Rothley Post (98) Nov/Dec 2012

JAN/FEB 2013 No. 98www.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

CHRISTMAS CHEER warmed the crowds at Rothley’sChristmas lights switch on event.

Hundreds gathered to watch as AlanBirchenall, Olympian Lisa Dobriskey andMiss Leicester Lena Walker turned onthe lights on Cross Green.

Stalls, refreshments and fun fair ridesentertained on Woodgate where many

shops were open serving seasonal nib-bles.

The event was organised by AnnHarmer on behalf of Rothley ParishCouncil.

A DECISION by LeicesterCity’s Mayor on whether toproceed with plans for trav-ellers’ sites, including oneon Greengate Lane, is ex-pected on January 4.

Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby was expectedto announce a decision in October, aftera public consultation exercise in thesummer. Hundreds of residents attendedpublic meetings, an action group wasformed and a 3000 name petition wassubmitted to Leicester City Council, ob-jecting to the proposals.

Sir Peter Soulsby says recent discus-sions he has had with travellers’ repre-sentatives have caused him to thinkagain about the plans.

He has been reported as saying thattravellers have “argued for smaller sites,rather than large multi-family sites. Theysay smaller sites are easier to managefor both them and us. That is a verypowerful argument.”

He has suggested there is a need for:• virtually permanent camps, for trav-

ellers who do not move very much whoneed to be near schools, shops andservices

• transit sites for those who movethroughout the years

• peak transit sites which could offertemporary pitches, for a few weeks, thatdo not need to be near services

In December, Leicester City Council

Christmas lightsswitch on

Pic: (above) Hannah Jeffery& Becki Heather from Elan Hair& Beauty & (inset, right)Miss Leicester, Lena Walker

Travellersiteplans

Continued on page 2

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published a report containing officerrecommendations: that the GreengateLane site and the Red Hill way site aresuitable sites; that the Beaumont Waysite is unsuitable, that Hoods Close issuitable as a short stay transit site; anew site on Braunstone Lane East couldbe used as a short stay site in the sum-mer months.

TWO MEN who were chasedacross gardens by policeafter burgling a house inRothley have been jailed.

Lee Stuart White (30) and RobertTerence Wilkinson (30) admitted bur-glary in Kiln Garth, Rothley on July 24.

Police were alerted by a neighbourand arrived to find the two men in thegarden of the house. They fled acrossgardens and over fences and whencaught were carrying some items stolenfrom the house.

White, of Ingold Avenue, BeaumontLeys, was recalled to prison for breach-ing his licence and was jailed for threeyears.

Wilkinson, of Collet Road, BeaumontLeys, was given an eight month sentence,suspended for two years.

Leicester Crown Court was told thepair committed the crime to fund a drughabit.

THE SOAR Valley LeisureCentre in Mountsorrel hasopened following extensiverenovation.

The leisure centre now boasts a newfitness studio and health suite as well asa fully refurbished reception, pool view-ing area and refreshed gym and chang-ing facilities. Refurbishment began at thecentre, managed by Fusion Lifestyle inconjunction with Charnwood BoroughCouncil, in August. One addition is thenew health suite, which features a sauna,steam room, plunge shower and heatedrelaxation seating. A new class timetablewill also be introduced, alongside extra-capacity spin classes.

Fusion Lifestyle CEO, Pete Kay said ofthe opening: “We’re really excited toreveal the results of the redevelopmentwork at Soar Valley Leisure Centre to thepublic and hope they agree what a greattransformation it has been.”

Other facilities at Soar Valley LeisureCentre include a 25m swimming pool,outdoor floodlit Astroturf pitch, chil-dren’s crèche and a sports hall hostingbadminton, netball and basketball ses-sions.

Soar Valley Leisure Centre is run byFusion Lifestyle in partnership withCharnwood Borough Council, a regis-tered charity, and aims to provide sportand leisure facilities for all members ofthe community at accessible prices.Memberships for the Leisure Centre areon sale now, with great offers availableincluding two weeks free and no joiningfee for a limited period.

For more information on member-ship, opening times and facilities visitwww.charnwoodleisure.com

A FORMER landlord of the Roy-al Oak on Cross Green has beengiven a suspended jail sen-tence for theft.

David Edwards became landlord in April2012 but on May 16 his employers GT PubsLtd discovered he had gone missing, takingmoney and stock.

A gaming machine had been broken intoand £2,000 worth of newly delivered stockwas missing. The total lost by the businesswas £8,624.

Edwards was arrested on July 3 inTorquay for being drunk and police discov-ered he was wanted in connection with thepub theft.

Leicester Crown Court was told that Ed-wards (42) of St Marychurch Road, Torquayhad a drink problem that spiralled out ofcontrol.

Edwards admitted theft and was given aneight month jail sentence, suspended for 18months with supervision, and ordered tocomplete 180 hours of unpaid work. He wasalso ordered to pay £960 to GT Pubs Ltd atthe rate of £10 a week from his benefitmoney.

AN ELECTRICAL fault is be-lieved to have started a firein a Cropston cottage.

The cottage, on Station Road, is oneof ten run by the Hind Sisters Homesand was unoccupied.

Flames were spotted comingthrough the roof at 9.30pm onSaturday December 1. Firefightersattended the scene and the occupi-ers of a neighbouring property lefttheir home while the fire servicetackled the blaze.

Continued from page 1

Pic: The Greengate Lane site

Burglarscaught

Fireinroof

Centrerefreshed

Pub theft

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The city council has agreed the saleof a five-hectare site at Ashton Green tofood giant Samworth Brothers, a majorlocal employer. It’s also given the go-ahead for the construction of a newhighway access to open up the site.

Planning permission for the projectwas granted in October, and a start onsite was planned for early December2012. It’s anticipated that the new occu-piers will be applying for planning per-mission for a new production facility in2013, and could potentially be on sitefrom early 2014.

City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Thisis excellent news for the city. At a timeof severe economic downturn it’s re-

markable that we aremaking real progresswith a scheme thathas the potential toprovide the most sig-nificant and innovativehousing developmentin Leicester for morethan 30 years.

“Attracting businesses to bring newjobs and economic regeneration to thearea will be vital to its success. At a timewhen every job created really counts Iam delighted that we have now agreed adeal with an important local employerthat will really kick-start this process.”

20,000 new homes are needed in the

city over the next two decades. Those atAshton Green will include a range offamily houses including lower-cost af-fordable homes, new schools, communi-ty and health facilities, public transportimprovements, and shops. Around athird of the site will be improved aspublic open space.

The council is currently negotiating

with a number of major housing devel-opers with the aim of selecting a devel-opment partner in 2013.

The city council has secured cashfrom the government’s Growing Placesfund to design and build the new roadthat will open up the new site, and willeventually serve other development op-portunities nearby.

THE FIRST phase of a development set tobring 3000 homes, new jobs and economicgrowth to Beaumont Leys has moved a stepcloser.

Food companybuys site atAshton Green

A FULL meeting of RothleyParish Council was held onNovember 19.

PC Ed Stevenson reported that fromJanuary the organisation of neighbour-hood policing was changing and PCRichard Carruthers, currently at Birstall,would be Rothley’s new beat officer.

The Council agreed to object to Wil-liam Davis’ application for 250 dwellingsoff Mountsorrel Lane on the groundsthat it takes away the separation betweenRothley and Mountsorrel.

A full meeting of Rothley ParishCouncil was held on December 17.

PC Ed Stephenson reported Policeburglary patrols were continuing in thevillage.

County Councillor Peter Osborne saidthat following the Chancellor’s AutumnStatement, the County Council would beconsidering further cuts to its budget.Proposed reductions would be detailedon the County’s website and he urgedresidents to look at them and comment.

He said that a major priority of theCouncil is promoting measures to fostereconomic growth.

Cllr Osborne reported that the Roth-ley Royal British Legion’s Poppy appealhad raised £6300.

He said that the Brookfield Farmplanning application is likely to be de-termined in January, but that the WilliamDavis application would be in Februaryor March as it was incomplete.

A member of the public suggestedthat a public noticeboard be erected onthe Avalon estate.

Comment was made that the pro-posed development of 250 dwellings offMountsorrel Lane would worsen flood-ing in the area and that a balancingpond would not be effective.

The council agreed a precept for theyear 2013/14 of £92,000. The preceptfor 2012/13 was £95,000.

It was agreed to spend £650 on anautomated defibrillator, to be located inthe Rothley Centre.

A FULL meeting of Thurcaston & Crop-ston Parish Council was held on Octo-ber 18.

It was reported that all feedbackfrom residents about the proposed vehi-cle activated speed signs on StationRoad, Cropston had been positive.

PC Ed Stephenson reported that therehad been a significant reduction incrimes in the parish. He said there weretwo dedicated officers on patrol everyday. The new PCSO is Laura Grimbley6197.

Parish Council notes

Crime Report : Rothley Oct 1 – Nov30

Theft from motor vehicle 5, theft3, damage to motor vehicle 2, burgla-ry 1 (window smashed, alarm sound-ed, nothing taken), damage 1

Burglary dwellings are well downwhich is great news. Dedicated offic-ers are doing work daily aroundburglaries in order to reduce these.Alarms do work so I would recom-mend getting one fitted, along withexternal lights.

From January 8 the new Beaconofficer for the area will be

PC 2139 Richard CarruthersCrime Report : Thurcaston & Crop-ston Oct 11 – Nov 11

Burglary 3 (Anstey Lane, LatimerRd, Waterfield Rd), theft 3

From PC 2029 Ed Stephenson

Crimereport

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CHILDREN FROM a lo-cal playschool helpedplant an oak tree inCropston’s Jubileeplaying field.

Four trees have been plant-ed in the park by the ParishCouncil, to commemorate theQueen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Diane Wise, the Mayor ofCharnwood, planted the treeand children from the Thur-caston Early Learning Play-group, looked on as thetime capsule they had filledwith mementoes was buriedbeside it. “I hope the chil-dren will come back oftenas they grow up to look atthe trees” said Richard Younie, theChairman of Thurcaston & CropstonParish Council.

TreesplantedforJubilee

POLICE investigating a robbery at aMountsorrel petrol station have arrestedtwo men.

The robbery happened at about 3.50am on TuesdayNovember 20, when a member of staff at Budgens Garagein Granite Way was threatened by two men. They were bothwearing balaclavas and took alcohol, cigarettes and cashfrom the garage before leaving in a black Honda CRV anddriving off towards the A6. Two men, aged 24 and 28 yearsold, have been arrested in connection with the robbery andreleased on police bail pending further enquiries.

Detective Constable Dave Rock, the investigating officer,said: “Although we have two people arrested we are stillhoping to talk to witnesses and would urge anyone withinformation to come forward. At the time of the incidentthe victim waved to the driver of a white van that was pass-ing. We are appealing directly to that driver to come for-ward. If you drive a white van and normally take that routeto or from work then please think back. Were you in thearea that day? Did you see anything suspicious? If so, pleasecall police immediately.

“Although it was very early in the morning we are hope-ful that someone out there will be able to help us. Did yousee the incident? Did you see the car described in the area?Do you know who is responsible? If so, please get intouch.”

Anyone with any information about the incident is askedto contact DC 1718 Dave Rock 101, follow the instructionsto leave a message for a police officer and when promptedkey in the officer’s identification number 1718.

RESIDENTS ARE being asked to help extin-guish firebugs by reporting rubbish piles aspart of an innovative arson-busting scheme.

Charnwood Borough Council, its waste management partnerSerco and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service have joinedforces to tackle arson risks, such as piles of dumped waste.The partnership is part of the council’s award-winning Don’tMuck Around campaign which during November is targeting flytipping and raising awareness of Duty of Care offences. Whenan incident of illegally dumped waste is reported, the Councilwill make clearing it a priority.

Mick Grewcock, Charnwood District Manager for theLeicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: “This is a reallygreat initiative which will see rubbish removed quickly prevent-ing it from being set fire to. I would urge the community to bevigilant and report incidents of waste being dumped that couldbe a potential target for fire.”

If you are a resident email:[email protected] or call the contact centreon 01509 634564.

They will need to know the exact location and what therubbish consists of. The Council cannot deal with rubbish onprivate properties but they can use litter clearing notices inextreme cases.

Garage theft:men arrested

Reporting rubbish

Pic: (l-r) Mayor DianeWise, Richard Younie,Harold Wise & BillGreen with childrenfrom the ThurcastonEarly LearningPlaygroup,(bottom pic) thetime capsule


P/12/2579/2: 188A Mountsorrel Lane,Mountsorrel – erection of 1st floor exten-sion above attached garage and singlestorey extension to side of dwellingP/12/2523/2: 186 Mountsorrel Lane,Mountsorrel – replacement conservatoryto rear and canopy to rear and side ofdwellingP/12/2507/2: 5 Woodgate, Rothley – re-tention of 3 air conditioning units andburglar alarm to buildingP/12/2468/2: 48 Woodgate, Rothley –erection of single storey rear extension todwellingP/12/2456/2: Land off Mountsorrel Lane,Rothley – site for the creation of publicopen space including surface water bal-ancing ponds and green infrastructureP/12/2404/2: Rowena Nursery, Loughbor-ough Rd, Rothley – erection of single sto-rey extension to side of buildingP/12/2363/2: 17 Howe Lane, Rothley –retention of fence to front garden ofdwellingP/12/2330/2: 8 Linkfield Road, Rothley –erection of dormer extension to rear ofdwellingP/12/2245/2: 90 Town Green Street,Rothley – erection of a single storey ex-tension to outbuilding, 2 storey and sin-gle storey rear extensions to dwelling,following demolition of 2 storey exten-sionP/12/2219/2: 36 Woodfield Rd, Rothley –resurfacing of front driveway from gravelto tarmacP/12/2592/2: Thurcaston Memorial Hall,Anstey Lane, Thurcaston – access rampalterations and single storey extension toofficeP/12/2321/2: 50 Leicester Rd, Thurcaston– erection of extensions to side and rearof dwellingP/12/2324/2: 6 Station Rd, Cropston –erection of a detached garage with gym-nasium over to rear of dwellingP/12/2284/2: 32 Station Rd, Cropston –erection of a garden room to rear ofdwelling

Benjamin Hutchings (13) is a member

of the 1st Rothley Scout group. He waspresented with his award by the DistrictCommissioner Byron Chatburn at a cere-mony held in the Scout HQ in Blaby andattended by Scouts from all over thecounty.

Ben started as a Beaver Scout attaininghis Bronze award before going on toachieve his Silver with the Cubs.

After four years as a Scout he had to

achieve eight Challenge badges out of apossible nine. These ranged from camp-ing and hiking to learning new skills suchas sailing, canoeing, rock climbing, firelighting, camp cooking and map reading.

Scout Leader Ivan Hutchings said: “Iam very happy to see Ben presented withthis award as it took time and commit-ment – not all that start manage to fulfilall the requirements.”Pic: District Commissioner Byron Chatburnpresents Ben Hutchings with his Gold award.

A ROTHLEY Scout has received his Gold award.

THE NEW President of the Mothers’ Union in the LeicesterDiocese is Margaret Rouse of Rothley.

She was commissioned by BishopChristopher Boyle at Leicester Cathedral.

Margaret is a member of Rothleybranch of Mothers’ Union and for thepast three years has been Action & Out-reach Unit Co-ordinator. In this role shehas been involved with various Mothers’Union projects, including Chalet Holi-days, which provide holidays for disad-vantaged families in Leicestershire,producing a cook book for students atLeicester University, teddy bears forchildren visiting parents in prison andthose facing interviews via Social Servic-es, knitted shawls for stillborn babies,and knitted clothes and blankets for thePremature Baby Units in Leicester hospi-tals

Margaret wills serve as DiocesanPresident for the next three years.

MORE THAN 1,300 homesare set for a £5.76millioncash injection over thenext few months as partof accelerated plans toimprove council proper-ties.

Charnwood Borough Council’sCabinet has given the green light toupgrade kitchens, bathrooms, heating,electrics, roofs and doors at 1,305properties by March 2013 under theDecent Homes programme. The mon-ey is part of an £11million packagesecured by the Council in 2011 fromthe Homes and Communities Agency(HCA) and was meant to be spreadevenly over four years. The Councilsays that by March 93% of the Coun-cil’s 5,845 properties will meet theDecent Homes standard.

The Council will have £13millionto spend on improving homes in2013/14 and £10million in 2014/15.Charnwood Borough Council recentlytook over the management of its hous-ing stock from Charnwood Neighbour-hood Housing (CNH).

THIEVES STOLE a Canoncamera, a Sony laptopand cash when they bur-gled a house on Garland,Rothley.

The burglary happened sometimebetween 4.30pm on Saturday Decem-ber 1 and 6pm on Sunday December2. The burglars broke a window ofthe property.

Anyone with information aboutthis crime can contact PC 4679 Fe-licity James on 101.

New county president

Pic: Margaret Rouse with BishopChristopher Boyle

PlanningInvest inCouncilhomes

Burglary

The next issue ofTHE ROTHLEY POST

will be published on Mar 8.The copy deadline is Feb 22.

Dedicated scoutachieves gold


THE GREAT Central Railway has received a Nation-al Railway Heritage Award.

OUR NOVEMBER meeting began withthe AGM.

Our speaker for the evening was soci-ety member and archivist, Brenda Hoop-er, who thoroughly entertained us withher well-illustrated talk, entitled “LocalPeople in the News – Read all about it.”Brenda’s meticulous research coveredthe years from 1827 to around 1900 andher main source of information camefrom “The Leicester Chronicle” that waspublished during that period (later beingtaken over by the “Leicester Mercury”).It was of relevance to note that the villag-es of Thurcaston and Cropston had beenenclosed in 1778, with hedges installedto mark the field boundaries and grassverges to border the new roads. Theintroduction of labour saving agriculturalmachinery meant fewer workers were

required on the land and jobs were hardto find elsewhere. The laws of the 19thcentury would seem particularly harsh tous today and made life in rural areasespecially difficult. Punishments and fineswere meted out accordingly, with verylittle margin for leniency.

The types of offences or events thatmade newsworthy reading in the19thcentury give us a great overview oflife in the countryside at that time andincluded:

Straying animals – in June 1875, Wil-liam Reynolds, butcher of Thurcaston,was charged with allowing 6 beasts tostray. He admitted guilt and was fined18s, including costs, or 7 days imprison-ment.

Poaching – in May 1857, two menwere charged for fishing in the brook at

Presented by the head of theNational Trust, Simon Jenkins,the signalling award was present-ed to the GCR in recognition ofthe completion of the SwithlandSidings scheme, the culminationof a multi-million pound doubletrack project.

At Swithland loops and sidingshave been installed together witha restored signalbox and com-plex signalling. Trains can nowpass each other heading in oppo-site directions, and slower trainscan be put into loops to allowfaster services to ‘overtake’. Thewhole installation has been fin-ished to a high standard by therailways Signal and Telegraph

department, using hundreds ofthousands of volunteer man hours.

Managing Director of the GreatCentral Railway Bill Ford said: “Weare immensely proud to collectthis award. It is a tribute to ourteam who completed the project tosuch a high standard, the fundrais-ers who helped make it a realityand most of all tothe late DavidClarke, theman whoinspiredand pro-vided alarge amountof funding forthe project”

Cropston (much of the local land andproperties, plus fishing rights, wereowned by the Earl of Lanesborough ofSwithland Hall). The men were orderedto pay 8s, including a fine, or receive 10days hard labour.

Thefts and burglaries – in July 1860,Sarah Dexter, wife of James Dexter ofThurcaston, was charged with stealing3lbs of blackcurrants, value 1s, the prop-erty of Robert Palmer. The defendantpleaded guilty and was fined 15s includ-ing costs, or 7 days imprisonment.

Fire / Arson – in September 1839, areward of 100 guineas was offered todiscover the identity of the person whoset fire to a crop of standing wheat andsome wheat standing in shocks at Hol-gates, in Newtown Linford, which be-longed to Mr R. Burchnall of Cropston.For all major fires, the fire brigadewould have to be summoned fromLeicester and could take up to half anhour to arrive, so that often it was downto the efforts of local people whether afire could be controlled and propertysaved.

Family matters – in September 1851,Sarah Lovett (wife of John Lovett who hasdeserted her) and her 6 children weresworn to their settlement and orderswere granted for their removal fromBarrow-on-Soar to Thurcaston.

Medical matters – in October 1830this notice appeared: “Wanted immedi-ately, a true blue surgeon to attend uponthe poor of the parish of Cropston, theold one having been discharged for pro-fessing Liberal principles! Applications tobe made to the Overseers or their Mas-ters.”

Wakes and feast days – Cropston’sfeast day was held in August and Thur-caston’s in September. In August 1839,Thomas Clark and John Atkins of Thur-caston were charged with assaultingWilliam Noble and John Edwin at Crop-ston feast. The parties got drunk and, ina short time, the complainants had greatneed of sticking plaster and leeches,which, from the quantity used on theoccasion, must have created a scarcity inthe market! The defendants were idlelads and so were fined 10s each andcosts, or 2 months imprisonment.

Sport and entertainment – In Novem-ber 1855, a game of cricket betweenAnstey and Thurcaston caused considera-ble excitement among the players as itwas for a leg of mutton supper. Thegame was abandoned due to nightfall,

after one innings each side, with the finalscore of Thurcaston 14 runs and Anstey3 runs! In April 1875 there was a musi-cal entertainment provided by Thurcastonand Cropston villagers to raise money forthe Leicester Royal Infirmary – every itemreceived an encore!

Outings to the parish – this parishwas a popular destination for city / towndwellers to enjoy the countryside. In July1883, the Abbeygate Mission Hall BibleClass had an excursion to Thurcastonand partook of tea in the far-famed “Lat-imer’s House”, followed by cricket andother games for all to enjoy in the fineweather.

Local hostelries – in May 1862, Wil-liam Dexter of Thurcaston, beerhouse-keeper, was charged with unlawfullykeeping his house (which today is knownas the Wheatsheaf Inn) open for the saleof beer at 11.30pm on the 16th inst.Nine persons were in the house and alewas upon the table. He pleaded guilty.

Effects of construction of CropstonReservoir (Bradgate Reservoir, as it wasoriginally named) on the parish – at anyone time 500 to 600 men were employedand needed accommodation in the vicini-ty. In July 1870, a Rothley labourer wascharged with stealing a piece of rope, 3pieces of wood and a piece of putty,value 1s, the property of Leicester Water-works Company. The prosecution wasnot instituted with a view of inflictingheavy punishment, but to put a stop topilfering of a similar kind which was rifeat the time. The man was sentenced to10 days hard labour.

Largesse of local landowners – inJanuary 1883, the Earl of Lanesborough,with his usual liberality, gave to each ofhis cottage tenantry at Swithland andThurcaston, 10cwt of coal and a piece ofbeef, for which they were thankful! Thiswas an annual occurrence.

Our meeting concluded with festiverefreshments including mulled wine.

Our first meeting of 2013 will be onTuesday January 22 (please note, it is thefourth Tuesday of the month, not ourusual third). Time: 7.30pm. Venue: Har-rison Room, All Saints’ Church. We shallenjoy a return visit from Professor Mari-lyn Palmer who will talk on “Technologyin the Country House”. Annual subscrip-tions (£12) will be due. All welcome.

From Thurcaston and Cropston Local His-tory Society

History society news

Award marks completion of double track

Continued on page 7

Pic: the Swithland sidings and signal box


HUNDREDS OF people gath-ered at Rothley’s War Me-morial on Cross Green onRemembrance Sunday.

The service was arranged and con-ducted by Churches Together in Rothleywith the Rothley & District British Legionand the Legion members, Scouts, Cubs,Guides and Boys Brigade were all onparade in good numbers.

There were representatives in thelarge crowd from all the local villages

and theservice andtwo minutessilence werea testimonyto the con-tinued sup-port andapprecia-tion of thesacrificesand dedi-cation ofour fight-ing menand wom-en.

AT THE AGM in November, the commit-tee was voted in unanimously.

The re-elections were: Chairman, SueJoyce; Vice-chairman, Frank Luce; Secre-tary, Ursula Greaves; Treasurer, AlbertGreaves; Programme Secretary, LindaPoole; and Refreshment Co-ordinator,Valerie Wadge.

The Chairman thanked all membersfor their continuous support, and thecommittee for all their work behind thescenes. Special thanks were given toTerry Sheppard, John Brooks, Kate Cro-den and Ursula Greaves for organising theexhibition in October. The meeting wasfollowed by a “fun quiz” of pictures ofRothley organised by Charles Poole. Thewinners were Kate Croden and TerrySheppard.

At the next meeting on WednesdayJanuary 16, Terry Sheppard will be givinga “double edged” talk – the first will be“Chapels in Rothley – The Untold Story”,followed by “The War Agricultural Com-mittee” and the effect it had on Rothley.

On Wednesday February 20 the speak-er will be Bon Gregory and his subject is“Buildings in Leicestershire and TheirPeople”.

Meetings are held at The Rothley Cen-tre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley at 7.30pm.Admission is £3 for visitors and £2 formembers. Visitors are always welcome.

From Rothley History Society

Pics: (right) British LegionMembers – Standard BearerJohn Leake, Orator Alex Alex-ander and Rothley & DistrictBranch Chairman Meg Hendre;part of the large crowd withthe Rothley scouts on parade;the Rothley War Memorialbathed in the morning sunwith wreaths

Continued from page 6

RESIDENTS CAN earn rewards as theyexercise as part of a loyalty cardscheme offered at three Charnwoodleisure centres, including the SoarValley Leisure Centre at Mountsorrel.

The Rewards Card scheme, devisedby sport and leisure management Chari-ty Fusion Lifestyle which runs the lei-sure centres in partnership withCharnwood Borough Council, aims toencourage customers to exercise regu-larly. It is designed to motivate peopleto attend the gym by offering financialincentives alongside the obvious healthbenefits of a more active lifestyle. Cus-tomers can earn 10 points for every £1spent which can then be redeemedagainst a range of products includingall key activities at Loughborough, SoarValley and South Charnwood leisurecentres.

All reward card users are given 200points free to welcome them to thescheme, and should be able to claimapproximately every tenth visit free,depending on the item redeemed.

As well as saving money on activitiesincluding swimming sessions and exer-cise classes, card holders will also besent regular unique promotions to beredeemed at their local centres, andwill receive early news such as thelatest group exercise timetables.

Fusion Lifestyle Group CustomerRelationship manager, Peter King, saidof the scheme: “At Fusion we’re alwayslooking for new ways to offer our visi-tors added value and to reward custom-er loyalty. The rewards card schemehas proved to be very popular so far atour Charnwood centres, and the in-sights we’ve gained about how mem-bers use their points has allowed us toadapt and refine the offering to make itas attractive as possible.”

For more information on the bene-fits of a Rewards card, or how to applyfor yours, visitwww.charnwoodleisure.com/rewards

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AwardwinningfirmBIRSTALL Double glazingcontractors, Conservatory &Window Concepts Ltd, hasbeen handed a prestigiousaward for the sustainedquality of its customerservice by leading consumerinterest organisation, theConsumer ProtectionAssociation.

The CPA, which helps thepublic to identify safe reliablecontractors to carry outhome improvements, award-ed its 5 year Membership

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Membershipof the CPA meansthat customershave their de-posits and guar-antee

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For the past three years I have beensending parcels to our troops in Afghan-istan and to date have sent over 2,000boxes, last year being the best (overl,000). I wouldn’t have been able to doany of this without the generosity of thegeneral public.

Local shops have given so much, thelist is endless.

Budgens (Mountsorrel) have for thepast three Christmases run an appealwhereby the public can purchase a‘tuck’ box for either £5 or £10. I havetoday received an email to say donationsso far are 17 x £10 & 33 x £5 tuckboxes, total value £335 with still twoweeks to go.

Rothley fish & chip shop donatesevery week and Corts (Rothley hardwareshop) donate each year hot water bottlesto send out. These are gratefully re-ceived as those out at Check Points and

F.O.B’s (forward observation bases)mostly live under canvas and as youknow the winter months in Afghanistanare very very cold.

The Rothley WEA and the SewingGroup regularly donate also.

My mum and I ran a tombola stall onthe night of the lights being switched on

and raised £187, that amount hascontinued to rise and is now over £200as people continue to donate.

Thank you all.Diane Allen

centre of the village on the Mondaynight. The cubs went around the Lough-borough Rd on Tues night and theScouts went out on the Weds night upMountsorrel Lane and the Kiln Garthestate. All groups went out with theSanta Sleigh which is an annual eventand the funds raised this year will go totowards either refurbishing or rebuildingthe scout headquarters.

A huge thank you to all the villagerswho supported us.

Alison Hercock

1st Rothley Scouts

not “Fast Food”. The reception is alwaysfull of Italian enthusiasm, the SpecialsMenu is explained and recited with gus-to and the food excellent. They arealways eager to please and if, on a par-ticular dish, you would prefer an alter-native sauce or embellishment then theyare always eager and willing to oblige.

The second restaurant that we havefound exceptional is the “Syston Spice”restaurant in Syston. A Bangladeshi Res-taurant, the reception is polite beyondbelief, the menu extensive but efficientlyexplained, and the ambience quiet andcomfortable. For those who enjoy “Indi-an” food but are a little nervous of whatto choose, then here is an opportunity totry it out. You will not be disappointed.

It is not always a restaurant meal thatis required and there are many timeswhen just to be able to get out of thehouse and have somewhere to go andmeet fiends is important. Here we havefound a little Gold Mine. “Templars”café in Rothley has always been a quietrendezvous location to visit and have asnack or beverage but now it is evenbetter. It has been delightfully extendedwith comfortable chairs or sofas whereyou can relax and chat with the manyvisitors who regularly attend. The attrac-tive young waitresses are all well trained,polite and efficient and overall the ambi-ence could not be better. Regular visitsby Maurice, the boss, who walks aroundand enters into amusing and relaxingconversation with the guests gives youconfidence and a feeling of belonging.

The Rover

The Rothley Post welcomes yourviews and opinions on any subject. Let-ters, which must include your name andaddress, (though not necessarily forpublication) can be posted to: The Bir-stall Post, Longslade College, WanlipLane, Birstall, Leicester LE4 4GH, orhanded in at Rothley library, RothleyPost Office, Woodgate or email:[email protected]

YOUR SAY...

I read with some surprise your arti-cle in the November edition concerningproposals for 2,000 new homes betweenBirstall and Rothley. Charnwood Bor-ough Council recently commissioned anexpert consultancy company to reviewand re-appraise the councils 2008 cho-sen locations for such a development.The consultant’s report (which can befound on Charnwood BC web site) ad-vised the Council that the preferredoptions made in 2008 were still valid,i.e. land east of Thurmaston / north ofHamilton and land west of Loughbor-ough / north of Garendon. The landbetween Birstall and Rothley was reject-ed by the consultants because of massivetransport infrastructure costs, damagingconservation issues and full schools. Itherefore fail to see why the CouncilsCabinet Committee is still consideringthe Wanlip site. I do hope they are notbeing seduced by superficial section 106agreements, and taking their eye off ofthe real issue here – affordable socialhousing in a failing economy. Why elsewould they pay for yet choose to ignoreexpensive expert advice?

Mr A.Court

The Santa Sleigh raised a fantastic£547.86 from the 3 nights it went outlast week which is a great achievement.

The Rothley Beavers went around the

Each year we, The Rothley RoyalBritish Legion, attend the memorial toour First and Second World War deadand read out their names during our

service at the eleventh hour, on the 11th

day of the 11th month. However, we areacutely aware that some of our youngveterans may have lost their lives inconflicts since that time and are notrecognised on our memorial or in ourservice. Unfortunately, we are not privyto personal and classified information asto their names and when they werekilled.

We have been approached by oneparent who lost a son in the Middle Eastbut before we investigate the possibilityof including his name either on thememorial or during the service wewould like to know how many othersthere might be. I should point out thatthis relates to Rothley and there areother memorials around the area whichwould need a separate inquiry.

Please contact me at 17 WindmillEnd, Rothley, Leics LE7 7RP or by tele-phone 0116 2237 5254 or email:[email protected].

Norman Pratt

It’s the New Year, you have madeyour resolutions and have decided thatyou want to try something different buthave no idea what that something is?

If that’s the case, then Rotaract is foryou! Rotaract is the social club with aconscience, aiming to have fun whilstraising money for charity and aiding thelocal community. A couple of thingswe’ve done together for example is takepart in a charity walk in the Peak Dis-trict and at Christmas we had our ownSanta Sleigh going around the streetscollecting money for charity.

We also meet up for socials rangingfrom laser quest and ten-pin bowling tothe local pub quiz or joint other rotaractclubs for the annual charity ball.

We are always recruiting people aged18-30 so if you would like to get in-volved, meet like-minded people andhelp out in the local community thencontact us [email protected] or search‘Leicester Rotaract’ on Facebook.

We look forward to hearing fromyou!

From Leicester Rotaract

For the older and possibly morediscerning generations finding places tovisit on a regular basis where serviceand conviviality are the norm is not easy.

Our favourite restaurant is FerrariesItalian restaurant in Quorn. Despite thefamous name the offerings are certainly

2012 has been a truly memorableyear.

In May, when I accepted the office ofMayor of Charnwood I said that everyyear was a ‘special’ year, but this yearwould be an extra special year becauseof the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and theOlympic and Paralympic Games.

My Consort and I have been privi-leged to visit numerous events through-out Charnwood celebrating the Jubileeand Games in addition to the usual pres-entations, exhibitions and entertain-ments. There has been a real sense ofcommunity at these events. I would liketo thank everyone who has been in-volved in making special efforts to makeour residents, young, old, able bodiedor less-able feel included.

At this special season I would askyou to remember those in the publicand private services who will be workingthroughout the Christmas and New Yearperiod – the Armed Forces, Police, Fire,Ambulance and other Health Services –the list is endless.

My sincere thanks go to them all fortheir contribution to the well being ofour nation.

My wish for 2013 is that our commu-nities continue to work together for thecommon good. A fitting legacy of thisextraordinary year would be to build onthe experiences of 2012.

I wish you all a healthy and peacefulNew Year.

Councillor Diane WiseMayor of Charnwood

Parcels

Surprised

SantaRotaract

War Memorial

Top nosh

Mayor’s year

The next issue ofTHE ROTHLEY POST

will be published on Mar 8.The copy deadline is Feb 22.

I. Wardle Maintenance Services (Birstall DIY)Do you need any of the following workcarrying out? If so, please phone or email me.FENCING: Erection & RepairsGARDEN MAINTENANCE: Turf Laid, Mowed & Hedges Cut etcBUILDING REPAIRS/WORK: New Guttering & RepairsINTERIOR WORK: Curtain Rails Fitted, Mirrors Hung & PaintingLANDSCAPING: Gravel Drives & Paths LaidFLOORS: Concrete & Laminate Laid

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Film PresentationsFrom Thurcaston & Cropston Par-ish Council

‘Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’Friday January 11 (107 mins)In our first British romantic come-dy of the new year, Ewan McGre-gor stars as a British civil servantwho is unwilling coerced into anincredible scheme to introducesalmon to the Yemen desert. Har-riet, played by Emily Blunt, alsohopes to encourage better Angle-Arab relations by realising theimpossible dream of the Sheikh.

‘Anna Karenina’ Friday February 8(130 mins)In 19th century Russia, leavingone’s husband was morally repre-hensible. The aristocrat, AnnaKarenina, played by Kiera Knight-ley, embarked on an illicit loveaffair with Count Vronsky andfound herself trapped by the con-ventions of her high society, Thisis Leo Tolstoy’s take of love andbetrayal.‘Hope Springs’ will be shown onFriday March 8.Thurcaston & Cropston ParishCouncil will be showing thesefilms at Thurcaston Memorial Hall.Starting at 7.30pm, tickets cost£4.50 and concessions are £4.The price includes refreshmentsand a lucky prize draw.Advance tickets can be purchasedvia the parish office, 01162367626 or at the door

Charnwood Orchestra

Annual StraussconcertJanuary 19 at Humphrey PerkinsSchool, Barrow-upon-Soar, Leicsat 7pmThe programme will consist of allthe popular music by the Straussfamily and othersTickets £10 (£8 concessions), £3for accompanied children under 16Available from 07718 153117 orby [email protected] andfrom members of the orchestraThere will be an interval bar sell-ing wine, Castle Rock Real Ale andfruit juiceBook your tickets early as this is avery popular event!

Coffee ShopRothley Methodist, Howe LaneEvery Tuesday morning, 10-11.30amCome rain or shineNow open : Book exchangeEveryone welcomeTea, coffee, biscuits, toasted teacakeProceeds for the Methodist Church

BirstallBirdwatchingClubpresentsPriory Waterby Steve HoughtonSteve is a popular speaker at ourmeetings and this evening he willtell us about the development andwildlife of Priory Water, just offthe Melton Road near AsfordbyTuesday January 8alsoLife on the Edgeby Michael WebsterMichael enjoys trying out his newtalks at our club and tonight hewill uncover the magnificence ofthe UK’s marine environment andthe dilemmas for conservationTuesday February 12Both evenings at 7.30pm at TheRothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane,RothleyVisitors welcome £2Contact Ken Goodrich 01162674813

The next in the series of

Charity WhistDrivesorganised by Derek Farrwill be held on Thursdays January3, February 7 and March 7 at7.30pm in the Rothley Centre,Mountsorrel Lane, RothleyAdmission £2All players welcome

LeicesterSymphonyOrchestraNorthern LightsSaturday February 97.30pm at the De Montfort HallSibelius: Karelia SuiteGrieg: Piano OrchestraSibelius: Symphony 2Conductor John Andrews, PianoCharles OwenFull price £11/£14/£17 Childrenage 17 & under £3Concessions availableTickets available from De MontfortHall Box Office 0116 233 3111Leicester Symphony OrchestraTicket SecretaryNigel Moore 07971 991662E:[email protected]

Coffee MorningMethodist Church, Howe Lane,RothleyMarch 910 to 11.30amProceeds in aid of Menphys andMethodist Church FundsStalls: raffle, tombola, cakes,white elephantEntrance fee £1Including tea & coffee, biscuits

Ladies CircleJanuary 8: Historic Castle Park,speaker Marion VincentJanuary 22: Aloe Vera Plant,speaker Natalie & MahidaFebruary 5: Bread & Breakfast atFictitious Hotel, speaker GrahamForteyFebruary 19: Alpacas, speakerSandra PearceMethodist Hall, Howe Lane, Roth-ley at 2.30pmNew members welcomeFor info on Ladies Circle contactMrs Joan Lovett 0116 2374868or Mrs Carole Jordan0116 2375069

Leicester SketchClubCall for ArtistsMeets first Wednesday of themonthAll artistic media embracedNew members welcomeMembership Secretary:Bob Morley0116 2704649www.leicstersketchclub.co.uk

Noticeboardall details printed free

Mayor of CharnwoodCharity Appeal Concert

Supporting the Ourspace Appeal (LRI)& The Baldwin Trust

at The Rothley Centre,Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley

Friday 25th January 2013 at 7.30pmPerformances by

Loughborough Endowed SchoolsSymphonic Band

Big BandChesterton Cantamus Choir

Tickets £10 includes light refreshmentsAvailable by telephone (0116) 2301417

or from Rothley Parish Council Office12 Mountsorrel Lane

also from the charity contacts

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A NEW bridge over the RiverWreake was lifted into placein December, completingthe five year SustransConnect2 project that linksLeicester to Cossington viaBirstall.

The new bridge weighs over 12tonnes, is 18 metres long and cost£174,000. It has easy access ramps anda wide deck allowing access for wheel-chairs. The old bridge was narrow andhad steps at one end.

The bridge is due to open to thepublic in January.

A SERIES of popular talks at the RothleyCentre continues this month with a talk onJapan.

On Tuesday January 22, Professor Len Cantor of Loughborough

University will give a talk on ‘Living andWorking in Japan’. Following Japan’s his-tory of self-imposed isolation, the civil warinvolving the Samurais, and their gradualre-emergence into the modern state thatthey have become, the effect on the popu-lation, and their interaction with Western-ers is an interesting topic. ProfessorCantor lived there himself for some yearsand has some interesting experiences torelate.

On Tuesday February 26 ProfessorDavid Gabe takes the stage. David is aProfessor of Materials Engineering atLoughborough University and his talk isentitled ‘The Hallmarking of Silver’ andcovers the interesting history of hallmark-ing throughout Europe. He also explainssome of the metallurgical intereactionsthat occur between wearers of jewelleryand the skin.

Both talks will commence at 7.30pmbut the audience is asked to arrive wellbefore that so that all can be seated andthe talk commence on time. The talk withprojected slides will take approximatelyone hour, followed by a tea/coffee interval,and then a ‘Questions and Answer’ ses-sion. The evening should wind up at about9.30pm. Tickets at £5 each may bebooked by calling Norman Pratt on 01162375254 and may be collected at 17Windmill End, Rothley LE7 7RP by ap-pointment, or by post, sending a pre-stamped addressed envelope with chequeto the same address. Cheques made paya-ble to C.C.A.

New easy access bridge completes cycle path

Popular talksat Centre

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A CONJUROR entertained visitors to Rothley’s Rowena gar-den centre when it hosted a Christmas Fayre weekend.

Magician Matthew Garrett holds the highest award from the Magic Circle for hisclose-up magic and he dazzled shoppers with his skills.Pic: (l-r) Heidi Shaw, aged seven from Syston, modelling her balloon hat with magicianMatthew Garrett and Assistant Manager at Leicester Rowena Garden Centre, JonathanMower as part of the garden centre’s Christmas Fayre Weekend

ORGANISERS OF a charityboxing show in March arehoping to raise £2000.

The event, at Birstall Social Club onSunday March 10, will feature sparringdemonstrations, exhibition fights in a fullsized boxing ring, skipping routines anda boxing pads exhibition.

An auction of sporting memorabiliawill include a pair of Lennox Lewis andMike Tyson signed and framed boxinggloves.

The idea for the event came aboutwhen Paige Bradshaw, one of the youngvolunteers who helps out at Gunns’ gymsaw an article in the Leicester Mercurypromoting Alex’s Wish charity. She feltstrongly that she wanted to do somethingto help Alex and the thousands of otherchildren in the UK who suffer from arare genetic muscle-wasting diseasecalled Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

At present there are no cures oreffective treatments for Duchenne. Alexis 6 years old and was diagnosed withthis condition in 2006. In August of thisyear Alex’s parents Emma and AndyHallam set up the Alex’s Wish charity toraise vital funds to help eradicate thisdisease. It’s a life limiting condition andover time the muscles become graduallyweaker leading to the sufferer beingunable to do the simplest of tasks. Itleads to heart and respiratory failureusually in the 20s. For more informationplease visit www.alexswish.co.uk.

Carl Gunns said: “I feel stronglyabout this cause as those suffering withthis condition are not able to participatein sports like boxing due to muscleweakness. As my charity helps children Ifelt there was a strong connection andwanted to help out in any way we can.It’s also good for us as we will raisevital funds for our charity too whilsthelping others in the local community. Ibelieve this will be an excellent funevent for all to enjoy.”

Emma Hallam from Alex’s Wish said:“We are thrilled that a local charity likeGunns Gym want to get right behind ourcause and we would like to thanks Paigefor introducing us and to Carl for agree-ing to put on this fantastic event to helpus raise vital funds for research. I’d liketo thank everyone involved.”

Raffle tickets will be on sale through-out the event and prizes will be present-ed at the end of the day. People are ableto come and go as they please through-out the day. Doors will be open from11am to 6pm. The event will be held atBirstall Social Club.

Tickets are priced at £3.50 each andcan be purchased by going along toGunns Gym, 275 Birstall Road, Birstall,Leicester LE4 3AL or Birstall Social Clubor by calling Carl on 2671494.

VILLAGE SHOPS and PostOffices in rural areas arebeing offered grants of upto £3000 to help them sur-vive the recession.

The Village Shop Support Scheme hasbeen set up by Leicestershire CountyCouncil. It also offers free advice.

One venue that has benefited isWoodhouse Eaves Post Office which hasdeveloped a thriving art gallery.

Jennifer Cox, who runs the Gallery atthe Post Office, said: “I’d encourageother traders to get support from thisscheme – the council has been veryhelpful.

“We got a grant to convert a spareroom into a gallery, where we displayphotos, paintings, prints, sculptures andscarves from 40 different artists, mainlyfrom the local area. over the last threemonths our takings have trebled.”

Lesley Pendleton, Cabinet member forrural affairs, said: “Our village shopsand Post Offices are the lifeblood of ourlocal economies and we’ve launched thisscheme to help them survive and thrive.

The scheme is prioritised for shopsselling fresh food in communities with apopulation of less than 7000.

For more details go towww.oakleaves.org.uk

Charityboxingevent inMarch

Fayre is magical

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LAS VEGAS arrived in Rothley when two local musiciansperformed a selection of well known rat pack songs at theRothley Centre.

Birstall And Rothley Branch WEA Spring2013Echoes Of The Real

Explore the fascinating interplay betweenelements of the real world and the powerof the imagination in the work of a range ofartists including Edward Hopper, SalvadorDali, Leon Golub and the portraitist AliceNeel. No experience necessary - just a live-ly, open-minded interest in art!

Tutor Janis Baker Fee £56, discounted:£50.40 (not available to the retired) orFree

Venue: The Rothley Centre, 12 Mount-sorrel Lane, Rothley LE7 7PR

Date: Wednesday 7.15–9.15pm, 8 meet-ings from January 16, 2013Experimental Painting And DrawingTechniques

An opportunity to explore numerouscreative techniques and mixed-media effectsusing a variety of drawing and paintingmediums. The course will be excellent forreturning learners wishing to experimentbut will also be accessible to beginnerslooking to be inspired. There will be a £5course fee to cover materials, payable tothe tutor during the first session.

Tutor: Jo Sheppard. Fee £70, discount-ed: £63 (not available to the retired) orFree


Date: Monday 1–3pm, 10 meetings fromJanuary 7, 2013Afternoon Tai Chi

With daily practice, the soft flowingmovements of Tai Chi strengthen the body,promoting stress reduction and well-being.One posture of the 24 sequential move-ments of the form is taught each week.Please wear loose clothing and flat-soledshoes.

Tutor Laraine Tucker Fee £77, discount-ed: £69.30 (not available to the retired) orFree

Venue: Birstall Methodist Church Rooms,40 Wanlip Lane, Birstall LE4 4JS

Date: Tuesday 1.30–3.30pm, 11 meet-ings from January 8, 2013What The Edwardians Did For Leicester

This brief but important chapter sawunemployed footwear workers marching toLondon, ‘Landgrabbers’ occupying WalnutStreet, and local campaigns for votes forwomen. Ramsay MacDonald became MP forLeicester, electric trams brought an end tothe fair in Humberstone Gate, and a ‘gardencity’ was planned at Humberstone itself. Wewill explore the significance of these andother aspects of Edwardian Leicester andconsider the wider social history of Britain.

Tutor: Cynthia Brown Fee £47.25, dis-counted: £42.55 (not available to the re-tired) or Free


Date: Tuesday 10–11.30am, 9 meetingsfrom January 8, 2013

Further information from Marion Vincent

The Christmas Cracker event wasorganised by the Charnwood Branch ofCancer Research. “Despite the coldweather outside, and no doubt helped bya welcoming glass of mulled wine, theevening proved to be both warm andwelcoming inside” said Chair JanGaskell.

“Jonathan Gaskell and Phil Harris ledus through a sing-a-long of all timefestive hits and our thanks go to Jonath-an who although he was battling with acold was determined to give us anevening to remember” said Jan.

“While we were all scoffing mulledwine and mince pies, he was drinkingLemsip and eating cough lozenges, buthis performance, despite this, was bril-liant.”

Jonathan is a former pupil of High-cliffe Primary School, Stonehill High

School and Longslade Community Col-lege and is now a teacher at a school inRugby.

Jan added: “Our thanks go also toour many supporters who joined us atthe Rothley Centre. Your outstandingsupport has helped us raise over £6,000during the past year. We hope you willcontinue to support us in our work forCancer Research which we believe is thekey to finding more ways of saving lives.

“Finally we have run this Christmasevent for 12 years using music in all itsforms as the main attraction. Next yearwe intend to have a different format, sowatch this space. We hope that it will besomething else for you to eagerly awaitnext Christmas, but before that, watchout for our many other events throughthe year.”

SEVERN TRENT Water says its water resources are in “agood position” with reservoirs at an average of 94% full.

David Essex, water strategy managerfor Severn Trent said: “While our sand-stone groundwater supplies are belownormal for this time of year, this is to beexpected following the prolonged dryperiod we saw during 2011/12. Ground-water levels have been recovering sincesummer 2012 and we expect that tocontinue over the winter. We do notanticipate any of our groundwater sourc-es being at risk next year.”

Even though the summer and autumnhave been unusually wet, this time lastyear much of England was in sight of asevere drought. Seven water companiesin the south east had to announce hose-pipe bans and water restrictions. In theSevern Trent region there were no water

restrictions and the company managedits way through the driest 18 monthperiod for 100 years, with a combina-tion of innovative engineering solutionsas well as working closely with its cus-tomers.Mr Essex added: “The autumn and win-ter period when our sources wouldnormally recharge has been very wet,which has helped to bring our watersources into a good position. Ourgroundwater sources are rechargingnicely, our plans are in place and weare confident that we are in a goodposition to provide our customers with acontinuous supply of water throughoutthe coming year.”

0116 2375156 [email protected]

Enrolments to John Laurance 33 Lough-borough Road, Hoton, Loughborough,Leicester LE12 5SF 01509 889757

The Workers’ Educational Association(WEA) is a charity registered in Englandand Wales (number 1112775) and in Scot-land (number SC039239) and a companylimited by guarantee registered in Englandand Wales (number 2806910). The regis-tered address is 3rd Floor, 70 Clifton Street,London EC2A 4HB

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Track reachesMountsorrel andnew path created

“Project volunteers have been busyover the last few weeks and track layingnow stretches allthe way toNunckley Hill”said projectleader SteveCramp.

“If you lookover the graniterailway bridge atthe top of Hal-stead Road youcan now see therailway. By earlyDecember trackshould passthrough the bridgeand back intoMountsorrel Par-ish.”

A four minute long video of a ridealong the restored Mountsorrel Railwayis now available on Youtube at the fol-lowing link www.tinyurl.com/clto9ak

Track laying will continue early in theNew Year with the intention of reachingthe end of the line at Bond Lane duringFebruary.

Steve said: “New volunteers are stillneeded to help with track laying as theprocess requires at least 20 able bodiedpeople at anyone time. If you think youwould like to help on an occasionalSaturday please get in touch. With the

railway soon to be completed you'll beable to look back in years

to come andsay "I helpedto do that!”

A bigthanks goesto Mountsor-rel quarrywho havedonated afurther 500tonnes ofballast andthanks to

help from the GreatCentral Railway,most of the laidtrack is now topballasted and al-most ready fortrains to run.”

The Mountsorrel Railway EcologyGroup have also been hard at workcreating a new foot path called theNunckley Trail.

“This will be a half mile long circularnature/history trail through the wood-land south of the Mountsorrel Railway atNunckley Hill. The path will start and

end close to the HalsteadRoad/Swithland Lane road junction. Theroute of the path has been carefullyplanned to take in points of ecologicaland historical interest. The Dob Hallruins are in this area and the trail pass-es through them.

“The path will be edged with logs sowill be suitable for the visually impaired.We are also trying to keep the route

wheel chair friendlyor at least mobilityscooter friendly.

“They'll be a pic-nic and viewing areaover looking he rail-

way and the hope is to have the trailopen to the public free of charge on the

days that the railway is operating.“All this is being constructed at zero

cost thanks to the hard work or ourvolunteer team although we are hopingto attract a small grant to fund the crea-tion of information boards along thepath to highlight areas of interest.

“More than half of the path has al-ready been completed but the groupneeds additional volunteers to help fin-ish the route. The team primarily con-sists of children of all ages and theirparents, if you would like to get involvedwith the Mountsorrel Railway Project buttrack laying isn't your thing, then volun-teering your time to help create theNunckley Trail could be an ideal way ofgetting involved.”

Children were recently involved in aWildlife Warrior event, building hedge-hog hibernation houses and makingtheir own teasel hedgehogs to takehome.

If you would like to help the Mount-sorrel Railway please get in touch withthe project leader Steve Cramp by [email protected]

THE AWARD winning Mountsorrel Railway Project continuesto lay track in its efforts to restore a section of disusedrailway that links Mountsorrel to the GCR near to Swithlandreservoir.

Pics:(top) track laying and (inset) children at a Wildlife Warrior event

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UP TO £1250 towards re-newable energy technologysuch as air source heatpumps and solar panels isbeing offered to homeown-ers through a governmentscheme.

Anyone struggling to afford the initialinstallation costs of a renewable heatingsystem can apply for vouchers as part ofthe Renewable Heat Premium Payment(RHPP) scheme.

The value of the vouchers providedby the scheme will vary based on whichtechnology homeowners are applyingfor. For a solar thermal system the grantis £300 and is valid for three months,for an air source heat pump the schemeprovides £850 which is valid for fivemonths, for a biomass boiler £950 validfor six months and for ground source orwater source heat pump £1250 with atime period of six months.

The Government has organised thisshort-term scheme with the intention ofmeeting the 2020 target of 12 per centof heating coming from renewablesources.

Alan Simpson, Sustainable EnergyAdvisor to Friends of the Earth, said:“An ambitious Renewable Heat Incentivewill allow people to earn and save mon-ey by heating their homes and workplac-es using clean energy.

“The Government must now stopdithering over feed-in tariffs and kick-start the UK’s green energy revolution –this will slash emissions and create tensof thousands of new jobs.”

Any homeowner can apply for solarthermal products, but only those withoutgas central heating can also apply forgrants towards air, ground and watersource heat pumps and biomass boilers.

All vouchers must be redeemed be-fore the expiry date and will not be validafter March 31, 2013 when the schemefinishes. Applications must be submittedthrough the Energy Saving Trust websiteat www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

By Claire Stevens

Memories of Stone, Steam and Steel,has taken 18 months to research andwrite and is a joint project between theMountsorrel Heritage Group and Glass-ball Arts Projects (GAP).

The Heritage Lottery funded book is120 pages long and features rare photo-graphs from personal family and busi-ness archives, the Lafarge MountsorrelCollection, and extracts from the manyoral history interviews conducted overthe cause of the project with local peo-ple.

Cora Glasser from GAP said: “Thebook wonderfully captures various as-pects of the industrial and social historyof Mountsorrel.

“It is not an exhaustive text on the

village, but a collection of insightfulglimpses and personal reflections intothe working lives of past and presentresidents of Mountsorrel.”

The book was launched at a specialevent held at Mountsorrel library onDecember 10. It is available for saleonline at www.glassball.org.uk

Cora said: “On behalf of GAP, Iwould like to thank all those who havetaken part in this project. It would nothave been possible without the supportfrom the Heritage Lottery Fund and thegenerous amount of time volunteered bythe members of the Mountsorrel Herit-age Group and the young people ofMountsorrel.”

DECEMBER SEES the publication of a new book giving aninsight into the industrial and social history ofMountsorrel.

Book provides insightinto village history

FIGURES RELEASED by theOffice for National Statis-tics in December revealhow the city of Leicesterand the county of Leices-tershire are changing.

The data, which comes from the2011 census, shows that the numberof cars/vans in Leicestershire hasrisen by 16% to 54,000 since the lastcensus in 2001.

The number of people employed inmanufacturing has fallen by 34.4%,those employed in the retail/servicesector has risen by 5.3%.

1.9% of people in the county donot have English as their first lan-guage. The white British populationhas decreased by 3.9% to 88.9%. Inthe city of Leicester the white Britishpopulation is 50.5%. The Asian popu-lation now represent 37% of cityresidents, up from 30% in 2001.

65% of Leicester’s population wasborn in England. 6500 city residents(1.9%) are Polish.

The population of Leicester is333,000, an increase of 50,000 since2001. The City Council has welcomedthe publication of the figures as it saysthe government has used inaccuratefigures for the last ten years, resultingin reduced government funding forCouncil services.

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Cold weather warning for swansA COLD winter could have amajor impact on the swanpopulation at WatermeadCountry Park warns a localwildlife volunteer.

Two years ago more than 50 swansdied during a spell of cold and icyweather and Julie, Watermead swanvolunteer, is urging local people to beon standby with food supplies.

“Swans are very big birds and a flockof swans will eat quite a lot of food” shesaid. “In snowy weather we get an influxof swans that have come from the sur-rounding areas that have frozen up. Thatputs a bigger demand on food.”

Julie recommends seeds, swan andduck food mixed with some bread.“Bread alone doesn’t contain the nutri-ents a swan

needs for a healthydiet, but in cold weather they will begrateful for anything. Please pay atten-tion to byelaws if you don’t want a fine”she said.

Last year 120 swans gathered on theRaynsway lake, and Raynsway donatedmoney to buy food.

Swans can take off, land and walk onsnow and ice. Julie said: “I’ll alwaysremember ‘Sunbeam’ who perfectedgetting across a frozen lake in two min-

utes. It put its wings out for bal-ance and used its claws on its feetto run on tiptoe across the lake. Itwas amazing to watch it. I’venever seen another swan masterit quite like that. However we dohave swans that struggle to learnhow to stand, or swans that get

frozen to the ice.Although swans flock together in winter, during

spring and summer breeding pairs are territorial andwill drive off other swans that land on their territory,which sometimes results in deaths.

Julie said: “I have seen some very sad sights over thelast few months. I have found swans weak, starved,dead, walking down roads, driven out, sitting by housesand had to pull them out from being killed by otherswans.”

She added: “Watermead is a very beautiful and spe-cial sight to see. To have an area like this with lots oflakes where cygnets hatch, grow up with their parentsand then join the flock is just so amazing and special.”

CHARNWOOD MUSEUM has beaten tough compe-tition to be crowned Leicestershire’s bestSmall Visitor Attraction of the Year at the 2012Leicester and Leicestershire Excellence in Tour-ism Awards.

The award for attractions that have fewer than 50,000 visitors ayear, was presented on November 29, 2012 at the Leicester Tigers,Welford Road stadium, Leicester .

Judges said the museum, which is run in partnership by Charn-wood Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council, “showeda very impressive list of real improvements, applied creatively and togood effect, and a genuine commitment to exceeding customer ex-

pectations.”Other attractions nominated in the

category included Ashby-de-la-ZouchMuseum and Foxton Canal Museum.

The museum features a range ofexhibits that reflect the history ofCharnwood and the surrounding area,with a number of permanent displaysincluding ‘the natural world of Charn-wood’ and ‘living off the land’.

Visitors to the museum can handlerocks from the borough’s volcanicpast, visit a Victorian grocer’s shop,zoom in on a fly’s eye as well asenjoying a fantastic and varied exhibi-tion programme with complimentaryworkshops.

The museum is free to enter, theopening times are:

April to September: Tuesday toSaturday 10am to 4.30pm, Sunday2-5pm

October to March: Tuesday toSaturday 10am to 3pm, Sunday 12-3pm

Location: Queens Park, GranbyStreet, Loughborough LE11 3DU

Householder fined after rubbish dumpedA RESIDENT is counting thecost of paying a “white vanman” to get rid of wastefrom her home.

Shilpa Jobanputra, of LoughboroughRoad, Birstall, pleaded guilty at LeicesterMagistrates’ Court on October 26, 2012,to a fly-tipping charge.

Charnwood Borough Council en-forcement officers were called in March2012 to investigate a pile of waste thathad been dumped outside the gates of acompany in Mountsorrel.

Officers scoured the pile, which in-cluded 30 black bin bags, a TV, card-board boxes and clothing, and foundletters, payslips and bills addressed toJobanputra.

They contacted Jobanputra who toldofficers she did not know she had com-mitted an offence and expressed herremorse.

She said she paid £50 for a “whitevan man” to take the waste from herproperty after receiving a flyer throughher letterbox.

She presumed they would take thewaste to the tip and failed to check

whether the company had a Waste Carri-er’s Licence, which any waste disposaltradesperson is required to hold by law.

Householders are legally required toensure tradespeople they pay have aWaste Carrier’s Licence. Failure to do sois an offence.

Councillor Jane Hunt, the Council’sCabinet member for Regulatory Services,said: “Our Don’t Muck Around cam-paign is trying to raise awareness ofDuty of Care offences. Please check thatthe people you pay to remove wastefrom your property have a Waste Carri-

er’s Licence. Don’t fall foul of this of-fence.”

Jobanputra was fined £75 by theCourt and ordered to make a contribu-tion of £100 towards the Council's in-vestigation and enforcement costs, plus a£15 victim surcharge.

For more information about the Don’tMuck Around campaign or to report afly-tip, contact 01509 634564 or [email protected]. Alsovisit www.facebook.com/dontmuck

Pic: Julie, WatermeadSwan volunteer, in

Watermead CountryPark

Pic: the rubbish dumped in Mountsorrel

Museum winstop award


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A spokesman for the Thurcaston andCropston Gardening club said: “Are youinterested in gardening? If so, you maybe interested in coming to our clubmeetings.

“The club ismade up of peo-ple from Thur-caston andCropston andsurroundingvillages who havean interest ingardening. Somemembers arereasonably expe-rienced garden-ers and some arebeginners. Visi-tors and newmembers aremade most welcome. Meetings are infor-mal, informative and good socialevents.”

The membership fee is £12 a year or£3 a meeting. For more details call DaveHaddon on 0116 2359758.

The club’s November meeting was atalk by Stuart Phillips called Gardener’sAlmanac. It was a mix of facts and folk-lore based on the year round work inthe garden. It included topics such asweather lore, lunar gardening, and alook at what truth there is in ‘old wivestales’.

Programme of events for 2013January 9: Plant Propagation – John

StirlingPreceded by AGM (15 to 20 mins)February 13: Gardening for Wildlife –

Dr Christopher AndrewMarch 13: Pruning Made Simple –

Geoff HodgeApril 10: How to Grow Prize Winning

Dahlias – Tom Upton

April 27: Visit to the Harrogate SpringShow (Saturday)

May 8: Sempervivums and HardySedums – Paul Street

June 12: Evening visit to Tebbutt’sFarm, Normanton-on-Soar

July 11: Garden Trail and BBQAugust 14: Aspects of Garden Design

– Stephen Lovell

September 7 (Saturday): 30th AnnualGarden, Craft and Produce Show (opento all)

To be held at the Richard Hill Prima-ry School, Thurcaston

October 9: Plants that Excite – DrAndrew Ward

November 13: An Old FashionedChristmas – Felicity Austin

December 11: Social Evening andQuiz Night

A COUNCIL led three monthcampaign targeting ‘enviro-crimes’ saw a 63% reduc-tion in dog fouling and a44% drop in cigarette lit-ter.

Charnwood’s Don’t Muck Aroundcampaign ran for three months fromSeptember 2012 and targeted Loughbor-ough town centre, Shepshed, Syston, theOutwoods and the Quorn and Hastingsward of Loughborough.

Officers monitored hotspot areasbefore and after the campaign to seewhat impact the education and enforce-ment work had on the number of inci-dents.

115 fixed penalty notices were issuedduring the campaign, which also includ-ed some areas in North West Leicester-shire.

The campaign also aimed to raiseawareness of the issues by presenting an‘ash mob’, a dog show, a fly-tip inLoughborough town centre and workingwith schoolchildren and local business-es.

Cllr Jane Hunt said: “The results ofthe campaign are absolutely incredible.Not only have we made inroads intoraising awareness, but the campaignteam has been able to significantly re-duce incidents in hotspot areas througha combination of education and enforce-ment.”

In 2011, the campaign won an awardfrom Keep Britain Tidy

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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A LOCAL gardening club has published its 2013 programmeand is welcoming new members.

MANAGEMENT OF Charn-wood Borough Council’shousing stock has beenofficially transferred backto the authority.

From November 1, 2012, the Coun-cil took over responsibility for main-taining and improving the 6,000homes from Charnwood Neighbour-hood Housing (CNH). Councillorsdecided in June to transfer the man-agement of housing from CNH to theCouncil following changes to the waythe service is funded by central gov-ernment.

Councillor Jane Hunt, CharnwoodBorough Council’s Cabinet memberfor Housing, said: “One of the Coun-cil’s core values is putting our cus-tomers first and this move will free upextra money for us to invest in ten-ants’ homes on top of the £60millionwe have already committed to improvehomes and quality of life for tenantsover the next five years. We are nowlooking forward to working closelywith our tenants to identify what weare doing well and where we can dobetter.”

The move was approved by Cabinetin June and will generate savingswhich will be invested back into prop-erties. The Council’s contract withCNH was originally established inDecember 2007 to enable the Councilto access Government-held DecentHomes funding. However, changes tofunding rules mean there is no longera link between Government fundingand councils with Arms Length Man-agement Organisations such as CNH.

Although the contract was for 10years, it included the opportunity tobreak after five years.

Counciltransfer

Thurcaston & Cropstongardening club

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Rothley Post (98) Nov/Dec 2012