TEN YEARS AGO: Pupils’ lesson in Victorian toys, village sixth form to open, and repair work to church damaged in storms

The first shows pupils at Billingborough Primary School with Rhi Clark from Belvoir Castle.

Rhi had visited the school in support of work being done by the Snowflake (Early Years) class on the topic of toys.

She spoke to pupils on a number of subjects, including toys that children in Victorian times would have had.

The youngsters had a chance to play with bagatelle, juggling balls, dominoes, slate boards, diabolo, noughts and crosses, baby dolls and a Silvercross pram.

Pictured second are Sir William Robertson High School Sixth Form committee members Holly Pickerill, 15, and Andrew White, 15, with the school’s new head of sixth form.

The Welbourn school was now able to offer a sixth form for A-level students from September 2012 after years of discussion and planning.

Pictured third is repair work at St Andrew’s Church, Helpringham.

One of the pinnacles around the spire had been damaged by the storms and was in danger of crashing down into the road.

Steeplejacks W. Hird and Son, of Yorkshire, bravely scaled ladders fixed to the steeple and swung around in bosum’s chairs to complete the repair work last week to one of the pinnacles holding the flying buttresses that support the church spire.

Church warden Terry Markham said: “The pinnacle at the north west corner was buffeted by the wind until it bent the steel pins holding it together and shifted them right over.

“Any more high winds could have bend the whole lot over, as happened the other year at Folkingham and they have only just got their’s fixed.”