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From the Editor
Hello Readers,
So, this year is zipping by isn’t it! I remember my Grandmother telling me about how time gets faster as you grow older. I obviously ignored her as she was possibly older than the dinosaurs…but as usual, she was right!
Anyway, speaking of time zipping by, we’ve gone with quintessentially English summer holidays on our front covers this month, 1950’s style. Ah the memories… Grandad with a hanky on his head, trousers rolled up ready for a paddle and those absolutely massive steps at Mablethorpe, which felt like climbing Everest! Oh and the fun fair – happy memories – or not so much to be honest. My Grandparents just took me and my Brother around the Funfair to “have a look”…. I think they were inspired by Jim Bowen and Bullseye… “look at what you could have won”.
Anyway, the other thing I like to do in the summer months, is to have a good clear out of some old bits and bobs, furniture, clothing etc (I don’t know why I prefer summer to spring?!). I’ve posted some bits on Facebook Marketplace etc and I’ve scheduled to do a car boot (which Mr Emily really hates!!). I love doing stuff like this. However, I don’t know if it’s just me getting older but are there more scammers these days? Posting items online is an absolute minefield, from the time wasters who are ‘definitely not time
wasting’, to the ‘can I pay on Paypal friends and family’ (which protects them and not you when they don’t pay).
It does make you realise why so many charity shops are inundated with items, because most people prefer to donate rather than have the faff of scammers! Not to mention the much-needed degree in research needed to be able to buy online, with all the dodgy websites, and poor ratings even if they are real!! Don’t get me wrong, digital platforms have their place, Pandora isn’t going back in that box for sure – the Tech Bro’s have us by the short and curlys!! Perhaps an answer will present itself, but for now I spend much of my time cynically guarding my data like a squirrel and their nuts!
Anyway, back to the clear out……might have a cheeky Vimto outside in the sunshine first….it’d be rude not to wouldn’t it!!
Wish You Were Here!
A NOSTALGIC LOOK AT RETRO SEASIDE POSTCARDS
There’s something utterly charming about retro seaside postcards. Bold colours, cheeky humour, and scenes that capture the golden age of British beach holidays – these little cards packed a punch. Before texts and selfies, a saucy postcard with a stick of rock was the ultimate “wish you were here” message.
First popular in the early 1900’s and booming through the 1950’s to 70’s, these cards became holiday staples. Many featured cartoon illustrations – often with a hefty dose of double entendre. Think knobbly knees contests, overstuffed swimsuits, and hen-pecked husbands snoozing behind windbreaks. They were cheeky, yes, but rarely offensive, offering a gentle giggle for all ages.
The classic British beach scenes – donkey rides, striped deckchairs, pier amusements, and overflowing ice cream cones – were lovingly (or sometimes ridiculously) exaggerated. Postcards from Blackpool, Skegness, Margate, and Brighton filled racks outside newsagents, waiting for sunburnt holidaymakers to pick one out, scribble a quick note, and send it off to friends and family back home.
Beyond their humour, these postcards also offer a slice of social history. They reflect how
we dressed, holidayed, and saw the world. In an era before mobile phones and social media, sending a postcard was a key part of the holiday ritual. It showed you were really away.
Today, retro postcards are collected, framed, and celebrated for their kitsch charm. They spark memories of soggy chips on the prom, buckets and spades, and chasing wasps away from your jam sandwich. And while you might not post one now (the postbox is always too far away), their spirit lives on in seaside shops and novelty gifts.
So next time you’re by the coast, take a moment to flick through a postcard rack. Among the faded puns and punchlines, you’ll find a little time capsule – a laugh from the past, wrapped up in a glossy 6x4.
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Slimming World Recipe Fish Pakoras
1. Heat your oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Spray a non-stick frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and put it over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, chilli and spices, and cook for 10 minutes. Add 2 tbsp water and cook for about 30 seconds or until the water has been absorbed.
3. Tip the onion mixture into your food processor and add the fish and flour. Chop 2 tbsp coriander and set aside, then add the rest to the food processor along with a pinch of salt. Pulse until you have a thick mixture. Spoon the fish mixture into 16 equal-size
Fancy something a bit spicy for your alfresco dinning? These cod pakoras pack the perfect punch!
mounds on the prepared baking tray, spaced apart. Spritz the tops with low-calorie cooking spray and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
4. Once the pakoras are in the oven, make the dip: Put the yogurt in a bowl and stir in most of the mint and reserved coriander. Season lightly with salt, then chill.
5. Sprinkle the pakoras with the remaining herbs and serve with the yogurt dip, lime slices or wedges and lots of chunky Speed veg (plus rice if you’re making a bigger meal of it).
• Low-calorie cooking spray
• ½ medium onion, grated
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp medium curry powder*
• 600g skinless and boneless cod fillets (or another firm white fish)
• 4 level tbsp selfraising flour
• Small pack fresh coriander
• Lime slices or wedges, to serve
• For the yogurt dip:
• 200g fat-free natural yogurt
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
*Watch out for spice/ seasoning blends that have added ingredients (like sugar, oil or starch). To protect your weight loss, count 1½ Syns per level tbsp.
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Charlie’s Place Needs You: Become a Hero for Animals…
Nestled in the Derbyshire countryside, CHARLIE’S PLACE ANIMAL SANCTUARY is more than just a rescue centre - it’s a haven for animals and a thriving volunteer community.
A SANCTUARY WITH HEART
Founded in 2018 by animal advocates Claire and Wil, following many years of taking in, rehabilitating and caring for a plethora of species. Now a registered charity, it’s home to around 100 rescued animals, many from the egg and meat industries.
WILDLIFE RESCUE AND REHABILITATION
Charlie’s Place also operates an on-site wildlife hospital, treating over 100 injured or orphaned wild animals a year - from owls to hedgehogs. Once recovered, they’re released back into their natural habitats, helping protect local biodiversity.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Charlie’s Place thrives thanks to the dedication of volunteers and the generosity of supporters. Ways to get involved:
• VOLUNTEER – Help with animal care, wildlife transport, or fundraising.
• DONATE – Regular donations give the sanctuary long-term stability and help provide food, shelter, and medical care.
• SPONSOR OR ADOPT – Support an enclosure or symbolically adopt an animal.
• FUNDRAISE OR JOIN EVENTS – Run a race, bake cakes, or attend events like quizzes or yoga.
Check the Charlie’s Place Facebook page or www.charliesplace.org.uk for more information.
WHY VOLUNTEER?
“I chose to volunteer to help protect and rehabilitate wildlife. This provides a fulfilling opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of animals while supporting broader conservation efforts.”
“Volunteering gives many of us purpose, moments of calm and an opportunity to connect with others who we might not normally interact with, helping to shape lives and broaden horizons.”
VOLUNTEERS’ THOUGHTS: GET
INVOLVED
You’ll meet like-minded people, learn new skills, and make a real difference in the lives of animals. Whether you can offer a few hours a week or just help out at events, your support is invaluable. Go to our website and fill out a volunteer form. IF YOU CAN HELP WITH TIME, SKILLS, OR SUPPORT - GET IN TOUCH:
“Ilovefeelinglike Ihaveapositiveinfluenceonthelives oftheanimalshere,Charlie’splace reallymakesadifference.”
FOR KINDNESS, COMPASSION, AND COMMUNITY - AND THEY NEED PEOPLE LIKE YOU
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Everyone loves a wedding – don’t they? Maybe unless you happen to be depressed and newly divorced Phoebe who has arrived at an expensive hotel at a very swish Rhode Island resort with the express intention of it being her last stop anywhere.
Then she discovers this final refuge has been entirely – apart from her - taken over by a wedding party for a very rich spoiled young thing. Who is devastated by the thought of how Phoebe’s intentions will “ruin” her nuptials when she finds out her plans for the afterlife.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach sounds like it could be the most uncomfortable read of the summer. Either unbearably sentimental or trying to be funny when really, the subject matter isn’t funny.
Actually it turns out to be a real delight. In places it is genuinely funny, the conversations are often whip smart. But it also makes you think; the characters have real depth, and you find yourself agreeing with the third person narrator on so much about life and the bigger picture. And not in a maudlin way.
It is genuinely and unexpectedly a story which stays with you when you’ve finished it. I bought it thinking it would be a quick summer read after reading a review that said it was hilarious and moving. It is so much more.
AIR CONDITIONING INSTALLATION
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As I write this, we are experiencing heatwave conditions and my mind turns back to how we kept cool years ago. Many people we come across in our talks tell us their traumatic memories about the knitted bathing costumes they had to wear as children. A kind friend has knitted us a couple of swimsuits from original patterns and when we show these, people explain how the costumes, weighed down with water, would reveal all as they stood up!
For myself, I remember going out for the day with grandparents and paddling in a stream or shallow river wearing just a pair of pants. Of course, grandad had his knotted hankie on his head, but we didn’t know about the dangers of sunburn in those days.
In the local swimming pool, the sharp smell of chlorine assaulted your nose as soon as you walked through the changing room door. On the tiles were signs about “petting” and “bombing” not being allowed. Plasters floated in the water and everyone had to wade through the disinfectant foot bath. There was usually a stern attendant
who sat atop a raised chair, so he had a good view of all the misdemeanours. He used a piercing whistle and was quick to scold anyone who was having too much fun. After our swim, we queued for the vending machine and hungrily devoured a packet of crisps or a drink of hot chocolate. Great times.
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
6 Unkind? Average? (4)
7 Gem, uncut as yet, revealed in nonflyer (3)
8 Cab to travel on the runway (4)
14 Northern organ to close (4)
15 Woman of habit? (3)
16 Require to make bread, say (4)
Down
3 Final, on a bad loan, is sectional (5)
4 Taped around a skilful answer (5)
12 Incorporate a queen, by the end (5)
13 Work end opened up into martial art (5)
Across
1 Bash the razzledazzle, it’s writing on the wall for him! (10)
9 Beat the plot maker at the eating place (5-3)
11 Shiner resulting from a thumping lot of mascara? (5,3)
17 Tax on the way out, but unlikely to be cancelled! (6,4)
Down
1 Re-cyclists’ site, where the abbot knelt down in remorse? (6,4)
2 Wrongly cites, “I’m from Shem” (7)
5 Leap ecstatically for born free lady? (4,3,3)
10 Corrected, and virtually repaired? (7)
1 Legal jargon, 2 Orb, 3 Age, 4 Tender years, 6 Imprint, 7 Grander, 8 Madeira, 14 Emu, 15 Lax.
Big game, 9 Loop, 10 Dote, 11 Range, 12 Anti, 13 Inky, 14 Eternal, 16 Neutral axis.
These puzzles are devised by the brilliant Professor Rebus. For more of his puzzles visit www.pitcherwits.co.uk
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KS TIMBER
I started KS Timber midway through lockdown after spotting a gap in the market for scaffold boards, thanks to the rising popularity of the rustic look. Before that, I spent 20 years as a sales manager in the construction industry, where I built a reputation for great service - being late is one of my biggest pet hates!
Since launching, I've supplied everything from movie sets to local projects, with customers ranging from furniture makers and farmers to restaurants and allotment holders. My most regular visitors, though, are members of the public creating all sorts of unique pieces.
The boards are made from European whitewood spruce, sourced from the UK, Germany, and Austria. They’re especially popular for home bars and man (or woman ��) caves - which really took off during lockdown.
3.9m x 225mm x 38mm
Ideal for: Planters Tables Man cave Fencing PROMPT DELIVERY SALE WAS £16 NOW £14!
Decking Shelves Raised beds
SUMMERTIME BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS
Hot sunny weather and even drought pose many problems for a lot of our wildlife species. However, the insects such as butterflies and moths can find benefit, at least in the short-term, in the scorching conditions of recent months. Many of these creatures have had a bad time in recent decades with pollution and habitat loss compounding the vagaries of climate change. Yet with this year’s dry spring and now blistering hot summer, quite a number have come into their own, and this includes both regionally resident species and increasingly, new arrivals from the south. I will look at damselflies and dragonflies in a later article but for now I want to focus on butterflies and moths, the former exclusively day-flying and the latter predominantly, but by no means totally night-flying.
For butterflies, garden buddleias are a real treat attracting large numbers of spectacular species like red admirals, small tortoiseshells, peacocks, painted ladies, commas, and various whites. However, a brambly woodland edge, woodland ride or glade, or a sheltered wild spot in a garden can be a rich place for butterfly spotting. Watch out in particular for the moth-like fat-bodied, darting ‘skippers’, the now ubiquitous speckled wood, late brood brimstones, or the increasingly frequent silver-washed fritillary. Some of these like the speckled wood were very uncommon and limited to southern England only a few decades ago
but are now found north to the tip of Scotland. Moths are also doing well this year and mix local species with ones migrating in their thousands from Europe and across the North Sea. Warm and humid evenings provide ideal conditions for many of these insects which mix myriads of tiny species known as ‘micros’ and large numbers of bigger ones called ‘macros’. Identification of some commoner species like the beautiful swallowtail moth is pretty easy, but for many of the others this is something for the specialist and ‘mothing’ enthusiast. [And there are a surprising number of them!] At least today it is possible to get to grips with these beasties with help from internet websites and discussion groups, digital photography, and excellent, illustrated handbooks. For most of us though, I think simply appreciating the beauty and enchantment of these wonderful insects is probably enough. Visitors to gardens and night-time kitchen windows include huge numbers of yellow underwings, silver-Y’s, pugs, footmen, carpets, magpies, and many others. Spectacular individuals include huge hawk-moths, eggars, emperors, and fox moths found on moors and heaths. Some of these insects are resident in the south but in hot summers are spreading northwards, and worth watching out for!
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
PRIVET HAWK MOTH
PRIVET HAWK MOTH
GARDENERS CALENDAR
Lots of heat, not much rain, beautiful summer. But conditions which can be pretty challenging for our gardens.
Lawns will recover, so don’t feel you have to keep watering them all the time. A little water every day just makes the grass – and other established plants - develop shallow roots and makes them more vulnerable. If you are going to water make it deep. Bedding plants – i.e. in containers - need water early morning and/or evening so they don’t get “sunburnt” by water drops and splashes.
Tomatoes need a weekly potassium feed once a week, but try to reduce watering unless it is really hot as it may cause the fruit to split. But cut back lower leaves to keep ventilation good and allow the plant to focus on fruit.
You can continue to feed most things – the same feed you give tomatoes is also acceptable for most other plants – high potassium is helpful for producing flowers and fruit for bedding plants.
Back to the slugs. They’re still around, especially if we get sudden downpours. Garlic seems to be gaining ground (pardon the pun) as a deterrent. One head of garlic, crush or blitz in a food processor with 200 mls of water. Soak overnight with an extra 700 mls of water and strain. Use direct on particular problem plants, - either spray leaves or around base, or dilute in a watering can for an upkeep dose once every few days or after rain. Slugs don’t like the smell and it acts as an irritant to their skin. Doesn’t harm wildlife or pets. Worth trying?
TOP TIP
Prune lavender back after flowering to an inch of new growth above the wood for a good show next year.
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