Children’s VE party memories
CHILDREN WHO enjoyed a VE Day party in
Birstall in May 1945 came together for a reunion in April, 62
years later.
Pics (above & below): the VE
Day party in Cliffwood
Avenue cul de sac
The reunion came about after one of the children at the party,
Sheila Bright (neé Mayo), who now lives in Canada, was
visiting an old school friend in Rothley, Shirley Fowkes, who
showed her the pictures of the VE Day party.
Sheila's brother, Alan Mayo, recognised himself, Sheila and Shirley
in the photo and decided to try and track down the other people
pictured.
20 people at the VE Day party, many of them in the photo, made
it to the reunion, held in April at the Royal Oak in Cossington.
Alan said: "It was a wonderful day, we were together for
three hours drinking and chatting, many of those there had not
seen each other for more then 50 years."
Alan says he is unable to explain what is meant by the board
which says VE + 1 and doesn't know the exact date the photo was
taken. It was taken on Cliffwood Avenue cul-de-sac and the children
pictured were from Cliffwood, Elmfield, Cedar, Oakfield and Lodgewood
Avenues.
Alan would welcome contact from anybody else from those days
in that area of Birstall, especially from people who might be
in the photos. Contact him via the Birstall Post. He has set
up an Internet Group called http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Birstall-Avenues.
Anyone interested in viewing or joining the group should visit
this site - where they will already find more photos.
Pic: at the reunion, April 2007. Back row
(l-r, using the ladies' maiden names): Alan Mayo, John Wright,
Malcom Perkins, Joy Shepherd, Christine Perkins, Terry Mayo,
Stefan Draper, Janet Laurence, Helen Smith, Peter Voyle, Janet
Perkins, Jean Moseley, Jennifer Maddock, Shirley Wright, Dave
Bielby, Susan Robinson
Seated (l-r): Adrien Bradshaw, Carol Simons, Shirley Tilson,
David Spencer, Pat Crafts
Cup winner
A TROPHY winning golfer has added another
cup to his collection of silverware.
Birstall hairdresser Clive Patrick (pictured above) beat 144
competitors to win the Leicestershire Seniors Golf Society Championship
in May, held at the Leicestershire Club, near Evington.
"I was delighted with the win, with such a strong field,
and I was pleased with the way I played - I had a good round."
said Clive.
At the same event the Lingdale club, of which Clive is a member,
won a trophy for being the top club taking part in the competition.
Clive, who has been playing golf for 16 years, plays off a handicap
of six and has twice won the Leicestershire and Rutland Senior
County Championships. He is currently Senior Champion at his
own club, Lingdale.
Balloon race
STONEHILL STUDENTS released balloons to
help raise money for a Zambian School and a charity that supports
Aids orphans.
Students paid £1 a balloon to take part, with a prize going
to the pupil whose balloon travelled the furthest. A non-uniform
day was another fundraising event for the African school that
has links with Stonehill.
The money raised will help pay for a container load of computers,
books and clothes which will be shipped to the Pad Mozi school.
The fundraising will also support the Rocious foundation, which
sponsors 75 Zambian Aids orphans.
Student teacher Karl Marriott spent seven months in Zambia last
year and helped organise the event. He said: "A project
like this helps to raise awareness of the plight of African children.
There are 1 million Aids orphans in Zambia and the students here
have been surprised and shocked by the DVD I showed them of my
visit."
Stonehill's students have now began exchanging letters with the
pupils at the Pad Mozi school.
Taxi drivers’ BTEC awards
TWO TAXI drivers from Birstall are the
first in the village to pass a qualification aimed at improving
customer care.
Pic: Newly qualified drivers Mike
Jacques (left) and Steve White
Mike Jacques and Steve White from Birstall's Airport Taxi Services
took a training course and passed an exam before being awarded
a BTEC Level Two Award for 'Transporting Passengers by Taxi and
Private Hire'.
The qualification, which covers customer service, safety and
disability awareness, was introduced by Charnwood Borough Council
last year as a mandatory requirement before drivers can be issued
with a private hire licence.
Steve White said: "It raises the business to a higher level
and reassures customers, knowing that their driver is professionally
qualified."
New fitness studio
THE GUNNS and Montague Fitness Studio is
now open on Front Street.
Pic: (above) Sally Montague in
the gym and (below) girls
from Gunns’ gym
The new facility provides a training area for members of Gunns'
boxing gym in the evening while in the daytime and some early
evenings Pilates and Body Conditioning classes are provided by
instructor Sally Montague.
Sally said: "The concept for my side of the venture is to
offer high quality fitness instruction in small groups, at an
affordable cost."
She added: "The studio will be advantageous to those who
do not wish to commit themselves to pricey monthly memberships
at larger health and fitness clubs, as there is no membership
fee and the classes are run on a pay as you go basis.
"The convenient location should be attractive, particularly
for people who have children, may work part time or shifts, and
can fit in a short exercise session while the kids are at school."
Sally offers a range of classes from beginner to more advanced
levels.
Carl Gunns' gym in the old Reading Room on Birstall Road will
benefit from the extra space as the membership continues to increase.
Carl said: "The new space will be used for fitness training
and we plan to have weights, exercise bikes and steppers in there."
The fitness studio at 62 Front Street will be open Monday to
Friday and Sundays and stay open no later than 9pm.
Gallery opens
A MOUNTSORREL artist has set up a new fine
art gallery in Loughborough town centre.
Antonia Winsor and her friend Val Turton say Galerie Resonance
will run a series of themed exhibitions, each running 4-6 weeks,
offering local artists publicity and sales of their work.
"The gallery will offer a platform for the exposure of vibrant,
new and emerging artistic talent in the Midlands" said Antonia.
The gallery, on the first floor of the Good News Centre in Church
Gate, was opened by Rosemary Conley and is open from 10am to
4pm, Monday to Saturday.
Submissions from artists are welcome, visit www.galerie-resonance.com
for more details.
An open exhibition is planned for August 23 to September 29 to
raise money for charity STEPS, with a prize for the winner of
the artists' competition.
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