THIS WEEK'S VISITORS (1,651)

Regular update on the number of pageviews received from different parts of the world in the week just ending.

1. United Kingdom 1,025
2. United States 358
3. India 85
4. Russia 43
5. Germany 39
6. France 28
7. Latvia 23
8. Australia 22
9. Japan 17
10. Canada 11

This week's total: 1,651 (last week: 2,009). These are aggregates of figures from the top ten countries only. Blogger's stats software doesn't show me numbers of pageviews below the tenth-ranking country.

The world map at the top of this post is the graphic that I see on the stats page. The darker the green, the more pageviews from that country. I can see different versions of that map for "now" (i.e. in the last two hours), "today", "this week", "this month" and "all time" (which seems to mean the last 12 months). They're updated each time I look at them.

POUNDING THE PAVEMENT FOR CHOICE UNLIMITED

Out in the West End today, distributing fliers and posters for REDP's forthcoming Choice Unlimited event. I lived in this part of town for four years (2006-10) and it strikes me as probably being the best area of the city for getting our colourful publicity material in front of people. I'm glad to say that most of those who accept a poster for their shop window actually put it up. The chap in Tin Drum Books (photo above) asks for additional copies, as he's the curator of the Bede Park community noticeboard. The owner of the shop below handed me a roll of sellotape and asked me to stick up the poster where I thought it would look best. I like those kinds of responses!

IT'S A SIGN!

New signage has been installed throughout Highcross, including signs for the "Faith Room" (as it has now been named).

I like the new appelation and I like the symbol, of a person kneeling to pray. Directions to the Faith Room are now clearly indicated throughout Highcross.

HITTING THE BRICKS FOR CHOICE UNLIMITED

This morning I'm scheduled for a diabetic retinopathy eye screening at St Peter's Health Centre, Sparkenhoe Street. That's at the edge of Highfields so I take with me a bag of fliers and posters for REDP's forthcoming Choice Unlimited event so I can distribute them round the area.

What has slipped my mind is the fact that for a while after the screening, it's quite hard to see. The nurse puts drops in your eyes that dilate the pupils, making everything bright, glary and indistinct. That wasn't so noticeable inside the health centre, but outside it's a sunny day. I don't know why I didn't think this would impact on my ability to do this task. I mean, it's not as if it's the first time I've had this test done - I've only had diabetes for, like, 16 years.

Still, I can tell well enough, at a distance, the right places to ask if they'll put up a poster and/or take some fliers, such as the Ark World Arts Centre, incorporating Sparkenhoe Theatre (photo above). I spend a few minutes talking with a nice, receptive lady in there called Mel, who's keen to promote Choice Unlimited to their Saturday morning theatre group for young people with learning disabilities and their families. They should be exhibiting at the event, I tell her.

Towards the end of my walk through Highfields (and the end of the contents of my bag), I get as far as Wesley Hall Community Project, at the top of Hartington Road. I used to teach basic literacy here to two groups (one of staff members, the other of service users at their day centre) when I was an Adult Ed tutor years ago. By this point, you're leaving Highfields and heading into Spinney Hills. My legs are sore now - and so are my eyes - so I head back down the hill and who do I see but my friend and colleague Suleman Nagdi walking up it in my direction. Despite my fuzzy vision, Suleman's perfectly recognisable from a distance. When I tell him what I've been doing and show him what's left in my bag, he takes me back round the corner into Melbourne Road and opens up the office of the Federation of Muslim Organisations so I can leave a bunch of fliers there and put up a poster in the window (photo below). This was one of my goals for today - since I believe it lends credibility to the event for local residents to see the poster here. A bit of luck, bumping into him like that!

FLASHMOB DANCERS PUT ON A SHOW IN LEICESTER CITY CENTRE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Flashmob dancers put on a show in Leicester city centre

Young dancers and designers took their art onto the streets of Leicester city centre yesterday.

A group of eight entertained shoppers in Leicester with surprise "flash mob" dance performances inspired by a forthcoming exhibition at the city's New Walk Museum.

The youngsters, aged between 13 and 15, have been participating in a series of free dance and costume design workshops at the museum, taking inspiration from Suits and Saris, which opens at the museum on Saturday.

The group performed its synchronised street performances at the Clock Tower, and in Gallowtree Gate and Market Street in the afternoon as part of their workshop studies.

Hannah Stretton, manager of the project, funded by Arts Council England, said: "It's fantastic to see a group of young people so invested in and excited by this museum's project."

The entertainment was provided by the Dohl Enforcement Agency - the D-E-A Band with costumes by Ali Pretty of Kinetika and the choreography was by Balbir Singh.

NEW STATESMAN: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

In this week's Cover Story, the Archbishop of Canterbury's former press secretary George Pitcher - ousted in the fallout from his New Statesman guest edit - reports on Rowan Williams's struggle against the Church of England traditionalists who run his office.

THIS WEEK'S VISITORS (2,009)

Regular update on the number of pageviews received from different parts of the world in the week just ending.

1. United Kingdom 709
2. United States 683
3. Germany 350
4. India 70
5. Denmark 59
6. Russia 53
7. France 39
8. Latvia 3
9. Canada 32
10. China 18

This week's total: 2,009 (last week: 1,773). These are aggregates of figures from the top ten countries only. Blogger's stats software doesn't show me numbers of pageviews below the tenth-ranking country.

The world map at the top of this post is the graphic that I see on the stats page. The darker the green, the more pageviews from that country. I can see different versions of that map for "now" (i.e. in the last two hours), "today", "this week", "this month" and "all time" (which seems to mean the last 12 months). They're updated each time I look at them.

HINDU WOMEN VIE FOR SPORTS TROPHIES

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Hindu women vie for sports trophies

Women from the Hindu community will be gathering for an annual cultural sports day this weekend.

Hindu Sevika Samiti UK, a Leicester voluntary organisation that encourages girls and women to practice and preserve Hindu values, is staging the event at Soar Valley College, in Rushey Mead, on Sunday.Representatives from the city's four branches will compete in South Asian games such as kabaddi, kho-kho and ring, against counterparts from 25 other branches across the country.

Spokeswoman Kirti Vekriya said: "This year, being the host country for the Olympics, we feel that promoting sports through our annual competition is a great opportunity to get everyone into the spirit of the games."

Ms Vekriya said: "More than 100 girls and ladies will be taking part. All the teams have been training really hard."

Members of the public are welcome to cheer on participants, between 9am and 5pm.

DISABLED MISSED OUT

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Disabled missed out

Now that all the excitement of the royal visit is but a happy memory to many, I would like to say I experienced my own disappointment about the lack of access to the cathedral.

Though I was invited by the Bishop and the Dean of Leicester to represent my congregation at the multi-faith service and celebration of the Diamond Jubilee, I was unable to attend, due to my having walking disabilities, and access to get to the venue, without immense difficulty, was not available.

Car parking near enough was not allowed and dropping off was also forbidden in "the immediate environs of the cathedral".

Nor could I take a carer in with me to push me in my wheelchair if I parked further away at the multi-storey car park.

Even the arrangements for refreshments afterwards were held at an upstairs venue.

Due notice of this was given in a letter to me.

There may no doubt have been very valid reasons, but it does not reflect well on our city when equality of opportunity for all was not properly considered and planned for.

The same applies to the many city streets which are now totally pedestrianised and more are planned in the future.

At one time, disabled drivers could drive and park in Market Street at restricted times and this facility was highly appreciated. Can we have this back, please, or do we have to go out of town for our shopping?

Name and address supplied

CITY'S SYRIAN FAMILIES IN BID TO HELP OUT REFUGEES

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

City's Syrian families in bid to help out refugees

Syrian families living in Leicester are helping to raise thousands of pounds for refugees fleeing the Assad regime.

The small community in the city is supporting the charity Hand in Hand for Syria, which is sending much-needed medical and food supplies to refugees in camps in Lebanon and Turkey.

Three of the four charity trustees live in Leicester and they are holding a fund-raising meal on Sunday at the University of Leicester.

The country has been rocked by violence since the uprising against President Bashar Assad started one year ago.

The UN says more than 8,000 people have been killed, many of them unarmed protesters.

Charity trustee Fadi Al-Dairi said: "We all have relatives who live in Syria or who have fled their homes and are living in refugee camps.

"I have family who have fled Homs so I have to be very careful what I say. But, they are in desperate need of help. They need medical equipment, medicines and first aid materials, food and equipment to keep them warm."

He said: "We are strictly humanitarian and want to protect and save life."

The charity was formed last year and has so far raised nearly £70,000.

It has also managed to smuggle food and medical equipment into Syria.

He added: "We desperately need money and the local community has been very generous.

"But fund-raising is not the principle aim of the event. We want to raise the plight of the refugees and the civilians suffering in Syria."

One of the charity's supporters, a doctor from Leicester, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "There are about 10 families from Syria in the Leicester area and they have been active in supporting our humanitarian efforts.

"We have been helped by the wider community including people from Libya, because they know what we are going through. We have been successful in getting essential life-saving supplies through. But we need to do more.

"We hope the meal will encourage more people from the wider community to contact us and help us in our work."

The event on Sunday will be addressed by one of the charity's trustees, Omar Abdul Gubbar, who is an orthopaedic consultant for the University of Leicester Hospitals Trust.

It will be held at the O2 Academy, in University Road, on the University of Leicester campus, beginning at 2pm.

Entry, which includes the price of the meal, costs £15 for adults and £10 for children.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit: www.handinhandforsyria.org