APRIL 2024 GROBY SPOTLIGHT online

GROBY & FIELD HEAD 

Spotlight 

MID-APRIL 2024 

Groby man tells why he will 

sky dive for LOROS at 80 

BY Norman Griffiths 

BUT FIRST, what is LOROS? 

Although most people are aware that 

it’s a local hospice with an excellent 

reputation, fewer are familiar with the 

scope of the services offered. 

LOROS, on Groby Road in Leicester, 

offers specialised care for those over 18 

with complex problems who are suffering 

from a terminal illness when cure is no 

longer possible. The team of doctors, 

nurses and other Hospice staff promote 

dignity and individual choice and strive to 

improve the patient’s care experience. 

The care offered is diverse, both for 

outpatients and, in certain circumstances, 

as a short-stay inpatient for symptom 

management and/or end of life care. The 

Inpatient Ward, with its 31 beds, provides 

high quality care to patients, their families 

and friends. The focus of this care is 

to enhance quality of life with physical, 

psychological, emotional and spiritual 

needs all being addressed. 

Groby resident David Hartridge will be 

skydiving to raise funds for LOROS at 

80 years of age 

There’s a mixture of single rooms, with 

their own bathrooms, as well as fourbedded 

bays. Each bed has a TV and 

WIFI is available. 

If a patient does not need the high 

level of specialist care that the Hospice 

provides,but still needs some nursing care, 

it may be more appropriate to enter a care 

home, or return home with appropriate 

support. LOROS will look at funding for 

care at home or in a care home. 

Those patients at home benefit from 

outreach support - Clinical Nurse Specialist 

and Compassionate Neighbours service 

(previously known as home visiting.) 

These volunteers are highly trained to 

provide companionship, practical and 

emotional support to patients in their 

homes for up to four hours per week. Their 

visits do not offer personal care, but enable 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 ...> 

Debut novel by local author 

CAMP TERRA 

By J W Copp 

JAKE AND HIS friends are 

due to spend their first 

summer at Camp Terra; 

a self-proclaimed haven for 

teenagers that encourages 

eager campers to surrender 

their grip on technology, 

in the hope that they can 

‘reconnect with nature’. 

However, it doesn’t take long before what was meant to 

be a summer of bonding soon turns into a chilling mystery, 

as members of the group start disappearing under strange 

circumstances. 

Despite the 

camp’s technologyfree 

ethos, dozens 

of security cameras 

watch their every 

move as Jake 

and the others 

desperately try to 

uncover the dark 

secrets of Camp 

Terra. Will they be 

able to outsmart 

the suspicious 

counsellors and 

menacing security 

guards, or are they 

in way over their 

heads? 

J W Copp lives 

in Glenfield with 

his fiancée and their mischievous cat. He is a British MBA 

graduate with experience working in central government, 

banking and pharmaceuticals, but has always harnessed 

a flair for creative projects. Alongside writing, he has also 

produced music that has been played on national radio and 

is a keen runner. Camp Terra is his first novel. 

Joe explains: “Growing up, I was a huge fan of R.L. 

Stines’ Goosebumps series, and those chilling tales have 

always stuck with me. It was those stories that inspired 

me to write my own spin on a classic horror concept - an 

eerie summer camp where all is not what it seems, and 

relatable characters are truly put to the test. Stine always 

did an excellent job of writing in a way that appealed to a 

range of audiences (right from childhood through to early 

adolescence) and I truly hope that Camp Terra can follow 

in his momentous footsteps, whilst introducing a modern 

audience to a timeless genre.” 

EDITOR’S NOTE: You may recognise Joseph, 

because he grew up in Groby, and delivered the 

Groby Spotlight for several years. Good luck 

with the novel writing Joe! 

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Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-APRIL 2024 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk 

Help to sow seeds of 

friendship this spring 

A LOCAL FRIENDSHIP 

group says it will do all it 

can to help bring people 

seeking company together 

this spring. 

Leicester Oddfellows, a group of 

over 800 mostly older and retired 

members who meet up regularly to 

enjoy events and activities in and 

around Leicestershire, is extending 

a welcome to anyone interested in 

getting to know new people locally. 

“There are lots of obstacles that 

can get in the way of making 

friends, particularly as we get 

older,” said Mike Harris, Branch 

Secretary at Leicester Oddfellows. 

“Not knowing how to start or where 

to look is often the first and most 

difficult hurdle, so we want people 

to know that we’re here and will 

help to remove as many barriers as 

possible. 

“We have a variety of events 

for you to try and a whole 

host of people to enjoy doing 

them alongside. There really is 

something for everyone.” 

Leicester Oddfellows’ upcoming 

social activities include monthly 

subsidised fish and chip lunches, 

Members enjoying one of the 

monthly subsidised fish & 

chip lunches organised by 

Leicester Oddfellows 

a day trip out on the Great Central 

Railway and another one to 

Sunnyside Garden Centre followed 

by a guided tour of Donington Le 

Heath Manor, as well as a weekly 

games morning. 

Mike added: “We keep the prices 

of our events to a minimum in order 

to make them as accessible and 

affordable as possible.” 

The Society also runs around 60 

online events every month which 

are free and open to all. 

Leicester Oddfellows is part of 

one of the UK’s oldest and largest 

friendly societies. Its members can 

access a wide range of benefits, 

including care and welfare support 

and a travel club, and there are 

also opportunities to volunteer and 

play a part in fundraising initiatives. 

To find out more about Leicester 

Oddfellows contact Jo Brown on 

jo.brown@oddfellows.co.uk or 0116 

2543106 or go to www.oddfellows. 

co.uk. 

David’s fundraising sky dive for 

LOROS - from page 1 

relatives and carers to leave 

home with peace of mind or to 

have time to themselves. 

Other services include day 

therapy, a nurse-led service at 

the Hospice running Tuesday 

to Friday, which aims to is 

to enhance quality of life, 

promoting dignity and individual choice over 8 fortnightly sessions. 

Patients and their families who are anticipating grief and who are 

terminally ill and bereaved can also benefit from the Counselling service, 

which includes specific support for children aged 5-18 years where a family 

member is or has been cared for by LOROS. A bereavement support 

service is also available in the Hospice and in the community. 

Sky diving for charity 

This year David Hartridge, a Groby resident, has two significant 

milestones in his life – his 80th birthday and 10 years as a volunteer driver 

at LOROS. 

This has involved transporting out-patients, visitors, LOROS staff, and a 

range of delivery and other services. Groby is so close to the hospice he 

has also been called upon for any last minute jobs that need a driver. 

He decided that an 80th birthday should be marked by doing something 

extreme, and he decided it could be used as a good fund raising 

opportunity for LOROS. 

“The experiences and friends I’ve made there have been amazing and 

inspirational, particularly since I was diagnosed myself with prostate cancer 

last August. Volunteering at LOROS has helped me focus during my scans 

and radiotherapy treatment because I’ve met so many less fortunate than 

myself,” explained David. “I’m full of admiration for the doctors and nurses 

at LOROS who show such care and compassion, and decided to to say 

‘thank you’ by fund raising and helping them maintain those very valuable 

palliative care services they give in many forms to the Leicestershire and 

Rutland communities.” 

And so the idea to jump out of an aeroplane to raise funds for charity was 

borne. Needless to say there are precautions to be taken when jumping 

from a plane at 13,000 feet and speeds of up to 120mph. David smiled 

as he mentioned one. “I’m told it’s worth wearing woolly gloves, as one’s 

hands get quite buffeted by the wind.” 

Loros needs to raise over £6 million a year to provide care, so David’s 

target of £500 may seem quite modest. But by the end of March in excess 

of £1,830 had already been promised. You can show your support for 

David and the work that LOROS does by donating online. The link to 

justgiving.com is very long, so just Google grobylinx for a short cut. 

Norman Griffiths 

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6 


All the latest news from ... 

Groby COMMUNITY Library 

Our next AGM 

FOLLOWING ON from last month’s information about how 

Groby Community Library Group was set up we wanted to 

add that we are a registered charity. 

As such we have to hold an Annual General meeting where we report 

on the past year, look forward to the next year and present our annual 

accounts. This year the AGM will be held on 22nd May at 7.30pm in 

the library. Everyone is welcome to attend. We currently have a trustee 

committee of six individuals who bring a range of skills and interests to their 

roles. We’re all very hands on and pitch in for anything we can help with. 

We do our best to ensure that the library and café continue to thrive and 

serve the community in Groby. We meet once a month to deal with any 

issues, review our finances and plan events. We particularly enjoy looking 

at the county’s statistics for community managed libraries, these show we 

are always in the top 3 for book issues and active borrowers, so we must 

be doing something right! Do you have any free time and skills to contribute 

to the library? Perhaps you’ve recently retired and would like to join our 

trustee team or volunteer in the library or café. If so please get in touch at 

volunteers@grobylibrary.co.uk 

Dementia collection 

WE WILL soon be receiving a collection of books chosen by 

The Reading Agency related to dementia. 

This is a subject much talked about at the moment and many people are 

looking for more information about dementia and living with dementia. The 

books will include information for carers and families too. The collection will 

be available from 13th May. 

YOUR digital library 

HAVE you heard of Borrowbox and Libby? 

As a member of Leicestershire Libraries you have access to a wide range 

of ebooks, eaudiobooks, enewspapers and emagazines and they’re all 

FREE! Download the Borrowbox and Libby apps using your library card 

number and PIN for access to thousands of digital titles. You can borrow 

them for three weeks, just like your library books. So if you’d like a copy of 

the Radio Times, Hello magazine, the Leicester Mercury, a recent bestseller 

or something a little more obscure use your library card. 

Glass fusion 

FOLLOWING the continued success of our glass fusion 

sessions we will be holding another workshop in June. 

Date to be confirmed. 

Catch up with what’s happening at the library on our website, Facebook, 

X (Twitter) and in the library windows. 

Once again here are some of the books from The Sunday Times 

Bestsellers that are in stock at Groby Library:- 

Olivie Blake 

Lee Child & Andrew Child 

Lisa Jewell 

Anne Cleeves 

Richard Coles 

James Patterson & Adam Hamdy 

Danielle Steele 

Richard Osman 

Harlan Coben 

Val McDermid 

Roz Smith 

The Atlas Complex 

The Secret 

None of This is True 

The Raging Storm 

A Death in the Parish 

Private Rome 

Never Too Late 

The Last Devil to Die 

I Will Find You 

Past Lying 

Don’t forget to send us your news 

WE LOVE to hear from groups, organisations and individuals about 

what’s happening locally. Include a photo if you can. 

Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk Thanks! 

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7 

Roger Bannister 

and the Four 

Minute Mile 

IT WAS 70 years ago, on 

6th May 1954, that Roger 

Bannister became the 

first person to run a mile 

in under four minutes (3 

minutes, 59.4 seconds), in 

Oxford. 

Just 23 

days later, 

on 29th 

May, Diane 

Leather 

became the 

first woman 

to run a mile 

in under five 

minutes (4 

minutes, 

59.6 

seconds), in 

Birmingham. 

These were 

both momentous achievements, 

though Diane Leather, born in 

Staffordshire, received far less 

recognition than Oxford-born 

Bannister. At the time women did 

not compete in major events over 

more than 200 metres; so she 

was not allowed to compete at the 

Olympics or internationally over her 

best distance. 

Women’s athletics was not widely 

covered in the media at the time, or 

someone might have pointed out 

that on the same day that Leather 

beat five minutes for the mile, she 

had already broken an 800 metres 

record. The 

following 

year she ran 

4:50.8 for 

the mile and 

then 4:45.0, 

which 

remained a 

world record 

until 1962. 

Leather 

– who 

became 

Diane 

Charles on 

marriage 

– had also 

set an 800m 

world record 

of 2:09 in 

1954. She retired at the age of 27. 

Bannister’s world record is 

one of the most widely known 

in athletics, and he continued 

to produce top performances, 

beating his Australian rival John 

Landy in Vancouver and taking the 

European title before retiring to 

concentrate on medical research. 

A lifelong Christian, he died in 

2018, as did Diane Leather – 

coincidentally the daughter of a 

surgeon. 

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Approval of new 

homes in Ratby 

may mean more 

traffic in Groby 

WHEN BOROUGH Council members went against 

the advice of planning officers, and refused an 

outline planning application for a development of 

225 houses in Ratby, they hoped that any planning appeal 

would support their decision. 

But the Planning Inspector has reversed the decision, and the new 

homes can be built on Desford Lane, between the sports ground and the 

Stonecraft Paving site, despite the application being widely opposed. In 

addition to Ratby Parish Council and many residents, objections were 

received from Kirby Muxloe Parish Council and Blaby District Council. 

The development is likely to have an adverse impact on Groby, with 

increased traffic on Sacheverell Way. But worse will be the impact on 

homes in the Martinshaw Lane and Forest Rise area, as Ratby Primary 

School cannot be extended. Some or all of the additional pupils resulting 

from the new homes on Desford Lane may need to enrol at Martinshaw 

School in Groby. 

Ratby a Key Rural Centre 

Guy Davies, the Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State, 

considered all the issues raised and noted that Ratby is classed as a Key 

Rural Centre because it contains a primary school, other services and a 6 

day a week bus service. “This makes it a place where residents can fulfil 

their daily needs without having to travel long distances into urban areas,” 

he said. 

However, the projected shortfall in primary school places will increase 

traffic levels and impact adversely on Groby, as more parents travel from 

Ratby to drop children off in the morning and sit and wait in their cars at the 

end of the school day. Public transport links are inconvenient and walking 

from Ratby is not practical for many parents. 

“I heard evidence from interested parties that Ratby has expanded rapidly 

in recent decades and that has put strain on local facilities, in particular the 

primary school and increased traffic on the roads,” Guy Davies said in his 

decision notice. He went on to say that it is up to service providers such as 

the County Council to make appropriate provision, rather than restraints 

being put on new housing. 

No objection from County Council 

“In this case, no objection to the scheme has been raised by service 

providers, including the County Council in its roles as Highway Authority 

and Education Authority.” He also said that it is a matter for service 

providers to respond to new development “by providing improvements or 

additional capacity where necessary, rather than existing capacity being 

seen as a limiting factor on development, unless such improvements or 

additional capacity are not possible.” 

Developers wanting permission to build may be expected to make a 

contribution towards the financial impact on local infrastructure and in this 

case a very large sum will be payable towards education costs. However, 

no contribution is required from the developer for Ratby Primary School. 


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Fewer babies coming 

FOR THE FIRST 

time since the Black 

Death killed about 

50 million people in 

the mid-1300s, the 

world’s population is 

going to decline. 

According to experts, 

global fertility rates have 

hit an historic tipping 

point, and seem unlikely 

to recover. Millions of 

women are simply having less children. 

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The global population currently stands at just over eight billion. But in the 

coming decades, as the older people die and fewer babies are born, this 

figure will fall. 

Women need to have an average of 2.1 children each, for the population 

growth to remain static. Worldwide, in 1950 it was at 4.84. By 2021 it was 

at 2.23. It is predicted to fall to 1.83 by 2050. The UK, like other highincome 

countries, has a lower-than-average fertility rate, at just 1.49 in 

2021. It is expected to fall to 1.38 by 2050. 

This will mean that our population of about 67 million will become 

increasingly old. And this will have a huge impact on our national finances, 

as the old will put pressure on the health services, while there will be fewer 

young people in work, keeping the economy going. 

Having a dog is good for you 

RECENT scientific research has found evidence that having 

a dog is good for you. 

“Science is finally catching up with what humans have intuitively known for 

thousands of years.” So says Professor Emeritus Aubrey Fine of Cal Poly 

University, a paediatric clinical psychologist. 

A recent study at Konkuk University in Korea found that participants’ 

alpha-band brain waves increased while playing and walking with dogs, 

while their beta-band brain waves increased while grooming, massaging, 

or playing with dogs. All participants were left feeling “less fatigued, 

depressed and stressed”. 

In one American academic journal, Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality 

and Outcomes, a study found that, overall, dog owners have a 24 per cent 

decreased risk of all-cause mortality, and that that percentage rises to 31 

per cent for cardiovascular-related issues. 

According to Tommy Wood, assistant professor of paediatrics and 

neuroscience at the University of Washington School of Medicine, dogs 

“support our health and wellbeing in many ways.” 

P 

P 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

F 

E 

Al 

My wife says we should split up because I keep pretending I’m a detective. I said good idea, we can cover more ground that way.

GREAT ENTERTAINMENT COMING UP AT 

GROBY CLUB 

APRIL 

ENTERTAINMENT 

Saturday 13th April 

KELLIE JENS 

Excellent Entertainer 


LAURA ELSON 

Local Favourite 

Tickets 

£30.00 


LEE WILKINSON 

Very Good Performer 

MAY 

ENTERTAINMENT 

Saturday 4th May 

TREYC COHEN 

Excellent Singer 


LIBERTY PAIGE 

Great Vocalist 


MARC BOLTON 

Top Quality Showman 


CHRIS ROBIN 

Regular Favourite 

16-18 Leicester Rd, Groby, Leicester LE6 0DJ Phone: 0116 287 1809

10 


Groby & Field 

Head Spotlight 

PO Box 8, Markfield, 

Leics. LE67 9ZT 

Telephone 

01530-244069 

Email us at: info@ 

grobyspotlight.co.uk 

Visit the website at 

www.grobyspotlight.co.uk 

3,500 copies distributed 11 times 

a year (no issue in July) to homes 

and businesses in Groby, Field 

Head and The Brantings. 

Printed in Ellistown by Norwood Press. 

The Spotlight is a monthly 

compilation of articles, press releases, 

events, general items of interest and 

news items submitted to us by local 

residents, groups, associations, sports 

clubs and local authorities. 

The opinions expressed by 

contributors are not necessarily those 

of the Spotlight Production Team. The 

inclusion of any group or organisation 

in this publication does not 

necessarily imply a recommendation 

of its aims, methods or policies. 

Groby & Field Head Spotlight 

cannot be held responsible for 

the information disclosed by 

advertisements, all of which are 

accepted in good faith. 

Every effort is made to ensure the 

accuracy of information in this 

magazine, but no liability can be 

accepted for loss or inconvenience 

caused as a result of error or 

omission. 

Groby & Field Head Spotlight 

reserves the right to amend, shorten 

or refuse to publish articles and/ 

or advertisements submitted for 

publication. 

All contents © Groby & Field Head 

Spotlight. 

None of the articles contained in this 

magazine are to be reproduced in any way 

without first obtaining written consent from 

Groby & Field Head Spotlight. 

News from Groby WI 

SEVERAL Groby WI 

members attended the 

Annual Council Meeting 

at The Leicester Grammar 

School on 16th March. 

The first speaker was from 

Canine Partners who are based in 

Osgathorpe and train their dogs 

(mostly Labradors) to carry out 

everyday tasks to help transform 

the lives of adults with physical 

disabilities. 

A service user and her dog (I’m 

so sorry not to have noted their 

names!) gave a wonderful insight 

of things that her dog can do to 

help her, such as getting groceries 

from shelves and putting them 

into a basket, unloading them at 

the checkout and even being able 

to pay contactless with a bank 

card! She can load and unload the 

washing machine and so much 

more. It was a truly inspirational 

talk. 

The next speaker was Mrs 

Henrietta Chubb JP who is the 

High Sherriff of Leicestershire. 

The role of High Sherriff is not 

widely understood but Henrietta 

explained that the principal role, 

as defined by the oath of office, is 

to “faithfully support the judiciary 

and all who maintain the King’s 

peace, administer justice and 

protect and support their fellow 

citizens” including the police and 

other law enforcement agencies, 

the emergency services, local 

authorities and church and faith 

groups. The role is unpaid and 

no expenses are reimbursed. 

During her year, which is 

coming to an end, Henrietta 

has chosen to concentrate on 

offering encouragement to those 

supporting the charitable and 

voluntary sectors, particularly 

those involved with crime reduction 

and social cohesion thus actively 

encouraging crime prevention. She 

also explained the significance of 

the formal outfit she was wearing. 

Her talk was most interesting and 

informative. 

The afternoon speaker was 

Polly Toynbee, a British journalist 

for The Guardian newspaper, a 

writer and formally a BBC social 

affairs editor. She explained that 

for generations her ancestors had 

been committed left wing rabblerousers 

railing against injustice, 

they could never claim to be 

working class, settling instead for 

the prosperous life of academia 

or journalism. Her books include” 

Dismembered: How the attack on 

the state harms us all”. Opinion 

was divided but personally I found 

her talk was rather political. 

The speaker at our March WI 

meeting was Rachel Greaves 

talking about ‘The Tales of Ruffles 

the Dog’ and what a fabulous 

evening we had! Her family 

have had many Airedale terriers, 

Bramley is her current one and her 

love for the breed is evident in her 

adventures of Ruffles. 

Rachel was an English and 

Drama teacher and her skills came 

to the fore when she started her 

journey as a writer and storyteller. 

She started writing seven years 

ago and has written and illustrated 

fourteen titles. Some of her books 

include pages for children to 

colour in the illustrations. Her 

intention was that Ruffles had no 

super powers as such but was just 

involved in believable stories, often 

based on real life events such as 

My wife asked me to put ketchup on the shopping list. Now I can’t read any of it. 

the child (Joe Humphries) who 

died suddenly and the parents set 

up a trust, using the money for 

defibrillators and ‘Ruffles The Life 

Saver’ was written. 304 books were 

ordered and a copy is in many 

school libraries. Rachel gave many 

examples of how Ruffles many 

adventures came about. 

When she first held Ruffles at our 

meeting, for a split second, we all 

thought he was real. 

Her ability to use all the puppets 

was incredible. 

The pictures above show Eric, the 

station master, who regularly fed 

Ruffles bacon from his sandwiches, 

Alan, the World War I blind soldier 

who kept biscuits in his knapsack 

which Ruffles enjoyed and the 

amazing ‘Flying Terrier’ steam 

train and carriage driven by Ben 

(named after her son). The train 

was made in Heacham, Norfolk 

and upholstered by Rachel, the 

miniature dog in the carriage being 

made from an old ashtray and a 

dog ornament. All the puppets 

and props have been handmade 

by Rachel ably assisted by her 

husband, using so many ingenius 

ideas and materials. Rachel 

acquired the dog on wheels 

during lockdown. She took off the 

original head, remoulded it using 

bandages to get the right shape 

and also made a tail to create the 

appearance of an Airedale. He 

represents dogs that were used 

in the WW1 trenches to carry 

important messages in the pouch 

round his neck, or messages on 

pigeons carried in the basket on his 

back. As susceptible as humans, 

the dogs wore fabric gas masks. 

The attention to detail in Rachel’s 

creations is unbelievable. 

Quite a few members bought 

some of her books, they are 

an absolute delight and I look 

forward to reading them to my 

grandchildren. 

• THE SPEAKER at our next meeting 

on Thursday April 18th is Margaret 

Dickinson - My Life as an Author 

Ruth Rolinson

GROBY PARISH COUNCIL 

Tel: 0116 2876985 • Email: parishclerk@groby.com • Website:www.groby.com 

__________________________________________________________ 

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING 

All residents of Groby Parish are invited to the Annual Parish Meeting being held on 

Thursday 25 th April 2024 at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall, Leicester Road, Groby, LE6 0DQ 

The meeting will be informal with refreshments provided. It is an opportunity for Groby parishioners to find out 

more about the work of the Parish Council along with information about organisations active in the local 

community. It is also an opportunity for electors to have their say on anything which they consider to be important 

to the parish. 

PARISH PRECEPT 2024-2025 

Parish Councils do not receive any direct funding from Central Government so the main source of income for the 

Parish Council is the Parish Precept which is funded entirely by the council tax payers of Groby Parish and forms 

a small element of your Council Tax bill. 

Budget and Precept Summary 2024-2025 

Income and Expenditure 2023-24 

Yr End Predicted 

2024-25 

Budget 

Income: £ £ 

Precept 237,661 306,000 

Grant Funding 18,249 - 

Donations 250 - 

Section 106 Income 3,175 - 

Cemetery Fees 18,500 16,000 

QEII Rose Garden 2,100 875 

Rents 1,737 1,737 

Other Income 9,846 7,745 

TOTAL Income £291,518 £332,357 

Expenditure: 

Staffing 151,081 160,721 

Administration Costs 54,340 43,720 

Election Costs 10,569 10,000 

Professional & Legal Fees 7,250 10,000 

Grounds sub-contractor 21,000 22,000 

Open Spaces 34,010 25,210 

Cemetery 11,036 10,120 

Village in Bloom 3,900 4,500 

Community 12,211 12,500 

Contingencies 1,000 10,000 

TOTAL Expenditure £306,397 £308,771 

Movement to/(from)General Reserves (£14,879) £23,586 

In January, the Parish Council 

agreed its budget for the new 

financial year starting 1st April 

2024 and set its precept at 

£306,000. This equates to a 

per-household precept of 

£115.89 per annum (£2.23 per 

week) for a property in Band D, 

which is an annual increase 

per-household of £26.30 or 51 

pence per week for a property 

in Band D. 

Council recognise that this is a 

29% increase on last year’s 

precept and the decision was 

not taken lightly but in order to 

meet the needs of the 2024- 

2025 budget, strengthen the 

level of General Reserves (in 

line with Council’s Reserves 

Policy) and to also fund the 

estimated year-end overspend, 

which is largely due to an 

External Auditor’s bill of just 

over £39,000, Council agreed 

that they had no choice but to 

significantly increase the 

precept requirement. 

COMMUNITY LITTER PICK A GREAT SUCCESS 

THANK YOU to all those who took part in the Great Britain Spring Clean Community Litter Pick 

event on Saturday 23 rd March 2024.The event was a huge success with 40 bags of litter being picked 

by those who volunteered. We hope to organise another litter pick in June. 

Groby Parish Council is comprised of 16 Councillors – 13 for Groby Ward and 3 for Field Head Ward 

They are supported by a Parish Clerk, Deputy Clerk, Estates Manager, Assistant Estates Manager and two Gate Keepers 

I just realized my countertop is made of marble. I have been taking it for granite all these years.

12 


Julie’s Pet Care 

SERVICES 

Tel: 07934 686692 

Email: Julie.petcareservice@gmail.com 

juliedu.petcare@gmail.com 

Dog Walking 

Pet Minding 

CRB Checked 

From £5 

Red Kite spotted 

near Groby 

ON A COUPLE of occasions at the end of March, I have 

seen a Red Kite flying up the hill from the A50 travelling to 

the Martinshaw Woods. 

Hopefully if they are left alone we may see a small brood fledged from the 

wood. 

Graham Woodhall 

Information about the Red Kite - from RSPB 

Markfield Medical Centre’s 

Patient Participation Group 

IF A CHILD, YOUR BEST FRIEND, 

OR A STRANGER HAD A 

CARDIAC ARREST, COULD YOU 

HELP SAVE THEIR LIFE? 

THIS MAGNIFICENTLY graceful bird of prey is 

unmistakable with its reddish-brown body, angled wings 

and deeply forked tail. 

It was saved from national extinction by one of the world’s longest-running 

protection programmes. It has now been successfully re-introduced to 

England and Scotland. Red Kites are listed under Schedule 1 of The 

Wildlife and Countryside Act. 

Is your SMART METER 

working properly? 

IN HIS March 27th 2024 article in the Daily Telegraph, 

Matthew Lynn claims that households may well have been 

overcharged for their energy use, at a time when many are 

already struggling to pay their energy bills. 

Matthew explains that, according to the latest figures from the 

Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero, of the 30 million meters 

installed in British homes, almost FOUR MILLION are not working 

properly. The estimate was 2.7 million in June last year, but has now been 

revised dramatically upwards. 

Matthew writes: “If ITV is looking for a follow-up to it’s hit drama about 

the Post Office scandal its producers and script writers do not have to look 

very far. It is playing out in real-time right now. In reality, the smart meter 

fiasco risks turning into the next Horizon scandal.” 

YES - if you come to our 

Defibrillator and 

Resuscitation Evening 

Thursday 25th April 2024 

6.45pm for 7.00pm 

ME Sports in the Community 

Centre, Mayflower Close, 

Markfield 

Richard Nevin of RB First Aid 

is giving another of his excellent information/ 

training evenings on Defibrillators and 

Resuscitation 

Entrance is free and tea and coffee will be available. 

To book please email: markfield@megroup-uk.co.uk 

or telephone: 01530 242240. 

Alternative email addresses: 

markfieldpatientsgroup@outlook.com or 

markfieldmedicalcentre.noreply@nhs.net 

and please give your name and contact details. 

Markfield now has ten 24-hour 

Public Access Cardiac Arrest Defibrillators 

But would you know what to do? 

Come along and find out. 

I was sitting drinking coffee in my slippers this morning, when I thought to myself, I really need to wash some mugs.

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14 


MANIA 

By Lionel Shriver 

WHAT IF calling 

someone stupid was 

illegal? 

In a reality not too distant from 

our own, where the so-called 

Mental Parity Movement has taken 

hold, the worst thing you can call 

someone is ‘stupid’. 

Everyone is equally clever, and 

discrimination based on intelligence 

is ‘the last great civil rights fight’. 

Exams and grades are all 

discarded, and smart phones 

are rebranded. Children are 

expelled for saying the S-word 

and encouraged to report parents 

for using it. You don’t need a 

qualification to be a doctor. 

Best friends since adolescence, 

Pearson and Emory find 

themselves on opposing sides 

of this new culture war. Radio 

personality Emory – who has built 

her career riding the tide of popular 

thought – makes increasingly hardline 

statements while, for her part, 

Pearson believes the whole thing is 

ludicrous. 

As their friendship fractures, 

Pearson’s determination to cling 

onto the ‘old, bigoted way of 

thinking’ begins to endanger her 

job, her safety and even her family. 

Lionel Shriver turns her piercing 

gaze on the policing of opinion 

and intellect, and imagines a world 

in which intellectual meritocracy 

is heresy. Hilarious, deadpan, 

scathing and at times frighteningly 

plausible, MANIA will delight 

the many fans of her fiction and 

journalism alike. 

Girls are mad about me.They 

throw flowers at my feet. They 

fall at my feet. They 

worship my feet. 

They don’t think 

much of my face, but 

my feet are having a 

wonderful time. 

A cheap day out by bus 

How far can you travel by bus for £2? 

THE CAPPED £2 bus fare still 

has six months to run, but 

in practical terms you can’t 

travel very far if you don’t 

live near a transport hub 

or on a regional bus route. 

Most people will want to 

come home as well, so the £2 

becomes £4. 

Locally you can travel up to 18 miles 

to Swadlincote, where you can visit 

the Snowsports centre. It is open 

throughout the year for recreational 

skiing and snowboarding with lessons 

available for every standard. If the 

exercise gives you an appetite you can 

take a 20 minute walk to the 1950s 

American Diner, at Church Gresley, 

imported from the USA in 1995. 

If you want a longer journey you’ll 

probably have to go into Leicester, 

so now your £2 becomes £8, but at 

least you have a few longer options, 

such as 20 miles to Rugby or 22 miles 

to Coventry. But the best value is 

perhaps the journey through Market 

Harborough to Northampton, at over 

30 miles. 

But why would anyone want to go to Northampton? 

The answer is twofold – industrial and cultural. The industrial aspect is Northamptonshire’s 900 years of boot 

and shoe production. With a central location for trading links, an abundant supply of leather from local cattle 

markets, and local oak bark and water for tanning, it was the perfect place for shoemaking to flourish. It wasn’t just 

developed in the County town, but also in most towns and villages, often with specific specialisms. Long Buckby, 

for example, was famous for the very high quality of its long boots, Rushden for safety footwear and Wollaston for 

its work boots. 

Northamptonshire makers provided boots for the American War of Independence and over two thirds of the 70 

million pairs of footwear for the 1st World War. The county is still world renowned for the shoes it creates, with over 

25 manufacturers producing a huge range of quality footwear such as Dr Martens and Church & Co. With all the 

supporting industries such as tanneries, leather merchants and designers, Northamptonshire is a world leader and 

global brand in footwear. 

The UK footwear industry employs over 9,000 people and specialist retail outlets and stockists for 

Northamptonshire’s leading brands can be found throughout the world and its major cities, from London to New 

York, Paris to Moscow, and Madrid to Shanghai. The UK is the eighth largest exporter by value in the EU with 

exports in excess of £630m, or 40 million pairs. Demand continues to grow from key international markets in North 

America, Russia, and the Far East. 

Northampton Museum and Art Gallery has the largest collection of historical footwear in the world, designated as 

being of international importance. Thousands of shoes are on display from the Ancient Egyptians to the present 

day, including novelties such as Elton John’s ‘Tommy’ boots from the film Pinball Wizard, and the giant boots made 

for Jumbo, the eleven year old female elephant that took part in the British Alpine Hannibal Expedition in 1959. 

Galleries include the history of shoemaking and the history of fashions in footwear throughout the centuries. 

The cultural gem at 78 Derngate 

But there’s more to Northampton than just shoes – there’s an under appreciated cultural gem at 78 Derngate, a 

terraced house re-modelled by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1916 for his client, Northampton model engineer, 

W.J Bassett-Lowke. 

Mackintosh was a Scottish architect and designer who was a leader of the Glasgow style in Great Britain and 

achieved an international reputation in the 1890s as a designer of unorthodox posters, craftwork, and furniture. 

Although he was nearly forgotten for several decades, the late 20th century saw a revival of interest in his work. 

Mackintosh’s chief architectural projects included the Glasgow School of Art (1896–1909), considered the first 

original example of Art Nouveau architecture in Great Britain. Others, now part of Glasgow’s Mackintosh trail, 

include Hill House, Helensburgh (1902); the Willow Tea Rooms, Glasgow (1904); and Scotland Street School, 

Glasgow (1904–06). It’s a bonus for the Midlands to have a fine example of his work in Northampton. The house 

has drawn many thousands of visitors from around the globe and is the only place outside Scotland in which 

Mackintosh’s mature architectural and interior style can be seen in their original setting. 78 Derngate has been 

meticulously restored and is open to the public Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holidays. There’s a dining room for 

lunch and refreshments. 

The quickest way to Northampton is by car, but the capped bus fare makes it an economic and leisurely 

alternative, and for those with a concessionary bus pass it’s free. How far have you travelled by bus for £2? 


They say don’t go grocery shopping while you’re hungry. But it’s been a week and I just keep getting hungrier.


15 

Did you know that Glenfield has a weekly 

Country Market? 

A wide range of homemade cakes and preserves, quality 

crafts, plants and home-grown produce are on sale. 

Extensions, Garden Redesigns 

Refurbishments, General Building Work 

07734405374 

Refreshments are served 

Free admission. 

Card payments now available 

Come along to see us and to support this local event. 

Where? St Peter’s Church Centre, LE3 8DP with parking! 

When? Each Friday morning 9am-11am 

For more details contact: glenfieldmarket@gmail.com 

Follow us on Facebook: The Glenfield Country Market 

Get in touch today for your quote 

contact@countycontractorsleics.co.uk 

www.countycontractorsleics.co.uk 

@CountyCon County Contractors, Groby, Leicester 

OVER 60’S 

GET FIT WITH HAZEL 

Groby Community Centre, Forest Rise, Groby, LE6 0BD 

Exercise to music to enhance your 

FITNESS, FLEXIBILITY, BALANCE, STRENGTH & WELL-BEING 

New? Fancy giving it a go? 

First class FREE 

Wednesday 9:30am - 10:30am 

Only £6 a session 

All abilities welcome - Standing or seated options available 

Fully qualified instructor 

Call Hazel 07817 303 018 

or email happyhome07@hotmail.co.uk 

Other classes available 

I tried runway modeling once. It was a huge disaster. Now, I’m not allowed back at the airport.

16 


Living Without 

Abuse Charity 

Calling All 

Dancers! 

LIVING WITHOUT ABUSE (LWA), 

a local domestic abuse support 

charity, is delighted to announce 

that LWA Strictly is BACK! 

Now a firm favourite in the Leicestershire 

calendar, the charity is looking for novice 

and experienced dancers to participate in 

this fantastic fundraiser which each year 

raises £1000s for LWA. 

Practice sessions start from September 

with the Glitterball Finale on Saturday 

November 16th 2024. 

Participants are invited to channel their 

inner Anton Du Beke of Oti Mabuse. For all 

those who have wanted to Cha-Cha-Cha, 

Rumba, Jive or Paso Doble now is the 

opportunity! It’s all for a super cause PLUS 

it’s great fun. 

Emily Corrigan, Head of Fundraising: 

‘LWA Strictly is a fabulous event which 

year on year sees the audience grow, the 

performances excel and the performers 

delight themselves with the skills that they 

learn. Not only that, but the event raises 

thousands of pounds for vulnerable people 

in our local community. We invite both 

novice and experienced dancers to sign up 

for what will be the experience of a lifetime.’ 

To find out more and register 

interest please contact emily@ 

lwa.org.uk 

Events at Little 

Markfield Farm 

DRIVE IT DAY 

(VINTAGE AND CLASSIC VEHICLES) 

21st April - 10 am meet up 

VINTAGE CAR MEET 

5pm -17th May 

Date to be confirmed in May - 

QUIZ AND SUPPER 

VINTAGE CAR MEET 

5pm - 21st June 

To book for the quiz night or the 

drive it day call Brenda on 

07774 047571 

Update on refuse collection services 

Weekly food waste 

collection by March 2026 

FOOD WASTE collection must be introduced weekly for all households by 31st 

March 2026. 

Last year the Borough Council sought guidance on options for food waste collections, to compare different 

collection systems to maximise the recycling rate, to assess the carbon impacts, and to clarify the number 

of collection vehicles required. The equipment required for this collection is likely to be a large container 

with a lockable top for outside and a small caddy for indoors. 

BROWN BINS AND FLY TIPPING: The cost of a garden waste recycling brown bin will be increased 

to £42.50 for 2024/25, but even at that price the service is still receiving a subsidy of around £250,000. 

Participation in the garden waste service remains high with more than 31,000 subscriptions annually. 

The service is very competitively priced when compared to most other local authorities, and this gives 

residents an economic alternative to the temptation to fly tip their garden waste. Nevertheless, fly tipping 

of all sorts of waste increased by 8% to 592 between April and December 2023 when compared with the 

same period in 2022. 

RECYCLING OVERALL: The recycling rate in the borough dropped by 1.5% to 41.2% last year, slightly 

more than the drop in recycling performance across the whole of England of 0.7%. The national rate for 

England is 43.4%. The drop locally is mainly attributable to dry recycling rates returning to pre pandemic 

levels and warmer weather meaning less compostable waste is produced. The UK government target is 

50% by 2020, and 65% by 2035. 

Demand for large item collections continues to be popular with 4739 items picked up during the period 

April – December 2023. 

The “Big Bin” collection service introduced in November 2023 has been very well received. It helps those 

who don’t have enough rubbish for a skip or enough space for one, or don’t have a car to take rubbish to 

the tip. 107 bins had been booked in the first few months, enabling residents to dispose of a large amount 

of household rubbish responsibly at low cost. 

Overall, the waste collection changes the council will need to deliver in the next 2- 3 years are thought to 

be the most comprehensive seen in the last 20 years. 


Make sure you have Voter ID 

at the upcoming elections 

GW 

Plumbing 

& Heating 

ALL VOTERS will need to show an accepted form of 

photo ID at the polls taking All Work place on Undertaken 

2 May 2024. 

In April 2022, the Government passed Little the Elections or Large Act 2022 which 

requires all voters to show ID at polling stations. This means that if 

From a Tap Washer 

you’re planning to vote in person, you’ll need to bring an accepted 

form of photo ID with you. If you turn to a up Boiler at the polling Swap station 

without any accepted ID or a Voter Authority Certificate, you won’t 

be allowed to vote. Tel: 07970 264050 

Most voters will already have an accepted form of photo ID that 

they can use, but it’s important or that 0116 you double 431 check 2366 the list of 

eligible forms of ID in advance to make sure that you don’t miss 

out on your chance to vote. 

All accepted forms of ID must include your photo and be suitably 

NO CALL OUT CHARGE 

secure, such as a passport, driving license or blue badge. If you 

have an accepted form of ID but the date has expired, you’ll still be 

able to use it if the photo is still a good likeness. 

Don’t have anything which is on the list of eligible ID? Don’t worry, 

you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. This is a temporary 

form of ID issued by the local authority which will allow you to 

vote. 

It’s free to and easy to apply either on the Government website 

by 5pm on Wednesday 24 April. You should only apply if you don’t 

already have an accepted form of ID. 

No photo ID needed for a postal vote 

If you would prefer not to show ID at a polling station, you can 

apply online to vote by post or proxy. Photo ID isn’t required to 

apply or vote in these ways, although your proxy will be required to 

show their own ID at the polling station. 

The deadline for applying for a postal vote is 5pm Wednesday 17 

April 2024, and the deadline to apply for a proxy to vote on your 

behalf is 5pm Wednesday 24 April 2024. 

Still have questions? There’s lots of information on the Electoral 

Commission website. 

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My last girlfriend said I was unnecessarily mysterious. Or did she?


17 

Glenfield 

Country Market 

Craft Fair 

Saturday 11 th May 2024 

10am – 4pm 

Groby Village Hall LE6 0DQ 

Free entry 

Refreshments served all day 

Stalls include 

Home-made baking and preserves, 

plants and local produce, 

hand-made crafts, 

jewellery, 

cards 

gifts 

And a large range of items from other local 

crafters 

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Did Bruno Mars end up catching that grenade because I haven’t heard from him in a while?

18 


UK’s Butterfly Winners and 

Losers of 2023 Revealed 

THE LATEST RESULTS from the annual UK Butterfly 

Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS), led by wildlife charity 

Butterfly Conservation, the UK Centre for Ecology & 

Hydrology (UKCEH), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and 

the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), show that 

2023 was a mixed picture for butterflies, with some species 

soaring while others continued worrying declines. 

Half the 58 species had a better than average year while the other half 

were below average at monitored sites. Species that flourished included 

Chequered Skipper, Brimstone, and Large Blue, which all recorded their best 

year since the UKBMS began in 1976. 

Another species recording its best-ever year was the Red Admiral, a 

migratory species that has begun to overwinter in the UK as the climate has 

warmed, making it a common 

visitor across all habitats, including 

gardens. Its numbers have 

increased by 318% at monitored 

sites since 1976. 

At the other end of the scale were 

the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary 

and garden favourite the Small 

Tortoiseshell, recording their 

lowest numbers in the 48 years 

of monitoring, declining by 71% 

and 82%, respectively since 1976. 

Small Tortoiseshell had its worst 

year on record in England, second 

worst in Wales and joint fifth worst 

in Scotland in 2023, but did really 

well in Northern Ireland, logging its 

second best year. 

The Large Blue, which was 

reintroduced to the UK after 

becoming extinct in the 1970s, 

recorded its best year yet, showing 

the conservation work with this 

species is really working. 

Other species that had a 

remarkable year include Brown 

Argus, Marbled White, Comma, 

Black Hairstreak, and Holly Blue, 

which all ranked in their top three 

best years since 1976. On the other 

hand, Cryptic Wood White, Grizzled 

Skipper, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, 

Grayling and Scotch Argus faced 

significant difficulties. 

The Green-veined White and 

Ringlet both had a poor year, 

perhaps suffering ongoing effects 

from the drought the previous 

summer. 

The UKBMS, which began in 

1976, is one of the world’s longestrunning 

insect monitoring schemes. 

Dr Richard Fox, Head of Science 

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at Butterfly Conservation, said: 

“Butterfly numbers fluctuate 

naturally from year to year, largely 

due to the weather, but the longterm 

trends of UK butterflies are 

mainly driven by human activity, 

including habitat damage and 

destruction, pesticide use, pollution 

and climate change. By monitoring 

long-term butterfly trends we can 

learn about the impact of climate 

change and other factors on our 

native wildlife.” 

Butterflies are an 

indicator species 

Dr Marc Botham, Butterfly 

Ecologist at the UK Centre for 

Ecology & Hydrology, added: 

“Butterflies are an indicator species, 

meaning they can tell us about the 

health of the wider environment, 

which makes the UKBMS data 

invaluable in assessing the health 

of our countryside and natural 

world in general. The mixed 

results this year emphasise the 

need for continued monitoring 

and conservation efforts to protect 

these important species and their 

habitats.” 

Dr James Heywood, Breeding 

Bird Survey National Organiser at 

the British Trust for Ornithology, 

whose volunteers contribute to the 

UKBMS, commented: “In 2023, 

thousands of skilled volunteers 

monitored a record-breaking 3,316 

sites across the UK, gathering 

valuable data that will help to 

inform conservation decisions 

for the future. We are incredibly 

grateful to each and every one of 

those people who carry out the 

monitoring and help us to maintain 

The Large Blue, recorded 

its best year yet 

this highly valuable study.” 

Chris Tuckett, Chief Officer for 

Strategy and Impact at JNCC, said: 

“The evidence produced through 

environmental monitoring, such 

as the UK Butterfly Monitoring 

Scheme demonstrates the vital role 

these schemes play in helping us 

understand the effects of pressures 

on the natural environment and, 

equally importantly, how efforts to 

address these pressures through 

nature conservation and recovery 

can be effective in reversing 

decline. 

“JNCC has supported these 

schemes, which involve thousands 

of dedicated volunteers, for over 

30 years, and remains committed 

to continuing to support them in the 

future.” 

The UKBMS now records data 

on over 3,000 sites per year and 

the resulting dataset is a crucial 

resource for understanding 

changes in insect populations and 

has provided significant insights 

into almost all aspects of butterfly 

ecology. 

As the UK faces the ongoing 

challenges posed by climate 

change and other environmental 

pressures, the work of the UKBMS 

and organisations like Butterfly 

Conservation, the UK Centre for 

Ecology & Hydrology, the British 

Trust for Ornithology and JNCC 

remains essential in monitoring 

and protecting precious butterfly 

populations and the habitats they 

depend on. 

You just realized that your age is the number of times you went around the sun. 

Roads at 

‘breaking point’ 

HAVE YOU HIT a pothole 

and damaged your car yet? 

If not, it is probably only a 

matter of time. 

Despite TWO MILLION potholes 

being filled over the past year (the 

highest number since 2015) the 

Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) is 

now warning that our roads are 

crumbling to ‘breaking point’. 

According to the AIA’s annual 

survey, only just under half the 

roads in England and Wales which 

are maintained by local councils are 

in good condition. 36 per cent are 

adequate and 17 per cent are poor. 

Last October the Government said 

it would provide £8.3billion of extra 

funding over the next 11 years, just 

to fix potholes. But the sum needed 

to fix the backlog is now at £16.3 

billion. 

Meanwhile, Simon Williams, the 

RAC’s head of policy, warns that the 

extra £8.3 billion is “only sufficient 

to resurface around 5,000 miles 

of road, which is sadly just three 

per cent of all council-managed 

roads in England.” Yet there are 

an estimated 107,000 miles of 

roads which are fast reaching the 

end of their lives. “The scale of the 

problem now facing councils is truly 

gargantuan.” 

My garage has a wonderful 

rescue service. 

They think nothing 

of coming out in the 

middle of the week.


19 

Take a look at Sora 

- and be amazed! 

SORA is an 

AI (Artificial 

Intelligence) 

application 

that can 

create 

realistic and 

imaginative 

scenes 

from text 

instructions. 

The text 

instructions for 

the video on the 

right were: A 

stylish woman 

walks down a 

Tokyo street filled with warm glowing neon and animated city signage. She 

wears a black leather jacket, a long red dress, and black boots, and carries 

a black purse. She wears sunglasses and red lipstick. She walks confidently 

and casually. The street is damp and reflective, creating a mirror effect of 

the colorful lights. Many pedestrians walk about. 

To see more amazing examples of what Sora is capable of, visit the 

website at https://openai.com/sora 

The videos include: historical footage of California during the gold rush, 

a tour of an art gallery with many beautiful works of art in different styles, 

a white vintage SUV with a black roof rack as it speeds up a dirt road 

surrounded by pine trees on a steep mountain slope, several giant woolly 

mammoths approach treading through a snowy meadow, and a closeup 

video of two pirate ships battling each other as they sail inside a cup of 

coffee. It seems that if you imagine ANYTHING, and describe it in text, 

then Sora will create a video scene of it. Whatever next? 

LOOKING FOR NEW PLAYERS 

Bagworth Bowls Club 

Members of the public of any experience are welcome to come 

and give Lawn Bowls a go throughout the upcoming season 

starting from Monday 8th April 2024. 

Your initial three bowls sessions are completely free so come 

and try your hand and see just how much enjoyment can be 

had. 

Feel free to bring friends & family with you, all you need with 

you is a pair of flat soled shoes/trainers - we will provide 

everything else. 

If you decide after your first 3 free sessions that this is the 

sport for you, then membership for new members costs £35 for 

the 2024 season and entitles you to be able to access the 

bowls clubs facilities in your own free time throughout the open 

season April to September. 

For more information please contact our 

club secretary Josh Brooks 

Tel: 07718499408 

Email: bagworthbc@hotmail.co.uk 

Bagworth Bowls Club 

Station Road 

Bagworth 

LE67 1BH 

Free to come 

and have a go! 

Website 

www.hugofox.com/community/bagworth-bowls-club-9138/home 

l 

l 

l 

• New Guttering • Wood Staining • Repointing 

• Ridge Tiles • Chimney Stacks • Roof Valley 

• Dry Verge • Flat Roofing • Dry Ridge • Lead Flashing 

• Moss Removal • Slate/Tile Roofing 

• UPVC Fascia, Soffits & Gutters 

FREE QUOTATION AND FREE EMERGENCY CALL OUT 

Proprietor: Elias Bell 

1 Maynard Close, Bagworth, LE67 1BU 

Mobile: 07494820600 - Freephone: 0800 292 7391 

Kirby Muxloe Podiatry 2023 Ltd 

Practice established over 25 years 

Treatments include the use of Local Anaesthetic 

for ingrowing toenails. 

Diabetic Foot Health Assessment and Advice 

2B Main Street, Kirby Muxloe LE9 2AL 

Tel: 0116 2392024 

Email: kirbymuxloepodiatry2023@gmail.com 

GAS-SERVWELL 

Established 1984 

All gas appliances 

serviced, repaired 

and fitted 

˜ 

˜ 

˜ 

˜ 

OAP 

General Plumbing & Repairs 

Reduced 

Same Day Priority Breakdown Visits Rates 

Power Flushing and Heating Upgrades 

5-15 year Guarantee On Fitted Boilers - Parts & Labour 

Tel: 0116 236 7923 Mob: 07860 735066 

Email: bobzgas@gmail.com 

REGISTER 

GENERAL PLUMBING 

& REPAIRS - No Job Too Small 

Not to get technical ... but according to chemistry - Alcohol is a solution.

The executor of a Will is responsible for managing 4. Notify organisations of the death, to allow 

and carrying out the wishes of a deceased 

them to freeze accounts and cancel direct 

person. It’s an important and time-consuming role debits thereby preventing any further 

at an emotional and stressful time. Here’s a guide payments from being taken from the estate. 

to what’s involved. 

These include: employer; mortgage provider, 

landlord, house association or council housing 

For most people, being an executor is something 

office; insurance providers (home and life 

you’ll only do once or twice in your lifetime. You 

insurance are most common); gas, electricity 

have an essential role in ensuring the wishes 

and water provider; TV and internet provider; 

of the person who has died are followed. You 

Bereavement Register (this is to stop junk 

are responsible for sorting out the deceased’s 

mail being sent); banks and/or building 

finances and possessions and passing these on 

societies; pension providers; dentist, GP, and 

to beneficiaries in their Will. 

optician; social services or carers; magazine 

One of the most significant duties of an executor subscriptions/club memberships; and for 

is to protect the value of the estate. The first 

government departments like the Passport 

part of this is visiting any property owned by the Office, DVLA and HMRC, you can use the 

person who died, to ensure windows are closed, government’s Tell Us Once service. 

doors locked and the property is generally secure. 

5. Value the estate and determine if you need 

Executor’s at-a-glance checklist 

probate. Probate is usually required if the 

1. Before a death can be formally registered, you estate of the person who died is worth more 

will need to get a medical certificate giving the than £10,000. However, if most of the assets in 

cause of death, usually issued by a doctor. The the estate were jointly owned, probate may not 

death must be registered at your local register be needed at all. 

office, within five days in England, Wales 6. Apply for probate. Depending on your specific 

and Northern Ireland, or within eight days in situation, you’ll either need a grant of probate 

Scotland. If there’s a coroner’s inquest into the or a grant of letters of administration. 

death, you may be given an extension, but in 

7. Sort out the estate and pay beneficiaries. 

most cases, it’s best to register the death as 

Once you have received your grant of probate, 

soon as possible. 

you have the legal authority to administer the 

2. Once you have registered the death, you will deceased’s estate. This includes claiming life 

need to find the deceased’s Will. 

insurance policies, paying debts and taxes, 

3. After obtaining a death certificate and checking and selling or transferring property. You’ll then 

the Will for specific wishes, you can start 

be able to distribute assets to beneficiaries in 

arranging a funeral. 

accordance with the Will. 

20 


County Councillor’s Report from Ozzy O’shea 

Email: ozzy.o’shea@leics.gov.uk or ozzyoshea@hotmail.com 

Tel 0116 239 4336 Mobile 07808 585825 

Groby Flood Alleviation 

Project, Leicester Road, 

Groby 

THE SEVERN Trent team 

and their contractors, 

Forkers, have been working 

hard despite the horrible 

weather. 

You’ll have seen that work has 

finished at the Bluebell Drive Island 

and the huge storage pipes have 

been installed. The verge has been 

top soiled and seeded and, once 

the sun comes out, will soon be 

green again. 

The next and final phase of work 

will be further along Leicester Road 

between Grey Close and Marston 

Drive. A section of pipe needs to 

be installed right across the road, 

so you’ll see some changes to the 

traffic management. Traffic will still 

go in both directions, under traffic 

light control, using just one side of 

the dual carriageway section. 

Response to last 

month’s article on 

Streetlight Dimming 

IT’S IMPORTANT to set 

the record straight about 

Leicestershire County 

Council’s streetlight 

dimming trial. 

During the 18-month pilot, minimal 

changes are being made to lighting 

levels during less busy periods 

to generate reductions in carbon 

emissions as well as a saving on 

council budgets. While 53 per 

cent of people who responded 

to a consultation were against 

the proposals, and 43 per cent in 

favour, this does not mean “the 

outcome of the public consultation 

was not to go ahead with the 

proposal…” (as per article). 

The point of a consultation is to 

provide views for the council’s 

cabinet to consider, along with 

various other factors on the 

best way forward. The feedback 

generated by the consultation, 

alongside issues such as the 

council’s financial position, led 

to cabinet deciding to make this 

an 18-month trial rather than a 

permanent change. Over the 18 

months, we will liaise with the 

police as well as carry out our own 

monitoring to establish impacts 

of the dimming. Also, while the 

police officers present at the Groby 

Parish Council meeting on 15th 

January may have stated they 

were concerned, no objections 

to the proposals were raised 

by Leicestershire Police, East 

Midlands Ambulance Service or 

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue 

Service as part of the consultation 

exercise. 

Urgent call for 

Specialist Foster Carers 

AN URGENT appeal 

has been launched for 

people with professional 

backgrounds in caregiving 

to find out more about 

becoming specialist foster 

carers. 

From April, Leicestershire County 

Council is offering up to £1,067 

a week, plus allowances, for the 

role which provides children and 

young people with an alternative 

to residential care – ‘children’s 

homes’. 

Information events are being held 

over the coming weeks in a bid 

to share information about the 

role and recruit carers for the 60+ 

children and young people in need 

of the support in the county. 

Suitable experience could include 

teaching, health care or policing, 

as well as other positions that 

support children and young people 

with special educational needs or 

disabilities (SEND), or complex 

behavioural or emotional needs. 

Councillor Deborah Taylor, 

County Council lead member for 

children and families, said: “Many 

of our young people in care require 

an extra level of care, attention and 

love to reach their full potential. 

“We want to help set them up with 

the very best chance of succeeding 

in life, and this is partially done 

through carefully matching them 

with appropriate specialist foster 

carers. 

“If we cannot provide specialist 

foster carers then the alternative 

is for a child or young person, who 

may be as young as 10, to go into 

residential care. 

“And while this can provide an 

excellent standard of care, it’s not 

a family home with the specialist 

focused care our specialist foster 

carers provide. 

“We’ve had young people tell us 

that staying with specialist carers 

has been life changing. So, if you 

think you have the skills and would 

like to make a real difference, 

please do come along to one of 

our events, or contact our team for 

more information.” 

Those wanting to find out more 

about specialist fostering with 

Leicestershire County Council can 

visit the Fostering in Leicestershire 

website: https://www.leicestershire. 

gov.uk/education-and-children/ 

fostering/specialist-foster-care-roles 

Alternatively, they can email the 

Fostering Team at fostering@leics. 

gov.uk, or call them on 0116 305 

0505. 

Road Safety Strategy 

OUR ROAD Safety Strategy 

explains our approach to 

road safety and, for the 

first time, sets out our work 

in one document. 

In Leicestershire, we have been 

successful in delivering a wide 

range of road safety initiatives for 

decades. 

Although this Strategy is not 

a new approach or policy, it is 

an opportunity for us to let our 

communities know what we do, 

how we do it and how our approach 

may need to evolve in the future 

to meet new challenges. These 

challenges may include population 

growth and an ageing population. 

We are committed to continually 

improving road safety and reducing 

road casualties in Leicestershire, 

and we have set new, ambitious 

casualty reduction targets. 

These targets include aiming for a 

40% reduction in killed or seriously 

injured casualties by 2035 (medium 

term) and zero deaths caused by 

road traffic collisions by 2050 (long 

term). 

We want to hear your views on 

our approach and our ambitious 

casualty reduction targets. Your 

feedback will influence how our 

strategy develops going forward. 

THE DRAFT ROAD SAFETY 

STRATEGY 2024 

Type the following into your 

Browser Bar: 

https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/ 

have-your-say/current-engagement/ 

road-safety-strategy 

HAVE YOUR SAY 

A four-week consultation is open to 

the public until Monday 22nd April 

2024. 

If you have feedback on the draft 

Road Safety Strategy, please email: 

TsaP@leics.gov.uk 

ALTERNATIVE FORMATS 

For alternative formats, please call 

0116 305 1404. 

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT 

When the consultation closes 

on 22nd April, we will review the 

feedback received and consider 

any amendments to the Road 

Safety Strategy. 

The consultation findings will 

then be presented to the council’s 

Cabinet in June 2024, where a 

decision will be made on how to 

proceed. 

In the future, you will be able to see 

a summary of the consultation on 

our YOU SAID, WE DID page on 

our website. 

Scams 

I OFTEN write about Scams 

and for residents to beware 

of current scams and how 

to spot them. 

It can happen to the best of us, 

even me. A couple of weeks ago I 

had my emails hacked and my late 

wife’s old email account hacked. 

They also targeted My PayPal 

account, Amazon account, eBay 

account and even my national 

lottery account. Not to mention my 

online banking account. They even 

had the cheek to ring me saying 

they were from Lloyd’s Bank asking 

me to confirm my address. 

I suspected it was a scam call and 

told him I would not be answering 

his question and he put the phone 

down. Checks on the mobile phone 

number confirmed it was a scam 

it took me over 2 days to sort it all 

out. 

Please make sure that your 

passwords are all secure never 

use any names as that makes a 

hacker’s life easy. 

I would like to thank you all for 

your continued support and remind 

you that should you need my help 

or advice, I always pride myself 

on making myself available to 

residents. Remember I am only a 

phone call or email away. 

Ozzy O’shea 

Always Working for you Locally. 

Cllr Ozzy O’shea 

Tel 0116 2394336 

Mobile 07808 585825 

E m a i l O z z y. O ’s h e a @ l e i c s . g o v. u k 

Email ozzyoshea@hotmail.com 

I had a vasectomy so I won’t have kids. But when I got home, they were still there.

Groby Spotlight advert:Layout 1 02/03/2024 16:45 Page 1 

Leicestershire Police and Crime 

Commissioner Election 

Polling Day Thursday 2 May 2024 

Crime is Down 

4.4% across 

Leicestershire 

Vote to Re-Elect 

Rupert 

MaTThEws 

My Ten Point Plan for a safer Groby & area 

1 - Improve neighbourhood policing. 

I will open more police offices to the public and 

keep more beat officers on the beat. 

2 - Tackle burglary 

Burglary is down 6.8%. I will continue to deploy 

anti-burglary patrols and prevention advice. 

3 - More high profile visible policing 

I will ensure all villages & estates are regularly 

visited by police officers. 

4 - Target anti-social Behaviour 

ASB is down 11.5%. Neighbourhood Watch 

groups and Parish Councils will get the training 

and resources they need to tackle ASB. 

5 - Maintain Order on our streets 

We need to see robust policing of violent or 

intimidatory protests and demonstrations. 

6 - Combat knife and violent crime 

Serious violent crime is down 12.1%. I will support 

the expansion of stop & search. 

On 2 May 

Vote to 

Re-Elect 

7 - Fight the growth of drug crime 

Drug crime drives violent crime, theft and 

burglaries. I will continue to support our 

undercover teams. 

8 - Boost policing in rural areas 

Rural Crime is down 10.2%. I will enhance the 

Rural Policing Team with drones and other 

equipment to help them tackle rural crime. 

9 - Tackle speeding and Road safety 

I will crack down on e-scooters and road racing 

and extend the use of the new-style “speed vans”. 

10 - Restore public trust in policing Bad 

behaviour by officers will not be tolerated. 

* All figures are official Police figures comparing 

crime figures for January 2023 to January 2024 

Details on 

www.RupertMatthews.org.uk 

or scan the QR code. 

Rupert MATTHEWS X 

Published & promoted by Adrian Thompson on behalf of Rupert 

Matthews, both of LCCA, 8 Pinfold Gate, Loughborough LE11 1BE.

22 


Small Ads 

• Green THREE PIECE SUITE in 

very good condition. Price: £130 

• SINGLE BED with headboard, in 

very good condition. Price: £50 

• An automatic TABLET 

DISPENSER. Price: £40 

Tel: 07855 040 819 (Groby) 

• Various FOOD AND WATER 

CONTAINERS for small animals (ie 

guinea pigs/rabbits) and bird feeders. 

Some pot, some plastic, some metal. 

Reason to sell :- have dismantled 

large aviary. 

• Also small plastic dog beds. 

Tel: 07982 753457 (Groby) 

• JIGSAW PUZZLES - 10 Wasgijs. 

Price: £2.50 for collection 

Tel: 01530 242601 (Markfield) 

• 4 DINING ROOM CHAIRS - 

John Lewis - Good Condition. Price: 

4 for £100. 

• ROOF BARS (rack). Genuine Ford 

Fiesta - will fit 2017 onwards. 

Price: £70. 

Tel: 07905 558349 ( Bagworth) 

• COMPUTER TABLE - Laminate 

grey.Table suitable for laptop, 

paperwork and printer. On castors. 

With slide out shelf. Size: Height 75cms 

x Width 81cms x Depth 50cms. Price: 

£20. 

Tel. 01530 245944 (Markfield) 

• Drive X-Fold Rollator WALKING 

AID. Folds like buggy - ideal for 

storage and portability. Aluminium 

frame.Intégral seat with back rest. 

Excellent condition. Price: £60 (can 

deliver). 

Tel: 07967 978796 (Kirby Muxloe) 

• Aquaroll WATER CONTAINER - for 

caravans. Price: £15. 

Tel: 07999 768521 or 0116 

2878987 (Groby) 

• AUTOMATIC SINGLE BED for sale. 

Only used once. In ‘as new’ condition. 

Must sell as selling property. Must be 

seen to appreciate condition. Buyer to 

arrange transport .No reasonable offer 

refused. 

Tel: 07757 484009 (Glenfield) 

• Canon EOS 100F 35mm CAMERA 

with 38-76mm ZOOM LENS, 35- 

80mm ZOOM LENS, 75-300mm 

ZOOM LENS. and a 2CR5 BATTERY. 

In full working order and tested. Price: 

£50. 

Tel: 07562 013158 (Markfield) 

SEND DETAILS by post or email 

- sorry, we can’t take them over 

the phone. Maximum EIGHT items 

please. No business ads. Our postal 

address is: Spotlight Small Ads, 

PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. 

LE67 9ZT or you can email details 

to: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk 

PLEASE ENSURE that you put 

‘SMALL ADS’ in the subject 

line, and INCLUDE YOUR FULL 

POSTAL ADDRESS (not for 

publication, just to let people know 

where you are). 

Cllr Martin Cartwright 

Borough Council News 

When Is It Safe to Walk On the Pavements? 

I 

RECEIVED a phone 

call from a resident, 

in tears, very 

distressed, asking the 

question: What time 

of the day or night is 

it safe to walk on the 

pavements in Groby? 

The resident informed 

me that she dare not 

venture out even at 5pm 

on a Sunday to post a 

letter only a matter of 

streets away from their 

home because it was in 

their view unsafe for them to do so. 

Having plucked up the courage to 

do so as it was Sunday afternoon 

after all, her fears and worries 

came true as they encountered 

an electric bike traveling at speed 

on the pavement coming towards 

them. They went onto say so many 

electric bikes, electric scooters and 

parked cars made them venturing 

out almost impossible to do so 

these days without the fear of being 

harmed as a result. 

They had previously had many 

experiences during school times 

both in the morning and afternoon 

as the schools open and close 

for the day with children riding 

traditional cycles on the pavement 

had seen them face many near 

misses so they avoid this time of 

the day altogether. 

During the most recent experience 

although upset and distressed they 

said nothing to the electric bike 

rider but were the victim of the most 

horrendous abuse of language 

back for simply daring to step on 

the pavements to deliver a letter to 

the post box by them being in the 

wrong place at the wrong time. 

This has had a profound effect 

upon this person who is frightened 

to ever leave their home now, 

because of the possibility being 

knocked down or harmed as a 

result. 

They have specifically asked for me 

to feature this in my Spotlight article 

and requested that I name them, 

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council – Groby Ward. 

Executive member for: Licensing, Environmental, 

Climate Change & Rural Issues 

Call: 0116 287 4500 • Mobile: 07850 707050 

E-Mail: hbbc@appliancehome.co.uk 

Write : Maverick House,10 Pine Tree Avenue, Groby, LE6 0EQ 

which is the only bit that I am not 

prepared to do. 

It was a very distressing telephone 

call for them to make and one 

would hope a distressing read to 

the Spotlight readers. Pavements 

should be safe places for people to 

use and enjoy this person clearly 

thinks that they are not. 

The law is very clear, for the riding 

of electric scooters on a public road 

or pavement is ILLEGAL. If caught 

it could be seized and you could be 

prosecuted, no excuses. 

IF YOU OWN AN ELECTRIC 

SCOOTER, THE ONLY PLACE 

THAT YOU CAN USE THIS IS 

ON PRIVATE LAND WITH THE 

LANDOWNER’S PERMISSION, 

END OF! 

My appeal to you all is that 

pavements need to be safe places 

for all users, many people using the 

pavements, not just this individual, 

feel frightened to use them because 

of near misses with other pavement 

users legally or illegally mainly not 

on foot. It could be your loved one 

or relative that sits at home in such 

fear, frightened to venture out as a 

result. 

HBBC maintains one of 

the lowest council tax 

rates in the country 

HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH 

BOROUGH COUNCIL is to 

increase its Council tax charge 

for 2024/2025 by £5 following a 

Cllr Martin Cartwright @CllrCartwright cllr.martincartwright 

I find it very offensive when people get easily offended. 

decision of the full Council at its 

budget-setting meeting on 22 

February 2024. 

Councillors were informed that 

Hinckley & Bosworth is the third 

worst-off Council of 164 District 

Councils nationally for the amount 

it receives of core funding support 

from the Government. 

This means the average Band D 

Council tax (including the Special 

Expense Area) for Hinckley & 

Bosworth Borough Council will 

increase to a charge of £154.87 

for the 2024/25 financial year, 

the lowest in Leicestershire and 

anticipated to be the 14th lowest in 

England, and certainly within the 

lowest quartile. 

Overall, this increase in Council 

tax and the other measures set 

out in the Council’s Medium Term 

Financial Strategy enable the 

Borough Council to plan with more 

certainty and to operate a balanced 

budget. 

Residents are reminded they can 

pay their bill annually, half-yearly 

or monthly. In a full year, the 

monthly instalments will normally 

be paid from April to January (10 

Instalments), however residents 

can also opt to pay their council tax 

over 12 instalments if they prefer. 

You can also select the 1st, 15th or 

28th as your preferred direct debit 

date. 

To check your Council tax please 

visit: https://www.hinckleybosworth. 

gov.uk/counciltaxbands 

I keep residents updated by my monthly Spotlight article, Fac 

Social Media accounts. 

No matter which method you choose to seek my help I will d 

QR Code 

• Mobile Telephone 

• Home Telephone 

• HBBC Private E-Mail 

• HBBC Council Provided E-mail 

• SMS Messaging 

• Whatsapp


23 

From Councillor 

Martin Cartwright 

A breakdown of charges that 

make up the final bill, where your 

payment goes to: 

For a Band C Property: 

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough 

Council: 3.8% Change Total: 

£120.44 

Groby Parish Council: 29.4%% 

Change Total: £103.01 

Leicestershire County Council: 3.0 

& 2.0% Change Total: £1,423.63 

Combined Fire Authority: 3.0% 

Change Total: £72.58 

Police & Crime Commissioner: 

4.8% Change Total: £254.43 

Garden Waste 

GREEN FINGERED residents 

who subscribe to the Hinckley 

& Bosworth Borough Council 

Green waste service are 

reminded that the current Garden 

waste subscriptions expire on 

31st May. 

The new price for 2024 – 2025 

will be £42.50 around £1.70 per 

collection. Collected fortnightly 

except over the Christmas and New 

Year period. 

If you pay by direct debit then this 

will be taken automatically. 

If you do not have a direct debit set 

up or would like to subscribe to the 

service please do so by 17th May. 

Surrounding District Councils 

not only charge more but also 

have fewer collections for the 

subscription. 

Kind regards 

Cllr Martin 

Cartwright 

Don’t just sit 

there, whatever 

you do! 

THE AVERAGE adult in the 

UK sits for nine hours a day. 

Office workers probably 

clock up even more time in 

a chair. 

But it is not good for you. 

Research has found that too much 

sitting increases your risk of weight 

gain, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, 

depression, anxiety, stress, cancer, 

and even early death. 

“Excessive sedentary time 

is associated with a plethora 

of physical and mental health 

complications,” says Prof Lee 

Smith, an expert in physical activity 

and sedentary behaviour at Anglia 

Ruskin University. 

And James Betts, professor 

of metabolic physiology at the 

University of Bath, says that sitting 

too much may also lead to weaker 

and less flexible muscles. “Using 

your muscles and loading your 

bones can definitely strengthen 

them – or conversely, disuse can 

rapidly make them weaker,” he 

says. 

The good thing is that too much 

sitting can be easily dealt with. 

Simply interrupt your sitting with 

activity breaks. Get up and walk 

around during every TV advert 

break. Walk around during phone 

calls. Go for a walk after dinner. Use 

the stairs whenever you can. 

The good news is that other 

studies have found that if you 

make time for even short bursts 

of exercise during your day, it will 

help to offset the harm of too much 

sitting. 

NEED A PLUMBER 

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FREE 

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Painter and Decorator 

NO JOB TOO SMALL 

From papering one wall to a complete 

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504317 

My uncle Ronnie is in prison. Since he’s been there, he’s 

had his tonsils out, his appendix out and his wisdom teeth 

out. The governor thinks he’s escaping bit by bit. 

An old couple who’d been married for more than 60 years 

got divorced in their nineties. When asked why they had left it so late, 

the wife replied: “We wanted to wait until the children were dead.” 

For a Free Quotation 

Call Ian on 07885 541428 

or 

E-mail: i.crowhurst@btinternet.com 

Full Tradesman Liability Insurance held 

I bought a new wireless bra but I still can’t get the Internet.

24 


Trending Documentary 

Climate: The Movie 

THIS NEW DOCUMENTARY offers an 

alternative perspective on the man-made 

climate change debate. 

Here is the review of the documentary, taken from 

the www.climatethemovie.net website. 

“This film exposes the climate alarm as an invented scare 

without any basis in science. It shows that mainstream 

studies and official data do not support the claim that we are 

witnessing an increase in extreme weather events – hurricanes, 

droughts, heatwaves, wildfires and all the rest. It emphatically 

counters the claim that current temperatures and levels of 

atmospheric CO2 are unusually and worryingly high. On 

the contrary, it is very clearly the case, as can be seen in all 

mainstream studies, that, compared to the last half billion years 

of earth’s history, both current temperatures and CO2 levels 

are extremely and unusually low. We are currently in an ice 

age. It also shows that there is no evidence that changing levels 

of CO2 (it has changed many times) has ever ‘driven’ climate 

change in the past. 

“Why then, are we told, again and again, that ‘catastrophic 

man-made climate-change’ is an irrefutable fact? Why are 

we told that there is no evidence that contradicts it? Why are 

we told that anyone who questions ‘climate chaos’ is a ‘flatearther’ 

and a ‘science-denier’? 

“The film explores the nature of the consensus behind 

climate change. It describes the origins of the climate funding 

bandwagon, and the rise of the trillion-dollar climate industry. 

It describes the hundreds of thousands of jobs that depend 

on the climate crisis. It explains the enormous pressure on 

scientists and others not to question the climate alarm: the 

withdrawal of funds, rejection by science journals, social 

ostracism. 

“But the climate alarm is much more than a funding and jobs 

bandwagon. The film explores the politics of climate. From the 

beginning, the climate scare was political. The culprit was freemarket 

industrial capitalism. The solution was higher taxes and 

more regulation. From the start, the climate alarm appealed 

to, and has been adopted and promoted by, those groups who 

favour bigger government. 

“This is the unspoken political divide behind the climate 

alarm. The climate scare appeals especially to all those in 

the sprawling publicly-funded establishment. This includes 

the largely publicly-funded Western intelligentsia, for whom 

climate has become a moral cause. In these circles, to criticise 

or question the climate alarm has become a breach of social 

etiquette.” 

You can watch it FREE by visiting the website at 

www.climatethemovie.net 

Microchipping dogs is already a legal requirement 

and from 10 June 2024, it will also be compulsory 

for cats. But that’s not the end of the legal 

obligations associated with owning a pet. 

Dogs must wear a collar and tag when in 

a public place, and the tag must detail the 

owner’s name and address. 

Dog fouling (picking up poop after your dog) 

consistently ranks as the number one thing 

local councils receive complaints about. If you 

fail to comply, you could receive a fixed penalty 

notice of up to £100, or £1,000 if prosecuted. 

Dog barking can be classed as a ‘statutory 

nuisance’. Your local authority’s environmental 

health department can formally ask you to stop 

your dog from continuing the behaviour, and if 

you don’t, they can take your dog away from 

you. Prolonged periods of barking can also be 

stressful for your dog and impact its well-being. 

Animal Welfare Act 2006: among other 

rulings, the act emphasises the need for 

owners to supply a suitable place for their 

pets to live and exhibit normal behaviour. It 

also states that pets must be protected from 

pain, suffering, injury and disease, and that a 

suitable diet must be provided. 

Unlike dogs, cats have a right to roam, but if 

they are hit by a car the driver will not be liable 

under the Criminal Damage Act for any injury 

or death, unless there’s clear negligence. 

MARKFIELD LOCAL HISTORY GROUP - A TALK BY MATTHEW MORRIS 

Tuesday 21st May 2024 at 7.30pm 

At Markfield Methodist Church, 

Main Street, Markfield LE67 9UU 

Leicester Cathedral Revealed 

A Snapshot Of Life Over The Last 2,000 

Years – Under Our Cathedral Grounds 

Archaeologist Matthew Morris has been involved in both the 

King Richard III and Cathedral Revealed excavations. We look 

forward to welcoming Matthew to talk to us about what has 

been found, what people’s lives may have been like and the 

significance of the finds. 

Adults £3 for visitors or become a member for £8 per year (Jan-Jan) and then no additional charge for talks/ 

activities. Visit www.markfieldhistory.org – FB Bygone Markfield 

CHURCH 

INFORMATION 

St Philip & St 

James, Groby 

Rector - Rev Ed Bampton 

0116 2396520 

Curate - Rev Riffat Zamurad 

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES 

Tues 9pm: 

Compline (Facebook) 

Weds 9.30am: Communion 

Thurs 9am: Prayers via zoom 

Sunday worship: 

8am Communion, 

9.30am Morning 

worship, 

6pm Evensong. 

Telephone 

church service: 

0333 0164 757 

Room no. 10336316 Pin no. 1920 

facebook.com/StPandStJ 

achurchnearyou.com/church/5501 

United Reformed 

Church, Groby 

Minister – Rev Paul Ellis 

Tel: 0116 2926218 

Church Enquiries - Sue Lawrence 

Brooks Tel: 0116 231 2866 

susanbeverley46@yahoo.co.uk 

Sunday morning worship: 10am. 

Our worship includes monthly Holy 

Communion. 

The church 

building has a 

loop hearing 

system, 

wheelchair 

access & baby 

changing 

facilities. 

A catch up recording via our 

YouTube channel. 

If you have any spiritual support or 

prayer requests please text your 

name to 07807 036944 and we 

will call back. 

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES 

Mon 9.30-11.30: 

Noah’s Ark, parent & toddler 

group, term time 

Churches Together 

in Groby 

JOINT WEEKLY 

ACTIVITIES 

St Philip & St 

James, Groby 

Thurs 10.30am- 

12 noon: 

Fair Cuppa @ Groby village Hall 

Fri 9.30 - 11 am: 

CatCH parent & toddler group @ 

URC, term time 

Alternate Fridays 7.30pm: 

Urban Saints, Children in Years 

5 - 11 @ URC 

Sat 10.00am-12 noon: 

Tasters, Coffee, hot cobs and 

children’s activities @ URC 

Sister Margaret was the smartest nun in the convent, she was known as Nun The Wiser.


Letter 

Gardening Idea 

I WONDERED if this idea 

would be of use to other 

gardeners? 

I have started my seed planting 

for the year. 

Using small pots and medium 

or large Ziplock food bag food 

bags, which when the zip is closed 

creates a mini greenhouse effect. 

They can be placed anywhere 

without mess and the date and 

seed type can be written on the bag 

if desired. 

The bags are especially good 

for those without a greenhouse or 

space for seed trays indoors. 

A spay bottle can be used to water 

the seeds gently. Once the seeds 

start sprouting the bags can be left 

open during the day. 

Once big enough and the 

seedlings are planted on, the bags 

can be dried and used again. 

Jilly Mee, Groby 

Flat Roof Repair, Ridges, 

Chinney 

Ridges 

Repointing 

• Dry Verge 

etc 

Flat Roof Repairs • Chimneys 

Repointing 

Kitchens, 

• Lead 

Doors, 

Work 

Windows all building work 

Fascia 

undertaken 

Boards • Guttering 

20 YEAR UPVC. Facia GUARANTEE 

Boards 

20yr guarantee 

Tel: 01530 243789 

Mobile 07866 518907 

npbbuilder@gmail.com 

1A JACQUELINE ROAD, MARKFIELD 

FAST FREE LOCAL DELIVERY 

Fitted Kitchens 

We are pleased to announce 

that we are now agents for 

A.W.E Kitchens and Bedrooms 

Who specialise in 

Bespoke made to measure 

kitchen & bedroom furniture 

Please call in for further details 

BOSCH 

MBS533BS0B 

Built-in double oven 

3D hot air 

LED digital display 

Retractable dials 

2yr Guarantee 

Enamel linings 

Blomberg 

LWF174310W 

Washing Machine 

1400rpm Spin Speed 

7Kg Load Capacity 

28 Min Fast Full Load 

16 Programmes 

D Rated 

BEKO 

CIFY81X 

Built-In Single Oven 

5 Functions 

66 Ltr Oven 

Fan Assisted 

Stainless Steel 

A Rated 

FREE DELIVERY 

with 

Personal Service 

“Ask About our 

Same Day/Next Day 

Installation 

and Removal Service” 

SONY 

KD32W800P1U 

32” HD SMART TV 

HD READY DISPLAY 

FREEVIEW PLAY 

GOOGLE ASSISTANT 

3 HDMI PORTS 

CATCH UP TV 

BOSCH 

SMS2ITW08G 

DISHWASHER 

12 PLACE SETTINGS 

DELAY START 

ECO WASH 

2yr Guarantee 

ANSTEY 

25 

HOTPOINT 

NSWE745CWSUK 

Washing Machine 

1400rpm Spin Speed 

7kg Load Capacity 

B Rated 

Fast Full Load 

White 

0116 234 0548 

We can take care of every detail, advise and help you 

on each and every step of the way. 

• Qualified Funeral Directors 

• Floral Tributes arranged 

• Hearse, Limousines and 

alternatives available 

• Monumental Service 

• Car parking available 

• Online tribute and 

donation profile 

• Catering suite 

• Chapels of rest 

• Funeral plans available 

• 24 hour service 

Desford BOWLS Club 

We are looking for new members to join 

our small friendly club. 

From beginners to experienced bowlers,you 

will be made most welcome. 

Friendly and league matches take place on 

most days throughout the week. 

Equipment Provided along with 

Three Free Trial Sessions. 

PLUS: ADDED BONUS OF ASSOCIATE 

MEMBERSHIP OF SID (Sport In Desford). 

For further details, please email: 

sidbowls1@gmail.com 

or telephone Steve Richardson 

0116 287 0461 or 07592 808856 

Funeral arrangements can be made in the comfort of 

your own home if preferred. 

Talbott House, Leicester Road, Anstey, Leicester, Leicestershire LE7 7AT 

Email: talbotthouse@ansteyfunerals.com Website: www.ansteyfunerals.com 

My girlfriend says if I don’t marry her, she’s going to kill me, it’s a matter of wife or death.

26 


Children’s 

exam papers 

THE FOLLOWING reallife 

answers to various 

exam papers explain 

why teachers need long 

holidays… 

What is a nitrate? Cheaper than a 

day rate. 

What was Sir Walter Raleigh 

famous for? 

He is a noted figure in history 

because he invented cigarettes and 

started a craze for bicycles. 

What did Mahatma Gandhi and 

Genghis Khan have in common? 

Unusual names. 

Name one of the early Romans’ 

greatest achievements. Learning to 

speak Latin. 

Name six animals which live 

specifically in the Arctic. Two polar 

bears. Four seals. 

Where was the American 

Declaration of Independence 

signed? At the bottom. 

What happens during puberty to 

a boy? He says goodbye to his 

childhood and enters adultery. 

State three drawbacks of hedgerow 

removal. All the cows will escape. 

The cars drive into the fields. There 

is nowhere to hide. 

What is the meaning of the word 

varicose? Close by. 

What is a fibula? A little lie. 

Why would living close to a mobile 

phone mast cause ill health? You 

might walk into it. 

What is a vibration? There are 

good vibrations and bad vibrations. 

Good vibrations were discovered in 

the 1960s. 

Where was Hadrian’s Wall built? 

Around Hadrian’s garden. 

The race of people known as 

Malays come from which country? 

Malaria. 

You don’t need to be a meteorologist to know 

that the UK isn’t blessed with the most desirable 

of climates. Our weather is unreliable and 

generally has average levels of heat, cold, sun, 

cloud, rain and snow. There’s not enough of 

any to be worthy of note, except on the odd few 

days when it veers to an extreme – which is so 

unusual that it makes headline news. 

Still, every cloud has a silver lining…literally! 

This temperate climate means that during most 

summers, we can have gorgeous gardens. This 

starts with your lawn, as it is likely that more of 

your garden will be given over to lawn than any 

other single feature. However, if yours looks 

more grazing meadow than bowling green, a 

beautiful space will elude you until it’s sorted. 

But where do you start, and what do you need? 

Analysis 

Is your soil chalk, clay or sand? Do you have a 

problem with any particular types of weeds and 

pests? Are there any bare patches, and what’s 

causing them (e.g. pets)? Is the grass type 

suitable for your needs? Beautiful fine grass won’t 

stand up to the kids playing football, for example. 

Equipment 

If your lawnmower hasn’t had any maintenance 

in years, the blades are blunt, and the blade 

height is difficult to adjust, you need to choose 

between a service or a new model. But lawns 

also need scarification (removing moss and other 

debris) and aeration (small holes in the ground 

to allow air, water and nutrients to circulate) and 

both of these require specific tools. 

Products 

Plenty of water, of course, but no garden 

reaches its full potential without products to 

feed the growth and kill the weeds. These are 

relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at 

most DIY stores and garden centres, but if you 

don’t know what you are doing, you can make 

things worse. Many a lawn has been scorched 

by an overly enthusiastic application of fertiliser. 

Time 

Oh yes, that elusive element, lack of which is the 

enemy of garden improvement plans. If you can’t 

be consistent with your maintenance, it’s hardly 

worth starting. It’s all very well being enthusiastic 

in March and April, but if you’ve lost interest by 

July, both time and money will be wasted. 

The professionals 

Feeling motivated? Or overwhelmed and 

resigned to a beige thatch instead of a lush 

green carpet? It is possible with research, 

dedication and money to achieve great results 

by taking the DIY route. But it’s a job many 

of us just don’t enjoy doing, and calling in a 

professional lawn company could be the answer. 

Most people still like to mow their own lawns 

(although many even outsource that these days), 

but buying and storing expensive equipment and 

carrying out lawn work is a job better left to those 

who do it all the time. 

ANSTEY 

SKIP HIRE 

MIDI AND MAXI SKIPS 

mobile: 07811 162 285 

Email: Ansteyskips@gmail.com 

Did you know, the band “Fine Young Cannibals” originally had 8 members.


Here’s an 

award that’s 

relevant for our 

families 

IF YOU’RE A 

follower of our 

national news 

broadcasts on 

TV you may 

have tired of 

the speculation 

about who will 

win most at the 

Academy Awards, 

the Golden Globe 

Awards, or the 

BAFTA Film 

Awards. 

They get lots of 

coverage, unlike 

Dr Ian Loke 

many other awards much more relevant to our daily lives. An 

example of these alternative awards is the Pumping Marvellous 

Foundation Awards for Professionals for Being Simply 

Marvellous. A bit of a mouthful, and not half as catchy and 

memorable as ‘The Oscars’. 

Many families will be affected by heart disease, and the 

Pumping Marvellous heart failure charity recognises the 

value that health care professionals bring to the treatment 

and patient outcomes. Measured by the individual patients’ 

experience the award reflects the direct impact the winners 

have in the local community, producing the highest standard of 

care for their patients. 

For those with heart problems, having the expertise of 

those delivering heart services locally at Glenfield Hospital 

is reassuring. And the good news is that cardiac consultant 

Dr Ian Loke has received a “You’re simply Marvellous” 

award from the charity. The Pumping Marvellous foundation 

emphasises the importance of the patient perspective in 

recognising and rewarding health care professionals. 

One of the patients who nominated him commented on how 

approachable and friendly he is, in addition to being patient, 

caring and a good listener. Dr Loke, who is also president of 

the Take Heart Charity and sits on the education committee of 

the British Society for Heart Failure, has been recognised for 

outstanding service to heart failure. 

He was appointed to a consultant cardiology post in the 

university of Leicester Hospitals in 2007, and was a awarded a 

distinction with his MD thesis in 2008. 

He is currently the lead for heart failure in the Glenfield 

Hospital, which has one of the highest admission rates for 

heart failure in the United Kingdom. 

He is also a complex device implanter and is involved in many 

research studies both locally and nationally. He established 

one of the first urgent heart failure clinics in the UK a decade 

ago, cited as an example of exemplary service in the European 

Society of Cardiology and one of the busiest in the country. 


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27

What is Live-in Care? 

Live-in Care services is when a Care Professional resides in your home to provide care and assistance. 

One of the significant advantages of a live-in Care Professional is that it is a safe alternative to other 

types of care and offers peace of mind that someone is readily available should the need arise.Live-In 

Care works on a 10 hour average daily agreement with a 2 hour break - this can be covered by another 

Home Instead Care Professional if needed. 

Live-in Care is a safe and affordable alternative to a residential care home that gives you control over 

your care, bringing you consistent, one-to-one support in the comfort of your home. 

What is Home Care? 

Home care or domiciliary care is where a Care 

Professional will visit your home for a minimum of an 

hour a day, as little or as often as required. 

Home care is great option should your loved one need 

companionship (a chat over a coffee or a trip to go 

shopping), help with household chores or even 

personal Care. 

Is Live-inCare Safe? 

Live-in care is one of the safest options available. 

One to one Care from our Care Professional means 

that your Care is personalised to your needs and to 

suit your daily routine which would allow to live safe 

and well, enjoying a higher quality of life whilst being 

in the comfort of your own home. 

Live-in Care Vs. Home Care 

Living at home means staying in familiar 

surroundings and maintaining those daily 

routines that might not be possible in 

residential care. 

The best way to get a complete 

understanding is by speaking with a member 

of our team who will happily go through all 

of your concerns and requirements to help 

you decide on the best solution for your 

loved one. 

Please call us on 0116 319 2474 to discuss 

the options. 

Personal Care Home Help Companionship Dementia Care 

Live in Care 

Home Instead West Leicestershire 

& Market Bosworth 

0116 319 2474 

www.homeinstead.co.uk/west-leicestershire 

Each Home Instead® franchise office is independently owned and operated. Copyright © Home Instead 2021. 

#StayHomeInstead

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