Soar Valley Life November and December 2018 by Soar Valley Life

Delivered FREE to 34,000 homes

Issue 80/81 Nov/Dec 2018

Your award winning

In associa on with

Strength in numbers

Just Great Music!

Loughborough Kia - Centre Pages

53 Find the Robin and win a £25 voucher for The Waterside Inn Mountsorrel

61 Win! £50 to spend at the Quorn Grange Hotel with transport by ADT

www.soarvalleylife.co.uk Copy deadline for January/February 2019 Friday 14th December

Lo c D i al B r pa e c u s i n ge tor e 74 y s s

51 Win! A ernoon Tea for Two at Baxter’s Tea Room Loughborough

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Are you in our brand new on line business directory? check it out here: h ps://soarvalleylife.co.uk/directory/

Soar Valley Life Just Great Music!

Soar Valley Life Editors ‐ Steve & Mary Johns Adver sing ‐ Steve Johns Distribu on ‐ Peter Colle Graphic Design Alison Poole Designs www.alisonpooledesigns.co.uk Adver sing Rates ‐ page 70 Telephone 01509 813125 Email enquiries Adver sing info@soarvalleylife.co.uk Editorial & Compe ons ‐ editor@soarvalleylife.co.uk Business and other enquiries - info@soarvalleylife.co.uk Website www.soarvalleylife.co.uk Facebook www.facebook.com/SoarValleyLife Address 1 Burton Road, Sileby LE12 7RU

Charnwood Brewery open new Micropub in Mountsorrel

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Copyright © 2018 Fantas c State Limited trading as Soar Valley Life. The Publisher reserves and controls all rights to the work presented in this magazine. Any applica on for any use of any of the work, features, adver sements, quota ons, photographs, images or other work within this publica on must be made directly to the publisher. No part of this publica on may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmi ed, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Disclaimer: Whilst every eﬀort is made to ensure the accuracy of material in this publica on the publisher can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors in either editorial or adver sing content, or take responsibility for services provided by the adver ser. It is the responsibility of the adver ser to ensure their advert is correct and up to date at the me of publica on. General Data Protec on Regula on GDPR: All personal data collected through compe ons or related correspondence in this magazine are destroyed once the winners have been announced. We do not retain personal data.

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Walking Burrough Hill Sponsored by Country Park

Page 46 Sponsored by

Find the Robin compe on

Page 53

This month’s front cover photograph is Loughborough Kia’s new showroom. Picture take by Oli Johnson of Loughborough Kia using his drone

Page 6

Kia Move to Loughborough

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Contents Target by Agora Room for a Rowan The Great Cover‐up Nicky Morgan MP The Longbow Po ed Smoked Salmon Mincemeat Sponge Puddings Quiz – Christmas TV Quick Crossword Astronomy MTD – Making Tax Digital The Law Society Award Winners Easy and Hard Sudoku Charnwood Brewery Open New Micropub Technology Top Tip Look how far we’ve come! The Independent Traveller’s Holiday Helpline What is Self‐Healing? Walking Burrough Hill Country Park Aging Feet Low Back Pain Win! A ernoon Tea for Two Foods to Avoid Feeding your Dog Find the Robin Spot the Diﬀerence Henry Hedgehog’s Puzzle Page Short Story – Christmas Carol Thread Veins The Top Ten of Motoring Win! Christmas Wordsearch Tracing your Family History Are you our next new tutor? Last Pos ng Dates for Christmas Bill Ford 1937 – 2018 Legend Solu ons and Winners Local Business Directory

We have been voted as the Best Community News magazine in Leicestershire for 2018 by SME magazine

8 13 14 16 17 20 22 25 27 28 29 31 32 34 36 38 42 45

Christmas Wordsearch

WIN £50 to spend at The Quorn Grange Hotel with transport by ADT Taxis

Page 61

Recipe Po ed Salmon

Page 20

Sponsored by

Mincemeat Sponge Pudding

Page 22 46 47 49 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 59 61 63 65 66 68 72 74

Bill Ford Tribute pages 68 & 69

WIN A ernoon Tea for Two at Baxter’s Tearoom Page 51

Soar Valley Life Just Great Music!

34,000 EVERY TWO MONTHS We deliver to private residences, shops oﬃces and businesses in the villages and communi es shown on the map. Distribu on is split 50/50 between North and South and delivered 1 month apart, meaning 17,000 magazines get delivered every month making a total of 34,000 diﬀerent addresses every two months. Visit our website to download our detailed distribu on list with maps. www.soarvalleylife.co.uk Places in italics get par al delivery and have pick up points.

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Back to the Future As understatements go, “The last few weeks have been even ul” is in the top 10! September 2nd brought news of a good friend’s death and you can read Steve’s tribute to Bill Ford on pages 62 and 63. Business‐wise we had made all our new plans for moving the business from our home into one of the new units at the Mountsorrel Memorial Centre. We’d arranged flooring and fi ngs, telephone system, signs, furniture and, because Mary and I would o en have to make our way to the new office separately, we bought a van; although this was partly planned anyway to help with our ever growing distribu on and that we’d appointed our very first distribu on manager, Peter Colle , a couple of month’s earlier. You may recall that we had also appointed a solicitor to help with the nego a ons with the lease. Holidays, days off, confusions and misunderstandings barred the way to progress and we were becoming increasingly frustrated with no end in sight. In mid‐September we were informed that we had won the SME news magazine’s award— “The Best Community News Magazine for 2018” My right arm was s ll in a sling which meant that I couldn’t drive anywhere un l the physiotherapist gave me the okay on 21st September. Our local printer declined to contract to us for another term as we had asked to increase the size of the magazine and he hadn’t the capacity to accommodate us with his current equipment. This meant that we had to find somewhere quickly to store each month’s delivery and with no Mountsorrel unit available any me soon we were beginning to panic. So, with bi er reluctance, we decided to withdraw our interest and make other plans. Peter, our new distribu on manager, came to the rescue short term and offered us the use of his garage. We are now inves ng in our own home to create more space. Our old print partner from 2016, Warwick Prin ng Company, is happy to contract to us for the next 12 months so all is well on that front now. Then Mary’s old computer proved more troublesome than was good for either of our tempers so we upgraded it to a new one. We really should have waited un l a er the deadline ‐ but we didn’t! The best analogy I can come up with for all this experience is ‐ it’s like learning to swim in a deep pool with crocodiles chasing you! Ahh, well! Back to the future :‐)

Steve & Mary Johns

You are reading this because someone delivered it to your door. Would you like to get ﬁt by doing a great service and earn a good wage for spending a few hours in the fresh air? Email mary@soarvalleylife.co.uk for details.

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Showroom Open by Appointment to Suit You!

“And the autumn leaves were turning to the colour of her hair” Noel Harrison – The Windmills of Your Mind

Room for a Rowan I plant lots of trees at this me of year and more o en than not I need to select a tree suitable for a small garden. Most gardens can find space for the smallest trees which will reach less than five meters even at maturity. A tree I use o en in a small garden is Sorbus vilmorinii, it is full of the wow factor. The pinnate foliage is fine and fernlike and dances in even the gentlest

breeze, colouring up beau fully in the autumn, too. It ﬂowers in late spring, is great for the bees and in autumn heavy bunches of rose pink berries are formed which slowly turn white hanging in the branches well into winter. Tolerant of most condi ons, including exposed sites, but preferring a slightly acidic soil, this Rowan is a perfect tree where there is only room for one! Claire Jones

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The Great Cover Up Any garden will look more interes ng with some varia on in the height of the plants. By all means include some tall plants but don’t forget how a rac ve and useful ground-cover plan ng can be, covering the soil with good-looking foliage plus, in some cases, flowers or berries. Some ground‐cover plants are available as ‘bare root’ plants, li ed from a field and ready for pu ng in to the ground whilst they are dormant. Now is a great me to buy them, ready to plant during suitable weather over the coming months. Ground‐cover plants are also o en available in po ed form, especially the smaller, less woody plants. These can be planted now too, or – as their roots are well‐encased in compost – at any me of the year, though for best results avoid extremely cold and wet weather or the very ho est and driest period in summer. A ground‐cover bed is an excellent way to reduce your gardening workload – once planted, it needs li le maintenance and almost looks a er itself. It will need watering during the first year or two, especially in dry weather, so that the roots can establish. One of the best uses for ground cover is on a steep slope, where access is difficult or even dangerous. Once installed, a ground cover‐clad slope will be simpler to look a er than a grassy one. Sloping gardens or windswept spots can suffer soil‐

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slippage or erosion if le unplanted. The roots of your ground‐cover plan ng will help secure the soil and the stems and foliage will help protect the soil surface. Ground cover will also prevent weeds from thriving, by starving them of light and providing compe on in open spaces. For best eﬀect choose plants which are evergreen and so hold their leaves throughout the year. A ground‐cover plant such as Cotoneaster horizontalis lets you enjoy a rac ve berries as well as the neat foliage. Ground‐cover plan ng like this will o en oﬀer a useful source of shelter to local wildlife and food for berry eaters too.

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Page 15

Nicky Morgan MP

Kneller & Kneller Ltd For all your electrical requirements

This is always a busy me of year between half-term and Christmas. MPs are now back in Westminster and we have big challenges ahead. The major issue before us is Brexit and how the nego a ons on the withdrawal agreement and future rela onship between the UK and EU are going. There will be different views about Brexit amongst Soar Valley readers. I recently a ended an excellent public discussion in Loughborough about Brexit, where a range of views were represented. Whatever each person’s views I hope we can agree that we want our Ministers to act in the na onal interest and that this is an issue of great importance, which will shape the UK’s place in the world over future decades. It is taking up a huge amount of MPs’ me and I regret that many other issues people would like us to focus on are unable to get the full a en on they deserve. Other events are happening in Westminster and I con nue to welcome cons tuents who are a ending recep ons, part of school tours, a ending Prime Minister’s Ques ons or lobbying me and other MPs about issues they feel passionate about. If you’ve never visited the Houses of Parliament then do contact me (if you live in the Loughborough cons tuency) and we will be pleased to arrange for you to join one of the popular tours. November 2018 will see a significant number of events held locally to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War 1, in addi on to the usual dignified Remembrance Services. If you are holding an event and would like it to be publicised then you can add it to Charnwood Council’s page at www.charnwood.gov.uk/pages/ww1_events November also sees the excellent Christchurch Gilbert & Sullivan show taking place at Iveshead School in Shepshed. When life feels very complicated at the moment then their show is just what everyone needs – this year it is The Mikado. Please see my Facebook page for details. Amazingly the end of 2018 is almost in sight but, before then, there will be the many Christmas tree fes vals, carol concerts and other events to a end and enjoy. I am typing this in October so it seems a bit early to wish all Soar Valley Life readers a Happy Christmas and all the best for 2019 but I do so knowing that the fes ve season will be upon us soon.

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The Longbow By Pip Bickerstaﬀe of Bickerstaﬀe Bows Just Great Music!

A weapon of war and a recrea onal spor ng bow.

poten al that these weapons had in ba le.

how to shoot them in the proper tradi onal way.

The Mary Rose is also interes ng because it was at a me when the ﬁrst handguns were being introduced and slowly taking over from archery as a military weapon. At this me the hand cannons were crude and about as dangerous to the operator as anyone in front of them.

By working closely with Merlin Archery Centre/Archery Legends it is possible to oﬀer a wide range of archery equipment and facili es to use and enjoy, with skilled and experienced people available to guide you into this most ancient of sports.

The ship was also equipped with a large number of high‐quality cannon so it was clear to see that archery, as a military tool, was very much at the end of it's superiority.

Many people will have heard a number of references to Longbows over the years, Robin Hood is a local figure and very much associated with the English Longbow. There are significant historical ba les where the English Longbow was a game changer, Crecy, Poi ers and Agincourt being the best known. In 1543 the Mary Rose, which was Henry VIII's flag ship, sank in the Solent. Whilst this was a disaster at the me, and a great embarrassment as it happened in front of an invading French fleet, what it did do was produce a me capsule of well preserved artefacts. Studying these finds has taught us a lot about archery from that me in history. We can see the War Bows and the arrows; this gives a clear idea, to those that know what they are looking at, of the

Pip, working on a bow stave

It was possible to teach a man to shoot a gun in a few days – it takes years to fully master a serious weight longbow. Recrea onal archery has, however, remained popular un l the present day. At the same me Roger Ascham wrote a book on archery; he was a tutor to the young Queen Elizabeth the ﬁrst, teaching her Greek, La n and archery. His book, Toxophilus, was the ﬁrst technical book wri en in the English Language, making it accessible to a wide range of people. Prior to this, all technical books had been wri en in La n or Greek. So even at that me in history archery was very much a family sport welcoming men, women and children. That tradi on carries on into the modern world where whole families can enjoy shoo ng together in a range of archery disciplines. My speciality is in making longbows and teaching people

In tradi onal archery, by using a simple wooden bow and wooden arrows you are very much con nuing to use the skills that were essen al to our survival in the stone age. There is a huge sa sfac on to be had from using a wooden bow properly and seeing the poten al accuracy and consistency that can be achieved with simple basic equipment. If you want technology on your side then Merlin offer some of the most modern and sophis cated equipment so in the one place you can experience the whole range of archery and find your niche. Pip Bickerstaffe of Bickerstaffe Bows – pip@bickerstaffebows.co.uk

Could your business beneﬁt from a Feature Package? Call Steve on 01509 813125 to discuss

Page 17

Recipe Just Great Music!

This month’s recipe sponsored by

Appliance City Serves 6

Po ed Smoked Salmon

Ready in 30 minutes, plus chilling me

This is the perfect starter for the lunch on the big day – you can make it the night before and the recipe will easily double up if you are feeding a crowd at Christmas!

Reserve about 25g of the salmon ﬂakes for garnish (cover and chill in the fridge un l required).

Place the rest of the salmon ﬂakes in a food processor with the smoked salmon, bu er, so cheese, horseradish and lemon juice. Process un l smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and process for a further few seconds.

Divide the mixture between 6 small ramekin dishes and level the surface. Cover and chill in the fridge un l required. Garnish with the rest of the salmon ﬂakes, dill sprigs and green peppercorns. Serve with toasted brown or granary bread.

Tip

Most supermarkets sell packs of ready‐flaked honey roast salmon but if unavailable just buy ready‐cooked smoked salmon fillets and roughly flake the fish, discarding any skin and fine bones.

Ingredients: • 275g honey roast salmon ﬂakes • 250g smoked salmon slices, chopped • 100g unsalted bu er, so ened • 125g full‐fat so cheese • 2 tsp creamed horseradish • 1 tbsp lemon juice • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • Fresh dill sprigs and green peppercorns, to garnish • Slices of toasted brown or granary bread, to serve

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Recipe sponsored by Appliance City See their full range of fabulous cooking appliances at www.appliancecity.co.uk

Sweet Recipe Just Great Music!

Mincemeat Sponge Puddings

Serves 4 Ready in 1 hour 10 minutes

With Christmas just around the corner there will be plenty of jars of rich and fruity mincemeat in the shops – perfect for adding to mini sponge puddings.

Thoroughly grease 4 x 175ml pudding basins with bu er. Divide the mincemeat between the basins. Preheat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas mark 5.

Place the bu er and sugar in a bowl and beat together un l pale and creamy. Beat in the orange or lemon zest then gradually beat in the eggs, adding 1tbsp of the ﬂour if the mixture starts to curdle. Fold in the rest of the ﬂour with the milk to give a so dropping consistency.

Tip

Divide the mixture between the pudding basins and cover each with a square of pleated bu ered foil, scrunching it ghtly around the sides of each basin. Transfer to a large roas ng n and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basins. Bake for 45‐50 minutes or un l risen and ﬁrm to the touch. Leave in the basins for 5 minutes then turn out onto serving plates. Serve with cream or custard, if liked.

Ingredients: • Ready in 1 hour 10 minutes • 115g unsalted bu er, so ened, plus extra for greasing • 6 tbsp good quality mincemeat • 115g caster sugar • Zest of ½ orange or lemon • 2 medium eggs, beaten • 125g self‐raising ﬂour, si ed • 1 tbsp milk

Spice up the sponge mixture by adding 2 tsp ground cinnamon and ½ tsp ground nutmeg instead of the orange or lemon zest and replace the caster sugar with light so brown sugar, if liked.

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The final episode of which TV show was the most‐watched TV show in the UK on Christmas Day 2015? 2. In a 1992 Christmas special, who fails to give his girlfriend, Irma Gobb, the engagement ring she wanted when he didn't realise what she was poin ng to, and instead gives her a picture of an engaged couple that was next to it in the shop? 3. Screened on Christmas Day in 2003, Sleepless In Peckham was the final episode of which long‐running TV sitcom? 4. On Christmas Day of what year did a Doctor Who episode called The Time Of The Doctor see Peter Capaldi take over from Ma Smith as the Doctor? 5. Which TV series features a robot Santa Claus who, due to a programming error, judges almost everyone to be naughty and every Christmas, goes on a murderous rampage? 6. The tle character in which TV show lived at 52 Fes ve Road? 7. Broadcast on Boxing Day 2015, The Farmer's Llamas was a Christmas special of which TV show? 8. Which character from EastEnders was murdered on Christmas Day in 2009? 9. Introduced in the first episode of The Simpsons, what breed of dog is Santa's Li le Helper? 10. On the TV show South Park, who brings presents to boys and girls whose diets have been high in fibre? Answers on page 72

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Quick Crossword Just Great Music!

8 9

16 18

17 19

Across 1. Connect to another (6) 4. Yarn, twine (6) 9. Mature (7) 10. Problem, concern (5) 11. Bend (5) 12. Places of work (7) 13. Diﬀeren ate (11) 18. Iden cal (7) 20. Fang (5) 22. Having had water removed (5) 23. Hammering (7) 24. Leaders, monarchs (6) 25. Business, company (6)

Answers on page 72

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Down 1. Diminish (6) 2. Sweetheart, paramour (5) 3. Most statuesque (7) 5. Robber (5) 6. Bugs (7) 7. 1978 musical set in 50s (6) 8. Mee ng with doctor (11) 14. First le er (7) 15. Unfastening, removing knots (7) 16. Kill (6) 17. Long‐haired, unkempt (6) 19. More advanced in age (5) 21. Pungent vegetable (5)

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Go Everywhere under the Sun with Kia Comet Wirtanen closest to Earth on December 16th Comet 46P/Wirtanen is a short‐period comet with an orbital period of 5.4 years. The comet is rela vely small in size with an es mated diameter of just 1.2 kilometers. The object was the original target for ESA’s Rose a spacecra but the launch window was missed so 67P/Churymov‐Gerasimenko was Rose a’s target in the end. The next perihelion passage (closest approach) will be on 16 December 2018 when it will pass 0.078 AU (7,220,000 mi) from Earth. The icy space rock is expected to reach magnitude +3 which is about as bright as the stars in Ursa Major, The Plough. This is the brightest predic on of known and future passes of this comet. This is also currently the brightest predic on for all comet passes in 2018. You’ll see it between the 14th and 18th December between the Pleiades and Hyades clusters, right on the eclip c line. That’s the Seven Sisters cluster and Aldebaran. The comet remains in a favourable posi on for northern sky observers high up in the sky a er sunset un l Christmas There’s a brilliant video on YouTube that charts the course of the comet. I urge you to watch it from the link on our website under our astronomy page: h ps://soarvalleylife.co.uk/astronomy/ Turn your volume up!

The Comet will be the nearest astronomical object to Earth, apart from our Moon, and will be visible to the naked eye

NASA’s CubeSat Launch

Sunrise & Sunset Times in GMT Date

Sunrise

Sunset

Hours of Daylight

05 Nov 2018 12 Nov 2018 19 Nov 2018 26 Nov 2018 3 Dec 2018 10 Dec 2018 17 Dec 2018 24 Dec 2018 31 Dec 2018

07:00 07:13 07:25 07:36 07:46 07:54 08:01 08:05 08:06

16:26 16:15 16:06 15:58 15:53 15:51 15:51 15:55 16:00

9h 25m 9h 02m 8h 41m 8h 22m 8h 07m 7h 56m 7h 50m 7h 50m 7h 54m

Apparent brightness of some objects in the magnitude system

Special Events Calendar for November/December 2018: November: Leonid Meteor Shower reaches its maximum on the nights of the 17th & 18th November. In the years 1999/2000/2001 rates of up to 3,000 meteors per hour were visible, but rates have now dropped to around 15 per hour. Mercury is just visible below the crescent New Moon in the evening twilight on November 9th Jupiter is overwhelmed by the twilight and is very low in the south west just a er Sunset. Saturn is higher in the Southwest and sets at 18.30 GMT Mars dominates the later evening sky and sets at about 23.30. Venus roars into view for early birds at the start of November as our Morning Star and shines at a magniﬁcent ‐ 4.4 magnitude by the month’s end and rises 4 hours before the sun at about 03.30. December’s special event is covered in our main feature above. Geminids meteor shower maximum on 13th and 14th December make for a busy few days in the middle of the month, so lets pray for a few crisp clear nights! 21/22 December Venus and Jupiter are less than a degree apart and Mercury hugs close to Jupiter as seen through binoculars.

Last Quarter

Full Moon

First Quarter

New Moon

30th November

23rd November

15th November

7th November

29th December

22nd December

15th December

7th December

Sponsored by Loughborough Kia See back cover

MTD – Making Tax Digital or More To Do!! You may be aware of the government’s new plans to “make it easier for individuals and businesses to get their tax right and keep on top of their affairs”, if you have not yet heard and you have a VAT registered business with a taxable income of over £85,000 you need to start planning how you are going to comply with this new legisla on when it comes into force. From April 2019 all VAT registered businesses whose turnover exceeds £85,000 will no longer be able to use the HMRC website to submit their VAT return. Your records must be kept digitally and you must file your VAT return through so ware compa ble with MTD. If your turnover is, at present, below £85,000 but then you exceed the threshold a er April 2019 you must be MTD compliant for the next VAT period commencing a er you exceed £85,000. One point to consider is making sure your VAT quarters are in sync with your year end as other taxes will follow, possibly as early as April 2020, when a quarterly profit and loss account will have to be submi ed! Caroline Dinsmore CP Accountancy

Thinking About Moving House? Then contact our friendly, approachable and knowledgeable team of property professionals for an initial chat. Understanding our clients’ needs and forming great relationships is at the heart of what we do, and we strive to ensure we give the highest possible service at all times. That is why our clients come back to us and recommend us to their friends and relatives.

If you need a quotation for property services, whether you are buying, selling or re-mortgaging a house or commercial property, or if you have any kind of general property enquiry, please call one of our helpful team on 01509 632046.

Quote Soar Valley Life when contacting us and we will give you 10% off your conveyancing fees

18 Rectory Place, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 1UU Tel: 01509 268931 Fax: 01509 218697 www.strawandpearce.co.uk © SVL

Also at: 108 New Walk, Leicester, LE1 7EA Tel: 0116 2161605 Expert in your ﬁeld? Limited availability for your own editorial. Call Steve on 01509 813125

Page 29

The Law Society Award Winners Just Great Music!

Moss Solicitors are delighted to have won the Leicestershire Law Society Small Law Firm of the Year Award 2018. They were joint winners with Josiah Hincks Solicitors. The award was presented at The Law Society Awards Ceremony, a black- e dinner held at Athena in Leicester, earlier in the year. The award recognises a significant year of growth for the firm and their commitment to the training and development of their excep onal team of lawyers and administra ve staff. In par cular, they are proud that many of their solicitors are recognised as specialists in their chosen areas through their memberships to professional organisa ons, including Resolu on First for Family Law, The Society of Trust and Estate Prac oners and the Employment Lawyers Associa on.

Partners: Tim Dunbar and Rita Rathod with award The ﬁrm has also achieved accredita ons from The Law Society in the areas of Wills and Probate and Conveyancing. For several years, they have sa sﬁed the Society’s demanding criteria to achieve membership of their Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme and the Conveyancing Quality Scheme. These accredita ons recognise their commitment and investment in those areas. They have also

achieved the Cyber Essen als accredita on which reflects the importance that they place on keeping your data safe on their electronic systems. Moss also plays a very ac ve role in suppor ng the community, including local events and chari es and this was recognised by the judges of the award. Moss would like to thank all of their staff for their hard work, dedica on and professionalism. They have been prac sing for over 100 years from their offices on Woodgate in Loughborough, and more recently from their offices in Coalville and would also like to thank all of their clients for their con nued support and loyalty. This is the third me that they have won this pres gious award in the last 10 years, which reflects their con nuing aim to deliver a quality legal service in the heart of your local community.

Please contact us on 01509 217770 www.moss-solicitors.co.uk www.woodgatefp.co.uk

Leicestershire Small Law Firm of the Year 2018

Did you know we have won an award too? We have been voted as the Best Community News magazine in Leicestershire for 2018 by SME magazine

Page 31

Easy Sudoku

Hard Sudoku

Answers on page 72

Each row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain the numbers 1 to 9 just once. This can be done by applying logic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to guess!

Page 32

Baker & Co Accountants & Bookkeepers 5 Brookbridge Court Syston Leicestershire LE7 2JT

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Our friendly, understanding and experienced wills team will provide you with the advice, documentation, solutions and support, you and those closest to you need after your death or in the event of any future incapacity.

Elvin Moore & Partners 92 Main Street, East Leake, Loughborough, LE12 6PG 01509 852 454 • 01509 852 195 www.elvinmoore.com © SVL

You are reading this because someone delivered it to your door. Would you like to Page 33 get ﬁt by doing a great service and earn a good wage for spending a few hours in the fresh air? Email mary@soarvalleylife.co.uk for details.

Just Great Music!

In December 2005 the first Micropub in the United Kingdom opened its doors for business and poured its first pint. This coincided with a streamlining of the licensing act and allowed for small establishments to sell alcohol on the premises without supplying food. Since then hundreds of new Real and Cra Ale Micropubs have opened, changing the face of beer retailing in our land. We hear so o en in the media how the pub business has suffered in recent years with the latest figures es ma ng that up to 3 pubs a day are closing down. In the 1960s Mountsorrel alone had 26 pubs; today there are only two. For sure, changing habits, laws and lifestyle trends have always influenced our social behaviour, but the reasons behind such massive changes are many, varied and complex, and too involved to air on our humble pages, but all is not doom and gloom. Hail the rise and rise of the small trader. Napoleon, was right, perhaps more so than we English ever gave him credit for when he branded us, derogatorily, as a Na on of Shopkeepers. For this new trend in licensed victualling is definitely succeeding, bucking the trend of much of the rest of the drinks industry. Local Micro brewer Charnwood Brewery are also succeeding in an apparently shrinking market and have grown year on year since they started in 2014.

Page 34

I was talking to Andrew Reed, Director of Charnwood Brewery and asked him about their plans for the new Micropub. “You will do well in any market if you get your product right and easily accessible to the majority of your poten al customers. We started with the best beer we could possibly make, and grew from there. Our ethos from the beginning was to have our beers available in every village in Charnwood. We had hoped to open our ﬁrst Micropub in Barrow upon Soar but we hit an insurmountable snag with the land we had wished to build it on. We are s ll looking there. But Mountsorrel is a perfect place for us as it only has two pubs and one of those is ed to our biggest regional brewer who excludes compe on other than on an occasional guest basis. So, it makes perfect sense to open our own establishment. We’re crea ng the very best environment to enjoy a relaxing pint of real Charnwood ale for local people, a cosy li le place for couples and friends to spend an hour or two to relax, chat and enjoy, warmed by our log‐burning stove and friendly staﬀ. We want to try to help revitalise the village High Street, by taking a closed down shop and breathing new life into it. Our focus will be promo ng and selling our excellent real ales and cra beers. Nick Parker, who has worked with us in a number of roles from delivering beer to running the brewery bar and shop will be

Nick Parker who will be running The Sorrel Fox in Mountsorrel running the new pub and we’re calling it THE SORREL FOX. It’s next door to the Post Office on Leicester Road and will be open from the end of November. We are looking for one or two local people who could help Nick on a part me basis and would like to be part of our ever growing happy band of brewers and beer sellers. Our opening mes will be 5 ‘ l 9 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 5 ‘ l 10 on a Thursday, noon ‘ l 10.30 on Fridays and Saturdays and 4 ‘ l 8 on a Sunday. We’ll only sell Charnwood beers but we’ll also offer quality red and white wines, together with a range of so drinks, mixers and cra gins.” Andrew then told me a li le secret… “Do you know what the next big trend in the drinks market will be? As big as the explosion in gin sales since all the new flavoured gins have come on to the market? Rum!”

The meet was at The Cock and Pye, by Charles and Martha Enderby, The grey, three‐hundred‐year‐old inn, Long since the haunt of Benjamin…” From Reynard The Fox by John Maseﬁeld

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Look how far we’ve come... Just Great Music!

Loughborough Kia’s new showroom on Belton Road, Loughborough

Loughborough Kia expands into a new showroom on Belton Road, Loughborough. In 1965 Barry Johnson rented a lock up garage in Highfields Leicester, having recently le the RAF as a motor vehicle mechanic. Business grew steadily and he moved to Harrison Road, Leicester in 1969 making space in the corner of the workshop to display posters and brochures of new Skoda cars. In 1972 he borrowed £600 to buy a demonstra on Skoda and began the first Skoda dealership in Leicestershire. Albar Autos bought a derelict petrol sta on on Leicester Road, Mountsorrel in 1977 giving space for a 5 car showroom. Barry’s brother Cliff began working part me in the business at weekends in the 70’s as the car sales business began to flourish. Cliff took over the business a er his brother re red but is true to the founding ethos of an independent business run on

Page 38

tradi onal family values. In 2003 the business took on the rapidly expanding Kia brand and have since grown, going from strength to strength. Cliﬀ’s son Oli is now in charge of marke ng and planning and has done much of the project

management work in moving to the new Loughborough showroom. The Mountsorrel site has returned to it’s roots and is now Albar Autos once again, specialising in preowned quality cars all sold with a 12 month

Loughborough Kia’s Mountsorrel showroom in 2014

The ﬁrst garage back in 1977

Could your business beneﬁt from a Feature Package? Call Steve on 01509 813125 to discuss

Just Great Music!

warranty, MOT and RAC membership. (See back page) Cliﬀ told us how things have gone since they opened their doors to the new Belton Road showroom on 31st July this year: “Our new Kia showroom has already seen an increase in the number of locals visi ng and an increase in sales. The relocated dealership is living up to all expecta ons as a progressive and modern dealership, whilst s ll keeping the same family values and excellent customer service. Having doubled the size of the building from 160 sq mtrs to 300 sq mtrs, Loughborough Kia now has 3 more service bays oﬀering shorter wai ng mes for customers and more convenience when booking in a service. As the dealership con nues to grow, it hopes to expand the team giving more opportuni es for recruitment.

The increase in dealership size also means that a wider variety of new Kia models can be displayed, including the Kia S nger, recently labelled a ‘Game Changer’ at this year’s Autocar Awards. We founded the business in 1969 and have been a main Kia dealership for over 15 years. We’re so proud to now be able to oﬀer the Kia S nger to the people of Loughborough as well as other amazing models. The new dealership showroom being much larger enables us to deal with more customers more eﬃciently with the same family like care we have always provided. This is something we really pride ourselves on and the feedback from our customers has been outstanding so far.” Loughborough Kia stocks a wide range of new and used Kia models, including the all‐new Kia S nger, with a price star ng from £29,995.

Cliﬀ Johnson, Managing Director of Loughborough Kia

For more informa on on Loughborough Kia please call 0116 230 3055 or visit www.loughborough‐kia.co.uk

“Game Changer” The all new Kia S nger From £29,995

“Star ng from zero got nothing to lose, Maybe we'll make something, Me, myself, I got nothing to prove” Fast Car by Tracy Chapman

Page 39

The Independent Traveller’s Holiday Helpline Just Great Music!

Following last month’s Helpline we have had some favourable comments; thank you for your interest and we are glad these ramblings are of help. We discussed insurance and I said that in this issue we would point out what features a good travel policy should have. As a company we have a good travel policy that is wri en to cover the insurance risks that might be associated with one of our holidays. We are happy to quote you and as ‘advised’ agents we can discuss the merits of our policy. Our in house policy is Defaqto rated 5 star. What do Defaqto star ra ngs mean? Firstly, Defaqto is an independent assessment of organisa ons opera ng in the financial and insurance sectors. While it looks at cost it mainly assesses the quality of the product being offered, the cover offered and does it pay out on valid claims. Defaqto ascribes each star ra ng to the insurance company as follows: 1 Star – A basic product with a low level of features and benefits. 2 Stars – A product typically offering a below average range of features and benefits. 3 Stars – A standard product providing an average level of features and benefits. 4 Stars – A product with a good level of features and benefits. 5 Stars – An excellent product with a comprehensive range of features and benefits. Like most things in life you get what you pay for! We would recommend that only companies with a 4 or 5 star ra ng are likely to offer the right kind of cover.

What other features should I look for in a policy? 1. Clear wording. 2. Check the excess on each sec on 3. The level of medical cover should be over a minimum of £1m. 4. The level of 3rd party liability cover needs to be £2m. This is par cularly relevant if travelling to the USA. 5. Check that the policy offers a 24/7 help line in the event of an issue when away. 6. Check if you have an annual policy that the length of cover is enough if going on a long trip. Many annual policies have a 30 day away at one me limit. 7. Read the policy carefully. 8. Do you get a hard copy policy to keep and read? 9. Check the Defaqto ra ng. Is the insurance offered by my bank sufficient cover? We cannot comment without seeing the policy but suggest you check against the list above. Do I have to have insurance to travel on one of your holidays? The simple answer is yes. We have, like many other reputable travel companies, made it mandatory to have insurance to travel. But you can always make you own insurance arrangements. All we need is the insurance policy number and the 24/7 emergency number in case something happens and we have to step in to help. Trust me it does happen and having that informa on to hand can be a real life saver. Till next me ‐ happy travelling! Malcolm

The Independent Traveller, Devonshire House, Devonshire Lane, Loughborough. LE11 3DF t: 01509 618 800 | e: holidays@uni-travel.co.uk www.i ssouthafrica.co.uk | www.i scanada.co.uk

Page 42

“Don’t leave anything but your footprints, don’t take anything but your memory.” Epigram on page 122 of the book A Life on Fire by Bill Ford and Steve Johns

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What is Self-Healing? Self-Healing is anything you do to help you achieve harmony and balance on a physical, mental, emo onal or spiritual level….. Most of us already do some self‐healing ac vi es such as take a holiday, soak in the bath, play sport, go for a walk, do crosswords etc. However, with the increasing daily stresses of life leaving us li le me or energy, is it any wonder that we become ill? Then we have to slow down, maybe visit the doctor, take medica on and/or take me oﬀ work. O en that is when we take stock and decide we’re going to change our lifestyle, improve our diet, do more exercise; and for a while we do, but usually we slip back into bad habits. So why not try complementary therapy as a way of taking care of yourself? Just one hour a month can make you feel so good and have a very posi ve eﬀect on your health. The treatments are enjoyable, stress relieving and work on all levels not just the physical. If you haven’t tried it yet now is the perfect me ‐ why not ask for a gi voucher for yourself for Christmas or treat someone you love? Paula Reed

1/6th fromissue onlyto–£38 per month plus vat Have your business Anything featured ofpage interest inadvert theyou’d next like see contact in the steve@soarvalleylife.co.uk next issue? adver sing on page 70 for all adver sing rates Callsee 01509 813 125rates or email editor@soarvalleylife.co.uk

Page 45

Walking - Burrough Hill Country Park

This page sponsored by

Walk instruc ons 3½ Miles 1¾ Hours Use the car park at Burrough Hill Country Park, north east of Burrough on the Hill village. Toilets and picnic area. Post Code: LE14 2QZ

The Ancient Hill Fort at Burrough on the Hill is on this walk

1 Walk away from the entrance, past the welcome sign and up the hardcore track, go through the kissing gate to the yellow top marker post on the right. 2 Go through the narrow metal gate and cross the field to the le of the farm. Con nue through the right hand gate marked by a yellow top post and up the gentle slope of the field to the wooden gate at the far right. Carry on through the next marked gate ahead. 3 Bear slight le downslope to the marker post and go through the double gates, slight right, at the le hand end of the trees. Cross the field ahead which may be under cul va on, although a path should be well marked within any crop, to the road close to Home Farm. 4 Take this not very busy road to the le and follow it le at Moscow Farm, keep le /straight on at the junc on and carry on to the second signpost on the le . 5 Turn le , through the gateway and along the le hand field edge with the hedge to the le . Bear right at the end and go through the gates at the yellow top marker post. Con nue on the track with the slope of the fort to the le , up the slope and bear right along the wide track to the car park. © Clive Brown All our walks are compiled by Clive Brown See his new book from Bradwell Books Walking for all Ages in Leicestershire & Rutland h p://bradwellbooks.co.uk/walks‐for‐all‐ages‐leicestershire‐‐rutland‐581‐p.asp

Soar Valley Walk sponsor this month is

HS Foot Care Services see opposite page

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Aging develops more problems with feet - as skin starts to become thin, loses elas city and becomes dryer. Foot pain is debilita ng leading to problems with walking, exercising and interfering with daily life. Many develop bunions, clawing of the toes along with general circulatory problems. Pain and uncomfortable feet aren’t a natural part of growing old or something to ‘put up with’. Keeping ac ve keeps feet healthy, tones muscles, strengthen arches and s mulates blood circula on.

Alan Postlethwaite BSc (Hons) Podiatry, DipBMec, FSPract. Maxime Postlethwite BSc (Hons) Podiatry

Tel: 0116 210 6413 Mobile: 0797 660 8913 34A Halstead Rd., Mountsorrel, Leics. LE12 7HF 29 Halstead Rd., Mountsorrel, Leics. LE12 7HF

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Keeping toenails cut properly is key, too long nails can press against the end of the shoe; constant pressure causes soreness, infec on, ulcera on and possibly ingrown. Annual foot checks are as important as sight or hearing tests. Diabetes or circulatory problems can be picked up by proper inspec on and successfully treated. Talk to a podiatrist about the op ons available regarding treatment.

Charnwood Hearing Aid Centre Ltd Lynne Leeming, MSc RHAD MSHAA

Your local hearing specialist 5 Stadon Road, Anstey Leicester, LE7 7AY Existing hearing aid users welcome Hearing protection for both children and adults Friendly and professional service

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Page 47

A LIFE ON FIRE A Life on Fire tells the story of one of Leicestershire’s best loved and well known businessmen – former president, chairman and managing director of the Great Central Railway, and Chairman of Ford & Slater plc of Narborough Road Leicester tells his story.

“Money is life’s fire; an excellent servant, but a terrible master.” COMPILED BY STEVEN JOHN

S MA

Limited first edition hard back copies now available from Soar Valley Life at £20. plus £3.50 p&p. © Graham Wignall

Please phone Steve or Mary on 01509 813125. All major credit cards accepted.

Bill Ford

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Page 48

Vinesh and Tanni Patel Principals of Inter Eyecare

“You can’t judge a book by the cover!” “Oh, yes, you can!” and “Oh, yes, you do!” The MD of Waterstones

Low Back Pain It’s es mated that up to 84% of adults have low back pain (LBP) during their lives.

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Back pain, Sciatica, Joint pain, Headaches, Sprains, Strains. www.angelyardosteopaths f: angel yard osteopaths t: 01509 812119 4a High Street Sileby LE12 7RX email: kirsty@angelyardosteopaths.com

For many individuals, episodes of LBP are self‐limited (so go a er 4‐6 weeks) But for some, the pain becomes chronic. Back pain o en includes pain going down the bu ock/leg called ‘radiculopathy’ which means that spinal nerves are irritated or compressed by structures in the back such as the intervertebral disc. Pa ents present with pain, weakness, and o en some numbness in the aﬀected leg. Where pain is felt only in the low back, this can be caused by a ligamentous strain or inﬂamma on around the spinal joints. Age, obesity and occupa on are all risk factors. Osteopathy is recommended by NICE guidelines for low back pain. Most people seeking osteopathic treatment do so for LBP. h ps://painhealth.csse.uwa.edu.au/painmodule/low-back-pain/ Kirsty Morrison – Angel Yard Osteopaths

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Page 51

Pets

By Ann Haldo Just Great Music!

What foods should you avoid feeding your dog this Christmas? As temp ng as it is to share your favourite fes ve treats with your dog, there are certain foods they shouldn’t eat – and some are poten ally deadly. So which ones should you avoid giving to your dog this Christmas? Turkey Turkey is a rich meat that can disturb a dog’s diges ve system, poten ally to the point of serious illness. Some dogs may be ﬁne with a ny amount of white boneless turkey meat, but the skin is very fa y and the bones are a choking hazard.

Page 52

Chocolate Chocolate is one Christmas treat that needs to be avoided at all costs, unless you buy doggy chocs for your pet. Chocolate contains a compound that’s poisonous to dogs – in fact, chocolate poisoning is so serious that if they eat too much they’ll need to have their stomach pumped. Mince pies, Christmas pudding, and Christmas cake Raisins are severely toxic to dogs, with grape and raisin poisoning being a common problem o en requiring veterinary interven on

to prevent further serious health issues – one of these being kidney failure. Nuts Nuts can cause severe gastrointes nal problems for your dog, with obstruc on of the bowel being a par cular issue. Some varie es of nut, including pecans and walnuts, can bring on seizures and should be avoided at all costs. Clearly there’s a case for watching your dog very carefully over Christmas. It’s all too easy to leave chocolate or nuts lying around, and they’re only too quick to take advantage of the fact. h ps://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/ diges ve/e_dg_grape_raisin_toxicity h ps://www.wagthedoguk.com/2014/0 8/22/bad-nuts-for-dogs/

“Walk like a dog, talk like a man, Walk like a dog, like anybody can” Conversa ons with a dog – S ng

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Some where in the magazine we’ve hidden a little robin – he may not be as big as this one though. If you can find him, let us know where he is and the first correct answer out of the hat after the closing date of Friday 14th December will win. Send your answer, together with your name, address and telephone number to editor@soarvalleylife.co.uk or by post to Soar Valley Life, 1 Burton Road, Sileby, Leicestershire LE12 7RU See page 72 for our latest winners! Psst - it’s not the one on page 6!

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Spot Ten Diﬀerences Just Great Music!

Answers on page 72

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Page 54

“A new boy is always important. He may be an inﬂuence for good or evil.” Epigram on page 36 of the book A Life on Fire by Bill Ford and Steve Johns

Answers on page 72

Short Story By Jackie Brewster Just Great Music!

Christmas Carol Chris and Sophie had become engaged a er what Chris’s parents, Kevin and Jenny, considered a bit of a whirlwind romance, so invi ng Sophie’s mum over for Christmas dinner had seemed like a good way for the two families to get to know each other. Carol had arrived earlier than expected, accompanied by a vibrant purple perm, flashing reindeer antlers and a crate of stout. “I’ll just park myself here.” She wedged herself at the kitchen table. “Pass me a bo le will you?” “I’m surprised our Chris didn’t offer you a li ,” Jenny said, taking a glass off the shelf. “It’s not how we brought him up, is it Kevin?” Carol knocked the cap off her stout on the edge of the table. “Men! My third husband treated his python be er then he treated me.” “Have you been married three mes, Carol?” Jenny s rred the bread sauce nervously. This was news. “I wish I’d stopped at three.” Carol shook her head. “Mind you,” she added with a belch, “I’m currently young, free and single.” She flu ered her eyelashes menacingly at Kevin, who affected a sudden fascina on with the contents of the cutlery drawer. “Let’s hope divorce doesn’t run in the family,” Jenny laughed nervously, “for all our sakes.” “Nah, my daughter’s got her head screwed on right.” Carol waved her almost empty glass. “Of course, she was engaged to that

Page 56

chap from the fish market. Nice lad.” She took a final slurp. “Hold your horses I said to her, do you really want your curtains smelling of crab s cks?” “When was this?” Jenny asked casually, turning down the gas under the pan of sprouts. “It was a er she’d called off the wedding to that other chap, who worked on the bins.” She adjusted her drooping antlers. “I wasn’t keen on him. He had really long arms.” “Is that right?” Jenny nudged Kevin. “And then there was that fella from Hartlepool.” Carol reached for another bo le. “I’d say, on average, she gets engaged every six months. I’ve stopped bothering the hat shop now.” Jenny looked at Kevin in alarm. “I wonder what’s holding the love birds up?” Jenny folded up a tea‐ towel decisively. “Kevin, could you give me a hand with something in the hall?” “Certainly love.” Kevin followed her, relieved to be out of the kitchen.

“Well that’s Christmas ruined,” Jenny whispered to him at the foot of the stairs. “Why’s that?” Kevin said. “Haven’t you been listening?” She wrung her hands on her apron. “Sophie’s going to break our poor boy’s heart.” “Here they are now,” he said, as the front door opened. “Sorry we’re late.” Chris, his arms laden with gi s, leaned over to kiss Jenny’s cheek. “Merry Christmas.” “What held you up?” Jenny said. “And where’s Sophie?” “We got talking to the Chadburns over the road.” He pushed the door shut with his foot. “Their nu y aunt hasn’t turned up and they’re panicking. Sophie and Rose are helping them call the police.” “Who’s Rose?” Kevin asked, relieving Chris of his load. “Sophie’s mum,” Chris said, taking oﬀ his coat. “Then who’s Carol?” Jenny asked. “Carol? That’s what the missing aunt’s called.” Chris sounded surprised. “Apparently she’s a bit of a handful.”

“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.” Orson Welles

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Est. 2005

You are reading this because someone delivered it to your door. Would you like to get ďŹ t by doing a great service and earn a good wage for spending a few hours in the fresh air? Email mary@soarvalleylife.co.uk for details.

The Top 10 of Motoring Just Great Music!

The top 10 most expensive motors, according to Luxhabitat: 1. Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita: £3.6m 2. Lamborghini Veneno Roadster: £3.4m 3. Lykan Hypersport: £2.6m 4. Buga Veyron by Mansory Vivere: £2.5m 5. Aston Mar n Valkryie: £2.4m 6. Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio: £2.3m 7. Pagani Huraya BC: £2.1m 8. Ferrari Laferrari Aperta: £1.7m 9. Zenvo TS1: £1.5m 10. Mazzan Evantra Millcavalli: £900K Confused.com’s top 10 most stolen cars: 1. Mercedes C‐class 2. BMW X5 3. Range Rover Sport 4. Mercedes‐Benz E‐class 5. BMW 3 Series 6. Land Rover Discovery 7. Range Rover Autobiography 8. BMW M3 9. VW Golf 10. Audi RS4

From the Honest John website, we come to a rogue’s gallery top 10 of cars that gave the least overall owner sa sfac on. 1. Ford Ka 2. Citroen C1 3. VW Touran 4. Fiat 500 5. Renault Laguna 6. Renault Megane 7. Peugeot 407 8. BMW Z4 9. Citroen C3 10. Vauxhall Vectra So, where do that leave us? Just that buying a far‐ Eastern made, mid‐priced, security equipped car, won’t get you onto any of these top‐10s. Happy Motoring!

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Page 59

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HOW TO ENTER Find the words associated with Christmas in our Wordsearch below and send your answer, which is a six word related phrase, together with your full name, address and telephone number, to editor@soarvalleylife.co.uk or by post to Soar Valley Life, 1 Burton Road, Sileby, Leicestershire LE12 7RU. The ﬁrst correct answer out of the hat a er the closing date of Friday 14th December will win. Editor’s decision is ﬁnal. Terms and condi ons apply.

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Bill Ford 1937 - 2018 Legend

By Steve Johns Just Great Music!

Just a few days a er our last deadline I received the sad news that Bill Ford had died. As is so o en the case in these modern days, I got the news from a friend on Facebook. I spoke to Bill’s daughter Julia, to offer my condolences to the family; she said he had passed away peacefully at seven thirty in the morning of Sunday 2nd September whilst sleeping. He had woken at about four a.m. and his last words were an abbrevia on, “GCRN…” It would seem his last thoughts on earth were somehow to do with connec ng the north and south sec ons of the Great Central Railway ‐ his last unfinished project in his role as Managing Director of that heritage railway. He was the most amazing man I ever got to know and he was also the true defini on of enigma c. He could be frivolous and jokey or deadly serious, wise and insigh ul or naïve and hungry for knowledge; he was all knowing and self assured, shy and re ring, confident and masterful and a whole ra of other contradic ons too. In his field he was a genius, and his field was business. He became a mul ‐millionaire at the age of 35 and in his prime he had 11,000 employees working under him. He had lived the high life but he’d had his tragedies too: almost dying a er a head‐on road crash two weeks a er his 21st birthday, losing his wife to cancer at the age of 34, suffering a brain haemorrhage, a heart a ack and in his later years ba ling with cancer himself. In his memoir A Life on Fire he a ributes his many escapes from the Grim Reaper throughout his life to his beliefs based on the teachings of Chris an Science and the power of posi ve thinking through prayer. I had known Bill from my volunteering ac vi es at the Great Central Railway (GCR) and a er he was ‘eased out’ of his role as MD in 2016 he asked me if I would help him write his memoirs. I was honoured and humbled at the same me, but I agreed at once. From March 2017 to May 2018 I met with him at least weekly and towards comple on more o en. As the weeks turned to months the ever growing manuscript that was to tell the story of his life grew higher. I’d arrive around half past nine in the morning and Bill would be all ready for me, sat at the big oak table in his kitchen. “Coffee? … or tea?” he’d ask. On the table there were relevant piles of papers, le ers, books, photos and his green leather bound desk diary with his ini als WJCF embossed in gold leaf on the front cover. He was ever eager to fill his diary with appointments. A er he stepped down from his role as managing director of the GCR he had hoped to con nue overseeing one or two of the many projects

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Bill Ford at his book launch with his wife Debbie, at Rothley Court, 1st May 2018. Photo by Alistair Langham of Studio 17 Coalville

that he had driven forward, but the new board chose to relieve him of all his du es at once. I know this hurt Bill immensely and he struggled to keep his life together a er that. His great skill as a businessman was bolstered by his natural desire to network and bring people to his cause. His diaries for the previous years, which he showed me, were full of appointments. He’d go out to lunch most days, usually with someone he knew could make a difference to some part or other of his projects. He didn’t know any way of life other than to have a full diary. Now, forced to re re, he grasped at every li le excuse to put an entry into those empty pages. Debbie, his wife, would usually appear with her beaming smile. “Anything you want, love?” she would ask on her way out leaving him with an affec onate kiss, which always brought a smile to Bill’s face. She’d return an hour or so later with bags of shopping and o en there was a treat for us ‐ chocolate biscuits or cup cakes; one me, the week Bill was telling me about his early days working in Africa in the 60s, she gave to me two yellow coloured misshapen fruits. "What are they? I asked. “Bill said you had never even seen pawpaw fruit, or eaten one, so I bought some for you and Mary to try…” (Pawpaw is described on page 109 of his book, when Bill first tasted the delicious fruit himself.) From the early days of our collabora on we were hampered by the ever hungry Toffee. “Bloody cat ‐ shoo!” But Toffee took plenty no no ce and con nued in his quest to be fed. “I hate the blooming things,” Bill would declare, “Cats are selfish creatures—did you know that?” He’d then get up off his chair to put him outside the open door, saying, “You’ll have to wait …”

“Money is life’s ﬁre; an excellent servant, but a terrible master.” P.T. Barnum epigram on the front cover of A Life on Fire by Bill Ford and Steve Johns

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Immediately Toffee would re‐appear, jump on the table and wa his tail in my face, whilst I tried to take notes. Bill then succumbed, opened a pouch of cat food and served it in the cat’s bowl by the fridge door. “It’s not even our cat you know? Belongs to a neighbour, but I don’t think they feed it.” Toffee, having vacuumed up the gourmet food in barely a minute, jumped back onto the table with tail waving in my face again. Bill gave him an affec onate scratch on the head, “He doesn’t normally like strangers!” I guess I was no longer a stranger in Toffee’s house. I recorded most of our mee ngs on a li le digital recorder and now have dozens of hours of recordings of Bill’s fantas c life. Some mes we argued, some mes we laughed, and some mes there were tears in our eyes. I’d write up each week’s episode and print it out for him to read through over the following week. In between our kitchen table mee ngs he’d ring me up to praise, cri cise, pass comment or to offer more detail to the events described. At mes it was really hard going— both for Bill and me. His health was always up and down as he’d endured prostate cancer for sixteen years. He never let on to me though, how ill he really was. O en the journey to his house in Kibworth was arduous, knowing I might find him struggling with his health and his age when I got there. But, by the me I arrived, he and I had put on a brave face and we greeted each other with a smile. Bill always saw through me though. Or maybe I hadn’t had as much prac ce at brave faces as he had. “Have I upset you? "he'd ask, or “Is this your stern face? “ or “Are you about to tell me off?” At the very end of the wri ng process, the toughest part of all was wri ng about his me at the GCR and I really did put my all into it. Mary and I edited, wrote and re‐wrote it several mes un l I knew we had nailed it and I le it with Bill. He rang me on the Saturday evening as Mary and I were having dinner. “Can I be honest with you, Steve?” I gulped because I guessed what was coming. “I don’t like it!” he said. I snapped at him. We had by this me arranged the book launch and the forma ed manuscript had to be with the printer in less than a fortnight; there were hours and hours of work le to do ‐ there was no turning back. Over the following four days I re‐wrote the last sec on from scratch and le it with Bill on the Thursday. “I’m sorry I upset you, Steve," he said. It was a short mee ng that day. He phoned me the next day to say, “I love it, it’s perfect!”

I had got used to Bill phoning every few days and seeing him each week. Even a er we had completed everything and the book had been launched at Rothley Court with more than a hundred people a ending, Bill con nued to phone. “Hi Steve how many books have we sold this week?” Even now, every me the phone rings I think, for a moment, I bet that’s Bill… Bill’s funeral was held on 27th September at St Cuthbert’s Church, Great Glen, the same church where his wife who died in 1973 is buried. Hundreds a ended and there was standing room only. The wake was at The Manor House in Quorn which was closed for the day for this special func on. It was the most glorious weather. The hedge at the bo om of the field had been cut to give a good view of the railway line behind. There, simmering gently, was Oliver Cromwell. On the front of the engine, above the wreath was a blue headboard which read “Bill Ford 1937 ‐ 2018 Legend”. At five minutes to two the mighty engine blew her whistle long and loud and in a cloud of smoke and steam she eased forward and away to the south. Hundreds of mourners stood in silence; it was the most poignant moment many of us had ever experienced. He was more than a friend to me, and to many who were there. If you would like a copy of the special first edi on of Bill Ford’s memoirs “A Life on Fire” please see the advert on page 48.

Oliver Cromwell awaits the oﬀ at Quorn in tribute to Bill Ford Photo by Pete Hackney

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty, That is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” Keats. From Part One of A Life on Fire

Page 69

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Page 72

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Page 74

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