January 2018 - Ashby & Measham Community Eye by OpenBox Promotions

COMMUNITY EYE DELIVERED MONTHLY, FREE TO 7,000 HOMES & BUSINESSES

A E VI IL S OB EW M N B| ST E TE | W LA NT I PR

ASHBY & MEASHAM

JANUARY 2018

URGENT KITTEN FOOD APPEAL

Redgate Farm Animal Sanctuary

POPPY APPEAL RAISES £41,000 Thank You For Your Generous Donations

WALKING FOOTBALL GROUP RAISES £115

ASHBY SANTA FUN RUN Sets New Record!

Measham Leisure Centre

GRICE FAMILY

Does Anyone Have Any Knowledge For Val?

HOMELESS CHARITY Snaps Up Revamped Empty Home In Measham

2017 PARISH CHAMPIONS

Awarded To Measham Community Library

PART EXCHANGE † AVAILABLE

Stunning homes. Perfect location. Must be Miller Homes.

Knights Chase, Ashby, LE65 1AX 4 & 5 bedroom homes from £310,000 Set in the heart of the Midlands, Knights Chase is a peaceful neighbourhood of stunning homes, which are conveniently placed and only a ten minute walk from the beautiful centre of Ashby de la Zouch. What’s more, with our offers your next move could be closer than you think. Part Exchange† is available on selected plots and Help to Buy* can be used across the rest of the development. Discover The Miller Difference with a visit to our showhome and marketing suite. Open from Thursday to Monday, 10am to 5pm.

03300 295 426 | www.millerhomes.co.uk YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP THE REPAYMENTS ON A MORTGAGE OR ANY OTHER DEBT SECURED ON IT

*Help to Buy is available on properties up to a maximum value of £600,000. If you qualify for Help to Buy assistance and you raise a mortgage for at least 75% of the purchase price of your new home from a lender, you can borrow up to the remaining 20% of the purchase price by taking out a loan secured over your new home from the Government’s Homes & Community Agency (HCA) over a period of 25 years. A 5% deposit is required by the lender. More may be required depending upon circumstances and your lender’s criteria. Help to Buy is subject to eligibility and terms and conditions. For full details visit www.millerhomes.co.uk/helptobuy. †Part Exchange is subject to availability, status and eligibility. Your present home must meet certain basic qualifying criteria and be of a lesser value to be eligible for Part Exchange. 100% market value based upon valuations obtained by appointed scheme surveyors. Terms and conditions apply. Price and availability correct at time of going to print. Photography represents a typical Miller Homes interior and exterior. Carpets and floor coverings are not included in our homes as standard.

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LRWT North West Group We are a friendly local group which meets monthly for talks, visits, conservation work and social events. All talks are at the social centre of Ashby Methodist Chapel, Burton Road, Ashby and begin at 7:30, admission £3.00 each. For more information about the group please ring:

PUBLISHER

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Our work parties are on Fridays from September to April and take place at a variety of local reserves. Please ring David Maltby for further details.

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Deadline Date: 14th February Delivery Date: 28th February Deadline and delivery dates are subject to change without prior notice. _________________________________________ The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the original advertisers & contributors and do not necessarily represent Community Eye or OpenBox Promotions Ltd. OpenBox Promotions Ltd reserves the right to amend or refuse to publish articles or adverts submitted for publication. 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. To see full terms & conditions visit www.openboxpromotions.co.uk/terms _________________________________________ Printed by Norwood Press 01530 262020 info@norwoodpress.co.uk www.norwoodpress.co.uk Unit 1, Moore Road, South Leicester Industrial Estate, Ellistown, LE67 1EU

February 16th Andrew Heaton describes the wetlands of Leics and the River Mease. Phil and Wendy Lee explain how to encourage hedgehogs and care for them. Feb 23rd Group meal at The Beeches, Burton Road Ashby. Enjoy a meal with your wildlife friends and hear the latest news. March 16th Audrey Watson of British Association for Shooting and Conservation explains how to manage threats to mammal re-introductions and ways of helping declining species. April 20th Jools Partridge Wildlife Officer Leics County Council describes how wildlife affects his work on the bridges and structures of the built environment. May 6th Ben Devine leads a butterfly foray at Donisthorpe Woodland Park, Church Street,Donisthorpe, DE12 7PX grid ref SK 317142. Help to survey the local population of the dingy skipper. Meet 2.00pm at main car park.

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GOT AN ARTICLE TO SEND US? We are always on the lookout for local news. Please send articles to: communityeye@ openboxpromotions.co.uk

May 13th Cloud Wood in spring . See, listen and smell the delights of spring in this wonderful woodland. Meet at 9-.0 am in the layby at grid ref 417214 on the Griffydam-Tonge road.

Poppy Appeal 2017-2018 Thank you Ashby de la Zouch & District for your generous donations for this years appeal. £41,000 subject to final summary.

CARERS WANTED Start your career in care You can make a difference…

The Poppy Appeal grows year on year and therefore volunteers are essential to its success. Call Paul on 01530 417747.

Measham Leisure Centre’s Walking Football Group Raises £115.00 On Saturday 4th November Measham Leisure Centre's 50+ Walking Football group raised £115.00 for Children In Need by having a charity football game at the Leisure Centre on their outdoor 3G pitch. If anyone is interested in joining this group it runs every Tuesday at 11:30am and every Friday at 10:30am. The cost is £2.50 each and this includes hot drink and biscuits after the match!

Grandad‛s carers work FLEXIBLE hours are KIND and CARING and Have EXCELLENT training

Grandad’s Carers work for a reputable Company with 25 years experience of delivering care Get in touch… Call us on: 01455292648 Email:

managementteam@givecare.co.uk www.givecarehomecare.co.uk

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Ashby Museum News Thanks to a grant from Museum Development East Midlands we have been able to purchase a top-quality camera which will enable is to

photograph our extensive collection of artefacts and certain documents, many of which will be placed on our website for you to view. Moreover, we have offered this facility to all the other independent museums and heritage centres who are members of the County Forum. For the last

few years the Museum has been actively involved in the latest digital developments.

We have an interesting series of temporary exhibitions planned for 2018

and present an overview here. There will be more details to follow before

Redgate Farm Animal Sanctuary Urgent Kitten Food Appeal Unbelievably kitten season is already well underway. We have been very busy recently with our fundraising but as we all know, money doesn’t last long when the bills start coming in. At the moment our major ongoing item of expense is kitten food (sachets) and kitten biscuits. As at today we have lots of young kittens and some young (and older) cats – girls and boys – all beautiful and all with fabulous characters. Some will be ready for re-homing by about 27th January, although most will be ready in February/ early March. Then the springtime kittens will probably start coming in! They will all grow up fast, and are already making demands on our feed-room stores.

each one is presented. February/March

Anne Ayre Hely: A Crimean War Nurse from Ravenstone (Wendy freer, Pudding Bag Productions) April/May

Exhibition of paintings by local artist Julie Barnett June/July

Archaeology based exhibition in conjunction with county-wide archaeology events

Amenities: • Tea, coffee, biscuits & cold drinks. • Use of computers • Rooms to hire at reasonable rates. We are always looking for volunteers, so come to the library or contact us via details below. We have been awarded the Parish Champions 2017! This is in recognition for our volunteers and the creation of links with local organisations and creating multi-uses for the library. We had a successful Christmas Fayre 7th December.

Policing Ashby - development of the police service and some notable

Mid September/October

Mondays: Tai Chi 7pm-8.30pm

November

Tuesdays: Knit-n-Stitch 10.30am Yoga 7.30pm-9pm

characters and events from the 19th and 20th centuries

History of Ashby Civic Society

The Armistice - marking the end of World War One

Wednesdays: Stroke and Disability group 1pm-3pm Thursdays: Walking group meet outside at 10.30am Fridays: Rhymetime and Tales 10.3011.30am for 0-4yrs

Redgate Farm is based at 233, Shaw Lane by the side of the A511, near Coalville. Our postcode is LE67 9PW.

Monthly Meeting Of the Book Club-contact the library for details.

Visiting hours are 11am – 3.30pm, every day.

Rooms available for hire at reasonable rates.

Telephone 01530 243 925 or 01530 230 455 or email: redgate@ mail.org or via the website.

www.redgatefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk

Opening Hours: Tuesday 10-7pm Thursday 10-1pm Friday 10-5pm Saturday 10-1pm

We are still interested in what selection of books you would like to see in the library. Suggestions welcome.

August/Mid September

If you are able to donate some sachets of kitten (and cat) food, or donate money for us to purchase food – we would be hugely grateful. We are also very pleased to receive your gifts of towels and cotton sheets and bags of cat litter (wood-based). We recycle fabrics at Redgate, and when towels and sheets can no longer be used for bedding they are cut up and used as cleaning cloths.

If you would like to meet the Redgate team and help us with our essential (and very varied) fundraising, please leave a message at the sanctuary for the fundraisers Jo, Dianne and Jane.

Measham Community Library

Ashby Civic Society News Ashby Civic Society celebrated Christmas in style last year. Our ever popular Christmas Social was a great success with entertainment from the amazing singer Sammie Mac plus good food and good company. The new St. Helen’s Heritage Centre proved a very popular venue with a good turnout despite the very wintery weather.

Contact Email: meashamcomlibrary@gmail.com Tel: 01163053709 Registered Charity no 1167493

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• All Gold & Silver Jewellery Including Scrap & Broken Items • We pay more the highest prices in the area. • Costume Jewellery • All Coins • Militaria & Medals • Stamps • Watches • Silver & Silver Plate • All interesting antiques, collectables & furniture. Free valuations everyday - Over 40 years experience 50 High Street, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 3EE Find us on facebook - Open everyday inc bank holidays 10.00am - 4.00pm home visits available

CALL 07792974309

Environmentally Friendly chalk and mineral paint. It is Zero VOC & Solvent Free with no odour. We can also paint your own tired furniture. Please ask for more details.

Public car park to rear of shop - Free parking from 3pm everyday and all day Sunday

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91-93 High Street Ibstock, LE67 6LH 01530 260394 07891 298820

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Variable opening hours please call to enquire

www.clockrepairsleicestershire.co.uk

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Happy New Year From Everyone At Castle Medical Group Facts and Figures for November: • We dealt with 5382 calls • The average waiting time was 2 minutes and 4 seconds • Our secretaries have dealt with 358 referrals • We are now able to collate all prescriptions figures for the practice, we dealt with 26,000 prescriptions • There were 187 Did not Attend (DNA) appointments. Please contact the practice to cancel your appointment in plenty of time so that it does not go to waste. Please remember that if we have your up to date mobile phone number you can email your cancellation to us. Friends of Castle Medical Group – Fundraising: After our success in funding a blood pressure machine, we are now embarking on providing a Blood Centrifuge Machine for the practice. At present all blood tests have to be done before 11.00.a.m. The new machine will mean that blood tests can be kept overnight and sent the next day for testing. This will greatly increase the number of blood tests that can be done daily and so much improve the speed at which tests and their results can be dealt with - of major benefit to all patients! If you want to help, please send/ drop in a donation to the Castle Medical Group Surgery on Burton Road, addressed to: Tony Green, The Chairman, Friends of Castle Medical Group FoCMG is the charity responsible for all fundraising to help support patients at the Practice. For information about the Charity and the Patient Support group as a whole, please go to our website at www.castlemedicalgroupppg.co.uk

Does Anyone Have Any Knowledge Of The Grice Family? Mary Jane Grice, born 1874 died 1960, married Joseph Storer, born 1877 died 1960. They lived at 57 Normanton Lane, Packington until their deaths. They died within weeks of one another and are buried in Holy Rood Churchyard, Packington. Sadly, their thatched cottage on Normanton Lane no longer stands today as Leicestershire Council demolished it and built Council houses on the land. I would dearly love to know if anyone has a photograph of the cottage. Joseph Storer was the son of my Gt.Gt.Grandfather Benjamin Storer. Please email Val Roberts at: valroberts47@yahoo.co.uk Or write to: 38 Chestnut Avenue, Mickleover, Derby, DE3 9FS

Beatles Tribute At Venture Theatre We have a Beatles Tribute band coming, who are both local and brilliant! We have 'Hey Beatles' coming on Saturday 20th January at 8.00pm. Tickets cost £10 and are available from Ashby Tourist Office - 01530-411767. Its a great show - it sold out last year so don’t miss out. The Venture Theatre, North Street , Ashby, LE65 1HU

Gone With The Wind The Lost Windmills Of Leicestershire Talk by Mark Temple Monday 19th February 2018 Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall at 7.30pm

At one time every family’s diet included bread which relied on a constant supply of fresh flour. So virtually every village had a mill of some sort, a watermill if there was a suitable stream, or if not, a windmill was placed on an elevated position where its sails could catch the wind. At their peak in 1835 there were believed to be 152 mills in Leicestershire, and many were locally such as Woodhouse Eaves, Markfield, Mountsorrel, Shepshed etc. Mark has tried to gather together all the photographic images that have survived and has also made a collection of milling stories. He knows of the existence of many mills but as far as he knows their images have been lost. Future Events Monday 19th March 2018 brief AGM followed by a 1970 film “Leicestershire a Heritage at Risk”, at Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall at 7.30pm. You will not be surprised that most of the issues raised are still the same today. It is a delightful film as it brings back memories of familiar sights 48 years ago of rural Leicestershire and Charnwood Forest. The meeting will conclude with a brief discussion of the issues raised led by the CPRE. For further information contact Dick Howard or look at our website www.focf.org.uk Visitors welcome £3 on the door. Dick Howard 01530 245373

Record Number Of Trees To Be Planted Through Free Tree Scheme More than 16,000 trees have been collected by residents that took advantage of a popular scheme designed to make North West Leicestershire greener. The Free Tree Scheme sees North West Leicestershire District Council work in partnership with The National Forest and H K Wentworth Ltd to make the free trees available to all residents and community groups in the district. This years’ batch of Holly, Cherry Plum, Hazel and Whitebeam trees are now being planted across the district by green-fingered locals. Ashby-de-la-Zouch firm H K Wentworth, sponsors of The National Forest, accounted for 28 trees as they gave them to staff to plant at home and at their work headquarters. The Free Tree Scheme has been running annually since 2008 and has collectively given out 74,042 trees over that time. Councillor Alison Smith MBE, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Community Services at North West Leicestershire District Council, said: “This is a fantastic scheme aimed at helping to grow the National Forest and improve the environment in North West Leicestershire. Year on year we are thrilled with the response we get from individuals, community groups and businesses who are as committed as we are to keeping the district green. Next year will be the 10th year that we’ve run the scheme, and we’re already excited for it to return bigger and better than ever before.” The 2017 Free Tree scheme is now closed but it will return next year with information appearing online at www.nwleics.gov.uk/ community_focus

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Come and see our exciting new displays of beds and bedroom furniture

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Ashby Santa Fun Run Sets New Record Ashby de la Zouch found

variety of Christmas tunes to get

Sunday December 3rd as the

Run & Walk before the sea of red

itself awash with Santa’s on

2017 Ashby Santa Fun Run &

Walk completed a weekend of

Christmas events in and around

the town setting a new record for this event in it’s 3rd year.

Following on from the success of the 2016 event when 1013

Santa’s entered the 3km Fun Run & Walk, the Ashby Castle Rotary Club organised event managed to eclipse this achieving a

staggering 1409 entries. This

provided a phenomenal sight

people up and ready for the Fun

Santa suits took their place at the starting line.

The Fun Run & Walk set off at 11am as planned in the early December sunshine and was

deemed to be a huge success

as young and old completed the

course and were greeted back on the Bath Grounds with a medal and refreshments with resident compere Chris Knight chatting

over the PA system with finishers.

throughout Ashby as the Santa’s

Aside from providing a fantastic,

at 11am and weaved their way

on the weekend that Christmas

set off from the Bath Grounds

around the town taking in some of Ashby’s finest sights.

On what was a beautiful

December morning with the

sun peeking through, the event

kicked off in it’s usual fashion with a mixture of festive music from

Ronnie Radar and the delightful smell of bacon sandwiches courtesy of Brains & Brawn

Catering. Santa’s started arriving on the Bath Grounds from 10am with people getting in to the

festive spirit which this event

manages to produce each year.

The ‘real’ Rotary Club Santa was

also present again to talk to young and old alike and was as generous

fun event for all of the community really kicks off in Ashby, the

other driving force was for Ashby Castle Rotary Club to raise much needed funds for local charities. This year the Rotary Club have decided to spread the funds

over more charities again with a

focus on them being based in the local area. Receiving proceeds

from the event this year will be Hospice Hope, Wishes 4 Kids,

Staunton Harold Sailability and Rainbows Childrens Hospice.

The organising committee are still busy collecting remaining

sponsorship money in and hope

to make an announcement of the final proceeds by mid January.

as ever handing out Cadbury’s

Dale Warren from the Rotary Club

talk to him. Fitness Republic, one

another fantastic event and the

Heroes to anyone who went to

of the events main sponsors again provided the fun warm up to a

of Ashby Castle said “It’s been

culmination of a brilliant weekend in the town that shows Ashby at

it’s best. We’ve again had brilliant support from the community and great fun whilst raising what we hope will be thousands of pounds for charity. Events like this take a lot of organising but when you see the outcome with nearly 1400 Santa’s jumping around in front of you doing the fun warm up then it’s absolutely worth the hard work! We think that based on the number of medals we gave out we had around 1370 Santa’s actually complete the Fun Run on the day which is way beyond our wildest dreams when we set out with this idea 3 years ago. Again we’ve received amazing support from local residents of all ages in joining in this event from babies to pensioners and we’ve had even better support than last year from local businesses in and around the town. All of this is hugely appreciated and helps us to make this event what it is. We would just ask now that people who have raised personal sponsorship

complete their sponsor forms and pay their money in as soon as possible so that we can get the total finalised and give some cheques out to our very deserving charities. We look forward to working with our partners both new and old again next year and see if we can push the Santa numbers even higher!”. People who have raised personal sponsorship are encouraged to pay this in at their earliest possibility with full details of how to do this online at www. ashbysantarun.com/sign-up or any queries can be emailed to admin@ ashbysantarun.com Interested in finding out more about Rotary? If you would like to come along to the Rotary Club of Ashby de la Zouch Castle please contact our secretary Chris Knight at cjcjknight@supanet.com or visit www.ribi.org

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Award winning garden work at an affordable price Theatre Audience Could Prevent Murder Jenny Contact Number: 0797 3832084 or Natasha Contact Number: 07812 114020 In a bid to celebrate reaching their first anniversary on the 2nd of December 2017, Action Adventure Theatre Productions have decided to start their second year in style by bringing a unique twist to the interactive murder mystery and pantomime genres, by amping up their shows once more. Following a successful run of, original murder mystery performances, in their first year, partners Natasha and Jenny wanted to give the audience even more power; promising immersion and interactivity like never before. The audience of their new murder mystery event, The Poisonous Pantomime, will have the opportunity to save the life of one of the victims in the show. That is, only if they can figure out who it is and mix the correct antidote in time. The show will take place at The Black Swan Inn, Shepshed on 19th Feb 2018 (a proportion of the profits will go to charity for our opening night), The Maypole Café Theatre Bar in Derby, on 23rd February 2018, The Old Bell Hotel in Derby 24th February and Colwick Hall in Nottingham on 27th and 28th February 2018. On their opening night, they have announced that a proportion of all profits will go to charity. “We wanted our audience to be able to change the outcome, so we thought, why not allow them to save one of the victims?” – Natasha Towards the end of the performance, the audience will be asked to identify the final victim before mixing an antidote. If they are correct, the victim lives. But if they are wrong.... To top it off, Jenny and Natasha - who also specialise in live special effects - are setting themselves a new challenge: a live transformation and a non-pyrotechnic smoke bomb. As the show is performed right in amongst the audience, these effects can happen mere inches away from them, and so the challenges the two face are doubled: “The audience can see everything, and on top of that we have their safety to think about. Last year we had to [fake] blow the back of someone’s head off and hit only the actor behind him. It was certainly a challenge, but we managed it” - Jenny Jenny and Natasha are setting a competition to any amateur Special Effects Artists out there: Help us create a puff of smoke large enough to engulf a person without pyrotechnics and you will get your name in the programme, a mention on our social media sites and our website, a free show only ticket to one of our participating venues and a signed programme. Like our facebook page @AATPMysterygames, and post your idea to enter. Go to the bottom of our home page for details and our terms and conditions. Website: http://aatp-mysterygames.weebly.com/about-our-shows.html Home Page: http://aatp-mysterygames.weebly.com

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Why not cut me out and pin up on your fridge or notice board.

Ashby & Measham Clubs & Groups

Do you run a local community club or group in Ashby & Measham? Please send us your details to: communityeye@openboxpromotions.co.uk

Ashby Big Band

Check us out on Facebook.

07886194993

group and meet once a fortnight

www.ashbybigband.com

9.30pm, at Moira Furnace, Furnace

Measham Karate Club

The first taster session is free and

meashamkarateclub@gmail.com

thereafter. We sometimes have

-------------------------------------------------

to contact us prior to coming

David - 01530 458706

We are a community based

ashbybigband@aol.com

on a Wednesday from 7.30pm -

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Lane, Moira, Derbyshire, DE12 6AT.

07761131043

then usually £3.00 per session

www.meashamkarateclub.co.uk

guest teachers visit, so best

Ashby Art Club

to secure a drum and check

01530 412116

www.ashbyartclub.org

We meet on Monday evenings at 7pm. Smisby Village Hall, Main

Street, Smisby, Ashby, LE65 2TY

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Ashby Civic Society

Margaret Mabey 01530 412410 kenward.ashby@gmail.com

We meet on the 2nd Tuesday of

the Month at 7:30pm at Heritage Centre, St. Helens Church, South Street, Ashby, LE65 1AA

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Measham Bowls Club

Denise Davidson - 07742 777461 denise_davidson1@sky.com

High Street, Measham, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE12 7HR

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Ashby Bowls Club

info@ashbybowlsclub.co.uk

www.ashbybowlsclub.co.uk The Green, Bath Grounds, Ashby, LE65 1BJ

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Venture Theatre

Ken Ward - 01530 589268

www.ashbyventuretheatre.org.uk The Theatre is open on Monday

evenings from 8.00pm for anyone interested in joining or having a look round, everyone welcome! North Street, Ashby, LE65 1HS

For ticket sales please call Ashby Tourist Office on 01530 411767.

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Ashby U3A

Anne Donegan - 01283 760348 secretary@ashbyu3a.co.uk

Congregational Church, Kilwardby Street, Ashby, LE65 2FQ

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Ashby African Drummers

Kaye Gillanders - 0777 2281699

ashbydrummers@googlemail.com

suitability. We welcome people

of all ages and abilities although children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

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The Ashby Probus Club

Frank Bedford - 01530 467183 For retired professional and

businessmen meets monthly in Ashby. We enjoy a pub

lunch, speakers, a programme of outings and functions and

each others company. The club welcomes new members.

-------------------------------------------------

Ashby & District Stroke Support Group Pat - 01530 413723

A friendly group for stroke

survivors and their carers. We meet alternate Tuesdays at Brown Court Ashby from 2pm-4pm. Meetings involve speakers, meal sout,and general chat.

-------------------------------------------------

Ashby Meditation

Irene - 01530414290 www.tarakmc.org

Why not start the New Year by

Ashby Chess Club

forefront to everything we do. The

Chess club open to adults and

play in the Leicestershire league.

and Adults start at 7.15pm. Meets

Girls Only Tuesday 5pm to 7pm

Club, Wilfrid Place, off Bath Street,

to 12 years). Mixed Friday 5pm to

------------------------------------------------

Rupert - 01530 272833

Ann - 01530 458110

N Roberts - 01530 455957

club also runs to adult teams that

juniors. Juniors start at 6.15pm

Our open training sessions are:

every Thursday at Ivanhoe Social

Mixed Tuesday 6pm to 7pm (9

Ashby de la Zouch, LE65 2GW.

6pm (5 to 8 years).

Ashby Croquet Club

Ashby Bridge club

www.ashbycroquetclub.org.uk

www.bridgewebs.com/ashby

26th March on our 3 lawns

every week Monday and Thursday

DE12 6BP (opposite Conkers

(all duplicate), Friday mornings

Wednesdays, Thursdays and

of bridge player. Friendly and

website if you want more details.

------------------------------------------------

The New Season starts on Sunday

Held at Hood Park Leisure centre

situated at Moira Miners Welfare

evenings, Wednesday afternoons

Waterside). We play on Tuesdays,

social bridge. Aimed at all levels

Sundays. Please phone or visit the

welcoming.

New players always welcome.

------------------------------------------------

Measham Townswomen’s Guild

David Bell - 01530 413371

The Guild usually meet every

Ashby Writers’ Club

Ashby Writers’ Club meets on

the second and fourth Tuesday

of each month, 7.30pm-9.30pm at Congregational Church,

Kilwardby St, Ashby LE65 2FQ. Membership: £15 per annum.

Visitors are welcome at a nominal fee of £4 per speaker meeting,

£3 per comp/manuscript meeting (includes coffee or tea).

------------------------------------------------

National Forest Taekwon-do 07795 276302

www.nationalforesttaekwondo.co.uk

Clubs in Netherseal and Measham ------------------------------------------------

Noreen - 01530 271646

second Monday in the month at Age Concern, High Street,

Measham. The next Guild meeting will be held at 2:00pm on Monday

12th February 2018 and guests are welcome to come along to join in the friendship and fun.

------------------------------------------------

Age UK Measham

Hall in High St open 10am-12pm Monday-Friday. Drop in for tea,

coffee,toast or just come for a chat. Come with a friend or on your own and meet others. Very friendly.

Monthly lunch also available. We would love to see you

dropping in to try our weekly

Ashby Allotments

on 11th January at 7.30 in Legion

www.ashbyallotments.org.uk

No need to book. Seating on chairs

------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

Football Club

play all year round. Turn up and

enquires@meashamwelfarefc.com

ages and abilities. New members

------------------------------------------------

classes on Thursdays beginning

Association

House, South Street, Ashby.

Visit our website for more details.

£6 per class.

Measham Welfare

The Trinity Badminton Club

Paul - 0758 404 5318

play, groups and coaching for all

The club is a small friendly club

www.meashamwelfarefc.com

always welcome.

meeting Monday evenings at Holy

We are a FA Charter Club located

Table Tennis

Street, Ashby from 7.30pm –

aim is to offer boys and Girls of

Local club invites new members,

Secretary - 07801 700 664

Ashby Tennis Club

Chris Hawkins - 07801-312389 www.acltc.co.uk

Ashby Tennis Club in South Street, Ashby, LE65 1BQ. Our members

of average ability (non league)

Or follow us on Facebook

------------------------------------------------

Trinity Church Hall, off Kilwardby

at Measham Leisure Centre. Our

Sue- 01530-587919

9.00pm. We play from Jan to May then Sept to Dec. New members always welcome.

-------------------------------------------------

all ages and abilities, Long-term Football player development, in a safe and secure learning

environment, with fun being at the

50 years plus, for Monday session

2.00pm till 4.00pm at Swannington Village Hall commencing May. Cost £2.00 per session.

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Topiary For The Garden It’s a cold day outside so I’m wrapped up warm inside thinking ahead to the coming seasons and what I’ll be using in my clients gardens and my own to give structure to beds, borders, pots and front gardens this year.

Beech Balls

Topiary is a simple & elegant option to add some formality and interest without a huge about of ongoing maintenance. It can be used for a classic ‘parterre’ look, add simple clean style to front garden, combined in a mixed border or give a focal point and permanent height in a kitchen garden. Topiary Plants Box - The best known plant to use for topiary is Common Box (Buxus sempervirens) which has small evergreen leaves on tight and compact plants which tolerate regular trimming to keep them to the required shape.

Box Balls

There is now a problem with an infection – Box Blight, which can cause issues with existing and new Box. Affected plants dieback and lose their foliage. It can be very difficult to tackle, having said that, It is still worth considering box, just take into account that if disease free plants are fed and watered well to keep them vigorous then they are less likely to succumb to the infection. Yew - A traditional topiary plant, Yew (Taxus baccata) has small dark green evergreen leaves and stems which re-grow well when trimmed lightly or pruned back yard. The foliage is much darker than Box

Pleached Tree

Bel Grierson

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and new foliage is a fresh limeygreen, darkening as it ages. Yew doesn’t like wet or poorly draining soil so avoid planting in these conditions. Scale insect can be a problem which can be treated with an insecticide or by manually wiping the stems clean. Otherwise Yew is very hardy and easy to maintain. Ilex Crenata – The new evergreen kid on the block, Ilex crenata – sometimes labelled simply as Ilex, Ilexit or Dark Green, this plant looks very similar to Box but is not susceptible to Box Blight. It can be grown in the same shapes as box and has a similar slow growing habit. The new growth can be a bit more upright and twiggy but given a regular trim the shape can be maintained easily. Other than that the plants are generally not prone to pests or diseases. Other deciduous alternatives include Beech (Fagus) which I love as cubes, columns or balls. Hornbeam which is similar to beech and lends itself to pleached forms – see below. Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea can be clipped to make attractive purple balls/spheres in a shrub border. Topiary Shapes Traditional Balls - Look great in containers, modern borders or either side of a pathway to give formal structure. Various sizes are available and Box is the easiest to find. belgriersondesign info@belgrierson.co.uk

Columns – I new favourite of mine, these can be grown as rectangular or cylindrical columns to add grand height to large areas or to frame a pathway or entrance. They work particularly well with the deciduous Beech or Hornbeam which keep their coppery leaves through the autumn & winter. Pleached– These plants are trained on to frames in a similar way to espalier fruit trees. They are often grown on a leg to give height useful for screening above fence panels. Caring For Topiary Bear in mind that Box, Ilex, Yew are hungry plants which can turn an orange-brown if starved of nutrients and or too dry (or sometimes too cold), so make sure plants in pots are well fed and watered. Trim regularly to keep the shape as you’d like. Ensure that shears are sharp and clean. Disease can be spread by dirty tools. I few topiary specimens can certainly add some much needed interest at this time of year. Next month as we take a step closer towards Spring I’ll be looking at choosing Herbs in all of their various forms.

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Member Of Parliament

County Councillor

M: 01530 417736 E: andrew.bridgen.mp@parliament.uk

M: 07429055402 E: Sean.Sheahan@leics.gov.uk

Andrew Bridgen

It has been another extremely busy month in Parliament with various parts of the EU Withdrawal Bill being voted through the House of Commons following the agreement between the UK and EU to move onto Phase 2 of the negotiations which is for Trade. Phase 1 covered Citizens Rights, The Irish Border and the settlement figure. I have expressed my reservations in the past about the so called “divorce bill” and I am still far from convinced that we legally owe the EU anything, however what I do regard as essential is that we come out and stay out, and by getting a deal that satisfies the vast majority, it weakens the case any future Labour Government might try and make to re-join. As I predicted some months ago Labour has shifted it position with regard to Brexit a clear betrayal of the many of its supporters who voted to leave the EU. I asked the following question of the Prime Minister in the House following the agreement: ‘I thank my right hon. Friend for confirming very clearly that the so-called EU divorce bill will be paid only if we are successful at negotiating an acceptable trade deal with the European Union. Does she agree that this will certainly focus the minds of EU negotiators and is our best chance of obtaining an acceptable outcome for the UK?’ The Prime Minister responded ‘I am optimistic about getting that good trade deal for the United Kingdom with the EU, because actually it is in the EU27’s interests for their businesses to be able to continue to trade on good terms with the UK.’ I remain optimistic that we can secure a good trade deal. We buy more from the EU than we sell to them so it is in their economic interest just as much as ours. The customer is king. What was not helpful however was the vote on Amendment 7 for Parliament to have a so called meaningful vote on the deal. The rebels on the Conservative side have only served to weaken the Prime Minister’s hand in the negotiations with the EU with the signal they have sent to them, and I fear there could be consequences to their actions in our continued negotiation. We had a meaningful vote at the referendum and another when Parliament overwhelmingly vote to trigger article 50. Looking forward however, Parliament has voted for us to

leave the EU, the single market and the customs union so when the meaningful vote takes place, it will be between the deal negotiated by the Prime Minister or coming out with no deal, so I remain confident that Brexit remains on track for March 2019. Christmas is a time to think of those less fortunate than ourselves and I believe that in a civilized society, it is unacceptable that people should be faced with the fear of homelessness at any time of the year. It is vitally important to help the most vulnerable in society get their lives back on track. The Government has announced plans for new homelessness prevention schemes, including targeted support for those at risk of sleeping rough. The Government is spending over £550 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in England by 2020 following the 2015 Spending Review. I am very proud that the Government supported the Homelessness Reduction Act, which will provide vital support for many more people, setting a target to halve rough sleeping over the course of the Parliament and eliminate it altogether by 2027. Good quality housing for our District is something that is important to me which was why one of my first acts as an MP was to win us £20 million in Government funding to bring our Council properties up to the Decent Housing Standard. Everyone has the right to a decent place to live and this is one of my political priorities. Reflecting on the events of the last 12 months, I once again thank you for your support and the faith you placed in me again at the election in June. I am immensely proud to represent this constituency and the hard working people within it. I also wish to give my thanks to those in the armed and emergency services who keep us safe and well not only at Christmas but throughout the year. I wish you all and your families a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Sean Sheahan Early Help Review

It’s budget time at the County Council and after eight years of austerity, the proposed cuts in services are getting serious. Children’s Centres appear to be the latest casualty, with County Council looking to close 25 out of 40 across Leicestershire. Children’s Centres provide vital support to vulnerable and potentially vulnerable families with young children. By equipping young parents with the skills they need, Children’s Centres help families to thrive. Take that support away and the stresses of everyday life might become overwhelming to the point where some families break down and children end up in care. You would think that any service which prevents that happening would be highly valued. Yet shrinking budgets and cuts to Government grant are forcing Councils to consider making the kind of savings now which could end up proving costly in future years. In my County Council division, there are Children’s Centres in Measham and Moira. Of the two, Moira is under threat of closure, but service users in Measham might lose out, as the remaining service will be spread more thinly. At this time it is unclear how the County Council is going to mitigate against Children’s Centre closures. I hope that local solutions can be found and I have been doing my bit for Moira by contacting the District Council and Moira School to see if they can help keep the Centre at Moira open. I have also been pointing out to the County Council the problems it faces in the event of a Children’s Centre closing. For example, a lot of the Children’s Centres buildings are leased. If the County Council surrenders a lease, it loses control over what activities take place in the building. This makes it more difficult to ensure the remaining services adequately meet local

needs and if less than 60% of services provided cater for under 5’s, the Government could claw back the capital investment it made in the buildings. This could cost upwards of £5 million. There will be a public consultation on the proposed cuts under way between January and April, so please look on the County Council website to have your say. HS2 Update Measham Land Company are lobbying the Government to move the line of HS2 just far enough away from Measham to allow the 450 home Measham Wharfside development off Burton Road to proceed. The developers have also been holding a series of meetings locally to build up support for their proposals, which if successful, will release money to fund an extension to Measham Leisure Centre and an important part of the Ashby Canal restoration. In my view it’s a bit of long shot to get the route changed at this stage, and the impact on Oakthorpe needs very careful consideration, but the benefits for Measham would be considerable, and the proposals certainly deserve a hearing. Atherstone Road Traffic Calming After a long and at times difficult struggle, the traffic calming on Atherstone Road is set to go ahead by the end of January. This was not before I had to get the District Council enforcement team to put some serious pressure on David Wilson Homes, whom I also named and shamed in the local press. This scheme will improve road safety on a key route in and out of Measham, and comes ten years after I presented a residents’ petition to the County Council. I guess that shows persistence pays!

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PHOTO: Michael Mooney and Marie Davis from Falcon Support Services with NWLDC's Empty Homes Officer, Elizabeth White (centre), at the now occupied house in Measham.

Homeless Charity Snaps Up Revamped Empty Home In North West Leicestershire An empty home has been given a new lease of life thanks to a link-up between North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) and a charity that supports the homeless. The house in Measham was one of a number of privately owned homes recorded as ‘long term empty’ in the district, until NWLDC got involved to bring it back into use. NWLDC’s Empty Homes Officer works to identify the long term unoccupied properties in the area before trying to contact and support owners, in advising them on how they can bring the properties back into use. In this case the result saw Loughborough-based Falcon Support Services begin a tenancy in the previously run down empty property, which they will use to give vulnerable homeless people a place to stay. Falcon Support Services provides 70 supported accommodation bed spaces across Leicestershire to those that are homeless, along with running community support projects. The Measham property is the first they’ve occupied in North West Leicestershire.

Rachel Hall, Service Development Manager at Falcon Support Services, said: “Working with NWLDC has been a great experience and it has been a privilege to work alongside the Empty Homes team, to not only bring a long term empty home back into use, but to use it for the benefit of the local community in housing those that are homeless. The positive results that can be brought about by meeting a housing need and providing support to vulnerable people are extensive and we hope to continue expanding our services so we can reach more people and make a long lasting difference to them and their community.” Councillor Alison Smith MBE, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Community Services at NWLDC, said: “There is a real need for housing across the whole country, including North West Leicestershire. There are a number of exciting house-building projects going on around the district, but it is incredibly important that we also make use of the properties that are derelict or empty. We have a number of families looking to rent in the district, and bringing long term empty homes into use offers solutions. It is particularly fantastic that in this instance a charity will use this property for the benefit of the homeless.” To speak to the council’s Empty Homes Officer to discuss ideas for bringing a long term empty home back into occupation, call 01530 454864.

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