It’s a perfect half hour’s listening this week – we start with TV presenter Alice Plunkett answering the Random 19 questions. Then, in a podcast exclusive, Jenny has interviewed Sherborne’s Mike Burks on his Dorset Island Discs choices. Lastly Tracie met up with the two ‘retired’ craftesmen who have established an entirely new career:
Answering this month’s random 19 questions is North Dorset resident Alice Plunkett, one of the leading horseracing presenters for ITV. A former eventer and National Hunt jockey herself, Alice has also been the Radio 5 Live equestrian correspondent and has hosted equestrian events for Eurosport, Sky Sports and Horse and Country. Alice is married to top eventer William Fox-Pitt, and they have four children.
It’s 35 years since Mike and Louise Burks opened Sherborne’s Castle Gardens – now their Christmas displays are a staple of the region’s festive calendar. Jenny Devitt spoke to Mike to find out about his choices as December’s castaway on Dorset Island Discs
In a tiny village in Dorset, talented 84-year-old Peter Thomas and 70-year-old Trevor Ball are keeping the old man well and truly out – both are supposedly retired and now work happily every day on their “addiction’’, woodturning and stick dressing. Although they never intended to set up a business, both men now have a hugely satisfying and successful second career.
Westminster policy has a habit of ignoring the less populated rural areas of the country, says MP Simon Hoare, and it’s time to discuss Levelling Up in the south.
Yeovil Rembrance Sunday at the Yeovil War Memorial.Pictures by Len Copland
The Sherborne Classic & Supercars show team have presented cheques to a total value of £60,000 to 13 local charities (the total profits from the show held at Sherborne Castle this summer). The main beneficiary of the 2022 show was Children’s Hospice SouthWest. Other beneficiaries were Yeovil Opportunity Group, Freewheelers, PromiseWorks, Sherborne Area Youth & Community Centre, The Children’s Air Ambulance, Family Counselling Trust, Somerset & Wessex Eating Disorders Association, The Balsam Centre, Water Survival Box, The Rendevouz Sherborne, Somerset Sight and Sherborne Good Neighbours. Organisers extend their thanks to all the volunteers, sponsors and visitors. Next year’s Classic & Supercar show will be on Sunday 16th July 2023.
Now in its third year, entries for the Sherborne Business Awards closed in mid-November and they are now with the judges. Entries and nominations for the first year of the Shaftesbury Business Awards closed in late November. Sherborne saw an increase on the record number of entries in 2021, while Shaftesbury was 20 per cent higher than the expected number for its first year. Both sets of awards break the mould when it comes to awards events. Up until recently business awards have always covered large areas and focused on promoting large businesses rather than the smaller traders. Said Nigel Reeve of the organisers, MW Events, ‘Local businesses and SMEs drive the economy in this country.’ he says ‘Large or small, they are the backbone of the UK economy. The idea of a series of hyper-local business awards first evolved during the first lockdown, when it was clear that small local businesses were really suffering. ‘The first Sherborne awards were one of the test areas and our idea of simple grassroots awards just seemed to take off. It’s important to us that they are always free and simple to enter, with categories reflecting the range of local businesses in the specific area. The Shaftesbury awards are the eleventh of this type of awards to be launched by Nigel, all of them in Dorset. ‘Our funding is purely from the sale of category sponsorship. We have had over seventy local businesses supporting and sponsoring categories across all the awards to date. Without them this would not have been possible.’
The Sherborne awards ceremony is at lunchtime on Thursday, 12th January at the Oborne Grange Hotel, Oborne and the Shaftesbury awards ceremony is at lunchtime on Thursday, 26th January 2023 at the Grosvenor Arms Hotel in Shaftesbury.
There’s no hiding from the times, says Dorset Chamber CEO Ian Girling, but keep moving forwards. Working together everyone can be stronger
fed up with the constant depressing news coming from the media. Yes, we know it’s a very challenging time; a cost of living crisis, soaring domestic and business energy costs, huge inflationary pressures and spiralling interest rates. This is on top of the current recruitment crisis and the long-term challenges that have been thrown at businesses by Brexit, COVID and now, the terrible events in Ukraine. These are all very serious issues and it’s easy to feel despondent if you watch the news.
Stubborn resilience We recently held a business exhibition with over 200 business people attending and it struck me how resilient businesses are. So many of the people I spoke to shared their concerns regarding the doom and gloom but were also very clear we need to get on with things and maintain a positive, can-do approach. Business has to continue and to look to the future. We must keep business going. Ultimately the event was alive with energy and optimism and I came away inspired.
Keep looking forward Of course, there’s no hiding form the fact that it is a challenging climate, that should not be overlooked. But there are practical steps that businesses can take. Cashflow needs to be carefully managed – but we must keep cash circulating around the economy and I would encourage all business to treat their suppliers fairly in this respect. Obviously all businesses need to look at efficiencies and see where savings can be made. Unprofitable areas of activity within businesses should be identified and corrected. However it is important to keep looking forward. Businesses should maintain a focus on their marketing and future plans. I’d strongly suggest all businesses look at their digital platforms such as websites and social media channels to ensure any and all opportunities are being maximised. Businesses also need to look after their staff in this challenging climate to ensure core capability and skills remain in the business. And I’d urge businesses to work together and support each other. This is vital, and a core offering of Chambers of Commerce. We will get through this.
And lastly… It’s hard to believe Christmas is upon us already. I’d like to wish you and your loved ones a happy Christmas and peaceful and successful New Year.
Berwick St John Country Fayre has raised the largest amount of money in its 30 year history. The organisers announced the total raised and presented the funds at a special presentation event which took place at the packed-out Berwick St John Village Hall on Sunday, November 20th. They revealed that a total of £63,117.18 had been raised for the Salisbury District Hospital Stars Appeal. The two-day event, which took place in September featured rural crafts, tractors, full size and miniature steam engines, classic cars, horses, the famous beer and tea tents, along with many other attractions and was attended by tens of thousands. Berwick St John Country Fayre co-chair Richard Pocock says: ‘Words can’t describe the feeling of what has been achieved. It is mind blowing.’ Guest speakers at the presentation event included 12-year-old Florence Burgess, who was treated at Salisbury Hospital after being diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia. She shared how the Stars Appeal made a difference to both her and her family during her long stays in hospital. Dr Ridley, a paediatric consultant who works on the Children’s Ward at Salisbury District Hospital and is a Stars Appeal ambassador said: ‘Every day, I see how the work of the Stars Appeal makes a huge difference to our patients, their families and staff.’ The Stars Appeal funds a range of projects at the Hospital including additional equipment such as state-of-the-art monitors, hospital chaplaincy, free Wi-Fi, accommodation for parents of babies and children, entertainment and companionship for older people, and support for the hospital’s hard-working staff. Show Secretary Louise Hall says: ‘Berwick Fayre is unique in many ways, not least the incredible people who make it happen. I cant thank everyone enough. This marvellous announcement is a result of everyone’s tremendous efforts, dedication and commitment.’
The Berwick St John Country Fayre has been running every other year since 1992, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for a wide variety of charities over the years, before committing long term support to the Stars Appeal in 2012. The next Country Fayre will next take place in September 2024.
Efforts to help more young people with disabilities or special educational needs to find work in Dorset have taken a major step forward with the launch of a dedicated one-year programme. Dorset Careers Hub has launched the Removing Barriers initiative to raise the number of locally-based employers who are confident about taking on and supporting young people aged 16 to 19 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The Hub, jointly funded by Dorset LEP and Careers and Enterprise Company CEC, has appointed Andrew Holland of consultancy sendme2work.com as project manager. Andrew says: “We want to change mindsets and encourage more employers to come forward and recruit and champion disabled talent. We will be running a series of events to reach out to employers and will provide training, mentoring and coaching. Employers should know there are grants available to help when you take on and retain people with disabilities and special education needs. Chelsey, an apprentice in business administration spoke of how the opportunity to start a supported internship two years ago had changed her life. ‘It really helped me with my confidence,’ she said. ‘Everyone at SAMEE made me feel really safe and secure. My manager always gave me extra time which meant that I wasn’t rushed, and they always made sure that the workplace was quiet and calm around me which made me feel really relaxed. ‘Everything they did for me meant I could concentrate on doing my best work, and I was really excited when they offered me my first paid job as their official Business Administration Apprentice.’
Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has issued its latest insights on the current labour market and employment situation in Dorset.
The report, which analyses detailed national and local data from July to September as well as an overall view of 2022 thus far, looks closely at the latest economic and labour market developments. Unsurprisingly, financial volatility, rising prices and mortgage rates and a decline in real terms earnings all feature. A continuous decline can be seen in labour demand across Dorset, coming after almost two years of unprecedented growth. Overall, vacancies across the county for the first three quarters (circa 79,500) was a third higher than the same period last year – and nearly double the figure from 2020. The report also captures: Homeworking – the number of work from home vacancies increased exponentially over the past two years in Dorset, but markedly slowed down in the last quarter. Employment – employment in the county fell, but remains comparable to the national rate. There was a significant drop in the proportion of economically inactive people who want a job but a big increase in those who are not seeking work Top employers – the NHS remains by far the largest employer in Dorset, followed by BCP and Dorset Councils alongside key finance and tourism private sector businesses. Who’s hiring – over the first nine months of 2022, vacancy growth continued across most sectors of the economy in Dorset. The largest was recorded in ‘accommodation and food service’, which more than doubled. There were almost 15,000 vacancies in ‘human health and social work’. Occupation trends – the high-skilled labour market continues to be strong, with the scale of professional job vacancies now reaching pre-pandemic levels. Top jobs – carers and office assistants overtook nurses and software developers as the jobs most required in Dorset. Other roles such as customer service, chefs, cleaners and kitchen staff continued to be in demand. Skills – the most frequently requested soft skills in advertised job descriptions were communication, customer service, management, sales, detail orientation and marketing. Salaries – advertised vacancies appear to suggest that wages are not markedly increasing Demographics – approximately 19 per cent of hospitality businesses said the proportion of over-50s in their organisations had increased in the past year
Vinita Nawathe, Executive Director of Dorset LEP said: “The results are set against the volatile political and economic backdrop of the last quarter. The impact of rising prices has largely eroded any increases in wages which is also reflected locally. ‘The fact that UK hospitality businesses are increasingly turning to older workers to plug staffing shortages is interesting, reflecting shifting demographics. The continued demand for people to fill care roles is only expected to increase as the county’s ageing population increases and shortages continue.”
The full report is available to read/ download on the Dorset LEP website
Don’t fret. Local flower farmer Charlotte Tombs has the answer to what you’re all asking – what CAN you buy for the gardener in your life?
t’s that time of year and I thought perhaps some of my personal favourites might be useful to know this month. I’m often asked what my favourite or most-used garden tool is – hands down with no hesitation or second thought required it’s my Hori Hori knife!
The perfect tool A Hori Hori knife is a Japanese digging, weeding, bulb-planting all round brilliant hand tool. I love mine and I often give one as a present. I bought mine from Niwaki, a company near Shaftesbury – do check their opening hours. They offer a great online ordering service.
The golden spade My other favourite tool is my golden spade. This was actually a Valentine’s present from my husband (he knows me well). It’s small and incredibly lightweight and it makes digging tasks an absolute pleasure. Again this is available from Niwaki (image above) and in checking the link I have just noticed they now have a shovel and a square spade too. They’ve just been added to my own Christmas list!
Snips you can see Garden snips are next on my list. Burgon and Ball sell a FloraBrite range which have fluorescent coloured handles – really not a thing of beauty but when you put them down you can find them! WHY do they usually make them with green handles? That’s just camouflage!
Dungarees Next on my list are my Carhartt bib overalls, or dungarees as us Brits call them. These are a game changer because they keep the small of your back warm (apologies, I’m in danger of sounding like my grandmother) plus they have loads of pockets so you get to do that great pat-yourself-down pocket dance!
Extras A good penknife is another essential – Opinel is my favourite. You can also get the blade or handle engraved so it becomes a lovely personal gift. Garden twine is another must-have, no one ever has too much! Nutscene is where to go for that – they have some lovely sets which make another great gift.
Don’t deny yourself this year – our seasonal treats often come with a whole host of health benefits, says nutritional therapist Karen Geary
It’s the time of year for some food indulgence. I’m all about people having a healthy relationship with food, even sweet foods in moderation from time to time – and celebrating with loved ones is the perfect occasion. Forget your self-imposed rules; nothing should be off the table unless someone has a serious underlying condition.
Unsung heroes Herbs and spices are one of the most underrated food groups; they are the unsung heroes in the nutrition world, jam-packed with high amounts of antioxidants per gram of weight and are often anti-microbial in nature. Before modern science was introduced, herbs and spices were used frequently for medicinal purposes. Here is the lowdown on my favourite spices frequently used at this time of year:
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Ginger contains more than 400 natural compounds; one of the critical ones is something called gingerol. When people ask me for my favourite superfood, ginger is always near the top of the list (after liver, since you ask), and I could probably write a whole feature just on ginger’s benefits. It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family and is closely related to turmeric, cardamom and galangal. With my clients, I use it primarily for digestive issues, including nausea, regular bowel movements, bloating and gas. It’s also a key component of many natural arthritis supplements due to its anti-inflammatory benefits. I encourage clients to use it liberally in cooking for all-round immune support. Ginger tea is a perfect drink if you plan to over-indulge this month or you have a seasonal gastric upset. Handily, ginger is used liberally in desserts this time of year. As well as my recipe opposite, there is a recipe for ginger switchel on my website, a delicious alcohol-free drink.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) One of cinnamon’s key compounds is cinnamaldehyde, known for its medicinal properties. I use cinnamon daily; a teaspoon on my Greek yogurt or in my stewed, sugar-free apple, not only because I like the taste of it but for its blood sugar balancing properties. There have been studies on diabetes patients showing a reduction in blood glucose between ten and 19 per cent – powerful stuff. And cinnamon is easily found at this time of year, as it is hugely popular at in festive baking.
Saffron This is a very expensive spice, but you only need a very small amount. It is packed full of antioxidants. Two compounds I would pick out are safranal and kaempferol, both backed up by research showing promise for anxiety and depression. While I use the stamens for cooking, saffron can be bought in supplement form.
Star Anise Studies on star anise are limited but it has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. One compound, shikimic acid, is having a moment for potential pharmacological use due to its anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
Cloves My mum used to give me cloves to chew on when I had toothache as a kid! The compound eugenol is a natural anesthetic as well as being antiseptic.
Nutmeg Though poorly researched, mostly in animal studies, nutmeg is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. Studies in mice indicate that it may enhance sex drive and performance, but sadly I didn’t find any studies on humans to support it!
Gingerbread Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
NB This is double the quantity than in my e-book, because we couldn’t stop eating the first batch!
½ cup maple syrup
3 tbs molasses (high in iron!)
1 cup of almond or peanut butter (about one small 170g jar)
2 cups of oats
2/3 cup pumpkin seeds
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
One egg (if not catering for vegans).
Method
Oven on at 165º and line a small baking pan. I used a 20cm square pan.
Mix the nut butter and maple syrup together (plus the egg if using) until thoroughly combined.
Add the rest of the ingredients, stir to mix and ensure everything is well combined. It should be quite stiff.
Pour into the prepared pan and then use wet fingers to smooth it down with your hands.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.
Let it cool for 20 minutes and then chill in the fridge until completely cold (another hour). If you are tempted to cut it before, it just breaks up, so wait!
Cut into squares or bars. Technically this makes 16, but it’s up to you how big you want them…
Merry Christmas and thank you so much for your support this year. Please enjoy my recipe and if you like it, download my free e-book on my website. It contains 25 festive treats that are simple, all vegan and almost all gluten free.
