New Police officer
BIRSTALL HAS a new beat officer, PC Richard
Carruthers 2139.
Pic: PCSO Mark Butler and PC Richard
Carruthers
Richard replaces PC Gordon Doudie, who has moved to the Sileby
beat.
PC Carruthers (35) has worked for the Police for nine years,
as a scene of crime officer and for the last 2½ years
as a Local Police Officer based in the Charnwood Local Policing
Unit. Birstall is his first beat.
He said: "Birstall is a big area and a place I'm familiar
with. I've been out meeting people face to face - I'm very keen
to support neighbourhood policing.
"Antisocial behaviour has been an issue but it's improving
and I hope to continue the good work of my predecessor. Meadow
Lane is an area we are working on at the minute."
PC Carruthers said that the problem of parked vehicles obstructing
the pavement had been raised with him by the public. "I'm
looking to work with the Charnwood Street Wardens on this, to
see that the problem areas are patrolled, and I've been walking
the areas with PCSO Mark Butler speaking to people and giving
advice.
"Motorists should ensure they leave enough space on the
pavement for a double buggy to pass" he said.
Vixens’ car wash
BIRSTALL UNITED Juniors' girls' football
squad, the Vixens, raised £175 for their end of season
tour by organising a car wash day.
Pic: Birstall United Vixens washing
cars
Spokeswoman Claire Williamson said: "We would like to thank
the residents along Stonehill Avenue, Hill Rise and Colindale
Avenue and all the girls' parents, as it would not have been
possible without their support."
Girls taking part were Danielle L, Danielle B, Anabelle, Hannah,
Megan, Lauren, Siobahn, Stacey, Emily, Jessica and Rosie
Bowls club winners
BIRSTALL BOWLING Club will remember Sunday
August 31, 2008 for many years to come as the most successful
day in the club's history.
The men won the Unbadged double fours competition. They beat
Narborough 36-33 in the morning semi final before defeating defending
champions Oakham 37-34 in the afternoon final. Rink scores: v
Narborough: Bob Cooper, John Walker, John Lee and Dave Clarke
won 22-13; Richard Smith, Grahame White, Stuart Hartop and John
Hurst lost 14-20. v Oakham: Cooper, Walker, Lee and Clarke won
20-19; White, Harry Poole, Hartop and Hurst won 17-15.
In the Champion of Champions, Andy Wye eased past Harold Twigg
of Melton 21-8 in the semi final before beating Goodwood's Dave
Spray 21-14 in the final. Completing the hat trick was Richard
Smith who beat Alan Jones from Oakham 21-13 in the final of the
Secretaries singles.
Spokesman Andy Wye said: "The last time the men won a county
competition was the Greenwood Cup back in 1982, so to clinch
three titles within around 90 minutes of each other is a remarkable
achievement."
Most of the Ladies County finals were scheduled for the same
day and Birstall's defending fours champions, Sue Wilson, Pa
Walker, Jan Everitt and Diane Hurst reached the final again but
narrowly lost out to Shepshed 16-18. Diane was also in action
the following day, retaining the singles title by beating Kingscroft's
Jenny Groves 21-17 in the final.
There was more success in the Loughborough Triples League. The
Sands team won Division 3 and are promoted to Division 2 next
season, and the Lighthouse team were runners up in Divison 2
and go up to Division 1 next season. Unfortunately, the club
were relegated from Division 1 of the Leicester League following
a play off defeat at Fosseway.
In between all the competition bowling, the club played two charity
matches. The annual game against Rushey Mead saw over £150
raised for the local St John Ambulance branch, while the club
also played the Zippers Bowling Association team, made up of
people who have all had open heart surgery. Over £230 was
raised for heart related charities and to help provide equipment
for hospitals such as Glenfield.
More about the club can be found on the website www.birstallbowling.co.uk
Parish Council notes
A FULL meeting of Birstall Parish Council
was held on September 8.
PC Gordon Doudie, Sgt Neil Liddicott and Birstall's new beat
officer PC Richard Carruthers attended the meeting. PC Carruthers
reported that there was a decrease in burglaries in the village
and one suspect had been apprehended and charged. He said he
would continue to tackle antisocial behaviour and would be targeting
Meadow Lane in the light of recent break-ins at the allotments.
PC Doudie reported that the beat priorities were to work with
agencies to reduce crime in the Meadow Lane area and to tackle
the amount of graffiti in the village, possibly by arranging
for offenders who were serving Community Service orders to clean
up the graffiti.
PC Doudie, who is moving to the Sileby beat, was thanked for
his work during his time as Birstall's beat officer.
The council agreed to increase the number of Christmas hampers
delivered in the village under the terms of the Land & Lewis
charity.
The council has received two quotes for replacement equipment
at the Meadow Lane skate park. It was agreed to discuss the proposals
with the young people who had written to the council requesting
improvements, and to seek further quotes for the preferred design.
Car park extension
THE CONSTRUCTION of the new extension to
the Sibson Road car park will involve some disruption to the
existing car park.
At this stage the Parish Council say they cannot confirm when
the project will commence or how many weeks it will take, but
it is possible that it could start at the end of October. Signs
will indicate alternative parking areas which should be used
when any work is due to commence.
The Council is currently in the process of appointing a contractor
to construct the extension. Clerk Brenda Thomas said: "There
are several issues still to be resolved including some funding
issues but the Council is committed to trying to ensure all issues
are resolved so that the project can be completed by the end
of March with the minimum amount of disruption to all concerned."
Swim grant
A SWIMMING club that trains at Birstall
pool has received a lottery grant of £4,478.
Leicester Penguins Swimming Club 250 members will use the cash
for a series of sports psychology and sports nutrition talks.
Club spokesperson Karen Betts said: "It has been quite a
year for us. It has been fantastic the way our teams have swum
and this grant will help us develop our talent even further than
ever before. It is all about the kids for us, and I feel that
has shown in the way they have performed this year."
The coaches will also benefit from the award as some of the money
is to be spent on development training and a stock of DVD resources
for the team to share.
The club has recently achieved unprecedented success in competition,
winning second place at the Diddy finals in September and qualifying
for the national finals.
Find out more at www.leicester-penguins.co.uk
Summer reading challenge
CHILDREN FROM all over Leicestershire took
part in this year's summer reading challenge - Team Read, which
was linked to the buzz of the Olympics.
Pic: Tony and Freda Kershaw with
some of the children
who took part in this summer's reading challenge,
and below, Vice Chairman Roger Wilson with more
prizewinners
To celebrate the success of the scheme Birstall Library hosted
a special presentation evening in September when they were visited
by the Chairman and the Vice Chairman of Leicestershire County
Council, Tony Kershaw and Roger Wilson.
Children aged 4-12 were being encouraged to read throughout the
summer holidays to achieve their Champion's Gold Medal. The aim
was to enthuse and encourage children's reading, building their
confidence and creativity through shared activity and inspiring
reading choices.
Youngest pilot praised
A SEVENTEEN year old from Birstall has
become the youngest pilot in Britain.
Pic: Pilot and Air Cadet Jenny
Cluley
Longslade student Sally Cluley, a cadet with the Birstall 1947
ATC Squadron, completed her training for her Private Pilot Licence
(PPL) this summer in just four weeks.
Sally decided to study for her PPL after receiving money from
her late grandmother. She said: "Ever since I got my first
flying experience as an Air Cadet I have wanted to learn to fly
solo. I decided to use the money that my grandmother left me
to help fulfil my dream."
It took Sally the minimum of 45 flying hours to complete her
training. Her final two hour flight and written test were conducted
under the watchful eyes of experienced Flight Examiner Tim Darby
at the recently opened POM Flying School at Humberside Airport.
He said: "Sally was extremely confident in her ability.
She handled the plane very well and produced an extremely competent
test during her final two hour flight."
Dave Gibson, Chief Flying Instructor of POM Flying Group, felt
that Sally was one of the best young pilots that he had ever
seen. "Sally is among the very best that I have taught,
and I have been teaching for a long time. Because she is so young
so takes it all in her stride. Some people struggle with co-ordination,
but not Sally. You can show her something and she absorbs it
very quickly" he said.
Sally's love for flying was first developed during her early
years with the Air Cadet Organisation. During her time as a cadet
she has embraced the opportunities available, which have seen
her become a Flight Staff Cadet a 643 Volunteer Gliding School,
RAF Syerston.
Having completed her Private Pilot Licence, Sally is planning
to get plenty of solo flying time under her belt. Ultimately
my goal is to become a commercial pilot, but I haven't yet ruled
out going to university to study as an engineer. It would also
be good to join a flying club closer to home, that way I can
log the 100 flying hours required before I can attempt the next
level of qualification" she said.
1947 (Birstall) Squadron is currently recruiting cadets and anyone
aged 13 to 17 is welcome to join on Tuesday and Thursday evenings
at Squadron Headquarters (in the grounds of Riverside Primary
School), 7.30 to 9.30pm
Gym gets new ring
CARL GUNNS' gym on Birstall Road has a
new ring thanks to a cash award from the County Council's Youth
Opportunities Fund.
The gym was awarded £8000 with £3500 going on the
new ring with the remainder set aside for new equipment including
gloves, mats and skipping ropes.
Pic: Brothers Louis & Tommy McCann with
Carl Gunns
Two of the gym's youngest members are brothers Louis McCann (6)
and Tommy (2). Dad Paul said: "What Carl is doing for the
kids is brilliant, he's superb with the young people in the ring
and you can tell that he lives for boxing. My sons think the
gym is brilliant and get excited before they come. They really
enjoy it."
Quilting skills
BIRSTALL QUILTING Group staged an exhibition
of their work in St James Church last month.
Pic: the members of Birstall Quilting Group
There were more than 60 quilts on display, all made by members
of the 32 strong group that meets weekly at the Methodist Church.
The exhibition was raising funds for improvements to the community
space at St James Church.
Organic growing
DESPITE THE economic downturn, sales of
home delivered organic veg boxes are still growing.
River Nene, launched in 2005, say their sales were up 5% in September
2008 compared to September 2007.
Jit Parekh, who delivers River Nene organic boxes and produce
in the Leicestershire area, said: "It's been a big year
for us. We're now offering customers more choice than ever, including
a meat box, so they can have the same confidence in quality for
both meat and veg."
River Nene is the first sister farm of Riverford Organic Vegetables,
which has grown from one man, three acres and a wheelbarrow in
Devon to an alliance of farms growing and delivering veg boxes
locally across much of the UK. Across the five farms, Riverford
now delivers to 47,000 customers nationwide.
Jit added: "We can't forget that the credit crunch is uppermost
in customers' minds and organic producers will have to prove
their value. But with recent research showing our boxes are 22%
cheaper than equivalent produce in the supermarkets, we are confident
they will look to us as an affordable way to feed their families
with food they can trust" continued Jit Parekh.
To find out more visit www.rivernene.co.uk or call Jit on 0116
267 2222
NHW news
Beware of Scams
Remember there are con artists everywhere trying to relieve you
of your hard earned cash.
There are hundreds of types of scams - false lotteries and prize
draws, false investments plans and work from home schemes to
name but a few.
Most scams have something in common, so STOP, THINK and be sceptical
if you are asked any of the following;
o to send money up front
o to give your bank or any other personal details
o to ring a premium number (ie numbers starting with 090)
o to buy something to get your 'prize'
The golden rule is - if it sounds too good to be true it probably
is! Never release money or personal details until you have checked
thoroughly.
If you become aware of a scam, tell your family and friends and
make the Watch Team aware, so others in the community can be
warned.
You can also contact Consumer direct for clear, practical advice
on 08454 0405 or www.consumerdirect.gov.uk
Halloween Night
The time for 'trick and treating' is approaching. This can be
a worrying time for the elderly and vulnerable. Parents can help
by supervising their children to ensure that they have fun but
do not cause distress to others.
New Beat Officer
PC Richard Carruthers has commenced as the new Beat Officer in
the Birstall & Wanlip area, and will work with our well-known
PCSO Mark Butler
We welcome Richard as we regretfully say 'farewell' to PC Gordon
Doudie, who in the short time he has been with us has achieved
success in crime detection/prevention and engaging with our young
people in the village.
Ed Marshall
Chairman Birstall & Wanlip Village Watch
Acorn fundraising
BY RUNNING a half marathon and swimming
the channel two committee members from a Birstall pre-school
are hoping to raise funds for a new shed to store toys.
Paul Williams and Sharon Davinson are looking for sponsors to
help them raise funds for the Acorn Under Fives, based at Highcliffe
School.
Paul will be running the Leicester Half Marathon on Sunday October
19, which this year passes through Birstall, and Sharon will
be 'swimming the channel' by completing 1790 lengths of the pool
at the Soar Valley Leisure Centre.
Paul said: "Whether you currently have children attending
Acorn, or will have children attending, or have in the past,
sponsoring us is an ideal way of saying thank you to the staff
and the committee for the work that has been done. Let's help
Acorn get their new shed!"
Acorn was graded 'outstanding' following a recent Ofsted inspection,
with the inspector stating she had only made that award once
before in the 15 years she had been performing inspections.
To sponsor Paul and Sharon ring Acorn on 2672795 or go to www.acornunderfives.co.uk
and choose 'contact us'.
|
Police getting younger
CHILDREN AT Half Pints on Loughborough
Road enjoyed a visit by Birstall's PCSO Mark Butler.
Pic: PCSO Mark Butler with Connor
trying
on a protective jacket.
The excited children were shown in and around the Police car,
tried on Police helmets and listened as Mark explained his job
to them and told them how to keep safe.
A spokeswoman for Half Pints said: "It was great to see
the children listening so intently and we would like to thank
Mark and his colleague for providing such an educational and
fun afternoon for the children, they are a great asset to our
community."
Methodist news
Ministers Arriving and Staying Longer!
The ministry of our new minister started on the very sad note
that within days of her taking up duty, Rev Rachel Parkinson's
mother had died. Despite this sad news Rachel and her family
(husband Neil, and sons Matthew & Andrew) are settling into
the Birstall community.
Rev Edward Sakwe, well known to Birstall folk, was due to return
to his home country, The Cameroon, in September 2009. He is now
able to stay a further year and continues his ministry at the
Belgrave churches of Harrison Road and Claremont street for this
further time.
The Golden Egg
In these times of financial crisis a golden egg would be most
welcome! The Men's Pantomime Group will be producing a golden
egg as they start rehearsals for the 2009 production 'Mother
Goose'. The group is keen to welcome any new faces who would
like to join in. Rehearsals are Thursdays at 7.45am, or phone
John 2675128 for more information. This is a new script for the
Men's group.
Cameroon Orphanage Project
£4100 has been raised so far and the digging of the foundations
is due to start very shortly for the new nursery unit. The garget
is £20,000 to build the complete unit. We have a senior
church person in The Cameroon taking care of the finance to ensure
every penny raised goes in full to this project.
Folk Evening
Tickets are selling fast for the second of these popular evenings
complete with a live band and sausage & mash supper. October
25 is the date and any remaining tickets can be obtained from
Eileen 2929670, Mary 2672606 or Joy 2677576. All proceeds will
go towards the Orphanage project.
Thursday group’s cash
OUR PICTURE shows Mike Chester from the Leicester & District
Parkinson's Society receiving a cheque for £2500 from Pat
Towson, Chairperson of the Birstall Methodist Thursday Group.
Garden party cash
Andy and Ruth Adcock raised £1850
for Rainbows by organising a musical evening in the garden of
their Worcester Avenue home.
Pic: Emma Lovegrove from Rainbows
receives a cheque
from Andy and Ruth Adcock.
Around 70 guests enjoyed live music provided by 'The James Brothers'
band at the event, which also featured a raffle and an auction.
Andy and Ruth would like to thank Rich and Marie Cotton and Gary
and Marie Glover for their help in organising the event.
Flower club
OUR PICTURE shows members of Birstall Flower Club enjoying their
annual dinner held on August 27 at the village hall and attended
by more than 50 members.
Tennis club’s finals
BROTHERLY LOVE was put on hold for a day
during Birstall Watermead Tennis Club's championship finals.
Pic: Brothers Matt (left) and Sam
Williams
Defending men's singles champion, 17 year old Matt Williams beat
his 19 year old brother Sam 6-3, 6-2 in last month's final.
Both brothers are regular members of the men's first team but
had never faced each other in a club final before. A delighted
Matt said: "I usually beat Sam in practice." Matt had
earlier defeated Christian Berry 7-5, 6-4 in the junior under
18s final to make it a double triumph.
During a sodden fortnight in which rain left players looking
like drowned rats, it was a minor miracle that the championship
schedule was completed on time. So it was a relieved club chairman
James Berry who saw a hot sun beat down on the courts on finals
day.
"It was difficult at times but all credit to those who played
their matches in pouring rain and high winds in a determined
effort o get them finished" said James.
Other results on finals day were: ladies singles: Laura Morley
beat Gayle Stones 6-1, 6-2; mixed doubles: Christine Muir and
Christian Berry beat Carole Vincent and Dave Watson 6-1, 6-3;
men's doubles: Ben Gale and James Berry beat Graham Smith and
Mike Lale 0-6, 6-1, 7-5; ladies doubles: Carole Vincent and Caroline
McNee beat Christine Muir and Sarah Page 6-2, 6-1; junior singles
under 16s: Mitchell Stones beat Daniel Marlow 6-2, 6-1.
Police target offenders
THE POLICE in the North of Leicestershire
are sending postcards to all repeat offenders across the area
warning them to stop committing crime.
The cards, which feature pictures of police cells on the front
with the message 'Wish You Were Here?' will be hand delivered
to prolific and persistent offenders in Loughborough, Charnwood,
North West Leicestershire, Melton and Rutland. They are part
of a three month operation to tackle vehicle crime and burglary
across the North.
The postcards warn known criminals to stop offending or their
next destination could be prison. The majority of crime across
Leicestershire is committed by a minority of prolific offenders.
These are the people the police on the North Area are targeting
with the 'Wish You Were Here?' campaign.
Other parts of the operation include high profile patrols, covert
operations using 'rat trap' equipment fitted to vehicles.
Since 2006, burglary is down 15% and all vehicle crime is down
10% on the North Area. Figures are from April 1, 2006 to September
11, 2006 compared to the same period in 2007. Between April 1,
2008 and September 11, 2008 there has been a 7% rise in burglaries
and a 9% rise in vehicle crime.
Superintendent Jez Cottrill, from Loughborough said: "We
could see that crime was beginning to increase in certain areas
and wanted to run a campaign to stop the problem growing any
further. We will be using a range of tactics, from high visibility
patrols to plain clothed patrols in known 'hot spot' areas. We
will be using rat trap vehicles across the North and putting
on patrols dedicated to this operation at key times in key places
and, of course, writing to repeat offenders to tell them that
they are under scrutiny.
"As well as targeting persistent offenders and locking criminals
up, an important part of the initiative will involve attempting
to encourage them to move away from a life of crime.
"To do this we will be looking to other partners such as
the probation service and housing agencies to provide the necessary
support to help divert offenders away from crime."
Kwame’s TV role
A STUDENT at a theatre school run by Birstall's
Monica Osborne will feature in a CBeebies commercial for BBC
television.
Pic: Kwame Kanderkore
Five year old Kwame Kanderkore is a pupil at the Starlight Theatre
School. Kwame has also secured a part in a new film for Sky
television, called Malachi, in which he will play the lead's
younger brother.
Wanlip winner
WANLIP WAS a winner in a competition to
find the best villages in the county.
The Leicester and Rutland Best Village competition is sponsored
by Calor Gas and organised by the Rural Community Council.
In the 2008 competition Wanlip was judged the best village with
a population under 500. The overall winner was Billesdon.
Corbett’s cricket corner
ANOTHER CRICKET season is over and for
the senior teams it was a fairly good one: the first team finished
mid table and the second team just missed out on promotion by
6 points.
Pic: President's XI, back row:
Pete Williams, Bernard
Drake, Mike Lord, Dermot Healey, Jamie Drake,
Jonathan Gaydon, Kahill Mann-Kler; front row: John
Meachen, Rob Drake, Jo Jordan, Gary Ferrar, Pradeep
Sood
Pic: 3 generations of Drakes: Ben
Drake, Jamie Drake,
Robert Drake, Bernard Drake
This season saw the return of President's Day where President
Mike Lord picks a guest XI to play Birstall Village, the president's
team this year featured Jo Jordan, a former England Ladies World
Cup Winner. The game was won by the president's team captained
by former player Gary Ferrar. A special thank you to Gary for
donating over 100 sausages and beef burgers for the after match
BBQ cooked by local BBQ expert Dean Seargent and assisted by
Judy White.
The president's match contained three generations from the Drake
family, granddad Bernard, dad Rob and two grandsons Jamie and
Ben.
Mike Lord said: "It was a lovely day with a fantastic turnout
from old friends, players and former players of Birstall Village
CC."
Pic: Teresa Mugginson and Gwen Ward of Krustys
Pic: Dean Seargent and Judy White at the BBQ
I would like to thank Gwen Ward and Teresa Mugginson from Krustys
on Sibson Road for providing many of the teas this year, with
matches being rearranged last minute or cup matches being played
on Sundays, the ladies always catered for us. On match days the
club gets marked by the opposition on facilities, sportsmanship,
pitches and teas, and thanks to Krustys, Birstall was one of
the highest marked for the teas provided.
The junior cricket nets start again on Saturday October 4, 4-6pm
at the Soar Valley Leisure Centre in Mountsorrel. I have been
in touch with professional cricketer John Maunders and he is
hoping to help coach again this winter. John is currently playing
for Essex.
In last month's Corbett's Cricket Corner it was announced that
Head Coach Rob Drake would retire now his under 17s team has
finished, but Rob will still be helping behind the scenes and
getting involved with the under 13s age group.
From Andy Corbett
|
Old cemetery chapel
OUR PICTURE shows the chapel that once
stood in the centre of Belgrave Cemetery, off Red Hill island,
until the 1970s when it was demolished.
The Friends of Belgrave Cemetery Group's historian, Brenda Watts,
has published a book: 'Roll of Honour - Soldiers of Belgrave
Remembered' which is available now priced £4 from 2676080
Your Say...
I'd like to say 'thank you' for putting in my letter a few
weeks ago about car sharing, fruit exchanging and Transition
things. Through people responding to the letter I've met some
like minded folk interested in the 'Transition Towns' ideas -
how we are going to adapt to a future with scarce expensive oil
(and all the many things made of it) and enjoy a different quality
of life. For more information you can look it up on the internet.
A few of us have met and started to talk and share ideas on how
we can help one another with the big challenges coming our way
with oil price rises and climate change. We are starting small
with ideas like sharing resources (car, lawn mower...), sharing
an allotment, exchanging skills such as gardening, knitting,
repairing bikes. We've watched an amazing film together called
'The Power of Community' about how Cuba had to change rapidly
after loosing oil, agricultural and food imports from the Soviet
Union - what an inspiration!
We are continuing to meet and expand so people reading this and
interested in being part of a positive future less dependent
on fossil fuels is welcome to get in touch. On Sunday the 5th
October we're using surplus apples and windfalls and a friend's
old fashioned apple press to make juice and perhaps start off
some cider ( or vinegar if it doesn't work!) If your readers
would like to get involved they are welcome to contact me through
the Birstall post, or email: louisemhall@ntlworld.com, or text
me on 0777 3353 482.
Louise Hall
We would like to express our appreciation for the beautiful
hanging baskets throughout the village and the profusion of colour
in the concrete container around the 'Triangle area'.
It made us proud of our Park Maintenance Team who created these
displays which give such pleasure to our village residents and
visitors.
May it long continue
Ann & Eddie, Birstall villagers
Am I getting even more paranoiac, or is it happening to other
people as well?
Do you, when the telephone rings shudder at the thought of either
an American or Nigerian voice bombarding you with what in the
end is demands that you send them free money? Have you every
tried ringing 1471 after one of these calls - often claimed to
be from a non-existent government department - only to find that
"we do not have the caller's number to return the call"?
I tried ringing my telephone supplier to see if such calls could
be blocked. Yes, they said, but all calls with the 141 code would
be blocked as well. My cousin always uses 141. Should I cut her
off as well?
I do know that my good lady friend has at least two of these
calls a day. How widespread is this problem? What can be done
to silence these people? The telephone preference service cannot
help as the calls appear to come from non-subscribers to their
code.
I am often tempted to ask what the weather is like in Nigeria.
I doubt that they would understand the question.
Dr D A C McNeil
Despite the rain which brought our stall at the Birstall Gala
to an early end in July, CLASH, Community Leicester Athritis
Self Help, went on to raise a total of £505.31 towards
our running costs.
This combined event comes from the proceeds of the Gala, £69.55,
£135.76 from the Coffee Morning at Birstall Methodist Church
and a generous donation of £300 from MARS.
The MARS donation will be used to fund all costs incurred from
the Gala and Coffee Morning and more importantly, to purchase
a more substantial tent for our stall in years to come to avoid
rain stopping play!
Many thanks to members and friends who contributed their time
and goods to make these two events so successful."
Chris Thomas
|
Story of Wanlip
A NEW book telling the story of the closed
manor of Wanlip is to be published next month.
Pic: Wanlip Hall, built in the
18th century and
demolished in 1936, stood next to Wanlip Church, beside
the riverbank.
Entitled 'A Very Fine Thing' it has been researched and written
by Mike Smith and will be published by Birstall Local History
Society. The book's title comes from a 17th century description
of the Wanlip estate.
This is Mike's seventh book. He said: "In many ways it's
been my most satisfying. My researches have discovered that this
small corner of Leicestershire has been associated with remarkable
personalities and events".
The story is told not just through the lives of Wanlip's gentry
but also its ordinary people; the tenant farmers and the labourers
who toiled in the fields.
The book has 112 A4 pages and is comprehensively illustrated.
It will be on sale in the village from the beginning of November.
A full review will appear in next month's Birstall Post.
Cubs’ batty camp
BIRSTALL CUB Scouts went absolutely 'batty'
for camping this summer.
Pic: Birstall Cubs at Superhero
camp
A Superhero camp at Oaks in Charnwood was aimed at older cubs
preparing to move on to Scouts and was a real adventure.
Our district's adopted superhero was Batman and Cubs were challenged
to show off their super power skills, climbing and abseiling
along with kayaking, sailing, shooting and archery, as well as
many other activities.
Along with cubs from Belgrave, Thurmaston, Evington and Houghton
they created an array of characters along with a bat cave gateway.
Their efforts were rewarded when they walked away with first
prize for all their hard work.
Pic: Birstall Cubs kayaking at LOPC
Pic: Ole and Ravi preparing to set sail
Pic: Alex, Mathew, Reece, Joseph, Harry and
Ben
check out their survival shelter
Birstall cub scouts also held another camp just a few weeks later
at the Willesley Scout campsite, an 18th century gatehouse surrounded
by woods. Cubs were introduced to the wonders of the natural
world, using high tech bat detectors to pick out these elusive
night-time creatures as they swooped over Willesly fishing lake,
looking for food. With the help of experts from Holly Hayes in
Birstall the cubs got the chance to trap and identify many species
of moth before releasing them back into the night sky. Daytime
activities included survival skills, such as scavenging for food
and building their own water filters as well as designing and
building their own shelters.
Pic: Heather, Chris, Alex, Harry and Ben toasting
marshmallows after cooking their lunch
Akela Ged Sessions said: "All survived to tell the tale
just in time to recoup their energies for a 26 mile cycle ride
and overnight camp - but that's another story."
Fun for kids
TICKLED SKINK is a new group for children
aged 2-5, providing interactive fun on a wildlife theme.
Children participate in singing, play instruments and use puppets
and props on a theme of wildlife habitats such as rain forest,
sea, garden and countryside. They also get to hold and learn
about a range of real, live exotic animals including snakes and
geckos.
The cost is £4.50 for one child and £2.50 for each
sibling and the group meets on Tuesdays from 1.45-2.30pm at the
pavilion in the centre of the School Lane playing field.
For details contact vbalkwill@talktalk.net or phone 07951853204
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Golf success
BIRSTALL'S GOLFERS are just one game away
from securing a return trip to Spain for the finals of the Mail
on Sunday National Golf Club Classic following a great 4-1 victory
over Woodhall Hills from Leeds.
Birstall Golf club last reached that stage in 2004 and ended
up in third place, behind The Herefordshire and Nuneaton Golf
Clubs at El Rompido. This year they faced a trip to Marriott
Worsley Hotel in Manchester in late September for the quarter
finals of the event.
Victory there would secure that trip and reward the players for
a series of winning performances over the year.
Planning
35 Stonehill Ave - add on to existing extension to extend
bedrooms to the rear of the dwelling
50 Woodgate Drive - erection of first floor extension to side
and rear and dormer extension to rear of dwelling
Hallam Fields (Commercial Park) West of the A6 - external lighting
comprising street lighting and fixed lighting to commercial units
Severn Trent Sewage Treatment Works, Fillingate, Wanlip - installation
of wind turbine (rated capacity up to 2MW) and other ancillary
development
Severn Trent Sewage Treatment Works, Fillingate, Wanlip - provision
of a 60m temporary guyed wind turbine for a period of no more
than 2 years
Rectory Field Nursery, Rectory Road, Wanlip - change of use of
land from open storage in association with garden centre to open
storage for mezzanine flooring, also alterations to associated
access and landscaping
Age Concern info
Instant Emergency Help at the Touch of a Button
The fact is that as we get older, we are many times more likely
to have an accident. Failing eyesight, poorer balance, slower
reactions - sadly, they all play their part. And when a person
lives alone, even minor accidents can have major consequences.
That's why more and more people are turning to Age Concern Aid-Call.
Aid-Call is a personal SOS system, approved by Age Concern, which
summons emergency help within seconds. It works from anywhere
in the home or garden and links directly to the Aid-Call Emergency
Response Centre. The customer's nominated key holders are normally
the first port of call for the Aid-Call operator but they will
contact the emergency services where required.
Aid-Call is available throughout the UK to anyone who feels they,
or a relative, would benefit. There are no waiting lists, nor
any complicated forms to fill in. As Aid-Call is a service provided
by Age Concern, charges are kept as low as possible, and any
profits go straight back to support the charity.
For further information or to arrange a free-no-obligation demonstration
please contact Age Concern Insurance Services on 1006 2511474
or 2622837.
ELSA: Evidence on Health Issues
The third wave of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing includes
four chapters on health issues.
Chapter 3 explored physical functioning, finding that:
o lower levels of personal wealth and higher levels of neighbourhood
deprivation were both associated with increased risks of developing
age-related impairments over a four-year period: and
o poorer personal relationships with family members were associated
with the onset of difficulties with mobility
Chapter 6 focused on resilience - people's ability to resist
adversity and flourish under it. It found that:
o resilience existed irrespective of the way it was measured;
o resilient older people were more satisfied with their lives
and had a better quality of life than non-resilient older people;
and
o resilient older people expected to live longer than their non-resilient
counterparts
Chapter 7 explored how waist and body mass index (BMI) measurements
related to health. It found that being underweight was associated
with increased risk of death in men and increased weight was
associated with:
o severe back pain, shortness of breath, and arthritis;
o slower walking speed; and
o low quality-of-life scores and depression
Chapter 8 examined mortality and healthy life expectancy. It
found that excess deaths in winter months were not clearly patterned
by age, cohabiting status, central heating, quality of accommodation
or socio-economic position. Risk of death over the whole year
was affected by:
o whether or not people lived with a partner;
o level of qualifications, occupational class and wealth; and
o level of physical activity, smoking history and level of alcohol
consumption
Living in the 21st Century : Older People In England. The 2006
English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (Wave 3)
Tel: 020 7291 4800 (Institute for Fiscal Studies)
www.ifs.org.uk/elsa/report_wave3.php
Experiences of Older People with Depression : Age Concern
Report
Age Concern has launched a new campaign on older people and depression,
'Down, but not out'. The campaign report 'Undiagnosed, Untreated,
At Risk' sets out the prevalence of depression among older people
and highlights the fact that the vast majority do not get any
support or treatment. It calls for action to encourage older
people with depression to seek help, to receive the correct diagnosis
when they do visit their GP, and to have access to all treatments
known to be effective.
Down, but not out : Campaign Report. Undiagnosed, Untreated,
At Risk.
Tel: 020 8765 7589 (Maggie Lucas, Policy Unit, Age Concern England)
www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/depressioncampaign.asp
Suicide Prevention Strategy : CSIP report 2007
The Care Services Improvement Partnership has published the 2007
annual report on the national suicide prevention strategy for
England. The overall suicide rate has continued to fall and is
at the lowest rate on record, but the rate of decline has slowed.
The suicide rate for people aged 80 and over is higher than for
the population as a whole, yet older people are not a priority
group in the strategy. Improving mental health care for older
people is a listed priority for 2008.
Climbing Divorce Rate in Over-60 Age Group
New figures show that record numbers of people over 60 are getting
divorced.
The number of pensioners separating has increased by more than
a third in a decade. It seems that more and more people in the
over 60 age group are no longer prepared to sit out their retirement
in unhappy marriages. A total of 13,678 people over 60 were divorced
in 2007, this is up from 12,636 in the previous year and from
9,052 in 1997.
Some experts believe that the 'empty nest syndrome' plays a part
in some marriage break-ups with many couples staying together
for several years for the sake of their children and their divorcing
once the children leave home.
Also, in retirement couples have to spend more time together
and upsetting differences that are not apparent or not prominent
when one or both spouses are working become much more apparent.
People in their 60s have much higher expectations now of quality
of life than they had 20 or 30 years ago. There is often the
'one life' argument at this stage in people's lives. That and
the possibility now of being able to live comfortably by themselves
(if they have personal pensions) is pushing women to make the
dramatic change of getting divorced. Many people retiring at
60 or 65 can look forward to 20-30 years of life. There are also
thought to be some personal tragedies amongst the divorce figures
where uncaring, selfish husbands discard wives of several years
because they want younger, so-called trophy wives.
Overall the age of divorcees is steadily rising, with the average
now 41.2 years for women and 43.7 years for men, the data from
the office for National Statistics show. The figures also show
that the divorce rate has fallen to its lowest level since 1981.
This has been put down to the fact that fewer people are getting
married. The ONS disclosed earlier this year that marriage rates
were at their lowest level since 1862. There were 128,543 divorces
in England and Wales in 2007, the lowest number since 1976.
New Rights for Disabled/Less Mobile Passengers: EHRC Guide
An Equality and Human Rights Commission guide explains the new
European law, giving people who are disabled or have difficulty
walking improved rights to assistance when flying in Europe.
Anyone with mobility problems due to disability or age can receive
help, not just those who are permanently disabled and covered
by the Disability Discrimination Act.
The law covers the entire air travel process, including booking
flights, arrival at the airport, check-in, getting on and off
the plane and leaving the airport. It also applies to tour operators
and travel agents.
Your Rights to Fly : What You Need to Know. A step-by-step guide
for disabled and less mobile passengers
Tel: 020 3117 0235 (Equality and Human Rights Commission)
www.equality/humanrights.com
Local Government Response to Ageing : Audit Commission Report
The Audit Commission has published the findings of a year-long
study on local government action to promote older people's wellbeing.
The report found that a majority of councils were not well equipped
to cope with an ageing population. For example, two-thirds of
47 councils surveyed by older people were unable to refer them
to appropriate services and opportunities. Councils needed to
improve the way they provided information in key areas, and widen
their focus beyond people with social care needs. The commission
made a series of recommendations for improvement.
Don't Stop Me Now : Preparing for an Ageing Population
www.audit-commission.gov.uk/laterlife/
Suggested Ways to Save You Money
With fuel and food prices rising and the credit crunch causing
more unemployment, here are some suggestions which may save you
money,
o Don't use your credit card to withdraw cash as the interest
you pay will be higher than that for purchasing goods. If you
switch credit cards for an interest free account remember that
the deal may only operate for a few weeks - after that you'll
have to switch cards again.
o Check your bank statement. Experts say that many people continue
to pay for long forgotten direct debits etc
o Make the most of retirement benefits - check if you are entitled
to Pension Credit, Council Tax Benefit etc. A senior rail card
will reduce fares by 33%. Many High Street stores offer a discount
also.
o Finding lost money - there is about £23 million in premium
bond wins that has not been claimed. Last year National Savings
launched an advertising campaign to try to find the owners of
£435 million. Banks and building societies report they
have dormant accounts - mainly because people have moved address
or when someone dies relatives don't know or don't try to find
out all the savings accounts that exist.
Check www.mylostaccount.org.uk for National Savings; www.nsandi.com
for Premium Bonds and www.bsa.org.uk for Building Societies.
There's also a way of tracing lost pensions, www.pensionsservice.co.uk
o Think about your monthly outgoings. Start a diary and record
everything you spend over the course of a month. Are there any
services you could get more cheaply elsewhere? Do you make the
most of your Sky package?
o Work out a weekly spending budget for foot, transport, clothes
etc. Instead of using cards to make those purchases, draw out
cash at the beginning of the week and watch the money trickle
out of your purse or wallet. It's almost guaranteed that you'll
spend less.
o Curb impulse buying by putting down whatever you "must
have" and leave the shop. Ask yourself if you really need
this item or if you could get a cheaper alternative elsewhere.
o Try to get your debts under control. Aim to pay off your credit
cards and if unable to do that immediately, pay back as much
as you can above the minimum payment each month.
o Check if it will be advantageous to switch your gas and electricity
supplier. Check the websites like: www.moneyfacts.co.uk or uswitch.com
o Do not leave your TV set and related appliances on standby
overnight or indeed during the day when not in use for long periods.
o Make sure you have cavity wall insulation and the proper depth
of insulation in the loft. It seems the government has plans
for all homes eventually to have cavity wall and loft insulation.
At the moment such measures are available free to those over
70 or those receiving certain benefits and they are being provided
by British Gas whether you are a customer or not. To take up
the British Gas offer tel: 0845 6052535, Code JOU
o If you live alone or there are just two of you in a large family
house get a water meter. The rule of thumb is that if there are
more bedrooms than people a meter will save you money. Price
comparison website uswitch.com can help you to estimate the amount
of savings you could make.
o Are you approaching retirement? If so, your employer could
be offering you an annuity (a regular monthly income from the
money you have saved). Before you accept what is being offered,
shop around. According to Which magazine you could obtain up
to 20% more income for life. Check websites: www.fsa.gov.uk or
www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk
o If you delay receiving your state pension by working a few
years longer you could be entitled to a one-off taxable lump
sum, or increased pension payments when you retire. For more
information check the website at: www.thepensionservice.gov.uk
o Are you overpaying your council tax? Look at money savings
websites for a way to check if your local council has got your
house in the wrong band. If this is the case you could get a
rebate and a reduced monthly council tax payment.
o Lessen the weight of your car as much as possible. Remove unnecessary
items from the boot and remove a roof rack if only using it occasionally.
When you top up with fuel don't fill the tank completely, just
have it about half full - the extra weight of a full tank will
adversely affect fuel consumption. Keep your speed down to about
60mph on long journeys, use your brakes as little as possible
and make sure to check tyres regularly - incorrect pressures
can affect fuel consumption as well as safety.
o Save that loose change - those pennies can soon turn into pounds!
Jex Woods
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