September 2013 groby spotlight magazine

GROBY PARISH COUNCIL QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER INSIDE THIS ISSUE - SEE PAGES 18 & 19

Groby’s new Memorial Garden opens A Memorial Garden has opened in Groby thanks, in part, to funding from the Borough Council’s Parish and Community Initiative Fund.

The Memorial Garden was a project by Groby Parish Council to create a place dedicated to the memory of lost loved ones. The garden provides a tranquil area where people can remember lost friends and relatives. The garden was officially opened by members of Groby Parish Council in July this year.

Councillor Bill Crooks, Executive Member for Rural Affairs at the Borough Council said, “I was really impressed with the Memorial Garden in Groby and I was pleased that the Borough Council was able to contribute towards the costs of installing this peaceful sanctuary.

It is an excellent facility that will benefit the whole village. It is far better than any memorial garden I have seen and it’s something that the Parish Council and Groby residents should be proud of.

Everyone concerned has worked really hard to obtain sponsorship

Cllr Bill Crooks presenting a Parish & Community Initiative Fund commemorative plaque to Ron Preston (Sexton & Chief Garden Steward) and Beverley Greenwood (Parish Clerk to Groby Parish Council.) and funding and their efforts are reflected in the superb quality of the finished garden. Well done to all concerned.”

The Parish and Community Initiative Fund aims to enable people who live in the parishes to improve local facilities and the

quality of life in their communities.

A total of £93,278 was awarded to 28 schemes last year including £5,000 to Groby Memorial Garden.

Since 2005 the Fund has awarded over £580,000 for 118 schemes to local parishes and voluntary organisations.

The Big Event attracts hundreds of villagers Last Sunday wasn’t a scorcher, but it was warm with some sunshine making it ideal weather for an outdoor attraction like the Big Event organised by Churches Together in Groby at the Community College.

And with live music, games. competitions, drumming, face painting and inflatables it wasn’t just the magician that helped make it a magical day.

Hundreds of villagers turned out for a leisurely afternoon of entertainment, refreshments and, if they stayed to the end, worship.

The ovens of Groby must have been working overtime that weekend as the refreshments were free and it’s estimated that an incredible 1,000 scones were baked. For the servers everything was fine until a customer asked for jam with their cream scone and the word quickly got around the local wasp population.

Visitors to the Clayactive stall were able to make their own clay figures.

The idea was based on the 40,000 figures created from 30 tonnes of clay by the people of St Helens under the guidance of Turner prizewinner Anthony Gormley.

As the visitors left the clearing up began. Although a tiring day the organisers will be pleased that it was another successful event that brought the people of Groby together. The Revd Louise Corke summed it up at the end of the afternoon when she said “We’ve had some lovely times today.”

Norman Griffiths

The Youth Band performing at Groby’s Big Event

NEXT ISSUE OUT: Saturday 12th October - Advert/Articles needed by 28th September

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

I’ll never need a shrink as long as my friends tell me what’s wrong with me for free.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

Autumn Painting Classes

Come and join Groby Sings Christmas Rehearsals begin Monday 30th Sept 1.15pm - 3pm Monday 30th Sept 8pm - 9.30pm Friday 4th Oct (Children and Youth choir) 7-11 yrs 3.30pm - 4.30pm 11- 18yrs 4pm - 5pm All rehearsals at Groby Ex Servicemen’s Club Adults £1.50/Children £1 Contact Helen Hayes for more details Tel: 07867963328 Email: helen_hayes@btinternet.com

There are still spaces left in artist Mark Wilde’s watercolour painting classes starting in September at Groby and Woodhouse Eaves.

Mark has been painting and teaching in the area for many years and is offering courses to beginners and intermediate level students. The 12 week term will include step-by-step demos and one-to-one tuition, presented in a friendly, workshop atmosphere.

For more info, please ring Mark on 01509 673064 or email markwilde8@ gmail.com.

Groby Players

Prepare yourself for a Fete Worse Than Death!

The autumn production from Groby Players is a murder mystery/comedy entitled ‘A Fete Worse Than Death’ by Richard James. To be performed in the Village Hall, Groby on November 7th,8th,9th. 2013 The action takes place at the Annual Village Fruit and Veg Show and Fete. Prize winning marrows, a TV detective, The vicar and a murder are causing mayhem and mystery at the show!

All this guarantees a great evenings entertainment for a ticket price of £6.00. We are inviting the audience to bring their own refreshments (food and drink) for an interval supper and to guess the murderer.

Tickets are available by text /tel 07790861033 or 01162877373. or email dot@dhollins.freeserve. co.uk . Tickets will also be available in October in the Village Hall on Saturdays between 10am-12noon

Dot Hollins

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? ROTARY CAN HELP YOU

Rotary International are looking to open a club in Groby Rotary International is a service organisation dedicated to helping others, both locally and internationally.

If you want to help others and put something back as well as making new friends and enjoying yourself Rotary may be for you. We are holding an interest and information meeting with no obligation in Groby on 24th September, venue to be advised. If you are interested please ring either R McDermott on 07811 905602 or D Morris on 07799 661959.

Anyone for Badminton?

Friendly Badminton Club requires players at Groby Community College on Wednesdays 8pm-10pm.

For more information, telephone: 0116 267 5800.

Stalking is when two people go for a long romantic walk together but only one of them knows it.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

Congratulations to the GCSE class of 2013 Groby Community College is pleased to announce a strong set of GCSE results from the class of 2013.

The college has increased the number of good GCSE passes for the 3rd year running to 96% 5A*- C in 2013 (up 2% from 2012). The 5A*- C with English and Maths measure is slightly lower than in 2012 at 60% although this mirrors the national picture.

Overall results per student are higher with the capped point score rising meaning that overall the best 8 GCSEs for each student are of a better quality. This means that every student, whatever their ability or background, is achieving really well.

There are a number of individual successes including: • Callum Tebbatt with 13 As and A*s • Phoebe Coleman with 12 As and A*s • Antony Bennett with 11 As and A*s The college has bucked the national trend for GCSE Science with 71% of the current Year 10 achieving A*- C at the end of the first year.

Robert Coles, Principal said that he ’was thrilled for the students and staff who have worked incredibly hard to get these results against a backdrop of changes and shifting grade boundaries. Many of the students put in hours of extra work at college and at home to achieve these results and deserve the success.’

Superstar A Level students achieve highest ever results 2013 A huge congratulations goes out to the A Level class of 2013 who have achieved record results this summer. These are well deserved results for a year group who have worked extremely hard over the last two years to secure their places at university, college or employment.

• 36% of all A Levels are graded at A and A* (14% increase from 2012).

• 64% of all A Levels are graded at A* to B. This is the main measure of attainment that is used to judge the college and shows an increase of 18% from 2012.

• 83% of all grades were awarded at A*- C (increase from 77% in 2012).

• 100% A* to E It is impossible to mention all students and we apologise for only listing some of the top performers. All students completing A Levels do extremely well as the qualifications are challenging and hard to achieve. Some of our highest performing students include: • Katie Severn with 4 A* (University of Nottingham).

• Dominic Hall with 4 A* (University of Cambridge) • Sarah Bedder with 3 Distinction* (Leeds Met University) • Alex Prowse with 3 A* (University of Sheffield) • Rebecca Broad with 3A*, 2A and 1B (University of Exeter) • Michael Robinson with 2A* and 1A (University of Manchester) • Vanessa Tsai with 2A* and 2A (University of Central London) • Kamran Obhi with 2A* and 1B (University of Warwick) We wish all of our A Level students all the best for the future.

Head Smart ‘Be brain tumour aware’ is the slogan of the ‘Brain Tumour Charity’.

To assist them in their work, a charity dance is being held at Bagworth Working Men’s Club on Friday 27th September at 8 pm.

Robin will be on the keyboard providing the music. There will also be a bingo session and the usual raffle with lots of prizes to be won. All of the profits will go to the Brain Tumour Charity. Tickets cost £2.50.

Over 9,100 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour each year. As many brain tumours are not recorded, the figure could be much higher in reality. That’s 25 people every single day. £100 could fund one Support Group meeting for people living with a brain tumour and their families. This allows them to ask question and share stories with people in similar circumstances, gaining invaluable support from peers and healthcare professionals. £50 could contribute to the funding of a crucial Clinical Trials Co-ordinator - the person who sets the brain tumour clinical trial up, runs the patient recruitment and processes the critical data produced from the trial.

Please support this charity dance.

Come along and enjoy yourself and at the same time help to raise money for a very worthy cause.

For more information: 01530 230467.

• If you can’t wait until 27th September, there is a Social Dance at the Working Men’s Club in Bagworth on Saturday 14th September. Again there will be a bingo session and a raffle.

Tickets cost £1.50. These are always very enjoyable evenings.

Ken Hill

My mate went a bit off the rails when he was younger, which is probably why he’s no longer a train driver.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

Groby Allotments Society News From John Thornton

A

ll gardeners like to moan, but they have very little to moan about this year. We on the allotments have had a bumper year. We had a wonderful crop of soft fruit, starting with raspberries, then strawberries and with blackberries still to come, at the time of writing. I have difficulty in saying what my gooseberries were like for although we had a good crop the birds took them all, very quickly as well. First time in all my years on the plots. Next year ‘netting’.

Fortunately they don’t like broad or runner beans and we do. It is difficult to keep up with courgettes they seem to grow from a flower to a sizeable picking length overnight, then hide under the foliage until marrow size.

Unless you have experienced veg growing you are missing something in life, even the friendly chat is a bonus.

Potatoes, what a great year for them. All of us are digging up record crops.

Interesting things are spuds, (spud could derive from the old name for a dibber in the 17th century) They are part of the deadly nightshade family but don’t let that put you off eating them, humans have been doing that for 10,000 years, and they contain up to 30 types of nutrient. They even over take rice on that scale. What about starch you might say. Well good news there, it is the sort that passes right through you leaving very little absorbed.

The toxin ‘solanine’ is present in the leaves, stems, sprouts and fruit. The fruits are the small balls which contain the seeds. Solanine also develops in the spud if it is exposed to the air and turns green, so avoid it. Fortunately we don’t use the seeds as we can plant seed potatoes which are no more than what we eat but grown in a disease free environment, Scottish seed is considered the best. There are about 1000 varieties of potato so plenty to choose from.

China followed by India are the world largest producers of potatoes, and we thought it was us on our allotment!

Our waiting list for a plot is now smaller than it has been for a long time due to careful management, so if you think it is for you, and wish to apply, down load the application form from the ‘Groby Allotment Society’ website which is: www.grobyallotmentsociety.tk or call the secretary on 2313148.

This could be the nearest you can get in Groby to digging up buried treasure.

Unfortunately the big ones always seem to attract the tines of the fork.

It is always better to remove even the smallest potato, as left in they will grow next year where you don’t want them, then they are called volunteers.

I am always surprised that if we miss a big one it will grow the following year and produce a crop. So why do we bother trying to time planting just right the following year when these lads just grow well after being in the ground all winter?

When unearthing spuds a few years ago, a little lad on the chapel footpath asked what I was doing. Digging up potatoes I answered, he pulled a face saying, what underground? Need I say more.

£16.9m broadband boost for Leicestershire A £16.9 million high-speed broadband deal which will boost Leicestershire’s economy has been signed by the county council and BT. When combined with plans by the private sector, this should enable 95 per cent of homes and businesses in the county to access faster internet speeds within three years.

Faster speeds will make it easier to use features such as high quality video-conferencing, cloud computing services and video.

If humans stood in a single file line around the equator, most of them would drown.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

Jottings Armed robbery at Cathy Stephens Jewellery store Police are appealing for witnesses to an armed robbery at at the Ratby Road store at 10.45am on Friday August 23.

Three masked men entered the store, one carrying a baseball bat and one carrying what is believed to be a crowbar. The men threatened the victims and made off from the store with a substantial amount of jewellery. They made off in a dark Audi estate which was parked outside the store.

Detective Constable David Tunnicliffe, who is investigating the incident, said “We would like to ask local residents or people travelling through the area who may have seen anything suspicious in relation to this robbery to please contact us. Perhaps you saw the men in the area before the robbery? Or maybe you saw the men make off from the location.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact DC David Tunnicliffe on 101, follow the instructions to leave a message for a police officer and when prompted key in the officer’s identification number 2105. Or contact Crimestoppers, which is free and anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

More street lighting cuts?

The campaign to restore some lighting to Sacheverell Way may have been successful but more lighting cuts could be on the way.

Residents of Hilary Crescent have reported that workmen have been altering time clocks in readiness for the lights to be switched off between 12.30am – 5.30am. The Parish Council has not yet been consulted about these proposals but councillors have been told this will follow “in due course.”

Still time to be a Street Fair volunteer With just a fortnight to go to the 2013 Groby Street Fair on September 21st you

still have time to help make this event a success.

This isn’t a profit making venture and volunteers are really important.

You don’t need to be there all day, though that would be great, and if you can’t help on the Saturday help is also needed on the Friday evening.

Whether it’s all day or just a few hours you can make a difference.

If you want to talk about it you can call Christine on 07866123151 or email grobystreetfair@viginmedia. com.

There’s more about the Street Fair and photos from 2011 and 2012 on their website at www.grobystreetfair.tk

Broadband contract signed Leicestershire County Council has signed a £16.9m contract with BT to deliver fibre broadband across Leicestershire.

The rollout, which will commence in summer 2014 and take 2 years to complete, will ensure 95% of premises can access fibre broadband.

“The contract will also ensure all premises in Leicester and Leicestershire will be able to access a basic broadband service of 2Mbit/s,” said Matthew Kempson, Broadband Project Manager. “We will now work with BT on the detailed implementation planning.

Whilst will not be able to identify specific locations until next year we do hope to provide some outline mapping in advance.” Two megabits per second, considered to be lowest acceptable rate for basic broadband, is not fast enough to support the YouView television catch up service. It is likely, however, that most of Groby will be covered by a fast broadband service provided by fibre, cable, or both.

County Council consultation closes soon Don’t forget that the closing date for completing the County Council questionnaire about future expenditure is very close.

As reported last month the Council needs to save £100 million over the next 5 years. So far

News in Brief with Norman Griffiths

£35 million of savings have been identified and the consultation is about the remaining £65 million savings. The decisions to be made will be difficult and could result in radical changes in the way the Council delivers services. You can complete the questionnaire in their Leicestershire Matters magazine or online by following the link from http://www.leics.gov.uk/future or from www.grobyonline.tk. The consultation ends on September 15th 2013.

Where’s Ratner Road?

The Guardian newspaper once had a terrible reputation for typographical errors.

From time to time you’ll also spot them in the Spotlight as sometimes typing errors slip through the net. If you are a reader of Grow It magazine you’ll have enjoyed the four page article they wrote on Groby’s allotments. It’s very colourful and full of great photographs and interviews.

But where are the Ratner Road allotments? Even the national magazines get it wrong sometimes.

You can read the article online at www.grobyallotmentsociety.tk.

Magazines on your computer or smartphone There’s good news for those who are members of Leicester City Library and enjoy reading magazines online.

Library members now have access to over 40 complete, full colour digital eMagazines, which can be read on computer, tablet computer or smartphone.

There’s a whole range of subjects covered, including computing, photography, music, health and fitness, homes and gardens, current affairs and sport. Library members can download copies of eMagazines and set up email alerts for future issues. For more information go to the libraries home page – www.leicester.gov. uk/libraries - and look for the link to Leicester Digital Library.

I’m going to make a TV series about a plane hi-jacking. We just shot the pilot.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

LETTER

‘Glorious’ yellow lines appear I must share with you a joyous and happy occasion that happened on a mild August evening - the 20th to be precise, when, a miracle happened.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, 2 men, bedecked in hi-vis jackets and work boots, painting glorious yellow lines in our village.

I watched in eager anticipation as they gradually worked their way up Chapel Hill, furiously pushing the machine that paints the lines.

So, imagine how I felt when I came home from work at lunchtime on the 21st. I traversed Ratby Road, no problems. I turned into Chapel Hill and pulled onto my drive, no problems. No illegally and irresponsibly parked cars to negotiate.

Brilliant! I do wonder however, where those cars that caused us many problems are parked now? I hope that they are not making a nuisance of themselves elsewhere in the village and have found a legal and responsible place to park.

Shaun Barton Chapel Hill, Groby.

Fashion Has a Heart Sunday 8th September 2013 Foister Room, Charles Street, Leicester 5-8pm Natalie Mann is organising “Fashion Has a Heart”. A fashion show being held at the Foisters Rooms on Charles Street on Sunday the 8th of September 5pm – 8pm.

Natalie wanted to give something back to LOROS for looking after her Granddad in his last few weeks and her dad is currently at the day therapy unit at the Hospice once a week, after he suffered from a brain tumour. She said “LOROS has not only helped him, but has helped the immediate family too”.

As her dad isn’t able to fundraise, Natalie has taken it upon herself to do the hard work on his behalf. She has had fantastic support from family and Friends and her employers, The Tanning Shop as well as backing from ASOS, Boden and Nandos. Sam, one of the owners of the Foisters Rooms has kindly donated the room and her event knowledge for the occasion. There will be various brands displaying on the catwalk, Battle of Britain 40’s Night along with an array of beauty treatments, jewellery, cakes and tombola. Natalie is hoping for a good turn out and is hoping to raise lots of money on the night. Tickets are priced at £5 each and are available on the door.

Hummingbirds are just regular birds that don’t know the words.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

Groby Gardening Society News August Meeting It was a pity that our trip to Saddington had to be cancelled as the evening in question was a beautiful, balmy one and would have been perfect for the garden trip.

However, the good news is that we have been invited to the same garden during next summer. The committee thought it worthwhile to arrange a normal meeting on the said evening and thankfully a good number of members had received the news of the alteration and were able to attend.

The evening consisted of a double bill! Alvar spoke about the origin of same interesting plant names and the stories, legends and myths surrounding them. Graham then gave a useful insight into the tasks of show judges and gave many useful tips about how to win at a local show such as ours. This was particularly relevant as the talk was one week before the Village Show.

In addition, before and after the talks, we were able to project a slide show of the one and two day trips recently undertaken.

The struggling bumble bee When we think of bees we often think of a bumble or honeybee and forget that there are hundreds of species of solitary bees and other pollinating insects.

Some bumblebee species feed from a wide range of garden and wild flowers and are common in gardens. However, those species with more specialised habitat and food requirements have been in a decline for a long time.

cotoneaster, foxgloves, honeysuckle, buddleia, lavender, sunflowers and heathers.

Although there have been no conclusive studies in the role of pesticides upon bumblebee numbers, the prudent approach would suggest that gardeners minimise the use of insecticides and sprays.

The Village Show Once again the success of the show depended upon those many entrants who joined in the spirit of the event by entering produce of one kind or another and the organisers are always so grateful for this support.

The main hall was a riot of colour as the displays of flowers seemed to benefit from the later season. Comments were made that many gardeners found flowers that were available this year have usually finished by the middle of August. There were amazing handicraft exhibits and in the flower arranging section and it was pleasing to see so many children’s entries, boosted by the efforts of the youngsters at Martinshaw school. Most of their entries were completed during curriculum time or at after-school classes.

The cookery section was mouth-watering as pies, cakes, biscuits and jams vied for attention. The photography section was well patronised and picking section winners was an uneviable job for the judges. The section winners and winners of the cups and trophies will be published in the October edition of Spotlight.

The October meeting The success of this evening will depend upon questions generated by the audience.

To help this, and acknowledging that not all members relish talking in public, it is hoped that questions can be written out and handed in ready for October 10th. Such questions can be handed in at the September meeting (Sept. 12th), to any committee member at any time or on the evening of the event itself. Members can, of course, ask their questions on the night if they wish. As well as questions, maybe there will be items of interest brought in?

These could be pieces of plants or produce showing interesting or unknown problems or features etc. The essence of the evening is meant to be lighthearted rather than heavily academic.

Bumblebees are the workhorses of the pollinators as they work longer hours than honeybees and in worse weather. Their hairy bodies are more effective at collecting pollen than some sleeker insects. By vibrating flowers, they produce a shower of pollen, making them more effective at pollinating many crops. Is anyone not amazed how a heavy bumblebee can use its weight to open up a snapdragon flower and then crawl in? A feat lighter insects cannot manage. As bumblebees do not forage far, the more nectar and pollen rich flowers we can plant and join up, the better. Wildflower and meadows created in urban areas, together with red clover and legume crops are all bumblebee friendly. If you wish to make your garden bee friendly, provide flowers that are rich in pollen and nectar which bees can easily access from spring until late summer. This will ensure that there is a good supply of pollen at all of the crucial times: • When the queens are establishing nests.

• When nests are growing.

• When nests are producing new queens and males.

• When queens are fattening up ready for hibernation.

The greater the number of suitable flowering plants in your garden the better but you should aim for at least two kinds of bee-friendly plant for each flowering period. Suitable plants include bluebells, flowering currant,

FENCING

S G S

SHOOTER GARDENING SERVICES

NEW & REPAIR WORK UNDERTAKEN ALL WOOD IS PRESSURE TREATED

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0116 2879715 / 07814224630

Forthcoming events •

September 12th: Growing and Showing Daffodils

•

October 10th: Any Questions? A panel of local “experts” attempt suitable answers!

Our monthly meetings are held at 7.30pm on the second Thursday of the month, usually in the United Reformed Church rooms on Chapel Hill.

Details about membership and the events programme can be obtained from Alvar Johnson. (Tel. No. 01162877870) or E mail alvar3@talktalk.net

Alvar Johnson

Groby Tuesdays Guitar Club Local musician Mark Wilde now has places left in his guitar club held on Tuesday nights at Groby.

The group is aimed at those with some basic playing ability who want to improve by playing with others. Instruction in technical skills, different styles, and live performances are featured, while working in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

For more info please ring Mark on 01509 673064 or email markwilde8@gmail.com.

After years struggling with my addiction to alcohol gel, I’m finally clean.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

New studio now open!

Barrett & Coe are delighted to announce the opening of our new Groby studio.

Specialising in baby and family photography the studio is fully equipped and ready for business.

Studio launch offer!

To celebrate the launch of our new studio we are offering a Family portrait experience which includes a free gift for just £25 (normally £160) l

A one hour Family photography session and viewing appointment

l

One 8”x6” framed desk portrait of your choice

For more information and to book call 0116 287 9130 Studio address: Barrett & Coe, Unit 12, Fir Tree Lane, Groby, Leicester, LE60FH Email: alan.grocott@barrettandcoe.co.uk

www.barrettandcoe.co.uk/groby Opening offer ends Thursday 31st October 2013. Sessions must be booked within 4 weeks of purchase.

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Marriage is the process of finding out what kind of man the wife would have preferred. .

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

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I held a coconut shell up to my ear and heard the sound of a one legged horse standing very still.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

Women of the Year

Local slimmers vote for their inspirational heroines!

11

LETTER

Fundraising gig for baby charity

Our amazing Women of the Year nominees at Groby groups lost 29 stones and we celebrated with a delicious food taster at each of my 3 sessions. The members voted for the person that had inspired them throughout the year and the winners were; Emma Pemberton losing 5½ stones in 14 months, it was an emotional journey and not a dry eye in the room.

At 27 stones, she had been referred for a gastric bypass as a final option to lose her weight and after losing 3 stone 6lb was put on a waiting list for the operation. But the serious implications of this scared her and spending her 34th birthday in hospital with a suspected blood clot was the final straw. With two young children, she didn’t want to die!

She joined our group in May 2012 and from that moment onward never looked back. She is now back able to run around with her children, has so much more energy and loves life! Her weight loss journey still lies ahead with no doubt many twists and turns to encounter but with the group support and Food Optimising I am confident she will achieve her target and help many more members along the way with the support she gives to others.

Husna Ditta lost 2 stone 10lb in 30 weeks of joining the group. She was an active gym member but found losing weight really hard, and fitting into a special Sari was her goal. She’s a fantastic cook and brings in curries for our taster evenings.

Joanna Benbow-Collins lost 3 Stone 13lb in 30 weeks. Her weight gain was due to having 2 babies in less than 2 years and comfort eating after an unexpected relocation due to her husband’s job. In her words the reason for joining was for ‘vanity and sanity’. Vanity, not confident with her appearance, sanity her weight was affecting her health with type 2 diabetes.

The healthy lifestyle changes made have given such amazing results to the health, confidence and just feeling good about themselves.... what more could I want for these lovely ladies!

Hazel Hickson -

Slimming World Groby

McDonald’s As my five-year-old son and I were heading to McDonald’s one day, we passed a car accident.

Usually when we see something terrible like that, we say a prayer for whoever might be hurt, so I pointed and said to my son, “We should pray.”

An instant later a fervent prayer was heard in the back seat. “Dear God, please don’t let those cars block the entrance to McDonald’s.”

Love letter An advert appeared in the student newspaper of the university: Sweet little old lady wishes to correspond with university student – seeks six-footer with brown eyes answering to initials J.A.D. Signed, his mother.

Spotlight Small Ads • Large three seater SOFA and matching ARMCHAIR. Manufactured by Welbeck House of Nottingham. Contemporary style. Oatmeal coloured fabric. £50.

• Z-tec Deluxe Lightweight Aluminium TRI-WALKER in Metallic Red. Almost new. £40.

• Large GREEN GLASS CARBOY (for indoor garden decoration?)- approx 14” high x 12” wide with 4” opening. £5.

• Technomate TM-1500 CI+ Super digital SATELLITE RECEIVER. £10 • Panasonic TU-DSB31 Sky digibox SATELLITE RECEIVER. £10.

• Two pairs of SWIMMING FLIPPERS: Typhoon, size 6-8, black Super Perry, size 2-3, black. £5 each.

• Two foam rubber CAMPING ROLLS. £5.

• Gold coloured BEAN-BAG. £5.

• KING SIZE bed (150x200cm).

Dreamworld Sleepeezee pocket spring mattress. £95 Tel: 07866 109206 (Groby) • HI FI cabinet with CD storage.

Mahogany, good quality.

Puchased from Langtons. Height 82cm, length 72cm, width 33cm.

Price: £100 o.n.o.

Tel: 0116 223 5720 (Groby) • Ladies 27” wheel cycle Raleigh Pioneer all terrain cycle Price: £50.00 • Also Gents 27” wheel Ridgeback Opera all terrain cycle Price:£60.00 Both good condition.

Tel. 0116 287 6716 (Groby) • GARDEN SHED - 5ft deep, 4ft wide, 7ft high. VGC.

Price: £50.00 o.n.o. Buyer to dismantle and take away.

• REBOUNDER - 40 inch (102cm) diameter. VGC. Price: £20.00 o.n.o.

• READER’S DIGEST DIY MANUAL - Price: £1.50.

• THE WORLD AT WAR complete series - 12 CDs. price: £5.00 Tel: 0116 287 5973.

• Aluminium Scaffold Tower, working hieght 5 metres. Complete with safety rails & planks. Price: £150.00 Tel: 0116 291 7672 • Wooden 2x9 metal rung extension ladder Price: £20.00 • Battery hedge trimmer Price: £10.00 Tel 0116 2878744 • CAT ACTIVITY Tower - as new in box and with instructions.

Unappreciated by our cats. Price: £12.00 • BABYLISS Big Hair styler, hardly used as my hair is too short. RRP: £40. Price: £20.00 Tel: 01530 243773 (Groby) • Briggs & Stratton 5HP garden rotovator in excellent working order and recently serviced for £50.00. Can deliver locally.

• Vax powerful vacuum, carpet and upholstery cleaner.

As new, still in box complete with all attachments and instructions, rarely used. £40.00, Tel 0116 2876 715 Send us the details in writing - BY POST OR EMAIL - with the cost of the item and your contact phone number for the display box, together with your home address for our purposes only (not for publication).

We are holding a Charity Event on Saturday 16th November at Leicestershire County Cricket to raise awareness of Plagiocephaly and Brachycephaly in babies (this is a condition that affects the shape of babies skulls).

My son (Samuel from Groby, pictured above) had severe Brachycephaly but we were lucky enough to fund a helmet for him to wear with the help of family and a charity called headstart4babies.

The helmet corrected this condition and we now want to do something to raise further awareness and to raise money to help other families, as this is not currently recognised by the NHS. At the event we will have a raffle, an auction and a cake sale along with entertainment from a local popular covers band. If any local businesses or individuals would like to donate raffle prizes, contact me by email at: brachy.plagio@gmail. com This event gives parents a chance to find out information of different prevention items/techniques as well as treatment options so that they are able to make informed choices in advance. Once a baby reaches 1yr old, this condition is harder to correct due to their skulls not being so malleable.

So far we have received lots of support and raffle donations from different organisations and companies including some big names in the ‘baby world’ and LCFC..

Shelley Smith Groby

I’ve just won our local Iron Man competition: 20 shirts in half an hour.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

Groby Age Concern Groby & The Greys of Groby Village Society Come and join us one and all - a welcome awaits you at the Community Centre on Forest Rise, Groby every Tuesday from 10.00 tilll.45.

Preservation ~ Conservation Communal Interests

Forthcoming Events Thursday September 26 Chris & Ken The Railway Men (Part 2) Mr Ken Issitt & Mr Chris Bates Thursday October 24 Nell Gwyn - Mrs Sally Henshaw Thursday November 28 The Museum of Childhood Mr Trevor Parr Thursday December 19 - History of Loughborough Carillon Caroline Sharpe (Carillonneur) Meetings are held at Groby Village Hall Starting at 7.30pm.

For Further Details Contact Hon. Secretary Mr. P. Castell Tel. 0116 287 9842 Email: groby.villagesociety@tiscali.co.uk Non Members are Welcome

Over the past 37 years Age Concern Groby & The Greys of Groby have held a Drop-in-morning where old and young, male and female meet to drink tea/coffee and chat or play board games. Once a month AgeUK might visit with a half hour information talk for those interested in that week’s topic; other regular visitors include half hour Chair Aerobics; aromatherapy hand massages and the sale of sweaters etc..

The Social Secretary is kept busy arranging and organising a varied programme of off site events such as visits to Staunton Harold and Cruising down the Trent.

A Saturday Coffee Morning was recently held by one of our members at her home and she wants to take this opportunity to thank all who helped.on the day and everyone who donated money and/or attended the event helping her to raise funds for Help For Heroes and Age Concern Groby & The Greys of Groby.

There is no Tuesday morning membership fee, just payment for a drink and/or Raffle Ticket.

Ellen Whitelegg is our Chairperson and 0116 287 5609 is her ‘phone number if you would like more information regarding Age Concern Groby & The Greys of Groby.

Jean Collins Secretary

Anstey Gala 2013

21st September 12-5pm, The Recreation Ground, Stadon Rd

With a fortnight to go until the Anstey Gala 2013 we are now extremely excited to announce our headlining act … Britain’s got Talent semi-finalists, Faces of Disco!

Since featuring on Britain’s got Talent, Faces of Disco have continued to perform their celebrity inspired routines across Europe including performing at this year’s Glastonbury Festival! We cannot wait to welcome them to the Anstey Gala and hope to see you all there. They will be performing at approximately 3pm. We will also have entertainment from Elite Storm Cheerleaders, Games from Anstey Scout Group, Jane’s Groovy Movers and many more. Why not bring your dog to join in the fun? This year we welcome the return of the dog show with classes such as The Waggiest Tail, Most Handsome Dog, Prettiest Bitch and many more.

And don’t forget to buy your 50/50 Raffle tickets! 1st Prize = 50% of the total sales! Tickets will be on sale in The Nook every Saturday morning from the 24th August and also on the day.

For more information email ansteygala@aol.co.uk or visit our website www.ansteygala.com

The water’s so hard where we live, the plumbers have to go round in pairs.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

13

Two tournaments in one weekend!

Is Alpha for me?

There was something to learn from everyone else Chinedu

It’s such a great open environment…you can speak your mind Stephanie

Winning start for Groby Juniors Under-9s

I get food and I get to have a conversation with good people about interesting things!

Kayleigh

It was cool. I felt completely at home Donna

Details of the next Groby course in the CTG section of Spotlight; more info and clips about Alpha at www.alpha.org

LETTER

30 year celebration for dentists

The Groby Juniors 2012/13 under 9’s started their 2013/14 season by winning not one but two tournaments.

Saturday 17th August saw the team travel to Ibstock United Football Club for their summer football tournament, where they were runners up in 2012.

After a shaky start the team pulled themselves together and finished top of the group and went on the lift the winner’s trophy.

On Sunday 19th August the venue was Charnwood College in Loughborough for the Loughborough Dynamo summer cup tournament.

Seven wins (and seven clean sheets) later the team proudly collected the winner’s trophy and medals for the second time in two days.

A delighted Manager Darren Barrett said “I still can’t believe that we won two tournaments in one weekend. The kids deserve it with all the hard work they have put in. They played some fantastic football and defended as a team, so well done kids, I am proud of you all.”

Four worms A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.

We had a great party with lots of patients attending and all tucked in well to the food and refreshments and we recalled the fun times we had had as patient and dentist.

We had a raffle for the Glenfield Breast Care Unit with which we were walking on the Saturday after the party and raised another 58.00 towards the total.

Crofton House Dental Practice

Four worms were placed into four separate jars. The first worm was put into a container of alcohol. The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke. The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup. The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results: The first worm in alcohol . . . dead. The second worm in cigarette smoke . . .dead. Third worm in chocolate syrup . . . dead. Fourth worm in good clean soil . . . alive. So the minister asked his congregation, “What did you learn from this demonstration?”

There was silence, until one farmer at the back hazarded: “As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won’t have worms?”

Council Approved

If the chemical composition of water is ‘H2O’, does that mean that Holy Water should be ‘H2OMG’ ?

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

National Trust Leicester Association News Did you see the TV programme “The Workhouse” which featured famous people who had ancestors who had been in the Workhouse? Many of the general images in the programme were taken at the NT Workhouse at Southwell as it was used as the model workhouse for the 1834 New Poor law.

In a new initiative at the NT Workhouse, visitors will be given a glimpse into the world of water, toilets and sewage with a regularly changing series of intriguing facts about this murky world during Victorian times.

Subjects will range from how night soil was used to fertilise the vegetable garden and how using rainwater helped prevent water-borne diseases, to the engineering feat that is the huge water tank hidden in the Workhouse cellars, and why locally, in the Southwell area, twin loos with a smaller third loo might often be found.

The ability to minimise disease amongst inmates in such close proximity was a constant issue for workhouses and the Southwell Workhouse was seen as a leader in its practices.

The Workhouse is open Wed to Sun, 12-5pm till 27 Oct, and 12-4pm 30 Oct to 3 Nov and would make a good day out for October half term.

The NT Leicester Association has an afternoon meeting on Wednesday 25 September at St Guthlac’s Memorial Hall, Holbrook Road, Leicester, at 2.30pm, when Sue Ablett will present a talk on “Travels in Vietnam”.

There will be an evening meeting on Tuesday 8 October when Derek Seaton will present an illustrated talk on “A Walk round Victorian Leicester”. The meeting will be held at Braunstone West Social Centre, St Mary’s Avenue, Braunstone at 7.30pm.

Admission to both meetings is NTLA members £2.50, visitors £4.00 including refreshments.

For details of the NT Leicester Association, please call 0116 222 9133.

Alan Tyler, Chairman

Community Enterprise Fund

Would you like your Post Office to support a community scheme?

Post Office branches in England (excluding Crown branches) can now apply to receive up to £10,000 to support a new scheme or service for their local community. These could include: • •

Classes in key skills such as reading, languages or the Internet Mentoring and advice service for local small businesses, or display space for local producers • Partnership with a local charity to provide a meeting space, notice board and other forms of support • A hub or meeting space for community groups involved in local issues, such as neighbourhood planning If you have an idea you’d like your Post Office to support, visit the website at http://www.postoffice.co.uk/ community-enterprise-fund and download and print the PDF, write down your idea, take it into your Post Office and have a conversation with the sub-postmaster or branch manager about what you could do together to benefit the local community.

Sub-postmasters can find out more including how to apply on subspaceonline.co.uk. Deadline for applications is Friday 18 October 2013.

The Fund is a result of a partnership between the Department for Communities and Local Government and Post Office Ltd. It is limited to supporting a maximum of 20 schemes across the country (England only) in 2013/14.

Winning bids will be selected by a panel compromising Post Office Ltd, Department for Communities and Local Government, and others. Judging will take place in autumn with the successful schemes announced shortly after.

If you have any questions, email communities@postoffice.co.uk.

I got covered in ketchup earlier today, from my head tomatoes.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

Glenfield U3A News During August membership of the Glenfield branch of the U3A reached 200.

A volunteer to co-ordinate the second Walking Group came forward and several members had their first walk in Martinshaw Woods and the Ratby Burroughs on a fine weather day and finished off the walk with lunch at the Plough Public House in Ratby. Walking Group 2 meets at 10.30am on the third Wednesday of the month.

Another new group – Pilates - starts at 9.20am on Tuesday 10th September. The Pilates group will meet at the Sports Pavilion, Gynsill Lane, Glenfield on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month from 9.20 - 10.30am.

Rachel Clarke, a qualified Pilates teacher will be taking the group and each session will cost £4.

Most of the groups have continued throughout the summer months apart from Computing which starts a new 6 week session in September The computing sessions take place in Glenfield Library at 2 pm on the second and fourth Mondays of the month.

Groups are small, usually 6 members and are tutor led with at least two “helpers”, so there is plenty of support. Sessions are themed, but designed to be flexible and respond to what members want.

Some people have a laptop or tablet that they bring with them but if you do not have a laptop then the U3A has some that we lend out for the duration of the course so that people can have a go at using the laptop at home or go along to the library to get internet access if they don’t have it at home.

The Table Tennis group started on 20th June at Beaumont Leys, Leicester Leys Leisure Centre and takes place on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at 2pm. The cost is £3.

The Indoor Bowls group were forced to take a summer holiday whilst St Peter’s Church Centre was closed for annual maintenance but are back there now every Friday afternoon at 2pm and is as popular as ever.

Change too for the well-established History Group in September, the group has outgrown the current venue at the Scout hall and are moving to the new Sports Pavilion on Gynsill Lane. On 12th September there will be a talk about the National Trusts acquisition of Stoneywell an Arts & Crafts cottage near Ulverscroft.

The strawberry and cream tea at the August monthly meeting was another success, over 70 members enjoyed the afternoon.

A new catering team has been formed from group volunteers for future events.

Dates for your diary • Due to the success of the 60’s night in May - 60’s Sound have been booked again for a repeat night of live music from the 60’s on Saturday 2nd November – tickets £10 (supper included). Open to non-members. The event will be held at St Peter’s Church Centre.

• On Sunday 8th December 2013 the U3A will be hosting a ‘Cakes and Carols’ afternoon with carols sung by the Singing for Fun Choir to raise money for the charity VISTA – tickets £5. Open to non-members.

The Memorial Hall has provisionally been booked as the venue as St Peter’s Church Hall is unavailable but this may change if a more suitable venue can be found for the choir to perform.

• On Tuesday 7th Jan 2014 there will be a New Year Luncheon at St Peter’s Church Centre.

Bookings are being taken from stallholders for next year’s U3A Craft Fair to be held on Saturday 29th March 2014 at St Peter’s Church Hall.

If you are interested in any of our activities and have entered your ‘third age’ (are retired or semi-retired) then why not join? Membership is only £1 per month + an annual fee to head office for insurance of £3.50.

Please take a look at our website it is full of information and membership forms are available on line. www.u3asites.org.uk/glenfield or email glenfieldu3a@aol.com or telephone Carol Knill - 0116 2919464

Gill Tapping

Publicity Officer, Website & Newsletter Editor.

Markfield Library Book & DVD Sale!

Head over to Markfield library and bag yourself a bargain!

The sale, which includes both adult and children stock, continues until Saturday 14th September.

Stock up your book shelves with popular authors and recent best sellers and check out our ex-rental DVDs and talking books too. All items are very reasonably priced.

For more information call the library on: 0116 305 3642.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

So here it is Merry Christmas, everybody’s having fun Norman Griffiths wonders what songs will be in Groby Sings Christmas Repertoire

It was just an unscripted ad lib, a throwaway line, at the end of the first Groby Sings concert.

Helen Hayes was looking forward to the Christmas concerts planned for the end of November and mentioned a word that sends a chill down the spine of those who seek refuge in internet shopping so that they don’t have listen to the Christmas music as they pace the aisles of our large stores during the festive season. The word was Slade, who were top of the charts in 1973 with their smash hit “Merry Christmas Everybody,” just beating Wizzard’s “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday.” In a 2007 poll, “Merry Christmas Everybody” was voted the UK’s most popular Christmas song.

Could Groby’s new community choir possibly sing a Slade song? No doubt Helen is still working on her song list for the Christmas concerts, but she has left some wondering whether there is something up her sleeve.

Those who are unfamiliar with the Slade hit can catch up on You Tube, but be warned you may end up amused, singing along, outraged or depressed. Love it or hate it the fact is that it has been part of the Christmas scene for forty years, which means it’s a nice little earner for Noddy Holder who wrote it. And with such longevity it clearly has some ingredient that turns a song into a success.

Take away Holder’s raucous vocal style, the guitars and the thumping rhythm section and you are left with a simple melody and a catchy

singalong chorus that could quite happily sit in a choral setting. But whether that means it’s going to be part of Groby Sings Christmas repertoire is something that only Helen knows at the moment. The rest of us will have to wait and see.

Rehearsals begin soon We’ve become used to the competition to spot the first mince pies and Christmas cards in the stores, but with the start of rehearsals for the concert we now have a new milestone on the countdown to the festive season. Rehearsals begin at Groby Club on Leicester Road on Monday 30th September at 1.15pm and 8pm for adults, and Friday 4th Oct at 3.30pm for children 7 to 11 years old and 5pm for 11 to 18 year olds.

Everyone associated with the choir was pleased with the enthusiastic support given this summer by the local community both as singers and audience, but Helen still thinks there may be more would be singers out there. “We’d love to see lots of new faces at our rehearsals, “ she said. “No singing experience is required and we’ll happily welcome those who feel they can’t sing or have even been told they can’t sing. Come along, even if it’s just for the laughs.

Helen Hayes - still working on her song list It’s a great night out.” There are a couple of hundred singing residents who would agree with that sentiment. And even if you don’t get to sing Slade it’s likely that Helen will choose a Christmas repertoire diverse enough to appeal to everyone.

If you want to contact her for more details her mobile number is 0786 796 3328 and her email address helen_hayes@btinternet.com.

When they appear at the Groby Street Fair on Markfield Road on September 21st there’s another opportunity to hear the choir sing some of the songs they featured in their Community College appearances.

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0116 275 0101 (home) 07880 973 742 (mobile) Don’t blame the photographers, the Loch Ness monster actually really is blurry.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

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Newtown Linford Scarecrow Festival 28th/29th Sept 2013

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

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

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

Printed in Ellistown by Norwood Press.

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

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

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Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine, but no liability can be accepted for loss or inconvenience caused as a result of error or omission.

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 Sat12th October

Advert/Copy Deadline: Saturday 28th September

TO ADVERTISE: Call 01530 244069

Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Should we always do the right thing?

Norman Griffiths wonders what readers think As we go through life we may often find ourselves in situations where we have to decide between alternatives.

We weigh up the pros and cons of the situation and reach a decision.

It can be difficult. We don’t want to offend or upset others and hope that, whatever they think, we have done the right thing. For some doing what they believe is the right thing can have disastrous consequences, particularly if the right thing, as they see it, involves releasing on the internet what the State considers to be sensitive and secret. Even for the rest of us there can be unforeseen outcomes when an exchange of views escalates to a confrontation that turns unexpectedly violent. But for most, if the other party is unforgiving, the worst that may happen is the unwelcome breakdown of a relationship or the loss of a friend.

Consider this example. It’s a warm summers day, only ten in the morning but already the temperature is in the twenties centigrade. You’re uncomfortable and hot. Your deodorant is working overtime and there are beads of perspiration on your forehead. You wish you had put fewer and lighter clothes on. It gets worse and you notice that the palms of your hands are now sticky.

You start to consider the options available to you. In your heart you know how to resolve your problem, and if you were in the privacy of your own home you wouldn’t think twice about it or hesitate. But you are in a public place and you have to consider the people around you.

How will they react if you do what you believe you must. Will they be shocked, offended, angry, resentful or derisive? Will they tell you off?

Will they say you that you have overstepped the mark, that you are not at home?

It is now becoming unbearable and you decide you have to do what you believe is the right thing. You’re prepared to debate it afterwards, if it comes to that. As you make your move your discomfort is exaggerated by a slight embarrassment. It may be an illusion but you feel that the babble of conversation has stopped and you feel dozens of eyes looking your way.

Then the conversation recovers and you feel a sense of relief as you realize that you made the right decision, and have done the right thing. Despite your discomfort it seems that they just see you as the guy who dared to open the window on the Arriva bus.

Newtown Linford’s Scarecrow Festival is once again taking place on Harvest festival weekend September 28th/29th.

Teas will be available in the school on Saturday afternoon, when the school will also be holding its fete. The Church will be open and the Bellringers busy!

The Village Hall will be open for teas on the Sunday afternoon and there will be a number of stalls, including plants and bulbs, jewellery and cards and other activities eg face-painting etc (as in previous years) and a chance to see the hard work being put into the village collage. LOROS will be there with lottery and scratch cards and you could win up to £1000 on the cards or even more on the lottery.

Program’s available from village shop, school and village hall during the weekend.

Sue Pritchard

I had a happy childhood. My Dad would put me inside a tyre and roll me down a hill. They were Goodyears.

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

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

Forthcoming Meetings September 2 Full Council Meeting 3 Planning Committee 18 Planning Committee October 2 Planning Committee 7 Full Council Meeting 14 Parks & Cemetery 14 Finance & General Purposes Committee 16 Planning Committee 30 Planning Committee November 4 Full Council Meeting 13 Planning Committee 27 Planning Committee December 2 Full Council Meeting 11 Planning Committee All meetings are Open to the Public.

By the time that this newsletter is published you will have been aware of a couple of major changes in the village regarding parking.

Stamford Arms car park: The Stamford arms/Everards Brewery have made their car park “Pay and Display” which is completely within their rights as owners of the freehold of this land, however this will undoubtedly be putting additional strain on the already limited street parking available within the village centre. This is one of the reasons that the Parish Council, in conjunction with Leicestershire Highways, has pursued the further limited waiting restrictions in the village. By the publication of this newsletter (I’m writing this on the 21st August and the charges haven’t yet been activated although the ticket machine is in place) we will be seeing what effect the £1 an hour charges have done to the use of the car park. Are more shoppers going to have a pint (or two) in order to reclaim their parking charges or just fewer shoppers? Only time will tell!

Changes to village waiting restrictions ( Yellow Lines): The current proposed (and by publication hopefully completed) changes to the waiting restrictions have been pursued by your Parish Council in conjunction with traffic management officers from Leicestershire Highways for the past 2 years for three specific reasons as described below. Admittedly we had previously promised this project for completion in July 2013 but with various external issues, other road works (A50 roundabout etc) in the area together and with the re-surfacing/patching taking place in the village as we go into publication there have been some inevitable delays. The current timetable as quoted by a Leicestershire Highways spokesperson is: “We are therefore going to try and line as much as possible starting 21st August, fingers crossed, the majority of the village centre will have the lines in for that date or very soon after. Leicester Rd/Pym Ley Lane will have to be done once the patching has been completed. (Severe change in weather may add delays to this time frame)” I hope that by the time you are reading this newsletter almost all of the work will have been completed with the possible exception of some small areas around the Pymm Ley Lane / Leicester Road junction where patching may not be yet complete, and the changes in the restrictions will be “bedding down”. We thought that a brief description of the reasons for the changes would be useful in order for everyone to understand the background of this inevitably long drawn out process.

Some of the changes have been made in order to the increase the safety of both road users and pedestrian in the village by restricting parking at the increasingly busy junctions within Groby. Hopefully by doing this we will have taken steps to reduce the likelihood of accidents happening rather than waiting for them to occur before acting!

By limiting waiting on one or both sides along some of the older and/or narrower roads it is hoped will improve access. This is both in order to improve the flow for normal traffic and services but perhaps more importantly to maintain access for any emergency vehicles. I know that there have been some concerns raised by a number of residents in some areas, both about too little and also about too much restriction. We (Groby Parish Council, your past and present LCC Councillors and Leicestershire Highways Officers) have had to take a pragmatic view on this in order to put the project in place. However, schemes like these are normally evaluated post implementation to establish their effectiveness and this process will be undertaken over the next 6-12 months.

Increased Shopping/casual parking in the centre of Groby: The third and many would say the most important reason for this scheme has been to limit vehicle waiting time in many of the areas around the centre of the village and on Markfield road alongside the Church during the week (Mon to Fri). This has been done primarily in order that vehicles are not left in these areas all day during the working week but that the areas are available for visitors and shoppers to find spaces in order to park for a couple of hours to visit the shops, go to the pub, have their hair done, visit the church, get to the chemist etc. When we started to plan these changes back in 2010, the charges for the use of the Stamford Arms car-park were not yet on the horizon but It was always well known that something like this could happen so the timing of this phase of the restrictions have been almost just right with us losing a valuable free parking facility in the centre of the village and hopefully the limited waiting giving some short term parking benefit back.

Regarding the scheme in general, we have had quite a bit of feedback from residents and local businesses during the two consultations which have taken place in the past 2 years which we have tried to build into the plans, however it has not been possible to please all of the people all of the time especially when increasing safety is a prime objective.

As we have stated earlier, there will be an assessment of how well the waiting restrictions are working and how drivers have adapted to the new conditions, before consideration is given to amending or making further changes - and only if these prove necessary. In the mean time please be aware that the new restrictions will be enforced after a short period of 'grace', so don’t get caught out with a ticket.

Garden of Remembrance Groby Village Cemetery’s new Garden of Remembrance was officially opened on Friday 19th July 2013 by the Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor Lynda Hodgkins, Hinckley & Bosworth Borough and the Rt. Hon. Stephen Dorrell M.P. Cllr. Bill Crooks, Executive Member for Rural Affairs at the Borough Council said,

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

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

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

"I was really impressed with the Memorial

Member of Parliament

Garden in Groby .... It is an excellent

Mr Stephen Dorrell - 2608609

facility that will benefit the whole village. It is far better than any memorial garden I have seen and it’s something that the Parish Council and Groby residents should be proud of.

Everyone concerned has

worked really hard to obtain sponsorship and funding and their efforts are reflected in the superb quality of the finished garden. Well done to all concerned.”

We hope you will find the newsletter and our website interesting, informative, useful and easy to access. Whether you are a resident, newcomer or visitor to the parish, don't hesitate to contact us.

This newsletter is also available on the Parish Council website www.groby.com

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

Signed, sealed and delivered with a Tweet

Non-Tweeters in Leicester can get your message via the at800 postbox

Apply online and on time for school places Parents are urged to look out for school place application packs which will be landing on doormats across Leicestershire.

at800, the organisation responsible for ensuring viewers can still watch Freeview when new mobile signals go live, today launched the UK’s first postbox for Tweets – so a Tweet can now reach even those who aren’t on Twitter.

People can Tweet a family member or friend using the hashtag #at800postbox. at800 will print the personalised message onto a traditional postcard and deliver it by post - completely free of charge.

Leicester is one of the cities where Tweets will be sent as it is an area where 4G at 800 MHz will soon be activated.* During August the at800 postbox toured the UK to gather photographs at well-known locations in the cities where new 4G mobile services will soon go live. In Leicester, it could be found at the Clock Tower, where local musicians Dr X donned their homemade instruments for an impromptu performance to raise awareness of the postbox and its mission.

The at800 postbox is a light-hearted way to remind people where new 4G mobile services at 800 MHz are being activated and to highlight at800’s role in resolving any Freeview disruption this could cause. It also acknowledges that many people choose not to use social media and some are not online at all. Under half of UK adults (48%) use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, falling to just ten per cent for those over 65[1]. Two thirds of people aged over 75 have never been online[2].

So if viewers want to make sure their Gran knows who to call if EastEnders becomes unwatchable; or let a friend know where to turn if picture quality is disrupted during The X-Factor; or just remind a loved one they are thinking of them; a Tweet can now reach them even if they’re not online.

Simon Beresford-Wylie, chief executive of at800, said: “Twitter users love to share their thoughts; and with our help, they can now Tweet friends and family in Leicester, as well as other regions, who aren’t on Twitter. As well as the personal message, the campaign aims to raise awareness of at800 and our role in helping to resolve Freeview disruption caused by 4G at 800 MHz for the small minority of viewers in the UK who might be affected.”

From September, around 12,500 parents will receive forms for children who transfer to secondary school in the autumn term 2014.

Leicestershire County Council is reminding parents that moving to the next school is not automatic and encouraging them to apply before the 31st October closing date.

The transfer process is the same for a local authority school or a recentlyconverted academy.

If parents apply late - even if they live next door to the school - their child is unlikely to get a place.

Anyone expressing a preference for a non-catchment school is urged to also apply for a place at their child’s catchment school.

Online applicants will receive an email acknowledging receipt and be able to view the decision on 3rd March 2014. Parents can also apply by post if they wish.

To find out more, please visit www. leics.gov.uk/admissions , email admissions@leics.gov.uk or call 0116 305 6684.

Fair Cuppa:

an opportunity to meet with friends at the village hall.

Every Thursday, 10.30-12.00 Urban Saints is held during term time, 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 or 7.45pm - for 15-18’s on Wed evenings at 7.30pm - for 15-18’s on Fri at 7.30pm More details on the church websites More details on the church websites

For further information please see websites and church magazines St. Philip and St. James www.bradgateteam.org.uk Revd. Louise Corke 231 3090 United Reformed Church www.grobyurc.com Revd Sue McKenzie 232 1733

Youth Worker Ruth Cross 07759 087804

Catch meets for play, craft, story & chat for pre-school children with a parent or carer.

Every Friday in term time, 9.30-11.30am, at the URC.

My mate’s daughter’s horse will only come out when it gets dark. It’s becoming a night mare.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

21

County Councillor’s Report from Ozzy O’Shea Newtown Linford Reminder Budget Consultation Have Your Say On Public Services I have been lobbying the Council Leader Nick Rushton to extend the consultation to the 30th September to give residents more time to reply.

These cuts will have a direct impact on the services that we currently run and it is vitally important that elected members receive the public’s feedback. I feel this is so important which is why I have repeated it in this month’s article. I have been advised that as a result of my lobbying senior members of the County Council will review my request and make a decision on the 3rd September.

Due to reductions in the government grant and rising demand for key services, the County Council will have to save £100 million over the next 5 years and that equates to one third of our entire budget.

Much as we’d like to, we cannot avoid making difficult decisions.

Our priority is to protect services for vulnerable people.

We will have to look at all of our services and consider ways to reduce spending on them, run them differently and efficiently or stop delivering some all together, as well as identify further efficiency savings.

Therefore, Leicestershire County Council wants the public to help it decide its priorities, in the face of reducing Government grant and rising demand for services. An online survey is taking place from July 22nd till September 15th, at www.leics.gov.uk/future I would urge everyone to complete either the on line survey or complete the survey that is in Leicestershire Matters the County Council magazine that has been distributed

Gardening Club

county wide or write in and give the County Council their views before the closing date of the 15th September 2013.

Please look out for a possible extension of time in the local press.

There were 79 people at the Gardening Club’s garden party in July.

Groby Parking Restrictions Update The County Council have been marking out the new restrictions and displaying the waiting restrictions (legal notices) on sign posts.

However at the point of writing officers were still in the process of putting the signs out in the relevant areas, the majority of the road markings are now in place some patching of work is being under taken on the junction of Pymm Leys Lane and Leicester Road. I have already had enquiries regarding the parking bays, but unfortunately at the time of the call the sign displaying the waiting restrictions were not in place. To be lawful both the road markings and waiting restrictions signs have to be in place.

I have spoken with officers and they will allow self policing for the first couple of weeks, thus allowing the scheme to bed in. They will then use enforcement to police it.

I would ask all residents to make themselves aware of the new parking restrictions when they park, so they do not get caught out.

Part Night Lighting I have been asked the question is Groby going to move on to the part night lighting scheme that has been running throughout Leicestershire over the past 2 to 3 years.

I have made enquiries with officers at the County Council and I have been informed that so far 75% of Groby has currently been

surveyed. I have spoken to the lead officer for this scheme across Leicestershire and I can confirm a scheme is being put together to roll out in the early new year possibly January or February 2014.

County Council will fully consult with the Parish Council and an officer will attend Groby Parish Council meeting on Monday 7th October. We will then arrange a public meeting for residents. Rest assured I will do all in my power to protect areas that are identified as vulnerable. However, I can tell you that a similar scheme has been running in Ratby for almost, 3 years now with no real effect on crime.

Residents of Ratby have accepted this as normal now.

Please note that I am currently unavailable to deal with any council work and Borough Cllr Peter Batty has kindly agreed to assist with any County issues residents may have during this period. Peter can be contacted on 0116 291 2284 or via email at: peter.batty@ntlworld.com I would like to thank you all for your continued support and to remind you that I am only a phone call or email away.

Cllr Ozzy O’shea Tel 0116 239 4336 or 07808 585825 Email ozzyoshea@hotmail.com

Don’t miss the Grand Autumn Fayre at Markfield Court Markfield Court Retirement Village are holding a Grand Autumn Fayre on Saturday 5th October.

There will be clothes, shoes, cakes, fancy goods, refreshments, tombola, bric-a-brac, Christmas gifts, and many many more stalls. Come and join in the fun between 11am and 3pm.

Despite heavy rain during the morning we were able to sit outside on a warm evening drinking Pimms and eating hot dogs and a wide variety of sweets.

Plants and books were available for purchase and a raffle provided over 20 prizes. Mike and Liz Newcombe’s two acre garden provided a substantial venue and the view of the Leicestershire countryside from the garden is always glorious. This annual event is one of the highlights of our year and becomes more popular every time.

Mike and Liz opened their garden to the public under the auspices of the National Garden Scheme in late July and early August.

On the two days they were open some 500 people paid them a visit and around £2500 was raised for charity. These events are held all over the country and the amount of money raised for charity is enormous.

The visit of Christine Walkden on October 22nd has caused a lot of interest. All the tickets have now been sold and a waiting list for returns has been set up.

We have welcomed a large number of new members this year and will be pleased if others want to join us. If you are interested in our activities just contact the secretary (tel. 242452 or e-mail 01530242452@talktalk. net), or come to one of our meetings to see how you like it before making a commitment (£2 for visitors). Alternatively give us a ring and ask for a copy of our programme for the coming year and we will be pleased to send one to you.

Anne and David Couling

I had a steak at this restaurant last night that mooed at me. I thought, that’s rare.

22

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

Letter from Uncle Eustace On why it is so hard to read The Rectory St. James the Least

My dear Nephew Darren Your suggestion that every month at clergy meetings, someone should review a book of theology they have been reading, was bound to be greeted with uneasy resistance.

It would mean that the majority would have to start opening books, rather than just occasionally dusting them. Possessing books does not necessarily imply that they are ever read.

Your high church colleagues will only read the Racing News, low church members the Railway Review, liberals the Knitting Weekly and those with tendencies towards non-conformism, the Vegetarian Times. Clerical studies may be lined with books, but they are largely for effect – and to hide damp patches on the wallpaper. Anything with hard covers will have been bought with the best of intentions - but somehow the vicarage lawn or the church hall drains will have taken precedence. And from what I know of your colleague at St. Crispin’s, the only books he will buy will be to colour in.

I do try to keep up with my reading, but sleep mercifully intervenes after the first 10 minutes. On those days when I sit by my study window, so passers-by can see me deeply occupied in intellectual activity, it is most useful that my large tome on the letters of Eusebius can easily conceal an Agatha Christie inside it.

I confess that I was once gloriously put down when I tried to get one of our blue stockings interested in a new edition of a Dostoevsky novel. She replied: ‘I have never read Dostoevsky in translation.’ It only confirmed my suspicions that she had worked as a Russian spy in earlier years.

I was hugely impressed when during the bitter cold of last winter the Earl of Stowe, whose library would comfortably contain one of our cathedrals, told me he was slowly getting through its contents of tens of thousands of volumes. It was only some time later I discovered that he meant he threw the occasional one on the fire when he was running low on wood.

No, my dear Darren, the only literary activities that will spark interest will be crosswords for the majority, or diocesan reports for the truly dedicated – with weighty tomes being used as door stops.

Your loving uncle,

Eustace

AGE UK Event in Stanton

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Arts and crafts for dementia sufferers NEW art and craft sessions aimed at those suffering from dementia will be starting in Stanton under Bardon every 1st and 3rd Friday of the Month.

The Dementia Art and Craft Cafes have been organised by Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland and will be held at the Without Walls Christian Fellowship.

Experienced volunteers will lead the sessions and the intention is to help dementia sufferers feel at ease in comfortable surroundings.

The sessions will involve a variety of basic art and crafts, including: card making, jewellery making, cutting and sticking crafts, memory boards, photo collage, plant pot painting and wind chime decorating .

The sessions will be held at: The Without Walls Christian Fellowship, 135 Main Street, Stanton under Bardon, Markfield, Leicestershire. LE67 9TQ. Every 1st and 3rd Friday 2.003.00pm.

Sessions will cost £3, with free tea, coffee and biscuits provided.

My mate’s a safety officer in a kids playground. His career’s on the slide.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

23

Parking - the yellow lines have arrived Norman Griffiths asks if there’s anything else that can be done

The yellow lines are down and for many residents they have brought a welcome relief to some aspects of the traffic congestion in the centre of the village.

Road junctions in particular have become safer as some lines of vision have been improved. Some have benefited as they no longer have parking directly outside their homes, but as the commuters’ cars have been displaced they have had to find new parking spaces.

The deficit of off street parking has been a source of frustration to both residents and employees of GE Sensing. It can’t be much fun having to drive around looking for a parking space and wondering whether the space you found yesterday will be available today. Over the years efforts have been made to bring some relief, including the construction of a new car park above the company site opposite Quarry Park. There is, however, speculation locally that employees do not like to use the car park because of the queue to exit the site in the afternoon. It has also been said, though this is unconfirmed, the GE rents spaces on the Groby Club car park for their staff.

What more can be done?

Residents and commuters will be wondering what more can be done. Last month the Spotlight featured the Leicestershare.com car sharing website. The website says it uses special software to find suitable, like-minded people to share your car trips with. “ You can register your regular trips such as a daily commute, as well as any one-off trips, and then search to see

are empty during the day it seems sensible to let their owners rent them out.

How can it be organised?

if anyone else is going your way.”

It may be that this is something employees have been encouraged to use, as last month there was a listing of someone seeking a lift from Leicester to Groby. At the time of printing there is no-one using the site to offer or ask for a lift to Groby.

In August Community Secretary Eric Pickles announced new guidelines that would allow home owners to cash in by renting their driveways to commuters. New government guidance will allow homeowners to rent out their drives for a single car without making a planning application, though few would have guessed it was something they needed permission for. It seems that some councils demanded that households apply for “change of use” planning permission costing £385, with the threat of a £20,000 fine if they did not.

Under the new rules residents would be allowed to rent a single parking space without planning permission, provided there was

no public nuisance to neighbours, or other substantive concerns.

Planning permission would still be required by householders wishing to change their garden into a car park or for other commercial uses. A spokeswoman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: “This provides a small income for hardworking families and helps provide more cheap parking spaces for people to park their car, taking pressure away from on-street parking.”

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, is reported as having said that the number of cars has grown from 2 million in 1950 to 28.5 million today, and the number of parking spaces has not increased at anything like a similar pace. “If people can rent out a bedroom to a lodger then, within reason, why not let them lease out space on their drive? It is hardly a change of use.” And AA president Edmund King commented that if driveways

There are websites that bring together those who have spaces available and those who need them. Parkatmyhouse.com currently has two driveways for hire in Groby, with one in the Sycamore Close area at £159.50 a month and another in the Bedford Drive area at £319 a month. Daily and weekly rates are also available.

With abundant on street parking available free of charge it’s unlikely that any commuters will be queuing up to pay fees at this level, though daily rates may be attractive to those visiting the area who want a safe place to park away from the congestion and traffic.

But there may be residents who are out all day, or who do not have a vehicle of their own, who would be happy to have a car parked on the drive during the week. For those away from their homes a car on the drive may act as a security measure by giving the appearance that someone is at home. They may be willing to accept a much more nominal sum for a longer term contract, particularly if it was managed not by a website but a group of commuters or even by a local employer on behalf of their employees. And for an affordable payment employees may be relieved to get their vehicles off the road with the risk of damage that is always present.

Not everyone would find it practical to have a car parked on their drive, but is it something you would consider to help with the local parking problems? And how much would you want to be paid?

Breaking News: Cheese factory explodes. Nothing left but de Brie.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

24

All the latest news from Groby WI Ken Goddard came to Groby W.I. to enlighten us on the appreciation of classical music.

His opening remark was that for a lot of people the word classical is sure to ‘bring the shutters down’. I come into that category although, as the evening progressed, I was amazed to discover how many excerpts I was familiar with whilst having no idea as to the name of the piece or the composer. Surprisingly, the music of composers like Tony Bennett, Count Basey is recognized as classical. Ken presented his talk with a powerpoint presentation showing images of the great composers and their music.

We learned that a concerto is for a solo instrument and orchestra in three movements. Beethoven’s violin concerto was shown with Yehudi Menuin as the soloist. The cost of the wonderful violins such as Stradivarius is a major stumbling block to up and coming virtuosos appearing on concert platforms.

They are helped by an American millionaire who is a collector of such instruments and is prepared to loan them out. We heard part of the first movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin concerto then, disaster!

Computer technology failed.

We all know the frustration and could sympathise with Ken frantically clicking the mouse and pressing keys. He had no need to worry, just a few seconds silence then the hall was buzzing with members chatting. Normal service was resumed quite quickly with the second movement which fortunately was a serene melody.

Symphonies have four movements.

Beethoven’s 5th starts very upbeat, in contrast the third is a minuet. Amazingly Beethoven was so deaf that he was known to still be conducting after the orchestra had finished playing.

We then moved on to opera; a play set to music often, in the Italian or German language. We were enthralled by Pavarotti singing an aria from Puccini’s ‘La Boheme’.

Ken outlined the story of the hero who has to guess the name of the

beautiful maiden or his head will roll; as with fairy stories, all’s well that ends well. Other composers featured were Verdi, Rossini, Mozart and Bizet. No programme would be complete without the Halleluiah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. On to the ballet Swan Lake by Tchaikovski with a clip showing Royal Ballet ballerinas performing an extract. We were advised not to try this at home. As if! Apparently Tchaikovski was a most troubled man, although he had been married he was actually gay.

At this point dusk was descending rapidly and taking notes was difficult with no lighting; I decided enough was enough when I realised I was writing notes on top of notes. I settled down to enjoy classic numbers from films and stage shows. Lovely haunting melodies from the pens of Ivor Novello, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Audience participation was the finale of the programme. Groby W.I. went promenading, complete with our little flags kindly supplied

by Ken. Groby members sang with patriotic gusto. On familiar territory and knowing all the words, Jerusalem raised the roof, followed

by Land of Hope and Glory and There’ll Always Be An England. We wended our way home with a real feel good factor.

Groby Show It was a lovely day for the Groby Show this year.

From a WI point of view it was another busy event. Plenty of people milling around the exhibits and then partaking of the tea and cakes we had to offer. A big thank you to all those bakers who had made cakes for the event, all the volunteers who helped in the show and everyone who donated prizes for the raffle. A few WI members had entered exhibits and Marilyn Lawrence won a First in the needlework section and also Best in Show for her cross-stitch item.

It was the poem ‘Footprints in The Sand’ by Mary Stevenson written

in 1936. If we’re lucky she may be able to bring it to our September meeting to show everyone. A gardening club organiser did comment that the show was well attended and the standard of entries very good, a very successful day. (Here I must thank Fran for her contribution for the report on the Show.)

At this point I must say that this is the first Show I had no part in due to events beyond my control. Until now I have entered and helped for as long as I can remember.

Let me tell you of my first entry. I duly made my lemon curd, which I thought lovely and showed it to my friend. I must at this stage tell you that my friend is an expert cook who took one look and said, “That’s no good, you have to fill the jar to the top”. (I had made about three-quarters of a jar.)

Coach Trip I don’t know if anyone is interested but there is a coach trip to see Rockingham Castle at Christmas.

It is on Wednesday 21st November from the Village Hall. If anyone is interested please give me a call on 0116 2878 323.

September Meeting September’s meeting is ‘Introduction to Herbs’ a talk given by Lynne JanWatson.

As usual we are at the Village Hall on Thursday 19th September beginning at 7.30pm. Just for anyone new to the Village, that is next to the Library and opposite the Post Office. Do come along, you would be most welcome.

Evelyn and Margaret

Groby WI Programme 2013 •

September 19th: Introduction To Herbs

So she said I could have one of her’s to enter as she had made a batch. I received third prize and she was unplaced. There is nothing more scary than a “must be by the Regulations” Judge and I admit I didn’t own up. Do you remember in the film “Calendar Girls”, the winning sponge cake was one bought from Marks and Sparks?

The Pink Walk We did it, we did it, our Pink Walk.

We are so pleased how this event went. Last year we had barely 30 walkers, this year we had over 80, wonderful. I have written a separate article about this but will give, hopefully next month, the amount collected etc.

- Lynne Jan-Watson •

October 17th: Helping Hedgehogs - Colleen Powel

•

November 21st: AGM Social Evening

•

December 12th: Christmas Meeting Local Walks Last Wednesday In The Month At 2pm Derbyshire Walks – To Be Arranged By Margaret Gamble

I’ve trained my dog to bring me a glass of red wine. It’s a Bordeaux collie.

after the service

26

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

CAR BOOT SALE

Saturday 7th September - 9am to 12noon Copt Oak Memorial Hall Field – LE67 9QB next to Copt Oak Pub

Cakes and refreshments available ~ Entrance 50p ~ children free ~ ~ STALLS set up 7.30am ~ PUBLIC admission 8.30am ~ ~ CARS £5 ~ ALL OTHER VEHICLES £8 ~ Booking advisable @ 0116 267 4746 Proceeds in aid of St Peter’s Church, Copt Oak

Warning over suspected bank card phone scam PEOPLE are being warned to beware of a phone scam designed to trick them into giving out confidential bank card details and account information.

Leicester City Council’s Trading Standards officers are warning residents to be on their guard following a report from a member of the public who was targeted in a suspected scam earlier this week.

The man received a phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer from Spinney Hill police station, who had arrested a person trying to use a cloned credit card in the man’s name.

The caller asked the man to check that he had still got his bank card, which he had.

He was then told to contact his bank by ringing the telephone number on the back of the card.

The phone then went quiet - giving the effect of the caller having hung up when he was really still on the line. The scam works when the unsuspecting victim attempts to ring the bank but really ends up speaking to the original caller, who then asks for confidential bank details, such as security details, card details and even the pin number.

In this instance, the intended victim didn’t ring the bank - he repeatedly dialled 1471 to try to establish the caller’s identity, only to be met with verbal abuse.

Suspecting it to be a scam he then reported the incident to police.

Now Trading Standards officers are warning other people to be on their guard against such potential scams.

Leicester City Council’s Trading Standards manager Ronald Ruddock said: “The scam works by the criminal caller staying on the line and then answering the new call, tricking the victim into believing they are on a call to their bank.

“The fraudster will then either ask the person for their pin number, or ask them to key their pin into their telephone keypad, before saying that the bank will be sending a courier to collect the card.

“Needless to say the courier will be part of the scam with the criminals ending up with both the credit card and pin number.

“This is a variation on the ‘courier scam’, where residents are told that banks or building societies will collect bank cards, and residents should remain suspicious of any call that requests personal banking information.

“Criminals are continuing to become highly sophisticated in their attempts to trick consumers into giving this information away. The quick thinking of the potential victim in this instance may well have saved him a lot of money.”

Banks and building societies do not send couriers to pick up bank cards, nor will they ever ask customers for their pin numbers.

People should never give out pin numbers or the security code off the back of their cards in these circumstances.

To report or discuss any form of scam, contact the Citizens Advice Bureau helpline on 08454 040506.

10 films to see in September 2013 About Time Starring: Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Margot Robbie Bridging the gap between reality and fantasy, a 21-year-old man explores his secret ability to travel through time, and learns a thing or two about acceptance, compromise, and treasuring each moment.

The Great Hip Hop Hoax Starring: Gavin Bain, Billy Boyd This real life story of two Aberdeen rappers who fooled the music industry into believing they were from California is both eye opening and a slightly depressing look at the prejudices of record labels.

White House Down Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal The President’s home is under direct attack for the second time in recent months, with this underwhelming, by-numbers action romp unleashing neo-Nazis and U.S. patriots on the Washington D.C. address.

Borrowed Time Starring: Theo Barklem-Biggs, Phil Davis, Warren Brown When a young tearaway breaks into an old man’s home, and finds himself on the wrong end of a musket, an unlikely friendship forms between burglar and victim in this original and heart-warming comedy.

Rush Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde, Natalie Dormer A big budget effort about former Austrian Formula 1 champion Niki Lauda, his rivalry with Briton James Hunt, and the fateful crash that nearly killed him in 1976, expect high octane, adrenalin fuelled drama.

Diana Starring: Naomi Watts, Naveen Andrews, Douglas Hodge Perhaps the most controversial biopic in some time, Princess Diana is, to some, unacceptable subject matter for Hollywood, but nevertheless Tinsel Town has made this film and we want to see what it’s like.

Kelly + Victor Starring: Antonia CampbellHughes, Julian Morris, William Ruane You know this one. Guy meets girl,

guy falls in lust with girl, girl feels the same, guy and girl begin to have increasingly twisted sex and the relationship goes all weird. Dark and romantic, it’s must-see stuff.

R.I.P.D. Starring: Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon If you can get past how annoying those EE adverts with Kevin Bacon are then this entertaining flick about dead cops policing dead spirits is worthy of attention. Think Men In Black , but with ghosts, not aliens.

Austenland Starring: Keri Russell, JJ Field, Jennifer Coolidge Two women arrive at an ‘experience holiday park’ themed on Jane Austen, looking for escapism and Romance. They find both, and more, in this slightly surreal but touchingly poignant comedy drama.

Blue Jasmine Starring: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins Jasmine loses all her money, and her also-wealthy husband leaves her. Downtrodden and desperate, the snobbish New Yorker must move in with her working class San Francisco sister and start out afresh.

The Wicker Man 40th Anniversary Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento Amongst the scariest films ever to be made in Britain, now re-released to mark its 40th anniversary we recommend finding out exactly what’s going on in an unnerving, remote Scottish village for yourself.

Image credit: Bill Nighy & Domhnall Gleeson in About Time .

This article was downloaded from http://www.freefeatures.com.

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

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The Grim Reaper came for me but I fought him off with my hoover. I was Dyson with death.

27

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

28

Another successful Groby Pink Walk!

You couldn’t honestly say that we were unobtrusive.

Led by a six foot, clean shaven nun who was accompanied by a hula hula girl, over 80 of us did our Pink Walk around the Village.

This was in aid of the Glenfield Breast Care Unit and was our second annual walk. WI ladies were over the moon that so many people from the Village joined in. Last year we had 25 walkers, this year we have more than trebled in numbers.

In fact the nun was the husband of a member who didn’t mind joining in the fun and fun we had. There were ladies and gentlemen of all ages, youngsters, babies in pushchairs and dogs. The theme was pink, so there were pink boas, t-shirts, bows, bras, daft hats, even pink knickers (over trousers of course). Half a dozen dogs or so accompanied us, amazingly all friendly, wearing boas, bows etc.

The weather was just about right, warm but not as hot as last year.

By the time we reached Budgens a lovely lady from was waiting with iced bottle water for everyone, they had even provided for the dogs who had dog bowls. It was really appreciated as by then we were all hot and thirsty. We all would like to thank Budgens for their generosity, it’s things like this that makes a village. All the way around we had our own official photographer who took dozens of photos, I must admit a friend and I did managed

to get on quite a few, amazing really as we are quite camera shy (there’s a slight fib somewhere in that remark).

On arriving back at the Village Hall, volunteers had a cuppa and biscuit waiting for us. These were ladies who were unable to do the walk and thanks to them we were duly refreshed and did we need it.

It wasn’t just the walking but all the chatting and friendly mixing which made it a really great atmosphere.

I spoke to people I had never seen before but who said they lived in the village, it really made the day seeing them there. A big thank you to all who walked, we hope you enjoyed it and we especially enjoyed your company.

Last year we raised money for two iPads. These enabled patients to be shown exactly what was going to happen to them during surgery and for them to choose the various options open to them.

The nurses then came along later to talk about what these machines mean and how much they are appreciated. I will let you know later what this year’s collection will buy.

We were so pleased with the outcome of the Walk that we shall be making this an annual event. We are considering walking for another charity, I fancy one for men’s problems, just the thought of men wearing their underpants over their trousers makes me giggle.

Again a big thank you to all who joined in, in any way, from Groby WI.

Margaret Gamble

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

Cutting the cost of DIVORCE

Divorce is a costly business - on both the financial and emotional fronts.

Many people in the UK relied on legal aid to cope with the litigation fees involved in splitting up with their husband or wife; however, this service was withdrawn earlier this year.

The move is set to result in an increase in mediation and DIY divorce as mediation becomes all but compulsory for couples looking for ways to reduce the break-up bills.

In fact, mediation is already growing in popularity according to figures from the Office of National Statistics which show that a record number of people filed for divorce without resorting to hiring lawyers during the first quarter of 2012.

The ONS says the average length of a marriage in Britain is now 11.3 years, while a couple living together are likely to break up in three years if they don’t wed.

One in three marriages now ends in divorce, and of those divorces, 20% of men and 19% of women will be divorcing for at least the second time.

The number of couples getting divorced grew by five per cent last year to 119,589 - an increase of almost 6,000 on 2009, and the first time the rate rose since 2003.

Charities say the increase is a result of a combination of rising unemployment and the soaring cost of living, putting marriages under extreme strain.

Legal aid will still be available in cases where violence is involved but its withdrawal with regard to divorce proceedings in April this year has fuelled concerns that some will end up appearing in court without lawyers or the right legal advice.

With the average cost of a divorce in the UK standing at £13,000, more and more people realise they have to come an agreement or will have to pay to fight cases so it is hardly surprising that DIY divorces and mediation are proving an increasingly attractive alternative.

As well as being much less expensive at between £1,000 and £2,000, depending on how many sessions you need, mediation is more amicable than the traditional legal approach.

Mediators do not provide advice but help couples make informed decisions by providing information about legal matters, how to deal with financial issues, issues relating to children, the court process, court orders, and obtain legal advice if and when required.

Impartiality is one of the main planks of the process which aims to help couples negotiate face to face about the arrangements for their future with the help of a neutral third party.

It is also likely to be quicker than the courts, and allows you to make personal solutions, rather than live with one imposed by a judge.

Mediation is also suitable for cohabiting couples, whether same sex under the Civil Partnerships Act, or heterosexual, where the law is much less clear.

Cost-cutting in uncontested cases has also seen the growth of online divorce services in the UK. Mark Keenan, founder and MD of Divorce-Online, believes that more people will resolve their disputes through mediation as couples want to put their agreement into effect without paying the high hourly rates of traditional solicitors to have the legal documents drawn up and filed at court.

He says: “We are already working with mediators to offer our services to them as a package and this is working very successfully. In addition we offer a barristers advice service so that clients can get access to legal advice for a fixed fee on the terms of their mediated settlement before signing on the dotted line.

“This ensures they not only get a mediated agreement, they also get one which has had the benefit of legal advice but without having to spend thousands of pounds on solicitors which can only be a good thing for the couples concerned.”

29

Local Girl Returns from Charity Work in New York State

Early September sees the return home of Jessica Measures, who has been volunteering at a Summer Camp for Homeless Children, with “Homes for the Homeless” Since 1989, Homes for the Homeless has brought approximately 1,000 homeless children from New York City to camp every summer. HFH Camps lanowa and Wakonda are located 30 minutes from New York City, on the grounds of the 52,000 acre Harriman State Park. A lush preserve of woodland and lakes straddling New York’s Rockland and Orange counties, The Park has over 200 miles of hiking trails, 31 lakes and reservoirs, camping grounds, beaches, and an abundance of wildlife. HFH children are representative of the 14,000 children who live in New York City’s homeless family shelter system. They range from six to thirteen years of age, and the majority are African-American and latino. AU but a few come from families who receive some form of public assistance.

Homelessness places profound stress on a child’s life. Before entering a shelter, a family usually lives doubled-up with friends or relatives. These families move at least twice, and up to four times a year, during this period of transition.

Homelessness also detrimentally affects a child’s mental and physical health: almost a third of all homeless children suffer from asthma and many report feelings of depression. Camps lanowa and Wakonda provide children with a true summer camp experience: - Hiking and exploring on wooded trails - Swimming and boating in a mountain lake - Singing and telling stories around a campfire - Sleeping in tents and cabins - Reflecting on the sights and sounds of a new environment.

Before coming to lanowa and Wakonda, most HFH children have never left New York City, and many have never experienced the wonder and excitement of nature first hand. Most children have never hiked, played baseball, or learned how to swim. HFH Summer Camps offer a welcome opportunity for homeless children to escape the stresses of everyday life, and to engage in fun, healthy and educational activities. The camps sessions offer participants a level of routine, safety, and stability that most of them have never before experienced, as the chaos of changing homes and schools repeatedly can give homeless children the impression that their lives will always be in transition. They arrive at camp and suddenly they have a set schedule; there is wake-up time, time for reading, and mealtime. The children learn to enjoy their daily routines and to eagerly anticipate their favourite activities.

As for Jessica, camp has been the most amazing three months of her life, it was demanding challenging, inspirational and quite possibly life changing.

Jessica, a former South Charnwood and Groby College pupil now returns to her final year of University, where she is studying for a BA (Hons) in Graphic Communication.

This article was downloaded from http://www.freefeatures.com.

My girlfriend and I like to dress up as Adrian Balboa and Apollo Creed, I think we’re going through a Rocky patch.

30

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

Cathy Stephens

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

SATURDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER ANNUAL FUN DAY See ad on page 5. www.bricklayersarms.net The Club, Thornton Main Street.

T: 01530 230251 Open To Non-members Fri 6th Sept - Rockin Robins - Rock N Roll Evening Sat 7th Sept - The Retro Rockets - Classic To Modern Day Rock Covers Band Sat 14th Sept - The Boneyard Blues Band Fri 20th Sept - Rockin Robins - Rock N Roll Evening Sat 21st Sept - Dave The Rock Band Fri 27th Sept - Fun Curry Night With Phat Chance - Need To Book In Advance £10 Per Person.

Please Ring The Club For More Info And To Book 01530 230251 Sat 28th Sept - The Silver Threetles - Beatles Tribute Band With A Few Very Interesting Twists Fri 4th Oct - Rockin Robins Rock N Roll - Free Admission Sat 12th Oct - Joe Public Fri 18th Oct - Rockin Robins - Rock N Roll Sat 19th Oct - A 1940’s Dad’s Army Evening, Prize For The Best 1940’s Costume. Then Travelling Through The Years To Present Day As The Evening Goes On. Sky Sports Are Back - Bingo Every Tuesday - No Membership Required - www.facebook.com/The Club Thornton The Queen’s Head Ashby Road, Markfield.

T: 01530 242 496 ALL SKY SPORTS & ESPN Bagworth Working Men’s Club, Station Road, Bagworth.

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

Live entertainment – last Saturday of the month Andy’s Charity Quiz £1.50 each - last Friday of the month Sequence dances Sunday Nights. £1.50 admission 8 pm Tea Dance Wednesday afternoon 2 – 4 pm. £1 admission.

Sat 14th September - Social Sequence Dance - 8pm start - £1.50 on the door.

Sat 28th September - SPEN & DAVE (Guitar Duo) - Free Admission.

Sat 5th October - BAGWORTH

OPEN SHOW - PART 2 Looking Ahead to New Year’s Eve - AXIS DUO will be playing their last ever gig! £1 entry.

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

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

Fri 27th Sept: LIONEL RITCHIE Tribute Fri 4th Oct: CLASSIC ROCK Tribute Sunday 8th September: WEDDING FAYRE - 11am to 3pm See ad on page 30.

History of Famous Diamonds Exhibition

The Bulls Head Forest Road, Markfield T: 01530 242541 Garden & Pub Games etc.

POKER NIGHT - Tuesdays - starts at 8pm The Coach & Horses Leicester Road, Field Head Tel: 01530 242 312 Macmillan Coffee Morning on Fri 27th September - 10am to 12.30pm KARAOKE Nights Every Fortnight:- Next is on Sat 28th September with ‘King of the Road’. See ad on right.

Groby Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Leicester Road, Groby Tel: 0116 287 1809 www.grobyclub.co.uk Fri Sept 6th - Zodiac - Excellent Male/Female Duo Sat Sept 7th - Johnny Panic - Quality Male Singer Sun Sept 8th - Super Sunday ‘50’ -Bingo And Quiz Fri Sept 13th - Abba A - Tribute To Abba - Brilliant Performers Sat Sept 14th - Lauren Rose Excellent Young Lady Singer Sun Sept 15th - Super Sunday ‘50’ - Bingo And Quiz Friday Sept 20th - Savannah - Very Good Female Vocalist Sat Sept 21st - Obsession Quality M/female Duo Sun Sept 22nd - Super Sunday ‘50’ Bingo And Quiz Fri Sept 27th - Tyler Jon Excellent Male Vocalist Sat Sept 28th - Ego - Super Female Duo Sun Sept 29th - Super Sunday ‘50’ Bingo And Quiz Fri Sept 4th October - Prime Quality Covers Band Sat Oct 5th - Mallennia - Very Good M/female Duo Sun Oct 6th - Super Sunday ‘50’ Bingo And Quiz Fri Oct 11th - T.b.a.

Sat Oct 12th - Meatloaf & Cher Tribute - Absolutely Brilliant

THREE Billion years ago the diamond on your finger was being conceived in the unfathomable depths of the earth.

Your diamond was being formed in heat otherwise found only on the surface of the sun, under pressures greater than those at the very depths of the ocean. Starting as a tiny bubble of liquid carbon your piece of our planet’s amazing history was travelling upwards to the Earth’s surface.

Borne along by a subterranean river of molten lava until it penetrated a weak spot in the Earth’s crust before slowly coming to rest just under the surface of our ancient planet. The lava will have cooled, slowly, slowly over millennia causing the bubble of carbon to solidify in to an eight-faced crystal. Only the fierce but constant heat and pressure that your stone was subject to have ensured its bright white fire as carbon transformed to diamond.

Despite the unimaginable number of years that your stone has so far passed through, this is really only the beginning of the story. Your diamond remained buried deep underground - most likely in South Africa although possibly India, Brazil or even Canada - until just 2,400 years ago. Our own natural curiosity and love of beautiful things, coupled with an unparalleled skill for engineering, led us to dig deep into the Earth to discover more of these rare and precious gems.

Your diamond has likely come from the same place as either the famous Hope Diamond, or illustrious Koh i Noor, or perhaps even the Eureka Diamond itself. To discover more about how these wonderful gems came to be part of some of the most stunning jewellery in the world and how you can have your own ancient piece of natural history designed and made into a piece you will cherish forever, do come and enjoy the fabulous ‘History of Famous Diamonds’ - an Exhibition at Cathy Stephens Jewellery in both Nottingham and Groby, Leicestershire.

Cathy will be on hand to design and redesign for you and you are welcome to share in some of Cathy Stephens Jewellery’s traditional hospitality, perhaps a glass of bubbly? Furthermore customers are invited to take advantage of a special offer during the show whereby you can exchange your ‘old gold’ against any item or commission.

Cathy and all her team are looking forward to seeing you!

SEE ADVERT ON BACK PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

I always go to work wearing baggy trousers in honour of my favourite band. My wife thinks it’s Madness.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

LETTERS

31

ELECTRICIAN A one-stop professional & reliable service

Communication

The communication between elected members of Groby Parish Council and Groby Parish personnel has been lacking in the past. The approval progress of the yellow line introduction in the village is but one example.

I was fortunate to have a ‘one-on-one’ chat with Mr Jim Coley, the Groby Parish Council Chairman, some weeks ago. He accepted the shortfall in communication. To this end, he intends to include a quarterly report in the Groby Spotlight magazine, spelling out relevant details being processed by the council, as well as occasional other items outside the council remit - for example the A46/A50 roundabout task - if they are of interest.

I thanked Mr Coley for his positive stance.

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Groby’s Got Talent

Success for local biker aged 2!

I’m writing to tell Spotlight readers about my son Charlie Walker, who attends Groby Nursery School.

Charlie - at the tender age of 2 years old - qualified for a national championship in his first race on a bike.

He won the silver trophy at the British Balance Bike Championships qualifying event in Kent.

Charlie will now compete at the national finals in Manchester in September, for the chance to represent Britain in the World Championship in Florida.

Emma - Charlie’s Mum To Place An Advert in the Spotlight Tel: Mike on 01530 244069 or email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

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I came home and found my mum slumped in her chair with needles in her arms. She always falls asleep when she’s knitting.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

32

All the latest news from Bardon Park Chapel

Over-50s win the dating game

The home of Bardon Park Christian Fellowship & The Bardon Park United Reformed Church.

When Cupid draws back his bow he doesn’t just aim for the 18-30s. In fact if you want to know which age group has great success in love look a little further up the scale.

•

Family Worship Service every Sunday morning at 10.30am.

Everyone most welcome.

• Monthly praise evenings are held on the 1st Saturday in each month at 7.00pm. We invite you to join us for a lively time of praise, music, singing, sharing, sound bible teaching and healing prayers. Tea, coffee, biscuits and fellowship after the meeting in the school rooms.

The Second Saturday in • September is approaching and people are gearing up to Ride & Stride for charities or just for plain fun. This is where Churches and Chapels across the land, open their doors and welcome, usually perspiring, visitors to look around their premises. Bardon Park Chapel, on the A511 near the Charnwood Arms and opposite Redgate Animal Sanctuary, will be doing that very thing. Inside you will see the heritage of this wonderful 17th century chapel and in the Chapel schoolrooms you will find an Art Exhibition with a difference. A group of 5 dedicated ladies have been guided by retired art teacher and accomplished artist, John Moore. Over the last 4 months they have painted a mural on one half of the room, bringing the outside in!

There will be a storyboard of photos depicting the “work in progress” and also an exhibition of watercolours done by the class previously. Do come and have a look, even if you are not riding or striding. There’s always a cup of tea and biscuit available!

For more details contact: Richard on telephone 01530 242 526.

Forthcoming Bradgate Flower Club Meetings On 2nd October, Bradgate Flower Club will hold its Open Meeting at 7.30 in Groby Community College.

National Demonstrator, Diane Fair from Chester is the Club’s guest and her theme is “In the Midst of ...”. Visitors are welcome - a charge of £5 is made. Details from Lilian Coleman on 0116 2363191.

Bradgate Flower Club’s Bridge Drive is on Thursday 17 October in Newtown Linford Village Hall, starting at 1.30 for 1.45pm. If you would like to book a table, contact Sue Howard on 01530 245373. The fee is £6 per person including afternoon tea. A donation will be made to ‘Canine Partners’

Geraldine Abbott

RATBY VILLAGE SOCIETY Open Meetings Ratby Village Society meetings start at 8.00 pm in the Village Hall, Main Street, Ratby, on the third Tuesday monthly with the exception of JULY, AUGUST & DECEMBER when there are no meetings.

Admission for members is £1.60 (Membership £5.00) and casual guests £2.50 refreshments included. You do not have to live in Ratby to attend everyone welcome.

17th September 2013 A talk on the work of the RSPCA with fundraising goods on sale.

Come along and hear how this very valuable service is run. A must for any animal lover.

Being over 50 used to mean being over the hill, but these days the baby boom generation are teaching their offspring a thing or two about romance.

Fittingly, the generation that brought us the first summer of love in the 60s are now showing the younger generation how to find romance according to a report by Facts International on behalf of dating service Parship.co.uk. It revealed that 73 per cent of over-50 singles fully intend to find a fulfilling sexual relationship in the next 12 months, while 84 per cent want a full sexual relationship with the next person they meet. Generally four out of 10 of over 50s are looking for commitment, but one in five only wants casual fun and 19 per cent are game for anything.

What’s more, over half of the over-50s singles don’t look to their family for approval, with 60 per cent saying they don’t care what their children think of their dates. There could be a few raised eyebrows from the younger generations of the family as 18 per cent of the senior group said they would happily date someone at least 10 years younger, while they are three times more likely than 20-somethings to flirt with complete strangers.

Carol Dix, author of the Ultimate Guide to 21st Century Dating , is in the 50+ generation and recently met a younger man when on holiday after flirting with him in a bar. She is happy to report that their relationship is still going strong. “Many of the 50+ generation believe strongly in finding sexual passion and romance, rather than just looking for a stable (possibly rather dull) relationship,” she says. “We’ve had marriages, raised our children and know what’s important to look for in the opposite sex. There’s not much point in us settling for companionship when we could be finding great sex, fun, love and laughter out there.”

Not only are the older generations better at dating than their younger counterparts but they are also keeping up with the times by dating online.

To fulfil their lust for life, over-50 singles are turning to the internet in increasing numbers. Of those surveyed, 43 per cent are logging on to find dates compared with just 26 per cent six months ago. Yet traditional standards still prevail. While the majority (76 per cent) of single people over 50 don’t believe in one partner for life, and 68 per cent regret not having had sex with a person from their past, the majority, 77 per cent still believe it is better to be sexually faithful to one partner.

Dr Victoria Lukats points out that an increasing number of people in their 50s and 60s are finding themselves single, often for the first time in decades.

“The idea that this age group is no longer interested in a sexual relationship is simply a misconception. These figures show that experience probably counts for a lot when it comes to approaching a potential love interest. If you’ve made mistakes or had regrets in life then you’re not going to lose any more time on missed opportunities but maybe try and live life to the full and be more proactive in looking for love.”

Flirty over fifties are living life to the full.

This article was downloaded from http://www.freefeatures.com.

I’ve started working for a bicycle wheel making company. I’m the spokesman.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

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Crime figures for August 2013 from Groby Neighbourhood Watch

2x Damage to motor vehicle – Wallace Drive, Forest Close.

3x Burglary Dwelling • – Beaumont Green, Glebe Road (Attempted), Woodlands Drive. Access has been gained by smashing the rear patio doors on two addresses and attempt was made to gain entry via a rear window.

We received an additional report on Woodland Drive of side gates being opened and so patrols were increased in the area.

1x Robbery – Cathy Stevens • Jewellery. Witnesses saw a dark coloured Audi estate type vehicle leave the scene.

4 males were involved with 3 who entered the shop with crowbars and a baseball bat.

Vehicle was located same day abandoned in Anstey.

1x Burglary Other • Than Dwelling – Groby Community College. Shed broken into during summer holidays.

• 1x Theft From Motor Vehicle – Markfield Road. Number plates stolen 1x Theft of Motor Vehicle • – Stamford Drive. Vehicle left locked and secured on driveway. Victim has returned to find vehicle has been stolen.

Information supplied by Martin Cartwright, Chairman Groby Neighbourhood Watch Extended weekly crime news is available on www.groby.org.uk •

Watch out for Groby’s Roxanne on your tv!

One of the Spotlight’s advertisers just happened to mention to us recently that she would be appearing soon on television.

“Tell us more,” we said.

Roxanne, who lives in Groby and runs the Bellyfit dance exercise class at Groby Village Hall, had just featured as the entertainment on an episode of Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me. The show was recorded in Cropston, and it is due to screened next month.

Roxanne says, “There was the usual eclectic set of people. My lady was the first to cook and her evening was a little subdued until I arrived and did a fun belly dance and cabaret act that included my snake - a royal python called Pliskinella (named after the fictional character Snake Plissken, played by Kurt Russell in the movie Escape from New York.).”

Roxanne is no stranger to the tv cameras, as she has appeared as an extra - and in small speaking roles - in over 60 television shows since the 1980s.

These include well-known series such as Dalziel & Pascoe, Boon, Peak Practice, Woof, Vanity Fair, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and many others.

But that’s not all! As well as performing, Roxanne has also written a threepart drama which has been submitted to the BBC for consideration. So watch this space ...

Multi-talented Roxanne - belly dancer, cabaret artist, actress and writer you never know who you might bump into at Groby Village Hall!

I threw a biscuit at my neighbour the other day, but he ducked. Jammy dodger.

33

d Search Puzzle

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

34

http://puzz

US State Capitals Wordsearch Find 12 US State Capital Cities in this month’s Wordsearch puzzle and you could win yourself a meal and a drink. This month we are offering a tasty prize of: A Main Course for Two, plus A Bottle of House Wine at The Fieldhead Hotel.

To go into the draw, all you have to do is find - and mark a line through - the names of 12 US State Capital Cities. These can run vertically, horizontally or diagonally (and backwards!).

S I S E A M B P I E J M E A O

Q I B E D U P M G I S O C T I

L T L C N H N U W P T N N L Z

J I D O O I O F R B H T E A U

N X T E P R O I D D A G D N C

ATLANTA BATONROUGE DESMOINES HONOLULU INDIANAPOLIS LITTLEROCK MONTGOMERY PHOENIX PROVIDENCE SACRAMENTO SPRINGFIELD TALLAHASSEE

D Q N T N A N M F V U O I T A

F I B O L G N R S Y X M V A B

X X T R F E G A C E V E O G I

S A J I G J R J I I D R R Z J

B Z E R X H Z O I D A Y P H W

M L Y X N S W M C M N J J K Z

D T R Z R F Y I J K M I G X M

E E S S A H A L L A T L X B H

S A C R A M E N T O A H I D Y

U L U L O N O H X Q Y D P C F

Send your entry to: BORN IN THE USA, Groby & Field Head Spotlight, PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT to arrive by Tuesday 24th September 2013.

Remember to include your name and address. The first all-correct entry drawn out of the Editor’s Evidence Bag will win the Meal for Two at The Fieldhead Hotel. Good luck!

Here are the 12 US State Capital Cities you have to find:

ATLANTA • BATON ROUGE • DES MOINES HONOLULU • INDIANAPOLIS • LITTLE ROCK MONTGOMERY • PHOENIX • PROVIDENCE SACRAMENTO • SPRINGFIELD • TALLAHASSEE

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

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

Last Month’s Wordsearch Winner The winner of last issue’s Wordsearch competition was: MRS P PERCIVAL of Ratby Road, Groby You win a Main Course for Two plus a Bottle of House Wine at The Fieldhead Hotel. Congratulations!

Cadets Field Craft Weekend in June, the local Air Training Corps Squadron, 2070 (Glenfield) Squadron Cadets took part in a Field Craft weekend at John Lee’s Wood Scout Campsite, which offers a forest environment to carry out elements of fieldcraft activities.

For a lot of the Cadets this was their first taste of camping with the Squadron and it gave them a chance to learn a number of skills that they will put to use for their Duke of Edinburgh Award and future Adventure Training with the Squadron.

Over the two days training was carried out in camp craft, observation skills, camouflage and concealment, duties of a sentry, and an orders group training experience.

As well as Sgt ATC Gibson, Sgt ATC Elton and CI Clarke taking the lead in the instruction and organization of the weekend, in addition there were three Students who are currently at University awaiting their commissions representing the Navy, Army and RAF. Good to see ex Cadet Lear. who is currently studying his degree, before being commissioned in the RAF Engineering Branch.

Over the weekend the cadets, tested their technical skills in all the elements of training, as well as pushing themselves out of their comfort zones.

Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com

FS ATC M Parker

For more information visit www.2070sqn.co.uk

People think being a hostage is hard. I could do it with my hands tied behind my back.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • SEPTEMBER 2013 • Tel: 01530 244069

35

£400

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0800 542 6044 www.ukgasservices.co.uk

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My Auntie Marge has been ill for so long we changed her name to “I can’t believe she’s not better.”

I eat cake because it’s somebody’s birthday somewhere.