Feeling loved-up in Leicester? Charity offers a gift-wrapping service in time for February 14 Charity administrator Karen Leitch (left) and volunteer Yvette Sansom get ready to wrap. Following its successful Christmas campaign, Leicester Children’s Holidays now has Valentine’s Day all wrapped up too. Its new shop and office at Highcross Leicester is being decked out with red heart balloons, ribbons and bows. And charity staff and volunteers are inviting shoppers to bring in their gifts to be wrapped – in return for a donation. The new unit in the heart of the city heralds a new era for the charity which used to be called Leicester Children’s Holidays Centre (Mablethorpe). It has taken 60,000 disadvantaged children on free holidays since 1898. The new shop and offices, in the Upper Mall, next to the Post Office and opposite Zara, is a modern showcase for the charity and is full of charity memorabilia including old photographs. It moved there in December and is the first time anyone has been able to see these artefacts displayed in one place. The wrapping service starts on Wednesday February 12 and finishes on the big day Friday February 14. The hours are 10am to 4pm. The charity welcomes volunteers who can spare a few hours to help wrap the gifts. Leicester Children’s Holidays’ manager Nicky Kandola said: “We raised £2,000 from our Christmas wrapping and had 200 visitors so are looking forward to welcoming more shoppers for Valentine’s Day. Since our move to Highcrosswe have had lots of interested people popping in and it has been wonderful to increase our visibility. “We need more volunteers to offer a few hours if they canto help us. It is a lot of fun to wrap gifts and training will be given if needed. “We give children life-changing experiences on our holidays and help them get away from their problems at home. We want people to learn about the work we do. “We are so grateful to Highcross Leicester who saw our vision and agreed to be part of our charity’s journey. They have done so much to make it possible.” Charity committee member Steven Sansom, formerlychairman of Dominoes Toys in Leicester, has donated gift wrap, balloons and ribbons, and even a special high table for the army of wrappers. Charity trustees, committee members, staff and volunteers will get involved. Leicester Children’s Holidays provides free respite breaks for children aged 8 to 11 from Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland who may face difficult circumstances at home. They may live in a low-income family, have suffered a bereavement, be a child carer looking after a parent or sibling or need a break for a host of other reasons. For decades, the charity helped children have fun on free holidays at its centre in Mablethorpe. In its history, it has offered more than 60,000 holidays to needy children and today it costs £450 to take each child on holiday. The charity will take 80 children to Hilltop Outdoor Centre in Norfolk this summer. Anyone who would like to volunteer to wrap gifts should contact Leicester Children’s Holidays on 0116 251 9863 or via email on hello@leicesterchildrensholidays.co.uk

Plans for a major £4million revamp of three busy city centre streets have been announced by Leicester City Council. The city council is planning major improvements to Horsefair Street, Pocklingtons Walk nearby Market Place South (and a small linking section of Millstone Lane) as part of the Connecting Leicester project, which is improving routes through the city centre while making it more attractive to investors and developers. On Horsefair Street, footpaths will be reconstructed with high-quality block paving and the realigned carriageway will be resurfaced. A new contraflow cycle track will be created to extend the network of safe cycle routes across the city centre. As part of the revamp, a new footpath will be created into Town Hall Square. This will link directly to Dolphin Square, with a raised area across the carriageway to link the two areas of public realm. These improvements will extend onto Pocklington’s Walk, where footpaths will be improved, and the carriageway realigned and resurfaced. A contraflow cycle track will provide a direct link from Horsefair Street to the new cycle lanes created on Welford Road, Newarke Street and Belvoir Street. A small number of Pay and Display parking bays will be introduced on Chancery Street to offset removal of parking on Pocklington’s Walk. Nearby Market Place South will also be reconstructed and resurfaced, extending the improvements recently completed in Market Place. Work to improve the pedestrian link at Dolphin Square will also be completed, with a high-quality resin-bonded gravel finish. The improvements will be part-financed with up to £1.85 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), following the city council’s successful bid for over £6 million of funding to support a range of ambitious transport related projects that aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions. City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “It is vital that we continue to invest in the regeneration of this high-profile part of the city centre and continue to provide safe and attractive routes for cyclists and pedestrians. “This major scheme will transform the look and feel of this part of the city centre, providing much improved facilities for all road users and creating a new direct link between Leicester’s popular market and the historic Town Hall Square. “The award of almost £2million of ERDF support is a tremendous endorsement of what this scheme will help achieve.” Work is due to get underway on the new Town Hall Square path in mid-February, with the main works due to begin in late-April. The overall improvement scheme will be carried out in phases to minimise disruption, but some road closures will be required. Details will be publicised closer to the start date. To view plans and further details, visit the 'ongoing projects' section at www.leicester.gov.uk/connectingleicester News source : Leicester City Council news

During a national week of awareness, Leicestershire Police is highlighting the many support services available for victims of sexual abuse and violence across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR). Throughout this week (3 – 9 February), organisations across LLR want to encourage people who have suffered from recent or historic abuse to come forward and access help, support and resources. All of the services are available, regardless of whether or not they wish to report a crime to the police. The focus for this year’s national sexual abuse and violence awareness week is ‘It’s Not OK’. Leicestershire Police work in partnership with several organisations who cover LLR including Victim First who work with victims and witnesses of crime and support both adults and young people. Trade, who are a health charity, support the LGBT+ community with their sexual and overall health needs and concerns. First Step work with male abuse survivors aged 13 and above and Quetzal offer counselling and a helpline to women who have suffered sexual abuse as a child. Jasmine House, Leicester Rape Crisis offer specialist counselling and support for females aged 13 and above that have suffered sexual violence or assault. United against Violence and Abuse (UAVA) provide a dedicated helpline along with specialist support including access to an independent sexual violence advisor (ISVA) for males and females of any age, including children. Juniper Lodge is a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) that offers support, forensic medical facilities and advice, to anyone aged 18 years and above regardless of whether a report is made to the police. Specialist staff can be contacted on 0116 273 3330 or juniper.lodge@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk. Help is available is the campaign’s key message – it doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, or what your needs are. If you choose to disclose something that has happened to you, you will be listened to, treated as an individual and will receive specific tailored support. The campaign aims to reach out to those people who find it harder to report. This often includes men, those from LGBT communities and black and Asian minority groups. Support is also available for the friends and relatives of victims as their needs can get overlooked. It’s important for them to know there is help for them to deal with their experiences too. Manager of Juniper Lodge (SARC), Millie Gant, said: “The SARC is a safe place where you can discuss your options with a crisis worker regardless of your gender or gender identity. We know that there are barriers which impact on people choosing to report but awareness and knowledge that they will be listened to and helped is key to what we are hoping to achieve. “Sexual abuse and sexual violence are both sensitive topics and we hope that our involvement in the awareness week will encourage conversations about these difficult subjects. “We hope that anyone who has been affected by sexual abuse or sexual violence understands how they can report these issues and know they are not alone.” Lord Willy Bach, Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland provide a vast amount of specialist services which provide emotional and practical help for victims and survivors whether they have reported their experiences to police or not.”

An inspiring project which is giving a group of green-fingered adult mental health service users the opportunity to grow food in a hospital’s ‘secret garden’ has been boosted by over £1,700 in funding from Central England Co-op. For the past 18 months Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust’s (LRWT) Grow Wild team has been working alongside Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust to support a group of adult mental heath service users experiencing severe and enduring issues. The focus has been on weekly gardening sessions to renovate a courtyard garden at the University of Leicester’s Attenborough Arts Centre but now the group – called The Green Room Gardeners – are keen to continue gardening and have expressed an interest in growing food. Working in partnership with University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, a new site has been identified at Glenfield Hospital, an old walled garden which is perfect for the next stage of the project and one which has now been boosted with over £1,700 in funding from the Southern Member & Community Council (MCC) at Central England Co-op. Launched by University Hospitals of Leicester, the Secret Garden project aims to restore the old walled garden making it a centre of excellence for health and wellbeing for not only its patients and staff, but also working closely with the local community to provide a space for everyone to use. Karen Bevan, Member and Community Relations Officer for the Southern Region at Central England Co-op, said: “When the council received the application for funding from LRWT it was a project our members were really keen to support, given the really positive difference it is already making to the service users. “As a co-operative we welcome the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives and wellbeing of the people who live in the communities we serve and I’m proud that the Southern Membership and Community Council were able to support this project and I look forward to seeing the progress.” The benefits of the project so far have been increased levels of physical activity, exposure to nature and contact with others, while positive outcomes have included increased levels of self-esteem, confidence, meaning, empowerment, hope and connectedness. The funding from Central England Co-op will go towards materials to create raised beds in the garden, as well as waterproof clothing for the gardeners. Matthew Herbert, Grow Wild Gardener at LRWT, said: “We're looking forward to creating a long-term home with The Green Room Gardeners here at the Secret Garden. Having a space in which we can work together, in nature, is so important. “Being outdoors with soil under our nails, sowing seeds and harvesting the crops we've grown together really helps all of us involved in the Green Room Gardeners group. We really appreciate Central England Co-op's support in making this happen." Karen James, Commercial Services Manager at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: “I am delighted that the members of the Central England Co-operative MCC have chosen to support Leicester and Rutland Wildlife Trusts’ Green Room Gardeners project. “We anticipate that the organic growing area we have set aside within the Secret Garden project for smaller activities and programmes such as this one, will have huge benefits to all members of our community who will eventually use this fantastic space.” The Southern Membership and Community Council is made up of Co-op members who are passionate about their community and want to make a difference within it. Each council is given funding and support by the Society to organise activities and events. Picture caption: Karen Bevan, Member and Community Relations Officer for the Southern Region at Central England Co-op (centre right) with MCC members and representatives from LRWT’s Grow Wild team and University Hospitals Leicester.

Two patients in England have tested positive for coronavirus. If more cases are confirmed in the UK, it will be announced as soon as possible by the Chief Medical Officer of the affected country. Based on the World Health Organization’s declaration that this is a public health emergency of international concern, Two patients in England have tested positive for coronavirus. If more cases are confirmed in the UK, it will be announced as soon as possible by the Chief Medical Officer of the affected country. Based on the World Health Organization’s declaration that this is a public health emergency of international concern, the UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the public from low to moderate. This permits the government to plan for all eventualities. The risk to individuals in the UK has not changed at this stage. Our advice for travellers from Wuhan remains unchanged from the below. 1,466 passengers and 95 staff arrived in the UK on direct flights from Wuhan between 10 and 24 January. 162 of the passengers have already left the UK760 are now outside of the incubation period Public Health England are working to contact the remaining passengers. We have been working in close collaboration with international colleagues and the World Health Organisation to monitor the situation in China and around the world. The Department of Health and Social Care will be publishing updated data on this page on a daily basis at 2pm until further notice. Information about the virus A coronavirus is a type of virus. As a group, coronaviruses are common across the world. Typical symptoms of coronavirus include fever and a cough that may progress to a severe pneumonia causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease. Novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) is a new strain of coronavirus first identified in Wuhan City, China. Advice for travellers from Wuhan If you have returned from Wuhan in the last 14 days: stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with other flu virusescall NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the city If you are in Northern Ireland, call your GP. Please follow this advice even if you do not have symptoms of the virus. What this means in practice We are asking people to take simple, common-sense steps to avoid close contact with other people as much as possible, like they would with other flu viruses. This means remaining at home for 14 days after arriving from Wuhan and not going to work, school or public areas. Where possible, you should avoid having visitors to your home, but it’s ok for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food. Transport You should not use public transport or taxis until 14 days after your return from Wuhan. Getting food and medicine We recommend that you stay at home for 14 days after arriving from Wuhan, and avoid public places. Where possible, contact a friend, family member or delivery services to carry out errands on your behalf. Taking children to school We recommend that you stay at home for 14 days after arriving from Wuhan, and avoid public places. Where possible, contact a friend or family member to take your children to school. Why the advice has changed This is an evolving situation and the advice has changed based on emerging information from China about the number of cases and spread of the infection from person to person. This is a highly precautionary measure to limit the potential spread of infection. If you develop symptoms If you develop a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat or difficulty breathing, you should continue to follow the advice above. Please do not leave your home until you been given advice by a clinician. Summary of action taken We have introduced advanced monitoring at airports with direct flights from China. A team of public health experts has been established in Heathrow to support anyone travelling in from China who feels unwell. These hubs will bring in rotational teams of 7 clinicians, working in shifts, who will be on hand to support patients on arrival. This is in addition to medical staff who are already permanently in place at all UK airports and the advice issued to all UK airports for people travelling to and from China. The government has issued clinical guidance for the detection and diagnosis of novel coronavirus (2019-nCov), and infection prevention and control. The Chief Medical Officer, Medical Director at PHE and Medical Director at NHSE/I have issued advice via a CAS (Central Alerting System) alert to frontline staff to increase awareness of the situation and any actions to take. Most people who develop symptoms will get them after leaving the airport and so the priority is providing UK residents and travellers with the latest information to make sure they know what to do if they experience symptoms, and the NHS and PHE have an established plan to respond to someone who becomes unwell. China has also introduced port-of-exit screening so people already exhibiting symptoms are not allowed to leave the country. Diagnosis and analysis Based on current evidence, novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) presents with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough, or difficulty breathing. The current evidence is that most cases appear to be mild. Those who have died in Wuhan appear to have had pre-existing health conditions. The UK is now one of the first countries outside China to have a prototype specific laboratory test for this new disease. Healthcare professionals who are contacted by a patient with symptoms following travel to Wuhan have been advised to submit samples to PHE for testing. Individuals should be treated in isolation. After the experience of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, PHE developed a series of diagnostic tests to detect any member of the family of coronaviruses. These have been used for several years, and were able to detect the first UK case of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012. With the first reported publication of the genome sequence of a 2019 novel coronavirus, PHE was able to rapidly develop further specific tests for this virus, working with WHO and global network of laboratories. When a clinician suspects novel coronavirus (2019-nCov), they take samples from the nose, throat and deeper respiratory samples, package and send them safely to PHE Colindale. PHE can provide a laboratory result from this specific virus on the same working day. PHE also has the capability to sequence the viral genome and compare this to published sequences from China, if a case occurs. This will provide valuable information on any mutations in the virus over time and allow an improved understanding of how it spreads. This permits the government to plan for all eventualities. The risk to individuals in the UK has not changed at this stage. Our advice for travellers from Wuhan remains unchanged from the below. 1,466 passengers and 95 staff arrived in the UK on direct flights from Wuhan between 10 and 24 January. 162 of the passengers have already left the UK760 are now outside of the incubation period Public Health England are working to contact the remaining passengers. We have been working in close collaboration with international colleagues and the World Health Organisation to monitor the situation in China and around the world. The Department of Health and Social Care will be publishing updated data on this page on a daily basis at 2pm until further notice. Information about the virus A coronavirus is a type of virus. As a group, coronaviruses are common across the world. Typical symptoms of coronavirus include fever and a cough that may progress to a severe pneumonia causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease. Novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) is a new strain of coronavirus first identified in Wuhan City, China. Advice for travellers from Wuhan If you have returned from Wuhan in the last 14 days: stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with other flu virusescall NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the city. If you are in Northern Ireland, call your GP. Please follow this advice even if you do not have symptoms of the virus. What this means in practice We are asking people to take simple, common-sense steps to avoid close contact with other people as much as possible, like they would with other flu viruses. This means remaining at home for 14 days after arriving from Wuhan and not going to work, school or public areas. Where possible, you should avoid having visitors to your home, but it’s ok for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food. Transport You should not use public transport or taxis until 14 days after your return from Wuhan. Getting food and medicine We recommend that you stay at home for 14 days after arriving from Wuhan, and avoid public places. Where possible, contact a friend, family member or delivery services to carry out errands on your behalf. Taking children to school We recommend that you stay at home for 14 days after arriving from Wuhan, and avoid public places. Where possible, contact a friend or family member to take your children to school. Why the advice has changed This is an evolving situation and the advice has changed based on emerging information from China about the number of cases and spread of the infection from person to person. This is a highly precautionary measure to limit the potential spread of infection. If you develop symptoms If you develop a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat or difficulty breathing, you should continue to follow the advice above. Please do not leave your home until you been given advice by a clinician. Summary of action taken We have introduced advanced monitoring at airports with direct flights from China. A team of public health experts has been established in Heathrow to support anyone travelling in from China who feels unwell. These hubs will bring in rotational teams of 7 clinicians, working in shifts, who will be on hand to support patients on arrival. This is in addition to medical staff who are already permanently in place at all UK airports and the advice issued to all UK airports for people travelling to and from China. The government has issued clinical guidance for the detection and diagnosis of novel coronavirus (2019-nCov), and infection prevention and control. The Chief Medical Officer, Medical Director at PHE and Medical Director at NHSE/I have issued advice via a CAS (Central Alerting System) alert to frontline staff to increase awareness of the situation and any actions to take. Most people who develop symptoms will get them after leaving the airport and so the priority is providing UK residents and travellers with the latest information to make sure they know what to do if they experience symptoms, and the NHS and PHE have an established plan to respond to someone who becomes unwell. China has also introduced port-of-exit screening so people already exhibiting symptoms are not allowed to leave the country. Diagnosis and analysis Based on current evidence, novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) presents with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough, or difficulty breathing. The current evidence is that most cases appear to be mild. Those who have died in Wuhan appear to have had pre-existing health conditions. The UK is now one of the first countries outside China to have a prototype specific laboratory test for this new disease. Healthcare professionals who are contacted by a patient with symptoms following travel to Wuhan have been advised to submit samples to PHE for testing. Individuals should be treated in isolation After the experience of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, PHE developed a series of diagnostic tests to detect any member of the family of coronaviruses. These have been used for several years, and were able to detect the first UK case of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012. With the first reported publication of the genome sequence of a 2019 novel coronavirus, PHE was able to rapidly develop further specific tests for this virus, working with WHO and global network of laboratories. When a clinician suspects novel coronavirus (2019-nCov), they take samples from the nose, throat and deeper respiratory samples, package and send them safely to PHE Colindale. PHE can provide a laboratory result from this specific virus on the same working day. PHE also has the capability to sequence the viral genome and compare this to published sequences from China, if a case occurs. This will provide valuable information on any mutations in the virus over time and allow an improved understanding of how it spreads.

Leicestershire Police is among the top employers in the country for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans staff. The force was judged to be among the most inclusive in the country as part of the Stonewall Top 100, being placed 93rd. This year’s Top 100 was the largest ever with 503 employers entering, demonstrating their commitment to LGBT workplace inclusion. As part of the Top 100, Stonewall collects more than 109,000 anonymous responses from employees on their experience of Britain’s workplace culture and diversity. This year, 81 per cent of LGBT employees who responded to the survey said they feel able to be themselves in the workplace. Chief Constable Simon Cole, said: “Leicestershire Police is thrilled to have made the Stonewall top 100 employer list. This accolade reinforces our commitment as a force to ensuring equality for all members of the organisation. “We will be recruiting for staff and officers throughout the year and I hope that this recognition helps to open the door to as many people as possible to come and join us.” Sanjay Sood-Smith, Stonewall’s Executive Director of Workplace & Community Programmes, said: “We are delighted to name Leicestershire Police as one of our Top 100 Employers this year. All the organisations in this year's Top 100 Employer's list are playing a huge role in improving the lives of LGBT people, and should be very proud of their work. “We still don't live in a world where everyone is able to be themselves in the workplace, as we know more than a third of LGBT staff (35 per cent) hide who they are at work. By taking steps to make their workplaces supportive and welcoming of all lesbian, gay, bi and trans people, businesses like Leicestershire Police are bringing us closer to a world where everyone is accepted without exception.” PC James Yeoman, Co-Chair of Leicestershire Police’s LGBT+ Network, said: "As an organisation and LGBT+ Network, we work incredibly hard to support staff wherever we can from an LGBT+ perspective. I have seen some of the great work that we do first hand. “Returning to the top 100 employers is a great achievement for the force and is something we should all be proud of. Working in an environment where accepting someone for who they are is key, and it is evident we are doing the right thing. Next year we shall aim to do things even better than this year, adopting an even stronger approach in supporting our colleagues and allies of the LGBT+ workforce.” Lynne Woodward, Head of the force’s Equality Unit, said: “We are really pleased to be in the Stonewall Top 100 employers, particularly as the number of organisations who enter continue to increase. This is the result of increased work and support from our local LGBT+ network. It will also assist us in attracting a more diverse workforce at a time when we are recruiting an increased number of police officers.” Stonewall’s Top 100 is compiled from submissions to the Workplace Equality Index, a powerful benchmarking tool used by employers to assess their achievements and progress on LGBT equality in the workplace, as well as their wider work in the community and on service provision. Each organisation must demonstrate their expertise in 10 areas of employment policy and practice, including networking groups, senior leadership, procurement and how well they’ve engaged with LGBT communities. To see the full list, visit the Stonewall website.

Phoenix Leicester: 26th February Directed by – Adam Egypt Mortimer Starring Patrick Schwarzenegger, Miles Robbins, Sasha Lane, Hannah Marks and Mary Stuart Masterson. Daniel Isn’t Real will screen in Leicester from 26th February. Having received high critical praise across its film festival run, DANIEL ISN’T REAL is based on the novel “In This Way I Was Saved” by Brian DeLeeuwwith the screenplay by Brian DeLeeuw and Adam Egypt Mortimer and produced by Daniel Noah, Josh C. Waller, Lisa Whalen, Elijah Wood with Spectrevision and ACE Pictures. The film follows troubled Luke (Miles Robbins) who suffers a violent family trauma and resurrects his childhood imaginary friend to help him cope. Charismatic and full of manic energy, “Daniel” (Patrick Schwarzenegger) helps Luke to achieve his dreams, before pushing him into a desperate fight for his own soul. Director Adam Egypt Mortimer said: “Over the seven years Brian and I worked on adapting his novel, different themes emerged — particularly through the seductive character of Daniel. His nihilistic point of view made me want to make the sort of movie that would wake people up to the danger of reality and thrill them with the scary idea that people are all one impulsive decision away from violence or true evil. Within all the technique, colours, stunt, and psychotronic moments, the best part of the movie is the emotional reality between the characters. DANIEL ISN’T REAL is my heart put on film. And I can't wait to have a public conversation about it with you all!” DANIEL ISN’T REAL is released in UK cinemas 7th February 2020 Phoenix Leicester: 26th February Phoenix 4 Midland Street Leicester LE1 1TG Box Office 0116 242 2800

It’s definitely something different for Valentines, and for only £2 for four. Central England Co-op has launched a brand-new ice cream in time for Valentine’s Day – shaped like a rose. From February 1, customers will be able to get their hands on a box of four strawberry rose cones, which is a strawberries and cream ice cream shaped like a rose petal with a cone crafted to look the stem of a flower. The product is the first of its kind in the UK and will cost £2. Kev Morris, Central England Co-op Store Manager, said: “The cones look and taste amazing and so much work has gone into making them look as close to a red rose as possible. “Although it is still a little cold outside, this is a perfect way gift for a loved one who likes flowers but also has a sweet tooth.”

Saturday, 08 February 2020 Time: 5:00pm (6:00pm)Doors open: 4:40pm Venue: Leicester LGBT Centre Entry: £5.00 Combining panto, drag and the art of storytelling this all-singing, partial-dancing extravaganza is filled with stories about being who you are and loving who you want. Let Mama G introduce you to her range of wonderful characters: groundbreaking astronauts, feuding fairies and goats with a wind problem; in stories that will make the whole family think, laugh and love! See our website for details of a pre-show children's art & craft event HOW TO BOOK TICKETS: Tickets for all festival shows are available from our festival box office. You can call the helpful team on 0116 456 6812. Tickets are also available to buy on this website. Find out more about the Leicester Comedy festival http://www.comedy-festival.co.uk http://www.leicesterlgbtcentre.org/

Exhibition is running until 25 April A popular exhibition which attracted almost 25,000 visitors when it was shown at Charnwood and Harborough Museums has opened at Melton Carnegie Museum today (21 January). People who remember Ladybird Books from the 1970s and 1980s, or those wanting to discover them for the first time, are being urged not to miss H is for House: Living in a Ladybird Home. The exhibition transports visitors back into the world that will be familiar to millions of people who grew up with Ladybird Books. Visitors will be able to see original Ladybird Books, as well as familiar household items of the 1970s and 80s from the Leicestershire Museums Collection, including a trim phone, Hoover vacuum cleaner and a teasmade. There will also be the opportunity to recover lost dialling skills on a rotary telephone, have a go at drawing the objects on display to create Ladybird-style illustrations or play in the child-sized kitchen styled on the museum’s 1980s dolls house. The exhibition is sure to appeal to anyone who remembers playing with the same toys as Peter and Jane, wearing the same clothes or ringing their friends on a similar telephone. H is for House made its debut at Charnwood Museum in 2018. In the 11 weeks it was open, the exhibition saw a total of 18,400 visitors through the doors, making it Charnwood Museum’s most successful exhibition since 2015. The exhibition also ran at Harborough Museum from February to June last year, when it attracted 6,500 visitors – meaning that during its two runs, almost 25,000 people saw H is for House. "Ladybird Books are fondly remembered by generation of people who read them as children – including me. H is for House is a fascinating exhibition which is well worth visiting. It has been a huge success with audiences at Charnwood and Harborough Museums and I am delighted that it is now opening in Melton, where even more people will get the chance to see it." Councillor Richard Blunt, cabinet member for heritage, leisure and arts April - is free. Melton Carnegie Museum is open from 10am to 4.30pm Tuesday to Saturday. Find out more on the museum’s website at www.meltonmuseum.org Melton Carnegie Museum Thorpe End, Melton Mowbray LE13 1RB

Central England Co-op customers have shown the pull of an Easter chocolate treat is too much to resist, whatever the time of year, as new data reveals tens of thousands of crème eggs and mini eggs have been sold since hitting stores on Boxing Day. While people were polishing off the last of the Christmas chocolate or looking to cut back on sweet treats in favour of something slightly healthier, the perennial Easter favourites have still found their way into customer baskets. The latest data from Central England Co-op shows that 64,000 Cadbury Crème Eggs and 58,000 packets of Cadbury Mini Eggs have been sold in its stores since December 26. Store manager Kev Morris said: “Every year we get asked ‘why are you stocking Easter products already?’ The truth is that the demand is there and as a convenience retailer we aim to make sure we can meet all our customer’s needs. “While a lot of people see January as a time to get healthier and cut back, the lure of a crème egg or a packet of mini eggs is often too much to resist and much easier to justify after a trip to the gym or as a small treat alongside a healthy diet. “The popularity of Easter products shows no sign of slowing. We have also stocked hot cross buns all year round for the last four years due to customer demand and they have become a weekly staple for many people.”

SWM Theatre Company they need bums on seats A local group who perform panto's for local people, which are non profit making and enjoy coming together to perform, need your support to keep this group going. bums on seats... Jack and the beanstalk, Wigston college Station Road South Wigston Leicester Friday - Sold out Saturday 1st Feb 2.15pm & 7.15pm Sunday 2nd Feb 2.15pm Tickets £7 each (4 for £25) Telephone Box Office 0116 299 3256 email boxoffice@swmtheatreco.com The South Wigston Musical Theatre Company has been established for over 40 years. It has in that period produced many Pantomimes and Musicals. Started as a Church amateur players group it grew to become a firm favourite in the area. Becoming successful meant it outgrew its small church hall stage and moved to what was then called Guthlaxton School. After many more successful years the group broke away from the Church and became an independent Company. Shows are performed at various venues in the area depending on availability. So it is a good idea to note the venue of each show. Likewise rehearsals are held at a variety of venues, but always in the local area. Watch this page for details. New members are always welcome, and auditions for shows are advertised on all our publicity sites. Membership fees are currently £15 for adults & £7.50 up to 18yrs. Please contact us through the message section on this page. As a self funding Group we receive no assistance from outside sources, so the Company is always happy to discuss ‘Sponsorship’ or the booking of a performance. The Group has its own Scenery workshop & store where sets are designed and built by a set designer and volunteers. We also build & hire out sets and props along with Radio Mikes etc for other local Groups. Groups Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/southwigstonmusicaltheatrecompany/?eid=ARCUeW03My88NT6mcenLApRn0FqjKsVCdwMUWB61BCEBWk9liZna2VKitF0Upr_KlmekPD013unqowyA