If you enjoy the outdoor life, NMR have a great opportunity to work within a Farming environment.
The Area Coordinator will be responsible for delivery of a full milk recording service to approximately 40 farms in the South Somerset/West Dorset area. You will need to live within close proximity to the areas mentioned, as this role involves visiting the farms and collecting event data about individual cows and sometimes taking milk samples. Averaging a 37 hour week Monday-Friday, the daily and weekly hours will be flexible to suit the business needs with daytime farm visits and working from home, some early mornings and late evenings. You will be provided with the relevant equipment to undertake the role, including a company van.
For more details & how to apply, please visit our careers page: www.nmr.co.uk
Full Time 37.5 hours over 5 days fixed term contract for 18 months Salary Competitive. NHS Pension – This is a pay band 4
We have an exciting new role within our Gp practice for a general Practice Assistant.
About the Job
A GPA will support the GP’s smooth running of clinics by performing routine admin tasks and taking on a clinical role. The aim is to Improve patient flow within surgery hours, increasing the time efficiency of appointments, and reduction of waiting times. To help reduce time spent by Clinicians on managing correspondence by freeing up consultation time.
TASKS
Hca role to include Bloods urines ecg bp nhs checks basic dressings
Admin role
Support reception
Sorting out clinical post and prioritizing for the GP
Extracting information from clinical letters for coding and adding to notes
Liasing with outside agencies on behalf of the gparranging for admission, on call gp
Completing basic (non-opinion) forms and core elements of some forms for the GP to approve
This is a new role and the job description and responsibilities will evolve so this list is not exhaustive.
About us We are a small, supportive, forward thinking GP practice with a happy, experienced workforce providing care to approx. 2100 patients. There is a strong emphasis on high quality person-centred patient care, education and personal development. We are a rural dispensing practice situated at the intersection of Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset. We are a Wiltshire CCG practice. The practice has a stable clinical team of one GP partner, a locum GP and two practice nurses. We are supported by an experienced admin team who cover reception, admin, dispensing and HCA duties. We use Systom1 as a practice system.
Mondays 8.30- 4.00 7.5 hrs
Tuesdays 08.30 – 5.00 8 hrs
Wednesday 08.30 – 3.30 7 hrs
Thursday 08.30 – 4.30 7.5 hrs
Friday 08.30 – 4.30 7.5 hrs
Desirable experience
Experience of working in a primary care environment
Experience of working as an HCA or receptionist
Knowledge of computers
Application Process
If you have any questions regarding the post, please contact Dr Harding at [email protected] or 01747 840226.
Please apply with a CV and covering letter to the surgery.
Please do not apply via NHS Jobs. We will not be conversing with recruitment agencies regarding this post.
CLOSING DATE 28th FEBRUARY 2023
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Unmasked is a local project that began in the dark days of March 2020 when a new disease called COVID-19 literally stopped the world
Unmasked is a series of portraits by local photographer Andy Scaysbrook which reveal and celebrate the stories and faces on Dorset’s Covid-19 front line. Working with journalist Emma Pittard and graphic designer John Nesbitt, Andy shines a light on many of the men and women behind the masks. Emma says: ‘We clapped for them every Thursday but didn’t see their faces. At work, their identities were hidden behind masks and gowns and gloves.’
Three previous Unmasked exhibitions won critical acclaim in local and national press, and this fourth show coincides with the launch of a fundraising book which collects a permanent record of what were extraordinary times. Profits go to Dorset NHS charities. In addition, the book is being held by The British Library to support its NHS Voices of Covid-19 archive, part of the NHS 70th Birthday celebrations.
The project was achieved by Andy and Emma during the lockdowns, while respecting all social-distancing guidelines and without travelling too far from their homes. It grew quickly – from Andy photographing friends who are key workers to being featured in The Times and The Sunday Times. It was soon necessary to bring in John to prepare the body of work for exhibitions.
Their first Unmasked show appeared on the walls of Dorset County Hospital (DCH) in November 2020, with the help of Suzy Rushbrook, Arts in Hospital Manager at DCH, who then organised displays at Durlston Castle in Swanage and the Lighthouse in Poole. Suzy said: ‘Art has an enormous impact on health and wellbeing and this is something people are becoming increasingly aware of, making collaborative projects like this invaluable.’
The project has proved to be an exercise in wellbeing and a morale booster for staff working all over the Dorset health sector; showing them they are truly appreciated, their stories are being told and we are listening.
Milton Abbey School seeks to appoint a well-qualified, experienced, and enthusiastic technician who will take a lead role in technical support for the Science, DT and Hospitality departments. The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent communication skills, a keen desire to learn and can use their own initiative and common sense. As part of a small, independent school set in magnificent Dorset countryside, you will be fully supported by your Heads of Departments will full training given where necessary. You will contribute to the pupils’ learning by managing the preparation, setting up, clearing away and storage of materials and apparatus for practical work for years 9-13. The successful candidate will: • A minimum of 4 GCSEs at grade C or above (or equivalent) to include a subject relevant to the requirements of the post, together with practical experience in an appropriate work area. • Demonstrate an awareness of standard procedures e.g. making up standard chemical solutions. • Demonstrate a working knowledge of Health and Safety regulations in the classroom. • Have excellent planning and organisational skills with a flexible approach to the management of work. • Ability to work well in busy environments with students. • Excellent communication skills both written and oral and ability to communicate effectively with staff and students. • Be confident in the use of technology for educational delivery and be competent in undertaking the IT-related tasks. Further details may be obtained from our website or from HR on 01258 882182 or email [email protected]. Applications must be submitted on the school’s application form.
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 31st January 2023.
Milton Abbey School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The appointment will be the subject of an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service. Additionally, please be aware that Milton Abbey School will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. To avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination a person who will not on the appointment panel will conduct the search and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.
Please note that our school is a no smoking site. www.miltonabbey.co.uk Registered Charity No 306318
Take a look at the life of Dorset farrier Sam Wilkes and you will believe horseshoes really are lucky. Tracie Beardsley reports
With his mobile forge, Sam travels to his clients; horses – from Shires to Shetlands – and occasionally sheep, donkeys, goats and alpacas too! All images: Courtenay Hitchcock
I think I’m in Shillingstone, just outside Blandford, but either the satnav’s misled me or I’m at an American ranch. No matter – always a sucker for cowboy films, arriving at what could be the set of a Western has me swaggering like John Wayne. There are ranch-style corrals with sandy floors and wooden railings. A beautiful stallion is whinnying in the distance. Up on the ‘mountainous’ hillsides (from where my imaginary Magnificent Seven would gallop) are smart log cabins and Pioneers luxury wooden lodges. Even these glamping rentals have names that nod to the wild west – names like Goldpanners, Ranchers and Trappers.
‘My first client was just two years old and had awful feet. She’s now eight and competing. It’s so satisfying watching a young horse grow and know you’ve helped it.’
It might be freezing outside, but in a cosy barn are sheepskin rugs to keep your knees warm, along with pommel saddles and cowboy hats – and brilliant black and white photographs of rodeo riders on the walls. Even on a dark and dismal winter’s day, this setting is special. No wonder Dorset farrier Sam Wilkes describes it as his ‘dream place’. Sam, 27, and his wife Yasmin moved to aptly-named ‘Loose Reins’ in 2020. ‘We were looking for land for our ten horses. Coincidentally, I used to bring my sister riding here a long time ago. After seeing it was up for sale, we just knew we had to go for it. We’d wanted to build something just like this and here it was, ready for us to move in.’ Sam runs his farriers business, Purbeck Forge Ltd, while Yasmin, a successful equestrian dressage competitor, uses the former Western-style riding school to teach dressage. Post-COVID, they’re also busy building glamping opportunities – the idyllic lodges are let for most of the year now.
Sam Wilkes
And if that’s not a big enough workload, they’ve chickens, dogs, sheep, goats and 13.5 acres to tend, plus the joys of an 18-month old daughter (who already has two Shetland ponies). Multi-tasking is the answer and Sam’s adept at simultaneously walking the dogs and the Shetlands and pushing Millie in her pram! Look back at Sam’s childhood and working with horses seems inevitable. His mum ran a riding school in Studland and as a youngster, Sam was hooked on horses. ‘I’d watch the farriers and was fascinated,’ he says. At the age of 18, Sam was studying horse anatomy, blacksmithing and farrier skills at Moreton Morrell College in Warwickshire. ‘The two disciplines are very different,’ explains Sam. ‘Blacksmiths specialise in metalwork. Farriers specialise in horses, making horseshoes and shoeing horses. A farrier can be a blacksmith but a blacksmith can’t be a farrier.’ Sam was apprenticed to a Winchester farrier, returning to college every six months for his exams. Five years later, he achieved his DipWCF (Diploma of Worshipful Company of Farriers) and became a registered farrier. Now, with his mobile forge, Sam travels to shoe horses – from Shires to Shetlands –and occasionally trims the feet of sheep, donkeys, goats and alpacas too.
Sam studied horse anatomy, blacksmithing and farrier skills before securing a five year apprenticeship, achieving his diploma of the Worshipful Company of Farriers (DipWCF).
He says: ‘The animals are more relaxed if you can shoe them in their own environment.’ The equipment is high tech but the farrier’s skill has changed little since Roman times. ‘I still use nails mainly but you can glue the shoes on in certain cases. I will use factory-made horseshoes but still make some of my own.’
Sam will use factory-made shoes but also still makes some of his own
A boot rack and a stunning garden bench, both made out of spare horseshoes, show Sam’s creative flair. ‘As an apprentice, I used to make horseshoe ornaments and sell them for a bit of money.’ Sam works four days a week as a farrier – it was seven before he bought Loose Reins. ‘I’m looking to the long game, so I want to pace myself. It’s a very physical job and horses are powerful. I’ve had some scrapes but no serious injuries. Most farriers end up with bad backs because of the bending over. ‘This is more than a job, it’s a passion. My first client was just two years old and had awful feet. She’s now eight and competing. It’s so satisfying watching a young horse grow and know you’ve helped it. ‘Eventually I’d like to work abroad for a farrier charity such as The Flying Anvil. They send farriers to countries such as Ethiopia and India to share horse welfare skills and knowledge.’ It looks like Sam’s lucky horseshoe charm will spread further than Shillingstone.
The farrier’s skill has changed little since Roman times
During the past 15 years, Kirill Karabits has built a reputation for exciting and adventurous programmes for the BSO. Fanny Charles reports
Pic: Corin Messer Photography
Tel: 07803 933014
The Ukrainian-born conductor Kirill Karabits will end his tenure as chief conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) in summer 2024, after a remarkable 15-year partnership. But the relationship, which has been so successful, will continue, with Karabits becoming the BSO’s Conductor Laureate and artistic director of the Voices from the East programme. Karabits is the BSO’s second longest-serving chief conductor after its founder, Sir Dan Godfrey. His partnership with the orchestra has seen a wide growth in its repertoire, with cycles of Beethoven, Brahms and Prokofiev, UK premières of works from CPE Bach to contemporary music from Azerbaijan, and music from eastern Europe and Ukraine through the Voices from the East programme. Under Karabits’ adventurous leadership, the orchestra has commissioned music from composers including Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, Anna KorSun and Mark-Anthony Turnage.
Beyond the expected The Voices from the East series of music from the Ukraine and beyond has come to define Karabits’ recent years with the BSO. Through performances – and recordings for the Chandos label – the orchestra’s audiences have been introduced to music from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and the Ukraine, by composers including Kara Karayev, Boris Lyatoshynsky, Chary Nurymov and Avet Terterian. Last year, The Times suggested that, thanks to the series, “music lovers in Dorset may now be the most knowledgeable in the western world about the symphonic pieces of eastern Europe and central Asia.” This spring, the orchestra will record the music of Ukraine-born Fyodor Akimenko for Chandos. Karabits’ other BSO recordings include releases on Decca, Onyx and Naxos, ranging from a complete Prokofiev symphonic cycle to concerto recordings with James Ehnes and Nicola Benedetti, and premiere recordings of Ivan Karabits, Valentin Silvestrov and Rodion Shchedrin. He says: ‘I have never forgotten my first encounter with the BSO. I immediately felt this was a very special group of musicians, and, artistically, we have continued to grow together over the last 15 years. It feels like a home from home — and never more so than during these last few years, where this community has been of great support. The warmth, friendship and open-minded approach here is very special.’ Dougie Scarfe, the BSO’s chief executive, describes Karabits not only as an outstanding conductor but also as ‘a musical detective unlike any other. His creative influence has defined the modern BSO – his understanding not just of the music, but of that magical relationship between music, musicians and audience.”
The BSO moves to Yeovil The news follows hard on the heels of an announcement that the BSO will have a new Somerset residency at Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre, when the theatre reopens at the end of 2024, after a £29m transformation, to become a flagship cultural venue for the South West. Local audiences will have access to more symphonic performances by the BSO as resident orchestra, with its international conductors and soloists, alongside family-friendly BSO On Your Doorstep concerts, workshops and events. Octagon theatre manager, Adam Burgan said: “I am absolutely delighted that we can announce this partnership with the amazing Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. As one of the UK’s best loved orchestras it will be fantastic when they make the Octagon Theatre their new home in Somerset.” Meanwhile the BSO’s relationship with Artsreach, Dorset’s rural touring charity, continues this year with BSO On Your Doorstep concerts at Marnhull village hall on Sunday 12th February at 3pm. The programme will be a Spring Serenade by a flute, harp and cello trio, with music from Bach to Joni Mitchell, plus works by Elgar, Ibert, Schubert and Bizet.
Blandford farmer George Hosford abandons the stats and checks his crystal ball to see if his profit calculations will be accurate this year
Flowery strip in a field of spring barley, hopefully it will be a source of beetle and aphid munchers.
Below left is a screenshot from a clever app which helps us to analyse the outcome of various tramline trials we carried out on the 2022 crops. The yellow/green pattern represents the yield map generated by the combine while harvesting – green is better yield than yellow, with orange and red being progressively worse than yellow. The app – called Climate Fieldview Cab – is from Bayer, one of the big agrichem companies. Love them or hate them, they have the resources to develop clever stuff like this; it’s not always just more chemicals.
The app allows you to select any area of the field you like, or individual passes of the combine, and then tells you the area and yield on that part of the field. So where we have applied a treatment to a particular part of a field – alternate tramlines in this case – we can then measure the effect of the treatment on yield. The blue pins represent where the tramlines are; I simply walked across the field and added each one in the right place. This helps you to choose the right passes to include in the analysis, and to ignore the ones which run across two treatments.
In this field we were testing a product which is supposed to reduce the amount of nitrogen lost to the atmosphere by converting nitrogen oxide into plant feed. You can see we found no significant difference in yield between tramline treatments. Elsewhere on the farm we wanted to test our nitrogen fertiliser policy on wheat, so we chose a single tramline in each of four different fields and applied an extra 40kg of nitrogen, then measured the difference using the app. We found that the extra 40kg produced extra yield between five and eight per cent. If you haven’t already dozed off, you may now be asking “so what, it all depends on the value of grain and the cost of the fertiliser” and you would be quite right. It also depends on when you sell the grain and when you buy the fertiliser, and whether you have to borrow the money to do so … A fair bit of number crunching and crystal ball gazing then needs to happen in order to decide the right approach for next season. We have already committed to buy next year’s fertiliser, at eye-watering prices. To leave it longer would have been reckless as we might not have been able to secure supply at all. But we are now very dependent on the grain price holding up to make the figures work and for crop growing to remain profitable. The trouble is that over the last six weeks the price of wheat has fallen £50 per ton. That’s making a huge difference to predicted margins, and right now we are not looking so clever (the same as very many other farmers). Anyway, we have the fertiliser in stock and we don’t have to use it all if calculations suggest it won’t pay. We could hold some over for the following year. In any case, we have already had to pay for it a year before we will see any return from selling the grain it generates.
Welcome to the roulette wheel of farming. The old joke goes “How do you make a million from farming? Start with two million.” In some sectors, like pigs, poultry and horticulture, that is absolutely the case right now, with energy costs, labour shortage and the intransigence of retailers leading to producers saying “stuff this for a lark, I am not risking another production cycle when the prospects guarantee huge losses”. They aren’t placing orders for new egg-laying chicks, productive sows are being slaughtered and not replaced, and the horticulture and protected (under glass) sector is reducing output after two years of 30 per cent of unharvested crops, due to lack of labour. The fear is that these producers won’t come back, making the UK ever more dependent on imported food, the opposite of what every food shopper says they want. The picture on the left illustrates part of the problem. Why does anyone need to import near-identical overseas products when we produce them here?
Unfriendly destination? Our production costs are higher even than Europe because of tighter welfare and other regulations and we are now having to pay more for labour thanks to having become an unfriendly destination to foreign workers. So can anyone explain why we need to import Dutch, German or Danish pork loins? They are all the same price on the shelf. There only seems to be one likely outcome – answers on a postcard please.
And then there are sheep The above picture shows why we still keep a few sheep. In farming terms they are unproductive, they can denude a landscape with their persistent nibbling, they attract every ailment you can imagine, they get hopelessly stuck on their backs in hot weather, they get stuck in brambles in any weather. Their wool, once the mainstay of our nation’s productive output, and despite its undeniable magical properties, is now a valueless annoyance, and their meat … well, if you can find any among the bones and fat then you are cleverer than I. However, they do make excellent pets. You can leave them outdoors all year round, they can survive on very little food and don’t drink much water, and you can turn up in the field with a group of tiny schoolchildren and the sheep will gallop towards you in search of titbits. Once the toast has been distributed most of the sheep wander off, but the best ones remain to entertain the children in the gentlest fashion. The children are mostly fearless, and the sheep reward their bravery with great patience.
The BV first featured Barry Cuff’s collection in The Gardener with 10,000 postcards in April 2022. In the first of a new series, the local postcard collector – and The BV’s allotment columnist – shares a selection of images from his archive. This month Barry has picked the French photography and publishing firm Levy & Sons LL.
Wimborne High streetPortland Harbour
French company Levy and Sons first produced postcards for the Paris Exhibition of 1900, and by 1901 they were selling postcard views of Paris, Boulogne and other French channel ports. In 1904 the company sent photographers to England, where they photographed views of the South Coast and London. In Dorset they covered Swanage, Corfe Castle, Wareham, Wimborne, Weymouth and Portland. All the cards were numbered, and the postcards were ready for sale in 1905.
