GOODWINS
KITCHENS, BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM GOODWINS
DESIGN, SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF KITCHENS, BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS
BASED IN WIRKSWORTH, GOODWINS ARE A TEAM OF KITCHEN, BEDROOM AND BATHROOM CONTRACTORS THAT MANAGE YOUR PROJECT FROM START TO FINISH. GET IN TOUCH TODAY.
OUR VALUES
• WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN WHAT WE OFFER AT GOODWINS, AS WE’RE ABLE TO HELP YOU CUSTOMISE YOUR HOME EXACTLY HOW YOU WANT IT.
• WE’LL ALWAYS TAKE THE NECESSARY TIME TO TRULY UNDERSTAND YOUR VISION TO ENSURE THAT WE’RE OFFERING YOU EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE AT ALL TIMES.
• USING THE LATEST 3D DESIGN SOFTWARE, WE’RE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH BESPOKE PLANS THAT GIVE AN ACCURATE IMPRESSION OF HOW YOUR ROOM WILL LOOK.
• MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE’LL ALSO PUT FORWARD MULTIPLE OPTIONS AND IDEAS TO HELP YOU DECIDE ON A FINAL LOOK.
SATURDAY : 09:00 - 16:00 SUNDAY - MONDAY : CLOSED OPENING TIMES
TUESDAY -FRIDAY : 09:00 - 17:00
From the Editor
CanIhaveahorse,aMrFrostyIceDrinksMakerandamassiveboxofToffifee…hangonthat wasmyletterwhenIwas8!!ThisyearSantaIwouldloveitifyoucouldmakesureeveryone enjoysoursuper-duper,mega,fullyChristmas,Christmassyedition!!!Thisyearwe’vegoneall out, we wanted to embrace a slightly different direction from our features of previous years and really just celebrate with our readers, spread the ‘Shop Local’ message and make sure thatwewaved2024offwithallthetinselandglitterwecouldfind!!
So, to make sure we make it onto your ‘good’ boys and girls list, we’re giving away some fantabulous prizes via a couple of fun competitions, and they really do need to be won!!! We really hope everyone enjoys doing them as we put in lots of work and laughs into our little Christmas Movie skit, featuring the whole team (Sarah, Liam, Myself, David, Michelle, Lisa, Jay, Flake and Roger)! So Santa, can you make sure that everyone enters, it’s in the centre pagesofthemagazineandcanyouremindthemall,“you’vegottobeinittowinit!”
On a personal note Santa, it’s fair to say that Myself, Liam and the rest of the team haven’t hadtheeasiestyearthroughout2024,foranabsolutemultitudeofreasonsanddespitethere beingsomeverydifficulttimes,we’veworkedtogetherandgotthroughbecause,asI’msure you’llagree,badtimesdon’tlast!Iknowwearen’taloneinfeelinglikethisthroughout2024, we’ve had so many of our advertisers as well who have enjoyed better times previously and thisreallyhighlightedtoustheimportanceofgivingsomethingback.Afewofourwonderful advertisers have joined in with us, of their own volition, and offered some fantastic prizes to be won as well. So, please can you remind our readers to shop local, it won’t matter to Jeff Bezos if they buy another gift from Amazon but it will really matter to their neighbour who runsthelocalmagazine/shop/plumbingservice/electricalcompanyetc.
Finally Santa, I would like to truly wish everyone and their loved ones a wonderful festive periodfromallofusatVoiceMagazines.Andwewouldliketothankthemallfortheirsupport overthepastyear.We’llbebackin2025withashinynewlooktokeepshowcasingthebest, reliablebusinessesandgreatcommunitycontent.
MerryChristmasSanta(andeveryone),
PS:Don’tforgettomentionthe‘Voice’whenyouuseanyofthecompaniesinthismagazine
THE JOY OF WRAPPING!
It’s nearly Christmas, that special time of year to show loved ones how much they mean to you—by spending hours wrestling with cheap wrapping paper that tears if you so much as look at it.
If you enjoy a little arm workout with your gift-wrapping, flimsy wrapping paper is for you. Picture it: you carefully cut a piece, wrap it around your present, only to discover it’s torn on the corner. So, you try again, re-wrap, add more tape, and just when you think you’re done—it rips again. It’s as if this paper was designed by someone who enjoys frustrating people.
And this thin paper doesn’t just rip either; it rejects tape, too. It’s as if it’s saying, “You really thought I’d stick to that?” By the time you’ve mummified your present in enough tape to make it structurally sound, you’ve likely used up any money you saved buying the cheap stuff, plus lost a few hours of wrapping time. And then, to add insult to injury, as you move it under the tree, you stick your finger straight through one of the few areas you haven’t smothered in sticky tape.
Cheap wrapping paper is a bit like that one flashy friend — you know the one—looks great from a distance, but up close, the, errrm, flaws, are revealed. It may be glittery, shiny, and gorgeous in the shop, but the moment you roll it out, the illusion shatters. You might as well be wrapping with a festive paper napkin.
Dropping the humour for a minute, many of us are trying to be a bit more eco-friendly these days, so it’s worth noting that thin wrapping paper and sustainability are not exactly best friends. While you’re trying to use minimal paper, you will end up needing more of it just to get the job done! Plus, if it has glitter or shiny coatings, it’s headed straight for the landfill, as it is not recyclable.
Cheap wrapping paper might save a few quid up front, but by the end, you’ll probably find yourself asking, “Was it worth it?” Quality paper, on the other hand, sticks to tape, doesn’t rip every five seconds, and makes wrapping easier. Not that there is any guarantee you won’t manage to poke a hole in it as you pile the presents under the Christmas tree.
Beautifully wrapped presents under the tree are the stuff of magazine photo shoots and “influencer” videos. At the end of the day, the recipients, particularly children, are far more interested in what the wrapping paper is concealing—not how aesthetically pleasing the bow and ribbon is, or how well the colour of the paper matches the room décor.
So, spend less time on prettifying those gifts. After all, the paper is only going to be ripped off and screwed into a ball (unless you are really, really, good at carefully flattening out used gift wrap!). But perhaps for your own sanity, give the flimsy wrapping paper a miss?
Happy New year
Froggatt Edge Garage
Part of an independent group of family run garages, we offer a full range of services at highly competitive prices.
Fully guaranteed servicing, repairs and diagnostics on all vehicle makes and models by professional, continuously trained and friendly mechanics.
MOT testing - all cars, Class 7 vans and campervans
Main dealer level support which does not affect a vehicles warranty – all at local garage prices
Free advice on all aspects of motoring Tyres supplied and fitted
Make sure your Sleigh is ready for Christmas call in and have your free tyre check
Froggatt Edge Garage, Grindleford Road, Calver Sough, Hope Valley, S32 3XH
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Sunday 22nd December, 10:30am - Carols Lady Manners 6th Form, Shutts Lane
We are a growing rural church for the people of Bakewell and the towns, villages, farms and hamlets that make up and surround the Peak District National Park. Whoever you are (and we really do love to welcome people on holiday), you should experience the warmest of welcomes to any of our regular 10:30am Sunday services. We gather each Sunday at Lady Manners School in Bakewell.
We are meeting in the Medway Centre, Bakewell on Sunday 29th December and then back at the Lady Manners on Sunday 5th January 2025.
Hope Explored Course
Tuesday 7th, 14th & 21st January, 7:30-9.00pm
Ashlea, Wydale Drive, Bakewell
Jesus is the very centre of the lives of countless millions all around the planet, and right here in The Peak District - in our villages and market towns. You don’t need to look far to find someone whose life has been transformed from despair to hope through God’s love shown in Jesus. FREE explore@peaktrinity.org Text: 07500 907 080
For God so loved in the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
or email on community@voicemagazines.co.uk
“After looking around for a floor fitter for the kitchen and utility area in our old house we came across this company. While others were all about the problems, T.Nutt were really positive and professional. Great range of products across the whole design and price range. We got great advice on suitability, preparation and fitting. Nothing was too much trouble. The fitting service was excellent, from the laying of the screed to level the old floor to the tidying after. The fitters were prompt, professional and really considerate. The finished room is superb. Highly recommend this company. .”
Customer in Derbyshire Posted on 21/09/2024 , work completed 19/09/2024
Voice Magazines were delighted to be invited to an Afternoon Tea treat at The Orangery at St Elphins Park this month. Many of us had experienced ‘The Orangery’ so we knew that we had a treat in store for us.
As is always the case with this truly superb restaurant, set in picturesque surroundings, the team were incredibly attentive and never missed a beat. Firstly, we were offered a selection of 10 teas to take with our Afternoon Tea, presented quirkily in test tubes. Once the teas had been chosen, a fresh pot for each person was brought out along with our food. With delicious finger sandwiches of, Ham and Tomato, Mature Cheddar and Pickle, Egg Mayonnaise and Salmon and Cream Cheese, homemade scones (fruit and plain) and a selection of delicious homemade cakes. There was ample food and if you can’t manage it all (unlike us), there is an option for a doggy bag for later!!
Whether for a special occasion or a relaxing afternoon, Audley Villages provides a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable experience. We certainly found that there is more than meets the eye with Audley Villages. Whilst it does offer luxury retirement living, there are many facilities open to members of the public, as we found out. Of course,
we already knew about the restaurant but there is also a gym/beautician/swimming pool and much more. In addition to this, we also discovered that the team at Audley Villages can offer a venue for low key special occasions and set in those beautiful grounds with sensational food at your fingertips, why wouldn’t you consider this location as a celebration destination?! Contact them today to find out more. Thanks again for having us Team Audley, we can all say that we had the best time and we will be back! Don’t take our word for it though, you can WIN an Afternoon Tea Experience for yourself, enter our competition on the back page of the central Christmas pull out.
Offering the perfect space for private events, gatherings, and unforgettable celebrations.
TODAY 01629 258 434
Merry Christmas Everyone!
We wanted to spread a bit of extra Christmas cheer this year, so we have produced this special pull out, filled with Christmas fun, including recipes, events, puzzles, competitions and some very special prizes to be won!
The sharp eyed amongst you may notice some unusual characters dotted around… these are our special Christmas cartoon characters and more will be explained over the page. These are just part of the fun we had putting this special feature together and we hope you have as much fun too!
SHOP LOCAL THIS CHRISTMAS
Although this Christmas special is advert free it doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten the importance of supporting local businesses… and neither should you.
If you make a special effort to buy some of your gifts, or stock up on Xmas supplies from local shops instead of online or from big chain stores it can do wonders for the local community. That money goes straight to local people and families, who in turn will spend a proportion of that money again in the local community and that cycle goes around again and again and again!
And as everybody who shops local already knows, local business are always the best, giving you better service and better products at better prices. So, let’s all do something good this Christmas and shop local!
Jack and the Beanstalk
Fri 6 Dec 2024 –Wed 1 Jan 2025 BUXTON OPERA HOUSE
Brought to you by the incredible team behind Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, join Jack and a talented cast for another year of festive fun, For more information or call our Box Office team to book 01298 72190
Mercatum Artisan Christmas Market
HADDON HALL
WED 27TH NOV – SUN 1ST DEC
WED 4TH – SUN 8TH DEC
WED 11TH – SUN 15TH DEC
VISIT HADDONHALL.CO.UK FOR MORE INFO AND TO BOOK.
CHATSWORTH ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS HAMPER LTD
Competition Competition GUESS THE MOVIE GUESS THE MOVIE
We’ve created a showreel of our favourite Christmas movies, starring cartoon characters of the team here at VOICE HQ. We’ve put ourselves in iconic images from nine famous films. CAN YOU GUESS THE MOVIES?
*Down
You can play for fun or you can enter the prize draw for a chance to win one of the fabulous prizes on the Christmas Tree, including our star prize, A LUXURIOUS CHATSWORTH HOUSE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS HAMPER! Here’s a clue… Home Alone doesn’t feature twice.
To enter the prize draw, simply send your 9 movie names via email to community@ voicemagazines.co.uk with the subject line: ‘Christmas Competition’. Please provide your full name, address and telephone number, so all winners can be notified. Closing date: Friday 13th December 2024. Competition winners will need to collect their prizes from the Voice Magazines office at 81 High Street, South Normanton, Derbyshire, DE55 2BP between Monday 16th – Friday 20th December.
CHRISTMAS OREO (BAU)BALLS
Shareyour(bau)balls withus!! Wewouldlovetoseethem!
Get ready to make some super tasty Christmas Oreo cookie balls that are as fun to decorate as they are to eat! With just a few simple ingredients and loads of toppings, you’ll be whipping up a treat everyone will love!
What You’ll Need:
28 OREO COOKIES – regular ones
150G CREAM CHEESE – full-fat and soft (room temperature)
200G MELTING CHOCOLATE – white or dark chocolate.
TOPPINGS – coconut, crushed nuts, cookies, sprinkles.
Let’s Get Started!
Prepare Baking Sheets: Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
Crush Cookies: Crush Oreos into fine crumbs using a food processor (or put them in a bag and smash them with a rolling pin!).
Add Cream Cheese: Mix the softened cream cheese with the crumbs until it forms a dough-like ball.
Roll Into Balls: Scoop out 1-inch portions and roll into balls; place
on the baking sheet.
Chill the Balls: Pop the tray in the fridge for 1 hour to let them firm up.
Melt Chocolate: Melt the chocolate in the microwave or on the stove until smooth.
Dip & Decorate: Dip each ball in chocolate, then decorate with your favourite toppings, like sprinkles, crushed cookies, or you can roll them in coconuts or crushed nuts.
FIND FLAKE Win
FIND FLAKE
Where has Flakey gone? The team at Voice Mags have lost Flake amongst a pile of presents. Can you help us find him?
To enter the draw for the Afternoon Cream Tea circle where you think Flake is on the picture and send it back to us as a picture via email, to community@voicemagazines. co.uk by Thursday 19th December 2024 with the subject: Afternoon Tea Competition.
Tea
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
1 Pup, muddling its way to a Crimble treat! (4,7)
5 Non-brew recipe is for the seasonal king (7)
14 Sheared off sticks, but not stones (7)
16 Truckers can be prepared for getting colonels, say (11)
Down
Across
9 Drink, about to be brewed for leader Douglas-Home (4)
10 Only fair? (4)
11 Bigwig looking in Inuit quarters (5)
12 Tighten a nut for a relative who’s a great one (4)
13 Practiced finally for the state of the Christmas cake (4)
Down
2 Tea store removed from the backburner (3)
3 Fell-running, ending up back in the pub? (3)
7 Direct approach, in order to wish away the wheelie bins (7)
14 Cunning way to express oneself! (3)
1 Christmas dinner requisite presented on an iron parapet (11)
4 Adding gilts to your equity plan is Carol’s good news (4,7)
6 Fired up by deceit that’s a little dodgy! (7)
8 Wild trajectories start off with what to do this season (7)
Down: 1 Buddleia, 2 Caps, 3 Ache, 4 Dress sense, 5 Going to sea, 8 Plaza, 9 Radiator, 14 Drew, 15 Held.
Across: 1 Back-dated, 5 Gnu, 6 Dip, 7 Spheres, 10 Nil, 11 Encased, 12 Ire, 13 Obadiah, 16 Eat, 17 One, 18 Arc-welder.
15 Bishop’s place in the greenhouse effect (3) ANSWERS FOR LAST MONTHS PITCHERWITS
These puzzles are devised by the brilliant Professor Rebus. For more of his puzzles
All Around the Shire
THE CHRISTMAS SIDEBOARD
When I was a child visiting family homes around Christmastime, there was always a display of seasonal goodies on the sideboard.
First, there sat a Christmas cake, iced and decorated with fat robins, deer, Santas, sprigs of holly and proudly surrounded by a frilled tartan collar. Other goodies involved boxes of chocolates, jellied orange and lemon slices, Turkish delight, liqueur chocolates, Scottish shortbread and after dinner mints. There was always a bowl of nuts with a nutcracker.
These were offered around after a meal. Some rather rich and not really to a child’s taste. The not-so-popular delicacies would be the last to go.
This might also be the place where the Christmas trifle might stand, decorated with silver balls, dribbling with too much sherry, and containing a can of tinned fruit cocktail with its two halves of cherry. But the best you’ve ever tasted.
There might also stand bottles of Christmas tipples: Ginger wine (my particular favourite), Advocaat for making snowballs, a small jar of maraschino cherries for finishing off the snowball, Sherry, Port and Babycham. The best glassware would be
available, including sherry schooners and the posh cutlery would come out of its hinged box.
A box of Hamlet cigars would also grace the sideboard, an annual treat for the men.
We also were able to entertain in the front room which was only ever heated and used at this time of year.
Everything was special and memorable. Heartwarming memories made.
Janet and Paul Barrass are All Around the Shire.
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CHRISTMAS IS COMING, THE
GOOSE IS GETTING FAT…
Christmas in the 21st century seems to have become a frenzy of consumerism with presents for all. There’s the inevitable supermarket shop, trolleys laden with every food known to man and extensive queues at the checkout. Christmas Markets, festive extravaganzas, spectacular light displays, and stately homes decorated within an inch of their lives.
held in many of the churches around Derbyshire. Isn’t it funny how, even those of us who can’t sing can belt out a Christmas carol along with the best of them. Of course, leaving a mince pie for Santa, maybe even a small glass of sherry, not forgetting the carrot for Rudolph is another lovely tradition for children. The amazement of finding only crumbs and maybe a scrap of carrot top on Christmas morning. The sherry of course… well, we won’t tell. The Boxing Day Walk, a family tradition for many, just to help walk off the weight gained by that extra slice of cake you just couldn’t resist.
But what about the old customs, the simple ones that cost little or nothing? Children mixing the cake, the pudding with its silver sixpence, does anyone do that now or have the Co-op (other supermarkets are available) have the contract. Mince pies, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, not quite the same with central heating. Christmas cards, not good for the planet but I confess I still love sending and receiving them. Glitter too, when will ecofriendly glitter become the norm.
Putting up the tree and revisiting ancient decorations. I have some that belonged to my Mum, very precious, along with some made by my kids when they were little.
Christmas Eve carol services are
At one time the ancient tradition of mumming and guising was a widespread custom enjoyed throughout the country. The origins of mumming and guising are uncertain, but rumour has it they may be connected with Celtic fertility rituals. Who knows if that is true, but to be honest, no one really cares as the entertaining antics of the Guisers ensure much hilarity in the run up to Christmas.
Many villages in Derbyshire used to have Guisers but as time passed the tradition died out… until over 25 years ago when an old photograph was discovered showing a group of Guisers posing outside Winster Hall. The people of Winster decided they would bring back this lost custom. With characters and costumes based on this photograph, Winster Guisers resurrected this old folk tradition. A troupe of eleven locals, nine merry men, a woman and a dead horse, (don’t ask) masquerade through the streets and perform in village pubs and halls during the festive season. The Christmas trees at Castleton are a favourite. A lovely example of how effective trees decorated with pretty coloured lights can be. A breathtaking show as you turn the corner along the main road. Such a lovely idea and so magical. A visit is always part of our run up to Christmas.
Of course, in Bakewell All Saints Church the lovely Christmas Tree festival has become one of the best Christmas events in town. Decorated by local organisations the trees light up this wonderful church for the festive season.
Whatever you get up to this Christmas I hope you can relax and enjoy it.
Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas and a healthy New Year from everyone at Bakewell Old House Museum.
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THE BLACK HOUSE - PETER MAY
Lewis is the largest island in the Outer Hebrides. It’s a dark, beautifully rugged place, with more than its share of social problems and a culture which reflects the landscape. Tradition still rules. It is appropriately insular and secrets lie buried deep.
The Black House is the first thriller in a trilogy set on Lewis by Scots writer Peter May. Our protagonist CID detective Fin Macleod is called back to home turf which he thought he had turned his back on by a murder similar to one he was investigating on the mainland.
But this is so much more than a murder mystery. The crime unfolds through Macleod’s memories of a brutal and troubled upbringing. As he says - he feels like a ghost haunting his own past.
It’s a story of grim family secrets and betrayal and is admirably direct in its language – and you may even know a few Gaelic words by the end of it. And overlying the tale are wonderful descriptions of the atmosphere and culture which draw you in and hug you tight. A dark story for dark nights.
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This is a sudoku 1 square grid 81 cells 9 3x3 blocks 1 simple rule: Use all the numbers 1-9, with no duplicates allowed, in any row, column, or block. These puzzles are devised by the brilliant Professor Rebus. For more of his puzzles visit www.pitcherwits.co.uk
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Ashford in the Water, Bakewell, DE45 1PY
Gardener’s Calendar It can feel like there’s nothing to do in the garden at this time of year, but a few plants can give you colour through the dark days. Don’t walk on the lawn after snow or hard frost.
Best, easiest and cheapest are winter pansies which are bred to withstand the worst of the cold and make the most of low light. Cyclamen are also shiny happy plants and have the added advantage of naturalising over the years, particularly among shrubs and trees. But make sure you buy hardy cyclamen – the smaller variety. Big super showy ones won’t survive the cold. Hellebores can flower as early at Xmas and they and winter flowering heather are great for providing pollen for bumblebees which may be buzzing around on warmer days.
Protection is also important – bubble wrap your best terracotta pots as they absorb the wet and will crack with the frost. Tender shrubs can be helped through the cold by being wrapped in old fleece and straw or sacking. Remove if we get a warm spell to stop rotting and replace when it’s colder again. If you’ve bought a fig tree be careful to bundle up any tiny buds of fruit, figs are usually advertised as hardy but the buds are tender. Japanese maples should be pruned now if needed – any later and they will bleed and become weakened. Succulents and rockery plants have been popular in garden centres this year. Now is the time to put fresh grit round them to stop them rotting in wet soil.
JAYS AND MAGPIES IN ABUNDANCE
Autumn and winter are seasons when members of the crow family form flocks and also roam the countryside in search of easy pickings. Oak trees with abundant crops of acorns draw in jays and magpies from across the area. Jays in particular, have specially adapted claws to carry a number of acorns at once. They gather these up and take them up to a mile or perhaps more, to plant them in the ground. These food caches are hidden away for when the cold weather comes, and supplies are scarce. However, although the jays remember most of the hidden acorn sites, they do forget some. These forgotten acorns will survive to germinate and maybe grow into new oak trees. The jay is ‘nature’s forester’, and this is how oak woods and oak forests spread in the wild. You don’t need to plant trees, simply let nature and the jays plant the acorns for you! Carrion crows and magpies will also do this, but they lack the ability to carry so many acorns at once.
It seems that this autumn, the jays have been very abundant and are coming to garden feeders much more frequently than they once did. In part, this is because of our changing attitudes to these very pretty birds. A few decades ago, they were ruthlessly persecuted by gamekeepers and in urban areas, by park-keepers too. Because of this troubled existence they quickly learned to avoid contact with people whenever possible. In larger tracts of
woodland, you might hear a jay in the distance, and even catch a fleeting glimpse, but that would be all as they disappeared into dense cover. Today they are doing well, and you see them frequently flying out from woodland to plant their acorns and flying also between woods. In the garden now, they will come to feed on peanut holders, but also on fat-balls and on suet dumplings. These also prove irresistible for the magpies which are also on the up, although not everyone is keen because of their predation of nestlings and bird’s eggs. At this time of the year the magpies tend to flock up and go to communal roost sites, which is typical ‘corvid’ behaviour, the corvids being the crow family. Jackdaws, carrion crows, and rooks, often form vast winter flocks, especially during cold weather. Having gathered at a number of select ‘pre-roost’ sites, the birds then move into a favoured, usually warm and sheltered location for the night. Numbers can be up to ten thousand or more. The biggest of the crows is of course the raven, and they too may gather in decent numbers and sometimes join up with carrion crows and other smaller cousins. One of the big advantages of a large winter roost site is that the birds can learn from the behaviour of their peers, where to go for the best foraging for food. At the start of each day, if a bird has fed well the previous day, then it will probably head back out directly and confidently. So, if the other birds are unsure then they just follow!
MAGPIES
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