New web-based computer service at library

The new County Council information system, Infolinx, has recently been introduced at Quorn Library. Based on a comprehensive local information database, the new computer system includes web links to a wide range of websites from Ofsted reports to NHS Direct and East Midlands Airport. Other links include homework search websites for children.

Also featured is a geographical search facility where users can key in their postcodes to search for facilities and a map of the local area. The new computer service is free of charge with a small charge for printouts of 20p per sheet.

Quorn Folk Dance Club

The Junior Section of the Club which has been running since the end of January has been a great success with an average of a dozen 7-11 year olds coming along each Wednesday evening between 6.00-7.00 pm to enjoy learning about English country dance and music. The classes will continue after the Easter break until the end of June in the Village Hall. New youngsters who would like to give it a try are always welcome. It is hoped to put on a show for parents at the end of the session.

Unfortunately, our two walking/dancing weekends in Derbyshire and the Lake District had to be cancelled due to the foot and mouth restrictions as did the Club monthly Tuesday walks, although one in April did go ahead. The route was cleverly devised and led by one of the members through the historic part of Leicester, covering a little over 5 miles.

The demonstration team programme for the summer looks busy again with bookings at Etwall well dressings in Derbyshire, Calke Abbey, and Glebe House in Loughborough.

The club meets twice a month during July and August. The Autumn session will begin on 12 September at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall. New dancers are always welcome, so if you are looking for some good exercise, good music and good company, why not come along and give it a try.

The next barn dance is taking place on Saturday 24th November at Humphrey Perkins School Hall, Barrow on Soar. Local caller Geoff Cubbit will be calling with Alterations Band, a lively night is promised with this talented line-up.

Any enquires regarding the Club's activities, please ring Pauline Kinch Quorn 413762.

Quorn Cricket Club

Last year our 2nd XI won the Everards Team of the Month award for May and we hope for a repetition this year. In fact we aimed for promotion but fell away towards the end of the season. This year we hope for a better run. The 1st XI will undoubtedly struggle as more and more teams are fielding paid professionals while we continue as a local amateur club. We will be pleased to avoid relegation.

Our Juniors continue to thrive. We are fielding teams of kwik cricketers, Under 11’s, Under 13’s and Under 15’s. Friday evening is our junior practice night so if your children wish to join our successful junior cricket squad why not bring them along and give it a try. Friday 6pm.

All we need now is some fair weather!

Quorn Judo Club

The Quorn Judo Club will be open on Monday evenings throughout the holiday period. Meetings will take place as usual in the Old Gym at Rawlins. The cost is £1.00 per session.

We will be pleased to welcome young people at the following times:

6.30pm to 7.15pm - 6 years to 9 years of age
7.15pm to 8.30pm - 10 years to 16 years of age.

If you want more information about the sessions, or about taking up the sport of Judo, then call J Forrest, 2nd Dan on 0116 212 2445.

Quorn Men’s Fellowship

The AGM in May saw the end of the 2000/2001 calendar for the Quorn Men’s Fellowship. The formal business confirmed the election of the officials and the annual fee for the forthcoming year. The group was then given a presentation by a speaker from The Samaritans who was the highlight of a very interesting and entertaining evening attended by over 30 members and their wives. A substantial and appetising buffet, supplied by the Conservative Club who was our host for this event, provided a fitting end to the season.

The new session begins on Monday 10th September when the local MP, Andy Reed, will address the group, assuming he is re-elected!

All the meetings are held in the Wesley Room in the Church Extension and start at 7.15pm with a cup of coffee and finish around 9.00pm.

Anyone interested in joining the group should contact Ray Rue (Chairman) on Quorn 568959 or visit the Church website for more details.

Mothers Union - Celebrating 125 Years of Caring

The purpose of the Mothers Union is to be specially concerned with all that strengthens and preserves marriage and Christian family life. This year we celebrate 125 years of caring for the family.

We join with the Bright Hour for our Devotional Services in Church at 2.30pm on 14th August. Do join us.

We look forward to our Strawberry Tea to be held on Thursday 21st June at 3pm in the garden of 21 Leicester Road, Quorn. Our annual outing is on 22nd August when we visit Althorpe House. All friends welcome.

The regular meetings resume on Thursday 20th September at 2.30pm in the Church Rooms when the speaker will be Mrs J Wilson, " A Floral walk around the Church".

For further details please call Jean Newbold on 412786.

Quorn Townswomen’s Guild

The Guild celebrated its 37th birthday in February, with a party and lively entertainment by the singing group Canzonetta, a very talented group of ladies.

The Guild year began in April with a newly founded committee of twelve, but with only two new faces. Plans are under way for the Annual Spring Fair in April, from which a donation will be made to the CRRAM appeal.

At the June meeting, Mrs Dani Simons will talk about her work as a fund-raiser for Rainbows, and in July there will be a talk about the RSPB from Mr John Clews. For our ‘day out’ this year, we hope to go to Chatsworth House and Gardens in June. Our Social Secretary has the arrangements for this in hand, as she has done very efficiently for many years.

The next few months preceding the holiday month of August look like being quite busy, and we will resume meetings with fresh vigour in September.

We would be pleased to welcome any new members or visitors to any of our events, and details can be found on the Village Diary page. Call Barbara Wiliams on 412100 for more information.

Quorn Women’s Institute

Quorn Women’s Institute meet at 2.15pm on the second Friday in the month, and members have been well entertained over the last three months. Harold Newman related his numerous activities over the years around Quorn, Barrow, and Mountsorrel, while Valerie Law had been privileged to take afternoon tea on the Royal Yacht Britannia. Travelling further afield, Richard Adams showed his beautiful colour slides of Ireland and Norway.

Anyone interested in visiting the WI should ring Doreen Williams on 413360.

Quorn Flower Club

Since we began our year in September we have been pleased to welcome some new members, and have enjoyed a full programme of workshops and creative sessions.

In February the committee provided everyone with exactly the same flowers, container and props and the session was called "I'll do it my way". It was amazing to see how many different ways 5 daffodils can be arranged in a plant pot! It was a really fun morning and one that we think we shall be repeating later in the year.

Before Easter, we asked members to interpret a Spring song title. This was not as easy as you might think. We had several versions, as might have been expected, of "Tulips from Amsterdam", but full marks to the member who thought of "All in an April evening" and a laugh was raised by the arrangement entitled "Spring will be a little late this year" which featured bare branches, no flowers, an empty nest, and even a scattering of snow! One of our members sang the various songs depicted, which just added the final touch to a most enjoyable morning.

We do not meet in July or August but will reconvene on Thursday September 13th, at 9.45 as usual, in the Church Rooms.

Further details from Carole Green 416034 or Frances Forbes 827225.

Quorn Old People’s Fellowship

Quorn Old People’s Fellowship recently held a coffee morning. Despite the bad weather, many people turned up, and with additional donations we raised £151. Thank you to those who came, gave, and worked.

Our outings are 6th June and 30th November 2001, and we will hold our Bazaar on 6th October, which will be opened by Rev D Bowler. The bazaar will be in the Church Rooms starting at 2.00pm. All welcome.

More details about any of the meetings from Mrs L Callaghan on 414606.

Quorn Bright Hour

At Quorn Bright Hour, we have speakers most weeks, making for a very interesting and friendly afternoon. The Rally was a lovely day, attended by about 100 people, with tea in the Church Room.

More details from Mrs L Callaghan on 414606.

Rawlins Lunch Club

Rawlins Lunch Club is a very sociable and friendly event. Each lunch is normally attended by about 16 people. You are most welcome to join us for a lively and companionable lunch.

More details from Mrs L Callaghan on 414606.

Rawlins Disabled and Over 60’s Swim Group

Our swimming session continues to be as popular as ever, with disabled people and pensioners alike. The cost has gone up, but at £1.20 is still good value. The times remain unchanged at 2.15 - 3.15pm on Mondays, except during school holidays. (See the summer timetable available from the pool).

Swimming in warm water is such good therapy and if you or someone you know is disabled, then do consider joining us - you’ll be made very welcome. Access is no problem as the pool is totally wheelchair accessible, and a hoist and easy-access steps are always available. See you there!

More details from Megan Hall on 212952.

Opera At The Oak - A Review

On Sunday 22nd April, diners at the Royal Oak were treated to what can only be described as a spellbinding performance by stars from Rome Opera.

Cristina Piperno, Alessandra Franchesci and Corrado Amici sang favourite arias with such skill and expertise, more than ably accompanied on the piano by Mirco Roverelli. The maestro Mirco then went on to give an absolutely memorable performance of the 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody by Liszt.

All who attended were privileged to be entertained in such unusual surroundings. The tables beautifully laid enhanced the ambience of the re-modelled Oak, each adorned with lovely flowers. A delicious menu of Italian fare and a full range of fine wines set the scene for a remarkable occasion. The applause rang out loud and long and shouts of BRAVO must have been heard throughout Quorn.

Congratulations are due to all concerned with this occasion, Tony Goodchild (Master of Ceremonies), and Simon and Carla (Mine Hosts) in particular: but undoubtedly the stars were the performers, all stars in their own right, who appeared to enjoy the day as much as we.

Thanks are also due to Sarah of Quorn for the flowers, Mistral Trading for the selection of wines, and Arts Management Services Ltd, in conjunction with the Royal Oak, for a fantastic day of Opera right here in the centre of our village.

Do we have any criticisms? Yes we certainly do, we all wanted more and more and more and for it not to end.

So to everyone concerned - ENCORE! ENCORE!

May Day Celebrations - Accounts

It may come as no surprise to many readers, that our community festivities on Saturday 5 May (see centre pages) do incur considerable financial expenditure.

In 1999, when we resurrected the event after a break of almost 50 years, the Parish Council paid for the whole project out of the Millennium fund.

The total costs of making The May Day Celebrations happen runs to around £2,000 annually. Last year, we introduced a small charge for stalls and asked for donations to help reduce the burden on Parish Council funds. This year the income roughly balanced the expenditure. A full balance sheet of incomes and expenditures for the 2001 event can be seen in the notice board outside the Station Road shops.

But, in order to keep this extremely popular and successful community event happening every year we need your support. There are a number of ways you can do this: Hire a stall for 2002; offer to pay for your copy of ‘The Quorndon’; support the various raffles run by both Flowers by Sarah or Bradley’s; or just make a donation in the various boxes in those shops.

Many thanks for your support

Joan Bloodworth and Phil Chil, Joint Organisers

Conservation Volunteers Back in Quorn

Charnwood Conservation Volunteers will be heading back to Tom Long’s Meadow on: Sunday 19th August , 10.00am - 4.00pm

The group will be busy helping to maintain this wetland site, which is very important for wildlife within Quorn. The task will involve removing vegetation that will have been cut a few days before. This is important because it prevents the site from becoming rank and helps to maintain the special mixture of wetland plants.

Chris Jackson, Ecologist with Charnwood Wildlife, said, “We are hoping to get a good turn out so that we can get all the cut vegetation removed from the site. Anyone who doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty and enjoys working in a fun and relaxed atmosphere will be welcome to come along and join in”.

The volunteers will be meeting at the corner of Spinney Drive and Craddock Drive on the Sunday morning. The task will start at 10 am and should finish around 4 pm.
Volunteers are advised to wear old clothes and stout footwear. As always, tea, coffee and biscuits are provided but bring a packed lunch if you wish to stay all day.

For further information on this, and other activities organised by Charnwood Wildlife call 01509 264714.

Al Fresco Evening

To conclude the May Day celebrations, an Al Fresco evening was held on The Cross on Sunday 6th May. With food by Gino’s Ristorante, Russian dance entertainment by Bill Brookman and his dancers, and musical entertainment by Ska-amangia, over 150 people partied throughout the evening.

Tables and chairs from all available venues were arranged at The Cross to create Quorn’s own open air restaurant. Families, with children of all ages, joined with couples and groups to eat, talk and enjoy the entertainment.

The slight chill of the evening ensured that all adjacent pubs did good trade, as people popped in - just to warm up! This may have contributed to the enthusiastic and bold dancing. Each moved to their own version of ska and regga; some being slightly more traditional in their interpretation.

This is the second time that this event has been held. And again it was a great success. Congratulations and many thanks to all who were involved in creating this open air extravaganza.

Rather than wait until next May Day, perhaps we could make this a regular feature during the summer months. What do you think?

Artists in Quorn 2001

On May 5th and 6th, the Artists in Quorn Art Exhibition was held in the Village Hall. Some 19 artists had over 80 works listed in the catalogue. Sadly though, not all were on display.

What was displayed made the walk around to the Village Hall worthwhile. The usual interesting range of media was on display, from some impressive life studies that used coloured tissue and pastel to great effect, to an interesting combination of oil on lino and aluminium. Delicate atmospheric and scenic watercolours were juxtaposed with dramatic oils. The variety of subjects showed the skill of the artists, and it was obvious that all exhibitors had a real feel for their subjects.

Three collections of village scenes were displayed. One collection beautifully recorded aspects around the village in watercolour. Another showed many of the village pubs in true detail. The final collection showed delicate pen and ink sketches that captured local buildings in fine detail.

It is delightful in an exhibition of local artists to see such scenes recorded for posterity, and it would be worthwhile having these collections available to villagers at other times during the year. Perhaps local businesses would like to consider showing these on a regular basis.
As usual, some of the paintings were for sale, and it was pleasing to see a steady increase in the number of “red dots” as the weekend progressed.

In view of the apparent decrease in the number of exhibits, perhaps this is now the time to extend the Art Exhibition into the wider areas of arts and crafts, and combine it with the craft exhibition (that has been held in the Autumn), and introduce new categories for photography and computer art. The introduction of these should encourage more villagers to participate. Certainly the introduction of computer work should encourage the younger resident.

But back to this year - those people who missed the exhibition lost the chance to admire the talent that is in the village, and is actively making use of their gifts. Congratulations to all who took part, and thanks to the Parish Council, who continue to support this event.

Summer Reading Carnival

Following on from the successful Reading Relay promotion last year, local children will be able to join in with a Reading Carnival at Quorn library this summer.

Special new collections of books will be available to borrow and children aged 4-11 years will be able to collect illustrated cards for books read to fill a carnival collector pack. Once six cards have been collected they will receive a certificate.

There will also be storytelling and activity events at libraries. Ask at the library in June for more details.

Young teenagers aged 11 - 13 years can join a similar scheme - Reading Challenge Plus. As an extra activity, why not take part in the Blue Peter Book Awards? The closing date for both promotions is Saturday September 1st.

Quorn Juniors Football Club

Quorn Juniors Football Club runs teams at all ages from Under 8 to Under 17 inclusive, all play regular weekly league and cup matches. Our home fixtures are played at Rawlins Community College, where weekly training sessions are held throughout the season commencing at the beginning of August. If you would like to play please contact our secretary Steve Clark on 0116 2362196, we always need new players!

The club was originally formed in 1982 by a group of eight parents. The inaugural committee included Secretary John Gretton, Treasurer Lynn Hollis and Honorary Chairman George Blackshaw. An Under 11 team was formed that year which competed in the Coalville Sunday.

Youth League.

From these small beginnings Quorn Juniors has grown to become a club of ten teams in 2001/2002 season. Around 160 young people from the local area now have the opportunity to play the best team game in the world. Our primary intention is to make being a member of the club enjoyable and fun. Not only do we play regular league and cup matches but we arrange annual trips to top league games and organise our own summer 6 a-side tournament called “The Quornament”.

Quornament 2001 was held on 9th and 10th June at Rawlins. Around 160 teams from Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire competed in 8 different age groups. 8 small-sided pitches were used, 24 matches were played every hour throughout each day, some 400 matches being played in total. Around 1200 players participated, 20 referees volunteered their services and more than 50 parents and friends helped with the organisation. In total more than 2000 people attended the event over the weekend.

If you would like more information about Quorn Juniors Football Club, visit our website at - www.quornjuniorsfc.org.uk or e-mail us at info@quornjuniorsfc.org.uk or contact our secretary, Steve Clark.

News from 2nd Quorn Brownies

Due to foot and mouth disease we had to change our arrangements for the Pack Holiday. However, the Scouts at Barrow upon Soar very kindly let us use their Hut so we were able to go ahead. The theme of the Holiday was Toy Story 2, greatly enjoyed by all.

The 'Owls' had a fantastic time on their training weekend in Wales and returned with loads of enthusiasm and new ideas, which will appear in coming activities.

Two of our Brownies moved on to Guides at Easter but we welcomed 7 new Brownies this term. We have a packed programme again for next term including a visit to the Wacky Warehouse and swimming.

Guiding is a game with a purpose. It provides opportunities for girls and women and has more than 70,000 members in the United Kingdom, making it the largest female voluntary movement.

Brownies is for girls aged 7 -10 years. We meet on Mondays at 6.00pm - 7.15pm at Allen House (Guide and Scout Hut), in Meeting Street. We have three uniformed adult leaders and two Young Leaders.

We have a varied and lively programme where Brownies undertake challenges on their Guiding journey. We also have many outings and of course the annual Pack Holiday.

At the moment, 2nd Quorn Brownies is full but we are running a waiting list. So for more information please email brownies@quornvillage.com

Barts Babies and Toddlers

Barts Babies and Toddlers meets in St Bartholomew’s Church every Monday morning (except Bank Holidays and the 5th Monday in any month) at 10.30am, for one hour.

All mums with young children or babies are welcome and there is no charge, although donations towards running costs are welcome. There’s coffee and chat for the mums and toys and playmates to amuse the children. At present, about 10 families are joining us and there is a lovely friendly atmosphere. Come and try it out!

Call Mrs Cockrell on 557995 for more information.

Closure of Rainbow Guides

There has been a Rainbow Guide unit in Quorn for several years. It is run on a voluntary basis through the Guiding Association. Unfortunately the present group is now closing down. If anyone would like to become involved, then many local people would appreciate the re-starting of the unit. For more information please contact - Eileen Payne on 0116 210 6866.