Rothley Post (159) March 2023

THE R

P

Rothley’s award winning club

The club is particularly keen to encourage women who have not played for a while to pick up their racquets.

Anne said: “We can offer support through individual or group coaching as you get back to a sport you may have loved some time ago but maybe have not had time for in recent years.”

Contact the club at: enquiries@rothleytennis.info www.rothleytennis.info

Pic: Greg Rusedski with (l-r) Anne Mumford, Susan Cottam, Louise Christian, Jackie Wales & Cathryn Colville

Highway works

HIGHWAY WORKS on the A6 between Birstall and Rothley started in February and are expected to last 52 weeks.

ROTHLEY IVANHOE tennis club is one of the most successful clubs in the league, walking away with top place in a number of divisions at the recent Tennis Leicestershire Awards.

The women's teams in the summer league, and at over 40s and over 60s levels, were particularly successful.

The awards were presented by tennis legend Greg Rusedski who entertained the audience with stories from the tour and his views on tennis today.

The club's Chair, Anne Mumford, also received a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Anne has been a member of the club for over 30 years. She said: “While it was great to celebrate the league success, the club is about far more than that and offers chances to play socially, within the club with some great all-year round club competitions, as well as in our teams. We really feel that the club is a club for all - whatever your age or experience.”

Continued on page 3

Martin Tibbles

PAINTING & DECORATING

Excellent

412 945

Developers Davidsons and Cora Homes are starting the main access works off the A6 into the 1950 home The next issue of THE ROTHLEY POST will be published on May 5. The copy deadline is Apr 21.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinated

House Surgery

The good news!

Plans were submitted and approved by the local council, and we are now awaiting approval from the NHS estates team. The additional space will provide us with additional capacity for our attached staff provided by our local PCN.

Recruitment

We have recruited and welcome our new Reception Manager, Laraine. Laraine has a wealth of Primary Care Management experience and is your first port of call for any difficulties you may face when navigating the reception system.

We are also in the process of recruiting additional reception staff and have two new staff members who will be joining the team during February and March.

Contacting us

We do offer routine appointments so if you do not require an “on the day” appointment do consider calling later in the day and asking for the next routine appointment. Don’t forget, the GP is not always the most appropriate person for your needs but the more information you can give, the better our reception team can help you.

Online access

We have recently reinstated online access for routine GP appointments, if you have online access to book appointments, you will be able to use this to book. These appointments are released for 10 weeks at a time and are on a first come first served basis. All our online appointments are faceto-face but if you prefer a telephone call, please state this when booking your appointment.

Pharmacist, Paramedic & Nursing Teams

Our pharmacists can help with medication reviews and many medication queries. Our Paramedic team are

Frontline news

In our last article we informed our patients that the Alpine House reception team has been depleted recently and this was having a huge impact on the team and the ability to answer the phones in a timely manner. We are pleased to report that call waiting times are improving and the average wait time at our busiest times has reduced to 30 minutes, this is not deemed unreasonable. We are not an emergency service and if your call is of a life threatening or emergency nature, please direct your call to 999.

highly skilled health professionals and can help with a wide range of problems. Both teams can prescribe independently and have direct access to a GP for support. Our Nursing team are on hand to help you with your longterm conditions, along with vaccinations, cervical smear testing and minor illness, both of our nurses are independent prescribers. Our HCA and phlebotomy team undertake all our blood testing and can help with simple wound care, stitch and clip removal, routine ear care, flu vaccination, ECGs and BP monitoring.

We continue to see patients face to face, and patients can choose if their GP appointment is face-to-face or by telephone. Our latest data continues to show that our GPs are seeing more than 50% of patients face to face. We also carry out home visits for our most clinically vulnerable patients where appropriate.

We would like to reassure all our patients we are doing all we can to improve the service and we thank you for your continued patience.

Whilst we are continuing to address the current frustrations of accessing healthcare, we are, unfortunately, still noticing an increase amongst a small cohort of patients who have resorted to being abusive to our staff. This is upsetting for staff, and other patients who witness this behaviour, and we would ask that patients always treat all of our team members with kindness, courtesy and respect. We do have a zero-tolerance policy in place to allow us to manage patients who are abusive, and your registration with us may be at risk if you are abusive in any way to any of our team. If patient behaviour is deemed, in any way, violent or threatening, then an immediate removal from the practice list will be instigated.

We are fortunate that this is a minority of people, and we recognise and thank all our patients for your loyalty, kindness and understanding.

All the team at Alpine House look forward to continuing to support you.

Laura Newbold Practice Manager

We are pleased to let you know that we are currently in the very early stages of planning to make improvements to the surgery site in the form of an extension and refurb to our minor surgery room.

Walk raises funds in memory of Samuel

THE FIRST official fundraising event for Samuel's Promise, a charity fund set up in memory of Rothley’s Samuel Priestley, has raised £2200.

Samuel’s Promise is raising funds for research into low-grade brain tumours and surgical advancements in memory of Samuel, who died last February, aged 18.

Samuel was 14 years old when in July 2018 he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Mum Sharon says: “Before his diagnosis, he’d been a happy, carefree boy, surrounded by friends and enjoying the normal life of a teenager. He was in good health, fit and strong, and excelled in all sports, including tennis, cricket and athletics. It was football,

though, that was his real passion.

“However, things started to change for us when Samuel began having headaches, and it was on our way to football one evening he asked me if he had a brain tumour. We took him to the GP, and on their advice, he had his eyes checked by an optician, who sent us directly to A&E. A scan was performed, before doctors delivered the most gut-wrenching words to him: 'There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it, we have found a mass in your brain.' Emergency blue lights took us to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, where he had an eight-hour operation.”

Samuel and his family quickly became submerged in a whole new world of hospitals, specialist consultants and brain surgeons, with repeated admissions to hospital.

“His strength of character and resilience amazed us all and together, with his sister Emily, we were a strong, solid unit. Our fears and anxiety

were at times overwhelming, but we found strength in each other as a family to pick him –and each other - up and keep going,” said Sharon.

Samuel had several operations, chemotherapy and proton beam therapy; when his tumour had progressed to his brain stem and was now inoperable.

Sadly, after three years and eight months of punishing, intense operations and treatments, Samuel passed away in February 2022, aged 18.

Around 100 people took part in a fundraising walk and talk event, that started and finished in the Woodies car park on January 2, taking in Bradgate

MJFC. The club has also supported us with fundraising while Samuel was still receiving treatment and has pledged to continue to support his charity Samuel's Promise - MJFC is the reason that Samuel's Promise has the orange logo! They have dedicated an SP10 memorial to Samuel on each of their number 10 shirts and the clubhouse displays his picture. We are incredibly thankful for the support of all our friends and it means so much to know that Samuel's name is remembered.”

Sharon says the family plan to repeat the walk next year.

with the number of people who walked and talked with us on the day. It was lovely to see so many of Samuel's friends walking together and to catch up with them.”

She added: “Samuel loved all sports and, when he was younger, has been part of Rothley Tennis club, Rothley Cricket, and Loughborough Athletics, but

She said: “We raised just over £2,200 from the Walk and Talk, which is incredible, we were blown away by everyone's generosity.

“At the end of the walk, everyone was tired and muddy, but all agreed that it was a lovely way to start the new year, to come together as a community and honour Samuel, and we plan to do the same again next year - 1 January 2024!”

Continued from page 1

Broadnook Garden Suburb, a planned garden village development.

A county council spokesperson said: “Throughout 2023 there will be an ongoing requirement for phased and approved traffic management and a website will be launched to ensure the public get

updates on phasing and progress. Overnight preparatory works are commencing very soon. The scheme will also include the formation of new roundabouts and diversionary works in the area of the A6/A46 interchange, as well as various highway improvements.”

BROADNOOK GARDEN SUBURB

BIRSTALL

WANLIP

ST SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS

Pic: a map of the Broadnook Garden suburb 4 PLOTS FOR SHOWPEOPLE

Pics: (above) Samuel Priestly, (right) Samuel with his family

Pics: walkers setting off ion their charity walk

AN EXPERT abseiling horologist has repaired the clock at Rothley Parish Church.

As a result of external wear and tear to the clock hand mechanisms, a specialist company, Time Assured, was engaged to replace the damaged parts to ensure that the clock works as accurately as possible and that both faces are in synchronisation.

This required an expert in clock repairs and one having abseiling skills.

The initial clock repairs were in late January, with the damaged

Rothley parish church clock repaired Humps

to be replaced in early March, after

TRAFFIC CALMING measures are planned for Walton Way. Leicestershire County Council has received a Section 106 contribution from developers William Davis Homes for traffic calming measures, including seven speed humps, along Walton Way, Mountsorrel.

The county council carried out a speed survey which showed the 85th percentile speeds at both AM and PM peaks to be in excess of the speed limit along Walton Way.

The provisional location for the traffic calming measures:

Walton Way, Mountsorrel - One set of two cushions 75mm high approximately 50m south of Edinburgh Way

- One set of two cushions 75mm high between Barnard Way and Kenilworth Close

- One set of two cushions 75mm high approximately 15m north of Carisbrooke Road

- One set of two cushions 75mm high between Kirby Close and Caernarvon Close

- One set of two cushions 75mm high between Grange Lane and Meadow Road

- One set of two cushions 75mm high between Castle Road and Renning End

- One set of two cushions 75mm high outside property numbers 14 – 18 Walton Way

- One raised table 75mm high at the junction of Walton Way and West Cross Lane

Details of the proposed scheme, which was subject to a public consultation that ended on March 1, can be viewed at https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/roads

-and-travel/cars-and-parking/trafficmanagement-consultations

The Rothley Centre, 12 Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley, Leicester, LE7 7PR

Normal Office Hours: Monday to Friday 09.00 to 11.00am

www.rothleyparishcouncil.org.uk

Phone: 0116 2374544 Email: clerk@rothleyparishcouncil.org.uk

Newsletter No 15 March/April 2023

Parish Council Elections

Rothley Parish Councillors

Andrew Brettle

Nathanial Bromwich

Mike Ferguson

Roger Gross

Graham Hall

Percy Hartshorn

Steve Mitchell

Barry Simons

Douglas Sutherland

Christine Watts

RPC Administration

Parish Clerk: Gail Newcombe

Senior Administrator: Sue Wyles

Facilities Administrator: Vacant

Caretaking staff

Jenny Cornish

Andy Hodgson

King’s Coronation in May

Local elections take place on Thursday 4th May. On this date there will be elections for local borough councils (Charnwood) and parish councils (Rothley); voting for both being held at the Rothley Centre, M’tsorrel Lane. Residents in Cropston can vote at the School Room at Cropston Chapel, Station Rd. and in Thurcaston votes can be cast at the Harrison Room, All Saints Church, Anstey Lane.

New regulations on voting.

Photographic identification will need to be produced at the polling stations before being given a ballot paper in order to cast your vote. These include:

~ passport

~ driving licence

~ bus pass

~ Blue badge

Speed ramp Mountsorrel Lane

RPC are considering ways to mark the coronation of King Charles III on 6th May.

We would welcome any ideas from members of the public.

Street Parties

Anyone thinking of holding an event to celebrate The King’s Coronation should consult the Parish Council website for further advice or ring Leicestershire C.C on 0116 305 7239

Town Green

Town Green was laid out in 1954 due to the generosity of George Gee of Rothley. The Beech tree was planted to commemorate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth

A Parish Council election will be held should there be more than 10 candidates. Local residents wishing to stand for a place must submit the nomination papers by Tuesday 4th April. 4.00pm. to Charnwood Borough Council Electoral Registration Officer Southfield Road, Loughborough LE11 2TR

Briefly candidates must be at least 18 years old be a British citizen, meet at least one of the following four items

a) Your name must appear on the register of local government electors & throughout your term of office should you be elected.

b) You have occupied any land or other premises as owner or tenant in the parish/community during 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of your nomination and the day of election.

c) Your main place of work during the 12 months prior to the day of your nomination and the day of election has been in the parish/community area. You do not have to have paid employment to qualify, as long as your main or only place of work is in the parish area.

RPC have received a number of complaints regarding the speed ramp on Mountsorrel Lane opposite the entrance to the Library. The issue being that the underneath of cars and other larger vehicles hit the ramp as they head on up the road. RPC have repeatedly contacted Leics. County Council Highways Dept. to express these concerns. The consistent reply that we have received is that the ramp conforms to agreed dimensions.

Good Neighbours Scheme

Following a request from Rothley Good Neighbours Scheme RPC has agreed to fund the organisation so that they can carry on their work. The scheme, run by volunteers, helps and supports the elderly, vulnerable or those who are in need of temporary assistance due to illness injury or bereavement. More details about RGNS can be found in this issue.

Opening of footpath

A footpath adjacent to the Cemetery from Mountsorrel Ln. into the Rothley Meadows estate was opened in January by William Davis Ltd. The route of the path includes some excellent play facilities for children.

RPC is keen to continue the upgrading of its facilities and are in the process of getting quotes to upgrade the Village Hall toilets which will include the addition of a disabled toilet and baby changing facilities.

Parish Precept

The ‘precept’ (the Parish Council’s share of your Council Tax) makes up the greater part of our income, with a further significant contribution coming from the hiring of rooms at the Rothley Centre and Village Hall. With the reopening of both buildings following Covid restrictions and the recent refurbishment of the Rothley Centre this income stream is now improving. This means that for the coming year the precept will only need to be increased by a relatively small amount, from £199,132 in 2022/23 to £204,925 in 2023/24, a 2.91% increase. The Parish Council’s total budget for 2022/23 was £239,682. This has risen to £263,642 for 2023/24, an increase of about 10%. The breakdown of Parish Council expenditure for 2023/24 will be approximately as follows:

There has been damage to some of the white posts and RPC are replacing missing or leaning posts & repainting them all white.

d) You have lived in the parish area during 12 months before the day of your nomination Nomination papers can be obtained from Charnwood or the Rothley Parish Office.

Readers may wish to know the full costs of running the Rothley Centre. Our best estimate for the year 2022-23 is around £50,000 for non-pay costs plus £25,000 for pay, offset by around £30,000 in income. The total net cost of around £45,000 is clearly significant. Resident’s comments are welcome.

Village Hall

Raising awareness of autism

A ROTHLEY organisation that supports people with autism has partnered with Deli 1880 to raise awareness of autism for World Autism Acceptance week, which starts on March 27.

Freedom Active is a life skills training centre on Fowke Street for working-age adults with a diagnosis of autism, learning difficulties

and behaviour that may challenge.

It featured in the BBC documentary ‘Inside our autistic minds’, presented by Chris Packham. Chris was filmed visiting the centre and talking to staff and clients.

Deli 1880 is partnering in this event by offering a promotional offer on hot drinks and by working on projects and opportunities with Freedom Active in the future.

A stall will be in place on Cross Green during this week, from 10.30am until 12.30pm. The stall will offer a variety of items available to buy on the day, alongside some information about autism.

“Members of the group will be staffing the stall all week, so feel free to come along and support World Autism Acceptance Week!” said Daniel Morson from Freedom Active.

Pic: The Freedom Active life skills training centre in Rothley

The next issue of THE ROTHLEY POST will be published on May 5. The copy deadline is Apr 21.

Take the train to Mountsorrel

THE GCR is running trains between Birstall and Mountsorrel while work to replace two bridges is completed.

The 125-year-old bridges are being replaced near Quorn and Woodhouse station, and the usual ‘main line’ route between Loughborough and Leicester is temporarily closed. Instead, heritage trains are leaving Leicester North station, pausing at the Edwardian Rothley station before changing tracks onto the Mountsorrel branch line and heading to the Nunckley Hill station at the Mountsorrel & Rothley Heritage Centre.

“We’re looking forward to offering this treat to our visitors,” said Great Central Railway Chairman Richard Patching. “The contrast between the branch line and our main line is really something. The train slows right down, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and relax.

As our main line was built in the 1890s, we need to keep investing in the railway so we continue to serve the community as a leading attraction and employer. The work will take the whole of March to complete. We’re relieved we don’t have to close entirely, so now is definitely the time to come and see us for this

very rare chance to travel from Leicester to Mountsorrel!”

The branch line to Mountsorrel leaves the Great Central main line near Swithland. It was originally built to carry trains laden with stone from the local quarry. It fell out of use in the 1950s but was relaid by volunteers as a community project. They have transformed an empty site into a visitor centre telling

the story of the quarrying and railways in the area, plus other village stories.

The trains between Leicester and Mountsorrel will be operated by vintage diesel multiple units dating from the 1950s.

Please note a separate admission fee (£1 for adults and 50p for children) is payable to visit the Mountsorrel Heritage Centre if you leave the train at the Heritage Centre.

Pic: a train entering the Mountsorrel branch line from the GCR main line

Based in Rothley with 20 years experience as an Estate Agent, I would love to help you move home in 2023.

Tribute paid to headteacher

THE HEADTEACHER of Rothley’s primary school, Fiona Riley, is retiring.

In a statement, the school paid the following tribute:

After seventeen years of outstanding service to the village community, Mrs Fiona Riley, Headteacher of Rothley C of E Academy, has retired.

When Mrs Riley first became Headteacher, the number of pupils on the roll was little more than 250 children. By the time she left, the school was to become a three-form entry school, with 90 children in a year group. The education of hundreds of children has been steered by Mrs Riley and her dedicated team of staff, providing an excellent education for the children of our village.

Her commitment cannot be underestimated.

During Mrs Riley’s Headship, she introduced residential school trips for the older children in school, including Dukes Barn in Derbyshire, Hilltop Outdoor Centre in Sheringham and even an overnight trip to London, which includes a theatre trip and a visit to Harry Potter World too! The children always look

forward to these trips, and their adventures regularly feature in the children’s favourite school memories during the Year 6 Leavers Assembly. With a passion for the performing arts and music, Mrs Riley created lots of opportunities for the children to perform for their parents and a wider audience.

Salon’s seasonal gifts

A ROTHLEY hair salon delivered a sackful of Christmas gifts to a children’s hospice, thanks to the generosity of their clients.

During December, award-winning salon Gavin Taylor Hair on Fowke Street, put out a plea to all of their clients. Instead of bringing in copious amounts of chocolates and wine for the staff, they asked if they could pass it forward and asked them if they were thinking of bringing in a gift if it could be a gift for terminally ill children and their families receiving care from Rainbows Children’s Hospice in Loughborough.

A ginormous Santa sack was ready and waiting in the salon reception area to be filled with gifts.

Gavin and Jane Taylor of Gavin Taylor Hair ran the Christmas campaign with the assistance of Jenny Ball, Community Fundraiser at Rainbows Hospice, who gave them specific items to ask the clients for, such as craft items, winter hats, toiletries and sensory toys.

The Santa sack soon became overflowing with gifts, spreading out across the lounge area of the salon.

“The support from our clients during our campaign was phenomenal, myself and our team were hoping to see the Santa sack fill up, but not once did we envisage the amount of generosity our clients gave,” said Gavin Taylor.

The team at Gavin Taylor Hair also gave generously, as well as their families.

On December 22, Gavin and his two daughters proudly delivered all of the gifts to Rainbows Hospice in Loughborough and met with Jenny, Community Fundraiser, to hand them over.

Jenny said: “Thank you so much for your donation, it's very kind of you and your clients to support Rainbows in this way.”

Rainbows provides care and support for children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and their families, across the East

Midlands. The care offered is wide-ranging: palliative care, end-of-life care, symptom management, emergency care and respite. Without the support of the general public and their fundraising, Rainbows would not be able to offer this service.

The confidence gained by so very many children is a joy to see. Their newfound confidence has far reaching impact, and we know of children who have gone on to become actors and performers. We are sure this will continue in the future too.

With her continued passion to achieve the best for the children in her care, she oversaw the move from the school building on Mountsorrel Lane to the impressive new school building on Burrow Drive. Our children now have a truly amazing school with outstanding facilities.

Opportunities for staff development were always at the forefront of Mrs Riley’s thinking, and there is no doubt that because of this, the staff at Rothley Academy are all excellent practitioners and always have the latest knowledge and skills to provide the very best education for our children. As a mark of respect and thanks to Mrs Riley, the staff and Governors have arranged for a rose garden to be created within the school grounds, which will include 17 roses; one for each of the years that Mrs Riley dedicated to our school.

Pic: Gavin Taylor and his two daughters delivering the first run of the gifts

Pic: Mrs Fiona Riley

2-4pm, the Harrison Room at All Saints Church is open for anyone to come and join us.

Friday Night Films

In Thurcaston

Birstall Flower Club

Wednesday March 22, 2023

Birstall Village Hall 7.15pm

Demonstrator: Pauline Foster

Title: Let Us Dance In The Sun

Mrs Harris Goes to Paris Run time 1hr 55mins

Free refreshments & good prizes in raffle

Everyone welcome

film is a feel-good romantic comedy drama. Mysterious but handsome bachelor, Mr Malcom, has many lady followers. Exasperatingly, Julia discovers that he has an actual written list of qualities which he requires in a future wife. However, She resents being rejected and creates a plan ..... but will her plan work?

“Mrs Harris goes to Paris” (May 12, 115 mins)

In our May life-affirming drama comedy, Oscar nominee, Lesley Manville, plays a cleaning lady who ventures to Paris to buy the luxurious dress of her dreams. This is a delightful “rags to regalia” tale that you should not miss. “The Lost King” will be shown on June 9.

Thurcaston and Cropston Parish Council will be showing these films at Thurcaston Memorial Hall, starting at 7.30pm. Film tickets will cost the usual £5, which includes a lucky prize draw and refreshments during the interval. You can pay for tickets at the door, if there are any left, or pay in advance from:

Richard 0116 2363 066 or Diana 0116 2362 619

Rothley First Friday Film Club

Note the date! A week later than normal due to Good Friday holiday Fri April 14, 2pm Rothley Centre

In partnership with the House of Dior, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris tells the story of a widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London who falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, and decides that she must have one of her own. After she works, starves and gambles to raise the funds to pursue her dream, she embarks on an adventure to Paris which will change not only her own outlook, but the very future of the House of Dior

The UK ConstitutionHistory, Present and Future

with Bob Grindrod

5 week course starting on Wed 26 April 2-4pm – at The Rothley Centre - Fee £43* (or free if you are in receipt of an income related benefit; or you could also apply for WEA Learner Discretionary fund for a fee waiver if your household income is less than £21,000 a year).

The course will look at how the UK Constitution works and whether it remains 'fit for purpose' in the modern world. We will look at how our Constitution has come about, its main components and the recent crises that have tested it almost to destruction. Would we all be better off if it were codified, written down, and taught in schools as in many countries around the world?

To enrol please ring 0300 303 3464 quoting course ref. C2348849 or via the WEA website www.wea.org.uk

Thurcaston All Saints Church

The Wednesday Hub –Warm Welcome

Every Wednesday afternoon from

The Wednesday Hub is run in partnership with the Thurcaston & Cropston Good Neighbours group and is free to attend. Come along for coffee, cake, chat and a warm welcome! We also have puzzles, games (such as cards and Scrabble), books or you can bring your own activities with you. WiFi now available too. For further details, please call 07834 483850 or email us on Wednesdayhub3@gmail.com

Syston and District University of the Third Age

Open Day

Wednesday April 26, 11am – 2pm. Not in full time work? Is this what you’ve been waiting for? A chance to meet future friends, become more active, enjoy new interests and socialise. Does having fun appeal to you? Discover more about these opportunities and talk to both Group Organisers and members of Syston and District u3a.

Visit our Open Day at Grosvenor Snooker Club, Syston, LE7 2EN. We are waiting to welcome you *

Rothley & Birstall Birdwatchers

Tuesday March 14, 7.30pm

This has been changed to a talk on his visit to Mongolia by Andy Smith

Tuesday April 18, 7.30pm

Please note this meeting will be on the third Tuesday of April, the 18th, not on the second Tuesday as usual, due to Easter being the previous week.

"Nature's Darning Needles"

An introduction to Dragonflies by Kevin Reynolds

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

Birstall Methodist Church

Ratcliffe Chorale & Knighton Community Choir present

A Spring Concert

At Birstall Methodist Church, Wanlip Lane, Birstall

Saturday March 18, 2023, 7pm

Visitors £5

Queries to: Sylvia 0116 267 4206 or Carol 0116 267 1437

Syston Model Railway Society will be holding its

Annual Model Railway Show

at ROOTS @ Thorpe Farm, Barkby Thorpe, Leicester, LE7 3QE on April 29th/30th. Opening times are 10am – 4:30pm on Saturday and 10am – 4pm on Sunday. Admission is £5 per adult and £4 per unaccompanied child. Accompanied children go free. There will be a number of layouts in various gauges as well as specialist traders and demonstrations. Refreshments will be available.

Plenty of free parking

For further information please contact John on 07948419664 or email systonmodelrailway@gmx.co.uk. www.systonmrs.org.uk

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

Conductor – Simon Lubkowski

Parish Council notes

A FULL meeting of Rothley Parish Council was held on January 16.

The crime figures for December 2022 were presented.

No reports of vehicle crime, two reports of theft (theft of parcel, bags of coal stolen from outside the shop).

Three burglaries (rear door broken, property entered, and items taken). There were no reports of criminal damage and no reports of antisocial behaviour in December. Anyone witnessing antisocial behaviour should report it to the police via 101 or via the Leicester-

shire Police website.

It was reported that the Rothley Christmas light switch-on event had been well received and had run smoothly with the help of volunteers. In 2023, the event will take place on November 30.

A full meeting of Rothley Parish Council was held on February 20.

PCSO Katrina Hallmark reported that since the start of February, there have been three reports of criminal damage, two of which were to the windows of cars. There has been one burglary and no reports of antisocial behaviour so far this month. Police are aware of a group of young people responsible for antiso-

cial behaviour, and they have been spoken to twice. One of the young people has particularly complicated issues. Police are patrolling problem areas.

PCSO Hallmark requested that members of the public report all incidents of antisocial behaviour to the police, so they can be aware of when and where the problems are occurring.

Comment was made that the problem of antisocial behaviour had reduced in the last couple of weeks.

It was reported that during the refurbishment of the Rothley Centre a pipe had been cut, and there was no water supply to the bar.

Borough Cllr Mark Charles reported that the borough council has a new customer services team in place, responding to phone calls and emails. The

Latimer Players’spring show

THE LATIMER Players had a very successful run with their last production, ‘Three Score Years and Ten’, a celebration of 70 years of the Thurcaston based amateur dramatic society.

They were especially pleased to welcome back their loyal audiences who ventured back after the COVID pandemic. They hope they will have continued success with their April production.

The Inspector Pratt plays have always been a firm favourite with their audiences, and they are pleased to present ‘Sleighed To Death’, a comedy by Peter Gordon. This play takes place during the early days of Pratt’s career, when he is a police sergeant.

The play opens on Christmas Eve in the manor house of the bumbling aristocrat Sir Walton Gates and his wife Grace. His daughter from a previous marriage arrives from town with her new companion in tow, the dashing James Washington. Added to the mix is Sir Walton’s estranged brother Archie, recently re-

turned from years spent in Australia, bringing with him an appetite for mischief and a dodgy accent.

Enter England’s most confused police officer, Sergeant Pratt, and the evening soon descends into chaos with failed

magic tricks, gunshots and confused identities. Can Pratt identify the individual with murderous intent? Probably not! All performances will have café style seating, where you are invited to bring your own drinks and nibbles.

Production dates are April 27, 28 & 29 at the Memorial Hall, Anstey Lane, Thurcaston, at 7.30pm.

All tickets are priced at £8 each and are available from: Christine Deavin christinedeavin@gma il.com.

Telephone 0116 237 6855.

customer services desk is open five days a week from 9am to 4pm for face-toface enquiries. Cllr Charles reported that nighttime and weekend construction work at the Broadnook Garden Suburb would start in August 2023.

The council agreed to a request for grant funding of £250 from the Rothley Good Neighbours scheme. The funding will pay for the group’s operating costs: a mobile phone contract and public liability insurance.

A FULL meeting of Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council was held on November 14.

It was reported that a Warm Space was being provided in All Saints Church from 2 to 4 pm every Wednesday.

A resident of Latimer Road has reported that a young ginger cat had been shot with an air rifle and had to be euthanised.

Three burglaries in Thurcaston were reported. No crimes were reported in Cropston.

In public participation, a member of the public reported tyres being fly-tipped in a lay-by on Anstey Lane.

The council agreed that Cllr Andy Sharp be appointed tree warden.

A full meeting of Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council was held on January 16.

PCSO Mitch Jarvis reported that there had been a rise in crime across Charnwood. In Thurcaston, a motorbike has been stolen and there has been one house burglary. Three people forced bi-fold doors, took car keys and came back for vehicles. Three suspects are in custody. In Cropston, one van was stolen.

Councillors considered a request from a local resident for electric car charging points in the villages. It was agreed that the parish council contact the breweries of the Wheatsheaf in Thurcaston, the Bradgate Arms and Badgers’ Sett in Cropston to see if they are interested in providing charging points as the Parish Council has no land suitable.

The council agreed on a precept for 2023/24 or £51,823.90. A council tax band D property will pay £54.02 per year, a monthly increase of £0.68.

It was agreed to award a grant of £250 to Thurcaston & Cropston Gardening club, £130 to Thurcaston & Cropston Local History Society, and £300 to the Latimer Players.

A full meeting of Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council was held on February 13.

It was reported that one person has been arrested following a burglary in Thurcaston, reported at the January meeting. There has been one theft in Cropston. It was agreed to submit a representation to Leicester City Council regarding its Leicester Local Plan consultation.

It was agreed to plant a tree in Jubilee Park and erect a plaque to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III.

The annual parish meeting will take place on April 17 from 6.15 pm in the Memorial Hall, prior to the full council meeting.

It was agreed to spend £170 replacing corkboards with new pinboards on noticeboards in the village (Rectory Lane, Thurcaston; Station Road, Cropston).

Pics: scenes from the last production of the Latimer Players

News from Rothley library

Opening Hours: Current opening hours Monday 2.30 –4.30 Tuesday 2.30 – 4.30 Wednesday

2.30 – 4.30 Thursday 10.00 – 12.00 & 2.30 – 4.30 Saturday 10.00 – 2.00

Library Events

Book Group

March 8– ‘Dancing at the Asylum’ by Marilyn Ricci

Yarn Craft Group

This meets on the first & third Tuesday of each month. Bring your own knitting, crochet or anything else ‘yarny’. Help each other with those tricky bits. Exchange ideas and knowledge. Have a cuppa and chat. £1 per person, payable towards the running costs of the library.

Chess Club

This meets every Thursday 2.30 –4.30pm. Open to all, beginners to advanced. Feel free to bring your own set if you'd like.

Under 5s sessions

During term time, there will be weekly sessions every Tuesday & Friday morning 9.30 – 10.30am. Stories, songs and crafts! All welcome. No need to book. £1 per family. Term-time only. Please note that due to the popularity of these sessions, parents are politely requested to only come to one session each week and not both.

LEGO Club

Lego club is the first Saturday of each month, 2-4pm. Lots of Lego free-play, with like-minded playmates.

AGM

The AGM of the Community Library will be on Wednesday March 22, at 6.30pm in the library. Come along and have your say on how the library runs and can improve and develop. Listen to

and question reports on last year's activities. Suggest any fund-raising activities you may have. Enjoy a quiz with wine and nibbles and meet other team members.

First Saturday of each monthReal Refills van

On the first Saturday of each month, the Real Refills van will be in the library car park from 10am -12noon. This is a service where you can bring your empty bottles etc, and get them topped up, saving on plastic. The van also supplies items from Olivia's award-winning bakery in Loughborough.

Book sales

On the first of each month (beginning April 1) 10am -12noon, there will be an outside book sale of adult and children’s fiction. These are books that have been kindly donated

to the library, and their sale will raise valuable funds towards library running costs. These will be on sale at 50p each or a bargain 3 for £1!

Charnwood Community Lottery

Great News! One of our lottery supporters recently won £2000 on the Charnwood Lottery! Further details on how to buy tickets and support your local library can be found at https://www.charnwoodlottery.co.uk Thinking of hiring a space?

Please note that the library can be hired out when it is not open for public use. Already a number of local groups are hiring the space for their activities at very reasonable prices. Why not enquire next time you are in the library?

Art society sessions

BIRSTALL AND District Art Society’s ‘Early Evening Art Sessions’ are now up and running at Wanlip Village Hall on Wednesday evenings from 6.30 to 8.30pm.

They are an informal get-together, in a friendly atmosphere for anyone to come along and paint or draw in their own style and medium, at their own pace. Although it is not a teaching class, it is hoped to have some workshop sessions from time to time.

The cost is £3 per session (to cover the hall hire costs and refreshments).

No booking is required – just turn up. You really will be most welcome.

Abbey park road opens

A MAJOR £7.5million revamp of a busy Leicester road is nearly complete, with the final phase of resurfacing work due to begin this week.

Leicester City Council has been carrying out an extensive programme of improvements to Abbey Park Road, alongside essential maintenance to its Grade II-listed road bridge.

Abbey Park Road will remain closed to through traffic during this final stage of work. The road is due to reopen during the week commencing Monday March 17, but some temporary lane restrictions will be still required while work to the bridge parapets is completed.

Footpaths have been widened, with new off-road cycle lanes created to provide more space for people walking or riding bikes, and two new road crossings have been installed. The area immediately in front of the main gates to Abbey Park has also been overhauled to create a more open and attractive approach to the award-winning, historic park.

The £7.5million revamp of Abbey Park Road is supported by the Transforming Cities Fund, a programme of investment in sustainable transport across the city.

In addition to the Wednesday evening sessions, members can meet every Friday morning from 930am to 12noon at Birstall Co-op Sports & Social Club, for an informal painting/drawing session. No booking is required – just turn up. You really will be most welcome.

Anyone wanting to see if our art sessions (Wednesdays and Fridays) are what they are looking for, can come for up to three weeks for just the £3 session fee. After that, they would need to join the society to be able to continue coming. Our members can be any age, but anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied to meetings by a responsible adult.

We hold evening, live art demonstrations once a month, and full details are on our website www.badas.uk. The next one, which will be on April 11, is by Sallyann Brackett, making a welcome return to us. Her subject will be British wildlife. She employs a technique that uses pen and ink on tissue paper which is then collaged onto a background canvas. Old maps and book pages can be used in the background. Highlights and hints of colour are added afterwards using watercolours and acrylics.

The demonstration evenings are held at the Palmer-Tomkinson Centre at the Cedars Academy, Birstall. The charge for non-members is £4. They start promptly at 7pm and finish at 9pm.

On May 9, it will be a local artist, Lesley Brookes, providing the live art demonstration. She will be producing a landscape in acrylic, and the subject will be the Norfolk Broads.

We also run a few series of art classes during the year, as well as one-day art workshops.

Although our name is Birstall and District Art Society, our members come from all areas of Leicestershire, including Rothley, Syston, Thrussington, East Goscote, Groby, Quorn and many others. Please visit our website for full details of all our activities.

From Birstall and District Art Society

The next issue of THE ROTHLEY POST will be published on May 5. The copy deadline is Apr 21.

History society news

FANS OF TV’s Grand Designs would have enjoyed our January meeting, which was approximately the 15th-century equivalent!

Taking the Kevin McCloud role was our old friend Peter Liddle, who used a

many of the other workers, which quite often relate to their trades, such as Smyth, Turner and Plummer. We also learn where all the raw materials came from and, of course, their cost.

At the end of the first year, the incomplete walls were protected with straw over the winter.

Work continued through 1482, by which time the structure was high enough for a “jenne” or hoist to be needed.

However, 1483 brought the unexpected death of Edward IV while his son Edward V was still a child.

farm in the small county of Rutland”. Covid has swept through the world, and many people’s places of employment are closed.

rare set of surviving accounts to lead us through the process of building Kirby Muxloe Castle. Though Kevin has reported on plenty of setbacks over the years, they have never included the execution of the building’s owner…

After tracing the history of castles and brick buildings in Leicestershire, Peter explained the rise of the Hastings family, who acquired land at Kirby through marriage in the early 14th century.

William Hastings supported the Yorkist cause during the Wars of the Roses. He was knighted, married well and became a great friend and ally of Edward IV, who appointed him as Lord Chamberlain and gave him many estates and positions of power in the Midlands. By 1474, the Lancastrian threat seemed to be over and Hastings was granted a licence to “crenellate and empark” at three places in Leicestershire.

He began with the large stone castle at Ashby that survives in ruined form today. We don’t know whether he ever built anything at Baggrave, but by 1480 work was underway at Kirby Muxloe. Roger Bowlott from New Parks was appointed to oversee the project.

The 1480 accounts begin with making carts and buying oxen to pull them. (Nothing came “off the shelf” in those days!) Wood was purchased to fuel the kilns, which would eventually produce over 1.3 million bricks. A team of “ditchers”, nearly all with Welsh names, spent a year digging the moat.

Meanwhile, slaters were repairing the existing manor house on the site –which might have been William Hastings’ birthplace – so presumably he planned to incorporate it in the new castle.

In 1481, foundations were dug and work began on the gatehouse and flanking towers. A master mason oversaw the stonework around the windows and doors, while a team of Flemish bricklayers and “hewers” were employed for the main walls – building in brick having been practised for much longer in the Low Countries than in England. The hewers’ brick-cutting skills can be seen in the curving vaults of the spiral staircases.

The accounts reveal the names of

This led to a power struggle between the family of Edward’s queen (Elizabeth Woodville of Groby) and his brother (the future Richard III). William Hastings supported Richard until the latter seized the throne for himself, whereupon Richard had William summarily executed. As you might expect, this caused the building at Kirby Muxloe to be stopped for a time. However, William was given an honourable burial at Windsor and his lands were not confiscated so, after a delay, his widow resumed work on the project.

The final year of the accounts is 1484. Masons, carpenters and plumbers were still on site and we are told that the gatehouse was thatched – an unconventional material for a castle! Peter’s conclusion is that, contrary to the traditional view that the building was never finished, in fact, the plans were scaled back to create a functional manor house, which members of the Hastings family were able to occupy until about the year 1700. I wonder whether they were able to move in before Christmas!

‘Excavating the Rutland Roman Villa’ was our February talk and attracted a large audience. They were not disappointed! Peter Smith, the Society’s secretary, brought to the evening, not only his knowledge of Roman history and legend, but also his personal experience of working as a volunteer, on the excavation of the Roman Villa in the summer of 2022.

By the 4th Century AD, that small settlement of Rome had grown into a massive prosperous empire. Part of that empire was Britannia, which had been under Roman rule for almost 300 years. This is where the Villa in Rutland enters the story. The Romans had built a great road, an important road, between London and the north. Just off the road was built a beautiful villa, probably by a wealthy Roman or a rich, British, nobleman and the owner decided to decorate the huge floor of his dining room with a beautiful mosaic. This would impress his visitors and friends. The Siege of Troy had taken place 1600 years earlier but the battle between Achilles and Hector was obviously still well known.

Peter moved on and reminded us that in the year 2020, 1600 years later, “The Villa has now disappeared, and the land where it once stood is part of an arable

Jim Irving, the son of a farmer moves back to his family farm to help his father, and, whilst wandering the fields, finds pieces of pottery. On the internet, he finds aerial views of the farm and notices what appear to be the outlines of buildings. After Jim and his dad dig a hole, they find part of a mosaic! Fortunately, Jim’s interest in archaeology prompts him to seek expert help at this point and, after advice from the County’s Senior Archaeologist, Historic England commission an excavation led by the University of Leicester Archaeological Services.

After identifying the subject matter of the Mosaic as the battle between Achilles and Hector, the dig team, then covered it to protect it over the winter. Alongside this, towards the end of 2020, a couple of geophysical surveys of the area were carried out. These revealed amazing results in terms of possible walls, columns, and posts underground. Another survey revealed a circuit of ditches and walls and buildings in a central area. This caused great excitement, as finding such a well preserved villa was very rare.

In 2021, the excavation continued when students from the University worked there on a field study and the site was identified as having been in use late in the Roman occupation at a date between the third and fourth centuries, A.D. It appeared to have been in a large room with an apse at the north end. On very informative photographs and plans, Peter identified columns and posts with might have supported a vaulted roof. There was also evidence of underfloor heating from the hypocaust system, and a highly decorated mosaic was found in the main area. Sadly there were signs of damage to the mosaic from later burning by occupants who used the room for other purposes. It appears that the mosaic rectangular and divided into four panels. Three panels depicted the Hector/ Achilles battle whilst was the fourth one was undecorated.

In British terms the standard of the mosaic is high and it was recorded as being the “most important mosaic to be discovered in Britain in the last 100 years”. The finds were impressive with pottery, artefacts, roof tiles, cooking vessels, animal bones, oyster shells(!), jewellery, a two-person grave, (probably) a well, the walls of innumerable other buildings, an apse, and even a bronze Roman stylus. All portable findings were carefully, tabulated, preserved and are now being examined. The find made international news after a press release in 25th November 2021. Up until

then it had been guarded and kept secret to preserve it from ‘visitors’ and others. It also featured on television in “Digging for Britain”.

When a call went out for volunteers in 2022, Peter Smith responded and, over a one-week period in August, joined professional and volunteer archaeologists at the site near Ketton in Rutland.

Our speaker’s enthusiasm and deep knowledge were apparent throughout his talk. He described how the site and the excavation were managed and stressed the great support and camaraderie within the team. He summed up his colleagues as a diverse group, some talkative, some quite reserved. He had joined in interesting personal and archaeological debates and urged his audience to take up such an opportunity if it ever came their way. He had been present at a moment in history and, for one hour, we, as the audience, felt part of it as well! Thank you, Peter.

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday March 21, when Jess Jenkins will speak on ‘Conscientious Objectors and the Peace Campaign in Leicestershire’ at Thurcaston Memorial Hall at 7.30pm.

We meet at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall, and the fee for visitors is £4.

www.thurcastoncropstonhistory.org.uk

From Thurcaston & Cropston Local History Society

Pic: Kirby Muxloe castle

Pics: Excavations at the Rutland Roman Villa

Come and try bowls

ROTHLEY BOWLS Club extends a warm welcome to everyone to its Open Afternoon on Sunday April 16, from 1pm to 4pm.

Please come and visit us for a chat to find out more about the game and the club or to have a go. All you need to bring with you is a flat pair of shoes, we provide all the necessary equipment to get you started! Bowls is a great sport for all ages and Rothley Bowls Club, with its great community spirit, is the perfect

place to do just that. We are located off Mountsorrel Lane in Rothley just behind the library. Disabled access has recently been upgraded and new fencing installed. The Club will also be taking part in the Bowls England Big Bowls weekend with another open afternoon on Sunday May 28.

Following a successful 2022 season, the club is happy to announce that the Wednesday Social Bowling afternoons will start again from April 19. These sessions (from 2 to 4pm) are open to all. Why not come along and join us. For just a £10 joining fee for the first year for those new to bowling, there is little to lose? Why not give it a try. It’s a wonderful opportunity to try some gentle exercise and make new friends.

Further information and contact details can be found on the website:

Club’s new captains

NEW YEARS Day at Rothley Park Golf Club saw a great turnout to enjoy the traditional new captains’ drive off.

Men’s Captain, Andy Simpson, joined the club in 2012 after retiring from Leicestershire Police. He says having seen how much his wife was enjoying golf and what an inclusive club it is, he would give it a go and he has thoroughly enjoyed ten years of golf after many years playing rugby and cricket. He gained his first official handicap in the spring of 2013, and the rest as they say is history! He was immediately made to feel very welcome and has since made many good friends. His chosen charity for his year in office is Hope Against Cancer, a local Leicestershire charity which raises money to fund research and trials in the continuing battle to beat all types of cancer. He will be raising funds through a variety of golfing and social events.

“I am really looking forward to a busy year in office where I can help in the continued development of junior golf at the club and support all the different teams and promote the club both locally

and nationally,” he said.

The Ladies Captain this year is Tuula Hastings. She joined the club in 2009 having decided it would be great to be able to play social golf with her husband and enjoy golf breaks together. Tuula’s charity is the Joe Humphrey’s Foundation which is a Leicestershire charity set up to increase awareness and understanding of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people. Joe sadly died at age 14, while out jogging and the charity was set up to promote CPR training and Defibrillation awareness in schools.

Tuula said: “In my captain’s year, I am looking forward to playing with a lot of different members and supporting the various teams in the Ladies’ Section, as well as enjoying a variety of mixed golf opportunities and of course, my Lady Captains Day in June. Rothley Park is a great club of which to be a member. The course is beautiful and extremely well looked after, the Ladies’ Section is strong and vibrant providing lots of opportunities to play competitively and socially.”

The 2023 Senior Men’s Captain is Mike Bruce and the Junior Captain is Harry Finch.

Come & sing with us

WATERMEAD SINGERS attracts people with all kinds of singing experience and welcomes anyone who fancies having a go at singing.

“Some of our members are seasoned singers, and others are complete novices with no musical experience at all,” said spokeswoman Caroline Sharpe.

“And that’s the real pleasure that comes from singing with others - it doesn’t matter how you think you sound on your own when you sing in a choir, you are part of making a great collective sound,” she added.

The choir meets at the Elizabeth Park Centre in Thurmaston. Caroline said: “Life has changed for so many people over the last three years, but one thing we’ve learnt is how important it is to be with other people.

“We were all impacted by lockdown, and not wanting to dwell on the particular challenges faced by singers and choirs over that time, it’s just worth saying how amazing Watermead Singers is, surviving 18 months of rehearsing on Zoom, a summer of outdoor rehearsals and six months of indoor socially distanced rehearsals.

“We are delighted that we are now

almost a year into being back to normality, and each Thursday afternoon Elizabeth Park Centre is filled with music, singing, laughter and chatter as Watermead Singers are back to making music in the way that choirs are supposed to!”

Singing is beneficial to mental and physical health. Caroline said: “You might have heard about singing releasing happy hormones – well it’s true. Something which I hear often is how good someone feels after an hour or two of singing. And singing with a friendly, easy-going, and fun group doubles the benefits.”

The choir is now back to singing at events and giving concerts – the next is at St Hilda’s, East Goscote on Friday May 26 at 7pm. “We would love to see you there,” said Caroline. “The singers are a really lively group from Birstall, Thurmaston, Syston, Queniborough and beyond. Membership of Watermead Singers comes with the added bonus of being able to visit and sing with any of the Charnwood Community Singers choirs who meet in Rothley, Tilton on the Hill, Quorn and Woodhouse Eaves.”

You can find out more about the choirs and concerts by visiting the website: www.charnwoodcommunitysingers.com Pic: The Watermead Singers

Pic: Captains

Andy Simpson & Tuula Hastings

Rotary run Hunt on for gardeners

IT’S COLD and windy with the threat of more cold weather to come, so who on earth is thinking about gardens? Well, the Thurcaston and Cropston Open Garden team is!

It’s never too early for some advanced planning. The dates are set, key jobs are allocated, and the hunt is on for gardeners to sign up for this year’s very popular community event. The focus of our fundraising will continue to be The East Midlands Air Ambulance Service. They receive all the garden entrance fees. Such a bargain at £5 for two afternoons of delightful garden browsing.

We’d like to beat last year’s grand total of just under £3000. Many gardeners will also use the opportunity for some additional fundraising activities, such as plant and book sales; and of course, there will be several refreshment stops along the way.

So, gardeners of Thurcaston and Cropston WE NEED YOU! If you are a first-timer, a regular, or a ‘returner’ after a break, let us have your details.

We’ve always prided ourselves on a real broad range of gardens, large or small: neat or “rustic”; child-focused or not; whatever your

garden looks like, we can assure you of lots of interested visitors to share your interest and gardening passion.

So if you would like to open your garden for this year’s event or

would like more information (or encouragement), please contact us. We hope you will join us for another successful year as part of the Thurcaston and Cropston Open Gardens event.

Contact Linda 0116 236 3872 email Linda@tcog.org.uk

or look at our website for more information, inspiration and encouragement www.tcog.org.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you.

If opening your garden is not for you, then please put the date in your diary to come along and support this worthwhile community event on June 24 & 25, 2023. We’d love to see you.

Thurcaston and Cropston Open Gardens 2023

June 24 & 25, 2023, from 2pm to 6 pm

From the Thurcaston and Cropston Open Garden team

Pics: Some of the many visitors to the 2022 Open Gardens

WREAKE VALLEY Rotary Club is holding its annual Watermead Charity Challenge Run on Tuesday, July 4.

There will be a 5K electronic chiptimed run and a 3K fun run which will not be an electronic chip-timed event. The 5K run entry fee for affiliated running club members is £15, and for non-affiliated running club members is £17 until May 31.

After that date, the entry fees will be increased to £18 and £20 respectively.

The 3K fun run entry fee is a flat rate of £10.

Online entry is via the event entry website www.evententry.co.uk. Scroll down for Watermead Challenge Run where full details and how to enter can be found. The event is open for entry from March 1.

Watermead Park currently charges their usual fee of £2.50 per car, which would be payable on the night.

Over the past ten years, our increasingly popular charity run has raised over £30,000. Charities to benefit over this time include the following:

Birstall BAGs (Cancer support)

Alex's Wish (Mountsorrel based charity

Supporting Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy)

MDNA (Motor Neurone Disease)

Leicester Children's Holiday Homes

Dementia UK

Jade's Retreat (Birstall Cancer support)

Prostaid

Rainbows Hospice for children and young people

Soar Valley Food Bank

Defibrillator for Watermead Park

Sunday morning Park Runs

Mosaic 1898 (support for disabled people). We helped provide a lift for their canal narrowboat, based at Birstall.

Shelter Box (providing essential items to support families in various disaster areas around the world - war in Ukraine, earthquakes in Turkey and Syria).

Rotary International is a truly worldwide charitable organisation, and supports people in need around the world, so when humanitarian situations arise, individual clubs and our central organisation will invariably offer financial and/or practical support where possible.

We look forward to welcoming you to our event and helping us to once again raise as much money as we can to enable us to distribute to various charities so get your running gear out and sign up for what promises to be a great event once again.

If anyone has a close connection with a charity or knows someone who has and would like to enquire as to whether we might be able to offer our support, then please contact us via our club website www.wreakevalleyrotary.org.uk

Also, if there is a local company that would like to sponsor this annual event, then we would be delighted to talk to you. Again, contact can be made via our website.

From Wreake Valley Rotary Club

Fundraising concert for LOROS

A FUNDRAISING concert for LOROS takes place on Saturday April 1, at 7pm in Syston Methodist Church.

‘From Classics to Jazz’ has been organised by Maureen Lawson. Her daughter, Rachael Lawson (clarinet/saxophone), and Stephen Waterhouse (piano) make a welcome return, after a prolonged break, to give this popular concert in aid of LOROS.

Gardening aches and pains

THE HEALTH on Hand Chiropractic Clinics gets inundated with people hurting their backs, muscles and joints, in the garden every spring.

Gardening for many people is just a chore that has to be done, but for others it's their main pride and passion. In both cases, it is important to prepare your joints and muscles prior to descending on your garden in the spring.

Tom Wikeley, one of the chiropractors at Health on Hand, says: “The reason people get backache when they undertake what appears to be a relatively restful activity such as gardening, is that the actions required are quite different from those carried out the rest of the year.

“The main cause of back pain when gardening is prolonged stretching and overuse of the ligaments and joints in the spine. Digging, prolonged stooping and bending over whilst planting places considerable stress on the ligaments and joints in the lower lumbar spine and causes them to become inflamed and tender. This, in turn, triggers a protective muscle spasm which gives rise to the deeper, duller achy type of pain that occurs over the following few days.”

Injury Prevention

Chiropractor Mohammed Mulla explains: “There are many ways to help prevent injuries. The way you bend and move determines how much strain is put on the spine, and by using certain muscles to protect your back you can reduce the likelihood of developing pain.

“It is also extremely important to warm up before any strenuous activity is started. The simplest form of warming up is walking, and this should be followed by some flexibility exercises.”

Warming Up

This year they will be joined by Rachael’s daughter Faith (9) on the trombone. Over the past years, while the concerts could not take place, Rachael and Maureen have continued to raise money for LOROS by pedalling (virtually) to Norfolk and back and from Lands End to John O’Groats, raising over £2600. LOROS is a cause close to Maureen and Rachael’s hearts, as it is where Maureen’s husband, Jim, passed away almost 25 years ago.

They hope as many people as possible will support them on April 1 to help raise as much money as possible for LOROS. Tickets are priced at £8 and include light refreshments. These can be purchased by phoning 0116 260 9804 / 0759 462 8961 or on the door.

These flexibility exercises can help

prevent back problems and should be done regularly, twice a day, preferably in the morning and in the evening, they are also fantastic before and after gardening.

❶ Lie down on your back, bend your right leg and pull the knee up to the chest, keeping the other leg straight. Repeat on the left leg and then pull both knees up together. Repeat this exercise 2 or 3 times.

❷ Kneel on the floor on all fours, relax the back and let the spine go hollow. Then reverse the curve in the spine by arching the back. Repeat this 2 or 3 times.

❸ Stretching the front of the thigh: standing up, support yourself with a hand against the wall and take hold of your right ankle with your right hand, bend your knee by pulling the heel towards your buttock until you feel a stretching sensation on the front of the thigh. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat this 3 times on each leg. If you feel any discomfort in your back stop the exercise.

❹ Stretching of the inside of the

thigh: sitting crosslegged, gently push down on your knees until you can feel a stretch. Repeat as above.

These exercises will improve the flexibility of the muscles that affect the spine. By doing them regularly, you will keep supple so that during the bending and crouching activities you will be less likely to injure yourself. Make sure they do not hurt you while doing or after having done them!

Any problems with these, please feel free to call Health on Hand and speak to one of the experienced chiropractors.

Chiropractic Gardening Tips

Chiropractor Thomas Jeppesen has a few tips to keep you safe while gardening.

❶ Kneel on one leg rather than bending down repeatedly from the hips.

❷ Try and keep your back hollow when digging, with your legs spaced well apart. Use your legs rather than your back. ALWAYS try to avoid twisting!

❸ Vary the tasks of the day into short bursts of different activities rather than slogging away all day at one thing. Sent your timer to 15 minutes, and change between 2-3 tasks.

❹When mowing the lawns with a hover mower, resist the temptation to swing the mower from side to side in an arc. Instead, mow forwards and backwards as you would with a conventional cylinder mower.

❺ If you suffer from knee problems and tend to stoop rather than kneel, then use a cushion to kneel on or a gardening stool to sit on. Try keeping the back as hollow as possible.

❻ Keep yourself warm and covered i.e., keep shirts tucked in: this prevents the muscles from becoming chilled.

❼ If you ache the next day, rest, and if it persists for more than a few days; seek advice from your local chiropractor, who will advise you whether you should apply heat, or ice packs to the area, or if you require further treatment.

You should exercise and keep fit so that you can enjoy your gardening and other leisure activities, rather than using your gardening as an exercise to keep fit. Good luck!

Health on Hand deals with a multitude of problems ranging from back and neck pain to leg pains, sports injuries, repetitive strain to whiplash-related injuries and more.

Call us today for your appointment!

Get £10 off your initial consultation, including a treatment, in March and April Quoting ‘BirstallMarch”

Visit www.healthonhand.co.uk for more information

Or call us on 0116 2101619 to book your appointment

Health on Hand Chiropractic Clinic is at 193 Loughborough Road, Leicester, LE4 5PL

Pics: (right)Chiropractor Mohammed Mulla with the correct sweeping and raking posture; Chiropractor Tom Wikeley showing how to dig with good posture

Pic: Trombonist Faith Lawson

Monday Club news

THE MONDAY Club - Cropston and Thurcaston began the New Year with the Club Leader Jenny Kennington welcoming everyone warmly.

Our Speaker was Mr Derek Holloway. He has prepared a series of talks about inspirational women who changed the world.

Mr Holloway told us about the adventures and trials of Amy Johnson, with the aid of slides showing many photographs of the time and other interesting information. Amy was an early aviator who was born in Hull in 1903.

Amy earned numerous awards and honours during her lifetime and is commemorated by plaques and statues in various places. She was a complex character who battled many problems and promoted the worth of women in a man's world. She will long be remembered for her amazing exploits, courage and sheer tenacity, and will be an inspiration for future generations.

In February, Mrs Viv Galloway spoke to us about her life in forensics, which included many different areas of investigation.

She spent five years in training, and over the years new terminology came in and more complicated methods were used to retrieve, classify and identify fingerprints from crime scenes. Fingerprints can include patterns called loops, whorls and arches, and there are lots of permutations. Sometimes one finger can even be slightly different from the others. This work exposed her whilst quite young to the seedier side of life, but it was an interesting career to pursue. You had to be very careful about details.

At first the techniques were all manual, and it took a long time to compare one set of fingerprints with another.

Mrs Galloway became a registered expert, and was sometimes required to give evidence in court.

In time she became a Fellow of the Fingerprint Society, and later she became President. She met the author Colin Dexter who wrote the stories about Morse and Lewis. She also met a member of the Chicago Police, and learnt something of their methods.

She closed her talk by saying that, supported by her husband, she had enjoyed her work, having spent 37 years with the Manchester and then the Leicestershire Police, and mentioned that she had received commendations. She was even invited to meet our late Queen at an evening reception.

Interesting facts: A Sherlock Holmes story published in 1890 mentions fingerprints, and evidence from such prints has been accepted in UK courts since 1901. Even identical twins have slightly different prints. Another creature who has fingerprints is the koala. They are almost indistinguishable from those of humans!

Our next meeting will be on Monday March 13, when we shall hear Mrs Sandra Moore telling us about "Strong Men and Women of Belgrave". Mrs Moore has been to us before, and given us several interesting talks, dressed in period costume. Annual membership is just £13, and the entrance fee is £2 for members, or £4 for visitors, who are most welcome. This will include tea / coffee and biscuits. We start at 2.15pm and finish around 4.15pm.

From the Monday Club - Cropston and Thurcaston

Rothley speed checks

A POLICE operation to check vehicle speeds on Swithland Lane resulted in two speeding drivers being issued with tickets and advisory letters.

The speed check took place on the morning of February 17. Police say the majority of drivers were keeping to the 30mph speed limit.

Pic: PCSO Katrina Hallmark on Swithland Lane (photo: Charnwood Police)

of waste Cast your vote

THE NEXT scheduled elections taking place in this area will be on Thursday May 4, 2023 to elect councillors to:

Charnwood Borough Council (all seats)

All parish councils in the borougharea (all seats)

Charnwood Borough Council is currently controlled by the Conservative Group, the 52 seats being broken down as follows:

37 Conservative councillors

13 Labour councillors

toral Services office before 5pm on Tuesday 18th April 2023 if you wish to vote by post for the upcoming elections being held on Thursday May 4, 2023.

If your application is received by Friday March 17, 2023 and is successful and you are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections, then your postal vote pack will be sent out 1st class to you on Friday April 14, 2023.

If your application is received between Monday March 20, 2023 – 5pm on Tuesday April 18, 2023 and is successful and you are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections, then your postal vote pack will be sent out 1st class to you on Monday April 24, 2023.

FLY-TIPPERS at Filingate in Wanlip have been handed a £400 fine.

Over 100 bags of domestic waste were left beside the road, and two people each received a £400 fixed penalty notice.

Nine fines totalling over £3,000 have been handed out following reports of fly-tipping, dog fouling and poor dog control in Charnwood over the last three months.

fixed penalty notice.

Following household waste being left in Thurmaston by a driver of a vehicle, a £400 fine was handed out.

Fly-tipped household items were found just off Woodpecker Way in Shepshed. Evidence found from the waste

One Independent councillor

One Green Party councillor

Registering to vote

To be able to vote in these elections, you must have registered to vote by midnight on Monday April 17, 2023.

You can register to vote at any time, so if you’re not already registered, it is best to make sure you do this in plenty of time. If you are not sure if you are registered to vote, you can find out more information on the register to vote webpage of Charnwood Borough Council. How to vote

All voters in the polling station will need to show photographic ID before voting.

Voting by post

Voting by post is an easy and convenient way of voting if you do not want to vote in person at a polling station. Your voting forms are posted to you together with a postage paid return envelope.

You can apply to vote by post for a particular election or referendum, for a set period of time or for all future polls. Postal votes can be sent to addresses in the UK and abroad.

vote.

How to apply for a postal vote

tion form must be received by the Elec-

Download a postal vote application form from Charnwood website, print off, read the information, follow the instructions, complete and return the form. Alternatively, contact Electoral Services on 01509 634546 and they will send you an application form.

The deadline to apply is 5pm on Tuesday April 18, 2023 Parish Council election

A poll will only take place if there are more nominations than there are seats. If there are the same number or fewer candidates than there are seats available, no election is required and the seats are allocated to the candidates.

If you would like to stand as a parish councillor, obtain the nomination papers from Electoral Services at Charnwood and return them by April 4, 2023.

The borough council says it has taken action as part of its ongoing commitment to look after the local environment and crackdown on those who show a disregard for the area.

The Council is also advising people to continue to report issues.

A further five people have been handed £400 fixed penalty notices for flytipping.

A £400 fine was issued following a report from a resident of a van fly-tipping on Derby Road in Hathern. Enough evidence was provided to hand the fine to the driver of the vehicle.

Items including a washing machine and wooden pallets were left in George Yard in Loughborough. Council officers were able to trace the offenders through statements and evidence gathered resulting in another £400 fine.

A name and address was recovered from domestic waste dumped along Slash Lane in Sileby, leading to a £400

related to an address which was followed by another £400 fine being handed out.

After a report from a member of the public about a dog not being controlled at Dishley Pool, a £100 fine was handed to the owner as they were in breach of the restrictions in the Public Spaces Protection Order where the dog was not placed on a lead in the restricted area.

A £100 fixed penalty notice was also handed out to a dog owner following a report from a member of the public about persistent dog fouling in Hathern.

Birstall Borough Cllr Shona Rattray, the Council’s lead member for Regulatory Services, said: “The fact we have issued these fines recently should reassure residents that if incidents are reported to us and we have enough evidence, we will take action to protect our borough.

“Both fly-tipping and dog fouling are criminal offences with significant impacts on our communities and it is important that we continue to take action.

“I would encourage all residents to make sure their waste is disposed of correctly to ensure it does not impact on our green and open spaces across Charnwood.”

If you ever see any fly-tips across Charnwood or fly-tipping taking place, you are encouraged to report it directly to the Council by visiting: www.charnwood.gov.uk/flytipping.

To report issues with dog control and dog fouling, please visit the Council’s website: www.charnwood.gov.uk/dogcontrol.

Residents are reminded to only use authorised waste carriers to dispose of their waste and make sure the carrier has a license from the Environment Agency. You can find out more details on the Council’s website about authorised waste carriers: www.charnwood.gov.uk/flytipping

Rothley’s Good Neighbour scheme

THE ROTHLEY Good Neighbours Scheme has been operating for four years, and in that time it has come to the aid of 130 local residents.

The scheme, run by volunteers, helps and supports the elderly, vulnerable or those who need temporary assistance due to illness, injury or bereavement.

At its February meeting, Rothley Parish Council agreed to award a grant to cover the scheme’s annual running costs of £250, which pays for a phone contract and insurance cover.

In the past four years, the scheme has come to the aid of 130 local residents.

Since November 2018, the organisation has carried out the following tasks:

180 trips to hospitals

54 trips to doctors’ surgeries

540 prescription collections & deliveries

51 trips to shops

16 gardening make-overs

14 D I Y tasks

32 domestic tasks

29 befriending sessions

If you would like help, ring Rothley Good Neighbours on 0756 1596 873.

The Good Neighbours Scheme has been in contact with Kate Crowfoot from the County Council. Kate is a Community Recovery Worker tasked with assisting the vulnerable and elderly across the Charnwood area in combating many problems that exist within our communities: the aftereffects of the pandemic, people who are feeling isolated, fuel poverty, the cost of living crisis and many other issues.

For example, we should all be able to stay warm at home. However, rising energy costs, low incomes and energyinefficient homes are restricting people’s options, leaving them in impossible situations like having to choose to heat their homes, feed their children or pay their rent.

Kate can also offer support if you are feeling isolated and lonely, linking you up to one of the many groups we have in the local area.

Kate may be able to help with many of these problems – her contact details are:

Tel: 0116 305 8559 Mob: 07514 719331

Email: Kate.Crowfoot@leics.gov.uk

Museum in restored wagon

A NEW local history museum based in a restored wagon has opened at the Rothley and Mountsorrel

Heritage Centre.

The wagon, located in the lower part of the site, was restored by volunteers in 2021 from a complete wreck. The inside has been effectively converted into a giant display case, with exhibits all having a local connection.

The exhibits include a large 70-yearold Hornby Dublo train set that visitors can operate with the push of a button to see the trains run around. Rather than written panels explaining the various

The Heritage Centre’s resident traction engine, “Pops”, (named in memory of the owner’s father) completed its restoration a couple of weeks ago and has already been steaming around the Heritage Centre site.

Built in 1920, this Fowler traction engine is over 100 years old. The owner plans to steam "Pops" as often as possible at weekends.

exhibits, the centre has created a large audio box with a series of buttons that explain each item’s history.

Mask wearing

LEICESTER’S HOSPITALS announced changes to maskwearing requirements.

A spokesperson for University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust said: “From today [22 February 2023], we no longer require patients, visitors or staff to wear face masks in public areas of the hospital – i.e. corridors, restaurants, stairwells or lifts. This decision has been taken by our infection prevention and control (IP) teams, in response to the drop in respiratory cases including Covid-19 and flu.

“To keep people safe, patients, visitors, and staff will still be required to wear a mask – unless exempt – in ward areas, emergency admission and inpatient areas. Colleagues and patients who wish to continue to wear masks will be free to do so, and the Trust will continue to supply masks at entrances to the hospital, outpatient departments and throughout all our clinical areas.

“We will continue to monitor respiratory infection numbers. Should there be a significant increase in cases, there may be a requirement to return to mask-wearing in non-clinical areas.”

Pics: (above) the Traction engine ‘Pops’: the museum wagon

PHOTOS: ROTHLEY & MOUNTSORREL HERITAGE CENTRE

Britain in Bloom

News from Thurcaston & Cropston Gardening Club

DO YOU imagine Britain in Bloom to be a very quintessential British activity? If so, you’d be wrong!

The idea of brightening up towns and villages with flowers and planting came from France! It was introduced by Charles De Gaulle a decade or so after the Second World War – as Simon Lucas from East Midlands in Bloom explained at the club’s February meeting.

Simon is a judge and treasurer for East Midlands in Bloom, and he told us about the background from its small beginnings and how it developed into the huge UK wide festival it is today. Britain in Bloom was first held in 1963 – so it is 60 years old this year.

tackling local issues together. The aim of the competition is to encourage the improvement of our surroundings through the imaginative use of trees, shrubs, flowers, and landscaping. It also aims to achieve a litter free and sustainable environment. This links directly to the three RHS core pillars of excellence which are: Horticultural Achievement,

In 2001, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) took control of the competition.

It is a nationwide gardening competition aimed at building communities and

munity Participation

Entry is welcome from communities of all shapes and sizes from small villages to large towns and cities in the East Midlands region. This covers Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland.

Entries can be from communities or local authorities though a partnership between them works best. Entries are divided into like size categories based on the number on the electoral roll.

Judging takes place on a date set in advance in July, whatever the weather!

In addition to the East Midlands in Bloom competition, there is also a noncompetitive category called ‘RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood’

In a nutshell, if a group of people are keen to improve their local surroundings, then this is the ideal way to get practical advice and recognition for their efforts.

RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood welcomes groups taking the first steps towards community regeneration through all year-round events and activities. Entries are not judged against each other, but assessed by environmental and horticultural ‘In Bloom’ experts during July –August, who then provide valuable feedback and helpful advice on how to develop current activities and encourage ongoing improvements.

Simon told us many humorous tales of his time as a judge and the transport provided to judges from a helicopter to a horse and chart!

The Gardening Club meets in the Thurcaston and Cropston Memorial Hall

Whether an experienced

Council approves budget

CHARNWOOD BOROUGH Council approved its budget for 2023/24.

The budget sees the Charnwood element of an average Band D property rise by £4.78 (3.52 per cent) to £140.47 for the year. It equates to an increase of 9p a week.

The budget sets out the Council’s spending plans for services in the coming year and the Council’s lead member for finance, Cllr Tom Barkley, said: “The Council is still delivering excellent value for money. Charnwood’s council tax remains one of the

lowest in the country and is only a small part of residents’ overall council tax bill, with the county council receiving the largest share.”

The Loughborough Special Rate, the equivalent of a parish precept in villages and paid by residents of the town, will increase by £1.58 (1.99 per cent) to £81.11 for the year.

The Council’s draft budget for 2023/24 looks to spend around £20 million on services for the borough. This includes generating extra income through fees and charges and using around £1.3 million of reserves.

The Council is also continuing to invest in the borough including:

A planned £2m million regeneration scheme for the centre of Shepshed, with some joint funding being provided from other sources

Investment in local parks including £200,000 earmarked for Queen’s Park in Loughborough and around £50,000 for the creation of a Community Garden in Syston £65,000 to facilitate additional EV charging points in the Bee Hive Car Park in Loughborough

gardener or an enthusiastic beginner we are sure you will find something of interest in this year’s programme. New members are made most welcome. What’s more, it is excellent value. The membership fee is still only £12 for the year (pro rota) or £3 per meeting. So, if you are interested in gardening - come and give the club a try.

For more information about the club, please contact

Dave Haddon (0116) 235 9758: david.haddon20@ntlworld.com

Or Richard Elks (0116) 236 8313: cropston161@hotmail.co.uk

The next club events are:

Wednesday April 12: Waving in the Wind, Steve Lovell

Waving in the Wind - Grasses for the garden - Texture, Movement and durability these plants have it all. Steve Lovell is a professionally qualified garden designer and soft landscaper with 30 years’ experience specialising in gardens for wildlife.

From Thurcaston and Cropston Gardening Club

Pics: Some of the many images of East Midlands in Bloom