BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

WELCOME TO NEW BUSINESS TNA FABRICS

At The Conduit we are all in favour of welcoming new businesses and this month it is the turn of TNA Fabrics in Yeovil. Created by an intrepid trio comprising Tracey, Nicky and Anita (hence the name), the business was formed after a previous shop on the same Yeovil premises announced its closure. The employees of that business harnessed their entrepreneurial streak and put all their past expertise into the forming of TNA Fabrics.

The result is a great shop that offers all of the following:

• Experienced friendly team • Free customer car park • Made to measure curtain service

• Curtain/upholstery fabrics • Dressmaking fabrics and patterns • Knitting yarn and patterns • Quilting fabrics and batting • Haberdashery Since opening they have already invested in a great deal of new stock. You will find them at Manor Stables, opposite the Octagon Theatre. The address is Manor Stables, Hendford, Yeovil BA20 1UN. Tel: 01935 671891.

WORDSEARCH competition

CALLING ALL WORDLE FANS!

If you, like me, are a fan of the new online word game Wordle, then this month’s Conduit Wordsearch may tickle your fancy! Just find the seven-letter words in the grid below, ring each word until you have found all of them and when you have completed the puzzle send it to: The Conduit Magazine, Unit 4, Barton View Business Park, Sheeplands Lane, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4FW. The lucky winner receives a £10 cheque. The closing date is: Monday 25 July. Good luck.

ATHLETE EARLDOM FORCING GRANITE GROUCHY HABITAT HOLIDAY KITCHEN LOLLING MADNESS OUTPOST PERVADE PRONOUN QUALIFY RESTFUL STOPPER TABLOID UTENSIL YEARNED YOUNGER ZANIEST

Name: __________________________________________________________

Tel : _________________________ Email: ______________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________

ENJOY A GREAT DAY OUT AT THE FLEET AIR ARM MUSEUM!

This summer, experience life at sea at the National Museum of the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm Museum.

The museum is home to Europe’s largest collection of Royal Navy aircraft and is a great day out for both adults and families alike. Whether you are looking for somewhere to entertain the kids over the holidays or want to brush up on your history, this is the place for you.

As you explore the museum, step back in time and get up close to a range of historic aircraft as you hear about naval aviation. This includes early aircraft, such as the Sopwith Baby, to the fighter planes of the Second World War and finally to the fast jets and helicopters of the modern era.

For 2022, the museum has a variety of exciting additions including the much anticipated and upgraded Carrier Experience which promises to be an adventure not to be missed. Landing at the end of July, visitors can step through time and see the evolution of the aircraft carrier and the aircraft that accompanied it. This state-of-the-art immersive experience will take you from the pioneer years of the First World War all the way to the modern Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers of today. at sea. Get within touching distance of a range of aircraft from where it all began with the Sopwith Pup – the first aircraft to land on board a moving ship, through 100 years of naval aircraft, including the Sea Harrier.

Your journey then continues through the island of the carrier as you find out more about life on board these moving airfields. Hear the stories of the highly skilled people who have served on board, learn more about the different spaces such as the engine rooms, living quarters and the command centre of the ship. You can also find out about the technology used on the modern Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers and their role in the Royal Navy today.

The museum’s cafe has also been transformed and upgraded, Warneford’s (named after pilot Rex Warneford who was awarded the Victoria Cross) serves a variety of hot and cold snacks and drinks. There is sure to be something for everyone.

There is always something new to explore at the Fleet Air Arm Museum which is why all tickets are valid for a full year. This means that you can return as many times as you like for no extra cost, so you will always have something planned for when the schools are off or somewhere to go no matter the weather. Tickets start from only £10. Book online now at www.nmrn. org.uk.

LOOKING AFTER BASKETS AND TUBS

By Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group

CASTLE GARDENS

New Road, Sherborne DT9 5NR

Tel: 01935 814633

BRIMSMORE GARDENS

Tintinhull Road, Yeovil BA21 3NU

Tel: 01935 411000

POUNDBURY GARDENS

Peverell Avenue, Poundbury DT1 3RT

Tel: 01305 257250 www.thegardensgroup.co.uk

The spring is a busy time for planting and potting and getting the garden in shape. At the height of the summer one could be forgiven for thinking that all of the work in the garden is done and that a spot of relaxation should be an entitlement! However, although there should be time for a snooze every now and then, there are also chores to be done to keep plants in good shape.

Baskets and tubs need to be watered every day. On a rainy day in the garden centre, it can often amuse customers seeing the plant team in waterproofs still watering the plant displays. This is because so much of the rain will be blocked from getting to the soil in pots by the foliage of the plant. The use of water retentive gel in the compost can help but its effects are marginal and are no substitute for daily watering. It’s also worth a look at how water is applied. Gaily wafting the fine spray from the end of a hosepipe is probably the least efficient method, whereas seep hoses and also the use of micro irrigation systems which apply water very precisely quite often with drip nozzles will be much more effective.

Regular feeding especially of tubs and baskets will also keep the garden looking good. It’s worth thinking about what the food is for. For example, if more flowers are required as they would be in a hanging basket then a high potash fertilizer, such as Tomorite would be good. In leafy crops in the vegetable garden, a feed higher in nitrogen might be more appropriate. If a tub or basket has been allowed to dry out then soak to rehydrate the plants and the compost. The new fertiliser from Westland called Boost is perfect for this, as it contains a wetting agent that will help rehydrate the compost. This should be followed by a high nitrogen foliar feed (Phostrogen or Maxicrop) before returning to the high potash (tomato food). Keep an eye out too for shrubs and herbaceous plants looking pale in leaf colour. Foliar feeding will help get the nutrient where the plant needs it most. This is especially true for acid-loving plants in most of our soils locally. Use an ericaceous fertilizer, such as Maxicrop in the blue bottles, and the plants will improve quickly. It’s also worth remembering that camellias make their buds at this time of year and to do that they need to be kept well watered. You will only notice that they didn’t get watered properly next spring when they try to flower, only for the buds to fall off. This is especially true for plants in tubs. Deadheading too should be carried out on flowering displays. On many plants, should a flower be allowed to go to seed the plant will think its job is done. However, with the removal of the old flowers the plant is kidded into thinking that it needs to produce more flowers and so the display will be prolonged. And once all of this is done, there should still be time to step back and admire the display!

WINTER GARDEN GLASS EXTENSIONS

By Liv Sabat

A Solarlux wintergarden glass extension can transform your home, open up your living space and help you make the most of your outdoor space. A wintergarden is a glass extension that can be added to the rear or side of your home. They are thermally insulated and come with a range of shading, ventilation and lighting options, meaning it can be used all year round.

You may think, why? Why should I add a glass extension to my home? A glass extension will provide an extra living space in your home allowing you to spend more time outdoors with your loved ones as well as adding value to your home. Our wintergardens are similar to the traditional conservatory, however, with their outstanding thermal properties, there’s no need to worry about it being too cold in the winter or too warm in the summer. With this in mind, you can pretty much use a wintergarden for just about anything; whether it’s a playroom for the children, a home office, a dining area or home gym, the possibilities are endless. Our wintergardens are designed and manufactured to last a lifetime. Solarlux uses highquality materials, and has made sure that the structure can withstand higher winds, heavy snow and torrential downpours. The best part about choosing to get an extension for your home with us is that we can create an extension to match your aesthetic. You are in charge of choosing the colour, size, shapes and any accessories, and our job is to make your dream come to life.

Whichever roof system you decide to choose, you can combine your roof construction with a variety of vertical glass elements. The benefit of this is enjoying the open space to the outdoors, as well as a fast interchange of air for perfect ventilation.

We can help you create a truly amazing living space that will seamlessly transition perfectly with your home, making it feel like it’s always been there. Once we install your wintergarden, all that will be left is you adding the finishing touches so you can sit back, relax and enjoy!

To contact us call 01935 324377 or email: info@sunroomsuk.com. Visit: www.sunroomsuk.com.

See you next time! Liv

Photo credit: Solarlux

UP THE GARDEN PATH

By Julie Haylock, Sandhurst Garden Design

At this time of the year gardeners reap the rewards of having given their borders a good mulch last autumn and early in the spring. Now is the time the plants come to their glorious peek of scent and colour, fed by all that goodness and, boy, how good for the soul it is!

Since starting Sandhurst Garden Design, I have always made sure that at every step of the design process my clients are fully involved to ensure we achieve their dream garden to enjoy for many years to come.

I thought I would share with you a selection of client reviews from projects we have completed recently, and say, ‘this is what makes my job so rewarding.’

‘A complete garden solution with

a professional and friendly service’

We needed a complete revamp of our garden which had been neglected for years. Sandhurst Garden Design looked after us from the very start, producing an overall plan for the structural work and planting. We felt involved all the way through the process and they turned our basic ideas into a vision and then reality. Steve S

‘Delighted with our small garden’

We only had a small undeveloped patch to call our garden. As it was small, we believed it was important to get professional help to make sure we made best use of the space. We were drawn to Sandhurst Garden Design because of their reputation, and from the first moment we made contact, we were not disappointed. Julie and Andrew planted the trees, shrubs and perennials in the borders which we are really pleased with and we are now looking forward to long summer evenings. Mr and Mrs L

‘A garden to be proud of!’ We are absolutely delighted with the garden Julie designed and created for us. She really listened to what we liked and made suggestions we would have not even thought of, but that have made such a difference. Tracy S

‘As good as it gets!’ I cannot say enough to express the positive experience we have had with Julie. She has such an eye for detail and could not do enough to ensure that we got the garden of our dreams! Karen M

For more testimonials and those exciting ‘before’ and ‘after’ photographs, visit my website www. sandhurstgardendesign.co.uk.

The clock has started ticking down for us until we exhibit our show garden entitled ‘Time to Reflect’ at Taunton Flower Show on 5 and 6 August. I think the garden will resonate with so many people who have taken solace in their own gardens during the last two years either as a place where they felt secure, took their daily exercise or a place to sit in quiet contemplation and heal after losing a loved one.

We are really looking forward to sharing the garden with everyone, so if you are planning to come to the show, please come and say hello.

Until next time, Julie

POEM CORNER

By Andrew Haylock

The inspiration for the poem this month is the tradition of the fete in so many villages across the land during the summer months.

THE VILLAGE FETE

A hot afternoon under a turquoise sky, Streamers, flags and bunting fly. The village fete still popular as always, A tradition of long and lazy summer days. Ribbon cut, opened by a local celebrity, Then first in the queue for a cream tea!

On the WI cake stall money well spent, A rival to The Great British Bake-Off tent. Winning tickets from the tombola drum, Sweets won by dad, given to his son. The coconut shy is in full flow, Mum laughs winning one, a lucky throw!

Enthusiastic tannoy commentary of the pony race, Parents cheering children ‘go on win a place’. Jovial voices carry across the showground, From where the busy beer tent can be found. Prizes awarded for perfect fruit and veg, Judges selecting which one they like best.

Excited barking from dog show ring, As bounding faithful pets, rosettes they win. Brass band plays some patriotic songs, People in striped deck chairs all sing along. Trade is brisk across the show, Crafts and gifts, home they go.

Wellie throwing, and tug of war, Eager competitors all shout and roar. Classic cars sparkle and gleam, All add to this annual scene. Vicar delighted it’s a humble truth, More funds raised for the leaking church roof!

Sandhurst Garden Design

Julie Haylock

Garden Designer

20 Sandhurst Road, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2LG

Tel: 07899 710168 Email: juliesandhurst1@gmail.com www.sandhurstgardendesign.co.uk

Contact Julie for garden and border design, planting plans, plant selection advice and garden styling Garden Landscape & Construction Services

www.sherbornegardenangels.co.uk 01935 324737

WI-FI – WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?

By James Flynn, Milborne Port Computers

People generally recognise Wi-Fi as the internet as a whole, i.e. the Wi-Fi is down, or we don’t have any Wi-Fi! Half of the time. This is actually due to no, or a poor, internet connection from the telephone line to your router. Your router still sends out its wireless signal (which is strong) but with no, or poor, internet strength. The other half is that devices are too far away from the router, or something is in the way (thick stone walls or new reflective insulation). With most of us connecting to the internet wirelessly and now working from home, this is increasingly becoming more of a problem.

So, what is Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi: a facility allowing computers, smartphones, or other devices to connect to the internet or communicate with one another wirelessly within a particular area. Most of the time your router will emit a Wi-Fi signal whether it has an internet connection or not. When connected to the WiFi, you are connected to your router’s network and then the internet is fed into that network when internet is available.

I describe it to people like the piping system in a house. Cold water is always in the pipes, which is the network, and the boiler comes on and heats the water and is added to the system. When your boiler breaks down, you still have cold water, and when the internet goes down, you still have an internal network but without any internet. People always ask us ‘Can you provide a router with a stronger Wi-Fi signal?’ The real honest answer is no. Indoor routers generally have a limit on the strength of signal omitted from them. To achieve a stronger Wi-Fi signal, you either need to move your router to a more central location of the building or increase the signal with WiFi-enhancing products such as powerline adaptors or a mesh system. Powerline adaptors are where the network/internet is sent via your mains cabling from adaptor to adaptor plugged into your house power sockets. These work well for houses all on the same ring main. These are very popular at Milborne Port Computers. Mesh systems have slowly become more popular over the years. They’re a series of Wi-Fi pillars or discs which are placed around the building and bounce the signal off each other to give a seamless connection.

We generally don’t recommend Wi-Fi extenders, as these devices can only retransmit the Wi-Fi signal that they can see, so the further away from router they are, the weaker signal they transmit. You also sometimes need more of these in a daisy chain format to get the signal further. If you have any Wi-Fi questions, you know where to come.

THE BENEFITS OF REAL FINANCIAL PLANNING

By Mark Salter, Fort Financial Planning

Whilst writing this article, it has been another week of chaos at UK airports, with hundreds of flights cancelled and holidaymakers facing long queues, with reports of waits up to eight hours.

Pent-up demand for travel and staff shortages have combined to put pressure on airports and airlines, and it looks like the problems are likely to continue through the peak holiday season.

Planning ahead and budgeting is going to be vital to reduce unnecessary emotional and financial stress for this year’s holiday. This is not only true when planning a much needed holiday but also for all your future lifetime goals.

There’s a subtle but important difference between financial advice and financial planning. A real financial planner will not focus on your money, but on your lives.

Real financial planning doesn’t simply involve finding products to suit a need. Instead, it answers questions such as: • What are your dreams and aspirations for the future? • What do you want for yourselves and your family? • How much will you need to meet these goals?

Only by finding out answers to these questions can we understand both your circumstances and your goals, and work with you to achieve your life ambitions.

At FFP, once we get to know you, we use a range of tools including tax, contingency and cash flow planning to build and maintain a financial plan that will last you a lifetime. For example, we can stress test your situation and model a range of ‘what if?’ scenarios to test the impact of certain events on your plans.

Analytical work such as cash flow modelling considers the gaps between your goals and the financial reality of achieving them. And, if we find gaps, we can model different possible scenarios to help you understand how we can bridge them. This may include: • saving more • spending less • retiring later • downsizing the house • leaving less to your family

On the flip side, modelling a range of scenarios may mean that you gift more, retire earlier or spend more than you expected!

Truth About Money® is a consumer cash flow modelling tool that we have provided access to, free of charge. It shows part of what we do in our bespoke financial planning process. Try our cash flow modelling tool here: https:// www.ffp.org.uk/truth-about-money or get in touch with us to find out more.

A delighted David Lester-Card received a surprise bonus when he was connected to full fibre broadband by Dorsetbased Wessex Internet. As the company’s 5000th customer, he will receive a free service for life.

David (aged 66) first heard the fantastic news when Field Sales Manager Zac Barrett turned up on his doorstep in the rural village of Tytherington, Wiltshire, minutes after his home was connected to full fibre broadband by Norton Maby from the install team. David, a former operations director, was presented with a bottle of champagne and was then told about the free service which is worth £44 per month. He was amazed to hear that he would get free internet for the rest of his life and couldn’t wait to break the news to his wife Caroline, an NHS cardiac physiologist. He said: ‘We have struggled with poor internet for some time – but I never believed that we would ever get an ultrafast full fibre connection to our home. We don’t even have a mains water supply! It all happened in a short amount of time – from when we first had a leaflet from Wessex Internet, followed by Zac knocking on the door to the installation into my house. After posing for a few photographs along with his dog Alfie, David was keen to go online to get a taste of his new superfast internet. He said ‘It is totally amazing – and allows us to move with the world!’

Wessex Internet connected David’s home as part of its work across Dorset, Wiltshire and South Somerset to bring full fibre broadband to rural villages and towns. Blandfordbased Wessex Internet recently scooped two national industry awards for its work connecting rural communities to full fibre broadband. Beating internet companies from across the UK, the organisation won ‘Best Rural Fibre Provider’ and ‘Rollout Challenge Buster’ at the inaugural UK Fibre Awards, which celebrate the success of fibre networks delivering digital infrastructure in the UK.

Wessex Internet is on the lookout for new talent across Dorset and South Somerset to support a major rollout of its full fibre network to rural areas. For anyone wanting to find out about current job vacancies, they can visit www. wessexinternet.com/careers.

Join the journey to brilliant broadband

Say hello to a connection you can depend on with ultrafast full fibre broadband.

With so many amazing businesses in Somerset, they were keen to support independent businesses who could demonstrate how £1000 would be invested to help their business grow and make an impact on their local communities. Denys Rayner, chairman of Somerset Day CIC and one of the competition judges, commented: ‘We received many excellent entries and the judges faced a daunting task choosing which deserved to be chosen to receive the three grants – indeed so challenging was the task that the judges took the decision to share one of the grants between two businesses.’

The two businesses each winning £1,000 are Yellow Door Cottage in Stogursey and Rocket and Bird in Taunton. Up to 900Mbps The judges thought that both businesses showed exceptional entrepreneurship and considered their entries to be outstanding Local friendly supportFrom £29 a month Up to 11x faster than the UK average broadband speed. examples of how local businesses are working to support their communities. If you need us, speak to our friendly support team based in Dorset. Packages from just £29 per month with free installation.* Sharing the third £1,000 grant with each receiving £500 are Lesser Litter in Taunton and Langport Vintage Market. Both of these wessexinternet.com businesses also demonstrated a strong community ethos around a *We may apply for goverment funding on your behalf to offer you a free installation subject to survey. sound business model.

WORK IS A TEAM SPORT – NO, REALLY IT IS!

By Patricia Marks

Both the last few and the next few weeks are conference season for me, both presenting and attending as a delegate – I get to travel to lovely Warwickshire, mid Wales, Madrid, and around my home county of Somerset.

At the presenting ones, I am discussing people management and what it means. In my view, people management is the only form of management and it is mission critical for any business, organisation, or group success.

Question – can people be managed? The answer – Yes – if they want to be and most people in the workforce want and are happy to be.

So where does that journey start – it’s with the recruitment and selection process. We have known this for some time, yet it still needs work.

The process starts with knowing what your organisation needs to be done, this therefore means knowing your organisation; what it is doing, where it is going and how it is planning to get there. These are your mission, vision, values, strategies, objectives and your plans.

From here it is writing a tailored Job Description (JD) and Person Specification (PS) – these two documents are vital to attract the right people to apply to come and work with you. They are not ‘tick box’ exercises to get out as much information across as you can or show off the organisation or set out what you want as a rule book, they are the basis of a new relationship with your next employee, so make them engaging and enlightening.

The next step is requesting and receiving of the applications; this might be more important than the JD and PS – how do your potential new colleagues get in touch with you, how do they present the information about themselves and what is the process (explicitly including timescales, format, quantity, and quality)? Job seeking should not be a test – it should be a process of engagement from both sides and transparent for both, if you want a good working relationship going forward.

We move forward to the ‘sift’ for the interviews. The sift needs to be fair, open and understood by all involved. I am an advocate of telling the potential applicants how they will be assessed, who is involved in the process and what they can expect next. Even down to giving the applicants a biography of the assessors. assessing a person’s potential and ability. I agree an interview needs to be done but again it is not a test! Most interviews I have attended are set up so ‘them and us’ that I have often been put off at that point or wanted the role so much but ‘froze/got over nervous/panicked’ at the interview and then been upset as I have not given the best version of myself at all and not given the organisation a chance to see what I truly have to offer.

Interviews are also often so short and overprescribed that it is not possible to adequately assess a person from such an intervention. I want all interviews to be a minimum of four hours for any role, interviews to be interactive and well planned, questions to be sent to the interviewee for preparation and that whole selection process to be laid out for both sides. I want the interviewee to be asked to set out what they want from the process too and how they want it to go!

Working is a team sport! And there is no ‘I’ in team. Let’s shake up the recruitment and selection process!