birstall post (356) march 2013

A MURAL and a photo collagenow decorate a wall in BirstallYouth Centre thanks to the ef-forts of six Longslade students.

Amy Chand, LaurenGodfrey, Harry Morrissey,

MARCH 2013 No. 356

the Birstall postY O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S P A P E R

www.birstallpost.co.uk

Artisticstudents

Pic: (l-r) Amy Chand, Lauren Godfrey, Harry Morrissey, Tyrrell Brady, Luke Hartwell and Stella Hale

PLANS FOR a new Wanlip by-pass road that will increasetraffic along Wanlip Lanefeature in a report commis-sioned by Charnwood Bor-ough Council.

Charnwood is preparing its Local Planthat will set out its strategy for deliveringnew homes and jobs – it has identified asite designated as ‘North Birstall’, for1500 new homes and 15 hectares of em-ployment land.

The site, close to the old Bentley’sRoses, is located within the parish ofWanlip.

Charnwood commissioned a reportinto the effects the development will haveon local traffic and what new roads and

Continued on back page

Continued on page 2

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MAR 2013THE BIRSTALL POST2

other measures would be necessary tomitigate the impact of the development.

The report suggests:• a new signalised roundabout on the

A6 north of the A46 interchange near theNorth Birstall development

• a new link road from the new round-about to the Wanlip junction to the SouthEast. This will take the route of the oldbridleway that runs from the entrance ofthe Severn Trent Water Treatment worksto the A6.

• a new Wanlip bypass that will contin-ue this road across fields to the junctionof Wanlip Lane and Rectory Road at Cor-ner Woods.

• a new roundabout to the west of theA6 connected to the new North Birstalldevelopment and the old A6 by a dualcarriageway, and to a re-aligned old A6route

• at A46 interchange, a ‘bus bridge’over the junction carrying buses from theA6 to the North Birstall site. This is a buspriority link running through the junction,not a bridge.

The report states: “The mitigationpackage associated with North Birstallprovides a bypass to the A6/A46 junctionand results in congestion relief along theA6. However, it also causes an increase intraffic along Wanlip Lane.”

The report estimates an additional500+ vehicle movements an hour alongWanlip Lane at the morning and eveningrush hour. Vehicle movements along Rec-tory Road are expected to reduce signifi-cantly as a result of the bypass.

The Chairman of Wanlip Parish Meet-ing Pauline Harrison, told the BirstallPost: “The concept of a ‘Wanlip By-pass’might at first appear quite attractive as away of eliminating much of the trafficfrom the A46, which currently uses Recto-ry Road as a rat-run through the village,en route to Leicester via the heart of Bir-stall.

“However, in reality, this proposal andthe thinking behind it, to alleviate thepressure on the A6 from the proposednew 1,500 dwellings on the north-westquadrant of the parish of Wanlip, mislead-

ingly referred to as North Birstall, wouldpotentially lead to a massive increase inthe traffic passing unacceptably close toparts of the village. And, furthermore, thewhole community would be seriouslyaffected by being forced to join this dra-matic increase in traffic at either end ofthe proposed by-pass.

“As a community we wish to stay as astandalone village. This bypass will splitthe village and be a significant loss ofamenity to those houses that back onto it– why should they suffer for the wholevillage?

“I am also worried that once the roadis built there will be infill developmentright up to it. Wanlip has had so muchdevelopment around it we feel like saying,enough is enough.”

Birstall Parish Council Clerk SteveBlackburn said: “The proposed schemewould take traffic out of Wanlip village, sois to be welcomed for that reason, butBirstall residents may be concerned that alink from the A6 near Rothley might cre-ate a ‘rat run’ along the new road andthen into Birstall via Wanlip Lane.

“Many residents are likely to considerthat the proposed cost of £9million mightbe better spent on a new school at HallamFields”.

A Charnwood Borough Council spokes-person said: “The Transport ModellingStudy will help us assess how traffic willbe affected by new homes and land devel-opment and will also indicate how effec-tive public transport and other highwaywork will be in reducing that impact.

“There are some proposed measuresincluded in the study but these will needto be scrutinised and refined through theplanning process before being implement-ed.

“The Council has not yet seen anydetailed plans and these will be subject toapproval through the Transport Assess-ment process. It is too early at this stageto release detailed design informationabout schemes, particularly when a lotmore work still needs to be undertaken.”

The estimated cost of the proposedhighway changes is between £6million -£9.3million.

Site of 1500planneddwellings: NorthBirstall’s‘Broadnook GardenSuburb’

Map: red lines and circles indicate location of new roads and roundabouts

Continued from page 1

THE CHILDREN at childminders HalfPints on Loughborough Road enjoyedthemselves celebrating Chinese NewYear: painting snakes, making drag-ons and eating noodles with chop-sticks wearing the Chinese hats theyhad made.

MAR 2013THE BIRSTALL POST 3

LONGSLADE COLLEGE is “very disappointed” with its 2012GCSE results which place it second from bottom in the per-formance tables for county schools.

39% of students achieved five ormore A* to C grades in their GCSEs,including English and Maths. The countyaverage was 56.9% and the average forschools in England was 59.4%

Leicestershire’s top performingschool was Beauchamp College, in Oad-by, with 74%.

Longslade’s GCSE performance placesit in the bottom six per cent of all sec-ondary schools in England. 195 Englishschools failed to reach the government’s‘floor target’ of 40%.

Longslade’s Principal Liz Hall said:“We are obviously very disappointedwith out headline GCSE results. However,the marking of the WJEC English lan-guage papers had a significant impactupon our GCSE English results.

“I am very pleased for our youngpeople that since the English Languagein November retake, results have im-

proved, although this is not reflected inthe performance tables.”

She added: “English Literature resultsremained on an upward trend with 67%achieving A* to C grades. We were alsopleased to see maths results improvingfollowing a range of targeted strategiesto support students.”

In 2011, 45% of students hit theGCSE target, placing the school secondfrom bottom in Leicestershire. In 2010 itwas 43% which was the lowest result

for county schools.The schools A level results for 2012

saw students actioning a point score of604, third from bottom out of 20 countyschools.

The average point score for Englishschools in the state sector is 736.

Ms Hall said: “For post 16 results, atA2 97% of students passed A2 coursesand 23 out of 29 subjects achieved a100% pass rate. This represents a 13%increase from 2011. There was signifi-cant improvement at all levels at AS incomparison to 2011. The percentagepass rate at A-E increased from 80% to82% with % A+B grades increased from21% to 29% and % A+B+C rate in-creased from 42% to 50%.

“In university applications, 88% ofstudents who applied successfully gaineda place. Of the 12% who were not suc-cessful, one student has gained a placeat a local FE college, three studentsgained employment, one student appliedthrough the clearing process and fivestudents decided to remain at Longsladefor further study.”

To help improve performance Longs-lade has been working with Leicester-shire’s top performing state school. LizHall said: “We are working hard to en-sure our students have access to highquality teaching. As part of this we haveworked in partnership with BeauchampCollege in developing teaching andlearning strategies. Beauchamp are rec-ognised by the National College for Lead-ership for their partnership work.”

Longslade has 1169 pupils aged 14-18 on the school roll. 11.5% of pupilshave a Statement of Special EducationalNeeds. 6.6% of pupils are eligible forfree school meals. It’s last Ofsted inspec-tion was in 2009 when it was rated‘Good’.

BIRSTALL GALA will be heldin 2013 on the School Laneplaying field over theweekend ofSaturday/Sunday, June29/30.

Organised by Birstall Parish Council,stalls run by local clubs and businessesare a feature of the weekend’s enter-tainment.

Deputy Clerk Sue Coulson said:“Once again, by popular demand, wewill be accepting book-ings for stalls forboth the Saturdayand Sunday, infact bookingsare already be-ing taken.

“In previousyears we have hadover 70 private andcharity stalls, and so if you or yourorganisation would like to have a stall,stand or some space to promote yourbusiness or charity please contact theParish Council offices for the appropri-ate forms and any further informationyou may require by telephoning: 01162676191 or email:admin@birstllpc,org.uk”You can also download the forms from:http://birstall.leicestershireparishcouncils.org/birstallgala.html

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THE FAMILY of a ten year old boy with a terminal illnessare holding a fundraising party to make their last monthstogether special.

Oliver Brown fromBirstall was diagnosedwith leukaemia whenhe was three and ahalf years old. Oliver,who has Down’s Syn-drome, has aston-ished doctors morethan once over theyears on how he hassurvived both thecancer and the sideeffects of his treat-ment.

But in December2012 he went backinto hospital afterfeeling ill and beingunable to walk. Hehad more chemother-apy before doctorstold his parents Cath-erine and James the

devastating news that there was no moreeffective treatment for Oliver.

Mum Catherine said: “We are goingto lose our beautiful, brave and veryprecious son, brother and grandson.

“We want Oliver to have quality of lifeand have as many of his hopes, dreamsand wishes fulfilled. Oliver has beenthrough so much since his first diagno-sis in 2006 when he was three and ahalf years old.

“He’s suffered so much at the handsof this devastating disease and anythingwe can do to put a smile on his face wewill. We have begun to make a happy

memory wish list for Oliver, and anymoney raised will go towards literallygiving Oliver the time of his life.”

Oliver’s fundraising party is beingheld at Birstall Social Club on SaturdayMarch 30 from 1-3.30pm. Tickets arenow on sale at £3 per child, £1 peradult.

There will be a mini-disco, games,face painting, nail painting, a raffle anda sweet stall.

For tickets or if you would like todonate call Paula 07934 551563 or Kelly07926 108790 or email:[email protected]

THE BIRSTALL United Juniors Under 10 Foxes have won theLeicestershire & Rutland County FA Youth Futsal Develop-ment League.

The league took placeover 6 weekends at Judge-meadow Community Col-lege and the Foxes won 5out of their 6 games tocome top of the group ongoal difference.

Futsal is an exciting,fast-paced small sidedfootball game that is widelyplayed across the worldand is officially recognisedby both UEFA and FIFA.The nature of the gameplaces a large emphasis on technicalskill and ability in situations of highpressure.

Iain Sands, head coach of the futsalteam, said: “It’s been a really beneficialand enjoyable experience for the boys.Playing a different format of the game ata greater pace and with a heavier ball

has tested their technical skills to themaximum and made them more com-fortable and confident on the ball. Theywill now be able to transfer these newskills into the mini-soccer, 7v7 gamesthat they play week in, week out in Divi-sion 2 of the Leicester & District MutualLeague.”

Party to give Olivertime of his life

Pic: Oliver (right) with his brother Ethan

Skilled players arefutsal champions

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THE METHODIST Men’s pan-tomime this year was Cin-derella and it featured anumber of new faces in thecast.

The age range of the pantomime castcontinues to extend, usually at the olderend. This year the cast were nearly allbelow retiring age, and several not evenhalf that age, but this year there weretwo very young ‘apprentices’, Luke Allanand Alexander Kerchey, who played thetwo mice who took Cinderella in hercarriage to the Ball.

This fairy tale followed its well-knownstory line, but as usual the pantomimefitted in all sorts of extras, including anOlympic Flame, complete with an advert

for Birstall Running Club and Gok Wanwho appeared to dress Cinderella readyfor the ball.

‘Be My Guest’ was the most outstand-ing of the several musical numbers,nearly all of which were new songs forthis annual week of fun in Birstall.Pics above (clockwise from top): the ensembleon stage; Billy Loach playing Dandini; Fairy God-mother played by Mike Allan; Richard Kilby asBaron Hardup; Richard Tinley as Baroness Har-dup; (inset) Neil Parkinson carrying the Olympictorch. Pics left (from bottom): (l-r) ButtonsPlayed by James Moore, Bodgitt played by VicDolby and Skarper played by Peter Barratt; Uglysisters Adie Robinson (left) & Michael Kerchey;Cinderella played by Isaak Harrison, with PeterBarratt (left) & Alan Chapman (right)

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Dr Jo Rushworth (29) is a lab man-ager and research scientist at the univer-sity of Leeds and was part of a teamwhose research showed that extracts ofred wine and green tea can block one ofthe first steps in Alzheimer’s disease.

Jo Rushworth(née Humphrey)was first author onthe scientific articlewhich appearedlast month in theJournal of Biologi-cal Chemistry. Theresearch attractedattention in news-papers around theworld and featuredon the Today pro-gramme on Radio4.

Jo completedher A levels in

Biology and Chemistry at LongsladeCommunity College in 2001. She thenstudied Biochemistry at the University ofLeeds, which included a research year inParis and a national research scholar-ship in Norwich. Jo then became a sec-

ondary schoolChemistry teach-er for severalyears, beforereturning toacademia to doa PhD, with theaim of becominga lecturer.

Jo said: “Iwas so luckythat I was in-spired by my Alevel teachers,Miss Kirkham inBiology and MrReed in Chemis-try during mytime at Longs-

lade. Their passion and enthusiasm forscience was infectious and I wouldn’t bewhere I am today without their influ-ence.”

Jo spent the last four years research-ing Alzheimer’s disease, the most com-mon form of dementia, which affectsover 800,000 people in the UK. Demen-tia is a general term for degenerativebrain diseases which affect memory,thinking and the ability to do everydaythings. “A common misconception aboutAlzheimer’s disease is that it’s just anormal part of getting old” said Jo. “Ac-tually, Alzheimer’s disease can be curedwith research science, just like any otherillness – we need to fully understandwhat causes the disease and then a suit-able drug can be developed.”

Alzheimer’s disease is brought onwhen harmful clumps – called amyloid –build up in the brain. These clumpslatch on to brain cells, causing them tomisfire and eventually die off, causingthe brain to shrink. In Jo’s early-stagelab experiments as part of her PhD, sheused natural extracts of red wine andgreen tea to alter the shape of the poi-sonous amyloidal clumps and found thatthey could no longer harm human braincells grown in a dish.

Jo hopes that this research couldeventually offer hope to people sufferingwith Alzheimer’s disease. “Green tea andred wine themselves may not containenough of the beneficial substances(EGCG and resveratrol, respectively) tohave any effect, but the next steps in thisresearch would be to alter chemicallythese molecules to help higher amountsto build up in the brain. This will taketime” said Jo

“One in three of us is predicted todie with some form of dementia, be-cause the population is ageing and wedon’t yet have a cure. Alzheimer’s is avery distressing disease, both for theperson suffering and for their familiesand carers. We need more researchfunding to combat dementia.”

A FORMER Longslade student’s research into Alzheimer’sdisease has attracted international attention.

ORGANISERS OF a charityboxing show on March 10are hoping to raise £2000.

The event, at Birstall Social Club from11am, will feature sparring demonstra-tions, exhibition fights in a full sizedboxing ring, skipping routines and aboxing pads exhibition.

An auction of sportymemorabilia is planned for1pm and includes a signedWayne Rooney shirt as wellas gloves signed by FrankBruno and Joe Frazier.

Exhibition fights beginat 3pm with the day finish-ing at 6pm.

The event is raisingmoney for Alex’s Wish, acharity set up by the par-ents of Alex Hallam fromRothley, who has Duch-enne Muscular Dystrophy.It aims to help financeresearch into the diseaseand has raised £40,000since it started two yearsago.

Tickets are £3.50 andcan be bought on thedoor, at Carl Gunns’ gymor Birstall Working Men’sClub.

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Alzheimer’s disease:promising research

Pic: Dr Jo Rushworth

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A FULL meeting of BirstallParish Council was held onFebruary 11.

Birstall has a new Police CommunitySupport Officer, PCSO 6148 CharlotteWhite. The number of burglaries inBirstall rose slightly in January. Anumber of arrests have been made,three burglars were arrested in Wanlipand charged.

Theft from stores rose in January,with thieves targeting meat. One arresthas been made so far and another arrestwill be made this week.

The Council agreed to make no com-ments about a planning application for atattoo studio at 115 Sibson Road (for-merly Krustys).

It was reported that a recent incidenton School Lane may result in a claimagainst the County Council, because ofstones placed on the verges by residents.The County Council has not yet decidedwhether to remove the stones.

The Council agreed to provide BirstallBowling Club with £1575, half the costof a new fence for the eastern boundaryof the green. The existing hedge will beremoved.

Councillors paid tribute to the lateKathleen Grundy, a former Parish Coun-cillor who died in January.

It was reported that a proposal tointroduce a 40mph speed limit on ashort section of Greengate Lane near theA6 junction has been withdrawn.

Following a request from an allot-ment tenant, the council is researchingthe legalities of keeping chickens andlivestock on Birstall’s allotments.

It was reported that the Estates Teamand members of the public are reportinglarge amounts of dog waste on theSchool Lane playing field, and there havebeen requests for a dog ban. It wasagreed to research the costs of employ-ing a litter picker and a dog wardenable to issue on the spot fines.

It was agreed to employ LustramCleaning to clean the Stonehill Avenuepublic toilets three times a week at acost of £69.

• A meeting of Birstall Parish Coun-cil’s Management and Policy committeewas held on January 14.

Members discussed the complaintmade by Deputy Clerk Sue Coulsonagainst the chairman, Cllr Pat Cleere.Cllr Cleere said he felt unable to acceptthe complaints made and tendered hisresignation from the chair and the coun-cil.

Cllr Tony fowler felt the matter couldhave been resolved with an apology. CllrAnn Marshall stated that she understoodthe reason for the complaint regardingthe conduct of the meeting but felt thatemotional issues on both sides hadclouded the issue.

Cllr Fowler felt saddened at the deci-sion but understood that Mrs Coulsonhad felt threatened by meetings heldbehind her back and that there was anunwillingness by Cllr Cleere to apologisefor the conduct of the meeting, althoughthis had come later. The committeeaccepted the resignation with regret.

The full size 3G pitch can be split intothree seven a side pitches and will belocated behind the Palmer-TomkinsonCentre.

Longslade formed a partnership withfootball clubs Birstall United and SystonTown Juniors to successfully bid for grantfunding from the Football Foundation.Further funding for the £500,000 pitchhas come from the Edith Murphy Founda-tion, The Palmer-Tomkinson Trust, Charn-wood Borough Council, Longslade Collegeand Stonehill school.

Longslade Principal Liz Hall said: “Thefootball pitches will provide much neededtraining and playing facilities for localclubs and community groups as well asour students.”

The football pitch will be used by thecollege and other schools during the dayand will be available to hire at weekends,during school holidays, and in the evening.

Ms Hall added: “The initial plans forthe Palmer-Tomkinson Centre always in-cluded sports facilities and we are delight-ed that Phase 2 of the project is on theway. We hope the 3G pitch will be the firstpart of sporting developments on the site.”

Longslade plans to create three tenniscourts on the site next to the 3G pitch andduring its construction the ground will beprepared for them. Funding has yet to besecured for the tennis courts.

For enquiries about the pitch contactLongslade 2670807,[email protected]

WORK ON a new artificial turf football pitch at Longslade is tostart this spring after the college and its partners successfullysecured grant funding.

A BURGLAR who broke intoa house on Whiles Lane inSeptember stealing jewel-lery and cash totalling£1600 has been sent toprison.

Liam Evans (17) appeared atLeicester Crown Court where he con-fessed to 17 other offences, including14 house burglaries, two counts ofwounding and possession of a knife.

On September 10, 2012 he stoletwo crates of beer from a shop inHumberstone. A shop employee wasslashed in the throat with a knife byEvans, who also wounded the neck ofa Police Constable who attended thescene.

Evans, who has 65 offences on hiscriminal record, was sentenced to fiveyears detention.

ParishCouncilnotes

PICTURED ARE the ladies from Birstall quilters presenting a cheque for £920 toAdrian Walker from LOROS. The group raised the money with various fundrais-ing events over the last year.

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Kath was a Birstall girl living here formost of life and always working for thecommunity. She was a widow, Tom herhusband was a Police Officer, and theyhad 3 children, Angela, David, and thelate Janet. They had married at St James,the Church which she continued to be-long to throughout her life. She was aCounty Councillor, a Parish Councillorfrom 1988-2011 when she retired be-cause of her health as she hated missingmeetings. Also she was a trustee forBurley Houses and the Hannah Clarkeparcel distribution. She was a governorat both Highcliffe and Stonehill Schools.

Kathleen was a member of the Con-servative Party and belonged to BirstallConservative Group. At the Parish Coun-cil Kath was a keen member of the GalaCommittee, and worked hard at the galaselling raffle tickets or doing whateverwas required.

She started her career after leavingschool as a secretary at Riverside Schoolwhere she worked from the age of 14-17 years, from there she moved to theLeicestershire Education Office. In 1966she joined the staff at the LeicestershireRural Community Council until 1997when she retired, but she continued towork as a voluntary worker organisingcompetitions.

In Birstall she was a guide officeralways being interested in the youngpeople in Birstall. When the YouthWorkers at the Youth Café were told,they wished to add their thoughts andthis is what they said: “Kath was a regu-lar visitor to the Youth Café on a Fridayevening and offered her services to the

youth workers, often at the kitchen sinkdoing the washing up and then servingin the tuck shop.

“She demonstrated her patience byteaching a small group of 15-16 year oldgirls how to knit and we had quite alaugh at some of the weird and wonder-ful scarfs that were appearing aroundthe youth café. She loved to feel that shewas part of the team and we loved tohave her there.”

She will be sadly missed by all of uswho had the pleasure to work with herand by the young people that she spenttime with.”

Kathleen will be missed by manypeople around the village.

From Mary Allen

For the first time in the club's history,an Under 8's team has been fielded inthe Leicestershire League, with the chil-dren competing over two days at Lough-borough University.

The team com-prised BarneySutton, Ajay Bur-ton-Pyatt, KyanGohil, Khush Shar-ma and JaydePatterson. “It wasa great first expe-rience of matchplay for the chil-dren and one thatthey all thoroughlyenjoyed. BarneySutton isn't in thephoto as he wasn'table to play thatday. But congratulations to all five of fivewho did the club proud” said a clubspokesman.

The club's annual Winter Team Shieldfor senior members is taking place onSunday afternoons and a junior versionof the event is taking place on Saturdayafternoons, seeing 16 youngsters com-peting in teams of four. The players havebeen defying everything the winter ele-ments have thrown at them - with theaid of several extra layers of clothing!

Meanewhile Cardio Tennis is keepingpeople fit at the club, with a sessionrunning on Thursday evenings from8pm-9pm and a new daytime sessionstarting in March, on Thursdays from1.45pm-2.45pm. “It's a great way to get

fit and have fun, and you don't need tobe able to play tennis! In a 60-minutesession you can expect to burn 600calories. So why not come along - yourfirst session is free” said the spokesman.

Juniorcoaching istaking place onMonday andSaturday after-noons.

For moredetails onmembership,coaching orhow to get intotennis, contactLaura Morleyon07742249807.

KATHLEEN GRUNDY, a good friend and colleague of many inBirstall, has died at the age of 81 years.

Kathleen Grundyremembered

WE'VE BEEN experiencing bitterly cold weather lately butthings are really hotting up at Birstall Watermead TennisClub - and it's the youngsters who are leading the way.

AROUND TWENTY local clubsand societies have signed upfor April’s showcase weekend,when visitors will be able tosee what’s on offer from Bir-stall’s many groups and organi-sations.

Held on April 5 – 7 at St Jameschurch on Church Hill, the event isbeing organised by Debbie and An-drew Shephard.

Debbie said: “In addition to thestands there will be regular displaysand demonstrations from the groupsattending. A full programme will beissued before Easter, so look out forone coming through your door, andposters will be in the shops aroundthe village.

“The Church’s Bell ringers willkick the event off at 4:30pm on theFriday afternoon to welcome thosewho wish to pop in after work. Comeand browse the stands and take theopportunity to find out more aboutthe activities that go on in and aroundthe village.

“The church normally has a re-hearsal night for the Gospel choir onFridays so you can sit and watch witha cup of tea or join in if you wish.”

There will be a cafe open through-out the event where homemade cakesand sandwiches will be available alongwith tea, coffee and soft drinks

Saturday will open at 10.30am andclose at 5pm and Sunday at 11am andclose at 4pm

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Pic: Kathleen Grundy

Junior tennis playersin competition

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LOCAL BAND 8 Miles High will be per-forming at Stonehill school this April.

Together since 2009, the band members are HarryClarke (guitar), Oli Kidd-Martin (lead guitar and vo-cals), Josh Pears (bass) and Elliott Schlaphoff(drums).

Citing bands such as Greenday and Blink 182 as in-fluences, 8 Miles High have performed at The OldPlough, Syston Social Club, Quorn Football Club andBirstall Gala.

Their concert at Stonehill is on Saturday April 13 at7pm, tickets £2.

“If people enjoy great music performed by greatbands then it will be an awesome night!” said guitaristHarry Clarke.

Search Facebook and Youtube for 8mileshighband

effective surveillance system you mayhave installed. Simple path or drivewayalarms can be used to alert you to avisitor. For example, pebble surfaces candeter offenders as the stones crunchboth when driven over or on footfall.Any side gate should be at least six feethigh and lockable.

Many burglaries take place during theday while residents are at work so anyburglar will not want to waste time try-ing to gain access in broad daylight.The key, therefore, is to make yourplace look like a difficult challenge sothat a burglar is put off and moves on toan easier target. Thieves prefer an easyroute, usually the door, so it is worthconsidering upgrading your doors togood solid doors that cannot be easilykicked open. It is also worth upgradingyour locks on both windows and doorsif you are not certain how secure theymight be. Keep your windows fromopening more than six inches, ideally byinstalling replacement windows thatinclude this as a built-in feature.

So spend a little time this springlooking at the outside of your property,securing your property and making your

home less of a targetMore information at:

www.villagewatch.co.ukemail: [email protected] tel:

0116 267 6397

VOLUNTARY AND communitygroups can learn how theycan obtain up to £15,000 offunding at the next meetingof the Bradgate, Rothley,Mountsorrel and BirstallArea Forum.

Run by Leicestershire County Council,the forum meeting will take place onThursday March 21 at Woodhouse EavesVillage Hall, at 6.30pm.

Topics will include an update on theMountsorrel Railway Project. The meet-ings are open to the public.

For more details go to:www.leicestershireforums.org/mount

Thieves not welcome here!Now that spring is in the air it is an

opportune time to think about securityoutside your front door and within theboundaries of your property. Ideally,you need to create an environmentwhich provides both a physical andpsychological boundary beyond whichan offender should feel uncomfortable.It sounds a daunting task but really withjust a few practical measures you canensure that you have tightened up thesecurity of your property.

A strong Neighbourhood Watchscheme in your area is obviously one ofthe best methods of home security andin Birstall we are lucky enough to havea very strong NHW community. Astrong bond with your neighbours willhave a detrimental effect on any poten-tial burglaries or robberies in your areaso take advantage of this and make surethat you allow for easy surveillance frompeople who are passing your property.At the front of the property keep perim-eter fencing or planting low and keepyour home free from shrubs and treesthat block the view of windows. Youdon’t want to have a broken windowthat a neighbour or passing police offic-er cannot see from the street.

Prickly planting at the perimeter ofyour property will help to deter entrybut do try to keep any shrubbery atleast two feet away from the house.Also, keep shrubbery less than two feetin height and tree limbs above sevenfeet as this will allow for your home tobe seen from the street. Remember tocheck that foliage is not blocking any

NHW news& crime report

Crime Figures January 2013Assaults 6, burglary 9, burglary non-

dwelling 8, damage 5, damage to motorvehicle 2, drugs 1, fraud 5, theft 4, theftcycle 2, theft from motor vehicle 1, theftof motor vehicle 2, theft stores 8.

Burglaries have risen in January de-spite the bad weather. There have beenseveral arrests made. On Tuesday Febru-ary 5 three suspected burglars werechased by Police and the Force helicop-ter. They were stopped and arrested inthe area of Wanlip Lane.

Shop thefts have also risen but thebeat team have enquiries in hand andarrests are now being made. One malewas charged with several shop thefts onJanuary 25. Further work is ongoingwith the shops to improve their securityand the layout of their stores.

From PC 688 Des Hearnshaw - [email protected]

A MAN and a woman havebeen arrested following aspate of burglaries inCropston and Rothley.

The male admitted to four burgla-ries and was charged and remandedin custody. The woman was releasedon bail pending further enquiries.

Earlier in January a second malewas arrested, described by Police as aprolific burglar in the Charnwoodarea.

In addition to this the Police havearrested a man and charged him withburgling a home on Swithland Lane,Rothley on January 1 where jewelleryand computers worth £5000 weretaken.

This man has been charged withnine home burglaries, three businessburglaries and theft from a car.

Forumfunding

Band promise “awesome night”

Policearrestburglars


In reply to Helena Edwards Februaryletter, far from being ‘pleased andamused’ and at risk of being dubbed akilljoy, I find the sight of the tree fes-tooned with knitting totally irritating.

Surely the KGB members would bebetter occupied making garments,shawls, blankets etc to help needy folksleeping rough or in refugee camps.

A tree is a work of art in its ownright and is not in the least enhanced bydraping it with knitted artefacts howevercleverly made.

Cynthia Coltman

Tigers v Toulouse match. On the Satur-day we visited the Plough to watch therugby on TV. The Landlord and staffwent out of their way to make themwelcome as did the players from BirstallRFC, we had a great night, with themsampling cultural foods (scratchings andreal ales).

A few lines about a ‘lovely lady’ PaulaClifford who raised a terrific amount forour charity Gunns’ Gym here in Birstall.She was fantastic, with all her helpersthey did a great job.

Thanks Paula.Carl Gunnson behalf of Gunns’ Gym

I have written to the Council con-cerning having bus shelters along thisroute but have had no answer.

Miss V M Reynolds

YOUR SAY...

The Birstall Post welcomes your viewsand opinions on any subject. Letters,which must include your name andaddress, (though not necessarily forpublication) can be posted to: The Bir-stall Post, Longslade College, WanlipLane, Birstall, Leicester LE4 4GH, orhanded in at Birstall library or email:[email protected]

I have lived in Birstall for just over ayear and we are very happy living in thevillage and the community.

Recently I had friends stay in thelocal Ibis. My friends came over for the

On the following Monday we were atwork and I phoned my friends- theyreplied in Franglais, we are in the 'pub-be' not the Plough, then the bar personexplained that they were in the Stamford.After we had left the pub we went intoBains chip shop where they were againmade extremely welcome and givencultural food (pickled eggs and onions).

I was so proud that they were treatedso well by the people of Birstall and alsoin Leicester

Our thanks to all who were involvedin making their stay memorable-

Kev CurtisP.S.Tigers also won.

I would like to thank all my custom-ers I used to deliver to on the Gatesestate, all of you have been so kind andfriendly to me over the years.

Thank youReuben Fox (Postman)

I saw in the Parish Council notes oflast month’s Birstall Post that the councilare contacting Charnwood BoroughCouncil about the state of the grass verg-es on Wanlip Lane, caused by peopleparking on them. They are suggestingbollards as a possible solution.

Is the Parish Council also concernedabout the state of grass verges on otherroads caused by people parking theircars on them. Take a look at WanlipAvenue, Lambourne Road, Bramley roadand Orchard Road for a few examples.

If it is illegal to park on grass verges,why not hand out a few parking tickets,or consider changing the verges intoparking bays, by putting down a hardsurface.

More and more households havemultiple cars, and it is not going tochange. People need to park some-where.

I am not a car owner, but hate to seethe muddy churned up verges.

Name & address supplied

Reading in the Birstall Post about busshelters, the lady complaining about thescruffiness of them.

She should think herself lucky tohave a bus shelter at all. We in WanlipLane have none at all. This winter I havesuffered severely with an illness due tostanding in the wet cold weather waitingfor a bus which did not arrive.

The Leicester Hate Crime Project isBritain’s most comprehensive study ofhate crime victimisation.

Funded by the Economic and SocialResearch Council, the two-year project isexploring the experiences of victims ofhate crime – people who have beenvictimised simply because of who theyare. We want to hear from anyone whohas suffered from hate crime, and thisincludes those who have been singledout because of their identity or becausethey were seen as especially vulnerableor somehow ‘different’ in the eyes of theperson who targeted them.

Throughout the duration of theproject we will be working closely withcriminal justice agencies and other serv-ice providers so we can collectivelychallenge hate and prejudice in Leices-ter. We hope that you will join us inmaking sure that this project makes areal difference to understanding theexperiences and needs of hate crimevictims and providing them with the sortof help they need and deserve.

This website has been designed sothat you can interact with the project onmany different levels. Using the panel oftabs, you can find all the informationyou need about the project, the researchteam and how you can get involved inthe study.

If you’d like to take part in the re-search then there will be the opportunityto fill out the online survey atwww.ipsos-mori.com/leicesterhatecrime

Harvey Watson

Irritating

Friendly welcome

Pic: the happy visitors

Thanks

Thanks

Muddy verges

Bus shelter

Hate crime

The April issue ofTHE BIRSTALL POST

will be published on Mar 30.The copy deadline is Mar 15.

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The Sidings, Sunday 31st March& Monday 1st April10.30am - 4.30pmFREE ADMISSION

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Let us take you down memorylane to revisit those cherishedtimes, bringing thosememories alive again!

The Platform Café will also beopen serving lovely good oldfashioned home-made food

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Mountsorrel Methodist ChurchSunday Night @ Eight

Organ Recitalon Sunday March 17at 8pmBy Father Simon Lumbyof St Aidans, New ParksAdmission freeDonations for Development FundBuffet from 7.30pm

Soar ValleyTrampoline ClubMonday and Wednesday eveningsat Soar Valley CollegeTrampolining is great fun and anexcellent way to keep fit!Sessions are for children aged 6and upwardsVisit our website for further de-tails atwww.soarvalleytc.co.ukor contact Annette by email:[email protected] or tel:01664 840079

Mini-Market &Table-Top Saleon Saturday April 20from 10am to 1pmat Birstall Methodist ChurchTables at £10 eachTel: 2672606

Home-Start Charnwood

Are you a parent ora grandparent?Can you spare 3-4 hrs a week tohelp a family?Do you want to make a difference?Come with us on a journeyTrain to be a family support vol-unteerNext free training course:Start: April 11Location: LoughboroughDuration: 6 weeks, every Thurs-day, 9.30am to 2.30pmA pre-course interview is requiredTravel expenses will be paidTel: 01509 239786enquiries@homestartcharnwood.co.ukwww.home-startcharnwood.co.uk

The Soar Valley Model RailwayClubpresent their popular, 2 day clubOpen Day’s

Model RailwayShowSat/Sun April 6 & 7Martins High School AnsteyLink Road, AnsteyLeics LE7 7EBAll the Club’s LayoutsThomas the Tank engine & friendsFor the youngsters and RainbowsA great school holiday outingwhatever the weather for enthusi-asts and families alike Come andjoin us

Raffle win a brand new ‘00’ City ofLeicester LocomotivePlus other great prizesModel Railway Trade StandsRefreshments and free car parkingOpen from Saturday 10am to 4pm,Sunday 10am to 4pmAdults 33, OAPS £2.50, Child £1,Family Ticket £7.50Enqs. [email protected] our website for more detailswww.svmrc.co.uk

Film PresentationsFrom Thurcaston & Cropston Par-ish Council‘Hope Springs’ Friday March 8(100 mins)This joyful romantic comedy dra-ma is about Kay, played by MerylStreep, and her plodding hus-band, striving to re-ignite theirrelationship with greater imagina-tion and connection to one anoth-er. How does their therapy in thevillage of Great Hope Springs workout?‘The Lady’ Friday April 12 (145mins)This is an extraordinary true storyof Aung San Su Kyi and her hus-band Michael Aris. We watch thepeaceful quest of the woman whois at the heart of Burma’s democ-racy movement. This film depictsdevotion and human understand-ing within a dangerously hostileregime.‘Quartet’ will be shown on FridayMay 10Thurcaston and Cropston ParishCouncil will be showing thesefilms at Thurcaston Memorial Hall.Starting at 7.30pm, tickets cost£4.50 and concessions are £4.The price includes refreshmentsand a lucky prize draw.Advance tickets can be purchased

via the parish office, 01162367626 or at the door

Coffee ShopSaturday April 27from 10am to 12noonBirstall Methodist ChurchWanlip Lane, BirstallRaffle, tombola & lots moreMoney raised in aid of LOROS.Reg Charity No.506120

Birstall & DistrictLocal History SocietyThe next meeting will take placeon Thursday March 14 at 7.30pmBirstall Village Hall, Birstall Road,BirstallThe talk for this month will be‘Making Tracks – the Laying ofLeicester Railways’Speaker: Brian JohnsonAll visitors are very welcome

Richard IIIExhibitionVisitors can find out more aboutone of the most exciting archaeo-logical discoveries of recent yearswith the opening of an exhibitionat Leicester’s medieval Guildhall.The Exhibition has been devel-oped by Leicester Arts & MuseumService to introduce the remarka-ble story behind the discovery ofthe body of King Richard III. Theexhibition will allow visitors thechance to explore the historicaland scientific evidence that hasbeen gathered from the Greyfriarssite.Friday Feb 8 – Saturday Aug 3111am to 4.30pmadmission freewww.leicester.gov.uk.museums

Christian AidWeekfrom May 12-18If you can spare a few hours ofyour time on a house-to-housecollection in aid of the poorestpeople in the world, please ringMary on 2675154You will not need to walk a longway, some of the rounds are quitesmall.

Birstall FlowerClubA Date with BondClaire BondWednesday March 27 at 7.15pmBirstall Village HallVisitors very welcomeSylvia Simes2674206

Birstall Royal BritishLegionMarch 2: Noel Gee (M/V)March 9: Evonne Rivers (F/V)March 16: Tracey Hye (F/V)March 23: Mick Knight (M/V)March 30: Paul Ravell (M/V)Dancing every Sat night with liveentertainmentBingo, free beer raffle and notforgetting Open the BoxEvery Tuesday night Bingo start-ing at 9.15pmQuiz nights: Sunday March 10 &31 starting at 9pmAcoustic night Sunday March 17 at8pmRock & Roll nights WednesdayMarch 6 & 20Food available every Saturday 12-2pmWakes catered for

Noticeboardall details printed free

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Open Bank Holiday Monday April1, 12-3pmOGM Wednesday March 20,7.30pm

Inter Care would like to invite lo-cal people to come and enjoy our

Charity Quizat the Dog and Gun Pub, ChapelStreet, Systonon Tuesday March 12 from 7pmFor only £6 per person you canenjoy 5 rounds of questions, alight ploughman’s supper and thechance to win team prizesWe encourage teams of 4 and ad-vance bookings due to limitedavailabilityInter Care is a small Syston charityAll proceeds raised will help InterCare to recycle quality medicines,reducing NHS disposal costs andprevent medicines going to land-fillWe donate aid to 121 health unitsin Africa to help treat and savelives.For every £1 donated we send £4worth of aid. For informationplease call 0116 2695925 todayor visit www.intercare.org.uk

St James Day Centre 200ClubWinners for February1st – Mrs Jane Scott2nd – Mrs Betty Allcock3rd – Miss Emily Ball4th – Miss Sheila Noble

LeicesterHedgehog RescueAre inviting like minded souls tojoin their active team in this areaand give Mother Nature a bit ofhelp

Carers need to be mature, respon-sible, at home for part of each dayand ideally with transport

All equipment and training will beprovidedwith a level of care geared to suityourselfFor more information please ringColleen: Leic 2207844

2013 GreenlightFestivalSaturday March 16, 11am – 6pmQueens Building, De Montfort Uni-versityMusical acts, fashion show, artgallery, circus skills, meditation,vegetarian foodA friends of the Earth hosted de-bate about the Energy Billwww.greenlightfestival.org

St Theresa’sFlower FestivalFriday May 3, 11am to 3pmSaturday, 10am to 4pmSunday, 11am to 3pmTeas & Coffee will be available alldays, on Saturday there will besome stalls to browse, also hotsoup being served at lunch timePlease come and view the beauti-ful displaysSt Theresa’s Church, Birstall

CLASHDrop-in Sessions for people withArthritis and other Musculoskeltelconditions - held every Monday,10am to 12noon, at the PeepulCentre, Orchardson Ave, LeicesterLE4 6DP Sessions are free –please contact Karen:07963221570/[email protected] – Are you interested inlearning basic computer skills andhow to safely use the internet? Ifso come along and join us atPalmer Tomkinson Centre, Longs-lade College, Birstall. Sessionsare free and held on Thursdaysfrom 3.30-4.30pm, dates of ses-sions are March 7,14 & 21. Pleasecontact Conrad on 07919 844629/[email protected] March 13 – Chronicpain and Arthritis, Dr B Collett,Consultant in pain and medicineUHL and chair of the chronic paincoalition (CPCC) Meeting held atPalmer Tomkinson Centre, Longs-lade Community College 7-9pm

Are you retired and have

Computer Skillsthat you can use in the communityto support local people to ‘getonline’?CLASH (www.clashgroup.org.uk)would like to hear from youPlease contact Chris on07751072612 to discuss this fur-ther

Friends of Chernobyl’s Children

Families & helpersneeded for children’s respite holi-days.Since 1995, Friends of Chernob-yl’s Children have been bringingneedy youngsters to the UK for4-week respite holidays from thedifficult conditions they endure intheir homeland of BelarusWith the help and support of asmall but dedicated team of vol-unteers, and the generosity oflocal people, the charity placesthe children with volunteer hostfamilies and provided a 4-weekactivity programme that gives thekids not only the chance to play,learn and laugh, but also to makelasting friendships and enjoy ex-periences that they would neverhave the opportunity to discoverat home.We would be interested to hear

from local families who would bewilling to get involved with thecharity this summer, with a viewto hosting a child in their ownhome next yearIn addition to host families, weare also seeking the followingvolunteers:-• trustees and volunteers who canhelp us with the day-to-day run-ning of the charity throughout theyear• volunteers, minibus and car driv-ers to assist us in running a 4-week programme of activities fora group of approx 15 children inAugust 2013This is a great opportunity to getinvolved with a charity where youcan make a real difference. Formore information, please contactour Volunteers Co-ordinator,Rachel Taylor on 07896 817037,email [email protected] contact our Group Co-ordinator,John Buckby on 01455 285799,[email protected] more info about the charity,visit the West Leics page of ournational website atwww.focc.org.uk

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PODIATRIST RAJ Singhadia has joined theteam at Footmedics on Sibson Road.

Raj has been practising for 23 years and grad-uated from the University of Northampton. Hejoins receptionist Anna and podiatrist RasminderPalahey who has been practising for 15 years andis a graduate of the University of Brighton.

Footmedics offers a full range of podiatry serv-ices including biomechanics and gait analysis,prescription orthotics, and treatments for softtissue and joint pain including steroid injections.

A luxury range of organic, vegan products areused on all patients.

A CHEERLEADING school that trains at Longslade Collegeis looking for new members.

lives of this lost generation of youngpeople.

“The booklet will follow on from aprevious ‘Friends’ 2008 publication‘Soldiers of Belgrave Remembered’which used information provided by theCommonwealth War Graves Commission.This time we are endeavouring to uncov-er the personal stories that lie behindthe names” added Dorothy.

“If you gave information or photosfor the previous publication we wouldstill like to hear from you again to ob-tain permission to use the photographsonce more. Of course, the Friends aren’texpecting huge amounts of information,but even a little about the sacrifice thesesoldiers made will being them back tolife for the younger generation and alsofor genealogists of the future.”

If you think you can help, pleasecontact Dorothy on 0116 2672018.

If you haven’t visited the cemeterybefore it is at the Red Hill flyover; ap-proach from down Red Hill Way andturn left into cemetery gates just beforethe A6 turning towards Loughborough.There is usually a member at the siteevery Sunday morning between 10amand 12noon. Further information can beobtained onwww.friendsofbelgravecemetery.org.uk

The Dynamite School of Cheertrains every Tuesday evening, withclasses for age groups 4½-8, 9-12and 12+

Principal Amy Owen said: “We aim

to give young people a fit and healthystart in life in a fun safe environment.We offer yearly themed shows, compe-titions and achievement schemes.”

In January, the cheerleaders trav-

elled through the snow to a competition inBlackpool where they came second.

“It was a great weekend away and anamazing team bonding experience for allthe girls who went” said Amy.

For more information call Amy 07921768 or email [email protected]

RESEARCHERS PREPARING a booklet on war graves in Bel-grave cemetery are appealing for help.

Spokeswoman for the Friends ofBelgrave Cemetery Dorothy Marshallsaid: “We are putting together informa-tion for a booklet about CommonwealthWar Graves of the Great War 1914-18that are in this lovely old Victorian rest-ing place, in time for the centenarycommemoration of the beginning of theGreat War in 2014.

“If you have relatives who lost theirlives in this war who are either buriedor recorded here and you have memo-ries or old photographs of them whichyou would be prepared to share withothers, the Friends would be verypleased to hear from you.”

The idea of the booklet is to giveinformation details of the layout of thegraves which will make it easier to findtheir resting places and to celebrate the

Raj joins team Cheerleaders trainat Longslade

Plea for informationon war graves


will be published on Mar 30.The copy deadline is Mar 15.www.raktailorhomeimprovements.com

50% off adult membership pluscoaching vouchers

if you join on the day

Friendly local tennis club with lots of playingopportunities (social and competitive)and coaching for juniors and adults.

Six courts (3 floodlit) located behind thelibrary at the side of the school in Rothley.

For more information call the membership line0775 7833 360

www.rothleytennis.info

followed by social play and junior coachingOpen Day, Saturday 16th March, 12 - 2pmRothley Ivanhoe Tennis Club

R.W.S.Plumbing & Heating

All Domestic PlumbingFull Central Heating

Boiler Swaps & UpgradesFully Fitted Bathrooms

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Tel: 0116 2209311Mob: 0796 7695631

BOOTCAMPStart the

year as you meanto go on with our

Try something new that will redefine you!weekly indoor Bootcamp training sessions

Where: Birstall, LongsladeCommunity College Sports HallWhen: Thursday 7-8pm

or visit the website - www.movefitness.co.uk

For more information and to book a place callLewis 07725818587 • Tom 07796332930


ONE OF the first students toattend Longslade schoolwhen it opened in 1962 istrying to get in touch withhis old class mates.

Mike Cooke (65) now lives in Mar-ket Bosworth and attended StonehillSchool before moving on to Longslade.

“I grew up in Thurcaston and cycledto and from Birstall each day alongGreengate lane, passing over the GreatCentral Railway bridge” says Mike.

“If the local steam train calling atBelgrave and Birstall had passed underthe bridge it was time to pedal faster orbe late for school.

“In the cold winter of 1962/63 Iremember cross country runs overfrozen fields. During the bad winter ourclass went roller skating at Granby Hallsinstead of outdoor PE, which was a realtreat, trying to stay upright to BobbyVee’s The Night has Thousand Eyes.”

Anyone in Mr Langman’s class withMike can contact him on 01455293264.

BIRSTALL VILLAGE CricketClub is in early prepara-tion for the 2013 season.

The club committee has been meet-ing over the off season to look atmoving the club forward by building anew score box, making further im-provements to a good wicket, finishingoff the work on the training nets andmuch more.

We are still looking for any newplayers for the senior team to pleasecontact Andy Merry 07708473308 formore details.

We are also looking for a JuniorCoordinator to help with our juniorunder 15 teams.

Anyone who is interested pleasealso contact Andy on the numberabove.

Pre season nets training has start-ed! Training is every Tuesday eveningfrom 7-8pm at The Cricket Academy,Freemans Common, Leicester. All newand current players welcome!

Date for your diary: BVCC Presenta-tion night with quiz! Saturday April 13at Birstall United Football Club.

Keep up to date with all the latestnews on our website:

www.birstallvillagecc.co.ukFrom Joshua Saye

CricketCorner

Student seeks old classmates



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SEVERN TRENT Water saysits water resources are in“a good position” withreservoirs at an average of94% full.

David Essex, water strategy managerfor Severn Trent said: “While oursandstone groundwater supplies arebelow normal for this time of year,this is to be expected following theprolonged dry period we saw during2011/12. Groundwater levels havebeen recovering since summer 2012and we expect that to continue overthe winter. We do not anticipate any ofour groundwater sources being at risknext year.”

Even though the summer and au-tumn have been unusually wet, thistime last year much of England was insight of a severe drought. Seven watercompanies in the south east had toannounce hosepipe bans and waterrestrictions. In the Severn Trent regionthere were no water restrictions andthe company managed its way throughthe driest 18 month period for 100years, with a combination of innovativeengineering solutions as well as work-ing closely with its customers.Mr Essex added: “The autumn andwinter period when our sources wouldnormally recharge has been very wet,which has helped to bring our watersources into a good position. Ourgroundwater sources are rechargingnicely, our plans are in place and weare confident that we are in a goodposition to provide our customers witha continuous supply of water through-out the coming year.”

THE KNITTING Guerillas ofBirstall are inviting readersto take part in their annualwooly egg hunt this month– the first prize is a giantchocolate Easter egg.

Trout Mask from the KGB said: “Onceagain you are invited to seek out and

photograph woolly eggs around Birstall.Please leave the eggs in place, but sendyour photos [email protected]. Entries closeat midnight on April 1and the winner ofa large chocolate Easter egg will bedrawn at random on April 6.”

This years event will be supported byprinters Flexpress Ltd and the bandDodgy. If you would like to make awooly egg for the event, which can beknitted, crocheted, woven or felted, dropthem off at Birstall Methodist Church,Wanlip Lane (c/o David Bark) or RubyTuesdays, The Meadway, Birstall. Alter-nately you can arrange pick up by email-ing [email protected]. Eggscannot be returned.

Trout Mask added: “Over the pastmonth, the KGB tree next to GreengateMedical Centre seems to be getting a bitof a following, and intelligence tells usthat it has been renamed by a fan as the‘Purple Myrtle Tree’. We love this, andwe were also utterly delighted to read

Helena Edwards letter in the Birstall Postlast month. Thank you somuch for putting pen to paper- it made us smile.

“After so much work wasput into the creation of thetree by volunteers, the KGB iskeen to keep it current andfresh. As winter turns tospring you may find that thetree begins to bloom. Watch

out for the changes and make sure thatif you are a mum you pop alongon Mother's Day when we willhave a surprise for the hardworking mums of Birstall.”

Join the community of KGBchatter via facebook:www.facebook.com/KGBirstall orfollow the blog http://kgb-123.blogspot.co.uk

Pic:Last years winner, Luke

Reservoirsare full

Chocolate theprize for woollenegg hunters

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MARCH BRINGS a promise of Spring atlast (we hope!) and by the end of themonth Easter has arrived.

The Table Talk meetings in Lent,which started on Tuesday evenings inFebruary at the different churches, con-tinue on March 5 at the Methodistchurch, on the 12th at St Theresa’s andon Wednesday 20 at St James. All are at7.30pm and are open to anyone to joinin or listen to informal discussions onfaith and belief – just turn up. In HolyWeek, half hour meditations will take

place at 7.30pm; Monday at St James,Tuesday at St. Theresa’s and Wednesdayat the Methodist Church. As usual, thechurches will be having a walk of wit-ness through the village on Good Fridaymorning, starting near Barclay’s Bank at10am.

Easter is always an exciting time forchildren and even we adults find thesigns of new life –and the chocolate - acheering lift after the gloom of winter.

A very successful morning for chil-dren was held at Wanlip on ShroveTuesday during half-term, when bakingand crafts were tried out. The youngstersheard a short story about a baby inAfrica who had been rescued form star-vation by Save the Children and realisedhow lucky they were to have enoughfood to eat. Another event is beingplanned for April, involving trips bycanal boat and “arty” activities. Moredetails will be found on the churches’website: www.birstall.org.

From Beryl McHugh, Parish Churches

receive one or would like to contributeto the home-produced Link, contactNoreen Talbot on 2672756. News ofpast members, reports on church trips,events, articles on topics that wouldinterest others, poems, reviews, puzzlesetc, etc. are all welcome. The Springedition is already under way, but thesummer edition will be out on June 1with the theme “All things green”, soplease send your ideas in.

The yearly climax of the church’s year,Jesus’s rising from the dead, culminateson Easter Sunday, with an early vigil atWanlip at 6am, followed by communionat 7am. Then at St. James there will be aCelebration of Easter (with Communion)at 10am, with refreshments after theservice. In the evening there will be afestal evensong at Wanlip at 6pm.

The demise of the much lamentedchurches’ magazine, Contact, has givenadded importance to the Link magazineproduced quarterly for the two Anglicanchurches.

Most of the people on the ElectoralRoll (the list of church members) al-ready receive a copy, but if you do not

Church news

Pic: Childrenbaking at WanlipChurch Hall

Lay Witness WeekendMany weeks of planning are leading

to our weekend of “Sharing God’s Love”.This is a weekend led by a team of visi-tors from different parts of the UK. Theweekend will have a gentle and low keyapproach and is for the whole churchfamily to join in. The event begins with ameal on Friday evening, March 15 at6.30 followed by a ‘Sharing Expecta-tions’ session. On Saturday 16 there willbe discussion groups in various homes,with further sessions at church startingat 5pm, again including a meal.

There is no cost, but in order to helpwith arrangements it is helpful to ‘book’those session/s which you wish to attendthrough the weekend.

It will conclude with a service led bythe Lay Witness Team on Sunday morn-ing. It will be a very special experience.If you need more information contactRoger Wilson 2675973 or Rev RachelParkinson 2671804.Messy Church

This will run on two Saturdays inMarch, March 2 from 4pm to 6pm andon March 27 from 10.30 to 12.30pm.Messy Church is open to families to jointogether, with an opportunity throughactivities, a lot of fun, and friendship tointroduce Jesus through story, song,prayer, games, activities, and some food!Coffee Shop in Town Hall Square

The coffee shop at the Methodistchurch here in Birstall is frequentlymentioned in these pages. There is an-other coffee shop set up last year at theMethodist Church in Bishop Street, inthe City Centre. It is open from 8am to3pm and they do offer light snacks too.Easter

Easter falls, this year, at the end ofMarch. This Christian Festival remem-bers the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ andhis Resurrection. There will be a SharedService on Maunday Thursday at StJames which includes Holy Communion.On Good Friday starting at 10am therewill be a Witness Procession, followingthe the Cross, which is also arranged by‘Churches Together in Birstall’. Rev DaveWarnock leads our Easter Day service at10.30am

From Tony Moore

ReportAs I am writing this we are looking

forward to a special visit on February 24by Roop Lal Ram, a missionary whomwe support. He will take the morningservice and, after a ‘faith lunch’, we willsee some slides and hear news of howthe Lord is bringing people to Himself inNorthern India and about our brothersand sisters in Christ in that region.Easter

As we approach this central festival ofthe Christian faith, you are invited to joinone of our free six-week courses, whichexamine basic Christian beliefs such asthe nature and character of God, thefinished work of the Lord Jesus Christ,how a person becomes a Christian andhow do we know that what we say istrue. There is an opportunity for ques-tions and discussion in an informalsetting and the sessions are suitable forindividuals of any denomination or reli-gion (or none). Please contact thenumber given below to register an inter-est and preference for day(s).Services

Our services up to March 24 will beheld in the Community Room at High-cliffe Primary School (LE4 3DL) from10.45am but we are not able to use thepremises over the school holiday period,so please ring for venues for Easter Day(31st March) and for April 7. On GoodFriday ( March 29), there is a service atMelbourne Hall (Leicester) at 11am andmany evangelical churches join togetherat Holywell Free Church in BerkeleyRoad, Loughborough (LE11 3SJ) at7.45pm when the speaker is to be JohnTindall (Birmingham). You will be mostwelcome to join with us at any of theseservices. We wish you every blessing thisEaster.

Further informationPlease ring 0116 2214883.From Anne Taylor, Birstall Independent

Baptist Church

P/13/0118/2: 156 Birstall Road -erection of extension to rear ofdwellingP/13/0207/2: Nether Hall Lane –trimming of 1 beech tree and 1silver birch tree (Tree PreservationOrder)P/13/0163/2: Birstall Fisheries, 1Sibson Road –variation of condi-tion 2 of application P/09/0365/2to vary opening hoursP/13/0078/2: 3A Park Road – ret-rospective application for dormerwindows and roof lights to dwell-ingP/13/0094/2: 115 Sibson Road –change of use from retail (ClassA1) to tattoo studio (Sui-Generis)P/13/00075/2: 10 Cliffe Road –retention of pergola at top of gar-den with addition of screening andretention of wooden structure at-tached to rear of dwelling

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A SWAN that was almost killed by a crossbowbolt now has cygnets of its own and returnseach winter to Watermead Country Park.

In 2007 a swan was reported as having been shot in the headwith a crossbow, with the bolt still lodged in her head at the baseof the bill.

The first rescue attempts failed but WatermeadSwan volunteer Julie agreed with the RSPCC to take aslower approach. She said: “I tried to build up trustwith her and get her to come out with the otherswans. Every day I went down and she came closerand closer and spent more time with me.

“When she did eventually come out on the grass itwas impossible as all the other swans were in theway. All of a sudden they moved and I was able tocatch her.”

Julie carried the swan to Birstall vet John Borrajoon Sibson Road where the arrow was removed, and it was back in the park within

the hour.“It was a miracle she survived

the attack” said Julie. “It shat-tered her confidence but one day

I saw her in the car park being fed out of a car win-dow. It made me smile as I knew she’d at long lastfound her confidence again.”

The swan paired with another at Watermead. Juliesaid: “One of the happiest times for me was the day Iwent for a walk and saw a very happy sight before my

The Charnwood Forest Cycle ridetakes place on Sunday April 28 and is a20 mile circular route starting and fin-ishing in Rothley.

Alex’s wish is a charity dedicated tofinding a cure for the muscle wastingcondition Duchenne Muscular Dystro-phy. It was set up by Andy and EmmaHallam from Rothley whose son Alexwas diagnosed in 2010 when he was 3.

Emma said: “To date we have raised£20k towards research and trials but wehope to raise more in the comingmonths. Our son has this terrible condi-tion and we have taken the step towards

eyes. She had little cygnets. I spent manyhappy days on a hot sunny bank watch-ing a miracle before my eyes.

“Now I always keep a very close eyeopen for her and I last saw her beforeChristmas – she always come straightover to say hello.”Pics: Julie with the swan after it was treated bya vet; (left) the swan with the bolt lodged in itshead & (far left) with her cygnets

TAKE PART in a charity cycle ride from Rothley and help toraise money for Alex’s wish.

Charity cycle ridethrough Charnwood

helping scientists and researchers fundnew trials. As a result, we hope to makea difference to all the children livingwith this condition with a view to delay-ing the symptoms by several years to buytime for a cure to come along.

“We would like to thank everyonewho takes part, to our event organiserRachel Porritt and helpers and to ourevent sponsors – Bradleys Superstoreand The Woodman’s Stroke in Rothley –this means 100% of all money raisedwill go direct towards our aim.

“I took part in this event last yeardespite the horrendous weather condi-tions and thoroughly enjoyed it – al-though it was a challenge! It’s a fantasticroute and a great way to get fit and dosomething for a worthwhile cause.”

There will be free refreshments,home made cakes, sandwiches anddrinks for all cyclists at the finish line.Children aged 14-18 can take part in thecycle ride but must be accompanied byan adult, children under 14 can takepart in craft and games activities.

For more details on how to take partand obtain entry forms, please visit

www.alexswish.co.uk, call Emma on07903 349475 or email:[email protected]

LOUGHBOROUGH MARKET is set fora £150,000 makeover.

Charnwood Borough Council plansto invest the money on new stalls,electrical infrastructure and improvingthe appearance of the historic market.

Charnwood says the one-off invest-ment is possible following a betterthan expected financial settlementfrom the Government.

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TWENTY THREE ladies at-tended Birstall and WanlipWI’s first meeting of theyear on February 4.

This was the day that we discoveredthat the bones in the car park wereindeed those of Richard III so severalladies were absent in order to watch thedocumentary on television. Indeed ourspeaker Adrian Lane, Senior Riverside

Officer for Leicester City Council admit-ted that he wondered if any of us wouldturn up!

His enthusiastic talk on the historyand ongoing development of Leicester’sRiverside tied in nicely with the an-nouncement as it had finally been dis-proved that the King’s bones had beenthrown in the River Soar after the Battleof Bosworth. It was good to learn thatthrough their hard work there are ottersliving once again in Leicestershire’scleaner rivers.

Plans for our 95th birthday celebra-tions in June are taking shape as weplan to dress in the costume of 1918and enjoy a meal at the Platform Café byLeicester North Station. We have a triporganized to see Hot Stuff at the Curvein May and an August coach outing toSpalding. These are activities we organ-ize for our own group but there are lotsmore opportunities for craft days, mealsand outings across the Leicester andRutland Federation.

Jane Glover won the competition cupthis month with “Something from theRiverbank’.

Our next meeting will be on March 4.

As usual we meet at 7.15pm at HighcliffeSchool and our speaker will be JohnStirling who is Carer for the Queen’sDonkeys and he will talk to us about theUltimate Companions of Honour.

From Birstall & Wanlip WI

WI making birthday plans

BIRSTALL FLOWER Club offers an insight into how impres-sive flower arrangements are made.

We meet once a month – on thefourth Wednesday of the month. A dem-onstrator from the National Associationof the Flower Arrangers Society visits ourclub, bringing with them unusual andsometimes exotic flowers and accesso-ries. They then demonstrate 5 to 6 ar-rangements, to the amazement of theaudience.

A raffle is run by the club at eachmeeting and the prizes are the flowerarrangements that have been demon-strated during the evening. You do nothave to bring anything with you. All youhave to do is turn up, watch, enjoy andhopefully win an amazing prize of flow-ers.

As a club, we also run flower arrang-ing workshops, evening outings to local‘open’ gardens and coach trip outings togardens outside Leicestershire. We runplant sales, and fund raising activities forour chosen charity. Our Open Evening inNovember is the highlight of our calen-dar and is always well supported – forthe last 2 years, we have had a waitinglist for tickets.

If you are interested, the cost of this

most enjoyable evening is only £5.Please telephone Sylvia Simes on 01162674206 or simply turn up at BirstallVillage Hall at 7pm on the 4th Wednes-day of any month February through toOctober. We look forward to meetingyou and are confident that you will enjoyyour evening. If you do, why not consid-er joining. Your £5 fee will be refundedif you join on the same evening. Fullmembership if £30.

From Mary Linnett, Birstall Flower Club

THERE ARE vacant allotment plots onBirstall’s Meadow Lane allotments.

If you are interested and would like toput your name forward for the vacantplots or to be put on the waiting list forthe future, please contact: Birstall ParishCouncil, Council Offices, Birstall Road,Birstall, Leicester LE4 4DH. Tel: 2676191or email: [email protected]

COUNCIL TAX has been frozen for the third year in arow in Charnwood.

Charnwood Borough Council hasannounced it will not increase Coun-cil Tax for 2013/14.

The freeze was announced in theCouncil’s budget, submitted to Cabi-net on Thursday February 14, whichalso included plans for an extra£930,000 towards major projects.

Projects budgeted for 2013/14include:

• £500,000 to LoughboroughUniversity to fund a bid for a Science

and Enterprise Park on their landwhich could see local jobs created

• £200,000 towards funding highspeed broadband in rural areas

• £150,000 refurbishment ofLoughborough Market, including newmarket stalls and electrical infra-structure, to further enhance thereputation of Loughborough as ashopping destination

• £80,000 for improved access toWards End Loughborough throughBleach Yard plus improved streetfurniture, including benches, for theLoughborough Inner Relief Road

In total the council has pledged tospend more than £2million in2013/14 on these types of capitalprojects across the borough.

In total the Council has pledged tospend more than £2million in2013/14 on these types of capitalprojects across the borough.

Investment in the council’s hous-ing stock will continue, with theCouncil spending £14.8million onproperty improvements next year.

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Managing your money – don’tend up like Emmerdale’s EdnaBirch

Age UK’s top tips on managing yourmoney and how to seek help if you havedebts

As Edna Birch in ITV’sEmmerdale struggles tocope financially, Age UK isencouraging older peoplenot to suffer in silence withmoney worries and to seekadvice.

Stopping work in laterlife is something that manyof us look forward to, but ifthe choice is not entirelyour own – like Edna – or ifwe haven’t put enough mon-ey aside, then financial mat-ters can spiral out ofcontrol. It is important toconsider how we will afford to live onour pension and whether we are claim-ing all the benefits that are available.

Everything comes with a cost so it isimportant to make our money work forus as effectively as possible. Age UK’sHead of Information and Advice, LucyHarmer, shares her top tips on manag-ing money and how to go about seekinghelp with money worries:

• Speak up: If you’re finding it hardto cope financially then don’t suffer insilence. If you’re aged 60 or over, youcould be entitled to benefits that youhaven’t been able to claim before. Thesecan help you keep your independenceand improve your standard of living.

• Get a benefits check: Contact yourlocal Age UK to get a benefits check tomake sure you’re claiming all the moneyyou’re entitled to. You can find yournearest Age UK by calling Age UK Adviceon 0800 169 65 65 or visitingwww.ageuk.org.uk/local. As well as giv-ing you a benefits check, your local AgeUK can help you fill in any claim formsto maximise your chances of making asuccessful claim. You can also use AgeUK’s online benefits calculator atwww.ageuk.org.uk/calculators.

• Help with keeping warm this winter:If you are struggling to keep warm thiswinter there are measures you can taketo help keep your home warm and billsdown. You may be eligible for help withthe financial costs of implementing thesemeasures and assistance with your heat-ing costs. Call Age UK Advice free on0800 169 65 65 or visitwww.ageuk.org.uk, where you can alsoorder a free copy of the ‘Winterwrapped up’ guide with a free thermom-eter.

• Seek help: If you have debts thenit’s never too early or too late to seekhelp. There are organisations to helpyou who will be sympathetic and under-standing. Don’t borrow more money topay off your debts and don’t pay fordebt advice. Get free advice from yourlocal Citizens Advice Bureau, NationalDebtline (tel: 0808 800 4000) or Step-Change (tel: 0800 138 1111).

• Prioritise any debts: ‘Priority bills’are the ones for which non-paymentcould lead to serious trouble. For exam-ple, if you don’t pay your mortgage, yourhome could be repossessed. Or if youdon’t pay your gas or electricity bills,

your energy supply could be cut off.Don’t panic if you’re behind on any ofthese bills. Contact one of the agenciesabove for help with prioritising yourdebts.

• Work out a household budget: Inthe longer term, once you’ve claimedany benefits you may be entitled to,work out a household budget and en-sure your outgoings match your income.Review your spending and think careful-ly about whether there are any non-es-sential items you could cut out. Berealistic and don’t cut back on essentialslike food and heating. Age UK’s freeguide Managing your money has infor-mation on balancing your budget, aswell as budgeting worksheets to fill out.Call 0800 169 6565 for a free copy ordownload it fromwww.ageuk.org.uk/publications.

To find out more about how Age UKcan help call Age UK Advice for free on0800 169 6565, visit www.ageuk.org.ukor speak to your local Age UK.

Lets (not) talk about sexIn a poll for Age UK of people aged

over 65, over a quarter (28%) felt theycouldn’t talk to their partner about sex,and over two thirds (69%) have neversought sexual health advice.

People aged over 65+ have spokenopenly about attitudes to sex as we getolder, revealing a desire to remain sexu-ally active – but a lack understandingabout where to go for advice.

The online poll for Age UK was com-missioned to highlight the role of sexand sexual health in later life, helping todispel some of the stereotypes and ta-boos around older people and sexualrelationships. With a quarter (24%) ofthose polled stating that age hasn’t af-fected their sex lives, the survey showsthat sex remains important, whateveryour age.

The survey highlights the extent towhich sex remains an important part ofour later years, with almost two thirds(62%) of over-65s in the survey sayingthat they are currently enjoying a fulfill-ing sex life.

What’s more, a wish to keep the

spark alive came through in the findings,as one in eight (12%) said they wouldlike to try new things with their partnerand just under one in five (18%) want-ing to be more sexually active. 8% ofthose who took part in the survey werekeen to embark on a new sexual rela-tionship.

Despite this desire for a fulfilling sexlife in later life, the survey revealed thatmany of the older generation find itdifficult to talk to partners or healthworkers about sex.

Over a quarter (28%) feel they can’ttalk to their partner, with women findingit harder to disclose their feelings thanmen. Reasons behind the silence includ-ed embarrassment and not knowing howto initiate the conversation.

Time for a check-upIt’s a myth that sexually transmitted

infections (STIs) are only a problem foryounger people. According to a study bythe Health Protection Agency, there hasrecently been an increase in the numberof over-45s affected by STIs.

However, the Age UK research showsthat the reluctance to speak out alsoapplies when it comes to finding outabout sexual health.

Over two thirds of over-65s (69%)in the survey admit they have neversought any type of sexual health advice.The findings also revealed:

Three quarters (76%) of over-65s donot currently seek sexual health advice

Just one in seven (14%) have soughtsexual advice in the last 20 years

Almost half (46%) of those in laterlife feel they don’t need any sexualhealth advice, rising to 54% of women

The poll found that the most likelysource of sexual health information is anurse or doctor, with 17% of thosepolled turning to their healthcare profes-sional for help.

Commenting on the survey, LucyHarmer, Head of Information and Adviceat Age UK, said: 'Our research showsthat having a healthy sex life is importantto us regardless of our age. However, wealso found that many older people may

find it hard to speakup about sex, be it totheir partner, friendsor healthcare profes-sionals.

'Age UK is keen toincrease awareness ofthe importance ofseeking out informa-tion and advice on sex- whatever your age.Some people’s knowl-edge will be based onguidance receivedwhen they were firstsexually active anumber of years ago -and it’s vital that thosein later life have ac-cess to relevant, up-to-date information.'Where can peoplefind out more infor-mation?

Age UK offers free,friendly, and impartialadvice to people in

later life, their friends, family and car-ers. Contact Age UK Advice free on 0800169 65 65 to find out more about main-taining a healthy sex life, including infor-mation on how to speak to people aboutsex, staying safe and making sex morecomfortable as we age.

Lucy Harmer continued: “The chang-es that many people face as we age,such as the menopause or finding ourjoints become less supple, don’t neces-sarily mean our sex life has to stop. Theright information and advice will helppeople in later life to keep sexually ac-tive and healthy for as long as desired.”

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Worried about a family historyof Cancer?

Birstall BAG’s would like to provide alittle insight into genetics and cancer.

Many people worry about gettingcancer. Sometimes, people think theyhave a higher risk of developing itbecause there is a history of cancerin their family. Cancer isa common illness.More than 1 in 3people in the UK willget cancer duringtheir lives. Most peo-ple who get cancerare over 65. It isrelatively rare foryoung people (under50) to get cancer.People sometimes thinkthat several cases of cancerin their family may be connected,and that they have inherited an in-creased risk of developing cancer. Butonly a minority of cancers (5–10%, orless than 10 out of 100 cases) are clear-ly linked to an inherited gene change.

The organs and tissues of the bodyare made up of tiny building blocks

called cells. Every cell contains all thebiological information we inherit fromour parents. This information is storedin our genes in the centre (nucleus) ofevery cell. Genes carry the biologicalinformation we inherit from our parents.

They affect the way our bodiesgrow, work and look. Many

people think that be-cause they have one

or two relativeswith cancer, thismeans a cancergene is presentin their family.But this is notusually the case.It’s only likelythat a cancer

gene is present inyour family if:

• A close relative has hadtwo different types of cancer,

not one cancer that has spread. Yourclose relatives are your parents, chil-dren, brothers and sisters. They are alsosometimes called your first degree rela-tives.

• There are two or more close rela-tives on the same side of your family

(your mother’s side oryour father’s side) withthe same type of can-cer or with particulartypes of cancer that aresometimes connected.Cancers that are some-times connected in-clude breast andovarian cancer, andbowel and womb(uterus) cancer.

• Cancers occur infamily members underthe age of 60.

If any of these applyto your family andyou’re worried about

your own risk of developing cancer, youmay want to talk to your GP. If theythink there’s a chance you may have anincreased risk of developing cancerbecause of your family history, they willtalk to you about being referred to agenetic counsellor, family cancer clinicor a cancer specialist.For more information:

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Causesriskfactors/Genetics/Cancergenetics/Specificconditions/Ifyouareworried.aspx

Macmillan Cancer Support free phonehelp line 0808 808 000 Monday – Fri-day 9am-8pm.

University Hospitals of Leicester Can-cer Information Centre on 0116 2586189.

To reflect the interest and support ofthe local community Birstall BAG's seeksto be inclusive of all cancers and thegroup welcome villagers to support themany events they organise each yearwithin the local community.

For more information on the fundswe have raised, projects we support andforthcoming events seewww.birstallbags.co.uk

Birstall BAG’s continue to fund theBirstall Time Out Group held the 2ndand 4th Wednesday of each month at theVillage Hall.

TELEPHONE EXTENSION Sockets fittedby ex-BT engineer. Cable, BT anddigital TV. Over 25 yrs experience.John 2675132

AMLI DESIGN Architectural Consultan-cy. Plans drawn and submitted. Ex-tensions, conversions, new build.David Ives B.Sc.(Hons) FBEng MCIOB0116 2674395 / 07974807111www.amlidesign.co.uk

FOR SALE Nest of 3 tables with mar-quetry tops from Italy 1 is musicalhighly polished £45.

PUSHCHAIR Maclaren’s navy fold flat£10. Chicco baby trainer Ergo Gymfrom birth to 9 months as brand new£15. Rocking horse sit in type verycolourful suit child 9 months to 3 yrsold as new £10. Picture frames new& used suit artist. Tel: 07874187895

BUILDING PLANS drawn and submittedfor Local Authority approval. Freequotations. Quorn Plan Services01509 413332

WHEELCHAIR top quality lightweightaluminium. Folds to fit into car. Usedonly once. £30. 07973 309987

TRIWALKER £15. Various other disa-bled aids all under £5. 07973309987

DISABLED person’s chair. ‘Lloydloom’ style £15. 07973 309987

CODELOCKS 500 series. Push buttonexternal door lock with fitting kit.Boxed & unused. £25. 07973 309987

Small ads are 25p for the first 16 words. 17-32words: 50p. Enclosing payment, post your ad to us orhand it in (inside an envelope) at Birstall library.

Trade/business rates for small ads are 25pa word. You are liable for the trade/businessrate if you are offering a service for which youare asking for payment, or if you are advertis-ing new goods for sale. All text will be printedbold. Box outline £1 extra. Max 50 words.Phone numbers count as one word.

Small Ads

Tyrrell Brady, Luke Hartwell and StellaHale all decided to do the artwork forthe ‘Community Project’ element of theirPrince’s Trust Award.

Two boards were painted by Amy,Stella, Lauren and Harry, depicting theirlikes and interests while Tyrrell andLuke created a photo collage on thetheme ‘Life at Longslade’.

Prince’s Trust Instructor Jayne Yeatessaid: “We are extremely proud of all thestudents involved and their finishedproject looks fantastic on the wall withinthe Youth Centre”.

Continued from page 1

Birstall BAG’s cancer corner

Electric Cooker (incl range style)• Washing machine • Dishwasher • Tumble dryer • Extractor hood

• Fridge / Freezer • We can also supplyspare parts & consumables

Tel: 0116 2671166Mobile 07969 953958

www.bishopsappliancecare.co.ukEmail - [email protected]

Repair & Service

Appointed engineers for Rangemaster,DeDietrich, Fagor, Caple,

Whiteknight/Crossley, Daewoo, Kenwoodand Currys

Domestic Appliancefor all makes of

proSP CSeyewear

at the best pricesQuality spectacles

visit our showroom

Unit 3,Victoria MillsFowke St,RothleyEasy Parking

Top quality lenses including Varilux, Nikon, Zeiss

Contact Mike or Teresa Keily on 0116 237 6098DESIGNERFRAMES

GET A QUOTE FROM US BEFORE YOU BUYYOUR NEXT PAIROF SPECTACLES Same day service on most plastic lenses

• Sales, Repairs & Upgrades• Wired & Wireless Networking• Branded & Custom Built PCs• Laptops, printers, peripherals & accessories• Server Installation & Support• On-site Maintenance & Remote Support• Original & Compatible Cartridges/Toners• Buy Dell products through our store

C o v e r i n g L e i c e s t e r s h i r e0116 2672583

Mob: 0796 7 191975www.ntlcomputers.co.uk

3 The Meadway, Birstall LE4 4NG

Advertise in





& sendyou thebill


+VAT

birstall post (356) march 2013

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