Soar Valley Life May 2012

14,000 Copies Delivered Every 2 Months (Approx. 7,000 Per Month) to Homes And Businesses In: Sileby, Mountsorrel, Seagrave, Cossington, Walton On The Wolds, Quorn, Barrow Upon Soar, Woodhouse Eaves & Swithland.

ISSUE 2. MAY/JUNE 2012

PRICELESS

Your Independent Community Magazine & Business Directory

Barrow & Quorn Edition

Your new community magazine & Business Directory

See page 3 for full distribution details

Inside this month Country walks Motoring Health Fun pages Competitions Puzzles and much more

John A Stephens -Builders MerchantsNew Depot NOW OPEN in South Nottingham Inside back cover

WORLD WAR ll returns to the GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY Back Page

WIN A ÂŁ25 MEAT VOUCHER from GLENN LEWIN Page 18

Welcome Letter Welcome!

We hope you like what you see.

The ethos of our magazine is very simple: to promote local life and businesses so that we who live and work here utilise the services and buy the products we have on our own doorsteps; in this way we’ll all prosper and our community will thrive. We hope to be a focal point for life and business in the Soar Valley. As we grow we’d like to publish letters and opinions from you and in the next issue we’ll start a letters page entitled SOAR POINT where we can share the good and the bad, and, if it fits, the ugly too!

Where we live is defined by the River Soar, and our mellow landscape has been sculpted over millions of years by our river. But our lives, our work and our leisure, are more defined by how we interact with each other than the south/north flow of the Soar. Our little river, not much more than a couple of dozen miles from end to end is, in the whole scheme of things, quite significant, if you factor in the power station that sits upon its northernmost banks. Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station produces 2,000 megawatts of electricity, which is sufficient to provide for 8% of all the homes in the United Kingdom.

Soar Valley Life Magazine doesn’t boast to reach anything like those millions, but we will reach 100% of the people who live and work in the areas marked on the map on the opposite page. That’s about twenty-five thousand people, living at or working in 14,000 addresses. And, as time goes by, we hope to expand our distribution as circumstances allow.

I (Steve) grew up in the 50’s and 60’s in and around the northern edge of the River Soar. I witnessed the power station being built from my grandparents’ smallholding at Gotham. As children we played in the woods and fields near the gypsum mines of Kingston upon Soar and Gotham; we had family picnics at Barrow upon Soar and looked down on the Soar Valley from Beacon Hill in Charnwood Forest. And I thrilled at the sight and sound of the steam engines whistling through the pre-Beeching Great Central Railway...

Mary and I are very proud to be able to produce this community magazine that serves our community; we’ll see you around.

Steve & Mary Johns Editors - Soar Valley Life

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Contents Distribution Map 3 Health – Effects of sunlight on your eyes 4 Finance – Planning for retirement 6 Gardening – Keeping pests at bay 8 Don’t sit on the fence 9 Lawn care from the experts 16 Home - Spring cleaning 10 Fun - Crossword 13 Walking Feature - Wanlip Meadows Walk 14 &15 Yesteryear - Man & Boy 18 Quiz - Heaven & Hell 19 Motoring - Mini Coupe road test 20 Diamond Jubilee Feature A Queen by any other name 22 Poem - A Proper Little Madam 23 Short Story - Can’t Sleep 24 Special Occasions - The X Factor (Wedding Video) 25 Legal Advice - For richer or poorer 28 Health - Hearing loss advice 29 Quiz & Crossword Answers 30 Advertisers Directory 30 Copyright © Fantastic State Limited trading as Soar Valley Life.

The Publisher reserves and controls all rights to the work presented in this magazine. Any application for any use of any of the work, features, advertisements, quotations, photographs, images or other work within this publication must be made directly to the publisher.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

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Where does the magazine go?

How to get in touch:

Soar Valley Life is a monthly community magazine launched in April 2012. It is an A5 size (14.5 x 21cm) full colour publication and will be delivered free to 14,000 local homes and businesses every two months.

1 Burton Road, Sileby LE12 7RU Tel: 01509 813125 Email : Editor@soarvalleylife.co.uk Soar Valley Life aims to help businesses in the area become known and useful to local people and to encourage the people of the Soar Valley villages and surrounding areas to support these businesses in order that the local community can flourish. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the information is accurate Soar Valley Life cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions or endorse companies, products or services appearing in this magazine

Although new to the Soar Valley, this format is proven in other areas of the UK. The residents love it—it features local businesses, local information and it’s entertaining too—and they support it by using the advertisers. The advertisers love it because it’s so cost effective and their customers are nearby.

Copy deadline for June/July Issue Friday 25th May 2012

Soar Valley Life is a wholly owned subsidiary company of Fantastic State Limited whose registered address is: Oak Business Centre, Unit 26, 79 – 93 Ratcliffe Road, Sileby, Loughborough LE12 7PU.

Loughborough Walton on the Wolds A6004

A46

Barrow Upon Soar

Area 2

Seagrave

Quorn Sileby

Woodhouse Eaves Swithland

Mountsorrel

Area 1 East Goscote

Cossington

A6 A607 Syston

Total distribution of 14,000 copies over a two month period alternating between two areas to give extensive coverage to homes and businesses within the main Soar Valley villages.

Area 2

May, July, Sept, Nov, Jan, Mar Quorn, Barrow, Walton on the Wolds, Swithland, Woodhouse & Woodhouse Eaves Total distribution for area 2: 6,500 copies

Area 1

Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec, Feb Sileby, Mountsorrel, Cossington & Seagrave Total Distribution for area 1: 7,500 copies

...for advertising or editorial please email steve@soarvalleylife.co.uk Page 3

5

Optometrist Mohammed Bhojani explains the effects of sunlight on the eyes...

At this time of year, people tend to spend more time outdoors, enjoying the warmer weather and longer days. However, as the sun becomes a more common sight, it brings some additional risks, particularly for children who can spend more time outside in summer.

The sun emits high levels of ultraviolet light, more commonly referred to as UV. This form of radiation has some similarities to X Rays, and so comes with the risks that can be harmful to the body, such as causing sunburn on the skin. UV is potentially also very dangerous to the human eye, and appropriate protection is crucial to adults and especially children as the eyes are developing and maturing.

Too much ultraviolet light over a long period of time can damage key components of your eyes like the cornea (the clear window at the front of the eye) and retina (the light sensitive layer at the back of the eye) as well as potentially causing conditions like cataracts or even eyelid cancer in later life.

The most common UV-prevention method for the eyes involve protective lenses such as quality sunglasses with full UV 400 protection and also prescription sunglasses.

However, there are other things parents can do to protect their eyes and particularly children’s eyes from the risks of ultraviolet light, starting with the provision of brimmed hats and visors (the latter being surprisingly popular with children). Sun cream is also vital for youngsters spending time outdoors on a hot day, particularly during sporting activities – this should be applied to eyelids and eyebrows too.

UV levels vary constantly especially in Europe, but when the sun is highest in the sky, there are far more harmful rays. Looking directly towards the sun is dangerous and can result in permanent damage, the sun literally ‘burning’ the back of the eye.

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Cloudy days can be misleading as cloud cover does not offer a barrier to UV, the damaging rays still filtering through.

Common sense is a parent’s best weapon, and regular eye tests for all children under 16 are free on the NHS.

Mohammed Bhojani BSc (Hons) MCOptom FRSA is the Optometrist and Contact Lens Specialist at Visual Answers Opticians Quorn T: (01509) 414151 and Barrow Upon Soar T: (01509) 416800. He is also a member of the British Contact Lens Association. www.VisualAnswers.co.uk

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What’s your number?

There comes a point in your life when your health and physical condition means you can no longer do all the things you want to do in your life.

Are you still working?

FACT – You can have more fun at 55 than 85. So the earlier you are financially independent the better. But how much do you need, to do it all, without ever having to worry about cutting back? I have yet to meet anyone that wants to work full time when they could be rather doing something else. This applies to everyone. So why would you continue to work when you can do the things that you enjoy the most and be financially independent?

If you knew what your number was, would that make a difference? We all have a Number. And it’s the most important number you need to know. It’s the amount of money you need to keep living the life you’ve got – or to start living the life you want. It’s the amount you need to ensure that you can do all the things you want to do without fear of running out of money.

Quite simply, it’s the answer to the question: How Much Is Enough? When you know your Number you can live life to the full. You can live life with confidence, free of

worry, free of stress. So the earlier you can be financially independent the better. But how much do you need, to do it all, without ever having to worry about cutting back?

You need to know your Number. Without it, how can you set a date? How can you plan? How can you decide what’s best?

Have you Retired?

Given up work? Living off capital? How long is it going to last? How much more could you afford to spend – without ever running out of money? What does your financial future really look like? Will there be too many years at the end of your money? Or too much money at the end of your years? Now, more than ever before – you need to know. You need to know your Number. Without it, how can you plan? How can you decide what’s best?

We can help you know and understand your Number.

It’s what we do best. Call us on 0116 2355 733 or visit www.santorini-fp.co.uk for a no obligation meeting at our expense.

Santorini Financial Planning Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Financial Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority FSA number 540968



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KITCHEN • BEDROOM • BATHROOM • STUDY DCI Kitchens Ltd specialises in making high-quality, fitted kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and studies to suit all tastes and budgets - priding itself on understanding your needs.

• Over 20 years experience • Professionally designed in the convenience of your own home • Transform your old kitchen by replacing worn work tops and re-facing existing units • Supply and fitting of appliances.

Call Bryan Bowler 01509 415627 / 07802193928 Or visit www.dcikitchens.co.uk

.

We are a family run business based in Barrow upon Soar. We supply and fit quality made to measure curtains, roman blinds, wooden and metal venetians, vertical and roller blinds Choose from our large selection of fabric books from suppliers such as Blendworths, Prestigious, Clarke & Clarke and Ashley Wilde or use your own fabric.

We supply curtain poles and accessories.

Full fitting service.

Call Jackie or Paul on 01509 413207 or Email us at: sales@newboldcurtains.co.uk or visit our website www.newboldcurtainsandblinds.co.uk

...for advertising or editorial please email steve@soarvalleylife.co.uk Page 7

5

Keeping Pests at Bay the Natural Way More and more people have become concerned about using chemicals in the garden, with some gardeners having used chemicals rarely, if at all, for years. Perhaps you are concerned about wildlife and conservation, or using pesticides on plants that children or pets might play near, or that you intend to eat.

Greener gardening is not difficult, it is just different.

Many infuriating pests can thrive in greenhouses and conservatories, but there are now many ‘natural’ controls available in the form of predators and parasites, which can be purchased from mail order suppliers (including www. pippagreenwood. com) and then released indoors. These insects or mites do a great job of keeping common pests at bay, including whitefly, red spider mite and mealy bugs. There are also excellent controls available for slugs and for vine weevils, both of which can be used successfully outside too. Other outdoor pests which can be controlled include leather jackets and chafer grubs and there is even a control to send ants off in the other direction – wonderful if you like to lie on the lawn or enjoy meals in your garden without being nipped!

I garden organically and use biological controls regularly. If your conservatory is also a place where you relax or enjoy a drink or a meal, it is especially important not to fill it with potentially harmful chemicals.

To use these controls you will need to make sure that your greenhouse or conservatory is not already packed full of chemical residues - otherwise they may kill the beneficial creatures you are introducing.

For whitefly you need a tiny parasitic wasp called Encarsia and for red spider mite you need the predatory Phytoseiulus mite. Introduce these amongst infested plants and they will automatically search out the pests, soon getting their numbers under control without you having to lift a finger.

It may sound off-putting to release wasps or mites indoors but these little creatures are tiny and will

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not bite or sting: they are the Natural Way only interested in the pests.

Biological controls are tricky for garden centres to stock, as living creatures won’t survive if left sitting on a warm shelf. Mail order is therefore the best way to buy generally, with your predators or parasites arriving in the post, along with strict instructions for storage and using before the use-by date. But don’t let this put you off: biological controls are excellent and used by professional growers.

To ensure success you must follow the instructions precisely and make sure you introduce the control when there are only a few pests around. If the air is choked with whitefly it can be a bit too much of an uphill struggle for the tiny little wasps. But the great thing is that you can relax in the knowledge that you’re not jeopardising any wildlife and that, in many cases, the biological control becomes selfperpetuating as the ‘critters’ you have bought breed and spread. Now that’s what I call useful.

Visit Pippa’s website www.pippagreenwood. com and sign up for her newsletter (and receive a free ebook on organic gardening) and shop from the new products area which offers a great selection of biological controls (for slugs, vine weevils, red spider mite, whitefly etc) plus growing frames, cloches, raised bed kits and lots, lots more.

by Pippa Greenwood

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This is no time to sit on the fence.

Don’t wait until the garden’s in full bloom to mend that fence. (A timely metaphor for making amends where a misunderstanding has caused you to lose touch?) Either way, it could be an excellent piece of expert advice.

Jonny McKay, in seven years learning his craft, and now as proprietor of McKay Fencing and Landscaping, could tell many a sorry tale about gardeners who have waited too long to mend that fence. A quick check will soon tell you if you’ve any weak fence posts or panels which are ready to break, and a little remedial action now from the expert will save you a lot of hassle later on as well as a pretty penny or two. If you think about it, fences don’t blow down in calm weather; you’ve usually got storm conditions, strong winds and

driving rain to deal with. Strong, sturdy, wellmaintained fences don’t blow down.

McKay Fencing & Landscaping can provide all types of fencing, decking, gates and landscaping solutions, and now is the time to think about replacing any old or rotted fences before the gardens start coming into bloom. Having just completed the Safety Management Advisory Services process - SMAS, reviewing the company’s Health & Safety processes, McKay’s is now one of the Approved Worksafe Contractor members.

Recognised and used by large construction companies and contractors, and all backed up by £5m public liability insurance, you can be assured that work will be completed to the highest standards.

MCKAY

Fencing & Landscaping

All aspects of fencing, landscaping, garden design, maintenance & decking All Types of Fencing including: Featheredge, Closeboard Panels, Steel panels, Security fencing, Equestrian fencing, bespoke Gates A fully Insured friendly & reliable service. For a free quote

Telephone 01509 413934 / 07977 422718 Email Jonny@mckayfencing.co.uk

...for advertising or editorial please email steve@soarvalleylife.co.uk Page 9

5

Spring Cleaning Susan Taylor, Franchise Owner of Molly Maid Leicester North and Loughborough, recommends the following: Following the busy winter period, and after months of muddy boots being dragged through the house, comes the realisation that your home could do with a deep clean.

But if the phrase ‘spring cleaning’ makes you long to hibernate amid the dust for just a little longer, and everything is looking lacklustre after a long winter, it can be hard to find the enthusiasm for making your home look lovely once more.

But with just a bit of care and attention your home can shrug off those winter blues.

Below are some tips to help you get through – and perhaps even complete the annual spring clean. Alternatively, if the task seems too unwieldy, then you can always call upon the domestic cleaning experts, MOLLY MAID at www.mollymaid.co.uk Spring cleaning quick fixes • Clear the clutter from winter – it’s time to finally find a home for all that superfluous clutter.

• Go through the food cupboards disposing of anything that has gone past its sell-by date. It’s amazing how many musty, inedible packets and bottles are lurking in the average kitchen cupboard!

• Whites looking a bit grey and tired? Put your white bed linen and towels in the machine and throw in a brightening agent, which breathes new life into pasty-looking whites.

• Attack the toy cupboard if relevant – are toys literally taking over your home? With summer on the way and the promise of more days spent out in the garden rather than indoors, it makes sense to do a quick audit of the toy situation. No doubt a new influx of toys at Christmas has meant less space for what you already have so if the situation is getting out of hand it’s time to take action!

Consider Investing in some storage to give a tidy impression.

• Wash your vases in hot soapy water, or update your collection with some new ones, then fill your home with colourful spring blooms for an instant way to welcome in spring.

• Get round to finally developing those photos of the children and update your frames with some more recent pictures. Have some blown-up, or developed in black and white, place them in frames and you have some instant new artwork for those bare walls you’ve been meaning to fill. You could make a feature of a wall with a collection of family portraits and quirky snaps in different sized frames and various finishes for an eye-catching display.

• Blow away the cobwebs – literally. If your home’s hard-to-get-to corners and crevices are teeming with cobwebs, get rid of them quickly and easily with a feather duster which can reach into difficult places to dislodge cobwebs and dust.

You can also use a feather duster to go over your lampshades which can look a bit grey and dust-ridden in the brighter light of spring.

• Descale the kettle. This is simple to do and doesn’t require anything other than a half-andhalf vinegar and water solution. Leave overnight, then, using an old toothbrush or your finger, dislodge any stubborn bits of lime scale. Rinse out thoroughly a couple of times and boil some water to eliminate any odour of vinegar.

• Pack the winter woollies away – clear some space in your cupboards and wardrobes by consigning those thick wool jumpers to storage

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Kitchens Fitted • Kitchens and worktops supplied at trade prices • Having invested in your dream kitchen ensure that it is fitted to an exacting standard

Gareth Hudson MCFHP MAFHP

Foot Health Professional Visiting Practice For all your foot care needs in the comfort of your own home: + Nails + Corns + Calluses

• Worktop replacements, pelmet/cornice only through to full kitchen fits

+ Ingrown toenails

• Granite supplied and fitted

+ Diabetic foot care

• Gas Safe plumber Please call Andy Webb on

07904 987234 / 01509 414484 www.amw-kitchens.co.uk

+ Fungal infections Registered Member Of The British Association Of Foot Health Professionals

01509 815979 Tel: Mobile: 07896 945156 Email: garethhudson82@live.co.uk

All Prices quoted exclude VAT Page 12

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Cryptic Crossword 1

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Down 1 Foreign man made to shine (8) 2 ABC lingo for an abode (3,5) 3 RAF fit for duty (6) 5 Plant a deer could turn to (4) 6 Large drinks for key players? (3,5) 7 City experiment, most modern (6) 8 Trouble a male goose might get into (6)

©puzzlepress.co.uk

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Across 1 Greek letter with many flyers (6) 4 Bird bled badly and slavered (8) 9 Oddly large and small beers (6) 10 The hinge will become more extreme (8) 12 Neckwear expert; Capone? (8) 13 Catholic on speed; it’s pure (6) 15 Name of a back-to-front fruit (4) 16 Tangier form of rock (7) 20 Colour developed from a magnet (7) 21 Tailless bird – a valiant one (4) 25 Boy meets girl, very posh!

(2-2-2) 26 Hot pearl leading to extreme excess (8) 28 Divers he turned and shook (8) 29 Pastry dishes circling on little horses (6) 30 Imposing American emperor (8) 31 Sacred mutant trees (6)

11 First niece cut around and mocked (7) 14 Addled nits, entirely fit (7) 17 Military attire for one on guard? (8) 18 Spanish girl in a store dancing (8) 19 Sweet stuff from Missouri girls (8) 22 Lamps damaged with a vital fluid (6) 23 Gin dad mixed for totting up (6) 24 Voters played with, then tried (6) 27 List of guys standing by Utah (4)

Answers on page 30

Richard Watson Professional Painter and Decorator All aspects of decorating work carried out from internal to external

Quality service with a professional finish • Free Estimates • No VAT For a full personal service call

T: 01509 815753 M: 07880 754011 Sileby Based

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5

Walking Wanlip Meadows 5 1/4 Miles or 8.5 km 3 Hours Use the John Merrick’s car park at Watermead Country Park; pay on entry. Toilets close by in the park and local pub the ‘Hope and Anchor’.

1 Go through the gate and up to the white signpost at the canal. Take the towpath left, up to the road, cross carefully and turn right, across the bridge to the footpath signpost this side of the ‘Hope and Anchor’. Go down to the towpath and keep ahead with the canal now left. Continue under the A46 and the modern brick humpback bridge Hill’s Bridge (No 20); to the substantial footbridge over the River Wreake at the junction of waterways.

3 Turn right, this side of the footbridge and go through the metal kissing gate. Continue along the path through the trees with Cossington Old Mill to the left to a T- junction with a wider track. Turn left, up to the road.

4 Take the road left, across the bridges to the stile at the double metal gates. Step over and turn right, on the wide hardcore farm road parallel with the slip road to the yellow top marker post on the right. Bear left through the kissing gate at the next yellow top marker post and walk up the left hand field edge with the fence and the hedge to the left. Cross a stile and go through a boundary.

5 Turn right, along this field edge with the hedge to the right, under some overhead wires and up to the far right corner next to the A6. Turn left along the path on the field edge with the road to the right and go through the boundary at the marker post.

2 Cross and turn left along the towpath past Junction Lock, keeping the river to the left. The path leads eventually to a yellow topped marker post at a higher, more substantial concrete footbridge at the confluence with the River Soar.

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6 Take the narrow path left, between hedges, up the slight slope and carry on with the trees and the sewage plant off to the left. The route continues past the Severn Trent Water gates and up the wide tarmac driveway to a junction on the slip road.

7 Turn right along the roadside path, left through the underpass and left towards Wanlip. Follow the road right, into the village and turn left into Church Road. At the T-junction turn right, past a footpath signpost and keep direction on this wide hardcore road to a small parking area.

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8 Go through the pinch gate at the far left and follow the track past yellow top posts into Watermead Country Park, bearing right, through a metal kissing gate.

Bear left on and indistinct track through the grass of Wanlip Meadows, to the yellow top post and go through the fence gap. Continue through the kissing gate and over the low footbridge, turn left over the higher, wider bridge.

9 Take the wide tarmac path leading left with the lake to the right, past the King Lear group, passing right of the car park. Bear right to a blue and white signpost and turn left, signposted Syston and go through the kissing gate at the marker post. Turn left along the canal towpath (or the parallel path still in the country park) to the John Merrick’s car park on the left and your starting point.

PLEASE

Take care of the countryside Your leisure is someone’s livelihood

Close gates Start no fires Keep away from livestock and animals Do not stray from marked paths Take litter home Do not damage walls, hedgerows or fences Cross only at stiles or gates Protect plants, trees and wildlife Keep dogs on leads Respect crops, machinery and rural property Do not contaminate water Although not essential we recommend good walking boots; during hot weather take something to drink on the

way. All walks can easily be negotiated by an averagely fit person. The routes have been recently walked and surveyed, changes can however occur, please follow any signed diversions. Some paths cross fields which are under cultivation. All distances and times are approximate.

The maps give an accurate portrayal of the area, but scale has however been sacrificed in some cases for the sake of clarity and to fit restrictions of page size.

Walking Close To have taken every care in the research and production of this guide but cannot be held responsible for the safety of anyone using them.

During very wet weather, parts of these walks may become impassable through flooding, check before starting out. Stiles and rights of way can get overgrown during the summer; folding secateurs are a useful addition to a walker’s rucksack.

Our walks are compiled by Clive Brown who holds the copyright to them and all the material supplied with them.

Clive Brown has walked more than 5000 miles of paths and bridleways in the last 10 years, in all sorts of weather conditions from driving snow to blazing sunshine and biting wind. The surfaces of rights of way have varied from tarmac to deep furrows in muddy ploughed fields, through pristine new wooden gates and over old broken stiles chewed by horses. Clive enjoyed walking expeditions at weekends and on holiday but this changed after he was made redundant in 1999 at the age of 52. He spent a year fruitlessly chasing job after job, only to find that employers were looking for someone younger.

During the second half of 2000 he walked and researched the first three books in the ‘Walking Close to’ series; these were ready to go on sale in the Spring of 2001.

Unfortunately the Foot and Mouth crisis intervened and the general public were banned from setting foot in the countryside so the publication was postponed until August. The books were an immediate success and the series was expanded in Spring 2002. New titles have been released regularly ever since. ‘Walking Close to the Soar near Leicester’ first appeared in 2004. There are now 74 titles in the series, five new books having been published this Spring. They are available in tourist information centres, good bookshops, Country Parks, visitor centres and local shops. Total sales of the series are now over 72000 copies.

Clive’s website is www.walkingcloseto.com where you can order any of his 74 walking guides. You can email him directly with any comments you may have at walkingclose@yahoo.co.uk, or, of course you can get in touch with us here: editor@soarvalleylife.co.uk

...for advertising or editorial please email steve@soarvalleylife.co.uk Page 15

5

Lawn care – from the experts Martin and Michelle Williams have been running their award winning GreenThumb Lawn Service franchise for over 12 years. In their experience, many lawns have suffered greatly due to drought stress over the past couple of years.

They’ve built their business on the basis that most householders would like their lawns to be green and healthy - not that easy, as many a gardener will testify to, with our unpredictable climate and the wide variety of grass and soil types. However, here’s some useful information and advice from the experts...

Top lawn care tips:

Keep grass at least 1” long.

During dry spells, increase height to around 2” Mowing little and often is best and make sure your mower blades are sharp.

Water your lawn before it dries out and becomes hydrophobic - this means that it will actually repel water! A good soaking once or twice a week is best. We didn’t need to bother in April! Invest in a good quality sprinkler for those inevitable dry periods– you’ll soon get bored carrying a watering can or pointing a hose!

What Hosepipe Ban?

Severn Trent is not predicting a hosepipe ban for our region this year. They have the ability to move water supplies from the wetter west of the country across to us in the drier east. (What a good idea!). However, they are encouraging us to

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use water wisely and they are offering FREE WATER SAVING KITS to all their customers.

Log on to www.stwater.co.uk for more information.

Green Thumb have a clever way of reducing the amount of water a lawn needs by applying a product called Oasis in conjunction with their lawn treatment programme – contact them direct for more details.

If you want to find out more log on to www.stormtrack.co.uk. You will find loads of useful, local weather info. Try selecting ‘fun stuff’ then ‘grass growing weather’ and ‘rain watch’.

Finally, a good quality, slow release, no-scorch fertilizer should be applied to your lawn on a regular basis.

Weeds must be sprayed with a product which is recommended for use on grass.

Some weed killers will get rid of everything – including your lawn!

For more information, to request a no-obligation free LAWN analysis, or for any of the Green Thumb lawn care treatments please phone 0116 269 4019 and speak to Bob, Andrea, Martin or Michelle - or email them on leicswest@greenthumb.co.uk They’ve also got a great website: www.greenthumb.co.uk

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0116 269 4019 Freephone: 0800 0111 222

Man & Boy The 1911 census records that Edward Spencer, a Brewers Clerk, aged twenty, lived at the first house on Ratcliffe Road, Sileby, with his wife, Edith Burton Spencer aged twenty-two, who was a Blouse Machinist.

Edward and Edith had no children at this date and had been married for less than a year.

There’s no record of what the house looked like but the census states that they had four rooms to play out their newly-wedded bliss and one of those rooms would most likely have been a kitchen. By the late 1930s, the Spencers have gone and the first building on Ratcliffe Road is Cy Hubble’s Fish & Chip shop, shown here, a copy of which proudly adorns the far wall in Glenn Lewin’s butcher’s shop.

Bert Middleton, a member of the local Sileby family who still have businesses in the area, took over the premises in the late 1940s and commenced trading as a butcher.

Back then the village butcher was a man you didn’t want to upset. With rationing in full swing, your local butcher

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could determine whether you had scrag-end of mutton for Sunday Lunch or a nice lean leg of lamb; or, if he really didn’t take to you, nothing at all!

The shop changed hands several times in the following years through Geoff Taylor, to Ray Elliot (who added fruit and vegetables to the produce sold and built the extension on the left) to Eric Lewin (no relation). Glenn started work for Eric as a Saturday boy at the age of thirteen in 1987. Glenn took over the business from Eric in 1992, making this year his twentieth anniversary. “ It was very different back then, “ says Glenn “ there were no chicken fillets, racks of lamb, different flavoured burgers or sausages and you had whatever cut of meat was on display. Now you can ask for and receive whatever you

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Page 18

All our fresh meats are sourced from local farm assured farms within 10 miles Beef is hung for 28 days to obtain its finest eating quality 1 Ratcliffe Road, Sileby Leicestershire LE12 7PU

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Man & Boy Continued machine that is also the cash sales register. A long till receipt scrolls out... “In the last six months, it says here, we sold...”

want. I think it was a throw - back to the rationing era. If you asked for something a bit smaller and he didn’t have it cut you’d be ignored and he’d shout “NEXT!” These days, especially in Glenn Lewin’s shop, the customer is king.

“Unlike the big supermarkets, here you get individual service, we get to know our customers personally, they have what they ask for, always with a smile, and always the very best quality and value there is. In the last few years our business has grown and we now make, cure, bake and cut almost everything we sell, right here on the premises.”

“So,” I ask, “what’s the best selling product?”

Glenn taps a few keys on the computerised weighing

Competition: Answer the following to win a meat voucher to the value of £25.00 Name the best selling product (as judged by number of sales) at Glenn Lewin’s Butcher’s shop and how much (by weight) was sold between the beginning of October 2011 and the end of March 2012.

Nearest correct answer wins - Editor’s decision is final. Please email your answer to steve@soarvalleylife.co.uk including your name and address or leave it at Glenn Lewin’s shop -1 Ratcliffe Road, Sileby, in a sealed envelope marked Magazine Competition Competition closes on Monday 28th May 2012

Heaven and Hell 1. Who had a 1993 top ten hit single with Stairway To Heaven?

2. Which famous person in history wrote a letter that became known as the “From Hell” letter?

3. Which company uses the slogan “chocolate heaven since 1911”?

4. Also the name of a pop group, which 14th century poem by Dante is divided into three parts that tell of journeys through hell, purgatory and heaven?

5. Who was the head chef on the first series of the TV show Hell’s Kitchen?

6. Which famous composer supposedly said on his deathbed “I shall hear in heaven”?

7. Which movie villain wears a white mink coat and has a country house that is nicknamed Hell Hall?

8. In Greek mythology, who was condemned to stand at the edge of the world and hold up the heavens on his shoulders?

9. Who finished runner-up in the 2010 series of The X Factor and, in December 2011, released an album called Heaven on which she co-wrote all ten songs?

10. In John Milton’s poem Paradise Lost, what is the name of the capital of Hell, a name which is now used as a word to mean wild uproar or unrestrained disorder?

Answers on page 30

...for advertising or editorial please email steve@soarvalleylife.co.uk Page 19

5

Motoring Mini Coupe Road Test The Mini brand is expanding yet again – this time into the niche Coupe market. James Baggott finds out more What It Is? Yet another Mini that’s been tweaked to keep the brand’s sales moving upwards. Sales for the maker are up 14 per cent year on year in a market down five per cent and the Coupe aims to add around 3,000 a year to that total. Classed as a ‘halo’ model, it’s not expected to be a volume seller, but a rival to the likes of the VW Scirocco and Audi TT. It has a lower roof, boot spoiler and only two seats.

What’s Under The Bonnet?

There are diesel and petrol options. As it’s the halo model, Mini won’t be offering One versions, only Cooper, Cooper S, SD, and John Cooper Works versions. We tried the SD and John Cooper Works.

The latter is the range-topper offering 149mph top speed, 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds and 39.8mpg. The diesel is a bit clattery but great to drive. It returns 65.7mpg, hits 134mph and passes 60mph in 7.7s.

What’s The Spec Like?

High. Standard equipment includes DAB radio, air-con, parking sensors, alloy wheels and sport stripes. But as with all Minis, it’s the personalisation – both via factory order and dealer- fitted accessories – which are plentiful. The famous TLC servicing pack is available for £249 and some 98 per cent of buyers are expected to take it up. We’d like to know who the two per cent are that don’t...

What’s It Like To Drive?

Enjoyable, but for taller drivers, extremely uncomfortable. The low roofline means you have to constantly crick your neck and the seats sent our legs to sleep within 10 minutes. It handles much like the hatch and in the dry is extremely chuckable, but in the wet it suffered with understeer. But none of that will stop fashion-hungry buyers snapping them up.

What Do The Press Say? Auto Express said they thought ‘the powerful model has the makings of a machine that will take

Page 20

the brand to a group of drivers who feel that the standard hatch just isn’t tough enough’. While rivals Autocar said: ‘If you can live with the striking looks and driving appeal is a priority, it’s certainly worth considering.’

What Do We Think Of It? The looks certainly grew on us during our test, but no amount of driving dynamics could take our attention away from the pain in our legs, not something any driver wants to experience.

With only 3,000 expected to find homes, this low-volume model will be a fashion statement for style-conscious buyers. And with a Roadster due next year, it’s clear the Mini brand’s expansion is set to continue apace.

by James Baggott, editor of Car Dealer Magazine (CarDealerMag.co.uk)

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5

A Queen By Any Other Name There won’t be many republicans in evidence in London this summer. Even non-royalists will be caught up in the pageantry of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations; an event guaranteed, even more so than the Olympics, to lift the nation’s spirits at a time of general despondency. As part of the celebrations The Queen has granted city status to four UK towns: Perth in Scotland; St Asaph in Wales; Chelmsford in England and Armagh in Northern Ireland.

There was another time in history when the country’s collective spirits needed lifting – sixty years ago. Residential streets were closed to traffic so that local communities could hold street parties.

Bunting and Union flags hung from lines strung from upstairs windows on either side of the streets.

Makeshift tables sagged under the weight of sandwiches, jelly and custard and bottles of Tizer.

Games were organised, one of which consisted of the father of a family threading a needle and cotton which he then handed to his impatiently waiting offspring who would sprint down the road to the mother. The mother would sew a button onto a square of material which the offspring would then rush to the referee. Not all the families could participate in this game; some of the fathers had not returned home eight years previously.

In the evening we sat round our wireless sets to listen to our new Queen’s speech: “...Throughout all my life I shall strive to be worthy of your trust...”

In this speech the Queen also paid tribute to the support of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the speech is as valid and as relevant today as it was sixty years ago.

Times changed. Britain changed; in some cases beyond recognition. But there has been one constant: a tower of strength whose influence will not be fully appreciated until she is no longer with us.

In a much earlier speech, made in Cape Town on her twenty-first birthday, 21 April 1947, the then Princess Elizabeth declared “... my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your

Page 22

service...” Well, we all know now that it was to be long. We also know that she meant every word she said.

How differently history would have read had her would-be assassin, Marcus Sarjeant, succeeded in acquiring a real gun and live ammunition. The mentally disturbed teenager fired six blank shots at the Queen as she rode in the Trooping the Colour ceremony on 13 June 1981. He was quickly overpowered by Police Sergeant John Woodcock and St John Ambulance man John Heaseman. He told them “I wanted to be famous. I wanted to be a somebody.” And he had written a diary entry: ‘I am going to stun and mystify the world. I will become the most famous teenager in the world.’

Fortunate not to have been shot on the spot he escaped with five years imprisonment. But most notable was Elizabeth II’s majestic reaction to the incident. As her horse, nineteen-yearold Burmese, panicked and reared she calmly brought him under control and continued with the scheduled ride to Horseguards Parade, comforting him with a few pats on the neck while turning to smile at the cheering crowd.

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...Continued This was, allegedly, the second attempt on the Monarch’s life. According to a retired senior police officer in Australia he was in charge of an investigation in 1981 after a train carrying the Queen and Prince Philip collided with a large log which had been placed on the track after police and a pilot train had passed along the route. The retired officer, Mr McHardy, who claims to have interviewed suspects including IRA sympathisers says the Australian government issued a suppression order to avoid embarrassment. There has so far been no comment from Buckingham Palace on the validity of these claims.

True or false I doubt that the Queen loses much sleep over these stories. She has, over the past eight decades, proved herself indomitable.

It was the Queen’s consort, HRH Prince Philip, who pointed out that sometimes a position is more important than the person who occupies that position. With typical clarity he had put the concept in a nutshell: if a nation chooses to

have a figurehead then there must be a human to give that position substance, but the human is secondary to the position, not vice versa. For the past sixty years we have been fortunate in having a person worthy of that position; a person of supreme dignity and dedication the like of which this country may never see again.

God Save the Queen.

Daniel Hicks

A Proper Little Madam She’s a proper little madam; doesn’t hear a word I say, She’s always so determined to do everything HER way, She dyes her hair daft colours, just to shock me, I suppose, The next thing, I imagine, will be piercings in her nose She’s scatty, she’s untidy; leaves her bedroom in a mess She stays out late at night; she leave me anxious and so stressed She likes to have a drink; then gets cantankerous and loud I worried she takes drugs; she’s mixing with a dreadful crowd She has a brand new boyfriend; I’m convinced he’s just a lout When I find him in her room I always tell him to get out, My husband isn’t bothered though; he doesn’t turn a hair I just don’t understand, it seems he doesn’t really care He tells me that I’m fussing, and he tries to comfort me, “Do you have to worry constantly; your mother’s eighty-three.” ©Jan Jack 2012 Commission a bespoke verse at www.perfectverse.co.uk

...for advertising or editorial please email steve@soarvalleylife.co.uk Page 23

5

Can’t sleep… (A very short story by Phillipa Stevens) She’s got nothing to worry about, not really. I mean, she has a lovely house; a husband to die for, I bet the mortgage is paid off, kids doing well in good jobs same old, same old! But she’s been going on and on about not sleeping very well, for months, probably a year or more. She’d been to the doctors, took the pills, started going to keep fit classes and all sorts of things, but still she couldn’t sleep.

“I’ve tried counting sheep, money, seagulls, even my blessings; of which I know there must be many compared to a lot of other people, but none of that did any good whatsoever. I seem to nod off, then the next thing I know is I’m wide awake with my thoughts whizzing from here to there, round and round, never fixing on anything in particular. Oh no, it’s not worry, not really, I just keep thinking about all the things I’ve got to do and haven’t finished, or haven’t even started or haven’t even thought about before. I do seem to nod off just about when it’s time to get up again; almost as if there’s a part of me doing it on purpose just to wind me up. I can’t count the number of times I’ve looked at the digital alarm clock and it was all the one’s, or all the twos, threes, fours!”

Anyway, we went to Loughborough Market early in the New Year and there were a lot of people wearing those fluorescent over vests, you know, those who collect for charities or are selling Sky packages? So we were outside the Town Hall with this lot milling about with their clipboards and Jane got talking to one of them. She turned to me and said; “They’re doing some research about sleep, they’re from the University and they’d like me to take part.

Will you come in with me? I think it’s only to ask some questions today…”

We went into one of the rooms at the side of the function room and sat down with a couple of boffin types. I said to them that I wasn’t interested; I was just there with my friend. They asked a lot of questions and took a lot of notes and then said to Jane that they’d be in touch.

Page 24

A couple of weeks later she received a letter saying that they’d like her to take part in a three day study, where she’d stay over night for three nights and they would like to observe her sleep patterns, that it was all perfectly safe and that she’d get paid three hundred quid for her trouble. I did wish I’d took part then, I mean, three hundred quid for sleeping!

“So, off she went, bag packed, a couple of good books and came back three hundred quid better off.”

“Well, you’d never believe it! I had a lovely time.

They had every magazine you could think of: Cosmo’, Hello!, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, all sorts. And, it was like a Spa centre with spa pools, sauna and treatment rooms, lovely food, fitness equipment and the hunkiest trainers I’ve ever seen!

When I went to bed they put sensors on my arms, back, legs; and I had to wear a sort of hat which monitored my brain activity. I swear I never slept a wink for three days; but afterwards I’d never felt better.”

“On the last morning, at the de-briefing session – which lasted right up to lunch time – they showed me a speeded up video of me sleeping. They called it time-lapsed, I think. OK, I moved about quite a lot but I was definitely fast asleep! They slowed it down a few times, to normal speed, and put the sound on, I was snoring my head off! I spent hours every night on my back, with my arms above my head, absolutely spark out. They showed me the computer graphs of my brain activity, they showed me where I was dreaming; they called it REM sleep I think. Do you know what they said? I was gobsmacked! They said that I was probably dreaming repetitively about being awake and this was fooling my ‘awake’ brain into believing I hadn’t slept. They said that, subconsciously, I was making the choice to dream about not sleeping. I asked them if I could choose to dream about something else. They said I could choose to dream about anything at all; all I need to do is focus on this choice as I relax and prepare to sleep.”

That was about six weeks ago and when I saw her the other day (she told me not to tell anyone but) she said: “In the last month I’ve had six different lovers, been to the Caribbean, spent thousands on Jamie’s credit card, told my mother-in-law where to stick her nose and, slept like a baby!”

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The X Factor

...No, not the X Factor, well, not exactly. Love him or hate him, Simon Cowell does know a thing or two about it, though. He knows when he sees and hears it and he also knows how to package it. For the rest of us mere mortals, alas, we make do with the CD or the DVD at Christmas.

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5

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5

For richer, for poorer Caught in a trap

for what he/she hopes will be a “cheap” divorce, with a financial settlement based on his/her current, significantly reduced, income. And, if you’re worried that falling property prices could leave you with negative equity, you might agree that delaying your divorce could simply make matters worse.

Where once you might have stayed together “for the sake of the children”, now you could find yourself papering over the cracks in your broken relationship for the sake of the mortgage. The collapse in the housing market could mean that you can’t find a buyer for your property or secure the finance to allow one of you to buy the other out. So you’re stuck together. Or are you?

Happier future If the global economic crisis has trapped you in a domestic nightmare, Emery Johnson can help. All of our family solicitors are skilled in extricating clients from unhappy marriages and civil partnerships. In many cases, we can do this amicably, through collaborative law.

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Page 28

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You Don’t Have To Have a Hearing Loss To Visit a Hearing Aid Centre Do you have a regular eye test or routinely visit the dentist for a check-up even though you do not have obvious sight problems or toothache? Have you ever had your hearing checked?

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5

Cryptic Crossword Answers

Business Directory Beauty Allure Beauty Jessica’s Holistic Therapy Builders and Builders Merchants Barrowcliffe Construction BLM Property Maintenance & Repairs John A Stephens – Builders Merchants Food Glenn Lewin Butcher Ltd Health Care Charnwood Hearing Aid Centre Gareth Hudson – Foot Health Professional HS Footcare Services Visual Answers Opticians / Optometrists Home and Garden AMW Kitchens C4 Property & Garden Maintenance Charnwood Driveway Cleaning Dave Keen Professional Decorator David Tomlinson Plastering & Home Improvements DCI Kitchens Ltd Doortronic Ltd Greenthumb Lawn Treatment Service KR Electrical 26 Marpave Paving McKay Fencing & Landscaping Molly Maid Domestic Cleaning Newbold Curtains & Blinds Pest-Away Total Care Solutions Richard Watson Decorator SJS Professional Carpet Cleaner Leisure Great Central Railway Professional Services Computer Advice Creativio Video Production Emery Johnson Solicitors Quorn Driving - Driving School Quorn Plan Services - Architectural Services Santorini Financial Planning Ltd Strawberry Lettings & Sales The Writers’ Coach

Page 30

26 21 21 27 31 18 29 12 25 5 12 26 26 29 25 7 28 17 30 9 11 7 27 13 7 32 26 25 28 26 21 6 21 29

Answers to Heaven and Hell quiz

1. Rolf Harris 2. Jack the Ripper 3. Thorntons 4. The Divine Comedy 5. Gordon Ramsay 6. Ludwig van Beethoven 7. Cruella de Vil 8. Atlas 9. Rebecca Ferguson 10. Pandemonium

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         

     

                                                    

     

    