Rothley Post Jan 2010 (80)

Rothley Post JAN/FEB 2010 (80), page 1

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

Delivered FREE to Rothley, Thurcaston & CropstonJAN/FEB 2010 ISSUE No. 80

ALAN BIRCHENHALL was the VIPguest who switched on Rothley’sChristmas lights in November.

Children from Rothley school choir sangChristmas songs and danced, while Rev MarkChandler and ‘Elton John’ provided moremusical entertainment as visitors browsed inWoodgate’s shops.

The event was organised by Rothley shop-keepers in conjunction with Rothley ParishCouncil. Assistant Clerk Anne Harmer said: “Iwas thrilled to bits everyone turned out onsuch a crisp and cold night. The evening wasa success with the shops doing good business.”

Four young people were presented withSports Leadership Awards and Duke of Edin-burgh Bronze Awards, achieved through theRothley Youth Club. They were Jack Labbett,Max Morrell, Joe Stanway, Red Splevings andEmma Peasant

Christmaslightsswitch on

Pics: (top) Mark Chandler& ‘Elton John’; (left) AlanBirchenall & PercyHartshorn, Chairman ofRothley Parish Council,switch on the lights;(far left) children fromRothley school performing


• stricter limitation on the extent of develop-ment that can be carried out without permission

• there is a smaller limit on extensions andgreater control over garden buildings andstructures

• trees are protected• demolition is controlledConservation Areas can be further protected

through the adoption of Article 4 Directionsthat control features such as doors, windows,chimneys, roofs, porches and exterior painting.

The roads covered by the appraisal are TheRidgeway, Westfield Lane from the Temple tothe Station, Swithland Lane from the Station tothe boundary with Mountsorrel, The Ridings,

Gypsy Lane and Brownhill Crescent.The area is considered to be one of high

quality housing, the result of a vision for agarden suburb which followed from the open-ing of Rothley railway station in 1899.

Charnwood is expected to make a decisionabout the designation in January 2010.

SEVENTY MEMBERS of the public attendeda public meeting about the proposed Con-servation Area for the Ridgeway, Rothley.

Rothley Parish Council invited Charnwood tobegin the necessary steps for designating theRidgeway area – the Borough Council haveconducted an appraisal and organised a publicmeeting in November.

There are 36 Conservation Areas in theBorough of Charnwood. They are areas ofspecial architectural or historic interest.

Conservation Area designation does notprevent change but is intended to help pre-serve and enhance the character of the area.This is achieved by: ROTHLEY PARK Cricket Club winter nets

have been announced for the pre season.New players are wel-

come whether at senior orjunior level.

Further informationavailable from Martin Wil-liams, Club Secretary on01509 415580.

Winter Nets for Seniorsare as follows:

Monday: 8.30-9.30pm.Start: Monday Feb 1. Fin-ish: Monday Mar 29

Winter Nets for JuniorsUnder 11/under 13: Fri-

days, 2 nets, 8-9pm. Start:Friday Jan 15. End: FridayMar 26 (11 weeks)

Under 15/under 17:Wednesdays, 2 nets, 8-9pm. Start: Wednesday Jan13. End: Wednesday Mar31 (12 weeks)

FORTY TWO per cent ofhousehold waste inCharnwood was recycledin 2008/09, comparedto 39% in 2007/08.

The increase has beenput down to a wider varietyof items that are now ac-cepted for kerbside recy-cling and the introductionof a single bag, reducingthe amount of sorting doneby residents.

Charnwood BoroughCouncil say they aim toachieve a 45% recyclingrate for 2009/10.

Conservation area proposal

Cricket clubwinter nets

Ratesontherise


A FURTHER 250 homes could bebuilt in Rothley, south of Hall-fields Lane on the site of Brook-fields Farm.

Last Year Rothley Temple Estates receivedplanning permission for 149 homes south ofHallfields Lane. They have now indicated aninterest in developing a 22 hectare site on thewestern side of that development, providing upto 250 homes, “local facilities” and “informalopen space”. 399 new dwellings wouldamount to a 25 per cent increase in the sizeof Rothley.

The Pegasus Planning Group, acting onbehalf of Rothley Temple Estates, have askedCharnwood Borough Council whether theywould need to provide an EnvironmentalImpact Assessment with any outline planningapplication.

On December 23, Charnwood sent a replyto the Pegasus Planning Group indicating thata 22 hectare site should result in 660 dwell-ings given the government’s planning rules onhousing density, and requested clarification.

The Borough Council also indicated thatmore than half of the site is in a Flood Zoneand should be left undeveloped, and that amajor transport assessment should be carriedout to assess the impact on local roads.

Those objecting to the plans are concernedabout flooding, congestion on local roads,pressure on local facilities such as schools andmedical care, and the loss of character in thevillage.

The Chairman of Rothley Parish CouncilPercy Hartshorn said: “The Parish Councilthinks we have had enough development in thevillage in the last four years, and we don’t needany more. The school is full to bursting, thereare no medical facilities here and the pro-posed area is in a flood zone.”

The turbine, which will have an 80 metrehub height and a height of 132m to the tip ofthe blades, will help power the Wanlip SewageTreatment Works. For the past 12 months a 60metre monitoring mast has been measuringwind speeds.

The proposed 3.4MW wind turbine, aboutone third the height of the Empire Statebuilding (381m), will generate 8.935 MWhrsper annum, enough electricity for the annualdomestic needs of 1901 dwellings.

The location of the mast is within the parishof Wanlip, 300 metres east of the A6 at thepoint where the traffic filters left for Rothley.

To view the planning application go towww.charnwood.gov.uk. The planning applica-tion number is P/09/2402/2Pic: a photo montage showing the pro-posed wind turbine from Rothley’s TownGreen Street

PLANS FOR an 80 metre wind turbine on the edge of Rothley havebeen submitted by Severn Trent Water.

Morehomesplanned

Wanlip wind turbine

The next issue ofTHE ROTHLEY POST

will be published on Mar 6.The copy deadline is Feb 19.

VEHICLE TESTINGSTATION

MOTTESTING

PETROLS • DIESELSMOTORCYCLES

CROPSTONGARAGE

37 - 39 Station RoadCropston, Leicester

0116 2362363


ROTHLEY PARK Cricket Club’s plans for ve-hicle access to their ground from WestfieldLane have been approved by CharnwoodBorough Council.

The Council approved the club’s plans for aretrospective change of use from park land toparking area and the new access drive.

The route from the access to the parkingarea has been amended to avoid the rootprotection areas of the trees protected by TreePreservation Orders (TPO). The ground will beprotected by laying a plastic mesh over thegrass in the field and parking area.

The application received seven letters ofobjection and 23 in support of the proposals.The objectors were principally concernedabout:

• highway safety as the access is set on adangerous bend close to a junction

• the appearance of the park will be spoiltby cars

• damage to trees caused by cars passingover roots

The letters in support of the application

emphasise the importance of the club to thelocal community and the need to maintain thefacility in the village, particularly for children.They state that the Town Green Street access ispoor and unsuitable and that the proposedarrangements are a safer option, and providefor disabled access.

Rothley Parish Council supported the appli-cation, recommending some form of trafficcalming near the access and that the fencingof the vehicle track is enforced so that vehiclesare kept on the plastic mesh.

To view the council’s decision in full go towww.charnwood.gov.uk.

The planning application is P/09/1952/2

WESTFIELD LANE

WELLSIC LANE

CricketPavilion

Proposedparkingarea

Proposedaccess

A BIG thank you from the Rotary Club of theWreake Valley to everyone who contributedto our Santa Sleigh collection during De-cember.

MEMBERS OF all four churches in the villagehave been meeting regularly together formany years to pray for the work of thechurches, and for various aspects of Roth-ley village life.

A number of residents in the village whodon’t belong to one of the Churches haverecently wondered if it would be possible toinclude their particular prayer requests. Inresponse to this a telephone number and emailaddress has been made available (see below)for anyone to leave a short message for a prayer.

Rob Gladstone, the vicar of Rothley ParishChurch explained: “We would love to pray for,or with, anyone in the village who is currentlygoing through a tough time. It could be a timeof bereavement, an illness, loss of employment,a difficult family situation, or other personaldifficulty. We believe God through his SonJesus Christ is concerned about us all, helistens to us when we pray and in his love willprovide comfort to those in need.

“If you would like us to pray for youconfidentially, please leave a brief messagewith your name and contact number on 0116230 2626 or [email protected] and wewill contact you”.

Money collected will be used to fund arange of local, national and internationalcharities during 2010.

Many thanks also to the staff, managementand customers of Somerfield in Syston for theircontributions to our collection which will goto the same causes.

In 2009 good causes we contributed toincluded Life Education (a primary schoolsdrug awareness programme in Leicestershire),a Summer Garden party and Christmas CarolService for local senior citizens, provision ofan adapted cycle for a disabled teenager,LOROS and Macmillan.

Rotary is an organisation for business andprofessional people. We meet weekly, onWednesdays to socialise and plan fundraisingactivities. If you would like to find out moreplease call Chris on 07979 645605 or visitwww.ribi.org.uk

From Chris BattyePic: The Rotary sleigh with local residents

Prayerrequests

New accessfor clubapproved

Rotary sleighcollection


BRADGATE CUBS helped spread someChristmas cheer by filling gift boxes forpoor children in Eastern Europe.

19 cubs from the 77th Bradgate Group filledseven boxes with items such as hats, gloves,toys, sweets, drawing paper, toothpaste andtoiletries.

Cub Leader Steve Baker said: “It was part ofthe cubs Global Challenge task which makesthe cubs think about others before themselves.The Challenge Badge involved lots of differentactivities which included recycling old clothes,thinking of others less fortunate than them-selves by sending shoes boxes for SamaritansPurse and an all term Challenge of collectingpennies for WaterAid in juice boxes where atotal of £38 was raised.”

Mary Strait collected the boxes on behalf of‘Samaritan’s Purse’ which distribute thousandsof the boxes each Christmas. She said: “Iwould like to say a big thank you to the cubsas every box will appreciated by a child whowon’t be getting much at Christmas.”

On December 14 the Cubs held their Christ-mas party and presentation evening for theterm at their meeting place, Richard HillSchool, Thurcaston.

The Cubs had been working on their Global

Challenge Badge for the term, with all 19 ofthem being presented with the Badge.

For four of the Cubs, the Global ChallengeBadge was the final one of six ChallengeBadges that the Cubs can be awarded, and bygaining their sixth award they have achievedthe Chief Scout Silver Award, which is thehighest honour that a Cub can receive. Callum

Shuttlewood, Jack Sedgley, Matthew Baker andMatthew Ellison were presented with theirSilver Award by District Cub Commissioner,Andy Caunt on the night. Andy said: “There isa lot of work put in by the leaders to make theactivities interesting and enjoyable for the Cubsand in turn the leaders are rewarded by seeingthe Cubs gain the highest awards possible.”Pic: Back row (l-r) is Andy Caunt, District Cub Commis-

sioner and Steve Baker, Cub Leader. Front Row (l-r) isCallum Shuttlewood, Jack Sedgley, Matthew Baker andMatthew Ellison.

Pic: Cub Leader Steve Baker, Assistant Leader Nick Shuttlewood and Mary Stait with the cubs.

KIRBY AND West milkman for Rothley DerekPoyser would like to thank his customersfor their support with sponsorship for run-ning the Leicester half marathon in October.

He raised £405 which has been doubled byKirby and West and Derek will be presentingthe sum of just over £800 to LOROS.

Cubs’globalchallenge

Marathonmilkman


VISITORS TO the award winning Rothley stationat the Great Central Railway travelled back intime to when the festive season was a simpleraffair.

Their Edwardian Christmas event on November 28invited guests to imagine it was 1909. Passengerswere waiting for trains and their luggage to beloaded. A brass band played carols, mulled wine andthe smell of roast chestnuts completed the illusion.For once, the steam trains are just the set dressing.

Kate Tilley from the great Central Railway said:“Our Edwardian Christmas was so popular when wetried it last year. Under the gas lights of Rothley,watching characters in period costume, toastingyourself a teacake on an open fire, we think it’s asclose to Christmas past as you can get. It’s a nightout for all the senses”.

Felicity delivered her talk in a very factual waywith humour and was able to display many artefactsshe had collected over several years to enhance hersubject

A very happy afternoon was concluded with lustilysinging “You are my Sunshine” and “Run RabbitRun”.

Pic: a brass band playing carols at the GCR’s Edwardi-an Christmas event.

MRS FELICITY Austin gave an extremely inter-esting talk on November 9, about “Life on theHome Front” during World War 2.

She presented herself dressed in the generallyworn fashion of the times, plain but smart jacket,blouse, skirt and black shoes topped with quite afetching little brown hat!

Hazel Bloom won the free prize draw andbefore the meeting closed, we nominated the“Royal British Legion” as our Charity for 2010,having achieved the brilliant amount of £320.37for “Bosom Friends” in 2009.

The closing of the year 2009 for the Membersof our Club saw us enjoying an excellent meal atthe Birstall Golf Club on December 14. The roomat the Club was beautifully presented with abreathtakingly large Christmas Tree and colourfullydecorated tables for the 78 occupants.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the varied menuoffered to us, which was served piping hot withcopious vegetables, we proceeded to the“business” of the afternoon in the way of thepresentation of our cheque for £320.37 to Mrs.Janet Till representing the organisation “BosomFriends”. Janet gave us a brief but detailedaccount of the work they carry out on behalf ofBreast Cancer patients and their families, in anyway possible, to produce comfort, advice and apositive attitude for dealing with the illness. TheClub was very proud to have achieved the afore-mentioned sum collected during the course of2009, as this was in remembrance and tribute toa dearly missed member who passed away lastyear, Mrs. Rita Frith.

The entertainment which followed, was a hilar-ious talk on the “Legends and Traditions ofChristmas” provided by Mrs. Margaret Harrison, aBlue Badge Guide from Nottingham.

Margaret concluded her talk and requested thatwe sing her favourite carol “Silent Night” which wedid with very great enthusiasm, as we all knew thewords!

In conclusion I would like to send to everyonein the villages our very best wishes for a Happy andHealthy New Year 2010

From Ann FarndonThe Monday Club Anstey, Cropston, Rothley &

Thurcaston

EdwardianChristmas

Pic: Sue Gilbert (left) & Wendy Ducksbury

Monday Club’s charity donation

Pic: Mrs Janet Till receiving a cheque from TheMonday Club on behalf of "Bosom Friends"


THE CONSTRUCTION of 3500 new homes onland west of Birstall could start in 2011,say Leicester City Council.

Outline planning permission for the AshtonGreen development, an urban extension to thenorth of Beaumont Leys, will be submittedearly this year.

The City Council held an exhibition of theproposals in November at the Beaumont Leysshopping centre and Beaumont Leys library,which was well attended.

One visitor to the exhibition was KateWatson of Greengate Lane. She said: “We arevery worried at the thought of extra traffic upand down Greengate Lane. It is already verybusy at rush hour and school times. More carscoming over the hill could present a realdanger to Highcliffe primary school pupilsusing the zebra crossing.”

Her husband Dave said: “One of the firstparts of the new development would be anall-age school this side of Leicester Road. Canyou imagine the extra buses and cars that

would generate? If this development goesahead there will be virtually no green spacebetween Birstall, Ashton Green and Thurcas-ton, making it one big conurbation withLeicester.”

Leicester City Council say the developmentis needed to meet its target of providing

20,000 new homes within the next 15-20 years.Providing an effective transport system and

genuine transport choice from day one of thedevelopment is fundamental to the success ofAshton Green, say the City.

The two main points of access into thedevelopment will be via Bennion Road andBeaumont Leys Lane.

AshtonGreenplans

Pic: a detail from the plans


A FULL meeting of Rothley Parish Councilwas held on November 16.

Two councillors had attended a CharnwoodLocal Policing Unit Open Evening and CllrOlwen Jones had accompanied officers onpatrol. She reported that the Police do respondto reports of isolated antisocial behaviourincidents if the public calls 222 2222 and theydo log repeated incidents, but can only re-spond if they are reported in the first place.

It was agreed that signs outside WoodcockFarm, the Royal Oak, the Nail Shop, the CobShop, Mercury News and Santander all consti-tuted an obstruction to pedestrians and Charn-wood Borough Council should be asked to

look into their siting.It was reported that a seat on Swithland

Lane had been replaced.Councillors considered the planning appli-

cation made by Rothley Park Cricket Club fornew access and parking arrangements. It wasagreed 7 votes for and 2 abstentions to supportthe proposals subject to Rothley Parish Councilrecommending traffic calming to reducespeeding at the junction of Westfield Lane andWellsic Lane and that Charnwood ensure thatthe proposed fencing along the traffic track isinstalled. It was reported that the ParishCouncil held many letters on file both support-ing and objecting to the proposals.

It was reported that safety fencing had beeninstalled around the skateboard area on theFowke Street playing fields. A funding applica-tion for a scheme of play facilities costing£50,000 would be submitted by the end of themonth.

A full meeting of Rothley Parish Council washeld on December 21.

County Cllr Peter Osborne said that grantfunding from the County Council will be hardto come by next year – projects for youngpeople and crime reducing measures will getpriority.

Borough Cllr Diane Wise reported thatdevelopers are looking at sites within theBorough for residential development includinga 250 dwelling site off Hallfields Lane, next tothe site for 149 dwellings that has already beengranted to Rothley Temple Estates,.

Inspector Duncan Southall and PC StevenRhodes attended the meting. Crime figures for

the year 2009 were given(2008 figures in brackets) :burglary 31 (16), burglaryother than dwelling 27 (36),theft from motor vehicle 17(27), theft of motor vehicle 6(2), damage 25 (75), theft 33(29), misc 38 (54). Total194 (252).

PC Rhodes reported that hewas conducting vehicle speedchecks as often as his dutiespermitted.

Insp Southall reported thatcrime has reduced this yearacross Charnwood. Criminalsfrom Leicester and Loughbor-ough were responsible forsome of the crime in Charn-wood and Insp Southall re-ported that eight people fromBeaumont Leys had recentlybeen convicted and impris-oned which had had an im-pact on the crime figures.

Insp Southall reported thatthe Quorn and Rothley beatsare to be merged as part of ameasure to reduce the totalnumber of beats in the Charn-wood area from 10 to six.Rothley will continue to havethe same level of policingcover as before, he said.

It was agreed to supportthe proposal to create a Con-servation Area for WestfieldLane, Swithland Lane, TheRidgeway, The Ridings, GypsyLane and Plain Gate and torecommend that Charnwoodincorporate an Article 4 di-rection to protect doors, win-dows, chimneys, roofs,hedges, porches and exteriorpainting. The vote was sevenin favour, one against.

The Council agreed a pre-cept for the year 2010/11 of£95,000, a reduction of£3,500 on the previous year.

The Council agreed to sup-port a proposal from theCounty Council to revoke theno left turn into Howe Lane

Parish Council notes


from Woodgate and to recommendthat the give way at the junction beremoved, and that no parkingspaces be lost outside Bradley’s asa result of any kerb/pavementmodification.

The Council also agreed tosupport a county proposal to in-troduce a two hour waiting limiton the parking bays on CrossGreen.

County Cllr David Snartt expressedconcern about the traffic implicationsof Leicester City’s Ashton Green de-velopment, as well as the reductionof green wedge and pressure on localschools.

It was reported that the CountyCouncil will reduce the severity of theslope on the traffic table on theLeicester Road, at the entrance toThurcaston from Leicester.

It was agreed to increase theallowance to purchase and plantspring bulbs from £100 to £200.

It was reported that parishionerswere complaining about dog foulingin Cropston, notably at StamfordDrive, Thistle Close and Station Road.It was agreed to display posters onsuitable posts and to give considera-tion to employing a dog warden.

A request from 16 residents ofCropston for a bus shelter to be sitedon Station Road at or near the busstop situated adjacent to the entranceto Guild Close, Cropston was beforethe council. It was agreed to considerthe matter at the precept meeting andthe clerk was requested to ascertainwhether grants would be available.

The minutes of the Novembermeeting were unavailable at the timeof going to press.

THE NUMBER of children walking to Rothley school is on the rise.Rothley Church of England Primary school is one of several

schools across the county participating in the County Council’s ‘StarWalker’ scheme. The scheme rewards children with a star every timethey walk to school, and they can swap stars for rewards.

Rothley school has greatly reduced the number of children arrivingin cars since the school introduced ‘Star Walker’ in May 2009. Priorto the start of the scheme 61 per cent of pupils arrived by car – thishas been reduced to 13 per cent.

A similar picture can be seen at other schools in Charnwood :Newton Linford has seen the percentage arriving by car drop from75 per cent to 28 per cent, while Quorn primary school has droppedfrom 53 to 18 per cent.

‘Star Walker’ is designed so that even children who do not livewithin walking distance of the school can participate – parents parkat a designated spot outside the ‘Star Walker’ zone and walk for therest of the journey.

Lesley Pendleton, County Council Cabinet Member for Highwaysand Transportation said: “The results of the Star Walker scheme aretremendous, and we are seeing an overall decreasing trend in thenumber of cars arriving at the school gate. This helps to reduce theproblem of congestion and, hopefully, improves air quality in thevicinity of the school. Most importantly fewer car journeys improvesthe health and safety of our children.”

Following its success in the county, Leicester City Council are nowconsidering introducing Star Walker into city schools.

A FULL meeting of Thurcaston &Cropston Parish Council washeld on October 15.

PC Steve Rhodes reported thatpolice priorities are now assessedon a monthly basis, that an arresthad resulted in a four year prisonsentence and that policing in theBradgate Park car parks had re-sulted in a reduction in crime.

PC Rhodes’ attention was drawnto the matter of vehicles parkingon Anstey Lane near the junctionof Rectory Lane causing difficultiesto motorists exiting Rectory Lane.

Two officers from CharnwoodBorough Council’s Waste Manage-ment Team presented a report onstreet cleaning, recycling andrefuse collection. Street cleaning iscontracted to Serco. Litter bins inthe parish are checked weekly.

ROTHLEY HERITAGE Trust has published itsfirst book.

The Departure of the Dead tells the story ofburials in Rothley from the prehistoric settle-ment evidence, the Saxon Burial Site discov-ered during the building of the Great CentralRailway, the mediaeval period with documentstelling us how matters of death and inheritancewere dealt with and how Elizabeth I wasresponsible for the start of death registrations.

It relates how the cemetery on MountsorrelLane took nine years to develop up to the firstburial of Fanny Taylor on September 2, 1904and ends with a short history of Frank Sleath,the builder responsible for laying out thegrounds and the building of the chapel.

This 124 page book with illustrations in afascinating record of life in Rothley as well asdeath.

Copies available from Brenda Sutherland on0116 2302766 or email

[email protected]. Price £7to include p&p or £6at Rothley Post Officeor Rothley Library.

Further detailed in-formation onwww.leocestershirevillages.com/rothley Clickon Village History tothe right of the HomePage, then Local Pub-lications.

Walking toschool

Rothleyburials

AC RNBUILDERSEXTENSIONSALTERATIONS &PROPERTYREPAIRS

2675658Proprietor RMS Gibbon(


AT THE November meeting two of our com-mittee gave two very different short talks.

Frank Luce started this off with talking abouta man who was at the same school - The KingEdward V11 School in Melton Mowbray.

Frank gave us various clues to this mysteryman: “Arthur”, until we had all guessed thebetter known name of the celebrity. Frank'smystery man was Graham Chapman, whoqualified as a physician at St Bart's Hospital,but never practised medicine professionally.He became much better known as a comedian,actor and writer, and one of the six membersof the Monty Python comedy troupe.

Our second speaker was our Acting Chair-man, Susan Joyce, who gave us a talk aboutRobert Bakewell, the 18th century agriculturistfarmer who was born, lived and farmed inDishley near Loughborough.

Probably his greatest claim to history was inthe breeding of livestock. He started with theold Lincolnshire breed of sheep which he bredto be bigger but delicately boned and had goodquality fleece and fatty fore quarters to suit thepopular taste for fatty shoulder mutton.

With cattle, Robert Bakewell noticed that theLonghorn seemed to be the most efficient meatproducers. They ate less and put on moreweight than other breeds. He was thus able toimprove their characteristics and his cattle

became fattier and more meaty. The Long-horns went out of fashion but some of thecattle breeds today are based on Bakewell'sbreeds.

What a delightful evening we spent at ourChristmas meeting with our speaker, Mall Trottthe Puppeteer.

Mal started by telling us how he got involvedwith the Art of Puppetry – when at the age of8-9 he was fascinated with shows performedin his home town of Scarborough. His fathermade puppets for him and his mother sewedthe costumes, so Mal got experience in bothfields. By the age of 12 he was being asked bylocal hotels to put on puppet shows for theirguests, for which he received, at that time, theprincely payment of a 7/6d. Postal order.

After Mal had shown us his many and variedpuppets, both hand and string, we were al-lowed to “have a go”. What a lovely sessionof fun that was and much enjoyed by everyoneand no-one was afraid to try, even the shy littlenine year old girl, Isabella, who seemed to behaving a wonderful time trying virtually everysingle puppet. How very rewarding it was tosee a young girl finding a new and absorbingactivity.

We, at The History Society, hope that youhave had a Very Happy Christmas and wish youall the best for the New Year, and look forward

to welcoming you in 2010, when we have avery varied list of speakers, at the RothleyCentre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley, where ourtalks start at 7.30 p.m., on the third Wednes-day of the month.

From Noreen Wilson, Rothley HistorySociety

History Society news

OUR OCTOBER speaker was retired BlueBadge Guide for Leicestershire, Lynn Mel-lor, whose subject was a very entertaining“Basketful of Leicestershire Legends”, asample of which will follow.

Lynn began by recounting how her love ofhistory evolved and explained that, also, ar-chaeology and English folk dancing are ofparticular interest to her. A treasured posses-sion is a tea towel depicting traditional danc-ing, such as Morris dancing, sword dancing,the well-known Padstow hobby horse danceand the Abbots Bromley horn dance. It isrecorded that local Morris men regularlydanced for the Grey family at Bradgate Park.

Next came the tale of George Davenportfrom Wigston, who was apprenticed to aframework knitter, but he tired of the poor payand working conditions and, sadly, turned toillicit means of acquiring money by becominga “bowler” or “jumper” – a “mugger” intoday’s parlance. Another ruse was to sign upfor the army, for which new recruits were paidone shilling (known as “taking the King’sshilling”). George did this on many occasions,using different aliases, but of course failed toturn up to start his training, which was anoffence against the law. After a very chequered“career” and various close encounters with thelong arm of the law, his luck finally ran outand he was sentenced to hang at Redhill inLeicester. In that era, public hangings were thenorm and, on the appointed day, thousandsturned up to witness George’s demise.

Another story related to the Old Rectory atSwithland, where the Rector at the time was awidower with several children and whoseeldest daughter took on the role of “mother”figure to care for the family. Unfortunately forhis eldest daughter, her father employed, as ageneral handyman, a local man who wasknown to have bouts of drunken-ness whichled to him becoming violent. The Rector andhis family went away for a while and, whenthey were due to return home, he instructedhis daughter to return first to prepare theRectory prior to the arrival of the rest of thefamily. Imagine the horror when the Rectorreached home with his younger children todiscover his eldest daughter hanged and themanservant in the cellar with his wristsslashed. The daughter’s sad fate led to herbecoming known as the “grey lady of Swith-land”.

Jennifer KenningtonThe meeting on Tuesday November 17,

2009 began with the A.G.M, chaired efficientlyby Colin Revell. A presentation was made to JoElks on her retirement from the committeeand to acknowledge her valued contribution,particularly her term as Chairperson. Thecustomary reports were presented and, aftersome discussion, the members voted to acceptan increase in the membership fee to £12.00per annum from 2010 – visitors will pay £3.00per person, per meeting.

Dorothy Budd spoke on the origins ofCropston Chapel. In 1850, a group of people


recognised the need for a place of worship inCropston and, initially, a house was rented toestablish a Sabbath School. Eventually, in1860, land was obtained from Mr. Burchnall,who at that time was landlord of the ReservoirInn (now renamed as the Badgers’ Sett), toenable the construction of a purpose-builtChapel. Also, the land to the rear of the Chapelwas intended as a burial ground, but ultimate-ly, was not allowed to be used for that purposebecause of its close proximity to the reservoir.The ensuing years saw many developments,such as the formation of a young peoples’group in 1900, the provision of a baptistery inthe Chapel, an extension in 1908 to create aschoolroom, porch and vestry and, in 1928,the Chapel was licensed for marriages to takeplace. Today, the Chapel is an integral part ofCropston, with weekly services taking place onSundays and on all the days celebrating themain Christian festivals. The Chapel school-room is in regular use by the youth group and,likewise, is used by other groups such as thechildren’s playgroup and the ladies’ MondayClub. A coffee morning is held on the firstSaturday each month and the premises alsoserve as a polling station for local and nationalelections as required.

The second speaker was Chris Miranda,who has recently retired after 35 years’ serviceto the local Guiding movement. We were toldthat, after its foundation, Scouting for boys hadbecome well-established in our two villages,but it was not until 1960 that similar activitiesfor girls were begun in Thurcaston and Crop-ston, with Mrs. Haddon starting the Browniesin January that year. There were 17 girls fromeach village. A Guide group was begun in 1963and led for the next 2 years by Mrs. Lindsay,after which time, Mrs. Haddon took overorganising the Guides and Mrs. Burle theBrownies. Naturally, over the years, leadershave come and gone, but both groups havegenerally flourished, albeit with the occasionalfluctuation in numbers attending.

In June 2009, three of Thurcaston’s andCropston’s Ranger Guides attended St. James’Palace, London, to be presented with theirDuke of Edinburgh Gold Awards, a magnificentachievement after three years’ hard work.Irene Marriott and Chris Miranda accompa-nied the girls so that their contributions insupporting and encouraging the girls could beacknowledged. It is good to know that theBrownies and Guides continue to prosper andprovide many interests for the girls of ourcommunity.

Finally, Brenda Hooper, who is also one ofour Society Archivists, gave a fascinating ac-count of the establishment and development ofRichard Hill School in Thurcaston. It was in1711 that the Rector at the time, the Rev.Richard Hill, began his mission to build aschool for the benefit of the poorest childrenof the parish and his plans became reality in1715, with the completion of a schoolroomand adjoining house for the schoolmaster. Thefirst schoolmaster, William Tilly, was paid£11.00 per annum, £1.00 of which was givento the Rector in payment for rent – theschoolroom and house having been built onGlebe land (i.e. land owned by the church).The remainder of the money was theschoolmaster’s for his role in educating 22children! Records give considerable detail ofthe life of the school and particularly its

financial needs relating to repairs and teachingresources – nothing changes there then! In1875 work took place to enlarge the class-room, plus, earth closets (toilet facilities) werelocated in the playground. By 1894 these sameearth closets led to some very ill-temperednegotiations in order to get them re-sitedfurther away from the school building becauseof their malodorous condition! Gradually, theschool leaving age was raised and, by 1918,was 14 years of age. The 1930’s and 1940’sare notable for ongoing concerns regardingmaintenance of the school, exacerbated bydiscord between the Headteacher, the SchoolTrustees and the Leicestershire EducationAuthority! It was to the great credit of theHeadmistress at the time that repairs wereeventually expedited. As the 20thC proceeded,it became evident that the original schoolbuilding was no longer completely fit forpurpose and the new Richard Hill Schoolopened in 1965. The Old School, as it becameknown, continued in use as the Infants’ Schooluntil 1979, at which time, the Schoolmaster’shouse was sold and the Old School closed foreducational purposes, but it continued to servethe community as a meeting place and pollingstation until the opening of the extension to AllSaints’ Church in 2008, which incorporated anew meeting room (the Harrison Room). Inthe same year, the final closure of the OldSchool premises ended nearly 300 years’association in the education of the children ofthe parish.

After the talks, there was an opportunity toview the many interesting items and memora-bilia that each speaker had brought alongrelating to their subjects.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 19thJanuary. Speaker – Robin Jenkins. Topic –“Fossils to Fosse Park”. Time – 7.30pm. Venue– Harrison Room, All Saints’ Church. Annualsubscriptions will due - £12.00pp.

At our meeting on 16th February 2010 thespeaker will be Michael Smith who will talkabout the Great Central Railway, same time andvenue as above.

From Thurcaston and Cropston LocalHistory Society

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OUR AGM was held on Thursday November5. The committee were re-elected to servefor another year and Mrs Daphne Grieff wasagain elected as president.

A dark December evening was brightenedup considerably by our Christmas meeting.

The committed provided another scrump-tious buffet and this was followed by entertain-ment from the Drama Group. Chris Mirandaand Irene Marriott opened a box of memoriesfrom Guide and Brownie concerts past. PaulinePalin led the sing-song, which was followed bypoems, a monologue and a mime performedby Dorothy Budd, Barbara Newman, Pat Buck-ham, Daphne Grieff and Jackie Partner.

The hard work of everyone involved wasvery much appreciated and as usual an excel-lent evening was had by all.

Please note our annual Christmas Dinnerwill be held on Thursday January 21 at theRothley Park Golf Club. Members should arriveat 6.30pm for a 7pm start.

From Benita Gettings, Thurcaston &Cropston WI

Crime Report : Rothley, Oct & Nov 2009Robbery 1 (Rothley car driver pushed over

and car stolen), burglary 4 (Whatton Oaks,The Ridgeway, Swithland Lane), burglary other4, theft of vehicle 1, theft from vehicle 2,damage 6, theft 5Crime Report : Cropston, Oct & Nov 2009

Drugs 1, Fraud 1 (2 men arrested forfraudulently col-lecting money onStation Road),burglary 1, bur-glary other 1,theft 1, theft fromvehicle 1Crime Report :Thurcaston, Oct& Nov 2009

Assault 1, bur-glary 1, theft ofvehicle 1, theftfrom vehicle 2

A man was ar-rested for bur-

glary and admittednine offences in

Thurcaston & Cropston. He was sentenced tofour years’ imprisonment. Two men have beenprosecuted for stealing fish – both receivedfines. Two men were arrested for fraudulentlycollecting money in Cropston.

There has been one reported offence ofvehicle crime across the five car parks atBradgate Park and Swithland Wood comparedwith seven offences in the same three monthslast year. Two men were also found in posses-sion of controlled drugs.

From PC 544 Steve Rhodes & PCSO6678 Alex Foster

Rothley, Thurcaston &Cropston’sPC Steve Rhodes

NHW news & crimereport

LOCAL RESIDENTS are being given a uniqueopportunity to raise vital funds for a localcharity while visiting a famous Londonlandmark.

Rainbows Hospice for Children and YoungPeople are inviting people to take part in anorganised guided tour at the House of Com-mons in London with all proceeds goingtowards supporting their ‘Building for theFuture’ Campaign.

The tour has been arranged by Loughbor-ough MP Andy Reed, a supporter of the hospice.

Speaking about the upcoming trip, Andysaid: “People are always curious about whatthe inside of the House of Commons lookslike. I thought this would be the perfectopportunity to see the historic building first-hand whilst raising money for a local charity.”

The trip, which takes place on Friday Janu-ary 22 will offer a chance to explore some ofLondon’s sights and lunch, before visiting thecapital’s iconic parliamentary buildings.

Events fundraiser Nicola Adcock said: “Thiswill be a fascinating and exciting day foranyone who has ever wondered about thegoings on within parliament, and we areextremely grateful to Andy Reed for arrangingthis event for us. We hope that people will joinus for what promises to be a very memorableday.”

Tickets cost £50 per person and all moneyraised from the sale of the tickets will gotowards meeting the final £500,000 needed fora planned £4 million expansion for accommo-dation and training rooms at Rainbows.

For more information and to book yourspace, please contact Nicola on 01509 638026 or [email protected]

WI news

The next issue ofTHE ROTHLEY POST

will be published on Mar 6.The copy deadline is Feb 19.

Trip toCommons

Advertise in

THE ROTHLEY POST53 x 70mm £20 • 53 x 142mm £36

109 x 70mm £36 • 109 x 142mm £601) Decide what size you want. 2) Send us asketch of your ad. 3) We design, publish &

send you the billCALL for an advertising rate card, or view

online at www.birstallpost.co.uk(prices exclude VAT)


THE PILBEAM Academy of Dance have justcompleted a very successful year, with thethird Exam and Medal session, on SundayDecember 6 at the Rothley Village Centre.

The Examiner Miss Karen Yates (FDDA) andher assistant travelled up from Stourbridge tostart a long day at 10am through to 6pm.

The session produced a lot of very goodresults, including five Special Commends, threeRecommendations and no grades awardedwere less than Honours. Some 53 entrantsperformed on the day, and the results obtainedbrought the year to a climax with all threeExam and Medal Sessions, producing over 15special Commends, `Several Recommenda-tions, and two senior pupils being awardedScholarships.

At the end of the day, Mrs Antonia Pilbeam(FDDA), Principal of the Academy took theopportunity to present the Pilbeam ProgressCup to Miss Idolina Domingos of Cropston whohas made remarkable progress through theyear.

After 20 years of teaching in Rothley, thenew term will start on Monday Jan 4, 2010.There will be a few places available for newpupils in the new term.

STONEHILL SCHOOL were winners inLeicestershire’s Big Switch Off week in Oc-tober.

The week long campaign, led by ENABLEand local authorities across the county, aimedto encourage households, schools and busi-nesses o switch off all unnecessary electricalappliances and lighting.

Stonehill were the winners in the secondaryschools category, reducing their electricityconsumption by 26kw or 0.62% compared tothe previous week. The school has won a prizeof a renewable energy education kit.

Pupils took on the role of Energy Detectives,helping to ensure lights, projectors and moni-tors were turned off and closing doors to saveon heating.

Across the county, Central Networks record-ed consumption as being 0.5% lower for theweek, amounting to a saving of £50,000 forthe week, equivalent to 195 tonnes of CO2.

Savings made in council buildings:• County Hall 5%• Leicester City Libraries and Leisure Centres

6.16% & 3%• Loughborough Town Hall & Council Offic-

es 10.5%Chairman of Enable (Environmental Action

for a Better Leicestershire) Prof Mike Prestonsaid: “I am pleased to see that so many peopletook part in this year’s Big Switch Off. It goesto show that energy, and money, can be savedby taking a few simple measures. The actionswe took during Big Switch Off week to saveenergy can be made on a day-to-day basis.

“If people remember to take simple steps asswitching off standby buttons on TVs andcomputers, unplugging phone chargers whichare not in use and switching off unnecessarylights in rooms that are empty, we will see areal difference.”

A NEW baby signing class starts at BirstallVillage Hall on January 15.

Baby signing classes help babies to commu-nicate with signs before they can talk.

TinyTalk Leicester is run by Heather Avul,mother to 28 month old Azad. She said: “Istarted to sign with Azad from day one butmore so from when he was 4 months old andhe did his first meaningful sign ‘more’ at 9months. By 13 months old, Azad had a signingvocabulary of 15-20 signs with some of hisfavourites being milk, more, car, duck, bird &flower. I really feel that signing has helped usto avoid the frustration many babies feel whenthey try to communicate but we adults areunable to understand them.”

Heather’s Birstall class starts with a freetaster session and runs every Friday duringterm time from 1.30-2.30pm.

For more details contact Heather 07800852443,[email protected],www.tinytalk.co.uk.

SAVINGS OF £700,000 a year are plannedby the County Council by reducing the lev-els of street lighting across the county.

The Council currently own and maintain66,000 street lights and 12,000 illuminatedsigns. It now uses low energy bulbs whenreplacing street lights or installing new ones,reducing energy consumption by 30%. Thecouncil are also removing illuminations fromsigns wherever possible.

The council plans to dim some of thebrightest lights on main roads between 10pmand 7am and to switch off some lights in ruralareas or in other locations where there are nohouses fronting onto the roads.

In consultation with local communities, theCouncil also intends to switch off lights inresidential areas between midnight and 5.30am.

The Council say the measures will reduceCO2 emissions by 3,000 tonnes a year, areduction of 23% of street light emissions, andsave £700,000 a year.

A design and risk assessment will be carriedout for every area in which changes areproposed. The plans are currently being devel-oped and no specific decisions on which streetlights will be affected has been made.

Energysavers

Pilbeamacademy

Lightingdimmed

Babysigning class

Home CarersRequiredAre you a caring person?Like varied work & job satisfaction?Join our team of carers in the Mountsorrel,Cropston, Quorn, Sileby, Syston, Birstall &Wymeswold areas.Flexible shifts, 10-40 hrs per week, &mornings, evenings and weekends availa-ble.No experience required as all training willbe provided.Up to £7.25hr, plus travel expenses. Tele-phone essential. Ring Debbie between8.30am & 4.30pm for more information on0116 2696247 (quoting reference BP)


THE BIRSTALL and Rothley Branch of theWorkers’ Educational Association offersthree choices for spring 2010.The English Country House

This is our very popular Tuesday morninghistory class and enrolments must be made bypost to secure a place. Please do not turn upat the first class as you could be disappointed!Enjoy history with this popular tutor.

Tutor: Colin GrovesVenue: The Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel

Lane, Rothley.Date and Time: Tuesday 12th January 2010

for 10 weeks 10.00-11.30amFees: £43.50 Concession A £39.15 (not

available for those retired) B FreeAfternoon Tai Chi

This is a lovely way to keep your bodysupple or gently move those flagging knee andhip joints. The soft-flowing movements to quietmusic promote stress reduction and well-beingand this class is suitable for all ages andabilities. The tutor will be pleased to discussthe movements if you have doubts about yourability to participate in this enjoyable form ofexercise. Beginners and those with experiencewill be very welcome.

Tutor: Laraine TuckerVenue: Birstall Methodist Church, Wanlip

Lane, BirstallDate and Time: Tuesday 12th January 2010

for 11 weeks 1.30-3.30pm

Fees: £63.80 Concession A £57.40 (notavailable to those retired) B FreeArt And Expressionism

From El Greco to van Gogh to JacksonPollock, this course explores the many anddifferent ways art is deemed to be‘expressionist’-art that is intended to move us,that raises subjective feeling over objectiveobservation. No previous knowledge is neces-sary-just a lively, open-minded interest in art!

Tutor: Janis BakerVenue: The Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel

Lane, Rothley.Date and Time: Wednesday 13th January

2010 for 10 weeks 7.15-9.15pmFees: £58 Concession A £52.50 (not availa-

ble to those retired) B FreeFor further information please contact Fran-

ca Freeman 0116 [email protected]

Postal enrolments to the WEA TreasurerJohn Laurance, 35 Seagrave Road, Sileby,Loughborough, Leicester LE12 7TN 01509813005

Visit www.birstallandrothleywea.org.uk foran enrolment form or pick up a brochurefrom your local library.

The Workers’ Educational Association is acharity registered in England and Wales(number 1112775) and in Scotland (numberSCO39239) and a company limited by guaran-tee registered in England and Wales (CompanyNumber 2806910.

Our Registered Office is at 70 Clifton St.,London EC2A 4HB

Does anyone have any photographs orinformation on the old wooden Rothley Bowl-ing Club Pavilion which was destroyed.

I am not sure what year it was destroyed,but I think it was probably in the 1970s. Anyphotographs or information would be greatlyappreciated.

Mrs A MayesTel: 0116 2302394 or

email:[email protected]

WEA courses

The Rothley Post welcomes your views andopinions on any subject. Letters, which mustinclude your name and address, (though notnecessarily for publication) can be posted to:The Birstall Post, Longslade College, WanlipLane, Birstall, Leicester LE4 4GH, or handed inat Rothley library, Rothley Post Office,Woodgate or email:[email protected]

YOUR SAY...

May I through your columns offer a big‘thank you’ to your readers for their generouscontributions to our Santa collection onceagain this year

Each year Soar Valley Rotary membersaccompany Santa around the local villages andat Budgens’ supermarket in Mountsorrel, col-lecting for our charity appeal. In this way, weare able to help many good causes includingLOROS and Rainbows.

Those we visit donate generously andSanta’s sleigh is greeted with delight by youngand old – indeed it is not always the childrenwho seem most excited! This year was particu-larly noteworthy since, despite the difficultiesof the credit crunch and the weather, weraised £5,109. You can find more about us atwww.SoarValleyRotary.co.uk

So our thanks once again to all who wereable to contribute and especially to the FrancisMotor Group, without whose support Santawould have had to rely on reindeer poweralone.

We look forward to visiting you all again,next year.

Roger W WilliamsPresident – The Rotary Club of the Soar

Valley

Pavilion

Thanks

Classes in Ballet, Tap, Modern & Nationalfor children from age 3.

Held at Rothley Village Hall, on Monday & Tuesdayevening, & at Rothley Baptist Church, Woodgate,

from 4.30pm on Wednesday

All classes can lead to stagework, medalsand examinations.

New Classes start Mon Jan 4.Ladies Tap classes for experienced orbeginners held on Mondays at 7pm.

JOIN US FOR FUN, EXERCISE OR EXAMINATIONSPrincipal: Antonia Pilbeam F.D.D.A.

PILBEAM ACADEMYof DANCE

Tel: 01509 816117

NEW PUPILS WELCOME


CHILDREN CAN learn the sport of fencing ata new club that starts this month.

The Mini Fencing Club is for young peopleaged six to 10 and will be held at BurleighCommunity College, Thorpe Hill, Loughbor-ough. The 10 week course costs £25 and ison Fridays from 5.30-6.30pm. It starts onJanuary 15.

To enrol call 01509 554400 or visit collegereception.

AIRPORT CARS Birstall. Airports, Sea-ports, Long Distance, Courier. Tel: 07771984806

AMLI DESIGN Architectural Consultancy.Plans drawn and submitted. Extensions,conversions, new build. David IvesB.Sc.(Hons) FBEng MCIOB 01162674395/07974807111www.amlidesign.co.uk

raising £55 for LOROS, all four bears went,together, to a very good home, where one luckylittle girl about to be born will have four lovelyfurry friends to welcome her into the world.

7 Wellsic Lane, Rothley – Reduce the height ofone oak tree

Brookfields Farm, 5 Hallfields Lane, Rothley –Screening Opinion at land at Brookfields Farm

30, 32 & 34 Homefield Lane, Rothley – fellchestnut trees, 1 to front of No.30, 2 to front of32 and 2 to front of 34 Homefield Lane

White Gables, 14 Church Street, Rothley – fell 1conifer and 1 cedar

30 Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley – erection of con-servatory to rear of dwelling

57 Woodgate, Rothley – pollard 1 willow tree

30 The Ridings, Rothley – erection of two storeyextension to side of dwelling

97 Swithland Lane, Rothley – erection of twostorey extension to front, side and rear anderection of entrance canopy to front of dwelling

103 Station Road, Cropston – single storey rearextension, front porch and internal alterationsto ground floor

201 Leicester Road, Thurcaston - erection ofsingle storey extension to front, rear and side ofdwelling

173 Station Road, Cropston – erection of exten-sions to side and rear of dwelling and associatedworks

47 Latimer Road, Cropston – erection of 1st floorextension over garage to side and canopy tofront of dwelling

LONGSLADE COLLEGE is celebrating its fifti-eth birthday in 2010.

The college is looking for former studentsand staff who would like to take part in thecelebrations or help organise them, by joininga committee to plan events across the year.

The college would also like to hear fromyou if you have any photographs or memora-bilia.

Contact Melody Mitchell [email protected] or phonethe college on 0116 2677107 and leave yourdetails

Small AdsSmall ads are 25p for the first 16 words.

17-32 words: 50p. Enclosing payment, postyour ad to us or hand it in (inside anenvelope) at Rothley library or Rothley PostOffice on Woodgate.

Trade/business rates for small ads are25p a word. You are liable for thetrade/business rate if you are offering aservice for which you are asking for pay-ment, or if you are advertising new goodsfor sale. All text will be printed bold. Boxoutline £1 extra. Max 50 words.

AT THE Rothley & Soar Valley Lions’ ChristmasParty held on Saturday, December 12 at Bee-dles Lakes Golf Club, Lion President (andLOROS Lottery collector) Norma Grimes intro-duced four very special bears who were look-ing for a good home.

These were Caring Bear, born in 2006,Thoughtful Bear, born in 2007, Friendly Bear,born in 2008 and Loving Bear, born in 2009. Ineach of those years their brothers and sisters hadbeen offered for adoption by LOROS supporterswho qualified by having supported the LOROSlottery for the whole year.

At the end of the auction which followed,

MANY PEOPLE in the East Midlands who areentitled to a cash increase in their income aremissing out simply because they assume theyare not entitled to Working Tax Credit (WTC),says HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

HMRC have set up on online calculator ena-bling anyone who thinks they might be eligible forWTC to quickly find out for sure whether they arelikely to be entitled – and by how much.

The average amount of WTC unclaimed is£1,600 a year so some people will qualify forsignificantly more.

Working Tax Credit is payable to people whoare in work and on a low income, and you don’thave to have children to qualify. In 2007/08,£720 million was paid out to claimants of WTCwithout children.

Anyone with queries about tax credits cancheck online at www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxccredits or,to make a claim, call the Helpline on 0845 3021415.

Mini fencing

Planning

Lions auction bears

Increase yourincome

Longslade 50


Coffee Morningat The Methodist Church

Howe Lane, RothleyOn Saturday March 6

10-11.30amProceeds in aid of

Loughborough Street PastorsRaffle, Tombola, Cake Stall, White Ele-

phant etcEntrance 50p

• • •

LoughboroughFarmers Market

Devonshire Square, LoughboroughBetween 9am and 3pm

Every monthNext markets Jan 13, Feb 10

Wide variety of local produce: meats, sau-sage, bacon & cured meats, rare breed

meats, meat, savoury & fruit pies, fruit &vegetables inc organic, plants & flowers,

herbs, therapeutic herbal products, honey& beeswax products, chutneys & pickles,jams & preserves, homemade cookingsauces, wholemeal flour, muesli, fruitjuices, eggs & cheeses, bread & cakes.

To book a stall or find out more call Mar-kets and Fairs team 01509 634624,

email: [email protected] log on to www.charnwood.gov.uk

• • •Birstall Methodist Church

Saturday March 2710am-2pm

Table Top SaleTables @ £10

Contact Mary 2672606• • •

Praise PartyOrganised by Rothley Parish Church for

children in Years 1-6Rothley School, 5.30-7pm on Saturday

January 16.The Praise Party will be a fantastic event,with music, games, dance, drama, story-telling, teaching, puppetry etc on a Chris-

tian theme.To book a place for your child or for any

further details, please contact Alison God-frey 0116 212 8552.

• • •Topic: Real World Fat Loss Semi-nar – The Truth About Fat Loss

Real life strategies reinforced by the lat-est scientific research to help you drop fat

fast.Date: Wednesday January 27

Time: 6pmVenue: Old School Rooms, School Street,

Rothley, Leics LE7 7RA• • •

Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council

Film Presentations‘The Boat that Rocked’

Friday Jan 22 (104 mins)They say that laughter is good for us.

January’s comedy is the high-spirited sto-ry of how the world was changed by roguedisc jockeys who broadcasted from a boatin the middle of the North Sea. The songsthey played united and defined an entiregeneration and drove the British Govern-ment crazy. This film features an unbe-

lievable selection of music

‘Creation’Friday Feb 19 (108 mins)

Based on the biography of CharlesDarwin’s great, great grandson, it re-

counts the relationship of Darwin with hisdaughter Annie as he writes the ‘Origin of

Species’. Having just returned from theGalapagos Islands, Darwin feels a rift with

his wife, Emma, concerning their Faith.With great soul-searching, the manuscriptis finally completed and Emma packages it

up for the publishers.Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council willbe showing these films at Thurcaston Me-morial Hall. Starting at 7.30pm, tickets

cost £4, concessions £3.50. Price includesrefreshments and a lucky prize draw.

Advance tickets can be purchased via theparish office 0116 236 7626 or at the

door.• • •

The next in the series of

Charity Whist Drivesorganised by Derek Farr will be held inthe Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane,Rothley on Thursdays Jan 7, Feb 4 and

Mar 4 commencing at 7.30pm

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]

Noticeboardall details printed free

Documents

Rothley Post Jan 2010 (80)