***Sadly due to Covid precautions this event has now been cancelled***
Dave Newton Jazz Trio at Sherborne School.
Thursday 20th January 2022 7.30pm
Tindall Recital Hall, Music School, Abbey Road, DT9 3AP
Tickets £12.50
Telephone: 01935 812249 or [email protected]
Gladys Dennerd
Peacefully at home on 3rd January 2022 with her daughter and sons by her side, Gladys aged 92 years.
Beloved wife of the late Jim, much loved mum of Helen, William and Peter. Devoted nan and Great Nan.
Sadly Missed By all who knew and loved her.
A private funeral will take place on the 18th January.
Donations to the Alzheimer’s Society are greatfully accepted in Gladys’ memory.
Laurence Dowel
Aged 84 years, passed away 28th December 2021 after a long illness at home, surrounded by his family.
Greatly missed by his wife Margaret and all his family.
Private service and cremation Family Flowers only please.
Donations to Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.
Martin Cowan (Marv)
Another Christmas and another New Year without you here, forever in our hearts and minds.
Love from Mum, Ken and all the family xx
For this month’s property column Brad and Susie from Meyers are considering the myth that mid-winter is a bad time to list your property:
As we move towards the Festive Season, most people are focussed on what to buy their loved ones for Christmas rather than buying a new home. Majority of people assume that the housing market will go quiet during December. It’s what happens immediately after the Christmas lunch has been packed away however, that makes for a good house selling market.
December listing
History and the data crunchers, show that the month of December can be a great time to start to market your home (as long as you take photos without your decorations!).
Rightmove, the biggest online housing portal, claims that there will be something in the region of 41m visits to their
site between Boxing Day and the New Year; known as the ‘Boxing Day Boom’.
Potential buyers are at home, the festivities are largely over and they take this quiet time in the family calendar to see what is out there on the market. This could therefore be one of the best times to be advertising your house for sale.
In addition to that, the housing market continues to see record numbers of potential buyers for each house that comes to market and with the market continuing to be this competitive, having your house on the market, or better still, Under Offer, is a prerequisite for a happy ongoing house hunt.
Some Agents won’t allow buyers even to view a house if they are not proceedable, and whilst getting your house on the market now might seem like an odd time to do it, actually it could be absolutely the right time to
do so if you are considering a move in the first part of next year. You need to get ahead of the game and put yourself in a good position to be able to ‘offer’ on that dream house you fall in love with.
We are always here to help and answer any questions you might have so feel free to get in touch. And in the meantime, if we don’t meet you beforehand, we hope you have a wonderful Christmas everyone – and an even better new year.
Brad at Shaftesbury – 01747 352077 Susie at Blandford – 01258 690553
Top December tips
As we reflect on the year gone by, the importance of positive mental health has really been put on the agenda, reflects Dorset Chamber’s CEO Ian Girling.
Mental Health is an issue we take seriously, and one which we need to consider in the workplace.
The statistics around mental health are worrying:
Got Your Six
To support the mental health and wellbeing of bosses across Dorset, we’ve developed a project called Got Your Six (GU6) (named after a term used by WW2 fighter pilots where they protected the ‘backs’ of fellow pilots in formation, at the vulnerable rear ‘six o’clock’ position). Essentially we are building a bank of GU6 Champions who
are qualified mental health ‘first aiders’ and there for businesses owners and leaders to reach out to at any time. We’ve had a huge response and the project has been met with great support.
Sharing the load
Within GU6 and through our events, we are building a neutral, non-commercially driven, non- judgmental confidential hub where we can talk and discuss our challenges with other empathetic business leaders in order to gain clarity, respite, and control over issues that may be affecting us.
Our first event, the first of its kind by any Chamber, was a huge success, with many business leaders coming together and sharing experiences and feelings we can all relate to and, importantly, strategies for managing these pressures.
It’s ok to not be ok
It was an inspiring, incredibly human and levelling event. We were all surprisingly open, and it was great to find that sometimes it’s ok not to feel ok. I’m so very proud of this initiative, and the fact that it has received huge support from the business community.
If you’d like to find out more or reach out to us, please contact Xanthe on [email protected] And of course thanks to our sponsors and partners Lester Aldridge, Dorset Mind and Ouch Training. You can see more information at dorsetchamber.co.uk/gu6-dorset
Finally I’d like to wish you and your families and very happy and peaceful Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Here’s to a much better year to us all. Ian
Is filling out a form online a good alternative to the traditional way of drafting a Will? We asked Lucy Mignot, Senior Associate and specialist in probate and trust disputes for her views.
The use of online Wills has surged in the last year, but online Wills rarely cover all situations, leaving individuals and estates vulnerable to future claims, says Lucy Mignot: “DIY Wills are a false economy; testators may save money initially, but their estate could be eaten up after death by litigation, or an unnecessary tax bill. With DIY Wills it is very easy to get the formalities wrong and end up with an invalid Will. This means the estate passes according to the previous Will, or the intestacy rules, potentially passing to different beneficiaries to those intended, or even to the state. Errors in a Will cannot be easily rectified – if at all.
Another issue with DIY Wills is that, often, testators don’t consider what they want to happen if their intended beneficiaries predecease them. Again, this can lead to a result contrary to that intended. Ambiguity in a Will is a real problem in a DIY Will. Where a term is ambiguous, this may have to be resolved by an expensive court application.
Doing the work
As someone who handles disputed Wills, I cannot stress enough the benefit of a file of papers relating to the preparation of a Will. These can provide evidence needed to avoid claims based on lack of capacity, undue influence etc. They often also record the reasoning behind a testator’s decisions. That can be enough to prevent a dispute.
In many cases involving homemade Wills, testators have thought about what it is they want to achieve but sadly lacked the technical legal knowledge to put their wishes into place effectively. This can result in significant costs being paid from the estate and a lot of stress for the family, even where there is no dispute between the family members.”
For contentious matters relating to Wills, Lucy Mignot can be contacted on [email protected] or 01305 217303.
A local expert from Citizen’s Advice provides timely tips. This Month: How to avoid a nasty January bill fest.
Christmas is a time of giving, but you don’t want to give yourself a headache in the New Year with bills and debts you can’t afford. It’s all too easy to overspend – but you must decide how much you can afford before you start spending. Planning, budgeting and organisation are key to avoid getting into debt. If your spending runs out of control at Christmas, debt can easily become a way of life. If you do get into difficulties, get advice
as soon as you can from your local Citizens Advice Bureau (0800 144 8848) or from another free confidential debt advisory service such as Stepchange or National Debtline.
Here are our top tips for avoiding a Christmas debt hangover:
A home-based workout routine that is fun and allows guilt-free drinking and eating is explained by personal trainer Mel Mitchell.
This time of year, it is far too tempting to curl up in front of a fire with a mince pie and a glass of wine rather than enjoy a good workout.
With the festive season fast approaching I thought I would share ways to keep active during the Christmas period.
This time of year often sees a change in our normal routine particularly with fitness classes, as instructors and gyms generally take a break.
I love my food – one of the reasons I exercise is so I can eat what I want. Christmas is of course no exception! This time of year is all about spending valuable time with those that you love, eating, drinking and being merry.
Christmas exercise – make it fun
It has become a tradition for me to go out for a run on Christmas morning, mostly so I can eat and drink guilt-free but also to clear the head and get some much needed fresh air. This doesn’t mean that you all have to go out for a run (unless of course you want to!). You could incorporate family time with going out for a walk or bike ride together. Bring the kids, dogs if you have any, and go explore. Exercise during the festive period doesn’t have to be a chore. Family games such as Twister or computer games such as ‘Just Dance’ incorporate movement but add the element of fun and family bonding.
I personally love a circuit or high intensity workout but don’t have any weights or gym equipment at home? See the box below for a brilliant seasonal circuit instead!
Always happy to answer your questions – send them to me on [email protected]
Your 12 days of Christmas home workout
Why not try this 12 days of Christmas bodyweight workout special. It is based on the song Twelve Days of Christmas; on the first day of Christmas my trainer gave to me… one burpee. On the second day of Christmas my trainer gave to meeeee… two lunges and a burpee… and so on.
1. Burpee
2. Lunges
3. Press – ups
4. Sit Ups
5. Squats
6. Plank Shoulder Taps 7. Leg Lowers
8. Lateral Lunges
9. Tricep Dips
10. Mountain Climbers 11. Touchdowns
12. Supermans
All exercises can be modified to all abilities so why not give it ago at some point during the holidays. If you want any clarification on the exercises feel free to get in touch!
by Mel Mitchell
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