Groby Spotlight Mid-June 2020 Issue

GROBY PARISH COUNCIL QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER IS ON PAGE 15

URC gets a major roofing makeover

THIRTY NINE years after the official opening of the United Reformed Church on Chapel Hill the building is undergoing some major roofing work.

A local Leicester based contractor is removing and replacing the tiles and underfelt.

It is believed that the site has been associated with religious worship for nearly 200 years. By the 1970’s the predecessor of the current church, which stood where the car park is now sited, was becoming old and dangerous. A net had to be suspended from the ceiling at one point to stop bits of plaster falling on the heads of worshippers.

In order to build the new church some of the adjacent allotment land was purchased. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...>)

Getting Creative During Lockdown

Groby singer Jordan releases his first single Hi - my name is Jordan Bakewell from Groby and I have just recently returned home after working on Carnival Cruise lines as a Singer / Dancer.

I have trained in the Performing Arts industry since I was 15 and I eventually qualified with a degree in Musical Theatre in 2017.

When the lockdown began I decided it was a great time to work on my music and I have written four songs in total that will be released as a EP album in the summer, titled “Get Funky.”

I recently released my first single from this EP called “No Sleep ‘til the Morning” which is available right now to buy and download on all music platforms.

My second single will be released on the 19th June called “Get Funky” which is also the title track of the album.

I was lucky enough to work with a very talented music producer from the Netherlands called Robin Wesley in this process.

I am hoping to bring smiles and laughter back to people in these difficult times with my music and I definitely think my songs represent that.

I would love for everyone to go and check out No Sleep ‘til the Morning and get behind a local lad in the area.

Thank you to anyone that has took the time to read this little article and I hope you all enjoy my music!

You can follow my social media accounts to keep updated on new releases.

Best Wishes, Stay Safe.

Jordan Instagram: @Jordan Bakewell, Twitter: @Jordan Bakewell Facebook: @Jordan Bakewell Music, Spotify / Apple Music: @ Jordan Bakewell

Bradgate Rotary & The Stamford team up

Pizza project raises over £5,000 for charity BRADGATE ROTARY through lockdown is holding its weekly meetings on Zoom, ensuring its commitment of raising funds for local charities and supporting the local community.

They have already teamed up with the Stamford Arms, Groby to set up the Bradgate Rotary Pizza project. Pizzas can be ordered from the Stamford Arms on 0116 2875616 and delivered to your door, available Friday and Saturdays between 4 and 7pm; orders from 2pm daily.

This weekend we will be delivering our 1000th Pizza raising over £5,000 for local charities and the local community. All proceeds from the project goes towards Bradgate Rotary’s charities and projects, including the production of the 2021 Bradgate Park Calendar, this raising another £4000 for Bradgate Park Trust.

The Bradgate Rotary Club is grateful to the Stamford Arms and its volunteers for their support in the project and a £500 grant from Regional Rotary to set up the project. Search for Bradgate Rotary Club @bradgaterotary on Facebook for more information, new members always welcome.

NEXT ISSUE OUT ON 18TH JULY • ADVERT & ARTICLE DEADLINE IS 4TH JULY

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-JUNE 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

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.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight reserves the right to amend, shorten or refuse to publish articles and/ or advertisements submitted for publication.

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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.

NEXT ISSUE OUT ON: 18th July 2020 DEADLINE: 4th July 2020

News from the Groby Sings Gang!

IT’S NOW MORE than 2 months since the suspension of our Monday singing sessions at the Groby Club and don’t we miss the singing together and general camaraderie of those regular get-togethers?

It’s been particularly hard for those Groby Singers who have mobility, medical or social difficulties and whose visits to Groby Sings might have been their only weekly outing. However, in spite of the Coronavirus lockdown measures, Groby Sings carries on (title for a future concert?!). Our management team, trustees and various volunteers have been dedicated to making sure that Groby Sings continues, albeit in a different form, and in spite of many of our other activities being restricted.

Jane and Ruth have been doing a great job of co-ordinating messages to and from choir members via email and Facebook and our conductor, Helen, sends out a weekly newsletter which incorporates not only her own wacky musings and details of her latest attempts to master new skills (gutter cleaning, learning the piano, baking, to name but a few) but also contributions from choir members noting their own recent activities. These range from learning the accordion to canal-clearing! Helen has been compiling her newsletter whilst residing in deepest Derbyshire – no, she’s not cheating by living in her second home, she actually lives there so not much chance of accidentally bumping into anyone in Groby and district at the moment. However, like we singers, she’s very much missing Groby Sings and this is a great way of maintaining contact with everyone.

It’s no secret that singing reduces stress, improves your mood, and generally brings more fun into your day so at this particularly difficult time in all our lives, we at Groby Sings are trying to encourage anyone and everyone to sing. It doesn’t matter if you don’t think you’ve got much of a voice, just try it – no-one outside your household will hear unless you’ve got the windows open!

Gareth Malone and The Great British Home Chorus and various other online choirs have encouraged some of our singers to join in via YouTube for extra practice. Gareth has even used some of the songs in our repertoire (has our fame spread?).

Groby Singers have been encouraged to keep singing at home on Mondays at our usual rehearsal times. We sing along to a ‘Song of the Week’ from our suspended programme Groby Sings On The Road using our rehearsal cd or a version on YouTube. Now, to keep up the momentum, Helen and the team have proposed a special weekend, 27th /28th June, in lieu of our postponed concerts. We always look forward to the performances and especially the rehearsal afternoon beforehand when all 3 choirs afternoon, evening and children – come together for the first time after rehearsing separately for the previous 4 months.

It’s unbelievable to think that over 200 amateur singers and musicians of all ages and abilities come together for the first time, rehearse for only a couple of hours and produce an awe-inspiring sound before performing in concert that evening and again the following day.

We will all really miss the buzz it gives us but the plan is for us to perform in our own homes a ‘concert’ of the 10 favourite songs voted for by Groby Singers from the 200+ songs we’ve performed over the last 7 years. We’re being encouraged to dress up and remember Helen’s costumes such as Maria (Sound of Music), Agnetha from Abba, the ringmaster (Greatest Showman) and who could forget the banana (South Pacific)?! There might even be some singers who live in your road putting out bunting, raising a glass or a cup of tea and, of course, eating cake to celebrate – look out for them and why not join in and have a bit of fun?

The virus hasn’t beaten Groby Sings yet, don’t let it beat you. Stay safe, happy and sing!

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I couldn’t figure out how the seat belt worked. Then it just clicked.

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Some pictures from the Pine Tree Avenue URC ROOF STAY AT HOME VE DAY STREET PARTY! From page 1

The hall at the back of the site was in use from 1976 and the current church was opened in 1981 following the demolition of the old building.

There are no doubt parts of the old church which have been saved as memorabilia in homes throughout the village, including this decorative wall panelling which uses some of the redundant floorboards. Do you have something from the old church to share with readers?

Norman Griffiths

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I’ve finally told my suitcases there will be no holiday this year. Now I’m dealing with the emotional baggage.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-JUNE 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Groby Surgery Patients Group

New doctors take over the NHS contract for Groby Surgery THE NHS Contract for General Medical Services (GMS) at Groby Surgery has been transferred to Dr Chotai and Dr Trayner. Although Dr Gajebasia and Dr Ghag are planning to leave the surgery they are currently continuing to see patients on a locum basis.

The Patients Group wish them the very best in their new ventures and would like to thank them not only for the care they have given to patients whilst they held the GMS contract, but also the hard work they and their team put in to improve the rating of the surgery with the Care Quality Commission.

Good nutrition is an important aspect of fighting off infection SOME YEARS turn out to be so routine that they seem to get lost in the mists of time. Others stand out and are remembered because of a whole variety of experiences, including droughts, floods, storms and high winds, wars, or political events such as elections or brexit.

This year will be remembered as the year of the pandemic, the year in which many had to close the front door behind them, hang up their car keys and stay at home, uncertain about what the future would hold for them and their families. Beyond the front door the front line workers in the NHS and other industries and services were asked to make remarkable sacrifices for the benefit of the community.

For most staying at home to reduce the circulation and spread of the virus was one positive step that they could take. It protected both the individual and the rest of the community. And because catching the virus is most serious for those with underlying conditions and less than optimum health, eating well and exercising also has a part to play in strengthening the immune system.

For many the problem has been the temporary – or in some cases extended – shortages of what we consider to be everyday products, coupled with the problems associated with getting home deliveries despite all the good work of those trying to cope with a sudden change in the way we shop.

The result is that sometimes we have to eke out the fresh fruit and vegetables until the next delivery, and wonder whether we should be throwing food away.

Peter Quigley, Head of Chemical Safety Policy at the Food Standards Agency, receives many questions about when not to eat a product and has given these five tips to help make your food go further, • Eggs are safe to eat for a couple of days after the best before date, as long as they are cooked thoroughly.

• Food in dented cans should be fit to eat, providing the dent on the can is shallow and there are no other signs of damage. Make sure the can has not expanded or leaked.

• Leftover rice can be eaten, but rice should be kept in the fridge for no more than one day. When you reheat rice always check the dish is steaming hot all the way through.

• Potatoes that have started to sprout can be eaten, but the sprouts should be cut off. Any green or rotten bits should be removed before they are used.

• Fruit or vegetables that are a bit overripe, such as wrinkly carrots, brown bananas and slightly mushy strawberries can be eaten normally, providing they are not mouldy. Alternatively, they can be used in cooking, baking or smoothies.

Patients Group Meetings LIKE MOST organisations the group is unable to meet, but in common with others Zoom virtual meetings are being considered as an alternative.

Norman Griffiths

for Groby Surgery Patients Participation Group

‘Safe spaces’ in Boots BOOTS has become one of the first high street stores to create ‘safe spaces’ to help victims of domestic abuse who need help during the coronavirus lockdown.

The pharmacy chain, which is the biggest retailer of its kind in the UK, has opened consultation rooms in its 2,400 high street stores.

People who have been unable to seek help while trapped at home with an abusive partner can access these ‘safe space’ rooms.

There they will find posters providing the phone numbers of the key support services, as well as helplines whom they can call without fear of their abuser eavesdropping on them.

Tidal wave of sales coming “This summer will be an absolute bonanza for shoppers, and they should be selective and patient… discounting will continue throughout the summer.”

So says Clive Black, a retail analyst at Shore Capital.

He explains that billions of pounds of winter stock is coming over to the UK in ships, but the retail warehouses are still full of unsold summer stock... “The magnitude of what has happened has never been seen in modern times.”

No wonder, then, that some analysts predict that shops will offer up to 70 per cent off throughout July, August and September.

A man goes into the hospital with 6 plastic horses up his bum. The doctors described his condition as stable.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

Why did God make mothers?

HERE ARE some of the answers seven-yearolds gave to the following questions…

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mum?

God knew she likes me a lot more than other kids’ mums like me.

What kind of little girl was your mum?

I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

What did your mum need to know about your dad before she married him?

His last name.

Why did your mum marry your dad?

She got too old to do anything else with him.

What’s the difference between mums & dads?

Mum knows how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

What would it take to make your mum perfect?

On the inside she’s already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

THANK YOU TO THE ADVERTISERS! Your support has made publication of this issue possible.

My daughter won first prize in an Unusual Pet contest. She entered a tin of sardines.

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Letter from Uncle Eustace The Revd Dr Gary Bowness continues his tongue-in-cheek letters from ‘Uncle Eustace’… this was written before lockdown.

The Premonition Code: The Science of Precognition, How Sensing the Future Can Change Your Life

by Theresa Cheung and Julia Mossbridge Have you ever had a feeling something was going to happen and it did? Have you had a dream and then seen it play out in your waking life?

Most people dismiss these premonitions as coincidences, but scientific evidence suggests that some of these experiences are far from coincidental. What if we could use information from the future to guide our choices, and to drive positive change in our lives and in the world?

Now you can learn about the science behind precognition, read real life case studies, and cultivate your precognitive abilities to participate in the largest scientific experiment of its kind on precognition.

The new dieter’s

10 commandments 1. If you eat something and no one saw it – it has no calories.

2. When you eat with someone else, the calories don’t count if they ate more.

3. Tasting someone else’s food doesn’t count.

4. If people around us gain weight, we automatically become thinner.

5. If your movie ticket comes with a free tub of popcorn, it doesn’t count as food.

6. Every food you split into smaller pieces will contain less calories.

7. Tasting food while preparing it is essential, and therefore – healthy.

8. Foods with similar colors contain the same amount of calories.

This is why it’s fine to eat pistachio ice cream instead of spinach.

9. Chocolate has a dedicated area in the stomach, which is why you should have it with every meal.

10. Frozen foods, such as ice cream, contain no calories. The reason is that a calorie is a measurement of heat units.

Beware the spell-checker on your special service sheets!

The Rectory St James the Least

My dear Nephew Darren When producing material for your magazine or church services, beware the computer spell-checker.

We once let our own system check a Christmas carol sheet and, on the night, found ourselves obliged to sing “away in a manager”, mangers apparently being unknown to our machine.

If you use special sheets regularly, it seems a law of nature – as with metal coat hangers - that they all intermingle while no one is watching.

Thus, on Easter Day, half the congregation will have been issued with sheets for Harvest, which will only become obvious once the service begins.

The first hymn will be entirely lost while sidesmen scuttle about looking for replacements only to find that there won’t be enough of them anyway and then the second hymn will be lost while others helpfully wander about church donating their sheets to those looking helpless and then trying to find someone to share with.

Never, ever, print on them ‘Do not take home’ as this will only ensure everyone does so. I have sometimes wondered if the instruction ‘Take this sheet home for reference’ would ensure that they stayed neatly arranged in the pews after the service. And if it is a service where babies are likely to be present, be assured that many of the copies will be returned half chewed and coated with bits of whatever the infant had for breakfast. There must be a market for paper treated with a child-repellent flavour for such occasions.

Anyone who thinks we are an unimaginative nation should visit a church after a special service to see how many places members of congregations can invent to hide the booklets: under kneelers, neatly folded and hidden inside hymn books, among flower arrangements and behind heating pipes so that no one can quite reach them. They then lurk there reproachfully for the next ten years until mice solve the problem.

No, stick to large, hard bound books. They are resistant to teeth and are too substantial to be hidden in pockets. Their only drawback is that they tend to fall victim to the pull of gravity at the quietest moments.

Your loving uncle,

Eustace

I went to a postman’s birthday party last week. We played “pass the ‘sorry you weren’t in’ note”.

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LOROS Glenfield Warehouse opens its doors for donations of clothing IT’S THE news everyone who has had a clear out has been waiting for.

LOROS Hospice has opened its warehouse in Glenfield to donations of clothing for the first time since lockdown.

Whilst the charity’s 29 shops remain closed, the warehouse, located at 1 Station Road, Glenfield, is now open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am-3pm.

“Donations are absolutely essential to LOROS to raise the funds which support our patient care, so please do bring your items along,” said Gary

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The queue ...

WHILE waiting in a long queue early one morning for the supermarket to open for us ‘seniors’, I was surprised to see a young man saunter along and try to cut in at the front of the queue. A furious old lady waved her cane at him, and he quickly backed away.

A moment later, the young man tried again. He managed to dodge the old lady, but then two old men started shouting at him. Again, the young man backed away.

But he wasn’t giving up, and soon the young man approached the queue for the third time. By now, all of us pensioners were ready for him, an angry wall of opposition.

The young man stood there for a moment, and then shrugged his shoulders. “If you people won’t let me unlock the door, none of you will ever get in to shop.”

McMillan-Dale, LOROS Retail Manager.

“Please bear in mind that due to the pandemic we are accepting a restricted list of donations, so don’t bring anything else or we’ll have to ask you to take it away again”, adds Gary.

LOROS can currently only accept: • clean clothes • bric-a-brac items • small electrical items • boxed toys and games • computer games and consoles • vinyl records Glenfield Warehouse will have 2 metre markers and a clear one-way system marked. LOROS staff will be wearing gloves and masks, and storing items for 72 hours before sorting, as per government guidelines.

Gary continues, “We are working on a plan to reopen a number of our shops.

Our staff, volunteers and customers come first so we’ll announce more once we feel sure we can keep them safe.

“We’ll be asking people to continue to drop off donations at our warehouse even when our shops re-open - we just won’t have the space to store the bags for 72 hours there.

“I’d like to thank all our customers for their ongoing support.”

If you’re visiting the Glenfield warehouse, please stay two metres apart to protect yourself and don’t visit if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.

Please also do not leave donations outside when the warehouse or shops are closed as they cannot be used and LOROS may be reported for fly tipping.

Coronavirus: For the first time in history, we can help save the human race by lying in front of the TV and doing nothing. Let’s not mess this one up!

My father brought me up single-handedly. It’s not easy being the son of a pirate.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-JUNE 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Competition gives chance for pupils to compose short film soundtrack

Great opportunity for Leicestershire’s musical young people YOUNG PEOPLE from across Leicester and Leicestershire are getting the chance to compose the soundtrack to a new short film about Leicester, Leicestershire and the people who live here.

Leicester-Shire Schools Music Service (LSMS) and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire have teamed up to launch the competition – entitled “Soundtrack to Leicestershire” – which is aimed at encouraging pupils aged 12 to 18 to get creative.

The competition will be judged by acclaimed composer Segun Akinola, an English composer for television and documentaries.

Pupils are being given the simple brief to create a soundtrack for a short film which has been created

by LSMS using both images of the people and places of Leicestershire, and including images sent in as part of Leicestershire County Council’s Community Curators’ “Covid-19 Isolated, but Inspired” project.

The soundtrack can be in any style or genre and can use any sounds or instruments including live

Opportunity to win a session with composer Segun Akinola (pictured) instruments, virtual plug-ins, noise, voice, beats, lyrics, found sounds or whatever else entrants want to use.

The top three entries will win a two-hour online masterclass with Segun Akinola. The top five entries will also win Dorico Pro music software, worth £480.

Winners will also have their soundtrack streamed by LSMS. The competition was originally planned before the coronavirus lockdown, and presents a chance to engage, support and encourage pupils to get creative in a project reflecting experiences of the lockdown, using films and photos

submitted by local people.

Sharon Bray, Head of Service at LSMS, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to demonstrate their musical skills, with great prizes on offer.

“We’re delighted to be working with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on this exciting project and look forward to working together on future projects.”

Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, assistant city mayor for education, said: “Music and creative learning are vital tools for self-expression, and even more so when faced with the current restrictions that the lockdown has placed on all our lives.

“This competition is a fantastic opportunity to engage with young local musical talent and create work that truly reflects these unprecedented times.”

The top five entries will also win Dorico Pro music software, worth £480.

Entrants have to aged between 12 and 18, as of Monday, June 1st 2020, and must live in Leicester or Leicestershire.

No copyrighted material can be used to compose the track.

The deadline for entries is midday on Monday, 29th June 2020.

For more details or to enter the competition visit: www.bit.ly/LSMSRCBComp

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I tried to read a book today on the history of Sellotape, but I couldn’t find the beginning.

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Leicestershire County Council

Summer Reading Challenge THE 2020 Summer Reading Challenge is a celebration of funny books, happiness and laughter. Join the Silly Squad and let’s get silly!

Silly Squad has been announced as the 2020 Summer Reading Challenge theme, offering children and families the chance to read, laugh and be silly together during the difficult times we’re experiencing.

The all-new digital aspect of the Summer Reading Challenge will help to keep children reading over the summer and support parents and carers with children already at home.

This year’s funny theme will see your little ones reading 6 (or more!) books of their choice over the summer and unlocking digital rewards, videos and activites. While completing the challenge, young readers will meet The Silly Squad, a team of animal friends who love to go on adventures and get stuck in to all different kinds of funny books - but keep an eye out for the mystery baddy, who is up to no good....

Taking part Children’s reading can dip during the long summer holidays, and particularly now, with the disruption and impact of social distancing on schools and libraries. This year’s digital Summer Reading Challenge will help children to keep up their reading skills and confidence by reading whatever makes them happy, getting silly and having fun!

Children from 4-12 years are able to join the 2020 Summer Reading Challenge from the earlier date of 5 June until September, by visiting the website at https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk.

Children will collect incentives and receive rewards and a certificate as they read six of their own books, or library e-books from BorrowBox. To celebrate this year’s Summer Reading Challenge we have put together a special collection of brilliant eBooks and eAudiobooks for children that will be available from our Borrowbox throughout June and July, without any queues.

The collection will be available soon, in the meantime, find out more about using Borrowbox with your Leicestershire Libraries membership.

Logging Off

By Nick Spalding ANDY BELLOWS is in a right state. Plagued with insomnia, anxiety and neckache, he’s convinced there’s something seriously wrong with him.

And the worst thing is that his doctor agrees. The diagnosis: Andy is in the grip of a self-destructive addiction to technology—he just cannot put that bloody mobile phone down.

Texting, tweeting, gaming and online dating—technology rules Andy’s life. His phone even monitors his bowel movements. So how will he cope when he’s forced to follow doctor’s orders and step away from all of his beloved screens? When he loses his precious digital window on the world, Andy discovers just how bewildering and scary living an analogue life can be. And when his sixty-day detox hits the headlines—making him a hero to suffering technophiles everywhere—Andy is sorely tempted to pack it all in and escape in the nearest Uber.

Can he get himself out of this mess, and work out how to live a better, technologically balanced life…without consulting Google even once?

One Moment

By Linda Green Finn and Kaz are about to meet for the first time...

Ten-year-old Finn, a quirky, sensitive boy who talks a lot and only eats at cafes with a 5-star hygiene rating, is having a tough time at school and home.

Outspoken Kaz, 59, who has an acerbic sense of humour and a heart of gold, is working at the café when Finn and his mum come in.

They don’t know it yet, but the second time they meet will be a moment which changes both of their lives forever . . .

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I need to practice social-distancing - from my refrigerator.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-JUNE 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Have you bought non-essential items online during the lock-down?

IF THE ANSWER to that question is ‘yes’, and you now feel a little guilty, you can perhaps draw comfort from the fact that you are not alone.

A You Gov survey found that most of us think it’s been fine to buy nonessential goods online during the coronavirus outbreak, despite concerns among key workers that it could unnecessarily spread the virus. Around 25% of those surveyed said that it was very acceptable, with 50% saying it was fairly acceptable. Only 3% said it was not at all acceptable, and 14% not very acceptable. Overall (35%) said they were buying more on the internet than before the lockdown.

The views of this majority of online shoppers are not necessarily shared by those who have the task of delivering the goods to our homes. One national newspaper reported that the official guidance said online retail was still allowed and ‘encouraged’, despite drivers and warehouse workers claiming they were being put at risk. It added that consumers could still order whatever they wanted from the likes of Amazon, Asos and John Lewis.

The World Health Organisation view is that the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low. This doesn’t, however, reflect the concerns relating to social distancing in the warehouses preparing goods for despatch.

One courier, who has been granted key worker status due to her role, told the Daily Mail : “Please stop ordering non-essential tat. While you keep ordering online, workers in warehouses are risking their lives having to keep picking and packing it, and us couriers have to keep putting ourselves at risk collecting from crowded depots to deliver it. My load on Friday [March 27] was 120 just for a small housing estate. There was another 104 waiting for me the next morning - all non-essential.

“We understand we are key workers, and we are happy to do our job and risk our lives and the lives of others to deliver essential key items for people to survive during the lockdown. ‘I’ve delivered Superdrug packages which I’m sure are full of handwash, and educational items from places like The Works - all that is totally fair enough.

“But when people are ordering clothes online, that is madness. 120 parcels in a day is much higher than the average number I was delivering pre-coronavirus. ‘The worst thing is, I have to go back to the same homes three days later to pick up the items when people decide they want to return them anyway. Shoppers are not thinking about the impact they are having.”

Some retailers, such as high street giant Next, has shut its online stores for a time after staff raised concerns. And Amazon banned all third-party sellers and vendors, which sell 60 per cent of all the products on the site, from stocking ‘non-essential’ items until April 5. Apparently the 13 warehouses had become overwhelmed with orders from panic-buyers.

Despite all the problems surrounding delivery slots groceries have been the most common online lockdown purchase among British households (40%), with March being the strongest month on record for food stores. Clothes and beauty products come second at 29% - ahead of medicine and health products (27%).

DIY and art and crafts supplies (24%), books, magazines and comics (21%) and outdoor furniture and gardening products (16%) have also been popular purchases.

Activewear and exercise equipment are popular (11%), with (10%) having furniture or homeware delivered, and 9% buying PC, video and board games.

Norman Griffiths

Fed up with Lockdown?

Travel the world on YouTube!

A RECENT CALLER to the Nick Abbot show on LBC said he was passing the time during Lockdown by watching road and rail trip videos on YouTube. In the previous few days, he’d ‘travelled’ from Namibia to South Africa by car, New York to Montreal by train, across the Falkland Islands, and even journeyed through Greenland.

There are loads of filmed road trips available - some better than others, naturally - but they all give you the experience of travelling in foreign countries without having to leave the comfort and safety of your living room.

The ‘Traveling Robert’collection of road trips includes a series of journeys across the USA, and elsewhere in the world, and are quite interesting.

Amongst the others he came across was ‘The Ultimate East Coast Road Trip’ by car from St Johns in Newfoundland to Key West in the southern tip of Florida. A journey of 3,030 miles. The video of the journey lasts 12 hours and 15 minutes, so make sure you pack your lunch before setting off!

Planning Apps SOME RECENT planning applications local to our area of coverage: Proposed Cattery Building - at Tomlinsons Kennels, Upper Grange Farm, Ratby Lane, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9RJ Single storey front and side extensions, construction of detached garagte and associated works to driveway - at 42 Ratby Lane, Markfield, leics. LE67 9RJ. Certificate of lawful proposed development for single storey extension at front and rear of house, garage conversion - at 133 Leicester Road, Groby, Leicester LE6 0DT. Two storey front side and rear extension, single storey side and rear extensions and detached garage - at Brooklands, Merrylees Road, Thornton, Leics.

LE67 1AP. Change of use of part of site to dog breeding business, detached building for storage of animal feed - at Ormandy, Broad Lane, Stanton Under Bardon, Leics. LE67 9TB. Two storey extension to side of dwelling and pitched roof to existing conservatory - at 8 Preston Close, Stanton Under Bardon, Leics. LE67 9TX. Single storey extension at side and rear of house - at 30 Lime Avenue, Groby, Leicester LE6 0YE.

I went to the opera once, but I didn’t enjoy it. I couldn’t even tell who won.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

GoLearn adult learning continues online HUNDREDS of resources to help support people in lockdown are being made available online by GoLearn, Leicestershire’s adult learning service.

GoLearn classes were suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But now, with dedicated staff working from their homes across Leicestershire, learning is up and running again across a large number of subject areas – this time online.

The resources and activities are available to anyone who might like to use the time under lockdown to learn a new skill or get creative in these uncertain times, as well as to those already enrolled to help them continue their studies.

Resources are available on the GoLearn virtual classroom at www.leicsals.ac.uk/onlinelearning and classes include: Learning for Wellbeing: Ideas and activities for art, craft & leisure projects including cookery, mindfulness, pottery, sewing, drawing and painting and yoga with more to come.

Family Learning: Activities and guidance for parents to support homeschooling as well as fun games and family activities. Includes support on physical development, outdoor learning, Early Years and KS1/2 maths and English, emotional development, healthy eating, IT, online safety, family first aid, understanding the world (STEM) and more.

Digital Skills: GoLearn is now offering the IT Skills (Level 1/Level 2) course for a reduced price of £35 (usual price £160) until 30 June. This accredited course covers all the core digital skills needed for both life and work in the modern world.

Languages: Fun language activities for adults and families including French, Spanish, German, Greek, Portuguese, Italian and British Sign Language (BSL).

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL): Online resources from multiple sources (split by level) to help develop and sustain language skills at home.

Learning for Independence: Resources are specially designed for individuals with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to help develop and maintain skills and learning during lockdown. Anyone wishing to request resources can email lals.llddcurriculum@leics.gov.uk, or call the Central Enrolment Line on 0800 988 0308, and a member of the team will be in contact to discuss the best resources available on an individual basis.

Employment and Career Support: Includes free CV writing and online job applications support course delivered online by expert tutors.

Free and impartial work and employment advice and resources are also available from GoLearn’s Learning and Work Advisors, who provide oneto-one telephone support to help people take their next steps in either learning or work.

GoLearn’s website will be updated regularly with new courses and skills to enjoy learning, so check back regularly to see the latest.

Markfield Writer A Psychic In The Picture: True Life Stories Of A Psychic

By Patricia Bown THIS BOOK tells, in her own words, the true life stories of a Psychic, PATRICIA BOWN. From the ‘Dancing Lights’ she saw in the corner of her bedroom at just eight years old, to Premonitions, Pictures of the Future, A Ghostly Wedding Guest and so much more.

The book recalls a lifetime of extraordinary events.

Prepare To Be Amazed!

In my career as a lumberjack, I cut down exactly 82,546 trees. I know, because I kept a log.

11

12

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-JUNE 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

County Councillor’s Report from Ozzy O’shea Replacement of Sacheverell Way Street Lights

Statement from Ivan Ould, Lead Member: “We want children to go back to school as soon as it is safe to do so. In line with the DFE guidance, schools will make decisions on an individual basis, following a risk assessment, about how and when this will happen and the local authority will provide support and advice where needed.

“We know that a number of schools across Leicestershire are planning to open to wider groups of pupils from 1st June onwards, based on plans informed by risk assessments and when school leaders and governors are satisfied that all necessary steps have been taken to make them as safe as possible for children, families and staff. In line with the DFE guidance, the local authority will not commence attendance enforcement proceedings if parents elect for their children not to return to school during this period.”

Park and Rides Sites Partly Reopen THE COUNTY Council have agreed with the City on reopening the Park & Ride service from 1 June.

This will operate from Enderby and Meynells Gorse as the Birstall site is being used as a testing centre for CV19. The buses and staff from the Birstall site will be redeployed to the other 2 sites to enabled increased frequency of buses to cater for social distancing.

Seven County Council Waste Sites Open I am extremely pleased and proud to announce that I have secured the total replacement of street lighting along Sacheverell Way. This is second successful campaign that we have won, the first was retaining the Street lights on to the Part Night programme after the Council wanted to remove them in 2013. I want to pay thanks to residents for your support and for signing my petition and I would like to pay a special thanks to my late wife Jenny who was a driving force supporting their replacement. Work started on replacing all the street lighting along Sacheverell Way on Tuesday 26th May 2020. Due to social distancing the footpath along Sacheverell Way needs to be closed whilst the work is completed. Both myself and the County Council apologise for any inconvenience caused. This will happen in 3 stages over a 6 week period each section should take 2 weeks. The footpath will be open in the evenings. The street light circuit has been designed to be more effective, all the lights will be located on the footpath side of the road except at the junctions.

Schools Reopening Leicestershire County Councils Response In the week before half term we had around 230 schools open each day. Numbers of pupils attending each day has risen to 3000 and the number of vulnerable children attending school has also increased to around 630 a day.

• 90% of primary schools across Leicestershire have indicated that they will be open for children in reception from 1st June; this rises to 95% from 8th June.

• 72% have indicated they will be opening for year 1 pupils from 1st June, rising to 80% from 8th June.

• 72% have indicated they will be open for year 6 from 1st June, rising to 73% from 8th June.

• primary schools across Leicestershire have indicated that the take up of places at schools looks to be on average around 30% across all age groups.

• secondary schools are being asked to open to increase the face to face delivery of education for year 10’s and year 12’s from 15th June, alongside the continuation of home education for this group.

• School transport is being arranged for reception, year 1 and 6 pupils when parents advise us they are sending their child to school and require transport. Our offer is a mileage allowance or, where this is unworkable, we will arrange traditional transport, although there are challenges with this due to social distancing.

• The lack of clarity around school reopening until the last few days has meant that we are only now in the position of parents requesting transport and it may be that for some families transport is not in place for the first day of a child returning to school. We are working hard to minimise such instances.

THE FOLLOWING selected sites are now open seven days a week to county residents - with a booked appointment only.

They are at Barwell, Lount, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray, Mountsorrel, Oadby and Whetstone.

Seven other sites at Bottesford, Coalville, Loughborough, Lutterworth, Kibworth, Shepshed and Somerby remain closed for the time being.

An online booking system is also available by visiting https://www. leicestershire.gov.uk/waste-bookings You can also ring to book an appointment on 0116 3050001 The council is anticipating there will be a high level of demand for bookings and is reassuring residents that more slots will be made available over the coming weeks. People are being asked to only bring what they cannot safely store at home for the time being, or if they cannot wait for their kerbside collection services, many of which are being reinstated by district councils Social distancing will be in operation at the sites, and plans will also include traffic management arrangements.

There will be parking restrictions in place around the immediate vicinity of the waste sites. There will also be restrictions on the type of items people will be able to bring to county locations - so some waste types will still have to wait.

Please do not visit our sites, unless waste is creating an issue at home that could cause injury or harm – you will need a confirmed booking to be allowed on to the site Residents will be able to register for an account. There will be a restriction on the number of visits to the sites, only one booking will be allowed over a 14-day

Covid-19 Deaths The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data examining weekly counts of deaths from Covid-19 by location has been updated.

The figures below give the most up to date picture for deaths occurring up to May 15th that were registered before May 23rd. They detail all deaths of Leicestershire residents, wherever they died and wherever those deaths were registered.

The data examining death occurrences shows: · There has been a total of 384 deaths in Leicestershire as of the 29th May. This has increased by 32 deaths compared to last week, a reduction in the ‘average’ of 50 a week in the previous month and the peak week of deaths, in mid-April, of 67. · Of these total deaths involving Covid-19 in Leicestershire, 238 (62%) were in hospital and 120 (31%) were in care homes. · The number of care home deaths in Leicestershire dropped to 7 in the last week compared to 22 in the previous week. · There are no statistically significant differences in rates between districts, although the rate in Oadby and Wigston continues to be of interest.

I once employed a really emotional delivery driver. He used to take everything the wrong way.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

13

Tel: 0116 239 4336 Mobile: 07808 585825 Email: ozzy.o’shea@leics.gov.uk Email: ozzyoshea@hotmail.com Covid-19 Cases

district councils have contacted an additional 7,500 people (at 22nd May) of those responding to say that they had existing food networks, and no identified care needs.

• 5,000 people have received a Government food parcel, with over 260 County Council emergency food parcels delivered.

• 45 VOLUNTEERS engaged by Voluntary Action Leicestershire (VAL) are undertaking activities including ‘safe and well checks’.

THE TOTAL number of laboratory confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Leicestershire since the first one on March 6th has risen to 1272.

This represents a slight increase on the previous week’s figures. The rate per 100,000 population in Leicestershire of 182.2 cases remains below the national and East Midlands averages.

‘Test and Trace’ – Local Outbreak Control Plans IN ADDITION to the standing up of the national contact tracing service as of Thursday 28th May, there is a requirement for all upper tier local authorities to develop and implement local outbreak management control plans in June (Update 18).

Leicestershire with Leicester and Rutland are one of 11 ‘beacon’ sites to trial this and develop best practice.

The Directors of Public Health for the County (and Rutland) and the City will be responsible for defining these measures and producing the plan in line with a themed framework. There is a need to engage a range of partners, including the NHS and district councils, operationally and through a governance structure, but the immediate focus is on the preparation of the plan.

Shielding and Protecting Vulnerable People • CURRENTLY 23,734 Leicestershire residents identified as requiring shielding, which was a significant increase since the previous list (9th April - 14,837 people To date, 14,100 people on the Shielded List have registered for support, of whom 4,990 have registered for support in obtaining essential supplies and 1,090 with basic care needs.

• THE COUNTY Council have made over 9,600 calls to people who have registered and

Community Response Team Helping both Groby and Ratby Residents THANK YOU to all the volunteers who have helped our community during lockdown operating out of St Phillips and St James Church Ratby.

If you need help or in need of a care package please call 0116 239 3760 or 07368 213599.

You can email cvresponsegrobyratby@gmail.com

GROBY Month

Care Package

Prescription Requests

Shopping

Phone Befriender

Posting Mail

Hub Donations

18

12

14

6

3

9

March April

22

80

25

4

3

12

May

19

42

9

1

2

9

TOTAL

59

134

48

11

8

30

RATBY Month

Care Package

Prescription Requests

Shopping

Phone Befriender

Posting Mail

Hub Donations

March

15

13

14

8

3

8

April

11

43

30

4

1

2

May

19

22

8

0

0

8

TOTAL

45

78

52

12

4

18

Covid 19 Scam Phone Call Please be aware. This is an example of a phone call where the recipient refused to give her Bank details and put the phone down and did the right thing. These scammers will try anything preying on the vulnerable.

‘Good morning, I’m calling from the NHS track and trace service. According to our system, you are likely to have been in close proximity to someone who has tested postive for COVID-19. This means that you now need to self-isolate for 7 days and take a COVID-19 test.’

‘OK. Can you tell me who that person was?’

‘I’m not able to tell you that. That is confidential information.’

‘Right. Um... so ....’

‘But you do need to be tested within the next 72 hours. So can I just get the best mailing address so that we can send a kit to you?’

‘Ok (gives address)’ ‘Thank you - and I just need to take a payment card so that we can finalise this and send the kit to you.’

‘Sorry - a payment card? I though this was all free?’

‘No - I’m afraid not. There is a one-off fee of £500 for the kit, and test results. Could you read off the long card number for me, please, when you’re ready.’

‘No - that’s not right. This is part of the NHS so there’s no charge.’

‘I’m afraid there is. Can you give me the card number please - this is very important, and there are penalties for not complying.’

Puts phone down.

This is how scammers work. And vulnerable people will fall for it.

Don’t fall for it...!

Finally I would like to thank you all for your continued support and remind you that should you need my help or advice, I always pride myself on making myself available to residents. Remember I am only a phone call or email away.

Ozzy O’shea

Always Working For You

My wife and I decided we don’t want children. If someone wants them, we’ll drop them off tomorrow.

14

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-JUNE 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Depression implant transforms patient’s life A GRANDFATHER FROM GROBY who struggled with severe, treatment-resistant anxiety and depression for 30 years has become the first East Midlands patient to be fitted with a vagus nerve stimulation implant.

And Johnny Spillane says the tiny device – which sends a small electrical stimulus into his brain - is transforming his life.

And he says it is giving him the strength to support the people he loves through the COVID-19 crisis.

(Read his story below) Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust is one of just a handful of NHS Trusts with a vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) service.

The special battery-powered ‘pacemaker’ style device is implanted surgically by a neurosurgeon beneath the left side collarbone and wired up to the vagus nerve at the base of the neck. Fitted as a life-long treatment, the device delivers regular pulses

Dr Girish Kunigiri with Johnny Spillane in a pre-lockdown check. to the nerve, at intervals of around five minutes, transmitting to areas of the brain known to be critical for the treatment of depression.

The treatment is being pioneered

by LPT’s electro-convulsive therapy service, based at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit. The team of

~ Johnny’s story ~ Johnny Spillane, 56, from Groby in Leicestershire, was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in his mid 20s and has been taking medication for more than three decades.

He spent three weeks in intensive care after attempting suicide, had a number of admissions to mental health wards including two nine-month stays, and tried a variety of treatments – including electro-convulsive therapy – without finding an effective treatment for his severe mental health needs.

His illness resulted in having to give up driving, long spells off work, the loss of his job as a manufacturing production manager and led to the break up of his marriage.

He said: “I came out of hospital and had to go through divorce and finding a new home. I had a lot of family support and work colleagues were supportive but I couldn’t go back. Then when I was discharged from the ward I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease – I had thought my tremor was medication induced.

“Dr Kunigiri reviewed my medication and we talked about different options before referring me for a second opinion. We spoke to a neurologist who agreed that VNS was the best option for depression and because it can have a positive impact on Parkinson’s symptoms.

“I had no hesitation about agreeing to VNS and I haven’t regretted it. I am now on the optimum level of stimulation for depression. Physically I feel just a little surge as the impulse starts up, and it changes my voice.

“My life just keeps improving. I used to need carers and couldn’t leave the house but I have been able to travel abroad on holiday for the first time in years, Before the Coronavirus outbreak I was having alterations made to my house and going out socially. I’ve also been participating in Recovery College courses and volunteering with two charities, The Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation and Age UK, promoting wellbeing for people with dementia.

“One of the best things is that I was able to start picking up my little granddaughter Imogen from nursery and feel independent again.

“For five years of my life I didn’t want to wake up in the morning and now my life is fantastic. My depression was so bad before, I didn’t get off the sofa for two years and now I feel really well and I’m able to help others who are struggling with having to stay at home during the pandemic.

“My sister and son both work in the NHS and I miss being able to see them and lmogen, my granddaughter but the lockdown hasn’t had a negative effect on my mental health at all.

“I have been decorating and gardening at home and now I feel I have the strength to support others, like my mother and my neighbours. I go shopping and help with their gardening. I’m going to bed at night looking forward to the next day.­“

doctors and nurses worked together to train and set up the VNS service, which is being supported by health commissioners for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

It comes after the Trust hosted a symposium in 2018, bringing together experts from across Europe to explore its use in the UK and Europe.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Girish Kunigiri, who is also an international speaker on this subject, explained: “Ours is the first NHS Trust in the UK to get sign off from commissioners and we

have developed a partnership with neurosurgery services in Nottingham to implant the device.

“VNS is established as a treatment for intractable epilepsy and growing evidence highlights it as a successful long-term approach to treatmentresistant depression.

“We have developed a robust pathway with neurosurgery specialists in Nottingham and collaborated with them on the region’s first implant in September last year.

“Since then the patient has reported significant improvements in his mood and quality of life after experiencing treatment-resistant depression for more than three decades.”

Once fitted, the implant has a battery life of up to a decade and Johnny’s progress is being monitored and reviewed regularly

by Dr. Kunigiri’s team and together they agree on appropriate changes to the level of stimulation the implant delivers.

“VNS not only results in better outcomes and quality of life for patients but we expect it to reduce mental health hospital admissions and reliance on community mental health services. In the long term it will also mean patients will need to take less medication.”

Hundreds of key workers get help from Leicester Bike Aid NEARLY 400 key workers have been helped by Leicester Bike Aid since it was launched by Leicester City Council a couple of months ago.

Under the scheme – which offers free bike loans for key workers and free repairs to existing bikes - almost 200 people have applied for a bike.

In addition, the scheme has fixed more than 180 bikes for free to help keep essential workers moving during the coronavirus crisis – with some of the first customers being nurses, in uniform, on their way to work at Leicester’s hospitals.

Further recipients have included care workers, teachers, bank and supermarket staff, and food production workers.

The city council’s Wheels2Work scheme and grants for businesses to help more of their employees choose active travel are continuing despite the lockdown. Twelve Wheels2Work bikes – including 10 e-bikes – are currently out on hire, to people studying or working in diverse roles such as nursing, probation, manufacturing and lecturing. The bikes are used to travel anything from five to 13 miles a day.

Leicester Bike Aid is open to city and county residents.

To find out more about Leicester Bike Aid, walking and cycling routes visit the Choose How You Move website.

Donations are welcome – Contact cycle-city@leicester.gov.uk to offer your support.

If I leave my computer idle for 10 minutes, an image of Jesus pops up. It’s my screen saviour.

GROBY PARISH COUNCIL

Tel: 0116 287 6985 • Email: parishclerk@groby.com • Website: www.groby.com

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER: JUNE 2020

Chairman’s report AS I AM writing this as we are at a turning point in the Covid-19 Pandemic.

My first thoughts are that your families, neighbours and friends are well with sincere regards if this is not the case.

As Chairman, I would like to say thank you to everyone that has supported their local community.

These times have not been easy and whilst we hear many negatives I believe we should all celebrate as a community that we have followed the requirements as set down by the government and supported those in need when asked. There is however no doubt that as a community this support will be required for many months to come.

I would personally like to thank the Groby and Ratby Coronavirus Community Response Team and their volunteers in their speedy setup and service to those self-isolating, at risk, single parents or the self-employed. The collection and home delivery of prescriptions from local chemists has been greatly appreciated by many residents locally.

If you require any assistance please call the Response Team on 0116 239 3768.

We are also aware that many residents of the Parish donated food, drinks, and other essential supplies to the Response Hub in Ratby and again thank you for your support.

I would like to congratulate those businesses, employees and volunteers that have supported the community in remaining open and essentially allowing us all not to travel to far from home. We have been very lucky in having these businesses in our village and hopefully we can encourage more businesses into the area, as we have proven that the ‘shop locally’ concept is sustainable in our Parish.

PARISH COUNCILLORS Brian RIGBY (Chairman) brianrigbygpc@icloud.com Rick GUNN (Vice Chairman) rick.gunn@icloud.com 0116 232 2680 Geoff BAKER ggbaker1@hotmail.com Sylvia BECK 0116 287 6716 Jim COLEY jim.coley@btinternet.com 07860 523567 Elizabeth EMMERSON e.emmerson1@sky.com 0116 231 2111 James EVERSON-CRANE crane.james20@gmail.com Ted HOLLICK ted.hollick@outlook.com 0116 287 5955 Natasha JONES natjones222@outlook.com 07910 980810 Sandra JONES

The re-installation of the street lighting on Sacheverell Way is good news.

Carol LINCOLN carol@cornerway.co.uk 07910 980810

After speaking to your County Councillor Ozzy O’Shea and personally thanking him for his hard work and diplomacy in over turning what was a poor decision in the first place. This clearly shows that protest, discussion and debate is the best way of finding the right solution.

Helen LINDSAY henrysal6@virginmedia.com 0116 231 4487

Well done Cllr Ozzy O’Shea!

Over the last twelve weeks we have all seen some amazing residents and neighbours reach out to their community; too many to mention.

We are aware that these people have a sense of pride and passion with many wishing to continue in some way in the future. We will not lose sight of these people and we have many local groups in the village that would benefit from this enthusiasm and sense of community. If you wish to become involved in all that is good please contact us through our Parish Council website www.groby.com We can then forward your details to the many groups within the Parish.

Eileen MARVIN 0116 287 6799 Colin MULLINS colinmullins@outlook.com 0116 287 0407

As a council we have been challenged and restricted by the lockdown, and may be for many months to come. However, I am pleased to state that the Parish employees have continued to work throughout the lockdown and we are now seeing the benefit of this in the presentation of our cemetery, parks and grassed areas. I am also pleased to announce that the summer flowers will also be on show from early July, showing a sense of normality through these challenging times.

Gary RICHARDSON 07856 302721

We have also been contacted by many residents regarding their personal concerns or enquiries, which is appreciated. However, during this time the best way of contacting us is by emailing your requests through our website.At present our Parish Council meetings will be online; these details will be displayed in line with our normal regulations and I look forward to viewing your bookcases!

BOROUGH COUNCILLORS

Many local groups and organisations have achieved many things over the last year. Whilst copy doesn’t allow me to thank you all personally please take notice that when we can arrange a function, I will be doing so in person.

Cllr Brian Rigby

Chairman Groby Parish Council

Groby Parish Council is comprised of up to 16 unpaid members.

They are supported by a full time Clerk, a part time Admin Assistant, the Sexton and a Grounds Maintenance Operative.

Parish Council Office, Village Hall, Leicester Road, Groby, Leicestershire LE6 0DG Tel: 0116 287 6985 • Email: parishclerk@groby.com • Website: www.groby.com

PLUS ONE VACANT

Martin Cartwright boroughcouncil@appliancehome.co.uk 0116 287 4500/ 07850 707050 Ted Hollick ted.hollick@outlook.com 0116 287 5955 COUNTY COUNCILLOR Ozzy O’shea ozzy.oshea@leics.gov.uk 0116 239 4336 / 07808 585825 MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT Mr Edward Argar 0116 260 8609

16

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-JUNE 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Groby Gardening Society NEWS BECAUSE OF the restrictions imposed to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, there was no meeting of the Gardening Society in May, and the annual plant sale could not be held.

Garden centres were also closed, although some were trying to reduce their losses by operating online sales, or click-andcollect. At the time of writing, garden centres have re-opened, although purely for the purchase of plants, no visit to the tea-rooms yet! Just as well, since no toilet facilities were open, as anyone who ventured out to any of the local tourist attractions would have discovered!

The talk for May would have been by Dave the Bee Farmer, based in nearby Ashby, and having been to one of his talks I’m sure everyone would have enjoyed finding out more about these important insects. I’m sure we’ll get Dave to visit us soon, but in the meantime some facts about bees.

One of many flying insects that play an important role in pollenating plants, there are globally over 16,000 species, found on every continent other than Antarctica, wherever there are flowering plants that need insect pollination.

There are 250 species in Britain, the most familiar are the honey bee and the bumble bees and their importance to British agriculture cannot be overstated. There is only one species of honey bee, and twenty five species of bumble bee, the well-known ones including the carder bee, red-tailed bee and the white-tailed bee.

Bumble bees and honey bees live in communities, but many other species are solitary. Worker bees are generally very short-lived, but a queen bumble bee can live for twenty years or more. Bees are subject to predation by birds and, perhaps surprisingly, spiders and are very sensitive to modern pesticides such as the nicotinoid group. There are also bee mites which can decimate populations. We should help bees as much as possible by providing plants which flower over a long period of time.

Bees need water as much as any other animal, and a useful trick in this warm sunny weather is to make a bee watering station: put some marbles in a shallow dish and add a little water so that the bees can perch on the marbles to drink, rather than falling into the water and drowning. I know Dave’s talk will be much more informative than my scribblings!

I’ve noticed lots of bees in my own garden this spring, a combination maybe of the sunny weather and the cleaner air during lockdown? This is a useful and informative site: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/20-facts-youneed-know-about-bees • MAY HAS BEEN the sunniest in England on record, and one of the driest. Following on from the very dry April this is creating challenges in keeping plants alive.

• THE SOCIETY had planned a visit to a local garden under the National Garden Scheme on June 11, but the ongoing restrictions have meant this has had to be cancelled. Hopefully our scheduled talks can recommence soon, I’ll let you know as soon as I can.

In the meantime, enjoy the sunshine in your garden. Stay safe.

For more information about the society, please email Helen Box on helen_box@hotmail.com in the first instance.

Keith Poole

SNIPPETS

Changes to concessionary travel

LEICESTERSHIRE County Council have announced that from Monday 8th June, concessionary travel on public transport reverted to pre-lockdown arrangements, which allow free travel for bus pass holders between 9.30am and 11pm (Monday - Friday), all day Saturdays, Sundays and Bank holidays.

During the lockdown, concessionary passes could also be used for free travel before 9.30am so that older and disabled people had access to supermarkets and other essential shops that specifically opened earlier for them.

The easing of lockdown means more people will be using public transport for work and school during the morning peak hours, so the change is considered necessary to ensure bus users will be better able to follow government social distancing guidelines.

It’s life Jim, but not as we know it

Science Spot

What was the CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION? The Cambrian explosion was an event approximately 541 million years ago in the Cambrian period when practically all major animal phyla started appearing in the fossil record.

It lasted for about 13 – 25 million years and resulted in the divergence of most modern metazoan phyla. The event was accompanied by major diversification of other organisms.

Before the Cambrian explosion, most organisms were simple, composed of individual cells occasionally organized into colonies. As the rate of diversification subsequently accelerated, the variety of life began to resemble that of today. Almost all present animal phyla appeared during this period.

What is the theory of PANSPERMIA? Panspermia proposes that bodies such as comets transported life forms such as bacteria - complete with their DNA - through space to the Earth.

Panspermia (from Ancient Greek ‘pan’, meaning ‘all’, and ’sperma’, meaning ‘seed’) is the hypothesis that life exists throughout the Universe, distributed by space dust, meteoroids, asteroids, comets, planetoids, and also by spacecraft carrying unintended contamination by microorganisms. Distribution may have occurred spanning galaxies, and so may not be restricted to the limited scale of solar systems.

A fossil of a Trilobite. Trilobites were Panspermia hypotheses propose that microscopic life-forms that can survive the effects of space (such as extremophiles) can become trapped in debris ejected into space after collisions between planets and small Solar among the most successful of all early animals, existing in oceans for almost System bodies that harbor life. Some organisms may travel dormant for an extended amount of time before 300 million years. colliding randomly with other planets or intermingling with protoplanetary disks. Under certain ideal impact circumstances (into a body of water, for example), and ideal conditions on a new planet’s surfaces, it is possible that the surviving organisms could become active and begin to colonize their new environment. At least one report finds that endospores from a type of Bacillus bacteria found in Morocco can survive being heated to 420 °C (788 °F), making the argument for panspermia even stronger. Panspermia studies concentrate not on how life began, but on methods that may distribute it in the Universe.

I get very nervous on a first date, which is surprising as they are the only kind I have.

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National Trust Leicester Association MANY OF YOU will have visited Stoneywell Cottage at Ulverscroft over the last five years.

However, like all other ticketed entry NT properties it is now closed due to the coronavirus.

Non-essential retailers to reopen from June 15

So how is the property faring during the lockdown? The first few weeks were quite hectic closing the property down after only being open for six weeks. Now most of the staff are furloughed and those remaining have a list of essential tasks to keep them busy.

A close eye is being kept on the environmental conditions in the cottage and there are also regular conservation tasks. Incredibly without the constant flow of visitors the doors are opened much less and the flow of air through the cottage is reduced. This means that the usual environment in which the “collection” is kept has changed which in turn means changing heat and dehumidifier settings to achieve a stable environment.

Core garden tasks continue, assisted by staff from Calke Abbey. This includes maintaining plant health, watering, sowing green manure in the kitchen garden to supress weeds and working on invasive species in the woodland. By not mowing the lawns and paths, plants such as Bugle, Tormentil and Bird’s Foot Trefoil have appeared in the grass.

This in turn has led to the appearance of Common Blue butterflies and many Soldier Beetles.

Also the local wildlife gets braver every day. A cock pheasant has appeared who thinks the garden belongs to him and a muntjac deer has taken up residence and sleeps amongst the rhododendrons around the tennis court. In addition the slow-worms and common lizards no longer hide away but lie in the sunshine on grassy paths usually being used by visitors.

Even though the National Trust has now reopened some of its large country estates to visitors, due to its compact size, Stoneywell Cottage is likely to be one of the final NT properties to reopen to the public. The National Trust Leicester Association has now cancelled all of its activities to at least the end of August. Full details, including Stoneywell updates, are on the Association web site at – www.leicesternt.btck.co.uk

Alan Tyler, Publicity Officer NT Leicester Association

Are your double glazed windows STEAMED UP or

SNIPPETS

NON-ESSENTIAL retailers will be able to reopen stores in England from June 15 as long as social distancing measures are implemented, the government announced.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that open air markets and car showrooms would be allowed to open from June 1, and that all other non-essential retailers could open from Monday June 15th.

The openings would be “contingent on progress in the fight against coronavirus” and retailers would have to adhere to the new rules.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-JUNE 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Here’s How Scammers Will Exploit the ‘Test and Trace’ System AMID THE fear and confusion of the current Coronavirus pandemic, scammers are out taking full advantage of scared and vulnerable people.

The figures relating to COVID-19 related scams are rising at a worrying pace and it is an unprecedented challenge which we, the government, the police, and banks are having to face in the wake of the pandemic. In February 2020, £800,000 had been lost to Coronavirus scams, according to reports made to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. This figure has now raised to almost £2 million.

The NCSC has also removed over 2,500 online scams related to COVID-19 in the last month.

In a time where most of us are heavily relying on technology to work or to stay in contact with family and friends, scammers are using this to their advantage and cyber security is more important than ever. Most of these scams are online and are coming in the form of phishing emails, malicious social media adverts, fake online sellers and hacking of video conferencing websites.

This article will outline the details of some of the Coronavirus scams that have been reported so far so you can keep your money safe.

Exploitation of the government’s new ‘test and trace’ system The government’s new ‘test and trace’ system is being launched today with the first 2,013 people, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, being called by the new NHS Contact Trace team today. Their aim is to find out who these people have been in close contact with recently as they will be told to self-isolate for 14 days in order to minimise the spread of the virus.

The new system requires those who have Coronavirus symptoms to arrange a test online via the NHS website, or by calling 119. If this test comes back negative, then you and members of your household can continue as normal. If the test comes back positive, then you will receive a phone call, email or text from the NHS Contact Trace team who will ask who you have been in close contact with recently. They will then contact these people in the same way, and they will be told to self-isolate even if they feel well.

This is where there are major concerns of scammers exploiting this system by phoning, emailing, or texting people posing as NHS officials. They will tell you that you’ve been in contact with

someone who has tested positive with Coronavirus in an attempt to obtain your personal information and the contact details for your family and friends. They may also try to steal money from you by claiming that you need to buy a COVID-19 testing kit from them.

Important: To book in a Coronavirus test, you can do this by going to the official NHS website (www.nhs.uk) or by calling 119.

Anyone who contacts you out of the blue and asks for payment in exchange for a testing kit is a scam.

Phishing Emails Google has reported that over 18 million Coronavirus related phishing emails are being sent to Gmail users every single day – and this is just one email service.

Tech firms are also saying that this could now be one of the biggest phishing topics ever, with Barracuda Networks claiming that they have seen a 667% increase in malicious phishing emails during the pandemic.

Names of patients revealed In this phishing attempt, scammers are posing as representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO) or the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and offering to release names of those infected with COVID-19 in your area in exchange for payment. They may ask you to perform a bank transfer or ask for a payment in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.

The email will contain a link which you are urged to click on so you can make the payment. You will be asked for your bank details as well as personal information such as your name, address and date of birth.

Get the latest statistics This is another phishing email where the scammers pose as The World Health Organisation (WHO) but this time they are offering you up-to-date Coronavirus statistics and all you have to do is follow a link.

However, the link will infect your device with malicious malware of viruses that could lock you out of your computer, take control of your computer, or access your personal and financial details in order to commit identity theft.

‘Coronavirus safety measures’ Scammers are sending out phishing emails where they’re offering medical advice and various ‘safety measures’ you can take in order to protect yourself from Coronavirus.

Again, they ask you to follow a link

or to download a PDF file which will infect your devise with viruses or malware.

HMRC tax refund Some scammers are posing as HMRC and saying that tax refunds are part of the government’s action plan to help people cope with income shortages amid the crisis.

This is not part of the government’s plan and HMRC will never, under any circumstances, contact you via email, text or phone call to offer you a tax refund. This is an attempt to steal your personal information and bank details.

Donate to the cause This scam involves fake donation pages set up by scammers. You will be urged to click on a link in the email which will take you to a fake website where you’ll be asked to make a donation to help find a cure to the Coronavirus. This website has actually been set up to steal your money as well as capture your personal information and bank details. There has only been one fund set by The World Health Organisation and that can be found on their official website – they will not email you asking for donations.

How to avoid Coronavirus phishing scams •The World Health Organisation (WHO) have stated on their website that they will never ask for your personal details or password via email, they will never send email attachments that you didn’t ask for and they will never ask you to go on to a website outside of www.who.int. WHO say that you can verify whether a form of communication is legitimate by contacting them directly using the contact details on their website.

•Verify the sender by checking their email address. If they’re claiming to be from WHO and the email address ends in anything other than ‘@who.int’, it is a scam so do not click on any links in the email.

•Never give personal information to someone you don’t know, or to someone you haven’t initiated the contact with. Use some common sense and decide whether it’s an appropriate reason for this person to be asking for your details. You shouldn’t have to give anything to access public information.

•If you see a scam, report it. This is essential in helping you and others.

Video Conferencing Scams Many people are taking to videoconferencing in order to work from home or to stay in touch with family friends during the UK lockdown.

And some are doing this for the first time, so it’s very important to be aware of how to stay safe.

Scammers are creating their own fake versions of well-known apps and websites in order to steal peoples’ personal and banking information. They are also hacking into public video calls in order to try and obtain sensitive data about individuals.

How to avoid Coronavirus video conferencing scams • Make sure you only download apps and software from trusted sources like your app store or from the provider’s official website.

Never click on links which have been sent to you in the form of unsolicited emails, SMS messages or on social media messaging platforms or adverts, • Use a strong and unique password so scammers who are trying to hack into your account can’t guess it easily or find it out from your social media profiles.

You should also set up two-factor authentication if this is an option as it adds an extra layer of security and stops people from being able to access your account even if they know your password.

• Do not make your calls public meaning anyone can join. Only connect with your colleagues, friends, or family directly from their information in your address book.

Some video conferencing services allow you to set up a password which people must enter before they can join the call which adds an extra layer of security. Never share this password publicly.

Fake Social Media Adverts A lot of online scammers are taking to social media to post malicious adverts.

Most of these promote miracle cures and treatments for the Coronavirus and try to create a sense of urgency by saying things like ‘Buy now, very limited stock’.

There are two possible bad outcomes for clicking on a malicious advert. Number one, it could download viruses and malware onto your device or, number two, they may allow you to purchase one of these fake products, but nothing will turn up and the fraudsters disappear with your money and personal details.

Avoid anything on social media that advertises things like this and is clearly trying to profit out of the crisis. Only go to trusted sources like the NHS or government websites for information.

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A childhood in war time Britain GEORGE WEST’S grandfather was away in the army for 4 years during First World War. His young son (George’s father) would often go very hungry during his absence but a local butcher used to make a cauldron of hot soup to feed local children. An act of kindness in adversity. George West’s father’s memories of his childhood during First World War have been tape recorded for posterity.

George is one of the many elderly Groby residents who fall into the ‘most vulnerable’ group for whom contracting Coronavirus Covid -19 is potentially life threatening. Social distancing is critical for this group and George, like most of the over 70’s in the village, is humbled by the kindness and generosity of those around them who have been in a position to help. The lives of the vulnerable and elderly have been protected by the rest of the community making sacrifices in order to halt the community transmission of the virus, and offering practical help with day to day tasks such as collecting groceries or prescriptions.

Sadly “the war to end all wars” ended in 1918 with a peace settlement that is widely thought to have sowed the seeds for the Second World War, and the hardships that George’s father suffered as a child revisited the family when George was a boy. The current pandemic is a war of a different kind but it has invoked memories of his childhood during the Second World War. Thank you George for providing these recollections.

Norman Griffiths

George’s story

W

HEN I WAS five years old and the German army was expected to arrive any moment to sweep up the country with little opposition, my mother would go to extraordinary lengths to make sure my younger sister and I ate every scrap of food put before us.

My mother made a large looking spider out of a misshapen potato using matchsticks for legs. She placed that on top of the dresser and told me that if I did not eat everything the spider would come down to get me. She also told me that Hitler flew overhead in a plane with a trap door open looking for children who did not eat their food.

She went to such drastic lengths because she simply did not know where the next meal would come from.

We lived close to the Vickers Armstrong Weybridge aerodrome and later became used to standing in the garden as doodle bugs came over our house with engines cutting out, hearing my parents (my father in a reserved occupation) whispering “Keep going keep going” as the German V1 rockets dropped and exploded.

My mother was from South Shields.

Wanting to be with her family (my grandfather and one of her brothers had been killed in the First World War leaving my grandmother to bring nine children on her own with no money). We travelled 12 hours by train from London to South Shields with the train overloaded mainly by families, and service people. The train was on blackout and had to stop frequently because of air raids.

People were even sleeping in luggage racks and even in the lavatories. To go to the toilet meant clambering over people in the corridors and asking those in the toilet to leave for a few minutes. All we had to drink through those 12 hours was warm sickly tasting orange juice. I can remember the horrible taste to this day.

When we did reach South Shields and my grandmother’s house, my sister and I had to sleep on top on the copper in the small outside wash house. During the day an uncle who was captain of a tug on the Tyne would take me on the busy river during the day pulling back damaged ships to the shipyards. During the night German fighters would come in low up the river strafing the town and leading the German bombers to blitz the town. As I would try to sleep there was the non stop sound of coastal artillery and as the planes came up river the deafening sound of all ships Bofors and Lewis machine guns firing continuously. Next day we would go outside to see what was left of the town.

In those days people had little money but shared what they had with one another. My grandmother’s front door was always open and the kettle always on the stove. What little money my grandmother received from the government was payable only by taking her children to the police station regularly to prove the children were under the age of 14. Above that age ... no money payable. To supplement like so many women at that time, my grandmother went to work helping in the ship yards.

Once again in my lifetime we now see the best and worst of human behaviour.

Remember to send us your news for the JULY issue.

The copy deadline is Saturday 4th July.

I come from a broken home, although it was just a hairline crack before I came along.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-JUNE 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

The Central Hub for the Northern Parishes of Hinckley and Bosworth

Spread the Word, not the Virus

THE CENTRAL HUB was formed by Ozzy O’Shea, Chris Boothby and Rev Dr Ed Bampton on 17th March 2020 (before the lockdown was confirmed by the Prime Minister).

Due to the new requirement to Social Distance the Hub was located in the Church Rooms in Ratby. Subsequently the Hub has relocated to St Philip and St James Church Ratby as we are working under the auspices of the Church.

As you can see from the graph below [March and May being part months] we have supported nearly 500 residents in Groby and Ratby since our inauguration and will continue this support at least until Lockdown ends.

We initially leafletted all the residents across the Northern Parishes to ensure that they were aware of the Hub and the services that we could offer.

Our primary services are Essential Food/Care Packages, these are packages of primarily dried & tinned food and household items that originally started as a 3-day supply to tide residents over until we were able to go shopping for them, however, some of these have now evolved into weekly care packages for those who have fallen through the Government’s support system or are now waiting for the Self-employed government assistance to come into effect.

Initially, we were supported by donations of tinned foods. dried goods and toiletry items by local residents which enabled us to provide Care Packages to only those that were self-isolating or in the At Risk groups. We then applied, and received, a Funding Grant from the Leicestershire County Council (LCC) Communities Fund which has enabled us to expand our offering not only to those that were self-isolating but to single parent families and those that are selfemployed. We also have been able to expand the types of products that we supply to residents and can now provide frozen ready meals and fresh fruit & vegetables. The support from LCC has been invaluable to ensure that we have been able to support our local communities.

Our biggest support has been to those that are self-isolating, we have supported our local Chemists in aiding them with the collection and delivery of standard prescriptions, whilst the Chemists continued to provide the delivery of controlled drugs to all of the residents.

The Hub is manned by Volunteers – with a Hub Manager (Chris Boothby) and a Hub Co-ordinator (Angie Cain, together with Ingrid Jones and Valerie Pears) – on site in Ratby, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm (including bank holidays), along with phone cover provided by a number of other volunteers.

Helen Crouch is the Hub Co-

ordinator for Bagworth, Thornton and Stanton Under Bardon.

The Central Hub at Ratby is responsible for the day to day management of the Care Packages, allocation of volunteers to various tasks and ensuring that those who need it have the support of the community at this unusual time. We have a team of Junior Volunteers in Ratby, led by Reece Norton and Ellie Whaling, who ensure that our Care Packages and delivery items are cleaned and disinfected before they are dispatched to any resident.

We have over 100 volunteers who we can call on to do anything from delivering Care Packages, collecting and delivering prescriptions, dog walking, posting mail and any shopping requirements, particularly for any essentials we cannot supply.

We have a phone befriending service for those who are feeling particularly lonely and just need a friendly voice at the end of the phone. We have had a few strange requests from people, for example, could we collect a delivery of women’s underwear from M&S, collecting and delivering samples to Doctors … which our volunteers have done without hesitation.

Our volunteers recently delivered a new leaflet to all the residents in Ratby and Groby. Without our team of dedicated volunteers we would not be able to continue to give the support that our most vulnerable residents have needed and will continue to need during these exceptional circumstances.

CALL: 0116 239 3768 or 07368 213599 OUT OF HOURS: 07808 585825 or 07880 711222 or 07557 302271 to get some support

My wife said we needed to communicate more. I knew she was right so I gave her my email address.

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Parental excuses THESE are actual ‘excuse notes’ from parents excusing their children from missing school (includes original spelling): • My son is under a doctor’s care and should not take P.E. today.

Please execute him.

• Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.

• Dear School: Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33.

• Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.

• John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.

• Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part.

• Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.

• Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.

• Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

• Please excuse Tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea and his boots leak.

One Mistake

By Rona Halsall SARA made one promise to herself when she was growing up in foster care: that if she was lucky enough to have a family, she’d always do whatever it took to protect them.

• Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.

• Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father’s fault.

• I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because I don’t know what size she wears.

• Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.

• Sally won’t be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.

• Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.

Looking around her home with its cosy kitchen and living room, where her energetic teenage daughters and gorgeous four-year-old son all eat, play and live together, she knows she’d do anything to keep them safe.

So when Sara’s husband Matt loses his job and every shred of his confidence with it, she knows it’s up to her to bring the family back from the brink. Though she doesn’t know where she can possibly find the money they need to keep afloat.

Until her boss at work offers her a deal. He’ll help out. She just has to do him one little favour. But could trusting him save Sara’s family, or will it be a mistake that costs her absolutely everything?

The Carer

By Deborah Moggach From the bestselling author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Tulip Fever, a deliciously funny, poignant and wry novel, full of surprising twists and turns.

James is getting on a bit and needs full-time help. So Phoebe and Robert, his middle-aged offspring, employ Mandy, who seems willing to take him off their hands. But as James regales his family with tales of Mandy’s virtues, their shopping trips and the shared pleasure of their journeys to garden centres, Phoebe and Robert sense something is amiss.

Then something extraordinary happens which throws everything into new relief, changing all the stories of their childhood - and the father - that they thought they knew so well.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-JUNE 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH BOROUGH COUNCIL NEWS

Councillor Martin Cartwright reports

As I write this month’s article to you most of the Borough Council services are returning to some kind of normality.

Enclosed are the details of those at that time but may be subject to change by the time you read this.

Council Meetings Resume – But Not As We Know Them!

Borough Council meetings have resumed but not as we have been used to. The first meeting of the Council during the crisis was the planning committee held on 19th May that took place remotely from each planning committee members’ homes. This follows the government’s decision to not only carry on the planning process throughout the crisis but also to grant local authorities such as HBBC the powers to meet and make decisions using digital technology to ensure public safety.

Some Councils were already live streaming meetings on YouTube but not holding virtual meetings themselves prior to the Covid-19 crisis. As an administration, when we came into office in May 2019, we did look at live streaming some meetings but did not have the technical equipment to do so, and the cost to do it properly was far too expensive when you look at all of the priorities of the Council at that time.

This meant we were little prepared for the new digital-only world, as was the case with virtually all other district councils across the UK. This planning committee and future meetings for the foreseeable future will be held using Zoom with members of the public able to watch the live stream of the meeting via the Borough Council’s YouTube channel, that can be accessed from the Borough Council’s web site. For those residents not having any internet access alternative arrangements can be made for them to listen to the meeting by telephone instead.

Public speaking - such as agent, objector and ward member representation - will still go ahead with the time allocated to each to address the committee as they would have done if the same meeting took place at the Borough Council offices. Those people who would have been entitled to speak at this planning committee meeting would have received a letter with

information on how to register and speak.

Now that the first virtual meeting has taken place in which I played my part it is good to be able to report that members cross party, officers and members of the public entitled to speak did their very best to not only make this meeting happen but work just as effectively as if it had taken place at the Borough Council offices.

One benefit was the number of people able to look into the proceedings; traditionally this meant visiting the Borough Council offices. The virtual meeting resulted in an average of 130 devices logged in to the live stream - far larger than the number of people who would have done so had the meeting been held in the chamber.

Those entitled to speak did so at the appropriate time and just as well as they would have done under the old setting for meetings.

Three of four planning applications held up in the backlog were determined.

The reason the fourth was unable to continue was because YouTube removed the live stream for violation of their terms and conditions. As this was instant and could not be resumed at the time we had to close the meeting straight away as without the live stream the meeting would not meet the government guidelines. The fourth application (Stoke Golding) was deferred to a future meeting.

As I write we do not believe as a Borough Council that we violated YouTube’s terms and conditions and can see no reason why the plug was so suddenly pulled.

Investigations are ongoing to this.

I hope to be able to report more fully with an explanation in my next article.

Planning System Biased? You Decide!

Just when I thought the planning system itself couldn’t get any worse for those who wish to object to inappropriate development a system already stacked against

you suddenly became a whole lot worse.

APPEALS: For householder appeals there is no opportunity to comment (there used to be), all the inspector will see are the comments submitted in the first place to the original planning application that is the subject of the appeal, which is undemocratic and an absolute disgrace in my view.

APPEALS PROCESS: The appeals process offices run by the Government are closed until further notice (undefined return date due to COVID-19), yet the planning process itself continues unaffected.

How can that be?

Appeals both in the system and submitted during Covid-19 will be determined by an Inspector, effectively behind closed doors despite all of the above, and there is nothing we can do about that.

Whilst you are unable to submit comments in the appeal process you are able to withdraw those already submitted (surprisingly).

Not sure why you would wish to do this, yet the offices are closed, open for selective business is my conclusion.

The bottom line - biased against you or what!

Five Year Housing Supply and Housing Delivery Tests The Borough Council is expected to maintain a 5 year housing supply of new homes and maintain its housing delivery test.

Approving planning permissions is part of that process but once approved there are no tools in the Borough Council’s armoury to force the developers to build those homes. The numbers do not count until the home is built and therefore completed.

As a planning authority you can approve tens of thousands of homes but until they are built the approval is worthless.

Quite frankly the planning system is weighted completely from every angle as far as I see it from our

Cllr Martin Cartwright Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council – Groby Ward. Executive member for: Licensing, Environmental, Climate Change, Rural Issues & Klondyke Community Hub

Call: 0116 287 4500 Mobile: 07850 707050 E-Mail: hbbc@appliancehome.co.uk Write : Maverick House,10 Pine Tree Avenue, Groby, LE6 0EQ FaceBook: Cllr Martin Cartwright • Twitter: @CllrCartwright • Instagram: cllr.martincartwright

If you think Special K is boring, wait till you try Normal K.

perspective when we are charged with looking after the wellbeing of the Borough’s residents.

Green Waste This information was in my last article in the Spotlight but as it was published online in which only a fraction of the residents will have seen it by comparison I am repeating it in this edition now that normal delivery has resumed.

Whilst it is with regret that we had to temporarily suspend the Green Waste collection, I am very proud of the way the Borough Council have reintroduced this service as quickly as possible.

Whilst some residents missed two or three Green Waste collections we have extended both the expiry of last years’ service by two months and/or given the residents who have subscribed for this years’ green waste collection a further two months at the end of the contract by way of compensation.

In reality, a month of missed collections has been replaced by a two month extension to make up for the loss in the first place.

Personally I think this is a very generous offer by the Borough Council.

All subscriptions have been automatically extended by up to two months for customers to cover the one month period the service was suspended. Garden waste bins displaying 19-20 subscription stickers will now be collected until 31 May 2020. Garden waste bins displaying the 20-21 subscription stickers will now be collected until 31 May 2021.

Anyone who wishes to subscribe to the 20-21 garden waste service who hasn’t already done so is encouraged to go online at www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/ gardenwaste or call 01455 238141 if they don’t have internet access to ensure their service continues beyond the extension period.

The cost of the service is £24 a year. Customers are asked to allow at least 10 working days for the 20-21 sticker to arrive before presenting the garden waste bin.

The council apologises for the inconvenience and thanks customers for their patience during these challenging times.

I have been contacted by many residents who are very grateful for the bin men and women who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to keep their bins empted. I have passed those thanks on to the crews and also thanked them myself.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

Leicester Animal Aid ~ UPDATE ~ Small businesses slowly return as do many of the Shops Nearly 1,500 businesses have already received a share of £22 million in emergency support and more businesses are set to get funding.

As they return now what they need most is your support. They will look very different to when they closed, different layouts, screens where screens did not exist and markings on the floor to keep social distancing, one way round etc.

Please support your local shops as they reopen for business whilst keeping yourself and the staff members’ safe by following the rules that they have put in place for your own safety.

Leader of the Council Cllr Stuart Bray’s Letter to all Residents A letter has been posted to every household in the Borough providing an update from the Council and offering some useful sources of information.

By now you should have received this letter setting out important information for you.

Here to help you As your Borough Councillor I am here and available to help you. If you live in Groby and are experiencing any difficulties please contact me and I will do all I can to help you.

Martin

‘Caring is Sharing’ and our Medical Foster Scheme LIKE everyone, Leicester Animal Aid (LAA), has been adapting to the challenges and difficulties that the pandemic has presented.

It’s brought in different processes to comply with DEFRA guidelines in accepting new animals in and re-homing existing residents. And we’ve had to carry on without the support of LAA’s amazing volunteers.

‘Caring is Sharing’ AS VISITORS and volunteers can’t currently come to the Huncote Centre, a campaign ‘Caring is Sharing’ was launched to keep everyone connected.

It encourages sharing photographs of pets to put a smile on people’s faces as well as sharing LAA animals that are looking for a forever home. Not to be put off by the fact that all our ‘live’ events had to be cancelled, LAA held a virtual online ‘Pawsome Pet Show’. Whilst it was free to enter, donations were gratefully accepted to help support LAA’s Medical Foster Scheme.

The LAA Medical Foster Scheme – for dogs and cats with existing medical conditions IT CAN BE extremely difficult for dogs and cats with a known medical condition to find a new home and these can be the animals most in need.

Potential new owners can be put off by the expense of an ongoing medical condition and the worry of having an animal that has one.

The Scheme pays the veterinary costs for dogs and cats that leave the Centre with a known medical condition and provides ongoing support and advice.

Bertie, a grey miniature Poodle, came into the Centre after both of his owners had passed away.

He was 12 and had been with them since being a puppy and was understandably confused and upset. He had several medical conditions that required medication, including a heart murmur. He needed to be found a home urgently, so his health didn’t deteriorate further due to stress. Thanks to the Medical Foster Scheme he was re-homed within two weeks, and will soon be celebrating his 15th birthday.

Honey, a 9 year old Tabby cat, was returned to LAA in October as she was urinating in the house because of recurring cystitis. It was decided that she would go onto the Medical Foster Scheme and LAA would cover the costs of any consultations needed for her urinary issues. She is now settled into her lovely new home and loving life.

Could you help support our Medical Foster Scheme?

THE SCHEME pays the veterinary costs for dogs and cats that leave the Centre with a known medical condition.

LAA is currently helping around 45 dogs and cats to live in homes for life, because of the scheme. The Scheme costs thousands of pounds a year and relies on donations.

If you’d like to make a donation you can do so through our Just Giving Medical Foster Scheme page. Or please contact the Huncote Centre.

https://www.leicesteranimalaid.org.uk/Tel: 01455 888 257

23

SNIPPETS

Use your old clothes to help others in poverty LOCKDOWN drove many of us to do a Spring clearout of our wardrobes.

But what do you do now do with the old clothes you no longer want?

Charity shops may be closed for the time being, but there’s still a way to donate your old items and support your favourite charities. Just go online and visit Thrift+ .

It is an online store where you can buy and donate great quality second-hand clothes. And you get to choose which cause to support when you make a donation.

While lockdown measures are in place, they’ve introduced a doorstep collection service, so you don’t need to leave your home to support lifetransforming charities.

Does the fruit you buy look a bit wonky?

THAT’S because growers have faced a labour shortfall, when many seasonal workers from eastern Europe were unable to reach the UK due to the pandemic.

So instead, there has been a British recruitment drive, targeting inexperienced furloughed workers.

As Martin Lines, of the Nature Friendly Farming Network says: “Fresh produce may not be as evenly cut as usual, given that people are learning on the job.”

Crime up and down THERE ARE four crimes on the rise during lockdown: domestic abuse, the online grooming of children, commercial property theft and coronavirusrelated frauds.

Nearly all other offences have declined, including murders, robberies, domestic burglaries and assaults.

The special Beatles version of Cluedo is really boring. It’s always Lucy, in the sky, with diamonds.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-JUNE 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Small Ads • ALUMINIUM / GLASS GREENHOUSE: 75 inches wide by 50 inches deep. Buyer to dismantle.

Price: £50.00 Tel: 07867 806474 (Markfield) 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 ENSURE that you put ‘SMALL ADS’ in the subject line, and INCLUDE YOUR FULL POSTAL ADDRESS (not for publication, just to know where you are).

Leave your dandelions alone!

WHEN MOWING your lawn, avoid cutting your dandelions. That is the advice of the president of the British Ecological Society, Prof Jane Memmott. It will help to save the bees.

She explains: “Dandelions are a fantastic source of pollen and nectar for the early pollinators in particular. If they were rare, people would be fighting over them, but because they’re common, people pull them out and spray them with all sorts of horrible things when they should just let them flower. If you leave the lawn to three or four inches, then dandelions, clover and daisies can flower and then you end with something like a tapestry, and it’s much nicer to sit there and watch the insects buzzing about.”

Prof Memmott encourages everyone to get a bee hotel for their garden. “There’s nothing nicer than being sat in a chair with a glass of wine and watching the bees going in and out of your own personal little beehive. Even just a potted plant on a doorstep will provide lunch for a bee or a fly or a butterfly.”

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council

Working together to safely reopen Hinckley town centre HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH Borough Council in conjunction with Hinckley BID is working with businesses to get Hinckley town centre ready to safely reopen for business as shop managers prepare to start trading again following the announcement that retail and shops can reopen from Monday 15 June.

New safety measures which includes pavement signeage, banners, hand sanitiser stations, stewards to help and advise shoppers and guidance for shops to keep ‘covid-compliant’ are among the precautions being implemented to help adhere to social distancing guidance.

The team are also supporting shopping areas across the borough.

Council Leader Stuart Bray said: “For everyone emerging from lockdown it is going to be a learning process. As things unfold, we will all need to change our processes and our shopping and town centres are no different.

“Our approach currently is based on trusting people to follow the social distancing guidance and highlighting the safeguards that need to be in place to protect our residents, visitors and businesses. We will be reviewing how the first few days go and if we need to review and change our plans we will do. We will do whatever we can to make sure our borough is safe.

“We do however need our residents to play their part; follow the guidelines and consider carefully and plan their shopping to ensure their safety and the safety of others.”

Steve Wegerif, Hinckley BID Director said “Throughout the pandemic we have been working to help support the businesses in our area and as our town centre starts to slowly re-open it is our priority to support them during this ‘new normal’. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work going on to enable the town to reopen safely, all part of a borough-wide recovery strategy.”

A full list of shops which can open from 15 June (although some are already allowed to be open), includes: • Food retailers • Chemists • Hardware/homeware stores • Fashion and footwear shops • Charity shops • Betting shops and arcades • Tailors, dress fitters and fashion designers • Car dealerships (from 1st June) • Auction houses • Antique stores • Retail art galleries • Photography studios • Gift shops and retail spaces in theatres, museums, libraries, heritage sites and tourism sites • Mobile phone stores • Stationers and printers • Outdoor markets(from 1st June) • Craft fairs • Similar types of retail

Take exercise for even half an hour a day – and lower depression!

HERE IS SOME good news for us all: if you are feeling low, get moving.

A recent study at Harvard has found that even just half an hour of exercise a day can lower the risk of depression by 17 per cent.

So – even though we are told to stay home at present, do a work-out in your living room, run around the garden a dozen times, or run up and down your staircase 20 times -anything to get your heart pounding and your body moving!

SNIPPETS

Sweet dreams?

FROM LARGE pink hamsters that smile and wave at you, to cars that can’t get off roundabouts, a lot of us are reporting weird, vivid, and intense dreams just now.

Experts say that financial worries, cabin fever and boredom may all be factors.

But – on the plus side, there is also the fact that many of us are finally catching up on our sleep.

And by waking up without an alarm, we will have better recall of our dreams.

Lost in translation LAST YEAR, some friends took their six-year-old on a car trip to France.

To help pass the time on the way down to the Channel, they encouraged their son to practise his new reading skills by calling out road signs.

He fell asleep just before they entered France. When he awoke, he saw the French motorway signs and said in a worried tone, “I think I forgot how to read while I was asleep.”

Top Ten Silliest Questions asked on a Cruise Ship 1. Do these steps go up or down?

2. What do you do with the beautiful ice carvings after they melt?

3. Which elevator do I take to get to the front of the ship?

4. Does the crew sleep on the ship?

5. Is this island completely surrounded by water?

6. Does the ship make its own electricity?

7. Is it salt-water in the toilets?

8. What elevation are we at?

9. There’s a photographer on board who takes photos and displays them the next day... the question was asked: ‘If the pictures aren’t marked, how will I know which ones are mine?’

10. What time is the Midnight Buffet being served?

Paul Grayson, Cruise Director for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Even though ants are always at work, isn’t it wonderful how they still find time to go to picnics?

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

Digital Library Services FAQs Quick Guide to eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers What Digital Library Services are Available?

How do I Access Digital Library Services?

TO START using any of the services visit the digital library webpage which gives step by step instructions on getting started.

You must be a member of the library to access the digital library services, if you are not already a member you can join online to start using BorrowBox, RBdigital and PressReader straight away.

To login to BorrowBox, RBdigital and PressReader you will need your library card number/ online joiner number and your four-digit PIN. If you have forgotten your PIN you can reset it by visiting our online catalogue, selecting ‘log in’ in the top right corner and choosing ‘forgot my PIN’. However, this only works if we have your up to date email address on record, if it doesn’t work please contact libraries@leics.gov.uk and we will send you a PIN via email.

SNIPPETS

What effect will coronavirus have on society?

THE OFFICE for National Statistics (ONS) has found that, following an initial period of great anxiety and confusion, now almost half the population understands that life will not return to normal within the next six months.

LEICESTERSHIRE’S digital library service provides library members with access to thousands of free eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers. These can be accessed two ways: • Using the free BorrowBox, RBdigital & PressReader apps on a smartphone or tablet • Using an internet browser on a desktop PC, MAC or laptop All digital titles are free and there are no overdue charges.

Leicestershire Libraries subscribe to three platforms, BorrowBox, RBdigital and PressReader, each platform provides access to different types of content: • BORROWBOX eBooks eAudiobooks • RBDIGITAL eAudiobooks eMagazines • PRESSREADER eNewspapers eMagazines Digital formats include a range of functionality so people can personalise their experience, including choosing font size, playback speed and enabling translation and voice-overs.

25

How do eBooks & eAudiobooks work?

How do eNewspapers & eMagazines work?

EBOOK and eAudiobook titles are purchased individually in the same way as physical books.

•

Most eBooks and eAudiobooks can only be borrowed by one person at a time due to licensing restrictions. LCC buy multiple copies of some popular titles that have been reserved by several people to reduce the waiting time for in-demand titles.

Some popular titles and authors are not available to borrow digitally from public libraries, this is due to restrictions put in place by publishers.

• • Borrow up to 10 eBooks and 10 eAudiobooks from BorrowBox and 10 eAudiobooks from RBdigital at a time.

• • Borrow titles for up to 3 weeks, return titles when you have finished reading them or renew titles to borrow for longer.

• • Titles automatically expire at the end of the loan period so there are never any fines.

• • If an eBook or eAudiobook is currently on loan then you can reserve it, you will be added to a queue and the title will be added to your account when it becomes available.

• • BorrowBox and RBdigital are not compatible with Kindle eReaders due to Amazon restrictions, however the BorrowBox and RBdigital apps can be downloaded to Kindle Fire devices and eReaders.

Visit the digital library webpage to get started.

eMagazines can be checked out from RBdigital and PressReader.

•

eNewspapers can be checked out from PressReader. eMagazines and eNewspapers can be checked out for as long as you like, just delete them from your account when you have finished reading them. There is no limit to the number of titles you can checkout at a time.

• RBdigital provides access to popular titles including Hello!

Magazine, Radio Times and New Scientist.

• PressReader provides access to thousands of national and international newspapers and magazines including The Independent, The Daily Mail, The Guardian and the Leicester Mercury.

• Titles can either be read online via a web browser or downloaded via the RBdigital or PressReader apps to be read offline.

Visit the digital library webpage to get started

More Information & Help MORE information is available at the below websites: • BorrowBox help page – you must login using a Leicestershire library card number and PIN to see the help page • RBdigital Help Page • PressReader Help Centre If your query has not been covered by these FAQs, please contact us on 0116 305 2695 or email us at libraries@leics.gov.uk

Other findings include: • 75 per cent of us are “very worried” or “somewhat worried” about the effect that coronavirus is having on our lives now.

• Many parents have struggled with home schooling, with 33 per cent saying it has put a strain on family relationships.

• 41 per cent of us expect our financial situation to get worse over the next 12 months.

• 41 per cent of us think that the wellbeing of our child or children is being negatively affected.

But it is not all bleak – a huge 57 per cent of us think that Britain will be more united in the future, and 67 per cent of us say that Britain will be kinder after coronavirus.

That is good news!

We worship at St Sofa’s We worship at St Sofa’s now Since Covid came to stay We don’t dress up or do our hair But still we come to pray!

Our Vicar is a clever chap A Zoom with his IT And so we sit down ev’ry week And meet up virtually!

Our Parish Church stands empty With praise she does not ring; But still her people gather round To pray, and praise, and sing!

The virus is a nasty thing Yet it has helped us see The church is NOT a building But folk like you and me!

By Nigel and Carol Beeton

I fell in love with my girlfriend at second sight. The first time I met her, I didn’t know her father was a millionaire.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-JUNE 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Remembering the man who founded Barnardo’s IT WAS 175 years ago, on 4th July 1845, that Thomas Barnardo, the humanitarian and philanthropist, was born in Dublin.

He founded Barnardo’s, a charity which continues to care for vulnerable children and young people.

The son of a furrier, he worked as a clerk until converted to evangelical Christianity in 1862. He moved to London, intending to study medicine and become a missionary in China.

He never qualified as a doctor – despite being known as Dr Barnardo – and soon decided that his real calling was to help poor children living on the streets of London, where one in five children died before their fifth birthday.

He opened his first home for boys in 1870 and soon vowed never to turn a child away. Most Victorians saw poverty as shameful, associating it with poor morals and laziness, but Barnardo refused to discriminate. He made sure boys were trained and found them apprenticeships.

When Barnardo died in 1905, he left 96 homes caring for more than 8,500 vulnerable children, including those with learning difficulties. Because he believed that children should ideally grow up in a family setting, in 1887 he introduced an early form of fostering – boarding out children to host families.

Both of the churches in Groby are closed for the foreseeable, with our usual services & activities suspended.

But, we are still there for your spiritual needs during this time of great challenge. The brick/stone church has been replaced by a church of people communicating and supporting via telephone, e-mail and social media. Please check out what we are doing – we are actually reaching more people via our Facebook pages than we could fit in our churches, but we would love to reach even more.

If you need any spiritual support or prayers please text/message your name and home telephone number to Rector – Rev Ed Bampton 01162396520 one of our elders on 07807036944 or 07368405207– you will get a call back.

Rev Noel Colley 07757 302271 www.facebook.com/grobyurc/ www.facebook.com/StPandStJ www.achurchnearyou.com/church/5501 Online live streamed regular services as follows: Every Tuesday at 9pm Compline Every Thursday at 10am Morning Prayer Every Sunday at 10am Morning Worship

Online live streamed services 10am Sundays – follow us on Facebook for more information and daily posts to support & encourage you.

Christian Booklets/Gospels/Magazines and DVDs - have been put outside the church on Chapel Hill for anyone who is interested and would find them helpful.

A smart husband is one who thinks twice before saying nothing.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

Children Can Be Real Superheroes by Learning STEM SCIENCE, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics account for 11 out of the top 12 Paying jobs.

Geomag build learning into all their toys and incorporate STEM into the foundations of play. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is these 4 areas in which the children of today will become the real superheroes of tomorrow.

11 out of the top 12 paying jobs all require STEM, and 80% of all future jobs will require one or more of these disciplines.

The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that children spend 60 minutes a day of open-ended play. Children in Oakland were found to have up to 32% faster brain speeds after 8 weeks of structured game play.

Around two thirds of parents feel their children have too much screen time. Columbia University found that when people know that they will be able to find information online easily, they are less likely to form a memory of it. Learning through play helps build memory. Initiative play builds key STEM skills and decreases the reliance on digital screens.

Many parents feel screen time can keep a child quiet for a little while, screens can help parents get a little space throughout the day and can provide some good learning resources.

Moving away from prolonged screen time can aid a child’s development, as encouraging free play, free building and free thinking will help a child build lifelong skills.

Geomag Mechanics are created to help children learn all whilst having fun. Allowing children to experiment, master and create their own conceptions helps them learn in an exciting environment. Through science, technology, engineering, and mechanics Geomag has them all in their fun toy range.

The Geomag Mechanics 86 Magnetic Motion Set allows children to build incredible and exciting inventions. The bigger they build the more dynamic it gets. With magnetising, rotating and chain reactions they can make anything they wish. Geomag stimulates creativity, inventiveness, and intelligence to allow a child to master mechanical and magnetic forces.

Ideal for children aged 7+ The Geomag Mechanics 86 Magnetic Motion Set costs £30 from Amazon.

27

HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH BOROUGH COUNCIL NEWS

Councillor Ted Hollick reports Virtual meetings AS MENTIONED in my previous article the first virtual planning meeting via Zoom and live streamed took place at 6-30 pm on 19th May. It went on until 10-00 pm when it crashed during the last item which was then deferred until the next planning meeting which is to be held again virtually at 5-30pm on 16th June. This will also be live streamed. To view or listen to the debate joining details will be found on the Borough Council website.

The Annual Meeting of the Borough Council looks likely to be held in late Summer or early Autumn.

Thanks THANK YOU to Leicestershire County Council for responding to repeated requests from myself and our County Councillor to make good the footpaths in the Fir Tree Lane area by providing a much safer walking surface removing the trip hazards.

I am also very pleased that the comments and complaints received by Ozzy O’Shea and myself from residents, walkers, joggers and motorists on Sacheverell Way have been listened to and as a result of constant pressure from Councillor O’Shea we will once again have a much safer illuminated road for all users now that the badly needed street lights are being reinstalled.

Looking ahead IT IS QUITE likely that once this lockdown situation is over people may want to gather and hold parties to celebrate the fact.

So I think this could be an opportune moment to remind everyone that at a Borough Council meeting on February 25th, it was unanimously agreed to introduce a ban on the use of Sky lanterns and Helium balloons due to the danger they can cause to property and animals. The ban covers all Borough Council owned open spaces and I believe has the support of Groby Parish Council who are considering a ban on their Parks and Open spaces too.

In fact It was a major fire at a plastics recycling plant in Smethwick, causing £6 million pounds worth of damage, that was caused by the remains of a sky lantern which was caught on cctv as being the cause.

Tragically on New Year’s Day in Germany, 30 zoo animals were lost in a fire which was believed to have been caused by a Sky Lantern, the remains of which were found in the debris.

Talking of Zoos

Radio Secrets by David Lloyd An insider’s guide to presenting and producing powerful content for broadcast and podcast What makes a successful presenter? How do you attract and engage your audience? How can you distinguish yourself to enjoy lasting success? How do you ensure your programme or podcast chimes with audiences in an ever more competitive world?

Drawing on his forty years in radio and on fresh interviews with the leaders in their fields, David Lloyd shares tricks of the trade, and offers advanced insight into listener behaviour, illustrated with rich examples.

Radio Secrets is a comprehensive guide to contemporary presentation and production techniques in all formats, from writing to delivery, across radio and podcasting.

Read this book and gain insights into: • Tight contemporary music presentation • Generating the most engaging talk content • Developing authenticity and likeability • Handling double-acts, callers and contests • Understanding the audience and keeping them listening Whether you are a newcomer or a seasoned performer, Radio Secrets is essential reading.

I AM very concerned at the Government’s lack of support for Twycross Zoo during this pandemic.

The zoo, through no fault of its own, has no visitors - and consequently no income - to feed the animals at a cost of £650,000 a month. Many families in the area have visited this valuable conservation asset. It has been noticed by the keepers that the animals and the Chimps in particular are missing the interaction with the visitors. The Zoo has already used its reserves for the upkeep of the animals and were hoping that they would be allowed the same conditions as garden centres and so are disappointed that they were not included in the easing of the lockdown.

If allowed the same freedom as garden centres it would mean that the zoo could begin to recover. They already have a one-way system in place along with open air measures safeguarding both public and animals. Visitor numbers are to be limited to 500 to enable social distancing to be observed.

Keep safe. Keep Well.

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

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