


BASED IN WIRKSWORTH, GOODWINS ARE A TEAM OF KITCHEN, BEDROOM AND BATHROOM CONTRACTORS THAT MANAGE YOUR PROJECT FROM START TO FINISH. GET IN TOUCH TODAY. OUR VALUES
• WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN WHAT WE OFFER AT GOODWINS, AS WE’RE ABLE TO HELP YOU CUSTOMISE YOUR HOME EXACTLY HOW YOU WANT IT.
• WE’LL ALWAYS TAKE THE NECESSARY TIME TO TRULY UNDERSTAND YOUR VISION TO ENSURE THAT WE’RE OFFERING YOU EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE AT ALL TIMES.
• USING THE LATEST 3D DESIGN SOFTWARE, WE’RE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH BESPOKE PLANS THAT GIVE AN ACCURATE IMPRESSION OF HOW YOUR ROOM WILL LOOK.
Have a wonderful May everybody, Happy Reading, Emily x
• MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE’LL ALSO PUT FORWARD MULTIPLE OPTIONS AND IDEAS TO HELP YOU DECIDE ON A FINAL LOOK.
TUESDAY -FRIDAY : 09:00 - 17:00 SATURDAY : 09:00 - 16:00
SUNDAY - MONDAY : CLOSED OPENING TIMES
How has your May been? I saw a meme the other day which said something along the lines of ‘May has mostly been me sweating, drinking and being skint’ and I felt that was pretty accurate for me too! So many bank holidays, so many events and celebrations, pay day can’t come soon enough!! That said, it has been fun, and it has flown by in the blink of an eye but I’m ready for a quiet June!
We’ve had some lovely feedback from last months covers again and we very much hope that you like this month’s as well. As I’ve said before, we try to be different from one month to the next, pretty pictures are all very nice and well, but everyone is different and it’s nice to appeal to different people at different times. So, this month, with it being the ‘Father’s Day’ theme, we couldn’t resist a series of ‘Dad Jokes’. Mr Emily (and I) just so happen to know a man called Paul from the hockey club whom, we feel, quite possibly, is the oracle of all the dad jokes which have ever existed!
If he didn’t create them, then his brain is at the very least, full of a back catalogue that spans back as far as jokes that Tutankhamun heard from his dad!! Thankfully, he sent us some of his material (the clean ones) and his jokes are now throughout the magazines for all to see! (Along with a few of our own). Multiple times over many years, Paul has dragged me, unknowingly, into his joke set up, if he ever has a serious conversation, I simply won’t believe him!! Thanks PB, appreciate your help!
Anyway, long may this BBQ weather continue and where possible, tell some dad jokes, it doesn’t half put a smile on people’s faces!
(And Why We
You know a dad joke when you hear one, and we all know someone who simply cannot resist telling them.
It’s the punchline you saw coming a mile off, delivered with complete seriousness, usually followed by that unmistakable smug smile and chuckle.
But where did dad jokes come from, and why do they have such staying power?
The roots of the dad joke probably go back centuries. Puns and wordplay have been part of language for as long as people have been talking. Ancient Roman playwrights like Plautus used puns in their comedies, and Shakespeare famously built entire scenes around groan-worthy jokes.
Puns like;
“Thine face is not worth sunburning.” from Henry V
“You are as a candle, the better burnt out.” from Henry IV Part 2
And a particular favourite of mine…
“I do desire we may be better strangers.” from As You Like It.
But the modern idea of the “dad joke”, silly, safe, and slightly embarrassing, started to form in the 20th century.
In Britain, the rise of television comedies in the ‘60s and 70s brought the lovable, slightly clueless dad character into homes everywhere. Programmes like The Likely Lads, On the Buses and Bless This House featured men whose humour was often rooted in puns, understatement, and awkwardness.
The stereotype of the well-meaning but corny and even embarrassing father figure began to take hold, and so did the jokes. The term “dad joke” itself, however, didn’t become common until much later. By the 1980s, articles and comedians started using the phrase to describe this very specific style of humour. The first recorded use of the term is apparently to be found in the USA in a 1987 Gettysburg Times column.
Why do dad jokes endure?
Psychologists suggest it’s because they are a safe, shared form of humour. They don’t rely on putting others down. Instead, everyone is invited to enjoy (and gently mock) the joke together. According to the British Psychological Society, “dad jokes,” often considered corny, actually help children handle embarrassment and social awkwardness, making them more confident and emotionally strong as they grow.
No one tells a dad joke for the applause.
You know it’s bad.
Your family (or audience) know it’s bad.
You tell it for the groans.
For the eyerolls.
For the teenager muttering “Oh no, not again” under their breath.
You tell it because it’s not about being the funniest person in the room, it’s about sharing a laugh with the people you care about and making the effort to connect, however awkwardly!
It’s a little reminder that laughter doesn’t have to be clever to bring people closer together.
Long live the dad JOKE!
Mon - Fri 8:00am - 4:30pm Sat 8:00am - 2:00pm
E: hellohope@activphysiotherapy.co.uk
W: www.activphysiotherapy.co.uk
A: Bank House, Market Place, Hope, Hope Valley. S33 6RH.
Physiotherapy appointments also available
Your local, reliable garage for over 25 years
Summer Organ
Summer Organ Concert by International Organist
Summer Organ Concert by International Organist
Summer Organ Concert by International Organist
by International Organist
Jonathan Scott
Jonathan Scott
Jonathan Scott
Jonathan Scott
Jonathan Scott
A special midsummer organ concert with an unmissable programme of popular classical music, including works by Bach, Mozart, and Handel’s famous Zadok the Priest!
A special midsummer organ concert with an unmissable programme of popular classical music, including works by Bach, Mozart, and Handel’s famous Zadok the Priest!
A special midsummer organ concert with an unmissable programme of popular classical music, including works by Bach, Mozart, and Handel’s famous Zadok the Priest!
A special midsummer organ concert with an unmissable programme of popular classical music, including works by Bach, Mozart, and Handel’s famous Zadok the Priest!
A special midsummer organ concert with an unmissable programme of popular classical music, including works by Bach, Mozart, and Handel’s famous Zadok the Priest!
4 pm Saturday 21st June
4 pm Saturday 21st June
4 pm Saturday 21st June
4 pm Saturday 21st June
4 pm Saturday 21st June
at St. John the Baptist Church Tideswell, SK17 8LF
at St. John the Baptist Church Tideswell, SK17 8LF
at St. John the Baptist Church Tideswell, SK17 8LF
at St. John the Baptist Church Tideswell, SK17 8LF
“Cathedral of the Peak”
at St. John the Baptist Church Tideswell, SK17 8LF
“Cathedral of the Peak”
“Cathedral of the Peak”
“Cathedral of the Peak”
“Cathedral of the Peak”
Tickets
Tickets
Jonathan Scott enjoys a hugely varied international performing career on a diverse spectrum of keyboard instruments, as well as often performing ‘at home’ as Associate Artist of The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.
Jonathan Scott enjoys a hugely varied international performing career on a diverse spectrum of keyboard instruments, as well as often performing ‘at home’ as Associate Artist of The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.
Jonathan Scott enjoys a hugely varied international performing career on a diverse spectrum of keyboard instruments, as well as often performing ‘at home’ as Associate Artist of The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.
Jonathan Scott enjoys a hugely varied international performing career on a diverse spectrum of keyboard instruments, as well as often performing ‘at home’ as Associate Artist of The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.
Admission £12
Admission £12
Admission
Admission £12
at 07958549531
on the door or prebooked at 07958549531
Jonathan Scott enjoys a hugely varied international performing career on a diverse spectrum of keyboard instruments, as well as often performing ‘at home’ as Associate Artist of The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.
Concert is in aid of the Fabric Appeal
Concert is in aid of the Fabric Appeal
Concert is in aid of the Fabric Appeal
Concert is in aid of the Fabric Appeal
Admission £12
Tickets available on the door or prebooked at
Concert is in aid of the Fabric Appeal
During the school summer holidays, our days seemed endless and filled with adventure.
As children, we would roam about, finding woods in which to play and make dens.
Indoor dens were sheets, blankets or tablecloths draped over any permutation of furniture. A great escape from the reality of the home. This is where tea parties for teddies and dolls might be held, books read and imagination was king.
Outside dens would make use of a clothes horses (or a winter hedge as some called it) again with a covering. In good weather cushions would be allowed outside to furnish the tent. If the clothes line could be lowered, the sheet might be pegged over it. This was a child’s territory. No grownups necessary.
But the most adventurous dens were the ones in the woods. The venue had to be suitable: one with some shelter on the roof and sides and space for a small group of co-builders. Over time, the den would be enlarged and improved by
Offering the perfect space for private events, gatherings, and unforgettable celebrations.
BOOK TODAY 01629 258 434
audleyrestaurants.co.uk
Audley St Elphin’s Park, Dale Road South, Darley Dale, Matlock DE4 2RH
found bits of cardboard, metal or plastic. The very worst thing that could happen was for another group of children to find it, so secrecy and camouflage was the key.
Paul remembers making dens from disused air raid shelters, pill boxes and workmen’s huts. My memories are of woodland hideaways.
There is a special place in the hearts of children for spaces that are their own: places that are created by them and free from adult intervention. Happy days.
Janet and Paul Barrass are All Around the Shire. Find us on or email: oldfield512@btinternet.com for more information. Janet
Great service at a very affordable cost. We needed to replace our lounge carpet but were daunted by the prospect of having to move the suite, sideboard, bookcase and tv as they are too heavy for us and we have nowhere to move them to while the old carpet was removed and the new one fitted. Then I remembered seeing an advert in one of our local free magazines which said that T Nutt offered a service of removing the old carpet, moving furniture as necessary and fitting the new carpet before returning the furniture to its correct place - this seemed perfect for us so we paid them a visit. From our first visit to paying the bill on completion it was a real pleasure dealing with them. They have a good range of carpets, provide valuable advice based on their years of experience and arranged the supply and fitting on the date we requested. Their quote (a very competitive one) was a single price for everything with a promise of no added extras - they delivered to it. We were completely satisfied and would have no hesitation in recommending them.
Killamarsh’s historic St. Giles Church played host to an unexpected — and rather unlikely — set of visitors during its busy BioBlitz wildlife event recently.
As families scoured the churchyard hunting for bugs, birds and blooms, the peaceful scene was shaken up by the arrival of Once Awake — a hard-edged death metal band from Norway.
The rockers, known for their thunderous riffs and bone-crunching beats, dropped in completely unannounced and asked for a personal tour of the 12th-century church itself — much to the surprise of organisers.
Despite death metal’s notoriously fraught relationship with religion, the band were on their best behaviour as they admired the ancient architecture, learned about the church’s iconic bells (recently restored thanks to a £76,450 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant), and explored the site’s 800 years of history.
Project manager Richard Godley admitted it was one of the more surreal moments of the day.
“They came out of nowhere — we thought they were lost at first! But they were incredibly polite, really fascinated by the church, and keen to hear about the bell restoration and local heritage. You couldn’t have written it — one minute we’re logging ladybirds, the next we’ve got a death metal band wandering round asking thoughtful questions about medieval stonework.”
The band were later spotted posing for photos outside the church before heading off to their next gig, leaving organisers and visitors slightly bemused but thoroughly entertained.
The rest of the BioBlitz event went ahead without a hitch, attracting scores of volunteers and nature lovers keen to record the wildlife thriving in St. Giles’ churchyard — from early bird walks and moth trap reveals to bug hunts and plant surveys.
Richard Godley added: “The visit of Once Awake may not have been on the schedule, but it certainly gave the day a very unexpected heavy metal twist.”
The BioBlitz event was part of a wider two-year project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund which has already successfully restored the building’s iconic bells and is researching the 800year history of the church.
✽
✽
✽
✽
✽
EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT EGG-CELLENT
We ran the most fabulous competition in our April edition, with fantastic support from local companies and bumper entries from local residents. We wanted to share the pics of the happy winners to show that we didn’t just run off with the gifts ourselves (although we wanted to!!), how happy the winners were and also to remind you all...‘you’ve got to be in it to win it!!’
VOICE MAGAZINES CHOCOLATE BASKET
FAMILY TICKET FOR 2 ADULTS & UP TO 3 CHILDREN NAOMI & SON TOM
FAMILY TICKET FOR 2 ADULTS & UP TO 3 CHILDREN
FAMILY TICKET FOR 2 ADULTS & UP TO 2 CHILDREN
£20 VOUCHER (TO BE USED FOR ONSITE CAMPING/ EVENTS) ELLEN
A GRAZE BOARD & A GLASS OF FIZZ FOR 2 MANDY
THANK YOU
Just to let you know that we have been to the S42 Cafe for our prize. We were warmly welcomed, the staff were extremely pleasant and the food was not only delicious but plentiful (which is an understatement!).We enjoyed ourselves and will be recommending the Cafe to both friends and family. Thanks once again for the prize.
Mandy
Every great success story starts somewhere, and Voice Magazines is no exception.
The very first edition in 2010 was a 32-page magazine, targeted at a handful of homes in Swanwick, Riddings, and Leabrooks. Fast forward to today, and the magazine is a must-read across 11 editions, from Bakewell to Selston, Ripley to Kirkby and everywhere in between, and reaching a whopping 152,000 residents every month.
But let’s take a trip back to 2010. Picture this: Emily, the founder of Voice Magazine, is staring at her first edition. It’s 32 pages long, and every one of those pages represents blood, sweat, and probably more cups of tea and coffee than anyone should consume in a week. Delivering to 2,500 homes was no small feat either—especially when you’re also holding down another job.
Upon the death of his father in 1684 William Cavendish, MP for Derbyshire, became the 4th Earl of Devonshire. The Earl was on the ‘right’ side when he supported William of Orange to depose James II. Cavendish was rewarded for his loyalty to the new King and Queen, he was created 1st Duke of Devonshire. The new Duke spent time at his Chatsworth Estate, he built a new mansion and decorated it with wonderful painted ceilings and intricate wooden carvings.
In 2012, Emily took the leap, moving to premises in South Normanton, marking a major milestone. Having an actual office meant fewer late-night sessions at the kitchen table and more room to dream big. From there, things started snowballing (in a good way, not the “rolling downhill in winter” kind).
The magazine’s reach grew, the pages multiplied, and Emily’s vision for Voice Magazine as a community resource really began to take shape.
But everything has to keep developing and changing in order to flourish and grow, and you may have already noticed that this January 2025 issue looks a little different from previous magazines.
Yes, that’s right—Voice Magazine has had a New Year Makeover!
• TOP TIP’S (This month on how to stay healthy)
The brilliant covers are still the stars of the show—it’s the inside that has changed. You’ll notice:
• DID YOU KNOW? (This month has little known facts about health and fitness)
• SPOTLIGHT ON (An advertiser is spotlighted throughout all 11 editions for the month)
• WHAT’S ON? (This month is about Park Runs near you)
In 1696 the Duke employed Monsieur Grillet, a French hydraulics engineer, to design a water feature for his garden. Grillet’s design formed the basis of the wonderful cascade we see today in the gardens at Chatsworth House. Later, a temple pavilion in Baroque style was designed to stand at the top of the cascade. It features stone carvings, spouts, fountains and even water jets, inside the temple, to surprise visitors. Water pours from statues holding urns and mouths of mythical creatures. Sometimes the temple itself becomes a fountain with water pouring down its dome.
I see this New Year, New Voice Mags edition as a gym membership for your brain—packed with all the things you need to kick-start the year without actually making you sweat ��
Voice Magazine’s journey from humble beginnings to a monthly staple is proof that with a bit lot of determination, gallons of tea and coffee, and maybe a few “what am I doing?” moments, you can achieve amazing things.
Over the centuries the steps of the cascade have been made longer, wider and steeper. During his time as Head Gardener, Joseph Paxton supervised alterations to reposition the cascade and improve the flow of water. Each block of steps in the cascade are set at differing heights, with the distance between them varied meaning the sound of the water changes as it runs down the hill. Unfortunately, centuries of use have weakened the cascade and structural deterioration means the water will not flow for the foreseeable future. Chatsworth House Trust has undertaken a major restoration project to preserve and safeguard the cascade for future generations.
Joseph Paxton was challenged to engineer a record breaking, gravity-fed fountain in the Canal Pond. A new 8-acre lake was created high on the hillside above the gardens, the Emperor Lake. A pipe, from the lake, drops water down over 122 metres (400 feet) to the fountain below. Trenches were cut through rock, all dug by hand, to achieve the correct gradient. The resulting water pressure enabled the newly named Emperor Fountain to reach the dizzy height of 90 metres (295 feet). Sadly, after all that work, the Tsar never managed to visit. Thankfully, we can visit today and enjoy the results of all that labour and, of course, the Emperor Fountain, which remained, for 160 years, the tallest gravity-fed fountain in the world.
A small army of people now deliver the 11 editions across 70 towns and villages, and Voice has a team of people all working to create the best magazine they can.
Emily and her nearest and dearest no longer have to do everything themselves. Let’s be honest, even superwoman Emily would struggle to produce and deliver all those mags by herself… although I bet she’d have a go.
In 1844 it was proposed that Tsar Nicholas the first would visit the family. For the Tsar’s entertainment
So, here’s to (at least) another year of connecting communities, sharing stories, and maybe even sneaking in a few more jokes along the way.
Bakewell Old House Museum, like Chatsworth, has never been visited by a Tsar, but our lovely old building was there, sitting in Cunningham Place, while all those waterworks were going on just a few miles away. Chatsworth House is magnificent, big and bold. Our museum is tiny but crammed full of interesting things to see and to our eyes is just as wonderful.
Can’t promise Tsars, or water features, but we have lots to see and enjoy.
By Joyce Janes
BAKEWELL OLD HOUSE MUSEUM IS NOW OPEN EVERY DAY FROM 11AM TO 4PM FOR THE 2025 SEASON. ALONG WITH OUR OWN WONDERFUL COLLECTIONS WE HAVE EXHIBITIONS BY CHESTERFIELD EMBROIDERERS AND THE LEVEL CENTRE.
Because if you can’t laugh at life—or your first attempt at a Park Run—what’s the point?
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
Do
Replacement Heritage timber window specialist - to DDDC
Specifications
Pitcherwits® are crossword puzzles where some of the clues are in pictures. Sound easy? It’s not called “Pit-your-wits” for nothing! The mixture of cryptic and picture clues, combined with Professor Rebus’ unique sense of humour, will keep you entertained for hours.
Across 9 Member of climbing club (4)
10 Jut-land - which is bit of a mouthful? (4)
11 Give final, painful cry (5)
12 They’re probably not (even for gamblers!) (4)
14 Little bit of ammunition found in half an ammonite (4) Down
3 I’m optimistic that it’s cleaner inside (3)
4 Feeling belittled by the electric one (3)
6 Living with a big din? That’s awful! (7)
7 Back-chat from a kisser? (3)
13 Such a noise at a boarding-school! (3)
16 Curvy part of the hierarchy? (3)
17 Chilled out, but unwell (3)
1 Plead with Max to be not good, e.g. (3,7)
5 Voice only a rendering, all of a pace (1,7)
15 Fling hat away to window, over a door (8) 18 Terribly costly corn accelerators (10)
1 Reduced foiled fob attempt (6,3) 2 Makes possible pole of second son, say (7)
Down, under places described and painted so (9)
Wee rats, nibbling away at woolly one (7)
Working on installation, maintainence, upgrading and rennovation electrics in residential properties.
With several years experience in commercial electrics, I am confident and experienced in all ranges of tasks and projects.
Whether it may be a job involving lighting, home electronics, security systems, outdoor buildings & more, I am ready for the job.
dma.electricalservices@outlook.com www.dmaelectrics.co.uk
The Colonel’s Daughter by Rose Tremain feels like a book for people who like to read. That might sound a bit daft; but sometimes books can be about excitement or making you laugh or because you’re interested in a particular subject, or even because it’s the book that won the latest prize.
This book is a collection of short stories. And each is a separate world, from an elderly couple who try to break free of their boring middle class lives with a slightly ill-advised holiday in Florida to a young woman dealing in her own way with the consequences of an unwanted pregnancy. The characters are strong, vibrant, sometimes unlikeable, but each tale has the capacity to perfectly describe people’s lives and the author is brilliant at creating voices and giving you a snapshot of life, which you know actually tells a much bigger story.
Rose Tremain is a great observer of human nature and can be really funny, sometimes in a way that makes you wince. Her writing could be described as slightly offbeat, but she has a brilliant imagination and gives a satisfying sense of completion to every story.
She writes beautifully, hence the attraction for those who enjoy the reading process. And if you like her style, there’s a whole catalogue of novels to go at – some of which have won prizes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Professional clean & maintenance of chimney & fireplaces
• Bird nest removal
• Installation of chimney bird guards
• Complete installation of log burners, stoves and fires
Our Services include:
• Septic Tank Emptying & Repairs
• Drain Jetting
• Drain Repairs
• Groundswork
• Road Sweeping
• Gully Emptiying
• Dust Supression
• High Pressure Drain Jetting
• CCTV drain inspection
ESTABLISHED OVER 25 YEARS NOW OFFERING A NEW SERVICE! DRAIN INSPECTION CAMERAS
Andy: 07831 310731
Ashley: 07787 074414
email: jandasweep@tiscali.co.uk office: 01629 815222
Ashford in the Water, Bakewell, DE45 1PY
Dashing into June, the garden seems to be shouting for our attention. But amid the abundance of containers and bedding plants, roses and early fruit, there is still time to plant.
On the eating side you can plant fast croppers such as French runner beans, peas, sweetcorn and outside cucumbers and continue setting away an ongoing lettuce crop to take you through to the first frosts. Remember with courgettes and cucumbers to keep them well watered and share your tomato feed with them as well. They like a good bed of home-grown compost to retain as much water as possible.
If you have weeds – and who doesn’t – keep them under control as much as possible as they will leach nutrients from the soil and are almost always very strong growers so may crowd out your crops and flowers. This is the time for the Chelsea chop if you want to do it. The name comes from the Chelsea Flower Show and is usually done around the same time – end of May/ early June. The aim is to cut your perennials back by a third to a half. You can use secateurs or shears and the chop will do a number of things. First it will make the plant bushier and less likely to flop and get damaged in wind. Secondly it will produce more flowers, though they may be smaller. Thirdly it may extend the flowering season. Some people like to do it for those reasons. Others prefer the larger blooms and think the weather will determine the flowering season and are prepared to stake their plants. Also, they might not like cutting back just at the time plants are flowering. Purely a personal choice, but worth thinking about.
Don’t forget water for birds to drink and clean their feathers in. Clean feathers mean they can regulate their body temperature better. And log piles in a shady spot are good for frogs or other amphibians in the heat.
I wrote previously about how exotic Mandarin Ducks, are spreading throughout the UK. Introduced to Britain from China and elsewhere in the Far East, escapees from captive populations established in the wild. There are now well-established and increasing feral populations, mainly in south-eastern England, but also in northern England, Wales, and more sparsely in Scotland. Colonisation is escapees from captivity in wildfowl collections followed by successful wild breeding. The main population is still in southern England but are widely dispersed pockets across the whole country, with birds from individual collections aggregating in their local patch. These gorgeous non-native ducks are mostly absent from the high ground of the Peak and Pennines and the low-lying areas of former fenland in east England, no doubt related to the scarcity of mature trees with suitable nest-holes.
generally nest in tree-holes sometimes located quite high up. Just a few days after hatching, female mandarins try to entice the youngsters to leave the nest site by leaping out and tumbling groundward. The female then leads the ducklings to a nearby waterbody where she will be rejoined by the male who then helps care for and protect the offspring. Apparently, the female will have done most of the work in incubating the eggs and consequently, suffers more stress and exhaustion and has relatively higher mortality rate with a population of only around 80% of the male birds. They also display remarkable behaviour called ‘intraspecific parasitism’ whereby females lay some eggs in the nests of other females. In some cases, up to 46% of clutches were parasitized. This means the workload for the females is shared and the risks from nest failure or predation are spread more widely between nest and broods. Spreading rapidly, in gardens close to rivers they will freely come to feed on bird-tables or on the ground.
These birds are amenable to life in park lakes and along riversides and are popular captive birds because of their remarkably spectacular plumage. Male mandarin ducks have elaborately, decorative plumage sporting distinctive orange feathers on the cheeks, purple chest, and large dorsal, orange feathers sticking up sail-like, and with pale, orangecoloured flanks. Females are duller with grey head and a distinctive white stripe behind the eye, a brown back and mottling on the lower sides. The males also have an amazing pink beak with a white tip.
Mandarins can be relatively shy birds, frequently hiding underneath overhanging tree branches along lakesides or riverbanks but gather in small flocks at favoured locations especially in winter. Unusual for waterfowl, these birds with long-term pair-bonds,
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 Bluesky @ianthewildside.bsky.social
We work in Ashford in the Water, Bakewell, Baslow, Chelmorton, Cressbrook, Flagg, Great Longstone, Little Longstone, Litton, Monyash over Haddon & all surrounding areas
Highly Experienced
Boiler Breakdowns
Boiler Servicing
Radiators & Pipes
Tanks & Cylinders
Toilets & Taps
Leaks & Bursts
Showers
Clearing Blockages
Pipework Replacement
Gas Safe Certified