Voice Magazines - Clay Cross & Surrounding Villages - November 2022

CLAY CROSS, DANESMOOR, LOWER PILSLEY, OLD TUPTON, PILSLEY

Dear Readers,

So, in the interests of my own sanity (and I suspect yours as well), I am going to completely ignore the ‘elephant in the room’ pertaining to Rome burning around us and not mention anything! Please don’t take that as ignorance - I think we all just need to take the light reliefs where we can currently!!!

Here at Voice Magazines, we’ve been on a bit of a roadshow!! When I started this magazine 12yrs ago now, it was all about shopping local and supporting the small local businesses, who very often have far more outgoings than incomings financially speaking, especially in the early days! These businesses don’t have huge budgets, so we wanted to give them a ‘Voice’ to get their message out.

The real threat of losing the high street altogether is more real today than at any other time and whilst some people may see no issue with that, it is a life line for so many people in so many ways from employment to accessibility (not everyone has the internet or the ability to use it) to company (it might be the only people that someone sees that day) to what happens to the properties and much, much more. Personally speaking, I love browsing a high street and finding little hidden gems or impulsive items that you think ‘Ooooo, Caron would love that!’, you can’t do that on the internet!

Apart from all of that, it is local business that keeps local communities and small areas going. The better our high streets, the more the money flows around your area to support the local sports team or donate to the local charity for example. So, let’s all pull

together this year and try and support our high streets – it’s fair to say that they’ve had a rough run over the last few years and now is the time for the community to support them! Bezos doesn’t need to be any richer but the local shopkeepers need to survive this difficult time, so please turn to our high street feature and join the ‘shop local’ revolution.

In other news, as we were out and about this month, you can also read all about our foot scan experience at another grassroots, small, Derbyshire based business who do fantastically on the global footwear platform - Rockfall. I may have mentioned earlier this year about a small plantar injury! Anyway, my crikey, that footscanner machine was amazing, I could see where my arch has fallen, and the physio kept saying about getting a supportive insole but I thought she was probably just being overly cautious! Having tried it, insoles are the future!! Only issue is, I need to make sure that they can be inserted into my *small* shoe collection!! #fingerscrossed

See you next month when who knows what alternative reality we will be in then? Perhaps Santa will start wearing blue!!!

Happy Reading,

Tree Huggers Anonymous

As

Trees nurture and sustain us and the planet we call home in so many ways. From the very air we breathe, to the houses we live in, the furniture we use, and even (some of) the plastic necessary for 21st Century life - trees are essential to our existence.

Without woodlands and forests, land loses integrity and stability. Erosion by wind and water is more extreme without trees acting as wind blocks, and their roots soaking up rainfall. Just look at what happens when forests are cleared in places like the Amazon - biodiversity drops, the soil dries out, there is less rainfall (the Amazon rainforest actually create their own rainfall - did you know that?) and the result is often wildfires.

Trees also soak up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and when present in towns and cities it has been estimated that they can reduce urban temperatures by up to 7°C. So, not only do trees slow global warming by capturing and containing CO², they also help keep our cities cooler in the summer as they lose moisture and their leaves reflect heat (from tarmac and concrete) upwards and away from the ground.

It’s not only we humans that benefit from trees, one mature oak tree (my favourite species) can be home to as many as 500 different kinds of birds, insects, and small animals. Felling a great old oak will not just kill the tree itself, but will deprive hundreds of other living creatures of their home. Even trees that have died in situ continue to provide both habitats and food sources for other creatures.

In a nutshell (acorn cup if you prefer) we NEED trees.

I’m going to chuck in a bit of history now… William the Conqueror took ownership of many of the forests in England, granting hunting rights only to the select few. These woodlands were known as “the Royal Forests” and mere mortals, even land owners, were restricted in their use of forest lands so that the, ahem…”great and good” could “enjoy” a spot of hunting every so often!

These rights were not overturned until The Forest Charter, 1217. Eight hundred years later, in 2017, a new Charter for Trees, Woods and People was launched with the following objectives:

• Sustain landscapes rich in wildlife

• Plant for the future

• Celebrate the power of trees to inspire

• Grow forests of opportunity and innovation

• Protect irreplaceable trees and woods

• Plan greener local landscapes

• Recover health, hope and wellbeing with the help of trees

• Make trees accessible to all

• Combat the threats to our habitats

• Strengthen our landscapes with trees

What are YOU going to do in National Tree Week to aid these

News & Events

Service

On Sunday 9th October the congregation of St Barnabas Church came together to celebrate Harvest time with a Harvest Supper and Service organised by Yvonne Haywood and lead by Rev. Richard Clark. Around 25 people joined us for this evening of food and worship and enjoyed a beef and

vegetable casserole with crusty bread followed by rhubarb and apple crumbles served with lashings of custard. Yum. We post details of upcoming services and church events on our Facebook page so follow us by searching for St Barnabas Community Centre.

Details of our Christmas Services and events are on our website now, so head to stbarnabascentre.co.uk to find out more including the dates of our Christingle Service During the service, each person takes a Christingle and the candles are all lit to create a warm, magical glow symbolising the light of Christ and bringing hope to people living in darkness. We will also be selling the Meaningful Chocolate Real Advent

calendars this year, the UK’s only Fairtrade Advent calendar which comes with a free 24 page Christmas storyactivity book and supports charitable causes. Pop in today to purchase yours.

If you are a community group who is looking for a home get in touch email

steve@stbarnabascentre.co.uk

Welcome to YOUR community

A

for you

for

To place a notice, from a

rate of 6+VAT

Contact Danielle on 01773 549035

In 1993, members of the Mansfield Lioness Club came up with a new fundraising initiative for the Hospice. With the help of donations from local companies, the first “Tree of Light” was erected and dressed in the Hospice Grounds, raising an amazing £1840.00.

The Mansfield Lioness Club disbanded after several years and some members decided to continue dedicated fundraising for the Hospice, they became appropriately known as SHINE.

The lighting ceremony has changed considerably over the years, developing from a small group of people attending a chaplain led service at the hospice to a very busy event at Queen Elizabeth ’s School hall and after that at the Eastwood Suite at Portland College. Some years ago we created a Tree of Remembrance which enables sponsors to write a personal message on a tag and attach it to our symbolic tree, which stands in the Hospice reception. This proves very popular with bereaved families.

The tree of Light began as a fundraising event and has raised almost £220,000, however it has become much more. It is a way of remembering those we have loved and lost at a special time of the year. We hope the tree will remain a symbol of light and hope for many years to come and that it continues to bring comfort to us all.

We are very grateful to Collis Engineering who arrange delivery of the tree and erect and dress it for us.

To find out more or to sponsor a light, please contact us by the methods below.

John Eastwood Hospice Trust, Mansfield Road, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 4HJ Web: www.johneastwoodhospice.org.uk Email: contact@johneastwoodhospice.org.uk Tel: 01623 622626

01773 549035

TODDLER GROUP is held every Wednesday during term time between 10am 11:30am. Craft, drinks and biscuits provided. EXPLORERS meets every Thursday evening during term time between 6pm 7:15pm. Suitable for all primary aged children.

WHO LET THE DADS OUT? meet on the last Saturday of each month at Holmgate Community Centre from 10am 11:30am.

HOLMGATE CHURCH

www.holmgatechurch.org

Service

All age service, with children taking part! Sunday 18th December 2022, 10:30am.

Carols by y Candlelight Refreshments and mince pies to follow. Sunday 18th December 2022, 6:00pm.

Christmas Morning

Come and celebrate the birth of Jesus! Sunday 25th December 2022, 10:30am.

Community Advertising Contact Danielle on 01773 549035

LOCAL

Black Friday

THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO SPEND YOUR MONEY!

Black Friday, which is November 25th this year, is one of those American imports I question that we really need. Originally coined to mark the Friday after Thanksgiving when traditionally Americans would start their Christmas shopping.

I delved into the history behind the phrase “Black Friday”, and discovered that the first reference in relation to Thanksgiving was in the early 50s when it related to workers calling in sick the day after the celebrations. Around the same time, the terms “Black Friday” and “Black Saturday” came to be used by the police in Philadelphi to describe the crowds and traffic congestion accompanying the start of the Christmas shopping season.

It took a while for the phrase to gain traction, and it only really became a kind of sales vehicle when an alternative derivation of the meaning was suggested in the 80s. This was that retailers traditionally operated at a financial loss January to November and made their profit during the holiday season, beginning on the day after Thanksgiving. In pre computer accounting days it was usual to use red ink to show negative amounts and black to show positive. Black Friday, under this theory, is the beginning of the period when retailers would no longer be “in the red”.

Many large retailers now try to con us Brits out of our hard earned money by promoting “Black Friday Offers”, and it can be quite tempting to spend cash on what look like great deals…but before you part with your dosh, just check to see if the saving is as great as it claims to be!

Even better, ignore the big retailers altogether during the festive shopping period. Instead concentrate on the high streets of our local towns and villages and spend your money with independent small shops, producers, and makers. They are owned and run by people like you and I who are aiming to make a living for themselves and their families. The money we spend in their shops will not go towards funding the pension of a multi-millionaire at the top of a large faceless corporation.

If you’re not a fan of retail therapy and prefer online shopping, look on the likes of Etsy, Not on the High Street, and even Facebook and Instagram for small shops, creatives, and makers. Many local creators will only be selling online or at local craft fairs and events.

We need to support the people in our local economies. We need to prioritise purchasing from independents, be that in a shop or online. Yes, a multinational may appear cheaper, and with the current state of many of our wallets that is appealing, but big corporations seldom help small towns and villages.

Here’s a challenge for you…keep your pre festive spending in your local area. Buy sustainable products. Limit your purchase of plastic toys in favour of books. And if in doubt, buy a gift voucher from a local shop!

Bookings are now open for our Santa Special cruises. On all our Santa Special cruises, there will be a present for every child, and a mince pie and a drink for every adult. The fare is £9 per person. Booking is essential. Schedule as below: -

John Varley ll will be running from Tapton Lock on 26th & 27th November, 3rd & 4th, 10th & 11th, 17th & 18th and 22nd & 23rd December at 10.00, 10.40, 11.20, 12.00, 13.00, 13.40, 14.20 & 15.00.

Madeline will be running from Hollingwood Hub on 3rd & 4th, 10th & 11th and 17th & 18th December at 10.00, 11.00, 12.00, 13.00 & 14.00.

Hugh Henshall will be running from Shireoaks Top Lock on 3rd & 4th, 10th & 11th, 17th & 18th and 22nd & 23rd December at 11.00, 12.00, 13.00 & 14.00.

Seth Ellis will be running from the Chequers Inn at Ranby on 3rd & 4th, 10th & 11th, 17th & 18th and 23rd December at 10.00, 11.00, 12.00, 13.30, 14.30 & 15.30.

TOURNAMENT

The New Tupton Ivanhoe F.C. Summer Festival of Football will return over three weekends in June and July 2023. The tournament will be the club’s biggest celebration of youth football yet with over 240 teams taking part.

Dave Hoult, Secretary of New Tupton Ivanhoe F.C. said “The New Tupton Ivanhoe Summer Festival of Football is one of, if not the largest in the region, the tournament attracts teams from all over the country with competitors travelling from as far away as London.”

The tournament takes place at the Recreation Ground in Tupton on the weekends of the 17th and 18th June, 24th and 25th June and 1st and 2nd July with competitions from under 7s through to under 16s.

Dave added “1000’s of people attend the tournament every summer and it is an important part of the local community. Supporting young people to play sport, develop friendships and have fun with their families. We look forward to welcoming all the players, coaches, and supporters next summer.”

Registration is now open for teams and as in previous years places are expected to be filled quickly.

If you would like to enter your team:

1. Email newtuptonivanhoefc@btinternet.com including the team’s name, prefix, and age group as at 2023/24 season. e.g. New Tupton Ivanhoe Gold U14’s

2. You will be emailed an entry form and payment details.

3. Requesting the form does not guarantee you a place. Places will be allocated in order payment and forms are received back. Once received we will email confirmation of your entry to the tournament.

The tournament cannot take place without the kind support of our sponsors. We have a range of opportunities available from age group sponsors to match ball sponsors, from commercial partnerships to headline sponsorship. Please contact the club at newtuptonivanhoefc@btinternet.com for more details.

BOURNEMOUTH

Marsham Court Hotel

30th Dec 22 - 3rd Jan 23

WIGHT

Burlington Hotel - Sandown

Mon 6th - Fri 10th Feb

Mon 13th - Fri 17th Feb

Mon 20th - Fri 24th Feb

Channel View Hotel

Mon 6th - Fri 10th March

Mon 13th - Fri 17th March

MANCHESTER

Mercure Hotel

Sun 5th - Mon 6th March

Days

MORECAMBE

Auckland Hotel

Mon 13th – Fri 17th March

Days

LYTHAM ST ANNES - MOTHERS DAY

Inn on the Prom

Sun 19th - Mon 20th March

days •

MOBILE BOOKING OFFICE LOCATIONS

2nd Tuesday of

2nd

2nd

3rd Tuesday of each

- 12noon

3rd Thursday of each

9am - 1pm

Alfreton

Square Car Park (Outside B&M)

3rd Friday of

9am - 1pm

Sutton-in-Ashfield, Portland

CROSS PARISH COUNCILUPDATE:

FORTHCOMING CHRISTMAS EVENTS

AT CLAY CROSS SOCIAL CENTRE

SHIRLAND WELFARE BAND CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Saturday 10 December 2022

Doors/bar open from 7pm, Concert starts at 8pm

Tickets £5 each inc buffet supper

ABBA TRIBUTE BAND ‘KISS THE TEACHER’

Saturday 17 December 2022

Doors/bar open from 7pm, ABBA on stage from 8pm

Tickets just £5 each inc Pie & Pea Supper Raffle proceeds in aid of Kidney Research UK

CHRISTMAS EVE DANCE (SOCIAL MIXED SEQUENCE)

WITH PAULINE & JOHN STRINGFELLO

Saturday 24 December 2022

Doors/bar open from 7pm, Dancing from 7.30pm

Tickets £3 per person in advance or on the door

BRING YOUR OWN BUFFET

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FROM: Clay Cross Parish Council Office, Clay Cross Social Centre, Market Street, Clay Cross S45 9JE • Tel: 01246 862812

ON SATURDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2022 FROM 10AM TO 2PM

AT CLAY CROSS SOCIAL CENTRE, MARKET STREET S45 9JE

• SANTA’S GROTTO (FREE GIFT FOR EVERY CHILD)

• VARIOUS CHARITY, CRAFT & TRADE STALLS

• GIFTS AND STOCKING FILLERS FOR ALL AGES PRICES TO SUIT EVERY BUDGET ☺

• MEET RESCUE DONKEYS SLIM & SHADY (SUBJECT TO WEATHER CONDITIONS)

• YORKSHIRE OWL RESCUE (STATIC OWL SHOW & TOMBOLA)

• ADMISSION FREE! COME ALONG AND SUPPORT THIS COMMUNITY EVENT

Find us on Facebook Clay Cross Social Centrre

Slimming World Recipe

Sausage Risotto

Method

1. Spray a large non-stick saucepan with low-calorie cooking spray and put over a medium heat. Add the garlic, shallot, leek, carrot, celery and fennel seeds and fry for 10 minutes, adding a little water if anything sticks.

2. Meanwhile, cook the sausages according to the pack instructions and cut each one into 6 pieces.

3. Stir the rice and stock cubes into the veg. Add 700ml boiling water a little at a time – letting the rice absorb each addition

The italian style sausgaes in this dish are the perfect ingredient and add extra flavour as well as leaving you feeling well fed!

Ingredients:

before you add more – and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often.

4. Add the sausages and keep cooking and stirring until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked to your liking (you might need more water). Remove from the heat and stir in the quark, then scatter over the herbs and season to taste. Serve with salad.

For more information visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk

Serves: 4

Ready in: 50 mins

Low-calorie cooking spray

1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 shallot, finely chopped

1 small leek, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped 1 celery stick, finely chopped

½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed

6 Slimming World Italian-style Sausages

200g dried arborio rice

2 chicken stock cubes, crumbled 3 tbsp plain quark

Chopped fresh chives or parsley, to serve

Syns per serving: FREE

Vintage Rambles with rafaand Flake

Rafa is back!! This walk is nearly as old as he is, having first featured back in September 2013! But like Rafa not too much has changed, except maybe he took it a little slower this time. There are some fantastic views on this walk of Bolsover Castle and Sutton Scarsdale Hall and it’s great for the dogs, with plenty of opportunity to go off lead. However, please be careful, especially if your dogs have a high prey drive, as there are phesants in the woods and sheep protected by electric fences.

5 MILE CIRCULAR FROM BOLSOVER WITH VIEWS OF SUTTON SCARSDALE HALL AND BOLSOVER CASTLE

A moderate walk for you and your dog with some gradualy climbs. This walk should take 2 to 21/2 hours. There are some sections which cross fields, which may be particularly muddy if it has been wet. There is also a section of road to walk along so please take care and make sure you wear appropriate footwear for the conditions. And as always, follow the countryside code!

CAR

1. To begin go through the gate opposite the car park entrance. Continue along the path with a metal fence on your left. Keep to the main path to pass a sculpture on the left.

2. Continue to cross a lane and continue along the trail. Then after a short distance pass under a bridge. After some distance you arrive at a crossroads of footpaths.

3. Turn right and pass through a width restrictor and

RIVERSIDE WAY, BOLSOVER,

along the path before crossing over a footbridge. In front of you is a large pond. Go diagonally left and then skirt around the left-hand edge of the pond. On the opposite side of the pond you will find a marker post and a stile.

4. Cross over the stile and head diagonally left across the field, heading towards ‘Sutton Scarsdale Hall’ on the horizon. After passing underneath a telegraph wire, continue to keep

left of some old stone buildings in the field. At the far edge of the field, turn left along a farm track keeping a fence and the motorway on your right. Continue until you reach a road.

5. At the road turn right and go over the motorway. Follow the road round to the left and uphill *At this point, If you wish to take a closer look at Sutton Scarsdale Hall, take the path on the right, half way up the hill*

6. Continue along the road into ‘Sutton Scarsdale’. After the road bends sharp right you will see a footpath to the left sign posted for Heath Village. Take the footpath heading downhill across a field.

7. At the bottom right-hand corner of the field, cross a footbridge and then over a stile into another field. In this field, head straight uphill. At the far end, cross over a stile adjacent to a telegraph pole and onto a lane.

8. Cross straight over the lane through a gate and into another field. Keeping the hedge on your right, go to the bottom of the field to cross another stile.

9. Now you have the hedge on your right and trees on your left. Continue straight ahead to cross another stile onto a lane. Cross over the lane diagonally right, ensuring that in the next field you have the hedge on your left. With the hedge on your left and going gently downhill, go to the bottom left-hand corner of this field.

10. Go through a gap in the fence and cross a footbridge. Go straight ahead, passing through a gap in the boundary of the field, then, at a marker post, turn left. Continue along the edge of the field, then immediately after a pylon on your left, turn left down a farm track.

11. Continue ahead, keeping the hedge on your right. The path curves left and then right, through a gap into another field and continues downhill with the hedge on the right. When the hedge on the right ends, continue straight

towards the motorway crossing an open field.

12. Go over a stile to cross another field, at the far edge of this field turn left keeping the fence on the right. Upon reaching a lane turn right to pass under the motorway.

13. Continue straight to cross an open field heading for a gap in the hedge. After passing through the gap turn left keeping the hedge on your left. Follow the hedge around to the right and after a short distance, go over a stile on your left. Then go over a footbridge and over a second stile into a field.

14. Cross the field diagonally right, keeping Bolsover Castle straight ahead. In the far righthand corner of the field turn right to cross over a footbridge. Now go diagonally left across a field and then over a stile into a wooded area. After a short distance, go over another stile and into a field.

15. Go diagonally left across the field and then over a stile onto a well laid path (The Stockley Trail). Turn left along the trail, which you can follow, over a road and 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.

Bolsover

Sutton Scarsdale

Carr Vale Stockley TRail

Bolsover Castle

One of the most personal items in our collection is a wooden clothes horse made by Paul’s grandad in the 1930’s. Until recently, it was held together by a stocking made by Brettles of Belper which unfortunately disintegrated and fell off. It is now held together with a piece of twine. This simple item of treasured family history is still used in our house today.

Whenever we bring the clothes horse out to show people during our “All Around the Shire” sessions, many people remember it not just for drying laundry, but when placed on its side and covered with a blanket, as a child’s tent. It is generally agreed that you have not had a proper childhood until you have played in a clothes horse tent.

Last week a 96 year old woman came up to me after our session and said that in Yorkshire, it was called a “Winter Hedge”. This was because for the rest of the year, clothes were dried on hedges outside and it was only in the winter that the “Winter Hedge” was used indoors.

When my parents were first married, mum would dry clothes on washing lines strung on hooks high above the picture rail. My dad, being very tall, would complain about being hit in the face by wet nappies as he walked into the room.

As time went on, they had a ceiling rack with a pulley system, sometimes called a “Sheila Maid” What an invention. Dad was able to walk about without a stoop.

FLAMECARE – CUSTOMER FOCUSED, CARING, AND CHARITABLE!

What makes any business stand out from the rest? The answer can be as simple as the level of care and service offered to its customers and the broader community.

FAMILY-RUN, independent and local, FlameCare certainly ticks all the boxes in terms of ‘going over and beyond’ the call of duty. In terms of local charities, the commitment is as strong and wholehearted as ever. For instance, for any new customer signing up to a central heating maintenance plan, FlameCare is donating the first month’s subscription to Ashgate Hospice. FlameCare is also sponsoring Marcella Kirk, owner of Maison Mes Amis restaurant on Chatsworth Road, on a gruelling desert challenge. Marcella, and her friend, Helen Tait Wright, will be faced with

2,200km of extreme off-roading in their 4x4 Land Rover ‘Precilla’. The challenge entails travelling 2,200km across Morocco through all-terrain, desert, mountains, and ocean. The charitable and warmhearted approach, which is synonymous with FlameCare, is also, of course, extended to its loyal customer base. “Our customers really deserve our support during these challenging times of everincreasing energy bills,” said Managing Director, Simon Fletcher. “That’s why we’ve initiated a price freeze on our central heating and maintenance plans for the next 12 months – starting immediately –from 1st September. This applies to both existing and new customers.” FlameCare’s diversification into bathrooms and bathroom adaptations has been an overwhelming success. Indeed, fitting dates before Christmas are running out fast, so booking early is essential for installations wanted prior to the festive season.

THIS IS WHAT A CUSTOMER HAD TO SAY ABOUT FLAMECARE’S BATHROOM INSTALLATIONS:

“I contacted FlameCare regarding a bathroom adaptation at my dad’s house, as he was starting to feel unsafe.

From initial visit to final completion, the professionalism from FlameCare shone through every step of the way. The communication and project management were excellent throughout. Every member of staff was sincere, honest, and full of integrity.

The new walk-in shower with grab rails and water-proof boarding has given my dad confidence and me complete peace of mind. I would wholeheartedly recommend” Shaun Bennett

FLAMECARE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT ASHGATE HOSPICE

Pitcherwits®

Across

7 Kidney stuff is hard to learn (5)

11 Thing is, it’s kind of a day partner (5)

13 A mark taken as effect of actions (5)

16 Chine set up in alcove (5)

Down

2 Vase produced in blast-furnace (3)

4 Greeting, if included, is a sound system (2-2)

10 It’s an approach to earn, roughly (4)

12 Disgusting? Bit of a blast! (4)

15 Strung out axis (shorter for a cab) (4)

17 Bit of barbecue sauce for the potter, please? (3)

Book Review

A piece of advice often given to creative writers is to write about what you know. Which is exactly what journalist Robert Peston, has done in his novel The Whistleblower.

Mr Peston is probably best known for his scoop that Northern Rock and RBS went with begging bowls to the Bank of England at the beginning of the 2008 crash, sparking queues of panicking customers outside the banks. He’s been economics editor for the BBC and had his own weekly politics discussion programme on TV.

So yes, he does know about politics, money and finance - and journalism. Add dodgy dealings at the highest level and the mysterious death of the hero’s sister, a high flying Treasury official and you’ve got a fast paced political thriller which grabs your attention and hangs on.

It’s based in the Blair years which greatly adds to the entertainment value for those who remember the heady early days of Cool Britannia. You’ll probably find yourself thinking, I know who that’s meant to be. And there’s plenty of interesting nuggets about the workings of certain kinds of journalists at the top.

Definitely worth a read.

Terracotta

GreenhousesRus

Also you don’t want plants in containers sitting in water as it will rot the roots so remove any saucers from under the pots and raise off the ground if possible. You can buy little “feet” to do the job, or bricks, stones or wood will work just as well. Even in winter,

planted with the likes of winter pansies can dry out. But don’t water if it looks like freezing.

Bubble wrap is also handy for helping to insulate greenhouses. It’s a good time now for pruning fruit trees such as apples and pears as the trees are less likely to bleed and weaken now the sap has retreated down their trunks. The idea is to take out any damaged branches and cut away those which are crossing and rubbing against each other. Ideally you’re looking for a goblet shape so there is good ventilation in the middle of the tree. Shorten growth from this year by a third and go back to a bud facing the direction you want the branch to grow. But don’t prune cherries or plums –leave them for the summer.

And if you’re tempted in this mood of chopping and lopping, to cut back flowering

or forsythia, which suddenly look very leggy around now, be aware that you’ll be removing next year’s blossom branches. They really need to be pruned after

As Autumn draws in the spiders emerge…..

Very few British spiders will bite you, and of those which do, most don’t draw blood. With one possible exception, they are not effectively venomous. The exception I write of is the ‘False Widow’, a species spreading since its arrival into southwest England from the Canary Islands back in the 1800s. This can bite and for some people, it does produce a very nasty toxic shock. Other species are perfectly harmless, and even the big ones such as the ‘Cardinal Spider’ (the really big leggy House Spider) is probably more afraid of you than you should be of it. However, it is very large, and those long legs make it look intimidating. The big, fat-bodied ‘Garden Spiders’ which live in circular orb-webs are totally benign, though I recall a local Junior School being closed because parents thought these big spiders were False Widows. This said, I have had False Widows reported from a local allotment garden where someone had suffered a bad reaction to a bite from a big dark-bodied spider in his shed.

However, not everyone likes spiders and yet with autumn creeping in, there is no getting away from them. Once we are into November, then bushes, hedgerows, and even windows are well covered in spiders’ webs of various shapes and sizes. Not all spiders make webs and some such as Wolf Spiders actively run down their prey. However, of those species which are web-makers there are two main types. These are the ‘blanket’ or ‘sheet webs’, and, as mentioned earlier, the orb webs. Sheet webs are constructed by spiders called the ‘Linyphiidae’ and there are 280 British species from tiny ‘Money Spiders’ said to bring good luck if you find one on you. These

spiders hang around under their webs waiting for dinner to just drop in. Some small Linyphids make sheet webs in depressions on the ground, on low vegetation, or on tree bark. Autumn fog or dew highlights these shimmering webs across hedges, herbaceous plants, and on trees or shrubs.

The second big spider group is made up of the ‘orb-web’ spiders, the spider family ‘Araneidae’, and this includes the most common orb (i.e., circular) web builders. These inhabit gardens, hedgerows, fields, and woodlands. They are spiders with eight similar eyes, and eight legs with hairs or spines, and with which incidentally they ‘hear’. The webs are particularly distinctive because they are characteristically constructed to form a framework of non-sticky silk to which the spider adds a final spiral of droplet-covered sticky silk. These webs are natural works of art and engineering and begin with the spider floating a line on air currents to a nearby surface. This first line secured, another dropped from the centre makes ‘Y’ shape, and scaffolding follows. Radii of non-sticky silk are secreted before the final spiral of sticky ‘capture silk’ is in place. These little beasties have specially designed extra claws on each foot to help them manipulate silk whilst they spin and to move across the non-sticky parts of their webs. You often see the big-bodied females with their large spherical abdomens sat at the centre of their web. They are generally much larger than the males. The most handsome of these is the Garden Spider and I used to collect handfuls of these on my way to Junior School where I presented them to our class mistress for the nature table. I’m not sure she was impressed!

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Professor Ian D. Rotherham, researcher, writer, broadcaster on wildlife and environmental issues in the Peak District and elsewhere, is contactable on info@hallamec.plus.com. Follow his website www.ukeconet.org, blog ianswalkonthewildside, & Twitter @IanThewildside

ACTIV-STEP FOOTSCAN SERVICE AT ROCK FALL

We’re particularly fortunate at Voice Magazines to get invited to many different events and places but when we were invited to review a foot scanner at Rock Fall by the Managing Director, we were a little surprised! However, I can report that that it was actually one of the most informative, interesting and unexpectedly fun things we have undertaken as a team.

When we arrived, we were greeted by the Factory Shop Manager, Amanda. We received a lovely warm welcome, which continued when we were handed over to the knowledgeable and highly entertaining Dave, who led the demonstration.

The first part of the presentation was really thought provoking, when asked “Do you suffer from back, hip or knee pain? Everyone one of us answered ‘yes’ to one or all of the above and we were surprised to find out that this could be due to our feet.

We were then each invited to stand on the Activ-Step Foot Scanner machine, which assesses the shape, movement and pressure of your specific feet, to be able to identify the pronation and supination of your feet whilst moving.

The foot scanner is so clever and it truly is revealing to identify what kind of foot support you need to alleviate some of these issues. Once you have completed your assessment, you are pointed to 1 of the 3 insoles which best suit your particular feet and when you test the samples, you can really feel the difference in foot support.

This particular technology was originally identified as specifically relevant for tradespeople and people who spend all day on their feet, but the reality is that there is no-one that this isn’t relevant to, who currently, or has in the past, suffered from any back, hip or knee pain. And the best news is, currently Rock Fall have an offer on the insoles, which currently rrp at £32, but you can have the assessment and purchase these insoles for £25 when you purchase a new pair of shoes.

Team Voice can unanimously endorse this gem of a shop on the industrial estate in Somercotes. They provide such a warm welcome, have a great range of products and are highly knowledgeable about such an important subject that few people probably have any experience of. So, if you have any issues with your back, hips or knees – support a local business and help improve your walk – you won’t be disappointed.