Birstall Post (391) February 2016

the Birstall post Y O U R

C O M M U N I T Y

FEBRUARY 2016

N E W S P A P E R

www.birstallpost.co.uk

Couple’s diamond day

No. 391

Bus shelter offer BIRSTALL’S COUNTY Councillor has offered to provide a bus shelter on Wanlip Lane free of charge.

Cllr Iain Bentley, owner of Bentley’s Garden Buildings, says he is prepared to erect a wooden shelter, similar to the ones he provided for East Goscote Parish Council.

He said: “There is no funding for bus shelters, the County Council says it doesn’t have funds, and I thought if I don’t do it, it won’t happen. I think it would be a positive step.”

The £1975 shelter would be 7.8ft wide, 4.4ft deep and 8ft tall with a canopy at the front.

Cllr Bentley says the County Council has indicated that it is prepared to provide a base for the shelter. Permission to erect the shelter would be subject to a

A BIRSTALL couple who met on a dance floor in Halifax have celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary.

Ted and Jean Bates have lived in Birstall for 57 years and for the last 40, in their bungalow on Greengate Lane.

Both were regular dancers the year they met in 1952 when Ted walked up to Jean and asked her to dance. “I liked her red hair!” said Ted. “Yes, I did stand out in a crowd” added Jean.

They started going out together, Ted did his National Service, and they were wed on Christmas Eve 1955 at St John’s Church, Coley near Halifax.

It was a snowy day, Jean’s taxi to the church broke down and she was 70 minutes late arriving.

Ted said: “We were all pacing around wondering where she was, including the vicar and when she did arrive he said to her: Jeannie lass, I thought you weren’t acomin’”.

The couple have two children, Karen and Peter, and two grandchildren. Before he retired Ted was a senior lecturer

Continued on page 2

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Pic: Married 60 years: Birstall couple Ted and Jean Bates

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THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

Shelter continued from page 1

formal consultation process that would involve contacting nearby homeowners Ongoing maintenance of the shelter could be taken on by the parish council or volunteers, says Cllr Bentley.

A petition calling for the installation of a bus shelter and dropped kerbs has been signed by 128 people and sent to Charnwood Borough Council.

Organiser Mrs Christine Howe said: “It has been at least six years since this was first raised and personally I find it Wedding continued from page 1

in Electrical Engineering at Leicester Polytechnic and Jean was a secretary.

Pic: one of Cllr Bentley’s bus shelters

sad that we have to go to such lengths, especially when neighbouring parishes raised kerbs and erected bus shelters at the majority of their stops many years ago.”

In a statement, Birstall Parish Council clerk Sue Coulson said: “Providing bus shelters is not a duty of a parish council, they cannot just place structures on demand, without permission on land belonging to others and no amount of petitions will change that.”

The Parish Council has been working

Pic: the bus stop on Wamlip Lane near Windmill Avenue where petitioners would like dropped kerbs and a shelter installed

with Cllr Bentley to get the unused bus shelter on Libra Parade moved to Wanlip Lane but it is owned by a private company who are unwilling to move it.

Mrs Coulson said: “The Parish Council, in an attempt to try to resolve this matter themselves, agreed to set aside funds of £2000 to go towards the installation of a one-off shelter at this terminus [on Wanlip Lane] only. This is in

Club’s fundraising year Pic: on their wedding day

For many years the couple went on camping holidays together and for 23 years regularly toured Europe with their caravan. Jean now enjoys painting and is a member of Birstall and District Art Society, while Ted’s hobby is genealogy.

The couple, both 84, celebrated their anniversary with a family meal at the Michelin starred John’s House restaurant in Mountsorrel.

BIRSTALL BOWLING Club’s John Jenkins raised over £2500 for a local charity during his year as the Bowls Leicestershire men’s President.

He started fundraising during the 2014/15 indoor season and continued throughout last year’s outdoor season with a total of £2510.05 raised through donations, fines and proceeds from raffles.

The money is being donated to

Wishes 4 Kids, a charity based in Leicester for children and youngsters in Leicestershire who are life limited, terminally ill, have experienced lifechanging physical or emotional traumas, have suffered major abuse or are diagnosed as HIV positive. The charity has granted hundreds of wishes for those of eighteen years and below.

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the budget for 2016/17, but the council still need to debate this and make a final decision.”

A Leicestershire County Council spokeswoman said: “We are aware of some public demand for a bus shelter on Wanlip Lane at the stop near the junction with Windmill Avenue and are working with the Councillor Bentley to consider what might be possible.

“Unfortunately, because of the extensive financial pressures the council is under, we are unable to pay for a raised kerb to be provided at this bus stop.

However, we will look into whether other sources of funding might be available to pay for the work.”

The March issue of

THE BIRSTALL POST will be published on Mar 5.

The copy deadline is Feb 19.

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THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

3

Parish Fatal car fire on Hermitage Road Council notes ONE PERSON died when a car burst into flames on Hermitage Road in Birstall.

A FULL meeting of Birstall Parish Council was held on January 11.

Charnwood Borough Councillor David Gaskell said the Police, Borough and County councillors were looking at the issue of speeding traffic in the village. It has been raised by the public at council surgeries, as has the provision of dropped kerbs and a bus shelter on Wanlip Lane.

Chairman Ann Marshall had circulated to councillors copies of correspondence from Cllr Julian Howe to the clerk about the parish council’s finances. The chairman said that Cllr Howe seemed to be continually unsatisfied with the finances of the council and that this served to undermine the council’s responsible financial officer (RFO), clerk Sue Coulson.

Several councillors expressed their annoyance and frustration that Cllr Howe seemed to be suggesting they did not take council business seriously, were not pulling their weight, and were lazy.

Cllr Howe said he was simply saying that councillors should be more involved in the finances, that councillors could set the budget as the clerk has too much to do, and that councillors should review the budget regularly. He said he had no criticism of the clerk.

The chairman called for a vote of confidence in the clerk/RFO and the motion was carried unanimously.

The Council agreed a precept for the year of £369,305, a zero increase in the demand per household. For a Band D household this amounts to £84.81.

Cllr Howe said there was £41,000 in the finances above the level of general reserves. Chairman Ann Marshall said this was £41,000 that was on top of the general reserve that could be spent on unexpected issues that might arise and that if it had not been spent towards the end of the year, could by used on council projects. It should be regarded as a contingency fund, she said.

A request for a grant of £123 had been received from Carl Gunns’ gym. It was agreed to donate the money, which will be used on new ropes and mats.

Several comments were made that the grant aid funding was proving to be successful and that the budget for the next financial year could be increased.

The council agreed a job description for a new post of enforcement officer/estates team worker. The position will now be advertised. Part of the role will be enforcing dog and litter bylaws on Birstall’s playing fields, and issuing tickets for fines. These will be processed

by Charnwood Borough Council. The new worker’s hours will include evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

The Santa who had appeared at the council’s Christmas event had asked for a charitable donation to LOROS and not a fee, and it was agreed to donate £100.

At a meeting of the Estates and Rec-

Emergency services were called to Hermitage Road at about 5.50pm on Tuesday January 19 following reports of one vehicle being alight.

The Police have confirmed that one person was in the car at the time of the fire. The death is not being treated as suspicious at this stage.

Hermitage Road, from its junction with Roman Road to its junction with the A6 Loughborough Road, was closed while enquiries were conducted at the scene.

A Hermitage Road resident told the Birstall Post: “We were sitting in the lounge and there was an almighty bang, like an explosion. The whole house shook.

“When I looked out of the window I could see flames leaping out of the car, it was a fireball. The seats had disappeared

Pic: Hermitage Rd & (inset) flowers left at the scene

completely, I didn’t think anyone was in the car.”

After the first explosion, there were several smaller ones that followed.

The emergency services were at the scene within five minutes.

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reation Committee on October 26, the Council listened to a proposal from the designer of the BMX track on Meadow Lane, Mr Ben Rafferty. It was agreed to spend £5000 on re-designing parts of the track. The proposal was a result of Mr Rafferty consulting with users of the track. The work will be done this spring.

It was agreed that Birstall Bowls Club be asked to clarify how and when members of the public can play bowls without joining the club.

The next full meeting of the Parish Council is at 7pm on Monday February 8 in the Village Hall.

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THE BIRSTALL POST

FEB 2016

New Waitrose to open in Mountsorrel A WAITROSE shop will open in Mountsorrel in late spring.

Waitrose, the food shops of the John Lewis partnership, has announced that it has reached an agreement with Booker Retail Partners GB to acquire its Budgens shop on Granite Way in Mountsorrel.

It will become only the sixth Waitrose shop in Leicestershire and it first branch to open in the county since 2012.

The Budgens staff employed at the branch will transfer to Waitrose and a further 40 jobs will be created as part of the multi-million pound investment it is making in the store.

Recruitment is expected to start in Febru-

ary via its website www.jlpjobs.com.

All employees will become Partners in the John Lewis Partnership, will have a stake in the success of the business, a say in how it is run and a share in profits.

“Last year existing partnership employees received the equivalent of almost six weeks’ wages in bonus so a significant proportion of profits remain in the communities in which Waitrose serve.” said a spokesman.

The Mountsorrel branch will continue to trade until the end of February. It will then be handed over to Waitrose in late March with the new shop opening in late spring 2016.

Waitrose has also announced it will be launching its Community Matters and Partner Volunteering schemes will see £6000 and 100 hours donated to local causes nominated by customers each year.

Nigel Keen, Director of Development at Waitrose, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to bring the Waitrose brand to Mountsorrel and we cannot wait to welcome our new customers in the spring. We look forward to becoming part of the community and making a positive contribution to the area for many years to come.”

Gold medallist A SIXTEEN year old student at the Cedars Academy was a gold medallist at the Taekwon-do world championships.

Rahul Rao (pictured above), of Paget Avenue, was competing at the 2015 UITF Taekwon-do World Championships, held in Hertfordshire in July. Rahul won three gold medals, representing UKGT England Junior Male Team in Patterns, Special Technique and the Power contest and one silver medal in the individual Junior Patterns event. Rahul has been practising Taekwon-do for almost ten years.

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The CPA, which helps the public to identify safe reliable contractors to carry out home improvements, awarded its 5 year Membership Achievement Award to CWC. Membership of the CPA means that customers have their deposits and guarantee underwritten by the organisation.

Mandy Manning from CWC said: “We put the interests of the customer first and we won’t compromise on our attention to detail or the quality of the materials we use.

“Everything is carefully project managed by us personally and we do everything we can to ensure the work we do enhances your home.”

TWO MEN entered a Cropston pub and threatened a member of staff before making off with a substantial amount of cash.

The robbery took place at the Bradgate Arms, Station Road on Sunday December 27 at 11.15pm. No one was injured in the incident.

At around 10pm on the same evening two men were seen in the area acting suspiciously in a white Ford Transit Connect van. Officers believe this could be linked to the incident.

Police say the first suspect who entered the pub is described as in his 20s, 5ft 9ins tall and of slim build. He was wearing a grey tracksuit and had a hood up and a black scarf across his nose and mouth. He was wearing blue and grey Nike trainers with a red stripe.

The second suspect is described as around 6 ft tall, possibly in his 20s of stocky build and wearing black balaclava or woolly hat with eye holes covering his face. He had on a black raincoat which came to below his waist with a red diagonal stripe and was holding a small black bag.

DC Gary Dunigan, who is investigating the incident, said: “We believe the robbery and the suspicious activity could be linked and are keen to hear from anyone who knows anything has heard something on the grapevine, or thinks they may have information. Call us on 101.

THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

5

Assisted bathing service opens in Birstall AN ASSISTED bathing service for the old and anyone with mobility problems is available at the St James Centre in Birstall Village Hall.

The service had been suspended while the bathroom was refurbished and has been relaunched by Age UK Leicestershire & Rutland, Age Concern Birstall and Wanlip and Birstall Parish Council working in partnership.

The refurbishment, paid for by the Edith Murphy Foundation, has seen the bathroom fully renovated with floor to ceiling tiling, new flooring and storage.

Christine Winfield, Chair of Age Concern Birstall & Wanlip, said: “A specialised bath that minimises transfers has been installed. This is a highly flexible system for assisted bathing, as the seat transfer unit eliminates the need for manual lifting, which reduces the risk of back injuries, and the whole procedure is operated via the handheld control unit.

“A single caregiver can efficiently carry out assisted bathing routines alone.

Volunteer trip A TWENTY year old student from Birstall will be travelling to Uganda this summer to help build a playground for children.

Volunteer Michael Adams (20) is currently at Leeds Beckett University studying Sports, Physical Activity and Health.

He said: “I wanted to get involved with the project to give children less fortunate the chance to play as this is a child’s right and is something we take for granted in England. I will also gain valuable experience of working with children as this is the career path I wish to follow.

“I am looking forward to working as a team, meeting new people, and taking on new challenges. I am also looking forward to learning new things about a differPic: Michael Adams ent culture.

The most challenging element of the trip will probably be the physical work in the African heat as it is very hot and very dry.”

Michael, of Limetree Avenue, is appealing for donations to support his trip. You can donate at: www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Micha elAdams11

The fixed height bath/seat transfer configuration make safe, independent bathing available to a wider range of older people. This allows greater comfort, security and dignity for more enjoyable bathing in a safe and private environment with the aid of the bath care assistant.”

She added: “I’m thrilled the work has been completed, it has taken 12 months, and we are very grateful to the Edith

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Murphy Foundation for making it possible.”

Birstall Parish Council own the Village Hall and pay the salary of the part time bath nurse. Chair Ann Marshall said: “The council is very pleased to support this unique service, the only one of its type in the county. It’s a very valuable service for the old and vulnerable people that use it.”

David Tams, Chairman of the Edith Murphy Foundation, said: “I’m quite amazed at how well it’s been done, I’m very impressed.”

The cost of a bath (up to one hour) is £5 for Birstall & Wanlip residents and £7 (up to one hour) for people living out of the area.

The service is available 9.30am to 1.30pm Monday to Thursday by appointment on 0116 2677023

Pic: (l-r) bath nurse Tammie Screaton, Chris Blakesly, a trustee of the Edith Murphy Foundation, Chair of Age Concern Birstall & Wanlip Christine Winfield, Birstall Parish Council Chair Ann Marshall and Chairman of the Edith Murphy Foundation David Tams

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THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

‘What we wore’: exhibition of children’s clothes THREE LOCAL women with a collection of children’s clothes from the 20th century and an interest in textiles have put together an exhibition for Charnwood museum.

Joy Lambell from Birstall and Felicity Austin and Biddy Saunders from Syston have been collecting stories and photos of what people remember wearing when

they were children.

The memories and the photos cover every aspect of children’s lives, from school uniform to fancy dress; from baby clothes to swimming costumes. Clothes from their collection will also be on display, several dating back 100 years to the Edwardian area.

Felicity said: “You might think this

is a specialist subject that doesn’t have any relevance to you, but you’d be wrong.

“It’s the story of hundreds of thousands of women clothing their babies and children, a story of schooldays, highdays and holidays, fancy dress parades, of the many manufacturing firms in Leicestershire, or home-made clothes – it’s the background to our lives!”

The exhibition ‘What We Wore’, runs from February 16 to May 16 at Charnwood Museum, Granby Street, Loughborough LE11 3DU Pics: (left) a dress worn by a child in Birstall, made by her mother; Geoffrey Meadows and Doug Harrison playing with boats, late 1920s; (top) a school class in 1955, taken at Bridestowe near Oakhampton in Devon

Plans for restaurant THE VICTORIAN pumping station near Cropston reservoir has been sold by Severn Trent and could now become a restaurant and a private home.

Previously used as a visitor centre since 1992, plans submitted to Charnwood Borough Council show a proposal to convert part of the building to a four bedroom home.

The new owner also wants to convert the building for use as a restaurant and bar.

There will be no changes to the external appearance of the building which was built in 1870 and is Grade II listed.

The applicant, Simon Thompson, says the proposal would create four full time jobs and 15 part time.

He told the Loughborough Echo: “The uniqueness of the building is what drew me to it. It will be an English restaurant with high quality fine dining.

“It’s been empty for four years and we don’t want to let it rot away. We want to bring it back to life, I think it’s going to be fantastic.”

Some residents have objected to the plans on the grounds of highway safety for vehicles entering and leaving the site.

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Enforcement officer for parks

Mr Chris Meynell and colleagues at Chris Meynell & Family Funeral Directors received the 2015 Customer Service Award Certificate following responses to a customer survey conducted by Funeral Planning Services, the company that provides administrative and investment services associated with prepaid funeral plans.

Plan buyers who responded to the questionnaire said they felt Mr Meynell and Chris Meynell & Family Funeral Directors, provided them with a helpful and informative service which made making arrangements easy and provided peace of mind that final wishes were set

If you are interested in the position keep a look out for the advertisement in the next issue of the Birstall Post, on the council website: www.birstallparishcouncil.org.uk , on the noticeboards around the village and also on the council’s facebook page: www.facebook.com/BirstallParishCou ncil/

DOG FOULING, litter and dogs off the lead on Birstall’s parks will all be tackled by a new enforcement officer/groundsman.

Birstall Parish Council will be advertising the new full time position soon .

Parish clerk Sue Coulson said: “Dog fouling falls within the top complaints made to the Parish Council by users and hirers of the playing fields and the Parish Council have been keen to address this issue for quite some time and we now see the opportunity of combining the role of enforcement officer and groundsman.”

She added: “This post will require someone who has the enthusiasm and energy required to help the Parish Council drive forward their commitment to give their playing fields, cemetery and all other open

Funeral director’s award for service A SYSTON funeral director has won an award for customer service.

7

out clearly and paid for.

Plan buyers said they had peace of mind knowing their loved ones would not be burdened with having to make decisions at a difficult time, or have to worry about unexpected financial costs when the time came.

Pre-paid funeral plans – whereby funeral arrangements can be made and paid for at today’s prices while many years may pass before that funeral needs to take place – are an becoming popular and avoid the difficulties associated with quickly rising funeral service costs.

Mr Meynell received the Certificate at a gala award dinner hosted by Funeral Planning Services’ Chief Executive, David Taylor.

Pic: Chris & Kathryn Meynell receiving a certificate for excellent customer service presented by (left) a representative from FPS.

and green spaces a cleaner, safer and brighter future, without the interference of antisocial behaviour, such as dog fouling, dogs off the lead and littering.”

Breaking the bylaws in Birstall’s playing fields and in the cemetery results in a fixed penalty notice of £80, which can lead to a potential fine of £1000 for a second dog fouling offence and £2500 for a second litter offence of a failure to pay the penalty notice.

Parish Council Chair Ann Marshall said: “Some people are taking no notice of the bylaws and the only way forward is to enforce them. I recently walked along one side of the School Lane playing fields and counted 14 deposits of dog poo. It’s not good enough, it’s not to be tolerated.

“The problems are not just in the playing fields but in the cemetery too.

We’ve had incidents where staff and members of the public have been bitten by dogs off the lead.”

The new officer will be trained by Charnwood Borough council and will work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

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THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

YOUR SAY...

different matter.

No local shopkeeper, in these days of rising costs, can stay in business on emergency or casual buying. I try to give them more business, but I must do better.

A walk down Sibson Road on any weekday will reveal how the volume of shoppers has dwindled. Casual weekend trade alone will not be enough to keep in business those who aim to serve us.

Denis Downes

Thanks The Birstall Post welcomes your views and opinions on any subject. Letters, which must include your name and address, (though not necessarily for publication) can be posted to: The Birstall Post, Unit 109, Greenacres, The Sidings, Leicester LE4 3BR, or handed in at Birstall library or email: editor@birstallpost.co.uk

Flooded lay by All the money spent on the Christmas tree on Sibson Road, yet the lay by outside McColls on Sibson Road wants sorting out, when it rains it floods very bad, it’s a real eyesore for Birstall. It has been like this for ages.

S Barnwell

Local shops It seems to me that the message nowadays from our local shops is loud and clear: use or lose us.

They have long been under pressure from the supermarkets. Now they have formidable competition from online shopping.

It is cosily convenient to sit at a computer and order everything from a single item to a major acquisition, and particularly to type out a list of groceries and other household provisions, but when a crisis arises and a bottle of milk or a loaf or bread is required urgently it's a

On Monday of Christmas week my wife suffered a heavy fall in Birstall village on the corner of Sibson Rd & Stonehill Ave. The fall was so severe that she was completely disorientated, semistunned and unable to move or help herself in any way.

We’re often told that we live in an age of indifference and selfishness, not in Birstall! Immediately my wife was surrounded by willing helpers, blankets and a pillow were fetched from nearby shops (given willingly), the pharmacy at 101 Sibson Road also bringing two hot water bottles (it was raining and the cold wind was whistling up Sibson Road). Two large umbrellas were positioned to protect her from the wind and one man put his woolly hat on her head.

Two ladies placed themselves on either side of her, both kneeling in the wet whilst another gentleman telephoned the emergency services. Yet another lady telephoned me at home and then drove to my home, picked me up and brought me to my wife.

And still the help came, when at last the emergency workers arrived, another lady, Joy, took my car keys and drove our car to my house whilst my wife and I were taken to the Royal Infirmary where my wife received the most wonderful care (also from the ambulance crew).

The care and kindness we received from all those wonderful people in Bir-

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stall (if I’ve missed anybody please accept my apologies, my wife looked so ill as she rapidly lost body heat, that I wasn’t at my observational best) from the medic first on the scene, from the wonderful ambulance crew and from all the marvellous staff (doctors, nurses etc) at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, was beyond praise.

The generosity and practical help of all these good people has left us both humbled and elated and this is a letter of thanks to each and every one of them.

One final point, it is in no small measure that because of all their efforts and care that my wife made a full recovery and is now happily active again.

John Harvey

Bus shelter Well, well, well.

Your correspondent Christine Howe has raised a petition for a Bus Shelter on the Wanlip Lane Bus terminus! I seem to recall this matter has been visited before!

Myself, the Parish, Charnwood and Leicestershire Councils, with Councillor Iain Bentley and the company that advertises in the Bus Shelter in the Triangle.

All these people have been concerned or contacted in regard to installing a shelter on Wanlip Lane. To no avail!

Nobody wants to know!

Over the last few years or so I have personally spent many hours attempting to get movement on this issue! Does Ms Howe not read your publication?

Is it possible to contact Ms Howe to see if any progress can be made on this, or do the passengers of Centrebus have to stand in the rain forever?

Can any representation be made to the organisations above to be moved to action, or is it all down to money?

I live in Wanlip Ave and pay an average of £134.00p per month in Council Tax! For what? The Tax revenue from Birstall residents must be millions each year:- and for what!

Quorn has a luxurious Bus Shelter in the village that even has Plant Troughs on the top!

As our well-known Birstall Historian, Mike Smith reiterates in one of his publications - Birstall was a "Benighted Village" in history, it seems that our local Politicians still think it is!

William L Hill

Bus shelter As mentioned in the January issue of the Birstall Post I collected nearly 70 signatures in support of a bus shelter at the Wanlip Lane terminus and the rais-

ing of kerbs at that stop and others on Wanlip Lane.

I wrote to our two Borough Councillors and the Chairman of the Parish Council requesting a joint meeting with them to hand it over but they were not prepared to meet me.

The clerk to the Parish Council replied saying it was Charnwood’s responsibility, which I found confusing as there is £2000 allocated in next year’s Parish Council’s budget for a bus shelter.

I have been told that Councillor Bentley is prepared to fund a bus shelter himself but have no further details.

I have now collected 128 signatures and submitted the petition direct to Charnwood Borough Council. The fact we got so many signatures in such a short space of time shows how much support there is which begs the question why is it taking so long?

Its been at least six years since this was first raised and personally I find it sad that we have to go to such lengths especially when neighbouring parishes raised kerbs and erected bus shelters at the majority of their stops many years ago.

It might well be that there are other stops in the village that could benefit from a shelter (such as School Lane) or the kerbs raising and if this is the case I'd suggest that you contact your Parish and Borough Councillors now we've got the ball rolling.

Finally I'd like to thank everybody for their support and I hope this matter is settled in a matter of weeks not months.

Mrs Christine Howe Response from Birstall Parish Council clerk Sue Coulson: Mrs Howe received a response to her first letter on 4 January 2016, drafted by the Management & Policy Committee.

The letter informed Mrs Howe that Bus Shelters and raised kerbs were the responsibility of Leicestershire County Council and that they were the correct and proper recipients for her letter and petition, which also indicated that a meeting was not necessary.

Providing Bus Shelters is not a duty of a Parish Council, they cannot just place structures on demand, without permission or on land belonging to others and no amount of petitions will change that.

The Parish Council and County Councillor Iain Bentley have been working together with the involvement of another resident since August 2014 in an attempt to get the unused shelter removed from Libra Parade and installed at the Windmill Avenue / Wanlip Lane terminus.

However, because this shelter is owned by a private commercial company and they are reluctant to move it, it all became incredibly difficult and virtually

THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

impossible to progress.

The Parish Council, in an attempt to try to resolve this matter themselves, agreed to set aside funds of £2,000 to go towards the installation of a one-off shelter at this terminus only. This is in the budget for 2016/17 financial year (which does not come into force until 1 April 2016), but the Council still need to debate this and make a final decision.

The responsibility for bus shelters and raising kerbs, ultimately lies with Leicestershire County Council Highways Department and the correct procedure would be for residents to contact them directly, and not to send them into the Parish Council or to Charnwood Borough Council as suggested by Mrs C Howe.

Broadnook In response to Mr Garner’s letter, published in the January issue of the Birstall Post.

Birstall Parish Council has never objected specifically to the Broadnook development, which is not within our Parish boundary. It was responded to via the consultation process in respect of Charnwood Borough Council’s Core Strategy.

Birstall Parish Council’s objection was on the grounds of soundness, due to concerns about the effect that the building of 1500 houses and an industrial site would have on the traffic using the A6 through Birstall. Our neighbours in Rothley, Mountsorrel and Quorn have the benefit of a by-pass.

Birstall is unfortunately bisected by the A6 and has to contend with the already significant traffic flow and pollution caused by it. Also our residents have concerns that residential roads are being used as ‘rat runs’ to escape the gridlock on the A6, particularly mornings and evenings.

Birstall Parish Council will continue to press for traffic concerns to be addressed at every opportunity via Charnwood Borough Council and developers, in order to mitigate the effect such development will have on Birstall. The Parish Council will also raise issues of extra facilities which would benefit our residents. The Parish Council urges residents to attend one of the Consultation meetings relating to the Broadnook development to make their views known.

Details were published in the January Birstall Post.

Cllr Ann Marshall Chair of Birstall Parish Council

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Dial ‘M’ for Murder

by Frederick Knott An amateur production by arrangement with Samuel French Ltd directed by John Shaw Wednesday February 10 Saturday February 13 Leicester College of Performing Arts (LCPA) Garden Street, Leicester LE1 3UA Doors open 7pm Curtain 7.30pm Tickets £8 Concessions £7 Tel: 0777 567 9435 ‘Do you believe in the perfect murder?’

What We Wore Stories and pictures of children’s ary, we believed his every word and advertised in the Birstall Post, only to find out that our website is not ready and further more the technician is not answering his phone call, text messages and what's app.

We would like to thank the Birstall Post for giving us the chance to apologise.

We have opened the Facebook account for anyone who would like to view our products with our contact number ( 077 700 400 97 ) if you like our products, we ask of you to please like our Facebook, our account details is www.facebook.com/sleepingpetals Once again we are so sorry for the inconvenience.

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Apologies Our deepest apology from Sleeping Petals. We would like to apologise to you all with regards to our website, due to our website technician not keeping his word to complete the website and letting us down Our technician promised he would complete our website by the end of December, to start our business in Janu-

Mountsorrel Methodist Church celebrating 15 years of

Sunday Night at Eight Organ Recitals Sunday Feb 14 at 8pm Stephen Moore Director of Music at St Matthew’s Church, Northampton Birstall & District Art Society Tuesday February 9, at 6.30pm for 7pm start You are invited to join us at the Palmer Tomkinson Centre at The Cedars Academy, Wanlip Road, Birstall LE4 4GH to watch renowned artist Steven McLoughlin demonstrate how to produce an oil painting called ‘Watching the Waves’. Demonstration to end at 9pm. Members £1, Guests £3.

Free raffle. Ample parking and wheelchair access.

Birstall Running Club Meet Monday & Friday nights, 6.20 for 6.30 run Birstall School Lane playing fields – showers & toilets available Wednesday night beginners group at Birstall Legion 7pm Speed work sessions also available on Wednesdays for those wanting to improve Contact Deryk on dwoods1@sky.com or Bob 07927 346640 Web site – www.birstallrc.org.uk

Leicester Symphony Orchestra Sun Feb 21, 3pm De Montfort Hall, Leicester Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries Coates: Dam Busters March Zimmer: Pirates of the Caribbean Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine Tickets: £11/£15/£18 De Montfort Hall Box Office 0116 233 3111 Leicester Sketch Club

Art Exhibition

Councillor Surgery Last Sat of every month 10am to 12noon 10 Sibson Road, Old Council Office Talk to your District & County Councillors to discuss any issue of local concern

28th January - 19th March 2016 Sock Gallery - Loughborough Town Hall Market Place, Loughborough, LE11 3EB Lots of opportunities to perform throughout the year Dance for fun or train to a pre- professional standard in a friendly, welcoming environment Graded Examination classes in Ballet, Tap, Modern, Lyrical, Acrobatics from aged 2 upwards.

Vocal coaching • Tumbling Skills

Take it home Will the person or persons who exercise their dogs in the private access road to the rear of Gwendolin Avenue please take their excrement home with them.

This is a private property.

Thanking you.

Gwendolin Ave resident

clothes 1990-1999 Charnwood Museum, Granby St, Loughborough LE11 3DU Feb 6 to May 16 Museum open: Feb & March, TuesSat 10am-3pm, Sundays 12noon3pm April & May, Tues –Sat 10am to 4.30pm, Sundays 2-5pm Public car parks in Granby St & Packe St

Call

0116 2355495 The Design Department at Cedars Academy had a display of students work at Birstall Library during January and I would like to say how interesting I found the different formats of visual art they had created. I am not the least bit 'arty' myself but thoroughly enjoyed the display. Well done to the students involved and to the teachers for encouraging this.

I look forward to seeing more of their work on display at the library during the year. Good luck to all concerned with forthcoming exams.

Mrs Reynolds

For a

FREE first lesson Hadrian Road, nr Birstall Leicester LE4 2PQ starlighttheatre@me.com

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THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

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THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

Free Admission The Club is delighted to present its exhibition of original drawings and paintings at Sock Gallery. For over 100 years, Leicester Sketch Club has encouraged and inspired local artists through a varied programme of professional demonstrations, workshops, sketching days and annual exhibitions.

The Club has over 100 members ranging from professional full time artists to developing part time artists and aims to encourage the artistic development of all.

Meet the Artists and Art Demonstrations Saturday 6th February 2016 – 10am-1pm A chance to meet LSC artists at work and pick up tips and tantalising techniques!

It is also our exhibition Launch Day at 12 noon…..all welcome to join us.

Free entry with refreshments available. www.leicestersketchclub.co.uk enquiries@leicestersketchclub.co. uk

Birstall Flower Club 24th February 2015, 7.15pm Birstall Village Hall Demonstration by Joanne Poulter entitled "Picture This" Visitors welcome - £5.

Queries to Sylvia: 0116 2674206 or Mary Linnett: 0116 2672247

Coffee Morning to raise funds for The SMA Trust (Spinal Muscular Atrophy). at Birstall Methodist Coffee Shop Saturday 13 February 10am – 12 noon Coffee/Tea and cakes plus a Raffle

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and a sales table of ‘pre-loved gifts’ Come along and support this coffee morning Why not visit The SMA Trust website to learn more about Spinal Muscular Atrophy which is the leading genetic killer in infants and toddlers.

ADAPT Prembabies Limited Registered Charity Number 1138777 Get your tickets now for the

ADAPT Ladies Night a night of adult fun (over 18's only) and entertainment by the very popular Miss Tiara Thunderpussy. Enjoy the Music, Topless Waiters, Fantastic raffle and lots more.

Friday 4th March 2016 7:30pm - late Braunstone Working Mens Club A great night for your office party, hen party or just a good girlie night out so please come along and support this popular night, it will be a great evening raising money for ADAPTPrembabies at the same time.

For tickets please call 07983099170 or 07847264382

Birstall Methodist Monday Women’s Group Programme For February 1 Feb Antiques with Diane (Members’ evening) 8 Feb Ghost stories and the Histories of Leicester – Speaker Robert Gregory 15 Feb Art Deco Posters – Speaker Sue Phipps (B.A.D.A.S.) 22 Feb Hats from the Hall – there will be a Speaker 29 Feb Ecotrash – making items from household trash – Speaker

Can we help with:

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Birstall Royal British Legion 6th Claude (M/V) 13th Andy Mellor (M/V) 20th Suzy Welsh(F/V) 27th Neil Evans (M/V) Dancing every Saturday night with live entertainment Bingo, Free beer raffle and not forgetting Open the Box Every Tuesday night Bingo starting at 9.15pm Sunday Quiz nights Sunday 14th and 28th February starting at 9pm Acoustic night Sunday 21st February at 8pm Wednesday quiz every week from 8.30pm Food available every Saturday 122pm Wakes catered for Free Wi-Fi available New outside seating area • Travel Talk - Sue Ablett

Panama Canal, Coral and Culture Wanlip Community Hall Friday March 4th at 7.30pm Become an armchair traveller for the evening as you enjoy an expedition cruising taking in Costa Rica, Panama, the coast of Colombia and Venezuela, and a transit of the Panama Canal.

Tickets £4 (including wine & nibbles) available from Beryl McHugh 2674913

From Classics To Jazz Saturday 19th March, 7pm Syston Methodist Church Concert by Rachel Lawson – clarinet/saxophone and Stephen Waterhouse piano.

Tickets £6 in aid of LOROS and Church funds.

For further details/tickets please contact Maureen Lawson on 0116 260 9804

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Marie-Ann Nogue Our Group meets every Monday evening at 7.30pm at Birstall Methodist Church We are a friendly group and all women are made welcome.

Our project this year is raising funds MacMillan Cancer Care.

We look forward to welcoming you!

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Thursday Group’s

Coffee Morning Saturday March 5th 10-12 am in the Methodist Church coffee shop, Wanlip Lane.

Books, puzzles, tombola, cakes etc., in aid of Medical Detection Dogs.

St James Social Group

Film Night “My Old Lady”

starring Maggie Smith and Kevin Kline.

A thoughtful but witty comedy set in Paris Friday February 19th 7.00pm at St James Church No charge – donation collection

Birstall & District Local History Society The February meeting of the Society takes place on Thursday 11th February 2016 in the Birstall Village Hall, Birstall Road, Leics.

This months talk will be given by Felicity Austin on the subject of “Those Big Brands We Grew Up With” commencing at 7.30pm.

Visitors are very welcome to join us for this talk.

There will be parking available on the night on the Birstall Playing Fields through the School Lane entrance.

Film Presentations Thurcaston and Cropston Parish Council "A Little Chaos" (120 mins), February 12th 2016.

This British costume drama, in a thoroughly French setting, is centred around the Palace of Versailles. Louis X1V instructed his landscape architect, Andre, to create a huge ornate water feature in his luxurious grounds. Sabine, played by Kate Winslett, is hired as gardener to complete this task but for her, this is an unfamiliar world of rivalries and upper class etiquette. Amongst the comical

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THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

chaos, will Sabine succeed in the task or fall for Andre, or both?

Friday March 4th (7.00pm) and Sat March 5th (2.00 and 7.00pm) Humphrey Perkins Community Centre, Cotes Road, Barrow LE12 8JU. Tickets cost £8 (£6 concessions and children) and £24 (family of 2+2). Group tickets are also available.

Meet up with Barrow’s hilarious Dame (Richard) Busty Cupcakes, wicked Queen Evelyn, a mirror, an apple, Snow White of course and definitely the Bench scene. We’ll bring you the traditional tale absolutely peppered with jokes and joining in. It’s fun for all the family. A terrific community entertainment from our very own talented Barrow Panto Group.

You can buy your tickets from the Paper Shop, High St, Barrow or by PayPal from www.busca.org.uk or from the Box Office 07718153117. Just don’t leave it too late. If you would like to arrange to bring a group, contact Judith on judithrodgers155@gmail.com Abbey Pumping Station Corporation Rd, Leicester LE4 5PX

Steam Toys in Action

"Suffragette" (106 mins) March 11th Our British period drama for March will be the first film in history to be shot in the Houses of Parliament where MP's denied women's rights until 1928. Maud, played

by Carey Mulligan, is a determined factory worker who loses everything she holds dear because, as a suffragette, she refuses to walk in a man's shadow. Meryl Streep plays the formidable Emmeline Pankhurst.

"The Lady in the Van" will be shown on April 8th.

Thurcaston and Cropston Parish Council will be showing these films at Thurcaston Memorial Hall.

Starting at 7.30pm. Tickets will cost no more than £5 and concessions will still be £4.50. There will be refreshments and a lucky prize draw during the interval.

Advanced tickets may be purchased via the parish office –0116 236 7626 or at the door.

Barrow Panto Group

“Snow White the Panto”

meal , and ending with a service at 6: 30.

CLASH 2012 Peepul Enterprise Every Monday from 1st Feb Yoga, 11.30am-12.30am From Wednesday from 3rd Feb Seated Exercises, 1.00-2.00pm Tesco Express Shelthorpe Community Room Alternate Wed General Exercises with Physiotherapist, 2.303.30pm from 10th Feb Alternate Wed Drop-in Arthritis Information session, 2.30-3.30pm from 17th Feb Weekly Sunday Club Children & Young People’s club Animation Workshops and Fun Activities 1.00am 3.00pm from 14th Feb Hydrotherapy Weekly at Leicester General Hospital every Thursday morning.

If you have arthritis, join us at any of the above activities.

Call 03333 444 611 for further information Birstall Methodist Church 10.30am - 11.30am

"Tots to Teens" Sunday Breakfast Club with Activities, Bible stories, Crafts, Discussions, Eating Ring 2672606 or just turn up

The March issue of

THE BIRSTALL POST Sunday 7 February 1pm - 5pm This is the 26th year of this ever popular event – the biggest gathering of steam toys in Europe.

100’s of toy steam engines, boats and trains will be on display and see the museum’s collection of heritage vehicles on show. Leicester’s only narrow gauge railway will be running and giving rides. A marvellous winter’s day out for all the family, with the added joy of a hot cuppa and a slice of cake at the LMTA Café. Adults £3; accompanied children: Free (a small charge for train rides).

Victorian Board Games Saturday 20 February 11am - 4pm Come and have a go at some traditional Victorian games then make a board game of your own to play on rainy days. Follow the happy families’ game trail around the museum. Refreshments available More info 0116 299 5111

Women's World Day of Prayer Friday, March 4 At Birstall Methodist Church on the theme of Cuba.

Doors will open at 4 o'clock, with a presentation on Cuba, a light

will be published on Mar 5.

The copy deadline is Feb 19.

13

New walking group A NEW walking group in Barrow upon Soar is giving people the opportunity to get fit in the New Year.

The group meets weekly on Tuesdays at 10.30am at the Three Crowns Inn car park. It is free to take part and people of all abilities are welcome to join for an hour of walking.

Walk leader Heather Dipple said: “Walking is a great way to get some exercise and meet new people and we look forward to exploring the village along the way.”

The walks are supported by the Charnwood Walking for Health scheme which is co-ordinated by Fusion Lifestyle, in partnership with Charnwood Borough Council’s Sport and Active Recreation team.

Councillor Jonathan Morgan, Cabinet member for Community Cohesion, said: “We are committed to helping our residents live healthy and active lifestyles and this scheme is an excellent way for people to get involved and take up a new hobby.”

The launch of the group follows the success of the Dishley Grange patients group walks held at Gorse Covert.

For more information about walks in your area contact the Sport and Active Recreation Team at Charnwood Borough Council on 01509 632535 or at active.together@charnwood.gov.uk

14

THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

Council tax to rise by 3.99%, say County LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY Council says it will make cuts of £26million next year – the highest annual round of cuts it has ever made.

500 full time posts will go and there will be a council tax rise of 3.99% The council warned that the public will see the impact on services, as it has to save £110 million over the course of this Parliament – following £103 million of cuts during the last one.

Key headlines for the next four years include: • Total savings of £78 million will be required, including £26 million from April. The council has only identified £59 million, leaving £19 million still to be found.

• Identified savings include proposed cuts to bus subsidies, waste sites and public health work NEW GATES have been manufactured and installed by Bir• Efficiency savings of £27 million, stall Parish Council at the entrance of Harrowgate Drive including reductions in management and Playing fields at a cost of £2,242. administration (£3 million) and better “The old gates were heavy and getting playing fields was totally obscured by the commissioning and procurement (£9 million) more and more difficult for the caretakold gates. The new gates are see through Growth of £41.3 million to meet er to lock and unlock, neither were they so it is hoped that the issues caused by rising demand, including adult social very pleasing to the eye” said Parish the old gates will disappear.” care (£23 million), children’s social clerk Sue Coulson.

The installation of new security fenccare (£8 million) and waste (£2.4 milShe added: “We have received reports ing for the Harrowgate Drive Playing lion) that Harrowgate Drive Playing Fields Fields has been put forward as a one off • Council Tax rises of 3.99 per cent were causing an issue for the Police project by the Parish Council in the new per year, including a two per cent prewith drug dealing and this was partly financial year, 2016/17. cept to support adult social care, which because of the fact that the route to the was introduced by the Government. The two per cent will not cover the council’s The Most Amazing Carpet Cleaning This full costs for adult EVER SEEN….. social care AMAZING BUSINESS • An estimated Successful cleaning Business Carpets, Fabric & Leather 500 full-time equivaIs For SALE….

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have to take tough decisions such as cuts to early help and public health services and rural bus subsidies, if we are to deliver the savings that we need – and next year will be very tough indeed.”

The financial situation means that the council cannot afford to develop a mining museum at Snibston. It will explore ways of providing some public access to the scheduled ancient monument and museum collections stored on site and linking them with the country park.

Before Christmas, the council predicted it might have to save as much as £130 million over this Parliament. This has now been reduced to £110 million, due to the Government’s decision to let councils raise an extra two per cent per year on Council Tax to contribute towards adult social care.

A proposed rise of 3.99 per cent would increase the county council’s share of band D bills by £43.25 to £1,127.40 per year from April.

Your views wanted RESIDENTS ARE being invited to join a Virtual Citizens’ Panel to let Charnwood Borough Council know what they think of its services and future plans.

The Council already has around 100 members and is looking for more residents to join the panel to represent the Borough’s diverse population.

Members will be invited to complete surveys – online or by post – giving their views on a range of topics from bin collections to Council Tax. The feedback from the panel will be vital in helping to shape Council services now and in the future.

Councillor Tom Barkley, the Council’s Lead Member for Finance and Internal Support Services, said: “If you’re aged 16 or over and a resident of Charnwood, we’d love to hear what you have to say.

“The Council aims to put customers at the heart of everything we do and listening to your views is extremely important in helping us deliver the services you need.

“There’s no pressure and members only complete the surveys they wish to.

It’s a great way to make your views count.”

For further information contact us at communications@charnwood.gov.uk, visit www.charnwood.gov.uk/citizens_panel or call 01509 634989.

THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

15

New Year runners 80 PEOPLE turned up for the launch of Birstall Running Club’s ‘Couch to 5K’ running programme, aimed at beginners.

Girlguiding Birstall needs leaders GIRLGUIDING BIRSTALL has been successfully running in Birstall for over 80 years and is so popular it needs more adult leaders to cope with demand.

It currently has two Rainbow Units, three Brownie Units, two Guide Units and one Ranger Unit which are full to capacity.

The girls age from 5 to 18.

Guide Leader Marie Upton said: “We are looking to recruit new female leaders or unit helpers so that some units can increase their numbers or stay open due to leaders leaving. Being a leader is great fun, you get to do all sorts of activities from dressing up as an Easter bunny to camping or travelling abroad.

“If you think you would like to come and have a look at what we do at

Girlguiding Birstall please get in touch either by registering your interest as a volunteer on the girlguiding website www.girlguiding.org.uk/interested or email me on marie.upton@live.co.uk Pics: Leaders having fun at Birstall Fire Station and Conkers

“This was beyond the Club’s wildest expectations” said Course Leader Scott Brownlow. “The streets of Birstall were awash with luminous tops, his-vis jackets, the patter of feet and a giant mushroom cloud of exhaled air as the team set out on a winter’s evening.”

Scott and fellow leader Colin Rimmer had publicised the programme via the Birstall Post and social media and the Club had purposely decided to start the programme in January, to coincide with new year’s resolutions to keep fit.

Scott said: “ Many participants had never run before in their lives and were keen to make a positive difference to their lifestyles. Indeed some were anxious and lacked a bit of self-confidence. Some had targets such as a wish to lose a pound or two before getting married or a desire to train for a charity run. Others had run in the past but not for many years and were looking for a way back into the sport.”

Over the course of the programme, the course leaders will assess individuals to identify those that are already in a position to be fast-tracked to one of the Club’s more advanced sessions, like the Wednesday “Inbetweeners” group which is last year’s cohort of beginners. For the remainder, completion of the nine-week programme will see them ‘graduate’ at Braunstone parkrun, a timed 5k run, sometime in March.

Scott said: “Although the numbers took us completely by surprise, we are delighted with the take-up.

The atmosphere on the first evening was superb. Although the programme is completely free, we wanted to give some value-added to the participants and we do that via our dedicated Facebook group where motivational tips and advice are shared, and via a weekly feedback sheet that is emailed to all members after each session, to recap on what the session was, what its aims were and what the team can do between then and the next week’s session.

“It’s important for team members to understand that jogging / running is not just about losing weight or about dieting, but that it’s about having a healthy heart, positive state of mind, self-confidence and a sense of achievement; as well as making new friends and having fun. We constantly remind the team members that they are lapping everybody on the couch, and that simple phrase really hits home.”

For those people able to run 2-3 miles comfortably, the next level is the Birstall “Inbetweeners” group which runs on a Wednesday at 7pm from the British Legion, Front Street, Birstall. The Inbetweeners actively welcome new members and there is again no charge.

They also have their own Facebook group.

For the more advanced runners, the Club’s main sessions are on a Monday and a Friday, both at 6.30pm starting at the Pavilion, School Lane.

The Monday group typically runs 7-9 miles each week with the Friday group about 4-5 miles.

More information can be found on the Birstall RC website http://www.birstallrc.org. uk/ More information on the Birstall “Couch to 5k” programme can be found on the dedicated Facebook page “Birstall Running Club – Couch to 5k Programme – January 2016”. Alternatively, Scott can be contacted by email on scottpbrownlow@gmail.com

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THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

NHW news

& crime report Holiday Fraud As Spring approaches we can look forward to our summer holidays. However, beware of scams that offer you holidays at very low prices.

Fraudsters advertise holidays on the internet or by email at temptingly low prices although, in reality, the holiday either does not exist or you will only get part of what you expected. For example: you get your flight but find that there is nowhere to stay when you get there.

Protect yourself from holiday fraud • Make sure you can find the company’s name and full postal address and check that it actually exists.

• Keep an eye out for bad spelling and grammar; this is often a sign of fraud.

• See if the company has only recently been set up or changed hands. This can be another sign of fraud, especially when linked to unrealistically low prices.

• Ensure that the company is a member of a trade body such as ABTA, the Travel Association or ATOL, the Air Travel Organisers Licensing.

• Make sure that their website uses the padlock symbol to indicate it is secure.

• Never pay by cash or through money transfer agents such as Western Union.

• Whenever possible, pay by credit card because this can protect your payment.

• Make sure the details on your paperwork match what you booked and always check the terms and conditions to confirm exactly what you are being sold.

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The birstall post

• Double check your booking just before you travel, especially if there is a long time between the booking and arrival dates.

• If you have any doubts do not book it!

In addition, when booking accommodation • Always book directly with an established hotel or through a reputable travel company.

• If you choose to book independently be very careful. Make sure you are dealing directly with the genuine property owner or letting agent.

• Research the property or hotel that you are booking and verify that the address exists through web searches and online maps. Check that the images match those on the advert and whether there are any reviews from previous visitors.

• Ask the owner about the property and the local area in detail and then do your own research to confirm what they tell you.

• If you use a letting agent, use a search engine to check them and look for any reviews. Ask them what checks they make on properties and their owners.

Do not be tempted by cheap deals that seem too good to be true because that is what they usually are!

From Birstall and Wanlip Neighbourhood Watch www.villagewatch.co.uk 0116 267 6397 Crime Report : Birstall & Wanlip Dec 2015 Assaults 1, burglary 3, burglary nondwelling 3, damage 6, damage to motor vehicle 3, theft 3, theft from motor vehicle 8, theft from store 3.

I am pleased to report that the number of crimes reported in December has fallen considerably compared to November, with 19 fewer crimes recorded.

This is obviously good news and is mainly down to the fact that the number of damage reports has reduced significantly, down from 23 in November to just nine this month.

I said in last month’s report that we had some CCTV footage from some of these incidents and I can report that from this footage, a young male from just outside the Birstall area has been identified and interviewed about all of these damages. Due to the number of incidents, enquiries are however still ongoing & so I will keep you updated about any further developments in due course.

This month has also seen a local male who was recently convicted of drug dealing in the area around Harrowgate Drive Park, sent to prison for two years. This was following a lot of hard work by the local beat team and officers from our Economic Crime Unit, and hopefully sends out a message that drug dealing will not be tolerated.

We continue to monitor a number of individuals who we suspect to be involved in drug dealing in Birstall and if necessary will conduct warrants once we have sufficient evidence, so if you are involved in doing this, you have been warned!

Earlier this month I attended a meeting at Birstall Parish Council in relation to speeding issues in the village & in particular on Birstall Road, where a lot of vehicles have been recorded as exceeding the 30mph speed limit. As a result of this meeting the County Council has said that they will look at installing some new illuminated signs on the road and the beat team have also issued some ‘wheelie bin stickers’ to a number of residents. These have a large 30mph sign on them & have proved to be helpful in reducing vehicle speeds, so if they prove to be successful we will try and get some more so that we can roll the scheme out to other streets in the village.

The Christmas period passed off without any major incidents and by the time you all read this we will be well into 2016 so I hope that you all had a good New Year. We would also like to say thank you for continuing to support your Local Policing Team here in Birstall & Wanlip.

Thanks for reading and as always please remain vigilant and report any crimes or suspicious activity to the Police on 101. You can also contact your local NHW co-ordinator for advice on noncrime matters.

From PC 1759 Dave Jaeckels, PCSO’s 6611 Mark Butler and 6391 Fiona Lacey.

NL60 – Birstall Police Office. http://www.leics.police.uk Tel: 0116 2677355 (Please note this is an advice line only – Please use 101 or 999 to report crime).

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Free money course A FREE course that helps you stay in control of your money will help you debtproof your life.

The CAP Money Course has been designed in order to help people develop the budgeting skills that will enable them to avoid getting into debt.

A spokesman said: “Debt is an increasing issue for UK homes. Government statistics forecast that the average British home will have £10,000 of unsecured debt by the end of 2016.

“Families are spending an average of £360 per week and when this is added to extras, like the average £868 that each UK home spent on Christmas this year, it is easy to see how things can quickly get out of hand.”

The local CAP Money team are based in the parish of St James the Great, Birstall and Our Lady and St Nicholas, Wanlip.

The team is headed up by Gill Chester and they run several courses a year. They are just one of more than 1,000 churches of different Christian traditions across the UK who are regularly offering the course; as they work together to positively impact the communities around them.

The course has been found to be useful for newly retired people, soon-to-be students, mums dealing with mounting bills, families saving for a wedding, and everyone in between.

The CAP Money Course is the pro-active educational arm of the charity ‘Christians Against Poverty’. It is sometimes run by Debt Counselling Centres but mostly the courses are run by churches where congregations want to do something to empower local people to fight poverty before it hits.

The spokesman said: “This course is for everyone. It’s for everyone because everyone can benefit from learning how to set a budget and how to stick to it - a vital life-skill that helps people to debt-proof themselves in the long term.”

The next course will be held at The ASDA Community Room, Thurmaston and will take place on Saturday February 27 and Saturday March 5. Each session lasts from 0930 to 1200. A light breakfast will be provided. The course, including breakfast, is completely free.

To book your place on the course telephone Gill Chester on 0116 2120236/ 0783 229 9671. www.capmoneycourse.org

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THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

Bowls club history I HAVE been researching the history of the St Margaret's Co-operative Bowls Club and have discovered a few things which I am sure will be of interest to your readers.

17

Wool shop opens A WOOL shop has opened in Mountsorrel.

Pic: the club pictured in 1972

The “St Margaret” part of the name comes from the hugely successful brand name of the giant Corah textile factory in Leicester.

The Corah company was founded by Nathanial Corah and was so successful

Dream comes true A SLIMMING World manager from Birstall is feeling ready to make any (weight-loss) dream come true after meeting legendary soap actor and popstar Jason Donovan.

Jane Eaton, who manages Slimming World groups in Birstall, was delighted to get a chance to cuddle up to the Australian heartthrob when he swapped Ramsay Street for the annual Slimming World Awards.

Jane said meeting Jason was a wonderful way to round off a fabulous year for Slimming World. “I couldn’t be prouder of all of the members in Birstall. They’ve lost fantastic amounts of weight throughout 2015, with many of them making their weight loss dreams come true by hitting their target weight, improving their health and more.

“Every week I feel so lucky to play even a small part in people’s achievements and I felt very honoured to represent all of the Slimming World groups in Birstall when I met Jason.”

that in the first 40 years it rapidly outgrew its premises on more than one occasion. By 1865 the huge St Margaret factory was opened. It was named after the district of Leicester in which it stood.

In 1875 the company was quick to register its popular "St Margaret" brand.

This was one of the first names to be registered under the 1875 Trademark Registration Act. The company had a close relationship with Marks & Spencer and business did so well that it could soon claim to be the largest clothing manufacturer in Europe. The "St Margaret" label proved so successful as a mark of high quality manufacture that in 1928, M&S took up the idea and created their own "St Michael" brand which is well known to all and ran for over 70 years.

The Corah company had a reputation for looking after its workforce. The company bowls club was set up in 1921 on their Thurcaston Road ground. This

Smarti Paints on Cromwell Road are now supplying King Cole wool, suitable for knitting, crochet and other crafts.

Business owner Victoria Wright said: “Our prices are very competitive and we have a wide variety of yarns, such as chunky knit, pricewise, sparkle, opal and the new vogue, in a range of colours.

We also have a small variety of patterns that match our existing yarn stock.”

The shop also has a small haberdashery stand that offers ribbons, scissors, dressmaker pins and other items.

Victoria said: “If you enjoy crochet please join us for our social crochet evenings on a Tuesday 6.30-8.30pm for a small fee of £3 to include refreshments and an expert tutor on hand should you need help. picture from May 1972, possibly taken by the Leicester Mercury, is from a collection by Johnnie Wesson. Johnnie is one of three ex-Corah employees still active in the club today.

The Corah family sold their last holdings in the company in 1989 and the company were no longer able to support their bowls club. The members

Pic: Victoria Wright from Smarti Paints

“If you prefer knitting, please join us on a Friday 1.30-3.30pm for our knit and knatter, again £3 which includes use of an expert tutor and refreshments.”

The shop is at 8 Cromwell Road, Mountsorrel LE12 7EY and has free parking.

www.smartipaints.co.uk were agreed that friendships and sportsmanship built up over the years was far too valuable to be lost so the club must be saved. The storey of this truly monumental task will be told in the next edition of the Birstall Post.

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18

THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

News from the churches How many days has February?

Had you realised that 2016 is a Leap Year? Not that this will affect many people except those who were born on the February 29! The early Easter does mean that such dates as Pancake Day and Ash Wednesday are also early (9th and 10th February).

Ash Wednesday is always celebrated at Wanlip at 9.30am and at 7.30pm at St. James in services to mark the beginning of Lent, traditionally a time for “giving something up”, before we celebrate Easter. This year, there will be a series of weekly Lent talks on the psalms, starting on Wednesday evenings from February 17 in Wanlip Church and Community Hall at 7.30pm. Everyone will be welcome.

Social events On Friday Feb 19 at 7pm there will be another of our free film nights at St James, to which everyone is invited. The film this time is “My Old Lady” with Maggie Smith and Keven Kline, described as a thoughtful and witty comedy set in Paris.

Light refreshments are served at the interval, and we can be sure of an entertaining evening. Looking further ahead, Sue Ablett an intrepid traveller and excellent speaker, will present an illustrated talk on her trip to Panama via Costa Rica and Venezuela, at Wanlip Church and Community Hall on Friday March 4th at 7.30pm. Tickets are £4 including a glass of wine and are available by ringing 0116 2674913.

St James Monday Group invite members and visitors to their meeting on February 8 at 7.30 pm in the Day Centre of the Village Hall, when there will be a talk on Stoneywell Cottage, recently opened by the National Trust in Leicestershire.

St Nick’s coffee shop on the third Tuesday of each month at Wanlip between 10am and 12.30pm continues to be very popular, and afterwards there is a short time of musical meditation for

anyone who would also like to visit the church.

From Birstall Parish Churches Disappointment for Methodists in Birstall.

Leicester North Circuit, of which Birstall Methodist is very much a part, was seeking a replacement Minister from this September, when Rev Rachel Parkinson moves to be Chair of the Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury Circuit. Sadly, no full time replacement appears to be available. The following notice, prepared by Rachel, was read out at the six churches in the Circuit on January 17.

By this weekend we hoped to have received the name of a probationer minister we’d been matched with in the stationing meeting this week. Unfortunately, we’ve heard instead that no match has been made. We’ve been told that this had nothing to do with what we were offering as a Circuit but is simply the way that the process worked out, combined with their being fewer people available than expected and more appointments. As you can imagine, the Circuit Leadership Team is bitterly disappointed as I imagine that you all will be - particularly the Birstall and Rothley congregations. If it is of any consolation, it is very unlikely that we would be in a better position if we had looked for a Superintendent Minister instead.

The Northampton District still has five outstanding vacancies in addition to ours.

There are simply far more appointments available than ministers to fill them.

We have not lost hope that a suitable minister may be found for us, but we have to start planning for the eventuality that this will not happen. The Circuit Leadership Team will meet next Sunday to begin to look at options. We also plan to hold a short Circuit meeting, open to everyone, to gather ideas and seek authority to take further action. I have spoken to the President of Conference, Rev’d

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Steve Wild, about our situation. He is with us on Sunday February 7 when he will lead our Circuit Service at Birstall at 10.30am. Steve has agreed to include the Circuit meeting as part of his visit. It will therefore take place straight after coffee on that day. The President is holding our Circuit in prayer. Please add your own prayers to his.

Members & friends will be aware that this is not the first time this has happened to the Circuit, and on two previous occasions, the Circuit has appointed a ‘Lay Worker’ instead of an ordained Minister.

Little Big Band at Rothley The slate built Methodist Church in Howe Lane Rothley is having an ‘Evening with the Little Big Band’ on Saturday March 5 to include a supper of hotdogs, coffee, tea & cake. Tickets from Christine (Tel 2374658) or Sue (07585557548) are £6.

From Birstall Methodist Church

Lent Meetings The period traditionally known as ‘Lent,’ which leads up to Easter, starts on 10th February and we would like to invite you to join with us for a series of meetings over the following six weeks to consider what actually happened on the first Good Friday and Easter Day, what these events have to say to us and why we should regard them as important. We will seek to answer such questions as: What are meant by such terms as ‘mediator’, ‘redeemer’, ‘reconciler’ and ‘substitutionary sacrifice’? How does the historical evidence support the Biblical account and counter all the theories which have been put forward to ‘explain’ the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. If you would like to attend, then please contact the number given below. These meetings are open to all, whatever denomination or religion or none, and are free of charge.

Sunday Services You are warmly invited to join with us for our services, which are held in the Community Room at Highcliffe Primary School, Greengate Lane (LE4 3DL).

The morning services start at 10.45 a.m. and the evening service on 7th February starts at 6.00 p.m. Due to the school’s half-term holiday, we are not meeting there on 21st February (so please ring for venue). Our visiting speaker on 28th February is Peter Thackeray (East Leake). Please note that there is a Sunday School available for youngsters aged seven to twelve during the sermon part of the morning service if requested.

Further information: please ring 0116 2214883.

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Violent robbery THREE MASKED men broke into a Birstall house and threatened the homeowner before fleeing with stolen property.

The incident happened on December 28 at around 8.30pm at an address on Kedlestone Avenue.

The robbers were armed with a weapon. No arrests have been made

by Police, who are appealing for information from the public.

Local grants LOCAL GROUPS are being invited to apply for grant funding from Birstall Parish Council.

Last year the Council budgeted £2400 for 2015/16 to help support local clubs, groups and charities, and says it is likely to increase this for 2016/17.

Parish Council Chair Ann Marshall said: “The Parish Council has set aside a sum of money so that nonprofit making parish based community groups can apply for grants. A simple application form is available on the parish council website or from the council office.” www.birstallparishcouncil.org.uk

Planning P/16/0104/2: 16A Kingsgate Ave – erection of two storey side extension to dwelling P/16/0091/2: 28 Spinney Rise – erection of single storey rear extension to dwelling P/16/0051/2: 162 Birstall Rd – convert integral garage into bedroom and erection of garage to front of dwelling P/16/0043/2: 23 Goscote Hall Rd – erection of single storey extension to rear of dwelling P/16/0002/2 – 13 Freehold Rd – erection of 1st floor extension to side of dwelling P/15/2623/2: 23 Moorgate Ave – erection of single storey extension to side & rear of dwelling

Day of prayer THE WOMEN’S World Day of Prayer takes place this year on Friday March 4.

It will be held at Birstall Methodist Church on Wanlip Lane and the theme is ‘Cuba’ with particular reference to its children.

The study day and the service will be combined. Mrs Rachel Parkinson, minister at the church, will be giving the presentation and will take the part of leader in the service. A brief meditation will also be included.

The doors will open at 4pm with the presentation being given in the Church. This will be followed by a light meal in the church rooms, and the service itself will begin at 6.30pm.

THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

19

Museum WI skittles expansion champions LEICESTER’S POPULAR museum of technology at the Abbey Pumping Station could be set for expansion as part of a wider project that will consider how the city council can put more of its historic items on display.

Located within Pioneer Park, close to the National Space Centre, the pumping station has more than 55,000 visitors each year. Its main attraction is the historic engine house with its four working beam engines built by Gimsons of Leicester.

City Mayor Peter Soulsby has announced a review to look at how it can be improved as a visitor attraction, how more items can be displayed there, and what can be done with the 1930’s extension which stands alongside the original Victorian engine house and is no longer in use.

TWENTY NINE ladies welcomed in 2016 on January 4.

It was a busy evening as our yearly subscriptions were paid and we voted on the National Resolutions for 2016. We all agreed that our Christmas meal at the Red Lion had been very enjoyable. Secretary Liz told us that the BBC had expressed an interest in WI ladies taking part in a new quiz programme so there is an opportunity for our quizzers to have their five minutes of TV fame. We have organised a Bradgate Group evening with Black Annis, a ladies Morris Dancing Group on March 10th.

Our speaker Felicity Austin then talked to us about food brands we used to know. There was lots of nostalgia and surprises revealed during the evening

Pic: Skittles tournament trophy winners

including the fact that many familiar brands have been around for a lot longer than we would have thought, for example, Toblerone was invented in 1909.

The evening was completed with Rosalie winning the mega raffle prize of a bottle of gin donated by a previous speaker.

On January 6 we met at the Wheatsheaf in Thurcaston for the final of the Bradgate Group skittle tournament and

age

INFO The review will also look at the feasibility of replacing the existing mid-1970s transport shed and creating a better dedicated space where visitors could see the vehicles and the volunteers working on them from an indoor viewing gallery.

The council also faces the challenge of finding a new home for the items set to return to Leicester following the closure of the county council’s Snibston Discovery Museum last year.

These include a replica horse-drawn omnibus used in the Leicester pageant of 1932, a Merryweather fire engine, and a Goodwin and Barsby Ltd stone crusher – all of which would help tell the story of industrial and transport history in the greater Leicester area.

City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “The return of the items from Snibston and our review of the pumping station gives us the chance to re-think the way we tell the fascinating stories of Leicester’s industrial past.

“It’s also important that we encourage and develop the growing interest in Pioneer Park, which is home to the National Space Centre and the award-winning Dock, as well as the pumping station.

“The city council’s building of Dock 2 and the University of Leicester’s plans to create a space park in to the north of the river demonstrate the growing economic importance of this area, and we need to ensure that our museum reflects this.”

The Abbey Pumping Station opened in 1891 to pump Leicester’s sewage to new treatment works in Beaumont Leys. The ornate building and artfully decorated beam engines demonstrated the great civic pride in this public health achievement. It closed in 1964 and opened as a museum of science and industry ten years later.

AS THE Met Office issues a level-2 cold weather alert, older people’s charity, Independent Age, has issued a warning to older people, their families and carers to take extra care during this cold snap.

It’s also providing a free advice leaflet on how to stay well in winter, called Being Winter Wise.

Last year, the ONS found that an estimated 36,300 excess winter deaths occurred in England and Wales in 2014/15 among people aged 75 and over . In addition to this, according to a poll published by Independent Age last month , an estimated 752,000 older people have had to choose between paying for food and paying for heating and almost half (43%) of those aged 65 and over say they have gone to bed early to stay warm at least once.

Being cold can be very bad for your health. Many people don’t realise that low temperatures can not only increase the risk of flu, but also the risk of heart attack or stroke. The Independent Age survey also found that just over onethird (36%) of over-65s do not heat their home adequately some, most, or all of the time in winter because of worry about paying fuel bills and one in 17 (6%) heat only one room or no rooms at all in winter, equivalent to an estimated 700,000 people who are putting themselves at greater risk of these health problems.

Older people can be more susceptible to fuel poverty as they may find they have to heat their homes for longer due to health and mobility problems and the need to stay indoors for longer. Around 1.6 million older people live in poverty, 900,000 of whom live in severe poverty .

To help older people, their families and carers navigate the cold snap, Independent Age has brought out a free advice leaflet called Being Winter Wise.

It provides practical advice and tips on how to look after yourself during the coldest months. The advice spans from eating well and staying healthy to keeping your home warm and making winter more affordable.

Being Winter Wise is free to order and download from independentage.org or call 0800 319 6789 to order a leaflet.

Britain’s older drivers are big spenders on motoring and have a taste for luxury and performance when it comes to buying new cars, a newlypublished reported has revealed.

Motorists over 50 spent £42.4bn on motoring in the year to September 2015 – equivalent to 47% of total UK motoring spend and each time they take the car out it costs them about 63% more than younger drivers.

This is partly because older drivers make fewer journeys over the year – typically 628 car trips each costing £2.83, compared to the under 50s taking the car out 1,120 times with each trip costing £1.74 – but also because they are likely to buy more new cars and opt for high end brands.

In 2014 people over 50 spent £7.6bn on new cars, which is more than £6 of every £10 of new car spend in the Britain and they were around twice as likely to opt for a Porsche, Mini or Jaguar than the general population.

These findings are revealed in a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) for Saga Motor Insurance. Cebr examined a range

in a spirit of friendly rivalry we won the trophy for the first time. Congratulations to our victorious team. Photographs and chat about of all our activities are on our Birstall and Wanlip Facebook page.

We meet again at 7pm on February 1 at Highcliffe school when we will hear a ‘Toastmaster’s Tale’ from Geoff Harris and the competition will be a Toast Creation.

From Birstall & Wanlip WI

of spending categories such as the price of new and used vehicles, the cost of spare parts and maintenance, fuel, insurance, road tolls and parking.

Currently, the typical over 50s household spends £311 per month on motoring and although fuel bills have fallen, their costs are rising for spare parts and maintenance.

And their contribution to the motor industry continues to increase; car ownership by the over 50s has been rising steadily since 2000 and this rise has been especially dramatic for those over 75 as people in Britain live longer, healthier lives, which enables them to keep driving for longer.

This phenomenon of life-long driving is also underlined by DVLA figures on licence holders in the UK. Over four fifths (83%) of people between the ages of 50 and 59 hold a driving licence, 81% of those aged between 60 and 69 and 62% of people over 70. Polling carried out by Saga in December reveals that almost nine out of 10 over 50s drive regularly and 80% of people in their 80s still regularly drive.

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THE BIRSTALL POST FEB 2016

Birstall BAG’s cancer corner Be Clear On Bladder Cancer.

Be Clear on Cancer is a cancer awareness campaign led by Public Health England, working in partnership with the Department of Health and NHS England. Through February and March the focus of the campaign is raising awareness about bladder cancer. Birstall BAG’s would like to share with our community some key messages.

Around 10,400 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year in the UK. It is the seventh most common cancer in the UK and the 4th most common cancer in men.More men than women get bladder cancer. This may just be because more men than women have smoked in the past few decades. And more men have been exposed to chemicals at work.

Causes There are a number of possible causes; smoking and exposure to some chemicals are strongly linked. Smoking cigarettes definitely increases the risk of bladder cancer. Your risk if you currently smoke is up to four times that of someone who has never smoked.

The chemicals in the smoke get into the bloodstream. They are then filtered out of the blood by the kidneys and end up in the urine. When the urine is stored in the bladder, these chemicals are in contact with the bladder lining. Chemicals called arylamines in cigarette smoke

may be the cause of the increased bladder cancer risk in smokers.

Some jobs have been linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer. These include · Bus and taxi drivers and railroad workers · Metal casters, machine setters and operators · Leather workers, Blacksmiths · Hairdressers · Mechanics, Miners, Painters In all these occupations the increase in risk of bladder cancer is below 35%.

A group of chemicals called arylamines are known to cause bladder cancer. Some of these chemicals have been banned in the UK for over 50 years. But it can take up to 25 years for a bladder cancer to develop. You may have been exposed to them a long time ago if you work in industries such as rubber or plastics manufacture.

Another group of chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) increase the risk of bladder cancer. Exposure to these chemicals is possible in industries where people handle carbon or crude oil, or substances made from them. You may also come into contact with them in any industry involving combustion, such as smelting.

If you have a diagnosis of bladder cancer, it is worth finding out if you

have ever been exposed to any of these chemicals.

If you have, talk to your urologist or cancer doctor.

You may be able to claim an allowance called Industrial Disease Benefit from the government Department for Work and Pensions.

Symptoms Blood in pee is the most common symptom of bladder cancer. 4 out of 5 people with bladder cancer (80%) have some blood in their urine. You may actually see the blood. It usually looks bright red but, rarely, may be dark brown. Or it might be there in such small amounts that you can't see it. Even if it cannot be seen, a urine test will show if blood is present. Doctors call blood in pee 'haematuria' (pronounced heem-at-you-ree-ah). The blood may not be there all the time. It can come and go. So if you ever see blood in your pee, you should go to your GP. Other symptoms your doctor will want to check out if they can't find another cause for them are · frequency, which means needing to pass urine very often · urgency, which means needing to pass urine very suddenly · pain when passing urine These symptoms are much more likely to be due to other conditions rather than cancer. You are more likely to have a urine infection, particularly if you do not have blood in your urine. If you are a man the symptoms could be caused by an enlarged prostate gland.

Tell your doctor straight away if you have these symptoms. If you have an infection, then it can usually be cleared up with antibiotics very quickly. If it is cancer, then the sooner it is diagnosed, the easier it will be to treat.

Outlook Most bladder cancers are diagnosed while they are still only in the bladder lining. These are also called early bladder cancers. Around 75 out of 100 (75%) of bladder cancers are this early type. These early bladder cancers can often be cured or controlled with minor surgery or treatment into the bladder.

Remember EARLY DIAGNOSIS REALLY DOES SAVE LIVES. If you have any of the signs or symptoms described please go and visit your GP. For further information: www.cancerresearchuk.org and as always University Hospitals of Leicester Cancer Information Centre on 0116 258 6189

For more information on the funds we have raised, projects we support and

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• Sales, Repairs & Upgrades • Wired & Wireless Networking • Branded & Custom Built PCs • Laptops, printers, peripherals & accessories • Server Installation & Support • On-site Maintenance & Remote Support • Original & Compatible Cartridges/Toners • Buy Dell products through our store

visit our showroom proSP CS eyewear GET A QUOTE FROM US BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR NEXT PAIR OF SPECTACLES Same day service on most plastic lenses Top quality lenses including Varilux, Nikon, Zeiss

Covering Leicestershire

0116 2672583 Mob: 0796 7 191975

www.ntlcomputers.co.uk 3 The Meadway, Birstall LE4 4NG

DESIGNER FRAMES

Contact Mike or Teresa Keily on 0116

237 6098

Unit 3, Victoria Mills Fowke St, Rothley Easy Parking

forthcoming events see www.birstallbags.co.uk Contact the BAG’s by email birstallbags@hotmail.com Birstall BAG’s Registered Charity Number 1160190

Birstall BAG’s are establishing a Home Visiting Service in collaboration with LOROS and initially we are looking to recruit LOROS volunteers from the Birstall and surrounding area willing to support families in their own home in our community – for more information please contact Andrew Lowden andrewlowden@loros.co.uk tel 0116 2318470 Thank you to everyone that supported the BAG’s Ceri Dupree evening in December, we raised a staggering £2400 for the charity!

Small Ads Small ads are 25p for the first 16 words. 17-32 words: 50p. Enclosing payment, post your ad to us or hand it in (inside an envelope) at Birstall library.

Trade/business rates for small ads are 25p a word. You are liable for the trade/business rate if you are offering a service for which you are asking for payment, or if you are advertising new goods for sale. All text will be printed bold. Box outline £1 extra. Max 50 words.

Phone numbers count as one word.

TELEPHONE EXTENSION Sockets fitted by ex-BT engineer. Cable, BT and digital TV. Over 25 yrs experience. John 2675132, mob: 077 91788331 AMLI DESIGN Architectural Consultancy. Plans drawn and submitted.

Extensions, conversions, new build. David Ives B.Sc.(Hons) FBEng MCIOB 0116 2674395 / 07974807111 www.amlidesign.co.uk GARAGE SPACE wanted. Mature classic car fan needs extra storage space. If you have an unused garage I will pay a fair rent or exchange for DIY help. Please call Stuart on 2674160 BIRSTALL METHODIST Church, wanted midday cleaner MondayFriday 12.30-1.30pm. Pay £7.85 per hour. Further details contact David Bark 0116 2677576 or by letter to the church 40 Wanlip Lane, Birstall SUITCASE LIGHTWEIGHT, metal, size 30” x 26” deep, combination locking, pull along type, vgc £10.

Tel 0787 4187 895 SQUARE ANIMAL print bean bag size 22 inch cube, unwanted gift, new £10. Tel 0787 4187 895.

Could deliver in Birstall

THE BIRSTALL POST YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Unit 109, Greenacres, The Sidings, Leicester LE4 3BR Editor: Mr Jerry Jackson Editorial/Advertising

0116 4422067 Correspondence, news etc can be handed in at: Birstall Library or to our office: Unit 109, Greenacres, The Sidings Leicester LE4 3BR,

editor@birstallpost.co.uk www.birstallpost.co.uk