Voice Magazines - Clay Cross & Surrounding Villages - March 2023

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From the Editor

Happy Spring readers!

So, it was noted by a friend, that last month I was a touch on the miserable side in my message. I did explain that this was for 2 completely valid reasons; 1. January lasts forever. 2. I wasn’t happy about my big birthday.

I mean, let’s be honest, that’s not the only reason for a bit of misery is it! I’m sure we could all write a list and the general unsettled nature that exists at the moment is making us all a little grumpy. So many businesses (irrespective of large or small) are struggling at the minute and for many, the juggling act of trying to eat and stay warm is worse than I have known in my lifetime. ‘Worry’ is a permanent state of mind for so many and inevitably this leads to people perhaps not behaving as kindly towards others as they should.

The thing is, even the phrase ‘be kind’ has turned into a verbal attack, thrown on social media by keyboard warriors. But, it’s even more important now than ever! A good example of this was visiting the Ice Hockey last month – a good time was had by all but it was crazy busy. My friend went to get a coffee at half time and to be fair, had a bit of a shambolic experience with the coffee stand – they did seem to be out of most key items such as milk, sugar, stirrers, syrups – if you wanted a plain black coffee though, you were sorted!!. Anyway, the woman in front of my friend had no hesitation in stating her views on the matter, at the top of her voice, balling out the 18yr retail assistant over the lack of milk and how she was bang out of order and it was “illegal” for her to sell her a drink without milk, etc etc (insert hyperbole aplenty!). I’m not sure how the unhappy lady was eventually ‘satisfied’ (not sure that is the correct term!) in the end but it resulted in the assistant crying her eyes out and probably reconsidering her job choices. So, question to my lovely readers, yes the company had run out of milk but does that ever justify losing your temper publicly

at someone who is probably working for minimum wage in between studying at College/Uni?

I’m not saying that this didn’t happen 15yrs+ ago and there are always people that open their mouths before their brain is engaged. I worked in retail most of my young life and I still recall an elderly gentleman going absolutely bananas at me one Christmas in a well-known supermarket because Mr Kipling had changed the packaging on his Festive Pies and him demanding what I was going to do about it!? I think I answered that I work for minimum wage on a weekend & that whilst I understood his frustration, I wasn’t sure that I could get Mr Kipling to listen to me on this matter! Maybe I’m just getting old, maybe I’m super resilient and I see people’s unkindness as their problem rather than mine and dismiss it, but maybe all the pressures we are facing currently, certainly financially, means we are losing our sense of decorum & human decency? It’s hard to say, until we stop getting squeezed from above I guess and in fairness, should the boss of British Gas or Shell be standing in front of me, assuming I could get close enough to the ivory tower, maybe I’d lose my decorum as well!!

Anyway, Spring has Sprung (ish!) & I’m back to being 21 again, so I’m going to have a little think over the coming month and see if I can write something more positive for my friend, next time.

Wear your Red Nose with Pride!

Can you believe the first Red Nose Day, aka Comic Relief, took place in 1988?

Crikey, that made me feel old when I looked it up! Of course it makes sense because Live Aid in 1984 kickstarted the whole idea of mass fundraising events in the UK, and others were bound to follow.

That first Red Nose Day raised £15 million as apparently more than 30 million people tuned in to watch the likes of Black Adder and the Young Ones.

Since inception, £1,068,416,012 has been raised for charities (this sum also includes amounts from Sport’s Relief events). The single most successful fundraising year was 2011, when £108,436,277 was collected.

That is a staggering amount of money raised by the British public, but I can’t help but wonder if this year will be (in comparison) disappointing as the cost of living crisis continues to bite. Last year’s total of £42,790,147 was the lowest since 1999 - I think this year’s total will be lower still.

So where does all this money go?

Well, according to the Comic Relief website, the money raised has helped to support 11.7 million people worldwide. In their 2021/2022 accounts, 54% of the grants made during that financial year were to UK based charities and individuals, although in previous years, it does seem to have been slightly tipped in favour of overseas operations.

So what can YOU do to help with this year’s fundraising on Friday 17 March?

The easiest (and quickest) way would be to purchase one of the “new” red noses; they are on sale, priced at £2.50, from the Comic Relief website (although when I wrote this article they were out of stock!) and on Amazon. This year’s noses are a little different to past years as they are partially made of paper - opening up from a flat crescent (easy to post) shape into a honeycomb-paper sphere.

If you want to get more involved and have more fun, why not organise a “bake-off” at your place of work? Or have a dress up /dress down/ fancy dress/ dress in red day at your school, work, or college.

Maybe you could organise challenges, be they physical ones like running/ jumping/ skipping/ swimming, or more cerebral such as quiz nights. There are lots of different ways to fundraise, but for Comic Relief, the funnier, the better!

Of course, you could simply head to the website at any time or call /text on the day of the TV show and pledge however much you can afford.

Whatever you do, have fun and remember any donation is better than none - and if you would rather give directly to a local charity, I am sure they would be VERY grateful.

FRIDAY 17th MARCH

Toddler Group: Meets 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?: Meets on the last Saturday of each month at the Holmgate Community Centre from 10am-11:30am.

Gospel in the Passover

See how the Jewish Festival of Passover foreshadows our Messiah’s sacrifice. Good Friday 7th April 2023, 7:30pm.

Easter Treasure Hunt

Journey around the Holmgate Estate finding out about the Awesome Easter Surprise. Saturday 8th April 2023, 10am -2pm.

Easter Sunday Morning

Come and celebrate the RISEN Jesus Christ! Suitable for all the family to attend. Sunday 9th April 2023, 10:30am. Why not visit us at www.holmgatechurch.org

EVERY LITTLE HELPS!

Clay Cross Parish Council and Tesco Clay Cross Community Champion, Nicole Murtagh will be hosting a Coffee Morning on Monday 20 March 2023 from 11AM – 1PM at Clay Cross Social Centre. Part of Nicole’s role is to help promote the Tesco Community Grant scheme and she is looking for any group/organisation from the Clay Cross area to apply. The maximum amount that can be applied for is £1,500 and it will be voted on in the stores with blue tokens. We look forward to seeing you but if you do require any further information, please contact Nicole direct on 07544 139720 or email UK6265@tesco.com

RING FOR THE KING!

The Coronation of the King and the Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May 2023. In preparation for

the Coronation, a national call has been made to recruit thousands of new bell ringers to ring in the new King. There are about 38,000 bells but only 30,000 ringers in the UK. The Central Council has said that while a swell of new recruits in time for the Coronations would be fantastic, “we hope that people find this new hobby, skill and social activity something they would want to continue beyond the 6 May”. St Bartholomews Church on High Street, Clay Cross are looking for people who would be happy to ring. Full training will be given but, it needs to start soon! Interested? Contact Rev Richard Clark direct on 01246 250002 or email NWteamrector@outlook.com

CX21 WARM SPACE!

CX21 Youth Club continue to provide a warm space to hang out at every Monday (term time only) from 6.30PM – 8PM for 11-17 year olds at Clay Cross Social Centre. We have some great activities including music, arts & crafts, pool, jewellery making, Xbox and Wii consoles, chill out zone and a well-stocked tuck shop. Also, Extreme Wheels Roadshows come along every week with a new activity to try. ALL ACTIVITIES AND ENTRY FREE!

All Around the Shire

RECOLLECTIONS OF A SIMPLER TIME - DONKEY STONES

During one of our social history sessions, a woman came to look at the items we had on our table and said, “I thought you might have had a donkey stone”. Since I had never heard of this, she explained what it was.

A donkey stone was originally used in Northern mills to clean greasy steps and give them a non-slip surface. In the days when front doorsteps, windowsills and tile floors were intensively looked after, donkey stoning was employed to give a polished, marble-like finish which had to be regularly repeated.

The stones themselves took the form of small briquettes, made from pulverised stone, cement, bleach powder and water made into a paste and dried. Colours varied according to the type of stone used: brown, white and cream. They could be obtained from the corner shop or from the rag and bone man in exchange for old clothes or jam jars.

Several companies manufactured the stones over the years

including Eli Whalley from 1890, sold under the “Lion Brand” trademark. Another source was J. Meakin and Sons who produced “Pony Brand”. Both companies were based at Donkey Stone Wharf in Ashtonunder-Lyne and had ceased trading by 1977. The stone took its name from one of the earliest manufacturers “Reade’s Donkey Brand”.

“Doing the step” on your knees was a source of neighbourhood pride, gossip, and rivalry. Some housewives went as far as cleaning the pavement itself. A tradition which has all but disappeared along with black-leading and red tile polishing. Or do you know of anyone who still does?

Janet and Paul Barrass are All Around the Shire. Find us on or email:

Slimming World Recipe

Lemon Chicken

Method

1. Make your sauce by mixing the sweetener, lemon juice, stock and soy sauce in a jug. Toss the chicken in the cornflour.

2. Spray a wide non-stick frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and put it over a medium-high heat. Fry the chicken for a few minutes or until it’s starting to crisp up at the edges. Add the carrots and chopped chilli and stir-fry for 1 minute.

This recipe is packed full of fresh and tasty veg and chicken. With the flavour hit of Lemon to tantalise your tastebuds!

Ingredients:

3. Pour your sauce into the pan and bring to a simmer, then add the sugar snap peas and let it all bubble for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Scatter over the shredded spring onions and red chilli to serve. If you’re not on an Extra Easy SP day, this is also great with plain boiled rice.

1 level tsp sweetener granules

Juice of 1 lemon

300ml hot chicken stock

2 tbsp light soy sauce

4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks

1 level tbsp cornflour

Low-calorie cooking spray

3 medium carrots, halved lengthways and thinly sliced diagonally

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped, plus shredded chilli to serve

200g sugar snap peas

2 spring onions, shredded, to serve

Guess the words and Fill in the crossword ! Pitcherwits®

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

6 Inform, in a less than intelligent way (4)

7 Be sick of the bailiffs! (3)

8 Rant about high water (4)

14 Magma causing a bit of an upheaval, right? (4)

15 Melody, the stuff of life, basically (3)

16 Writer made out of club iron (4)

Down

3 Re-license the very first antiquity (5)

4 From back end to a bit of church he comes: such a card! (5)

12 Hero’s mythical steed (5)

13 Remove objections to the launching? (5)

9 Care about mice getting just desert, say (3,5)

11 He’s all clued in about the plan of work (8)

17 Spin doctor’s gear, for curing feet maladies? (10)

Down

1 Dallas won’t accommodate the chemist’s rule (7,3)

2 Net coin values get unpleasant (3,4)

5 Cancels him out, with not much hope (4,6)

10 Say it straight, but stagger away? (4,3)

This puzzles has been devised by the brilliant Professor Rebus. For more of his puzzles visit www.pitcherwits.co.uk

• Break up the shredded wheat so it is down to strands.

• Break up the chocolate into pieces

• Heat a pan of water so it just begins to simmer.

• Put the bowl over the pan.

• Melt the chocolate and syrup in the bowl, stirring.

• Add the shredded wheat to the bowl and stir

• Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases

• Make a well in the mixture and add 3 mini eggs

• Chill in the fridge for at least an hour, until set

• 90g shredded wheat,

• 200g bar of milk chocolate

• 2 tbsp golden syrup

• 36 mini eggs (about 2 bags)

• Cupcake cases

• Pan and bowl that fits above

• Spoon

WALKING WITH RAFA & FLAKE

This month we have picked a walk that is aimed at the whole family. The walk is a little shorter than usual but still has beautiful countryside, amazing views and to put the cherry on the top, there is an Ancient Monument, The Nine Ladies Stone Circle! The Moor contains hundreds of archaeological features and monuments dating back to the Bronze age with the Nine Ladies being the highlight.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

2.5 mile circular walk around Stanton Moor

A short but sweet walk for the whole family which should take around 1.5 hours to complete. The walk is on paths and trails so please wear appropriate footwear, especially if it has been wet! The Moor is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and there is a flock of sheep on the moor so please keep dogs on leads around livestock. And, as always, follow the countryside code.

Last year Brits spent 1.3billion pounds on Easter!

Imagine the good it would do for our local communities if we spent just a little bit more in our local shops, instead of big shopping outlets and online!

Did you know that for every £10 you spend in local shops, nearly 40% is re-spent again in the local community. This helps preserve our local high streets and services and

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22 Market Street, Clay Cross Chesterfield, S45 9JE

in turn, local jobs which, let’s not forget, are your friends, neighbours and families.

This is not to mention the environmental benefits and the cost and time savings of reducing travel. So, make sure you check out your local stores this Easter. They will be eggscited to see you

1. Park on the side of the road on Lees Road a few hundred meters out from Stanton in Peak near at the entrance to Stanton Moor. There is space for half a dozen cars, but it can become busy, so plan to arrive early, or late to give yourself the best chance of getting a spot.

2. Begin the walk at the signs to Stanton Moor. Take the public footpath to ‘nine ladies stone circle’, passing through a small wooden gate.

3. Walk ahead to pass through another small wooden gate and continue, with a wooded area on your right. Continue to pass through another gate and carry on along the main path into the wooded area.

4. Carry on along this well-trodden path to reach the information board at the Nine Ladies Stone Circle and take some time to explore.

5. From the notice board turn left on the path, which takes you in the opposite direction to the stone circle.

Easter Egg Hunt

6. Shortly, the path splits. Take the left path to the tower ahead. Carry on past the tower.

7. At a joining of paths, go left then after some distance, at a split in the path, bear right.

8. Carry on to reach the large ‘Cork Stone’ with climbing handholds on it.

9. Just before the ‘Cork Stone’, take the path to the right. Shortly, at a split in the path, bear left.

10. Keep to the main path for a long way. Take care as there are some drop offs to the left. The path winds its way back to the Nine Ladies Stone Circle.

11. Re-join the path by the noticeboard and head left to retrace your steps back to the start.

Get your home ready for Summer this Easter

With the seasons changing and British Summer Time imminent with lighter evenings we all feel more able to tackle a spring clean! Whether that’s a long standing garden job that has irritated you through winter or simply dealing with that pile of clothes to fixnow is the time!

Tel: 07976 320 250

87 High St, Clay Cross, Chesterfield S45 9DZ

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Clay Cross Parish Council Working For Your Community

Clay Cross Parish Council provides your local services. We strive to make Clay Cross a better place to live, work and play. Whilst Clay Cross is now largely administered by the North East Derbyshire District Council, Clay Cross Parish Council spends much of its time and resources on local facilities and services for the betterment of the area.

One example of this is liaising with and supporting where possible, local community groups, such as the Kenning Park Community Group.

Kenning Park Community Group are working towards the regeneration and development of Kenning Park and Meadow Farm Fishing Pond. Their objectives are:

• To promote the park as an attractive, functional and developing amenity within Clay Cross

• To support community activities within the Park

• To raise the profile of Clay Cross

• To undertake any activities that fit within the aims that will benefit the Clay Cross area

• To encourage sustainable wildlife development, habitat enrichment, conservation and biodiversity of the area

Local Groups such as this are integral to the parish to ensure the area can be enjoyed by all.

For more information on this or any other of the services we provide, please contact Parish Clerk Dawn Kershaw on: 01246 862812 clerk@claycross.gov.uk • Clay Cross Social Centre, Market Street, Clay Cross, S45 9JE or use the form on our Contact Us page on our website at: www.claycross.gov.uk

forget to mention Voice Magazines when responding to the Ads

Declutter

Turn all your coathangers around and as you wear the items, replace the opposite way. Any items facing the original way in 3 months time can be upclycled or sent to a charity shop

Rather than looking at the house as a whole, tackle 1 room and break it down into tasks.

The tidying process will be much more satisfying as you can see you progress

reusing bags is brilliant for the environement but with all the extra use they can get a little grimy! If they aren’t machine washable fill the sink with soapy water, swish them about and, dry them and bobs your uncle!

TRENTHAM MONKEY FOREST

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE KIDS? SOMETHING

At Staffordshires Monkey Forest there are 140 free-roaming monkeys that live in total freedom, and you can walk amongst them !

The woodland is the monkey’s tranquil home in Trentham. The primates can go wherever they like as they aren’t restricted by any bars or cages, allowing visitors to observe the species in a way that can’t be done anywhere else in the UK. The fascinating natural behaviours of the primate happen right before your very eyes, making it one of the most unique but affordable days out in the UK.

To win a family ticket (2 adults & 2 Children) answer this question

How many Monkeys roam free at Trentham Monkey Forest?

To enter simply email the answer to the question to community@voicemagazines. co.uk with the title ‘ Monkey Forest’ including your name, telephone number and address. Closing date 14th April 23 • T&C’s apply • valid until 6th Nov 23.

SUPPORT GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL EVERY TIME YOU SHOP ONLINE.

Times are tough. Wherever you look prices have been rising from food to fuel and from heating to things to do for you and your families.

Grassroots football clubs like New Tupton Ivanhoe F.C. continue to offer low-cost opportunities for young people to stay fit, make friends and develop important skills by being part of a team.

The club still must fundraise to continue to support young people to play football, keep facilities up and running and develop and grow for the future.

Rather than just ask for your money the club has teamed up with Easyfundraising. This is a fantastic way to support new Tupton Ivanhoe F.C. when making purchases online and you can help us for free.

Antony Maidens, Chairman of New Tupton Ivanhoe, said: “We are here as a club to support our local community. We understand the financial challenges many families are currently facing. The partnership with Easyfundraising does not cost anything to do and the club earns money when you make purchases online. This allows us to create the magic and enjoyment

that young people and families get from being involved in grassroots football.”

There are over 7,000 brands who will donate to us when you use easyfundraising to shop with them –at no extra cost to yourself!

All you need to do is sign up and remember to use easyfundraising whenever you shop online. It’s easy and completely FREE!

These donations really mount up, so please sign up to support us at

https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/ causes/tupton-ivanhoes-football-club

If you are interested in Little Ivanhoes, The Wildcat Centre or joining a team please message the clubs facebook page at: www.facebook.com/newtuptonivanhoefc/ visit: www.newtuptonivanhoefc.co.uk or contact the Dave Hoult, Club Secretary on 07759 048 037

THE LITTLE RED HEN HOUSE NORTHUMBERLAND

STUNNING HOLIDAY COTTAGE IN WARKWORTH, NORTHUMBERLAND

Enjoy your next family holiday with a stay at the delightful Little Red Hen House. An elegant and cosy holiday home just a 7 minute drive from award-winning and dog-friendly Warkworth beach.

✽ 2 spacious en-suite bedrooms

✽ A fully enclosed garden

✽ 3 small to medium dogs welcome upon request

✽ Fully equipped kitchen including an American style fridge freezer

✽ Perfect for exploring the stunning Northumbrian Heritage Coastline

✽ Walking distance to a range of dog friendly pubs, cafes and restaurants

✽ We have fast fibre Wi-Fi and smart TV’s

Search ‘The Little Red Hen House’ at:

MILL

Cannon Mill, Furnace Hill in Chesterfield formed part of the Griffin Foundry of John and Ebenezer Smith and Co., 1775-1833. It was the casting shop and a plaque on the wall dates it to 1816, though this is possibly not accurate.

It was last restored in 1951. The building is a 2-storeyed red-brick square with a coped gable end with ornamental cresting and a pantiled roof. There are 3 sham Gothic arches. The date plaque has a portrait of a cannon and cannon-balls but isn’t the year of the buildings construction. Originally a cannon foundry, the building was water-powered with a Head Goyt carrying water from the Hipper into a tank above a large cast-iron overshot water wheel, returning to the Hipper via a tail race close by. Cannon Mill was probably erected between 1788 and 1791 as an additional casting house for an existing furnace and foundry complex (the Griffin Foundry) leased in 1775 by Ebenezer Smith & Co. from James Shemwell. The firm manufactured engine cylinders and cannon until 1833, and a plaque with a cannon and the date 1816 probably commemorates the Battle of Waterloo. The mill was eventually bought by Robinson & Sons in 1886 and redeveloped for cotton manufacture. What survives today is a brick shed with pointed arched openings on two sides and remnants of a water wheel. The firm is likely to have been manufacturing cannons and cannon balls for the American Independence battles of 1778-83, and would have supplied munitions for the wars against France, Spain and Holland and later still for the Napoleonic Wars

from 1793-1815. Over a similar period there was a strong demand for Newcomen steam engines for pumping out lead mines and later for collieries and textile mills. They were designed by Francis Thompson and some of them were manufactured at this site. The decline of Griffin Foundry has been blamed on a number of reasons: the supplies of ironstone began to fail locally; the foundry was too far away from the Chesterfield Canal with its cheaper transport costs; and the third generation of Smiths were less able businessmen than their predecessors. There was also a major slump in the iron foundry business following the Napoleonic Wars and very low prices prevailed for some years, which would have certainly weakened the Griffin Foundry. It closed in 1833, and the various components sold on for several uses. What of its future? A Cannon Mill Trust CIO was formed in 2020 with a view of restoring the building to enable it’s use to be become a new local asset.

Book Review

It’s always a delight when you discover a writer by chance, read one book, think how good it is and then find that there’s a whole catalogue of their books to race through.

Mick Herron has been described as Britain’s finest living spy thriller writer. But his spies are far from the glossy Bond heroes we’ve come to associate with the genre. The chaps in the Slough House series are the misfits of MI5, exiled from the mainstream for various offences, put out to grass where they will do least harm, tying up other people’s loose ends.

Slough House is the run-down old building where these disgraced spies, known as “slow horses” get sent to see out the rest of their derailed careers.

Needless to say, none of them wants to be there and in this first book in the series - Slow Horses –they get accidentally drawn in when a boy is kidnapped and held hostage then scheduled to be beheaded live on the net. And who are the baddies in this scenario?

Mick Herron’s writing is stylish and funny. The plot is complex. You need to stay awake with this writer. The whole scene is sharp, sardonic and seedy and somehow absolutely gripping.

And if you get hooked, as your reviewer has, there’s a whole series to go through.

With over 20 years’ experience in designing, manufacturing and installing bespoke garden buildings throughout the UK, you can trust that Cabin Master will deliver the perfect space for your garden. And the possibilites are endless...

• Garden Bar

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• Office Space

• Family Room

• Arctic Cabins BBQ Huts

• Hot Tub and Swim Spas

As The Crow Flies

One of our more familiar groups of birds is the corvid or crow family, and which locally includes magpies, jays, carrion crows, rooks, jackdaws and ravens. The latter is a recent recolonist which was driven to extinction in the Peak and surrounding areas by persecution (mostly from gamekeepers) and by pollution from pesticides especially DDT and Dieldrin. All these birds are potentially very long lived and are also particularly intelligent. Their behaviour, from holding and defending territories, to communal nesting (rooks especially and jackdaws to an extent), and winter-time roosts sometimes numbering thousands of birds, makes the crows particularly interesting.

All these above factors have helped embed the various crows deep into our corporate culture, literature, and art. An obvious folk phrase is ‘as the crow flies’, meaning the shortest distance between two points as opposed the route taken by perhaps following an old, winding, medieval lane for example. Although this was known since at least the early 1800s, it may not be specific to crows but to any bird moving a longish distance. Clearly, in its daily wanderings a crow won’t necessarily flight straight, but going to their afternoon roost or pre-roost site they generally do. Furthermore, it is obvious sometimes that they navigate through the landscape guided by topographic features and by human structures line roads. I used to watch long loose lines of carrion crows heading to a massive winter roost at Owler Bar and apparently following the route of the road over the moor.

More mysterious perhaps is the origin of the phrase ‘stone the crows’, which is taken as a mild oath or exclamation of annoyance. It is even suggested that this was noted in the early 1900s, or even the 1930s as an Australian colloquialism of ‘stone the crows’, ‘stiffen the crows’, ‘starve the crows’, or even ‘stone the crows and stiffens the lizards’. Another version was ‘stiffen the crows, spare the crow’, all being Australian in origin. A further suggestion was ‘stow the croze’, perhaps euphemistically meaning ‘stone the cross’, (and hence slightly blasphemous), or from breaking open a wooden barrel for which a ‘croze’ is the groove at the end of the barrel holding in place the end plate. However, maybe the obvious explanation is simply from ‘stoning the crows’ i.e. the practice of throwing stones at crows because they were unwelcome visitors to for example, sheep farms. Crows and ravens will scavenge offal and things like sheep after-birth, and gained reputations, maybe justified sometimes, for attacking new-born lambs. So, stoning crows was a commonplace activity in farming areas and was probably associated with annoyance. Bearing in mind that well into the 1900s, small boys were employed in the English countryside to control house sparrows and to scare away other birds like crows and woodpigeons, and then stoning crows would not be unusual. Even in my own younger years, local parkkeepers in the suburbs and gamekeepers in the countryside ‘shot out’ the nests of crows and magpies, and killed jays with relentless efficiency.

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.

Though of course only hardy annual seeds such as nasturtiums and Californian poppies and summer bulbs if you’re sowing outside. But the likes of cosmos, sweet pea, cornflower and aquilegia can be grown from seed under cover ready to go out when the worst of the cold is over.

Alpines are coming back to life so remove dead foliage and mulch carefully with grit to avoid foliage making contact with wet soil.

If you haven’t already pruned your roses, do so now. Most will tolerate hard pruning, except for climbers and shrub roses. Cut back quarter of an inch above a bud, with the cut sloping downwards so water does not collect on the bud. To get a cup-like open shape to the bush, cut to an outward facing bud. If there is old wood which is not producing buds, take it off to a point where there is healthy pith when you cut.

Spring also means lovely little shoots, beloved of slugs. Some damage is inevitable and part of gardening but slug pellets are not good ecologically. Nematodes, bought from your local nursery can be watered into the soil and they will kill slugs. They are not chemical and so not harmful to the soil and other wildlife and pets. If you rake over soil and fallen leaves now it means friendly birds can eat slug eggs. Or try the scooped orange skins method, placing them like a dish in the soil and add small amount of beer - jars would do as well as citrus hulks. Empty every morning and good luck.

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Email: shop@rockfall.com

Mon-Fri 08:00-16:00

Sat:08:00-14:00

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