Monday Club Cropston And Thurcaston

Article by Maja Tompkins

Monday 9th January 2023

We began the New Year with the Club Leader Jenny Kennington welcoming everyone warmly. She updated us on various matters relating to the Club, and then explained that the Speaker booked was unable to come through personal circumstances. Instead, our Speaker was Mr Derek Holloway. He has prepared a series of talks about inspirational women who changed the world.

Mr Holloway told us about the adventures and trials of Amy Johnson, with the aid of slides showing many photographs of the time and other interesting information. Amy was an early aviator who was born in Hull in 1903. One grandfather was of Danish Viking stock, and her family had a very successful fish merchant's business, which is still going today. She was the eldest of four daughters and will always be remembered for her amazing achievement of flying, SOLO, from England to Australia in May 1930.

She was educated firstly at home and then went to school in Hull. She was shy and clever, and enjoyed various sports. After leaving school she went to Sheffield University, although it was unusual in those days for a girl to go to university. She gained a BA in Economics with Latin and French, and later completed a secretarial course. She began working as a secretary for a local company. Her interest in aeroplanes began with a visit to Hull Fair, which offered short "joyrides" over the city in a plane for only five shillings. In 1927 she moved to London and became a personal secretary in a firm of solicitors. In addition to her own successful work, the family's fortunes prospered and they moved into a succession of better houses. We were shown a studio portrait of Amy taken in her early teens.

In 1928 Amy visited an airfield at Edgware and decided to take up flying as a hobby, although she did not earn a lot and lessons were expensive. However, her father decided to help her pay for them. Her first and second instructors gave up on her, but the third one persisted and got her through.

Although she was not a natural pilot, she proved to be a natural navigator. In 1929 she obtained her certificate and licence, and she also got her ground engineer's licence, so she knew how to maintain and repair the aero engines which were then relatively simple.

She became friends with Fred Slingsby, who built gliders at Sutton Bank. This company too is still in existence today. She joined the Womens' Engineering Society, and in time became its President. The first aeroplane she owned (named "Jason" after one of the names used in the family fish business) was a second-hand Gypsy Moth with the registration A-AAAH, which cost 600 pounds. Half of this enormous sum was provided by her father, and the other half came from the oil magnate Lord Wakefield, who owned Castrol, and had been Lord Mayor of London for a while. He saw a wonderful marketing opportunity ahead of him.

When Amy announced that she was going to fly to Australia, despite the fact that she had very little flying experience (her longest previous flight was from London to Hull), Lord Wakefield made all the arrangements for refuelling points and provisioning along her route, and so on. Amy kept busy by obtaining what maps were available at the time, and planning and organising her trip. The plane was hardly more than a canvas and wire structure, with an engine and an open cockpit.

Mr Holloway had marked her route on a map for us. Her journey took her from Croydon Aerodrome (later Heathrow Airport) over the Alps, across the unforgiving sandy wastes of the Sahara Desert, and skirting the edge of the Himalayas, enduring not only huge variations in temperature, storms, crashes and bureaucratic delays, but also remote jungles peopled by head hunters, and long flights over the endless open ocean. She somehow managed to get to Darwin, on the searing hot north coast of Australia, in a total of 19 1/2 days. Along the way she kept a diary.

She had not broken Roger Hinkler's record (although her Croydon to Karachi leg DID break the record between London and India), but it was the first solo flight by a woman of about 11,000 miles, and attracted enormous interest back home in Britain and around the rest of the world. Huge crowds welcomed her in Australia, compared with the mere dozen who had watched her take off in England. Amy received telegrams from King George the Fifth and Prime Minister MacDonald, and was later awarded the CBE. Popular songs were written about her and performed in the music halls. The Daily Mail published several souvenir editions of the newspaper, calling her "the typist from Hull", and Associated Newspapers gave her the vast sum of 10,000 pounds, which was a fortune in those days. She continued her journey by flying to Brisbane, and crashed the plane! Then she carried on to Sydney, where "Jason" underwent some necessary repairs. Amy was given her civil pilot's licence, and there were big welcoming crowds in Australia. To return to Britain, Amy decided to go home by ship and get some rest ...!

Not everyone was friendly and helpful, though, and some of the press were lukewarm at best. Amy had agreed to a deal proposed by the Daily Mail, not realising this meant she would have to hand over ownership of her aeroplane "Jason" to them, and that it would involve touring relentlessly all around the country. She actually became ill and unable to fulfil all the engagements arranged for her. Today, "Jason" is on display at the Science Museum in Kensington.

In early 1931, in wintry weather, Amy Johnson embarked on another long solo flight from London to Peking (now Beijing), which was unsuccessful. In July 1931 she tried again, aiming for Japan, accompanied by Jack Humphrey. This time they had the luxury of an enclosed cockpit! They flew London to Moscow in only 21 hours in a Puss Moth, "Jason II". They negotiated Siberia and the endless steppes, and reached Tokyo in a record 10 days.

In July 1932 she married Jim Mollison, who proposed only a few hours after they met. Jim was also considered an outstanding aviator and made several record breaking flights. They were the celebrity couple of their day and feted in several countries, and were in demand for various charity functions. One photograph we saw shows the couple posing with Charlie Chaplin and George Bernard Shaw.

Amy entered several air races. She broke the solo record for London to Cape Town in 1932 in another Puss Moth, "Desert Cloud". Then in 1934 she reached India from Britain in record time, in a De Havilland Comet, but had to retire early from the race because of engine trouble. Until the Second World War began, she became a commercial pilot, mostly piloting short flights over the Solent. In addition, she entered car rallies and wrote articles for the newspapers. Other activities including advertising various products like Castrol / BP Oil, typewriters, clothing from Schiaparelli, and so on.

In 1932 the Mollisons completed several flights to such places as Cape Town in four days, in "Desert Cloud". In July 1933 they planned a flight to New York then Baghdad in the De Havilland Dragon "Seafarer", and after many problems eventually set off from Wales, but ran out of fuel due to bad weather. They finally crash-landed near Bridgeport, Connecticut, and were taken to hospital with luckily fairly minor injuries. They met President Roosevelt and his First Lady Eleanor, and were given a tickertape parade, a rare honour later accorded to the astronauts who landed on the Moon.

However Jim was a heavy drinker, and they divorced in 1937. Amy went back to using her maiden name. During the war Mollison flew for the ATA (Air Training Auxiliary) and once piloted General de Gaulle. When the war ended he ran a public house for a while, and remarried. In 1953 his pilot's licence was taken away, and sadly in 1959 he died of alcohol poisoning.

When the Second World War was declared Amy also began working for the ATA. With the shortage of men, many women were employed to fly planes all over the country, mainly trainers, from the manufacturer to the airfield which needed them, a very dangerous job particularly as they had no radio and no backup, and were unarmed. In January 1941 she was delivering a plane in atrocious weather, and is thought to have crashed into the sea off Kent. We do not know for sure what happened. One ship changed course to help a plane which they saw come down, and Captain Fletcher himself went into the sea to help the pilot and a possible second person briefly spotted in the water, but they disappeared. Conditions were so bad that the Captain was overcome, and was taken to hospital where he died. Some wreckage from Amy's plane and a few of her personal effects were later washed up on land. A memorial service was held for her in London on 14th January. In recent years other possible reasons for the wartime crash have been suggested, but we shall probably never know the truth. Many of her personal belongings and memorabilia were given to Sewerby Hall near Bridlington, Yorkshire, which has an interesting museum dedicated to her.

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

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We have an exciting programme arranged for this year, with the next meeting being on 13th February to include our Annual General Meeting, and Mrs Viv Galloway will enthral us with a talk about her "Life in Forensics". Annual membership is only £13.00, and the entrance fee for members is still only £2.00. Visitors are most welcome at only £4.00 which will include tea/coffee and biscuits. We start at 2.15 p.m. and finish around 4.15 p.m.

Mrs Maja Tompkins Mobile 07709-201881.

You’ll get value for money because our pricing is competitive

Returning Customers account for 74% of our work - that says it all about the quality of our work and the friendliness in our service

We give you five years guarantee on our labour

We’re NICEIC registered - so we’re assessed on a regular basis to ensure the highest standard of care are always met

Always leave things clean and tidy

All our team are smartly uniformed and we train them to always be prompt, polite and professional (and they smile a lot)

We’ll turn up when we say we will

David Snartt

Borough Councillor for Forest Bradgate

T: 01530 244804

E: cllr.david.snartt@charnwood.gov.uk

Planning Update Markfield Lane. I am pleased to see the latest submissions to the consultation process for the planning application P/22/1031/2 for up to 150 dwellings, on land south of Markfield Lane, Newtown Linford.

I note National Highways have now responded. They recommend that the application is not determined for a period of three months from the date of their notice (21st December 2022). It seems one of the reasons for this delay is to assess the cumulative impact of the other planning applications in the bigger area (which includes Anstey) on the Strategic Road Network.

You may recall this was one of my concerns, especially as there are proposals to develop a further 1,000 plus dwellings within Anstey. In my view, if all of these planning applications were successful it would certainly see extra traffic through the village of Newtown Linford to access the M1 and other locations to the north of the village.

I also note Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council object to this application. In their submission they say, Markfield has a Neighbourhood Plan which allocates a substantial and sufficient amount of housing in the village. The Neighbourhood Plan meeting all the criteria of paragraph 14 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Again, I alluded to the Markfield Neighbourhood Plan when I attended the appeal hearing for the other adjacent application for up to 93 dwellings adjacent to Ashby Road. I am still waiting for the decision notice from the Inspector.

If you would like to see the all of the submissions to the consultation process please visit Charnwood Borough Council website, Planning Portal. The information is under planning application number P/22/1031/2.

Maplewell Road Development.

I have been asked several times about the current position with the development for up to 36 dwellings adjacent to Maplewell Road, Woodhouse Eaves. I understand that the reserved matters planning application is expected in the spring of this year.

I will keep you informed when further details come forward. In my view, it will be important to make sure the design and type of dwellings reflect this sensitive area of the village. I also note the Inspector’s appeal conclusions within his decision notice, especially the reference to 2.5-3 storey dwellings and affordable properties.

New Election Rules for 2023. Residents in Charnwood Borough are being urged to check they have an accepted form of photo ID ahead of this year’s local elections on Thursday 4th May 2023. The new requirement of showing photo ID at polling stations is being introduced by the UK Government and comes into effect for the first time this May. Voters across England will be required to show an accepted form of photo ID when voting at polling stations for local elections. Acceptable forms of photo ID include: Passport issued by the UK: Photographic drivers licence: A blue badge: Older person’s bus pass: Disabled person’s bus pass. For a full list of acceptable ID’s please visit Charnwood Borough Council’s website.

Residents without one of the suitable forms of ID will be able to apply for a free ID called a Voter Authority Certificate which can only be used for elections. Applications can be made on-line through the GOV.UK website or completing a paper form. A paper form is available to download and print from Charnwood Borough Council’s website, alternatively, residents can request the form is sent to them via post by contacting the elections team by visiting electoral.services@charnwood. gov.uk or by telephoning 01509 634546.

Those residents who require a Voter Authority Certificate are being encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The deadline to apply is 5pm on Tuesday April 25th 2023. For more information whether it is for acceptable ID’s, new requirements, frequently asked questions or details of how to apply for the free ID, please visit www.charnwood.gov.uk/VoterID

Damp and Mould Advice. Damp and mould can cause damage to your home and cause health problems if not prevented or dealt with as soon as possible. Prevention advice and how to report it can be found at www. charnwood.gov.uk/damp

The webpage includes what to look for when you might have condensation problems in your home: Typical signs of rising damp and/or penetrating damp: Health implications of damp and mould: What are the health implications: Tips on how you can reduce moisture in your home.

Alongside this advice, Charnwood Borough Council have also produced a survey that sets out to uncover how prevalent damp and mould is in privately rented houses. Your responses can help the Council to work with landlords and tenants to manage the risks caused by mould. If you are a tenant with a private landlord and live in Charnwood Borough, the Council would like to hear from you. Please visit www.charnwood. gov.uk/damp_survey and complete the survey.

Stay in the Loop. Charnwood residents are being urged to stay in the loop with news from Charnwood Borough

Council by signing up to e-mail alerts. There are now over 16,000 subscribers to a range of topics to help keep people informed about Council services and news.

The e-mail alerts are particularly useful for any changes to services, community events which involve the Council and to find out where support and advice may be available, either from the Council or a range of its partners.

To sign up to the Council’s e-mail alerts, please visit www. charnwood.gov.uk/alerts I understand not everyone uses e-mail, therefore, I am grateful to ‘Your Local’ for allowing me to keep residents up to date with relevant news items.

If you need to contact me on any issues, please write to 10 Groby Lane, Newtown Linford, Leicester. LE6 0HH, e-mail cllr.david.snartt@ charnwood.gov.uk or telephone 01530 244804.

Please Can You Help!

Anstey Local History Society is looking for someone to administer their website.

If you think you could help us, please contact us either through the website or on the number below.

Anstey Local History Society

Our next meeting will be held on: Wednesday February 15thth 2023 at 7.30.p.m. at The Jubilee Hall, Stadon Road

What Business is it of Yours?

Speaker: Sandra Moore

(In character as Mrs Eliza Billington, a publican’s wife, who will tell us about some of the business people buried in Belgrave Cemetery.)

Members: Free

Non-members: £3.00 www.ansteyhistory.com

Tel:07870197958

Deborah Taylor

Borough Councillor for Anstey

T: 0116 2350126

E: cllr.deborah.taylor@charnwood.gov.uk

Electoral Commission

Residents are being asked to check that they have an accepted form of photo ID ahead of this year’s local elections on Thursday, May 4th 2023. Elections are being held in Charnwood for the borough council as well as some town and parish councils.

The new requirement of showing photo ID at polling stations is being introduced by the UK Government and comes into effect for the first time this May. Voters across England will be required to show an accepted form of photo ID when voting at polling stations for local elections.

Residents without one of the suitable forms of ID will be able to apply for free ID called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’ which can only be used for elections. Applications can be made online through the GOV.UK website or by completing a paper form. A paper form is available to download and print from the Charnwood Borough Council website. Alternatively, residents can request the form be sent to them via post by contacting the elections team on electoral.services@charnwood.gov.uk or by calling 01509 634546.

Those who require a Voter Authority Certificate are being encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The deadline to apply is 5pm on Tuesday April 25th 2023. Residents should first make sure they are registered to vote before applying.

Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK, EEA, or Commonwealth drivers’ licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

Residents are recommended to check the list of accepted ID carefully as some forms of photo ID, such as security passes issued by employers, will not be accepted.

A list of accepted ID is available on the Council’s website, along with more information about the new requirement, frequently asked questions, and details of how to apply for the free ID. For more information, visit www.charnwood.gov.uk/VoterID

Planning

A lot of our time recently has been taken up with responding to Planning Applications submitted to Charnwood Borough Council for Anstey. We thought it would be useful to list all the current applications submitted/ approved recently, but also applications where the developers have gone out to the public for early engagement.

The total of proposed houses with submitted/approved applications are:1,088 (only one to date has been approved (in red)).

The total of proposed houses that are/have been out for early engagement are: - 375

This brings the total for Anstey to: - 1463

Paul Baines

Borough Councillor for Anstey

T: 07977 178869

E: cllr.paul.baines@charnwood.gov.uk

All the details for these applications can be found on the Charnwood Borough Council Planning Portal, under their planning number:https://portal.charnwood.gov.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorerAA/ ApplicationSearch.aspx

You can also find further details on our website:www.bradgateconservatives.org.uk

Comments can still be made on applications that haven’t been decided, so we would encourage as many residents as possible to send in their comments, so we have a whole village response to all these developments currently planned for the village.

We are robustly opposing all these developments, as we have not seen any evidence of the required infrastructure to support this huge extension to our village.

Borough Council Updates

The Council introduced email alerts in 2019 to help keep people informed about Council services and news.

There are now over 16,000 subscribers to a range of topics which include general news, business, planning, events, recycling and refuse, and news for tenants.

The email alerts are particularly useful for any changes to services, and community events that involve the Council and to find out where support and advice may be available, either from the Council or a range of its partners.

To sign up for the Council’s email alerts, please visit www.charnwood.gov.uk/alerts

Subscribers to one or more topics can add or remove them at any time by visiting www.charnwood.gov.uk/manage and entering the email address they used to subscribe.

The King’s Coronation

There will be celebrations throughout the UK, the Commonwealth, and around the world as communities come together to celebrate the King’s Coronation. For many of us, this will be the first Coronation we have witnessed.

An extra bank holiday will take place across the UK to mark the coronation of King Charles III next year. It will fall on Monday 8th May 2023, two days after the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The bank holiday will provide an opportunity for communities and people throughout the United Kingdom to come together to celebrate this memorial event.

If you are thinking of holding an event to celebrate The King’s Coronation, there is some information and key dates that you may find useful to get you started.

Planning on having a street party to celebrate the event?

You will need to apply to Leicestershire County Council to close your street/ road to traffic by completing sections 3 and 4 of the Kings Coronation application pack. All fees associated with the legal application have been waived for The Kings Coronation and the application time reduced to 5 weeks. This is ONLY for The King’s Coronation and does not apply to other events.

If you wish to apply for a road closure or any other restrictions the last date for submission is Friday 31st March 2023. Applications after this date may not be able to be fulfilled.

Given the occasion and following Government guidance the council will not be asking for the usual required documentation for a road closure, but consideration needs to be given to ensure the safety of all attendees for an enjoyable event.

The information you supply regarding your event will be shared with the emergency services so that they can put their own plans and resources in place.

The application form for a road closure can be found on our website: www. bradgateconservatives.org.uk/news/kingscoronation or scan the QR code here:

Signs and Cones

Leicestershire County Council Highways is offering the free loan of signs and cones, should you require these please complete section 5 of the Kings Coronation application pack. Please be aware that signs and cones must be collected from, and returned to, the LCC Mountsorrel Highways Depot. Appropriate arrangements will need to be made for collection. The deadline for your cones and signs applications is Friday 31st March 2023, after this date they cannot guarantee availability.

Please note that the fees for the loan of signs will be waived for all King’s Coronation events but equipment must be returned, or it will be invoiced for later.

Council owned land and licences

If you would like to organise an event on Council land or greenspace, or to find out about licensable activities such as selling food and drink or having music on a stage please use this link where you will find details for Charnwood Borough page: www.leicestershire.gov.uk/leisure-andcommunity/parks-and-outdoor-activities/plan-an-event/licensable-activities

Further Government advice on road closures for street parties can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/your-guide-to-organising-astreet-party

If you have any issues or concerns, we are here to help. Deborah and Paul

Scan here for updated news:

Paul’s Decorating Service

Deborah Taylor

County Councillor for Bradgate Division

T: 0116 2350126

E: deborah.taylor@leics.gov.uk

The new year got off to a slow start. Most of my work was focused on the budget webinars we conducted to engage with sectors of the local community. Some of the webinars have been shared on the Leicestershire County Council website and on my social media.

The consultation on the budget for 2023/24 closed on the 15th of January. We received over 600 responses, which is a far greater response than usual, and this response enables us to capture the views and concerns of residents.

We are currently reviewing those responses, prior to the proposed budget going to Cabinet on 10th February 2023 and then to the full council on 22nd February 2023 for approval.

The ‘Hop!’ Bus

Several residents recently contacted me about the change of bus stop for the First Bus 74 service. The service now stops at the St Margaret’s Bus Station instead of the Haymarket Bus Station. This has caused many issues for residents who have mobility issues as it is further to walk into the city centre.

The change of Bus Station was a commercial decision by the First Bus Company. I have enquired if they are willing to change back but this has been refused. The main reason for the change was to ensure that the service runs on time and ensures that the frequency of the bus service is retained.

In March 2023 a new ‘Hop!’ service is being launched. This will provide a bus service for residents between St Margaret’s Bus Station and Haymarket Bus Station

The new Greenlines ‘Hop!’ service will see state-of-the-art electric buses operating in the Leicester City centre, offering free travel on a route connecting Leicester’s transport hubs with many of the city’s attractions and other key destinations.

‘Hop!’ will operate on a clockwise loop around the city centre, serving St Margaret’s Bus Station, Haymarket Bus Station, Leicester Market, Leicester Royal Infirmary, and St Nicholas Circle, improving accessibility, and making it far easier for people to get around the city.

This service will come into effect in March 2023, and more details will be announced soon including the appointed operator and the exact route and timetable.

This will be a FREE service operating every 15 minutes subsidised by Leicester City Council from government funding for local bus improvements.

Numeracy Champions

A three-year programme aimed at helping adults in Leicestershire to boost their confidence with numbers and to improve their numeracy skills is looking to recruit 100 volunteers from across the county to train as Numeracy Champions.

These Numeracy Champions won’t teach maths – their role is to help to improve people’s confidence with numbers by talking positively to those who may feel anxious about maths, support people to have a more positive approach to numbers and signpost to them ways of improving their numeracy skills.

Leicestershire County Council has been awarded £3 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and is working in partnership with charity National Numeracy to recruit and train the 100 Numeracy Champions, as part of the wider Multiply programme.

The funding means that over the next three years, the council will be able to deliver hundreds of free courses, support and workshops to adults aged 19 and over who do not already have a GCSE grade C/4 or higher in maths or equivalent and need to improve their numeracy skills.

The council and National Numeracy are holding several online training sessions, which are delivered in two threehour sessions, a week apart. Volunteers will need to participate in both parts of the training to be accredited as a Numeracy Champion.

The remaining sessions are being held on Thursday 9th & Thursday 16th February, and Tuesday 7th & Tuesday 14th March.

Anyone who would like to sign up to become a Numeracy Champion can do so via this link: www. leicestershire.gov.uk/news/appealfor-people-to-sign-up-to-becomenumeracy-champions

Volunteering

During the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of volunteers made a positive impact by bringing their local communities together and making a real difference to their lives.

Giving your time to volunteer can reap enormous benefits, both personally and professionally.

There are lots of different areas you can get involved in through the council. These include: -

• Country Parks

• Tree Wardens

• Environment Action

• Children and Family Wellbeing Service

• Independent visitors for children in care

• Cultural volunteering

• Training through volunteering.

To find out more, please visit:www.leicestershire.gov.uk/jobsand-volunteering/volunteering

Young Person of the Year

The Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mike Kapur, is celebrating the achievements of young people in Leicester and Leicestershire. The LordLieutenant’s award for young people recognises the very best examples of achievement by young people in Leicester and Leicestershire.

You can nominate a young person in one of four categories. Finalists will be invited to attend a special awards ceremony where the overall winner will receive a £500 prize.

The criteria for nominations are:The young person is aged 13-19 living or attending fulltime education in Leicester or Leicestershire

The young person can be nominated by other young people, their school, parent/carer, or any other agency

Joint or group nominations cannot be accepted

Previous finalists should not be nominated again unless there is a fresh story to tell.

There will be a separate award for each category. From the winners of these categories, one person will be announced as Lord-Lieutenant's Young Person of the Year 2023.

The Award categories are: -

• Young Person of Courage of the Year

• Young Volunteer of the Year

• Young Artist of the Year (The Joe Humphries Memorial Award)

• Young Leader of the Year.

The deadline for nominations is Friday 17th February 2023.

Further details can be found on the County Council website: www. leicestershire.gov.uk

If you would like a paper copy of the nomination form, please call 0116 305 6002 or email lieutenancyoffice@leics.gov.uk

Speeding

We have an ongoing issue with speeding across many of our villages. It is a very difficult issue to address, and we need the community to support us.

There are many ways of doing this, one of the best ways is to have a Community Speed Watch (CSW) in our communities. Community Speed Watch is an educational scheme to help people reduce speeding traffic though their community and is run by volunteers, supported by the county council. Further information is available on the link below if anyone is interested in starting a group in their community: www. leicestershire.gov.uk/roads-andtravel/road-safety/communityspeed-watch-csw

You can also report speeding vehicles in areas through the Road Safety Partnership. The link to their website is here: www. speedorsafety.com/community

If you have any issues or concerns, I’m here to help.

Deborah For