Village Connect

Snowdrop Spectacular at Launde Abbey

2013-02-07T08:58:00.000+00:00

The pretty woodland walk behind Launde Abbey is the setting for the annual Snowdrop Spectacular at the Elizabethan/Jacobean Retreat House near East Norton in Leicestershire. The Abbey will be open from 2.00 – 4.00 pm every day from 25th February until 10th March 2013, when visitors will be welcome to stroll through the gardens and wander amongst the magnificent display of snowdrops. (

Winter Walk Ideas in Leicestershire

2012-12-29T10:41:00.003+00:00

Bardon Hill, highest point in Leicestershire © Copyright Richard Webb A series of winter walk ideas has been put together by Leicestershire County Council for anyone who would like to get fit, meet new people and explore Leicestershire. They're also deal for anyone who has made a new year’s resolution to burn off the festive calories and become more active. Grantham Canal ©

Winter Walking In The Outwoods Near Loughborough

2012-12-03T14:55:00.000+00:00

The Outwoods Near Loughborough, Leicestershire © Copyright Ashley Dace Woods are good places to go walking when the cold winter winds are blowing. One of the more interesting woods in North Leicestershire is the Outwoods between Woodhouse Eaves and Loughborough, and close to Beacon Hill Country Park. Outwoods Crag © Copyright Ashley Dace The Outwoods

Tea Tasting in the Leicestershire Countryside

2012-11-30T12:44:00.000+00:00

I was recently invited to a ‘tea tasting’ evening at The Old Brickyard Tea Garden, just outside Scalford (near Melton Mowbray). As I’d never been to such an event before, I was curious to see how it worked. The first thing I discovered was that there are around 1500 varieties of tea, all of which come from the same tea plant known as Camellia Sinensis. Where the plant is grown, in what

Rutland: Much in Little

2012-10-13T09:16:00.001+01:00

Check out this post on my new blog 'Snapshots of Britain' Snapshots of Britain: Rutland: Much in Little

Help shape countryside and urban access in Leicestershire

2011-12-14T14:04:00.000+00:00

If you enjoy walking and riding in the countryside, or are interested in exploring the local area, you are invited to apply to join the Leicestershire Local Access Forum. The forum is an independent official body that brings together the diverse views of land owners, farmers, ramblers, horse-riders, cyclists, conservationists and other groups. Focusing on how people can make the most of the

Rainbows to benefit from X Factor charity single!

2011-11-24T13:43:00.000+00:00

One Direction with Sam & Alex Bolton during their visit to Rainbows in October It's great to hear that Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People in Loughborough is going to benefit from the X Factor charity single, a cover of Rose Royce classic ‘Wishing on a Star’. The single has been recorded by the last sixteen X Factor contestants as well as JLS and One

Artist's work explores Leicestershire’s past

2011-10-14T18:16:00.000+01:00

A free temporary exhibition exploring the work of John Flower, one of Leicestershire's greatest 19th century illustrators is currently on display at Melton Carnegie Museum. John Flower worked during the nineteenth century and produced a wonderful array of watercolours and sketches, and was chiefly known for his architectural drawings, many of which were of buildings in Leicester and

Free resource packs available to help communities go green

2011-08-29T11:48:00.000+01:00

A novel set of free resources to help householders and local communities to reduce their environmental impact has just been launched by the Communities Cutting Carbon project. Community Greening Packs contain useful gadgets such as energy monitors and water-saving equipment, along with a wide range of useful information from local organisations on how to go green. They are available now for free

Green Directory for Leicestershire & Rutland

2011-06-22T11:34:00.000+01:00

Vale Villages in Transition Green Day, Bottesford The Rural Community Council (RCC) has produced a Green Directory in partnership with the Communities Cutting Carbon project. The directory provides information on more than 30 community green groups in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, and gives details of local food projects, recycling schemes, car sharing groups and so on. There are

Converted village barn perfect for 'royal' photoshoot

2011-04-15T14:42:00.000+01:00

When Joanne Withers of Queniborough-based Nine Photos discovered Manor Farm in Rearsby had turned a disused barn into a delightful wedding venue, her creative juices started flowing. What better place to stage a wedding photoshoot for the One Stop Wedding Shop (also based in Queniborough) and the various local suppliers associated with the business! "We work well as a team" said Joanne, "and we

Discovering Rutland

2011-04-14T13:26:00.000+01:00

Rutland is the smallest county in England, just 18 miles from north to south and 17 miles west to east. Its motto 'Multum In Parvo', meaning 'much in little', describes it perfectly. Buttercross, Oakham © Copyright Lisa Batty Oakham and Uppingham Oakham is the county town and lies near the northern shore of Rutland Water. It's an easy place to find your way around, with plenty of shops,

Find a bluebell wood near you

2011-03-29T16:40:00.000+01:00

Burroughs Wood, Ratby Springtime is the perfect time to go walking in Leicestershire’s woodlands. The weather is warmer, birds are singing louder and the once desolate and bare trees are coming into bloom – as are an abundance of other flora species. The most famous is the bluebell. During April and May, woodlands are illuminated by breathtaking displays of bluebells as they spread like a blue

Melton's Green Environmental Agony Aunt

2011-03-07T12:20:00.000+00:00

Melton Borough Council now has its very own ‘Green Environmental Agony Aunt’. ‘Ask Amanda’ will promote the principles of environmentally sustainable practices, clear up any common misunderstandings and in general raise awareness to the Boroughs residents on a range of issues including waste minimisation, recycling, carbon reduction and the changing climate. She will also

Time for tea by the Grantham Canal

2011-03-04T11:09:00.000+00:00

Dove Cottage Tea Room The Dove Cottage tea room and charity shop offers a pleasant respite to anyone strolling along the Grantham Canal near Stathern. It was opened in 2009 to support the work of the Dove Cottage Day Hospice just a stone's throw away. Opening hours are: 10.30am to 3.30pm (4pm from 1 April) Monday to Friday and 10.30am-4pm (4.30 from 1 April) Saturday and

Leicestershire residents take up 'green cone' deal to reduce food waste

2011-03-03T11:58:00.000+00:00

Nearly 2,000 green cone food waste digesters have been bought by county residents keen to recycle their leftovers. Since May 2008 the special bins have been sold at a cut down rate by Leicestershire County Council, on behalf of the Leicestershire Waste Partnership, helping families reduce the amount of leftover food they send to landfill. All sorts of food waste, from fish and chips to curries

Free workshop for business start ups

2011-03-03T08:27:00.000+00:00

A free one-day workshop entitled Starting A Business: Managing Money and Making a Profit will be held at the Samworth Centre in Melton Mowbray on 8 March, starting at 9.30am (registration 9am). It is being run by Business Link East Midlands. The workshops covers: - different types of finance - raising finance - bookkeeping and accounts - financial planning and cash flow and credit

Professional entertainment in our village halls

2011-03-02T11:43:00.000+00:00

Thanks to Centre Stage, a subsidised rural touring scheme for Leicestershire and Rutland, we can now enjoy a wide variety of highly professional live shows and concerts in our local village halls and community centres. Centre Stage brings touring companies and artists with regional, national and international profiles to venues across the two counties. The scheme

New wood planted in Wymeswold

2011-02-27T09:31:00.000+00:00

View of Wymeswold from new woodland A new native woodland has been planted at Wymeswold with help from woodland charity the Woodland Trust. The new two acre wood, planted with the help of the local community, consists of 750 trees - a mix of native deciduous species including Oak, Ash, Cherry and Hawthorne – in partnership with the Trust’s new MOREwoods programme, which offers help,

The Green Place in Sileby reopens

2011-02-25T18:35:00.000+00:00

The Green Place gift shop After a couple of months of hibernation, The Green Place in Sileby will be re-opening on 5th March. Regular visitors will notice new products in the green gift shop and and new snacks in the cafe. The first 10 customers to visit on Saturday March 5th will get a free goodie bag and there will be some great bargains on old favourites from the gift range. Look

Harby Parish Walks unveiled

2011-02-23T12:06:00.000+00:00

Grantham Canal, Harby, by Kate Jewell A new walks guide covering the village of Harby and surrounding countryside has been added to the Leicestershire CC's Parish Walks series. The guide gives details of four walks of different lengths, all starting and finishing in Harby, in the heart of the Vale of Belvoir. The shortest of the routes is suitable for wheelchairs and one of

Explore Leicestershire ... on foot

2011-02-11T11:25:00.000+00:00

View towards Hungarton, by Mat Fascione Want to get out and enjoy the Leicestershire countryside now the days are getting longer? Why not try a walk from one of Leicestershire County Council's Parish Walks leaflets? There are currently 40 leaflets, each one describing a choice of walks starting and finishing in a particular village, and all are downloadable from the the council's website

Wind turbines: not in my back yard

2011-02-10T09:02:00.000+00:00

Two years ago planning permission for eight wind turbines in the Vale of Belvoir near Bottesford was turned down, much to the delight of the strong protest group who had campaigned strongly against the scheme. Last month, it was the turn of Queniborough residents to celebrate when the Scottish Power Renewable's plan for four turbines close to the village was rejected.BBC News - Queniborough wind

'Looking at Landscape' in the rural Midlands

2011-02-07T13:23:00.000+00:00

Landscape painting inspired by the gentle rolling hills of the rural English Midlands is the focus of an exhibition at Charnwood Museum which runs until 10 April. 'Looking at Landscape' reflects the way that people have looked at, interpreted, recorded and used the Leicestershire landscape throughout history - in both artistic and scientific ways. Click here for more information and pictures

What green spaces do you value?

2011-02-07T08:31:00.000+00:00

Wymeswold Meadows Nature Reserve by Kate Jewell People in Leicestershire are being urged to have their say on the green spaces they value. The county council wants to hear from people about their favourite green spaces, whether they are parks and meadows or large green wedges between towns. There are already a number of protected areas in Leicestershire, such as Bradgate Park,