The Bradgate Magazine, March 2013

THE BRADGATE MAGAZINE

Bradgate

The

March / April 2013

magazine THE START

OF SOMETHING NEW!

LOUGHBOROUGH MARCH / APRIL 2013 | ISSUE 1

Discover what the town can offer you!

MOTHERING SUNDAY The Beginnings

WWW.THEBRADGATEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Your Local Community Magazine March / April 2013

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CONTENTS 10

THE LOROS TWILIGHT WALK

Dubbed ‘the biggest girls night out in Leicester’ this fantastic charity event aims to paint the town pink when women unite!

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BACK THE CHARNWOOD BID!

Read all about the lottery bid to boost the Charnwood Forest and how ‘people power’ could seal the deal!

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HELP BRING LEICESTER BACK TO PROSPERITY

Despite the woeful state of the British economy our article inspires the youth of today with the esteemed history that our County boasts.

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LOUGHBOROUGH HAS IT ALL!

Take a stroll through the streets of Loughborough and see what it has to offer you...

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MOTHERS DAY vs MOTHERING SUNDAY!?

Read about the history off the day we take joy in celebrating, whilst browsing some great ideas for the perfect gift in presented by our very own local businesses!

COVER PHOTO Our fantastic cover photo of ‘A New Dawn In Bradgate’ was taken by Pete from Leicestershire Lettings.

Many Thanks!

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Welcome...

A great big welcome to ‘The Bradgate Magazine’, your new, local, heart-of-the-community magazine that puts you, the reader, at the forefront of our attentions. We hope you enjoy this first issue but as means of a teaser, this is what we’re offering….

Keeping with Mother’s Day or should that be Mothering Sunday!!!.....there’s also some great ideas for gifts for all our mothers, moms and mummy’s on pages 40-43, so get looking and get shopping and in turn, let’s make sure we support our local businesses.

We have a variety of features to put before you which we hope you’ll find of interest, from charity news (page 10) to items on local interest and history (page 16), we’ve even got your local cubs covered (pages 22-23) as well business and entertainment ideas to peruse on pages 28 and 29 respectively.

Those that enjoy the outdoors will appreciate our gardening news and motorists section on pages 47 and pages 52-55 respectively.

Our main features this edition turn the spotlight on Loughborough Town and come March 10th, Mothering Sunday too; we’ve also an interesting article on page 41 as to the origins of Mothering Sunday versus that of the more transatlantic, Mother’s Day – read on to find out more.

With so much to keep you occupied and enthralled with we’ll hope you agree that the new Bradgate magazine embraces all that’s important to our community. With this in mind and without further ado, we hope you enjoy your read….

Ed & the team

CONTACT US: editor@thebradgatemagazine.co.uk | 01530 249589 | www.thebradgatemagazine.co.uk To submit editorial please email: editor@thebradgatemagazine.co.uk

ADVERTISING: For anyone wishing to advertise in The Bradgate Magazine please contact the editor for prices, deadlines and offers!

Our Disclaimer: Reasonable care is taken to ensure that The Bradgate Magazine and website are as accurate as possible, as of the time of publication, but no liability can be taken by The Bradgate Magazine for any errors, opinions or omissions contained herein.

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The LOROS Twilight Walk There is one night in the LOROS event diary that strikes fear in to the hearts of men all over Leicester, one night that unites mothers, daughters, sisters and friends, a night where the ladies takeover King Power Stadium and paint the town PINK! This night is known as The LOROS Twilight Walk and registration is now open for the event which takes place on Saturday 23rd March.

Year on year LOROS continue to set records with this event and it is now one of their BIGGEST annual fundraisers with last year’s walk raising in excess of £50,000. This year LOROS event organisers have had to stagger start times for the walk in order to allow more people to take part!

This event sees women from all over the East Midlands coming together for the BIGGEST GIRLS NIGHT OUT IN LEICESTER and to raise vital funds for their local hospice.

When Head teacher Fiona Parr of Rothley Primary School heard that the theme this year was “Back to School” she couldn’t wait to get her female colleagues together to take part in the event for the second year running. Fiona said “Sadly we lost our colleague Sarah at LOROS in December 2011 so when we heard about the Twilight Walk we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to come together and do something to raise money for LOROS and also to remember Sarah. The camaraderie and ‘bon amie’ of the occasion really helped to lift our spirits.

LOROS encourages participants to embrace the theme and to don fancy dress for the occasion where there will be a scrupulous (demon) headmaster and plenty of playground games to get you warmed up before you take to the streets.

Christian Weikert – Picker, organiser of the event said; “It’s incredible to see how women come together on this very special night. Women really see it as a chance to come out and let their hair down, whilst at the same time doing something completely worthwhile for charity”.

To see more details about the event, a course map and to register please visit www.thetwilightwalk.co.uk. If you register before the end of February you could also be in with the chance of winning a Pandora bracelet!

Men, if you are feeling left out (and brave!) we have plenty of opportunities for volunteers available on the night. Please call the LOROS fundraising department on 0116 2318431 for more information.

‘Paws 4 a Cause’ Sponsored Dog Walk for LOROS Join us for ‘Paws 4 a Cause’ Sponsored Dog walk for LOROS Hospice! The 4km Sponsored Dog Walk will be held on Sunday 3rd March 2013, starting at the Bandstand in the beautiful grounds of Abbey Park, in Leicester.

The Dog Walk will have set start times between 11am-1pm. Each dog will be rewarded with a branded dog tag on completion of the walk along with a FREE goody bag! There will be prizes for the most sponsorship money raised and handed in!

For FREE Registration and to receive your sponsorship pack for ‘Paws 4 a Cause’, please call fundraising today on 0116 2318431 or please visit the LOROS website www.loros.co.uk /fundraising to register online.

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Charity Pages Volunteers Urgently Needed To Help Unique Local Charity As a registered charity the Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation relies on its volunteer support and is currently looking for more volunteers to offer support, care and friendship to a wide variety of people.

Based at Ulverscroft, near Markfield, the Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation has two properties and extensive grounds which are used to offer support, care and friendship the elderly, adults with disabilities and young people through a variety of services; including day visits to Ulverscroft Manor, Ulverscroft Grange Community Support and Wellbeing Centre with Tea Rooms and Charity Shop and the Yew Trail Outdoor Classroom and Creative Space.

Alan Norman, Chief Executive of the Foundation, said “we are fortunate to have a wonderful team of volunteers, and without them we would not be able to continue the work that we do; but as the Foundation continues to grow and develop the services it provides, the need for volunteers continues to increase.”

In order to promote the volunteering opportunities available the Foundation is holding a Recruitment Evening on Tuesday 26th February, 2013 at 6.30 p.m. at Ulverscroft Grange, Whitwick Road, Ulverscroft, Leicestershire, LE67 9QB where individuals will have the opportunity to find out more about the work of the charity and the different roles on offer.

Mr Norman added “the Foundation has several volunteering opportunities, and we would be delighted to welcome as many people as possible on 26th February, when they will have the chance to find out more about this wonderful charity and how they can become involved. The Foundation appreciates that people have other commitments and therefore is grateful for any support given.”

For more information about the Volunteer Recruitment Evening at the Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation, please telephone 01530 244914 or email admin@shuttlewood-clarke.org.

Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation – Registered Charity Number 803525 www.shuttlewood-clarke.org | www.yewtrail.org.uk

Charity Whist Drive The next in the series of Charity Whist Drives organised

by Derek Farr will be held in the Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley at 7.30 on Thursday 7th March. Admission £2.00. All players welcome.

Rainbows Benefits From Bowlers’ Fundraising The Immediate Past Presidents of Syston Bowling Club, Stan Page and Sheila Parker (right) presented a fantastic cheque for £2,300, the proceeds of a yearlong series of fundraising activities in the Club, to Rainbows Ambassador, Ann Hurt (middle), during a regular monthly coffee morning held in the clubhouse in December. The additional £5 note was a late donation received on the day of the event!

Country & Western Cabaret Night The Rotary Club of the Soar Valley invite you to a Country and Western Cabaret Night starring Country and Western duo “Double Barrel”.

15th March 2013 at the Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley – 7.30 for 8pm.

Tickets (inc’ a light supper) £10 - available from Rothley Fisheries or telephone either Carl - 0116 2376059; Roy – 0116 2303364; or Ivan – 01509 261152.

Proceeds to Rotary Charities - The Rotary Club of the Soar Valley Charitable Trust - registered charity number 1047245).

Ladies Circle Coffee Morning Methodist Church, Howe Lane, Rothley. March 9th 2013 from 10am to 11:30am.

The stalls will include a raffle, tombola, cakes & white elephant. Entrance fee £1 including tea, coffee & biscuits.

Proceeds in aid of Menphys and Methodist Church Funds.

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Charity Pages Lions Care For Inter Care Members of Rothley & Soar Valley Lions Club are so impressed by the work of Inter Care, the charity based in Syston, that, in a small presentation ceremony set in their warehouse, a cheque for £500 was handed to Mrs Carol Austin, the Resource Manager of Inter Care, by Lion President Ruth Johnson. Also in the photograph is Harry Ludlam, Executive Fundraiser and Lion Norma Grimes, also a volunteer for Inter Care.

Inter Care collects no-longer needed and surplus medicines (which must have a shelf-life of 15 months from expiry for reuse) from pharmaceutical companies and doctor’s surgeries, sorts them appropriately under licence, then donates them to hospitals and health-care units in rural Sub-Saharan Africa where the needs are greatest. They also collect and send dressings and small medical and surgical equipment and provide an information service.

The charity was founded in 1974 by two British doctors who realised that large quantities of useful on-date medical and surgical supplies are discarded in the UK every year and that rural clinics in Africa are desperately short of these supplies.

At the present time, 104 rural units in six African countries, Cameroon, Ghana, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia, receive a consignment twice a year, representing over £664,000 of medicines - medicines which would otherwise be sent to landfill or incineration in this country - and contributing to the health care of around 2.5 million people.

Lion President Ruth said that Rothley & Soar Valley Lions are very pleased to offer support to this, a local charity making a large international impact and 100 percent reliant on public donations. Only lack of funds for shipping and running costs prevent the charity from supporting more health centres in the six countries, where 34 health units are currently on the waiting list.

Inter Care has received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, which recognises and rewards excellence carried out by volunteer groups in the local community - the highest award given to such groups in the UK. Without the dedication and expertise of over 50 volunteers Inter Care would not exist.

Carol Austin and Alan Mellor, Chair of the Board of Trustees, accompanied by Tony Roe of the BBC Inside Out programme, travelled on a monitoring visit to Malawi, where 16 health centres were visited. The recording, broadcast on 7th January, followed all stages of Inter Care’s work - from medicines being donated, carefully screened and recycled by volunteers, to the boxes of medical aid being opened and used at these health centres. Tony Roe said ”seeing first hand the difference made was really important and you can understand and appreciate the hard conditions these people live in daily”.

Rothley & Soar Valley Lions are proud to contribute in a small way to the work of Inter Care, truly a unique and humanitarian charity.

Rotary Club Presentation To Local Charities Soar Valley Rotary members took time out from their “Rabbie Burns” celebration at Rothley Court recently (Mon 3rd Feb), whilst Club President Graham Martin, presented cheques to some of the good causes that the Club is supporting this year.

Amongst the charities to benefit were LOROS, Rainbows, Wishes4Kids. MacMillan Cancer Care, Canine-­‐Partners and the Alzheimers Society. Handing over the cheques, Rotary Club President Graham Martin said: “As a result of the generosity of local people over Christmas and fellow Rotarians at a recent dinner, I am delighted that Soar Valley Rotary can today make donations totalling over £3,000 to these excellent charities. We continue to support the great work locally of LOROS, Rainbows and Wishes4Kids, together with MacMillan Cancer Care and this year the Alzheimers Society, which funds support and research into this disease, which affects so many today. We wish all of these charities continued success in their support of vulnerable people.”

The Rotary Club raises it’s charitable funds by a wide variety of events each year, most notably our Christmas collection around the villages.

Our next major fundraising event will be a Charity Country & Western Cabaret at the Rothley Centre on Friday 15th March. Everyone is welcome and tickets (£10 inc. buffet) are now available from Rothley Fisheries or by telephoning 0116 237 6059. Pictured after receiving cheques are (L-­R): Ivan Brookes of Rainbows; Club President Graham Martin; Kishor Mistry ‐ LOROS; and Russell Brickett - Wishes4Kids.

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Local Interest National Trust Leicester Association The National Trust has announced details of some properties that will be open for the first time in 2013. In Grasmere, Cumbria, Allan Bank, will open seven days a week from March 18th. Allan Bank has been owned by the Trust for many years but has always been rented to a long term tenant. It was once home to William Wordsworth and Canon Rawnsley, one of the founders of the National Trust, but was seriously damaged by fire in 2011. The house has been partially restored and visitors will see the house, the surrounding woodland and take in the stunning views over Lake Grasmere. I am personally interested in this development as I knew one of the tenants and have stayed in the house.

Also in Cumbria, Wray Castle on the western shore of Lake Windermere near Ambleside is an amazing large mockgothic castle. The property is empty of the original furniture but visitors will be able to touch the architectural features and stroll in the beautiful grounds that run down to the lake. Wray Castle opens seven days a week from March 23rd.

In London, 575 Wandsworth Road, Lambeth, will open on March 2nd but as this is a modest terraced house admission will be by pre booked ticket only. The house has been turned into a work of art with breathtaking hand-carved fretwork covering the walls in every room.

In addition new countryside owned by the Trust at Windermere and Arnside in Cumbria, at Stackpole near Pembroke and at Minnowburn near Belfast, Northern Ireland will all be open daily to the public.

Locally Calke Abbey has a Kite Flying day on Sunday 24th March from 11.00am to 4.00pm and an Easter Trail for children from Friday 29th to Sunday 31st March, 11.00am – 3.30pm.

The National Trust Leicester Association has an evening meeting on Tuesday 12th March when David Templeman will present an illustrated talk on Mary Queen of Scots – The Captive Queen 1568-84. The meeting will be held at Braunstone West Social Centre, St Mary’s Avenue, Braunstone West at 7.30pm.

There will be an afternoon meeting on Wednesday 27th March at St Guthlac’s Memorial Hall, Holbrook Road, Leicester at 2.30pm. Clive Katz (NT) will present an illustrated talk on Lindisfarne Castle.

Admission to both meetings is NTLA members £2.50 and visitors £4.00 including refreshments. For more information on the NT Leicester Association and its Talks Service call 0116 2229133.

Alan Tyler, Chairman.

Retirement with a ‘Passion’ for local family doctor Following the successful premier of his opera Ivanhoe in 2011, former GP Dr John Middleton is producing his new oratorio St John Passion at Loughborough Trinity Methodist church on Saturday 23rd March at 7.30pm.

Over 30 years of service as a local family doctor have provided him with experience of human life, which has helped to contribute realism and emotional intensity to the process of musical composition.

Dr Middleton writes: ‘The work is not based on a series of set-piece arias and choruses, but is through-written continuous recitative. I have tried to juxtapose, combine and transform fragments of the themes in a symphonic process. At times, the thoughts of Jesus are externalized to voices in the chorus.

The tension inherent in my interpretation of John’s gospel is manifested by frequent changes of key and tempo, dissonance within a basically tonal structure, and an episode of atonality in the Gethsemane section. Some people say that my music is modal and uses pentatonic scales, or that the style is not especially religious. Certainly there are elements of jazz and blues. Musically, I am acknowledging that today there is a diversity of views about who Jesus was or is.’

The principal role is taken by well-known tenor, Lyndon Gardner; other soloists are Clare Proctor, Irene Goodrich, Kathryn Greenlee, Adrian Dobson, Martin Vindelis, David Henshaw, Barry Smith and Stephen Foster. The singers and a small chamber ensemble are conducted by the renowned music director, Kate King. The sound is augmented by a large virtual orchestra.

For more information, go to www.composersalliance.com and click on upcoming events, or on composers, then John Middleton This is an unique opportunity to attend the premier of a large scale work by a local composer.

Tickets (£5) are available from David Concannon, tel: 827107 (or 414613).

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Local History Heritage Warden: Thurcaston with Cropston The Census in 2001 and 1086 Our parish had a population at the 2001 Census of 2,076, with around 1,200 in Cropston and 800 in Thurcaston.

Leicestershire County Council has published an information breakdown which makes fascinating reading. Either google or visit the site - http://www.charnwood.gov.uk. Statistical information is available on gender, people living in households or communal establishments, ages, marital status, employment, health, and educational qualifications.

The results of the census are an important resource for many, not least our governing bodies nationally, regionally and locally. The Age Structure data, for instance, informs that 21.4% of us are over 65, and 4.75% below school age, and our local and national councils can use this information as appropriate. Today’s census is multi-purpose, but it wasn’t always so.

England took its first Census when the Domesday Book was compiled in 1086. William the Conqueror was 60 years old, settled into a routine in his new country, and – as the “Anglo-Saxon Chronicle” puts it – “The King had much thought and very deep discussion with his council about this country – how it was settled and with what kind of people. Then he sent his men all over England, into every shire, and had them find out how many hides (units of land) there were in every shire, or what land and cattle the king himself had in the country, or what dues he ought to have each year.”

This census had a result! Following 1066 a comparatively small number (20-30,000) of Normans became “managers” of the 2 million or so Anglo-Saxon and Danish inhabitants. William closed the avenues of any possible escape from taxation. He knew what he had, and who held it. The populous saw a parallel with God’s judgement from which there is no escape, and the census was nicknamed the “Domesday book”. William’s grandson, Bishop Henry of Winchester, described its purpose- “Man should know his right not usurp another’s”, but his viewpoint is obviously biased, and the statement ironic as the land had been taken by the Normans.

TURCHITELESTONE

“In Thurcaston 9 c of land. Land for 4 ploughs. In lordship 2 (ploughs); 4 slaves. 22 villagers with 4 smallholders have 6 ploughs. A mill at 3s; woodland 2 leagues long and ½ league wide. The value was 30s; now £4. Leofwin held it freely.”

The land is one among many entries for the “Land of Hugh of Grandesmil”. In 1086 he was the owner of a great deal of land. We will look at Leofric and Hugh of Grandesmil in later articles.

Diane Denton, Heritage Warden | tel: 01162362655 | email: dianedenton@live.co.uk

NEW: Local network forms to promote the benefits of learning outside the classroom A group of organisations, ranging from outdoor activity providers, forest school / woodland craft trainers to schools and youth groups have got together to form the Leicestershire & Rutland LOtC Network. The group, many of whom are holders of the LOtC Quality Badge, meet quarterly to develop ways to promote the many benefits that LOtC brings to children and adults from all sections of the community and encourage more providers to attain LOtC Quality Badge status.

Alan Norman from the Yew Trail Outdoor Classroom and a founder member of the network said “Venues that have the LOtC Quality Badge can provide a safe, stimulating and creative, educational environment for children of all ages, abilities and diverse ethnic and social backgrounds. They allow children to explore, enjoy and experience the world through practical involvement and offer a variety of activities that suit the learning needs and styles of a range of individuals; providing the opportunity to link in to and study many cross curriculum topics” The group is looking to expand and would welcome new members. If you have a passion for Learning Outside the Classroom and would like to help develop and promote its benefits within Leicestershire and Rutland please contact Alan Norman at yewtrail@shuttlewood-clarke.org or Alan Godber at volunteering@warningzone.org.uk

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Local Interest Back the bid to boost the Charnwood Forest A campaign has been launched to encourage people to get behind a lottery bid to help enhance the Charnwood Forest.

Leicestershire County Council is hoping people power will help it secure up to £3m Heritage Lottery funding towards conserving one of the country’s most ancient, beautiful and environmentally diverse areas.

Residents can play an essential part in the bid by filling in a questionnaire – available at www.leics.gov.uk/charnwood_forest - about what they think about the area and what initiatives they would like to see happen there.

If successful, the lottery money will be used to help support a range of programmes to conserve and enhance the landscape, and improve access.

Projects could include increasing training opportunities in countryside skills, the running of classes about the area’s history, historical recording and archaeological surveying.

Lesley Pendleton, Leicestershire County Councillor for Environment and Transport and Chairman of the Charnwood Forest Regional Park Steering Group, said: “The Charnwood Forest is a beautiful and unique area that is of important geological, historical and environmental significance.

“We hope people who either live in the area or who like to visit it will get behind our bid by filling in the questionnaire.

“Their responses will help demonstrate support and contribute to shaping what sort of schemes the money would be used for to help preserve its unique character.”

The Charnwood Forest takes in parts of the districts of Charnwood, North West Leicestershire and Hinckley and Bosworth.

Hard copies of the questionnaire can be requested by calling 0116 3057067.

The Charnwood Forest contains: • Some of the oldest rocks in Britain – some containing the first evidence of multi-cellular life on earth (the Charnia Fossil, one of the oldest fossils on earth, was found in the area by a school boy in 1957) • Eighty five species of breeding birds • Nine species of amphibians and reptiles • Twenty one species of spiders • Bradgate Park, Beacon Hill Country Park and the Great Central Railway For further details, see www.leics.gov.uk/charnwood_forest Photo: (from left to right) David Snartt, Chairman of the Bradgate Park Trust, Lesley Pendleton, Chairman of the Charnwood Regional Park Steering Group and county council lead member for environment & transport and Peter Tyldesley, land agent at the Bradgate Park Trust, launch a campaign to encourage people to get behind a lottery bid to enhance the Charnwood Forest.

Ulverscroft Grange Gallery Ulverscroft Grange Gallery are holding a joint exhibition by Julian Price & Jenny Brooks. There will be framed or mounted watercolours, photographs, canvases, pen and ink work and cards.

The showing has free entry, car parking, disabled access, toilets and a great tea room.

A percentage of all sales goes to the Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation, read all about their great work and see how you can get involved on their website: www.shuttlewood-clarke.org There will be artists demonstrating on Thursdays, Feb 28th, March 7th, March 14th, March 21st, and March 28th From 11am until 2pm.

For further information please contact Louise on 01530 244914, email admin@shuttlewood-clarke. org or email julian.price70@ntlworld.com. Ulverscroft Grange, Whitwick Road, Ulverscroft, Nr Markfield, Leicestershire, LE67 9QB. March / April 2013

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Local Clubs Woodhouse & Woodhouse Eaves Local History Group A most entertaining talk was given to Woodhouse & Woodhouse Eaves Local History Group on Monday, 14 January 2013 by Mel Gould entitled ‘The early history of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment’.

In the 17th century, Great Britain did not have a standing army and in 1688, it was decided to raise 25 Regiments. On 27 September 1688 a commission was issued to Colonel Soloman Richards to raise one of these new Regiments.

In 1689, the Regiment was sent to Ireland under the command of Colonel Lundy to defend the City of Derry. Colonel Lundy wanted to abandon the City whilst under attack and returned the army to the mainland. 25 Apprentice Boys were able to close the gates of Derry and saved the City. To this day, an effigy of ‘Lundy the Traitor’ is burnt every year in Londonderry.

In 1694, the Regiment was part of the British Expeditionary Force sent to France. In 1695 it won special distinction and its first Battle Honour for the gallant part all ranks played in the siege of Namur, a strongly fortified town which was deemed impregnable.

In 1751, a royal warrant assigned numbers to regiments of the line and the unit became the 17th Regiment of Foot.

In 1756, the Regiment formed part of the 4000 strong force under General James Wolfe who scaled the Heights of Abraham in the dark at Quebec and captured the City. General Wolfe was fatally wounded in the attack and died a few days later. The Regiment then took a very active part in the American War of Independence; it’s most notable being the Battle of Princeton in 1777 when 240 soldiers of the 17th Foot found themselves surrounded by the 4000 strong army of General Washington, only extricating themselves, with the colours after the most vigorous hand to hand fighting.

The Regiment was then stationed in Nova Scotia and in Newfoundland until 1788. In 1782 it received a county title as well becoming the 17th (the Leicestershire) Regiment of Foot and being ordered to cultivate a connection with the county and to recruit from there.

The Regimental tie has diagonal bands of light grey, red and black – the light grey commemorates the Battle of Princeton and the black the death of General Wolfe.

In 1839, the Regiment of 16,500 men with 38,000 followers went to Afghanistan, the group said to extend 50 miles and required 60 camels just to carry the Colonel’s personal effects. It then took part in the attack on the Fort of Ghuzee, said to be impregnable. After its capture, a group of 14,000 men, women and children returned to India through the Khyber Pass where they were all killed with only 1 survivor, Dr. Brydon.

The Regiment was sent to Gibraltar in 1854 and, when war with Russia broke out, it formed part of the army which landed in the Crimea. There it experienced all the rigours and privations of the siege of Sevastopol, taking part in the fierce assaults on the Redan on 18 June 1855 where Sergeant Phillip Smith won the first Victoria Cross for the Regiment.

The army was led by Lords Raglan, Lucan and Cardigan, the latter famous for the Charge of the Light Brigade over 1.1/2 miles towards the Russian guns (The Gallant 600). During this war, the mini-ball (an early type of bullet) was introduced which gave the army rifles a much longer range The Telegraph which relayed news back to Great Britain much faster was invented. The public were appalled by rapid arrival of news and conditions from the battlefield and this lead to urgent reforms in medical facilities (Florence Nightingale), equipment and logistics.

The Childers reforms of 1881 created multi-battalion regiments. Each regiment had a designated regimental district and also incorporated local militia and rifle volunteers. The Leicestershire Regiment was formed on 1 July 1881 based at Glen Parva.

Enquiries about our next meeting to 01509 890788.

Loughborough RSPB Group 8th March 2013 Loughborough RSPB Local Group present a talk entitled ‘Webbed Feet’ by Steve Lovell. It will be held in the Lecture Theatre at the Brockington Building Loughborough University at 7.45pm. Price: £3 Group Members, £3.50 Non members, LU Students with SU card gratis.

15th March 2013 Loughborough RSPB Local Group have a Wildlife Walk at Swithland Reservoir and Budden Brook at 10am until 12 noon.

Meet at the dam - SK562132.

Full details for both meetings can be found on the group’s website - www.rspb.org.uk/groups/loughborough/events/

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Local Clubs NEW : Rothley Inaugural Meeting Being unable to fulfil the criteria set out by The Federation of Womens’ Institutes, the Rothley WI has sadly now closed following the last meeting at beginning of December 2012. However a number of members wishing not to loose with old touch with old friends wished to carry on meeting at the usual time and date with a view to forming a social group to discuss how to go forward.

Thus the Inaugural meeting took place at Rothley Centre, 2pm Wednesday 9th January 2013. It was a very well attended meeting and a good number of unanimous decisions were voiced and met, not least the name for the new group, format for future meetings, times and dates and future plans for various events and entertainments over the coming months were discussed and agreed by all. This first meeting proved very interesting and promising for the future with all decisions being democratically and warmly met for what will now be known as ‘Rothley Ladies Group’. We offer anyone who wishes to join us to come and meet a friendly, sociable group of likeminded ladies who will enjoy sharing plans for future events with you.

For further information, why not pop into Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley. 2pm - 4pm Wednesday 5th February 2013.

We’ll be delighted to meet you. There will be a warm welcome with Tea/Coffee and Biscuits. Visitors and guests £2.

Ulverscroft Camera Club We have had a pretty interesting time since our last report. We had our Christmas celebration by way of a skittles night at the Wheatsheaf Inn at Thurcaston where much jollity was had by all to be followed by an excellent meal of Christmas Fayre. The only complaints were that there was too much to eat.

Our first meeting in January 2013 was held at Ulverscroft Manor whilst the Grange was going through its annual maintenance. That was rather nice where after a quick EGM we actually strengthened the clubs committee then proceeded with a “Show and Tell”. It was also a time when we could welcome new members to the club. Sadly our meeting due on the 22nd January was postponed due to the horrid weather that was around so we will add a week onto our present schedule and finish for the summer in June instead of May 2013.

Meetings will continue every second Tuesday at Ulverscroft Grange where we will follow our normal pattern of workshops followed by a photo related talk or illustration. Our latest Away Day to Custom Frames in Nottingham was a great success with some of the members going on to Woolaton Park afterwards. On Tuesday 5th February we were fortunate to have Mike Webster, a lifelong Ulverscroft resident, to talk to us about the local wildlife.

Rothley Ivanhoe Tennis Club Rothley Ivanhoe Tennis Club have announced that they have been successful in gaining grant aid for their development plans. The club plan to make improvements to the area around the courts to ensure that the club feels a safe and welcoming place to play tennis particularly in the autumn and winter when it is dark. The plans include a security lighting plan, removing broken slabs and putting in place matting over the grassed area through which the grass can grow. The club also plans to make improvements to courts 5 and 6 and the club development plans include floodlighting to prove an additional 1000 hours of playing time during the year. Anne Mumford from the tennis club committee said “the club has a fantastic all year round programme with opportunities for people to play in competitions and to mix-in socially as well as offering coaching for all ages and cardio tennis”. The club has confirmed grants from BIFFA and Lafarge’s community landfill programmes, Charnwood Borough Council and the Harry Hames Cottage Trust. The club has an open day on Saturday 16th March from noon to 2pm followed by opportunities for joining in the club tennis afternoon and junior coaching sessions. Half price adult membership is available on or before that day.

For more information: www.rothleytennis.info | Email: enquiries@rothleytennis.info | Phone: 0775 7833 360

Loughborough Lions Club Charity Bridge Drive The Charity Bridge Drive will be organised by the Loughborough Lions Club on Wednesday 24th April 2013 at 1.30pm with afternoon tea provided at a cost of £6 per person.

To book a table please contact Jackie on 0116 2303317 or email: brianjackie.popple@ntlworld.com.

The Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley.

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Local Business Leicestershire - The Way Back to Prosperity The woeful state of the British Economy and the atmosphere of doom and destruction is something that we are all well aware of and for many it’s a situation where they can’t see a solution. However, that cannot be an attitude or an approach to which we all contribute. We have been through times of difficulty before and we don’t pull through by being pessimistic. There are many examples of the right approach in the relatively recent history of Leicestershire and I would like to relate one of these briefly. The approach is based upon Product Quality and Service and not on Price.

In 1886 two brothers and an acquaintance set up a small manufacturing company in Leicester. Their product choice of making Photographic Lenses would not initially seem a very suitable marketing option and in today’s terms would be called a “Niche Market” adventure. Their assiduous approach to lens production, however, soon got them a reputation for quality and because of this they were approached by a company, T Cooke & Sons, to produce their newly patented triplet photographic lens with markedly reduced chromatic aberrations. Shortly afterwards they negotiated to buy the patent and thus Taylor, Taylor and Hobson was founded and had as its main product the Cooke Triplet Lens. Since 1939 Cooke Lenses are used by 80% of the worlds professional cine photographers including in Hollywood and they are made in Leicester.

Lens manufacture was not, however, simply a glass manufacturing problem. The numerous lens mounts were thin walled, aluminium tubes, with fine threaded diameters which were not easily produced on conventional lathes. William Taylor designed and manufactured his own specialist Chasing Lathe. They then had the problem of engraving around these mounts the technical lens details. Again William Taylor set to and designed the now famous Taylor Hobson Engraving Machine. These, in addition to the lenses became products sold world wide and the company’s name became synonymous with innovation and quality. During the first world war the Cooke Division of Taylor Hobson designed the Aviar Aerial Photographic Lens which proved a huge asset to the allies and gave them an edge over the Germans. In 1919 William Taylor was awarded the OBE. William Taylor was also a keen golfer and could be seen in a field near Narborough with a home-made driving machine. Once again his inventive mind was contemplating the flight characteristics of smooth surfaced golf balls which golfers had noticed did not fly as far as those with some damage on the surface. After experiments William came out with the now universally common dimpled surface golf ball. The rest, as they say, is history.

The striving for quality was further enhanced with the arrival in the company of a totally engrossed and sometimes forgetful scientist/engineer named Dr Reason. He developed the Talysurf Surface Roughness and the Talyrond Roundness Measuring Instruments, followed by the Talystep Micro Circuit Thickness Measuring Instrument and the Talyvel Electronic Level.

Where engineers had been used to measure in thousandths of an inch, these instruments measured progressively in millionths, then in angstroms and now in picometers. There are 250 angstroms to a millionth of an inch and 100 picometers to a nanometer.. The Micro Alignment Telescope was developed and used throughout the aircraft and shipbuilding industries to set aircraft jigs and ships shafting in alignment. This instrument could view a target at 100ft and measure its position to within five thousandths of an inch.

In order to sell such advanced pieces of equipment TT&H first set on eight UK area sales engineers, and then in their support a team of highly experienced “Flying Squad” engineers. With a wide application knowledge build up they then put one of their Flying Squad engineers into Europe for three years until they were able to set up their own sales companies in Germany, France, Italy, Sweden and Vienna to cover the Communist East Bloc.. The engineer relates his brief association with Greville Wynne, the British Spy arrested by the Russians and later swapped for their man Oleg Penkovsky. On the engineer’s return to the UK he became Export Sales Manager and he, with two further Export Engineers, travelled he world and set up agencies and later subsidiary companies in 44 countries.

The Talysurf and Talyrond were soon to be found in all high precision manufacturing companies throughout the developed world and Dr Reason was involved in establishing first UK and then international standards in Surface Texture and Roundness. Talyvels were built into the leaning tower of Pisa, into mountain sides in Switzerland to detect landslip, and into the Parramatta River Bridge in Australia during build. All Boeing Aircraft and most others are built using the Taylor Hobson Micro Alignment Telescope. In the early 1990’s the Cooke Optics Division was bought out by management and they now operate in Thurmaston as Cooke Optics Limited. The Instrument was also bought by the American company AMETEK and they now operate from a second factory in Thurmaston under the name Taylor Hobson Ltd.. For full information on both company’s products please refer to :www.taylor-hobson.com and www.cookeoptics.com This shows Leicester “CAN DO !“ and with its entrepreneurial, intuitive lateral thinking, engineering and marketing capabilities, the world is its oyster.

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Top photo: The two engineers (Norman Prett & the company’s Italian rep.) discussing locating the Talyvel Electronic Levels in the Pisa Bell Tower.

Botton photo: This pic shows Norman Pratt on camera and Norman Green, Sales Manager Cooke Optics Division, demonstrating the Cooke Zoom Lens at a Tokyo Exhibition. www.thebradgatemagazine.co.uk

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Local Entertainment FINDING JOY - A funny & moving full mask theatre production Vamos Theatre, in a co-commission with Hereford Courtyard and Centre for the Arts, is delighted to present its next full mask touring production at Kegworth Village Hall on Thursday March 7th at 7.30pm - Finding Joy; a funny, moving, vital and heroic tale of one family’s experiences of dementia. In particular, Finding Joy is the story of a teenage lad, Rowan, his grandmother, Joy, and their unique, quirky, and inspiring relationship.

Joy is creative, funny, loves to dance, and has dementia: Rowan is rebellious, fearless, bright, and always getting into trouble. When, out of the blue, Rowan decides to become his grandmother’s carer, they develop a bond that is unexpected, playful, and ultimately life-changing.

Finding Joy is created in association with movement play specialists Jabadao. It explores preconceptions about dementia and society’s attitude to elders: it reminds us that memory loss does not negate the person, and how human beings can find wondrous ways to overcome difficulties. Finding Joy is based on life events and true stories, and is an accessible, engaging, playful, and fearless theatre show from one of the UK’s foremost full mask theatre companies.

Suitable for 12 years and upwards. If you would like more details about the production from Vamos, then please call 01905 748 249 or visit the page on the website: www.vamostheatre.co.uk/shows/finding-joy/

Shepshed Singers Prepare For Hungarian Tour

Charnwood Orchestra Spring Concert

The Shepshed Singers, under their conductor Andrew Goff, are busy preparing for a tour to Budapest at Easter.

Charnwood Orchestra will perform its annual spring concert on Saturday 23rd March 2013 at All Saints Parish Church, Sparrow Hill, Loughborough starting at 7.30pm.

Concert venues include St Stephen’s Cathedral, Budapest and the Minority Church in Eger. There will also be a joint concert with a Hungarian choir at the Nador Hall in Budapest.

The Shepshed Singers have been touring regularly for many years and previous destinations have included Bruges, Barcelona, Prague, Paris and Amsterdam; and such venues as Chartres Cathedral, Notre Dame, Barcelona Cathedral and York Minster.

However, you do not have to book flights to Hungary; the Shepshed Singers are putting on Spring Concert which will include their tour programme. This concert, an evening of classical and contemporary choral music, will be held at St Peter & St Paul Parish Church, Hathern on Friday 22nd March at 7.30pm. Tickets £7; concessions £6 (under 16s free), available from members of the choir or at the door.

The programme will consist of three works: • Euryanthe Overture: Weber Weber’s “grand heroic romantic opera” is acknowledged as one of his most important.

• Violin Concerto No 1: Bruch Our soloist is Iona Brown, Principle First Violin with the Northern Sinfonia.

• Symphony No 4: Schumann Schumann’s fourth symphony is perhaps one of his most original and inventive works.

Tickets will cost £10.00 (£8.00 concessions) and £3.00 for accompanied children under 16. They will be available from the Box Office: 07718 153117 or email judithrodgers155@gmail.com , from members of the orchestra or on the door. There will be an interval bar selling wine, Castle Rock Real Ale and fruit juice.

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Local Entertainment Where’s The Spot That’s Really Hot? They have a new expression along old Quorndon way, That tells you when a party is 10 times more than gay, To say that things are jumpin’ leaves not a single doubt, That ev’rything is in full swing when you hear someone shout The joint is jumpin ! It’s really jumpin’ So come in cats, and check your hats, I mean this joint is jumpin’.

That’s the message from 52 Skidoo, who are a three-piece Harlem swing band bringing back to life the forgotten era of prohibition, the speakeasy, Vaudeville, Tin Pan Alley, rent parties, stride piano and hot jazz.

The Joint is Jumpin’ is a music show with comedy, theatre and many unusual features.

Set in 1920’s Harlem, authentic music from the rent parties of the era (where tenants would hire musicians and pass round a hat to raise money for their rent) and introduces several colourful characters along the way.

The band turn back the clock to play a dazzling set of vintage American music. Classic favourites like ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’, ‘The Joint is Jumpin’ and ‘Your Feet’s too Big’, are carefully woven in to hits like ‘Jeepers Creepers’, Darktown Strutters Ball and I Ain’t Got Nobody’ to create an authentic 1920’s/30’s atmosphere.

The joint that will be jumpin’ is Quorn Village Hall on Friday, 15th March and the concert starts at 7.30pm. Tickets priced at £9 are now available over the counter at Quorn Post Office or direct on the ticket hotline (Terry Stirling) 01509-414287 or email terrystirling@ntlworld.com Seating is cabaret style – bring your own drinks and glasses The concert is promoted by the Quorn Old School Trust in aid of project funds.

Rothley History Society Terry Sheppard intrigued the audience at the January meeting with information on the various chapels of Rothley.

Some have undergone alterations, been replaced and the Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists have united and now use one chapel. Others are in their original state and still being used to-day! For the second part of the evening the work of the War Agricultural Committee was explained. The information contained a lot of data about agricultural land in Rothley during the second World War, including who was the owner, who farmed it and what the land was being used for.

It was very interesting to see how a lot of the agricultural land has disappeared or is now being used for housing.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 20th. March at 7.30pm in the Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley, LE7 7PR, when the speaker will be Prof. Aubrey Newman who will be talking about “The Jewish Way of Life”.

There will be a charge of £3 for visitors and £2 for members. All will be made most welcome!

On Wednesday 17th April Bamfords Auctioneers & Valuers of Derby will be our guests. They will be bringing several items of interest with them, and members of the audience are invited to bring along their own items to hear about their origins and possibly to receive a valuation. Tickets are priced at £5 and will be available in advance or on the door on the night. Everybody welcome.

The Latimer Players Drama Society The Latimer Players are pleased to announce that their Spring production will be ‘VOLUNTEERS’ by Hilary Mackelden.

The new CEO of a Charity is trying to bring a younger image to it’s shops by ‘losing’ all the older volunteers. Brenda, the stoic manageress, fights to keep her ‘family’ of half-blind Denny and neurotic spinster Prue. The mix is enriched

by Leanne, the rebellious teenager, sent to the shop to do Community service. The area manager, naive Claire, falls for the new CEO and his progressive ways without thinking about the consequences. But John, the CEO, has to hope the two ‘skeletons’ in his cupboard don’t materialise to jeopardise the future. And the radio announces that a ’flasher’ is in the area!

It will be staged at The Memorial Hall, Anstey Lane, Thurcaston on Thursday April 25th, Friday April 26th and Saturday April 27th at 7:30 each evening. Tickets are all £6.50 and available by telephone on 0116 2362692.

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Charnwood Forest Cycle Ride On Sunday, 28th April the successful Charnwood Forest Cycle Ride will take place for it’s third year running. The Ride will take you on a 20 mile circular route along the leafy lanes and through the picturesque villages of the beautiful Charnwood Forest, starting and ending in Rothley village.

The Ride is suitable for all levels of ability, is a fantastic way to kickstart the New Year and is a great way to get outdoors and get fit!

The comments we received from the 90+ cyclists last year were extremely positive and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it and thought the route and organisation was second to none.

It costs just £15 to register and we hope each cyclist will raise additional sponsorship. All money raised will go towards Alex’s Wish – a charity dedicated to finding a cure and more effective treatments for all children living with a muscle-wasting condition called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Alex’s Wish is a registered charity (no: 1148845) set-up in late August 2012 by Andy & Emma Hallam parents to a little boy who lives in Rothley called Alex. Alex was diagnosed with the life-limiting condition in April 2010 shortly before his 4th birthday. At present there are no know cures of effective treatments without major side effects – but many trials are taking place and all money raised will go towards such trials.

Emma Hallam, Founder & Trustee at Alex’s Wish comments “To date we have raised £20k towards research and trials but we hope to raise more in the coming months. Our son has this terrible condition and we have taken the step towards helping scientists and researchers fund new trials. As a result, we hope to make a difference to all the children living with this condition with a view to delaying the symptoms by several years to buy time for a cure to come along.

We would like to thank everyone who takes part, to our event organiser Rachel Porritt and helpers and to our event sponsors – Bradleys Superstore and The Woodman’s Stroke in Rothley – this means 100% of all money raised will go direct towards our aim.

I took part in this event last year despite the horrendous weather conditions and thoroughly enjoyed it – although it was a challenge! It’s a fantastic route and a great way to get fit and do something for a worth while cause.”

There will be free refreshments (homemade cakes, sandwiches and drinks) for all cyclists at the finish line. Plus there will be fun for all the family… anyone under 14 can take part in the crafts and games area (but must be accompanied by an adult). Children aged 14-18 can take part in the cycle ride as long as they are accompanied by an adult.

For more details on how to take part and obtain entry forms, please visit www.alexswish.co.uk or call Emma on 07903 349475 or email emma@alexswish.co.uk or via our Facebook page: alexswishcharity1

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March On The GCR After a quiet February, March promises plenty of variety for everyone. To start with there is a Diesel Event and Swap Meet, then with children in mind there is a wide choice from Peppa Pig, Easter Bunny Fun & the Easter Vintage Festival!

Diesel Weekend All the resident diesels which are operational will get the chance to blow the winter blues away and stretch their legs after spending the winter months in hibernation, during the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd.

Swap Meet This popular event returns for its first outing of the new year on Sunday the 3rd, its an early start gates open at 7.30 in Quorn Station car park, if you are selling or buying railway memorabilia or just browsing come along and enjoy the bargaining.

Meet Peppa Pig And George Those little piggies Peppa and George are back at the railway during the weekend of the 9th and 10th. You can meet them at Loughborough Station where you can have your picture taken, don’t forget your camera, there will also be a children’s entertainer in the marquee, at Quorn you can have your face painted, at Rothley enjoy the mini funfair and the garden railway, at Leicester North watch the engine run round then pop into Greenacres just down the drive and enjoy colouring in and crafts.

Easter Bunny Express These trains run either side of Easter on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday March 26, 27 and 28 and April 2, 3 and 4.

The Easter Bunny will be giving sweets and treats to the boys and girls.

Easter Vintage Festival Step back in time from Good Friday until Easter Monday and enjoy the experience of a country fayre recreated in Quorn Station yard with traction engines, steam powered gallopers and a big wheel, live music, craft stalls, also enjoy a train ride to visit the other stations along the line.

Dining Trains There is the usual comprehensive selection of Dining Trains every weekend during the month with some extras, on Sunday the 10th the Mothering Sunday Luncheon and on the 31st Easter Sunday Luncheon, and for the sleuths amonst you the first Murder Mystery of 2013 ‘Murder on the Home Front’ will run on Friday the 29th.

Preview Of Events For April The month starts with the second part of The Bunny Express. And a new event for the railway a three day ‘Swithland Steam Gala’.

For all the latest information visit the web site at www.gcrailway.co.uk or phone Loughborough on 01509 632323.

Dave Allen, Duty Station Master, Rothley.

Donation To Rainbows Children & Young Persons Hospice, Loughborough At the February meeting Derek Farr organiser of Charity Whist Drives, expressed his appreciation for the support and generosity given during the last twelve months by the small group of Whist Players which has enabled a gift of £100.00 be donated to Rainbows Children and Young Persons Hospice at Loughborough.

The Charity Whist Drives are held in the Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley on the first Thursday of every month and all are welcome to go along and join in. Admission £2.00.

The next meeting is at 7.30pm on Thursday 7th March.

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Local Education Castle View Day Nursery Offers A Wealth Of Opportunity!

Castle View Day Nursery, Mountsorrel, is owned and led by Helen and Jayne who are both local residents in the area. They have known each other for ten years, both as friends and colleagues. They have extensive early years backgrounds and are experienced managers. Helen has recently achieved her BA Honours in Early Years, Jayne is currently working towards a BA Honours in Education. Together they form an experienced, dedicated and highly qualified owner / management partnership who will inspire a team of practitioners who have been carefully recruited and chosen for their commitment to childcare.

Promoting the outdoors environment is a key focus for them. The site of Castle View was specifically chosen for its location which offers a wealth of opportunities for the children to learn and explore. Just minutes from the front door there is access to a library, farm, shops, river and wildlife walks which we make use of on a regular basis.

Bespoke learning opportunities are tailored to each and every child through understanding their uniqueness and individuality, enabling us to provide experiences that foster their natural curiosity to discover and learn.

A warm welcoming and secure environment is provided for all children and their families.

Please call Helen or Jayne for more information on 0116 3191016 or pop in for a visit during our opening hours.

Sixth Form Students tell MPs they’re hungry for change Two sixth form students from Our Lady’s Convent School in Loughborough have travelled to London to give local MPs food for thought on the issue of world hunger.

On Wednesday, February 6, Jodie LeGrand (below left) and Holly Newing (below right) spent a day in Westminster with 28 other Sixth Formers from Catholic schools and colleges across the country. The visit was organised by Catholic aid agency CAFOD as part of its Hungry for Change campaign. The students toured the Houses of Parliament, watched Prime Minister’s Questions and took part in a discussion with MPs including Nicky Morgan, MP for Loughborough and Nigel Evans Deputy Speaker and MP for Ribble Valley about why hunger still exists in the modern world.

In November 2012, CAFOD launched its Hungry for Change Campaign which calls for major changes in the global food system, including better access to land and water for small farmers in the poorest countries. The students handed over the first batch of Hungry for Change action cards signed by CAFOD supporters which call on Prime Minister David Cameron to use the UK’s Presidency of the G8 this year to put food and hunger at the top of the global agenda.

Sixth form student, Jodie LeGrand, said “It has been a very insightful experience and both Holly and I are intending to put into action what we have learnt to not only inspire today’s, but future generations.”

Local MP, Nicky Morgan (below), said: “Today has been really useful in finding out about CAFOD’s Hungry for Change campaign and I look forward to working with Holly and Jodie to make others in my constituency and in Westminster aware of the issues.”

Before visiting parliament, the 30 young people spent a day at CAFOD’s London headquarters to prepare them for their visit. They took part in workshops to learn about Hungry for Change and how campaigning can make a difference to the decisions taken in Parliament.

An estimated 870 million people worldwide go without enough food to be healthy and live an active life, and the overwhelming majority of them live in developing countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa, one in four people go hungry. The recent financial crisis has pushed even more people around the world to the brink of starvation.

CAFOD’s Hungry for Change Campaign is running until October 2013. To call on David Cameron to take action on global hunger, please visit www.cafod.org.uk/ hungry .

For more information, please contact Ellie Wilcock email: ewilcock@cafod.org.uk or tel: 020 7095 5451.

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Loughborough Town Take a stroll through the streets of Loughborough and see what it has to offer you...

Loughborough is a delightful town, with beautiful parks, a lovely museum, stunning churches and a vibrant Steam Railway. It also has a great library, a fascinating bell foundry museum and an impressive variety of shops and businesses, including those nestled along Churchgate and Churchgate Mews, in itself a lovely area to just wander around.

The centre of Loughborough’s shopping area is the pedestrianised Market Place and Market Street, which maintain a number of original art deco buildings, such as the building that currently houses the town’s cinema.

In addition, a large outdoor market is held in the Market Place every Thursday and Saturday and there is a monthly farmers’ market too.

With so much going on in Loughborough you could be forgiven for spending the day shopping but how about for entertainment? Events at the Town Hall for example include comedy, music and plays, or there’s a night at the movies courtesy of the well placed local cinema and convenient parking right across the street, or how about starting, or perhaps finishing your evening, courtesy of any one of Loughborough’s impressive array of restaurants, bars and clubs. Either way, there’ll no doubt be something to suit everyone’s fancy.

For those not in the know Loughborough town has a population of approximately 60,000 people, it is the second largest town in Leicestershire after Leicester itself and is the base for Charnwood’s Borough Council as well as being home to the prestigious Loughborough University.

Take a look through the following pages for a snippet of what this great town, right on our doorstep, has to offer.

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Mothering Sunday Mothering Sunday and Mother’s Day – they’re the same thing aren’t they?

No, in fact they’re not. The two terms, although known generally as a singular entity contemporarily, were in fact forged from two quite different backgrounds and sentiments and today are very much personally interpreted (and dated) from country to country.

“Mother’s Day” is an American advent, first celebrated in 1908 when Anna Jarvis held a memorial to her recently passed mother. Thereafter she began a successful campaign to make ‘Mother’s Day’ a recognised holiday in the United States, which she managed by 1914 courtesy of President Woodrow Wilson. Today, Americans celebrate this special honouring on the second Sunday in May. UK affecting is “Mothering Sunday”, which is thought to emanate from the Christian church and its reverence for family and reunion.

Seemingly charted from the 16th century onwards Christians considered it important to return to their home or ‘mother’ church once a year in recognition of their faith and familial bonds, with services held on Laetare Sunday or the fourth Sunday of the season of Lent as a commemorative date.

In conjunction with this Sunday most historians think that it was this return to the ‘mother’ church that led to the subsequent tradition of children - particularly those working as domestic servants and apprentices - being given the day off to visit their families. The children traditionally would pick wild flowers along the way to place in the church or to give to their mothers, which over time, evolved in to Mothering Sunday and the secular tradition of giving gifts to ones’ mothers.

Other names for Mothering Sunday include Refreshment Sunday and Simnel Sunday, the latter named after the practice of baking Simnel cakes (a fruit cake featuring 11 balls of marzipan icing to represent Jesus’ eleven disciples, excluding Judas) to celebrate the reuniting of families during the austerity of Lent.

And whilst in the UK (Ireland and Nigeria!) we honour our mothers on the fourth Sunday of Lent, many countries have their celebrations on the 8th March, to coincide with International Women’s Day, these include Afghanistan, Moldova and Ukraine. The second Sunday of May, and International Mothers’ Day, however is China, Australia, Fiji, Germany and Americmn ,ferred date, whilst Thailand centres their motherly attentions towards August 12th which also serves as their beloved Queen Sirikit’s birthday.

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Mothering Sunday The Perfect Gift for Mother’s Day Spoil your mum and show her how much you care - it’s what Mother’s Day on 10 March, 2013 will be all about.

The simplest way to say ‘thanks’ to your mum for all her hard work is through simple gifts that make her smile. You can pamper her with flowers, candles and jewellery boxes we have a Mother’s Day gift every mum will love and plenty more ideas of how to treat your mum.

Spoil her with a ‘Tapestry Tassel Bag’ in a Peony design, with Peonies in soft shades of pink, heavy headed and in full bloom. This vintage style bag comes with an additional faux leather detachable strap to convert the bag into a shoulder or cross body bag. Or a Tapestry convertible bag, this sturdy tapestry grab bag has an adorable Butterfly design. With zips going all the way down to the base of the bag, it is easy to fill the bag with all your essentials. It is ideal for everyday use and would make a perfect gift for butterfly lovers as well as the style-minded. Our collection of Tapestry bags may be then complimented by a choice of silk scarves in a variety of colours ranging from pink to brown.

To see the extensive range of gifts that Broughtons Interiors have on display, please call into their Anstey showrooms, where guidance and catalogues are available.

Alternatively telephone Broughtons on 0116 234 0700 or visit www.broughtons.com

Out & About : Explore Your County!

Planning on spending Mothering Sunday with your mum/kids? How about planning a day out somewhere in our beautiful Shire? Take in the sights, learn about the history that makes Leicestershire so special, have a spot of lunch in one of many great little cafes or dinner in one of our fantastic local restaurants...

All over Leicestershire there are plenty of very interesting locations to be found right under our feet in Loughborough and Ashby, through Leicester to many other great areas including Market Harborough, Lutterworth and Hinckley & Bosworth. If you are looking for a castle or abbey, a heritage railway, museum or a zoo, then all of these can be found in our exceptional county. Indeed, with so many museums, many with free entry, it is well worth obtaining the museums guide (available at museums and libraries throughout the county).

Interested in finding out more after the recent hype surrounding Richard III’s remains?? Get down to Leicester’s Guild Hall to enjoy the major exhibition telling the story of King Richard III, his life and times and the search for his lost remains.

Discover the magic at the magnificent Belvoir Castle (pictured above). Home to the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, Belvoir Castle sits spectacularly, overlooking the Vale of Belvoir. Events take place throughout the year celebrating the best of British culture. www.belvoircastle.com The Great Central Railway has everyone going back in time. With steam train rides available and special events throughout the year, the Great Central is a must for many-a-visit. Country stations come to life as the picturesque journey unfolds. www.gcrailway.co.uk Relive the battle of 1485 at Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre and Country Park. Learn about how King Richard III met the end and find out a lot more from the award-winning exhibition. With the Bosworth Trail and Country Park, there is plenty to interest all ages here. www.bosworthbattlefield.com If you want to go ‘out of this world’ then head for the National Space Centre, in Leicester. This award-winning attraction will have everyone spellbound. Be amazed at the rocket tower and be interactive in the galleries. www.spacecentre.co.uk Alternatively ramble your way across the beautiful countryside that makes up our fasanating County!

Whatever you choose to do this Mothering Sunday.... Enjoy it!

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Trevor Langley

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Local Interest Snappers! By Ian The snow has gone and the temperatures start to rise and more importantly the days get longer. What a wonderful time to be a photographer. Look around you and you will notice that the bare brown leaves are sprouting green leaves, there are little pieces of reds and yellows appearing as the flowers burst from their buds, then you realise that it is a great time to be a photographer.

You really do not need the most expensive dslr camera to get a good shot. If you are out and about with your digital compact camera shoot a few images from the same location to get a feel for the place then pick your “close-up” target and get in as close as you can within the range of your camera and capture the detail. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Spring landscapes are a joy to behold. Try to remember that composition is key, more particularly in landscape photography. Ideally you want something of interest in the foreground then something to lead you into the meat of the picture. Even if you crouch down a little instead of shooting at eye level means that the insignificant clump of flowers suddenly becomes your foreground object and don’t forget landscape pictures can be shot as portrait and not always as landscape in shape.

One important thing to remember is to avoid movement whist shooting. Either use a tripod or where that is not an option increase the shutter speed. Just remember that the more you increase the shutter speed the more you reduce your depth of field therefore a compromise must be reached. If it is your subject that is moving, such as a flower blowing in the breeze, then a windbreak often works well. Windbreaks can be made from almost anything, even the “The Bradgate” magazine that you intended reading. Just beware of unwanted shadows.

Friends Of Belgrave Cemetery Need Your Help!

The Friends of Belgrave Cemetery are at present putting together information for a booklet about Commonwealth War Graves of the Great War 1914 - 18 that are in this lovely old Victorian resting place, in time for the centenary commemoration of the beginning of the Great War in 2014.

If you have relatives who lost their lives in this war who are either buried or recorded here and you have memories or old photographs of them which you would be prepared to share with others, the Friends would be very pleased to hear from you.

The idea of the booklet is to give information details of the layout of the graves which will make it easier to find their resting places and to celebrate the lives of this lost generation of young people.

The booklet will follow on from a previous “Friends” 2008 publication “Soldiers of Belgrave Remembered” which used information provided by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. This time we are endeavouring to uncover the personal stories that lie behind the names If you gave information or photos for the previous publication we would still like to hear from you again to obtain permission to use the photographs once more.

Of course, the Friends aren’t expecting huge amounts of information, but even a little about the sacrifice these soldiers made will bring them back to life for the younger generation and also for genealogists of the future.

If you think you can help, please contact: Dorothy 0116 2672018 If you haven’t visited the cemetery before it is at the Red Hill flyover; approach from down Red Hill Way and turn left into the cemetery gates just before the A6 turning towards Loughborough. There is usually a member at the site every Sunday morning between 10 am and 12 noon. Further information can be obtained on www.friendsofbelgravecemetery. org.uk

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Local Gardening What’s more, it is excellent value!! The membership fee is £12 for the year or £3.00 per meeting. And, if you would like to come as a visitor and then you decide to join, your visitor fee will be refunded!! So, if you are interested in gardening - come and give the Club a try.

For more information of any of these events call Dave Haddon on (0116) 235 9758.

Jo & Richard Elks, for the Thurcaston & Cropston Gardening Club.

Gardens Wanted!

Thurcaston & Cropston Gardening Club Thurcaston and Cropston Gardening Club members are hoping that 2013 is going to be as successful a year as 2012. If the first meeting of the year is anything to go by they are in luck!

38 members attended the AGM and first meeting, to get the New Year programme off to a great start. The Committee gave their thanks to the retiring treasurer after 10 years of service to the club, and members are looking forward to another exciting programme of speakers and visits.

The first speaker of the year was the celebrated Radio Nottingham gardening expert John Stirling, talking about plant propagation.

John arrived armed with handfuls of plant material and a large bucket of best home-produced compost. He used this to demonstrate all aspects of plant propagation from sowing seed, taking soft, semi ripe, and hard wood cuttings, layering and other methods of propagation. The club members enjoyed his relaxed and jovial approach to a subject close to his heart, and posed questions across a whole range of gardening topics, for John to answer.

John was very lively, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. He gave many practical tips and advice about propagation.

He stressed the need for cleanliness and consistency when working with young plants. This entertaining and informative talk was a very good start to the New Year!

We continue with our 2013 programme of events with our next meeting on Wednesday 13th March, 7.45 pm Pruning Made Simple - Geoff Hodge

Although we are all still recovering from the cold and wet of recent weeks , Richard Hill School PTA are thinking of warmer times and this year’s Open Gardens event in the villages of Thurcaston and Cropston. The chosen weekend is Sat 29th and Sun 30th June. The event is becoming established as a popular annual outing for residents of our villages as well as for visitors from further afield.

However, it would not take place without the fantastic volunteers who open their gardens for people to come and visit and we are now looking for those volunteers!

Maybe you have opened your garden every year so far, maybe you have once or twice or maybe you’re plucking up courage to do so! People who have opened before have very positive things to say about the experience, which is why so many people continue to open each year.

We can only encourage you to give it a try and see what you think. All gardens are welcome, big or small, simple or elaborate, immaculate or a little more ‘natural’!

Gardens in both villages will be open on both days.

However, if you feel you would like to take part but can only do one day, that is not a problem. And you don’t have to do refreshments/plant stalls or anything else, unless you would like to, just be willing to share your garden (and all your hard work) with a very appreciative audience.

So if you would like to open your garden for this year’s event, or you would like more information (or encouragement!), please get in touch with one of the organisers below. Please also have a look at our website at www.tcog.org.uk for further inspiration.

Many thanks and we look forward to another successful and sunny weekend!

Linda: 0116 2363872 | Jane: 0116 2357980 Or you can email lindabennett1301@gmail.com

Demystifying the ‘black art’ of pruning, when to do it and what tools to use. Everyone who comes along will be a fully qualified garden ‘butcher’ after this informative discussion.

There are 13 events planned for 2013, including a trip to the Harrogate Spring Show. Whether an experienced gardener or an enthusiastic beginner we are sure you will something of interest in this year’s programme.

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Local Interest David Snartt Reports…

County Councillor for Bradgate Division – Borough Councillor for Forest Bradgate.

Updates on Previous Items Anstey Nook Car Park You may recall I have received representation about the difficulties parking in the Nook Car Park. To help with this I asked Charnwood Borough Council if it would be possible to have parking restrictions placed on a small part of the car park. This to try and free up spaces for residents who are visiting the various retail outlets within the Nook area. I have always been keen to help small businesses within our villages. After the Council conducted a survey, it is proposed, subject to finance being available, to restrict parking to two hours on 15 spaces within the car park. I am now hopeful this will progress especially as this was a request from local residents and retailers.

Police and Crime Commissioner As I am sure you recall, Sir Clive Loader was voted in as our Police and Crime Commissioner in November last year. He has now produced his Draft Police and Crime Plan 2013/17 which can be found by visiting his website. Included in the Draft Plan is his vision for the plan period and three cross cutting themes. Prevention: doing everything in our power to prevent crime, anti-social behaviour and disorder occurring in the first place. By working together we can also ensure that the most vulnerable in society are protected and their need to call for emergency assistance is reduced.

Intervention: intervening effectively and efficiently across all agencies and the voluntary sector to deal with these issues as they occur, seeking robust and sustainable solutions. Reduction: working together to reduce the repetitive behaviours and activities that lead to harm, anti-social behaviour and crime. I understand Sir Clive would very much like to hear from members of the public who have until the 10th March to send their comments about the plan to police.commissioner@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk Charnwood Forest Regional Park You have perhaps noticed in the local media the plans to make a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund Landscape Partnership with the purpose of enhancing and improving the Charnwood Forest Area. A Regional Park Steering Group has been formed to consider a range of project proposals that have been put forward by potential partners. However they are still on the lookout for inspirational ideas that would benefit the heritage of Charnwood Forest and the people who visit or live in the area. As part of the bid development an online questionnaire has been developed to find more about how people use Charnwood Forest at the moment , what they would like to see happen in the future and what sort of activities they might like to be involved with. To help support the bid the group are looking for a really good response to the questionnaire. I hope you will have the opportunity to take part before the 1st March. www.leics.gov.uk/charnwoodforest.htm Bradgate Park Chapterhouse Theatre Company will be staging a performance of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in the ruins of Bradgate House on Sunday 14th July starting at 6.00pm. This is a one off performance this year to ensure that such an event can be managed successfully, including minimising any impact on local residents. If all goes well, it is hoped that outdoor theatre may become a regular event in future years. Tickets will be available from Bradgate Park Shop and Tearooms from Easter or on line at www.seetickets.com There will be only a few hundred tickets available for this production.

Cold Weather Provision I have been asked by a resident if I would let local people know what we do locally about cold weather provision for rough sleepers within the Charnwood area. Charnwood Borough Council has a duty as a housing authority to provide accommodation for rough sleepers during periods of extreme cold weather. The Council are actively promoting a new government initiative, StreetLink, this helps raise awareness of rough sleepers by providing a telephone number and website that members of the public can use if they come across anyone sleeping rough. Details of this scheme are on the Council’s website, also it encourages members of the public to save the StreetLink telephone number 0300 5000914.

Domestic Abuse As Chairman of the Community Safety Partnership I have been involved in highlighting the help that is available to people suffering from domestic abuse. The focus of this was delivered through a candlelit vigil in Loughborough Town Centre with our brilliant charity partners, Living Without Abuse. Anyone experiencing domestic abuse should be supported and protected from further abuse, remembering domestic abuse is a crime, it is ultimately about control, how one person totally controls another in a relationship. Help can be obtained by telephone 0300 3650112 with more information available on Charnwood Borough Council’s Website or www.lwa.org.uk. In emergencies ring 999.

If you need to contact me on any issues , write to 10 Groby Lane, Newtown Linford, Leicester. LE6 0HH, e-mail david. snartt@leics.gov.uk or telephone 01530 244804.

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Motors Loughborough Kia Breathes Life Into Charnwood With New Initiative Loughborough Kia has to announce a new initiative for local eco savvy motorists looking to buy a new car.

The car retailer is helping grow a greener future by giving away a baby fir tree (Christmas tree) with every new Kia sold. By planting the tree, each motorist will successfully offset their new car’s carbon emissions. 1 tree consumes 1.5 tonnes of CO2 in its lifetime and will completely consume the CO2 emissions produced in the first year of driving a new Kia and if every tree given away at Loughborough Kia in a year, were planted, the entire CO2 emissions of up to 20 new Kia cars, with average emissions of 120g/km would be cancelled out.

Luke Collett Sales Manager for Loughborough Kia commented: “We’re really excited about this initiative as we believe it really makes us stand out to consumers who want to give a little back to the environment. Planting a tree in your garden is a really simple way to help absorb CO2 emissions and contribute to more carbon neutral motoring. We hope that motorists considering buying a new car from Loughborough Kia will be happy, with the help of our trees, to do a little bit to help their own carbon footprint.”

Earth Dreams Technology An exciting new chapter in the history of Honda diesels has begun with the arrival of the brand’s hotly anticipated 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine in the new Civic. This is the first engine to be launched in Europe under Honda’s flagship Earth Dreams Technology environmental programme and will offer customers an outstanding balance of high fuel economy, low emissions and exciting performance.

With a class-leading combination of fuel economy and performance, the new fuel-sipping Civic 1.6 i-DTEC keeps running costs low by emitting only 94 g/km meaning free road tax and with 78.5mpg on the combined cycle, it’s longer between fill ups. Combine this with a pokey 120 PS to maintain driver enjoyment and Honda’s acknowledged reputation for reliability, it’s a car which is expected to catch the eye of those wanting fantastic fuel economy without sacrificing power.

The 1.6 i-DTEC unit features a 6-speed manual gearbox and has an exact capacity of 1597cc and in the Civic offers a maximum power output of 120PS at 4,000rpm while maximum torque is 300Nm at 2,000rpm. The new variant is available in three generously equipped trim levels. Prices start at a very competitive £19,400 for the SE model, £20,595 for the ES and £23,175 for the top-of-the-range EX. The specification for this trio of new variants are identical to the equivalent 2.2-litre i-DTEC cars, but with the addition of new 16-inch alloy wheels. The 1.6 i-DTEC EX has also been enhanced with several desirable convenience features including front and rear parking sensors, an auto-dimming rear view mirror and DAB digital radio.

Honda’s advanced i-DTEC diesel technology has already proved its environmental credentials over a number of years. It went on sale in the UK in 2.2-litre guise in the refined Accord Saloon/Tourer in 2008 and the award-winning CR-V sports utility vehicle in 2010.

The Civic 1.6 i-DTEC is available at Marshall Honda now. Call 01162 304 222 or visit www.marshallweb.co.uk/honda to find out more.

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OUT AND ABOUT MUSIC 01 March | John Turville Trio The John Turville trio won the Best Album prize in the 2011 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. With influences ranging from the pastoral lyricism of John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler to the angularity and rhythmic flexibility of Avishai Cohen, the group has the flexibility to create a sound which is at once unified and highly individual.

08 March | Thank You for the Music The UK’s No 1 Abba Tribute Concert Show More than 40 years of ABBA hits has created an incredible musical legacy - a record-breaking movie, a smash-hit West End musical, chart-topping albums and singles plus the UK’s no 1 concert show ...Thank You for the Music!

Now celebrating - the show’s fabba-ulous 20th year, the superb, all-star cast have entertained the nation with Lycratight harmonies and superb musicianship for even longer than Bjorn, Agnetha, Benny and Frida did during the 70s and 80s!

Tickets £10 / £5 (NUS) | 8pm | Tel: 0116 252 2455 Embrace Arts, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 7HA

Performing - solid-gold hits Mamma Mia; Dancing Queen; Super Trouper; Waterloo; Fernando; Knowing Me, Knowing You; The Name of the Game; Take a Chance on Me; The Winner Takes It All and scores more. . .

Friday 22 March | Spring Concert

Tickets: £19 | 8pm | Tel: 01509 231914 | Loughborough Town Hall, Market Place, Loughborough LE11 3EB

Spring Concert by the Shepshed Singers, conducted by Andrew Goff. An Evening of Classical and Contemporary Choral music, prior to the choir’s April tour to Budapest.

Tickets £7; concessions £6 (under 16s free) available from members of the choir, at the door or by emailing: tickets@ shepshedsingers.org.uk | Tel: 01530 454011 7.30pm | St Peter & St Paul Parish Church, Hathern.

LOCAL GROUPS 08 March | Hope Springs Thurcaston and Cropston Parish Council will be showing “Hope Springs” which will last 100 minutes.

This joyful romantic comedy drama is about Kay, played by Meryl Streep, and her plodding husband, trying to re-ignite their relationship with greater imagination and connection to one another. How does the strange therapy in the village of Great Hope Springs work out? This beautifully acted film is hilarious.

Tickets include refreshments and a lucky prize draw, advanced tickets can be purchased via the parish office or at the door.

Tickets £4.50 / £4 concs. | 7.30pm | Tel: 0116 236 7626 | Thurcaston Memorial Hall

16 March | Newtown Linford Brownies Annual Rummage Sale Come along to the Brownies annual rummage sale and grab yourself a bargain. Everyone is welcome!

Admission: 40p | 1.30pm | Tel: 0116 252 2455 | Village Hall, Main Street, Newtown Linford.

10 + 24 March | Woodhouses Junior Gardening Club - Ages 7-14 welcomed Come and be part of the growing cycle from seed, to sprout, to harvest. With the cold outside we will be propagating, whether from seed or cutting. On Mothering Sunday we will be making a gift for now as well as later. £5 membership and £1 per meeting fee. Meetings will be fortnightly. Supported by Woodhouses Gardening Club.

Interested? Please contact Jill 01509 890 795 or Andrew 01509 890 839. As places are limited please get in touch to reserve yours. | 2pm - 3:30pm | Woodhouse Village Annexe (behind the Village Hall).

07 March | Charity Whist Drives The next in the series of Charity Whist Drives organised by Derek Farr. All players welcome.

Admission £2 | 7.30pm | Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley.

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05 + 09 March | The Ladies Circle

LOCAL GROUPS

March 5th - Graham Fortey on Bed & Breakfast at a Fictious Hotel.

March 9th - Easter Message: Audrey Baker.

2.30pm | Methodist Hall, Howe Lane,Rothley

12 March | Birstall Birdwatching Club ‘Priory Water’ by Steve Houghton. Steve is a popular speaker at our meetings and this evening he will tell us about the development and wildlife of Priory Water, just off the Melton Road near Asfordby.

Visitors welcome £2 | 7.30pm | Ken Goodrich 0116 2674813 | The Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley

13 March | Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (Charnwood Group) AGM followed by – Dave Foley – ‘Australia, Scratching the Surface’ – Dave and Rose spent 8 weeks travelling up the East coast of Australia enjoying and photographing the wildlife, gardens, towns and landscapes on the way. Never more than 50 miles inland, they only seemed to scratch the surface of this incredible continent.

Admission is £1.50 for LRWT members, £2 for visitors, children free, including refreshments | 7.30pm | Further information: Pam Darby (Chair) 01509 412589, Maggie Morland (Programme Secretary) 01509 890077 or John Spencer (Secretary) 01162 364279 | Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall

13 March | Thurcaston & Cropston Gardening Club Pruning Made Simple - Geoff Hodge. Visitors and new members are made most welcome. Meetings are informal, informative and good social events. The club meets on the second Wednesday of the month. £3.00 per meeting | 7.45pm | Dave Haddon: (0116) 235 9758 | Thurcaston Memorial Hall

14 March | Birstall & District Local History Society This month’s meeting is titled ‘Making Tracks, The Laying of Leicestershire’s Railways’ and will be presented by Brian Johnson. The club meets on the second Thursday of the month, all are welcome.

7.30pm | Mrs A Topley: (0116) 292 8214 | Birstall Village Hall

15 March | Whitwick & District U3A Come along and find a group to match your interests and meet like-minded people. In addition, our speaker, Dr David Rolleston, will give a presentation on changes in the NHS. Further information about Whitwick and District U3A can be found on our website.

1.45pm for a 2pm start | www.whitwicku3a.org.uk | St. David’s Church Hall, Broomleys, Coalville

18 March | the Friends of Charnwood Forest Peter Tyldesley, the newly appointed Land Agent and Surveyor for Bradgate Park will be giving a talk “From Brecon Beacons to Bradgate, the role of Parks in Reconnecting with People and Nature”. If you love Bradgate Park then please do come along, The meeting will be preceded by a short AGM. Visitors welcome.

Visitors £3 | 7.30pm | Further enquiries: 01530 242534 | Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall

19 March | Thurcaston & Cropston Local History Society The club’s March meeting is titled ‘Churches of Leicestershite and Just Beyond’ by Roger Willson.

7.30pm | Tel: 0116 | Harrison Room, All Saints’ Church, Thurcaston.

20 March | Rothley History Society “This months meeting is titled ‘The Jewish Way of Life’ by speaker: Prof. Aubrey Newman.

Tickets £3 for visitors, £2 for members | 7.30pm | Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley, LE7 7PR

21 March | Woodhouses Garden Club March meeting. Do you have a perennial favourite in the garden? Looking for a favourite? Or if you just need a better understanding of perennials in the garden, then Helen Osborne is your woman! Helen, nursery-owner, plant-enthusiast and panellist on BBC Radio Leicester’s ‘Down to Earth’, will be addressing the ‘Care and Attention of Hardy Perennials’. Helen will also have a selection of perennials for sale. £3 visitors & members free | 7:30 pm | Woodhouse Eaves Village Annexe (behind the village hall)

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THE BRADGATE DIRECTORY

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES Caroline James.............................. 59 Cathy Stephens.............................. 27 Churchgate Jewellers..................... 62 Primo Jewellery.............................. 11 Smartly Stitched Tailors.................. 51 Stuarts - Leather & Travel.............. 36

EDUCATION Anstey Kumon Centre.................... 34 Castle Day Nursery........................ 34 Computer Angel.............................. 34 OLCS..............................................35 Rawlins - Adult Courses................. 34 Rothley Park Kindergarten............. 35

FLOWERS & GIFTS Brookside Nurseries....................... 42 The Flower Shop............................ 41 Garden Planters............................. 42 Paperweight................................... 41 Peggy’s of Syston........................... 42

FOOD, DRINK & VENUES The Black Horse............................. 24 The Blue Bell.................................. 58 Cuppa’s of Rothley......................... 25 Delice Deli & Cafe.......................... 36 Field Head Hotel............................. 40 The Linford - Linford Suite.............. 24 Farmers Market.............................. 62 Nook Corner................................... 11 Quorn Grange Hotel....................... 24 Rothley Court Hotel........................ 25 The Wheatsheaf Inn....................... 25

GARDEN Bentley’s Garden Buildings............ 18 Charnwood Tree Services.............. 44 East Mids Mowers & Machines...... 52 Garden Blueprints.......................... 62 Johnson Tree Care......................... 62 LB Landscaping.............................. 44 Neil Johnson Landscaping............. 48 Roecliffe Tree Surgery.................... 48 Sevenoaks...................................... 40

HAIR & BEAUTY Aqua Hair....................................... 51 Elan................................................40 Glitz Hair........................................... 3 Seasons Day Spa........................... 41 Zoe’s Mobile Hairdressing.............. 62

HEALTH Charnwood Counselling................. 30 Charnwood Hearing Centre............ 61 Clare Satchell Reflexology............. 51 Gareth Hudson - Foot Health......... 30 Physique Fitness Gym..................... 3 Quorndon Care............................... 31

HOME ABD Picture Framing...................... 61 Ablutions.........................................63 Absolute Window Solutions.............. 2 Alpha Gas......................................... 4 Anstey Homecrafts......................... 61 Ashby Decorators Centre............... 14 Ashby Glass..................................... 6 Ashby Stoves................................... 8 BLM Property Maintenance............ 61 Borrajo Electrical............................ 62 Broughtons..................................... 42 Carpet Cuts.................................... 64 Lowe’s Furnishing Shop................. 37 Charnwood Conservatories.............. 5 Charnwood Kitchens........................ 6 Charnwood Oakwrights.................. 14 Clean & Clear................................. 49 Clock Doctor................................... 62 Corner House Interiors................... 14 CV Lane........................................... 6 DeVol......................................20 + 21 DG Plumbing.................................. 61 Glenwood Interiors........................... 8 Graham Botterill............................. 62 Holme Tree Kitchens...................... 15 The Housewives............................. 44 Just Frames.................................... 61 The Light House............................... 4 Loft Storage Solutions.................... 15 Logburners Ltd................................. 3

HOME continued...

Martin Allen Flooring......................... 4 My Spa UK....................................... 7 Olympic Oven Cleaning.................. 39 Parker Tiling................................... 62 RSJ Roofing..................................... 4 Rutland Shutters............................. 49 Simon Shuttlewood Upholstry........ 49 Terry Allen Painter & Decorator...... 61 Wilson Windows............................. 39 Woodcock Farm Shop.................... 48

LEISURE Birstall Golf Club............................. 31 Creations........................................39 Cropston Reservoir Fishing............ 30 English Ancestry............................. 49 Fosse Electric Bikes....................... 31 Rothley Tennis Club........................ 31 Sock... Exhibition & Fair................. 38 The Vintage Fair............................. 25

MOTORS Bob Jones Garage......................... 52 Cropston Garage............................ 61 Loughborough Kia.......................... 55 Marshall Honda.............................. 54 Tech 2.............................................52

PETS Anstey Cattery................................ 49 Cooks Farm Shop.......................... 45 Glebe Von Wood............................ 49 Petsworld.......................................... 3 Posh Paws..................................... 49 The Retreat Boarding Kennels....... 49 The Veterinary Surgery.................. 49

PROFFESIONAL SERVICES Dodds Solicitors LLP...................... 58 Lee Cooper Funeral Directors........ 58 Prusinski Solicitors......................... 37

PLEASE REMEMBER TO TELL OUR ADVERTISERS THAT YOU SAW THEM IN THE BRADGATE MAGAZINE

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