Voice Magazines - Kirkby-in-Ashfield & Annesley Edition - December 2025
Boiler
Boiler Servicing
Radiators
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Toilets & Taps
Leaks
Showers
Pipework
UPCOMING SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR ADVERTISERS & CONTRIBUTORS:
JAN ‘26 EDITION - 5TH DEC ‘25
FEB ‘26 EDITION - 9TH JAN ‘26
yet again we’re giving away the Ultimate Christmas Hamper from Chatsworth! We have also had some lovely donations from our sister company, Artliff Design and Print and some of our fabulous advertisers; S42 Café, DM Furnishings, Greenstripe Innovations, Rock Fall and Goodwins – thankyou for your generosity! Yet again readers, you have to be in it to win it!! We published our winners in the Feb edition last year, so you can see that real people did actually win the prizes and much to our family’s annoyance, not one of our family members won even a golden
Thankyou for all your love and support this year. We have had fantastic feedback all year round for the magazines and in particular, we had fabulous feedback from our November edition. It is always lovely to hear and we do get our fair share of people who ring in or email with the negatives (isn’t that always the way!), so it was lovely to have some positive affirmations both for us and our advertisers… so thankyou to those of you who do sing our praises, you are truly appreciated.
See you all in 2026
The Joy of Giving at Christmas
There’s something wonderfully magical about giving at Christmas. It’s not just the twinkling fairy lights, the smell of mince pies, or the rustle of wrapping paper — it’s that heart-warming moment when someone’s face lights up because of a gift chosen just for them.
Of course, it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos: crowded high streets, endless online delivery updates, and mysteriously vanishing rolls of festive tape. But real Christmas giving isn’t about how much you spend — it’s about the thought behind it. Whether it’s a homemade treat, a heartfelt card, or even a novelty gift, gifts from the heart always mean the most.
Think back to the best present you ever received. Chances are, it wasn’t the priciest. Maybe it was a hand-knitted scarf that wasn’t quite even, a mug with a silly slogan that still makes you laugh every morning, or the inevitable socks from Aunt Maureen — always the socks! These are the gifts that remind us we’re loved — and that’s the real spirit of Christmas.
Giving can take many forms. It might be a surprise tin of chocolates for a neighbour, a donation to a local food bank, or simply making time for someone who’s feeling lonely. Sometimes, the greatest gift is
our presence — not presents! And let’s face it, no one minds a cup of tea and a mince pie shared with a friend or family member, especially when the kids are busy unwrapping mountains of toys.
And let’s not forget the festive quirks that make Christmas so memorable: the office Secret Santa disasters, children proudly presenting slightly wonky homemade decorations, or that one relative who insists on wrapping gifts in last week’s News Paper to “save the planet.” Or the chocolate that disappears mysteriously before Christmas Day — we all know who’s guilty!
So, this year, when you’re braving the postie queues, the Christmas markets, or yet another trip to the supermarket that feels like a winter endurance test, take a breath and remember why we give. It’s not to fill space under the tree — it’s to fill hearts with love, laughter, and togetherness. Because at the end of the day, the best gifts are the ones that can’t be wrapped.
STUNNING HOLIDAY COTTAGE IN WARKWORTH, NORTHUMBERLAND
Treat yourself to a luxury break at the 4* Gold Award winning Little Red Hen House.
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Search ‘The Little Red Hen House’ at: www.coquetcottages.co.uk
TIPS
Wrapping Wisdom:
Use enough tape to mummify a small child. No one’s escaping that paper fortress.
Gift Guessing:
When you open yet another pair of socks, act shocked. “How did you know?”
The Great Escape:
Pretend to “check on the roast” every 15 minutes. It’s code for “five minutes of peace.”
Shopping Survival:
If you forget the cranberry sauce, just pour red wine over everything and call it “festive fusion.”
Cracker Command:
Always sit next to a weak-wristed relative — victory and the paper crown will be yours.
New Year Prep:
Don’t bother with resolutions. Your only goal is to fit back into your jeans by Easter.
MUSEUM
NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY
‘We have to go to pay our taxes Mary, it’s the law,’ Joe told her.
‘And how are we supposed to get there, answer me that? If you think I’m walking in my condition you’ve got to be joking.’
Joe sat quietly. When Mary was like this he knew there was no point interrupting her. His mind drifted to the cupboard he had just completed. Ben was a good customer, if he was pleased it could mean more work, and with a young mouth to feed they would need the extra money. Convinced the baby would be a boy he let his imagination fly free, visualising a new sign above the workshop, Joseph and Son.
Are you listening to me?’ Mary barked.
‘Of course I am,’ he lied.
‘So, what’s the answer? How are we going to get there? And don’t you dare say that rusty tandem because I am not pedalling that rickety old thing.’
‘I wouldn’t expect you to.’ Joe smiled, ‘I have spoken to Simeon, from the big house, he says we can borrow his donkey.’ He waited, hoping she’d be pleased. She wasn’t. ‘A donkey? Unbelievable? You expect me, eight and a half months pregnant, to ride all that way on a donkey? Incredible.’ The door slammed behind her as she left.
Joe smiled uncertainly. ‘She’ll come round. It’ll be like a holiday, an adventure,’ he said out loud, more to convince himself than anything.
The journey was uneventful, though Mary moaned constantly about the daytime heat and the discomfort of sitting on the donkey. She complained about the star keeping her awake at night. In fact it was Joe, awoken by her snoring, who lay all night staring at the beautiful bright star guiding their way.
Eventually, an exhausted Mary, Joe and the sturdy little donkey arrived. Joe hadn’t thought to reserve a room. Who knew it would be so difficult? Everywhere was fully booked. By now Mary was almost crying with fatigue, she had stopped complaining hours ago. It was unlike her to be so quiet and Joe was uneasy, worried that something was wrong. ‘Are you alright, my love?’ he asked. She just snarled through gritted teeth.
He knocked on the door of the last inn, on the road out of town. If there was nothing here, they were done for.
‘We’ve no room if that’s what you’re after,’ the man told them, before Joe had time to speak. At that point Mary cried out and clutched her stomach.
‘Sir, my wife,’ pleaded Joe. ‘She is with child, please, she has to rest, a cellar, a corridor, there must be something you can offer us?’
The inn keeper scratched his flea-ridden head.
‘I suppose you could use the stable, it’s round the back. At least you’ll have shelter. I mucked it out this morning so there’s fresh straw. It’s not much but...’
‘Thank you sir.’ Joe shook the man’s hand before leading the donkey round to the stable. Mary moaned and flinched as her husband helped her down from the saddle. Joe gathered straw to create a makeshift bed. As soon as she lay down, Mary fell asleep. Joe tethered and fed the donkey, then he settled on the fresh straw next to his wife.
Tired as he was, he lay watching the bright star that had accompanied them throughout their journey. It seemed to be directly overhead and was even brighter now.
I wonder what tomorrow will bring? he thought. Then, he laughed at himself. What could happen to a poor carpenter and his wife? Nothing out of the ordinary that’s for sure.
Joyce Janes on behalf of Bakewell Old House Museum
BAKEWELL OLD HOUSE MUSEUM WILL BE CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE FROM 12TH NOVEMBER 2025 TO 25TH MARCH 2026
Lies, traitors, fake news, corruption and spies. Some things never change. Except that SJ Parris’s Traitor’s Legacy is not set in 2025, but Queen Elizabeth’s Tudor Britain.
It’s historical fiction of the highest quality – the author blends fact and real characters from the period, including William Shakespeare and the Queen’s spymaster, Robert Cecil, alongside atmospheric descriptions of the freezing winter of 1598 in the murky back streets of a violent city.
The story centres around the murder of a young girl of 13, due to be married against her will into a rich and high born family. There are powerful religious and political forces at work which pull in Sophia de Wolfe, a woman of a complex and dubious background who finds herself at the heart of the killing and with desperate personal reasons to find out who is responsible and why. As we know from a different group of traitors – trust no-one.
It’s cleverly plotted, tense and an intelligent and very immersing read. SJ Parris - also known as journalist Stephanie Merritt and also the writer of the much admired Giordano Bruno novels -seems to be embarking on a new series with Sophia de Wolfe and if this book is anything to go by, we’re in for a regular treat.
BOOKREVIEW BOOKREVIEW
COACH TOUR HOLIDAYS
HERITAGE OF
ANNESLEY DOG AND BEAR LANE
Annesley Hall, the very words bring into mind the fire damaged, at-risk small country house, once the home of the Annesley, Chaworth and Chaworth-Musters.
But going back, the land was part of Sherwood Forest, used for hunting by the titled families or the area. Small parcels of land were owned by many different named lines, handed down, gifted to religious orders, bought and sold to extend existing land. As the home of the Lord of the Manor, he would have controlled the farms and other agricultural work, religious needs (if he was responsible for the living of the Vicar), routes through his lands and to some extent the laws.
So, when starting out in research, a newspaper article from the Free Press in November 1974 was very interesting. Saying ‘Keep off the Path’ Football Association (F.A.).
The Football Association brought Annesley Hall intending to turn it into an F.A. Centre. A footpath runs up from the road, through the gate and alongside the road coming back into Annesley.
The
once stood and joins an Island close to the New Notts County Council building.
Annesley Parish Councilor’s discussed the request from the F.A. to divert the ancient route. It was thought that the disruption to the football players training, by members of the public, especially schoolboys, would be a problem.
It was put forward “The footpath provided two functions; a link between Hucknall and Annesley and a pleasant Sunday Stroll” An alternative route to include part of Byron’s Walk was mentioned to make up for the closing, this may have been along part of Diadem Hill, impossible for anybody over 35 to negotiate”.
There was a later Parish Council meeting, where all consideration was made to how this would affect the area, could the F.A. move pitches further into the land to stop being seen? Would the Ministry step in and override the Parish? Should it be used more by people to show how valued it was?
A proposal to reject the diversion and retain the footpath as it is, was approved by all members present apart from one who abstained.
This was the end for the F.A. at Annesley, the Hall was sold to a company (who are not the present owners) and more plans for the Hall followed over the years.
BEING INTERESTED IN LOCAL AND FAMILY HISTORY, I HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE “ANNESLEY OC HERITAGE EXTRA”, WITH MANY EXCITING FACTS ABOUT THE AREA WITH PICTURES AND COMMENTS. WHY NOT TAKE A LOOK? EMAIL: SPOOKYSUE2014@OUTLOOK.COM OR CALL: 01623 721 905
road skirts round the hill where the Castle
Piicture from 2017 on the footpath.
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Slimming World Recipe Raspberry & Lemon Semifreddo
Method:
1. Line a 24cm x 11cm x 7cm deep loaf tin with cling film, then line the base with baking paper.
2. Using a fork, lightly crush 100g raspberries with the 1 level tbsp sweetener, if using.
3. For the custard: Spoon the fromage frais, custard and quark into a large bowl and whisk well.
4. Put the egg whites in a large, clean glass bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk on a medium speed until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold
Looking for a fresh and tasty dessert to serve up this Christmas, and stay on plan... look no further!
the whites, lemon zest and sweetener into the fromage frais mixture, then fold in the remaining raspberries.
5. Add the crushed raspberries and pour into the tin. Cover with cling film, then foil, and freeze for 6-8 hours, or until firm. Transfer to the fridge 1 hour before serving.
6. Remove from the tin and peel off the baking paper. Decorate with extra raspberries and cut into 8 equal slices to serve.
Serves: 8
Syns per serving: 1
Ingredients:
• 400g raspberries, plus extra to decorate
• 1 level tbsp sweetener granules (optional)
For the custard:
• 100g fat-free natural fromage frais
• 200g reduced-fatand-sugar custard from a can/carton
• 200g plain quark
• 2 large egg whites*
• Finely grated zest of ½ unwaxed lemon
• 2 level tbsp sweetener granules
* Pregnant women, the elderly, babies and toddlers are advised to eat eggs showing the British Lion stamp if eating raw or partially cooked eggs
Ready in: 20 mins + 6-8 hours freezing time
Ask
Tank emptying
Any
Proper
Guess the words and Fill in the crossword !
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
7 Freezing the baker’s bonus? (5)
8 Metal said to ban rubbish? (5)
14 Snow home logo with an eye, say, for detail (5)
15 Include second person, say, in farewell? (5)
Down
2 Tunis is not ideal for singles (5)
3 Fool of the Beaker People? (3)
5 Biscuit is not cooked to old length (5)
12 Rice made from peanut oil with an ‘off’ tone (5)
13 A libido, at first used as an excuse (5)
15 Melody herd, say, in dairy farm? (3)
Across 1 Greet in t’ North, making cake for a pud? Yum! (2,2,2,4)
9 US male, say, to sort palette out (4,1,6)
11 Ants’ suppers are a mystery drug (11)
Dairy product unlocked in tumbler kit (10)
pittas as bait is rather over the hill (1,3,4,2)
Nerds all in a tizzy about meals (7)
Terrified to float away in raft, sucker? (10)
Hair, portrayed as a bit of a landing spot (7)
Steam,
Tuna,
Puma, 14 Eloping, 16 Take a tumble.
Crampon, 14 Elk, 15 Gab.
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
www.pitcherwits.co.uk
All Around the Shire
As we are about to begin our All Around the Shire “Traditions of Christmas” presentations, my mind travels back through the decades to when I was a young girl.
At school, small children would be tasked with licking and sticking or pasting endless paperchains to festoon classrooms.
Paper snowflakes adorned the high classroom windows. Gummed paper lanterns dangled from the ceiling.
Growing up in a pub, decorations were everywhere: fairy lights, tinsel, foil hangings, trees groaning with baubles. Years later, my parents donated to me these pub decorations in my first home. They had absorbed years of smoke and smelled so strongly that they couldn’t be used.
I grew up during the glory days of Blue Peter when John Noakes, Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves presented the children’s programme. I had a go at making an Advent Crown using coat hangers, tinsel, candles and baubles. Needless to say, it was not a success.
Emergency Locksmith
07816 84 05 90 Night or Day We’re On Our Way
Whether your decorations are home-made, shop-bought or second hand, I wish you all a peaceful Christmas filled with happy memories.
Janet and Paul Barrass are All Around the Shire. Find us on or email: oldfield512@btinternet.com for more information.
Four Winds Landscaping
Colour in the garden during these cold months can be a great antidote to the winter glooms.
Luckily there are a selection of container plants which will brighten things up even if you haven’t managed to get any bulbs in. So we’re talking about the likes of winter pansies and violas, cyclamen (the small ones, not the showy indoor variety), winter heather and ivy and polyanthus. If you’re creating a few pots it’s worth clumping them together in a sheltered part of the garden even though all these plants should be frost resistant.
If you have room to plant in the ground, winter honeysuckle gives you a very pretty creamy flower and a beautiful scent. Hellebores can be pretty vibrant and will usually flower in early spring but in sheltered spots even as early as Christmas. And the beautiful mahonia bush with its spikes of bright yellow flowers is wonderful. The advantage of these three is that they are also great for winter-active bees.
You can prune apple and pear trees before Christmas – along with acers and laburnum. There’s less chance of sap bleed if you do it now.
THE PECULIAR ‘YELLOW BRAIN FUNGUS’
Although most fungal fruit-bodies (i.e., mushrooms) appear in the autumn months, some like brackets on trees are year-round, and others such as the hallucinogenic (aka poisonous) ones like the classic red-and-white pixie toadstool, the Fly Agaric, persist well into the winter period. These fungi do include the most remarkable and frequently under-appreciated ‘biodiversity’, their ecology being vital to planetary ecosystems including our own survival. The mushrooms and toadstools with their mostly transient fruitbodies are often all that is seen, whereas the hardworking fungal mycelia are largely hidden from view. Nevertheless, some fungi like the ‘Yellow Brain’ (pictured) are remarkable and grab the attention when you spot them. Yellow Brain has the scientific name of Tremella mesenterica which means trembling and ‘mesentery’ or folded tissue usually attached to intestines or gut. Its peculiar appearance has led to evocative and descriptive common names such as ‘Yellow Brain’, ‘Golden Jelly’, ‘Yellow Trembler’, and finally ‘Witches’ Butter’. Its habitat is to be found on dead wood, with a fruiting season (i.e., when this yellow fruit-body appears) all year-round. However, this is a species that is especially seen during winter. Interestingly too, Yellow Brain is not itself a wood-rotter, but a parasite which feasts on the mycelium of what are known as Crust or Corticoid Fungi which do breakdown dead wood like fallen branches and litter. Yellow Brain lives by parasitising the wood-decomposers, with a common victim being the Rosy Crust Fungus (Peniophora incarnate), often totally enveloped by its parasite.
The common names reflect this peculiar fungus’s appearance. Essentially it lacks the obvious structures of most other woodland fungi, and looks like an orange, quivering, gelatinous blob. The smooth fruit-body has characteristically irregular shape, with soft jelly-like texture. The yellow lobes are actually quite tough, greasy, and slimy when wet. They are hard when dry. Colour ranges from pale yellow to bright orange, changing to
rusty orange if dried out. Because of its weird appearance, Yellow Brain has gained mythological, superstitious connections. Across Europe, if the Yellow Brain (‘Witches’ Butter’) appeared on your door or house-gate, the local witch had cast their spell on your family. However, this problem seems easily solved since the spell was removed by repeatedly piercing the fungus with straight pins, until departed. Related to this superstition, in Sweden for example, the dried fungus was burnt to ward off evil spirits. Described as ‘inedible’, flavourless with little substance, in China it provides texture in soups. Like many fungi, it may have medicinal properties with anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic uses. Of course, hallucinogenic fungi and mushrooms such as the Fly Agaric are frequently associated with the Christmas season and celebrations.
Professor Ian D. Rotherham, researcher, writer, broadcaster on wildlife and environmental issues is contactable on ianonthewildside@ukeconet.org. Follow his website www.ukeconet.org, blog www.ianswalkonthewildside.wordpress.com/ & Twitter @IanThewildside Bluesky @ianthewildside.bsky.social
