Elizabeth Fish

A group of children from a local primary school visited an egg farm to learn more about where food comes from.

The children from North Scarle Primary School visited the Happy Egg farm in Beckingham as part of Tesco initiative Farm to Fork Trail, which helps children learn more about food on their plate.

The North Scarle children, aged 9 to 11, are the first in Lincolnshire to take part in the initiative.

At the farm, the children got a “behind the scenes” lesson about how hens lay their eggs and how they like to play, perch and dustbathe.

They also saw how eggs are collected, selected and stamped, then got the chance to place eggs in the trays ready to be sent to a packing centre and then on to supermarkets.

North Scarle Primary School Teacher, Nicola Lang, said: “I think this is a brilliant scheme for teaching children about where food comes from.

“More knowledge will allow them to make the right choices about buying and eating healthy foods as they grow. We know children learn best through first hand experiences, so the Farm to Fork trails are a great way of educating them about food.”

Noble Foods Happy Egg Farmer, Jean-Paul Michalski, said: “It was a pleasure having North Scarle Primary School attend our first Happy Egg Farm To Fork trail today.

“The aim of these trails is to inspire primary school children all over the country to learn more about the food on their plate and you could see that the kids today were really excited and enthusiastic.

“We look forward to welcoming more schools in the area to come and experience a trail for themselves.”

Schools can sign up to the scheme now by visiting the Eat Happy Project website.

A play focusing around letters sent between a local family during World War One needs the help of Lincoln residents.

The Last Post is a play by Lincoln Mystery Plays Community Theatre Company, reinacting the story of a local family torn apart by the war.

The 300 letters the company are using are stored in the Lincolnshire Archives on St Rumbold’s Street, after they were donated to the city by the granddaughter of the late Amy Beechey.

The letters are correspondence from Amy’s eight sons, all of which went to war, from the training camps, trenches, dugouts and hospitals.

Of the eight sons who went to war, only three returned, one of whom was crippled.

The play of their lives, acted through the eyes of Amy’s daughter, Edie, and how the family at home composed themselves, will run during Armistice Week this November at Lincoln Drill Hall, but needs residents’ help in the run up to the event.

So far, two volunteer writers have gone through the letters and met with the benefactor to create the play, but the theatre company still needs support in all roles from acting, staging, costume, support and production.

A launch event for The Last Post for interested parties will be held in the Old Staff Room at Bishop Grosseteste University on March 31 at 7.30pm.

Volunteers of all ages and gender are welcome that want to help with the story and creative the vision.

Artistic Director Janie Smith said: “I sincerely hope that as many people as possible join us to tell this remarkable story of our City and our predecessors.

“We hope that people will want to be involved, in whatever capacity. Just come along to hear what is being planned and how to become involved and I’m sure you will as moved in your desire to pay tribute to the astonishing Amy Beechey and her boys as I am.”

If you are unable to attend the event but would still like to be involved, email [email protected] or call 01522 537838.

More information will be available soon on the Lincoln Mystery Plays website and at the Drill Hall.