Syston Town News May 2024

SYSTON TOWN NEWS

Leicestershire & Rutland Federation of WI

Not just Jam and Jerusalem - 600 Women’s Institute members welcome high profile speakers to discuss class, equalities and disability support.

More than 600 women attended Leicester Grammar School on Saturday 16th March to listen to three high profile speakers at their Annual Council Meeting. Polly Toynbee, Guardian and Independent Columnist, Researcher and Campaigner spoke about the impact of class on inequality and said ‘the UKis going backwards since the 1970s’ and to think about the ‘invisible workforce’ who are the lowest paid in the cost of living crisis. She urged all of almost 4000 WI members across Leicestershire & Rutland to use their voice and power to speak up for equality noting that the WI ‘gets things done’.. She urged in a general election year how important it was for women to use their voice when the

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right to vote was hard fought –Women’s Institutes were central to the votes for women campaigns by the suffragettes.

• The High Sherriff of Leicestershire, Mrs Henrietta Chubb, pictured above, reflected on her year as Sheriff and again spoke of the communities and cohesion and the special role women have in this work.

• Canine Partners who train dogs to

support those with disabilities were the charity speaker and Kate Cross who is partnered with adorable dog May talked of the life changing impact of assistance dogs. WI members donated £600 to this charity.

• Glenice Wignall, Chairman of Leicestershire & Rutland Federation of WI said: ‘it was such an excellent day – we are here to inspire and welcome all women and would encourage those who think they know the WI to come along to a meeting and be inspired! We are so grateful for such excellent speakers at the Annual Council Meeting, giving a voice to women and we pride ourselves on our ability to be a central part of communities across Leicestershire & Rutland.’

https://leicestershire-and-rutland. thewi.org.uk/ - find your local WI in Leicestershire & Rutland and join inspiring women.

Canine Partners

A Love Song, ‘Always Together’

The link between music and Alzheimer's is well known,with those living with the condition often remembering music long after their loved ones are forgotten.

When Mick Smith, 81, a country singer from Syston, a former Radio Leicester presenter, and a member of Syston & District U3a in the Syston Happy Ukulele Band, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, in 2021, he wrote a song for his wife, so he'll never forget how much he loves her.

Mick performs at dementia support group, the Thrummy Drummers and he wrote the song, ‘Always Together’,

for his wife of nearly 60 years, Diana, in the week he was officially diagnosed.

More than a tribute 'Always Together' is a testament to the couple's unshakeable bond. Mick has openly acknowledged the crucial role his wife plays in his life. He stated that without her unwavering presence and support, he would find it hard to carry on. His words and melody encapsulate the essence of their love story, reflecting the spirit of a man who, despite a formidable diagnosis, continues to cherish his love and companionship.

All profits from 'Always Together' will support Alzheimer's Research Charity, a cause close to Mick and Diana's heart. Mick was helped with the production by Dan Chisholm, Producer, who helped bring this song to life.

Join Mick on this heartfelt journey, where love, music, and gratitude intertwine to create something truly meaningful, by visiting his website, dedicated to raising money for the Charity. To date, they have raised over £600 for the charity.

Home | Always Together (micksmithalwaystogether.com)

Article by Steve Kenney (u3a Syston Happy Ukulele Band)

Brooksby Gardening Club

Back to our usual meeting place at Queniborough Village Hall for our March meeting when we were entertained by Dr Andrew Ward with his talk on Perennial Pleasures including superb photos of the many varieties he grows at his nursery at Norwell (he holds National Collections of chrysanthemums and astrantias) well worth a visit.

Now the better weather is hopefully approaching the bees are taking advantage of the proliferation of blossom in our gardens and hedges and of course the usual pests of greenfly, blackfly, slugs, snails etc which all gardeners detest and will be increasingly present among our precious plants so the very appropriate title of our April talk is ‘Love your Bugs’ maybe we can all take advantage of the advice we will be given.

May meeting will possibly introduce us to the delights of home grown produce when Johnnie Amos advises us on how to grown more and better vegetables.

Can we encourage you to come and join us on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm.

To Advertise in the Stn Telephone 0116 269 3221

Age UK Bookstore Easter Bunny Visit

On Saturday 30th March, the new Age UK Bookshop hosted a small Easter Event for the children of Syston with the help of Lorna from the Syston Community Group.

It was found out that one in every five children do not own a book in the UK, so with the help of the Syston Community Group they came together with the Age UK bookshop to provide an event for children to meet the Easter Bunny, receive a sweet treat and even receive a free book.

This was possibly the most

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wholesome thing I have ever seen and seeing a queue of happy and smiling children to meet the Easter Bunny was such a heartwarming thing to watch.

The Age UK Bookshop had an Easter colouring competition which many children seem to have handed in.

One little child even showed the Easter Bunny their colouring and gave it to them.

At one point during this event, The Easter Bunny had even hopped behind the counter to help serve some customers but unfortunately his big fluffy paws wouldn't work on the till screens so he helped out by handing the books to children from behind the till once they had been put through the till.

It was an enjoyable event for everyone involved, the staff, Parents, Children and even Myself and it was just such a delight to see so many people turn up for this.

Let’s just hope that there will be many more events to come from our brand new Local Bookshop because so far they have already made a cracking impression in my eyes and everything they did for the children was just simply Egg-cellent!

Article & Photographs by Deanna Johnson

Wreake Valley Rotary Club

We are delighted to announce that our Christmas fundraising activities in December were hugely successful and enabled us to raise in excess of £7,200.00.

A huge thank you to all our helpers who enabled our small group of Rotarians to achieve such a large amount and of course to everyone who came out to see Santa on his village tours and at our various static appearances at Supermarkets in Thurmaston, Rothley and Mountsorrel and give so generously to our efforts.

We have now drawn up a list of mostly local charities and good causes which will benefit from the monies raised and are currently arranging donations to around 20 recipients totalling in excess of £6,000 A broad representative sample list of donations to these very worthy recipients is shown below.

With Rotary itself being a world wide charity, we support some International Rotary Charities as well focusing on local charities.

The following are some the charities that we are supporting:

Bark Foundation (Birstall Methodist Church) - supporting children in the Cameroon.

Life Charity (Leicester)Pregnancy Matters.

Supporting women with problems surrounding pregnancy.

(Both of the above charities provided volunteer collectors to help us in our fundraising.)

Life EducationCharity working in local schools

providing PSHE advice and support in making good life choices.

(Some of our Rotary members are very active in the administration of this charity)

Rainbows

Loros

Prostaid

Motor Neurone Disease

Aqua BoxProviding safe drinking water and humanitarian aid

to world disaster areas.

Syston Band

Thrummy Drummer - Dementia group

Soar Valley Food Bank

Age Concern - Syston

Cedar Dementure Group - Cedar Mews Care Home Birstall.

Mosaic - Supporting people with disabilities. We provide funds to help maintain Mosaic's specially adapted narrow boat, moored at Thurmaston.

Air Ambulance - Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Support for Children in Ukraine

Thank you to everyone for making this all possible.

Supporting and Reporting in and around Syston

To advertise in the SYSTON TOWN NEWS

Telephone 0116 269 3221

BARKBYVILLAGE HALL

Are you looking for somewhere to run a club or course, hold a party or meeting ?

Barkby Village Hall has everything you need to host the perfect event. We have a spacious well equipped hall, with main hall and meeting room, modern kitchen. Disabled facilities and ample parking. For more information contact our booking secretary Mrs Sue Kirk on 0116 260 3997.

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Tales from the Plot

Where do we start? May is probably one of the busiest months of the year. It's a month I really enjoy: towards the end of May you can hopefully say that the frosts have now gone although I must say it’s never a certainty and as the old saying goes ‘beware of the last full moon in May’.

For me May is also a potato month, many will have already planted their seed potatoes, we all do our own thing, I’m pretty sure that a book could be written purely on the growing of potatoes. There are some plot holders who believe that the whole year is based on whether there was a good potato crop or not - so important is this crop.

time to pack them up all individually and put a label inside each bag stating which variety they were, then on the way home I had to brake rather enthusiastically and all the potatoes slid off the seat onto the floor of the car all mixed up. So that year was very much a lucky dip as to what variety we had at any particular time.

I normally grow some Charlotte, they’re quite dependable -they can be used as a salad potato earlier on or left in the ground till later and used as a main crop. I also grow a few SarpoMira, not because they’re the best tasting potato - they most certainly are not - but because they are blight resistant: just an insurance crop really so if the dreaded blight strikes I will at least have a crop Other plot holders often ask what variety they should grow I normally give the same answer you should only grow what you like.

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I’ve grown many varieties over the years, but sadly never really keeping a reliable record, I’ll often bring some potatoes home and Jane will prepare and cook themand say I quite like these, what variety are they? and I’ll give her a blank expression and confess I’ve forgotten, I didn’t label them!

I buy my seed potatoes from Brooklea Garden Centre; you can just choose whatever you want and pay a set price per kilo - they often have 50 or so varieties. I walk round and think I’ll try some of those and then some of those and end up with about six different varieties. Last year I took the

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May is also bean month, this year I’ll be growing a variety of runner bean called white lady. The reason is they have white flowers instead of red: I’m told this keeps the black fly away as it’s the red flowers that attracts themwe shall see. I shall also be growing some bush French beans called Annabel for no other reason than it’s my granddaughter’s name. I also grow French climbing beans called Cobra - they’re very reliable and grow profusely, don’t forget the word ‘Bingo’ when planting beans plant them eyes down whether it makes any difference or not is debatable. I normally plant a few marigolds around the bottom of the runner beans this also helps deter the black fly, also a couple of sunflowers amongst them not only for the looks but they attract the bees and help pollination. As with all the bean crops try and pick them while they’re young and tender. It's a comforting feeling that we have hopefully a warm summer ahead of us and all is well down the allotments.

Richard Thorpe 15B Syston Allotments.

Decision Day at the Volunteer Centre

It’s decision day in the Syston and District Volunteer Centre as the weekly task of matching social car requests for the following week with available drivers begins. This process is never easy and often very stressful. Current demand on the service regularly exceeds driver availability. Some tough decisions lie ahead.

Many hours later, as more than 100 journeys have already been successfully arranged and the last few pieces remain to be fitted into the schedule, there are three applicants for the remaining single available driver on the Friday.

David lives in Queniborough and needs to be driven to the LRI. He has been offered an 11.00am late cancellation appointment for an MRI scan to investigate the possibility of a brain tumour.

Maisie lives in Thurmaston, is registered blind and needs transport to her weekly hairdressing appointment in Syston for 1.00pm.

Hilda is a first-time applicant for the

service. She lives in Birstall, uses a wheelchair and has an appointment at Melton Hospital scheduled for 12noon to assess a potential basal cell carcinoma on her leg.

What would your decision be? Who would you choose to disappoint? In the event, Maisie’s request was accepted.

Peter has family living close by, to whom in an emergency, he can turn to for help, and he lives close to a bus route into town. Hilda is informed, with sincere regret, that, because of a shortage of drivers, the Centre currently has had to set up a waiting list for new applicants for the service.

For Maisie, who lives alone and has no family in the area, this is her once-aweek opportunity to leave her lonely house to meet and interact with others Eagerly anticipated, this excursion represents the highlight of her week. Sadly, she is only one of hundreds of lonely and isolated people cut off from family, friends, local services and social activities

Many rarely receive visitors from one week to the next!

Low-cost, reliable transport provides an answer to their problems, enabling

them to stay in touch and to continue to participate in family and community life. Through the Syston and District Volunteer Centre, Centre, grant-aided, community transport is available to help address the problem. However, we urgently need more volunteer drivers to enable us to deliver this subsidised service to more of those in need.

We need volunteers to use their own cars, in return for generous mileage allowances, or to drive one of our specially adapted vehicles, to enable us to provide a more personal service for those needing to keep hospital and doctors’ appointments, visit family and friends or, simply, to do the weekly shop. Simple activities that the rest of us take for granted.

We need volunteers for training to drive our small fleet of minibuses, which provide a range of social excursions for groups.

All of our volunteers dictate their own patterns of availability and remain in complete control over the number of hours involved. Every single one speaks of how rewarding they find it. If YOU have a spare hour or two in your week and would like to help to improve the quality of life for your lonely community fellows, we would love to hear from you.

For more information, please call into the Centre or telephone on 0116 2607 888. Alternatively, you can email: info@syston-vc.org

GAMBLE & SONS

Elizabeth Mobile Hairdresser Cut and Blow Dry Shampoo and Set Perm The Duck and Willow Soft Play

If it’s a little persons party you are after, you can hire out our studio and we can set up all our soft play equipment exclusively for you and your little guests. Suitable from newborn to approx 5yrs.

We can also cater for hot and cold food as well as drinks if needed.

Our studio is also available for hire for other occasions and for fitness classes too. Please email us for more information and prices on duckwillow23@gmail.com

Or call 0116 319 2323 between 8.00am to 2.00pm.

Syston Twinning Develop Links Between the Two Twinned Towns Schools

Syston twinning have been working with our local primary academy, St Peter and Paul’s to develop links with our twinned town in Normandy, Deville les Rouen.

In November 2023 during our visit to Deville les Rouen we took over 50+ postcards from the pupils in year 5 at St Peter and St Paul’s Primary Academy to give to pupils in two schools in Deville les Rouen.

In February we received 20+ cards in reply and we dropped them off to the school.

The image below shows year five reading replies from their penpals in Deville les Rouen and enjoyed applying their French skills to write a reply.

The image left shows one of the cards created by year five, wishing their penpals a happy Easter.

These have now been posted back to Deville les Rouen and they hope to hear back from their penpals soon.

World Bee Day

20th May each year is World Bee Day. A day dedicated to raising awareness of the world's pollinators. In the UK alone there are over 270 different species of bee, ranging from the tiny solitary Scissor Bee at just 67mm to the large fluffy bumblebees you see in your gardens that can be up to 22mm long.

So what can you do to help pollinators?

If you have a garden or any kind of outside space then planting some flowers will help. As well as being nice for you to look at they will provide a source of nectar and pollen to keep the insects going. Open flowers are best, think daisy or sunflower type, and things that flower early or later in the season are also good. A tray of water with pebbles or sticks is good if there is no nearby source of water, allowing the bees to drink and not drown.

Another way to help is to support your local beekeepers, buying honey from small businesses feeds into the local economy and you're getting a far superior product to that found in supermarkets.

The Hairy Beekeeper is based in Syston - so named as his bees were featured on the Hairy Bikers, for more information on honey and the many other hive products please head over to www.beesoap.co.uk (for soaps and cosmetics made using beeswax and honey) and website coming soon for www.hairybeekeeper.co.uk

THE POWER OF PRINT

Social media is great but print lasts! Cut through the digital noise with an advert in the Syston Town News

To advertise YOUR BUSINESS contact 0116 269 3221 fiona@systontownnews.co.uk

Syston to Mark 80 Years Since D-Day

The Royal British Legion and Syston Town Council are organising an event to mark the 80th anniversary of DDay on Thursday 6th June.

The evening starts at 7pm as Billy Bates will have some fair rides on the park and some food stalls. They hope to have a couple of gazebos for VIPS – where drinks will be served, plus a gazebo for Syston Band.

The Lord Lieutenant is to read out The Tribute.

Paul Baxter from the Royal British Legion (RBL) is going to light the Gas Beacon.

The event timings as follows: 7pm – Billy Bates.

8.15pm – The Lord Lieutenant Mike Kapur OBE arrives at Central Park, to be met by Chairman of Syston Town Council, Cllr John Lucas. Other dignitaries will arrive.

8.30pm Sarah Clark to sing.

9.00pm Lord Lieutenant to read The Tribute.

9.15pm the Gas Beacon to be lit by Paul Baxter (RBL).

Leicester Parkinson’s Community Given the Cue to Start Playing Snooker

People living with Parkinson’s in Leicester and the surrounding areas are being invited to try a new local snooker pilot which is running until early April.

The free snooker sessions started at the end of February and are held on Saturday’s from 11am at Club 147, 171 Belgrave Gate, Leicester, LE1 3HS Participants are recommended to book their free place as classes are hosted on a first come first served basis and spaces are limited. The Leicester snooker classes are available to book on:

● Saturday 18th May Parkinson’s UK and the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) are working

together to deliver the new sessions which are taking place at 8 snooker clubs across England and Wales.

Grant funding from Parkinson’s UK is helping the WPBSA to run the sessions with specially trained local snooker coaches delivering the classes, and it is hoped that the sessions will help to reduce social isolation and improve physical and mental wellbeing for people living in these areas.

Tim Morton, Physical Activity Programme Lead for Parkinson’s UK, said:

“We are delighted to be working with the WPBSA and we hope the new grant funding will allow more people with Parkinson’s to try something new and stay active.

“The WPBSA is offering an innovative pilot of in-person snooker sessions for the local Parkinson’s community and the grant funding represents a fantastic opportunity for more people to get involved and begin their physical activity journey in a fun and social way.

“Being active is so important for people with Parkinson’s as it can help manage symptoms, maintain health and lift your mood. It can make you feel good inside and out. The more physically active you are, the easier it is to live well with Parkinson’s.”

For more information about the Leicester snooker sessions, contact Steve Morriss on renty8ball@aol.com or call 07858 087 826.

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Do You Suffer From Arthritis or Joint/ Muscle Pain?

to Arnica’s anti-inflammatory action. Please note: diabetics should never self-treat for any condition of the leg or foot. Seek a doctors advice.

This article is written in conjunction with The Body Store and this month we are looking at arthritis. Arthritis is a disease causing painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints.

The main causes of arthritis depends on the type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is caused by the wear and tear of the joint over time or because of overuse. Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma are caused by the body's immune system attacking the body's own tissues. Gout is caused by the buildup of crystals in the joints. A question often asked is can you stop arthritis getting worse and the answer is as long as you do the right type and level of exercise for your condition, your arthritis won't get any worse. Combined with a healthy, balanced diet, regular exercise will help you lose weight and place less strain on your joints. You can ask your GP to recommend the type and level of exercise that's right for you. You can also ask Raj the owner of the The Body Store who can help you with finding the right natural remedy to give you relief from the pain of arthritis and also muscle/joint pain. In the image above we have featured some useful products that may help: from L-R: Atrogel (Arnica gel),Fish Oil, Magnesium, Leaflet, Turmuric, Atrosan (Devil’s Claw tablets) Atrosan ( Devils Claw drops), Collogen peptides. Arnica Gel is used externally and helps relief pain from muscular aches and pains, stiffness around joints, sprains and bruising as well as swelling after injury or with arthritic-type pains. This is due

Fish Oil Studies show that people with rheumatoid arthritis and joint pain can improve their symptoms by taking 2.7 grams (about 2,700 mg) of omega-3 fats daily. Standard 1,000 mg fish oil capsules usually contain between 300mg and 400mg of omega 3 fats.18. If you have joint pain, do not exceed the dose listed on the supplement label without first talking to your healthcare provider. Magnesium can help with muscle contraction and relaxation as well as structural development of bone. The leaflet shown in the image is available free from the body store and contains very useful information about how to take care of your muscles and joints as well as the natural supplements to take to aid them.

Turmeric is getting a lot of attention for its health benefiting properties and for arthritis it can help with relief from inflammation and pain.

Collagen peptides can help maintain the structural protein in the body, as collagen provides the scaffolding for your bones and joints, digestive function, hair and nail strength, and skin health. As with all supplements and herbal remedies, please check with your GP before starting to take any, particularly if you are already taking other medication.

We Need Your Help!

Do you have an hour to spare every month?

The Stn are looking for new volunteers to deliver papers in the following areas: Queniborough:

• Main Street (incl. Peggs Lane, Mere Lane and School Lane)

Syston:

• Roman Way (incl. Lindum Cl, Hadrian Cl, Marcus Cl, Anthony Cl, Augustus Cl and Trojan Way)

• Clover Way and Simpson Close

If you are interested, please contact Fiona or Deanna at 0116 269 3221

Leo Ryan

Last year, in the August Stn, we introduced you to the remarkable journey of young Leo Ryan, a 12year-old go-kart champion from Thurmaston, Leicester. Leo's racing prowess has reached new heights as he qualified the top spot in Leicester's prestigious British Indoor Karting Championship (BIKC). Despite narrowly missing out on the national finals by a whisker in the regional finals in Leeds, Leo's determination knows no bounds.

Fuelling his passion, Leo is now gearing up for the intense competition of outdoor karting in the elite Club100 National Championship, the pinnacle of 'Arrive & Drive' 2-stroke Kart Racing in Europe.

To be accepted into the championship he had to complete two days of evaluation testing, of which he passed first time! It's great to see him going from strength to strength representing our local area!

If you're inspired by Leo's drive and ambition to pursue his dream of becoming an F1 driver, join us in supporting his journey by visiting: gofund.me/1ec74f00

Let's rally behind this young talent and help him accelerate towards greatness!

Citizens Advice Charnwood

This month they explain payslips. Your payslip shows your pay, deductions and tax information. All employers are required to give their employees a payslip and it’s a good idea to keep them for as long as possible. The top left corner of your payslip is where you’ll usually find your employer’s details. Opposite this, in the middle or top right corner, should be your details. This is also where you might find your payroll or employee number, this is what your employer uses to identify you for payroll purposes.

Next, you’ll see lots of different numbers and codes. The payment date is when your pay will normally arrive in your bank account, it can be monthly or weekly and fall on any day of the month. Your National Insurance (NI) number refers to your unique number. You must have a NI number to work in the UK. It’s used to make sure all your NI contributions are recorded and so you can get any state benefits you’re entitled to, including state pension later in life. Next is your tax code. This is decided by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and is used by your employer or pension provider to work out how much Income Tax to take from your pay. Your tax code is made up of several numbers and a letter. The numbers refer to how much tax-free income you get while the letters can mean different things depending on your circumstances. You can find out what they mean on the government website gov.uk – Income Tax. Make sure you’re not on an emergency tax code otherwise you’ll be taxed more than needed.

Now to your pay and deductions:Gross pay, means how much you’ve earned before anything is deducted. Deductions are amounts taken from your gross pay, common ones include: income tax, national insurance, pension or student loan payments. Income tax is the tax you pay on your earnings to fund public services, this is something you have to pay but the amount will vary depending on your earnings. You pay National Insurance so you can be entitled to certain benefits, and it also contributes towards the NHS. Most payslips will add up all the deductions from your pay into a single amount to make it easier for you to see how much is taken from your pay each month.

Your net pay is the amount of money you will receive after all the deductions have worked out.

Lastly, taxable pay is the amount of your salary, to date in the current tax year, that has been subjected to tax. This will usually appear next to your net pay figure.

May

Jeanne Douglas offers psychic readings in Palmistry, Tarot, Crystal and Personal Astrology. Her telephone numbers are 01664 562 471 or 07931 293 855.

ARIES March 21 - April 19

With the fiery planet Mars whizzing through your sign this month, you'll certainly be feeling much more energised and positive than usual. Others will have to make way and there will be no stopping you when it comes to getting just what you want. A longstanding problem gets sorted when everyone finally opens up and talks.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

As Venus – the planet of love – moves through your sign this month, you can expect more than your fair share of happiness and romance. Mercury also makes an appearance and this helps with any study projects and – at timesyou'll be working out whether to put your head first or your heart? Yes, a few dilemmas face you.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

Jupiter finally enters your sign this month and this is excellent news for your finances and business considerations. Venus eventually catches up and this will create a boost for your love life and happiness overall. So everything seems to be going well and you'll be just so busy with one thing or another. Take care and have some time out.

CANCER June 21 - July 22

Try and surrender one or two concerns when the buzz goes out of your mentalities. It's as if you just can't think any more. Some problem at work resurfaces and you'll need all your energies for that and happily, you're on course to sort things out once and for all! Your warmth and confidence shine through and others catch the vibes.

LEO July 23 - August 22

A romantic partner is holding all the cards! Just support them where you can and know that things will eventually work out to your satisfaction. You have some issues with a close friend too, to sort out, and tempers could flair every now and then so take care to reign in your feelings and reactions. Someone wants to promote you!

VIRGO August 23 - Sept 22

A loved one certainly has some things on their mind and may need some time and space with which to deal with them. Your intuition holds good so trust your instincts as regards what to do and how to approach things. However hard you try, you can't help getting worked up about things! Try sport to get rid of excess energy.

LIBRA Sept 23 - Oct 22

You keep a refreshing positive edge when it comes to just about everything that you do! This really helps you to get ahead. Some emotional problem reappears and you apply every ounce of reasoning and sensibility that you can muster in order to work through things. Once again, you eventually seem to win. Hurrah!

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

You just want to enjoy life this month and watch spring unfold gracefully and take part in happy events and meetups! It's as if nothing can get you down as you're determined to be happy, come what may. Your upbeat nature is infectious and your popularity soars as others seek you out and invites flood in galore.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

You'll be spending time at home, in deep thought and even finding comfort in being alone, just so you can work on a few matters close to your heart. Time moves slowly and you'll be a little frustrated at times that you're not making quicker progress. But patience is the key and so do try and distract yourself.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

You have a great deal of work on your plate and it seems that there's no-one around to give you a hand. So you go it alone and make surprisingly good progress! Feelings rise high in the domestic environment when others want to get things off their chest, just to feel better whilst you prefer to leave thing be.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18

Cash issues give you something to worry about and yet you're prepared to work hard and so gather more cash into your pockets. And much good energy come to your aid right now, as you battle with one thing and then another. You have such wonderful determination to do well and so you will. Work goes well at home.

PISCES Feb 19 - March 20

You take time out to study an emotional issue which stubbornly refuses to just go away. So you work through this to discover what it is that you really want. And as a result, you get something off your mind, some intense emotion such as an annoyance or frustration. Eventually you emerge quite refreshed and invigorated.

New Barkby WI

Shirley Franklin, President, welcomed members and visitors to New Barkby Women's Institute’s April meeting. ‘Jerusalem’ was sung followed by business matters, including a report of the recent W.I Annual Council Meeting for Leicestershire and Rutland.

This evening’s talk (Postponed from January) was given by Phillipa Guy, a career image and life coach, offering advice with ‘colour me beautiful’ on how to enhance one’s appearance by matching colours, using swatches of different hues of fabric to a face or neck, hair and eyes; e.g dark colours for a person with dark hair or pastel shades for a light haired person. Some members volunteered to have a colour match during the talk and were able to look at various photographs of different styles for an image and to discuss makeup for different coloured skin types.

Afterwards there was a question and answer session.

The vote of thanks was given by Angela Montague. The competition winner for a favourite accessory was Valerie Cobb with a parasol made from bamboo and paper.

At social time, members were able to buy plants and do a swap with several varieties brought in by members.

The raffle prize was won by Cilla Lane - A large Easter Egg.

The date of the next meeting is Wednesday 1st May 2024 at 7.30pm. It will be held in the Syston Community Centre. All Visitors are welcomed.

‘Resolution Meeting’, for the National Federation of WI’s A.G.M in June.

Friends of Barkby Road Cemetery

Hello everybody, I hope you enjoyed the March chapel displays. There were quite a few of them wasn’t there?

I also hope that you had the best Easter you could.

Well, the weather is mixed at the moment, the trees the flowers and insects etc don’t know what to do.

The winds are being rough and naughty, so I’m sorry if your tributes are not in the correct place. We have done our best to try and put them back where they belong.

Also sorry again that the candle situation is still not resolved. We are initiating dedicating a flower for your loved one, placing it in a bowl as a alternative to, or using the LED lights also.

There is a delay on the acquisition of the letterbox to heaven at the moment, it is now due in August due to high demand. On 8th June this year from 1.00pm to 3.00pm the cemetery are having an open day, not just for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, but for people who just want to have a look at our lovely cemetery. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available.

The fountain is now available to sponsor in memory of a loved one. If you wish to sponsor it, planting it and weeding it, etc, please contact Catherine Voyce at Syston Town Council on 0116264 5972 or email: Catherine@systontowncouncil.gov.uk.

As usual if you would like to donate a rose in memory of a loved one please contact Catherine Voyce at Syston Town Council, the same applies if you would

like to hire the chapel. Have a good month everybody. Ros

Brooklea Nursery

Springtime is the busiest time at Brooklea Nursery. A visit to the plant centre on the old A6 in Rothley will greet you with an abundance of Spring and early Summer garden colour.

Owner Nathan Proud says 'We are incredibly busy this time of year growing the Summer perennial plants and thousands upon thousands of Summer bedding and basket plants. Our tunnels are full of young plants to give your garden a much needed boost of colour'. He also adds 'We make hanging baskets for you to take away with you but you can also bring in your empty hanging baskets to be refilled'.

It is a busy time to be in the garden –weeds are growing, lawns need mowing and greenhouses are filling with young seedlings. Brooklea Nursery has everything you need for a beautiful garden from composts and aggregates to tools and organic sprays to prevent the dreaded Summer bug invasion.

Nathan says 'It is worth stocking up on bug and fungus sprays for the season ahead as well as plant feed such as seaweed and slow release fertilisers'.

The nursery team also sow and grow a massive range of vegetable plants that are available daily.

Aquatic plants have also shown to be popular at Brooklea, where you will find ponds full of pond loving plants –including oxygenators and waterlilies. Overall, a visit to Brooklea Nursery and of course a stop off at Daisy's Tearoom is a fabulous day out for everyone! The team look forward to seeing you soon.

Leicestershire National Garden Scheme Open Gardens

May

May is a busy month with 16 gardens opening all over the county.

Our first May garden to open on Sunday 5th 2.00 - 5.00pm is Burrough Hall, near Melton Mowbray LE14 2QZ. A large mature garden surrounding a classic hunting lodge, this garden develops more each year. The garden enjoys magnificent views across High Leicestershire and includes a small collection of vintage and classic cars.

On Sunday 12th May 11.00am- 4.30pm we have five gardens opening together at Carlton, CV13 0EZ. One ticket price covers entry to all gardens. These are lovely spring gardens with collections of Alliums, Tulips and forget-me-nots in amongst shrubs and spring blossom. Two of the gardens have vegetable plots, one garden has a woodland area with bluebells, and another garden is focussed on wildlife. In all of the gardens there will be collections of pots full of spring flowers. Lots to see and many different gardening styles. There will be refreshments in the nearby church and a plant sale. The gardens opening in Carlton are:

Home Farm House CV13 0BZ, Woodmill CV13 0BU, Bumble Cot CV13 0BY, 64 Main Street CV13 0EZ and Penwood Cottage CV13 0EZ. All the gardens are on or close to 64 Main Street.

Over the weekend of 18th and 19th May we have six gardens opening. Hedgehog Hall at Tilton on the Hill LE7 9DE opens Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th 11.004.00pm. There is a Lavender walk, herb border, a colour themed long border and serpentine island bed planted with perennials. More plants are displayed on the terraced part of the garden and in a walled courtyard with a collection of hosta, acers, ferns, wisteria and climbing hydrangea.

Also open both days (Sat) 12noon4.00pm and (Sun) 12noon - 3.00pm is 8 Hinckley Road, Stoke Golding, CV13 6DU. A small south facing garden with water features and some unusual perennials and climbers, with shrubs and various seating areas. There will be a plant sale offering many garden perennials.

The New Barn, Newbold Road, Desford, LE9 9GS also opens Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th 11am - 4.00pm. A large, sloping garden of three quarters of an acre with wonderful views. This is a plant lover’s garden which includes the national

(plant heritage) collection of Geranium Phaeum, over 60 cultivars with many included in the plant sale. There is also a large collection of Benton Irises and many other unusual plants

Opening from 1.00pm to 5.00pm on Sunday 19th is 1 The Dairy, Swadlincote, DE12 8DU. A Japanese themed garden which includes a large Japanese Koi Carp pond, goldfish pond and a stream. The planting has a Japanese connection viewed from winding paths and planted with over 100 rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas and acers.

On Sunday 19th 10.30am - 5.00pm Goadby Marwood Hall and the Old Rectory at Goadby Marwood near Melton Mowbray LE14 4LN are opening together. One ticket price covers both gardens and there is so much to see. Goadby Hall has a chain of five lakes covering 10 acres with lakeside walks and wildflowers. The Old Rectory has a beautiful walled garden, a courtyard garden, and a coach house walk recently designed by Bunny Guinness. Both gardens will have impressive displays of Wisteria, Allium, flowering shrubs, bluebells, forget-menots and Rhododendrons. Refreshments will be available in the 17th century village hall.

On the bank holiday weekend we have three gardens opening starting with Westview Great Glen LE8 9EH on 25th & 27th 11.00am - 4.00pm. Wisteria, blossom and Lilac will provide scented blooms together with Cornus kousa. Colourful borders will display Allium, Clematis, Geum, bearded Iris and many early summer perennials.

On Sunday 26th Westbrooke House near Market Harborough, LE16 8AX opens 10.00am - 4.30pm. A large garden which has multi coloured perennial borders around the main lawn planted with oranges, yellows and reds, leading to the woodland path. There is a walled garden with herbaceous planting, a kitchen garden and a courtyard with a collection of over 270 miniature and very small hosta.

Thanks to the generosity of our garden owners and visitors the National Garden Scheme donated a record of £3,403,960 to some of the UK best-loved nursing and health charities, which included £76,000 raised by Leicestershire.

Visit the National Gardens Scheme website: ngs.org.uk for more details

Carol Bartlett Leicestershire National Garden Scheme Publicity volunteer

Cossington Open Gardens

Sunday 26th & Monday 27th May 11.00am to 5.00pm

Admission - Adults £7.50, Children Free Ample Free Parking.

Many Open Gardens, Plant stall, Refreshments, Tombola, Leicester Model Railway Group, Heritage Trail, Falconry display.

Decorated Church and displays. Barrel Organ & Various music all day. Further info. pennywestonwebb2022@gmail.com 0775 489 2842

Send your letters to: Syston Town News, 55 Goodes Lane, Syston. LE7 2JL email: fiona@systontownnews.co.uk

Dear Editor,

De Ville Park is a beautiful local community space, well used by residents.Families with young children enjoy the play ground, and older children enjoy kicking a ball and throwing a frisbee around the open space. It is a place for families to enjoy picnics, friends to meet and people to walk their dogs. It is an important part of our community. Sadly open spaces around Syston are beginning to disappear.Housing developments are springing up all around us and many of the open fields and spaces we could previously enjoy have been lost to housing. In this context De Ville park is an increasingly important amenity for the local community. Regular park users were dismayed, therefore, to hear of plans to create a training pitch for an adults' football club on this beautiful park.We did not hear about these plans to radically change a community park through a public consultation or communication from our Councillors, but through word of mouth.There has been no consultation about this plan with local residents and no impact study or risk assessment has been made available.

De Ville park is not a suitable venue for a training pitch.There are no toilets or changing room facilities and no car park.Leicestershire County Council have recently placed restrictions on on-street parking in this area.The park is not a big enough space to accommodate a training pitch alongside the existing uses of the park, and regular park users are concerned about the impact on the park itself, particularly the impact from churning up the grass and making part of the park unusable as a result.What is more, there are other training facilities in Syston which the Council has previously invested in, such as the sports pavilion and football pitches at Memorial Park, and Central Park has nearby parking and toilet facilities at the Community Centre.

Sadly the Town Council has not asked local residents for their views on this proposed development. It is only to be hoped that they will listen to the views of existing users of De Ville Park and refuse to approve the plan.

A concerned resident

Garden at 64 Main Street

© 1996

is published by CURZON GRAPHICS

55 Goodes Lane, Syston, Leicester, LE7 2JL

Tel/Fax: 0116 269 3221

(Mon - Fri. 9.00am - 5.00pm)

email: fiona@systontownnews.co.uk or deanna@systontownnews.co.uk www.systontownnews.co.uk

has copyright and no part whatsoever may be reproduced without the permission of the publishers.

The views expressed are the views of individual contributors and does not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

Inclusion of an advertisement in the Syston Town News does not constitute any endorsement of a product or service

THE GREAT LITTLE PAPER

Can You Spare half an hour a Month?

Volunteers Required To Deliver in the Following

green pages

DIRECTORY

Your local directory of Businesses, Clubs, Societies and Other Useful Information.

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Post Office, Syston. 0116 260 3765

Age Concern Syston. 0116 260 1476

CRIMESTOPPERS. 0800 555 111

Parkinson's UK. 0808 800 0303

Roadline. 0800 62 63 63

Samaritans. 0116 270 0007

Severn Trent. 0800 783 444

Syston Volunteer Centre. 0116 260 7888

Syston Flood Wardens:

Cllr Ian Hayes: 0740 027 8778

Ree Nugent: 0792 721 5477

Maxwell Nugent: 0793 688 0825

Neil Skinner: 0778 088 1897

E.A. Incident Hotline: 0800 807 0606

Councils:

Charnwood Borough Council. 01509 263 151

Leics. County Council. 0116 232 3232

Syston Town Council. 0116 260 7150

Hospitals/Healthcare:

Glenfield Hospital, Leicester General & Leicester Royal Infirmary: 0300 303 1573

Accident and Emergency: Leicester Royal Infirmary. 0300 303 1573

NHS Direct. 111

Syston Health Centre

The Jubilee Medical Practice: 295 0600

The County Practice: 295 0500

Community Nursing Service: 0300 300 7777

Health Visitors: 0116 215 3208

Chemists:

Boots. 0116 269 8218

Sunlit. 0116 260 2695

FINAL COPY DATE FOR JUNE 2024 ISSUE IS: Tuesday 14th May

GREEN PAGES

Go green and advertise in the STN Green Pages Directory.

An entry costs from as little as £8 per month, giving you your own heading, business name, phone numbers, email and website addresses.

Extra lines are only £1 each.

In addition the directory is published on our website: www.systontownnews.co.uk free of charge

To promote your business in the STN telephone 0116 269 3221 or email fiona@systontownnews.co.uk

East Goscote Pharmacy. 0116 260 6734

Leisure:

South Charnwood Leisure Centre 0116 264 0057

Syston Community Centre. 0116 260 7150

Syston Library. 0116 305 3500

Syston Northfields Tennis Club. 0116 260 5926

Syston Rugby FC. 0116 260 1223

Syston Twinning. 0116 260 9744

Wreake Runners. Daniel 07958 400 433 Police: Syston Police. 101 Schools/Colleges:

The Merton Primary School. 0116 260 8150

Roundhill Community Academy. 0116 269 3896

SS Peter & Paul Primary Academy. 0116 260 7577

Wreake Valley Academy. 0116 264 1080

Biffa Waste Issues:

Biffa Transfer Station. 0800 307 307

AERIALS

Image Aerials, Syston Local, friendly service, competitive rates, repairs, alterations & TV tuning. Free quotes. Tel: 0116 260 3481 Mob: 0797 020 2125.

BATHROOM AND TILING

Souter Bathrooms Ltd

Tel: Darren 0116 260 4105 or Mob: 0776 668 5901 CARPETS

Costcutter Carpets

Tel/Fax: 0116 264 0745

email: costcuttercarpets@tiscali.co.uk

CHARITY GROUPS

Age Concern Syston

The Methodist Church Centre, High Street, Syston LE7 1GP. Tel: 0116 260 1476.

Help and Advice Centre open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 12.30pm.

Syston & District Volunteer Centre 18 School Street, Syston.

Office open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm. Tel: 0116 260 7888.

CHILD CARE GROUPS

In B Tweenies

A parent, baby and toddler group for parents with children who have been on a neo natal unit. The group meets on Tuesdays from 10.00am until 12 noon at Queniborough Dance Co. 109 Broad Street, LE7 1GJ. Telephone Lindsay on 07847 264 382. www.prembabies.co.uk

Make & Play (Mondays and Fridays)

Syston Methodist Church, 10.00am until 11.00am both days term time only. £2 for the first child and £1 for subsequent children. For more information about the group contact: Samantha at samanthahowarth1990@hotmail.co.uk or Make & Play - Syston.

Tots at 10

Held every Tuesday term time only at St Peter & St Paul’s Church Hall, 10.00am until 11.15am.

£2 per adult (includes child’s entrance). For more information about the group please either see our Facebook page (Tots at 10) contact: Totsat10@gmail.com

Children with Special Needs/Happy Smiles

Sandra and Amy run a voluntary play group at Elizabeth Park Thurmaston. Thursday mornings 9.30-11.30pm, closed 2nd Thursday of each month, all children welcome 0-5 years. We charge £1 per child and they receive drinks and snacks. Also the adults can sit and natter over a cup of coffee or tea. Telephone Sandra 0798 321 6372.

CHILDREN’S CLUB

Children's Bible Discovery Club Mondays 3.45 to 4.45pm (term time only)

Children's Bible Discovery Club, five to 10 yrs. It’s free to attend and you can come straight from school and enjoy crafts, songs, games and stories all with a Biblical theme. Parents are welcome to stay with younger children.

Takes place at the Broadway Gospel Hall, Broadway, Syston, Leicester LE7 1GA. For further information please email: contact@broadwaygospelhall.org. uk or check the website: broadwaygospelhall.org.uk

CHURCH GROUPS

Broadway Gospel Hall Activities

Alternate Wednesdays 2.30pm Ladies meeting.

Come and share Christian Fellowship, you will receive a warm welcome. Transport is available. All meetings take place at the Broadway Gospel Hall, Broadway, Syston, Leicester LE7 1GA. For further information please email:contact@broadwaygospelhall.org.uk or check the website: broadwaygospelhall.org.uk

CHURCHES IN SYSTON

Broadway Gospel Hall , Broadway, Syston LE7 1GA

Sunday 4.30pm Gospel meeting. Everyone is welcome. www.broadwaygospelhall.org.uk e: contact@broadwaysgospelhall.org.uk

Syston Methodist Church, High Street Sunday Service 10.30am Holy Communion Service, every second and fourth Tuesday in the month, at 10am.

Contact: Rev Paula Hunt 0116 267 3960.

St Peter and St Paul CoE, Upper Church Street. Syston services are every Sunday Eucharist at 10.30am and Wednesday morning at 9.30pm https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/ 5257/get-in-touch/

Contact: Rev. Ros Harper, Team Vicar 0116 286 7925. Day Off - Mondays.

CLEANING

SERVICES

Done & Dusted

Quality Counts: Domestic and Commercial Cleans, all cleans catered for. Tel: 0116 260 2828 Mob: 0788 754 2884 www.done-n-dusted.com

COMPUTER SERVICES

Think Digital Project

Age UK are running this project offering FREE 1:1 support with smartphones, tablets, iPads, laptops and desktops. Whether you need support by phone or online; want to be kept informed about physical IT Help Groups when they restart, or just don’t know where to begin –give the Project a call on 0116 223 7371 or email us on thinkdigital@ageukleics. org.uk and we will do our very best to help.

CONSERVATORY ROOF CLEANER

Clean Start

Well Established, Professional Conservatory Cleaner. Fully Insured and DBS Checked.

Contact Wayne Mob: 0797 750 5453 or email: cleanstart200864@yahoo.com

CRAFTS

North Leicestershire Beaders

Meet twice a month. £5. Call Anna for details. Tel: 0797 687 2444. ambromley@gmail.com

Syston & District U3A Craft Groups

Parchment group - meets on the third Wednesday of the month in the Syston Community Centre, School Street, 2.00pm to 4.00pm.

DOMESTIC APPLIANCES

Kevins Domestic Appliances

Sales & Repairs Washing Machines, Dryers, Dishwashers and Cookers etc. Tel: 0116 269 7168 Mob: 0771 160 4297.

DRIVING SCHOOLS

Wheel Pass

Mob: 0795 121 5161. Find us on Facebook Lessons to Suit Your Timetable ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES

Byrite Electrical Ltd 1286 Melton Road, Syston Tel: 0116 260 2299. www.byriteelectricals.com

ELECTRICIANS

Letts Electrical Services

NICEIC registered Tel: 0116 259 7137 Mob: 0786 651 6286.

All Electrical Work Undertaken.

M A Skinner Electrical Services

Syston Based, reliable, no job too small. Mob: 0799 098 1297.

FLOWER AND GARDEN GROUPS

Allotment Society

We meet on the first Thursday of the month at Syston Social Club 7.30pm. For more details contact Syston Town Council on 0116 260 7150.

Birstall Flower Club

Meet on the fourth Wednesday in Birstall Village Hall at 7.15pm. (not July and December). Visitors welcome, £5. Contact either Sylvia: 0116 267 4206 or Carol McManus 0116 267 1437.

Brooksby Gardening Club

Meets at 7.30pm on the third Wednesday in the month, Queniborough Village Hall. We encourage you to come and join us. For further information contact 0754 396 6374.

Melton Mowbray and District Flower Club

Meet on third Monday in each month at Sage Cross Methodist Church, Melton Mowbray. 7.00 for 7.15pm start. (Not January). Demonstrations and talks. Visitors welcome, £5. Tel: 01664 812 636.

FINANCIAL ADVISORS

Furnley House

Independent Financial Advisors (IFAs) 340 Melton Road, Leicester, LE4 7SL Tel: 0116 269 6311. www.furnleyhouse.co.uk

FUNCTIONS & EVENT

Syston R.F.C.

Tel: 0116 260 1223/260 7719. email: info@systonrfc.co.uk

GARAGES

Queniborough County Garage

Tel: 0116 260 0081/260 2288.

GAS SERVICING

Gas-Servwell

Tel: 0116 236 7923 Mob: 0786 073 5066.

Unigas Heating Services

Tel: 01664 434 742.

GUIDING IN SYSTON

Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Senior Section & Trefoil

Syston District of Guiding caters for girls from age 5 onwards.

Rainbows age 5 - 7: Brownies age 7 - 10: Guides age 10 - 14: Seniors age 14 - 25: Trefoil 25 +

We welcome volunteers to join our unit leaders too. To join or go on our waiting lists please visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/ register

GUTTER CLEANING

Internal gutter cleaning using the latest vacuum technology. Fully insured and DBS checked. Contact Wayne Mob: 0797 750 5453 or email: cleanstart200864@yahoo.com

DJK Guttering

All types of gutters cleaned, repaired and moss removal.

Tel: 0116 298 6404 Mob: 07470 204060. email: djk03@hotmail.co.uk

HAIRDRESSING

Antehc Hair and Skin Studio Specialist in hair loss and anti-ageing. Mob: 07877 981 877.

Tracy’s at Syston

Tel: 0116 260 9582.

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Indoor Bowls

Syston Community Centre

Wednesdays 1.45pm to 3.45pm

£1.20 per week. For more details contact C. Palmer on 0750 610 9549.

Over the Hill Walking Club

This club is for singles in the 40 plus age range. We have organised walks in Leicestershire and surrounding counties every Sunday and some Wednesday evenings in the Summer. To find out more contact Dave Gooder on 0116 285 6271. or visit our website www.overthehillwalking.org.uk.

Syston M.A.D.S (Mental Health, Anxiety & Depression Support) Group

We are a friendly bunch who want to help support people with Mental Health or people who are lonely. We meet every Wednesday morning from 10am till 12pm at the Syston Brookside WMC. £1 Donation each week. For any enquiries please contact us by Mob: 0777 469 5160 Mon - Fri 9am to 5pm. email: MADSgroup@yahoo.com

Syston Young at Heart Group

We are a friendly group which caters for the elderly and housebound of Syston, meeting every Thursday at the Community Centre from 10.00am to 1.45pm. Transport can be provided, places now available. Please phone Age Concern on 0116 260 1476.

HEALTH FOODS

The Body Store

Qualified to give free advice 13 Town Square, Syston LE7 1GZ Tel: 0116 269 4348.

HISTORY GROUPS

Barkby Local History Group

We meet irregularly for trips out and talks by invited speakers. For more information contact Sandra Moore 0116 236 3739. sandraemoore@sky.com

Syston Local History Group

Meet on the third Monday of the month at 7.30pm, in The Hub, Methodist Church Centre, High Street. Visitors £2 per meeting. For further information contact Clive Iliffe 0116 260 9081.

KITCHENS & BEDROOMS

LFI Kitchens & Bedrooms

Mob: 0771 570 8809.

Swift Fitted Furniture Ltd.

Manufacturers of fitted Kitchens, Bedrooms and Home Offices. Contact: 0116 246 0686.

LANGUAGE TUITION

Leicestershire Languages Tutor (Spanish & French) call 07840 543 893 web: leicestershireLanguagesTutor.co.uk email: mariel.bthomas@gmail.com

LEGAL SERVICES

HPLC

Tel: 0116 260 8990 Mob: 0750 149 5503 email: heather@hplcconveyancing.co.uk

MORTGAGE ADVISORS

A & A Mortgages Ltd (Annu) 10a High Street, Syston Tel: 0116 269 8008. Your local independent Mortgage Advisors.

Furnley House

Independent Mortgage Advice 340 Melton Road, Leicester, LE4 7SL Tel: 0116 269 6311. www.furnleyhouse.co.uk

MUSIC GROUPS

Acoustic nights at QMCL Club 43A Main Street, Queniborough. Alternate Mondays from 7.00pm. All levels and listeners always welcome. Free entry.

Singing for Fun East Midlands Meets during term time on Thursdays 2.15pm to 4.15pm at Elizabeth Centre, Thurmaston. For more information or to register contact Caroline: info@carolinesharpe.com 0776 215 4900. www.singingforfunem.com

Syston Band

Meet at ‘The Hut’ - next to the Bowls club (Central Park). Every Monday at 7.30pm to practice. New members of any standard welcome. Contact via email on systonbandmail@yahoo.co.uk

Syston Swing Band

Rehearsals at Brookside Club every Tuesday from 7.30pm email Systonswingband@outlook.com if interested in joining or booking the band. You will also find us on Facebook.

U3A Ukulele Group meets every Friday 2.00pm to 3.30pm at the Brookside Club, Syston. For more information contact Len Abraham on 0781 278 7238. Ukulele Classes at Thurmaston Bowls Club, Elizabeth Park, every Wednesday afternoon 2.30pm to 4.30pm. £2 includes refreshments. All welcome from beginners to experienced. Contact Len on 0781 278 7238 for more information. Ukulele Group

Meets 7.30pm to 9.30pm on a Wednesday evening at the Syston and District Social Club, High Street, Syston. For more details contact Graham Molloy email: grahammolloy@gmail.com Tel: 0751 776 4878.

NURSERIES & PRE-SCHOOLS

Broad Street Playgroup

Catholic Church Hall, 63 Broad Street. Funded places for 2, 3 and 4 year olds. Mob: 0770 250 4113.

St Peter and St Paul Pre-School School Lodge, Upper Church Street, Syston. Tel: 0116 269 8638.

OPTICIANS

Your Sight Opticians

1176 Melton Road, Syston. Opposite Aldi. We provide home visits for those who

can’t get to us

Tel: 0116 260 7075.

PAINTING & DECORATING

Jamie Heggs

Tel: 01509 812 973 Mob: 0780 384 5465. Rob Toon Painter & Decorator Tel: 0116 260 2856 Mob: 0798 177 1164.

PLASTERER

G M Plastering & Rendering

Contact Gary on Mob: 0779 158 3613 or email: kirkbyhammer@hotmail.co.uk

REFLEXOLOGY

Healing Touch Reflexology by Mariel call 07840 543 893. web: healingtouchreflexology.co.uk email: mariel.bthomas@gmail.com

ROOFING SPECIALIST

DJK Roofing & Guttering

Tel: 0116 298 6404 Mob: 07470 204060. email: djk03@hotmail.co.uk

All types of roof and guttering work. Leaks, Flat Roofs, Moss removal and Jet Washing. General property maintenance. SCOUT GROUPS

Queniborough Scout Group

Queniborough Scout Hall, Syston Road, Queniborough.

Beavers: Thursday 6.30pm to 7.45pm

Cubs: Wednesday 7.00pm to 8.30pm

Scouts: Tuesday 7.30pm to 9.00pm.

Contact: Jenny Angel (Group Leader) 0116 260 7359.

Rearsby Scout Group

Beavers: Wednesday 6.00pm to 7.00pm

Cubs: Wednesday 7.15 to 8.15pm

Contact Paul Smith 0780 198 5020 or dc@charnwoodscouts.org.uk

Syston Scout Group

Syston Scout Hall, Oxford Street, Syston. Beavers 6-8yrs: Monday 6.30 to 7.30pm. Cubs 8-10yrs: Thursday 6.30 to 8.00pm. Scouts 10-14 yrs: Tuesday 7.30 to 9.00pm

Explorer Scouts 14-18yrs : Friday 7.00 to 9.00pm

Network 18-25yrs : Monday 7.45 to 9.45pm.

Scout and Guide Band 9yrs +: Wednesday 7.00 to 9.00pm. For more information, please contact, Chris Bodycot on 0116 326 6908 or visit www.systonscouts.org.uk/join SKIP HIRE

Blue Skip Hire

Tel: 0116 269 3530 Mob: 0784 658 7321. web: www.blueskips.co.uk

SOCIAL GROUPS

Age Concern Syston

Wednesdays Coffee Morning 10.00 to 11.30am. A warm welcome awaits you at the Methodist Hall, High Street, Syston. Tel: 0116 260 1476. East Goscote Friendship Club

We are a friendly group of over 50’s who meet on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month 2.00pm to 4.00pm at St Hilda’s Church Hall, Ling Dale, East Goscote. Everyone welcome. Contact: Marie Pole on 0116 260 2287. Fosse Company of Archers Saturdays 1.00pm onwards, October to March at Wreake Valley Academy (indoors, gym building). April to September outdoors at Syston Rugby

Club. New and experienced archers welcome. For more information visit www.fossecompanyofarchers.uk

Hoby Bridge Club

Meet twice a month on Thursday evenings at 7.15pm. We welcome new members to join our friendly group. For further information please contact M. Mitchell on 0780 292 2582.

Ivydale Club Social Group

Every Wednesday 2.00pm to 4.00pm. Over 50’s Club meet at Thurmaston Community Centre, Silverdale Road, Thurmaston. Tel: 0756 115 6675 or 0333 011 2406.

Leicester Railway Society (Formed 1939)

Meets third Tuesday of the month. Start 7.30pm at the Braunstone Civic Centre, 209 Kingsway, Leicester LE3 2PP Contact: Michael Chapman (Secretary) 0116 260 3336 or Brian Holland (Programme Organiser) 0116 236 8328.

M&S Sign Club (British Sign Language)

Thursdays 3.00pm to 5.00pm. Just drop in to M&S Thurmaston on Barkby Lane. New Chapter Bereavement Support Group

Meet Monday afternoons 2.00pm to 4.00pm at Thurmaston Memorial Hall, 722 Melton Rd. Thurmaston. LE4 8ED. Come along and meet others living with loss. Meet new people who can offer companionship and understanding without judgement. For more information and an informal chat contact Lin on 0116 269 3542.

Poppies Memory Cafe

Meets at Syston Community Centre from 10.30am to 12noon on the first Tuesday of the month. Dementia Support Services Leicestershire. Contact: 0116 223 7363.

Rearsby & District YFC

Meetings every week on Thursdays at 8.00pm in Barkby Village Hall. Call Catriona on 0789 022 6035.

St Peter’s Court Club

Coffee morning every Thursday 10.00am until 11.00am. St Peter’s Court, Melton Road, Syston.

Syston Chess Club

Meets every Tuesday at the Syston & District Social Club, High Street, Syston at 7.30pm. We offer a friendly and comfortable environment and play chess at all levels. We enter local and national competitions. We will teach anyone who wishes to learn!

Syston & District Volunteer Centre

Hold their Community Lunch every third Tuesday in the month. Transport available, cost of lunch £15. All members welcome. Call our office to book your place. 0116 260 7888.

Syston Family Activity Group

Meets every fortnight at different locations on a Tuesday night, plus days out and camps. Arranging anything like archery, canoeing, climbing, biking, bushcraft, cooking etc. For details please get in touch with Stu on 0797 003 4597.

Syston Friendship Group

A meeting of friends with learning difficulties, our member’s ages range from 20 to 75. We meet weekly on most Thursday nights from 7.00pm to 9.00pm in the Syston Community Centre where we have a range of activities including

Syston Friendship Group cont’d crafts, bingo, games, Lego, general socialising etc. Minibus pickup is part of the service that our volunteers can provide. Contact Anne & Trevor Carter 0788 990 3907, email: trevhme@aol.com

Syston Games Club

Are you new to the area, want to make new friends or just keep your brain active? Come and join our friendly club at Syston Community Centre every Tuesday 2.00pm to 4.00pm to play Rummikub and other games. For more info contact Bev on 0116 319 8931 or Liz on 01509 816 541.

Syston Twinning Association

Syston is twinned with Deville les Rouen, Normandy. If you would like more details about joining us please contact our Chairperson, Fiona on 0116 260 9744. Thurmaston Ladies meet at Thurmaston RBL, Melton Rd, Thurmaston on the 2nd Tuesday of the month.

For further information please contact Elsa on 0771 974 3411 or Eileen on 0745 560 4296.

U3A Syston Canasta Card Group meets every Monday (except bank holidays) from 2.00pm to 4.00pm in the Syston Community Centre, however, we are currently full, so if you wish to join please contact Jane Mercy on 0116 260 1117.

Wreake Valley Rotary Club

Meet every second and fourth Wednesday evenings at The British Legion, Front Street, Birstall 7.30pm. Visitors made most welcome.

SPORTS CLUBS

Kobra Martial Arts

We have launched our senior and junior sessions for karate! Junior sessions take place from 5.15pm to 6.15pm every Monday and Thursday evenings. Senior sessions will take place from 6.30pm to 7.30pm every Monday and Thursday evenings. Senior age starts at 16 and juniors age starts six. These sessions take place at 12-10 Lower Church Street, Syston, LE7 1GX. If you’re interested in signing up, drop me a message or give me a call on 0795 101 2048 or email:kobramartialarts@gmail.com

Riverside Utd Junior Football Club

We are always looking for new players to come and join our fantastic football club. We train kids from 4 years and upwards at Wreake Valley Academy in Syston. Please contact Paul Cassidy on 0750 744 2226 or visit: www.riversideutdjfc.com for further details.

Special Olympics Leicestershire and Rutland

Special Olympics Leicestershire and Rutland uses sport to empower children and adults with intellectual disabilities to enhance their health and wellbeing. Our Facebook page for more info is www.facebook.com/ SoleicestershireRutland

St Margaret's Co-operative Bowls Club

Want to try bowls? St Margaret's (near Red Hill Circle) is a friendly local club which welcomes bowlers of any ability. Contact Carolyn or John on 0116 267 5947.

Syston Bowling Club

Provides opportunities for all to gain or develop skills, make friends and enjoy a year-round social programme in our clubhouse. Free coaching with equipment provided. For more details contact: Val Foreman on 0116 260 9635

Syston Kickboxing Club

Training on Tuesdays from 7.00pm to 8.00pm at Syston Community Centre. Suitable for all ages and abilities from beginners to experienced. Cost £3.50 for children and £4 for adults, pay as you go. Contact Brent Penniston on 01664 562 286 or email pennistonbrent@hotmail. com

Syston Mixed Hockey Club

We play our home games at Mountsorrel - Soar Valley Leisure Centre - 2.30 on Saturday afternoons. Away games could be any time on a Saturday and at various venues throughout Leicestershire. Lifts could be arranged from Syston. Age range of club members teens to 70's. Contact details - Patrick on 07977 448074 or Jo on 07786 333432. patrickoakman@outlook.com

Syston Northfields Lawn Tennis Club

Tennis for mixed membership. All levels, all ages. Coaching given. Monday and Wednesday, Senior Club Night, Tuesday, Junior Club Night. Syston Northfields Tennis Club, Northfields, off Melton Road. LE7 1HW. Contact Edd Whetton (Coach) on 07800 599 057 or email: edward.whetton@gmail.com for further information.

Syston RFC

The club runs sides from aged five to fifty years. The U6s to U17s play and train Sundays/Tuesdays/Wednesdays, September to April. We have over 300 members. The Senior Club 18-50yrs play Saturdays. We have five sides training Monday and Thursday from 7.00pm. All welcome. Contact the club 0116 260 1223 or www.systonrfc.co.uk. Syston Syclers

An enthusiastic group who meet at The Green, High St. Syston each week. For more details please contact Marie on 0789 697 5122 or email: Marie@systonsyclers.com or visit www. systonsyclers.com

Syston Town Cricket Club

The club has three senior teams and junior teams at all age groups from Kwik Cricket to Under 17 level. New players of all ages are always welcome and for general information about the club contact: Ivan Spibey on 07711 139 711. Practice nets for all age groups are available both winter and summer and further details can be obtained from Scott Cooper on 0792 950 2012.

Syston Town Juniors FC

We cater for all ages, boys and girls 4 to 17 years. All coaches are DBS checked and hold FA qualifications. We train and play at two venues, Necton St, (Memorial Park) and Wreake Valley Academy, days and times vary dependant on age and time of year. For further information contact: secretary@systontownjnrs@yahoo.co.uk

We also run development centres for boys 4 to 6 years 9 to 11am and girls 5 to 9 years 9 to 10am on a Saturday morning

at Wreake Academy on the 3g pitch. Please contact:

Boys: Andyon 0796 624 8878. Girls: Daveon 0771 104 4768. Tae Kwon-Do

Four to eight years Friday 6.00pm to 6.50pm

Juniors and Adults mixed classes Tuesday 6.00pm to 6.50pm, Sunday 4.00pm to 5.00pm. St Peter and St Paul’s Primary Academy, Upper Church St, Syston. First month free. Contact James Freer on 0771 895 3850. Thai-Tanium Boxing Club

Various classes for beginners, advanced, kids, juniors, ladies and adults. As well as 1:1 sessions please contact us on Facebook or Contact Jamie on 0797 365 6778. Now based at 760A Melton Rd, Thurmaston.

Wreake and Soar Valley Athletics Club

Running - Middle/long distance/sprints club for all the family with experienced qualified coaches, junior athletes from age seven. Adults from absolute beginners to existing runners looking to improve. Contact John on 0781 769 3777 email: wreakeandsoarvalleyac@gmail.com Web: www.wreakeandsoarvalleyathletics.club

Wreake Runners Running Club

Every Tuesday and Thursday 6.45pm, plus fortnightly track sessions. See website for details. 4 week trial available. Run@wreakerunners.co.uk www.wreakerunners.co.uk

Wreake Valley Tetsudo Club (Martial Arts)

Train on Monday evenings 6.30pm to 8pm at Syston Rugby Club. Contact John: 0797 624 1427.

TAXI

Apollo Cars

Tel: 0116 260 7070.

TELEVISION

Glenfield Television Tel: 0116 287 1762.

THEATRE GROUPS

Syston QT Theatre Group

A small friendly, local group, we meet every Tuesday (and Thursdays during rehearsal periods) at The Old Chapel in Chapel Street, Syston. There are two main productions a year. We welcome those who enjoy acting, the technical side, props, stage management, costumes, etc. and we are always looking for new members. Visit our new website: www. qttheatregp.co.uk or email: qtsyston@gmail.com

TREES

Charnwood Tree Services

Tel: Freephone 0800 371 441. Unicorn Tree Care and Fencing For a FREE Quote contact Alan Tel: 0116 269 2039 Mob: 0778 359 6792.

WATER SPORTS CLUBS

Leicester Penguins Swimming Club

One of Leicestershire’s oldest competitive swimming clubs. If you are ready to transition to competitive swimming from the Learn to swim programme, please contact the club for a free trial session.For further information visit our website www.Leicesterpenguins.club

WATER

SPORTS CLUBS Cont’d

Wanlip Sailing Club

Small friendly local club. Learn to sail, just cruise or race. Families very welcome. Social sailing Saturdays, racing Sunday afternoons. For further information please contact Sue, daytime on 0116 210 2254. Neil, evenings on 0116 260 8049, or the clubhouse 0116 260 7864 at weekends to arrange a visit.

Clarity

WINDOW CLEANING

Windows, Doors, Facias, Conservatories and Guttering cleaned. To discover why people are switching cleaners, please contact us for a free friendly quote. M: 07533 991 561 www.really-clean.co.uk

What’s On Diary for May/June

BROADWAY GOSPEL HALL

Sunday 5th May

4.30pm

All Age Service followed by a buffet tea at Broadway Gospel Hall, Broadway, Syston Leicester LE7 1GA

There will be activities for the children during the service, everyone is welcome. For further information please email contact@broadwaygospelhall.org.ukor check the website: broadwaygospelhall.org.uk

FILMS IN SYSTON

Monday 13th May - The Miracle Club

Monday 3rd June - Book Club, The Next Chapter

Doors open at 1.30pm.

Tickets are now available at the Card Shop in Syston or on the door at The Old Chapel, Chapel St. Syston

COMMUNAL BINGO

Every Wednesday

2.00pm

Syston Conservative Club, High Street. Everyone Welcome.

ST PETER AND ST PAUL’S CHURCH

Families@4

Sunday 12th May

4pm

Music, Craft, Games,Bible Stories, Prayer.

HOBY & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY LECTURE

Wednesday 15th May

7.30pm

Tickets: Members Free, Guests £2.00 ‘Burning Passions. The Story of the Struggle for Women's Suffrage in Leicestershire’ by Jess Jenkins.

Hoby Village Hall, Main Street, Hoby, Melton Mowbray LE14 3DT

Clean Start

Well Established, Professional Window Cleaner. Fully Insured and DBS Checked. Contact Wayne on M: 07977 505 453 or email: cleanstart200864@yahoo.com

WOMENS

INSTITUTES (W.I.)

Barkby and Beeby W.I.

Meets third Tuesday of the month. Barkby Village Hall, Beeby Rd, Barkby 7.30pm. Visitors Welcome. For more information contact 0116 269 2756

Charnwood Wigs W.I.

Meets last Thursday of the month at 7.30pm. Beedles Lakes Golf Club, East Goscote. Visitors £4.00. For more details please ring Claire Cox on M: 0775 164 2141

FRIENDS OF BELGRAVE CEMETERY

Saturday 18thMay

10.00am-11.00am

Annual General Meeting 2024

Birstall Methodist Church

Wanlip Lane Birstall

All are Welcome www.friendsofbelgravecemetery.org.uk

New Barkby W.I.

Meets First Wednesday in the month 7.30pm. Syston Community Centre, School Street. Visitors always welcome. For more details contact President Mrs Shirley Franklin on 0116 260 8498.

Advertise your club/society or community event in our Green Pages and/or What’s on and we will add it here and on the webdiary too.

Ring Fiona or Deanna on 0116 269 3221 or email fiona@systontownnews.co.uk deanna@systontownnews.co.uk

BIRSTALL FLOWER CLUB

Wednesday 22thMay

7.15pm

Birstall Village Hall

Demonstrator: Joanna Davis

Title: Women Who Changed The world

Visitors: £7

Queries to: Sylvia 0116 267 4206 or Carol 0116 267 1437.

THRUSSINGTON LOCAL HISTORY GROUP

Thursday 30th May

7.45pm

Tickets: Guest £2.00 Members Free ‘Who do you think lived in a house like this?’ Speaker - Brian Johnson Venue: Thrussington Village Hall

Hoby Road, Thrussington

For further information please contact Carol on 0775 414 5240

COFFEE MORNING

Saturday 1st June

10am to 12 noon

At St Mary’s Church Barkby “Sing Along Saturday”

With the Syston U3A Singers Singing popular songs Coffee/Tea/Cake/ Raffle

Supporting charity: Life Skills Project International

How the Syston Floods Have Affected

Residents Long After the Water Has Receded!

January, and oh how it rained, and it was only day two! By teatime it was coats on, hood up, off out, round the corner to look at the brook, and what a hasty retreat home it was, we’d never seen the water so high. Within an hour wellington boots were on as the brook burst and the torrent of muddy water ran down the road, through gardens and sadly for some into their homes.

We are truly thankful our home wasn’t flooded, and the garden has bounced back following the deluge, life always seems better when the sun shines, but when it rains, it rains a lot!

These past months have been hard mentally, rain, more rain, all things flood related gets inside your head, did we do this, did we ask that, then asking yourself ‘why bother, no one’s listening anyway’?!

Positive things will now happen, but slowly (no one’s got the resources to act fast nowadays) and we all question ‘why did the brook get so bad, simple, not enough was done to

maintain it’ reducing its capacity over 20 years to what you see now! Going forward to keep the brook well maintained (like it used to be) we need Charnwood Borough & Syston Town council (who each own a large stretch) to be seen to be doing their bit to maintain their bank to the middle of the brook as riparian owners, and residents and land owners who boarder the brook please seek advice and do your bit, work with the Environment Agency, details of how to contact then are shown below, as they do have the final say over this stretch of water.

Syston deserves better than we’ve currently got - don’t we?

Lastly but not least, our thoughts go out to those residents whose homes were affected, we cannot imagine how hard these past months have been for you and your families. We trust that the authorities will have taken note of the misery and heartache the flooding caused you, and that lessons will have been learnt, and that in the months and years to come residents (the ratepayer) will feel that they actually matter, that the town of Syston matters, and the Barkby brook which is front and centre will be maintained and improved for generations to come, because it matters to!

M&K (Residents)

For more information or to contact the Environment Agency: Call: 03708 506 506 email: EMDenquiries@environmentagency.gov.uk

Incident hotline: 0800 807060

Please use this number, which is open 24 hours a day, to report incidents such as flooding, blockages, unusual flow of water, damaged flood defences or pollution.

Syston’s Only Dedicated Newspaper

Syston Northfields Tennis Club would like to say a massive 'Thank You' to those that supported them on the open day held last Sunday. That includes those of you that joined them on the day and the local businesses that provided raffle prizes and cakes to sell etc, namely, Designer Daisies, Baytree Cafe, Family Cellar, The Balloon Shop, Gamble & Hollis Butchers, Spice of India, Katie at Derry's, Rebecca Ann Hair, Withers Sports and Wendy's Bakes. Luckily the weather stayed good to us and a fantastic total of around £1200 was raised. Thank you once again.

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St Peter and St Paul’s Church News

What a joy it is to celebrate the great festival of Easter. How wonderful the pathway to the church with the daffodils in full flower.

S.C.F.G.

Easter trail around the church..

On Good Friday from 10am till 12noon we had the church open for families to come and follow the Holy Week events. The first activity was to be blindfolded and try to put Jesus on his donkey! Other activities included reflecting on ‘Spy Wednesday’ by coin rubbing, enacting Jesus washing the disciples’ feet and colouring a stained glass window. The final activities engaged families in creating an Easter garden, pictured above right, to take home and an

After following the events of Holy Week, it was a joy to meet together on Sunday morning, Easter Day, with a real fire welcoming all to the church for a special Easter service. This was followed by refreshments and fellowship in the church centre including a hand-made, traditional, Simnel cake donated by a member of the congregation.

Families@4

Our big cuddly fish was the centre piece for this session, with great retelling of the story of Jonah and the Whale by Reverand Ros. We thought about things that were difficult in life, and how we could use prayer to help us through difficult challenges, using playdough to engage our different senses. We are looking forward to our next session of friendship, food, faith and fun on Sunday 12th May at 4pm where we will be giving thanks for our world and celebrating God’s good creation.

The Easy Way to the Perfect Fitted Bedroom or Home Office

We are the new community flood action group, Syston Community Flood Group, that was formed after the Town Council’s decision to disband their own flood focus group. Our aim is to prevent flooding by working with the Authorities and helping riparian owners to keep the brook free from obstructions and to improve flood defences. We already have an offer from the EA to help with a plan to define what works could be carried out in the areas not covered in their de-silting programme. Professional help is needed to ensure we are putting our efforts into the right areas and improving the waterway rather than causing problems due to our enthusiasm and lack of patience! A recent request for this help was sent to the EA but no reply has yet been received, we shall continue to press them. If anyone knows of another company/person that has the knowledge to assist us with this plan please get in touch.

It would be useful to start building a list of people and businesses that could assist with clearing vegetation/trees, silt, rubbish clearance, fundraising etc. It would also be useful to have your ideas on how to improve and secure the brook areas, please let us know.

It’s an upsetting and frustrating time for the people and businesses that were affected by the floods, we shall do all we can and with a lot of patience and the help of the Syston Community we shall prevail. email: systonfloodgroup@gmail.com

One call to Swift Fitted Furniture and we’ll arrange a no obligation estimate to make the most of your Bedroom, kitchen or home office space. Friendly service and professional fitting - for less than you’d think. Tel: 0116 246 0686 to find out more today Call Paul or Brad

With 30 years of working in your area, I would be pleased to give you pleased free advice and a free quotation free advice and a free quotation

Syston’s Only Dedicated Newspaper

May is Local History Month, so this Syston & History themed Crossword is dedicated to the life and memory of Ray Young.

Across

1. This ‘Dave’ was supposedly a notable resident of Syston; Showaddywaddy Singer. (7)

3. The 3 letter Station Code for Syston Train Station. (3)

7. The Duck & Willow, New World, Delish & The Bay Tree are all this type of Establishment. (4)

8. Another term for being Tattooed; Relates to the liquid used in the process; You can get _ _ _ _ _ at various Tattoo Shops in Syston. (5)

9. Syston is twinned with a place in this European Country. (6)

12. You can buy this Indian Bread delicacy at Syston’s local Indian Restaurants. (4)

16. An espresso coffee with hot water added; A common drink in Syston’s Costa Coffee. (9)

18. The first name of the new PA at Stn. (6)

19. This young female singer comes from Syston and went to one or more of the local schools. (5) Down

1. Another way of saying ‘Making a friend’; You can _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ many people in Syston. (8)

2. A design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colours, as in architecture or decoration. (6)

3. A seal; a coining die; used adjectivally to designate the silver currency of the Mogul emperors, or the Indian rupee of 192 grains. (5)

4. Sun Protection Factor; Invented in 1974. (3)

5. The brand of pie which has it’s HQ based in Syston. (5)

6. The short name for a local support group that takes place at the WMC in Syston; Mental Health, Anxiety & Depression Support. (4)

10. An independent agency of the United States government responsible for aviation and spaceflight; Founded 29th July 1958. (4)

11. Rail link between the UK and mainland Europe; Founded on 14th November 1994. (8)

13. A magical place found by Lucy in a Wardrobe; Created by C.S Lewis and originally published between 1950 and 1956. (6) 14. Union of European Football Associations, founded in 1954. (4) 15. The first name of The Editor/Owner of the Stn. (6)

17. A Greek cheese made of sheep or goat milk & cured in brine. (4)

The winner of the April Crossword is: S. Harris of Syston

The answers for our April 2024 Crossword were: Across:

1. Showers: 3. Bear: 5. Cue: 7. Coin: 8. Llama: 9. Appose: 12. Fake: 16. Apartment: 18. Heathrow: 19. Blurbs: 20. Bunny. Down:

1. Simplify: 2. Sauna: 3. Bicep: 4. Aries: 5. Chalk: 6. ESA: 10. Oche: 11. Easterly: 13. Easter: 14. Taurus: 15. Stew: 17. Teal.

Compiled by Deanna Johnson and sponsored by

Complete this crossword and send it to: Syston Town News, 55 Goodes Lane Syston, Leicester, LE7 2JL The first correct entry drawn will win £10

At the Garden Café in April, we launched our Big Spring Raffle.

We have prizes from East Midlands Railway – you could travel to London and back in style, like last year’s winner did – local businesses The Pharmacie Arms, Delish and Papermoon and gifts from Tesco. Tickets are on sale now at £2 each, and can be bought from The Pharmacie Arms, Delish, or by contacting us on growgivelivesyston@gmail.com or through our Facebook page facebook. com/growgivelive/.

The draw will take place on Wednesday 15th May at 7pm at the Pharmacie Arms. All proceeds go towards the community garden spaces we maintain in Syston, growing edible produce with and for the community.

We have started planting at Scotia Press – we have a fruit bed in the corner, with strawberries, raspberries and a thornless blackberry – fingers crossed for a good harvest from those. We’ve also planted some potatoes and put in some bee friendly plants in to encourage pollinators over to help us out.

The allotment has had a big spring clean –huge thank you to Josh and Neil at Syston Town Council for helping us with the truck for

transporting the rubbish away, and to the volunteers who came and helped. The space is looking much better, giving us a blank canvass to work on – we’ve planted some more potatoes, strawberries and raspberries up there, with space for plenty morecourgettes, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes and much more are all in the

plan.

We will be at the allotment (plot 73B, first on the left as you go into the allotments on Upper Church Street) every Friday morning between 10am and 12pm – everyone is welcome to join us. There’s no expectation to have any knowledge of gardening or growing, or even to do any digging –just come along to see some friendly faces and enjoy being outdoors. We have many more activities planned for this year – if you would like to find out how you can join in or are just curious about Grow Give Live, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.growgivelivesyston@gmail. com, facebook.com/growgivelive, Instagram: growgivelivesyston

To Advertise in This Multi-Award Winning Paper T: 0116 269 3221 E: fiona@systontownnews.co.uk

Melton Memorials

Fine Headstones & Graveside Ornamentations

Honouring the memory of a loved one can be a distressing time, we endeavour to help you choose a suitable memorial as a lasting tribute from the beginning of the choosing process until completion.

We work to a high standard and are accredited members of the British Register Of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM)

We offer a wide range of handcrafted memorial headstones, kerb sets, and vases. Inscription and regild service, and all aspects of memorial maintenance and repair.

We always aim to provide a quality, reliable, friendly and caring service Appointments and home visits are available on request

M. P. ALLAN FENCING

All types of fencing work undertaken.

For a quote please contact M: 07971 669 483

Syston

Conservative Club

59 High Street, Syston

Why not book our Large Function Room

The Malt House Suite for Wedding Receptions and Parties

We Have Two Full Sized Snooker Tables in the Club

Quiz Nights:

Sunday 12th May Sunday 9th June

Bingo is played every Thursday 9pm and Saturday 8.30pm - Wednesday afternoon bingo starts 2pm doors open 1pm

We are also now the headquarters of the Syston and District Royal British Legion. Meetings will be held on the third Sunday of each month at 1pm

Slimming World

Helen 9.30am and 11.30am

Mob: 0794 912 3898

Clive 3.30pm, 5.15pm and 7pm

Mob: 0790 983 7215

A good selection of Beers, Wines and Spirits. Friendly Bar Staff

Members Children allowed in the Lounge until 9pm (Under parental control)

New Membership is Available

Tel: 0116 260 5775

Thrussington Fun Run Raises almost £3,000

We are used to playing roulette with the weather for the fun run. This year was no different with an earlier forecast of sleet and rain! However, Mother Nature was kind – the event is partly for the church so we had a word! – and the weather was held at bay for all the races and over 300 eager runners who came from near and far to run!

Despite the earlier downpours, the three-quarter mile course was good –the adults negotiated two laps of it as its most challenging as there was plenty of mud kindly created for them by the children who ran earlier!

It was great to see a sea of yellow in the children’s races as Thrussington School was out in force donning their yellow t-shirts once again. One young runner even accessorised with matching gloves!

Despite shoelaces being tightened on the start line, 10 trainers were left behind - stuck in the mud in the first stream crossing and many runners again this year, ran some of the course barefoot!

The runners were fast this year – our hares will attest to that! Former

Thrussington pupil, Beckett Moore, 14, ran the course comfortably as the fastest time of the day in 11 minutes winning race 4 by a country mile! Tired smiley faces, muddy boots and aching bodies finished off a brilliant afternoon with a warm drink, pasties and cakes (thanks to our army of bakers!) in the hall for the presentation – Thrussington taking home the cup in all three primary school races and former Thrussington pupils lifting the secondary school trophy for John Fernley!

As ever, the event receives amazing support from a huge number of keen volunteers from the young to the not so young who kindly give up their time to help and to cheer on all our runners. This gives the fun run it’s fantastic atmosphere and community feel.

The fields lend themselves so brilliantly to a fun run – different challenging stream crossings, straw bales and undulating terrain make it an exciting run for those of all abilities, affiliated and unaffiliated and one on the calendar each year for many. We are again very grateful to John and Emma Rudkin.. and their sheep for letting us use this fantastic course. This year, sponsorship has been key in raising the money we did. So many companies supported us generously donating a whopping £1500. This covered the costs of the event..and some! Thank you, Please visit their websites and support their businesses.

With grateful thanks to our sponsors: Melton Building Society, Wreake Valley Craftsman, Raylec Limited, Manor Farm, Prem Building Construction, Edu Owls - Polish School,Polish Book Online, Gingers Hair Salon, SJB Brickwork and Construction, QD Stores, Thrussington's Village Store, The Blue Lion, The Star Inn, J C Roofing and Guttering, Radcliffe Homecare, Fresh Set by Cheryl, My Clothing, Charles Bentley & Son Ltd

See more images from the day on our website: www.systontownnews.co.uk

Chloe Harrisonat the bridge crossing who went on to win the unaffiliated female school year 3-4, closely pursued by James Hall (202)

Magic