September 2010 Groby Spotlight

ENTER THE SHORT STORY COMPETITION - see details on page 13

Groby Juniors triumph after penalty shoot-out Well saved, Keeper!

Horses let loose in Groby Cemetery Families who arrived at Groby cemetery to pay their respects to loved ones found horses had apparently been let loose, trampled across graves and eaten floral tributes.

Visitors had to shoo the five animals away from the resting places of their loved ones.

According to a report in the Leicester Mercury, Groby Parish Council said it believed the horses were let into the cemetery through a gate by travellers so they could graze, before someone locked the gate behind them so they were unable to get out.

In the statement the council said this year it fenced off fields it owns in the area after it previously had problems with travellers allowing horses to roam.

It is understood the horses were in the cemetery for about four hours until their owners turned up.

Don’t miss the Elizabeth Woodville Indian Summer Fair Groby Juniors Under-11s won the final of their age group at the Braunstone Trinity Football Tournament in August.

The final went to a penalty shootout and the photo shows the reaction when the Groby goalkeeper made a match-winning save.

Groby-based On-Site Photos - the official events photographer at the tournament - have kindly supplied the photo above. All images of the tournament can be viewed at www.on-sitephotos.co.uk

New classroom arrives on a lorry

The Elizabeth Woodville Indian Summer Fair will take place on Saturday 18th September between 11am-2pm.

There will be a bouncy castle, a raffle, tombola, cake stand, book stand plus many other games and stands.

Hot food will also be available and there will be a licensed bar.

“I’ve heard of Open-Plan but this is ridiculous!”

Lady Jane Grey Primary School is pleased to announce the arrival of their new mobile. It is to be the year 4 children’s classroom.

The new building arrived by lorry in three parts. Watching the units being lowered into position by crane was great fun.

The photo shows the middle section being manoeuvred into place. The crane operator is the man on the left, who controlled the crane by means of a control box strapped to his waist.

Lynda Wagstaff

I. T. Technician, Lady Jane Grey Primary School

Next issue out on 16th October • Article/Advert Deadline: 2nd October

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

Brave Police foil robbers in Groby Police officers who arrived at the scene of a robbery had the windscreens of their police cars smashed by sledgehammer-wielding robbers.

Up to six men forced their way in through the back door of the Santander branch at Groby, in the early hours of 11th August and tried to break into a cash machine.

Within minutes, two police officers arrived but, before they got out of their cars, the robbers attacked their vehicles with a sledgehammer and fled.

Police told the Leicester Mercury that it is not believed the gang members took anything from the bank – formerly Alliance & Leicester – on the corner of Ratby Road and Rookery Lane.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 0116 222 2222.

Two Amazing Coincidences!

Mark Twain and Halley’s Comet Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley’s Comet in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. He himself predicted this in 1909, when he said: “I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it.”

Twins brothers, same heart attack John and Arthur Mowforth were twins who lived about 80 miles apart in Great Britain. On the evening of May 22, 1975, both fell severely ill from chest pains. The families of both men were completely unaware of the other’s illness. Both men were rushed to separate hospitals at approximately the same time. And both died of heart attacks shortly after arrival.

Centenary Event Were you a Crusader in your younger days, or are you currently involved in an Urban Saints Group? What are your memories - Keenites, outings, sports days, area and national holidays, Energize, Spree, camps?

Then you may be interested to know that there will be a centenary event, to celebrate 100 years of Crusaders and Urban Saints in Leicester and Leicestershire.

The event will take place on the afternoon of Saturday, October 2nd at Christ the King Church, Beaumont Leys, Leicester.

For more details contact 07803921721 or e-mail judithmm@hotmail.co.uk Nationally Crusaders, an inter-denominational Christian Youth Organisation, celebrated its centenary in 2006, when it changed its name to Urban Saints. There are a number of Urban Saints groups currently meeting in Leicester and the county.

LETTER

Ratby Road Scheme In the midSeptember 2009 issue of the “Spotlight” Norman Griffiths reported on the lack of progress on the scheme for environmental improvements to the area in front of the shops on Ratby Road.

Roll forward a year and despite repeated efforts by the Parish Council to try to resolve the problem, it is disappointing to report that there has been no positive progress.

The Parish Council’s offers to lease the land on a long-term basis or to purchase it for a nominal sum have fallen on deaf ears. The Council remains concerned about the poor standard of the steps up to the shops, the lack of a hand-rail and the eye-sore of the crazy-paved frontage.

The Parish Council will continue to press for improvements but as the land is in private ownership there is, regrettably, little that the Council can do to influence matters.

Jack Fargher, Clerk to Groby Parish Council

I cleaned the attic with the wife the other day. Now I can’t get the cobwebs out of her hair.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

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

LE67 9ZT

Contact Mike or Susan on 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.

Composed 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 ON

Saturday 16th October Advert Deadline: Saturday 2nd October TO ADVERTISE: Call 01530 244069 Email: info@ grobyspotlight.co.uk

GROBY in BLOOM NEWS This year I wish to recap on some of the work done by the volunteers in addition to the floral displays they provide in Groby and Field Head.

In 2007 the East Midlands in Bloom Judges’ feedback suggested that more signage would be helpful. As a response a notice board was purchased for monitoring of the wild flowers and grasses on Butlers Field, which is a hay meadow managed by the Parish Council.

In 2008 we had chosen ‘Heritage’ as our theme, and were lucky enough to have new signage donated and erected by Leicester Blinds, in relation to Groby Granite Railway and this is located where the old railway line ran, near the allotments on Ratby Road. This year a working group was formed and as readers are aware an information board on Groby footpaths and local places of historic interest is progressing well and it is hoped funding will be found to progress this project.

We have also replaced two of our flower boxes as they were beginning to fall apart and this year may well need to replace another.

The Groby in Bloom volunteers have continued to design, plant and maintain the floral displays and this year we have been joined by two new members. We would like to thank residents who have complemented us on our voluntary work.

I think it is also important to acknowledge the work of the volunteers’ husbands who support in the distribution of the plants and general ground care maintenance of floral displays. In addition we want to thank Mark from Leicester Blinds for putting up the hanging baskets and Jim Bryce for making our sponsorship notice plaques.

We would like to thank the three following groups for their contribution: The evening pottery class at the Community College who provided some attractive pottery flowers • that spell out Groby in Bloom and these are placed on Sacheverell roundabout flower box; the Girl Guides for their involvement with helping to plant the containers by the front wall and area just • inside the gate to the Church and the children at Mes Enfants who made carbon footprints which were put round the Anstey Lane • flower container and their premises.

Thank you to Groby Parish Council for their continued support and the following for their sponsorship towards the summer floral displays: GE for Fir Tree Lane; Mark Jarvis for the containers leading to the shops and Crane Ley; Flint for Woodbank; Classic Cuts for Lawnwood; Crofton Dental practise for Oak Tree and Pricegate for the tough in the village hall car park. In addition Groby Post Office, Groby Fish Bar, Wilson and Sons and at Lawnwood: Hensons and the Sandwich Bar for their contributions towards the hanging baskets and Bradgate Stores and Chaplins Butchers for their donations towards the overall displays.

We hope you continue to enjoy the floral displays

Helen Lindsay Chairman

IDC Home Maintenance Painter and Decorator Full interior and exterior painting service for your home also wallpaper hanging, tiling and laminate floor fitting.

For a free estimate please call Ian on:

01530 245461 or 07885 541428 NO JOB TOO SMALL

ALMIGHTY DIGITAL AERIAL.SATELLITE.FREESAT.MULTIROOM.EXTRA POINTS.BT POINTS.LCD.PLASMA. PROJECTOR.HOME THEATRE SET-UP.TUNE-INS AND INSTALLATIONS. DIGITAL AERIAL

£85

INSTALLED ALL IN.

NO HIDDEN EXTRAS

01530245013 07957282677

EMAIL- ALMIGHTYAERIAL@AOL.COM

EST 15YRS OAP DISCOUNTS

Most of the time I don’t have much fun. The rest of the time I don’t have any fun at all.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

So you want to work after retirement?

Not ready to turn in your clocking-in card and clear your desk? Need a parttime job to give retired life a little more structure? Or just want to up your income from your measly pension entitlement? Whatever the reason around 10% of UK residents of pensionable age are still in employment.

It is illegal for employers to discriminate against you on the grounds of age by denying you a job you are capable of, withholding training or dismissing you when you reach retirement age but there are still plenty of things you need to know about working after retirement.

When you reach 65, in the case of men, or 60, if you’re female, you are entitled to draw a state pension whether you remain in work or not. However, you may wish to defer your pension until a later date. Should you choose to do so you may find you receive a higher rate later on, or you may choose to take the deferred amount as a lump sum. However, to take a lump sum you must defer for at least 12 months.

Likewise, if you begin to draw your pension then choose to return to work, you may cancel your withdrawals, restarting them at a later date. But be aware that you can only cancel your pension once so make sure you’re making the right choice before you do so! If you claim a personal or company pension it is also very advisable to check with your provider about their specific rules on continuing to work after pensionable age.

Understandably, older Britons often put off applying for jobs after the age of 50 assuming that employers will pass them over for younger, more spritely candidates.

However, many companies and the managers who do their hiring and firing look favourably

on experience, knowledge and reliability, so don’t write yourself off, especially if your CV can show a vast knowledge in a particular area or dedication to your past career. Government schemes, including the New Deal 50 Plus, are in place to help older people find employment that pays a good wage, so in many ways there has never been a better time to seek work in your twilight years.

However, it isn’t all good news for mature job seekers. There are restrictions to your entitlements as an employee. Some companies will not offer statutory sick pay (SSP) or statutory redundancy pay to older workers. The Department of Trade

and Industry (DTI) or Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can offer more advice on your rights in the work place.

If you choose to work for personal reasons over financial you may choose to volunteer. This need not be restricted to sitting behind a till in a charity shop. You might choose to work in a Tourist Information Centre, for the Citizens Advice Bureau or even run as a local Councillor.

Paid or unpaid, fewer and fewer of us feel ready to put our feet up and retirement age, and working is an ideal way to keep mind and body in tip-top condition and our diaries full to the brim.

Police Surgery - Groby

Members of the Groby Neighbourhood Police Team will be holding a Police / Public consultation surgery at the Groby Community Centre, Forest Rise, Groby on Tuesday, 5th October between 10am and 11.30am Residents of Groby and local area are invited to come along to this surgery and discuss with members of the team any local problems or issues they may have. They are also invited to come along and put forward any ideas they may have for future policing initiatives in their areas to address any of these problems.

For more information contact Sgt 1367 Timms on (0116) 222 2222, follow the instructions to leave a message and when prompted key in the voicemail number 1367.

A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the begining of a new argument.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

Don’t Miss Closing Date for School Places

Parents are being urged to look out for school place application packs which will be landing on doormats across Leicestershire in early September.

Around 14,000 forms will be sent out to parents whose children will transfer schools in the autumn term, 2011 and the County Council is urging them to make sure they apply on time.

This covers pupils moving from infant to junior, primary to high or high to upper schools in Leicestershire.

Transfer to the next school is not automatic so all parents need to apply – even for their child to attend the catchment area school for their home address. Late applicants may not be offered a place at any of their preferred schools, or even their catchment area school.

Parents need to apply by 31st October, 2010 and can do so in two ways: - online at www.leics.gov.uk/admissions or - by returning their application form in the post Ivan Ould, Leicestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for the Children and Young People’s Service, said: “It is very important that all parents apply on time to give their children the best possible chance of being offered a place at their preferred school.

“Last year, we were very successful in meeting parents’ preferences but as always, late applicants run the risk of disappointment as schools do become full.”

A ‘Your Guide’ prospectus detailing schools and information about education in Leicestershire can be viewed at schools, libraries and online at www.leics.gov.uk/yourguides For more information or an application form, please call School Admissions on 0116 305 6684, go to www.leics.gov.uk/admissions or e-mail admissions@leics.gov.uk Independent advice is also available through the Choice Advice Service on 0116 275 2097 or parent-partnership-service@leics.gov.uk

Young people who go nowhere – by choice It seems there is a new kind of person about: the GoNowhere-Gamer. They are young, and prefer computer games and social networking from home to actually going anywhere or doing anything with real people.

A recent report on them, The Future of Free Time report, commissioned by lastminute.com, says: “As in-home leisure becomes more engaging, a group of young people will emerge who do not go out any more. .... they will find out-of-home activity too ‘action-poor’.

While computers are great fun and life-enhancing, what a shame it will be if they take over a young person’s life and block them from face-to-face friendships and travel.

I don’t mind you talking so much, as long as you don’t mind me not listening.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

The Shires Social Group

Local group for singles aged 45+

THE SHIRES SOCIAL GROUP is a non-profit making organisation which arranges social events for single people aged 45 and over.

If you fall into this category, and you would like to make new friends, the group would like to hear from you.

Meetings are held weekly on a Thursday evening at a venue in Groby. The Group encourages group participation in organising events for all members’ tastes, for example: • Dining Out • Ten Pin Bowling • Holidays • Days Out • Barbecues • Dancing • Walks • Theatre/Cinema Trips • Quiz Nights You only live once, so make the most of it!

For further details, phone Jeff on 0116 234 1944 or Nita on 0116 212 9879.

Millennium Green News The sunny days of early summer saw many groups using the Millennium Green and often bringing picnics. Sadly the ‘Picnic on the Green’ planned for August 14th was rained off. A few supporters did turn up, between showers, to walk around the Green but only one hardy couple actually stayed for a cup of tea and token piece of cake.

We were surprised and very pleased to receive a donation from the delivery company who crushed the hollyhocks on Chapel Hill. The £100 has been used to buy two sturdy, large tables to help with our fund-raising and for serving refreshments at Community events like the Easter Egg Hunt and Carols on the Green. One of these will be used for the first time at the Glenfield Village Fete on September 11th. We will be having a display of photographs from the first stages of the Green to the present day.

Unfortunately this edition of Spotlight will only just be out so we will try and send photos from the event for the next edition (technology permitting!) So thanks to Norman Griffiths who suggested us and hopefully the hollyhocks will recover and be enjoyed next year.

In September we will be welcoming Brownies from Glenfield who are planting a tree to celebrate 100 years of the Guiding movement.

On October 9th Groby Brownies will join our gardeners to plant daffodils specially commissioned for the Centenary. This is the last gardening session to be held on the Green for this year when we hope enough volunteers turn out to ‘put the Green to bed’ for the winter. The session lasts from 10.00am to 12.00noon and tasks for the morning will include weeding, mulching and pruning. Some of the garden areas have benefited from being ‘adopted’ by families or individuals, so thanks to all these hard-working volunteers.

More details of the Millennium Green can be obtained by phoning 0116 2991868 or 0116 2879705.

Chris Tordoff

BOOKSPOT

The Complete Human Body Groby Village Hall Craft Market

Saturday 9th October

A Craft market is to be held at Groby Village Hall on Saturday 9th October to raise funds for the Leicestershire Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre.

This will be between 10am and 3.30pm and will feature stalls selling a variety of individually crafted items.

Tea, coffee & snacks will be available.

Enquiries to Jo Grant on 0116 2557104.

By Dr Alice Roberts AMAZON Price: £19.50 We inhabit it, we are it, and we are surrounded by 6.8 billion examples of it on our planet - the human body.

Some parts of it are still mysteries to science and much is a mystery to the average person on the street, but new medical procedures and imaging techniques are starting to give us “access all areas”, revealing incredible detail and providing a much deeper understanding of how our bodies work.

The book illustrates every area and system in the human body in unprecedented detail through specially commissioned computer-generated artworks. From the nervous system to the structure of joints and ligaments, The Complete Human Body guides the reader through every detail of the human body as well as investigating quirks such as why we vomit and hyperthymestic syndrome, a condition which leave sufferers unable to forget a single detail about their life.

The human body as a working machine forms the focus of the second half of the book, which looks in-depth at human physiology. Guiding readers through how each system works, from the respiratory system and the way oxygen is processed and moves around the body, to the function and form of the liver The Complete Human Body delivers an accessible guide to how and why each part of the human body functions.

The final sections of The Complete Human Body investigate the human life cycle, covering development from conception to old age and a chapter of diseases and disorders shows readers what happens to the human body when the systems go wrong.

With detailed but accessible content, The Complete Human Body is a user’s manual to the bodies we all inhabit, and will appeal to students, a broad range of healthcare professionals and families.

You are not as bad as people say, you are much, much worse.

VA BE AT TO T R TH 20 ISE EB % UD GE T

NEW RANGES AVAILABLE

UK GAS

B O I L E R REPLACEMENT SCHEME

R E L I O B D L O ÂŁ R 4 U O 0 Y 0 E C A L P RE CASH BACK www.ukgasservices.co.uk UP TO

Subject to Terms & Conditions . Call for de tails

13 Leicester Road, Groby, Leicestershire LE6 0DQ

0116 287 8000 Anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster is a maniac.

5663

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

Groby Gardening Society NEWS The delights of Composting A programme secretary’s nightmare occurred just before our August meeting.

The arranged speaker cried off at the eleventh hour.

Fortunately, Rodney Weston stepped into the breach and delivered an interesting, entertaining and educational talk about composting. Rodney is a Master Composter with the Leicestershire County Council and he arrived with a variety of visual aids ranging from posters to wormeries. Everyone left with a little more idea about Green Cones, Green Joannas, Bokashi Bins and Wormeries!

Maybe of particular interest to readers is the Council’s offer of a Green Cone for £7.50, including professional installation. Briefly, these are cones permanently arranged in a space in the garden into which can be placed all those cooked food remnants that should not be composted normally. The cone is vermin tight and offers no health hazards. The rotted remains seep into the ground and benefit surrounding plants. There is no compost as such produced which can be used elsewhere as in the normal process.

Fish ‘N Chips This year’s supper (Thursday September 23rd at 7.45) is to be once again held at The Forest Hill Golf Club. Members and guests are very welcome and if you wish to be added to the list of diners, please give Alvar a ring on the number below as soon as possible.

Last year the Society was made very welcome and diners were served a delicious meal.

The Village Show The organisers were very apprehensive about the number of exhibits due to the inclement weather of the preceding week or so. These concerns were groundless as our exhibitors pulled out all stops to make a wonderfully successful Show. 95 exhibitors brought along a record 511 exhibits and the contribution young people made was significant. They constituted 20% of the exhibitors and just over 10% of the exhibits. It is a great credit to all those folk who gave time and effort to partake. Quite a few admitted their exhibits stood little chance of a prize, but they wanted to enter to support the Show. Surely this encapsulates the spirit of a community event like ours. There were many regular and faithful exhibitors, but it was especially pleasing to see so many new faces, quite a few of which walked away with prizes! All sections were well supported, none more so than the children’s sections.

Without exhibitors there would be no show, but its success also depends upon the time and effort many members willingly give. The jobs to be done are legion, but to give a flavour there are exhibitors to register, tables to be moved from Church rooms, erected and covered, Show Classes to be allocated and labelled, judges to be entertained, prize winners to be labelled, entry fees to be taken, prizes to be allocated and distributed and, of course, it all has to be packed away!

A special mention has to be made of the tremendous support the members of our W.I. gave. Their catering was first class and lived up to the reputation they have built up over the years with the Judges. According to these well –travelled people, Groby’s fare is second to none! Very many thanks to Margaret and her cheery band of helpers.

History on your doorstep

What did the Romans ever do for Leicestershire?

Starting Thursday 23 September 2010

Groby Village Hall, Leicester Road

10 to11.30 am, 10 meetings To enrol or for further information phone 01509 268636

Email: srogers@wea.org.uk

Workers’ Educational Association

Forthcoming events

Sept. 23rd Fish & Chip Supper Forest Hill Golf Club Oct.14th Essential Trees & Shrubs for Winter Nick Hamilton (Barnsdale Gardens) Nov.11th “What Botanic Gardens have done for us” Dr Gornall (Leicester University Botanic Garden)

We always welcome new members and casual guests at our monthly meetings that 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 alvar3@talktalk.net

Alvar Johnson

The two most beautiful words in the English language are cheque enclosed.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

Don’t get caught out

Make sure you are on the Electoral Register RESIDENTS in Hinckley and Bosworth are being urged to safeguard their chance to vote in next year’s Borough Council election by registering this autumn.

The plea comes at the start of the annual canvass, when local authorities in Great Britain deliver electoral registration forms to all households. The Borough Council election will take place next May and there is also the possibility of a national referendum. To vote in the election, or referendum, eligible electors must be on the electoral roll.

All households in the borough should have received a voter registration form from the Borough Council by now. It lists all the people who are currently on the electoral register for the address. Electors are asked to simply add anyone who should be registered and isn’t on the list and cross out anyone who no longer lives at the address.

Children under the age of 16 should not be included but anyone who will be 18 by 30 November 2011 should be added. The form should be signed and returned to the council as soon as possible.

Yvonne Hughes, Electoral Services Officer said: “The reality is an election or referendum can be called at any time. If you aren’t on the electoral roll, you will miss out on the chance to have your say on how the country is run or how services are provided in Hinckley and Bosworth. You aren’t automatically registered if you pay council tax or if you have registered before.

“Registering to vote is very simple. Either fill in the form that will have come through your door or contact us at the council on 01455 238141 if you haven’t received one. Once you’ve filled in the form, make sure you send it to us as soon as possible by using the pre-paid envelope supplied. If there are no changes to be made to the details shown you can register by freephone, via the internet, or by SMS text using the details supplied on the form.”

To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.

10

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

How to stop your wife leaving you If you love your wife and would like her to stick around, there is something you can do about it. Like: help vacuum, dust, clean floors, go to the shops, and take the kids out to play.

Former mayor raises funds for vital medical equipment

For couples are twice as likely to divorce when the husband does not help around the home, according to recent government research.

A marriage where the husband is willing to help around the house is far more stable and calm.

Especially (surprise, surprise) when the wife is also out at work all day!

Lost the will to work? You must have been born in the 1980s or 1990s Young adults in their 20s want it all, but are not prepared to work for it, a recent study suggests.

Many of those who belong to Generation Y (born between the 1980s and 1990s) have an inflated sense of entitlement, but the lack the work ethic needed to achieve their goals. Also, they hate criticism.

The research, carried out at the University of Hampshire, discovered that the twentysomethings among us have been told since birth that they are something special. They grew up believing it. Now they will ignore anyone who tells them otherwise.

But such an approach to life has in fact led to higher levels of depression and ‘chronic disappointment’. It seems that unjustified levels of self-esteem, without a strong work ethic and readiness for self-sacrifice, rarely help anyone succeed.

FUNDRAISER: Councillor Keith Nichols presents a cheque for £5,717.23 to Claire Marshall, the Director of Fundraising for the Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance.

A VITAL piece of medical equipment will be bought for the region’s new air ambulance, thanks to the fund-raising efforts of Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council’s former mayor, Councillor Keith Nichols.

During his term of office, Cllr Nichols raised over £10,000 for charity, enabling him to present a cheque for £5,717.23 to the Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance. The

Freeuse LA - helping groups Leicestershire Waste Partnership has set up a new website, Freeuse LA, which enables communities or charity groups to take donated items for free.

money will be used to buy a paediatric ventilator for use in the new state-of-the-art air ambulance, which is due to come into service later in the year.

It will be the most up-to-date and fully equipped air ambulance for dealing with both adults and children in the country.

In addition to the cheque presented to the air ambulance, Cllr Nichols also donated £4,352.24 to the Hinckley Branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Karen Robertson, the MS Support

Officer, said that the money would be used to provide future group physiotherapy exercise and monthly drop-ins where either an MS nurse or a therapist will attend. There is also hope that hydrotherapy treatment will be offered in the future to MS patients to help relieve their symptoms.

Councillor Nichols said that he was very pleased with the amount raised especially in these difficult times of recession and thanked everyone who supported the fund raising efforts.

Don’t forget to send us your news!

Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

The website is for County Council and the other local authorities and schools in Leicestershire to give and take unwanted office items for free. As a result, reducing the amount of in-house waste sent to landfill and saving money by reducing spending on new items and the cost of disposal.

Community and charity groups are able to take the unwanted office items to use in your community halls or offices, all for free! Items cannot be taken to sell on; they must be used by the group.

Community and charity groups are not able to give items on the Freeuse LA site but if you do have items to donate visit the main Freeuse site at www.freeuseit. org, a site developed for Leicestershire residents to encourage them to reuse items and therefore reduce the amount of household waste going to landfill.

To see the site for yourself and to find out more visit www.freeusela.org

The hardest years in life are those between ten and seventy.

GREEN COMMUNITIES’ GRANT FUND

  





   



   

  

When the actress saw her first strands of grey hair she thought she’d dye.

11

12

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

MARKFIELD MEDICAL CENTRE How can our patients access the best possible care from the surgery?

At Markfield Medical Centre we aim to always provide a friendly and efficient service for our patients.

Green makeover for school playground

Because we look after about 7000 patients, demand for our services can be very high and we have recently introduced a number of patient friendly and positive initiatives to help manage this demand.

Our reception staff are bound by patient confidentiality. One of their key roles is to help patients get the best from the Centre’s Doctors and Nurses and the other services the medical centre offers. You can help them by giving them all the information they need to help you.

Guidelines to booking an appointment Booking appointments can be a challenge! Were you aware that you can book appointments at least one month in advance? One third of all practice appointments are allocated for this purpose:- Ideal if your appointment is for a review or a longer term medical problem.

The remainder of appointments are divided equally between being available to book the day before or book on the day. It is always best to book ahead if you can. You might want to try and avoid Mondays because demand is always very very high after the weekend.

Dealing with problems over the phone Did you know, that many problems can be dealt with over the telephone? One of the Doctors allocates time mid morning where he or she will call patients who have requested a call back. If the Doctor feels he or she needs to see you after discussing your problem an appointment will be made later in the day.

The Practice and District Nurses can also deal with a wide range of problems.

They not only dress wounds, but also review patients with long term conditions such as diabetes, COPD and asthma. Your receptionist may suggest you see one of the Nurses in appropriate circumstances.

Home visits are recognised as sometimes being necessary for patients who are housebound, or very seriously ill. The Doctor will always respond to a home visit where necessary. But, home visits are very time consuming and are not always the best solution because the Doctor may not have all the equipment needed or records available .

If a home visit is requested the Doctor may call first to see if the problem can be resolved over the telephone or by some other means. In most circumstances if a home visit is appropriate it is best to ring before 11am so that the Doctor can schedule in visits after morning surgery.

Repeat Prescriptions I am sure it is no surprise to you that your local practice deals with hundreds of repeat prescription requests every day. It is vitally important that you leave plenty of time for your request to be dealt with. Ideally, order your prescription 3 working days before you need it to give both the Doctor and the Pharmacist time to prescribe and dispense your medication.

We will not take requests for prescriptions or repeat prescriptions over the telephone, because this can result in prescription errors, and causes delays for other patients trying to get through to the surgery.

Where possible patients should use the printed repeat slip issued with your last prescription. You can either send this to the surgery by post, or drop it in at the surgery, either through the post-box out of hours, or in the box provided in reception during surgery hours. You can also register to request a repeat prescription on line, details are available in the surgery of how to do this. Again, please make sure you allow plenty of time for the prescription to be issued (at least 3 days).

If Doctor needs to see you As responsible prescribers, your Doctor may need to see you from time to time because you are due for a blood test or blood pressure check or similar. If you are due for one of these checks the Doctor will make a note on the prescription for you to make an appointment with an appropriate member of the team before you are due your next prescription. The receptionist will advise you who will be the right person to see.

Most surgeries in our area will operate a similar system but it is worth checking with your own local surgery if you are not registered at Markfield so that you are aware of the processes they adopt.

We hope you have found this article informative, useful and helpful in making sure that our patients are aware of how to make the best possible use of the service we provide. We hope that as a result, all patients receive a high standard of care from the Doctors and Nurses and all the staff at Markfield Medical Centre.

Dr Trzcinski and Partners

The playground at Lady Jane Grey Primary School is looking particularly smart following a green makeover.

It has been resurfaced in an all weather material which will allow the playground to be in use virtually all year round. The new surface has gone down a storm with the children at LJG. The colour of the surface is natural green and looks remarkably like real grass!

Lynda Wagstaff

BOOKSPOT Mirage Men

By Mark Pilkington Amazon Price: £4.92

Seeking the truth about UFOs in America, Mark Pilkington and John Lundberg uncover a 60 year-old story stranger than any conspiracy thriller.

Through the fascinating account of their quest Mark Pilkington reveals the long history of UFOria and its parallels in little known tales from the murky worlds of espionage, psychological warfare and advanced military technology.

Along the way he discovers that the truth about flying saucers is stranger and more complex than either the ufologists or debunkers would have us believe. As he crossed the US meeting intelligence agents, disinformation specialists and UFO hunters Pilkington was confronted with a dizzying array of ever more outrageous claims and counter claims.

As a result he began to suspect that, instead of covering up stories of crashed flying saucers, alien contacts and secret underground bases, the US intelligence agencies had actually been promoting them all along.

Meanwhile he has to deal with his own uncertainties, the suspicions of the UFO community and a partner who is starting to believe that conspiracy theorists might be right after all. With a fresh, funny and objective approach, Pilkington is the ideal guide to steer us through these strange territories, where nothing is quite as it seems and reality is just a matter of managing perceptions.

Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out. But I can usually shut her up with cookies.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

13

Calling all writers!

Short Story Competition: “A Surprising Christmas Guest” Do you enjoy writing? Could you write a twist-in-the-tale short story involving ‘a surprising Christmas guest’ in 1200 words or less? If so, you are invited to enter a Short Story Competition, jointly sponsored

by Chaplins Butchers of Groby and Groby & Field Head Spotlight.

Your story could be about a long-lost member of the family returning home at Christmas, a missing pet reappearing in time for Christmas dinner, a ghostly presence manifesting itself while you’re watching the Queen’s Speech, or a maybe even an escaped tarantula appearing from the pantry ... it’s entirely up to you. Use your creativity and your storytelling skills to produce a tale to entertain Spotlight readers - and you could win a nice prize.

Competition Rules: • • • • • • • • •

Stories must be 1200 words or less, and suitable for publication in Groby & Field Head Spotlight.

The story must be original, all your own work, and previously unpublished.

Entrants must live in Groby or Field Head or The Brantings Area of Glenfield (i.e. the delivery area of Groby & Field Head Spotlight).

The competition is open to writers aged 16 or over.

The stories will be judged by an independent panel of judges, and the winning story and runner-up story will both be published in a future issue of Groby & Field Head Spotlight. The judges’ decision is final.

Stories must be typed Your name and contact details must NOT appear on any page of the story. Please include your name and address on a SEPARATE page.

The winning story will win a Christmas Hamper, kindly donated by Chaplins Butchers of Groby, plus a Gift Voucher to the value of £20. The runner–up will receive a Gift Voucher to the value of £10.

The closing date for receipt of entries is Saturday 23rd October 2010 and the results will be published in the November issue of the Spotlight. Send your story by email or through the post to: Short Story Competition, Groby & Field Head Spotlight, PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT (email to: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk) Please include a stamped addressed envelope if you would like your story returning. Please make sure that you retain a copy of your story, in case the one you send gets lost in the post.

So, get writing, and good luck!

I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once.

14

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

BRADGATE LIONS CLUB NEWS

“TAKING A STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN”

Weddings made in cyberspace!

BRADGATE LIONS JOIN GLOBAL CRUSADE TO CONQUER BLINDNESS The World Health Organization has estimated that the number of blind people in the world in the world could double in the next 25 years.

To combat the leading causes of blindness and assist in preserving vision, the BRADGATE LIONS CLUB is participating in LIONS WORLD SIGHT DAY on SATURDAY 16th OCTOBER. To heighten awareness and education about sight preservation and preventable blindness.

They will be joining in this nation wide event by holding a ‘PUB WALK’ from The Railway Public House, Station Road, Glenfield at 12 noon on Saturday 16th October. This involves pairing up with a partner, one blindfolded and the other as a guide, and taking a short walk for approximately ½ hour along Station Road and back. Registered blind and visually impaired persons are also invited to take part. On your return to the pub enjoy the company of everyone involved and share a well earned drink and maybe a meal.

“It is estimated that 40 million people around the world are blind,” said Roger Gamble, Social & Welfare Chairman of Bradgate Lions Club. “On Lions World Sight Day, Bradgate Lions are working in unison with the Lions Clubs around the world to educate millions people on the importance of proper eye health care.”

On a worldwide scale, an estimated 75% of all blindness is found in Africa and Asia according to the World Health Organization. In Africa, there are an estimated 500,000 new cases of cataracts each year, of which only one in ten are operated upon. In India, 80% of the blind suffer from cataracts, with 3.8 million new cases reported each year.

Since our club’s chartering in 1989, its members have worked on a variety of projects in the local community and proceeds from our past fund raising events have gone to LOROS, Rainbows Children’s Hospice, Coping with Cancer, Air Ambulance, Children in Need, to name just a few. The Club has raised over £132,000 for mainly local charities during this time.

Bradgate Lions Club are keen to recruit new members, we meet on the second Thursday of each month, at 7.30pm for a business meeting, at Forest Hills Golf Club, Botcheston, and also on the fourth Thursday of the month at various venues for social events. Lions clubs are a group of men and women who identify the needs within the community and work together to fulfil those needs.

For more information or to get involved with Bradgate Lions Club, please contact Roger on (01530) 242912 or e-mail roger.gamble@talktalk.net.

An innovative way of planning a church wedding by web has become a surprise hit with couples across the country.

It began life as a pilot less than two years ago, with a change in the law initiated by the Church - the Marriage Measure. But now the website is at the heart of a staggering one-third of Church of England weddings.

The website www.yourchurchwedding.org draws a third of a million visitors a year (27,000 unique visitors a month). Since its launch in October 2008 it has been used to plan more than 28,000 of the roughly 90,000 Church of England weddings that have taken place.

Many couples have a vague recollection of hymns they enjoyed when visiting church as children. Now they can review the lyrics, make their choices, and choose their Bible readings, before printing out a complete personalised order of service to take to their vicar as a first draft discussion starter.

Hymns are the site’s biggest draw. The current top five most popular hymns are: Give Me Joy in My Heart, Amazing Grace, We Pledge to One Another, Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, Jerusalem.

The three most popular readings are: 1 Corinthians 13, Song of Solomon, 2: 10-13, and Song of Solomon, 8: 6,7.

Groby Village Society Programme for 2010 Thursday September 23 The Great Plague Mrs. Sally Henshaw Thursday October 28 In the Steps of Susannah Watts Mrs. Virginia Wright Thursday November 25 Canal Boat People Mrs. Wendy Freer Thursday December 23 The Christmas Truce 1914 Mr. Peter Cousins

Meetings are held at Groby Village Hall Starting at 7.30pm. unless stated otherwise.

For Further Details Contact Hon. Secretary Mr. P. Castell Tel. 0116 287 9842 e-mail:- groby.villagesociety@tiscali.co.uk Non Members are Welcome A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do. A woman must do what he can’t.

FREE SWIMMING LESSONS

Funeral Plans from Anstey & District Funeral Service Ltd

Peace of mind for you and your loved ones

15

SAVE

£100

Like many people, you may be considering making arrangements for a funeral. Pre-paid funeral plans offer a number of advantages and are becoming increasingly popular. At Anstey & District Funeral Service Ltd we’re proud to work with Golden Charter, the country’s leading provider of plans to independent funeral directors like us.

This is why we recommend their plans – � you pay today’s prices, no matter when you need our services � a guarantee to cover every cost within our control � your wishes are made clear well in advance, so you can ensure they will be carried out � you can choose from a range of plans or personalise your own � by making arrangements now, you will spare your loved ones the responsibility at a sad and difficult time � Save £100 if you purchase before 30 September 2010 If you’d like to discuss a funeral plan in confidence, we’ll gladly go through all the details with you. Please call us on

(0116) 234 0548 or call in at

Anstey & District Funeral Service Ltd, Talbott House, Leicester Road, Anstey, Leicester LE7 7AT

You will feel stuck with your debt if you can’t budge it.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

16 DON’T MISS OUR SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER PRODUCTION!

“LEAP IN THE DARK” a thriller by Muriel Walker

At THORNTON COMMUNITY CENTRE from WEDNESDAY 29th SEPTEMBER to SATURDAY 2nd OCTOBER AT 7.30 P.M. NIGHTLY.

The isle of Mingulay, in the outer Hebrides, is deserted now. After two thousand years or more of continuous habitation, the island was abandoned by its residents in 1912 and has remained uninhabited since. Except, that is ...

This is where imagination took flight when I was writing the script for our September production – a thriller entitled “Leap in the Dark”.

I have peopled Mingulay, left now to the grazing sheep and the birds which nest in the inaccessible black cliffs, with a group of people who are forced to stay there when a terrifying storm cuts the island off from nearby Barra. On the island is a monastery and the imposing Barra House, which is run by the monks as a guest house for those seeking retreat.

A set of strange circumstances then ensues as an unexpected death strikes fear into the hearts of those who can only sit and wait ... wondering if the killer will strike again.

You really shouldn’t miss this production if you like to experience the frisson of fear as the characters become the potential victims of a person or persons unknown!

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW AT LLOYD AND SUE’S CORNER STORE IN THORNTON, OR CAN BE ORDERED ON 01530 249569. TICKET PRICES ARE £5 & £4 (Concessions) and we would like to advise you that this production is not for the faint-hearted, and is, therefore, unsuitable for young children.

IS THERE ANY READER OUT THERE INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR GROUP? We meet every Wednesday at Thornton Community Centre at 7.30 p.m. We have been in existence since 1967 and have a long list of plays, pantomimes, concerts and murder mystery tours to our credit.

We are in desperate need of some new members .... whether on stage or backstage...whatever your talent or interest, we can use it! (There is a lower age limit of sixteen) The best way to further your interest is to either ask someone who’s been to see our productions, or even better, to come along on any Wednesday evening to see what we do. Now would be a very good time to come as rehearse for “Leap in the Dark”. If you would like to know more, please don’t hesitate to ring me at any time on 01455 822148.

Craft Fair at The Palace, Ibstock The next Craft Fair to be held in Ibstock at The Palace will take place on 2nd October from 10am to 3pm.

This will be a regular event on the first Saturday of each month. Admission is free.

There will be a large variety of interesting stalls including: Jewellery, Wooden Toys, Hand-Knitted goods, Ceramics, Cookies, Books, Pearls, Bags plus Craft Supplies, Farm Produce, Fair Trade and much more.

The Palace is located at 57 High Street, Ibstock and has a public car park opposite the main entrance.

Way to go!

My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, 62.

My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he ventured: “Did you start at 1?”

Muriel Walker

Every time I close the door on reality, it comes in through the windows.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

Operation Christmas Child – make a child’s Christmas this year Wondering how your church can directly impact the lives of needy children overseas? Wondering how your church might reach out in some way to our own local community this autumn? There may be one answer for both questions: Operation Christmas Child – the UK’s largest shoebox appeal run by Samaritan’s Purse.

The idea is simple. All we have to do as churchgoers (young and old) is to find shoeboxes and fill them with gifts and goodies, which Fill a child’s life istm as are then sent to children in need around the world. Last year, more with joy this Chr than 6,000 churches throughout the country got involved. In the end, What it’s all about...

From you to a child in need... nearly 1.2 million shoeboxes were sent to Africa, Eastern Europe or Central Asia.

Getting involved with Operation Christmas Child between September – November will bring several benefits as a church. For example: What gifts can I include?

1. It’s good to work as a group to make a real difference to people in need.

Yes please!

No thanks!

2. It’s a great opportunity to reach out to our own neighbours. We can use fun shoebox-themed events and activities to draw them in.

3. It’s a chance for us to ‘unite’ as the Body of Christ, by supporting local churches around the world, as they reach out to their local, needy children with our shoe boxes.

What’s more, a shoe box can bring astonishing joy into the lives of children like 4-year old Sasha from Belarus. She was abandoned by her parents and left in the care of an orphanage. But last year, when she was given a Christmas shoe box, she realised that God loves her and that she had not been forgotten. The breakthrough was shown by her big smile – the first time anyone had at the orphanage had seen her smile!

Getting started... There are a number of FREE resources available, from leaflets for packing shoeboxes, to a 20th anniversary DVD. Details at: www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk or phone 0870 011 2002.

Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest children’s Christmas project, bringing joy into lives of children since 1990. Last year, almost 1.2million shoeboxes filled with gifts and goodies were packed by children and adults in the UK and sent to children who need them most in some of the toughest parts of the world.

What Operation Christmas Child boils down to is a gift, given by you to a child in need. You wrap and pack it, we check and send it, and our in-country partners deliver it. It’s that simple.

Come and share in the power of a simple gift – reminding a child in need that God loves them and they have not been forgotten this Christmas.

Overseas, we work with local churches and other Christian partners to ensure that your shoeboxes are given to the neediest children, unconditionally and without any obligation. We always give shoeboxes to children based on need, regardless of their background or religious beliefs.

In the UK, we have an army of dedicated volunteers who give their time freely to ensure your shoeboxes get to where they need to go.

17

Lend us a knicker How well do you remember or know of the “old money� of pounds, shillings and pence?

All of the clues below relate to an amount expressed in “old money�.

All you have to do is work out the amount suggested by the clues below, then add up the total in ÂŁ s d

1. A stone 2. Poorly sea creature 3. Royal headgear 4. Man’s name 5. Worker of leather 6. Mode of transport 7. Type of pig 8. Jupiter, Saturn and Venus 9. Girl’s name TOTAL: Answer on page 34

Where appropriate, our local partners will also freely distribute a booklet of Bible stories – including the story of Christmas, the birth of Jesus – to children receiving shoeboxes. As a Christian charity, we would encourage you to pray for the child receiving your shoebox.

s 4OYS Bear, soft toy, tennis ball, finger puppet, jigsaw, yo-yo, building blocks, small musical instrument. For boys trucks and cars, for girls dolls, clip on earrings, etc.

s %DUCATIONAL SUPPLIES Felt pens, pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser, colouring book, notepad, picture or puzzle book, chalk, pencil case, stickers, etc. s (YGIENE ITEMS Toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, comb, hair clips, bar of soap, flannel, etc.

s /THER ITEMS Sweets (sell-by date to be at least March of the following year), gloves, scarf, sunglasses, cap, hat, bangles, necklaces, etc.

!LL GIFTS SHOULD BE NEW PLEASE INCLUDE ITEMS FROM EACH CATEGORY

s .O FOOD especially chocolate. Only exception, non-chocolate sweets. s .O MEDICINE or vitamins of any kind. s .O WAR RELATED ITEMS Toy guns, soldiers or knives of any kind. s .O CLOTHING other than listed above. s .O FRAGILE ITEMS Glass containers, mirrors. s .O LIQUIDS including blow bubbles, shampoo, bubble bath, toiletry sets or aerosols. s .O DANGEROUS ITEMS Sharp objects, scissors or razors. s .O NOVELS s .OTHING OF A POLITICAL NATURE s .O HAND KNITTED STUFFED TOYS WITHOUT A #% MARK

The small print Due to import regulations, all gifts should be new and comply with the conditions listed above. Please make sure your gifts are age appropriate and that you do not send items in a shoebox (intended for a small child), which might be swallowed or mistaken for sweets. Should you inadvertently include any item that is not suitable or might be regarded as dangerous for the intended child, Samaritan’s Purse reserves the right to remove that item and use it for the benefit of the charity. Occasionally we have to change some contents to meet specific country requirements or change the shoebox to meet our approximate dimensions.

.

“ Everything From A Blown Fuse To A Complete Re-wire! �

Your Local & Fully Qualified ELECTRICIAN     

Fuse Box Upgrades, Rewiring, New Circuits Kitchen, Bathroom & Garden Electrics Burglar Alarms, TV & Phone Sockets Testing, Inspections, Fault Finding & Repairs Sockets, Lights, Heating, Fans etc

Call Now For A FREE Estimate!

Office:(0116) 2872338 Mobile: 0798 0911 869 Website Address: www.pqelectrics.com

My husband said he needed more space. So I locked him outside.

18

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

Review of polling stations underway

Women’s Health

Symptoms which need to be checked out by your GP

A REVIEW of all polling districts and polling places in the Hinckley & Bosworth area is being undertaken by the Borough Council.

Unfortunately, many people will have their lives touched in some way by Cancer. For me, it was my father, brother in law and several friends. However, I never dreamt it could affect my Wife. Jocelyn is only 50, but it did.

A routine visit to the GP with fairly innocuous symptoms of acid reflux and a persistently bloated tummy started a journey. This led to scans within the hour, a specialist consultation and diagnosis of suspected Ovarian Cancer within days and an operation shortly after where the surgeon removed a football sized ovarian cyst and carried out a full hysterectomy. Chemotherapy has now commenced and the outlook is good due to the early detection by the GP and private health cover.

I have since discovered that the average GP only comes across Ovarian Cancer once every 5 years and detection is often delayed due to lack of awareness.

If more people are aware of the symptoms this may help the early detection of this disease. Please pass these to your family and friends: The list of symptoms will look familiar to most women. What you need to know about ovarian cancer is that the symptoms are: • Frequent – they happen on most days • Persistent - they don’t go away • New – they are not normal for you and may have started in the last 12 months Research has shown that the key symptoms to be aware of are: • Persistent pelvic or abdominal pain (that’s your tummy and below) • Increased abdominal size/persistent bloating – not bloating that comes and goes • Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly Occasionally there can be other symptoms such as • Urinary symptoms (needing to pass water more urgently or more often than usual) • Changes in bowel habit • Extreme fatigue (feeling very tired) • Back pain If you regularly experience any of these symptoms, which are not normal for you, it is important that you see your GP. It is unlikely that your symptoms are caused by a serious problem, but it is important to be checked out.

Further information is available from http://www.ovarian.org.uk or http://targetovarian.org.uk

Nick

LETTER

Thank you to Eileen & John Marvin Once again Eileen & John Marvin pulled out all the stops to provide a Day Trip to Great Yarmouth for the Senior Citizens of Groby Social Club.

A little rain did not dampen a wonderful day out. A game of bingo and a raffle entertained on the journey home. Many thanks to local businesses and individual sponsors, also the many kind helpers.

From the Groby Club Senior Citizens.

Consequently, the council wants to hear people’s views and suggestions about the current arrangements, which can be viewed on the website (www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk) or by going to the council’s main reception in Argents Mead.

Yvonne Hughes, Electoral Services Officer at the Borough Council said: “We want to know your views on the suitability and accessibility of the current polling stations. For example did you find getting into the building difficult or was parking a problem for you on polling day? At the same time if you know of a more suitable alternative venue for a polling station then please tell us.”

Comments should be sent to the Electoral Services Office, Argents Mead, Hinckley LE10 1BZ or by email to elections.registration@ hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk by 30 November 2010.

Details of all representations will be made available for public inspection after the review.

Hearing is believing?

Do you believe what you see, or what you hear?

It seems that two thirds of us trust the news if we hear it on the radio, but only half of us believe what we see on TV or the internet. The study was carried out by Ofcom, the communications watchdog.

Coffee Morning & Half-Price Lingerie Sale for Cruse Bereavement Care

10 a.m. to 12 o’clock Saturday, 2nd October at Markfield Methodist Church There will be cakes, preserves and produce, a “Good as New” stall and a raffle. There will also be a chance to buy best brand lingerie at affordable prices. Come and buy, or just have a chat over coffee & teacakes.

Linda Walmsley

Laugh at your problems, everybody else does.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

The Field Head Hotel Markfield Lane, Markfield Tel: 01530 245454 Fri 8 Oct: Special :CHARITY RACE NIGHT All Welcome ~ 8pm TRIBUTE Nights All £2 Entry after 7pm.

Fri 17 Sept: THE BEATLES Fri 1 Oct: LILY ALLEN Fri 15 Oct: MADONNA Quiz Nite: Every 2nd Tues (See Advert on Page 28)

Groby Ex-Servicemen’s Club Leicester Road, Groby Tel: 0116 287-1809 www.grobyclub.co.uk NOTICE TO MEMBERS New Members Welcome Fri 10 Sept: LES MALCOLM Sat 11 Sept: BROTHERS in Soul Sun 12 Sept: Super Sunday ‘50’ Fri 17 Sept: PREMONITION Sat 18 Sept: DAWN FURY Sun 19 Sept: Super Sunday ‘50’ Thurs 23 Sept: CHARITY SHOW Fri 24 Sept: PHIL JAMES Sat 25 Sept: CHRIS JONES (Buddy Holly) Sun 26 Sept: Super Sunday ‘50’ Fri 1 Oct: JAMIE LEIGH Sat 2 Oct: CHRISSY Sun 3 Oct: Super Sunday ‘50’ Fri 8 Oct: SWEET DEFINITY Sat 9 Oct: AJAY Sun 10 Oct: Super Sunday ‘50’ (See Advert on Page 7) The Stamford Arms Leicester Road, Groby Tel: 0116 287 5616.

Every SUN 3 ~ 6pm:‘GOOD TIME SUNDAY’ Sat 18 Sept: SOUL’D OUT Sat 25 Sept: MOJO HAND Sat 16 Oct: MISSING LYNX KARAOKE ~ Every Wed OPEN MIC ~Every Thurs QUIZ – General Knowledge + Find the Joker ~ EVERY Sun QUIZ – Music ~ EVERY Tues The Nag’s Head Station Road, Glenfield T: 0116 287 2794 Every THURS – QUIZ General Knowledge ~ Free to Enter. Win Beer.

SKY SPORTS (See Advert on Page 5)

Old Thatched Inn Stanton - under - Bardon T:01530 242 460 Sat 11 Sept: BOND CASINO NIGHT Sat 18 Sept: ELVIS NIGHT EVERY WED: QUIZ NITE & Play Your Cards Right Start 8.30pm. 50p Entry.

Cash prizes.

(See Advert on Page 9) The Coach & Horses Leicester Road, Field Head Tel: 01530 242 312 KARAOKE Nights:Sats: 18 Sept & 2 Oct (’King of the Road’) Sundays: QUIZ Night Play Area/Beer Garden The Plough Inn Burroughs Road, RATBY T: 0116 239 2103 EVERY Tues ~ QUIZ Wed 20 Sept: AMERICAN Custom & Classic Car Show (Last one of the year) www.ploughinnratby.co.uk The Charnwood Arms Bardon. T: 01530 813644 TRIBUTE NIGHTS (Monthly) £10 a Ticket Includes Supper Fri 24 Sept: MOTELLAS Every MON Night:POKER TOURNAMENT FREE ~ Starts 7pm.

Bagworth WMC Station Road, Bagworth T: 01530 230 205 Fri 1 Oct: ACE MEN plus DISCO £5 ~ 7.30pm till late (Local Band/Hits Past&Present) T: 01530 230205 Every Wed: Tea Dance 2-4pm £1 Incl.Tea & Biscuits.

A TV can insult your intelligence, but nothing rubs it in like a computer.

19

20

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

The hard facts of running allotments

By John Thornton After the fun with the bees as described in the August Spotlight I thought I would explain the more serious aspects of our Society, We have a Committee, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and a Parish Council Liaison person, and follow the law closely as is required by such Societies.

First, why have a Society? The Society was formed over twenty-five years ago to give security to both allotment sites in our village. Both sites are registered as “Statute Allotments”. This means that any developer who thinks it would be better covered with houses would find it very difficult to proceed. First the Parish Council is the Landowner, we as the Society have a 25-year lease of both sites, which are registered with the Land Registry in our name, and also the land does not have permitted development permission. Any developer would also have to seek permission from the Secretary of State to develop, which could be a difficult procedure.

We are affiliated to the National Society of “Allotment and Leisure Gardeners”. All tenants are insured on site and we benefit from the National’s advisory board also their seed scheme.

We also set and collect the annual rents; the raised money is all spent on improvement to sites, general maintenance and grass cutting is one of the obvious tasks.

Health and Safety inspections are a recent and important element that is implemented.

We impose site rules and regulations, which every member must sign up to; these are pretty standard to most allotments throughout the country. In fact ours are mild compared to some. These rules safeguard fellow members and their plots.

The plot conditions were drawn up following a debate at an AGM where the criteria was decided

by members, two thirds cultivated, one third under weed control, again based on National recommendation.

Only fruit trees of dwarfing stock are permitted, and must be a set distance from the pathway. An example of previous lax supervision is the large fruit trees bordering the chapel footpath. All this happened before rules were fully implemented and considered necessary, now see the result.

As these overgrown plots become vacant we will have to employ contractors to return them to proper cultivation, all at great cost! A problem we inherited.

Sheds also need to benefit from permission to be erected, with a set distance from your neighbour.

All so far seems easy going, until the inspection team considers a plot is not conforming. We issue a letter of conformity for the plot to be corrected within four weeks. If no change, then a notice to quit! Seems hard, but the sites are run on business lines, benefiting the members. Health of the tenant is taken into consideration and in such circumstances help can be available. The days have gone at most sites in the country when plots can be left to go to ruin or worse the shed used as a drinking den. Also there is an increase in allotment interest nationally, as evidenced by our long waiting list.

I may have conveyed the impression by writing in Spotlight that it is all a load of fun. Well it is mainly, but we have on occasions been accused of being dictatorial but management is what we do and we have a waiting list!

Anstey & District Funeral Service Independent Family-Run Funeral Directors

We take care of every detail, advise and help you every step of the way.

• •

• • • •

Traditional hearse & fleet Horse drawn carriages, motorcycle hearse & alternatives available Memorial showroom Extensive car parking Private catering suite Private chapels of rest Funeral arrangements can be made in the comfort of your own home if preferred

0116 234 0548 Talbott House, Leicester Road, Anstey, Leicester LE7 7AT

www.ansteyfunerals.com

Some people hear voices.. Some see invisible people.. Others have no imagination whatsoever.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

BOOKSPOT Remarkable Creatures

By Tracy Chevalier

21

Enjoy a run through Hinckley Town centre

Amazon Price: £9.99 (Hardcover) In the year of the 150th anniversary of Origin of Species, set in a town where Jane Austen was a frequent visitor, Tracy Chevalier once again shows her uncanny sense for the topical.

In the early nineteenth century, a windswept beach along the English coast brims with fossils for those with the eye! From the moment she’s struck by lightning as a baby, it is clear Mary Anning is marked for greatness.

When she uncovers unknown dinosaur fossils in the cliffs near her home, she sets the scientific world alight, challenging ideas about the world’s creation and stimulating debate over our origins.

In an arena dominated by men, however, Mary is soon reduced to a serving role, facing prejudice from the academic community, vicious gossip from neighbours, and the heartbreak of forbidden love.

Even nature is a threat, throwing bitter cold, storms, and landslips at her.

Luckily Mary finds an unlikely champion in prickly, intelligent Elizabeth Philpot, a middle-class spinster who is also fossil-obsessed. Their relationship strikes a delicate balance between fierce loyalty and barely suppressed envy. Despite their differences in age and background, Mary and Elizabeth discover that, in struggling for recognition, friendship is their strongest weapon.

Remarkable Creatures is Tracy Chevalier’s stunning new novel of how one woman’s gift transcends class and gender to lead to some of the most important discoveries of the nineteenth century. Above all, it is a revealing portrait of the intricate and resilient nature of female friendship.

RUNNERS of all ages and abilities will be pounding the traffic-free streets of Hinckley town centre on the evening of Wednesday 22 September as the town hosts the second town centre runs.

Both races are organised by Hinckley Running Club, Hinckley Town Centre Partnership, LOROS and the Borough Council. There is a five kilometre race and a one mile ‘kaper’, providing participants with the opportunity to raise funds for LOROS, as well as having fun and improving their health.

Everyone who finishes the one mile race will receive a medal and those who finish the five kilometre race will receive a t-shirt.

Entry to the race, which is sponsored by Hinckley solicitors Bray & Bray costs £8.50 for the 5 kilometre run (or £10 on the day) and £3 for the fun run (or £5 on the day). Anyone wanting to take part can enter online at www.hinckleyrunningclub.com or call Graeme Chilvers on 01455 255678 for more information.

Great news - missing cat found!

Last month’s Spotlight included an appeal by Groby resident Vanessa to look out for her missing cat Sunny.

The cat had gone missing on 10th/11th July and was featured in the last issue of Spotlight , which was out on 13th/14th/15th August.

Immediately after distributing the magazines to our deliverers on 13th August, we received the fantastic news that Sunny had been reunited with her owner.

Apparently, one of our deliverers read the article and phoned Vanessa to say that she had seen a cat matching the description and photograph in the magazine. The lady said that she had seen the cat a few times but was unable to get near it. Vanessa went to her house and was allowed to go in the back garden and call for her cat, and within a few minutes she was able to pick her up. Vanessa is now reunited with her cat and very happy.

Don’t miss Stanton Autumn Fayre

The Autumn Fayre at St. Mary & All Saints Church in Stanton Under Bardon takes place on Saturday 18th September 2010 between 2 - 4 p.m.

There will be lots of stalls plus bric a brac, raffle, cakes, provisions, crafts, plants and works by local artists. Tea and coffee will be available.

Come and join us for a great afternoon!

PLUS ... COMING SOON - Autumn Concert On Friday 29th October 2010 at 7.30 p.m. come and enjoy ‘Songs From The Shows’ at Stanton Church.

Tickets priced at £ 4.00 - which will include refreshments - will be available on the door. Gail Massey

To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

22

Churches Together in Groby Urban Saints

During term time, held at the URC chapel: games, friends, crafts and a Christian basis to discussions.

- for 5’s to 14’s on Mon evenings at 3.45pm, 6.30pm, 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 Fair Cuppa: an opportunity to meet with friends at the village hall. Please note the change of time.

All tea/coffee is fairtrade Every Thursday, 10.30—12noon.

Harvest Festival Sunday 3rd October at St. P&J, Sunday 10th October at the URC

For all Sunday services: please see our websites and church magazines: St. Philip and St. James www.bradgateteam.org.uk Revd. Louise Corke 231 3090 United Reformed Church www.grobyurc.com Mrs Norma Whittaker 287 6606 Children/Youth Worker Deb Goodhead 07730 596309

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

SEPTEMBER happenings from the past 275 years ago: 22nd September 1735 - Sir Robert Walpole became the first British Prime Minister to occupy 10 Downing Street, London 175 years ago: 9th September 1835 - The British Municipal Corporations Act was passed, organising local government in Britain, and leading to the establishment of elected town, city and borough councils, local mayors and local police forces 175 years ago: 18th September 1835 - British naturalist Charles Darwin arrived in the Galapagos Islands aboard ‘HMS Beagle’ 125 years ago: 11th September 1885 - Riots broke out in Montreal, Canada in protest against compulsory smallpox vaccination 100 years ago: 12th September 1910 - Alice Stebbins Wells was appointed by the Los Angeles Police Dept, USA, as the world’s first policewoman 80 years ago: 8th September 1930 3M began selling Scotch adhesive tape 75 years ago: 3rd September 1935 - British driver Malcolm Campbell set a new world land speed record of 301.13 mph in ‘Bluebird’ at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA 70 years ago: 4th September 1940 CBS made the first colour TV broadcast in the USA from its experimental station W2XAB in New York 70 years ago: 15th September 1940 - World War II: Battle of Britain – the turning point. The German Luftwaffe sustained heavy losses, forcing Hitler to abandon plans to invade Britain 25 years ago: 1st September 1985 - The wreck of the ‘RMS Titanic’ was found in the Atlantic, 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, 73 years after it sank 15 years ago: 21st September 1995 - The Hindu milk miracle in India.

Statues of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh began drinking milk when spoonfuls were placed near their mouths. The phenomenon ended after 24 hours 10 years ago: 23rd September 2000 - British rower Steve Redgrave won the gold medal at his fifth consecutive Olympic Games, in Sydney Australia

23

On how to survive a weekend away with the young people

How your driveway could earn you money

The Rectory, St. James the Least of All

Do you have a driveway?

Ever considered renting it out as a parking space – on a regular basis?

My dear Nephew Darren I think your idea for both our Confirmation groups getting together for a weekend away was excellent and our meeting last week drew most of the plans together. We didn’t take any minutes, so let me record the decisions I believe we made.

Since all of us will have to share one dormitory, I know my snoring will inconvenience you all, so I am prepared to spend the nights at a local hotel.

By chance, I have found that there is a four star one only a few miles away, so I have booked myself in.

As the dining area in the youth centre is very cramped, I am also willing to have dinner each evening at the hotel, thereby creating more space for the rest of you. This will, admittedly, mean that I will not be available for the rota for preparing meals, but that is a small loss for giving you all so much more freedom of movement. An additional sadness is that, since breakfast at the hotel is not served until 8am, I will not be able to join you either for your pre-breakfast dip in the nearby stream. It would be grossly unfair to expect you to pack lunch for me, so I will arrange for the hotel to provide me with a picnic hamper for one which I can have while you all enjoy your fish paste sandwiches.

I think it will be an excellent learning experience if you prepare all the teaching sessions yourself, but be assured that I will always be on hand to give the advice of experience. That large armchair near the fire in the common room seems to be the best place for me to sit, so I can keep an eye on proceedings, while I take on the responsibilities for stoking the fire. This reminds me; do make sure that the young people are encouraged to saw enough logs each morning for me to fulfil my obligations.

Naturally, my arthritis will prevent me being able to accompany you on your afternoon hikes, but I will cheerfully park my car wherever you leave the minibus, to provide a second vehicle in case of emergencies. I do not mind in the least waiting all those long hours until you get back; I have already chosen the cassettes and books to help me get through them. Perhaps you could modify your proposed route in the mountains to something round the lake, since I notice there is a rather attractive tea shop in the village that I may also be able to visit while waiting for your return.

I am fully aware that not sleeping or dining at the centre, not being responsible for preparing the teaching, nor being involved on the walks will mean that my contributions will be ever so slightly limited, but these are sacrifices I gladly make in order to give you further experience in your ministerial career.

Your loving uncle,

Eustace

Knowledge is power, and power corrupts. So study hard and be evil.

There is a website called www.

Parkatmyhouse.com which helps you to do just that.

One driveway near Bournemouth Airport has earned its owner £1,700 this past year. Two carpark spaces in Chelsea, near Stamford Bridge Stadium, have earned more than £3,000 this year. If you live in an area where parking is scarce and carparks are expensive, you might like to consider the idea.

Fundraising event in support of Hospice Hope A Valuation Day will be held in aid of local charity ‘Hospice Hope’ (www.hospicehope.org. uk) on 2nd October 2010 from 10.00am to 3.00pm at Christ Church Hall, London Road, Coalville.

Featuring Charles Hanson of BBC TV shows ‘Bargain Hunt’ and ‘Antiques Road Trip’, and other valuation experts from Hansons Auctioneers.

Bring along items such as jewellery, silver, paintings, toys, books, clothing (vintage, retro etc) small pieces of furniture, curios, pottery.

And just about anything else!

No charge for valuations but donations to ‘Hospice Hope’ will be most welcome!

Refreshments available throughout the day. For further details please contact Teresa on 01530 810018 or info@hospicehope.org.uk

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

24

ENJOY DRUM LESSONS • Full Ebony/Gold Plated Premier Signia Kit Provided • All Grades (Trinity Guildhall-Rock School)/All Ages/All Areas • • • •

Rock/Pop/Jazz/Orchestral Qualified Professional Drummer Home Visits If Required.

Beginners (& Advanced) Welcome • KIT(S) BOUGHT & SOLD

A Friendly & Effective 1-2-1 Learning Experience

HOLISTIC EVENT For Autumn Equinox Sat 18th Sept 11.30am – 3.30pm At Stoughton Village Hall This is a small informal event giving the chance to meet & connect with likeminded people over a cup of tea and delicious homemade cakes.

Stalls & Readings.

Entrance £1. www.leicesterlectures.co.uk

Word Power

A Short Story by Groby Writer Lindy Hardcastle

M

y mother was always uncompromisingly outspoken. Political correctness passed her by.

Now in her late eighties, she still used words current in her youth to describe people with physical or mental differences, as well as those whose origins were not indisputably Anglo Saxon.

“I always speak my mind” she used to declare, proudly, as she left yet another shop assistant, school teacher or doctor’s receptionist in a quivering, demoralised heap.

“Why, mother?” I would mutter, cowardly under my breath. “Why can’t you just keep your opinions to yourself and consider other people’s feelings?”

“I call a spade a spade” she would announce proudly. Odd expression, that. What else could you call a spade? A manual compost realignment implement, perhaps.

She drove me crazy when I was a teenager in the sixties. Her brutally frank appraisals of my appearance, clothes, friends and taste in music could have left me with a permanent inferiority complex but in fact it toughened me up. I learnt to trust my own judgement and not be too dependant on the opinion of others.

The positive side of her outspokenness was that when she did praise me, I knew she really meant it. She told me how proud she was when I got my degree and just once, on my wedding day, she told me I looked beautiful. It made me cry.

She approved of my policeman husband, who shared her jaundiced views of society; and she always adored my children uncritically, although she never hesitated to air her views on my skills as a parent, or lack of them. She believed in rigid routines, early potty training and clean plates. She told me I was irresponsibly indulgent and that crying was good for babies’ lungs.

Then she spent hours teaching them card games and smuggling in forbidden sweets.

It was my choice of profession that provided her with most cause for vigorous indignation. Social work is, after all, the natural home of the euphemism. She scoured the newspapers for examples of “political correctness gone mad” and saved them up for my visits.

She held me personally responsible for such charming bits of nonsense as renaming Christmas “Winterval” to avoid upsetting non-Christians and replacing “brainstorming” with “thought showers” for fear of offending epileptics.

In return, I delighted in teasing her, correcting such robust phrases as “Nobbut ninepence in the shilling” to “intellectually challenged”. Of course, I would explain to her, it’s easy (and fun) to mock; but people do have a right to decide how they want to be referred to. Language is power.

She disapproved of all my clients.

“Spongers,” she called them.

She was a passionate advocate of national service and would probably have welcomed the return of the workhouse. She thought marriage, however grim, should be for life and that children had a duty

to care for their elderly parents. As her only child, I was grateful that she never thought of herself as elderly. She lived in the house she had moved into when she married, kept it scrupulously clean and scorned the use of convenience foods. Her frugal meals were prepared from scratch and the pots were briskly cleared and washed the moment the last mouthful was finished.

She had very little family left. Her generation was gradually dying off, and true to form, mother had no truck with the convention of not speaking ill of the dead. Dad’s side of the family had broken off contact altogether after his death. Something to do with her referring to him at his funeral as a “cantankerous old devil”. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. The younger ones – I mean my generation, now approaching retirement! – had all had the rough side of her tongue when they were children and remembered her loud remarks at family weddings and Christenings: querying the bride’s entitlement to wear white and wondering where the baby got his flame red hair. They avoided her as much as possible, and who could blame them?

When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069 Fortunately, in her old age, she did have new friends. The street where she lived had changed around her as the old people died off and a new generation moved in. While she continued to talk about immigrants in terms that would make the Daily Mail editor blush and denounce modern youth, unemployed fathers and working mothers, she found her own rainbow community friendly and supportive. They all loved her, bizarrely. It’s odd how simply by turning eighty, a frankly rude old woman gains the status of a “character”. With good health, good neighbours and me, it seemed as if mum would go on for ever, but of course, no-one does, not even one’s parents.

It might have been kinder if the stroke had killed her. She could have died quickly, with her sense of her own invincibility intact.

To survive in a state of enforced dependence on others was a cruel blow. But that generation, born on the nineteen twenties, reared in poverty without a health service, living through the depression and the war – my goodness, they’re tough.

She hated being in hospital and resented being dependant and having decisions made for her. With the help of the physiotherapist, she worked determinedly to get back on her feet, albeit precariously

with a walking frame. I knew she would want to go home as soon as possible and at last my despised career came in useful. I knew all about the benefits system and in practical terms, what equipment, adaptations, professional support and voluntary organisations were out there for her. With the best will in the world, she was going to need a lot of help from me, but I was professionally trained to provide it as unobtrusively as possible.

Thank goodness I had just retired.

I could organise all the support she needed and discretely monitor how well she managed; only offering my help when I was reasonably confident it would be welcome.

She needed to regain a sense of her own independence. If only she could talk.

But now she could literally no longer speak her mind. She clearly understood everything that was said to her, obeying the physio’s instructions, responding to the nurses’ requests, smiling and nodding when I talked to her about the children, particularly when I told her she was going to be a great-granny, but her attempts to verbalise a response were painfully slow and difficult.

I became aware of her increasing impatience at the way people addressed her. Until I asked them to stop, the hospital staff not only called her by her given name, but

had the temerity to abbreviate it.

Even my Dad had never dared to do that, and to everyone outside the family she had always been “Mrs”. I could see the baffled fury in her eyes when a lovely, kind nurse called her “darling” or “sweetheart”. I became seriously concerned that she would bring on another stroke. Mum too had a right to choose what other people called her.

Eventually, after several weeks, it was agreed that she was well enough to go home. We had altered the house years ago when Dad’s arthritis got really bad. The little back scullery was a shower room and the dining room had a sofa bed. The upstairs could effectively be shut up. I spent a grim afternoon draping dust sheet over the gloomy mahogany furniture in the master bedroom. The bed looked like a medieval tomb and I felt as if Mum had already left me.

My own room had been stripped bare many years ago and bore no traces of the lonely little girl or the rebellious teenager who had once lived there. I scurried back downstairs and set about making it as bright and welcoming as possible with flowering pot plants and new bedcovers and cushions.

All that was needed was a few more hand rails and a ramp for the back door so she could get outside. The lovely lady next door

You’re never too old to learn something stupid.

25

had already offered the services of her enormous Rastafarian son to maintain the tiny garden and I knew the other neighbours would rally round too.

The day she came home, the occupational therapist came to discuss the adaptations to the house. Mum was exhausted with the effort of rearranging everything I had done and furious with her own inadequacies. Even with the help of her frame, she could only walk very slowly and clumsily. She was in no mood to be patronised by a chit of a girl young enough to be her grand-daughter.

“I’m Sarah,” the OT introduced herself, unnecessarily loudly. “I’ve come to see if there’s anything else you need, Margaret.”

I felt my mother stiffen at this unwarranted familiarity.

“I’m sure I’ll be able to help,” continued Sarah. “I specialise in working with people with mobility impairments.”

This was too much for Mum. She pointed a fierce finger at her chest and I could see her struggling for the words to assert her right to define herself.

“Mrs Wilkins,” she declared.

“Cripple,” she added succinctly.

That single word told me all I needed to know. My mum was back.

26

    



Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

      



    

 

  





 

  



    



September is

Older Persons’ Month Opportunities, Achievements, Active Lifestyles

Older Persons’ Month takes place in September each year. There are a whole range of events aimed at older people during the month.

These take place across Leicestershire & Rutland. They include a number of older person’s meetings, leisure, sporting and health promotion activity days. Throughout the month, older people have the chance to talk about their experience with public services and any changes they believe would benefit the community.

The booklet for 2010 is now being made widely available and a link to the electronic copy is available on the Groby Spotlight website (www. grobyspotlight.co.uk).

If you would like hard copies for yourself, friends or groups, please contact Liz McGregor, Engagement Officer - Older People, Tel: 0116 233 4243 Email: liz@ccp.org.uk and she will get them to you.

Contacts in the booklet and much of the information are still useful all year round, so it is worth keeping as a resource once the main month’s activities are over.

There’s a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can’t get away.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

Small Ads KITCHEN CUPBOARD DOORS 4, glazed, 71cm x 48cm.

Price: £20, DINING TABLE, Extending, oval, pedestal, mahogany + 4 chairs.

Price: £100.

T: 0116 2235720.

CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN, Giles & Posner, with large bag of chocolate.

New and in box. Price: £15.

T: 0116 2994650.

Camel hide pouffe 32” £5 Bedroom chair burgundy pattern fabric £5 Coast cream/black silk cocktail/ prom dress, strapless, worn once/ cleaned Size 10 £150 new, £65 Cream tab top curtains 2 pairs, each curtain 69 wide x 82” deep + tabs £10 Pine single headboard, slatted, good condition £10 Chanel sheer illuminating make up base £10 (£20 new) TMI diary – selection of boxed forms, 6 hole original, and dividers £10 Laptop case, black, carrying handle 15.5 wide x 13 deep vgc £5 Selection of desktop computer equipment - make me an offer!

T: 0116 287 7757

Your local group may qualify for a grant

GROBY PARISH COUNCIL’S GRANT AWARDING POLICY Jack Fargher, Clerk to Groby Parish Council, has kindly allowed us to publish details of the Parish Council’s Grant Awarding Policy. If you run a local group which is eligible (see details below), you may be able to apply for a grant. But you need to be quick - there is a Finance Committee meeting on Monday 11th October so it would be helpful to the Parish Council if all applications were in by then.

Objective The Parish Council wishes to support activities and causes which benefit the parish of Groby. A grant is any payment made by the Council for the specific purpose for which it is claimed and for the well being of the community.

Eligibility Any grant made by the Parish Council must directly benefit some or all of the residents of the parish of Groby.

The following criteria must be met for a group to be considered for a grant:• The group must be a charity, voluntary or community organisation; • The group must be able to demonstrate that any funding from the Parish Council will directly benefit the residents of Groby; • The group must be formally constituted and have a management committee made up of volunteers.

Individuals, businesses, religious groups or political parties are not eligible for grant funding.

Conditions • •

•

Multiple applications within a 12 month period will not normally be considered; The Parish Council reserves the right to reclaim any grant not being used for the purpose specified on the application form. The Parish Clerk will, therefore, be allowed to verify that the monies have been spent accordingly; Proper evidence of actual or estimated expenditure must be supplied to the Parish Council prior to the payment of any grant. If the Parish Council is not satisfied with the arrangements it reserves the right to request a refund of monies awarded; Grants cannot be awarded after the relevant project or event has been completed; An acknowledgement on receipt of the grant cheque is required.

‘Coolzone’ Table-top Freezer, Excellent Condition.

Price: £50.

‘Coopers’ Shower Chair, Excellent Condition.

Price: £25.

‘Invacare’ Tri-wheel Walker, Good Condition.

Price: £25.

‘Pharmore’ Tri-wheel Walker With Basket, Good Condition.

Price: £25.

T: 0116 2877373

• •

Moses Basket with Stand for sale.

As good as new. Neutral colours. £10.

Baby clothes in excellent condition. Variety of brands including; Next, Mamas and Papas, Boots and GAP. Girls clothes 0-18mths.

Neutral and boys clothes 0-3mths.

Prices from 50p per item. From a smoke and pet free home.

Tel: 0116 287 1137

•

Ladies gold camper pumps size 8, Never worn - £25 - Would make nice present Sit me up cosy, Soft inflatable baby ring - £15 Babasling, Never used- with box - £30 Wet and Straight Straighteners - barely used - £25 Call 07962 578497

Promotion

Advertise your items for sale FREE. Send us the details, cost of item and your contact phone number for the display box, together with your home address for our purposes only (not for publication).

Max FOUR items, please. Max price asked: £300.

See page 3 for Spotlight contact details.

27

Application Process •

•

Applications should be made by completing the Grant Awarding Application Form and enclosing a copy of the latest set of independently approved accounts (for both current and savings accounts) for the group making the application.

Applications are accepted at any time of the year, but are usually considered together at the September meeting of the Parish Council. All applications must therefore be received by no later than 30 August.

Applicants are usually informed within two weeks of the meeting and the grant money sent by a cheque to be drawn at the November meeting of the Parish Council.

The Parish Council will ask for recognition from successful groups in the form of the promotion of the Parish Council in the organisation’s newsletter or any press release. The Parish Council will also recognise successful groups in its own reports to parishioners.

Wise Words Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.

Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) English statesman and writer

I always take life with a grain of salt, ...plus a slice of lemon, ...and a shot of tequila.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

28

ZODIAC WORDSEARCH 1st Prize: A Main Course for Two and a Bottle Word Search Puzzle of House Wine at The Fieldhead Hotel!

2nd Prize: A £10 DVD Hire Voucher to Spend at Glenfield Moviezone!

S T A R B I L R A M X V E A L

R U A U G Y W C G E C Z Q O E

E C I U T F Y S E I I U G N O

C Q W R R T J Q N Q A O P Z E

N A Q M A U H H M R L T F E B

A Q B J L T S S I E A T V U O

C M V K O S T U E D I L I V X

M Z W Z R C S I B I I X R L P

B S L B P O F C G S R V D Z B

N R O C I R P A C A S A R A B

H L R Q V P Z K P E S M Z C Y

G E M I N I A W C B U Q N U B

W D R T V O F S A M H P R O Y

Z G G N A B I A T T Y E D R N

O R F A Z P D T B H P B K G L

Name: .................................................................................................

 AQUARIUS Address: ARIES................................................................................................

CANCER .................................................................Postcode: .............................

CAPRICORN GEMINI IfLEO you can spot 12 SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC in the Wordsearch grid above, you could win a Main Course for Two and a Bottle LIBRA of House Wine at The Fieldhead Hotel (see ad this page) - or a PISCES £10 DVD Hire Voucher to spend at Glenfield Moviezone (see ad SAGITTARIUS on page 5).

SCORPIO All you have to do to go into the draw is find - and mark a line through TAURUS - 12 signs of the Zodiac. These can run vertically, horizontally or VIRGO diagonally (and backwards!).

Send your marked entry forms to: IN THE STARS, Groby & Field Head  Spotlight, PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT to arrive by Saturday 25th September 2010. Please remember to fill in your name  and address. The sender of the first correct entry drawn out of the hat will win the Meal for Two at The Fieldhead Hotel and the sender of the second will win the Moviezone DVD hire voucher. Good luck!

A Full night’s entertainment

Groby Club Grand Variety Show A Grand Variety Show will take place on Thursday 23rd September at Groby Ex-Servicemen’s Club between 8pm-11pm. All proceeds from the show will go to Cancer Research and Loros.

There will be a full night’s entertainment with local professional talent including some of Leicester’s top bands, singers, dancers, and two amazing speciality acts. There will also be a prize raffle with proceeds going to both charities. The show will be compered

by Digg Haywood.

Advanced tickets £5.00 - On the door £6.00 - Concessions/ Children £2.50. Tickets obtainable from Digg Haywood on 07801924013 or from Groby Ex- Servicemen’s Club, on 0116 2871809.

Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com

Here are the 12 Signs of the Zodiac you have to find: AQUARIUS • ARIES • CANCER • CAPRICORN GEMINI • LEO • LIBRA • PISCES SAGITTARIUS • SCORPIO • TAURUS • VIRGO

Last Issue’s TWO Winners Last issue’s first prize winner was JOSEPHINE CHILDS of Poplars Close, Groby. You win a Sunday Lunch for Two and a Bottle of House Wine at The Plough Inn, Ratby.

The winner of the second prize - a £10 DVD Hire Voucher to spend at Glenfield MovieZone - was Mr.G.Mayes of Quorndon Rise, Groby.

Congratulations! Your vouchers will be with you within 21 days.

FENCING

S G S

SHOOTER GARDENING SERVICES

NEW & REPAIR WORK UNDERTAKEN ALL WOOD IS PRESSURE TREATED

CALL JIM SHOOTER . 95 LEICESTER ROAD, GROBY

0116 2879715 / 07814224630

Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

29

What’s New on DVD A Selection of New and Future Releases

SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE (15)

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve Kirk (Jay Baruchel) was languishing in a dead-end job as an airport security agent when he somehow managed to earn the affections of the successful and drop-dead gorgeous Molly (Alice Eve). Even Kirk isn’t exactly sure what Molly sees in him, though he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make the relationship work. With his friends, family, and ex-girlfriend all watching stunned from the sidelines, Kirk discovers that he’ll have to work overtime in order to convince Molly that he’s worth hanging on to.

CASE 39 (15)

Starring: RenéeZellweger, Bradley Cooper Oscar-winner Renée Zellweger stars in this terrifying supernatural thriller about a social worker who has been assigned the unusual and disturbing case of Lillith Sullivan … a girl with a strange and mysterious past. When Emily (Zellweger) opens her home in an attempt to help Lillith, it turns into a deadly nightmare she may not survive. Co– starring Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Case 39 is a heart-stopping chiller with startling surprises that lead to a shocking and sinister ending.

IRON MAN 2 (12)

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke With the world now aware of his dual life as the armoured superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark faces pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark - along with Pepper Potts and James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes at his side - must forge new alliances, and confront powerful enemies.

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (18)

Starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Thomas Dekker, Kellan Lutz, Five teenage friends living on one street all dream of a sinister man with a disfigured face, a frightening voice and a gardener’s glove with knives for fingers. One by one, he terrorises them within their dreams – where the rules are his and the only way out is to wake up. But when one among them dies, they soon realise that what happens in their dreams happens for real and the only way to stay alive is to stay awake.

DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED (18)

Starring: Gemma Arterton, Martin Compston, Eddie Marsan An abduction takes a number of unexpected turns in this independent thriller from Britain. Vic (Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Martin Compston) are a pair of ex-cons who spend several days elaborately soundproofing and reinforcing the walls of a small apartment. Vic is hard-edged and domineering with a fierce suspicious streak, while Danny is weak-willed and will do nearly anything Vic asks of him. We soon learn what Vic and Danny were planning as they grab a young woman off the street, take her back home and tie her to the bed. The young woman is named Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton), and she comes from a wealthy family; after taking some snapshots of her, Vic fires off a ransom demand to her father, asking for £2 million in exchange for Alice’s safe return. Vic is convinced he’s executing the perfect crime, but it becomes apparent that not everything is going as planned; Alice is smarter and more resourceful than he imagined, and Danny’s allegiances can be manipulated in ways Vic never anticipated.



        



    

THE LAST SONG (PG)

Starring: Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Bobby Coleman Miley Cyrus stars as a teenager who reconnects with her father years after her parents go through a nasty divorce in this adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel. The novelist also provides the screenplay for the production, which is directed by Julie Ann Robinson.

Worrying works! 90% of the things I worry about never happen.

30

lowe’s

plumbing & heating

Central Heating Breakdowns and Repairs Boiler Installations / Replacements Free Quotes 30 Years Exp. Landlords Gas Safety Certificates No Callout Fee 10% Off for OAP’s System Power Flushing 0116 2879760 / 07925 802265 Servicing info@lowesplumbingandheating.co.uk

T

his month must be a first, everything has gone without mishap.

Personally I enjoy months that go not quite according to plan. It makes life so much easier when it comes to reporting events but I daresay I shall find something to write about.

Our Luncheon Club went to Earl Shilton as usual and it was very enjoyable. There was no diversion this trip and everyone appeared to be very healthy and tucked into a very acceptable Mediterranean menu. It was quite noisy as a party of ladies (perhaps another WI) were actually noisier than us, or so I thought.

Then we had our Bradgate Group Skittles Competition. It was the second round. Without appearing to brag, we beat (not that I played I hasten to say) Thurcaston and Cropston. Thurcaston and Cropston in the past usually reckon to beat us but not this year. I am proud to say that our team beat them in all three rounds. Well done girls, now onto the final to be played later. The Competition is well worth winning as the prize is the holding of the cup for a year albeit, it is the size of an egg cup which takes a lot of polishing to get it to resemble silver.

The trouble is should we win, some poor member has to hold it for the

All the latest Groby WI News ... from Margaret Gamble year which means she has the job of polishing it. There’s always a downside to winning.

The really big event this month was the Village Show. It is hosted jointly by the Gardening Club and the W I. I haven’t a clue as to final figures etc but I do know the place was humming. I was pleased to see so many new faces especially younger couples with children of various ages.

The children’s entries were the best for many a year.

What they can do with a cauli, carrot etc is fantastic.

Some, no doubt, had a bit of help from a grown up but what the heck. All classes, as far as I could see, had some great entries. By the way, you don’t have to belong to either society, entries are open to anyone, so please remember that for next year. I think from the gardening, cookery and craft sections both the

Garden Society and the WI should be very pleased with the turnout.

All should be congratulated on the high quality of the vegetables and flowers which were really top notch, the display by talented craftspeople and the mouth watering cakes. Having said that, I must confess (I seem to have a confession each month) that my lemon drizzle had been in the freezer for a few weeks.

On defrosting it, it sort of lost a corner and was a bit soggy, still as I have already said in the past, it’s the entering that counts. As for my apple pie, unfortunately because of lack of space due to having my kitchen altered and because our latest rescue Billy is liable to take a fancy to it, I had to keep it in the oven which made it go soft. Anyway that’s my excuse for not winning anything but my husband still ate it. At lunchtime

a team of ladies did us proud providing lunch for the Judges and helpers. (It’s not bribery, the Judges ate after judging). Then the WI team provided afternoon teas and cakes (all homemade) for the many visitors. A big thank you to all helpers, Garden Club and WI ladies, it was a great show.

Finally, at our monthly meeting we had Douglas Maas who is a great narrow boat enthusiast. When small he loved reading Arthur Ransome’s books, hence his love of canals etc.

He eventually became a member of the Arthur Ransome Society. He and his wife decided to build their own boat and ordered just the basic steel superstructure, plus rudder from a boat builder. They then spent the next couple of years fitting it out. Luckily his father-in-law, who is a gifted artist, put finishing touches to it by painting traditional canal paintings on locker doors etc plus decorating the outside. A very pretty boat but after spending all hours on it they decided to have a go at another larger one. This one they lived on for a while but of course after a while they got the urge to build yet again another one which is still under construction.

Next month’s meeting on the 16th September is a talk by Roger Hailwood on unusual places in Ireland. Don’t forget it’s at the Village Hall, opposite the Post Office and starts at 7.30p.m.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

Latest bulletin from National Trust Leicester Association If you visited Hardwick Hall near Chesterfield this summer you will have noticed building work going on in the old Stableyard buildings.

This is part of a £6.6 million development to convert the whole block into new visitor facilities including a larger retail area, improved restaurant and multi-use community space with meeting rooms. Funding for this work was obtained from a number of sources in 2009. Recently £100,000 has also been obtained from the BNED LEADER programme to build a sustainable designed Visitor Welcome Centre next to the re-located and improved car park. Tours of the whole development are being offered to visitors.

Development work of a very different kind is taking place at the High Peak and Longshaw Estate in North Derbyshire. Here gully blocking, heather seeding, cottongrass planting and bracken control are making a real difference to the long-term health of our moorland areas. Funding by Biffaward is also enabling essential restoration work to be carried out on the severely degraded peat bogs on Kinder Scout. Restoration of a bronze-age burial mound at Margery Hill is also underway.

This year the National Trust has made great efforts to make visits to all its properties more enjoyable for all its visitors. Many visitors take part in a short survey at the end of their visit and in June 75% of visitors nationally had had a “very enjoyable” visit. Over the whole of the East Midlands the figure was 74% while the return for Calke Abbey was 77%. In the current difficult financial climate total members recruited and visits to properties nationally are up against target and whilst income from commercial activities is down slightly overall income is up 1%.

The NT Leicester Association has three meetings over the next few weeks.

On Tuesday 14 September there is an illustrated talk “The Return of the Osprey” by Tim Mackrill at 7.30 at the Premier Inn, Braunstone Lane East, Leicester.

At 2.30 on Wednesday 22 September John Coleman will talk about “Ballooning Over the Masai Mara” at the St John the Baptist Parish Centre, Clarendon Park Road, Leicester.

Thirdly, on Tuesday 12 October there is an illustrated talk “The Making of the English Landscape” by David Voddon at 7.30 at the Premier Inn, Braunstone Lane East.

Admission to all meetings is NTLA members £2 and visitors £4. For more information on the NT Leicester Association and its Talks Service call, 0116 2229133.

Alan Tyler

From Groby’s Local Policeman PC

31

918 Ned Kelly

Don’t Be A School Gate Parker!

Dear Residents of Groby.

At the beginning of every new school term or year, I always receive complaints from parents in the village about how other parents park their car or vehicle outside the schools within the village, without giving any kind of consideration for the safety of the school children.

I would like to ask those parents out there who do drive their child to school to think about how they park/where they drop their child off.

When children arrive or leave school each day your behaviour can either protect or endanger them. The start of a new school term is always a hectic time and parking is a source of great concern for parents and residents alike. Inconsiderate parking is not only selfish but dangerous and can cause accidents. Parking restrictions are in place near schools for a reason. They protect our communities’ children against possible injuries.

Parking on yellow lines, double parking, parking on pavements, blocking of driveways and ignoring school crossing patrols ALL place children at risk and are illegal. Both drivers and vehicles need good visibility around schools to be able to see each other. Over staying time restriction limits defeats the purpose of sharing parking around schools.

PLEASE CHOOSE SAVE PARKING OVER CONVENIENCE AT ALL TIMES. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Anyone with information about any crime or incident can contact me on 0116 222 2222 and quote my collar number 0918 or you can call Crime Stoppers free on 0800 555111.

Chairman, NT Leicester Association

Stamp Fair: 12th September THE NEXT stamp fair in aid of LOROS will take place on Sunday 12th September at Newbold Verdon Primary School, Dragon Lane, Newbold Verdon - between 10am and 3pm.

If you’d like to donate stamps, please trim them leaving a border of about ¼ inch (6mm) around each stamp.

For more information, call Roger Simmons on (01455 822645) or Graham Hunt (01455 822774).

Anstey Gala Day: 18th Sept The Anstey Gala Day celebration takes place on Saturday 18th September 2010 from 12 noon at the Recreation Ground, Stadon Road, Anstey.

Anstey will be celebrating the end of World War 2 with the Tommy Atkins Army Re-Enactment Group, and the Ratby Mid Band.

There will be a range of stalls on the field, plus: Dog display team and Dog show, Freddie the Magician for the children, local dance groups.

It’s a great afternoon’s entertainment for all the family!

Never get into fights with ugly people, they have nothing to lose.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

32

Ancient Local Football!

Di Lockley has sent us this fascinating historical account of local football

W

hen taking the dog for a walk at Hill Hole recently I spotted two young lads with a football resting on what was one of Markfield’s former strategic pitches, which is now in much better condition than how Walter Higgins described it in the late 1920s.

Walter was born in what he describes as ‘a straggling untidy village on the fringe of the Charnwood Forest’, (Markfield) in 1915. He eventually became one of the Headmasters at South Charnwood High School. In his autobiography ‘Well Wunted a Leicestershire Life time’ he tells us all about his memories of once playing football within Markfield village in the 1920s.

Instep instead of toe “It was on the rough, stony sloping Sawpit the Markfield boys learned footballing crafts. The ball had to be kept low, otherwise it was apt to fly over a stonewall and into an orchard wherein prowled an ill-tempered, boy-hating Labrador.

Balls cost money and lost balls caused trouble for deprived owners. So from the tenderest years we learned to kick the ball with the instep instead of toe and with body over ball, a basic skill insufficiently in evidence these days. Everyone, all ages and sizes, winter and summer, played in two huge teams kicking ‘uphill’ and ‘downhill’ before and after school: so the younger boys learned the arts of feinting, swerving, sidestepping and balance by the crude but effective method of playing against opponents twice their height and weight. It was basically a choice between the quick and the halfdead, but there was little of the petulance or play-acting one sees so often now at all levels of the game. So was ensured a seemingly endless supply of skilled players for the school and village teams.

Alas, the mounting tide of affluence after World War 11 meant that our noble arena, the setting for so many triumphs and disappointments, suffered the indignity of conversion into a car park: and on my last visit I noticed it is now permanently grassed and fenced, so it is no mere coincidence that Markfield teams no longer enjoy their former dominance.

Natural hazards In order to satisfy our desire for competitive football, we had our

own league within the village confines. There were four teams – Top Town, Bottom Town, Council Houses, New Row – each with strictly defined boundaries. No one could play for a team other than the one within whose boundaries he lived; this rule was originally formed to prevent poaching of players but was in fact quite unnecessary, as no boy would have been so disloyal as to kick a ball for any team save his own. Our matches were true Derby games, played mostly on rough ground with natural hazards such as ditches, hedges, walls forming the touchlines. No quarter was asked for or given, no prisoners taken; referees were non-existent, and each team took the field determined to equalise before the opposition scored. This was bloodtingling football, played eleven aside without substitutes or the impedimenta of match officials.

No-man’s-land My first team was Council Houses, and we shared with New Row a joint pitch. This was at the edge of the old disused quarry, the ‘Hill Hole’ a kind of no-man’sland between the two territories.

Additional hazards on this pitch were small gorse bushes and stunted trees; years of football kept them under control, and although we could doubtless have dug them out we preferred them to remain as they increased our skill and added to the discomfiture of our opponents. Indeed, certain tactical moves were built around their presence When I later moved to another part of the village I was automatically transferred to Bottom Town, a more classy team which played on a reasonably good field belonging to Mr Wesley,a friendly farmer. But Top Town were the aristocrats, for they played on the Dandees, the home of the village club itself. Stirring battles were fought in this league – often before spectators – and to take part was a vital step on the ladder to football maturity and even manhood.

organised as it is now, and in our league there were only three other schools; Anstey, Groby and Ratby. My father was in charge of games, and when we played at home was able to arrange for us to use the Dandees, as he was on the committee of the village club.

Our colours were black and amber stripes, and a braver sight was never seen as we took to the field,

each with his own innermost secret belief that he was David Jack or Charlie Buchan, Fred Keenor or Johnnie Duncan, Hughie Gallacher or Arthur Chandler: supermen, all of them. With a convenient disregard for accuracy, my father would tell us we looked like wasps and he wanted us to use our stings; and if the battle became close, we were tigers and must show our

Call Now 07522 671792 BOOK NOW FOR THE SUMMER! If it’s raining on the day you can cancel your booking with no charge.

ONLY

ONLY

£65 PER DAY

12Õ x 12Õ Bouncy Castle

PER DAY

Suitable for children aged 4 - 10 years

Suitable for indoor and outdoor parties

Real goalposts But the ultimate accolade was to play for the school in the Charnwood League, with real jerseys, a real football, real goalposts and a real pitch with lines marked in sawdust. There were no goal nets, for they were too expensive and confined to famous clubs like Leicester City, Loughborough Corinthians and Coalville Town. Schoolboy football then was not as comphrensively

£50

12Õ x 18Õ Bounce and Slide

Suitable for children aged 4 - 12 years

Delivered, assembled and collected from your venue

A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069 teeth.

We believed him. Not for a moment did it occur to us that we were only small boys whose mothers would shake their heads and tut-tut over us as we gingerly examined our cuts and bruises later. When we returned home later my father was invariably put into his place by being told that all this running about and blowing of whistles would inevitably lead to a burst blood-vessel. But it made no difference, for he knew that if he gave up there would be no school football, and for Markfield such a thing was unthinkable.

Brown’s Blue When we had an away game he would hire a vehicle belonging to Laurie Brown.

It was a most versatile Chevrolet, which normally delivered coal from the pithead direct to the consumer; but when necessary it could be transformed into a bus by the addition of wooden-slatted seats and a portable top, painted green and bearing the name ‘The Nancy’, so called after Laurie’s sister.

This was the forerunner of what developed into one of the biggest and most prosperous fleets of coaches in the midlands. But the company of L D Brown & Sons, with its famous ‘Brown’s Blue’ luxury coaches, never lost the personal touch and tradition of courteous service which is the hallmark of the true family firm.

Forty years after the Nancy’s pioneering runs and following Laurie’s death, the business was taken over by the giant Midland Red organisation, a sad day indeed. It is a melancholy thought that today it would be virtually impossible for anyone to start from nothing as Laurie did and emulate his achievements.

We liked away games, for in addition to missing lessons sometimes, it was a rare thrill to travel in a bus. The ubiquitous coal dust added still more romance, the Nancy was transformed into a rather grimy winged chariot

carrying us to victory against a team of unfortunates who were not privileged to live at Markfield. The hedgerows and gates seemed to flash past, yet in retrospect I doubt if the Nancy was capable of more than twenty-five miles an hour unladen and running downhill on full throttle.

Good tempered The school we most liked to play was Groby. This was another village with a granite quarry, so there was a certain rapport between us. The headmaster, Mr Waldrom, was an old friend of my father: he was a kindly man of great charm, and his personality was reflected in his pupils.

Our games with Groby were always goodtempered and enjoyable; as soon as the final whistle blew, Mr Waldrom would always congratulate or console us before turning his attention to his own team.

Alternative strip Games with Ratby were harder, especially on their pitch, but our bloodiest battles were against Anstey Latimer Street.

There was little love lost between us; and for several reasons. They were good, and knew it. So were we, but they had won the league championship more often than anyone. They wore the same strip as ourselves, and because elementary schools in those days could not possibly afford the luxury of an alternative strip, the clash of colours – twenty-two angry wasps or snarling tigers instead of eleven – caused confusion, irritation and frayed tempers. As Mr Lewis the Head from Anstey steadfastly refused to allow his boys to wear headgear when playing, we had to wear our caps as the only distinguishing feature when opposing them, and this was another niggling irritant.’

So footballers there is still a pitch at Hill Hole with hardly a gorse bush or stunted tree in sight but you will still have to keep the ball low or otherwise loose it forever over the fence around the water.

33

Jazz Night on 2nd October Jane Thompson has organised a Jazz Night in aid of the DebRA charity (Butterfly Children).

The event - which features the Hiss and Boo Band - takes place on Saturday 2nd October at Markfield Community Centre, Mayflower Close, Markfield (7.30pm start) Tickets, priced at £5, are available from Jane telephone 01530 243206.

DebRA is the national charity working on behalf of people in the UK with the genetic skin blistering condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

Judy Wynne Named Business Hero in Barclays Trading Places Awards THORNTON-BASED entrepreneur, Judy Wynne, has been named one of Britain’s most inspirational business women less than four years after setting up on her own.

Now Judy is hoping to win a share of the £50,000 prize package in the 2010 Barclays Trading Places Awards, which recognises people who have beaten the odds to succeed in business.

Judy, from Thornton, worked as a nursing home manageress – responsible for cleaning and disinfection of the home. When Judy left the company she retrained in remedial massage therapy.

After working for many years as a therapist a series of major medical problems forced her to give up her full time practice.

During her periods of hospitalisation, Judy gained a personal insight into infection protection from a patient perspective. She realised that many people were confused and anxious about MRSA and C.difficile, and that proper understanding and awareness is a vital element in controlling preventable infection.

In order to provide the most up-to-date and accurate facts and information available, Judy set up Infection Protection.Org (IPO). The website offers advice on the steps the public can take to protect themselves, and sells the safest and most effective products.

Steve Cooper, chair of the judging panel and Managing Director, Barclays Business, said: “Trading Places is a celebration of inspiring people who in spite of great personal challenges, have taken steps to establish a sustainable business and in doing so changed the direction of their lives for the better.

“The calibre of this year’s entries is outstanding and we hope that with this recognition, Infection Protection.Org will continue on the road to success.

“We also hope Judy’s story will inspire other budding entrepreneurs in Leicestershire, who face similar difficulties to come forward and turn their own business dreams into reality.”

Barclays will present the overall winner with a cheque for £10,000, and the runner-up with £5,000 for their business, at a prestigious black-tie gala dinner at The Savoy in London on Tuesday 30th November to be attended by more than 300 VIP guests.

Awards supporters Microsoft and Yell will also be offering tailor-made packages for the 10 National Finalists, including the latest business software and special multi-media advertising packages.

This year there is also a special award and a cheque for £3,500, courtesy of Barclays, for the Trading Places finalist whose business is helping local people by putting something back into the community.

ANSTEY & DISTRICT FUNERAL SERVICES

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT

As part of our aftercare service, we now offer a monthly Bereavement Aftercare & Support Group, which has been set up to provide a FREE support service, not just to our clients, but to ANY bereaved person, irrespective of their age, creed, religion and length of bereavement.

The group now meets on the 3rd Saturday of every month in the catering suite at Anstey & District Funeral Services between 10am and 12noon.

Next dates: Saturday 18th Sept & Saturday 16th Oct 2010 ARRAN BRUDENELL, Tel: 0116 234 0548

If God is watching us, the least we can do is be entertaining.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

34 Information from Bradgate Twinning Association

The Realities of Twinning

Twinning developed after the Second World War, the general idea was to get people of different countries to meet and understand different customs and cultures – the overriding objective was to avoid future conflicts by fostering friendships on an individual level across national boundaries.

The founders of the Bradgate Twinning Association, local villagers from some 30+ years ago, recorded three aims: • to promote and foster friendship, links and understanding between BTA and Europe Inter Echanges Plateau Est de Rouen.

• to encourage contacts to broaden the mutual understanding of the cultural, recreational, educational and commercial activities of the linked villages.

• to fund the foregoing aims.

I think that these objectives fit quite well with the overall spirit of the post war twinning movement.

The last one is interesting – most British twinning associations receive little or no funding from government – unlike France, where our twinners receive some government funding to assist them. Of course it is only right that people who participate in exchanges pay for their “holiday” when they participate in an exchange, so why do we need funds, and where does the money go?

Our twinning arrangements are quite simple – when we go to the Plateau Est de Rouen once a year, visitors from Bradgate villages pay for the travel, our hosts entertain us – a trip out with lunch, an evening dinner with entertainment and time with our host families. Almost a free holiday. But its payback time when we return the hospitality and entertain our French visitors - we do the same for them, and thus we need to raise funds to pay for our guests at the communal activities. That is where the fun starts. As a newcomer to Anstey my wife and I have quickly been accepted into twinning, and get a lot of enjoyment out of the fund raising social events. In truth, I was a little apprehensive, on approaching the association to enquire of my first event, the Tramps Supper, but Anne told me, “you will have a good time”, and boy we

The French are very keen on their national colours and love a little bit of formality – here Jean Luc Duflou can be seen presenting our President Mike Brewer with a plaque to commemorate the 30th anniversary of our twinning arrangement in 2009. The plaque is now on display in Anstey Parish Council Offices.

The three lions are just the same as the English Lions and do remind us of the close historical connection between Normandy and England.

The three lions are still the symbol of Normandy…

did! The social events are open to all – not just Twinning Association members. You can contact Anne on 0116 2213786.

Our next major event is “Cliff as If ” on 9 October at Newtown Linford – by Will Chandler reputedly the best Cliff Richard tribute act - look out for the posters. Of course before that we will be running the Allo Allo Café at Anstey Gala on 18 September – licensed bar with good food, and English tea and cakes. Hopefully to fit in with this year’s Gala Theme we will have a display including wartime photographs of Rouen.

But what else happens in twinning? This year so far seven Bradgate twinners have made personal visits to their host families, all since May!

Old Money Answer - from page 17

1 £14=A stone, 2 £6 = A Sick Squid, 3 5/-=A Crown, 4 1/- =A Bob, 5 6d =A Tanner, 6 Penny Farthing, 7 Guinea, 8 Three farthings, 9 Penny; TOTAL: £21 7s 9d

Some French visited here to Bradgate to do an English language course in Leicester – and myself and wife have had a holiday in France where our French hosts came to stay with us for four days at a holiday cottage – close friends said we were brave! At the end of it both families agreed that four days was far too short!

Other Bradgate Twinners have visited France for a wedding, a birthday party, a teenager for language practice, a young family visiting Rouen and having hosts back in Bradgate - just for the fun of it, and others stopping off as they passed through to a holiday destination.

This is more than casual twinning – to me this is genuine deep friendships being formed and enjoyed for the future.

We in Bradgate are all looking forward to entertaining our French friends when they come to us in November – to me it is remarkable that their coach is over subscribed – Bradgate in November?… Brrrr!

There must be something good going on!

Martyn Wroe

Crime Figures for August 2010 The following incidents were reported to the Police in the local area during August 2010.

Description

Groby

Field Head

House Burglaries Actual: Leicester Road, Greys Drive, Highfield Road Attempted: None

3 Actual 0 Attempted

0

Garage, Shed, Outbuilding Burglaries Actual: Ratby Road (2), Wolsey Close, Rookery Lane, Attempted: None.

4 Actual 0 Attempted

0

Theft of Motor Vehicle:

0

0

Theft from Motor Vehicle: Ratby Road

1

0

Damage to Motor Vehicle: Ratby Road, Pymm Ley Close (2), Pymm Ley Lane

4

0

Non-Domestic Assaults

3

0

Anti Social Behaviour Incidents

6

0

Crimes That Don’t Affect Residents Homes or Cars

19

0

TOTAL (Actual)

40

0

TOTAL (Attempted)

0

0

Theft: 3 / Damage: 2 / Other: 14

Local crime news in more detail is available at www.groby.org.uk Information supplied by Martin Cartwright - Secretary - Groby Branch Neighbourhood Watch - Tel: 0116 2874500 • Mobile: 07850 707050 Email: neighbourhoodwatch@appliancehome.co.uk

In An Emergency dial 999. Contact the local police on 0116 222-2222.

CRIMESTOPPERS: 0800 555111 Next Meeting: Thursday 2nd December 2010 at 7.30pm at Groby Village Hall, New room to the rear of the main hall. Everyone welcome

Evening news is where they begin with ‘Good evening’, and then proceed to tell you why it isn’t.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • Mid-SEPTEMBER 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069

35

Advert FINDER Accountants (Henstocks) P.14

Garage Services (D. Colledge) P.29

Aerobics (Vicky) P.10

Garden Centre (Sevenoaks) P.11

Aerials (Almighty) P.3

Garden Services (Shooter) P.21

Aerials (Digivision) P.23

Gas/Heating/Boilers (UK Gas) P.7

Appliance Repairs & Sales P.8

Hairdressing (Classic Cuts) P.27

Bathrooms (Dalby) P.15

Hairdressing (Snips) P.30

Bereavement Support (A.F.S.) P.33

Homes For Sale (New) P.26

Blinds (Brookvale) P.31

Jewellers (Sykes) P.26

Bouncy Castles P.32

Landscape Gardening (Groby L/S) P.11

Builder (MT. Builders) P.20

Landscape Supplies (Sunningdale) P.6

Care Services (Bosworth) P.13

Meat (Little Markfield Farm) P.24

Carpentry (John Mallon) P.2

M.O.T Testing (Cropston Garage) P.13

Car Sales (Anstey M. Co.) P.22

M.O.T Testing (Service Garage) P.24

Chiropodist (Jason Peake) P. 33

Moviezone P.5

Chiropodist (Gordon Watson) P. 30

Plasterer (M. Hoyland) P.29

Cleaning/Domestic (M.Maid) P.26

Plasterer (A. Merrall) P.20

Cleaning/Varied (Cleaneaves) P.31

Plumbing/Heating Etc. (P. Farthing) P.36

Club (Groby) P.7

Plumbing/Heating Etc. (C. Foulds) P.17

Computer Repairs (Anstey C.) P.17

Plumbing/Heating/Etc. (G.Knight) P.9

Computer Repairs (Groby C.) P.27

Plumbing/Heating/Etc. (Lowes) P.30

Computer Repairs (ICN C.) P.35

Plumbing/Tiling/Heating (MRM) P.21

Curtainmaker (ADJ) P.23

Plumbing/Heating/Etc. (G.Weisner) P.24

Dance Sensation P.11

Plumbing/Heating/Etc.(A. Douglas) P.4

Decorating (A.Cox) P.30

Property Maintenance (IDC) P.3

Decorating (J.A. Herbert) P.21

Property Maintenance (Rob Hurst) P.26

Decorating (P.W.Yeomans) P.9

Property Maintenance (J. Wait) P.19

Dentures (Dentures at Home) P.19

Pub Food (Nag’s Head) P.5

Doctors Surgery (Markfield) P.12

Pub Food (Old Thatched Inn) P.9

Double Glazing (A1 L.Windows) P.36

Pub Food (Fieldhead Hotel) P.28

Double G. Repairs (W. Services) P.2

Skip Hire (Anstey) P.35

Driving Lessons (Alliance) P.19

Skip Hire (Map Waste) P.16

Driving Lessons (Katz Eyes) P.11

Slimming World (Hazel +) P.5

Drum Lessons (D. Rowe) P.24

Solicitors (Dodds) P.11

Electrical Sales (Keith Smith) P.36

Taxi (Area Link Travel) P.18

Electrician (Control Electrics) P.29

Therapy (Bodytalk) P.13

Electrician (G & T Electrical) P.19

Tree Care (Hunter T. Care) P.22

Electrician (Paul Rumble) P.17

Tree Care (Martin Page) P.15

Fencing (Fensit) P.17

Tutor (Darren Turner) P.9

Fencing (Shooter) P.28

Upholstery (S. Shuttlewood) P.8

Fitted Furniture (Swift) P.7

Veterinary Services (Leggett) P.26

Foot Health (J. Partridge) P.29

Vinyl Records (Jonny) P.17

Framing (Just Frames) P.18

W.E.A. Classes P.8

Funerals (Anstey F. Serv) P.15 & 20

Yoga (Jackie) P.29

Furniture (Suite Superstore) P.25

Council scheme to help tackle unemployment A new scheme to help job hunters in Leicestershire get back into work is being launched.

All 54 libraries across Leicestershire are now Multi Access Centres (MACS) – a new service offering help and advice to people who are aged 19 or above who are out of work, or likely to be made redundant.

The aim of the programme is to support people back into work, improve skills and help the local economy.

Our friendly staff will listen to your job needs and help you to work out your next steps towards employment.

This could include: • Help in writing a CV and covering letter Feedback on an existing CV • Details on adult education courses to improve English and maths skills • or build confidence in relation to work • Details on training and volunteering • Advice on searching for jobs Bobbie Dabell, who recently moved to Leicestershire, needed help in looking for a job in administration. After visiting Loughborough Library she found out about the new centres and was grateful for the help she received.

Bobbie said: “Thank you so much for all your help, advice and time – now I have a suitable CV and covering letter, hopefully it will assist me in being successful in getting a job.”

Peter Osborne, the Chairman of Leicestershire County Council, who is launching the scheme, said: “This new scheme in Leicestershire is a step in the right direction to help support people back into work. Staff at the County Council’s libraries will be on hand to advise and guide people and help them back on the right track towards getting a job and improving their skills.”

To find out more, visit your local library and a librarian can arrange an appointment. Alternatively, visit: www.leics.gov.uk/multiaccesscentres email: mac@leics.gov.uk or call Martin Hall, MAC Co-ordinator on 07852 228424.

If I agreed with you we’d both be wrong.

KEITH SMITH (ANSTEY) LTD 6 STADON ROAD ANSTEY LE7 7AY - SALES RENTAL & SERVICE

TEL: 0116 2362395 - sales@keithsmithltd.co.uk

FAST FREE LOCAL DELIVERY INDESIT IWB6123UK Washing Machine 1200rpm Spin Speed 6Kg Load Capacity 16 Progs AAB Rated Time Delay

WAS £299.99 Save £40

NOW £259.99

HOTPOINT WML520P Washing Machine 1200rpm Spin Speed 6Kg Load Capacity Mini Load Quick Wash AAB Rated

WAS £329.99 Save £40

NOW £289.99

HOTPOINT AQ7F29I Washing Machine 1200rpm Spin Speed 7kg Load Capacity AAB Rated 30min Quick Wash

AAB Rated FREE 3 Year Warranty

£399.99

HOOVER OPHS612 Washing Machine 1200rpm Spin Speed 6Kg Load Capacity 29min Quick Wash 14 Progs A+AB Rated

Free Installation*

£279.99

ZANUSSI

BEKO

ZWG1120M

CDA539FW

Washing Machine 1200rpm Spin Speed 6kg Load Capacity AAB Rated Time Delay

Fridge Freezer 134/63 Litres Capacity Frost Free Two Glass Shelves

Quick Wash WAS £299.99 Save £40

NOW £259.99

All products are in stock and available for immediate Delivery Internet Prices With Personal Service Ask about our Price Match Promise Built-in Display Lots of other offers in-store now!

Free Installation (worth £29.99)*

Free Removal of Old Machine (worth £14.00)**

Free Removal of Packaging

*To Existing Fittings. **Excludes Refrigeration

A Energy Rated Fast Free Local Delivery

£289.99

ANSTEY

HOTPOINT ~ SIEMENS ~ CANNON ~ BOSCH ~ CREDA ~ WHIRLPOOL ~ ZANUSSI ~ INDESIT ~ BELLING ~ HOTPOINT ~ SIEMENS ~ CANNON ~ BOSCH ~ ELECTROLUX

HOTPOINT ~ SIEMENS ~ CANNON ~ BOSCH ~ CREDA ~ WHIRLPOOL ~ ZANUSSI ~ INDESIT ~ BELLING ~ HOTPOINT ~ SIEMENS ~ CANNON ~ BOSCH ~ ELECTROLUX ~

WASHING MACHINES ~ FRIDGE FREEZERS ~ FAST FREE LOCAL DELIVERY ~ TUMBLE DRYERS ~ COOKERS ~ OVENS ~

WASHING MACHINES ~ FRIDGE FREEZERS ~ FAST FREE LOCAL DELIVERY ~ TUMBLE DRYERS ~ COOKERS ~ OVENS ~