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AUG ‘26 EDITION - 6TH JULY ‘26 | SEPT ‘26 EDITION - 10TH AUG ‘26
owdi readers, I say ‘Howdi’ not to infuriate Mike and his Americanism fixation (although that’s an added bonus! ), but because I’m as hot as a Texan Ranger looking for water in the desert at the time of writing! And I’m as grumpy as one too….as quite rightly all my sports have been cancelled to boot. I’m much happier when it’s warm, but as a country, we aren’t exactly set up for coping with heat…. roads will start melting in a minute…. hey, maybe it’ll fill in the pot holes!!?? I digress!
Also, at the time of writing, we’ve just watched England draw with Ghana……. my Grandma swore by the old saying of ‘bad start, good finish’ *crosses fingers*, mind you, she was cheating an 8yr old out of a victory in Ludo at the time, so I’m not sure how much stock I put in that, but the sentiment is nice, I guess!! Come on fella’s, time to show us why you earn the big bucks!!!
Speaking of a change in management…. looks like we will have a new PM by the end of this year. Like him or loathe him, 7 Prime Ministers in 10 Years doesn’t exactly scream stability and we will all feel the effects of that. But we have what we have I guess whilst ever we have the first-past-the-post electoral system. Anyway, that’s enough of that, we don’t do politics here and I don’t want my email inbox filling up with unnecessarily angry emails – I get enough of those thankyou!!
Anyway, in other news, Mr Emily had to renew his passport this month and what I can genuinely recommend is South Normanton Post Office, who literally take care of the whole thing digitally, photo and all. It’s still an expensive do getting your passport renewed but no more silly form filling and chasing around trying to find a small box that takes tiny pictures in a supermarket car park, adjusting the height of the stupid stool, getting 4 but only needing 1 at the cost of a tenner….what do you even do with the other 3??! I’m sure other Post Offices are available for this service….but if not, these are your guys – you heard it here first!!
Stay cool & hydrated peeps, Happy Reading, Emily x
WITH 11 MAGAZINES COVERING DERBYSHIRE & NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, Why not advertise in another area
• Support with minor eye conditions *
Sutton in Ashfield proud to care for our community’s eyes and ears
•Free contact lens trial**
•Free hearing checks
•Wax removal
Why choose
choose
•Expert eyecare
•Expert eyecare
That’s why the team at Specsavers Sutton-in-Ashfield are keen to highlight the importance of having your eyes tested regularly. As well as checking your prescription, an eye examination can pick up early signs of treatable conditions, such as glaucoma, the most common cause of preventable sight loss in the UK.
degeneration, diabetes, and even brain tumours. It can also help detect glaucoma up to four years in advance.
• Locally owned and run stores
• Locally owned and run stores
•Expert eyecare
Why choose Specsavers?
•Advanced eye tests
The store is locally owned and run by directors, Sunny Boyal, Michael Hinder and Emma Coveney, with extensive optical and audiology experience. Conveniently located in the Idlewells Shopping Centre, the team are always on hand to provide professional and affordable eye and hear care for the local community and beyond.
•Advanced eye tests
The OCT machine, usually found in hospital eye departments, produces a structural scan of the eye, it’s an additional service to your normal eye test and can be requested when you book your appointment or when you arrive in store.
Frames you’ll love for less
• Locally owned and run stores
• Support with minor eye conditions*
• Support with minor eye conditions*
Putting your vision in the frame Specsavers recommends that everyone has their eyes tested once every two years, or more often if recommended by your optometrist. ‘We will not only check how well you can see, we’ll also thoroughly examine your eyes to look for anything that might need further investigation, including aspects of your broader health,’ explains optometrist director, Sunny Boyal.
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The best optical experience
Sutton in Ashfield
•Free contact lens trial** •Free hearing checks***
•Free contact lens trial** •Free hearing checks***
•Advanced eye tests
If you do need glasses, the stores offer an extensive range of frames to suit every face shape, style and budget. Plus, the team are highly trained in fitting and styling so will be able to guide you through the whole process. As well as frames starting at just £15, designer ranges, including florence by mills, TED by Ted Baker, Vivienne Westwood and Marc Jacobs, start from £100.
Hearing
removal
With regular eye tests, optometrists can monitor eye health and using the latest technology, including an OCT machine, identify early signs of conditions including macular
Idlewells Shopping Centre
Tel 01623 552 456
THE STORE IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK,
Sutton in Ashfield Idlewells
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 8:30am-6pm, Thursday 9:30-6pm
Saturday 8:30am-5:30pm Sunday 10am-4pm
Ask in store for details.
As well as looking after any eye-related issues, Specsavers also offers hearing care and advice, with the same commitment to providing the very best professional and affordable service for their customers.
This includes a free hearing check for individuals over the age of 18, alongside a range of hearing devices, including the latest high-tech and discreet models, as well as free aftercare for as long as you need it.
• Support with minor eye conditions * •Free contact lens trial** •Free hearing checks *** •Wax removal
*Call to book an ‘eye health appointment’. Trial subject to suitability and availability. Includes one pair of reusable multifocal lenses, five pairs of daily disposable single-vision lenses or 10 pairs of daily disposable multifocal lenses. Conditions in store for details. ***A hearing check by one of our qualified hearing experts is free. No obligation to buy hearing assessment may be chargeable. Ask in store for details.
Scan the QR code to book an appointment
• Support with minor eye conditions *
•Free contact lens trial**
•Free hearing checks ***
•Wax removal
Why choose
•Expert eyecare
• Locally owned and run stores
Why choose Specsavers?
•Expert eyecare
•Advanced eye tests
• Locally owned and run stores
• Support with minor eye conditions*
Scan the QR code to book an appointment
Sutton in Ashfield
•Free contact lens trial**
•Advanced eye tests
•Free hearing checks***
•Wax removal
• Support with minor eye conditions *
Idlewells Shopping Centre
Tel 01623 552 456
Scan the QR code to book an appointment
Sutton in Ashfield
Idlewells Shopping Centre
reusable single-vision or Conditions apply. Ask devices. A hearing
Tel 01623 552 456
•Free contact lens trial**
•Free hearing checks ***
•Wax removal
*Call to book an ‘eye health appointment’. **Trial subject to suitability and availability. Includes one pair of reusable multifocal lenses, five pairs of daily disposable single-vision lenses or 10 pairs of daily disposable multifocal lenses. Conditions in store for details. ***A hearing check by one of our qualified hearing experts is free. No obligation to buy hearing assessment may be chargeable. Ask in store for details.
Scan the QR code to book an appointment
Every year on 15th July, Britain marks the wonderfully quirky tradition of St. Swithin’s Day — a date wrapped in folklore, weather predictions, and a healthy dose of superstition. While modern meteorologists may raise an eyebrow at the idea, the legend remains one of the nation’s most charming seasonal sayings.
St. Swithin himself was an Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester in the 9th century. Known for his kindness and humility, he served as Bishop of Winchester during the reign of King Egbert. According to tradition, St. Swithin requested that when he died, he should be buried outside where “the sweet rain of heaven” could fall upon his grave. He died on 2nd July 862, and his wish was honoured.
However, several years later, the monks of Winchester decided they wanted to move his remains inside the cathedral to a grander resting place. Legend says that on the very day they attempted to move him — 15th July — a tremendous storm broke out, with rain pouring relentlessly for forty days and forty nights. Since then, folklore has claimed that whatever the weather is like on St. Swithin’s Day will continue for the next forty days.
The famous rhyme goes:
“St. Swithin’s Day, if thou dost rain, For forty days it will remain; St. Swithin’s Day, if thou be fair, For forty days ’twill rain nae mair.”
It is one of those gloriously British traditions that combines our love of discussing the weather with a touch of medieval mystery.
Whether people truly believe the forecast or not is beside the point — St. Swithin’s Day has become part of the nation’s cultural fabric.
Of course, scientifically speaking, the legend does not quite hold up. The Met Office has repeatedly explained that there is no evidence of a strict forty-day weather pattern beginning in mid-July. Yet there is a tiny grain of truth hidden in the tale. Around this time of year, Britain’s summer weather patterns often settle into longer spells of similar conditions, meaning wet or dry periods can indeed linger for a couple of weeks.
Beyond the weather lore, St. Swithin’s Day has inspired festivals, school rhymes, newspaper headlines, and endless cheerful debates over picnic plans and soggy barbeques. It also serves as a reminder of how deeply history and storytelling are woven into everyday British life. Few countries could turn a bishop’s rainy funeral into a national talking point more than a thousand years later.
Today, visitors can still explore Winchester Cathedral, where St. Swithin’s shrine once stood and where pilgrims travelled from far and wide during the Middle Ages. Although the grand shrine was destroyed during the Reformation, the legend has survived remarkably well.
So, when 15th July arrives each year, many people still glance nervously out of the window. Sunshine brings hope for a glorious summer ahead, while raindrops may inspire a resigned sigh and the inevitable phrase: “Typical British weather!”
1 An ace chord composed, but just not a bishop (10)
5 Mrs to stare rudely at chair sides (8)
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 Get a kick out of dangerous tactics (4)
10 Shrub wetland that could be Jimmy or Alan (4)
11 Run out of origanum? Embarrassing, me ol’ Spanish pal! (5)
12 Those people, as yet back in hospital (4)
14 Hunger (or conscience) feature of lifespan, generally (4)
Down
3 Legionnaires’ song? (3)
4 Rope formation sounds negative (3)
6 The mat that’s laid out for Empress Maude (7)
7 Nonsense article about change (3)
13 Early first listening gear (3)
16 Removal of eggs from Rome (3)
17 How about the one that was a doctor several times? (3)
15 Crown, all battered and left at the bottom of the land (8)
18 No room for compromise, as botulism is removed (10) Down
Act out aim of working like a robot (9)
Thermal beam from a hearty sort (4,3)
Tactics needing big biceps? (9)
Put ‘Cole’ into two-line verse (7)
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Helm is a wind. A real wind – the only named wind in the UK. It has blasted the Eden Valley in Cumbria for thousands of years. It’s also the name of an extraordinary novel by Sarah Hall who as fans will know, has used that part of the country for several of her earlier books.
This time the wind is the main character in the book, a being with a huge ego and the subject of many myths and investigation - again both in real life and in the novel. So where are the people we expect in novels you might ask? – They have lived with and been affected by Helm - from prehistoric cave people to wizards, little kids, magic mushroom munchers through to today’s pub lunchers, addicted to their phones. And Sarah Hall uses their stories to tell the story of the wind – and in a bigger sense to give us a sense of what might be happening to our nature and climate.
It may sound strange but it’s a spectacular book. Sarah Hall is a brilliant short story writer and while this book is longer it uses all her abilities to tell taut, sometimes mischievous sometimes moving, and sometimes thrilling tales around the human characters and bring them all together into a mind-bending whole linked by Helm.
It’s a very different kind of book, it changes from humorous to threatening to bleak and to hopeful.
A whirlwind in fact.
As part of GB Davis & Sons, a long-established firm led by brothers John and Mark Davis, our experienced and compassionate team arrange and conduct funerals across the UK. We are proud to serve our community with dignity, professionalism and respect. We provide caring and sympathetic funeral services throughout Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and beyond.
June has been a month of celebration at Amber Valley RUFC as players, members and supporters came together to mark the end of another memorable season.
Our Senior Men’s and Women’s Presentation Evening was a fantastic opportunity to recognise the hard work, commitment and achievements of players throughout the 2025/26 season. It was particularly inspiring to see so many newer players picking up awards, highlighting the bright future ahead for both sections of the club. A wonderful evening was enjoyed by all, with plenty of laughter, celebrations and, by all accounts, a few sore heads the following morning! A huge thank you goes to Ormonde Fields Golf Club for hosting us and to our incredible sponsors for their continued support throughout the season.
The celebrations continued with our annual Presidents Day, which once again showcased everything that makes Amber Valley RUFC such a special place. After the minis and juniors got the day off to a fantastic start, the men’s and women’s teams took to the field for a “friendly” touch rugby match. Unsurprisingly, friendly quickly became competitive, with family rivalries, spectacular plays and a few fancy dress casualties along the way!
A massive thank you to all our volunteers who helped make both events such a success.
As one season ends, we’re already looking forward to the next. Why not join us this summer for any of our training of all ages? Whether you’re an experienced player or completely new to the sport, everyone is welcome. Keep an eye on our social media pages for
Interested in giving rugby a try? call Stuart 07966 867 946 for the men, 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
After our
Waddesdon Manor
We ran the most fabulous competition in May with amazing support from local companies and bumper entries from local residents. We wanted to share the happy winners to show that we didn’t just run off with the gifts ourselves (although we wanted to!!), and also to remind you all… “you’ve got to be in it to win it!! Anna
Stoneywell
Kedleston Hall
Calke Abbey
Cliveden
Mr Straw House
Sudbury Hall
Stourhead
Hardwick Hall
Tyntesfield
Bodiam Castle
Clumber Park
Method:
1. Add half the strawberries and all the sweetener to your food processor, and whizz until smooth. Strain through a sieve into a pan and sprinkle over the jelly crystals. Put the pan over a very low heat and stir gently, until the crystals have completely dissolved. Take off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, stir the vanilla extract and yogurt through the strawberry mixture until combined.
2. In a clean glass bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric hand
For more information visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk
These melt-in-themouth pots will go down a treat on a summer’s day.
whisk until they form stiff peaks. Stir 1 tbsp of the whites into the strawberry mixture to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest one third at a time, being careful not to knock out too much air.
3. Divide the mixture equally between 4 large dessert glasses or ramekins. Chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you can.
4. When you’re ready to serve, finely dice the rest of the strawberries, add to the mousses, and scatter over the basil leaves.
Serves: 4 Swips: 1 per serving
•
• 1 level tbsp sweetener granules
• ½ x 11.5g sachet strawberry sugar-free jelly crystals
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 x 115g pots Müllerlight Greek Style Strawberry yogurt
• 2 medium egg whites*
• Fresh basil leaves, to decorate
*When eating raw or partially cooked eggs or foods containing them, pregnant women, the elderly, babies and toddlers are advised to eat eggs showing the British Lion stamp or that are produced under the Laid in Britain scheme.
Ready in: 30 minutes plus 4 hours chilling
FRIDAY 7.30am & 9:30am
SELSTON PARISH HALL
Mansfield Rd, Selston, NG16 6EE
Sue: 07738 118 130
THURSDAY 5:30pm & 7pm
SELSTON PARISH HALL
Mansfield Rd, Selston, NG16 6EE Maria: 07860 830 095
It’s very hot at the time of going to print and our four legged chums often find it harder to cool down than we do, so we have to be extra careful when taking our dogs out for walks. Obviously if it’s too warm err on the side of caution and leave it for another day, but if you are heading out, even on a cooler day, don’t assume there will be somewhere for them to drink and always take plenty of water!
A moderate walk for you and your dog. The route should take around 2-3 hours. Whilst a large part of the walk is trails and paths there are some fields to cross with uneven and potentially muddy sections, so a good pair of boots are advisable, especially if it has been wet. There are a few sections of road, so please take care and, as always, follow the countryside code.
Start: Doe Hill Country Park Car Park, Doe Hill Lane, between Tibshelf and Stonebroom, DE55 6JS
1. Take the path that leads directly from the car park (by the poop bag bin). Follow this path as it winds around until it joins with another path from the right, then take the next left, almost immediately, heading uphill. Follow this path again as it winds until it joins with another path from the right and again take the next left, almost immediately. Follow this path until it brings you to Alfreton Road.
2. Cross the road and take the wide track (Gloves Lane) after a metal barrier on the other side. Follow this track for approximately 100 meters before taking the second of two paths on your left (the Silverhill Trail).
3. Continue along the trail until you meet a sign on your right. Take the horse stile on your left towards the ‘Five Pits Trail’. Follow this path until you meet a crossroads, taking the first path on your right. (This route can be fairly muddy. If you are keen to avoid this, you can continue ahead here on the Five Pits Trail to take you to point 5.)
4. Follow this path until it joins Saw pit lane, bearing left. After another 200 meters take a signposted footpath on your left. Follow the path as it joins Wetton Lane and follow until you reach the main road (B6014).
5. Turn left here and cross the road at the crossing before joining the five pits trail directly ahead. Keep to the main path downhill until a crossing of a small path. Turn left on the small path, cross over a lane and pass through a width restrictor.
6. Follow the path, ignoring steps on the right. Continue onto a road (Monsall Crescent) and keep ahead. At a T-junction, turn left and follow the road as it bends round to the right. Ignore roads leading off and then, as the road
bends round to the right again, take a short road onto a wide track footpath off to the left, just before a play park.
7. Keep ahead to the end of the path where there are turns left and right. Take the turn on the left to immediately pass through a gap in the hedge on your left. Turn right to walk alongside the field with the hedge on your right. At the bottom corner of the field pass through a kissing gate and turn left to walk alongside the field to cross a stile in the corner of the field, onto Doe Hill Lane.
8. Turn right here and follow Doe Hill Lane back to Doe Hill Country Park. Where appropriate cross the road to make use of the footpaths available.
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.
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Premium flue liner kit, vitreous pipe & register plate
Heritage stone hearth in olive or black
Oyster split slate chamber
Character beam in a choice of finishes
Choice of three eco-design multifuel stoves
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2nd Derbyshire Regiment, India, 1897
Thomas George was born around 1870 at Golden Valley, son of coal miner John George and his wife Emma. In 1871 the family were living at Lower Birchwood, but by 1881 they were at Cinder Road, Lower Somercotes, Thomas being a scholar and his father John a foundry labourer
On 10 November 1886 Thomas, a labourer, joined the Derbyshire Regiment (later the Sherwood Foresters), signing on for seven years with a further period of five years to be spent in the 1st Army Reserve. Thomas was posted to India with the 2nd Battalion, notably taking part in the Tirah Expeditionary Campaign of 1897–98, for which he was awarded the Tirah Medal with clasps. The regiment is most famous for its pivotal involvement in the brutal storming of the Dargai Heights, where it suffered notable casualties.
Thomas also served as a recruiting sergeant at Alfreton, based at Normanton Barracks in Derby, the regimental home. It was here, holding the rank of Colour Sergeant, that he left the regiment on 9 November 1907. In 1902, during his Army service, Thomas had married Mary Elizabeth Street, and he and his growing family later settled in Alfreton where, in 1908, he gained employment as a county court bailiff. Thomas was of a reserved nature, but his soldierly bearing, smart appearance, courtesy and kindly manner won him a large circle of friends. As a court bailiff, he was always urbane and considerate in the discharge of his duties.
At the outbreak of the Great War Thomas immediately re-joined the Army, serving with the 12th Pioneer Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, both at home and in France. He was discharged on 11 March 1919 with the rank of Company Sergeant Major. From 1919 until his retirement in March 1934, he continued to serve as a county court bailiff, retiring due to failing health following an accident a year earlier.
Sadly, Thomas was to die suddenly the following year when, on Friday, 30 August 1935, he collapsed at his home on Nottingham Road, Alfreton. His death came as a great shock to his family and many friends. He left a widow and six children to mourn his passing.
Full military honours were accorded to Thomas when the funeral took place at Alfreton Cemetery on Tuesday, 3 September 1935. Following a service held in the Wycliffe Congregational Church, the coffin, draped with the Union Jack, was borne to its last resting place by a company of six Colour Sergeants of the Notts. and Derby Regiment, based at Normanton Barracks, Derby. A bugler sounded the “Last Post” over the open grave, a fitting tribute to an old soldier and true gentleman.
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Many Sunday schools held an annual “walking round” procession with the church family parading through the streets and stopping at set points to sing hymns. My husband, Paul remembers one occasion when a piano accordion accompanied the singing, with mixed musical success.
After the “walking round,” the Sunday school anniversary was held in the chapel. Children performed presentations for the congregation, dressed in their new clothes and often taking part in action songs. Paul often retells the story of “Wide, Wide as the Ocean” being sung from wooden staging, only for the entire back row to disappear from view when the children enthusiastically threw back their arms. Visiting preachers were welcomed, and prizes—usually a Ladybird book—were awarded.
Some Sunday school chapels also organised an annual charabanc trip, often to the seaside and
usually accompanied by plenty of singing. Others held a sports day or tea party instead.
An annual “Festival of Queens” was sometimes held, with girls dressed as queens and donations from the sale of Sunny Smiles given to the National Children’s Home. What Paul remembers most about these events is that there was always extra cake. Happy days.
Janet and Paul Barrass are All Around the Shire. Find us on or email: oldfield512@btinternet.com for more information.
Am I the only one, or are others becoming increasingly fed up with American words, phrases and customs taking over our language/way of life? PART 5
Oh dear, it looks as if I’ve opened up a real can of worms – if you’re American, you may need someone to explain that phrase – with this theme. Last month’s trickle has become well, if not a flood, at least a steady stream of criticism of how we’re becoming more and more Americanised. As a result, it seems to me a bit rich that Donald J Trump accuses us of losing our culture/identity, when his nation is the principal culprit.
Whatever, Gill (Jacksdale) has been in touch with her pet peeve. “Why is it”, she asks, “that many well-dressed American men insist on having their pants dry cleaned and pressed before going to an important social function?”
“…….and don’t get me started”, she went on, “on the use of the word gotten in both the spoken and written American version of OUR language! My old English teacher at Matthew Holland School would have had a fit if I’d used that. What’s wrong with got? There’s no need for the ‘ten’ to make sense”.
Sally (Blackwell) has relatives in North Carolina that she visits every other year having done so since 2003. Despite this length of time, she still rolls her eyes when, on a warm evening, she’s invited to join the family on the yard for a cool refreshing drink. “Yard?” she spouts, “in Blackwell it would be either ‘at the back’ or ‘in the garden’”.
You probably won’t know this, but my wife is a big horse racing fan and gets regular updates from a member of staff working for one of the key Newmarket based trainers. Recently she got a call one morning telling her to put some money on a two-year-old called Landfill which was making its first run in the 2.40 at Southwell. She duly put on a £10 win bet with her online bookie. Unfortunately, in a field of eight, Landfill finished eighth. As I later told her, she should have known that the horse was just a rubbish tip!!
and
A recent survey confirmed that six out of every seven dwarfs are not happy.
and finally
You may have heard recently of a social engineering initiative in Japan. Apparently, ‘no pain, no gain’ has traditionally been the Japanese attitude to childbearing. Well, it appears as if the Tokyo based government has announced plans to subsidise pain relief, via epidurals, for women in labour in an effort to increase the plummeting birth rate. Interesting!
Am I the only one who thinks that this is unlikely to be uppermost in the mind of either partner’s mind during the conception process? If not, and you disagree, please let me know.
Fill in all the numbers!
This is a sudoku 1 square grid
81 cells
9 3x3 blocks
1 simple rule: Use all the numbers
1-9, with no duplicates allowed, in any row, column, or block.
These puzzles are devised by the brilliant Professor Rebus. For more of his puzzles visit www.pitcherwits.co.uk
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Increasingly across the Peak District and surrounding areas, individual gardeners and others such as local authorities, have taken up the challenge of ‘No Mow May’ to benefit threatened pollinating insects alongside the wildflowers they depend on. Since the 1940s, the Peak itself lost over 97% of its one-time, species-rich old meadows; a clearly catastrophic decline. However, for several years now, the wildflower conservation body, ‘Plantlife’, has been running the ‘No Mow May’ campaign to encourage wildflower- and pollinatorfriendly meadow management. Alongside responsible organisations such as the National Park Authority, the Highways Agency, and the region’s local authorities, this initiative encourages gardeners and others to get involved and to do their bit for nature. Essentially this approach involves either or both, habitat creation and suitable meadow management. The latter including periods without mowing, but with a cut once or twice at the correct time, and preferably, also the removal of cut ‘hay’. This taking off of the grass cuttings or hay is necessary to reduce levels of nutrients in the soil which otherwise accumulate and lead to coarse grasses, tall herbs, and reduced biodiversity.
‘No Mow May’ has proved increasingly successful and links into other campaigns to protect and promote flower-rich grasslands and meadows. These generally look better in the countryside than do the intensively managed swards, and benefit tourism and recreational use. However, as one of my readers suggested, this campaign should be followed up by ‘Let them Bloom in June’, and then of course, the July hay-cut. If this isn’t
possible, then a later cut in say August or September, will deliver some benefits. The key steps described mimic the ways that traditional meadows were once managed as vital resources and an important part of the farming countryside. The other important step which is often hard to deliver today unless the site is in agricultural management, is that the cut meadow should also be grazed by farming livestock. This triggers what we call ‘micro-disturbance’ i.e., the breaking up of the grass sward to allow flowers to seed and germinate and often helped by animal dunging and associated transportation of seeds, ready fertilized, from other meadows recently grazed.
In terms of pollinators benefitting from wildflowers and meadows, the gardener can help enormously with native, traditional meadows, with annual ‘arable cornfield’ flowers, but also with old-fashioned cottage garden, herbaceous plants, a wildflower ‘lawn’ perhaps, and exotic species too. This is not just a case of growing native wildflowers but is much more inclusive and fun too. Of course, where hay-cutting or mowing are involved, this can be locally devastating for some insect populations, even if essential for longer-term conservation. With this in mind, it is important to leave corners and edges of habitats intact and undisturbed as sanctuary areas in our all-too-often tidy spaces and places. Try to remember that nature does like an untidy world! Butterflies, moths, bumblebees, honeybees, and hoverflies are just a few of the creatures that will benefit, along of course, with people.
Professor Ian D. Rotherham, researcher, writer, broadcaster on wildlife and environmental issues is contactable on ianonthewildside@ukeconet.org. Follow his website www.ukeconet.org, blog www.ianswalkonthewildside.wordpress.com/ & Twitter @IanThewildside Bluesky @ianthewildside.bsky.social
Local family run business providing a friendly reliable service that guarantees quality Fully insured and with years of experience , we provide a wide range of landscaping and garden maintenance services for both domestic and commercial properties , everything from cutting grass or removing trees to landscaping large building projects.
GROUNDS MAINTANENCE:
• Lawn Mowing • Cutting Banks • Edging & Strimming • Lawn Care • Bed Planting • Weed Control • Tree Surgery • Stump Removal • Hedge Cutting, Reduction & Removal • LANDSCAPING:
• Driveways • Patios • Pathways • Fencing • Sleeper Beds • Turfing • Planting • Ponds
We offer a FREE NO OBLIGATION quote service!
For more info T: 07506 797 978 or E: info@fourwindslandscaping.co.uk
So, the British weather has done its usual crazy spring dance, and our gardens are still here and mostly looking blooming great.
As well as admiring our handiwork with a glass of something long and cool – or short and warm – there’s a few things to be keeping on top of this month, to keep it looking good and producing the goods.
Cucumbers and courgettes need to be picked as soon as they’re ready to keep them productive. A single courgette plant can give three courgettes a week and they very quickly turn from crisp and crunchy to huge marrows which are nice for a show bench but difficult to turn into an interesting ingredient for a meal. Likewise, cucumbers need to be harvested at their peak, so they’re constantly encouraged to produce more fruit and retain their sweetness. Apples and pears are starting to show their fruit clusters strongly now so it’s the best time to thin them out to give larger fruit in autumn.
And you also need to take this year’s growth back after mock orange has flowered so it will produce next year’s flower show. This works with smaller plants as well of course. Bedding plants are ideal for deadheading – usually you can just pinch flowers off behind the flower head when they have gone over. With roses you can take the flower off behind the head or take clusters back to just above the first leaf. Longer stemmed plants such as pelargoniums can be broken away from the plant where the stem attaches to the stem. Same goes for sweet peas. The idea is to stop them going to seed because for the plant that is when they’ve done their job – producing seed for the next generation. And if they no longer need to produce seed, they no longer need to produce flowers.
Worth considering though that you might want that seed production to happen – with honesty or nigella for instance, or cotoneaster and big hip producing roses. They’ll all give you some winter interest from the seed head. And of course the birds will be grateful if you leave sunflower and rudbeckia heads intact – they’re a great source of food.
Don’t worry if we get a prolonged dry spell (you never know!!) and your lawn goes brown. It will recover very quickly after rain and our plants need the water more.
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