November 2021 Your Local Ratby, Kirby Muxloe & Leicester Forest East

YOUR LOCAL 6,800 COPIES DELIVERED EVERY MONTH - RATBY, KIRBY MUXLOE & LFE - NOVEMBER 2021

The Prefabs Of Kirby Muxloe

Ratby Co-Operative Band At The Royal Albert Hall

Sign Up For A Flipping Fabulous Fundraiser Marie Curie

Electric Bin Lorries Trialled

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Hope Against Cancer Thanks Its Supporters For A Summer Of Success As Communities Bounce Back And Help Fund Its Vital, Local Cancer Research Article by Georgia Banton

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The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the original advertisers & contributors and do not necessarily represent 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 Magazine printed by Norwood Press, Moore Road, South Leicester Industrial Estate, Ellistown, Leicestershire, LE67 1EU

Hope Against Cancer has a very clear ambition – to prolong the lives of those living with Cancer in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

2020 was, without question, one of the most challenging years for many organisations but, despite this, the charity was still able to boast some amazing achievements and have only continued this throughout 2021 – especially with being able to return to in-person events this summer.

With such boosts to its fundraising, this innovative, forward-thinking charity have pledged £40,000 in funding to continue to support the work of the Hope Nurse at the totally refurbished Hope Cancer Trials Centre in early 2021. In addition, they also granted £15,000 per year for three years to part-fund a Hope PhD Studentship at the University of Leicester’s College of Life Sciences. This particular funding is vital for developing our basic research capacity and is often not available from other sources.

There have been many ways in which funds have been raised from supporters and the business community, but the events that took place across Leicestershire in the summer of 2021 deserve a special mention considering it was the first that the charity were able to host in over 18-months.

This includes, their first ever Old School Sports day, which was an epic battle between 11 excellent teams at Leicester Racecourse, pitting their racing (and cheating!) skills against one another. The day saw MicroFresh, Furnley House, Cross Productions, eBate, Eileen Richards Recruitment, Brewin Dolphin, Mattioli Woods, BSB and PPL PRS go head-to-head; saddling space hoppers, balancing bean bags and skipping at speed to raise over £4000!

Other sponsors who made the day possible included Raylec, Tax Assist Accountants Market Harborough, Circle Club, Ark Business Finance and 360 AutoLeasing, as well as headline sponsors ADT. A month beforehand, the ‘Bike for Hope’ event, which raised over £14,000! As well as all the fantastic individual cyclists, they also had innovative support from Jenny at Cross Productions and Leanne at e-Bate who rode a tandem bike across 60km, two e-Bike riders from Ride Leicester whose grant contributed £300 to their total and eco-friendly cycle shirt sponsors, Phillips Sutton and MJ Rees.

More recently, they have even seen members of their very own team take part in a Virtual London Marathon. Despite illness and training setbacks, Katherine Perkins, who works as a Pharmacy Technician at the Leicester Royal Infirmary has recently completed the marathon and raised close to £300. Katherine is responsible for parts of the set up and ongoing maintenance of cancer trials that are run through the HOPE Cancer Trials Centre. She works closely with the amazing research team - sponsors, nurses, clinicians and support staff - to ensure they

can deliver the ground-breaking treatments to patients when they most need it.

Hope Against Cancer have also appreciated the support of a number of local patients undergoing treatments and their families who have been held a football tournament, hosted fetes, & coffee mornings and organised tennis matches in aid of the charity. The funds they’ve raised over the summer mean a great deal as they’ve all been driven by a real love and appreciation for the charity’s work.

Speaking about the determination and positive attitude which got them to this significant achievement, Hope Against Cancer’s CEO, Nigel Rose, told us: “Throughout the last 18-months we have been presented with some huge fundraising challenges, but we were determined not to stop funding our research. The entire team ploughed on with confidence and never lost sight of our ambitions and goals. Our supporters and volunteers have been outstanding, and I’m proud and honoured to be part of this community.

Charities like Hope need support more than ever before so it’s vital that we don’t stop our efforts now.”

Hope Against Cancer have some very ambitious goals for the future and in what has been a difficult time for many charities, the Hope Heroes will continue to help improve current treatments, outcomes and possibilities for thousands of Cancer patients across the UK from this state-of-the-art facility in Leicester.

The sun might not be shining anymore – but Hope Against Cancer are!

If you would like to learn more about Hope Against Cancer or how to become a Hope Hero and help them achieve their future life-saving targets, then visit www.hopeagainstcancer.org.uk

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Day In A Life, Another Point Of View

By Martin Kettle

Eyes open to the light of a new day Daylight invades as light creeps in The new dawn heralds fresh delights Night steals yet another day Morning brings a hopeful new day Where does night keep all those sorrows?

Yesterdays displayed on a wall, all neatly pinned Discarded on a pile in the corner With all the other unwanted things Time for breakfast and a coffee Grab a coffee to clear the fog Then a brisk walk to catch the bus Force yourself to go to work View across the river is so enlightening Water under the bridge is so enticing Stop to look, admire the scene Just one step and all will turn black The world Is such a miraculous place No more pain, the end of suffering And life is just a joyous gift But life alas just trudges The Village Writers meets via Zoom, every first and third Wednesdays of the month. If you are interested in writing and would like to improve your writing by joining the group, please ring David on 01162393380 or text 07552107461/David (Co ordinator)

Cinema Club For Senior Citizens Venue Ratby Parish Church At 2pm (doors open at 1-30pm) Why not come and enjoy an afternoon of free entertainment and companionship each month, Through the year we show a selection of films specifically suited for the senior citizens. Some films are fairly recent releases but we also show some of the great old classics

The dates are as follows Friday 15th October Friday 12th November Friday 10th December Friday 14th January Friday 11th February Friday 10th March Tea/coffee and cakes are available after the show For more information please contact Joan Hawkins Tel: 0116 2395826

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Protecting Your Family’s Inheritance Article by Klara Hesling

Our frontline staff follow Government guidelines for visiting you in your home and they are in the vaccination program with second course completed. LevLaw Ltd remains here for you.

Most people hope that their estate will pass on to their children and grandchildren eventually.

But this will not happen for many, unless careful arrangements have been made to protect their assets from being taken towards the end of their life to pay for care home fees. The solution to help protect your estate is a Will incorporating a Property Protection Trust (PPT).

A testamentary PPT can only be executed whilst both partners remain alive. Upon death of the first partner, their Will specifies that their share of the property is placed into trust and names the ultimate beneficiary of this share, normally the children and grandchildren of the deceased. The surviving partner, under the terms of the trust, has the unequivocal right to remain living in the property for the rest of their life. On the death of the second partner the Trust comes to an end and the property passes to the beneficiaries.

As the surviving partner does not own the deceased’s share of the property it is fully protected for the beneficiaries, so if the surviving partner requires care, or even remarries, this share of the children’s inheritance is protected. This last point can be particular interest to couples who have come together and have children with different partners.

A PPT can help each person in a relationship ensuring that their children inherit their share of the property, while giving their surviving partner the ability to live in the property for the rest of their life. If the surviving partner wants to move to another property, they can still sell the property and the proceeds to be used to purchase a new property, the terms of the Trust remain over the new property.

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Ozzy O’shea County Councillor

T: 0116 2394336 M: 07808585825 E: ozzyoshea@hotmail.com Road Closure Ratby Lane, Kirby Muxloe.

Please Note Ratby Lane, Kirby Muxloe will be closed from 25/10/21 to 28/11/21. To access the A47 you need to follow the diversion from Main Street, into Desford Lane Ratby and through Kirby Muxloe via Main Street to access Blood Hill. I was on site for 3 days in the first week observing the traffic speaking with residents together with Cllr Nick Chapman. I have been working with Highways to ensure better signing is in place and that HGV’s do not use Main Street and Station road Kirby Muxloe and Desford Lane Ratby. Pound Stretcher are fully aware of the Closure and have been told to relay the diversion route to their drivers which does not include coming through Ratby. Due to the problems with HGV’S breaching the weight limit in Main Street Kirby Muxloe and Desford Lane Ratby, police Patrols are monitoring the area. Reports have also been received some vehicles approaching the closure from the direction of Ratby have mounted the pavement after the driver had moved the Heras fencing and driven through. I have requested the contractor considers CCTV at the closure. I am continuing to monitor the closure with Cllr Chapman.

Advance Notice Of A Temporary Traffic Regulation Order.

A Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) is to be made for the following location: Stamford Street, Ratby. The purpose of the TTRO is to allow Leicestershire County Council to facilitate carriageway patching and any other associated work to the highway. The TTRO will incorporate a temporary road closure and parking restrictions. The duration of the restriction is not anticipated to exceed a period of1daycommencing on the 24thNovember 2021.

Domestic Abuse Strategy.

Let us know if we're proposing the correct priorities The Domestic Abuse (DA) Act received royal assent in April 2021.

The act places a duty on tier one local authorities (the county council) to provide accommodation based support to victims of domestic abuse and their children in refuges and other safe accommodation. It also provides clarity over governance and accountability, requiring tier two councils (district councils), to co-operate with the lead local authority.

A strategic needs assessment must be undertaken to assess the need for accommodation-based domestic abuse support across Leicestershire for all victims. It is a requirement of the DA Act 2021 to produce a DA Reduction Strategy. The needs assessment will further inform the development of this strategy for the provision of support to cover Leicestershire and inform commissioning / de-commissioning decisions.

An eight-week public consultation is taking place from 26 October to 21 December 2021 seeking feedback on the five priorities and to co-produce the strategy. Feedback from the consultation will be incorporated into the final strategy.

Please let us know whether you think these are the correct priorities or not.

You can do this by emailing; communitysafetyteam@leics.gov.uk or by calling 0116 3056056 The proposed priorities are: 1. Early Intervention and Prevention 2. Targeted Support 3. Reachable Services 4. DA Act (Part 4) – Safe Accommodation 5. Strong Partnerships Full details of these can be found via the following link. www.leicestershire. gov.uk/have-your-say/current-engagement/domestic-abuse-strategy Streetsafe - New Pilot Service Available To All Your local police beat team would like to tell you about a new service that has launched recently for anyone to use for a number of issues.

StreetSafe is a pilot service for anyone to anonymously tell us about public places where you have felt or feel unsafe, because of environmental issues, eg street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, eg being followed or verbally abused.

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Please note: 'StreetSafe' is not for reporting crime or incidents.

Please go www.police.uk click Police.UK: Home then scroll down and click on StreetSafe.

Advance Notice Of A Temporary Traffic Regulation Order.

A Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) is to be made for the following location: Markfield Road Service Road for Numbers 140 to 198, Ratby (see weblink below). The purpose of the TTRO is to allow Leicestershire County Council to facilitate carriageway and footway patching and any other associated work to the highway.

The TTRO will incorporate a temporary road closure and parking restrictions.

The duration of the restriction is not anticipated to exceed a period of 1 day commencing on the 8th December 2021.

Weblink: https://one.network/?tm=GB123892092 Scam Emails Purporting to be from Primark.

Emails promising Primark gift card ‘rewards’ have been circulating, but they’re fake and absolutely nothing to do with the retailer. Fraudsters are impersonating some of the UK’s most well-known brands, this is another gift card scam relating to a famous high street store.

This time the phishing emails are promising ‘Primark Rewards’, claiming that you need to ‘activate the delivery’ in order to receive them: Simply do not click Phishing warning: fake Sainsbury’s marketing survey email Scam.

Sainsbury’s has confirmed that an email promising £90 for taking part in a ‘marketing nothing to survey’ has do with it. We’re all used to seeing slick marketing from brands. Many feature recognisable logos and familiar brand colours to promote their offers across emails, social media, TV adverts.

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The survey and its offers of free ‘rewards’ are fake, and eventually encourage you to part with sensitive personal information.

ASDA phishing email The Below Phishing email is circulating it will take you to a fake site nothing to do with Asda. Please do not get caught out.

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Poppy Pilgrimage On Remembrance Sunday in 2018, the University of Leicester embarked on a mission to honour those who lost their lives and made sacrifices during the Great War, with a commitment to lay 100 wreaths across memorial sites in Leicestershire and Rutland. The project was launched at the official dedication of the University’s Centenary Square in 2018 by Sir David Attenborough. On the 30th of October, representatives from the University laid a wreath at the Ratby War Memorial on Main Street, joined by Professor Tom Robinson - Head of the College of Life Sciences and Dean of Medicine, Merle Joyce - Chairman of Ratby Parish Council, Ozzy O'shea - Vice Chairman of Ratby Parish Council and Heather Reid - Residence Life and Commercial Services Manager.

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

Ozzy O’shea.

Always Working for you

Ozzy O’shea Borough Councillor

ChrisBorough Boothby Councillor

T: 0116 2394336 M: 07808585825 E: ozzyoshea@hotmail.com

T: 0116 2912796 M: 07306 390543 E: chris.boothby@hotmail.com

Planning Application Desford Lane, Ratby 21/01295/OUT. We have just received the weekly Planning list and on it is the following: Application number 21/01295/OUT Outline application for the erection of up to 225 dwellings off Desford Lane, Ratby including 40% affordable housing with a public open space, landscaping and a sustainable drainage system and a vehicular access point. The case Officer is Louise Jelley. This application is a major so will automatically go to Committee.

Residents can view this application via HBBC'S Planning Portal on their website, where you can object should you choose to do so.

Ratby has already been forced to take an extra 267 dwellings, over 3 sites after permissions were granted by the Liberal Democrat controlled planning committee over the past year alone. We urge all residents to make their feelings known. Our schools and infrastructure will struggle to cope with the 267 houses already granted. Our village is already suffering from increased heavy traffic movements, this is before the previous applications have been built. Enough is enough.

We want to arrange a public meeting and will try to organise one under Covid regulations. Rest assured, we will work with residents to fight this application. It is well outside the settlement boundary against policy DM4 and is on a flood plain.

The case officer can be emailed at Louise.Jelley@hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk Remembrance Parade.

By the time you read this, we as a village, would have paid our respects to the fallen with a shortened but poignant service at the Angel War Memorial.

We both would like to say a huge thank you to all those who helped make the Parade possible such as the Officers, Road Marshall's and

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Ratby Parish Council.

Lest we forget.

Once again, we take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support and remember we are only a phone call away.

Regards Chris & Ozzy.

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Ratby Parish Church Revd Dr Ed Bampton Church Lane, Ratby Tel: 0116 239 6520 revdredbampton@outlook.com Saturday 4th December 10.30am-2.30pm Christmas Bazaar Church Rooms Friday 10th December 2pm Over 60s Cinema Club Christmas Special Parish Church 6.30pm Community Cinema Christmas Special Parish Church Saturday 11th December 3pm Messy Christmas Parish Church Sunday 12th December 10.00am Christingle Parish Church 6.00pm Carols by Candlelight Parish Church

Saturday 18th December 2-4pm Open space to light a candle and to sit and remember at Christmas those we have loved and lost.

Parish Church Monday 22nd December 7pm Sing Christmas with BBC Radio Leicester Friday 24th December (Christmas Eve) 3pm Crib Service Parish Church 11pm Midnight Holy Communion Parish Church Saturday 25th December (Christmas Day) 10am Family Christmas Communion Parish Church

Ratby Methodist Church Revd Judith Lincoln Chapel Lane, Ratby

Churches Together In Ratby (Ratby Parish Church with Ratby Methodist Church) Both Churches are asking our community in Ratby to join us in getting into the spirit of the true meaning of Christmas by asking you to decorate your window or if you feel very inspired, your front garden using the theme of a Christmas Carol.

There are so many beautiful Carols to choose from so here's your chance to be creative and also spread some Christmas joy to your neighbours and make Ratby an even more welcoming place as people walk around the village and see so many lovely displays It would be great fun to do whether you are 6 yrs or 96yrs as well as sending out a positive message. Thank you

Saturday 11th December 10am-12 noon Christmas Coffee Morning Methodist Church

Sunday 19th September 6pm Carol Service Methodist Church

Sunday 12th December 10am Nativity Methodist Church

Christmas Day 10am All Age worship Methodist Church

Christmas Tree of Remembrance Ratby Parish Church Church Lane Ratby LE6 0JF LIGHT A LIFE We invite you to visit our church for time to remember and pray and to place a message on our Tree of Remembrance.

Santas Grotto In the Church

Christmas is a time when we miss those we’ve loved and lost the most. Their absence is strongly felt, and we wish we could speak to them one last time. People really do find it helpful to write a message to a loved one and it doesn’t matter how long ago they passed away – we always remember them.

The church will be open on Saturday 18th December from 2PM-4PM A member of the ministry team will be available if you would like to talk to someone All necessary Covid restrictions will be in place for everyone’s safety.

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Electric Bin Lorries Trialled Article by Ian Cockerill

Blaby District Council has taken the exciting step of trailing an electric refuse and recycling bin lorry for waste collections.

The “Dennis E-Collect RCV” will be with the Council for one week and will collect on the same route as a normal dieselpowered lorry. On a single charge, it will pick up waste from around 1,300 properties during the day, before travelling to either Syston or Whetstone waste transfer stations.

Once the round has been completed, it will be recharged at the Council’s Whetstone depot in around seven to eight hours.

The fully electric lorry has five battery packs which will give the vehicle 300kWh of power and a 200kW electric motor. The lorry will be much quieter than a traditional vehicle and weigh around 26 tonnes.

Councillor Nigel Grundy, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Assets, said: “We are very excited to be able to trial an electric bin lorry in the district. Over the next week the crews and Neighbourhood Services team will test drive these lorries, and see how well they function in the district.

We are committed to being a carbon neutral council by 2030, and introducing fossil fuel alternative collection vehicles like the E-Collect in the future would be an enormous step in cutting our emissions and improving our air quality.”

Petition to Save Forest House Medical Centre If you are opposed to the Forest House Medical Centre's proposal to close its Park Drive surgery please act now. This proposed closure will severely disadvantage many of its patients. These proposals are causing worry and distress in the community. We, therefore, call on the local East Leicestershire Clinical Commissioning Group in consultation with the Local Primary Care Network, and the Leicestershire County Council Health Scrutiny Board to reconsider the proposal and work to achieve a satisfactory solution for patients.

The petition can be signed at Kirby Muxloe Post Office and the Library in Kirby Muxloe. It can also be accessed at Change.org- https://chng.it/ VqydxKGxJT and Facebook www.facebook.com/groups/926344884756978/

LFE Film Evenings On Thursday 2 December Will Feature “Judy" Article by Paul Linnett

Thirty years after starring in "The Wizard of Oz," actress and singer Judy Garland arrives in London to perform sold-out shows at the Talk of the Town nightclub.

While there, she reminisces with friends and fans and begins a whirlwind romance with musician Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband.

Starring Renée Zellweger, this film captures the waning days of a beloved performer with clear-eyed compassion.

Blaby District Council are moving towards fossil fuel alternatives to power its vehicles, and are assessing any infrastructure improvements that may be necessary to move to greener alternatives.

Sign Up For A Flipping Fabulous Fundraiser And Take Part In A Penguin Parade For Marie Curie Article by Peter Sara Marie Curie is calling on flipping fabulous young fundraisers to step out this festive season and take part in a penguin parade for families affected by terminal illness.

The newly launched Penguin Parade will see young children go for a waddle of any distance at their nursery or primary school, to raise money and light up the festive season for local families affected by terminal illness. The cute fundraiser is fronted by Penelope the Penguin, who will make an appearance in plush toy form at nurseries and schools taking part.

Venue: the Parish Hall, Kings Drive, LFE, LE3 3JE. On arrival complimentary hot drink and biscuits are provided. As we have no licence, please feel free to bring your own drinks.

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. Cost: £5.

Peter Sara, Marie Curie Community Fundraiser in East of England said: “We’re so excited to be launching this brand-new fundraising event and hope our young supporters enjoy stretching their legs and going for a little waddle with Penelope. Christmas can be a difficult time for those who are bereaved, living with a terminal illness or caring for a loved one at the end of life. By taking part in the Penguin Parade, you can help us continue to be there for everyone who will need us now and in the future. Penelope hopes to join in on all the fun, but a little birdie tells us that stocks of Penelope the Penguin are limited, so pull your flipper out, and sign up now!”

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For more information on Penguin Parade and to sign up visit: mariecurie.org. uk/penguin-parade or contact your local Community Fundraiser, Peter Sara: peter.sara@mariecurie.org.uk or alternatively: 07887 625 449.

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We Want You, We Want You, We Want You As A New Recruit!

Article by Liz Twitchell

Charnwood Voices are back rehearsing in person after a long 18+ months involving many practices over Zoom, which we were very grateful for, but in no hurry to return to!

Are you a lapsed singer? A singer in the shower? Have you always wanted to sing but never joined a choir and experienced the joy of making music with others? Well now's the time to give it a go! We are looking for new members and would love you to come along and try us for size. We rehearse weekly in Belton Village Hall and have members from all around the Charnwood area. Take a look at our websitewww.charnwoodvoices. org.ukfor more information about the choir and email Vanessa our chairchairman@charnwoodvoices.org.ukto express your interest. We look forward to welcoming you.

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Mark is an Accredited Member of the prestigious American Institute of Floral Designers, Chelsea Gold Medal Winner and former UK Florist of the Year. After a successful teaching career at Reaseheath College, Nantwich, he became Creative Director at The Black Rose and Cheshire School of Flowers in Knutsford.

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Ratby Co-operative Band At The Royal Albert Hall Article by David Plant

What a hectic time for the band as we start to get back to playing again this past month or so. In September the Senior Band were delighted to have taken part in the Dr Martin’s competition, Yarm, Stockton-on-Tees where we were awarded two third placings and a fourth, this was the first time the band had competed at a live event since March 2020 due to the impact of Covid-19.

In much the same way as football and other sporting competitions Brass Bands are graded with promotions and relegations between the sections.

The five divisions are Championship, First, Second, Third and Fourth.

There are eight regions covering England, Scotland and Wales of which 79 bands compete in the Midlands. The Ratby Senior Band compete in the Championship section and our Mid Band the Third. The Senior Band currently sit in third place and the Mid Band are mid table in their division.

Each year the top two placed bands from each of the regional qualifiers are invited to take part in the National Finals held at the Royal Albert Hall each October.

Results Ceremony The fanfare trumpets of the Royal Marines Service heralded the delegates from each of competing bands as the stage was set for the results ceremony.

A packed auditorium was transfixed as in the words of the announcer “we now have the results from the adjudicators after listening to nineteen performances from the best bands in the land”.

I have to say at this point we were just happy to be there in such an array of fine bands and we were definitely in illustrious company.

Our aim was to give it our best shot and hopefully knock over a few competitors. The announcer gives out the top six placings in reverse order.

The band placed 6th Brighouse & Rastrick – a good applause and a few murmurs around the hall as a number of the audience had them as potential winners. The band placed 5th played – number 11 Ratby Co-operative Band. Well, the place just erupted. So many people were Ratby supporters that day. For the record Black Dyke were 4th; Tradeagar 3rd, Cory 2nd and Fodens 1st.

Everyone in the RAH were so pleased for us, a superb result in our first ever entry in this this competition. If they didn’t know where Ratby was beforehand they did now!

During September we received news that one of the Midland represented bands were unable to compete and we had been invited at short notice to take their place.

Considered Approach We needed to check availability of our players and then consider the expense involved (entry fees, extra rehearsal facilities, transport, new music and new equipment) so a huge thankyou goes to the Central England Cooperative for contributing financially towards this project.

Image taken on stage at the conclusion of the performance

Contest Lead Up And Challenges In the lead up to the competition it was necessary to try and replicate, as near as possible, the performance arena, playing on the Royal Albert Hall stage is quite intimidating with an auditorium that can seat over 6,000! We were indebted to help of numerous local halls but special mention must go the Mountsorrel Community Hall as on the Wednesday prior to the competition the hall we had booked lost all electricity and we had literally a few hours to source a replacement. Our friends at Mountsorrel came to the rescue.

London Beckons Friday 1st October, so the competition weekend arrived and the band together with friends and family travelled to London with many staying over in a hotel in Kensington. On the Friday evening we made our way to a rehearsal in Fulham which we also returned to on the morning of the competition.

Contest Day So, the big day arrives. 7am breakfast at the hotel before boarding the coach to take us to the rehearsal and await the ballot to determine your order of play. This took place at 8am at which the three adjudicators, who would decide the outcome of the performances, were securely tucked away in the Royal Albert Hall with no knowledge of who was on stage. The order of playing came through and we were drawn to play 11th out of 19, a good slot being the band after the lunch break. Our morning rehearsal went well, everyone was in good spirits and we cleared everything down ready to be collected by the coach at 12 noon to take us to the Royal Albert Hall. No coach! Frantic phone calls to the coach company to told “we’re on the way” then “left the depot” then “we will be there soon”. To be then told that due to football traffic we would be delayed even further. We were now in danger of not getting to the Royal Albert Hall in time! By now it started raining so it was a frantic ordering of taxi cabs to rush us to the stage door.

Luckily we all made it in time to go through strict Covid-19 protocols and band registration prior to our performance.

Test Piece Each band had to perform a specially commissioned work composed by the American Composer Bruce Broughton. The music “Heroes” celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing as well as the heroic achievements of its three astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. The composer, who was at the RAH for the competition is known for numerous motion picture scores and tv themes.

Performance The band took to the stage with enthusiastic applause from a large audience and proceeded to give a superb rendition of the test piece.

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On the steps despite the rain!

RATBY CO-OPERATIVE MID BAND Bolsover Entertainment Contest On Sunday the 3rd October our Mid Band took to the stage as competitors in the Third Division. This was their first time the band had performed in this section following their promotion “pre Covid”. A number of the members had been supporting the Senior Band the day beforehand and today it was their turn to shine. Shine they did achieving a very creditable third place with several of the senior band in the audience there to cheer them on.

A resounding successful weekend which everyone connected to the band were justifiably proud.

Yes, we are back with a bang!

200 Club Winners Prize

No.

Name

June

£50

77

Sue Rogers

July

£50

118

Mick & Pam Pollard

August

£50

102

Anne Tipper

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Leicester Forest East Community Library Article by Teresa Robinson

As mentioned in last month’s article we now have a full programme of activities and events held in the library and are open fully, albeit slightly different hours.

Events held in the Library We held a very successful Diwali Celebration on Saturday 23rd October with much singing, dancing and a wonderful spread of Asian food provided kindly by one of our volunteers. This was enjoyed by volunteers, friends and our local community. Some of us tried some stick circle dancing!

Our Wellbeing Tai Chi Classes have started on a Thursday evening from 7pm. Please let Winnie know if you are interested in join us on 07407 111948 or hello@ rainbowlamguage.uk

Month 7pm to 9pm – The LE3 Ladies Group Thursday 7pm to 7.45pm – Women’s Tai Chi Well Being Session Annual Christmas Fair – Saturday 27th November – 11am to 2pm Do you want to have Christmas photo taken with a fancy Christmas hat, whilst sitting on a Harley Davidson or Vintage 50’s moped? Then the library is the place for you. Come along and join in the fun at our Annual Christmas Fair, with outside stalls on the car park and indoor fun activities for the children, hot drinks and your favourite mince pies or stollen.

We will also be launching a Christmas Quiz. You can purchase the quiz sheet from the library for £1.00, return the sheet to the library and the winner will receive a prize. So collect your sheet and get quizzing!

Volunteers Needed Are you recently retired or have a few hours to spare? Looking for something to do on a voluntary basis? We are in need of new volunteers at the library. Can you spare a couple of hours a week to tidy shelves, make drinks, help out at our events? You don’t have to be computer literate as full training will be given.

If you can help, visit our website and fill in the Volunteer form and we will be in touch or pop in to the library to have a chat with one of our volunteers.

Story and Thyme sessions continue are held on a Friday from 2.30pm to 3pm. Come and listed to a cosy story on the carpet with your little one and choose books from a wide selection in our welcoming children’s area. We have many bright and colourful books to choose from with a variety of wellknown children’s authors.

Regular Groups Monday 7pm to 9pm – Craft and Chatter Wednesday 8:45 – 10am – Tea & Toast for parents dropping kids off at Stafford Leys Wednesday 10am to Noon – Coffee & Chat – all ages welcome Wednesday 6pm to 8pm – Craft Group Thursday 10am to Noon – Baby & Toddler Group (up to 2 years) Thursday 3rd Thursday of the

Opening Times Monday 2pm – 5pm Tuesday Closed Wednesday 8.30am – 12 Noon, 2pm – 4.30pm and 6pm – 8pm Thursday 10am – 12 Noon and 2pm to 4pm Friday 2pm – 5pm Saturday 10am – 1pm Sunday Closed Resources available in the Library • Free Lateral Flow Tests • Litter picking equipment for loan • Asian/English magazines available to read in the library (Perhaps whilst you relax with a cup of tea or coffee) • Refreshments • Leaflets and local information Please contact the library on 0116 2336273 or our website, www. lfelibrary.org if you have any queries about any of the above groups. Or just turn up on the day.

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Neighbourly Conversation Article by Dennis Walker I was out dead-heading my roses the other day when my neighbour popped their head over the fence to pass the time of day.

When asked if we had any special plans that week, I replied: “Yes, we have a u3a meeting on Thursday, and I’m really looking forward to the speaker”.

“Oh”, was the reply, “I’ve heard of the u3a but don’t know much about it.

Please tell me more!”

“No probs.” I said. “It is an organisation designed for mainly retired people where they can meet others to socialise and do things of interest. Take this Thursday meeting I mention, held at Glenfield Church Centre. We will both be there to hear a fascinating speaker as well as to find out what social activities are being planned. We finish with a cuppa and a chat with other people – some we know, others not – but they are all a friendly bunch.

About 70 or 80 members are at our meetings, so there’s lots of people to catch up with. You’d be surprised how many you already know!”.

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“Mmm” said my neighbour. “I like the idea of having something interesting to look forward to. It would be good for us to get away from daytime TV too!

How do we go about joining?”.

“That’s easy” said I. “I’ll give you the details so you can find out all about it”.

This is what I listed for them: • Look at our website www.u3asites.org/glenfield.

• Click on the yellow tab at the top of the page How to Join • Under the heading Links, click on See what we get up to on the right hand side and watch the video • Click on the yellow tab Groups • Scroll down to the list, and take a note of what interests you.

“By the way”, I emphasised “you don’t have to join straight away. You can come along for up to three free taster sessions to any meeting and will be made very welcome”.

[NOTE: If you don’t have internet access – just pop along to our monthly meetings held at St Peter’s Church Centre, fourth Thursday of each month at 2.00pm]

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Ratby Community Library And Crow Pie Cafe

ADVANCE NOTICE: OUR CHRISTMAS FAYRE WILL BE SATURDAY 11TH DECEMBER 10.30 – 12.30 SANTA HAS TOLD US TO LISTEN OUT FOR HIM. HE'S GOT EARLY GIFTS FOR THE CHILDREN AND IS LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING THEM.

Article by Joan Burton

Halloween Special!

“Trick or treaters, bring an adult to the library and we'll give you a skeleton lolly to add to your haul!” That was our offer and it was a good job we had lollies by the bucketful as our Halloween Spooktacular party was a huge success. Lots of children found the dressing up box great fun, as well as decorating their own scary cakes and painting Halloween pictures. The ghostly leaf tree is up on display in the children's section and looks stunning. Thanks to Rosie from our Wriggly Readers group for all her ideas and hard work and also for giving the volunteers a great excuse for dressing up themselves. We even had a visit from a friendly werewolf...

Crow Pie Cafe is not just any cafe!Not many people in Ratby realize that the cafe is the main source of income for the library. The library is entirely run by volunteers but without visitors to the cafe and other events, we, like many community run libraries, would find it a struggle to keep going. That's why we do our best to offer great quality coffees and speciality teas as well as gorgeous cakes and snacks. Waffles with chocolate spread, toasted tea cakes, brownies, children's drinks and snacks are all on our menu and do look out for our warming soup and a roll for when the weather turns chilly. Call in and sample them yourself – you won't be disappointed.

Events and Groups Knit, Stitch and Natter Group starting soon. Jane Hewison, textile artist, is keen invite any knitters, stitchers or crochet workers to meet with her on Tuesday mornings in the library. The first get-together is Tuesday 7th December and the next will be Tuesday 11th January. Both sessions will run from 10 -12. No need to book a place, or worry that others will be miles better than you please feel free to turn up and share the morning with other crafters in our warm and comfortable community space.

Quiz Night is back! With Steve Roche as question master be prepared for fun and fiendish questions. Friday 19th November and Friday 17th December at 7.30 pm will be our next quizzes of the year.

There's no need to book places, just turn up and enjoy pitting your wits against all comers.

Wriggly Readers is just as popular as it ever was with parents and carers of pre-schoolers. Songs, rhymes and stories combined with active play make for a really happy and sociable occasion so do come along and join us. At the moment it is every two weeks on Thursday morning, 10.30 -11 for songs and a story with play and refreshments until 12. The library is closed to other users in order to give a safe and unique experience. Dates for future Wriggly Readers sessions are 11th & 25th November and 9th December.

Raffle, tombola, scented bath goods stall, cake sale, even, fingers crossed, handbell ringers, and much more to set us up for the festive season.

Volunteers: we need you!

We'd like to thank all our volunteers who help create such a good atmosphere in Ratby Library but are in real need of new volunteers. If you would like to get involved with the local community but don't have much more than two hours a week to spare, why not come and join our community of library volunteers? We're a friendly lot and we enjoy working in all of the areas of the library. Full training is offered so do call in and talk to us about joining our team; you really won't regret it.

Opening Hours: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

10am – 12 & 2pm - 4pm 2pm – 4pm 2pm – 4pm 2pm – 4pm 2pm – 4pm 10am – 12

Before you turn the page – are you a business able to move and relocate a large metal shed a short distance in our outside area? Lay some hard landscaping to create a seating area? If so, please could you email our treasurer on ratbylibrary@gmail.com with your contact details?

Cooking is back in Ratby!

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At a loose end or wanting to do something different? Then why not join our cooking sessions held at The Methodist Church every other Wednesday 10am -12 noon (Term time only) starting on 3rd November.

Everything is provided, no commitment required. Please do pop in to see what’s going on in your village.

For more information, please call Rachel or Shirley on 01455 255941/255942

Book Club coming back soon! Look out for details in the library – it's early days but so many of you have asked if we're starting up again we hope to launch in the very near future.

We have free time available in the library on several mornings a week. If you wanted a comfortable space to sit, chat, work, why not call in and we can discuss your needs?

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The Kirby Muxloe Local History Group Article by Judith Upton

The Kirby Muxloe Local History Group generally meets 6 times a year, and membership is open to all.

Details of the dates of meetings, together with the topics that will be covered, are shown on the notice board in Kirby Muxloe Library and on our website, which is www.kirbymuxloelocalhistorygroup.org Covid precautions will apply. For further details, please see our website.

Our new “Memories” meetings unfortunately remain suspended, pending our assessment of the effectiveness of our new anti-virus procedures.

Our next meeting will take place on Tuesday November 16th at 7:30. There will be a short A.G.M. and a talk on Leicestershire’s Village Cinemas by Brian Johnson - Local Historian. Covid precautions will still apply.

The Prefabs of Kirby Muxloe

This month we turn our attention to the prefabs, which were built on Lime Grove at the end of WWII. The subject came to the fore as Emma Johnson, daughter of Jackie Porsi, of Lime Grove, posted an aerial picture of the prefabs on the K.M. Community Facebook page. The picture was taken in 1963, as the prefabs were being demolished. We were further delighted when a posting from Mark Reynolds arrived on the Community Facebook page to say that he, his mother and grandparents had lived in the prefabs at that time and that his mum could remember almost everyone who had lived there.

After the end of WWII, there was a shortage of houses, which required a quick solution. The government of the day, having been to the U.S.A. to inspect their prefabricated buildings, made the decision to build 500,000 in the UK. The buildings were constructed off-site and then transported to the final location, where they could be assembled very quickly. It was envisaged that they would last around 10 to 15 years and help the shortfall of accommodation until brick council houses could be built. In actual fact, only 150,000 were ever built. The interior of the accommodation was to be painted in magnolia, with green gloss paint on the wooden parts. Each building would have a bathroom, with an inside toilet, and full-size bath, a kitchen with a built-in oven, a fridge and a Baxi water heater. There was a fireplace for burning coal, which also had a back boiler that supplied constant hot water.

So, how did the first residents feel about their new homes? Luckily, we were able to contact a small number of people who, when young, had lived in the Lime Grove prefabs. After speaking to several people in both Kirby Muxloe and Ratby, the overriding conclusion was that everyone “loved” living in a prefab. To many, they were the height of luxury!! We have stories of people watching the precast buildings being delivered in two parts on two separate lorries. They were quickly assembled and then the inside fitments were installed. For many of the new residents, a bathroom complete with a full-sized bath and an inside toilet was amazing. Many people arrived having previously lived in a terraced house with their parents, with no bath and a toilet at the bottom of the garden. One resident said that their grandmother visited every weekend - to see the family, but also to have a bath in a warm bathroom instead of in an old tin bath in the kitchen. The houses also included a fridge in the kitchen. It appears that some residents of the village, who were paying a mortgage to enable them to purchase a house, were feeling quite miffed, as they could not afford a fridge, but the people in the council properties had one. The only important item that was not in the kitchen was a washing machine. One previous resident recalled that as a child, he saw a twin tub washing machine delivered and installed in the kitchen. However, it was always breaking down and his mother often had to walk to the nearest telephone box (a distance away), to call the shop where the machine had been purchased, in order to make a complaint. The same household also had a cylindrical spin dryer. I remember those dryers very well, as when they were spinning at high speed, unless anchored down really well, they “walked” across the kitchen floor!

The prefabs each had a good-sized garden, where the family grew vegetables. One young resident had a piece of garden of his own, where he grew marigolds. In front of the prefabs was a large green, where all the children played together. They played cricket, cards, marbles and conkers, when in season. They also often played hide and seek, especially when one of the mothers was trying to get her younger son back into the house for bedtime. He used to hide in the bushes in a garden which was overgrown and the older children always knew where they would find him. The prefabs

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Aerial photograph of Lime Grove prefabs as they were being demolished c 1963. Courtesy of Jackie Porsi. were of course very near to the railway line, which was open to passenger trains at that time. The rail line also carried freight and especially coal. The boys used to run up the embankment, making a path as they did so and wait for coal to drop off the passing trains, as it often did. The coal was then taken back home, much to their parents' delight. The children also played squash the coin. This was usually a penny, which was put onto the track and then the children waited for a passing train. After the train had gone, they inspected the coin to see if it had been well and truly squashed. The late Colin Percy worked at the Tubes in Desford and when he played cricket there, he often walked home along the railway line.

There are many memories and it might ignite some peoples’ minds if we list the names of some of the residents - Peggy and Cyril Walters with daughter Patricia (mum of Mark Reynolds), Mr and Mrs Ross and their son Fielding, Mr and Mrs Bint, Miss Fanny Greasley, Mr and Mrs Sleath and son John, Mr and Mrs Atkins and their daughter Rachel, Mr and Mrs Ball and their daughter Ruth and Mr and Mrs Wood with their sons, Clive and Christopher.

After the prefabs were demolished, many of the tenants moved into the council houses on Princess Drive or the ones on Station Road. Some people were fortunate enough to be able to buy their first house and so moved elsewhere, but often still in the village.

Many thanks to Mike Percy, Mark Reynolds and his mother Patricia, Julia Sleight, Jackie Porsi and Emma Johnson for their excellent help and information.

Colin and Mike Percy on the green in front of the prefabs.

Courtesy of Mike Percy.

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Markfield Recitals @Markfield Methodist Church presents

Article by Liz Collinson CARD READER Much to our delight, we have taken the plunge and got ourselves a card reader. Quite a number of people have been asking if we could accept cards, and now we can. It’s incredibly easy to use, much to the delight of our volunteers, so if you prefer using a card rather than cash for your cuppa (or anything else) we can do it. Many thanks to Blaby District Council for helping us to purchase this.

CANDLES AND WOODCRAFT While we’re on the subject of buying things, have you been in to see our lovely local beeswax candles and polish? These are made from Bob Atkinson’s bees, so are very much a Kirby Muxloe thing. There are lots of different shapes and sizes, and they smell amazing! Prices from £1 to £5.00. We also have lavenderinfused beeswax polish which is being snapped up. Bettina (Bob’s daughter) who makes the candles and polish, is also working on lip balm, which a lot of people are asking about. All the proceeds from these items will go towards the development of our garden.

So good news in every way. Burt’s Bees have nothing on Bob’s Bees!

Make sure you also have a look at Brian Lissaman’s beautifully carved wooden items, all with a Christmas theme. These make excellent Christmas gifts, so come and have a browse.

OUR GARDEN You may have heard that we are setting up a project to develop and improve our garden, to make it into a pleasant place to sit in and have a cup of coffee and cakes. We want this to be for all Kirby Muxloe residents, so we are looking for people with an interest in developing gardens with sensory features to help us.

If you are interested in joining a small working party to help with planning and come up with ideas, please contact Liz Collinson on 0116 2393332, or by email at secretary@kirbymuxloelibrary.org for more information.

VOLUNTEERS AND DUKE OF EDINBURGH STUDENTS We are still interested in recruiting volunteers so if you interested, drop into the Library and talk to us. We can promise you an interesting experience, the chance to make lots of new friends, and the knowledge that you are contributing in a very positive way to the welfare of our community.

Likewise, if you are doing your Duke of Edinburgh Award, why not come and do the volunteering module with us? Again, just drop into the Library and we will take it from there.

NEW OPENING HOURS Please not that, as from November 1st, we have reverted to our preCovid opening hours: Monday - 10.00 – 1.00, 2.00 – 5.00 and 5.00 – 7.00 Tuesday - 2.00 – 5.00 Wednesday - 2.00 – 5.00 Thursday - Closed Friday - 10.00 – 1.00 Saturday = 10.00 – 1.00

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SWITCHING ON THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS The Blue Potts Café will be open on Friday 26th November from 6.30 – 8.30 to support the Parish Council in the switching on of the Christmas lights.

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