WIGSTON AMATEUR OPERATIC SOCIETY PRESENTS Ghost The Musical Main House, The Little Theatre, Dover St, Leicester LE1 6PW Sam and Molly, childhood sweethearts, are happily in love and living together in Brooklyn. On returning to their apartment one night, they are mugged at gunpoint, Sam is murdered and finds himself trapped between this world and the next, and as a ghost is unable to leave Molly. Sam quickly learns Molly is in grave danger. Oda Mae Brown, a local psychic helps Sam communicate with Molly in the hope of protecting her. Ticket information All tickets – £18 no concessions. Book here Credits & acknowledgements Ghost: The MusicalBook and Lyrics by Bruce Joel RubinMusic and Lyrics by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard Box Office 0116 255 1302 hello@thelittletheatre.co.uk

Join the Space Elves at the National Space Centre for a very special pre-Christmas Small Space Day, including a visit from Mrs Santa all the way from the North Pole! 18th December. Small Space days have been created especially for the littlest space cadets, with songs, stories, games and the whole Centre for the under 5s and their families to explore. Included in your entry ticket is an opportunity to join Mrs Santa for a selection of Christmas stories, before meeting the Space Elves, who take care of all the very difficult science that makes Christmas magical, like how does Santa get all those gifts in his sleigh, and how fast must the jolly chap travel to visit all the children of the world?! A trip to Mrs Santa and the Space Elves is followed by a special Sing-A-Long Snow Time Sensory Party, with lights, snow, bubbles and music to kick off the Christmas season. If you are looking for a special Christmas outfit to wear? Take a seat and make your very own Rudolph hat, complete with bright colourful nose and googly eyes! If that wasn’t enough you can decorate your own rocket Christmas decoration to take home, for the ultimate festive memento. All day tickets include a fulldome planetarium show on your first visit. For Small Space Day there are two shows to choose from, including a very special show, created for toddlers to enjoy, the Astronaut George Show. Booking in advance is essential, so head to the website to make sure you join Mrs Claus and the Space Elves this Christmas. Small Space Mrs Santa Clause Special is a PREMIUM EVENT – Annual Passes and vouchers are not valid. Find out more here

Road gritting teams from Leicester City Council are preparing to take to the city’s streets as the first very cold winter temperatures approach over the coming days. The team of six gritting lorries and 15 specialist drivers, based at the council’s Leycroft Road depot in Beaumont Leys, are on standby throughout the winter months. They routinely grit 180 miles of primary routes – more than a third of the city’s entire road network – and a further 40 miles of routes during more severe snowfall. With temperatures predicted to plunge below zero over the next few days, the team is closely following up to the minute local weather forecasts to decide if and when to send out the fleet of gritting vehicles. Leicester City Council has stockpiled over 3,000 tonnes of rock salt, which works by lowering the freezing point of moisture on the road surface. The first early morning traffic following any overnight ice or snow will crush the salt to form brine, which then gets worked into the snow and ice and helps dissolve it. Gritting routes cover all local hospitals, fire stations and main police stations as well as many schools. Leicester City Council’s director of City Highways, Martin Fletcher, said: “After a very mild start to the winter, much colder weather is expected over the coming weeks. “We get regular detailed road gritting weather forecasts from specialist weather service providers, so we monitor these closely to make a decision on if and when we need to go out. “The gritting lorries are only part of it. We also have over 430 grit bins in neighbourhoods across the city which residents can use to grit pavements and other well-used areas. "As always we’d advise people to take extra care when out and about in icy conditions, particularly pedestrians who should wear appropriate footwear and warm clothing.” The city council’s gritting teams are on standby every year from October to April as part of their winter gritting programme, so are ready to go out gritting at very short notice if overnight snow or ice is forecast. Details of winter road services are available at the city council's website here.

Bodyworn video footage has captured the moment two of our officers searched through a city centre block of flats as a fire took hold – including helping a woman and her two young children get out safely. Police Constables Elliot Godden and Vishal Dave were both at Mansfield House police station in the city centre at around 4.40pm on Wednesday (16 November) when they heard on their radios that a fire had been reported at the nearby building in Lower Hill Street, Leicester. Both raced outside where they described seeing bright orange flames coming from the building and glass shattering. Footage captures moment officers search through city centre flats as fire takes hold. PC Dave said: “I was at the station getting ready to go home when I heard it on the radio. I put my kit back on and raced across. I was shouting at people to get out of the way. Elliot came over and we just ran into the building.PC Godden added: “We went in together and just went up floor by floor to see if anyone was left inside the building. ”The officers described the smoke becoming more intense as they searched each floor. The fire had started on the fifth floor of the building.PC Dave said: “When we got to the sixth floor, I did start thinking about my girlfriend and my daughter. You start to think about what if something explodes.” The building all appeared empty until the officers reached the ninth floor – the top floor – where a woman was present with two young children. PC Godden said: “We found the female on the top floor and helped carry her children downstairs so they could all get out quickly and safely. The fire service had turned up so we carried on clearing the area then and speaking with the residents. “Luckily the fire hadn’t spread rapidly through the building which had allowed us time to go from floor to floor. The fire service managed to get the fire quickly under control before it caused too much damage to the building and put anyone else in danger.” PC Dave added: “You do think about what could have happened. I’m just so pleased we could be there and help ensure everyone was safe and that no-one was hurt.” The officers were assessed by East Midlands Ambulance Service following the incident. Fortunately neither officer was injured. Welfare support is also being provided. An investigation into the cause of the fire found it is not believed to have been started deliberately. City Centre Neighbourhood Area Commander, Inspector Nadia Rana said: “PC Dave and PC Godden put their own lives at risk in order to ensure everyone was out of the building safely. Their actions were extremely brave and we are all very proud of both of them. “The response from all the emergency services, the local council and other partners to this incident was excellent and meant that thankfully no injuries were reported and that the damage caused was contained. Thank you to everyone who responded to this incident so efficiently and effectively. Our thoughts and our support remain with residents and members of the community who have been affected by the fire.” Leicestershire Poice News release.

Leicester's City Mayor says the autumn statement published by the Chancellor yesterday will lead to more cuts to essential services, as the city council prepares for the worst funding crisis it has ever experienced. City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “Like other councils across the country we expect to be facing even greater budget pressures over the next few years, and the Chancellor said nothing yesterday that will change this. “At our current level of spending we will be short of up to £50m a year by 2024 and are having to make huge cuts just to keep basic services going. This is on top of the £90m of savings we have already had to make to services other than social care. “This will put at risk the services people value – including our parks, museums, street cleaning services, and leisure centres. After yesterday’s statement, the bad news is that the years to come look like being even worse." The Chancellor announced yesterday that local government will not get any additional funding over the next two years to cover inflation. Some extra money will be made available to cover adult social care, but not enough to cover cost increases. Sir Peter said: “The Government has previously spoken about an end to austerity, but thanks to the current economic crisis – exacerbated by its disastrous mini-budget – we face the worst cuts’ crisis in this council’s history. And it’s not just Leicester; all local authorities are in the same boat.” The Chancellor also announced that local authorities will be able to increase council tax by 5%. Sir Peter said: “The Government has ducked its responsibility to provide councils with an adequate level of funding, and has instead left us with an extremely difficult decision: do we cut vital services or do we increase taxes during a cost of living crisis? There are no easy options.” The council’s director of finance, Amy Oliver said: “We knew we would need to make more savings as the Government told us last year there would be no new money for councils. “We continue to face increasing costs as more older people need the support of social care services, and the situation is now much more difficult because of the recent surge in inflation. “We have of course also seen significant increases in energy costs for all of our buildings, and even though our staff have received a pay award below inflation, it is still more than we expected when we set the budget. “The city council is continually making efficiencies, but with a shortfall of up to £50m in what we need to spend and the funding we have available – huge savings will have to be made over the next two years.” Leicester City Council will set its budget for 2023 on 22nd February.

Motorists are being advised of possible traffic disruption caused by a religious procession taking place this weekend. The annual Nagar Kirtan procession, which every year attracts about 10,000 Sikhs, will be making its way through Leicester on Sunday, November 20. The colourful procession will set off from the Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara in East Park Road, at around 11am, and will follow a route through the city to Holy Bones, near St Nicholas Circle. The route will include East Park Road, St Peter’s Road, Sparkenhoe Street, Swain Street, St George’s Way, Charles Street, Northampton Street, Granby Street, Gallowtree Gate, East Gates, High Street, St Nicholas Place and finally to St Nicholas Circle, before finishing at nearby Holy Bones, at 3pm. It will mean a series of rolling road closures while the procession passes through the city. There will also be some parking restrictions in the streets near East Park Road, namely parts of Leicester Street, Rosebery Street, Nottingham Street, Holy Bones and Great Central Street. Information signs will be going up on main routes into the city ahead of the procession to warn drivers, while the city council’s Area Traffic Control team will be providing regular traffic and travel updates to help people coming into the city. Nagar Kirtan is a major event in Leicester’s religious and cultural calendar, which celebrates the birth of Sikhism’s first Guru and founder, Nanak Dev Ji. The event has been celebrated in Leicester for more than 20 years and involves people in the procession walking from temple to temple, singing hymns and filling up on food. Leicester assistant city mayor for culture, leisure and sport, Cllr Piara Singh Clair, said: “Nagar Kirtan is a very popular event among the city’s Sikh community, with people turning out in large numbers to take part in the events. “We want to ensure the safety of spectators and people taking part in the procession, so we will be putting in place a series of rolling road closures as it passes through the city. “We want to be sure that people intending to visit the city centre on that day are aware of this event and can plan accordingly.” For traffic and travel updates visit Area Traffic Control on Twitter via @ATCLeicester

Jubilee Square’s real ice rink is back this year! Skaters can show off their best moves, come rain or shine under the lights of this covered rink. Get your skates on for a Christmas on real ice Thursday 1 December – Monday 2 January With the introduction of super off-peak pricing this year there will be opportunities to skate for just £5. Plus, popular demand on the ice means the opening hours have been extended adding the new late skate session of 9pm. And if that hasn’t given plenty of time to show off your skating skills, why not book on to make your Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve extra special. And, for the first time ever, the rink will be open on New Year’s Day too! TICKETS Tickets can be purchased from Jubilee Square Ice Rink ticket office, located at the front of the ice rink in Jubilee Square. The ticket office is open from 9.30am each day until 9.30pm, except for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve when it will close at 6.30pm. The rink and the ticket office will be closed on Christmas Day. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Visit Leicester Information Centre located at the KRIII Visitor Centre, 4A St. Martins, Leicester, LE1 5DB. Skate hire and a 45-minute session on the ice will cost just £5 at super off-peak times. Off-peak tickets will cost £10 for adults and £8.50 for children/concessions. Standard price tickets will cost £12 for adults and £9.50 for children/concessions. Book tickets here OPENING TIMES The ice rink is open from Thursday 1 December 2022 to Monday 2 January 2023, every day except Christmas Day (25 December). Open from 10am* – 10pm (last session starts at 9pm). On Christmas Eve the last skate session will be at 6pm and ends at 7pm. *On 2, 5, 9, 12 and 16 December the rink will open at 11am. Preview 1 December | 5pm – 9pm 2 December | 11am – 9pm Super Off Peak 5, 9, 12, 16 December | 11am – 4pm 6 – 8, 13 – 15 December | 12pm and 2pm – 4pm Off Peak 3 – 4, 10 – 11, 17 – 18, 24, 31 December and 1 January | 10am – 1pm 19 – 23, 26 – 30 December and 2 January | 10am – 2pm 5 – 8, 12 – 15 December | 5pm Peak 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24*, 31 December and 1 January | 2pm – 8pm 19 – 23, 26 – 30 December and 2 January | 3pm – 8pm 9 and 16 December | 5pm – 8pm 5 – 8, 12 – 15 December | 6pm – 8pm 24 December* last session is 6pm and rink closes at 7pm Quiet Sessions 19, 21, 26, 28 December | 1pm 25 December – CLOSED For further details check out our FAQ’s

Leicester's Jubilee Square is getting into the festive spirit as the Wheel of Light makes its return for Christmas. The massive, illuminated Ferris wheel is open from today (Friday 11 Nov) and will be offering some unparalleled views of its city centre surroundings. Each ride lasts for approximately eight to 10 minutes, in which riders will be lifted to a dizzying 110 feet. The Wheel of Light will be open Monday to Thursday from 11am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am until 11pm, and on Sundays from 11am to 9pm. There are 24 covered gondolas, each seating 6 people. Wheelchair access is available to one of the gondolas – assistance will be provided for anyone using this gondola. There’s no need to book ahead as tickets can be bought from the onsite booth. Standard tickets are £7, tickets for small children (under 1.4m) are £5 and a family ticket (two adults and two children or one adult and three children) is £20. The Christmas fun fair also makes it return to Humberstone Gate from today. It all means the countdown to Christmas in Leicester is fully now properly under way with just a few days to go until the Christmas Lights Switch On celebration on Thursday 17 November. This year’s event will run from 5pm until 8pm with entertainment and activities taking place at key locations around the city centre. A countdown – played out on speakers across the city centre – will herald the switch-on of Leicester’s Christmas lights at 6.30pm. The popular ice rink attraction at Jubilee Square will be open from Thursday 1 December until Monday 2 January. For more information, and to pre-book skating tickets online, visit www.ChristmasInLeicester.co.uk

The most wonderful time of the year kicks off on Thursday 17 November with Leicester’s Christmas Lights Switch-On. The Town Hall and city’s streets will be illuminated with over 16,000 sparkling LED lights, and a spectacular 46-foot tree decorated with twinkling lights and baubles will take centre stage at the Clock Tower. There will be plenty to enjoy for all ages with traditional entertainment in Town Hall Square and catch a photo opportunity with festive friends. A countdown hosted by BBC Radio Leicester will be played out on speakers across the city at 6.30pm to switch-on the Christmas lights, so you can see the streets come alight wherever you are! We hope the kids have remembered all those Christmas cracker jokes because Green Dragon Square will be hosted by The UK Kid’s Comedy Festival with their pop-up Joke Spot A chance for young ones to jump on the mic and tell their best festive gags! During the evening there will be food, films in Green Dragon Square and music whilst costume characters and live entertainment roam the streets.

Officers are appealing for public help in locating jewellery which was stolen during a burglary at a home in Leicester. Sometime between 10.30am and 10pm on Saturday 15 October a house in Broadway Road was broken into and a number of items of Asian gold jewellery was stolen. The jewellery is distinctive and if anyone recognises the items pictured they are asked to get in touch. We would also urge pawnbrokers or jewellers to contact us if they have been approached by someone trying to sell similar jewellery. Anyone with any information is asked to contact PC 2131 Jamie Anderson on 101 or via www.leics.police.uk, quoting crime number 22*603161.

Officers investigating a burglary are looking for information and to trace the stolen items. A large amount of jewellery was taken from an address in New Parks Boulevard, Leicester, sometime between 6.30pm on Monday 24 October and 3am on Tuesday 25 October. Some of the pieces stolen are pictured below: Detective Constable Sally Harrold, the investigating officer, said: “I’d like to speak to anyone who recognises any of the jewellery – have you been it for sale or maybe even been sold items that appear similar? “Also, I am keen to speak to anyone who may have information regarding the burglary itself. Were you in the area at the time the incident occurred? Please cast your mind back – did you notice anyone acting in an unusual or suspicious way? “Any information you’re able to provide could help with my enquiries.” Anyone with information can report online or by calling 101, quoting crime reference number 22*622554.

The main annual Remembrance Day service will take place at Victoria Park, on Sunday, November 13, giving people an opportunity to pay their respects to the nation’s fallen servicemen and women. This year’s service will return to almost its usual format with members of the public once more able to attend alongside invited guests and dignitaries for the first time since the pandemic. People attending need to be in place by 10.40am, ahead of the parade made up of members from the Armed Forces, veterans and cadets which will step off from De Montfort Hall at about 10.45am, moving along Centenary Walk to the Arch of Remembrance. The parade will be followed by the official wreath laying parties. The service will begin at 10.55am and will be led by Right Reverend Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester, with support from Dave Andrews, a former BBC Radio broadcaster. It will include a customary two-minute silence at 11am, which will be heralded by a bugler sounding the Last Post. Salutes will be fired to mark the beginning and end of the silence – visitors are reminded that the salutes create a very loud bang which could alarm young children and pets. Official wreaths will be laid by Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Colonel Murray Colville, and The Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor George Cole, together with representatives from local emergency services, military units and faith representatives. There will be an opportunity for members of the public to lay wreaths at the end of the service. Limited public seating is available on a first come first served basis, along with designated seating for anyone with a disability or who is unable to stand for long periods. Watch our video from 2022 To complete the service, a returning parade will step off through the Arch of Remembrance and back onto Centenary Walk, returning to the front of De Montfort Hall. The events mean that the Granville Road car park will be closed from midnight on Saturday until around 1pm on the Sunday, with only a very limited number of spaces for disabled and blue badge holders available at the top end of the car park. These need to be booked in advance by emailing lord.mayor@leicester.gov.uk or calling 0116 454 0020. Both Granville Road and Regent Road will be closed to traffic from 9.30am around 12.15pm, will access allowed for residents on Salisbury Road. Leicester Lord Mayor Cllr George Cole said: “Once more people from across the city and beyond will be taking a moment to honour those who have given their lives in armed conflict and to reflect upon their sacrifice. “Sadly, world events show that the kind of military aggression which has cost so many lives over the years is still in evidence today. “It is an honour to be involved in laying a wreath on behalf of the people of Leicester, as we give thanks to those who have paid the ultimate price trying to secure the peace and stability which we all too often take for granted.” For the first time this year, Leicester deputy city mayor for culture, leisure and sport, Cllr Piara Singh Clair, will also join members of the local Sikh community before the main Remembrance Day service, to lay a wreath at a newly-installed statue of a Sikh soldier in Victoria Park. They will assemble on Peace Walk at 9.30am before walking to the statue which commemorates the significant contribution of Sikh servicemen of the British Indian Army during the First World War.