Good things come to those who wait, or so the saying goes. I don’t know that I had been so much waiting for last Monday to come as working to make sure that I was ready for its arrival. Our first Monday may have been a long time coming but it didn’t disappoint.
In the month since my last Lincolnite article, much has changed. One day I was wearing a suit, based in generously provided offices at Siemens, and the next I was in scruffs, moving into the welcoming shell of Chad Varah House. It was quickly populated with furniture, fixtures, equipment and an endless number of cardboard boxes.
Each day felt like the best Christmas ever, opening up an array of anonymous parcels to find gadgets for science, engineering and computing. all to inspire and challenge the mind. Contractors from numerous companies came bearing gifts: from stools and tables to fume cupboards and pillar drills, to computers and robots. Packages came in a steady flow as we struggled to keep up with our unpacking, checking and placement. The boxes were removed, the equipment set out and suddenly I could see our impressive learning environments take shape.
Dr Rona Mackenzie. Lincoln UTC’s Principal. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
As the interior of the UTC was refined, the exterior underwent a facelift. Generous staff from the Riseholme campus gave up time to turn long lawns and unkempt hedgerows into neat, welcoming and attractive gardens. Andy, our local Stonemason, repaired a broken wall and the external signage was put into place.
Suddenly, as I walked through the gates, Chad Varah House had transformed into a place of education: a professional, purposeful Lincoln UTC. Attention turned to the finest of details – including the framing of a letter from Buckingham Palace, sitting pride of place in our Reception for all to see. The little details matter to me; they set the tone for everything we stand for: in pursuit of excellence, we will create a supportive, innovative environment and develop professional, respectful relationships.
I slept surprisingly well on Sunday night, waking very early to get to the UTC in time for the arrival of our first media visitors at 6.30am. Their excitement for the event was palpable – they have shared the UTC’s journey, reporting regularly on our developments and achievements. To have my closest media supporters there for the launch was a great way to start the day and I felt honoured that they continue to believe in us.
After several radio and newspaper interviews the time had finally come to welcome our first students. With bright eyes and wide smiles they came through into Reception, gasping for breath after the hearty climb up Steep Hill but all thrilled to be there! Nervous faces gawked through the corridors for the first time heading for the Chapel, where our business partners and Governors were mingling with students and staff to welcome one and all.
The chatter and excitement grew, nerves were forgotten, and before I knew it the time had come to formally welcome the first cohort of students to Lincoln UTC. Such a special moment – with my face permanently bearing a Cheshire Cat I welcomed familiar faces, young people who I have grown to know and respect over the last twelve months. Their commitment to the UTC is as strong as mine and I felt immense pride as we shared those first moments together, welcoming the beginning of our first academic year.
After photos on the lawn, our media colleagues and guests departed and the real business began. The day was a blur of Vex robotics, engineering challenges, RAF leadership activities, DNA extraction and literacy enlightenment. My first headship had begun: the College to which I have devoted all my energies over the last eighteen months was alive.
There were many firsts – new equipment, learning spaces, café food and biometric success – and before I knew it, 5pm had arrived. Our students departed for home, wearing confident smiles and chatting with new friends. I finally opened my inbox and postbag to find a wealth of good wishes emails, cards and presents. It is clear that the UTC means so much to so many people: students, parents, friends, family, local businesses and local people.
We have set our sights exceedingly high and our goals are crystal clear. What an amazing start to a unique journey; a new chapter in the life of Lincoln UTC has begun. We cannot always see the summit, but the journey there has begun with this very first step.
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Dr. Rona Mackenzie is Principal of Lincoln University Technical College (UTC). She has a strong background in education, having worked in six local authorities during her career, and is passionate about providing an education that meet the needs of young people and their community industries. She is a keen sportswoman and mountaineer, recently trekking to Everest Base Camp, and has an interest in photography.
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A local family business is preparing to open another Greek takeaway after leasing a new premises in Birchwood.
The Papadopoulos family moved to Lincoln around 10 years ago before purchasing The Plough pub in Nettleham in 2015, from where they serve food including Greek cuisine.
They also own the Greek2Me takeaway next door and the family will open a second in a unit formerly occupied by an Indian takeaway at the Birchwood Shopping Centre by the end of April. It will serve Lincoln, Skellingthorpe and other surrounding villages.
Greek2Me has taken over a premises formerly occupied by an Indian takeaway at the Birchwood Shopping Centre.
The Greek2Me business was born after the family from Rhodes moved to Lincoln.
Christos and Joanne Papadopoulos had worked as servers at Carluccio’s in Lincoln and wanted to bring their own authentic Greek food to the city.
Spryos Papadopoulos, who manages the Nettleham takeaway, started working in the food industry around two years ago and has been helping his parents alongside his brother George.
They also previously owned a premises at Burton Waters, although this is still in the family and owned by another relative and now called Greek House.
Inside Greek2Me’s new premises in Birchwood.
Spryos told The Lincolnite: “We’ve had a lot of people asking us if can deliver around the North Hykeham and Birchwood area and the new takeaway will hopefully open us up to the rest of Lincoln.
“In the future we are also hoping to open other takeaways elsewhere in the county or even away from Lincolnshire.
“It feels amazing that we will be opening a new takeaway and we’ve had really good feedback from people on Facebook.
“We will be bringing good quality food to make people happy and give them a new experience.”
The new takeaway will initially create 2-3 new jobs, with a scope for more in the future.
Euromillions winner Matt Topham caused a fatal crash when he took his eyes off the road to retrieve his two-year old’s teddy bear while he was driving, a jury was told on Monday at Lincoln Crown Court.
Topham, 31, who won £45 million in 2012, was approaching a left hand bend on a country road near Louth, Lincs, on Christmas Day 2019, when he turned round to look for the teddy in the footwell of his BMW X6 and veered into the opposite carriageway.
The jury at Lincoln Crown Court was told that the child was upset and crying because of his teddy, but rather than stopping his vehicle to find the bear Topham continued to drive.
As he went into the bend his car struck an oncoming Ford Fiesta head-on, the court heard.
Mary Jane Regler, 75, who was a front seat passenger in the Fiesta, was killed as a result. Her husband Rodney, who was driving, was seriously injured.
The couple were returning home after visiting their son for a family Christmas Day dinner.
Topham and his wife were in separate vehicles, and heading for home after visiting his wife’s parents at their home at Rushmoor Country Park, near Louth, when the collision occurred, the jury heard.
Michael Cranmer-Brown, prosecuting, told the jury: “It is accepted that the collision was entirely the fault of this defendant.
“On his own admission in interview, for a few seconds leading up to the collision he did not have his eyes on the road and he was not actually looking where he was going.
“As a consequence of not looking where he was going, as he was approaching this right hand bend his BMW crossed into the opposite carriageway and collided with the Fiesta causing the death of Mrs Regler.
“The driving of Mr Regler was not in any way responsible for the collision.
“The defendant’s account is that his attention was diverted by his looking behind him into the rear passenger footwell so as to retrieve his two-year-old son’s teddy bear.
“He took a conscious decision to look behind him. He took his eyes off the road.”
The prosecutor said that the child was crying due to his teddy being missing.
“The defendant tried to find the teddy bear by putting his arm behind him and stretched back into the passenger footwell.
“He turned his attention from the road to look behind himself into the footwell to try to find the teddy, plainly not looking at the road and where he was going.
“Once he found it he passed it to his son. He said he couldn’t be sure how long he was looking behind him.
“The defendant said that when he turned his attention back to the road to his horror, he found he was driving into the path of a vehicle coming in the opposite direction. It was Mr Regler’s Ford Fiesta.”
Mr Cranmer-Brown said Topham tried to swerve out of the way but it was too late to avoid a collision.
“Mr Regler coming in the opposite direction had no chance to react. He was driving at a steady speed between 30 and 40 mph. He was suddenly confronted by headlights on his side of the road right in front of him.
“He recalls saying out loud ‘For Christ’s sake he’s on my side of the road.’
“Mr Regler could do nothing to avoid a collision.
“The impact occurred wholly on the eastbound carriageway which was the correct carriageway for Mr Regler.”
Mr Regler, 77, survived but suffered serious injuries including fractures to his right heel and ankle, a fractured sternum, fractured ribs and three cracked vertabrae.
Mr Cranmer-Brown said that after the collision both drivers were tested and the results showed alcohol played no part in the collision.
Rodney Regler, in a statement read to the jury, said: “Even though it was a 60 limit I was only doing 35 to 40 mph. There was no traffic and we were idly chatting about what we were going to do when we got home.
“It happened so quickly. I wasn’t aware of any headlights until they appeared right in front of me.
“I turned sharply to the left towards the verge.
“It all happened so quickly. There were no other vehicles around.
“It’s simple. The other car was on my side of the road and I had no chance to react to avoid a collision.”
The jury was read details of police interviews in which Topham admitted he was at fault saying “I turned round to get the teddy and that was my mistake.”
Matthew Topham, 31, of Swinderby, Lincolnshire, denies causing the death of Mary Regler by dangerous driving on Christmas Day 2019.
The jury has been told that he admits the lesser charge of causing her death by careless driving.
Topham also denies causing serious injury to Rodney Regler by dangerous driving.
The charges follow the head on collision on Louth Road, North Cockerington, near Louth. The trial continues.
Boyes is hopeful of remaining in Lincoln as it continues the search for a new location after the closure of its store in the city.
The family-owned discount store located in the City Square Centre started to wind down in January this year and became more and more empty as the weeks went by before it closed for good in February.
However, W Boyes and Company is still hopeful it can remain in the city and is looking for a new store location.
When the firm was contacted by The Lincolnite for further information it said it had no comment to make at this time.
There are plans to demolish the City Square Centre, which now appears to be completely shut. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Lincolnshire Co-op already previously closed its own store in the centre, as well as the pharmacy, and moved them to a nearby location in the Cornhill Quarter area of the city.
The Post Office also closed at the centre on February 23 before relocating and opening in Unit 7 at the Stonebow Centre later the same week.
A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Co-op previously said: “The City Square Centre has been earmarked for development for several years as part of the Co-op’s long term approach to provide a further range of amenities for the local community.
“We plan to apply for planning permission to replace the centre with a new building in keeping with the rest of the Cornhill Quarter.
“We have been working with tenants to support them in finding alternative premises during this time. We look forward to sharing further development news in the near future.
“We have also been exploring options for the post office for some time and are working with Post Office Ltd to identify a new location for this service.”
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