Articles

Sleep is quite literally medicine for both our brain and body. A strong body of scientific research shows that sleep is essential for metabolic health, cardiovascular health, brain function and daily cognitive ability.
Although sleep is gaining attention, it is still not prioritised as much as exercise or nutrition. As a society, we often admire those who appear to ‘function’ on very little sleep.

As you drive through our village, have you noticed that our new village sign has been erected? Sitting on the little green in the middle of the village, it takes pride of place and looks magnificent! This project began by a group of us agreeing how lovely it would be to celebrate our village in this way. So, ideas were gathered from residents as to what we thought were the most celebrated aspects of village life.

I daresay we’ve all heard that ‘laughter is the best medicine’. It’s a cliché of course, but like many clichés it contains some powerful truth. In the same way that our thoughts affect our behaviour, so our behaviour affects our thoughts. It’s a feedback loop, whether negative or positive. So, if we try to cultivate and maintain a good sense of humour, this can only have beneficial results. The Mayo clinic website for instance tells us that in the short term a good laugh enhances the intake of oxygen-rich air, dampens the stress response, relaxes us and eases tension. Longer term benefits, the website claims, strengthens the immune system, prompts the body to produce natural painkillers (endorphins), improves mood and can make it easier to cope with difficult situations.

Dear Editor

You may be familiar with Richard Osman’s ‘House of Games’. In one round contestants have to write down estimates of things that they are unlikely to be familiar with. Recently the question was: How many Short-tailed Field Voles (commonly called just field voles) are there in the UK?

Dear Editor

Early in January a group went to Kibworth Hall to have a sketching day inside this lovely house.

There are so many of us that love dogs, especially in Kibworth it seems. There’s a veritable army of dog walkers every morning and evening whatever the weather. That is true love!

In the heart of our village is our shop that does much more than sell clothes. Our pre-loved clothing boutique is a key part of our charity, and every item donated or purchased plays a vital role in keeping our doors open.

BBC Get Singing is a new national programme to get young people aged 11-14 singing, with Grammy Award-winning artist, composer and producer Jacob Collier as Ambassador and Advocate.