Marathon milkman
Pic: Marathon milkman Derek Poyser
A ROTHLEY MILKMAN has completed the Leicester
half marathon.
Derek Poyser ran the Leicester half marathon on Sunday October
19 raising the sum of £400 for LOROS including a matched
contribution from Kirby and West who also sponsored the event.
Derek has been delivering milk in Rothley for 10 years and would
like to thank his customers for their support. After a well-earned
rest Derek will be back in training for the same event in 2009.
Royal Oak car park
A COMPROMISE solution to maintain some
public use of the car park next to the Royal Oak on Cross Green
is being negotiated.
Brewery Everards own most of the car park which had been leased
to Charnwood Borough Council. They maintained it as a public
car park but the lease expired in 2005 and was then 'rolled over'
without any formal agreement.
Everards and landlords of the Royal Oak Leanne and Barry Nelson
want to negotiate a compromise solution, with half of the car
park for pub patrons and half for public use. The brewery says
that long stay parking by shoppers, local workers and businesses
has a detrimental effect on the pub's viability.
Leanne said: "We want a compromise, we don't want to take
the whole park, but to have an area for our customers to park.
We don't want to alienate people, we want to stay here a long
time and live with the village and you can't do that if you upset
people."
Charnwood and Everards are still negotiating a revised lease
and as a temporary measure about one third of the car park is
chained off from midnight to noon each day, when it's opened
for use by pub customers. A longer term solution could involve
pay and display machines with parking charges refunded for patrons
or a barrier with signs to replace the temporary chain.
Leanne said: "We've been accepted really well here and had
a lot of support from people who use the pub, they're saying
'at last we can finally park!' We certainly don't want to upset
people. Recently we had an 80th birthday party for one of the
pub's regulars, he's been coming here for years, we laid on a
free buffet and a lot of people from the village came - it was
a brilliant night."
A spokesman for Charnwood told The Rothley Post: "Officers
of the Council have met with the Brewery to promote concerns
regarding the loss of this facility. The brewery has considered
the Borough's concerns and submitted a revised lease proposal.
This is now being considered by the Council."
Rothley saved from development?
LAND NORTH of Hallam Fields between Birstall
and Rothley, previously identified by Charnwood planners as a
site for a 20 hectare business park, is no longer a preferred
option for development.
Instead, Charnwood propose to develop a site east of Thurmaston
and north of Hamilton.
The new proposals are a feature of Charnwood's Core Strategy
which forms part of Charnwood 2026 - the Local Development Framework.
The Core Strategy sets out the Council's strategy for future
development in Charnwood over the next 20 years, including the
broad directions for growth to deliver future requirements for
homes, jobs and other strategic developments.
It was in 2006 that Charnwood identified the land north of Birstall
as their preferred option for a business park - the site would
have occupied an area the same size as the Stonehill/Longslade
campus. The plans provoked fierce opposition from local residents
and Birstall and Rothley Parish Councils, which was voiced at
public meetings.
In the new plans, which are currently out on a period of public
consultation, the Birstall site is only identified as an "alternative
option".
Mr David Hankin, Director of Development at Charnwood Borough
Council, explained what had changed. He told the Rothley Post:
"The overall scale of development needed is larger than
before and the prevailing view now is to locate employment and
housing land together. Birstall is well suited for employment
land, but could not accommodate more housing.
"Birstall is still considered by some to be a suitable site
and residents would be ill advised to assume that development
north of Birstall will not happen."
The council's preferred option east of Thurmaston would see the
development of 5,000 homes, 25 hectares of employment land, three
new schools, a large formal park, a park and ride facility, a
new centre with shops and a travellers' site.
Birstall is identified as an alternative option, but the proposal
for the land north of Hallam Fields now includes 4,000 new homes
as well as employment land. Charnwood says the site is unsuitable
as it would reduce the separation between Birstall and Rothley,
would see the loss of high quality agricultural land, is not
in close proximity to deprived communities and would have the
most impact of all the options on wildlife.
Chairman of Rothley Parish Council, Percy Hartshorn said: "We
want to maintain settlement separation so we are totally opposed
to any development on that site."
Birstall County Councillor Roger Wilson said: "I am delighted
that as far as Birstall is concerned, we are out of the frame
at the present time.
"I have always been opposed to the plans for employment
land, the development that we have had in Birstall is sufficient."
Residents have the opportunity to comment on the proposals during
a six week consultation period: October 24 - December 5. Further
information can be found at Birstall or Rothley library or at
www.charnwood.gov.uk/charnwood2026.
Residents can talk to planning officers about the plans at an
exhibition in Birstall Village Hall on November 12 from 7-9pm.
Wind turbine next to A6
A WIND turbine with a maximum height of
131 metres is planned for land south of Rothley.
Seen Trent Water want to erect the 2 mega watt turbine on a site
within the Wanlip Sewage Treatment Works. The proposed location
is within the parish of Wanlip, 100 metres west of the A6 at
the point where traffic filters left for Rothley.
The proposed turbine will have a mast height of 90 metres and
a rotor diameter of up to 82 metres. Before erecting the mast,
Severn Trent have applied for planning permission to erect a
60 metre wind monitoring mast for a temporary period of two years.
This type of mast is not fitted with rotors.
Severn Trent say that the site has a good wind resource for commercial
wind energy development but that the monitoring mast is needed
to evaluate the wind resource in detail.
The wind turbine proposed would supply electricity equivalent
to the yearly demands of around 1,118 households, yielding a
carbon saving of between 1944 to 4604 tonnes of CO2 per annum.
Electricity generated by the turbine would be used by the Water
Treatment Works.
Martin Dent, spokesman for Severn Trent Water, said: "Severn
Trent Water supplies water and waste water services to over 3.7
million household and business customers. Delivering these services
uses huge amounts of electricity and there is a need to find
alternative and renewable energy sources to limit the impact
that this has on the environment.
"We are currently the leading producer of renewable energy
within the water sector as 17 per cent of the energy we use is
renewable. Our aim is to remain the leading producer and to reach
our target of producing 30% of our electricity by 2012-2013".
To achieve this target Seven Trent say their renewable energy
expansion plans include:
o installing more combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants
o installing more water turbines on dams
o generating power from energy crops
o generating power from installing wind turbines
Mr Dent added: "In September we took another step towards
achieving our targets by commissioning a third 1MW CHP engine
at our Wanlip Sewage works site. We are also investigating other
renewable energy technologies at the site including large wind
turbines, biomass AD plants and additional hydra electric generation.
"We would like to erect some wind measurement equipment
to assess the viability for wind turbines at Wanlip. Although
we would like to point out that even where wind measurement is
deployed there are still a lot of considerations and studies
which need to be undertaken before a site can be determined as
being suitable for development. If any site is found to be suitable
then we will undertake full consultation with the local community."
The UK Government has a statutory target to generate 10 per cent
of electricity from renewable sources by 2010. Visit the planning
applications at www.charnwood.gov.uk, P/08/2564/2 and P/08/2527/2
Traffic calming
TRAFFIC CALMING measures are planned for
Hallfields Lane, Rothley.
A County Council spokesman said: "In response to complaints
about traffic and excessive speed, Hallfields Lane is included
in the 2008/09 Transportation Capital Programme in the 'Reducing
the Impact of Traffic' category.
"The design of the scheme is soon to be the subject of discussion
with Rothley Parish Council and County Councillor Peter Osborne.
When a design has been agreed the scheme will be the subject
of wider public consultation.
"The ideas being put before the Parish Council will include
measures to improve road safety at the Hallfields Lane/Town Green
Street junction. The scheme has an estimated cost of £31,000
"Subject to a favourable response to the consultations the
scheme is expected to be constructed in Feb/March 2009.
The measures are expected to include speed humps.
Title winner
THURCASTON KART racer George Line has won
his second title of the year, the Northern Championship.
George's next goal is to win the British WTP Cadet Championship,
in which he is currently second.
George now holds the lap records at Llandow Race Circuit in South
Wales, at Ellough Park Circuit in Suffolk, and Rowrah International
Kart Circuit in Cumbria.
Left turn allowed
THE RESTRICTION on motorists making a left
turn into Howe Lane from Woodgate is to be removed.
The County Council made the decision after consulting residents
of Howe Lane and Babington Court in September 2007, as well as
the police, parish council and local county councillors.
A County Council spokesman said: "We provided two options
and asked which people favoured, either to reverse the existing
one-way system on Howe Lane or to keep the one way system but
remove the left turn ban from Woodgate into Howe Lane.
"The second option was preferred, so we will now be consulting
further on that option in December and January. We are currently
looking at minor engineering amendments to the junction layout
to ensure that we can accommodate this.
"We are aiming for the work to be carried out in the summer,
however, it will depend on the outcome of the second consultation
and consideration of any objections following formal advertising
of the proposal."
Parish Council notes
A FULL meeting of Rothley Parish Council
was held on September 15.
Before the formal council meeting there was a meeting with 14
residents of School Street, other interested persons, Rev Robert
Gladstone, the police and parish councillors to discuss problems
with youths congregating around the lychgate and associated antisocial
behaviour.
The main problem appears to be the need for sheltered accommodation
for young people to use at night or during wet weather. The existing
shelter on the Fowke Street playing field is not sufficiently
weatherproof.
It was agreed that the Parish Council support Rothley Youth Project's
funding request for a new youth shelter, the location to be agreed
with all interested parties. If the agreed site is the Fowke
Street playing field then it was suggested that the existing
shelter be resited on the Town Green playing field.
PC Steve Rhodes reported that the policing priorities for the
next three months will be the Fowke Street/School Street area.
It was agreed to ask the County Council to install a street sign
indicating short stay parking at the Rothley Centre car park.
The council agreed a lease for Rothley History Society to use
the cemetery chapel.
A full meeting of Rothley Parish Council was held on October
20.
It was reported that Anthony Street will be closed week commencing
November 17 for traffic calming measures to be installed.
It was reported that a new planning application for a 149 home
estate on the old Hallfields Land allotment site is expected
within a month from Rothley Temple Estates.
The new plans will include a large pond, 956 square metres, to
store surface drainage water.
It was reported that a bid for funding for a new youth shelter
had been submitted. The cost is £5,000 and the preferred
site near the youth cabin on Fowke Street.
Comment was made that the crayfish bench on Hallfields Lane was
in poor condition, was not repairable and needed to be removed.
A FULL meeting of Thurcaston & Cropston
Parish Council was held on August 21.
The clerk was requested to investigate different methods of access
for the disabled to the Memorial Hall.
Traffic signs obscured by vegetation on Anstey Lane, Station
Road and Cropston Road are to be reported to the County Council.
Cllr Neville Bird reported that several parishioners had expressed
concern regarding the offer of land for sale at the rear of Station
Road, Cropston.
A full meeting of Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council was
held on September 18. Estimates of £9,000 and £16,000
for wheelchair lifts to provide access to the back room were
considered. It was agreed that this method of access would not
be suitable and the clerk was requested to obtain estimates for
building a concrete slope.
Cllr Neville Bird reported on a successful visit by Charnwood's
Mayor & Mayoress to the Parish. They visited the Richard
Hill School, Wallis Close and All Saints Church.
Coffee morning
THE ROTHLEY Methodist Church Ladies Circle
held a Coffee Morning on Saturday October 11.
They raised the sum of £280 for the Mablethorpe Children's
Home. The members of the Ladies Circle would like to thank everyone
for their help and support.
Paddling for pounds
ROTHLEY FISHERIES' Mandy and Jim Burke
organised a team of 15 that took part in a dragon boat race on
Rutland water.
The crew, made up of staff members and friends, were raising
money for Marie Curie Cancer Care and collected a total of £1700.
They came fifth out of a total of 15 teams that entered from
across Leicestershire, completing the 500 metre course in 1 min
18 secs.
The entrance fee for taking part in the race, organised by Marie
Curie Cancer Care, was £700 and this was raised by Mandy
and Jim selling raffle tickets with prizes donated by local businesses.
The main prize of £150 cash was donated by Rothley and
Soar Valley Lions.
Three new schemes
THREE NEW Neighbourhood Watch schemes are
being set up in Rothley covering Loughborough Road, The Rise
and Hallfields Lane, following an event in October for National
'Not in my Neighbourhood' Week.
PBO Steve Rhodes, PCSO Alex Foster and Neighbourhood Watch Scheme
co-ordinator Marion Vincent were delighted with the response
from residents.
Once set up, each resident will receive a letter advising them
of their contact in the road, the structure of our local police
and how to contact them, where to obtain information, leaflets
available and access to the Neighbourhood Watch office in Loughborough.
Residents are also invited to put forward their ides for Beat
Priorities within the local communities.
All the residents will receive a monthly Crime Report to let
them know what is happening in the village and membership is
completely free of charge. If there is a Neighbourhood Watch
Scheme in your road you are automatically a member and there
are no forms to complete.
Rothley Neighbourhood Watch is supported by Leicestershire Constabulary
and Rothley Parish Council.
If your road is still not part of the Rothley Neighbourhood Watch
Scheme please contact Marion Vincent on 0116 2303405 or vincent.mbe@ntlworld.com
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History Society news
ROTHLEY HISTORY Society's speaker in
September was Drusilla Armitage, who was until recently Chairman
of the East Midlands Heraldry.
Some of our members knew something about heraldry but others,
although they had seen it on pub signs and in stately homes,
had not realised just how involved and interesting it all was,
so this talk was a real eye-opener.
To most of us heraldry is the practice of designing, displaying,
describing and recording coats of arms and badges, but perhaps
we do not know the involved structure of Heraldry.
Drusilla told us about the origins of heraldry and the need to
distinguish participants in combat when their faces were hidden
by iron and steel helmets. The Coat of Arms was quite literally
a sleeveless coat which went over the armour with the device
of the bearer. This pattern was also repeated on the shields
and known as A Shield of Arms.
Then she went on to describe the Tinctures (colours). Most of
the colours are in Norman French, therefore we have: Azure (blue),
Gules (red) this is an exception as the word Gules is Persian,
Sable (black), Vert (green) these are the most generally used.
Rarely used are Purpure ( purple) and Tawny (a rusty brown).
To describe the colours without the use of a colour pencil,
there are what are called "Hatchings", which are different
graphic lines denoting different colours.
Metals is the term used to describe Or (gold) and Argent (silver).
There are also many furs, but the two mostly commonly used are
Ermine and Vair (squirrel). The background of a Shield or Coat
is called "The Field" and the patterns painted on
are called "Charges". The tinctures, metals and the
many different designs make up a Coat of Arms. Obviously the
very first devices were very simple and through the years got
very much more complicated.
There are rules of colour and metal - "The Rules of Tincture".
One metal cannot be placed on another metal, and one colour
cannot be placed on another colour, therefore you will see a
colour on a metal and vice versa.
Richard III declared that only the Sovereign, or the Kings of
Arms in his name could grant arms. Richard founded the College
of Arms to control all matters relating to Heraldry. Even to
this day all proposed Arms have to be approved by the College
of Arms. The head of the College is the Earl Marshal of England,
which for some considerable time has been hereditary in the family
of the Dukes of Norfolk.
Of course, as women did not go into battle they were not allowed
the shield shape device, but they were allowed a lozenge shape.
Drusilla showed us her arms which she made by amalgamating the
charges from her paternal family Armitage with the addition of
the arms of her maternal family Pochin, thus creating her unique
badge.
In Heraldic language her badge is: a field of Gules, with a
Chevron or between three cross crosslets argent, as many horseshoes
sable. To fill up the spaces round the lozenge Drusilla had also
added Scilla flowers (from her Christian name) and the black
horses, as her working life had been spent with Lloyds Bank.
All badges have to be approved by the Heralds of Arms and Drusilla
considers herself lucky that she was allowed her own personal
badge. I must add that we all loved the pendant which she had
had made to reflect the central design of her Arms.
How apt it was that our October meeting was held on the eve of
the 100th anniversary of the very first powered flight in the
British Isles, when we welcomed Professor Mike Preston who came
to talk to us about the Taylor Aircraft Company and its Auster
aeroplanes.
Mike in 1960 was an engineering apprentice for 6 years, then
went to Bristols and was involved in the building of Concord.
Eventually, as a Professor, Mike moved back to Loughborough
to do research.
What's in a name? We all know the meanings of the planes - Hurricane
and Tornado, but have you ever thought why Auster? Auster is
a Roman word for a warm South Westerly wind.
The story of Auster all started in 1932 when C.G. Taylor brought
back from America a basic steel framed aircraft which later developed
into the Auster. By 1934/5 some Royal Artillery officers had
got involved and wanted a medium small light aeroplane, very
typical of the era with a wood frame and fuselage.
Taylors designed a low power engine with a steel fuselage and
wooden sparred wings, the body being covered with doped fabric.
One of these planes was bought by Sir Lindsay Everard. Lance
Wykes saw the potential of Taylors design and bought the licence
to manufacture in the UK and Europe.
In 1938 Taylorcraft was formed. They used the same basic frame
with an American engine. Albert Codlin was the chief engineer.
Production was initially started in Thurmaston. The first plane,
G - AFNW, was towed behind a lorry to Ratcliffe air field. Half
a dozen of these aircraft were built, sold and delivered to individuals
and flying clubs. At the out-break of World War II Rearsby/Taylorcraft
became the civilian repair unit for the R.A.F.
By 1942 Auster had modified 26 planes for R.A.F. Service. 100
Austers were ordered and some of the production was in Brook
Street, Syston, in what was formerly a shoe factory.
With their Mark I, III, IV, and V, their production total was
1,612, and over 1,300 repairs mainly on Tiger Moths and Hurricanes,
were carried out through the war years. Interestingly the main
work force were ladies. 350 local people were employed making
this a most significant local industry.
At one time the planes were housed in Allens Bus Garage (Mountsorrel).
So you see what a very local industry it was, what with Ratcliffe,
Thurmaston, Syston, Mountsorrel, and Rearsby.
Austers were known as 'The Eyes of the Army' as they flew over
battlefields and directed our guns where to fire. In a two seater
plane, one seat was occupied by the pilot and other by his radio.
These were rugged little planes and easy to maintain. It was
joked that should they receive bullet holes then all that needed
was a pot of glue and a handkerchief!
Their test pilot was a lady called Toni Stroddel, so who says
that women can't fly? I have a vested interest in lady pilots
as my daughter, Melanie flew from the age of 16. She came to
our meeting and recognised a plane she had flown - the Auster
Mark V - G - AGOH. Melanie's daughter, Saffia aged 11, also
came to the talk and took home several of the Auster Club's magazines,
and now has her sights set on learning to fly, so enraptured
was she with the talk.
In 1945 the company looked forward to selling outside the military
and to civilian customers. They bought some planes back from
the military and modified them. At the same time producing new
models, with variations such as ski and float installations;
for crop spraying; with skis for the Antarctic expedition; for
trailing advertising banners through the sky; even "Aero
Voice" - what a thought hearing a voice from above telling
you to buy this and that! Austers were very keen to keep their
place in the sky and tried to be creative and enterprising.
They even developed an early helicopter which was driven by rockets
with a small rotor on the back, but it was very noisy and didn't
really work very well.
Unfortunately with the advent of workable helicopters Auster's
place in production had to take a back seat. Other small planes
were proving popular as training craft: the Pipers and the Cessnas,
taking much of Austers traditional markets, and that lead to
the ultimate end of Austers. The company closed in 1969.
There are still some 266 Austers flying in the UK, and more in
New Zealand and Australia, and various other parts of the world.
We can also boast that the Auster J1N won the King's Cup Air
Race.
Austers have a much honoured and beloved place in the history
of not just our county, but our country, and our thanks should
go to those: the planes; their pilots; engineers and maintenance
people who played their part in the Second World War.
In nearby museums you will find Austers displayed: at Loughborough
Charnwood museum, one at Snibston (plus two stored underground)
and one at Newark.
It is said that: "Austers don't die, they just rest and
hide for a while".
Our November meeting will take place on Wednesday, 19th at The
Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane, at 7.30 p.m. We do not have
a speaker but a surprise "something" which we hope
you will find fun and enjoyable. Our pre-Christmas evening is
on Wednesday, December17th, when we have Brian Lord of The Leicester
Magic Circle coming to amaze and entertain us. You are welcome
to bring along children and grand-children, who we feel sure
will enjoy our evening.
From Rothley History Society.
On the edge of a village only 20 minutes'
drive from ours, Donington-le-Heath Manor House has been quietly
surviving for at least 700 years while everything around it changed.
Visiting today, it still feels more like the 13th century than
the 21st and it is easy to forget that the town of Coalville
has grown up only a mile or two away. The building is now in
the care of the County Council's Museums Service and one of their
guides gave us an insight into its history.
Most of what we see today was built in about 1290 for Robert
and Isabella de Herle of Kirby Muxloe, though it is believed
that their house would have been larger, with a great hall and
service quarters extending to the south. Our guide pointed out
stones and timbers suggesting that parts of an even earlier structure
are incorporated into the fabric. Beside the 13th century stonework,
there are several well preserved doorways and an intact bedchamber
from that period, which now houses the bed in which Richard III
is alleged to have spent his last night before the Battle of
Bosworth.
At the beginning of the 17th century the property belonged to
Everard Digby, until he was executed in 1606 for his part in
the Gunpowder Plot. The house passed to his brother John, who
modernized it with new roofs, fireplaces and larger, rectangular
windows to replace the original arched ones in the principal
rooms. Some handsome furniture from that period is on display
(although not originally from Donington).
The farmland attached to the Manor House was never very productive.
For 300 years the property was owned by a trust and the limited
income from its tenants was used for charitable work rather than
for rebuilding. We have that to thank for its rare preservation.
By the 1970s the building was being used to house pigs and the
County Council stepped in to save and restore it. They have
recently refurbished it again and have planted a maze and a herbal
garden in the grounds. Also on the site, an old barn has been
converted into a splendid tea room and the selection of cakes
on offer is itself a good enough reason for a further visit!
On 16th September we held our first meeting in the comfortable
surroundings of the new Harrison Room. Our speaker was Graham
Nutt from "The Magic Attic", which is a large archive
of newspapers, photographs and other memorabilia in Swadlincote,
South Derbyshire. Graham has been involved since the inception
of the project and gave us a candid account of how it has grown
from improvised beginnings to a much more sophisticated operation
today.
Graham was not originally interested in history, but when he
learned that the Swadlincote office of the Burton Mail had an
archive of its old newspapers, he decided to check the facts
of some stories that his grandmother had told about a local murder
in 1908 and that a work colleague had told about local film-making
in the early days of cinema. Graham wrote books about these
subjects and became fascinated by the old newspapers.
In 1987 the Mail office was due to move and Graham mobilized
local people to save the archive, which was carried by hand to
a makeshift room above a snooker club. It was opened to the
public twice a week and when someone referred to it as The Magic
Attic the name stuck. In 2002 a disused pottery in the town
was converted into a museum and café and the Magic Attic
moved its operations to a room there.
The project has now grown to become a registered charity holding
more than 17 tons of archive material. It has acquired further
sets of historic newspapers, the oldest dating from 1782 (and
on much better paper than more recent editions). Local people
have donated other materials such as business catalogues, records
from the local coal mines and clay pits, photographs and cine
films.
Of the 30,000 photos, many are of excellent quality and copies
are sold as a source of income. There are 28 volunteers who
bring a diverse range of skills and allow the archive to be open
to the public 14 hours per week.
One significant project has been to collect the newspapers' obituaries
of local personnel who died in the two World Wars, which are
widely used at remembrance events and say much more than names
on a war memorial. Copies of the historic photographs have been
compiled into folders with space for notes and it is now a popular
pastime for locals to drop into the Magic Attic for a coffee
and a debate about what the photographs show! An inspiring example
of how local history can be made accessible to the whole community.
At our next meeting at 7.30pm on Tuesday 18th November, we commence
with our AGM followed by a talk from the Society`s own archivists.
Venue - The Harrison Rooms, All Saints` Church, Anstey Lane,
Thurcaston.
From Thurcaston & Cropston Local History Society.
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Coffee morning
AT THE Macmillan Nurses Worlds' Biggest
Coffee morning held on September 28 the sum of £415 was
raised by the Workers' Educational Association Tuesday morning
class.
The event was held at the Rothley Methodist Church and Joan Lovett
would like to thank everyone for their help and support.
Club's new wicket
Pic: Steve Thomason and Under 13 manager Andrew
Rowell
with some of Rothley Park's younger players accepting the
Biffaward grant on behalf of the club.
ROTHLEY PARK Cricket Club's junior cricketers
turned out to celebrate their successful season and to officially
open their new all-weather practice wicket.
It was provided with the help of a £5000 grant from Biffaward
and £1300 from the Charnwood Sports Council.
Rothley's Junior organiser Steve Thomason said: "The all-weather
wicket will help immensely with junior coaching and practice
while ensuring that more matches go ahead in wet conditions."
WI news
AT THE October meeting of Rothley WI the weather had changed
somewhat to give more than a taste of the autumn to come. That
along with the financial crisis around the globe giving rise
to more than a little concern for our winter outlook one could
say that the future might have been looking a little bleak at
the moment. But for the members of the Rothley WI and their guests
the afternoon suddenly provided a happier atmosphere in the company
of Gerry Burrows who, with the help of his trusty PowerPoint
presentation, managed to elicit more than a few melodious, dulcet
tones from those in the audience while 'Revisiting the 50s'.
He began with a collection of artefacts from the 1950's era and
went on to examine in closer detail a variety of artists whom
we remembered from radio programmes and maybe awakening memories
for some of a happy 'Listen With Mother' time.
The beginnings of The Archers of Ambridge, 'An everyday story
of country folk' which went on to become the radio 'soap' The
Archers, still enjoyed by millions today and one which can now
be downloaded to an iPod or MP3 player! With Gerry's help we
looked at the electrical appliances available (for those of us
who could afford the luxury of such items early in that decade)
the vacuum cleaner, washing machines with hand wringers, or later
with a power wringer attached, the first spin dryer. And for
many of the members it was a time of reflection on the death
of King George VI and the introduction of televisions for the
first time into our homes in time to watch the Coronation of
Elizabeth. And how many of us remember the 1951 Festival of Britain,
the Dome of Discovery and the Skylon.
There were so many agreeable memories evoked of shopping, dancing,
hairstyles and fashions. 'Winkle pickers' and stilettos, frothy
petticoats and Rock & Roll! (more delightful dulcet tones!)
Regarding entertainment we were transported back to look at Gene
Autry, Roy Rogers, Anthony Steele, John Mills, Dean Martin, Jean
Simmons and Elizabeth Taylor, we 'rocked' with Bill Haley and
the Comets, Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard and laughed with Hancock
and many more, too many to mention. RWI members were regaled
with the opportunity to reminisce about a time when the country
was recovering from the post-war forties, making strides with
so many changes and enjoying a growth in industry. We will thoroughly
recommend Gerry Burrows as a professional interactive entertainer
for any community group.
From M Bulmer
REV SIMON Foster was the speaker for the September meeting of
Thurcaston & Cropston WI.
Simon is our Rector so we were all looking forward to hearing
his talk entitled' Far Eastern Travel' which was accompanied
with slides.
In 1982 Simon gave up his job working with Vietnamese Boat Refugees
in London to embark on a journey to the Far East. This Simon
hoped, would not only be a time for travel but for personal reflection
too.
As they entered the China Sea his first sightings of the Far
East were the rather unattractive oil platforms. These were predominantly
manned by English people. Simon befriended and stayed with one
of these families. His travels through the Far East included
visits to Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Burma. We were shown
slides of busy exotic cities, colourful crowded market places
and the stunningly beautiful countryside. Pictures of villagers,
who displayed their wealth in the silver jewellery they wore,
to villagers who had strong superstitions and believed in the
local witch doctor were shown. Simon also mentioned visiting
the Golden Triangle where the opium poppies are grown.
Simon concluded his talk when he reached Burma. By then he had
taken the decision to become ordained as a priest. He then continued
his journey into Singapore and other Eastern countries and what
was to become a new life.
A most enjoyable evening, it was good for everyone to meet and
chat with Simon.
In October, Mrs Felicity Austin spoke to us on the subject 'History
of Toys and Games'
Her interest in toys and games began when she worked for the
Museum Service and she completed a project on the subject.
Apparently, some games, played by girls, date back to Roman times,
and a picture of a hedgehog on wheels, which was a toy dating
back to the 1st century BC was passed around the audience.
When yo-yos were introduced into China they were played with
by adults and known by another name. It is possible to make a
yo-yo out of two buttons! Snobs were played all over the world,
and in Roman times were made from sheep bones. Victorian toys
were made out of all different kinds of material eg wooden, rag
and wax dolls. Hobby horses, whips and tops, and hoops were seasonal
toys and a picture which showed children playing leap frog was
passed around. The game of cricket has been played from early
times. Pea shooters became known and 'Cowboys and Indians' was
played from the beginning of last century.
Round about WWII toy cars became popular for the boys and toy
cooking utensils for the girls, and many of us remembered owning
toy sewing machines and typewriters. We heard about the history
of teddy bears, and sang lustily the rhymes that we used to skip
to. Then, of course, there were games like Snakes and Ladders
and card games.
Felicity had brought along a sizeable collection of old toys,
both large and small for us to view afterwards, and it was a
thoroughly enjoyable evening.
From Dorothy Budd
Customer service award
THE OUTSTANDING customer service at a Cropston
b&b has been registered with an award.
Horseshoe Cottage Farm was awarded Gold for its customer service
at the East Midlands Tourism Enjoy England for Excellence Awards.
Proprietors Linda and Tim Jee have run Horseshoe Cottage Farm
as a luxury b&b for the last four years. Linda says: "Last
year we won the best b&b and this year Outstanding Customer
Service. It reinforces our belief that we are providing a superior
service and venue for our guests.
"We always try to give that little bit extra in terms of
service, ambience and food and winning these awards proves to
us that our efforts are appreciated. Next year we plan to go
for the Sustainable Tourism award!"
Earlier this year Horseshoe Cottage Farm became the only b&b
in Leicestershire to receive a five star gold accreditation from
Visit Britain.
As a winner in the East Midlands, the business will go on to
compete next spring against eight other regional finalists from
across England in the 2009 Enjoy England Excellence Awards.
www.horseshorcottagefarm.com
Flower container
THE OLD cider apple crusher in the grounds
of the Grange on Fowke Street has survived the construction work
that went on all around it during the recent development of the
site.
William Davis Homes have utilised it as a flower container in
the rear courtyard of the original building.
Planning
35 Latimer Road, Cropston - two storey rear & side &
single storey front & side extensions
44 Anstey Lane, Thurcaston - height reduction of one lime tree
and one other tree to rear of dwelling
170 Station Road, Cropston - thinning and reshaping of lime tree
18A Cross Green, Rothley - erection of doors across entrance
to rear parking and amenity area
967 Loughborough Road, Rothley - erection of two-storey extension
to side of dwelling
69 Town Green Street, Rothley - erection of two storey extension
to rear of dwelling
1 School Street, Rothley - erection of two storey extension to
rear of dwelling
Monday club
A KIND break in the rainy weather in September
resulted in many members and visitors bringing along a very fine
array of items to the meeting of the Monday Club, Anstey, Cropston
and Thurcaston.
Pies, garden and tinned produce, cakes, biscuits, books and new
clothes were brought to sell to support our charity for this
year - the Renal Units of both the General and Loughborough Hospitals.
After including generous donations, the final total figure was
a very fine £73.
A variety of cakes were enjoyed and the afternoon's meeting was
very friendly and full of laughter during the entertainment.
A beautifully presented quiz organised by Mrs Diane Rouse, featuring
flowers and bushes, resulted in a winning prize of a potted plant
and there were renditions of a poem by Pam Ayres "Oh I wish
I'd looked after me teeth!" and in contrast the beautiful
'Ode to Autumn' by John Keats read by Mrs Jenny Kennington.
Further laughter resulted from more reading of jokes passed through
the Internet to Mrs Ann Farndon from friends home and abroad.
Hilarious is the only word to describe the talk given to us by
Mrs Margaret Harrison, the Blue Badge guide, from Nottingham
on Monday October 13, when she took us through a light hearted
history lesson starting from William the Conqueror. Most of us
are interested in history but Margaret drew together the families
with whom we are familiar, the castles, houses and properties
we visit through the National Trust etc in such a way that produced
hearty laughter. Margaret's main subject was 'Bess of Hardwick'.
And she described the exploits and strategically beneficial marriages
(four in number) that brought Bess fame and wealth.
Margaret's descriptions of this woman starting from an 11 year
old with the virtues of a tall and slim figure, vivacious and
flirty with masses of auburn hair, large dark eyes and long fingers
and nails. Bess was not necessarily greedy for herself but was
concerned that, although having come from a noble family, it
was a relatively poor one, and she was interested in acquiring
and retaining properties for the benefit of her children. When
she married her fourth husband she had a pre-nuptial agreement
which on her death left him with very little but the children
continued to prosper.
With an astute business brain one could think of her as very
much a woman of the future!
The free prize draw of a potted cyclamen plant was won by Mrs
Sue Wakerley.
Our nest meeting will be at the Cropston Evangelical church on
Monday November 10 when there will be more laughter supplied
by our speaker Mr Ken Hillier, his subject being 'The Naughty
Nuns of Grace Dieu Priory. The meeting starts at 2.15pm. Usual
beverages and mince pies as this will be the last meeting in
the Church Hall before our Christmas Lunch in December.
For further details contact Ann Farndon on 0116 2363467.
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Horticultural
THURCASTON & Cropston Horticultural
Society's August event was an invitation to visit the garden
of Tom and Mary Clarke who live in Ulverscroft Lane near Newtown
Linford.
It had rained heavily during the afternoon and there were thoughts
of a cancellation but the weather behaved itself during the evening.
Although the lawns were a little soggy that was the only downside
to the wonderful garden.
There was a thriving vegetable patch, including corn on the cob,
fruit bushes, apple trees etc. The garden at the front boundary
of the bungalow was surrounded by trees and rhododendron, but
that was all that remained of the original garden, which was
a complete wilderness when the property was purchased twelve
years ago.
Mary and Tom have added their own selection of trees (which includes
a lovely tree fern) and bushes. Striking Blue Agapanthus including
the double variety, stood among the many varied fuchsias, bushes
and standards, some of which were eighteen years old. As with
the garden, the bungalow had been greatly improved, including
a semi-circle raised patio where the miniature waterfall was
tinkling away, this is where we enjoyed the wine and nibbles,
thanks to Pauline for preparing same, also where we tested our
brains to answer the flower quiz and check our tickets for the
raffle prizes.
A very enjoyable social evening, thank you to Mary and Tom for
sharing their delightful garden with us.
After a week of very wet weather, apologies were sent to the
show secretary for non-entrance to the vegetable and flower sections
of the Annual show. Nevertheless exhibits appeared and the hall
looked very attractive. Children had their own section in the
show, to decorate an egg or draw or paint a garden theme picture
and both these classes were well supported.
Winners of the various classes were:
Sedgewick Cup - Mr R Emmett. Orton Cup - Mrs J Edwards. Women's
Institute Cup - Mrs I Marriott. Swithland Strawberries Cup -
Mrs I Marriott. Mildred Adnett Cup - Mr R Emmett. Pat Jones Bowl
- Mrs J Hull. Ken & Betty Clark Trophy - Mrs L Haddon &
Mr L Massarela. Committee Trophy - Mrs I Marriott. Irene Orton
Bowl - Mrs R McRobie. Delia Brock Novice Trophy - Mrs I Marriott.
Delia Brock 'Photographer of the Year' Trophy - Mrs A Stringer.
Society Trophy - Mrs J Sharpe. Glyn Jones Silver Jubilee Vase
- Mrs R McRobie.
Many thanks to the Show Committee for their hard work.
Our next meeting is November 12 at Thurcaston Village Hall at
7.45pm when Ken Bates will talk on 'Sweet Peas'.
All are very welcome.
From Pam Mason
Art on show
Our pictures show some of the paintings on display at an exhibition
of work by the Soar Valley artists and staged at the Rothley
Centre.
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