Birstall Post (475) February 2023

the Birstall post

Norma celebrates 100th birthday!

NORMA DAVIDSON played golf well into her nineties at Birstall golf club and celebrated her 100th birthday there, enjoying a party with friends and family.

Norma grew up in Fulwell, Sunderland, near the coastline of Roker beach, and was one of seven children.

Norma married at 23, to James Davidson from Glasgow, just before James entered the RAF.

She moved to Leicester for work when her children were small and lived in Birstall before moving to Graysford Hall care home in Leicester two years ago.

Norma first came to Leicester as a young girl, to Braunstone Hall estate to carry out work for the war effort at the age of 18, so when she later moved here for her husband’s work she was already familiar with the area.

Norma enjoyed living in Birstall - at first on Harrowgate Drive, later moving to Riversdale Close to be in a detached house as both her husband and son Howard were musicians.

Norma’s children Howard and Carole both went to school in Birstall. Howard became a composer writing music for

club, played until she was well in her nineties and enjoyed Christmas dinners

widow too”, so she joined and loved playing.

Norma worked in the Methodist café in Birstall every Friday, becoming well known for her rock cakes and meringues. Norma loved shopping in Bir-

Continued on page 2

Public meeting refusal

CONCERNED ABOUT the impact of the Ashton Green development on local roads, in December Birstall Parish Council invited representatives from Leicester City Council and the County Council to a public meeting so councillors and the public could voice their concerns and listen to the proposed mitigation measures to control the increase in traffic, particularly along Greengate Lane.

Both the City Council and County Council have declined the invitation.

Responding to Birstall Parish Council’s request, City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “The process of consultation at this stage of the local plan review is very prescribed and planning officers will be able to advise on how to respond. I don’t believe a public meeting would be productive in this context.”

The County Council’s response stated: “I am afraid we do not have the resources available to us to attend Parish meetings.”

660 new homes are planned for land off Greengate Lane and feature in Leicester City Council’s Local Plan.

The site, known as Ashton Green East, also features a 1200-place school. Together with the 3000-home Ashton Green development, it will put increased pressure on local infrastructure.

Birstall Parish Council has now registered as an “interested party” with the City Council, so that it will be kept informed, and consulted, on policy documents relating to the development.

The Parish Council is urging local residents to respond to the public consultation of Leicester’s Local Plan, which runs from January 16, 2023, until February 27, 2023.

Birstall Parish Council Clerk, Sue Coulson said: “Birstall Parish Council will continue to make their voice heard on this matter, and will be considering a response to the consultation, including making it known that they have yet to be informed of what mitigating plans Leicester City Council have for reducing the impact on traffic on Greengate Lane in

Continued on page 3

Pic: Norma with her birthday cake

Parish Council notes

A FULL meeting of Birstall Parish Council was held on January 9.

The chair, Cllr Ann Marshall, said that Cllr Kirstie Haywood would be counting how many times people spoke – councillors can only speak two times on any motion, unless they are presenting the motion.

Councillors considered quotations for the publication and distribution of the Parish Council annual report. It was agreed to use the Birstall Post, at a cost of £1078.

Having received the council tax base figures from Charnwood, councillors agreed to a 5% rise in the precept for the year 2023/24, a sum of £481,859. Band D households in Birstall will pay £104.92, an extra £5 per year or £0.10 per week. The precept for 2022/23 was £458,343.

Councillors discussed a proposal

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stall, especially Hughie’s for her clothes and joined Birstall & Wanlip WI.

Norma celebrated her birthday in

made by Cllr Kevin Burroughs, that the council consider a new part-time job post for someone with social media skills, to promote the good work done by the council and to inform residents about its activities.

Comment was made that the council could be doing more to promote itself on social media, but employing someone would present difficulties. All the information prepared for publication would have to be checked by the clerk and the office staff for accuracy before being posted online.

Cllr Julian Howe said that Parish Council’s website is extremely poor compared to others, and that it was very difficult to find anything there.

It was suggested that any councillor who had an idea for promoting the council on social media should contact the clerk who could progress it.

style with two parties, one at Birstall golf club with her family and close friends who played at the club. Party number two was at Graysford Hall, with a sing-

The council agreed not to proceed with creating a new part-time post for someone with social media skills.

Councillors considered two options regarding access to the cemetery once the cemetery extension is completed. Option 1 was to use the existing allotment access roadway as the exit route for vehicles leaving the cemetery. Option 2 was to make the existing cemetery entrance the access and exit point.

Councillors considered both options and decided that option 2 was the most cost effective and suitable for their needs. It would provide the Council with a maintenance service road to use rather than the main entrance to the cemetery so as not to interfere with any funerals taking place. It was agreed to apply for a pre planning application for option 2.

It was reported that no progress had been made towards the NALC Gold

along-style show, followed by a buffet and a delicious homemade cake. Pic: Norma (centre) with friends at Birstall Golf Club

Award scheme due to the amount of work in the office.

It was agreed to spend £385 on two 10 inch plaques that will commemorate the life and service of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

In November 2022, the council agreed to invite representatives from the City Council and County Council to attend a public meeting in Birstall about the Leicester City Local Plan, the Ashton Green development, and the impact on local roads, especially Greengate Lane in Birstall. The clerk reported that the City Council and County Council had declined to attend.

The City Council has urged the Parish Council to engage with the latest round of public consultation, held in early 2023.

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Birstall.

“The Parish Council urges all concerned residents to respond to the public consultation. Residents’ issues are very pertinent and much more likely to have an effect on Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council than just Birstall Parish Council’s response.”

The Local Plan makes explicit that “planned growth must be supported by infrastructure and facilities. It is also important that the provision of strategic infrastructure such as transport which has implications beyond the city’s administrative boundary is planned for and its provision and funding is coordinated in a comprehensive manner.”

In the 2010 planning application for the 3000-home Ashton Green development, the city council proposed the following mitigation measures for Greengate Lane:

• one-way signal-controlled shuttle working at the railway bridge. The bridge is owned and maintained by the GCR. Traffic lights will control traffic on either side of the bridge, alternating the direction of traffic: east/west then

County walks

WITH SPRING on its way, we start to think about getting out to walk in the beautiful English countryside again, but where to find new and interesting walks?

Walking in Leicestershire https://www.walkinginengland.co.uk/lei cs has loads of walks to download and print, free. It also has books of walks, details of all the walking groups in the county and much more. Whether you want to walk on your own, or with a group, all the information is there in one place.

John Harris maintains the website. He said: “There is so much walking information on the web, but it is difficult to find. Walking in Leicestershire, part of the Walking in England website, has brought it together in one place so whether you are walking from home or away on holiday, you will be able to find a walk suitable for you”.

With walks from half a mile to twelve miles plus, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to enjoy.

The City Council says: “the very nature of introducing traffic signals may increase journey times along Greengate Lane. However the signals are unlikely to result in a significant build-up of queues and on balance it is considered that they will act as an effective traffic calming measure, ultimately reducing the attractiveness of Greengate Lane for general traffic whilst a the same time increasing its attractiveness for pedestrians and cyclists.”

• speed humps

• a shared footway/cycleway from Leicester Road to beyond the bridge. One option considered is utilising the verge as far as the junction of Woodgate

Drive before cyclists rejoin the carriageway.

In 2016, concerns about the impact of stationary traffic waiting on the railway bridge were identified and since then, the city council says “discussions have been ongoing since this point to address these issues. Discussions will be expected to continue through the planning application process, both on the existing Ashton Green site and the new local plan allocation [Ashton Green East].”

The consultation on the Leicester City local plan can be found on the Leicester City Council website, or you can email planning.policy@leicester.gov.uk

ASHTON GREEN RD

GREENGATE LANE

BIRSTALL

HALLAM FIELDS SCHOOL

TRACK

ASHTON GREEN

Pic: the site identified for development in Leicester City’s Local Plan

Jack & the Beanstalk in Birstall this month

COLOURFUL SETS, great music, dancing, lots of songs and a dancing cow called Buttercup all feature in Birstall Theatre Company’s latest production, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk.’

“Our cast is busy putting the finishing touches to rehearsals for our 2023 pantomime,” said company spokesman Vic Dolby.

He added: “During halfterm, this is a show for all the family with all the usual pantomime audience participation.

been kidnapped by the Giant and taken to his land at the top of the beanstalk.”

The panto will be performed at the Palmer Tomkinson Centre, The Cedars Academy, Wanlip Lane, Birstall on February 23, 24 and 25. Evening performances start at 7.30pm, and

Come and meet Widow Goodbody, her lazy son Jack, who takes on the fearful Giant, and all the fairy tale characters, like Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Captain Hook, who have

2.30pm.

For further information, follow the Facebook page “Birstall Theatre Company”.

Tickets are £8.50 for adults, £6.50 (children 3 - 14 years), which can be booked and collected from Nando’s Gents Hairdressers, Birstall. Box Office contact no: 07724 362975.

Pics: Birstall Theatre Company rehearsing their upcoming production of Jack & The Beanstalk

Feeding swans important in cold weather

JULIE FROM Watermead Swans is concerned about swan welfare during the cold winter weather. She reports:

remained on the water for ages so it became toxic to them. The swans starved and many of them flew to try and find food and died in the surrounding areas

I won't forget what it was like frantically trying to get food to them and help them. The vets that saw them said they were emaciated.

There were too weak to fight anything

I've always wanted to make sure it never happens again.

IN ICE AND SNOW, PLEASE FEED THEM and make them

Swans are big birds that require a lot of food

These few days of ice reminded me of the cold winter of 2010-11

The Park was left to freeze and ice

A 5% INCREASE in the parish precept has been agreed by Birstall Parish Council.

Last year the Parish Council’s charge on band D households in Birstall was £99.92 a year. This will increase to £104.92 in 2023/24.

Parish Councils forecast how much money they are going to need in the next financial year. This figure is then divided by the tax base – the average number of Band D equivalent properties in the area.

When calculating the precept, Parish Councils have to consider:

• Their anticipated spending levels for the ongoing services for which they are responsible, such as play areas, the cemetery, allotments and the cost of the parish office and ground staff

• The levels of anticipated income e.g. from rents, hire charges, burial fees and grants

• The costs of any additional spending plans or projects

• Maintaining a prudent amount of money in reserves

Once the precept has been agreed, it is added to residents’ council tax bills and collected by Charnwood Borough Council, which then pays it to the Parish Council.

The Parish Council discussed the Precept/Budgets at two full Council meetings. The first meeting was held on December 12, 2022, where Councillors received and considered DRAFT budget requirements and the various options available to them.

The figures presented at that meeting were based on 2022/2023 Council Tax Base (CTB) figures because the clerk was waiting for confirmation of the numbers from Charnwood Borough Council. After a full discussion, the Parish Council decided to defer a final decision until the January 2023 meeting to enable the Clerk to furnish the spreadsheet with the confirmed CTB figures.

The Parish Council met again on

I don’t want weak swans if bird flu strikes.

This area is owned by lots of different landowners. Watermead does not own the swans, they are potential property of the Crown.

Food for swans

One of the main questions I was asked was: "where do we get Swan food from?"

I like to keep partners and families together. If we feel they can’t cope and need specialist help, the RSPCA will take them to one of their swan centres.

These days, because of the threat of bird flu and regulations, I'm patrolling, talking to Defra and monitoring it outside. The RSPCA is dealing with those that are ill and can't cope. Please remember if swan centres are shut, and regulations are in place, we keep more of them outside.

January 9, 2023, where they were able to receive updated figures along with the confirmed CTB figures from Charnwood Borough Council for band D houses of 4592.8 which had increased from the previous year by 5.7 band D households.

The Parish Council did not increase the precept last year but decided to increase it for the financial year 2023/2024 by 5%. Parish Council Clerk Sue Coulson said: “This was to address the current and future cost of living increases that we are all experiencing. The Government have still not taken the decision to put the same restrictions on Parish and Town Councils as they do the higher authorities by capping their precept demands.

“The Parish Council realise that if a situation arose where they were asked by residents to cover the costs of a lost and/or devolved service from a higher authority, the Parish Council would need to have a healthy reserve in place to be able to facilitate the requests.

“After careful consideration and deliberation at the 9 January 2023 Council meeting, the Parish Council resolved to apply a 5% increase to the precept for the 2023/2024 financial year and authorised the Clerk to submit a precept demand to Charnwood Borough Council for £481,859.”

The increase that has been agreed by the Parish Council for the next financial year of 2023/2024 will be shown as £104.92 per year for band D households. This equates to an increase of £5.00 per year, or 10p per week, for band D households.

Birstall Parish Council’s net expenditure for 2023/24:

Admin support, salaries, utilities, youth provision, professional fees: £406,107

Playing fields, cemetery, car parks, public toilets, allotments: £83,700

Events: £23,895

£31,843 will be taken from reserves, resulting in a precept of £481,859.

The main foods I find helpful are Swan and Duck food (floats in water) and Wild Bird Seed (which sinks). Birstall Pet Supplies sell small bags for you and Natural World Syston has a large selection. Both pet shops will happily advise you. You can also get it from Poundland, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Wilkoyou can find what suits you best.

You are ok to put some bread with it. Most landowners are ok in the snow and ice.

Please watch your own safety and keep away from the ice.

Google ‘Royal Swans Feeding Bread’ if you want to read advice on feeding bread to swans. There is also a statement on the Swan Sanctuary's Website. You can also find other suggestions for food on the internet.

Normally, I work with them in the wild, take them to a vet and monitor them in the wild.

Bird Flu

Defra has been really helpful. Here at Watermead, we haven’t had any confirmed cases of bird flu in 2022. There have been several cases we suspect were other things that can cause similar symptoms.

If you take them out of the wild, they have to be euthanized if they suspect it’s bird flu. Most of it here at Watermead was stagnant water and botulism.

As bird flu regulations were in place there was little we could do. I did all I could. It’s been so sad. I just found too many people were getting involved and doing things that just weren’t helpful.

If you see me out on patrol, please continue to let me know what is going on.

From Julie, Watermead Swans

Parish precept to rise 5%

Planning a coronation event this May?

THE KING’S Coronation Weekend is May 6-8, 2023, and there will be celebrations throughout the UK as communities come together to reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future.

An extra bank holiday will take place across the UK to mark the coronation of King Charles III and it will fall on Monday, May 8, 2023, two days after the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

The bank holiday will provide an opportunity for communities and people throughout the United Kingdom to come together to celebrate the coronation.

If you are thinking of holding an event to celebrate The King’s Coronation, then Birstall Parish Council has provided the following information and some key dates for your guidance:

Planning on having a street party to celebrate the event?

You will need to apply to Leicestershire County Council to close your street/road to traffic by completing sections 3 and 4 of the King’s Coronation

application pack, which can be downloaded from the Parish Council website: www.birstallparishcouncil.org.uk or a hard copy can be printed off for you to collect from the Parish Council offices.

All fees associated with the legal appli-

2023. Applications after this date may not be able to be fulfilled.

Given the occasion and following Government guidance Leicestershire County Council Highways will not be asking for the usually required documentation for a road closure, such as an in-depth risk assessment. However, consideration still needs to be given to ensure the safety of all attendees and an enjoyable event. Within the registration form, you will find some additional information for you to consider. Further Government advice on road closures for street parties can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ons/your-guide-to-organising-a-streetparty

and returned to, the LCC Mountsorrel Highways Depot. Appropriate arrangements will need to be made for collection. The deadline for cones and signs applications is Friday March 31, 2023. Please note that the fees for the loan of signs will be waived for all King’s Coronation events but equipment must be returned or it will be invoiced for.

Events on Charnwood Borough Council owned land and licences

cation have been waived for The King’s Coronation, and the application time reduced to five weeks. Please note this is ONLY for the King’s Coronation and does not apply to other events.

If you wish to apply for a road closure or any other restrictions, the last date for submission is Friday March 31,

The information you supply regarding your event will be shared with the emergency services so they can put their own plans and resources in place. Please submit your application form in good time, it is better to submit draft plans than nothing at all.

Signs and cones: Leicestershire County Council Highways is offering the loan of signs and cones.

Should you require these please complete section 5 of the King’s Coronation application pack.

Please be aware that signs and cones must be collected from,

If you would like to organise an event on Charnwood Borough Council land which doesn’t involve a street closure, then to find out about licensable activities such as selling food and drink then please use this link for more information:

https://www.charnwood.gov.uk/pages/pla nning_an_event

Continuing support in Birstall

HAPPY NEW Year and thank you for your amazing support for the group.

Things have been quiet since Christmas.

Food Hampers

We have continued to support our community with food hampers and a £25 voucher. Sadly most people are working families, and the increased cost

Helping our Community

LE4 Birstall

of February, it will be donated to the local food bank.

Warm Spaces

We have supported the local Warm Spaces with knitted lap blankets, soup socks hats and gloves. Anyone can attend a warm space and help themselves to these items. You can stay and have a free hot drink and biscuits. Along with a very warm welcome. We are also keen to hear of anyone that is housebound and may be feeling the cold. We can provide hot water bottles, soup, throws, hats, gloves and socks as a “warm hug pack.”

Hot Meals

items for the NICU and ward 12 CICU who are always grateful for our items. Paul Clarke responded overnight for ear savers. Christine Shearn has made the most beautiful items for Angel babies, and others continue to make items for the local nurture units. The latest projects are Pom Poms and worry worms.

of living and Christmas has left them temporarily short. It’s been great that with the help of the community, we have been able to help them with a one-off parcel. If there’s any food left at the end

We have supported people with hot meals. If you know someone with ill health who could benefit please get in touch.

Scrubs Group

The scrubs group are busy making

If you feel we can help you, please get in touch.

We would like to support young people who may be having to stop afterschool clubs due to financial constraints.

Thank you for your continued support. 07894995164 if we can help.

at Birstall panto

HATS’ SRING play will be a funny murder mystery, ‘Agatha Crusty and the Village Murders’, by Derek Webb, with permission from Stage Scripts Ltd.

Rehearsals have already started, and

our Director, Jo Murray.

As usual, at this early stage, we are all developing our characters, the voice, the look, the walk etc. In amongst the seriousness of learning our lines (or trying to), we are, of course, getting it wrong and collapsing into laughter. But never

clips.

Dates for your diary: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, May 17th, 18th and 19th.

Venue: Birstall Social Club 16-18 Wanlip Lane, Birstall LE4 4JS. Tickets: £7 and £6 (concession).

Discount for group bookings of 10 or more people. Box office: 0116-2209594 and 07948796675.

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Hatsamdr am/ Pics: The cast rehearse: (left) Heather Wilcock, Sue Withers, Elaine Hunt, Gez Stokes; (bottom, left)Lorraine Nash and Michael Smith

Manure,

the cast are looking forward to provid-

fear, we will get there in the end.

I wonder if you will be able to guess who the murderer is before it's revealed on stage.

yearning to be a detective, or are you the one who Whichever one you are, we are sure you will have a

Please check out our face book page for regular updates of our rehearsals, including photos and video

YOUR SAY...

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

100 Club

I have just read on page 7 of the September Birstall Post the forming of the 'Birstall Utd 100 Club'

Many years ago, I was on the social committee and me and Chalky White (Steve), a player then, formed 'The Birstall Utd 100 Club' but after failing to attract enough members, although we did collect several payments.

I am not sure which bank in the village we opened the account with, but I think it was Barclays.

Mel Whiteman was the chairman of the executive committee then, perhaps he could remember what happened to that account from one of the AGMs as we had to close it through lack of interest and as far as I recall, the monies were left in that account. I left Birstall soon after.

I hope this time it will be a success and I wish them well.

Geoff Allen

Did anyone else read the article on page 14 of January’s edition of the Birstall Post headed “ Local bus service,” and wonder what exactly it meant?

It stated that the 22A/22B Birstall to Evington Buses are affected by changes that are to be introduced in April 2023.

It says that congestion will be cut by getting rid of duplicate services, will reduce the likelihood of buses arriving at the same time, and will also give customers simplified and improved timetables across the day.

I’m not sure how any of this will affect the buses that travel from Birstall to Leicester.

Bus confusion Thanks Thanks

There is only one bus in the week that goes around the village, run by Centrebus, and it only runs approximately every half an hour.

The Saturday service, now run by First bus, only goes up to the top of the Gates estate and back down Sibson Road, and doesn’t go around the village any more, thus preventing a lot of people from getting into Leicester, or even to shop in Birstall.

The only time that two buses could arrive at the same time is if one is late. This, of course, could happen because our bus service is so unreliable, but it’s more likely that an expected bus just doesn’t turn up.

So I’m assuming that the plan is actually even more cuts to our already poor and unreliable bus service to and from Birstall, thus isolating even more the people who don’t have access to a car and can’t afford to use a taxi.

Trying to contact the County Council and the bus companies about bus service issues has proved a waste of time for me as my correspondence is either ignored or I get a stock reply that doesn’t answer any of my questions.

Name and address supplied

Just wanted to say a big thank you to those responsible for putting the gate in Harrowgate Park into Hallam Fields. We live on the gates and used to drive round to Hallam Fields to do this walk, but now we have the walk on our doorstep, so we don’t have to drive, which must be better on the environment, and which we use often to take our dog for its daily walk.

So once again thanks to those involved.

Sue Howell

To those of you who attended the Sing Christmas event in St James’ Church on December 30, thank you. The church has a lovely acoustic for performing. The group of singers numbered 40 and the audience was a similar number of family and friends. Everyone enjoyed items performed by the singers and then joined in with familiar carols. The two animateurs, Chris and Sue, were marvellous and very inspirational. It was a great way to celebrate my significant birthday, especially after the restrictions of the previous three years. The bucket collection was £516 and has been divided equally between the East Midlands Air Ambulance and Marie Curie Cancer Care – a marvellous way to celebrate meeting and singing together. Thank you all for your generosity. Thank you also to Karen at the RB Legion for feeding the gathered throng. Long live meeting, singing and celebrating Christmas.

David Necklen

World Day of Prayer

World Day of Prayer is an international, inter-church organisation which enables us to hear the thoughts of women from all parts of the world: their hopes, concerns and prayers. The preparation for the day is vast. An international committee is based in New York and there are national committees in each participating country. Regional conferences meet to consider the service and then local groups including yours in Birstall make their plans. This year the service has been prepared by Christian women in Taiwan, an island rich in natural resources and culturally diverse. The women in Taiwan share the issues faced geographically, politically and socially and also their hopes for the future. Let us join with them in our service as we give thanks for the beautiful island and people of Taiwan and encourage one another in our faith as the Apostle Paul did in his letters – Ephesians 1: 15-19 “I have heard about your faith”.

The World Day of Prayer is celebrated in over 120 countries. It begins in Samoa and prayer in native languages travels throughout the world – through Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas before finishing in American Samoa some 38 hours later. There will be a short presentation at 1pm prior to the service at Birstall Methodist Coffee Shop which will give background information of life in Taiwan.

On Friday March 3 at 2pm at Birstall

Leicester Symphony Orchestra 'Beethoven meets

Sibelius'

Join the Leicester Symphony Orchestra for an afternoon of glorious music!

Sunday 5 March, 3pm at De Montfort Hall, Leicester

GLINKA Ruslan and Ludmilla

BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto

SIBELIUS Symphony No.5

Tickets £20, £16, £5, family £42 & £35

www.demontforthall.co.uk

Charnwood Orchestra Concert

Sat March 25, 2023

Start 7.30pm

Emmanuel Church

Forest Road

Loughborough LE11 3NW

Mozart: Overture: ‘The Magic Flute’

Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No.4 - Soloist Charles Matthews

Beethoven:

Symphony No.3 ‘Eroica’

Email: Tickets@charnwoodorchestra.org.uk or see website for more details www.charnwoodorchestra.org.uk

Monday Group

7:30pm in Birstall Methodist Church coffee shop

6th February:-Stories with Stuart Briggs

13th February:- Exploring the faith, with James and Yasmin 20th February:- Break for Half Term

27th February:- Diane and Sandra Why not come along and join our friendly group?

Everyone is welcome

Wanted – Industrial Plumber

Birstall Methodist Church is looking for a plumber that is experienced in 1½ - 2”BSP black iron pipework, to carry out some modifications to the heating system. Please contact through the BMC Facebook page, or e-mail birstallmethroombookings@gmail .com

Birstall Tea Dances

Held at St James, Birstall Village Hall, Birstall Road

Birstall, Leicester, LE4 4DH Fridays 3.30pm – 5.30pm

Methodist Church, Wanlip Lane, Birstall we are holding our World Day of Prayer Service and we warmly invite you to join us.

J Souter

Feb 10 & 24

£5 each on the door, Tea / coffee included

Home made cakes available

We ask for donations

Further information contact Jackie, Mobile :07908607405

Email: lucasjackie86@gmail.com

LE2 7BY and is open every day.

Opening hours are 10am to 4pm from Monday to Saturday and11am-4pm on Sundays

Birstall Flower Club

Wed Feb 22, 2023, 7.15pm

Birstall Village Hall

Demonstrator: Lynda Stamp

80’s Disco Night

Saturday 18th March 2023, 7pm

Birstall Social Club

£5 per ticket

Come join us for a fantastic 80s disco charity night to raise money for two Birstall Charities, Jade's Retreat & Carl Gunns’ Community Gym

Cedar

Care

Circle meet at Brunchies Cafe, Hallam Fields road Birstall.

A lovely warm welcome awaits you. We are a friendly group that supports people caring for those with dementia, we meet twice a month on Mondays at 1pm. The February meetings are 13th and 27th. Our aim is to help end the isolation and frustration that caring 24/7 brings. Dementia takes its toll on family and friends. Just pop in, it’s an open invitation to all. Please contact me if you want to, my name is Barbara, my number is 07905760556

Newarke Houses

Museum

an opportunity for metal detectorists and budding archaeologists to have their finds looked at by a local expert.

The museum’s Finds Liaison Officer will be happy to provide more information – free of charge –about metal, stone or ceramic objects discovered by local enthusiasts.

Leicester’s Archaeological Finds Day takes place on Thursday 16 February. Drop in any time between 10am and 2pm – admission is free.

Newarke Houses Museum can be found on The Newarke, Leicester

Title: Nature into Art

Visitors welcome £5

Queries to Sylvia 0116 267 4206 or Carol 0116 267 1437

From Classics to Jazz

Rachael Lawson: Clarinet/Saxophone

Stephen Waterhouse: Piano

Saturday 1st April 2023, 7pm

Syston Methodist Church

High Street, Syston LE7 1GP

Tickets £8 including light refreshments

Tel no 0116 2609804/0759 462 8961

In aid of LOROS *

Rothley & Birstall

Birdwatchers

meet at 7.30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month at The Rothley Centre, 12, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley LE7 7PR (free car parking available)

Tue Jan 10: " Birds of Leicestershire" by Carl Baggott

Tue Feb 14: " A Trip around the Nature Reserves of The Gambia"

by Cynthia Baker

Membership £15 p.a. Talks free to members but if you just want to come and listen, come as a visitor for just £3

• Fancy dress optional

• Raffle on the night (donations welcome)

• 50/50 lottery.

• Over 16s

• Ticket only event

• For more information please contact Paula Clifford-Gill on FB Messenger or 07934 551563

Birstall Theatre Company

Presents

Jack & The Beanstalk

Thursday 23rd to Saturday 25th

February 2023

Evenings 7:30pm, Saturday Matinee 2.30pm

Cedars Academy, Palmer Tomkinson Centre, Wanlip Lane, Birstall, LE4 4GH

Advanced Purchase

Adults £8.50

Children (Under 14) £6.50

Pay on the night

Adults £10

Children (Under 14) £8

Tickets can be booked and collected from: -

Nando’s Gents Hairdressers, Birstall with payment either by cash, card or BACS transfer or

Box Office contact no: 07724 362975

Not suitable for children under 3 years

Please indicate if wheelchair user or any mobility issues

BIRSTALL AND District Art Society (BADAS) is launching a new, informal Wednesday evening meeting at Wanlip Hall.

“This is not a teaching class, but a chance to get together to paint or draw in your own style and medium at your own pace,” said Society chairman Meg Grant. She added: “Sessions are open to members and those who are considering membership, particularly those that are unable to come along to our daytime sessions. Although mainly intended for adults, under-18s may attend if they are accompanied by a responsible adult. There is a charge of £3 per session, which includes refreshments. No booking is required.” Sessions are from 6.308.30pm.

On February 14, the society welcomes Graham Short for the first ‘demo evening’ of the year. Graham will provide an illustrated talk on the subject of ‘My Life as a Micro Artist’. You can find more information about Graham on his website: www.graham-short.com

The March demo evening held on March 9 will be an appraisal of members’ paintings. Artist Amanda Jackson will conduct a (kind) critique of work, providing a fascinating insight into what works well and what could be done to improve a painting, from the point of view of composition, technique, and other factors.

On April 11, Sallyann Brackett makes a welcome return. Her subject will be British wildlife, using a ‘tissage’ technique.

Local artist Lesley Brooks will demonstrate a landscape in acrylic, the Norfolk Broads on May 9.

Demo evenings are held at the Tara Palmer Tomkinson Centre at the Cedars Academy Birstall. They are held on the second Tuesday of the month, starting promptly at 7pm. The charge for nonmembers is £4.

New art evening Motorist fined

Mark Busby (48), of Dale Close, Birstall, was stopped by Police as he tried to turn his car around on the sliproad.

The roadside breath test - which cannot be used for a drink-driving conviction but can be taken into account by the magistrates - was 81 microgrammes per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Busby was banned from driving for two years and ordered to pay a £1,216 fine, a £486 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

A BIRSTALL motorist has been fined after going the wrong way up the A46.

Holiday Season Again

Now is the time of year that we could be looking forward to a warm holiday break and reviewing our options of where to go. Tight budgets and other uncertainties will make us even more assiduous in seeking the best value for our money.

No one will be surprised to hear that the criminal scammers are already taking advantage of this and, once again, tempting us with attractive online holiday packages both in the UK and abroad that do not actually exist. Others provide very basic packages that are worth much less than even their so‐called ‘bargain’ prices. You might get a flight but then find when you arrive, that the accommodation is much less than you were promised, double‐booked or simply non‐existent!

Protect yourself by ensuring that the online booking company is a registered member of a trade body such as ABTA, the Travel Association or ATOL. Make sure you have the company’s name and full postal address and check that it actually exists. Be extra careful if it has only just been set up or has changed hands recently. Keep an eye out for bad spelling and grammar; these are often a sign of fraud.

Never pay by cash or through money transfer agents such as Western Union. Once paid in this way, your money is gone for good and usually untraceable. Whenever possible, only pay by credit card, this gives protection to your payment if anything goes wrong. Make sure that the website uses the padlock symbol to indicate that it is secure before you send any payment details.

Check that the details in the paperwork match what you think you have booked and read the terms and conditions carefully so that you know exactly what you are buying. Double check your booking just before you travel and earlier if there is a long time before the travel date.

If you decide to book your accommodation separately from your travel it is always safer to book directly with a well‐established hotel or through a reputable travel or booking company. Be very careful to ensure that you are dealing directly with the genuine property owner or letting agent. Research the property or hotel that you are booking with web searches and online street‐view maps to verify that it really exists. If you use a letting agent, use a search engine to check them out and look for any reviews. Ask what checks they make on the properties and their owners.

Check that the pictures match those in the advert and read any reviews from previous visitors, although these can be easily faked, so be careful not to be misled by too many gushing five star reviews. It is a very good idea to ask the owner or agent in detail about the property and local area and then do your own research to confirm that what you have been told is true.

Do not give in to pressure to book and pay quickly in case you lose the offer, it is a favourite tactic of scammers. It is better to let that happen and then find somewhere else than have your well‐deserved holiday turn out to be an expensive nightmare and disappointment.

Most importantly, if you have any doubts at all DO NOT BOOK IT.

Please Make a Note of the Date Thursday, 20th April

Travel Insurance

Despite the current problems in the NHS, if we fall ill or have an accident anywhere in the UK we know that the treatment we receive will be free of charge. This is not true when we are abroad and, in some countries, bills can reach tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds! Sadly, we regularly see stories of families frantically trying to raise funds to cover such bills because the patient did not have the necessary medical insurance.

Most people complete trips abroad without calling on their travel insurance and discovering what it does or does not cover. Many have basic policies included in other packages, such as their bank account. However, before you embark on any foreign travel, it is important to check that you are covered for your circumstances and plans. Basic policies may only cover a limited list of countries and not the rest of the world. They are unlikely to cover what are termed ‘hazardous activities’ such as skiing, playing sport, riding hired motor scooters or even bungee‐jumping. They may have a time‐limit on the length of your trip. Most importantly, they may not cover existing medical conditions that you know about before you leave the country.

Any of these factors can lead to the insurance company legitimately rejecting your claim and that is, really, not the time to find out that you are uninsured.

Before you go abroad carefully read the small print on any insurance cover you think you might have, to see exactly what is and is not covered. If your plans fall outside its scope, ask if it can be extended to cover them. This will probably involve an extra premium payment.

If you do not have any insurance or your existing cover cannot be changed, then buy a policy that does cover you. Only use a reputable UK company and make sure you give all the relevant information honestly, especially in respect of any existing medical issues you might have.

It is reported that so called medical insurance is being sold in some countries considerably cheaper than it can be bought in the UK. However, it is likely to be very basic, difficult to claim against and will not pay for you to be brought home by air ambulance. It really is not worth the risk.

Remember that although adequate medical cover is the most crucial element of good travel insurance, it can also cover you for loss of luggage, flight delays, cancellation costs and other unforeseen expenses.

NHW news & crime report

Dealing with Debt

The current cost-of-living crisis is affecting most of us. and the level of anxiety about debt has risen significantly. Understandable extra spending over the Christmas period is now resulting in larger than usual credit card bills. While there is a lot of reputable help and advice available, there are those who see this as an opportunity to line their own pockets at the expense of others.

Debt can be a serious problem, and a short-term solution adopted by many of those affected is to borrow even more. This is obviously not a good idea, but the ease with which we can spend using a credit card makes it very tempting. Repaying that bill then becomes the problem, and the temptation is then to borrow from other sources. Because of this, action has been taken to protect vulnerable people by limiting the availability of legal but expensive payday and similar loans.

Unlicenced money lenders, or loan sharks as they are commonly known, operate in local communities illegally and with no such restrictions. Their interest rates are exorbitant, and a small loan quickly turns into a much larger one as extra ‘interest charges’ are added on a regular basis. Long after the original sum has been repaid, regular payments continue to be demanded with no end in sight. It is not uncommon for threats and actual violence to be used to enforce the debt. The long-term consequences for the victim can be disastrous.

Free help and advice on debt and financial management is available from reputable charitable groups, but it is easy to be misled by firms out to make money for themselves. An internet search for ‘debt advice’ will produce a list of websites that have paid the search engine to put them at the top. Look out for the entry being marked ‘Ad’ or ‘Advert’, although they are not always marked. They will charge you for their services, the quality of which may vary. Signing up to them involves paying fees that will only add to the problem.

Genuine websites will appear further down the list but before committing yourself, read the details very carefully to make sure that it is a free service.

Some of the organisations that offer genuinely free and impartial help and advice are:

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

www.nationaldebtline.org

www.stepchange.org

www.capuk.org

There are money management tips and a lot of good advice from Martin Lewis on:

www.moneysavingexpert.com

Please take care and stay safe from all scammers and tricksters.

Ed Chambers, Chairman, Birstall & Wanlip NHW

Current Priorities

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) - Including associated crime — We have identified an ASB hotspot within the area of the A6/Birstall services. Youths are gathering after school and into the evening, while at the location they are acting in a manner that is unacceptable, showing complete disregard and lack of respect. Examples include throwing tables and chairs around, kicking doors causing damage, playing loud music, and being verbally abusive, which can be extremely intimidating to the staff and visitors.

We have developed a plan to combat the issues at the location, in order to hold those involved accountable for their actions, via working with our partner agencies (including local schools, to assist with the identification and safeguarding of those involved). At the location assessments are to be made, to enable recommendations to be offered regarding necessary changes to the location to make it less attractive to youths gathering, therefore preventing further issues in order to make the location a safer, more pleasant location to visit.

Drugs - Use of cannabis within the park - It has been reported that various/frequent visitors are parking up within the car park on School Lane park and being involved in the use of cannabis. This has been made a priority, due to the way it leaves genuine users of the park feeling.

In addition to this, it is reported that the users of cannabis are then driving away in their vehicle, therefore driving while under the influence of drugs, placing themselves and other road users/pedestrians at significant risk of harm.

A plan has been developed to address this matter, which will predominately involve both high-visibility policing alongside some convert patrols.

Road Safety - Excess Speed -

Speeding vehicles is an ongoing issue on our roads, that is very well established. As a policing team, we will be out on the roads at locations highlighted by local residents on a sporadic basis. Please watch your speed.

If you are concerned about road safety in Birstall & Wanlip —Request enforcement and make a difference. Find out more by visiting the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Road Safety Partnership website: www.speedorsafety.com where you can complete a short Community Concern Site Request.

A message from PC 1365 Stu Venables

Back in Birstall & Wanlip after over a decade away.

It is a pleasure to be designated back to Birstall & Wanlip and I am very much looking forward to the challenges ahead.

I am currently getting familiar with the area again, as well as gathering information in regard to the current issues being reported and those that cause the most harm.

I seem to have arrived at a time when there are a few neighbours not getting along and as a result, some of my time is being used in trying to offer advice to those involved and working with partner agencies (local council and other housing providers) to identify some resolution in order to prevent escalation.

Alongside this, I have also been made

aware of an ASB hotspot within Birstall services station which I am also trying to resolve and will be working with the local schools, businesses and council to identify those involved. I will then conduct police visits where I will offer suitable advice and take any necessary action in order to hold those responsible to account and prevent further ASB/Crime. On that note, parents/guardians do you know where and what your children are doing when they are out? I hope not involving themselves in mischievous/criminal behaviour, could you remind them of your expectations please, sometimes even the politest/respectful children can be victims of peer pressure and engage or acquiesce in ASB/Crime.

You may have seen me already walking around, specifically on Sibson Road, introducing myself to local businesses and residents. I am hoping to be out, visible and approachable as often as possible on foot and cycle. When you see me feel free to have a chat, as your feedback, as local residents, is absolutely necessary, and allows me to identify new emerging issues/trends and develop plans to manage them effectively, in turn making Birstall and Wanlip a safer place.

I will be holding an event on Saturday February 18 in Birstall which relates to cycle marking, if you are interested please bring your cycle to us and we will get you registered and set up. If you would like more information about Bike Register ahead of the event, please visit the website: www.bikeregister.com to find out more.

Finally, I would like to highlight the new online tool, ‘StreetSafe’, which is used for reporting areas of concern where you have felt or feel unsafe. StreetSafe is part of the government’s agenda in tackling violence against women and girls and is police-supported. Please visit the Leicestershire Police website: www.leics.police.uk for more information or ask me about it at the next beat surgery.

Best regards, PC 1365 Stu Venables Crime Update

Crime Figures Birstall and Wanlip

1st of January 2023 until 17th January 2023

Burglary (0)

The last Burglary reported occurred on Fielding Road – Between 29th Nov and 14th Dec 2022 – Where the offender/s broke into a garden shed removed a crowbar and smashed a patio door to access the house.

Thefts (9)

4 x Retail Theft

3 x Theft by finding

3 x Theft of motor vehicle Criminal Damage (7)

2 x Damage to motor vehicle

4 x Damage at a commercial site (Around Birstall service – Linked to ASB)

1 x Damage caused during a domestic incident

Public Order (1)

1 x S.5 (Use threatening words/behaviour to cause harassment alarm or distress)

Drugs (1)

1 x Possession of Cannabis Assaults (6)

4 x Common Assault – Slight injury

2 x Actual Bodily Harm (ABH) –Bruising to body / Loss of hair Out of the 6 assaults reported 4 were domestic-related.

Events

Bike Register Event -

Saturday February 18, 2023 —Between 10am and 2pm outside the Robert Dickinson Building on Sibson Road (within the short-stay car park, opposite Aromaspice). Local residents can bring their cycles to the event to have them officially marked for free — Information regarding the scheme can be found on the website: www.bikeregister.com or explained on the day.

Beat Surgery

Sunday February 12, 2023 - Between 3pm and 4pm located at the Robert Dickinson Building on Sibson Road and again the following Sunday, February 19, 2023 - Between 10:30am and 11:30am, located at the Robert Dickinson Building on Sibson Road.

Please feel free to attend, meet your local officer, ask any questions or discuss any community concerns you may have.

From the Birstall Beat Team

Pic: Birstall Beat Team (l-r) PS Alice Forfar, PC Stu Venables, PCSO Nuala Sherlock

Birstall primary schools rated ‘good’

HIGHCLIFFE PRIMARY school and Riverside primary school have both been graded ‘good’, following a visit by Ofsted inspectors.

Highcliffe Primary was visited by a team of Ofsted inspectors for a two-day visit in October.

Having been graded a ‘good’ school in 2017, the school has retained this grading.

The Highcliffe Ofsted report recognised:

A strong school community where relationships between the adults and children at the school are enormously positive and based on ‘mutual respect’.

Children are safe and understand how to keep themselves safe; they saw that if any child is worried or concerned, there are robust systems in place for them to report this and receive support.

Children who attend Highcliffe are happy and polite, respectful, and a ‘credit to the school’.

Leaders’ high expectations of all children was evident, and that the children

shared in this vision knowing that if they work hard, they will do well, and this will help them to achieve their ‘big dreams’.

The curriculum as being effectively designed to meet the needs of all children, including for children with special educational needs or disabilities.

The school’s passion for reading was evident, as was the skilful teaching of mathematics.

The report found that to improve, the school needed to make small changes to the way curriculum plans are prepared to avoid inconsistencies. It also found that some adults who read with pupils do not provide effective support. Not all staff revise pupils’ phonic knowledge or develop their inference skills in a meaningful way. Leaders should ensure that expectations of how staff support pupils as they read are consistently successful in enabling pupils to read with improved fluency and comprehension.

Executive Principal, Chelsea Williams said: “We are incredibly proud of all of our children and staff at Highcliffe.

There are so many positive aspects to the inspection report and we’re quite simply delighted to have had this acknowledgement of the good work we do while educating young people in the local community.”

Riverside school was visited by inspectors in November 2022, and it also retained its rating as ‘good’.

Inspectors found that:

Riverside Primary School is a warm and welcoming place.

Pupils are polite and are proud of their school. They said that they would ‘definitely’ recommend the school to another child. Parents said the same.

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. Staff make sure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive the support they need to flourish and achieve well.

The school is calm and orderly. Pupils’ behaviour is positive in lessons and around the school site. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They trust staff to resolve incidents quickly.

Pupils respect differences between people. Pupils commented: ‘Teachers teach us not only to read and write, but that everyone is equal, even if they are different.’

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They explain tasks clearly and use appropriate resources. In lessons, teachers use assessment frequently to check how well pupils have understood and remembered new learning.

The provision for pupils with SEND is a strength. Pupils with SEND thrive in this school.

The classrooms are calm and well organised.

Staff are proud to work at this school. The staff are a happy team. They say they are well supported by leaders and the trust.

To improve the report found that:

Leaders have not implemented a clear assessment and feedback policy across all subjects. In some subject areas, pupils’ misconceptions are not always identified, which means that pupils do not learn as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum and assessment policy is implemented consistently well throughout the school.

Executive Principal, Chelsea Williams, said: “The inspector was able to recognise the huge strengths within the school, and they describe this in their final report. The leaders’ ambition for all children to achieve their best permeates around our warm and welcoming school.

“The inspector was able to see how respectful of difference we are at Riverside, that we are committed to our diver-

sity work and the incredible impact this is having on our children. As always, there will be areas for us to improve and the one area that was identified links to our continued development of the foundation subjects and our assessment of some of them to ensure that our children are building strong knowledge banks as they move through school. This is an area we have already started working on and will continue to be a key focus in the coming months. Finally, I would like to again reiterate how immensely proud we are of our children, our staff and our school.”

Pic: (above) Riverside Primary school and (below) Highcliffe Primary school

Birstall’s NatWest closing in June

THE BIRSTALL branch of the NatWest bank will close on June 1.

It is one of 23 Nat West branches that will close this year, in addition to the 43 announced last year.

The NatWest say the closures are necessary because more customers are choosing online and mobile banking and that visits to branches have dropped significantly.

In Birstall, comparing January 2019 and January 2022, counter transactions for personal customers decreased by 50% at the Birstall branch.

NatWest says the Birstall branch was used by 74 business customers on a regular basis in 2021. The branch was regularly used by zero personal customers in the same year.

The nearest NatWest bank to Birstall is at 2 Melton Road Leicester.

Customers can use their debit card to bank at the post office, where they can make cheque and cash deposits with a credit slip and withdraw cash up to their daily card limit. Business customers have the same facility at the post office and can register to use a change-giving service.

WI entertained by snake charmer

BIRSTALL AND Wanlip WI held their first meeting of 2023 on January 9.

17 ladies welcomed dancer Roxanne Dinsdale as our speaker for the evening. She told us how 37 years ago she rescued a snake and used it in her act. We also heard how she learnt to fire eat and the ways not to get burnt!

We will be starting a regular Monday walking group in February.

Half term activities

THE LEICESTER Outdoor Pursuits

Centre off Red Hill island has a February Half Term holiday scheme from Mon Feb 20 – 24.

The scheme is suitable for young people from Year One to Age 15 Adventures include:

Leap of Faith*

Zip Line*

Aerial Trekking*

Crate Stacking*

Archery

Air Rifle Shooting*

Climbing

Abseiling

Map Reading/Orienteering

Bushcraft

High Rope Balance Beams

Water Activities - Canoeing*, Bellboating, Kata Kanuing

(note: activities marked * have a minimum age, the Year One - age 8 groups cannot do these)

To book: https://www.lopc.co.uk

Some of us are going on a WI Federation coach trip to Bournemouth in the middle of January and with the weather forecast predicting snow thermals may well be needed!

We have no speaker booked for our February meeting on February 6, but the committee will be providing some stimulating activities for the social evening and it will gives us all the chance to have a chat and catch up.

From Birstall & Wanlip WI

BIRSTALL’S TACTICAL Basement boxing gym has presented silver and bronze certificates to two of its members.

The gym, based at Birstall Social Club, recognised the achievements of Riley Smith, who received a silver, and Will Swatland, a bronze. Both are year 11 students at the Cedars Academy. New members are welcome at the gym, contact Dean Spencer on 0797 951 1501.

Pics: (top) Riley Smith with trainer Dean Spencer & (right) Will Swatland

Pic: the NatWest bank, Birstall

Bus station wins design award

LEICESTER’S new St Margaret’s Bus Station has won a national award.

The £14.3million bus station redevelopment project took the top spot in the infrastructure and transport-related development category of the Future Cities Forum Winter Awards 2022.

Judges praised the ambition of the bus station redevelopment and the way major elements of the previous building were reused to help cut the carbon cost of construction.

Judge Deborah Williams, Head of Region – Midlands, Historic England, added: “Typically, rail stations get lots of attention, and bus stations are 'also rans'. It's the fact that they have created a sense of place in this part of Leicester that is really laudable.”

The new St Margaret’s Bus Station features a glazed concourse to maximise natural lighting and cut energy consumption and a curved aluminium roof where a solar array of 390 photovoltaic panels generate more clean, green power than

is needed to run the building.

The building has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with the highest possible rating of A+ and a score of -4. This means that the new bus station building will be better than net zero carbon in terms of its operational emis-

Free CPR training

A FREE CPR training course in Birstall was so popular that another will be held in March at Birstall Village Hall.

The free course, which covers CPR and how to use a defibrillator, is run by the East Midlands Ambulance Service.

The second date for the free training, for anyone that couldn’t make the first one, is on Monday March 6, 2023, at Birstall Village Hall at 6.30pm. The session lasts for roughly one hour.

sions. It is the first net zero carbon bus station building in the UK.

Bus passengers benefit from a completely redesigned, improved and more spacious internal layout with better seating, a new café, modern toilets complete with a Changing Places accessible facility,

Parish Council Clerk Sue Coulson said: “We are asking for people to book their space through the Parish Council offices so that we can provide a number of attendees for the trainers. You can do this by post, email: admin@birstallpc.org.uk or face to face at the Council offices.”

and real-time digital passenger information. The new building also provides significantly more capacity for national and regional services, with the number of available bays increased by a third from 18 to 24.

Pics: the award wining St Margaret’s bus station

Quilting group welcomes new members

ARE YOU interested in patchwork and quilting, or other textile arts and crafts?

Or are you looking for something new in 2023? Leicestershire Quilters has recently made its new home at Braunstone Civic Centre where we meet monthly to share our passion for all things quilty, and beyond.

Our Monday meetings include an invited speaker, the opportunity to “show and tell” finished items, refresh-

ments, a raffle and a sales table. We also organise practical workshops and stitching days, and most importantly share the joy of the craft with like-minded people.

We are not all experienced quilters, some of us are beginners and some simply love to enjoy looking at other quilters’ work. What unites us and makes the group so vibrant is our shared love of patchwork, quilting and textiles.

At recent meetings we have been joined by local sewer Adam Brooks of Sewing Bee fame, and the ever popular quilter-extraordinaire Moira Neal. We have more inspiring speakers planned for 2023.

We also raise funds and donate quilts to local organisations such as Leicestershire Women’s Aid, the neo-natal unit at the LRI, and East Midlands Ambulance

News from the churches

MEMBERS OF St James Monday Group enjoyed their annual festive meal, which this year was held at the Royal British Legion in Birstall, where they were well looked after and well-fed. We now look forward to the coming year.

The beginning of the year also saw the AGM of the Birstall and Wanlip branch of the Mother's Union, marked by a service in the old part of St James Church which was presided over by Reverend Amanda. The Mother's Union is a worldwide Christian organisation, and you don't necessarily have to be a 'mum' to join!

(The Bishop of Leicester is a member, and he is a 'dad'!). Here in Birstall, the Mother's Union meets on the third Monday of every month at 10am in the community area of St James Church, Church Hill. The programme for the year includes having speakers for a range of subjects, outings to popular destinations and taking part in and organising fundraising events - a pretty busy itinerary.

Have you ever wondered what to do with those single-use face masks, blister packs (empty pill thingies) and used pens of all sorts? Well, St James has boxes in the community area, where you can dispose of them safely!

There is also a box for used ink cartridges. They are all to be recycled, so it

all cuts down on rubbish and is useful!

Here's a super thing: on the first Monday of every month at 11am the British Legion is hosting a Veteran's Breakfast for all Service Personnel and Auxiliary Support (i.e. Land Army, Army Reserves, etc.). If you, or anyone you know would enjoy a good brekki, and a good chat, please book with Brian (07864 693243) or contact the helpline (0789471 15049).

Let's stay with food! There will be a Pancake Party on Tuesday February 21 at Wanlip Hall at 1pm to celebrate Shrove Tuesday. Everyone is invited and everyone will be welcome.

From Birstall Parish Churches

GOODNESS ME it has been a cold January!

Fortunately our Warm Space is able to continue operating, mainly due to a significant grant from Charnwood Borough Council, and of course our dedicated team of volunteers. We are seeing ever increasing numbers visiting us, and it is really good to see some new friendships being made.

Our boilers are managing to cope with keeping the building warm, however some of the vital parts to our system are extremely old and they need to be replaced. We are looking for an Industri-

Service.

You are very welcome to join us.

We meet on the last Monday of each month at 7pm at Braunstone Civic Centre (except December). Entry is £5, or annual membership is £30 and includes entry to all our Monday meetings, and a reduced rate for our other events.

Our occasional stitchers’ days and workshops are usually held on Saturdays.

If you would like to find out more please contact Carolyn Howard on 07487 583 614 or Jan Halliday on 01509 890369 or email leicestershirequilters40@ gmail.com. Or take a

al Plumber that can work on large pipework, so do contact us if you know of someone who could help!

On January 8 we held a Covenant and Commissioning Service. It was really good to see the Boys Brigade in church with their flags, and to witness the commitment of their Officers and their Chaplain.

The time of Lent starts on Ash Wednesday on February 22, and it lasts for 40 days (not Including Sundays) representing the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. This 40 day period is a time for us all to reflect, fast, and make amends in preparation for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday, on April 9 this year. In many respects the period of Lent, Holy Week and Easter are much more significant to us than Christmas, because the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the Cross is the central core belief for All Christians throughout the World. This year our Lent Bible study series, On Earth as in Heaven, will be led by Rev Hunt and held on Sunday evenings at 6pm. Please contact the church for the Zoom meeting details.

From Birstall Methodist Church

Honours

At the start of the year, the New Year’s Honours’ List was published, naming those men and women who have earned our respect and esteem for their contribution to their local communities

look at our Facebook and Instagram pages, both under Leicestershire Quilters. Or simply come along to our next meeting on Monday January 30.

From Leicestershire Quilters

and our nation as a whole. However, such awards can easily be forgotten by many of us – for example, how many of the 1,239 recipients from January 2021 can we remember? There is one person, however, whose achievements will never be forgotten and He is the subject of our hymn this month, namely the Lord Jesus Christ and the hymn is: ‘Immortal honours rest on Jesus’ head’.

This hymn was penned by William Gadsby (1773-1844), someone who has also been all but forgotten today, although around two to three thousand attended his funeral. William was born near Nuneaton into a large family and his childhood was marked by much poverty and minimal education. When he was aged 17, he was brought to acknowledge his wayward manner of life and, responding to the Gospel, he became a Christian. He worshipped in Coventry, walking the 8 miles for the 7am prayer meeting whatever the weather. In 1795 three things changed for William, as he moved to Hinckley and began to learn stocking weaving; met and married Elizabeth and became a preacher, much against his will, first in Bedworth, and then in Hinckley and Desford. In 1805 he moved to become a pastor in Manchester and he ministered there for 38 years. He wrote over 150 hymns but only one or two are found in modern hymn collections.

The ‘Immortal honours’ hymn numbers the blessings which come from the Lord: ‘In Him I live, upon Him cast my care; He saves from death, destruction and despair. He is my refuge in each deep distress, the Lord my strength and glorious righteousness … [and] My every need He richly will supply.’ The final verse is our response: ‘O that my soul could love and praise Him more … obey His voice and all His will esteem.’ May this last wish also be our response to the Lord Jesus Christ.

You are most welcome to join us for our Sunday services – see the Diary section for details, or contact us: http://www.birstallbaptistchurch.org.uk or 0116 2214883.

From Birstall Independent Baptist Church

Birstall BAG’s cancer corner Planning

Bile Duct Cancer

Birstall BAGs would like to continue sharing information about some of the rarer cancers people can be diagnosed with.

Around 375,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year in the UK. There are more than 200 types of cancer, and yet more than half of new cases of cancer are breast, prostate, lung or bowel cancer. But this means nearly half of all cancers diagnosed are any of the nearly 200 others. which are less well known or understood. Recently we have been writing about these rarer cancers, and this month we would like to share some information about cancer of the bile duct. Around 2800 people are diagnosed with this type of cancer each year in England. This has increased over the last few years, but we don’t know why.

The bile ducts are part of the digestive system. They are the tubes that connect the liver and gallbladder to the small bowel.

The bile ducts carry bile. This is a fluid that helps to digest food by breaking down fat. The liver makes bile which is stored in the gallbladder.

There are two main bile ducts in the liver:

right hepatic duct

left hepatic duct

The right and left hepatic ducts join just outside the liver to form the common hepatic duct. Another bile duct comes from the gallbladder. This is called the cystic duct.

The common hepatic duct and cystic duct join together to form the common bile duct.

The common bile duct passes behind the pancreas and joins the pancreatic

duct. The combined ducts open into the small bowel, where bile is released. The release of bile is controlled by a valve.

When we eat, the gallbladder releases bile into the small bowel to help digest food.

Cancer of the bile duct is divided into three groups depending on where it first develops.

intrahepatic bile duct cancers - This means that the cancer developed in the bile ducts inside the liver. They are also called intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas.

Perihilar bile duct cancers- The perihilar region is just outside the liver, where the right and left hepatic ducts meet.

Distal extrahepatic bile duct cancersThe distal region includes the bile ducts that run through the pancreas to the small bowel.

Symptoms of Bile Duct Cancer

Bile duct cancer doesn’t usually cause symptoms in the early stages. When you do have symptoms, they include: yellowing of the skin (jaundice)

weight loss

pain in the stomach area changes to the colour of your poo (stools) and wee (urine)

itching of the skin

feeling generally unwell

There are many other conditions that cause these symptoms. Most of them are much more common than bile duct cancer.

Diagnosis

If you have any of the symptoms described, you should see your GP as soon as possible. However, it is not unusual with Bile Duct Cancer for you to become quite suddenly unwell and need to

go to A&E.

Whichever way you end up at the hospital, via A&E or your GP, you will undergo a series of tests, including blood tests, an ultrasound scan, a CT scan or possibly an MRI scan. Sometimes, they prefer to scan you internally, and you will have an endoscopic ultrasound so that your food pipe and bile ducts can be looked at internally. A biopsy will be necessary to obtain samples of cells or tissue to look at under the microscope.

Treatment

Your treatment depends on where the cancer is, how big it is, whether it has spread, and your general health. The main treatments for bile duct cancer are surgery and chemotherapy. You may also have a small tube (stent) put in to help relieve symptoms of the cancer.

Most people with bile duct cancer already have advanced cancer by the time they are diagnosed. This means that the cancer has spread outside the bile ducts. Treatment for advanced bile duct cancer is usually chemotherapy.

The key message with any signs or symptoms that you are having is to get checked out as early as possible. Remember EARLY DIAGNOSIS DOES SAVE LIVES. We hope that shining a light on some of the rarer cancers people can have will help explain why there are so many symptoms possible.

If you would like Birstall BAGs to cover any particular cancer in this column please do drop us an email: birstallbags@hotmail.com

For local support and information about cancer services please contact:University Hospitals of Leicester Cancer Information Centre on 0116 258 6189

For more information on the funds Birstall BAGs have raised, the projects we support and forthcoming events see www.birstallbags.co.uk or look us up on Facebook or email birstallbags@hotmail.co.uk

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