We are looking for a new patient service team member’s to join our dedicated team to work across our busy GP practice
For information about the role and to apply, please click on the link below.
https://www.blackmorevalesurgery.co.uk/vacancies
Or for more information please contact Laura Grant on [email protected] or call 01258 474513
Recently I was honoured to be the subject of the ’20 Questions’ Hot Seat on Dorset Biz News. Obviously space is limited on these things, and I did rather ramble on in my answers, so only a portion of my responses could be published. But… most of my working life hasn’t been local, and lots of people who read the magazine are naturally curious about me as editor.
Firstly – the obvious: lives in Sturminster Newton, married to Courtenay, and we’ve four kids aged 14 to 22. Before editing The BV, I ran LittleStuff, an award-winning magazine website for parents of teenagers.
So to satisfy your noses, here y’go: the full and unedited version of Laura’s 20 questions…
To start ASAP.
Full time job at Britford Trout Farm and Avon Valley Carp.
Must be able to drive.
On site accommodation included in job offer.
We have our own trout hatchery together with our own broodstock which produce 400 tonnes of trout per year. We also grow on our own carp for selling to fishing lakes.
Please send any messages and CVs to Jack at [email protected]
As I sit here, for the first time, I’m tempted to say ever, I’m faced with writers’ block.
We are all fed up to the gills with Covid in as much as it has become part of our daily lives and, because of the strange times in which we are living, there is no one major political theme or story dominating.
So, this month I thought I would provide just some pithy, perhaps comment-inducing observations as a series of bullet points. But first, let me just remind you that if you are North Dorset constituent in need of help or advice I am available via email – [email protected] or 01258 452585.
We are continuing to run virtual Advice Surgery with a choice of telephone or Zoom/Teams. Please just shout if you need anything.
So here are the unconnected random snippets:
• We must direct a lot of our energy and Overseas Aid resourcing to help countries who need it to vaccinate their people as India is painfully demonstrating. There is no point, and certainly no benefit to the UK, to have huge numbers of our fellow man, and their countries, on perpetual Red Lists with some
sort of Pariah Status. The World Health Organisation must take a lead in co-ordinating this and provide, when the breathing space to do so is created, to produce better international plans for dealing with future Pandemics. Covid caught the world off its guard. It cannot happen again;
• Another big ‘shout out’ to our educators and school support staff. My three daughters are just so happy to be back in a classroom and with their friends. The vigorous safeguarding and protections I have seen in place has meant that a return to school for all has not meant a rise in infection rates;
• A cheer of encouragement to our high streets, who with ingenuity, pluck and doggedness have ridden the lockdown wave and are now open. This week, I was jolted by the surprise as to how much I had missed mooching around a book shop. Let us remind ourselves that our shops are open and use them;
• The proposals of Dorset Council for the future of St Mary’s Shaftesbury has my full and active support. Access to specialised packages of education and support for children with disabilities has been a common issue in my postbag. The Council provided great foresight in purchasing the site (even when the local government purse is under pressure). It was the right thing to do and will provide first class opportunities for those across the County who need it. It also has the promise of being a national beacon of excellence and innovator of best practice. I cannot overemphasise how overjoyed we should all be by what is being considered;
• My daughters and I have been helping out friends over recent weeks with their lambing. There are highs and lows and the persistent frosts haven’t helped. As new life thrives and occasionally dies (the ravages of fox and crow should really be seen by all) it is always a timely reminder as to the challenges of livestock farming and how much we owe our farming community;
• Perhaps it’s because I’m Welsh but football has never really been my thing. If someone could explain to me in simple terms the recent ESL football saga I’d be obliged (email address below).
To follow my latest news in the constituency and Parliament you can follow me on Twitter @Simon4NDorset; Facebook is Fb.com/simonhoarenorthdorset; or my website is at simonhoare.org.uk.
Or you can email me direct on [email protected]
Apex Prime Care is a leading domiciliary care service, providing care across the south coast.
We specialise in offering home care to those who need it, from personal care to shopping visits; we help our clients remain in the comfort of their own home.
Carers are the heroes of our community.
Apex Prime Care Assistants have been there to support the health and wellbeing of clients, but also to provide much needed company and friendship.
Visiting your grandma, your father, and your friend, when you may not have been able to, they’ve brought with them patience, a warm smile, and endless cups of tea during long months of isolation.
Home is where the heart is and we value your independence, if you, or a loved one, would like to know more about the care options available to you, please get in touch.
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At the end of everything we do, there is a very thankful, and independent client.
If you are looking for a rewarding career, home care is the one for you. You can make a difference in your local community, by helping those in need of a friendly face and support in difficult times. Apex is committed to doing the best for our carers.
We provide a supportive office team, competitive pay, free induction training and much more to make sure our carers are able to do what they do best.
If you are a qualified carer looking for a change, we have a fast-track application process in place so you can start caring in the community as soon as possible. Benefits include access to our Refer a Friend scheme, where you receive up to £350 for every friend you refer that starts working for us.
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Apply online today or call our recruitment team for more information about our application process.
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A semi professional photographer for 6 years, my passion for landscape photography lead me to shooting commercial events and weddings. During lockdown when the beautiful Dorset coastline was no longer accessible I decided to combine my two life-long interests; Photography and Astronomy. We enjoy some very dark skies in Dorset, and I’m fortunate to live with very little light pollution, so whilst we couldn’t step out more than a mile from our homes, I was travelling millions of miles across the universe from my very own garden!
Astronomy and Astrophotography are hobbies that can be technically challenging, frustrating and tiring; but the rewards whenyou see a planet for the first time, or a nebula in stunning clarity, make it all worthwhile.
It does help to have a very understanding wife too!
I really look forward to sharing my images with you all and hope that my results and experiences encourage others to take a few moments to step outside and look up to explore the wonders of our universe.
Rob
As we say goodbye to our nearest neighbour until the Autumn as it drops low to the horizon, and we enter the so called ‘galaxy season’, it seemed fitting that my first image should be of a galaxy, and I’ve picked one of the most recognised.
The Andromeda galaxy is the closest big galaxy to our Milky Way. At 2.5 million light-years, it’s the most distant thing you can see with the eye alone. This image, taken in February over 2 nights, demonstrates what can be captured with an equatorial tracking mount, a telephoto lens or wide field telescope and a standard DSLR camera. The image was captured using 2 minute and 60 second exposures at ISO 1600. I also use specialist post-processing software and a process technique called stacking to combine all the all the images together which brings out the detail within the galaxy.
After sunset, once the sky is dark enough, look towards the South and see if you can spot the kite shaped constellation of Boötes the Herdsman. The red giant star Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation it is also the fourth-brightest star in the night sky and the brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere. to the left of Boötes is a semi-circle of stars this is the tiny constellation Corona Borealis, also known as the Northern Crown. The brightest star in this constellation is Alphecca and is known as the jewel of the crown. Look to the left of the crown and you’ll spot the constellation of Hercules, the Strong Man.
The sprawling constellation of Hercules is high in the east, and the brightest globular cluster in the northern hemisphere, M13 (the ‘Hercules Globular Cluster’ a globular cluster of several hundred thousand stars in the constellation of Hercules), is visible to the naked eye on the western side of the asterism known as the Keystone.
The Keystone is formed by four bright stars in the constellation Hercules: Pi, Eta, Zeta and Epsilon Herculis. The trapezoid-shaped pattern makes it easy to identify the constellation; on a clear night, the Keystone can be seen between the bright Vega, the brightest star in Lyra, and the stars of Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. The asterism represents Hercules’ torso.
On the 14th May look towards the West just after sunset and
you should see the waxing crescent Moon and the planets Mercury and Venus, with both planets lying low above the Western horizon. If you’re a fan of the red planet, it will be visible too; just wait for the sky to get a bit darker and search for the constellation of Gemini. Mars’ distinctive red colour will make it easy to spot amongst the stars in the constellation.
The May full moon (26th May) is known as the Flower Moon – because of all the flowers that
bloom during this month in the Northern Hemisphere. This month’s full moon will also be a supermoon, so we can also refer to this month’s full moon as the Super Flower Moon. The Moon’s physical size won’t change, but because it will be at its closest to the Earth, it can appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter, hence a Supermoon, so it is well worth a look.
By: Rob Nolan RPN Photography
After what felt like a long winter, spring has finally sprung.
As the ground dries out, walkers, cyclists and horse riders are enjoying the various rights of way throughout the countryside.
Though many adhere to the Countryside Code, sadly, there are always a few who do not. Only last week, a client caught horse riders cantering through his fields in complete disregard to both the public bridleway and to his crop.
The Countryside Code was recently updated – the new version published on 1 April.
Some key changes included:
The question is how can landowners and users help each other to eliminate this issue?
Users need to be aware of your surroundings when using footpaths, bridleways, etc. Look for signs, carry a map or use an OS map app to make sure you are not straying off the correct path.
Where possible, landowners should put signs on gates or posts, helping the user follow the correct route. The use of fencing to separate the right of access removes any ambiguity but is not always practical or possible.
Landowners should inform the trespasser that they have strayed from the public right of way and point them back towards it. If a user ignores the landlords requests or is regularly found off the public right of way, then the landowner could take action for damages. Keeping a record (photos) of all trespassing incidents will help support such a claim.
Landowners have a duty to those using their land, pursuant to the Occupiers Liability Act, whether it is on a public right of way or not. Farmland is a place of business, with many hazards and therefore for the user’s safety it is imperative they do not stray from the designated paths.
If you need further advice on Agricultural matters or have any questions, then please contact Sarah Dunlop at Blanchards Bailey for more information.
In the quiet Cotswolds village of Great Rollright in 1944, a thin, and unusually elegant, housewife emerged from her cottage to go on her usual bike ride.
A devoted mother-of-three, attentive wife and friendly neighbour, Sonya Burton seemed to epitomise rural British domesticity. However, rather than pedalling towards the shops with her ration book, Sonya was heading for the Oxfordshire countryside to gather scientific secrets from a nuclear physicist. Secrets that would enable the Soviet Union to build the atomic bomb.
Far from an obedient homemaker, Sonya Burton was a dedicated communist, a decorated colonel and a veteran spy who risked her life to keep the Soviet Union in the nuclear arms race. Her husband was also
a Soviet agent and her children had three different fathers from lovers she’d encountered throughout her incredible career. In Agent Sonya, Ben Macintyre reveals the astonishing story behind the most important woman spy in history and the huge emotional cost that came with being a mother, a wife, and a secret agent
at once.
In November 1930, the 22-year-old Ursula Hamburger was visited at her Shanghai home by a good-looking man with a strong German accent, and three fingers missing from his left hand. Here was the stuff of spy movies and Ursula was delighted at the sudden drama.
Ursula Kuczynski Burton was a spymaster, saboteur, bomb-maker and secret agent. Codenamed ‘Agent Sonya’, her story has never been told – until now.
Born to a German Jewish family, as Ursula grew, so did the Nazis’ power. As a fanatical opponent of the fascism that ravaged her homeland, Ursula was drawn to communism as a young woman, motivated by the promise of a fair and peaceful society.
From planning an assassination attempt on Hitler in Switzerland, to spying on the Japanese in Manchuria, to preventing nuclear war (or so she believed) by stealing the science of atomic weaponry from Britain to give to Moscow, Ursula conducted some of the most dangerous espionage operations of the twentieth century.
In Agent Sonya, Britain’s most acclaimed historian Ben Macintyre delivers an exhilarating tale that’s as fast-paced as any fiction. It is the incredible story of one spy’s life, a life that would alter the course of history.
‘Macintyre does true-life espionage better than anyone else’ – John Preston
‘Macintyre has found a real-life heroine worthy of his gifts as John le Carre’s nonfiction counterpart’ – New York Times
‘This book is classic Ben Macintyre…quirky human details enliven every page’ – Spectator
Pamela Johnson
Our much loved mother Pamela Johnson of Sturminster Newton passed away peacefully on Thursday 13 May 2021
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