Rural Voice - Darley Dale & Villages Edition - March 2023

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

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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

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To

AT EASTER CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Easter Sunday is celebrated because it is the day when Jesus rose from death to life.

He was crucified on Good Friday and was raised from the dead the following Sunday – this is referred to as the Resurrection Day.

The word ‘Easter; is only used in the King James bible (Acts 12:1-4).

In other bibles the word Passover is often used instead of Easter because the original word was in Hebrew and was : ‘Pesach’ - the correct translation of Pesach to English is ‘Passover’.

Before Jesus was crucified on the cross, He shared a Pesach (Passover meal) with His disciples.

Nowadays, Christians regularly share this meal amongst ASA themselves and call it:Holy Communion.

I pray that you will be greatly blessed over this Easter time.

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:

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

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: oldfield512@btinternet.com for more information. Janet

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

MILL

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.

www.cannonmill.org

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.

ACCEPTING THINGS YOU CANNOT CHANGE

we may be looking for is an answer or perspective that will make it feel OK. We can learn to fear being uncomfortable or dealing with distress. In Mental Health terminology this is called Distress Intolerance. People with an intolerance for distress feel like they cannot cope with uncomfortable thoughts or feelings. Often people who turn to drink or drugs are attempting to turn off ‘distress’.

Do you find yourself chewing over and over on things that are in the past or that are presently happening but that you cannot change? Generally speaking, the more you engage in this behaviour the lower your mood becomes or the higher your frustrations or worries rise.

Wondering why did this happen? Or what does this mean? And the hard reality is that quite often there will be no answer to these questions?

And so, very often the only helpful course of action is to find ACCEPTANCE. Now acceptance is NOT agreement, it is simply an acknowledgement that this thing has happened. And for some of us, what keeps us from moving towards acceptance is discomfort. Whatever has happened has hurt us or made us uncomfortable and what, unconsciously,

If you find yourself going round and round in the same pattern of unhelpful thoughts, these strategies can be really helpful:

Activities: immerse yourself in a project, hobby or work that needs your full attention.

Contribute: do something for someone else… volunteer, encourage or do something practical.

Comparison: compare what’s happening now to another time when you felt worse or compare your situation to someone else’s.

Emotions: do something to shift your mood, like watch a funny movie or listen to uplifting music. Push away: pick another perspective; push away the unhelpful thought, tell it to “get lost”.

Thoughts: focus on filling your head with something else: read a book or learn something new.

EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA

EASTER FOOD IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

PUZZLE TIME

Add up the fruit and veg to find out home is each smoothie, then match it to the animal

Easter Weekend at Haddon Hall

19th, 20th & 21st April 2019

Over the Easter weekend, Haddon Hall will have face painting, look out for chocolate eggs in the grounds and halls of Haddon ad meet the Easter Bunny! A great day out for all the family.

Entry / Cost: Standard entry applies – Adult £16.75, under 16s go FREE, Student £14.25 Haddon Hall, Bakewell, DE45 1LA

T: 01629 812855

Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt at Kedleston Hall

19th – 22nd April 2019

A fun self led outdoor family trail at Kedleston Hall during the Easter weekend, with a Cad- bury chocolate treat at the end the trail. Explore outdoors and discover the signs of spring.

Entry / Cost: £2.50 per child (standard entry admission charges apply for entry to whole property)

Kedleston Hall, Derby, DE22 5JH T: 01332 842191

• 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 mix ture 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

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.

SHOP LOCAL THIS EASTER

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

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

19 Firs Parade, Matlock DE4 3AS

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.

Severn Trent Easter Trail

The Easter Bunny has left a trail of eggs around Stone’s Island at Carsington Water. Follow the route to find the eggs and answer the questions. Once completed return to the cafe/ restaurant/ RSPB shop to receive your prize! (Non-chocolate and non-dairy alternatives will be available.)

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.

Every day from 1 April to 16 April Between 10am and 4pm Carsington Water Visitor Centre, Big Ln, Upper Town, Ashbourne No need to pre-book! Just come along on the day you prefer. Activity sheets are £3 each from the Visitor Centre. One prize per activity sheet.

Spring Clean your home 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 fix - now is the time!

TIP 1 TIP 2 TIP 3

Declutter your wardrobe

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

Be sytematic RE-usable bags

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!

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.

HERITAGE OF BAKEWELL WHO KNOWS THE SECRET OF THE BLACK MAGIC BOX?

During WW2 everything was rationed. Sweets and chocolate were in very short supply. Although the war ended in 1945 it was 1953 before sweet rationing finally finished.

Black Magic chocolates were originally introduced by Rowntree’s in 1933 but they had a difficult start because of the war. Re-launched, in 1947, as a gift box emphasising romance, sophistication and courtship, Black Magic stood out as chocolates ‘different’ from the rest. Unlike most chocolates sold then, Black Magic were, and still are, all dark chocolates.

Advertised as an affordable luxury they were promoted as an indulgent gift. This was a time of going to the ‘movies’ and with the introduction of television into people’s homes along came adverts.

A rich, deep chocolaty voice introduced audiences to exquisite ingredients such as, ‘rare expensive cocoa beans, making dark chocolate,’ that was, ‘gently stirred for two long days until rich and velvety.’ The makers of Black Magic assured viewers that their chocolates were, ‘made with care for you to give with love.’ Twelve ‘heavenly centres’ coated in thick plain chocolate offered ‘tender, indulgent, ripe succulent cherries,’ and ‘exquisite plump hazelnuts.’ Who could resist?

The adverts, like the chocolates, were full of romance, luxury and indulgence. Dark

shadowy scenes showed handsome men hurrying to see glamorous women, always ending by the giving and receiving of Black Magic chocolates. The plots implied mystery and intrigue and were typical of the era, a time when men were men and women were grateful. Looking back at some of the archive films it is surprising to see just how racy and provocative some of the adverts were. The adverts asked ‘Who knows the secret of the Black Magic box?’

Well, do you know the real secret of the Black Magic Box? It isn’t the advert, nor is it the chocolates, it’s a little known artist called George Butler who lived in Bakewell for 50 years. As well as being a very talented artist Butler was the designer of the original black and white box, which everyone remembers. Throughout the years, although the Black Magic box has undergone a few subtle changes, it remains much the same as when it was first designed by Butler. Apparently, when Nestle attempted to change the style of the box in 2007, they say it caused such uproar with the public that they reintroduced a more original design to bring nostalgia and a sense of continuity with the past.

Tucked away in a corner of the Tudor Parlour in Bakewell’s Old House Museum is a tribute to George Butler with some of his beautiful artwork and an example of the Black Magic box.

Photographs by Sean Page

Every Day Should be Mother's Day!

Mother’s Day - or as it’s more formally known, Mothering Sunday, is on March 19th this year.

In the UK, Ireland, and a few other countries in the world, Mother’s Day is connected to the religious observance of Easter. Easter is a “moveable feast” celebrated on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox full moon. Mothering Sunday is set as the fourth Sunday in the festival of Lent, three weeks before Easter Sunday.

Easter falls on a different date each year (depending on the moon cycles) so Mothering Sunday changes yearly.

The origins of Mothering Sunday in the UK date back to the Middle Ages when children working away from their homes, in service, for example, were allowed to go to their home – or “mother” –church.

As the children travelled home, they would pick spring flowers for their own mother or to decorate their mother church, and the day morphed into a celebration of family reunions. The strictly observed rules of Lent were also slackened, allowing people to enjoy the luxury of simnel cake.

Nowadays, a simnel cake is a fruit cake with a layer of marzipan baked in the middle and decorated with another layer of marzipan and eleven marzipan balls representing the disciples (minus Judas). In the Middle Ages, it was more likely to have been an enriched yeast-leavened bread; what made it special is that it would have been baked with the finest white flour. The word simnel comes from the Latin word for flour - simila.

Mothering Sunday continues to be celebrated In the UK on the fourth Sunday of Lent, but in 1907 the Americans got in on the act and decided that a “Mother’s Day” be marked on the second Sunday of May each year. Thus the day we had always known as Mothering Sunday gradually merged in British people’s thinking to Mother’s Day - although we did at least stick to the our time honoured calculation to fix the date.

I don’t think it matters which day we honour our mothers - just that we do. As someone who lost her own mum three years ago, I wish I could turn up at her door with a bunch of flowers, a box of her favourite chocolates, and a big smile. And as the mother of two daughters, I cherish the fact that they make the effort to mark the day for me.

Do I need or want flowers or chocolates?

No, of course not.

What I and every mother I know want is to spend quality time with our children - no matter what age they are. In fact, if you ask any mum, I bet they will say their favourite Mother’s Days were the ones when their very young children attempted breakfast in bed for her - complete with a homemade card and a wilted dandelion in an eggcup!

Treasure your mums this Mother’s Day.

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.

07375 559 374

Guess the words and Fill in the crossword ! Pitcherwits®

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)

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)

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. This

HOPE VALLEY RUGBY CLUB

DWINDLING HOPE

There’s been nothing happy about the New Year for Hope Valley RFC as a series of long-term injuries has deprived them of the services of several key players while several others have been unavailable due to work commitments.

As a result performances have suffered as the beleaguered players have tried to fulfil the Club’s league commitments.

A creditable performance against high flying Lymm Eagles resulted in a 22-31 defeat before further defeats to 3rd placed Liverpool St Helens and

league leading Northwich saw Valley rooted firmly to the bottom of the league.

Hopes were raised by a “doubleheader” game against Burnage, but the Stockport club fielded a strengthened side to snatch a 15-24 win despite two tries from Valley’s leading try scorer, Jake Oldridge.

With just five games remaining Valley will need a remarkable change of fortunes to maintain their hard-earned place in NOWIRUL Division 3 South

Anyone who is interested in seeing what Hope Valley Rugby is all about is free to join us at training (every Thursday at Castleton Playing Fields from 18:30) or can contact the Club’s Director of Rugby, Ian Broad (07989 979 029).

forget to mention Voice Magazines when responding to the Ads

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.

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Gardener’s Calendar

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.

Put any bulbs forced for an indoor Xmas display – i.e. narcissi or hyacinth - out into the garden soil where they will flower naturally if a little more slowly next year.

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