June 2014 groby spotlight magazine

PARISH COUNCIL QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER INSIDE

Flower display in honour of First World War heroes An impressive floral display to honour those who fought and died in the First World War has been created in the centre of Groby village.

The display - on Ratby Road, close to Barclays Bank - has been constructed by Groby Parish Council to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War.

CASH FOR YOUR COMMUNITY & GROBY STREET FAIR The Leicester Mercury has partnered the Nottingham Building Society to make a real difference to communities by giving away £35,000. Each participating community group will receive a share of this money based upon the proportion of the total coupons they collect.

The vouchers will start to appear in the Leicester Mercury from Monday 2nd June through to Saturday 28th June.

The three groups that collect the most coupons will each receive an additional £1,000 bonus.

Groby Street Fair is one of the 150 local worthy causes chosen to share in the £35,000 Cash for your Community Giveaway.

Wilsons Newsagents, Groby Library and Animal Magic on Lawnwood Road have very kindly offered to be collection points for the vouchers for Groby Street Fair.

Please collect as many vouchers as possible, also ask your friends and neighbours! Remember the more we collect the more money we earn, which will ensure the Groby Street Fair becomes an annual village event.

Also visit facebook.com/LeicesterMercury to collect double, treble and quadruple vouchers. Bonus voting is also possible on the Leicester Mercury and Nottingham Building Society facebook pages.

You can also bring your vouchers along to the Groby Street Fair on Saturday 21st June which will be officially opened by Cathy Stephens at 11am.

From The Groby Street Fair Committee No issue of The Spotlight in July There will be no issue of the Spotlight in July because it’s time for our annual break.

We’ll be back again - all being well - on 16th August.

NEXT ISSUE OUT: Saturday 16th August - Advert/Articles needed by 2nd August

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

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0116 287 8000 I’m the kind of person who likes to think outside of the box, which has rather hindered my career as a goalkeeper.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

Groby & Field Head Spotlight PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics.

LE67 9ZT

Telephone

Martinshaw Hosts the Marconi and the Martinshaw Cups

01530-244069 Email us at: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk Visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk 3,500 copies distributed 11 times a year (no issue in July) to homes and businesses in Groby, Field Head and The Brantings.

Compiled and published in the Parish of Groby & Field Head.

Printed in Ellistown by Norwood Press.

The Spotlight is a monthly compilation of articles, press releases, events, general items of interest and news items submitted to us by local residents, groups, associations, sports clubs and local authorities.

The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Spotlight Production Team. The inclusion of any group or organisation in this publication does not necessarily imply a recommendation of its aims, methods or policies.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight cannot be held responsible for the information disclosed by advertisements, all of which are accepted in good faith.

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.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight reserves the right to amend, shorten or refuse to publish articles and/or advertisements submitted for publication.

All contents © Groby & Field Head Spotlight.

None of the articles contained in this magazine are to be reproduced in any way without first obtaining written consent from Groby & Field Head Spotlight.

NEXT ISSUE OUT Sat 16th August

Advert/Copy Deadline: Saturday 2nd August

TO ADVERTISE: Call 01530 244069

Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

During May, and after Sats were over, Martinshaw Primary School was once more able to host both the Marconi and Martinshaw Football Cup competitions.

Local Primary schools, Martinshaw, Elizabeth Woodville, Lady Jane Grey, Ratby and Kirby Muxloe entered an ‘A’ Team into the Marconi Cup and a ‘B’ team into the Martinshaw Cup competitions.

After hard fought round robin competitions, the Marconi final was contested between Elizabeth Woodville and last years winners Ratby, with Elizabeth Woodville proving successful this year.

The Martinshaw Cup final was between a very skilful Ratby side and Martinshaw, with the sides only separated by a wonder goal from Martinshaw defender Luther, who, in his words, noticed a space to goal from the halfway line and kicked the ball as hard as he could. The ball was still rising as it hit the top right corner of the net. Wayne Rooney and David Beckham, eat your heart out.

Then on Friday 23rd May Martinshaw played host to the Girls’ Football Cup competition between teams entered from Martinshaw, Lady Jane Grey, Elizabeth Woodville and Mercenfield.

Martinshaw, for the second year running, shared the Cup with Elizabeth Woodville, having only conceded one goal throughout the 5 match round robin competition.

All the games were very competitive but played in the true spirit of the game of football, with the young referees, parents, teachers and of course the players setting examples of true sportsmanship that bodes well for the future of competitive school sport in our village and surrounding area.

Owen Lawrence

Studio J is 2 years old!

Studio J have just recently celebrated their 2nd Year Anniversary and have made many changes to the salon to accommodate the local residents needs.

Salon owner Jamie-Lee, say: “We have tried and tested many services, to try and establish what local residents of Groby wanted, and I feel we now have that.

“We have an Independent Nurse Practitioner, and Prescriber by appointment, offering free consultations for all aesthetics advice, including acne scars, Botox, dermal fillers, chemical peels, etc.

“We have also expanded our hairdressing services to now include a men’s barber, which is something that we were told, no more so than by Brian Rigby, Landlord of The Stamford Arms, was needed in the Village.

“Brian then very kindly, in the Community Spirit, offered to give a free pint to everyone on their first visit!

Nigel Gregory will be operating a walk-in, no-appointment-necessary men’s barbering service from Saturday 28th June - opening Monday to Saturday.

Local employment may receive a boost, as Jamie-Lee explains: “We are also currently interviewing for a new hairdressing apprentice, which we also hope will be from the local area.

“Tattoos at Studio J have also joined our Salon. With a State of the Art, Council, and Environmental Health Approved, new tattoo studio, staffed

by Andy Cogar and Karen Lorin Laffar - previously of ‘White Orchid’ who both have decades of experience in tattooing and cover ups.

We now feel we have Services to offer, to all Residents of the local area”.

I made my girlfriend’s dreams come true by marrying her in a castle, although you wouldn’t have thought it from the look on her face as we were bouncing around.

HBBC Summer Activities Fund: Small Grants available up to £250 Here is a quick reminder about Hincley & Bosworth Borough Council’s Summer Activities fund, a small grants fund available for groups and organisations looking to access up to £250 to run activities for children 6-11years across the summer holidays.

The deadline for applications is Friday 20th June.

Information on HBBC website: http://www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/info/200047/grants/661/summer_activities_fund_2013/1

I bought a soldering iron last week. It made a right mess of my clothes.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

Letter

European Election When will the system of voting in this country catch up with the twentyfirst century? The European elections in May were conduct in a fashion that cannot have changed since the Village Hall in which they were held was built.

For some reason to do with constituency boundaries there were two separate sets of polling officials in different rooms. I tried the first set and was re-directed to the second. There were four people behind the desk and only one potential voter in front of me so I proffered my polling card to Official Number Two – but no, I had to wait my turn and make my way down the line. Official One took my card and after some time sifting through a pile of papers, ticked me off her list.

Number Two made a note. Number Three handed me a voting paper and instructed me to put a cross in one box. When I had completed this task – a piece of paper and a pencil on a string, seriously? - Official Number Four indicated the large black box in which I was to place my voting paper, just in case I’d missed it, and wished me good morning. One other voter was entering the room as I left. Hardly a rush.

I assume that all these officials were being paid for the fifteen hours the polling station was open. Even at minimum wage rates with on-costs there wouldn’t jhave been much change out of £1000. Given the pressure on the County Council budget – cuts to social services, library closures- wouldn’t one person with a laptop suffice?

Lindy Hardcastle

I bought a new mouse mat today. Hopefully that will stop them leaving footprints all over my kitchen floor.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

Extravaganza!

Groby Street Fair Entertainment Programme You’ll find more information on www.grobystreetfair.tk and facebook 10.45am Syston Scout and Guide Band marching through area 11.00am Grand opening by Cathy Stephens 11.10am Syston Scout and Guide band conclusion in front of stage 11.20am Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth Woodville Primary Schools 12.00pm Ayshe Belly Dancers Roxanne and her students 12.30pm Traditional Chinese Lion Dancers 1.00pm The Great Bowden Recital Trust Jazz & Swing Band 2.10pm On The Fence - Groby based folk duo of Julia and Dave 3.00pm Kevin Burke’s Magic Show 3.30pm Franco - a local band performing music from the 60’s to today 4.20pm Kendo Japanese Martial arts 4.50pm Super prize RAFFLE draw - winners in the next edition of The Spotlight 5.20pm Goldstein close the show with their brand of melodic punk music.

6.00pm CLOSE

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council’s Active Together

An invitation to all people above school age Come and enjoy a friendly social couple of hours on Monday mornings from 10.00 at the Community Centre on Forest Rise Groby. Bring a friend and sit and chat.

Budding authors you can write a story or some poetry in the side room, read a book together or tell a story of your own.

Want a physical activity?

Play Table Ping-Pong, Indoor Cricket (two teams of 6 players).

Or Try Sjoelbak – popular in Holland, this game is similar to ‘Shove Halfpenny’.

Too energetic?

Paint an oil or watercolour masterpiece.

Sew a patchwork cushion, table runner or design a jacket to wear – templates are available. Do a Jig-saw. Play Cards – Dominoes – Connect Four or Chess. Or sit in an easy chair amongst friends and relax!

There is no entry fee or charge for any of the above.

Optional Extras There is an occasional Beetle Drive and Prize Bingo 50p a ticket.

Raffle 50p a ticket. Beverages 50p each: Tea – Coffee – Squash For further details call in to the Community Centre, Forest Rise any Tuesday between 1.00 & 2.30pm during June or come to the first Monday meeting on 30th June at 10.00am.

Phone Emma Hopkins Project Manager on 01455255875 for further information. We look forward to seeing you.

Apply for your share of £20,000 Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council has provided a fund of £20,000 for local communities to invest in capital improvement projects in 2014/15.

Eligible projects must benefit council tenants or benefit an area in which a majority of council tenants reside.

Projects receiving funding under this scheme in 2013/14 were: roof repairs for the Old School Hall in Barlestone; outdoor table tennis in Burbage; external lighting for the youth café in Barwell; gardening and crafts equipment in Earl Shilton; a bus shelter for Higham-on-the-hill.

The guidance notes and an application form are available on the Groby Spotlight website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk. The closing date for applications is Friday 22nd August 2014.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

Thank you Groby for (almost) 32 Great Years!

From Gill & Steve Cronin of the former “Santander Groby”

It was Saturday, 16th October 1982 when we opened for business at 11 Ratby Road as agents of the then Leicester Building Society.

We remember it because it was our wedding anniversary. Our elder son James, then coming up to his second birthday, spent the day with his grandpa, Steve’s dad, known to a lot of locals for his very successful, award winning driving school “St Christopher School of Motoring”. James, named after his grand-pop is, incidentally, now a Registrar Anaesthetist and ITU doctor at Barts and the Royal London Hospital and in great but friendly rivalry with his younger brother John who will take up a similar post at St Thomas’s Hospital, London in August having just been awarded his Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

We remember that Saturday morning well, even down to the names of our first few customers. An ex-school colleague of Steve’s and a then fire-fighter was the first to walk through the door. We exceeded our set target by 300% in our first year and were always top of the Agent’s league table nationally. In fact we did more business than 40% of the owned branches for just about all of our history. In 1987 we converted the rear and upper floor of the building to a doctor’s surgery and Dr Surjeet Gajebasia moved in with us two and the boys and as some of his very first patients! The practice soon outgrew the premises and “Dr Gaj” moved up to the top of the Rookery Lane hill where he continues to practice today.

Despite a merger (Alliance & Leicester), a take-over (Santander), two armed hold-ups and an attempted attack on our cash machine, we managed to survive in our very busy state until the sudden news that Santander were intending to close ALL of their 139 Agency Branches during summer 2014. This was a great shock for us and our fantastic and loyal staff, alike. Being put into a state of “Devastation” would be more accurate! Despite representations by Cllrs Batty and O’Shea, intervention at the highest level by Stephen Dorrell MP and Emma McClarkin MEP plus two robust petitions organised by Nisam (Sam) Farook at Pricegate and Brian at The Stamford Arms, Santander Uk Plc refused to budge from their declared policy of concentrating all their branch activities in City Centres, going forward.

We could not have had the success we have enjoyed over the years without the support of Groby area people and our wonderful staff. Thank you so VERY much to everybody.

Now, it ISN’T all “Doom and Gloom” for we were approached by Nottingham Building Society, our region’s largest and most successful financial institution, a few weeks ago with a view to their opening a full branch outlet in our premises. Following long and detailed negotiations, we are pleased to announce that the new Groby Branch of that society opens in mid June.It also brings to the community something that has been missing for a long time, an Estate Agency, for the Society acquired the long established Harrison Murray a year and a half ago and they will share the premises with the building society.

More good news: those of our staff who wished to remain are being re-employed by The Nottingham so there will be familiar faces to greet you should you decide to use the new facility! As to the future for Gill & I? Well, we are being retained as part-time consultants to the new venture for the first three years so we hope to still greet friends, old As part of Martinshaw Primary School’s studies into the and new at 11, Ratby Road, Groby Victorian Era, year 5 performed a sketch in front of the – when we’re not out sailing, that is! You can’t get rid of us THAT whole school and parents, to show what life was really like easily! for young people during the mid to late 19th Century.

Museum of Victorian Childhood at Martinshaw

Gill & Steve p.s. Steve has been around here for much longer than 32 years – his parents moved here with him in 1956!

I went to a football match where both sets of supporters were chanting: ‘You’re not singing anymore’.

It was a charity match for the deaf.

To demonstrate the vast gulf between ‘Upstairs’ and ‘Downstairs’ house staff, maids, gardeners, kitchen staff and coachmen explained their duties and were introduced by lord of the manor, Eustace Ponsonby-Brown.

Other children playing the part of a quarry worker, blacksmiths lad and hosiery worker explained their work and demonstrated how children of primary school age, only just over 100 years ago worked long hard hours to help towards feeding their families.

A Victorian school was shown with a cane swinging Teacher and a ‘Dunces’ cap among the props, demonstrating how different their school life was now, compared to their ancestors.

They also showed how this was an era of change with Philanthropists like Dr Barnardo and Lord Shaftsbury making their voices heard.

With a number of songs and dance, an altogether well produced, entertaining and thought provoking production.

Owen Lawrence

Small Ads • Black & Decker electric BANDSAW - unused retirement gift Price: £25.00 • Aluminium extendable LADDER Price: £25.00 Tel: 0116 287 5973 • Coachbuilt Marmet Pram. Dark Green. 1970’s, Includes matching apron, shopping bag and basket tray. Sprung suspension and collapsible chassis. Body excellent condition. Chrome and wheels need refurbish.

Offers around £80.

Tel: 0116 2876847 • DEMI JOHNS - clear glass, 6 @ £8.00 for the lot.

• BARBI BIKE with stabilisers. Suit 3-6 years - vgc - plus HELMET. Price: £25.00 • Raleigh Purple BIKE - suit 7-10 years.

Price: £10.00 • Very large, sturdy, GARDEN SLIDE, vgc.

Price: £50.00 Tel: 0116 231 1802 • Ladies Hollister and superdry tops size 8, £5 each • Converse ladies high tops size 6, purple and pink, hardly worn, £5 • Paolo Nutini Caustic Love CD played once, £7 • Plum cushion cover, new with tags, £3 • 1 Roll of wall paper lilac/plum and silver patterned, £4 • Derwent Artist’s Pencils, 72 tin - hardly used, suit A’Level/GCSE Art student paid £52.99, accept £25 • Derwent colour skin tones pencil, 6 tin - hardly used, paid £6.90, accept £3 • Windsor & Newton Basic Acrylic paints, 5 x 60ml - some used but nearly full, £4 • Various other art materials/ paints £2-£10 - call for details or can email pics and prices • Ladies Jack Wills size 10 Shirt, Pink, red, blue and white check, hardly worn excellent condition, £12 • Ladies Jack Wills size 10 Shirt, blue and white check, hardly worn excellent condition, £12 • Ladies Jack Wills size 10 sweatshirt, pale blue and white stripe with white collar, hardly worn excellent condition, £15 • Ladies Hollister size small zipped hoodie, Navy with white Hollister across front with fur trimmed hood, excellent condition, £20 Tel: 07753 198340 or 0116 287 4260 • One set of bowls - ladies size 1.

One set of bowls size 2. Complete set of waterproofs also blazer, skirts,and tops.Will negotiate.

Tel: 0116 2876 332 If you have any household items which you’d like to advertise FREE in the Spotlight, please SEND DETAILS by post or email - sorry, we can’t take them over the phone. Our postal address is Spotlight Small Ads, PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT or you can email details to: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Scientists have just found the gene for shyness. They would have found it earlier, but it was hiding behind two other genes.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

The Nottingham is now open in Groby

BUILDING SOCIETY

Our services include: • • • • •

Savings and investments Mortgages Home insurance Financial planning Estate agency

Find us at the old Santander branch 11 Ratby Road Call 0116 2168 477 Or visit thenottingham.com

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE Nottingham Building Society is a member of the Building Societies Association, the Council of Mortgage Lenders and Financial Ombudsman Service and is a participant in the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Nottingham Building Society is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered under number 200785.

Nottingham Building Society’s home insurance is underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc (no 93792). Registered in England and Wales at St Mark’s Court, Chart Way, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1XL. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Nottingham Mortgage Services is an appointed representative of Intrinsic Mortgage Planning Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales No. 3089887.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Nottingham Building Society.

Nottingham Building Society is an introducer to Towergate Financial (East) Limited for investments, pensions and protection. Towergate Financial (East) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Harrison Murray Limited, registered in England and Wales number 3190376. Registered Office: Nottingham House, 3 Fulforth Street, Nottingham, NG1 3DL. A wholly owned subsidiary of Nottingham Property Services Limited.

Nottingham Building Society, Nottingham House, 3 Fulforth Street, Nottingham, NG1 3DL

REF903/0514

My girlfriend says I’m too immature for her. I say that’s absolute nonsense, and my teddy agrees with me.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

National Trust Leicester Association News During August, in the dining room at Belton House near Grantham there will be a display of British contemporary silver from the Silver Trust’s collection normally used at Downing Street and rarely on public display.

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The collection, which has witnessed many a great dining occasion, features some of the finest and most intriguing silverware created in recent years.

The Silver Trust was set up in 1987 to provide silver for government entertaining and with an aim of promoting contemporary British silversmiths. The collection, which is loaned to the government, includes pieces by all the best names in modern silverwork.

Having been on show around the world in recent years the display at Belton House could be described as a return to its “spiritual home”. This is because it was Lord Brownow’s loan of silver for use at Number 10 which drew the lack of a national collection of silver for government entertaining to the attention of the founding trustees.

Amongst the collection’s commissions are a set of seventy-two under plates, each one unique and designed by entrants to a competition. Designs range from the whimsical such as a pea plate that you can push a pea through a maze, to more serious items relating to Number 10 and the United Kingdom. Other pieces include flower bowls, water jugs, salvers and bowls.

Belton House is open each week from Wednesday to Sunday, 12.30 to 5.00pm.

The National Trust is planning to open Stoneywell, the new NT property at Ulverscroft, during July. No actual date has yet been published and, due to the size of the cottage, admission will be by timed pre booked ticket only.

We will keep you informed of the opening and booking details when they are published.

For details of the NT Leicester Association and its Talks Service for other organisations please call 0116 2229133.

Alan Tyler Your dog could die this summer When it comes to leaving your dog in the car in the summer months, DON’T. Just 20 minutes in a hot car can kill a dog, even if you leave a window down. The Dogs Trust warns it is an agonising death, as the dog is slowly roasting alive. (Dogs can only sweat through panting.)

The Trust warns: “People think that opening a window or leaving their car in the shade is fine, but we know that it is absolutely NOT the case. If you are going somewhere where you know you cannot take your dog, then leave it at home, because a dog can die in as little as 20 minutes.”

Sadly, while a survey found that 28% of people are willing to risk their dog being left in a car, only 10% would ever dream of leaving their mobile phone in a car.

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David Smith - 1 The Burrows, Narborough

0116 275 0101 (home) 07880 973 742 (mobile) Three times last week, a guy knocked on my door trying to get me to buy a jet washer. I hate high-pressure salesmen.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

An architectural gem in Groby church Carving of outstanding artistic ability and beauty has been recently identified in our village church of St Philip and James.

Attention was drawn to this masterpiece by a survey of the church’s interior by Charles Tracy B.A. Ph.D. FSA, following suggestions of major work within the interior of the church.

The carved screen which divides the nave from the chancel has been identified as very rare, not just in Leicestershire but elsewhere in Britain. This not only relates to the screen but the fixed furnishings of the complete chancel itself.

The church was built in 1840 and designed by the architect W. Railton. The chancel was rebuilt and enlarged in 1912 when the original structure was considered too small. An architectural company from Stamford was awarded the contract. The fixed oak furnishings and carvings awarded to another Stamford company, E. Bowman & Sons, Donations were received for several major fittings to be memorials to several prominent Groby parishioners. One stained glass window was given by Mrs Grey in memory of her late husband. The reredos and altar

by Mr and Mrs R D Thompson in memory of Mr Thompson’s late brother.

The outstandingly beautiful screen was erected in memory of Lieut.

Col. Douglas Hyde-Thompson and also to his brother Lieut. Colonel Robert Donald Hyde-Thompson, both lost during the Great War. Although all this beautiful work was installed during reconstruction in 1912, this late date must not detract from the superb execution of this work. Design styles are noted from Hexham Abbey, Carlisle Cathedral and lastly Kings College chapel, Aberdeen. Further afield

Interested in Playing Hockey?

design similarity features noted in Rouen Cathedral.

I can fore see that when word of this hidden and largely neglected gem of craftsmanship and design becomes known to church enthusiasts, Groby will not be bypassed on the A 50 but become a place of pilgrimage.

My interest in the above craftsmanship stems from not only being a fully trained professional

carver but also a dedicated church crawler, I have rung bells in many churches throughout the country.

The advantage of also being a member of the ‘Regional Furniture Society’ gives me access to many interesting buildings.

All the above is an abbreviation from the survey and assessment from the paper produced by Charles Tracy B.A. Ph.D. FSA.

The Greys Of Groby Why not come and join us on Tuesday mornings between 10am and 11.45am at The Community Centre, Forest Rise, Groby.

We have various activities, speakers and days out, or just come and meet friends and have a chat and a coffee, you will be made very welcome.

Our last outing was to Morton in Marsh and Bourton on the Water. A Canal boat trip, and lunch at Ulverscroft Manor have been booked and a future outing to Trentham Gardens is planned.

Do call and see us on our stall at the Groby Street Fair.

Our 38th Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 1st July at the Centre.

Ellen, Joan and Frances

Then contact Aardvarks Mixed Hockey Club Playing in Division 4 for the 2014/15 season Home matches played at Groby Community College For more information call Andy on 07780 993738 or email: andyhemsill@ btinternet.com AARDVARKS FUN • HOCKEY

I told my psychiatrist that nobody understands me. Now I have to pay him extra for an interpreter.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

10

County Councillor’s Report from Ozzy O’shea Planning Application Ref: 13/01029/COU Wallace Drive Groby Residents may be aware that the above planning application for the Gypsy and Traveller site was deferred at the planning committee meeting held on the 1st April at the last minute.

The Council has been waiting for an appeal decision to come in and as such kept changing the dates that this application would be heard by the planning committee. I have now had the date confirmed to me by the head of planning .This application will finally be heard by the Borough Council’s Planning Committee on Tuesday 22nd July 2014 at 6.30pm. Residents are welcome to attend the meeting.

Libraries The consultation on the future use of libraries is running until 7th July and has seen some 2,500 individual responses on the county council’s proposals to run up to 36 libraries.

There have also been 500 attendees at the county road shows and a further 500 people attending drop-in sessions with library-staff to discuss the County Council’s plans for the future. It is important to understand that LCC is still committing £4.8 million to the service (£800k savings requirement) and the 16 most popular libraries, accounting for the vast majority of visits, are being kept open, but with reduced opening hours. Like every other department, libraries have to change in response to changing demand- more people are using E books than borrowing and libraries are also being used for a host of community activities. LCC will support communities to run their local library, but if none come forward, some may unfortunately have to close. This is why we are proposing to cover any closure with a weekly mobile service.

I will do everything in my power to keep our library open for you. I look forward to working with the Parish Council’s working group - it is important we all work together to ensure the future of the Library in Groby.

The consultation is taking place until July 7th and full details are on the link below they include dates and venues of evening public

meetings during June. We want as many people as possible to have their say and I urge you to do it. www.leics.gov.uk/haveyoursay/ futurelibraries

Roads and Infrastructure LCC is part of the Midlands Highways Alliance (MHA) - a group of 21 local authorities who collaborate and pool their resources in awarding contracts for medium to large scale projects.

LCC is proud to be at the forefront of innovative thinking and a pioneer of collaboration between local councils across the Midlands and beyond delivering around £250 million of projects and saving an estimated £15 million. These are the sorts of partnerships LCC will have to become increasingly involved with as we undergo a radical transformation of the way we do business and deliver our services.

have made some noticeable achievements since agreeing the Budget back in March.

• Freezing the county-element

of council tax for the fourth year running. • Winning £55 million Government funding to invest in more school places. • Committed £25 million of extra spending on adult social care and waste disposal. • Will commit £188 million on capital projects and supporting jobs and growth. • Supported nearly 400 families to own their first home through our Local Authority Mortgages scheme. • Invested £18.6 million to deliver Superfast broadband in Leicestershire with our partners BT, the district councils and the EU. All this has been achieved and none of it will be funded by borrowing. However, we still must continue to reduce our spending by £110 million by 2018 because of reduced Government grant. George Osborne’s Budget announced an extension to the current austerity period facing local government- and we must continue to plan ahead to ensure the County Council plays its part in rebalancing the country’s finances.

Experimental Order Stephenson Way Groby The Transformation I have been informed by Programme officers that the lining works will be carried out on Stephenson Way and the adjacent side roads towards the end of June, after the experimental order has been made.

In May, the Cabinet committed the County Council to a radical new pathway on how we deliver and commission our services.

Temporary Closure of Desford Lane, Kirby Muxloe.

We call it the ‘Transformation Programme’ and Cabinet’s decision implements a key plank of the 2013 manifesto. In future, the County Council will be smaller and many of its services delivered in different ways- such as community groups running libraries.

But we will still be in the business of caring for vulnerable people and keeping our highways safe. As your County Councillor, I will never take my eye off the ball in focusing on our key priorities, despite the dire financial situation we face.

These changes are reflected in the numerous consultations the County Council is currently undertaking with residents- such as new home to school transport proposals; the future of libraries; reduced funding to voluntary groups and changes to community meals.

All these and more are available in greater detail via the County Council website www.leics.gov. uk/haveyoursay. It is very important we get as many people as possible

I like to keep residents informed of road works that could affect them.

Desford Lane Kirby Muxloe is going to be closed between 13th and 26th July 2014 in order to facilitate the installation of twin 900mm clean water pipes.

Whilst the road is closed the following diversion routes will be via; Desford Road, Ratby Lane, Kirby Muxloe, Ratby Lane, Hinckley Road, Leicester Forest East, Leicester Lane, Kirby Muxloe, Leicester Lane, Barns Way, Station Road, Desford, Desford Road, Newtown Unthank, Desford Road, Ratby and Vice versa.

Budget & Finance It is easy to forget we

to air their views to guide our thinking.

Grants Schemes The County Council recently reformed the community grants schemes and abolished the Community Forums.

We did this via feedback from residents that the previous structure was overly complicated and bureaucratic. The return to the SHIRE grants schemes enables local community groups to bid for support. Some of these include the new LeicesterSHIRE grants scheme and the Village shops support scheme (see http://www. kerchingretail.com/vss).

For more information on the range of grant funding available please log on to http://www. leics.gov.uk/index/community/ community_grants.htm

Recycling Performance Update The Leicestershire Waste Partnership has achieved an unconfirmed combined recycling, reuse and composting performance of 53.32% from January to December 2013, compared to a performance of 55.46% in 2012/13.

Early indications show that Leicestershire is currently in the top five waste disposal authorities (WDAs) in the country. It is anticipated that there will be a further drop in predicted performance to 51% by the end of the 2013/14 financial year. This drop can primarily be attributed to a change in Environment Agency (EA) guidance which has prohibited the composting of mixed wood collected at the Recycling and Household Waste Sites (RHWS).

Analysis of the figures shows that if wood had been removed from the composting figures in 2012/13, performance in this year would have been 51.04%. This shows that levels of recycling by the public through kerbside collections, bring sites and RHWS have remained consistent. Draft year end performance figures for 2013/14 will be available in July 2014 and will be confirmed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in November 2014.

It is anticipated that a new method of calculating recycling

Being poor has its advantages. For example, your keys are never in your other trousers.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

performance will be released

by Defra in the summer of 2014. It has been reported that initially this indicator will be used to report on how the UK as a whole is performing against the EU target to recycle 50% of waste from households by 2020 and will eventually be rolled out more widely to report on the performance of individual authorities.

I would like to thank you all for your continued support and to remind you that I am only a phone call or email away.

Finally I would like to thank residents for all your kind words and good wishes over the past 5 weeks. I hope to be back fit the first week in July.

Ozzy O’shea Working for you

11

Tel 0116 239 4336 or 07808 585825 Email ozzyoshea@ hotmail.com

Thank you to friends & neighbours!

A message from Roy and Jean Tams of Sycamore Drive, Groby.

We would like to express our gratitude to friends and neighbours for their concern, get-well wishes and offers of help during Roy’s two months in the Leicester Royal Infirmary. Roy is now recovering well at home.

Thank you all love from Roy, Jean, Tess and family x

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I just made my hamster a strong coffee - I don’t want him falling asleep at the wheel.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

13

Groby Gardening Society News Meeting held on May 8th 2014 It is likely that some members recognised our speaker, John Stirland. Not because he has visited us before, but from his numerous TV appearances. Together with Martin Fish, he presented “Up the Garden Path” on “East Midlands To-day”.

As on TV, John proved to be an effective and entertaining speaker. His subject was “Propagation” and it is likely that many who attended would have been inspired to try out some of John’s techniques. He said that his first love in gardening was propagating new plants from cuttings. He also still gets a thrill out of sowing seeds and watching their progress. His initial advice was not to feel guilty about using peat –based compost.

He has tried all the alternatives and has found nothing to match these. His favourite is a brand called Clover compost. He showed his techniques for even seed ditribution and how not to overtamp the seed bed. He grows all his vegetable plants from seed and was a great advocate of the use of F1 hybrid seeds. Although expensive, they repay in quality. Most of his talk was devoted to the demonstrations of taking cuttings from soft, semi-hard and hard wood stock. All his cuttings were made just under a leaf node and he then reduced the number of leaves to cut down transpiration, yet allowing sufficient for photosynthesis to occur. Unlike last month’s speaker, John was not a user of hormone rooting powder. He considers it unnecessary. He does, however, protect all his soft wood cuttings from sunlight and prefers to use a heated propagator.

A useful tip was if an elecrical propagator was out of the question, one could use a plastic bag full of fresh grass cuttings. Within hours this generates

The stem is girdled to induce root formation above the cut

The girdled stem is covered with damp moss.

heat and can be used as a bed for any seed tray.

He stressed that although soft wood cuttings are the easiest to take, they do demand the most attention and protection. Within this group he listed choisia, dahlias, fuchsias, lavender, rosemary and hebes. Many house plants also fall within this category. Such cuttings are usually taken in early Spring. His second group, the semi-hard wood cuttings are usually taken towards the end of June to the middle of July.

This group includes red robin, holly, hydrangea, laurel, camelia, heathers and ceanothus. October was the time he recommended for hard wood cuttings and when planted these could be left in a sheltered, north-facing situation until the Spring. He included roses, hazel, currants, gooseberries and other soft fruit in this section.

Unlike the soft wood cuttings, these represent the hardest to root, but need the least protection.

He then briefly mentioned two techniques for layering as a propagating method. The first was layering directly into the soil and the second was air layering. In both cases the branch to be layered had to have the bark scraped off to reveal the cambrian layer from which the roots are produced.

How about a Garlic Wash?

One of our members offered a cure for one of the scourges of gardening, viz snails and slugs.

Although these animals have their niche in the great order of things, they do test the patience and kindliness of most gardeners. This could be worth trying!

Boil together two large garlic bulbs with two pints of water. Cool and strain and make up to the two pint mark on a measure. Store in a screw top container. When needed, dilute two tablespoons of this mix to one gallon of water. Use a watering can with a rose to wash plant leaves in late afternoon. Repeat every two weeks, even on all unaffected leaves.

June 19th: Stamford trip As in previous years we are allocating seats

Aluminium foil or plastic sheeting is wrapped around the moss and tied at both ends. This cover is removed 2-3 months after tying or when the roots can be seen.

on the coach for our trip to Stamford and The Easton Walled Gardens. If you have booked a seat and have not received details before the day of the trip, do not despair. Alvar will distribute them as you board the coach.

The Plant Sale This was on Saturday morning 17th May at the Village Hall. Combined wth the refreshments organised by our W.I., the event was a great success. The hall itself was a riot of colour and customers arrived early to take advantage of the bargains on offer. A great debt of gratitude is owed to the many members and friends who contributed plants of such variety that choosing was quite difficult. They did, however, have commonalities as the price and quality would have been hard to beat. Another large “Thank you” must go to the group of members who turned up early to get the hall ready and who manned the stalls.

The Village Show This highlight of our year is fast approaching and once again we hope that members and villagers will partake in this event. Each year the show depends entirely upon entrants and, if you are someone who has hesitated to enter in the past, may we urge you to pluck up courage this year.

It is meant to be fun and it really is not the severe competition that many still believe. If entrants only entered produce that was bound to win, there would be no show. Schedules are available from the library and on the Spotlight website. If you have a look, you will see that there are many classes that almost anyone could enter on the day.

Future Meetings •

June 19th - Day trip to Stamford and Easton Walled Gardens • July 10th - “The Chelsea Chop” Helen Osborne • July 31st –August 2nd - Three day trip to South East England • August 16th (Saturday) - The Village Show in the Village Hall Starts at 2.30 If any information is required about either visit, please give Alvar a ring.

Our monthly meetings are held at 7.30pm on the second Thursday of the month, usually in the United Reformed Church rooms on Chapel Hill. Details about membership and the events programme can be obtained from Alvar Johnson.

(Tel. No. 01162877870) or E mail anjjmj1@ outlook.com

Alvar Johnson

I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching lately. James Brown’s name seems to come up a lot.

14

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

GROBY ALLOTMENT SOCIETY NEWS

Life with a Lottie

Thankfully the night before I wrote we had some rain – and didn’t we need it! (and it’s not stopped since.)

The plots are in full swing and everything is looking verdant. Potatoes escaped the few late frosts we had; the spring sown crops are coming along nicely. We have been picking spring cabbage (autumn planted) and enjoying our first salads and strawberries of the season. Our radish were seeds that came on tape that we just laid across a raised bed and we have had great success – large juicy radish that have not gone woody when we have not been able to eat them quick enough.

Most of the seeds and plants are now in the soil, peas and beans are well in flower and showing the fruits of our labour The tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are in the greenhouse. Carrots and parsnips that were sown into trays in the greenhouse and transplanted into the plot a few weeks ago are (dare I say it?) doing better than the seeds sown straight into the soil.

Our beans that we won as a raffle prize and are supposed to give us extralong show runner beans are growing well.

The boss has just said he will not be sowing straight into the soil again!

The Ratby Road Site is looking really good; it’s a pleasure to sit a while in

the sun and look around to take it all in; am I the only one that thinks allotments are beautiful?

Orchard Close is coming along and most of the plot holders are working hard to improve the site.

Spring inspections have been completed on both sites and action is being taken where needed. As the grass roadways are growing so quick the men who come to cut will mow it extra short during the growing period. If plot-holders could take extra care of their paths it will make the sites a safer place. It is the responsibility of every plot-holder to maintain pathways separating the plots in a safe condition leaving them wide enough for safe passage for other gardeners.

The waiting list is being kept down and a warm welcome given to all newcomers to both sites. If you have any problems or queries please contact any of the committee or even your neighbour on the plots, most are only too willing to stop for a chat!

Off to talk to the strawberries now – they are looking great and we will soon have the jam made safely for some winter joy.

The community shed will be open on the first Sunday morning in every month on the Ratby Road Site from 10am – 12pm for teas, coffees, bacon butties and garden related sales - please come along and support our fund raising/social events and find out what is going on at the plots. The new toilet on Ratby Road site is fabulous and is being well used, what a superb addition to every ones efforts.

Recipe of the Month Pea & Broad Bean Risotto • •

Olive oil 1 small onion & 2 shallots finely chopped • 1 garlic clove minced • 600ml vegetable stock (100ml could be replaced with white wine) • A handful of both peas and beans – more if you really love them – young broad beans are best • 75grams grated parmesan + some for garnish • Parsley, thyme & seasoning Using a heavy based pan begin by adding a couple of tablespoons of oil to the pan. When the oil is gently heated add the onion, garlic and shallots and fry gently until soft and transparent.

Now add the rice and thyme and cook for a couple of minutes so the rice becomes well coated and translucent. Add a ladleful of liquid and to turn over the rice until all the liquid is absorbed keep adding the stock in this way for about 20 mins. Tip in the peas and beans and give a good stir into what should be a sticky onion-scented rice. Add more liquid if needed.

Stir in the parmesan and taste for seasoning – serve sprinkled with extra parmesan and torn parsley.

A risotto needs love, care and patience – a bit like an allotment really.

My friend was bitten by a rattlesnake, and I tried to save him by telling him an amusing story. If I’d known the difference between antidote and anecdote, I guess he’d be alive today.

My girlfriend’s father is so posh, he calls Roger Daltrey’s old band The Whom.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

15

Lady Jane Grey’s Pioneering Year 6 pupils Lady Jane Grey’s Year 6 children along with the Year 6 children from Elizabeth Woodville had a fun packed week on their residential at Pioneer activity centre.

The children enjoyed activities that included: high ropes, bridge building, zip wire, night line, big bounce, search and rescue, raft building and lots, lots more. The children were awesome, tackling daring heights, commando rolling through the under growth, solving brain teasing puzzles, constructing their own raft using only barrels and wood. There was no challenge too great for the fantastic LJG team.

They also took part in a range of night time adventures; a night time wildlife walk where we encountered more mud than you can ever imagine, a hip hopping disco, a games evening as well as a roaring camp fire, an evening which was filled with songs and games.

The Year 6 children really did do the school proud with their fantastic, determined attitudes and also through their exceptional manners and behaviour.

Please visit our School Hall where you will find a display of photographs taken on the residential trip as well as more testimonies written by the Year 6 children outlining their favourite moments and memories of the trip.

Well done to all!!

LJG’s Year 4 pupils overcome their fears at PGL On Wednesday 7th May 2014, LJG’s Year 4 pupils went on a two night residential trip to PGL in Caythorpe Lincolnshire.

Accompanied by the Year 4 children from Elizabeth Woodville Primary School, the children took part in a variety of activities which tested their confidence, team work skills and at times their fear of heights.

The children enjoyed the challenge of stepping off the ledge of the abseiling wall and jumping off a narrow tower, which they had climbed, to catch a suspended Trapeze.

As well as taking part in the activities the children enjoyed learning how to correctly fit a harness and how to support their peers when undertaking the tasks.

The two schools worked collaboratively together cheering each other on and helping others to overcome their fears.

The other activities included; archery, rifle shooting, raft building, zip wire, orienteering, campfire and a disco. The children enjoyed the challenge of all of the activities as well as the opportunity to make friends with other children.

The children were a credit to LJG and a great time was had by all.

Sat 28th June at 7.30pm and Sun 29th June at 3.00pm

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I won the lottery last night. I haven’t told my wife yet because I can’t use my phone on the plane.

Parish Council Office Village Hall Leicester Road Groby Leicestershire, LE6 0DQ Opening Times Mondays 11.00am to 2.00pm Tuesday s 11.00am to 2.00pm Wednesdays 11.00am to 2.00pm Thursdays 12.30am to 3.30pm Fridays 10.00am to 12.30pm Outside these times by prior appointment Parish Council meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at 7.00 pm in the Council Chambers within the Village Hall.

Planning Committee meetings are held every two weeks, usually on a Wednesday evening at 7.30 pm.

Forthcoming Meetings June 18 Planning Committee July 2 Planning Committee 7 Full Council Meeting 14 Parks Committee 14 Finance Committee 16 Planning Committee 30 Planning Committee 31 Scout Liaison Committee August 4 Full Council Meeting 13 Planning Committee 27 Planning Committee September 1 Full Council Meeting 10 Planning Committee 24 Planning Committee October 6 Full Council Meeting 8 Planning & Development All meetings are Open to the Public and Press

PARISH NEWS PARISH COUNCIL COUNCIL NEWS Chairman’s Report – Cllr. Jim Coley As my second year in the chair draws to a close I think that on balance the Groby Parish Council “team” have had a pretty successful and productive year. We've been party to quite a few successes, but as with all things, there have also been some disappointments along the way.

A couple of improvements to our day to day life in Groby that we have helped support have been: A46/A50 junction: This has been a key issue that I have had on my radar since I started as a Councillor and I'm pleased to say that since the work was completed we have a better and safer access/egress to the village. Your Parish Council has certainly played its part in the pressure to achieve this and looking back through past council minutes it seems that the pressure to do something started way back before 2007 so it's been a long haul for our Parish Councillors, Borough Councillors and County Councillors past and present. Although not perfect, the incidence of accidents appears to have diminished greatly and it is now possible to exit the village during the morning rush hour in a few minutes rather than the 10 to 20 minutes it took previously!

Another gripe I have had for years has been the slowness of Broadband in the Village which has this year been mainly resolved with speeds available up to 80Mbps .I, and other local representatives have been attending regular Broadband Forums at County Hall for the past few years. The national plan for superfast Broadband across the Country is driven in Leicestershire by the LCC and the Broadband Forum and although there are areas in our Parish who will still “suffer” from slow speeds for a while most of them will have been improved within the next 12-18 months by the completion of the contract LCC have with the providers. There are still some questionable areas but now that the contract has been let and the finer details are being distributed we can put on pressure to try to get those areas included in the overall plan.

The completion of the new Garden of Remembrance at the Cemetery, which originally was going to be an “up to 3 year” project but was actually completed this year by using various methods such as the Probation Department's “Community Service” workers and additional in-house labour. Consequently we have completed it at least a year ahead of the original planned time-scale.

January of this year finally saw the completion of the footpaths around the Cemetery topped with tarmac further enhancing the aesthetics of the cemetery grounds.

The expansion of the Christmas Lights into additional village areas which have been widely admired.

Quarry Park enhancements: These include: · improved drainage across the park · the re-location of the outdoor gym equipment; · the completion of the new car park as phase one of the Multi Use Games Area.

Parking: The introduction in 2013 of the revised no-waiting scheme was a long time coming and I know that it has caused some additional issues but the principal aim of improving access to the village shopping centre and Church areas and improving the safety in some quite dangerous spots in the village has been achieved. The Parish Council are well aware that the new restrictions have driven some of the commuting parking into new areas. One plus point is that this has now stimulated the village's largest employer to write to the Parish Council requesting a joint working party with two of their managers so that together with your Borough and County Councillors we can hopefully resolve some, if not all, of those parking issues.

Quarterly Edition 2014 Quarterly Edition -- June June 2014 The working party has only recently been set up but there is already some positive movement. In the mean time I must commend Cllr. Ozzie O'Shea and the Leicester Highways department representatives in quickly resolving one of the issues arising from the shift in street parking – one which directly affected the 28 bus route, by obtaining and invoking an Emergency Traffic Order to help resolve that particular problem.

This coming year is already presenting issues which will affect our village, including: · the decision by the Judicial enquiry to return the Bloor appeal back for a further application · the issue of the planned Traveller camp at Wallace Drive · the reduction in funding of the county Libraries including Groby Library. · the probable reduction in finances being passed down to Parish level caused by other proposed LCC budget cuts.

The Council once again received a clean bill of health from the external auditors for the financial year 2012/13 and an excellent report from its internal auditor for the financial year 2013/14.

One area that is key to all that we do in your Parish Council is our annual budget and as I reported last year we were able to reduce the 2013/14 precept by 4.6%.

Unlike many other authorities and with much effort by your Parish Clerk and her team we are now able to continue into 2014/15 with a zero increase in the precept and no reduction in your services. However 2015/16 is likely to be much more challenging due principally to the widely advertised reductions in Leicestershire County Council's budgets, not least in the area of the Libraries of which I'll go into more detail later.

Your Parish Council's Finance and General Purposes Committee who, together with the Responsible Finance Officer (your Clerk), add direction to the finances, are well aware that there are various financial changes afoot but rather than take a knee jerk reaction and just up the precept to raise a large surplus without knowing what will actually be needed, we have taken a more pragmatic approach to take on the changes as they come and then react with actual knowledge. This has already included the setting up of a working party to investigate the changes and needs of the Parish workers and contractors as regards transport, outsourcing and other issues. This does not indicate that we are looking to make any wholesale changes but rather identifying areas where we can make savings or increase income which can be acted upon as they are found and will add up over the long term.

Actuals 2013-14 Income Precept New Homes Council Tax Support Grant Cemetery Garden of Remembrance Other Income Total Expenditure Administration Staff Costs Cemetery Village in Bloom Parks Winter Maintenance Insurance Costs Allotments External Support Community Trust

20,279 78,104 8,761 3,221 37,273 800 4,484 347 2,088 3,513

Total

158,870

Reserves at 31/03/2014

226,756

Parish Councillors Cllr. Jacqualyn Batty - 2912284 Cllr. Peter Batty - 2912284 Cllr. Sylvia Beck - 2876716 Cllr. Jim Coley – 07860523567 (Chairman) Cllr. Richard Douglas. JP - 2877065 Cllr. Liz Emmerson - 2312111 Cllr. Rob Fraser - 01530 244175 Cllr. Ted Hollick – 2875955 (V/Chairman) Cllr. Barry Jones - 07877697484 Cllr. Sandra Jones - 07977746108 Cllr. Helen Lindsay - 2314487 Cllr. Eileen Marvin - 2876799 Cllr. Norman McCausland - 2321165 Cllr. Leigh Quilter – 0772523033 Cllr. Cathy Thompson 01530 249203 Cllr. Keith Yarwood – 2870252 Parish Clerk Beverley Greenwood. MBA.BSC.AILCM 0116 2876985 parishclerk@groby.com

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Councillors Cllr. Peter Batty - 2912284 Cllr. Martin Cartwright – 2874500 Leicestershire County Councillor Cllr. Ozzy O’Shea – 0116 2394336 / 07808585825

INCOME

155,761 1,292 9,724 12,290 3,924 19,276 202,267

Groby Parish Council is made up of 16 unpaid members. They are supported by a full time employed Clerk, a part time Admin Assistant, the Cemetery Sexton, a Grounds man and two other part time Grounds Maintenance Operatives.

Other Income Cemetery

Member of Parliament

CTSG New Homes

Mr Stephen Dorrell - 2608609

Precept

0

50000

100000

2013-14

150000

200000

2012-13

EXPENDITURE CommunityTrust External Support Election Parks Cemetery

Administration 0

20000

40000

2013-14

60000

2012-13

80000

100000

LOOK OUT IN THE AUGUST EDITION FOR A QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE NEW FAMILY INCLUSIVE MULTI USE GAMES AREA AT QUARRY PARK

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

The Groby Parish Council transport dilemma Norman Griffiths looks again at the ongoing debate

Letter

Invited to tea at The Savoy with Simon Cowell!

In his recent letter to The Groby Spotlight a Parish Councillor was critical of those on the council he described as obsessive about spending money on a truck he does not think is needed for the council’s ground maintenance work. He also disagreed with some of the content of an article on the subject in the March Spotlight.

Although he described the statement in the article that council staff are moving Council materials in the boots of their cars as “nonsense” he went on to say that “staff employed for general maintenance/handyman duties were employed on the basis that they had to have a vehicle to assist them in performing routine maintenance tasks.” He confirmed that since 2007 the employees have used their own vehicles for transporting routine maintenance tools and easily transportable small scale materials. Readers will reach their own conclusion on whether or not they feel this amounts to employees moving Council materials in the boot of their cars.

Mileage allowances He also thought he found in the article the suggestion that in using their own vehicles staff have been “put upon.” The use of quotation marks might have led some readers to think that this was a direct quote, but those words did not appear anywhere in the article. He pointed out that those who use their own vehicles are compensated with a generous mileage allowance to help address all the running costs of their vehicle.

Such allowances are often welcomed by employees in many industries to offset the running costs of a vehicle, particularly if making your vehicle available to your employer is a requirement of employment. It would be rash of someone who has not discussed the subject with the employees to second guess their feelings, and that’s why there was no suggestion intended, explicit or implied, that employees have been put upon.

He pointed out the disadvantages of the Parish having a dedicated vehicle and these, together with the other points of view put forward by councillors have been reported in the Spotlight. The articles outlined where we are now and suggested that as a review was being undertaken it should most certainly consider whether the status quo is the best option.

In the May issue a reader responded to the Councillor’s comments saying that “a review of the requirements after 7 years does not appear to be inappropriate, particularly in the event of changed circumstances and requirements for vehicle use over this period.”

So have there been changes since 2007?

The Best Value Review recommended the employment of a part time Cemetery Sexton/General Maintenance Operative, along with self employed Gate Closing and Playground Inspection personnel. This manpower requirement appears to have increased over the intervening seven years which may or may not have resulted in an increase in business mileage. Although it doesn’t follow that there needs to be a council owned vehicle, it is legitimate for Councillors to ask questions and make decisions having carefully considered all options and all points of view.

For many jobs the boot of a car may be quite adequate, but the balance may change depending on the type of work undertaken in house instead of by contractors. A few examples of jobs that are not ideally suited to car boots include small building projects, minor tree works where branches have to be cut into small pieces and bagged to transport in car boots, and the clearance of ditches where rubbish also has to be bagged as it is unsuitable to be put directly into boots.

The various alternative options of a trailer, a council truck, site deliveries or truck hire have all been suggested by members of the council. The possibility that a car boot may not be the ideal solution for the Grounds Maintenance Operation seems to have been acknowledged in 2007. The Best Value Review didn’t suggest a car or even a replacement truck or a trailer for the Sexton/General Maintenance Operative. It said that he should have his own transport, “preferably a van.”

But no decision has yet been reached and the current discussion of the various options available does not necessarily mean anything will change.

Members may decide after a frank and open exchange of the views of all members that the Councillor is right and no change is necessary.

In early June I travelled down to London in my capacity as volunteer befriender for the charity Face2Face with Fiona Burton who founded the Leicestershire branch five years ago.

We were treated to tea and cakes at The Savoy Hotel with Richard Desmond owner of the Health lottery. Also there was Simon Cowell and his lovely girlfriend Lauren, Roger Daltrey, Sinitta, Vanessa Feltz, Amy Childs, Kimberly Walsh (Cheryl Cole was supposed to be there too but I didn’t see her,) several ‘TOWIES’, Matthew Wright, Gloria Hunniford, Patsy Kensit, Casey Batchelor, Amy Willerton, and others. We celebrated The Health Lottery’s achievement of raising £50,000,000!

I didn’t get chance to ask Simon Cowell the questions suggested by my father, because the most interesting folk there were the amazing people who volunteered for some wonderful charities. I learned about gardening projects for people who had mental health issues, skateboarding clubs for children in deprived areas, media and creative arts for young adults who had previously been involved in crime, and a Bollywood dance initiative for Asian ladies who found it difficult to access fitness - and of course Face2Face!

If you haven’t heard about Face2Face, it’s a charity which trains parents who have a child or children with a disability, to become befrienders, and once trained they are paired up with a parent of a child who has maybe just received a diagnosis of disability for their child or who is experiencing difficulties coping with having a child with a disability.

We as befrienders support the parent and listen to their worries and concerns. They know we have been on that roller coaster ride which goes hand in hand with coming to terms with a diagnosis and other difficulties which arise afterwards and they know we can empathise with what they are going through.

Sometimes when our children reach certain milestones, or change school or we move house this can cause stress and other unexpected problems, so parents may need support too at these difficult times.

I trained with Face2Face three years ago and have befriended many parents who have children with a variety of disabilities. Unfortunately some parents don’t have anyone with whom they can confide their worries, and even if they have, they may feel that their friends and family are also adjusting to the news of the diagnosis and don’t want to burden them with their troubles. Sometimes friends and family may want to help but can’t fully understand what it’s like from a parent’s point of view, and that’s where Face2Face comes in.

If you or someone you know could benefit from having a befriender - maybe a parent, carer or grandparent who needs a little support - then please get in touch with Fiona Burton at Face2Face.

Roxanne Dinsdale

My wife complained today that I treat her like a child. I didn’t know how to react, so I gave her a gold star and a smiley face for sticking up for herself.

I’ve changed my mind three times today. It seems to work better now.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

Elizabeth Woodville School News Residential Success Three of our junior classes have recently enjoyed residential visits to Caythorpe Court, Lincolnshire (Year 4), The Conway Centre, Anglesey (Year 5) and The Pioneer Centre, Shropshire (Year 6).

The children all enjoyed a wide range of challenging outdoor and adventurous activities including, climbing, abseiling, gorge walking and raft building! They were a credit to the school and all centre staff were highly impressed by their manners and behaviour. A special mention must go to Year 4 who all had a wonderful time on their first residential trip.

Did Year 1 find dinosaurs in Groby?

This half term Year 1 has been enjoying learning all about dinosaurs.

They have found out about land, sea and sky dinosaurs and even learnt how they became extinct. The children particularly enjoyed studying lots of different fossils and imagining their own dinosaur from a fossil. We have also been learning how to write a recount in literacy. We had a fantastic walk around Groby and to Marina Park and the sun shone all morning! We are now looking forward to writing brilliant recounts!

Church Visit On Wednesday 9th April the Foundation Stage Class went to St Phillip and Saint James Church in Groby. It was a beautiful sunny day and everyone really enjoyed the walk. The children were learning about the main features inside the church and asked interesting questions to find out more. The class particularly liked singing songs in the choir stalls!

Marconi Cup – Double Champions!

The season ended on a dramatic high note as Elizabeth Woodville clinched the Marconi Cup in a thrilling final, winning 2-1 against Ratby.

It has been a wonderful rivalry all season as Ratby pipped us to the league title a few weeks earlier.

Further congratulations to the Girls’ Football Team who drew in an exciting final with Martinshaw, sharing the championship trophy.

What an amazing way to end the season!

Well done to all our footballers who played in the Football League, B Team Tournament, Girls Tournament and Marconi Cup this year! We would like to thank Martinshaw, Brookvale and South Charnwood for hosting the various events.

Every time I go to a college reunion, I find my old classmates are so fat and bald they hardly recognise me.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

Jottings

Police News for Groby With summer approaching can I please ask everyone to make sure their downstairs windows are shut when out of the house and during the night.

Last summer I conducted various patrols around Groby during the early hours of the morning, there were lots of downstairs windows open, someone of you may have noticed something from the police posted through the open window. Please don’t get caught out.

Can I also please remind people to be considerate to their neighbours when having late night house/ garden parties. It is not acceptable to be making noise and keeping people awake. If anyone experiences problems like this then please call 101 at the time of the incident, it is not always guaranteed Police will be able to attend straight away but its more effective than reporting it after the event.

This is Anti Social Behaviour, and incidents will be recorded and passed to the environmental health to investigate.

PC 4675 Katie Harris

Lady Jane Grey School News

LJGs 25th Jubilee Celebrations continue Mr FitzGerald and the Vicars of Groby led a whole school assembly focused on ‘Giving’ to our pupils, staff, governors and members of the HSA on Tuesday 6th May. At the end of their assembly our Chair of Governors, Juliet Martin, Chair of the HAS, Tina Coleman and the Vicars gave the Silver Jubilee Coins to representatives from each year group. The coins were commissioned and paid for by the HSA to commemorate the 25th Jubilee Anniversary of Lady Jane Grey as part of our year long celebrations.

Every pupil, member of staff, governor and HSA member will receive a coin along with the previous Headteachers of Lady Jane Grey.

We would like to say a big thank you to the HSA for using their funds to buy a coin that children will cherish and look at in years to come with fond memories of LJG.

News in Brief with Norman Griffiths

Groby library As the weeks pass by the deadline for a decision about the future of Leicestershire’s rural libraries draws closer.

Any changes are expected to be in place by the Spring of 2015. The current consultation with local communities, Parish Councils, staff, stakeholders and other relevant bodies ends on July 7th (Details can be found at http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/your_council/haveyoursay/ futurelibraries.htm). A report detailing the outcome will be submitted to the Cabinet in September 2014.

The cynicism about the relevance of the consultation extends beyond some members of the public to Councillor David Sprason, who represents Field Head and Markfield at the County Council. He has been to a number of the meetings held with local communities.

“What has been impossible to find out is the true breakdown of costs and what the offer is from the County Council,” he told the June meeting of Groby Parish Council in his monthly report. “It is proving almost impossible to get any answers, with the line being that this will be made available in September, and it will ultimately be the politician’s decision. The problem is that the lead cabinet member has not attended any of the consultation meetings so we have been unable to get an answer to any simple questions.”

He said that that without this financial information community groups could not put forward a legitimate offer. “The cynic in me believes that this is a deliberate attempt to prevent community groups from saving the libraries from closure. A number of issues have been highlighted in the consultation and these include why the mobile libraries have been excluded from consultation. It is also unfair that local taxpayers are still required to support 16 county run urban libraries and 5 mobile libraries, while the 36 rural libraries are being abandoned for communities to run and fund.”

If adequate information will not be available until September local communities will have only three months to put together a business case before the final deadline. And it’s another of those deceptive County Council deadlines – the 3rd January 2015 which, because of the Christmas and New Year holidays, is in practical terms more like the middle of December.

25 houses for the Brant site Jelsons the builders have now submitted a planning application for the site of the Brant Inn. There will be 25 dwellings, 4 two bedroomed, 13 three bedroomed and 8 four bedroomed. Forty per cent will be classed as affordable housing. Each dwelling will be able to apply for a maximum of 2 six month travel passes.

In order to develop four of the detached houses it is proposed that six trees should be felled but the view of the Landscape Officer (Trees and Woodland) is that this is justified and will have only a minor detrimental impact on the amenity of the area. If you want to take a look at the application online the quickest way to find it is to Google the application reference – 14/0499/1/PX.

I’ve just finished building my Lego model of Rome. It only took a day.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

I just found a Christmas present for my mother-in-law in the loft. I’ll take it up to her later.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

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Markfield Medical centre

Fundraising for new medical equipment Markfield Medical Centre’s Patient Participation Group work closely with the surgery to ensure that the surgery is providing the service patients need.

The partners at Markfield are keen to offer as many services as they can at the surgery, which means that patients do not have to travel into Leicester or Coalville.

One of the very valuable services the surgery offers is a minor surgery clinic where various procedures such as mole and skin tag removal can be carried out. To carry out this procedure, the surgery would like to purchase a Hyfrecator which is a machine used for electro cautery.

The Patient Participation Group are keen to support the surgery by raising funds for this piece of equipment which costs just over £1000.00.

Indian Fusion Restaurant in Main Street, Markfield are keen to host a fund raising event as detailed below.

Any support from our patients and community in attending this event would be very much appreciated. Tickets available from Markfield Medical Centre, and Indian Fusion restaurant.

Markfield Medical Centre Fund Raising Event: Buffet Meal At Indian Fusion Restaurant, Main Street, Markfield Serving A Choice Of 20 Items - On Thursday 3rd July Two Sittings: 6pm To 8pm Or 8pm Till Late - Ticket £14.95

Groby Book Club The May meeting of the Groby Book Club welcomed author and historian John Burton.

He is Chairman of the George Eliot Fellowship and was able to give an illustrated talk about this 19th Century female author so successfully that a visit to Nuneaton and the birthplace of Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot) is planned for their August meeting.

The Groby Book Club meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at the Stamford Arms in the village to discuss books chosen by its members as being a ‘Good Read’. Lively discussions, for and against the book or author, often happen and people who just come to listen can go away eager to visit the Groby Library to get their copy to read for themselves.

A list of suggested titles for each month is available but you don’t have to read them before the meetings, they are just talking points.

• On the second Wednesday of each month a smaller group meet in the Groby Library from 2 – 3.30. Books reviewed here are listed on the web as ‘Classics’. Again there is a list of proposed discussion works available for each month of 2014.

For further details contact Kate Webb Email kate.webb@ageukleics.org.uk or telephone 01455619519

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

Local CIC members all at sea...

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Norman Griffiths hears about their Atlantic Ocean adventure For days last month the media was focussed on the fate of the yacht Cheeki Rafiki.

The 40ft yacht is thought to have run into trouble around 620 miles east of Cape Cod on 15 May. The four crew members were sailing back to the UK from a regatta in Antigua. Hopes of finding them faded when the capsized vessel was found with its life raft still on board. Following a UK petition signed by 200,000 people and pressure from the British government the US Coast Guard had resumed its search having previously suspended it after scouring 4,000 square miles of the Atlantic.

For most readers the news story was another tragedy at sea, but for some it was of more significance. A team which included local residents were braving those seas as well, taking part in a Trans-Atlantic yacht race called the ARC Europe, on board the Ballytrim, Yachts sailing under the flags of 13 different nations set sail on Saturday May 3rd for their offshore adventures as part of two World Cruising Club Spring rallies: ARC Europe and ARC USA. Venturing west to east across the Atlantic, 34 boats sailed with ARC Europe this year; 7 from Portsmouth, Virginia, USA and 25 from the British Virgin Islands, with one joining in Bermuda. Both groups converged in Bermuda to continue their ocean adventure to Europe and enjoy a cruise through the mid-Atlantic Azores archipelago en route. The Cheeki Rafiki was not part of the ARC Rally.

One of the team with the local connection was Alistair Cooper, Chairman of the Community Interest Company(CIC) that bought the meadow on Newtown Linford Lane.

“The first leg began on the 3rd May from the British Virgin Islands to Bermuda,” Alistair explained. “I took part in this together with Geoff Ford, a CIC shareholder and former resident of Groby, together with another retired Police Officer Les Milner and the yacht owner. We covered the 860 miles in just under five days and were the first mono-hull yacht to arrive in Bermuda. Once the handicaps were worked out, we were second in our class.”

The second leg, from Bermuda to Horta in the Azores, was nearly 1000 miles longer. “The crew this time consisted of myself, Geoff Ford, Tony Onions a CIC committee member, Les Milner and Laurie Cox, a retired Fire Officer with Leicestershire Fire Search and Rescue who lives in Markfield.”

The team left Bermuda on May 14th and had a mixed weather pattern.

“Having been advised to take the southerly route, we hit the edge of a low pressure system which resulted in winds of over 41 knots (47 mph) and those yachts that had headed north quickly turned south. This was the

storm that resulted in the loss of the yacht Cheeki Rafiki and her four crew.

They were not part of the ARC but had left Antigua around the same time.”

Alistair and the rest of the crew are justifiably proud of their performance.

“Once again we were the first mono-hull to arrive in the Azores, arriving at 4.00 am on Monday 26th May, eleven and a half days after we left Bermuda.

We achieved second place again after handicap adjustments,” he said.

Tony, Laurie and Alistair had to return to the UK on May 31st, so they missed the welcome reception and prize giving for the Bermuda to Azores leg. They were represented by Geoff and Les who sailed back from the Azores with the yacht owner and a fourth crew member.

Don’t think this is a tale of a group of guys jumping in a boat and sailing the Atlantic, as between them the team have a lot of experience at sea.

“Geoff has been the full time skipper of Ballytrim for several years, when he is not travelling,” Alistair explained. “Tony is a qualified sailing instructor and has competed in many national and some International events. Les is a dinghy instructor. Laurie and I have taken part in a few yacht deliveries, the Swan World Cup and the St Tropez race week. Laurie has also taken part in the Fastnet Race.”

You can watch an edited video of the departure of the yachts from Bermuda at www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN3dGiJkB3k or on www. grobyonline.tk

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A keyring is a handy little gadget that allows you to lose all your keys at once.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

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The Bricklayer’s Arms 213 Main Street Thornton T: 01530 230 808 QUIZ Nite: Thursdays We now have SKY and ESPN Ask about our new menus!

Treat your Dad to a meal on Father’s Day - 15th June www.bricklayersarms.net The Club, Thornton Main Street.

T: 01530 230251 Open To Non-members Sat 14th June: Thornton Football Club’s Presentation Evening Followed By England’s World Cup Game - 11pm kick off Sat 21st June: The Strachans - Pop & Modern Rock Covers Band With Female Singer Sat 12th July: Ken Spencer’s Warlock - Rock Covers Band Celebrating 55 Years In The Business!

Sat 19th July: Last Stand - Local Covers Band - Originally Midlife Crisis Sat 26th July: Boneyard Blues Band - Rock And Blues Covers Fri 15th Aug: Charity Evening For Rainbows Children’s Hospice Loughborough with The Dirty Water Band and Special Guest Mr Simon Henley As Elvis We Will Be Screening All Of The World Cup Matches - Free Room Hire Available For Your Perfect Party - Bingo Every Tuesday Evening - View Our Website On www.facebook.com/ TheThorntonClub The Queen’s Head Ashby Road, Markfield.

T: 01530 242 496 We will be showing all World Cup games.

5th July: PUNK & DISORDERLY 4pm start - plus BBQ Pub Quiz - last Thursday of the month.

ALL SKY SPORTS & BT SPORTS Bagworth Working Men’s Club, Station Road, Bagworth.

Tel. 01530 230205 Find us on FACEBOOK - search Bagworth WMC New members welcome.

Sat 14th June: SOCIAL DANCE - £2 on the door, 8pm start, Bingo & Raffle Sat 28th June: Free Live Entertainment - MICHAEL J Fri 18th July: CHARITY SEQUENCE DANCE - £2.50 on the door Sat 26th July: Free Live Entertainment - ANDY SUMMERS 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 Andy’s Charity Quiz £1.50 each - last Friday of the month - and RAFFLE with excellent prizes.

Sequence dances Sunday Nights. £2.00 admission 8 pm Tea Dance Wednesday afternoon 2 – 4pm. £1 admission.

Ask about our free room hire for those special family occasions.

The Field Head Hotel Markfield Lane, Markfield Tel: 01530 245454 Tribute Nights/£2 Entry after 7pm.

Fri 13th June: Female vocalist performing songs from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s - treat your Dad! Sun 15th June - Father’s Day Special - Dad’s Eat Free after 5pm Fri 27th June: ROCK THE 80’S - Male & femal duo playing Guns n Roses, Bryan Adams & Bon Jovi - £3 entry on the door See advert on page 30.

The Bull’s Head Forest Road, Markfield T: 01530 242541 Saturday 14th June: PHIL CARR local vocalist Sat 28th June: TO BE CONFIRMED - popular band Sat 12th July: JOHN STACEY popular vocalist All FREE Entry!

Garden & Pub Games etc.

POKER NIGHT - Tuesdays - starts at 8pm The Coach & Horses Leicester Road, Field Head Tel: 01530 242 312 Saturday 14th June: MICHAEL VICKERS KARAOKE Nights Every Fortnight:Next three are Saturday 7th June, Saturday 21st June and Saturday 5th July with ‘King of the Road’.

Groby Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Leicester Road, Groby Tel: 0116 287 1809 www.grobyclub.co.uk Friday 13th June: Private party entertained by Lee Richards Saturday 14th June: Mrs Browns Boys + support act £4:00 members £6:00 non members Sunday 15th June: Super Sunday ‘50’ Bingo and Quiz Friday 20th June: Chris Barton - male soloist Saturday 21st June: Dawn Allen - quality musician/singer Sunday 22nd June: Super Sunday ‘50’ Bingo and Quiz Friday 27th June: Steve Howe very good male solo Saturday 28th June: Cameo excellent male/female duo Sunday 29th June: Super Sunday ‘50’ Bingo and Quiz Friday 4th July: T.B.A Saturday 5th July: Lesley - excellent female vocalist Sunday 6th July: Super Sunday ‘50’ Bingo and Quiz Friday 11th July: Kim Haywood - quality female singer Saturday 12th July: Simon Henley - Elvis is back Sunday 13th July: Super Sunday ‘50’ Bingo and Quiz

Jottings News in Brief with Norman Griffiths

Nottingham Building Society replaces Santander The Santander agency on Ratby Road closed on June 4th and with all the signs gone the property looked like a village cottage once again.

You’ll find a letter from Gill and Steve Cronin who opened for business as agents for the Leicester Building Society back in October 1982 in this edition.

Although the Nottingham Building Society has moved in, no response has been received to enquiries about opening hours, though one source has indicated an unconfirmed opening date of June 12th.

Back in March the Nottingham indicated that they were planning to expand in Leicestershire and they saw the closure by Santander of all agency outlets as an opportunity. The takeover of Shepshed Building Society in 2013 gave it 3 county outlets and this presence was consolidated by the takeover of the Harrison Murray estate agency, a business that has been well known in Leicester city centre for decades.

The management of the Nottingham has strong Leicestershire links.

Wigston born chief executive David Marlow, who now lives near Loughborough spent 14 years with the Alliance and Leicester. Finance director Ash Pirannie lives in Oadby. Further expansion is planned across Leicestershire over the next few years.

Have you spotted a Tree Bee? Local resident Paul Gill has drawn attention to the presence locally of an invasive bee species.

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust says sightings have reached a record high. Bombus hypnorum, the tree bumblebee, is fuzzy with a ginger head, black body and white tail. It nests in tree hollows or bird boxes. It was first spotted in the New Forest in 2001, but is spreading fast and has even been found north of Glasgow. As well as being particularly hardy it is resistant to some nematode worm parasites that can kill off native bumblebees. Have you seen one?

Stuart Roberts, who is chair of the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS), which works with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, said that if a nest was found it should be left alone. The nests will be vacated within a couple of weeks.

Send us your local entertainment news and we’ll publicise it here FREE. Tremendous!

Have you heard about the daredevil knight at Camelot? Medieval Kneivel.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

Visit to Bradgate

by Twinners from Plateau est de Rouen Members of Bradgate Twinning Association were very pleased to welcome thirty four Twinners from Plateau est de Rouen for a long weekend at the beginning of May. They also brought with them thirteen young musicians from the Bonsecours Music School who were hosted by the families of students from the Soar Valley Music Centre.

Following a reception at Jubilee Hall when they arrived on the Thursday evening our visitors quickly settled in and spent the rest of the evening with their host families.

On the Friday we were all up early to set off for a visit to Liverpool and at the planning stage the theme for the weekend gradually evolved into one centred on The Beatles. The New Museum of Liverpool had a whole floor devoted to the Mersey Beat with enough interactive and visuals to keep everyone happy. Most of the English made it thus far but many of our visitors didn’t - having been enticed into the Beatles Museum by the signs outside it! We all enjoyed the ambiance of the whole dock area and a picnic lunch and in no time the French were off on a Magical Mystery Tour in their own language. They enjoyed many Beatles highlights including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields, they took many photos and ended up at the new Cavern. A ride for all past the Racecourse and an excellent meal in Aintree before the journey home meant we arrived in Anstey just within the fifteen hours allowed for the coach drivers.

On Saturday the students spent the day with their English counterparts at Beaumanor and the Twinners were entertained by their families. The sunny weather meant that for many Bradgate Park and Outwoods (with bluebells in full bloom) were an obvious choice. For others it was Leicester and Richard III. Most also managed to fit in a visit to a well-known local supermarket!

The final event of the weekend was an evening buffet with the entertainment, which included many Beatles’ songs, provided by the students.

Sunday morning saw the customary photograph, taken in front of the war memorial, accompanied by an impromptu rendering of Hey Jude!

Farewells were said and the French were on their way - all by 8.30am!

A good weekend was had by all and it is hoped that a return visit to France will be made next year.

Anne Dutton

I phoned the Weak Bladder Helpline about my problem. It’s 1p a minute.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

Two bottles of herbal remedy meet in the pharmacy. One says to the other: ‘Aloe, Vera’.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

Martinshaw plant more trees After the Parish Council’s ‘A Lasting Legacy’ initiative during July 2012, where 9 trees were donated and planted in Martinshaw Primary Schools grounds, the children of years 5 and 6 have continued to learn about the the work of the Woodland Trust.

Now, under the expert guiding hand of Mr Alvar Johnson, chair of Groby’s Gardening Club, who explained how to plant and care for saplings to give them their best start and a donation of trees from the Woodland Trust, the students took 10 Hawthorn, 10 Cherry and 10 Rowan Trees and planted them around the school and took responsibility for caring for them in their somewhat early fragile state.

The school has recently received the Silver Woodland Trust Award and is now working hard to achieve the much coveted Gold Woodland Trust Award and receiving the status as Woodland Ambassadors.

Owen Lawrence

Millennium Green News Our Annual Plant Sale is one of the most popular community events held on the Green and also one of our main fund-raisers.

It was with some concern that we watched the weather forecast in the days leading up to Saturday May 24th. On the day our worst fears were realised as once the rain started, just before 9 o’clock, it was too late to relocate anywhere else, in spite of an offer of a hall in Glenfield. During the morning the rain got heavier and heavier but our supporters are made of ‘stern’ stuff and turned up in spite of the deluge. At the end of the morning we had taken nearly £200 for our funds, about half the usual total but much better than we expected in view of the conditions.

We would like to say a big ‘thank you’, as always, to everyone who braved the heavy rain to support us on the day and those who helped in spite of being soaked to the skin.

Garden Party on 5th July You are invited to attend a Garden Party, with afternoon tea, at 11 Glendale Avenue on Saturday 5th July from 2.00pm to 5.00pm.

The entry fee of £2 includes a raffle as well as your tea (accompanied children are admitted free of charge). There will be a variety of stalls including plants, bric a brac, household goods etc as well as a few games to keep you amused. Hopefully the sun will shine, if not, festivities will be moved inside. Come and meet with friends and catch up with local news.

If you want more details phone Rosie on 0116 2879705.

Charity scheme Glenfield Millennium Green Trust has been selected as one of 150 local charities to share £35,000 in a collaboration between the Leicester Mercury and The Nottingham Building Society.

Each participating community group will receive a share of £32k based on how many voting coupons are collected. The remaining £3k will be shared between the top three charities. Voting coupons will be published in the Leicester Mercury from Monday June 2nd to Saturday 28th June.

Please help us to collect coupons so that we can qualify for a reasonable share of the cash on offer to help renew our Marie Curie Field of Hope and to upgrade the play equipment. Coupons can be posted in the box on the Millennium Green. Details of other people who are willing to collect for us will be posted on notice boards, in the library and in local shops.

Thank you for your help.

Christine Tordoff

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BOOK BY LOCAL AUTHOR

FIRST DEAD BODY

By Tony R. Cox A story of death, violence and corruption set in 1970s Derby In the late 1960s and early 70s it was perhaps a ‘rite of passage’ for a young or cub reporter who’d shown some talent to be taken on a ‘big story’ by the chief crime reporter.

The junior’s adrenaline, enthusiasm and excitement could be channelled into seeing how major news items are researched and written and, most importantly, how difficult interviews are carried out.

For Simon Jardine the sight of his first dead body was the catalyst for a mentoring relationship with the hardened, hard-drinking, hard-grilling crime hack Dave Green, alongside their mutual friend DJ and part-time private investigator Tom Freeman. Dave Green knows the identity of the body in East Street, Derby: it’s the son of a woman with whom he had an affair while her husband was in prison.

First Dead Body is a story of corruption and violence loosely set around the construction of Derby’s inner ring road in the early 1970s.

The trio of amateur detectives stay doggedly on the unfolding story while recognising that their snooping is taking them closer to risks they are not trained to handle. This is personal. It’s much more than a transitory front page lead scoop: there are real lives at stake and justice to be meted out.

First Dead Body encapsulates the life of 1970s reporters when lunches were often long and liquid and it was the norm to meet contacts in pubs like The Dolphin, The Exeter Arms, The Wagon and Horses. With the young reporter’s interest in music there were lots of opportunities to visit nightclubs that have since disappeared under re-developments, as well as jazz haunts such as The Crown Club, Spondon, now sadly a pile of rubble.

More books in the Simon Jardine series, all with strong Derby links, are in the pipeline.

First Dead Body is available from June 28, 2014, at £6.99 from Scarthin Bookshop, Cromford; Poyntons News, The Market Hall in Derby’s Cathedral Quarter; Amazon, or another preferred online bookseller; or direct from the author.

About the author Tony R. Cox is an ex-journalist, and has lived in Groby for 10 years. His real name is Richard Cox but he has changed it for the book – “because there are just too many writers out there called Richard Cox”.

He spent the early years of his career at the Derby Evening Telegraph, learning the basics from collecting names at society funerals (and risking the news editor’s wrath if just one name is wrong or missed out), to the stories of praise, hope, fear, and death, which are the lifeblood of a regional evening newspaper. He also wrote for the newspaper’s Saturday Page, which was deemed by Tony Stratton Smith, band manager, entrepreneur and founder of Charisma Records, as ‘the best provincial music paper in the country’.

He moved on to the Nottingham Evening Post before embarking on a career in public relations.

The characters in First Dead Body are amalgams of the many people, including exceptional journalists and ex-journalists, who made up the workings of a large town in a beautiful county. The 1970s was an age of telephones, buses and notebooks; a decade before mobile phones, emails and the internet. How times have changed ...

My grandad said he always used to leave his back door open in the old days, which was probably why his submarine sank.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

Groby Street Fair better than your average raf fle!

Norman Griffiths discovers you can win a unique necklace When everything goes to plan it’s very easy, as a visitor to Groby Street Fair, to overlook all the work that goes into the preparations for months before the big day. The volunteers put in their time and the arrangements fall into place. There’s something else that falls as well – the bills through the letterbox.

The Street Fair must pay its way and so income from all sources is important. The traders pay a modest fee for their stall rental, the Parish Council gives financial help and the organisers try to get grants from other sources. Then there is the £1 admission fee and the always popular raffle. Apart from volunteering these are the two ways in which the public can help – the more visitors the Street Fair has, the more income there is from admissions. So even if you can’t go to the Fair this year you can still help by making sure that everyone knows about it. It may seem incredible but each year there are folk that turn up and say “why haven’t you publicized it? I’ve only just heard that the Street Fair is today.” You can help by putting this copy of the Spotlight in your front window with the back page Street Fair advert facing outwards.

The other way you can help is by buying raffle tickets and this year it’s no wild claim to declare that this is better than your average raffle. Local jeweller Cathy Stephens, who will be opening the Street Fair at 11.00am, has been particularly generous. First prize will be a silver necklace that she has designed and made herself. This will have an appeal to both women and men. The ladies of the village will just love to win it. And the cunning men of the village will love to win it so that they can quietly slip it in a drawer and present it as a Christmas present!

“I really enjoyed making this silver piece - part of my handmade silver collection - and couldn’t resist the luxury of adding the 18ct yellow gold beads. As with all my jewellery I hope that some one will enjoy wearing it every day!” said Cathy. “We have been lucky enough to have our wonderful jewellery showroom, workshop and design studio in the village for more than 30 years now, and I have enjoyed every day making and designing the special pieces that make us who we are. Whether it is a commission that we have created with a customer - perhaps a wedding ring to perfectly match and sit around an engagement ring or a fabulous diamond studded waterfall necklace for a special Ball or Dinner, or a new unique piece for my shop - they have all been made here in Groby.”

So with all the raffle proceeds going to support the Street Fair it may be worth buying a few more tickets this year to be in with a chance of winning a unique prize designed and made by our own internationally known jeweller. And with plenty of other prizes generously donated by Street Fair sponsors you’ll be in with a chance of winning something when the lucky numbers are chosen.

CHURCHES OPEN FOR PRAYER

Fair Cuppa:

- Need a space to step aside for a while?

- Got things you would like to say a prayer for?

- Like the chance to think without interruptions?

- Facing something that worries you?

The churches in Groby are open at the following times to give you that space. You can be alone, maybe write and leave a prayer request, you can speak with someone who will pray with you or just use some of the prayers and readings available.

United Reformed Church, Chapel Lane Tuesdays 6.00-8.00pm St. Philip & St. James Church, Markfield Road Saturdays 10.00-12noon

Urban Saints is held during term time, at the URC chapel: there are games, friends, crafts and a Christian basis to discussions.

- for 5’s to 14’s on Mon evenings at 3.45pm, 6.30pm or 7.45pm - for 15-18’s on Wed evenings at 7.30pm - for 15-18’s o Fri at 7.30pm More details on the church websites

Youth Worker Ruth O’Connell 07759 087804

an opportunity to meet with friends at the village hall.

Every Thursday,10.30-12.00noon

We look forward to seeing you at the Street Fair!

Catch

meets for play, craft, story & chat for preschool children with a parent or carer.

Every Friday in term time, 9.30-11.30am, at the URC. For further information please see websites and church magazines St. Philip and St. James www.bradgateteam.org.uk Revd. Louise Corke 231 3090 United Reformed Church www.grobyurc.com Revd Sue McKenzie 232 1733 Youth Worker Ruth Cross 07759 087804

Gamblers Anonymous: how do they know where to send your winnings?

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

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The latest news from Groby WI After the usual business our May meeting took on a very serious note.

The W.I. is not all jam and cake making, although we are extraordinarily good in this field.

Our voice has great clout with Government Ministries and people in high places. Annually we vote upon a Resolution which we consider to be of national importance.

The Resolution for 2014 dealt with organ donation and the fact that three people die each day whilst waiting for a transplant.

All members were called upon to not only carry cards regarding their wishes to donate organs after death but to make sure family members are aware of this. At the moment the deceased’s wishes can be vetoed by a grieving family. Also we were asked to encourage family, friends and local communities to do likewise.

Surprisingly, we learned that age is not a barrier to donation.

Play Time To lighten the mood, boxed games were passed round to the tables, each of four members. Our game had the intriguing title ‘Shut It’. I lifted the lid to reveal the rules but, having read these carefully, was no wiser as to how to proceed.

Passing them to my fellow players did not solve the question; even the quartet of ladies on the next table failed to help us. It claimed that ‘Shut It’ would help children to learn their numbers! In our defence, the box and game were in pristine condition suggesting that the game had not proved a popular buy. Ashamedly, we called for a replacement and were given Tiddley Winks. In spite of the humorous title I have read that this can be a serious game, played competitively resulting in a national champion. Sadly, we could never aspire to such great heights not

queues for refreshments etc, to take a picnic. We had all brought chairs etc and took them to what is known by some of us at Calke as the Heathrow Third Runway. We now have a new car park which is very good but I can see why it has now earned its nickname. We enjoyed our picnic right next to the deer park with the deer just over the fence, very pleasant.

Luncheon Club once succeeding in getting the ‘tiddle’, or is it the ‘wink’ into the pot provided. My co-reporter, Margaret, being the most agile member on our table, spent most of her time retrieving the counters from the floor. Our second failure. Our third attempt was Jenga a game where dexterity is required to remove small wooden blocks from a tower without collapsing the structure. At last, this was a success. Shouts of glee and dismay were echoing from all corners of the room as games were played with enthusiasm, including the tried and tested favourites, Snakes and Ladders, and Ludo. ‘Buckaroo’ was causing great hilarity until the legs fell off and the whole thing disintegrated.

At the same time an excellent quiz with an historical theme was taking place. This was devised by Lynne Mellor with clues posted around the hall.

After a very hectic social time, the tea, coffee and biscuits were most welcome. Thanks to the organisers it was great fun.

Calke Abbey We had a lovely bluebell walk around the Ticknall area. Calke Abbey where we parked was packed as it was a Bank Holiday Monday and there was a craft fair going on. On our walk we saw only comparatively few people so it was a very pleasant one. We had decided as it was a Bank Holiday and we knew there would be loads of folk with big

We held our luncheon club at the last place we went to. We were told then that it was changing hands so we thought we should try the new owners. Big mistake, the food wasn’t too bad but we had to wait ages for each course.

The worst part though was the new people decided to have the place redecorated. Fair enough but it shouldn’t have been going on during our visit, it should have closed for the duration. It also turned out that the chef had walked out that morning. As usual we made the best of a bad thing, the only good news is that the new owners have offered us a free meal, watch this space.

Monthly Walks We now have two regular walks a month, one is on a Friday to Glenfield Country Market where a welcome cuppa can be had and goodies bought and the other one is known as Kathleen’s Walk which can be anywhere locally. We do our best, well most of us do, to keep fit, personally I am fit to drop.

Our next meeting on Thursday is a bit different Tai Chi theory and having a go, so if anyone fancies a go at Tai Chi come along on the 19th June to the Village Hall.

Nasser Butt is our tutor and speaker, as said previously the WI are willing to accept any challenge, in my case it will be.

Kettlercise® Mondays

7 - 7.50pm

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In 50 minutes you will complete 37 different exercises with a Kettlebell which will sculpt and tone your body melting away fat. £1 to rent a Kettlebell or bring your own or buy one of mine! £7.50 for a 2kg, £13 for a 4kg (6kg avail too)

Also every Thurs 7.10 – 8pm

Desford Village Hall (Lindridge Lane)

Classes £4.00

Contact Anita 07745 519877

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Evelyn and Margaret

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNEhttp://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/code/BuildWordSearch.asp 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

Word Search 30 Puzzle

Holiday Checklist Wordsearch Forgot username or password?

C A M E R A H H T P M B U K K L T Q

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Find TWELVE ITEMS ON YOUR HOLIDAY CHECKLIST in this month’s Wordsearch puzzle and you could win yourself a meal and a drink. This month we are offering a tasty prize Solutions for Districts Free Resources 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 the names of items you are What We Offer Who We Are Teachers 12 Parents likely to need to take on holiday. These can run vertically, horizontally or diagonally (and backwards!).

Send your entry to: LEAVING ON A JET PLANE, Groby & Field Head Spotlight, PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT to arrive by K U E S T F S S D Tuesday 1st July 2014. Remember to include your name and address.

The first all-correct entry drawn out of the Editor’s knotted handkerchief N K V F L Q E R R will win the Meal for Two at The Fieldhead Hotel. Good luck!

G H K T A S C Z B I L G L S F G

I Q H V C U V U H N P H I F I I

V G R H U R G J R E O V B G S V

I S E P Z A U U V R U I O O O O

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P Y K L A E V F B Y M U C Q B P

K L S E L C A T C E P S I Y Z T

I V I N G L I C E N C E J C I D

Here are the 12 Holiday Checklist Items you have to find: CAMERA • DRIVING LICENCE • FLIGHT TICKETS FOREIGN CURRENCY • HOLIDAY INSURANCE • ITINERARY MEDICATION • MOBILE PHONE • PASSPORT SPECTACLES • TRAVELLERS CHEQUES • VISAS Name: .................................................................................................

Address: ................................................................................................ .................................................................Postcode: .............................

Last Month’s Wordsearch Winner The winner of last issue’s Wordsearch competition was: MRS PHYLLIS CARTER of Flaxfield Close, Groby.

Your prize - a Voucher for a Main Course for Two plus a Bottle of House Wine at The Fieldhead Hotel will be sent to you within 21 days.

News from the local Rotary Club Branch

Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com

Groby have in formation a Rotary Club, and as our second action event we held a village litter pick.

We ventured against the weather filling many bags of rubbish from the village along Ratby Road and Leicester Road and the surrounding streets.

We have thirteen members all meeting at the Stamford Arms on Wednesday mornings at 7.30am for breakfast.

We are all like minded people joined together in making a difference by supporting local charities and holding action days, whilst meeting new friends and having a bit of fun.

If you would like any information on our club please email Brian at the stamfordarms@icloud.com.

Brian Rigby My wife has an electric toothbrush. I only have an acoustic toothbrush.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • JUNE 2014 • Tel: 01530 244069

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I was diagnosed with antisocial behaviour disorder, so I joined a support group. We never meet ...