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The Friday Five 3.12.21

Published on: 3 Dec 2021

It’s December already - can you blimmin' believe it? That means there are just two more Friday Fives between now and Christmas (sorry, no matter how much you love us we’re taking Christmas Eve off). So we suggest you savour what remains of 2021's job opportunities and especially the fun facts. Do you have any idea how much work goes into those? There are some good ones this week though, so we don't mind - consider it part of the service.

1. HISTORIC BUILDING CONSERVATION OFFICER. NEWPORT CITY COUNCIL

Location: Newport, South Wales

The job: “The role of the postholder will be to assist in all matters relating to the conservation of the historic environment within Newport, to include collection, recording, compilation and analysis of information on applications, appeals or enforcement of listed building consent and conservation area consent applications. 

“The role also requires the postholder to be responsible for assisting in the management of conservation areas and provide advice on heritage specific regeneration projects. The postholder will have a personal caseload of listed building applications and will be a consultee on other applications dealing with the historic environment. 

“The postholder will deal proactively with applicants, site appraisals, investigations and the preparation of reports and recommendations. The postholder will also provide pre-application advice where appropriate.”

Harry Houdini [square]Fun fact: On 5 March 1913, te great escapologist Harry Houdini leapt from NewportBridge into the River Usk in manacles. Moments later he swam ashore, free of chains.

The event, witnessed by thousands, was the culmination of years of antagonism between Housini and the Newport Police who had been embarrassed by him escaping their cells during an earlier trip to perform at the town's Lyceum Theatre in 1905. When he declared from the Empire Theatre stage in 1913 that he would make the leap from Newport Bridge, the police immediately tried to put a stop to it, refusing permission and warning, via the local press, that he would be arrested if he attempted the stunt.

On the day, with spectators and police out in force, Houdini arranged a decoy - a lookalike who arrived in a car with Houdini's manager. While the police were occupied with the fake Houdini, the real one made slipped to the other side of the bridge and made the leap. Of course he was subsequently arrested, but the local magistrate threw the case out of court. Another escape for the great illusionist.

Find out more and apply

2. MULTIPLE PLANNING POSITIONS, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL


Location: Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire

The jobs: Multiple positions are available across development management and place planning (planning policy):

  • Place planning and housing specialist
  • Sustainability manager
  • Strategic housing manager
  • Inward investment housing officer
  • Senior planning specialist (place policy planning)
  • Senior planning officer (development management) x3
  • Assistant project officer – investment and delivery x2

“North Lincolnshire Council wants to increase prosperity for North Lincolnshire and for the people who live and work here to have prosperous, safe and healthy lives. We want our existing and future businesses to be competitive and to thrive and grow and in turn continue to support prosperity for North Lincolnshire.

“We need you to help us achieve this vision. Working alongside our economy and growth team, this is an opportunity for enthusiastic and motivated individuals to gain exceptional experience and make a real difference to the future lives of our residents within the local planning authority of North Lincolnshire Council.

“You will play a pivotal role in progressing several key regeneration projects, with a focus on larger strategic schemes, and delivering high quality outcomes.”

Bike on theatre stage background [square]Fun fact: In 2012, as part of the 'Cultural Olympiad' linked to the Olympic Games, the Scunthorpe community worte and performed an opera dedicated to one of the town's best-known Olympians, cyclist Albert 'Lal' White.

Cycle Song,  which featured more than 900 young singers from schools and singing groups, 250 adult singers, 180 musicians, four opera singers and 100 dancers, celebrated the life of the steelworker who, in 1920, won competed in three of the four track cycling events at the Olympic games, winning silver in the 4,000 metres team pursuit.

To say he came from humble beginnings would be an understatement. Like many men of his generation, White came from a very large family (he was one of 17 children) and spent 50 years doing backbreaking work in one of the town's many steelworks. Somehow he found the time to manage a punishing training regime, too, which might involve being paced by 20 clubmates in the park where the opera performance took place a century or so later.

'Lal' won his first race at the age of 12 and is reckoned to be the most prolific prizewinner in British track cycling in the first half of the 20th century. Because he could not always afford the train fare to meetings he would often cycle to events with his racing bike strapped to his back, compete in the race, strap the racing bike back to his back and cycle home again. Over 30 years of competition, 1920 was his finest year: in addition to the Olympic medal, White also won four British track titles. 

Find out more and apply

3. HEAD OF PLANNING CONSENTS, PALACE OF WESTMINSTER

Location: Victoria, London

The job: “The Palace of Westminster is home to one of the busiest and most historic parliamentary institutions in the world and is an enduring symbol of our national identity. The Houses of Parliament Restoration & Renewal Programme has been set up to tackle all the work necessary to protect and preserve this UNESCO World Heritage site. It will be the biggest renovation of an historic building ever undertaken in the UK.

“We are seeking a head of planning consents to join our growing programme team. Reporting to the programme director, you will be responsible for providing leadership of the team to help enable the programme to achieve its objectives through developing and maintaining an effective relationship.

“You will also be responsible for managing effective relationships with internal and external parties including the Restoration and Renewal sponsor body, supply chain partners and within the delivery authority. You will provide strategic direction to the programme for consent and property related matters and ensuring the delivery authority is identifying, recording and addressing stakeholder issues in order to achieve the necessary consents.”

Palace of Westminster [square]Fun fact: The Grade I listed Palace of Westminster, home to the UK Parliament, is due to undergo a massive, multi-year, multi-billion pound refurbishment from 2025. The building, constructed over 30 years from 1840, is in dire need of modernisation and repair to its fraying fabric.

Though home to Parliament, it is technically a royal palace, and owned by the Crown. Indeed, there's been a palace on the site since the 11th century and it was the main residence of English monarchs. until 1512, when fire destroyed the royal apartments. The remainder of the building, however, continued to operate as the seat of government and the Parliament, as it had done since the 13th century. 

In 1834, however, an even greater fire more or less destroyed what remained, with the only significant surviving medieval structures being  Westminster Hall, the Cloisters of St Stephen's, the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, and the Jewel Tower. Charles Barry won the competition to redesign and rebuild the Palace in the Gothic Revival style.

The building is vast, containing more than 1,100 rooms organised symmetrically around two series of courtyards and with a floor area of 112,476 m2. This includes around 3.24 hectares reclaimed from the River Thames, along its 300 metre facade. 

The interior, which has been recently described as having a "brooding" and very "masculine" air, was designed by Augustus Pugin.

In 2012. a feasibility report set out the possibility of Parliament moving to another location while refurbishment work is carried out; a permanent move was rejected. A 2015 report found that the cost could be as much as £7 billion; in early 2021 this was put at £12 billion by the Public Accounts Committee. A couple of months later, Jacob Rees-Mogg estimated £20bn. 

Hundreds of surveys have already taken place and work is expected to begin around 2025 and is anticipated to last a minimum of six years. Meanwhile, MPs will relocate to a replica Commons chamber elsewhere in Whitehall and the Lords will move to  the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Parliament Square. Is it all worth it? We'll leave you to be the judge.

Find out more and apply

4. SENIOR PLANNER, BEDFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL


Location: Bedford, Bedfordshire

The job: “We currently have a number of exciting opportunities within the Bedford Borough Planning Service. The council rarely advertises planning positions, but it is currently investing in the planning service in recognition of the government growth agenda for the Oxford to Cambridge Arc.

“Not only will you have an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and supportive team around you to help you grow and develop your career in planning, but you will have the chance to progress and determine a wide variety of planning applications, appeals, enforcement cases and pre application enquiries. The roles sit within development management but rotation into planning enforcement and/or planning appeals provides an opportunity to broaden your planning skills.”

Ronnie Barker waxwork [square]Fun fact: One of Bedford's greatest sons was the comedian, actor and writer Ronnie Barker, born in the town as Ronald William George Barker in September 1929.

An early love of theatre saw him joining repertory as a young man, where he discovered a flair for comic roles. Barker's big break came though in 1966 where he became a regular performer on the satirical sketch shoe The Frost Report. It was here that he met his long-term collaborator Ronnie Corbett, with whom he performed as The Two Ronnies from 1971 until his retirement in 1987.

Barker was considerably more than just a sketch performer. He became a regular writer on the show, writing many of its most memorable sketches (including the famous 'four candles'/'fork 'andles' wordplay) under a variety of pseudonyms; he also developed into an extremely accomplished comic actor, starring in popular sitcoms Porridge, Open All Hours and Going Straight.

On retiring he ran an antique shop in Chipping Norton, wrote an autobiography and a play, and was eventually persuaded to perform again. He died in 2005.

Find out more and apply

5. SENIOR ECONOMY AND STRATEGIC REGENERATION OFFICER, TORFAEN COUNTY BOROUGH (2 YEAR CONTRACT)

Location: Torfaen, Monmouthshire

The job: “An opportunity has arisen within the economy and strategic regeneration team for a qualified and highly organised project manager to assist in the development and delivery of major regeneration projects.

“The successful candidate will be responsible for the successful implementation of major regeneration projects on time and to budget ensuring that quality expectations and outcomes are achieved. The post holder will have a knowledge and at least three years’ experience of delivering major projects including those involving civil engineering works; and an understanding of the sustainability issues relating to the management of the built and natural environment. The post will be responsible for line managing a senior project implementation officer.”

Wagon Wheel biscuit [square]Fun fact: Llantarnam, a suburban village in the town of Cwmbran within Torfaen, is the home of the Wagon Wheel and the Jammie Dodger,.

More specifically, it's the home of a Burton's Biscuit Factory, which has been a major local employer since 1939. 

Though the factory produces a variety of biscuits (including supermarket own brand digestives and Cadbury Fingers under licence), it is most famous for its Wagon Wheels and Jammie Dodgers. According to one report, every hour sees 1.4 tons of the 19g Jammie Dodgers created and in 1.9 tons of the 41g Wagon Wheel. In 1971, the company made its one billionth Wagon Wheel in (and has a biscuit encased in glass to commemorate the achievement), but has now "lost count".

Burton's is generally considered Britain's second biggest biscuit manufacturer and can trace its origins back to biscuit maker George Burton, born in 1829, who started making biscuits in Blackpool - where the firm still has a factory.

Find out more and apply

Image credits | Everett Collection, Shutterstock; iStock; iStock; Gabriela Beres, Shutterstock; Anton Starikov, Shutterstock