One of the privileges of publishing Soar Valley Life for the past fourteen years has been the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and build lasting relationships throughout our community. This month, I would like to share a little news from behind the scenes. Many of you will know that since the very beginning, […]
Editors Letter
Keep Talking
This month, I found myself reflecting on the words of Stephen Hawking, whose distinctive voice once carried a simple but profound message across our screens in the 1990s British Telecom advert: “Keep talking.” It was a campaign about connection, about bridges built not with cables and signals alone, but with conversation — human to human, voice to voice. Decades on, that message feels more urgent […]
What’s In a Name
“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare asked — and then promptly answered his own question by suggesting a rose would smell as sweet by any other word. It’s a lovely sentiment — but in the modern world, it’s only partly true. Because today, a name carries enormous weight. It can open doors, close minds, build trust, […]
Time and …
January always feels like a pause between breaths. A turning of pages. A moment when we glance both backwards and forwards, measuring where we’ve been against where we might be heading. Appropriately, our thoughts this month revolve around Time and… well, almost everything. One of the oldest and most enduring pairings is “Time and tide […]
The Human Touch
We live in a world obsessed with replacing the human touch. Everywhere we look, Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the way we work, shop, travel, and even think. Big business, government, retail, the health service — everyone seems intent on swapping real people for machines, robots, and chatbots. And yet, none of us really knows where […]
Why We Still Love Trains (and Tolerate Technology)
There’s something about a steam engine that gets under the skin. It’s not just the hiss, the smell of oil and soot, or the rhythmic chug echoing across the countryside—it’s what they represent: a world we remember, or imagine, as simpler, steadier, somehow better. I was recently at The Greatest Gathering in Derby—an event to […]
It Will Be Done
When Mary and I started this little magazine enterprise in January 2012 there were those who scoffed, turned away, and looked upon us as if we were slightly deranged. I recall someone asking, “What do you want to do that for?” pointing out that our area was already well served with such publications, or adding, […]
As One Door Closes…
As One Door Closes…and Winter Turns into Spring The turning of the seasons always brings change, and this year is no different. As winter gives way to the fresh possibilities of spring, we find ourselves reflecting on the shifts within our own little magazine world. One of the biggest dilemmas we’ve faced in recent months […]
Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be!
Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be! It was hinted at (by the indefatigable Alan Higgs , the ever present Sileby Parish Councillor, community fixer and mender) that I ought to change the theme of this letter, and choose another subject than seats. That one has run for 6 months, and the patience of our […]
