Birstall Post May 2011 (335)

MAY 2011 No. 334

the Birstall postY O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S P A P E R

www.birstallpost.co.uk

Eggstra specialCHILDREN AT Riverside school displayed their

creative talents by taking part in an egg dec-orating competition. Continued on page 2

Pic: Riversideegg competitionwinners

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MAY 2011THE BIRSTALL POST2

Organisedby theschool’s PTA,designs rangedfrom rocket ships to Elvis Presley and were judged by Birstall’s new RectorVince Jupp and Chair of the Governors Karen Steward.

There were two prizes for each year group and one parent’s prize. Prize winnerswere: Noah Anastassiades, Jake Howard, Daniella Pryor, Lee Layshley, Jessica Porch,Matt Daly, Shannon James, Kayla Bates, Freddie Young, Toby Gutteridge, Daisy Merry,Morgan Clifford Foxon, Amber Kilsby, Megan Southwick. Parent Winner: Lynn Apse

The project stalled in 2010 becauseof the recession but at a meeting inMarch, the Leicestershire and RutlandFire Authority decided to proceed with ascaled back version of the complex.

£3 million has been cut from theoriginal budget of £12 million, by reduc-ing the overall size of the building andusing cheaper materials.

Chairman of the Authority Peter Rof-fey told the Birstall Post: “I am pleasedwe have come to a decision, it was a

difficult one but we had to considercarefully what was the best deal for thepublic purse in the long run.”

The Authority chose to reject theoption of relocating to Bradgate Houseoff the A50 at Markfield.

Contractors Pick Everard will pro-duce new detailed plans for the Birstallcomplex and these are expected to besubmitted to Charnwood’s planning de-partment soon. The estimated comple-tion date of the new facility is 2013.

PLANS TO build a new fire service HQ and fire station atHallam Fields are back on track.

PLANS TO give the Police extra powers to deal with on-streetdrinking were introduced to certain areas of Birstall this April.

The Birstall Alcohol Consumption inDesignated Public Places Public Orderhas been requested by the Police to helptackle problems of alcohol fuelled antiso-cial behaviour.

The new powers will enable the Po-lice to confiscate alcohol from peopledrinking in the designated public areawhere :

• nuisance or annoyance to a mem-ber of the public or a section of thepublic is caused, or

• disorder has been associated withthe consumption of intoxicating liquor inthat place

Once approved the order will notmake it an offence to drink alcohol inthe designated public place. But failureto comply with a Police Officer or PoliceCommunity Support Officer’s request inrespect of public drinking, or to surren-der alcohol, without reasonable excuse,will be an offence which you can bearrested for.

The designated area comprises SchoolLane, part of Loughborough Road,Beechfield Avenue, part of Birstall Road,Sibson Road, Colindale Avenue, RoseTree Avenue, Windmill Avenue, DalbyAvenue, Allington Drive, the boundary ofWatermead Country Park, Whiles Lane,Front Street, Wanlip Lane and variousroads and other public areas in its vicini-ty, which have been linked to crime anddisorder caused by antisocial drinking.

Steve Blackburn, Birstall Parish Coun-cil Clerk, said: “I very much welcomethe introduction of the new powerswhich will allow the Police to take ac-tion to discourage drinking in public.This is a problem in many areas andleads to nuisance for residents, shoppersand ordinary members of the public.This has become less of a problem re-cently but these problems can easilyrecur and the more that can be done tonip it in the bud, the better.”

The orders will be reviewed after sixmonths followed by an annual review,carried out by Charnwood CommunitySafety Partnership.

THE ANNUAL Lifeboat Charitycollection took place in Birstallon Saturday March 26.

Spokesman Simon Murphy said:“As always, thanks to the people ofBirstall and the surrounding areas fortheir contributions, and to the manag-er and staff at the Co-op Supermarketfor lettingthe collec-tors standinside onwhat was aparticularlychilly day.”Pic: Mrs LucyMurphy andMiss Frances-ca Schroederwho were col-lecting at theCo-op in Bir-stall.

Continuedfrompage 1

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MAY 2011THE BIRSTALL POST 3

The Campaign to Protect Rural England(CPRE) chose Birstall along with five othertowns in England for its ‘Field to Fork’research : these were Hastings, Kenilworth,Knutsford, Sheffield and Totnes.

Graeme Willis, Senior Local Food Cam-paigner at the CPRE, said: “These reportsare the first part of extensive research intohow local food benefits local communities,economies and the countryside – benefitsthat are threatened by continued supermar-ket expansion.”

In 2008, 62 per cent of all British foodwas purchased at the four leading retailers:Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons.This figures rises to 83 per cent whensmaller supermarket chains are included.

The big four all have expansion planshaving recently gained planning permissionfor 500 new stores in England. Asda isplanning to open 168 new stores in 2011 –the largest single year of growth in itshistory.

Local food is defined as food that hastravelled no more than 30 miles from‘farm to market’. The CPRE says local foodwebs provide benefits such as better access

to fresh food, supporting the local econo-my, reducing food miles and connectingpeople to their local countryside.

Of the six communities studied, Birstallhad the weakest local food network. Thereport states:

Although Birstall is itself a large village,the area around it included in the study isdensely populated. This area has a relative-ly weak food web despite having manyoutlets. It is likely that the presence of anumber of large out of town superstoreshas contributed to this. 27 retail and otherfood outlets sourced local food but onaverage only 20 percent of sales wereattributable to local food. Only a smallnumber of outlets stocked high percentag-

es of local produce: three quarters of the40 or more local suppliers identified sup-plied products to just five smaller inde-pendent outlets. The food web accountedfor approximately 140jobs at local outlets,rising to 165 if aproportion of super-market jobs are in-cluded. Local foodsales in Birstallamount to between£3.9 and £4.7 millionper annum, but sales atthree supermarketscontribute more than75% of the combinedtotal despite only anaverage of 2% salesbeing attributable tolocal produce.

Totnes in Devon hadthe strongest local food network withmore than 60% of produce coming fromfarms within 30 miles of the town. 44shops stocked local food compared to

BIRSTALL HAS featured in a pioneering study that aims toestablish how much locally grown food is purchased andthe benefits this brings to an area.

Birstall’s 27.To develop the local food network in

Birstall the report identifies a number ofchallenges that need to be addressed:

• a restrictive localcharter which, as appliedby Leicester City Council,hinders development of afarmers’ market in Birstall

• an absence of clearlabelling of local food anda lack of signpostingdirecting people where tofind it

• a need for moreoutlets to stock higherlevels of local produceto increase regular andeasy access for residentsto local food withouthaving to use a car

• a need to improvecommunication between producers andoutlets to develop the marketing of localfood

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A group of nine students have justcompleted a six week course led byFood Teacher and Club-coordinatorBeryl Paddison. “We do lots of cookingpreparing tasty dishes that are takenhome with a recipe so that it can becooked again at home” she said.

Over six weeks the students havemade pizza, Rogan Josh, healthy muf-fins, oaty biscuits, spaghetti bologneseand tiramisu.

“I’ve enjoyed coming and havelearned a lot of stuff. I now know howto make blueberry muffins” said Char-ley Neale (16). Chantelle Bayley (16)

said: “We all work together to keepeach other on track.”

Longslade’s ‘Let’s Get Cooking’ clubis part of a national network of 5000funded by £20 million from the BigLottery Fund. It aims to promote cook-ing skills and healthy eating.

Longslade’s club will receive £2500over three years to cover cookingequipment and running costs. All theingredients at each session are provid-ed for students, and the club aims toorganise fundraising events so it cancontinue after the funding ends.

Beryl said: “We would welcome helpfrom the community in the form ofactively helping at the club especially ifyou have some special skill to share.

“We are now looking for 14 studentsto attend the next six week session –post 16 students could learn somevaluable skills for cooking at university.”

The Cooking Club meets on Thurs-days from 3.30-4.45pm at Longslade.Contact:[email protected]

A COOKING club at Longslade College aims to teach young peo-ple and their families lifelong cooking skills.

In Birstall voters will have the oppor-tunity to elect their Charnwood BoroughCouncillors. Birstall residents who live inthe Riverside Ward will also be electingtheir three parish councillors who repre-sent that ward.

Local elections are held every fouryears. Before the election, all sittingcouncillors stand down. If they wish tobe returned to office, they must be nomi-nated. If there are more nominationsthan there are vacancies on the coun-cil, an election is required.

Birstall Parish Council has 20councillors. In the Goscote,Stonehill, Green-gate and Neth-erhallWards anelectionis notrequiredas the number of nominations did notexceed the number of vacancies in eachward. Those nominated will be returnedas councillors uncontested.

In the Riverside Ward there are fournominations for the three vacancies.They are: Allen, Mary Rose; Evans-Hay,Gail Pauline; Geschke, Christine Ann andHowe, Julian Anthony. Voters can put anX next to three names on the ballotpaper.

At the Borough Council there are twowards for Birstall: Birstall Wanlip andBirstall Watermead. Each of these wardsis represented by two councillors, sovoters can put an X next to two nameson the ballot paper.

The candidates for Birstall Wanlipare:

• Bava, Amrat (Lab); Cowles, Marilyn(Lab); Edwards, Helena (Lib Dem);Jones, Stuart (Con); Shergill, Serina

(Con)The candidates for Birstall Water-

mead are:• Bentley, Iain (Con);

Gaskell, David (Con); Hop-kins, Rosalind (Lab);Miller, Richard(Lib

Dem); Sapsford, Sally (Lab)Charnwood Borough Council is a

District Council. It is responsible forenvironmental health, council housing,leisure and recreational facilities, localplanning, waste collection and electoralregistration.

Charnwood has 52 councillors in 28wards. The current political make up ofthe Council is:

• Con 32, Lab 13, Lib Dem 5, BNP 1,Independent 1

County Council Elections are not heldthis year – their next election is in May2013.

On May 5, voters will also be askedwhether they want to keep the first pastthe post system for electing WestminsterParliament MPs, or switch to the Alterna-tive Vote system.

Local electionsVOTERS ACROSS England will go to the polls on May 5 in the lo-cal council elections.

Let’s get cooking

Pic:(l-r) Charlie Neale, Beryl Paddi-son, Design Technician Wendy James,Let’s Get Cooking club co-ordinatorSally Mayes & Chantelle Bayley

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Rev Rachel Par-kinson said:

“Amongst the mostpopular were read-ing, listening tomusic, walking –especially with a dog,sport and food. My‘favourites’ amongstthe things chosenwere ‘the first cupof tea in the morn-ing’, ‘clean sheets’,and ‘lie-ins’. Theprize for the mostinnovative has to goto Eileen Molesdalewho chose five fa-vourite things in-stead of three, herfifth choice being‘breaking the rules’.

“One of thelovely thingsabout thedisplay is thatit help yousee people ina different

light – especiallythose people youpass in the streetbut rarely speak to.Knowing that some-one loves choco-late biscuits orCub camp adds awhole new dimen-sion to your viewof them. It bringspeople to life.”

During theweek the churchhosted a wholerange of differentactivities includingan Easter MessyChurch whichattracted nearly 90people, a film shoeand a Wii gamesafternoon.Top pic: The win-

ners of the My Favourite Things art compe-tition with judges Rose Impey (left) andSue Faulks are: Shannon Webb, NeelumSurelia, Jacob William Clarke, Thomas Mac-Manard, Kaira White and Reuben Stafford.Winners not pictured were Dylann Patel,Leah-Marie Ward and Sophie Hatfield

THE FAVOURITE things of more than 150 Birstall people werepart of an exhibition in Birstall Methodist Church.

Lol and Freda Musson of QueensgateDrive, and Frank and Audrey Bullock ofLambourne Road, received a card fromHM The Queen congratulating them onreaching this land mark.

They were also presented by the So-

cial Club with a bouquet of flowers, andwould like to thank all their friends andfamily for the many cards and gifts theyreceived on their special day.Pic: (l-r) Lol & Freda Musson, Frank &Audrey Bullock

TWO COUPLES from Birstall celebrated their Diamond Wedding anni-versaries at Birstall Social Club on March 17.

FORMER STUDENTS of Longslade College are being invited tojoin a new association.

As part of its 50th anniversary year,Longslade has formed LoAFerS – itaims to develop a network of formerstudents that would organise socialevents and bring people together forboth leisure and business benefits.

The long term idea is that someformer students of the college togetherwith college staff take an active role todevelop and manage the group.

Information of the first LoAFerSsocial event on Saturday June 18 can

be found on the college website via theLoAferS link and under the Facebooklogo or you can contact the college on0116 2677107.

A college spokesman said:“Longslade would love to hear fromanyone who is interested in being partof what will be a successful formerstudent group that everyone can beproud of.”

www.longslade.leics.sch.uk

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MAY 2011THE BIRSTALL POST6phone costs will be renegotiated during2011 as a tie-in with BT comes to an end.

“The overall cost of the Gala for 2010was £4,760. We are grateful to sponsors,most notably the Trustees of the EdithMurphy Foundation and Severn Trent Wa-ter, for their continued support of theevent. The Christmas lights switch-on isgradually developing into more of an eventand was accompanied by a craft fair lastyear. We were also grateful to Taylor Wim-pey this time for their support in coveringthe cost of the tree.

“The Council continues to take a respon-sible approach to the maintenance of itsassets, major expenditure this year was thesecond phase of improving the unevenpaths in the cemetery and the re-laying ofthe estates yard, where subsidence wasthreatening the integrity of the drainagesystem below. Other works included there-wiring of the village hall and day centrewith new energy-efficient lighting and thiswas partly funded by a grant from the BigLottery.

“A fund to create a skate park is still inplace; no work has been possible as theoverall costs will have to be supported bygrant funding and in the present climatethis is becoming increasingly hard to find.Since it opened in late 2009, the YouthCafe has had notable success in providingan attractive meeting place on both Fridayand Wednesday nights. The Parish Councilcovers the cost of Fridays; so far we havebeen successful in attracting grant fundingfor the Wednesday evening sessions and topay for sports and play equipment, notablythe recent support awarded by the RotaryClub of the Wreake Valley for £150 andequipment, and for the youth shelterwhich was entirely paid for by externalfunding. Efforts are continuing to raise

THE ANNUAL Parish meeting of BirstallParish Council was held on April 11.

Anna Davis, artist in residence at Longs-lade College, explained the work she haddone with local students, creating an art-work based on the theme community thatwill be displayed in the Village Hall.

Mr Hetal Patel, a governor at StonehillSchool, explained the plans for ‘GreeningStonehill’, part of the Sustainable SchoolsFramework. He indicated his plan to ex-tend the project to ‘Greening Birstall’, inpartnership with residents, councils andbusinesses. The Council agreed in princi-ple to support this project which will ena-ble Mr Patel to bid for funding.

Helen McNulty, a Youth Worker at theBirstall Parish Council Youth Café, report-ed on the scheme’s last 12 months. Runfrom the pavilion on the School lane play-ing fields, the café is open on Wednesdayand Friday evenings. Started 17 monthsago, the café has had some early difficul-ties but was now working well. There arenow three volunteer workers and in thelast year funding has been obtained for ayouth shelter, a youth council has beenformed, fundraising activities such as a carboot sale have been held and the WreakeValley Rotary Club had donated some items.

Around 60 young people attend and atypical session involves outdoor sports,playing pool and craft activities, all withina safe and secure environment.

The Parish Clerk presented a DraftFinancial Report and Accounts:

“• Expenditure exceeded income by£976 although this is £41,000 better thanthe expected result.

• Income from lettings and cemeteryfees was much higher than expected

• Expenditure on utilities was morethan expected and this pressure will con-tinue into 2011

• Cash deposits are carefully managedto maximise interest income

“For the financial year ended 31.3.11the Council had budgeted to use £106,000of accumulated reserves and limit theincrease in its precept to 2.9%. The over-all effect was intended to leave reserves of£165,000 which is equivalent to sixmonths' expenditure, an amount consid-ered 'prudent' from all sources of advice.

“In the event general reserves at theclose of the year are £205,666, althoughthis good news masks a significant rise incosts, most notably gas, electricity, waterand postage and this surplus has beenachieved by better than expected incomefrom hire of the village hall and otherrooms, from cemetery fees and from bankinterest where an aggressive policy ofsearching for realistic rates on depositaccounts in 'safe' banks has increased ourincome from this source.

“Turning to expenditure, the end of afive year agreement with our insurers hasled to a new relationship with Aviva, for-merly Norwich Union, at a reduced cost,although costs relating to heat, light andwater have exceeded the amounts expected.We continue to make efforts to reduceconsumption of electricity and gas, a newcontract was signed with ESPO for gassupplies and although this has resulted ina reduced unit cost, the increase in mar-ket rates has overtaken this benefit. Tele-

Parish Council notes money to ensure that the youth cafe contin-ues to open on Wednesdays.

“Looking ahead, the Council will contin-ue to face cost pressures in its utility billsand in ensuring that the estate continuesto be maintained to the high standardresidents and users have come to expect.Staff costs will also come under pressurein the next two years as there has been noincrease in wage rates for almost twoyears and the Council will be faced withthe introduction of compulsory employerpension contributions in the not too dis-tant future.”

The April meeting of the Council fol-lowed the Annual Meeting. PCSO StuartVenables reported that there had been fivethefts from stores this month, all detectedand the individuals charged. Comment wasmade that there had been a greater Policepresence in the village in recent weeks.

It was reported that the cycle path fromthe northern entrance of Watermead Coun-try Park will be extended past the Hopeand Anchor pub as far as Cossington, withthe weir bridge to be adapted for easieraccess.

The council agreed to accept a quota-tion of £350 for the repointing of thefronts of the wall at the School Lane play-ing field Memorial Gates.

The council’s current plan is to providea skate park and multi-use games area onthe School Lane playing field, and to ex-tend the pavilion to accommodate theincreasing number of young people attend-ing the Youth Café. The plans dependupon obtaining funding that is provingdifficult to obtain. It was agreed that theClerk prepare proposals for a BMX trackat Meadow Lane which might be an accept-able and cheaper alternative to a formalskate park.


THIS YEAR the Highcliffe Amateur Theatrical Society cele-brates 20 years of bringing amateur dramatics to Birstalland the surrounding area.

Except for a couple of those years thishas been in the form of a play, usually acomedy, in the spring and a pantomimeat the end of November. During the last19 years we have performed over 35plays/pantomimes and at each one wehave held raffles to raise money for both

local and national charities. We are a self-funding group and all the money raisedthrough ticket sales goes on the produc-tion costs, which are usually substantial,and improvements to our equipment.

As part of our celebrations we areholding an open evening in June. It will

ROMEO AND Juliet was the theme fora showcase by year 9 Performing Artsstudents at Stonehill School.

Dances from West Side Story, a tradi-tional performance of the play andscenes brought into the 1960s withMods and Rockers all featured, alongwith performances of rock and popclassics as well as compositions by stu-dents.

Over 150 students took part and KatePhipps, Head of Performing Arts, said:

“There were many memorable perform-ances from the evening and to all thepupils who took part – well done, weare immensely proud of you all.”

be a chance for anyone who has everthought of being involved in amateurdramatics, either on stage or behind thescenes, to meet us and to see some of thethings that go into putting on a perform-ance. Look out for more details soon.

This year, our spring production is‘Play On’ by Rick Abbot and our nominat-ed charity for the raffle proceeds is FirstStep, a registered charity who give helpand support to adult males who havebeen victims of sexual abuse.

The play is a behind the scenes come-dy in the tradition of Noises Off. A theatregroup is trying desperately to put on aplay in spite of the maddening interfer-ence from a haughty authoress who keeps

revising the script right up to a few daysbefore the show opens. It takes place inthree acts. Act one is a rehearsal fourdays before opening night. Act two is thelast dress rehearsal and Act three is theopening night of the play. It is a veryfunny insight into activity of a typical Am-Dram group. Just like HATS!

Performances are at Highcliffe School,Greengate Lane in Birstall on 19, 20 and21 May 2011 starting at 7.30pm. Ticketsare £6 (concessions £5) available byphoning 0116 2128757 or 07757 854719 or by email [email protected]. There is adiscount for group bookings.

From Rod Atkins, HATS

Pic: Dionne and Lauren singing theirinterpretation of Mr Heart Will Go On

Pic: Jacob playingRomeo’s song on the guitar

Pic: the cast of the traditionalperformance of Romeo & Juliet

Pic: dance troupe performing America from West Side Story

Pic (left): Liam, Sarahand Sophie dramatisingtheir mods and rockersinterpretation ofRomeo and Juliet

Dance, drama & song

20 years of HATSPic: Rhea and Kate performing a dance fromWest Side Story

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A SUCCESSFUL Birstall saloncontinues to grow.

Davies and Greenwood have nowbeen in Birstall for two years and inthat time have won Leicester’s besthairdressersand beenentered intothe Britishhairdressingawards.

Now theyhave refittedand expand-

ed their Sibson Road salon: they nowhave their second beauty room and nailarea with lots of new beauty and spatreatments.

Spokesman Darren Davies said:“Davies andGreenwood isnow officially aday spa as wellas a beauty andhair salon. Youcan now experi-ence luxuriouselemis spafacials, fantasticshellac 14 day

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The project was led by LongsladeCollege’s artist in residence Anna Davis,following a request from Birstall ParishCouncil.

Anna said: “We decided to run acompetition for children at the localschools in Birstall; primary schoolsHighcliffe and Riverside, and StonehillHigh School.

“Pupils were asked to design a posterwith the theme ‘Community in Birstall’.The three winning entries from eachschool were then invited to an Art day atLongslade Community College, where

they joined three students from the col-lege and everyone involved contributedto the artwork.

“All the students have shown excep-tional talent, creativity and passion fortheir local community and created abright and exciting piece.”

Birstall Parish Council Clerk SteveBlackburn said: “The Council welcomedthe attractive collage representing as-pects of Birstall and the community. Itwill be on display in the Village Hallover the next few months.”

CHILDREN FROM local schools have created a piece of artthat has been hung in the Village Hall.

YOU’VE SEEN Upstairs Downstairs and Downton Abbey, now find out aboutreal life below stairs in the great country houses of the Victorian/Edwardianperiod.

Birstall library is offering a talk by our very own local expert Nick Marshall to anyone who isinterested in the history of servants in the age of Victoria.

The talk compares the duties and pay of male and female domestic servants and looks at thestrict hierarchy of their world. From butlers to laundresses and gamekeepers to ladies’ maids,learn more about their everyday lives.

The talk begins at 7.15pm on Thursday May 19 and will last up to an hour. Tickets are £3from Birstall library, and are available now.

AS THE weather gets warmer and wethink of going on holiday there aresteps that we can all take to helpprevent crime.

It is all too easy to leave windowsand doors open when we go out into thegarden or go upstairs. Please, alwaysshut your windows and lock the doors.Unfortunately, it is easy access for theopportunist burglar!

If you are going on holiday there arelots of things that you can do to helpprevent burglaries. Please do not telleveryone you meet that you will be awayfrom your property. By all means tell aclose friend or neighbour, or your NHWco-ordinator.

There are lots of tell-tale signs thatyour property is empty; curtains orblinds closed all day are a big giveaway,as is putting your recycling out a weekearly. Why not ask a neighbour or yourcoordinator to put your recycling withtheirs?

Timers for lamps or lights are readilyavailable and can make it look likesomeone is in.

It is also worth asking someone youtrust to push any post through the letter-box. Any steps you take will help toprotect your property whilst you areaway. If you would like advice on securi-ty and products that are available, pleasecome along to our monthly advice shops.

These are held on the third Saturday ofevery month from 10-12 at the old coun-cil offices opposite the garden centre.

From Karen Lewin, Birstall &Wanlip NHWNHW news

& crime report Crime Report: Birstall March 15 toApril 10

Assaults 7, harassment 4, burglary 2,burglary non-dwelling 4, damage 6,damage to motor vehicle 11, fraud 1,robbery 1, theft 6, theft of cycle 2, theftfrom motor vehicle 2, theft of motorvehicle 1, theft stores 5

PC2139 Richard Carruthers,PCSO 6611 Mark Butler, PCSO6438 Stuart Venables.

Birstall Police Office: 0116 2677355

The June issue ofTHE BIRSTALL POST

will be published on Jun 3.The copy deadline is May 20.

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Garden Trail PassportsThe Garden trail will be in the lower

half of the Greengate Estate on Saturday &Sunday June 11 & 12. Passports will beavailable from many shops in Birstall laterin May. It is always cheaper to buy yourpassport ‘in advance’ and you can use iton either day.Favourite Things (without Pews)

Did you enjoy the exhibition in HolyWeek in the church without pews? Therewere almost 250 photos of Birstall folklisting their favourite things. The worshiparea of our premises, is on the one handthe ‘centre’ of our premises, on the otherhand it is the least used part of our veryheavily used premises. Removing the pewsapart from a chance for a spring clean,revealed the ‘floor space’ available. Couldour worship area be used, appropriately,more for the wider community in Birstall?A thought to consider!Pantomime Result

The Mens Pantomime in Februaryraised over £1800 for church funds andleft sufficient in the ‘kitty’ for next year’sproduction. The Pantomime Group areonly too aware that we need more men tojoin the cast for Jack & the Beanstalk in2012. Rehearsals start in late September.Diamond Golden, Silver – or just anoth-er year?

On the Sunday morning of May 15, theservice led by Rev Rachel Parkinson willbe to celebrate wedding anniversaries.Whether or not you have an anniversary tocelebrate, do come along and share withthose who have years together to celebrate.30 years of the Coffee Shop

As reported in last months ‘Post’ Bir-stall Coffee Shop celebrated 30 years ofservice and outreach to the people ofBirstall this year. Run by a team of volun-teers from all three Birstall churches andbeyond, it opens every Tuesday to Satur-day from 10am until noon. It offers tea,coffee, delicious homemade cakes andscones but, more importantly, a place tocome and meet your friends and, if youdon't feel you have many, a place to comeand make new ones. For many peopleliving by themselves the coffee shop is ahugely important place of contact withothers. It's for all ages, and there's oftenan age-span of ninety years between theyoungest and eldest coffee shop customer.On top of all that, the coffee shop raisessignificant amounts to support charitiesevery year. The coffee shop is also openSaturdays usually run by a different groupsor organisations for their own funds.Annual Church Meeting

Is to be held on Sunday May 8, allmembers & friends are welcome.

From Tony Moore

ARTIST CHARLIE Carter with his design for a cedar tree has beenchosen to create the public art for the Birstall Park and Ride site.

village for inspiration and represent thefuture of a greatly enlarged Birstall which,through the Park and Ride, becomes agateway to Leicester itself.

“I began by thinking about what form Icould use for the sculpture that wouldfulfil this need for a significant landmark.I researched what I could on Birstall andits history and it quickly became evident

that the 17th century cedar tree in RomanRoad was an important feature, especiallyas it is on the village sign and letterhead.Trees have long been used as symbols inart and it seemed appropriate to use thistree to represent the roots of the villagein its history and its growth over time. Itwould link past with present and symbol-ise stability in a changing world.”

Mr Carter has recently completed asculpture for a new science block at aPortsmouth school and has also createdpublic art in Littlehampton, Swindon andSouthampton.

Charlie Carter was chosen from ashort list of three by a steering groupthat included local councillors, includingBirstall Parish Cllr Neville Mayes. Hesaid: “I’ve always thought money spenton things like this was money wasted,I’ve never been much impressed withthese things, monoliths and the like, butwhen I was invited to offer my views andget involved my attitude changed consid-erably.

“I was impressed with the short listedartists, they were bright and very talented.I liked Charlie’s idea and the way he hadincorporated the railway into the design,and I have ended up quite excited by theproject.”

The artwork will cost £57,000 andwill be paid for by the developers ofHallam Fields, Jelson Ltd. Jelson arerequired to pay under the terms of thesection 106 planning agreement, negotiat-ed by Charnwood Borough Council as acondition of planning permission forHallam Fields. The total section 106contributions that Jelsons must pay aspart of the section 106 agreement is£4,233,252. This includes £2,050,000for a primary school and recreationcentre and £350,000 for a new Commu-nity Meeting Hall.

The 20 ft tree will be built from steelwith some cedar cladding and will beinstalled by June.

The Hampshire based artist is a gradu-ate of St Martin ‘s College of Art, London.He said: “I think that Birstall Park andRide needs a landmark. Something talland bold enough to cut the skyline fromall directions and compete for attentionwith the service area opposite.

“Unlike the globally branded corporatesigns in the service area, this landmarkneeds to be unique to Birstall, expressinga strong sense of place and identity forboth new and existing residents of allages and backgrounds. It needs, overtime, to become a part of the landscapeand woven into the fabric of the locality.It should look to the past history of the

Pic: the Portsmouth Grammar school ‘celestialmicroscope’, Charlie Carter’s last work

Methodistchurch

Artist’s vision oflocal landmark

Pic: Charlie Carter with a model of his design

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I have just spent three weeks in hos-pital and I would like to thank my family,friends (known and unknown) for thewonderful care and support they havegiven to me. I am now on the slow roadto recovery.

Mrs K A Biddles

Having read that there’s to be a Park& Ride sculpture erected at a cost of£57,000 I find this totally unacceptableand a disgrace.

First of all a lot of charity groups arestruggling to carry on with smallamounts of donations etc. How come wecan spend, or Jelsons can spend,£57,000 on a piece of metal, that noone really cares about, if the truth wasknown.

Surely Jelsons can spend it on moreworthy causes in this day and age ofcuts! How on earth can anyone justifythis waste of money! Giving to hospitalsor care homes would be a better idea,not a piece of metal!

Two students from Longslade Schoolcould design something as good as thatfor nowhere near the cost.

Carl Gunns

between there and the traffic lights carsare parked all along the parking bayoutside these shops etc, it is very diffi-cult to spot any cars travelling alongSibson Road from the traffic lights. Oneevening during March I had a very fright-ening experience at this junction. Soonafter I turned into Sibson Road I noticeda large white lorry waiting at the end ofthe Wayne Way. I think it was probablyone of those large lorries which makedeliveries to the flower shop on TheMeadway. As I continued driving alongSibson Road and approached The WayneWay the driver of the lorry decided tomove out and turn right into SibsonRoad. I managed to stop my car just afew feet from the lorry as it turnedaround me – whilst feeling my heartbeatrise rapidly! There were cars parked allalong the parking bay so I suppose thelorry driver wasn’t able to see my carapproaching although as it was gettingdark, I had my headlights on fully. Ithink this junction is ‘an accident wait-ing to happen!

I have lived on Greengate Lane since1976 and since then the traffic using ithas increased considerably especially inthe busy morning and late afternoonperiods when commuters are travellingto and from work places. One morningrecently I decided to carry out a countof vehicles during one of those busyperiods which I did from my house forhalf an hour from 8.15am to 8.45amand the result is as follows: Cars 338,Vans 23, Lorries 3, School buses 3,motorbikes 2, cycles 7. That is a total of376 vehicles in just 30 minutes withmost of them travelling towards thebridge over the railway.

In the past year or so the number ofvery large lorries travelling along Green-gate Lane seems to have increased and itseems likely that some of them are ig-noring the weight restriction of 7.5 tonsalthough there are signs at each end ofGreengate Lane indicating that restrictionfor lorries (apart from unloading). Thebridge appears very solid and well con-structed but when it was built manyyears ago it seems doubtful that it wasdesigned to carry the enormous numberof vehicles that travel across it nowadays.It seems unlikely that it was envisagedthat very large and heavy lorries wouldbe crossing each day and presumablythat is the reason for the weight restric-tion being in place.

I wonder if the police have everychecked the registered weight of verylarge lorries (and indeed double-deckerbuses) using Greengate Lane each day? Iassume that engineers check the bridgeregularly to assess whether there is anysigns of wear and tear, any cracks in thebrickwork etc?

Mr J Woods

Celebrating20 years of HATS

Highcliffe Amateur Theatrical Societyinvites you to our forthcoming production

of

Play OnA comedy drama by Rick Abbot

At Highcliffe Primary School, GreengateLane, Birstall

on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May19th, 20th, 21st at 7.30pm

Tickets £6 adult, £5 concess (disc forgroup bookings)

Available from Box Office 0116 2128757or 07757854719

Email: [email protected]’t Delay Book Today!

• • •

Coffee MorningSaturday May 7

10am to 12noonat the Methodist Coffee Shop, Wanlip Lane

Various stalls, raffle, cakesAll proceeds to Mothers’ Union Chalet Holi-

days(Holidays for families in need)

Reg Charity no. 250038• • •

Tea and CakesAt St Leonard’s Church, Main Street,

Swithland LE12 8TJSaturday & Sunday

May 7 & 8 from 2-4.30pmSecond hand books for sale alsoDonations in aid of church funds

• • •

May Summer CarnivalSunday May 15

Organised by Loughborough LionsSouthfields Park, Loughborough

12.30-4.30pm£5 family ticket, £2 adults,

£1 concessionsArena events include: Top Lodge DancingDog Team, Leics & Rutland Pipe Band, Da-ko Flying Angel's Gymnasts, ‘Owls to Be-

hold’, & Armstrong’s FairBigger better family amusements, Kit CarStand, Charity Stalls, Craft Stalls Refresh-

ments and much much more!Due to space restrictions there will NOT

be a car bootThis is a great family day out raising funds

for LOROS and other Lions CharitiesFor more information contact Ann 01509

232422• • •

Riverside United under 13s2011/12

Players WantedRiverside are looking for new players forour 11 a side team and 9 a side team for

YOUR SAY...

The Birstall Post welcomes your viewsand opinions on any subject. Letters,which must include your name andaddress, (though not necessarily forpublication) can be posted to: The Bir-stall Post, Longslade College, WanlipLane, Birstall, Leicester LE4 4GH, orhanded in at Birstall library or email:[email protected]

For some years now I have beenattempting to reach out to people asregards information on cancer cureswhich many people are not aware of,information that is not disseminated bythe pharmaceutical industry, the medicalcommunity, the mainstream media andthe fundraising organisations/groups.

The following is a small selection ofinformation that any diligent researchwill give a broader and clearer under-standing of this subject.

Suggested websites:www.cancertutor.comwww.healingcancernaturally.comwww.cancertruth.netwww.1cure4cancer.comTwo examples of researchers, their

books and websites:Dr Hulda Clark – book: ‘The Cure for

All Cancers’ ISBN 1-890035-00-9Website: clark.pamrotella.comNenah Sylver – book: ‘The Rife Fre-

quency Handbook’ ISBN 978-0-9818075-0-8

Jonathan BarkerEditor’s note: readers may wish to

consult www.quackwatch.com whenconsidering the merits of ‘alternative’cancer treatments

After a recent visit on a Fridayevening to Birstall Social Club where Imet up with my three sons, I have to saywhat a great time we had. The friendlyatmosphere makes this place so good.So well done to the people who add tothe making of this club, that is the Re-ception from the friendly doorman andthe ever cheerful bar staff and all youBirstall folks with a friendly word andwho know how to enjoy themselves.

Dean of Gunns’ Gym

I agree with Mr B C Burrows (TheBirstall Post, April) that there are severalvehicles turning right illegally whenleaving the service road outside thebanks etc which face LoughboroughRoad. One day in March I saw a carbeing driven the wrong way along theservice road and at the entrance to theservice road (opposite Santander bank)the driver made an illegal exit onto theA6.

Also I agree with the comments madeby P Baker about the number of carsbeing parked in the Wayne Way and itbecoming virtually a car park during theday although I have to admit parkingthere myself on occasions (but not onthe yellow lines) when all the spacesoutside Barclays have been occupied.The Wayne Way/Sibson Road junction isa dangerous junction because when acar needs to leave the Wayne Way, and

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• • •Wanlip Church and Community Centre

May FairSaturday May 21, 10am – 1pm

Stalls include: plants, cakes, craft, books,bric a brac, tombola and raffleLight refreshments available

Please come along to help continue withthe ongoing excellent refurbishment of

this facility• • •

Charnwood Conservative Association

Spring FairSaturday May 14

The Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane,Rothley

10am till noonRt Hon Stephen Dorrell MP

will be attendingRaffle, tombola, books, plants, produce

stalls, games, bric a brac etc• • •

Belgrave CemeterySunday May 8, 2-3pm

Talk by Joy MayA Brief History of the English CemeteryPlus a Demonstration of Memorial Lead

LetteringDonation of £2 per head will include com-

plimentary refreshmentsChildren free if accompanied by an adult

• • •

South AmericanCharity Gala EveningLive entertainment, Latin American buffet,

grand auctionRaising funds for Motor Neurone Disease

AssociationSaturday June 4, 7.30pm

Midlands Co-operative Sports & SocialClub, Birstall Road

£10 per personTickets from Loughborough & Co-operative

Funeral Service, The Crossways• • •

Birstall BAGSAnnual 3 mile/5k run/walk

around Watermead Country ParkSunday May 22

10am registration for 11am startA great family fun day out for all ages,

starting on Whiles Lane river bank, BirstallFinishing at Birstall United Club House,

Meadow LaneCakes/bbq/sweets/games

Medals for fastest boys/girls/men/womenPenalty shoot-out/bouncy castle

Licensed bar/tea & coffeeThank you for your support

www.birstallbags.co.uk• • •

Film Presentationsfrom Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council ‘The King’s Speech’ Friday May 13 (118

mins)Starring Colin Firth and Helena BonhamCarter, this film has won an outstanding

four Oscar awards. It is the story ofGeorge VI, his impromptu ascension to

the throne and the speech therapist whohelped the unsure monarch to become

worthy of his unparalleled responsibility.‘Tamara Drewe’ Friday June 10 (111 min-

utes)Our last film before the summer break willbe a British comedy, directed by StephenFrears and starring Gemma Arterton. Oncethe ‘ugly duckling’ in a Dorset village, Ta-mara Drewe returns as a surprisingly at-tractive newspaper journalist. She is fun

loving and light hearted and consequentlypassions run high in this part of rural Eng-

land.Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council willbe showing these films at Thurcaston Me-morial Hall. Starting at 7.30pm, ticketscost £4.50 and concessions are £4. Theprice includes refreshments and a lucky

prize draw.Advance tickets can be purchased via theparish office, 0116 2367626 or at the

door• • •

Serving up a treat in your community!

Birstall WatermeadTennis Clubis holding Open Days on

Wednesday, June 8, 5.30-9pmAnd Sunday June 12, 9.30am-1pm

At Co-op Sports & Social Club,Birstall Road

Juniors, seniors and families welcome• • •

Leicester Host Lions Club invites everyoneto a

Bluebell WalkCome and walk among the glorious blue-

bells in a woodland settingAll the beautiful gardens at 240 Markfield

Lane, MarkfieldSunday May 111am-3.30pm

Car parking in groundsVarious refreshments all day

Books & paintings for saleAll proceeds in aid of charities

Admission, adults £2 at the gate, children£1 (under 5 free)

• • •

The Latimer Players‘Love Begins at 50’

a fast moving farce by Raymond HopkinsMemorial Hall, Anstey Lane, Thurcaston

On May 26,27 & 28 at 7.30pmTickets: 01827 880834

[email protected]• • •

Charnwood Arts

Picnic in the ParkMonday May 30, 12noon

Queens Park, Granby Street, Loughbor-ough

Stalls, street performance, dance, food• • •

The Melton Mowbray HeavyHorse Show

Sunday June 511am to 4pm approx

at the Equestrian Centre, Brooksby Col-lege, Brooksby, Nr Melton

Mowbray LE14 2LJFree admission – bucket collection for Air

Ambulance• • •

Raise the Rooffor The Stroke Association and The Laura

Centre with

Singing for FunSaturday May 28, 7.45pm

St James the Great, BirstallA light hearted musical evening with mu-sic ranging from Verdi to Tony Christieand plenty of opportunity for audience

participation!FREE admission – retiring collection

• • •

Rothley Bowling ClubMountsorrel Lane, Rothley

(rear of library)The Bowls Green is now open for play andthe club offers a warm welcome to all newmembers. Alternatively anyone wishing tofind out more about the game and ‘have a

go’ is invited to join us at our ChummyEvenings which will be held from 5.30pmonwards every Wednesday evening fromMay 11 onwards. All equipment provided,just need flat soled shoes. All welcome –

young, old, male, female, novices, experi-enced players. Further information can beobtained from the Ladies Captain, Mrs Car-

ol Ballantine 0116 2302629 email:[email protected] or the Men’sCaptain: John Tebbet 0116 2301464

email: [email protected]• • •

Thurcaston & Cropston

Open Gardens WeekendJune 25/26, 2-6pm

Tickets £4 available on the day, valid forboth days

Accompanied children &wheelchair users free

In aid of Richard Hill School fundswww.tcog.uk

• • •

Watermead Challenge 2011Wednesday July 13 at 7pm

Designed to appeal to everyone there isboth a five mile run and a three mile ‘fun’run on a flat off road circuit around the

attractive Watermead Country Park just tothe north of Leicester.

Last year’s event attracted 180 competi-tors of all abilities and we are looking toadd to that number this year. This yearthe event is in aid of the Motor NeuroneDisease Association (Leicestershire andRutland Branch). So get your running

shoes on, get some exercise and supporta worthy cause!

Please visitwww.wreakevalleyrotary.org.uk for full

entry details• • •

Birstall British LegionSat May 7: Trev Budgie Walton (M/V)

Sat May 14: Claire Mac (F/V)Sat May 21: Mick Knight (M/V)Sat May 28: Carl Stevens (M/V)

Dancing every Sat night with live enter-tainment

Free beer raffleQuicky & normal Bingo and ‘Open the Box’Quiz nights Sunday May 8 & 29 starting at

9pmBingo every Tuesday night starting at

9.30pmAcoustic night Sunday May 15

Rock & Roll nights 1st & 3rd WednesdayFood available every Sat 12-2pm

Funeral/wakes catered forOpen Bank Holiday Mon 2 and 30 – fami-

lies welcomeFood served Bank Holiday Mon May 30

• • •

Birstall Conservative Branchhave postponed the trip to York from May

12 to August 25Please make a note in your diary

• • •

Birstall Bowling ClubSchool Lane playing fields

Saturday May 710am to 12noon

Open MorningAll welcome, please wear flat shoes

• • •

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Coffee Morningfor JapanSt James’ Church

Saturday May 14, 10am to 12noonJapanese snacks, Japanese tea

to raise donations to help the continuingrelief effo rts for the country

Rev Stephen Crofts 0116 3279781• • •

Birstall Methodist Women’s Group

Coffee Morningat the Methodist Church Coffee Shop

Wanlip Lane, Saturday May 21 10am to12noon

Various stalls: books, plants, cakes, tom-bola and raffle

Proceeds to Heartlink and Cystic Fibrosis• • •

Birstall MethodistWomen’s Group

We welcome any ladies who would like tojoin our small friendly group

For May/June we have the followingMay 9: ‘3 Bags Full’, Mrs Jane Scott

May 16: ‘Life After Parliament’ Mr AndyReed

May 22: Harrison Road Church, at HarrisonRoad

May 23: ‘Putting on the Glitz’ Supper, mu-sic and dress up if you want

June 6: ‘Our Visit to the Cameroon’, MrDavid Bark

• • •

Horrible HistoriesRotten Romans

Free WorkshopCount in Roman numerals,

cartoon making etcBirstall Library, Thursday June 2

11am to 12noon7-11 years

Sign up at Birstall Library, limited spacesBook early on 3058765

• • •

Free Health Checksat Birstall Library

Get your fitness tested by an expert and

get ready for the summer by booking aFree Health Checkat Birstall Library

Thursday May 5, 10am-1pmThursday June 16, 10am-1pm

Thursday August 18, 10am –1pmHealth checks are FREE and cover body fat%, weight, body water %, and visceral fat,muscle mass/bone mass, basal metabolic

rate and blood pressure!The health check days are run by Active

Together CharnwoodBooking is taken at Birstall library or tel:

0116 3058756• • •

Cheeky CherubsMother Baby/Toddler Group

Every Monday 10-12 Birstall MethodistChurch, Wanlip Lane

Everyone welcome, just turn up, childrenfrom 0-4 years

Teas & coffees for parents, healthy snackfor children

Craft table weekly, good range of toysfor all ages

Open all throughout the holidaysFriendly group, for more info contact

Paula on 22l0147/07934551563• • •

Pistol GalaSaturday June 4

9.30am registration for a 10am startat the Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre,Loughborough Road, Leicester LE4 5PN

Events for the day will include:• a two-tier metal plate shoot

• 6 yard single stroke pneumatic triathlon• the Harris Nut Catcher

• pistol HFTEntry price £10 adults, £7.50

Juniors/OAPs (under 18 to be accompa-nied by an adult)

Pistols must be holstered/cased duringthe day’s events with safety glasses worn

in the shooting areasRefreshments available

For further info and bookings for campingplease contact Steve Prime on 01162

676252 (office hours) or 01162 676114(evenings)

• • •Birstall Methodist Thursday Group

Fundraising coffeemorning

in aid of Richard Engelgardt TrustSaturday June 4, 10-12noon

in the Coffee Shop, Wanlip LaneCakes, books, tombola etc

• • •CLASH Spring Get Online Session

Clash will be holding a drop-in supportsession on Thursday May 19 in the BBCcomputer room at 9 St Nicholas Place tohelp anyone who has arthritis and wouldlike help to develop their computer skills.The session is free and will run from 1-

4pm.We can also provide Myguide training for

anyone who would like to mentor afriend/relative with arthritis.

For further info email Chris Thomas [email protected] or tel:

07954584402. Further group details canbe found on the website:

www.clashgroup.org.uk• • •

Birstall Methodist Thursday GroupA concert by

The Heart of EnglandBarbershop Chorus

Thursday June 2, 7.30pmBirstall Methodist Church

Tickets £5 from Dorothy 2673158 or June2675615

or pay at the doorProceeds to the Richard Engelgardt Trust

A BIRSTALL schoolgirl has created aprize winning video with an anti-rac-ist message.

Sarah Hulme (14), a Year 9 studentat Stonehill school has won a nationalschools competition run by the charity‘Show Racism the Red Card’.

Sarah’s video has her voiceover overfootage of images of a diverse popula-tion of ethnic groups and the disabled –she describes the problems of racismand how people can eradicate it andmake the world a better place.

Sarah said: “I didn’t think what I didwas that impressive, but I’m delighted tohave been recognised for what I havedone”. Sarah worked on the video atschool and at home, as part of the Citi-zenship curriculum.

Headteacher Alan Monks said: “Weare so delighted that Sarah has wonsuch a prestigious prize. Having seen thequality of her work I can quite under-stand why the judges were so unanimousin their verdict. Sometimes when youwork with young people you have mo-ments which are quite humbling whenyou realise the extent of their efforts tocontribute to making this a happierworld.”

The competition organisers were soimpressed with the video that they arehoping to use it in cinemas nationallyand on a new DVD which will be seen inprimary schools across the country.

Sarah will attend the awards ceremo-ny at Newcastle United’s home ground,St James’ Park where she will be given aVIP tour of the stadium.

Pic: Sarah Hulme with Stonehill Headteach-er Alan Monks

BIRSTALL VILLAGE Cricket Club heldtheir Annual Club PresentationEvening on Saturday March 26 at theSt Margarets Bowls Club on BirstallRoad.

It was a very well supported andsuccessful evening allowing past mem-bers, current club and future club mem-bers the opportunity to get togetherbefore the upcoming season and cele-brate the previous season. Entertainmentwas provided by ‘Tammy’ which went ontill late in the evening allowing everyoneinvolved to show off their dancing prow-ess! Player awards were presented onthe evening to acknowledge the successof the 2010 season.

1st Team: Batting Average – AndyGalpin; Bowling Average – Joshua Saye;Player of the Year – Andy Galpin

2nd Team: Batting Average – HamishCarnan; Bowling Average – Steve Findley;Player of the Year – Joel Saye

Birstall Under 17’s: Batting Average –Jack Wright; Bowling Average – AkshayDesai; Most Improved Player – MatthewCalvert; Manager’s Player of the Year –Ashley Coulthard.

The 2011 season began on April 23(1st Team only), with the first homegame on Saturday May 7. The BirstallVipers begin their evening League onThursday May 5 and run most Thursdayevenings with the finals beginning July14. Club supporters and interested spec-tators are all welcome to come downand make use of the club’s facilities!

The Birstall Village has club poloshirts available for purchase from theclub house and the new club website iscurrently under construction and islooking to be ‘online’ very soon atwww.birstallvillagecc.co.uk.

From Joshua Saye

CricketCorner

Pic: 1st Team Award Winners (l-r) AndyGalpin, Joshua Saye

Pic: 2nd Team Award Winners (l-r) Ham-ish Carnan, Steve Findley, Joel Saye.

Pic: Under 17’s Award Winners (l-r) Ham-ish Carnan (Under 17’s manager), AkshayDesai, Matthew Calvert, Ashley Coulthard.

Sarah’s winning film

ALANCHAMBERS

PAINTER &DECORATOR

24 Years ExperienceFree Quotes & Advice

Tel: 0116 2941336Mob: 07989 451048

39 Copeland Rd, Birstall

That Birstall Parish Council has applied fora licence to use the premises known asSchool Lane Playing Field, Birstall for thepurpose of Regulated Entertainment (LiveMusic, Recorded Music, Boxing Displayand Performances of Dance)for the Bir-stall Gala 2011:25th & 26th June 2011Dated: 1 May 2011

Any objections or representations in re-spect of the application should be madein writing to the Deputy Partnership &Customer Services, Charnwood BoroughCouncil, Council Offices, Southfield Road,Loughborough, LE11 2TX.Representations/objections must be re-ceived by: 28 May 2011

The applicant will be supplied with copiesof any objections. A record of the appli-cation can be inspected at the CouncilOffices at the aforementioned addressduring normal office hours. It is an of-fence to knowingly or recklessly make afalse statement in or in connection withan application. Any person found guiltyof such an offence shall be liable on sum-mary conviction to a maximum find in thesum of £5,000.00.


SWIMMING LESSONS for adults areavailable at the Soar Valley LeisureCentre in Mountsorrel.

The courses are suitable for mixedabilities, including absolute beginners.

Sandra Brown from Wymeswold hadbeen terrified of water, only had 10cmof water in the bath and would not puther face in water. She had never been ina swimming pool before starting thelessons.

The swimming teachers built herconfidence and ability and she can nowswim the breaststroke.

Courses at the SVLC are held on Mon-days 11am-12noon, Wednesdays 11-12noon and Fridays 8.30-9.30pm. Cours-es are for 9 or 10 weeks and cost £5.25per session . Next term begins on May 4.

Detailswww.charnwoodleisure.com/soar_valley

Tel: 0116 237 5267

BIRSTALL BOWLING Club is holding anopen morning at the club on SchoolLane playing fields on Saturday May 7between 10am to 12noon for anyonewho is interested in playing bowls.

All you need are a pair of flat shoesor trainers as all equipment will beprovided. Club members will be on handto offer advice and assistance.

The club play ladies’, men’s andmixed friendly games against other clubsin Leicestershire, as well as leaguematches and national, county, parks andinternal club competitions.

For further details, men can callGrahame on 2673000 or Andy on2677969 and ladies can ring Jan on2122578 or Diane on 2675457.

More about the club is on the web-site which can be found by putting‘Birstall Bowling Club’ into a searchengine.

They were crowned champions afterclinching the title on the last day of theseason with a 2-0 win at home to Roth-ley Imps with Tom Carr scoring both ofthe goals.

Foxes Manager, Steve Carr, said:“Division 4 was a tight group with somevery strong teams and it was no surpriseto anyone that, come the last two gamesof the season, there were four teams inwith a shout of winning the title.

“We are a team that never let ourheads drop and the fantastic players Ihave got love and dream football andgive it their all each and every game.And while the last game could have re-sulted in us dropping to third place, awin would see us win the title. The play-

ers handled the pressure tremendouslyto pull off the win against Rothley andclaim the title.

He added: “We have played reallywell all season and only conceded eightgoals. I would like to take this opportu-nity to say a big well done to all of thelads – they really deserve it. I have beena manager with the same team fromunder 7s to under 10s and now am veryexcited and looking forwarding to nextseason when we progress to 11 a side.”Pic: BUJFC Under 10 Foxes showing offtheir league trophy. The players are Tom,Jack, Joe, Bhavan, Luke, Brandon, Tyler,Dylan, Callum, Sujeevan, Christopher

BIRSTALL UNITED Juniors Under 10 Foxes have won Division 4 ofthe Leicester and District Mutual Football League.

TWO LOCAL communitygroups have receiveddonations from theWreake Valley RotaryClub.

In March the Club held acheque presentation eveningat the Britannia Inn in Queni-borough. Several local com-munity groups includingBirstall Youth Café and Bir-stall Playgroup for Childrenwith Special Needs wereinvited to the event to receivedonations to support theircontinuing good work in thisarea.

The playgroup intend tobuy a floor standing unbreak-able mirror for the childrenwith the money received.

Chris Battye, President ofthe Rotary Club, said: “Themoney we presented wascollected from local peopleduring our fundraising eventssuch as the Christmas SantaSleigh that many people willhave seen. The evening is away of expressing our thanksto these local groups andtheir leaders, and of enablingthe community as a whole tosupport them in the goodwork that they do.”www.wreakevalleyrotary.org.uk

Pic (top): Claire Attewell and her daughter Clairewith Rotary’s Steve Hoggar & (bottom) Luke Hartwelland Lee Percival from Birstall Youth Café with Rotari-an Nigel Coleman

WITH OVER 31 ladies including twonew members the room was buzzingas we arranged a more creative seat-ing plan to fit everyone in.

Included in our gathering was Yas-min an Irish lurcher hearing dog andher owners Matt and Denise Taylor whotalked to us about the charity HearingDogs for Deaf People. We learnt that ittakes £7500 to train a hearing dog andas fundraising is always an issue mem-ber Margaret Willows has agreed toco-ordinate the collection of postagestamps so that we can help them raisemoney. The talk was so enlightening, wereally do have some excellent speakersat our meetings.

Future events were discussed includ-ing our summer coach trip to Webbs of

Wychbold on August 15 and we haveinvited Birstall Allotment Society to joinus for this. Plans are still being made forour Wild West evening on June 6 and wehave almost filled the Ascot coach forJune 18. Cakes, plants and a ‘tinbola’are planned for our mega MethodistCoffee Shop on July 9 – this is not to bemissed.

Anne Waite was the winner of thismonth’s competition ‘Face on an Egg’and next month’s will be a ‘Flower Ar-rangement in a Wine Glass’. This will beour Resolution night and takes place onMay 9 in the Community Rooms at High-cliffe Primary School at 7.15pm. After-wards we will be entertained byHighcliffe Harmony.

From Birstall & Wanlip WI

Swimminglessons

Birstall bowlsopen morning

Rotary donations

United are champions

Women’s Institute news

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A BIRSTALL musician’s band hasreached the final stages of a competi-tion to find Britain’s best unsignedact.

James Lewis formed the James LewisBand in 2009 and they will be compet-ing against the most talented bands andartists in the region at a Midlands finalof ‘Live and Unsigned’ on May 7.

James said: “Winning this competitionwould open so many doors for us as theprizes are worth up to £100,000 includ-

ing recording time, UK tours and festivalopportunities on a much bigger scale.”

Last summer the James Lewis Bandwon Leicestershire’s Battle of the Bandsand secured a place at Leicester’s Sum-

mer Sundae weekend festival.www.myspace.com/thejameslewisband

Pic: (l-r) Sean Taft, Tom Croft and JamesLewis of The James Lewis Band

A joyful EasterIt was great for our two churches to

be able to celebrate Easter for the firsttime with our new Rector, Vince Jupp,last month, and to welcome back StephenCrofts, our Curate, to resume his full-timeministry in the parish. With such a short-age of clergy in the Church of England(and in other denominations), Birstalland Wanlip are very fortunate to beserved by two such able priests.Looking back…

At the annual church meeting justbefore Easter, the two retired priests,Revd Robin Martyn and Revd Sheila Skid-more (with Revd Colin Rushforth untilDecember) were thanked for their mag-nificent work in the last year ‘keeping theshow on the road’ at Sunday and mid-week services. The Readers too, particu-larly Bert Tegg and Lesley Walton haveconducted funeral services and taken onmany other responsibilities, along withthe Pastoral Assistants, Sandra Robinson,Marion Tegg and Gill Pope. It has cer-tainly made everyone very aware of whata lot is expected of full-time ministers inthe churches!…and forward!

Inevitably, some major decisionsabout the future direction and activitiesof the church had to be delayed until thearrival of the new Rector, but we haveevery reason to believe that new ideas arein the air and look forward to what thenext year will bring. In these days ofrising prices in every sphere of our lives,the church is not exempt from financialworries, particularly when the ‘parishshare’ which Birstall and Wanlip has tocontribute annually to the Leicestershirediocese is approximately £70,000 nextyear, mostly to pay for the salaries andpensions of clergy.To enjoy…

May brings a couple of enjoyablesocial events: a trip to Loughborough tosee ‘West Side Story’ at the Town Hall onTuesday May 24 (ring 2674913 for moreinformation), and the ‘Singing for Fun’choirs, who gave such a splendid concertlast summer at St James’ church, will beperforming there again on Saturday 28that 8pm with their conductor Anne Hugh-es. All proceeds from this will go to theStroke Association and the Laura Centre,Leicester.

From Beryl McHugh

Parishchurchnews

TRY YOGA with your toddler at BirstallVillage Hall this summer.

Yogakids

“Yoga bugs is a unique parent & toddleractivity which embraces all the elements ofa hatha yoga class and much more” saysSam Chamberlain, Physical Activity Develop-ment Officer at Charnwood Borough Coun-cil.

“Classes are introduced through storytelling and magical adventures that willinspire your child’s imagination while hav-ing a whole lot of fun. Each class will in-volve a warm up, posture, relaxation andvisualisation work all in a safe environment.Long term benefits include stronger senseof self esteem, respect for one another andvalues of a healthy lifestyle.”

If you want to come along and have ago, sessions start every Thursday startingMay 19-July 21, with no sessions on June 9& July 7, at Birstall Village Hall, 1.30-2.30pm. Classes cost £1.50 per adult. Wearloose clothing.

Booking advised – for more questionsor to book please contact the Active Togeth-er team on 01509 632534 or alternativelyemail: [email protected]

A LOCAL bowls club has organised anOpen Day in May.

St Margaret’s Co-operative Bowls Clubon Birstall Road are aiming to attract newmembers at the event on Sunday May 22from 2-4pm.

A club spokeswoman said: “We will beintroducing people to the game of bowlsand hopefully they will want to have a go!Playing bowls is fun, challenging, enjoyableand social and the game is played by thou-sands of people.

“Here at St Margaret’s Co-operativebowls club we have one of the best greensin Leicestershire and a committed member-ship with men’s and ladies’ sections. Weplay the game at all levels, have free coach-ing and a good social side, with eventssummer and winter.”

The club on Birstall Road is on theCo-operative Sports and Social ground.

The spokeswoman added: “Do comeand visit us on our open day – try bowling,meet some of our members, have a lookround and enjoy a chat about the gameand some refreshments.”

More details from Don and Joan Hope0116 2873783

Small ads are 25p for the first 16 words. 17-32words: 50p. Enclosing payment, post your ad to us orhand it in (inside an envelope) at Birstall library.

Trade/business rates for small ads are 25p aword. You are liable for the trade/business rateif you are offering a service for which you areasking for payment, or if you are advertisingnew goods for sale. All text will be printed bold.Box outline £1 extra. Max 50 words. Phonenumbers count as one word.

Small Ads

AIRPORT CARS Birstall. Airports,Seaports, Long Distance, Courier.Tel: 0777 1984806

TELEPHONE EXTENSION Socketsfitted by ex-BT engineer. Cable,BT and digital TV. Over 25 yrsexperience. John 2675132

AMLI DESIGN Architectural Consul-tancy. Plans drawn and submit-ted. Extensions, conversions,new build. David IvesB.Sc.(Hons) FBEng MCIOB 01162674395 / 07974807111www.amlidesign.co.uk

FOR SAFE and effective emotionalsupport. Registered Bach FlowerPractitioner and Qualified Coun-sellor www.nickymason.co.uk2209294/07544765091

PET PORTRAITS on canvas. Yourpet photos transformed into fineart. Prices from £50 Tel: Julie0759 4793118 or visitwww.olliandluna.co.uk

ACCOUNTANCY SERVICES providedby qualified accountant. Lowrates for sole traders/small busi-nesses. Tel: 2673951

CHARNWOOD BOROUGH Council ap-proved five applications for neigh-bourhoods to hold street partiesto mark the Royal Wedding onApril 29.

Street closure applications werereceived for one street in Cropston, twoin Loughborough, one in Anstey, andone in Hathern. A total of 11 enquirieswere received.

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Fitted kitchens, bedrooms,bathrooms & flatpackTiling (walls & floor)Laminate floors laidInternal & external doors hungFencing & gatesHome & gardenfurniture madeto orderDecorating

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Tel: 0116 267 4798Mob:07790 835 747

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AS BENEFITS Awareness Month contin-ues, a new survey commissioned byTurn2us, part of the national charityElizabeth Finn Care, has revealed thatlarge numbers of older people are una-ware of their entitlement to PensionCredit.

Pension Credit serves as a top up tothe state pension and is often an impor-tant source of income. The vital need forawareness is highlighted by the fact thatalmost half of those surveyed are strug-gling to make ends meet, including manywho have suffered a detrimental impacton their mental health as a direct resultof their financial situation.

The survey reveals that although over 9in 10 of those surveyed are aware thatPension Credit exists, 9 in 10 of thosepotentially eligible in the East Midlandsare not claiming and well over half in theregion do not believe they qualify forPension Credit at all.

These results are especially troublinggiven the fact that over the past sixmonths, a quarter of those surveyed havestruggled to pay their household bills, athird have had difficulties covering theirhousing costs, one in ten has had tomiss one of the recommended threemeals a day.

Over half have struggled to buy clothesfor themselves. Unsurprisingly, a third ofthose surveyed reported that they havebeen anxious or depressed over the pastsix months as a direct result of theirfinancial situation.

Turn2us launched its Benefits Aware-ness Month campaign at the beginning ofApril, urging anyone in financial need tovisit www.turn2us.org.uk, and ensure theyare claiming all relevant benefits. Individ-uals can access an easy and quick to usebenefits checker to calculate their possi-ble entitlement to welfare benefits and taxcredits.

This is especially appropriate for olderpeople, who are one of the groups mostlikely to need a little extra help, and alsopotentially unlikely to believe they couldor should claim.

Alison Taylor, Director of Turn2us,comments: “Many of the individuals whohave used Turn2us to access benefits, saythat before coming to us they were simplyunaware of what they were entitled to orput off from claiming by the sheer com-plexity of the benefits system. Our re-search highlight’s that for some olderpeople, claiming welfare benefits couldmean the difference between being ableto eat, heat their home or cover essentialbills. At a time of major changes to thebenefit system, it is more critical thanever for people to use the Turn2us bene-fit checker to find out what benefits theycan claim, how much they should bereceiving and how to apply.

Campaign supporter Siân Lloyd is keento help remove the stigma attached toclaiming benefits: “It seems that, all toooften, older people are surviving withouttheir basic needs being met. No oneshould be forced to choose between heat-ing their home and buying food. It’s espe-cially worrying when there is help outthere which people are not claiming. I

hope the Benefits Awareness Month cam-paign takes some of the stigma away fromthe act of checking entitlement for thosewho could have their lives significantlyimproved by the extra income.”PEOPLE'S happiness over their lifetimefollows a U-shaped curve, with theyoung and the old the happiest andthose in middle age the most unhappy,according to a study by economist Bertvan Landeghem

Young people are carefree and optimis-tic about their future and dissatisfactiondoes not begin to kick in until they are intheir late twenties, said the 29-year-oldresearcher who presented his findings atthe Royal Economic Society's annual con-ference in April.

People over the age of 50 also ratedhighly on the happiness index, due totheir acceptance and satisfaction withtheir lives.

“A U-shaped happiness curve does notnecessarily imply that a 65 year-old pre-fers his own life to the life of a 25 year

old,” said Mr van Landeghem.“Both the 25 year old and 65 year old

might agree that it is nicer to be 25 thanto be 65. But the 65 year old might never-theless be more satisfied, as he haslearned to be satisfied with what he has."

The study found, however, that happi-ness dropped during middle-age, and thelevel of unhappiness experienced thencould be "the equivalent to becomingunemployed or losing a family member."

This unhappy period eased from themid-forties onwards, when people be-came "more cheerful and optimistic, per-haps reaching a maximum in their late70s or 80s."

Van Landeghem said his findings werenot limited to people who lived in theWest.

Separately, a survey of 341,000 peopleby the American National Academy ofSciences found that happiness levels be-gan climbing in the late forties and peak-ed at age 85.

The study attributed the spike in happi-ness to good health care and peopledoing more activities they enjoyed whilecutting down on things they disliked.

Middle-aged people, on the otherhand, were often burdened by financialand time obligations such as looking afterchildren and caring for their parents.

P/11/0869/2: 12 The Meadway – erec-tion of a conservatoryP/11/0795/2: 22 Curzon Ave – erec-tion of first floor extension and loftconversion. Erection of 4 car garageP/11/0794/2: 22 Curzon Ave – erec-tion of first floor extension and loftconversion. Erection of a 6 car garageP/11/0749/2: 17 School Lane – pro-posed loft conversion with insertion ofdormer windowsP/11/0682/2: 23 Lawn Ave – insertionof dormer window to side of dwelling,insertion of rooflight to rear of dwell-ingP/11/0627/2: 128 Stonehill Ave –erection of single storey extension toside of dwelling

INFOThe Birstall BAG’s Cancer Corner

May plays host to Sun AwarenessWeek. A few simple tips could help re-duce your risk of skin cancer and know-ing what to look out for might promptyou to seek advice.Early Diagnosis Saves Lives

There are two main categories of skincancer - melanoma and non-melanoma.Melanoma (also known as 'malignantmelanoma') is less common than non-melanoma cancers, but is the most dan-gerous.

Non-melanoma skin cancers aremainly comprised of 'Basal Cell Carcino-ma' (BCC) and 'Squamous Cell Carcino-ma' (SCC). BCC is the most commonand the least dangerous.Melanoma

There is one main factor that increas-es the risk of developing melanoma -ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light comesfrom the sun or sunbeds. But somepeople are more at risk of gettingmelanoma than others. Risk factorsrelated to sun exposure include

• Moles – the more moles you have,the higher your risk

• Being very fair skinned – especiallywith fair or red hair, or having lots offreckles

• Sunburn –sunburn increases yourrisk of melanoma, particularly in child-hood

• Where you were born – fairskinned people born in a hot country,such as Australia or Israel, have a higherrisk of melanoma throughout their life

• Sun exposure – on holiday, as wellas sitting in the sun or sunbathing athome

• Sunbeds – using sunbeds, particular-ly before the age of 35Non Melanoma Skin Cancer

There are two types of non melanomaskin cancer, basal cell carcinoma (BCC)and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Ahistory of sunburn increases the risk ofBCC. Risk is especially high if you hadseveral episodes of sunburn in child-hood. The risk of SCC is linked to over-all sun exposure through your life. Thismeans that outdoor workers have anincreased risk - for example, farm work-ers, gardeners and building site workers.Sunburn in childhood is also linked toSCC in some studies.

Fair skinned people, with light col-oured hair and eyes, or those morelikely to burn than tan, are more at riskof sun damage than dark skinned people.

Top sun safety tipsYou don't have to avoid the sun all

year, but taking a few steps when outand about in the summer sun or whenon a sunshine holiday will help to pro-tect you from sunburn and the risk ofskin cancer.

1. Protect the skin with clothing,including a hat, T shirt and UV protec-tive sunglasses

Continued on page 16

Planning

Visit gardens in theAmbergate, Castlegate Avenue,

Wellgate Avenue area of BirstallBirstall Methodist Church’s

GARDEN TRAIL

In aid of the Leprosy Charity‘Promise Nepal’ and Church Funds Sponsored by Birstall Garden Centre

Adults £3.00 in advance (obtainable fromlocal retailers or telephone 0116 2677576)

£3.50 on the dayAccompanied children (16 & under) free

Garden Tombola, Plant Stall,Children’s Treasure HuntRefreshments, Ices, Raffle

Saturday and Sunday11th and 12th June 2011

2.00pm – 5.30pm


STONEHILL students visited Bos-worth battlefield and launchedpotatoes from a trebuchet aspart of their research into medi-eval history.

The Year 7 students were taking partin Enrichment Days which are put on bythe school to offer students a rich varietyof learning experiences.

Over 200 students spent a day aStonehill designing heraldic shields us-ing software, made potage outdoorsfrom a medieval recipe, built their ownmini-catapult, played medieval boardgames, built a siege tower from paperstraws and made their own piece of alarge whole school tapestry.

Head of Design, Technology and ArtPaul Walker said: “It was a lot of hardwork for the staff but worth it as thestudents seemed to enjoy it and get a lotfrom it.”

THE CHILDREN and staff of RainbowCo-op Pre-school Playgroup, alongwith parents and friends, celebratedthe forthcoming marriage of PrinceWilliam and Kate Middleton in stylewith an indoor ‘Street Party’ at theMidlands Co-op Sports and Socialground on Birstall Road.

Leader Julie Parker said: “We madehats and bunting and had great fun play-ing traditional games such as ‘flap thefish’ which became very competitive –with the parents! Everyone brought insome food to share, including UnionJack cakes and potted beef sandwiches,finishing off with red jelly and ice-cream.The children were each given a com-memorative coaster to keep as a memen-to of the day. They also received anEaster egg from our sponsor, the Mid-lands Co-operative Society.”

If you have a child aged 2 to 5 yearsof age and would like to join our smallfriendly pre-school, please contact Julieon 07793630612.Pic: Royal Rainbow party

Kids’ royal party

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERLongslade College, Wanlip Lane,

Birstall, Leicester LE4 4GHEditor: Mr Jerry Jackson

Editorial/Advertising (Tel & Fax)

0116 2674213Correspondence, news etc

can be handed in at:Birstall Library or to our office in the

Youth Centre,Longslade College, Birstall

[email protected]

Pic: serving potage are Kush Pateland Kassis Wright

NINE OUT of ten of low earners aretotally unaware of the existence ofin-work benefits.

Research by the Charity Turn2us alsofound that two thirds of those living on lowincomes who may be entitled to in-workbenefits are not claiming them.

To find out if you are entitled to welfarebenefits and tax credits visitwww.turn2us.org.uk

2. Spend time in the shade between11am and 3pm when it’s sunny

3. Use a sunscreen of at least SPF 30(SPF 50 for children or people with paleskin) which also has high UVA protec-tion

4. Keep babies and young childrenout of direct sunlight

5. Tell your doctor about any changesto a mole.

For further information about SkinCancer see The British Association ofDermatologists website www.bad.org.ukor contact the University Hospitals ofLeicester Cancer Information Centre on0116 258 6189.

To reflect the interest and support ofthe local community Birstall BAG's nowseeks to be inclusive of all cancers andthe group welcome villagers to supportthe many events they organise each yearwithin the local community. For moreinformation on forthcoming events lookat our website www.birstallbags.co.uk

Our annual 5k Walk/run/jog aroundWatermead Park is being held on SundayMay 22. Registration-Whiles Lane from10 am race starts 11 am. £5 per adult,£3 per child, £10 per family.

Finish Birstall United, Meadow Lanewith BBQ, Bouncy Castle, Stalls, Bar. AllWelcome

From Liz Darlison

BAGS continued from page 15

The June issue of THE BIRSTALL POST will be published on Jun 3. The copy deadline is May 20.

Taste ofhistory

The June issue ofTHE BIRSTALL POST

will be published on Jun 3.The copy deadline is May 20.

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Birstall Post May 2011 (335)

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