POSITION NOW FILLED
Bar Staff required
Mature person required 2 nights per week minimum plus weekends.
Some experience preferred.
Driver essential.
Please contact [email protected]
Bar staff required – Plumber Manor Hotel Sturminster Newton
School Office Administrator | Milborne Port Primary School
Salary: Grade 14, pt 4
£10.98 per hour
£12,368 per annum
Contract type: Part time, 25 hours per week, term time plus inset days.
Start date: 21st April 2023
The governors wish to appoint a new School Office Administrator to start on 21st April 2023
We are looking for a skilled, efficient and highly organised person to join our friendly school team. The successful candidate will have responsibility for the management of pupil information, school meals and will carry out secretarial and administration procedures to ensure smooth running of the school.
Milborne Port Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share in this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.
To obtain an application form, job description and person specification, please contact Mrs Claire Brown, School Business Manager via email on: [email protected].
All applications should be returned electronically to Mrs Brown
Visits to the school are warmly welcomed. Please telephone the school on: 01963 250366
Closing date: Noon on Friday 24th March
Interviews will be held on: Monday 27th March at 10am
West End star Joanna Woodward answers the Random 19 questions
Based on the best-selling novel by Audrey Niffenegger, the musical adaptation of The Time Traveller’s Wife is scheduled for a West End run at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue this autumn. Joanna Woodward, who grew up in Glastonbury, will play the female lead, Clare. She attended St Dunstan’s School and Bridgwater College before going to The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Her West End career began ten years ago in Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, her list of theatre credits include playing Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman: The Musical (Piccadilly Theatre & Savoy Theatre) and Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Aldwych Theatre).
The Time Traveller’s Wife: The Musical has a heart-breaking and soaring original musical score by multi Grammy Award-winning composers Joss Stone and Dave Stewart, and is based on one of the best loved novels of the past 50 years. Henry and Clare’s love story is like no other and yet like all others; they meet, flirt, fight, love, marry … but all out of order. Henry is often and uncontrollably flung into time travel; he suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets, pulling him into his past or future, vanishing before one’s eyes, never knowing where or when he’s going next. Except he knows he’ll always come back to Clare – at some point in time.
And so to the questions …
1. What’s your relationship with Dorset?
I grew up in Glastonbury – what, 15 miles from the Dorset border? I loved it; the mix of people, the spirituality running through the place, the music and creativity … I was always going out to live gigs as a teenager, in between performing in the local amateur dramatics at Strode Theatre in Street.
2. The last film you watched?
‘Pieces of a Woman’ on Netflix. I would strongly recommend it – Vanessa Kirby is outstanding in all that she does. It’s a very difficult piece to watch, but it’s important.
3. It’s Friday night – you have the house to yourself, and no work is allowed. What are you going to do?
Most parents will agree, once you’ve got the kids in bed it’s usually just dinner and crashing out in front of the television! But I can be found cooking a delicious vegan meal, lighting some candles, having a bath and reading a book.
Self-care is really important, especially as a working mum, so if I do manage some time alone, it’s all about re-filling my cup!
4. What was the last song you sang out loud in your car?
Definitely something Disney-related! I have two young girls and this is often our way of getting through long journeys. Possibly ‘Let It Go’ … or probably the current family favourite, ‘I’ve got a dream’ from Tangled.
5. What would you like to tell 15 year-old you?
Life seems really tough and scary, and it can be, but it also balances out with really beautiful things – if you’re open and willing to look for them. Never give up faith in yourself, you will get to where you want to be, as long as you stay true to your gut and have patience!
6. Tell us about a sound or a smell that makes you happy?
I can do both! For a smell – my husband’s aftershave. Cheesy, but true. And sound – my 16 month-old has just started saying ‘I love you’ in a very cute toddler way, so when the girls say it to each other, I completely melt into a puddle!
7. The best crisps flavour?
All of them!
I am crisp mad and may have a problem.
Help.
8. What’s you’re secret superpower?
I am highly sensitive. In the past I have been made to believe it’s a fault, but as I’ve got older I’ve realised that it’s not at all. It’s what allows me to be intuitive with others, and very in touch with my own emotions. So actually, it’s my superpower, and allows me to tell truthful stories as an actress.
9. What book did you read recently that stayed with you?
‘The Reason I Jump’ by Naoki Higashida. Such a beautiful, touching, incredible insight into the brain of an autistic child.
10. What would you like to be remembered for?
Being someone that followed my heart and the things I believe in. Being a great storyteller. Being a good mum.
11. What shop can you not pass by?
Oliver Bonus! They just have the perfect mix of leopard print and sparkles, it pulls me in like nectar to a bee!
12. Your favourite quote?
It’s quite long but Theodore Roosevelt’s ‘The man in the arena’ speech is something I live by daily. It’s about daring greatly, living a full life and not listening to the critics who are not the ones actually in the arena (see image, top right)
13. Tell us about one of the best evenings you’ve ever had?
Without a doubt, the night I got thrown on as Carole King in ‘Beautiful: the Carole King Musical’ in the West End. We were during previews with almost no rehearsals. It was terrifying and phenomenal and all my dreams coming true. When I got home I danced around the kitchen to ‘What a Feeling’.
14. Your most annoying trait?
Overthinking everything!
15. What was the last gift you either gave, or received?
I stayed at my best mate’s house recently and she left me a little make-up bag on the bed because she’s cute like that. She also left me a hot water bottle in the bed, which after a night of high heels and interviews was the best gift ever!
16. Your top three most-visited websites?
Whatsonstage for all the latest theatre news, Find what feels good for my yoga fix and Bookshop.org so that I can feed my book addiction while supporting local book shops.
17. What in life is frankly a mystery to you?
How on earth I created my daughters. I often look at them and wonder how that happened!
18. Cats or dogs?
I have both, but anybody who knows me knows that I turn gooey around dogs. ALL dogs. If you approach me with a dog, I won’t be saying hello to you first. Sorry.
19. You have the power to pass one law tomorrow, uncontested. What would you do?
Childcare support for new parents. It is so hard for women to go back to work after having children.
A breakthrough at long last
The news on the Windsor Framework this week as been a long awaited boost to the business community, says Dorset Chamber’s Ian Girling
Finally, there is light at the end of the Brexit tunnel. A deal over Northern Ireland has been a long time coming.
Clearly, the Windsor Framework is a welcome breakthrough – although it will, of course, be subject to considerable scrutiny and debate. Yet it does offer hope that we can at last move on.
Businesses in Dorset have shown admirable resilience during the economic turbulence of the past few years, whether that has been due to Brexit, the COVID pandemic or inflation and the energy costs crisis.
However, it is undoubtable that international trade has suffered since Brexit. I hope this new deal will go some way towards stabilising and improving the current strained relations between the UK and the EU.
If it succeeds, we have the opportunity to move to a new phase of co-operation on trade, regulation, climate, migration and supply chain issues. It could help cut costs, remove red tape and ease trade friction.
The deal must also act a starting shot for the government to sign more trade deals worldwide, in order to give businesses the confidence to export.
Do remember that Dorset Chamber is on hand to support all businesses on their international trade journey whether new, established or seeking to re-enter markets.
Our team can help with documentation and certification, advice and training. There are many success stories of international trading in Dorset – most businesses see an increase in sales within 12 months of expanding into new markets.
I hope the Windsor Framework paves the way for more ‘made in Dorset’ labels worldwide.
It’s mind boggling to think that this June will mark the seventh anniversary of the Brexit referendum of 2016. There have been many obstacles and false starts along the way – let’s hope the light at the end of the tunnel is a bright new dawn for all of us.
Apprenticeship awards
Don’t forget that the Dorset Apprenticeship Awards, working with the Dorset and Somerset Training Provider Network and sponsored by Superior Seals, are open for entry until 17th March. They are free to enter and open to all people in Dorset that are either on an apprenticeship programme now or have completed their apprenticeship in the last 12 months. The awards celebrate the hugely important contribution that apprentices well as the personal achievements of apprentices and the impact of the apprenticeship programme on lives.
Each finalist, along with three guests, will be invited to an awards celebration lunch on 16th May at Superior Seals Training Academy and will be presented with their trophy by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset on behalf of His Majesty. Each winner will also be profiled in the Dorset Business Focus magazine. Entry is via the Dorset Chamber website.
If you are on or have completed an apprenticeship in the last 12 months or employ apprentices in your business, I’d really recommend entering these awards.
Can I leave my job as soon as I hand in my notice?
A local expert from Citizen’s Advice provides timely tips on consumer issues.
Q: “I’ve been offered, and accepted, a new job. The new company wants me to start as soon as possible but we’re really short-staffed where I am now and I don’t know how soon I’ll be allowed to leave. How should I bring all this up with my boss?”
A: It can feel awkward telling your employer you’re moving on but there are set processes in place and it is important to follow them.
The time between telling your employer you’ve found a new position and you actually leaving is known as your notice period. If you’ve been in your current job for less than one month, you won’t have to give any notice period (unless your contract says otherwise). If it’s more than a month, you have to give at least one week’s notice. Check what your contract says to find out how much notice you’ll be expected to give.
If you don’t have a contract, and your employer has no written record of you agreeing to a notice period but you have been employed for more than a month you have to give at least one week’s notice.
If you have a long notice period (say, three months), you may wish to leave your job before your notice period is up: The only way to be free of the employment contract is to come to an agreement with your employer. It’s worth reassuring your employer that leaving early won’t cause them any problems – for example, agree to finish any urgent work. It can be worth reminding them that letting you leave early will mean they don’t have to pay you for as long.
However, if your employer doesn’t agree, but you want to leave early anyway, think about whether this would cost them money. For example, if they’d need to get expensive agency staff to replace you at short notice, they could take you to court. It may also have an impact on any references you might want in future.
Although it may be tempting to hand in your resignation as soon as possible, it’s worth waiting until your new employer has confirmed your new employment, for example by signing your contract or by giving you a start date. It’s then best to give your resignation in writing (email is fine), so that you have a record of the date you told your employer. You can find guidance on how to do this on the Citizens Advice website, where we have a page on handing in your notice.
Fixed term contract
Fixed-term contracts are a bit different, as you won’t need to give notice if you intend to leave on the last day of your contract. Leaving before the end of a fixed-term contract usually means giving at least one week’s notice, but again check your contract to see if this is different.
Paid what you’re owed
Don’t forget about your holiday days during your notice period. If you have any unused leave, speak to your employer about either taking these during the notice period or being paid back for them in your final paycheck. If you leave early, your employer still has to pay you for work you’ve done. If your employer refuses to pay, check what you’re owed and how to get it.
Finally, sometimes people can change their mind about moving jobs or find their circumstances alter. If this happens to you, you should speak to your current employer to see what your options are and if you can stay in your current role.
Everyone’s situation is different, but if you face any challenges with an existing or potential employer, contact Citizens Advice for advice: 0800 144 8848 or visit our website pages about what to do when you’re leaving a job.
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The clock is ticking for the government to back British farming to feed a changing world
President calls for a prosperous food and farming sector, delivering a secure, safe and affordable supply of British food, says NFU county advisor Gemma Harvey
Image: Laura Hitchcock
In February the NFU hosted its annual conference, bringing together 1,500 farmer and grower members as well as peers, politicians and guests from across the supply chain for two days of thought-provoking speakers and debate.
This year’s line-up included DEFRA Secretary of State Therese Coffey, Farming Minister Mark Spencer and Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer.
Delivering the opening address, NFU President Minette Batters laid out what was needed to ensure a prosperous food and farming sector, one that delivers a secure, safe and affordable supply of British food, for both home markets and overseas and which recognises that farmers are the nation’s working conservationists:
‘There are three key lessons we can take from this extraordinary year,’ she said ‘As the global population continues to rise, and parts of the planet become less suited to producing the food we eat, we have an opportunity – and a duty – to get the best out of our maritime climate. Secondly, in the face of climate change, we should be unwavering in our commitment to achieving Net Zero and contributing to our energy security through on-farm renewables generation. And thirdly, we should never take our food security for granted.
Food security is not the same as self-sufficiency – we will always rely on imports to some degree, and it is sensible to ensure diversity of supply. But food security also means ensuring our food is safe to eat, that it can be distributed efficiently and that it remains affordable. All of which points to prioritising domestic production. The rhetoric of successive governments that “we are a wealthy country … we can just import our food” must be exposed as naïve in the extreme in a rapidly changing and challenging world.
‘The fact remains that volatility, uncertainty and instability are the greatest risks to farm businesses in England and Wales today. Critically, those consequences will be felt far beyond farming. They will be felt across the natural environment, and in struggling households across the country.
‘Labour shortages and soaring energy prices are hitting the poultry industry – already reeling from avian influenza – as well as horticultural businesses and pig farms. Meanwhile, other sectors are facing an uncertain future, as direct payments are phased out against a backdrop of huge cost inflation, with agricultural inputs having risen almost 50 per cent since 2019.
‘And the impact of this? UK egg production has fallen to its lowest level in nine years. In 2022, UK egg packers packed almost a billion fewer eggs than they did in 2019.
‘This was also the year that the potential impact of climate change really hit home. The extraordinary temperatures we experienced in July topped the previous record by almost a degree and a half. And while many parts of the country have experienced huge amounts of rainfall recently, impacting farming operations over autumn and winter, some counties remain in official drought status. Despite all this, NFU members and the farmers and growers of Britain continued to bring in the harvest, to produce the nation’s food and to keep the country fed through tough times.
‘We have seen progress; with the publication of the prospectus for the new Environmental Land Management Schemes; with increases to the Seasonal Agricultural Workers schemes; and in securing the establishment of the Trade and Agriculture Commission, leading to the Food and Drink Export Council and the placement of eight new agriculture attachés to sell British food overseas.
‘However, more often than not it has been incredibly hard getting the government to back up its rhetoric with concrete actions.
The clock is ticking
‘The time is nearly up for the government to demonstrate its commitment to food and farming in our great country, not just by saying they support us, but by showing us they do. I have lost count of the times I’ve been told by MPs and Ministers – all the way up to Prime Ministers (plural, four of them!) that farming is at the forefront of this government’s thinking.
‘I won’t let the opposition off the hook either – I believe the rural vote will be absolutely crucial in the next election.
‘There are three cornerstones on which a prosperous farming sector must be built and which any government should use to underpin its farming policy. They are boosting productivity, protecting the environment and managing volatility.
‘But the clock is ticking. It’s ticking for those farmers and growers facing costs of production higher than the returns they get for their produce. It’s ticking for the country, as inflation remains stubbornly high, and the affordability and availability of food come under strain. It’s ticking for our planet, as climate change necessitates urgent, concerted action to reduce emissions and protect our environment. And it’s ticking for government – to start putting meaningful, tangible and effective meat on the bones of the commitments it has made. Commitments to promote domestic food production, to properly incentivise sustainable and climate-friendly farming, to put farmers and growers at the heart of our trade policy, and to guarantee our food security. It really is time to back British Farmers and back British food.’
*extract – read Minette Batters’ speech in full on the NFU website by clicking here
The Farming section is sponsored by Trethowans – Law as it should be
The Nonconformist Preacher’s Tale
Roger Guttridge recalls a minister who upset early women’s libbers, Marnhull’s bull-baiting habit and the legendary toad doctor of Pulham
All images: Milborne Port History and Heritage Group
It’s not difficult to arouse feminist feelings today but nonconformist preacher the Rev John Sprint managed it 300 years ahead of schedule.
The colourful cleric regularly preached in towns and villages in Dorset and Somerset including Stalbridge, Sherborne, Milborne Port, Wimborne and Gussage All Saints. But his views were nothing if not controversial.
Way back in 1699, when Sprint was the Minister at Stalbridge, he succeeded in offending an early generation of women’s libbers.
At a wedding in Sherborne, he preached a sermon which he later had published under the title The Bride’s Woman Counsellor.
His biblical text for the sermon was I Corinthians 7:34, which speaks of the difference between married and unmarried women.
He claimed it was ‘the duty incumbent on all married women to be extraordinary careful to content and please their husbands’.
‘The sermon caused quite a stir,’ the Rev Anthony Jones, Minister of Bournemouth and Poole Unitarian Church, told me some years ago when he was writing a thesis on early Protestant dissent in Dorset. ‘Even in those days, such views were difficult to accept.’
The women hit back with a poem called The Ladies’ Defence: or a Bride Woman’s Counsellor Answered.
It was written as a dialogue between Sir John Brute, Sir William Loveall, Melissa and a parson, who, cast as the villain, speaks of teaching women ‘their husbands to obey and please, / And to their humours sacrifice their ease; / Give up their reason, and their wills resign, / And every look and thought confine.’
Melissa, on behalf of her sisters, replies: ‘Why are not husbands taught as well as we: / Must they from all restraints, all laws be free? / Passive obedience you’ve to us transferred, / And we must drudge in paths where you have err’d.’
But it was not only feminists that the Rev Sprint outraged. One contemporary document describes him as ‘a gentleman of too liberal principles for some pious and rigid Nonconformists’.
Such was the opposition he encountered at Stalbridge that in 1700 Sprint moved across the Dorset-Somerset border to Milborne Port.
There, at his daughter’s wedding, he preached another sermon called the Bridegroom’s Counsellor and the Bride’s Comforter.
‘It was a rebuff to the Ladies apologetic,’ said Mr Jones.
This time the chosen text was I Corinthians 7:33.
‘I shall prove that it is the duty of husbands to please their wives,’ Mr Sprint began.
Sprint went on to build up a large Presbyterian congregation in a hosier’s house at Milborne Port, where he continued his ministry until his death in 1715.
He also founded a grammar school in the village.*
Mr Jones described Sprint as a ‘great eccentric’.
‘He always wore a cassock when he took services and a rose in his hat,’ he said.
Bull baiting at Marnhull
An event that prompted controversy and violence in Dorset 260 years ago was Marnhull’s annual bull-baiting, held on 3rd May each year until 1762 or 1763, when the rector, the Rev Conyers Place, managed to put a stop to it.
It was not, however, the welfare of the bulls that Place had in mind but the safety of the human spectators who converged on Marnhull from miles around.
‘The practice occasioned dangerous riots and bloodshed by the violent contentions of the inhabitants of the neighbouring parishes,’ wrote the 18th century historian John Hutchins.
‘In one of these frays, Bartlett of Morside was actually killed.’
Hutchins added: ‘It was suppressed for some years but revived again on Mr Windham’s patronising bull-baiting in the House of Commons.’
After a further campaign, the Marnhull rector managed again to suppress the event, this time for good.
Of the event, Hutchins wrote: ‘The bull was led in the morning into Valley Meadow (part of Marnhull Common), where the tenant of the estate, by giving a garland, appointed who should keep the bull next year.’
The Toad Doctor of Pulham
A curious quack from 19th century North Dorset was ‘Dr’ Buckland, the so-called ‘Toad Doctor’ of Pulham (although I doubt he was a real doctor).
During the 1830s a great gathering, called Dr Buckland’s Fair, took place in May, its exact date being determined by the phases of the moon.
‘The doctor, dressed in white, was assisted by his three daughters, also dressed in white, and they attended to his patients, who came from far and near,’ records the Women’s Institute book Dorset Up Along and Down Along, 1935.
‘His method was certainly unusual, for he kept toads which he used alive, hanging them under his patients’ clothes.
‘As long as the toads twitched and moved, the cure progressed. As to what happened if the toad died before the cure was complete, the story does not relate.’
Members of Milborne Port History and Heritage Group would welcome any information which might help to identify the sites of Sprint’s two major ventures in the village.
Food poverty and youth mental health
With a growing need for food banks, what effect does food poverty have on a family’s youngest members, asks Dorset Mind’s Marie Glen.
For the past six months, I have volunteered at a local community fridge. I have seen an increasing number of families with children asking for support. Working a session on Christmas Eve, it particularly struck me how normalised this way of life had become for many families.
Between 1st April and 31st March 2022, the Trussell Trust’s UK network distributed 2.1 million food parcels to people in crisis – a 14 per cent increase on the previous year – and 832,000 of these went to children.
Poverty and young people
I began to consider the impact this situation may be having on the wellbeing of those children.
Living in a safe, warm and secure home, with enough food to eat, is fundamental to providing a physically and mentally healthy childhood. Sadly, for many, this simple basis has become increasingly challenging.
BBC Children in Need recently reported that 30 per cent of children in the UK worry about their families having enough money to live.
I spoke to a 14-year-old who comes weekly to the community fridge. She told me: ‘My mum fell on hard times about two years ago and we have been relying on the food bank ever since. At first, I was ashamed and found it difficult. People at school bullied me for being poor. I was also anxious about Mum. But now it is just normal, and I’m grateful for the help we receive.’
Wondering about the long-term effects, I spoke to an adult who had experienced poverty as a child: ‘I remember feeling worried. I knew that something was wrong because my parents were stressed and arguing a lot. I wanted to help but didn’t know how to. That feeling of helplessness never leaves you.’
The UK is facing a worrying escalation in children living in poverty. The associated mental health issues affect their education, social development, self-esteem and their ability to thrive. It may well continue to affect them into adulthood. It is vital we maintain connections with struggling young people and continue to promote good self-care and resilience.
Supporting young people
Dorset Mind and Dorset’s foodbanks are filled with passionate volunteers who support the delivery of vital services across Dorset. If you would like to help, I would encourage you to consider volunteering.
It’s not an entirely selfless act – being part of local organisations has been excellent for my own wellbeing and enabled me to connect and support people of different ages and backgrounds.
In 2022, Dorset Mind’s Children & Young People Service reached a total of 2,661 children and young people in schools, online and in their local communities.
Keep talking and connecting
We need to think seriously about the long-term impact of the current cost of living crisis and the effect it will have on the mental wellbeing and resilience of our future generations. Dorset Mind hopes that, through working as a community, we can better support young people.
Find local support
Local food banks in Dorset: helpandkindness.co.uk.
For support with debt and money advice call CAP on 0800 328 0006, or visit their website.
Samaritans provide a listening service through their phone line which operates 24hours a day, 365 days a year. You can talk through your concerns and troubles. Contact Samaritans on 116 123.
Dorset Mind wellbeing and mental health support: dorsetmind.uk
Nick takes the lead at the Turnpike Showground
Just a couple of months before the county sees the return of the Spring Countryside Show, Nick Hill has taken the reins as Show Secretary
Nick Hill, with over 40 years of hands-on experience in farming and livestock management, has been appointed by the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Agricultural Society as the new Show Secretary and Event Organiser for two of Dorset’s leading rural shows.
Having exhibited prize-winning Limousin cattle and judged highly competitive cattle show classes, Nick is now set to take on a new challenge in running the Spring Countryside Show and the Gillingham & Shaftesbury show in August.
Nick joined the Young Farmers Club at the age of 13 and progressed through the ranks to become the group secretary and Federation chairman. In these roles, he was responsible for organizing shows and rallies. After finishing school, he worked on his father’s 150-acre farm in Somerset, where he specialised in raising beef cattle. Over time, he assumed the role of farm manager and established a herd of pedigree British Limousins. Nick and his herd competed in agricultural shows across the country, including the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show.
Nick’s expertise in British Limousin cattle has earned him a place on the esteemed National Judging Panel and Breeds Standard Inspection Panel for the British Limousin Cattle Society. He has also had the honour of judging at the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show on five separate occasions.
‘I am determined to maintain the strong links we have with agriculture and local businesses, while providing fun-filled days for the general public,’ said Nick. ‘I’m also keen on encouraging more young people to consider careers in agriculture. We need forward-thinking farmers who will continue to innovate.’
Two days this summer
Earlier this year, the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Agricultural Society announced that the annual August show will now be a two-day event, demonstrating the show’s success and the need to continuously improve. Nick is excited to take on his new role and bring his expertise to lead Turnpike Showground events through a successful 2023.
The Spring Countryside Show, launched just last year to great success, is still in its infancy as a two-day event showcasing rural life and crafts, live music, steam engines, and classic cars. Nick’s goal is to continue the massive success and growth of both shows. The Spring Show received 12,000 visitors in its first year, and a record number of 25,000 people attended the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show in August.
