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Pic: Christian Picker from LOROS receives
the cheque from Neil Bruce and the young people responsible for
the magazine: Fahro Alihodzic, Lauren Barrow, Richard Boettcher,
Nathan Elton, Thomas Evans, Matthew Ferguson, Hayley Goodman,
Kaydean Goodwin, Pooja Lakhani, Nichola Smith, Zoe Speight, Scott
Turner & Gary Ward
Magazine money for LOROS
FOURTEEN YOUNG people at Longslade College
designed and produced their own magazine and have donated the
money raised from sales to LOROS.
The year 11 students produced ‘Forward Magazine’ in
their English writing workshop lessons and sold it for 50p on
the college campus, raising £41. The fourteen page magazine
contained film reviews, music reviews, games, puzzles a problem
page, a gadget guide, sport and helpline numbers.
One of the young people involved, Neil Bruce, explained why they
donated the proceeds to LOROS. “My uncle and my mum were
there with cancer and the doctors and nurses were all very helpful.”
Christian Picker, LOROS Community Fundraiser, said: “Thanks
to generosity like this we can continue our work and this group
should be proud of themselves for using their initiative to fund
raise for us.
Hallam Fields Progress
JELSONS, THE developers of Hallam Fields,
are making progress on phase 1a of their plans.
Phase 1 of the development has been split into three parts: a,
b and c. Phase 1a is for 182 houses and should be completed in
2008. Phase 1b is 123 houses and 1c, 95 houses.
The expected completion date of phase 1 is 2011, and development
of the whole site should finish in 2015 said Charnwood’s
Planning Officer Steve Lewis-Roberts, who stressed that these
dates were subject to change.
Work on the park and ride site on the eastern side of the A6,
opposite the development, will begin upon completion of the 400th
dwelling, expected in 2011.
Jelsons are required to provide a number of community facilities
as a condition of their planning permission. The first of these
will be the Palmer Tomkinson Centre, a £700,000 building
that will be used for adult learning and also be available for
community use. It will be built on the Longslade College site,
next to the Youth Centre and will be managed by Longslade. Leicestershire
Education Authority expects to receive the money for this project
within the next 12 months.
Jelsons are also required to provide a primary school and a community
centre in the middle of the development site, at a cost of £2,050,000.
Building will start within 6 months of the 100th dwelling being
occupied, estimated to be in late 2007.
Number 57 Harrowgate Drive will be demolished to form a pedestrian/cyclist
access to the development, and this must be provided before the
100th dwelling is occupied.
Stop for lunch
A LUNCHEON club for retired people in Birstall
that meets every Wednesday currently has some vacancies for new
members.
Birstall Methodist Luncheon Club meets for lunch at 12.30pm in
the Methodist Church Hall on Wanlip Lane. The cost of the meal
is £3 and the cook, Diane, provides really good meals says
the Chairman of the club, Lesley Matthews.
Anyone interested should ring Jean Yates on 2213612.
The Club can provide transport if necessary, but could do with
one or two more drivers. This entails picking up and returning
home, one, two or maybe three people. Pick up time about 11.45-12noon
and return home about 1.30pm.
Drivers are not required every week, they work on a rota. They
are paid petrol money and can stay for lunch for £1 if
they wish. If you can spare some time to help the club please
ring Dorothy Gregory on 2122716.
“We look forward to having new members and new drivers”
said Lesley Matthews, Chairman
Library open longer
BIRSTALL LIBRARY is increasing its opening
hours from June 6.
The library will remain open for an extra two hours on Tuesdays,
until 7pm and will be open on Saturdays from 9.30am to 5pm.
Parish Council notes
A FULL meeting of Birstall Parish Council
was held on May 9.
The Council agreed to fix a plaque to one of the Sibson Road
stainless steel seats, in memory of Dr Raivadera.
Cllr Doug Topley reported that a household in Beechfield Avenue
had requested the removal of a seat on the School Lane playing
field, which was sited to the rear of their property and was
a gathering point for young people The matter was referred to
the Estates and Recreation Committee.
Cllr Peter West commented that Birstall’s share of the County’s
police service was not proportional to the size of the village.
Birstall’s new beat officer is PC Jamie Hughes, collar number
826.
The Parish Council has submitted a claim for compensation following
vandalism to the Meadow Lane skateboard facility. The sum claimed
is £480 and the claim will be considered by the courts
should anyone be found responsible for the damage.
Councillors had no comment to make after looking at plans for
phase 1c of the Hallam Fields development.
The Council agreed that permission sought by an allotment holder
to keep hens on his allotment be denied.
It was agreed that the Play Committee arrange to visit Harrowgate
Drive playing field and find ideas for new equipment for older
children.
It was agreed that details for the erection of a basic fence
for School Lane playing field be submitted to Charnwood’s
Planning department for their comments. The proposed fence would
be on the School Lane boundary only. Charnwood will be asked
to comment on various heights of fence.
The Council agreed to spend £1532 on replacement parallel
bars for the School Lane playing field.
Birstall Village Cricket Club has written to the Council congratulating
them on the quality of the preparation of the wickets and outfield.
The date of the next meeting is June 13.
Garden trail preparations
Pic: Bernard & Gina Sanders with their
sons Harry (4) and Isaac (1), will be opening their Cedar Avenue
garden
RECENT BRIGHTER days have seen busy gardeners
in Loughborough Road, Oakfield Ave and Cedar Ave tidying their
gardens in readiness for this year’s annual Garden Trail.
Plans toward another successful Village Trail are well advanced
and the committee of the Birstall Methodist Church and the gardeners
are looking forward to seeing you make that annual visit around
this selected area of Birstall.
Remember this year there is a plant stall, ice cream stall, a
children’s treasure trail, a raffle with generous prizes
and a tombola with prizes related to gifts for use in a garden.
Teas will be available at 10 Cedar Avenue.
Most of the properties on this year’s trail were built in
the 19030s on land that was previously part of the Goscote Hall
Estate and sold in the 1920s to Mr Wm Hallam by the Fielding
Johnson family. Some of the houses originally backed up to the
Vinegar Hill footpath that went from the middle of Birstall to
Anstey and in many places this path is still intact.
The Loughborough Road in 1726 was aligned at the time the fields
were enclosed and by 1819 the ‘turnpike’, which went
from Market Harborough to Loughborough, with its own quarry,
was remade and the hills on Red Hill and above Farnham Bridge
at Rothley were levelled and realigned by Edward Parsons who
was the surveyor of the Trust.
Admission tickets (passports) can now be obtained, prior to the
dates, from several shops and the Methodist Coffee Shop at £3
or they can be bought on the day at gardens on the route for
£3.50,. Please remember that half of the money raised for
the event will be donated to the charity ‘Wishes 4 Kids’.
Once again organisers are grateful to the Birstall Garden Centre
for their continued support in sponsoring this 15th annual event.
Phone mast moves
MOBILE PHONE operators Vodafone have announced
new plans to erect a mobile phone mast in Birstall.
In March, the company announced a proposal to erect a 12 metre
high mast on land outside Greengate Medical Centre, in the middle
of the flower garden on the junction of the A6.
That proposal has been modified - Vodafone now want to erect
the mast and its equipment cabinet about 30 feet from the original
location, next to the bus shelter opposite Dolphin Tyres and
Exhausts.
TMobile, another mobile phone company, have also announced that
they wish to erect a phone mast on the same site.
Greengate Medical Centre have been campaigning to have the plans
withdrawn. Practice Manager Duncan Mann said: “From our
point of view, nothing has changed, we still have the same concerns
about the electromagnetic radiation from the mast. It’s
also possible we could have a whole battery of masts on that
site, because if one operator gets permission, all the others
will want their mast there. We know about TMobile’s plans
and it’s likely that Orange and O2 will join in and we are
concerned we could end up with four masts.”
The medical centre has so far collected 700 signatures from patients
supporting their campaign against the mast, and have enlisted
the support of Stephen Dorrell MP and Birstall Parish Council.
Mr Mann added: “My understanding is that the site is a garden,
planted by the council and dedicated to Diana, Princess of Wales
and I hope that will be a factor when Charnwood consider any
planning application.”
Dog owner fined
A DOG WARDEN will continue to patrol Birstall’s
playing fields after Council groundstaff reported that the dog
fouling problem had not improved.
The Parish Council has employed a private contractor on a trial
basis, to enforce the byelaws that dogs be kept on a lead and
dog owners clear up after their dogs.
In the first month of the trial, the dog warden made five visits
and issued one fine of £50 to a man with a boxer dog which
was not on a lead and which had fouled the park. The maximum
penalty is £1,000.
The Council has agreed to extend the Dog Warden trial by a further
two months
Shop break in
KRUSTYS, THE bread shop on Sibson Road,
have been attacked again by thieves.
Burglars broke into the shop on Friday May 6 around midnight,
breaking the glass door. They stole a charity box for Leicestershire
Air Ambulance.
A Charity box has also been stolen from the RSPCA shop on Sibson
Road.
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New world of flowers
Pic: Rose Jacobs (left) with New World Florist’s
new owner Gill Bolton
NEW WORLD Florist on the Meadway has a
new owner, Gill Bolton, who wants to build on the solid foundations
laid by the shop’s founder, Rose Jacobs.
Gill said: “The shop has an excellent reputation, built
up by Rose who worked so hard along with her staff, who I’m
pleased to say are all staying with me.”
Gill will shortly be opening a design studio on the first floor
where she will be able to sit down with clients and run through
ideas, for instance brides to be looking for the perfect flowers
for their special day.
She said: “We aim to offer a personal approach, designs
that are something different, something new. We order our flowers
directly from Holland, chosen for their colour and with design
in mind.”
Musical guests entertain
Pic: Louis Couturiaux on the guitar accompanying
Jean Marsello, with Chant Allouette
THE BIRSTALL Twinning Association received
41 guests from their twin town of Rixensart in Belgium over the
weekend May 13-16.
On Saturday members hosted their guests at lunch on ‘The
South Yorkshireman’ on the Great Central Railway. The Belgian
guests had not experienced such a delight before! At Leicester
North Station (Birstall) Mike Jacobs, the founding President
of the Association, took up his previous volunteer role as Station
Master for the day. He also mounted a display of his own photographs
of the railway which was enjoyed by many.
On Saturday evening, a concert was given to a packed audience
at the Methodist Church by members of Chant Allouette, a choir
from Rixensart, and the City of Leicester Male Voice Choir. Chant
Allouette also sang on Sunday evening at St James’ Church.
Election
THE RESULT in the Charnwood Constituency
in the General Election saw Conservative Stephen Dorrell returned
as MP, with an increased majority.
Dorrell, S (Con) 23,571 (46.57%)
Robinson, R (Lab) 14,762 (29.16%)
King, S (L.Dem) 9,057 (17.89%)
Holders, A (BNP) 1,737 (3.43%)
Bye, J (UKIP) 1,489 (2.94%)
Conservative hold, majority 8,809. Turnout 66.36%. Swing Lab
to Con 0.68%. In 2001, Stephen Dorrell’s majority was 7,739.
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Special summer weekend at Birstall Gala
BIRSTALL’S ANNUAL summer gala is only
a month away, and promises something for everyone over the weekend
Saturday and Sunday July 2 and 3.
Organised by Birstall Parish Council and held on the School Lane
playing fields, the gala weekend kicks off with an afternoon
of live music performed by local bands including 2nd2Last, Dosvidania,
Kaleb, Kid Klumsy, The Patient, Purple Patch, Aids, Bleed the
Ink and Ictus.
Saturday’s live music programme runs from 2-9pm and has
been organised by Simon Castleman, a new member of the gala committee
team.
Sunday is Gala Day, opened at 10am by Birstall’s Roger Wilson,
the new Mayor of Charnwood. Music will be provided by the Fosse
Swing Band, Birstall Brass Ensemble and the Bluestone Blues Band.
Throughout the day there will be stalls, children’s rides
a fun fair with waltzers and dogems, and sports provided by Charnwood
Sports. New attractions this year are a display by Police dog
handlers and at noon, a tug of war between the Trees and the
Plough.
From 3pm there will be a children’s fancy dress competition
and parents and children’s games - the egg and spoon race,
three legged and sack race.
At 7.30pm there will be an open air concert by the Hathern Band
with soprano Joyce Rimington, performing a Last Night of the
Proms programme. Bring your own picnic chairs to this free event
which attracts an audience of several hundred.
Chairman of the Gala Committee Doug Topley said: “I hope
the sun will shine and that everyone really enjoys our Gala weekend.
Thanks go to all the committee for their hard work, the stall
holders for their dedication and to all the shops and businesses
that advertise in the programme. Special thanks to our three
new sponsors Friends in Soggy Homes, John C Barbershoop and Midland
Window Installations, I am extremely grateful to them.”
Friends in Soggy Homes (FISH) are running the raffle this year
and tickets will be available in early June from: FISH, Pete’s
Fruit & Veg, Midland Window Installations and Kingsgate Post
Office & Newsagents, and on Gala day.
Charity banquet
A SYSTON woman who lost her daughter to
cancer is holding a money raising event on June 25.
Margaret Statham lost her daughter Sonia at the early age of
40 and that has inspired her to raise money for cancer charities.
She said: “If the money I raise stops just one family going
through the heartbreak this family has been through, or gets
us nearer to finding a cure, it will have been worth it.”
Margaret is holding a Banquet for Breakthrough, the Breast Cancer
Charity, on Saturday June 25, from 2.30-5pm at Syston Community
Centre. There will be afternoon tea with cakes and a kiddies’
corner with pop and crisps. There will also be a raffle with
lots of prizes including a day at Ragdale Hall.
Village cricket thriving
BIRSTALL VILLAGE Cricket Club has received
the first match ball sponsor of the season - Gordon Hurst from
New Move Estate Agents, Birstall, has donated six match balls
to the club.
Chairman Doug Topley said: “The club is extremely grateful
to Gordon, it was a lovely gesture and totally unexpected as
he had already helped us out in the past by giving us a donation
to help to buy new locks for the clubhouse after the break-in
last March.”
Pic: Match Ball Sponsor Gordon Hurst of New
Move with Doug Topley (right) and Andy Corbett
Pic: Head Coach Rob Drake and Andy Corbett with juniors and their
new kit
Andy Corbett, Junior Co-ordinator, would like to take this opportunity
to say that the Junior section is at breaking point and will
not be able to take on any more youngsters. If there is anybody
who would like to come and help the coaching staff and possibly
go on to take their coaching courses the club would be pleased
to hear from them.
Anybody interested in sponsorship or coaching should ring Doug
Topley on 0116 2928214.
NHW news & crime report
I HAVE recently been appointed as Chairman
of Birstall & Wanlip Village Watch. Myself and the Committee
need your help to make sure that the Watch continues to maintain
a high profile in the Birstall & Wanlip area.
For our part we will work on your behalf to try and make our
villages safer places to live in. We need you to let us know
about your concerns, so that we can work together to fight crime.
There are many simple things you can do to contribute.
Street Watch Signs in your area
Please check their condition . Are they damaged, broken or worn
away? If so, we need to know and then replace them free of charge.
We can also supply extra signs if needed, on longer streets.
Door Watch/Post Coding Stickers
Do you have one displayed on your door? If not, why not? Post
coding is free and greatly assist the police in returning stolen/lost
property to the rightful owner.
Neighbourhood Watch Schemes
NHW now covers almost all of our villages. However, there are
still areas who have not joined - why?
Our aim is to make sure that there is a scheme in every NHW area.
If you would like me personally to help - please let me know.
We are delighted that a new Police Constable & Community
Support Office will shortly be allocated to our area. Let’s
give them our full support. In partnership we can be successful
in reducing crime.
Give us a call. We will be pleased to hear from you.
Ed Marshall, tel: 0116 2676397
Crime Report March 11 - April 13
Burglary dwelling 1 (Bramley Rd), burglary other 4, theft of
motor vehicle 3, theft from motor vehicle 2, damage to motor
vehicle 3, theft person/stores 7, robbery 1, damage 8.
Marathon man
A LIFETIME’S ambition was fulfilled
in April when Birstall’s Adrian Barnacle ran the London
Marathon.
Adrian, 40, of Castlegate Avenue (pictured above) , said: “I
ran with 36,000 others, finished 18,797th in 4 hours 31 mins
and was officially the first Barnacle home. Overall it was a
thoroughly enjoyable experience”.
Adrian’s run raised more than £1,600 for St John Ambulance.
College election
LONGSLADE COLLEGE held their own General
Election a week before the nation went to the polls.
Voting and democracy are central aspects of citizenship and this
election was part of a national initiative called Y Vote. The
college used the National Party Leaders as candidates, and the
result was:
Tony Blair (Lab) 13%
Michael Howard (Con) 18.5%
Charles Kennedy (Lib Dem) 44.6%
Roger Knapman (UKIP) 9.24%
Keith Taylor (Green) 12%
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