Editorial policy Roundabout aims to promote local events, groups and businesses and to keep everyone informed of anything that affects our community. We avoid lending support (in the form of articles) to any social, political or religious causes, and we reserve the right to amend or omit any items submitted. The final decision rests with the editors. While Roundabout is supported by Woodhouse Parish Council, we rely on advertisements to pay production costs, and we accept advertisements for local businesses as well as those that publicise charitable and fund-raising events. Brief notification of events in the ‘What’s on’ schedule is free. Copyright in any articles published is negotiable but normally rests with Roundabout. We apologise for any errors that might occur during production and will try to make amends in the following issue. Roundabout needs your input. For guidelines on submission, please see inside the back cover. Management and production Roundabout is managed on behalf of the community and published by the Editorial and Production Team comprising Richard Bowers, Evelyn Brown, Peter Crankshaw, Amanda Garland, Andrew Garland, Tony Lenney, Rosemary May, Neil Robinson, Grahame Sibson and Andy Thomson. Content editor for this issue: Evelyn Brown Cover: Neil Robinson Advertising managers: Amanda and Andrew Garland Desk-top publishing (page layout) for this issue: Andy Thomson Printing: University Printing Services Roundabout is available to read or download from the parish council website at www.woodhouseparishcouncil.org.uk/roundabout.html Distribution: Roundabout is delivered by volunteers to every address within the parish boundary – just under 1000 households and businesses, including all the surrounding farms. Please let us know if any house or business in Woodhouse Parish is not receiving Roundabout, or if you can help out with deliveries.

2 Roundabout May 2011 Contents

Page

Editor’s note 5

Parish council news 5

News in brief 8

Annual Parish Meeting 13

Strange sighting on Beacon Hill 15

Music in Woodhouse Eaves 17

Ten thousand miles in under four years: bodywork in 19 excellent condition A farming calendar 21

Welbeck welcomes a royal visitor 24

Meandering through the bluebells in springtime 26

Garden matters for May 30

Local History Group: The Leicester navigation 31

The last word 34

Contributions to Roundabout Inside back cover

What’s on in May Back cover

Deadline for submissions to the June 2011 issue: Tuesday, 10th May Email to [email protected] or hand in at the post office Content editor for June: Peter Crankshaw

Roundabout May 2011 3 4 Roundabout May 2011 Editor’s note With the May Day Challenge about to happen, or just completed as you read this issue of Roundabout (report in June issue), it seems appropriate that this month we tell you about veteran walker, Andy Selby (p.19), and young Elizabeth Kessling (p.15), whose recent efforts may inspire her to give Andy a run (sorry, ‘walk’!) for his money in a few year’s time. Also in the news are the young students of Welbeck Sixth Form Defence College, who have had an exciting opportunity to demonstrate their considerable skills to the Duke of Edinburgh on his recent visit to the college, and to impress the Vice-Chair of the parish council as well (p.24). Lambing is well under way at Upper Broombriggs Farm and we learn that there is a lot of hard work for Richard and Shirley Reynolds and their veterinary team, before the new-born, woolly bundles can take to the fields. For the rest of us, there is an opportunity to visit the bluebell displays in the Outwoods, with a guide to what else late spring has to offer on the way (p.26). Editor Parish council news Bus services over bank holidays in May County Councillor David Snartt has been asked to confirm whether the villages will be without a bus services on the Tuesdays following the May Bank Holidays. Bus companies are allowed to run a Sunday service on these Tuesdays. In this parish there are no buses on Sundays, therefore there are no buses on the Tuesdays. The parish council has written formally to Cllr Snartt to express concern about this as a similar situation occurred over last Christmas and new year (and maybe Easter as well, by the time you read this issue of Roundabout). Public conveniences The promised maintenance works by Charnwood Borough Council will start on Tuesday, 3rd May and continue for several weeks. When the toilets are not available, for example on the 3rd May when they will be closed all day, the parish council will try to arrange alternative facilities in the village hall. Street lighting County highways officers will soon replace some of the old concrete street- lamp columns in the parish. These are known to have structural problems

Roundabout May 2011 5 and are being replaced across the county. Unfortunately, they cost quite a lot of money but by replacing several at the same time, there is a discount. The council normally budgets for one per year at a cost of about £1000 each. This year, as an extra one was considered dangerous, we have to replace five columns in total. Success with litter The parish council has sent Pam Crankshaw a letter of thanks as her good deeds under the Keep Britain Tidy scheme have helped to make a difference to the appearance of parish roads. We still ask the borough council’s Serco team to clear litter in places where traffic makes Pam’s work too difficult; this, too, is helping to improve things. However, it seems that every time a road is cleared of litter, more of it appears the next day. Former Forest Rock Garage/Chinese Restaurant site Several people have asked why the most recent application for 11 homes on the site was withdrawn, and whether this was because the parish council had objected to the proposal, although a vote at the public meeting on 3rd March seemed to be generally in favour (see April Roundabout). Although the parish council took account of residents’ views during the public meeting, only three councillors were able to attend. At the parish WOODHOUSE PARISH COUNCIL VACANCIES FOR COUNCILLORS  There are three vacancies and the Parish Council is seeking to co- opt new members. The term of office will be until the next election in May 2015, when all members must be re-elected.  Applications, in writing, together with a brief statement of reasons why a person wishes to be a councillor are invited from parishioners who feel they could contribute to the working of the Council and would wish to be considered for membership. Applications should be sent, if possible, by 31st May 2011  by post to: The Clerk to the Council, 272 Forest Road, Woodhouse, Loughborough, LE12 8UA (tel. (01509) 890 050)  by email: [email protected] Information about being a councillor may be found at:  www.woodhouseparishcouncil.org.uk/elections or  www.charnwood.gov.uk/pages/allaboutparishcouncils

6 Roundabout May 2011 council meeting, when all parish councillors were present, the majority voted to object. This was partly because it is not possible to support an application when the view is that changes should be made, for example the recommendation that there should be one dwelling less, and partly because the borough council’s planning policy is to refuse applications for housing in unsustainable settlements, i.e. those without a full range of services, meaning that people moving here would need a car. Approval conflicts with the overall strategy to build homes where there is good public transport. Although permission was granted, exceptionally, for the previous application for nine dwellings, this was on condition that three of these would be affordable homes; the current developer did not include affordable housing. Leicestershire County Council’s Highways Department also recommended refusal on road safety grounds; therefore, Charnwood Borough Council would have refused the application, anyway. The parish council’s response would not have influenced any of this. Some developers prefer to withdraw their application rather than have it formally refused. Bradgate nursing home site Agents for the owners of the site attended the April parish council meeting to show their latest plans. Delays to a formal application are due to changes made following estate agents’ comments on the size of some of the proposed houses and to further work needed to plot and assess all the trees on the site. The council was told that plans would be submitted soon; when they are received the council will hold a public meeting so that you can have your say. The proposal is now for eight houses; three more than originally proposed and approved. Parking on Tuckett Road Following more complaints about careless parking on Tuckett Road, our local beat manager, PC Orton, has talked to parents who park there when taking children to the Little Owls pre-school group. The parish council has also asked members of Charnwood Neighbourhood Housing if they can do anything to make the entrance to Tuckett Road look better. Goodbyes This is the last report for Roundabout before the parish council begins its new year on Monday, 9th May, when councillors will start another four years in office. I would like to thank the two councillors who are leaving us, Liz Beth and Jo McDonagh, for all the work they have done on your behalf since they joined the parish council. They will both remain involved in local projects but will be spared the monthly council meetings and my many and

Roundabout May 2011 7 frequent requests for their time in-between. As we have nine places available, we would like three more volunteers to fill them. Please get in touch with me if you would like to be considered for co-option (see the call for co-options on p.6). Ann Irving, Clerk to the Council For parish council meetings and minutes see www.woodhouseparishcouncil.org.uk/meetings-and-minutes.html

News in brief Dedication of new seats On, 3rd April, Mothering Sunday, the sun shone as friends and family of Bill Avery gathered in St Paul’s graveyard to dedicate the two, beautiful new seats that were made by Bill’s son and donated to Woodhouse Eaves (see March Roundabout). The first to be blessed was a seat made to commemorate Bill’s 90th birthday, which Bill took the opportunity to try out before the group moved to the seat looking out over the cremation interment area, towards the Soar valley. Canon Anne Horton also blessed this seat, which was dedicated to Bill’s late wife, Kathleen. All those present at the dedication agreed that Kathleen would have appreciated Bill enjoys a moment of quiet the view from the seat; Bill certainly enjoyed contemplation trying it out! Amanda Garland

8 Roundabout May 2011 Lark Rise to Woodhouse Eaves The New Perspectives Theatre Company’s performance of Lark Rise to Candleford (23rd March) was a brilliant experience for the packed audience at Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall. The company comprised a talented trio of performers (Kate Adams, Morgan Philpott and Ruth Westley), who had us The trio in performance (photo by thinking, laughing and, above all, courtesy of Robert Day) enjoying their multiple roles as they faithfully re-told Flora Thompson's Lark Rise story. Songs were sung with perfect diction; tunes were played on penny whistle, banjo, trumpet, trombone, accordion, violin and more; and a fantastically well-remembered series of word-vignettes and ‘playlets’ of the stories in Flora's books was delivered. I am so glad I made the time to go. All thanks to Richard and Sian Mollart, who arrange visits from Centre Stage professional touring theatres and arts groups to Woodhouse Parish, and to members of the Woodhouse Eaves Scouts Group, who made and served refreshments. Ann Irving No longer helping others? You may be wondering why there have been no reports of the number of pairs of spectacles collected for the Fight for Sight charity so far this year, or of the progress of the group of people who have been knitting bonnets, jackets and blankets for the premature babies at Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI). The reasons are two-fold. First of all, the number of pairs of spectacles handed in at Oakwood Pharmacy so far this year has been dire – only 114. There was a period in the past when at least 1000 pairs were collected in each of three consecutive years. Currently, economic times are hard and it may be that people are having just the lenses replaced, rather than buying new frames as well. However, don’t forget that if you are replacing both, your old spectacles (including sunglasses) are still welcome at Oakwood Pharmacy. Secondly, LRI can now accept only garments and blankets made of cotton. Their new sterilisation unit would deform any items made of wool or artificial fibres. The knitting group is continuing to make knee blankets, donating them to either Loughborough Hospital or local charity shops. Many thanks are due to the group members for their efforts. Eric Allsop

Roundabout May 2011 9 Traffic-speed shock Appallingly high speeds have been recorded on Beacon Road, Woodhouse Eaves, by the newly acquired, mobile, vehicle-activated speed sign (VAS). In the first two weeks since moving it from Church Hill in the village, 26,078 vehicles were recorded travelling down the hill, of which 5446 (around 21 per cent) were significantly over the speed limit. Three vehicles were recorded at over 90mph, six at 81−90mph, 23 at 71−80mph and 202 at 61−70mph. A further 1545 vehicles were logged at 51−60mph and 3667 at 46−50mph; this on a road with a speed limit of 40mph. Traffic Watch volunteers adjust Commenting on the dangerously high speeds, the VAS which underline the urgent need for further traffic-calming measures on principal roads within the two Woodhouse Parish communities, Traffic Watch co-ordinator, Liz Randall said, ‘Words fail me. I know this is a bad road for speeding but this is just ridiculous. At least we now have

10 Roundabout May 2011 recognised data to feed back to the police and the county highways authority. It proves what we have always known about this road; it is simply dangerous.’ The sign has now been turned to face traffic coming up the hill from the direction of the villages. Peter Crankshaw ‘Thank you’ and ‘welcome’ The Woodhouses Garden Club members would like to thank retiring Secretary Neil Roberts who, for the past 13 years, has arranged the monthly meetings at which we have had a large variety of interesting speakers. We have also enjoyed the annual coach outings, brilliantly reconnoitred, taking us to many different places of interest including, of course, garden centres and coffee shops. Thank you, Neil (and Ann). Neil’s successor is Katheryn Fraser who, we are sure, will have our support. Woodhouses Garden Club You’re never too young… Have you ever wondered how Roundabout is delivered to virtually every house in Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves? The answer may come as a surprise. It is delivered to over 800 addresses in our villages, with kindness and enthusiasm, by our team of volunteers – for free. Last October, when Luke Garland heard that Roundabout needed help to deliver to Bird Hill Road, he immediately put up his hand. The amazing thing was that Luke was just ten days old! Unperturbed and with only a little help from his daddy, he put on his winter clothes and set about his task. He quickly completed all of his deliveries and would have been home in less than 30 minutes, if daddy hadn’t needed to have a small rest in the Curzon Arms. Since then, Luke has delivered each month and has often been stopped by his neighbours for a chat while daddy waited patiently. We are always looking for new volunteers to act either as regular helpers or as reserves to A little help from daddy cover holiday periods. If you would like to support us in any way, please either send us an email, or drop us a note care of the post office. Andrew Garland

Roundabout May 2011 11 Swifts, swallows and house martin nesting-survey Due to declining populations of swifts, swallows and house martins, a survey into nesting birds is currently taking place in Leicestershire and Rutland. We would like your help in identifying local nesting sites and nesting activity, which would contribute valuable data to this survey and also be used in national surveys. It is thought that house martin populations, for example, have declined by up to 50 per cent over the last ten years. Reasons for population decline are unsure, though adverse climatic conditions in winter quarters and along migration routes, changes in farming methods and reduction of nesting sites, are all possibilities. If you observe swifts, swallows or house martins nesting or nest building in your vicinity, please let us know by sending us the location (postcode), number of nests and adult birds, and evidence of young (seen or heard or adults carrying food into nests). We will be happy to help with identification of birds and nests if required. Send information to: [email protected] Cathy Schou and Kate Moore, Heritage Wardens Local elections Note that elections for Charnwood Borough Council and the referendum for the Alternative Vote System will take place in Woodhouse Eaves Village

12 Roundabout May 2011 Hall and the Woodhouse Community Hall from 7.00am−10.00pm on Tuesday, 3rd May. Ann Irving, Clerk to the Council Villages in bloom Very many thanks are due to those residents who helped to usher spring into our villages by planting a wide variety of daffodils and snowdrops along the road sides. Eric Allsop Annual Parish Meeting Once again, it was concerns over road traffic safety and the status of the former Chinese Restaurant site that dominated questions from the floor at the more poorly attended than usual Annual Parish Meeting on 12th April (see also ‘Traffic-speed shock’ and ‘Parish council news’, p.10 and p.5). Traffic calming The Woodhouse Parish Council Chair, Mark Woodland, had already emphasised the priority of these issues in his introductory report, noting, with respect to traffic calming, that the volume of traffic passing through the parish is likely to increase as local housing developments increase. The possibility of erecting paired average-speed cameras on Beacon Road is being investigated but these would cost around £100,000, although it was noted from the floor that, in theory, the cost could be recouped in revenue from fines. Requests for a mini-roundabout at the Bull’s Head junction in A serious discussion between residents by Woodhouse Eaves are likely to be the Traffic Watch display no more successful, given the county council’s difficult financial situation, than has been the request for regulation of traffic speed on Forest Road between Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves, where motorists tend to accelerate as they leave either the 30mph or the 40mph zones. However, the number of accidents on the Church Hill bend, opposite St Paul’s Church, appears to have decreased, probably because of the warning chevron signs, which glow in headlights at night.

Roundabout May 2011 13 Housing development Although the developers have withdrawn their application for housing on the former Chinese Restaurant site, the parish council (and probably most local residents) is hoping that a revised one, including provision for social housing, will be submitted. Ten houses, the maximum considered appropriate by residents at the public meeting on 3rd March (see April Roundabout), are the minimum needed to impose a ‘Section 106’, i.e. an obligation for the developers to make a financial contribution towards services in Woodhouse Eaves, to compensate for the increase in population. Police news The good news from PC Matt Orton is that the number of incidents reported in the parish has decreased from 142 during 2009/10 to 127 during 2010/11, although the reduction in burglaries has been minimal. The merging of the Quorn and Woodhouse beat and beats means that there is now better leave cover for officers but the meeting was somewhat shocked to learn that these officers cover the 40-square-mile area on foot or by bicycle. From PC Orton’s view, this enhances his physical presence in the community and allows him to meet people more easily. The meeting

14 Roundabout May 2011 expressed pleasure at the proper community policing being delivered by PC Orton and Police Community Support Officer Chris Kendall, with local confidence being enhanced by the presence of plain clothes and first- response officers in cars, night as well as day. Saying ‘thank you’ Mark Woodland expressed his thanks to the parish councillors and officers, the parish wardens and Jean Mawby (who takes care of Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall) for their valued input on behalf of the community, a sentiment echoed by Brian Axon on behalf of the residents present. Evelyn Brown Strange sighting on Beacon Hill If you were out and about in Woodhouse Eaves, or walking on Beacon Hill, in the early afternoon of Sunday, 20th March, you might have been bemused by the sight of eight young girls, all 11 or 12-years-old, wearing either high-heeled footwear or wellington boots and pyjamas, and brandishing a bucket. Helen Kessling wrote to Roundabout to tell us what her daughter, Elizabeth, and friends had been up to. It sounded so worthwhile that I went to talk to Elizabeth, herself, to find out more. A march with a mission and a difference The idea of a four-mile-round hike, from the corner of Maplewell Road and Main Street to the top of Beacon Hill and back, to raise money for charity (hence the bucket), was dreamed up by Elizabeth and her friend Millie Johnson, also from Woodhouse Eaves. Elizabeth told me that their chosen charity, the Japan earthquake appeal, had special significance for her because the family of her cousin’s partner live in Mission accomplished! Tokyo. Although unharmed by the earthquake, they are still concerned about the extent of the radiation leaks from the damaged nuclear power plants. She said that they wanted to make a difference for people in Japan by doing something different and so decided to do the walk in high-heeled shoes or boots. Another six friends, Nadia and Freya Rusby from Quorn,

Roundabout May 2011 15 and Katie Winston, Alice Cameron, Becky Harrison and Matilda Haines from Woodhouse Eaves, soon joined the scheme, opting for a wellingtons- and-pyjamas dress code. The pleasure and the pain For Elizabeth and her friends it was an exciting venture and they felt happy that the fun was not just for themselves but for the benefit of others as well. And the girls certainly enjoyed walking around, meeting and talking to people, and winkling money out of them; from shoppers coming out of Le Fevre, to the drivers parking in Beacon Hill car park and the unsuspecting ice-cream salesman at the top of Beacon Hill, who thought he was about to sell eight ice-creams but found himself donating money, instead. And the pain? Walking four miles in high-heeled shoes, when you’ve never worn them before, is far from pleasant; Elizabeth had the blisters to prove it. But the discomfort was worth it and the success of their money-collecting chant of ‘Give us your money, please – it’s for the Japanese’ was demonstrated by their collection of £188.62 for the cause. Well done to all of the girls! Evelyn Brown

16 Roundabout May 2011 Music in Woodhouse Eaves No one could accuse local residents of being narrow in their musical tastes. In addition to ‘Viva la Musica’, unaccompanied choral music at St Paul’s Church on 2nd April, two other, very different musical events took place recently in Woodhouse Eaves. Ed.

Hank Wangford and Brad Breath This country-music duo rode into town (without their horses) on 6th April and played a rapturously received set to a packed house in the Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall. Guess what? Hank and Brad are really Dr Sam Hutt and Andy Roberts, who first played together in the 1980s. Hank, now in his 70s, and Brad were performing their 256th village-hall show, with this particular Centre Stage production supported by the Rural Arts Touring Scheme. The set comprised songs about misery, more misery and even more misery, interspersed with stories (although you had to pick the fact from the fiction), ranging from being attacked on stage by the Thames neo-Nazis for supporting the miners, to Brad branding 3000 head of rabbits at his ranch in the USA! Somehow, it all became very amusing and extremely entertaining. Hank played acoustic guitar and ukulele, while Brad played his beautiful, Cadillac-green, Gretsch electric guitar and an Appalachian dulcimer. Audience participation in the choruses was rousing and, when telling a story about going to a pantomime, one bright spark in the audience called out, ‘Oh no you didn’t!’, rendering Hank speechless for a few seconds before announcing that this was a ‘first’ in their 256 shows to date. There were great lyrics on divorce, separation, lies, pain and joy − what a night! Catch them if you can, or buy a CD (I’m not on commission, honest!). Grahame Sibson

Mtengo Aid Concert On 24th March, Andrew Brook Lawson organised an ‘Eclectic Acoustic’ evening in the village hall. And eclectic it certainly was. The concert was kicked off by vocal harmony group ‘In Any Order’ (so-called because they can sing their repertoire ‘in any order’!), who kept us entertained with songs such as ‘I’ll fly away’. They were followed by Andrew, Eric Dryden and their group, ‘Los Bohose’, with a number of excellent folk/roll numbers. Undoubtedly the star of the evening was Sam Rodwell, who is still at Rawlins College, with his solo performance on the guitar. He held us spellbound as he moved through renditions of classical and contemporary

Roundabout May 2011 17 18 Roundabout May 2011 music. The evening was rounded off by the sometimes zany antics of ‘Dangerous Dogs’ and their mixture of old-time rhythm and blues. You may remember that in the December 2009 issue of Roundabout, under the title ‘Guitars, Africa and Woodhouse Eaves’, we published an article by Ian Thomson about his vision of doing something for the underprivileged of Malawi. He is now in Blantyre, Malawi, where he is setting up a workshop to train apprentices in the skill of making musical instruments. The entire proceeds of the concert, £233, have gone to help him buy equipment for his workshop. Andy Thomson Ten thousand miles in under four years: bodywork in excellent condition On 12th March, friends and contacts of Andy Selby, both locally here in Charnwood and further afield, received an email from him which began with the sentence, ‘I’ve just walked ten thousand miles before breakfast.’ A copy of this email fell into the hands of the Roundabout team. A new year’s resolution Andy is well known as a partner in Selby’s garage in Woodhouse Eaves and also for his organising efforts in promoting the May Day Challenge, an increasingly popular local event. However, we now know that he is not averse to covering a few miles under his own steam – on a scale, in fact, that to some may seem ‘mad’, though in his email Andy suggests the word ‘sad’. Apparently, in 2007 he made a new year’s resolution to walk more and so on 1st April of that year (a most appropriate date), he started to record his daily mileages, assisted by a GPS (Global ‘These boots were made for walking’ Positioning System), with a view to completing 1000 miles by the end of the calendar year. By the third week of October he had reached his target and by the end of the year, he had logged 1384 miles, as his meticulously kept daily schedules record. (They are available for scrutiny by those who may need more convincing!)

Roundabout May 2011 19 Upping the challenge Targets were reassessed and Andy’s email records the following. Increasing the daily mileage and entering long-distance events rapidly increased my tally in 2008 and I then began to contemplate how long it would take me to walk 10,000 miles and my best estimate, based on the figures that I’d recorded so far, was four and a half to five years! This may all sound a bit sad; perhaps I should get out more! During the period 2008 to 2010 I had pushed the total up to 8091 miles. So, I then started 2011 with 9475 miles logged, hopeful that I would be able to complete the last 525 miles before the end of March, injury and illness permitting. Readers may be interested to know that the ‘long-distance events’ to which Andy refers, include the 42-mile annual charity walk, on the longest day of the year, in the village of Whitwell in Derbyshire, and the even longer Lyke Wake Walk across the Cleveland Hills in North Yorkshire. Local events such as the Belvoir Challenge and the Bradgate Marathon, both a mere 26 miles, may be viewed as lesser hazards. Although in the mid-1980s he completed the London Marathon in 3 hours and 47 minutes, Andy says he walks or trots these days as his knees wouldn’t stand the strain. But it’s not just the knees; there is also the question of the feet. Andy reckons that he needs a new pair of lightweight boots every 500 miles. His obsession is not cost-neutral.

20 Roundabout May 2011 Having achieved his goal 19 days ahead of his four-year target, Andy has good reason to feel at least a twinge of satisfaction, but earlier this year he decided that his labours should be purposeful, as well, in offering support for a local charity. His email of 12th March ends: If you feel my efforts worthy of a few quid I know that the Rainbows Children’s Hospice in Loughborough would welcome any donation, however small, following recent major investment in their facilities. Check out their website…Every little helps. I’m feeling tired now, I could do with a lie down! We are happy to publicise Andy’s efforts. If you don’t have a computer you know where Andy works and so how to find him. You may also see him doing the odd mile or so in our parish, accompanied by his smooth-haired border collie, whom he reckons has completed half his own total mileage over the last four years. Tony Lenney A farming calendar It is mid-April at Upper Broombriggs Farm; the lambing season is in full swing and now the cows have started to calve. It is that time of the year when everyone is needed and it seems there are not enough hours in the day. The large lambing sheds are full of ewes, lambs and a chorus of bleating. All the animals are in pens; ewes nursing their tiny off-spring among the straw and humans nursing those little ones that need a bit of extra care and attention. An infra-red lamp warms hours-old lambs in what is the equivalent of an intensive care unit. Enjoying the warmth of an infra-red Others are introduced to a ‘feeding lamp. station’; a large, purpose-built, warmed- milk container, sprouting multiple teats to cater for orphaned lambs or for those whose mothers cannot cope with their incessant demands. Not just cute and cuddly For Richard and his wife, Shirley, a full night’s sleep at this time of the year is an unrealistic luxury, as he explains.

Roundabout May 2011 21 Ewes don’t stop lambing and cows don’t stop calving because it is night, and you can’t just leave them to it. You cannot leave them for more than an hour, after being born. They have to be checked and generally looked after. Shirley looks after the lambing and stops up much of the night. At one time, we used to lamb out in the open but it is better to bring them indoors. Outside, lambs were often easy prey for foxes but all livestock (mothers and new-born) need constant attention. I was up and about at four this morning, checking the cows, and I found four calves had been born while I had been away. At present, I am preparing additional out- buildings for when the calving really starts, which is any time now, and which will then go on well Out – but not yet up and into the summer. running Shirley Reynolds looks remarkably composed, despite her lack of sleep, the lambing work and the mini-crises that tend to come her way. She is expert at assessing quickly what needs to be done and how to do it.

22 Roundabout May 2011 All the new-born lambs are numbered, along with the ewes, so we know which lambs belong to which ewe. Sometimes there are triplets, or more, born to one ewe, which makes her unable to cope. We then have to introduce these lambs, individually, to another ewe and trick the foster mother into thinking it is her own, otherwise she will reject it. We can usually get the lamb to take the ewe’s milk and once that passes through its system, the new mother will take care of it herself. With a new-born, orphaned lamb, we can use the same method, or we roll it in everything from a ewe that has just given birth, so she will accept it as her own. About 40 of the ewes and their lambs have gone out to pasture, now that the weather is milder, which is better than keeping them inside where it can get too warm for them.

Vets in action Helping with all the business of caring for new life on the farm, are vets-to- be Lisa-Marie Evans, from Bristol University, and Charlotte Agar, from Nottingham University (see cover photo), each in the second year at her respective veterinary school of medicine and science. Both are ‘locals’; Lisa-Marie (Libby), on the left, is from Loughborough and Charlotte, on the right, from Quorn. They are at Upper Broombriggs to gain work experience and are thoroughly enjoying it. Checking over a tiny lamb, Libby comments: Putting theory into practice, here on the farm, is a great experience. There is an awful lot to take in at veterinary school, and coming here gives an opportunity to practise some of what we have learned. You have to know so much about medicine, with so many different animal species. For both of them lambing time is particularly significant just now, as Charlotte explains. We have both been studying the reproductive module, so being here lends a practical aspect to it all and makes you think it through. We have had the opportunity of dealing with difficult births and how to cope. There have been times when we have had to turn a lamb around, in order for it to be more easily delivered, but that is valuable practical experience. It may well be lambing time, but Richard Reynolds and his team still have to meet all the other demands that farming presents at this time of the year; ploughing, fertilising and seed drilling, and there is the ever-present task of paperwork to be completed. Perhaps, at some stage, there may even be an opportunity to catch up on some much-needed sleep? Peter Crankshaw

Roundabout May 2011 23 Welbeck welcomes a royal visitor After months of meticulous planning, the students and staff of Welbeck Sixth Form Defence College welcomed HRH the Duke of Edinburgh as a visitor on Wednesday, 6th April. The Duke’s helicopter landed on the college playing field at 10.30am where he was greeted by Lady Gretton, the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, and Tony Halliwell, the Principal of Welbeck College. Cllr Les Pole, Vice-Chair of Woodhouse Parish Council, and his wife, Kay, were guests of the college and members of the lunch party, along with borough and county councillor, David Snartt, Col Robert Martin, and Cllr Jane Martin; all looking their best in the requisite lounge suit (for men) or ‘smart dress and hat’ (for women). Les described the features of the Duke’s visit for Roundabout. Talented students Although the primary purpose of the Duke of Edinburgh’s visit was to award the Prince Philip Medal to 17-year-old Andrew Hardman, nominated by staff as the most outstanding student of his senior year, there were plenty of other activities on offer.

24 Roundabout May 2011 Following a briefing from the students, the Duke and party of guests were given a tour of the college, including a demonstration of the winning entry from the recent Engineering Competition and a display of students’ Design and Technology projects in the gymnasium. Les was particularly impressed by a model aircraft launched from the balcony, which landed on the gymnasium floor. However, this was eclipsed by the ‘tank challenge’ – a Bailey bridge, constructed from straws and reliant The tank attempts the crossing on accurate mathematical and engineering skills to ensure that it was strong enough to bear the weight of a 4kg model tank. The tour culminated in a kayaking display in the swimming pool by students from the college, and from the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS), who are studying at Loughborough University. College and DTUS students show off their kayaking Les expressed his skills astonishment at the students’ ability to manoeuvre, roll and control their fragile crafts. Students on parade After lunch, the Duke of Edinburgh reviewed a parade of around 300 students from the Combined Cadet Force, representing all branches of the armed forces, before awarding Andrew Hardman with his medal. Roundabout would like to congratulate Welbeck College for organising what Principal Tony Halliwell described as ‘an The Combined Cadet Force on parade enormously successful day’

Roundabout May 2011 25 and to wish Andrew Hardman an even more outstanding future, from his planned studies in Mechanical Engineering at Newcastle University, to his officer training at Sandhurst – and beyond. Evelyn Brown, photos courtesy of William J. Walsh For those too young to know what Bailey bridges are, they are temporary structures made of pre-fabricated steel parts (rather than straws!), which can be assembled and taken apart very rapidly by military personnel on the march. They were first used in World War II. Ed.

Meandering through the bluebells in springtime

Our villages are blessed with numerous options for walks and so this month we describe a short, three-mile walk from Woodhouse Eaves to the Outwoods to see the beautiful display of bluebells. Along the way you may notice many other pretty spring flowers. However, as I write this, the warm sunny days in April are hastening the bluebells along so I hope that they are still in flower when you read this article.

26 Roundabout May 2011 From Beacon Road to Pocket Gate Farm The walk starts at the corner of Main Street and Beacon Road. Cross over Beacon Road with care and walk down Brook Road. Lining Brook Road you will see several magnificent horse chestnut trees, bearing either white or red flowers on candle-shaped stems, also many of the hawthorn shrubs in the hedgerow, cloaked in white blossom. Watch out for nesting birds at this time of year, such as thrushes or blackbirds, which build nests in the crook between branches or hidden deeper within the hedgerow. As you walk along Brook Road it is worth admiring the views in the distance to the right, towards Beaumanor Hall. This was once the residence of the Herrick family, who gave their name to Herrick Road, before Beaumanor became a signals station during the war and, finally, a Conference and Education Centre.

Stream near Pocket Gate Farm The walk changes from a surfaced road to a track at the gate near Hangingstone Farm and goes through an avenue of oak trees. The views to the right now take in Loughborough; the university buildings and the Carillion Tower can be seen clearly.

From Pocket Gate Farm to the Outwoods As the track drops down to a paved road, bear left from Pocket Gate Farm and continue straight ahead, ignoring the Woodland Path to Loughborough, which goes off to the right. There is now a stream on your right. The moist, shaded ground provides perfect conditions for flowers such as red campion, beginning to flower in May, and also ransoms (wood garlic), distinguished by the strong garlic scent emitted from the bright green, strap-like leaves and white flowers. The purple rods of ‘lords and ladies’ (cuckoo pint) grow in the centre of a greenish- white bract, over arrow-shaped leaves. These Ransoms coming into flower

Roundabout May 2011 27 interesting plants use the smell of carrion (dead meat) to attract flies, which then become trapped in the base of the bract where there are nectar and water. When the plant is fertilised, the bract withers and the flies escape. In autumn, the central stem is covered in red berries. Beware, as they are poisonous. When you reach the junction of Dean’s Lane and Breakback Road, turn right and walk a few metres along Breakback Road, then turn into the Outwoods at a gate. This 110-acre site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest; there is an information board on your right as you enter the ‘Lords and ladies’ in bud woods. You may see, or hear, green woodpeckers and, if you are really lucky, woodcocks. At the gate, three clear paths radiate out. We recommend that you take the central path, although it is easy enough just to meander through the predominantly oak and birch woodland. You can keep a sense of direction from the sound of cars rushing along Breakback Road on the western boundary.

28 Roundabout May 2011 Walking in the woods… Follow the central path for about 100 yards and then take the left fork, which rises slightly uphill. When we tested this walk in April, many cream-coloured wood anemones were in flower and the bluebells were just emerging. You should now be following a tall ridge on your left. Keep bearing left and when you see a suitable path, climb up onto the top of the ridge. You should now be well in the midst of a magnificent blue carpet of bluebells. The presence of bluebells is a sign that this is ancient woodland. Although you can wander more through the woods, we turned back in a loop to the gate, walking The path through the wood along the ridge with the road below, on the right-hand side. Back at the gate, face into the Outwoods again and this time, take the right- hand path. When you reach a bench and coppiced birch, turn right. You can now partly follow the trail marked with red arrows that goes around the perimeter of the wood. Watch out on your left for a plaque, and trees planted by Amnesty International. The path now curves to the left along a board walk. Many of the trees in this section of the wood, particularly birch and hazel, show signs of old coppicing. Ancient woodland management used the strategy of coppicing to provide a regular source of young woody stems, by periodically harvesting the multiple tree-stems that grow from a single stump if the tree is cut regularly. …and back to Brook Road When you meet a stone wall, turn right, downhill to a stile and gate into a field overlooking Loughborough once more. Walk straight ahead, past a hedgerow, and turn right. You should meet the brook again on your left and ahead of you should be a house; past that you will once more join the path from Brook Road. Now retrace your original route back along Brook Road. Take time to admire the views in the distance and see how many landmarks you can recognise, such as Beaumanor Hall and Welbeck College to your left, and ahead, in the distance, Rusheyfields Farm and the hill at Billesdon Coplow. We hope that you enjoy the walk. Cathy Schou and Kate Moore, Heritage Wardens

Roundabout May 2011 29 Garden matters for May May is the month for sowing vegetable seeds. 1 Try succession sowing – a small batch of seeds every two or three weeks. Seeds to sow are beetroot, carrots, cauliflower, French beans, lettuce, peas, spring onions, swedes and turnips. 2 When setting out early runner beans, use cut-down plastic bottles to protect them from cold winds and late frost. 3 It is time to work on the lawn. Cut the grass once a week and remember to cut the edges, just to give your lawn the perfect finish. 4 Do not forget to give the spring bulbs a generous drench of liquid feed to build up their reserves before the foliage dies down. 5 You should get the bedding plants well hardened off, ready to set out in the borders. Give the borders a dressing of a general-purpose granular feed and hoe in. 6 Do not forget to set some tagetes (also known as marigolds) to put next to your tomatoes. The leaves of the flowering plant release a strong

30 Roundabout May 2011 aroma, helping to mask the scent of the tomato plant, which garden pests try to locate. The Garden Club meets monthly from September to May. See ‘What’s on’ for details of the next meeting. Neil Roberts

Local History Group: The Leicester navigation Brian Williams, our main speaker in March, gave an excellent talk about the Leicester navigation, the waterway which joined Loughborough to Leicester. He explained that an earlier ‘Loughborough navigation’ project, consisting of a hybrid of the River Soar and canals, had linked Loughborough northwards to the River Trent in 1778. This system allowed cheap coal to be carried from the Erewash coalfields to Loughborough. As a result, the cost of coal in Loughborough dropped from 12d (old pence) per hundredweight to just over 6d per hundredweight in only a couple of years after the Loughborough navigation was commissioned. In contrast, coal from the local Leicestershire coalfields had to be carried by pack-pony, which was a much more expensive operation. Mollifying local landowners Building a navigation to join Loughborough to Leicester was a very controversial project due to opposition by local landowners, including the owners of the Leicestershire coalmines and the owners of the many mills that lined the River Soar. Eventually, a compromise was reached whereby a second ‘’ canal was built to link the Leicestershire coalfields to Loughborough so that local coal could be transported along the proposed Leicester navigation. The Forest line was not a great commercial success as coal had to be hauled from local mines along tramways to the start of the canal and then off-loaded at onto another tramway, to

Roundabout May 2011 31 be taken down to the wharf in the Rushes where it was again loaded onto canal boats for its final journey to Leicester. Disaster strikes Disaster struck the Forest line when the dam of the Blackbrook feeder reservoir burst. Local witnesses claimed the reservoir emptied in 11 minutes and the resulting wave of water washed down the Blackbrook River to the Soar, causing severe damage to farm property and livestock. The cost of making good the damage almost broke the canal company. The 8.7 mile canal and tram-road was virtually disused by 1799 and finally abandoned in 1848. The Leicester navigation along the Soar valley was finally fully opened in 1794 as a hybrid system, using a combination of canals, the River Soar and the River Wreake. Brian Williams then guided us along the Leicester navigation using a series of photographs to highlight the main features of the system. It was noted that, ironically, the steam engine ‘Comet’, which was used to pull the first railway train in Leicestershire, from Leicester to Swannington, was delivered to Leicester via the Leicester navigation; an act that was to signal the eventual demise of the navigation system for commercial use in Leicestershire. The talk was rounded off by a rousing rendition of ‘the Navigation Song’, written in honour of the Earl of Harborough, who championed the efforts to achieve a navigation to Leicester. For our next talk, see ‘What’s on’; for more information about other history talks, go to www.leicestershirevillages.com/woodhouseeaves and follow the links to our local history group pages. Mike Jenkins

32 Roundabout May 2011 Roundabout May 2011 33 The last word Confused by the census? If so, you were not the only one. Catch that pigeon! According to uk.news.yahoo.com The Chinese army is training (28th March), a census form was 10,000 messenger pigeons to use reportedly posted to a car park in the event of a high-tech ticket-machine at the Moors Valley communications failure. ‘In modern Country Park in Dorset, addressed warfare, the pigeon is to ‘The Occupier, Pay on Foot indispensable,’ said airforce expert Shelter’. The machine now faces a Chen Hong. – The Week, 12th fine of up to £1000 and a criminal March 2011. record if it fails to fill in the form. Roundabout is intrigued to know When insults had class what it declared as its ethnicity and Do you regret the loss of that religious beliefs. golden era when insults had wits, instead of expletives? If so, you will Daughter of George W Bush? enjoy these (alleged) insults. With her approval ratings sinking George Bernard Shaw to Winston fast, Sarah Palin is due to embark Churchill: ‘I am enclosing two on a tour to India and Israel to tickets for the first night of my new bolster her foreign-policy play; bring a friend, if you have credentials – and there’s work to one.’ be done. At a recent roast, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels…teased Winston Churchill’s response: Mike Huckabee over his ‘Cannot possibly attend first night; misspoken claim that Barack will attend second, if there is one.’ Obama grew up in Kenya. ‘Sarah An MP once said to Disraeli, ‘Sir, Palin pounces,’ he added, ‘and you will either die on the gallows or says, “Wrong, Mike, he’s never of some unspeakable disease.’ been to Europe”.’ – The ‘That depends, Sir,’ replied Independent, 21st March 2011. Disraeli, ‘whether I embrace your policies or your mistress.’ And finally, for the literary buffs, William Faulkner once said of Ernest Hemingway, ‘He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.’

34 Roundabout May 2011 Contributions to Roundabout We publish items of interest to the communities of Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves, such as news of local events, groups and businesses in accordance with the editorial policy (see inside front cover). We do not publish notices of births, deaths or marriages. We accept advertisements from charities and/or other fund-raising organisations. We can also write up people’s stories for those who prefer to talk, rather than write. Most articles are under 600 words and we think they should be! Format: electronic copy in ‘Word’, using ‘Arial’ font, is most useful, although we accept hand-written items that are legible. Pictures are welcome; digital if you have them, otherwise prints. Adverts: brief notification of events in the ‘What’s on’ schedule, subject to space available, is free, but requests for further publicity, even for charities, will normally incur a charge per issue of £8.50 for a quarter page or £17.00 for a half page. Full-page advertisements are not normally accepted. Contact the advertising managers, Amanda and Andrew Garland, on (01509) 890 839 or via the methods listed at the bottom of the page. What’s on: contact Eric Allsop on (01509) 890 054, or Roundabout at the address below. Copy deadline: please see the bottom of page 3. Send any material for Roundabout by: Email: [email protected] Hand or post: Roundabout, Woodhouse Eaves Post Office, 45 Maplewell Road, Woodhouse Eaves, LE12 8RG.

Roundabout May 2011 35 What’s on in May

Sun 1st 12.00– Cake sale and raffle in aid of Cancer Annexe 4.30 Research. Mon 2nd 9.00 May Day Challenge run and walk (see Village Hall car advert, April Roundabout). park Fri 6th 7.30 Spring celebration supper in aid of Air Community Ambulance, tel. (01509) 891 078 or Hall £25 (01509) 890 706 to book. Sat 7th 10.00– Ladies ‘nearly new’ clothing sale (cash Annexe 2.00 only, most items £5 or under). Sat 7th 7.30 Beetle Drive, Cancer Research UK. Village Hall BYO drinks. Tel. 0116 267 4746 or £7.50/£3 (inc. (01509) 650 732 to book. light supper) Sun 8th 10.30 Nordic walking taster, booking Village Hall car essential, tel. 0786 312 6259. park. Free Mon 9th 7.00 Parish council meeting (all welcome). Village Hall Mon 9th 7.30 Local History Group, AGM plus ‘More Methodist mediaeval stories’, Helen Kessling. Church Tue 10th 7.30 Leics. & Rutland Wildlife Trust, ‘Bird Village Hall £2 song’, Nigel Slater. Members £1.50. Fri 13th 7.00 Wine tasting, tel. (01509) 890 105. Community Hall £10 Tue 17th 1.00 & Film show, The King’s Speech (see Village Hall 7.00 advert p.10 for details). Wed 18th 7.30 WI, resolutions for the NFWI AGM. Village Hall Cheese and wine. Competition: ‘I made this myself’. Thu 19th 7.30 Woodhouses Garden Club, plant swap Annexe and social. Thu 26th 10.00 Guided walk, Beacon Hill, Outwoods, Bull’s Head car Broombriggs (4.5 miles). park. Free Thu 26th 7.30 Theatre organ concert, Chris Powell Village Hall £5 (see advert p.31 for details). What’s on in early June Sat 5th 2.00– Woodhouse Eaves Open Gardens and Passports PO, Sun 6th 6.00 allotments; Lambretta display newsagent Check for more local event details on these web sites: www.woodhouse-eaves.co.uk/diary/ www.leicestershirevillages.com/woodhouseeaves/local-events.html