Over 1200 Runners to pass through the village, 3 times!

Sunday March 9^th 2014

Aldi Ashby 20 road race at Packington

Full race details here

The 1,247 runners in this 20-mile race come from Ashby at 10am, down Mill Street into Measham Lane about 7 minutes later, and loop round twice via Swepstone, Heather and Normanton to run through our village again, first at about 10:55 am, then the leading runner comes inbound past the Bull and Lion and up High Street in Packington towards Ashby, after 18+miles, at around 11:45am.  Go Cheer! Finish is at Bath Grounds, Ashby, after 20 whole miles, with the first finisher likely to be there in under two hours, minutes before noon.

Need to see your Member of Parliament?

Open again within a week? Over a hundred at meeting.

Update since the meeting – received today Monday 3^rd March

We are informed that the Bull & Lion will be open this Wednesday evening 5^th March from 5pm.

An experienced couple, Liam & Angela Parsons will be opening on Wednesday evening. They will initially be on a temporary contract, but are one of several applicants interested in a permanent tenancy being considered by Marstons. Their intention is to live at the pub.

We are told that one is an experienced Chef and, as soon as they have settled in, details of food availability will be publicised, hopefully by the weekend

Marstons have a number of applicants they are considering, but in view of the uncertainty of the last few months they will be undertaking the due diligence and review of the applicants business plans very carefully, and cannot commit to a time scale for the final decision. Continue reading ‘Over a hundred at our Bull & Lion Meeting 26 February’ »

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Continue reading ‘BIG Packington Charity Breakfast – This Saturday 1st March 2014’ »

Interested in your Bull and Lion? Marstons have offered to meet village residents and customers this Wednesday Evening 26th February 2014 at 7:30pm.

That’s TOMORROW

The meeting is expected to be hosted by Ben Robinson, Operations Manager, together with his Area Operations Manager Chris Reed.
At the Bull & Lion, of course.

Great News!

Mike Coke, of the Packington Memorial Hall Committee, writes:

I am delighted to have heard today from the British Heart Foundation, BHF, who have approved our application for a grant of additional funding towards a Defibrillator for Packington.

BHF will help pay for some of the cost of this vital but expensive piece of equipment, which is soon to be made available right here in our village.

Our main fund-raising event for this expensive Defibrillator is to be the Big Charity Breakfast on Saturday 1st March 2014 here at the Packington Memorial Hall, after which we should be able to send our residual payment to the BHF;  we hope the whole village will come together for a celebration breakfast to help both fund and celebrate this important success.

The machine to be acquired is shown   Continue reading ‘British Heart Foundation to help fund our Defibrillator’ »

You rarely see the Bull and Lion car park without a single vehicle in it. That’s how it is today 17th February 2014.

You may well see this sight far more often: the Bull and Lion is apparently CLOSED.

Closed? Again? – Yes.  Until when? – the indications are : not soon. Some of the staff have been told the pub is “shut down”.

Perhaps someone who knows will tell us all in this village:  just what is going on at our Bull and Lion?

Marstons PLC, your badge is on the front of the building, and your website here: https://www.marstons.co.uk/ tells us at “Responsibility: Community” that you are “..committed to contributing to the communities..” you serve. So please tell us in Packington, Marstons: just how well do you think you are doing?

Packington WI’s February meeting was held in the  Memorial Hall on Thursday 6th February  2014.   It was addressed by Joanna Wilson, her subject being “100 years of Macmillan Cancer Support“.

The speaker’s enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, the renowned cancer charity was inspiring, and everyone agreed that it was deserving of universal support.

Joanna described how its founder Douglas MacMillan, after witnessing his father’s death from cancer, realised that what sufferers from the disease and their families needed above all else was practical support in the home. Accordingly, his first step towards providing this was to buy a bag of coal for a household where he knew a patient was gravely ill. From this one thoughtful act sprang an organisation known and appreciated throughout the land.

A Packington member described how she had been diagnosed with breast cancer 40 years ago, but after treatment was “left to get on with it” . Although the MacMillan charity was in existence then, it was not anything like as well known as it is today, and cancer was not generally talked about. The difference between then and now is incredible.

A vote of thanks to the speaker was proposed by Wendy Jones.

The raffle was won by Liz Deakin.

Next month’s meeting on Thursday 6th March 2014 is the occasion of the annual supper buffet, when members themselves provide the food for a much looked forward to meal. Bring a plate, pudding plate, knife, fork and spoon, and a glass.

Report by Betty Carter

(Click on this image to expand it for details)

See here for Bull & Lion Events https://packington.info/bloggle/bull-lion/

This new application has just gone in for 4 large houses in land to the rear of 53 Normanton Road. Planning Ref 14/00109/OUT The entrance for this is again at that lower end of Normanton Road.

This is only for 4 houses, however this is on the fields that connect up to the chicken farm, and could open the way for the 180 house on these fields which has been rumoured.

The other applications already in the system are:-

Ref. 13/00959/OUTM at Spring Lane/Normanton road junction  – 49 houses

Ref. 13/01002/OUTM  at Normanton Road/Heather Lane Junundction for outline planning for 35 houses

Details can be seen at https://www.nwleics.gov.uk/pages/view_planning_applications  and tick the box and enter  the ref. number at the appropriate prompt.

The amount of applications going in is of concern leading to a potential cumulative negative impact if they are all viewed in isolation, and once one, however small, gets the go ahead, it may set a precedence for others to follow.

This favourable window of opportunity has been provided to developers because NWLDC have not had their Core Strategy for Housing in the area finalised and adopted

All the sites will eventually drain into the stream that runs through the culvert at the junction of Normanton Road/Heather Lane and Spring Lane with inevitable impact on flooding in that area from increased run off. This brook runs into the Gilwiskaw at the rear of Babelake Street and it regularly floods fields in that vicinity.

The January 2014 edition of the Packington Post,

Issue 64,

is available in full here online for you to enjoy and refer to.

New Representatives are needed. A strong Neighbourhood Watch scheme leads to a safer and friendlier village

The major aim of  Neighbourhood and Home Watch is to bring neighbours together; this builds strong, friendly, active communities, in which crime and anti-social behaviour are less likely.

We want a caring society, focused on trust and respect, in which people are safe from crime and enjoy a good quality of life. Neighbourhood Watch (NW) helps make sure that no one has to feel afraid, vulnerable or isolated in the place where they live. It helps people look out for each other, crossing barriers of age, race and class to benefit everyone.

The Packington NW scheme has not been as proactive as we would like. There are stalwarts who have tried to support the scheme, but it needs a larger focused group for it to be successful. On Wednesday this week we held the first meeting of the NW Re-launch. We heard that some who have given good NW support now have commitments that don’t allow them to continue.

Look at this list Continue reading ‘Neighbourhood watch Volunteers required – Packington needs YOU’ »

New Landlord at our Bull and Lion : Alan Hutchcraft

Telephone 01530 587361
Mobile 07976 953002

Following the departure of temporary landlord Justin Hadley, the reins have been taken up by new landlord, Alan Hutchcraft, who has over 20 years experience in the licensed trade. Together with Billy the Chef and the rest of the staff, they are intent on returning the local pub as the vibrant location it had become under the recent stewardship of Mandy Mulholland & family.
Alan hopes that you will support their efforts, and would be delighted to hear your views, comments and suggestions on what you would like to see available at the Bull & Lion – apart from of course a well-kept cellar, good food, and a great atmosphere. He is keen to emphasise that following recent upheavals it is vital that the Bull and Lion returns to be a centre of village life,  a natural meeting place for groups, clubs and of course all village residents.
Pictured here with two of his first customers, Roger Muggleton, President of Packington Cricket Club and Wally Instrall from The Grange and of course, Master Chef  Billy, Alan’s message is as follows;-

Today Tuesday 7th January 2014 the Planning Application by Hallam Land for 70 houses at Lower Packington Road, Ashby, came up for consideration at Coalville Council Offices. The article and letter below are copied from the website of the Packington Nook Residents Association PNRA:

Dear Supporters