, tossed firmly into the dustbin of history.
Yes, although Christmas Day falls on a Tuesday this year - Brigg's usual collection day - the council has re-organised things so we will not have to miss an extra week. There will be a special collection of general household waste (your black or possibly light green bin) on Saturday, December 29.
So don't forget to put yours out on the street!
Prior to 1996 when North Lincolnshire Council came into being, the old Glanford Borough authority used to empty bins on a Saturday near to bank holidays. However, it took the new council some years to get this system into action. And there were howls of protest from Brigg households which kept missing out on bank holidays, when Monday was our collection day.
North Lincolnshire Council says Brigg households can access the collection day information (including recycling) by looking at the stickers put on their bins and boxes. It also points out Brigg folk can find what they need to know in the current issue of the council's magazine, Direct.
Unfortunately, as regular readers of this Blog will know, the council dustcart 'ate' our household's black bin some weeks ago. And although they eventually provided a light green (and larger) replacement, it did not have a sticker on it explaining about bank holiday collections. Mrs Fisher is also adamant we have not had the latest issue of Direct delivered to us.
Efforts to gain information about Brigg festive collections from the council's public relations department eventually brought a response similar to that given by the Prime Minister at Question Time in the House of Commons. The PM tells MPs: "I would refer you to my earlier answer." The council PR department says it would refer Brigg people to the stickers on bins and the article in Direct magazine.
However, a colleague at the Scunthorpe Telegraph soon confirmed things for me by visiting the council's own website and locating an extremely helpful section which allows a householder to key in his, or her, postcode and access collection details for their home.
As a respected reader of Brigg Blog, we are happy to share this information with you. It looks a little daunting but just highlight what appears below and copy the string of letters and numbers into the Address box at the top of your internet browser. Next, simply click on Search or Go.
Well worth adding to your favourites/bookmarks for future bank holiday reference.

http://www.northlincs.gov.uk/northlincs/Mayrise/BinCollectionDay.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2fNorthLincs%2fEnvironment%2frecycling%2fBinCollectionDays%2ehtm&NRNODEGUID=%7bB0E36A1C-DBDC-445A-A43A-4137395FC1A1%7d&NRCACHEHINT=Guest

POPULAR EVENTS

Tomorrow (Monday, December 17) sees a meeting of the Brigg New Age Kurling Club at St John's Church Hall, Bigby Street, from 1pm-3pm. No experience necessary - go along and join in. The cost is £1.
Now let's take a quick look at some of the main events already booked for next year on the River Ancholme:
Sunday, April 6: Brigg Marathon, organised by the British Canoe Union. Broughton, Brigg to Cadney Bridge (11am-3.30pm).
Sunday, April 27: Scrumpy Row, organised by Ancholme Rowing Club. Brigg to Brandy Wharf (11am-1.30pm).
Sunday, May 11: Sprint, organised by Glanford and Scunthorpe Canoe Club, Ancholme Leisure Centre (10am-1pm).
Sunday, June 8: Polo, organised by organised by Glanford and Scunthorpe Canoe Club. Ancholme Leisure Centre (10am-3pm).
Sunday, July 13: Slalom, organised by organised by Glanford and Scunthorpe Canoe Club. Ancholme Leisure Centre (10am-3pm).
Saturday, August 23: Regatta, organised by Glanford Boat Club, Island Carr (all day).
Sunday, September 7: Club picnic, organised by Glanford and Scunthorpe Canoe Club. Ancholme Leisure Centre (11am-2pm).
Sunday, September 28: Inter-club polo, organised by Glanford and Scunthorpe Canoe Club. Ancholme Leisure Centre (10am-3pm).
Sunday, October 5: Ancholme Head, organised by Ancholme Rowing Club. Brigg to 400m downstream of Broughton Bridge (10am-3.30pm).
This information has been taken from a helpful chart produced by Brigg town clerk Jeanette Woollard, who notes the River Ancholme in Brigg is popular for anglers from mid-September to mid-March.

GO ALONG AND WATCH

Brigg Town Council holds its monthly meeting on Monday (Dec 17) in the Angel Suite, off Market Place, starting at 7pm.
Before it there will be a meeting of the council's planning and environment committee, from 6.30pm.
The town council meeting will include a report delivered by Geoff Popple, director of highways and planning,North Lincolnshire Council, in the light of June's severe flooding. He is visiting many parish and town councils in the area to talk about this issue.
Members of the public are welcome to attend both Monday night's meetings.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

There's no competition to decide the best householders' Christmas lights display in Brigg this year.
The town council which, for many years, ran the popular competition with prizes donated by Brian's DIY Christmas Shop of Grammar School Road South, decided it did not want to be seen to be encouraging this practice, in view of the carbon footprint (energy use).
However, many Brigg households are carrying on as they always have, getting into the Christmas spirit by illuminating properties and gardens, and gaining admiring glances for their innovative displays from passers-by.
Following our reporting in the Scunthorpe Telegraph of the town council's decision to discontinue the Christmas lights competition, there have been some interesting comments made in the paper's Viewpoint column.
Cleary it was a popular feature of Brigg life in the run-up to Christmas, and the presentation ceremony, held in the Angel Suite by the town council, always proved enjoyable.
Councillors, as elected representatives, are always willing to listen to people's views on any topic. So let them know if you have an opinion about the Christmas lights competition - either in favour of what the authority has done this year on carbon footprint grounds, or opposing it. Email enquiries@briggmarkettown.co.uk
In addition, post your views on this Blog to reach a wider audience.

HAPPY RETIREMENT

Tomorrow (Saturday) sees the closure of Brigg Photolabs, in Wrawby Street, Brigg, due to retirement. It has provided a photographic processing and printing service since the early 1980s.
Many would agree they have offered good old-fashioned, courteous service to their customers.
The property now carries a Bell Watson 'To Let' sign.

SOBERING THOUGHT

Yesterday's Brigg Blog entry contained the phrase "It's a fair cop." And how that rang true last night when I was flagged down by one of our Boys in Blue.
Before you get too excited and think Fisher might be updating this Blog using a wireless connection from a cells at the police station in Barnard Avenue, it should be pointed out he was just stopped and given a leaflet by a helpful and courteous constable, who inquired: "Have you had a drink tonight, sir?"
The answer was no...apart from a cup of Brooke Bond PG Tips!
Half-a-dozen police vehicles were either side of Bridge Street, near the entrance to the Island Carr industrial estate, flagging down passing cars and giving out information to urge everyone not to drink and drive.
It only took a few seconds, but being stopped by the cops is a sobering thought. And maybe it will be enough to make some people think twice before getting behind the wheel after visiting a local hostelry over the festive period.
At Tuesday's police liaison meeting in the Angel Suite, a member of the public said he never saw any police out on Brigg streets any more.
No-one else agreed with those sentiments and last night, in Bridge Street, our man could have counted six police vehicles, including a van, and I'd estimate 20 officers - male and female.
Last night was the first time many Brigg motorists will have seen a policing campaign like that in the run up to Christmas.
We'll have to wait and see whether it becomes an annual event.

CONCERT DOUBLE

Two concerts are coming up relating to Brigg's St John the Evangelist Church - and you don't see the full title being used all that often these days!
Tomorrow (Friday)at 7.30pm in the Church Hall, on Bigby Street, is a concert featuring Brigg St John Singers, followed by light refreshments. Proceeds to Marie Curie Nursing Service
On Saturday at 7.30pm, in St John’s Church, there's a concert featuring Brigg Singers, followed by light refreshments in the Church Hall. Proceeds on this occasion go to the church.
Our thanks go to Mickey Brittain for supplying the information. If you want to know more, email mickey.brittain@talktalk.net

IT'S A FAIR COP!

I'd better agree to go quietly; they have got me bang to rights; chummy is ready to cough the lot and write a full confession, M'Lud!
For the brand new move to let members of the public speak, in confidence, to Brigg police officers, prior to our local public meeting on crime matters, proved to be a big success...from the force's point of view.
Eight members of the public turned up to voice concerns, in confidence, to police officers. That might not seem a lot, but actually it's an impressive and encouraging total by local standards.
Ahead of last night's meeting of the Brigg Police Authority Neighbourhood Panel in the Angel Suite, Brigg, this column voiced fears about introducing a behind-closed-doors session during what had always been a purely public airing of policing issues.
Our views have been made known to Insp Brett Rutty, head of policing in the Brigg area, and to Coun Tom Glossop, the panel chairman.
The police stress some people are wary of discussing issues - sometimes sensitive ones - in public. Others do not feel confident speaking before an audience in a public meeting.
Of the eight people who chatted privately to the police last night, we gather one of them decided to stay on and raise his issue in the public part of the forum.
I have to say 'gather' because obviously those of us who came for the public part of the agenda were unaware what had gone on confidentially before we arrived.
Insp Rutty and the gentleman of the press both agree, with the Neighbourhood Panel meeting only four times a year, it will take a good 12 months before any real trend emerges on the success, or otherwise, of these police surgery sessions.

NOTHING LIKE A GOOD BOOK

If you've lived in Brigg some years, or used to in decades past but have moved away, you will want a copy of John Rhodes' new book.
Yeller-Belly Years, Growing up in Lincolnshire 1930-50 looks at the author's childhood days in Central Square.
It brings back many memories for me, having also grown up in this part of town. And, like John, having gone from Glebe Road School to Brigg Grammar.
John's memory is impressive - people, places and events flood back.
But just a word of warning: Don't start reading this book if you've got a busy day ahead. You might well find it difficult to put down, once you've dipped into its contents.
John’s 205-page book is now on sale for £7.50 from Brigg Tourist Information Centre in the Market Place. He will be there, signing copies, on Thursday (December 13), from 11am-noon.
Or copies can also be obtained from John, tel 01480 464874. Email jarivo@gmail.com
If you are ordering from the author, please add £1 to cover postage and packing.
Maybe next year John will be able to get over to one of the monthly meetings of the Brigg Amateur Social Historians, held at Brigg Servicemen's Club, to sign more copies and talk about his time growing up in our town.
A more detailed review of Yeller-Belly Years, with period photos of Brigg, features in the latest issue of the Scunthorpe Telegraph's Nostalgia magazine, on sale from Thursday for 75p.
While you are out in Brigg buying John's book, make sure you go home with a copy of Nostalgia, compiled by Chris Horan. And enjoy reading them both.

CHIPPING IN

Tomorrow (Tuesday December 11) sees a coffee morning at Tennyson Close, Brigg (off Albert Street), from 10am, followed by a fish and chip lunch. Christmas bingo will be played after the meal.
Everyone is welcome - you don't have to be a Tennyson Court resident.
To book places call (01724) 277906, or email fresh.start@northlincs.gov.uk

COME AND HAVE A GO

On Wednesday (Dec 12) there's the chance to make table decorations for Christmas 'and have some fun' at Brigg Resource Centre, off Horstead Avenue, from 1pm-3pm.
To book your place contact FreshStart's Brigg-based community development worker Marilyn Demott on (01652)653384, or contact the Scunthopre office of the over-50s group on (01724) 277906.

KEEP IT ALL IN THE OPEN

Tomorrow (Tuesday) there is a meeting of the Brigg Policing Neighbourhood Panel at the Angel Suite, off Market Place, at 7.30pm.
Members of the public from the Brigg area are very welcome to attend and raise matters of interest and concern with representatives of the police and North Lincolnshire Council, as the highways authority.
Brigg’s Coun Tom Glossop will be chairing the meeting.
Prior to the meeting, at 6.30pm, police will be available to speak to people in private about matters they do not feel should be voiced in public. (We are not sure whether 'They' means the police or the members of the public in question).
This so-called Police Forum is a new development, and I must say as a member of the press, it is most certainly not a step in the right direction, in my opinion.
Surely there's no point in having a public meeting if there's going to be a private session before it!
This new idea has not come from the chairman of the panel but from elsewhere within the police authority. We are not sure exactly where but will try and find out tomorrow.
Tom Glossop is a very experienced chairman, and if a member of the public got to his, or her, feet in the public forum and started revealing something delicate, or unsavoury, he would bring them to order and advise the best course of action
When things are discussed in private, behind closed doors, that can create a cloud of suspicion. People might conclude this is a means of keeping matters which put the police in a poor light away from the ears of elected representatives and the press and public.
It could well be, of course, apathy will reign supreme tomorrow - as it often does - and no-one will take advantage of the new Police Surgery at 6.30pm.
During the public meeting, Insp Brett Rutty, head of policing in the Brigg area, or someone on his behalf, will issue the quarterly crime figures for our area, which always make interesting reading.
Previous reports by Brett have revealed good news, in terms of crime trends.
So let's hope for more of the same tomorrow night.
See you there?

HIDING THEIR LIGHT

The sale of the former Brigg County Primary School site, in Glebe Road, for £1.1-million was no surprise. It's obviously a very attractive one, not far from the centre, and many people are keen to live in our town, with its varied atttractions.
What it surprising, though, is the way North Lincolnshire Council has gone about things. Where was the big announcement about the site coming up for auction in London? Surely the more would-be developers who knew about it, the more interest there would be, possibly resulting in a higher end price.
Then, once the land had been sold, why didn't the council step into the limelight and take a bow?
For a quick hunt through the Telegraph's digital archive revealed North Lincolnshire Council contributed £1.9-million towards the £5.2-million needed to build the new primary school on Atherton Way.
And that would suggest to those of us schooled in maths at the Glebe Road seat of learning who can subtract 1.1 from 1.9 that the council has managed to provide a super new school at a cost of only £800,000 to the chargepayers.
What a bargain! So why has the authority been backward in coming forward to claim such a triumph?
It will now be interesting to see what happens when a planning application is made for housing on the Glebe Road site. Will it result in objections about increased traffic in an already congested area?
This column has already suggested the creation of a road through the new development to link Glebe Road and Grammar School Road (coming out near the Ancholme Inn). Taking things a stage further, the council could also investigate making Grammar School Road one-way between Glebe Road corner and the Ancholme.
Traffic heading from the town centre direction would be allowed down Grammar School Road but vehicles leaving the housing estate and heading up Grammar School Road would have to take the new road at the Ancholme and come out on Glebe Road.
Grammar School Road is currently very congested, and this might be worth looking into.
What do you think?

SPARE A THOUGHT

Dog-walkers using the public footpath from Churchill Avenue, in Brigg, to Wrawby are being asked to keep a close eye on their pets. For, in a field more than halfway to Wrawby, is a large flock of sheep.
RSPCA signs are there, asking people to watch over their pets, to ensure they do not scare the sheep.
This is a very popular walk, not just for dog-owners, although the numbers using it are obviously higher in summer than they are this time of year.
Earlier this week, in the national press, much was made of a new 'health and safety' edict suggesting some styles might have to go, in an effort to make public footpaths more accessible to people in wheelchairs.
The route from Brigg to Wrawby, which once had a stile crossing a stream, these days has a small wooden-planked, and perfectly level, bridge.
However, the amount of dog-dirt littering the grass footpath, near to where it leaves Churchill Avenue, would make attempting this route unpleasant, to say the least, for any wheelchair-bound person who tried it.
The able-bodied have to keep a close eye on where they are walking, to avoid the nasty 'deposits' - and it would be even more difficult for disabled people to steer round the offending piles.
Maybe North Lincolnshire Council, which oversees public footpaths, could consider a few poop-scoop bins along this route to Wrawby.

SET FAIR TO CHANGE

Brigg's biggest event of the year has changed its name.
At last night's annual meeting of the Brigg Upgraded Summer Society, held in the meeting room above Hardy’s Bar, off Market Place, renaming August's annual Brigg Fair was discussed and it was agreed by all present to adopt the title Brigg Fair Fair 4 All.
The group's officers remain unchanged: Charles Brindley, chairman; Sarah Angel, secretary; Kevin McLoughlin, treasurer.
Afterwards the organisation thanked Brigg-based Sgt Liz Staff for attending and for her input which was described as very useful.
Charles Brindley says they will keep 'all agencies informed as and when we have news of the detail for the Brigg Fair Fair 4 All 2008'.
For further details contact him on (01652) 678176.
It's a big task running an event like Brigg Fair (now with the added Fair 4 All part), which draws thousands to the town centre for our showpiece summer event. And the town owes a great debt of thanks to the small number of volunteers who keep this ancient tradition going. The town gained its fair and market charter way back in the 13th century.

ORDER! ORDER!

Want to find out what's going on in Brigg? In addition to visiting www.thisisbrigg.co.uk and being a regular reader of the Scunthorpe Telegraph, you can also view some helpful information on the North Lincolnshire Council website. Planning applications and decisions, for instance. Soon after being received/decided they go up on the site.
Whether it comes by newspaper or website, it's always helpful to have such information 'in the public domain' so people living near a proposed development can have their say before a decision is made. But it's not always been like that. Oh no!
Turn the clock back a quarter-of-a-century and things were very different.
At that time I was working for the Lincolnshire and South Humberside Times weekly paper, based at 57 Wrawby Street, Brigg.
One Thursday morning the news editor, who was taking the morning off to go shopping in another town with his wife, pencilled in an important item for the lead story on page one. It was to be discussed at a committee meeting of Glanford Borough Council, due to start at 10.30am in the council chamber at what is now Hewson House, off Station Road.
That left a good couple of hours to get the story, write it up and phone it over to Hull, where the Times was printed on Thursday afternoon, on the press of the Hull Daily Mail.
Unfortunately, the councillors, quite legally, excluded the press and public (instigating Local Government Act 1972, Section 100A)to discuss some long-running drainage issue in Bottesford, and with the deadline fast approaching, and a big hole on page one, a crisis loomed for the 'second in command'.
I was sitting in the members' room, near the council chamber, and spotted the agenda for next week's planning meeting, waiting in the Lincolnshire Times' pigeon-hole, in an envelope addressed to The Editor.
Once opened, it revealed a cracking story: Council officers were recommending approval of a major development, which had already resulted in huge opposition.
I scribbled out a story on the back of the envelope (still doing that today - bad habits die hard!) and rang it through to Hull.
Next day, when the Times hit the streets, there was uproar. The council's clerk (chief executive in modern terminology) was livid. Robert Crosby was a council officer very much of the old school and he felt a confidence had been betrayed.
He had issued the agenda in advance as a courtesy so we could be aware what was coming up; it was not intended the Press should publish such information before it had been discussed by the elected members. The fact it was a matter of great public interest made no difference to Mr Crosby. He spoke to not only our management, but to our rivals. He wanted a "gentlemen's agreement" such a thing would not happened again. And he meant it.
Currently I'm re-reading the excellent Yes Minister book, written to accompany the fantastic light-comedy TV series about Mandarins running Whitehall.
Reading of the exploits of Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister and Head of the Civil Service, Sir Humphrey Appleby, so brilliantly portrayed by Nigel Hawthorne (pictured), reminded me very much of Mr Crosby. And that's not meant unkindly.
They both got to the pinnacle of their respective areas of central and local government by being extremely able men.
Sir Humphrey often refers to 'A need to know basis' when discussing information he'd rather no-one knew about.
Mr Crosby, in the case of the Lincs Times page one lead, cleary thought, as Sir Humphrey would have put it: "Although we knew you knew, we thought we knew you would not print it without letting us know."
I feel Mr Crosby - a likeable chap - would have been very much in favour of the current Cabinet system of local government, where a handful of important folk seem to make most of the decisions.
The old Glanford Borough Council system of 41 councillors sitting on every committee and considering every issue is long gone.
But what would he have made of putting council information onto a website, and inviting members of the public to email their thoughts?
You can hardly have a gentlemen's agreement with the general public!

PASTURES NEW

Brigg Town Cricket Club's two Saturday teams have been elected to the East Yorkshire Alliance - a competition involving sides from the north bank of the Humber, with the notable exception of East Halton.
That means Brigg has resigned from the Lincoln Saturday League and from the Grimsby League.
Obviously, travelling over the Humber Bridge to play every other week will be expensive and time-consuming for the Brigg lads. But it's an exciting new challenge for them.
In due course we hope to bring readers of this column details of the club's presentation evening, held at the Kar Restaurant on Saturday.

COMING ALONG NICELY

Refurbishment of Brigg police station is coming along nicely.
And that means Insp Brett Rutty and his officers will soon be able to leave their temporary accommodation on the Barnard Avenue site.
Humberside Police project manager Michael Ellis said: "The scheme at Brigg is proceeding according to our plan.
"We hope to have the building completed and ready for occupation prior to Christmas.
"The £640,000 scheme consists of extensive remodelling and refurbishment, together with all new mechanical and electrical fittings.
"The initial phase of work involved the removal of all asbestos material.
"The remodelled station will be ideally configured for the operational staff based there.
"The public enquiry counter is being retained and improved.
"Additional secure car parking is being provided on land owned to the side of the station.”
Brigg police moved into the then brand new station in the late 1970s, having earlier been housed in the Victorian courthouse complex, on Wrawby Street.

CLUB LAND

Among the parcels of land available in Brigg is this small one next to the Servicemen's Club.
'Apply Club' says the sign pinned to the railings.
The land is at the end of Old Courts Road and leads on to Coney Court.
But what uses might the council planners permit on this small site?

WERE YOU THERE?

Brigg's Christmas lights switch-on and accompanying festive fair last night proved enjoyable and, as expected, drew the crowds to the town centre.
The bad weather held off until about 7pm, allowing those who turned out for the switch-on, scheduled for 5pm, plenty of time to have a good look round the stalls and visit the shops.
The Town Mayor and Mayoress, Coun Michael and Pat Doherty, hosted a social get-together in the Angel Suite as a thank-you to a variety of people, including Barrie Gray and his lighting team, and the cast of the pantomime Aladdin, from Scunthorpe Civic Theatre, who performed some jokes on the stage, prior to the switching on of the illuminations.
The Town Mayor paid particular thanks to Brigg District Lions for organising the fair.
A couple of pantomime cast members went along as members of the constabulary and are seen her sharing a joke with PCSO Pete Hobson, in the Market Place.

SNAIL MAIL

Brigg Blog has received a copy of a letter from a well-known Brigg man, highlighting why email users sometimes refer to the postal delivery system as snail mail.
Edgar Patchett, of Bigby High Road, wrote to North Lincolnshire Council to point out a letter from licensing manager Nick Bramhill had taken three weeks to reach him, 'in an envelope which wore a second class stamp'.
And Edgar was being contacted about a time-critical matter!
Second class service, or what?

GREAT NIGHT IN PROSPECT

Tonight sees one of the commmunity highlights of the year in Brigg - the Christmas fair and switching on of the town centre illuminations.
Residents, and visitors, are advised to be in the Market Place for about 4.45pm if they want to find a good vantage point to watch the official lights switch-on ceremony at 5pm.
Then you can browse the stalls and the craft fair, have a bite to eat or a pint or two, and do some Christmas shopping, as many retailers will be staying open specially.
Weather permitting, it should add up to another great night, with the tills ringing merrily.
The long-serving Betty Lewis has asked us to remind people St John's Church is offering refreshments while the fair is on, so why not pop in for a warming drink? Proceeds go to church funds.
Brigg District Lions deserve high praise for again organising the Christmas fair, as does the town council for its hard work over the illuminations.
Barrie Gray and Son, the well-known Brigg electrical firm, was out in the Market Place before 7am this morning, working on the lights. And the Christmas tree is in place near the NatWest bank.
So it's all systems go for an event which should bring a few thousand folk into the town centre!

WASTE OF PUBLIC MONEY

Many Brigg households will have now received their latest free copies of Countynews, the 20-page newspaper produced by Lincolnshire County Council.
Yes, Lincolnshire County Council, not our own authority, North Lincolnshire.
Why, you may wonder, would Lincolnshire CC want to deliver its newspaper to people who are not in its area and who contribute nothing to its finances.
The answer is many Brigg homes in the North Lincs unitary authority share the same area code as those on the very edge of town just inside Lincolnshire 'proper' – a handful of houses at the very end of Westrum Lane and on Bigby High Road, near the garden centre.
Even those of us North Lincs householders living a good distance from the county boundary are getting free copies delivered to us.
We first raised this issue with Lincolnshire County Council back in 2003, and have been back to them again since then. But nothing changes.
The county council's stock answer whenever we've queried this is that it pays the Royal Mail to deliver the newspaper by postcode.
Surely it would make sense, and save a good deal of cash, if Lincolnshire CCC posted the handful of copies direct to their chargepayers who live on the fringes of Brigg, and told the Royal Mail not to deliver any copies to our town at all.
Still, disposing of Brigg’s copies of County News Monthly is not Lincolnshire’s problem – but that of our own council, North Lincolnshire.
So don’t forget to put your copies neatly in the blue plastic bin for our unitary council’s recycling team to collect.
When we first alerted Lincs CC to this problem in February 2003, their PR department said the newspaper had an enormous print run of 312,000.
A spokesman said some people outside their boundaries who received copies actually contacted the council to say they enjoyed the publication, while others felt they should not be getting it delivered.
"It’s a mixed reaction," he explained, saying the distribution was being looked at.
"If we can fine-tune it, we will," he promised.
That was almost five years ago. And nothing has altered.
Clearly the wind of change blows very slowly in certain areas of local government.
If you have a copy of Countynews from Lincolnshire County Council, but pay your council tax to North Lincolnshire, please post a comment on this story and we will pass them on to the PR staff at Lincolnshire County Council, in due course.
It made me smile but the lastest issue of Countynews (December 2007/January 2008) contains a large feature on waste services!

GOING, GOING, GONE?

The former Glebe Road School site is not the only piece of Brigg real estate to go on the market at a major auction in London on Monday.
For part of what many of us still refer to as the W A Sass Garage site, at the Monument, is also going under the hammer.
If you look closely at the site, near The Monument, you will spot the auctioneer's 'for sale' sign. But don't try it while you are driving!
As readers of the Brigg Extra page in the Scunthorpe Telegraph were informed yesterday, North Lincolnshire Council is looking to sell the ex-school site in Glebe Road, with a guide price of £950,000.
Subject to planning permission being granted...by the same North Lincolnshire Council...it looks like being snapped up for the building of a housing estate.
That's better than the current untidy site, but there must be concerns about adding to the congestion in Glebe Road, as noted by Brigg Town Mayor Coun Michael Doherty.
How about the council doing a deal with the owners of the Ancholme Inn, and creating a new road from Grammar School Road to Glebe Road, through the new housing estate?
That would help allieviate congestion on two streets - and the developers of the housing estate would, in effect, be footing the bill.
Assuming the council gets a cool million, or thereabouts, for the land, there's the question of where the money goes.
The authority has stressed it will be absorbed into central funds, to be spent as, and where, necessary in North Lincolnshire.
Fair enough. But surely Brigg ought to be given some priority. Our wish list might include improvements to the sadly neglected Recreation Ground, perhaps. Not the whole million, but some of it could do a lot of good down there.
We are approaching the season of goodwill. And as North Lincolnshire Council is about to receive what is, in effect, a rather large monetary gift from the Brigg sale, it would be nice if something came back to the town in return.

KEEP OUT!

Youngsters messing about on a building site in Brigg were spotted by Coun Ann Eardley on her way to a town council meeting in the Angel Suite.
She promptly rang the police but said she was disappointed it took them about an hour to get back to her.
Coun Eardley spotted the youths on the former Smith Parkinson garage site, off Market Lane, which is being redeveloped for offices and housing by Grimley Smith Associates.
She pointed out this was just round the corner from Brigg police station, and said she was disappointed with the response time.
“I don’t think it’s good enough,” she complained.
Town Mayor Coun Michael Doherty said the council would pass on Coun Eardley’s comments ‘and see what response we get’.
Coun Eardley went on to express her concerns about youths throwing fireworks about near the Ancholme Way bridge, and ‘riding mopeds up and down’.
The Mayor said that information would also be passed on to the police.

PLANE SAILING

The airspace over Brigg will be even safer, due to changes in procedures being proposed at Humberside International Airport.
Planes from the busy Kirmington facility can be seen in the skies above Brigg every day, so the town council was invited to attend a presentation about the airport's airspace change proposal.
Coun Maureen Neal was the town's representative and produced a detailed and informative report for fellow councillors,
She reported: "The Airport is seeking to reclassify the area of airspace in its vicinity to provide increased protection to aircraft in the critical flight stages of approach to, and departure from, the airport. A proposal is to be put to the Directorate of Airspace Policy.
"At present, Humberside is registered as a Class G space but wishes to extend this to a Class D. The present Class G allows any aircraft to fly in that 'space' without permission or contact with Aircraft Control. They wish to extend to Class G so that all aircraft in their vicinity must speak to them and be spoken to by Control, therefore creating a 'dome'of protection around Humberside.
"It will also reduce the need of 'avoidance' activity, eg landing, take-off, fuel burn.
"There will be no significant change to current procedures, no increase in traffic levels and this will only affect the aviation community as clearance will be required to enter the area and pilots must comply with certain rules within the area.
"It was stressed that there will be no impact on the local community.
The primary and overriding consideration is to improve flight safety in the area."

SPOTLIGHT ON HAWTHORN AVENUE

Tomorrow (Monday) sees Brigg Town Council's monthly meeting, which will include a report on the latest Hawthorn Avenue residents' meeting by Coun Edward Arnott.
The town council meets in the Angel Suite, off Market Place, at 7.30pm. This is a public meeting - so if you fancy hearing what's going on in your town, just turn up on the night.
Much of the town council's work is now carried out by three committees, meeting at different times during the month. So what they call 'the full council meeting' tomorrow is unlikely to be a prolonged affair, although 'Questions from Members' can sometimes produce a few surprises.
The town council will be deciding whether to continue its membership of the North Lincolnshire Strategic Partnership, and Coun Arnott's report on Hawthorn Avenue is the 13th and final item on the agenda.
See you there?

WHITER THAN WHITE

If you believe some of the medium to long-range weather forecasters, we are facing some prolonged spells of snow in Brigg next month, with a much better-than-normal chance of a white Christmas.
We had a few flakes yesterday, but snowfalls of even an inch or two are now pretty rare in North Lincs. Maybe once or twice a winter we have to scape a thin film off our car windscreens.
Blame global warming, if you will. But the thought of prolonged snow set the old memory cells dancing...with a little help from the Lincolnshire Times picture archive, now incorporated into the digital network at the Scunthorpe Telegraph.
Bryan Robins, still living in retirement in Brigg and a former long-serving council, took this picture in 1978 of youngsters enjoying themselves on the bank at the Davy Memorial Playing Field.
There was some severe weather that winter, and I recall a famous photo of massive icicles which formed on the side of a cooling tower on Scunthorpe steelworks, near to where I was then working in the British Steel PR department.
As a child I can recall the terrible winter of 1962/3, and older Brigg residents will recall the awful one of 1947, made worse by post-war rationing and shortages of coal.
If you believe today's weathermen (and women) perhaps it's time to stock up a few provisions in case we get snowed in next month.
Hopefully over Christmas!

WILL THEY OR WON'T THEY?

Will Hull City fans visit Brigg before and after tomorrow's big derby match at Scunthorpe United?
As the game kicks off at noon, followers of the Tigers, travelling via the Humber Bridge and the A15, will have to be quick to get served and make it to the game on time. But after the match it's very likely some will drop in, hoping to either celebrate or drown their sorrows in Brigg hostelries, depending on how the Iron perform against their favourites.
No doubt Insp Brett Rutty and his colleagues at Brigg police station are fully aware of the situation.
When Grimsby Town gained promotion to the old First Division, back in the 1980s, they opened their programme against Leeds United, whose fans invaded Brigg in large numbers.
It was a very hot August day and many 'Yorkies' decided to take their drinks outside.
No trouble was reported but, once the fans had departed for Blundell Park, licensed premises (particuarly the Black Bull) noted many of their glasses had been taken away, which caused quite a shortage that night.
Police sometimes ask licensees near football grounds to close either side of matches when they think there might be public order issues. However, do they take into account the effect this might have on places along the route for travelling fans?
Only a couple of years ago I recall getting off the bus in Cary Lane, one tea-time, and finding Brigg Market Place literally awash with Geordie supporters of Newcastle United who had stopped off on their way to Grimsby for a cup-tie.

GO GREEN

Brigg's Millennium Green, on Elwes Street, close to the Old River Ancholme, was the town's project for the year 2000, to mark that important landmark.
A steering committee was established to get things moving, after which a keen band of helpers has done its best to keep the site in order.
But, of course, any stretch of greenery requires a great deal of maintenance, particularly during the plant-growing season.
The organising committee will be holding its annual meeting 'for the members and other interested parties' at the Nelthorpe Arms, Bridge Street, on Thursday, November 29 (7.30pm).
So if you think you can help the cause, in any way, please turn up on the night, or contact chairman Chris Dodsworth. Tel (01652) 654928.

I DON'T LIKE CRICKET....I LOVE IT!

Brigg Town Cricket Club is to stage its presentation night at the Kar Restaurant, in Old Courts Road, on Saturday, December 1 (7.30pm).
Players and guests will be sitting down to enjoy one of Harry's super banquets, we understand. There will also be a disco with karaoke. Maybe someone will get up and perform I Don't Like Cricket...I Love It! (Didn't 10cc have the original hit?)
Garry Dunderdale (pictured), former club chairman, captain, long-serving wicketkeeper and umpire, has been pencilled in as guest speaker. 'Dundy' is well-known for his sense of humour, so it promises to be entertaining. No doubt there will be a bit of leg-pulling going on.
It's been a good season on the field for Brigg Town CC in the Lincoln Saturday League, the Grimsby Saturday League and the North Lindsey League (Sunday), although tempered by the failure, last month, to regain admission to the Lincolnshire League - the county's senior competition. The club also has successful junior teams.
For details about the presentation evening, or membership of the cricket club, contact Jack Richards, tel (01652) 657613.

GETTING READY

Brigg's first town centre illuminations have already gone up for Christmas...with more to follow shortly.
Barrie Gray's well-known local electrical firm is again in charge of erecting the festive lighting, which is being funded by the town council.
In view of new Government health and safety legislation, some towns have found it impossible to continue with their illuminations. Or traders have had to take on group, or individual, responsibility for the lights on their premises.
Brigg Town Council, however, has been very much on the ball and ensured our town centre is lit up, in suitable fashion, as it has been for so many years.
The lights will be switched on in the Market Place at the start of the Christmas fair on Friday, November 30 (5pm-9pm).
Watch the Scunthorpe Telegraph and www.thisisbrigg.co.uk for further details...plus Brigg Blog, of course!

BRIGGENSIANS' PLEA

Contributions are now being sought for the annual newsletter produced by the Briggensians' Association, representing former pupils and staff of Brigg Grammar School, Brigg Girls' High School, Sir John Nelthorpe School and Brigg Sixth Form College.
Retired SJN headteacher and ex-Brigg Grammar physics master, Dave Brittain, who lives in Brigg, compiles the newsletter, still issued in print form to some members.
An on-line version will be made available early next year by email to those with more modern ways of communication, or, in due course, via the website www.briggensians.net
Dave tells members on his mailing list: "What I would really like is news, especially your news or just an update on what you are doing. That way the newsletter will contain more news and proportionally fewer obituaries!
"Do send items, even if short ones, so that your old friends can keep up to date. Modern communications are so easy."
The association's annual dinner will be on Saturday, March 15 at Elsham Golf Club (7pm).
Dave adds: "We hope that there will be the usual excellent response and the room will, once more, be filled with excited chatter as people swap stories and catch up on the last five, 10, 20, 30 or 40 years."
For further details email dave.brittain@talktalk.net

CRACKING UP

Cracks have appeared in the surface - less than a year after the new footpath was installed to link Bigby High Road with Brigg Garden Centre.
The problems are on Lincolnshire County Council's side of the path, the stretch nearer to Brigg having been installed by the North Lincolnshire authority.
It took a long time for the two councils to get the pavement installed, prior to which Brigg people walking to and from town to the garden centre had to share the road with fast-moving vehicles.
A street light, or two, to illuminate the path wouldn't go amiss, either. And not just so people can avoid stepping on the cracked areas of path!

CHUFFED TO BITS

Brigg railway fans and lovers of nostalgia can enjoy a very rare treat this afternoon. For one of the surviving giants of the steam age will be passing very close to the town.
A4 4-6-2 No 60009 Union of South Africa is coming to northern Lincolnshire to haul a special train early tomorrow morning. And the legendary loco will be making its way across country today, in readiness for the outing to Chester.
Last leg of the trip for the Doncaster-built loco will be from Lincoln to Barnetby, which means it will be travelling along the line which passes under the road bridge between Kettleby and Bigby. That should be about 4.20pm this afternoon, if all goes well.
Tomorrow's trip starts at Cleethorpes and goes via Barnetby, Scunthorpe and Doncaster - not through Brigg. The closest it will get to our town will be Elsham level crossing (about 8.22am)if you want to go and have a look
On the return journey, the steam loco will leave the train at Doncaster, to be replaced by a diesel.
Did you know there used to be a railway halt on Bigby High Road? Presumably it was where Brigg people (after a walk from town) could board trains on the Lincoln line. It appears in some late Victorian timetables I've seen, but I've never seen a photograph of it, nor worked out exactly where it was. Anyone with useful information please email scoopfisher@aol.com

COURTROOM BRIEF

It's sad Brigg courthouse and magistrates no longer operate on Wednesdays and Fridays, dishing out 'summary justice' to people from the town and surrounding villages. Some years ago the Brigg facility, like the one at Barton, was merged into the Scunthorpe court, with some of our JPs moving there. This amalgamation was said to be more efficient (meaning it would save money!). Fortunately, the Brigg court building, dating from mid-Victorian times, now houses records staff and is kept in a good state of repair. So we haven't lost it.
Prior to 1978, when the new Brigg police station in Barnard Avenue was built, the Boys In Blue also occupied this building in Wrawby Road, the court part being on the right of picture.
Covering Brigg court cases was part of the duties of reporters on the old Lincolnshire Times weekly paper, and we did not have to walk far down Wrawby Street to do so. Sometimes on your way in you could exchange an 'hello' with people you knew, or went to school with, who were waiting their turn to appear before the magistrates. Or about to give evidence.
Before the current bureaucracy that is the Crown Prosecution Service came into being, Brigg police handled the minor criminal cases coming up before the local bench.
Helpfully, Brigg police provided local newspapers with a neatly typed 'court sheet' - a few days in advance - which listed the names of those due to appear, plus the charges faced and the Act of Parliament they were alleged to have contravened (eg Theft Act, Offences Against the Person Act). The dates these came onto the statute book were also added (eg Justices of the Peace Act 1361, under which people could be bound over to keep the peace in the sum of £50, or perhaps more).
The cases coming before the Brigg bench back then were many and varied, including minor assaults, vandalism, petty theft, poaching, motoring offences, failure to have a valid TV licence, and mistreatment of animals.
Farmers in dispute over drainage also appeared from time to time, and the court met once a year (the Brewster Sessions) to review licensed premises and hear a report on how things were operating in the area from the local police chief.
There were also one-offs, such as the Brigg shopkeeper who refused to provide information for the Census, believing it was an invasion of his civil liberties.
The court was overseen by vastly experienced clerk Alan Booth, while Rose Parker was the usher who brought witnesses in from the waiting room to give their evidence. For years she could be seen driving round Brigg in a little Mini.
Magistrates included Lord Yarborough (not the current one), S D Wicks, Lt Col Nelthorpe (whose family had probably been on the bench for decades if not centuries), Brian Taylor, Mrs Barr, Mrs Foxton and Mrs Atkin.
The latter once presided over a case alleging mistreatment of a cat (it would have been about 25 years ago). It was 'a not-guilty plea' so we had to hear all the evidence and witnesses. It took a very, very long time and, unfortunately, was just a few days before Christmas when we would all rather have been somewhere else. In the end they found the case proved, and the story duly appeared on the front page under the heading 'Pet cat was famished'.
Lawyers who appeared in court back then included Michael Heath (now Judge Heath, sitting at Lincoln Crown Court), Steve Baggott, Michael Johnson, Michael Whiting, David Bains, Joe Ford and Roy Foreman. Many of them were Brigg-educated, or lived in the town. Steve's dad became a judge, while Roy's father, Ernie, was a police sergeant based in our town for many years.
Police prosecutions were usually carried out in person by Chief Insp Bill Horsfield, another Brigg resident and a very helpful and likeable man. Later, the police hirecarchy reorganised things and set up a department to carry out prosecutions in several local courts, which brought Sgt John Overton and Insp Dave Skipworth over to Brigg. They were also highly efficient and helpful to those on the press benches.
It remains a skilled job to accurately and fairly condense hours of evidence into a newspaper report, giving due balance to evidence from the defence and the prosecution. Fortunately, the Lincolnshire Times (especially in its broadsheet days) had acres of space to fill and few staff to do it, so we were not called upon to condense our reports as much as, say, the legendary Jack 'Scoop' Clark, of the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph.
We were general reporters who covered a wide range of topics (including sports and features); Jack specialised in crime and court reporting, and only visited Brigg for the biggest cases. Having covered the case he wanted on the list he would depart across the road to The Britannia or the Queen's Arms.

POINTLESS ACT

This was the scene after fire struck reycling bins put out on York Road, Brigg, ahead of this week's collection. Obviously the blaze did not start itself.
Bin fires like this are, unfortunately, fairly common. And dangerous. For they might easily spread to nearby fencing...or worse.
The new, modern plastic bins are much more hygienic than the old galvanised metal ones of years ago. But they don't stand up to fires in the same way.
Presumably those whose red, brown or green bins are 'torched' get replacements free of charge delivered by North Lincolnshire Council.
And talking of bins, within a few days of Brigg Blog highlighting the vandalised litter bin near The Monument last week, it was restored to its rightful place on the nearby lamp-standard.
We love a happy ending!

WATER LOST OPPORTUNITY

The River Ancholme - Old and New cuts - offers plenty of opportunity for leisure, if you belong to certain clubs and organisations. But, like the railway, it's an asset not fully utilised.
The Ancholme is popular with anglers, especially if there's a match. And you might see members of Ancholme Rowing Club, based in Manley Gardens, out enjoying their sport. During the summer, particularly, there are craft from Glanford Boat Club, or people caneoning, especially on the New River, near the Leisure Centre.
But many Brigg residents and visitors never go near the Ancholme, apart from passing over the town's bridges in their cars, or on foot.
It was great when, for a few years, pleasure boat trips were laid on round the Island, starting from near Lidl's superstore. Sadly, they are no more.
Some us can remember when barges plied their trade to Yarborough Mills (now the site of a housing estate). That continued into the early 1970s.
Going back many decades, the town was served by a passenger service running the length of the Ancholme and taking people to and from Hull.
Today, some Brigg residents enjoy walking beside the river, particularly on the course of the old towpath, where horses once pulled the barges along.
So it to be hoped long-term plans to extend the public walkways on the Island come to fruition so there's much more available.
Likewise the scheme - progressing slowly - to upgrade the County Bridge, including removal of the ugly metal railings.

WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS

It's obviously a sign of the times but you did not see so many youngsters riding on footpaths in Brigg 30 or 40 years ago. These days it's a common sight.
Back in the 1960s and 1970s you would expect to be stopped and dealt with by any policeman who spotted you riding along the path. More to the point, if you were 'nicked' you would certainly not get the coveted Cycling Proficiency Certificate we held in high regard.
Police used to visit Glebe Road School and supervise the tuition for this in the playground, one of the tests being a difficult obstacle course at low speed to make sure you could control the cycle properly. There were also safety checks.
Today it's a common sight to see kids cycling on the pavement, and not all of them move to one side to give pedestrians the right of way.
Is it because they do not have the confidence to ride on the road? Perhaps some have never been shown the correct way to align the cycle to make, say, a right turn, giving the correct hand-signal. This was something we had to master in the playground during Cycling Proficiency training.
On the other hand, today's youngsters might be a little confused, as North Lincolnshire Council encourages cycling on the footpaths, in a number of areas of Brigg, with its designated cycle lanes. Nothing wrong with these, many will say - and I agree, to a point.
But when the young rider comes to the end of the designated cycle lane (eg at the junction of East Parade and Wrawby Road, or at the top of Churchill Avenue) he, or she, might see it as easier, and safer, to just continue along the footpath rather than cross oncoming traffic to get back onto the left-hand side of the road and continue their journey in a legal manner.

SPY (OR PIE) IN THE SKY?

Spotted a CCTV camera actually moving in Brigg this morning - just after 9am, scanning the Market Place. This one, clearly, was switched on and in use.
I'm not a great fan of these spy cameras. Not so much because of infringement of human rights: Should law-abiding members of the public be 'spied on' going about their lawful business On Brigg Streets?
More to the point is how much of what goes on in full view of the cameras is actually filmed? How much of the footage is really studied by expert eyes? And how many convictions result from a system we pay for?
The powers-that-be should reveal the CCTV 'information leading to prosecution' statistics in public through the Brigg Community Policing Panel when it meets every three or four months in the Angel Suite.
Over the past couple of years I can recall CCTV footage from Brigg proving useful in the search for a missing person, but that's been about it. And I attend almost all town council and community policing panel meetings.
Town centre vandalism, like smashing windows, you'd think would be a surefire thing for CCTV to pick up. Especially as the offenders are hardly likely to be going to great lengths to conceal their identities.
And what about all those drivers passing through the pedestrian area without justifiable cause? Surely a quick on-screen look at the numberplate and a check with the DVLA is not too difficult.
If we get fewer police officers patrolling the streets because the CCTV cameras are there, surely the effectiveness of the system should be subject to public scrutiny.
Let's have the facts!