April 2017 - Loughborough Community Eye

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WHAT'S NEW AT THE MUSEUM

Carillon Tower & War Memorial Museum

GREAT CENTRAL MUSEUM

Planning Is Now Well Underway For The New Museum At Leicester North

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Construction Starts On The Bridge Over Midland Main Line

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Great Central Museum – Work progress Planning is now well underway for the new museum at Leicester North, which will be part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and built next to the existing Great Central Railway station. The project is a partnership between the GCR, Leicester City Council and the National Railway Museum, and is planned to open to visitors in 2020/21.

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Hope House Open Local charity, Hospice Hope is delighted to formally announce that Hope House, Griffydam is now open.

Since planning permission was granted by North West Leicestershire District Council in the Autumn, the charity has tirelessly worked to adapt the ground floor of this secluded, rural property to provide a friendly, homely welcome to local people with life limiting illnesses, called our guests.

Hope House will open on Mondays and Thursdays from 10.30am through to 3.30pm, where guests will be able to access pastoral support, the company of others, a homecooked hot two course lunch plus a range of activities and complementary therapies. The peaceful setting of Hope House promotes a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere for our guests. Carers benefit too by being able to take timeoff from their caring duties, safe in the knowledge their loved-one is being well looked after for the day.

Attendance is by referral only and people can either self-refer or it can be made by a carer, family member or heath / social care professional. The process is very simple and is initially carried out over the phone.

Leading Hope House is Linda Mould, supported by Hope House’s dedicated cook and complementary therapist, plus our wonderful team of volunteer drivers and group supporters.

Hospice Hope is entirely self-funded and has been overwhelmed these past few months with the support received from local people, organisations and businesses in terms of fundraising and the donation of goods and time. Our thanks go out to everyone who has ‘helped make this happen’!

In 2015, the GCR secured a first round pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of a £10m grant allocation to build the museum which will house locomotives, carriages and other significant items, including from the NRM’s collection. The many exhibits will tell the story of how the GCR and other railways contributed to the social and economic history of Leicester and the County.

The estimated cost of the museum is £18m with the HLF contributing £10m.

Architects WilkinsonEyre were selected last autumn with a winning outline design. Since then there has been continual refinement of the design details, involving discussion with the inhouse track and signalling volunteers. They have produced a series of revised proposals including an alternative turntable position, a second (island) platform and buffer stops.

The railway is now recruiting a range of expert advisors to help with museum planning, as part of the HLF’s Development grant funding.

These essential members of the team include project managers, quantity surveyors (to pin down estimated costs), activity planners (to help consult with local communities) and a Business Development Manager (to help fund-raise for the project).

We are consulting with local schools, as learning will be a major feature of the new museum.

‘Visitors’ views sought in Prize draw survey We need the help of our visitors now to tell us about their experiences on the railway as it is now, and what they would like to see in the new museum. Please do take a look at the short survey www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GCRonlinesurvey Paper copies will be available from all of the stations on the Great Central Railway. The survey will close at the end of May. All entries submitted to the project team will be put into our £50 cash prize draw, and you will be helping to shape one of the region’s most exciting new heritage attractions.

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CARILLON TOWER & WAR MEMORIAL MUSEUM 1pm - 4.30pm Every day, except Monday 01509 263370 - carillonmuseum@gmail.com - www.loughborough-rollofhonour.com

What's New At The Museum?

Just received two invitations to a dance although I fear we are a little late.

The English translation says: Ladies and Gentlemen The officers and soldiers from the English Squadron A, 4th Hussars would like to invite you to an EVENING DANCE On 31st December 1918 at 8pm in the all girls school premises in Sougnez.

Admission will be by invitation only Remouchamps, 28 December 1918 Remouchamps is in Belgium and Sougnez is a district within the town. If Remouchamps is famous for anything it is its grottos and caves.

The 4th Hussars are, unfortunately long gone, amalgamating with the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, to form the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958.

CONSTRUCTION STARTS ON GREAT CENTRAL BRIDGE OVER MIDLAND MAIN LINE Contractors on site to build new structure, paving the way to an eighteen mile East Midlands heritage line.

The development of an eighteen mile heritage railway across the East Midlands is on track as contractors prepare to build a key bridge. The 30 metre structure will one day carry Great Central Railway trains over the Midland Main Line and should be in place by early Autumn this year.

Contractors are now preparing the ground for the construction work. Work will then move off site as metal is cut and prefabricated sections of concrete are prepared . The bridge itself will be dramatically craned into place over the Midland Main Line in late Summer 2017.

After the closure of the original Great Central line by British Rail in 1969, a section of the route survived in the East Midlands.

However, when 2 bridges and an embankment were removed it was physically divided into two. Both separate lines have been preserved by enthusiasts for heritage trains. They have committed to link up but five hundred metres of track between them needs to be rebuilt. The new bridge is the first key piece of infrastructure to be reinstated.

Andy Munro, the Chief Executive of the Great Central Railway said, “Our supporters have waited a long time to see the Victorian link between the two lines restored.

Rebuilding this bridge is a bold statement of intent which secures a vision for the future, where heritage trains can run between

Leicester and the south of Nottingham. To see our supportive contractors MPB in action on site is very exciting and we look forward to ‘bridging the gap!"

A one million pound public appeal to help fund the work exceeded its total when the local community and enthusiasts from across the country rallied to support the scheme. The final cost of rebuilding the bridge over the Midland line will be close to three million pounds, with contributions from the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership and a the purchase of shares in the Great Central Railway

by Leicestershire County Council.

A consultants report has shown the revived line will generate economic benefit and create jobs across the area by attracting tourists.

Construction of the new bridge and rail link will also give the southern half of the Great Central access to the national network.

In turn this will mean excursion trains can access the planned new Heritage Lottery funded rail museum to be built in Leicester.

Andy concluded, “I would like to thank everyone who has supported our appeal or worked hard behind the scenes so this project can proceed. That includes Network Rail, Charnwood Borough Council, Leicestershire and Leicester City Councils and our immediate neighbours next to the bridge Preci Spark. Much midnight oil has been burnt and there is doubtless more to come. Seeing the physical work begin is a rewarding moment and the whole community can be proud.”

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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

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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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Pilates in Loughborough with Jane Thomas

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That’s the question on many people’s lips when they first hear the name.

Some people even say — it’s a bit like Yoga isn’t it?

We may be aware of it from celebrity culture — Pilates is used by footballers to extend their careers.

It’s used by Olympic athletes to fine tune and improve their performances. Professional golfers use Pilates to give them a stronger, more controlled swing. Film stars do Pilates to tone their bodies and keep themselves looking good for the camera.

But, no, it’s not really like Yoga…

Yoga and Pilates aim to do different things. Pilates is functional — it helps with mobility and flexibility, lets you improve the practical things you already do, and keeps you doing the things you want to do for longer.

And Who Is Jane Thomas?

Jane Thomas has been teaching Pilates in Loughborough now for 18 years — being one of the first Pilates Coaches in the East Midlands, teaching matwork group classes in Loughborough and many of the surrounding villages since before the year 2000.

Small-group matwork Pilates classes in Loughborough New matwork classes start in May, but please come and try Pilates for yourself first. We still have some spaces in our FREE Taster Sessions on 26 & 27 April in these venues, with just these days and times remaining:

Wednesday 26 April — 10.30am & 11.30am Rosebery Street Medical Centre Wednesday 26 April — 5.30pm & 6.30pm The Base Gymnastics and Fitness Centre Thursday 27 April — 8pm Rosebery Street Medical Centre Spaces are going quickly, so email us on office@janethomaspilates.co.uk for details and to book. Or phone us on: 0777 801 9765 and leave a message — we’ll get back to you. Or check out our website for more details: www.janethomaspilates.co.uk/freetasters

Jane opened the first and only Pilates Studio in Loughborough in 2003 to coach Pilates to individuals.

Since then, Jane Thomas Pilates is now a whole team of eight Pilates Coaches, all teaching Pilates according to Jane’s philosophy, and all wanting to show you how Pilates can help you.

Absolute Beginners Classes are matwork classes which we run in venues close to you. They teach you from first principles in a graded, step-by-step, enjoyable and understandable way.

More than that though, Absolute Beginners Classes are unique because they offer four things you simply won’t get anywhere else:

1 a maximum of only 8

participants in a class, which means the Coach can work with everyone individually and tuition is the best you can get

2 weekly emails which support

you in your Pilates, and give a link to view a video of each week’s exercises, so you can practise at home (sample below)

The Studio too has changed since its early days. It is now a busy Pilates practice, incorporating Biomechanics Coaches, a Physiotherapist, a Sports Massage Therapist, and is even an accredited Level 3 Pilates Training Centre meaning that Jane is now mentoring the next generation of Pilates Coaches — all with the aim of helping many more people improve their lives and reduce their pain levels, for the foreseeable future.

How Do I Start Pilates?

If you have never done Pilates before, the very best way to start is in an Absolute Beginners Class.

3 a 52-page, highly illustrated, full colour course book, which looks at each week’s exercises in greater depth, and walks you through doing them.

The book (some pages are shown here) is used together with class videos to support you further as you start your Pilates journey with us.

You can see samples of the course book and videos on our website.

The whole aim of our Absolute Beginners Classes — in fact, the whole aim of Jane Thomas Pilates in Loughborough — is that you feel fully supported and encouraged while doing Pilates. We know that our Absolute Beginners Classes are the very best way to start Pilates, and the many hundreds of people in the area who do Pilates with us know it too. We now want to pass on all the enjoyment and the benefits that Pilates can bring to you. Join us.

What If I’m Not A Beginner?

Jane Thomas Pilates has many, many classes each week, at all levels, in several venues around the area. If you’ve done Pilates before, but just want to try our style of Pilates — supportive and progressive — please get in touch and ask.

Our website gives lots more details: www.janethomaspilates.co.uk where you can see all our current classes, along with lots more information about us, about what Pilates is, and about how it can help you.

8

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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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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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Join Us And Paint For Pleasure Charnwood Drawing and Painting Club are on the lookout for new and budding artists to strengthen our membership and inject new ideas.

We are a diverse group of men and women who live in Charnwood and share a common interest in painting and drawing for pleasure. We seek new members of all ages and abilities, from complete novices to accomplished artists. We offer an exciting and varied programme of demonstrations, painting sessions with outdoor opportunities and regular exhibitions throughout the year.

The Club meets at 7pm on the fourth Tuesday of each month at Woodbrook Vale High School, Loughborough, when we host art demonstration evenings by leading artists. Club nights are open to Members and guests who come along to socialise and enjoy the friendly atmosphere.

Every week we hold painting sessions. On Monday mornings these are in Barrow-on-soar, and on Tuesday mornings in Woodhouse Eaves.

We also have regular ‘walk and draw/paint’ sessions for members.

We walk anywhere (rural or urban) in Charnwood stopping to sit, paint and sketch along the way. Everyone is welcome –see www. charnwooddrawingpaintingclub.co.uk Members also get the chance to exhibit their art throughout the year.

Our most popular events have been at Loughborough Museum, Great Central Railway, Loughborough Hospital, Newtown Linford, and Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall. If that’s not enough we hold tutored workshops lead by a variety of professional artists skilled in different media– water colour, pastels, oils and acrylics.

Want to know more? Then call David Chaplin 01509 230366 or pop along to one of our club nights for a chat. Membership runs from 1st January to 31st December and is only £25.

Daffodils by Christine Brewin

River Soar scenes by Andrea Smith

Woodland Spring by Janet Coulson Animal Sketches by Bruce Neville

Camozzi Give Line A Big Lift 2016 F3 Cup Champion George Line is proud to announce as his Prime Partner for his 2017 F3 Cup title defence, Camozzi Pnumatics Ltd, Nuneaton, suppliers of Race Car Jacking Systems and a multitude of Industrial Pneumatic solutions.

He will again be supported by his 2016 partners of Jon Williams Stables & Garages of Chippenham, Northampton Motorsport and CF Racing.

Lubrication for the upgraded Neil Brown Honda Engine is being supplied by Royal Purple advance lubricants.

The Engine is now to full FIA International spec, putting the

young driver from Leicester on a level footing with the other previously more powerful Mercedes & VW Formula 3 engines.

In early Pre-Season testing at Donington his Dallara F308 ran reliably with very competitive lap times being posted.

The Langford Line Motorsport Driver commented that “We learnt a great deal from last season as it was only our first year in Single Seaters and the competition level of Formula 3 was very high. As a Team I think we’ve improved and with the help from our new headline sponsor Camozzi, I’m looking forward to another hard fight for the championship.”

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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PHOTO: Ian Cox (left) and Colin Readwin (right) of North Leicester MG Club, present Gary Farnfield (centre) of Rainbows Hospice, with a cheque for £1000.

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PHOTO: Club members could also purchase Rainbows gifts to further support the charity.

North Leicester MG Club Donates a £1000 To Rainbows Hospice At the March meeting of the North Leicester MG Club, a donation of £1000 was made to the Rainbows Hospice, which is based in Loughborough. The donation was made possible as a result of the success of the club’s 2016 Charnwood Caper Classic and Sports Car Run, which had a record turnout of around ninety cars, representing around a dozen counties.

At the meeting, club members were given an interesting and in-depth insight into the work of the hospice by Gary Farnfield, one of Rainbows’ community fundraisers. Gary was assisted by Franca Freeman, who gave everyone present the opportunity to further support the charity by purchasing from a range of Rainbows gifts.

The hospice is the only one in the East Midlands which specifically offers care and support to life-limited children and young people and their families, either in their own homes or at the hospice’s specialised facilities in Loughborough.

Following Gary’s presentation, North Leicester MG Club chairman, Colin Readwin, handed over a cheque for £1000 to assist with the work of the hospice. The next Charnwood Caper Run takes place on Sunday, May 7th 2017, and it is hoped that a similar amount will be raised for another local charity, which has already been nominated by the club’s members.

North Leicester MG Club meets on the third Wednesday of every month at the Lingdale Golf Club, Woodhouse Eaves, at 8:00 pm. See www.northleicester-mg.org.uk for details of meetings and the 2017 Charnwood Caper. Visit www.rainbows.co.uk for information about the work of the Rainbows Hospice.

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Are you disabled, recovering from an operation, overweight or have a medical condition that would benefit from gentle exercise?

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Our members gain from the health benefits obtained through pool activity & exercise in a friendly, safe, supportive and uncompetitive environment.

Members range in age from babies to people in their 80s, covering a spectrum of medical conditions, intellectual and physical disabilities. We welcome individuals and groups.

On a weekly basis we provide; aquafit (a gentle exercise class to music), swimming and free / fun time. See our website for our programme and more information.

The facilities we provide include: • Disabled and family changing rooms • A poolside hoist allowing access to the pool if this is required by individuals • A variety of swimming aids for children and adults • Free Parking Our members benefit from: • No joining/membership fee • £2.50 for adults £1 for under 18s per session Our sessions are every Saturday morning: 10.30 - 12.30 at Hind Leys swimming pool Shepshed.

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MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

NICKY MORGAN

T: 01509 262723 E: nicky.morgan.mp@parliament.uk I would like to start by thanking everyone who contacted me and my team after the recent terrorist attack in Westminster to check we were safe. We will forever remember PC Keith Palmer who died keeping us safe and are appalled by the senseless deaths of four innocent members of the public on Westminster Bridge and the scores of others who were injured. I was in New Palace Yard on my way to vote in the Palace of Westminster when the shots which killed the terrorist were fired.

Earlier in the day I had welcomed a group of Loughborough College students and staff to Westminster for a tour so they could see our Parliament and democracy in action. I am pleased to say they were all safely away from the parliamentary estate when the attack happened. This was an attack on our democracy but democracy will prevail and we will show those who seek to inflict terror that the way to disagree is to debate issues and not to use violence.

East Midlands Trains who currently run services from Loughborough and other local train stations are the current holders of the East Midlands franchise. This franchise period ends in 2018 and so I am leading a cross-party group of MPs who represent constituencies up and down the Midland Mainline to put together a list of the priorities our constituents have identified they would like to see the next franchisee focus on.

The requests I’ve had locally include better connectivity to the north, more space for mobility scooters on trains, more seats to avoid over-crowding, lower fares and a more reliable services particularly first thing in the morning. Separately I’ve been in discussion with East Midlands Trains and Network Rail about creating more spaces in the station car park. If you use our train services and have further thoughts on this please do let me know.

I was delighted to attend the Royal Maundy Community Lunch at Leicester Cathedral recently when HM The Queen visited Leicester to hand out Maundy money to 182 local men and women. It was great to see some of our local residents who have given wonderful service to our community honoured and very good to be able to welcome the Queen back to Leicester after her 2012 Jubilee visit.

I know that there is concern locally about ongoing antisocial behaviour problems in Loughborough Town Centre as well as burglaries of some local shops.

Loughborough Police are well aware of the issues and working hard with local shop owners and other services to address the issues and to bring the offenders to justice. Action taken by the council to tackle aggressive street beggars has had an impact. It takes time to gather the necessary evidence but please be assured that this is being tackled and not ignored.

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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!

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Sounds amazing! How do I get it?

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