The BV was delighted by an invitation from Sixpenny Handley First School to come and share in their Jubilee picnic in the school grounds.
The playground was beautifully decorated with handmade bunting and artwork depicting Her Majesty the Queen, all created by the children. Tables and chairs were ready for a feast, and parents were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the children. At last, the children made their made their red-white-and-blue-dressed entrance, and after a short welcome and thank you speech by headteacher Mrs Musselwhite the children entertained everyone with a Jubilee song.
Children and parents then gathered around the tables to enjoy a community picnic.Sixpenny Handley First School is a thriving Victorian village school well attended by 107 children from the local community. Mrs Musselwhite proudly told me that this event was the jewel in the crown of their week’s activities: “After the last couple of years, it was so lovely to get everyone together and do something for the community that has supported us through so much.” She was also keen to point out that the day was a team effort by the whole staff, who had contributed or made everything that was on offer. After the picnic, the celebrations continued for the children, with a brilliantly entertaining storytime on the field, with local author Chris Connaughton.
The team at MGAR share the story of Herman, just one of the senior pets they rescue and rehome every year. Do you have room for a senior pet?
Herman is a sweet boy who has suffered far more than any dog should. He is an 11 year old Lurcher and he came into our Lincoln Farm Centre this year as an unclaimed stray. The staff could see that he has had a hard life. He was emaciated when he arrived, and struggled to walk as he was so drained of energy. Herman was in desperate need of some love and care. Even though he was in such a poor state, he would always stagger to his feet to greet the staff with a very waggy tail – the team felt he knew he was finally safe. The vet suspected that two of his legs were previously broken and had just been left to heal, which meant that they have not healed correctly and he is a little wobbly when he walks.
Every penny counts Along with his starved body, Herman also had overgrown nails, rotten teeth and pressure sores all over. He was taken for emergency dental treatment where he had 18 teeth removed, as he had track lines on his gums indicating an infection. He also required a second operation for another six teeth to be taken out, as it was too dangerous for him to be under general anaesthetic any longer due to his age. The cost of Herman’s operations and treatment has already cost over £1,400, with the possibility of this increasing with further procedures. Despite his trials and ailments, Herman is the most wonderful, adoring and cheeky old gent who has stolen the hearts of everyone that has met him.
Your support could help The cost of providing care is the sanctuary’s largest expense – but we firmly believe it’s necessary. Animals should be able to live a happy and pain free life. We spend a staggering £2,500 per week on veterinary fees, and for older animals at our centres like Herman, these are usually age-related medical issues.
A quiet old age We all understand how important it is to have some peace and quiet and a safe place to rest, which is what we aim to provide for all pets who find themselves in our care. It is unsettling for any pet to have their world turned upside down. But in their golden years it can be devastating. We rescue thousands of senior animals and sadly they are often overlooked, which means they spend longer at our rescue centres. Today, we ask you to not look the other way and help with the ever-increasing costs of caring for them. A donation today will truly help, and 100 per cent of every donation goes towards the care and welfare of the animals at our rescue centres.
SEE HOW A BRUSH IS MADE AND DONATE TO CHARITY AT HILLBRUSH
To celebrate 100 years in business, Hillbrush is hosting a charity day on Wednesday 6th July for the public to see behind the scenes of its working brush manufacturing factory at Mere in Wiltshire.
Hillbrush staff will provide insight into the history of the business, machinery and brush making while visitors will get a chance to see and follow the production of the company’s brushes, many of which are used in the Royal households, from start to finish.
All proceeds from the day will be donated to The Royal Warrant Holders Charity Fund (RWHCF). The RWHCF was established in 1902 to support the charitable activities of Royal Warrant Holders. Hillbrush has been a Royal Warrant Holder, supplying brushes to the Royal Households since 1981. The Fund donates to small local charities in which Warrant-holding companies or their employees are actively involved.
Tours will take place every hour from 12noon with the last tour at 6pm and ending at the company’s Visitor Centre, Visit Hillbrush. Hillbrush guarantees that visitors will never look at a brush the same way again!
The tour will include:
⊛ injection moulding department ⊛ fibre dressing ⊛ brush making ⊛ warehouse and centenary building ⊛ packing and despatch
(Maternity Cover initially 14 months with the possibility of further opportunities)
£22,000 – £25,000 (dependant on experience)
Oxly Sportes Centre is Sherbprne’s premier facility for swimming, gym, exercise classes and climbing.
Join our team and play a part in building and inspiring a fitter, healthier community.
This role is responsible for the experience a customer has when visiting the centre promoting first class customer service and a wholly enjoyable and friendly welsome. Ensuring a safe, efficient, economic and customer orientated service is always provided for members and visitors. With specifuc responsibilities as designated by the Centre Manager, front of house, the Coffee Pod, Swim school. and the promotion of the company.
Responsibilities include:
Management of the Front-of-House team and theservices they provide.
All forms of facility and brand promotion be that digital of via traditional means
Optimising income generating opportunities across the business and ensuring income targets are achieved
Creating a cohesive, efficient and operationally dynamic team that are values and appreciated by customers and team members alike
Creating the best customer experience for all facility users for the duration of their visit ensuring the highest possible standard is achieved
Ensuring facilities are clean, safe, presentable. and welcoming at all times
Responsible for the facility on a daily basis.
To receive furher details please register your interest by contacting Samantha Welch on 01935 818378 or emailing [email protected] To apply, doenload the application form from www.oxleysc.com/careers and return to Samantha Welch on [email protected]
Harvington Properties Ltd are looking for the following personnel:
Forklift driver
Brickie labourer
Bricklayers
Stonemasons
Paying excellent wages on a site in Stalbridge with views over the countryside. Friendly work atmosphere. No timewasters need apply. Work available throughout the Summer and into Autumn.
Brickie Labourer : £130-150 per day + extra for Forklift ticket
Brickie : £180-£220 per day based on experience
Stonemason : £200-£240 per day based on experience
Growing from seed always has an element of risk – Barry Cuff shares his challenges this month, along with the wide variety of veg he’s bringing on, and his weevil battle
May is always a busy month on the plot and one of the main sowing times. We always like the challenge of raising our vegetables from seed rather than buying plants from a garden centre. Raising from seed can be a challenge – but it is so much cheaper. Most seed packets contain enough seed for at least two years, and if stored correctly they do retain their viability. Our allotment association is a member of the South West Counties Allotment Association which enables us to buy flower and vegetable seed at a fifty per cent discount, with a choice of seeds from Suttons and Kings Seeds. We always sow more than we need to cover losses on the plot, and any surplus young plants are given to neighbouring plot holders. This is what allotmenteering is all about – sharing and swapping with friends. Vegetables raised in modules during the month include cauliflowers, broccoli, romanesco, courgettes, cucumbers, squash, gherkins, sweetcorn, French beans and runner beans. For the first time we only managed to raise 25 Swift sweetcorn plants from a packet of about 50 seeds. A second packet of the same variety was bought from a garden shop, and these were more successful; enough to complete a block of about 50 plants. During the month we planted out the first sown sweetcorn, Brussels sprouts, runner beans, French beans, gherkins and courgettes. Sowings were made of carrots, Beetroot, peas, mangetout and snap peas. We look forward to digging our first new potatoes early in June.
Weeds and pigeons Weevil has again been a problem with our peas, taking out many seedlings before emergence, but we have replacement seedlings to fill the gaps. Pigeons are becoming a major problem on the site, with all plot-holders having to erect nets over their young brassica plants. The council does not allow shooting on their land so it has to be netting or some type of silent scarer. With rain falling on about 12 days this month, plants, seedlings and weeds have made good growth. Weeding can be a back-breaking job, especially among young seedlings where the hoe will not go! In the small area for flowers both Californian poppy and bastard balm have kept the bees happy.
The glasshouses and polytunnels at Thorngrove are bursting with colour now, and Kelsi-Dean Buck is celebrating the start of rose season
Roses are one of the oldest flowers – archaeologists have discovered rose fossils that date back 35 million years. The oldest living rose is 1,000 years old, and grows on a wall on the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany.
Isn’t it April that’s supposed to be full of showers? May was flip-flopping on us here in Gillingham with scorching sun one day, and torrential rain the next. The fun never stops when it comes to the weather in England. At least we have weather though, right? I’m not sure having the same climate all year round sounds all that interesting to be honest, and as far as our gardens are concerned, too many dry days and we’re out there doing a rain dance anyway! We’re welcoming June and the approaching summer, and it’s now the time of year when you should be thinking about increasing the watering of your plants. Even on the more overcast days, the warmth will see them being more thirsty.
Busy days June in Thorngrove is, in a word, cramped! But in the best way. There’s barely enough space to contain the range of plants we have in right now, and it seems as soon as some space is cleared in the glasshouses or polytunnels, new plants take their place ready to be nurtured. An almost endless list is coming into flower, meaning the courtyard and glasshouses are brighter than ever… plus, the first roses have officially bloomed! The first two weeks of June should see even more of them making themselves known and we cannot wait until they’re fully on display, as usual reaching for that spotlight. It really does take your breath away when they’re all flowering.
Gaillardias are brightening up gardens now
The roses are here Always one of our most popular plants, the roses are a major draw at this time of year. It’s always when they’re fully in bloom that customers tend to pick them up, so don’t miss out! That being said, we wanted to shine a bit of that proverbial spotlight on some of the other seasonal plants which may be overshadowed by the stunning rose season. There’s such a diverse range to fill your borders, beds, and planters with, including some stunning lilies, dianthus, clematis, geraniums, begonias, chrysanthemums, gaillardias, as well as a brilliant selection of lush Heucheras. And I’ve not started on the trees and shrubs to fill those corners of your gardens or line your walls. Honestly, we could do a four-page spread highlighting what’s looking good right now. Stop by Thorngrove in June and get your summer garden looking the best it can possibly be. We’re on hand for advice as always, and look forward to seeing you!
Hares don’t seem to become an issue, reflects Dorset NFU county chairman George Hosford, but beavers (and, surprisingly, Jeremy Clarkson) pose far tougher questions – and there don’t seem to be any easy answers
The brown hare is Britain’s fastest land mammal, clocking speeds of up to 40mph. The expression to ‘kiss the hare’s foot’, meaning ‘to be late’, alludes to the hare’s great speed and the notion that, if you hesitate, it will have gone and all that will be left is a footprint. Image: Alan Wicks
Seven or eight hares constitutes grazing pressure equivalent to how many sheep? When does the hare population shift from “I like to see a few of them about” to “I might have to consider doing something about them”? But when our friend Alan Wicks can produce photos like the above, I just want to celebrate. They look like a bunch of greyhounds racing hell-for-leather around a track, but what would the hares be chasing? A stuffed whippet on a piece of string? I think they are just doing it for the sheer fun. Alan tells me that he has seen them rough and tumbling in a heap sometimes. I know that some areas suffer from much larger numbers of hares than we do, and that action does indeed need to be taken, but here, hare numbers have been low to modest for as long as I can remember. What is the key factor that limits them? There is, after all, no shortage of food. Has it been due to the presence of too many predators of the leverets, like buzzards and crows? Or is it that we have been too successful in controlling small weeds in crops, which I have long understood are vital for the survival of young ground-nesting birds? Surely a young hare can graze on wheat from the day it’s born? As farmers it is very difficult to get the right balance between a few weeds sufficient for skylark and lapwing chicks, and a wipe-out of a crop due to runaway weed infestation. The chemicals we use are very efficient at their job, and if you use reduced rates you risk encouraging resistance to the sprays in the weeds.
Beavers be damned All too often when walking, biking or paddling along local rivers, one comes across weirs and sluice gates that are woefully neglected. How much of the flooding that so many tears are shed over – and millions of pounds spent clearing up after – could be saved if the rivers were better managed? Current river policy seems to revolve roughly around re-wilding. Oh, and let’s bung in a few beavers for good measure, there won’t be any flooding then. How long before a dislodged beaver dam gets washed down to a dodgy old bridge, turning it into a bigger dam, causing flooding upstream, or a tsunami downstream, following its collapse? I am sure those responsible for intelligent advanced planning have borne all this in mind before launching into the Great Beaver Release Gamble that is approaching; at least five such releases are planned for Dorset. No-one seems to operate the precautionary principle any more. There are numerous tales of beaver trouble from Scotland, where, as so often, they are ahead of us in this game, but has any notice been taken? Apologies for all the questions this month – but does anyone have any answers (oops, there’s another)? Luckily for me, I live on a hill.
Mother knows best The school visit season has now begun, and so far in pretty co-operative weather. Sometimes a group will bring a picnic, after which they will enjoy running or rolling down a nearby hill, before resuming their tour around the farm, asking plenty of questions along the way. Didn’t Mother always say you should let your lunch go down before such exertions?
The Eurasian beaver is native to Britain and used to be widespread in England, Wales and Scotland, but was never known in Ireland. They became extinct in the 16th century, mainly because of hunting for their fur, meat and castoreum, a secretion used in perfumes, food and medicine. There have been more than 200 formal beaver reintroduction projects (plus numerous unofficial releases) in more than 26 European countries and their ecology and management is well-studied.
Clarkson’s got a point Whatever you might have thought of Jeremy Clarkson in the past, since he began sharing with his huge audience the trials and tribulations of learning to farm, he has surely been a force of good for the industry. His first series from his farm Diddly Squat was highly entertaining, and brought tales so familiar to long-suffering farmers to the attention of the population at large. His piece in the Sunday Times today, 15th May, is worth looking up (read it here – the Times has a paywall, but there’s a month free trial and it is well worth a read – Ed) – he is publicising, in his usual entertaining style, what our NFU President has been trying so hard to ram home to our wise and wonderful (apparently clueless) leaders for months, since the war began in Ukraine, about the impending crisis in food prices and availability around the world. What he doesn’t get around to is pointing out all the micro-decisions we are making at farm level to control risk and to preserve our livelihoods, which are very likely to result in reductions in production. Speaking to many farmers it is easy to find those who have reduced their usage of fertiliser this year, accepting that output may fall. This year could be OK – many bought fertiliser at what now seems giveaway prices, and we can currently sell grain, milk and meat at prices well above where we were a year or two ago (with apologies to pig and chicken farmers). Ask about next year though and you get blank looks all round. How do we make sense of such a huge change in circumstances? Should we buy (very expensive) fertiliser for next season now, if we can get it, and back it up with cracking forward grain prices? Unfortunately that doesn’t work in the meat markets. Or do we wait and see? In terms of the environment and climate-damaging emissions, it couldn’t be a better time to rein back on fertiliser applications and test the result. With the ongoing war though, shortfalls in exports of grains from Russia and Ukraine are suggesting the opposite should be done. At farm level, I suspect we are likely to be cautious, with production likely to fall.
Even the UN recognises World Bee Day – Charlotte Tombs shares some beewitching bee facts and how you can make a difference.
Since 1900, the UK has lost 13 species of bee, and a further 35 are considered under threat of extinction. None are protected by law. Across Europe, nearly one in ten wild bee species face extinction.
World Bee Day is now a ‘thing’. These tiny little insects get to have their own day in order to raise awareness about the threats made to pollinators by human activities. It has the approval of the United Nations no less, and the first World Bee Day was celebrated on Sunday 20th May 2018. For me, one simple solution would be if we all aim to stop using pesticides in our gardens. By stopping the use of such harmful chemicals we could genuinely make a difference to our bee populations – and all those good insects which in time will come to our gardens and improve them, our environment and the world in general.
The bee’s knees Here are some mind-blowing facts about our humble honey bee for you:
In her (sorry chaps, but they only come in a ‘she’ variety) lifetime she will only make 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey. That’s the life’s work of 12 bees to sweeten your herbal tea!
She will fly 375 miles and visit 70,000 flowers for that 1/12th of a teaspoon.
Bees need a varied diet – there have been studies done and like us the more varieties of flowers they visit the better for them.
A bumblebee’s tongue can be as long as 20mm and they often fly with their tongue extended as they collect nectar (a bit like a dog with its head out of a car window, I imagine).
In the UK we have 270 bee species, and almost 250 of these are solitary. Only nine are types of honey bees, but they are all amazingly effective pollinators.
Image: Charlotte Tombs
There are lots of things we can do to help the bee population in our gardens and cut flower patches and in doing this we really can all make a difference.
Bee ladders Bees need to drink water, but can often drown in a bucket or plant pot or wherever water collects. Simply tie a bit of string to the side of your water butt, and the bees can climb up the ‘ladder’.
Bee hotels Provide or make bee/insect hotels – there is so much information online about this and it’s a great school holiday project for children.
Bee-friendly plants Try to avoid double-petal blooms as bees like an open-faced flower. Foxgloves are like top floor restaurants for bees, especially as the spotted throats of these flowers act as runway markers for the bees to land and they can come back again and again as each flower opens up the spire. Lavender and honeysuckle aren’t just human favourites, they are a favourite for bees as well. And please do let that ivy grow on your garden wall, the flowers are a great source of bee food when there is not a lot else flowering. If you visit your local garden centre they will have an area of pollinator-friendly plants to give you inspiration, along with lots of ideas on how you can help.
Let the wilderness in If, like me, you have an embarrassing corner of your garden where the nettles have taken hold why not admit defeat? Leave it for the butterfly caterpillars of Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady and Comma. By stopping the use of pesticides in your garden, over time it will benefit from more birds as they come to eat the bugs and the circle of life continues …
by Charlotte Tombs Charlotte offers workshops through the year – please see northcombe.co.uk for further details.
