April 2017 - Ashby & Measham Community Eye

ASHBY & MEASHAM

COMMUNITY EYE

DELIVERED MONTHLY FREE TO 7000 HOMES & BUSINESSES

IN THE GARDEN WITH BEL

The Black Stuff

APRIL 2017

LOYALFREE

The App For Supporting Local Independent Business!

HOUGH MILL See The Amazing Transformation

MEASHAM BOWLS CLUB OPEN DAY Sunday 21st May

ASHBY STUDENT RAISES £1,200 For Alzheimers Research

OVER £11,000 RAISED From The Ashby Santa Fun Run

A NEW boiler from just * £1,620(inc.

VAT) or £7 per week Includes fitting, up to 10 years warranty, plus a price match guarantee.

Call today for a FREE survey & fixed price quote 0116 287 8000 | www.ukgasservices.co.uk *See website for terms & conditions.

YOUR TRUSTED HOME SERVICE PARTNER Leicestershire’s local installer of boilers & central heating for over 20 years.

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Services Include:

Domestic call out - £40 for the first hour, £25 an hour thereafter All plumbing work undertaken (inc. power flush)

Please call 07392 Gas Servicing

Boiler service / fire service / has heather service - £55 Boiler & one appliance (inc. unvented cylinder) - £75 Extra appliance whilst on site - £20

Landlord Checks

Boiler service & check hob / cooker & certificate - £65 Boiler and fire service - £85

Commercial / Burners

112521 for a quote LPG

Boiler service / fire service / gas heather service - £65 Boiler & one appliance (inc. unvented cylinder) - £85 Extra appliance whilst on site - £30 All LPG works, repairs etc - £35 per hour

Light Commercial / Oil

Boiler service - £110 All repairs etc - £35 per hour

Please call 07392 112521 for a quote

Hood Park Leisure Centre Outdoor Pool Opening 27 May 9am-6pm

For more information please contact Hood Park Leisure Centre on 01530 412181 or visit www.nwleics.gov.uk/swimming

Entry £1 All Day

Find us on... @hermitage_lc @hoodpark_lc hermitagelc hoodparklc

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Ashby Santa Fun Run Raises Over £11,000!

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Following the success of the 2016 Ashby Santa Fun Run & Walk, the Rotary Club of Ashby de la Zouch Castle have been able to present their chosen major beneficiary Hospice Hope with a cheque for £8500!

The 2016 event saw a huge increase in Santa’s taking part with 1013 setting off from the Bath Grounds in the winter sunshine to head around the 3km course around Ashby. The large increase in entrants up from 625 in 2015, increase in personal sponsorship and the support of a huge number of businesses in and around the town helped the event raise £11191.42 to be donated across the events selected charities.

Kevin Sanders, Chairman of the Santa Run organising committee was delighted to ask representatives of Hospice Hope and the events major sponsors to the Rotary Club’s latest breakfast meeting to present a cheque to the Chairman of Hospice Hope, Stewart Shepherd for £8500.

Stewart thanked the Rotary Club for choosing Hospice Hope as the 2016 main beneficiary and was astounded at the success of the event and the support of the local community in supporting the Ashby Santa Fun Run. Stewart confirmed that the money donated from this years event was going to be spent on kitting out the dining room with furniture and accessories and also to furnish and decorate the sensory room all at Hope House, the charities Day Hospice in Griffydam. He was also delighted to announce that the charity were now accepting referrals for Hope House with the day care centre opening imminently.

The remaining £2691.42 will be donated to charities supported by Ashby Castle Rotary Club throughout the rest of 2017 and will help to make a huge difference in the amount of support that the Rotary Club can provide to local, National and International causes.

Kevin Sanders from the Rotary Club said "Myself and all the team from the Rotary Club of Ashby Castle are both delighted and amazed that in just our second Santa Fun Run and Walk we had over 1,000 participants.

The people of Ashby and the surrounding areas have really taken this event to their hearts, and I think for many local people it means the start of Christmas. And of course it is brilliant that with the help of local organisations supporting us, and local companies sponsoring us, we raised over £11,000 for local charities, of which £8,500 has already gone straight to Hospice Hope. Roll on December 3rd this year!”

Interested in finding out more about Rotary? If you would like to come along to the Rotary Club of Ashby de la Zouch Castle please contact our secretary Chris Knight at cjcjknight@supanet.com or visit www.ribi.org

Ivanhoe Artists Scoop Top Prizes The Rotary Club Young Artist competitions welcomes entries from young people at any of the local Schools. This year we did particularly well, with Ivanhoe students scooping the Top 3 prizes as well as 2 highly commended.

The theme this year was ‘reflections’, which students could interpret any way they wished.

The standard of entries this year was outstanding, and as you can see from just the entries above, the variety of subject matter was fantastic. Art teacher, Miss Vickers said, “Well done to all pupils who entered the competition, we are all very proud of you and the hard work that they put in. “

The winners were:

1st Place – Year 7 student Elizabeth Hinsley 2nd Place – Year 9 student Katie Bryant-Brown 3rd Place Year 8 student Holly Marvin

Highly commended: Year 7 Honey Beedle Year 9 Harriet Dowdy

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Measham Community Library

Castle Medical Group News

Tuesday 10-7pm Thursday 10-1pm Friday 10-5pm Saturday 10-1pm

• We dealt with 6632 calls;

Facts and Figures for March:

Opening Hours

• We made 898 referrals; and • Had 324 missed appointments, which translates to 14 lost appointments a day.

Amenities:

Tea, coffee and biscuits Use of computers Community activities available.

Book Club 12th May 10.30-11.30 new members welcome.

Thank you to everyone who supported our recent Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.

Superb fancy dress costumes!

And fabulous cakes.

We raised £263 - a fantastic result.

See us on Facebook!

New! Tai Chi classes starting 8th May, 7pm-8.30pm with Michael Cashmore Fees are £6 per session and annual membership of £25 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter www.MeashamLibrary.org.uk

You can now access your GP Records, check test results online, book and cancel appointments and order repeat prescriptions by registering for online services, ask to a receptionist for a form to complete.

See The Amazing Transformation Of Hough Mill Restoration In 1994 Swannington Heritage Trust purchased the derelict shell of Hough Mill. After meticulous planning a restoration programme in 1999 repaired the structure and added doors, windows, floors, a cap and some machinery.

Contact Email: meashamcomlibrary@gmail.com

The mill opened to the public in 2000 and the restoration has continued, including a fantail, brakewheel and wallower. The volunteers in the Trust’s Mill Team are currently making and installing a sack hoist.

Ashby Civic Society Monthly Events 2016/2017

Summer Opening Our 200 year old windmill will open 2-5pm on Sundays from the 2nd April to the 24th September. We also open for community groups and schools by arrangement. Vehicle access is from St George’s Hill, Swannington, LE67 8QW.

9th May 7.30pm Short AGM and Cheese and Wine *Always a favourite Deb Spencer from local Long Clawson Diary will enthuse about the home of Stilton cheese.

A unique feature of the mill is its location next to the Gorse Field with its visible history of bell pit and gin pit coal mining. In the adjacent Califat Spinney there are ongoing excavations of the 1850’s coal mine and miners’ cottages.

Legion House, South Street, Ashby Call Susanne for details 01530 415654 or just come as a visitor Visit www.ashbydelazouchcivicsociety. webs.com

------------------------------------------------13th June 2pm Visit to Woodhouse Community Garden £ 5 * Essential to book Guided walk and talk around the beautifully restored walled garden followed by tea and homemade cake. What's not to like?

Call Margaret to book 01530 412410 Visit www.ashbydelazouchcivicsociety. webs.com

------------------------------------------------18th July 2pm Not our usual Tuesday Visit to Blackbrook Long Horn Cattle £5 *Essential to book See world famous prize winning cattle and hear how the breed was developed by Robert Bakewell.

Inspect owners fine art gallery plus tea and biscuits.

Call Margaret to book 01530 412410 Visit www.ashbydelazouchcivicsociety. webs.com

------------------------------------------------8th August No meeting this month - Enjoy the summer and see you on 12th September.

Easter At The Mill Our family heritage events continue with Easter at the Mill on Monday 17th April. The event is free, but advance booking is required as we would hate to run out of chocolate eggs for the Easter egg hunt. Other events include: The Coleorton Railway and Jessop’s Tramway guided walk on Sunday 14th May. Ancient Mines to New Woodland guided walk on Sunday 17th May. Take Teddy to the Mill on Sunday 21st May. Charity Trustees Needed We would like to strengthen our management by recruiting three new trustees. Trustees attend about six meetings a year and support the Trust’s activities. In particular we are looking for people with expertise in at least one of the following: business management, education, fund raising, heritage, law, marketing and nature.

Our Volunteer Recruitment Day for potential new trustees and other prospective volunteers (such as mill guides, publicity, administration and historical research) on Sunday 7th May, will provide an informal opportunity to visit our sites and chat with current trustees and volunteers.

For more information about Hough Mill, events and volunteer opportunities, have a look on our www.swannington-heritage.co.uk website, see our Hough Mill Facebook page or ring 01530 222 833.

Other news

It is with regret that we announce that Dr Perry will be leaving the Practice in the middle of this month to take up a GP Fellowship in the Acute & Urgent Care Department at Derby Hospital. We wish her every success for the future.

We are delighted to announce that Dr Coleman has accepted a GP partnership and will be starting at the practice this month.

Dr Coleman is well known to the practice as he was previously here as a GP Registrar. We have already announced that Dr Shivram has also taken up a GP Partnership and between them they will be taking over Dr Thompson’s and Dr Perry’s patients so there will be a smooth transition of care. We are very excited to have them both back at Castle Medical Group.

PPG News

Following last months’ AGM, Tony Green was voted to continue as Chairman. The PPG are currently raising money for a Blood Pressure Monitor in the waiting room and also fund raising to plant out the Courtyard at the Health Centre. If you feel you can help with either of these projects please contact the PPG via their website: www. castlemedicalgroupppg.co.uk

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Please send articles to: communityeye@ openboxpromotions.co.uk

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Cloudy2Clear Announce Trusted Trader Partnership Consumer champions Which? have now joined the thousands of customers who recognise that Cloudy2Clear Windows really are a business that you can TRUST. The company which specialises in repairing windows which are steamed up, broken or damaged by replacing the panes – not the frames has received the coveted ‘Which Trusted Trader’ status after going through a rigorous accreditation process entirely focussed on customer service.

Group Managing Director Marcus McGee believes that Which? have endorsed Cloudy2Clear’s long standing company policy of delivering the highest standards possible at all times. ‘Our service is simple. If your double glazing has misted up we can replace the glass at a fraction of the cost of a new window, in any type of frame, and with a new 25 year guarantee. But it’s not just about saving people money, although that

obviously helps. Whilst a number of tradespeople perhaps don’t focus on customer care as much as they should do, we make sure we turn up when we say we will, do the job the customer requires and leave their house as clean as a whistle.

Locally Cloudy2Clear service the Ashby & Measham areas and manager Martyn Kemp agrees that this approach is a major factor in his success. ‘The truth is that it’s not just the personal satisfaction that I

get from doing a good job but also it makes good business sense. I get a huge amount of business from friends and family of people I’ve done work for, which just goes to show how much a little bit of effort is appreciated as both my customers and, obviously a body as nationally important as Which? now recognise.’

So, if your windows are steamed up, broken or damaged give Martyn a call for a free quotation on 0800 61 21 118 and he’ll be happy to help!

KATS ANTIQUE VINTAGE & COLLECTABLES CENTRE

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2 floors of antique, vintage and collectables including quality gold and silver jewellery at trade prices, coins, clocks, hand painted furniture, stamps, pictures, militaria, china, glass, furniture, kitchenalia, giftware and much more.

ALSO WANTED

• Gold & Sliver Jewellery • Also Scrap & Broken Items • We pay more the highest prices in the area. • Costume Jewellery • All Coins • Militaria & Medals • Stamps • Watches • Silver & Silver Plate • All interesting antiques, collectables & furniture.

Free valuations - Over 40 years experience 50 High Street, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 3EE Find us on facebook - Open everyday inc bank holidays 10.00am - 4.00pm home visits available

CALL 07792974309

Public car park to rear of shop - Free parking every Sunday

Environmentally Friendly chalk and mineral paint. It is Zero VOC & Solvent Free with no odour.

We can also paint your own tired furniture. Please ask for more details.

AERIAL, SATELLITE OR PHONE PROBLEMS SOLVED By a local family business

Repairs could cost as little as £20

R.M. Page C.M.B.H.I. CLOCK REPAIRS Collection & Delivery Service

91-93 High Street Ibstock, LE67 6LH 01530 260394 07891 298820

SKY, VIRGIN, BT VISION MAGIC EYES from £90 (watch them in another room and control from there) EXTRA DIGITAL AERIAL OR SATELLITE POINTS from £50 PLASMA & LCD INSTALLS (cable hiding our speciality) from £90 DIGITAL AERIALS from £70 | Sky Installs & Upgrades | EXTRA PHONE SOCKETS from £70 OAP DISCOUNTS | We now supply & fix SECURITY CAMERAS from £150

Telephone: 01827 830391 or 07973 364478 (Ask Deb or Pete for a FREE quote including Sundays) www.stocktonsdigital.co.uk Stockton Satellite & Aerials

Variable opening hours please call to enquire

www.clockrepairsleicestershire.co.uk

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LoyalFree

Ashby Museum News We are delighted to be welcoming back Lesley Hextall for another photographic exhibition – her very first exhibition was staged at the Museum. This time she has entitled her work 'A Mix of my Favourites: Photographs of Landscape and Nature'.

For the third year running we are playing host, over three days in early May, to 300 pupils from Littleover School, Derby. The days are shared between the Museum, where they will be given a talk on the Civil War and 17th century Ashby as part of the course they are studying, and Ashby Castle.

The Museum has a collection of eight Reminiscence Boxes, full of real objects to handle, photographs and pictures, for loan. Each box is themed and, from feedback we have received, they have proved to be very helpful in care homes, where the contents have provoked remembrances and encouraged conversation. Other organisations, such as clubs and Church groups and also individuals, have borrowed boxes too.

On Thursday May 11th we are hosting a coffee morning for every volunteer who gives their time, in whatever capacity, to making the Museum such a vibrant asset to the town. The last one, held in November 2016, was very successful with over 40 in attendance.

A reminder that the opening times of the Museum are 11am - 1pm and 2pm - 4pm on weekdays and 11am - 3pm on Saturdays.

Friends of Ashby Museum

On Wednesday May 17th at 2 p.m. Martin Vaughan will present an illustrated talk on local wildlife photography. The cost is £3 a head, to include light refreshments. Our talks are always popular so please call the Museum, on 01530 560090, to reserve a place.

Charlies-Angel-Centre Supporting Bereaved Parents & Families When a baby lives only a short time or dies before birth due to miscarriage, stillbirth or a painful decision to end the pregnancy, there is a common assumption that the loss is not important. This is simply not the case. Losing your baby is something no parent ever forgets. It is a time of intense anguish and sorrow. Aftercare and support is essential and we are here to help.

We Provide

Telephone & Email Support - Bereavement Counselling Community Support Group - Information & Support In Your Area

www.Charlies-Angel-Centre.org.uk Tel: 0113 8081507

The App For Supporting Local Independent Business!

What is LoyalFree?

LoyalFree is a brand new exciting mobile phone app in the East Midlands created by Sophie Hainsworth and Jason Nesbitt.

We are passionate to get people out of large chains and into local independent businesses instead.

We're doing this with one mobile phone app used to find and collect rewards at lots of different types of local businesses.

Who are we?

We are two young entrepreneurs determined to create something which makes a difference to society. Jason is a De Montfort University Computer Science graduate with previous experience at Experian and AstraZeneca, whereas Sophie is a Sheffield University Economics & Management graduate who specialises in digital marketing and has previous experience at KPMG. LoyalFree Ltd was created 6 months ago and is growing at a phenomenal pace in the East Midlands.

Where can I use it?

If you're in Leicester check out St Martin’s Coffee, Coffee Counter, The Beauty Box Shop and Set amongst lots of others. If you're over towards Loughborough check out Elf Foods, A Perfect Blend and Eclectic. There are also businesses in smaller villages using LoyalFree, including Shepshed and Markfield. New businesses are signing up daily!

Why not get in touch and suggest one you'd like to see on there?

Each business has a different reward up for grabs and you scan a unique code on your phone when purchasing in order to collect stamps towards awesome freebies. Rewards include free hot drinks, free food and discounts off beauty treatments and gifts.

Sounds pretty good doesn't it?

What does the business get?

Businesses who offer the loyalty scheme gain from new and repeat customers, in depth user analytics (such as their busiest times) and great brand exposure

at a much cheaper price than traditional advertising. Often, as a smaller business, it can be hard to compete with the advertising budgets and physical spaces chains are able to command. We are determined to change this by making people aware of the other options available to them and encourage them to shop local.

Sounds amazing! How do I get it?

If you want to start collecting rewards simply download the app by searching for ‘LoyalFree’ on the app store. Or, if you’re a business interested in gaining more customers through implementing the app just get in touch with us by emailing hello@loyalfree.co.uk

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Award winning garden work at an affordable price Whether you’re looking to completely change your garden, focus on a particular area for improvement or just need some help maintaining your current garden, we can provide affordable expert help with:  Paving  Walling  Decking

 Gravelling  Water features  Plant choice and positioning

 Lawn care  Tree care  Pruning

To discuss how we could help with your garden and get a quote Call Pete on 07837 269 504 or email pete@pmblandscaping.co.uk

Coalville Furniture Superstore

DIVAN AND STORAGE BEDS

BED FRAMES

BEDROOM FURNITURE BY RAUCH

B FIR RAN SH ST D NO OW FL NEW W RO OO OP OM R EN

Come and see our exciting new displays of beds and bedroom furniture

Coalville Furniture Superstore, 79 - 81 Belvoir Road, Coalville LE67 3PH (former Co-op department store) Tel: 01530 833311 Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5pm, Sunday closed. Car park at rear.

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Ashby Multi-School Concert On Friday 31st March, the Ashby Primary and Secondary schools came together at Ivanhoe College to perform at the Ashby Liaison Concert.

This annual performance is so important as we all feel it helps keep the tradition of music alive in Ashby. As the years go on, the children from the primaries, who sang so beautifully this year, will often progress to be the musicians and singers at Ivanhoe and Ashby School, and even beyond.

This year’s theme was the Carnival of the Animals and we were treated to everything from Disney classics, music from Cats, right through to dinosaurs from Jurassic Park and even the Shrimp Waltz. Well done to all of the young people who took part; those who sung and those who played as part of the orchestras.

It is amazing how it all comes together so successfully, when they all only have one day to practice as a complete ensemble. Thank you to all of the teachers from all of the schools involved; Ivanhoe College, Ashby School, Ashby C of E School, Hilltop Primary School, Willesley Primary School and Woodcote Primary School, and to the many families who came to support the students.

Year 9 Students Learn About The Holocaust As part of their studies into World War II, Year 9 students went on a visit to The National Holocaust Centre and Museum in Newark. The National Holocaust Centre and Museum promotes an understanding of the roots of discrimination and prejudice, and the development of ethical values, leading to a greater understanding within society.

It promotes respect for human rights, equal opportunities and good citizenship, which has greater resonance than ever in our culturally diverse society.

Ashby Student Raises £1200 For Alzheimers Research We are very proud of Year 9 student George White. As a member of the School Council, George proposed that the students should raise money for Alzheimers Research UK. This particular charity is very close to George’s heart as his Grandmother sadly passed from Alzheimers last year. He proposed a non uniform day and a charity balloon release.

George has worked hard to sell 500 balloon tags and today saw the culmination of his hard work as the balloons were released across the skies of Ashby in front of a huge crowd of students and staff.

The day has raised £1200 for this important charity.

George’s Mum, Michelle White who works at the school is also an avid fundraiser for the charity, having completed the London Marathon last year and hosting numerous charity events.

At the centre the students got to visit some of the permanent exhibits about the Holocaust in the museum, as well as spending time in the Memorial Garden. In the garden there is a memorial in progress to all the young people and children who died during the Holocaust. The students were invited to place a stone on the pile in tribute to one of the 1.5 million individual children who died.

In addition the students got to listen to first hand accounts of the atrocities from a Holocaust survivor, Henry.

The students were affected by what they learnt on the day, here are some thoughts in the students own words:

“Going to the centre made me feel thankful for what I have. It has taught me that there wasn’t just Jews that got killed, but other minorities. It has opened my eyes to the choices people made during the Holocaust and how they will affect the future.”

“It made me sad to know that lots of people could have been saved if other people had helped them.

It scares me to see people making the same mistakes today.”

“It was an extraordinary event, but Henry, the speaker, told us a story that I will remember for a lifetime and the information will always stick with me.”

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Ashby & Measham Clubs & Groups

Do you run a local community club or group in Ashby & Measham? Please send us your details to: communityeye@openboxpromotions.co.uk

Ashby Big Band

David - 01530 458706 07886194993 ashbybigband@aol.com www.ashbybigband.com -------------------------------------------------

Measham Karate Club

07761131043 meashamkarateclub@gmail.com www.meashamkarateclub.co.uk -------------------------------------------------

Ashby Art Club

01530 412116 www.ashbyartclub.org We meet on Monday evenings at 7pm. Smisby Village Hall, Main Street, Smisby, Ashby, LE65 2TY -------------------------------------------------

Ashby Civic Society

Margaret Mabey 01530 412410 kenward.ashby@gmail.com We meet on the 2nd Tuesday in the Month at Legion House, 27a South Street, Ashby, LE65 1BQ -------------------------------------------------

Measham Bowls Club

Sue & Stuart Boothroyd 01530 274104 stuartboothroyd@btinternet.com High Street, Measham, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE12 7HR -------------------------------------------------

Ashby Bowls Club

info@ashbybowlsclub.co.uk www.ashbybowlsclub.co.uk The Green, Bath Grounds, Ashby, LE65 1BJ -------------------------------------------------

Venture Theatre

Ken Ward - 01530 589268 www.ashbyventuretheatre.org.uk North Street, Ashby, LE65 1HS For ticket sales please call Ashby Tourist Office on 01530 411767.

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Ashby U3A

Anne Donegan - 01283 760348 secretary@ashbyu3a.co.uk Congregational Church, Kilwardby Street, Ashby, LE65 2FQ -------------------------------------------------

Ashby African Drummers

Kaye Gillanders - 0777 2281699 ashbydrummers@googlemail.com Check us out on Facebook or visit our website: www. ashbydrummers.webeden.co.uk We are a community based group and meet once a fortnight on a Wednesday (next session Wednesday, 28th September) from 7.30pm - 9.30pm, at Moira Furnace, Furnace Lane, Moira, Derbyshire. DE12 6AT. The first taster session is free and then usually £3.00 per session thereafter. We sometimes have guest teachers visit, so best to contact us prior to coming to secure a drum and check suitability. We welcome people of all ages and abilities although children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

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Ashby Bridge Club

Ann 01530 458110 www.bridgewebs.com/ashby Different bridge sessions offered for all levels of bridge player,

Monday and Thursday evenings, Wednesday afternoons and Friday mornings, at Hood Park Leisure Centre.

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The Ashby Probus Club

MEASHAM BOWLS CLUB Measham Bowls Club starts its new season in April, and is holding its first Club Night on Wednesday, 19th April, 2007, starting at 6pm. Club Night allows new members of the Club to come along to practice, and to meet and share experiences with the members who have spent some time at the Club. Everyone is welcome. This is also a time when those who have never played Bowls before to come along and try the game out. There is no pressure, no obligation and no criticism, only a friendly atmosphere and guidance. Age is no barrier. You can be any age from 9 to 90+ years.

The only thing we ask of you is to have a pair of flat soled shoes with you.

MEASHAM BOWLS CLUB OPEN DAY

Frank Bedford - 01530 467183 For retired professional and businessmen meets monthly in Ashby. We enjoy a pub lunch, speakers, a programme of outings and functions and each others company. The club welcomes new members.

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Sunday 21st May 2017 From 2pm

Everyone welcome, just bring some flat soled shoes, and have a go!

Refreshments available

Ashby & District Stroke Support Group

Pat - 01530 413723 A friendly group for stroke survivors and their carers. We meet alternate Tuesdays at Brown Court Ashby from 2pm-4pm. Meetings involve speakers, meal sout,and general chat.

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Ashby Meditation

Irene - 01530414290 www.tarakmc.org Why not drop in and try our weekly classes on Thursdays May 4th, 11th, 18th & 25th then restart June 8th at 7.30 in Legion House, South Street, Ashby. No need to book.

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The Trinity Badminton Club

Secretary - 07801 700 664 The club is a small friendly club of average ability (non league) meeting Monday evenings at Holy Trinity Church Hall, off Kilwardby Street, Ashby from 7.30pm – 9.00pm. We play from Jan to May then Sept to Dec. New members always welcome.

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Ashby Chess Club

N Roberts - 01530 455957 Chess club open to adults and juniors. Juniors start at 6.15pm and Adults start at 7.15pm. Meets every Thursday at Ivanhoe Social Club, Wilfrid Place, off Bath Street, Ashby de la Zouch, LE65 2GW. ------------------------------------------------

Ashby Croquet Club

Rupert - 01530 272833 www.ashbycroquetclub.org.uk The New Season starts on Sunday 26th March on our 3 lawns situated at Moira Miners Welfare DE12 6BP (opposite Conkers Waterside). We play on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Please phone or visit the website if you want more details.

New players always welcome.

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Ashby Writers’ Club

David Bell - 01530 413371 Ashby Writers’ Club meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, 7.30pm-9.30pm at Congregational Church, Kilwardby St, Ashby LE65 2FQ. Membership: £15 per annum.

Visitors are welcome at a nominal fee of £4 per speaker meeting, £3 per comp/manuscript meeting (includes coffee or tea).

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Ashby Allotments Association What a difference a few degrees can make. Once the sun starts to feel warm on your face and the wind loses its edge it’s possible to believe that Spring is really here. But a close look at our gardens, fields and hedgerows will show that the plants are already responding to that increased warmth and the longer days. This is what the allotment holder has been waiting for. Now overwintering beans and onions start to put on growth and the race is on to get the seeds sown, the potatoes buried and the canes in place to make the most of the new growing season.

The urge to ‘grow your own’ has taken hold of a large part of the population. There are TV programmes and magazines to help with advice and planning and schools have got the growing bug really seriously as we have come to recognise the link between understanding where our food comes from and the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet. There has been an increase in demand for allotments and here in Ashby the local Allotment Association has been responding to that by redesigning plot layouts and wherever possible dividing the traditional 300 square yard plots to produce more manageable areas.

The benefits of gardening are well-researched and reported: it is good for both your physical

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and mental health. When you add to that the wonder of watching a tiny seed grow into a sizeable plant that you can harvest, cook and eat, the joy is increased. You get a tremendous amount of satisfaction from being able to provide for yourself and family in this way, even if the produce makes up only a part of the diet, in a world where so many other things are done to us and for us – sometimes without our say-so!

Enjoy looking at a dinner plate and recognising the ingredients that your labour and nature’s bounty has provided. Freshness is assured, food miles are tiny and the importance of the seasons and the various crops that appear in them is reinforced.

Allotment gardening is also a very sociable activity; there is usually someone close by to share problems or successes with and plenty of advice to be had on varieties or growing methods.

Many families are taking plots and the allotment site is a great place to get a trowel into the hands of a little one and let them interact with the earth that feeds us.

Ashby Allotment Association has a seed and stock service for its members, a meeting room and a dry-compost toilet on site, a plot designated for use by those with disabilities (the last the result of charitable support from local groups and a grant from Awards for All. Our website www. ashbyallotments.org.uk will give you more information, including contact details to use to add your name to the waiting list. Why not get in touch?

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The Black Stuff Well I can honestly say I’ve never been so busy! It’s lovely to speak to so many people in our region who are keen to get outdoors and make use of their gardens even if they may need a makeover before they can do so! The weather has been kind to us recently and I hope it encourages even more people to embrace their outdoor space and get their hands dirty.

Sowing Seeds

Talking of dirt.... Having worked in plant nurseries for many years I hear all sorts of queries about what soil or compost to use for a particular job in the garden, so I thought it might be useful to recommend some suitable products to use around the garden.

Soil – the stuff we should all have beneath our feet unless we are living in a high-rise. The typical garden soil in our region is a heavy clay loam, although there are areas with exception. Clay loams are nutrient rich due to the ability of the clay particles to hold on to useful nutrients.

Unfortunately clay also has it’s down sides. If compacted it can drain poorly and be very wet in winter whilst dry rock hard in summer. The best way to improve clay soils is to add manure or garden compost along with grit of sharp sand . If you need to top up an border or fill a raised bed then look to source good quality topsoil. The topsoil needs to be weed

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Manure & garden compost The most useful product for the garden for incorporating into soil, well rotted 2-3 year old manure or homemade garden compost is something you can never have too much of. Whether you’ve a poorly drained clay or a free draining sandy soil, manure/garden compost will help provide an open structure, to aid drainage in heavy ground whilst giving a water retentive element to dry soils. It also adds nutrition and bulk to the soil also helping container grown plants established once planted.

Making your own garden compost requires space and time but if you are short on both, garden centres sell sealed bags of manure or soil improver which is an instant option. Avoid using manure in containers as it can be too ‘strong’ a product for bedding plants etc.

Compost – peat based multi-purpose The bags you’ll find in garden centres, nurseries, DIY stores and even supermarkets. It is made with a base of peat (which can vary in quality hugely). The better quality brands also have a base level of feed and a rewetting agent to allow for ease of watering. This is the type of compost to use for containers, hanging baskets, window boxes belgriersondesign info@belgrierson.co.uk

etc. I would advise you buy the best you can afford and avoid the cheap faded bags you find piled up left over from last year!

Compost – soil based Often known as John-Innes (JI), this soil based compost is made with a base of loam which makes it heavier to handle but worth the effort. The loam element allows the compost to retain feed better and retain water so it doesn’t dry out as quickly as the peat-based products; having said that it also drains more freely. I like to use John Innes for pretty much all of my potting, mixing it with a multi-purpose to create a lighter weight mix. N.B. JI 1 is for seedlings, JI2 is for potting on and JI3 is for shrubs and long term plantings in containers.

Compost – ericaceous This is used for acid loving plants such as Camellias, Pieris, Skimmia, Rhododendron & Azaleas and Hydrangeas with blue flowers.

Usually made with a base of peat, it can dry out quickly in pots. Use in containers or dig in to the soil when planting acid-loving plants in the ground.

I hope I’ve given you confidence to buy the right product for you gardening jobs. Next month I’ll be looking at various screening options for gardens.

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C I N M O T A G N DY DONIN e East se to one of th st o l c s , o l l k h i Par gh ays rollin onington uits. It pl ple of t s d mi rt is D irc s a cou ing c o ted a o be u Situa nds Airp otor rac ends (pl e’s sure t . a m s k r Midl premier ace wee ), so the ost taste s r l s ’ m s a tiv to suit UK merou c fes to nu er musi ppening summthing ha e som

M

usic lovers can enjoy rock at Download Festival in June, or the Little Mix Summer Shout Out concert one month later.

On-track action on two or four wheels takes place most weekends between March/ October.

Witnessing classic cars, trucks, superbikes or touring cars in fierce competition is a fantastic day out, as I discovered last year. It was the traditional April visit to “Donny” by the Dunlop BSA Touring Car Championship (BTCC). My daughter Sarah had booked us a parking space at Starkey’s Bridge, where you can view from the comfort of your car if you wish. It provided fantastic viewing, watching the cars stream towards you through the tricky Craner Curves towards the Old Hairpin. It’s easy to follow what’s going on elsewhere around the track, because live coverage is

broadcast over a huge video screen just opposite.

There are plenty of amenities and food outlets dotted around the circuit, plus fun fairs, a huge Scalextric and stalls over at the paddock area.

It is was a full day’s racing, with the three BTCC rounds sandwiched between support events featuring other types of cars- F1 style Formula Fords, Renault Clio’s, and Ginetta sports cars (both junior and senior classes). There’s no chance of getting bored!

Full of enthusiasm, we returned to the circuit in March 2017 for the BTCC season launch day.

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow said: “We believe this season will set the bar even higher, with 16 race-winners highlighting the strength in depth throughout the field. Furthermore, attracting two new manufacturers to the grid demonstrates the ever-growing appeal of the BTCC both on and off track”.

The launch day gives fans the opportunity to watch the cars doing test laps, a taster for the coming season of competition. With 350bhp turbo charged 2-litre engines and top speeds of +150mph, the BTCC is renowned for its close competition, bumper-tobumper action and delivering drama and excitement by the bucket load. This season 32 drivers will be competing in 10 marques of saloon cars, the sort you see every day on the roads. As usual there’s a mix of experienced and new-to-theformula drivers, some moving up from successful seasons in the Clio’s, Ginetta’s and Formula Fords that supported the BTCC races in 2016 .

The “new for 2017” Vauxhall Astra’s will be going head-tohead with BMW, Toyota, Ford, VW, Mercedes, Subaru, MG, Audi and Honda models. 2016 champion “Flash” Gordon Shedden returns in his Honda

Civic Type R, but quickest at the test day was Tom Ingram’s Toyota Avensis (pictured above). It looks as if we’re in for some close competition in 2017, with just one second covering the test session lap times of the top 18 drivers.

If this whets your appetite, BTCC 2017 Round 2 takes place at Donington Park 15/16 April.

Go to www.donington-park. co.uk for details. It is an ideal venue to get your first taste of live motorsport- easy to get to, and very well organised. The other nine BTCC rounds are held at circuits around the UK, three races at each one. These are broadcast live, together with extensive highlights programmes, on ITV4. Further information is available at www.btcc.net.

PAUL TAYLOR & SARAH TAYLOR (Photo credits go to btcc.net and Paul Taylor)

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Latest News From

W

elcome to this new column. I hope that you will find this to be informative, interesting and a column that you will look forward to reading each month.

My name is Ruth Lane. I have been a Trustee since 1991 and I am the current Chairman for Woodside Animal Centre. This is the name of the RSPCA Leicestershire Branch home. The Leicestershire Branch of the RSPCA (Charity number: 222621) is an independently registered branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. To set the scene, I’ll briefly outline the history of the National Society and then tell you how Woodside fits into the bigger picture.

LOCAL

MAGAZINES

The RSPCA was originally founded in 1824. It developed out of the first anti-cruelty bill, which was introduced by Richard Martin MP, who would later earn the nickname of 'Humanity Dick'.

The group also included William Wilberforce MP (already famous for his efforts to abolish slavery in the British Empire) and the Reverend Arthur Broome. The Act was passed in Parliament on 22 July 1822 and was against cruelty to farm animals, particularly cattle.

The group assembled at the "Old Slaughters" Coffee House in London to create a society with the will and authority to enforce the new law. The SPCA, the first animal welfare society to be set up in the world, was founded on 16 June 1824, and was subsequently granted its royal status by Queen Victoria in 1840.

The RSPCA is a trusted and wellknown charity and the branches support the National Society on a local level. As a branch we are responsible for the operational running and financing of this local charity and it costs us approximately £19,000 each week. The branch moved to the site on Scudamore Road in 1974 and meant that the animals could be cared for on one site.

The redevelopment of the site has taken us many years and funds had to be raised locally.

Not every branch of the RSPCA has an animal centre so these branches have to rely on private boarding kennels and foster carers to house the animals in their care. At Leicester we have

CIRCULATION

50 ,800

Woodside which enables people who wish to adopt a new pet, the opportunity to look around. We are open to public every day and welcome potential owners to take the time to visit. The centre is our focal point.

Woodside provides accommodation, care and enrichment for unwanted and abandoned animals within Leicestershire and Rutland. We are a successful and busy centre.

We don’t turn animals away and try to help where we can. We take in unwanted pets for rehoming and we board animals for the Inspectorate that are victims of cruelty or neglect, ensuring that they improve in health and are fully rehabilitated with a view to rehoming them once the courts have decided what is to happen to them. Sadly more of the animals we take in seem to need more and more veterinary assistance and greater input for training before we consider them suitable for rehoming. However we regard this as a vital part of our work and our dedicated and trained staff alongside our volunteers, work wonders in this respect.

Here at Woodside, we care for dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds including ex battery farm chickens. Most of these animals are only with us for a short while. They go through a rigorous assessment to ensure that we know as much as possible about them. Our mission is to find each of them their loving ‘forever’ homes. We also help to reunite

lost companion animals with their worried owners.

We cannot, however, do this alone and there are many ways in which you can get involved and help us at Woodside. You can fundraise on our behalf – we are always pleased to hear of the varied ways that our supporters raise funds for us. You may wish to volunteer your time, either as an animal based volunteer or as part of our administration team. It may be that you’d prefer to help out at one of our events or in one of our 4 Leicestershire charity shops.

There are lots of ways where you can make a real difference to the lives of animals within Leicestershire and Rutland.

It is important to remember that Woodside is a charity in its own right with a defined geographical area within which to fund-raise.

We appreciate the efforts made by individuals, businesses and groups of local animal lovers. We always welcome people to visit us to see the work we do – if you haven’t been, do please pay us a visit. I have shown people around the site who have arrived with the misconceptions that Woodside is a sad place. I’ve always said that the sadness is left at the gate as, from the moment animals pass through our gates, their needs as individuals are catered for. As Trustees, staff and volunteers we remain focussed on our mission to promote kindness and to prevent cruelty to animals and to work towards finding the animals in our care their forever homes.

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COUNTY COUNCILLOR

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

M: 07429055402 E: Sean.Sheahan@leics.gov.uk

M: 01530 417736 E: andrew.bridgen.mp@parliament.uk

SEAN SHEAHAN

The budget and the ballot box With County Council elections on 4th May, this seems like the perfect time to review how Government cuts are impacting on Leicestershire County Council services.

One of the worst hit services is Highways, which, allowing for inflation, faces a combined reduction in spending power of 78% by 2020/21 compared to 2009/10. This is a massive cut, and senior officers have already warned that some parts of the service can no longer be delivered.

I’ve written previously about the difficulty in obtaining funding for road safety improvements; now even routine highway maintenance is under threat.

School budgets are starting to feel the pressure. According to the website schoolcuts.org. uk Leicestershire schools are expected to be £33 million worse off by 2019. The website estimates that the impact on Measham C of E School will be the loss of two teachers, St Charles Catholic School will lose one teacher and nearby Oakthorpe School will also lose two teachers. Small schools cannot easily absorb these kind of cuts and some might face a struggle for survival.

Leicestershire County Council has cut £1 million from its Children’s Centres budget. The Children’s Centre in Measham along with the one in Moira, provide early support to young families, helping to prevent problems further down the line. If this support is taken away and the centres close, the social costs will be incalculable, but as I recently said at a meeting at County Hall, anything taken away from preventive work is not a saving, but a loan which eventually has to be paid back, usually at a high rate of interest.

Whether it’s families not receiving the right support, schools with oversized classes or roads left to crumble, there comes a point where it costs more to fix the problem than the savings achieved by the original cuts. We may have already passed that point with some services. Yet unless the Government wakes up to the consequences of its prolonged,

ANDREW BRIDGEN ideologically-driven austerity drive, things can only get worse.

Can anything be done? Yes - you can use your vote on May 4th to join me in sending a message to the Government that enough is enough, they need to stop running down public services and let our communities thrive!

Weight restrictions Discussions between the police, County Highways and Measham Parish Council about agricultural vehicles and weight restrictions have reached an impasse. The police do not want slow-moving tractors diverted onto A-roads, which has make it difficult to enforce weight restrictions against the tractor-trailers from AB Produce travelling along Burton Road and Atherstone Road. If they could be persuaded to cut out the tractors and only use road tankers, there wouldn’t be this problem. I am currently exploring this with County planning officers.

New Street traffic calming A second housing development in Measham has been referred to District Council planning enforcement officers. Under a planning condition, the housing development on New Street requires traffic calming before the first house is occupied, but the builders want to delay installing speed humps so they are not damaged by construction lorries turning into the site. Some months ago, I reported a similar problem with the Atherstone Road site. This kind of delay to road safety improvements is not only frustrating, it does nothing to enhance the reputation of the planning system.

Fly-tipping Measham Parish Council have logged a recent increase in the amount of fly-tipping. I have raised concerns with County Council officers about whether changes to the way they operate refuse tips aimed at saving money have contributed to fly-tipping. If, as I suspect, there is a connection, sadly it would be yet another example of the County Council making false economies.

The Chancellor delivered his last spring budget which contained lots of good economic news post Brexit. The Project Fear campaign run by the Remain side of the argument has now been completely discredited and our forecast economic growth rate has been projected upwards yet again and at the same time the borrowing estimates were projected downwards. Locally the drop in our unemployment rate since 2010 is amongst the largest in the Country showing a decrease of about 75%.

One aspect of the Budget I did not agree with however was the proposed increase in the rate of national insurance for the selfemployed. This is set at a lower level for a reason and that is the lack of job security and access to sick and holiday pay when you are self-employed. I immediately made my views known that I opposed this move, I believe the Chancellor did the right thing in dropping the proposal.

I recently responded to the consultation on the HS2 phase 2 route changes. As I made clear at the time, the first route for HS2 was completely unacceptable and would have seen hundreds of job losses and blighted homes.

Unfortunately HS2 have now put forward a route which also creates a significant amount of blight and potential job loss.

I have asked HS2 if there are alternative routes it could travel through North West Leicestershire and I believe it could move further East without any engineering issues. HS2 believe it would be more costly and add to the journey time however I am not convinced by that argument.

The underlying issue however is that there is no good route for this railway to pass through North West Leicestershire As I have explained before, I do not think that HS2 can possibly justify the cost and disruption it is causing and there are far more effective ways of spending this money. I will therefore continue to press for disruption to be kept to a minimum and of course campaign to have the whole scheme scrapped altogether.

Another issue I have been working on is school funding.

I have been fighting for more equal funding for many years as Leicestershire is in the bottom two funded counties overall. Although the new formula would represent an increase overall for the District, I remain concerned that it appears

to only be the Senior Schools that are benefitting and our Primary Schools look set to lose out. It is also not achieving what I believe the objective should be from a fairer funding formula ,as funding in Leicester for instance is set to increase by more than Leicestershire when there is already a huge funding disparity per pupil between the County and the City.

I am currently working with the f40 fairer funding group, chaired by Leicestershire Council Councillor Ivan Ould, to try and get these proposals looked at again. I recently met with the Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss the concerns of the f40 members and to offer an updated alternative formula which the f40 group will be submitting to the Department for Education shortly for their consideration.

I have also met with the Secretary of State Justine Greening this month to discuss the National Funding Formula Consultation to ensure that the new methodology due to be considered will mean an end to historical unfairness and underfunding for certain schools, giving parents the confidence that every child will have an equal opportunity to fulfil their potential.

Finally, we have had the welcome news that Burton Hospital’s A and E unit will not be downgraded and will remain open 24 hours a day. I know this was an issue that concerned many constituents who signed the petition to save it and I am pleased that after a robust campaign, we have managed to have this proposal shelved.

That was due to be the end of the column however shortly after writing this, a terrorist attack was launched on Parliament.

Innocent people have been killed and injured and a brave Police Constable whose job it is to guard Parliament was stabbed to death. This was an attack on our democracy and our values.

The day after Parliament sat to show that this sick and depraved behaviour will not stop our democracy. My thoughts are prayers are with all of those killed and injured and I pay tribute to the Police and Security Services who do so much to protect us.

Parliament and our country are always at their best when things are at their worst. The way we can all do our bit to ensure the terrorists do not win is to " keep calm and carry on" . Advice which has served our nation well in previous times of adversity.

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