Glenfield Ladies Co-operative Choir in fine song at St Anne’s

Is the switching off of street lights helping thieves?

WE HAVE had a lot of car and van break-ins on our road recently and with the street lights going out at midnight I think this may be helping thieves.

We live on Fairefield Crescent in Glenfield and two of our vehicles have been broken into in a matter of a few weeks. Our neighbours are also experiencing similar problems. Can anything been done about this?

Lisa, Glenfield

WHEN THE concert photos arrived in my inbox recently, I suddenly realised how much practice and effort had brought the Glenfield Ladies Co-operative Choir’s Summer Concert to life on the Saturday evening in June. By the time St Anne’s church doors opened, the choir had each dedicated over 40 hours of rehearsal time starting in early January.

Laura chose the original theme of a ‘wildlife odyssey’ featuring monkeys, lions, cats and birds, even the humble spider made an appearance. A Music Director’s choice is rarely without controversy and it’s best not to mention the lullaby about horses which was rejected as being “just weird”. Ironically, St Anne is the patron saint of Equestrians.

The jazz classic Misty gave us diction difficulties too with “On. My. Own.” which despite hours of drilling still came out as “onmyyown” until last week. The first half included Disney classics from The Children’s Choir performing Everybody Wants to be a Cat from The Aristocats, followed by the choir singing Circle of Life from The Lion King and a medley from The Jungle Book with added special effects.

On possibly the hottest day of the year, we were super-grateful to the St Anne’s volunteers who baked 16 cakes and served gallons of juice and squash giving everyone a wonderful spread during the intermission. Some needed a reviving cuppa before starting the second half with Close to You by Burt Bacharach, sung as a tribute to the writer. He passed away earlier this year, as did Christine McVie the composer of Songbird which also featured in our concert.

Nerves were running high for the Rogers & Hammerstein finale but I hope it didn’t show on the night. Their musical partnership took us on a journey from the Austrian hills, across the sweeping plains of Oklahoma, then dipping us into the South Pacific before dancing in the royal court of Siam. The piece finished with the emotional, You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel, still better known today as a football anthem. From the very first note to the very last flourish, we had been accompanied by Mary Starie on the piano who has now made it into Glenfield folklore as a legend of the keyboard.

I have lots of wonderful memories to put in the scrapbook but the one that captured all our hearts is of the knitted Owl and The Pussy-Cat which became our mascot for one night only. Thank you again to all who came to Glenfield’s mini festival of music. You helped us raise over £1,000 to split between the GLCC and St Anne’s and from everyone in the choir, I’d like to say in the style of Rogers & Hammerstein “Thank you, Glenfield. O.K.!”

The choir will now be taking a break over the summer and returning in September to practice for our Christmas Concert. On 11th September there will be an Open Evening so any ladies who feel like coming along to sing will be very welcome to join us at 7.15pm in Glenfield Methodist Church.

Glenfield Ladies Co-operative Choir

It’s a decision that many of us hope we never have to make, but which many of us have had to –choosing the right care for a loved one when they are no longer able to remain in their own home.

When the time comes, it is vital you take time to consider all the options available and weigh up what’s best for your loved one and for you as a family when choosing the right type of care home. It’s important to assess your relative’s needs to make sure you only look at places that will suit them. Once you’ve narrowed down a shortlist, go back to visit as many times as you need to and ask all the questions that you have. After all, this is your loved one’s home from home, and you need to know they will be happy, safe and well cared for.

Making the right choice

There are several types of residential and nursing care available, so do your homework and take your time before choosing.

Care home is an umbrella term that covers the numerous types of accommodation with different levels of care.

Care homes must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which is responsible for their inspection and registration.

Residential care

People living in residential care do not have serious health problems that require onsite nursing support. They are able to look after their own needs but many occasionally require assistance, while having peace of mind that care and support is on hand.

Residential and dementia care

On offer at this type of home is care for those who are physically able but are living with some form of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia. Care is provided in an environment specifically designed to meet the needs of dementia suffers, with adaptations such as specially designed signage to aid orientation.