16
My family and I visited Loughborough with a view to seeing Shrek at the Reel Cinema today.
Unfortunately all of the tickets were sold out for the 11.30am showing so we purchased tickets for Toy Story 3 and wandered into the Market Place to pass a little time.
What a great move – it was like a day out at Skeggy without the boy racers and chavs!
Loughborough by the Sea started on Sunday – a free event, fares extra for rides, however the people putting on the event supply the Bucket & Spades.
Opening times 10.00am – 4.00pm.
It is on again tomorrow and Wednesday with activities to include : Sandpit – Pirate Play – Punch & Judy shows – Buckets & Spades – Guitar workshops – Rides – Entertainers – Tag rugby – Bowls – Painting workshops.
I can highly recommend it – Olivia must have played with the Diablo’s for about 20 minutes alone after she spent the day trying out Circus Skills as part of Charnwoood Borough Councils Summer Activities Programme. Kaitlin went on the ‘House of fun with her mum and both of the kids had a go on the helter-skelter.
It was great fun and the market place had a lovely atmosphere.
To find out more information, please call the Town Centre Management team at Charnwood Borough Council on 01509 634746, email town.centre@charnwood.gov.uk or log on to www.charnwood.gov.uk
Incidentally we did make it to see Toy Story 3 and that was good too!
13
This morning we received some updated news and pictures from our friends at Twinlakes Park, Melton Mowbray.
Lilly ‘the not so lonely Meerket’ is now the proud mum of quadruplets born on the 11th July 2010, nicknamed by staff at family theme park – Eeny, Meeny, Miney and Stumpy-Mo.
You may or may not know that following a worldwide campaign and the launch of www.meerkatmatch.com to find Lilly the lonely Meerkat a mate, Lilly found true love with the dashing Mr Darcy! On the 23rd of April 2010 Lilly had her first date with Mr Darcy and true love instantly blossomed. 11 weeks later we were delighted to hear the pitter patter of tiny paws!
Emma Roe, Office Manager/Meerkat Match-Maker said ‘We are thrilled that Lilly has found love and now has a family; it’s been a long emotional journey’.
Sandy Gyorvari, Park Manager commented ‘ Lilly and Mr Darcy obviously hit it off instantly – they really are a Meerkat match made in heaven, and are doting parents. We are all incredibly proud of Lilly and in our wildest dreams we couldn’t have hoped for more!’
Helen Saxby, Meerkat Keeper added “ Eeny, Meeny Miney and Stumpy-Mo are doing very well and are now starting to explore their enclosure. Initially we were concerned about Stumpy-Mo as he has a very tiny tail and Meerkats use their tail’s for balance, he is a little bit wobbly compared to his siblings but seems to be coping well’
Twinlakes Park is a unique all weather family experience combining the Theme and Farm aspects therefore ensuring the ultimate family day out. With 70 acres of exciting and thrill seeking attractions plus over 125,000 sq ft of exclusive indoor adventure zones. Animal encounters with more than 300 animals, reptiles and birds. It’s all about keeping the kids active!
10
Well, that’s it. The last of the latest issue’s competitions. We had a great response from all of you so thank you very much to all who entered and, of course, to the wonderful Leicestershire Attractions that so generously donated free family tickets to give out as prizes.
We ran a wordsearch competition for the chance to win 1 of 5 family tickets to Twinlakes Park in Melton Mowbray and the 5 lucky winners are announced below, with a big well done and pat on the back to:
Katy Fairgrieve, Adam Davis, Mia Calvert, Nathan Ratcliffe and Kirsten & Maddie Forster
With huge thanks to our helpers who picked names out of the hat for us: Olivia Johnstone (8), Kaitlin Johnstone (6), Josie Orange (8), Sam Orange (4) and of course not forgetting Nicola Orange (42)!
Please keep coming back to our website for more news and reviews and maybe even extra competitions! Plus, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for the latest information on what’s happening in Leicestershire.
4
Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone who entered the Space Centre, Twycross Zoo and Wistow Maze competitions in the last issue of the What Can We Do Today magazine. We had loads of entries for the competitions, and have especially enjoyed looking at all the coloured in Wistow Maze pictures. Many thanks go to Neve Bursill (6) and Maya Bursill (3) for their help in picking out the winning entries!
We would also like to offer huge congratulations to our lucky winners!
Hannah Charnock correctly counted the cheeky monkeys in the magazine and has won a family ticket to Twycross Zoo
Charlotte Kemp correctly answered the questions in the magazine and has won a family ticket to the National Space Centre
Lauren Ellis did our favourite colouring in of Wistow Maze – a very hard one to decide! – and has won a family ticket to Wistow Maze
We hope all our winners enjoy their days out and look forward to lots more entries for the competitions we will be running in the next issue. DON’T FORGET – you can still enter our Twinlakes competition by completing the wordsearch; Closing date 9th August.
1
There is help out there nearby… with a helping hand from Kumon, every child can shine.
Eric Swann, the Kumon Instructor for the Loughborough area will provide daily study programmes to complement your child’s school studies, at any age, in order to help them reach their full potential.
Kumon helps children to master the fundamentals of Maths and English whilst building strong learning skills and boosting their confidence. Kumon study gives your child:
- work tailored to their needs and ability
- improved confidence and concentration
- a valuable, daily, self study routine
To find out how Kumon can help your child prepare for their future, contact Eric on 01530 242814 or 07762 381580.
30
Parents’ attitudes toward physical activity have a direct influence on the attitude of their children. So the best way to be a positive role model is to embrace physical fitness yourself.
Active Together is a project which aims to increase the current levels of physical activity amongst adults to the desired level of 5 x 30 minutes per week.
Regular physical activity can help to reduce chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, help to promote and maintain a healthy weight and strengthen your heart and lungs and so much more besides.
Help is to hand here in Charnwood – the Active Together team are here to help you…’What you do is up to YOU!’
To obtain your FREE guide to physical activity for those who are 16+ contact the Active Together team on 01509 634673 or email active.together@charnwood.gov.uk
25
Children’s feet are very precious and so it is vitally important to ensure their shoes are fitted correctly. This is exactly what you can expect from Fitter Shoes, who have been trading from their Wards End premises for six years.
Fitter Shoes specialise in children’s shoes and, with their fully trained staff, they will guarantee that you will receive a service you can rely on and trust; first time, next time and every time.
Quality service depends on quality products… and you won’t be disappointed with Loughborough’s leading outlet for children’s shoes. They stock top brands such as; Start-rite, Ricosta, Buckle My Shoe and many more.
Their ‘back to school’ range will be available early in July so why not pop in to see what they can do for you? You can find Fitter Shoes at: 60 Wards, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3HB.
Did you know?
- Around 70% of foot problems come from wearing the wrong footwear or ill-fitting shoes. The majority of these are caused by ill-fitting footwear worn as a child
- Less than a third of children are an ‘average’ fitting so having feet properly measured is very important
- The final structure of your child’s foot won’t be in place until they are in their late teens
Why not take advantage of the 10% discount voucher attached. Download it, print it off and take into Fitter Shoes to redeem it.
25
This summer, the Rocket Tower at the award winning National Space Centre will be climbing new heights as the most exciting development in the Centre’s nine year history launches: Space Race.
Space Race will coincide with the leading Leicester tourist attraction welcoming its 2 millionth visitor. It is the culmination of over two years of work to create a new experience that will take visitors on an amazing journey through the imagination of man and onto the surface of the moon.
One of the highlights of the new exhibition will be a canine high-altitude partial pressure suit for use in sub-orbital biological research flights. That’s right – a dog spacesuit!
Orbital and sub-orbital tests with animals started in the 1950s and continued right up to 25th March 1961, when the successful return of the life-size mannequin “Ivan Ivanovich” and his canine crewmate Zvezdochka gave Yuri Gagarin the green light for the first manned spaceflight on 14th April 1961.
In the first series of tests, the dogs were launched in pressurised cabins up to an altitude of 100km, with the cabin and dog then gently parachuted to the ground. The second series of launches required full or partial pressure suits, such as the one pictured above, which is about to go on display at the National Space Centre.
This will be the only suit of its kind on display anywhere in the world and visitors to the National Space Centre will be able to see it for the first time when Space Race launches on 17th July 2010.
The creation of three brand new interactive floors within the iconic Rocket Tower will make a visit to the National Space Centre a must for this summer holiday period.
Did you know?
The National Space Centre is the UK’s largest visitor attraction and research facility dedicated to space.
The National Space Centre opened to the public in June 2001 and has welcomed over 1.7 million visitors, including over 400,000 school children.
The National Space Centre is the Millennium Commission’s landmark project for the East Midlands. It was co-founded by The University of Leicester and Leicester City Council. Its other founding partners are BT and East Midlands Development Agency.
For opening times and directions, please visit www.spacecentre.co.uk
COMPETITION
Enter Now to win an all day Family Pass to the Space Centre!
Q1: What is the Tower at the National Space Centre called?
a) Eiffel Tower b) Rocket Tower c) Leaning Tower
Q2: A high-altitude partial pressure suit will be on display at the Centre this summer, but for which animal?
a) Monkey b) Cow c) Dog
Send answers in via email to: competitions@whatcanwedotoday.co.uk or by post to: What Can We Do Today, 89 Loughborough Road, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire, LE12 7AP.
Don’t forget to include your Name, Address, Email address and Telephone Number
- First one picked out of the hat wins
- Competition closes: Monday 2nd August 2010
- The winner will be announced on our website and on our Twitter page
25
This summer the Rocket Tower at the award winning National Space Centre will be reaching new heights as the most exciting development in the Centre’s nine year history launches: Space Race.
Lifting off on 17th July 2010, Space Race will coincide with the leading Leicester tourist attraction welcoming its 2 millionth visitor. It is the culmination of over two years of work to create a new experience that will take visitors on an amazing journey through the imagination of man and onto surface of the moon.
Deck One is the start of the journey where visitors young and old can encounter real rockets, sit back in the Edwardian cinema to see the first sci-fi movie ever made, take part in the interactive Space Race quiz or even blast off into space with the ultimate water rocket challenge. Will you back the US or the USSR in this adventure into space?
Deck Two includes not one but two attraction highlights within Space Race; the Gagarin Experience and the Silo. Within the Gagarin Experience visitors become
Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, as they sit inside the Vostok Capsule and blast off into space.
The Silo is one of the most technologically advanced interactive experiences in the UK and in an attraction dedicated to the futuristic space industry you wouldn’t expect anything less. Visitors will be immersed in an audio visual experience that will whisk them back to 1950s Russia and the dawn of the Space Race.
Deck Three will allow visitors to join Neil and Buzz as Apollo 11 lands on the moon. Along with the last piece of genuine moon rock to be returned to Earth by Eugine Cernan on the last mission in 1972, visitors can also challenge themselves to pilot the “Eagle” onto the lunar surface in the only simulator of its kind outside America!
The creation of these three brand new interactive floors within the iconic Rocket Tower will make a visit to the National Space Centre a must for this summer holiday period.
“Could you sit in a metal box measuring just 2.3m across for 89 minutes while travelling 315km above the Earth’s surface at 28,000kph? Imagine your heart racing at over 157bpm and you are the first person to ever travel in a spacecraft that only has a 50% success rate! I can’t wait to climb in and try it and I know all our visitors will be blown away by this.”
Gagarin Experience – Malika Andress, Head of Marketing, National Space Centre
The National Space Centre opened to the public in June 2001 and has welcomed over 1.7 million visitors, including over 400,000 school children.
For opening times and directions, please visit www.spacecentre.co.uk
COMPETITION
Enter Now to win an all day Family Pass to the Space Centre!
Q1: What is the Tower at the National Space Centre called?
a) Eiffel Tower b) Rocket Tower c) Leaning Tower
Q2: A high-altitude partial pressure suit will be on display at the Centre this summer, but for which animal?
a) Monkey b) Cow c) Dog
Send answers in via email to: competitions@whatcanwedotoday.co.uk or by post to: What Can We Do Today, 89 Loughborough Road, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire, LE12 7AP.
Don’t forget to include your Name, Address, Email address and Telephone Number
- First one picked out of the hat wins
- Competition closes: Monday 2nd August 2010
- The winner will be announced on our website and on our Twitter page









