Marion meets Queen
ROTHLEY'S MARION Vincent has been presented
with her MBE by the Queen for her voluntary work in the village.
Marion said: "I thoroughly enjoyed the day, it was a wonderful
experience."
After retiring as a branch manager of the Alliance & Leicester
in Birstall, Marion decided to devote five years to community
work in Rothley.
The 65 year old's voluntary work includes becoming a heritage
and tree warden and setting up a village website.
Parish Council notes
A FULL meeting of Rothley Parish Council
was held on May 21.
Cllr Percy Hartshorn was elected Chairman of the Council and
Cllr Brian Popple was elected Vice Chairman.
It was reported that the Parish Council is trying to organise
a meeting with Rothley Imps FC to discuss the drainage of the
Fowke Street playing field.
The Council agreed to spend £5,100 on restoring the skateboard
park by removing all wooden boards and replacing with metal surfaced
with rubberised paint.
The Council has received a valuation of £250,000 for the
village hall.
It was reported that the membership at Rothley Youth Club was
increasing and a programme of events has been organised for the
summer holidays.
A full meeting of Rothley Parish Council was held on June 18.
PC Steve Rhodes reported there had been no burglaries in May
and one in June. An arrest has been made in connection with the
burglary. A further arrest has been made following the theft
of some cable.
PC Rhodes reported that a burglar had been sentenced to 2½
years in jail. He was responsible for a burglary in Town Green
Street in 2006.
It was reported that the price for a village map to be erected
in the centre of the village would be in the region of £1,000.
Councillors discussed the objections to the new Rothley Centre.
It was reported that 120 people who signed the petition did not
live in Rothley.
Chairman Percy Hartshorn commented that the new centre will have
a dedicated footpath from the car park to the school to encourage
school users to park there. It was reported that the County Council
had twice refused the Parish Council's request that the vehicle
entrance be located opposite Garland. The County say the entrance
must be shared with the existing library entrance.
A FULL meeting of Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council
was held on April 19.
Cllr Green reported that there was graffiti on the play equipment
in Jubilee Park which he had cleared off. The waste bin next
to the play equipment has been damaged by fire and appeared to
have been unemptied for some time. It was agreed that Charnwood
be asked to replace the bin and empty it more frequently.
The annual meeting of Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council
was held on May 10.
Cllr Richard Yourie was elected Chairman and Cllr Green was elected
Vice Chairman.
Councillors discussed traffic problems at the junction of Causeway
Lane and Station Road. It was reported that traffic approached
the junction from the reservoir side at speed and two near misses
had occurred. It was agreed to request that measures such as
rumble strips be considered for this road, or a mini roundabout
at the junction.
NHW news & Crime Report
OFFICERS FROM Charnwood local policing
unit are appealing for public help after two suspicious incidents
in Cropston and Thurcaston.
The first incident took place at about 4pm on Friday June 8 at
the junction with Cropston Road and Station Road in Cropston
when a 12 year old boy was approached by a man in a van and offered
a lift.
During the second incident which took place at about 8.30am on
Thursday June 14 a 14 year old girl was approached in Rectory
Lane, Thurcaston, again by a man in a van who offered her a lift.
The man has been described as being white, aged between 40-45,
of medium build, about 5ft 9ins tall, with grey hair which was
receding. During the second incident he was wearing a black round
neck jumper. It is believed the man may have been driving a white
van.
PC Steve Rhodes at Charnwood local policing unit is investigating
the incidents. He said: "During both these incidents the
children did the right thing by running away and alerting an
adult to the incident. I would appeal to anyone who recognises
the description of the man or the vehicle to contact us. I would
also appeal to the man to come forward as there may be a simple
explanation to why he approached the children."
Officers investigating the incidents are also looking at the
similarities these incidents have to an incident which took place
on Wednesday June 13 when a 15 year old girl was approached as
she was walking to school at about 8.50am on Lawnswood Drive,
Groby. PC Rhodes added: "Although there is nothing at this
stage to suggest that these incidents are linked we are looking
at the similarities."
Anyone with any information about the incidents is asked to contact
PC 544 Stephen Rhodes at Charnwood local policing unit on Leicester
(0116) 222 2222, follow the instructions to leave a message for
a police officer and when prompted key in the officer's identification
number 0544. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers, which is free
and anonymous on 0800 555 111
Crime Report:
Rothley April 1 - June 28, 2007
Burglary 7; burglary other 5; theft from vehicle 17; theft of
vehicle 1; theft 9; damage 8
Thurcaston April 1 - June 28
Theft 1; theft from vehicle 2;, burglary 2; burglary other 1;
damage 1
Cropston April 1 - June 28
Theft 2, damage 1, assault 2, indecent assault 1
Improving council homes
CHARNWOOD ARE preparing to spend £35million
on improvements to the Borough's 6000 council homes.
The money will be spent on new kitchens, bathrooms, central heating
and double glazing.
To unlock the funding, Charnwood had to create an 'arms length'
management organisation, called Charnwood Neighbourhood Housing
(CNH), to manage the housing stock. They now have to secure the
support of tenants for CNH before they receive the £35million
, and have organised a series of roadshows throughout the Borough
to explain how it works.
One of the roadshows will be at Birstall Gala on July 8.
Ann Watkinson, one of the tenant Board Members, said: "Charnwood
Neighbourhood Housing is the only way I see us, as tenants, getting
the extra money we need for better homes and a decent service.
"The money, when we get it, will see a great deal of investment
for Charnwood and will mean tenants will see real differences
to our services and homes - new bathrooms, windows and kitchens,
are just some examples of the work the money will be spent on."
Tennis ace
ROTHLEY'S TOP tennis player Connor Glennon
is making fast progress in the sport.
Pic: Connor Glennon
14 year old Connor is ranked number five in the country in his
age group and recently competed for Leicestershire in the County
Cup team, where he beat players ranked nine, seven and three.
In May he travelled to Slovenia for the Galeja Open and the Bergant
Memorial event. In Galeja he exited the singles early on but
won the doubles event and was runner-up in the doubles in Bergant,
teaming up with George Morgan of Lancashire.
These two results helped him to achieve a career high ranking
of 98th in Europe and he has been picked as one of only three
boys to play for Great Britain in Granada for the European Summer
Cup, competing against 10 other countries including Spain and
France.
|
School’s summer fete
IT WAS a mixture of sunshine & showers
at Rothley Scool’ s summer fete but the hundreds of people
who attended helped raise £4000 for school funds
Pic: serving on the cake stall
are Helen Airey,
Jan Emmett & Becky Jones
Pic: Lily Lee (3) has her nails
painted by Lissie Faulkner
Pic: manning the BBQ are Paul Aylott, Rod
Calloway & Paul Dean
Youth club’ s summer
ROTHLEY YOUTH Club look set for some bumper
activities in their new facility.
Thanks to funding from the 'Youth Bank' the Club are looking
to run an extra night for age 12 to 14 years.
Spokeswoman Lesley Peasant said: "As well as young people
being able to come and get together with friends in a supervised
environment, there will be plenty of creative activities for
them to get involved in. The main focus for many of the young
people over the past few weeks has been football despite the
competition from the residents moles!"
The Club could not be better placed for outdoor sports and to
take full advantage of this, Rothley Youth Project are working
with Charnwood Borough Council Leisure Services to provide two
coaching sessions, over the summer, to help anyone between 12
and 16 to polish up their skills.
The sessions will be held on the Fowke Street Playing Field on
Thursday July 26 and August 9 from 3-5pm.
Charnwood Arts have also agreed to run a couple of taster sessions
on Street Dance, on Thursday August 9 and 16, these will act
as an introduction to a six week course being organised to start
in October.
Anyone wishing to register for these activities please contact
Lesley Peasant on 0116 2302234
Scouts renew promise
THE SCOUT Movement, the largest youth movement
in the world, celebrates its 100th anniversary on August 1, 2007.
To mark this important occasion scouts all over the UK will be
assembling at 8am to renew the Promise that all scouts make on
being invested into the movement and becoming members. They are
calling it the 'Sunrise Ceremony'.
Anyone who has been a scout at any time and at any place during
the last 100 years is invited to take part in this unique occasion,
whether or not they are still members. This includes ex-Beavers,
Scouts, Cub Scouts, Wolf Cubs, Scouts, Sea Scouts, Air Scouts,
Senior Scouts, Venture Scouts, Rover Scouts, Scout Leaders, Scoutmasters,
Commissioners, in fact everybody who has ever made the Promise.
In Rothley, the local group will be assembling at 8am on Cross
Green where the renewal of Promises will be led by their Group
Scout Leader, Rom Bromley. He said: "Why not join them there
and for a brief moment relive your youth? There are no strings
attached to this invitation and you won't be roped into anything.
But it would be nice to have as many there as possible and thereby
show the local community just how many scouts and ex-scouts they
have in their midst. It would also serve to remind us of the
good times we enjoyed when we used the left-hand shake, It won't
take long, you could do it on your way to work.
"So put the date, place and time in your diary now to take
this brief walk down Memory Lane. It won't happen again for another
hundred years so you can't afford to miss it."
Gardening society
CROPSTON AND Thurcaston Gardening Society's May meeting was
very well attended by everyone to listen to Don Witton who came
from Sheffield to give a talk on National Collections.
Don as the largest National Collection of Euphorbia, totalling
140 different types. National Collection holders are all members
of NCCPG, the National Council for Conservation of Plants and
Gardens. All members of NCCPG are dedicated to try and prevent
plants of all descriptions from disappearing as fashions change.
Don gave a humorous talk supported by wonderful slides. Everyone
enjoyed the evening so much that I am sure we will be inviting
him again as he talks on 12 different subjects.
The June outing to Trentham Gardens unfortunately had to be cancelled
because of lack of support. The next meeting will be in July
on Wednesday 11 at 7.30pm. It is a visit to gardens at Pine House,
Gaddesby. Members please note that the visit is not at Calke
Abbey as originally informed. All members and guests are welcome,
let's hope it's a fine evening.
We are also holding a cheese and wine evening in our chairman's
garden on Wednesday August 8. Tickets will be available from
Paul Day on 0116 2364376 or David Haddon on 0116 2359758. All
profit made from this evening will go towards club funds, so
your support will be most welcome.
From Paul Day
Memories of railway
IT'S A BIT like the old saying that many
Londoners never visit the Tower, or take much interest in it,
because it's 'in their back yard' and they take it for granted.
I wonder how many people in Rothley and Mountsorrel realise that
they have in their vicinity a piece of industrial archaeology
of very great social and historic interest?
It's a piece of history that has quite literally 'shaped the
landscaped' since the 19th century. I'm talking about the local
granite quarries and the relatively extensive private railway,
which once dispersed some of the world's best quality granite,
to the four corners of Britain and beyond.
Have you ever strolled along the River Soar at Mountsorrel and
come across the elegant 1860 bridge which stretches, almost impossibly,
over the canal? Or maybe travelled along the A6 bypass and noticed
the conveyor belt heading off over the fields towards Mountsorrel?
These were all part of the Mountsorrel Railway, built almost
150 years ago to serve the quarries of the Mountsorrel Granite
Company and the extensive works of Ellis & Sons at Barrow
Upon Soar. With the passing of time it seems that this once-extensive
and now long-closed private railway system is largely forgotten
and it seems that its history is in danger of becoming lost for
ever. This would be a tragedy and a local resident and a director
of the Great Central Railway are determined this won't happen.
Local resident and railway enthusiast Steve Cramp is working
with GCR Director Nigel Harris (a national magazine editor) and
the pair are researching the railway with the intention of writing
a book detailing its history.
"I had often walked alongside the canal and wondered about
the 1860 bridge" says Steve "I was amazed at its beauty
and the intricacy of its architecture. It stands as a reminder
of a lost age when elegancy and attention to detail were part
of everyday life. I had read various publications about local
history but was surprised to find that the railway only had a
fleeting mention here and there."
Steve's curiosity finally got the better of him last year when
after moving house he discovered further evidence of this lost
railway. He decided to see what history remained to be discovered.
Over the past few months Steve has set about tracing information
and people who remember the railway in an attempt to document
as much information as possible. "It seemed that with every
turn of a page, discovery of a picture or phone conversation
the project just becomes more and more interesting. This was
no ordinary industrial railway, altogether there were eight and
a half miles of track serving the local quarries and the works
at Barrow. The railway ran from a junction with the Midland Mainline
at Barrow Upon Soar, across the Soar flood plain to the Mountsorrel
quarries and then ran out towards Swithland, crossing the road
at the top of Wood Lane, before running across the fields at
the back of Swithland Lane to join the Great Central Railway
at Swithland Sidings."
Steve's research has revealed many fascinating pieces of information
and stories. "Sources have told me about Sunday school trips
in the late 1940s where the children rode in wagons, normally
used for carrying granite, up to Kinchley House on Kinchley Lane
where they were entertained by the quarry owners, the Martin
family. Can you imagine anything like that happening in today's
health and safety conscious world?"
Other stories include tails of an engine being lost for many
years and then being discovered partly buried under rubble in
an old abandoned quarry shed. The locomotive was saved for preservation
and is currently being restored.
Research is now moving into the final phase. "Recording
historical facts and key dates is only part of any book of this
type. What will really bring the book to life are the stories
from people who remember the railway. These are often passed
down through the generations. Some of these have already come
to light such as those already mentioned but I'm sure that there
are many more out there." Steve's research has shown that
a significant number of people who worked at the quarry lived
in Rothley. I'm hoping that some of those people, or their descendants
may still live in the village. Do any of your readers remember
the railway or know of people who remember the railway? If so,
please get in touch with me. Most of the people I have spoken
with so far are well into their 70s, we may not have such a good
opportunity to record this information for very much longer."
Who will the book be targeted at? "I am hoping that the
book will appeal to anyone interested in the history of the area
and railway enthusiasts. The main purpose of the book is to document
the history of 'The Mountsorrel Railway' for as many people to
enjoy as possible. All proceeds from the sale of the book will
go to two local railway charities which support restoration work
on the nearby Great Central Railway."
When is the book likely to be published? "It's hard to say
at the moment. We would like to be ready to publish by the end
of the year but this depends on how many stories remain to be
told. So, if you have a story, or any pictures of the railway,
then please get in touch with me and don't delay!"
Steve can be contacted on 0116 2301374 or by email at smcavalon@yahoo.co.uk
WI news
AT THE May meeting of Rothley WI a photograph
of the group was taken, to be included in the Rothley Time Capsule
to be buried beneath the new Rothley Centre when building commences.
Bringing the story of Leicester's colourful past to life and
making it into an interesting presentation to hold the attention
of your audience requires a great knowledge of your subject,
a lot of experience, a great sense of humour and in the hands
of an expert, that is just what Lynn Mellor, archaeologist and
Blue Badge Guide is capable of achieving.
June was guest speaker at RWI's June meeting and transported
the members back in time capturing the imagination with tales
of everyday trials and tribulations of the people involved in
the Roman occupation of Leicester and surrounding district and
how its population grew out of those early settlers. It was indeed
a very informative and enjoyable afternoon.
RWI next month looks forward to welcoming Linda Robinson who
will talk to us about her 'Plant diary'. Everyone welcome, you
don't have to be a member of WI, just pop along any first Wednesday
each month, Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley, 2-4.30pm
Saturday June 9 saw the sum coming up warm and bright in time
for Mountsorrel Summer Fair held on Mountsorrel Green and once
again RWI members joined all the other stallholders on a lovely
morning to support a stall selling items all donated by our members,
from fruit cake to flowering geraniums and we were very pleased
that almost every item was sold. This year for the first time
we were alongside our new members to WI from Mountsorrel formed
in January this year. They meet every second Thursday evening
each month 7.30-9.30pm
From Maureen Bulmer
AT THURCASTON & Cropston WI's May meeting , Resolutions were
discussed. Only one Resolution was put forward to be voted for
this year: to urge HM Government to stop the closure of local
community hospitals and so meet the needs of local people. This
matter was debated and the members unanimously voted in favour.
Entertainment was then provided by group members. Firstly Jackie
Partner gave a demonstration of gift wrapping. We were shown
how to gift wrap a parcel, followed by the wrapping of a circular
tin (this impressed everyone). Finally Jackie made a gift box.
This was a very informative and enjoyable demonstration.
Chris Miranda and Irene Marriott, who are both Guide Leaders,
followed with a talk on their experiences over the years, of
taking guides to camp. They also spoke about what clothing and
equipment was needed. They literally brought the house down with
some of their hilarious tales. Finally, they sang a camp fire
song which had the audience in tears of laughter. Both must be
congratulated on the wonderful job they do.
After an interval of tea and cakes, Dorothy Budd gave a first
class demonstration on flower arranging. The result was stunning.
The arrangement was donated for the raffle prize and the lucky
winner took this home with them.
Our annual Birthday Party was held at the June meeting.
Members arrived laden with delicious dishes of food. The result
was a magnificent buffet, which was enjoyed by all. This was
followed by traditional party games! A most enjoyable evening.
Our next meeting was held on Thursday July 5 at the Memorial
Hall, Anstey Lane, Thurcaston when Joyce Godfrey gave a talk
entitled 'The Magic of Ballroom'.
Our August meeting will be held on Thursday August 2 when Felicity
Austin will give a talk entitled 'History Seaside Holiday'.
Finally, congratulations to Joan Lovett for winning the Jean
Cole Trophy
History Society news
ON TUESDAY May 15 John Brooks gave a most interesting talk
on the history of Rothley to Thurcaston and Cropston Local History
Society.
A Roman villa and Saxon burials were found near the GCR station.
Rothley was a Crown estate (demesne) in the time of Edward the
Confessor, and was valued at 62 shillings in the Domesday Book.
In 1150 King Stephen granted the lands (Rothley and four other
parishes) to the Earl of Chester to form the Soke of Rothley,
which meant that the landowner acquired all rights of the Crown,
eg the right to hold courts of law, markets and levy taxes on
the sale of property. A courthouse survived on Cross Green until
replaced by the war memorial in 1921.
Rothley Temple
In 1218 some land within the Soke was donated to the Knights
Templar, who build a chapel adjoining the farm to become Rothley
Temple. The estate was still treated as a separate settlement
in censuses up to the late 19th century, which may explain why
the village has two greens (Town Green and Cross Green).
Templars disbanded in the 14th century and property passed to
Knights Hospitallers of St John, disbanded in turn by Henry VII,
but one of the knights (a Babington) acquired the lease of Rothley
Temple and his son purchased it, and it remained in the Babington
family till 1845.
Famous residents:
o Thomas Babington, b.1758, who worked closely with Wilberforce
there on laws to abolish slavery.
o Thomas Babington Macaulay (Lord Macaulay), b.1800, historian
and poet
Passed through various hands, being a nursing home during WW11,
and became a hotel in the 1970s on condition that 'Temple' did
not form part of the name.
Rothley Village
Population in 1846 was 1055. Very working class - quarry workers,
labourers, framework knitters, domestic servants - only 13 professional
or of independent means in 1881! Village was bypassed early on
by turnpike and Mountsorrel was more successful (eg retained
its market).
Road layout little changed since 1780. Only six or seven of the
original cruck-framed cottages survive but this is the most of
any village in Leicestershire. Most were redeveloped by local
builder Frank Sleath in the late 19th century (Carpenter in 1881
census), who began demolishing cottages and building Victorian
villas instead up to ca. 1920. These were sold for £100
or rented for 2s. per week. Because of the railway, there were
at least six factories, eg Hawker-Siddeley, Rolls-Royce and footwear
and hosiery. Only one building remains, now in small units.
Rothley Garden Suburb
Frederick Merttens was a Manchester businessman, who bought the
Temple in 1893 and revelled in being Lord of the Manor! He attempted
to levy ancient tax on property but was defeated in the High
Court. He persuaded the Great Central Railway to build the station
at Rothley, not Swithland, and planned 'Rothley Garden Suburb'
on his land near the station, for easy access to Leicester. Triangle
formed by Ridgeway, Ridings and Swithland Lane (not adjacent
to the Hall on Westfield Lane). They began laying out Ridgeway
ca.1900 with the most expensive houses at the station end (£4000
each, equivalent to £1.5million today). The golf course
was built for their leisure. The project was not a great success
and ended with WW1. Later development was piecemeal. A cross-shaped
house on Swithland Lane was the winning design in a 1930s Ideal
Home Exhibition.
On June 19, 26 people assembled at Cross Green to join John Brooks
for his guided tour of Rothley, which proved to be every bit
as interesting as his talk.
John began by presenting each participant with a copy of the
1885 Ordnance Survey map of Rothley to be used as a guide to
our tour. We were also given some copies of old photographs of
six of Rothley's streets to compare the changes evident today.
Before moving on from Cross Green we admired the War Memorial,
presented to the village in 1921 by the Mountsorrel Granite quarry.
We progressed first to Anthony Street to see possibly the oldest
house in the village, a cruck-framed building dating from the
mid 15th century. Turning back to Fowke Street, we walked past
a number of interesting buildings including the 1886 village
Hall, the former farm at No.4 and Step Cottage (No.8) dated 1727,
before arriving at Victoria Mills. The Mills were built in 1887
as a hosiery factory and effectively brought about the end of
the framework knitters industry in the village.
The next significant building was The Grange, soon to undergo
redevelopment, but not before a major archaeological survey has
been completed. Important historic finds have already been discovered:
a Saxon burial ground and Roman remains.
We then turned towards the parish church of St Mary and St John,
on the way passing by the National School founded in 1871 by
the Rev Burton. In the churchyard are the graves of many of Rothley's
former notable residents, including the Macaulay family. Some
of the male members of the family, throughout the generations,
were ordained and served as rectors of the parish.
The Saxon cross in the churchyard is thought to date from the
9th century. An unusual feature is the cheese press made of Swithland
slate and incorporated into the gatepost at one entrance to the
churchyard. At the entrance from Church Street are the beautiful
gates dated 1902-1949 in memory of Catherine Broadhurst of Rothley
Temple. Nearby, on Church Street, is another fine example of
a cruck-framed building, April cottage - Circa 1450. Leaving
Church Street, and turning left along Anthony Street at the Woodman's
Stroke, we passed the 19th century Dutchman's Wall, built as
a flood defence. At the cross roads with North Street, we proceeded
over to Town Green Street. We progressed past the early 18th
century Rood House, then on to Perth cottages built in 1899 and
examples of the work of the builder Frank Sleath. Further along
Town Green Street, there is now a garage, but this was originally
the site of a school for boys, endowed in 1683 by Benjamin Hickling.
The last person to work as a framework knitter in Rothley, Benjamin
Armstrong, had his premises on Town Green Street. Heading towards
Town Green, we saw the building of the former Coopers Farm, beyond
which are the cottages that were part of the Rothley Temple Estate,
and possibly date from the second half of the 15th century. Originally
they all had thatched roofs but these have now been replaced
by slates or tiles. One of these cottages, in John's opinion,
is the finest example of a cruck-framed building in the village.
Retracing our steps, we headed towards Woodgate via Wellsic Lane
(where it shows open countryside on the 1885 map). Along Woodgate
there remains the wall that originally fronted some cottages
(long since gone) as illustrated in one of the photographs we
were given. Our final stop was at the cottages on North Street,
built by Frank Sleath, and with a plaque commemorating the men
of Rothley who died in WW1. Adjoining them is Cavell Cottage,
to the memory of Edith Cavell, the English nurse executed by
the Germans for her role in assisting the repatriation of British
servicemen during the same conflict. Fortunately we were blessed
with fine weather during our tour, that is until we returned
to Cross Green, when the rain threatened.
It has been a most enjoyable evening, made more so by our very
knowledgeable guide.
Our next meeting is on Sunday July 15 at 2pm for a guided tour
of the arts and craft heritage of Loughborough University.
Please see village notice boards for further details nearer the
time.
from Thurcaston and Cropston Local History Society
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Watermead: the Connect2 bid
THE CONNECT2 project aims to create new pedestrian and cycle
links between Watermead Country Park and the surrounding villages
and improve access to bridges within the park for the disabled.
The County Council have provided these answers to the most frequently
asked questions about the project.
Q: What is Connect2?
Connect2 is one of six projects which will compete for £50
million from the Big Lottery Fund through an ITV show in December.
All the other projects propose to spend the money in one single
location, whereas Connect2 would spend the money on 71 different
schemes the length and breadth of the country.
One of these is the Watermead Country Park scheme which would
get around £700,000 share of the £50 million. Further
funding by local organisations including Leicestershire County
Council, bring the total project cost to over £1 million.
The scheme is led by Sustrans (national cycling charity - responsible
for the National Cycle Network) and brings together the City
and County Councils, Charnwood Borough Council, local Parish
Councils and local groups such as the ramblers and Mosaic.
We need to contribute to demonstrate public support for the project
which can be done by logging on to www.sustransconnect2.org.uk
or by phoning 0845 058 l3 73.
Q: How much support is there for the scheme?
So far we have had over 300 pledges of support through the Sustrans
website, which puts us in the top ten of the 71 projects nationwide.
This figure is in addition to the Leicester Mercury's supporting
petition which already has hundreds more signatures.
Q: What sort of things would be happening as part of the scheme?
There are several ways into the park, but at the moment many
of these are difficult to use except in cars. Some of the paths
and bridges are not accessible to all sections of the community,
for example the bridges at Thurmaston and Birstall locks. The
bridge at Thurmaston is incredible steep, impossible for someone
using a wheelchair or with young children to negotiate. Even
someone who normally has no difficulty walking would find it
particularly difficult in icy weather. A small number of paths
within the park will be tarmacced to make getting around easier
for all park users.
Q: Are you going to tarmac loads of paths?
We are proposing to tarmac more of the paths to make them more
serviceable. However the majority of the paths that are being
tarmacced are existing gravel paths, which are not only very
difficult for people with mobility difficulties to negotiate
but quite costly to maintain, and not particularly environmentally
friendly as they need re-gravelling about three times a year.
There are a few 'new' paths being created, but these are on existing
grass paths which get churned up and eroded from the amount of
use they get. The tarmac paths we already have, have attracted
very few complaints and have blended in to the landscape very
quickly.
Q. Won't the new paths encourage motorcyclists/scooter riders
to turn the park into a
racetrack?
We don't anticipate that additional routes within the park will
change the current situation. As part of the Connect2 project,
if we get the money, we will be looking at various options to
address the issue. We are also always looking at how this has
been done in other areas to ensure that we are providing an appropriate
balance. There are several types of antimotor cycle barriers
available, though experience elsewhere suggest that higher use
by legitimate users deters most of the motorcyclists.
Q. Are you going to put street lighting in the park?
We have not yet put together any proposals for street lighting
to go with the project. However, if streetlighting does become
a part of the plan, it will be kept to a minimum in the park
to avoid disturbing its wildlife. For reasons of personal security,
lighting will be required on a single route across the park (between
Thurmaston and Birstall). It would not be near to any housing
so will not affect residents. In summer, the streetlighting will
not be on at all, but during the winter months (October to March)
the lights will come on in the morning until it is light and
at dusk until about 8pm (ie commuter period). Winter lighting
of this sort is not expected to have any damaging effect on bird
life.
Q. What happens if you don't get the money? A lot of work has
gone into the proposals, will all this be in vain?
If we don't get the money, we cannot go ahead with the plans
initially. However, the work put into this indicates our ambitions
for the park, and while only some of the aspects of the scheme
can be done short term, in the longer term we can look at other
avenues for funding. What we will have done is raised the profile
of the park and the issues it faces. This can only help us if
we go for other funding, as we have amassed plenty of evidence
to demonstrate the huge amount of public support. We have also
had additional suggestions of improved routes to the park that
we are also pursuing as a separate issue.
Find out more about the Connect2 bid at www.sustransconnect2.org.uk.
The organisers are also urging residents to visit the website
to pledge their support for the scheme at Watermead Country Park.
It currently ranks ninth in the table of 79 schemes that make
up the bid, in terms of the number of messages of support received.
Horticultural Society
THURCASTON & Cropston Horticultural
Society had an entertaining evening when David Penny, accompanied
by his wife, gave us a talk on clematis, in his words "Queen
of the Climbers".
He endeared himself to the audience by passing round bags of
'goodies' for everyone to partake. The information he gave in
a humorous manner, answering questions as he went along.
Clematis have sepals not petals and need five gallons of water
per day. There are 1,400 types of clematis, 900-950 grow in this
country, including 36 varieties of Montana also known as Travellers
Joy, of which six are scented. A fully grown plant can have 30
miles of stems.
For a north wall Nellie Mosa is the best plant to grow and a
clematis with a difference is Vyvyan Pennell, which has beautiful
double blooms when it first flowers, then the second flowering
produces single blooms. For large blooms clematis William Gladstone
has flowers of 10" across. If a clematis flowers between
January and June, it should be pruned after flowering, after
this time prune in February or March the following year. David
had bought a wonderful array of clematis which could be purchased
- these were quickly snapped up.
From Pam Mason
Church fete
Pic: Pamela Curtis, Stella Lewis, Linda Malone
& Benita Gettings
THURCASTON CHURCH was a welcome refuge
from the rain at the summer fete.
Pic: the Marydene Guitar Society
Planning
7 Church Street, Rothley - cutting down of two conifer trees
14 Templar Way, Rothley - erection of extensions to front, conservatory
and dormer extensions to rear and roof extensions to sides of
dwelling
35 Westfield Lane, Rothley - erection of single storey front
& rear extension
64 Swithland Lane, Rothley - erection of a first floor extension
with 3 pitched dormer windows to the rear and pitched roof to
garage to front of dwelling
36 Woodfield Road, Rothley - 2 storey extension to side and conversion
of semi-detached house to form two flats and erection of double
garage to rear
The Red Lion, Loughborough Road, Rothley - display of various
signs
44 Swithland Lane, Rothley - erection of 2 storey extension to
side and rear of dwelling
31 Garland, Rothley - erection of 2 storey extension to rear
and single storey link between house and garage
Field House, 1057 Loughborough Road, Rothley - erection of 2m
high boundary wall and new dropped kerb to the front
144 Swithland Lane, Rothley - erection of rear ground floor extension
104 Swithland Lane - erection of double garage to side of dwelling
Rear of 88 Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley - erection of detached dwelling
(2xbed)
120 Mountsorrel Lane, Rothley - extension for garden room to
rear of dwelling
79 Station Road, Cropston - erection of first floor extension
to rear of dwelling
8 Stamford Drive, Cropston - erection of a dwelling
59 Anstey Lane, Thurcaston - removal of garage door to be replaced
by door and window
247 Station Road, Rothley - proposed garden wall and entrance
gates to front of existing property with chain link fence to
left hand side boundary
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