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 Janine Ainscow, Roger Berkeley, Amanda Garland, Andrew Garland, David McClelland, Grahame Sibson, Andy Thomson and Joke de Winter. Editor for this issue: David McClelland Desk-top publishing (page layout) for this issue: Roger Berkeley Cover: Neil Robinson / Andy Thomson Printing: Loughborough University Printing Services Advertising managers: Amanda and Andrew Garland Distribution managers: Mary and Peter Cheyney 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 1,000 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 September 2021 Contents

Page

Editor’s note 5 Parish council news 5 Charnwood Borough Council news 6 News in brief 11 Woodhouse Eaves WI: from strength to strength 14 Welbeck closes with a whimper 16 Hidden treasures at the Baptist Church 17 Woodhouse Eaves Plastic Free Group news 21 The ‘Y’ station at Beaumanor 23 Truly a wildlife asset 25 Neighbourhood Watch: how to spot a scam 27 A garden visit 28 How well do you know your village? 31 September in the cottage garden 33 Forthcoming events 35 Codeword 37 The last word 38 Contributions to Roundabout Inside back cover What’s on in September Back cover

Deadline for submissions to the October 2021 issue: Friday, 10th September Email to [email protected] or to a member of the editorial team Editor for October 2021 issue: Janine Ainscow

Roundabout September 2021 3

4 Roundabout September 2021 Editor’s note Summer has yet to truly take off as I edit this month’s issue, but with shops, sports teams, social groups and events all continuing their return journey to normality, I am once again reminded of how fortunate I feel to live in an area rich with social activities, community support and natural beauty. September’s Roundabout is an expression of all of these, with news from the Woodhouse Eaves Women’s Institute (WI) about a return to in-person meetings, more details of the new Scout and community building, updates from the local Good Neighbour Scheme and Neighbourhood Watch, and myriad essays celebrating our wonderful wildlife and countryside. Of course, much has changed in our community since its doors were last fully open, and this is reflected here too: Ann Irving reports on the final passing out parade at Welbeck Defence Six-Form College, we hear of new ownership for the pharmacy in Woodhouse Eaves, and learn of the retirement of Woodhouse Eaves Cricket Club’s groundskeeper after more than a decade of service. Writing of change, on behalf of everybody here, I would like to express a hearty ‘thank you’ to our departing editor, Jill Craig, who stands down after helping steer the good ship Roundabout during the past three years. Her dedication, commitment and good humour will be missed by the entire team. We would love to hear from readers who might like to join our small team of volunteers editors. As a relatively recent recruit to the Roundabout production team, I know how I have enjoyed getting to know people across the villages and working with the team to produce something the whole community can enjoy. Interested in helping? Do drop us a line: [email protected] Celebrating our past, excited for our future, mindful of our responsibilities for today: drink up an enjoy another full-bodied, well-rounded issue of Roundabout. Parish council news Cricket John Gillingham, our groundsman has decided to retire from being our full- time cricket liaison and groundskeeper after at least 15 years of voluntary work for the Woodhouse Eaves Cricket Club. His work has been invaluable and a huge asset to our community. You have probably seen him down in the cricket field each week, cutting grass, preparing the wicket, marking out Roundabout September 2021 5 the pitches and all of the extra work he does to ensure that the cricket field is rated one of the best wickets in the county. The parish council would like to give its heartfelt thanks for all his time, hard work and efforts over the years. He will be hugely missed. Due to John’s retirement, we are now seeking his replacement. We are looking for someone who is local, flexible and with an interest in cricket, who can give their time during the cricket season to maintaining the field. John is very willing to give training and nurture anyone who is interested in helping. Please see our advert on page 10 and contact Gordon Watson at [email protected] or telephone (01509) 891 299. Parish council meetings We are pleased to announce that we are back to running face to face Parish Council meetings. Our next meeting is on Monday, 6th September at 6.45pm and will be held in the Village Hall, Woodhouse Eaves. All parishioners are welcome. Please contact me with any news or issues at [email protected]. You can also phone the office on (01509) 891 299. Keep in touch on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/woodhouseparishcouncil Emma Crowe, Clerk to the Parish Council Charnwood Borough Council news Draft Charnwood Local Plan 2021 to 2037 As Roundabout is not published in August, I am sorry I was unable to give you this information while the public consultation for the draft Local Plan was open. Charnwood Borough Council launched a six-week consultation about its new plan and vision for the area over the next 16 years. The consultation was for residents, businesses and other interested parties to submit comments about the ‘soundness’ of the draft Local Plan, ahead of its planned submission to government. That said, I did manage to have the detail printed in another locally distributed magazine and through the parish council. The council states: The Local Plan is a key strategic framework for supporting future growth and developing healthy communities and environmental safeguards. It 6 Roundabout September 2021 guides development and identifies locations for housing and employment land. The Local Plan also considers the impacts of climate change, infrastructure needs and protection of green spaces. At the full council meeting where councillors agreed that the Local Plan 2021 to 2037 should go out for public consultation, I spoke of my concerns and asked for further information about two areas of the plan. Therefore, I abstained when the vote was taken. In my view, one of the sites selected for development will have consequences for the Woodhouse village and surrounding area. I need to understand more fully the impact this will have on the Forest Bradgate ward I represent at the council. I need more information about the site HA15, which is supported in the plan. This is designated as land south of Loughborough for 723 homes. I needed to know how this site was selected as it encroaches into Woodhouse Parish, part of my Forest Bradgate ward, and the designated area of Charnwood Forest. This site is also on productive farmland and without more detailed information, in my opinion, risks the integrity of nearby ancient woodland. I will be submitting my comments to the consultation process, which I will share through Roundabout. I am hopeful residents did manage to see the detail about the draft Local Plan and respond to the council before the closing date of 23rd August. Planning appeal: Maplewell Road, Woodhouse Eaves I was pleased to receive information from the planning inspectorate about the decision by the inspector to conduct a virtual hearing on 28th July 2021. I had been corresponding with the inspectorate about changing this appeal from written representations to a hearing because of the public interest when this planning application was decided by Charnwood Borough Council. I was told the inspector would keep the appropriate procedure under constant review throughout the appeal process. Having read the file in detail and visited the site, he found he had some questions he would wish to raise with the parties, and considered a hearing would be justified. However, the hearing would be focussed on a few specific areas where the inspector felt questioning necessary to clarify or explain matters. I sat through the virtual hearing on the 28th July 2021. In my view, the day ran smoothly, albeit not the same as the previous hearing in the Woodhouse Parish Hall, where there was certainly more opportunity for local residents to participate. It seemed the areas the inspector focused on were the changes since the previous appeal, Charnwood Borough Council Roundabout September 2021 7 8 Roundabout September 2021 being unable to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, and the reduction in the number of dwellings from 50 to 36. I was pleased that the Neighbourhood Plan was a significant factor in the hearing’s proceedings. Indeed, the inspector asked for an up-to-date position with the plan on his return from holiday. In my opinion, the plan will carry more weight in the decision-making process if it has moved to a referendum position. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Neighbourhood Plan team in getting the plan to the examination stage and hopefully to referendum in the time given by the inspector. I also need to thank the parish council who again have appointed the same solicitor to represent them at this hearing. Plaque to mark 800 years A Charnwood heritage plaque has been unveiled to mark the 800th anniversary of the royal charters for Loughborough markets and fairs. The plaque was unveiled during a ceremony at Loughborough Town Hall, exactly 800 years to the day when the first fair was held in the town under the charter. In 1221, a young King Henry III granted a Royal Charter to Hugh le Despenser, the Lord of the Manor, to hold a weekly Thursday market and an annual fair in Loughborough. The fair is held in November, and I know that residents from my council ward have enjoyed the fun of the fair over the years. It was disappointing that the annual fair was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, but this year’s fair is planned for November 10th to 13th. Electoral register Please make sure you are on the electoral register. Thousands of forms are being delivered across Charnwood borough to ensure the electoral register is up to date. Every year the council must check its electoral register is up to date, and letters are sent to all households asking people to confirm the details or inform the council of any changes. The aim is to make sure that everyone who is eligible to vote is registered and can have their say in future elections and referendums. The electoral registration officer needs the information to be able to publish a complete and accurate electoral register on 1st December each year. Full details of how residents can complete the form online, by telephone, via text or by post are all contained in the document sent to them. Any residents who have questions can visit www.charnwood.gov.uk/electoralservices or contact the helpline on (01509) 634 546. Councillor David Snartt

Roundabout September 2021 9 10 Roundabout September 2021 News in brief Oakwood Pharmacy The former owners of Oakwood Pharmacy in Woodhouse Eaves write: After 10 years, it is probably the most difficult and bittersweet decision of our lives to pass our beloved Oakwood Pharmacy onto new owners. The amount of loyalty, love and support we have received from all our customers has been far beyond anything we could have hoped to have received when we first arrived at Oakwood Pharmacy. We can honestly say that the pharmacy has been our family base and rooted us to the Woodhouse Eaves and the neighbouring villages so deeply. We will miss every single one of you. However, we won't be disappearing: we will still be around (especially for the school runs) and we genuinely look forward to seeing you and hearing how you are doing. We leave you in the capable hands of the young and enthusiastic Rahul and Rhean, whom we are sure will take very good care of you while we move onto pastures new. We take with us wonderful memories and would like to thank every single one of you from the bottom or our hearts for making us an integral part of the village. Taheri and Zainab Master Good Neighbour Scheme The Good Neighbour Scheme is now back and providing all the services that we offered prior to Covid. We know this has been a difficult time and are now so pleased to be able to help with those things in life that make it easier and more enjoyable. We can now take you to appointments – not just medical ones – so if you need a lift to the hairdresser’s or other places too, we are here to help. We can also help with errands and small gardening jobs, filling in forms, small IT issues and many other things – just like we used to do. We are so pleased to be back. We have missed you! The phone number is the same – 07561 890 100 – and we are looking forward to hearing it ring. We will try to help you in any way that we can. You will notice a few differences, such as you may need to wear a mask if you and a volunteer are in a close space, in a car or in your home for example. The Good Neighbour Scheme is back at full strength and here for you! Miranda Brookes Roundabout September 2021 11

12 Roundabout September 2021 Scouting news: new premises update It has been a while since my last update, although thanks are due to Peter Searancke, chair of the parish council, for his updates on progress in the March and June editions. I am delighted to be able to report that, after a period of consultation between the parish council and representatives of the Scouts, we have agreed on a design for the replacement building on the footprint of the old annexe. We have also benefitted from the considerable input of time, expertise and advice from a local architect who is also a Scout parent, and to whom we are all extremely grateful. As a result of our combined efforts, by the time you read this, the planning application will have been submitted to Charnwood Council. Our focus has been on providing as large a space as we could for a meeting/play area, which will also facilitate the provision of a number of indoor sports. We have also included, of course, toilets, kitchen, and storage with full disabled access to all areas. Some compromises have been necessary: for example, height restrictions prohibit a competition sized badminton court, but informal sports will still be very much available. Additionally, we will have doors opening out onto a veranda on to the play area side, to provide an even larger in/outdoor space. No hedges or trees need to be removed as part of the application, and no changes will be required to the current parking arrangements. Although this is, of course, to be a community facility, with the Scout groups being amongst the many local users, the Scout groups are very excited to be moving into the delivery phase of this long running project. Scouting, like all life, has been severely impacted by the pandemic, but we have been meeting as soon as and whenever restrictions have allowed, albeit in outdoor locations only. We hope everybody in the community will get behind this project and support us through the planning process and beyond. As stated previously, funding will be provided from a variety of sources: we still have the prize money awarded by the Shanly Trust, we have some funds we have already raised, and we will now be looking to raise more; and as Peter mentioned in March, there is the possibility of a parish loan. Graham Cameron, Woodhouse Eaves Scout Group Village cricket news Finding ourselves now at the end of August, it's sad to think that another cricket season is coming to an end. Compared with last year it has felt more Roundabout September 2021 13 like pre-Covid days with fewer restrictions and a full league fixture list for our teams. Our Saturday tenants, Maher, have run four teams this year with their 1st and 2nd teams playing on our ground. Their 1st team plays in division 4 west of the and Rutland Cricket League and look likely to get promotion. If this is the case, some minor ground improvements may be needed to satisfy the standards of division 3. Maher's other teams look as if they will finish mid table in their respective divisions. Our Sunday tenants, Queniborough Sunday 1st, have had a very good year in division 1 of the Grantham and Melton League and look certainties to be promoted to the Premier Division. They have a very strong team and should do well there. By the time you read this, Woodhouse Eaves Cricket Club (WECC) should have played their solitary friendly match against their old friends and rivals from Cropwell. This is a long-standing fixture usually played in a friendly but competitive spirit. Hopefully next year should see an increase of fixtures for the village team depending partly on the success of the Village Cricket Day on September 5th at 1.00pm. This was postponed from June due to poor weather. It is being organised by Ian Waterland and associates to provide an opportunity to come along and get involved with the club. The younger folk play Kwik Cricket and for adults there is the chance to play a shortened proper game with sides picked on the day. Hopefully you and your family will be able to come and support WECC and get involved for the future. As you may have seen elsewhere in this month's Roundabout, there is an advert for the position of cricket groundskeeper. I have done this job for nearly 15 years but now need to step down through increasing age and family reasons. I do hope somebody comes forward to keep the cricket facilities in existence and I am more than willing to train any interested candidates. Please come forward if you can. All in all, the prospects of cricket continuing in Woodhouse Eaves look good, but new blood is needed to take us forward. For further details please contact me on (01509) 890 193 or [email protected] John Gillingham Woodhouse Eaves WI: from strength to strength We are jumping for joy! At last, the members of the Woodhouse Eaves WI have been planning our first face-to-face meeting in August. The village hall 14 Roundabout September 2021 has opened and, with wipes, antiseptic bottles and a lot of hard work, we will welcome members to our monthly meeting once again. There will be much to discuss; our speaker, Dr Tim Gray MBE, will tell us all about the work of the voluntary organisation, the Immediate Care Service. No doubt we will have a stimulating and exhilarating evening. Like so many WI’s, since March 2020, our WI has been working hard to ensure that our members do not feel abandoned. We have had Zoom meetings, newsletters, a cookery book, and have not forgotten our birthday wishes to each member. With a new and enthusiastic committee in place since our annual meeting in February, the WI has gone from strength to strength and recruited new members. And, in honour of the wonderful work of the NHS Slices of cake to celebrate local NHS heroes. workers and with the blessing of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, we have held a series of coffee mornings, tea afternoons and even a Pimm’s evening for our members in appreciation of our local heroes.

Roundabout September 2021 15 We have a full programme for the coming year with lots of interest and skills to share. We are still offering a free first visit to anyone interested in joining us. Please phone Sue on (01509) 891 567 or send text a message on 07885 720592 for more information. Here’s to a welcoming, enjoyable, and safe return to meetings at the Woodhouse Eaves WI. Jane Futcher, secretary, Woodhouse Eaves WI Welbeck closes with a whimper The Welbeck College community left us on Saturday 3rd July. With only a hundred or so final year students left, this final passing out event was much scaled down. The assembly comprised a small number of parents and VIPs to watch a short parade with music provided by the Army rather than a student band. The usual fly-past was thwarted by poor weather, and as the event began, the heavens opened. Watchers sheltered under umbrellas while, as ever, parading students simply got wet. On the VIP platform were the interim principal, the county’s Lord Lieutenant, and the chair of the college governors. A military helicopter delivered Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, following in her father’s footsteps. The Duke of Edinburgh had graced this event several times including to present his Prince Philip Award to one lucky student Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal at the final Annual General Inspection. in 2011. Princess Anne, in civilian clothes, gave an unexpected address. Noting the college closure, Princess Anne said, ‘I know what my father would say, and I agree with him’ – an emotional sentiment not lost on staff and supporters. Strict limits on numbers meant that only a handful of staff, families, and VIPs were invited. Families were allowed only two places, VIP seats were in single figures, and few local dignitaries had been invited, not even the parish council, whose vice-chair had created a local liaison group to ease the college into our community, and the community into the college. The two past principals, Charnwood’s mayor, and our borough councillor were seated near to the platform but barred from mingling with the platform party. 16 Roundabout September 2021 Covid-19 restrictions banned the usual post parade conviviality, and as students had been asked to depart swiftly, there were no picnics, few siblings or grandparents, and no opportunity to mingle with excited families who had travelled from all over the UK. Another regret was the announcement that one whole college boarding The final Annual General Inspection saw 137 students graduate. house had a Covid-19 infection and so all of its students had been sent home earlier, leaving its housemaster in isolation on campus. The top award of the year had been awarded to one of its students, sadly unable to receive it in person. Photography was banned, whether from cameras or mobile phones, but official photographers were present, with a drone to capture key moments for the planned live-stream. From 2003, when demolition of the Garats Hay Barracks began, to 2021 when the college ended its life here, the Woodhouse parish community both supported and benefited from its existence. Some 200 jobs, superb facilities, youthful expertise to help local groups and projects, a two-way flow of information and support, unbelievably courteous behaviour peppered with unexpected Sir and Ma’am greetings, buglers on Remembrance Sundays, extra-large chocolate bars in the corner shop on Valentine’s Day: so many memories of 15 years of living alongside more than 350 young men and women destined for technical service in the Armed Forces and MOD. This unique combined services education reflected how the military now work across individual service boundaries, each branch gaining a better understanding of how the others operate and what their knowledge and skill base brings. Whether or not they join the military after university, the closure is a loss not only for us but also for the nation. Ann Irving Hidden treasures at the Baptist Church Over the summer we have had time to do some much needed maintenance jobs at the Baptist Church on Main Street, Woodhouse Eaves, and in the process have revealed some lovely hidden treasures. Have you seen any of these before?

Roundabout September 2021 17

18 Roundabout September 2021 We’ve found a wonderful WW1 memorial hidden behind a shed and covered in ivy! It is an amazing piece of the village’s history. We now have more work to do in finding a new place for the Little Owl sheds, as well as turning the area into a This WW1 memorial was covered in ivy. memorial space that the village community can benefit from. Robert has been researching the genealogy of those remembered on the memorial to see if he can find any relatives still local to the area. One fascinating co-incidence he has found is that one of the sisters of the soldier William Horace Wainwright was Ethel Green who lived at 15 Victoria Road – and we bought that house from her son John in 1984 after she passed away. There are two of these lovely pillars at either side of the front church grounds. You can see this one in the photo of the church taken when there was still a manse at the rear. Both pillars had been hidden by ivy for many years but are The old church building – can you see the Two of these now able to be pillar? pillars are now visible at the admired by those front of the walking by. church grounds. This little corner of the front grounds had become hidden and overgrown, but we have managed to clear it. The plan is to make this area into a welcoming place to sit and read, chat with a friend, have your takeaway coffee from the Café Next Door or This area will soon be transformed into a welcoming just take some time to enjoy space.

Roundabout September 2021 19 20 Roundabout September 2021 the community garden that will be created there. This new garden will coincide with the 40th anniversary of the 1981 rebuilding of the church. In the rear grounds we are blessed with fantastic views over the Johnsons’ meadows and have enjoyed watching the owners make hay while we’ve been gardening at church. Do feel free to enjoy our grounds too. It is a beautiful garden as well as a graveyard. In fact, there are documents from William Curzon Herrick who gave an extra 30 feet of land to the Baptist Church in 1920 ‘for the burial of the dead’. We have very little space left in the graveyard but were pleased to be able to host the funeral of Barry Selby recently. Another co- incidence is that Barry lived in the house opposite the church on Main Street where the Baptist church originally started in about 1780! So, watch this space… We want the church and its Making hay while the sun shines. grounds to be used by the community. Please respect the grounds and only go round the back when Little Owl preschool are not using the premises. They are there Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays during term-time. And if you have any stories about people you have known with connections to the Baptist Church then we’d love to hear from you. Ruth and Robert Bushnell Woodhouse Eaves Plastic Free Group news The Big Sew event Our group have been making Morsbags for more than two years. Morsbags are reusable shopping bags that are made by hand from fabric that would otherwise end up in landfill. They are easy to make and we have great fun as a social group creating them. If you have any fabric that can’t be used for anything else, then please do get in touch to donate it. We accept anything from faded curtains to old duvets but if it is something that could be used again please donate it to a charity shop. How many bags can we make in one day? Take a look at ‘Forthcoming events’ on page 35 for details of our ‘Big Sew’ event! Roundabout September 2021 21 22 Roundabout September 2021 Plastic free business champions We are really pleased to have been awarded the status of ‘Plastic Free Community’ from Surfers Against Sewage, having signed up Knead Good Bread, Agora and Home of Handmade for the Plastic Free Community Award. We can now announce that we have successfully signed up another business champion for the award: The Beacon Hill Café. The managers of the café are talking to us and working towards more plastic-free ways of working. They are already doing many things, for example selling water in cans that can be recycled, using wooden cutlery, and allowing all visitors to use their own refillable mugs. As Covid restrictions ease we hope to support them with other ideas to reduce the single-use plastic in the café. As we continue, we need more businesses to join us. If you are a business in Woodhouse or Woodhouse Eaves and would like to discuss becoming a champion, please email [email protected]. To find out more about all 4 of our business champions visit www.wheplasticfree.co.uk/plastic-free-business-champions. Gemma Andrews The ‘Y’ station at Beaumanor In 2017 members of the local studies volunteer group at Loughborough Library staged an exhibition of photographs and information about the secret work of the ‘Y’ station based at Beaumanor Hall. Under the direction of the war office, MI8 set up project ‘Ultra’ which established wireless intelligence (‘WI’ or ‘Y’) stations in more than 30 locations all over the country. Their job was to intercept coded messages being communicated by enemy forces throughout Europe. Beaumanor was generally regarded as the most important of these stations. Not until the 1970s did the deciphering work carried out by Alan Turing and others at Bletchley Park become known. It was almost twenty years before the crucial role played by the Y service listeners also began to emerge. Early on many of the staff doing this important work were trained elsewhere before being transferred to Beaumanor. About a fifth were men, mainly civilians trained by the General Post Office (GPO), the remainder being women conscripted into the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), a branch of the British Army formed in 1938 now known as the Women's Royal Army Corps. The training was intense with only one in 300 making it through the rigorous selection process. By the end of the war more than 300 men and perhaps as many as 1,200 women were being employed at the base. Roundabout September 2021 23 Most worked in small groups or watches in specially built huts disguised as farm buildings scattered around the grounds. Conditions were basic with listeners working long hours through all weathers with no heating (in the early days ATS unform did not permit the use of trousers). Both having to maintain a high level of efficiency and concentration under Wireless receivers on display at Beaumanor such conditions, only the hardy Hall. survived with many dropping out, finding it too stressful to endure for more than a few weeks. Few were aware of how many others were working in other huts as each were manned by separate watches who also lived together, billeted at various camps and lodgings in nearby villages. There were Nissen camps at Garats Hay and Brand Hill with slightly better digs provided in premises out at Quorn and Barrow-upon-Soar. On-site aerial masts transferred messages in Morse code, many encoded on German Enigma machines, to each of the huts where shift teams of 36 listeners would record by hand all messages, letter by letter. These were sent daily by motorcycle to Bletchley’s ‘Government Code and Cipher School’ [later renamed to ‘GCHQ’ – ed]. Later when all messages were being sent directly by teleprinter, the paper transcripts also continued to be couriered. According to some researchers, for several months these coded messages remained unreadable until the boffins at Bletchley were able to decipher them. Even then they had to be careful how they responded to the information discovered; not wishing to alert the enemy to the fact that their Enigma codes had been broken. Nevertheless, the work done by Bletchley (Station X) and the various Y stations, including Beaumanor, is thought to have shortened the war by about two years. Sadly, the recent pandemic prevented John Gibson (of the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group) launching a second exhibition of the group’s research findings at Beaumanor in April 2020. Instead, he has generously shared much of this information with our local history group. We hope to continue to gather information about this important aspect of real ‘local’ history for our archives before it is lost. Hopefully we will soon be able to present a talk to group members. John Gibson and Sue Templeman (at the Quorn Virtual Museum) have already shared several documents through our local history Facebook group. 24 Roundabout September 2021 The secret nature of the work of Beaumanor’s Y station means that few contemporary photos exist (none it seems of the Brand Hill camp); if you have anything more to share we would love to hear from you – please get in touch with me at [email protected] or ring (01509) 890 830. Mark Temple Truly a wildlife asset The need to put quill to parchment overcame me because, for the past 30 years, I have walked the meadows, now referred to as Johnsons’ Meadows. The July/August edition of Roundabout published a most informative and well-crafted article from the heritage and tree wardens. This provided lovely tales of hay cutting in times gone by from Anne Johnson with tea and lemonade and cake. It also intimated that we may witness a vintage tractor cutting hay this year. Reinstating this haymaking tradition is something to look forward to. I am really delighted the meadow is part of Natural ’s SSSI designation. The award of SSSI should protect the ecological asset from any building developments. I applaud those who spent such a long time setting up the SSSI. Natural England discloses that there were two withdrawn objections from the owners at the time of the consultation. There were also 26 representations expressing support. Conservation grazing with Highland cattle will provide an interesting spectacle. The cattle will be especially useful for natural fertilisation and, along with the trampling of the ground, will expose bare soil for wildflower seed germination. This is much preferable to dog mess which has been cleared from the meadows and out of the nearby brook. Back in February 2021 bags of dog mess were being collected and stacked just outside the School Lane entrance to Johnsons’ Meadows. Thankfully the bags were cleared away by early March. I am pleased that the Beacon Hill Country Park rangers will be consulted regarding appropriate breed of cattle. With appropriate advice and management, I am sure this will be wonderful. In previous years cattle have been known to run at or surround members of the public travelling across the footpaths. The much-welcome diversity of grasses and profusion of flowers temporarily disguise the many varied coloured plastic poles, the metres of coloured electric fencing and the plastic signage which detracts greatly from the rural idyll. Walkers are currently corralled with strict instructions not to stray. One sign quite reasonably asked that we take nothing but

Roundabout September 2021 25 26 Roundabout September 2021 photographs. So, I took a photograph of the wildlife camera. In the past, wildlife cameras have been used to capture images of the public as they use the footpaths. I am pleased that the owners now wish to invite local groups and offer opportunity for community activities. Perhaps any fencing, if necessary in the future, could be plastic free and more environmentally friendly. Natural England’s photographs of the field are lovely. No coloured electric plastic cable, plastic pole or plastic covered notice to be seen anywhere. The heritage and tree wardens provided us with a lovely description of the meadows – a wildlife haven with cow parsley, yellow rattle, buttercups, birds foot, trefoil etc. On reading this poetry, I dreamt I was at one with nature, and found myself transported back to 1821 – perched on top of a stack of cut and dried meadow grass in the Hay Wain. Thank you to the owners of the meadows for their commitment to SSSI with community involvement. I also look forward to the vision, set out by the heritage and tree wardens, becoming a reality. Denis Shiels Neighbourhood Watch: how to spot a scam At every turn, via telephone, text message, email or even on your doorstep, criminal scammers are becoming more creative in the ways to extort money or personal details from you. Generationally, older residents have been the more vulnerable but today young people and the more tech savvy are being conned into thinking something is genuine. If you answer ‘yes’ to any of the following, there is a good chance it is a scam: • Have you been contacted out of the blue? • Have you been asked to share your personal details? • Are the contact details you have been given vague? • Are you being asked to keep something a secret? • Is the offer too good to be true? • Are you being pressured into a decision? • Are there spelling or grammar mistakes? In the first instance, take a breath and ask yourself the questions listed above. You do not have to make any decisions there and then, so put the

Roundabout September 2021 27 phone down, shut the door, close the laptop and ask a family member or friend their opinion. We are also in a position to help and advise, so please email us at [email protected]. Do sign up for the Neighbourhood Alert: www.neighbourhoodalert.com – this will give you real time alerts on up-to-the-minute security information based on your postcode. While you are doing this you can also sign up to your Neighbourhood Watch. Ted Chapman A garden visit According to my Garden Visitor’s Handbook, there are certain gardens in Leicestershire that are open to the public occasionally for charitable purposes. As the restrictions brought about by Covid eased, I thought it time to get out and about again before my knees seized up completely with the condition that I call ‘Zoom knee’. This is brought on by sitting for hours with a laptop computer on one’s lap watching Zoom calls, and results in an almost impossible pain in the knee when standing up. At one time this was simply due to old age, but things have changed.

28 Roundabout September 2021 Two Sundays ago the venue that was open was Green Wicket Farm, which is sited near Bitteswell in the south of Leicestershire. With my overworked computer locked firmly in its case by the desk, I set out. I had a route planned: Welford Road, across to the Lutterworth road, then at Lutterworth take the Bitteswell road and… No such luck, Welford Road was closed by road works, and I ended up on the Market Harborough road. Try as I might I could not escape it, so I found a layby and consulted my maps. After a trip down long, winding B roads I finally got to my destination. The car park was in a field next to the farm building. I parked, walked back to the road that led to the farm, and was greeted by a couple of small statues and a list of the charities the entry fee supported. I duly paid my entry fee, which was quite modest, and went in. The gardens were stunning and put my humble back yard firmly in its place. I am not a great expert on plants; I admit that if a plant takes my eye I will, if possible, buy it and plonk it in any open space I may have available. Whether it flourishes or not is then a matter of chance. The farm lawns were immaculate, unlike mine, and the flower beds full of colourful flowers. One lawn that stood out in particular had a model cow for its middle. I will not try to bore the reader with my written descriptions of the gardens, but I can recommend the chocolate cake and cup of tea I was served, again at a modest price, when I finally came back to the front of the farm buildings. A large number of people were sitting at various tables consuming other sorts of cake. Three small dogs were fenced in one corner and The model cow in the middle of the had been joined by two small girls anxious lawn. to play with them. I can understand why the dogs were penned in – if they had been allowed to run loose, they would have been a hazard to people carrying cake. In another enclosed pen were more, much bigger dogs which, I assume, were guard dogs. While the weather was cloudy it was quite pleasant to sit outside and watch the world go by. As four o’clock approached, and with it closing time, I struggled back into my car and – guess what – no road works on the way back. The visit was well worth the effort. I hope that the charities were well rewarded.

Roundabout September 2021 29 More images from Green Wicket Farm

Dr D McNeil

30 Roundabout September 2021 How well do you know your village? The theme for this month is ‘signs’. Some are more unusual than others – and one is no longer there, but I thought it was worth including because I’ve no idea what it meant! Please tell me if you know! Answers on page 35. Stella Blay

1 2

3

4

Roundabout September 2021 31 32 Roundabout September 2021 September in the cottage garden September in the garden, the final days of summer. I always feel at this time of year as though summer is being stretched out. The days are noticeably shorter, the nights cooler, and the garden is thinned out. Gone is the lush growth of early summer, and as the perennials produce their final flowers their colour fades somewhat. But there are many days in the month when the sun is hot and the late flowering plants add a blaze of colour to gently lead us into early autumn. In the flower borders September is the ideal month to take semi-ripe cuttings of plants such as rosemary, lavender and roses. Unlike softwood cuttings which are taken from new growth, semi-ripe cuttings are taken from the current season’s growth that has started to harden off a little. Always choose strong straight growth for your cuttings. Place immediately into a plastic bag to keep the plant material fresh. But it is also important not to let it hang around. Once cut from the parent plant your cutting is essentially dying until it can produce new roots, so will need to be potted up as quickly as possible. It is also a good time to collect ripe seeds from other favourite plants. Store them in a paper envelope until the appropriate time to sow them. In the borders, now is the time to lift and divide clumps of perennials that have become too big once they have finished flowering. Divided clumps can be placed elsewhere around the garden or given away to friends. You will also find that doing this will rejuvenate the parent plant. You can also plant spring bulbs this month such as daffodils, crocus and Muscari as long as the soil is soft enough – I have to admit though it is often as hard as rock and impossible to dig until October! It is also a nice idea to fill a few pots with spring bulbs. These can be set aside in a cool but not too wet corner until the bulbs begin to appear, and they can then be placed in a prominent spot where they can be enjoyed. In the vegetable garden Vegetable plants still producing in September tend to come from those warmer climes and include tomatoes, chillies, peppers and pumpkins, as wells are fruit such as apples, pears and plums. Summer fruiting raspberry canes can now all be cut down to the ground, leaving the fresh new canes still standing. These will carry next year’s crop. Ripe chillies can be stored in a number of ways: one is to thread ripe chillies onto cotton and hang them up to dry somewhere warm and dry. However, my preferred method is the de-seed and cut them up ready to use, and then freeze them in a container. When you want to use them simply detach a frozen teaspoon or two and Roundabout September 2021 33 add to the dish you are cooking. Maincrop potatoes can also be dug up now, dried off and stored in hessian or paper sacks and stored in a cool, well-ventilated space. There are some things that you can sow now. Hardy greens such as kale and lamb’s lettuce can be sown now for winter pickings. Hardy varieties of broad beans and peas can also be sown for early crops next year. Onion and shallot sets can be placed in a sunny spot with the tip just showing above the soil. Tips for late summer colour With the garden’s vibrancy gently beginning to fade it is possible with a little forward planning to maintain some colour well into autumn. Not only will you extend the season in your garden, but late flowering plants will also provide important late nectar for pollinating insects. When producing a planting scheme make sure you include perennials that flower late in the season. These include plants such as crocosmia, sedum, penstemon, echinacea and eupatorium (purple bush). These plants are readily available in garden centres late into the season and can be slotted into any gaps you may also have in your borders. Late flowering annuals are a must in any good planting scheme. Cosmos, zinnias and dahlias are the most reliable and will give splashes of vibrant colour well into October and sometimes beyond. Borders can also be filled with plants that will flower next spring such as wallflowers and other spring bedding such as pansies, antirrhinums and polyanthus. Another ‘must’ to keep things going in the borders is deadheading. I go on about this job a lot, but at this time of year it is doubly important, especially with annuals as they are desperate to set seed. The same rule applies to all plants when deadheading. Don’t just pull off the spent flower but cut back to a leaf or side shoot. This will encourage the plant to put on yet more new growth. Jo Poultney

34 Roundabout September 2021 Forthcoming events

Good Neighbour Scheme ‘Picnic in the Park’

Everyone is very welcome to the Good Neighbour Scheme free community picnic on Sunday, 12th September at King George V Playing Field from 12.00 to 4.00pm. Bring your own picnic hamper, blanket, fold-up chairs and outdoor games; GNS will provide music, raffle prizes and surprises! Details on our Facebook page or www.woodhousegns.org.uk

Heritage Open Afternoon, St Paul’s Church We would love to see you on Saturday, September 18th from 1.00 to 5.00pm for cake and coffee/tea with an exhibition concentrating on our lovely bell tower. We have amazing tower clock workings on view, historical records, stalls, booklets for sale etc. Weather permitting, we are offering Evelyn’s brand-new graveyard tour! Woodhouse Eaves Plastic Free Group ‘The Big Sew’ How many reusable Morsbags shopping bags can we make in one day? If you are able to sew, iron or cut fabric then do join us at the village hall on Sunday, 26th September from 10.00 till 4.00pm. Visit www.wheplasticfree.co.uk/the-big-sew for details. Remembrance finally comes to Woodhouse Eaves Following Covid, Bill Brookman’s moving WW1 drama Remembrance finally comes to Woodhouse Eaves Baptist Church on Saturday, 2nd October at 7.00pm. Tickets are £10 on the door. With a live band and singers, the issues of love, war and peace are explored.

Answers to ‘How well do you know your village?’ 1: The signpost at the junction of Beacon Road and Breakback Road. 2: A sign on a telegraph pole on Mill Road. The writing has faded and tar trickled down over it – not a useful sign! 3: The second useful sign – outside the post office. 4: A diversion sign that was at the bottom of Breakback Road. Did it mean ‘Tee hee! Tricked you! Have you been obediently following diversion signs? Well, turn round and go back the way you came!’?

Roundabout September 2021 35 36 Roundabout September 2021 Codeword A codeword is like a crossword puzzle, but the letters in the grid have been replaced by numbers. Each number represents a letter of the alphabet and all 26 letters are present. As in any crossword, the words used can include proper nouns and even common phrases. Can you solve the puzzle? We have given you some letters to help you get started. The solution can be found on the inside back cover. (Andy Thomson).

Roundabout September 2021 37 The last word September beckons, with – as Newton Burgoland – This village Helen Hunt Jackson put it – can trace its history back to the ‘summer’s best of weather, and Domesday Book of 1086 as autumn’s best of cheer.’ What ‘Neuton’, with the ‘Burgoland’ part better time of year is there to go of the name taken from the out and explore our magnificent Bergilon family. Home to the county? Belper’s Arms, said to be the oldest pub in Leicestershire. Alongside stunning countryside and wildlife, Leicestershire also Burton Lazars – A stone’s throw features some peculiarly named from Melton Mowbray, the ‘Bur’ villages to look out for. Here are here comes from the Old English some of our favourites: for ‘fort’. According to the Key to English Place-Names by the Newtown Unthank – According to University of Nottingham, a the Leicestershire & Rutland hospital for the treatment of Village Book, ‘Unthank’ may leprosy founded by the order of originate from unthankful, infertile Saint Lazarus in 1138 gives the soil. It may also come from an village the remainder of its name ‘intake’ – historically a northern term referring to a 12-hectare Fenny Drayton – Once known as parcel of land brought under Drayton-in-the-Clay, this village in cultivation from a moor. the district of the county is officially at the very Belcher’s Bar – This is a hamlet in centre of England, according to an the Hinckley and Bosworth district Ordinance Survey plaque installed of Leicestershire, around a mile in June 2013 (much to the dismay north of Ibstock. The curious name of residents of Meriden, some 11 appears to originate from the miles south, previously thought to Belcher family once resident there. be at the centre point). Norton-Juxta-Twycross – Way Willey – Located on the border out in the west of the county, with Warwickshire, the around two miles from Twycross, Mercury’s Dan Martin reports a this village is the home to rumour that Willey’s road signs are Twycross Zoo. The ‘Norton’ so popular with trophy hunters that originates from the Anglo-Saxon ‘highway officials have admitted for ‘North Town’, the ‘Juxta’ from defeat and stopped replacing the Latin for ‘near’. Once also them.’ known as ‘Hogg’s Norton’.

38 Roundabout September 2021 Contributions to Roundabout We publish items of interest to people living in Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves that accord with our editorial policy (see inside front cover). We do not publish notices of births, deaths or marriages, but can write up people’s stories for them if they wish. We aim to keep most articles under 800 words. Format: electronic copy in ‘Word’, using ‘Arial’ font, is preferred, although we accept legible hand-written items. Digital pictures are very welcome. What’s on: brief notification of events in the ‘What’s on’ schedule is free. Send event details to Roundabout at the email address below. Please note that we normally include only ‘in parish’ events, may abbreviate the details and are not obliged to include all items submitted. Adverts: requests for further publicity, even for charities, incur a charge per issue of £9.50 for a quarter page or £22.00 for a half page. We do not accept full-page adverts. Contact the advertising managers Amanda and Andrew Garland on (01509) 890 839 or via the email address below. Forthcoming events: organisers of not-for-profit or charity events may submit a maximum of 50 words to publicise a one-off or annual event. We may edit your submission and are not obliged to include all items submitted. Copy deadline: see page 3. Please send material to a member of the editorial team or by email to [email protected]

Codeword Solution

Roundabout September 2021 39 What’s on in September

Sat 4th 10.00 – Terracycle collection (sweet wrappers, Village Hall car 12:00 pet food pouches, crisp packets etc), park details at www.wheplasticfree.co.uk Sun 5th From Woodhouse Eaves Village Cricket King George V 1.00 Club Village Cricket Day Playing Field Mon 6th 6.45 Parish council meeting Village Hall Sun 12th 12.00 – Good Neighbour Scheme Picnic in the King George V 4.00 Park, see ‘Forthcoming Events’ p 35 . Playing Field details at www.woodhousegns.org.uk Sat 18th 1.00 – Heritage fun open afternoon, see St Paul’s 5.00 ‘Forthcoming events’ p 35 . Church Sun 26th 10.00 – Woodhouse Eaves Plastic Free Group Village Hall 4.00 Big Sew event

Check for more local event details on these websites: www.woodhouse-eaves.co.uk www.woodhouseparishcouncil.org.uk/local-events.html