September 2014 - Loughborough Community Eye

LOUGHBOROUGH

Halloween

1

COMMUNITY EYE

FREE MONTHLY LOCAL NEWS, EVENTS, PUZZLES, COMPETITIONS & MORE

IN THE GARDEN WITH BEL

ISSUE 11 - SEPTEMBER 2014

ROTTEN RATS Plus More Great Halloween Recipes

Encouraging Birds Into The Garden

BILLY’S 2 GREAT BOOKS OF BOOZERS

LETTERS FROM THE TRENCHES & MORE

Books By Bill Wells

At Loughborough Baptist Church

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL GOLF DAY Open Box Promotions Joins In With The Fun

WHAT A MONSTER WALK !

LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY

Open Box Promotions Charity Walk For Rainbows Hospice

Hidden Gems At Design School

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WELCOME

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Welcome to your September Community Eye magazine

W

ith misty mornings and autumn leaves starting to fall, it’s clear we’re at the end of summer and in the run up to shorter days and longer nights. This edition has an autumn feel and I’ve included some spooky recipes to get you in the mood for Halloween!

FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY:

Roxanne Hojnacki © ____________________________________

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EDITOR

MIRIAM BENTLEY T: 0800 6446150 E: editor@openboxpromotions.co.uk

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OPEN BOX PROMOTIONS LTD

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NEXT ISSUE OUT DEADLINE DATE: 14th October 2014 DELIVERY DATE: 21st October 2014 Deadline and delivery dates are subject to change depending on how far we are ahead or behind. ____________________________________ The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the original advertisers & contributors and do not necessarily represent Community Eye or Open Box Promotions Ltd. Open Box Promotions Ltd reserves the right to amend or refuse to publish articles or adverts submitted for publication. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine, but no liability can be accepted for loss or inconvenience caused as a result of error or omission.

To see full terms & conditions visit www.openboxpromotions.co.uk/terms

Also included are our usual competitions to win some fantastic personalised items, which would also make great Christmas gifts! Even if you’re not lucky enough to win, don’t forget you can order a wide selection of personalised gifts from us, from printed clothing (no minimum order), to printed mugs, phone covers, umbrellas etc Just drop me an email or call me to see what we can do for you.

This month I also feature an article about Loughborough University’s Design School who were kind enough to manufacture me a new side for my wheelchair after I discovered the part

I needed was now obsolete. I had no idea we had such a gem on our doorstep and the new product ideas the final year students are coming up with are amazing. I’ve selected a few of last years to feature in the magazine and look forward to visiting the department in the summer to see this year’s projects.

Many thanks to Craig Brown and his team for their hard work and to Andrew Weeks for showing me around their fantastic new building.

Our next edition will be a Bonfire night special so don’t forget if you’ve an event you’d like listing in the magazine, send the details in to me and I’ll do my best to include it.

We will also be starting a ‘Letters to the Editor’ section, so if there is something happening in your local area you’d like to have your say on, or you’d like to publicly thank someone who’s gone over and above to help

you or even if you’ve a funny story for us, please send it over to me, I look forward to reading all your letters and will print as many as I can. See you next month!

LOUGHBOROUGH LTC PLAYERS COLLECT MORE TITLES! With senior county champions, 3 Men's teams promoted and Women's Division 1 Champions already providing a successful summer for Loughborough LTC, their juniors have now been getting in on the act too!

Louis Marsden and Seb Harrison added Junior County Championship titles to the club's successes for the summer, with Seb becoming Derbyshire 9&U Boys Singles County Champion and Louis 12&U Leicestershire Boys Doubles County Champion with partner Oscar Holmes.

A strong finish to the summer also saw Thomas Giles move into the Top 5 9&U Boys Players in the Midlands.

To round off the summer, the adult Mixed 1st Team also secured promotion with an undefeated season, and the club held it's adult

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL GOLF DAY Our fourth annual charity amateur 4-ball golf day held at Rothley Park Golf Club in Rothley in Leicestershire was a great success. We would like to thank our sponsors HSP Tax Limited, Business and Domestic (Motorway Direct Plc), Yorkshire Building Services, Edward Hand & Lewis Solicitors, Aidan J Reed Estate Agents, Premier Platforms and Moseley Brown Developments.

The money we received through sponsorship helped cover the costs of arranging this event and therefore every penny received on the day goes direct to our cause fighting Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

club Championships. The results from the club championships were: Men's Singles winner Jonny Rudge, runnerup Matt King, Men's Singles plate winner Alex Chan, runner-up Jason Crockett, Mixed Doubles winners Sam Haghighat and Dawn Upton, runners-up Alex Chan and Louise Hunt, Ladies Doubles winners Bea Cooper and Louise Hunt, runners-up Sue Overton and Lisa Wright, Men's Doubles winners Tim Jamieson and Simon Hawker, runners-up Tom Dale and Olly Cooper, Men's Doubles plate winners Alex Chan and Jason Crockett, runners-up James Warren and Stuart Smith.

If you'd like to find out more about Loughborough LTC, go to www.loughboroughtennisclub. co.uk or keep up with the latest news at www.facebook.com/ LoughboroughLawnTennisClub The day raised £4,779.09 and we would like to thank all our golfers and helpers on the day for making it what it was. We received some wonderful comments about how enjoyable the day was and we hope to continue with the success of day by holding another one in 2015.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS: 1st winning team – Newline Midlands 2nd winning team – KK Installations 3rd winning team – Lexell Limited Best scoring individual – Jeff Orton Longest drive challenge – Tom Edwards Nearest the Pin challenge – Anthony Rowell The day ended with a prizes giving presentation, auction and raffle. Roll on our 2015 golf day – date will be confirmed in due course.

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FEATURE PAGE

What a Monster walk !

Open Box Promotions, home of Your Local and Community Eye magazines, are helping to provide plenty of treats and no tricks this Halloween for Rainbows Hospice.

Andy our Distribution Manager is going to haunt the residents of Birstall, Rothley, Mountsorrel, Quorn and Loughborough, as he walks from Birstall Golf Club to Rainbows Hospice in Loughborough! The Monster Walk will take place on 31st October and Andy will be easy to recognise in his monsterous apparel!

Andy will need lots of support along the way so please stop him to make your donation and take a selfie, you might even receive a treat for donating! Tag your selfie #monsterwalk on twitter or email it to us and you might just find your photo in Novembers magazine!

You can also donate online at www.justgiving.com/ monsterwalk or by texting RAIN 65 followed by the amount you wish to donate e.g. RAIN 65 £5 to 70070.

Rainbows was founded by Gail and Harry Moore, whose daughter, Laura, died of Leukaemia in 1989. Laura's favourite thing in the world

was a rainbow. The hospice was officially opened in April 1995 by HRH Prince of Wales and in 2009, a £4m extension was built to create a new therapy wing and separate facilities for young people.

Through its outreach efforts into East Midland’s paediatric oncology units, Rainbows is also caring for a growing number of the region’s children with cancer.

We are unbelievably lucky to have such a fabulous facility on our doorstep and Rainbows is a place where parents can have time off being the full time carer and siblings can all play, watch TV or swim together, something that in the home environment may be impossible.

Rainbows is not a sad place, it is most definitely a place for living! But this comes at a cost, over £4.5 million per year.

Requiring a team of dedicated fundraisers Rainbows are always looking at new ways of raising the much needed funds to continue operating, from Sponsored Santa Runs to their charity shops in Melton, Blaby and Matlock there are many ways you can help support them. For more information please visit their website www.rainbows.co.uk

LOCAL NEWS

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BILLY'S 2 GREAT BOOKS OF BOOZERS My name is Bill Wells. I am not in any way looking for sympathy as I am well in remission now, alive and well as they say. You see, I had cancer, and was treated at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. Since recovering I have written the book, or rather fully revised the book I first wrote in 2001.

It is an A4 landscape book by the name of Billys Book of Loughborough Boozers. It has 156 pages, which contain 261 Pub names and over 270 photographs. It is available to buy from myself on 01509 267123 or from the printers on 01509 218414 at £15 for black & white or a colour version at £29. The Black & White version is on sale at Waterstones in Loughborough.

Remembering Quorn’s Fallen Soldiers From 3rd August to 2nd December Open Saturdays 10.00am to 12.00 Wednesdays 12 to 2.00pm At Quorn Church

Whilst most clubs embark on promotion campaigns or Cup all at Loughborough RFC are looking to the future, and as Head Coach Leon Pohe states… “bringing the club back to where it should be”.

Throughout the club from the new Under 7’s through to the Senior Men & Women’s XV’s a ‘one club’ approach is beginning to slowly develop with visible signs both on and off the pitch being supported by local business.

Off the pitch all visitors to Derby Road will see clear developments that are a credit to the clubs ground staff. The pitch looks first class and training facilities have been upgraded ensuring

Profits from this book went to a good cause and all monies due to me goes to the Patients Comfort Fund at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.

It went on sale on 11th April last year and has so far raised over £2,500!

Billy’s Book of Kegworth Boozers is now on sale at £7 for an A5 black & white version and will also be available shortly in an A4 colour version where possible. (Black & White photos will still be, as the name suggests, Black & White) I am also putting the finishing touches to an Billy’s Book of Shepshed Boozers. The back and front cover pages are available for a sponsoring advert should that be of interest to anyone. All monies due to me for any books sold will go the cause of ‘Patients Comfort Fund’ at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.

Read the moving stories behind the 78 young men from Quorn who died.

Understand how the war developed and find out about life in the village during WW1 www.quornmusuem.com

good quality playing & training facilities for all. Also the clubhouse has undergone a refurbishment making it welcoming to players, spectators and guests alike.

On the pitch the Borough Under 14’s enjoyed a summer Boot Camp organised and run by NEWFit training and recently had the opportunity of thanking Darren Herd for their summer of fun and Head Coach Leon Pohe took the opportunity to welcome the new LRFC’s Under 7’s to Derby Road.

For the LRFC Senior’s a winter of rugby lies ahead, eight months of renewed acquaintances, new places to visit and new opposition to face. Non so much as

the Women’s 1st XV who make their debut in the RFU Championship, the second tier of English rugby, and in a year when England’s Women were crowned World Champions, could be classed as the second tier of the world’s best Women’s league.

implemented and the ‘whole club’ approach is adopted to integrate the Minis & Juniors through to the newly established Academy and into Senior Rugby and the Women’s section develops to encourage local girls to take up the sport.

For the Men’s Senior XV’s with “lots of new faces with potential” as described

by Head Coach Leon Pohe the season is one of further consolidation as the ideas of the new Head Coach are

Any one interested in becoming involved with the club, as a player, coach, sponsor or supporter are asked to contact the LRFC through it’s age groups on the website.

FIXTURES FOR OCTOBER: 11th

Loughborough 1st XV vs. Nottingham Casuals

KO 3pm

12th

Novocastrians Ladies vs. Loughborough Women

KO 3pm

18th

Stamford vs. Loughborough 1st XV

KO 3pm

19th

Loughborough Women vs. West Park Leeds

KO 3pm

25th

Loughborough 1st XV vs. Ashbourne

KO 3pm

26th

Camp Hill Ladies vs. Loughborough Women

KO 3pm

All Welcome, Free Admission, Hot & Cold food & Bar - For other teams fixtures visit the LRFC website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/loughborough

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LOCAL NEWS

LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY DESIGN SCHOOL

H

idden Gems can be found all over our county, but closer to home than I realised is the source of education for our modern designers and inventors!

I discovered this gem by accident when I was looking for a replacement side for my wheelchair. The part I required was obsolete and so I was on a quest to find a manufacturer for one. I took to twitter and was fortunate enough to start a chat with Loughborough University who passed me on to their Design School. I was invited in to talk to Craig Brown, Senior Technical Officer, who undertook the challenge to make me a replacement side! Whilst I was there I met Andrew Weeks, School Administrator, who kindly showed me round their new state of the art building.

KATE SAUNDERS OLI-POLLY I chose the project as my twin and I were born 12 weeks premature and spent a significant amount of time in a neonatal unit. On top of this, my grandfather, Oliver Fisher, had been a neonatal doctor and specialist at Medway Maritime Hospital, and ran a specialist baby unit and charity, which has been named after him.

This project aimed to create devices that would provide more opportunities for parents to bond with their premature baby, specifically when absent from the neonatal unit. In depth user-centred research indicated a lack of support for parents during neonatal care. The final outcome are two distinctive devices; one which functions as a neonatal camera providing video content, photos and messages that can be sent from the nurses to parents and the second is a storyteller unit which records stories and messages to be played inside the incubator.

The unit were incredibly helpful and enthusiastic; supporting me throughout the project with advice and insights, as well as evaluating the final outcomes.

From in-depth user centred research with their nurses, head clinicians and parents, it was indicated that there was a lack of support for parents and that a device that could help the nurses support parents better would also provide them with more time and minimise stress. It was a fascinating to research an area that was so important to myself and my family, and try to provide a solution that would benefit parents, neonatal babies and nurses.

ROBERT KEARNEY ACCLIVITY The project idea came through observations of a family member who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. As with many people who suffer from MS, the nerves in one side of the body can be severely damaged, and this is the problem which the person in my family suffered from, as well as many other people who live with MS. This prevents them from raising their foot high enough to clear the ground, a problem which becomes even worse when trying to lift it high enough to clear the rise of a step.

The Design School not only contains the typical pillar drills and woodworking benches you’d expect but also has huge 3D printers and the latest technology to ensure students graduate with the best skills possible. Even their lecture theatre is completely modern with comfy ‘pod’ seating allowing total flexibility. Andrew also told me they are the only UK University to offer Ergonomics as an Undergraduate degree, a fascinating subject I briefly touched on during my student years at Loughborough before graduating in ‘99. To illustrate the amazingly high level of invention coming out of the Design School I’ve picked a few to show you. I’ve also been invited to attend this year’s Degree Show of final year projects and look forward to bringing you a further selection from the 2015 graduates.

Oh and did I get my side….. no…. I got a matching pair! Thank you to Craig and his whole team for all the hard work they put in and for allowing me to tour the department. The whole school should be very proud of the quality of designers you’re producing.

ADAM FIELD CALMO The idea came from watching my Grandmother struggle with an essential tremor, which limited her ability to eat without spilling her food. The stigma attached to being unable to finish a meal without creating a mess led her to becoming increasingly isolated, due to her unwillingneass to eat out in public with friends.

From observing and interviewing this person it became clear that ascending stairs was one of the biggest frustrations in their daily life and one which caused the most fatigue. From this insight it was decided that an aid was required which reduced the fatigue of ascending stairs but which retained the users independent living whilst also encouraging a walking gait which reduces muscular deterioration in the lower back and hip flexors whilst also keeping the user active.

The main basis for the proposed design is that of a video camera stabiliser, using a gimbal and a moving counterbalance to keep the spoon in equilibrium and balanced. This allows the handle to move with the unwanted tremor, whilst the spoon head remains relatively stationary. In addition to this, I also experimented with different size and shape of grips for standard cutlery. This entailed using ‘polymorph’ to create a completely personalised grip shape that immediately gave my grandmother a firmer grip, reducing the extent of the tremor.

The final design uses a familiar form of the walking stick, however, housed inside is a battery powered motor which is connected to a footplate at the base of the shaft. The user places their foot on the footplate which mechanically raises their leg up the rise of the step.

The prototyping that I have undertaken has allowed me to construct a twice full-size 'proof of concept' model, that showed that the idea for the mechanism would reduce the movement at the spoon head as intended. The product now requires miniaturisation, and further development to create a fully functioning, full-size utensil.

FRASER HAMILTON ORO WHEELS As a designer I feel it is very important always to solve a problem with your solution and the best way to approach the design process is by researching a problem rather than waiting for a “light bulb moment” where I would think of a randomly great invention.

From talking to wheelchair users it was obvious that there were countless problems with current manual wheelchairs. It was apparent that many of the problems these users had with their wheelchairs (posture, fatigue, confidence, independence, cost) could be solved purely by a redesign of the wheels alone.

Orb Wheels are a pair of quick release wheels for manual wheelchairs, which give the user the option between manual and powered propulsion. They do this through a 250W motor and 36V Lithium Ion battery located in the hub of each wheel. If the user ever needs to get up a particularly step hill or is beginning to feel a little fatigued they can just switch to the secondary handle, which engages the motor and propels the wheelchair forward with little to no effort from the user.

The wheels fit to almost all current manual wheelchair and can be quickly released from the wheelchair frame at the touch of a button.

FOOD & DRINK

Halloween

LABOUR CANDIDATE

DR MATTHEW O’CALLAGHAN M: 07894 229499 E: matthewocall@gmail.com

ARE WE BEING RIPPED OFF? We all know that prices are rising faster than wages or pensions. This is especially true for the basics such as electricity, gas and petrol. The energy suppliers say it’s because of rising wholesale prices. But wholesale gas prices have halved in the last six months and yet the price to us hasn’t fallen. It’s a similar story for electricity and petrol. There is a sense amongst people I talk to in Loughborough that we’re all being ripped off.

There is only one cable that brings the electricity into your house; only one pipe that delivers the gas; in other words it’s the same gas and electricity that we’re all using in Loughborough.

So what exactly are we paying all these companies for? Gas and Electricity bills have risen by an average of £300 a year since the last election. Labour has said it will freeze energy bills until 2017 while it works on a fairer pricing structure for energy.

Rail fares are set to rise yet again which will hit those who commute regularly from Loughborough. Since 2010 rail fares have increased by 20%, well above inflation. The Government is ploughing billions of tax payer’s money into the railways and yet the railway companies are still making handsome profits. That can’t be right. Labour will cap fare increases and reform the price of rail tickets.

Because of the price of housing more people in Loughborough are renting property in the private sector. This is leading to a shortage of rented

accommodation. As a result many tenants are complaining to me of being exploited through short term tenancies, high rent rises and letting agent’s fees.

Labour will extend tenancies, cap rises and abolish the fees.

There are many people in Loughborough who work on exploitative zero hour contracts – Labour will abolish these. Others work for large companies who make substantial profits by paying their workers only the minimum wage.

These companies are ripping off the tax payer knowing that by paying low wages their workers can claim benefits from the state; in effect we are subsidising their profits. No one in full time work should need to claim benefits just to be able to live and take care of their families. Labour will encourage firms towards paying the Living Wage so leaving only those workers who are really in need to claim benefits. Labour will also tackle migrant workers undercutting wages by banning recruitment agencies that only hire foreign workers and press for stronger controls in Europe.

And talking of large companies we also need to act on those firms who, while earning vast profits in the UK, manipulate their finances so as to avoid paying their fair share of tax in the UK. They are ripping us all off.

Loughborough is suffering, along with many other towns, because of this current rip-off culture. There’s a lot to be done to reform ‘Rip-Off’ Britain and it’s only Labour that will do it and introduce an economy that’s fair for all.

MAT THEW O’CALLAGHAN

LETTERS FROM THE TRENCHES (AND MORE) AN EXHIBITION 1914 –1918 WAR AT LOUGHBOROUGH BAPTIST CHURCH 13—19 OCTOBER 2014 11AM TILL 4PM ALL WELCOME

F

rom the 13 till 19 October Loughborough Baptist Church will hold an exhibition as part of the 100 year commemorations of the start of WW1.

The theme for the exhibition is ‘Letters from the Trenches’.

During the Great War many men from the three Baptist churches in Loughborough went to fight in France and beyond. They received parcels from the Sunday School and wrote letters back. These letters and the stories of the men and their families are at the heart of the exhibition.

Loughborough Baptist Church, 9/10, Baxter Gate, Loughborough, LE11 1TG Tel: 01509 215642 Email: office@lbcweb.org.uk Gert Glasius Mob: 07584 995441

Rotten Rats

INGREDIENTS

• For the rats: 1-1/2 lbs. minced beef • 1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice • 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped • 1 egg, beaten • Uncooked spaghetti, broken into quarters • Thinly sliced raw carrots • Black peppercorns, cooked black beans • For the (sauce) blood: 1 can chopped tomatoes • 1-1/2 cups water • 1 tablespoon sugar • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce • 1 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper This dish goes nicely with pasta or mashed potatoes.

PREPARATION METHOD

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the mined beef, rice, onion, egg and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Mix well.

2. To make the rats. Scoop out a small handful of the minced beef mixture.

Form it, by hand, into a firmly packed teardrop shape - pointy on one end, rounded on the other. This is your basic rat. Place it into a shallow baking dish and gently pinch in the neck area. Poke a piece of uncooked spaghetti into the larger rounded end as a tail. Repeat with the remaining mixed beef mixture.

3. When all the rats are neatly placed in the baking dish, stir together the tomatoes, water, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the rats. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, basting occasionally with sauce. Then cover the dish with foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the rats are fully cooked.

4. Gently remove rats, one at a time, from the sauce and place gently on a serving platter. (Take care not to damage the tails - they’re fairly delicate.) Into each rat, insert two carrot slices as ears, peppercorns (or whatever) for eyes, and a few more broken strands of uncooked spaghetti for whiskers. Spoon sauce around the rats and serve, smiling wickedly.

Spooky Drink

Freaky Fangs INGREDIENTS

But there are further displays. During the War the church hall was a Ward of Loughborough Hospital across the road so part of the same hall will be turned into a 1914 hospital ward .

Another display gives information about the role women played in the war. During the lunchtime period there will be a programme of talks covering a wide variety of subject related to WW1 with a musical event later that month.

7

• Handful of ice • 125ml orange juice • 45ml black vodka • 15ml triple sec • Orange wedge, for garnish

PREPARATION METHOD INGREDIENTS • Apples • Slices of almond

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Just quarter and core an apple, cut a wedge from the skin side of each quarter, then press slivered almonds in place for teeth. Baste in lemon juice to stop them going brown.

1. In a cocktail shaker, add orange juice and triple sec over ice. Shake well, and strain into a glass.

2. Using the back of a spoon, pour black vodka slowly into a glass so that the vodka sits atop the orange juice and triple sec mix.

3. Carefully dip one edge of the orange wedge into the vodka for a spooky presentation, and sit the wedge on the rim of the glass.

8

HEALTH & WELLBEING

EAT FOR ENGLAND SLIM FOR LIFE

Love Your Feet!

Ingrown Toenails

S

onia, 36, from Loughborough, wife to Andrew and full time mum to Danielle, 13, and Drew, 11, has turned her life around by eating for England and losing 8 ½ stone with slimming world.

Submitted by Sally Prytherch Hinds Feet Foot Care T: 07806786616 E: hindsfeetfootcare@gmail.com W: www.hindsfeetfootcare.co.uk Ingrown toenails develop when the nail sides curl and pierce the skin. The toe becomes red, swollen and painful especially if more pressure is applied because the immune system reacts as though the ingrown nail is a foreign body.

Over-granulation tissue with a sore moist appearance can begin to grow out from the damaged skin underneath the nail and the toe can become infected. The large toenail is most commonly affected but any nail can become ingrown. People have described ‘ripping them out’ for relief. A GP should be consulted if infection is present as antibiotics may be required, especially important for people with diabetes.

Factors contributing to ingrown toenails include tight shoes or socks, cutting nails too short particularly down the side, nail infections, injury, excessive sweating, poor hygiene and hereditary factors.

Professional help may be required to remove a section of the nail and it is important that the entire part of the nail cutting into the tissue is removed. This can sometimes resolve the problem although often the procedure will need repeating every few weeks. In severe cases and for a permanent solution referral may be needed for surgery to remove part of the nail and nail bed.

Prevention and self management can include good hygiene - soaking and cleansing the side of the nail can help. Nails should be trimmed carefully across to the general shape of the nail with the corners visible above the skin, and not low at the sides.

And, as always, choosing footwear with enough room for toes not to be pinched by the sides of the shoe is an important consideration.

USEFUL WEBSITES:

www.nhs.uk - www.patient.co.uk - www.foot.com/site/professional/foot-facts

Submitted by Bonita Irish Hallcroft Opticians T: 01509 650666 E: info@hallcroftopticians.co.uk W: www.hallcroftopticians.co.uk

VISION MATTERS Regular sight tests are essential for maintaining healthy eyes but there are other things you can do to look after your eyes.

DIET

Studies show that what we eat can affect our vision. Antioxidants can help to prevent retinal damage.

One anti-oxidant which is hugely beneficial is lutein.

Foods recommended for eye health include: Broad leaf greens such as kale and spinach Brightly coloured fruit and veg such as corn, carrots, orange sweet peppers and oranges Oily fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel Broccoli Eggs

EXERCISE & EYESIGHT

Lack of exercise contributes significantly to several eye conditions, particularly amongst people aged 60 and over. Exercise may reduce the risk of sight loss from narrowing or hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Sonia, self-proclaimed “I can’t lose weight as I don’t do hunger and I can’t starve like diets want you to”, decided that enough was enough as she struggled to cut her toe nails and felt like she was cutting off her own oxygen supply trying to tie her shoe laces. She decided would give it one last chance and, to her amazement, this plan worked.

Sonia nervously walked her 19st ½ lb. body into her local Slimming World group only for her fears and insecurities to be pushed aside immediately with a big warm friendly welcome from everyone. Sonia explained how she listened to the new member talk and was amazed at how much she could eat. Hearing about the variety of satisfyingly filling meals she could have every day, she realised that this was definitely going to be different from the misery of other weight-loss methods she’d tried before where she felt she was being restricted, had ended up failing and became

MYSTERY SOLVED THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP !

heavier. So, feeling motivated, Sonia gave food optimising a go and, with food almost coming out of her ears and with support from group, she found it very easy to stay motivated and on plan. This soon showed with her looking and feeling fabulous.

Experimenting in the kitchen she would have spicy Szechuan chicken, omelette, beef in oyster sauce, lasagne and full roast dinners to name just a few.

A very quick and easy BBQ sauce soon became the favourite with its versatility to be spiced up or down and put with anything and Sonia mentioned how she even made it standing in the middle of the field while camping.

Sonia is so ecstatic at how she has lost her weight and she reached her target on 9th December 2010.

She decided to become a consultant in Sileby to help her spread the word about how great the plan is and how you don’t have to be trapped anymore in the struggle to lose weight. Sonia is now really looking forward to opening up another group at The Salvation Army, Burleigh Road, Loughborough on Monday nights.

Thanks to Slimming World, her great consultant Zoe Furber, and support from the group, Sonia has gone from a person who would shy away from people to one who now has the confidence to put herself at the front to help and inspire other members.

In last month’s Chimes I asked if anyone could identify a plaque that had been donated to us and the translation of the inscription on the back, what I thought was Dutch but was in fact Flemish. First back with the correct translation was Robin Clarke of the School of Museum Studies at Leicester University.

ALCOHOL

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health conditions which can have a detrimental effect on your eye health.

SMOKING

After ageing, smoking is the biggest risk factor for developing macular degeneration. Smoking also increases your risk of developing cataract

THE SUN

Protecting your eyes from the sun is very important and should not be underestimated. Under no circumstances should you ever look at the sun directly. Your sunglasses should have the CE mark on them which ensures that they are giving you the right level of ultraviolet protection

We also had an email from a Mrs Joan Abrahams of Cape Town South Africa, speaking Afrikaner she was able to read the inscription.

However first prize must go to Valerie Jaques of the Western Front Association who sent me the newspaper clipping of the event, A visit by disabled exservicemen to Belgium.

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the glass at a fraction of the cost of a new window, in any type of frame, and with a new 5 year guarantee.

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WHAT’S NEW AT THE MUSEUM We have been given some Boys .55 anti-tank rounds. They are inert and have been examined by the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal). All the munitions we hold are required to be inspected and a FFE (Free From Explosives) certificate issued so you can sleep safe in your beds and we can display them.

As with the weapons we have on display, they are deactivated and a certificate issued by the Proof House Birmingham to allow us to hold and display them.

Something about Boys ammunition that I have never figured out is why they have the raised rim just above the extractor rim, see the second picture.

I know of no other ammunition that has a similar rim. The only thing I can think of is that it prevents the ammunition being loaded into any other weapon but I

Charnwood Landscaping Hard Landscaping Specialist

am sure that out there someone has the answer? Do you know?

Email me at: carillonmuseum@gmail.com Another new acquisition is this German ‘Caltrop’ from WW1 a very simple but nasty object used to disable horses.

A four pointed star, bent in such a way that one spike is always pointing upwards no matter how it lands.

They have a long history, mentioned as early as 331 BC and the name is derived from the Latin calcitrapa (foot-trap) scattered on the battlefield to damage the feet of charging horses, elephants camels or men.

The one we have is a battlefield relic picked up in France, which explains why it looks a little rusty.

It will be displayed first at the display in the library and then in the Yeomanry Room

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GARDENING

Enc ouraging Birds Into The Garden

T

he misty cool mornings are here, heralding the arrival of autumn.

Plants are setting seed and berrying up after what has been a wonderfully prolific growing season. There’s a plentiful splash of Hawthorn berries, Rowans and Crabapples giving colour to the hedgerows which have benefited from the long sunny Spring and Summer.

The weather this year seems to have benefited the birds too. My garden has been full of families of Robins and Blackbirds whilst large flocks of Goldfinches and Swifts have been wheeling around above. Birds are not only wonderful to watch, they are also free pest controllers. I often see Blue Tits picking Aphids from the Roses early in the summer and my friendly robin follows me around picking up caterpillars as I dig & weed. So it’s really worth encouraging bird life to help out in the garden.

At this time of year providing food for them in the way of berries, seeds and fruit will encourage a constant stream of feathered friends who will be looking to stock up ahead of the cold winter months.

BERRIES Pyracantha (Firethorn), Cotoneaster and Holly are all popular berrying shrubs with the added benefit of being evergreen so they provide shelter, a refuge from predators and nesting sites too. They are all fairly large shrubs so they’re suitable the back of a border, training on a wall or incorporated into a hedge. Other berrying shrubs like Viburnum opulus (Guelder Rose) or Cornus (Dogwood) which lose their leaves in winter are good for adding into a border as they won’t overcrowd other plants as much.

SEEDS I love to leave the seed heads on the perennials in my border as they look wonderful when glistening with frost during the Winter, they also provide a

Bel Grierson

Garden Designer & Plantswoman

nutritious source of seeds for birds too.

Try leaving the seedheads on perennials like Echinacea (Cone Flower), Rudbeckia, Verbena and Echinops to provide a tasty meal for Finches, Tits and Sparrows.

The key ingredients of many bird seed mixes are Sunflower and Thistle seeds.

Annual Sunflowers are oil rich and favoured by Finches and Long-tailed Tits.

Teasels and thistles like Eryngium will provide generous meals for Finches and Sparrows if the flower heads are left on and allowed to develop.

Hardy annuals which can be sown direct into the ground in Autumn or Spring like Cornflowers, Nigella and Poppies offer a colourful display for us through the summer and a plentiful supply of seeds for foraging Finches and Tits in Autumn. Seeds for these are available in garden centres now.

FRUIT We may all love foraging for Blackberries in the Autumn, but so do the birds.

Blackbirds favour these and Raspberries too so if you have them in your garden and you are willing to sacrifice some of your crop you will be rewarded with the song of a very happy Blackbird. Apples and Crab apples provide a water rich source of food for larger birds like Blackbirds , Thrushes and Field Fares who will happily peck at fallen fruit in Autumn, so don’t be too tidy – let the birds have their fill first.

WATER It is particularly important during the winter months to ensure that the visiting birds have access to water as natural sources may be frozen. A simple bird bath or saucer will suffice, allowing the birds to drink and bathe. Keep the water fresh to avoid transmission of disease.

Delaying the garden tidy up in the autumn until the birds have feasted on the berries, seeds and fruits and adding a few seed rich perennials and annuals to the border will pay dividends when the garden is visited by an abundance of wildlife in the year to come.

November is the start of the bare-root plant season – the perfect time to buy great value plants that have been raised in a field and then lifted with bare roots, ready for transplanting in the garden. So next month I’ll be looking at what is available and how to plant bare-root hedging and trees.

If your borders need rejuvenating, your garden needs a fresh new look or you are looking for design ideas, a Consultation or Planting Plan may be just what you need. Take a look at my website for details of the services I offer www.belgrierson. co.uk or call me on 07506 750250.

Thistle Rud beckia

Pyracantha

11

12

KIDS ZONE

DANIELS

TERRIFYING TREE With Autumn here, Daniel Dog had been very busy in his garden picking all the delicious ripe apples from his big apple tree and sweeping up all the leaves that had fallen. Every day when he went out there seemed to be just as many leaves on the ground as the day before! This carried on until one day all the leaves had fallen and the apples had been picked and all that was left was a very sad looking tree.

A few days later, on an evening when the moon was bright, Bethany was getting ready to go to bed. She’d had a nice mug of warm milk, put her night dress on and was busy cleaning her beak.

Bethany has never liked winter nights because she’s really not very brave in the dark. So she quickly hurried in to bed and pulled the covers up tightly hoping she’d fall asleep and have a lovely dream. But as the time passed Bethany tossed and turned, she couldn’t get to sleep no matter how hard she tried.

The next morning Daniel Dog came round to invite Bethany to his Halloween party.

‘Good Morning Bethany’ said Daniel.

‘Morning’ said Bethany yawning.

‘Are you ok Bethany?’ asked Daniel, ‘You look like you didn’t sleep very well last night.’

So Bethany explained all about her scary visitor to Daniel who listed carefully.

‘Did you close the curtains after you shut the window’? Asked Daniel.

‘No, I think I forgot’ replied Bethany. ‘So the shadow was coming through the window, it wasn’t in your room’ said Daniel, ‘The moon was very bright last night which would have made shadows look much bigger and darker than normal’.

‘That’s not very reassuring Daniel, it just means the monster looked scarier than normal! I think monsters are pretty scary all the time!’ said a not very impressed Bethany.

‘Hmmm’ thought Daniel, ‘I don’t believe in monsters, I’m sure it must have been something else. Can I have a look out of your window to see what it might have been?’ Asked Daniel.

So Bethany took Daniel up to her room and they looked out of the window. Suddenly Daniel started to laugh!

Suddenly she was woken by a tapping noise.

Tap, tap, tap, tap… it was coming from over by the window. Bethany hid her head under the covers even more, trying to block the noise out… tap, tap, tap, tap…. She could still hear it. So very bravely Bethany got up to see where the noise was coming from.

‘What is it Daniel?’ asked Bethany.

‘I can see your monster’ replied Daniel ‘look over there in to my garden.’

So Bethany looked and started to laugh too!

‘Phew’ said Bethany, ‘it’s just the window banging, I forgot to close it properly!’

So Bethany went over to the window opened the curtains and closed the window tightly, but as she turned round to go back to bed she saw a big, scary shadow on her bedroom wall! It looked like a giant monster with lots of arms all waving at her. A big black shadow against a bright white wall, it was as tall as the room and as wide as the wall and it had so many arms that all looked ready to grab small birds like Bethany. She didn’t dare look round to see the monster at the window, instead she flew into bed and hid under the covers until morning.

LAST MONTHS COMPETITION WINNERS Well done to Harrison Shepherd winning the kids competition and Lorna Smart winning the adults competition. Your prizes are on their way!

JOKE TIME Q: What did the tree say to autumn?

A: Leaf me alone.

Q: What did one autumn leaf say to another?

A: I’m falling for you.

Q: How do you fix a broken pumpkin?

A: With a pumpkin patch Q: What is a tree’s least favourite month?

A: Sep-timber!

Q: How does an Elephant get out of a tree?

A: Sits on a leaf and waits till autumn!

Can you guess what the monster was?

It was Daniels apple tree! Now that all the leaves and apples had fallen off it was just a thin tree with lots of branches that looked like waving arms in the wind!

‘Anyway Bethany, now we’ve solved that mystery, I came over to ask if you’d like to come over to my Halloween party tonight?’ Said Daniel.

‘No thank you!’ replied Bethany. ‘I’ve already had my fair share of scares!’

AUTUMN CROSSWORD A KIDS PERSONALISED PRINTED T-SHIRT*

*Printed with name on the back of the t-shirt.

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Witch • Harvest • Trees • Halloween • Broom • Leaves • Orange • Pumpkin • Spooky • Frost • Cat • Brown • Autumn • November • Haunt • October

NAME: ADDRESS: TEL:

EMAIL: SEND ENTRY TO: Open Box Promotions Ltd, 42 Forest Rise, Kirby Muxloe, Leicester, LE9 2HQ - Closing date 12th October 2014

TAKE 5

QUICK CRAFT AUTUMN LEAVES

October Magic It’s October now and summer it is over.

This month will now a golden autumn bring.

No longer bees to visit flowers of clover.

The warmer days have had their final fling.

October starts the twilight of the year.

The cycle of renewal will begin again.

The clocks go back one hour but never fear.

There are fields to plough and then to sow the grain.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Autumn leaves from your garden (please be careful if you’re collecting leaves on public footpaths.)

• Paper • Glue • Pencils, pens, or crayons

HOW YOU DO IT:

1. Go outside and see what kinds of animals are hiding in your leaf piles.

2. When you’ve found leaves in your garden, glue them to pieces of paper and use pencil, pen or crayon to make your creatures complete.

October takes us up to Halloween.

When witches, ghouls and goblins will arise.

When mischief makers always very keen.

To scare us half to death with their disguise.

But never mind. It’s just a bit of harmless fun.

Just a chance to play practical joke.

But then it’s clear to us, when all is said and done.

The month will disappear just like a puff of smoke

By Chris Rose

3. To preserve your creations, press them between two books.

WORD SUDOKU

A PERSONALISED PHONE COVER*

*Available in colours Black & White in either Plastic or Rubber cases for iPhone 4/4s - iPhone 5/5s - whilst stocks last.

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Please tick the boxes below. iPhone 5/5s

NAME: ADDRESS: TEL:

EMAIL: SEND ENTRY TO: Open Box Promotions Ltd, 42 Forest Rise, Kirby Muxloe, Leicester, LE9 2HQ - Closing date 12th October 2014

Bake With Fee HALLOWEEN PARTY PLATTER

PUMPKINS

• Clementines • A celery stalk chopped up into 1 inch lengths Peel the clementines and insert a chunk of celery into the top

GHOSTS

• Bananas • Chocolate chips Peel the banana’s and cut in half. In each half press some chocolate chips into the soft flesh to form a face.

FRANKENSTEIN

• Marshmallows • Green and black food colouring • Melted milk chocolate • Lolly sticks Paint the marshmallows green and set aside to dry. Insert a lolly stick into the smaller end of the marshmallow. Holding it upright now paint on the facial features with the black food colouring. Turning it upside down, dip the marshmallow in the melted chocolate to form the hair. Pop in the fridge to set.

Make as many as you need for your party and arrange them on a platter. This is such a fun and simple thing to do, the kids love making them and everyone thinks they look fab!

13

14

LOCAL NEWS

COUNCILLOR

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

T: 01509 236971 E: cllr.jonathan.morgan@charnwood.gov.uk

T: 01509 262723 E: nicky.morgan.mp@parliament.uk

JONATHAN MORGAN ALMOST THERE

The results show that the system is working, and it’s also very flexible.

Anyone can ask for a larger, or more, green bins if they recycle more, and we’re able to reduce the size of the black bins as people are filling them less – a single call to Charnwood should get you what you need – which might explains why the Council’s refuse contract is proving its most popular service.

T

he barriers are disappearing, whilst the brick paviours are appearing, and finally, we’re starting to see what the past year has been about.

The pedestrianisation of the town centre has been a hotly debated topic – at times it appeared that as many people were for it as were against it, but now that it’s possible to stand in the middle of what used to be the A6, and look across the market square, without fear of being hit by a bus, car or HGV – it’s quite something.

I suspect that six months after the last builder has left, and the final piece of the roadworks has been completed, we’ll wonder why we had to wait 40years for the inner relief road to be built, and the two ends of the town centre to be united.

It’s certainly true that if the busses had carried on running through the pedestrian area, it wouldn’t have felt as safe, or quite the same – and it’s important that the bus companies get the revised routes settled and working for bus users – but hopefully, the final outcome will be a win for the town, it’s traders, and most importantly its residents.

The latest contract also makes good financial sense – it actually raises money for the Council, which has helped towards the decision not to increase the Council Tax for the past four years, and not to cut front line services – quite an achievement given the times we’ve lived through, and the reduction in overall grants given to Charnwood Council. So – the more we recycle, the better our environment, the healthier the Council’s finances, and the better off we all are.

ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

A RUBBISH SUCCESS STORY

Many people are fortunate enough not to be directly affected by Anti Social Behaviour (ASB), but for those that are, even for a short period, it can have a permanent affect on their enjoyment of life. There are new ASB powers coming into force this autumn, which will give the Council (and other agencies) more powers to take quicker action against those causing the problems.

Without a great deal of fanfare, at some point earlier this year, residents of Charnwood started recycling more waste via the green bins than sending it to landfill via the black bins. That’s quite an achievement given that recycling is a relatively new addition to our habits, but does show that if something is easy to do, and easy to understand, it can happen.

Charnwood are determined to do whatever they can to crack down on ASB, and have reorganised their links between the police, housing, street wardens, social services and a host of other agencies, to create a one-stop joint action group within the Council offices, called ‘The Hub’, which means that action will be much quicker, and with the new powers available, more effective.

Charnwood’s single bin approach to recycling is actually quite rare compared to many local authorities, who still require residents to sort their recycling into multiple bins and bags.

We also allow recycling of more waste than almost any other Authority – which again, makes the decision about what to recycle much easier.

If you suffer from Anti Social Behaviour, call Charnwood Council immediately or use the ‘Report’ button on the front of its website www.charnwood.gov.uk

Jonathan Morgan

Susan George BSc - BA - MA - PGCE - TEFL Private Tuition Service Infants & Primary GCSE / A Level English Sociology, Business Studies, English as a Second Language Dyslexia Specialist

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NICKY MORGAN

I

t was a pleasure to take part in the 125th anniversary party at Fearon Hall at the end of August. Many congratulations to the organisers from All Saints Church in Loughborough.

There was some great entertainment and the Community Café in Fearon Hall seemed busy all afternoon. We were all asked to have a go at designing a tile which will eventually be displayed together to mark the anniversary. On a more serious note I am continuing to liaise with Charnwood Council and the Diocese of Leicester about the ongoing maintenance and lease issues relating to the Hall.

I was sorry to read that this year’s Loughborough Canal Boat Festival is to be the last. I have always really enjoyed the Festival and seeing all the boats. I think we have a very special asset in our access to the canal and hope something else can be put in place for that weekend which brings the community together in the same way.

I would like to congratulate all Loughborough students on the A level, AS level and GCSE results they have received over the past few weeks. I hope that the results rewarded the work invested by those taking the exams. And I would also like to thank all the teachers who worked so hard to prepare their pupils and the families who supported them.

I wish everyone who has secured a University place or apprenticeship or who has decided to leave education and get a job the very best in their new ventures. In Loughborough we will be welcoming thousands of new students to the University and I hope they find the town a welcoming place for their studies whilst also appreciating the impact they can have on longer-term residents.

I am looking forward to a busy Autumn in the Department for Education.

As well as continuing our reform programme I am looking forward to a renewed focus on careers education and school and business links as well as children’s mental health and further work to support teachers.

September sees a number of reforms coming into effect including the new national curriculum, changes to the provision for special educational needs children and a new Technical Baccalaureate as well as the roll-out of free school means for children in reception and Year 1 and 2 classes as well as further free childcare hours for disadvantaged 2 year olds.

I know that starting or changing schools is a huge, and often quite emotional, step for pupils and their families and I hope this has gone smoothly if you have been going through this.

There is just space to remind local businesses that the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership continues to have funds available as part of the Regional Growth Fund. I attended an excellent event organised

by Charnwood Borough Council on this topic at the Charnwood Biomedical Campus. Funds are available for capital projects which will create and/or safeguard jobs. Over £6m has already been allocated to 98 companies in the City and County, including Merlin Archery in Loughborough which I had the pleasure of visiting.

Nicky Morgan

LOUGHBOROUGH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

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Quality Youngman timber ladder & hatch combined, 100 square feet of loft flooring One 4ft fluorescent light & switch fully fitted

ONLY £585 PACKAGE 2

Quality Youngman timber ladder & hatch combined, 200 square feet of loft flooring One 4ft fluorescent light & switch fully fitted

ONLY £765

PACKAGE 3

Quality Youngman timber ladder & hatch combined, 300 square feet of loft flooring One Fakro Roof Window 550mm x 780mm One 4ft fluorescent light & switch fully fitted

ONLY £1295

ECONOMY PACKAGE

UPVC hinge down loft hatch Two section aluminium loft ladder 100 square feet of loft flooring pendant light fitting and switch

EXTRA BOARDING

Additional boarding to any package £30 per 16 square foot

ONLY £435

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

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www.getcomposting.com or call 0844 571 4444 quoting reference LEL042A

LOFT STORAGE

SOLUTIONS Balancing on a stepladder, clambering over loft joists with a torch in one hand and a box in another is not only awkward but potentially dangerous.

Boarding, lighting and a ladder not only gives you the opportunity to unclutter your living space, but also creates a cleaner and more useful environment.

Solve your storage needs and start utilising the largest space in your home from only £435

LUXURY STORAGE ROOMS

Our luxury storage rooms are surprisingly affordable at just a fraction of the cost of a standard loft conversion. Our luxury storage rooms can include the strengthening of loft joists, flooring, lighting, roof insulation, stud walls, roof windows and either plasterboard or skim finish.

PRICES FROM £2995

 01530 587327

07515 526959 / 079615 76020 www.LeicesterLoftStorage.com