Busy family with four kids aged 8-17. Small menagerie of pets – dogs, cats, guinea pigs, snake, lizard etc Lively, fun, interesting person needed. Happy to turn their hand to anything. Working as part of a team on a big estate with two busy working parents.
Needs to have initiative, sense of humour, outside active life. Some knowledge of ponies a bonus. Good cook with confidence to prepare lunches for owners or bigger groups.
Good English and clean driving licence.
Live in or out, separate private accommodation available
We’ve teamed up with our friends at Lighthouse Poole to offer The BV readers the chance to win free tickets to one of five top live music shows.
Up for grabs we have a pair of tickets for each of the following:
Frances Rossi: Tunes and Chat (2 April)
The Status Quo legend takes up his acoustic guitar to showcase a selection of well-known hits and some previously not-performed-live tunes as well as share a few tales from his 50+ years on the road.
The Roy Orbison Story: 85th Anniversary Tour (22 April)
Barry Steele, honours the memory of The Big O who passed away 35 years ago, from his early hits to the music of The Traveling Wilburys. With special guest tribute to Buddy Holly.
Ray Charles: Tommy Blaize and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (26 April)
A 19-piece NYJO band is joined by classy vocalist Tommy Blaize to perform the unforgettable songs of one of the most iconic artists of the 20th century, Ray Charles.
Paul Young: Behind the Lens (3 May)
A major star for four decades, Paul Young celebrates the 40th anniversary of his landmark album No Parlez by releasing a remarkable new record and publishing his extraordinary memoir – both called Behind The Lens.
The Rolling Stones Story (12 May)
With an awesome production, superb musicians and the world’s #1 Mick Jagger lookalike Paul Ashworth, The Rolling Stones Story is a high-energy concert celebrating the music of the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band.
Thanks to Lighthouse Poole, The BV has five sets of tickets give away – a pair to each show!
To be in with a chance to win, all we need you to do is select which show you’d like to win tickets for, using the widget box below. Please do make sure you’re available on the date selected before you enter, as tickets are non-transferrable!
To be in with a chance to win a pair of tickets to your chosen show, just answer the first two questions in the widget box below. There are more chances to win by completing the other entry options if you so wish – they’re entirely up to you! The closing date for this competition is 26th March 2023 and only entries received on or before that date can be included. The prize will go to the first randomly chosen entry for each show. Good luck!
SturAction – Sturminster Newton Community Benefit Society Ltd. – was set up four years ago this month to help maintain Sturminster’s reputation as a great place to live, work and play. All profits generated by the six retail outlets run by SturAction are used to support the Town. The charity is celebrating its fourth birthday by paying for a days free parking on 4th March! In the morning the monthly Car and Bike Enthusiasts Meeting will be in town, to provide interest for visitors. The car meet also comes under SturAction’s umbrella, as the organisation covers the events insurance for the town. SturAction is also celebrating the donation of the former Lloyds Bank Building to the town in perpetuity. The building has been renamed The John Roman’s Building to honour the donor and it will continue to house The Emporium and Art Gallery, with Dapper Chaps on the ground floor, and meeting rooms and an office used by SturBiz on the first floor. The currently-derelict top floor will soon be turned into office space to help embryo businesses with a hot desking facility.
For the Christmas Shopping Weekend, SturAction funded the town’s first ice skating rink
The success of 1855 SturAction runs a collection of pre-loved outlets: ladieswear in the pre-loved Boutique, a Dapper Chaps gentleman’s pre-loved boutique, The Emporium full of bric a brac and useful items, an art gallery and also a used furniture showroom. At the end of 2022, the newest business 1855 launched, allowing local makers and craftspeople to hire customer-facing space to market their products. The profits from all of these businesses are spent on projects to benefit the town – it is hoped that more free parking Saturdays can be paid for through the year. Cheryl Basten, shop manager for SturAction says, ‘This year we are completing the second phase of refurbishing the 1855 building. It’s a lot sooner than we had originally planned, as we already have a waiting list of local Artisans keen to hire an area. What an incredible four years! Three former banks back in use plus a boutique, with all profits being reinvested into the town.’ Other projects paid for by the SturAction funds include a defibrillator in the town centre, the town website sturminster-newton.org.uk, organising and underwriting events such as the synthetic ice rink last Christmas, putting up the town Christmas trees, more flowers in the town (in winter as well as summer!) and supporting Bib the Bike, which enables those with mobility issues to enjoy cycle rides in the countryside. It’s a long list of achievements that are only possible thanks to the group of shops. Chairman of SturAction, Cllr Nick Dobson says. ‘our motto is the Joel Barker quote: “vision without action is merely a dream”. We have a fantastic team of staff and volunteers who routinely turn dreams into reality for the benefit of the town. We are also fortunate to have had tremendous support from John Romans, who is a local man, born and bred, and wants to assist the town.’
A moderately energetic but incredibly peaceful circular West Dorset walk (as it’s West Dorset, you can obviously expect plenty of upping and downing!) through the undulating heart of the least populated part of the county. Starting with the car park at Pilsdon Pen, once you leave the NT hilltop you’ll be lucky to see another person on the whole route!
The route is well signed and easy to follow, switching as it does between some of the biggest long distance Dorset trails (the Jubilee Trail, the Monarch’s Way, the Liberty Trail and the Wessex Ridgeway). It’s a varied route, mostly across open farmland, but with some small patches of woodland and crossing lots of small streams (all easily bridged or passable, even in February) and there’s a permanent sense of peace and quiet.
Just a few notes:
There is a small free car park for Pilsdon Pen, allowing easy parking to start the route.
The view to Golden Cap and the sea from the base of Pilsdon Pen
We chose not to go over Pilsdon Pen, taking the less-walked route around the base. But if you’ve never been before, do go up and over for the wonderful views – if you come down the back end, there is a gate which allows you direct access to the field where you can pick up the route again.
There be unicorns here…
Behind Pilsdon Pen you come down to the wonderful Specket Cottage. The route crosses the lane, and there is a sign to suggest an alternatoive route to avoid the boggy ground. We risked it, and found the bog was entirely passable (hopping mound to mound) as it was only a 50′ stretch just below the road. However, if your footwear isn’t up to some bog water, or it’s been very wet, turn left along the lane (which is exceptionally quiet) and just pick up the route again at Cole’s Cross.
The boggy stretch below Specket Cottage
The final part of the route is a lo-o-ong uphill plod: the incline isn’t steep, but it does rather go on a bit, and if you’re out of practice like we were, it took a bit of puffing and a few rest breaks to make it all the way up!
The rewards on the long climb back up to the car
(If you enjoy this walk and are looking for other local Dorset walk suggestions, you can see all the published Dorset Walks by the BV magazine here)
Passed away peacefully at Nazareth House Durban South Africa on the 17th February 2023 aged 98 years
Allan spent the last thirty years with his beloved wife Irene loving life in South Africa until her passing in 2020. He had many fond memories of times shared with old friends in Dorset, and he will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Aethereus Events invites you for an evening of culture, performance, live entertainment and a few surprises along the way at our Spring Awakening party set in the idyllic rolling chalk downs of South West Wiltshire.
March 25th, 5:00 PM – March 26th, 12:50 AM
The Bake Barn, Chicklade, Wiltshire SP3 5SY, UK
Aethereus Events invites you for an evening of culture, performance, live entertainment and a few surprises along the way at our Spring Awakening party set in the idyllic rolling chalk downs of South West Wiltshire. We have been working hard to secure some truly outstanding performers and have created a filled night of eclectic shows; from live swing singers to Dj’s, Opera to erotic cabaret we have spent winter piecing together an unforgettable and unique event. We have revamped the Aethereus Hell Fire Club with a whole new show curated by Sadiq Ali where guests will be dazzled with a devilish cabaret of burlesque and circus performance.
Those of you who experienced the show last year will know that this is a collection of exhilarating (and perhaps) risqué performances by some of the best performances of burlesque art in the country, and for newcomers prepare to be excited, very excited! There are two tiers of tickets available, see the events tab for details. Please note Premium Tickets have limited availability.
Onsite arking available – alternative transport options are also available please contact asap for more information [email protected].
ABOUT SPRING AWAKENING EVENT
“The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk.” Georg Hegel.
Equally, Aethereus Events are preparing to spread their wings.
Leading us from the dark, cold winter months and soaring forward into Spring, Aethereus presents an evening of live music, culture and surprises.
And so…we are excited to announce our very first ticketed event: Spring Awakening 2023.
Hosting stage performance from some of the UK’s top cabaret acts incorporating burlesque with circus acrobatics, The Hell Fire Club makes its return to Wiltshire following a memorable event in 2021. The show promises to be spectacular and is not for the faint hearted.
The Aethereus Lounge is a stylish retro cocktail bar with live Jazz and Swing performances, as well as world-class cocktails prepared by our professional mixologists.
The Minerva Club will top off an extraordinary evening with live DJ Cat La Chapelle putting on her high-octane, hedonistic club experience until the small hours, with a few surprise performances along the way.
Limited premium tickets are available for our La Casa De La Flores experience, where guests will be treated to live operatic performances from classically trained tenor Vasili Karpiak and female Classical Crossover duet Eden, all whilst enjoying an included 3-course meal (plus wine!)
TICKETS
Their are two types of ticket available to purchase:
GENERAL ADMISSION £60
General admission tickets give you access to all performances at the Hell Fire club; swing, jazz, crooning at the Aethereus Lounge and partying at the stunning indoor Minerva Club. Several bars will be on hand as well as a street food vendor where you can purchase a range of hot food.
PREMIUM ADMISSION £108 (Limited availabilty)
Our premium ticket gives you unfettered access to the entirety of the Spring Awakening experience – as well as enjoying everything open to the general admission ticket you will receive EXCLUSIVE access to La Casa de la Flores where you will wine, dine and be treated to live Opera performances from some of the finest performers in their class. Male and female classical performances will be complemented by a three-course meal from the highly-rated Indulge Catering as well as wines from local suppliers (meal & wine included in price of premium ticket).
This month Maddie is looking at the stunning range of art and products available through Scope’s collaboration with talented disabled artists
Maddie’s favourite Boats Ahoy! by Mahlia Amanita
The disability equality charity Scope now has displays in its shops with some outstanding artwork that talented disabled artists have created. But if you don’t have a Scope shop near you, they have also now opened an online store so you can buy the art that way. It’s not just prints – they sell the beautiful designs on cotton and recycled plastic-bottle wash bags, art prints, candles and mugs too. I think it is colourful and bold and interesting. In the Gillingham shop, where I volunteer, one customer saw a collection by artist Kate Boyce and said “Wow that’s fantastic!” Vivian Nutt, Head of Customer Proposition, Retail at Scope, says: ‘We’ve really had to be more creative and ingenious in our fundraising since the start of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis and this is an incredibly exciting development for us. Scope puts disabled people at the heart of everything we do and, working with four superbly talented disabled artist and designers, our collaboration has produced a stunning range of unique products that are perfect for yourself or make a truly special gift for anyone.
The Kate Boyce Kitchen Textiles Collection is available in four of her designs
‘I encourage everyone to visit our shop – either in person or online – and see the beautiful ranges for themselves. Every purchase helps fund our vital support services that are a lifeline for disabled people and helps us to campaign for a fairer society.’ One of my personal favourite pieces is called Boats Ahoy! The artist, Mahlia Amanita, has Asperger’s syndrome and her work has been displayed in seven countries. This design is currently available on a range of items as well as available to purchase as a print. Be sure to check out the wonderful work that all the artists have made.
You can find the Disabled Artists collections on the Scope website here shop.scope.org.uk
January is never the best time for goal setting – and we need to think far wider than our diet, says nutritional therapist Karen Geary
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It seems counterintuitive to me to set new year resolutions or goals in January. I like to work with the natural rhythm of the earth, and given it has poured with rain for most of January, I have remained in hibernation mode as long as possible, enjoyed it immensely and am not feeling remotely guilty. I slept an extra hour a night too. For me, the spring equinox is the time to start implementing new health goals – when the earth begins to wake up. I have been giving them quite some thought while catching up with a few health-related podcasts when out walking. I recently listened to two longevity experts with two very different perspectives on nutrition; one advocating high quality protein intake from good quality meat sources, coupled with a high plant intake (but not grains) and supplements (nutraceuticals), as the way to go. The other advocated a mostly plant-based diet, with beans every day. It was a respectful discussion and actually they have much in common. They both said that a high plant intake, time-restricted feeding, good sleep, a sense of purpose and strong social connections are all supported by science. All true.
Work backwards Then I listened to a third longevity expert who, in my opinion, made the most sense of all. He challenged his listeners to think about how long they wanted to live, what they hoped to be doing, and then to work backwards in order to achieve those goals. This approach may differ depending upon how old you are now and how long you want to live! If, for example, you want to be playing with your grand/great grandchildren in your 90s, you need a particular level of fitness to be running around, so it might not be a bad idea to get a better handle on how fit you are now (you can be checked by a fitness professional who can calculate your bio-age from a few well-known exercises and put a plan together for you). For this speaker, fitness was more important than nutrition. What he meant by that is that you can have a fabulous diet, but if you are not physically fit, what’s the point if you can’t lift yourself out of your armchair?
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A consistent plan There are five things we should be aiming to do every day to maintain both our physical and mental health. There is no replacement for these things. How many of these do you already do and where do you need to put the work in?
• Sleep I have written about sleep on these pages before (‘three surprising ways to sleep better’ The BV, Apr 22) and my website has lots of tips on how to optimise it. Most people need between six and eight hours a night. Teenagers more. Coupled with sleep is sunlight, sometimes known as circadian light therapy. Get out in the sunlight, ideally in the morning. Exposing your eyes to sunlight helps to align your circadian rhythm and produce serotonin, which in turn helps to make melatonin, the darkness hormone. This helps you feel more tired in the evening, improves sleep and helps you to feel more awake in the morning.
• Hydration It is not that well known that we need to increase our hydration as we get older. It plays an essential role in many health issues. Good hydration plays a key role in mental health, sleep quality and cognitive ability. Dehydration in the elderly is very common. Between the age of 20 and 80 years, there is a 15% reduction in water volume in our bodies, which is why the elderly get dehydrated faster. Lower water volumes mean a poorer response to temperature regulation and an increased strain on the heart.
• Movement Ideally an hour a day. Learn about NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis – spontaneous activities that occur every time you perform some sort of physical exertion, such as standing up from a seated position, running to catch the bus or even simply fidgeting). Try to do something every day that gets your breathing rate up. You will live longer and you will feel better. Get assessed professionally if you can to get focused.
• Nutrition Try and get 75 to 80 per cent of your food from minimally processed foods. As we age, the need for protein increases. This is because we are less efficient at using protein compared to younger adults. If we don’t meet these increased needs we can lose muscle and lean mass and have a lower immune function, all of which play a role in increased risks of frailty and illness. Consult a professional for personalised goals or where you have specific health concerns.
• Social connection Do what you can to make the interactions that you have with friends, family, as well as online, as healthy as possible. Some people are more introverted than others, so do what is meaningful for you to maintain high-quality social connections. I guarantee that if you do these five things, your health will benefit. Now set your long term goals!
