birstall post jan 2010 (318)

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JANUARY 2010 No. 318 t he Birstall post Y 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 POLICE crackdown on Friday night antisocial behaviour in Bir- stall led to five arrests and 25 young people being spoken to. A police spokesman said: “The Birstall beat team and additionally allocated officers conducted pro-active patrols on Friday De- cember 18 in the village centre to address concerns raised by the community over anti- social behaviour and criminal damage.” That evening Birstall’s Richard Carruthers was monitoring the village CCTV cameras and saw a group of young people damaging shop windows with graffiti. Following the arrival of response officers from Charnwood Local Po- licing Unit, five persons were arrested and interviewed in relation to damage to 10 com- mercial properties on Sibson Road. They were bailed pending further enquiries. The Police spokesman said: “Persons un- connected with the group were present in the street but failed to challenge the behaviour or call the Police that the damage was taking place.” Earlier that evening Police officers spoke to 25 young people: four were taken home to their parents due to being under the influence of alcohol, 14 alcoholic drinks were seized and drugs paraphernalia confiscated for de- struction. Two people received directions to leave following disorderly behaviour and one per- son was issued with a warning for antisocial use of a motor vehicle in the Sibson Road car park. The behaviour of a small group of people caused the youth workers to close the drop-in facility at the School Lane playing field pavil- ion early. Police say alcohol is believed to have played a major part in all the offences and that the majority of it was purchased locally on behalf of underage drinkers by adults who also live locally. Sgt Ian Stone, Charnwood LPU citizen Fo- cus Sergeant, is visiting off-licences in the area providing support and advice regarding underage drinking • On Tuesday December 15, at 6.30pm, Police arrested five men suspected of an at- tempted burglary at the Posy Bowl on Sibson Road. PUPILS FROM Stonehill school served tea and cakes and sang Christmas songs to elderly people at Riv- ersdale Court in Birstall. The students are all taking part in a 10 week programme of activities that leads to an ASDAN award, and came up with the idea of visiting Riversdale Court after discussing it with their youth workers. Pupil Emily Spence said: “We’ve sang songs and served tea and cake. It’s been really nice to see all the smiling faces and everyone’s been really friendly.” Trish Richardson, trainee youth development worker, said: “I think this sort of activity helps break down barriers between the old and the young. I’d like to thank the warden, Anne Petrie, and the residents for their hospitality.” Police crackdown leads to arrests Pic: top, the pupils singing to residents are (l-r) Georgia Smith, Clara Atkins, Beth Russell, Chloe Moore, Liam Hargrave, Emily Spence, Jessica Harby and Ella Pinsent Bottom: (l-r) Beth Russell, Chloe Moore and Emily Spence CONCERNED ABOUT vehicle speeds on Greengate Lane, a Birstall resident is looking for volunteers to help set up a Community Speedwatch Initiative. ‘Community Speed Watch’ (CSW) enables volunteers to work within the community to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding and to help manage the problem locally. Volunteers are trained to use hand-held radar and laser gun s so they can record the speed of passing vehicles. As an alternative to the guns, Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) can be Kevin Preston, of Moorgate Avenue, said: “I see the speed limit broken often and the principal reason I’m concerned is I have a daughter at Highcliffe School. “Now we have the new junction layout at the A6 end it’s easier to get out, which could encourage more traffic from Beaumont Lays Lane. Ashton Green is also planned and it could become a pretty busy road.” Continued on page 2 Speeding problems Tea & songs

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Page 1: Birstall Post Jan 2010 (318)

JANUARY 2010 No. 318

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 POLICE crackdown on Friday night antisocial behaviour in Bir-stall led to five arrests and 25 young people being spoken to.

A police spokesman said: “The Birstallbeat team and additionally allocated officersconducted pro-active patrols on Friday De-cember 18 in the village centre to addressconcerns raised by the community over anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.”

That evening Birstall’s Richard Carrutherswas monitoring the village CCTV cameras andsaw a group of young people damaging shopwindows with graffiti. Following the arrival ofresponse officers from Charnwood Local Po-licing Unit, five persons were arrested andinterviewed in relation to damage to 10 com-mercial properties on Sibson Road. Theywere bailed pending further enquiries.

The Police spokesman said: “Persons un-connected with the group were present in thestreet but failed to challenge the behaviour orcall the Police that the damage was takingplace.”

Earlier that evening Police officers spoketo 25 young people: four were taken home totheir parents due to being under the influenceof alcohol, 14 alcoholic drinks were seized

and drugs paraphernalia confiscated for de-struction.

Two people received directions to leavefollowing disorderly behaviour and one per-son was issued with a warning for antisocialuse of a motor vehicle in the Sibson Road carpark.

The behaviour of a small group of peoplecaused the youth workers to close the drop-infacility at the School Lane playing field pavil-ion early.

Police say alcohol is believed to haveplayed a major part in all the offences andthat the majority of it was purchased locallyon behalf of underage drinkers by adults whoalso live locally.

Sgt Ian Stone, Charnwood LPU citizen Fo-cus Sergeant, is visiting off-licences in thearea providing support and advice regardingunderage drinking

• On Tuesday December 15, at 6.30pm,Police arrested five men suspected of an at-tempted burglary at the Posy Bowl on SibsonRoad.

PUPILS FROM Stonehill school served tea and cakesand sang Christmas songs to elderly people at Riv-ersdale Court in Birstall.

The students are all taking part in a 10 week programme of activitiesthat leads to an ASDAN award, and came up with the idea of visitingRiversdale Court after discussing it with their youth workers.Pupil Emily Spence said: “We’ve sang songs and served tea and cake. It’sbeen really nice to see all the smiling faces and everyone’s been reallyfriendly.”

Trish Richardson, trainee youth development worker, said: “I thinkthis sort of activity helps break down barriers between the old and theyoung. I’d like to thank the warden, Anne Petrie, and the residents fortheir hospitality.”

Police crackdownleads to arrests

Pic: top, the pupils singing to residents are (l-r) Georgia Smith, Clara Atkins, BethRussell, Chloe Moore, Liam Hargrave, Emily Spence, Jessica Harby and Ella PinsentBottom: (l-r) Beth Russell, Chloe Moore and Emily Spence

CONCERNED ABOUT vehicle speeds on Greengate Lane, a Birstall resident is looking forvolunteers to help set up a Community Speedwatch Initiative.

‘Community Speed Watch’ (CSW) enablesvolunteers to work within the community toraise awareness of the dangers of speedingand to help manage the problem locally.Volunteers are trained to use hand-held radarand laser gun s so they can record the speedof passing vehicles. As an alternative to theguns, Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) can be

Kevin Preston, of Moorgate Avenue, said:“I see the speed limit broken often and theprincipal reason I’m concerned is I have adaughter at Highcliffe School.

“Now we have the new junction layout atthe A6 end it’s easier to get out, which couldencourage more traffic from Beaumont LaysLane. Ashton Green is also planned and itcould become a pretty busy road.” Continued on page 2

Speeding problems Tea & songs

Page 2: Birstall Post Jan 2010 (318)

2 the birstall post JAN 2010

positioned at the roadside to warn motoristsif they are travelling at an excessive speed.

Being recorded by one of the devices doesnot lead to prosecution – drivers receive awarning letter from the police instead – andthe scheme helps towards underlining thecommunity’s commitment to getting drivers tobehave responsibly towards others and reduc-ing their speed.

Community Speed Watch is run by Leices-tershire County Council and the Leicester,Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Part-nership with assistance from LeicestershirePolice and aims to highlight the areas aroundthe county that have problems with speeding.

To learn more about the scheme visitwww.bealocalhero.com or contact the Com-munity Speed Watch Co-ordinator on 0116305 7336.

If you would like to indicate your supportfor the scheme or serve as a volunteer, emailKevin Preston: [email protected]

Centre that had stated in November at theSchool Lane playing field pavilion was a con-tinuing success, with no complaints received.

The Council discussed the proposed Ash-ton Green development, near Beaumont Leys,and agreed it was impossible to stop the de-velopment and that the Council should dowhat it could to influence the scheme as itprogressed. It was agreed to get up a workingparty that would meet to keep up to date withthe proposals.

It was reported that a Birstall resident waskeen to see a Community Speedwatch initia-tive start in Birstall. These schemes involvepolice trained volunteers using speed guns tomeasure vehicle speeds on local roads. It wasagreed that the Council would not lead anysuch initiative, but would support it.

The Council agreed to make a one-offdonation of £132 to the Friends of BirstallSwimming Pool to help pay for a lifeguard.

It was reported that the regular problemof flooding in the parking bay out outsideMcColls on Sibson Road had been resolved.The problem had been caused by a collapsedsewer. Comment was made that the pavementnear the Earl of Stamford is regularly floodedforcing pedestrians to walk on the road.

A comment was made that the problems ofgraffiti and vandalism were continuing andthat the Borough Council and Police need tobe urged to do their bit. It was reported thatthe Parish Council had got through gallons ofpaint repainting cable boxes in the village.

A FULL meeting of Birstall Parish Councilwas held on December 7.

It was reported that residents and employ-ees of businesses on Kingsgate Avenue wereusing the parking bay outside the shops forlong stay parking. It was agreed that the Par-ish Council write to the shopkeepers alertingthem to this issue.

It was reported that the Youth Drop-in

A RECORD number of pupils took part inStonehill School’s Christmas Concert whichfeatured performances from a variety ofensembles, soloists and the choir.

There are more than 40 musicians in theStonehill Wind Band who wowed the audiencewith music on a theme of film in the firsthalf, playing repertoire from Harry Potter,Pirates of the Caribbean and Jurassic Park.

Around £750 was raised through ticketsales, proceeds of which will go towardsStonehill Staging Fund and resources forPerforming Arts.

The soloists chose a varied and eclecticrepertoire ranging from a soulful version of‘The Girl With One Eye’ played on guitar byAbi Duckham to the Beatles favourite ‘LoveMe Do’ by Oliver Kidd Martin. Classical piecesincluded an accomplished performance ofTelemann’s Italian Air by Meera Patel on fluteand a jazzy piece by Patience Ablett on thepiano.

This year saw the crowd tapping their toesto one of Stonehill High School’s Rock Bands,Empire, who played a version of Underdog bythe renowned Leicester Band, Kasabian.

The 100 song choir who filled the entirestage sang a range of music from popularchart music by La Roux and Beyoncé, toChristmas classics, All I Want For Christmas IsYou and Let It Snow! The finale of the showwas a beautiful rendition of Hallelujah madefamous by last year’s X Factor winner Alexan-dra.

A moving tribute was made to Mark Elk-ington, PE teacher at Stonehill who was tragi-cally killed in a motorbike accident at theend of November. The choir dedicating thefitting song Hero by Mariah Carey to hismemory, singing with poise and gracethroughout. Mr Monks, headteacher at Stone-hill said: “This is the best concert Stonehillhas seen. The standard gets better every yearand the quality of music was outstanding. Abig well done to all who took part.”

OUR PICTURE shows Clare Halford (left),owner of Shapes Professional Hair Care onthe Birstall Triangle with, Christina Court,winner of a hamper filled with Paul Mitch-ell products.

The salon were offering the prize to cele-brate becoming a Paul Mitchell SignatureSalon.

Shapeswinner

Parish Council notes

Speeding continued from page 1

School’sChristmasconcert

Pics clockwise fromtop: Kate Phipps con-ducts The Wind Bandin full swing with ablues number; Char-lotte Platts; PatienceAblett; Meera Patel;Oli Kidd-Martin

Page 3: Birstall Post Jan 2010 (318)

THE BIRSTALL POST, JAN 2010 3

THE RECTOR of Birstall and Wanlip is mov-ing on after four years in post.

Rev James Shakespeare will be steppingdown in January and moving to a part timepost in another community to spend moretime with his family.

James said: “Change is never easy and itwith a whole mix of feelings, joy, sadness,gratitude, affection and nostalgia, that Alison,Hannah, Edward and I anticipate leaving Bir-stall. We have had a very special time amongyou and will be leaving with much to givethanks for – so many special people, so muchfun, so many blessings.

“I give thanks for all of these experiences,but I know I now need to take some moretime. This will mean moving and, for me,serving part time within another Christiancommunity for a while, in order to give moretime to the children while they are still young.I look forward to returning to being a Vicarelsewhere not many years from now.”

James says some of the highlights of histime in Birstall include the pilgrimage toLondon in 2007 raising funds and creating StJames Community Space, working with chil-dren, setting up a church-community partner-ship in Wanlip and re-developing WanlipChurch and Community Centre.

Churchwarden Tony Bloxham said: “Thepeople of Birstall and Wanlip are very sad tosay farewell to the Rev James Shakespeare asrector of Birstall and Wanlip. Four years agowe were delighted to welcome a young priestand his wife with a young family, whobrought freshness and enthusiasm to theparish. Sad as we are to lose a fine priest anda good friend, we do fully understand thedifficulties of being responsible for a largeand busy parish whilst at the same time meet-ing the needs of a young family.

“James brought great enthusiasm to allaspects of his work in Birstall and Wanlip,meeting the spiritual, pastoral and practicalneeds of the parish. We have all benefited

from his ministry, his concern for individuals,his work with schoolchildren and his drive inpushing forward the refurbishment of StJames’ church to create a new communityarea. We are deeply appreciative of thewarmth and friendship that he brought to us,

we wish him and all the family God speed,and pray that he will find the next stage of hispriestly journey fulfilling, and at the sametime meet the needs of his family. Thank youJames, Alison, Hannah and Edward, we willhold you in our prayers.”

ROTHLEY HERITAGE Trust has pub- lished its first book.

The Departure of the Dead tellsthe story of burials in Rothley fromthe prehistoric settlement evidence,the Saxon Burial Site discoveredduring the building of the GreatCentral Railway, the mediaeval peri-od with documents telling us howmatters of death and inheritancewere dealt with and how Elizabeth Iwas responsible for the start of

death registrations.It relates how the cemetery

on Mountsorrel Lane took nineyears to develop up to the firstburial of Fanny Taylor on Sep-tember 2, 1904 and ends with ashort history of Frank Sleath, thebuilder responsible for laying outthe grounds and the building ofthe chapel.

This 124 page book with illus-trations in a fascinating record of

Pic: Rock Band Empire, back row: Oliver Hodgkinson, Siobhan Kirk, Joe Cookson, Danielle Wells,Alex Fearn, Heeran Bhundia, front row: Sophie Garner, Hannah Grant

Pic: Abi Duckham Pic: Ashleigh Johnson

Farewellsas priestdeparts

Pic: Rev James Shakespeare with his wife Alison and their children Hannah and Edward

PLANS FOR an 80 metre wind turbine onthe edge of Rothley have been submittedby Severn Trent Water.

The turbine, which will have an 80 metrehub height and a height of 132m to the tip ofthe blades, will help power the Wanlip Sew-age Treatment Works. For the past 12 monthsa 60 metre monitoring mast has been meas-uring wind speeds.

The proposed 3.4MW wind turbine, aboutone third the height of the Empire Statebuilding (381m), will generate 8.935 MWhrsper annum, enough electricity for the annualdomestic needs of 1901 dwellings.

The location of the mast is within the par-ish of Wanlip, 300 metres east of the A6 atthe point where the traffic filters left for Roth-ley.

To view the planning application go towww.charnwood.gov.uk. The planning appli-cation number is P/09/2402/2

life in Rothley as well as death.Copies available from Brenda Sutherland

on 0116 2302766 or [email protected]. Price £7to include p&p or £6 at Rothley Post Officeor Rothley Library.

Further detailed information onwww.leocestershirevillages.com/rothley Clickon Village History to the right of the HomePage, then Local Publications.

Burials in Rothley

Wanlip turbine

Pic: a photo montage showing the proposed wind turbine from Rothley’s Town Green St

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Page 4: Birstall Post Jan 2010 (318)

STONEHILL SCHOOL were winners inLeicestershire’s Big Switch Off week inOctober.

The week long campaign, led by ENABLEand local authorities across the county, aimedto encourage households, schools and busi-nesses o switch off all unnecessary electricalappliances and lighting.

Stonehill were the winners in the second-ary schools category, reducing their electricityconsumption by 26kw or 0.62% compared tothe previous week. The school has won aprize of a renewable energy education kit.

Pupils took on the role of Energy Detec-tives, helping to ensure lights, projectors andmonitors were turned off and closing doorsto save on heating.

Across the county, Central Networks re-corded consumption as being 0.5% lower forthe week, amounting to a saving of £50,000for the week, equivalent to 195 tonnes ofCO2.

Savings made in council buildings:• County Hall 5%• Leicester City Libraries and Leisure Cen-

tres 6.16% & 3%• Loughborough Town Hall & Council

Offices 10.5%Chairman of Enable (Environmental Action

for a Better Leicestershire) Prof Mike Prestonsaid: “I am pleased to see that so many peo-ple took part in this year’s Big Switch Off. Itgoes to show that energy, and money, can besaved by taking a few simple measures. Theactions we took during Big Switch Off weekto save energy can be made on a day-to-daybasis.

“If people remember to take simple stepsas switching off standby buttons on TVs andcomputers, unplugging phone chargers whichare not in use and switching off unnecessarylights in rooms that are empty, we will see areal difference.”

HELP IS at hand for people experiencingrelationship difficulties in the New Year– thanks to Relate Leicestershire.

January is the busiest month of the yearfor counsellors at Relate Leicestershire, whowork with families, couples and children toresolve all kinds of relationship issues.

Judith Stevenson, Client Services Manag-er, said: “New Year is an extremely busytime for Relate. By January, the Christmasspirit has worn off, people are short ofmoney and fed up with the bad weather.That is when relationship issues often cometo a head, especially when couples and

4 the birstall post JAN 2010

THE CHILDREN at Rainbow Co-op Pre-school Playgroup re-told the traditional ChristmasNativity story to a room full offamily and friends.

Leader Julie Parker said: “Weall had great fun dressing upand acting out the roles of thedifferent characters. We thensang our favourite Christmassongs around the Christmas treeand finished off with mince piesand little cakes.”

She added: “Thank you toeveryone who has supported theplaygroup over the last year. Thenew term starts on MondayJanuary 4. Pop along and see usat the Co-op Sports and SocialGround on Birstall Road if youwould like a place for yourchild. We wish you all a HappyNew Year.”Top pic: the Rainbow Co-opPre-school playgroup’s nativi-ty play

CHILDREN AT Birstall RainbowNursery acted out the Christ-mas story at their nativityplay (bottom pic).Parents joined in with all thesongs and everyone enjoyedthe party with lots of mincepies that followed the per-formance.

families have spent a lot of time together.“At Relate Leicestershire, we offer counsel-

ling to anyone affected by family breakdownor conflict at home, whether that is couples,children or other family members. We havetrained relationship counsellors, family coun-sellors and young people’s counsellors.”

Counselling sessions take place six daysand four evenings a week at RelateLeicestershire’s headquarters at AylestoneRoad and at twice-weekly clinics at John Stor-er House, Loughborough, on Wednesday andThursday evenings.

Fore more information about counselling

services and advice on improving relation-ships, contact Relate Leicestershire on 01162543011 or visit the website atwww.relateleicestershire.org.uk

• about 90 per cent of people who visitRelate Leicestershire for relationship coun-selling stay together

• more than 500 clients use RelateLeicestershire each month

• more than 800 phone calls are madeto Relate Leicestershire each month

• Relate Leicestershire helps people agedfrom eight to 85-years-old

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Page 5: Birstall Post Jan 2010 (318)

A BIRSTALL couple have set up acharitable foundation to supportthe lives of children in the Cam-eroon.

David and Joy Bark of 48 QueensgateDrive set up the Bark Foundation in 2008 tosupport the HOTPEC orphanage in every as-pect of their work. Below, David explains howthe foundation started:

Joy and I were part of a group invited totravel to Cameroon with the Rev Edward Sak-we, who is on secondment to the LeicesterNorth Methodist circuit, to attend the celebra-

tions of the 50th anniversary of the Presbyteri-an Church in Cameroon

We travelled at our own expense and werehosted in families. One of our visits was tothe orphanage, where we found a loving,dedicated staff working with few resources.On our return home we personally resolvedto support the orphanage on a permanentbasis.

The orphanage is privately run and a Fi-nance Officer of the Presbyterian Synod haskindly agreed to act as our agent, workingwith the HOTPEC staff on our behalf. We cantherefore guarantee that the funds we sendare received in total for the benefit of thechildren at the orphanage. Their most urgentneed is for decent accommodation for thebabies in their care. A primary school build-ing (provided by donation) operates on thesite with a nucleus of paid staff supported byvolunteers.

The Bark Foundation projects – followingthe provision of improved accommodation forthe infants – will be to help towards the sec-ondary and further education of the children,and training both in life skills and work skillsto enable them to lead a successful life inde-pendently of the orphanage as young adults.

When we embarked upon this (our first)project in January 2008 the cost of the reliev-

ing the situation of the youngest children atthe orphanage was £20,000. We are proudthat, as a very small charity with only three‘workers’, we have instigated the raising of£18,000 to date. Unfortunately the recessionhas lowered the exchange rate, even againstthe African Franc, with the result that we nowneed £29,000 to reach the same objective. Itis our aim to raise sufficient funds to com-plete the project by June 2010 – before therainy season begins again. The orphanagenow has 15 infants and 71 older childrenwhich means severe overcrowding as no child

is turned away.We were able to send funds for the walls

of the building to reach roof level beforework had to cease for the rains this summerand have sufficient in hand for the roof. Fur-ther progress will depend upon more financebeing raised. Several fundraising events areplanned but it is clear that we are going toneed support from other sources if we are toreach our goal by next June.

A recession is not a good time for any-body, but as always it is the poorest who arehit hardest. We would be most grateful forjust a small donation to help us.

• To make a donation onlinewww.justgiving.com/bark_foundation/donate

IMPROVEMENTS TO Watermead Country Park arecontinuing as part of the Connect2 project to cre-ate new cycling and walking routes.

In December, a new pedestrian and cycle bridgewas lifted into place close to the new bridge at Thur-maston lock built in July 2009. The new bridgecrosses the river Soar, weighs 4.5 tonnes and is 13.6metres long. It cost £25,000.

Street lighting is planned across the ‘causeway’and along the route between Thurmaston lock andthe access gate to the park on Whiles Lane.

A county council spokesman said: “The proposalis for five metre street light columns and for lightingto be on, when needed, between the hours of 7am to8pm.”

Sustrans have 79 Connect2 schemes across thecountry and are proposing to add some public art inthe form of a ‘portrait bench’ to each of them. Theseare benches with steel cut silhouettes of local peopleor places, produced following consultation with localcommunities.

Birstall Crime Report 9.11.09 to15.12.09

Assaults and harassment 10, bur-glary 7, burglary non-dwelling 6,damage 18, damage to motor vehicle20, drugs 5, fraud 4, public order 1,theft 13, theft of cycle 1, theft frommotor vehicle 3, theft of motor vehi-cle 2, theft stores 4.

Burglaries up this month with onedetected. Crimes are up by 10 thismonth. One Acceptable BehaviourContract is continuing and beingeffective. Detections have increasedto 11 detections this month. The waymarkers are still in place in areasthat have been historically problemat-ic. The Special Constabulary still havethe village set as a priority for highvisibility patrols at weekends.

From PC 2139 Richard Carru-thers PBO Birstall & Wanlip

THE BIRSTALL POST, JAN 2010 5

Foundation supportsorphaned children

with some of his favourites being milk, more, car,duck, bird & flower. I really feel that signing hashelped us to avoid the frustration many babies feelwhen they try to communicate but we adults areunable to understand them.”

Heather’s Birstall class starts with a free tastersession and runs every Friday during term timefrom 1.30-2.30pm.

For more details contact Heather 07800852443,[email protected],www.tinytalk.co.uk.

A NEW baby signing class starts at Birstall Vil-lage Hall on January 15.

Baby signing classes help babies to communicatewith signs before they can talk.

TinyTalk Leicester is run by Heather Avul, moth-er to 28 month old Azad. She said: “I started tosign with Azad from day one but more so fromwhen he was 4 months old and he did his firstmeaningful sign ‘more’ at 9 months. By 13 monthsold, Azad had a signing vocabulary of 15-20 signs

Pic: Sister Grace

Pic: the existing cooking facilities

Birstall baby signing

Country parkimprovements

Crimereport

The Februaryissue of

THEBIRSTALL

POSTwill be published

on Jan 30.

The copydeadline is

Jan 15.

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Page 6: Birstall Post Jan 2010 (318)

On the evening of Friday 18th December2009, in my capacity as a Parish Councillor, Ivisited the new youth facility on School Laneplaying fields to see how our money is beingspent. I saw there some 30 youngsters enjoy-ing themselves. They were playing tablegames or sitting around talking to each other.There was a lot of noise. They were kidsbeing kids and they were well supervised.Our money was being well spent and if some-one could see fit to donate a computer tothem, then that would substantially increasethe facilities available to them.

Outside the premises there was a group ofyobs who epitomized everything that appearsto be wrong with so many young people.They were swearing, drinking alcohol andgenerally misbehaving. One of them took arunning jump at one of the roller shuttersand then turned to me as if egging me to dosomething about it. I did. I told him suc-cinctly what I thought of him. His mates alllaughed at him and he, and I and them allwent our separate ways. I rang the policewhen I got home.

Later that night there were problems in thevillage with youngsters causing criminal dam-

age in the village centre, in full view of alarge number of people outside the Earl ofStamford. No one saw fit to ring the police.Fortunately, through good policing and theuse of the available C.C.T.V. the police wereaware and when they had the necessary man-power they moved in and detained all ofthose concerned.

I make mention of this because it seems toidentify one or two areas of concern. Forexample the vast majority of kids using theyouth club were good kids enjoying them-selves, whereas the ones outside, who were ina substantial minority, appeared hell bent oncausing trouble.

The later incident in the centre of thevillage involved a relatively few youths, themajority of whom I believe came from outsidethe village. They were intent on vandalizingour village.

It is often said that all it needs for evil totriumph is for good men to do nothing. Thepolice need to be made aware of the idiotswho would destroy the good name of the newyouth club and to be informed when antiso-cial behaviour is taking place in the villageThe police have a great deal of sophisticatedequipment but crystal balls they have not!

It is equally important that parents shouldbe aware of, and take an interest in, whattheir children are doing. If the children arebrought up to respect law and order and tobe accountable for their actions then general-ly they react positively.

And finally, the police are only part of thecriminal justice system. Once offenders havebeen caught, then their punishment is decid-ed by others. The Crown Prosecution Service,the Courts as well as the police, in determin-ing that punishment are all governed by therules laid down by the Home Office. Theserules have evolved over the last ten years orso and during this time the laws of the coun-try have become a laughing-stock. However,these are the rules we are presently stuckwith and we must learn to use them to ouradvantage where we can, if the streets are tobe reclaimed from the yobs. We can all doour bit to help achieve this. We constantlyhear that ‘There is no point in ringing thepolice. Nothing ever happens!’ Well, all I cansay is that I have tried it and it does workfrom time to time. When it does not, then Icomplain long and loud until I get action. Itwill only improve if we all adopt the samepolicy. Please, keep the police informed.

D J Gaskell

problems on Birstall School Lane Park –which are – the youths that congregate thereevery evening. I myself walk my dog on thispark (on the lead), poo bag at the ready –and have to say that I very, very rarely meetany other dog owner who does not do thesame. If these councillors got off their buttsand came to the park (which I doubt any ofthem have done in the past year!), in fact whydon’t some of them volunteer to be our nextDog Warden, they would then see for them-selves that gangs of youths, on bikes, motorbikes, cars, on foot – drinking, throwing theirrubbish down are the real problems on Bir-stall Park, not dog owners. So…come oncouncillors – start dealing with the problemsin Birstall and stop picking on us just be-cause you think we are an easy option tomuch more difficult problems.

Pat HerbertThere is no doubt that there is a dog mess

problem and that it poses a risk to childrenand others, as well as our staff who have tomaintain the grass, and it is a worthwhileobjective for the council to try and keep itsland in good condition.

Steve Blackburn, Clerk to BirstallParish Council

If this session is not convenient for youplease call or visit the website to find out

about other local blood donor sessions• • •

Loughborough FarmersMarket

Devonshire Square, LoughboroughBetween 9am and 3pm

Every monthNext market January 13

Wide variety of local produce: meats, sau-sage, bacon & cured meats, rare breed

meats, meat, savoury & fruit pies, fruit &vegetables inc organic, plants & flowers,

herbs, therapeutic herbal products, honey& beeswax products, chutneys & pickles,jams & preserves, homemade cookingsauces, wholemeal flour, muesli, fruitjuices, eggs & cheeses, bread & cakes.

To book a stall or find out more call Mar-kets and Fairs team 01509 634624,

email: [email protected] log on to www.charnwood.gov.uk

• • •Improve your conversational

Spanish or Germanby joining a free group that meets in Bir-stall once a week. To find out more con-

tact Ellen on 2674876• • •

Birstall Methodist ChurchSaturday March 27

10am-2pm

Table Top SaleTables @ £10

Contact Mary 2672606• • •

Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council

Film Presentations‘The Boat that Rocked’

Friday Jan 22 (104 mins)They say that laughter is good for us.

January’s comedy is the high-spirited sto-ry of how the world was changed by roguedisc jockeys who broadcasted from a boatin the middle of the North Sea. The songsthey played united and defined an entiregeneration and drove the British Govern-ment crazy. This film features an unbe-

lievable selection of music‘Creation’

Friday Feb 19 (108 mins)Based on the biography of Charles

Darwin’s great, great grandson, it re-counts the relationship of Darwin with hisdaughter Annie as he writes the ‘Origin of

Species’. Having just returned from theGalapagos Islands, Darwin feels a rift with

his wife, Emma, concerning their Faith.With great soul-searching, the manuscriptis finally completed and Emma packages it

up for the publishers.Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council willbe showing these films at Thurcaston Me-morial Hall. Starting at 7.30pm, tickets

cost £4, concessions £3.50. Price includesrefreshments and a lucky prize draw.

Advance tickets can be purchased via theparish office 0116 236 7626 or at the

door• • •

The Women’s World Day ofPrayer 2010

Arranged this year by women of CameroonPreparation Day

Lunch & Slides on Sat Jan 23 at 12noonBirstall Methodist Church Hall

• • •

Birstall Royal BritishLegion

Members NoticeSat Jan 2: Disco

Sat Jan 9: Slaters (duo)Sat Jan 16: Mick Knight (M/V)

Sat Jan 23: TBCSat Jan 30: Jeff Lee Walker (M/V)

Dancing every Sat night with live enter-tainment

Free meat raffle, Bingo and not forgetting‘Open the Box’

Every Tues night Bingo starting at 9.30pmQuiz nights Sunday Jan 10 & 31 starting at

9pmAcoustic night Sunday Jan 24

Rock & Roll nights Wed Dec 6 & 20Food available every Sat 12-2pm

6 the birstall post JAN 2010

YOUR SAY...

The Birstall Post welcomes your viewsand opinions on any subject. Letters,which must include your name and ad-dress, (though not necessarily for publi-cation) can be posted to: The BirstallPost, Longslade College, Wanlip Lane,Birstall, Leicester LE4 4GH, or handed inat Birstall library or email:[email protected]

So…again… I am brought to writing toyour letters page regarding the matter of dogfouling in Birstall, School Lane Park.

I have been a resident of Birstall for thirtythree years, and a dog owner for 26 of theseand I am sick and tired of the constant wh-inging of Birstall Parish Councillors on thismatter. The only reason we (dog owners) arebeing targeted on this is because these coun-cillors cannot find any solution to the real

Dear friendsOnce again I am writing to thank you all

most sincerely for the wonderful poppy totaloutside McColls, Sibson Road of £522.77

This breaks all previous records and I amtruly amazed and heartened by all of yourefforts, special thanks to Krustys for the lovelymugs of tea, that kept me going.

Thanks to you all for the £10 and £5notes and all monies in between and the littleboy who bought a cross for one penny fromme, a poppy seller in waiting who knows.Bless you all see you next year again alongSibson Road.

Val JoyceVice President Birstall Women’s Section,

Royal British Legion

Noticeboardall details printed free

That Blood You AlwaysMeant to GiveCan We Have It Now?

People can’t give when they’ve got theflu. To build up supplies in preparation

for the flu season, NEW DONORS ARE NEEDNOW. Please don’t leave it to someone

else. Your next blood donor session is atBirstall Methodist Church Rooms, Thursday

February 18To book your appointment for a session

call 0300 123 23 23 or visitwww.blood.co.uk

Bad behaviour

Dogs

Thanks

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THREE LONGSLADE students raised money for a children’s charitywith a sponsored bike-ride.

TWO THERAPISTS from a local beauty salon treated teachersand staff at Longslade College to a relaxing massage duringtheir lunch break to raise money for Rainbows.

Zoe May and Clare Pipes from the Blue Moon Beauty Salonon Birstall Road donated their time, providing Indian head mas-sages and hand massages over four days in November.

Clare said: “Between 12.30 and 2pm the staff usually havemeetings but as a treat they had a week free of meetings andinstead tea, coffee and freshly baked cakes and biscuits and our10 minute taster sessions were provided. Treatments were opento all staff, not just teachers and we were fully booked, treating27 people over the four days.”

The college donated £2 for each member of staff treated andClare and Zoe donated all their tips from their salon clients inNovember, raising £170 for the Rainbows Children’s Hospice.

Clare said: “I would like to say how much Zoe and myselfenjoyed ourselves and that we very much appreciate LongsladeCollege’s kind donation. We also would like to thank all of BlueMoon’s clients and the staff at Longslade for their very generousdonations.”

CHILDREN CAN learn thesport of fencing at anew club that starts thismonth.

The Mini Fencing Clubis for young people agedsix to 10 and will be heldat Burleigh CommunityCollege, Thorpe Hill,Loughborough. The 10week course costs £25and is on Fridays from5.30-6.30pm. It starts onJanuary 15.

To enrol call 01509554400 or visit collegereception.

THE BIRSTALL POST, JAN 2010 7

Roy Rollings (16), Thomas Manship (17)and Devin Patel (17) raised over £500 for aWinter Wonderland party for children in carein the county, held annually at the AylestoneLeisure Centre.

Dressed in festive outfits the trio cycled ona tandem and a penny farthing to Leicester’sClock Tower and back. Roy said: “We did it

last year and raised £190. The party is afabulous event, the children absolutely love itand really look forward to it.”

Roy and Thomas were recent recipients ofLongslade’s Students of the Year award, alongwith Janine Watt.Pic: (l-r) Thomas Manship, Devin Pateland Roy Rollings

100 Wanlip Lane – erection of conservatory torear of dwelling20 Newton Drive – erection of first floor ex-

tension to side and porch to front of dwellingSevern Trent Sewage Treatment Works, Fill-ingate, Wanlip – erection of a single windturbine measuring 80m to the hub with ablade tip height of 132m plus

LOCAL RESIDENTS are being given a uniqueopportunity to raise vital funds for a localcharity while visiting a famous Londonlandmark.

Rainbows Hospice for Children and YoungPeople are inviting people to take part in anorganised guided tour at the House of Com-mons in London with all proceeds going to-wards supporting their ‘Building for theFuture’ Campaign.

The tour has been arranged by Loughbor-ough MP Andy Reed, a supporter of the hos-pice.

Speaking about the upcoming trip, Andysaid: “People are always curious about whatthe inside of the House of Commons lookslike. I thought this would be the perfect op-portunity to see the historic building first-hand whilst raising money for a local chari-ty.”

The trip, which takes place on Friday Jan-uary 22 will offer a chance to explore someof London’s sights and lunch, before visitingthe capital’s iconic parliamentary buildings.

Events fundraiser Nicola Adcock said:“This will be a fascinating and exciting dayfor anyone who has ever wondered about thegoings on within parliament, and we are ex-tremely grateful to Andy Reed for arrangingthis event for us. We hope that people willjoin us for what promises to be a very memo-rable day.”

Tickets cost £50 per person and all mon-ey raised from the sale of the tickets will gotowards meeting the final £500,000 neededfor a planned £4 million expansion for ac-commodation and training rooms at Rain-bows.

For more information and to book yourspace, please contact Nicola on 01509 638026 or [email protected] bike ride

Planning

Trip toCommons

College staff’smassage break

Minifencingclub forkids

PETE INGHAM

Professional Services IncludeAll Types of Plastering

Garden Work

267 4194

Plastering &Property Maintenance

FencingSlabbingBlock PavingPatios

Free Estimateand Personal Attention

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Guaranteed WorkmanshipTOTAL COMMITMENT TOQUALITY51 Walker Rd, Birstall

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A CHRISTMAS concert and an exhibition of art were twoend of term events at Longslade College in December.

Music and performing arts students took to the stagewhile Year 10 and 12 students studying Fine Art exhibitedtheir work in the Design & Technology building.

Head of Art Cath Kinder said: “They are really talented,have worked hard and produced great work.”

A POLICE officer observed a number ofpersons acting suspiciously at the side ofthe Posy Bowl shop on Sibson Road onWednesday December 16 around 18.05hours.

Police attended and found the premises tobe insecure and the door lock damaged. Acar was stopped nearby and the five occu-pants were arrested in connection with theincident.

Detectives interviewed the suspects andwere later bailed pending further enquiries. Ifyou have any information on this incident,please contact Sergeant 1666 Ian Stone on0116 222 2222 or contact Crimestoppers on0800 555 000.

If you would like to speak to local officersabout issues within Birstall & Wanlip please

come along and chat to a police officer at themonthly ‘Police Surgery’, they do appreciateyour views on life in the village. Don’t justgrumble to your neighbours, grumble to apolice officer. They might very well be able tohelp! The next surgery is Sat Jan 16, 10-12noon, Sibson Road car park.

There has been a recent spate of damageto vehicles in Birstall, if your vehicle has beendamaged and you have not reported it pleasedo so on 0116 222 2222. It is important thatthe police have an accurate report of crimefigures within the villages to ensure resourcesare allocated efficiently. Problem areas needto be identified quickly so that the Police candeal with the situation before it escalates.

From Roy Rollings, Birstall & Wan-lip NHW

8 the birstall post JAN 2010

A D-DAY veteran and a member of Birstall Golf Clubfor 36 years collected a record breaking sum forNovember’s Poppy Appeal.

Eric Buckley (85), from Thurmaston, has beencollecting for the Royal British Legion’s appeal for thelast three years. This November he collected £5865.

Eric served in the navy during WWII, initially as astoker on multi-torpedo boats, then on destroyers. Hewas aboard a repair ship on D-Day, off Sword beach,and watched as Allied troops stormed the beaches,with many falling under the intense machine gun fire.

For the next six weeks Eric and his shipmates wereunder artillery bombardment – he lost two of his

friends. Eric said: “Until the 60th anniversary of D-day Ihad not told my wife and

daughters I was there – itwas too upsetting to talkabout.”

Eric was in Norman-dy in June 2009 to payhis respects to the fall-en, as part of the official

commemoration of

the 65th anniversaryof D-Day.Pic: Eric Buckley

NHWnews

FORTY TWO per cent of house-hold waste in Charnwood wasrecycled in 2008/09, comparedto 39% in 2007/08.

The increase has been putdown to a wider variety of itemsthat are now accepted for kerb-side recycling and the introduc-tion of a single bag, reducing theamount of sorting done by resi-dents.

Charnwood Borough Councilsay they aim to achieve a 45%recycling rate for 2009/10.

LAST YEAR marked Birstall Lo-cal History Society’s Silver Ju-bilee.

For the past 25 years the Soci-ety has presented a variety oftalks, visits and publications onthe history of Birstall and Leices-tershire and looks forward tofurther serving the village in thecoming years. Meetings are heldin the village hall on the secondThursday in the month. The pro-gramme for 2010 is printed be-low and all meetings are open tovisitors who are always assured ofa friendly welcome.Jan 14: AGM followed by TheChurch in Victorian Leicester, BertTeggFeb 11: Leicester Slums, Ned New-ittMar 11: 19th Century Computer Pio-neers, David HerbertApr 8: Digging up Leicester, DrAlan McWhirrMay 13: Leicestershire Privies, Dav-id BellJun 10: Wanlip Church – An EveningVisit, Chris PalmerJul 22: Tour of Beaumanor HallSep 9: Life in the Workhouse,Wendy FreerOct 14: Looking for Bosworth Bat-tlefield, Richard KnoxNov 11: Members’ EveningDec 9: English Music Hall, FelicityAustin

Collegecreativity

Pics: Tom O’Neil on bass guitar,Joe Wheelan playsthe xylophone

Pic: singerGeorgia Betts

Poppy appealcollection

Historysociety

Charnwoodrecyclingrate

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AGE CONCERN

INFOUnwanted Presents or Sale Purchases?

“After the festive season, many peoplewill be contemplating how they will get ridof unwanted presents or dispose of house-hold furniture in order to accommodatenew purchases made in the sales. AgeConcern is the answer!” says Tony Dono-van of the local Age Concern.

The credit crunch is affecting stocks ofclothes, books and furniture in Age Con-cern Leicester Shire & Rutland’s 26 shopsupon which the charity so heavily relies.

Tony Donovan, the charity’s executivedirector, added: “It’s a Catch 22! On theone hand, more people are saving moneyin these difficult times by buying the highquality goods which we sell, whilst on theother, traditional donors are apparentlymore inclined to ‘make do and mend’rather than donate to our charity’s shops.If the situation continues, this could direct-ly affect the level of services which we areable to provide in the future.”

Items can be delivered to any of thecharity’s shops – for convenient locations,ring 0116 2992233 – whilst large quanti-ties or large items such as furniture can becollected from homes by calling 01162781208.Benefit Overpayments : Court of AppealDecision

The Court of Appeal has ruled that theDWP cannot recover overpayments of so-cial security benefits through the courtswhere the claimant is not at fault. The casewas brought by the child Poverty ActionGroup in response to letters sent to claim-ants telling them they could be taken tocourt under common law if they did notpay back overpayments even though pay-ments were not recoverable under socialsecurity law. The Government is consider-ing the decision.Cold Weather Payments to remain at£25 for Winter 2009/10

The Government has announced thatthis winter Cold Weather Payments willagain be paid at £25 for each qualifyingweek of very cold weather. These paymentsare made to certain groups of people re-ceiving income-related benefits includingolder people claiming Pension Credit.DWP Consultation on Data Sharing with

Energy Suppliers : Age Concern andHelp the Aged response

Age Concern and Help the Aged hasresponded to proposals for Pension Creditdata to be shared with energy companiesin order to enable companies to providean automatic payment to help with fuelbills. It is proposed that the payment willbe around £80 to £100 and to peoplereceiving Pension Credit guarantee alone.The scheme will act as a pilot for a widerproposed scheme from 2011 onwards.Pension Credit Payment Pilot : DWP Dis-cussion Paper

This paper summarises the Departmentfor Work and Pensions’ plans for a pilotscheme to use data already held to makepayments of Pension Credit without peopleclaiming. During 2010, it is planned that2000 people who are thought to be enti-tled to Pension Credit will be paid theirestimated entitlement for 13 weeks. Tocontinue to receive payment they will needto make a claim in the normal way. Thescheme is designed to test out attitudes toautomatic payments, evaluate ways to useexisting data to increase take-up and toconsider if long-term changes to benefitrules would make delivery easier.Consultation on Ending Age Discrimina-tion in Services and Public Functions :Age Concern and Help the Aged Re-sponse

In our response to a Government Equal-ities Office consultation, we call for theEquality Bill’s prohibition on age discrimi-nation in services and public functions tobe implemented promptly and robustly. Keypoints are:

• the proposed exemption for financialservices firms goes too far in allowingthem to justify discriminatory treatment oncommercial grounds and to continue im-posing age limits. Age limits should beprohibited, and greater transparency isneeded.

• tackling discrimination in health andsocial care should be implemented in2012.

• public sector age-based concessionsor benefits should be capable of beingobjectively justified.

• the retention of the default retirementage in the Equality Bill is misguided and

unnecessary• failing to ban age discrimination in

housing goes against the spirit and intentof the Bill.Annuities : Age Concern and Help theAged Policy Briefing

Age Concern and Help the Aged haveput forward proposals for improving thepension annuity market. The paper callsfor more attention to be paid to the needsof people with small and modest pensionfunds, including reform to the process of‘trivial commutation’ which allows smallpension funds to be drawn in cash.Vulnerable Adults : New Vetting andBarring Scheme

A new vetting and barring scheme forpeople who work with children and vul-nerable adults was introduced on October12. the new scheme, established under the2008 Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act,replaces the current Protection of Vulnera-ble Adults (POVA) list. The planned timeta-ble for implementation is:

• 12 October 2009 – it is unlawful toemploy a barred person. There is a legalduty to refer a person to the new Inde-pendent Safeguarding List (ISA) if theyhave harmed or demonstrated the potentialto harm a child or vulnerable adult;

• July 2010 – registration with the ISAbegins for new employees and people mov-ing jobs (including volunteers);

• November 2010 – new employees andvolunteers must be registered with the ISA;and

• April 2011 – registration of existingemployees begins.

www.isa-gov.org.uk/Independent Living and Older People -Information Resource

The Office for Disability Issues, alongwith the Centre for Policy on Ageing andthe National Development Team for Inclu-sion, have set up a new website aimed atpeople who are working to develop inde-pendent living strategies for older people.It contains links to a range of publicationsand other resources, examples of olderpeople’s stories, and an explanation ofhow independent living fits in with localand national performance targets and toother government strategies.

www.indepndentlivingresource.org.uk

NHS Continuing Care : New DirectionsThe Department of Health has issued

new directions on the responsibilities ofthe NHS for continuing healthcare. It hasalso produced a leaflet for the public giv-ing information about NHS continuinghealth care and NHS funded nursing care.

www.sassorestaurant.co.uk/index.phpMarket Survey of the Care of Older Peo-ple: Laing and Buisson

Laing and Buisson have published theirlatest annual market survey of the care ofolder people. It confirms the decline in thedemand for care home places has ended.The number of private payers has risen to41% and third party top ups are moreprevalent with 28% of council fundedresidents being in receipt of top-ups. Occu-pancy of homes has dropped to an averageof 89.8%. Fee inflation has slowed downto an average of 1.9% for nursing homesand 3.2% for residential homes. The aver-age cost of private home for older peoplein the UK is £684 per week for nursingcare and £482 for residential care. Some26,000 residents are funded by the NHS.Future of cheques

In response to the Payment Council’sdecision to set a target date of 2018 toclose the cheque clearing system‚ AndrewHarrop‚ Head of Public Policy for AgeConcern and Help the Aged‚ said:

“This move by the Payments Council willleave millions of older people worryingabout how they will manage their financeswithout cheques.

“2018 is the date set for the withdrawalof cheques‚ but we are concerned that thiswill give the green light to banks and re-tailers to start phasing them out even soon-er. Chip and pin is problematic for manyolder and housebound people and weknow 6.4 million over 65’s have neverused the internet. Without cheques‚ we arevery concerned people will be forced tokeep large amounts of cash in their home‚leaving them vulnerable to theft and finan-cial abuse.

“The Payments Council needs to urgent-ly come up with some practical alternativesto replace cheques or it will be condemn-ing thousands of older people to extraworry‚ cost and financial insecurity.”

From Jex Woods

THE BIRSTALL POST, JAN 2010 9

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AC RNBUILDERSEXTENSIONSALTERATIONS &PROPERTYREPAIRS

2675658Proprietor RMS Gibbon(

PALLATTBROS. Ltd

Corgi Gas Reg. Installers

UPVC PROPERTYENHANCEMENTUPVC Facias, Soffits, Cladding& Guttering Supplied & Fitted

Ring Steve on

0116 2673277

Bring all your UPVC back to new

UPVC Cleaning Service

I have a roof access system which enablesme to get up close to all parts of the roof

I specialise inconservatory cleaning

D. UptonGarden Services

0116 2696982Mob: 0781 2335825

All aspects ofgarden work undertakenDriveways • Patios

Blockpaving • GravellingTurfing • Fencing

Slabbing • MowingHedgetrimming etc

Page 10: Birstall Post Jan 2010 (318)

BIRSTALL FLOWER Club’s annual openmeeting took place on November 27 andwas well attended by members and theirguests.

The evening had a very Christmassy feel toit with the flower arrangements being brightand cheerful in gold and red, and in manycases exotic with orchids and lilies.

Ann Horsley was an entertaining demon-strator with many amusing anecdotes. Therewas also a raffle in aid of Breast Cancer Re-search. The prizes included hampers, bottlesof wine and even a night out at a nearby fishrestaurant. We are now looking forward toour AGM ‘Big Picnic’ on January 27.

Anyone interested in joining the FlowerClub should telephone 0116 2674206

From Marjorie Smith

individuals whose talent & expertise producedsuch wonderful displays. The display togetherwith the various stalls and Christmas marketraised well over £6000 for church funds and‘Action for Children’. If you missed the dis-play there are pictures on our web-sitewww.birstallmethodistchurch.org.uk.

From Tony Moore

ON SATURDAY November 7, 2009, Brownies from everywhere in Leicester were at theGreat Central Railway, having the time of their lives, going on most of the trains, fillingin booklets, eating sweets and going to gift shops.

We did lots of activities too! Everyone hadto wear a hat. There were green hats, therewere white hats, there were pink hats, therewere orange hats and there were red hats.We, Birstall Brownies, wore pink hats. It wasso much fun!

We had to take a pack lunch. We ate ourpack lunches sitting on Railway sleepers! Weall went into the craft tent. In the craft tent

we made colourful clips. We made lovelyswinging Brownies. We made foam bracelets.We set a table. We cleaned some shoes andwe tied a knot. I thought the day went bril-liantly.

By Hannah Shakespeare (aged 8)Pic: Birstall Brownies at the Great CentralRailwayPic: Bernie Dwelly, one of the winners of

the Breast Care Raffle

Book Now for Dick WhittingtonThe 2010 Pantomime booking office is

now open. All tickets are £5 and can bebooked by phoning Victoria on 2122513 (notafter 8.30pm please). The all male cast has anumber of new young talent, as well as oldfavourites. First night is Tuesday February 16,running each evening until Saturday 20, witha Saturday Matinee. It is the week of the half-term holiday. Oh yes it is!Six New Windows & a Canopy

The metal built west facing windows in thepremises (in the Concert Hall and FellowshipRoom) have been replaced with UPVC doubleglazed units. Much of the cost came from agrant from the Derbyshire EnvironmentalTrust. Money has also been received from theCounty Council to build a canopy over theoutdoor play area which is used by the Pre-School and the children with special needs.Golden Result from the Golden Fanfare

The display of golden tableaux and otherart forms in November in the church waspictured in last month’s Birstall Post. Thechurch is grateful to the many groups and

SAVINGS OF £700,000 a year are plannedby the County Council by reducing the lev-els of street lighting across the county.

The Council currently own and maintain66,000 street lights and 12,000 illuminatedsigns. It now uses low energy bulbs whenreplacing street lights or installing new ones,reducing energy consumption by 30%. Thecouncil are also removing illuminations fromsigns wherever possible.

The council plans to dim some of thebrightest lights on main roads between 10pmand 7am and to switch off some lights inrural areas or in other locations where thereare no houses fronting onto the roads.

In consultation with local communities, theCouncil also intends to switch off lights inresidential areas between midnight and5.30am.

The Council say the measures will reduceCO2 emissions by 3,000 tonnes a year, areduction of 23% of street light emissions,and save £700,000 a year.

A design and risk assessment will be car-ried out for every area in which changes areproposed. The plans are currently being de-veloped and no specific decisions on whichstreet lights will be affected has been made.

AIRPORT CARS Birstall. Airports, Sea-ports, Long Distance, Courier. Tel:0777 1984806

TELEPHONE EXTENSION Sockets fittedby ex-BT engineer. Cable, BT and dig-ital TV. Over 25 yrs experience. John2675132

ACCOUNTANCY SERVICES provided byqualified accountant. Low rates forsole traders/small businesses. Tel:2673951

AMLI DESIGN Architectural Consultan-cy. Plans drawn and submitted. Exten-sions, conversions, new build. DavidIves B.Sc.(Hons) FBEng MCIOB 01162674395/07974807111www.amlidesign.co.uk

FOUND: pair of ladies glasses, purple,on The Crossways, December 9.Contact 0116 2675779 Mr Cadman

THE BIRSTALL and Rothley Branch of theWorkers’ Educational Association offersthree choices for spring 2010.The English Country House

This is our very popular Tuesday morninghistory class and enrolments must be madeby post to secure a place. Please do not turnup at the first class as you could be disap-pointed! Enjoy history with this popular tutor.

Tutor: Colin GrovesVenue: The Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel

Lane, Rothley.Date and Time: Tuesday 12th January 2010

for 10 weeks 10.00-11.30amFees: £43.50 Concession A £39.15 (not

available for those retired) B FreeAfternoon Tai Chi

This is a lovely way to keep your bodysupple or gently move those flagging kneeand hip joints. The soft-flowing movements toquiet music promote stress reduction andwell-being and this class is suitable for allages and abilities. The tutor will be pleasedto discuss the movements if you have doubtsabout your ability to participate in this enjoya-ble form of exercise. Beginners and thosewith experience will be very welcome.

Tutor: Laraine TuckerVenue: Birstall Methodist Church, Wanlip

Lane, BirstallDate and Time: Tuesday 12th January 2010

for 11 weeks 1.30-3.30pmFees: £63.80 Concession A £57.40 (not

available to those retired) B FreeArt And Expressionism

From El Greco to van Gogh to JacksonPollock, this course explores the many anddifferent ways art is deemed to be‘expressionist’-art that is intended to move us,

that raises subjective feeling over objectiveobservation. No previous knowledge is neces-sary-just a lively, open-minded interest in art!

Tutor: Janis BakerVenue: The Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel

Lane, Rothley.Date and Time: Wednesday 13th January

2010 for 10 weeks 7.15-9.15pmFees: £58 Concession A £52.50 (not avail-

able to those retired) B FreeFor further information please contact

Franca Freeman 0116 [email protected]

Postal enrolments to the WEA TreasurerJohn Laurance, 35 Seagrave Road, Sileby,Loughborough, Leicester LE12 7TN 01509813005

Visit www.birstallandrothleywea.org.uk foran enrolment form or pick up a brochurefrom your local library.

The Workers’ Educational Association is acharity registered in England and Wales(number 1112775) and in Scotland (numberSCO39239) and a company limited by guar-antee registered in England and Wales(Company Number 2806910.

Our Registered Office is at 70 Clifton St.,London EC2A 4HB

WEA courses

Methodist newsSmall ads are 25p for the first 16 words. 17-32 words:

50p. Enclosing payment, post your ad to us or hand it in(inside an envelope) at Birstall library.

Trade/business rates for small ads are 25p aword. You are liable for the trade/business rate if youare offering a service for which you are asking forpayment, or if you are advertising new goods for sale.All text will be printed bold. Box outline £1 extra.Max 50 words. Phone numbers count as one word.

Small Ads

10 the birstall post JAN 2010

Club’s ChristmasBrownies’ GCR visit

Lightsdimmed

Tel: 0116 267 2583Mob: 07967 191975 Buy DELL products here

Advertise in

The birstall post53 x 70mm £26 • 53 x 142mm £44

109 x 70mm £44 • 109 x 142mm £78

CALL 2674213 for an advertising rate card,or view online at www.birstallpost.co.uk

The prices above exclude VAT

1) Decide what size you want

2) Send us a sketch of your ad

3) We design, publish & sendyou the bill