The Green Place in Sileby reopens

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 out for some great computer deals too, with machines from £95 while stocks last.

Got a wood burner?
If you regularly use logs, take a look at the Smart Splitter which the Green Place now stocks, a safe and effective way to split logs. No electricity needed or heavy, dangerous axes to swing. 2-year guarantee and special price of £70. See it demonstrated on Saturday 5th.

What's going on?
There are plans for some major development in the next few months. The first will be an array of solar panels covering the roof, to provide a chunk of the Green Place's electricity and take them a step closer to being carbon neutral. Also, the first draft plans have been drawn up for some extra space for shop/workshop/activities.

Book of Green
The Green Place have five copies of the Book of Green eco-living directory to give away. A great source of green and ethical business across the UK. Please ask for a copy in the shop.

The Green Place is run by Complete Wasters, a social enterprise whose aims include promoting Fair Trade, recycled and eco-friendly products. As well as a gift shop, cafe and computer shop, it also has a weekly veg stall and runs regular events and workshops.
For more information go to http://www.completewasters.co.uk/

The Green Place, 6 Cossington Road, Sileby (next to Chine House vets)
Telephone 01509 815181

Harby Parish Walks unveiled

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 the longer ones is completely stile free. For more information go to:

http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/environment/countryside/walking/parishwalks/parish_walks_harby.htm

Explore Leicestershire ... on foot

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.
http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/environment/countryside/walking/parishwalks.htm

Tucked away in beautiful countryside a few miles to the east of Leicester, lies Hungarton, (pictured above) one of the 40 villages covered in the Parish Walk series. It's a charming, unspoilt village, with many of its houses showing the red and buff brick chequer pattern built by Shukbrugh Ashby who lived there in the mid 18th century. It has a very good pub called the Black Boy Inn.
The leaflet has two walks around Hungarton (3.5 and 4 miles), one of which will take you past the lovely Quenby Hall, built in 1627.

Wind turbines: not in my back yard

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 turbine plan is turned down

Now, a group opposed to a plan to put eight wind turbines on the site of the old Asfordby mine are hoping their campaign will be successful. They say the noise created from the turbines will have an adverse affect on the lives of those living nearby. However, Peel Energy, who submitted the planning application last December, argues that the wind farm poses no enviromental problem and the visual impact would be limited within two kilometers of the site.
For the latest on the campaign to 'stop the turbines' click here

It's a tricky issue. We want renewable sources of energy, but not at a cost to our quality of life and our local environment. So, where is the best place for wind farms? What do you think?

'Looking at Landscape' in the rural Midlands

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