10 New Year resolutions to achieve a better balance between work and your personal life

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27 January 2022

Are you prepared for this new year? Dorset Chamber’s CEO Ian Girling suggests a quick business re-think.

I’d like to belatedly wish you a very happy and successful 2022 – and I hope that you had the opportunity for a break to relax. The Christmas period is always a good time to reflect and look at your plans for the future – to improve both your business, and the quality of your personal life. Here are 10 resolutions that you may want to consider in your business for the coming year:

1. Review your business plan. This isn’t just something you occasionally dust off for the bank manager. It should be a living relevant plan for your business giving you structure and direction. It should also include your financial forecast as well. Now is the ideal time to make sure you have direction for the year ahead.

2. Within this, it’s worth reviewing how you are embedding technology in your business. This should include your digital marketing and online presence, but also how your business is using technology to improve productivity and to better utilise resources.

3. This is a good time to review your employee policies to ensure they are legally up to date but also relevant. It’s a good idea to specifically look at your well- being and reward policies for your staff. A healthy and motivated team is the backbone of any business.

4. Plan your holidays. This may sound strange given you’ve possibly just had a break but planning a holiday provides a psychological boost; something to look forward to and work towards.

5. Be part of a business organisation or community. You’d expect me to say this, but I would recommend any business should be a part of a business organisation.
You’ll find benefits for your business and importantly be part of a community of like- minded people which is a hugely important.

6. Undertake a customer
survey and review what your competition are up to. Ask your customers about the value you deliver for them and also look for ways you can improve. It’s always good to have a look at your competition and see how you can strive to stay ahead. Even look at any best practice you can learn from them.

7. Look at how you can improve your work and life balance. Running a business can be stressful, and can place pressures on our time and life outside work.
Take time to consider how you can improve this. It could be as simple as removing email from your phone, or making a conscious effort to leave work by a certain time each day.

8. Look at your environmental policy – do you even have one? Businesses are facing increasing pressure to do the right thing for our environment and this is something every business owner needs to be considering.

9. Learn a new skill. It’s never too late to sharpen up your business skills. There are a huge amount of courses around, many free, to help you improve your skills in business.

10. Finally, if you don’t already, get involved with a charitable cause. This is a great thing to do and encouraging your employees and even allowing time off for volunteering is hugely motivational and also develops their skills.

By: Ian Girling

I wake up thinking about painting

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Editorial team

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27 January 2022

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Nicholas Hely Hutchinson explains that art must share an artist’s emotion, and provides some sage advice for young artists trying to find their voice. Interview by Edwina Baines.

*In the studio with Nicholas Hely Hutchinson image: Edwina Baines*

Artist Nicholas Hely Hutchinson’s inspiration is fired during walks with his two lurchers, Olive and Martha, around the beautiful Dorset coast and countryside. His paintings are easily identifiable. He observes and sketches the changing rhythms of the seasons.

‘Little things inspire me and I try to capture those moments. Sometimes it happens when you least expect it because it touches you, because it’s poetic.

‘Before coming back to the studio, I might do a sketch to get the composition and to remember the colours. I don’t make any initial marks but use large brushes to under-paint the canvas. When this is dry, I use rags and brushes to build up the layers of paint. Slowly I move from larger to smaller brushes, I use fine sables, to create details. I want the viewer to share the same feeling I felt in that moment: a smattering of winter snow, a covering of frost, a bluebell wood in Spring – or the vulnerability of a little bird in the landscape.’

I was told I’d be bored!

Nicholas studied at St Martin’s School of Art and Bristol Polytechnic, where the emphasis was not only on technique but also on the History of Art.

This latter gave him much of the rigour for his work.
At the start of his career, he was told that once he had got over the initial excitement of being a full-time artist, he would be bored by the time he got to forty. However, he told me: ‘I wake up most mornings thinking about painting. It’s constantly exciting. I haven’t got bored yet!

*In his studio, Nicholas shared a painting currently underway image: Edwina Baines*

‘The trouble is, I have too many ideas and not enough time to get them all down. That was one of the good things about lockdown, it did provide more time. There are always distractions – but I’m very disciplined. I treat it like a job – but not a job I don’t want to go to. It’s a bit like an itch. I want to be in the studio. I just potter along! On a good day I work all day, walk Olive and Martha the lurchers in the afternoon and then carry on until about seven.

‘You have to have the discipline and the passion – but if you want to have a family life you have to do a juggling act.’

Break the rules

Nicholas likes to have a clear idea of how his finished painting should look and he suggests that amateur artists should follow this rule.
Not that he is keen on some of the established ways: “Personally I always think there aren’t rules to painting. I’ve never quite understood why these rules exist. For example, you are discouraged from using black.
“Most people who are learning want to get things‘ right’ but it is more important to know what the painting should look like. I try to get the essence of the thing, a fleeting moment in time, rather than trying to paint just what is there. After a certain period of time, you will find your voice. I tend to use the same limited palette of perhaps 10 colours and I use a warm and cold version of each.’

*Nicholas chatted to Edwina in his home studio, surrounded by recent works* *Image: Edwina Baines*

He continued: ‘A painting can create a mood with the colours you use or the thickness of the paint.

‘That’s what I find most interesting. Essentially, I’m a landscape painter – but I never feel that tells the whole story. When you look at Van Gogh, you can see his excitement about nature. It’s a passion that he gets that into the painting – and we can still see that. Or we can look at Graham Sutherland’s paintings before the War. They are dark and gloomy with a sense of foreboding. Artists can convey the way they feel about things in a painting – and the observer can sense that.’

*In an Autumn Wood’ – one of Nicholas Hely Hutchinson’s digital works*

Some of the paintings show a clear passion for the sea, especially when the weather is not always benign. ‘A stormy sea is such an interesting subject for a painter,’ Nicholas remarked. The exhilaration of Portland Bill often provides this drama and the different forces of nature are beautifully portrayed in some of his works.

Nicholas also showed me some digital artwork created on his iPad.

‘You can get such wonderful textures using the software. It’s such a good medium. I tend to complete some on holiday when it is easy to carry the iPad around. You can even do these paintings on the plane and you can use all the colours without the mess.

*Bonfire on a Summer Night’ – one of Nicholas Hely Hutchinson’s digital works*

Sometimes I turn these images into paintings. I often wonder what Turner would have made of this technology. I bet he would have loved it!’

I had the privilege of being shown the dining-room mural Nicholas painted between 1993 -1995, soon after the family had moved into their current house.

*Nicholas shared*
*his dining room mural with Edwina (accompanied by one of his lurchers)*

As well as favourite local locations, it includes images of several of his pets and even the Cerne Abbas Giant. The mural covered the doors, walls and even the ceiling of the room and I’m sure would look beautiful on a candlelit evening. A real labour of love.

The prestigious Portland Gallery in London has represented Nicholas’ work for many years and another successful one-man show was held recently. A peek at the gallery’s website will convey how few of his paintings remain unsold:

https://portlandgallery.com/ exhibitions/nicholas-hely- hutchinson-5/.

However, 2022 may include a small show in Dorset, which is an event to which we can all look forward. https://www. nicholashelyhutchinson.com

by Edwina Baines [email protected]

Will the new ‘No Fault Divorce’ help you?

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Editorial team

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27 January 2022

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It has been widely reported that the new ‘no fault divorce’ will change the landscape of getting divorced, but what does that mean? Lesley Powell of Battens Solicitors investigates.

Currently, in order to petition for divorce in England and Wales, you have to prove that your relationship has irretrievably broken down – based on a number of factors, the most common of which are adultery or unreasonable behaviour.

You must provide reasons as to what behaviour was unreasonable. In situations where couples have ‘fallen out of love’ this can cause a high degree of animosity, picking apart a relationship for reasons that are simply needed for a form.
The coming changes mean that parties will now be able to make a joint application for a divorce, preventing assigning blame in a situation where there is none.

Terminology

The language around divorce is also going to change. It will no longer be a ‘petition’, but an ‘application’, and the person who applies, will be an applicant. There will also no longer be a decree nisi and a decree absolute, but instead a conditional order and a final order respectively. These language changes are done with an aim of neutralising the tone and bringing it in line with other family proceedings.

Applications

No evidence will be required for the irretrievable breakdown of the relationship, just a signed statement that the relationship has broken down.
In a joint application, this will be unchallengeable, as you will have both agreed that the marriage has broken down.
The ability to defend a no fault application will also be removed, and replaced with the ability
to contest only on very limited grounds:

• Jurisdiction
• The marriage did not exist • Fraud
• Lack of procedural compliance

This allows for cases where there are true issues of law that could impact the validity of a divorce to be dealt with appropriately.
Cross applying, where both parties independently apply for a divorce, will also be removed. In instances where two applications are made, the divorce will become disputed instead, as it will be assumed the parties do not agree.

Timescales

The legislation is further introducing new timelines, with a 20 week window to permit reflection after issue of proceedings and before the conditional order can be made. This allows for a chance for reconciliation, but also a chance for agreement of practical arrangements for the future. The period between the new conditional order being issued, and the ability to apply for a final order (previously the decree absolute) will remain at 6 weeks.

What Next?

Seeking legal advice on the breakdown of a relationship is always advised, especially in situations where there are children or joint property. A solicitor can highlight issues that you may not have noticed, and support you with communication between you and your partner at this difficult time.

For more information contact Lesley Powell at Battens Solicitors on 01935 846089 [email protected]

The brightest star cluster is now showing

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Editorial team

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27 January 2022

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The distances between us and the stars are simply mind-blowing and beautiful, says our astronomer Rob Nolan.

Christmas and New Year were mild, and wet.

This is not ideal for astronomy. In fact we had only one or two clear nights throughout December. However I did manage to capture a real favourite of mine, and one of the first objects I captured when I started this hobby, the Orion Nebula (M42, also known as The Hunter). This is part of one of the most dominating constellations in the winter night sky.

It is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, south of Orion’s Belt in the constellation of Orion and it is one of the brightest nebulae in the night sky.

It is 1,344 light-years away and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. At an estimated 24 light-years across, it has a mass of about 2,000 times that of our Sun.

The Orion Nebula is one of the most scrutinised and photographed objects in the night sky and is among the most intensely studied celestial features.

The Orion Nebula (M42, also known as The Hunter)

A clue to life’s beginning

The nebula has revealed much about the process of how stars and planetary systems are formed from collapsing clouds of gas and dust.

The core of the Orion nebula (The Trapezium cluster) is extremely difficult to expose without blowing out the details due to the extremely bright stars. Many shots you see of Orion simply have a white, blown- out core. There’s also so much surrounding gas and nebulosity; space really isn’t just black and empty!

This image was taken using my new 350mm Refractor Telescope, meaning those of you with a DSLR or mirror-less camera and telephoto lens can also take a snap of the nebula using short exposures of 10 seconds or fewer if using a static tripod.

The Night Sky, January 2022 – what to see this month:

The new year began with a spectacular Quadrantid meteor shower which peaked on the 3rd and 4th of January, happily coinciding with the first clear nights of the month – hopefully you had the heads-up from my BV Facebook Post and got outside to see them.
It was absolutely fascinating!
The Orion Constellation dominates the sky at this time of year, making it the perfect image of the month for me.
The Orion Nebula is easily visible to the unaided eye, but using binoculars you’ll be able to make out luminous clouds of gas. Look for the fuzzy patch below the three distinctive stars making up Orion’s Belt.
The Earth reached Perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, on the 4th January at 6.54 am precisely. At that time we were a mere 147 million km away from our local star.

Evening turns to morning

At the beginning of the Month, Venus appeared as the Evening Star, but since the 9th January, after passing between us and the Sun, Venus now appears as the Morning Star as you look to the south-east around 7am.
Mercury continues to be visible low in the evening sky, fading as it reached its greatest separation from the Sun on January 7th.
Saturn has been in Capricornus this month, low in the sky towards the south-west setting around 6pm, but will disappear from view shortly, now we’re in the middle of the month.
Jupiter lies to the upper left of these planets early in the evening, setting around 9 pm.
Look to the far side of Aquarius to see Neptune setting below the horizon around 9.30 pm, closely followed by Uranus residing in Pisces, setting later at 2am.

Mars will rise early morning at 6 am – look to the south-east as it moves from near Antares to Ophiuchus and Sagittarius as the month continues.
This next event is time specific: between 5:20 and 6:50 am on January 26th, look to the constellation Lebra to see the Moon pass in front of the double star known as Zubenelgenubi.
At the end of the month, on the 29th of January, the Crescent Moon lies to the right of Venus, with Mars in between before dawn.

by Rob Nolan RPN Photography

Estate Manager

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Editorial team

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26 January 2022

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This is an exciting opportunity to join our Estate Team in this newly created role working 37.5 hours per week, all year round.

The successful candidate will work alongside the Head of Estates to ensure the smooth operation of the department which encompasses maintenance, grounds and gardens. Responsibilities will include developing and progressing maintenance schedules, providing project support and co-ordination of day to day reactive maintenance. The post holder may be expected to participate in ‘hands on’ maintenance tasks themselves when required and they will form part of the department rota to provide weekend support and call out duties.

We are looking for someone with relevant experience within the building, maintenance or grounds & gardens industry, and a good understanding of multiple trades. It is essential for the successful candidate to have good leadership and managerial skills and experience.

In addition to a competitive salary, we can offer a non-contributory pension scheme, 30 days annual leave and membership of our Sports Centre.

For further information and an application form, please go to:

https://clayesmore.com/work-for-us/

Closing date is: 8am on Friday, 11 February 2022

Clayesmore is committed to the safeguarding and promotion of children’s and young people’s welfare and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Adult Social Care Support Workers | Employ My Ability

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Editorial team

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26 January 2022

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Due to the growth of our service provision, we are now recruiting additional Adult Social Care Support Workers.

Working Hrs: Full or Part Time Considered – includes evening and alternating weekend working on a two week rolling rota. Plus sleep-ins, also on a rota. No split shifts.

£9.90 per hour (From £20,592.00 per year)
£72 paid if you do a sleep shift
32 days annual holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays) – pro-rata for part-time staff.

Key tasks:

To work in supported living and day service environments, promoting independence and enriching the lives of those who use the service.
To deliver person centred care and promote independent living skills in a supported living environment, day opportunities and respite setting.
To support service users to access activities and opportunities that promote and build work-based skills.
To support service users with accessing chosen activities that promote positive outcomes.
To record and provide written reports on support provided to service users, including achievements they have made.
To ensure service users needs are met and supported at all times, as per their care and support plan.
To support the senior team in implementing care and support plans and informing changes as necessary.
To promote and adhere to Employ My Ability’s Health and Safety at Work policy and procedures.
To fulfil requirements of Employ My Ability’s appraisal and support and development systems, supporting effective practice.
To carry out such other duties as may be required by the Social Care Department and Employ My Ability Partners.

Click here to download the application form and then please apply by sending it to [email protected]

Sheila Selby | In Memoriam

By

Laura

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26 January 2022

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Sheila Selby

In Memoriam

They say time is a great healer but it still hurts, missing you so very much.
Life is not the same without you.
Love from your daughter Carly, son Jack and your Husband Brian.

7 Things You Can Get From a Local Butcher that You Can’t Get in a Supermarket

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Editorial team

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26 January 2022

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We all appreciate our local independent shops – but are we using them properly? Rachael Rowe asks just what your local butcher can do for you.

North Dorset is fortunate enough to have good butchers shops in most towns. But, do we appreciate them as much as we could or should do- and how often do we tap into their knowledge and expertise? Here’s why we should spend more time at local butchers shops.

E Parsons established in 1840 – Images by Rachael Rowe

Food miles and provenance

One of the best things about a local butcher is provenance. A large board proudly displaying a list of farms where the produce is sourced is common to see. Quality is the priority – ask a local butcher where their meat comes from, and they can usually name the farm, the farmer and often the breed of animal.

Some Butchers Rear their Own Meat

We’re fortunate in the Blackmore Vale. Some butchers don’t just know the farm – they own the herd!
Several local butchers rear their own beef and other meats. Holebrooks in Sturminster Newton, the Udder Farm Shop at East Stour, and Rawston Farm Butchery all have their own herds. They know the animals’ life, how they are fed and cared for and choose small, skilled, local slaughterhouses to reduce stress and enhance quality of the meat.

You Can Get Britain’s best sausages

Ludwell’s claim to fame is that T Buttling Butchers won the coveted 2020 Britain’s Best Sausages. The prizewinning traditional pork and sage sausages are on sale in their shop along with other quality meats. You really can’t get better than that in Dorset (or the whole of Great Britain, for that matter…).

Buttling Butchers award winning sausages – image Rachael Rowe

Advice on cheap cuts of meat

You can learn a lot from local butchers. I’m always curious about different cuts of meat and how to cook them. Farmers like Kimbers have patiently advised me on what a bread and butter joint or hogget is, and also how to cook it. Cuts of meat you can’t find outside of an independent butchers, and it’s not only cheaper, but the quality is evident when you buy locally.

Their Online Shopping Works

If you ever used online supermarket shopping and got an odd substitution, you’ll know what
I mean when I say it doesn’t always go to plan. Some Blackmore Vale-based butchers have online services and deliver what you order. The Dorset Meat Company is an innovative, award-winning quality online business with a vast range of local food.

Local Milk (and less plastic)

In fact, you don’t just get any milk but really local milk. Some butchers, including Parsons of Sherborne, have a Dorset Dairy Co milk station in the shop. Customers can buy the milk and refill their bottles, reducing plastic waste and helping even more local farmers. Talking of plastic waste – there’s significantly less packaging when you visit a traditional butchers shop.

Good customer service

You can get good customer service in supermarkets, of course, but local butchers Paul and Andrew in Parsons, Sherborne (which was established in 1840) were keen to emphasise it is something integral to their work.
With expert customer advice, taking care of the provenance and quality, there’s a lot the butchers do to drive up standards in the food industry. And we can do our bit by supporting these great local businesses.

by Rachael Rowe

How to use your wine merchant!

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Editorial team

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26 January 2022

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The most common mistake with quality wine is to leave it too long before uncorking. Your wine merchant is always delighted to advise, says Hannah Wilkins, who offers two top recommendations for this year.

To be drunk or not to be drunk? That is the question!
And no, I don’t mean you personally: I mean a bottle of good wine. When should you open it for maximum enjoyment?
Alongside my carefully curated collection, each year I put together a box of wines from the shop that I have enjoyed during the year and earmarked for Christmas consumption.

Prices in this personal selection range from £8 to £30; something for every holiday season need! People often jest how lovely it must be to have such choice at my fingertips, and of course it is. But the truth is it doesn’t make the what-to-drink decision easier. In fact, it’s possibly more difficult to pick; and that’s before you consider the expectation from guests knowing the wine in their glass has been chosen by a ‘specialist’.

I use that term in inverted commas as our daily grind at Vineyards is breaking down the stigma of wine and making it accessible to all.

Anyhow, I digress…

A common wine mistake!

Choosing wine for special occasions is tricky.

You have to decide whether you are cracking open that wine you’ve saved for a ‘rainy day,’ or whether you opt for something that you have tried recently and know you like right now.
The tragedy is that all too often people keep wines, champagnes and ports in their wine racks for far too long. I’ve done it myself with a wine I coveted from Chile: I bought a case of six bottles and kept two bottles for far too long;
they went past ‘their best’, which is such a shame. I am a firm believer that wine is made to be enjoyed —it’s what the winemaker intends. It’s just hard making that step and committing to popping the cork.

The art of wine

There is an art to producing a a great bottle wine that expresses: • Terroir (the land and climate in which it is grown)

• Profiles of each grape variety in the bottle
• The ageing processes used (oak or steel barrels?)
• Aromas connecting together in a glass

But, to me, the one thing I look for when judging a wine is its balance. When key elements are brought together, wines do get better with some ageing, that is true. Just keeping a wine for a couple of years really can change a wine’s dynamic.
But some wines are ready to be drunk right now.
This is why we try every bottle we source, and each new vintage – so we can ‘monitor’ the quality for our customers (it really is a hard life!). So this month’s recommendations are two deeply satisfying wines that we personally thoroughly enjoyed over Christmas. We can wholeheartedly say they are drinking incredibly well right now.
The best thing about both is that they each have some potential to develop further – these wines are great for those of us who want the best of both worlds. And, after two years of a pandemic, I think that’s fair enough!
A good wine merchant will be able to guide you with a new recommendation, but also advise you on the optimum time to drink the wines already in your rack.
If you need any help please just get in touch. Happy New Year!

Hannah’s recommendations:

2018 La Bri ‘Double Door’ Petit Verdot from Franschhoek, South Africa: £20.
This wine really is a stunner and is drinking well now, however I can’t wait to see how this wine develops over the next few years. At the moment, it’s silky smooth with ripe hedgerow fruit and luscious integrated vanilla notes from the ageing.

2013 Weingut Reichsrat Von Buhl Ungeheuer Riesling from Pfalz in Germany: £47.
What a wine! Where do I start? Silky, citrus, honeyed with complex hints of ginger and amazing purity.

Just delicious! A real treat – I loved it so much I have purchased another ready for next Christmas.

by Hannah Wilkins, Indie Wine Merchant