August 2015 herald magazine by Michael Wilkinson

AUGUST 2015

‘Making A Difference’ Community awards presented at Activity Day

‘Tomo’

AN AWARD scheme aimed at recognising and rewarding the contributions made by residents in their communities has been celebrating its first winners. The Making a Difference awards were sponsored by Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council’s Housing, Community Safety and Partnerships team, who also held a residents’ activity day to coincide with the award presentation ceremony. Cllr Chris Boothby, the council’s Executive Member responsible for Housing and Community Safety, opened the event, which was attended by over 60 people. He said after the event: “It’s important that we recognise all the hard work that individuals, as well as community groups, put into their communities.” During the day there were interactive DIY activities provided by the council’s Housing Repairs and Green Spaces teams as well as the Together for Tenants’ Garden Buddies group; and table tennis, outdoor draughts, and crafts from the Community House. Residents also made alcohol-free cocktails and took part in various quizzes, while the police, fire service and the neighbourhood wardens provided community safety advice. TURN TO PAGE 5

Markfield Library has a future! AFTER YOUR great support at our Grand Gala on Mayday, our library has a future! The MARKFIELD COMMUNITY LIBRARY group is proud to announce that we are now approved as a Charity Incorporated Organisation and are poised to start running Markfield Library. Our stated purpose as a Charity is the advancement of education for the public benefit in Markfield by the provision of a volunteer library. We will provide a community library service for the benefit of the residents of Markfield and the general public and to encourage other recreational and leisure uses of the library premises. It has been agreed in discussion with the Project Leader responsible for the establishment of the Community Libraries service that, subject to completion of the necessary legal contracts, the Markfield Community Library will operate the library in Markfield from September 1st, 2015. It will be run by our volunteer members, trained for the job by LCC Library Services support team. With their help we intend to be ready by September to deliver much the same library services as before but with new opening hours which total 18 hours as now. Markfield Library will be closed completely from August 26th to August 31st which is Bank Holiday Monday and reopen on Tuesday September 1st with new opening hours as announced in the panel below. We will continue to announce our plans at the library and in The Herald. To join our team of helpers, please find a form in the library or contact Ann on 01530 589523.

New opening hours for Markfield Library from 1st September 2015 Monday

9am – 10am and 1pm – 3pm and 6pm – 7pm

Tuesday

9am – 10am and 1pm – 3pm and 6pm – 7pm

Wednesday 9am – 10am then

closed all day

Thursday

9am – 10 am and 1pm – 3pm and 6pm – 7pm

Friday

9am – 10am

Saturday

and 1pm – 3pm

10m – 12noon then

closed

all

then day

closed

ON THE 2nd June, David Tomlinson passed away, aged 56. David’s family would like to pass on their thanks through the Herald for all the cards, kind words, support and tremendous turnout at Loughborough Crematorium on Friday 12th June. We always knew he was a very special and popular man, and the number of people that came to join us at Loughborough and the Queen’s Head to remember David made this even clearer to us. He has left a big void in our family which can never be filled but he will always be remembered with love and pride for being a special Son, Father, Brother, Grandad and Friend to many. Donations have been made to Macmillan in David’s name for over £700. Thank you all so very much.

Andrea Phillips

Events to be held in St Mary & All Saints Church, Stanton Under Bardon • AUTUMN FAYRE: Saturday 12th September - from 2pm - 4 p.m. Stalls:- Raffle, Bric-a-brac, Plants, Craft, Cakes & Preserves. Admission Free. Tea and Coffee available. • MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING: on Thursday 24th September 10.00 - 11.30 a.m. Come and join us for this social morning, all for a good cause. Tea and coffee, cakes and preserves for sale. Raffle tickets will be available on the day.

NEXT ISSUE OUT: Saturday 12th September - Adverts & Articles Needed By 29th August

PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT

Tel: 01530 244069 info@markfieldherald.co.uk www.markfieldherald.co.uk

The Herald is a monthly local magazine delivered free to approximately 4,000 homes and businesses in Markfield, Field Head, Stanton under Bardon, Thornton and Bagworth.

Contact Mike Wilkinson with your articles, news items or advertising enquiries. Printed by Norwood Press in Ellistown. The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Herald Production Team. The inclusion of any group or organisation in this publication does not necessarily imply a recommendation of its aims, methods or policies. The Herald cannot be held responsible for the information disclosed by advertisements, all of which are accepted in good faith.

NEXT ISSUE OUT ON 12th September DEADLINE: 29th August

ON 4TH JULY, the village of Thornton enjoyed its Annual Carnival on one of the most pleasant, sunny days of the year. Opened at one o’clock by the headteacher of Thornton Community Primary School, Michele King, the Carnival was soon in full swing. Villagers, their friends and families, enjoyed the variety of stalls and the excellent entertainment which was on offer. The Primary School Choir sang summery songs and the talented Stuart Daniel Rowe entertained with a wonderful selection of music as he sang to his own accompaniment. Little dancers from the Drake O’Connor School of Irish Dancing showed their enthusiasm for this traditional form of dance. A troupe of dancers from the Amy Billington Dance Academy, (whose teacher, Amy, grew up in Thornton), nothing daunted by performing on uneven, sloping grass, delighted with their upbeat dance routines. Quantities of ice-cream were consumed, and both the bar and the barbecue did roaring trade in the sunshine, whilst cream teas were served in the shady indoors. Young customers hooked ducks, had their faces painted, bounced on the bouncy castle, whizzed the spinning-jenny round and competed in the Donkey Derby and other games. A highlight of the afternoon was the drawing of the raffle. Ticket sales were much boosted by the wonderful array of prizes on offer thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. ALL IN ALL, IT WAS A VERY HAPPY AFTERNOON. I would like to offer my thanks, and those of my fellow trustees, to all those who made the Carnival happen by giving of their time and commitment, not only on the day, but during the weeks of planning. You know who you are, (as it’s said!), and your kindness and generosity, as well as your hard work, are appreciated. The profit from the Carnival is £1990. This will go directly to Community Centre Funds, and will help greatly towards the installation of a new central heating boiler which is to be installed this summer. Lastly, thank you to all those of you who came to offer support on the day.

John Walker (Chair of Trustees)

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Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine, but no liability can be accepted for loss or inconvenience caused as a result of error or omission. The Herald reserves the right to amend, shorten or refuse to publish articles and/or advertisements submitted for publication. All contents © The Herald None of the articles or adverts contained in this magazine are to be reproduced in any way without first obtaining written consent from The Herald. This issue of The Herald is being delivered by The Herald’s team of dedicated deliverers, namely: Sarah Jane, Maureen, John, Lyn, Lily, Ian, Ann, Gill, Sandra, Helen, Don, Jeanie, Jenny, Lauren, Lisa, Yvonne, Stacey, Margaret, Daniel, Jessie, Hannah, Charlotte, Mike and Rowan

THORNTON Carnival was a great success!

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Open Farm Sunday 2015 at Little Markfield Farm THANK YOU to all that came to the farm Open Day - we had a fantastic time and the weather held for us. As always there was a lot of interest in the sheep shearing. It was nice to see people sitting enjoying the sunshine and staying all day. The ice cream man, Paul, said that the atmosphere was fantastic and he sold more ice cream than ever before. The cooking demonstrations were going all day thanks to the setting work of Andy Anderson, Steve Barnes and helped by Zak. This year they cut up a pig and raffled it off. The bar was nearly out of beer, but we bought more than last year so it didn’t quite. Anna, Trevor, David, Claire and Bronwyn did an amazing job selling the burgers and hot dogs, but even with both catering units going all day, Coralie and me had to help in the big one at lunch time. The Scouts and Explorers did a super job on the parking, even if they did need help from their leaders. We had a record number of stalls for everyone to look at, with 10 having to go outside because we ran out of room. It was nice to have a Greengrass look-alike with one of the lorries from the TV show, Heartbeat, again, and he seem to enjoy it. We had a fantastic display of Land Rovers thanks to Fosse and Watling Land Rovers club, which was bigger than last year as well, we had a display of commercial vehicle, classic cars and vintage tractors. We had a wonderful display of models in the models and Hobbies marquee. We also had a huge range of stationary engines. The Civil war display came again with their forge and cannon, and are hoping to have a firing display next year. Visitors’ numbers were up again from last year with around 2,500 people coming through the gate. Once again thank you to all that came and helped make the day a success - it wouldn’t have happened without you. Next year it’s on Sunday 5th June so put the date in your diaries.

Brenda Featherstone Little Markfield Farm

Markfield HomeMakers

MARKFIELD HomeMakers meet in the Congregational Hall, Main Street, Markfield, on the second Wednesday of the month at 8pm. Call: Brenda on 01530 242173 or Iris on 01530 242436.

Events Coming Up ... •

Aug 12th ~ Skittles ~ 7.15 for 7.30pm ~ At Little Markfield Farm

•

Sep 9th ~ Rosie Woodland ~ “Joyce Grenfell”

•

Oct 14th ~ Felicity Austin ~ “Big Brand Names”

•

Nov 11th ~ Beetle Drive

•

Dec 9th ~ Chrismas Party

•

Jan 13th 2016 ~ Dinner ~7.15 for 7.30pm

My wife texted me after a row to say I was very condescending. To be honest, I was surprised she could spell it.

My wife has just delivered twin boys and let me name them. From her reaction, I’m guessing ‘Pete’ and ‘Repeat’ wasn’t the best choice.

The Vicar of Dibley is coming to St Peter’s!

Awards - from page 1

HOW’S THAT as a headline to grab your attention? The truth of the matter is that Markfield Methodist Church Choir will be singing the theme song from that popular television series as part of the programme at St Peter’s Celebration Concert on Friday 9th October at 7.30pm The concert, to which you are cordially invited, is to mark the completion of the restoration work on the historic pipe organ by Cousins Organs of Leicester, whose detailed work has taken over five months to complete. We are also delighted - and honoured - that Simon Headley, the Assistant Director of Music and Organist at Leicester Cathedral, has agreed to come and play the organ on that occasion. Simon has recently been responsible for the music marking the visit of Her Majesty the Queen to the Cathedral in 2014, the celebrations surrounding the interment of King Richard III, and for the Cathedral’s own television broadcast of Songs of Praise. We are indebted to the Borough Council for grant funding from its Parish Initiative Fund, to Midland Co-Operative Society, to Church Care, and to all such grant awarding bodies, and individuals, who have made this restoration possible. Admission to the concert is £5.00, which includes refreshments. Please make a note of the date - 9th October - and come to this memorable occasion.

Martin Foster

Saturday football returns to Altar Stones Lane

The Mayor, Councillor Mrs Janice Richards, was also in attendance and presented the community awards as follows: Community Champions (for individual residents or groups who actively work and give time and energy to improving their local community). Laurence Wilkins - for his role as Chairman of Burbage Community Arts Festival Committee in leading a team of volunteers who organise a wide and varied programme of entertainment and education throughout the village. The Gardening Gang from Earl Shilton Baptist Church - for their role in refreshing the gardens at Tom Eatough Court. Barbara and John Flynn - for their role in initiating the Groby social activities group which now meets every Monday in Groby Community Centre. Unsung Hero Malcolm Wildbore - for cooking a hot meal for residents of Armada Court six days a week, which not only helps residents who find it difficult to cater for themselves but also brings the community together. He also holds karaoke nights, film nights and social events on the weekend so people are not sitting in their flats feeling lonely. Residents’ Champions (for individuals or groups who have taken up a cause or issue and taken it to the relevant party to

The Mayor, Cllr Janice Richards, presents the Unseen Hero award to Malcolm Wildbore, while looking on are Clive Taylor, Deputy Chief Officer for Housing, Community Safety & Partnerships (left) and Cllr Chris Boothby, Executive Member responsible for Housing and Community Safety (right). reach a solution or improvement). David Smith of Ambion Court - for acting on behalf of residents, liaising with the council and other bodies. He attends the sheltered housing working group and is very involved at a scheme level, talking to residents about their needs and contacting staff members to achieve a solution. Together for Tenants - for working proactively on behalf of council tenants, providing constructive feedback on a range of issues and helping to develop new groups and involvement activities. Maureen Whitfield of Mayflower Court - for supporting less mobile residents by collecting shopping and medication and helping them on outings. She has helped individual tenants through various illnesses with practical support, a sympathetic ear and a cheery disposition.

If you enjoy watching local football at Altar Stones Lane, you’ll be delighted to hear that Saturday football returns for the 2015-2016 season. Come along and support your local team Sporting Markfield FC.

Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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6 All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. Galileo Galilei

Markfield WI NEWS

Celebrating the Centenary Year of the Women’s Institute DURING this year the Women’s Institute has been celebrating it’s centenary year with many interesting events. Markfield has tried to join in as many of these as possible.

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We made yards of bunting and joined other institutes lining the towpath at Foxton Locks to await the arrival of the Centenary Baton. Following this a small group of us joined in a Flash Mob at the Clock Tower in Leicester for the singing of Jerusalem, the Women’s Institute anthem. However probably the most exciting event two of our members were able to be involved in was a Garden Party held at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, June 2nd in honour of the WI. The lucky two were Sue Gammon whose name was drawn out of our group ballot and Margaret Beck who was drawn out of the Federation ballot. They travelled too London along with three coach loads of members from the Leicestershire and Rutland Federation on a rather grey and windy day, not the best weather for the hats, and had a wonderful day. Fortunately the rain stayed away and they enjoyed shaking Camilla’s hand, having a perfect tea and being photographed in the front courtyard of Buckingham Palace, an experience which will probably never happen again.

We, the rest of the membership, are looking forward to a more detailed account of the day as I shall certainly be putting them on the WI programme for next year! I am sure you will agree from the photograph that both ladies look extremely elegant and did us proud. I am still waiting for my invitation to the Palace to take tea with the President of Sandringham WI! On June 4th members of Markfield WI and other local WIs gathered at Coalville Rugby Club to watch a live screening of the ACM of the WI which was held this year at the Royal Albert Hall in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth, the Princess Royal and the Duchess of Wessex, all members of the WI. It was a lively and interesting meeting with the usual business, the resolution for 2015 and three inspirational speakers, namely Lucy Worsley, curator of the Historic Palaces and TV presenter, Baroness Tani GreyThompson and Helena Morrissey CBE who is a high flying business woman, mother of nine children and founder of the Thirty Percent Club. This is a club which aims to get all boards to contain 30% women and is nearing that figure. It would have been wonderful to be at the Albert Hall but this screening was the next best thing and we all very much enjoyed our day and felt

part of our wonderful organisation. ELEGANT: Margaret Beck (left) and Sue Gammon We continue to were invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace have our monthly meetings and in April we welcomed are going to Harrogate to the WI Alan Gray who is a retired Centennial Fair which promises to Wimbledon umpire. Alan spoke to be both interesting and possibly an us on his experiences of being an opportunity for some retail therapy. umpire over many years and he Our Knit and Natter Group had many fascinating tales to tell continues to meet at the Bull’s us of famous names in the tennis Head and at present we are making world. Our May meeting was items to sell on a stall at Copt Oak voting on the 2015 resolution and although I was not there I am led to Church Craft Fair in November. believe that the discussion was very If you fancy a bit of a natter over lively and the resolution extremely knitting or crochet or you would well presented by Mary Pepper, one like to learn either of these skills of our members. It was followed by do come along. No need to be a a Pudding tasting session. WI member, all are welcome. We meet on the first Wednesday of the By the time you read this we will month at 7pm. have visited Donington-le-Heath Manor House for a tour of the If all this activity sounds good to house and garden, spent what I you why not come along and visit am sure will be a super evening at us, 3rd Wednesday of the month at Kilworth House Theatre and held the Methodist Church Schoolroom. a Garden Party in Les and Sue We are a very friendly group and Gammon’s beautiful garden. are always keen to see new faces Coming up in July we have and receive new ideas of how we Rosie makes jam, well you have can make our Institute better. All to have jam in there somewhere, ages welcome, we’d really love and in August a visit from John some younger members, we are and Annette Christophers from all young at heart and in our heads Albrighton Pottey when we all so don’t be put off by a bit, only a get the chance to contribute smattering, of grey! to the making of a plate which Fran Johnson we can keep for our group. In September a small group of us

I was enjoying a brilliant singalong last night, until I was asked to leave the opera.

7 70th Anniversary of VJ Day

Son of Far East Prisoner of War to give talk TO COMMEMORATE the 70th anniversary year of VJ Day Ken Hewitt will be giving an illustrated talk on the findings of his research into the 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment during the Malaya Campaign and subsequent captivity as Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOWs). He is trying to contact as many relatives of 1st Battalion FEPOWs as possible to invite them to the talk which is to be held at the Belmont Hotel, Leicester on Friday 18th September commencing at 2.00pm. His father C/Sgt JT Hewitt served with the regiment and research into his father’s military career led to Ken spending the last 5 years researching all 934 men of the 1st Battalion during the period 1941-45. He is now keen to share the knowledge he has gained with other FEPOW relatives and others who may be interested. For further details please contact Ken Hewitt on 01279 834415 or by email at :- kenhewitt@ntlworld.com

Autumn Painting Classes in Groby & Woodhouse Eaves

PUBLIC NOTICE LICENSING ACT 2003 To whom it may concern

We, Bagworth Community Centre Trust (2013) Ltd, do hereby give notice that we have applied to the Licensing Authority at Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council for a Premises Licence at Bagworth Community Centre, Station Road, Bagworth, Leicestershire, LE67 1BH and known as Bagworth Community Centre. The application is to licence the premises for the Sale of Alcohol, Live Music, Plays, Films, Recorded Music, Dancing, and Indoor Sporting Events from 07.00 to 00.00. Any person who lives or are involved in a business in the area of the premises who are likely to be affected by the grant of a licence and wants to make a written representation for or against the application should write to Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, Licensing Service, Hinckley Hub, Rugby Road, Hinckley, LE10 0FR or email: esadmin@hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk not later than 5th September 2015. Representations after this date will not be considered. Representations may not be made anonymously and must relate to the Four Licensing Objectives – The Prevention of Crime and Disorder, Public Safety, The Prevention of Public Nuisance and The Protection of Children from Harm. Relevant representations will be included in a public report to the licensing panel and the applicant.

Signed: R Austin [on behalf of BCCT (2013) Ltd] Dated: 24th July 2015

Bagworth Historical Society

THERE ARE still spaces left for the Autumn session of the painting classes held at Groby and Woodhouse Eaves!

Learning from the past

Local artist Mark Wilde has been teaching for many years and offers weekly classes for both absolute beginners and intermediate levels.One to one tuition and step by step demonstrations are features of the classes which are run in a friendly, workshop atmosphere. The 12 week daytime courses begin 21 September. For more information, please contact Mark on 07757 010982 or email markwilde8@gmail.com.

BAGWORTH Historical Society meets on the second Tuesday of the month at Bagworth Working Men’s Club (now known as The Club) at 7.30 pm. New members are always welcome. We have two guest speakers later in the year. •

David Bell will give us a talk entitled ‘Things that go bump in the night’ on Tuesday 13th October.

•

Elizabeth Riding will be talking to us about historical aspects of Christmas on 10th November. Talks are open to non-members at a cost of £1. Make sure that these dates go in your diary.

At what age is it appropriate to tell dogs that they’re adopted?

Rabbits galore at Redgates – pretty new arrivals for you to visit AFTER having only 4 or 5 rabbits at the sanctuary during June and early July, several people have come into Redgate Farm Animal Sanctuary recently, bringing in family pets they can unfortunately no longer look after. At the time of writing we currently have twelve rabbits for re-homing, including 3 bonded pairs we would prefer to be adopted together. They are all beautiful and healthy, some (not all) are neutered, and don’t forget, you would have to take your newly adopted rabbit(s) to the vet for vaccinations and ongoing in the future for checks to claws and teeth. They need medical care and upkeep just like we do! But they make lovely pets and will reward you with their charm and companionship. And these days there are some fantastic rabbit-care websites to help and advise you. If you are interested in Maisy, Willow, Mopsy, Winnie, Lovely or Lily, Tinker or Belle, or any of our ‘Bunnykins’ family, do drop into the sanctuary on Shaw Lane (just beside the A511 near Stanton-under-Bardon). We are open to the public every day of the year except Christmas Day, from 10.00am – 4.00pm. Tel: 01530 243 925 or get in touch via the website. www.redgatefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk Follow us on Facebook!

Sell Your Stuff!

HERALD

FREE Small Ads • Horse RIDING BLACK VELVET HAT - Christy Beaufort International XP, size 7½/61. Cost £76 at Parrs. Good condition - no falls. All offers considered. Tel: 0753 180 4839 • Dark wood oval COFFEE TABLE - 41” long by 30” wide. perfect condition. Price: £25.00 Tel: 01530 243778 • Mantis electric HEDGE TRIMMER. Extends to 5`5”, with 20” double sided shearing blade. Used only twice. Price: £45.00 Tel: 01530 249735. Markfield. SEND your Small Ads IN WRITING to: The Herald, PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT or email to: info@ markfieldherald. co.uk (please include your address - not for publication).

MacMillan Coffee Morning: 25th Sept GILL FOOTE and Friends of Willow Court in Markfield invite you to a MacMillan Cancer Support Coffee Morning on Friday 25th September between 10.30am and 12.30pm at the Residents Lounge, Willow Court, Upland Drive, Markfield. We hope to see you there!

Chat, eat and listen

Out of Town Luncheon Club in Botcheston HOW WOULD you like to meet with your friends once a month, chat over a delicious meal, and then enjoy an interesting speaker, such as Charles Hanson from antiques TV shows, a Roly Poly dancer from the Les Dawson Show, or hear the story of Coco Chanel, to name just a few.

Charles Hanson - ‘Come on!’

If so, come and join us on the 3rd Monday of the month at 12.15pm starting in September at The Forest Hill Golf Club, Botcheston, Near Markfield.Please contact Judy Leacy on 0116 287 4339 or on 0116 224 9883. You will be made very welcome!

Fun Day at the Bricklayer’s Arms in Thornton JAN & BEN at the Bricklayer’s Arms in Thornton are holding another of their very popular Fun Days on Saturday 5th September, starting at 1pm. Among the attractions will be live music from the Dirty Water Band, Tombola, Raffle, Putt The Ball, Hook A Duck, Face Painting, Bouncy Castle Slide, and lots more! Sounds great! Put the date in your diary straight away so you don’t forget to go!

More parents urged to take up free child care LEICESTERSHIRE families are being urged to find out if they qualify for free child care for their two-year-olds. The call comes as new figures published today (Monday) by Ofsted show that 66 per cent of county parents are taking advantage of the offer for two-yearolds – this compares to a national average of 58 per cent. Up to 570 hours of free child care are available for families if they meet certain criteria, and Leicestershire County Council is encouraging mums, dads and carers to use an online checker to see if they’re eligible. It’s thought that there are around 1,800 county youngsters who could benefit. The funding has been provided by the government and is designed to benefit low-income families and help parents return to work. The statistics also reveal that 94 per cent of three and four-year-olds are using the free child care they’re entitled to, in line with the national figure. Ivan Ould, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for children and families, said: “Research shows that good quality child care gives youngsters the best possible start in life. “Although nearly two out of three parents are making the most of the funding, we want to increase this and are encouraging people to find out if they meet the criteria.” Parents of two-year-olds can find out if they qualify for by visiting: www.myearlylearning.co.uk/ earlyyears/apply, or call 0116 305 6208.

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Strangely, my wife wasn’t happy at all when I gave her a ring on our wedding day. Perhaps I should have texted her instead.

Oriental Poppies Sadly in the past few years, quite a lot of varieties have disappeared from gardens and cannot be replaced as, all over Europe, the entire stocks have died. All, apparently afflicted by a kind of mildew. Hopefully - as in the case of Dutch Elm disease - an odd plant may have survived, from which stocks could be built up over the years. The poplar small pink variety ‘Karine’ was one of the first to be afflicted and seems now to be extinct. A holder of a national collection of oriental poppies says that, originally, she held about 200 varieties; now reduced to approximately 50. This demonstrates the seriousness of the problem.

Dianthus - Pinks July/August is ideal for propagating pinks. Use a very very open mixture of compost and grit. Rather than

cuttings, they are called ‘Pipings’. Hold a stem and pull a 3 or 4 inch piece from its top. Half a dozen in a small pot will root in about 4 weeks

lifetime and then passed to your heirs.

Lilies Many plants are called lilies but here I refer to the true lilies or lilium varieties. Where a pure white is required, the best, by far is Lilium Regale - the regal lily. But what of the Madonna lily ‘Lilium Candidum’. Somewhat different in cultivation. Needs planting early in August/September and only an inch or so below soil level. ‘Candidum’ is expensive at £5 or £6 a bulb. Should last a

Sweet Williams Not grown so much nowadays - maybe now becoming fashionable again. Grown as biennials, then discarded. Modern varieties, if trimmed back after flowering, will probably bloom again.

Blackberries Little doubt that none of the garden cultivated varieties can match the wild bramble ones for flavour. Very convenient though for one or two trained (to shape) ones in the garden. A new one, and said to be larger and sweeter, is called ‘Driscoll’s Victoria’.

solid root system.

Herbs A good time to propagate herbs from your garden. The ‘soft’ ones - Mint and Basil (tender) for instance will root in water or an open compost. Do not overlook both Lemon Verbena and Lemon Grass. Both need winter protection.

Strawberries Often, plants are kept for 2 or 3 years, then replaced with young ones. If your plants are healthy, now is the time to root their runners. Best into small pots which can be transplanted later, having a small

Leeks A valuable winter vegetable although now seems to be available throughout the year. For home gardeners try the variety ‘Babington’s Leek’. Instead of pulling (or forking out) when mature, cut the leeks at ground level and they will re-shoot.

Autumn Bulbs Already time to be ordering, or soon buying, particularly Narcissus (Daffodils). September is best planting time. The smaller ones are very popular the favourite by far is ‘Tete a Tete’. If you prefer white to yellow, the variety ‘Toto’ is similar.

I went on a bus tour yesterday - what a rip-off. £10 just to look round a double-decker.

11 Young Pathfinders Films highlight dangers of smoking Free Summer Activities in to local kids Bagworth

A SERIES of educational films using children to teach their peers about the negative impact that smoking has on health and the social issues it raises have been uploaded to a local NHS website. The collection of five films, created by Leicestershire County Council, uses primary school age children to explain the health dangers and social issues around smoking. The films are now available to view at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust‘s Health for Kids website at https:// www.healthforkids.co.uk/staying-healthy/avoiding-smoking/. Children can learn about why smoking is a dangerous for their health, what to do if their friends put pressure on them to try smoking as well as wider issues such as the tobacco industry and slave labour. One of the films deals with the sad story of a family dealing with a family death caused by a smoking related illness. Developed with the help of over 60 children from Leicestershire’s primary schools, the unique healthforkids.co.uk website is the first NHS website created especially for children to learn about staying healthy and looking after their health. As part of this, the website features a diverse range of health topics including smoking cessation, all overseen by experts from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. There are also separate areas for teachers and parents. Margaret Clarke, senior nurse and professional school nursing lead for LPT (Queens Nurse), said: “These films are a fantastic way to get really serious and important messages to young children, and each video contains a really strong and sometimes emotional message. We wanted to share the videos on our Health for Kids website in the hope of educating local children about the health dangers and social issues connected to smoking.” On the healthforkids.co.uk webpage kids can also take part in a poll to find out how many adults they think smoke in the UK. For more information on avoiding smoking and to watch the educational shorts visit https://www.healthforkids.co.uk/staying-healthy/avoidingsmoking/.

FUN AND adventurous is how children should be! Young Pathfinders is a children’s adventure club that takes the kids out into the great outdoors. Our programme is based on survival, adventure, discovery and exploring and includes learning how to build a fire, how to navigate in the wilderness, learning about natural foods, building a shelter, self-rescue techniques, bushcraft, making a raft, climbing, canoeing, first aid, self-defence, orienteering and many more and of course a spot of bug tasting... just for starters! Young Pathfinders, is a truly unique outdoor learning experience with the emphasis on engaging and teaching children valuable life skills based on our core subjects which is a supported, in a supervised and safe outdoor environment. Young people are taught practical skills that encourage independence and social interaction, with the emphasis on fun and exploring the outdoors. Our programme runs throughout a 12 month period and each year at different levels. Covering a range of subjects. The main club is a weekly activity run’s continuously throughout the year. Young people will have the opportunity to earn Pathfinder badges and awards and will have the opportunity to take the lead in different activities and scenarios. Additional activities are available from Birthday Survival Parties to family survival days and summer holiday day camps. Our main clubs run on Mondays from Bagworth Community Centre from 4pm to 5.30pm and a second session at 6pm to 730pm and Wednesdays at 5pm to 630pm. For more information contact Craig on 07772 704735 or email survival@youngpathfinders.com

My wife said she’s leaving me because I’m ‘not an effective communicator’. I’ll email her about it tomorrow.

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I don’t understand fast food. I’ve been eating it for years but I seem to be getting slower and slower.

Stitches In Time FELICITY and her sister Jean, like many women of our generation , did not see retirement as a time for ceasing to be productive, a time for putting their feet up and gently pottering around. Instead they looked for somewhere to learn some thing new, a chance to join different groupsand learn new skills.

Felicity preferred the idea of quilt making, though her sister wanted to learn lace making. So in 1993 they went to the WEA (Workers’ Educational Association) in Wellington Street to enquire about classes. In the end they both started lace and quilting on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. All day or evening classes were out of the question as Jean had their father living with her. Starting with basic skills Felicity made rapid progress and found that she wanted to learn more than was possible through the WEA. A lace-making group met first of all in Groby College and later moved to the Village Hall and here Felicity continued her lace making. Starting with Torchon lace she made small bookmarks like the one in the photo. Each piece of work would take 12 to 15 hours depending on the complexity of the pattern. From these she progressed to making pictures. Each piece of work would take 12 to 15 hours depending on the complexity of the pattern. Obviously the fineness of the work and the concentration necessary to follow patterns meant Felicity could only do a little at a time at home as well as at meetings and weekend workshops. Over time Felicity learned other traditional lace patterns including Bedfordshire and Bucks. (Buckinghamshire point) lace. Bedfordshire became her favourite while her sister became accomplished at the Bucks. A picture like the one shown here could take up to 6 months to complete. Sometimes Felicity attended 2-day workshops and retreats at Knuston Hall, where they met new people and enjoyed seeing what other people could do. Then there were the lace fairs , always a chance to buy new and beautifully decorated bobbins, or visits to exhibitions of work from all over the world. Meanwhile Felicity and Jean had moved on from the quilting classes as well and had joined The Village Quilters in Countesthorpe and then Whetstone. The Village Quilters will sometimes have a visiting tutor to run a workshop but usually learn from and support each other Over the next twenty years Felicity has made everything from King-size double bed quilts to hand and shopping bags, wall hangings, lap quilts and boxes. She experimented with all forms of appliqué patching and quilting using a range of traditional techniques and patterns. Felicity attended week long retreats at Quorn Hall driving home in the evening and after breakfast to cook meals for her husband and then returning to join in the sessions. An interesting co-operation began between Felicity and an American group. Called The Baker’s Dozen, the American group would decide on a theme or colour which Felicity could interpret in any way and then make 13 squares, 12 by 12 and send 12 of them to The States receiving 12 different ones in return, hence together a Bakers’ Dozen. Felicity has always been more interested in quilting than her sister, but both of them expanded their creativity to include embroidery and card-making by attending workshops at Ulverscroft Grange and at the NEC. In recent years Felicity started working with groups for people with a variety of health and ability problems , despite her own increasing difficulty with mobility. The groups were thrilled with the bags and cushions that were able to make with her help and support as shown on the right. Felicity has now moved into a Home and the beautiful work that she has done over the last 25 years is being sold or given to friends and family. So that more people can see and appreciate the skills involved, the work of our creative neighbour will be displayed in an exhibition ‘Stitches in Time’ to be held in Markfield Community Centre on Sunday 15th September 10.30 - 4.00pm and Monday 16th 10.30 3.00pm. We hope that many of you will be able to visit.

Bored is good THIS WILL cheer you up this summer when your children mope around the house saying that they are bored: apparently a bit of boredom is good for them. So says a senior educationalist, Julia Robinson, who has encouraged parents NOT to force their children into too many activities. Instead, they must be allowed to become bored, so that they can have time to be reflective and calm. Too many pursuits such as music lessons, sport and online learning could result in a generation of manic, anxiety-ridden adults, she warns. Writing in Attain, the IAPS magazine, she points out that happiness does not come from a “regime of unrealistic multitasking, running oneself ragged with an exhausting programme of endles activities.” Another educationalist urged that children need “downtime…. They have the right to be bored, to give them the stimulus to be inventive, resourceful and self-reliant – all important life skills.”

Fifth of poor children live without love TELL YOUR children that you love them. Say the words. It seems that more than 20 per cent of children who live in poor households are growing up without ever being told that they are loved. Such children are at real risk from mental health problems in later life. Research by YouGov for the Prince’s Trust has found that young people from deprived homes are ‘significantly’ more likely to face symptoms of mental illness as adults, including suicidal thoughts, feeling of self-hatred and panic attacks. They have grown up feeling that no one cares about them.

Too busy for a cuppa DO YOU take fewer tea breaks at work these days? If so, you are not alone: it seems that nearly 50 per cent of workers are taking fewer breaks these days for fear that their bosses will think they are shirking. A recent survey found that nowadays, half of all workers feel too busy to stop for a cuppa, while one in four thought that they were not even allowed a break. One in five of us feel we are taking fewer breaks than we did during a typical day five years ago. Tetley, who carried out the study, also found that some male bosses are more likely to make themselves a secret brew, in order to avoid having to make a round for their colleagues.

I thought I found a mass snowman grave the other day. Turns out it’s just a field of carrots.

IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE MARKFIELD MEN WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR ONE 100 years ago this month ERNEST DOWELL

Ernest Dowell was killed in action on 17th August 1915 aged 34. He was born Ernest Ross in Lutterworth in 1880, the son of Ada Lucas Ross, and lived with his mother and sister in Ullesthorpe. When he was aged 7 his mother married James Dowell (of Markfield) and they had five more children. Ernest and his sister took the name Dowell. Through the 1890’s, the family lived in Knighton, where, by 1901, Ernest was a postman. In 1905 he married Violet Money in Leicester and soon after they moved to Main Street, Markfield where Ernest was the postman. They had four children, three born in Markfield. Ernest enlisted with the 2nd Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. He was killed in action and is buried in Laventie near Armentieres in the north of France. On the afternoon of Sunday 19th September 1915, a muffled peal was rung on the bells of St Michael’s, Markfield in his memory.

Groby Tuesdays Guitar Group THE GROBY Tuesdays are starting up again on 8 September at Groby Village Hall!

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I’m doing my bit for global warming. I’ve taken the door off my fridge.

Over-50s day is celebrating its 20th birthday THIS YEAR the annual Over 50’s Day will celebrate it’s 20th Anniversary and the organisers are already working hard to make Friday 18th September at the Green Towers venue, another great success A mix of activities, talks and demonstrations to suit all tastes is being planned. They include: archery, Bollywood dancing, cholesterol and health checks, folk dancing, mature movers, hand massage, oil painting, pyrography, pool and snooker, reflexology, tai- chi and wall climbing. In addition there will be talks on the role of the Leicester Regiment in WW1, Asian Culture and ‘Life and Death on Bosworth Battlefield’, as well as opportunities to access a wealth of advice and information on all issues relevant to the over 50’s. This year, Priority parking at Green Towers will be given to blue badge holders and for others arriving by car, a free shuttle service will operate between Ashby Road Sports Club and the Green Towers venue. Admission for this full day is only £3.50 and free tea and coffee is available all day. Don’t miss out on this great experience – look for the booking forms in the following places: Local libraries, GP surgeries, Hinckley Hub, Parish or town council offices, Green Towers and Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland charity shops in Hinckley and Earl Shilton. For further information, contact Kate Webb at Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland on 01455 619519 or email kate.webb@ageukleics.org.uk

The benefits of coochie-coo DON’T BE afraid to use baby talk to your baby – it is great for them. Research has found that infants whose parents talked to them at a higher pitch, in a happy tone of voice, and with elongated vowels learned nearly three times as many words by the age of two as those whose parents had not. Research at the University of Washington and the University of Connecticut found that babies in families who used baby talk knew an average of 433 words by the age of two. Babies in families that did not use baby talk knew on average just 169 words by the age of two.

If it weren’t for marriage, men would spend their lives thinking they had no faults at all.

Markfield Medical Centre Your wedding ring finger On Jim Davis’s ‘Questions & Answers’ show on BBC Radio – Patient Participation Leicester recently, one of the questions related to your wedding ring finger, and several callers supplied the Group (PPG) – Update answer. IN LAST MONTH’S issue of the Herald you were told of our plans to attend various local events in the immediate future to help raise awareness of PPG.

Usually this took the form of a handful of PPG members manning a stall containing information leaflets, questionnaires etc. The events themselves were where large groups of people were gathered together to enjoy some fun activities e.g village/school fayre. It is fair to say that some venues proved more successful than others for PPG’s purposes. It became clear to PPG members, particularly at the fun events, that it was preferable to approach members of the public rather than expecting them to come to the stall seeking information. Lots of leaflets and questionnaires were handed out from the stall and this gave PPG members the opportunity to discuss health-related issues such as diabetes, bowel cancer and how to get the best out of the appointment system. Practical medical demonstrations were thought to be a way of attracting people at future events. Among the information gathered from respondents, • 71% said they knew how to get the most out of the appointment system and the same number knew about text reminders and gave positive comments about this service. • 84% of people who read the articles relating to PPG in the Herald had found them useful and they were pleased to hear they would be continuing in future. • Just under half of those asked knew about the free health check, • 32% said they would be interested in ‘Working for Health’ initiative while many said they already exercised or that they were at work. Experience showed that at some events e.g. surgery/Co-op PPG members were present when there were few or no members of the public in attendance. This suggested better planning was needed on behalf of PPG members at these events. Most adverse comments were centred on the appointment system. People found it difficult to arrange appointments that were convenient with their work. It seems that if the development of 140 houses or so on Jacqueline Road goes ahead, it is likely to raise fresh concerns of increasing waiting times at the surgery. All the observations made should help when deciding the content of future PPG awareness events. If in the meantime, you wish to speak to a PPG member about your views, their names and telephone numbers are on the medical centres web-site as follows: www.markfieldmedicalcentre.org.uk

For confirmation, we looked it up on the internet and found this interesting little item ... During a wedding ceremony, there are certain rituals that are followed before placing the rings on the hands; however, the ring is almost always placed on the fourth finger of the left hand, which raises the question ‘why?’. Thousand of years ago, there was a Greek and Roman belief that a vein from the fourth finger on the left hand ran directly to the heart. This vein was known as the ‘vena amoris’ also known as the vein of love. This belief led to the tradition of wearing the wedding ring on that particular finger, symbolizing the love amongst the couple being married. According to scientific evidence, this myth is not true, however many individuals still like to believe it is. The Chinese developed a theory, which is actually really interesting and a bit fun to try. If you look at your left hand, each finger is a representation of the past, present and future generations within your family. For example, the thumb represents your parents, your index finger represents your siblings, the middle finger represents yourself, your fourth finger represents your life-partner and the fifth finger, your pinkie, represents your future children. Now it’s time for a little experiment. Place your hands together and bend your middle fingers together, allowing for your knuckles to touch. When doing this, allow for your other remaining fingers to touch. Begin to pull each finger apart, individually. You will see that your thumbs will pull apart because you are not destined to be with your parents forever. Now do the same action with your index finger and pinkie; you will see the same results. According to the Chinese theory, you are not meant to be together forever with your siblings, as well as your future children as they will leave the home and start a family of their own. Now try to do the same action with your ring finger, which represents your life partner. When you try to separate these fingers apart, it doesn’t lift as easily as the other fingers, right? This is because you and your life partner are meant to be together forever.

I saw a kid earlier with a hairy face and horrible beady eyes. Saying that, I suppose it’s normal for a goat.

The problem of uncontrolled rural housing developments Borough Councillor Matthew Lay writes in the Herald I have written many times recently about the problems we face with uncontrolled housing developments.

Let me make it clear it is the uncontrolled element that causes me the most problem. I have never had a problem with ensuring settlements like Markfield and Stanton can support modest growth in housing linked to the known communities housing needs. In fact I have long recognised we have a genuine housing problem in this country but I do not believe that we are going in the right direction to solve them. I have always believed in the need for strong communities that have a sense of identity and an ability to take decisions to improve their lot. What has always concerned me is that those who wish to remain living in the community that they grew up in, are often not able to do so. This can be for a variety of reasons but housing is certainly one of them. This is a big reason why all communities should be tasked in finding new housing sites that support local need. If this happened it would be more sustainable, but communities would need to feel protected by the system. As it is the system fails to distinguish between those who seek to provide adequate housing numbers and those that don’t. You could argue that it actually punishes communities that try and do the right thing rather than deal with those who fail to ensure sustainability. It is a fact that we identified suitable sites in both Markfield and

Stanton to do just that and more. Under the old planning rules, that may have sufficed and would have strengthened our hand in rejecting developers who sought to build in the open countryside for its own sake, or develop on a greater scale than a community could adapt to, or could service via essential provisions like GP’s or school places. Today the situation if far more chaotic and supports the needs of the developer over those of the community. The situation is made worse by the reduction in the numbers of small house builders, who have been replaced by the large corporate house builders who are gradually dominating the market place and are a lot less sensitive to the community. One of the key issues of contention is the five years land supply rule. If a council can demonstrate it has enough developable land (that is with permissions granted to sustain ongoing housing growth) up to a five year period it has a stronger defence in rejecting applications for housing develoments when, for example, they are in the open countryside. In recent years the Government’s changes to the planning system and the strong emphasis on the 5 years land supply rule, has very much worked against us, not just here in Markfield, Stanton and Field Head, but across many communities. The Borough Council has for various reasons - some understandable but some very political - failed to keep a 5 year land supply available. This has compounded the problems to the point that in recent years the Council was having to recommend housing applications that in normal circumstances would never have

Matthew Lay been granted permission. It was open season and developers knew this. Well here is some good news - at least in part anyway. The Council has now finally achieved the 5 year land supply and has for the moment surpassed it. This is really important for us as we fight to prevent another large scale housing development this time in Field Head to the south of Jacqueline Road. It should strengthen our arguments on the grounds of it being both in the open countryside and not sustainable with regards to the impact on local services which are currently streched with little room for expansion. While it may strengthen our hand, sadly it does not mean the battle is won. Unfortunately we are a long way from that reality and the emphasis on building houses anywhere, driven by central government, remains strong. Still it is a positive mark on the scorecard which up to now has had little to be commend it. Ultimately the key is to keep fighting for what we believe in and how we want our community to develop. We have been forward looking and have met our recognised housing needs. It shouldn’t now be for others to dictate the future.

Matthew

CALLING ALL KNITTERS: It’s time to join The Big Knit for Age UK AGE UK Leicester Shire & Rutland is calling on nimble-fingered knitters in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to get creative and knit little hats for Age UK and innocent’s Big Knit to help older people keep warm and well in winter. Now in its 12th year, The Big Knit returns and budding knitters across the UK are being called upon to knit miniature woolly hats to adorn innocent smoothie bottles, which will be sold in stores nationwide from February 2016. For each be-hatted smoothie sold, innocent will donate 25p to help Age UK fund their winter projects. Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland is calling on local knitters to get as many hats as possible to them by the end of November latest to meet their challenging target of 42,000 and needs knitters and those wanting to give it a go to make this a reality. Each winter, one older person dies needlessly every eight minutes because of the cold . With over a decade of support from knitters up and down the country, The Big Knit has raised vital funds to help older people keep warm and well in winter. Last year alone, more than 800,000 hats were lovingly created, with designs including a bird cage, fruit, soldiers, peas in a pod, a bee’s nest, a crown and fishermen with their catch. For more information on The Big Knit contact Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland on 0116 2992233 or log on to http://www.ageuk.org.uk/leics/how-you-can-help/new-fundraising-page/get-knitting-for-the-big-knit-2015/ Completed hats need to reach Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland at Lansdowne House, 113 Princess Road East, Leicester LE1 7LA by 30th November .

I changed my password to “incorrect” so whenever I forget what it is the computer will say “Your password is incorrect”.

18 Great news from Glenfield Hospital Support Shop

Glenfield Hospital receives donation of £30,000 from its support shop AT A RECENT Finance Meeting of the Glenfield Hospital Support Shop, the sum of £30,000 was donated to the hospital. There will be further expenditure in the near future when other requests are considered. The present grants are listed below: • Adult Intensive care • Cardiac Special Equipment • Cardiac renal/Respiratory • Ward 26 • Ward 23 • Physiotherapy • AV Equipment for the Clinical Education Centre • Orthodontics & Restorative Dentistry: Special Camera Equipment • Discharge Lounge Thanks to your support and generosity, we are able to ensure that funds raised here are spent in the most economical and effective way on patient needs and medical equipment. If anyone would like a more in-depth description of the above grants, please feel free to contact me on 01530 249429 or at the shop on 0116 258 3869.

Help our hedgehogs

Ann Cook GLENFIELD HOSPITAL SUPPORT SHOP

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Danger of living in the suburbs PEOPLE who live in the suburbs and drive to the shops or work are in danger: they are a third more at risk of diabetes and obesity than if they walked, cycled, or even took public transport. Research at the Centre for Research on Inner City Health in Toronto found that the proximity of walkable destinations has a measurably good effect on people’s health.

DO YOU have a fence around your property? Then how do the local hedgehogs come and go? Now environmentalists are urging home-owners to cut several CD-sized gaps in their fences to help hedgehogs get out and about a bit more - to find more food, and to find a mate. Hedgehog numbers have declined drastically in recent decades. The population is thought to be shrinking by three per cent a year. Hedgehogs are thought to need to cover about a mile a night, but they won’t get far if they can’t get in or out of your garden. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society estimates that from about 30 million hedgehogs in the 1950s, we are now down to well below 1.5 million (the number estimated in the mid-Nineties).

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Whenever I have a headache, I take two aspirins and keep away from the children, like the bottle says.

The impact of reduced street lighting

Hot Band of the Moment Years and Years

FOLLOWING July’s publication of research by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine showing that reduced street lighting does not increase the number of road accidents or crime, Peter Osborne, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: Residents are going to be encouraged and reassured by the statistics. “The results of what is said nationally and locally all confirm that it’s the fear of crime that is greater than the actual crime. “Every single time we have done the dimming or switching off of lights we have done a risk assessment and if it says we need to keep the lights on then we will keep them on.” • Since 2010 Leicestershire County Council has been working to reduce the carbon impact and cost of street lighting by reducing the number of roads lit at night • Leicestershire County Council is investing £25.1 million in LED lighting to upgrade 66,000 street lights • The LED lights will be controlled centrally, with the ability for them to be switched back on temporarily at night in case of incidents The scheme will be funded by a successful bid to the Department of Transport for £5.1million and £20million of council reserves.

Anyone for Badminton? A FRIENDLY local Badminton club requires players for sessions at Groby Community College on Wednesdays between 8pm and 10pm. Telephone 0116 267 5800 for more information.

A Napoleon complex? AS THIS Summer we remember the Battle of Waterloo, ‘short man’ syndrome really does exist, it seems. Feeling smaller can make men distrustful and scared, according to research by Oxford University. It seems that a lower height can lead to “more negative evaluations of the self compared with others, and greater levels of paranoia.” As one scientist put it: “Being tall is associated with greater career and relationship success. Height is taken to convey authority, and we feel taller when we feel more powerful.” There was no mention whether many modern short men feel a compensatory urge to conquer Europe!

YEARS & YEARS are a British electronica band founded in London. The band consists of frontman and keyboardist Olly Alexander, bassist Mikey Goldsworthy, and synth player Emre Türkmen. Years & Years’ music has been described as electropop, mixing R&B and ‘90s house elements, with Flying Lotus, Diplo, Radiohead and Jai Paul being their core influences. Their single “King”, reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, while their latest single “Shine”, reached number 2. The band formed in 2010, after Goldsworthy moved to London from Australia and met Türkmen online. Shortly afterwards, Alexander joined the band as lead vocalist after Goldsworthy heard him singing in the shower. The band was originally a five-piece group, with Noel Leeman and Olivier Subria. Years & Years’ debut single “I Wish I Knew” was released in July 2012 on the label Good Bait, with the band performing as a five-piece group. In 2013 the group signed to French label Kitsuné Records as a three-piece and released their second single “Traps” in September 2013. Their third single “Real” was released via Kitsuné in February 2014 and its music video featured an appearance from Alexander’s Peter and Alice costar, Ben Whishaw, and former Misfits actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. In 2014 the group signed to Polydor Records and released their fourth single “Take Shelter”. The EP reached the number 1 spot on the iTunes UK Singles Electronic Chart. In December 2014, the group’s fifth single “Desire” was released, peaking at No. 22 on the UK singles chart. In January 2015, Years & Years’ sixth single “King” was previewed on BBC Radio 1, selected as Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record of the day. In March 2015, the single reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. In January 2015, Years & Years won the prestigious BBC Sound of 2015. Years & Years were also nominated for the Critics Choice Award at the Brit Awards 2015. Their single “King”, released on 1 March, reached number one on the UK Singles Chart on 8 March 2015. On March 18, 2015 Years & Years announced their debut album Communion. The album was released on 10 July 2015 by Polydor and entered the UK Album Chart at number 1. (Information from Wikipedia)

An earthquake hit Las Vegas. 1,200 Elvises were all shook up.

Markfield Congregational Thornton Primary School News Pupils design a poster Church News asking dog owners to pick up the poo! THERE’S SOME good news and some bad news.

The good news is the wonderful evening of entertainment by the Jay Brothers. Thanks to Mick and Eddie and their surprise backing group, The Soul Sisters. A total of £200 was raised for Church funds. The bad news is we have discovered problems with the floor meaning we might need to raise a substantial amount of money to keep our lovely church in good order. We also have our church hall to maintain which might need some work doing on the roof. We are a small group of members trying to keep these buildings for the use of villagers. Thanks again to the Jay Brothers for a memorable night. We look forward to another evening with them as we continue to raise funds to look after our buildings.

Angela Berry

Why your man can’t help missing that anniversary IF THE man in your life forgets your birthday or even forgets to ring you, he now has a perfect excuse: he can’t help it - because he is a man. It seems that men are simply more forgetful than women when it comes to numbers, dates, events, personal memories and details of conversations. The study, carried out by scientists at the Norwegian University of Science, admits that “we have speculated a lot about why men report more frequent problems with remembering than women, but have not been able to find an explanation. This is still an unsolved mystery.”

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LUKE CLEMENTS and Ann Claire Preston (back, left) and Thornton Primary McDonald (Dog warden) School’s Head Michele took an assembly at Thornton Primary School King (back, right) with the three winners of the poster where they talked about competition dogs and dog fouling. Afterwards they asked the children to design a poster to encourage dog walkers to ‘pick up the poo’ then the poster would be converted into a sign that we would erect around the village. The entries were so good that we chose 3 winners and had 3 signs made of each design. I went to the achievement assembly and presented the winners with their sign. All 9 signs are now up around Thornton.

Claire Preston

Clean Neighbourhood Officer Street Scene Services

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Trees and hedges to make Leicestershire green

Don’t Miss Our

FUN DAY Sat 5th Sept. Starts 1pm

A HEDGE planting scheme that has already increased Leicestershire’s hedgerows by four kilometres is again looking to support landowners. Leicestershire’s Stepping Stones Project is joining forces once more with woodland conservation charity, the Woodland Trust to offer free hedging plants to landowners. Since 2013/14 the joined-up approach has seen an extra 24,000 hedge plants and 1,000 trees planted across the county. Ruth Camamile, Chair of the Stepping Stones project, said: “Hedges and trees provide fantastic wildlife corridors and breaks in the landscape. The Stepping Stones project offers a wonderful opportunity for people to improve their land and local environment, so I hope they are encouraged to get involved whilst there’s still time to do so.” Leicestershire is one of the least wooded counties in the UK with only 5.8% cover, when compared to the national average of 13%. Stuart Holm, Woodland Creation Advisor at the Woodland Trust, said: “One of our key aims as a charity is to increase the amount of native woodland across the country. Partnership projects like Stepping Stones are a great way to facilitate this and we can provide our expertise to help people learn the value of planting well managed hedgerows.” Up to 100 metres of hedging and 25 trees are available to farmers, parish councils and community groups for planting on publicly accessible land or land that is visible from a public right of way or highway. The scheme does not extend to private gardens. People have until Friday, January 29, 2016 to apply for the Leicestershire scheme. To apply or find out more visit www.leics. gov.uk/trees_make_hedges

The Bricklayer’s Arms 213 Main Main Street, Street, Thornton Thornton Tel: Tel: 01530 01530 230808 230808 213 www.bricklayersarms.net www.bricklayersarms.net

Wednesday is

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Home-Made Pie Night - Tuesdays - £5.95 Lunches & Snacks: Tues-Sun Eves (Tues-Sat): ‘A La Carte’ or Snacks • Weekend Specials A Welcoming Homely Atmosphere, Garden & Great Food!

Is your smartphone doing the thinking for you? DO YOU rely on your smartphone as a sort of ‘extended mind’? Research in Canada has found that those of us who are less able to think ‘intuitively’ are especially guilty of getting our high-tech gadgets to do it for us. We use the internet to look for quick answers rather than use ‘effortful analytic thinking.’ The number of smartphone users in the UK is forecast to rise from 36 million in 2014 to 46 million by 2018. It is estimated that by then an entire third of the world’s population will be on smartphones.

The bishop came to our church the other day, but I think he was an imposter. He never once moved diagonally.

Young athletes just miss out on title YOUNG athletes from Hinckley & Bosworth schools finished the year as overall runners-up in the medals table after taking part in a series of competitions against other teams from Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. They were narrowly beaten The Hinckley and Bosworth team included youngsters from Mercenfeld by a combined team representing Primary School, Dixie Grammar Junior School, St Peter’s Catholic Primary Blaby and Harborough districts School, Sketchley Hill Primary School, Desford Community Primary School once the points gained from the and Richmond Primary School. final competition of the year the Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sainsbury’s School Games Summer Championships - were added to previous results. The Summer Championships were contested by primary schools, with over 900 youngsters from 69 schools across the city, county and Rutland battling for success in eight different sports. The results from the Summer Championships were then added to those from the Super Series Finals and the Spring Championships to determine the final medals table and the winners of the 2014/2015 School Games trophy. The team representing Hinckley & Bosworth were beaten to the top spot by a mere four points, winning eight gold, six silver and 12 bronze medals along the way. The team’s success was down to the commitment of the schools, the teachers, sports leaders, athletes and others who work with the Hinckley & Bosworth School Sport & Physical Activity Network, particularly the Borough Council’s Cultural Services team, in ensuring that involvement in school sport competition remains a high priority. After the Summer Championships, the Mayor Councillor Mrs Janice Richards, hosted a reception at the Hinckley Hub for the children, young leaders, teachers and parents who played a part in the success of the Borough over the year. For more information on the School Games and to view the medals table please visit: www.lrsport.org/ schoolgames

Christian Aid 2015 raised £1260 in Markfield WE ARE DELIGHTED to inform everyone that the Christian Aid house- to-house collection in Markfield in May this year raised £954.60. A United Service collection raised £164.90 and a Coffee Morning raised £141.00. This comes to a Grand Total of £1260.50. The amount gift aided was £555.78 which should generate a further £138.95 for the charity. Christian Aid and Churches Together in Markfield (CTIM) are very grateful for all the donations, and for all the hard work and effort by those involved. We also wish to thank all the people who allowed their addresses to be used for return of envelopes. Churches Together in Markfield

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Tel:01530 231 531 | Mobile: 07885 572 400 The Farmhouse, Main Street, Thornton Leicestershire LE67 1AH

I’m worried that my addiction to helter skelters is spiralling out of control.

County Councillor’s Report from David Sprason

Martial Art Success

It is disappointing to see the government sidelining the £800 million investment in the planned electrification of the Midland Mainline which will be a blow to the economic development planned by the County Council. The government however is continuing with its plans to develop the £50 billion HS2 line with all the pain and no gain for Leicestershire. Leicestershire County Council will be consulting on the provision of community transport. The largest decrease in funding due to the caps will be on the Hinckley & Bosworth Community Transport. How this will impact on the local community transport services is unclear.

Churches Together in Markfield initiative Creative suggestions for reading, thinking and exploring prayer, with time and space just to be.

Congregational Church Hall - 6-7pm Thursdays 17th Sept, 22nd Oct, 26th Nov Come for as long as you wish and leave when you want. Refreshments available. All are welcome.

CONGRATULATIONS to 5 local Martial Artists for gaining their 1st Degree Black Belts. Jack Hemmings, James Wheat, Andrew Wiles, Abigail Brown and Harvey Barnes attend the Zen Goshin Ryu Martial Art School based in Markfield and Bagworth. To gain their belts they had to complete a gruelling 2½ hour grading that tested their ability and knowledge of the system. They were presented with their belts and international certificates in front of family and friends at a special awards night at Markfield Community Centre. The Zen Goshin Ryu Martial Arts School currently has over 20 Black Belts and 100 students making it the leading club in the area. For information about becoming part of this expanding club please call 07975 833078 or email karate1001@hotmail.com

Looking for enjoyment? A CHARITY dance was held at Bagworth Working Men’s Club (now called ‘The Club’) on 8th May. £675 was raised and handed over to Guide Dogs.

CAR BOOT SALE stalls, raffle, refreshments etc What happened to the wedding cake? Saturday 5th September - 9am to 12.00noon THE TRADITIONAL British Copt Oak Memorial Hallwedding Field – LE67cake 9QB beloved by millions of brides and grooms to be on the verge of next to Copt Oakseems Pub extinction. reason ~ StallsLike set upthe 8amgrey ~ Cars squirrel, £5 ~ All otherthe vehicles £8 ~ is an invasion ~ Publicthe admission 9amin ~ Entrance 50p of ~ children free ~ from across Pond, the form the American cupcake. A recent survey onBooking changing tastes@in0116 wedding celebrations found that advisable 267 4746 free only 18 per cent of couples Ample still opt forparking the traditional wedding cake, while already 20 per cent Proceeds of couples going for tiers of extravagantly iced forare St Peter’s Church, Copt Oak cupcakes. The survey was done by LateRooms.com.

Another charity dance was held on 17th July. On this occasion there was a professional keyboard player, providing the music. After he had been paid, £460 was raised for Prostaid, a local charity which helps people with prostate issues. Both dances were well attended. The next social dances to be held at The Club will be at 8 pm on Saturday 22nd August and Saturday 19th September. Admission to these dances is £2. The next charity dance will be on Friday 25th September at 8 pm. Look out in next month’s Herald for more details of that event. Ken and Glenda and their small group of helpers also have a weekly Tea Dance at The Club on a Wednesday afternoon between 2 pm and 4 pm. Admission is £1 and includes refreshments. All of these events are enjoyed by a friendly group of people who always make new comers welcome. If you are looking for an entertaining and interesting activity, join in with them.

The next FREE CAP Money course begins on Thursday 24th September at 7pm in the Congregational Church Hall, Markfield. The course runs for 3 easy sessions will help to set up a household budget and saving system. It is for everyone students to the newly retired, single people and for families.

Contact details: Steph Beeston-Clarke Lead CAP Money Coach stephbc@hotmail.co.uk 01530 243606 / 07572 852684

Places are limited, so if you (or someone you know) would like to book please contact Steph as soon as possible. To find out more please contact Steph or visit:

https://capuk.org/i-want-help/cap-money-course/course

My wife just said she left me four weeks ago because of how unobservant I am.

The Bricklayer’s Arms 213 Main Street Thornton T: 01530 230 808 Saturday 5th September - FUN DAY - starts 1pm. QUIZ Nite: Thursdays We now have SKY and BT Sports Multi Screen. Ask about our new menus! www. bricklayersarms.net The Club, Thornton Main Street. T: 01530 230251 Open To Non-members Fri 7th Aug: Charity Evening With THE DIRTY WATER BAND And SIMON HENLEY As Elvis Presley Sat 15th Aug: PUNK & DISORDERLY - Thornton’s Own Punk Band Celebrating A Special Birthday Sat 22nd Aug - THE RETURN OF FAZ !! - Who Rocked The Club At The Last Plug & Play, Guitar Playing Singer, Everything From The Smiths / Morrissey Back To Songs Before He Was Born Sky & BT Sports Free Room Hire Available For Your Perfect Party - Bingo Every Tuesday Evening - View Our Website On www.facebook.com/ TheThorntonClub Bagworth Working Men’s Club, Station Road, Bagworth. Tel. 01530 230205 Find us on FACEBOOK search Bagworth WMC New members welcome. Every Tuesday night - TARGET SHOOTING - call for details Every Monday night: DOMINOES - only £1.50 entry, which includes supper. Bargain! Live entertainment – last Saturday of the month Bingo & Raffle every Wednesday and Saturday Andy’s Charity Quiz £1.50 each

- last Friday of the month - and RAFFLE - with excellent prizes. Sequence dances Sunday Nights with live organist - £2.00 admission 8 pm Tea Dance Wednesday afternoon 2 – 4 pm. £1 admission. Ask about our FREE ROOM HIRE for those special family occasions. The Field Head Hotel Markfield Lane, Markfield Tel: 01530 245454 20th Sept: WEDDING SHOWCASE - 9am till 3pm. Discover the wedding package that’s right for you. Brides and grooms-to-be are very welcome to come and take a look around our lovely hotel it’s a great wedding venue! The Queen’s Head Ashby Road, Markfield. T: 01530 242 496 ALL SKY SPORTS & BT SPORTS All live TIGERS games. The Bull’s Head Forest Road, Markfield T: 01530 242541 Garden & Pub Games etc. POKER NIGHT - Tuesdays starts at 8pm The Coach & Horses Leicester Road, Field Head Tel: 01530 242 312 FAMILY FUN DAY - Saturday 29th August - starts 2pm Groby Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Leicester Road, Groby Tel: 0116 287 1809 www.grobyclub.co.uk The Old Thatched Inn, Main Street, Stanton-underBardon Friday 14th August - Live Music from Straight Bends - 9pm free entry

How to have a more healthy heart GRATITUDE can help you recover more quickly from a heart attack. So says a study by the University of California, who examined gratitude as part of an outlook that involves appreciating the positive aspects of life, and often goes hand in hand with spirituality. It was found that people who have a life attitude of being grateful are also likely to have a better mood, better sleep, less fatigue, and lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers related to cardiac health. Researchers said they were surprised to find that gratitude accounted for such beneficial effects. As one scientist put it, “It seems that a more grateful heart is indeed a more healthy heart.”

Bagworth Show: A Great Day Out

WE ARE RAPIDLY heading towards the biggest annual event that takes place in the village of Bagworth and that is the Bagworth Show. This takes place on Saturday 29th August. [The second part of the Show is on 3rd October.] There is something for everyone at the Show. The first part involves exhibiting Vegetables, Fruit and Flowers. There are cash prizes and trophies to be won. Please don’t think that your items do not stand a chance of winning. There are always classes with no entries. It only needs one entry to win such a class. It costs 25p per entry. Exhibitors need to bring their items between 6.30 pm to 8 pm on the Friday evening or 8.00 am to 10.30 am on the Saturday morning. After this the hall is closed for judging until about 2 pm. After that the hall will be reopened so that people can admire the wondrous exhibits. In the Rear Hall there will be a variety of stalls which will open at 1 pm. Refreshments are also available throughout the day at the Coffee Shop. Trophies will be presented at 4 pm and it will be possible to buy many of the exhibits at very reasonable prices. This sale will

DON’T BE SHY, HAVE A GO You may surprise yourself! begin about 4.15 pm. Finally, the raffle will be drawn. An additional event this year is the scarecrow competition. Sadly the Allotment Association are not having an event on the Sunday so we have taken over the competition. The theme is ‘Celebrities’. Scarecrows need to be registered between 8.00 am and 10.30 am on the Saturday morning. It will cost £2 per entry and the winner of the best scarecrow will receive a magnificent prize. The Show is organised by the Bagworth Forward Group (BFG), a small group of willing volunteers whose aim is to enhance the life of the village. We buy and maintain the majority of the planters around the village, including the two mining tubs on Main Street and the corner of Park Lane. We have also planted most of the spring flowers in the grass verges. At present we are working on a village sign and historical information boards to be placed around the village. All of the proceeds are ploughed back into these projects. For further information: Rosemary (01530 230347) or Bob on Austin@ bagworth.freeserve.co.uk

All change for picnics! PICNICS are changing. If you plan one this summer, chances are that the beloved boiled eggs, cheese sandwiches, biscuits, apples and orange squash of yesteryear have faded away, to be replaced by parma ham, chorizo, salami, olives, and prosecco. Only our fondness for salads and strawberries seems to continue. Meanwhile, thermos flasks and tin openers have given way to cool boxes and bottle openers. As for entertainment on your picnic, the Frisbees and transistor radios have been replaced by iPhones and iPads. The study was carried out by Seabrook Crisps.

Why don’t autobiographies ever end with the person writing a book?

Operation Christmas Child launches search for everyone who has ever packed a Shoebox! AS PART of this year’s Operation Christmas Child campaign, the charity Samaritan’s Purse is launching a nation-wide search for anyone who has ever packed a shoebox with them. It wants to hear from them. Samaritan’s Purse UK Executive Director Simon Barrington explains: “Where and when did they pack it,? What they included, was there something particularly special they remember about their experience? We want to hear their stories of the impact it’s had on them and why they got involved.” In the two decades since Operation Christmas Child began, 124 million children who have received shoebox gifts in Jesus’ name. “It’s a great way for all of us to make a difference in a child’s life, to share God’s love, to let them know they are not forgotten.” Samaritan’s Purse plans to capture and share stories and photographs of everyone who’s ever been involved, and to bring to life online and through social media, what Operation Christmas Child has meant to so many people. There is also encouragement for everyone who has ever done a shoebox to get involved in this year’s campaign: “Last year we were able to distribute more than 10 million shoebox gifts to children all over the world, some of whom live in the darkest of places. This year we want to reach a million more precious children with a simple shoebox gift. With your help and prayers, we will.” Tell us your story and help us to find everyone who has ever packed a shoebox! Go to www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/yourshoeboxstory What goes into the box is fun, what comes out is eternal.

J HNSON

Tree Care & Fencing Specialists Tel: 01530 242478 All tree work carried out to the highest

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Call Richard on: 07967 137471

Email: info@johnsontree.co.uk Website: www.johnsontree.co.uk My wife is always accusing me of making stuff up. I wouldn’t mind, but I’m not even married.

Another busy month at Bagworth Community Centre DESPITE being the holiday season, Bagworth Community Centre continues to be busy.

Classes such as Karate, Craft Club, Zumba and Drop in continue to meet each week. In addition, we have a Pathfinders group who meet on a Thursday morning from 10.30 am to noon. This has proved to be a popular activity. (Please note, there is no meeting on 13th August.) At the same time as Pathfinders, there is a stay and play session for the younger ones. On Tuesday mornings, there is a Maths and Literacy workshop in the Meeting Room. During the week 10th to 14th August, there are five days of activities organised by Clubs Complete. For more details:admin@clubscomplete. co.uk or 01530 412750 or 07989 219905 or visit the website: www. clubscomplete.co.uk These are full days of activities. From 8th August to 22nd August, we have a first for the Centre. A group of volunteers are working on the canal at Ashby and are sleeping at the Centre during that time. And of course the biggest annual event in the village, The Bagworth Show, takes place on Saturday 29th August at the Centre. Details are elsewhere in this month’s Herald. After the summer holidays we have a new group starting. Kate is going to run ‘Insanity’ classes. Look out for more details. We have had our first booking for 2016. People continue to be very impressed by Bagworth Community Centre, it is a pleasure to show people around our venue. The members of the Trust have appointed a Centre Administrator, who is Jo Leadbetter. We are sure that she will fit into the team very well. We would like to congratulate her on her appointment and we commiserate with all of those who applied but were unsuccessful. We were pleased with the number of excellent people who applied for the post. If you would like to organise a new class at the Centre or if you have an idea for a new class, please contact us.

Spend time with your teens MAKE AN effort to spend time with your teenagers this summer. It seems that just six hours a week of ‘family time’ can help prevent them going off the rails. A study at the University of Toronto found that six hours a week of positive time with their parents made a significant difference to a teenager’s well-being and achievement. It led to lower rates of delinquent behaviour, less drug and alcohol abuse, and higher academic achievement. At just less than an hour a day, it seems an excellent investment.

On why the parish goes to war over pumpkin-growing From The Rectory St. James the Least My dear Nephew Darren ANYONE who thinks that the English are a peaceful race has obviously never organised the annual pumpkin growing competition. Very regrettably, one of the Pilgrim Fathers sent a handful of pumpkin seeds to a relation in this parish in the 17th century and ever since, the church has been obliged to hold an annual competition to see who can grow the largest. I suspect some of the original recipients of those seeds still compete. There is a certain irony that the church, which is supposed to promote peace and harmony, sponsors the most war-like activity in the annual calendar. Mobilisation starts at the beginning of the year when seeds are planted. From that moment on, every other potential entrant is regarded as the Enemy. Once seedlings are planted out, then heavy armaments are placed at boundaries to deter possible invasion. By late Spring, paranoia has taken over and rumours begin to circulate of espionage and sinister undetectable herbicides. Anyone in the village with a beard is looked on with deep suspicion. In the weeks before the competition, homes, partners and children are abandoned, as contestants talk to their pumpkins by day and snuggle up with them at night. Should bad weather arrive at this point, then I am blamed for not having prayed sufficiently fervently for sunshine and light rain. If only I had such influence. On the day before the show, tables are put out and woe betide anyone who places their cake stand where Mrs Cholmondeley has put her tea urn for the past 25 years; she now believes she has squatters rights to that place and any challenge to her claim would probably result in litigation. I find this competitive spirit a little bemusing, as for the last 25 years, the Earl of Stowe has always won first prize. That his mother, the Dowager Countess, is the judge, is, I am sure, pure coincidence. That she has arrived for the past three years with a white stick and accompanied by a golden Labrador does, however, raise doubts. To award the Earl any prize at all does seem a little unfair, when the only time he ever gets mud on his boots is when he falls off his horse while hunting. I suspect he would be hard pressed to find where the kitchen garden is on his estate. But to give any credit to his gardening staff would be seen as bad form, so we all keep quiet. It has been tentatively suggested that another judge should be appointed, but no one has so far had the courage to step forward. They may have the privilege of nominating the winner, but would also have to face a twelve month period of hatred from all those who were not successful. Christmas card lists will be amended. Families may have sat next to them in church for generations, but would suddenly find it more congenial to worship in another part of the church. Letters would be strangely mis-delivered and the butcher’s boy would suddenly deliver lamb when pork had been ordered. Who could dare to take on such a poisoned chalice? Your loving uncle,

Eustace

Book Spot A Pleasure and a Calling By Phil Hogan You won’t remember Mr Heming. He showed you round your comfortable home, suggested a sustainable financial package, negotiated a price with the owner and called you with the good news. The less good news is that, all these years later, he still has the key. That’s absurd, you laugh. Of all the many hundreds of houses he has sold, why would he still have the key to mine? The answer to that is, he has the keys to them all. William Heming’s every pleasure is in his leafy community. He loves and knows every inch of it, feels nurtured by it, and would defend it - perhaps not with his life but if it came to it, with yours...

I told my gran a knock knock joke, but she wouldn’t answer it until I’d shown her three forms of ID.

Pedigree MARS constructs new shelters at Redgates Animal Sanctuary

Read a book!

NO FEWER than 20 employees from Pedigree MARS (Melton Mowbray), spent a full day at Redgate Farm Animal Sanctuary at the end of June.

A recent study has found that children who read for pleasure carry the benefits with them far into adulthood. And the most avid childhood readers score far higher on vocabulary tests, even 30 years later.

They worked very hard all day, constructing two huge exercise pens for the rabbits and guinea pigs to enjoy exercise in the fresh air, and also a canvas-roofed sheep shelter to provide a shady, protected nook for the sheep and smaller ponies (and for the goats when they escaped from their own enclosure soon after!). They also repaired old fencing, groomed the horses, bathed the goats and freshened up the paintwork in the stable yard! The trustees, staff and volunteers at Redgate Farm send our warmest thanks to “the Crew”! They were the perfect guests and colleagues for the day and we are delighted to say they have promised to come back to do some more project work at Redgates in 2016.

THIS SUMMER, why not encourage your children to read a book?

Don’t Forget to send us your NEWS Email: info@markfieldherald. co.uk or write to: The Herald, PO Box 8, Markfield, leics. LE67 9ZT0

Beth Tweddle writes ...

I AM WRITING to ask you and your readers to join me in supporting the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) Schools events. You can take part in physical activity that is fun, rewarding and heart healthy. The activities will raise money for your school, as well as contribute to lifesaving research into heart disease. I am urging schools in the East Midlands to take part in a sponsored Skipathon or game of Ultimate Dodgeball in aid of the fight against heart disease. These events promote the importance of maintaining a healthy heart through regular exercise whilst raising funds for the BHF’s lifesaving work into the fight against heart disease. The scheme also allows schools and youth groups to keep 20% of the money they have raised, which they can put towards new equipment and resources to benefit their children. Last year, BHF’s school events raised over an amazing £711,221. This year, we want to top this total and with your help we can. Heart and circulatory conditions are responsible for nearly 12,000 deaths in the East Midlands each year, that’s over 30 people every single day. We are asking people of the East Midlands to sign up today and help the BHF to continue to save lives. To find out more and to sign-up, visit bhf.org.uk/schools-event Yours faithfully,

Beth Tweddle

Annual Ulverscroft Priory Service Sunday 16th August at 3.00 pm Speaker : Revd Richard Worsfold A service for the whole benefice and Churches Together in Markfield Everyone welcome Please bring a chair if you have one Coffee and tea after the service

Olympic gymnast

Churches Together in Markfield initiative Creative suggestions for reading, thinking and exploring prayer, with time and space just to be.

Congregational Church Hall - 6-7pm Thursdays 17th Sept, 22nd Oct, 26th Nov Come for as long as you wish and leave when you want. Refreshments available. All are welcome.

I was taking a bath last night when I suddenly thought to myself ... I’m a rubbish burglar.

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Prices start from £10, for an average sized garden, front and rear lawns included. Weekly or fortnightly cuts available.

If you’d like to advertise in The Herald, contact Mike Wilkinson on 01530 244069 or email: info@markfieldherald.co.uk ! !

Drop in to our new weekly session!

BELIEVE IN

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Each new day is a new beginning

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Next Direction PORTFOLIO

Wednesdays 15th July - 16th September 2015 2pm-4pm

Have you lost your direction and need support to take your life forwards?

Portfolio offers the chance to experience free activities aimed to build confidence break down barriers, and find that next direction in life. Over the 10 sessions you will experience a range of activities including Mindfulness, Art Therapy, Relaxation Techniques, Crystals and Aromatherapy, along with various Crafts. Unlock that hidden potential and become a master of your own fate as each new day brings new strength and new beginnings. To take the first step to your next direction contact: Next Generation Community Connect 01455 632984

admin@nxt-gen.org.uk Lindsay Orton Hinckley&Bosworth Borough Council 01455 255805

Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with Dementia? Join us at our friendly welcoming group! Experience our sensory walk, memory boxes, reminiscence, craft, music, friendship and more!

Ulverscroft Grange, Whitwick Road, Ulverscroft, Leicestershire, LE67 9QB

A social group for people with dementia, their partners, friends, carers and PAs to enjoy today! To chat, support and laugh together

‘Supporting the elderly, adults with disabilities and young people through wellbeing activities, outdoor education and inspiring support services’

For more information please call Helen on 01530 244914 or email hello@shuttlewood-clarke.org

I went on holiday to China and bought a pair of shoes. I looked on the sole and it said, ‘Made around the corner’.

News from Cross Hills Baptist Church Serving the villages of Thornton & Bagworth plus the surrounding area Dedication Service AT OUR Sunday morning service on 12th July we were pleased to welcome an 11 year old young lady, Olivia, and her family to Cross Hills. Just starting out on her walk of faith, she wished to be dedicated and Pastor Garry Kelly led this lovely service, slightly different to our dedication service for babies. We pray that her faith will grow after making this commitment to become a Christian and that we will be able to share with her at some time in the future as she goes through the waters of Baptism.

The Awesome Holiday Club – PLACES ARE LIMITED SO PLEASE COME EARLY! THE SCHOOL holidays are here! If you are looking for something interesting and lively for your children to do in August, why not bring them along to the Awesome Holiday Club from Monday 10th to Wednesday 12th August from 9.15am to 11.45am (Registration is from 9am). If your child is between the ages of 3 and 11, please bring them along to this lively and interesting event - there will be crafts, games, songs, stories and all sorts of different activities which this year will be based on the theme of ‘Creation’. A fun packed and lively programme is planned for each day and some of the Cross Hills puppets should be making an appearance. Children under 3 are also welcome providing a parent or guardian remains with them, and we kindly ask that an adult stays with any child who is not toilet trained. If you need any more information please ring Ruth Holmes on 01530 231893 or Bekki Holmes on 01530 231901. The Awesome Holiday Club is a free event provided by Cross Hills Church.

A Taste of Faith THIS WAS a very successful and enjoyable evening, held at the home of our church members, Robert and Bekki, and arranged as part of our “Being Good Neighbours” study course. Our speaker, Mr Suleman

Nagdi, gave us a lot of information about the Islamic faith and told us of the work he does nationally, and on occasions internationally, to advance interfaith relations and to promote understanding and engagement between the many different communities that make up modern Britain. He expressed his disappointment about the many times that the moderate Muslim voice is not heard, as it is not reported in the Press in the same way as Muslim extremism, something which is also beginning to be spoken about by our government. Our next House Group meeting “Acts of Transformation”, follows on from this and looks at being good neighbours to each other by encouraging one another in fellowship and transforming ourselves by having a heart that is compassionate, humble and forgiving. Based on Colossians Chapter 3 verses 12 to 14, it is on Tuesday 15th September at 7.30pm and anyone is welcome to join us for a time of study and discussion. Our contact numbers are below for further information. If you wish to join us for our weekly Sunday Service, this starts at 10.30am and you will find more details about this and any special Services in the Church Service Information section in this magazine. Tea, coffee and biscuits (and sometimes cake!) are available after our services and we always like to make anyone who is visiting for the first time feel welcome, whether they come with a friend, family or alone.

Contact Numbers Pastor - Garry Kelly: 01455 457802/07816 616189 Secretary - Lynda Kelly: 01455 457802/07910 440243 Treasurer - Glynis Straw: 01530 230272 Parish Nurse - Vera Harding: 01530 230557

Glynis Straw

Treasurer - on behalf of the Cross Hills Church family

It’s just SHOCKING!

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT IT COULD HAPPEN HERE?

I suppose it could happen anywhere. Homelessness is a big problem – that’s undeniable. Whose problem is it , though? The Methodist Chapel has fallen into disuse recently, hasn’t it? There hasn’t been a service there for ages. That doesn’t mean to say that a homeless family can just move in! Be that as it may.. a family of vagrants is in residence! The cheek of it! All sorts of stories are doing the rounds. If what I hear is to be believed, the grandmother’s fond of the bottle, the girl’s no better than she should be, and the boy’s a few sandwiches short of a picnic! I think the Minister should deal with it. He’s a bit of an idealist though, isn’t he? So he should be – he’ll be doing a bit of soul-searching. When it comes down to it, he has the pastoral care of his congregation to think of. Yes, and I happen to know that some members of the congregation are not happy.. not happy at all. I don’t think that young lady of his will be too pleased either! I bet Social Services will be involved next… I wonder what’s going to happen? What a situation! If you’d like to know the outcome, then you should come to see the play! MTTG (The Markfield & Thornton Theatre Group) will be performing “Clerical Errors”, a thought-provoking comedy by Georgina Reid, at Thornton Community Centre from Wednesday 16th September to Saturday 19th September at 7.30 p.m. nightly. TICKETS -£5 & £4 (Concessions)- are available on 0116 2322876 or 01455 822148 or at “Norm’s” – Thornton’s shop at the corner of Church Lane.

October Murder Mystery Evenings

THE GROUP is to perform a Murder Mystery, “As You Sow”, written by Muriel Walker, on two nights in October. On Wednesday 7th, we will be at Thornton Community Centre, and on Saturday 10th at St. Simon & St. Jude’s Parish Hall in Earl Shilton. If you’re interested in attending on either evening, then please note the dates and expect to read further details at a later date!

Barclays Bank in Groby ‘will not reopen’ BARCLAYS have notified local customers that their Groby branch will not be reopening. In a letter to account-holders, they said “As you may be aware, Groby branch is currently closed following an incident in February. DAMAGED: Barclays in Groby was “This has caused major attacked in February structural damage to the building which will require lengthy works to repair. Prior to this incident, we were also finding that fewer customers were doing their banking at this branch. “This has prompted us to review how our customers use our branches locally and with this in mind, we have made the difficult decision not to reopen Groby branch.” The nearest alternative Barclays branch is at Blackbird Road, about 4 miles away from Groby.

It’s times like these, when I’m sitting in bed with my computer on my knee, that I really wish I’d bought a laptop.

Local Church Services Without Walls Christian Fellowship, 135 Main St Stanton Under Bardon Sunday 2nd August. Service 10 am Tuesday 4th Aug. Singing Cafe. Shepshed library 10.05-11.05am Friday 7th Aug. Singing Cafe Loughborough library 10.1511.15am, Coalville library 1.30-2.30pm Sunday 9th Aug. Service 10am

Sunday 30th Aug. Cafe 4U 4pm Tues 1st Sept Singing Cafe Shepshed library 10.05-11.05am Friday 4th Sept. Singing Cafe Loughborough library 10.1511.15am, Coalville library 1.302.30pm Sunday 6th Sept Service 10am

Markfield Congregational Church 01530 242142

Tuesday 11th Aug. Singing Cafe Shepshed 10.05-11.05am Prayer meeting 7pm

Sunday 16th August 3.00pm United Open Air Service at Ulverscroft Priory

Friday 14th Aug. Singing Cafe Loughborough library 10.1511.15am, Coalville library 1.302.30pm

Sunday 23rd August 10.15am Praise Morning with Alan Sankey and Friends from St David’s Coalville

Sunday 16th Aug Service 10am

Sunday 30th August 10.15am Favourite Hymns and Songs of Praise

Tuesday 18th Aug Singing Cafe shepshed library 10.05-11.05am Midweek fellowship 6.30pm Friday 21st Aug Singing Cafe Loughborough library 10.1511.15am, Coalville library 1.302.30pm Sunday 23rd Aug Service 10am Tuesday 25th Aug. Singing Cafe Bible study 7pm Shepshed cafe 10.05-11.05am

Sunday 6th September 10.15am Morning Worship followed by Communion

Cross Hills Baptist Church, between Bagworth & Thornton Sunday 2nd August 10.30am Morning Service

Sunday 9th August 10.30am Morning Service with The Lord’s Supper Sunday 16th August 10.30am Morning Service

Hall on the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th Sundays, term time All Age Service in Church on the 2nd Sunday each month.

Sunday 23rd August 10.30am Morning Service

Sunday 9th August 10.30 am All Age Service 6.00 pm Holy Communion

Sunday 30th August 10.30am Morning Service

Sunday 16th August 3.00 pm Ulverscroft Priory Service

Sunday 6th September 10.30am Morning Service

Friday 21st August 8.00 pm “Still Friday”

There is a Sunday Club in our hall for children & young people during the Morning Service. For further details, our contact list is in the Cross Hills News section of this magazine.

Sunday 23rd August 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.30 am Open Church 6.00 pm Evening Service

Trinity Methodist Church, Markfield Sunday 9th August 10.30am Morning Service 6.00pm No Evening Service Thursday 13th August 2.00pm - 4.00pm Music Café Sunday 16th August 10.30am Morning Service 3.00pm United Churches Together Service at Ulverscroft Priory Sunday 23rd August 10.30am Morning Service 6.00pm No Evening Service Thursday 27th August 2.00pm - 4.00pm Music Café Sunday 30th August 10.30am Morning Service 6.00pm No Evening Service Sunday 6th September 10.30am Morning Service 6.00pm Taizé Service

Sunday 30th August 6.00 pm Joint Evening Service at St Peter’s, Copt Oak Sunday 6th September 10.30 am Holy Communion Sunday 13th September 10.30 am All Age Service 6.00 pm Holy Communion Friday 18th September 8.00 pm “Still Friday” Sunday 20th September 10.30 am Churches Together in Markfield Service 6.00 pm Evening Prayer Sunday 27th September 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.30 am Open Church 6.00 pm Evening Service

St Mary and All Saints’ Church, Stanton under Bardon Sunday 9th August 10.30 am Holy Communion

Thursday 10th September 2.00pm - 4.00pm Music Café

Sunday 16th August 10.30 am Benefice Holy Communion

Sunday 13th September 10.30am Morning Service 4.00pm Café Service

Sunday 23rd August 10.30 am “Something Different” Service

Sunday 20th September 10.30am United Churches Together Service at Parish Church 6.00pm Evening Service

Sunday 30th August 10.30 am Single Communion Service at St Peter’s. Thornton

Thursday 24th September 2.00pm - 4.00pm Music Café Sunday 27th September 10.30am Morning Communion Service 6.00pm No Evening Service

St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Markfield 10:15-11.30am Sunday Club for Children in the Congregational

Sunday 6th September 10.30 am Morning Service Sunday 13th September 10.30 am Holy Communion Sunday 20th September 10.30 am Morning Service Sunday 27th September 10.30 am “Something Different” Harvest Service

St Peter’s Church, Thornton

One of my resolutions is to take more risks. I just had a Quality Street without looking at the flavour.

Sunday 9th August 9.00 am Holy Communion Sunday 16th August 10.30 am Benefice Holy Communion at St Mary’s, SuB

Sunday 30th August 6.00 pm Evening Prayer (Joint with St Michael’s, Markfield) Sunday 6th September 6.00 pm Holy Communion

Sunday 23rd August 10.30 am All Age Service

Sunday 13th September 3.00 pm Praise Service

Wednesday 26th August 10.00 am Midweek Communion and Coffee

Sunday 20th September 9.15 am Holy Communion (said service)

Sunday 30th August 10.30 am Single Communion Service

Sunday 27th September 6.00 pm Evening Prayer for Harvest

Sunday 6th September 10.30 am Morning Service Sunday 13th September 9.00 am Holy Communion Sunday 20th September 10.30 am Holy Communion Wednesday 23rd August 10.00 am Midweek Communion and Coffee Sunday 27th September 10.30 am All Age Harvest Service

Holy Rood Church, Bagworth Please note: Services will be at Bagworth Community Centre Sunday 6th September 10.30 am Holy Communion

St Peter’s Church, Copt Oak Sunday 9th August 3.00 pm Praise Service Sunday 16th August 3.00 pm Ulverscroft Priory Service Sunday 23rd August 6.00 pm Evening Prayer

Catholic Church of St Wilfrid of York 53 London Road, Coalville, LE67 3JB Sunday Mass Saturday Vigil: 6 pm Sunday: 10 am See Newsletter on the website for details of weekday Mass times, Benediction & Confessions Parish Priest: Fr David Cain: 01530 832098 www.stwilfspriest@gmail.com Parish Website: www.stwilfscoalville.blogspot.co.uk St Clare’s RC Primary School, Coalville: 01530 837747 www.st—clares.leics.sch.uk De Lisle RC College, Loughborough: 01509 268739 www.delisle./leics.sch.uk 2015 Markfield Masses - in the Congregational Church Hall, Main St, beside the Chinese Takeaway: • Wednesday 16 September at 7pm All are welcome

How including A.S.A.P. in your life will transform it Have you ever considered the abbreviation A.S.A.P.? Generally, it brings even more hurry and stress into our lives (As Soon As Possible). Yet there is another way to think of A.S.A.P, a way which might help us deal with those difficult times in our daily lives. When there’s work to do, and deadlines to meet, and your colleagues are rushing around, here’s what you can do to help: A.S.A.P. – Always Say a Prayer. When your worries mount up and you don’t know how you are ever going to cope with what is coming at you: A.S.A.P. – Always Say a Prayer. God knows how stressful our lives can be, and He wants to ease our cares. In the Bible He promises to respond to our calls for help. So – call Him! A.S.A.P.!

Churches Together in Markfield initiative

Creative suggestions for reading, thinking and exploring prayer, with time and space just to be.

Congregational Church Hall - 6-7pm Thursdays 17th Sept, 22nd Oct, 26th Nov Come for as long as you wish and leave when you want. Refreshments available. All are welcome.

CAR BOOT SALE

stalls, raffle, refreshments etc

Saturday 5th September

- 9am to 12.00noon Copt Oak Memorial Hall Field – LE67 9QB next to Copt Oak Pub

~ Stalls set up 8am ~ Cars £5 ~ All other vehicles £8 ~ ~ Public admission 9am ~ Entrance 50p ~ children free ~ Booking advisable @ 0116 267 4746 Ample free parking

Proceeds for St Peter’s Church, Copt Oak

I hate it when the clocks change - I was half an hour early for work this morning.

Markfield Community Centre News Community Gathering on 22nd July DURING the afternoon of Wednesday 22nd July a Community Gathering was held at the Centre as an act of remembrance and solidarity for the victims of world wide terrorism. The event was organised through Markfield Churches Together along with the Markfield Islamic Foundation. Members of their congregations, representatives from the Islamic Foundation together with villagers came together to unite against terrorism, hatred and violence. The gathering included a poignant reminder of atrocities throughout the world by various terrorist orgnisations and a reflection on the recent massacre of innocent tourists in Tunisia. In uniting against terrorism the gathering concluded with an ongoing desire to promote and support tolerance, understanding and peace.

before stabbing it open with a ceremonial dagger. Members then sat down to a hearty meal of Haggis, neeps and Scottish savoury mince followed by Highland shortcake. The meal was washed down with goblets of Iron Bru and a few snifters of Highland Malt whiskey. The latter no doubt contributed to a few members attempting to try out a Highland fling with various degrees of success. It was such an enjoyable event we are now planning a “Burn’s Night” session next year. The meeting on the 8th July was a more sedate occasion as we had a leisurely visit to the Ulverscroft Manor Tea Rooms. A bonus was that volunteers had specially opened up the fantastic and truly huge model railway with trains running around amazing country scenes. The minute detail contained in the model is mind boggling and well worth a visit by young and old.

Mayflower Club Events Update ALL GUNS were blazing on the17th June when members commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo with a battlefield re-enactment game. True to historical form members playing the part of Napoleon Bonaparte’s army were soundly defeated and those playing the part of the Duke of Wellington’s allied forces were triumphant. The overall victor was Carol Berridge who was awarded a commemorative Waterloo coin by the defeated Bonapartists. Some of the exciting sessions we have coming up include: • 19th August Talk and Demonstration of Irish Dancing • 26th August How to start a family tree • 9th September A Copper’s Tale • 16th September Mud Walls Boy Soldiers and Child Brides - an experience in Africa We are planning many other interesting sessions and of course there will a chance to win prizes at our regular Beetle Drive and Fun Bingo sessions. If you would like to join in simply turn up on Wednesday afternoon 2pm to 4pm – it only costs £1 per session and this includes light refreshments.

A Boozy Plea for Demi Johns DURING some of the Mayflower Club sessions members have been sampling tipples of various types of home made wine.

The 24th June meeting was very much a celebration of Scottish Culture with villager Hugh McKay telling the story of Crofters in Scotland and his own family history and life in the northern most highlands of Scotland. To the background of pipe music Hugh, dressed in his own traditional Clan regalia, addressed the Haggis with the traditional Robert Burns rendition

This has spurred them on to try and make some themselves. Perhaps you could help out? I bet that many of you have unused demi-johns and other wine making kit gathering dust and dead spiders in the garage or shed. If you no longer want them perhaps you could donate them to the club. You can either drop them off at the Centre or we can collect them. Perhaps we could also set up a Home Made Wine Club at the Centre if there is enough interest.

I think my smartphone is broken. I pressed the home button but I’m still at work.

From Ron Grantham (Markfield Community Association) Services of Impact Team secured FOLLOWING a spate of nuisance behaviour by a few young people around the Centre, and indeed in various parts of the village, we have managed to secure the services of the County Council’s Youth Impact Team throughout the summer holidays. The Impact Team members are providing outside sports and games every on Thursday evenings from 6pm to 8pm. They are also speaking to young people about the consequences of nuisance behaviour. I must stress that this is only a handful of young people and the last thing we want is for them to end up in the criminal justice system. I would ask parents to take some responsibility by at least knowing where their off spring are and what they are up to. As I have just said, it is only a few whereas the majority are good young people. A good example is one of our young people who has committed himself to undertake a painful body wax to raise funds for RAINBOWS.

Summer Holiday Camp ONE WAY of keeping your youngsters occupied throughout the school summer holidays is the ever popular SCHULZ coaching camps for football and multi sports. The camps cater for both boys and girls aged 5 to 14 years. Sessions are held at the Centre 9am to 3pm Monday 10th to Friday 14th August and Monday 17th to Friday 21st August.

Charity Jumble Sale DURING the morning of Tuesday 11th August from 11am to 2pm there will be a jumble sale to raise funds for Meningitis Now. If you would like to donate items please contact the Centre or pop along and see what you can buy in aid of this most worthy charity.

Table Top Sales STARTING on Sunday 4th October monthly table top children’s clothing sales will be held at the Centre. For further information please contact Helen on 07919 883158

New at the Centre JUST A reminder of new classes that have started recently at the Centre.

• Irish Dance Classes Irish Dancing Classes on Monday evenings 7.15pm to 8.15pm. This is an exciting way to both keep fit and at the same time learn traditional Irish Dance. For more information please contact Kirsty on 07846 6977865

• Yoga Bellies Yoga Bellies on Tuesday evenings 6.45pm to 8pm. Relaxation classes that incorporate a range of yoga and holistic techniques aimed at meeting women’s needs from menstruation through conception, pregnancy,

post-partum and menopause. Sessions include yoga, self-hypnosis, deep relaxation, massage, beautiful songs, games and life building experiences. For more information please contact Jessica on 07768 2881168 or email Jessica@yogabellies.co.uk

• Etoile Performance Academy The Etoile Performance Academy providing first class training in a wide variety of genres including: Ballet, Tap, Modern, Acrobatics, Street Dance, Musical Theatre and Music & Movement for boys & girls from aged two and a half years through to adulthood. For enquiries and more information please visit www.etoileperformance. co.uk

• MESports Former Leicester City legend Matt Elliott’s very own Football development scheme. The scheme includes SOCCERTOTS aimed at providing early development skills for the under fives boys and girls. SOCCERTOTS sessions are held at the Centre on Saturday mornings 9am to 9.45am for 2 year olds and 9.45am to 10.30am for the 3 to 4 year olds. Further sessions are held on Tuesday afternoons 1.15pm to 2pm for 2 year olds and 2pm to 2.45pm for 3 to 4 year olds. Perhaps we have a budding future football star here in Markfield. There are also sessions many other sessions for older boys and girls in football coaching, multi-sports and goal keeping. For a full programme please see notices at the Centre or contact MESPORTS on 07584 568937or email development@touchlinesports.co.uk ME Sports are hoping to hold an open day at the Centre on Sunday 23rd August where you can see what is on offer for your child and perhaps even meet the legend himself. Please see notices nearer the date.

Date for Your Diary

• 18th November: National Blood Donor Service

Money Saving Special Offer 2015 FREE room hire May I take this opportunity to remind you that the Centre’s Management Committee have agreed to extend our special offer available of free room hire for bar functions for 2015. Over last year this offer has helped people out with the cost of arranging special events, family occasions, parties and other celebrations. For further information please contact the Centre. For booking and enquiries please contact Markfield Community and Sports Centre, Mayflower Close, Markfield LE67 9ST, ring us on 01530 242240 or email at markfieldcommunitycentre@hotmail.co.uk or visit our website at www.markfieldcommunitycentre.com to see our facilities, latest news, photo gallery and information about the Centre.

No matter how loud car alarms are, cars never seem to wake up.

HOT PLACES Wordsearch FIND THE NAMES OF 12 VERY HOT LOCATIONS in this month’s Wordsearch puzzle and you could win yourself a meal and a drink. This month we are offering a TASTY prize of: A Main Course for Two, plus A Bottle of House Wine at The FieldHead Hotel. To go into the draw, all you have to do is find - and mark a line through - 12 of the hottest locations on earth. These can run vertically, horizontally or diagonally (and backwards!). Send your entry to: SCORCHIO, The Herald, PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT to arrive by Tuesday 1st September 2015. Remember to include your name and address. The first all-correct entry drawn out of the Editor’s Cool Bag will win the Meal for Two at The Field Head Hotel. Good luck!

Find the following HOT LOCATIONS:

BANGKOK • DALLAS • DEATH VALLEY JUNCTION ELAZIZIA • GHADAMES • JIZAN KEBILI • LAS VEGAS • MARRAKECH PHOENIX • SAMAIL • TIMBUKTU Name: ................................................................................................... Address: ................................................................................................ .............................................................................................................. .......................................................... Postcode: .............................

Last Month’s Competition Winner The winner of last issue’s Wordsearch Competition was: DONNA HARDING of Bradgate Road in Markfield Congratulations! Your voucher will be sent to you soon.

Book Spot I Let You go By Clare Mackintosh A tragic accident. It all happened so quickly. She couldn’t have prevented it. Could she? In a split second, Jenna Gray’s world descends into a nightmare. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of a cruel November night that changed her life forever. Slowly, Jenna begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating . . . Clare Mackintosh spent twelve years in the police force, including time on CID, and as a public order commander. She left the police in 2011 to work as a freelance journalist and social media consultant, and now writes full time. Clare’s debut novel, I Let You Go, is a Sunday Times Bestseller and is the fastest selling title by a new crime writer this year. It has been selected for both the Richard and Judy Book Club and ITV’s Loose Women’s ‘Loose Books’. Clare is the founder of the Chipping Norton Literary Festival, and lives in the Cotswolds with her husband and their three children. For more information visit Clare’s website www.claremackintosh.com or find her at www.facebook. com/ClareMackWrites or on Twitter @ClareMackint0sh #ILetYouGo

If you enjoy reading The Herald, please pass it on to a friend or relative after you’ve finished with it. Thanks! I’m sick of being the guy everyone comes to when they want the money I owe them.

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One thing my dogs and I have in common is that we never want me to go to work.