From the Editor
*Windrustling,creepycrawliesscattering,owlshootingandghosts howling*#settingthescene
“Hello Boils and Ghouls, I’m glad you could make it to my crypt party!” (a directreferenceforanyonewhousedtowatch‘TalesfromtheCrypt’).
WeareofficiallyintotheseasonofPumpkinSpicedLatteandcindertoffee –hurrah!
Firstthingsfirst,Ihopeyouloveourfrontcoversasmuchaswedo!We’ve gonewithahorrorcomictheme.OurdesignerLisahadsomuchfuncreating these, and we think we’ve bossed the Halloween brief this year! If you wanttoreadmoreabouthorrorcomicsLauraBillinghamhaspennedagreat articleinside.
At the time of print I’ve only had a few minor disasters this month, such asthesolesofmyshoescomingoffmidwaythroughthedogwalkandmy tardiness shaming me again as we ran through the lobby of a black-tie event we were attending, in jeans and t-shirts, passing everyone in their penguinsuitsandelegantdresses–standard!We’vestillgotthewedding oftheyeartoattendasyetbutI’mconfidentthatwillbeasmoothsailing eventforallinvolved………………….
With the clocks going back this month (27th October in case you haven’t clockedityet!),IthinkwecanofficiallymentiontheChrimboword.We’re already working on our end of year editions, so if you need to publicise anythingorboostyoursales,giveusashout.Iknowthatsomeoftheteam at Voice Magazines have already started talking to Santa and got their giftshoppingunderway…..obviouslynotme….that’sreservedlargelyforthe 20th December. If you’re already thinking ahead then why not enter our ChristmasGiftFairticketscompetition.Seeinsideformoredetails.
Anyhoo, have a spooky October and in the words of the Crypt…. “Just a cheery Crypt Day wish to let you know we’re trusting. But each and every passingyearwillmakeyoumoredisgusting.”
Scaryreadingeverybody, Emily x
CAN A COMIC BE SCARY?
such as Thrilling Crime and Crime Does Not Pay”. (Looks like I was right then…)
As we approach the creepiest time of the year – aka Halloween – the topic of “horror comics” arose at Voice HQ.
Now I will admit to being totally in the dark (get it?) about such scary mags, but I agreed to delve deeply into the wonders of online search engines to see what I could uncover about these spine-chilling missives.
First of all I input “horror comics” into the search bar…
This is what I was presented with, “A horror comic is a comic book, graphic novel, or manga that focuses on horror fiction. Horror comics have been around since the 1940s, when they began to emerge from crime comics that included supernatural and macabre elements.”
So far so good…except I am absolutely sure they were around before the 1940s – “penny dreadfuls” springs to mind, and they were around in the 19th century. Penny dreadfuls were stories published in weekly parts of 8 to 16 pages, each costing one penny. The stories were sensational, focusing on the exploits of detectives, criminals, and supernatural entities.
The description of a penny dreadful is so similar to that of a horror comic that I was left with the impression that the former was a particularly British publication, whilst the latter, although touching on the same subject matters, was more widespread and originated in the USA. I will stand corrected if I have misinterpreted this!
I’ve digressed (as per usual) – back to “horror comics”.
My friend Google says, “horror comics have their roots in American crime comics
The first dedicated horror comic books appear to be Gilberton Publications’ Classic Comics (August 1943), with its full-length adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
In January 1947, Avon Publications’ anthology Eerie No.1 became the first horror comic with original content.
We Brits appear to have been rather anti these American horror comics, with panicked headlines in the press such as “Now Ban This Filth That Poisons Our Children,” “Drive Out the Horror Comics.” In fact, in 1955 the (Children and Young Persons) Harmful Publications Act came into force which forbade the importation or publication of horror comics in the UK that were likely to fall into the hands of children.
Perhaps it was the use of the word “comic” in these publications which discombobulated the great and the good in the UK. After all, to us, comics are something children read, and the contents of horror comics were (are) definitely not child friendly!
There were British horror comics, and one, “Misty”, first published in 1978 and aimed at young women, has just had a reboot with an all-new 48 page anthology special published in July.
As someone who has never been a fan of comics, the lure of horror ones passed me by and I can say with certainty that I’ll be passing on any reboots!
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.
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AMBER VALLEY RUGBY CLUB
MEN AND WOMEN MEMORIAL DAY
On 31st August, Amber Valley RUFC held a special day of Rugby and Remembrance, honouring the club’s history and its cherished members. Over 35 players from six clubs came together, showing the strength of community and rugby values passed down through generations.
Valley Ladies Rugby started by playing Derby RUFC in memory of Alison Axelson. Following that, the men’s team took on the Derbyshire Barbarians in tribute to the late Bob Whitfield, whose connections with teams across the region were fondly remembered. Coach Stuart Artliff came on to play for the Barbarians, leading to some lighthearted banter in the clubhouse later! The day was a true celebration of unity, with familiar and new faces supporting the teams. Men’s Team - Contact Stuart at 07966 867 946. Women’s Team - Contact Gareth at 07595 520 537.
MINIS & JUNIORS ‘TRY RUGBY’ DAY A SUCCESS
The Minis & Juniors ‘Try Rugby’ day was a fantastic success, bringing excitement and plenty of new and returning faces. There was lots of energy and positivity as young players, supported by volunteers from the Ladies team and senior men’s members, took to the field.
The event demonstrated that Amber Valley is more than a club with separate sections -it’s a family. Everyone came together to make the day unforgettable, proving that the spirit of rugby runs deep at Amber Valley, across all ages.
For those interested in joining, call 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
Photographs by Richard Black Photography & Shaun Parkes Photography
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Food & Retail
Slimming World Recipe
Chunky Chorizo & Sweet Potato Soup
1. Tip the chorizo into a large non-stick saucepan, put it over a medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, or until the chorizo releases its wonderful red oil. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the onion, garlic, paprika and thyme to the pan and fry in the chorizo oil for 5 minutes or until the onion begins to soften.
So, October means Autumn has properly arrived, and it really is the season of the senses. So why not tickle those tastebuds with this warming, yummy soup?
3. Pour in the stock and stir in the sweet potatoes, passata and beans. Bring to the boil over a high heat then cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
4. Season to taste, reunite the chorizo with the soup and heat through gently. Scatter over the parsley and thyme sprigs to serve.
• 40g chorizo, diced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ tsp smoked paprika (sweet or hot, whichever floats your boat)
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs to serve
• 600ml hot vegetable stock
• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 600g passata
• 400g can mixed beans, drained and rinsed
• Chopped fresh parsley, to serve
Immerse yourself in a beautiful setting. Set in the rural beauty of Darley Dale, on the edge of the Peak District National Park, The Orangery restaurant is a superb location for you to enjoy seasonal food in a quiet, luxurious setting.
COACH TOUR HOLIDAYS
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Smiths Hotel
Mon 25th - Fri 29th Nov
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EASTBOURNE TINSEL & TURKEY
Haddon Hall Hotel
Mon 25th - Fri 29th Nov 5 Days - £399
BRIDLINGTON TINSEL & TURKEY
Monarch Hotel Fri 29th Nov - Mon 2nd Dec 4 Days - £275
MORECAMBE - MISTLETOE & WINE
Auckland Hotel Fri 13th - Tue 17th Dec 5 days - £325
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All Around the Shire
THE IMPORTANCE OF GRAVY
We have several sizes of OXO tin in our collection, all instantly recognisable with the red colour and simple lettering.
This iconic product has been with us since the beginning of Victorian times. In 1840, the liquid form of meat juices was developed as a protein substitute. The OXO trademark was instituted in 1899 and by 1910, affordable solid beef extract cubes were introduced for a penny.
In our house, we always used meat juices, cabbage water and an oxo cube to make gravy, thickened with a bit of flour. Needless to say, the consistency was a bit hit and miss.
We all grew up with the characters from the adverts. In the case of OXO, it was the “Life with Katie” and the “OXO family”.
Bisto, the manufacturers of meat flavoured gravy powder, had “The Bisto Kids”. They were two children sniffing an aroma from a meat pie and sighing “Ahhh, Bisto”.
Many of us enjoy a hot drink of Oxo on a cold day but some of the more unusual uses areOxo to be given to children in warm milk as a healthy, nutritious drink or to aid sleep at bedtime. How about mixing OXO with butter and spread on crackers as an appetiser?
For many people, gravy is about family, tradition and continuity. Long live gravy!
Janet and Paul Barrass are All Around the Shire. Find us on or email: oldfield512@btinternet.com for more information. Janet
Flake’ s Favourites
Re-walking Rafa’s Rambles
Flake is back! A small grass seed kept him out of commission last month but nothing could have held him back this month and it’s fair to say we all loved this walk.
This walk makes excellent use of the Five Pits Trail and Pheonix Greenways around Holmewood. The walk begins at the Timber lane carpark and then heads north along the Five Pits Trail. The walk circles around Holmewood, through picturesque countryside before passing through the pretty Heath Village and heading back along the Five Pits Trail to the start.
6 MILE CIRCULAR WALK FROM TIMBER LANE CAR PARK, NEAR ASTWITH.
A longer but fairly gentle walk for you and your dog. The route should take around 3 hours. There is a small stretch of road so please take care, especially with your dog. The terrain is generally very good but there are fields and undulating paths, so a good pair of boots are always advised. Be careful with dogs around fishing ponds and as always please follow the countryside code.
START: 6 MILE CIRCULAR FROM TIMBER LANE CAR PARK, NEAR ASTWITH. S45 8AL (JUST OFF THE B6039 TIBSHELF TO CHESTERFIELD ROAD)
1. After parking the car walk back towards the car park entrance and bear left to pass a sign for ‘Five Pits Trial Pheonix Greenways’. Pass through a wooden gate and after a short distance at a signposted crossroads of footpaths, turn left into a field.
2. Keeping the hedge on your left continue straight ahead to the far side of the field. At a gap in the hedgerows continue straight ahead, keeping to the left of a hedgerow directly in front of you. Continue with this hedgerow on your right until reaching a gate.
3. Pass through the gate, turn right and continue with a fence on your right. Pass through another wooden gate and continue straight with a hedge on your right. Pass through a wooden gate, over a footbridge and continue straight to cross the middle of an open field. At the far side pass over a stile and turn left back onto the Five Pits Trail.
4. Continue ahead, ignoring any gates and following the path round to the left, then right to reach a road. Go straight across and continue along the trail. Continue and pass over a crossroads of footpaths before passing a large pond on your right *NOTE: NO DOGS ALLOWED IN THE WATER. Immediately after the pond turn right at a T-junction and continue until you pass underneath a road.
5. Continue until the trail splits left and right, take the right split signposted for ‘Williamthorpe’.
6. After some distance pass a large pond off to the right. The trail then descends steeply to cross over a bridge and then begins to climb steeply. Cross over a crossroads of trails and follow the sign for ‘Holmewood’ and ‘Five Pits Trail’.
7. At another crossroads of trails turn left, signposted for ‘Grassmoor’. Follow the trail to a road, cross over this road and continue straight ahead keeping the hedge on your right to cross the field.
8. Pass through a gap and continue straight ahead with the hedge on your right. Pass through another gap and continue straight ahead to the far side of this field. At the far side, bear left to
continue along the edge of the field and then pass over a stile on your right. Continue straight ahead passing by a wooden gate and onto a road.
9. Turn right along the road. After a short distance the road bends sharp right. Continue to follow the road and onto a T-junction. Turn right along the main road and keep to the right-hand side footpath. Before reaching a petrol station look left for a bridlepath, signposted for ‘Holmewood’ and ‘Five Pits Trail’. Cross to take the bridlepath.
10. Continue straight ahead for a short distance and then bear right to continue along the bridlepath. After some distance ignore the footpath to the left signposted for ‘Stainsby’ and continue to a crossroad of footpaths. Turn right onto a footpath signposted for the ‘Five Pits Trail’.
11. Continue straight ahead for some distance, keeping a metal fence on your right. When reaching a footpath on your left that has a wooden chicane, turn left to pass through the chicane and pass over a crossroads of footpaths. Continue straight ahead until you reach another wooden chicane.
12. At this point ignore the footpath signposted for ‘Stainsby’ to your left and continue straight ahead to pass through the chicane and back onto the Five Pits Trail.
13. Continue straight ahead until reaching a road. Cross the road diagonally left and continue along the trail. Continue straight ahead until you reach a fork in the trail. Bear left and continue until you reach the start/finish.
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.
TRUE TALES OF HALLOWEEN “GONE WRONG”
If you’ve read my October articles before, you will know that I’m not a huge fan of the Americanisation of Halloween!
But I have managed to find some silly (and allegedly true) events that have happened around the UK at Halloween.
Read on…
The Terrifying Tiger of Kent
Imagine this: it’s Halloween night in 2011, and residents in Sturry, Kent, spot what appears to be a tiger roaming through a field. The police are called, and a full-scale operation is launched. Armed officers, a helicopter, and even a vet equipped with tranquilliser darts are dispatched to capture the big cat. The entire village is on edge, windows bolted, and kids are pulled off the streets. After a tense standoff, the officers inch closer to the “tiger,” only to discover that it’s… a life-sized stuffed toy. Someone had put the soft toy in the field as a joke, and it had fooled everyone.
The Phantom Plumber of Manchester
In 2017, Halloween got a little too spooky for one Manchester family when they started hearing strange noises in their bathroom. Convinced their house was haunted, they called in a plumber to check out the pipes. After some head-scratching and spooky silence, the plumber discovered the source of the mysterious noises: a family of squirrels had made their home in the attic, and their scurrying was echoing down through the plumbing. The plumber removed the squirrels, and the family was left with a funny story rather than a ghostly tale.
The Halloween Goose Chase in Devon
In the peaceful town of Tavistock, Halloween 2019 was anything but quiet when a group of teenagers played a prank. They dressed up as zombies and chased people through the local park, giving everyone a fright. It backfired when a group of middle-aged women on a power walk saw the “zombies” and assumed it was a real-life apocalypse. They sprinted back to town, alerting everyone they met along the way. The police were called to investigate the “zombie attack,” only to find a bunch of teenagers in makeup, doubled over in laughter. No one was harmed—except for a few egos—but the town certainly got its fair share of Halloween excitement.
The Spooky CCTV Scare in London
In 2015, a London homeowner got the fright of his life when he checked his CCTV footage on Halloween morning. The camera, which was set up to monitor his driveway, had captured what appeared to be a ghostly figure hovering near his car in the dead of night. After posting the footage online and spooking half the internet, the mystery was finally solved when a neighbour confessed to the “ghostly apparition.” It turned out to be nothing more than his daughter’s white bedsheet, which had blown off the washing line in the wind and drifted past the camera at just the right moment! So, there you have it – Halloween can be funny as well as spooky!
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.
Ripley & District Heritage Trust
OCTOBER 2024
BRITTAIN’S ALMANAC
George Casswell Brittain, the son of a Lincolnshire farmer, was apprenticed to a printer in Spalding. In 1874, newly married at the age of 22, he moved to Ripley to set himself up in business.
Ripley must have seemed a boom town then, with growing prosperity and opportunities. He bought an existing printing business near the top of Chapel Street; by 1881 he could expand: he bought and demolished a thatched cottage built in 1675 (the dated lintel is still in the Town Hall) and built a new shop.
In 1899 he started to publish the Ripley and Heanor News and the business expanded down Chapel Street, becoming a major force in the town that lasted until the 1980s. The firm expanded to have branches in Eastwood, Belper and Derby.
From very early on and for at least the next 60 years, Brittain’s printed and published an almanac: an
annual reference work which did the job of a search engine today. Priced 2 pence, it had 64 pages, about a third of which were adverts for local shops and businesses. It listed places of worship, schools, council officials, magistrates and, all important then, postal times and rates.
It had articles on local history, a “Page for Mothers”, gardening notes and a few short anecdotes with pictures. There was a diary
for the coming year, with details of phases of the moon, sunrise and sunset, notable dates in history, festivals and holidays as well as 6 pages of blank diary, with space to write a line for each day.
It was designed to be kept in the house and used for the whole year. In an era when most houses in the town had no electricity or telephone, it was a vital way of keeping track of household events.
1889 Masonic Lodge photo
Ad for the Midland Hotel
The printing works in 1918
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Guess the words and Fill in the crossword !
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.
Across
8 Sacked Moray City’s manager (5)
9 As a result of a layer of the Church (5)
10 Somewhere below a revolting person (5)
12 Some characters will have nothing to do with an elk (5)
Down
2 Fish around while re-supplying liners forsailing away (5)
3 Gas supplied for extension that’s an off-site build (5)
11 Bulge is slightly dented at Little Horn (5)
13 Seoul confused about the flyer (5)
Across 1 Ox is a blessing in disguise for old train features (6,5)
Chooses power, but victimises (5,2)
Spectacular sort of drinks containers? (7)
It used to make driving a bit flat! (5,6)
Are they boggy, seasonally? (4,7)
To reek, per se, makes shopping his business! (11)
Dispersed or local, it’s a circle of flowers (7)
Plans to play me at chess (7)
Ankle,
Blind,
BOOK REVIEW
If you think the shenanigans, plotting and crisis of the last few years in politics is something new, a swift look at history shows the exact opposite.
Jesse Norman’s novel The Winding Stair takes us back to the time when Queen Elizabeth 1 was coming to the end of her power, with James waiting in the wings to become King. And as with all periods of uncertainty the bid for influence and position becomes frenetic.
At the heart of the story are rivals Sir Francis Bacon, the greatest scholar of his time and
Edward Coke, said to be the finest lawyer of the period. This is no dusty history book. The research is good, and the book has been compared to Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall series; it’s a clever and gripping political thriller which manages to be entertaining and touches on interesting ideas like the divine right of the monarchy to power. Maybe some things never change…
If you like complex and engrossing historical fiction, it’s well worth a punt.
Ornamental Engineering
Top Tip:
Plants such as Buddleia and anything else which you would generally prune back hard in spring can be cut back by about half to stop them being affected by wind rock from winter gales which can weaken plants. Hedges can be trimmed now to neaten their shape and climbing and rambling roses should also be taken back and stems tied in to protect the bush before winter.
Old flower stems on perennials can be cut as low as you can to the ground, but those which have seedheads such as honesty or thistles can be left to provide a bit of shape to the garden at what can be a pretty bleak time.
If you’re in a cold area lift your dahlia and begonia tubers and stripping back dead foliage, store them in a cool dry place over winter. When moving tender plants into a greenhouse or conservatory don’t be tempted to stack too many together – that way lies disease. They need plenty of ventilation around them.
Give the lawn a last mow before winter and aerate with a garden fork to avoid it getting waterlogged and frozen hard over winter. If there is still some warmth around you can scatter lawn seed where you have aerated and water it in to thicken up any bare patches. Most spring bulbs should be in now, but you can wait till next month for tulips, thus avoiding tulip fire which they can be prone to if planted too early.
If you have used compost from the top three or four inches of pots which you’re clearing out after summer, use it as a mulch on beds.
STARLINGS ARE FLOCKING IN THE PEAK DISTRICT
Throughout the summertime, family parties of starling have been visiting garden feeders and then grouping into larger flocks to visit the moors and bogs of the Peak. From a situation where their numbers were dropping rather sharply a few years back, it seems that these birds are now doing rather well. Certainly, the local breeding birds are thriving, and as we move into the autumn they are joined by large numbers of migrant birds from continental Europe, and the flocks grow in size. Depending on the weather both here and elsewhere, by the later autumn and into winter, there may be a build-up into the famous ‘murmurations’ where in the late afternoon, sometimes millions of birds gather. The lagoons above Stony Middleton are one of the best sites to check out as the birds come in as smaller flocks from every direction.
So, we have both local-bred birds and those from elsewhere in Britain and also from northern Europe. One of the things that does cause confusion is the dramatic differences in plumage between the dark but multi-coloured adult starlings and their juveniles. The latter have distinctive pale grey heads, necks, and mantles, and they are so different that people assume it is another species altogether. Of course, the reason for the differences is that the youngsters are still learning the ropes in terms of how to survive in the wider world, and the other birds need to recognise them as juveniles, still semi-dependent, and not fully fledged adult birds. Soon however, these babies will morph gently into adulthood and moult into their grown-up plumage.
The same processes happen with other birds though not always so dramatically. My garden robins have included juveniles which lack the red breast and sport speckled markings which are rather thrush-like in their appearance. Of course, if the youngsters had bright red breast they would trigger, not the parental response to provide food, but sheer aggression against a perceived rival. Even a small, red ball in the garden can have the same result! Many young birds have a pronounced yellow marking around the base of the bill and called a ‘gape’ which produces an uncontrollable urge by an adult to stick food into it. Herring gulls go a step further where the adult has a red spot on the beak, and this triggers a response from the youngster to peck at it. In reaction to this action, the adult bird regurgitates a tasty meal of warm, part-digested fish or something similar. All this just goes to show how important these differences in markings and behaviour are to bird survival. The wrong markings or plumage will lead to a confused or possibly damaging outcome.
The changes in plumage and markings from juvenile to adult may happen over a number of years for longlived, larger birds like common buzzards and eagles for instance, especially those where the juvenile has much to learn. For these species survival is a craft to be carefully learnt, and success is breeding somewhere down the line. For smaller birds however, they are short-lived, and the changes occur quickly during the first year as juveniles morph into full adults. By next season, so long as they survive the winter, then they will be the new parents and there will be a fresh generation of youngsters
ADULT STARLING
JUVENILE STARLING
