Tribute to those who served in war lives on
1914-18 TRIBUTE IS PRESERVED AS PART OF
THE Royal British Legion has praised care home bosses for protecting and restoring a town’s war memorial.
The Legion has applauded Acacia Care and the contractors for ensuring the portico survived intact after the former Cottage Hospital in Market Harborough was demolished to make space for a 70-bedroom care home.
The Grade II listed portico - an entrance formed by columns - was the only part of the former hospital, in Coventry Road, not to be demolished to make way for the Rosewood Manor care home, which opened earlier this month.
The portico and plaques featuring the names of the 1,655 Harborough soldiers who served in the First World War form part of the new building.
There are red crosses beside the names of the 254 people who lost their lives.
John Morley, of the Market Harborough branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “It stands out so well now against the new background.
“I would like to pay tribute to the contractors for the way they protected it throughout the redevelopment of the site and tidied it all up.
“It’s in a really wonderful state now and it does like splendid and I hope people will take the time to go down
CARE HOME
there, whether they have a loved one who is remembered there or not, just to go down and see what a wonderful job the contractors and the home and everyone else has done.”
Great care was taken to protect the portico during the building work.
Sarah-Lou Haskins, of Acacia Care, said: “We’re really proud of it and it’s a huge part of the community. It’s very, very important that it needs to be honoured and remembered.
“It’s beautiful and we are so proud to be able to have it as part of Rosewood and within the grounds for the community to share.
“Our foreman has been fantastic and very delicate, making sure that the war memorial is maintained and is beautiful.”
The former hospital in Coventry Road, known as the Cottage Hospital, was sold to Sterling Rose Care by NHS Property Services for £1.35 million.
Clinical services moved out of the hospital in March 2017 after the opening of the nearby £7.5 million St Luke’s Treatment Centre in Leicester Road.
REMEMBRANCE: The portico has been incorporated in the new building
NOW MAKING GOOD RECOVERY
AN ELUSIVE white goose with a serious leg injury is on the mend after a joint effort by the RSPCA and fire service finally caught him.
Officers from the animal welfare charity had tried more than 20 times to capture the bird, which had become tangled up in fishing line, at the lake in Braunstone Park, Leicester.
He always managed to evade his would-be rescuers, but they seized their chance when the lake froze over earlier this month.
The domesticated bird, possibly an escapee from a smallholding, had been living on the lake with an injury for some time.
The RSPCA officers got their goose when they called in the fire service to help them carry out the rescue.
RSPCA Inspector Michelle Hare said: “We had tried to catch this poor bird more than 20 times, but unfortunately at every attempt, he would just fly off or swim away.
“We all tried our best but it is really tricky to catch these birds when they are wary of humans and still well enough to get away from you.
“He urgently needed treatment and when the lake recently froze over, we realised this might be our chance.
“I needed expert help to rescue him from the lake and, luckily, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service was able to give me muchneeded assistance.
“With an iced-up lake, it was difficult for the goose to swim or fly away, and the specialist fire and rescue team was able to encourage him across the ice back to the bank, where I was finally able to contain him.
“It was such a relief to finally be able to help him and take him for treatment.
“I took him to Park Vets for a full assessment and treatment before handing him over to Leicester Wildlife Centre, where I’m delighted to hear he’s doing well and his leg is healing up nicely.”
A fire service spokeswoman said: “We were called by the RSPCA to a report of goose in distress in Braunstone Park.
“The technical rescue unit from Southern station used an inflatable boat to reach the goose, which was out towards an island.
“The RSPCA had been unable to
THE RSPCA asks all those who enjoy fishing to join the Angling Trust’s Take 5 campaign and make use of the Anglers National Line recycling scheme to dispose of their waste tackle and line.
TO help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care visit its website or call the donation line on 0300 123 8181. reach him, but the crew rescued the bird and put it in a ‘swan bag.’
“The goose was taken to land and handed over to the care of the RSPCA.
“His leg was tangled up in fishing line.”
Michelle said the RSPCA is often called out to deal with geese, swans and other wild animals which have been affected by fishing litter.
She said: “All sorts of fishing litter can cause problems. Line can wrap around necks causing deep wounds in flesh and cutting off the blood supply.
Hooks can pierce beaks, become embedded in skin or get caught in the bird’s throat and weights can be swallowed, causing internal injuries and blockages.
“We strongly urge those who enjoy fishing to be extra careful to ensure nothing is left behind.
“Most anglers are very responsible when disposing of their litter, but it only takes one careless person to endanger the life of an animal.
“We hope that this goose will continue to improve from his nasty fishing litter injury, and my thanks go to the fire service for their vital assistance.”
As the goose is a domestic bird, he cannot be returned to the wild, and will need to be rehomed at a suitable establishment when he is better.