Two Blockbuster stores Lincoln will not be facing closure as a second round of closures across the UK takes place.
Both the Blockbuster in the Carlton Centre (pictured) and Lindis Retail Park will escape being shut down, while administrators Deloitte shut another 164 stores.
Only 204 Blockbuster shops remain, with around 800 staff facing redundancy across the country.
The large majority of Lincolnshire Blockbusters will also remain open in this round of closures too, except shops in Stamford and Wisbech.
Deloitte has said it is still trying to find a buyer for the remainder of the stores.
Deloitte’s Lee Manning, joint administrator, said, “We have continued to review the performance of individual stores since our appointment a month ago and have concluded that further closures are necessary in order to restructure the company for sale.
“We would like to thank the company’s employees for their support and professionalism during this difficult time and we are also grateful for the continued support of customers.
“We are in discussions with a number of parties interested in purchasing all or parts of the business and will update on progress in due course.”
Rental company Blockbuster announced its UK stores would be going into administration in January, citing increased competition with online stores and digital streaming for its collapse.
Spotted an error? Please notify us by selecting that text and pressing Ctrl+Enter.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The ex-chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral has been found not guilty of indecent assault on a teenage student in the 1990s.
Reverend Canon Paul Overend, 54, of Vicars Court, Lincoln, was accused of sexually assaulting the girl during a party at his house in 1997, while he was a chaplain at Cardiff University.
The alleged victim, a student at the university at the time, told the court that he appeared suddenly in the kitchen, alone with her, and proceeded to take hold of her and kiss her across her chest and arms.
The incident is said to have made the complainant “lose her faith” and not return to the chaplaincy for 18 years.
He said: “It would be so out of character, I don’t relate to people like that.”
The jury was formed of nine men and three women. They reached their verdict after an hour and 41 minutes of deliberation.
He was cleared of the charge at Newport Crown Court on Thursday, December 3 and said that, despite the positive result for himself, the trial hurt everyone involved.
Speaking after the verdict outside the court, Overend said: “No happy outcomes were possible today, only damaged and broken people.
“I need now to sort through the devastation and see to find again some of the joy and purpose in life.”
The reverend was appointed the Canon chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral in 2017, but took sudden leave in April 2019 as a result of this allegation.
Dr Overend told the court that Canon chancellor was his “dream job” and he and his wife were forced to live elsewhere from cathedral accommodation after he was accused.
He will now have a meeting at Lincoln Cathedral on December 28 to discuss his future at the church.
You’ve heard of pigs in blankets, well how about hog in a duvet? That is what is being offered at a chip shop in Cleethorpes.
Papa’s Fish and Chips, which has restaurants in Hull, Cleethorpes (pier), Scarborough and York, will introduce the two foot deep fried pig in blanket at its restaurants from December 4.
It is being advertised as the world’s largest battered pig in blanket, a festive twist on a battered sausage standing at over 60 centimetres.
The supersized product will cost £3.99, with all proceeds made from selling the hog in a duvet going to Cash For Kids, a charity that supports children affected by poverty, abuse and neglect.
It will be served in festive wrapping paper, in case the fact that you’re eating a massive pig in blanket doesn’t help you feel Christmassy.
The hog in a duvet will be sold at all Papa’s restaurants and is available for click and collect.
Papa’s Fish and Chips posted the announcement to its Facebook page on Thursday, showing the size of one of the sausages in a frier.
Former Labour MP Karen Lee said Lincoln County Hospital has been busier in the second wave of coronavirus, and much more pressured, but has praised her colleagues for helping her through the challenges.
Karen returned to nursing after Conservative Karl McCartney snatched the Lincoln MP seat back from her in December 2019 with a landslide. She now sees herself working as a nurse for the long-term.
She also admitted in the interview with The Lincolnite that she plans to put her name forward for the next election and would love to go back to Westminster in the future, but she remains fully committed to her nursing career.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) saw 156 coronavirus cases come through over the last seven days. 97 people were discharged and 42 died.
On Thursday Andrew Morgan, Chief Executive at ULHT, told BBC Radio Lincolnshire that as of Wednesday, December 2 there were 249 COVID-positive inpatients – 131 in Lincoln and 118 at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston.
He added that ULHT is one of fifty hub trusts “expecting delivery of the (new coronavirus) vaccine” and that they are “ready to do what is required of us”.
Reflecting on her return to nursing so far, Karen said: “It’s busier in the second wave without a doubt and much more pressured with a lot more patients, and everything is much faster paced now, but you just roll your sleeves up and get on with it.
“During the pandemic there have been times when there didn’t seem to be as many patients, maybe people were frightened of coming in at first, but most of the time it has been busy and the last few weeks have been incredibly busy and pressured.
“It is physically demanding and tiring, but we are discharging people much more quickly now. It has never been an easy job and always a challenge. Whenever anyone is struggling, we all support each other and there is always someone you can fall back on.
“Everybody has pulled together to get through it, my colleagues are like my second family, and the care is still first class and delivered in the way that it has always been delivered.
“It is not just the nurses as the housekeepers, health care support workers, and porters are all brilliant too. The care never suffers and that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Karen Lee says she loves the people that she works with at Lincoln County Hospital.
Karen first started her nursing training in 2000 with a mixture of being at the school of nursing, which was based at the hospital, and placements at wards and in the community, including at a GP surgery.
She qualified in 2003 and worked in a cardiac unit, the Johnson Ward, until 2015. After a short spell on another ward, she was elected as Lincoln’s MP in 2017, a position she held until December 2019.
Karen initially went back to work as bank staff before moving onto the Johnson Ward on a temporary contract for three months.
This was renewed in June and she is now a permanent member of staff, where she is contracted to do three seven hour shifts a week or more if required.
She said: “When I was in parliament I kept in touch with my colleagues from the Johnson Ward. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next (after the election) and when the pandemic hit I thought about what else I can do and went back (to nursing).
“I did toy with the idea of working in other jobs, but I love the people I work with. It has been physically challenging and a gradual learning curve, but I am feeling more secure and confident in what I do. The team at the hospital have always been so supportive to me.”
Karen added that she was pleased when she heard about the vaccine, which will be rolled out nationally from next week to priority groups such as NHS workers.
Karen, who has been looking after her mum as well as working, said “it is great that it will be available” and she will have the vaccine as soon as she is offered it.
Karen has registered online and has swab tests twice a week, which so far have come back negative each time.
The coronavirus crisis impacted her personally back in April when her stepfather, who was in a nursing home, was admitted to A&E with symptoms but sadly died, which she said “destroyed my mum”.
Whatsapp
