Voice Magazines - Clay Cross & Surrounding Villages - March 2026

FROM THE EDITOR

Hello Readers,

Here we are, all present and correct in the year of the Fire Horse. I can’t help but feel that it should be the year of some amphibious creature based on the amount of water we have had – maybe the Soggy Frog?! You’d need a snorkel to get around the Brierley Forest Park Run, hence it’s cancellations for the past few weeks. But alas, it is not. This is supposed to be associated with impulsivity, bold action and new beginnings. Mr Emily can hardly wait for even more random shenanigans, which can be attributed to the Fire Horse legitimately now!

In other news, we have an answer to ‘who ate all the pies’, turns out it was us!!! To give you some context…. on birthdays, the birthday boy/girl gets to choose a location for lunch and we enjoy a takeaway from the nominated place, paid for by the other HQ peeps. This year, I really fancied a take-out from ‘The Pantry’ at Swanwick. Turns out that we took the remaining 4 pies for the day, with

Michelle opting for something else. Unbeknownst to us, our name was mud, as any poor soul who asked for a pie after 12:30 was met with the fact that unfortunately ‘Voice has taken them all’!!! When Sarah found this out on the grapevine, we all laughed so hard…. who knew that we were the answer to a lifelong (usually football) chant!!

I can’t promise it won’t happen again, but what I would say is, if you really want a pie from The Pantry, make sure you order before 12:30pm because no-one can ever know when we might strike again!!

Anyway, at the time of writing we’ve had a couple of days of the big yellow thing in the sky, woohoo… and the daffodils and snowdrops are pushing upwards, so roll on March 29th for those longer days.

Happy Reading, Emily x

Spring: WHEN THE WORLD TAKES

A DEEP BREATH

There’s something about spring that feels like a collective sigh of relief. After months of dark mornings, soggy pavements and coats that never quite dry, the world begins to gently stretch, yawn, and come back to life. It doesn’t arrive with a fanfare, but in small, hopeful moments that quietly lift the spirits.

It starts with the light. One day you glance at the clock and realise it’s still bright at half past five. The next, you’re opening the curtains to sunshine instead of drizzle. The days don’t just get longer – they feel lighter too, as if winter has finally loosened its grip.

Spring is the season of small pleasures. Snowdrops and daffodils push their way through stubborn soil, reminding us that resilience can be beautiful. Gardens that looked tired and forgotten suddenly hint at colour and promise. Even the hedgerows seem to wake up, dotted with fresh green shoots that weren’t there the week before.

There’s a change in people as well. Walks feel less like a chore and more like a treat. Dogs linger a little longer at the park, and neighbours stop to chat rather than rushing back indoors. Coats are left unzipped, scarves abandoned, and there’s a quiet optimism in the air that’s hard to explain but easy to feel.

Spring also brings a sense of possibility. It’s the time of year when we talk about fresh starts, whether that’s tackling the garden, opening the windows wide for a long-overdue clear-out, or simply spending more time outside. There’s no pressure for grand resolutions – just a gentle nudge to try again, do a little more, or slow down and enjoy what’s around us.

Of course, spring in Britain likes to keep us on our toes. Sunshine one minute, showers the next – but even the rain feels different now. Softer somehow. Kinder. It no longer feels like winter refusing to leave, but spring doing things its own way.

As March unfolds, there’s a comforting sense that better days are ahead. Easter is on the horizon, weekends feel more inviting, and the simple joy of being outdoors returns. Spring reminds us that change doesn’t have to be loud or dramatic to be meaningful – sometimes it just arrives quietly, with a bit more light and a lot more hope.

So, here’s to spring: a season that encourages us to breathe deeply, look forward, and appreciate the little moments that make everyday life feel just that bit brighter.

NO MORTGAGE? NO WAITING.

Buying or selling a home is stressful enough without the added weight of a ticking mortgage clock. Whether you are a cash buyer looking for a swift completion or a seller wanting a guaranteed quick sale, you need a legal team that moves as fast as you do.

At Clay Lane Legal, we specialise in non-mortgage property transactions. By removing the complexities of lender requirements, we focus on what matters: getting the keys in your hands.

Why Choose a Specialised “Cash-Only” Conveyancer?

When there is no bank involved, the rules of the game change. You need a solicitor who understands how to streamline the process without cutting corners on due diligence.

• Speed & Efficiency: Without mortgage valuations or lender approvals, we can often shave weeks off the traditional completion timeline.

• Direct Communication: No middleman. You deal directly with our senior conveyancer.

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Your Property, Your Terms

We handle everything from property sales and investment purchases to simple residential downsizing. If the funds are ready, so are we.

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•Respite for carers • End of life care

•Provide personal care • Night sitting • Shopping

•Meal preparation • Befriending • Domestic care

All Around the Shire

DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SET

We didn’t have a telly in our house until the mid-sixties, but when we did, it was a big event. The set was rented from Wigfalls in Derby and every month mum had to go and pay the rental. It was always breaking down and no amount of banging the top or moving the aerial would improve the picture.

We had to turn a dial to find the channels. ITV had started as a rival to the BBC in 1955 (with adverts) and when BBC2 came along in 1964, there were three to choose from.

You needed a more expensive licence to have a colour TV from 1968 (£10 as opposed to £5 for a black and white license). My grandad was brilliant at telling the different colours on snooker balls on his black and white TV.

The test card was an image shown when no programmes were being transmitted. It featured a long-haired girl

playing noughts and crosses with a clown accompanied by music.

Does anyone remember standing to attention for “The Queen” and the National anthem at the end of the evening when the programmes had finished? And the little white dot disappearing in the middle of your screen when you switched it off?

There are so many memories about early TVs. A world away from what we have now.

Janet and Paul Barrass are All Around the Shire. Find us on or email: oldfield512@btinternet.com for more information.

Rising number of cohabiting couples risk homelessness if a partner dies without a Will

Financial anxiety over the past few weeks has placed a growing strain on relationships, with a leading Chesterfield law firm warning the period is a tipping point for people feeling overwhelmed by money worries and relationship pressure.

The early New Year period has been recognised as a key moment in the calendar when stress and anxiety tend to peak, following the financial and emotional pressures of Christmas, the return to routine and continuing cold and dark nights.

Recent BBC reporting has highlighted the scale of financial concern at this time of year. Debt charities say the period is the busiest period for helplines, with National Debtline recording its busiest single day ever during early January, when 1,365 calls were received in one day alone.

Glass Yard-based Graysons says the surge in financial anxiety often coincides with increased relationship strain. While debt does not cause separation, the firm says financial pressure can intensify existing difficulties, leading more couples to seek advice during January.

Graysons warns that this can result in rushed decisions, particularly where couples opt for do-it-yourself or online divorces without properly addressing finances. While no-fault divorce has made it easier to legally end a marriage, it does not deal with financial arrangements, meaning former partners can remain financially linked long after the divorce itself is finalised.

Without a legally binding consent order approved by the court, future claims can still be made against property, savings and pensions. The firm says pensions are one of the most commonly overlooked assets, despite often being among the most valuable built up during a relationship.

Megan Wroe, Head of Family at Graysons, said: “The New Year is a time when financial pressure, darker days and reflection about the year ahead can cause great strain. For couples who are already struggling, that pressure can make separation feel urgent. Divorce should always be a last resort, but when it does happen, taking early advice and understanding the financial implications can prevent serious problems later on.”

Megan Wroe, who joined Graysons in 2017 after graduating with a firstclass law degree and qualifying as a solicitor in 2021, says compassion and clarity are central to the team’s approach.

Alongside Megan is senior family law solicitor Angela Moores, who has more than 30 years’ experience advising on financial settlements, including complex and high-value cases.

Supporting Megan and Angela, is Isabella Franchini, a newly qualified solicitor who deals with a range of family law matters.

Together with the wider Chesterfield-based family team at Graysons, they are urging anyone facing relationship difficulties this New Year to seek early guidance, understand their options fully and protect their long-term financial security.

Megan and the family team can be contacted on: 01246 229 393.

More information: https://www.graysons.co.uk/about-us/meetteam/#family

Graysons Solicitors specialise in wills, estates and trusts, elderly client services, lifetime planning, property, family law, personal injury, and clinical negligence.

Graysons is situated at Unit 14F, the Glass Yard, Sheffield Road, Chesterfield S41 8JY. They also have offices in Sheffield and Hathersage.

COACH TOUR HOLIDAYS

ALL HALF BOARD INCLUDING EXCURSIONS & ENTERTAINMENT!

MORECAMBE

Auckland Hotel Mon 23rd - Fri 27th Mar

5 Days - £399

TENBY

Clarence House Hotel Mon 30th Mar - Fri 3rd Apr

5 Days - £440

NORTHUMBERLAND

Commissioners Quay Inn, Blyth Thu 2nd - Mon 6th Apr

5 Days - £545

2026 BROCHURES ARE NOW OUT

TO BOOK A HOLIDAY PHONE 01773 590 808, 01246 604 764 or 07483 357 958

Go online WWW.CLAIRSCOACHES.CO.UK

SKIPPING THROUGH SKIPTON

Skipton Hotel Mon 6th - Fri 10th Apr

5 Days - £545

MYSTERY WEEKEND

Mystery Hotel Sat 11th - Sun 12th Apr

2 Days - £140

LIVERPOOL

Mercure Atlantic Tower Hotel Sun 12th - Tue 14th Apr

3 Days - £299

BOOKING OFFICE: Parkvilla, 124 Market Street, Clay Cross, Derbyshire S45 9LY

EASTBOURNE

Haddon Hall Hotel Sun 26th - Thu 30th Apr

5 Days - £430

YORK

Queens Hotel Fri 1st - Mon 4th May

4 Days - £399

ILFRACOMBE

Imperial Hotel Sat 2nd - Wed 6th May

5 Days - £425

MOBILE BOOKING OFFICE LOCATIONS

2nd Tuesday of each month 9am - 1pm | South Normanton Market Place 2nd Thursday of each

3rd Tuesday of each month 9am - 12noon | Blackwell Community Centre

3rd Thursday of each month 9am - 1pm | Alfreton Severn Square Car Park (Outside Poundstretcher)

3rd Friday of each month 9am - 1pm | Sutton-in-Ashfield, Portland Square

UTOPIA AVENUE BY DAVID MITCHELL

Utopia Avenue is the name of a fictional street in London. It’s also the name of a 1960-70’s rock band and of this month’s book.

David Mitchell’s novel is probably marmite. You may love it or wonder why you’d bother.. It’s maybe for you if you lived through, or are fascinated by, the 60’s summer of love hippie era. Or you love rock music. Or you enjoy books about how prosaic lives can become monumental and how human beings cope with the best and worst of experiences.

It has to be said, the book is brilliantly more-ish. This David Mitchell is not the comedian; he’s a novelist renowned for mind-blowing stories which cross centuries and worlds and lots of people love his stuff.

Utopia Avenue brings people like David Bowie, John Lennon and Leonard Cohen into the story as cameos. It dives deep into life on the road, has a strong male and female cast and some pretty dark thoughts about mental health. It’s also very funny at times and you can almost smell and taste the excitement of making brilliant music.

It’s also 570 pages long and like the period itself is a tale of drugs and sex and youthful idealism colliding with grim reality. It’s about the spirit of an age.

You’ll know if it sounds like “your bag” as the hippies would have said…

NEW INCLUSIVE FOOTBALL PROGRAMME LAUNCHED BY NEW TUPTON IVANHOE F.C.

New Tupton Ivanhoe Football Club is proud to announce the launch of Comets, a new inclusive football programme designed for children with a range of additional needs, delivered in partnership with local organisation Bridge and Bloom.

Comets is part of the England Football disability pathway and focuses on giving children the opportunity to enjoy football in a safe, welcoming and positive environment. Sessions are designed to be flexible and child-led, with an emphasis on enjoyment, confidence and participation rather than competition.

Andy Fox, Chair of New Tupton Ivanhoe F.C. said:

“The club has a long history of supporting grassroots football for young people in the community, from early years through to youth teams. The launch of Comets reflects the club’s ongoing commitment to making football accessible, inclusive and welcoming for all children.

By working in partnership with Bridge and Bloom, the club aims to create a calm and nurturing space where children can engage with football at their own pace, build connections and experience a sense of belonging.

Sessions will be delivered by trained coaches who value inclusion, patience and positive encouragement, and who understand the importance of adapting activities to meet individual needs.”

Claire Wright, Director of Bridge and Bloom added “At Bridge & Bloom, inclusion means children feeling safe, understood and able to take part in their own way.

We are excited to be involved in the Comets sessions supporting calm, flexible and child-centred space where all children can enjoy football without pressure or judgement. Every child’s experience of sport is different, and inclusive provision needs patience, understanding and room to grow.

We work closely with families and hope Comets continues to develop as a welcoming space where children feel valued and able to enjoy football in a way that works for them.”

The new sessions will be open to children aged 5-11 and will take place at Clay Cross Active 3G on Wednesday Evenings running from 5.30-6.30pm. Families interested in taking part can register their interest by scanning the QR Code, with sessions due to start on 25th February.

OF ROCK, BLUES AND COUNTRY COVERS

If you are interested in Little Ivanhoes, The Wildcat Centre or joining a team please message the clubs facebook page at: www.facebook.com/newtuptonivanhoefc/ visit: www.newtuptonivanhoefc.co.uk

CLAY CROSS PARISH COUNCIL UPDATE:

VETERANS COFFEE MORNING

Clay Cross Social Centre were proud to host this event, organised by Louise Sandher-Jones MP. Veterans were invited to get together, have a cuppa and talk frankly about their experiences in the forces.

This event was used to share the work of ‘Operation Valour’, a UK Government initiative to improve support for veterans.

January and February are usually quieter months, but that was not the case here at Clay Cross Social Centre! The office has been busy taking bookings for everything from parties to wedding receptions, charity events, art clubs, and even a national dance event!

If you have a celebration coming up this year, come along and reserve your date before it’s too late!

ANOTHER SEASON OF WARM SPACE SUCCESS, BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER!

Clay Cross Parish Council have held a ‘Warm Space’ initiative for the local community on Mondays throughout ‘daylight saving time’. This has proved very popular, with those attending benefiting from a warm atmosphere, good company, hot drinks and a range of foods completely free of charge. The final ‘Warm Space’ session of the season will take place on Monday 23 March.

UPCOMING EVENT

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FOR ANT GREEN AND HIS VISIONS SHOW!

Making his return to Clay Cross Social Centre on Saturday 25 April 2026!

Ant Green’s Visions Show is a live music and entertainment performance featuring a range of rock and pop hits, enhanced by HD projection and an integrated lighting experience, providing an immersive visual and audio experience for the audience. Tickets are on sale NOW from the Clay Cross Parish Council office at the Social Centre.

CLAY CROSS SOCIAL CENTRE

A dogs Day out

This walk starts just outside Strelley Village on the road to All Saints Church. You head out on country lanes across open land, before joining a path alongside a gorgeous, disused section of the Nottinghamshire Canal. From here you pass Cossall Marsh Village before returning along a series of lanes to pass back under the M1 and, one of the highlights of the walk, ‘The Stones of Monks Way’ beside All Saints Church.

6-MILE CIRCULAR WALK FROM STRELLEY VILLAGE

A mid-length walk which should take you and your dog around 2 ½ - 3 hours to complete. The walk is mostly on trails and paths but there are a few short stretches of road so please take care. It has been very wet of late so please wear appropriate footwear and, as always, please follow the countryside code.

START: Lay-by on Main Street between Strelley Village and All Saints Church, Nottingham. Near NG8 6PE

1. Beginning on the corner by the lay-by. Walk past a metal barrier along a signposted bridleway.

2. Follow the main path as it bends around to the left and past a lane on the right. After some distance ignore a footpath straight ahead and instead follow the main bridleway around to the right to continue ahead with trees on your right and open views to your left.

3. Continue for quite some distance, crossing straight over a crossroads of paths/lanes to keep ahead with a hedge on your left and open views on your right. Then, after some distance, pass through a small metal gate and immediately onto a crossroads of paths/lanes.

4. Turn right here, along a lane signposted for ‘Cossall’. Continue with a hedge on your right. Prior to reaching a motorway follow the lane around to the right then left to pass through a tunnel.

5. Follow the lane around to the left, then after a short distance follow the lane around to the right. The lane narrows to a path with trees on your right and open views to your left. Continue for some distance passing a marker post on your right-hand side and along a footpath lined by trees.

6. Continue ahead for some distance as the path kinks left then right, then continue until eventually the path widens to a lane and you reach a large metal gate directly in front of you. Pass through a gap beside the gate and onto a road. Cross the road diagonally to pick up a footpath next to a large wooden gate and alongside a canal.

Walk alongside the canal path until eventually it bends sharp right to cross over a wooden footbridge. Turn right after the bridge and continue with the canal on your right. Ignore a wooden footbridge on your right and cross over another footbridge directly in front of you.

Continue with the canal on your right until passing through a metal width restrictor next to a large metal gate. Cross over a lane to pass through a gap next to a large metal gate. Keep ahead ignoring any paths to the left or right until reaching a metal chicane. Pass through the chicane and follow the path downhill. Pass by some industrial buildings on your left and continue ahead to cross over a road bridge, through a metal width restrictor and along the footpath going uphill. At the top of the hill continue with the canal on your right.

Upon reaching a wooden footbridge on your right, cross the bridge and ignore a path on your left to continue straight ahead with a canal on your right. Shortly the canal on your right ends and is replaced by a fence on your right and trees on your left.

12. Cross the road and turn left. Immediately after passing No. 50 on your right, just prior to a bus stop, turn right to continue along a signposted ‘Bridleway’.

13. Continue along the bridleway for quite some distance and just prior to reaching a road, turn right along a lane and signposted bridleway to ‘Strelley’. Continue along the lane for a short distance and as the path splits turn sharp left to continue along the lane with a hedge on both sides.

14. Continue for some distance, then after passing a lane to your left, which leads to a farm, take a lane on your right, away from the farm, to continue with open fields on both sides.

15. Continue ahead for some distance, pass by a marked footpath on your right and through a gap next to a large metal gate. Immediately after, ignore a lane to your right and continue gently downhill. At the bottom of the hill pass by a large double metal gate on your left and a large wooden gate on your right. The lane narrows to a footpath and continues uphill with a fence on your right and trees on your left.

16. After some distance pass through a gap adjacent to a small metal gate. The footpath widens to a lane. walk the lane climbing gently uphill until crossing over a motorway bridge and then until reaching a road.

17. At the road turn right and keep ahead along the road, past Strelley Church and along ‘The Stones of Monk’s Way’. Continue along the road for some distance to return to the start.

Continue along the path, passing a marker post and a footpath on your left then follow the path to the right. Eventually you will pass by buildings on both sides of the path before you bear to the left and onto a road (Awsworth Lane in Cossall Marsh Village).

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.

Good Friday Service

Meeting together around the Lord ’ s Table. A time for reflection. Friday 3rd April 2026, 7:30pm.

Easter Treasure Trail

Exclusively at Stretton Hall Farm Shop & Tea Rooms. Suitable for all. Saturday 4th April 2026 10am- 2pm .

Easter Sunday Morning

Come and celebrate the RISEN Jesus Christ! Family friendly. Sunday 5th April 2026, 10:30am .

www.holmgatechurch.org Valley Road, Clay Cross, S45 9QF

Slimming World Recipe Korean barbecue

chicken

Method:

1. Put the gochujang paste, vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic and a little seasoning in a wide bowl and mix well. Add the chicken pieces, toss to coat and set aside to marinate – ideally 1 hour in the fridge, but even 10 minutes is worth it.

2. Heat your oven to 180°C/ fan 160°C/gas 4.

This simple recipe uses the increasingly popular gochujang to give the meal that distinctive sweet and savoury Korean flavour

3. Line a large baking tray with kitchen foil and arrange the chicken on the tray, spaced apart as much as possible. Scatter with the sesame seeds and roast for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

For more information visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk

4. Transfer the chicken to a plate and serve with rice and lots of Speed vegetables or a crisp, finely chopped salad.

Ingredients:

• 2 level tbsp gochujang paste

• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• ½ level tsp sugar

• 1cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 600g skinless and boneless chicken thighs, visible fat removed, each cut lengthways into 3 pieces

• 2 level tsp sesame seeds

Serves: 4 1½ Swips per serving

Ready in: 35 mins (plus 1hr marinating)

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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

5 Item of worth, like a TV, say? (5)

7 Spider crab, biting some religious leader (5)

11 Tree to sing about when very wet! (3)

12 Way back when, it could be a swerve (3)

16 Frequently derived from decimal (5)

17 Glue? It’s said to have walked! (5) Down

2 Way beyond any useful training (5)

3 French composer was a golden boy? (5)

10 Some ammunition for little tertiary education (3)

14 Cooker, donated by veteran gentleman (5)

15 Buying up pyjamas, partly for the fish (5)

Down

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STUNNING HOLIDAY COTTAGE IN WARKWORTH, NORTHUMBERLAND

Treat yourself to a luxury break at the 4* Gold Award winning Little Red Hen House. An elegant and cosy holiday home just a 7 minute drive from award-winning and dog-friendly Warkworth beach.

✽ 2 spacious en-suite bedrooms

✽ A fully enclosed garden

✽ 2 small to medium dogs welcome (3 upon request)

✽ Fully equipped kitchen, including an American style fridge freezer

✽ Perfect for exploring the stunning Northumbrian Heritage Coastline

✽ Close to a range of dog friendly pubs, cafes & restaurants in stunning Warkworth

✽ We have fast fibre Wi-Fi and smart TV’s

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Man cave Fencing

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GARDENERS CALENDAR

With a bit of luck we’ll be able to get properly started in the garden this month, although some tasks can be achieved without relying on decent outdoor growing weather.

It’s a good time to make use of last year’s left over compost – both whatever you have left in compost bags and the remains from last year’s containers. It’s reckoned to be a good idea to replace the top third of any compost in containers. This will be depleted of nutrients and so no good for growing this year’s plants but can be used as a mulch for shrubs and also to aerate heavy or very wet soil. If you dig it into borders it won’t add nourishment but it will make it easier to grow different plants – i.e. where some existing soil types such as clay may not be compatible with certain kinds of plants. You can also spread it over the surface of soil – about 3 inches deep - to suppress weeds and it will help keep in the moisture later in the year.

If you’re looking for things to grow there are hundreds of packets of seeds to go at if you’ve a warm greenhouse or window shelf. But one group of plants you can quite happily put out in the garden now is herbs such as sage and rosemary and thyme. Thyme is particularly versatile and comes in several flavour varieties.

Lift and divide your snowdrops and aconites before they fade for more flowers next year. Small clumps will expand into bigger clumps over a year. Replant at the same depth in the soil.

It’s rose feeding time – there are any number of brands on the market – although roses are hungry feeders so it’s as well to buy specialised high potassium feed rather than all-purpose plant fertiliser. Tomato feed also works well.

Early bees, from spring solitary bees to queen bees from hives are likely to be on the wing now. If you’ve got wallflowers, forget-me-nots bluebells and primroses, or you’re thinking about buying them for the spring garden, the bees will be happy as these are great for pollen. Going forward it’s worth including some open single flower plants in your summer garden – cosmos, single flower dahlias, hardy geraniums – they’re easy for the bees to collect pollen from. Plants such as rosemary and foxgloves are also good, for example, for those bees that probe into flowers for their pollen.

THE NUTHATCH’S CALLS RING OUT ACROSS THE PEAK

Once recognised, the Nuthatch’s calls and song are distinctive. Indeed, this is one of the nosiest and distinctive woodland species, giving loud, high-pitched cries of ‘chwit-chwit-chwit’ and ‘kee-kee-kee ring out across the Peak District from late winter into spring. Historically they had folk names like ‘Nut Hacker’, from the bird’s habit of breaking open nuts forced into crevices in tree-bark which they then hammer with their sharply-pointed beaks. Other, older country names included ‘Mud Dabbler’ or ‘Mud Stopper’, from the way they plaster mud around the entrance-hole of a chosen nest-site to close it to the correct size. Their favoured nesting sites include former woodpecker nest-holes, under loose bark, and in rot-holes. However, they also use nest-boxes and even if entrance holes provided are the right size, the Nuthatch will still plaster on mud just to be sure! From autumn onwards these very pretty but quite small birds are busy establishing, advertising, and defending territories. This activity extends into spring but reduces once the actual breeding season kicks in, when they become relatively silent.

Decades ago, these birds were much more restricted in their distribution and occurrence, and I recall in the 1970s heading to Chatsworth in the hope of hearing and seeing them. Indeed, the great parkland trees of places like Haddon Hall and Chatworth House, but also, Lyme Park, and sites like Elvaston, are all good places for them. However, they have now spread to the region’s many ancient woods and can be expected wherever there are suitably large, mature trees, preferably of Oak or Beech. Since about the 1970s and early 1980s, they have increased as breeding populations by around 300% and are now regularly seen and heard in woods, parks, and gardens across the Peak. Indeed, large gardens with Oak trees are prime habitat for these birds, and clearly the increased provision of bird-feeders and bird-tables is a key factor. In preparation for periods of food-shortage, they carry away excess food (e.g., peanuts and sunflower seeds) to be hidden or cached for future feeding. Despite their small stature, Nuthatches are bold and aggressive and capable of seeing off other, larger birds at the feeders. As demonstrated by their songs and calls given from the high branches of great trees, they are highly territorial for much of the year. Indeed, food storage within the territory makes its defence particularly important.

The Nuthatch was formerly restricted to south-eastern England but spread northwards during the twentieth

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/ @IanThewildside Bluesky @ianthewildside.bsky.social

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