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This writer has just finished watching the third season of Bridgerton and is now considering turning this into a gossip column (Society Paper). I am terrible at gossip though and not particularly observant, so I’m not entirely sure what this Lady Waffledown would discuss?! Obviously, if you have any interesting gossip, I’m all ears – pen poised!
At the time of writing England (and Scotland) are still in the Euro’s and the General Election is still up for grabs. So, forgive me if I steer clear of football and politics, not least because I imagine by the time you are reading this, everyone may be a little sick of talking about both these things!
So, onto more worthwhile pursuits… I promised you all an update on my adventures at Ninja Warrior. Let’s be clear it was the family friendly pay-to-play adventure park, not the TV show. Don’t expect me to show up on your telly-box, swinging from a monkey bar and trussed up in lycra… based on my exploits it would be a brief appearance, although I will say it was great
fun, with lots to do for kids of all ages and good value for money. My little tip though… don’t go to Meadowhall food court for lunch on a bank holiday Monday… feeding time at the zoo is an apt description!
I am looking forward to the Olympics though… I love watching all those sports and athletic disciplines which you don’t normally get to see on TV. Although, I will say I don’t look forward to Mr Emily pretending he is an expert on each event based on his 30 minutes of watching, along with his insistence on telling them (me) on how to do it better… #eyeroll
Until next month gentle reader, I await tidings of your juiciest gossip,
Happy reading,
We’re all familiar with the athletic events at the modern Olympic games, plus all the other sports included today—gymnastics, swimming, basketball, football…etc. etc. etc!
There are also more random events such as breaking (break dancing), skateboarding, surfing, and BMX biking on the menu at this month’s Paris games. But have you ever been tempted to investigate some of the odd “sports” that formed part of previous Olympics?
I looked and was both surprised and horrified by some of the weird events that have been deemed Olympic worthy in the past…
Let’s have a look:
Live pigeon shooting – yep, you read that correctly! In 1900, which coincidentally was also held in Paris, competitors assembled to shoot pigeons. The winner was the one who shot down the most birds from the sky. Nearly 300 birds were killed. Unsurprisingly, it turned out to be quite messy, with dead or injured birds on the ground and blood and feathers all over the place.
Canon Shooting – this was at the 1900 Paris Games (must have been something odd in the water that year!). There were 17 events, all for men, and (oddly enough!) only French competitors participated. No specific results are known; indeed, no one really knows what the competition involved.
Town Planning – I kid you not, medals for town planning were awarded during the Olympic Games held in Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Berlin, and London between 1928 and 1948!
Men’s 200m swimming obstacle course – unbelievably, this is another from the 1900 Paris games – there was definitely something amiss with the French psyche that year. There were three obstacles; first the competitors had to climb over a pole, then over a row of boats, and then swim under another row of boats. Bizarre.
Solo Synchronised Swimming – surely the most obvious oxymoron ever! How can a solo swimmer synchronise with something? Regardless, Solo Synchronised Swimming was a sport at the Olympic Games between 1984 and 1992. Perhaps it would still be around if renamed, “Pool Dancing” – or similar!
Men’s Sailors 100 meter Freestyle – this one is bonkers! In 1896, at the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens, a swimming event open only to Greek Royal Navy sailors was held. The suspicion was that Greece included this event to boost their medal haul!
Roque – no, I’ve never heard of it either! Apparently, it was (is?) almost identical to croquet but played on a hard surface with solid boundary walls. It made an appearance in the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri. Only Americans competed in the event, drawing complaints that the host country was trying to inflate its medal count, just like Greece in 1896.
Enjoy this year’s Olympics, and be grateful that these days, the events require a huge amount of athletic skill and dedication on the part of the competitors. And, as an added bonus, there will not be a bloodied pigeon feather in sight!
These articles are researched and written by Laura Billingham, a local content writer and author. Laura moved to the Peak District several years ago to pursue her passion for writing.
Don’t
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This is for anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one, even if it was years ago. (There is no charge for this course.) Topics include: Attachment, separation and loss, The pain and responses of grief, Anger and Guilt, Coping with others’ reactions, Delayed and suppressed grief, Adjusting to Change, Moving forward healthily and Faith questions (optional).
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Natalie Haynes book A Thousand Ships is one of a series of recent novels re-telling ancient history from a different perspective to the one we got at school. This no longer the Trojan War seen through the eyes of soldiers, conquerors, invasion, land grabs and loot. Instead, it’s the story of the women who, as so often in history, have been relegated to the side-lines – as if the only important thing is heroic tales of fighting and victory. This is a feminist re-writing of history. There are heroes, but they are largely the underdogs, the slaves, the people – often female - who are the spoils of war.
If you’ve enjoyed Pat Barker’s the Silence of the Girls or Madeleine Miller’s Circe, this will almost certainly be a book for you. Natalie Haynes is a classicist by training – she knows the history, but she digs into the areas around the existing texts to tell wider stories. And her approach is not all grimly serious – it’s witty and sarcastic but doesn’t pull any punches about the horror and enslavement if you’re a bit player in war. And it gives a voice to the voiceless.
And it’s definitely a different kind of page turner for your beach or deck chair read this summer.
By the late 1780’s all the coal from seams beneath the village had been fully exploited or were inaccessible due to them being waterlogged. This was because all the seams dipped from ‘West’ to ‘East’. The seam nearest the surface was called the ‘Top Hard Seam’. According to old plans made by the former Pinxton Collieries Company, in the possession of the author, the Top Hard coal seam was originally known as ‘The Plymouth Portland coal seam’.
By the 1780’s The Reverend D’ Ewes Coke of Brookhill Hall, had re-purchased all the mineral rights under Pinxton, previously sold off by his grandfather. Reverend Coke, presumably because he had no mining experience, formed who were experienced in deep mining operations.
This shaft was sunk about forty yards due south of the modernday junction of Pool Close Road and Wharf Road (then known of Mill Close Lane). Because of the potential flooding problem, the shaft was sunk below the coal level to create a sump to house a reciprocal steam powered pump to ensure the coal measures were kept dry. Because Pinxton at this date was basically an agricultural
community, it was necessary to construct cottages for incoming coal miners. These properties still survive (the bottom three blocks on Pool Close).
There was a further innovation, insofar as the Top Hard Coal seam was worked against the dip (from East to West); another Pinxton first. This innovation occurred because Reverend Coke, had been a founding member of the Derby Philosophical Society, started by Dr Erasmus Darwin (the grandfather of the famous Charles Darwin the author of the ground-breaking, ‘The Origin of the Species’). Matthew Boulton was also a Society Member, and his partner, James Watt, was a frequent visitor to Dr Darwin’s
home where the OPS held its meetings. This, I believe, is how one of the first newly perfected reciprocal steam engines came to be ‘housed’ in Pinxton.
It must have been a complete success, along with the coal mine, because, in the following year (1788), Reverend Coke had another deep shaft excavated, known to older Pinxton residents as Pinxton Sleights No. 1 shaft, which was in later years used to trial John King’s patented ‘Mine Cage Safety Detaching Hook’ (a story for another day.)
Next time: The 1841 Report of the Commissioners into the Employment of Children in Pinxton Coal Mines
“GOING
When I was a child, some things my parents used to say puzzled me. I understood all the words but not the meanings.
My Dad used to say “I’m going to see a man about a dog”. Where was this elusive dog? He never came home with a dog. My mum seemed to be in on the secret too. Dad would return home later that day, rather merry, but I never worked out that it had been a euphemism for “going to the pub” or in the broader sense “mind your own business”.
Another question I pondered: where was the birdie when you were having your photograph taken? I never found the birdie, but I do know where the saying came from. Photographers from 1879 would sometimes use a brass tweeting birdie to capture the attention of children while taking the photograph. And who was “Soft Mick”? My father would regularly roll out his saying by complaining “She’s had more holidays than Soft Mick“. This character appears to have been an Irish shoe pedlar who travelled around Lancashire around the 1930s.
So originally the saying would have been “He’s got more shoes than Soft Mick”.
What a rich, tapestry of language we all grew up with. Mine was a delicious hodge podge of a Derbyshire Dad with his many strange sayings like tuttoos, bit black over Bill’s mother’s and loads of rammel, and my Belfast mum’s mutton dummies, wee cup of tea in your hond with a piece and jom. It’s actually a wonder I grew up literate at all.
Janet and Paul Barrass are All Around the Shire. Find us on or email: oldfield512@btinternet.com for more information.
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1. Heat your oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6 and line a small loaf tin with non-stick baking paper.
2. Put the bananas in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Add the almond drink and stir well. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, then add the vanilla, baking powder and sweetener, followed by the eggs. Mix until smooth.
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2nd
2nd Friday of each month 9am – 1pm | Ripley Market Place
3rd Tuesday of each month 9am - 12noon | Blackwell Community Centre
3rd Thursday of each month
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The collective ‘oooh’, followed by ‘so when are you going to make some?’ when I suggested this recipe confirmed it was the right choice for this month... Hopefully it tickles your fancy too!
3. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
4. Take the loaf out of the tin and peel off the baking paper. Cover the top with the sliced banana, sprinkle over a light dusting of cocoa powder and cut into 10 equal slices to serve.
Ingredients:
• 2 ripe medium bananas, plus 1 banana, sliced, to decorate
• 60ml unsweetened almond drink
• 100g self-raising flour
• 20g cocoa powder, plus extra to decorate
• 5 drops vanilla extract
• 2 level tsp baking powder
• 4 level tbsp sweetener granules
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
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The ancient Olympic Games trace their roots back to 776 BCE in Olympia, home of the Gods, and until 550 BCE, the events took part in the sanctuary itself, with the finishing post being the sacred olive tree of Zeus, from which the victory wreaths were cut. Legend has it that the games were founded by Hercules, the ultimate strongman of mythology.
The stadium at Olympia had four iterations once it outgrew the original home in the sanctuary itself. Throughout these reincarnations, the length of the track in the stadium remained constant at 600ft/192.2m.
Stories say this distance was selected as it was how far Hercules could run on a single breath. Impressive, if this was the case!
Events included foot races, long jump, discus, javelin, and wrestling. The pentathlon, an ancient precursor to the modern decathlon, combined five events to find the ultimate all-around athlete. The wrestling matches, known as pankration, were particularly brutal—a mix of boxing and wrestling with virtually no rules. Biting and eye-gouging were frowned upon, but almost anything else went.
Far from the cushioned running shoes and Lycra outfits of today; the original athletes competed stark naked! This wasn’t some ancient precursor to modern naturist trends; it was believed that competing in the altogether honoured Zeus.
Olympic athletes were the rock stars of their time. They trained for months, adhering to strict regimes. Victorious athletes were immortalised in statues and songs, showered with gifts, and sometimes even given the ancient equivalent of a lifetime supply of pita bread… lucky them!
Unlike our modern games, all the competitors were men, and married women weren’t even allowed to attend as spectators. In fact, they were barred on penalty of death
from the Sanctuary of Zeus on the days of the athletic competitions. Presumably the sight of so much naked male flesh may have made their husbands appear lacking by comparison!
Single girls were allowed to attend, and there was even a separate festival dedicated to Hera, Zeus’s wife, with foot races specifically for unmarried girls.
Spectators from all over the Greek world would flock to Olympia to watch the games. Vendors sold food, drinks, and souvenirs, making the games a bustling festival rather than a solemn religious observance.
Winners were awarded olive wreaths, also known as kotinos, made from the sacred olive tree of Zeus. While modern athletes dream of cash prizes and sponsorship deals, their ancient equivalents were content with their wreaths and the promise of lifelong fame.
The original Olympic Games continued for over a millennium until they were abolished in 393 CE by the Christian Emperor Theodosius I, who decided the pagan festivities surrounding the games were contrary to his beliefs.
Yet, the spirit of the games lived on, inspiring the modern Olympics we know today.
As you settle down to watch the Paris Olympics, spare a thought for their ancient predecessors, who ran barefoot and naked for honour, glory and an olive leaf crown. Today’s competitors have it easy by comparison!
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This month we have picked a walk which I think is perfect for a ramble whatever the weather, making use of some of the paths and trials to the north of Derby’s city centre. We begin our walk in Darley Park, heading down the side of the river Derwent, before crossing the river and turning to head back up, alongside the Racecourse Park. From here we pick a section of the Great Northern Greenway, turning off before we reach Breadsall. We then cut across to meet up with the River Derwent again, before heading south to pass through the West Mill and back to where we began.
A short walk which should take you and your dog around 2 hours to complete. There are a few sections of road so please take care. There majority of the walk is on paths and trails but please wear appropriate footwear and as always, please follow the countryside code.
START: DARLEY PARK CAR PARK, POPLAR ROW, DERBY. DE22 1DU.
1. Standing with your back to the entrance cross the car park diagonal left passing some recycle bins on your left and taking the well laid footpath to pass behind the cricket club house. Follow the path with the river on your left for some distance and cross over a small wooden footbridge.
2. Continue ahead staying close to the river for some distance and eventually you will begin to pass houses raised up on a bank to your right. Eventually the footpath will turn into a road. Continue straight ahead to pass Derby Rowing Club and a small car park to your left. At this point keep left and take a tarmac footpath straight ahead of you keeping the river close on your left.
3. After a short distance, just before passing under a bridge, turn right. Then after a short distance turn left and up some steps. At the top of the steps turn left and cross over the bridge. At the other side of the bridge continue ahead and at the crossroad turn right, signposted for Allestree, Darley Abbey & Little Eaton. Follow the path keeping some industrial buildings on your right.
4. Continue until reaching a T junction with a road. Turn right and then immediately left to continue along ‘Chester Green Road’. Continue straight ahead with a row of houses on your left and a recreation area to your right until reaching a T junction with a main road. Cross over a zebra crossing in front of you and turn right along the main road. After a short distance take the 2nd left into Caesar Street.
5. When the houses end and the road narrows continue straight ahead to pass beneath a bridge and walk on until reaching a main road. Cross straight over the road and then continue straight ahead along a footpath to pass through an underpass. Immediately after the underpass at a fork in the path bear to the left. After a very short distance at a crossroads of paths turn left again. Now continue along a footpath with playing fields on your right.
6. Continue straight ahead for some distance and then at a fork in the path bear right and continue to a main road. Cross over the road following a signpost for ‘Breadsall Hilltop’ and then continue along a tarmac footpath for some distance.
7. Eventually you will reach a road. Continue straight ahead along-side the road until reaching a T junction with another road and a pub directly opposite. Cross straight over this road, turn left to continue for a short distance along the road and then turn right through a width restrictor onto a footpath, keeping the pub on your right.
8. Continue along this footpath for some distance passing a signboard on your left reading ‘Great Northern Greenway’. After some distance, at a crossroads of footpaths, turn left through a gap in a fence adjacent to a large white gate, along a footpath. Continue along this path going gently downhill until passing through a metal width restrictor and onto a road. Cross over and then turn left along the road.
9. Continue along the road for a short distance, then upon reaching some large stones on the right-hand side of the road turn right along a cycleway. After a short distance cross over a main road and pass through a metal swing gate to follow a footpath through some trees to cross a field.
10. After some distance on the footpath you will reach some steps. Climb the steps cross over a rail bridge. On the other side turn immediately to the right and then to the left to cross over a wooden footbridge. After the footbridge continue straight ahead across a field keeping a dyke on your left. Upon reaching a T junction with a lane turn left keeping a river on your right.
11. After some distance pass over a stile and continue ahead for a short distance until you have a fence in front of you. Bear left and continue with the fence on your right. Stay close to the fence for some distance, then shortly after the fence begins to curve to the right follow the footpath straight ahead peeling away from the fence as straight as possible.
12. Continue straight to cross a stile. Now continue with a wire fence on your right. When the path bends to the right, continue straight staying close to the fence. When the fence ends keep to the path, around to the left to pass over a stile adjacent to a large metal gate. Walk along a tarmac lane until reaching a road with ‘Haslams Rugby Club’ opposite.
13. Turn right along the road to pass a 2mph sign as you enter an old mill. Continue along the narrow road through the mill passing a ‘Toll £1’ sign and eventually cross over a river bridge with the weir on your left.
14. Immediately after crossing the bridge the road curls to the left. Follow the road around to the left and then when the road bends right take the first turning on your left into ‘Darley Street’. Continue along ‘Darley Street’ passing ‘Mill View Gardens’ on your left and then after a short distance turn left into ‘Poplar Row’ to continue back to the car park.
This walk is for illustrative purposes only. Voice Magazines Ltd takes no responsibility for anyone who chooses to follow this route and encourages all walkers to obey all byelaws and signs and to respect the area they are walking in, ensuring they pick up all dog mess and obey the countryside code at all times.
Amber Valley Tigers women’s team achieved the rare feat of winning both league and cup titles in the same season, defeating Belper Ladies 43-19 in the final. Their success is a testament to their growth and selfbelief. The team embodies the spirit of rugby, including mums, students, and professionals. Interested in joining? Come to Pre-Season training in July and give it a go! To be part of this successful and welcoming team, contact Gareth at 07595 520 537
Amber Valley RUFC’s new touch rugby sessions foster inclusivity and unity, bringing together players of all ages for friendly competition and teamwork. The initiative has enhanced community spirit and emphasized the club’s commitment to promoting fitness and fun. The men are gearing up for the new season with initial skills training on Monday nights. Excitement for the season is high! Men’s preseason starts July 8th at 7pm. Interested in joining contact Stuart at 07966 867 946
Our U12/U13 teams enjoyed joining the Wednesday night touch rugby sessions with the wider Amber Valley family. Next month, Minis and Juniors eagerly await their annual presentation day, featuring fun games, inflatables, and photo opportunities. Rugby at Amber Valley is inclusive for all age groups and abilities. Mark your calendars: the 24/25 season kicks off on 25th August 24. For those interested in joining, contact Paul at 07790 403 043.
More than just a club, we are the #ValleyFamily. You can visit our website www.ambervalleyrfc.co.uk, Facebook & Instagram pages to contact us or follow what we do. You can find us at Lower Somercotes, Somercotes, Alfreton DE55 4NQ
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Just a goal-kick away from the throng of heavy traffic where the A611 Derby Road and the A608 Mansfield Road converge at the island opposite Sherwood Business Park Annesley, sits a monument that may not receive the prominence it truly deserves.
It may be well known to locals, walkers like me, and the employees in this part of the world. However, it’s certainly concealed from the sight of the thousands of people who hurtle past in their vehicles every single day.
The RAF Stirling Memorial in memory of the crew of Stirling Bomber Serial EH 988 which crashed near this site on 14th January 1945. Those that perished were:
67707 Squadron Leader S.L.Cockbain
D.F.C aged 28
1587047 Flight Sergeant E.C.Barton aged 21
2204311 Sergeant J.Littlemore aged 19
1651299 Sergeant K.Harris aged 22
1874899 Flight Sergeant T.A.Ball aged 20
The Memorial Plaque reads:
“This four-engined bomber was on a flight from RAF Winthorpe to Northern Ireland when it suffered a loss of power, first from one engine, and then from two. The pilot struggled to control the aircraft and attempted to reach RAF Hucknall. As the machine became increasingly unmanageable, he had no option but to attempt a forced landing in the fields. Unfortunately, however, the aircraft continued to
lose height rapidly as it made a wide turn over this area. It flew in an easterly direction near the site of this Memorial and crashed into the ridge just to the east of here.”
Average age of the crew, 22 years. It continues,
“After information about this crash had been researched and published, it was decided to form the Stirling Memorial Group consisting of the organisations named below for the placing of a memorial on this site. The inscribed Memorial Stone was unveiled by Group Captain R.Cook B Tech RAF and dedicated by RAFA Chaplain the Rev Jeremy Fletcher on 16th September 1998 in the presence of surviving relatives, RAF veterans, comrades from other Arms of Service, and members of the Public.”
If you happen to be in this part of Nottinghamshire, then this Memorial Stone and site are worth a few minutes of your time.
And like countless others who paid the supreme sacrifice so that we might enjoy our freedom today, old age and time was something never afforded to this brave young aircraft crew.
Words by Roger West
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I recently brought news from Bill. He’s the chap in Westhouses who wanted all prospective Members of Parliament to undergo a lie detector test before their name was entered onto a ballot paper. If proven to be honest, they would have the chance to represent us in Westminster.
Well, Bill has emailed me again. I’d like to reproduce exactly what he had to say on the question of the WASPI debate, but if I say that his language, perhaps reflecting his anger on the topic, was just a little intemperate, you’ll appreciate why I’ve had to summarise.
For those who don’t know, the WASPI acronym stands for Women Against State Pension Inequality.
This is a campaign group that argues that women who were born in the 1950’s have been disadvantaged as they were not informed that they would have to wait beyond the age of 60 before receiving their State Pension. This was a government plan to bring women into line with men who historically had to wait until they were 65. Often using emotive language –one woman claims that the Govt. has stolen £45,000 from her - in effect, they want compensation for the 2m+ women who have been affected, and, if they are to be believed, knew absolutely nothing about this.
Now Bill, and I could almost detect the steam coming from his ears as he contacted me, thinks this is –and I’ll be kind here – a load of nonsense.
He makes the point, that the government was actually trying to right the wrong of men being
discriminated against through having to work a full five years longer than their female colleagues, before being able to retire on a State Pension.
Bill says that the claim that up to 2m+ women were unaware of this is preposterous (my words not his, but I think you’ll get his drift) and carried out a ‘straw poll’ at a social gathering recently for his wife’s 70th birthday. Apparently, there were 12 women there who had been in the same school year and every one of them had been fully aware of the pending change and implications for themselves.
He accepts, that there may be a handful of women who, living in their own little bubble since 1993 when this was first mooted, were unaware of the change, but reckons that they will be very few in number. Besides, as he states, Ignorance is no defence in British law.
Having gone on at length, Bill closed by controversially suggesting that were he PM, he would:
a) deny compensation and
b) arrange for any woman who continues to argue that they have been cheated out of their pension money, to carry out a number of supervised tasks.
Sadly, I’m unable to bring details of what he suggested but, and I don’t know if this makes me a bad person, I can reveal that some did make me smile.
As ever, I’m keen to hear what you think. Does Bill have a point?
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Pitcherwits® are crossword puzzles where some of the clues are in pictures. Sound easy? It’s not called “Pit-your-wits” for nothing! The mixture of cryptic and picture clues, combined with Professor Rebus’ unique sense of humour, will keep you entertained for hours.
1 Consign ace to the bin for awareness (10)
5 Income minus outgoings equals runny money? (8)
15 Aim to nurture sloth with postal advertising (8)
18 Prayed for Terence, who did a bad thing (10)
Across
9 One in an army patrol (4)
10 Bit sarcastic, say, about story writer? (4)
11 Collapsed arch gets no fish (5)
12 Coming from across town in Herefordshire (4)
14 Story recounted at the end (4)
Down
3 Has difficulty this Wednesday (3)
4 Foregone part of the trip (3)
6 Itch treatment to be up to? (7)
7 Pleads on behalf of meadow (3)
13 Masking off some of the jump (3)
16 Boxer hailing from Somalia (3)
17 Rushed in to get the lady (3)
1 Riddle of company sister, that’s got one beaten (9)
2 Recants over sweet fluids (7) 8 Rumoured sotto voce (9) 10 Local transport, thus let out (7)
Sub, 8 Close-up, 10 Breeder, 11 Utopian, 14 Vie, 15 Goo, 16 Right amount.
Ski,
One is the Chelsea Chop when you cut back your emerging perennials at the same time as the Chelsea Flower Show late May or early June, thus delaying flowering. The other is in mid to late July when you can cut individual shoots of perennials by about a third of their height. Both are reckoned to prolong the flowering period and promote later strong growth. If you prune about half the shoots on any plant just now – a phlox or helenium for example - it will give you a display of flowers now and the rest will come into bloom as the first ones go over.
We’re well into the holiday season and keeping houseplants happy if you haven’t got a house sitter means more direct action. If you’re just going for a short break, you can cover individual plants with a plastic bag which will create moisture and keep it watered – don’t let the bag touch the plant though. For longer periods, move your plants from sunny spots such as windowsills and if possible, use a bit of capillary matting to create a reservoir to water the plants. You need a water container, insert a strip of the matting into the plant soil and the other into the reservoir container and it will draw down water as needed. And if you have enough strips, you can water any number of plants through this method.
If you like to use lavender to sweeten your home, cut it when it is a newly opened flower – the smell is particularly strong and hang in a cool dark place for it to dry out.
Pick your sweet peas every day – they have a lovely scent, but importantly they will stop flowering if they go to seed. This can happen quite quickly, so keep checking every day.
The spring and summer of 2024 will not go down as a great period for many of our butterflies. Often cool and generally wet, this has not been good weather for most butterfly species. Nevertheless, across the Peak District and surrounding areas, are some butterfly hotspots, but you may have to seek them out. Wherever there are grasslands, (i.e., meadows and pastures), rich in wildflowers and in sunny locations, then there are opportunities. If soil is dry and low in nutrients then it is likely to favour yellowflowered Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil, one of the pea family, and the foodplant for the Common Blue Butterfly. Incidentally, the orange-coloured trefoil flowers are associated with the plant’s defence mechanism called cyanogenesis. Producing a bitter taste and releasing toxic hydrogen cyanide and glucosides when insects cause damage, which discourages generalist herbivores. However, grassy areas favour butterflies including moth-like skippers whose caterpillars feed on grasses, and day-flying moths like Burnets feeding on trefoils and other legumes. Habitats for these and other grassland butterflies are found on Peak District limestone pastures, moorland-fringe areas, or old meadows like the National Trust estate at Longshaw, close to the Grouse Inn. Surprisingly perhaps, some of the best sites for these pretty insects are along roadside verges, effectively wildflower-rich, linear nature reserves throughout the region. Rich wildflower areas provide foodplants for larvae and sources of nectar for adults too. So, during the summertime months these are wonderful places to see a diversity of colourful species. As I hinted earlier, this has not been a good year for many species of butterflies in gardens or woodland edge perhaps,
apart from the now ubiquitous Speckled Wood. The Holly Blue, sometimes abundant in spring has been noticeably absent, but its grassland cousin the Common Blue seems to have done pretty well, such are the vagaries of butterfly watching!
It is always good to see butterflies especially when they are relatively abundant and can easily be spotted on a daily walk around your patch or else in your garden. However, there is rather more to butterfly watching than meets the eye. Research at the University of Derby has shown how spotting butterflies really is good for you and helps improve both health and your sense of wellbeing.
Researchers working with the Butterfly Conservation Society found that as little as fifteen minutes of butterfly watching whilst counting butterflies for a survey, reduced stress levels by around 10%. They also discovered that even activities like a short time observing and counting butterflies, enhanced the participants’ feelings of being connected to nature. These observations are similar to those for other wildlife groups such as birds and really emphasise that nature and a good, rich environment bring many benefits. Furthermore, people’s positive feelings led to an increased desire to support the conservation of these species and to be actively engaged. This might for example, include being a member of a Wildlife Trust or other conservation group, helping create a wildlife space in your local area, or perhaps making your garden a butterfly-friendly place. So, all in all, it is great to have butterflies around, and enjoying the experience will encourage you to take positive eco-action too!
