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

DEC ‘23

12 EDITIONS READ BY OVER 162,000 RESIDENTS

SELSTON, PINXTON, JACKSDALE & WESTWOOD

THE VOICE TEAM ure have all had a pict e th ng yi taken whilst enjo to d te an w d festivities an ry ve a l al u yo wish AS! MERRY CHRISTeM Read mor on page 3

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From the Editor Hi Readers, In the words of the immortal Mr Lennon – “So, this is Christmas and what have you done? Another year over and a new one just begun”.

I cast my mind back to the start of this year and as is the case with everyone I suppose, it is littered with ups and downs. I guess the aim of this ‘game of life’ is to try and have more ups than downs and that each time a down packs a punch, we either learn something or come back stronger. If only it was as simple as a Rocky movie for that to be the case! A punch that Liam and myself felt deeply this year was the loss of our good friend Kevin at Seals. Kev and his family have run Seals for more years than I’ve been around but I always remember visiting that small, family run business when I first started up and he greeted me with a new name – Amber (for those who remember the early incarnation of Voice) which has stuck for well over a decade now!! They didn’t need to but they have sponsored Rafa’s dog walk since virtually day one and that early kindness and continuing support from one local business to another can never be repaid. As an incredibly humble man in life, I have no doubt that Kev would have been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people that attended his funeral – not least because, what were we all doing there when we should have been at work!! I think

I’d be extremely proud of my legacy if I achieve half of what he has, including his strong family who continue in his footsteps.

Each Christmas, here at Voice, we always like to bring our avatar characters back out for the yearly Christmas Front Covers. Lisa works hard on them from around July onwards (which is a little strange but that’s print deadlines for you!) to bring something a little different. This year, I tasked her with ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ type theme – so a mash-up between the real world and the cartoon world for those that are old enough to remember!

Needless to say, it’s given us a right laugh and is always the highlight of the year – and remember, we all chose our avatars based on our favourite cartoon characters/influences and it always seems to fit our personalities! Have a look for yourself, we’ve laid them all out below and we hope they make you smile when they land on your doorstep this month. After all, before we get into the flap, panic, expense and craziness of this festive period, it is important to remember that as far as we know, we only get one go around, so there really is no point in taking yourself too seriously!

Let’s leave 2023 with the words of Dolly – “If you see someone without a smile, give ‘em yours!”

Merry Christmas from us all at Voice Magazines.

x Emily

WITH 12 MAGAZINES COVERING NOTTINGHAMSHIRE & DERBYSHIRE, WHY NOT ADVERTISE IN ANOTHER AREA? Upcoming Submission Deadline for Advertisers & Contributors: January ‘24 Edition - 8th December ‘23 • February ‘24 Edition - 12th January ‘24

To advertise email: info@voicemagazines.co.uk or call us on 01773 549 035 Printed by Image2Print Ltd and distributed to 5,000 homes in Selston, Pixnxton & Jacksdale 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

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Decorations of Christmas Past Does your family bring out the same Christmas tree decorations every year, complete with the ones made by children (and grandchildren) many years ago…a bit tatty around the edges maybe, but full of memories?

Or are you a “buy new each year, depending on décor and trends,” kind of person?

Have you ever wondered what we used to decorate our trees and houses with over the festive period in the dim and distant past, in more “innocent” times before rampant consumerism took hold?

Wonder no more!

The use of “Christmas” decorations is older than I thought. Apparently, 2,500 years ago, the Romans marked a midwinter celebration called Saturnalia by decorating their homes with evergreen wreaths. When the official religion of the Roman Empire became Christianity in 336 AD, the church powers pragmatically decided to embrace the old trimmings of the former pagan celebration and bring them into the church.

Our own pagan ancestors also marked the midwinter solstice by bringing greenery into the home to mark the gradual lengthening of the light towards spring and the promise of new life.

Yule logs – the real wooden kind, not the cake – were common throughout northern Europe and are probably also connected to a pagan midwinter rite. They would be kept burning for 12 days leading up to Christmas (or the solstice) to encourage the sun to rise after the long, snowy season.

Evergreen trees became part of Christian tradition in Germany very early on, and in the Middle Ages “paradise trees” began to appear. Meant to represent the Garden of Eden, evergreen trees were hung with apples and displayed in homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. Other decorations, all natural of course, made an appearance and by the 16th century, candles had made an appearance.

And thus, the Christmas tree as we know it today, was born.

It was, of course, German born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, who brought the tradition of decorated evergreen trees to England. Drawings of the royal family gathered around a bedecked and candle lit tree really sparked a desire in the British public to embrace the idea of a lavishly decorated tree as a centre point of their celebrations.

Unlike the plastic and glass baubles, and tinsel we use today, most early tree decorations were more eco friendly (before such a term was invented!). There would be apples and other fruit, sometimes dried and or crystallised.

Flowers, sweet pastries in the shapes of stars and hearts, and at some point candy canes made an appearance. Handmade decorations of made of paper, and small gifts would also be hung on the tree.

Unlike today there was no fashionable “theme” (this year I gather it is “peachy pink and coral, accented by champagne golds, lilac, or mint green tones”) people used what was to hand and reused what they could.

Whatever you decorate your house and tree with this Christmas, I hope you have lots of fun! x

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

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All Around the Shire STIR UP SUNDAY

The origin of this day was nothing to do with puddings or Christmas but everything to do with the Catholic or Anglican Church. It was traditionally the last Sunday in the year before Advent, when the collect for the day from the book of common prayer began “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people...”, Over time, this was taken to signify the day that families prepared the Christmas pudding (Stir up) and gave it its first steaming. Dried fruit, spices, flour and all the necessary ingredients had been bought in the weeks beforehand to spread the cost. Each member of the family would take turns to stir up the pudding and make a wish.

As well as the thirteen or so different ingredients in the mixture, trinkets were sometimes incorporated. Popular additions were a silver sixpence or thrupenny bit. You might also find a thimble, a button, a horseshoe, a wishbone, a bell or an anchor. If you were lucky enough to find one of these in your pudding on Christmas day, it could mean anything from a wedding in the coming year to eternal spinsterhood or bachelorhood.

During our reminiscence sessions, a popular talking point has been the “feeding” of the Christmas pudding or cake. This

refers to the regular addition of alcohol by pouring it over the pudding and allowing it to soak into the mixture. Holes are first made using various implements. People tell us they have used everything from a medical syringe, to a cocktail stick or even a knitting needle! The bigger the hole, the more alcohol in the final offering.

Whatever your festive preparations involve this year, I hope you make happy memories to look back on in the years to come.

Janet and Paul Barrass are All Around the Shire.

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Pinxton & South Normanton: History Group DECEMBER 2023

UNCLE BILL AND THE TOYS In the run-up to Christmas, I thought a topical story would be appropriate. It is taken from a publication produced in 2009 based on the childhood memories of a former Pinxton resident, George Sheldon.

He was a young lad and was at his grandma’s when Uncle Bill mentioned he had been up Wharf Road and the shops had all been decorated for Christmas, 1909. The two fruit shops were full of piles of rosy apples and oranges, and the sweet shop window

was full of white sugar mice and chocolates. Barratt’s shop window was filled with all kinds of brightly coloured and exciting looking toys.

All the shop windows were garlanded and tinselled and there was much holly and mistletoe about and in the butcher’s shop window was the head of a pig with an orange in its mouth.

Uncle Bill asked Georgie if he would like to go and have a look. Most of the shops had candles burning to keep condensation off the shop windows.

George was wearing boots and socks knitted by his mother and he had a woollen muffler to keep out the cold.

They walked up the street looking at the windows of Stanhope’s, Jacque’s and Elliott’s before reaching Barratt’s shop. It was full of gleaming-coloured toys. There were teddy bears, dolls, prams, footballs, games like Ludo and Snakes and Ladders and toy ducks and geese. He gazed in amazement at the wonderful display. Then he heard his Uncle Bill say, ‘I want you to look very carefully and see if anything takes your fancy?’ It was impossible to describe Georgie’s feelings when he heard he would buy a toy of his choice. It took his breath away; he was speechless; didn’t know what to say. He looked this way and that, at the goodies in the window. He looked at Uncle Bill’s face, and he could see that he was not joking; that he really meant it. Without any hesitation he silently pointed to a brilliantly red painted monkey.

It was a warm feeling of love and admiration that Georgie felt for his uncle as they walked back down Wharf Road.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Dedicated to the memory of George Henry Sheldon, born on Wharf Road, opposite the former New Inn public house, on Wharf Road in October 1905.

He died in 2000.

Abstract from a booklet produced by the Pinxton and South Normanton Local History Society - ‘Stories of Childhood Days in Pinxton’.

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Honey-roasted parsnip soup with halloumi

FOOD & RETAIL

Slimming World Recipe

If some flavours just jump out at you then honey roast parsnips and halloumi cheese must have a spring board! The perfect soup for a cold Decembers day.

Method: 4. Tip the parsnips into the onion pan. Add a splash of stock to the roasting tin and scrape up all the 2. Cook the parsnips in a saucepan caramelised juices from the base of boiling water over a high heat with a spatula. Add the juices to for 5 minutes. Drain well and the onion pan with the rest of the give them a little shake. Tip the stock and bring to the boil. Put parsnips into a large non-stick the lid back on and simmer for roasting tin, spray with low-calorie 10 minutes. Blitz the soup until cooking spray and drizzle with smooth using a stick blender (or the honey. Sprinkle over some use a food processor and return seasoning, toss well and spread to the pan). Remove from the the parsnips out. Roast for 25-30 heat, stir in the fromage frais and minutes, turning halfway. check the seasoning.

1. Get your oven warmed up to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.

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5. Spray a non-stick frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and put it over a high heat. Add the halloumi and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden, turning often. Divide the soup between 4 bowls and evenly scatter over the halloumi and parsley to serve.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

2023 RASCALS 50th ANNIVERSARY YEAR

As 2023 draws to a close, we can report that RASCALS 50th Anniversary year has been no less than exceptional in our club’s history. Travelling the length and breadth of the country supporting their athletes, joint club Presidents Tim and Chris Dening were delighted to relay that, “we have been involved with the club for many years and neither of us can remember a year like this one. International competitors in both swimming and lifesaving, fantastic success in national and county championships but above all a large group of young, and in some cases not so young, people enjoying themselves. Congratulations to our coaches, helpers and parents for all their support. What a great 50th anniversary year!!”

On the swimming front, this year has seen truly amazing individual and team performances. Our swimmers had successful representation in both short and long course Regional Championships, County championships, Arena League, Derwent Series, Diddy League and Leicester League. For the first time, RASCALS swimmers were selected to represent Derbyshire in the National Inter County Team Championships – a fantastic achievement and a very proud moment for our club!

It was also a tremendously exciting year for our lifesavers. In addition to the usual calendar of events for our Competitive Lifesavers in Swansea, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Bridlington, Blyth, RASCALS held their first ever Lifesaving Open Meet. Three lifesavers competed at the European Lifesaving Championships in Poland as part of Team GBR, and six lifesavers represented England, Scotland and Wales at the Lifesaving Commonwealth Games in Canada! On the Traditional

Lifesaving front, two of our lifesavers successfully represented the East Midlands at the National Lifesaving Competition.

In the midst of a full competitive schedule, Amber Valley Rugby Club was the setting for a club fun day (photo above) where great camaraderie ensured that every swimming coach was suitably splashed and dunked amid a day of fun and games!

Club Chairman, Tom Parr, acknowledges that a successful year such as this one, has actually been 50 years in the making. He reflects that, “none of this would have happened if our founder, Frank Mansey, hadn’t first encouraged the then Town Council to build a swimming pool, train to be a teacher and then start our club. So, we thank Frank, his co-founders and all those along the way for their support and encouragement”. It is truly phenomenal that our local club has produced County, Regional, National and International competitors, and a great credit to our teachers, coaches and supporters, including committees, many of whom have also become officials to enable our teams to compete at all levels.

Every year things change, so to keep the momentum going within national guidelines, is a continuing challenge for ourselves and the leisure centre operators, particularly after covid, so we also appreciate our close working relationship with Places Leisure”.

With all that said, we now look forward to celebrating at our annual Presentation Evening mid-December. Merry Christmas RASCALS – see you back with a splash in 2024!!

If you would like to expand your swimming activities or try something new, please contact us.

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FOOD & RETAIL

s ’ e k a l F s e t i r u o Fav

Re-walking Rafa’s Rambles

I won’t lie to you, this month there was a lot more grumble than ramble on the walk. So, I hope the weather is a lot, lot better for you than it was for us.

The thing that always makes it worthwhile though, is the happy dog whizzing around, like mud doesn’t stick to his feet (only his belly!) and that feeling when you are back home, cosy and warm, having earned that tasty treat.

This walk makes good use of the Blackwell and Silverhill Trails, with some nice views along the way.

So why not get out there in the rain and mud, make your dog happy and earn yourself a cake, or two?

5 1/2 MILE CIRCULAR WALK FROM TIBSHELF PONDS VIA THE BLACKWELL TRAIL Depending on the weather, this could be a muddy but moderate walk for you and your dog. The route will take around 3 hours. There are a couple of tricky stiles and there are roads to cross and walk alongside. The terrain can be uneven so as usual a good pair of boots are essential.

As ever, always follow the countryside code!

START: TIBSHELF PONDS CAR PARK, SUNNY BANK, TIBSHELF, ALFRETON DE55 5PG

1. Park in the free car park at Tibshelf ponds, which can be accessed off Sunny Bank road, which leads off Shetland Road.

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2. Exit the car park and turn right before taking the bridle path on your left beside a house.

Follow the track until it meets the road crossing over to the pavement.

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4. At the roundabout turn right down Cragg Lane and walk for 1/2 a mile before taking Church Hill on your right. After about 30 meters take the footpath on your left, through a gate and walk down the path past Blackwell Church.

5. At the bottom of the path cross & turn right for 20 meters and then cross over the road to take the path through a gate. Carry on down the track until it brings you to the Blackwell Trail, turning left.

6. Walk along the trail past Hilcote and after a bridge, at a split in the path, take the right.

Then, before you reach the industrial estate, after a horse stile. Take a path on your left down the steps with a stream on your left at the bottom.

7. Walk along the path, keeping left to take a path that keeps you alongside the stream.

Then keep left and cross the bridge over the stream and into the fields.

8. Turn right and walk along the outside of the field and continue along the outside of the next field.

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3. Turn left and pass under a bridge, after a short way take the signposted ‘Newton Link’ path on your right. At the end of the path cross over the road and turn left, heading into Newton.

9. Cross the stile on your right and cross the bridge. At the road cross over and turn left.

When the road bends to the left take the bridleway on your right.

10. Cross the stiles and at the end of the track pass through a gate and walk on a short way before passing through another gate.

11. After the gate walk straight across the next field and cross a stile. Turn right, walking around the outside of the field and around to the left. Pass by a gap before a large tree and continue with the hedge on your right. At another gap on your right, turn right and continue into another field keeping the hedge to your left until you reach a stile.

12. Cross directly across the field on the path to reach a stile that will bring you onto the Silver Hill trail.

13. Turn left on the trail. Continue on under two bridges and for some distance before reaching a signpost. Take the path on your right that leads to Tibshelf.

14. Walk along the path, keeping to the left as you meet a junction that has three choices.

This path takes you through the Tibshelf Ponds area and onto the car park where you began.

This walk is for illustrative purposes only. Voice Magazines Ltd takes no responsibility for anyone who chooses to follow this route and encourages all walkers to obey all byelaws and signs and to respect the area they are walking in, ensuring they pick up all dog mess and obey the countryside code at all times.

To advertise please call Voice Team on 01773 549 035

Tibshe lf Ponds Silverhill TRail Blackw ell TRail

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and Guess the words rd! ! o w s s o r c Fill in the

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.

1

2

3

5

6

8

4

Across 8 Bid farewell to die, in an astronomical unit (5) 9 Utterly beat with a soapless wash?

(5) 10 Grabbing a bit of a religious teacher (5) 12 Exist as a group and constantly annoy (5)

7

9

10

11

12

13

Down 2 Precocious sounding bugs? (5) 3 Mature painter, not at a good place (5) 11 Being around is an over-indulgence (5) 13 Authority of speaking, as it were (3-2)

14

15

Across

Down

1

Where astronauts head for a reality check? (4,2,5)

1

A hybrid ad., as representing those frustrating times (3,4,4)

5

Make happier, drinking from this here cup (5,2)

4

Shouted at the hens to adopt sotto voce (6,5)

14 Darkness frequency for Keira follower, say (7)

6

Indulge in some form of escaping (7)

15 They hold drawings of bets that are OK to shock (6,5)

9

Arbiter, assumed to be a Welsh one (7)

ANSWERS FOR LAST MONTHS PITHERWITS Across: 1 Casablanca, 7 Ruing, 8 Refloat, 11 Tibia, 13 Inane, 14 Colonel, 16 Inapt, 18 Dissuasive.

Down: 2 Ali, 3 Au gratin, 4 Abel, 5 Abatements, 6 Protracted, 9 Families, 10 Okra, 12 Ball, 15 Opus, 17 A B V.

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These puzzles are devised by the brilliant Professor Rebus. For more of his puzzles visit www.pitcherwits.co.uk

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SUDOKU #41

Fill in all the numbers!

This is a sudoku 1 square grid 81 cells 9 3x3 blocks 1 simple rule: Use all the numbers 1-9, with no duplicates allowed, in any row, column, or block.

These puzzles are devised by the brilliant Professor Rebus. For more of his puzzles visit www.pitcherwits.co.uk

9!

2

1 4 8 2 3 8 3 5 7 7 2 6 8 1 5 3 8 3 2 4 1 9 1 4 5 7 8

8

9 7 5

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WOMEN’S FORAGE CORPS order of seniority) Area Inspectors of Women, Assistant Superintendents, Deputy Superintendents, Forwarding Supervisors, Supervisors of Women Labour, Deputy Assistant Supervisors and Gang Supervisors.

The Women’s Forage Corps (WFC) or Forage Corps (FC) was a British military organisation created during World War 1.

Initially based at army camps and depots in the United Kingdom and working in gangs of six, its women assisted with matters relating to horse transport such as hay-making, forage, checking bales on arrival at railway stations and supervising their loading, stable work, driving horse carts, wire-stretching, making and mending sacks and tarpaulin sheets.

Largely drawn from among women servants but also including some women of independent means with their own horses, normal members earned an average of 26 to 30 shillings a week by 1919, drawing army rations and sometimes with a caravan (as a mess facility rather than housing them) and cook assigned to their gang as a mess.

Their uniform – very similar to the Women’s Land Army that was to be eventually created, it consisted of gaiters, haversack, dark green breeches, hats and jerseys, khaki overcoat, overalls and black boots, with brass shoulder insignia of the initials “FC”. Higher ranks wore a khaki tunic and shirt, shoulder rank badges, shoulder “FC” insignia and a brass badge showing “FC” within the eight-pointed star of the Royal Army Service Corps. This wasn’t always the case, sometimes they simply wore their own work wear.

The WFC numbered 8,000 by 1917, though this had dropped to about 6,000 by 1919.

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by Mrs Atholl Stewart as Superintendent of Women, who reported to Brigadier-General Hill Godfrey Morgan, it consisted of civilian women (known as Industrial Members) but was under the control of the Army Service Corps. Below Stewart were (in descending Please get in touch if you have additional information about the Women’s Forage Corps (WFC) or Forage Corps (FC)

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Mike’us sings M

Our resident muser has the mike...

Mike is always glad to hear from you at :

mike.musings@outlook.com

It may be stretching things a little, but there is a Christmas connection to this tale.

Since I left my hometown in Scotland, I’ve kept in touch with a number of old schoolmates. We had a reunion in 2018 with over 50 of the surviving members of our year meeting up for an evening of pure nostalgia.

It’s true what they say kids, you may disagree now, but for most people, schooldays are looked upon as being the best of your life.

It was interesting to note how very few of the early boy/girlfriend relationships formed as 17/18 year-olds had survived the test of time and to hear ‘old flames’ speculate on ‘what if I’d kept going out with him/her?’.

There were two notable examples. One, of a bloke who, if it had lasted, would have ended up the husband of someone who went on to become a prominent and highly paid presenter on BBC Scotland. The other was of a girl who, back in the day, was ‘going steady’ with Angus who, when they split up, went on to become a very successful businessman and multi-millionaire. Talking to her, she had no regrets, as her former boyfriend was now on his fourth wife and had a reputation for being as tight as the rear end of a duck………….. if you get my drift.

Over a few pints of Tennent’s, he told me a tale that partly explained how he had accumulated his wealth.

He and one of his wives (I can’t remember which one) spent two weeks over Christmas and New Year in central London. See, I said there would be a link! He’d driven down in his Rolls Royce Phantom, which, with a number of customised features was, he told me, valued at £200k.

Initially, he went to his bank and asked for a short-term loan of £5k (this was when interest rates were 1.4%), and

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having provided all the necessary guarantees, asked if he could leave his car in the branch underground carpark for the next fortnight. This was happily agreed to.

Off he went then and spent the next two weeks having a wild time attending many high-class dinners and parties, staying overnight at the Chelsea/Mayfair homes of his similarly wealthy friends.

By 4th January, with life beginning to return to some sort of normality after the festive season, he was required back in Scotland and returned to the bank to a) repay the short-term loan and b) collect his car.

Having dealt with the formalities and repaid the £5,000 (plus interest) he was asked to see the manager. He entered the office and was greeted with a ‘Happy New Year’ and then asked why a businessman, as clearly successful as Angus undoubtedly was, should require such a relatively low short-term loan.

“Ach”, replied Angus, who had never lost his accent, “it’s simple really. Ye see, whaur else in London, can Ah park ma car for a whole fortnight for as little as £15.42?”

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35

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD Every family in the UK will have their own Christmas tradition regarding such things as opening the pressies, how much is spent, how the tree is decorated, what time dinner is served (and what it comprises) etc, etc.

However, we will all do pretty much the same things, irrespective of the order in which they happen. This may lead us to think that all around the world people will be doing more or less the same thing to celebrate Christmas. But is this true?

celebratory meal that day. This feast consists of fish (often a soup made of carp), stuffed cabbage (the leaves are stuffed with rice, mince pork, onion, garlic and other herbs). For dessert, a special kind of poppy bread/cake called Beigli is served.

I decided to have a little dig around online resources to find out how similar, or not, Christmas traditions are around the globe.

In Ukraine Christmas used to be celebrated on January 7th in line with the Russian Orthodox Church. In February this year, Ukraine’s main Greek Catholic church announced a change to December 25th…I’m sure we can all appreciate why the change was made.

Straight away I found my absolute FAVOURITE Christmas tradition – and it’s from the land of ice and fire, Iceland.

On Christmas Eve, Icelanders give the gift of books and spend the rest of the night reading them and eating chocolate, as part of a season called Jolabokaflod, ‘The Christmas Book Flood’.

Now that’s my kind of evening!

In contrast, here is one tradition I could never be on board with.

Christmas in Japan is not a national holiday, less than 1% of the population being Christian, but they do still have a unique way to mark the day, thanks in no small part to Kentucky Fried Chicken. In 1974, KFC started a marketing campaign called ‘Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!’ or ‘Kentucky for Christmas!’ The campaign urged the Japanese to visit a KFC instead of sitting down to a turkey dinner…and they do, apparently in their thousands.

Like many other countries, the main Christmas meal, Sviata Vecheria (Holy Supper) will be eaten on Christmas Eve, and normally has 12 dishes which represent Jesus’s 12 disciples. Presents are brought by Grandfather Frost…but not until New Year’s Eve. However you do (or don’t do) Christmas, I wish each and every one of you a peaceful and happy season of goodwill x

Each to their own.

Our cousins in Oz go to the beach and fire up the BBQ. In Denmark, the big day is December 24th. And here’s something interesting; the irritating “elf on the shelf” could have originated in Denmark. He may be based on the group of Nisse, naughty elves who help Julemanden, ‘The Christmas Man’, Denmark’s Father Christmas. So now we know who to blame.

Over in Norway they don’t decorate their houses until December 23rd, which seems very sensible to me.

The Hungarians leave decorating the tree until Christmas Eve and also eat the main

36

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.

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Gardener’s Calendar

Hydrangeas are a bit of a marmite plant – not least because despite their earlier colourful blooms, at this time of year can start to look very bedraggled.

You might feel tempted to tidy them up by cutting back now, but it’s a better idea to leave them until the last of the frosts in spring – the spent flower heads will protect coming buds.

However, it is a good time to prune fruit trees such as pears and apples, trying to keep the shape fairly open so there is room for spring blossom to develop without getting knocked off by branches in the wind. And climbing roses also benefit from being pruned now, removing shoots which are getting leggy and have flowered this year by about half to two thirds. Birches and acers should also be cut back now if you wish – any later and you risk them bleeding which damages the health of the plant.

Top Tip:

Dahlias should be lifted after they go black in the first frosts if you’re in a cold spot, although you can possibly get away with leaving them in if you mulch deeply. If you’re lifting, cut off the stems, remove soil carefully, leave to dry in a cool place then bury in soil or compost in a box and put in a cool frost-free place.

Mulching borders can help to protect vulnerable plants as the worst of winter comes in. You can use bark chips or spent compost or even cuttings from fir tree – anything with a loose structure.

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39

GARDENS

NATURE NOTES FROM THE PEAK DISTRICT

LADYBIRD AUTUMN The ladybird is one of our most widely known, recognised, and probably liked, insects. Brightly and distinctively coloured these little beetles are regarded as the gardener’s friend because they consume vast numbers of aphids, generally greenfly. However, they are also increasingly known because of the invasive alien species, the ‘Harlequin’ ladybird with its coats of many colours (mostly yellow, red, and black) and an array of sizes and markings. These are the big brutes of the ladybird world and range from quite small to (by ladybird standards) rather large. This species is a recent colonist, boasts a voracious appetite, and being cannibalistic, will consume smaller ladybirds even of its own type. It is this species most often recording as coming into houses to hibernate for the winter.

Ladybird numbers often fluctuate greatly as they follow the populations of greenfly and this is both as they breed, but also as they move or migrate. If summer weather is suitable then greenfly numbers rise in continental Europe to a point where the new-born come with wings and the population rises up to be carried on air currents across the North Sea and the Channel to Britain. The ladybirds then follow although the big ladybirds years of the past, especially the famous invasion of the 1976 drought year, were of the red-coloured Seven-spot not the now abundant Harlequin. As swarms of ladybirds landed on East Coast beaches many people reported being bitten by them! In the winters that followed, it was commonplace to find whole gateposts for example, covered in hibernating ladybirds.

Indeed, the presence of hibernating ladybirds is now a sign of winter on its way. We have had numbers of a rather distinctive yellow and black 14-Spot Ladybird, which because it is tiny, is often overlooked. There

HIBERNATING HALEQUINN LADBYBIRDS BY PHIL HELLIWELL

were swarms of yellow ladybirds reported by Jan Turner and Paul Ardron on one day, and by the next, there were hundreds crammed into every crevice of this old, multi-stemmed elm tree. Probably for safety’s sake, ladybirds often hibernate communally, and these may well spend the next few months in their new home.

Massed together I presume that their hard cases provide necessary protection from both the weather and from would-be predators like the much bigger red and black Harlequin Ladybird pictured next to them.

As noted already, Harlequins are active predators including on other, smaller ladybirds and are a species which readers will see increasingly as in wintertime they come indoors into our homes to overwinter. As their name suggests they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colour patterns ranging from big to quite small. They are mostly either red (or orange) with black spots or black with red spots and the numbers of spots vary dramatically. Like most larger ladybirds they are predatory and feed on insects such as aphids (greenfly) but also other smaller insects like other ladybirds. So, I suspect the one pictured was casing the joint looking for easy pickings but the way the smaller yellow ladybirds were packed in was an effective defence.

It was interesting to see these yellow ladybirds which though fairly common, are one of two yellow-coloured ladybirds with 22-spot being the smaller. The 14Spot Ladybird is bigger and has rounded rectangular markings rather than dots. However, our tiny yellow ladybird is also rather different in that it is an herbivore or more correctly a fungivore, rather than a carnivore generally feeding on mildew on plants. One to look out for!

ANTS MILKING APHIDS BY PETE WOLSTENHOLME

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 40 www.ukeconet.org, Don’t forget to mention Voice Magazines when responding to the Ads blog www.ianswalkonthewildside.wordpress.com/ & Twitter @IanThewildside

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