birstall post (383) june 2015

JUNE 2015 No. 383

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

A BIRSTALL couple have or-ganised a 24 hour tennismarathon to help raisefunds for the DEC NepalEarthquake appeal.

Mary George and Kevin Shepherd ofLoughborough Road will start their chal-lenge on Saturday June 13, 2pm, atRothley Tennis Club.

“Nepal is a place we have longed tovisit for a number of years “ said Kevin.

“This earthquake has caused somuch devastation in Nepal it’s hard toquantify it, and it will take years to fix.We hope our event will keep it in theforefront of people’s minds.”

The pair both played tennis in theiryouths but have only become regularplayers in the last four years, at Rothley.

They have been contacting the widertennis community to encourage theirparticipating in fundraising, and havereceived a supportive email from celeb-rity tennis play and writer Tony Hawks.

The couple will play as a doublespair, taking on challengers for 30minute sessions in return for a donation.

ALL SIX plots at the newGreengate Lane travellersite are now occupied, saysLeicester City Council.

The Greengate Lane site and the RedHill Way site both opened in April. Sevenof the 10 plots at Red Hill Way are nowoccupied.

Some travellers have raised concernsabout the CCTV cameras on the siteswhich the City Council say are there toprotect the inhabitants from antisocialbehaviour.

The two sites have spaces for staticand touring caravans and cost £2million

A City Council spokesman said: “Thecameras have been installed followingfeedback from tenants at Meynell’sGorse travellers’ site, which we are cur-

Pic: Marathon tennis players Kevin Shepherd and Mary George

TennisforNepal

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Travellersitefull

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“We have players aged from 7 to 77who have booked sessions, and will beplaying a Wimbledon wheelchair cham-pion and players from clubs across thecounty” said Kevin.

The public are invited to attend theevent to cheer on the couple, make adonation, and enjoy strawberries andPimms and a barbeque on the Sunday.

A text number and a justgiving pagehave been set up to receive donations.

Text TENN77 then £1, £2, £3, £5 or£10 to 70070

www.justgiving/tenis4nepal#tennis4nepalFor more information and to book a

slot playing the couple, contact Mary0772 5666 343 or Kevin 0797 280 8453

rently refurbishing, after concerns aboutantisocial behaviour at that site.

“The cameras at all sites are focusedonly on the gates, access roads andCCTV equipment cabinets, not on privateliving spaces. This is in line with lawsgoverning the operation of CCTV camer-as.”

“13 of the 16 new plots are nowoccupied and the residents are settlingin well.”

All the six families at the Birstall siteare related and include three schoolaged children and some children underfive. The families, headed by Mrs Walk-er, own some horses which are grazedon land rented from the City Council.

Planning applications were submittedfor the two sites in August 2013 andplanning permission was granted inDecember 2013.

The Council received 1500 responsesin its consultation period, including a2700 name petition from the LE4 ActionGroup.

two of them have been given to Birstallschools.”

She added: “Once the work has beenagreed we'll make sure the community,and particularly parents, are informedand we'll do all we can to ensure thatthe children's learning isn't disruptedunnecessarily during the building pro-gramme.”

TWO BIRSTALL schools havereceived significant grantfunding that could see partsof each school demolishedand rebuilt.

Highcliffe Primary and LongsladeCollege are two of only four schools inthe county to have received funding fromthe government’s Priority School Build-ing programme which is designated forschools “in urgent need of repair”.

The Education Funding Agency (EFA)decides how the money should best bespent to secure good value and they alsodecide when any work will take place,which is expected to be some-time in the next five years.

The Lionheart Academy Trustcontains all Birstall’s schoolsand it has preferred options forhow the money should be spent.

“At Highcliffe we'll be askingthe EFA whether it's possible tocreate a new building behindthe existing main building andthen demolish the GreengateLane building to replace theplay space that will have beenlost” said Chair of the LionheartAcademy Trust Chris Swan.

She added: “If we could choose, we'dmost like to use the funds at The Cedarsto build a new hub for learning in thecentre of the site and demolish block Aat the top of the hill. This would makethe whole site much more accessibleand would focus the learning communityaround the new central hub.

“In both cases the EFA will need todecide whether a new build is best val-ue, or whether they would prefer torefurbish the existing buildings. Eitherway we feel very fortunate to have beenawarded the grants, as only four weregiven to schools in Leicestershire and

Tennis continued from page 1

Traveller continued from page 1

Pic: CCTV camerasat the Red Hill Waysite

Investment in Birstall schools

Pics: (top) Longslade’s block A and (left) theGreengate entrance of Highcliffe school

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The partnership behind the project,the Great Central Railway, the NationalRailway Museum and Leicester CityCouncil, have announced that the newattraction has received Heritage LotteryFunding of more than £9.5million.

Development funding of £494,500has also been awarded to help the part-nership fully develop the proposals forthe project, called Main Line, and applyfor a full grant at a later date. The totalcost of the project is expected to be£15million.

“We are thrilled by the support fromthe Heritage Lottery Fund,” said BillFord, managing director of the GreatCentral Railway (GCR).

“Main Line will combine our award-winning double track main line railwaywith a unique collection of pricelesslocomotives and objects, preservingthem for future generations.

“The museum will not only tell rail-

way stories, but will aim to engage peo-ple with their own history, so they areinspired to be heritage champions infuture.”

The brand new attraction will sitalongside the GCR’s Leicester Northstation and tell the story of how therailways helped Leicester become a

thriving industrial city.Housing locomotives, carriages and

other railway artefacts from the nationalcollection, the attraction will be fullyaccessible by rail, thanks to the GreatCentral Railway reunification project.

With floor to ceiling glass windows,the building will offer visitors close upviews of heritage trains arriving at theadjacent station, providing a dramaticcontext for the static exhibits and allow-ing visitors to experience the day-to-dayworkings of a heritage railway.

Welcoming what will be the mostsignificant national museum collectionon display in the East Midlands, CityMayor Peter Soulsby said: “This newsmeans that we’re a step closer to creat-ing an exciting new visitor attraction thatwill preserve and showcase the city’s

rich railway heritage, while creatingimportant new jobs.

“Main Line will house items whichare of both national importance andlocal interest, complementing the nearbyNational Space Centre and Abbey Pump-ing Station and helping to enhanceLeicester’s reputation as a visitor desti-nation.

“We’re extremely proud to be part ofthis partnership and delighted by thesupport of the Heritage Lottery Fund,

A £9.5MILLION grant has moved proposals for a major her-itage railway museum on the edge of Birstall a step closer.

Pic: blue area shows land required for themuseum. Red area currently disused

which is another clear vote of confi-dence in the city.”

The exhibits at Main Line will bedrawn from the prestigious nationalrailway collection.

Paul Kirkman, director of the NationalRailway Museum said: "We're delightedthat the plans for this exciting projectare firmly on track.

“Leicester had one of the world'searliest railways and it was also a hub ofthe Midland line.

“The new museum will ensure thatkey parts of the national collection areaccessible at the heart of the country forthe first time, but just as important wehope to inspire a new generation to getinvolved in our nation’s railway story.

“This is a project with strong localconnections but with benefits that will befelt nationally."

Some 300 short-term constructionjobs will be created while the museumis built and the attraction will providenine full-time posts when it opens.

Atul Patel, Trustee at the HeritageLottery Fund, said: “The Great Centralhas had a lasting impact on industrialand cultural life in this area and thisinvestment will continue the railway’simportant role.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, aworld class museum will now be createdproviding a new home to some of ourmost significant objects and archives

Railway museumsecures funding

Pic: the new museum

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which together tell the story of the Brit-ish railways. Alongside nearby attrac-tions, the new museum will help toestablish the city as a major tourismdestination, and attract wider audienc-es.”

Main Line is one of nine projects inEngland and Scotland that’s due to bene-fit from nearly £100m of National Lot-tery investment. All the awards will helpboost the nation’s scientific, industrialand cultural heritage for future genera-tions.

Culture Secretary John Whittingdalesaid: “National Lottery money continuesto make an absolutely vital contributionto our culture and heritage in the UK.I'm thrilled that nine exciting projectsacross England and Scotland will benefitfrom this significant £98m investment.

"Whether it’s a new railway museumin Leicester, the Lovell Telescope atCheshire’s Jodrell Bank or saving theUK’s most vulnerable sound recordingsat the British Library, these grants willnot only make a lasting difference tolocal areas and the UK’s wider heritage,but will also use culture to inspire youngpeople to learn more about science andtechnology for generations to come.”

The Leicester partnership will berequired to make a further bid to theHeritage Lottery Fund within the nexttwo years to confirm the full grantaward. It will also need to secure matchfunding to develop the project.

Subject to funding, Main Line couldopen to the public in 2019.

• represent building outside the villageenvelope

• result in traffic problems as the localroads could not cope

• result in the loss of high grade agricul-tural land

Leicestershire County Council’s HighwaysDepartment is recommending that the plansbe refused. It says:

• the site is not sustainable• residents would be too reliant

on the private car as alternativetransport methods are not readilyaccessible.

• the existing access road[Church Lane] is not suitable forthe additional traffic generated bythe site.

The planningapplication isP/14//2382/2.More details areavailable on theplanning sectionof CharnwoodBorough Coun-cil’s website

TRAINED VOLUNTEERS from Birstall and Wan-lip NHW are tackling the problem of speedingin the village.

They are taking part in the County Council’s Community SpeedWatch Scheme – volunteers use speed guns to measure vehiclespeeds to help raise awareness of speeding in the area.

“We hear a lot of complaints about speeding and we are re-sponding to those complaints. We hope to make motorists moreaware of their speed” said Allan Kinton, Membership Secretary ofBirstall & Wanlip Neighbourhood Watch.

Volunteers in Birstall will be operating the scheme betweenJune 1-29 in roads identified by residents as having a speedingproblem: Birstall Road, Curzon Avenue, Fielding Road, GreengateLane, Roman Road, School Lane, Sibson Road and Wanlip Lane.

Signs will be erected by the Road Safety Unit and volunteersmonitoring traffic will wear high visibility jackets. Offending vehi-cles will have their details sent to the County Council and willreceive a warning letter from the Police.

Those objecting say the plans would:• reduce the area of separation between

Birstall and Wanlip• damage the character of the village

PLANS TO build nine houses on a field in Wanlip have resultedin objections from local residents.

Museum continued from page 4

New homes in Wanlip

Volunteers aimto cut speeding

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HUNDREDS OF peoplethronged the Whiles Laneriverbank to watch theWhite Horse annual duckrace on one of the warmestdays of the year so far.

A record breaking number of duckswere sold - 3338, more than double lastyear’s total which helped the event raise£4850 for the PTAs of Highcliffe andRiverside schools.

Adele Hickling, Deputy Head Teacherof Highcliffe Primary School, said,"Thank you so much for giving us theopportunity to share in such a fantasticcommunity event. We are really gratefulfor the donation to school and will usethe money to improve our ITC provi-sion".

Carole Gutteridge, of Riverside PTA,said: “Riverside school would like tothank the staff at the White Horse - es-pecially Charlotte and Jenny - for alltheir hard work, and allowing Riversideto host this year's joint venture withHighcliffe school. Riverside would like tothank the PTA members, parents andchildren from both schools, the stafffrom Riverside for the tombola dona-tions, everyone who donated cakes and

teddies, all thosewho came downon the day, and everyone who bought aduck! We would also like to thank themanagement and staff from the Co-Opwho kept the duck-sellers warm with hot

drinks.”The White Horse would

like to thank the followingfor prize donations:

Windmill Stores Co-Op,Mad Mutts and Moggies,New world Florist, Lam-bourne café, StonehurstFarm, Bargain Booze, Leices-ter City Football Club, Next,Leicester Ryders, Tesco Bir-stall, Lily & Grace, PosyBowl, Be Beau, Chic Revive,MDW Fireplaces, Dan’s Bar-bers, Magnet, Ma’s Cottage,Outfit, GD Beauty, Jo GoslingNails, Hobby Horse, MaxSpeilman, Gunns Gym, Aro-ma Spice, Ruby Tuesdays,Starlight theatre School, TJCycles, Dance Academy, ParkView Riding school, BirstallGarden Centre, Birstall Jew-ellery, Head Rush,360degree play, Soar ValleyLeisure centre, Coles Nurs-

ery, Lisa Zumba, Leicester Outdoor Pur-suits company, Birstall Fisheries,Debenhams, Leicester Tigers and ShapesHairdressing.

A spokesman said “We would alsolike to give special thanks to Jack in thebox, Paddle Plus, Beccy Porch, KnittingGuerrilla’s of Blighty (KGB), CharlieRichardson, Think Print and KainesCastles for their invaluable contributionsto our event.”

Duck racedelightscrowd

Pic (top): (l-r) ReshmaKukadia Chair ofHighcliffe PTA, QueenElsa of Arandelle,Rachel Porch Vice Chairof Riverside PTA &Carole Gutteridge Chairof Riverside PTA


“Being in contact with and judgingsuch inspirational photographers andamazing images was a great experiencein itself” said Imaan (18) who is study-ing for A-levels at Longslade College.

Imaan entered a competition andwon a grant to curate the exhibition,Mediators of Dissent, at the LCB Depotin Leicester. She worked with her pho-tography mentor Kajal Patel to put to-gether the exhibition of workby Asian women photographerson the themes of dissent andrebellion.

As well as selecting theimages, Imaan had to organisepublicity, design posters andprint and mount the imagesworking within a limitedbudge.

She said: “Although I havehad my own exhibition at theCurve theatre, I was never thisup close and personal with allthe elements of curating so itwas interesting and insightfulto know the important process-es that happen behind thescenes of exhibitions.

“The highlight was probablymeeting Poloumi Basu one ofthe selected photographers.Listening to her stories andspeaking with her was extremely inspir-ing.”

Imaan is a free-lance photographerwho will be studying for a degree inMedia, Communications and Photogra-phy at Birmingham City University fromSeptember.

“My aims are to establish my photog-raphy business and attain a full time job

in the media while doing photographyon the side” said Imaan.

“I also plan to stick to playing foot-ball, I am currently signed to LeicesterCity Women so I don’t know where thatwill take me. I would also like to teachothers photography.”

Imaan is currently sitting her A-level

CURATING A photography exhibition at a Leicester galleryhas been an inspiring experience for photographer andLongslade student Imaan Hakeem.

exams at Longslade. She said: “I havemade some great friends and had a lotof memorable moments here. I havelearnt a lot and as much as I can’t waitto leave college I know there will bemany pupils and staff I will miss. I feel Ihave grown academically and as a per-son being at Longslade.”

A FUNDRAISING run aroundWatermead Country Parkwill this year be in aid ofBirstall BAGS.

Wreake Valley Rotary Club’s Water-mead Challenge 2015 Charity Run issponsored by James Sellicks EstateAgents and Chartered Surveyors.

The run takes place at 7pm onTuesday July 7 at Watermead CountryPark. Full entry details can be foundat www.wreakevalleyrotary.org.uk

Race Director Chris Battye said:“This is the fifth year we have held therun. Last year we had 300 entrants ofall standards. We hope for at least thatnumber this year. The route is flat andmostly off road around the attractivelakes of Watermead Park. There areboth 3 mile and 5 mile routes offeringeveryone the opportunity to set a per-sonal best time.”

Exhibition of photos

Pic:(top) Imaan Hakeem (ctr) and (right) one ofImaan’s photos

Pic: a photo from the exhibition Mediators of Dissent by San Htet

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I am writing in response to Mrs Gam-ble's letter in the May issue of the postregarding the parking issues on MeadowLane and would like to make the follow-ing comments. First of all, on the day inquestion, Birstall United were not hold-ing a tournament, but were hosting acounty cup final on behalf of the Leices-tershire and Rutland county FA. Ourground had been chosen in recognitionof the hard work we have been puttingin to upgrade our facilities. The FA wereresponsible for spectators and in hind-sight, although we opened the gate foraccess to the side of the pitch, weshould have instructed the stewards tomake better use of this parking space,and for that we apologise. As Mrs Gam-ble points out however, the use of Mead-ow Lane is not solely Birstall United's.The Junior football club (which is totallyseparate to the senior section) had amatch that day, and the residents goingdown to the lakes were also plentiful onwhat was a pleasant morning, as werethe allotment holders, making parking

more of an issue than normal.Over the last year or so, people walk-

ing past our football club cannot havehelped but notice what an improvementwe have made to the appearance of ourfacility and indeed we have had numer-ous compliments from passers by. Withregards to us having access to the sidegate that used to lead to the allotments,this is not just for parking, but it hasgiven us the opportunity to totally en-close our ground, reducing the risk offly tipping and vandalism to our club-house and surrounding area. The Bir-stall parish council have beenunbelievably supportive in allowing usthis access, by building the new roaddown to the allotments and we are ex-tremely grateful to Sue Coulson and theteam. Going forward I can assure MrsGamble that on match days, we will haveboth entrances to our ground open andfootball traffic will be managed appro-priately, but it is an issue that with thelane having more usage, on certain daysparking will be tight. An example is thejunior football clubs annual tournament,which is always a tremendous successand attracts people from all over thecounty and city. Parking is always tight,but surely we should be celebrating thefact that people citywide recognise theseevents in our village as a success ratherthan a problem?

Gary Fox, Chairman, Birstall UnitedFootball Club.

his backing to us at Gunns CommunityGym. Super man! And last but not leastPaula Clifford. This girl has done somuch for charity here in Birstall, what awonderful person she is, working sohard to help others, well done Paula,you are a diamond.

We should all be very grateful to‘three marvellous people’, here in Bir-stall.

Carl Gunns

Birstall Walk in theVillageJoin John Kilby on Tuesday June 2 atthe School Lane Car Park at 7pm for awalk round the older part of BirstallA charge of £2.50 will be donated tothe Birstall Methodist Church for its‘Walk in the Light’ projectPlease phone John on 2673239 toagree a visitThere may be a limit of 25

Friends of Belgrave Cemetery

Summer FairSunday June 14From 10am to 3.30pmGuided Walk by Sandra Moore at 11am& 2pmdressed in Victorian CostumeRecord Information Stall, BelgraveCemeteryCake stall, refreshments, tombola stallIf you want to donate items for thecake stall or tombola or want to helpon the day please contact: Joy May0116 3678068www.friendsofbelgravecemetery.org.uk

Tickets are now available forSoar Valley Music Centre’s annual mu-sical theatre production

‘Anything CouldHappen’The show contains a wonderful set ofsongs and dance routines from musi-cals, old and new, such as Shrek, MaryPoppins, Oliver! and The Wizard of Ozso there will be something for every-one.Guthlaxton College, Station Road, Wig-stonFriday & Saturday, July 3/4 at 7.30pmTickets available from Soar Valley Mu-sic Centre0116 266 4153

YOUR SAY...

The Birstall Post welcomes your viewsand opinions on any subject. Letters, whichmust include your name and address,(though not necessarily for publication)can be posted to: The Birstall Post, Unit109, Greenacres, The Sidings, LeicesterLE4 3BR, or handed in at Birstall libraryor email: [email protected]

A few words about three outstandingpeople in our Birstall village. Thesethree people have done so much for thecommunity they deserve recognition.

First of all what they have achievedover the years is incredible. Jim Garner,the work he has done and the moneyspent on my Boxing Gym has been fan-tastic. Well done Jim! Secondly a localman by the name of Jeff Bullock, what agenerous fella he’s turned out to be,supporting my Gym financially and giving

Since you published my last letterthere has been some progress. To startwith the warden of Watermead had beenconducting a survey of the bats in thepark himself – unfortunately his staff hasbeen cut and for the last few years hehas not been able to follow this workup. During his survey three species ofpipistrelle, noctule, brown log-eared,Natterer’s, whiskered and Daubenton’sbat were identified; he was probablyusing electronic equipment to monitortheir calls in most cases, a level beyondmy scope and I would think most ofyour readers as well. He makes thepoint that bats will move from one laketo another on different nights, dependingon where the insects are emerging.

I have had three calls to date – tworelating to bats near the White Horse,and one to bats over Greengate Lane.Please keep the calls coming – mynumber is 0116 267 6946 and there isan ansaphone should I be out.

Dr D McNeilPS I do not expect people to identify

the species, but if the bat is big or smallit would be helpful.

A big thank you to all the people whohelped me when I fell off my bike out-side Boots the Chemist on Monday, April27 - David and his wife, the off dutyparamedic and the staff at Boots. Grate-ful thanks to you all.

Joan Merrick

Noticeboardall details printed free

Meadow Lane

Outstanding

Thanks

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JUN 2015THE BIRSTALL POST 9ADVERTISEMENT


The Staff team, Councillors and volunteers organised three popular and very well attended events during the year,namely, the Birstall Gala, the Christmas Lights Switch On & Market, the Civic Service & Lunch in October, which is heldto thank people who contribute their time to provide services for the community.

Achievements during the year have been:

� The installation of 2 defibrillators in thevillage, one on School Lane playing fields car parkand one at the Methodist Church on Wanlip Lane. Free training sessions wereprovided for the residents.

� Commenced work to progress the building of the Community Hall on HallamFields

� Extended the fencing on the School Lane playing fields

� Renewed the tarmac on the car park area outside the Village Hall

� Introduced & adopted a Grant Aid Policy to allow Birstall groups/organisations to apply for funding that has been set aside in the Councilsbudget. During this financial year Grant Aid was approved for three Birstallgroups amounting to £725

� Provided red filters to light up the Church & Council offices toCommemorate the Centenary of WW1

Birstall Parish Council has continued to provide financial support to:

� The Youth Café, which goes from strength to strength

� The Birstall & Wanlip Neighbourhood Watch, which contributes to the pre-vention of crime in our community

� Age UK Ltd, to fund the Bath Nurse service for vulnerable elderly residents

� Our Local Beat Team, by providing a room for their exclusive use in the Sibson Road building.

The Parish Council already has some projects in mind which it is looking to complete in 2015/16, these are:

� Continue to progress the building of Hallam Fields Community Hall

� Install a 3rd defibrillator on the Greengate Lane side of the A6

� Install a World War Commemorative Clock on the front of the Council Offices

� Employ a person to enforce the Byelaws regarding dogs on the playing fields

� Re-furbish the room at the Sibson Road building used by the Local Beat Team.

� Look into providing outdoor gym equipment on the playing fields

� Replace a window in the Day Centre

� Look into replacing the Estates team vehicle and any necessary machinery

Councillor Ann MarshallChair of Birstall Parish Council


Report from the Estates Team Manager—2014/2015

Birstall Parish Council’s Estates Team have enjoyed another successful year maintaining andimproving the Council’s sports facilities and amenity areas for the people of Birstall.

SPORTS PITCHES:

BOWLS: In the second season of maintaining the newly laid bowling green we suffered anextremely persistent attack of fungal disease on the green which affected the quality of theplaying surface. With the implementation of a new maintenance regime tailored specifically to preventfurther attacks coupled with a change in irrigation protocol we are hopeful that thecoming season will see a significant improvement to the green.

CRICKET: Both cricket pitches were maintained to the usual standard last year and both clubs enjoyeddecent seasons in the newly formed Leicestershire & Rutland Cricket League. Good weather throughoutthe summer meant that very few fixtures were rained off.

FOOTBALL: All four football pitches on School Lane Playing Fields played well throughout the whole sea-son and a dry second half of the winter meant that we were able to complete the whole season withouthaving to call off any fixtures at all.

ALLOTMENTS:

A lot of work was carried out at the Meadow Lane Allotment site this year. Large overhanging willow treeswere removed from the northern boundary and trees around the perimeter were

cut back to allow more light into the site. This allowed us to replace large sections of the boundary fenceand also to renovate two plots that were previously deemed unworkable. All nine taps at this site werealso replaced with new mounting posts installed.


CEMETERY:

The continuing popularity of ‘The Haven’ section of the Cemetery which allows ash casketinterments and the increasing demand for these plots has meant that we have created an extra 38 plotsthis year with many more planned for the coming year. We also made new signs for The Haven and TheGlade from the trunk of a Sycamore tree that had to be felled:

We also undertook a comprehensive programme of tree pruning throughout all sites which has furtherbenefitted areas such as the Woodland Walk which had an excellent display ofSnowdrops:

PLAYING FIELDS

We have started a programme of refurbishing the steel benches on School Lane Playing Fields. A numberof these benches have corrosion of the support legs which have to be removed and new legs welded on.New trees were planted at School Lane and at Harrowgate Drive. We also took over the maintenance ofthe first Play Area at Hallam Fields.

Andy GarlandEstates Team Manager

JUN 2015THE BIRSTALL POST 13£10 adults, £8.50 accompanied chil-dren under 14

Mountsorrel Methodist Churchpresents the last in the 14th series ofSunday Night @ Eight

Organ Recitalson Sunday June 21 at 8pmRon Berry, Organist, St Lukes, ThurnbyAdmission freeDonations for church’s developmentfundBuffet from 7.30pm

Councillor SurgeryLast Sat of every month10am to 12noon10 Sibson Road, Old Council OfficeTalk to your District & County Council-lorsto discuss any issue of local concern

Open ChurchWeekendat St Leonards Church, SwithlandJune 13/14Tea and cakes will be served each dayfrom 2-4pm

Birstall & District ArtSocietyTuesday June 9 at 7pmYou are invited to join us at the Palm-er Tomkinson Centre at Longslade Col-lege, LE4 4GH to watch renownedartist Peter Millward demonstratingChinese Brush techniques using ink.Please join us for this fascinatingdemonstration, which will end at ap-proximately 9pm. Members £1, Guests£3. Free raffle. Ample parking andwheelchair access.

Bowls Open DaySt Margaret’s Co-operative Bowls ClubBirstall RoadSunday June 7, afternoonWe are inviting anyone who is inter-ested to come down to our clubhouseon Birstall Road. Experience is notnecessary as help will be on hand. Wehope to give people a flavour of thegame and the great social life thatgoes with it. There will be no chargeand visitors will not be under any obli-gation. Please ring John or Carolyn on2675947 for further details.

Picnic in the ParkQueen’s Park, LoughboroughSat June 13, from 12noonArts & CraftsMusic from Sky-aManga, Maria Ver-etenina, Boys Brigade Marching Band,MorrisDancing, Street Dance, Circus Skills,Street MagicOrganised by Charnwood Arts

LeicestershireRoad Cycle ClubJoin us for one of two club rides eachweekWed: 6.30pm, meeting Leicester Out-door Pursuits Centre, Red Hill, 30miles with average speed of16/17mphSat: 9.15am, Rothley Co-op car park.Fast Group: 40/50 miles at averagespeed 18/20 mph. Slow Group: 30miles at 15mph. We meet up halfwayround for a coffee stop which enablespeople to swap groups for either afast return ride or an easier one home.

Facebook: Leicestershire Road Club

GCR War WeekendSat June 6, Sun June 710-4pmGreenacres café and Leicester NorthStationAmerican re-enactors with displays &jeepsVintage StallsClassic CarsFace painting, candy floss, balloonmodellingAdm £2, children free

Birstall BAG’sRegistered Charity Number 1160190This year’s

WatermeadChallengeon Tuesday July 7 at 7pm, The RotaryClub of Wreake Valley annual 5 or 3mile run around our glorious localpark, will be held in aid of BirstallBAG’s.Birstall BAG’s would like to encourageas many of our supporters as possibleto enter the event – wear pink to showyou support!For more information and to registerplease visit:www.wreakevalleyrotary.org.uk

Rothley Bowling Club (MountsorrelLane)extends a very warm welcome to eve-ryone to join us at our

Open DaySunday 12th July, 12noon to 4pmEveryone welcome (old, young, male,female, novices or experienced)All equipment provided - just wear flatsoled shoesCome and "have a go" and see whatbowling is all about at a very friendlyclub.Light refreshments will be served dur-ing the dayChummy Evenings are also held everyWednesday from 4.30 pm onwards foranyone interested.

Further details may be obtained fromClub CaptainsCarole Ballantine 0116 2302629Geoff Porter 0116 21032102303856Or Club Secretary Mrs Carole Law 01162990178 [email protected]

Sunday 14th June 201510am-3.30pm

Belgrave CemeteryOpen DayGuided Walk By Sandra MooreDressed In Victorian CostumeAt 11am & 2pmCemetery Record InformationRefreshmentsPublications Available‘Living Memories’ Belgrave FriendsRemembered price £10WWI Service Men Belgrave Cemetery.Price £15.www.friendsofbelgravecemetery.org.uk

St James ChurchSocial GroupCamden Market/Camden LocksSaturday June 20Camden Market and locks is a fascinat-ingarea of London and well worth a visit.There is lots to do and see there (oryou canhop on a bus into central London).The cost for the day is £20 and thecoach willleave from Birstall.To book a place or for further detailspleasephone Cicely 212 9508 or Sandra 2677238

Birstall FlowerClubJune 24th 2015, 7.15pmBirstall Village HallDemonstration by Sally Gee “Celebra-tions "Visitors welcome - £5

Queries to Sylvia: 0116 2674206 orMary Linnett: 0116 2672247

Birstall RoyalBritish Legion6th Derren Bolton M/V13th Nightshift M/Duo20th Tara Vex F/V27th Neil Alexander M/VDancing every Saturday night with liveentertainmentBingo, Free beer raffle and not forget-ting Open the BoxEvery Tuesday night Bingo starting at9.15pmQuiz nights Sunday 14th and 28thJune starting at 9pmAcoustic night Sunday 21st June at8pmFood available every Saturday 12-2pmWakes catered forWi-Fi availableBT SportsNew outside seating area

Thurmaston Showstoppers presenttheir Summer Show

We’ll Meet AgainOur new show is a celebration of theend of hostilities in the Second WorldWar. We have tried to capture thespirit and emotion of the time withwell chosen songs, an injection of hu-mour and even sadness. However wewill be sending our audience homewith a song in their heart and a smileon their lips. Tickets are £5.00 and“We’ll Meet Again” takes to the stageat Thurmaston Community Centre onJune 19th and 20th at 7.30.Tickets are available on 01163192117 or from Thurmaston PrintShop.

Film PresentationsFrom Thurcaston & Cropston ParishCouncil"The Theory of Everything"(Fri June 12, 123 mins)This is the extraordinary true story ofJane and Stephen Hawking, starring

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JUN 2015THE BIRSTALL POST14Felicity Jones who won a Golden GlobeAward for Best Actress and Eddie Red-mayne who won the Golden Globe andOscar for Best Actor. Defying the deathsentence of motor neurone disease,Stephen Hawking married Jane, raiseda family and altered drastically ourperception of the universe by search-ing for a single equation to explaineverything. Our June film is based onthe memoirs of Jane Wilde Hawking.Enjoy your summer! Our next film willbe shown on Friday September 11th.Thurcaston and Cropston Parish Coun-cil will be showing these films atThurcaston Memorial Hall. Starting at7.30pm, tickets cost £5 and conces-sions are £4.50. There will be refresh-ments and a lucky prize draw.Advanced tickets can be purchased viathe parish office -0116 236 7626 or at the door.

Highcliffe SummerFairSaturday 20th June, 1-4pmFun & GamesBouncy CastlesBake Off CompetitionFood & Drink • EntertainmentEntrance 50p,Primary School Children FreeFor craft fayre enquiries, please [email protected] or visitfacebook.com/highcliffepta

Singing for Funplus flautist Chris Hill (BBC Young Mu-sician of the Year Category Finalist)and local young singers, ‘Raise TheRoof’ for Dogs for the Disabled andVista at De Montfort HallSunday 14 June 2.30 and 7.30A feel-good programme of much-lovedsongs. You'll see many familiar Bir-stall faces in the choir! Tickets fromDMH 0116 233 3111

Age Concern Birstall &Wanlip 200 clubwinners April 1st Nicky Willis, 2nd Mary Allen,3rd Richard Green, 4th Mr and MrsThomas.May 1st Tracey Halford, 2nd GemmaTodd, 3rd Tony Luxton, 4th MargaretWillows

Soar Valley Music Centre

Summer Music ActivityWeeksAre you looking for something to keepyour children occupied over the sum-mer holidays? Soar Valley Music Cen-tre, based in Claremont Street, inBelgrave are running two summer ac-tivity weeks.

Music is fun!

Monday 13th - Friday 17th July 9am -3pm. For ages 6 - 12 years.Come along and find out about tradi-tional orchestral instruments, learn tocompose your own music, play a newinstrument, make your own orchestraand promote and organise your ownconcert for family and friends. Thisweek introduces children to a range ofmusical experiences, helping them tounderstand how instruments work,how music is developed and how towork together to make a pleasingsound and a good performance.

Techno, Rock & PopMonday 3rd August - Friday 7th Au-gust 9am - 3pm. For ages 9 - 16years.For those who want to explore therock and pop world and want to knowhow modern music is made. Comealong and learn how to make electron-ic music, make your own beats andthen record yourself and your friendsand produce a CD. You can learn toplay a band instrument, form and pro-mote a band and set up a gig for fami-ly and friends. You will also learnabout how modern music is writtenand performed, learn about copyright,plagiarism and how the music industryworks. It is a good course for youngpeople interested in developing theirmusical abilities and for those youwould like to perform or work in themusic industry.The weeks cost £45 per week per child(£40 per week per child for 3 or moresiblings). A packed lunch will beneededPlaces are limited so please contactSVMC on 0116 266 4153 or [email protected] to book aplace or to find out more.

Quorn Badminton ClubRawlins Community CollegeSports Hall ( 4 Courts)Monday evenings 7.45 - 9.45Just come and experience having funplaying matches with us.Further Information 07837 646544

Organist andChoirmasterRequired from Sunday 14th June2015.Birstall and Wanlip churches are look-ing for an organist/choirmaster towork in both churches; attendances:100 at 10am, 20 at 6pm.The successful candidate is someonewilling to play weekly at Sunday serv-ices and prepare the choir at weeklypractices; encouraging/developingnew members. The appointed personwould also play for weddings, funeralsand seasonal services throughout theChurch year.Remuneration will be by negotiationbut in accordance with the terms andconditions laid down by the Royal

School of Church Music.For further information contact theRector, Revd. Vince Jupp.Tel: 07840-855030E-mail [email protected]: www.birstall.org

By kind permission of Mr & Mrs WatersAt The Close, School Lane, Birstall LE44EA

Scout & GuideSummer GalaSaturday 13 June 2.15pmBand Display, Bouncy Castle, Teas,Cakes, Stalls, Games, Barbeque.Admission 20p

Birstall & DistrictLocal History SocietyThe next meeting is to be held onThursday 11th June 2015 at 7.30pm inthe Birstall Village Hall, Birstall Road,Birstall LE4 4DH.The subject of the talk will be "Enclo-sure & The Village Labourer" and thespeaker will be Mike Rawle.All visitors are very welcome to joinus.Parking will be available for cars onthe Birstall Playing Fields through theSchool Lane entrance.•

Bipolar CoffeeMorningfor Bipolar UK, the national charitysupporting individuals and familiesaffected by bipolar, sometimes knownas manic depression.Saturday 27th of June from 10am tomiddayat Methodist Church Hall, Wanlip Lane,Birstall LE4 4JS.Tea and coffee will be served along-side a number of stalls which will in-clude cakes, plants, nearly new goodsand a tombola.

Leicester Host Lions Club

Summer FeteSunday 2 August 201511.00am - 2.30pmat 34 The Ridgeway Rothley LeicsVariety of Stalls, BBQ, RefreshmentsMusic by Hiss & Boo Band until1.30pmAdmission £2.00 Children £1.00

Big BirstallYard SaleSaturday July 410am to 4pmDo you fancy having a car boot salestall but from the comfort of your owndriveway?On Sat July 4 members of the publicwill follow a map around Birstall to

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JUN 2015THE BIRSTALL POST 15find stalls and hunt for bargains andunwanted clutter.Last year’s event was a huge successand also raised over £2000 via a char-ity raffle.If you fancy having a clear-out whilegenerating some spare cash at thesame time, you can register your ad-dress so buyers can find you on themap. There is no cost involved.Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigBirstallYardSaleTel or text Fiona on 07547 293545www.bigbirstallyardsale.co.ukTwitter: @bbirstallydsaleIf desired, you can make a donationtowards advertising costs here:www.gofundme.com/BigBirstallYardSale

Birstall Village GalaSat/Sun June 27/28 at the School Laneplaying fieldThe gala begins on Saturday at noonwith performances by two dance acad-emies, and local bands will be per-forming on stage from 1.30pm.On Sunday, the gala begins with anoutdoor church service at 11am andmusic will be performed between noonand 5pm.The proms in the park in concert be-gins at 7pm and concludes with a fire-work finale at 9.45pm.

BIRSTALL PARISH Council’s annual par-ish meeting was held on Monday May18.

Parish Council Chairman Ann Marshallreported on the council’s activities overthe previous 12 months.

She said the council had installed twodefibrillators in the village and organisedtraining sessions, and was working onprogressing the construction of a commu-nity hall at Hallam Fields.

A new grant aid policy has seen £725donated to local groups.

Tony Donovan, chairman of Age UKLeicestershire and Rutland, reported thata donation from the Edith Murphy foun-dation had paid for a new bath and arefurbished bathroom at the St James DayCentre in the Village Hall. This enablesfrail elderly people to bathe with assist-ance from a bath nurse. He said the DayCentre provides valuable support forelderly people that enables them to livefor longer in their own homes.

Police Sgt Rob Smart reported thatBirstall’s NHW was comprehensive andvery effective at reducing crime and sup-porting the local police team. He said thecurrent police priorities in the villagewere antisocial behaviour on Wanlip Laneand Sibson Road and speeding on WanlipLane and Birstall Road. He said the policewere working with schools and partnersat the Borough Council on reducing ASB.Four young people had signed acceptablebehaviour contracts. Reports of ASB aredecreasing.

Sgt Smart said 1600 vehicles had beenspeed checked since February. 47 driversreceived a verbal warning and six weresummonsed for exceeding 40 mph in a30mph zone.

Sgt Smart reported that a re-organisa-tion of working methods introduced tocut costs had seen local police officersgiven more time to spend in their localareas addressing community issues ratherthan investigating specific crimes. Theseare now handled by a dedicated unit.

Borough Councillor David Gaskell

reported that the Local Plan was goingthrough. He said that when he first sawproposals for 1500 homes at north Bir-stall he was totally opposed to them butafter looking at the plans he thought itwas a good scheme. “I think it will be acracking development” he said, and notlike Hallam Fields.

County Councillor Iain Bentley saidthat he was continuing to press for thecreation of a primary school and recrea-tional facility at Hallam Fields, and that hewas hopeful an announcement would bemade shortly. He said people were askingfor the school to be built on the estate,having been sold the houses on the basisof a school being provided there.

Youth Workers from the Parish Coun-cil funded youth café were joined by twoyoung people who spoke about what theyenjoyed doing at the Wednesday andFriday sessions: arts, crafts, trips, hairand beauty and playing table tennis withPCSO Mark Butler. Funding from 2014duck race had paid for the installation ofa cooker.

A member of the public reported thatsome paths on the School Lane playingfield were very slippery in icy weatherand requested warning signs be erected.She also reported that football players onthe park were urinating against fences.

The May meeting of the council fol-lowed the annual meeting.

Cllr Ann Marshall was elected aschairman for the ensuing year and CllrRobert Dickinson vice chairman.

PC Dave Jaeckels reported that therehad been a slight increase in recordedcrime last month, but that there were noburglaries in April. He said that youngpeople were repeatedly climbing onto theroofs of the Co-op supermarket and Riv-erside primary school. They had beenspoken to, he said.

It was agreed to donate £100 to theBirstall Bit Yard sale. Organisers hadrequested support to pay for the printingof raffle tickets.

Parish Council notes

THIS YEAR'S Wanlip May Fayrewas well attended and exceed-ed expectations for the numberof customers and money raised- the target was £500 and£650 was raised.

It was a joint venture betweenBirstall St James & Wanlip St Nicholasand Wanlip Parish village residentsand the stallholders were drawn fromboth communities.

Pauline Harrison said: “For someyears now we have been focussing onraising funds to renovate the kitchenin the Hall at Wanlip. This is muchmore than a simple re-fit. The kitch-en is located in the stable area ofwhat was the coach house [built inthe 1850s] for Wanlip Hall [demol-ished in 1938/9].

“The first task is to bring the roomitself up to current building standards

for insulation and hygiene thenthe fun begins, fitting out a kitchenwhich we hope will meet communityneeds for many, many years to come.”

With the addition of a small grantfrom Charnwood Borough Council, itis hoped that work will commence onthe kitchen in July this year.

TRAVELLERS WHO left Redhillisland in May left behind lit-ter including bags of rubbishand metal.

It was the second occupation of thetraffic island by travellers this year.

They also left behind a caravan andfirefighters were called when this wasset alight on Friday May 15 at 8.30pm.

A spokesman for Leicestershire Fireand Rescue Service said the fire hadbeen started deliberately. No one wasinjured in the incident.

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NOW IS the time of year that some of youare planning to go on holiday and hope-fully the weather will be nice for thosestaying at home.

Simple precautions can help to preventheartache whilst you are away or enjoyingtime in your garden. Please try not to make itobvious that you are on holiday, one thingthat many people do is to shut their curtainsor blinds. This can make it obvious to anopportunist criminal that nobody is home;should they break in, it also shields themfrom view.

If you have somebody that you trust, askthem to open and close your curtains for you.You could also invest in a timer switch for alamp, these are cheap to buy. Leaving yourbin out a week early is also a giveaway thatyou are not at home, it is worth asking aneighbour or friend to put it out for you.

There are also simple things that you cando to make it look like someone is home,leaving a few pots next to your sink or leavingan open magazine on a chair are just twoexamples (so that it looks like you have just

put it down). A good idea is to ask a friendor neighbour to check your post. A pile ofpost on view or hanging out of your letterboxis a giveaway that you aren't at home. If youare spending more time in your garden,please make sure that your front door islocked and open windows are shut. Therehave been cases of homes being burgledwhilst the homeowners are in the garden! Ifyou have been gardening or doing DIY pleaseput your tools away securely at the end of theday, it is worth investing in a good lock orpadlock alarm.

There was a recent incident of a shedbeing broken into and the tools were thenused to break into a neighbour's property. Itis worth remembering to behave on holidayas you would at home. Your guard may bedown due to the relaxed atmosphere and it isall to easy to fall for scams and opportunistthieves. Keep your valuables safe and alwayshave a photo copy of your passport shouldthe worse happen. Above all, enjoy your holi-day and keep yourselves and your propertysafe!

The next advice shop is on June 20 atHighcliffe school summer fair, from 1pm until4pm at the old council office, opposite thegarden centre. Pop along for free cycle cod-ing and a free tea or coffee. Committee mem-bers will also be at the Gala on Sunday June28 with our usual free items and securityproducts for sale (all at cost price)

From Birstall & Wanlip NHW

cles continues to be a problem with an-other 10 broken into during the month.

Again, it appears to be vans and commer-cial vehicles that are being targeted, mainly tosteal power tools etc. If possible please takeextra security measures to secure your vehi-cle such as fitting additional locks, installinga ‘security-box’ inside to store your tools in,or if possible removing them altogether.

Since the start of the year there have beenalmost 2500 vehicles broken into in Leices-tershire as a whole and so it is clear that thisis a problem across the whole County asopposed to just Birstall and Wanlip.

On a local level we are continuing withour overnight patrols (as this is when themajority of the crimes are occurring) andhave also been out delivering Vehicle CrimeLeaflets in the areas that have been affectedto give residents some practical advice aboutvehicle security.

I am pleased to report that we have nothad any house burglaries this month, whichis obviously very good news. As the warmerweather starts to arrive and doors and win-dows are opened to let the fresh air in,please remember to secure these when yougo out again as burglars will be looking forthese in order to gain entry to houses quicklyand easily. Let’s make it as difficult as we canfor them.

Unfortunately we have not been able toget out and do any more speed checks dur-ing April however our plan is to continuethese as and when we can. Now that it isstaying lighter for longer the plan is to alsoget the Community Speed-watch initiative upand running, which will use local residents toconduct speed checks. They will then forwarddetails of any vehicles caught speeding to thePolice so that they can be dealt with accord-ingly.

We continue to target Anti-Social Behav-iour (ASB) in the village and by workingclosely with a number of other agencies suchas the local schools, the Youth OffendingService and the Parish / Borough Councils weare successfully dealing with those who havebeen causing problems in the village. As aresult we have seen a decline in the numberof calls reporting ASB, which we hope willcontinue.

Thanks for reading and as always pleaseremain vigilant and report any crimes orsuspicious activity to the Police on 101. Youcan also contact your local NHW co-ordinatorfor advice on non-crime matters.

PC 1759 Dave Jaeckels, PCSO’s 6611

BIRSTALL LADIES Bowling Club’sPa Walker is part of the Englandladies squad for the British IslesInternational Series, which takeplace in Leamington Spa laterthis month.

Pa, who made her England debut inlast year’s series, has been named as atravelling reserve and will play if thereare any changes made to the originalteam during the series, which involvesgames against Scotland, Jersey, Walesand Ireland.

As part of club member John Jenkins’year as Leicestershire men’s President,Birstall will be hosting a men’s countymatch between Leicestershire and Ox-fordshire on Wednesday 3rd June.Spectators are welcome with the gamestarting at 2pm.

New members are always welcome,and for more information about theclub, ladies can call Diane on 01162675457 and men can contact Andy on0116 2677969.

NHW news& crime report

RECORDED CRIME fell slightly in April with39 crimes being reported compared to 43in March, however theft from motor vehi-

Crime Report : April 2015Assaults 5, burglary non-dwelling 2, dam-

age 6, damage to motor vehicle 3, drugs 2,robbery 1, theft 5, theft cycle 2, theft frommotor vehicle 10, theft store 3

Mark Butler and 6391 Fiona Lacey.NL60 – Birstall Police Office.

http://www.leics.police.ukTel: 0116 2677355 (Please note this is an

advice line only – Please use 101 or 999 toreport crime).

LEICESTER SEA Cadets are looking for new recruits.A spokesman said: “From the age of ten both boys and girls can join to have fun and gain

skills and qualifications, on the water and off. Rowing, canoeing, kayaking and powerboatingare just some of our water based activities.

“On land first aid, cook steward, navigation and seamanship to name but a few. Courses andcamps are a favourite to, with the chance to further your skills at sea.”

The cadets parade on a Tuesday and Thursday evening from 7pm until 9pm at their base onRoss Walk, Belgrave.

They are also looking for adult volunteers to join them.Contact them on 0116 2662865 or 07456644953. Facebook page SCCT.S.TIGER.

Cadets looking for recruitsPic: Pa Walker

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A BIRSTALL hairstylist andsalon owner spent time inLondon recently with celeb-rity hairdresser Tracey Cun-ningham.

Birstall’s new MP, Ed-ward Argar (pictured), wonthe Charnwood constituencywith 28,384, a majority of16,931. He increased theConservative share of the vote from 49% in2010 to 54% in 2015.

The defeated candidates were:Kelly Walsh, Sean (Lab) 11,453Yates, Lynton (UKIP) 8330Sansome, Simon (Lib Dem) 3605Duffy, Cathy (BNP) 489Turnout: 68%Conservative candidates were also suc-

cessful in the Charnwood Borough Councilelections. There are two members returnedfor each ward. The results were:Birstall Wanlip (turnout 72%)

Cowles, Marilyn (Lab) 987Howe, Julian (Lib Dem) 851Jones, Renata (Con) 1459 (elected)McNeil, Duncan (Lab) 873Sansome, Simon (Lib Dem) 1289Shergill, Serina (Con) 1308 (elected)

Birstall Watermead (turnout 67%)Bentley, Iain (Con) 2023 (elected)Burge, Dave (Lab) 1082Gaskell, David (Con) 2014 (elected)Gogia, Sanjay (Lab) 991Speaking on behalf of the Conservative

candidates, Cllr David Gaskell said: “Wewould like to thank all those people whovoted for us at the recent Borough election.It was quite humbling to receive such a mas-sive show of support for what we haveachieved over the past four years and forwhat we have promised to try to achieve inthe next four.

“Of all the things which happened duringthe course of the election, two things standout. Firstly, the lady who arrived at the poll-ing booth with our names and the name ofour prospective parliamentary candidate, cutout from our election literature, saying thatshe had read all the literature and thesewere the people she was going to vote for.To us this justified all the hard work whichhad gone into producing and delivering ourleaflets.

“Secondly the old man who came up tous and told us that although he was votingLabour in the general election, because healways had, he was voting for us at the Bor-ough elections because we had done somuch over the past four years for him andhis friends. These sentiments were echoedtime and again during the course of thecampaign and were subsequently obviouslyreflected on the ballot papers.

“This is the start of a new term of office.As we said on our manifesto we will beworking to ensure that the views of Birstallare always heard at Charnwood but to dothis we are reliant on you keeping us in-formed. Come to our surgery held at 10amon the last Saturday in the month in the oldcouncil offices, Sibson Road Birstall or byletter to 768 Melton Road, Thurmaston LE48BD or by phone at 2673941 or by email to

[email protected], or just bytalking to us in the street. If we know aboutit, we will act upon it and it does not matterfor whom you voted.”

Lib Dem candidate Simon Sansome camethird in his bid to become Charnwood MP,and failed to hold on to his seat as Charn-wood Councillor by 19 votes. He said: “It’sbeen a real pleasure representing Birstall onCharnwood Borough Council. I loved everyminute, helping old friends and family withissues affecting them and fighting to protectBirstall.

“I hope that someone will pick up thebaton now that I’m not on the council thereis no voice against the 1500 homes next toBentley’s Roses. The Tories are unlikely tofight this as it’s part of their Core Strategy.

“The Tories also made the election verypersonal by stating as a councillor I lied andbroke the rules, which of course was rub-bish. It was supposed to be a campaign onwhat we have achieved in the village butdisintegrated into mudslinging and personalattacks.

“If there is one thing I’ve learned aboutbeing a councillor it’s about representing thepeople in the village, fighting for their issuesand views, not fighting with other councillorsand campaign agents. It’s not what politics isabout and people turn away from politicsbecause of statements like these.

“As a councillor I like to think I made adifference, I didn’t have a magic wand andmake massive changes to the village but I didwhat I could as one councillor. I also like tothink I’ve raised political awareness in thevillage by putting out regular news lettersand I hope that residents will sit up and takenotice of their new councillors and makethem work for their allowance.

“I have not decided if I will stand forfuture election for the village, it’s too earlyafter the election to make that decision.However, Birstall does need a voice that willstand up and fight for the village. I like tothink I did this for a short while.

“It’s been an amazing ride, I wish thenewly elected councillors on the BoroughCouncil all the best in their role.”

Shapes’salonsecrets

Clare Halford from Shapes Hairdress-ing was learning about colour formulasand techniques that Tracey uses on herclientele, including Cameron Diaz, Gwyn-eth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore and theKardashians.

Clare said: “So if you want the actualcolours and techniques including Baby-lights, Ombre, Lowlights, Sombre &Highlights that you see some of yourfavourite celebs wearing today, our teamof stylists can recreate these looks foryou.

“We are a Redken certified ColourSalon. Book in for a free colour consul-tation at either of our hair salons bycalling 0800 756 5606”

Pic: Tracey Cunningham with Clare Halford (right)

ELECTION DAY in May was a successful one for the Conservativeparty in Charnwood.

OPPORTUNITIES TO developsports facilities on theLongslade College site arebeing considered by the Li-onheart Academies Trust.

The trust, which embraces all Birstall’sschools, wants any facilities to benefit stu-dents at all schools, and the wider commu-nity.

Chair of the Lionheart Academy TrustChris Swan said: “At the moment it's im-possible to say what the outcome of ourdiscussions will be, but the process willinvolve looking at local sports strategiesand seeing how we can dovetail our workwith needs that have been identified locallyfrom a strategic point of view.

“These discussions will consider allsports including rugby, swimming, athlet-ics, 4G football pitches, cricket, tennis andothers. In the end any new facilities willhave to pass the test of having an identifiedneed, a source of funding, being sustaina-ble long term, having partnership opportu-nities so that the academy can focus mainlyon teaching and learning, and bringingdirect benefits to children and young peo-ple in the Birstall schools.”

The trust plans to consult with otherschools on how they sustain swimmingpools on their sites.

BIRSTALL’S BEAT bobby has beennominated for an award.

PC Dave Jaeckels has been a beatofficer in the village since September2013 and is in the running to be theLeicester Mercury Beat Bobby of theYear.

May election results Sportsfacilities

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REPAIRS TO the damage caused byvandals at Watermead Country Parkare under way with more than £2000raised by local fundraising.

A spokesman for Leicestershire Coun-ty Council told the Birstall Post: “Wehave been overwhelmed by the responseof the local community and businesseswho have rallied to support the rangersfollowing the vandalism at Watermead.

“We would like to thank everyonewho has contributed to helping ensurethat the thoughtless acts of a few individ-uals of a few individuals have not spoiltthe enjoyment of the park for visitors. Sofar, thanks to donated items and fund-raising, the memorial trees have beenreplaced and the fending has beenmended. New dog bins have been donat-ed and will be installed soon, while weare still waiting for replacement benchesto be made.”

The vandals struck on April 11,smashing fencing, benches, bins andsnapping memorial trees.

Anstey resident Georgie Bedding setup an online fundraising campaignwhich has seen donations come in fromindividuals and businesses.

James Cole and Sons Nurseries of

Thurnby have donated six trees to re-place the ones that were damaged.

To donate to the online fund go towww.gofundme.com/beatthevandals

STALLS, MUSIC, a funfair andfireworks are all promised atthis year’s village gala.

Organised by Birstall Parish Council theevent takes place on June 27/28 at the SchoolLane playing field.

The gala begins on Saturday at noon withperformances by two dance academies, andlocal bands will be performing on stage from1.30pm.

On Sunday, the gala begins with an out-door church service at 11am and music willbe performed between noon and 5pm.

The proms in the park in concert beginsat 7pm and concludes with a firework finaleat 9.45pm.

Visitors can bring their own picnics andchairs to the concert but no barbeques areallowed. There will be several hot food out-lets available on site.

To help with the running costs of the galathere is a £1 admission charge. Stalls are stillavailable and can be booked atwww.birstallparishcouncil.org.uk

Anyone who would like to volunteer tohelp the Parish Council run the event onSaturday or Sunday can contact Parish ClerkSue Coulson on 0116 2676191.Saturday Bands

12noon: Steps School of Dance1pm: Faces Arts Dance Academy1.30pm: Stonehill School Bands2pm: Benji Was a Friend of Mine3pm: The Kamikazes4pm: RetroRocket5pm: Seventy Seven6pm: Ska-aManga7pm: James Plimmer8pm: 8 Miles High

Sunday11am: Outdoor Church Service12noon: Alysha Dhakk1pm: Fosse Swing Band2pm: Peter Crebbin & his Cool SwingBand3pm: Ashby Big Band4pm: Nigel Merritt (Elton John Trib-ute)5pm: The Annie Duggan Band

Proms in the Park Event7pm: The Hathern Band & Miss JennySaunders (soprano)9.45pm: Firework Display to concludethe Gala 2015

Birstallvillagegala

A LOCAL volunteer who loves swansis appealing for photos of swannests.

Julie of Watermead Swans said:“Keep your photos safe of any swannests in the county and how manycygnets hatch. I hope to put up apicture gallery on my blog of thenests.”

Julie-watermead-swans.blogspot.co.uk07779 770917

THE MAY meeting for Birstall and Wan-lip WI didn’t turn out quite as plannedas our booked speaker did not attendbut we still had a pleasant evening.

With no time constraints we were able todiscuss our past, present and future business ina more leisurely fashion. We won our skittlesmatch against Markfield WI in April so now gothrough to the next round. Maxilyn and Bever-ly brought in a wonderful diversity of knittedand crotched items made by members for saleat our Coffee and Craft morning in aid of AirAmbulance and Gorse Hill City Farm.

Due to our extended refreshment breakthere was more time to peruse the crafts andmany members were tempted into buying itemsthat evening getting our fund raising off to agood start.

We discussed and voted on the WI resolu-tion concerning joined up care for the elderlyto be put forward at the Centennial AnnualMeeting at the Albert Hall.

Then Maxilyn gave us an impromptu chatabout her voluntary work at a Memory Lossclinic helping not only sufferers of Alzheimerbut also those who have memory loss due toloneliness.

Our June meeting will be our 97th BirthdayParty at the Red Lion in Rothley when we willall attempt to wear hats or fascinators. Also inJune Beverly and Chris will be attending the WIAfternoon Tea at Buckingham Palace in thepresence of Princess Anne and the Countess ofWessex.

From Birstall & Wanlip WI

WIN A great cash prize andsupport Birstall BAGS by buy-ing a Birstall 50/50 lotteryticket.

Organised by Paula Clifford, youbuy one or more raffle tickets for £1each and when the raffle is drawn onSunday June 28, at Birstall gala, onelucky winner will receive 50 per centof the fund, with the remaining halfgoing to Birstall BAGS.

Buy a ticket at Birstall Gala, look atBirstall’s 50/50 lottery on facebook,or contact Paula on 0793 455 1563

THE GATES of Highcliffe Primary School will be opened onceagain to welcome visitors to Highcliffe Summer Fair on SaturdayJune 20, 1-4pm.

“This exciting family fair is open toall members of the community who cancome and join in the fun” said aspokesman.

A wide range of entertaining games,including the world’s largest tombola,inflatables and much more fun will beon offer as well as an impressive rangeof raffle prizes for winners of the prizedraw. Tickets are available to buy fromJune 4 through the school office.

Local groups, many made up of chil-dren that attend Highcliffe PrimarySchool, will be providing entertainment.

The popular Great Highcliffe BakeOff, now in its fourth year, will be host-ed and everyoneis encouraged toenter and showoff their skills.Two age groups,under 16s andover 16s cansubmit one entryinto these catego-ries: one large

cake or four identical cupcakes. Awardswill be given to the winners of eachcategory and there is a prize for best inshow in each age group. Visitors to thefair will be able to sample the delightsafterwards as the entries are sliced andsold to raise money for the school.

Also featuring on the day will be amarket of homemade crafts, bouncycastle, coffee shop and raffle draw –with prizes donated by generous busi-nesses across the village.

The event is organised by HighcliffeParent Teachers Association. ReshmaKukadia, chair of the association, said:“Our Summer Fair is our main fundrais-

ing event of the yearand has been fantasti-cally supported bypupils, parents andcarers alike. Last yearwe had a fantasticSummer Fair celebrat-ing 50 years of High-cliffe Primary Schooland are looking for-

ward this year to another family fun dayout for the whole community. I’d liketo thank the local businesses who havebeen very generous in donating prizesand continuing to support us. We’dwelcome any further donations.”

The Summer Fair runs from 1-4pmon Saturday June 20. Entrance is 50pper adult, free for school children, andcan be paid at both Greengate Lane andElmfield Avenue gates. If you would likemore information or are interested intaking a stall for the homemade craftmarket, [email protected] or visitwww.facebook.com/HighcliffePTA

Highcliffe summer fair

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Something for everyoneIf we look around the activities which take

place in the villages of Birstall and Wanlip, itbecomes clear that with the exception ofsport, there are far more interest groupsaimed at women than for men. It may comeas news to some people that there is a“Men’s Group” which meets every twomonths at 7.45pm on a Sunday evening at theBritish Legion, to listen to talks on topics ofgeneral interest or for discussion. Anyone iswelcome (sorry, not ladies!) and ideas forspeakers or discussion are always invited.The next meeting will be on Sunday July 12,but Bert Tegg on 2673817 can supply moreinformation.

St. James Monday Group – women only –meets on the seconf Monday of each month,and in the last year has supported the Bubblecharity for children born without an immunesystem, for which they have raised £1720through special events. This year the groupwill be raising money for the Alzheimer’sSociety, alongside a programme of talks, visitsand social events. Currently the group ismeeting in the social area of St. James churchand on Monday June 8 at 7.30pm there willbe a talk by Revd Julie Ann Heath, who isknown as a very entertaining speaker. New-comers are always welcome to come alongand try out this very active group. Jane on2673761 or Joan on 2674223 can alwayssupply more information.Not forgetting the children...

Many of us will remember being “sent toSunday School”, possibly on a Sunday after-noon, in our young days. Whether you re-member that with pleasure or horror mayhave depended on the quality of the teachers!Sunday school at St. James nowadays is a verydifferent affair. A small team of adult helpers(including some former schoolteachers)works with the children in their own area atthe back of the church during the 10 amservice and through activities, songs and sto-ry-telling, they learn at their own level aboutthe Christian faith. They usually come for-ward at the end of the service, to show to theadults what they have been doing. Again, anynew children will be welcomed – the orangejuice and biscuits at the end are very popular!

From Birstall Parish Churches

Guided walk round old BirstallHistorian and long-time resident of Bir-

stall, Mr John Kilby is organising a walkaround the older parts of Birstall. It takesplace at 7pm on Tuesday June 2, meet at theSchool Lane Car park. Booking is essential(Tel John on 2673239). The charge is £2.50with proceeds to the ‘Walk-in-the-light” build-ing project.Gala Service

On the weekend of Birstall Gala, themorning service will take place on SchoolLane Playing Field at 11am. There will be noservice at the Methodist Church. AndrewBiggins will lead this outdoor service of wor-ship.Paddington

On Sunday June 21 at the MethodistChurch the film “Paddington” will be shown.Starting at 5.30. Tea & biscuits follow with adiscussion on issues raised by the film in-cluding what it means to welcome a stranger.The film has a PG category.Charnwood Hike

This event was scheduled for April, butdue to a variety of circumstances has beenpostponed. The new date is September 12.Charnwood Hike is a one day competitiveevent run by old boys of the Birstall BB Com-pany, part of Birstall Methodist Church.

From Birstall Methodist Church

which examine basic Christian teachings foranyone who is either interested in finding outabout Christian beliefs or in discussing andsharing beliefs. It is suitable for individualsof any denomination or religion (or none).There will be plenty of time for questions anddiscussion in an informal setting. Pleasecontact the number given below to register aninterest and preference for day(s). We willthen seek to arrange the most commonlyconvenient time and contact you with details.If you would like to participate, but prefer adaytime meeting, then still get in touch andwe will see what can be organised.Services

You are warmly invited to join us for anyof our Sunday services. We meet in theCommunity Room at Highcliffe PrimarySchool, Greengate Lane (LE4 3DL), starting at10.45am Our visiting speaker this month isDr. Simon Harrison (Leicester) on June 21.

Further information please ring 01162214883.Anne Taylor, Birstall Independent Baptist Church

BVCC has continued its fantastic startto the year in both the 1st XI and 2ndXI teams.

The 1st team are currently fourth placeand in touching distance of top spot. Division4 central is a very competitive league withmany teams of similar ability, so winning keymoments in matches and trusting the depth ofthe team has seemed to be the success at themoment. New signings Max Lewin has had agreat start with the bat and Grant Wright isgetting stronger every week with the ball andboth look like quality acquisitions for theclub.

The 2nd team after an uneasy start hasreally hit form. With the 1st team playing anestablished side each week, it has allowedskipper Ashley Coulthard to pick his bestteam. Ian Bartlett is on fire with the bat andBVCC junior Jack Wright is looking devastat-ing with the ball. This is putting the club in agreat position as we still have club academicsPrad Sood and Sunny Lalseta to come backthis month.

Exceptional Performances so far this sea-son: 1st XI

Max Lewin, Andy Galpin, Kyle Tho-mas, Andy Lord.

2nd XIIan Bartlett Rich Olsen, Ashley

Coulthard, Jack Wright, Steve FindleyDon’t forget that Saturday June 6 is

our next social event – BBQ and drinks.The BBQ will follow the 1st XI’s matchvs Hinckley Town CC. All members andassociated members of the club wel-come!

Things happening in June (Homefixtures – 1pm start)

Saturday 6th June –1st XI (vs Hinckley Town CC)Saturday 13th June – 2nd XI (vs Long Whatton 2nd XI)Saturday 20th June – 1st XI (vs Narborough and Lit-

tlethorpe 2nd XI)Saturday 27th June – 2nd XI (vs Loughborough Out-

wards 2nd XI)Saturday 4th July – 2nd XI (vs Hinckley CC 1st XI)Next Social event - Presidents Day, Sunday 12th July.

Any further information please contact JonGaydon on 07717533690.

From Joshua Saye, Birstall Village Crick-et Club

News from the churches

Looking aheadThe popular School of Theology will again

be held at the Metropolitan Tabernacle inLondon at the beginning of next month, fromTuesday 7th to Thursday 9th July. It is the40th annual conference and the two USspeakers this year are Dr. John Makujinafrom Erskine College in South Carolina andDavid Reed from Massachusetts. The othersix speakers are from London, West Mid-lands, Scotland and Wales. The theme is:‘Biblical Prerequisites for Spiritual Instrumen-tality.’ The two afternoon sessions considerSunday Schools and a Pastor from Beirut willspeak on the situation facing the Christianchurches in Lebanon and the Middle East.Full details can be found at:www.metropolitantabernacle.orgChristianity course

It is some time since we mentioned thatwe offer a free, six-week series of meetings,

CricketCorner

THE SENIOR Leadership team of thenew Cedars Academy has been ap-pointed.

Stonehill High School and LongsladeCommunity College will merge in Septem-ber 2015 to create the new academyschool, providing education for youngpeople aged 11-19.

The acting principal of Longslade MrJason Smith, has been appointed Head ofAcademy. Sally Wicken will be Vice Princi-pal (Teaching and Learning).

Alan Monks, Headteacher at Stonehill,and Dee Fox (Deputy Headteacher atStonehill) both chose not to consider apost in the new academy and will leaveStonehill at the end of this academic year.

A letter to parents issued by the CedarsAcademy said Dee Fox will be retiring andAlan Monks has chosen to “take the op-portunity to consider a variety of futurepathways”.

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Smoking, E Cigs, Vaping and CancerRisk

Smokers are increasingly turning tovaporisers/E cigarettes to help them stopsmoking. Birstall BAG's thought it mightbe helpful to update Birstall Post readerson what the experts say about thesealternative smoking cessation alterna-tives.

Smoking is by far the biggest prevent-able cause of cancer. Thanks to years ofresearch, the links between smoking andcancer are now very clear. Smokingaccounts for more than 1 in 4 UK can-cer deaths, and nearly a fifth of all can-cer cases.

Smoking is very addictive becausetobacco contains a powerfuldrug called nicotine. Ciga-rettes are deliberatelydesigned to give you a fastnicotine hit. It takes lessthan 20 seconds for thedrug to reach your brainfrom inhaled cigarettesmoke. Nicotine causesaddiction in much the sameway as heroin or cocaine. It is justas addictive as these ‘harder’ drugs.

This is the reason why most smokerssay they want to quit but find it so diffi-cult. If you start smoking, you may findit very hard to stop later on.

Are e-cigarettes safer than cigarettes?These new products, which have

become increasingly popular in the UKover the last few years, produce vapourfrom nicotine dissolved in propyleneglycol or glycerine. Low levels of con-taminating chemicals have been found inthem but e-cigarettes are almost certain-

ly far safer than smoking ciga-rettes.

E-cigarettes may havethe potential to helpsmokers escape theirdeadly addiction totobacco. But moreevidence is needed toprove this – there haveonly been a few small

trials so far. And thesenew products are not regu-

lated yet, so they can vary signifi-cantly in quality and any possiblelong-term risks are not known.

At the moment there is great debateabout the wider impact of e-cigarettes.They could potentially save millions of

UK smokers byproviding theoption for them toswap to a lessharmful product.Or they could beused along withcigarettes andsustain addictionor renormalizesmoking. There iscurrently no evi-dence to supportthe concern

raised by some sceptics that non-smok-ers are taking up vaporising/E Cigarettesbelieving them to be harm free.

Until more evidence is available,experts recommend using the NHS stopsmoking serviceswww.nhs.uk/livewell/smoking which weknow can increase your likelihood ofquitting by more than 3 times.

The simple message is STOP if youcan but reducing harm through alterna-tive measures is better than nothing!

For further information:www.cancerresearchuk.org andwww.macmillan.org.uk

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

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

Contact the BAG’s by [email protected]

Birstall BAG’s Registered CharityNumber 1160190

PLEASE SUPPORT:- The first everBirstall BAG's lottery - draw takes placeat the Birstall GALA. 50/50 split in prizemoney and charity donation. £1 perticket available from Paula Clifford orany of the BAG's.

The 2015 Watermead Challenge onTuesday July 7th at 7pm, The RotaryClub of Wreake Valley annual 5 or 3mile run around our glorious localpark, which is being held in aid of Bir-stall BAG’s.

TELEPHONE EXTENSION Socketsfitted by ex-BT engineer. Cable,BT and digital TV. Over 25 yrs ex-perience. John 2675132, mob:077 91788331AMLI DESIGN Architectural Consul-tancy. Plans drawn and submitted.Extensions, conversions, newbuild. David Ives B.Sc.(Hons)FBEng MCIOB 0116 2674395 /07974807111www.amlidesign.co.uk

Birstall BAG’s cancer corner

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

Birstall BAG’s would like to encour-age as many of our supporters as possi-ble to enter the event – wear pink toshow you support TheBAG's!

For more information and to registerplease visit:www.wreakevalleyrotary.org.uk

Thank you all for you ongoing sup-port.

THE BIRSTALL POSTYOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Unit 109, Greenacres,The Sidings, Leicester LE4 3BR

Editor: Mr Jerry Jackson

Editorial/Advertising

0116 4422067Correspondence, news etc

can be handed in at:Birstall Library or to our office:

Unit 109, Greenacres, The SidingsLeicester LE4 3BR,

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birstall post (383) june 2015

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