Rural Voice - Bakewell & Villages Edition - October 2025

GOODWINS

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NOV ‘25 EDITION - 10TH OCT ‘25

DEC ‘25 EDITION - 7TH NOV ‘25

Hello Readers,

Yippeeee!!! Pumpkin Spiced Latte here I come! I think autumn/early winter has to be my favourite time of year. Lots of colour changes, snuggly evenings, dark nights (but not so many that you’re fed up of them and only getting 3 hours of sunlight per day!).

I was fortunate enough to visit Iceland a few years back during winter (I didn’t see any Northern lights because it was simply far too miserable and laden with clouds for that kind of joy!!) and one of the things that has always stuck with me since the visit, is acceptance. Despite the country being truly beautiful, and I hope to visit in summer at some point to see the flip side, it was one of the weirdest and unsettling experiences of my life!

I’m not selling it to you am I!! Let me try again!! Iceland seems to spend about 4 months of the year in a cold, dark, terrible weather, spooky filled misery – it makes Manchester seem like it is suffering from a drought –so much rain! However, because of this, they choose to leave the Christmas decorations up longer than anyone else, because those twinkly little lights bring a little joy to the dark streets in the darkest days. They have more hobbies than any other culture because they spend their evenings learning new skills and making sure that they don’t just sleep, eat, work, repeat. So, they take up things like reading and knitting and drawing, and they make sure that they go out during the few hours of daylight they get for their Vit D and they socialise even when they don’t feel like it – because we’re all humans right and we need that interaction.

Anyway, my long and ever so slightly convoluted point was that we all have our crosses to bear and despite it not necessarily being my best holiday in the traditional sense, a big ‘Eureka’ moment for me was that clearly, in life, the circumstances are going to play out, it really is our choice as to how we react to them. I take this with me everywhere now and whenever I see glib memes such as ‘when life gives you lemons make lemonade’ and other such placating statements,

maybe just maybe they aren’t so glib and maybe, the point is and always has been, situations will arise and really, the only decision we must make is, how we respond. So, with that in mind, this month I have been trying to stop watching the news so much and massively cut down on my social media usage – it doesn’t do me any favours (or let’s be honest, society as a whole). In its absence, I’m decorating at home – which is never good news for Mr Emily who always gets roped in!! And I’m watching the GBBO (if you don’t know what that is, you are beyond help!). I’m a terrible cook, only a slightly better baker based on the handful of times that I have baked, but maybe this is my hobby…..maybe all the miserable social media posts and news and brain melting banality is going to give way to a chocolate melting goddess rising from the oven flames in search of just one little hand shake from Mr Hollywood!! Wish me luck!!!

Anyway, as it is a spooky time of year, I predict that it was Professor Plum in the Drawing Room with the Candlestick! Happy Reading everyone, only 2 more editions until Christmas…. eeeek!

Happy Reading, Emily x

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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

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Slimming World Recipe

Beef Lasagna

Method:

1. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and put it over a high heat. Add the beef and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, breaking up any lumps as you go. Drain off any fat in the pan, then add the pepper, courgette, onion and garlic and stir-fry for 6-8 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, passata and dried herbs to the pan and season lightly. Stir everything together, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring often.

3. Meanwhile, mix the yogurt, eggs and nutmeg until smooth. Season lightly and set aside.

Lasagna but on plan... now we’re talking! Rich tasy beef ragu, layered with pasta and topped with a creamy sauce and a parmesan crunch. Yum!

Preheat your oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.

4. Spoon one-third of the beef mixture into an ovenproof dish and spread it out to cover the base. Top with 4-5 lasagne sheets, snapping them to fit any awkward spaces. Repeat the layers twice more, then top with the yogurt mixture.

5. Sprinkle the Parmesan over evenly and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the pasta is tender. Leave the lasagne to stand for 10 minutes before you slice it (this helps it keep its shape). Serve with your favourite salad.

• Low-calorie cooking spray

• 500g lean beef mince (5% fat or less)

• 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into small chunks

• 1 courgette, cut into small chunks

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

• 400g can chopped tomatoes

• 400g passata

• 2 tsp dried mixed herbs

• 500g fat-free natural yogurt

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• Pinch of nutmeg

• 12-15 dried lasagne sheets (depending on the size and shape of your dish)

• 120g grated fresh Parmesan

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All Around the Shire

One of the most cherished memories I have is of my boys running home from school in their little grey shorts with an abundance of conkers stuffed down their long, grey socks. They were so excited to be bursting with autumnal treasure. They had kicked around fallen leaves under horse chestnut trees to find jewels of shiny brown conkers inside prickly green casings.

At home came the task of selecting the ones thought most likely to become a champion and either baking them or soaking them in vinegar to become hard. Next was the piercing and threading with a knotted shoelace. Job done! Time to challenge your friends to a game. Winning conkers were ones that defeated other conkers by splitting or cracking them and they gained a title of “Sixer” “Twelver” and so on, depending on how many wins they had.

Playtime at school couldn’t come quick enough. Small boys and some girls charged out of the classroom with their conkers in their pocket, ready for battle. Very serious.

Cheating was not unknown: painting the conker with clear nail varnish or substituting for a wooden ball. Bruised knuckles and bits of split conker flying into your eye was, of course, an acceptable hazard.

Glorious autumn.

Film Noir Murder Mysteries:

SHADOWS, SECRETS, AND SUSPENSE

Film Noir, born out of the 1940s and 1950s Hollywood landscape, remains one of cinema’s most enduring and stylish genres. Often described as “dark film,” it captures a world where shadows loom large, morality is ambiguous, and danger hides around every corner. At the heart of many of these stories lies the murder mystery – a puzzle of deceit, betrayal, and survival that continues to fascinate audiences today.

Unlike the classic detective tales of the golden age, Film Noir murder mysteries are rarely straightforward. They often feature flawed protagonists – hard-boiled detectives, cynical journalists, or ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances. These characters are not shining heroes but rather complex individuals battling both external threats and their own inner demons. Their journeys are filled with twists and turns where no one can be trusted, and every clue might be a trap.

A hallmark of the genre is the femme fatale: the enigmatic woman whose allure is as dangerous as any smoking gun. From Barbara Stanwyck’s scheming Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity (1944) to Jane Greer’s manipulative Kathie Moffat in Out of the Past (1947), the femme fatale is central to the mystery, often blurring the line between victim and villain. Her presence deepens the intrigue, keeping both the protagonist and the audience guessing until the final reel.

Visually, Film Noir is unmistakable. Low-key lighting, stark contrasts, and dramatic shadows create an atmosphere of tension and unease. Rain-slicked streets, smoke-filled bars, and neon-lit alleyways serve not only as backdrops but also as characters in their own right, shaping the mood and amplifying the suspense.

What sets Film Noir murder mysteries apart is their refusal to offer neat resolutions. Justice is not guaranteed, and happy endings are rare. Instead, these films reflect a post-war world of uncertainty, where crime, corruption, and human weakness dominate.

Today, the legacy of Film Noir lives on in modern cinema, from neo-noir classics like Chinatown (1974) to contemporary thrillers such as Gone Girl (2014). The blend of mystery, moral ambiguity, and haunting style ensures that Film Noir continues to captivate new generations of film lovers, keeping its shadowy allure alive.

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS IN 2025

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.

MUSEUM GOINGS ON IN THE DARK

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.

displaying carved pumpkins outside are considered to be those happy to play along. Of course, the first time I carved and lit pumpkins I just did it for fun, not aware it was a sign. We had eighty children call! It was an exhausting and surprising evening, especially as there wasn’t anything like that number of children in the village!

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).

After all the high jinks of Halloween comes 1st November, All Hallows, or All Saints Day. This is a day intended to honour the many saints and martyrs who have died for their faith.

The magazine’s reach grew, the pages multiplied, and Emily’s vision for Voice Magazine as a community resource really began to take shape.

By the end of October, the seasons are changing. Harvests have been gathered, leaves are falling and, as dark nights draw in, we know winter is fast approaching. In times gone by people would gather together, lighting fires to keep warm. Toward the end of the year ancient Celts held the festival of Samhain, pronounced sow-ain. Samhain was a celebration signifying the end of summer and the beginning of the darker part of the year. Some even believed that Samhain was a time when the gap between our world and that of spirits blurred, allowing the spirits to return.

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.

31st October, All Hallows Eve, is the night we now know as Halloween, it is celebrated around the world. It’s a time when people gather, they eat together, have fun and tell stories. Children dress up to go trick or treating.

All Souls Day follows on 2nd November. All Souls was first celebrated in the 11th century. It marks a day of prayer and commemoration for all those family and friends who are no longer living.

Yes, that’s right—Voice Magazine has had a New Year Makeover!

The brilliant covers are still the stars of the show—it’s the inside that has changed. You’ll notice:

• TOP TIP’S (This month on how to stay healthy)

Halloween is a scary time at our own Bakewell Old House Museum. Said to be the most haunted house in Bakewell, at this time of year there are always ‘going’s on’ there.

• DID YOU KNOW? (This month has little known facts about health and fitness)

Why not come and see us in our Terrifying Tudor House. Open between Saturday 25th October and 2nd November you’ll need to watch your step as witches, vampires, skeletons, spiders and bats have taken over…

• SPOTLIGHT ON (An advertiser is spotlighted throughout all 11 editions for the month)

• WHAT’S ON? (This month is about Park Runs near you)

It may surprise you to know that trick or treating began in medieval times. Folk would call, door to door, and offer to pray or sing in exchange for a gift of food. During Victorian times a small round cake flavoured with sweet spices and marked with a cross was given, it was called a Soul Cake. Traditionally made using oats, spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, as well as raisins or currants, Soul cakes were very popular. These days we give chocolate and sweets.

I DARE YOU TO VISIT?

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.

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.

The term Jack-o-lantern has been used in Britain since the 1600s, it was the name commonly given to a nightwatchman. Originally for Halloween people carved faces in turnips and mangelwurzels (a kind of root vegetable, with the best name ever). When a candle is placed inside, the scary carvings light up and are supposed to frighten away spirits. These days pumpkins are used as they are much softer and easier to carve. Gruesome faces, witches, and intricate patterns are often carved. In some areas there are even competitions for the best ones. With a candle inside these pumpkins stand outside shining into the dark night.

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.

Children, and some parents, paint their faces, dress up and walk the streets offering trick or treat. Houses

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 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?

Tracy Chevalier doesn’t just travel to the past in her latest novel, The Glassmaker. Best known for her million-selling Girl with a Pearl Earring, set very firmly in 17th century Holland; the author this time follows the life of a young 15th century Venetian glassmaker through the centuries until we leave the story at the end of Covid.

Not possible you might say. But time flows differently in this book and Orsola and her family skip through the centuries, living through wars, the rise of books and art, plagues, and the arrival of characters such as Casanova. She starts the book aged 17 and finishes her tale in her 60s in the present day.

It sounds complicated but it is quite playful. Basically it is the story of a girl who becomes a woman - with all that involves - while wrestling with the constraints of society through the ages. Orsola stays Orsola, while the world whizzes forward around her.

When we first meet her she is going against the conventions of her time and learning how to turn sand into glass to stop her family going into debt. When we leave her she has battled her way through to becoming a businesswoman with a mobile phone.

Everything has changed. But so much stays the same, and some things are seemingly unchangeable.

And… it’s a good read!

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

9 G, say, follower at speed? (4)

10 Scrape along in attempt to ring bells (4)

11 Fun, given that you’re finding mushrooms (5)

12 Back for nothing, in top (4)

14 Semi-arid, but not said to be suitable for Arab leader (4)

Down

3 Snake in and out of the raspberries (3)

4 Nonsense article about the ocean? (3)

6 Suggest that the second Cardinal could be it? (5,2)

7 Herb is cruelty-free produce (3)

13 Spoiled almost half of the painting (3)

16 Blowlamp stripped down by wise old one (3)

17 Said to be eye treatment, literally! (3)

Dramatic pairs located bus near accident (6,4)

Moses’ missus mentioned in a zip (or a fastener) (8)

15 Job treatment, done with a flat hand? (4,4)

18 NASA finding itself in tumult when leaves fell (4,6)

Elicit straightforward, but not gratis answer (4,5)

Invitation to fly away, that’s less than polite? (4,3)

Divided regal topper for an old coin (4-5)

Nine elements to put on top of salads (4,3)

1 Louis quinze, 2 Arum, 3 Kiev, 4 Emancipates, 6 Erasing, 7 Bladder, 9 Okapi, 12 Moor, 13 Noir.

1 Look askance, 5 Use, 7 BMA, 8 Removal, 10 Smeared, 11 Nominee, 14 Nag, 15 Rut, 16 Enterprises.

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• Bird nest removal

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• Complete installation of log burners, stoves and fires

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Most lawns have suffered with this summer’s droughts. And whilst there is an old trope that a lawn will always recover; it can depend on the original condition and it’s always worth giving a little TLC – even if it’s to help it to become more drought resistant next year. A good start is scarifying, pulling out dead matter and debris with a metal rake. Then aerate –spiking with a garden fork as deep as the tines will penetrate and waggling in the ground to open the earth up. This is best done after rain or watering, but may take some patience as soil can become hydrophobic and initially resist water after prolonged drought. If you find it very hard work, concentrate on the most worn patches. Finally work some top dressing – sharp sand and home-made compost into the holes. You can feed, but make sure it’s the right fertiliser for winter otherwise it will encourage weak sappy growth.

The best time to prune acers if you want to re-shape them is after the leaves have fallen and before spring –i.e. while the tree is dormant and before the sap starts to rise again early in the new year.

Alpines have become increasingly popular, some are even being sold in homeware stores. Most are hardy perennials – they’ll come back for a few years, but they can suffer if exposed to very wet conditions. They don’t mind cold – the clue is in the name – and they love sunny, but they can’t take soggy roots. So if you’ve put them in troughs or containers make sure their feet are not going to be in water and remove any dead vegetation around their shallow roots.

TOP TIP

If you’re going for a wildflower lawn next year, don’t feed with fertiliser. It will encourage the grass, but they will swamp the flowers.

AUTUMN BRINGS THE CROWS TO THE WILDLIFE GARDEN

The crow family or corvids are amongst our longest lived and most intelligent birds and include a diversity of species from the huge Raven, the ubiquitous Carrion Crow, the now declining Rook, the Jackdaw, the colourful Jay, and the splendid Magpie. Down in southwest England and in Wales for example there is also the Cornish Chough but that has yet to spread northwards. Aside from the rook which has particular habitat issues and has lost out to urbanisation and changing agricultural practice, the other corvids are generally doing pretty well, though this does not please everybody. The entire family was once the scourge of gamekeepers and even park-keepers countrywide. This reduced numbers and altered the behaviour of the birds that remained. Even today if you point a camera at a Carrion Crow or a Magpie then they get very jittery and quickly fly off. Jays were once very shy and most views were just a fleeting glimpse in dense woodland as they flew away, their first contact being the harsh alarm cries and the last sign was a flash of white from their rear end as they departed. Today they are frequent visitors to the garden feeders, as are the other species with the obvious exception of the Raven. I have had Ravens over the garden but not yet in it.

I noticed this summer a distinct increase in visiting corvids in terms of numbers, frequency, and indeed, boldness. Jackdaws that breed on nearby chimneystacks come down to feed on suet bars and fat-balls, and like the Magpies seem to develop greater dexterity as the months progress. Then, as autumn arrived, the numbers of Magpies increased with flocks of up to twenty or so birds at a time. They seem to feast on the dried mealworms, fat-balls and suet-balls in hanging feeders, and the noisy flocks are now a regular occurrence. In terms of the visitors to the garden feeders, the Carrion Crows probably come top of the pile, and the other birds give them respect and space. They too are more regular visitors to the wildlife garden feeders and particularly watch out for the dried mealworms and cuttings from suet bars that I put out for my family of Robins. By winter the adult Robins will be defending individual territories but summerlong there has been a pair and two broods of youngsters. By August, these juveniles were moulting into their full red breasts, and by the autumn the parent birds moved them on!

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