Voice Magazines - Selston, Pinxton, Jacksdale & Westwood Edition - OCtober 2023

SCARPA TERRA GORE-TEX

Women’s walking boot

KEEN TARGHEE III

Waterproof Men’s hiking boots

FACTORY

Rock Fall UK, Wimsey Way

Tr. Est, Somercotes DE55 4LS

MON-FRI 08:00-16:30 SAT 08:00-14:00

Dear Readers,

Tragedy has struck this month!

I’m not one to be dramatic and on the whole I don’t like to make a fuss, so I’ve soldiered on with very little complaint but my right index finger has been broken readers!! It was a netball incident whilst going for a ball that was clearly mine and someone slammed their palm into my index finger causing it to buckle and implode (or chip, you decide!) at the knuckle bone. Suffice to say, I knew something bad had happened instantly and after chasing down some ice and some strapping, I finished the game (rather epically tbh, that adrenaline stuff is absolutely splendid in such circumstances!). Anyway, what hasn’t been splendid thereafter has been the lack of ability to use my right hand properly. It’s quite problematic in certain circumstances, losing the primary digit on the dominant hand, if you think about it….. typing, stirring coffee, cutting food up, picking up items… and other functional tasks. Throw in that I’ve not been able to do any exercise for 3 weeks and it has not made for a very pleasant month for Mr Liam and all those around me!! In typical form, I’ve been pushing as hard as I can to at least get back to Hockey asap. The Physio said that, as it’s

a break, anything that involves a clenched fist is fine after 3 weeks and as long as it feels alright to do so. Anyway, tested out the hockey stick on week 2 and all is well! Let’s see how long I can hold out for my beloved Netball!!

In other news, I’m sorry to be the one (although, if you’ve been into Tesco at Alfreton recently, they started it!) but we’ve started planning for Christmas, so now is the time to contact us if you want to promote something special for Christmas, shout about an event you are holding, wish your clients a lovely festive holiday time or feature in our High Street special if you are a retailer. We have all had a tough time since 2020 and every year, I like to bang the ‘Shop Local’ drum. Small businesses can’t survive without your help and as much as I love a generic national brand winter spiced pumpkin latte –with their billions of pounds of profits, they find it much easier to survive and thrive than the rest of us little fellas, so do us a solid and help out where you can this year – it is appreciated.

Happy Reading

THE DRIVE(WAY) TO SUCCESS!

After 5 years of continued growth Next Generation Home Improvements based on Butterley Hill in Ripley, have now established themselves as the leading installers of resin driveways & patios in The Midlands. They now have over 50 members in their team from the local area, ranging from resin layers, ground workers, surveyors, administrators, customer care staff and sales & marketing operatives, and have just taken on 4 local trainees who are quickly learning their trade.

To ensure their success continues they have invested in an upgraded operations unit in Sutton in Ashfield and as well as a redesigned display unit on the reception of their head office at Butterley Hill, where prospective customers are welcome to go and view different styles of resin driveways & composite fencing available to them. They firmly believe that their success has been due to the quality of their workmanship. Director Lee Goddard points out “We only use our own highly skilled tradesmen to lay each driveway by hand to make sure we get the perfect finish. On top of this, we will only use the highest quality of materials, meaning that our customers will be left

with a glorious driveway or patio that they can be proud of”. Asked why he believes that the company is going from strength to strength, Sales Manager Bradley Stocks explained “Resin driveways are now the fastest growing home improvement in the UK and are getting more & more popular all the time. This is because how attractive they look, the fact they are non slip, and mainly because they require no ongoing maintenance like traditional surfaces. We get a lot of our work from word of mouth & recommendations so because we make sure our customers are happy, we get more work on the back of it. We also now offer composite fencing which is also incredibly popular due to it not needing to be painted or stained”

Anybody wishing for any help, advice or information is welcomed to call into see their display at 25 Butterley Hill, Ripley or alternatively call on 01773 303181. They are also offer free, no obligation quotations.

The company would be delighted to quote on any customers work involving resin driveways, patios, composite fencing or gates.

Simply drop them a call on 01773 303181

The Ghost of our Celtic Past

The original Celtic celebration, Samhain (pronounced sow-ain) actually marked the end of one year and the transition to the next. The move from the abundance of summer and the harvest into the scarcity and cold of winter. Celts associated winter with death and believed the shift to the new year caused the veil between this world and the next to thin, allowing the spirits of the ancestors to visit.

As so often happens, a new religion, Christianity, absorbed and subsumed the old celebration.

And yet the old beliefs still linger, only now they are remembered in an orgy of “candy” consumption. Sweet stuff obtained by knocking on stranger’s doors and demanding it on pain of suffering “a trick” if the desired sticky treats are not forthcoming!

The idea that dead ancestors will come a calling, is relegated to dressing up as ghouls and ghosts.

To face painting and costume wearing. Honestly, our Celtic antecedents must be spinning in their graves. Imagine if the most sacred date in the Christian calendar was reduced to straight out consumerism and consumption.

Oh, hang on…

Of course Halloween is not just a British thingall though the way we do it now is definitely more North American than homegrown - the day, and those following are marked around the world. None more so than in Mexico with the famous Día de los Muertos (day of the dead).

Día de los Muertos is actually celebrated on November 2, but begins the day we designate as Halloween. The celebration is designed to honour the dead who, it is believed, return to their earthly homes on October 31. Then on November 2, relatives gather at gravesides to picnic and reminisce. Some gatherings even include tequila and a mariachi band…sounds fun.

We can blame our American cousins for the commercialism of Halloween. As a melting pot of many ethnicities, the traditions of different cultures were assimilated into a wholly unique way to mark the thinning of the veils.

An old English tradition of giving pastries called “soul cakes” to beggars in return for promises to pray for the dead of the donors, probably transmuted to “trick or treat”. Although there could also be links to “Mischief Night” which occurs around the same time as Halloween.

Dressing in outlandish “spooky” costumes may derive from the custom of wearing masks to confuse any visiting dead who decide to pop through from the other side.

Whatever the origins of the “customs” we now see being played out at Halloween, the overriding theme seems to be “spend money”. Buy sweets (I refuse to type candy again!), buy the kids costumes, buy decorations for your house, place of work…buy, buy, buy.

I shall, as usual, turn out the lights and keep the front door shut. Trick or treaters won’t be able to blame dental decay on me! These articles are researched and written by Laura Billingham, a local content writer and author. Laura moved to the Peak District several years ago to pursue her passion for writing. To find out more visit www.word-witch.co.uk or contact Laura on 07736 351 341

All Hallow’s Eve. All Saint’s Eve. Samhain. The night when, allegedly, the “veils” between the living and the dead are at their thinnest.

OFFERING MORTGAGE SOLUTIONS IN A CHALLENGING FINANCIAL CLIMATE

We recently had the great pleasure of visiting Renshaw Mortgage Solutions at their new location on Jacksdale High Street. They moved there in March and the place looks amazing.

Our visit was personal this time. We needed a new mortgage so we visited our trusted advisor, Andy Renshaw. Andy has been advising us for years and by getting to know us and our personal circumstances he is able to tailor his advice best to us and always gets us the best deal. Andy is always super friendly and professional and has his fingers on the pulse with all the latest happenings in the relevant markets. We can’t recommend him highly enough!

Renshaw Mortgage Solutions has been in business since 2007 and the team, consisting of Andy, Corinne, Rachel and Paul can offer a number of services, including mortgages, remortgages, life insurance and critical illness cover.

Right now it is a great time to talk to them if your mortgage is due for renewal in the near or mid-term future. They can help you plan ahead and secure the best rates for your future. For example, they can lock in a remortgage deal up to six months before your current one expires, but you can still change it until the last minute if you find a better one. How great is that?

Relocation of an Established Business: A New Chapter for

D.M. FURNISHINGS

For the past eight years, D.M. Furnishings has been an integral part of the vibrant Sutton-in-Ashfield high street community. As a local enterprise deeply rooted in the area, owner Darren has not only served the town but has also become synonymous with quality and reliability. Now, with an eye on expanding horizons, this cherished family venture is embarking on an exciting journey from Low Street to a more prominent spot on Outram Street.

Darren's connection to Sutton-in-Ashfield runs deep, and his commitment to supporting the local high street is unwavering. This commitment has been the driving force behind the decision to relocate the business, setting up shop in a spacious, two-level store. The move provides an opportunity to exhibit an even more extensive array of products, showcasing D.M. Furnishings' diverse range to its full potential. The story of D.M. Furnishings goes beyond its time on the high street. Prior to this venture, Darren successfully ran his own furniture manufacturing and reupholstering factory. With over two decades of experience in the industry, Darren's expertise is the cornerstone of the business's reputation for quality and craftsmanship.

Central to D.M. Furnishings' ethos is the dedication to exceptional customer service. Darren goes the extra mile to ensure that each customer's experience is personalised and hassle-free. Before finalising any sale, he personally visits the customer's residence to assess the available space and the property's access points. This meticulous approach prevents the all-too-common disappointment of purchasing furniture that doesn't quite fit the intended space.

D.M. Furnishings also offer a wide variety of bespoke products including sofas, chairs, and recliners. The allure lies not only in the diversity of products but also in the ability to tailor each piece to your precise measurements. With a vast selection of fabrics, customers can truly imbue their individual style into every piece they choose. As a testament to their commitment to customer convenience, D.M. Furnishings also provides a home delivery service for all products.

9-11 Outram Street, Sutton- in- Ashfield, Notts, NG17 4BA (Next door to Wilko’s and with Asda car park directly behind us)

YOUR LOCAL RISE AND RECLINER

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Read our reviews on Yell

Slimming World Recipe

Prawn Stir Fry

Method:

1. Mix together the cornflour, garlic, ginger, chilli sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sweetener, tomato purée and stock in a small bowl.

2. Spray a deep non-stick frying pan or wok with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a high heat. When hot, add the onions, peppers and 2 tbsp water and stir-fry for 4 minutes. Add the green beans and stir-fry for 3 minutes, or until all the vegetables are just tender.

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Mansfield Rd, Selston, NG16 6EE

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Stir frys are such an easy win. Quick to prep and cook, loads of flavour and packed full of healthy ingredients. Perfect for a family feast!

3. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the pack instructions and drain well.

4. Add the prawns and bamboo shoots to the vegetables and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the noodles and the chilli sauce mixture and toss well. Simmer for 1 minute, or until the sauce has thickened.

5. Divide between 4 bowls and serve piping hot.

For more information visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk

Ingredients:

• 2 level tsp cornflour

• 1 tsp chopped garlic in vinegar from a jar, drained

• 1 tbsp chopped ginger in vinegar from a jar, drained

• 1 level tbsp hot chilli sauce, such as sriracha

• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

• Pinch of sweetener granules

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• 100ml boiling chicken stock

Serves: 4 Ready in: 20 mins

• Low-calorie cooking spray

• 200g frozen sliced red onions

• 300g frozen mixed sliced peppers

• 200g frozen green beans

• 250g dried egg noodles

• 400g frozen cooked and peeled prawns, thawed

• 225g can sliced bamboo shoots, drained

Syns per serving: 0.5

SWIMMING CLUB

ADAM PEATY COACHES ASPIRING SWIMMERS FROM BELPER MARLIN SWIMMING CLUB

Ten lucky swimmers, from Belper Marlin Swimming Club, have spent the day training with triple Olympic Champion Adam Peaty. The Race Clinic, held at Whitwick and Coalville Leisure Centre, provided aspiring swimmers from the East Midlands with a world class racing experience.

The AP Race Clinics were founded in 2019, with the aim of inspiring swimmers, parents, and coaches on their journey through the sport of swimming. In 2023 alone, the wider AP Race Team will interact with over 10,000 swimmers, parents, and coaches.

An on-line competition invited clubs to say why their swimmers deserved to win ten places at the Coalville clinic. Parents and friends were quick to take to social media to praise Belper Marlin swimmers for their incredible fundraising efforts. Together they raised £6,639 for the Laura Centre in Leicester by taking part in a Mega Swim. Swimmers were also recognised for participating in a four-mile protest march to help save their home pool, Belper Leisure Centre, which had been at risk of closure due to soaring operating costs. A recent announcement confirmed that the leisure centre’s future has now been secured by appointment of a new operator, not-for-profit company Trilogy Active Limited.

Speaking about the club’s achievements, Sophie Axford, Chair of Belper Marlin Swimming Club, commented: ‘We are delighted that the leisure centre is safe. It’s been our home since 1974 and is such a valuable resource for the wider community. Our swimmers thoroughly deserved their places at the AP Race Clinic.’

Swimmers at the Race Clinic were put through their paces at three stations throughout the day.

At the swim station they were coached by Adam himself. They went on to attend a gym station and a racing edge station, where they were coached by Adam’s Strength and Conditioning Coach and his Psychologist respectively.

Parents were able to attend a special parent’s support station where they gained insights shared from the teams’ combined experiences. To round off the day for everyone, Adam gave a presentation around his journey through swimming, the lessons he has learnt, how he has managed to retain unparalleled levels of success for so long and all about his pursuit of becoming Better Than Yesterday.

Speaking after the event, 13-year-old Finley Jenkins, a competitive swimmer for the club, commented: ‘Today has been amazing. Breaststroke is my favourite stroke and to be trained by Adam Peaty is a dream come true.’

You can find out more about Belper Marlin Swimming Club here: www.belpermarlin.co.uk

You can find out more about the AP Race Clinics here: www.clinics.aprace.club

If you are interested, please go to our website www.belpermarlin.co.uk and click “Join Us” or email us on info@belpermarlin.co.uk.

Flake’ s Favourites

Re-walking Rafa’s Rambles

So we agonised over the new title. There were some great suggestions but we felt this way we could give a nod to Rafa, who walked the length and breadth of the local area for around 14 years, checking out the best walks, before putting his paws up. Rafa is still (slowly) wandering around his favourite parks and fields but the big walks are beyond him these days This month Flakey has re-rambled a walk we first featured in May 2018. It’s a great walk, with some lovely views, woods to explore and quiet country lanes. Perfect for a sunday stroll with your furry friend

6.5-MILE CIRCULAR WALK FROM THE CARRS PARK

A mid-distance walk which should take you and your dog around 2.5 - 3 hours to complete. The walk is mostly on trails and paths but there are a few short stretches of road so please take care. There may be some uneven and muddy terrain, so please wear appropriate footwear and as always, please follow the countryside code.

START: THE CARRS PARK, CHURCH ROAD PARKING, CHURCH ROAD, CHURCH WARSOP. NG20 0SF

1. Head back through car park entrance and turn left along the main road for a short distance, then turn right onto a main road signposted for ‘Meden Vale’. Continue along this road for some distance and then take the first right into ‘Manor Court’.

2. Continue to walk to the very end of this road and continue straight ahead onto a tarmac footpath threading between the houses. Follow the tarmac path around the back of the houses to pass through

a large wooden gate and turn right along a road.

3. Continue until reaching a T-junction of roads. Turn right and then continue straight ahead to cross over a river bridge. Shortly after, at a T junction, turn left to continue along a single-track road. Pass a farm on your right and then continue for some distance until reaching a gated single-track road on your right.

Don’t forget to mention Voice Magazines when responding to the Ads

4. Turn right to pass by the large metal gate and continue uphill. At the top of the hill pass over a railway bridge and then continue straight ahead. Eventually the road turns into a bumpy lane.

5. As you continue along the lane you will pass by a water treatment plant with a chain link fence on your left. When the fence on your left comes to an end, bear left and downhill to continue along the lane. Continue to the bottom of the hill and then begin to gently climb for some distance before reaching a crossroads of lanes.

6. Continue straight ahead keeping a hedge on your left and open fields on your right. Eventually the lane narrows into a footpath and begins to drop downhill towards some trees. Continue straight ahead into the trees passing through some metal posts and then ignoring a footpath to your right continue ahead keeping trees on your right and open views to your left.

7. Continue for some distance and then pass by a signposted bridleway on your left. Continue straight ahead going downhill until reaching the bottom of the hill and a signposted crossroads of footpaths. Turn right going gently uphill along a tarmac path and continue straight ahead for a long distance until reaching a track on your left.

8. At this point, ignore the track on your left and continue a little further to a yellow marker post and a track on your right. Turn right along the track and after a very short distance curl around to the left. Continue along the track for quite some distance and then ignore a track on your left to continue straight ahead.

9. After some distance ignore a signposted footpath directly ahead of you and bear around to the right to continue along the track going downhill. At the bottom of the hill at a junction of paths, bear right, then immediately left to take a small footpath going into the woods.

10. Continue for some distance and at a crossroads of footpaths continue straight ahead along a footpath with trees on your right and open views to your left. Continue until reaching a T-junction of paths with open views directly in front of you. Turn right and then after a very short distance turn left to continue along a farm track with a hedge on your right.

11. Continue along the farm track with a hedge on your right for a long distance. Prior to reaching a rail bridge directly in front of you and at a signposted footpath on your right, turn sharp left

to continue along a signposted bridleway and farm track with a hedge on both sides. After a short distance continue ahead going uphill with a hedge on your right and open views to your left.

12. At the top of the hill the track narrows down into a footpath with a hedge on both sides. Continue straight ahead until dropping into a dip and then turn right along a footpath going gently downhill. After some distance pass underneath a rail bridge and eventually reach a road. Cross straight over the road to continue along a narrow lane.

13. After a short distance you will reach a road. Continue straight ahead to go downhill along Sandy Lane. At the bottom of the hill, at a T-junction of roads, turn left and continue for a short distance and then turn right along Hetts Lane.

14. Continue straight ahead to a T-junction with a main road. Cross straight over the main road to continue straight ahead along a wide tarmac footpath with a wall on your left and a fence on your right. After a short distance continue straight ahead to cross over a river bridge. Immediately after crossing the bridge turn right to follow footpath with the river on your right.

15. Continue to wind along the footpath with the river on your right until reaching the car park and starting point..

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.

To advertise please call Voice Team on 01773 549 035

Guess the words and Fill in the crossword ! Pitcherwits®

Across

5 Only Newton could produce such material (5)

7 Sonar detection of fire-raising (5)

11 Have some bearing for the listener (3)

12 A test of your income from drawing pins, say? (3)

16 Open more than the junction (5)

17 Fraudulently make the smithy (5)

Down

2 Oz lager sounds a bit thin (5)

3 William Butler, as yet unplaced (5)

10 Accomplices in the theft of ‘diamonds’ (3)

14 Ridiculously opulent, but not on stopping (3-2)

15 Attempt to choose (2,3)

6

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

FESTIVE GIFT FAIR AT THE NEC -

Thursday

THE BIGGEST AND MOST LIVELY INDOOR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING FAIR IN THE HEART OF THE COUNTRY IS BACK! .... FABULOUS BARGAINS, GREAT MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT AND SO MUCH CHOICE!

Be inspired and get your festive preparations off to a flying start at the ever-popular 4-day FESTIVE GIFT FAIR this November. Now in its 27th fabulous year, it remains one of the most popular Christmas Shopping events in the UK for a good reason!

The Fair will be bursting at the seams with a colourful, eclectic mix of unusual stocking fillers and presents, festive food and drink and great Christmas decorations for your home and garden. 325+ stalls all in one hall …. with clever gift ideas for all ages and tastes … and lots of Special Show Offers!

The festive atmosphere is always fantastic! While browsing the stalls, let the music get you into that Christmassy mood and enjoy being entertained by the Grinch … up to his usual menacing antics, Father Christmas with his amazing sleigh, a whole variety of Christmas harmonies by our live musicians and jazz stilt walkers who will be legging it up the aisles!

Make sure you visit the popular Festive Food & Drink area where you’ll find tempting stalls selling everything from cheese to chutneys, spices to spirits, puddings to preserves, chocolates to champagne, beers to brownies and hampers to hog

Competition Time!

One of the largest showrooms in Nottinghamshire established over 30 years

From supply only to full installation we offer the full package. Our experienced and knowledgeable design teams are here for you, offering a full, free of charge planning and design service. If you’re after a bathroom or kitchen we are serious about creating the best design possible to suit your budget.

PINXTON & SOUTH NORMANTON: HISTORY GROUP PINXTON SCHOOLS

The earliest schools were for the fee-paying children of the wealthy/upper classes. With the industrialisation of the country, philanthropic industrialists started to build schools for the children of their workers. The community of Pinxton started to rapidly change in the late eighteenth century with the sinking of its first deep coal mines. Pinxton Sleights No.1 pit was sunk in 1788, along with twenty cottages (Meadow Road and Nether Meadow Row), both built at the same time as the pit shaft was excavated. This was to house incoming experienced coal miners and their families.

The boys of these families at this date followed their father and older brothers into the mine, at the tender age of just five or six. Girls were taught how to do domestic chores by their mothers.

This started to change in Pinxton, in 1824 when John Coke, who was solely responsible for the management of the Coke family industrial and commercial interests, built a schoolroom, and hired a school master.

This was situated at the bottom of Alexander Terrace. Residents of Pinxton of a certain age will have known it as ‘The Legion Club’. The original building was two stories, with a lending library and reading room on the upper floor.

At this date there were only FIVE schools in the whole of the Erewash Valley, available to the children of working families. THREE of these were in Pinxton.

This building also became the forerunner of the Wharf Methodist Church. Methodists living at Pinxton Wharf had to walk to (todays) West

End. They petitioned John Coke who allowed them the use of the upstairs room to meet on Sundays.

The author has a map in his possession dated 1835, which clearly shows, not only this school but also the school situation on Kirkstead Road (todays Junior School) building, together with the three bottom blocks on Pool Close - all built by Pinxton Collieries Company, presumably using bricks made in Pinxton’s two brickyards.

The village also had at least two small private schools, one of which was for girls (sorry young ladies) on Mill Lane and one at the junction of Brookhill Lane and Town Street, opposite the site of the former Greyhound Public House. This article was contributed by Norman Taylor on behalf of The Pinxton and South Normanton Local History Society. If anyone has a decent photograph of the former British Legion, I wonder if they would like to share a copy of it with me.

The Society meets on the third Monday, monthly at The Post Mill Centre at 7pm. Visitors welcome.

WHY NOT GIVE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE A VISIT?

PINXTON AND SOUTH NORMANTON HISTORY GROUP.

Mike’sMusings

Mike is always glad to hear from you at : mike.musings@outlook.com

The follies of youth!

Like a lot of people, I discovered alcohol before I was legally entitled to. Part of the problem for me was my parents ran a hotel with two very busy public bars, and when I turned 16, I was instructed to give up both my paper round and the after school and weekend role as a message boy and become a part-time barman. Not only was I promised more money but there would be tips and the occasional drink. Talk about a potential road to ruin??

The downside of course was that being the son of someone well known in the town, it limited the opportunity for underage drinking with my mates in other licensed premises. Don’t fret, I got by!

At Headingley this summer for England’s memorable victory over the Australians, I was reminded of a tale from my youth.

It’s a long story, but I’d just turned 17 and was still at school, when I took two unauthorised (for which I was later punished) days off, and hitch-hiked south of the border for the very first time for a Friday night game of football at Elland Road.

Having got to Leeds on the Thursday night, I quickly found a cheap B&B for the night. Next, stop was a pub.

Now, back home, we underage drinkers thought that the height of sophistication was to order what we called a ‘snakebite’ i.e., a bottle of sweet stout in a pint glass topped up with cider. What we didn’t know – and I was soon to find out - was that there were variations of that ‘recipe’ in other parts of the UK.

Whatever, I entered a nearby pub, confidently walked up to the bar and ordered my first Yorkshire

snakebite, and then made my way through the cigarette smoke to sit down next to a group of lads playing dominoes.

After a few sips of my drink, I could tell that something wasn’t right. I couldn’t work out why, but this wasn’t the snakebite that I was familiar with. Anyway, I continued to sup away and in between chatting to these blokes, ordered another. When they asked what I was drinking, I told them, and one said “Ee lad, that Guinness and cider can be reet potent”. This response answered one unasked question.

I continued to chat away with them, but just as I was getting to the bottom of my third localised version of snakebite, I began to feel ‘not quite right’. Thankfully, I’d just enough time to get out and through the salon type doors before I threw up all over the pavement. As those doors swung to and fro, I’ll never forget the loud comment from within, “Scotch blokes, eh? They canna hold a drink tha knows!”

More details of other youthful misfortune can be found in my sporting memoir, copies of which are selling fast. In the meantime, feel free to pass on embarrassing tales of drinking when you were young to mike.musings@outlook.com. Don’t panic, I won’t reveal names!

SJ Parris’s Giordano Bruno books can become a bit of an addiction. They’re classy historical thrillers set in a period of immense global upheaval. This is the period of Elizabeth 1, religious wars, huge power struggles, treachery, intrigue and murders.

In the latest in the series - Alchemy - our urbane intellectual investigator Bruno is commissioned to dive beneath the surface of the dangerous political waters of early 1500s Prague. Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf the second is a man of science – not unlike Bruno himself, but unlike Bruno he is in thrall to power – the power of alchemy, turning base metal into gold and the search for the secret of eternal life.

These were dangerous interests to have at that time – the Catholic Church was very jealous of its control over huge swathes of Europe and as was shown by the Spanish Inquisition, willing to go to any lengths to protect that power. Science and alternative ways of thinking were not allowed.

Rudolf – and Bruno – and anyone else who gets in the way of the church, is effectively the enemy.

The twists and turns are delicious – as soon as you start to think the plot is unravelling in one direction, it’s off full at canter in another direction. And threaded through it all is considerable historical research, both of the times – as with the experience of the Jewish community in Prague at that time and with the plight of poor people. Rudolf was a real person, as indeed was Bruno, (in real life a philosopher and poet.) And though there’s no evidence he ever turned detective, there’s nowt wrong with a bit of dramatic licence.

The characters are fully drawn and there’s no shortage of wry humour. And if you like Signor Bruno there are another six books to go at.

&

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Unit F2, Concept 360, Chadburn House, Weighbridge Road, Mansfield. NG18 1AH

Unit F2, Concept 360, Chadburn House, Weighbridge Road, Mansfield. NG18 1AH

October is the start of bare root planting. Apples and pears will be far less expensive if planted as roots rather than foliage-bearing trees later in the season.

Currants and gooseberries can also be planted bare root now and bare root roses will be delivered between now and spring. Dig a hole deep and wide enough for each plant or alternatively, if you live in a cold pocket with frequent early frosts, plant into a suitable sized container in good compost and put into a cold frame or greenhouse for the winter then harden off and plant out into the ground in spring.

Wallflowers can go into the ground as bare root plants now to flower in early spring and cowslips can be sown as seeds in trays in a cold frame as they need cold to germinate, while being protected from heavy rain. Ideally, they like to grow in shady wet places.

Time to think about the outdoor beasties. Hedgehogs are preparing to sleep the winter away so if you think you have them as visitors leave out meat-based cat or dog food and water so they can fatten up. Leave windfalls for the birds. Plant croci and fritillary so there is early nectar for hibernating bumblebees when they emerge in spring.

You’ll be putting your bulbs in now. Daffs and crocuses can still go in, you’re not too late, but leave tulips till October.

Autumnal fungi of woods and pastures

Late summer and into autumn are certainly the seasons for mushrooms and other fungi, and especially the case with rain and periods of higher temperatures too. So, imagine my excitement when I came across what seemed to be a wild ‘horse mushroom’ in an area of old, unimproved wet pasture, and it was the size of a small dinner-plate. Of course, the business end of the fungus is its extensive network of hyphae underground and the ‘mushroom’ is merely the fungal equivalent of a flower. I carefully picked my prize and took it home with me. Now generally speaking, the edible , big ‘mushrooms’ look and smell like those bought from a shop, and the fragrance is very distinctively ‘mushroomy’. Indeed, most of the wild mushrooms of fields and other pastures with a whitish or ivory cap and brown gills underneath, are edible and good to eat. However, with fungi the bottom line is caution and unless you really know what it is then avoid. Each autumn a number of (sometimes knowledgeable) foragers manage to poison themselves and sometimes their families and friends too. Some of the poisonous fungi have horribly potent toxins as suggested by their names such as ‘death cap’, ‘destroying angel’, and ‘panther cap’; and so, these should be avoided at all costs. Nevertheless, as a rule of thumb, the ones which look like ordinary mushrooms and particularly with the dark gills underneath the cap, are good.

There was something not quite right about the specimen I had collected, and the first warning sign was the absence of the typical ‘mushroom’ smell. I also noticed that the stem and later the cap appeared to bruise rather yellow when handled. The gills were brownish but in fact a dull grey brown and not the rich, reddish brown of the field mushrooms and horse mushrooms. I was having doubts and my thoughts turned to a close relative of the edible mushrooms, the so-called ‘Yellow

Stainer’, a species that occurs in late summer and autumn in fields, gardens, and hedgerows. Worryingly, this is edible to a few people but poisonous to most, and whilst not actually deadly is one to avoid.

Just to be sure I cooked the specimen up and whilst it didn’t have the tell-tale iodine, inky smell reported for Yellow Stainer, it didn’t smell especially nice either. Moreover, as it cooked the plate of mushrooms turned a rather unpleasant and ominous yellow. It ended up in the bin! There are many edible mushrooms but only a handful which are unmistakable for something nasty and those are the ones I go for. The Yellow Stainer is the species responsible for most cases of moderate poisoning because it is taken as ordinary field mushroom or horse mushroom –avoid!

Another noticeable species if the ‘Fairy Ring Mushroom’ or Marasmius which again occurs in old or even ancient grassland and some rings are centuries old. Again, this is a species which is edible and delicious, but the problem here, is that certain very similar and related mushrooms which are poisonous often grow in amongst them. So once again if you are not sure then leave well alone!

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

Chatsworth fairy ring by Peter Wolstenholm

Yellow Stainer

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