The Local Newspaper

So is everyone excited about the first acts to be confirmed for Summer Sundae? We know we are.

If you haven't already heard then please, read on. The massive picture above might have given the first one away, but just in case, it's John Lydon and post-punk icons Public Image Ltd, who are set to release their first new material in 20 years in April.

So we get the artist formerly known as Johnny Rotten – Sex Pistol, jungle-goer and fan of Country Life butter – on stage, here in Leicester. Should be interesting.

Also just confirmed for the Summer Sundae bill is dubstep star Katy B, who had massive success last year, being nominated for the Mercury Music Prize after racking up top choons like On A Mission and Lights On.

Then there's Asian Dub Foundation, Reverend and the Makers, Francois and the Atlas Mountains, Jonathan Richman, Juan Zelada, Lazy Lester with Little George, Rachel Sermanni, Cashier No 9, Goodnight Lenin and Leicester's own Grace Petrie, who's having to take a break from being asked to perform at Glastonbury by Billy Bragg this year while the fields have a rest. So, there you go. Phew. We're getting tired just thinking about them all. And this is just the first lot of acts.

There'll be loads more to come in the next few weeks.

So watch this space for more announcements, plus interviews with the artists.

Summer Sundae takes place at De Montfort Hall from August 17 to 19. Early bird tickets are on sale, with adult weekend with camping at £105. Call 0116 233 3111 or visit:

http://summersundae.com

The city centre has suffered a new blow after a major store closed yesterday.

Peacocks in Humberstone Gate, which employed 34 people, was one of 224 branches shut down by the new owner of the fashion chain.

It comes weeks after coffee chain Starbucks closed its branch in Gallowtree Gate and two other smaller city centre stores were shut.

Scottish retailer Edinburgh Woollen Mill had bought the Peacocks group out of administration, saving 6,000 jobs at 338 stores, including ones in Beaumont Leys, Hinckley, Loughborough and Market Harborough. The deal saved 57 jobs at the four Leicestershire stores.

However, 3,100 workers nationally were made redundant after the new owner decided a number of the stores were no longer viable.

Joff Pope, joint administrator at accountants KPMG, which oversaw the deal, said: "While it is unfortunate that redundancies have been necessary, we are pleased that we have been able to preserve the majority of the business and jobs."

Martin Traynor, chief executive of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce, said he was confident a new occupier would be found for the vacant store.

He said: "I'm obviously hugely disappointed with this decision, but the store is in a prime location and I'm fairly optimistic it will be re-occupied soon."

However, retail property expert Martin Herbert, a director of estate agency Lambert Smith Hampton, in Leicester, said the unit – which measures about 8,000sq ft over two floors – would be difficult to fill given the tough economic conditions.

John Gorle, of Usdaw, which represents staff at Peacocks, said: "While this is obviously fantastic news for those workers whose jobs have been saved, it is catastrophic for the 3,100 now facing the dole queue."

Peacocks went into administration four weeks ago after suffering from a decline in consumer spending.

An occupier is yet to be found for the vacant Starbucks branch in Gallowtree Gate a month after it closed.

Clothing and equipment store JC Sports and record shop 2Funky, both in Belgrave Gate, also closed last month after blaming the internet for a fall in trade.

A missing man whose remains were found beneath a motorway flyover could have been hit by a car, a postmortem examination has revealed.

The remains of 28-year-old Vinny Derrick were discovered underneath a flyover on the M60, on the outskirts of Manchester, last Wednesday, more than eight years after he went missing.

Police confirmed yesterday that a postmortem examination showed Mr Derrick, of Castle Donington, had suffered a number of broken bones, consistent with a fall.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious. They said Mr Derrick could have been involved in a traffic collision.

However, Detective Chief Inspector Sara Wallwork, of Stockport CID, said the examination had not provided a definite cause of death.

He said: "This remains a difficult and complex inquiry and the result of the postmortem examination was never going to change that.

"The pathologist concluded that the injuries are consistent with a fall. However, there is also a possibility he may have been involved in a collision with a vehicle."

Meanwhile, MPs have said a single certificate declaring someone "presumed dead" should be brought in to help families resolve all the affairs of a missing person.

The Commons Justice Select Committee report comes after families of missing people, including Mr Derrick's widow, Vicki, appealed to MPs to reform the law. Mrs Derrick said she had found it "extraordinarily difficult" to sort out her financial affairs after her husband's disappearance.

Sir Alan Beith, the committee's chairman, said: "The evidence we have heard from families faced with the problems of resolving these affairs is overwhelming. The law needs to be changed."

Giving evidence to MPs in November, Mrs Derrick said her life had been on hold for eight years.

"I have gone from having a joint income of a husband that earned far more than I earned to being a single mum overnight on a greatly reduced income," she said.

"I have basically been expected to be able to get on with it. There is no help out there for people in my situation."

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "We recognise the emotional and practical difficulties faced by those whose loved ones are missing and thought to be dead.

"We are already working to improve guidance relating to coroners' inquests where a person is missing and presumed dead.

"We will carefully consider all the recommendations from the Justice Select Committee."

Shoppers looked on as three crews of firefighters pumped water to the top of the Highcross shopping centre yesterday as part of a training exercise in tackling high rise blazes.

Crews from the city's eastern, southern and western stations used pipes running up the side of the shopping centre to pump water from the ground up to the John Lewis car park.

Firefighters then ran up the stairs to the roof car park, where they connected their hoses and carried out drill exercises.

A spokeswoman for Highcross said: "These exercises will allow the fire service to test new procedures for tackling incidents at high rise buildings, as well as carry out real-life simulations."

Similar drills will be carried out at the shopping centre on Friday and Monday.

Award-winning T&K Balti, in Green Lane Road, Leicester, has served up delicious dishes for nearly 20 years.

Owner Abu Taher, MBE, opened the restaurant – then the first balti house in Leicester – in 1993 and it quickly has established a reputation as one of the city's finest.

The great service, delicious food and relaxed atmosphere makes it one of the best in Leicester.

It has expanded too, from the original 30 covers to now seating 75. As it has extended, so has Green Lane Road, becoming a thriving community.

Patrons include Keith Vaz and local dignitaries.

Balti is an Indian version of an iron wok.

Baltis differ in their taste and content. Originally from the Punjab, it shares some similarities with Bangladeshi cuisine with its use of spices and country style of cooking.

Depending on the recipe involved, other items can include curry leaves, garlic, ginger, onions, pepper, mustard seeds and garam masala. T&K's signature dish is Balti Chicken Silsila and chicken chilli masala and it has received many accolades for its cuisine.

Chefs work with only the freshest of ingredients and it has been awarded The Guild of Master Caterers in recognition of its menu.

T&K Balti House is not only famous for its food.

It is also committed to fund-raising and helping the community. Every year it hosts a charity dinner for the Lord Mayors' Appeal, helping to raise thousands for good causes.

Former Sex Pistol John Lydon and dubstep star Katy B are among the first acts to be confirmed for this year's Summer Sundae festival.

Organisers of the three-day event at De Montfort Hall have promised 2012 will be a "classic" year for the festival after announcing the first 17 acts on the line-up yesterday.

John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, will be taking to the stage with post-punk icons Public Image Ltd, who are set to release their first new material in 20 years in April.

American singer Merrill Garbus, also known as tUnE-yArDs, Asian Dub Foundation, Reverend And The Makers, Willy Mason and Lazy Lester and Friends were also announced yesterday.

Dozens more artists and details of headliners are set to be confirmed over the next three months.

Festival director Rob Challice said he was "very excited" about announcing the first few acts.

"Already, I think it could be a classic year," he said. "It's an exciting and eclectic mix we have got there, that's what Summer Sundae has always been about.

"I saw Public Image last year in Slovakia and they were excellent.

"John Lydon is not the sort of person who rests on any laurels – he goes out to entertain and his band are so tight.

"I'm also very excited about tUnE-yArDs, who played Shepherd's Bush Empire recently and absolutely blew me away.

"Katy B also delivers really well."

Francois and the Atlas Mountains, Jonathan Richman, Juan Zelada, Dan Mangan, Rachel Sermanni, Cashier No 9, Goodnight Lenin, The Magic Tombolinos and Y Niwil are also on the bill, along with pop-folk singer Grace Petrie, from Leicester.

Grace, who has played at Glastonbury twice since her last performance at Summer Sundae in 2009, said: "It's a bit of a homecoming and I'm really excited about it.

"Last time, I played a 10-minute slot at about 10 in the morning and since that so much has happened, including playing at Glastonbury.

"The line-up looks good so far, I'm so glad Willy Mason is playing."

Former Lord Mayor of Leicester Colin Hall was one of dozens of Twitter users to share their excitement at the line-up following the announcement yesterday.

He said: "Wow! Just been told John Lydon will be at 2012 Summer Sundae with Public Image Limited. Definitely gonna get a ticket for this."

Sarah Smith tweeted: "Very excited about Grace Petrie, Cashier No 9 and Jonathan Richman at Summer Sundae. I swear that made the rain stop for a second."

This year's festival takes place from August 17 to 19. For tickets, call 0116 233 3111, or visit:

http://summersundae.com

Both the city and county councils passed their austerity budgets yesterday.

Leicestershire County Council voted to cut £74 million from its budget over the next four years, and cut 1,000 jobs.

The decision means that libraries and museums are likely to bear the brunt of cash cutbacks in the county.

Meanwhile Leicester City Council voted to cut £20 million from its budget over both of the next two years, leading to 600 jobs cuts.

Labour city councillors had pushed through last-minute changes to the budget proposals in their political group meeting on Monday evening – giving eight threatened care homes a two year reprieve – but decided against freezing their own allowances as part of the budget proposals.

Three community libraries in the city will now close, bus subsidies for youngsters in further education will be cut, city wardens will be reduced from 22 to 16, festive decorations will be scaled back, and a homeless hostel will close.

Council tax in the city will rise by 3.49 per cent from April, while county council tax payers will see their monthly bills frozen for the next 12 months.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "This is one of the most difficult budgets for decades.

"We don't want to make these cuts, but because of Government cuts we are being forced to do so."

The city's two opposition councillors had declined to put forward an alternative to the plans.

County council deputy leader Nick Rushton said: "This is a tough financial climate but we've put together a budget which is responsible, prudent, and which protects services which residents value the most."

You may be used to chicken tikka, madras and dhals, but have you tried Nepalese dishes before?

Everest Dine in Belgrave Gate, Leicester is the first Nepalese restaurant to open in the city and is certainly well worth a visit.

There's a mouthwatering menu which cleverly combines traditional, familiar Indian food with dishes to tempt you to try something different, including Momo (lamb or vegetable), which is dumplings that are served with tomato chutney.

Starters include the Kathmandu-inspired Lamb Choela, a tasty dish of diced lamb, marinated with garlic, ginger and Nepalese spices, while main courses are not only tasty but presented with an emphasis on fine dining.

Fans of fish dishes will also want to try the superb selection on offer here.

Everest Dine is a modern restaurant, immaculately decorated to a very high standard. Relax and enjoy a night out knowing that you'll be taken good care of. Its team of chefs try to bring a modern twist to traditional dishes but traditional Indian utensils like handi and karahi are still used.

The chefs believe these are an important part of authentic cooking and can make a world of difference when it comes to flavours and taste. Diners are promised a meal to remember.

Cases dealt with at Leicester Magistrates' Court include:

Kevin Leeburn, (30), of College Street, Leicester city centre, admitted stealing meat worth £30 from Iceland in the city on December 13 last year. He also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to custody at Leicester Magistrates' Court on January 3. Leeburn was given a six-month community order with drug dependency treatment.

Elizabeth King, (51), of Cottesmore Road, Ashwell, Rutland, admitted driving without insurance or a valid licence on August 4 last year. She was fined £250, ordered to pay £60 court costs and had her licence endorsed with six points.

Lucky Mantonani, (20), of Freeman Road North, Humberstone, Leicester, admitted travelling on a train and failing to hand over a ticket for inspection on July 30 last year. Mantonani was fined £35, and ordered to pay compensation of £10 and court costs of £105 to Transport Investigations Ltd.

Baljinder Chohan, (40), of Flaxfield Close, Groby, admitted driving at 45mph in a 30mph zone on August 2 last year. He was fined £300, ordered to pay £60 costs and had his licence endorsed with four points.

Marius Lautaru, (21), of Swithland Avenue, off Abbey Park Road, Leicester, admitted stealing three DVDs worth £13 from Sainsbury's, in Belgrave Road, Leicester on January 31. He was conditionally discharged for 12 months.

Leigh Brownson, (38), of Healtsfield House, Stoneygate, Leicester, admitted cycling in New Walk on July 14 last year. He was given a six-month conditional discharge.

Sarah Wright, (31), of Ashfield Drive, Moira, admitted driving at 43mph in a 30mph zone and driving without a valid driving licence on August 5 last year. Wright was fined £200, ordered to pay £60 court costs and had her licence endorsed with four penalty points.

Khalid Ahmed, (36), of Osborne Road, Spinney Hills, Leicester, was found guilty in his absence of driving at 58mph in a 30mph zone and driving without a valid licence or insurance on July 21 last year. He was fined £525, ordered to pay £85 costs and was disqualified from driving for nine months.

Tucked away in the village of Peckleton is an Indian restaurant that pulls in the diners from miles around.

The former pub in Main Street has been transformed into a restaurant called Little India that's perfect for a formal occasion or celebrating with friends.

Its smart, contemporary interior is comfy yet stylish, and in the summertime, you can even enjoy dining al fresco on its covered terrace area.

The menu draws influences from the hot and spicy dishes of northern India, to the Bengalese hot and sour, and south India classics like madras. There's also a good selection for vegetarians.

The chefs pride themselves on bringing fine dining to Indian food, using the best local ingredients and the finest spices.

One of its most popular offers is its Sunday special, where diners can enjoy a four-course Indian meal for just £7.95 per person.

Every Monday night, there are four-course meals for £9.95 per person.

The whole experience at Dine India offers excellent value for money: the average starter is £2.95, and the average main course £6.

Families are welcome, too, as are work parties – the restaurant regularly caters for staff from nearby Caterpillar.

And if you're making an occasion of it, then there is a well-stocked bar with an excellent choice of wines.

Even waiting for a takeaway is done in style – call in and relax in one of the restaurant's club chairs while you wait for your order.

Parking's not a problem either as the restaurant has its own, large, car park.

A haul of suspected counterfeit sex drugs worth about £140,000 were found in police raids in Loughborough and London yesterday.

About 28,000 suspected counterfeit erectile dysfunction tablets were seized following co-ordinated raids at homes in Albert Street and Moor Lane, in Loughborough, and in Frazier Street, south east London.

The drugs were seized by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency enforcement team.

Danny Lee-Frost, head of operations at MHRA, said: "These raids demonstrate our commitment to finding those attempting to deal with falsified medicines and send a clear message that those responsible will not benefit from their criminality."

You might not have heard of The Hot Frolics yet, but don't worry – that's probably about to change.

They've been together for less than two months but in that time the Ashby four-piece have been making sure their name is heard.

Whether it's through busking sessions in the city centre, promoting a launch gig or, erm, organising YouTube cooking sessions (more on that later), The Hot Frolics are one hard-working band.

Singer Steve Marsden, who put the group together, says the plan for 2012 is to take over the UK. Small steps, and all that, eh? "It's all really snowballed," he says.

"We're already booked to play a couple of festivals around the country. We're just trying to create a bit of a buzz – or mouthing off.

"We're building up to the launch gig. We didn't want to just saunter in, we wanted to make an impact from the start. I think we can go far."

As well as being a musician, Steve is also a magician and a public speaker, so it's no surprise he knows a thing or two about promotion.

For tonight's launch gig at The Soundhouse, the band have put on coaches to draw in people from around the county.

Then there's the YouTube videos. We'll let Steve explain this one. "We're all obsessed with eating so we're going to be running a TV series where we introduce ourselves and other bands while making our favourite meals," he says. "It's going to be Hot Plates with The Hot Frolics.

"I'd say my signature dish would be enchiladas but with Quorn as I'm vegetarian.

"I'm a cheese obsessive, so it would probably be a very cheesy enchilada. Our bassist has got a very large open plan kitchen with lots of utensils so we'll do it there.

"We really are the least rock'n'roll band you'll ever meet."

Well it's certainly different. But it's the music that's the main thing, says Steve, who has been performing and writing in various forms since he was young.

Last year, he found himself performing solo in a support slot for The Streets after winning an acoustic competition.

And what do you do when you meet Mike Skinner? Invite him to a party of course.

"Well, I was waiting round backstage and saw him and gave him a demo CD. I said, 'Mike, what are you up to, fancy coming to a party?'

"He said, 'No, I'm off to Nandos'.

"I said, 'Mike, it's 3am, Nandos will be shut'.

"He just said, 'Not for Mike Skinner'."

The Hot Frolics are playing at The Soundhouse tonight, with support from Concrete Kisses and The Fores. Visit:

soundhouseleicester.co.uk

A bank worker facing redundancy secretly gave himself a £50,000 overdraft.

Salim Ismail Seedat (41) pleaded guilty to fraud by abusing his position, in which he was expected to safeguard the interests of Lloyds TSB & Halifax.

Seedat, of Hatherleigh Road, Leicester, also admitted converting criminal property, by using money obtained from the overdraft.

Seedat was released on bail.

In the world of Leicester curry houses, the Taj Mahal is a legend.

It's the city's oldest Indian restaurant, dating back to 1960, when it first opened in 12/14 Highfield Street.

In those days, there were one or two Asian stores in Leicester, but nothing like the plethora of restaurants on every street.

The Taj was started by Noor Ahmed, and became a roaring success.

It's still one of the most popular restaurants around to this day.

It caters for the lunchtime crowd, from 12pm to 2pm, as well as evening diners, seven days a week.

Whatever you're looking for on the menu, you'll find something to tempt you. There's an almost encyclopaedic menu to hand, with more than 30 dishes on its starter menu alone.

Vegetarians are well catered for.

Its speciality is the Hariyali dishes – and if you like your curries spicy, with garlic, green chillies, tomatoes, onion and green peppers – which come with either chicken, lamb, king prawn or for vegetarians, paneer cheese or vegetables.

All the food is excellent value for money, with starters around £3-4, and main dishes on average £8.

At the Taj, chefs are happy to prepare dishes to a particular strength – you only have to ask – and you can even ask to visit the kitchens to watch the masters at work.

If you have any food allergies or special dietary requirement these can also be accommodated. The Taj has been feeding Leicester for more than 50 years – isn't it time you paid a visit?

Two orphaned young goats have become the centre of attention at a city farm.

Female kids Bracken and Bramble were born four weeks ago at Gorse Hill City Farm, in Anstey Lane, Leicester.

Sadly, their mother died of pneumonia shortly after the births, meaning staff at the charity have had to hand-rear them.

Assistant manager Katie Owens has been caring for the young animals by feeding them and keeping them company.

Katie said: "They usually bond with the mother after being born, but they didn't have time to do that before she died.

"Because of that they've bonded with staff and visitors and they've become really social.

"They even call out for attention when no-one is around – they love to be made a fuss of."

The kids will be fed a diet of powered lambs' milk for the next four weeks until they are old enough to digest solid food.

Student life, eh? It's not what it was. These days you can't just turn up to a lecture, doodle absentmindedly on a piece of A4 while pretending to have read a book that you know zip about.

Oh no. Students now are expected to actually do some work. The coalition seem hell bent on taking the enjoyment out of education. What my generation lacks in knowledge of Richard III, it makes up for in an uncanny ability to know the lyrics of every Oasis song, circa 1994-97.

So, it is with heavy heart that The Week has to report that a group of diligent, hard-pressed souls from the Arts and Festivals Management BA (Hons) at De Montfort University have been arranging no lesser thing than a festival as part of their course.

Demand

Cultural Exchanges – a name that surely makes it sound as if 30 spotty French teenagers are about to land on the doorstep and demand to be taken to Alton Towers and Twycross Zoo – is a celebration of culture.

So next week, right here in little old Leicester, you can hear phenomenal actress and human rights campaigner Dame Janet Suzman talking about her remarkable career. We've seen her on stage in that there London. Believe us, she is mesmerising. Oh yes, and it's free.

And there's more. There's a screening of actor Adrian Lester's short film, Of Mary, followed by a Q&A session with the Hustle star himself.

That's just £3 (£2 for concessions).

Sunday Times "voice of sport" Hugh McIlvanney, co-writer of Sir Alex Ferguson's autobiography, will be appearing. To sample the delights of his newsroom anecdotes, you will need to cough up a paltry £4 (£3 concessions).

Then there's actress and singer Heather Peace, best known for her roles in TV dramas like Lip Service, London's Burning and Ultimate Force and shortly to appear on our screens in Waterloo Road. And again, it's free, gratis, nada.

And the Guardian's former picture editor, Eamonn McCabe, who has several photos in the National Portrait Gallery collection in London, will give a snapshot of his award-laden career.

Cultural Exchanges, which is now in its 11th year, is staging nearly 50 events over five days, ranging from post-graduate creative writing to a discussion on art in prison to dance performances.

There's something for everyone, and the whole cunning plan of the festival organisers is to lure in people who perhaps wouldn't usually pass through DMU's doors to enjoy such a cultural miscellany.

So go on, give it a go, dip a toe in the balmy waters. For starters, because it's not very often you get the chance to hear someone of Janet Suzman's calibre.

But think about the students, the beers they've missed, the takeaways they've shunned. Go on. Do it for the kids.

Cultural Exchanges runs from Monday to Friday. Many tickets are free but to make sure you get a seat, call the box office on 0116 250 6229 or online at:

www.dmu.ac.uk/ cultural- exchanges- festival/ 2012

A man from Leicestershire whose remains were found underneath a flyover in Greater Manchester could have been killed in a road accident, police have said. The remains of Vinny Derrick, from Castle Donington, were found on February 15, police were called to an area underneath a flyover of the M60, near junction 3. Vinny went missing during a works night out in Manchester city centre in the early hours of August 30, 2003. The post mortem examination concluded the cause of death remained unascertained. However, it discovered that Vinny suffered a number of broken bones consistent with a fall and police said there is a possibility he could have been involved in a road traffic collision immediately prior to death. The death is not being treated as suspicious. Detective Chief Inspector Sara Wallwork, of Stockport CID, said: "This remains a difficult and complex inquiry and the result of the post mortem examination was never going to change that. "The pathologist concluded that, while we cannot categorically confirm a cause of death, the injuries are consistent with a fall. However, there is also a possibility that he may have been involved in a collision with a vehicle. "Vinny's family have been informed of the result and we are continuing to provide them with support and will continue to update them. "I am continuing to ask that anyone who has any information that could be of assistance to this investigation to please call us." Anyone with information is asked to call Stockport CID on 0161 856 9840.

Fun for pets and treats for you – Linda Steelyard looks at two new shops in Leicester A treat this week – not one shop, but two! Both are dedicated to the things in life that many people (including us) associate with nice things to do in our down time – looking after our cats, dogs and hamsters and eating naughty-but-nice treats. The first is the pet shop at the RSPCA's Woodside Animal Centre. It sells pretty much all the bits and bobs you could need for your best animal bud, at competitive prices. And you can shop there knowing that your purchase will help Woodside look after unwanted animals – all of the shop's profits go towards the centre's £15,000 a week – yep, a week – running costs. The shop's staff are trained in animal care and can offer expert advice to customers. And if the shop doesn't have something you want, it will do its best to get it for you. For dogs, its wares include beds, collars, training aids, food (Burns, Autarky, Gusto, Pedigree Chum, Brit Care), treats, toys, coats and grooming equipment. The bed range for kitties includes igloo and radiator beds – which are irresistible in this weather, and we wish they made human-size ones –scratching posts, Worlds Best and Whiskers and Tails cat litter, food (Burns, Science Plan, Applaws and Whiskas), toys, Feliway, a natural product which helps comfort and de-stress your cat, and cat flaps. Got a small animal? There's lots for you here, too. The shop has lots of rabbit and guinea pig hutches and runs, all of which are hand-made and very sturdy, food for rabbits, guinea pigs, and ferrets, treats for every kind of small , toys and boredom breakers, plus hay, straw and shavings. If you love to put out treats for wild birds, this is also the place to come – you'll find feeders, peanuts and seed, fat balls and bird boxes in store. And don't forget – while you're here you can "ooh" and "aah" at the centre's latest crop of inhabitants. Don't blame us if you fall for one of them, though... It's Candy, meanwhile, is full to the brim with all kinds of sweet treats to keep your tastebuds entertained. From American choccies to childhood fave Fizz Wiz the stuff that crackles in your mouth), if you've got even a remotely sweet tooth you'll find something here to like. Our faves include Fluff, a strange spreadable marshmallow that goes well in crusty cobs with a dollop of Nutella (trust us on that one), coconut mushrooms and Hershey's 5th Avenue milk chocolate and crunchy peanut butter. The shop is attractively decorated in bright colours and, while it sells lots of types of sweets, there's still plenty of space to walk around and view the wares. Don't think for a moment it's just for kids – when we've popped in it's been twentysomethings and above mooning over the Wonka Gobstoppers, peanut butter M&Ms and Hot Tamales. Time to join in the fun... Info Woodside Animal Centre is in Scudamore Road, Braunstone Frith, Leicester. It's Candy is in Silver Street, in Leicester.

There are miles of sun-drenched shoreline to enjoy, acres of tropical beauty to discover and limbo dancing contests to win. But there's just one thing David Sharman wants from his trip to Barbados... What goes on tour, stays on tour. That's the rule to which anyone who travels to the far reaches of the globe in the pursuit of sporting endeavour is supposed to adhere to, both solemnly and unconditionally. Unfortunately for the Old Eastonians Cricket Club players who embarked on their own sojourn abroad, they have an embedded member of the media among their ranks. Me. Perhaps even more tragically for them, I'm also on the playing staff – my talents having severely diminished since the pinnacle of my cricketing career, a trial for Leicestershire under-11s, more than a decade ago. The venue for our tour is Barbados, the golden Caribbean isle and scene of several of English cricket's most inglorious off-the-field escapades – from Freddie Flintoff troubling the local coastguards by commandeering a pedalo during the 2003 World Cup, to Ian Botham enjoying the company of a beauty queen during a 1986 tour, much to his wife's displeasure. Luckily for my teammates, I'm not remotely interested in snooping around in pursuit of salacious tabloid tales about their exploits. Unless I stumble across something really juicy, that is. We depart from a dark and freezing bus depot in Market Harborough in the early hours, stopping to pick up more of the touring party in the village of Great Easton. More join us at Kettering and Northampton and, before I embark on my first-ever flight at the ripe old age of 22, there's even a chance to rub shoulders with the West Indies cricket team, returning home from India, in the departure lounge at Gatwick. Andy, my roommate for the tour, calms my nerves on board by helpfully informing me 95 per cent of plane crashes occur within three minutes of take-off. He emphatically waves his watch in my face to for the duration of this period to emphasise the point. Despite this, I quite enjoy the exhilaration of leaving terra firma for the first time, and the next eight hours pass by uneventfully except for some mild turbulence which I also savour, giving the rest of the party a cheerful thumbs-up when they all turn round to make sure I'm not recoiling in terror. I expected to touch down in Barbados in radiant sunshine with the tropical heat searing itself on to my body as I struggle across the scorching Tarmac. Instead, we arrive in torrential rain. Such weather, in fact, claims the first two of the six games we are due to play, meaning we're forced to do nothing but swim, sunbathe and sip rum and coke at the four-star Amaryllis Beach Resort on the south of the island instead. I know, poor us. We also took the chance to go sightseeing at the Kensington Oval cricket ground, the Bathsheba Rock on the Atlantic coast and the Foursquare– where we're able to try the wide variety of rums produced on the island for the princely sum of one Barbados dollar each (about 30p). There's also time to sample the local nightlife at the island's party hotspot, St Lawrence Gap. My mate Matty and I even manage to win a limbo dancing contest one evening, earning ourselves a bottle of (surprise, surprise) rum in the process. Our first game arrives, but by a cruel twist of fate I'm struck down with illness that morning, forcing me to watch from the pavilion steps. "There'll be other chances" I tell myself, "just one wicket in the West Indies and I'll be happy." We lose the match but the club's groundsman has spotted some Leicester City shirts among our contingent (and sadly a couple of Nottm Forest ones, too). He reveals his love for the Foxes after he developed a fondness for Emile Heskey while working in Hinckley in the 1990s. It takes all sorts. My condition does not improve, though so I'm confined to my bed, the beach and the pool for the next three days. I know, poor me. This leaves me absent for the club's first victory on Caribbean soil. Graciously though, I finally see some action on the very last game of the tour when Joe, our captain, calls me on to bowl. "Just one wicket, just one wicket," I repeat to myself, determined to prove my worth. I'm still feeling pretty woeful and every delivery drains the life out of my body. However, the batsmen is completely outfoxed by my almost laughably lethargic display, and spoons the ball high into the air. "Catch it yourself!" Joe yells at me, asserting an unbelievable level of confidence in someone whose hands seemed Teflon-coated for most of last season. The ball returns earthwards and I reach out, expecting to hear it plop on the soft turf seconds later. Instead, the strangest thing has happened – it's stuck safely in my clutches. The batsman is out. In my mind I dance a fantastically exuberant jig, which I would have replicated physically were it not for the fact I barely have the strength to manage even a congratulatory handshake with my teammates. I've done it. I've taken a wicket in the West Indies. I can return home satisfied. That'll teach Leicestershire under-11s for turning me down all those years ago. There are plenty more stories (though none involving dwarves) to tell about our experiences on this wonderful island. For instance, one night... No. No; I promised not to tell. Pity.

Leicester Tigers lock Geoff Parling is expected to make his full England debut against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday after Tom Palmer was dropped from the squad.

But his Tigers team-mate, scrum-half Ben Youngs, is understood to have been dropped, with his place going to Northampton's Lee Dickson.

Youngs is expected to be on the bench alongside team-mates Toby Flood and Manu Tuilagi, who are thought to have been recalled having proved their fitness after injury.

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