Meet the team
Mark Goddard is managing director of Spartan and runs the new publications and typesetting departments as well as hindering the computer department! Trained as a composer initially, with a decade of experience teaching piano and conducting musical shows, he now enjoys the variety provided by the Spartan job: composing and arranging music interspersed with writing computer programs, debt collecting, shelf erection, beer making, recruiting and mowing, then puppy training and cobble sweeping...
Pat Haines is our newest recruit. She was designated too small to play the trumpet at school, but is now working partly for Spartan Press while also working part-time at the local medical practice.
Sandra Grant is the person you are most likely to talk to first if you ring up. As Spartan's sales co-ordinator and credit controller, she comes to the job with previous experience in both sales and office administration in the tourism field. She deals with both Spartan Press sales, and also Strathmashie's Holiday Cottages. She lives in the village of Laggan with husband Keith (a wildlife ranger) and son Scott (George Goddard's best mate).
Pat Goddard was a freelance bassoonist and one of the first female musicians to join the RAF Central Band. Now a co-director of Spartan Press, working on editing, proofing, performing rights, review monitoring and contracts (in addition to running the house, organising the three children and pursuing a competitive running career).
Ian, from East Kilbride near Glasgow originally, takes on our new "I.T. Manager" role in November 2007. He is an experienced Linux administrator with strong 'C' programming and desktop support skills.Ian will be taking the strain 'a mid-ships' at Strathmashie: as a versatile computing 'All Rounder'.
Sharon Curtis is back in charge of Spartan's print finishing department after a spell away as a full time postlady. She is now a part-time postie in the nearby village of Newtonmore. Welcome back Sharon!
Markku Niskanen is new to the post of Web Developer. He moves to Laggan for the job with his wife Riitta in February 2007. Markku, from Finland, leaves his current position with IBM near Glasgow to fulfil his goal of living and working in the Scottish Highlands. He has had a wide experience of developing websites using PHP and MySQL, plays the guitar and is fond of the music of Sibelius (of course!), Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Borodin. He also likes cats and dogs!
Jonathan Kershaw is Spartan's travelling sales force throughout the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland. He joined the ranks long before the Scottish relocation in 1999 and played a pivotal "goal keeping" role during this critical time. We now share him with the London based publishers Cramer Music and.Stainer & Bell.
Phil Goddard is Spartan's "remote" worker, who when not typesetting music for Spartan is striding the cliffs of Southern England. A latent church organist and retired Polytechnic Dean, he has embraced the new technology of the internet like a youngster.
Tess Goddard is now 15 years old and is our youngest employee. Sticking labels on Spartan Press catalogues and assembling trade mail shots are her speciallity. She has had some extraordinary health problems in recent years: See latest. 'GW' is Tess's hampster - named after her favourite brand of crisps: Golden Wonder!
George Goddard (12) was born in Abergavenny during the "Old Brewery House" days, and one day he hopes to play rugby for Wales, although he has not as yet witnessed the sport! His real passions lie in football (training in Inverness on Fridays), Shinty (training at Newtonmore on Mondays), Ballet (Fort William on Tuesdays, Oban on Wednesdays) and the occassional Cricket net at Strathmashie.
Rose Goddard (8) was born in Inverness just as Spartan relocated to the Highlands. She shows early signs of being a fiercely good organiser (frightening actually) and spends quite a lot of time developing assertiveness skills. She is also a bit of a sweetie. Her passions are pony treking, Barbie dolls and ballet.
Merlin the Pyrenean Mountain Dog puppy arrived in April 2003. He won a rosette at Crufts, and has since been given his own dressing room with a star on the door.
Heavy Hetty was born in March 2003 (again in Glastonbury) - the daughter of a magnificent St. Bernard called Daisy. She is Merlin's half sister, and has magnificent (if slobery) jowls!
Gael (57 months) was born the day Pat completed her first marathon: all very appropriate when considering that this 'working' border collie is destined to be Pat's running companion in the years ahead... (Merlin and Hetty just don't 'do' running!).
