Rural Voice - Darley Dale & Villages Edition - February 2022

FEBRUARY ’22

DARLEY BRIDGE • DARLEY DALE • DARLEY HILLSIDE • ELTON FARLEY • HACKNEY • NORTHWOOD • ROWSLEY • STANTON IN PEAK TWO DALES • UPPER HACKNEY • YOULGRAVE.

National Love Your Pet Day 20th February

Professional Food & Retail Health

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Home Garden

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Shouting about businesses in the heart of your community

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From the Editor Dear Readers,

Love is in the air this month, what with February being the month of love. There are lots of caring and considerate awareness days this month and we’ve selected a few, of which, the lovely Laura has obliged and written an article for most of them. It’s nice to be nice and it’s a rare commodity seemingly these days.

Month 1 of New Year’s Resolutions and I’m doing quite well so far. I forgot how much I love reading and I will read anything & everything pretty much. So much so, Kev-John from our distribution team read my column last month and is sending some Jack Reacher books my way. Apparently, I just have to disassociate the book from the film, as the main character has a different stature to what was portrayed on screen!

Anyway, I’m off to grab another one/six of those digestives before Jan ends …see you in March!

Happy Reading,

x Emily

Anyway, being the all or nothing person I am, I subsequently decided over New Year that, rather than set Resolutions for the year, I would do 1 minichallenge a month (that’s the theory at least). For Feb, I am going with ‘no sugar’ Feb. I will confess, I am a sugar addict! I would literally be half the size if I stepped away from all the refined sugar that migrates its way into my mouth most hours of the day! I did this

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once before about 3 years ago and it was absolute purgatory for me (and anyone in my vicinity) …..but it did break the cycle for a bit and a good exercise in self-discipline for me personally – wish me luck! *please note, that at the time of writing, designer Lisa has just brought the biscuit barrel downstairs and wafted lemon drizzle chocolate digestives under my nose – February is going to be very long month*

Just to re-cap, we got through Christmas and New Year relatively unscathed from the dreaded ‘C’ word but upon reflection I think that’s probably down to a massive reduction of parties that we attended – mind you, I think I’ve put on a good stone in weight, you wouldn’t believe the amount of wine and cheese there was at the work meetings that took place!!😜 Anyway, that’s enough of that talk.

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To advertise email: info@voicemagazines.co.uk or call us on 01773 549 035 Printed by Warwick Printing Company Ltd Ltd and distributed to 6,500 homes in North Derbyshire. Disclaimer: No responsibility is accepted by Voice Magazines Limited for claims, errors or omissions made in advertisements appearing in this issue. All advertisers are accepted in good faith and we are not responsible for views expressed by contributor or other sources. Reproduction of the contents of this magazine is not permitted without the prior consent of the publisher. Voice Magazines Limited, 40 High Street, South Normanton, Derbyshire. DE55 2BP. Registered in England & Wales No: 10550557

Put YOURSELF First this Valentine’s Day February - the forgotten month, or perhaps the month we want to forget - it’s usually wet, grey and cold, Christmas is long gone, the New Year resolutions already abandoned, and the summer hols seem aeons away…

What better month to celebrate L.O.V.E.? Valentine’s Day - the annual love fest beloved by manufacturers of fake red roses and schmaltzy greeting cards. Who remembers NOT receiving cards from secret admirers and feeling crushed because of the lack?

I certainly do, albeit many years ago!

These days my other half and I have a pact; we don’t send each other a card, flowers or chocolates - in fact, we don’t even acknowledge the day, we’re secure in our feelings and don’t need extravagant demonstrations of affection - it’s so much less stressful!

I have an alternative idea for you this Valentine’s Day - instead of sending your love outwards via cards and flowers, turn the love back onto yourself! How often have you put yourself last on your personal to-do list? How often have you prioritised someone else’s needs above your own? And how often have you thought it selfish to do things just for you - things that make your heart sing?

Sharing your love with others IS important; I’m not saying it isn’t, but giving yourself time for self-care, selfappreciation - and YES, self-love, is equally vital. We’ve all heard the phrase “you can’t pour from an empty jug”, keeping YOU happy, content and fulfilled is key to you being able to share yourself and your love with the world. It ISN’T selfish to take time out just for you, and it’s time more of us realised that and stopped acting like

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martyrs at the beck and call of family, friends and work colleagues.

Take time to go for a solo walk, swim, shopping trip - whatever floats - your boat do it and enjoy it! Buy something frivolous just for you. Buy yourself flowers, a frothy coffee in a nice café, get a new hairstyle, a new outfit (visit charity stores if you’re on a budget, there can be some amazing finds if you take the time to browse). And don’t be afraid to say NO. It’s your life, your time and if someone asks for something that you don’t want to do - tell them - that doesn’t mean turning into a grouch; it just means you introduce a new set of boundaries for others to respect. I’m not saying, “don’t help others” - I am saying “it’s not always your job to”.

This may all take some getting used to, especially if you have always been a giver, but persevere. Eventually, doing things for YOU will become more natural, second nature even, and I bet you will feel better for respecting your own wants and needs - and we all know that when WE feel good, we are better equipped to deal with everything the world throws at us. Win. WIn. 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. landgassociates.co.uk or contact Laura on 07736 351 341

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TRUST IN JESUS for He Cares for you

Welcome to YOUR community noticeboard. A dedicated space for you to post notices, events and for not-for-profit community groups advertise in.

To place a notice, from a super-low rate of 6+VAT per square Contact Danielle on 01773 549035 or community@voicemagazines.co.uk

All the tinsel and cards and trimmings may be taken down but you can still be sure that our Lord Jesus Christ is with you always and he will never leave you nor forsake you.

He is our Joy. (Hebrews 13:5) Whether we celebrate or when we are going through troublesome times - he is ALWAYS there walking by your side and when times are really bad - he carries he you through the troubled water.

He promises that he will never leave us nor forsake us. We can always trust in Jesus. Take your cares to him in prayer - for he cares for YOU. (1 Peter 5:7)

ANN POWELL - annandgraham29@gmail.com

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nd a s d r o w Guess the d! ! r o w s s Fill in the cro

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.

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2

3

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Across 9 There’s merit in a big teapot, they say (4) 10 Overtake in mountain gap (4) 11 Crouching, yet hung out for the bloomers (5) 12 Land mass allegedly in church centre (4) 13 Dice throw back to a line (4)

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10 11

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Down 2 Wearying little illness, caused just by a bit of reflux (3) 3 Can you believe it? He started with a Big Bang! (3) 7 Story from the bank? (7) 14 Way in which Eisenhower did it (3) 15 Award received in odd socks! (3)

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16

Across

Down

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An angrier self could hear reports from these places (5,6)

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Soaring, while tucking rope inside (9,2)

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Pushed, in a way that’s really bendy!

(1-6)

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Suitors less suited to being truly understanding, ladies!

(4,7)

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Nieces are right about being genuine (7)

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Atone for ape’s clumsy exit (7)

14 He noted, curiously, that his feet pointed in (3-4) 16 Freshen up the place where the prows are moored badly (6,5)

ANSWERS FOR LAST MONTHS PITHERWITS Across: 1 Brainwaves, 5 Aromatic, 9 Arch, 10 Omen, 11 Arson, 12 Tamp, 14 Aver, 15 Pick-me-up, 18 Signet ring.

Down: 1 Break it up, 2 In a heap, 3 Arm, 4 Ski, 6 One’s due, 7 Tam, 8 Cantering, 10 On paper, 13 Mac, 16 Its, 17 Men.

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

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KIDS & FAMILIES

Eclectic Delights of Serendipity Stockists of unique products

• Leather handbags, wallets and purses from Ashwood Leather and Zatchels.

• Large range of the award-winning Frenchic paint.

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Telephone 01629 593 990 or 07506 681 946

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KIDS & FAMILIES

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KIDS & FAMILIES

THREE STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT…

I came across this question recently and it really challenged me: “what if you could only complain about 3 things per day?”. The question requires you to put yourself in some parallel universe where each day you are gifted 3 complaints, criticisms or judgements and then once they are used up, you are struck dumb for the rest of the day. How long would it take you to? Breakfast?

Lunch? It certainly made me think.

Revisiting a typical day I have to concede that I typically use up my 3 ‘strikes’ quite early and also waste them on some insignificant little things like the driving habits of pretty much everyone else on the road, what’s in the news and typically (because I’m British aren’t I?)… the weather. This bothers me.

You see I am an optimist; an encourager, and I hope a compassionate person, well known by my friends and family (and clients) as having a sunny, bright disposition. And yet, despite this, run a ‘complaints audit’ on what’s coming out of my mouth on a typical day and it seems that I can be pretty grouchy and liberal with my complaints and criticisms.

We all know someone who can pee on every bonfire; find some fault even with something that is essentially good: “ it was a good film although I didn’t like x actor”. These people are usual in a permanent state of discontent, usually comparing everything and everyone with others and finding them wanting in some way. I say ‘these people’ but maybe the truth is that often that’s my behaviour too. One of my sisters sees something of this in herself, a need, almost a drive to give balance by giving multiple points of view. She doesn’t see it as coming from a place of negativity and certainly I don’t see her as someone always wanting to find criticism. But it’s tricky …. I challenge you to take a listen to yourself, not just to see how quickly you use your 3 ‘strikes’, but also to see if you can recognise the negative ‘counter’ added in to something that is essentially good: “it was a really good meal… not the best I’ve ever had, but good non the less”.

We see this at work in Social Media all the time.

I can’t count the number of Facebook groups I’ve left because of the constant air of criticism.

One that springs to mind is a group for people who like using Chalk Paint for projects in their homes. Some householder would innocently post a picture of their newly painted front door with a comment about how happy and proud they are of it. Like a shot the replies come in , “yuck that colour is dreadful” or “are you going to leave your windows like that?”. Opinions, opinions that NO ONE asked for! Thankfully they’ll usually be some kind souls who celebrate with the householder (even if it IS hideous).

So tomorrow as you wake, I challenge you to set yourself 3 Strikes and see how long you last before you’re out! I’d love to know. Drop me a note and let me know would you?

Article written by Sarah Kallend.

Sarah is an Emotional & Mental Health Therapist offering a variety of therapies at her base at Ogston Reservoir. You can find out more about Sarah at 22 www.sarahkallend.com Don’t forget to mention Magazines when responding to the Ads or getVoice in touch at sarah@sarahkallend.com

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KIDS & FAMILIES

Thinking about getting a new dog?

Introducing a new pet to the household is a big commitment, so follow these do’s and don’ts to make sure you get it right!

Please do:

Please don’t:

1.

Research your breed! The average dog lives for around 13 years, so making sure that you choose a breed that will fit in with your lifestyle is essential before you start looking at puppies that you read up on the breeds you are interested in to make sure you know what to expect.

1.

Buy online without seeing the puppy or its mother!

Whilst it may seem convenient to pick a puppy from a picture and order it for delivery once weaned, these puppies are usually very poorly bred (often abroad) and are most likely to have serious health concerns.

2.

Check out your local rescues. Rescue centres have dogs of all ages and breeds, including puppies occasionally. At any one time, there are over 110,000 dogs in rescue in the UK, with almost 8000 being euthanised each year. Good rescue centres, like good breeders, will want to make sure that any dog you are interested in is a good fit for you and your family and so you should expect them to carry out home checks and meet all household members prior to adoption.

2.

Buy from anywhere that are selling lots of different breeds of dogs. They are likely ‘puppy dealers’, who are selling for puppy farms or buying puppies from puppy farms to sell on. Puppy farm puppies may have a pedigree certificate but does not mean that they are well bred! These dogs are bred too often and purely for profit, with no regard for their health.

3.

Buy from a pet shop. Good breeders will NOT sell their puppies via a shop.

4.

Buy from anywhere that you cannot see the mother with the pups. This is usually a good indication that something is amiss!

5.

Buy a puppy because it is cheap. Usually there is a reason for this – buyer beware!

6.

Buy a puppy with a known health issue unless you know exactly what you are taking on and the costs involved. If you are considering doing this, get a history from the breeder’s vet and then discuss the implications with your own vet so that you can make an informed decision. Any health problems that have been noted prior to you buying the puppy are highly unlikely to be covered by insurance.

3.

If you decide to buy a puppy, find a reputable breeder.

There are many breeders out there and many are not as trustworthy as they may lead you to believe.

A good breeder should be as interested in you and your home life as you are in their puppy. You should ALWAYS be able to see the puppy with its mother, as this will give you some indication of what the puppy is likely to grow up like, both physically and in temperament. A good breeder will provide you with information about the breed, ensure that their puppies are healthy with at least their first vaccinations done before going home, and will be there to support you through puppyhood and the rest of your dog’s life.

4.

Ensure that if you choose a breed with known health problems, that the breeder you go to makes use of the health testing schemes available e.g. testing for hip and eye problems. Certain hereditary health problems can cost thousands of pounds in vet bills and cannot necessarily be cured.

5.

Ask lots of questions! The RSPCA have compiled an excellent list of questions to ask which can be found on their website: http://www.rspca.org.uk/

6.

Take out pet insurance. Get estimates for the breed you are thinking about buying before you buy to make sure that you can afford the insurance. Whilst it may not seem necessary whilst your puppy is still young, taking out lifelong health insurance ensures that your dog will be covered in later years should the worst happen, and may also help you cover the costs of any cost issues that may arise in their early years (although always check the policy for exclusions, particularly in breeds that are predisposed to problems!

24

Don’t forget to book in with one of our Nurses for a new pet check and advice on looking after your new arrival.

Article written by Scarsdale Vets

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Book Review

American writer Richard Ford writes about relationships – mostly between men and women, but others too. He explores big themes, but makes his stories intimate. These are people you can care about, for all their flaws and imperfections and for simply being human.

His latest book, Sorry For Your Trouble is a series of short stories – a form which people either like or don’t - and as with his longer novels they’re shot through with a wry humour at the absurdities of life and compassion for those of us who quite often make a mess of things.

They aren’t necessarily an easy or quick read and they’re probably not the thing to save for a beach read (yes of course it will happen this year!!), but they are thoughtful and rewarding.

If you don’t like the idea of short stories Mr Ford also wrote a brilliant series about fictional sportswriter Frank Bascombe – starting with The Sportswriter, then Independence Day, The Lay of the Land and Let me be Frank With You, which are also really worth a dive into and which may well get you hooked.

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Carbon Footprints In the aftermath of COP26 there has been lots of talk about the best ways to reduce our carbon footprints and the spotlight has shifted from the demons of road and air travel to the way our food is produced and the impact of our diets. Lots of people are moving to vegetarian and vegan diets in the hope of reducing their impact on the climate and biodiversity loss.

Of course, there are many health, ethical, and cultural connections to our diets, which may sway our thinking over that of carbon emissions reduction. There are far too many regional complications to provide a single ‘perfect’ diet choice for an individual, but a move away from meat at each meal would certainly lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

But it’s not all about what we eat.

The carbon storage capacity of forests has been a given for many years now, so HVCA have been involved in several initiatives to stop cutting down trees and grow a lot more. We have recently become much more aware of the carbon storage capacity of healthy peat bogs.

Britain’s peat bogs hold more carbon than all the forests of Europe so we are very supportive of the work of Moors for the Future to restore degraded upland peat bogs in the Dark Peak. We are much less aware of the carbon storage capacity of our humble farm soil but it seems to make sense that healthy well managed farm soils will be species rich, carbon rich and productive.

Mob grazing (short duration, high density grazing with a longer than usual grass recovery period) has been shown to increase stored carbon in the soil because the practice of intensively

grazing then resting the field encourages strong growth of the grass. On the other hand, ploughing decreases stored carbon by disturbing the soil organisms and exposing nutrients to the oxidising effects of the atmosphere.

Paradoxically, the carbon footprint of intensively reared food is lower per weight of meat produced. A steak or chop from extensive, nature-friendly farming has a higher carbon footprint per kg, although the extensive farm probably has lower annual carbon emissions while producing less food.

Including livestock in an arable rotation increases stored carbon in the soil. So increasing biodiversity and storing more CO2 involves some intelligent trade offs.

Similarly, we have to be careful about where we plant our trees. Tree planting in the wrong place can lead to species and carbon loss, for example on moorlands and grasslands due to soil disturbance during preparation and planting. It is still a good thing to do in the right places, such as land which has been forested in recent history. That often means bracken covered hillsides which were mostly deforested in the First World War. There is no one size fits all when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint, but we CAN all do our bit.

HVCA was established in late 2019, and as their name suggests, it is based in and around the Hope Valley in the Peak District; its aims are to address the climate emergency by reducing carbon emissions and increasing biodiversity. The group was granted Charity status at the end of 2020 and is run by a board of trustees. The work they are doing, and the messages they are sharing, are just as relevant to the rest of the Voice Magazine distribution areas, and we’re delighted to have them on board.

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Still, there will be good signs of the approaching growing season – snowdrops in abundance. Once they’ve flowered you can lift and divide while they still keep their green foliage and they’ll reward you with more plants next year.

Speaking of bulbs this is a good time to start getting many summer bulbs in the ground. Alliums planted now should still be in time for late spring/early summer flowering and anemones are good to go, but do soak them overnight to give them a head start. Check how hardy the plants will be, this info is on the packet to ensure you don’t risk frost damage.

Prune climbing and shrub roses if you haven’t already and cut back old growth on sedums as you see the new growth starting to come through.

Top Tip:

Strawberries, surprisingly being hardy perennials will have survived the winter but may be looking a bit bedraggled by now. Take off old brown growth to encourage the plant to put out new shoots and if you want an early picking, put them under a cloche from the end of this month and into early March, remembering to keep them watered.

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GARDENS

Gardener’s Calendar

No hard and fast rules for February in the garden.

Everything depends on the weather and if there is a promise of really cold weather it is best to err on the cautious side.

GARDENS

The First Signs of Springtime At this time of year nature emerges from the challenges of winter season with the optimism of spring and summer ahead. Changing winter weather patterns mean seasonal fluxes are no longer as predictable as they once were.

Many wildflowers have remained in bloom throughout the colder months. Some plants are frosted back but many survive for much or all of the winter. On the high moors for example, green bracken fronds have turned golden-brown, and deciduous purple moor-grass (Molinia) has turned pale straw colour across extensive areas of wet moor and bog. Both these plants are now viewed as ‘problem species’ by conservation managers as they have spread and this has implications for wildlife. However, what most people including site managers often don’t realise, is that this is a quirk of history and of what I have called ‘cultural severance’. This is the ending of traditional management and countryside usage by local people like farmers (and historically peasants). In this case, purple moor-grass was harvested as ‘moor hay’ from moors and heaths across and around the Peak.

Bracken was also cut and harvested as animal bedding and every farm in the upland zone had a ‘bracken stack’ close by the farm and its cowsheds. It was this use of local plants and vegetation which kept ‘pest’ species in check. Ending that usage combined with air pollution especially nitrogen fallout from powerstations and car exhausts triggered a modern-day crisis of moorland management; maybe we need to learn from history.

on waste or disturbed ground look for the yellow dandelionlike flowers of coltsfoot. At the same time, birdlife is responding to longer days and shorter nights. An early breeding species is the tawny owl active in woods, parks, and gardens across the area. Breeding tawnies are highly territorial and hence very vocal from December through until March. But don’t approach too close to a nest-site as they will defend it against all comers – including you!

Also in woods and gardens there are blackbirds, robins, and others all singing and displaying. On rivers, canals, and lakes, waterbirds are holding territories and forming pairs; some like mallards already have ducklings in abundance. The beautiful little grebes or dabchicks are paired and actively displaying and foraging within their chosen patch. Worth looking for along the Peak District rivers such as the Wye, Derwent, and Lathkill for example, there is a rather special bird of the area, the dipper. During the breeding season with their distinctive white breasts, these birds fly up and down stream to patrol their territory; every so often stopping to bob or dip on a suitable stone or rock. However, listen for the distinctively sweet, rippling warble of the male dipper, from October to July but most easily heard around February or March.

Nevertheless, spring will soon be on its way and bracken-beds will show green shoots of recovery. Lower down the hill, woodlands start to burst into life with the first spring flowers such as the white wood anemone and golden yellow lesser celandine. Along watercourses, the peculiar flowers of great butterbur emerge and Professor Ian D. Rotherham, researcher, writer, broadcaster on wildlife and environmental issues in the Peak is contactable on info@hallamec.plus.com. Follow his website www.ukeconet.org, 38District and elsewhere, Don’t forget to mention Voice Magazines when responding to the Ads blog ianswalkonthewildside, & Twitter @IanThewildside

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