Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without panto. So, whilst keeping everyone safe, the Octagon Theatre are pleased to announce a very special show that will be great fun for all the family.
Don’t miss this fun-sized festive treat for the whole family starring the Octagon’s regular panto stars, Gordon Cooper, Jack Glanville and Thom Ford. When a baddie steals the joy of pantomime, will Nurse Nellie and her friends manage to rescue it? Oh yes they will!
Written by Paul Hendy, and with a cast of five, this hilarious, socially distanced, 70-minute extravaganza will feature all your favourite panto moments including great musical numbers; the cart routine; and, of course, the famous ghost gag bench (‘well, we’ll have to do it again then, won’t we?!’)
Joyous, funny and uplifting, this really is a must-see show and the perfect antidote to 2020!
With a reduced number of tickets available, we strongly advise booking early for this!
Roger Guttridge recalls a colourful character from old Dorset
Thomas Hardy fans will remember a character in The Return of the Native called Diggory Venn, the Reddleman.
This Victorian travelling salesman made his living by selling reddle or raddle, a red powder widely used by shepherds.
Long before Hardy’s death in 1928, Dorset’s Reddleman had been succeeded by the Reddlewoman.
The Reddlewoman
And Mary Ann Bull was every bit as colourful as Venn, whom Hardy described as ‘completely red’ with dye covering ‘his clothes, the cap upon his head, his boots, his face and his hands’.
Dorset writer Olive Knott remembered the Reddlewoman’s visits to Sturminster Newton before the First World War.
‘Year after year this woman pitched her tent on the same spot in the grassy lane,’ Olive wrote.
‘To the children of the neighbourhood, she was wrapt in mystery.
‘A fire of sticks usually burned outside her tent. Nearby was her dark brown pony tethered to a four-wheeled open van. Even the van was bright red in colour.’
In this picture the Reddlewoman has a two-wheeled cart pulled by a pair of donkeys.
The late Roy Adam, of Pimperne, once told me that Mary Ann actually came from Somerset and her reddle from Cornwall.
‘At sheep-dipping time she would peddle her wares, also selling brickdust for cleaning harness,’ he said.
‘According to my late mother, she had a weather-beaten countenance and wore layers of petticoats, which made a good hiding place for her money.
‘She trusted her monies to various publicans and collected on the return journey. They included my grandfather, Joe Dowling, a horse dealer and licensee of the Farquharson Arms, Pimperne.
‘Mary Ann smoked a pipe and had a bad temper, like the lurcher that was tied to her cart.
‘She knew the value of herbs and prescribed cures for many ailments.’
The Reddlewoman was a regular at events such as Shroton Fair and Woodbury Hill Fair, Bere Regis.
She slept under bags and canvas beneath the cart, guarded by the lurcher.
The dog took its duties so seriously that when its mistress fell ill at Stourpaine chalk pit, it had to be put down before she could be helped.
Mary Ann was taken to Cerne Abbas Union and died on waste ground at Cerne, according to information given to me many years ago by Doris Allen, of Dorchester.
The late Larry Skeats, a former Dorset shepherd and landlord of the Deer Park at Lydlinch and the Trooper at Stourton Caundle, explained to me how reddle was used either side of World War Two.
‘Reddle was a very fine powder which came in three colours,’ he said.
‘It was mixed to a paste with oil to make it waterproof.
‘It was used to age-mark the flock and was also put on the ram’s brisket so the ewes were marked when served at tupping-time.
‘The shepherd used the colours in the order of yellow, red and blue and changed every 14 to 17 days.
‘So if the ewes returned, the lighter colour was obliterated by the second colour and in turn by the third.
‘This enabled the shepherd to bring the ewes into the lambing yard in their respective colours without overcrowding the yard.’
Ewes that returned a third time were usually barren but not always.
Made to Measure Productions and The Tivoli Theatre are delighted to confirm that this year’s Christmas pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk WILL be going ahead!
The show will be slightly shorter than usual, at just over an hour (with no interval), but the fun starts before the curtain even goes up as our hilarious cast get you up and dancing (socially distanced, of course!) in our pre-show warm up – there’s even a panto quiz to have a go at!
We’re also looking forward to our increasingly popular ‘Grown-Ups Only’ nights, which return for a third year on 29th & 30th
December and 2nd & 4th January. These usually sell out, and with social distancing in place there are very limited seats available so get in there quickly!
So, you have been named as an executor in someone’s Will. This means you have the legal authority to deal with their assets and to undertake the administration of their estate on their death.
An executor can be a family member, friend or professional. Being chosen as an executor is an honour; however it also comes with certain obligations.
A common misconception is that you cannot act as an executor if you are a beneficiary. This is not the case. However, you must ensure you act in the best interests of the estate, which can sometimes conflict with what your wishes may be as one of the beneficiaries!
It is a great responsibility to take on the role of an executor, and is a lifelong appointment. Some estates will be relatively straightforward to administer, but others can be extremely complex and can even take several years to complete.
Some of the duties and responsibilities expected of an executor include, but are not limited to:
Accurately identifying all assets and liabilities of the estate;
Obtaining formal valuations of the assets (where appropriate);
Calculating the value of the estate and any tax liability;
Claiming the available allowances to offset against any tax liability;
Settling any tax due within six months of the date of death and before interest starts to accrue (where possible);
Ensuring the assets of the estate are safely preserved for the beneficiaries until distribution;
Settling the personal taxation of the deceased; and
Completing the estate in a timely manner
You could be held personally financially liable for any loss resulting from a breach of duty, even if the mistake is a genuine one.
You must ensure you have carried out sufficient investigations in relation to any creditors or debts the deceased may have had. If you pay any of the deceased’s debts and additional creditors come to light which then exceeds the value of the assets, you may become liable to settle alldebts in full.
Similarly, if you make distributions from the estate to the beneficiaries too early, and a successful claim is then brought against the estate, you may be personally liable to settle the claim from your own resources.
Before distributing the estate to the beneficiaries, you must carry out checks as to their respective financial positions. If a beneficiary is bankrupt, their entitlement may instead be payable to the trustee in bankruptcy.
As you can see there is a lot to consider when taking on the role as executor and it can seem rather a daunting prospect. However, the law does have procedures in place to protect executors.
You should consider instructing a firm of solicitors to assist you with the administration of an estate to navigate you through the process. Any legal fees are due from the estate, not you personally. Do not get caught out and open yourself up to unnecessary risk!
Leweston Enterprises is proud to present, Cinema under the stars!
On saturday the 24th October there will be a spooky screening of Disney’s Hocus Pocus. Fancy dress is definitely encouraged, with a treat for anyone who dresses up! Hot food, drinks and sweet treats will be available to purchase before the film starts. gates open at 5.30pm and the film starts promptly at 6.30pm.
You can book tickets online at www.lewestonenterprises.co.uk/events Ticket prices: Adults £10, students £7.50, Children £5, children under 5 go free!
Anyone with employment concerns as a result of Covid-19 is urged by Citizens Advice Dorset and Dorset Council to reach out and seek advice as soon as possible.
Citizens Advice Dorset has helped more than 1,000 people with employment issues since lockdown.
That’s a 35 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
Redundancy, furlough and pay are the top issues it has dealt with during the pandemic.
If you’ve lost your job, had your hours or pay reduced, or redundancy is on the horizon, Citizens Advice is stressing it can help.
This includes checking your redundancy is fair, entitlement to redundancy pay, furlough, notice period, holiday pay and paid time off to look for work.
Details of the support available can be found here.
Helen Goldsack, Chief Officer of Citizens Advice Purbeck, said: “We have helped people with a huge range of issues since lockdown, but we know that as the furlough scheme draws to an end, lots of people may be feeling worried and need advice.
Helen Goldsack
“If you’re at risk of redundancy, it’s important to know you do have rights to help protect you from unfair dismissal and to ensure you’re paid what you’re owed.
“It’s completely understandable that you may find the rules and procedures overwhelming, but you don’t have to face redundancy alone.
“We are here to help on 03444 111 444 or visit the council’s Reaching Out pages.”
Before Covid19 swept the globe, concern about the environment had reached tipping point. Now, as a radical shift to new sectors of the economy emerges it is vital that the environment is top of the list of concerns, and we support the entrepreneurs and emerging companies that are setting out on a course to protect the environment, as well as promote a path to prosperity.
Covid19 has changed behaviour and created opportunities. One key change is localization – we are travelling less to offices and are investing more time and money in our local communities. It is hoped local high streets and retail parks may attract new customers as a result. Online services still thrive, from food delivery to piano lessons – many of these are delivered by businesses at a local level.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
Located in Sturminster Newton, Harts is one of the largest in-store and online retailers of kitchenware in the UK. With the majority of its business online, Harts has developed an award-winning app and is currently expanding its garden centre and opening a café. Wessex Internet, based in Iwerne Minster, specializes in delivering high speed internet solutions to rural locations. Award winning Prodigy IT Solutions, based near Blandford, offers IT service management to small and medium business across Dorset.
The Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is supporting a digital and cultural transformation across Dorset by funding growth in Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing (AEM), Creative Technology and Agriculture/Aquaculture. Investment includes engineering and construction centres in Weymouth College, and construction and design in Bournemouth and Poole College.
Courses in cyber security, visual effects, gaming, animation, app creation and post production are available in Bournemouth Universities. This year 162 apprentices trained on high spec workshops and machinery at Kingston Maurwood, and the LEP have funded an innovative agri-tech company, draperVENT, to develop computerized climate control systems for the agricultural sector. Dorset has a long and proud tradition of farming – the agricultural sector is worth over £100m.
The government’s programme, KickStart, provides funding for 16-24 year olds in a six month job placement but will need to do more to support those made unemployed due to Covid19. Our rural and emerging technology economy also needs a more flexible use of the apprenticeship levy to provide technology skills training.
There are reasons to be positive – we live in beautiful countryside and Dorset people are a resilient bunch. If we shop local, choose local produce and use local businesses and services, this will help both our rural economy and the environment.
Jane Westbrook, North Dorset CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England)
Shaftesbury Arts Centre is delighted to resume its live streaming events with Romeo and Juliet. Choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky and performed by the Bolshoi Ballet company.
Celebrated Bolshoi stars Ekaterina Krysanova and Vladislav Lantratov portray the star-crossed lovers destined to pay the ultimate price for their forbidden romance.
The box office is currently closed, all bookings must be made online. Sunday 11 October at 2pm and 7pm.
A brand new audio conference called BEYOND2020 – The Future of Business is to be launched by Dorset Growth Hub (DGH).
The aim is to promote future thinking and share positive stories and business opportunities.
With many businesses focusing on the here and now, DGH is hoping the event will help with forward thinking, what to prioritise next, what’s changed and what businesses can improve.
The free five day audio event will be held from October 19 to 23.
A different topic will be explored each day:
Sustainability
Culture
Diversity & Inclusion
Attracting New Business
Future Trends.
Each day, three podcast episodes will be released for 24 hours only.
They will be followed the next day by a Q&A panel with the guest speakers that featured in each episode.
Last year’s annual conference featured speakers from Dyson, Monzo and Jimmys Iced Coffee.
Mary Lloyd, DGH’s Marketing Manager, said “After running over 60 online events on Zoom, we started to think about how we could do something new and exciting, bringing together businesses from Dorset alongside larger national brands.
Mary Lloyd
“We went through the process of thinking we would just cancel the conference all together, and wait until next year, but I think businesses really need a little positivity and inspiration to just keep going at the moment.
“As an organisation, we are trying new platforms, pushing boundaries as we try to reach as many businesses as possible to provide helpful content that can make a difference.
“The episodes we have recorded so far are really practical, full of tips and inspiration for ambitious business owners and managers.
“The topics we have chosen are rarely covered locally, but are priorities that we think are paramount going into the next 12 months.
“They will be spoken about from differing perspectives.
“From local start-ups like Ethicly and Street Agency, established local brands like OnBuy and RNLI, to national brands like ITV and Wessannen (Clipper Tea, Kallo & Whole Earth).
“We have some great speakers lined up.”
To register and see all the speakers announced so far, click here.
The event is completely free to attend.
It is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by Dorset Growth Hub.
