From the Editor
Hello Readers,
…..And Breathe!!! All the kids are back at school this month, pumpkin spiced latte’s are back on the menu and big jumpers and boots are brought to the front of the wardrobe!! Gotta say, as much as I enjoy the light evenings and long days of Summer, Autumn has got to be my season – ask my friend Sarah, who thinks my spirit animal is the colour ‘Brown’ #eyeroll! A nice traditional Autumn is what I’m looking for though - crisp, colourful and snuggly – not some wet abomination that we endured last year all the way through to March (with small pockets of ‘freeze’ in and around the wet, if I remember rightly?). Anyway, that’s what me and the animals are hoping for!
Speaking of the animals, do you like our ‘Season Changeover’ edition this month? We’ve got some lovely articles including one about Hedgehog Healthcare submitted by one of our fabulous readers – Tracy – Thankyou for sending that in. As always, Lisa has worked hard on the front covers and I have to say, they are up there as one of my all-time faves.
On the theme of all time faves – this month me and Mr Emily partook in our friends hockey tournament last month. It was a fabulous day, as it always is and I have to give a massive shoutout to our friend Holly, who organises it each year to raise money for her charity. If you have a few minutes, have a look at the Facebook page for ’Leon’s Legacy’. This is all about Holly’s story
FOR ADVERTISERS & CONTRIBUTORS: OCT ‘25 EDITION - 12TH SEPT ‘25 NOV ‘25 EDITION - 10TH OCT ‘25
and how she has committed to building up the charity to be able to provide first aid training and put defibrillators in local communities. At last count, she has put 75 defibs in local communities and plans to provide many more in the future, to spare others the tragedy which she and her family faced. So please check out her page and support in any way you can, even if it’s as simple as liking and sharing the page. Needless to say, lots of fun was had and as it was my first year playing in it with my team –Ilkeston Hockey Club – we had the best time….. you could even support by joining our hockey club and playing in the tournament next year –it’s worth it for the cakes and ice cream alone!!!
Anyway, see you all next month for the Halloween edition!
Happy Reading,
The Gentle Shift: NATURE’S
CHANGEOVER FROM SUMMER TO AUTUMN
As the long, golden days of summer start to shorten, nature quietly begins its transformation into autumn. The air turns crisper in the early mornings and evenings, and a subtle shift in light gives the landscape a softer, more golden hue. This gradual change signals a period of preparation, rest, and reflection across the natural world.
Trees are among the first to show signs of change. As daylight hours decrease, chlorophyll — the pigment responsible for summer’s lush green leaves — starts to break down. This reveals the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows that have been hidden beneath, creating a breathtaking display of colour in woodlands and hedgerows. The falling leaves begin to carpet the ground, providing shelter and food for insects and fungi.
Animals also respond to the changing season. Birds such as swallows and swifts gather in flocks, preparing for their long migration to warmer climates. Meanwhile, squirrels can be seen busily collecting acorns and nuts, instinctively storing them to see them through the leaner months. Hedgehogs and other small mammals begin to fatten up, readying themselves for hibernation.
In the countryside, fields that once bustled with crops are harvested and begin to lie fallow. Grasses and wildflowers fade, making way for fungi like toadstools and mushrooms to flourish in the damp, leafstrewn undergrowth. The soundscape changes too—where once there was buzzing
and chirping, now the rustle of dry leaves and the distant call of migrating geese fill the air.
Despite the cooling temperatures and the fading light, autumn is far from a time of decay. Instead, it is a period of rich abundance and natural beauty. Nature pauses, slows, and prepares. It is a time of gratitude for the bounty of summer and anticipation for the peaceful slumber of winter.
Whether walking through a forest, tending a garden, or simply watching the sky, the transition from summer to autumn offers a chance to reconnect with the rhythms of the natural world—and to savour its quiet, graceful shift.
AMBER VALLEY RUGBY CLUB
GEARING UP FOR AN EXCITING SEASON
Pre-season at Amber Valley Rugby Club has been buzzing with energy, as both the men’s and women’s squads have welcomed new faces each week. Training sessions have been well attended with players showing real commitment and enthusiasm as they prepare for the season ahead.
The men’s pre-season friendlies have offered a fantastic opportunity for new players to experience the game for the first time. Supported and guided by the long-standing squad members, these matches have helped the team grow together both on and off the pitch. The camaraderie and encouragement shown highlights what grassroots rugby is all about.
Attention now turns to competitive action, with the men’s league season kicking off on 6th September home against Matlock 2s. The women’s team will begin their campaign with an away game on 21st September away against Tupton/Rolls Royce, while the future of the club gets its chance to shine with minis and junior trials starting on 7th September.
Whether you’re looking for a fresh challenge, a way to keep fit, or simply want to be part of a welcoming community, Amber Valley Rugby Club could be the place for you.
WHY NOT START A NEW SPORT AND JOIN THE VALLEY FAMILY THIS SEASON?
Interested in giving rugby a try? call Stuart 07966 867 946 for the Gareth 07595 520 537 for the ladies and Paul 07790 403 043 for the Minis and Juniors.
More than just a club, we are the #ValleyFamily. You can visit our website www.ambervalleyrfc.co.uk, Facebook & Instagram pages to contact us or follow what we do. You can find us at Lower Somercotes, Somercotes, Alfreton DE55 4NQ
JAMES STREET, LEABROOKS
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SUDOKU #62 Fill in all the numbers!
This is a sudoku 1 square grid
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Slimming World Recipe
Citrus chicken with garlic and honey
Method:
1. Heat your oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/ gas 5.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, honey, lemon juice and soy sauce.
3. Put the chicken thighs in a shallow baking dish and pour over the sauce. Add the
Now we’re back into the regular routine after summer, this quick and appetising meal is a must try if you want tasty, satisfying food without the fuss.
lemon slices and roast for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the lemon zest and parsley. Serve with your favourite Speed veg and roast potatoes.
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 level tbsp honey
• Juice of 2 unwaxed lemons, zest of 1, plus lemon slices
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs, visible fat removed
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Ay up me duck
CRAFTY SATURDAY
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BE A HEDGEHOG HERO
Hedgehogs need our help, these charming little creatures are vanishing from our neighbourhoods, but we still have time to reverse the trend and together we can make a big difference!
Feeding our little hogs is a great place to start but it’s vital we provide them with the right food sources, see the infographic below for the Wildlife Trusts top tips on Hedgehog hunger.
Small actions like leaving a hole in your fence for hogs to roam, ditching harmful slug pellets, adding a hedgehog house to your garden and come November, checking unlit bonfires before lighting will all hugely help our prickly pals. So, rally your neighbours, share this message, and let’s turn our community into a sanctuary for hedgehogs. Their future depends on us - let’s give them a fighting chance!
This article was supplied by Tracy, one of our local readers who regularly helps Hedgehogs in her local community.
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A dogs Day out
This month we bring you one of our favourite walks. The fabulous Michelle and Dean made use of the fine weather, whilst Flake kept cool (it’s very important to assess the weather before taking a dog out on a long walk). This was more tasking than most of our walks but it is well worth the effort to see some of the fantastic views and on cooler days, there are plenty of opportunities to let your dog off the lead.
7.5 MILE CIRCULAR WALK FROM AMBERGATE TO CRICH MONUMENT
A more difficult but highly enjoyable walk for you and your dog. The route should take around 3 to 4 hours. There are some steep and prolonged accents and the terrain is varied with some uneven and potentially muddy parts. As ever a good pair of boots is highly recommended. There are a few stretches of road so take care and use pavements when possible.
1. Park at Ambergate train station car park (pay and display), located near the junction of the A610 and the A6. Leave the car park by the main entrance and take the steps on your left. At the A610 cross the road and turn left to pass under the bridge. At the A6 turn right towards Matlock.
2. Shortly up the road turn right up Chase Road and follow the path until you reach a public footpath on your left signposted “Cromford 5 Miles” walk along the footpath with the canal on your right towards Matlock.
3. After a short walk, pass under a stone bridge and immediately turn left through a gate. Turn left again to crossover the canal. Pass through the 2nd gate on the left and walk along the footpath to the remains of a stile.
4. Follow the path uphill through the woods (it is very steep and has the potential to be very muddy during winter months). Keep to the main path until you leave the woods. As you do you will have a fence on your right. Cross an old broken wall and immediately turn right over a stile.
5. Walk up for two fields keeping a wall close on your right. Cross a stile and turn right up Chadwick Nick Lane. Go over the top of the hill as you are walking downhill turn left by a footpath post up a flight of steps. Pass through a stile.
6. Continue ahead along this path by the Tors. Follow a wall on your right across fields and stiles until you reach a gate to the right and a squeeze stile straight ahead. Take the path through the squeeze stile ahead with trees on your left. Follow this path until you reach a stile with some steps follow the footpath with the road to your left and go down the steps to the main road into Crich.
7. Carefully follow the road downhill into the centre of Crich, looking to use the pavements where possible. From the centre of the village carry on up Bownes Hill passing a pub on your right and follow the road up and round to the left onto Cromford Road.
8. Carry on along the road, passing St Marys Church and at the T-junction, turn right following Plaistow Green Road. Follow the road turning left through a gate onto the public footpath. At the end of the footpath go through the gate and turn left towards the monument.
9. As you approach the monument, take the signposted path on your right. Keep to the path for quite a way until you reach the tram line. Cross the tram line and head downhill on the path, passing around the side of a gate and continue straight to the bottom of the hill. Go through the gate and turn left walking along the path passing the house on your right. Turn right onto the footpath provided to avoid the locked gate.
10. At the main road, cross over, turn right after a very short walk on your left take the signposted path slightly hidden by foliage. Follow this path down through the fields, pass in and out of a wooded area and then through another field before entering Oxhay Wood.
11. In the woods keep to the main path as it winds down through the woods, go through the wooden gate and cross over a country road. Carry on downhill through a metal gate and along the path to Cromford canal.
12. Carry on along this path until you arrive at a bridge on your right. Cross the bridge and turn left and walk along the path until reaching the canal. Turn right onto the canal path and follow this all the way back to where you initially began at point 2. From here, re-trace your steps back to the car park.
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.
HERITAGE TRUST
PITS, BUNS AND MATCHES
Herbert Loades was born in 1889 in Ripley; his father Thomas, like so many others, was a miner. When Herbert was five, his father died, leaving his mother Elizabeth a widow with seven children. They were living in Station Terrace, a row of poor housing next to the old railway station on Peasehill. Life must have been hard.
Unlike his brothers, Herbert did not go down the pit, but in 1911 was a grocer’s porter. After serving in the Royal Artillery in World War One, he teamed up with his brother-inlaw Henry Beach, who was a miner but whose family had a bakery business in Somercotes, to take over Kay’s bakers in Greenwich.
Henry died in 1923, reportedly of typhoid, and Herbert was joined in the firm by other members of his family. Although it eventually became Loades Brothers, the old name is still evident on this picture of one of their vans in 1925.
In 1926, Herbert started a new business, the Triumph Match factory on Steam Mill Lane. He apparently imported the match splints and matchboxes from Russia and named them the ”Derby” match, with a picture of
a horse and jockey on the cover. However, three years later a disastrous fire destroyed the factory, and although it was insured, Herbert quickly sold the factory to the British Match Corporation.
The bakery continued, although it too was damaged by fire in 1943. Herbert retired in 1953 and in 1957 moved to Skegness. His son Thomas ran the bakery until 1961, when it was taken over by Blanchards. He and his wife then ran The Boys Shop on Grosvenor Road until he retired in 1979.
The Loades’ story is echoed by many in the area: from pits and hardship to successful family business in an era before the chain stores took over the High Street.
The Derby Matchbox
The match factory, taken from the old railway embankment.
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Guess the words and Fill in the crossword !
1 Disapprove (apparently!) of a broken cook’s ankle (4,7)
8 Taking away morale that’s ruined in opposition (7)
11 Mine, in no way is a candidate (7)
16 Difficulties can intersperse with undertakings (11)
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. These puzzles are
Across
5 Blow a fuse at end of exercise! (3)
7 Dr.s’ club sitting on back of Lambretta? (3)
10 Spread it carefully, me dears! (7)
14 Badger sett, say in anagram form (3)
15 At heart, truth can be a groovy thing (3)
Down
2 Lily’s from a rum joint! (4)
3 Invoke no loss around Ukrainian city (4)
9 Took a piece from a shorty giraffe! (5)
12 Moreover, it’s ever away from the heath (4)
13 Film is of iron construction (4)
1 Louse, in quiz fiddle, becomes ruler in France (5,6)
4 Freeze! allegedly, and put on spaceman tie (11)
6 Rubbing out virtual lift? (7) 7 Led bard to a conclusion that it can be filled with air (7)
MONTHS PITCHERWITS Across: 1 Belshazzar, 6 Mean, 7 Emu, 8 Taxi, 9 Table-top, 11 Black eye, 14 Near, 15 Nun, 16 Need, 17 Export duty.
Noel Coward once wrote that it’s extraordinary how potent cheap music is. And wow was he right. We’re talking about good, heart-on-their-sleeve songs that whisk you in a time machine to a different place or remind you instantly of someone and connect immediately with your emotions, so that just the opening bars make you want to get up and start dancing, or saying God I remember that, or have you reaching for a hankie to wipe away the tears.
Well these are the songs that music journalist and DJ Stuart Maconie has written about in The People’s Songs – The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Songs.
He’s not saying they’re the same for everyone. But you’d have to be pretty unusual not to have a reaction to a lot of them and he’s using them to tell stories from our shared history, starting with We’ll Meet Again and running through the likes of Another Brick in the Wall, Radio Ga Ga, Do they know it’s Christmas, Brimful of Asha, Can’t Get You Out of My Mind, Wannabe, Merry Xmas Everybody. You get the idea…
As Stuart Maconie says, they’re a soundtrack to our lives. He’s giving us a picture of what was going on at the time because these songs relate to a particular period in our lives and our country’s life.
It’s a great idea. The writing is sparky and intelligent and fun and very thoughtful without being in any way pretentious. There’s lots of good pictures and it’s very easy to read and dip in and out of. What’s not to love…? It’s our story.
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WINIFRED MARTIN
1911-2001
While I was thumbing through some black and white photographs recently, I came across this interesting article by Malcolm Bryan. His wife, Rose, was kind enough to allow me to use this article in The Voice magazine. Regular readers may remember that Malcolm and Rose Bryan wrote Passage To Destruction, a book that covered the fatal air disaster over Annesley Forest over 80 years ago.
Named after Winifred CavendishBentinck, the Duchess of Portland, Auntie Win was born and raised in Stanton Hill terraces where she had the same humble background of most schoolgirls of the Great War years and the early 1920’s. With a family of five boys and six girls, father Parry was a colliery fitter and mother Mary-Ann, a hardworking housewife that had left school at ten years of age to work in a Hucknall cigar factory.
When leaving school at fourteen years of age, like most local girls of the time, Winnie acquired employment in a factory, Chevening. However, eye problems put an end to this task, later becoming a telegram girl at Stanton Hill Post Office. But opportunity was waiting just around the corner for our Winnie. Lord Caernarvon’s sister, Lady Victoria Herbert, required a Kitchen Maid at her home in Dorset and fortunately Winnifred Martin was the lucky applicant.
Lady Victoria, to give her full name and title, Victoria Alexandrina Mary Cecil Herbert CBE (1919) D.G.St.J. was born at Highclere Castle on the last day of December 1874. Lady Victoria was the third child of Henry Howard Molyneux 4th Earl of Caernarvon, and his wife Evelyn, daughter of the Earl of
Chesterfield from the Stanhope family which included Tony WedgewoodBenn, and her brother George, an Egyptologist along with Howard Carter they discovered Tutankhamum’s tomb.
Evelyn died soon after the birth of Victoria leaving much of this young girl’s life in the hands of her Godmother, Queen Victoria. Lady Victoria Herbert remained unmarried throughout her life residing at Purse Caundle Manor, Sherborne, Dorset where she died in 1957.
Purse Caundle Manor was allegedly built by Bad King John as a hunting lodge, much later serving the Royalist cause in the Civil War. Supposedly haunted, a ghostly choir was said to sing in the Upper Gallery, and on a Mid-Summer and Christmas Eve King John’s hounds howl on the bowling green. When asked about the hauntings Auntie Win said she never heard a thing. Winnie was to spend six happy years at The Manor, her Ladyship proving a caring and considerate employer. If proof were needed of this fact, Auntie Win received many gifts including a signed prayer book “To Winnie from Victoria HerbertBest Wishes.” dated 1932, and she was also presented with a gold necklace on her 21st birthday. It was indeed a sad and sombre occasion when Winnie left
Purse Caundle Manor, her Ladyship suggesting to Auntie Winnie that the time had come to better herself, with the parting, “Always a bed here if you need one.” Winnie finally left on Lady Victoria’s recommendation to work for the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk.
Indeed, Winnie Martin was employed by many of the Premier Earldom or “higher class” employers up to the beginning of the Second World War. Her memories of being a kitchen maid on the Norfolk’s estate at Everingham near Market Weighton, North Yorkshire, or the one in Scotland were of “visiting nobs” as she called them, and the provision of much food for the shooting parties.
......TO BE CONTINUED
All Around the Shire
As a child of the 60s and 70s, I was lucky enough to experience both the “proper” old fashioned puddings and the new “convenient” puddings which arrived with the advent of supermarkets.
These would include Arctic Rolls and bricks of ice cream kept in the ice box at the top of the fridge. Angel Delight or Instant Whip and a blob of Dream Topping made them especially luxurious. You can still get trifle in a box today I was amazed to find. Tinned fruit and evaporated milk were a staple of Sunday afternoon teatimes.
School puddings tended to come in two varieties: milk puddings and sponge based with thick custard. Chocolate concrete and pink custard, still popular today!
As the cooler nights draw in, I will always have a special place in my heart for puddings made with love and care. Apple and blackberry crumbles, pies and tarts. Fruit from the garden, the hedgerows, fresh and in season. Rice puddings baked for ages in an enamel dish covered with a thick skin. So comforting!
Do you remember eating stewed plums and putting the stones around the outside of the dish? Then working out who you were going to marry… Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggarman, thief.
Janet and Paul Barrass are All Around the Shire. Find us on or email: oldfield512@btinternet.com
DRAGONS AND DAMSELS MARK THE END OF SUMMER
As summer drifts into Autumn, nature gradually changes and the long, hot summer months slip away. Bird song has long since ended and the young birds are morphing into adult plumage, and small birds gather in groups and then flocks to forage through the countryside. Insects especially follow the autumnal trend and prepare to overwinter as hibernating adults, as nymphs, as pupae, or even as eggs depending on the species. Damselflies have largely gone now, at least as adults, since these are creatures of the spring and summer months. Of course, the aquatic larvae or nymphs are still there, if out of sight, in ponds, streams and lakes. Their larger cousins the dragonflies, may still be around later in the season as they roam the wider landscape in search of prey on the wing. Voracious hunters with hearty appetites, several of the bigger species will still be active until the first heavy frosts. Brown Hawkers, Common, Migrant, and Southern Hawkers and Emperors, along with Chasers, Darters, and Skimmers will all have been seen during the summertime and are frequent visitors to garden ponds and similar places. Many of these persist into at least September and the Hawkers and Emperors may be around into October, weather depending. One of our most spectacular species is the very distinctive Golden-ringed Dragonfly, a creature
of moorland bogs and rivulets. This is very much a summer insect and the adults will have gone before the end of August.
At first sight many of these quick-flying insects are difficult to identify, but rather like bird species , with practice they can be easily sorted. Birdwatchers describe the appearance and behaviour of different species as ‘jizz’ and with a little effort and experience this gives away their identity. The same applies to dragonflies though perhaps less so to the damsels. Handbooks will have ‘helpful’ guidance and notes such as ‘did the third abdominal segment have two blue dots or a single blue stripe?’, and this is for an insect that won’t land, stay still, or otherwise cooperate! Having reliably identified the different species so you can observe their behaviour, makes identification so much easier – eventually. Digital photographs of the insects at rest can help enormously and then you can look in detail and if necessary, zoom in to the key features. Behaviour also helps separate the different species based on their flight, their territorial use of things like perches, and their hawking along the water’s edge of maybe a hedgerow and the like. Sheer size and colour of the wings or body are often the giveaways.
GARDENERS CALENDAR
September. Okay… autumn. Although given our eccentric summer, who knows? But that doesn’t mean the show’s over.
First, even if things are starting to look a big shell-shocked after a freezing spring followed by drought, heatwave and storms, you can keep the colour going with a bit of judicious planting. Dahlias are a winner this time of year and will keep flowering easily through till the first frosts. Anemones are particularly good growers for autumn and are easy, showy and perennial. To keep the bees and other pollinators productive as long as possible, sedums and echinacea are excellent and also very colourful.
Prune roses lightly now to get them ready for winter and help prevent problems such as wind rock which can weaken them. Deadhead as always and bring down the height if possible – don’t prune back to base - you can leave that for the spring. Cut out diseased or dead wood and cross branches and if mulch applied earlier in the season has worn away, add some more. Don’t fertilise or feed. It will encourage new growth and weaken the plant going into winter,
Keep on watering new plants. They’ll still be very vulnerable to drought as the roots are less established. You can use grey water – i.e. from the sink or bath – if you’re being eco conscious. Household washing cleansers won’t harm plants.
TOP TIP
Bare root wallflowers should start to become available either by post or in garden centres. They’re far cheaper to plant now than fully grown plants in spring. Soak the roots for at least an hour before planting. The promised scent of wallflowers makes getting through winter possible.
Boiler Breakdowns
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