Things to do in Bovington Camp, Dorset

Bovington Camp is an active army base in Dorset, situated between the towns of historic Dorchester and Poole. Although named a camp, Bovington is actually a fully contained barracks town. It is home to many service families and there is even a school on the base.

The Allenby and Stanley Barracks onsite are the base for the Armour Centre which was formerly and more grandly known as the Royal Armoured Corps Centre.

Bovington Camp covers not only the residential area and training grounds but also a small forested area and heathland which are used by the army for military exercises. The camp is also frequently used by Dorset army and air cadets who practise their fieldcraft exercises there.

One of the most famous recruits at Bovington Camp was T.E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia. He led daring raids in the Middle East against the Turks and was a well-known war hero as well as an accomplished writer.

Lawrence chose to live off-campus for a time at his simple cottage known as Clouds Hill at nearby Moreton. It is now a National Trust owned property well worth visiting from Bovington Camp.

Lawrence was killed in a freak motorcycle accident while travelling between his home and Bovington Camp. His needless death eventually brought about the use of crash helmets for military dispatch riders and then for civilian motorcyclists. His grave can be visited in a quiet cemetery just a short distance down the road from St Nicholas Church in Moreton.

Things to do in Bovington Camp

The main attraction for visitors to Bovington Camp is the Tank Museum. It has what is said to be the finest collection of tanks in the world, making it ideal for would-be recruits and those with an interest in armoured warfare. Altogether the museum has over 200 tanks which date back to the World War I era, including the first experimental tank known as Little Willie, developed in 1915.

The history of tanks and the life of tank personnel are shown in the exhibits. During school holidays the Tank Museum puts on some live displays. It continually offers a program of educational lectures and its extensive library has one of the largest collections of books specifically on armoured warfare.

Visitors can see the last surviving German Tiger Tank, a CV-33Tankette, Mathilda II, Pzkfw V Panther Medium tank and many other Crusader and Churchill tanks as well as a Rolls Royce armoured car. Not all the museum exhibits are old as it also showcases some of the latest battle tanks available for present day manoeuvres and armed combat.

On a slightly different theme, Lulworth Heritage Centre is just four miles from Bovington Camp and covers the history of Lulworth Cove and the unusual formations over the last 150 million years or so.

Athelhampton House and Gardens also offers a fabulous day out from Bovington Camp. The splendid 15th century house is furnished in keeping with its stately appearance. The gardens are a peaceful place to stroll around and enjoy the fountains and the riverside setting.

Cambridge Associates Asia Singapore: Generating Our Spending Rate

How can we meet our spending needs in the current investing environment?

It hasn’t been easy for institutions to earn what they spend in the past few years. The truth is, the possibility of poor performance for an extended period accompanies almost any investment approach. That’s why it’s important to understand if your business model and risk tolerance are flexible enough to adapt to difficult environments without having to sell off assets at a deep discount. That’s where we can make a difference.  Through an enterprise review, we help you understand what risks you might be taking. We stress test your portfolio and help you see how your investments might behave in different market conditions.  We help set or adjust your investment policy benchmarks accordingly. In the end, we build a portfolio that ties your risk and return objectives more closely to your long-term goals and shorter-term risk tolerances. With this information in hand, you can have open conversations with key stakeholders about whether your investment strategy strikes the right balance between achieving your long-term objectives while meeting short-term spending needs.

Bacall Development: 5 reasons to renovate a commercial property

A lot of commercial property owners want their properties to stay where it is because its location is part of their long-term plan and finding or building a new structure involves a lot of money. If you want to improve the value of your property, Bacall Development suggests that you renovate it.

Bacall Development and its associates is a firm that executes an advanced upgrade to a property. It can also handle every aspect of property redevelopment and the ground-up development process. The Bacall team provided the following good reasons why you should renovate a commercial property.

Traffic

You can achieve improved traffic for your business if you choose to renovate a commercial property. Additional promotional opportunities could happen if people keeps on talking about your commercial property renovation, which can result in a new advertising campaign. You can also attract new people to your space by renovating your commercial property while improving your building investment.

Operations

Attaining more effective operations is possible with a renovated commercial property because providing more space for your staff can help them perform their tasks better than before. Enhanced efficiency within your staff members will do great for your business, right?

Changes can also happen to a business in an instant, so performing renovation to your property is often needed to deal with those changes. Note that renovation requires careful thinking because future operations depend on this matter.

Accommodation

A commercial property renovation is necessary to accommodate more equipment. This way, more opportunities and improved works await your business. Installing new wiring, IT systems, and other machinery can deliver more worthwhile results.

Costs

Your renovation plans may include new energy efficient changes to save costs in the future like upgrading the heating and cooling systems along with the windows and insulation. The green market offers excellent products to the public often that are designed to make your property more energy efficient.

Low rates

Take advantage of the low pricing and commercial loan rates because interest rates are low today based on reviews, and there's the option of the US Small Business Administration 504 Loan as well. Take advantage of those in case you need a loan to finish your commercial renovation.

Contact Bacall Development in case you need help in construction. Look for their contact details on their official website. You can be certain that your business will have efficient operations in the future with their service. Drawing the interest of many customers to your business is one of the several things that commercial property renovation can give to you.

Huxley Associates: How can a recruiter add value?

In any business, going the extra mile is going to produce the best results. At Huxley Banking and Finance, we seek to do just that.

One of our clients is a global investment firm. We have been working with them for several years, sourcing placements across specialist roles, particularly within their technology division. Last year they asked us to help them with a series of placements in a country in which we don’t currently operate - Canada. They had been unsuccessful in their search so far, and wanted to leverage the success we’d already had with them here in the UK.

We looked at the issues they were facing – not being able to find people of the right calibre or with the right experience within their local area – and set to work on making this a global project. We knew where the sort of talent they were looking for existed in both Europe and America, so we involved two of our European offices as well as two of our North American offices alongside the UK office. We set about finding three types of candidates: those already based in the area that we knew had the right skills; citizens of Canada currently based abroad but who had a desire to move back home; and citizens of other countries who had the knowledge and skills required, and who would welcome the opportunity for an international relocation.

What made the difference?

“It was crucial that we secured the investment in terms of time from our client in the first instance,” explains Ashley McCuskey, Client Relationship Manager at London Banking & Finance. “We worked hard to understand our clients’ strict brief, but in the initial stages that requires them to spend some time with us going through their exact needs.”

After that all the profiles were sent through one contact, in this case, Ashley, who would then gather specific feedback on each one.

“It meant I could make sure that the profiles we were sending consistently aligned with their strict brief,” she explains. “Every time we received feedback we would use that to refine our search further.”

Within three weeks, our client had offered the first role to one of our candidates. After that it was a case of replicating the process to find the others.

“It was a tricky market,” admits Ashley. “It was a candidate-driven market and finding the right people was certainly not easy, they were few and far between. Those candidates could more or less pick and choose the roles, so we also worked with the company to help them differentiate themselves, for instance, by offering to help with the relocation process.”

Despite their current recruitment needs having been met, for both their UK and Canadian offices, the client still meets with us on a regularly basis. “They saw how well we worked, and they want to make sure that they are ready – and we were ready - as soon as the next opportunity arises,” states Ashley.

Well-thought out solutions

Emily Organ, Client Relationship Manager at London Banking & Finance, is responsible for meeting the recruitment needs of another financial client, this time in the UK. In this instance, it wasn’t just the quality of the candidates that was important, but finding a large number of candidates within a short space of time to meet a surge in requirements. Emily picks up the story:

“We’ve had this client for a number of years, but some of our work with them was intermittent, spot business. We felt that we needed to get to grips with the bigger picture, so we arranged meetings with various departments to understand their overall structure and high level strategy going forward.

“In the wake of the financial crisis, all financial institutions have had to get to grips with the wave of new regulations imposed upon them. We knew that this firm was going to have to upskill in certain departments as a result, so we put forward our case for helping them. We were pleased to be chosen as a preferred supplier for a project last year – basically, two rounds of hiring around 100 contracts.

“They chose us because of our knowledge of their business, but also because we worked like crazy to get the best candidates for them. I was constantly visiting their offices so I knew exactly where they were with the project, what they needed and whether requirements were changing as the project went on. We couldn’t have been more involved in the whole process.

“In addition, we did everything we could to make their lives easier. For instance, not by just presenting them with the candidate profiles, but by outlining the case for each candidate in terms of their skills and experience. Highlighting which had worked for the institution previously, for instance.

We ended up being the top performing supplier. Not only that, but we had the highest completion rate of those contracts, and the highest number of contractors whose contract was extended. They’ve now appointed us preferred agent.”

To discuss this topic further or if you have any questions then please contact Ashley McCuskey (a.mccuskey@huxley.com) or Emily Organ (e.organ@huxley.com)

Gantz Associates - About Us

“In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.” – Albert Einstein

THE STORY OF OUR LAW FIRM

Gantz Associates was founded in 1999 by Adam J. Gantz, a hard-working, caring attorney with expertise in real estate, bankruptcy, and other areas of law directly affecting the daily lives of Michigan residents.

After years of experience with large firms, Adam set out on his own to offer the integrity and competence of a small firm environment to hard-working people in need of sound legal advice and no-nonsense representation. In response to the economic challenges of the past few years, Gantz Associates expanded its scope to provide homeowners with an array of legal services aimed at saving homes, including mortgage modification, foreclosure prevention litigation and bankruptcy, among other services.

The main focus of this firm is to help people in need and fix legitimate legal problems in an honest, fair and affordable way. “If we believe you can do it on your own, we won’t charge you,” says Adam.

Many lawyers are looking to make money off of your hardships. That’s not the way at Gantz Associates. We are here for you – we have our clients in sharp focus, and we work hard for your best interests and best outcomes.

“When someone can’t sleep at night because they are worrying about losing their home, their livelihood, or life as they know it, I want them to think, ‘Call Adam Gantz’,” says the firm’s founder, Adam J. Gantz. “Our values mirror the values and desires of our clients – we are hard-working, sincere people helping others to protect the American dream.”

Gantz Associates represents its clients in many areas of law including:

•           Foreclosure prevention

•           Bankruptcy

•           Social security disability

•           Estate planning, probate administration, probate litigation

•           Personal Injury

•           Debt settlement and credit repair

•           Criminal law

•           Family law

•           Employment law

•           Corporate formation and support

•           Commercial litigation

•           Real estate transactions and litigation

•           IRS defense

•           Appeals

How the world’s wealthy hide millions offshore - from their spouses

Why an Alaska plastic surgeon took a sudden road trip to Panama with millions of dollars

When Michael Brandner, a plastic surgeon in Anchorage, packed his bags and drove more than 4,000 miles from Washington state to Costa Rica in 2007, he wasn’t just getting away from it all. Not long before, Brandner’s wife of 28 years had filed for a divorce. According to a later indictment and court documents, the doctor "collected" $3 million of his and his wife’s assets, converted them into cashier’s checks and set off on a secret trip.

In Costa Rica, Brandner opened a bank account to deposit some of the money and put a thousand ounces of gold in a safety deposit box. Then he traveled to Panama, where he opened an account in the name of a sham organization, Dakota Investment, according to prosecutors' documents from the case. In 2008, he deposited $4.6 million into the account. Brandner also did not report the accounts to the Internal Revenue Service. During the divorce proceedings, Brandner claimed the money was tied up in these investments and could not be returned, and that the investments were then lost.

Brandner went to all this trouble, the Justice Department says, to conceal assets from his wife, who could have been awarded some of them. Ultimately, U.S. investigators seized the assets. The doctor pleaded not guilty to the charges, but on April 4 of this year, he was sentenced to 48 months in prison for wire fraud and tax evasion.

Brandner's case draws attention to a less widely recognized use of offshore accounts -- hiding assets from a spouse in divorce -- that was highlighted by the leak this month of the Panama Papers, which contain many details about the secretive offshore companies and accounts of public officials, drug kingpins and money launderers. The Washington Post has not reviewed the 11.5 million documents.

Brandner declined to be interviewed directly, but his lawyer, Randall Ensminger, offered several defenses. He says that Brandner did not evade taxes on purpose — he just didn’t know that he needed to file for the offshore accounts — and that he took the money to Panama not to defraud his wife but to protect their assets during a time of emotional upheaval in their relationship. Brandner's intent in taking the money to Panama was "to protect it on behalf of his heirs," says Ensminger.

Experts in the industry say that Americans are still hiding money offshore from litigious spouses and tax officials alike, but it is getting harder for them to do so. In the last few years, the Obama administration and the Treasury department have erected staggering penalties for those who hide their wealth offshore, as well as many new reporting requirements, says Daniel Jones, a forensic accountant who specializes in the issue.

Read more here...

Tips For Backpacking Through Southeast Asia - Bacall Associates

Southeast Asia is among the most famous destinations in the world for backpackers. It's possible for you to discover lots of charm in every state, so it is a must see for many. If you are already residing in Asia, it is possible to adjust to any states within this subregion, but you could get a culture shock if you’re from a foreign land like USA or Europe. So performing a research is essential before the journey. Bacall Associates provide important pointers to take note of before you begin your journey to prevent any disorderly scenarios.

Don’t be afraid to haggle

Most westerners are shocked to learn that this was a common practice in the subregion, for them, it looks like an unfair deal to the sellers. But no more worries because most of the time, it’s not. Some foreigners just accept the first price stated by a seller and will not bother arguing about it. But in most cases, the first price was worth much more than the regular price. Bargaining is not a confrontation, so there’s no need to be scared of, just smile and ask the seller nicely, and eventually, you’ll find it very interesting to do.

You don’t need to book in advance

It will be really nerve-wracking and tiring to visit various locations at once, and then going back to the hotel you’re staying. It would be better to find a place to stay to the place you fell in love with during your travel because it will be easier to discover that particular place and enjoy its surroundings. You can have a flexible schedule if you’re going to do this rather than booking rooms in advance of time, simply because you’ll have more freedom to decide where to stay. But occasionally, booking ahead is recommended if you know you’re going to be exhausted from an extended flight, bus or train ride, or if you’re visiting a place during a major event and you don’t have time to roam about.

Transportation: Don’t be in a hurry

Expect to wait more minutes or hours in the estimated time of the arrival of a bus or train if you’re planning to go somewhere in Southeast Asia. Don’t get frustrated in this situation, but simply believe that this could bring you some favorable impact such as learning to restrain your misery and raise your patience. But there are some cities in the region that have efficient and developed transport systems, and one of which is Singapore.

Be cautious of scams

Scams could be everywhere and it can occur to you. Unfortunately, tourists becoming victims of various scams is nothing new in this region. Instead of being frightened, you need to be more cautious when traveling to Southeast Asia, or any part of the world. Before you begin your journey, you need to teach yourself with the most frequent kind of scams. If you know what to avoid, you can have a safe journey.

Properly manage your visa requirements

There are various visa requirements for each country in Southeast Asia, and Bacall Associates needs you to be educated of those. You cannot be accepted to every border by simply showing up your passport.

Stay hydrated

Showering two times a day might not be enough for you because Southeast Asia is quite hot during the coolest time of the year. Bacall Associates wants you to stay hydrated all the time because you’re going to sweat like never before, and during the hottest time of the day, find some shady spot and relax there for a bit.