April 2022 Your Local Anstey, Thurcaston, Cropston, Newtown Linford, Woodhouse & Woodhouse Eaves

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Events For Spring 2022

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Regular indoor meetings are held in Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall on the second Wednesday every month from January to May starting at 7.30pm. Admission is £2.50 for LRWT members, £3 for visitors, children free.

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Anstey WI

Article by Sheila Timms At their May meeting, members of Anstey WI were transported back to their childhoods by Rachel Greaves, author and illustrator of the stories of Ruffle the Rail dog. Rachel was an English and Drama teacher and a keeper of Airedales. Hovis used to sit looking out of the garden, and Rachel decided to paint him thus. So was born the idea for the books, and the railway aspect was inspired by the Great Central Railway, for which both of Rachel’s adult children worked. They brought home tales of things that had happened there.

Rachel decided to self-publish, and to trademark the name and logo. Our hero was originally called Rusty, but a German company already held that name, so Rusty became Ruffle. Thus the fun began. Rachel has now sold 12,500 of her little books, and her creativity has known no bounds. Invited to school assemblies, she looked for ways to bring her tales to life. She bought a glove puppet Ruffle, who is very realistic, and began making other characters herself, starting with Eric the station master, ingeniously created from household objects such as wooden spoons. He was followed by a WW1 soldier. When Rachel brought him out at the meeting, his arm fell off; a rather belated additional injury! She has a beautiful train made by a carpenter, and fitted out by Rachel herself.

It rejoices in the name “The Flying Terrier” When she began visiting care homes, someone reminisced about a dog on wheels. Rachel promptly acquired such a dog, adapting him into an Airedale. This gave rise to the quote of the evening: “I am so proud of that bottom.”

All in all, our inner child was thoroughly revived and nurtured, and we had great fun.

The competition again attracted a record number of entries (17) and the winner was Pauline Annis.

Anstey WI propose to support and raise funds for the campaign to keep St Mary’s Church Rooms.

This is a valuable asset to the village, so if you get the chance, do come along to support our efforts.

Wednesday April 13th at 7.30pm The Condor's Feather by Mike and Paula Webster This talk celebrates the publication of “The Condor's Feather”, a travel memoir about the 4 years that the couple spent in South America and the filming they did for Birdlife International. It will include excerpts from the book as well as some of the films.

Wednesday 11th May at 7.30pm A Wildlife Quiz for Everyone This quiz will be an entertaining, sociable evening with questions for everyone, whether or not you are a wildlife expert, or just enjoy natural history. Organise your own team beforehand, or join others in a team on the night. Bring your own drinks and nibbles to help the evening along.

Anstey Gala 2022 Article by John Morfey Anstey Gala this year will be held on Saturday 10th September, from 12 noon till 4.30 pm.

Last year’s Gala was a great success.

This year there will be community stalls, fairground rides, activities and entertainment in the arena, the Dog Show, and street food and the beer tent.

Our small committee are organising it but we need some help on the day.

If you can spare an hour or two, please get in touch via the website ansteygala@aol.com or Facebook @ ansteygala or ring/text John on 07808 143772.

If your organisation would like a stall space on the day, please contact us on any of the above.

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Monday Club Cropston And Thurcaston Cropston Evangelical Free Church 14th March 2022 Article by Maja Tompkins

The Life, Career and Legacy of Beatrix Potter After a brief review of our plans for the rest of the year Jenny Kennington, the Club Leader, introduced the speaker Derek Holloway who has been to us before. His topic this time was the life and career of Beatrix Potter, an author and illustrator who is still a household name today. Many people may not realise what a struggle this intrepid lady had to fulfil some of her ambitions and utilise her undoubted talents, in an age where women were not generally expected to have a career outside their own home. She was born into an affluent family in London in 1866, and had a brother born in 1872. Her parents had them educated privately at home by a governess, and they had little contact with others of their own age. They made their own amusement by keeping a great variety of pets in their attic nursery, and even took the pets with them when the family went away for their frequent holidays, usually in faraway Scotland. However in 1887 they went to the Lake District instead, and Beatrix absolutely loved it. The family stayed at Wray Castle near Lake Windermere. The vicar of Wray inspired Beatrix, and later became one of the three founders of the National Trust.

She drew and painted what she saw around her in great detail, and became fascinated by all kinds of fungi in particular, which of course grew well in such a damp environment as the Lakes! In an age where leisured Victorians dabbled in various enthusiasms relating to the natural world, such as a fad for collecting ferns, very little was known about the secret life of mushrooms (mycology), but she became a self-taught expert, sometimes using a microscope. Eventually, a paper she wrote about fungi was presented to the Linnean Society of London in 1897 … but a Mr Massee from Kew Gardens read it out on her behalf. Mr Holloway showed us some examples of her beautifully detailed paintings.

Her last governess, Ann Moore, had had a great influence on her, and they remained friends all their lives. When Ann married and had children, Beatrix would sometimes write little stories for them with illustrations and send them as a letter, particularly to the youngest who was often ill. Some of her pets were turned into characters, and in time became the books which are so well-known today. The first character was Peter Rabbit, sent to cheer the young Noel Moore. Peter was conceived as one of four rabbits. Beatrix tried to find a publisher willing to turn her work into books, but was rejected by every single one she approached (including Frederick Warne, who later did become her publisher). Finally she started publishing them at her own expense, with black and white illustrations, having some experience from the Christmas cards which she and her brother had written and printed in the past. Warne then asked her to produce pictures in colour from October 1902. The initial print run was 8,000 copies, which sold out very quickly.

She worked closely with her publisher Warne, and the youngest son of the family who was learning the trade was allocated to work with her.

She and Norman became attracted to each other, although they had an unconventional courtship under the beady eyes of a Potter family servant, often the cook, ordered to chaperone all the meetings between them (Beatrix was by then 36 years old); they also wrote to each other often.

Along with the books they developed related items, what we would now call spin-offs, like dolls and models, painting books and jigsaws. Although her family disapproved of Norman as a possible suitor, because he came from “trade” (despite the fact that the family fortune also came from trade!), Beatrix and Norman secretly became engaged in 1905, but their happiness was very brief. Aged only 37, Norman became ill and died suddenly, whilst Beatrix was in Wales on holiday with her parents. If you watch the film “Miss Potter”, this episode is very movingly portrayed.

In the same year, Beatrix used some money from the sale of her books plus a legacy from an aunt to buy Hilltop Farm at Sawrey near Windermere, as her own home. Many features of the farm, like the kitchen, can be recognised in her book illustrations from this time onwards. Seeing the threat of urban development creeping towards the Lakes she loved, she also began buying up local farms and land. The solicitor at Hawkshead, William Heelis, advised her on such matters, and the local people, not always ready to welcome outsiders, accepted her for her genuine interest in protecting their way of life. In 1909 she bought more land, and she and William were married in 1913. In addition to being a farmer and conservationist, and supporting the Girl Guide Association, Beatrix continued to write books, although she used the name of Mrs Heelis for everything else.

In 1914 her father died, and they persuaded her mother to move up to the Lake District, although the house she chose at Bowness was of substantial size and is now a hotel! Beatrix used her money to protect the traditional

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Protecting Your Family Inheritance Article by Klara Dixon

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Most people hope that their estate will pass on to their children and grandchildren eventually.

But this will not happen for many, unless careful arrangements have been made to protect their assets from being taken towards the end of their life to pay for care home fees. The solution to help protect your estate is a Will incorporating a Property Protection Trust (PPT).

A testamentary PPT can only be executed whilst both partners remain alive. Upon death of the first partner, their Will specifies that their share of the property is placed into trust and names the ultimate beneficiary of this share, normally the children and grandchildren of the deceased. The surviving partner, under the terms of the trust, has the unequivocal right to remain living in the property for the rest of their life. On the death of the second partner the Trust comes to an end and the property passes to the beneficiaries.

As the surviving partner does not own the deceased’s share of the property it is fully protected for the beneficiaries, so if the surviving partner requires care, or even remarries, this share of the children’s inheritance is protected. This last point can be particular interest to couples who have come together and have children with different partners.

A PPT can help each person in a relationship ensuring that their children inherit their share of the property, while giving their surviving partner the ability to live in the property for the rest of their life. If the surviving partner wants to move to another property, they can still sell the property and the proceeds to be used to purchase a new property, the terms of the Trust remain over the new property.

way of life in the Lakes, and in 1923 she bought a large sheep farm,. She became an expert on the local indigenous sheep breed of Herdwicks, and Mr Holloway showed us a photograph where she was a judge in a livestock show. In 1942 she even became President of the Breeders Association, but she sadly died in December 1943 at the age of 77, worn out with constant work and the harsh winters in the area she had chosen as her home. She left her farms, cottages, land and livestock to her husband, who died in 1945, and left everything to the National Trust. The Lake District was declared a National Park in 1951, and is visited by millions of people.

Her enduring legacy includes a massive practical contribution to the National Trust and to the conservation of working landscapes. In the UK, the human involvement continues, unlike many National Parks in the USA --- the way of life of the farmers is supported, and local crafts are promoted and taught to the next generations. Mr Holloway showed us some photographs of the beautiful Lake District, which is probably familiar to so many of us today, but would have been completely different if building and industrial activities had been allowed to go ahead unchecked.

In all Beatrix wrote 30 books, 23 of which were for children (stories about fairies were very popular at that time). She also wrote for the adult market in the USA later on. All of her books are still in print, and first editions can fetch high prices at auction. As recently as 2015, another unknown manuscript of hers was found (Kitty in Boots), which caused great excitement. Several local places associated with her have been turned into museums, and are well worth a visit. Examples of her plant illustrations are held at the V&A Museum Library, and the Armittt Museum in Ambleside.

After Mr Holloway had answered a few questions, we enjoyed a cup of tea and a few cakes, with the meeting closing at around 4 p.m.

Our meetings start at 2.15pm on the second Monday of each month. On 11th April we shall be treated to a talk and possible demonstration by one of our ladies, about Indian Head Massage and other alternative therapies such as Reiki. In May we plan to have a lunch at Ulverscroft Grange, and in June there will be a speaker from a charity supporting families of premature babies. In July there may be a strawberry tea at a local venue. We also hope to have a pre-Christmas lunch again for members and their friends / families. New members and visitors are always welcome to meetings - just turn up on the day. Mrs Maja Tompkins Contact mobile 07709 201881

Call us now for a friendly chat on: 01163 191123

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Anstey Parish Council Article by Megan Sutliffe

Councillor Dave Parker We are deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Councillor Dave Parker who has sadly passed away. Dave was very community minded having a long association with Anstey Parish Council for many years, he was also a supporter of the Latimer Primary School and a volunteer at the Community Library. Our thoughts are with Dave’s family and friends.

Meet your Councillors There is an opportunity to drop in and meet some of your Councillors at the Jubilee Hall on Saturday 9th April between 1pm and 3pm. Come and have a cup of tea and biscuits and discuss local matters with your local Councillors.

It would be really good to hear your view on topical matters including; the Platinum Jubilee, come and have a look at the latest plans for the extension to the Jubilee Hall and the progress of the Neighbourhood Plan.

Community Orchard Working in partnership with the National Forest Company the Council will be planting two community orchards as part of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Green Canopy during this Platinum Jubilee year. All the trees have been provided with the support of the Charnwood Forest Landscape Partnership and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The first is a small orchard of six trees at the Leys just over Packhorse bridge.

These were planted in March by Anstey Parish Council Staff, Councillors Vicky Ball, Roger Peat and representatives from the National Forest Company. There are three eating apples ‘James Grieve’ and three cookers ‘Bramley’.

Classes run on a Monday morning, Thursday evening and Friday mornings.

Councillor Vacancy The Parish Council is now looking to co-opt to fill the Casual Vacancy that has arisen due to the sad death of Dave Parker. If you are interested in applying for this, please provide the following information to the Parish Office.

• Information about yourself, which includes why you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor.

• How you think you can contribute to the work of the PC. • Written confirmation that you are over 18 and not disqualified from becoming a Councillor To find out more about the Parish Council please do not hesitate to contact us.

Parish Council Meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of the month at the Jubilee Hall starting at 7.30pm.

Details of meeting are shown on the website, the agendas for meetings are published on the website at: www.ansteypc.org.uk/council-meetings.html all members of the public are welcome to these meetings.

The second community orchard will be planted with the help of the community during National Tree planting week in November. A total of 15 trees will be planted and there will be a variety of fruit trees.

If you would like to be involved in this tree planting to let us know and we can send you details nearer the time.

Litter Picking Anstey Parish Council is supporting the Great British Spring Clean. We encourage you to take part in the #BigBagChallenge and pledge to pick up a bag of litter or more if you can.

We are happy to provide litter picking equipment and high-viz vests if needed, please contact the Parish office. Or you could contact the Anstey and Cropston Wombles on Facebook who are doing amazing work in and around the village.

John Sutherington Award The Events Committee are very pleased to be awarding the John Sutherington Sporting Award. This prestigious award recognises an individual or organisation from Anstey that has achieved success or carried out an outstanding sporting activity. This year Anstey Parish Council received nominations for four individuals and organisations from Anstey, all of which have qualities that highlight a wonderful range of sporting achievements, in what has been another difficult and restricted year.

This year’s recipient is awarded to Natasha Gilbert who received over 10 nominations. As a fitness coach, Natasha has clearly reached and helped many local people of all abilities with their health, fitness, self-confidence and wellbeing. Furthermore, she has organised, motivated and inspired a group of more than 20 women to climb to the top of Snowdon in Wales, raising money for several charities.

Congratulations and thanks go to Natasha for her outstanding sporting achievement whilst running Natasha’s Bootcamp, Train with Tasha, which began outside on the recreation ground during lockdown in 2020. Since then, her classes have continued to grow in popularity and during the winter months she brought the classes indoors at the Jubilee Hall. Councillor Kathy Peake presented Natasha with the award and prize of £250.00 on Monday 28th February 2022.

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Your Councillors

Your Councillors can be contacted through the Parish Council Office:

Tel: 0116 2362646 Mobile: 07458 305025 Email: clerk@ansteypc.org Jubilee Hall, Stadon Road, Anstey, Leicester, LE7 7AY

Rolls-Royce Retired Employees Associations Article by Graham Burton

April events the 5th of April the walk & talk will take place. On the 12th members will meet at Rolls-Royce Leisure Moor Lane Derby from 12;30 to 2:00pm 13th members are going on a trip to Chester the coach will leave Rolls-Royce Leisure at 8:30am.

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Anstey Local History Society Meetings on 3rd Wednesday each month at 7.30.p.m. at The Jubilee Hall, Stadon Road 20th April Visit to At Risk Memorial Project All Saints Church, Highcross Street 18th May Queen’s Platinum Anniversary Event Members: Free Non-members: £3.00 www.ansteyhistory.com Tel: 07870197958

Film Presentations Thurcaston And Cropston Parish Council Thurcaston & Cropston Local History Society Article by Peter Smith

There are close links between Thurcaston and Belgrave, the two villages having been directly connected by road until the route was diverted along Beaumont Leys Lane in the 1990s. At the Society’s March meeting, our member Nick Fathers took us back several generations earlier, on a photographic and historical tour entitled “Welcome to Belgrave”. Nick’s explanations were enlivened – not to say upstaged – by the contemporary opinions of Mrs Sarah Billington, landlady of the Bull’s Head, who was conjured up for us by Sandra Moore.

The talk was illustrated with a fine collection of photographs of Belgrave at different periods. Some came from postcards, like the example here that provided Nick’s title. It was one of many local scenes published by the postmaster Walter Clayton. Other photographs came from a collection of glass negatives and were so well preserved that Nick was able to zoom in and show details of children’s faces and of goods for sale in the shop windows.

Until the mid-19th century, Belgrave was a small, self-contained village centred on its hall, church, village green and the medieval bridge on Thurcaston Road. Then, from a population of 1200 in 1845, it rapidly grew six-fold as people moved from the countryside to find work in factories in and around Leicester. The grand houses along Loughborough Road show that the area first became a fashionable suburb but before long all the spaces in between were filled with the rows of terraced housing that we see today.

To support the greater population, there was a wide variety of shops and an extraordinary number of pubs and alehouses. That might explain the building of a subtantial police station, which survives but is no longer in use. The small village school close to the river was replaced by the National School – known as the “Nashy” – on the corner of Thurcaston Road. This was the terminus of the tram line from Leicester and a tram shed survived nearby until quite recently.

Other interesting pictures showed: • The “Old Tree”, an elm that stood for many years outside the Talbot Inn and was the main meeting place in the village.

• The Green at the bottom of Bath Lane, which was flooded in 1912.

• A venue for pleasure boating next to the bridge.

Piecemeal development through the 20th century has destroyed much of the character of Belgrave but there are still things of historical interest to spot if you know where to look! From April, the Belgrave Heritage Trust will have photos and other information on display at Belgrave Hall, each Wednesday and on the first weekend of each month, so that would be a good time to go and explore the area for yourself.

We do not have a meeting in April but we hope you will join us at 7.30pm on Tuesday, 17th May. Bob Trubshaw will be paying return visit to explain how the Anglo-Saxons found their way in the days before maps. The fee for visitors is £4. www.thurcastoncropstonhistory.org.uk

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Article by Richard & Diane In March, it was the year "1917“, as we followed two young determined soldiers along miles of trenches, fields and woodswhere we saw breathtaking detail. Our film was gripping, as we worried whether their mission to save 1,600 men, would succeed.

“Spencer” will be shown on April 8th and lasts 111 minutes.

At Christmas time 1991, Diana Princess of Wales decided to finish her marriage to Prince Charles.

We, the audience, wonder just what was happening behind Sandringham’s carefully decorated halls. We see Kristen Stewart give an astonishing performance as Princess Diana, indeed, she bears a remarkable resemblance. In April’s film, The wealth and intrigue are breathtaking. There are shocks but much laughter as well as tenderness.

"A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood" will be shown on May 13th.and lasts 111 minutes.

May’s film, starring Tom Hanks, is a heart-warming story, based on a real magazine article about a beloved children’s television host, Fred Rogers.

When the naturally cynical journalist finally meets Fred, he cannot believe that this host is so kind and selfless. However, we must ask ourselves two questions, “Will the journalist learn to face his traumatic past?” and “Will these two men ever become friends?”. Tom Hanks excels in this compassionate roll.

“The Colour Room” will be shown on June 10th.

We will be keeping the hall well ventilated and there will be room for us to space out.

Thurcaston and Cropston Parish Council will be showing these films at Thurcaston Memorial Hall, starting at 7.30pm. Film tickets will cost the usual £5, which includes a lucky prize draw and refreshments during the interval. You can pay for tickets at the door or pay in advance from Richard 0116 2363 066 or Diana 0116 2362 619

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Birstall And District Art Society Article by Meg Grant Birstall and District Art Society (BADAS) have the following forthcoming demonstration events that might be of interest to your readership: 12 April 2022 – Stephanie Coley – architecture in colourful ink, pen and watercolour (an example of Stephanie’s work is shown) 10 May 2022 – David Wilcox – musician playing guitar in watercolour 14 June 2022 – Tas Severis – a coastal scene in acrylic using a palette knife All demonstrations take place at the PalmerTomkinson Centre, Cedars Academy from 7 -9pm.

Visitors are welcome at a cost of £4.00.

An example of work by Stephanie Coley, our demonstrator for April 2022.

We are a friendly group and currently have some vacancies for membership.

As well as the monthly demonstration evenings, we get together for Friday morning painting sessions and there is an opportunity to sign up for Monday classes. We also run trips, plein air sketching sessions and social events. As a member, you can also participate in our prestigious annual exhibition. If you are interested in joining us, why not come along to one of our demonstration evenings? You can find more details on our website: www.BADAS.uk

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Crafty Stitchers Leicestershire Article by Susan Flint

There has been a group meeting to share our interests in embroidery and textiles for over 50 years, we celebrated the 50th anniversary in 2018 with an exhibition at Newarke Houses Museum.

The Urban Verge Wildlife Initiative For Leicestershire County Council And Rutland In Partnership With Naturespot*, Supporting Thurcaston And Cropston Parish Council Article by Marianne Lane

In line with various other parishes across the country, your Parish Council is endeavouring to enhance Thurcaston and Cropston villages for the benefit of wildlife and parishioners alike. One of the ways that this can be done is to encourage a broader diversity of plant species on selected grass verges which in turn will attract pollinating insects and birds and provide colour and interest for our residents.

Until 2020 we were a branch of the Embroiderers guild to which we remain affiliated, but are now an Independent stitch group.

We share our knowledge together, through invited speakers and workshops and group led practical sessions.

We meet on the second Saturday of the month at Braunstone West Social Centre, St Mary’s Avenue, off Braunstone Lane, Leicester LE3 3FT 2.00pm for 2.15 start, with time to socialise.

Everyone is welcome, we have a varied mix of members of all abilities and interests.

In February we had a Show and Tell meeting where we shared some of the items we had made during lockdown, the March meeting was a talk by an experienced quilter.

If you enjoy being creative, like any sort of stitch and would like to join us please contact Susan Flint Chair 0116 4299458 or Briony Wilig Secretary 0116 2872531 or just turn up on the day.

The verge would be managed to improve biodiversity as part of the County Council/Parish Council verges bio-diversity trial. It was surveyed in 2021

by Thurcaston and Cropston Parish Council Open Spaces Committee and the environment department at LCC. LCC agreed that this verge would be suitable for converting to a wildflower verge.

The aim of the project is to demonstrate that by managing the grassland as a wildflower meadow it can support a much greater diversity of wildlife species. Different species come and go throughout the year so we will get a much better understanding of the biodiversity value of this site.

If local residents would like to get involved, they can add records of what they have seen by taking a photo if possible and include it with a record, using NatureSpot's* submit records form. Once checked and accepted your record and any photos will appear on their page. The parish council 's Wild Place page www.naturespot.org.uk/Cropston_Leicester_Road_Verges The verge would be managed differently to help wildlife. NatureSpot would conduct a baseline wildlife survey which would take place May/June when many of different species are in flower. No work will start until the survey has been completed. If seed sowing or plug planting is considered to add diversity, this will be a recommendation in the councils plan.

This is the proposed area for the wildflower verge. The proposal is for the wildflower verge to be one metre in from pathway, one metre from planter up to one metre from driveway leading to no.s 300 -312 Leicester Road. * NatureSpot is a local registered charity working in partnership with Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council and the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust, to help record the wildlife of our two counties. To find out more please visit their website at www.naturespot.org.uk For any more information, please email either: clerk@thurcastonandcropston.org.uk or the Parish Council's Open Spaces Committee Chairman: cllr.sgraham@gmail.com

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Annual Easter Egg Run Anstey Sunday 10th April 2022 Article by Anne Dutton ALL WELCOME 10.30am Palm Sunday Service at St. Mary’s Parish Church with Motorcyclists taking part.

11.30am meet at The Nook Car Park.

Motorcyclists - join the ride Spectators - cheer them on their way Please bring an Easter egg or donation All donated eggs will be collected at The Nook Car Park before the ride leaves at 12 noon and will be donated to East Midlands food banks.

The annual egg run is organised by the East Midlands Branch of the Christian MotorCyclists’ Association (CMA) and Churches Together in Anstey (CTiA)

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Weekends Celebration Of The Queens Platinum Jubilee Article by Michael Stoke

Due to the tragic ongoing conflict in the Ukraine, the Great Central Railway have decided to cancel their annual 1940’s Wartime Weekend at the beginning of June.

For this year, we have decided to theme the weekend to cover the history of the first fifty years of our Queen’s life, a pageant celebrating Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.

As usual the event will be across all four stations at the railway with each station highlighting different periods from the 1920’s up to the 1970’s.

The event starts of on Thursday 2nd June with the Platinum Afternoon Tea attended by various dignitaries followed by The Thursday Night Swing Band.

There will be an old time fun fair for all to enjoy, entertainers throughout the 4 days taking us through the songs and music of the time, vintage vehicles, fashion shows, demonstrations, shopping village, our Saturday night Big Band dance, fly past, flying acrobatics, re-enactors showcasing fashion from 1920 onwards, the Marching Pipe Band plus more!

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Michael Gough, Managing Director, commented “Like most of us in the UK we are appalled at the atrocities unfolding in the Ukraine and feel that an event depicting wartime would be highly insensitive at this saddening time.

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National Garden Charity Scheme

Article by Jan Croft As part of the National Garden Charity Scheme Bank Cottage 90 Main Street, Newtown Linford, LE6 0AF. Will be open from April 1st through until end of May 2022. Last year many people enjoyed ‘hiring’ (£3 per head) this garden for birthdays and garden parties. Jan provides and sets up for you linen, crockery, cutlery,table, chairs etc in the bottom garden overlooking fields and the river Lin - you just bring your own refreshments. Contact Jan for further details and to prebook or call on speck. 01530 244865 - 07429159910

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Thurcaston And Cropston Gardening Club Article by Richard

Propagation The Thurcaston and Cropston Gardening Club welcomed Philip Aubury as speaker at our March meeting. His background is very impressive, a lecturer at Birmingham Horticultural Training School; Divisional Parks Manager and holder of the RHS National Diploma. He was Director of Birmingham Botanical Gardens for 20 years.

In a change to our usual format, Phillip treated us to an evening of demonstrations and commentary, as he used a whole range of gardening equipment, plants, and seeds to introduce us to the world of propagation.

He was exceptionally well prepared; with several “and here’s one I prepared earlier” examples of seedlings and plugs to illustrate his key points.

Phillip is a reluctant convert to peat free compost; unlike many club members who have embraced peat free whole heartedly. His view is that good quality peat-free is not easy to find, but that some brands are improving with time.

His talk “Propagation”, covering three main areas, seed sowing, cuttings and division.

Phillip demonstrated the best way to sow seeds that are tiny, medium, or large; each requiring slightly different techniques. With clean pots and good quality compost, tiny seeds can be mixed with fine dry sand to sprinkle and help distribution. Medium and large seeds can be sown into seed trays or individual pots, but they all need very careful covering with sifted compost and the gentlest of watering. Each method was carefully demonstrated with some previously sown examples shown so the audience could see what success looks like!

POINT TO NOTE: far more seeds, seedlings and young plants are lost through over watering. Go sparingly with the H2O. The next stage is pricking out. Phillip reminded us that patience is a virtue and we need to wait for true leaves to appear before transferring seedlings into individual pots. Never touch the roots, only the leaves and make holes in the compost with a pencil or a dibber to allow for easy and successful transfer. Again, remember the gentle watering.

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The club enjoyed the different type of meeting and were very appreciative of a ‘demonstration’ evening.

The Gardening Club meets in the Thurcaston and Cropston Memorial Hall Whether an experienced gardener or an enthusiastic beginner we are sure you will find something of interest in this year’s programme. New members are made most welcome. What’s more, it is excellent value!! The membership fee is still only £12 for the year (pro rota) or £3.00 per meeting.

So, if you are interested in gardening - come and give the Club a try.

The next Club events are:Wed 13 April, 7.45 pm Gardening with Ferns Heather Godard-Key Advice on all aspects of fern growing, especially for growing in different types of conditions eg dry shade and wet.

Cuttings need a mix of compost and perlite to be successful and Phillip demonstrated how rooting cuttings around the edge of a pot makes it easier to remove them without damage. when splitting them. He showed us the correct use of rooting powder, putting a small amount into the lid to use to dip into, not the whole jar.

Philip gave a special mention to rose cuttings. His method – in a sheltered part of the garden, create a ‘slot’ in the ground with your spade about 7 or 8 inches deep, sprinkle fine grit or coarse sand in the base, place your rose stem (9 inches long) into the ‘slot’ and heel them in, simple. Water in and wait for your new rose bushes.

Dividing plants; Phillip finished his talk with a demonstration of splitting plants.

The easiest method of all. Used for splitting up herbaceous plants in the spring. Remove the plants from the soil and using two forks back-to-back prise the plant apart ensuring growing tips are visible on each section and replant in their new location. Bone meal added to the planting hole will aid the development of the new clump. Any section of old or ‘woody’ roots should be discarded.

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Heather comes from Fibrex Nursery. It is a family run nursery that has been going for over 60 years. They hold two National Collections, Pelargoniums & Hedera. The Pelargonium Collection is the largest National Collection in the world. We also specialise in Ferns, Hardy Geraniums & Tuberous Begonias.

We show at all the major RHS Flower Shows and have countless Gold Medals for our efforts.

Plants for sale Wed 11th May, 7.45 pm Hostas Robert Barlow 'Hostas, The Versatile Herbaceous Perennial'. The talk provides details of the history and development of hostas worldwide. The diversity of varieties now available. Care of your hosta plants. Propagation techniques. Pests and diseases and protection of your hosta plants. Plants are provided as an aid to the talk and are available for purchase during the meeting. I can provide a demonstration on how to split hosta plants.

During June 2018 North Staffordshire Hostas was awarded National Collection Status by the Plant Heritage Society for our hosta collection ‘British Introductions.

The talk is illustrated. Hosta plants are also used to support the presentation.

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David Snartt Borough Councillor for Forest Bradgate T: 01530 244804 E: cllr.david.snartt@charnwood.gov.uk

Planning Applications P/21/2359/2 and P/21/2358/2.

I have now sent my submission to Charnwood Borough Council objecting to these planning applications for up to 500 dwellings and a school within the Parish of Anstey. The proposals will see development encroaching towards Newtown Linford on green field land and not maintaining the area of Local Separation between the two villages.

In my view, these proposals will have serious highway issues for the villages of Anstey and Newtown Linford. In my submission, I stated this will see large numbers of vehicles from these development sites travelling through the village of Newtown Linford. It is inevitable all vehicles travelling north, including to and from the M1 will travel through the village, this will be the most direct route to access all destinations north.

I also made reference to vehicle congestion in The Nook, in the centre of Anstey, it has already been stated the traffic is reaching severe levels of congestion, also the separation area between Anstey and Newtown Linford would be compromised and the capacity of the services provided within Anstey would not cope with this amount of housing. Remembering, there are other applications going forward within Anstey taking the total to over 900 new dwellings. This is on top of the 660 dwellings already built since 2011.

Charnwood Borough Council have extended the consultation period.

Therefore, I would be grateful, if you are minded to do so, support your local Councillors in opposing these unwanted developments by e-mailing your objections to development.control@charnwood.gov.uk or write to Development Control, Charnwood Borough Council, Southfields Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire. LE11 2TU, quoting planning application numbers P/21/2359/2 and P/21/2358/2.

It is your opportunity to have your say about these unwanted planning applications that will affect our village way of life for ever.

Groby Employment Park.

I thought you may be interested to know about a proposal by IM Properties to create a new employment park adjacent to the junction of the A50 and Anstey Lane. Also, the proposal is to include a community woodland on land known as the Klondyke, adjacent to the quarry on Newtown Linford Lane.

I attended a consultation event by the developer, where they outlined the proposal, which is at a very early stage in the planning process. I understand this proposal would support in excess of 2,000 jobs across manufacturing, light industry and logistics. More details can be found by visiting www. impgroby.co.uk I will keep you informed if and when a planning application is submitted.

Neighbourhood Plans I have referred before to my concerns about Neighbourhood Plans not meeting certain criteria of the National Planning Policy Framework, especially paragraph 14b which states: ‘The Neighbourhood Plan contains policies and allocations to meet its identified requirements. This is important in the current circumstances because Charnwood Borough Council cannot demonstrate a five year housing land supply.

Previously I was disappointed to hear the answer to my question at the Full Council meeting in January, that none of the Neighbourhood Plans in the Borough were currently meeting the criteria set out in paragraph 14b.

Therefore, I continued to press for more information why this was the case.

I was not happy to find the Woodhouse Plan, after all the hours spent by volunteers did not conform.

I have now received a Neighbourhood Planning Advice Note from the Council detailing the current state of Neighbourhood Plans across the Borough. Out of the 10 Plans, Woodhouse is the only one that meets the criteria, stating: ‘Woodhouse Neighbourhood Plan identifies a target, a site allocation and the opportunity for windfall developments. This approach was tested at examination’.

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In my view, it is important to meet this criteria, especially as the Council can only demonstrate 3.4 years housing land supply. I will be asking further questions on behalf of the Woodhouse Neighbourhood Plan Group, especially the process to keep the Plans updated.

Lighting the Beacon Competition.

A competition is being held to find a local resident to play an important part in Charnwood’s celebrations for Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Charnwood Borough Council is searching for a resident who was born in 1952, the year of the Queen’s accession to the throne, to join the Mayor of Charnwood in the lighting of the Beacon ceremony in Queens Park, Loughborough on the evening of Thursday 2nd June.

The Council would like to hear from applicants why they would want to be considered for this very special task, and what it would mean from them to be chosen to light the Beacon as part of the Jubilee celebrations.

Applications can be made online at www.charnwood.gov.uk/beacon.

Deadline for applications is Friday 29th April. The winner will be contacted the week commencing Monday 9th May. Welbeck Collage Site.

I have received this latest information about the Welbeck College, Woodhouse site which closed to students last year: ‘Following the closure of Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College, the current intent is for the college estate to be retained for Defence use. Initial feasibility studies conducted as part of the Defence Estates Optimisation Portfolio have indicated that, with some modification, the site is suitable to host Defence training and education into the future. This is being assessed more broadly. While it is being assessed I’m afraid I don’t have more detail, but I trust this sets out the Departments current intent’.

Nominate your Community Heroes.

Residents are being urged to enter nominations for Charnwood Community Heroes 2022. The awards, run by Charnwood Borough Council, are a chance to thank people, groups and organisations who have carried out a good deed – no matter how small or large – in our community. It could be someone who has helped a neighbour, raised funds or is always there for others. Or could be a group, organisation or business which has carried out some excellent work in the past 12 months. For the first time since 2019, the Council is planning to hold an in-person awards event.

There are nine categories in Charnwood Community Heroes to enter plus the Harry Cook award which will be presented in memory of the Loughborough in Bloom stalwart. The full list of categories, how to nominate and find out more by visiting the Council Website, Charnwood Community Heroes.

Everyone nominated will receive a Charnwood Community Heroes Award and be invited to our special presentation on Saturday June 18th 2022 at John Storer House in Loughborough. Closing date for nominations is April 30th 2022.

Closure Order.

A closure order has been secured on a Loughborough flat for drug related anti-social behaviour. Charnwood Borough Council secured the order on the Council flat in Russell Street, which means no-one , including the Council tenant, can enter the property for a period of three months.

If serious nuisance is caused to local residents, closure orders can be used to prevent people entering the premises and stop anti-social behaviour. If anyone breaches the order and enters the property, they can be fined or face a prison sentence, depending on the circumstances.

If anyone has any concerns about anti-social behaviour, please report them on the Charnwood Borough Council website at www.charnwood.gov.uk/asb If you need to contact me on any issues, please write to 10 Groby Lane, Newtown Linford, Leicester.LE6 0HH e-mail cllr.david.snartt@charnwood. gov.uk or telephone 01530 244804

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Deborah Taylor Borough Councillor for Anstey

T: 0116 2350126 E: cllr.deborah.taylor@charnwood.gov.uk Anstey Parish Council We were both sadden to hear of the death of one of Anstey’s parish councillors. Dave Parker sadly passed away on 21st February.

Dave was also an active volunteer at Anstey Community Library and will be sadly missed by the library family. Dave had not enjoyed the best of health recently but always remained cheerful and an active member of the community. RIP Dave.

Support for Ukraine I am sure that we all condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Charnwood Borough Council has a page on their website for residents to visit to show their support for the Ukraine people: www.charnwood.gov.uk/ pages/ukraine The Polish Club in Loughborough is collecting items to send to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland. The Council is supporting these efforts and working with local organisers.

There are national fundraising campaigns: Ukraine Crisis Appeal; British Red Cross: www.redcross.org.uk Ukraine Appeal; Save the Children UK: www.savethechildren.org.uk Donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal: https://donation.dec.org.uk The UK Government will match public donations to this appeal pound-for-pound starting with £20 million. The Government has also issued a news story entitled 'What you can do to help' that contains several ways you can help support the people of Ukraine. You can read it on the government website: www.gov.uk The government has also launched the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme.

This bespoke scheme will offer a route to those who want to come to the UK who have someone here willing to provide them with a home. It will enable individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to volunteer accommodation and provide a route to safety for Ukrainians, and their immediate family members, forced to escape their homeland.

Sponsors should provide accommodation for as long as they are able, but it is expected to be for a minimum expectation of

six months.

Someone is eligible for the scheme if they are a Ukrainian national or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national and were resident in Ukraine prior to 1st January 2022. The UK will welcome as many arrivals as possible, based on the number of sponsors.

People arriving under this scheme will be able to: • Live and work in the UK for up to three years • Access healthcare, benefits, employment support, education, and English language tuition.

Paul Baines

Borough Councillor for Anstey

T: 07977 178869 E: cllr.paul.baines@charnwood.gov.uk movements. Your comments can still be submitted on all the applications, but please submit your comments as soon as possible. We have also launched two online petitions (on our website) and are hoping to reach as many signatures as possible on both petitions, one for each site. Please ensure that you sign both petitions and make sure everyone in your household over 18, also signs. You need to live, work or study in the Borough of Charnwood to sign the petitions.

Both petitions can also be found if your scan this QR code:

Post Office Counters Ltd have confirmed that they are working hard to find a new location and a new Sub- Postmaster for a new branch in Anstey. They have had some interest shown and will update us as soon as they have any further information.

In the meantime, the nearest branches to Anstey are at 32 Leicester Road, Groby; Barley Croft, 15-19 Oronsay Road, Beaumont Leys, Leicester; 9 Dominion Road, Glenfield.

Planning Planning applications have taken up most of our time this month.

We have now submitted our comments on the 500 houses proposed on Bradgate Road and the 420 houses on Groby Road.

All the details and our comments can be found on our website: www.bradgateconservatives.org.uk We have also delivered leaflets to every house in Anstey and to houses in Newtown Linford and Cropston, that are likely to be severely impacted, due to traffic

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A46 and A6 Cleaning The A46 and A6 (areas within Charnwood Borough’s boundary) are scheduled to be cleaned between 26th March and 20th April 2022. Charnwood Borough Council’s waste partner Serco will be undertaking the clean-up and the work is subject to weather conditions. A rolling lane closure will be in place whilst the cleaning is being carried out and may cause delays. Here are the dates and areas being cleaned: Weekend cleaning from 26th March 2022 • A46 Western Bypass (Syston to Birstall border, onto Anstey to A50 Border) • A46 Newark Bypass centres (Hobby Horse to Willoughby)

Further information is available here: https://homesforukraine. campaign.gov.uk Post Office We reported last month about the closure of the Anstey Branch Post Office. We advised that Post Office Counters Ltd had advised that the branch would be closing but they didn’t have a confirmed date. We heard at the beginning of March that the branch would be closed from the middle of March. We were given very little notice and the branch will be closed by the time you read this.

also increase. More details are available at www.charnwood.gov. uk/budgetsummary

We need all the local villages to support us, so please submit your comments to Charnwood Borough Council on this email address: development.control@charnwood. gov.uk and sign both the petitions.

Council Tax Rise Charnwood Borough Council has agreed to raise its share of council tax by just under 9p a week for a Band D property. The increase was agreed at the full Council on Monday 21st February, where 31 councillors voted in favour of the increase and eight voted against.

The increase will see the annual charge for the Charnwood element of an average Band D property rise by £4.61 (3.52%) to £135.69 from 1st April 2022. The Charnwood element of council tax bills accounts for less than 10% of the total average bill.

The final Council budget for 2022/23 is around £17.9 million.

This includes making savings, generating extra income through fees and charges, and using some reserves.

The savings include amending the opening hours of the Council’s reception and the telephone contact centre and not reintroducing the Shopmobility scheme in Loughborough. Charges for the garden waste service and bulky waste collections will

The central reservations on the bypass will be done first. The slip roads and lane one will be done separately.

Weekday cleaning from 29th March 2022 • A6 Loughborough to Birstall • A6 Loughborough Road, Quorn – Leicester Road, Loughborough • A6 Derby Road, Hathern • A607 Syston to Thurmaston, Leicester • A5630 Anstey Lane, Anstey towards Beaumont Leys • A50 (border to border) Anstey & Cropston Litter Wombles The Anstey & Cropston Litter Wombles was established in May 2021 and are a group of local volunteers, working together to keep our villages tidy and free from litter.

The first group litter pick took place on 30th May 2021 around The Nook and Stadon Road in Anstey. The group organise one group litter pick a month, but many members go out on solo litter picks in their free time.

Since the first group litter pick to the end February 2022, the group has collected 708 bags of rubbish as well as other bulky items such as a mattress, suitcases, tyres, shopping trolleys and discarded car parts, as well as nine Fly Tips!

The group is increasing in size, and they now have 103 members

on their Facebook page. If anybody would like to join them, please get in contact via their Facebook page: www.facebook. com/groups/124347599677073 Charnwood Communities Heroes Residents are being urged to enter nominations for Charnwood Community Heroes 2022. The awards are a chance to thank people, groups and organisations who have carried out a good deed, no matter how small or large, in our community. It could be someone who has helped a neighbour, raised funds or is always there for others. Or it could be a group, organisation or business which has carried out some excellent work in the past 12 months.

There are nine categories in Charnwood Community Heroes to enter plus the Harry Cook award which will be presented in memory of the Loughborough in Bloom stalwart. Everyone nominated will receive a Charnwood Community Heroes Award and will be invited to a special presentation on Saturday 18th June 2022, at John Storer House in Loughborough. Please get nominating your heroes.

The nine open categories are: • Young Hero - sponsored by idverde • Super Trooper • Good Neighbour – sponsored

by Serco • Inspiring Others – sponsored by Loughborough College • Green Hero – sponsored by Serco • Business Community Action – sponsored by 1284 Ltd • Top Team • Beyond the Call of Duty – sponsored by Morningside Pharmaceutical • Brilliant Board/Trustee Member People can nominate and find out more by visiting the Charnwood Community Heroes webpage: www.charnwood.gov.uk/pages/ heroes If you have any issues or concerns, we are here to help.

Deborah and Paul

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Deborah Taylor

County Councillor for Bradgate Division T: 0116 2350126 E: deborah.taylor@leics.gov.uk I must firstly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The County Council Leader and myself as Deputy Leader, have issued a joint letter condemning the Russians and stated, “We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in opposing the horror which is being unleashed upon them by Russia and that each and every one of us stands ready to help, however and wherever we can."

Our letter was sent to Leicestershire members of parliament, district and borough leaders, and parish councils raising concerns about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine.

In the letter, also sent to Leicestershire’s police and crime commissioner Rupert Matthews and Chief Constable Simon Cole, urged people to be ready to help refugees who may end up in the county seeking refuge.

The Leader has also asked for a review of contracts, spending and pension fund investments as he looks to sever all the authority's ties with Russian firms. So far the review has identified that the council has no contracts with Russian firms but around £10 million of its pension pot (0.15%) of the total fund is invested in ‘Emerging Markets’ funds which many have with Russian connections. This is currently being worked through to see what action the council can take to sever ties with Russia.

The Government has announced that the UK could take in more than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees displaced by the continuing violence.

Leicestershire’s County Hall headquarters is currently being illuminated after dark in the Ukraine’s nation colours, blue and yellow, as a gesture of solidarity with the country and two Ukrainian flags are flying.

Ofsted Inspectors have set out the positive progress made by social workers and senior leaders responsible for supporting vulnerable children and young people in need of help and protection in Leicestershire.

Ofsted published the findings of a focused visit inspection of Leicestershire County Council’s children’s social services on 2nd March 2022.

The visit, in January, was Ofsted’s first since a full inspection in 2019 which found that leadership and services for children in care and care leavers were good, but that the overall grade for the department and services for children in need of help and protection required improvement to be good.

During the latest Ofsted visit, officials examined performance data, quality assurance work, key polices and strategic documents and, most importantly, the quality of social work practice with children and their families.

I was delighted with the results of the visit and issued the following statement:

Work & Skills Leicestershire This scheme is open to anyone who is seeking employment or training – from those who have never been employed, to those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, or who are at risk of redundancy.

Work & Skills has already helped over 300 people since its launch last June and is now expanding and holding additional sessions in Measham and Anstey.

Weekly pop-up sessions are being held from 10am until 12pm at: Measham’s community-managed library - on 3rd and 10th March Anstey’s community-managed library - on 31st March, and 7th, 14th and 21st April.

Anstey community library is on Stadon Road, near to the Parish Council offices.

Work & Skills Leicestershire also runs at four other main centres: • Loughborough Library on Tuesdays 10am until 12 noon • Hinckley Library on Fridays between 10am and 12 noon • Wigston Library on Wednesday from 10am until 12 noon • Coalville Library on Wednesday from 2pm and 4pm.

Everyone who signs up to Work & Skills Leicestershire is offered one to one support and the opportunity to have a tailored work plan drawn up for them. Help is given with CV and letter writing skills, job searches, interview techniques and much more.

To find out more, drop into one of the hubs, call 0800 988 0308 or visit www.leicestershire.gov.uk/work-and-skills Highway Fund I am now starting to spend some of my £25,000 that was allocated to me to spend in my Bradgate Division area. So far, I have signed off some improvements to Anstey, which includes a new bench in The Nook. I am waiting for some costings before I sign off some new ‘mobility scooters and wheelchair’ friendly barriers on some of the footpaths within Anstey. Finally for Anstey is some new flower planters.

I am just waiting for highway officers to fully consider my other proposals and to come back to me for the other villages within my division.

Green-Fingered Volunteers A call has gone out to Leicestershire residents to help spread the word about the county council’s green initiatives, such as the creation of wildflower verges to encourage wildlife, and the planting and restoration of local woodlands. People are being encouraged to become biodiversity champions, as the county council’s environmental volunteering scheme branches out.

Leicestershire is one of the poorest counties for biodiversity and conservation value in the UK, as its Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) represent only 2% of the land, compared to the national average of 6%.

The authority aims to boost the county’s biodiversity and help nature’s road to recovery by recruiting volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds, as part of its ‘Environment Action Volunteer scheme’.

Secondary School Places Over 90% of secondary school applicants across the county have secured a place at one of their preferred schools. Figures released on 1st March by the County Council show that a total of 7,918 applications were received, an increase of over 400 students from the 2021 intake. A total of 92.8% students now have a place at one of their top-three choices.

New recruits will not only be able to develop new skills along the way by completing specialist environmental modules funded by the county council, but also share knowledge with their local community. Giving just a few hours each month will make a huge difference and help the council with its woodland conservation, grassland restoration and monitoring of invasive and non-native species to tackle the decline of local wildlife.

Nearly 7,000 students have been offered their first-choice option. This equates to 84.7% of all applicants, while 6.5% secured their second choice and 1.6% their third choice.

The council are also seeking ‘Master Composters’, volunteers who encourage people to recycle their kitchen food scraps and garden waste.

Training is provided by environmental charity, Garden Organic, and volunteers can develop their interest in gardening while helping to reduce the amount of organic waste going to landfill.

Not every student has secured one of their preferred choices and those in need of any advice should get in touch with the School Admissions Service as soon as possible to discuss the options available to them, including the appeal process.

The scheme is open to any residents aged 18 or over who live in Leicestershire (excluding Leicester City).

To find out more, or to contact the service, visit www.leicestershire.gov.uk/ admissions

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Anyone who would like to apply or find out more about becoming an Environment Action Volunteer can visit www.lesswaste.org.uk/volunteering.

Alternatively, you can also contact the volunteer co-ordinator on 0116 305

7005 or email wasteprevention@leics.gov.uk Budget The County Council’s budget was agreed at the full Council meeting held on 23rd February 2022.

The council’s proposed Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) looks to manage the rising costs of caring for vulnerable children and adults whilst finding ways to deal with increasing inflationary costs across services and on key multi-million pound capital projects needed to support the county’s growing population and economy.

The council is proposing an increase in its share of the council tax bill by 3%. A 2% rise in the basic levy and 1% ringfenced to contribute towards adult social care. This rise is below the current rate of inflation and the lowest increase in recent years.

The precept rise will also help fund other key services including children's social care, public health, transport, education, planning, road maintenance, libraries, waste management and trading standards.

More than half a billion pounds is allocated to be spent on major capital schemes between now and 2026 to provide for essential infrastructure, such as new roads and schools.

The popular ‘Shire Grants’ scheme is being boosted with an additional £150,000 to make up a £600,000 pot available annually to communities to bid in to for projects that will make a real difference for Leicestershire’s residents.

The council remains committed to its target of helping to plant 700,000 trees across the county (one for every resident) and the MTFS contributes £100,000 to develop a tree nursery to grow saplings towards this target, helping to make our county cleaner and greener.

The MTFS also provides £50,000 to enable the cost of any road closures to be waived for communities and groups planning street parties to celebrate HM The Queens’s Platinum Jubilee in June.

If you have any issues or concerns, I’m here to help.

Deborah

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Newtown Linford Gardening Club Article by David Couling

Celebration of 20 Years This year, Newtown Linford will have been in existence for 20 years and we will celebrate this at our meeting in April which coincides exactly with the first ever meeting in 2002. Ten of our existing members have been with us for the whole of this time and we have seen the club develop from a small group of members to the large group we have today. We have done some lovely things in those 20 years, welcomed some famous and interesting speakers and visited some wonderful gardens. We have enjoyed our first 20 years and look forward to more exciting times in the future.

Formation The formation of the gardening club was first mooted at the Village Appraisal in 2000 and it held its first meeting in April 2002. These first events were organised by a committee involving Iris and Peter Sayer, Casey Pearson, Jan Croft, Pam and Maurice McMorran, Maurice Pettifor and Harry and Kathleen Prince. The membership started out at around 30 people, some ten of whom are still members 20 years later. The first meetings were held in the Sunday School Rooms, but they soon moved to the small room of the Village Hall.

Early Activities The gardening club got involved with creating and planting beds at the cemetery and a group of us spent time digging it over and planting some of the shrubs and trees which are still there today.

The scarecrow competition started under the aegis of the gardening club and was run for many years by Iris Sayer. There were a lot of fine entries over the years and, with school involvement and stalls at the Village Hall, the event brought many visitors to the village.

The Small Hall was the venue for meetings in those early years with a range of speakers invited. There were also informal gatherings and parties held in the homes of Casey Pearson, Pam McMorran and Sue Pritchard. Fund raising events such as a plant fair and an auction were held. We also went on visits to interesting places such as David Austin Nurseries and Gardeners’ World Live.

Expansion of the Club. The evolution of the committee saw Anne and David Couling as secretary and treasurer, Sue Pritchard in the chair with Pam McMorran as events secretary and Brian Anderson , Carolyn Lowe and Jackie Hainsworth as committee members. Mike and Liz Newcombe joined soon afterwards.

Our first large scale event was in 2007when David Howard, head gardener at Highgrove, came. We sold tickets to non-members and filled the hall.

Two years later a group of us were able to travel down to Highgrove and see the garden for ourselves. This triggered the idea of celebrity meetings and on two occasions, Nick Hamilton from Barnsdale came to speak.

Summer Garden Parties were first held in 2009 at Anne and David’s home.

The theme was Pasta , Pimms and Prizes with all members bringing a prize and most going home with one. The following year was Puddings, Pimms and Prizes with Anne making no fewer than 19 different puddings!!! In 2012 the event was moved to Mike and Liz Newcombe’s much larger garden where it is still held today. We still serve pimms and hold large-scale raffles.

Celebrity Speakers. By 2013 we had moved into the large hall and we invited Christine Walkden,who told us about her teenage interest in gardening and how her career developed to the one we see today. We served wine and held a raffle to defray costs and filled the hall with members and guests. We are very grateful to local businesses who have donated prizes to us for many years.Since then we have welcomed some of the most prestigious names in horticulture. These include Adam Frost, Chris Beardshaw, Bunny Guinness, Anne Swithinbank, Bob Flowerdew, Matthew Biggs and Fergus Garrett.

We also hosted a recording of Gardeners’ Question Time which was broadcast to the nation from our Village Hall.

Increase of Membership. As our membership increased each year we were also able to extend the range of our speakers and invite people who had won gold medals at Chelsea including people like Andy McIndoe from Hilliers Nurseries and Jack Willgoss from Wildgoose Nurseries. Our trips went further afield including Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, Kew Gardens and Hidcote.

Membership now is over130 and we have expanded our activities still

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further, bulk-buying fertiliser and compost and distributing it to members at good prices. Our committee has been strengthened by the inclusion of Tara Pickles, as events secretary, Yvonne Morgan, Sue Dobby and, most recently, Steve and Elizabeth Palethorpe. We attract members not only from Newtown Linford but also from the villages around and some members belong to our club as well as the one in their own village. We believe, now, that we are one of the leading gardening clubs in the county and have plans to continue to develop and provide a high quality service to our members.

We celebrate our twentieth anniversary with pride in what we have achieved and with confidence for the future.

Details of Newtown Linford Gardening Club can be obtained from 32couling@gmail.com or 01530 242452

Anstey Chess Club

Article by Ben Vaughan Venue: Anstey Methodist Church, Cropston Road When: Thursday evenings from 7pm Web: www.ansteychessclub.co.uk League Chess Results 24/2/22 - Anstey 2 4.5-2.5 Ashby 3 A very good win at home for the second team over a whopping 7 boards. An important note is that Deepa Kalyanji made her competitive debut for us - the first female player to play for Anstey and only the third in the entire league! Unfortunately, she lost on her debut but there were wins for Matt, Mike, Boris and Leo, a draw for Hal and a loss for Oskar too.

wonder how many Ladies are out there that might be interested in chess but perhaps don't have the confidence to learn or to join a chess club. If you are a Lady that is interested in playing chess, please drop me an email. I am thinking of something like a Ladies only evening post-season where I will be the only male in attendance and all abilities would be welcome. Details to be confirmed if/when I receive some interest.

1/3/22 Market Harborough 2 1-3 Anstey 1 A truly superb result, beating top of the table MH 2 away from home, with excellent wins for Julian and Matt and creditable draws for Mick and John.

Venue We are very grateful to or members and the below organisations in helping us to fund the chess this year:

2/3/22 - Market Harborough 3 2-2 Anstey 2 A very creditable draw for the second team - the evening after the first team had been! Draws for Mike and Boris with another win for our junior Leo and a loss for Oskar.

9/3/22 - Loughborough 2 2.5-2.5 Anstey 2 A good draw for the second team away at Loughborough. Wins for Hal and Leo (again) with losses for Boris and Mike. A draw on bottom board for Oskar as the last to finish really heightened the tension on the evening.

17/3/22 - Kirby Muxloe 2 1-4 Anstey 1 The promotion push continues!

A brilliant win away for the first team away at Kirby with wins for John, Julian, Matt and Hal with Mick being the only blemish on the night.

Ladies in Chess I'm sure that having read the above, Deepa - the first Female to represent the club - made her debut for us. It got me to

The Anstey Town Charity - an organisation which helps local clubs/organisations in Anstey with funding for £200.

Anstey Parish Council - they have donated £250 to the club, received with humble thanks from all at the club.

We wish to place on record our thanks as a club for these donations to help us with keeping the club running.

Junior Coaching/Lessons The sessions in partnership with Beanies Soft Play and Cafe (top floor above Potters Carpets) in Anstey, are growing in popularity with one Saturday having 8 children in the class! Please do come and visit us if you have a child that might be interested in learning more about chess.

Sessions are on Saturday mornings from 9-11am and will cost £3 per session per child for chess (payable directly to Beanies on entry please) and this will include some juice for the children.

Note: Additional costs will apply for soft play area and refreshments

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Anstey Nomads

Article by Matt Johnson

coming back into the equation, but Nomads will be hoping that they don’t have a strong end to the season in the push for promotion.

The final game was a home fixture against Selston, who sit towards the bottom of the table, even with a slight upturn in results. The game was pretty simple for the Nomads as they took away a safe 2-0 victory.

First Team Following on from Nomads’ FA Vase exit last month, the idea was to focus on the league and push for promotion. But this idea didn’t get off the best of starts.

The Nomads were due to face Heanor Town at home on the 26th of February but with a waterlogged pitch, the fixture was reversed to the away fixture as this had not yet been played. So, it was an away fixture after 3 straight home league games. The game couldn’t have started any worse for the club as they were 3-0 down inside 15 minutes. Despite pulling one back they still saw them go in for half-time 4-1 down. Nomads pushed in the second half and did create some great chances but the defensive weaknesses this game were taken advantage of by Heanor Town, with them coming out with a 5-3 victory.

March/April Fixtures: 19/03/22 – Deeping Rangers (H) 23/03/22 – Heather St. John’s (H) 26/03/22 – Heanor Town (H) 30/03/22 – Sleaford Town (A) 02/04/22 – Holbeach United (A) 05/04/22 – Gresley Rovers (H) 09/04/22 – Newark (H) 16/04/22 – Eastwood (H) 18/04/22 - Melton Town (H) Fixtures could be subject to change Youth Teams For younger boys and girls, aged 4-6, we hold training sessions twice a week with the name Mini Dribblers. This is great to get your youngster into football with the pathway to U7’s and highlighted with our FOUR U7’s teams this season, one for each division. The only team in Leicester to achieve this!

No defeat can come at a great time, but before a run against the top 3, wasn’t in the plan. With the Gresley Rovers game postponed, Nomads turned their attention to Loughborough Students away from home. The game didn’t prove to be very entertaining, but Nomads did come from behind to earn a point.

We also have announced our Academy for U16-U19’s which is a full-time course based at DMU Beaumont Park. We have already had one open evening but there is another on the 22nd of March if you missed out! For more information check out our social media.

There was no time to rest as Long Eaton was the next fixture for the Nomads. The team that breezed past us in the previous fixture with it ending 3-0. So, this would be a difficult fixture to get anything out of. The first half was scrappy with not much sight of goal, especially for the Nomads but Long Eaton did goal in a goal to the good.

Nomads came out for the second half a completely different team.

Just a couple of minutes into the half you could see the difference in physicality as they started to get first to loose balls. You could see that Long Eaton didn’t feel as comfortable and Nomads took advantage of that as they turned the game on its head scoring two to go in front. With 15 minutes to go, Long Eaton did get back into the game with a cross that ended up looping over Logan in the goalposts. It looked as though Long Eaton were going to hang on to their 26-match unbeaten run that span over 2 years, but a late corner was turned home to give Nomads the 3-2 victory! The result opens up the title race at the top of the division with Gresley Rovers

Events The Jamlocks were present on the 19th, thanks to everyone who came to see some quality music!

We are looking to host more events for our community, we have hosted live performances in our clubhouse, live football screening, and more! But we’re not done there, keep an eye out for any events upcoming this year.

For clubs in the community, you are welcome to join our End of Season Tournament in May for young Boys and Girls aged U11* to U7’s. For more details visit www.ansteynomads.com/events/ tournament Our Clubhouse is also available for private hire. Contact: bookings@ansteynomads.com

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Anstey Rugby’s Record Breaking Winning Run Ends Article by Chris Apperley

On 6th February 2020 Anstey RFC lost by just Two Points, 7-5 to Belgrave.

On 19th March 2022 Anstey RFC lost by Six Points, 29-23 to Market Harborough.

In between, over 110 weeks when Anstey played they WON every time.

Yes, there were breaks for summer holidays, Christmas and Covid related periods of non activity, but a run of 33 victories is impressive!

The game at Market Harborough on 19th March was closely contested against a strong Harborough team including a few first team replacements complimented by a very strict referee. Still only a narrow defeat.

The week before, on 12th March we were away to Leicester Forest.

Unfortunately, early in the first half we lost our number 8 to red card (sending off) after a misunderstanding with the referee making the task against a strong Forest side a challenge.

However, Anstey battled hard, keeping the opposition at bay and ran out 26-12 winners on the day.

On 5th March Nottingham Moderns came over to Link Road for Friendly fixture where Anstey

were comfortable 73-5 winners.

I’m sure they will be tough opponents when we play at their ground in a few weeks time.

26th February we were over at Market Bosworth due to play their 3rds. As Bosworth have not been regularly fielding a 3rd team in reality we played their 2nds with a handful of 3rds in the mix.

Anstey could only muster a bare 15 on the day with no replacements, but fought hard to grind out a 19-5 win, keeping us top of the league.

With just three league games left for the season Anstey stand at the Top of the Table Leicestershire League C with 72 Points, 15 points ahead of second place Belgrave.

A full fixture list is in place right round until the first weekend in May when it will be President’s Day on Sunday 1st, just leaving end of season dinner on 14th May and the Club AGM in June.

The full season Updated fixture list is on our website at www.pitchero.com/clubs/anstey/ teams/41334/fixtures-results If you would like to get involved and start playing rugby, contact either our Chairman Shane Frear on 07725 642525 or Captain Graham Waring on 07764 461961 Visit www.pitchhero.com/clubs/ anstey or our Facebook Group Page at www.facebook.com/ groups/20694012567 for updated information.

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