December 2017 groby spotlight online by Michael Wilkinson

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL SPOTLIGHT READERS!

GROBY PARISH COUNCIL CONTINUES TO PRESS FOR AN IMPROVED POLICE PRESENCE

Letter

Crocus bulb sales raised cash for End Polio Now campaign

By Norman Griffiths

GROBY, a village with much to offer, made the BBC East Midlands Today for all the wrong reasons recently, following a spate of vandalism and criminal damage at Quarry Park. A few weeks later and the Leicester Mercury was reporting on the latest steps being taken to discourage certain behaviours at Groby Pool car park. “Bushes at the popular nature park have been chopped back in a bid to deter the individuals meeting up to engage in intimate acts,” the newspaper said. In addition to all these incidents members of the Parish Council were concerned to hear at their December meeting that in late November a teenage girl was the subject of a distressing unsolicited approach on a footpath at 8.25 in the morning. Members agreed to support local initiatives to improve safety and increase the awareness of risks.

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SAM JACQUES wins RFU try of the month! A SENSATIONAL individual try from Year 9 Brookvale Groby Learning Campus student Sam Jacques who lives in Glenfield, was named Try of the Month for October in a game he played for Hinckley under 14s centre. The try was chosen by England winger Anthony Watson, who selected Jacques’ effort over the other October nominees. “It’s an individually brilliant try and one that I would definitely be proud of myself,” said Watson of Jacques try in which he beat five players while sprinting the length of the pitch. “I just remember catching the ball and then seeing a bit of space,” said Jacques, who joined Hinckley this season having first picked up a rugby ball aged nine. Jacques was playing at inside centre for the match and had his dad Scott watching from the side-lines. “I think my speed is the best bit of my game so I just tried to break through and managed to get past a few of their players.” Jacques says it would be his dream to follow in Watson’s footsteps and become a professional player but first and foremost he just wants to carry on playing the sport he loves. “All my best mates are in my team and I just love playing rugby so I don’t really keep count of tries I’ve scored, I just try and enjoy it.”

THE NOTTINGHAM Building Society, Groby Branch, helped to raise money for the Bradgate Rotary Club by selling bags of purple crocus bulbs, to raise awareness for the ‘End Polio Now’ campaign. Jane Black, President of Bradgate Rotary Club, presented a certificate to Paresh Soni thanking the Nottingham Building Society for raising £111.60 for this worthwhile cause.

Wreaths For Door Or Cemetery Real holly & seasonal foliage £6.50 each. Further details from 01530 230389. Raising funds for RAINBOWS Charity

TO CONTACT GROBY SPOTLIGHT: TELEPHONE: 01530 244069 OR EMAIL: INFO@GROBYSPOTLIGHT.CO.UK

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Parish Council calls for improved Police Presence FROM PAGE 1

Unfortunately the safety of individuals, young, old, male or female, cannot be guaranteed, but the police believe that the risks can be reduced. It is sad that residents should have to think through a journey before they leave the house, but some of the suggestions the police make include • Tell someone when and where you’re going and when to expect you to get there. • Carry a mobile phone and make sure it’s charged. • Be aware of your surroundings • Avoid listening to personal stereos • Carry a personal attack alarm which continues to sound if you activate and then drop it. • Don’t carry weapons or items such as pepper spray. • Always attempt to walk facing the traffic so that a car cannot pull up behind you. • If you think someone is following you, check by safely crossing to the other side of the street - cross more than once if necessary. If the person behind you

•

crosses also and you believe that your suspicions are confirmed, stay to main, busy routes until you get to the first safe place and contact the police. Avoid using a phone box in the street as this gives the person following you an opportunity to trap you. If you regularly go jogging or cycling, try to vary your route and the time you go. Stick to well-lit, preferably busy, roads with pavements and avoid wooded areas. Don’t take short-cuts through dark alleyways, parks or waste ground.

Anti-social behaviour discussed THE PARISH Council also discussed the surge in antisocial behaviour locally and continues to press for an improved police presence in the village. Topical monthly figures are no longer given to the Parish Council by an overstretched police force, so it’s only when you talk to villagers that you realise that this is the tip of the iceberg as Groby struggles

to cope with a wave of criminal and anti-social behaviour. The list is a long one, but it is no doubt incomplete. Putting burglaries aside incidents that have been mentioned over the last six weeks have included • The damage at Quarry Park • Martinshaw School broken into and paint spread • tree damage at Stamford Park • repeated damage to sheds at Groby’s allotments • thefts of produce from allotments • paint spraying of senior citizen’s bungalows • damage to garages • damage to parked cars • the temporary closure of the scout hut following potentially life threatening damage which included the heating chimney • distribution of drugs on the streets and parks Those with long memories will be aware that these problems are cyclical and we have seen such peaks before. Official police statistics for Groby and Ratby show that the September figures for antisocial behaviour to the police were

the highest since October 2015, with even higher figures expected for November if all incidents have been reported to the police. The allocation of police resources can be influenced not by the actual level of crime but by the level of crime reported. This is why the Parish Council urges everyone to report incidents and obtain a crime number. If, in addition, you wish to speak with local officers, you can call in to talk about local issues that affect you and the community at the Co-op, Laundon Way between 10am and 11am on 7 January, 2018. Over the years the prospect of installing CCTV to protect parish land has been discussed and this month there was a new development. GE (Druck) is upgrading their surveillance cameras at their Fir Tree Lane site and discussions are taking place about the possibility of the inclusion of cameras that could monitor the Quarry Park area.

Norman Griffiths

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

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Christmas Opening Times

Thursday 21st December: 11am-11pm Saturday 23rd December: 9am-11:30pm Monday 25th December: 11am-2:30pm Wednesday 27th December: 12 noon-11pm Friday 29th December: 11am-11:30pm Sunday 31st December: 11am-1am Tuesday 2nd January: 3pm-11pm

Friday 22nd December: 11am-11:30pm Sunday 24th December: 11am-11:30pm Tuesday 26th December: 12 noon-11pm Thursday 28th December: 12 noon-11pm Saturday 30th December: 9am-11:30pm Monday 1st January: 12 noon-11pm

Entertainment

Saturday 16th December: Crackerjack Friday 22nd December: Emma Jay rd Sunday 24th (Christmas Eve): Kelly Brazil Saturday 23 December: Randell th Saturday 30th December: Sammy Waters Friday 29 December: Claude st Sunday 31 December (New Years Eve): The River Rea Band

Annual Pantomime

Saturday 13th January 2pm-5pm. Please ring the club for ticket information. Suitable for everybody. This time it is Little Red Riding Hood.

New Years Eve

Tickets Are NOW on sale. Members: £5.00, Non-Members are £10.00. Ticket are on sale from Committee Members on Friday & Saturday Nights 8pm-Close, Sunday Lunch 12:30pm-3pm & Sunday Night 9pm-10pm. Please do not hesitate to ask any Committee at any time and they will be happy to assist you.

Bingo

Friday & Saturday Night from 9:30pm & Sunday lunch from 12:30pm with Open The Box to follow. Please call us for specific times over the holiday period.

Function Rooms Available For Hire

We can cater for any occasion such as Special Anniversaries, Birthday Parties, Weddings and Funerals. The club features 2 big screens that we show sporting events on via Sky & BT Sports. Also there are 3 HD TV’s in the Front Bar. Ben’s Kitchen is located at the Club, which can provide you with a Saturday morning breakfast, Sunday lunch and bar snacks. Thursday-Sunday. Call the Club for more information.

Join The Club

As a member of Groby Club you and your family members can benefit from all the activities and Entertainment we offer throughout the year. Great value for only £8.00 per adult Member. So why not pop in and speak to the Clubs Management Team. You will be assured of a warm welcome. I always get a little skeptical when someone says they literally died.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Groby Sings Hits the Heights! GROBY SINGS, our community choir, reached a significant milestone at the end of November when it celebrated its 10th season of concerts. Groby Sings Hits the Heights included songs from The Sound of Music together with favourite hits from previous seasons. Choir members enjoyed dressing up and we saw several nuns, men in lederhosen and even a ‘brown paper parcel tied up with string’! Songs varied from the lighthearted Do-Re-Mi, Greased Lightning and Mr Blue Sky to a majestic Climb Every Mountain. Three large French Tricolore flags set the scene for the powerful Do You Hear The People Sing? from Les Miserables. You Raise Me Up and Sing proved to be very emotional as did So Long, Farewell, sung by the children, and tissues were very much in evidence! Singing along was encouraged, especially for the anthem of the choir, At Groby Sings, which captures the essence of what we do – getting together to sing, have fun and eat cake. The idea to form an inclusive community choir was first proposed early in 2013 and it was hoped to attract about 40 people. In the event, 200 turned up and Groby Sings was born. Nearly 5 years on, records have been broken with the Sunday tickets selling out within a week of going on sale! The number who come to sing at Groby Club on Monday afternoon or evening has swelled to around 300, the most so far, and includes about 30 young singers aged 7 and upwards. A record 230 people sang at each concert and as one of the amazing management team who give tirelessly of their time noted, ‘We aren’t all top grade singers but together we produce a glorious and joyful sound at Groby Club and the richest musical tone when we gather for the concerts.’ Asked for a comment on where Groby Sings is now, Helen Hayes, our conductor, said that, for her, ‘Groby Sings is so much more than a means of enabling people to sing in a huge choral ensemble with a professional band to an audience of 700 people. Each week we build community with care and compassion where all are welcome, especially people with physical, mental and learning difficulties, people who are lonely, grieving and socially isolated, people who are ill and even people who are coming to the end of life. Groby Sings is a miracle, a place where people’s pasts get healed

How DO you solve a problem like Maria? and their present, often difficult, lives as well and where Mondays may be the only respite some people have in a painful world. There are really no words to express what a privilege it is to be a part of this wonderful community choir.’ Come and join us for Groby Sings Steps Through Time. Rehearsals start on Monday 19th February at Groby Club. No auditions, no fees, no pressure to perform, just sing and eat cake! Look out for more publicity in the New Year. Enquiries via our website www.grobysings.org or email grobysings@gmail.com

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Can you help?

Shareholders invited to help finance flood prevention works RECENTLY Groby has suffered flooding during heavy storms, causing damage to properties and interrupting businesses in the village. We at Groby CIC, along with County Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, have been working closely with Leicestershire County Council and Severn Trent to find solutions to the flooding problems within the village. One concern is the build up of debris in the surface water drain that leads to the headwall within the Highway boundary near the Meadow. We have agreed with Severn Trent that a drainage ditch will be excavated across the Meadow, leading from the headwall within A50 boundary to the ditch within the boundary of the shooting club, to enable them to clear the debris. This will obviously restrict access around the Meadow and due to this, we need to build a small roadway for vehicular access to the top of the Meadow and a pedestrian bridge across the new ditch, near to our existing bridge to Groby Pool. The diagonal path from the main gate will also need to be rerouted. All of this will deplete Groby CICs limited funds and, as a not for profit organisation that works to maintain the Meadow for the benefit of Groby residents, we are appealing to local residents and Businesses to step forward and become shareholders. This will raise much needed funds to ensure that this work is undertaken promptly and ensure the future of the Meadow. If you would like to become a shareholder, or make a financial contribution towards the reopening of the meadow, please contact the Parish Council Clerk in the first instance at: grobycouncil@btconnect.com • THANK YOU: Groby CIC would like to thank the anonymous donor who has donated to the meadows funds. Many thanks, and may we wish everyone a merry Christmas.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

December Small Ads

• Premier 5-piece DRUM KIT: £35.00 • Farfisa ELECTRIC KEYBOARD with bass pedals: £150.00 Tel: 07972 198802

Pick Up A Bargain! • Morphy Richards BREAD MAKER, 6 years old, good condition, makes a small loaf. Mixes can be bought in most retail shops. Instructions included. £40.00 or near offer. Tel: 01530 230936 (Bagworth)

• Corby TROUSER PRESS excellent condition, hardly used: £30.00 Tel: 0116 231 3958 (Groby) • FREE: one standard size RABBIT HUTCH and one very large RABBIT HUTCH. Tel: 01530 24320 6 (Markfield)

• Solid wood Teak COFFEE TABLE - 44” long x 30” wide. Excellent condition: £20.00 or near offer. Tel: 01530 243778.

FOR SALE 4 brand new + tags royal blue BROOKVALE CARDIGANS Age 13 yrs - chest 31 - 32 ins. - High School badge - (Cost £13.50) PRICE £5 each. Tel: 0116 2882323 • A quantity of FLY FISHING KIT, rods, tackle, fly-making kit, etc: £150.00 the lot. • Two electrically operated RECLINING CHAIRS. Good condition. £125 for the two or will split. • Two SINGLE BEDS, three years old, good condition: £80.00 for the two, or will split. • Two SEWING MACHINES (one electric and one Singer on large stand, old collector’s item) • One large round DINING TABLE Offers invited Tel: 01530

• Sofology brown leather POUFFE, size 24”w x 20”d x 16”h opens for storage, condition as new. £30.00 Tel 0116 232 2395. • Selling bags of UNWANTED CLOTHES. Many brand new, many worn once & many in good condition. Women size variety from UK 8 - UK 14. As well as top brands such as Lipsy and Jane Norman dresses - great for Christmas parties/events! Along with SHOES (sizes 6 and 7) and some BAGS & UNWANTED GIFTS. Going cheap! Need gone ASAP. Contact Emma on 07771 360540.

• Freestanding flexible arm COMPUTER SCREEEN (HP1740), 12.25 X 14.5 ins (37x31cm), in perfect working condition, £25. Tel: 0116 232 0226

6, small platform/block heel, worn once. Cost £70.00. Price £20.00. • Four storey DOLL’S HOUSE, suit older child/adult collector. £20.00. Tel: 07796 034279 • Next 4’6” PINE BED in very good condition. £40.00 or nearest offer. Tel: 07783 926189.

• Phillips Hostess FOOD WARMER. 4 compartments v.g.c. £20.00. Tel: 0116 287 8323

• Cook & Lewis GAS HOB with 4 burners 55m x 150mm. NEVER BEEN USED. Cost £160 - acceptable reasonable offer around that figure. Tel: 01530 243891.

• 2 in 1 SINGLE BED. Second bed slides underneath standard sized single bed, with mattress. Good clean condition. £40.00. Tel: 0116 287 6761.

• 3-seater Next SETTEE. Brown. £100 ono. Buyer to collect. Tel: 0116 287 7915.

• Creda SPIN DRYER - never been used. £50.00 Tel: 01530 244855 (Markfield)

• Free HIGH CHAIR, good condition, folds flat. Tel: 01530 243686. • Three brand new, still sealed JIGSAW PUZZLES, each puzzle 300 large pieces. Originally cost £10 each, selling all three for total of £10. Further details from 01530 230389.

Adverts for Glenfield Christadelphians • George Foreman Super Fast GRILLING MACHINE with drip tray and instructions & recipes

January to June 2018

• For Sale: Ladies Black Leather M&S KNEE LENGTH BOOTS size

JANUARY

The Bible holds the Key to Eternal Life Bible Talks

Scout Hall, Stamford St. Glenfield Each Sunday at 6pm (God Willing)

IF YOU HAVE any household items which you’d like to advertise FREE in the Spotlight, please SEND DETAILS by post or email - sorry, we can’t take them over the phone. Maximum EIGHT items please. Our postal address is Spotlight Small Ads, PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT or you can email details to: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk Please put ‘Small Ads’ in the subject line, and include your postal address (not for publication).

FEBRUARY

The Bible holds the Key to Eternal Life Bible Talks

leaflet. Only used about three times. £10.00 Tel: 07960 056049 (Markfield).

Scout Hall, Stamford St. Glenfield Each Sunday at 6pm (God Willing)

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Jan 14 Resurrection - the Christian Hope God is eternal life through Jan 21 Are We Good Enough to be Christians? Jesus Christ our Lord. Jan 28 Who are God's Ministers? Romans 6:23 www.lifes-big-questions.org www.thisisyourbible.com/glenfield

For the wages of sin is death; The Nation of Egypt and the God of the but the gift of Feb 11 Bible God is eternal life through Feb 18 True Baptism Essential for Salvation Jesus Christ our Lord. Feb 25 Why Doesn't God Do Something? Romans 6:23 www.lifes-big-questions.org www.thisisyourbible.com/glenfield

Glenfield Christadelphians

Jan 7

Creation, Not Evolution

Feb 4

The Purpose of Life - Bible Teaching

MARCH

APRIL

The Bible holds the Key to Eternal Life Bible Talks Mar 4

Bible Talks

Scout Hall, Stamford St. Glenfield Each Sunday at 6pm (God Willing) Why Marriage is important to God

Mar 11 Jesus Came to Save the Lost Mar 18 Baptism is essential for Salvation Mar 25 The Kingdom of God will be on the Earth www.lifes-big-questions.org

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

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For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23 www.thisisyourbible.com/glenfield

Jesus Christ - The Son of God How Noah's Flood Explains the Fossil Apr 15 Record Apr 22 Israel, God’s Witnesses The Resurrection of Jesus Christ – Fact or Apr 29 Fiction? www.lifes-big-questions.org

Glenfield Christadelphians

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JUNE

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Letter from Uncle Eustace Time for a coffee break On what clergy do after Christmas The Rectory

St. James the Least My dear Nephew Darren I AM GLAD you enjoyed your post-Christmas break from the parish, although a week of skiing in the Alps does seem a little excessive.

HAVE A coffee. Seriously. It seems that drinking three or four cups of coffee a day may significantly cut the chances of your early death. There are even health benefits for those who drink up to seven cups each day. Recent research by the universities of Edinburgh and Southampton have found that coffee drinking can be linked with a lower risk of various cancers, and also is beneficial with conditions including diabetes, gallstones, gout, depression and Parkinson’s disease. The only people coffee does NOT suit are pregnant women. Overall, there seems to be a 17 per cent reduction in the chances of dying for someone who drinks three cups of coffee a day, compared to those who drink none.

In my day, an extra hour in bed on Boxing Day was considered quite sufficient. Curates are clearly paid too much. While your week after Christmas was spent falling down mountains at excessive speeds, mine was used with the traditional activity of making apologies. Apologies are always sent out to all those ladies who had fur coats ruined by guttering candles at the Carol Service. But as I feel obliged to point out, at least they were ruined with the best beeswax money can buy. Had they attended Saint Agatha’s, our next-door parish, they would have been ruined by paraffin wax, which is most inferior. A general apology was also necessary in the parish magazine. That our thurifer was slightly over-zealous with the incense at the midnight Service was quite excusable at such an important Service; that the organist improvised during Communion on the tune “Smoke gets in your Eyes” was not. I also felt duty-bound to apologise to the landlord of the public house which adjoins the church, as his customers were blocked in the pub car park with cars of those attending our midnight Service. But since his customers were obliged to stay in the pub for an extra two hours, he asked if we could make the same mistake in future years. I also received several letters of thanks from those who were unable to return home until the early hours. One even made a donation to the church in appreciation. Apologies were also made to the 8am Christmas morning congregation, the Service having been taken by Canon Rogers for the last 25 years. Now in his 97th year, he is becoming somewhat forgetful. Beginning the Service by wishing the congregation a very happy Easter was not entirely helpful. I may have to think about finding him a replacement. My final apologies were given to Lady Duckworth who, having tumbrilled her returning children to church, discovered that strangers were sitting in her pew. Since her family has sat there for the last 400 centuries, she has always assumed squatters’ rights, and so being obliged to sit at the rear of a side aisle was not at all appreciated. And so we both begin a new year, you exhilarated from a week’s strenuous activity and me energised by knowing that I will not have to apologize to anyone about anything for another 12 months. Your loving uncle,

Eustace

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

County Councillor’s Report from Ozzy O’shea Anti-Social Behaviour in Groby IN LAST month’s article I highlighted incidents of ASB and damage around the Stephenson’s Way area of Groby and Quarry Park where red paint had been sprayed on garage doors, residential properties and motor vehicles. I have been informed that further damage has been caused to Martinshaw Primary School and at Quarry Park and the Allotments. I have been working very closely with the Police and the Council’s ASB officers and am informed that there has been a total of 31 incidents of ASB and criminal damage over the past 6 weeks. I have had a full briefing by the local policing sergeant and I am confident they are taking these crimes seriously - in fact they have put dedicated officers in place to detect these offences and their investigations have led them to three strong suspects who they are going to arrest. (By the time you read my article they will have been arrested.) I also arranged a meeting with the local policing commander Inspector Dan Eveleigh and the head of Community Safety at the Borough Council to raise my concerns on policing within Groby and the various crimes that have been taking place. We had a very positive meeting and again I was reassured that officers had been deployed to investigate all these offences and that all these offences were being taken seriously. The police have stressed that they want residents to report all crimes and issues of ASB to them by calling the police in confidence on 101. If you witness a crime in progress

dialing 999 would be appropriate. I would urge anyone with any information to contact the police in confidence. We need to work together as a community to stop this sort of behaviour. I will do my best working with the authorities on your behalf.

Message from the local Police Commander Insp. Dan Eveleigh YOU MAY be aware of a separate incident last month, whereby an elderly resident was assaulted and received hospital treatment for his injuries. He has since been discharged and is recovering at home. A range of police teams has been involved and a 54-year old Groby woman has been charged in connection with this incident and has been remanded into custody to appear at court at a later date. Owing to the ongoing court proceedings I am unable to provide any further detail in relation to this matter in case it were to undermine those proceedings and a proper outcome from them is clearly of the utmost importance.

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment HAVE YOUR say on the draft 2018 Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment for Leicestershire. Every three years, pharmaceutical needs assessments (PNAs) are carried out around the country to ensure that local community pharmacies –“chemist shops” - are meeting the pharmaceutical needs of local people. The PNA helps NHS England

manage and make decisions about requests from pharmacists or pharmacy businesses to set up new community pharmacies, merge businesses, or move premises within Leicestershire. They also provide insight into other areas where improvements can be made. Preparing PNAs is the responsibility of Health and Wellbeing Boards. These Boards bring together local authorities, the NHS and other key partners to improve the health and wellbeing of their local areas. The Leicestershire Health and Wellbeing Board has now created a draft PNA for Leicestershire and we would like your comments on it. You can access the consultation by following the below link. www.leicestershire.gov.uk/haveyour-say/current-consultations/ pharmaceutical-needs-assessment The consultation closes on 2nd January 2018, with the findings reported back in the final PNA document, published by April 2018. If you require a hard copy of the questionnaire, or need any further information, please call Natalie Greasley on 0116 305 4266 or email natalie.greasley@leics.gov.uk I would like to take this opportunity to thank residents and

councillors for your continued support and wish you all a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas and a very Happy Healthy and prosperous New Year. Remember I am only an Email or a phone call away. Kind Regards

Ozzy O’shea Working for you Cllr Ozzy O’shea Tel 0116 2394336 or 07808585825 Email: ozzyoshea@hotmail.com

Letter

Enough grocery stores in Groby! Let’s have a cafe! WE ARE LED to believe there is going to be another Grocery store in Groby. What about a Cafe? Groby needs a community area in the village. More like Anstey. What is it about Groby that avoids any alternative business.

Name and Address Supplied

I only drink on days beginning with “T”. Tuesday, Thursday, today and tomorrow

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Local Author Book Spot The Halloween Parade By Matt Beighton TRIXIE GRIMBLE is a perfectly ordinary girl. Unfortunately, the children at her new school are less than ordinary. Monstacademy is a school for monsters and the Vampires, Werewolves and more already hate her. Caught up in an evil plan and with only a vegetarian Vampire and a cursed Werewolf for support, can Trixie save the day? The Halloween Parade is the first in the exciting new Monstacademy series of chapter books for younger readers. Available from Amazon, Gardners, Foyles and all other major distributors from 15th December 2017.

About Matt Beighton Matt Beighton is a primary school teacher born and raised in Markfield,and currently living in Glenfi eld. He has two young daughters who provide a constant source of inspiration and sleepless nights. Alongside the exciting new Monstacademy series for younger readers, Matt Beighton has also written The Spyglass and the Cherry Tree, an epic fantasy for children aged 9+ and the first in the Shadowland Chronicles. Matt is available for book signing sessions within schools and libraries and, as a practicing teacher, is also able to deliver educational sessions. For more information please email info@mattbeighton.co.uk or visit http:// www.mattbeighton.co.uk

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Did you win free garden waste collection this year?

HINCKLEY and Bosworth Borough Council is repeating last year’s offer of a chance of winning a free year of garden waste collection for anyone who agrees to pay by Direct Debit(DD). The 2017 draw took place back in February and one of the winners lives in Groby. Another 6 winners were in the Field Head and Markfield area. Existing Direct Debit payers will be in with a chance to win one of the 50 prizes this year, joined by anyone who sets up a Direct Debit before 31 January 2018. As promised the price for Direct Debit payment will be held at £24 and this price freeze will continue into 2019/20. The 31,000 take up was much higher than forecast, resulting in a higher than expected income from the service.”Such a high uptake helps us to keep it the lowest cost across the county,” said Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services Councillor Mark Nickerson. “Plus using direct debit makes it convenient for residents, as well as helping to keep our operating costs down.” The council says that anyone who chooses not to continue to receive the garden waste service does not need to take any action, and would prefer customers not to contact the call centre and have to wait unnecessarily at what is an exceptionally busy time on the phones. “Once a customer signs up for DD then, as with any other DD, it’s the customer’s choice whether to continue with that or not,” explained a spokesperson. “If a customer doesn’t want to continue with the service then they simply need to notify their own bank and cancel the DD.” “If the DD is not collected because the customer has cancelled it or for any other reason then the sticker won’t be valid and so the bin won’t be emptied after April. We will write to the DD customer to ask if they still wish to have the service in this instance so the customer has the chance to join the service if this wasn’t intentional - people change bank accounts, forget they’ve set up a DD and cancel it in error and all sorts of things from year to year. If they don’t wish to renew then no further action is required. Customers who pay annually by credit/debit card don’t need to take any action if they choose not to renew as the stickers will only be sent to customers on receipt of payment.” The number of subscribers who wish to cancel is likely to be small but if you are in this group and want to avoid unwanted reminders or further correspondence then you may feel that writing to or emailing the council (as well as cancelling the Direct Debit with your bank) may be the best option. Households who cancel can keep the garden waste bin if they wish, but it will not be emptied unless the annual charge has been paid. Those residents who have yet to set up a direct debit for their garden waste service can go to www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/ddgw or call the council on 01455 238141. Direct debit payments will be collected in April 2018.

Norman Griffiths

THE FRIENDS OF CHARNWOOD FOREST

The Landscape Of Charnwood Forest And Its Environs: Geology And Topography A TALK BY ALAN BRIGGS MONDAY 22ND JANUARY 2018 WOODHOUSE EAVES VILLAGE HALL at 7.30pm You may wonder as you walk, or drive, around Charnwood Forest what really makes up our wonderful landscape. Alan Briggs, our speaker this evening, was recently asked by the Charnwood Roots Project to provide a summary of the geology and landscape of each parish in the area. So his talk has grown out of that project. He will begin with the volcanic origins of Charnwood on the other side of the globe some 500 million years ago with its rare fossils and then cover its subsequent journey through the ice age and present day landscape. Alan Briggs has a joint degree in Geology and Archaeology from Leicester University as a mature student. He has a wealth of knowledge about each parish following his involvement with the Charnwood Roots Project. FUTURE TALKS Monday 19th February 2018 talk by Mark Temple “Gone with the Wind; the lost Windmills of Leicestershire” at Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall at 7.30pm. At one time every family’s diet included bread which relied on a constant supply of fresh flour. So virtually every village had a mill of some sort, a watermill if there was a suitable stream, or if not, a windmill was placed on an elevated position where its sails could catch the wind. At their peak in 1835 there were 152 mills in Leicestershire, and many were locally such as Woodhouse Eaves, Markfield, Mountsorrel etc. Mark has tried to gather together all the photographic images that have survived and has also made a collection of milling stories. He knows of the existence of many mills but as far as he knows their images have been lost. Monday 19th March 2018 AGM and a 1970 film “Leicestershire a Heritage at Risk” Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall at 7.30pm.

For further information call Dick Howard on 01530 245373 or look at our website www.focf.org.uk

My mum takes things literally. The other day I said I’d like a cup of tea. She said, ‘Shall I make a pot?’ I said, ‘Yes, please.’ And she was gone for half an hour trying to heat up the kiln. I went to a drive-in movie last night. I didn’t see much. There was a bloke in the front row in a combine harvester.

I ate a shepherd’s pie for lunch. He was pretty upset about it.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

National Trust Leicester Association AS YOU read this there is only one week to Christmas and two weeks to New Year but there are still things happening at the National Trust.

At Calke Abbey on Saturday 23rd December it will the last day that the grounds will be lit up with festive lights and illuminations. You can follow a candle-lit trail to the church and explore the tunnel under the house. All from mid-afternoon to 6.00pm. Also, Calke’s parkland is open every day, except Christmas Day, for wonderful walks. Collect a new “Seek & Reveal” map from reception which highlights hidden areas of the park. As you get close to each point there is a scratch off panel on the map which reveals a hidden gem to look out for. At Woolsthorpe Manor, near Grantham, from this weekend until the end of February the building will become a “House of Light”. Every room will contain different light displays, based on Isaac Newton’s experiments, and created by local college art students. Open Friday to Monday, 11.00 – 3.00pm, booking required on 01476 862823. Then what is there to look forward to in the East Midlands in 2018: Restoration work will begin at Kedleston Hall, near Derby, on the extensive gardens and parkland. Firstly, many of the original garden statues, from the 1760’s, that stood in hidden clearings in the Pleasure Grounds will be restored to their former glory. At Belton House, near Grantham, a year long project to conserve and rejuvenate the seventeenth-century stables and coach house will begin. The building is one of only 21 stables in the country to be Grade 1 listed. Hence the restoration will only be carried out with traditional materials. Finally at Canons Ashby, near Daventry, the spring bedding in the extensive garden flower beds will be in mauve, cream and green to reflect the centenary of the suffrage movement. This should be spectacular by March and gives a hint to the theme for 2018 at many NT properties. • THE NT LEICESTER ASSOCIATION has an afternoon meeting on Wednesday 20th December when Elizabeth Riding will present a talk entitled “Christmas in Bethlehem”. The meeting will be held at St Guthlac’s Memorial Hall, Holbrook Road, Leicester at 2.30pm. There will also be an evening meeting on Tuesday 9th January 2018 at The Braunstone West Social Centre, St Mary’s Avenue, Braunstone at 7.30pm. David Bell will present a talk entitled “Leicestershire in the 1940’s & 50’s” Admission to both meetings is NTLA members £2.50, visitors £4.00, including refreshments. For details of the NT Leicester Association and its Talks Service for other organisations please call 0116 222 9133.

Alan Tyler, Publicity Officer

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A friend of mine and his wife got caught in the housing trap. I feel a bit guilty setting it, but I wasn’t expecting visitors. I went carol singing last year. I walked round lots of houses with a lantern and nobody gave me any money at all. Still, people are busy at Easter.

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Accidentally fell asleep smoking an e-cigarette and when I woke up my whole house was on the internet.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Letter

Has a teen inspired you this year?

Supporting unpaid carers IMAGINE being a carer for someone you hold close, being on hand to offer emotional and physical support no matter what time of the day or night. As this month we mark Carers Rights Day, I’d like to take a moment to tell your readers why we’re devoted to doing all we can to be there for those in a caring role. Did your readers know that 6,000 people take on a caring responsibility every day? That’s equal to over 2 million per year. Or that they save the economy an estimated £132 billion every year? For everything carers give, we are absolutely resolute to be there in times of need. Experience has taught us that many carers are steadfast in their devotion to their loved ones and that it is often the thought of not being there for those they care for that prevents them from taking some much-needed time off. I work for Revitalise an incredible charity that provides respite holidays for disabled people and carers at our Sandpipers respite holiday centre in Southport. As a charity we know that many carers would rather spend time together with their loved ones than time apart. That’s why our respite holidays give carers the chance to relinquish their caring duties and focus on enjoying precious moments with the person they care for once more. If you would like to find out about Revitalise, our breaks, ways we may be able to support you, or if you would like to support us, please call: 0303 303 0145 or visit: www.revitalise.org.uk.

Stephanie Stone Revitalise www.revitalise.org.uk

Nominate your young person of the year

PEOPLE in Leicester and Leicestershire are being urged to nominate inspiring young people for this year’s Lord-Lieutenant’s Award. Each year, the Lord-Lieutenant celebrates the achievements of young people across the city and county. The award scheme is open to all 13 to 19 year olds and individuals can be nominated by other young people, their school, parent or carer, as well as any other agency or individual. This year’s categories celebrate the very best examples of effort and achievement. People can nominate for: Young Braveheart, Young Volunteer, Young Sportsperson and Young Artist. For 2018, our special category will commemorate the centenary of the First World War. The award will be given to someone who investigates and presents a piece of creative research using any method including video, podcast, blog, or

I haven’t even planned this sentence volcano.

Lady Gretton presented the Young Person of the Year Award 2017 to Ciera Taylor report. The project must be inspired by the contribution of what are now the Commonwealth countries, either on the front line or in a supporting role behind the lines. The finalists and their parents will be invited to a special ‘red carpet’ awards evening and dinner held in April next year and hosted by the Lord-Lieutenant. Ciera Taylor, who was named Young Braveheart last year and Young Person of the Year, said: “The other people who were nominated in my category deserved to win as well. I was so happy and honoured to have been chosen, and to win overall as well – I still can’t quite believe it.” The closing date for this year’s nominations for braveheart, volunteer, sportsperson and artist is 31 January 2018. Entries for the special project: Young Investigator of the Year are welcome until 9 February 2018.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Newtown Linford Gardening Club Gardener’s Question Time WE ARE absolutely thrilled to announce that the BBC are coming to Newtown Linford on January 30th to record an episode of the long running programme ‘Gardener’s Question Time’. The recording will be held in the Village hall. Doors will open at 5.30pm and the recording will begin at 6.15pm. Local gardeners from this village and from nearby villages are all invited to attend and to submit questions for the panel to consider. At this time we do not know the names of the panellists but there will be, almost certainly, three from the following list of British horticultural legends:Christine Walkden • Chris Beardshaw • Bunny Guinness Matthew Biggs • Anne Swithinbank • Pippa Greenwood Bob Flowerdew • James Wong • Matthew Wilson Tickets for this event are available from our secretary and will cost only £4.50, a sum which will include a glass of wine. The hall holds 150 people and so only that number will be available. Tickets can be obtained by contacting the numbers listed below.

Bob Flowerdew WE CAN also announce that Bob Flowerdew will be speaking to us in our Village Hall on Tuesday April 24th. He is very well-known to gardeners from his regular appearances on television and for his highly original hair style with its very long pigtail. We are pleased to invite members of other local gardening clubs and interested individuals to join us on this occasion. Tickets will be £10 and can be obtained from our secretary. The contact numbers for both these events are 01530 242452 or by e-mail to 32couling@gmail.com

Single – and happy about it

WOMEN prefer the single life to men, because it is they who have to put the work into keeping relationships going. This is the finding of a recent survey by consumer analysts Mintel. They found that 61 per cent of single women are happy with their single status, compared to 49 per cent of single men. Also, 75 percent of all single women have not even looked for a relationship in the past year, compared to 65 per cent of single men. For those aged 45 to 65, the difference is at its most stark. 32 per cent of single women in this age group say they are very happy alone, while only 19 per cent of men in this age group are happy alone.

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I really hope 2017 is the season finale of the news.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Groby Gardening Society News Gardeners and bees WORLD-WIDE concern about existing weed killers and insecticides has again focused attention on the enormous effect our combined garden area can have on environmental issues. It is easy, as an individual, to assume that the management of our small plot of land can hardly affect national issues. Some recent publications have attempted to alter this mind set and get us gardeners to adopt a more proactive approach in our hobby. New research encouraging gardeners to increase bumblebee populations by planting flowers could be undermined by the use of weed killers and pesticides, warns the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT). The Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) has cautioned that harsh chemicals could further harm bee populations and said that weed killers are not ‘necessary’ in garden settings. Concerns were raised as a study recently published found horticulturalists and gardeners could increase bumblebee numbers by growing red flowering plants and flowers with stripes along the veins. There are 25 different species of bees in the UK, but the bumblebee is the most important pollinator for crop production - and farmers are being told to make agriculture more pollinator-friendly. ‘The use of weed killers greatly reduces the number of wildflowers in nearby hedgerows, and that is obviously indirectly harmful to bees. In farming, we need to use the least harmful pesticides and to use them as carefully as possible,’ said BBCT Chair, Dave Goulson. ‘Bumblebees are the most abundant and also the largest wild pollinators in most of Europe, and are responsible for pollinating many

hundreds of wildflower species and many crops such as raspberries, strawberries and runner beans.’ The study by scientists from the UK and New Zealand focused on the snapdragon as the bumblebee’s weight can open the plant’s closed flower. By analysing foraging patterns, the study found that plants with red flowers or veined patterns attracted more bumblebees. It compared the number of visits made to the snapdragon to the number of visits made to other plants, as well as the number of flowers visited per plant. David Goulson said ‘Bumblebees have declined because of reduced numbers of flowers. Gardens cover one million hectares (2.47 million acres) of the UK, so if they all contained bee-friendly flowers then it would make a real difference.’ European Pesticide Legislation has already led to the removal of a number of more environmentally damaging pesticides and all existing pesticides used in Europe are being re-evaluated. Insecticides contaminate pollen and nectar sources and can affect bees inadvertently bringing the chemicals back to their hives. ‘Pollinators such as bees are of immense importance to agriculture and it is important to ensure bees have good sources of pollen and nectar when they are establishing nests. Many chemicals naturally derived from plants have potential uses within crop protection as they are biodegradable and have no long term environmental effects,’ Dr Ian Bedford, Head

of Entomology at the John Innes Centre, told The Ecologist. ‘Other alternatives include surfactant based products that create a sticky environment around delicate pest species like whiteflies. Bees are not affected by this.’ There are now alternatives to conventional weed killers such as acetic acid weed killers, fatty acid weed killers and salt weed killers. For a list of alternative organic weed killers see: www.weed-killer. org/organic-weedkiller-recipes/

Choose between chocolate and cheese

Three day trip 2018 AT THE NOVEMBER meeting a vote by members decided upon Llandudno as next year’s base for our three day trip.

The hotel will be the premier hotel in this resort and is called The Imperial. (check its web site). A good take-up for this trip is needed to make it viable due to the higher cost of the hotel. There will be more detail and a signing board at the A.G.M. on 11th January 2018. If you like the sound of what we get up to, why not come along to a meeting and try us out. You will be most welcome. Our monthly meetings are held at 7.30pm on the second Thursday of the month in the United Reformed Church rooms on Chapel Hill. Details about membership and the events programme can be obtained from Eric Atherton. (Tel. No. 01162876637) or E mail e.atherton637@btinternet.com

Alvar Johnson

HERE IS a desperate choice: if you had to give up one forever, which would it be? After a great deal of heartsearching, it seems we are split nearly down the middle, with 50 per cent of us letting chocolate go, and 47 per cent letting cheese go. So – cheese wins! As one senior food analyst explains, ‘Cheese is a menu staple in the vast majority of homes.’ But although the survey, by Mintel the consumer analysts, found that we love cheese best, that does not mean we don’t love chocolate: in fact, we are buying more of it each year. This coming year we are forecast to get through nearly half a million tons of chocolate, and 785 million tons of cheese (most of it cheddar).

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My friend and I made plans to go to brunch and just had to pick a place. That was 9 years ago.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

News from Lady Jane Grey School Message from the Headteacher MAY I TAKE the opportunity to say a big thank you to all the parents and carers who have supported us through this amazing and hectic term, and wish everybody a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful Happy New Year - Mr FitzGerald

Charity begins at Lady Jane Grey! WHAT A FANTASTIC month we have had supporting good causes close to everyone’s heart. Firstly, the children took part in “Fitness in Schools” day and we raised £1,072.60 which has been split between LOROS and the school. Secondly, we sold poppies, wristbands and friendship bracelets totalling £323.94 for the Poppy Appeal. Finally, the children generously bought gifts and toiletries and wrapped them in shoeboxes for “Operation Christmas Child” run by the Samaritans Purse. As you can see from the photograph, we were overwhelmed with donations. Thank you to everyone who has supported us.

Beauty & The Beast This month, in association with M&M Theatrical Productions, the pantomime came to school. Oh no it didn’t. Oh yes, it did! And what an amazing time we had! The children sang, laughed and booed (in the right places!) and thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic production of Beauty and the Beast.

Lady Jane Grey Recognised for Quality Music Provision LADY JANE GREY Primary School has been awarded an Ofsted-recognised Bronze Music Quality Mark by the Leicestershire Music Service (LSMS) for its excellent music provision. The LSMS representative was particularly impressed by how music is integrated throughout the curriculum offered at LJG: whether as part of whole school singing assemblies; Key Stage productions; having the opportunity to perform at the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Concert; learning to read musical notation in KS2; or as stimuli for creative writing during English lessons. This award is recognition of the LJG’s ambition to continually enhance the learning experience for all children.

Year 3/4 Football ON THURSDAY 16th November, we entered our year 3/4 football team into the Stanton under Bardon Primary School Cup playing against other local schools. Despite never playing as a team before, we are pleased to confirm that we were the overall winners of the tournament. The team (pictured right) showed excellent skill and sportsmanship at the tournament, and Mr Josephs was very pleased with how the team performed. A huge well done from us all.

H.S.A Christmas Fair THURSDAY 30TH NOVEMBER saw our annual Christmas Fair take place, with a raffle, café & cake stall, photo-booth, games & prizes and external stalls. We are pleased to report that an amazing £804.60 profit was made on the night. Thank you to everyone who came.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

ALLOTMENT NEWS Winding down for winter…. AS THE AUTUMNAL season of mellow fruitfulness gives way to wintry nights by the fire, poring over seed catalogues and planning what to grow next year, we see fewer people tending their plots on the allotments. The Ratby Road site, in particular, is quite exposed and so subject to really cold winds encouraging us to wrap up warmly and not stay out too long! By the time you read this, we will have had our last social event of the year, a Mulled Wine and Mince Pies festive gathering, to cheer and warm us all up. We hope for fine dry weather! For those of us still braving the cold, the over-wintering onions are in and garlic and broad beans are already planted. Crops still in the ground tend to stop growing now but will happily sit there until we come to pick or dig them up. I have lots of parsnips, kale and brussel sprouts to keep me going, still in the ground, as well as the potatoes, carrots and beetroot lifted and stored in the garage. The hens on the allotment tend to go ‘off lay’ when the colder weather sets in and start to moult. However, Steve Palmer, who shares a brood of hens with three other Allotmenteers, is still doing well as he tells us, “Ten eggs a day from our 10 chickens, and how different they taste in comparison with those bought from a shop! “But no rest for some of us! “It’s more time consuming than hard work keeping chickens, and thanks to both ladies in our team of four who keep the coop and chicken run spotless by cleaning up after the chickens on a daily basis. This is a top tip that you will pick up along the way, and I can’t emphasise this enough in keeping your chickens clean & healthy. The use of 99.9% germ killer spray is the arsenal used to prevent the invasion of the Red spider mite, and believe me, it works. It’s taken the best part of seven months to get to where we are today and what a learning curve it has been too, from the red spider mite to bumble foot and worm prevention, buying lotions and potions to keep the chickens in good health. Our interpretation of keeping chickens is almost like having children all over again, but the chickens don’t answer you back! Each chicken has its own character, just like humans do. You could sit and watch them for ages they are so comical. “Now the clocks have altered, the number of eggs laid will surely drop. A chicken needs 16 hours of daylight per day to sustain constant egg laying and to keep their feathers. As the days become shorter, the light receptor behind the chickens’ eyes will not have enough daylight to keep releasing the hormone that allows the chicken to produce an egg per day (it might be an egg every other day from now until spring). Lack of this hormone will also trigger the chickens to moult. So, to compensate and help the chicken through the moult, we have put them on a controlled diet which is said to allow them to carry on laying through the moult without losing the daily egg count (trial and error at this point, hope this works!). Our chickens are highly crossed hybrids which are based on the classic Rhode Island Red. Also there is the Maran, Plymouth Rock, Sussex or Leghorn, these are all used to crossbreed to produce hybrids. “The development of hybrid chickens started in the 1950s when there was a huge growth in the demand for eggs and meat. We started off by buying a book published by Haynes and simply read it from cover to cover, along with searching the internet which has been very rewarding with lots of solutions and answers to various questions and problems we accrued along the way. “Something I wasn’t expecting personally was that chickens are pigs on two legs - eat, they never stop! One food to avoid is too much fruit, it upsets the laying of eggs and also their stomachs. Chickens lay eggs for roughly three years and after that, either become pets or are eaten. Personally, I think they should live their lives to the full, allowing them to manage the plot in a large run, that has been designed to manoeuvre about allowing the plot to be cultivated and manured free of charge by the chickens themselves. Well that’s the plan and another story which I’m willing to share next time.”

David Winter recalls his relationship with Lego…

Those beloved little red bricks

SIXTY YEARS ago next month a Dutch company copyrighted a new toy. They called it ‘Lego’, Latin for ‘gather, pick or choose’. They can’t have foreseen the enormous, world-wide enthusiasm with which these little red cliptogether building blocks would be greeted by children from about two years old to early teens. Toddlers would clip them together and imagine they were houses or lorries. Older children would build progressively more sophisticated structures, many with cogs, wheels and battery powered motors. Parents and grand-parents loved them, because they were a universally welcome gift, and even a youngster who already had some Lego was always glad to get some more. Mind you, little red bricks in odd places rapidly became a feature of many homes – under chairs and settees, in beds, and even turning up in the cat’s tray or the bath. Lego has been, for sixty years, a feature of any home with children. It was also, I admit, the inspiration for a little children’s song which I wrote nearly 50 years ago, which was included in the BBC school song book. It was called ‘The Building Song’ and included the immortal lines Everybody’s building, everybody’s building, Everybody’s building in a different way. Not, I agree, exactly Isaac Watts, but the tune, by Roger Hurrell, was catchy and it became very popular at school assemblies. Yes, we are all building – lives, character, personalities, friendships. After all, ‘made in God’s image’, what could we be but creator/builders? We gather, pick and choose – and like Lego, make something of all the bits!

Steve Palmer and Carol Lincoln Do one thing that scares you every day. Maybe do four things. Live in constant fear.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

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Sorry I just saw your text from last night, are you guys still at the restaurant?

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Newbold Verdon Jazz Club NEWS

DECEMBER 1ST saw a welcome return to Newbold of The Sussex Jazz Kings who as usual gave us an evening of great traditional jazz. Unfortunately Dave Stradwick the band leader and trumpet player was unable to play as he was ill, so Richard Church took his place and showed us what a versatile player he is. He was joined by Bernard Stutt, reeds and Iain McAuley on trombone. They were backed by Pete Lay on drums, Kevin Scott on banjo and Peter Clancey on double bass and sousaphone. The first set started with a rousing version of Darktown Strutters Ball and ended with Iain vocalising Dr Jazz; always popular. After the interval when the audience enjoyed mince pies and a Christmas raffle the band continued with another varied selection of tunes and vocals, ending with One Sweet Letter from You.

Coming up in January There is never a shortage of fun, excitement and raw good music whenever the Savannah Jazz Band takes the stage. The Savannah is one of the most popular UK bands around so make sure you are here for their performance on Friday 5th January.at 8.00pm at Newbold Verdon Social Club. Admission only £9.00 with drinks and snacks at club prices. For more details contact Kelvin on 01455 822 824 or Pauline on 01162 865496.

Group meets at Groby Village Hall

WEA moves onto World War II THERE IS now a well established study group run by the Worker’s Educational Association which meets in Groby Village Hall on Tuesday mornings in the Waldrom Room. The group has been looking at local history against the background of national events – starting 3 or 4 years ago with the Celts and the Romans and moving through the Middle Ages, Tudors and Stuarts, Georgians, Victorians and the Great War it has now progressed as far as World War ll which will be the topic of study next term. The course starts on Tuesday January 9th and runs for 9 weeks with a break for half term, 10.00 – 11.30am. The main focus will be on how the war affected our local area, Leicester and the surrounding villages including the effects of the phoney war, air raid precautions, rationing, the blitz and the arrival of US troops. Absolutely no previous knowledge is required and the teaching is relaxed and informal with a bit of humour thrown in for good measure, and questioning is positively encouraged at all times. A resource pack is provided each week which can be kept as a permanent record of the course and the course is enhanced with PowerPoints and videos. The course costs £52.00 for the 9 weeks. Groby library has enrolment forms or you can ring 0300 303 3464 or enrol online at enrolonline@wea.org.uk. Why not come along and join us! Find out how our grandparents coped with all the upheavals. If you want an informal chat about the course ring Dave on 0116 2871895.

Dave Taylor (tutor WEA)

Children’s play sessions give parents time to plan Christmas TWO play sessions have been organised for children this December to give parents some extra time to get their Christmas preparations underway. The play sessions, which have been organised by Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council and Hinckley United Reformed Church, will be held at the church on The Borough on the Friday before Christmas - Friday 22 December - and are being offered to children aged between five and 11 years. The sessions aim to provide parents with additional time to complete their Christmas shopping, cooking, gift wrapping and other seasonal duties unhindered whilst their children can safely enjoy a range of fun festive activities. Parents are invited to drop their children off at one of two sessions (9.30am to 12.30pm or 1pm to 4pm) where they can make reindeer food, decorate a cookie for Santa, make Christmas decorations and enjoy other exciting crafts and activities. Places are limited so registering in advance is advised and there is a small cost of 50p per child, which also includes a drink and a biscuit. For further information or to book a place contact Rebecca Ball on 01455 255937.

My email password has been hacked. That’s the third time I’ve had to rename the cat.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Blue plaque for world’s first computer programmer A BLUE PLAQUE was unveiled at a special event to honour the achievements of the world’s first computer programmer, who was brought up in Kirkby Mallory. Ada Lovelace (1815 - 1852) was the daughter of the famous poet Lord Byron and Lady Anne Isabella Milbanke Byron, living at Kirkby Hall when she was a young girl. She was a gifted mathematician and is considered to be the first computer programmer following her work with Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine, a calculating machine which required a written program to carry out complex calculations. In recognition of her achievements, the Borough Council held an event in the Byron Suite at Mallory Park Racing Circuit on Ada Lovelace Day Tuesday 10 October – at which a Blue Plaque was unveiled in her memory. Over 30 people attended the celebration and also heard an informative talk by local historians Hugh Beavin and Stan Rooney, who had researched the contribution that Ada made to the design and creation of the Difference Engine. The unveiling of the Blue Plaque was also attended by Mr Byron Richards, an indirect descendant of Ada’s mother, Lady Annabella Milbanke. The event concluded with a visit to the Ada Lovelace memorial in the grounds of All Saints Church, Kirkby Mallory. Councillor Maureen Cook, Executive Member for Culture, Sport & Leisure, said: “I am really pleased to see such a remarkable lady honoured in this way. Her achievements and dedication need to be recorded and the Blue Plaque is a fitting tribute.”

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Leicestershire named top council for productivity LEICESTERSHIRE County council has been ranked number one by consultants iMPOWER The authority has been named the number one council for productivity in a national league table. Published this month, the ranking of 150 councils has been compiled by national consultancy firm, iMPOWER. They looked at whether councils are getting value for money across a range of areas including overall performance, adult social care and children’s services such as fostering placements. The index also scored each council for the work they do with NHS services – like getting people home from hospital.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Latest News from the Groby Surgery Patients Group

Knowing the warning signs could save your sight T HERE ARE certain symptoms of an illness or condition which indicate it’s time to act quickly, for example with a heart attack or stroke.

No-one wants to end up in A&E but there are times when one’s life might depend on it. There are also times when symptoms are not life threatening but may certainly be classified as life changing. An example is problems with eyes which could lead to impaired vision or blindness. Glaucoma, for example, can develop over years but can be picked up during routine eye tests and controlled with medication. Other problems may develop quickly and need a visit to the Eye Emergency Clinic, so awareness of the warning signs is important. One such eye problem is relatively common, but the good news is that expert assessment gives reassurance in all but a small percentage of cases that no immediate treatment is needed. For those unlucky enough to be in the group with a serious problem treatment can be often given at the clinic on the same day. Light passes through the front of your eye, and is focused by the lens onto your retina which converts it into electrical signals that travel to your brain. Your eye is filled with a clear jelly-like substance called the vitreous gel. Light passes through it to focus on your retina. As you get older the vitreous becomes more watery. It isn’t able to keep its usual shape and may move away from the retina. It’s a natural change. Over 75 per cent of the population over the age of 65 develop this Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD), though it may develop earlier. For most people it is not a sign of a disease or eye health problem. There is no medical treatment and no evidence to show that eye exercises, diet changes or vitamins can help.

What complications make it important to act on the warning signs? Sometimes the vitreous does not separate ‘cleanly’ and can pull on the retina causing a hole, tear or in the worst cases detachment. Around 10% of patients with PVD develop a retinal tear and around 40% of people with an acute retinal tear will develop a retinal detachment if left untreated. In most cases PVD does not cause a detachment, and if you do develop

a tear or detachment there are very successful treatments. Early treatment increases your chances of getting a good level of vision back.

So what are the warning signs? Symptoms such as floaters, little flashes of light, or a cobweb effect across your vision. Some people get a lot of each and others hardly any. You will not be able to tell the difference between floaters and flashes caused by PVD or retinal detachment. Your eyes must be examined by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. If you suddenly experience any of the following symptoms, make sure you have your eyes examined as soon as possible – preferably on the same day or within 24 hours: • A sudden appearance of floaters or an increase in their size and number. Floaters, created when your vitreous becomes more watery, are small, harmless clumps of cells. Light rays travel through your eye and when they meet one of these clumps casts a shadow on your retina. You see this shadow as a floater. If the vitreous pulls away from the retina you may see the thicker, outer edge of the vitreous. This can make it feel like you are looking through a cobweb but this disappears once the vitreous has come away. Floaters are very common and many people have them even if they do not have PVD or an eye condition. • Flashes of light, sometimes like a shooting star around the periphery of vision in the dark, and/ or a change/increase in the flashing lights you experience. Small flashes of light may be visible when the vitreous pulls away, sending an electrical charge to your brain. In the long term, you are unlikely to see these flashes because, once the vitreous has fully come away, it no longer pulls on your retina. • Blurring of vision. • A dark “curtain” moving up, down or across your vision. This may mean that the retina has already partially detached.

What happens at the hospital? Your pupils will be dilated with drops to allow your retina to be examined more easily. It is not safe to drive until the affects have worn off, usually in about six hours. The ophthalmologist uses a special microscope and looks for any signs of a retinal hole or tear. If a PVD has been diagnosed then the symptoms will usually settle down. They may only last for a few

weeks, but more commonly around six months, with the floaters and flashes of light gradually calming down over this period. PVD alone does not cause any permanent loss of vision.

Coping with floaters You may find floaters frustrating particularly if you have one large, distracting floater. If this is the case, this might help: move your eyes around in a gentle circular motion so you create currents in the vitreous within your eyes. This can sometimes move the floater out of your direct field of vision. It works best if you have one large floater rather than lots of small ones. Making things bigger can also help. Sunglasses or UV eye shields limit the amount of light coming into your eye, which may help the floaters be less obvious, especially in bright conditions. There is no evidence to suggest that stopping certain activities will prevent your PVD turning into a retinal tear. These activities are unlikely to cause any problems with your PVD: • Very heavy lifting, strenuous exercise or jarring exercises. • Playing contact sports, such as rugby, martial arts or boxing. • Inverted positions in activities such as yoga or pilates. If these activities make your floaters more noticeable it’s probably due to the movement of the activity rather than a change in your eye. Some people avoid the above activities when their symptoms are quite intense, but you can carry on with activities such as walking, gentle exercising, reading, watching TV and using your computer. There is no evidence to suggest that flying will harm your PVD or make it worse. This advice might change if you have another condition or depending on your eye health in general. The loss of sight as a result of retinal detachment is life changing, but acting quickly can ensure that you get the right diagnosis and remedial treatment if appropriate. The Eye Emergency service is based next to the Windsor eye clinic, level 1 in the Windsor Building in Leicester Royal Infirmary. It is open from 08:30 to 16:30 Monday to Friday, and 8:30 to 12:30 Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays. Like A&E it is very busy with long waiting times. This article is based on information published by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) on their website at http://www.rnib.org.uk.

Medical students MOST PEOPLE would have reservations if an electrician arrived to carry out a repair and revealed he’d achieved his qualification purely through study and that he (or she) had never had any practical experience. What’s true for skilled tradespeople is also true for medical staff, and patients visiting the surgery in January will have the opportunity to help doctorsin -training. Students will be in attendance and will benefit from sitting in on consultations. You will be warned and you can ask for a doctor only consultation.

Patient Survey ALTHOUGH the recent survey gives a snapshot of the ‘patient experience’ the practice would like more younger patients to participate in future. Over 84% of respondents were over the age of 45, and three quarters of those were 65+. Only 5% found it hard or very hard to make an appointment, and only 3.5% said they were unable to see the doctor or nurse that they wanted to see. Although most found that the available appointment times offered enough flexibility around 7% said they did not. Over one in four said they weren’t aware that appointments can be booked online, so if this is news to you and you would like to register for this service have a word with reception. Around 10% of respondents didn’t answer questions about satisfaction, but of those who did less than 1% were dissatisfied with the service they received on their last visit.

Norman Griffiths

for the Patients Participation Group

You should be able to get out of a speeding ticket if you can prove you were listening to Van Halen.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Message from Ed Argar MP AS I WRITE this brief article, at the end of November, it still seems a little bit early to be thinking about Christmas, but as this is the last edition of the Groby Spotlight before 25th December I wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone in Groby a peaceful and Happy Christmas, and all the best for the New Year.

Letter

Jamboree Adventure

2017 has certainly been an eventful year, not least with an election that none of us expected! It has been a busy year for me locally in Groby; working with local residents and Councillors to keep up the pressure for a solution to the concerns of residents about the ‘Klondyke’ site, continuing to raise this with Hinckley and Bosworth Council at every opportunity, and I will continue to work alongside the local Steering Group to do this in the coming months. I have also been pleased to meet with Groby business owners in the course of the year to hear about their businesses, and to visit the Keltruck depot in the village to learn more about how they are engaging with our community and providing skilled local jobs to contribute to our growing local economy; And I have been active on your behalf in working for a solution to the increasing volumes of traffic and congestion on local roads. But the Christmas period is an opportunity for us all to pause and reflect on a busy year, when we can spend time with family and friends, and a time to remember the things that really matter amidst the bustle of our daily lives. It is also a time to think about those less fortunate than ourselves and those who are lonely at Christmas. We have a number of fantastic charities and voluntary groups in Groby, Charnwood, and across our county, who do a lot to help those less fortunate than us, or who need our help, and, while it is important to recognise that and support them all year round, at Christmas I hope we will all try to give them a little bit of extra recognition and support in the work that they do. I hope to see many of you in the coming weeks, but in the meantime can I once again wish all readers of the Groby Spotlight a very Happy and peaceful Christmas.

UNBEATABLE

BOILER

MY NAME is Helen Chick and as a local Scout and Guide I have been selected, along with 53 other young people, to represent Leicestershire Scouts at the 24th World Scout Jamboree being held in West Virginia, USA in the summer of 2019. The World Scout Jamboree is a once in a lifetime adventure, where young Scouts and Guides from across the world meet up for a 10 day long camp filled with exciting activities and challenges. I have to raise just over £4,000 to be able to go, which will cover the cost of my trip and fund less fortunate Scouts from other countries, allowing them to attend. It will be an amazing experience so please keep an eye out for new information about the trip itself and my fund raising endeavours. If you would like to know more please email me at scoutjam@gmail.com Thank you!

Helen Chick

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

County Council opposes Klondyke planning application Norman Griffiths finds out why

LEICESTERSHIRE County Council (LCC), in its role as Mineral Planning Authority (MPA) has objected to a planning application to replace a structure on the ‘Allotment Gardens’ on Newtown Linford Lane, with a two bedroomed bungalow and integral garage. Officers believe that it is inappropriate to allow the replacement on this site as it may lead to residential use in close proximity to the Quarry, and could seriously prejudice the permitted mineral (and related) operations at Groby. They argue that the four active igneous rock quarries in Leicestershire (which includes nearby Cliffe Hill Quarry) are of national, not just local, importance and together account for around 65% of the igneous rock output in England. The County Council explains that the application site lies within an igneous rock Mineral Consultation Area, the purpose of which is to ensure that mineral resources are not needlessly sterilised by nonmineral development. The development, if permitted would conflict with the intentions of the adopted Leicestershire Minerals Development and Control Policies up to 2021, which seeks to safeguard proven mineral reserves from sterilisation. The strategy for resource management is to safeguard deposits of sand and gravel, limestone, igneous rock, shallow coal, fireclay, brickclay, gypsum, building and roofing stone in Leicestershire that are of current or future economic importance. Groby Quarry and its igneous rock resource are identified as a Mineral Safeguarding Area (MSA) in the emerging Leicestershire Minerals and Waste Local Plan.

Why is the MSA important? THE IMPORTANCE of Mineral Safeguarding Areas is outlined in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which states ‘In preparing Local Plans, local planning authorities should identify and include

policies for extraction of mineral resource of local and national importance in their area. They should define Minerals Safeguarding Areas and adopt appropriate policies in order that known locations of specific minerals resources of local and national importance are not needlessly sterilised by non-mineral development, whilst not creating a presumption that resources defined will be worked and define Minerals Consultation Areas based on these Minerals Safeguarding Areas’. The submission to the Borough Council says that “When determining planning applications, local planning authorities should not normally permit other development proposals in mineral safeguarding areas where they might constrain potential future use for these purposes”. The adjacent Groby Quarry has an existing planning permission for the extraction of hard rock and related development. The planning permission is expected to release 90 million tonnes of stone. Although the application does not include the use of the proposed building as a dwelling house the location of new residential accommodation so close to these permitted reserves would be likely to result in adverse living conditions for any future occupants of the application site. Ancillary quarrying activity in the form of a coated road stone plant and ready mix concrete plant do currently operate within the Quarry. However, no stone extraction is currently taking place within Groby Quarry because the quarry development is on hold pending the completion of Cliffe Hill Quarry, a sister quarry operated by the same company. When the mineral resource at Cliffe Hill has been exhausted, Groby Quarry would replace this supply of

mineral. The existing planning conditions require the site operator to comply with set blast and noise limits. If the proposal were to be allowed then when Groby Quarry starts extracting mineral again it is considered that significant adverse environmental impact would be experienced by residents of the application site. The operators of the Quarry would then be in breach of conditions imposed on the permission to protect residential amenity and the MPA would have to enforce those conditions. “I am not aware of any mitigation measures which would enable the permitted Groby Quarry operation to take place in such close proximity to residential properties without causing an unacceptable environmental impact to the occupiers,” the County Council officer suggests. “The quarry development would be seriously compromised and the sterilisation of valuable mineral reserves would be likely to result.”

So does that resolve the matter? NO, THOUGH the comments are important and significant they will have to be considered by the Planning Officers at HBBC along with all the other comments either objecting to or supporting the application before they reach a decision. The full text of the LCC objection and further details of the proposal can be seen online by following the links from http://grobyklondyke. webs.com. The application is due to be considered at the HBBC Planning Committee Meeting on January 9th 2018, so there is still time to comment.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT

Telephone

01530-244069 Email us at: info@ grobyspotlight.co.uk Visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk 3,500 copies distributed 11 times a year (no issue in July) to homes and businesses in Groby, Field Head and The Brantings. Compiled and published in the Parish of Groby & Field Head. Printed in Ellistown by Norwood Press. The Spotlight is a monthly compilation of articles, press releases, events, general items of interest and news items submitted to us by local residents, groups, associations, sports clubs and local authorities. The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Spotlight Production Team. The inclusion of any group or organisation in this publication does not necessarily imply a recommendation of its aims, methods or policies. Groby & Field Head Spotlight cannot be held responsible for the information disclosed by advertisements, all of which are accepted in good faith. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine, but no liability can be accepted for loss or inconvenience caused as a result of error or omission. Groby & Field Head Spotlight reserves the right to amend, shorten or refuse to publish articles and/or advertisements submitted for publication. All contents © Groby & Field Head Spotlight. None of the articles contained in this magazine are to be reproduced in any way without first obtaining written consent from Groby & Field Head Spotlight.

County Council Leader welcomes Glenfield Hospital decision LEICESTERSHIRE County Council leader Nick Rushton has welcomed the decision by NHS England to continue commissioning heart services at Glenfield Hospital. He said: “I welcome the decision taken by NHS England. It recognises the hard work done by the Trust, its clinicians, many supporters, the local community and politicians to convince the NHS there was a compelling case to continue with heart services here. The unit at Glenfield is something of which the county is immensely proud.”

NEXT ISSUE OUT ON: 13th January 2018 DEADLINE: 31st December

Imagine breaking up on the moon but then you have the whole rocket ship ride home together.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Cats and other animals ... WE HAD an unexpected visitor in November. I was coming back from my allotment through the jitty that links Crane Ley and Flaxfield when I encountered a tiny hedgehog trotting briskly in the opposite direction. I scooped it up and took it home. I knew it was too little to survive the winter without help but I couldn’t see how its presence in the household was going to improve the situation with our two mutually hostile cats. I put little Bernard, as David named him, into the kitchen with a bowl of cat food and set about researching hedgehog homes. The nice people at Redgate Farm gave me a phone number for Leicestershire Hedgehog Rescue which turned out to be the back garden of a lovely lady called Bev’s. It was crowded with sheds, huts and runs full of hedgehogs. She cooed over little Bernard – renamed her Bernadette on closer examination- and assured us we had done the right thing in bringing her in. Bev tucked her up in a basket with a teddy for company, fed her and asked if we would like her back in the spring. Of course we would – she’s family. I waited a week before I phoned Bev again. I wasn’t at all sure that little Bernadette would have made it but she has certainly fallen on her paws at Bev’s. The day after we left her there a young couple arrived with another tiny female they had named Milligan (older readers will get the Goons reference). Bev had put her in with Bernadette. They eat, sleep and play together and are thriving. Roll on spring. If only our cats were as compatible. I found them the other day either side of the cat flap, Olaf unable to come in and Peter unable to get out. This may be why Peter has decided that the six feet wide, floor-to-ceiling collection of plants in the corner of my living room is actually an extension of the garden and therefore an appropriate pussy cat latrine. I wonder if Bev takes cats? I spent the first day of December deer stalking in Bradgate Park – armed with a camera rather than a rifle. I encountered one magnificent stag accompanied by about seventy does. When I mentioned him to one of the park rangers he said “Oh, yes ,we know him. We call him Mr Wonderful.” I bet that’s not what the other stags call him. The handsome young buck in the picture stopped for a chat and obligingly posed for his picture in front of the ruins.

Lindy Hardcastle

Sad decline of our invisible friends THINK BACK to when you were very young – did you have an imaginary friend? Most of us did – of one kind or another. Imagined friends have ranged from other boys and girls to dogs and even unicorns. Even as late as 2001, about 50 per cent of young children either had or had previously had, an imaginary friend. Not now. Since the increase in computers, tablets, mobile phones and console games, children as young as three are playing with them and not bothering to imagine a friend. Nowadays, less than a fifth of young children have had a made-up friend. An expert in childcare deeply regrets this. ‘Imaginative play is hugely beneficial for children – being able to transport themselves into make-believe worlds with imaginary characters can help them make sense of their world, or provide an escape from it.’ She urges parents to give children the space and time to be imaginative, rather than let children simply become ‘passive receivers of digital content.’ The study was carried out for Snazaroo, a face paint firm.

I don’t even talk to the girl until the second date.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

IT WAS our AGM this month. I am always pleased to report that our members didn’t let us down. How many times have you heard various societies had poorly attended AGMs, our ladies did us proud. All Committee members apart from one, more of that later, stood again. Angela our very organised President, Aisla, our very efficient Secretary and Diane our Treasurer, who never lets us get in the red, were re-elected. Fran, who has held various posts, has had to retire due to other commitments. Fran has worked hard for us and could always be depended upon, many thanks Fran from all of us. Scams, fraudsters, cold callers, letters to name but a few are the many ways we can be conned out of our well earned money. A lady representative from Actionfraud. Police.Uk gave us a good hour’s talk on how to spot crime and prevent it. Here are some tips :Pushy sales techniques: – • Take time to consider what appears to be a good offer • Never let a stranger into your house • Anything that requires money up front is likely to be a fraud • Being asked for personal information:• Never give your bank card or card PIN to anyone • Never give out personal information such as bank details, date of birth to anyone or organisation

Groby WI NEWS

Cold calls, span texts, letters or emails:• Don’t be afraid to put the phone down to cold callers or just end the conversation with “No thanks” • Don’t reply to unsolicited letters, texts or emails Some useful telephone numbers Telephone Preference Service – 0345 070 0707 or texting TPS followed by your email address to 85095 To remove your name from direct mailing lists register on the Mailing Preference Service, call 020 7291 330 or visit www.mpsonline.org.uk Finally, if you are worried about someone or believe they are a victim or potential victim of fraud such as noticing they have large amounts of phone calls, unsolicited mail or withdrawal of big amounts of cash, call :- 0300 123 2040 alternatively www.actionfraud.Police.Uk.

Every Saturday morning 10.00am—12.30pm CATCH meets for play, craft, story & chat for pre-school children with a parent or carer 9.30-11.30am every Friday at Groby URC Chapel Hill

Fair Cuppa for FairTrade refreshments in fairly traded mugs. Every Thursday 10.3012am at the Village Hall

Now onto the pleasure events during November. There were theatre visits to the Concordia Theatre at Hinckley to see the ever popular “White Christmas”, a very good production as usual. We are lucky to have such an excellent amateur theatre locally. Next was a visit to see, “Scrooge” at the Curve Theatre. I couldn’t go but my WI friends couldn’t praise it enough, one of the best shows ever I was told. Here is a brief report by Judy of the Show, thanks Judy. “‘What an evening’. Thirty-five of us had the most enjoyable time at the Curve to watch Scrooge the Musical. It was a wonderful show with excellent seats, with Scrooge playing a fantastic part. Thank you once again Diane. Another trip for a few was a visit to Palmers Garden Centre for an afternoon tea. Again I missed out but no doubt everyone tucked in.

This is a report by Judy again, our Skittles Captain. Due to other group WI’s skittles teams being unable to get a team together and only winning one game, we found ourselves in the final with Markfield and Anstey. We played at the Bradgate Arms at Cropston. As there were three teams, it became very complicated as each team won one round. Our first game let us down badly, which we put down to lack of practice. Then we decided to get serious and actually won the following one. It was then time to have our supper, a very enjoyable meal with a FREE glass of wine, not a good idea for a few of us!! On to the last round which we drew but we couldn’t make up for the terrible first game. In the end we decided to add the totals together with Anstey coming out on top. The moral of this story is do not drink whilst playing skittles. We also laughed and enjoyed ourselves a lot but decided to take the game more seriously next time, which, I think, will be rather difficult for us. Next month’s meeting is at the Village Hall at 7.30pm on Thursday 18th January. So come along and listen to Allah Mughal from Boots No. 7 who will talk on the products and give a demonstration. It sounds a great idea to start 2018 with tips on how to improve ourselves, in my case it will be hard work! The ladies of Groby WI wish all the readers of Spotlight Magazine a very Happy Christmas and their very best wishes for the New Year and 2018.

Margaret

Weekly in term time for children for 6’s to 14’s on Mon evenings, at 6.00pm or 7.45pm. We meet at the United Reformed Church on Chapel Hill. Along with our work in schools, these are run by the two churches in Groby under the group name EXTEND.

For further information please see websites and church magazines St. Philip and St. James Rector – Rev Ed Bampton 01162396520 www.grobychurch.org.uk United Reformed Church Phil Holmes (Church Secretary) 0116 225 3335 www.grobyurc.com Extend Children and Families Worker John Fryer 07540 957926 & Youth Worker Amelia Collins-Patel 07879 437110

If me sleeping in the nude really bothers you so much why don’t you just take a different bus ma’am.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

News from Elizabeth Woodville Primary School ‘A Child’s War’

Elizabeth Woodville Choir stars with Collabro

Year 5 and 6 commemorated the month of remembrance by learning about the events of World War Two in our learning theme, ‘A Child’s War’. At the start of the week, the children of years 5 and 6 were shocked when they received this letter at the start of their English lesson: Many children were genuinely surprised and saddened at the discovery that, on the eve of the declaration of World War Two, many children were facing an uncertain future and that over the next few days, millions would be evacuated. Pupils worked together to discuss how the evacuees may have felt and what they may have said to their parents to persuade them not to send them away: The pupils then planned and wrote letters and posted them to their parents to explain how they felt and to persuade them to change their minds. The letters produced were both heartfelt and emotive.

Stories from World War 2 To further enrich our understanding and learning of what life was like for people during World War Two, we were lucky enough to welcome Mr Pritchard (Yasmin’s Grandad) into our school. Mr Pritchard came armed with a wealth of artefacts and real-life stories connected with the war. The children were able to handle these artefacts and listened attentively to the stories. We learnt about ‘Joe’ and ‘Owen’ (Mr Pritchard’s uncles) who fought for our country. Joe was posted to France and Owen To Burma. Owen returned.... Joe didn’t. The children were absolutely amazed that soldiers were sent as far as Burma during the war. Some children likened this to being evacuated as the soldiers were so young. All pupils were totally captivated and said that ‘history had been brought to life!’

VE Day Party To conclude our remembrance learning theme, an amazing VE Day party was held for visiting parents and grandparents. Children baked cakes using authentic World War Two recipes and enjoyed sharing their work which included Anderson Shelters, ration books and evacuee letters and diaries. Our children catered for over 100 visitors and even entertained them with a performance of wartime songs. Thank you to everyone who attended this very special ‘super learning’ event.

Local Democracy Day Well done to Joe and Evie who represented Elizabeth Woodville’s School Council at the Local Democracy Event held by Hinckley and Bosworth. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the role of a councillor and be involved in discussions in the council chambers! It was also a wonderful experience meeting Deputy Mayor, Jan Kirby and asking her advice. They look forward to sharing their new ideas with the whole school through our class council sessions in every year group.

Talk the Talk Congratulations to our amazing Year 5 pupils who wowed the audience at the recent ‘Talk the Talk’ event for local schools held at Groby Community College. Piper discussed her father’s war medals, Amelia shared her expert knowledge of dancing and James demonstrated his mastery of all things scientific! They all performed their talks with such confidence, we are very proud of you all!

Festival of Light Year 3 and 4 performed in a special concert with Soar Valley Music Centre, celebrating world religions and festivals of light. They beautifully performed a wide range of songs at Claremont Methodist Church Hall in Leicester delighting the watching audience of parents and family members. This concert is an important part of our religious education curriculum, with children learning and performing songs from a range of faiths to gain a further understanding of religious values and beliefs. The evening celebrated the festivals of Diwali, Hanukah, Eid and Christmas. The songs included: • Ravan Aye – Diwali, Hinduism • Dreidel Song – Hanukah, Judaism • Whisper of Peace – Eid, Islam • Madina Tun Nabi – Eid, Islam • Kis Nay Banaayaa – Eid, Islam • Love Shone Down – Christmas, Christianity • This Little Light of Mine – Christmas, Christianity

It was a tremendous experience for our Year 5 and 6 choir to star with current reigning Britain’s Got Talent winners, Collabro at the De Montfort Hall on Monday 27th November. Our extraordinary choir sang live in front of thousands of people, accompanying Collabro on two songs from the world of film and musical theatre. Our choir produced outstanding performances of ‘Bui Doi’ from Miss Saigon and ‘Circle of Life’ / ‘He Lives in Me’ from the Lion King, receiving standing ovations from the Leicester audience. We are so proud of you all! Michael Auger, Richard Hadfield, Jamie Lambert, Matt Pagan and Thomas Redgrave only formed Collabro in 2014 and instantly became a runaway success, following their Britain’s Got Talent win last summer. A gold certified album shortly followed as well as performances to sell-out crowds across the world. It was an incredible experience for our pupils to be part of such an amazing show and perform with these highly talented artists. There is no doubt that this experience has inspired our pupils to follow their musical dreams, look out for them to become future stars in the making! Thank you to Lesia Smaditch from Musical Village and Collabro for this amazing experience that we will never forget.

An excellent New Year’s Resolution for everybody

HERE IS something very easy, and very good, for you to do this year: simply eat more slowly.

It could save your life. Recent research in Japan has found that diners who gobble their food quickly are five times more likely to develop metabolic syndrome, the name for a cluster of dangerous health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Those of us who eat quickly are also more than three times more likely to gain weight. Scientists believe that eating quickly prevents the brain from noticing when the body has taken in too many calories. Unused calories are then stored as fat, which places pressure on the heart. Eating fast also appears to cause spikes of blood sugar, which can stop insulin from working effectively. Metabolic syndrome affects one in four adults in Britain.

The best thing about owning a Smart Car is if you get too drunk at the bar you can just carry it home.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Borough Councillors’ Monthly Report Parish Poll – Klondyke Steering Group

diagnosis can significantly help.” For more information, contact Chirag Ruda on 01455 255913 or email chirag.ruda@hinckleybosworth.gov.uk

I PREVIOUSLY reported to you that a steering group has been set up to progress the wishes of Groby residents by a clear vote in the Parish Poll by forming a steering group with me (Cllr Cartwright) as Chairman. Representatives are also from your MP Edward Argar, Ozzy O’shea (County Councillor for Groby) Groby Parish Council, Groby Juniors football club and residents representing the community view. The resolve of the last meeting was for Borough Council officers to seek advice from a barrister as to the viability of the different proposals for a CPO. This advice has been sought and it is now for the Borough Council Officers to present that advice and recommendations back to the steering group. Due to people’s availability and the potential for Groby Parish council to seek its own view the meeting will be held on 26th January 2018. Whilst this meeting is not a public meeting a detailed report of its business will be included ion the February 2018 edition of the spotlight.

Klondyke Planning Application SEPARATE to the CPO and any other Klondyke issues there is a planning application to build a bungalow on the CLEUD appeal site: 17/01002/ FUL | Application for the replacement of an existing dwelling with a new dwelling | Allotment Gardens Newtown Linford Lane Groby Leicestershire If you wish to comment on this application further details are on both the Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council web site and Groby Parish councils Web Site. Further information is also contained in Norman Griffith’s article elsewhere in this edition of the Spotlight.

Historic tapestry presented to council A TAPESTRY that hung in the main entrance of Hinckley’s former courthouse until the building’s closure last year has now been passed into the safekeeping of the Borough Council.

Active App - Taking the first steps to a healthier lifestyle Martin Cartwright Call: 0116 287 4500 Mobile: 078 50 70 70 50 E-mail: hbbc@appliancehome.co.uk Write: Maverick House, 10 Pine Tree Avenue Groby, LE6 0EQ

Ted Hollick Call: 0116 287 5955 Mobile: 07962 373983 E-mail: ted.hollick@tesco.net Write: 7 Shaw Wood Close, Groby, LE6 0FY

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year An official handover ceremony was held in the council chamber at The Hinckley Hub during full council. The presentation was made by Mrs Jean Anderson, the Deputy Chair of Leicestershire and Rutland Magistrates, and it was received on behalf of the council by the Mayor, Councillor Ozzy O’Shea. Mrs Anderson described the tapestry as a “unique piece of history” and stressed how important it was that it should continue to stay on public display in the borough. Councillor Maureen Cook, the council’s Executive Member responsible for Culture, Sport and Leisure, added: “I am delighted to have contributed to the transfer of this iconic artwork into the custody of the council. Once again the council has proved its commitment to our community as does the tapestry, which symbolizes our historical justice system.” It was initially commissioned for the opening of the Upper Bond Street courthouse in 2000, with every serving magistrate and staff member at that time contributing to the stitching. The tapestry includes various historical references in its design, including: Market Bosworth Petty Sessional Division, the arms of the Magistrates Association, the red dragon standard of King Henry VII, the white boar standard of King Richard III, the Hansom Cab (which was designed and built in Hinckley by Joseph Hansom) and a mining wheel (in recognition of the area’s industrial heritage). The tapestry is now hanging on the wall of the council chamber.

Take a simple test to see if you are at risk of diabetes RESIDENTS are being encouraged to grab a tape measure and scales to find out if they are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Some 11.9 million people in the UK are thought to be at increased risk of the disease Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council has teamed up with Silver Star, a charity that campaigns for diabetes awareness and Diabetes UK to get as many people as possible to find out if they are at risk. Anyone can simply find out their risk online at www.diabetes.org.uk/ risk Alternatively, all pharmacists within Hinckley and Bosworth can offer a free, quick and easy diabetes check. The fully trained professional may ask a few questions relating to health and lifestyle, as well as measuring waist size, weight and height and then offer advice on reducing the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. It is believed that as many as 80 per cent of diabetes cases can be prevented and, with good management of the disease, those that do have it can lead normal lives. Chirag Ruda, the Borough Council’s Health Improvement Officer explained: “Anyone can get it and the consequences can be serious, so it’s important to find out if you’re at risk because then you can do something to prevent or delay the symptoms.” Early

A NATIONWIDE campaign encouraging adults to get more active by building just 10 minutes of brisk walking into their daily lives is being backed by Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council. The One You campaign is encouraging adults to start improving their health by walking briskly for 10 minutes each day and to help; people are being encouraged to download the ‘Active 10’ app. This free app shows how much brisk walking they’re doing, when they can increase their pace and how they can fit more brisk walking into their day. It also sets goals and provides hints and tips to keep people going, and has been endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). Over 50,000 people have already downloaded the app, which can be found by searching ‘Active 10’ online. Chirag Ruda, the Borough Council’s Health Improvement Officer, said: “I would encourage people to take the first steps towards a healthier lifestyle by downloading this app. Over time, brisk walking can help to lower the risk of serious illnesses like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.” For more information contact Chirag on 01455 255913, email chirag.ruda@hinckley-bosworth. gov.uk or visit www.hinckleybosworth.gov.uk/info/200102/ walking

We Are Here To Help You SHOULD YOU have any comments or problems you would like us to mention in our articles please get in touch. Ted and I would like to thank all those people in Groby whom devote a massive amount of volunteering time and resources without which the community would be far poorer. Thank you. Thank you to Mike Wilkinson, editor of the Spotlight, for giving Ted and I the opportunity to keep you updated in our monthly column.

Martin Cartwright & Ted Hollick

Nobody works harder than a drunk person trying to carefully whisper a secret.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Digby’s Hedgehog Rescue I AM CURRENTLY a year 10 student at Groby College, as part of my DofE I am supporting and working with a local Charity raising awareness about supporting, encouraging and rescuing hedgehogs. Digby’s hedgehog rescue was set up by a local veterinary nurse who took on sick hedgehogs brought in to the practice where she works.

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There are 14 different species around the world. An adult hedgehog has up to 5,000 to 6,500 spines. Hedgehog numbers are falling due to their habitat being destroyed and climate change. Hedgehogs have weak eyesight but powerful sense of hearing and smell.

KNOWN AS the “greatest medical holocaust in history”, the worldwide flu pandemic that followed the First World War started 100 years ago, and lasted from January 1918 to December 1920. •

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Avoid using pesticides and slug pellets in your garden. Make sure there are gaps in your fence allowing them to pass through-approx 13cm x 13cm. Provide food such as hedgehog food, meaty cat/ dog food or cat biscuits with a shallow dish of water. Never milk. Make or buy a hedgehog house and keep a corner of your garden wild to offer protection and natural food.

Check areas before mowing or strimming -and don’t forget to check bonfires before lighting.

What to do if you find a hedgehog out in the day or injured •

How can you help? •

Tim Lenton looks back on the greatest killer of the early 20th century.

The 1918 ‘Flu pandemic

Did you Know…? •

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Take note of the general condition and behaviour -is it eating or drinking? Place the hedgehog into a deep box with a blanket and provide warmth. Contact a wildlife organization informing them of your information to find out what to do next.

Feeding Hedgehogs • • • •

Make sure other animals such as cats can’t get at the food. Foods suitable are; Minced meat Chicken

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Tinned dog or cat food-not fish based Cat biscuits Chopped boiled egg Sunflower hearts Specially designed hedgehog food Sultanas Chopped unsalted peanuts Always have a shallow dish of water available.

Donations Want to donate something? Here is our wish list… • Newspapers • Small shallow pet bowls • Meal worms and tinned dog loaf food

Digby’s Hedgehog Rescue 07847798515 By Freya Talbot

Residents give views on making communities great LOCAL PEOPLE and groups have shared their views on a refreshed approach to working with communities. In the plan – known as the Communities Strategy, and published this month – Leicestershire County Council has set out its continued commitment to work together with communities to make a difference to people’s lives. The Council ran events and workshops and asked for feedback about the plan via social media. People discussed what it is that makes a good community, how they could get involved, and how the Council could work with them. Residents felt that ‘community spirit’ and a sense of neighbourliness was key, and that they needed to easily access information, guidance and advice from public and voluntary sector organisations. The final event - the Communities Summit - was attended by more than 60 volunteers, voluntary sector employees and community groups from around the county who met to look at ways they could work together to make a difference. Since the first Communities Strategy was adopted in 2014, significant progress has been made. Thirty local libraries are now being run by community groups and volunteers, and 300 projects have been funded through the County Council’s Shire Grants scheme. The refreshed strategy provides direction for the next five years, with the ambition being that communities can thrive, take pride in their local area and are able to help themselves. Councillor Pam Posnett, cabinet member for communities, said: “We’ve explored the ideas set out in our draft Communities Strategy over the last few months. People want to be in the driving seat and make a difference locally. Where there is enthusiasm and community spirit, people often just need to tap into the right skills, knowledge or resources to make things happen. Everyone in Leicestershire has a stake in making this work.”

Sometimes known as Spanish flu because it received greater publicity at first in that country, its origins were unclear. At one time, it was thought to have originated in Kansas among poultry and pigs, but later a more virulent strain appeared simultaneously in France, Sierra Leone and Boston, Massachusetts. Up to 20% of those infected died, as opposed to the usual flu epidemic mortality rate of 0.1%. Unusually, it killed mostly young adults and was widespread in summer and autumn. “Virus” was a novel concept in 1918, and most of the world’s doctors assumed they were dealing with a bacterial disease. They had no vaccine, antiviral drugs or even antibiotics, which might have defeated the secondary bacterial infections that killed most victims. The disease claimed between 50 and 100 million lives, or between 2.5% and 5% of the global population. (World War I killed about 18 million people, World War II about 60 million.) It disappeared as suddenly as it arrived, possibly mutating into a less dangerous form of the virus.

Student Reaches Science And Engineering Final A STUDENT from John Cleveland College in Hinckley has been selected to compete at the UK finals of a science and engineering competition after their exciting project caught the eye of judges. The student, Leona Irwin, from the school will now take their place in next year’s The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition.

If I could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead, no question, I would want to be alive.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Live & Local

What’s On at Local Pubs & Clubs

Groby Ex-Servicemen’s Club Leicester Road, Groby Tel: 0116 287 1809

Friday 15th December: - HEIDI DEACON - Excellent Female Vocalist (Bingo & Entertainment Carling Suite) See Below Footer for Concert Room Event Saturday 16th December Afternoon CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY (Members Children & Grandchildren, See Notice Board In Club) Saturday 16th December: CRACKERJACK - Comical 3 Piece For A Night Of Laughs Friday 22nd December: EMMA JAY Saturday 23rd December: RANDELL Sunday 24th (Christmas Eve): KELLY BRAZIL Friday 29th December: CLAUDE Saturday 30th December: SAMMY WATERS Sunday 31st December (New Years Eve): THE RIVER REA BAND Tickets are now on sale. Members: £5.00, non-members are £10.00. Ticket are on sale from committee members on Friday & Saturday nights 8pm-close, Sunday lunch 12:30pm-3pm & Sunday night 9pm10pm. Please do not hesitate to ask any committee member at any time and they will be happy to assist you. ANNUAL PANTOMIME: Saturday 13th January 2pm-5pm. Please ring the club for ticket information. Suitable for everybody. This time it is Little Red Riding Hood.

The Club Bagworth, Station Road, Bagworth LE67 1BZ 01530 230205. Every Monday From 8 pm, Dominoes With Supper £1.50. Every Tuesday From 8 pm Target Shooting With Rifle And Pellets Plus Tuition If Required £2-00. Wednesday Afternoon From 2-4 pm Tea Dance £1-00 With Tea/Biscuits. Wednesday Evenings: Bingo From 8 pm. With Members Jackpot Also Raffle. Thursdays Line Dancing With Jeff From 8 pm Last Friday Of Each Month - Andy’s Quiz Night. Every Saturday Bingo In Lounge With Free Supper For All Players From 8 pm. Every Sunday Dancing To Organist From 8 pm. £2-00 Entry On Door With Raffle/Eight Houses Bingo(Optional) All Enquiries To 01530 230205. Also Room Hire Available.

The Club Thornton, Main Street, Thornton LE67 1AH 01530 230251 Sky & BT Sports. Free concert room hire. New Garden. Bingo on Tuesdays Sat 16th Dec: THE SWINGFIRES rock n roll, swing, jive, & blues band Sat 23rd Dec: PUNK & DISORDERLY - punk rock band Boxing Day Afternoon: THE DIRTY WATER BAND

Tell Us About Your Live & Local Event and We’ll Include A Mention Here FREE! Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

LFE Film Evenings LFE Film Evenings on Thursday 4 January 2018 will feature “Another Mother’s Son” Category: Drama. UK 2017, (12A), 1hr 45min. Based on the true story of Louisa Gould, the drama is set during World War II on the Nazi-occupied island of Jersey. Lou took in an escaped Russian POW and hid him over the war’s course. The tension mounts as it becomes clear that Churchill will not risk an assault to recapture the British soil, and the island-community spirit begins to fray under pressures of hunger, occupation and divided loyalty. Against this backdrop, Lou fights to preserve her family’s sense of humanity and to protect the Russian boy as if he was her own.. Cast: Susan Hampshire, Jenny Seagrove, John Hannah, Julian Kostov, Ronan Keeting Venue: the Parish Hall, Kings Drive, LFE. Cost: £5. On arrival complimentary hot drink and biscuits are provided. You also get a free raffle ticket for a double ticket prize to be used for a future showing. Doors open at 7.00pm; showing starts at 7.30pm.

Latest News from Christmas Fayre or ‘The Great Santa Saga’

EVERYTHING WAS set for Martinshaw’s annual Christmas Fayre, the venue was decorated, the grotto had been cooled to North Pole temperatures. All was well, or so we thought. Santa would not be attending, his 1970’s British Leyland sleigh had broken down again. His engineer Elves were working flat out to ensure that everything was in order for Christmas Eve and although we would be disappointed he hoped that we would agree that Christmas Eve was the priority. He, however, promised that each child would be visited over Christmas. Then ‘STOP PRESS’ a telegram from Head of Logistics Jeff Jingle; his brother and chief engineer Jerry along with a team of dedicated Engineer Elves had managed to find some spares and mended the ageing sleigh. The MSA immediately sent hot chocolate and candy canes to the North Pole to sustain the elves along with a sack full of leafy greens and mushrooms for Rudolph and his mates. (Dieting starts in the new year at the North Pole) Santa duly arrived at Martinshaw on Friday afternoon to sighs of relief from adults and excited shouts of joy from the children. All in all another successful Christmas Fayre. MSA chair Tracy Shearer would like to thank all the helpers and staff but especially Jerry and Jeff Jingle and the Elves for managing to get Santa here, after all. Talk the Talk : Public Speaking Event at Groby College In the lead up to this event pupils from year 6 prepared a short presentation on whatever subject they chose and eventually three students were chosen to represent their class and school at this annual event at Groby College. William (Technology), Zoe (Music) and Frankie (Astronomy) along with students from nine other local schools made their public speaking debuts in front of their peers, parents and carers as if they had spoken publicly all their lives, with very few nerves on show. A tremendous credit to the school. Each speaker was presented with a certificate as a memento of the day, which I am sure will be displayed, with pride.

Democracy Event HBBC

SPENCER AND CHARLOTTE from Year 6 were chosen to represent the school at a Democracy Event at the Hinkley and Bosworth Borough Council Hub. They, along with representatives from nine other local Primary Schools, arrived at the Hub at 9.45 am to be given an overview of the day. In the Mayors’ chambers they were introduced to Deputy Mayor Jan Kirby and Miriam Surtees ‘Young people and families champion’. Then into the Council Meeting room where, after taking their seats, they each introduced themselves to the other representatives and then worked with them to sort out who was responsible for the various services which we all take for granted. e.g., the Parish Council looks after war memorials and allotments, etc. The second task, again working together, was to draw around a body and write down who they thought would make a good councillor. After lunch they were introduced to Bill Cullen, Chief Executive of HBBC, followed by an opportunity to question the councillors about their various

I can’t find the pair of camouflage pants I bought yesterday. They are better than I thought.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Martinshaw School

Nemaura Pharma develops and trials new pain relief treatment NEMAURA Pharma, based on Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park, has developed an efficient and cost-effective pain-relief system for sufferers of acute arthriticrelated pain.

responsibilities. Some students offered themselves as candidates for Mayor. They made a speech about their candidature, everyone listened politely and then chose and voted for their particular favourite. An excellent insight to the workings of a council election. The day ended with thank you’s all round and a quick round up of the day’s achievements and then home.

Year 2 Visit to Firestation

THE FIREFIGHTERS of Western Fire Station took the budding Fire Brigade Cadets under their wing for the day, firstly teaching them the drill for contacting the emergency services by phone. They also explained their duties and some of the more unusual aspects of their work, such as rescuing cows from canals and dogs from drains. They showed them their equipment and uniforms. Then outside they were allowed to use the hoses, practising by aiming the water at cones and knocking them over. They were so good, they wanted to sign them all on immediately, but unfortunately they needed to complete at least another 11 years of schooling first. Finally, just a little bit soggy and with arms full of goodies it was time to get back to school.

The company has developed two new gels which, in laboratory, trials achieve up to threetimes faster drug penetration rate and faster onset of action. They also provide up to 48 hours sustained impact from a single application when administered through the skin using Nemaura’s proprietary delivery system Memspatch®. The versatile proprietary gel formulations and delivery technologies can be used with a large number of established medications to provide either a rapid or controlled slow delivery of drug formulations. Nemaura’s focus on developing a more efficient and cost-effective pain-relieving system has the potential to significantly contribute to the fast-growing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) global market valued, in 2015, at almost £9 billion per year. Commenting on the study results, Nemaura CEO Dr Faz Chowdhury said: “Our goal is to improve the life experience of anyone affected by pain. “We are excited by our progress, as these results bring a new product closer to market. In the past six months we have grown our team of device technologists, chemists, and scientists to 35, and plan for further expansion in 2018 on the back of these promising results.” In 2016, Nemaura received the Frost & Sullivan Global recognition of its advanced capability in skin drug delivery. With patents secured or pending in multiple countries across numerous patent families, Nemaura aims to be one of the leading pharmaceutical technologists in this fast-growing market, which is expected to be worth £33 billion by 2018.

Owen Lawrence

Glenfield Millennium Green Trust POSTAGE STAMPS The Trust is still collecting used postage stamps so as you receive your Christmas cards please remember to cut off the stamps leaving a border around each stamp. They can be delivered to 2 Glen Park Avenue, 11 Glendale Avenue, 60 Overdale Avenue or use the box on the Green. If you would like us to collect them please phone 0116 2991868. CAROLS ON THE GREEN Saturday December 23rd at 4.00pm At the entrance to the Green This year the singing of carols will be helped by members of the Ratby Co-operative Youth Band. Thanks to David Fawkes for arranging this. Join us if you can and celebrate the beginning of the Christmas weekend. The start time is now earlier so that this is not too late for younger members of the family. Carol sheets are provided but a torch or lantern would be useful. It can be cold so wrap up warmly and afterwards you will be rewarded with warm fruit punch and mince pies. There will be a collection for the Ratby band funds during the event. THANK YOU Thanks to everyone who has supported our events during the year. Thanks especially to the members of the Gardening Group who meet on Saturday mornings to keep the Green in good order. It only remains for the Trustees to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year.

Could you please not ask me how I am. Because then I have to ask you how you are, and then it’s like this whole thing.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

10/12/2017

Word Search Puzzl

HAPPY WORDS Wordsearch Forgot username or password?

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IF YOU can find 12 WORDS FOR BEING IN A GOOD MOOD in this issue’s Wordsearch puzzle, you could win yourself a meal and a drink. This month we are offering a tasty Solutions for Districts Free prize of: A Main Course for Two, plus A Bottle of House Wine at The FieldHead Hotel. To go into the draw, all you have to do is find - and mark a line through - 12Resources words you might use to

What We Offer

G S V P H O G V H B H C Z I X O K

J Z B E U Q L R G P U A I K U N H

T W B R H H E V X W X O N M I S V

X T J I Q P E U T H P E Y P K P N

F E X D P T F B Y A B X D A U B V

U M L I B F U H N V E E W P N X J

X U H Y Q O L D U J L B X T P T J

K C M D V X R B C K O K P W X J Q

V T P E C S T Z C I Y F T U R A N

Who We Are

Teachers

Y U T D Z L I F N R E T C H B H

U J H E J T R Q Y C O X Y H K N

I D G T N W B T S W K H L Q U L

A D I A N T N T K B B W P K H H

C J L L B T A C J D Q B U U Z S

E O E E I T T N A L I B U J E U

T F D P I O H F F O R Y L L O J

T K K C I Y W R U I Z U L R U T

Here are the 12 HAPPY WORDS you have to find:

BUOYANT • CHIPPER • DELIGHTED • ECSTATIC ELATED • EUPHORIC • GLEEFUL • JOLLY JUBILANT • RADIANT • TICKLED PINK • UPBEAT

Name: ................................................................................................. Address: ................................................................................................ .................................................................Postcode: .............................

Last Month’s Wordsearch Winner The first correct entry drawn out was from:

CHRISTINE JARMAN of Markfield Road, Groby Congratulations! We’ll post your voucher to you within the next 28 days.

Well worth a read ... BUOYANT CHIPPER DELIGHTED ECSTATIC ELATED EUPHORIC by Anthony McGowan GLEEFUL JOLLY From the blurb: JUBILANT Anthony McGowan is a man RADIANT atTICKLEDPINK odds with the universe. Stumbling UPBEAT from one improbable

The Art of Failing: Notes from the Underdog

fiasco to the next, he patrols the mean streets of West Hampstead like some unholy cross between Columbo, J.Alfred Prufrock and a common tramp, pondering the very stuff of life itself. For McGowan, that’s holed socks, unsatisfactory packed lunches, broken washing machines, Kierkegaard, the eccentricities of the British Library, liver salts, Morrissey and disapproving ladies on trains ... Relentlessly honest, exquisitely funny, The Art of Failing is a hymn of praise to the glory and desperation of everyday existence.

Parents

describe being in a happy mood.These can run vertically, horizontally or diagonally (and backwards!). Send your entry to: HAPPINESS, Groby & Field Head Spotlight, PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT to arrive by Saturday 6th January 2018. Remember to include your name and address. The first all-correct entry drawn out of the hat O P I R J N O E will win the prize. Good luck!

Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com

It’s good to share!

If you enjoyed reading this issue, please pass it on to a friend or relative when you’ve finished with it. Thanks! Whenever I’m feeling fat, I try not to stress about it and just keep my chins up.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-DEC 2017 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Jottings News in Brief with Norman Griffiths

Dahlias in December DECEMBER may have heralded the start of winter in meteorological terms, but the largely frost free autumn has meant that some gardens have continued to display summer colour. Some begonias, hollyhocks, dahlias and other summer flowering varieties managed to hang on until the cold winter weather arrived in early December, as this photo shows.

Kind donation of trees LAST MONTH the Spotlight reported on the damage to trees at Stamford Memorial Park. This month comes the good news that the report and photograph came to the attention of James Coles and Sons (Nurseries) Ltd, the UK’s largest grower of trees and shrubs for the amenity and commercial markets. The Uppingham Road based company has a team of over 100 staff and operates across seven production sites totalling more than 500 acres. This gives them the capacity to grow more than 1.2 million trees and 2.4 million shrubs. Some of those will be heading towards Groby as the company has offered to donate trees to make good the vandalism. It’s another good reason for sending your news items in to the Spotlight – you never know who will read them!

Street Fair will be back in 2018 THERE’S GOOD news about Groby Street Fair. After a year off it will be back in June 2018 for us all to enjoy in the summer sunshine. After consultation with St Philip & St James Church it will be held on a Sunday. More volunteers would be welcome. Can you spend some time to join the team? If you can only give as little as an hour of your time it will help make everything run smoothly or let someone else take a short break. There are lots of roles available and any offers will be appreciated. Please ring 07866 123 151 even if you are not sure how you can help.

Your help needed to produce Groby’s Neighbourhood Plan THE NUMBER of people stepping forward to help with preparing a Neighbourhood Plan is growing but more public participation would be welcomed. If you are interested get in touch with the Parish Clerk or look out for news of how the process will take a step forward after Christmas.

Speeding CONCERN with speeding in the village has not, however, motivated enough volunteers to come forward to help with a Speedwatch campaign. Some residents have indicated they would like to take part but there is a minimum necessary to make a project viable, and it doesn’t look as if this will be reached. Call the parish office if you have concerns and would like to help. If enough last minute volunteers register then it could be up and running by next Spring.

It’s sexy when a girl licks her lips because I think maybe she just had chicken and maybe I can have some.