Breakfast cooking
DAVID GASKELL and Doug Sutherland take
a welcome rest after cooking brunch for the 28 people who came
to support the 'Big Breakfast' arranged by the Charnwood Branch
of Cancer Research UK.
Pic: David Gaskell and Doug Southerland
The event was held at the home of Jan and David Gaskell, Roman
Road, Birstall.
For the third year, people from across the county came to support
the event and chose to either tuck into a hearty brunch, served
between 12noon and 2.30pm or arrive during the afternoon and
enjoy a more sedate afternoon tea with cakes and scones.
At the end of the day £384.50 had been raised for the essential
and important work of research into the causes, care and treatment
of cancer.
Many thanks to all the friends of the Charnwood Branch of Cancer
Research UK who made the event such a success.
Girls’ Brigade silence
THE JUNIOR section of 1st Birstall Girls'
Brigade held a sponsored silence and raised £174 for NCH
(National Children's Home).
Pic: Peter Molesdale receiving
the cheque on behalf of NCH presented by Keira and Robyn Collins.
Captain Susan Wheeler said: "This is the quietest night
we have had for some time, I think we may have to repeat it!"
Vixens victorious
A BIRSTALL football team were trophy winners
at a tournament held over the Easter weekend.
Pic: The Under 10s Birstall Vixens
The Birstall Vixens Under 10 girls were unbeaten over the two
days of the SCI Mitre Ultimatch Easter Cup held at Brean Sands,
Somerset.
Both the Under 10s and Under 12s competed with teams from across
the country in the heat of the Bank Holiday weekend with the
Under 12s coming a respectable sixth out of 14 teams.
Pic: The Under 12s Birstall Vixens
All the girls received a trophy for competing which was presented
at a celebrity presentation evening on the Sunday night. Coach
Cathy Scragg said: "It was an ironic coincidence that the
awards were presented by ex Leicester City star Steve Claridge
who was received warmly by the travelling Birstall supporters
and who was pleased to see a team from Leicester take the Cup."
Pic: Under 10 Captain Georgia Harris receives
the cup from Steve Claridge
The Vixens are managed by husband and wife team Cathy and Dave
Scragg assisted by Karen O'Grady and Paul Bolton.
Cathy said: "It was a great weekend of football and entertainment
for all those who endured the coach journey in Bank Holiday traffic
which was quickly forgotten but not so the memories that will
stay with the girls for many years to come."
The girls raised money to attend the tournament by a sponsored
walk and even walked around the village in their kit trying to
engage local businesses to support the team. Cathy sad: "It
was a shame that local businesses could not see to support us,
girls football is the fastest growing team sport in the country
and the girls have come up against well established, well supported
teams and not only shown we are equal to but better than them!
"Thanks must go to our kit sponsors, Wilson Windows, Rich
& Carr Solicitors, Syston Doors, the Royal Mail Sports Foundation
and Charles Frederick Associates which meant we not only were
the best team there, we also looked the best team."
The Vixens are part of the Birstall United Juniors club who are
a fully voluntary organisation and are fully self financed. The
club currently has 19 teams across all age groups and have outgrown
the existing leased facilities at Meadow Lane.
Your Say...
Thank you to everyone who supported and donated to the Barn
Dance on March 24 in aid of Marie Curie, which raised £230
including the Raffle Special thanks to Pete's Veg shop.
Gillian & Joan Bowler
Loughborough people can have large coloured maps giving all
the details for the inner ring road in Loughborough. These maps
are displayed in their library. Why can't Birstall people have
large coloured maps giving all the details of the complete alterations
to the A6 through Birstall?
The first U turn west of the A6 is of medium size, readable but
completely meaningless. Below this sign is a small 40mph sign
hidden by the hedge. Inside Hallam fields are two U turns almost
next to each other; all these two signs do is to stop Hallam
residents turning back if they have forgotten anything.
Why have the planners made the slip road in front of the Alliance
& Leicester a one way from north to south? That manoeuvre
has occurred for a very long time. Lately the drivers, who do
this, have increased their speed. By making this one way will
indicate that the drivers can do this even faster. The driver
is looking at Sibson Road, but the pedestrian looks at the shops;
a very dangerous situation.
A party of councillors and planners travelled over 400 miles
in a day to go to Dorchester. Why can't the same people travel
to Birstall (a round trip of approximately 16 miles) and give
their verdict of the A6 through Birstall. The bus lane from the
Park and Ride to Colindale, together with alterations on Bentley
Road will need expert planning if the bus lane is of any use.
If there are any alterations to Greengate Lane, then contact
the mobile people because they have plans in that area.
Why is the Green man so slim? We teach our children to watch
the Green man; standing in the refuge (not much room for pushchairs)
with the drivers doing 50mph plus is very frightening. The drivers
coming from Leicester do a series of turns and just one turn
missed could spell disaster.
Les Briers
Birstall Methodist Women's Group would like to say how much
they appreciated all the support for their Coffee Morning held
on March 17 in the Coffee Shop, Wanlip Lane.
This raised the sum of £279 for their project 'Multiple
Sclerosis Therapy Centre'
Our sincere thanks to everyone.
Jean Gale
My thanks to everyone who supported my quiz evening organised
by my family in March for the charity Action for Deaf.
£204 was raised on the quiz, a further £173 was raised
on the raffle, which was matched pound for pound by Barclays
Bank raising a total of £550.
Brenda Gamble, President St Margaret's Co-operative Bowls
Club
I would like to thank all my neighbours for their support
and all the cards, flowers and good wishes sent during my recent
illness.
Good wishes to all and my heartfelt thanks.
Doris Marshall
In what very little spare time I have had over the last few
weeks I have made a gallant effort to clear at least some of
the backlog of papers and magazines which have built up. I cane
across an old Post in my ditherings and turned to the letter
page. Sure enough there was a letter from your correspondent
of 'Model T to Blackpool' fame, once again standing up for motorists'
rights.
Last time he wanted to swallow the Stonehill school playing fields
in a giant roundabout; at the meeting he attended recently he
may have noticed that in answer to a question about such a scheme
the 'expert' stated that roundabouts did not have the capacity
required for the expected traffic. (Strange - they have yet to
stop building them). Now your correspondent wants my house besieged
with bus lanes, presumably to prevent me from using my own driveway.
Pray will your correspondent note that 'motorist' can drive round
Silverstone and Brand's Hatch, and that all rules can be bent
to suit them. I am an ordinary citizen; I have to use a car because
the good lady friend is disabled. I want to go back and forth
to my house without being diverted along thousands of miles of
A class road to suit some text-book theory. I do not want a bus
lane in my front garden.
Perhaps your correspondent could turn his thoughts to another
puzzle. Why are the good people of Loughborough being forced
to park in the countryside and take a bus, whilst the hordes
of Hallam Fields are encouraged to use their cars on all possible
occasions?
Dr D A C McNeil
It's 7pm and I am trying to relax and sit and watch the television
after a day at work. Can I? No. Why? Because of the gang of youths
congregating outside the off-licence.
It's not them standing talking, it's them shouting, screaming
and using obscene language. They throw stones at cars and throw
sweet papers, cans of pop or drink over the street.
The police say they have this in hand, I am not sure what hand
they have it in when you see the police standing there laughing
with them. And just the other week the community support were
allowing them to have their photograph taken wearing sunglasses
beside the community support car.
What sort of a message is this, it's like they are having a laugh
with them. I know the police have to build up a rapport with
the young people but they have no respect for the police whatsoever.
And to be honest the police do not deserve the respect by letting
them carry on with it. The youths tonight were sitting on someone's
car bonnet - what did the policeman do? Nothing but stands and
has a laugh with them.
It just gives the wrong message. Some people say, well there
is nowhere else for them to go. There is, outside their own homes
would be one place. The girls are worse than the lads. So if
your young daughter goes out at night, ask her where she is going
because one day someone may get attacked outside the shops and
scream her head off but no one on Wanlip Lane will take any notice
because that's all we hear all evening.
A fed up householder on Wanlip Lane (name & address
supplied)
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