2000 jobs!

Since January 2009 CJS Weekly has carried adverts for over 2000 new, not previously advertised, paid UK countryside, conservation jobs. Not forgetting the voluntary and training opportunities too! Monday's edition is already online and will soon be printed ready for mailing. This week it's 10 pages with 79 new paid posts, 51 of which came direct to CJS.
The local Royal Mail offices are being reorganised and the the collection of your CJS from the offices is changing - we have everything crossed that there are no hitches (!). Troublesome sagas continue with BT, we thought it was all solved and everything back to normal but then we got a letter requesting bank details for the direct debit for the new Rent-a-Ranger phone account, after quite a while listening to lovely canned musak a real person assures us that the direct debit has been set up and it is for the correct BT and bank accounts - watch this space. But remember if one day you can't reach us by phone you'll know that it really did go pineapple shaped (10 times worse then pears) and they've cut us off.
This week the owl has been back on the telephone wires, but we think it's one of last year's youngsters as it's a bit smaller and the colouring is paler. Last night it was considering bat for dinner (or should that me breakfast?). There were two pipestrelles flying around the eaves and one was definitely chasing the other. We're not sure what was going on as they're both the same size and have been seen in proximity before - if you have any suggestions please let us know.

Busy birding.

There's something in the air.
Thunder and hail yesterday and today the dogs are behaving most oddly; Hebe is usually as mad as a box of frogs and this morning was even more crackers than usual, even Cara (the large hound) is acting strangely. All except Juno who's a little subdued she has injured her paw and had to visit here favourite veterinarian on Monday and is now on antibiotics.
We hadn't heard the cuckoo for several days but yesterday evening it was calling again. Lots of the garden birds were yelling too because the owl was sitting on the telephone wires again, looking thoroughly miserable and more than slightly soggy. And today it's been the turn of the swifts to be screaming around, our very own Springwatch right outside the window.
This week the Monthly has gone out and Monday's Weekly contains the July Training Calendar added to which we launched our facebook pages too.
We have two pages, one all about CJS at www.facebook.com/pages/Countryside-Jobs-Service/20284044858 but if you're not interested in our news (then why are you reading the blog?!?) and want to get straight to the action then become a fan of the CJS Jobs page at www.facebook.com/pages/CJS-Jobs/73274275980 So it's been a busy week all in all. The Weekly is currently printing, it's 11 pages plus five for the training calendar containing 60 new paid posts of which 29 came direct to CJS. As usual it's already online and paper copies are due on Monday.

CJS Monthly

The June edition is now online, emails are whizzing through cyberspace and should be landing soon, paper copies are due on desks on Thursday but you can read it right now so click here.

Birthdays, butterflies, dolphins, rain and jobs...!

After a beautiful weekend and start to the week the weather broke and it's cold, grey, wet and miserable today. The swifts and house martins are conspicuous by their absence, they've gone to hunt in brighter skies although the nest building is coming on well. The big event this week was most junior office dog Hebe had her birthday, she's now two years old and officially no longer a puppy - will someone tell her that please, apologies to any callers who heard strange squeakings, it was just the birthday ball.
Our article in Monday's edition of CJS Weekly is about the incredible migration of the painted lady butterflies, one has been reported in Goathland so they've reached us too. But even more amazing is that bottlenose dolphins have been reported off Whitby, see our local paper, The Whitby Gazette, for more details.
Oh, yes and CJS Weekly is now printing, 10 pages this week with 91 new paid posts of which 27 came direct to CJS.

Excursions and Weekly.

What a strange week, bank holiday Monday was unsurprisingly very quiet but also lovely weather. then it went wet and miserable but today the sun's back. The cuckoos (yes, we have odd one or seven, red list or not) were yelling their heads off this morning, the swifts have been screaming (we have a fair size squadron of those too, lucky us) and it was too hot at lunch time to eat outside. the forecast for the weekend is quite good too so fingers crossed for a good few days. Although not too hot in Edinburgh please, ST our Scottish stringer is watching family, with typical British pale skin, run the marathon, but not too dreech either as more family is off on DoE expeditions - so we wish them all well and hope whatever the weather it suits their various activities. At the other end of the country in the English capital AW is treating some of her family to a weekend of culture with trips to Tate Modern, Kew and seats to watch A Little Night Music. Some of us are stuck in the office producing your Weekly edition which is now falling off the printer. it's a smallish one this week with just eight pages but 55 new paid posts of which 21 came direct to CJS; there are a few re-ads too.

Bank Holiday sunshine

Someone forgot to tell the weather gods that it's a Bank Holiday!

Brilliant sunshine all weekend if a little breezy at times. But we're back at the keyboards now making a start on next Monday's edition of CJS Weekly and keeping the jobs boards ticking over.

Bank Holiday Weekly

Is now on route, almost.
Printers are rattling away and envelopes being stuffed. Royal Mail permitting it will be with you on Tuesday. Digital copies are already online. This week, with today being International Day for Biological diversity, we're highlighting the Pink Peril in the Lake District - that's Himalayan Balsam to you and me, which is clogging up large areas of the Rothay Valley, near Windermere and causing a huge amount of damage.
On the jobs front there are twelve pages of 85 new paid posts, 34 of which came direct to CJS.
The weather forecast for the weekend is good (well reasonable) so we're off to enjoy the sunshine. have a good bank holiday whether you're working or playing.

Penny Hedge

We have some very old customs in the Whitby District but the planting of the Penny Hedge must be one of the most unusual. The descendants of one family have been building the hedge in the mud flats of the harbour every Ascension Eve since 1159 in penance for killing a boar on sacred land (in the chapel of a hermits cell). The penance was laid down by the then Abbot of the Abbey. For more about the history click here or to read about this year's ceremony click here.

Birding news

Although there a were few around the feeders over the winter we thought they'd moved on and left us but there (right now) is a tree sparrow hopping around the Norway spruce in the garden just across the lawn from the CJS office window. And not content with one unusual (for us) sighting whilst looking at the tree sparrow we saw climbing up the trunk was a tree creeper.

Annual outing

The blogger-in-chief spent yesterday at the Chelsea Flower Show. Photos will follow in due course.

Give me strength!

Last month we extended our broadband contract with BT (very bad idea as it turns out). The confirmation was sent to Rent-a-Ranger (this is the business Niall and Anthea used to run back in the 80s and early 90s). A quick phone call changed it back to CJS.
End of the subject we thought. But oh no...
A week later Niall as Rent-a-Ranger got three confirmation of order letters, with provisional allocation of new phone numbers (ours!) sent here to the CJS office.
In their wisdom BT had changed the accounts for all three main phone lines into Rent-a-Ranger. Bear in mind Rent-a-Ranger never operated from this address, never had even an email address never mind broadband and we sent legal letters to BT changing the CJS details when Niall retired.
We phoned BT and surprisingly got straight through, they were totally confused and had no idea what had happened but promised we'd keep our lines, phone numbers and broadband whilst they investigated. A few days later we got a call from Complaints who were now handling the case, after patiently explaining again they sat in bemused silence. We'll look into it they said and get back to you. Which they duly did "we don't know why it happened, there seems to be a legal entity listing on the accounts" but to put it right "we will recreate the accounts, someone from local sales will contact you". And they did; however, to recreate the accounts we had to sign transfer documents (why didn't we need to do this first time round? Different departments have different protocols apparently). OK all information provided - again - and completed documentation signed in triplicate. In the mean time we got a refund of the outstanding balance on the accounts that had been closed (direct debit claimed two days after the 'transfer' had taken place). Next was receipt of confirmation of the new, new orders back to CJS (are you still with us?) followed by a call from Complaints checking everything was proceeding according to plan - theirs not ours - well if we're back to CJS yes that's OK and so far no break in service. Directory services called to check the listings for the new accounts for inclusion in the phone book.
THEN Niall got bills for Rent-a-Ranger at the CJS address for the installation of the new lines, line rental, calls made and also penalties for early cancellation totalling over £600. We called Complaints and said what's going on here then. "Ah, I had a feeling this might happen, don't worry we'll cancel those and send amended bills for the period between the cancellation and new account creation" What?? Oh for the 28 days of line rental between the refund and new account creation, OK then. Two days later bills arrived for between £6 and £11 pounds to be paid by cheque or card, I guess we have set up direct debits again but this morning the bill for the broadband arrived - it's still on a direct debit and as a new customer they want payment for two quarters up front, but they've refunded the remainder of the previous quarter before they chucked the toolbox in the works. Now if you're refunding a previous payment how can you, on the same piece of paper, claim the business as a new customer? No, we don't know either.
But now according to BT we're a new business, new account, new occupier and guess what? They've told the whole world. So now Yellow Pages, Business Directory, 118 et al all want to confirm our details for inclusion in their services and would we like to take out paid advertising whilst we're at it to catch all the people in our area....
We watch the post with bated breath to see what the next missive will be.

Busy Week

Yesterday the Focus on Training was published. Today it's the turn of CJS Monthly to hit the presses, copies are now rolling off and will be married up with address sheets pushed into envelopes and be ready for collection tomorrow morning before landing on your desk on Thursday. Digital readers have already received their notifications and the online copy is now live. Read it here. This month there are five pages of ads plus another five in the Events Diary.

Focus on Training

Out today, Monday 11 May.

14 pages of articles, information, adverts and useful contacts all on the subject of training in and for work in the countryside and conservation sectors.

To read the Focus - CLICK HERE

This publication is produced in association with Lantra.

Sunny Friday

But just don't mention the windows....
What is it about new windows? When Niall had his replaced it led to the "Everest saga" (see www.grovesdyke.co.uk and click on Windows) The replacement windows for the two big bay windows are the wrong size - no it's not that they won't fit the hole, just that the glass is too small and the timber casements too big more than double the ones they are replacing. A major summit of all interested parties was called yesterday and after much discussion new plans are being drawn up and it looks like eight more new windows. Watch this space.

Well at the back of the building, bathes in glorious sunshine we carry on and have been doubly busy this week, subscribers are getting CJS Weekly (10 pages 68 jobs, 36 direct) and CJS Focus on Training, 14 pages of articles and adverts. Non-subscribers get their copy online on Monday. Details will follow next week.

Summer is officially here, the swifts arrived on Thursday morning, three screaming around the eaves. We think (hope) that they're last years ones returned and will nest again.

windows, Weekly and hedgehogs.

It's been a bit of a mad week (but then when is it not?). Monday and Tuesday the weather was absolutely awful, wet, miserable and even wetter and we were several very large windows missing. Monday was so awful we relit the wood stove. However, wonderful new double glazed windows in FSC hard wood frames are now installed and the last bits of painting are being finished in glorious sunshine.
The latest weekly edition is currently being printed and the digital version are available already. If you get yours by post then because of the Bank holiday on Monday it will be a day late. This week there are eleven pages congaing 65 new paid posts of 29 came direct to CJS, there are also lots of voluntary vacancies this week and our fascinating feature article is from SNH with news of Mrs Tiggywinkle and family's eviction from the Uists, all waders can now breathe a sigh of relief. Any hogs that fancy a trip south would be most welcome here to munch our slugs, although the resident toads do a pretty good job.

Forget Me Not

Since Anthea's death in 2001 we have sent donations to Leukaemia Research in her name, many of you have kindly donated refunds or added a little extra to your subscription and we pass all of these onto LRF to help their vital research work. In their most recent communication LRF mentioned Forget Me Not Funds as a lasting tribute. It seemed very fitting that Anthea should have fund of her own and so we created the Anthea Carson Forget Me Not Fund, all donations made to date have been transferred to the new fund which has an opening balance of almost £1200. We will continue to send your donations to LRF but now direct to Anthea's fund, you can send your donations direct to the fund, please make sure you mention Anthea. If you donate direct to LRF (and are eligible) you can giftaid it thereby increasing your donation by 28p in every £1. There is a form on our website which you can complete and send to LRF, Click here.