Rearsby Scene July 2011
Jottings July& August 2011
At this time of year the main thought on many people’s minds is holidays,
families with children of school age will be hoping soon to depart. If you do not have this restriction you may already have been away or be planning a holiday in September when prices are cheaper.
I must admit to being in the latter group and looking back with pleasure to my May holiday when I fulfilled an ambition to go to Vienna. I am lucky that an old friend was willing to go along and ‘be my eyes’. We had wonderful help at Heathrow Airport which was organised ahead. After flying to Munich we joined a coach which took us to the cruise on the River Danube.
I have fulfilled my dream to visit Vienna. True, it was only one day, with a walking tour of the centre of Vienna seeing the wonderful palaces, the Spanish Riding School with its ‘dancing’ horses and experiencing the vibrant atmosphere. However, I then had one of the most memorable evenings of my life when I attended a concert mainly of the music of Strauss in the most gorgeous concert hall.
We also visited Budapest - the centre of which was three times the size of Trafalgar Square. It was surrounded by trees and was ten times more magnificent.
Many of you will have received a letter from the Syston Volunteer Bureau voicing their concerns that Leicestershire County Council is considering cutting their funding. If you have received help from them, please do respond to their plea for support.
Although I wrote Jottings before I went on my river cruise, our editorial team did a great job of putting together the June magazine. My thanks go to them all but in particular to Martin Gilding. We would also like to thank Mark Golding of Clipper Print who pulled out all the stops to get our magazine ready for delivery a day earlier than planned.
Last month I asked you to tell Chris Cherry of any events happening in nearby villages but please continue to send all Rearsby village events to Rob Wilbourn. Contact details at the front of the magazine.
No more magazines until September as the team have a break for the summer – but please let us know of any events for that month or later by August 12th.
There is a competition in this magazine. Do encourage your children to enter. Hope you enjoy testing your knowledge of Leicestershire in the holiday Quiz.
Mary Beskeen
Your Village Needs You!
Rearsby Parish Council wishes to co-opt a further councillor to join them,
this position is open to any Rearsby resident aged 21 years and over.
The parish council meet in the village hall on the first Thursday of each
month when they deal with a broad range of issues that affect our village.
These matters regularly include development/planning, environment, leisure
/community facilities, public safety, maintenance of roads/footpaths and
much more beside. For the PC to carry out these tasks it is often necessary to
liaise with various department in both the borough and county councils.
If you are enthusiastic about Rearsby and have a few hours to spare each month,
then you could help make a positive contribution that would benefit the whole community.
Being a parish councillor can be a rewarding experience, so please get in touch
with myself or any other councillor and we will endeavour to answer any questions
that you may have.
Peter French (Chairman – Rearsby Parish Council)
Proposed New Bus Shelter
As part of the Section 106 planning obligations for the new Bloor Homes development
off Mill road in Rearsby, the developer Bloor Homes are obligated to provide a bus shelter on Melton road on a south bound bus stop in Rearsby village.
Leicestershire County Council have proposed that it be sited adjacent to the bus stop
next to the Horse & Groom pub, and have written to those residents that may be directly affected by it.
Through this notice Rearsby Parish Council, are bringing these proposals to the attention of the wider village community. The PC have the option of recommending acceptance or rejecting the bus shelter, however the final decision as to whether to proceed rests with LCC.
The RPC would welcome comments from any Rearsby residents regarding the need for a bus shelter at this location, whether for or against the proposal.
Please send any comments in confidence to the RPC clerk by 14th July latest.
Sue Norledge (Clerk) Rearsby Parish Council
12, Orton Close, Rearsby. LE7 4XZ
Planning Applications
Mon, 13 Jun 2011
P/11/1279/2
Retrospective application for removal of timber framed ridge vent from roof (Listed Building Consent).
Manor Farm 40 Brookside Rearsby Leicestershire LE7 4YB
Mr A J P Pochin
Thu, 02 Jun 2011
P/11/1277/2
Erection of 2 x 3 bedroom and 2 x 2 bedroom bungalows. (Revised scheme - P/10/2770/2 refers)
Land rear of 1700 Melton Road Rearsby Leicestershire LE7 4YR
Mrs H Kaye
Fri, 27 May 2011
P/11/1104/2
Erection of single storey extension at front of dwelling and two storey extension at rear of dwelling.
15 Wreake Drive Rearsby Leicestershire LE7 4YZ
Mr & Mrs S G Beech
Forthcoming Events
Rearsby Coffee Club
You are invited to our afternoon tea-party on Tuesday 5 July at Rearsby Village Hall from 2pm until 4pm.
Admission £3.00 (as much tea or coffee as you can drink and as much cake as you can eat!)
There will be a raffle and preserves for sale.
This is part of the Marie Curie Big Tea-Party campaign. All proceeds go to provide nursing care to cancer patients.
Everyone is most welcome
NB. This replaces our usual coffee morning from 10.30am until 12 noon that day.
Any queries ring Gill Garner
Reminder - “Over 70s” Lunch at Ulverscroft Grange on Thursday September 8th
Please remember to book your place with Angela Fielding 01664424202
Family Barn Dance & BBQ
This special event will take place on Saturday 2nd July at Rearsby Village Hall 6 - 10 pm. Dig out your dungarees as there are prizes for the best dressed adult and child. Bring your own drinks. Admission by ticket only (adults £7.50, kids £4.00). Contact for tickets and further information - o Proceeds for Rearsby Village Hall.
Assistance in preparation and running this event on the night would be much appreciated - contact as above.
KUDOS perform ‘At the Movies and Musicals’!
Kudos return to the stage to raise money for the charities Help for Heroes and the Melton Mowbray
Building Society Charitable Foundation.
Fri 29th July Long Clawson Village Hall £7
Sat 30th July Rearsby Village Hall £7
Fri 19th Aug Waltham Village Hall £7
Sat 20th Aug Pera Innovation Park. Melton £9
Doors open at 7pm for 7.30pm start. Ticket prices stated are for on the door, discounts are available for advanced bookings online at the above links.
Kudos is a not for profit performing group dedicated to supporting charities.Come to an evening of song and dance from stageandscreen ...... join our singing nuns from ‘Sister Act’, swing with the crooners, get hippy with ‘Sweet Charity’ and lots more!
All ages welcome!
Threat to Syston Volunteer Bureau
Many residents of Rearsby have benefitted from the help given them by this voluntary organisation. Leicestershire County Council has already taken away more than £12,000 and are seriously considering removing the rest of their funding. Although all the staff are volunteers, money is needed for insurance, for the vehicles, building, contents and public liability and also for heating, lighting, phone bills, computer costs and repairs etc.
At a time when the buzz word is the ‘The Big Society’ is this a time to close down the service which is operated by willing volunteers? Without the framework and organization which channels the willingness to help others vital services will disappear.
It will be the older people and those with disabilities who will suffer. At the moment the Bureau will organise a driver to take people to keep hospital appointments, visit the doctor and organise shopping trips for people who are unable to use buses. They remember those of the community who are ill, lonely and unable to get out by organising shopping trips and lunches at the headquarters in Syston.
Computer courses at Rearsby Village Hall
September 2011
An Unexpected Visitor.
In the middle of May, late on a Friday evening, I took a last look into our ‘Withdrawing Room’ (lounge). A flurry of noise as I switched on the light warned me that we had a visitor. I closed the door, collected a blanket to help catch the intruder, and returned.
I didn’t expect a bulky and formidable tawny owl to be gazing at me from the window pelmet, and the span of its wings as it subsequently flew about the room was impressive. It finally settled and sat staring at me from a perch on a lampshade. Quite a thrilling encounter with the local wild life and I am thankful for a number of things:
- Its collisions with the walls and ceiling broke nothing of itself or our possessions.
- That I’d taken a last evening look because we were off to London first thing the following morning and in a weekend an owl can cause a lot of damage.
- That my camera was nearby and allowed for a brief photographic session.
- The room has French windows and allowed for an easy exit into the dark night.
I have a theory that its only access down our tall narrow chimney was inspired by a desire to get away from the noise, dust and heavy vehicular traffic that have been a bugbear for those who live in Mill Road-but maybe that’s just a reflection of my own jaundiced view of the new Bloor housing development.
Hope you like the photo!
Bryn Howell
The Olde House.
In Death They Are Not Divided
Monica Marriott was born in Nottingham, one of 6 siblings in 1922. She has just celebrated her 89th birthday. Until the age of 7 she was educated at home by a governess. She then attended a local prep school run by the Misses Marriott (no relation) and finally the Convent Of The Holy Child near Sevenoaks in Kent. After gaining her School Certificate she trained as a secretary. She took up her first post on January 1st 1938 with Unilever for the princely sum of £1 per week since the firm paid according to age!
On January 1st 1942, having volunteered, Monica joined the Wrens. She was trained as a projectionist of both aircraft reconnaissance instruction and entertainment films. She was kept very busy. There were 2 houses per night and 3 programme changes per week. In 1944 she was drafted to Arbroath and transferred to the Fleet Air Arm. After training in Dead Reckoning Navigation and 3 weeks at the Officers’ Training Course at Greenwich Royal Naval College, she returned to Arbroath and was attached to the Observer School there as an instructor.
She met her future husband Patrick on September 20th at 2.45 pm outside the Wrennery on a blind date organised by a priest from Ratcliffe who later married the couple. It was love at first sight and the pair became engaged to be married after 4 dates. They left the Navy in 1946 and went home to West Bridgford. Monica reflects that she should have got a job but her parents had had a grim war with the bombing and rationing so she took “the bride’s course” and stayed at home to help her mother. Her fiancé, Patrick joined the family firm which was the first yarn agents in Leicester founded in 1865 with premises in Newarke Street.
Monica and Patrick married in 1949 when they had saved sufficient money.
Their first child Stephen was born in 1950. He is a retired teacher, is single and lives in Norfolk. Josephine was born in 1952 and sadly died at the age of 6 from an inoperable brain tumour. John was born in 1955. He is married with 3 children, Andrew, George and Susie and owns his own agricultural fencing business. After Jo’s death the family moved to Rotherby and the boys went to Ratcliffe College. Monica describes her life as super. She was totally in love with Patrick who died at home in 2006 and they had 60 years of bliss together. She still lives as Patrick liked her to live, taking pains with her appearance and keeping her home immaculate. At the ripe old age of 65 she finally got a full time job helping Patrick with the business when his partner retired. They moved to Rearsby 40 years ago, mainly to be near the Convent. When they retired they went round the world – not by sea because Patrick was sea sick every day on board – as Monica says - “3 meals up, 3 meals down, just like Nelson”. They first visited Penang for 10 days then Australia and New Zealand where they found Patrick’s great grandfather’s grave at Devonport just outside Auckland. They then crossed the Pacific to visit their eldest godson in Vancouver, then to see a sister in Toronto before returning home via Amsterdam.
Monica is an accomplished writer. Here is a section from an article she wrote about her wartime experiences.
“At first I was quartered in a Nissen hut cabin together with 5 other Wren officers and then as numbers increased a derelict farmhouse was taken over for additional accommodation and I moved in there with an army of mice who delighted in making their nests in our underwear drawers”.
The forces language is still there hence the cry of “Action Stations” when the telephone rings.
Although suffering badly from arthritis Monica still entertains friends and old shipmates to lunch parties. She is a committed Catholic and attends services in the Convent. She appreciates the kind friends who are very good to her. Monica is an avid reader and expresses thanks to Polly of the library Outreach Service. She likes listening to music and loves spoiling her grandchildren.
Monica loves living in Rearsby. She finds the village very friendly and Patrick is always here. They are part of each other.
Maggi Litchfield
Notes on the Parish Council Meeting held on the 2nd June at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.
Present; Councillors Peter French (Chair)
Simon Chenery
John Blankley
Martin Cooke
Ian Christie-Smith
Mrs. S Norledge (clerk)
Apologies. Councillors Mike Preston (county) Matthew Blaine (borough) P.C.S.O. Grimley
In Attendance: 2 members of the public.
New Council The new council is now settling in to the everyday activities, with Peter French as chairman, and new member Ian Christie-Smith complementing the ranks.
Repair and Maintenance, Many hedges in various parts of the village still require trimming, this matter will be pursued.
Railings along the Brookside footpath require attention. This has been reported to Charnwood, a reply is awaited.
Grass Verges. The grass verges in Mill Road are being damaged by road traffic, a long term solution to this problem is to be sought with L.C.C.
Pot Holes. Small pot holes continue to appear in various areas of the village, please report them to either the parish council, or L.C.C. highways authority.
Bus Shelter. There is a proposal to erect a new bus shelter adjacent to the Horse & Groom public house. The council will be taking soundings with parishioners on this issue, in order to come to a decision.
Bench Seat & Planters. These items have been purchased by the Parish Council for the benefit of the village. It is to be noted however, that that in order to install the above a license (£100.00) must be paid to Charnwood Borough council!!!
Tree Matters. A small dead tree located in the convent spinney, fell into station road. This was cleared up quite quickly, with no further problems.
Youth Development. Martin Cooke has replied to several residents who wrote to the council, in reply to the council’s ”round robin” on this subject. This is an ongoing issue; contacts will be made with other interested parties in order to progress.
Rearsby Football Club & East Goscote Football Club. The prospect of a Junior and Youth Football team playing on the village field in the autumn looks like a real possibility, contact with these organisations is to be maintained.
Caught Reporter.
Leicestershire Villages Quiz
Hidden in the following story below there are a number of Leicestershire & Rutland Villages each spelt correctly. When you have found them, including the example, please underline them on this sheet.
How many of the twenty – eight can you find? GOOD LUCK
It was a very dark night on the lonely Scottish moor and mist covered miles of the track ahead. It was not good weather for pilgrims tonight. John tightened his belt on which hung his purse, a bag worth stealing. He was afraid that robbers were hot on his trail. Were they following on the road by which he had come, or lurking behind a bush by the side of the road, lying in wait for him? Or would they pick up some stones by the roadside and hurl those at him.