Tag: thornton

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Sarah’s Paper Theatre – Thornton Community Centre

Sarahs Paper Theatre proudly presents a rare performance of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’

An English Toy Theatre play made and hand coloured from Victorian printed sheets, a charming atmospheric delight for the senses. It is a happy tale of how Jack rescues the fairies from the giant’s castle by climbing a beanstalk grown from magic beans.     

Sarah is among a handful of paper & toy theatre maker-performers in the UK, a specialist of the craft with a repertoire of handmade shows based on short stories and fairy tales performing at a wide range of UK venues as well as international festivals.  https://sarahspapertheatre.co.uk/

Available for paper theatre workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions and talks.

Show 25 minutes. Suitable for aged 8 years +  

The evening will also feature a brief introduction to Victorian toy theatre before the show with a Q and A and a look behind the scenes after the show. Theatre style seating in rows, limited to maximum 30 tickets.

The performance date is Friday 30th January 2026 in the Meeting Room in the Community Centre, Thornton

Doors open 6.30pm for a 7pm start to the evening.

Tickets are available from Sarah via email: sarahspapertheatre@gmail.com  £7.00 each

Featured in ‘Homes and Antiques’ magazine December 2024

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Charnwood Forest Geopark

New Local History Project Begins With Call for Volunteers


Earlier in 2025 we were pleased to fund a new project with the Leicestershire Victoria County History Trust (LVCHT) to undertake historical research introducing the history of the various communities of Charnwood Forest.

When complete, this will be made available online for the public.

This project builds on work undertaken between 2013 and 2017 as part of Charnwood Roots, with volunteers playing a prominent role in bringing records together and researching Charnwood Forest’s history.

For this new project some other historical information will also need to be collected, and that’s where volunteers have a new opportunity to get involved.

In early 2026 LVCHT will begin part of this project in Thornton and Botcheston.

If you’ve always wondered about how these places developed, who lived there and what they did for a living, this is your opportunity to help us find out!

You don’t need to have any experience of history research – although if you do, great!

You will be supported by a qualified historian, and free training will be provided.

Whilst some volunteers may wish to work locally, LVCHT can pay travel expenses for those wanting to explore the archive at the county record office in Wigston.

LVCHT would love to hear from you, so if you would like to find out more about joining them – please contact Dr Susan Kilby at sk565@leicester.ac.uk.

The overall project is being run by Dr Pam Fisher and Dr Susan Kilby at LVCHT.

This project is made possible thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund support provided to the Charnwood Forest Landscape Partnership Scheme that underpins the Geopark.

Who are the Leicestershire Victoria County History Trust?

We are a registered charity (number 1128575) and a company registered in England and Wales (number 6683052).

Our aim is to research and publish the history of every town and village in Leicestershire, from earliest times to the present day.

This is part of a great national project which began towards the end of the reign of Queen Victoria, who accepted the dedication of the history. Since then, over 6,300 parish histories have been produced for places across England, each covering more than 1,000 years of history. Our aim is to ensure Leicestershire is fully represented in this national series. 

So far, Leicestershire has five of the iconic ‘big red books’, covering general themes in the county’s history, and more detailed accounts of the city and 43 towns and villages in south-east Leicestershire, including Market Harborough and surrounding villages. These were published between 1907 and 1964, and the parish histories can be read online. Leicestershire Victoria County History Trust was formed in 2008 to continue the series. Working with volunteers across the county, we have published paperback histories of Castle Donington,  Buckminster and Sewstern, and Ibstock. We have also published online histories of Kirby Bellars, Leire and Welby, and some shorter sections for a number of villages near Leicester.

Leicestershire Victoria County History Trust is reliant on grants and personal donations to fund our work? You can become a Friend of Leicestershire Victoria County History Trust in exchange for an annual donation of at least £20, or join our 200 Club for £50 annually, when you will be entered into a quarterly draw for a cash prize. Terms and conditions can be found on our application forms for the Friends or our 200 Club. Donations can also be made through Paypal.

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Comedy Night – Thornton Community Centre

They’re back .. following the success of the first Comedy Night at Thornton last October McSmith Events & Comedy Hotspot are proud to present a new act at the Centre on Friday 20th February 2026.

Space is limited so make sure you buy your tickets early – an ideal Christmas present perhaps.

Comedy Hotspot only bring the very best comedians to their shows, and our show at Thornton Community Centre is no exception. A line up of varied styles, who are all hilarious in their own right. Add a wonderful audience to that and it only means one thing, a superb night of live comedy. We will run the evening like a professional comedy club, ensuring we have the best possible atmosphere and conditions for live comedy.
We cannot wait to welcome you to what is going to be a great second Comedy Hotspot Comedy Event.

There will be a licensed bar at the centre.

Proceeds of a raffle will be donated to the Community Centre.

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Luke Jackson – Charity Payments 2025

This year’s payment will be made to the residents of Thornton and Bagworth on Saturday 6th December 2025, between 10am and 12 noon at their local Community Centres.

Payments are made to those who are in receipt of the Government State Pension.

The arrangements for Stanton under Bardon will be notified locally.

Jacquie Barnes (Trustee of Luke Jackson Charity).

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Thornton Community Centre – thank you.

The trustees would like to say a big thank you to Wj.uk, a leading road line marking company based in Milton Keynes, for their community spirit in renewing the very worn white and yellow lines in the Centre car park at no cost.

They have also created a second parking bay for the less able, and two yellow ‘boxes’ to allow better access for pedestrians heading to the play areas and reservoir, and for machinery to access to the field behind the centre.

The work was organised by Mai Vasudevan and carried out by Joe Stubbs and his team on Thursday, whilst the centre was closed for half term. A difficult task in the torrential rain.

Thank you it looks so much better and another improvement completed off a very long ‘to do’ list.

https://www.wj.uk/

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Annual Christmas Craft Fayre – 22nd November 10am until 2pm

Raising money for the repair and improvement of St Peter’s church.

22nd November 10am until 2pm at Thornton Community Centre.

Local food stalls including specialist beers, honey, jams and pickles, cakes and samosas, as well as beautifully crafted items.

Refreshments available all day.

Plus games and a chance to see Father Christmas in his grotto.

A village event not to miss.

Please help us raise money to help look after our lovely church.