top of page

Andrew Elsden - stories, tales , rural and social and business issues past and present as I see them.


Search


32. The day the Railway came to town.
Not in itself unique to Spalding in the “Golden Age of Rail” on the 18th October 1848 Spalding’s railway station opened for the first...
Feb 162 min read
0 comments


31. The legacy of Jack Cooper
Rendered patterns of birds, shells, hobby horses and boats that he duly painted are the work of local handyman Jack Cooper.
Feb 151 min read
0 comments


29. Skulls found beneath the bar of the Lincoln Arms
In January 1939 a number of human bones and three or four human skulls were unearthed by workmen under the floor of the Lincoln Arms Inn...
Feb 141 min read
0 comments


30. Jason Toomer
If I had my way he would have a statue in the middle of Spalding.
Feb 141 min read
0 comments


28. UFO’s
1979 saw 27 people come forward witnessing UFO’s in the Spalding area
Feb 131 min read
0 comments


27. The Knickebein Beam
The Knickebein Beam or Nickobein Beam resulted in two significant bombings of Spalding by the Luftwaffe
Feb 125 min read
0 comments


26. The rescue of aeronauts from an angry mob in Spalding.
Inspectors Caban and Wackett were hardly pressed while defending the parachute party and were compelled to resort to fisticuffs
Feb 112 min read
0 comments


25. Foul beef.
It was moist – it was not set. It was very soft and it gave off a very foul odour. It was beef
Feb 101 min read
0 comments


24. Spalding’s poor roads.
excerpt from a letter of 1850 shows how the road conditions can really get on your tits:
Feb 92 min read
0 comments


23. Spalding had more drunks and crime in 1875 than any other town in Lincolnshire
In 1875 Spalding had 279 drunkards. Even Grantham only reaches 103, whilst Boston is credited with but 85.
Feb 82 min read
0 comments


22. An Insight into Agriculture Labour in Spalding in 1867
They lie as thick as thieves, and they live like pigs.
Feb 72 min read
0 comments


21. Spalding Hemp Fair
Apparently the smell of hemp wafting across the streets of Spalding isnot new.
Feb 62 min read
0 comments


20. A Sort of Spalding Ghost Story.
A tale of a hand that came out of the darkness.
Feb 52 min read
0 comments


19. Mrs Proctors Band
Mrs Proctor was a well-to-do lady that lived in Welland Hall, a large house now occupied by Ayscoughfee School. Her band was popular at...
Feb 41 min read
0 comments


18. King Hussain of Jordan had breakfast here.
In 1962 King Hussein of Jordan was passing through Spalding and stopped to have breakfast.
Feb 31 min read
0 comments


17. Dr Richard Bentley – document thief
Bentley removed the charter and other documents relating to Spalding Priory from Spalding. The theiving bastard.
Feb 21 min read
0 comments


16. Sheddy’s – the oldest chip shop in town.
“I’ve fed half the children in Spalding,” was Fred Turner’s boast
Feb 11 min read
0 comments


15. The May Day Statutes
The May Day Statute was time to get gloriously drunk, and fight out any old quarrel which you happened to have had.
Jan 312 min read
0 comments


14. Tulipan the Tulip Man
Tulipan was a character of legend being a little chap that stowed away in the baggage train that brought the first tulip to Europe.
Jan 301 min read
0 comments


13. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
“With bad teeth never was a woman beautiful. With good teeth never was a woman ugly.”
Jan 291 min read
0 comments

bottom of page