Children’s harvest gift
CHILDREN AT a Wanlip nursery put on a play,
the Little Red Hen, and delivered parcels of food to mark harvest
festival.
Our picture (above) shows the children in their costumes for
the play.
The food parcels were taken to Age Concern in Birstall, and Castle
View Centre, in Rothley.
Pic: (right) Doreen Smith & Mary Hurst
at the Age Concern Day Centre with Daisy Henry (4) and Samuel
Small (3)
Figure causes offence
A MOTORIST passing through Birstall was
offended by a garden ornament and contacted the Birstall Post,
the Parish Council and Leicester City Council to raise her concerns.
Alice Dobbie, who lives in Belgrave, was driving past the Posy
Bowl on Sibson Road. She said: "I saw something that really
upset me, it was a big statue of a golliwog with a price sign
attached to it.
"This is 2005, we live in a multicultural society, and this
is a derogatory image of black people that I find offensive."
The golliwog figure was part of a display of garden ornaments
for sale on the pavement in front of the Posy Bowl.
Ms Dobbie added: "I imagine the owners of the Posy Bowl
don't mean to offend, it is a lack of awareness".
The Birstall Post contacted the Posy Bowl's proprietor Dean Vendyback.
He told us: "The reaction to the golliwog has been fantastic,
people have stopped to tell me they used to collect them and
to have their photo taken beside it. It didn't cross my mind
that anyone would find it racially offensive, but I don't want
to offend anyone so I'll be taking it inside and won't order
another."
Alice Dobbie was pleased with Dean's response. "I take my
hat off to him for responding so quickly, it's a very decent
action."
Robertson's Jam stopped using the golliwog image on its labels
in 1991, after 91 years as its mascot.
Parish Council notes
A FULL meeting of Birstall Parish Council
was held on October 10.
Cllr Chris Clarke commented that the apology he was required
to make to the Parish Council following the Standards Board investigation
into his conduct was deemed to be satisfactory by the Standards
Board for England.
Cllr Peter West said that the Chairman of the Standards Panel
at Charnwood, Mr Tomlinson, had written to him and said that
the Panel found the apology unsatisfactory. The panel had imposed
a 'satisfactory' apology as part of its sanction and was deeply
concerned that it could not enforce its sanction.
The Standards Board for England has indicated that it is not
going to take any action over this matter.
A resident asked why he was not allowed to speak at the Estates
and Recreation Committee meeting. He was informed that residents
are only allowed to speak during the open session at full council
meetings.
PC Jamie Hughes reported that a man living rough on Meadow Lane
allotments had been spoken to and his situation is being addressed.
The shed he occupied was used to deal drugs and PC Hughes suggested
it be demolished.
PC Hughes said one person had been arrested in connection with
an incident when several vehicles on Wanlip Lane were daubed
with paint. There is an ongoing problem with thefts from motor
vehicles.
PC Hughes identified three problem areas that were being addressed:
antisocial behaviour on Meadow Lane, mopeds on the park and parking
on bus routes.
PC Hughes said that if the yellow lines were repainted and the
statutory restricted parking signs erected outside Birstall cabs,
then any vehicles illegally parked there could be ticketed.
It was reported that T Mobile have undertaken pre-application
consultation about erecting a mobile phone mast and ancillary
equipment outside Greengate Medical Centre. This time the mast
is disguised as a wooden telegraph pole.
Cllr Pat Cleer reported that he had updated the village map,
a feature of the information board outside Hayes and Barrajo
vets.
The date of the next meeting is November 14.
New shoe shop opens
A BIRSTALL woman with a passion for shoes described feeling
like "a kid in a sweet shop" when her new business
opened last month.
Jenny Hawse has lived in the village for 30 years and is the
Proprietor of Influence, a ladies' shoe shop on Front Street,
facing the Triangle.
Jenny said: "I was visiting Bingley in Yorkshire and found
this lovely shop selling shoes, bags and accessories that drew
me in. I ended up buying three pairs of shoes and thought, we
need a shop like this in Birstall."
Shortly afterwards, Jenny saw the old Kingfisher Windows shop
in Birstall for rent and decided to give it a go - she gave up
her job with American Express and Influence opened its doors
for the first time in October.
Pic: Jenny Hawse
"The response has been tremendous and far exceeded my expectations"
said Jenny.
"Every woman loves shoes and matching bags, and I hope that
when people visit my shop they will feel as excited as I am.
Jenny describes her stock with enthusiastic relish, which ranges
from affordable fashion shoes and boots to designer brands and
glittering party shoes. She describes her Bisma sandals as "wonderful,
irresistible, jewelled sandals, beautiful and fabulous."
Influence is at 76 Front Street, on the Triangle roundabout,
tel: 2676007.
Forgotten Birstall man
MIKE SMITH, the author of Eight Ounces
of Gold, has now written the life story of a remarkable Birstall
personality, John Mansfield, who lived at Birstall Hall for 40
years.
Mansfield, one of Leicestershire's outstanding characters, is
today largely forgotten, both in Birstall and Leicester which
he served as Mayor, MP and business leader.
A precocious youth, he was 17 when, in 1795 he moved into Birstall
Hall. He married at 18 and at 20 took control of the family bank.
His philanthropy led in 1828 to the opening of the first full
time school in Birstall. He was also responsible for many improvements
to the parish church and he completely renovated the derelict
mill and mill house and rebuilt or replaced many of the villages
old and near derelict cottages. A racehorse owner, he was a lover
of the 'Good Life'.
Besides being Leicester's youngest mayor and Leicestershire's
Deputy High Sheriff he found time to fight a duel, fall out with
his fellow councillors and, as Lieutenant Colonel of the Volunteers,
lead Leicester's citizens against the threat of Napoleonic invasion,
when he moulded the thousand or so members of his 'Dad's Army'
into an outstandingly efficient regiment. He worked tirelessly
to lessen the working man's grinding poverty and illiteracy and
was instrumental in the foundation and expansion of Leicester's
Infirmary and the improvement of elementary education.
At 40 he entered Parliament as 'The Poor Man's Friend' to fight
for the rights of Leicester's poverty stricken framework knitters.
Here he became embroiled in the controversy over the sexual scandals
of Queen Caroline and her 35 night marathon on Lake Como with
her Italian lover.
He resigned, disillusioned with Leicester's corporation which,
notorious throughout the land for its corruption, faced a government
enquiry to assess the extent of its wrongdoing.
The book, a lively entertaining read, paints a forthright picture
of 18th century Leicester. Many accounts from local newspapers
and reports describe people and events of the time, including
the bawdy and immoral state of Leicester's thoroughfares and
inns. Also the riots when a Leicester mob marching its streets
was led by a band playing The Rogues March. We read of the Barrow
massacre, rioting in Oadby and Loughborough and the ten thousand
citizens who gathered merrily outside the new Infirmary where
a public hanging was cheered to the echo.
In 'Mansfield of Birstall' Mike Smith has given us not only the
story of a forgotten and very human benefactor, of whom Birstall
may be justly proud, but also a fascinating picture of a forgotten
Leicester, sometimes violent and corrupt, a town whose ordinary
citizens were sorely tried by unemployment and hunger.
Author Mike Smith has lived in Birstall for 79 years and this
will be his fifth book of the history of the village.
He said: "When writing Eight Ounces of Gold, John Mansfield
and his father kept cropping up in my research on the village.
Their story of rags to riches, the fact that Mansfield lived
at Birstall Hall for 40 years and his involvement in the downfall
of a corrupt Leicester corporation as told in newspapers and
documents of the time fascinated me."
His research took him to Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Northants
as well as a week in London at the National Archives and British
Library. He spent three years reading through the files of The
Leicester Journal 1790-1839 and Corporation Minutes for the same
period in Leicestershire Record Office.
'Mansfield of Birstall' runs to 200 pages and contains 17 pages
of illustrations. It will be available in early December. If
you live in Birstall and wish to reserve a copy ring Mike on
2675792 and he will deliver it to you personally. It is published
by Birstall Local History Society and costs £9.95.
Volunteer Andy’s tour of Lords
LOCAL CRICKETER Andy Corbett enjoyed a
tour of Lords Cricket Ground, home of the English Cricket Board,
when he attended the Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards.
Pic: (l-r) Jamie Drake, Christine
de Cruz, Tom Corbett, Andy Corbett and Rob Drake
Andy was invited because of his voluntary work for Birstall Village
Cricket Club and the Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket Board,
where Andy is the Under 12s Manager.
Andy took along his son Tom, Head Coach Rob Drake and his son
Jamie. He said: "The day started with a tour of the ground
which included the museum, the media centre and the pavilion,
followed by a champagne reception and a three course meal.
"I met Christine de Cruz, the National Volunteer Development
Manager for the ECB, and she did a fantastic job in organising
the whole evening which also included an ECB Roadshow where the
boys met England player Vikram Solanki."
Andy received a certificate in appreciation for all his hard
work in cricket and Tom received a kit bag for nominating his
dad.
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