rothley post (91) november 2011

NOV/DEC 2011 No. 91www.birstallpost.co.uk

THE ROTHLEY POSTY O U R F R E E C O M M U N I T Y N E W S P A P E R

Rothley winewins awardA LOCAL couple who have a vineyard at thebottom of their garden have won an awardfor their wine.

Liz and Matthew Robson of WestfieldLane have been making wine as a hobbyfor the past three years, growing Orion,Siegerebbe and Solaris grapes.

The Mercian Vineyards Associationawarded them a bronze medal for theirmedium dry wine and a highly com-mended for their dry white.

Liz Robson said: “We only enteredthe wine into the competition to get thefeedback, because all wines are assessedby three Masters of Wine. When theresults were given out and we heard wehad a highly commended for the drywhite we were astonished and when weheard 'Bronze Medal’ in the medium drycategory I nearly fell off my chair.”

The couple make the wine in theirkitchen and last October press-gangedhelpers from Forge End, who trod thegrapes in the traditional manner.

Last year the ‘Kingfsher’s Pool Vine-yard’ produced 36 bottles from the firstharvest and this year 18 bottles, due tothe May frosts.

Liz said: “We have had a number ofsetbacks in particular hormonal weed-killer drifting over in 2009 and then Mayfrosts in 2010 and 2011 which killed offmost of the growing shoots.

“2010 was our first small harvest andalso our fist attempt at making winebecause the crop was too small to send

PLANS TO build 45 homes onthe edge of Rothley will putunsustainable pressure on localschools and facilities, says Roth-ley Parish Council.

Pic: Liz Robson in herRothley vineyard

45 homesplanned

Continued on page 6

Continued on page 14

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NOV 2011THE ROTHLEY POST 3

THE DECISION to refuse permis-sion to build 170 homes offHallfields Lane, Rothley is beingappealed by the developers.

Builders Charles Church and RothleyTemple Estates want to demolish Brook-field Farm and build on the 6.9 hectaresite. The new dwellings would be locatednext to the 149 homes built off Loughbor-ough road.

Charnwood Borough Council refusedpermission in April 2011 because the siteis an area of open countryside, it will bedetrimental to the Rothley ConservationArea and local schools and infrastructurehave insufficient capacity.

The original application attracted 750letters of objection and action groupKeep Rothley Rural campaigned againstthe plans.

In its appeal documents, the develop-ers say: “…there is an overriding needfor additional housing in the Borough toenable the Council to provide its five yearsupply. It is considered that this carefullydesigned scheme would not adverselyaffect the character of the area and thatthe lack of a five year housing allocationjustifies development in this location.

“Rothley has been identified by theCouncil as a sustainable location fordevelopment in its emerging Core Strategywith sufficient services, facilities and infrastructure to accommodate further growth.The application therefore, is not contraryto either local or national planning policy.

“Detailed landscape and design workwas undertaken as part of the applicationprocess to ensure that the proposeddevelopment was of a high standard toboth reflect the character of the area andto respect the nearby Rothley Conserva-tion Area. As a consequence, it is notconsidered that the proposed develop-ment if permitted, would fail to preserveand enhance the setting of the Conserva-tion area and it would not be contrary tolocal and national planning policies.”

It is expected that a Planning Inspec-tor will consider the appeal at a hearingat Charnwood Borough Council, althoughthe developers have requested a full pub-lic enquiry.

Details of the planning applicationP/10/1886/2 can be viewed on Charn-wood’s website

Battle of Britain day service

ROTHLEY REMEMBERED the ‘Few’ at a paradeand service to mark Battle of Britain Day.

Organised by Rothley and DistrictRoyal British Legion and held at the WarMemorial on Cross Green, the event wasattended by cadets from Welbeck De-fence Sixth Form College.

The Standards of the Royal BritishLegion Rothley and Mountsorrel branch-es were there to flank the flag pole dur-

ing the flag raisingceremony and BobHendry of Rothley andKeith Hassel of Mount-sorrel were the Stand-ard Bearers.

After the parade andthe flag raising ceremony the ReverendRob Gladstone of Rothley Parish Churchasked Mrs Meg Hendry, Chairman of theRothley RBL branch to recite Homageand this was followed by one minute’ssilence in memory of the fallen. FlightLieutenant Trudy Askew then recited aeulogy to the battle in which she ex-plained the dramatic series of eventswhich ultimately ended in victory for theRAF ‘Few’. Prayers followed to concludethe event after which all were invited totake refreshments at the Rothley Centre.

Norman Pratt, spokesman for Rothley& District RBL, said: “The event, whichwas attended by many villagers, wasgreatly enhanced by the attendance ofsome 150 pupils from the local Rothley

Church of England primary school. Theylistened intently, stood quietly during theone minute’s silence, and were genuine-ly attentive during the RAF officer’s ex-planation of the battle back in 1941,which was a new subject to most ofthem. One lady in the crowd was fromFrance and she was effusive in herpraise of the British in standing firm atthat time. Her comments were greatlyappreciated.”

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Pic: Children from Rothley schoolholding the RAF Ensign

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A FULL meeting of Rothley ParishChurch was held on September 19.

It was reported that the decisionto refuse planning permission for170 homes on the site of BrookfieldFarm had been appealed by thedevelopers.

A local resident commented onthe amount of roadside weeds and it

was agreed to report this to theCounty Council.

It was agreed to spend up to£60 on red tulip bulbs for CrossGreen.

It was agreed to remove vandal-ised play equipment at the rear ofRothley library.

The Parish Council has received

a complaint from a resident who was asked topark at the back of the Rothley Centre car park.The complainant had pointed out that a car wasparked in the front of the car park at all hours.This car belongs to the tenant of the flat abovethe Rothley Centre and is allowed to park there.

It was agreed to spend £4089 on the Christ-mas lights.

It was reported that Greene King, the ownersof the Rothley Court Hotel, had put in place aschedule of works and inspection for the Tem-plar Chapel.

A full meeting of Rothley Parish Council washeld on October 17.

It was agreed to donate around £200 for theprovision of a water source and gardening equip-ment for Babington Court.

It was agreed to utilise the services of plan-ning consultant Mr Will Antill in furthering thejoint interests of Rothley and Mountsorrel ParishCouncils in both neighbourhood planning mat-ters and also any appeal against the Brookfieldfarm application. It was agreed to allocate £2500towards the costs of preparing a NeighbourhoodPlan.

The replacement of vandalised play equipmentwill cost £2500, with partial reimbursementfrom the insurers and the persons responsiblefor the damage.

The council is investigating the provision ofoutdoor gym equipment at the Town Green Streetplaying field.

patrols around the villages.A full meeting of Thurcaston & Crop-

ston Parish Council was held on Septem-ber 15.

Parishioners present reported thatseveral vehicles were parking along thepavement along Leicester Road, Thurcas-ton and that weeds were a problemalong Station Road, Cropston and Leices-ter Road, Cropston.

It was reported that the County Coun-cil are responsible for the condition ofSandham Bridge and that an inspectionis imminent.

It was agreed to erect a 15 footChristmas tree outside the Memorial Hallin November at a cost not exceeding£300.

Parish Council notes

A FULL meeting of Thurcaston & Cropston Par-ish Council was held on June 16.

PC Steve Rhodes reported that Quorn PoliceStation will close at the end of June. The perma-nent Police base for the neighbourhood beatteam will be in the Rothley Centre. Bicycles willbe used by PC Rhodes and PCSO Ritchie to cover30 square miles.

Speed checks have been carried out onLeicester Road and Station Road.

A full meeting of Thurcaston & Cropston Par-ish Council was held on August 18 (there wasno meeting in July).

Mr Janusz Jankowski was co-opted to fill avacancy on the council.

PCSO Ritchie reported that the new Policebase in Rothley was working well enabling agreater Police presence on foot and on bike

PILBEAM OPTICIANS goes 3D!Pilbeam Opticians has recently

invested in the latest high tech con-sulting room equipment for theirPractice in Mountsorrel.

The equipment includes Test ChartXpert 3D which allows fine tuning ofa patients vision. Jonathan Pilbeam,Managing Director, explains: “Withthe ever increasing demands placedon vision in today’s electronic society,our eyes need to be fine tuned togain the maximum benefit from thedevices that we use every day. Thismay be our mobile phone screens,computer screens and even the latest3D technology used in cinema, televi-sion and now even on mobilephones. Test Chart Xpert 3D has thepotential to fine tune a patients vi-sion for optimum performance andwe are very excited about incorporat-ing the technology in our assessmentof our patient’s vision”.

Pilbeam Opticians has also invest-ed in equipment that will enableimages of the front of patient’s eyesto be stored for monitoring of eyehealth. Jonathan said: “This is partic-ularly important in contact lens wearwhere maintaining eye health is ourhighest priority”.

A PLANNING application to build atwo storey, four classroom block atRothley school has been withdrawn.

Investinginpatientcare

Pic: Optician Jonathan Pilbeam

Planswithdrawn


AFTER 30 years with the Police, Rothley’sBeat Officer PC Steve Rhodes will be retiringin December.

For the last seven years Steve has been the CommunityBeat Officer for Rothley, Thurcaston, Cropston, Swithlandand Newtown Linford.

PC Rhodes said: “I have enjoyed policing the villagesand getting involved in as many groups and activities aspossible. I would like to thank everyone who supportedme and assisted me in any way.

“The last six months working from the Rothley Centrehas worked very well and I will miss most of the people Ihave spoken with over the years.”

Percy Hartshorn, Chairman of Rothley Parish Councilsaid: “Steve has always been very helpful, if we tell himabout problems he gets something done. Since he’s beenworking from the Rothley Centre its been very good, we’vebeen getting good Police cover.”

For Rothley NHW Marion Vincent said: “Steve has beena great supporter of the Rothley and Swithland Neighbour-hood Watch Scheme, encouraging residents to get involvedand promoting it at every Beat Surgery in the village. Hehas set the standard for Neighbourhood Policing in Roth-ley and Swithland and will be a hard act to follow. Thankyou Steve from all in Neighbourhood Watch.”

PLANS FOR a convenience store atthe site of the old library bookstoreon Loughborough Road have beensubmitted to Charnwood BoroughCouncil.

The applicant is ‘The CharnwoodTrust’ and the application states: “theshop will provide local employmentand provide sustainably located top upshopping facilities for a local and

press the application was deemed tobe invalid as the plans submitted didnot contain the required details.

Details of the application,P/11/2054/2, can be viewed at Charn-wood Borough Council’s website.

A separate plan to build 14 homesat the rear of the site were also ruledto be invalid by Charnwood BoroughCouncil in August.

OFFICERS FROM Charnwood localpolicing unit are appealing forpublic help after a burglary at thehome of an elderly man in Thur-caston.

The incident took place at about10.20pm on Thursday September 8in the Leicester Road area of Thur-caston. Three men entered the homeof the 60-year-old victim whilst hewas in the lounge watching the TV.The men claimed that they werefrom Neighbourhood Watch andwanted to check the house. The menthen searched the property and stolea small quantity of cash. The victimwas not hurt during the incident.

All the suspects were white. Oneof them was in his mid 20s, 5ft 8install and of medium build. He waswearing a dark woolly hat and darkclothing. The second suspect wasslightly older than the first suspectand taller, it is believed he was wear-ing a hat and dark clothing. Thethird suspect was about 5ft 10ins talland also wearing dark clothing.

Detective Constable Kim Potter isinvestigating the incident, she said:

“This was a shocking incident for theelderly victim in his home, the peo-ple responsible had no regard forthe effect their actions would haveon him. We would urge anyone whowas in the Leicester Road area onthe evening of September 8, close tothe junction with the A46, to contactus if they remember seeing anyoneacting suspiciously or they werevisited by someone in similar cir-cumstances. Any information aboutthe incident or the suspects, nomatter how insignificant it may seemcould help us move this investigationon. Any calls received will be treatedin confidence.”

Anyone with any information isasked to contact DC 4269 Kim Potteron 0116 222 2222, follow the in-structions to leave a message for apolice officer and when promptedkey in the officer’s identificationnumber 4269. Alternatively contactCrimestoppers which is free andanonymous on 0800 555 111.

Pic: PC Steve Rhodes in a Victorian uniform at a village heritage event in 2009

rapidly growing residential populationin a location that does not currentlyhave these facilities.”

The applicant states only minorphysical works are required for thechange of use to a shop – new en-trance doors and an ATM unit, withair conditioning and refrigerationequipment at the rear.

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Policemanretires

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Supermarket plans for library HQ

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Developers John Willcox Land Ltdwant to build 45 homes and create apublic open space at Linkfield Farm,between Hill Top Garage and Rowe LeysFurlong.

The derelict farmhouse will be demol-ished, an access lane created with pre-dominantly two storey dwellings builtwith detached houses in the north of thesite and semi-detached and terracedproperties on the lane.

30 per cent of the dwellings will be‘affordable properties’.

Once demolished the Linkfield Farm-house site will be a small group of dwell-ings served by a private drive.

Chairman of Rothley Parish CouncilPercy Hartshorn said: “Rothley is unableto cope with the additional pupils fromfurther housing as Rothley school isnearly full, as are the doctors.”

The Section 106 developer contribu-tions associated with the planning appli-cation are £194,912 for local schools,£2450 for library facilities and the provi-sion of a new bus stop.

Details of the application,P/11/2150/2, can be viewed on Charn-wood Borough Council’s website.

A CROPSTON bed & breakfast hasbeen awarded the highest tour-ism accolade for running a

‘Green’ business.

THE WHOLE community is invit-ed to attend the annual Christ-mas Fair at Richard Hill School,Thurcaston.

Held on Saturday November 26from 1.30-4pm, visitors can meetSanta in his grotto, play games anddive into a lucky dip. And for theadults, take a chance on a raffle,enjoy a refreshing cup of teaor coffee and home-madecakes.

Linda Bennett, co chairof the Parent Teacher Associ-

A ROTHLEY teenager had to post-pone her charity climb of MtKilimanjaro due to illness butwill be leading a climb to thesummit in 2012.

Holly Whittaker (19) and a team offellow studentsfrom Aberyst-wyth Universitywere set toscale Africa’shighest moun-tain this year,until she camedown withglandular fever.

But Hollyhas exceededher fundraisingtarget and raised £3000 for ChildreachInternational. An event in June, anEvening with Elvis featuring local tributesinger Darren Turner, helped Hollyreach her total.

The Green Tourism Business Schemevisited Horseshoe Cottage Farm andawarded it Gold status for being sustaina-ble in every area of the business.

Sustainable Tourism is about reduc-ing energy and water consumption, in-creasing recycling and using producethat is grown close to home, reducingfood miles. This not only helps to pro-tect the environment, but also gives theguests healthier food that has been pro-duced locally and supports other localbusinesses. Electricity bills have been cutby 18% by installing solar panels andenergy-saving light bulbs.

Part of the Wolsey Lodge group ofluxury B&Bs the 5 star business is see-ing an increase in visitors, despite therecession. “We are delighted to havebeen awarded this Gold Award” saysLinda Jee, who runs the business withher husband Tim. “It reinforces ourbelief that we are providing a specialservice and venue for our guests butwith a green ethos. We always try to givethat little bit extra in terms of service,ambience and food but being awardedGold proves to us that our efforts arenoticed”.

The Jees have run Horseshoe CottageFarm, near Bradgate Park, as a luxuryB&B for the past nine years and it is theonly Visit Britain 5* Gold accreditedB&B in Leicestershire.

www.horseshoecottagefarm.com

ROTHLEY’S HERITAGE warden Marion Vincent has sent us this photo.She said: “I am trying to identify the Royal British Legion Carnival Queen of 1948.

It may be that she comes from Thurcaston or Cropston. This was the Baby Show atthe carnival and I have no names for the young ones.”

Contact Marion on 0116 2375156 or [email protected]: (l-r) Bernice Wilkinson, Margaret Seal, Joan Baker, unknown Carnival Queen, Marga-ret Hartshorne, Thelma Waterfield and Mary Chester.

ation at Richard Hill School and Christ-mas Fair organiser, said: “To date theresponse we’ve had to our ChristmasFair has been amazing, and we are pre-dicting it is going to be very busy asthere are lots of exciting activitiesplanned. With more stalls selling a rangeof fun and unique gifts, books, BodyShop, toys and jewellery – plus much

more – why not come along andget those extra special Christ-mas presents.”

The PTA aim to raise fundsto purchase an outdoor class-

room which will allow chil-

dren the benefit ofthe connection tothe outside andenvironment, nodoubt improving their learning andbeing a great deal of fun!

Linda added: “Throughout the after-noon you will be able to browse stalls,join in with games and enjoy your fistmince pie of the season – at the sametime as supporting your local traders,the local school and the children whoattend. We welcome the whole villageand community to the school for ourfestivities!”

Continued from page 1

School’s Christmas fair

Charityclimb

Greenbusiness

Mystery carnival queen


300 VISITORS enjoyed an exhibitionof paintings staged by the Soar Val-ley Artists at the Rothley Centre inOctober.

99 paintings were on show at theSociety’s ninth annual exhibition. TheSociety’s 30 members also have paint-ings displayed at Glenfield Hospital andexhibit each year at the Cossington OpenGardens event.

WITH AN hour or so of song,story and music, Rothley Par-ish church is presenting a spe-cial one-off event to markRemembrance Day.

The event is special because the date11/11/11 is 90 years after a grand neworgan was installed in the church as apermanent memorial to the 33 Rothleymen who died in the Great War. Thenames of the 33 casualties are lovinglypainted into a red and gold triptych inthe North Aisle chapel next to the organ.

The evening will feature organ pieces,vocal items by the choir and the audi-ence, other virtuoso musical performanc-es, all interspersed with illustratedstories from a representative selection ofthe 33 casualties. Admission is free. Atthe close refreshments will be offered,and everyone will be encouraged to givegenerously to the Poppy Appeal of theBritish Legion.

‘Remember the 33’ is on Friday No-vember 11 at 7.30pm. For more informa-tion call Terry Sheppard on 01162302931.

Soar Valley Artists’ exhibition

Pic: War Memorial, Cossington Village. Bernadette Loughran

Pic: Cottage Farm Garden, Norfolk.Carol Ann Sewell

Pic: Anton & Erin. Grahame Robinson

Pic: Demonstrator Bob McLuckie

Pic: Onion 17. Derek Walsom

Pic: a painting by Eric Phillips

Eventforthe ‘33’


A SPECIAL viewing of rare,Bronze Age axe finds was heldbefore an invited audience atRothley Centre in October.

The event, organised jointly by Roth-ley Heritage Trust and LeicestershireCounty Council, was arranged for allthose organisations and individuals whohad made a donation towards the pur-chase of the axes through the County’sMuseum Service.

The audience was able to view anddiscuss the axes at first hand with DrRichard Pollard, Curator of Archaeologyat Leicestershire Heritage Services. Afterthe viewing session he gave a talk on theBronze Age, its technology and the vari-ous scenarios that might have led to thehoard of axes being buried in the Roth-ley area around 1000 BC.

The find, from Rothley Plain, wasmade by a local metal detectorist whoacted properly in reporting the discoveryto the Leicestershire Museums FindsOfficer. Subsequently they were passedto the British Museum where they weredeclared to be treasure and given avaluation.

Brian Verity, Chairman of RothleyHeritage Trust, closed the evening withthanks not only to Dr Pollard and hiscolleagues but also to all those who hadcontributed financially towards the safereturn of these valuable artefacts so thatthey may be appreciated by present andfuture generations of Leicestershire’sresidents.

“It’s a real homecoming for part ofRothley’s rich archaeological heritage”he said.

The main corn harvest is over at last,and the grain drier is finally silent, andthe summer dust settles. At this time Ialways think that Brookfield is going tobecome a less busy place. As always,however, the drill-ing of the seed forthe following year’scrops follows onimmediately. Thisyear we will havepurchased andsown approx 100tons of speciallyprepared wheatseed. It is, there-fore, imperative thatthe conditions areas ideal as possiblefor the seeds togerminate. A closeeye is kept on theweather forecast and the soil in thevarious fields is regularly inspected. Thetype of land in each particular field istaken into consideration before the finaldecision is made to start drilling theseed. It can be very costly if the seeddoes not germinate and has to be re-drilled.

During October the maize harvesttakes place with the cobs being used forcattle feed. The yellow maize cobs look

very similar to the sweetcorn which mostof us enjoy cooking and eating withbutter. Wesometimes seepeople in thefields scrump-ing the cobs,and wonderwhat happenswhen they tryto cook them

as, maize is veryhard and full ofstarch and doesnot become softand sugarywhen cooked.

As the weath-er gets colderthe livery horsesbegin to weartheir winterrugs and willbe brought in to

be stabled at night. This is generally tokeep the fields in good condition as theycan become very muddy and churned bythe horses feet when the ground is wet.We have to ensure that the grass in thefields will grow again next year.

The Falabella foals are weaned at thistime of year as they are now about sixmonths old and eating grass, hay and aspecial foal mix of cereals. They are putin their own nursery barn together away

from their mothers for a couple ofweeks. For the first few hours they docall for their mothers, however I havenoticed that the mothers don’t often callfor their foals – I think by now they arepleased for them to fly the nest and havesome time to themselves. The foalsseem to quickly forget their mothers andsoon resume playing with their friends.After two weeks when I am sure they areeating properly, those who are going tonew homes are picked up by their newowners and the rest are turned out to-gether in a field with a shelter. They

have now grown verywoolly winter coatsand spend many hourschasing each otheraround the field athigh speed.

During the monthsof October and Novem-ber the days are short-er and there is verymuch a feeling ofpreparation for thewinter ahead. The

suckler herd and the bull will bebrought into barns for the harsher win-ter months where they will have shelterand can be given extra feed. We have toensure that we have sufficient supplies ofhay and straw for the herd and the hors-es to last the winter. Despite our oftenhigh-tech methods of farming thesewinter tasks have taken place on farmsfor generations and it is satisfying tosee the barns full of grain, hay andstraw. Now we just wait to see whetherthis winter will be as hard as the last.

From Sarah Wright, Brookfield Farm

AS YOU drive down Hallfields Lane in Rothley many people hardlynotice the farm gate which leads to Brookfield Farm.

There has been a farm on this site for many years, long before many of the hous-es which now make up the village of Rothley.

Today Bill and Sarah Wright live atBrookfield Farm on Hallfields Lane. Inthis and future issues of the Rothley Post,Sarah will be writing about life on thefarm:

Life on the farmLiving & working at Brookfield

A NEW Birstall Area Music Centrehas been launched at StonehillSchool.

The County Council’s Leicester-shire Schools Music Service (LSMS),together with Stonehill and LongsladeSchools are providing the service togive young people the opportunity toplay in an ensemble.

Groups offered are windband andstrings LSMS hope to introduce achoir in the autumn term. Sessionswill take place weekly during termtime.

Wind instrument players shouldhave been playing for one year ormore and string players for threeterms up to a grade 2 standard.

The charge is £30 per term. Formore details Melanie Cahill 01162700850 [email protected]

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Pic: Nick Carter on a seed drill

Pic: Falabella foals

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some localschools,spendingsome timeout andabout in thevillage andhopefullyputting onsome thingsthat give ouryoung peo-ple achance to engage with the most interest-ing guy in history – that’s Jesus, just incase you hadn’t caught on.”


THE STARS turned out for LOROS atRothley Park cricket club’s annualcharity match.

Leicestershire County Cricket Club,with a full strength team, arrived full ofconfidence aiming to defeat a LeicesterTigers XI at 20/20 cricket, but a spar-kling performance by Tim Stimpson withthe bat and some sensational fieldingespecially from ScottHamilton led theTigers to win with 1over to spare.

For the CountyJosh Cobb hit anunbeaten 78 to bringsome consolation.

Steve Thomason,spokesperson forRothley Park CricketClub, said: “Thisyear the Tigerssquad was joined byLeicester Riders andex Leicester City players and helpedraise thousands of pounds for LOROS,Rainbows and junior cricket at RothleyPark. A big thank you to all the playersfor coming along and to all the specta-

LIKE MANY people, you might think that getting electricity from thesun in the UK is a waste of time.

the circuit, making electricity. This elec-tricity is direct current, as would getfrom a battery. To connect this to themains, or grid, you need an ‘inverter’that converts it to AC electricity. Andthat’s it. Really. The basics of PV reallyaren’t complicated - but getting the bestout of a system is where you need aprofessional.”

For details go towww.prescientpower.co.uk

But according to Carl Benfield ofPrescient Power, you would be wrong.He said: “This year has seen an unprece-dented increase in installation of SolarPhotovoltaics, PV for short, across theUK; it is one of the best financial invest-ments you can make, and you also getto save the planet, which is pretty cool.”

He added: “Ok, lets get the geeky bitout of the way. Firstly, if you want toimpress your friends, solar PV comes in‘modules’ not ‘panels’ which is is a termusually used when you get hot waterfrom the sun. These modules are madeup of “cells” connected together. Whenyou connect modules together, you havean ‘array’, and now you’re starting tosound like and expert.

“When sunlight shines on the solarcells, electrons are effectively knockedout of place and start flowing around

tors who enjoyed a wonderful afternoon,the sun even came out after a dampstart to the day.”

Pic: Diane Morris (LOROS) and Steve Thomason (Rothley Park CC)& (top) batsman James Sykes

ROTHLEY PARISH church have appoint-ed a new youth worker.

Tom Brewster (23) is a former musicstudent.

Tom, pictured right, said: “So whatam I doing here? Am I here to makeyour kids Christian? No. Am I here todrag your kids off the streets into aweird building to sing Kumbaya? No. Idon’t even have a tambourine.

I’m here because I think this mancalled Jesus is fascinating, unique andcourageously counter-cultural – and Ithink every young person should havethe opportunity to come to terms withhim. I’ll be doing that by going into

THIS YEAR the Remembrance Service atthe Parish Church starts at 10.30am onSunday November 13 with the usual twominutes silence observed at 11am andjoined by The Royal British Legion.

An all age children/youth/youth organisa-tions service will be held at The RothleyCentre from 10.30am for a 10.45 start.

Both services will finish at 11.30am andprocess to the village green for an act ofremembrance to start at 11.45am. This willinclude a two minute silence and the layingof wreaths.

Refreshments will be served in the BaptistChurch following the act of remembrance.All welcome.

There will also be an Act of Remembranceat the War Memorial arranged by The RoyalBritish Legion on Friday 11th Novemberstarting at 10.45am including silence at11am.Christmas Church Services

All welcome at the following services:Parish Church, Church Street

Sunday 18th December:6.30 pm Carols by Candlelight:Christmas Eve:4pm Christingle Service11.15pm Holy Communion:Christmas Day:9am Holy Communion10.30 am Christmas Morning Family Service

Baptist Church, WoodgateSunday 18th December:6pm Carol ServiceChristmas Day:10am Family Worship

Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Mountsor-rel Lane

Sunday 18th December:3.30 pm Children’s ServiceChristmas Eve7.30 pm Carols8pm Christmas Night MassChristmas Day:11am Christmas Day Mass

Methodist Church, Howe LaneChristmas Eve:4pm Christmas Eve Service

ROTHLEY TENNIS Club hasbeen awarded ‘Beacon’ statusby the Lawn Tennis Associa-tion (LTA) as part of the AE-GON Parks Tennis programme,which recognises high quality,affordable community tennisprogrammes.

The announcement was madeat the club, and Chairman TomLewis was presented with theprestigious Beacon plaque by PaulSheard, LTA Tennis DevelopmentManager for Derbyshire andLeicestershire.

The club joins 180 sites acrossthe country to have achieved thenational accolade which recognis-es the best community-focussedfacilities offering free and afforda-ble tennis as part of the AEGONParks Tennis programme.

To achieve this status, facilitiesmust also offer access to quality,affordable coaching as well asregular competitions for all agesand abilities.

Paul Sheard said: “Rothley hasdone an outstanding job overrecent years developing a commu-nity tennis programme for peoplein the area.

“Tom Lewis and Tim Stantonhave done a fantastic job develop-ing a range of coaching and com-petitive opportunities that areavailable to the public at an af-fordable price. The coaching teamare supported by a really hardworking and pro-active committeewho are always striving to ensurethat the club remains accessibleto all sections of the community.We are delighted with the progressmade at the club and the award-ing of Beacon status is recognitionof all their hard work.”

Charity cricket match

Churchservices

Tennisaward

New youth worker

Invest in sunlight& generate power


OUR SEPTEMBER meeting with DianaCourtney and her talk about RichardIII was a great success and we had avery good attendance.

Poor Richard – he was much ma-ligned by Shakespeare, but one has toremember that Shakespeare was writingabout the Plantagenet dynasty but heworked for the Tudors, namely QueenElizabeth I. So what can one expect –history is always written by the winnersseldom by the losers.

In October we welcomed Janet Court-ney and her husband who came to talkto us about their holiday in Uzbecistanand the cities they visited: Tashkent,Bukhara and Samarkand.

Janet had many stories to tell of theirholiday: including their travelling fromone city to another. For their flight toBukhara they flew in old decrepit planeswhere the seat belts were tired togetheras they were not safe to be worn, andthe passengers applauded on their safelanding. Also by bus over mountainousareas with views of ramshackle housesbuilt into the hillside, as she said “not tobe envied by any of us”.

We heard the historic story of “TheHeavenly Horses”. The Chinese werejealous of the fine, sleek and swift hors-es from Kokan in the Ferghana Valley.In 102 BC the Emperor Wu sent anexpedition to capture some of the “Heav-enly Horses, who were said to sweatblood. On their first attempt they werebeaten off by the locals. However, thesecond time the Chinese soldiers arrived,they managed to capture enough horsesto take home. Later, horses became amajor trading item.

The talk was accompanied by slidesof the cities of Bukhara, Tashkent andSamarkand, all ancient and historiccities, with beautiful turquoise domesand tiling.

On Wednesday, November 16 it isRothley History Society's Annual GeneralMeeting, which will be at our normaltime of 7.30pm and, of course, at ourusual venue – The Rothley Centre,Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley. It is at theAGM that I shall be retiring from thepost of Programme Secretary. I shallhave been in that position for the pastfive years and I have enjoyed bookingand meeting our very varied selection ofspeakers, and also writing up a summa-ry of their subjects. I do hope that youhave enjoyed reading them.

From Noreen Wilson, RothleyHistory Society

might be special offers, such as freeadmission for old aged pensioners ontwo afternoons per week.

In some villages, the first viewingexperience was often at the annual vil-lage fair, when the latest film would beshown in a trailer towed by a tractionengine. Pretty soon, local entrepreneuri-al families saw the advantage of buildingproper cinemas, albeit that many ofthese were corrugated iron structureswhich gave rise to some problems, suchas the noise of heavy rainfall on the roofduring a film show, requiring the soundto be turned to full volume and thenreadjusted when the rain stopped, other-wise the customers might be deafened!

During his research, Brian travelledthe length and breadth of Leicestershire,seeking out the sites of the county’scinemas and meeting many people, localto each place, who had detailed memo-ries and anecdotes about the cinemasfamiliar to them, and which Brian wasable to record. A map of Leicestershire,compiled by Brian, showed that themajority of market towns and the largervillages had one or more cinemas, al-though they were scarce in the morerural area to the north-east of the county.Some cinemas doubled as dance halls ata time when ballroom dancing was an-other major social activity.

Brian proceeded to conduct us on avirtual tour of the many Leicestershirecinemas he had discovered on his trav-els, many of which had intriguing namessuch as “The Gadget” and “The Cosy”.Some members of his audience had fondmemories of some of the cinemas hementioned. He discovered that someformer cinemas have been demolishedand others have been adapted to alterna-tive uses, such as industrial premises orfor different social purposes.

By the time of the Coronation ofQueen Elizabeth II in 1953, the cinema

SEVENTEEN VOLUNTEERS including two from Birstall, six from Rothley and twofrom Thurcaston visited medical centres in Africa as part of a trip organised bya local charity.

Inter Care – Medical Aid for Africasends unwanted medicines to those inneed in Africa – since 1974 it has des-patched £9million worth of drugs thathave been diverted from destruction aswaste.

The Syston based charity currentlysupplies medicines to 116 rural units insix African countries: Cameroon; Ghana;Malawi; Sierra Leone; Tanzania andZambia.

At least twice a year, each unit re-ceives a consignment of drugs and othermedical supplies tailored to their particu-

lar needs.General Manager Diane Hardy said:

“Inter Care is a truly unique and humani-tarian charity. Everyone who hears aboutus recognises its value. With continuingencouragement and help we hope to beable to bring in more medicines andfinance, thereby increasing the numberof medical units that we support. Thereare, sadly, so many more waiting for ourhelp.

”We are currently victims of our suc-cess and are blessed with an abundanceof good, quality donated medicines butlike many charities in this tough econom-ic climate, we are struggling to cover thecosts to collect the medicines from GPsnationwide and the shipping costs toAfrica, therefore any donations would begratefully received to help ship thesevaluable medicines.”

For detailed information seewww.intercare.org.uk or speak to DianeHardy, General Manager on 01162695925Pic: A group visiting the Mma Clementi-na’s Foundation in Tanzania includes vol-unteers from Birstall (Beryl Massey, PeterMoakes), Rothley (Barry Connolly, RalphMoakes & Jeff, Diane, William and NathanHardy) and Thurcaston (Carol & Colin Aus-tin)

History society

BRIAN JOHNSON gave a meticulouslyresearched and nostalgic presenta-tion on the ‘Village Cinemas of Leices-tershire’ at our September meeting.

By 1929, talking pictures (or “talkies”as they were known) had been devel-oped and, at the height of its popularity,20 million people went to the cinemaeach week! Going to the cinema provid-ed a much needed diversion and escapefrom the often harsh realities of dailylife. A copy of the Leicester Mercury in1938 showed two full pages of cinemaadverts. However, village cinemas tendedto produce their own publicity fliers,because they could not afford the costsof advertising in the newspapers andbeautiful hand-painted posters wereoften produced. To attract custom, there

Gift of medicine

Sona

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EXAMINATION RESULTS at Longs-lade College improved in 2011compared to last year..

45% of students achieved five or moreGCSEs at grade C or above, includingEnglish and Maths. In 2010 the figure was43% and the national average was 53.5%.

75% of students achieved five or moreGCSEs, compared to 72% in 2010.

Post 16 students achieved a pass rateof 97% at A2 level and the number ofstudents achieving a grade C or above hasrisen from 64% in 2010 to 71%.

School examinations results are notpublished in full until December 2011 andcan be viewed at www.education.gov.uk

• Former Longslade student Jane Astonhas been awarded a first class for parttwo of the mathematical Tripos from Trini-ty College, Cambridge, and David Russell,also from Longslade, has gained a firstclass honours degree in chemistry fromthe University of Leicester, winning theHunter Medal and Prize for the best gradu-ating student in chemistry.

Longsladeexamresults

BIRSTALL WILL host free breastfeeding workshops for ex-pectant parents.

The new workshop will be held atBirstall Methodist Church Hall on WanlipLane from 2-4pm on the second Satur-day of every month.

Pregnant women are invited, prefera-bly from about 33 weeks gestation, withor without partners. It is free to attendand is designed as a one-off workshopso each couple would attend once only.

The sessions are run by Charnwood

BRAS (Breastfeeding Reassurance andSupport) Group.

For more information about thisworkshop or the Charnwood BRAS ingeneral, please seewww.charnwoodbras.co.uk

To book a place please contact thegroup on 07583 041054

Breastfeeding support


industry was in rapid decline. New formsof entertainment, such as playing Bingo,were becoming available, but the biggestchange in the way we enjoyed our lei-sure time was the birth of television – asthey say, “the rest is history”! The cine-ma did not fade away altogether, ofcourse, but still manages to thrive today,despite fluctuating costs and competitionfrom other leisure pursuits. It still pro-vides a touch of glamour, drama andescapism from daily routine.

Our final meeting for 2011 will be onTuesday November 15 for the AGM fol-lowed by a talk on Old Postcardsat7.30pm. Venue – the Harrison Room,All Saints’ Church, Thurcaston. Our pro-gramme for 2012 is already planned andthe first meeting of the New Year will beon Tuesday January 17, when the speak-er will be Prof Marilyn Palmer and hersubject the ‘Horse-drawn Railways ofLeicestershire and South Derbyshire’,(time and venue, as above). New mem-bers and visitors are most welcome.

From Jennifer Kennington,Thurcaston & Cropston Local Histo-ry Society

Coffee MorningAt Rothley Methodist Church, Howe LaneEvery Tuesday morning, 10-11.30am

come rain or shineFriendly atmosphere, everyone welcomeTea & Coffee and biscuits or toasted tea

cakeProceeds for the Methodist Church

• • •Rothley Parish Church

Christmas Marketon Saturday November 26

10-12noon at the Rothley CentreRaffle, Toys, Gifts, Bric-a-BracNearly new women’s clothes

Cakes, preservesCoffee & mince pies, hot dogs

Children’s activities, Rothley School ChoirProceeds to Rothley Scouts, St John Ambu-

lance & Rothley Parish ChurchAll welcome

• • •

Age ConcernFancy seeing a top class rugby game

against tough French opposition?Never been to a rugby match?

Never been to the Tigers would famousWelford Road ground and tasted the fan-tastic family-friendly atmosphere, bars

and facilities?Just want a great afternoon out?

Why not get a party together and help ourcharity at the same time?

Tigers V ClermontSaturday December 17, kick-off 1.30pmTickets: adults £25, 65+ £22.50, stu-

dents £20, juniors £10Buy through your local Age Concern and

help raise much-needed fundsTel: 0116 2237344

• • •

Bikes 4 AllDo you have an unused bike taking up

space in your shed or garage?We recently donated a bike to ‘Bikes 4 All’who train young people not in educationor employment to do them up. The bikes

are then either sold in the shop or usedfor training both adults and children. Do-nating a bike gave us a good feeling thatsomething we didn’t use was doing somegood – the extra space in the shed is use-

ful too!To arrange collection or to find out more

ring 0116 246 0048• • •

Friday Nov 25, 10am to 7pmSaturday Nov 26, 10am to 2pm

Birstall Methodist Church

Christmas Festival‘Winter Wonderland’

Admission to church £1 (accompanied chil-dren free)

Outdoor Christmas MarketChristmas stalls, crafts,

homemade producePunch/hot dogs, gamesFriday Nov 25, 2-7pm

Table Top SaleSaturday Nov 26, 10am-2pm

(Tables £10, tel: Margaret, 01162671181)

Refreshments served throughout theevent

(light lunches Fri & Sat 12-1.30pm)• • •

National Childbirth Trust

Nearly New Toys &Equipment Sale

On Saturday November 19, 1.30-3pm (NCTmembers admitted from 1pm)

Beaumont Leys School Anstey Lane LE4OFL• • •

Attention all clubs, groups, societies &speaker finders!

Have you thought about booking LOROS tocome and present to your group?

Our presentation provides a selection ofheart-warming stories and gives you a

fascinating glimpse behind the scenes atLOROS where you’ll find wonderful people

living life to the full, an inspirationalblend of tears and laughter.

We also inform you all about our LOROSLottery and ways in which you can helpOffering many prizes, LOROS lottery has

winners every weekWe give you an opportunity to join so you

can win up to £7,500 in our weekly draw!Our talk is completely free of charge!

Whether you are a local fitness class, WIgroup, sports club, gardening club, a busi-

ness – we would love to meet youEveryone loves to hear about LOROS and

learn more about usWe can tailor make our presentation toyour requirements, 10 mins to 1 hr, wewill be pleased to meet your group and

share our storiesBookings being taken now

Please contact Jane Taylor 0116 231 8430or [email protected]

• • •

Calling all MessyToddlers12 months to 3 yrs

Bring a grown up to our parent & toddlersessions. The sessions are fun, interest-ing and very messy! Lots of painting and

sticking, biscuit and cake decoratingNature time and musical instruments. Wa-

ter & sand playStories and singing and lots of indoor and

outside toys. Grown ups enjoy a cuppaand adult conversation while the little

ones munch on a well earned snackIt’s a great place to spend an hour and a

half on Monday mornings.Interested?

Call Karen, Toddler Leader at Acorn UnderFives (reg charity) on 2672795

£2.50 per session (pre-paid every halfterm)

at Highcliffe Primary School CommunityRoom, Greengate Lane, Birstall

• • •

The Ibstock Brass BandSt James Church, Church Hill, Birstall

Sunday November 20, 7.30pmCome along and enjoy an evening of live

music for only £3, pay on the door• • •

Charity FairMountsorrel Memorial Hall

Sat Nov 12, 10am to 12noon30p entry, 20p concessions

All welcome• • •

REAL MELODY, great composers, bigbands and legendary vocalists – hearall these and more at the weeklymeetings of the Leicester Dance andSwing Bands Appreciation Society.

They meet every Thursday at BirstallSocial Club from 8-10pm and have beengoing for 25 years.

The club’s honorary president is noless a person than Doris Day and theclub members gather to listen to themusic of the great composers includingIrving Berlin, Jerome Kern, the Gersh-wins, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart andJohnny Mercer.

There’s an even longer list of bandsand vocalists such as Duke Ellington,Count Basie, Benny Goodman, GlennMiller, Ambrose, Ted Heath, JohnnyDankworth, the singers include FrankSinatra, Dick Haymes, Mel Tormé, NatKing Cole, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald andJulie London.

Members prepare their own pro-grammes, presented on a CD or tape.There is no pressure to be a presenter,everyone is equal.

The annual membership fee is £1with a 50p evening fee.

For further information please con-tact Geoff Penrose on 0116 2201175.

Noticeboardall details printed free

Dancebands

Continued on page 12

LINK CARSRothley • Private Hire

Serving thelocal community

for 28 years: 1983-2011

0116 2302558

LOCAL AND LONG DISTANCEALL AIRPORTS ETC


Rothley Bowling ClubAre holding their

Autumn Fayre andCoffee Morning

On Sat Nov 1910am to 12noon

at Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel LaneRothley

Admn. 50p inc tea/coffeeLots of stalls inc bric-a-brac, cakes, home-made produce, crafts, tombola, raffle etc

• • •Birstall Birdwatching Club

Presents

Spanish SafariBy Mike Webster

Just a very short distance back from thebeaches there is a beautiful land of moun-tains, meadows, streams and rivers andwe explore some of these habitats on to-

night’s journeyThe Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane,

RothleyTuesday November 8 at 7.30pm

Visitors welcome £2Contact Ken Goodrich 0116 2674813

• • •Richard Hill School PTA (Thurcaston)

Annual Christmas FairSaturday November 26, 1.30-4pm

Christmas gifts, Santa’s grotto, yummycake stall, raffle, BBQ and refreshments,

games and lots more!Why not come along for a bit of early

Christmas shopping?Richard Hill School, Anstey Lane, Thurcas-

ton• • •

Soar Valley Trampoline ClubMonday & Wednesday evenings from 5-

7pm at Soar Valley CollegeSessions are for children from age 6 up-

wardsContact Annette for more details on

01664 840079or email to [email protected]

• • •Steps School of Theatre Dance

Proudly brings you

‘One Night Only’

A night of celebration showcasing the tal-ents of local youngsters

A night of fundraising activity for BirstallBAGS

Palmer Tomkinson Centre at LongsladeCommunity College

Friday November 25 from 7pmTickets £6, Concessions £5

For more information please contactMichelle on: 07909861197

Doors open at 6.30pm for fundraising ac-tivities

Licensed bar• • •

Charnwood OrchestraEmmanuel Church, Forest Road,

LoughboroughSat Nov 19, 7.45pm

ConcertMay Night : Rimsky-Korsakov

Violin Concerto No.2 : ShostakovichSymphony No.6 ‘Pathetique’ : Tchaikovsky

£10 (£8 concessions, £3 children U16)Tickets from 07718 [email protected]

• • •

Thurcaston ToddlerGroup

We are a friendly parent run informal Tod-dler Group that opens its doors every

Tuesday from 9-11am (during school termtimes) for pre-school children from birth

to 5 years.Children get to play with different toys,

do a craft activity and have a snack and adrink as well as socialising with other chil-

dren.Parents/carers can make themselves adrink have a chat and get a change of

scene for the morning!Feel free to drop in and give us a try, ad-mission is £2 – even if you have more

than one childWe are based at Thurcaston Memorial Hall,

Anstey Lane, Thurcaston LE7 7JA• • •

Soar Valley Music CentreJunior Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra

Soloists & Ensembles Present

A Selection of ChristmasMusic

with carols for audience participationBirstall Methodist church

Friday December 16 at 7.30pmBookings can be made through Soar Valley

Music Centre: 0116 2664153, or pay atthe door

• • •

Remember the 33On 11.11.11

An Hour or So of Song, Story & MusicRothley Parish Church

7.30pm Friday November 11Led by the Choir

Under the direction of Simon MurphyFree admission

Collection for the Poppy AppealInfo: 0116 2302931

• • •Leicester Symphony Orchestra

The Battle of the SommeOn Saturday November 127.30pm De Montfort Hall

Butterworth : Banks of Green WillowRavel : Le Tombeau de Couperin

Rossi : The Battle of the Somme (withsilent film)

Guest Conductor Levon Parikian6.30pm Free pre-concert talk with com-poser Laura Rossi and Dr Toby Haggith

from the Imperial War MuseumFull price £17/£14/£11 Children age 16

and under £3Concessions available

Tickets available from De Montfort HallBox Office 0116 233 3111

• • •

Local ArtistAnne Kingham

Exhibition at Hind Leys Community College,Shepshed

Nov 28-Dec 21 during college openinghours

Anne lives in Barrow after living in Rothleyfor 17 years and took up painting and

glass work in her retirement• • •

Free Girls Football AcademyEvery Saturday 10-11.30am at

Memorial Park, Necton Street, Syston LE78HF

www.systontownjuniorsfc.co.uk• • •

The Latimer PlayersPresent

Puss in Bootsat The Memorial Hall, Thurcaston

on November 24,25,26Matinee Sat 26

7.30pm evenings, 2.30pm matineeAll tickets £6.50

Available from 121 Leicester Road, Thur-caston 0116 2362692our H

• • •

Table Top Saleat the Rothley Centre LE7 7PR

Saturday November 12 from 10am to12.30pm

Over 30 stalls – bargains galoreAdmission 50p

Tea/coffee/cakes available• • •

Highcliffe Amateur Theatrical SocietyPresent

The Wizard of Ozat Highcliffe School, Greengate Lane, Bir-

stallon Nov 24,25,26 starting at 7.15pm with

a matinee on Nov 26 at 2.30pmTickets may be ordered by phoning

2671181 or by post to 14 Fielding Road,Birstall LE4 3AJ or by mail to

[email protected]• • •

Film PresentationsFrom Thurcaston & Cropston Parish

Council

‘Oranges and Sunshine’Friday November 11 (105 mins)

Starring Emily Watson and Hugo Weaving,this film is an enlightening and thought-proving true story, set in Nottingham. In1986 Margaret began a tireless campaignto investigate the organised deportation

by the British Government of thousands ofBritish schoolchildren ‘in care’. They hadbeen shipped to Australia. Single-handed-ly, Margaret united many broken families.

‘Nativity’Friday December 9 (105 mins)

This delightful comedy shows an innovativemusical re-enactment of the nativity. A pri-mary school teacher, played by Martin Free-

man, has the biggest challenge of his life, tolure the Hollywood producer to watch his

school’s performance. This moving story be-comes one of the happiest Christmas films

you will ever see.On Friday January 13, 2012, we hope to

present ‘Jane Eyre’Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council will beshowing these films at Thurcaston MemorialHall. Starting at 7.30pm, tickets cost £4.50and concessions are £4. The price includes

refreshments and a lucky prize draw.Advance tickets can be purchased via the par-

ish office, 0116 2367626 or at the door.• • •

Belgrave Ladies Bowling ClubThurcaston Road, Leicester

Autumn FayreSat Nov 26, 10am to 12noon

entrance 50pCakes, tombola, raffle, cards, bric-a-brac

and other stallsEveryone very welcome, come and see our

excellent bowling facilitiesFree membership for all newcomers in

2012Further details from Ladies Secretary on

0116 2674234• • •

Charnwood Conservative Association

Christmas FairSat Dec 10, 10am till noon, adm 50p

Rt Hon Stephen Dorrell MPwill be attending

Raffle, tombola, books, produce stalls,games, cakes, bric-a-brac etc

• • •The next in the series of

Charity Whist Drivesorganised by Derek Farr

will be held in the Rothley Centre, Mount-sorrel Lane, Rothley

on Thursdays Nov 3, Dec 1 and Jan 5Admission £2

• • •

RothleyChristmas Lights

Switch On &Late NightShoppingThursday December 1

Lights switched on at 6pmby BBC Radio Leicester’s Tony & Julie

WadsworthStalls, fairground rides, Christmas nibbles


DAVE HUTCHINGSGENERAL BUILDING & HOME REPAIRS

Brickwork • PatiosRe-pointing

Tiling • PlasterPatching • Fencing etc

No job too smallFriendly Reliable Service

Free Quotations • Fully Insured

Tel: 0116 260 7716Mob: 07770 785400

Email: [email protected]: www.dave-hutchings.com

• • •An evening with

Frank Bruno7pm till late, November 11

Stonehill High School, Stonehill Avenue,Birstall, Leicester LE4 4JG

Comedian & compere, 2 course mealTel: 0116 2673384 mob: 07855 836489Tickets £35 per head or £240 for a table

of 8 guestsAll profits in aid of purchasing a new

school minibus

Advertise in

THE ROTHLEY POST47 x 59mm £20 • 47 x 120mm £3698 x 59mm £36 • 98 x 120mm £60

CALL 2674213 for an advertising rate card,or view online at www.birstallpost.co.uk

The prices above exclude VAT

1) Decide what size you want2) Send us a sketch of your ad3) We design, publish

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SEXYWednesdays£20This Size

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A quick call to Nathan Proud atBrooklea Nursery ensured the pavilionlooked its best for the visit of playersfrom LCCC, Leicester Tigers, the RidersBasketball team and many spectatorsfrom Rothley and the surrounding villag-es for the club’s annual charity match.

Wayne Richardson, the Club Chairmanwas disgusted by the theft. He said:

“What’s the point in stealing our flowers?The thieves had to come across fieldsand an electric fence to take them andby the looks of it there could not havebeen much left of them by the time theyreached the road. Why attack a villagecricket club? We are really grateful toNathan for helping us out.”Pic: Wayne Richardson (left) with NathanProud

items so taken for granted here inthe UK. Jonathan said: “The tripwas a life changing experienceand one I would very much liketo repeat. Before the visit it wasvery difficult to imagine or appre-

ciate that children in the Gambia havesuch very basic needs.”

A YOUNG man from Thurcaston has recently combined his love oftravel with the ability to help others.

Jonathan Draycott (17) who last yeartravelled alone to America for two weeks’travel and adventure this year joined aLongslade College trip to the Gambiaand in the process raised over £1000towards the Gambian ‘Take Care’ chil-dren’s nursery.

This nursery educates under privi-leged children with only the most basicof equipment and facilities. Jonathan’strip included many excursions and activi-ties, visiting an orphanage, monkeyfarms, going on safari and getting togrips with crocodiles.

Fundraising eventsand a grant kindlyprovided by the ‘Ri-chard Hill Church ofEngland School Char-ity’ ensured thatJonathan raised wellover £1000 towardshelping the childrenand young people atthe nursery. Jonathantook half a suitcaseof simple but muchappreciated gifts togive to children including football shirts,pens, papers, balls and other small

A LOCAL plant nursery stepped in to save the day after thievesstole hanging baskets from Rothley Park Cricket club’s pavilion.

A BUS service from Mountsorrel to Leicester is to be axed.The 99 service is operated by Paul S

Winson Coaches and runs from Mount-sorrel to Leicester via Rothley, Cropstonand Birstall, three times a day.

Anthony Winson, Operations Director,said: “I appreciate that this is a servicepeople rely on but the service is notfinancially viable and as a business thereis only so much we can do.”

The service had previously been subsi-dised by the County Council and whenthis was withdrawn in 2006 and theservice was set to be discontinued, PaulS Winson Coaches stepped in to save itand operate it on a commercial basis.

Mr Winson said: “We hoped wecould build up a loyal customer base byoffering a good service, smart buses andgood drivers but the numbers using thebus have remained stable.” Around 70people a day use the bus, and 99 per-cent of these are bus pass holders. Busoperators are reimbursed by the CountyCouncil for each passenger who uses a

bus pass, but only receive a percentageof the fare.

Mr Winson said: “This percentage hasfallen and fallen since the scheme wasintroduced to what is now a stupidly lowlevel.”

THE PILBEAM Academy of Dance’ssummer term came to a close witha masterclass.

It was led by Tom Shilcock fromthe BBC hit ‘So You Think You CanDance’. Spokesman John Sambrooksaid: “It was an occasion that all ourstudents, and a couple of our braveladies, thoroughly enjoyed.”

P/11/2309/2: 969A Loughborough Road,Rothley – erection of garage and coveredway to front of dwelling. Formation ofpitched roof to rearP/11/2302/2: 86 Swithland Lane, Rothley

– erection of a detached carportP/11/2327/2: 2 Church Street, Rothley –remove 1 cherry tree (conservation areanotice)P/11/2326/2: 21 The Ridgeway, Rothley –fell l oak treeP/11/2317/2: Old Farm House, 36 NorthStreet, Rothley – fell 1 sycamore tree(conservation area notice)P/11/2150/2: Land at Linkfield Farm,Loughborough Road, Rothley – site forresidential development of land for up to45 dwelling with associated open space,access, infrastructure and landscape.P/11/2163/2: 33 Swithland Lane, Rothley

– work to 1 cedar tree and 1 leylandii tree(conservation area notice)P/11/2009/2: 26 Garland, Rothley – in-stallation of solar PV panel systemP/11/1977/2: 72 WoodgatAe, Rothley –remove 5 leylandii trees (conservation arenotice)P/11/2388/2: 44 Anstey Lane, Thurcaston

– tree work to 1 lime tree and prune back1 tree (conservation area notice)P/11/2372/2: 8 Causeway Lane, Cropston

– remove and replant 1 conifer hedge andreduce 40% of crown of 1 ash tree (con-servation area notice)P/11/2319/2: 41 Anstey Lane, Thurcaston

– work to 1 cypress and 1 sycamore tree(conservation area notice)P/11/2201/2: 139A Station Road, Crop-ston – erection of detached garage tofront of dwellingP/11/2066/2: 17 Waterfield Road, Crop-ston – extensions and alterations to dwell-ing and raising the roof to form loftaccommodation

Nursery replacesstolen baskets

Planningapplications

99 service axed Masterclass

Pic: Jonathan Draycottwith a pupil

Trip to Africa

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I will be retiring from the Police inearly December having completed 30years with the force, the last sevenat Rothley, Thurcaston, Cropston,Swithland and Newtown Linford.

I would like to thank everyone whosupported and assisted me in any way.

Working from the new Police officeat the Rothley Centre has proved to bevery successful. The office is a base tostart and finish and to carry out anypaper work or computer work.

A few people have been disappointedwhen they have come to see us and noone is there. We cannot give times whenwe will be there as police requirementschange all the time.

The number 101 replaces 0116 2222222. To leave a message for me dial101 and when prompted key in 0544.For PCSO Nigel Ritchie key in 6647.

email:[email protected] on Police priorities from Julyto present:

• To deal with vehicle related crimeand antisocial use on Bradgate Park,Swithland Woods and Beacon Hill coun-try park locations.

2 men were arrested for possessionof drugs on Swithland Woods car park.

There has only been one reportedcrime on all of the 8 car parks sincethe beginning of July which is over 3months. I have never known it that low,no doubt assisted by extra police patrols.

• Targeting of suspectsWe have a close working relationship

with the Charnwood Street Wardensincluding using the wardens’ radiowhich we keep

• To deal with issues of antisocialvehicle use and criminal damage onFowke Street and Woodgate Rothleybetween 4pm and midnight

There have only been 3 reports of

damage since July 1: damage to a smalltree, graffiti to play equipment and dam-age to a plastic piece of play equipment.

The good news is that I have inter-viewed four young people with more tobe interviewed and between them theyhave admitted committing the damageand graffiti to the play equipment at therear of Rothley library.

I will complete my enquiries beforethe young people are dealt with appro-priately.

The use of the beat office at RothleyCentre is proving very successful withnumerous positive comments about anoted increase in police presence withinthe village.

The part time office at Newtown Lin-ford also brought positive commentsfrom residents in Newtown.

From PC Steve Rhodes 0544

OUR SEPTEMBER meeting was in aid ofour charity for the year ‘Marie CurieNurses Appeal’.

There were generous donations of fruit,vegetables, potted plants, flowers, pots ofjam and items of bakery. The bric a bracsection sported jewellery, china andbooks. Selling was swift and we raised thesum of £75 which was very pleasing.

Members were requested to displaytheir arts, crafts and hobbies for the inter-est of the Membership and many demon-strated considerable hidden talents. Therewere lovely paintings, fine needlework,pictures featuring cross-stitch, an albumof photos of beautiful cake decoration, anintriguing miscellany of hand-made minia-ture dolls, houses with intricate gardensand an award winning tapestry in cross-stitch of Leicestershire which won anAward at the local Horticultural Show inThurcaston, together with a Shield present-ed for most points scored at the Show, byMrs Joan Harrup of Cropston. A “Favour-ite Recipe” competition was well support-ed and a prize presented to Mrs. MargaretHooper for her “Lip-Licking Lemon Cake”Copies of the Recipes were sold for 25peach, as an addition towards the charity.

Contributions of poetry and jokes alladded to the sense of bon ami and inparticular an amusing rendition of theChoral “Messiah” offered by Mrs. Eliza-beth Chittenden of Rothley, featuring theviewpoint of a Yorkshire man attendingthe concert for the very first time (said intrue dialect)!

Mrs Brenda Woodings of Grange Farm,Snibston, Nr Coalville was our Speaker forour October Meeting. Brenda’s family hadowned the farm where she was born andbrought up, since 1928 and the title ofher talk was “Kids in the Countryside”.

Brenda now runs the farm with justher son and two hired men, but life forBrenda had always revolved around thefarming life which meant her family en-joyed considerable freedom to exploreand learn about the countryside and there-by brought up in the farming traditionwith a practical outlook on life which setthem apart from most of their friendsboth at school and society.

Brenda was happy to conduct SchoolVisits and on one occasion the questionwas asked how can you tell the differencebetween a cow and a bull. One brightspark answered (giving the teacher fearfor the response) when you look betweenthe bull’s legs you can see straightthrough to the ring on his nose!

Many extracts from “thank you” lettersamused the membership and more colour-ful tales of the school children’s’ under-standing of the natural world, whichillustrated the different attitudes towardsanimals, such as foxes and badgers, heldby the farming children!

Brenda took us all down memory lanereiterating the many sorts of games weplayed in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960sbefore Health and Safety dominated ouractivities i.e. sailing down the brook in anold tin bath; swinging on a rope suspend-ed from a tree to get across a brook;making “dens” in hard to find places inwoods. Oh, those were the days!

Our next meeting will be on November14, when we shall listen to the exploits ofMr Peter Legg on “The life of a MayoralOfficer” Everyone welcome to come along.For more information please ring me on0116 2363467.

From Ann Farndon, The MondayClub: Anstey, Cropston, Thurcaston& Rothley

THERE MAY well have been a fewsmiles at our September meetingwhen guest speaker Mick Rawlespoke of the antics his grandmotherMary Ann Rawle during her time withthe Suffragette movement.

Because of the Reform Bill of 1832giving voting rites only to relatively ‘welloff’ males and later, by 1884 to morethan 5 milliom men, women, feelingrepressed, wanted their voices alsoheard . Thus a ‘Social and Political Un-ion for Women’ was begun and manywomen became interested and inspiredby one Emiline Pankhurst, not leastMary Ann Rawle. Living locally in Leices-tershire it was while Mick Rawle wasresearching family history he discoveredthe connection with Mary Ann Rawle.

Highlighting the involvement of MaryRawle and many other [ local and other-

wise] ladies of the late 19th century intheir successful fight to get the Govern-ment to allow women to vote Mick wasable to bring many photographs of thefamily and of the suffragettes who foughtso hard so many years ago on behalf ofwomen today . The presentation wasthought provoking and appreciated bythe members.

Meetings are held at the RothleyCentre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley onthe first Wednesday of each month, 2 -4.30pm. Tea/coffee and biscuits includ-ed.

From Maureen Bulmer, RothleyWomen’s Institute

NHW news & crime report

Crime Report:Rothley: Aug 1-Sep 30, 2011

Burglary 6, theft 4, damage 4,theft from motor vehicle 2Good News

A 41 year old man and a 19 yearold woman have been arrested for aburglary on the Ridgeway in April.Both have been charged with steal-ing tools from this address.

A man and woman have beencharged with offences following aburglary other than dwelling onMountsorrel Lane in August.Crime Report:Cropston: Aug 1-Sep 30

Burglary 2, burglary non dwell-ing 1, damage 1Crime Report:Thurcaston: Aug 1-Oct 8

Burglary 3 (all on LeicesterRoad)

Small AdsSmall ads are 25p for the first 16 words.17-32 words: 50p. Enclosing payment,post your ad to us or hand it in (inside anenvelope) at Rothley library or RothleyPost Office on Woodgate.Trade/business rates for small ads are 25p aword. You are liable for the trade/businessrate if you are offering a service for whichyou are asking for payment, or if you are ad-vertising new goods for sale. All text will beprinted bold. Box outline £1 extra. Max 50

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to a commercial vineyard. The winemaking was purely experimental using ahome kit for wine making as we wantedto see what our grapes tasted like whenmade into wine. The whole process wasmessy but fun, and we had the booksopen in front of us while we were tread-ing the grapes and making the wine.”

The wines may become available forsale when more vines mature.


Monday Club WI news

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HATS’ NEXT show is The Wizard of Oz,a musical play rather than the normalpantomime, but full of the same com-edy, music and dance.

OVER 1,700 meals on wheels are served every month in Leicester-shire and now local people have the chance to come along to a tast-er session at Birstall library and find out why they are so popular.

centres.”“The service provides a wide choice of

tasty, good value, nutritious food everyday of the year and the delivery driversare unsung heroes, becoming caringfriends to each of our customers.”

Cooked sample meals will be availa-ble to try at Birstall library on ThursdayNovember 10 from 12-3pm.

For further details about Leicester-shire County Council’s community mealsservice please see:www.leics.gov.uk/community_meals orcall: I Care on 01509 415559/01858469902 or [email protected]

YOUTH SERVICE provision in the coun-ty has been cut by 50 per cent.

The County Council run service willnow focus on the most vulnerablegroups rather than providing a service toall young people.

Speaking at the Bradgate, Rothley,Mountsorrel and Birstall Area Forum,North Area Youth Officer Andy Hitchcockgave an update on the future of theservice.

The focus of activity will now be inpriority neighbourhoods, asylum seekers,disabled people and travellers.

Mountsorrel is a priority area andsome provision will continue from theSorrel Youth Café.

In Birstall the remaining service willbe delivered from Birstall Youth Centreat Longslade and amounts to:

• Senior Youth Club on Wednesdays• Special Needs Space Club on Mon-

day evenings• Teenage Parents group on Wednes-

day afternoons• Sexual Health provision four to five

times a week at lunchtimesServices at Woodhouse Eaves and

Rothley have been withdrawn.The County Council’s IMPACT team,

which is part of the Youth OffendingService, will continue

Wizardof Oz

Everyone knows the story because it’sbased closely on the 1939 MGM movie,starring Judy Garland.

So come and see the twister,Munchkinland, the Emerald City, theYellow Brick Road and enjoy a couple ofhours of fun filled entertainment.

Alternatively, you could come andjoin our happy band and be involved inthe production itself, either on stage orbehind the scenes. We are desperate formore male actors, but will welcomeanyone, male or female, with open arms.

Performances of The Wizard of Ozare at Highcliffe School, Greengate Lane,Birstall on Thursday, Friday & SaturdayNov 24, 25 & 26 at 7.15pm and a mati-nee performance on Sat Nov 26 at2.30pm. Doors are open 30 mins beforecurtain up.

Tickets are £6 (£5 concessions) andcan be obtained in advance by phoningthe box office on 2671181 or writing to14 Fielding Road, Birstall, Leicester orby email at [email protected]

From HATS

Leicestershire County Council hasorganised a drop-in session at the li-brary so that residents can find outabout the benefits of the service eitherfor themselves or their relatives and geta real taste of what is on offer. Around650 vulnerable and elderly people inLeicestershire receive meals at homethrough the Community Meals Service.Drivers also carry out wellbeing checksand extra tasks, like brining in the post,assisting with menu choices or making adrink.

Launched last autumn breakfast andtea-time treats are among improvementsbeing offered by the new-look service;enabling people to order breakfast(£1.75) and tea packs (£2.25), whichare delivered along with their hot mealeach day.

Recently, the service also began toprovide snacks such as cheese andcrackers and soup and a roll, for thosewho want to add an extra course or whofancy a light snack.

The County Council is also triallingdeliveries at different time so that peoplecan have hot evening meals or threedeliveries a day if they want.

The price of a main hot meal hasremained unchanged this year: £3.20.

Currently the most popular meal ishoney mustard chicken and mash withmixed vegetables. The most populardessert is lemon sponge and custard.

David Sprason, Leicestershire CountyCouncil’s Cabinet Member for Adults andCommunities, said: “The meals serviceplays a vital role in helping older peopleto live healthy, independent lives. Wewant everyone to know about the valua-ble, good quality, service we provide inLeicestershire – delivering meals topeople’s homes, luncheon clubs and day

INCIDENTS OF dog fouling werereduced by 47 per cent following ablitz on environmental crime.

Charnwood Borough Council con-ducted a trial in three hotspot areas:Derby Road playing fields, Loughbor-ough; Memorial Park, Sileby andSilverdale Park, Thurmaston betweenAugust and September.

Enforcement activity includedincreased surveillance, high profilepatrols and issuing fixed penaltynotices. Charnwood’s Don’t MuckAround campaign also targeted litterand fly tipping.

A total of 53 fixed penalty noticeswere issued.

The campaign also involved rais-ing awareness through a series ofpublic events.

A TALENTED swimmer from Mountsor-rel has received a grant from Charn-wood Borough Council.

Jack Melia (12) has been awarded a£250 ‘talent grant’. Jack, a City of Leices-ter swimmer, finished in the top 10 ofthe Midlands Championships, narrowlymissing out on qualifying for the nation-al championships.

“I was really pleased to be awardedthe money because I know how expen-sive swimming is as a sport” said Jack.

“The grant means a lot to me because itmeans I can keep up my training andget better. One day I hope to compete inthe Olympics.”

Cropston Cricket Club was awardedan £800 facilities grant for wicket cov-ers.

Councillor David Snartt, CharnwoodBorough Council’s Cabinet member forNeighbourhood Services, said: “We arethrilled to be able to award these typesof grants to not only help local clubs butto target talented individuals developtheir skills.

“One of this Council’s priorities is toimprove the health and wellbeing of ourresidents and that’s what these grantsare all about.”

To find out more about the grantsprogramme, contact Hayley Peel, SeniorSports Development Officer, on 01509634592 or [email protected]

Meals on wheels

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Youthservicecuts

Sportinggrantsawarded

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DE MONTFORTMEMORIALS

The Trustees of the Charity invite those under age 25 yearswho are attending or have attended the Richard HillSchool to apply for a Grant to assist with educationalactivities (including social and physical training) nototherwise provided by the Local Authority.

Richard Hill’s Church of England School Charity

Applications should be made to the Clerk, Mrs. Ann Stringer, [email protected] or tel. 0116 234 0625 before the end ofDecember for consideration during the month of January. Grants ranging from £100 to£1,000 will be awarded to applicants who meet the necessary criteria.

The next issue ofTHE ROTHLEY POST

will be published on Jan 9.The copy deadline is Dec 12.


said: “This latest image is the icing onthe cake for the Green Flag award.There’s no doubt that Watermead andthe surrounding area are ideal for otters,and the park justifies its status as awildlife haven and a quality recreationalasset.”

Riverside manager Adrian Lane add-ed: “The picture confirms the manage-ment of the riverside here is reapingrewards. The presence of otters indicat-ed that the water quality is good andthere are plenty of fish to eat.

“We believe the otters are active andhere to stay, so people may have achance of spotting one even during day-light hours.”Pic: an otter photographed beneath WatermeadWay

THE ROTHLEY POSTYOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Longslade College, Wanlip Lane,Birstall, Leicester LE4 4GHEditor: Mr Jerry Jackson

Editorial/Advertising (Tel & Fax)

0116 2674213Correspondence, news etc

can be handed in at:Rothley Library, Rothley Post Officeor to our office in the Youth Centre,

Longslade College, [email protected]

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THE ROTHLEY POST47 x 59mm £20 • 47 x 120mm £3698 x 59mm £36 • 98 x 120mm £60

CALL 2674213 for an advertising rate card,or view online at www.birstallpost.co.uk

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THURCASTON AND Cropston An-nual Garden, Craft and Produceshow was held at the MemorialHall, Thurcaston in September.Our pictures show just a selec-tion of the items on show.

Feast forthe eyes

AN OTTER has been photographed in WatermeadCountry Park.

Parks officers from Watermead Country Park South havecaptured an image of the creature which is elusive and rare inurban areas, thanks to a remote-controlled camera triggered byheat and motion. The sighting comes just days after the parkwas told it had retained its nationally-recognised Green Flagstatus. The otter was caught on camera as part of the otterproject which is being co-ordinated by Leicester City Council’sriverside team.

Leicester City Council senior parks officer, Barry Ingram,

ROTHLEY & Soar Valley Lions, LeicesterCharnwood Lions and Thurnby LionsClubs joined together for their annualfundraising event at Beedles Lake GolfCourse in East Goscote this September.

21 teams of four took part in the golfcompetition, and there were over 110attendees at the evening presentation din-ner. The event raised over £10,000through sponsorship, donations and anauction at the dinner, which will beshared between Rainbows and the Lions’Sight First Campaign.

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rothley post (91) november 2011

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