November 2017 groby spotlight online by Michael Wilkinson

St Philip and St James churchyard in Groby takes on a red hue HITS THE HEIGHTS

In celebration of our community choir, Groby Sings, achieving its 10th season, w IN CELEBRATION of our present songs from The Sound of Music together with favourite hits from previ choir, Sings, seasons. The two community concerts look certain to be Groby a resounding success yet again w achieving its 10th season, the number of choir members currently standing at 300! we Tickets are sure to se quickly so get yours as soon assongs possible from to avoidThe disappointment. present Sound of

together favourite hits3.00pm WHEN? Saturday Music 25th November 7.30pmwith & Sunday 26th November from previous WHERE? Groby Community College (Allseasons. enquiries to www.grobysings.org) fromtothe outlets: TICKETS? Still only The £5! On sale from 1st November two concerts look certain befollowing a 1. Chaplin’s Butchers, Groby: success yet again and we have resounding Tuesday - Thursday 9.00am-1.00pm, Friday & Saturday 9.00am-4.00pm already had an unprecedented demand for 2. Groby Community Library: Sunday tickets such that they have sold out Monday 2.00-3.00pm, Wednesday 2.00-4.00pm in just over a week! At the time of going 3. Any choir member

“WAS IT THE BEGINNING OF THE END?” A lady in the Shell garage on Groby Road, Glenfield asked the attendant the above question. NO. The sun cast a strange red hue over Groby and surrounding areas due to dust particles from fires in Spain and Portugal being thrown about by storm Ophelia on Monday 16th October. Photo By Mike Burns, 5 Meadow Way, Groby. Taken with a 12mm Wide angle lens on a Nikon D7200 camera.

What is Happening to Our Lovely Village? GROBY Parish Council planted about 20 trees on Castell Park a few years ago, and the vandals have had great fun breaking them off one by one. We now only have 6 left after the latest one was vandalised the other week. The meadow has had to be closed, again because of vandalism, (and antisocial behaviour). In recent weeks, a pensioner got her car locked in on the Stamford Park car park. She came to collect it the following morning to find it had been vandalised - mirrors broken, wiper bent and twisted and all four tyres punctured! Come on Groby, start taking some pride in your surroundings while there is still something left!

to press there were still tickets available for Saturday but these are sure to sell out quickly so get yours as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. WHEN? Saturday 25th November 7.30pm – doors open at 7.00pm Sunday 26th November 3.00pm - doors open at 2.30pm (SOLD OUT) WHERE? Groby Community College (All enquiries to www.grobysings.org) TICKETS? For SATURDAY ONLY - still only £5! From the following outlets: 1. Chaplin’s Butchers, Groby: Tuesday Thursday 9.00am-1.00pm, Friday & Saturday 9.00am-4.00pm 2. Groby Community Library: Monday 2.00-3.00pm, Wednesday 2.00-4.00pm 3. Any choir member

Lost an earring? AN EARRING was found on the Memorial Park in Groby, close to car park off Sycamore Road. It is a silver teardrop shape with a hole in the centre. It was found approx 27th October 2017. Obviously the claimant must produce the other earring. Please phone 07505 963910.

NEXT ISSUE The next issue of Spotlight will be out over the weekend of 16th & 17th December, by which time we’ll all be in Christmas mood. Adverts and articles are required by 2nd December please.

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

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

VAN ROBBERY IN GARENDON WAY

BHGE’s charity camping weekend raises £1675 for Help the Heroes STEVE MITCHELL and Mamie McGlinchey, volunteers from BHGE Druck, organised a charity camping weekend to raise money for the company’s chosen charities, Loros and Help the Heroes.

ON 24TH OCTOBER 2017 between 00:24 until 00:52am, this man broke into my van at my home address on Garendon Way, Groby and cleaned out over £2000 worth of Milwaukee drills, circular saw, SDS drills, DAB radio, Makita drills and a TomTom Sat Nav. If you recognise him, or have any information please contact Beaumont Leys Police Station, quoting crime number:17000459164. He is also walking about the village checking doors as he has been seen doing this on our neighbour’s CCTV system as well on the same night, so please be vigilant.

Don’t forget to send us your news! Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

The August bank holiday weekend saw over 220 people set-up camp at Lyndon Top campsite at Rutland Water and raise a fantastic £1,675. There was plenty to keep everyone entertained with karaoke, a live band, a raffle, casino and bouncy castles. Mamie McGlinchey, Project Manager and BHGE volunteer said: “The weekend was a huge success! Everyone really enjoyed themselves and the weather was fantastic. We’re so pleased with the amount we managed to raise and would like to say a huge thanks to everyone who supported us by coming along, donating prizes and entertainment”. Local people and businesses generously donated raffle prizes and their services free of charge. Thanks go to Electric Rainbows who supplied the bouncy castles, rock band The Bezumos who performed for the 3rd year running, entertaining everyone on the Saturday night, and Ben Field for the hugely popular karaoke. Thanks also to the Stamford Arms, Studio J, Groby Chinese, Cook’s Farm Shop, Groby Chip Shop, Leicester City Football Club, Groby Ex – serviceman’s Club, the Bull’s Head Ratby, and Bingham and Co. Solicitors for their raffle donations. Steve added: “The volunteer team at BHGE worked really hard to organise the annual camping weekend and special thanks go to volunteers Steve Waterfield, Ela Kodenska and the management at BHGE Groby for their continued support. Come and join us in 2018!

Why call someone when you can just decide where you and your friend want to meet by exchanging 76 text messages?

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

Jottings News in Brief with Norman Griffiths

Less than a month to Groby Christmas Fayre PLANS ARE now well advanced for the Groby Christmas Fayre on Saturday December 9th. As previously mentioned in the Spotlight this will be a 3 in 1 event at the Village Hall. In addition to the Bradgate Rotary Fayre there will be the switching on of the village Christmas Tree lights and in the Council Chamber a chance to find out what the council does and talk to councillors over a cup of tea or coffee. There’ll be live entertainment, with a band playing in the car park, a raffle, a bouncy castle, dancing, face painting, Ring the Bell challenge, Hook a Duck, and as you’d expect a visit from Santa. He’ll be switching on the lights but will need some help. Local schools will be taking part in a draw to choose 3 pupils to assist him. Parents and guardians should remember to sign the consent form if they wish their children to participate. It had been hoped that there would be enough demand to have a number of stalls which would raise funds for local organisations or businesses, but there has been little demand. If this interests you call the parish office for the latest information.

Reporting incidents to the police

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THE PARISH Council is asking residents to support their call for an increased police presence in the village. Police resources are allocated to the areas of most need, they are told, so it is important that police statistics include all incidents. The advice is not to ignore problems but to ring 101(calls cost 15p fixed rate) with the details and ensure you are given an incident number.

New Holly Cottage planning application WITH THE development in the grounds of Holly Cottage on Rookery Lane almost complete local residents were surprised to hear that another planning application had been submitted. A small strip of land shares a boundary with Groby surgery is proposed as the site of an additional home. The application says that this plot of land was originally allocated to one of the new properties, however none of the potential purchasers wanted the maintenance responsibilities of this extra area of land. So the developers decided to submit this application for an additional property on this extra site area. No work is proposed to the established hedge, which will be retained and maintained. Two allocated parking spaces can be provided and rear access from the parking bays gives accessibility to the potential new property. The front entrance is accessed by side steps and it is intended to retain the existing stone wall at the front. The planning reference is 17/00982/FUL.

The sound of music

GOT DEMANDING work to do? Put on some classical music. Listening to upbeat classical music may well enhance your brain power, and is better than working in silence.

Such are the findings of a study at Radboud University in Holland. It found that a person’s ability to come up with creative answers to complex problems is boosted by upbeat, happy classical music. On the other hand, avoid downbeat or anxious compositions, which will not inspire you to solve anything very much.

Sure boss, I’d love to take on some extra work, I have like 7-8 free hours a night where all I do is sleep anyway.

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

Have you been told your medicine is out of stock?

Norman Griffiths hears it is a growing problem

HEN A READER who had requested a repeat prescription a week before he ran out of tablets called at the pharmacy he had a surprise. He was told that it was not possible to dispense his prescription because of a shortage of the drug. Although it was something he had heard about on the news in relation to war zones or less developed countries it was not something he had experienced before or expected to hear in the UK in 2017. Was it a failure within the NHS or had there been a disastrous factory fire resulting in a temporary shortage? Perhaps it was a supply chain problem within the pharmacy group, as other chemists in the area had the pills in stock. The truth is that there is an underlying problem, not restricted to the UK, and the pharmacy is not to blame. Pharmacies are aware of the problems and have to work hard to try and manage the shortages. They reported problems as far back as 2012 and last year the All-Party Pharmacy Group (APPG) at Westminster repeated a call for more to be done to tackle medicines shortages. Over half of community pharmacists responding to a survey said they dealt with drug shortages on a daily basis. In the survey, 48% of community pharmacists said they spent 21–50 hours a month dealing with medicines shortages while 16% said they spent 51–75 hours; 5% were spending over 100 hours a month on medicines shortages. Additionally, 48% of community pharmacists reported that patients had needed additional medical treatment, time off work or been caused emotional distress in the prior six months as a result of medicines being unavailable. And GPs reported the same outcome in 36% of cases where medicines were unavailable.

Calls for an early warning system IN A LETTER to the minister for community and social care, the group called for the Department of Health, NHS England and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to establish an early warning system to monitor and detect drug shortages, to help reduce the impact on patients. Twelve months later the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) is in urgent discussions with the Department of Health about the current supply issues and is seeking

immediate action to offer relief for community pharmacy contractors. Following problems at two manufacturers the PSNC says it is aware of the very great difficulties that contractors are having, with both shortage and pricing issues playing a part. If pharmacies cannot obtain generic drugs at the NHS “Drug Tariff ” price a concession may be allowed, but it is only valid for the month in which it was granted and if the problem persists it must be re-applied for.

Pharmacies under pressure THESE ISSUES are having a huge impact on workload and cashflow. PSNC has written to the pharmacy minister seeking urgent intervention to offer some relief for contractors adding, “We have stressed our concern for the ability of some pharmacists to survive the cashflow crisis, and warned of the disastrous impact this could have on patients and other NHS services as we go into the winter period.” One PSNC Member, Mark Burdon said: “Like all community pharmacy contractors, those of us on PSNC are deeply frustrated and alarmed by the current medicines supply situation.” In the October 2017 edition of the Pharmaceutical Magazine he says that some manufacturers allow only a few selected pharmacy wholesalers to stock their medicines. “They have limited the places from which we can source medicines and diluted competition in the market. This makes the market less resilient, so when things go wrong — a power outage at a major wholesaler, for instance — it can be chaos for pharmacies who have to borrow medicines from one another.”

More profitable to export FOR MANY years we could import drugs cheaply, but as sterling has fallen in value importing is often no longer a good way to source reasonably priced medicines. “In fact, generics prices in the UK are now so low,” he explained “that it is not difficult to imagine why the UK market might not appeal to generics manufacturers at all — why would any business want to sell at lower prices when they could fetch higher ones elsewhere? “Pricing is a major worry; when medicines are in short supply they tend to become more expensive, and sometimes we simply cannot obtain medicines for anywhere near the Drug Tariff price ” The PSNC would like to see a simpler process, with the Department of Health (DOH)

making speedy adjustments to address the impact of high price rises. With so many medicines currently affected they are also seeking urgent intervention from the DOH to ensure the resilience of the medicines supply chain.

Well pharmacy explained the problems THE WELL PHARMACY group, whose local branch is on Ratby Road in Groby, has been very helpful in providing a comprehensive explanation of these problems and has gone further, investigating the case of the particular drug that the Spotlight reader needed. “There has indeed been a problem getting hold of a number of generic (non-branded) medicines, and this has affected all parts of the supply chain, including our competitors. This has been an intermittent problem since the beginning of the year,” said a spokesperson. “Because the supply has been intermittent, the product has been available at a level to meet the overall patient need, but at a low enough level that pharmacies will have used the stock on their shelves, and may have been unable to replenish them immediately. What we tend to find is that with a drug that is regularly used but not dispensed each day, the pharmacies who run out first are those who have regular patients using the drug. Other stores in the area may have supplies on their shelves and not ever realise that there has been a shortage.” In this case their enquiries reveal that the problem was sourcing the ingredient that has the effect on the body. It appears for the brand that Well mainly uses the raw ingredient had to be obtained from a different source, which caused an interruption in supply. “In those circumstances,” she continued “we would expect that the pharmacy would have assessed the patient need (did they still have some tablets at home or could it be sourced from a different pharmacy?) and made alternative arrangements. If a customer was able to source elsewhere this would be the preference to reduce the anxiety for customers, but in some circumstance where all pharmacies are out of stock, the pharmacist would liaise with the GP to change to a different drug if there is no available product. This is of course an absolute last resort – everyone in the supply chain works very hard to minimise these events and shortages may be very short-term or intermittent, but they do have a knock-on effect: if one product

Sorry I’m late. I got here as soon as I felt like it.

has a shortage, other brands or strengths are used, and if it is not resolved quickly it can become a wider issue.” One of the manufacturers whose supply has been interrupted told the Spotlight that they had moved their production site but expected their product to be back in stock by early January. In the meantime they thought that supplies would be available from other manufacturers. So if you are told by the pharmacy that they have no stock of the drug you need, don’t blame them. They will have been working behind the scenes to dispense your full prescription.

So what should you do? IF YOU NEED the drug urgently, for example because you have little or none left or are going on holiday, and it’s the only item on your prescription, you could ring nearby pharmacies to see if they have any in stock at the strength you need. Your pharmacist will then give you the prescription to use elsewhere. If you need the drug urgently and there are other items on the prescription, you need to check with the other pharmacy that they also have the other drugs available if you want your usual pharmacy to give you the full prescription. You cannot split the prescription between two pharmacies, so if you leave the pharmacy with those medicines that are available you will have to ask your doctor for an additional prescription. This is inconvenient for you and extra work for your doctor. This is the point at which the real cost of shortages starts to increase despite all the work pharmacists do to ensure supplies of medicines are readily available. Like a stone in a pond the ripples extend way beyond the source.

A last word from Well pharmacy HQ “WE ABSOLUTELY don’t want anyone to worry, or to go without their medication – there is always something that can be done, and the pharmacist and GP will work together to make sure a patient’s condition is controlled.” Other pharmacies no doubt share this objective.

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

Groby Gatherers raise £400 for Guide Dogs Charity

WE ARE very happy to announce that a recent charity Garden Party held in Jonathan Close by “The Groby Gatherers”, raised £400 for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

There were delicious homemade cakes in galore to accompany the tea and coffee, plus: garden plants, books, bric a brac and jams for sale, as well as home-made preserves and fudge. We also had a tombola and bran tub to tempt our visitors. Fortunately the weather stayed kind and there was a large attendance to enjoy our spread and spend their cash on a worthy cause. Grateful thanks go to everyone who supported us and also to all of our fantastic, enthusiastic helpers. We are planning a further event in June 2018 and hope that even more people will come along next time to support another, different, worthy charity.

A good way to fight depression DO YOU often feel low? Well, how often do you exercise?

In a recent study, it was found that people who do not exercise are 44 per cent more likely to suffer with depression. It seems that even just one hour a week can help lift your mood. The research was done by the Australia-based Black Dog Institute. One scientist concluded: ‘If we can find ways to increase the population’s level of physical activity even by a small amount, then this is likely to bring substantial physical and mental health benefits.’

The trick to really enjoying someone’s company is to not spend a lot of time with them.

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

• WANTED: Child’s SCHOOL DESK. Tel: 01530 243686. • 1 pair large RED DEER ANTLERS, 7 pointers on hardwood mount - £80. • 1 large RED DEER ANTLER, 6 pointer - £10. • 1 small RED DEER ANTLER, 3 pointer - £4. All antlers were bought from Bradgate Park. • Large GLASS DOME - 9” high, 8 1/2” diameter. Unused,Gift, suitable for cakes etc. - £25. • Taxidermy Collectable: Attractive TAWNY OWL on branch. Height 14”. (Total height on branch 20”) - £40. Tel: 0116 287 5800 • Morphy Richards mains-operated heated FOOD CABINET. Will keep food hot. Teak finish, 16” x 17” x 36” high. Price: £50.00 (was £199.00). •• Genuine Sherborne POUFFE, brown leather effect, 18” diameter x 12” high. As new. Price: £25.00 Tel: 01530 249735 (Markfield) • Electric Portable CONVECTOR / FAN HEATER £10.00. 26 inches (W) x 17inches (H) x 4.5 inches (D) 11.5 inches inc feet, good working order. • Delonghi Portable Electric CONVECTOR HEATER £10.00 24.5 inches (W) x 17 inches (H) x 4 inches (D) 7 inches inc feet, good working order. • Delonghi CONVECTOR / FAN HEATER £10.00. 25 inches (W) x 4 inches - 6.75 inches inc feet (D) x 17 inches (H), Good working order. • Dimplex Black Stove Effect FAN HEATER £20.00. Electric portable

November Small Ads Pick Up A Bargain! fan heater, Choice of light only or 2 fan speeds. 17.5 inches(W) x 12.5 inches (D) x 21.5 inches (H), Good working order. Tel: 07516 044569 • SEWING BOX/TABLE: Vintage good quality wooden sewing box/ table. Lift up table top to reveal roomy storage area. Also handy pull out fitted drawer for sewing accessories. H24.5” W15” x D15”. Very good condition £20. • Also JAM JARS free to good home. Tel: 01530 242318 (Markfield). • Original Stag Minstel Mahogany Veneer BEDROOM SUITE comprising: - 7 drawer tallboy - 5 drawer chest of drawers - bedside cabinet - dressing table & mirror - three door wardrobe Price: £275 ono. Tel: 0116 2312 954 • Electric Flymo MICRO MOWER. Good condition. £10 • Huack BABY CAR SEAT, use only in rear-facing position for infant less than 0-13kg weight, restraint use car vehicle belt. Black colour with red piper and red cotton details. £8 • Large IKEA LAMP - metal looking, grey colour, the shade in wicker. Lamp tall 2ft and 3ft.2inches around. £5 Mobile: 07706 299833 Please only, text message, Bagworth.

• G Plan 2 ARMCHAIRS for sale. Checkered cream colour. Less than 3 years old. Very good condition. Price:£75 Each. Tel: 07867 806474 (Markfield). • For sale child’s battery RIDE-ON DIGGER. Excellent condition. Make nice Xmas present. Buyer to collect Groby area. Price:£50. Tel 07880 863027. • 7 contemporary colour block Bradgate Park GRAPHIC PRINTS for sale. Last few of very limited print run. 3 x 20”x20” £35 each 4 x 10”x10” £25 each Please email: helenvirginia0508@ gmail.com - and I will send you a photo. Tel:07811 123050 • Bosch slimline DISHWASHER for sale. Hardly used - £50.00 Tel: 0116 287 8323. • Panasonic UPRIGHT HOOVER - 1700w, with tools & bags. Good working order. Price:£20.00. Tel: 01530 249311. • Pair of wrought iron DRIVEWAY GATES. Each gate 3 feet x 4 feet. Price: £35.00 • Wooden CABINET AND DARTBOARD with 3 sets of darts in cases, plus a supply of stems, flights & rings. Price: £25.00. TEL: 01530 244115. • WANTED: Round glass top DINING TABLE - 90cm diameter. Tel: 0116 231 3219. • For Sale: 6ft tall CHRISTMAS TREE - evergreen fern. Price: £10.00. • Set of 4 wooden FOLD-UP CHAIRS. Price: £4.00 Tel: 01530 245482. • CURTAINS: Autumn colours, 56” drop, double width, also linings. Price: £20.00 • Black LEATHER BOOTS - size 8 - worn twice indoors. Bought from shop in Bag Store, Hotel Street. Price: £20.00. • Brown mixture SKIRT - size 14 (Steilmann), Fenwicks. Price: £25.00. Tel: 0116 287 6860.

• FLOOR LAMP - black iron stand with round glass table and cream shade. VGC. Price: £20.00 • Solid wood TV CORNER UNIT suitable for TV up to 32”. VGC. Price: £30.00. Tel: 01530 231928 (Bagworth). • COLLAPSIBLE WHEELCHAIR for sale. VGC and lightweight. Price: £100.00 Tel: 07763 491231 AFTER 2PM (Markfield). • Green onyx/gilt oblong COFFEE TABLE (108cm long x 54cm wide x 48cm high). Price: £35.00 • Black metal Gothic-style HEADBOARD (153cm long x 143cm high). Price: £25.00 • 1950s-style large wooden WALL UNIT (178cm long x 43cm wide x 173cm high). Price: 20.00. • 1970s-style large wooden WALL UNIT (200cm long x 40cm wide x 200cm high). Price: £30.00. • Double door DISPLAY CABINET, glass & mirror shelving. Made in Italy. (60cm long x 30cm wide x 86cm high). Price: £35.00. • Pair of single door DISPLAY CABINETS, glass & mirror shelving. Made in Italy. (30cm long x 30cm wide x 98cm high). Price: £35.00 for the pair. • Circular, tempered glass top, pedestal base DINING TABLE. (105cm diameter). Price: £30.00. • Wooden 1960s-style extending DINING TABLE and 4 CHAIRS. (122cm long, extends to 183cm x 76cm wide x 71cm high). Price: £25.00. Tel: 01530 243553. • FREE ITEMS - to a good home! - Whitewood ROCKING CHAIR - Small TV CABINET - Single gold padded HEADBOARD - Wooden TOWEL STAND - Wood double-bed ‘BOOKCASE’ HEADBOARD. All free. Tel: 01530 245328.

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

The downside of dating intelligent women is having to Google what they call you when it ends badly.

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

National Malaya & Borneo Veterans Association

Laying up of the Standard at Groby Church THE NATIONAL Malaya and Borneo Vets Assoc. is a Military Veterans Association that caters for men and women who fought and served in Malaya, Borneo and Singapore during WWII,through the Malaya Emergency and up to the Confrontation with Indonesia which ended in 1966. The Leicester branch, started about 15 years ago by Peter Randall MBE, GM, as Chair, along with Alan Atkins as Secretary, meets monthly in Groby Club. The Branch has its own Standard which was paraded at various memorial services nationally and at funerals. While visiting Malaya in June 2004, Peter was involved in a collision with a car, which failed to stop, during a monsoon in Penang, he was eventually medically evacuated back to the UK, where, because of not only the strength of his personality, but his physical strength, he lay in a coma for three years, before sadly succumbing to his injuries. Unfortunately the Standard is quite heavy and difficult to manoeuvre by our ageing membership, in the required manner. To put things in perspective, I am, along with one other person at 73 3/4 (you can see I volunteer in a Primary School) the youngest member of the organisation by far. Consequently a decision was made, sadly, that as it was consecrated, we should seek to ‘Lay it Up’ in church. Originally enquiries were made concerning a faculty to place it in St Philip and St James. However, it was decided to remove the Royal British Legion Standard, thus alleviating the need for a faculty and replace it with ours. I duly sought the permission of the Leicester Chair of the RBL who agreed, due to its very poor state, to remove it and later dispose of it, it needs to be burned, with due ceremony. The Reverend Pauline Ashby, the daughter of our first chair, quickly agreed to conduct the Laying up Service and to top it all off her brother, Peter Jnr, eagerly agree to carry the Standard, with a little help, for the ceremony. This very moving service was conducted on Monday 9th October by Reverend Pauline with Peter carrying out his duties with aplomb. The Standard now flies proudly in our church.

Owen Lawrence MBE Chair Leicester Branch NMBVA

Where’s the baby?

FOR WEEKS, as Christmas approached, a six-year old lad kept telling his nursery teacher about the baby brother that was also soon expected at his house. One day the mother allowed the boy to feel the movements of the unborn child. The six-year old was obviously impressed, but made no comment. Furthermore, he immediately stopped telling his teacher about the impending event. As the school was about to close for Christmas, the teacher finally sat the boy down and gently asked, ‘Whatever has become of that baby brother you were expecting at home?’ The child burst into tears and confessed, ‘I think Mummy ate it!’

I hate when a couple argues in public but I missed the start and don’t know whose side I’m on.

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

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Dancers raise charity cash ROXANNE Dinsdale’s students have helped raise thousands of pounds by performing Middle Eastern dance at The Shuttlewood Clarke foundation in Markfield this summer. They have performed at a fundraising event at the New Activities centre there and also helped raise £500 for a Hydropool for a little boy called Ethan.

The millennials and alcohol

HOW THINGS change. Now it seems that going out and drinking too much is no longer ‘cool’ in the least. Instead, clean living young millennials are turning their noses up at such overindulgence – because it was the sort of thing their parents did. Alcohol has fallen out of favour among the young – to such an extent that a recent study found that only one in ten young people consider that getting drunk is ‘cool’. Instead, young people see drunkenness as just ‘pathetic’, or ‘embarrassing’. The data was from a survey by Eventbrite.

Try the tortoise diet HERE IS some encouragement: a ‘tortoise and hare’ approach to weight loss is in the end most likely to succeed, when it comes to the race to shed pounds. A recent study has found that ‘hares’ who crash diet have less success in the long run, compared with ‘tortoises’ who shed a consistent number of pounds each week. A psychologist from Drexel University said that ‘Settle on a weight-loss plan that you can maintain week in and week out, even if that means consistently losing three quarters of a pound each week.’ Just keep going; don’t stop, and you will get there in the end.

We keep a potato masher in a drawer because sometimes it’s fun to not be able to open that drawer.

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

County Councillor’s Report from Ozzy O’shea ASB Groby Pool RESIDENTS will be aware that I have been working with both the Police and the Borough Council in order to reduce Anti-Social Behaviour around Groby Pool. I have held a further meeting recently with the police, officers from the Borough Council and the Meadow Group. The Borough Council have cut back the bushes and brambles and also arranged for the self-setting trees to be thinned making the site more open and visible. We are also working on other measures to make the area more difficult for people to take part in this type of behaviour. We want Groby Pool to be more accommodating for families and visitors to the area. The following statement has been put out by the community safety team. Lewd sexualised anti-social behaviour is an issue which affects many beauty spots across Leicestershire, and is an issue which continues to prevent the majority of visitors to Groby Pool from enjoying the site legitimately. The Parish Council, together with the Borough Council, and Leicestershire police are keen to take direct action against those people who show little regard for the community and abuse the site in this way. With this in mind, if you are affected by this form of anti-social behaviour and have information which may assist us in taking targeted action against those behaving in this way, we want to hear from you. You can contact us in the following ways: • Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council 01455 238 141 www.hinckley-bosworth. gov.uk/contact

• •

Leicestershire Police 101 Crime Stoppers 0800 555 111

ASB/Damage/Thefts from Vehicles RECENTLY there has been a spate of ASB incidents resulting in damage to property around Groby. Over Halloween red paint was sprayed on several garages and cars and also on elderly person’s bungalows around the Stephenson’s Way area. I managed to get the Borough Council to remove offensive words off the wall of a disabled person’s bungalow. This behaviour is totally unacceptable and I would ask anyone with any information to contact the police in confidence on 101. There also been a spate of thefts from vehicles in the Groby and Ratby area. I would urge people not to leave valuables in their vehicles and to report any incidents to the police on 101 or if persons are disturbed committing crime please ring 999. Reporting incidents helps the police to target extra resources to that area.

Update on Average Speed Cameras A50 Bradgate Hill, Groby I AM REALLY pleased to advise that the tendering process for the buying of the average speed cameras is almost complete. As it is not only the County Council involved the outcome needs to be reported in the first instance to the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Road Safety Partnership board which is scheduled for the beginning of November. Following the contract award officers will be able to undertake discussions with the supplier, in order to finalise the

proposals and begin installations of the cameras and ancillary equipment. Throughout the procurement process officers have completed all preparatory works required. This has included structural testing of the infrastructure, traffic surveys at various times and I am sure you have noticed the new signing being erected on the proposed route. As the preparatory works are substantially complete the process of installation of the equipment can be started without delay. It is anticipated that by Spring 2018 we will have a fully operational system which is a great achievement from the initial approval in March 2017 to pilot average speed cameras for community concern sites. Once I have the delivery date I will advise residents.

PayPal Scam Please be aware of the below email PayPal scam that is circulating. Also check the email address from the sender. PayPal will not address you as Dear Customer they will address you by name. Please report any such emails to PayPal. You can forward the email to the following address: spoof@ paypal.com Dear Customer, We emailed you a little while ago to ask for your help resolving an issue with your account. Your account is still temporarily limited because we haven’t heard from you. system detected that your account has been logged From Unknown Device. What’s the problem? We noticed some unusual activity on the credit/debit card linked to your account. • Case number: PP-247-753-669-804 How you can help?

Please take action on your account soon. It’s important that you let us know because it helps us prevent unauthorised persons from accessing the network and your account information. Log in to your Account Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. If you need further assistance, please click Contact at the bottom of any page. Sincerely, Yours sincerely I WOULD like to thank residents and councillors for your continued support. Should you need my help or advice on any matter or issue, I pride myself on always making myself available to residents and councillors and getting straight back to you. Remember I am only a phone call or email away. Kind Regards

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

The Crash By Lisa Drakeford A DIFFICULT second book isn’t difficult if you don’t know it’s your second. I wrote The Crash almost as soon as I’d sent off The Baby. I’d got myself into such a writing routine that I was lost if I wasn’t writing every evening. As advised by virtually everyone in the profession, I submitted The Baby and then put it out of my mind. So what should I do next? All the writing courses I’d attended pushed the idea that YA (Young Adult) should begin with a bang to quickly hook in the reader. I’d done unexpected childbirth in The Baby, so this time I thought I’d send a car hurtling through a front room window and see the effects it had on those involved. I probably spent about three months on this; exploring the relationships between the teens in the car and the teens in the house. I planted some secrets and wedged in some mystery. It was enjoyable; it was exciting. I was in a creative whirl; no, it definitely wasn’t difficult. The difficult bit however, came when The Baby was accepted by Chicken House Publishing and I saw the complex, thorough manner in which books get analysed. From pressing that submit button to seeing it on the shelf in Waterstones, a manuscript is subjected to something akin to a full body scan. Every sentence, every comma, every page enjoys microscopic scrutiny resulting in never ending re-writes. There were three sets of edits, then copy edits and proofs and then still mistakes were found. So when The Baby was finally out, when I’d done everything I could to polish it up, I sat back and thought hard about The Crash. I was now looking at it with very different eyes. Thankfully, this time I had an agent on my side. Anna Power was able to offer neutral, objective knowledgeable advice. She gave me the courage and the necessary nudge to agree for submission when she was happy with the changes made. (Of which there were many). Thankfully Chicken House Publishers liked it. Which was a huge relief and although the suggested changes were once again massive, which involved yet more re-writes (I had to lose one character’s point of view and intertwine his story into the other chapters) it was a much quicker, slicker process. The Crash came out in July of this year, almost two years to the day after The Baby. YA is fun to write. It’s dramatic, it’s lively and it’s short. It suits my writing style. There is a Book 3. It’s sitting with Chicken House at the moment, but if they don’t like it, then Anna has plans elsewhere. I haven’t forgotten where all this started. I haven’t forgotten watching those Groby teenagers come into the library, scan through the shelves and troop to the desk with a pile of books which they’d consume in days. That’s where I got the idea from, that’s where I got my inspiration. I hope the library is still going strong. I hope it’s still very much the heart of the community. Books of any genre, I believe, are hugely important. George R.R. Martin, of Games of Thrones fame says “... a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge...” So, with that in mind I shall keep reading and hopefully in-between, do some writing.

Santa’s on his way! IT’S GETTING closer to Christmas and Santa is on his way …… Look out for a visit close to you! Christmas is on its way and it won’t be long before Santa is out and about in our area doing a few test runs on his sleigh to check that all is in good mechanical order before the big night!!! Santa will be with Bradgate Rotary Club on the following early evenings hoping to meet lots of children, their parents and grandparents and to help us raise funds for our local charities (Rainbows Children’s Hospice, The Shuttlewood Clark Foundation and The Joe Humphries Trust) • 12th December – Santa visits Ratby (Old Bull’s Head) around 5.30pm – 7.30pm • 14th December – Santa visits The Stamford Arms and Leicester Road, Groby around 5.30pm – 7.30pm • 15th December – Santa visits The Co-operative Store, Laundon Way, Groby around 5.00pm – 7.00pm Look out for the “Santa Stops Here” signs appearing nearer the time around his route – it will let you know precise times of his visit! Ho Ho Ho!

I like to start my day by having a nice cup of coffee and then scrolling through the internet for 12-14 hours.

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

National Trust Leicester Association IN ADDITION to owning large country houses and many other types of buildings the National Trust is also a large land owner. In fact in this year’s “Country Life” league table of land owners, the Trust is ranked second with 630,000 acres of land. This land is also maintained and even improved in the same way that the Trust manages and restores its buildings. One good example of land management here in the East Midlands is the work that has just begun on the River Dove on our land in the Peak District. In the early 20th century groups of anglers built over one hundred weirs across the river to create pools they could stock with farmed trout. However the weirs trap silt which blankets the gravel river bed where wild trout would lay their eggs and which is also needed by invertebrates. Working in partnership with the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Wild Trout Trust and local fishing clubs the Trust are starting to breach the weirs to restore the natural fast flow of the river across the rocks. This allows the gravel bed to become exposed and provide places for wild fish to spawn and invertebrates to live. Firstly however a full heritage assessment of the weirs was carried out to identify the most historically important ones and these will not

Removing weirs by hand in Dovedale be breached. Also the silt was tested to ensure that it would not pollute the river when it started to move downstream. The work is also planned to be carried out over many years to allow the impact to be carefully assessed. That said, the Trust believes that the project will also improve the beauty of the valley for visitors by making the river “wilder” and more natural looking, returning it to the rugged landscape admired by preVictorian painters and writers like Izaak Walton. • THE NT LEICESTER ASSOCIATION has an afternoon meeting on Wednesday 22nd November when David Bell will present a talk entitled “Ladies of Leicestershire”. The meeting will be

held at St Guthlac’s Memorial Hall, Holbrook Road, Leicester at 2.30pm. •THERE WILL ALSO be an evening meeting on Tuesday 12th December at The Braunstone West Social Centre, St Mary’s Avenue, Braunstone at 7.30pm. Colin Stewart (NT) will present an illustrated talk entitled “Calke Abbey, Medieval Priory to Elizabethan Mansion” Admission to both meetings is NTLA members £2.50, visitors £4.00, including refreshments. For details of the NT Leicester Association and its Talks Service for other organisations please call 0116 222 9133.

Alan Tyler, Publicity Officer

Being an adult is just walking around wondering what you’re forgetting.

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

What’s been happening at Martinshaw School Rev’ Ed visits Martinshaw

an Olympic standard racing bike. £14,000 will get a reasonable second hand one. Hummm!

Bikeability Year 6 Year 6 performed well once more during Bikeability week, earning praise, not only for their considerable skill, but their overall enthusiasm and politeness. Well done.

Exploring the Universe Imagine the surprise when children arrived at school to find a mobile ‘Space Dome’ had been set up in the School Hall. The school was delighted to welcome Rev’ Ed, or as he is officially known, The Reverend Dr. Ed Bampton, the new Rector of the Benefice of Groby and Ratby. He had agreed to lead the school’s Harvest Festival Assembly and quickly delighted the children with his interactive and inclusive style. A number of children had been selected to play various percussion instruments to accompany the school’s two Harvest Songs, which they did with gusto. One year 4 student was heard to say afterwards, ‘I like the new vicar, but he’s a little bit strange because he made us all laugh’. Out of the mouth of babes, eh ? The contributed produce was later collected by members of St Philips and St James Church to be donated to the Welcome Project in Leicester.

Year 5 meets the Brownlees Along with other schools, year 5 made their way to Charnwood college excitedly looking forward to meeting Alistair Brownlee one of the Brownlee brothers, Olympic and World triathlon Champions. However, not only meeting this world famous athlete, but participating in a Triathlon in front of him.Enthusiastically swimming, cycling and running as part of the Brownlee foundation, set up by Alistair and Johny to encourage young future athletes from both schools and sports clubs. Our budding Olympians returned to school full of excitement, wondering if their family could perhaps, possibly, lend them the money to buy

Lots of swishing of canes and very stern teachers In the meantime, year 5 spent the day touring the Locksmith’s House firstly, learning how to scrub clean the washing (parents and carers take note). They then had a go at ‘rag rugging’ and key cleaning. But, to cap it all, the chance to toast bread over an open fire. Let’s face it, it doesn’t quite taste the same done in a boring toaster. Much more fun scraping the black bits off and then eating it.

Ghoulies and Ghosties stalk the corridors Martinshaw School Association (MSA), with help, ran the annual Halloween disco for KS1 and KS2, and once again parents and students joined into the spirit of the occasion (spirit, get it), well never mind. Anyway, some of the costume had to be seen to be believed, it’s quite scary actually the vivid and dare I say macabre imagination of the children. I bet even their own families wouldn’t recognise them, except of course they probably made them up in the first place. Years 6,5,3 and 1 were accommodated in turn inside the dome to sample the wonders of our own solar system and to gaze at the star constellations in our night sky. They were encouraged to ask questions, one of which was, ‘Why is Pluto no-longer a Planet’. The instructor explained that it was not considered big enough, but scientists were exploring the possibility that they have, in fact, discovered another planet, far out at the edge of our Solar System.

Black Country Museum and Locksmith’s House As part of their studies into the lives of our Victorian ancestors, year 6 visited the Black Country museum taking part in a ‘Fun History Detectives’ session, investigating the lives of real children who lived in the Black Country, getting a small taste of what life was like for children in the mines, and scariest of all, what it was like if you were lucky enough to attend school.

An added touch this year was the addition of carved pumpkins and glow sticks. I’m glad to say everyone got home safely and no-one had suspicious puncture marks in their necks, not at the time of going to press, anyway.

Owen Lawrence

I’ll be doing a book signing today at WH Smith from 2pm until they kick me out for writing in random books.

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

Groby Wine Circle GROBY Wine Circle is a very sociable group which usually meets on the third Monday of the month at Groby Community College. Speakers are invited to give talks on a variety of interesting topics after which there is a chance to catch up socially over a drink with a cheese and French bread. Throughout the year we organise fun nights out such as skittles, quiz nights, meals out and visits, etc. October’s formal meeting was held on Monday 23rd . After a view reminders about the forth coming skittles night and the Christmas meal we were treated to a talk (with slides) given by our guest speaker Mike Lee titled “A Brief History of Invention”. Mike, a railway enthusiast to say the least, took us through inventions and inventors mainly of steam driven equipment starting during the Middle Ages through to the middle 20th century. We were reminded of great people such as Pepys, Newcomen, Watt, Stephenson and others and how steam was used to power simple beam engines to pump water from mines as deep as 2000 feet to, farm ploughs, fairground engines and railway engines to list only a few. Out of this came few other British inventions such as standard size screw threads (Armstrong Whitworth), evolvement of cars (the transfer engine design by Alex Issigonis) and four wheel drive. Given time there could have been many more. Future events and guest talks include: • Monday 20 November - The funny side a travel (from a travel agents point of view) • Wednesday 13 December – Christmas meal at Ashfields, Earl Shilton. • Monday 15th January – Darjeeling and the last Himalayan Kingdom. We have a book sales table at each meeting where books can be purchased for a donation. All proceeds go to a local Leicester charity. If you feel you would be interested in coming along or would like more information about our Wine Circle please contact either: Dave Cooper (0116 2392844) or Robbie Grundy (0116 2393853).

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Marriage is mostly misreading facial expressions and asking each other, “ you ok?”

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

Groby Gardening Society News Talk on Orchids by Keith Bates A FULL room of garden society members came to listen to Keith Bates who has been growing Orchids since 1980 after he first saw orchids growing on concrete posts tied with string at Kew Gardens. He started with 4 plants and now has over 400 plants and exhibits all over the world. There are 32,000 species and millions of hybrids of these plants which Confucius claimed as the Emperor’s flower, whilst the Romans ground the root and used it as an aphrodisiac. The advent of the Edwardian age saw the craze for orchids by the rich gentry and were mainly kept in their Orangeries. Auctions of orchid plants were regularly held in Liverpool and London. Sadly, the advent of World War 1 saw their demise as many of the gardeners of the large estates went off to war never to return. These great gardens then became neglected and many orchid species were lost. The first of the 3 main orchids groups is the “Phalaenopsis or Moth orchid” The second is the “Butterfly orchid” (the common name of several species) The third is Catleas, and these are the most exotic and often used for corsages and can be grown successfully in most centrally heated homes. The Phalaenopsis family in the wild, stick to trees and grow sideways as they take their nutrients from the surrounding atmosphere. In our homes, a weekly feed of Miracle grow at a ¼ strength was recommended by Keith and every 5th feed needs

to be clear water. It is very important to allow plants to dry out before re-watering. Several other tips were given regarding watering:1) Don’t overwater your orchids. Probably weekly is often enough in summer. 2) When the roots are green, they are fully watered. 3) Water from the bottom and do not allow water to collect in the crown of the plant. 4) In winter months, only water monthly but continue to mist. All orchids need some humidity and a light misting of water with the plant held downwards will help. Also, placing clay pebbles in the tray or pot the orchid sits in will provide humidity. Mealy bugs can be a problem on Phalaenopsis and Keith recommended “Methylated spirits “used on a cotton bud to gently wipe them off the plant. If you need to prune your orchid, get a sterile blade and cut the flowers off at the base of the stem or by cutting the flower off above the node on the stem. Yellowed leaves can be removed when they are ready to fall off. Every one enjoyed the talk and many questions were asked and it seems highly likely that many of the garden society will now be growing orchids successfully.

Gardening in USA WOW! What a treat we had at our October meeting. Doug Stewart was one of the most entertaining speakers we have had for a fair old time. He spoke about gardening in America, but his pedigree in Britain is enviable. He has a B.Phil. degree from Hull University, is a Master of Horticulture and was Head of horticulture at Bishop Burton College. He started by gently poking

fun at our American cousins, but behind this façade it was clear that his admiration for them, and the way they lead the world in some aspects of gardening, was unfettered. He introduced us to The Dynamow. (This is a lawn mower adapted to be pulled around by a cyclist.) He also quoted the amusing(?) statistic that 400,000 Americans have accidents with their pillows, mattresses and beds per year! Another quirky aspect of American garden centres, now mirrored over here in some towns is their catering and pampering of pet dogs. In these places owners can dine as their pets also dine and Frosty Poms (a dog’s ice cream) and dog beer can be found on offer. Also, dogs can be “fragranced” for Christmas. Spruce and cinnamon and citrus are favourite perfumes! Doug has been a representative for the R.H.S. on several American visits to study their garden management styles and how they manage large numbers of volunteers. A feature of the large centres is their displays form actual laid-out gardens and all items in them have reference numbers. Customers note these numbers on items they want and proceed to the check-out. (Sounds a little like IKEA). Also it is common for customers to see a long border and buy some of it by the yard. “I’ll have 25 yards of the white and green border please”. A computer then picks the relevant plants which are delivered to the check-out. Also, container plants are grown in biodegradable boxes impregnated with fertiliser. Simply burying the box forms the planting. Much of Doug’s presentation featured world renowned gardens and their designers. One planned a 20 mile route around Boston and this entirely consisted of a garden or gardens linked together. Trees, bushes, flowers and children’ play areas were all present. This is known as Boston’s “Emerald Necklace”. The same designer made Central Park in New York. The wealthy industrialist, Pierre Du Pont, who founded the Dupont chemical industry, designed a garden

I’m so hip, even I’ve never heard of my favourite band.

called “Longwood”. This is now one of the World’s best, partly due to Du Pont’s legacy. His simple will left all his wealth to his garden. The gardeners there want for nothing and apparently, even after mind-boggling expenditures, can only manage to spend a quarter of the interest of the legacy!! An example of this profligacy lies in the Amazon lily pond. Here, there is a dedicated full-time worker whose task is to valet all the plants, including cleaning all of the leaves. There are magnificent fountains, but the renovation of these recently cost $90,000- a mere trifle in their pot of money. This account hardly does justice to the sweeping scope of Doug’s slide presentation, but hopefully gives a taste of what our members enjoyed.

Three-day trip 2018 AT THE November meeting a vote by members decided upon Llandudno as next year’s base for our three day trip. The hotel will be the premier hotel in this resort and is called The Imperial. (check its web site). A good take-up for this trip is needed to make it viable due to the higher cost of the hotel. There will be more detail and a signing board at the A.G.M. in January.

Coming Up Dec.5th: 40th Anniversary Lunch Dec. 14th: Annual Christmas meal & entertainment Jan.11th 2018: Annual General Meeting If you like the sound of what we get up to, why not come along to a meeting and try us out. You will be most welcome. Our monthly meetings are held at 7.30pm on the second Thursday of the month in the United Reformed Church rooms on Chapel Hill. Details about membership and the events programme can be obtained from Eric Atherton. (Tel. No. 0116 287 6637) or E mail e.atherton637@ btinternet.com

Alvar Johnson

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

News from Lady Jane Grey School Harvest donation to the Co-op food bank

CHILDREN at Lady Jane Grey Primary School have held their annual Harvest assemblies. Parents and carers were invited in to hear and enjoy their poems, songs and prayers. The children had brought into school donations of food to be distributed to the local community. As well as filling 13 large boxes (decorated by The Breakfast Bunch), that were sent out to recipients nominated by the children, we were able to fill two large shopping baskets to donate to the Groby Co-op’s Food Bank. The idea came from Ruby, a Year 1 pupil, because she realised there were “people in need”. Kenny Hardy, Manager of the Co-op, was delighted to receive the donations.

Mayor O’shea visits the school

ON WEDNESDAY 25th of October the Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Mr Ozzy O’shea, visited Lady Jane Grey for the day. He was taken on a tour of the school and classrooms by the House Captains; all the children were pleased to see him and shared what they were currently working on in class that day. Following this, the School Council, House Captains and Vice Captains were given the opportunity to interview the Mayor. The children asked the Mayor lots of different questions including: Why do you wear a chain? How much is it worth? What is the best/worst thing about being a Mayor? Do you get paid a lot to be the Mayor? Do you have a chauffeur driven car? How long have you been the Mayor? The Mayor answered all the children’s questions and the children found it very informative. The Mayor also let two of the children try on his chain and they were surprised as to how heavy it was. The Mayor had lunch with the House Captains and the senior leadership team and the children were able to chat further with him and ask him more questions. During his day, he also found time to officially open the new school healthy snack scheme “Fruit to Suit” which is an enterprise scheme being run by our Year 5 students.

Diwali Celebrations

ON FRIDAY 13th October, Lady Jane Grey celebrated Diwali with a day of exciting activities through which the children learnt all about the festival of lights. The children had a great deal of fun (and made a great deal of mess!) making Diya lamps with Mr Heaney. They also made Rangoli patterns and Mehndi hand patterns, and enjoyed acting out the story of Rama and Sita. A definite highlight though was Bollywood dancing with Mr Josephs and Miss Burrows. This children loved this activity, and at the end of the day the whole school enthusiastically took part in a mass performance. The children really enjoyed learning about Diwali, and look forward to taking part in other RE days throughout the year.

HSA Spooky Disco and HSA purchases

ON MONDAY 30th October, the HSA organised two Spooky Discos for Key Stage one and Key Stage two. The children dressed up in their best scary outfits and we were impressed with the effort taken, especially with the hair and make-up! The children enjoyed dancing with their friends, playing games and having a drink and snack. With the money raised, the HSA have been able to fund some outdoor play equipment for the children to use during their break and lunchtimes.

Planetarium visit

ON TUESDAY 24th October, Year 5 kicked off their new topic “Stargazers” with a mobile planetarium visit in the school hall. Children entered the dome to a visual spectacular of the planets within our solar system. The children loved the experience of travelling around the solar system and learning all about different planets, conditions on each planet and how long it takes them to orbit the sun. Later in the session, they witnessed the many constellations and heard some of the stories behind them, which originated from the time of the Ancient Greeks. An exciting and brilliant way to start our exciting new topic!

To Advertise, ring Mike Wilkinson on 01530 244069

My dog and I both freak out whenever the doorbell rings but we run in opposite directions.

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

News from the ALLOTMENTS THIS TIME of year usually sees a falling off of produce to gather in and a slowing down of jobs to do on the allotment, apart from removing all weeds which could seed over the winter. However, this week I picked two juicy red strawberries from the plants on my patch, and there are plenty more green ones ready to ripen if we have a few days more warmth and sunshine! Strange times!

A Large Mole Seen On Ratby Road Plots EVEN stranger goings on were seen recently! Early on the morning of the 25th of October, we witnessed an unusually large mole working a metre underground of the car-park. You could feel the ground throbbing through your feet just standing over it! No don’t worry, we are not facing an invasion of supersized wildlife, it was an ‘impact mole’ used by Severn Trent approved specialist company Aquatrack, who specialize in underground hole boring to lay water pipes. We closed the car-park for one day only as the company were experts in their profession. Of the four quotes obtained, Aquatrack’s was the most competitive and this “moling” was the chosen and cheapest way to bring a new water supply to the newly built raised beds for the disabled. The process was quick, caused very little surface disturbance, and was utterly fascinating to watch! First the mechanical digger dug several holes one metre deep and about ten metres apart. The first few were in the car park but this presented o problem as it went through the compacted mill waste of the hard-standing car park like a hot knife through butter! Then the “mole”, about one metre long and just a bit larger than the proposed water pipe, was introduced into the second hole, pointing in the direction of the first. It was lined up and the “mole” then throbbed or pulsed, slowly working its way in the direction of the first hole. This vibration could be felt on the surface, a strange experience! The aim was good, and it emerged on target into hole number one. ABOVE: The metal mole emerging, one metre down An attachment was – Bang on target then screwed onto RIGHT: The water pipe being pulled through by the the nose and the new withdrawing mole water pipe attached. The mole was then gently pulled back the way it came, and a new pipe was laid. Eventually the Come and Sing standpipe was erected. However, we hope we don’t see any more supersized animals on the allotments though or we may not believe our eyes!

More Animals

Songs of the Spirit

WE DO have more animals, of normal size, on the Ratby Road site, although in truth they are birds, not animals, and relatives of dinosaurs, as we heard in last month’s Spotlight! Two of our tenants keep hens and we have some really lovely specimens. They are highly crossed hybrids of classic Rhode Island Reds. They have been a great attraction, especially for children and grandchildren over the recent halfterm and we have all learned to appreciate their soft calls. They all line up on the ledge of their house around feeding time, looking out for dinner! In the tenancy agreement, we are only allowed to keep hens or rabbits (not as pets!) these days although in days gone by, pigs were kept on the allotments, grown to supplement the diet of the quarry workers. We still have an old brick-built pig sty standing though, which nowadays serves as a rather upmarket shed. I bet it could tell a tale or two!

Carol Lincoln

Sunday 19th Nov 3.30-5.15pm Groby Village Hall Songs from around the world that make your heart 'sing' Songs of joy, liberation and peace with Christian roots Come and add your voice to the harmonies, no singing experience necessary All ages are welcome although we ask that parents help us maintain a peaceful atmosphere. Led by local professional musician No booking required. £2.00 donation at the door. Tea and cake included.

for more information contact Karen 07739 555015

Social media manners THERE IS ‘good practice’ and ‘bad practice’ in just about everything we do, not least our social media habits. No wonder that when Vogue magazine recently published a ‘modern girl’s guide to social media etiquette’ (which encouraged constant self-promotion), a daily national newspaper* responded with ten of its own ‘commandments’ for good behaviour. We paraphrase them here: 1. Don’t be a food bore. By all means post a photo of your impressive home-made birthday cake, but not a running commentary of what you are having for breakfast, lunch and dinner… 2. Don’t get into political arguments. No matter what you say, someone is going to disagree, and it could turn ugly. So minimise the potential damage: keep your politics to live conversations. 3. Don’t do the humblebragging stuff. Especially, don’t boast about all the running/cycling you do with comments like ‘sad to see that I only clocked up 15 miles today… must do better…!’ 4. Use those hashtags and emojis sparingly – after all, by now you can spell lots of words; you are not 10. 5. Beware of cut-and-paste – some people have even managed to tweet their passwords that way. 6. If you are in a row with a family member, don’t start tweeting about it. It never improves the situation. 7. Looking for a restaurant or other information? Don’t use social media as a search engine: ‘Can anyone recommend… ?’ Ask Google, instead. 8. Don’t make cryptic whinges. You know, like the ‘some people aren’t worthy of a place in your heart’ variety. Don’t moan, rant or rave on social media: save it for the privacy of your own home. 9. Double-check the recipient list. The consequences of not doing so could be very embarrassing… 10. Know when to put your phone down. Remember it is okay to talk to people who are standing right in front of you, to eat with two hands, and to walk down the street looking around you.

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

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I love it when people play music in their cars so loud that I can hate it too.

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

Letter

Volunteers required to help inclusive football club I AM A Coach for Leicester City Football Club Woodgate Inclusive I speak on behalf of Leicester City Woodgate Inclusive Football Club based in Leicester.

Cat News from Lindy Hardcastle

UR SENIOR cat Olaf is a lovely, affectionate creature. When he comes into the house he hurls himself on the living room floor to be stroked. He revels in his early morning cuddles, joining us in bed for attention and chicken for breakfast (I only get tea, toast and the Guardian crossword). He just doesn’t like cats. Fair enough, not everyone does. Given that we have to frisk the living room floor every morning for random bits of dismembered rodents, Peter has been acquired the nickname Mao Tse Tung (Mousey Tongue). (Note to editor: I would like this this to be considered as my formal entry for the Spotlight’s prestigious Worst Pun of the Year competition.) Inevitably his arch-enemy Olaf has been renamed Chang Kai Sheck . Younger readers may need to consult google or their grandparents. In the unseasonably warm weather at the end of October the ivy that fringes our garden was in full flower and alive with bees and butterflies. Peter was in full hunting mode, but fortunately failed to catch any bees. He is sitting on the sofa behind me as I write this. He will join us for supper then watch a little TV snuggled up to me (he is too big for my lap). He recognises the sound of David’s car and trots out to meet him. Even when he bites the back of my leg to remind me he hasn’t been fed for half-an-

hour, it is affectionately done. My lovely friend at Bradgate Stores tells me she has recently acquired a kitten. Given that she already has three dogs the newcomer has been named Snack. She tells me he has survived so far with only a scratch, but then he did jump on one of the dogs’ head. Travels in our converted horse box, affectionately known as Doris, have ended with the close of the motorbike racing season. On a recent trip to Aintree we stopped off overnight with friends in Chorley before a six o-clock in the morning start. I decided to stay in bed – a four foot high platform built over the bike space. This was a mistake. I was hurled about like a teddy in a tumble dryer, unable to get down or attract David’s attention in the cab over the noise of the engine. Then he put a CD in the player and the bizarrely inappropriate strains of the Beach Boys singing Good Vibrations did nothing to improve my temper. The last outing of the season was to a hill climb in Catterick where I set off for a walk to escape the noise of motor bikes and ended up lost on an MOD firing range. I was rescued by a sidecar racer (also lost) who returned me to the racing paddock. My first time on a motor bike since I was sixteen and didn’t know any better. Happy days.

We are appealing for help for a very worthwhile cause that allow children and adults from disadvantaged back grounds to gain better confidence in mind and body through football. Our club was formed in May 2007 after the late Mary Rudkin, and Paul Gibson of Woodgate 80 FC formed a partnership with Mary’s Leicester City Ladies FC. We have 70 players and provide football for male and female players from aged 6 to adult. We are always looking for volunteers and sponsorship for our club. We provide fantastic opportunities for players, youngsters, adults, males and females with learning, physical, sensory disability or special need or mental health matter. One of our sites in which we train is at Saint Margaret’s Pastures, Frog Island, near Abbey Park, for players 16 and over in Leicester from 4:30pm onwards till 6pm on a Thursday evening although volunteers themselves are expected to arrive a bit earlier…. Players 6 to 16 play at New College in the Sports Hall with Paul Gibson 4:30 till 6:00pm again. We are always on the look out for players and volunteers we have various roles available from support worker buddy roles, to assistant coaches to coaches. Training can be provided but all that it takes is a caring and friendly personality and a need to show willing, whether or not the applicant has an all round interest in playing or watching football! You don’t necessarily need an ability to kick or handle a ball alls it takes is a have a go attitude as volunteers do not necessarily have to be skilled at football themselves, they could be a complete novice regardless of ability, background or age! We are actively looking for sponsorship. The club is currently searching for new volunteers and your readership are very welcome to observe what we do, week by week, all year round... If you think you can help this worthwhile cause, please contact me.

Mark James

LCWIFC Coach Leicester 07414 701515.

Christmas turkey

A GENTLEMAN walked into a restaurant and asked the maitre d’, ‘Can you please tell me how you prepare your Christmas turkeys?’ The maitre d’ solemnly replied: ‘Yes. Well, we let them know right up front they’re not going to make it.’

My boss says I intimidate the other employees, so I just stared at him until he apologized.

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

LOROS Open Day raises nearly £11,000 for Hospice LOROS’ Open Day saw more than triple the amount of people visit the Hospice than last year and raised nearly £11,000 in what was a hugely successful event for the charity. Complete with live music throughout the day, a pop-up bar and a range of craft and food stalls, the day drew in a total of 2,585 visitors. The Big Day Out at LOROS, which raised just over £10,800, included fun activities for all the family, giving visitors the chance to see what a Hospice really looks like from the inside. Yasmin Mears, who helped organise the event, said: “We were overwhelmed with the amount of people who visited our Big Day Out on Saturday; I think the whole team is still on cloud nine.” The Leicester Rapid Relief Team offered to organise the BBQ for the event, with all 600 of their burgers being sold within the space of one-hour-and-a-half. Also outside was a Prosecco cart and a children’s train ride, with LOROS Local converted into a pop-up Pimms bar. For younger visitors, there was a petting zoo, face painting, tombola and plenty of craft fun to be had. There was plenty to keep the adults entertained too, including a raffle, along with a number of food and craft stalls to help them indulge in a day of retail therapy.

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

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BOOK SPOT: 25 Crafts for Christmas by Christina Goodings, Samantha Meredith, Lion Children’s £5.99 Here is a craft for every day of Advent, or just to keep children entertained in the run up to Christmas. You can make decorations, your own Christmas cards, and a variety of gift boxes and trimmings. Each activity is wonderfully simple with only a few steps to each craft and will give satisfying results in minutes - or hours can be whiled away with glittery embellishments.

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Redgate Christmas Open Day – Saturday 9th December

Father Christmas Grotto in the hay barn! COME ALONG one and all to the next Open Day at Redgate Farm Animal Sanctuary, Shaw Lane, Markfield.

This special fundraising day will take place on Saturday 9th December from 11am – 3pm. Father Christmas and Mrs Claus will also be ‘holding court’ in the hay barn, from 12 noon until 2pm; it will cost just £2 to chat to them and to receive a lovely gift. There will be all the usual fun things to do, as well as baked potatoes (and lots of home-made cake) to eat. And don’t forget to look at the animals too! We will be re-launching the Redgate page and website soon, so feel free to take lots of photographs and send them to us. It will be free to enter our Open Day, but we hope you will support our activities and displays (and raffle of course!) to help us towards paying our vet’s bills. Email: Redgate@mail.org telephone 01530 243 925, or visit any day between 10.30am and 3.30pm.

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

The Magical Christmas Tree is Coming to Groby! GOING BACK a few years now, every now and then, Groby Village Hall used to stage musical entertainments. On Saturday December 16th this tradition will be revived (just as we are all hopefully getting into the festive swing) in the shape of “The Magical Christmas Tree”. This seasonal musical extravaganza will combine the talents of Blaby born local songwriter Pete Morton, fiddler and clog dancer, Emily Sanders, and squeezebox virtuoso Chris Parkinson. They combine their talents to produce a top notch evening full of music, dancing, laughter and hopefully a bit of audience participation. There are normally a few surprises and past performances have even seen THAT Slade song thrown in. It is guaranteed to provide a better night’s entertainment than staying in and watching “Celebrity Ironing”! There will also be a “surprise raffle” and there will be a few mince pies on offer plus tea and coffee but if the audience feel like something stronger they will be able to bring their own booze and nibbles. Tickets are £10.00 and can be booked in advance by contacting Dave or Julia on 0116 2871895 or 0771 1996210 or email Dave@acorn4.demon.co.uk.

Dave Taylor

European Tour for Local Musical Director JAMES HARRISON, of Groby, has been appointed as Musical Director for a 6 month European Tour by the 12 Tenors. James has been passionate about music and the musical theatre for very many years. At the age of 11 he won a Dyson Music Scholarship to the Loughborough Grammar School. He went on to study music at Leeds University, and this year he gained a Master’s Degree in Musical Direction from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. James is very experienced as a Musical Director. For four years after graduating he was the MD for the Leicester Theatre Group where he put on acclaimed performances of Cats, Les Miserables and Into the Woods, to name but three. He has been the MD and rehearsal pianist for the Loughborough Amateur Operatic Society and MD for a pantomime season at the Little Theatre. In August this year he was the Musical Director for a four week performance of Into the Woods at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where he received wide acclaim for his musical direction of the show. James has also put on a one-man charity concert where he played piano, clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax and baritone sax. Of his upcoming European Tour, James said he was really looking forward to the challenges and the enormous opportunity to tour and work with such a famous and talented group as the 12 Tenors. The tour starts in Germany in November until the end of April.

If you only read one article in this edition make it this one Norman Griffiths looks at some of the challenges facing the Parish Council THERE ARE three tiers of local government. The County and Borough Councils have big budgets and a wide range of staff from technical and professional to clerical and manual. The third tier is the Parish Council, with a much smaller budget providing a more limited range of services delivered by a handful of staff and for some functions sub contractors. At the County and Borough level councillors work hard to listen and react to problems, represent the views and needs of the parish and influence outcomes. But at Parish Council level the role of the councillor is different. Yes, there is the function of planning for the future, deciding what needs to be done and making it happen but, unlike the County and Borough, there is no army of support staff ensuring that it happens, just Alixe, the Parish Clerk and her team. Parish Councillors have a choice. They can attend meetings, read the documents, participate in the debate, vote on decisions and go home, and that can be a valuable contribution to the running of village affairs. Alternatively they can do all those things and get more deeply involved making the best use of whatever skills they bring to the role. Vacancies on the Parish Council are never easy to fill. Perhaps that’s because folk have no time or have a mistaken Vicar of Dibley notion of what goes on at parish level. It certainly is not because residents are not interested in what happens in Groby, as the recent success of the Parish Poll indicates. The council would create less work for itself if it did nothing to improve the facilities in the village. If there wasn’t a BMX track, an outdoor gym, or play equipment, for example, there would be no maintenance or replacement issues and no vandalism to repair, just grass to mow. But the village would be poorer as a result. In addition some of the problems that the Parish Council faces are perceived to be coming not from outside the wider local government hierarchy but from within, as you will see if you read on. On the afternoon of Saturday December 9th there will be an opportunity to talk to councillors at the village hall over a cup of tea. When you have read about some of the challenges being faced you may want to find out more about what the council does and how you could help. SOME OF THE CURRENT CHALLENGES The Klondike is the issue that won’t go away. Nearly six months after the (non binding) Parish Poll the Council is still trying to get the Borough Council to deliver on the promise of a Compulsory Purchase Order. Meanwhile a planning application has been received which if approved could result in the conversion of an existing structure into a modern bungalow. The fear is that this is the first step towards the more extensive development of the site which would destroy the hopes of turning it a recreational area with Groby Juniors Football Club as the preferred tenant. If you want to see the full details and comment just Google GrobyLinx and follow the link. Anti Social Behaviour is another recurring issue. Around Halloween the equipment at Quarry Park was vandalised and made BBC regional news, and cars and homes in the same area were sprayed with paint. The Groby Pool car park difficulties continue and some councillors feel that pavement parking issues also fall under this heading. Roll into the mix criminal activities like burglary and the issue of policing is one that the Parish has pushed for years. The short period when a committed officer made a difference on the streets of Groby ended when he was transferred. The Parish Council would like him back and has discussed with Ratby Parish Council the possibility of a joint approach to Lord Willy Bach, the Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner. As a former Mayor of Lutterworth he will be well aware of the problems faced by local communities. Housing is never very far from the Parish Council agenda. The opposition to the development next to the cemetery took years to resolve and large amounts of your money. In time the process is likely to start again, but even before this the alleged shortage of development land beyond Groby’s boundaries will probably lead to other areas in the village that you think are safe from development coming under threat. This is why the council is supporting the creation of a Neighbourhood Plan, and needs residents get involved. Affordable Housing is in short supply in Groby and the Brant development should have made a substantial contribution to meeting the demand. It wasn’t to be, as the Borough believes it had no option other than to do a deal with the developer and accept a cash contribution of around £30,000 for each of the properties that Jelsons could then sell on the open market. The Parish Council is committed to challenging how this decision was made. Longer term planning is essential for the Council, for example on the development of the cemetery extension. It isn’t something that just happens and the existing Parks and Cemeteries Committee has its work cut out keeping on top of existing tasks. These are just a few of the balls the council has in the air at any given time. There are skills out there in the community that could make a contribution to the smooth running of the Parish Council and make the village a better place for you and for the next generation. Residents can step forward and help or step back and possibly watch all they love about Groby slowly drift away.

I like a woman that makes me feel alive, but also lets me know that it might not be for long.

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

Tim Lenton writes

Kyoto Protocol 20 years on IT WAS ALMOST 20 years ago, on 11th Dec 1997, that the Kyoto Protocol, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas and combating global warming, was adopted at a conference in Japan. Over 190 countries signed the agreement, which came into effect in 2005. Canada withdrew in 2012.

Each developed country was given its own specific target, while developing countries signed a general pledge to cut pollution. Further provisions were added to make the deal palatable to other interest groups. The compromise treaty was by no means perfect. Rich countries could buy their way out of emissions cuts, and poor countries didn’t have to do much at all, although their emissions continued to grow. The US Senate refused to ratify Kyoto, and the current President, Donald Trump, has said the US will withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which came into force in 2016. Overall, global emissions have shown no sign of slowing down since Kyoto: in fact they’ve risen steadily. In 2015 the Met Office said there had been no discernible rise in aggregate global temperatures since 1997, though this has been disputed. Climate scientists maintain an impressive consensus on anthropogenic climate change, though the phrase “global warming” is now much less used. A minority remains unconvinced

Groby Village Society Forthcoming Events

Supported by Groby Parish Council

Bygone Christmas Event

Christmas Tree lights Switch on 9th December 1.00pm – 6.30pm at Groby Village Hall and Car Park. Entrance: £1 on gate ( under 8’s free when accompanied by an adult) Santa’s Grotto - £7.50 per child includes entry into the grotto and present from Santa (book your time slot early at The Stamford Arms to avoid any disappointment- limited availability!) Games, Food & Refreshments and Craft Stalls Christmas Music/Singers and more… All monies raised will go to Bradgate Rotary Local Charities (Rainbows Children’s Hospice, The Shuttlewood Clark Foundation and The Joe Humphries Trust)

Algorithms and romance don’t work MATHEMATICS, it seems, cannot predict true love.

Even the most complex of algorithms simply cannot guarantee that two people are going to fancy each other. So be wary of any dating app or website which promises you that they have found the perfect ‘formula’ for matching you up with the stranger of your dreams. In a recent test at the University of California, researchers painstakingly did calculations for compatibility on dozens of single people, based on 100 variables, including such traits as extroversion, ambition, sense of humour, intelligence, political views or religious persuasion. To their dismay, not even one of their ‘predicted couples’ worked out. The result was zero. One scientist concluded that, perhaps, ‘Romantic desire may well be more like an earthquake… than a chemical reaction involving the right combination of traits and preferences.’

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

Telephone

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

Thursday November 23 From the Fury of the Norsemen Deliver Us Sandy Leong

Meetings are held at Groby Village Hall Starting at 7.30pm. Except for October which will be at Groby Library Starting at 7.30pm. For Further Details Contact Hon. Secretary Mr. P. Castell Tel. 0116 287 9842 email: groby.villagesociety@ tiscali.co.uk Non Members are Welcome

NEXT ISSUE OUT ON: 16th December 2017 DEADLINE: 2nd December

The only thing I don’t like about sitting down is how I go up 5 waist sizes.

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

Honour for Hazel — She’s solid gold! WEIGHT LOSS Consultant Hazel Hickson was recognised for the exceptional work she does to support people in the area to achieve their dream weight at a national event for Slimming World’s most successful Consultants. Hazel provides a super service helping her 180 members in Groby to eat more healthily, get more active and build confidence. She was invited to Slimming World’s ‘Gold and Pearl Day 2017’ hosted at the Nottingham Belfry resort by the company’s senior directors last month. The event was exclusive to the organisations 70 highest-achieving Consultants to celebrate the outstanding service they consistently provide to their members. Hazel is a Consultant for the Groby Slimming World groups, and the invite puts her in the top 2% of the organisation’s 4,500 Slimming World Consultants across the UK, meaning Groby is home to some of the best slimming support in the country. As part of the day, which was themed around ‘courage and kindness’, Hazel, was invited to share some of her learnings from running her awardwinning groups and to inspire other attendees to continue to ensure fantastic weight losses and members’ success. All guests at the event were treated to a healthy Food Optimising lunch and drinks reception at the Belfry resort and, as well as hearing from the company’s senior Directors about the organisations key developments and plans for the year ahead, they were invited to take part in an interactive Q&A session with the company’s founder Margaret Miles-Bramwell, who popped in to meet the attendees in the afternoon. Hazel says: “Helping people from Groby to achieve their dreams makes this the best job in the world and to be recognised nationally for doing something l love really feels fantastic. “Having the chance to get together with other high-achieving Consultants from across the country to share ideas and experiences is yet another example of the of the superb support that we get as Slimming World franchisees. My job is flexible and rewarding, and although I’m self-employed I feel extremely supported. It’s one big family.

Slimming World’s ‘Gold and Pearl Day 2017’ hosted at the Nottingham Belfry “Gold and Pearl day was such a special event to be part of - I think I spent most of the day smiling! I headed home to Groby that evening absolutely brimming with ideas for helping my members, and I can’t wait to use what l’ve learnt to take the support I give in group to the next level. I know what it’s like to struggle with your weight and, as a Slimming World member myself after joining in 2007, I also know that with the right kind of support you can really make long-term healthy changes to lose weight and keep it off for good. Being able to eat to satisfy my appetite on lots of normal everyday foods like fruit and vegetables, pasta, rice potatoes and lean meat makes a big difference!” Slimming World has 48 years of experience in helping people to lose weight and lead healthier and happier lives. Its famous Food Optimising eating plan, based on the science of satiety and energy density, empowers members with the knowledge of how to satisfy their appetites and lose weight without calorie counting or obsessive weighing and measuring. Group support, led by Consultants who have lost weight themselves, is based on a deep understanding of the challenges faced by overweight people and recognition that those who struggle with weight carry a double burden, the weight itself and a burden of guilt and shame about their weight. Hazel Hickson, with her Gold Award This support helps slimmers to make sustainable changes to their behaviour so that they can lose weight and keep it off for the long-term. All Consultants receive in-depth training from the Slimming World Academy to help give their members the support they need to make long-term changes to improve their health and wellbeing as well as passing their new habits on to their family. To join Hazel’s award-winning Groby groups, which are held every Thursday at 9.30am at Groby Community Centre and 5.15pm and 7pm at Brookvale High School,in the Dining Room, either pop along or give Hazel a call on 07817 303018.

Being a stay at home mom is a hard job but at least my boss naps twice a day.

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

WE HAVE had quite a bit of variety this month and there was I thinking we weren’t doing much. Various members went on trips to the theatres and “do’s”. At the DeMontfort Hall the Royal British Legion held their Festival of Remembrance, as always enjoyable and very moving. The Grimethorpe Colliery Band was outstanding. The always popular Ceri Depree the comedy female impersonator had our ladies rolling in the aisles, when I asked for an example of some of his turns, they replied that they were too ladylike to tell me, that takes some believing. His take-off of Edna Everage along with loads of other impersonations were brilliant. He finished up as himself and as usual was great. The Leicestershire & Rutland Federation now have a scheme whereby two local WI’s team up and meet for a variety of events. Groby has been teamed up with Oadby a member of the Fernie Group. There was a get together which, of course, meant quite a bit of chatter but they were entertained, and kept quiet, by a group of singers. A total of 28 diners went to the ever popular Pie Night at Beaumanor Hall, lots of good, old fashioned food plus a very social time. If you wish to have a good “nosh” Pie Night at Beaumanor is the place but not by those on a diet. We visited a new eating venue for

Groby WI NEWS

us, a lunchtime visit to Middletons which was the former NatWest Bank on St. Martin’s. Perhaps I am a little biased but I remember it in its former life as a beautiful building which I always enjoyed visiting it. I think it is a shame so many of these places have disappeared. However, we enjoyed a pleasant meal, although it felt rather spacious for the few people who were there at lunchtime but apparently it is very popular at night. Our October meeting was a visit by Maxine Geary and two of her friends. We were asked to bring diaries along and depending on which size they were, we were to make either hedgehogs or angels. I thought mine was a small one but once I got started it took me quite a while to actually reach 1st January. That was because I had one with loads of useful information at the beginning i.e. weights and measures, special occasions etc. Those with just dates had a good headstart but mine did finish up

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

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

fatter. I must admit most did look like hedgehogs or angels, the hogs had two buttons for the eyes and one for the nose. I gave my hedgehog, a shade of red for the eyes and a darker red for the nose, it looked as though it had been on the bottle. The best part of the evening for me was the social part. You cannot sit with others and not chat plus a lot of laughing, a good evening I thought. We had our first Derbyshire walk for sometime, we don’t walk in summer. The new track around Calke is now complete so it means we can go quite a distance on a proper track. The weather was just great and the autumn leaves, etc gorgeous. I went as usual to Calke on Wednesday and the noise from the rutting deer was deafening. I watch the biggest stag walk around and gather about 10 hinds who dutifully followed him, whilst the smaller stags just stood and watched. I felt a bit of a peeping Tom but it was very interesting. There is always the weekly walk to Glenfield Country Market and the monthly one led by Kathleen which is usually local. I must mention our Carol. Carol has been in charge of tea duties for thirty years and has now decided to retire from that job. An orchid was presented to her and of course our many, many thanks. We never had to think about that part of a

meeting, we knew Carol could always be depended upon to have our cuppa and biscuit at the ready. There were also two more presentations at this month’s meeting. It was Evelyn Ward’s 90th birthday. Evelyn has been a stalwart member for more years than I can remember. She was presented with a lovely plant and our congratulations along with, of course, the singing of Happy Birthday. The second presentation left me gob-smacked and that doesn’t happen very often. I have for quite a few years been organising the trips but had decided to retire from that job. I honestly didn’t expect anything but was thrilled to bits to also receive a plant. I keep trying to retire gracefully but that is something I shall never be! I also found myself acting as President at this month’s meeting, they must have been desperate. Next month’s meeting is on the l6th November and it is our AGM. This should be a formal and serious event but that has yet to happen at ours’. We spend most of the evening having a social time so if you want to join us you would be very welcome. So we shall be there at 7.30p.m. at Groby Village Hall and look forward to seeing you all, visitors are always very welcome.

Margaret

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

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

Gluten is the only thing left holding this family together.

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

Canon David Winter recalls when Coronation Street ruled…

When Soap was King

THIRTY YEARS ago next month, the much-loved character Hilda Ogden left ‘Coronation Street’ (to be ‘her doctor’s housekeeper’). The audience for that programme was one of the largest in ‘Corrie’s’ long history.

That year, 1987, was just about the acme for British soap operas. We’d got the idea from the Americans (the name refers to the way they financed them – advertisements for domestic goods like soap). In the UK, ‘Coronation Street’, already 30 years old, was being challenged by the BBC ‘soap’ ‘East Enders’. Between them, they ruled supreme in the ratings, usually first and second, with ‘Emmerdale’ and ‘Neighbours’ not far behind. What has happened since then? The audience for soap operas – ‘everyday stories of ordinary folk’- has slipped down the ratings. In the last figures I saw, ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘East Enders’ had both lost a third of their regular audience over those 30 years. Top of the TV rankings was ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ followed by the painfully brilliant drama series ‘Dr Foster’. Times change, of course, and so do tastes, but it’s something to consider at the close of the year: why does an escapist, celebrity-based dancing competition and a truly brutal portrayal of a loving marriage breaking down and a 16-year old boy in distress, attract more viewers than that regular visit to old and familiar friends in a kind of endless serial story of no great consequence? Escapism, or catharsis?

What a funny lot we are!

Markfield writer launches her first novel ‘Drawn Together’ MARKFIELD writer Di Lockley’s first novel ‘Drawn Together’ will be launched at Markfield Community Library on Wednesday 13th December. Please come along for a free coffee & nibbles between 10.30-12.00 in the morning or between 7.30-9.00 in the evening. It tells the story of a female patient named Comfort, who has been in an asylum for far too long. She arrived in the latter part of Victoria’s reign and appears to have no intention of ever leaving. Her time in the asylum is inexorably intertwined with the lives of others in a Leicestershire village and, in particular, its rectory. If you’ve always wanted to know what life in a local asylum was really like, then this book is for you. You’ll be intrigued how Comfort, a definite introvert, eventually builds up a strong relationship with one of the later, asylum admissions, a vicar’s daughter. All the characters are fictitious, but whenever the Superintendent is mentioned, his actions are very true to the character of one that once worked there. The author has been studying the Asylum Records at our County’s Record Office for many years. She has previously published two other books on the asylum, which give actual details of individuals who were once patients there - both adults & children. The cost of the book is £8.99 with payment only by cash or cheque, if you decide to purchase a copy.

Newbold Verdon Jazz Club

CHRISTMAS

at REDGATE FARM ANIMAL SANCTUARY! LE67 9PW

Saturday 9th December 11am – 3pm

Special guests Santa and his Elves will be in the Redgate Grotto 12 noon – 2pm Just £2 to visit Santa and Mrs Claus and receive a gift! Nativity Stable, Tombola, ‘Hook-A-Bauble’ home-made Cakes and Jams, and hot Baked Potatoes!

VISIT FROM THE LEICESTER FIRE BRIGADE

NOVEMBER’S concert saw The Phoenix Jazzmen making a welcome return visit to the club.

They entertained us with a selection of tunes made popular by the likes of Louis Armstrong and Chris Barber, including China Blues, Whistling Rufus and an excellent rendition of Dans La Rue D’Antibes played by Terry McGrath on soprano sax. They were supported by the dynamic vocalist Sheila Fawkes who sang several numbers including Cake Walking Babies from Home and St Louis Blues. Judging by the calls for an encore the audience obviously enjoyed the performance. On December 1st we look forward to welcoming The Sussex Jazz Kings back again. Always a popular band I’m sure it will be a great evening. Do come along and join us at Newbold Verdon Social Club and enjoy a festive mince pie and Xmas raffle. Doors are open at 7.00pm and the music is from 8.00 – 10.30pm. Admission £9.00 For more details contact Kelvin on 01455 822824.

AT THE BHGE SITE, EVERYONE WELCOME IT’S FREE NO BOOKING REQUIRED JUST TURN UP

1 GE Title or job number 11/12/2017

I hate when I’m running on the treadmill for half an hour and look down to see it’s been 4 minutes.

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

Borough Councillors’ Monthly Report THE FOLLOWING article was received by the Borough Council in October and is reproduced with the permission of Leicestershire Police:A project, called Darwin, was initiated by the Force several months ago in response to a continued increase in demand and at a time when we are policing a growing population and an everchanging crime profile. It was launched to look at how we manage and respond to demand, how our resources are allocated, and how we investigate incidents reported to us. Extensive and detailed scoping work was conducted, which mapped our demand from first point of contact to conclusion, and subsequently concluded that a new operating model was needed to enable us to continually evolve and adapt. As a result of this work, a number of recommendations were made to chief officers and the Police and Crime Commissioner which focused on: • Putting officers back into neighbourhood policing areas to improve integration between neighbourhood policing teams and investigative functions • Streamlining our investigative processes • Decentralising resources wherever possible The recommendations were recently approved with a series of changes due to be implemented over the coming months. These changes include: • The establishment of a triage desk in the Contact Management Department This aims to triage incidents as they come in and ensure they are allocated to the right team at the first opportunity for further

investigation. This teams also aims to manage the operational demands across the force is in a real time way. • Creation of a new Neighbourhood Investigation Unit The Force currently has a number of centralised teams who investigate crimes. This change will see that investigative function put back out into the neighbourhoods and co-located alongside Neighbourhood Policing Teams. It aims to ensure the victims gets a better service and to improve our investigative and local problem solving capability I am sharing this information with you at the earliest opportunity and the Force is now working with our officers and staff to implement the changes agreed, which will be done in phases over the coming months. Project Darwin will also continue, with other areas of our operating model in scope, and I will ensure that further plans and proposals are communicated to you. Been subject to a crime? Or want to prevent one from happening? Go to www.leics. police.uk/support

Klondyke Update Because of the support of residents for the recent Parish Poll we would like to draw the public’s attention to a new planning application which is for the replacement of an existing building with a new dwelling on the land known as the Klondyke . It is an application that will be of considerable interest to the

Martin Cartwright Call: 0116 287 4500 Mobile: 078 50 70 70 50 E-mail: hbbc@appliancehome.co.uk Write: Maverick House, 10 Pine Tree Avenue Groby, LE6 0EQ Quarry and the residents of Groby. The application number on the Hinckley-Bosworth Planning website we invite people to look at is 17/01002/FUL

Neighbourhood Plan ON THURSDAY November 9th Martin and I attended a further meeting with a number of residents, who

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

had expressed an interest in producing a Neighbourhood Plan for Groby. A representative of the Rural Community Council gave a presentation on the background, aims and benefits of a Neighbourhood Plan. Further expressions of interest from residents would be welcome. Please contact the Parish Clerk on 0116 287 6985 or email parishclerk@groby.com

DON’T BE ALONE CHRISTMAS DAY

Come and Join us at

ST MARY’S CHURCH ROOMS ANSTEY

For

DINNER AND FESTIVITIES For people over 70 in Anstey and surrounding villages TRANSPORT CAN BE ARRANGED

TO BOOK YOUR PLACE PLEASE RING

07979 607099-Kerry Sharpe or 0116 2368811-Julie Ford

There is no charge for the day, we just want everyone to have the opportunity of being with others on what can be a lonely day

Before marriage, men would wander parking lots aimlessly because they had no one to point out the open spots.

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

News from Elizabeth Woodville Primary School We are all authors!

Digging Deep!

THIS MONTH has had an English focus with our learning theme ‘Nose in a book’ and we were delighted to welcome author and illustrator of the Isadora Moon book series, Harriet Muncaster to Elizabeth Woodville.

YEARS 3 and 4 have been busy finding out about rocks and the layers of the Earth.

Harriet Muncaster talked all about her journey in becoming a published author and taught us all about the importance of editing our work. She also shared her top writing tips for success! We also enjoyed an artistic masterclass as the children were taught how to design their own Isadora Moon characters using her art style. Look at the amazing character we designed for Mr ‘Dragon Wizard’ Coleman! We all had a FANG-TASTIC day!

I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll ‘try’ to blow your house down! FOUNDATION continued our reading theme by learning about traditional tales, starting with the 3 Little Pigs. The children were intrigued to discover which would be the strongest material to use to keep the pigs safe from the Big Bad Wolf. So, another Elizabeth Woodville science investigation was underway! First, the children wrote lists to decide which materials they would need to use. Next, they became architects, using graph paper, rulers and protractors to design what their houses would look like, including a wide range of shapes and carefully measuring doors and windows. Finally, the children collected their materials and built a straw house, a brick house and a wooden house ready for the experiment. A giant fan was used as the Big Bad Wolf and the test began, the straw house was soon blown away! The stick house lasted longer, but wasn’t strong enough! At the end only the brick house was still standing! The children then evaluated which materials they would choose in the future. We all now know why bricks are used so often for our own houses.

We found out about the layers of soil and put different layers, such as pebbles, sand, clay and topsoil into a bottle with some water. We shook it and watched how the layers settled. We then constructed a model out of Plasticine and cut it down the middle to show the different layers, compete with excellent labelled diagrams in our books, using key terminology. During the last week of term, years 3 and 4 celebrated the end of our topic on Tremors with a trip to The National Stone Centre. We went on a rock trail, and managed to see a range of fossils in rocks. We imagined what they would have looked like so many years ago! We all really enjoyed panning for gems and were allowed to take home the gems we found. The staff at the Stone Centre were really impressed with our knowledge of rocks. The weather was perfect and we all had a lovely day. For the finale of our ‘Tremors’ theme, Class 3 and 4 created Roman pots that could have been found in Pompeii. They were given a design brief to create pots suitable for a Roman party and became ‘Real life’ designers, working through a similar design process that professional artists and designers would use today. The results were amazing, I’m sure the Romans would have been proud to own and use some of these beautiful pieces.

Change for Life ON FRIDAY 3rd November, several children from Year 3 and 4 were lucky enough to attend a Change for Life event in Hinckley. They participated in lots of fun activities and games and even made a smoothie by riding a bike!

A Royal Visit YEAR 1 AND 2 launched their topic ‘Bright Lights, Big City’ with a patriotic day learning all about London, the Queen, the history of the Union Jack and the National Anthem. We completed the day with a Royal Garden party and played some old fashioned, traditional games. The children even had a chance to sing the National Anthem to the Queen when she made a surprise visit!!

Happy Diwali! YEAR 2 had an amazing visit to Catherine Infants School to celebrate Diwali. They were treated to a fantastic performance of the story of the history of Diwali, with singing, dancing and brilliant acting. It was a thoroughly enjoyable morning and the children at Catherine Infants have been invited back to see the Key Stage 1 Christmas play in December.

We’re all strangers here, some are just stranger than others.

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

Live & Local

What’s On at Local Pubs & Clubs Groby Ex-Servicemen’s Club Leicester Road, Groby Tel: 0116 287 1809

Wednesday Evenings: Bingo From 8 pm. With Members Jackpot Also Raffle. Thursdays Line Dancing With Jeff From 8 pm

Friday 24th November: - CRAIG SEENEY - Unbelievable Talented Young Man Saturday 25th November: - DOUBLE TROUBLE - We Welcome These Ladies Back Friday 1st December: DOMANIQUE - Excellent Female Vocalist Saturday 2nd December: - LAUREN MAY - A Fantastic First Time Young Lady Friday 8th December: - NEIL WARNER - Lively Local Male Vocalist Welcomed Back Saturday 9th December: - THE ROGUES - Brilliant 2 Piece Friday 15th December: - HEIDI DEACON - Excellent Female Vocalist (Bingo & Entertainment Carling Suite) See Below Footer for Concert Room Event Saturday 16th December Afternoon CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY (Members Children & Grandchildren, See Notice Board In Club)

Last Friday Of Each Month - Andy’s Quiz Night. Every Saturday Bingo In Lounge With Free Supper For All Players From 8 pm. Every Sunday Dancing To Organist From 8 pm. £2-00 Entry On Door With Raffle/Eight Houses Bingo(Optional) Charity dance on Fridays: • November 24th. Also includes a raffle and a short bingo session All Enquiries To 01530 230205. Also Room Hire Available For Any Occasion.

The Club Thornton, Main Street, Thornton LE67 1AH 01530 230251 Sky & BT Sports. Free concert room hire. New Garden. Bingo on Tuesdays Sat 25th Nov: WELLARD WILLY rock covers band Sat 2nd Dec: FINDING GEORGIA American style country rock band

Saturday 16th December: CRACKERJACK - Comical 3 Piece For A Night Of Laughss

The Club Bagworth, Station Road, Bagworth LE67 1BZ 01530 230205.

Sat 16th Dec: THE SWINGFIRES rock n roll, swing, jive, & blues band Sat 23rd Dec: PUNK & DISORDERLY - punk rock band

Every Monday From 8 pm, Dominoes With Supper £1 -50.

Boxing Day Afternoon: THE DIRTY WATER BAND

Every Tuesday From 8 pm Target Shooting With Rifle And Pellets Plus Tuition If Required£2-00.

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

Wednesday Afternoon From 2-4 pm Tea Dance £1-00 With Tea/Biscuits.

RATBY METHODIST CHURCH

Saturday 18th November 10.00 am to 1.00 pm Copperfield’s Crafts

LFE Film evening features Rachel Weisz LFE Film Evenings will be showing on Thursday 7 December “My Cousin Rachel”. Category: Period drama, mystery, romance. UK 2017, 1hr 45min. A young Englishman plots revenge against his late cousin’s mysterious, beautiful wife, believing her responsible for his death. But his feelings become complicated as he finds himself falling under the beguiling spell of her charms. Cast: Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Iain Glen Venue: the Parish Hall, Kings Drive, LFE. Cost: £5. On arrival complimentary hot drink and biscuits are provided. You also get a free raffle ticket for a double ticket prize to be used for a future showing. Doors open at 7.00pm; showing starts at 7.30pm.

Great Expectations

You can make a water-bed more bouncy by using spring water.

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

Newtown Linford Lunch Club

Lunching Ladies IN THE past year we have again enjoyed a wonderful variety of talks. Amongst others we have heard about Laura Ashley; Christmas round the wireless; Working with Mother of Pearl; Mount St Bernard’s Reformatory and Touring South Africa in a camper van. More recently Joy and David of the Bark Foundation came to tell us about the wonderful work they do for an orphanage in Cameroon. One of the ways they raise money for the charity is by recycling old jewellery. Joy and her helpers brought some along so we were able to treat ourselves without guilt! Our summer outing this year was to Waddesdon Manor, the glorious French chateau Ferdinand de Rotheschilde built to entertain his friends in at weekends. It was a beautiful day, the house is full of treasures and the garden looked glorious. Upcoming talks include Chris Knight on Pantomime; Felicity Austin on Weddings and Sally Henshaw on Nell Gwyn. Do come along and see what else is on our programme. We meet at the Forest Hill Golf Club in Botcheston once a month on a Wednesday for a three course meal after which we are entertained by a speaker. There is a friendly atmosphere, the venue is pleasant. Why not give us a try? The three course meal with coffee is £16. If you decide you would like to join our club membership is £20 per year; this pays for the speakers. For more details or to book a meal phone 0116 429 1458. Our club is called The Newtown Linford Lunch Club but you don’t have to live there to join.

Wiped out

JUST GOT home and found all the windows and doors open and everything has gone.

What kind of sick twisted person does that to someone’s Advent calendar?

Are your double glazed windows STEAMED UP or

MISTY?

There’s no need to replace the whole window we will replace the glass unit for you.

Repairs to ALL PVCu and Aluminium Windows & Doors

Just call our small, friendly firm - whether it’s one window or a full house - with approximate sizes, and we’ll give you a price OVER THE PHONE or a free call out if you prefer.

Window Services Repair & Replacement Specialists: Est. 1982 167a Dominion Road, Glenfield, Leicester LE3 8JB

Telephone/Fax:

0116 287 5395 Tomorrow is a big day for me at work. They are refilling the snack vending machine.

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

06/11/2017

Word Search Puzzle

UK SURNAMES Wordsearch Forgot username or password? Passcode/Create Ne IF YOU can find 12 OF THE MOST COMMON SURNAMES IN THE UK in this issue’s Wordsearch puzzle, you could win yourself a meal and a drink. This Solutions for Districts Freemonth we are offering a tasty prize of: A Main Course for Two, plus A Bottle of House Wine at The FieldHead Resources Hotel. What We Offer Who We Are Teachers Parents

C H N S H S Y O K P W U U D L O B

J Q C M T K E F L N B U Q B R L W

Z Z U A I Y X N X P K E P X Q B F

O F B I M M T B O U Z Q I M P Y O

J B W L S U P Y D J W J S M G B E

Q Q O L M W O G Y K S T R E B O R

C D F I T R B W V Y A U T W S U P

S A M W E H Q G E B F F V H I X U

W V Q N D G O N C S T M Y F H D M

To go into the draw, all you have to do is find - and mark a line through - 12 of the most common surnames of people living in the UK.These can run vertically, horizontally or diagonally (and backwards!). Send your entry to: ALIAS SMITH & JONES, Groby W P F N G S F W & Field Head Spotlight, PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT to arrive by Saturday 2nd December 2017. Remember to include your I E S K N Q A Y name and address. The first all-correct entry drawn out of the hat will L D B A S L A P win the prize. Good luck!

S O N W M T E E X E T D O P

O E S A O A G J E A E O I A

V L R N G J S K Y Q I S L A

N E B E H T L L F T I U L Y

K R O Z O O O K G C W V H G

W K J Z L R J N O I W B M G

D I C Q N W O R B I M Y F B

X P T R J A S R R F O E R V

Here are the 12 SURNAMES you have to find:

BROWN • DAVIES • EVANS • JOHNSON JONES • ROBERTS • SMITH • TAYLOR THOMAS • WALKER • WILLIAMS • WILSON Name: ................................................................................................. Address: ................................................................................................ .................................................................Postcode: .............................

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

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

The Latimer Players presents BROWN

DAVIES In Cuckoo Land, a Christmas Alice EVANS Pantomime by Peter Nuttall JOHNSON

JONES THE EVIL QUEEN of Hearts is determined that Christmas ROBERTS will be banned from her realm and Santa ends up locked in SMITH the dungeons. TAYLOR Are Old Mother Wobbly, her daughter Alice along with some familiar THOMAS friends from Wonderland, able to dissuade her and return the joy of WALKERto Cuckoo Land? Christmas WILLIAMS Join Alice, The Cheshire Cat and The Mad Hatter and see WILSON

if they can save Christmas. The Memorial Hall, Thurcaston. Leicestershire. • Thurs 23rd Nov 2017 Created by Puzzlemaker @ 7:30pm • Fri 24th Nov 2017 @ 7:30pm • Sat 25th Nov 2017 @ 1:30pm • Sat 25th Nov 2017 @ 5:30pm Ticket prices; Under 5’s free with paying adult. 6-12yrs £4.00, Others £7.50 For tickets please email latimerplayers@yahoo.com or contact Christine on 0116 237 6855

at DiscoveryEducation.com

It’s good to share!

If you enjoyed reading this issue, please pass it on to a friend or relative when you’ve finished with it. Thanks! Just saw someone having pizza delivered to their house at 8 am and I realized I need to step my game up.

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

Jottings News in Brief with Norman Griffiths

Lamp post poppies POPPIES on lampposts have become popular and Groby Parish Council is considering participating in 2018. They are aware that some might object to money being spent this way, even though it is for a good cause, so are inviting comments from residents. It may be hard to believe that someone would steal remembrance poppies off a lamppost, but facts are often stranger than fiction. Volunteers had been busy decorating areas of villages near Bolton to raise money for the British Legion poppy appeal in the build up to Remembrance Day. A man in a van stopped, took two of the poppies and drove off.

No Blues Awards this year A READER has asked why there was no request to support local musician Aynsley Lister in the British Blues Awards poll this summer. The answer is that, sadly, the validity checks that are made have shown that technological advances have made it easier to indulge in multiple voting and influence the outcome. “Our priority at the moment is finding a workable model for the voting procedure where we and the general public can have faith that the public vote is fairly and accurately conducted,” said a spokesperson for the awards. “We can’t go ahead with the awards without a solution”. If they can find one which is viable, and cost effective for a non-profit making organisation, they’ll be back in 2018. In addition to the usual mix of British and European gigs this year Aynsley and the band, accompanied of course by wife and manager Steph, headlined at the Playing with Fire music festival at Midtown Crossing in Omaha in the USA in July. “14th time is the charm,” organiser Jeff Davis said. “After offering UK guitarist Aynsley Lister a spot 13 times in a row, he has finally accepted our offer to appear at Playing with Fire.” But it’s home for Christmas and on Sunday 10th December fans will get their festive treat when the band appear at The Musician venue in Leicester. The Listers will be hoping for good weather in December as they head to the south of England and then work their way back north for the last preChristmas gig at The Caves in Edinburgh.

Celebrate Christmas with the

Tudor Singers Friday 8th December 7.30pm St Philip and St James Church, Groby

The Caves is described as an architecturally unique venue in the city centre. The space forms part of an underground 18th century sub structure underneath The South Bridge known as The Vaults. The entire location has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is made up of a restored series of interlocking brick walled vaults. There was once so much whisky stored here that it became known as “Whisky Row”. That’s one way to keep warm in Edinburgh.

Camels IN A LITTLE girl’s Christmas drawing, two of the camels were approaching the inn, over which was pictured a huge star.

A selection of Christmas music, monologues and carols surrounded by the sparkling Christmas Trees Tickets £5 to include a glass of sherry or fruit juice and a mince pie. Tickets from church or telephone 0116 231 2070

The third camel and its rider were going directly away from it. ‘Why is the third man going in a different direction?’ her mother asked. She replied, ‘Oh, he’s looking for a place to park.’

You gotta feel for kids today, growing up in a world where all the good screen names are already taken.