The City Times - Sep/Oct 2023

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Issue Number 117 - September 14th - October 18th 2023

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City Times Intro Hello readers,

Parkwood Plumbers

Welcome to The City Times September/October edition.

Due to Issuu changing its policies, our last 12 months’ worth of magazine editions are now all available on our own website at www. thecitytimes.co.uk.

If you take a look to the left, you will see that Regal Kitchens are moving soon - more on that in the next issue!

If you would like to advertise, please email ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk to enquire about our advertising space.

THERE’S NO PLUMBING JOB TOO SMALL, SO PICK UP THE PHONE AND GIVE US A CALL!

Please do also remember to let our advertisers know that you saw their advert in The City Times.

Paul & Nick

www.thecitytimes.co.uk Advertising Nick Garner 07970 206682 ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk Editorial Paul Mclean 01245 262082 / 07595 949701 editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

It’s Your Media Ltd Disclaimer: It’s Your Media Ltd publish The City Times. The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of It’s Your Media Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the prior written permission of It’s Your Media Ltd. Registered offices: 15 Hayes Close, Chelmsford. Reg No 9154871. Printed by Warners (Midlands) PLC.

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Nick’s Music and Ramblings September: how did this happen?

Also this is the time that I prepare to become 70 as well...

I must mention a great man, Mick McDonagh, who ran the High Chelmer Shopping Centre in Chelmsford for over thirty years. MIck was originally from the west coast of Ireland, a place he always loved and revisited. Mick retired just a year ago and has now sadly passed away after a short illness.

Mick always considered his role at the centre as his vocation in life and not just a job.

Mick once said: “I have always thoroughly enjoyed coming to work each day and experiencing the unparalleled camaraderie among my colleagues, whose collaborative spirit and infectious can-do attitude enabled us to overcome the numerous daily challenges that befall an ever-demanding place, such as High Chelmer.” It remains in good hands, thanks to the staff who worked with Mick.

seems to be the norm these days, we then get a good weather spell!

As autumn dawns, I too am busy again - back with my music as well as being busy with the magazines of course and various other bits.

I have been away to festivals with my caravan, which I love, and want to get away for a few more non-festival days as well.

Good news is that the former J’s Hospice charity is back and in the hands of its founder Denise: see the next edition of this magazine to find out more about this.

Heritage Open Days are coming to an end for 2023. Have you visited any of the many places that have been open across the country or any of their other events? If not yet, then you should take a look at what is going on in your area and what events are put on - and maybe even get involved yourself. Just google ‘Heritage Open Days’ and your area to find out more. On Saturday 16th September, there will be an event in Tindal Square in the afternoon for all the family to enjoy so do get along if you can.

Music Here we go then; Black Frog Presents are back up running once more! We started on Monday 4th September with the fabulous One Tree Hillbillies at The Star & Garter, along with Hippy Joe on his mandolin. It was as ever a great night full of fun and great live acoustic music. The next night we had Hot Box hosting The Ugly Guys who launched their new album, as well as helping to fundraise for Hot Box. They were joined by the wonderful Bob Collum, and a couple of DJs spinning discs in between the live acts. It was a great night with a lovely audience who had a lot of fun - we all got a lot of compliments for the night.

I have some acts already confirmed for 2024 with plenty more to come. So far, Jim Cregan & Co will be on 9th February, Nine Below Zero plus the Zac Schulze Gang on 16th February, Led Into Zeppelin on 15th March, Cold Flame (Jethro Tull) on 22nd March, Splink and Skyline (Camel) on 19th April, Held by Trees on 26th April, The Jam Project are on 24th May, ZZ Toppd on 7th June, Noasis and next Agenda on 19th July and Merry Hell on 6th December. These are the confirmed shows so far for 2024 with more to be confirmed for both the Social Club and Hot Box - keep an eye on us and online as well for more updates!

We still have plenty of great shows availale for the rest of this year at both The Social Club and Hot Box of course. Check out my advert and alos check online - if you are not sure of an act, then look them up on YouTube; we are sure you will want to come and see them play as we strive to book the best.

If you have anything you think that could be of interest to our readers for either publication, then please let us know by emailing editorial@ itsyourmedia.co.uk - it may be an event or a topic of interest. Or have you done anything unusual or are you planning something?

If so, we want to know about it. If you know of someone who may wish to advertise with us, then please ask them to contact ads@ itsyourmedia.co.uk and we can send over full details.

Mick was not only the centre manager, he was a good friend to me and to many others. He was also a husband, father and grandparent.

He was a champion to many of us too. I know how much he supported charities and so many other good causes throughout his time; in fact there is too much for me to tell all. Enough to say he gave space to the Ideas Hub, he gave space to me for the charities I worked with and put-up banners and posters for my music events, and he supported and gave space to the Chelmsford Festival. He did so much for the city that he loved and will be greatly missed by so many. I am deeply saddened that I am unable to attend his funeral, but I will be making making a donation to his chosen charity, Cancer Research.

The schools have mostly returned after the summer break - and as

You can get tickets for all our shows in Chelmsford from Intense Records, Hopsters and Chelmsford 4Good - please pay cash in person when you buy. Tickets are also available online from www. wegottickets.com/BlackFrogPresents, or via our ticket hotline at no extra charge - call or text 07508 496 411 and you can then pay the advance price on entry to the show rather than the walk-up price.

For all Black Frog Presents gig updates and information go www. linktr.ee/BlackFrogPresents, or scan the QR code in the poster in this magazine.

It would be fantastic if you could also share our magazines The City Times and Moulsham Times for us. We continue to publish both magazines online as well at www.thecitytimes.co.uk and www. moulshamtimes.com

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MONDAY Millennium Community Centre Recreation Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow CM2 9RL 9.30am & 11am Jenny 07737 713117

WEDNESDAY St. Augustine Church Off Beardsley Drive, Springfield Chelmsford, CM1 6GQ 9.30am & 11am Emma 07887 692906

St Augustines Church, Off Beardsley Drive, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM1 6GQ 5.30pm & 7pm Emma 07887 692906

Beryl Platt Community Centre Redwood Drive, Writtle CM1 3LY 3.30pm, 5pm & 6.30pm Jennifer 07792 516866

TUESDAY Broomfield Village Hall Behind the Angel Pub, Broomfield, CM1 7AH 3.30pm, 5.30pm & 7pm Heidi 07557 331671 Millennium Community Centre Recreation Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow, CM2 9RL 4pm, 5.30pm & 7pm Samantha 01245 266442

THURSDAY Newlands Spring Community Hall Dickens Place, CM1 4UU Next to Morrisons Car Park 6.30pm Jennifer 07792 516866

FRID FRIDAY Newlands Spring Community Hall Dickens Place, CM1 4UU Next to Morrisons Car Park 9am Springfield Park Baptist Church Jennifer 07792 516866 Springfield Park Road, Springfield, SATURDAY Chelmsford, CM2 6EB Great Notley Community Centre 5.30pm Great Notley CM77 7US Sarah 07726 418287 (Behind Prince Louis pub) 7.30am & 9am THURSDAY Heidi 07557 331671 Millennium Community Centre Recreation Ground, Baddow Springfield Park Baptist Church Road, Great Baddow CM2 9RL Springfield Park Road. Springfield, 9.30am Chelmsford, CM2 6EB Samantha 01245 266442 8.30am & 10am Sarah 07726 418287

City Times Food!

Back to School - By Lauren Capp

And just like that the summer holidays are over. I can’t believe the children are back to school; we hadn’t been blessed with such good weather as we had hoped!

We managed a few holidays away this year, one being to Disneyland; the reason I mention this is because I was super-impressed with the food choice in and around the the Paris park. Not just fast food but home cooked food, which is lovely to see such a choice of nice fresh food.

My recipe this month is a firm favourite of mine. I’ve been making this dish for about 5 years now and it’s fabulous! It’s also my last summer dish before we start talking autumn comforting food. The recipes I’ve been sharing with you are all simple and never uses hundreds of ingredients and instructions. I’ve found over the years this tends to put people off. So I hope you are enjoying them!

I’ve spoke before about my air fryer and how we use this every single day now instead of the oven - now the next thing I want to buy is a slow cooker! I had one a few years ago and loved that you could put everything in it in the morning and come home and it’s done! I’m going to play around with some recipes and do some research this month - things that aren’t just curries and sauces - and come back next month with some new fresh ideas for slow cooker recipes.

My recipe I’m sharing with you this month is my favourite thing to cook. It involves tinned crab which is a cheaper way to buy crab. As I’m putting them into crab cakes it doesn’t really matter how fresh it is, where as if I was talking about seafood platters I would always opt for fresh crab. So here is my recipe for coconut and lime crab cakes with mango salad.

Ingredients (Serves 4) 3 slices of bread.

300g canned white crab meat.

1 red onion, finely chopped.

1 chilli, finely chopped, 2 tbsp mayonnaise.

3 tbsp desiccated coconut.

Fresh coriander.

Juice of 1 lime.

Sweet chilli sauce to serve with if you like.

For the Salad Mango.

Rocket leaves.

4 spring onions.

Coriander chopped to taste.

Lime juice to taste.

Method Put the bread in a food processor and whiz into fine crumbs.

Add the crab, red onion, mayo, coconut, coriander, chilli and lime juice to a bowl and mix in the bread crumbs.

Bring the mixture together with your hands and make into patties.

Put on a tray and leave in the fridge for minimum of 30 minutes but ideally over night to firm up.

Chop all the salad ingredients up and put to one side.

Fry the crab cakes 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.

Serve with the salad and chilli sauce - we like to have rice with it too :) I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Eat Better to Feel Better - By Demelza Rayner There are so many beauty products on the market that promise to keep your skin smooth, hydrated and wrinkle-free. But did you know that the foods you eat can also play a vital role in maintaining skin elasticity, hydration and reducing wrinkles? Eat (and drink!) your way to better skin by following my top tips below: 1) Consume More Healthy Fats These can be found in oily fish (salmon, trout, sardines), avocados, nuts and seeds. Healthy fats are an excellent source of Omega-3, which the body can’t make by itself, so you have to get them through your diet. They’re the building blocks of cell membranes and produce the skin’s natural oil barrier - critical in keeping skin hydrated and in good health.

2) Keep Well Hydrated Sip water throughout the day, including a glass of water on waking.

Water helps to maintain the skin’s elasticity and overall condition.

Indeed, the more water you drink the better balance of oil and water on the surface of your skin which can decrease acne breakouts and reduce blemishes.

3) Avoid Highly Processed and Refined Carbohydrates Sugar can aggravate conditions such as acne, rosacea and eczema.

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After eating foods containing sugar or carbohydrate, our body reacts by releasing a hormone called insulin to move the sugar from our blood into our cells. This causes the blood sugar level to drop suddenly, triggering the release of another hormone called cortisol - otherwise known as the ‘stress’ hormone. Frequent, constant and rapid changes in blood sugar level, caused by the intake of highly processed foods such as white bread, sugary breakfast cereals, chocolate and cupcakes, leads to sugar cravings, weight gain and mood swings.

4) Manage Stress Stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. The best way to lower stress is through a combination of diet and lifestyle. Start by addressing high levels of sugar consumption from refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and breakfast cereals. Then swop nutrient-poor snacks such as crisps and biscuits for healthier options such as hummus with carrot and cucumber sticks, trail mix or apple slices and nut butter.

With regards to lifestyle changes, introduce a short practice each day to support your mental health, whether this is mindfulness, meditation, yoga, journaling, a short walk in nature - or even something as simple as five minutes sipping a cup of herbal tea (without the distraction of emails/TV/work)!

5) Ensure Adequate Intake of Foods Containing Vitamin A This helps to promote healthy skin. Vitamin A can be found in milk, butter, green vegetables, carrots and apricots.

In summary, to improve your skin it’s vital to drink more water and eat a wholefood diet filled with healthy fats and free from sugars and highly processed foods. As a result, this will naturally lower stress levels and crowd out unhealthy snacks from your eating habits.

If you’d like to find out how nutrition and health coaching can improve every aspect of your life, simply book a free health and energy review with me at www.demelzaraynernutrition.co.uk.

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HARVEST A NEW ROUTINE THIS AUTUMN

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City Times Gardening Isn’t September turning out to be a very hot month? We’ve had super sunny days and an increasingly cooler number of evenings. As a result, a number of plants are looking absolutely fabulous. Plants such as rudbeckias, purple cone flowers, ornamental grasses, salvias and even late flowering climbers are all making the most of the weather and totally standing out in the beds and borders as points of interest.

At this time of year it’s also the perfect time to consider popping to your local garden centre to look at the huge range of winter/spring bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomatous perennials on offer. They’re perfect for many situations, including beds/borders, containers and even for forcing and bringing into the home.

This year, I’m opting for planting bulbs into the borders with a few sneaked into various pots for a surprise splash of colour for early spring.

Bulbs should be thrown on the ground and then planted in groups

where they fall.

They should not be planted too thickly, as they increase naturally.

Plant different species or cultivars in separate drifts; the best effect is obtained from a broad sweep of one species or variety. Late flowering species may follow on from early ones.

A special bulb planter can be used which takes out a core of turf and soil, which is then replaced on top of the bulb.

An area of turf is cut and rolled back, soil is forked over and the bulbs planted with a trowel before replacing and firming the turf. If the soil is very heavy, organic matter or sharp sand can be added.

For me, the following are excellent in grassed areas for naturalising: • • • • • •

Narcissus pseudo-narcissus (Wild daffodil) - bulb.

Crocus tommasinianus - corm.

Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrop) - bulb.

Anemone blanda (Windflower) - rhizomatous perennial.

Fritillaria meleagris (Snake’s head fritillary) - bulb.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta (Bluebell) - bulb.

The shrub border is also another good area to grow bulbs that do not compete well with grasses, eg, Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite).

As the soil is relatively uncultivated apart from weeding, it is an ideal place for growing bulbs which can be left undisturbed to increase and colonise. Choose Leucojum aestivum (Snowflake) or Erythronium dens-canis (Dog’s tooth violet) for shady areas under the canopy of the woody plants or Narcissus ‘Thalia’ in areas that receive plentiful light.

These are great for containers: • • • •

Hyacinthus orientalis.

Iris reticulata.

Tulipa ‘Queen of the Night’.

Narcissus ‘Tête-à-tête’.

Aside from enhancing colour throughout this season and the next, there are a few other jobs in the garden to consider: Your garden centres and nurseries are starting to stock up with a range of seasonal bedding. Look out for wallflowers, forget-me-nots and primroses. This year, I’m leaving some of my wall flowers in as they are looking so bushy and healthy. Although classed as biennials, they tend to act as short lived perennials… Enjoy for another season!

Start to check for vine weevil larvae in pots and apply controls (this is the worst part of the lifecycle: eating roots, weakening growth and often ultimately killing plants, especially herbaceous perennials). You may also notice irregular notches in the leaf margins of plants in a number of your pots - this is likely to have been caused by the adult beetle. Use predatory nematodes as a biological control to reduce the need for chemical control. Encourage toads and birds into the garden, which will predate on the beetles and their larvae. You could also inspect plants at night by torchlight when the beetles are active or shake pot-grown plants over newspaper. If you see the beetle (they grow up to 9mm long, are dull black in colour and have a tapered head end), pick it up and crush it!

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Leave decorative seed heads intact; not only for winter interest, but also for a food reserve or as an over-wintering site for various beneficial creatures.

Lastly, check out this link for other jobs for the garden as we move through this month: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/september.

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Happy gardening and keep safe!

For any gardening tips, please contact Tom Cole, Freelance Horticulturist, by email at tomcole8@hotmail.com.

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Regal Kitchens: Case Study - Mr and Mrs K

Mr and Mrs K had were in the process of planning a kitchen extension when they contacted Regal to look at redesigning the space available. They have 2 young children, and both Mr and Mrs K regularly work from home. The whole family has a very busy schedule and were looking for a modern, stylish but more importantly, durable kitchen to suit their lifestyle. After reading some of the reviews left online by previous customers, they decided to visit the Chelmsford showroom to start to gather ideas.

- plus the existing American-style fridge/freezer was seamlessly incorporated into a dedicated wall, complemented by additional furniture to blend with the overall kitchen design.

They desired a modern shaker-style kitchen and had a preference for the colour blue. Their architect had already completed the drawings for their kitchen extension. However, a structural steel post in the kitchen posed a significant challenge. The new extension was larger than the existing kitchen and aimed to flood the space with natural light by featuring black aluminium framed bi-fold doors leading to their garden. The clients also wished to incorporate an island into the design, but were uncertain about how to work around the post.

Client Satisfaction Mr K said: “We’d heard nothing but positive things about Regal, so they were the first people we went to. We weren’t disappointed.

Design Solutions Our designer, Stacey, worked closely with Mr and Mrs K to create a functional and aesthetically pleasing kitchen that met their needs, incorporating an island that featured a seating area, allowing for cooking on one side and providing a space for the clients’ children to do homework or for working from home on the other. A venting hob was strategically placed on the island to minimise the need for a prominent extraction system, enabling the clients to cook and interact with their children simultaneously without a bulky overhead extractor getting in the way. Stacey also suggested that a wine cooler could be placed on the island to cater to guests without obstructing the cooking area. Waste bins were also included underneath the island in a place easy for everyone to access.

The clients selected midnight blue painted shaker-style doors, and the worktop was also used as a splashback to achieve a sleek, cohesive look with beautiful champagne-coloured handles.

The inclusion of a Quooker stainless steel tap with instant hot water functionality streamlined the food preparation process, eliminating the need for a kettle and freeing up valuable worktop space.

“The staff including Stacey, Phil and Emma, were very knowledgeable about all aspects from specification to installation and later usability of appliances. Our kitchen formed part of a side/rear extension and it was important for them to be present at different stages of the build to ensure continuity and no surprises when it came to install.”

The design team skilfully integrated the structural steel post into the island, ensuring it did not disrupt the room’s overall visual appeal.

The primary bank of tall housing included ovens, a generously sized larder for food storage, a wet area with a sink and dishwasher

www.regalkitchens.co.uk | 2 Navigation Road, Chelmsford, CM2 6HX | Where Client Is King Page 10

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On the 6th of September, Old Park Meadow held the opening of their new Oak Shelter. The team were joined by their volunteer gardening club, members of the Essex Wildlife Trust and local journalists who all shared a lovely lunch while engaging in conversation.

The ceremonial ribbon was cut by Karen Dixon from the Essex Wildlife Trust and was met with applause and just like that, the new Oak Shelter was open and ready for all to use!

we are able to make sure that the plastic used to protect the trees when they were first planted, will not have a negative impact on the surrounding environment.

Delyse Jackaman, Manager of Old Park Meadow said: “We wanted to build something for our visitors where they could sit and relax or chat whilst taking in the beautiful views and nature of Old Park Meadow.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported this build and attended the opening.”

On Wednesday the 23rd of August 2023, Old Park Meadow and the Essex Wildlife Trust hosted a volunteer day where employees of the Kingswood Group, Essex Wildlife Trust and Old Park Meadow spent the day removing tree guards (and battling the heat) as part of the Essex Wildlife Trusts’ Tree Guard Recycling Scheme.

The aim of the day was to remove and recycle plastic to help our natural environment.

With the help and support of Collier & Catchpole and Tubex Tree Shelters who supplied the equipment for the volunteers, the team managed to remove hundreds of tree guards at Old Park Meadow.

Delyse (Manager of Old Park Meadow) said: “As a corporate member of the Essex Wild Trust, we wanted to come together with the other members to help preserve and protect our environment.

“By taking part in the Tree Guard Recycling Scheme, www.thecitytimes.co.uk

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Chelmsford Camera Club Chelmsford Camera Club is a well-established photographic society, originally founded in 1952. Until very recently our base was Moulsham Mill, an interesting venue, full of character which served the club well, but post-covid we have moved our base to Broomfield Football Club, which offers ample parking and great facilities.

CCC is a friendly club, appealing to Moulsham Mill (image by Jackie Bale) all standards of photographer, from beginner, intermediary or those of a more expert nature, and holds regular competitions internally for members and against other clubs, in addition to inviting a host of speakers from across the wide array of photographic genres.

Members are extremely active and organise various trips out during the year with events as diverse as local nature reserves, studio shoots, motor racing (4-wheel and 2) which provides great experience to those who may not have shot these activities previously.

If you have an interest in photography, or maybe studying for photography, or your existing club didn’t make it through the pandemic and you are looking for somewhere to channel your interest, please get in touch with us and come along on a club evening (every Thursday from 7th September - evenings start 7.30pm) to get a friendly welcome and taster of what is on offer.

The first three meetings you visit attract a fee of £3 per visit, after which we ask you to join the club if you have enjoyed the fare on offer. You will receive an extremely warm welcome. If you have any interest please don’t hesitate to contact membership@ chelmsfordcameraclub.info.

Chelmsford Library

Another Summer Reading Challenge has come to an end! Ready, Set, Read has proved very popular and a really big well done to all who took part and received their certificates and medals. Don’t forget to show your teachers on your return to school and keep reading and using your library card!

Our baby and toddler rhymetime sessions return to their usual times - check our website for the one to suit you. Our weekend children’s activities continue - Blockbuilders Construction Club, Pens and Puzzles, Sunday Storytime. See the website for dates and times and come and join in the fun!

t o p s s i th n i e s i t Adver e City Times in Th 135 + VAT for £

Work Club If you are seeking employment and need any help with job searching, job applications, CV writing, etc, book an appointment at our Work Club for advice and support. It takes place every Thursday morning just give us a call or email chelmsford.library@essex.gov.uk to book your slot.

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Community Tea Time If you enjoy a cuppa and a friendly chat, do come along and drop in to one of our community tea times. These are held every Wednesday 10.30-11.30am. and all are welcome. We’d love to see you there.

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Other services available to all are: computers with printing and scanning facilities, study spaces, photocopying and free WI-FI. You can pick up hearing aid batteries from us and you can recycle your used batteries, small electrical items and home printer ink cartridges here at the library, just bring them along and put them in the appropriate recycle bin!

For more information and details of all our events and services, including dates and times and how to book your place, just visit our website at libraries.essex.gov.uk. You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter or by subscribing to our newsletter; details on our website.

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The City Times We also publish

MoulshamTimes

For more information please call us on 07970 206682 or email ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk

www.thecitytimes.co.uk

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What’s On All events are correct at time of going to press. Please check with the venue for updates

September

Friday 15th Chelmsford Social Club - Black Frog Presents: The Kast Off Kinks (ex-members of the Kinks & Rubettes) Hylands - National Country Show Live Patch, Grays Yard - Hylands House an Illustrated History (www. chelmsfordhod.co.uk) Saturday 16th Radio City Social - Pop Punk with DJ Danny Ox RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm) Springfield Bronze Age Enclosure Tour (www.chelmsfordhod. co.uk) Star & Garter - Dysfuntion St John’s Church - Open Day Tindal Square - Heritage through the Arts Wickham Bishops Village Hall (CM8 3JZ) - Wickham Bishops Jazz Club (6.30 for 7.30pm - Dave Browning’s Jazz Cats wickhambishopsjazzclub@gmail.com - 07548 775 777) Sunday 17th Chelmsford City Racecourse - Wedding Show Hot Box - Rockeoke Hylands House - Events Through the Years Hylands - National Country Show Live Springfield Bronze Age Enclosure Tour (www.chelmsfordhod. co.uk) Star & Garter - Jam session Monday 18th Hot Box - Chelmsford Chess Club night Sandon School (Sports Hall 2) - Scottish Country Dancing (7.30 - 9.30pm - all abilities welcome - sandonscotdance@gmail. com, www.sandonscotdance.org.uk) Tuesday 19th Central Baptist Church (Victoria Road South) - ECC Retirement Fellowship monthly meeting (2-4pm - new members welcome) Hot Box - Open Mic Night Widford Village Hall (turn left at Chandlers) - country dancing (barn dance - 7.50pm - £2 - 01245 475 660) Woolpack - Quiz Wednesday 20th Black Rabbit, Maldon - Karaoke Chelmsford Theatre - Do You Believe in Ghosts?

Hot Box - Control Voltage: Electronic Music Open Mic Old Park Meadow - Gardening Club and Coffee Morning Old Park Meadow - Bereavement Café with St Clare’s Hospice Thursday 21st Black Rabbit (Maldon) - Quiz Night Hot Box - Ignition - Regicide + Bearfist + Hendra Radio City Social - Open Mic The Rising Sun - Quiz night Friday 22nd Chelmsford Theatre - An Evening and a Little Bit of a Morning with Mark Steel Chelmsford Theatre - Alex Hart RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair yoga Star & Garter - Steamhouse ft Jimmi Saturday 23rd Chelmsford Theatre - Get It On! Radio City Social - Texas Takeover South Hanningfiled Village Hall - Murder Mystery (tickets £5 BYO drinks & nibbles - bookings taken on 07396 546 050 or email shvhall@gmail.com) Star & Garter - Medicine

Monday 25th Hot Box - The Terry’s Sandon School (Sports Hall 2) - Scottish Country Dancing (7.30 - 9.30pm - all abilities welcome - sandonscotdance@ gmail.com, www.sandonscotdance.org.uk) Tuesday 26th Chelmsford Theatres - Priscilla Queen of the Desert Widford Village Hall (turn left at Chandlers) - country dancing (barn dance, £2 - 7.50pm - 01245 475 660) Woolpack - Quiz Wednesday 27th Black Rabbit (Maldon) - Karaoke Old Park Meadow - Gardening Club and Coffee Morning Thursday 28th Black Rabbit (Maldon) - Quiz Night Hot Box - Uber Jam Radio City Social - Massive Alternative Super Fun Pub Quiz The Rising Sun - Quiz night Friday 29th Chelmsford Social Club - Black Frog Presents: Carnaby Army Radio City Social, Viaduct Road - OktoberfestRAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair yoga Woolpack - MacMillan coffee morning (10am) Saturday 30th Chelmsford Race Course - Chris Moyles Chelmsford Social Club - Nine Lives Rock ‘n’ Roll Club: Dave Bs Good Rockin’ Tonite Hot Box - SR Mortimer & guests Radio City Social, Viaduct Road - Poptarts Podcast Presents: All Tribes 3 RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm) Star & Garter - The Locals Trinity Methodist Church - Chelmsford Male Voice Choir Autumn Extravaganza (email, cmvchoir.co.uk for tickets - £10) The White Swan Bicknacre - Music Bingo

October Sunday 1st Hot Box - Karaoke Star & Garter - Jam session Monday 2nd Hot Box - Chelmsford Chess Club night Sandon School (Sports Hall 2) - Scottish Country Dancing (7.30 - 9.30pm - all abilities welcome - sandonscotdance@ gmail.com, www.sandonscotdance.org.uk) Woolpack - Open Mic Tuesday 3rd Chelmsford Theatre - Seven Drunken Nights Woolpack - Quiz Wednesday 4th Black Rabbit, Maldon - Karaoke Chelmsford Theatres - Markus Birdman: Platinum Hot Box - General Knwoldge Quiz Friends Meeting House (Rainsford Road) - CRAG Retirement Group (monthly meeting - 9.30am - first visit free) Old Park Meadow - Gardening Club and Coffee Morning Thursday 5th Black Rabbit, Maldon - Quiz Night Chelmsford Theatre Hot Box - Calum Ingram & his Band The Lion Inn - Chelmsford Comedy Club The Rising Sun - Quiz night

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Friday 6th Central Park - Oktoberfest Chelmsford 2023 Chelmsford Social Club - Black Frog Presents: Mim Grey Band + Robbie McIntosh with Steve Wilson Chelmsford Theatre - Andy Parsons: Baffingly Hot Box - Black Pines + El Shirota RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair yoga The White Swan (Bicknacre) - Beer Festival Saturday 7th Chelmsford Theatres - Legend: The Music of Bob Marley The Globe - Shakey’s Sessions Hot Box - Robbie McIntosh & Steve Wilson Acoustic (2.30pm) Hot Box - Boogie in the Box Oddfellows Arms - The Brit Invasion RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm) Star & Garter - DJs Aubs & Vince Sunday 8th Hatfield Peverel Village Hall - The Pantaloons Presents: The Comedy of Errors Hot Box - Jazz Sunday with Zak Barrett and friends Monday 9th Hot Box - Chelmsford Chess Club Sandon School (Sports Hall 2) - Scottish Country Dancing (7.30 - 9.30pm - all abilities welcome - sandonscotdance@gmail. com, www.sandonscotdance.org.uk) Tuesday 10th Hot Box - The Hot Box Big Music Quiz Widford Village Hall (turn left at Chandlers) - country dancing (barn dance, £2 - 7.50pm - 01245 475 660) Woolpack - Quiz Wednesday 11th Black Rabbit (Maldon) - Karaoke Chelmsford Theatre - The Serial Killer Next Door Hot Box - Maruja Old Park Meadow - Gardening Club and Coffee Morning Thursday 12th Black Rabbit (Maldon) - Quiz Night Chelmsford Theatre - Mum’s the Word Hot Box - Rhino’s Revenge (Status Quo) album launch The Rising Sun - Quiz night Friday 13th Anglia Ruskin University - Lets Go To Work Jobs Fair

Chelmsford Male Voice Choir

Chelmsford Male Voice Choir (CMVC) started life in 1950, but its origins can be traced back to the Boer War when the choir first sang to raise funds for British troops.

The choir currently has around 40 members drawn from a wide area of Essex who attend rehearsals each Tuesday evening at 7.30pm, but it is always looking to welcome as new members; those who enjoy tuneful singing, regardless of any other musical ability.

In 2015, the choir became a registered charity, the aims of which are to promote, improve, develop and maintain public education in the appreciation of the art and science of choral music in all its aspects. These aims are achieved primarily by performing concerts, raising worthwhile funds for good causes. Variety is the hallmark of its concert performances and its repertoire ranges widely, from choral works to arrangements of modern classics and songs from the shows.

The Musical Director, Paul Smith, holds a Music Honours Degree at Brighton University, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Music Teaching from the University of Greenwich, has over 20 years’

Friday 13th (continued...)

Chelmsford Social Club - Black Frog Presents: The Korgis Chelmsford Theatre - Shape of You: The Music of Ed Sheeran Chelsmford Theatre - Triffids!

Saturday 14th Chelmsford Theatre - Mercury Hot Box - The Kubricks + Longy & the Gospel Trash RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm) Star & Garter - Punky Reggae Party ft Shake Rag Sunday 15th Central Park - Chelmsford Marathon & Half Marathon Hot Box - Rockaoke Night Monday 16th Hot Box - Helicon + Acid Rooster Sandon School (Sports Hall 2) - Scottish Country Dancing (7.30 - 9.30pm - all abilities welcome - sandonscotdance@ gmail.com, www.sandonscotdance.org.uk) Star & Garter - One Tree Hillbillies Tuesday 17th Central Baptist Church (Victoria Road South) - ECC Retirement Fellowship monthly meeting (2-4pm) new members welcome Hot Box - Open Mic Night Widford Village Hall (turn left at Chandlers) - country dancing (barn dance, £2 - 7.50pm - 01245 475 660) Woolpack - Quiz Wednesday 18th Black Rabbit (Maldon) - Karaoke Chelmsford Theatre - Bridget Christie: Who Am I? Hot Box - Track Dogs Old Park Meadow - Gardening Club and Coffee Morning Thursday 19th Black Rabbit (Maldon) - Quiz Night Chelmsford Theatre - The Scummy Mummies Hot Box - Heather Kings + Bring to Bear + Tink The Rising Sun - Quiz night Friday 20th Chelmsford Social Club - Black Frog Presents: Albert Lee & His Band Chelmsford Theatres - Opera Boys: A Night at the Musicals Saturday 21st Chelmsford Theatre - Teddy Bears Picnic RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm) Star & Garter - Toddy and Deano’s Back to School Disco experience of conducting and performing with choirs, orchestras and brass bands with a wide knowledge of both traditional and modern choral repertoire and is currently Head of Music at South Essex College and Musical Director for Allegro, an Essex-based mixed choir.

In July, Chelmsford Male Voice Choir staged a successful Summer Concert to a large audience in Trinity Methodist Church Chelmsford and is looking forward to performing again at that venue on Saturday 30th September in an Autumn Extravaganza, uniquely for the first time together with The Leigh Orpheus Male Voice Choir from Leigh-on Sea and with a soprano guest soloist Anna Maria. The combined voices of around 70 choristers performing a wide range of music genres is something not to be missed.

The choir will also be performing in The Parish Church of St John the Baptist in Danbury on 21st October, with guest soloist Pedro Lopes, a former professional opera singer.

Chelmsford Male Voice Choir is proud to have the crest of the City of Chelmsford within its logo. Further details about the choir can be found on www.cmvchoir.co.uk.

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Channel 4 Documentary to Rescue Fertility

While reality television may not draw everyone in as entertainment, maybe the recent focus of the celebrity format on the most primal aspect of human life has found real purpose beyond entertainment.

No sophistication, no adventure, no competition, in Celebrity Save Our Sperm, which aired in July on Channel 4. There is honesty and vulnerability as each celebrity faces their own challenge to improve their sperm. And of course there is the entertainment lure of the endurance test, closing the programme with the large group challenge for men to strip and brave the cold waves on the Brighton sea front.

For those who might be wondering whether sperm need saving, the answers become very clear when the celebrities receive the results of their first analysis. Three aspects of sperm health are analysed: the quantity, the quality, and the motility. Starting with the quantity, when we hear numbers in the millions, it’s easy to lose a sense of perspective. But the perspective that sperm counts have more than halved in only 50 years brings the facts home. While these numbers for reproductive cells seem fantastically high, the fact is that men are producing less than half the average hundred million of sperm that men used to produce less than a lifetime ago. The quality of sperm is assessed by their shape (morphology) and, in more depth, by their genetic make up (DNA fragmentation).

their lives. But is it worth it?

The results show that the three were able to improve their sperm health with their changes in only 10 weeks. Some of the results are amazing. While aspects of food and lifestyle have been damaging the sperm health of the celebrities, it has been possible to rescue the health of their sperm, by making some manageable food and lifestyle changes. With fertility difficulties rising and a recognition that men contribute equally to conception, there are clear messages for all men. It’s time to talk about sperm health and fertility. Even simple changes can make a difference and it is possible to improve sperm health.

Jane Hickey is the co-creator of Preconception Nutrition programmes with Regan Heatley. As BANT registered Nutritional Therapists, they help men and women to improve their fertility, with individual and workplace programmes. If you would like to find out how Jane or Regan can help you with a programme, visit preconceptionnutrition. com.

Fragile sperm quality causes problems for fertilisation. Motility (the ability to move) is another key aspect of sperm health, because, of course, the race to successful fertilisation depends on the ability of these tiny swimmers to swim.

True to the programme format, there is a reality task, with food and lifestyle changes. After the first results, the celebrities set out to improve their sperm health from their initial test results in a time limited 10 weeks after their results reveal some problems in all three areas of sperm health. We witness not only their physical vulnerability, but also their mental vulnerability. The candid discussions between Ollie, Russell and Melvin reveal sensitive humour, mutual support and an acknowledgment that fertility is a topic rarely discussed by men, as they consider their results and explore the emotions associated with men’s fertility.

Some of the food and lifestyle culprits are not so surprising. Sugar. Cigarettes.

Coffee. Alcohol. But the three come up against some more unexpected culprits inflicting damage on the health of their sperm. Plastic food wrapping. Personal care products - and, significantly, heat damage from tight underwear and hot tubs. With individual recommendations to address the particular aspects of their food and lifestyles most likely to be detrimental for sperm health for each of the three, they set out to introduce some changes into their lives. Reduce the coffee. Give up the sweets. Avoid the hot tubs. Stop smoking. While these changes are the most natural and least invasive steps to counter the harmful aspects of modern life and support their fertility, there is an endurance aspect as the three face the challenges of sacrificing some of the routines that they love in Page 16

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Sir Grayson Perry’s Alien Baby Acquired by Chelmsford Museum Chelmsford Museum has acquired one of Sir Grayson Perry’s Alien Baby sculptures. The gold gilded figure, a limited edition of just 12, is now on display in the museum’s ceramics gallery. It sits alongside another Sir Grayson acquisition - Kate Board.

their proceeds help fund international skate and education nonprofits and projects.

Sir Grayson Perry is one of the UK’s most renowned artists, as well as a broadcaster and writer. He was born in Bicknacre in Chelmsford and now lives and works in London. The Turner Prize-winning artist is most known for his ceramics, which raise themes of national identity, gender, and social issues. He was recently bestowed a knighthood in His Majesty The King’s New Year Honours 2023 for services to the arts.

Sir Grayson Perry said of the exclusive design, which featured in his 2017 exhibition at Serpentine Galleries Grayson Perry: The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever: “She is a popular figure who does good work on a church brass. It might be the only context where we would get to stand on top of a member of the royal family.”

Alien Baby Celebrates NHS Role in Rite of Passage Perry created Alien Baby while filming his BAFTA-nominated Channel 4 series Rites of Passage in 2018. The four-part series explores the traditional rituals of birth, death, marriage and coming of age that govern our lives. In it, the artist asks the question, ‘Should we reinvent how we mark these occasions to fit with modern life?’

For the third episode of the series, Sir Grayson visited Broomfield Hospital in his hometown of Chelmsford. There, he spoke with mothers on the neonatal ward who had given birth to premature babies, and their nurses. In the series, Sir Grayson describes the neonatal ward with its modern technology and lights as like ‘a kind of spaceship’.

Inspired by his experiences on the ward, the potter created 12 ceramics in the shape of infants. The pieces celebrate the NHS as a pillar of modern society; the ‘slow-motion modern miracle’ of premature babies being nurtured back to health, and the humanity of the neonatal nurses.

The ceramic figures are just 27cm high, with a golden metallic glaze. Each of them is unique and stamped with the artist’s monogram and numbered on the underside.

Describing them as ‘talismans of life and love’, Sir Grayson gifted all 12 figures to the nurses and parents featured in the series in honour of the lives they have helped bring into the world.

The 10th figure was gifted to a Ward Administrator at the hospital who featured in the episode. It was purchased for Chelmsford Museum in April 2023 thanks to funding from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund.

Skateboard Tribute to Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge Also on display Joining Alien Baby in the ceramics gallery at Chelmsford Museum is another Sir Grayson Perry artwork - Kate Board.

The piece is a skateboard, in a limited edition of 999. It features a bright image of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge (now The Princess of Wales) in the style of a monumental church brass. Created in 2017, the piece was designed by Sir Grayson in collaboration with The Skateroom.

Established in 2014, The Skateroom works with major artists to create limited editions of art on skateboards. Significant parts of

Pieces Enhance Museum’s Growing Sir Grayson Perry Collection Sir Grayson’s artworks often feature, or are inspired by, his hometown of Chelmsford. They reflect both his memories of Chelmsford in past years, as well as the city today and the changes it has seen over time.

Alien Baby and Kate Board add to Chelmsford Museum’s growing collection of works by the artist. They join the Osprey Handbag, one of ten designed in 2019 in collaboration with Osprey London. The piece features Sir Grayson’s famous teddy bear, Alan Measles, on the clasp. Other pieces by the artist currently displayed in the ceramics gallery include the famous The Chelmsford Sissies pot and England as seen from Lockdown in Islington. Untitled, depicting Sir Grayson’s memories of childhood in Chelmsford, is also displayed in the gallery.

Councillor Marie Goldman, Deputy Leader of Chelmsford City Council and Cabinet Member for a Connected Chelmsford, says it is fitting that Alien Baby has been acquired for Chelmsford Museum in the 75th anniversary year of the NHS: “In the 75th anniversary year of our beloved NHS, it is fitting and rather poignant that Chelmsford Museum should acquire Sir Grayson Perry’s Alien Baby.

“Having been inspired by the brilliant neonatal unit at our very own Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Sir Grayson’s piece celebrates the miracles that take place every day in our local hospital and in hospitals across the UK. “Both the Alien Baby and Kate Board will richly enhance the museum’s collection of Sir Grayson Perry’s works, helping us to better understand the pioneering artist, and our local and national histories.”

Mark Curteis, Assistant Museums Manager - Curatorial and Learning, says Chelmsford Museum looks to acquire pieces by Sir Grayson Perry whenever possible: “Sir Grayson Perry has produced many thought-provoking pieces with links to our wonderful city in which he grew up. These objects share important social stories of the city and Sir Grayson’s experiences of it.

“Chelmsford Museum is keen to collect and celebrate the work of Sir Grayson, particularly pieces with a local provenance. These acquisitions allow us to continue to share the history and identity of Chelmsford through the eyes of one of the UK’s most renowned artists and Chelmsfordians.”

Chelmsford Museum is open every day, including bank holidays, from 10am–5pm until 30th October and from 10am–4pm from 31st October.

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A Year in the Life of the Mayor The Mayor and her Consort attended the Chelmsford Science and Engineering Society TEXPO Awards Evening at Anglia Ruskin University and delivered a speech on how science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) solutions are helping to solve global problems. This competition serves to nurture new ideas to ensure a bright future of innovation. Essex County Council Chairman, Cllr Jill Reeves gave out the awards and congratulated all the prize-winners.

Columbus School & College held their Remarkable Lives Leavers ball at Pontlands Park with an award ceremony. Many students have been with Columbus since they were 3 years old and are now moving onto other provisions. The Mayor and her Consort were delighted to help celebrate all their achievements so far and wish them the very best on their onward journey, as well as presenting awards to other young people who had reached unique and amazing milestones.

Centre. The children sang songs, asked questions, and told her a little about what they had been learning before being presented with their certificates of attendance. The Deputy Mayor was presented with lovely flowers and chocolates.

The Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayoress went to Hylands Park for the opening of Go Ape Chelmsford. After the ribbon cutting ceremony Deputy Mayoress Helen tried out the Treetop Adventure Plus, which she thoroughly enjoyed. There were groups of friends and families eagerly awaiting their timeslots to have a go throughout the afternoon.

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor were pleased to join the Royal Air Force Association (RAFA), where they were made very welcome for their regular quiz and buffet lunch, although they were well and truly beaten by the regulars there!

The Mayor Cllr Linda Mascot and her Consort husband Ian were delighted to attend the 71st (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regimental reception at Lincoln’s Inn Arc. Deputy Mayor Cllr Jude Deakin and her Deputy Mayoress daughter Helen attended a joyous Multicultural Day with Redeemed Christian Church of God. There was lots of singing and plenty of dancing. Jude gave a speech on the importance of heritage and diversity within the community and was presented with some beautiful flowers. It was a wonderful way to start the day with Helen joining in some of the dancing.

Ninja Warrior UK adventure park was opened by The Mayor Cllr Linda Mascot with TV presenter Ben Shepherd and other Ninja Pros, including Beth Lodge who is the current Ninja Warrior UK champion.

The Mayor was pleased to hear about the inclusivity of the owners Prime Leisure - they offer SEN sessions every fourth Saturday and support employees with additional needs as well as providing a Changing Places facility for anyone with a disability. It’s great to see a new venture in the city offering employment and fun physical activities to everyone aged 5 and up.

Later that day, the Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayoress paid a visit to Chelmsford Sports and Athletics Centre where they were shown around before cutting the ribbon to open the new running track.

They stayed on to enjoy watching some of the England Athletics Championships.

Essex Dance Theatre in Great Baddow invited the Mayor and parents to a performance of The Lion King by their summer schoolers after 3 weeks of offering different musical theatre and creative childcare for local young people. The performance was full of energy and The Mayor was very impressed with how much confidence such young children displayed and thanked the students at EDT for volunteering their time and expertise to teach during the 3 weeks.

The Deputy Mayor was a guest of Anglia Ruskin University at Chelmsford Cathedral for the graduation of some of their Business Students. The ceremony was attended by lots of family and friends.

Later that evening she chaired the Full Council meeting at Chelmsford City Council.

Picnic in the Park was held in Melbourne Park where the Deputy Mayor was happy to attend and meet families who were there. The children were involved in themed activates throughout the week and the theme for the day was dinosaurs. Fortunately, the weather was good, and it was a big success with everyone.

The Deputy Mayor was a guest at the official opening of Tindal Square. There were lots of street artists performing in the area outside Shire Hall which attracted a crowd of people. She was delighted to be invited to make a speech at the opening of Tindal Square and was presented with a balloon key to the door of Shire Hall.

The new Wickes store off Waterhouse Lane invited the Deputy Mayor to cut the ribbon and declare it officially open. Jude spoke to several staff and was shown around the extensive store.

The weather was much improved when The Mayor visited Play in the Park in Melbourne Park one morning where 70 children and their families were busy making slime, playing games, doing craft activities, and were enthralled by the storyteller.

The Deputy Mayor visited the Echos of History event at The Living Memorial in Rettendon. There were wonderful displays of uniforms and equipment representing USA, Russia, Germany and UK across the ages. Many enthusiastic clubs represented showing the items that they specialise in. There was something for everyone.

The Mayor and Consort joined families and passers-by at Summerballoo in Tindal Square enjoying a fantastic line-up of free activities and performances including stunt acts, a talking robot, pedalo rides and illuminated drummers.

They then joined Danny Bounce DJ and Bam Bam Boogies dance crew at the City Garden Block Party in Bond Street for the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop Celebrations.

The Deputy Mayor went to Chelmsford Cathedral to attend the graduation of Essex and Thames SCITT newly qualified teachers, where she made a short speech congratulating the graduates. The ceremony was attended by staff, family and friends.

The Deputy Mayor spent several hours at the Inter Faith Triad Cricket Tournament at Broomfield Cricket Club. Wonderfully organised by representatives from Chelmsford Cathedral, Chelmsford Muslim Society and the event winners the Chelmsford Hindu Society ably supported this year, for the first time, by Essex County Cricket Club.

Following the graduation ceremony, the Deputy Mayor moved on to spend lunchtime with some wonderful children. They were attending fun classes learning about their African heritage through a scheme provided by volunteers from the Chelmsford Community Support

Presentations were made by Deputy Lord Lieutenant Sidra Naeem, Deputy Mayor of Basildon Yetunde Adeshile, and the Deputy Mayor of Chelmsford. This is always a great family event, and this day was no exception.

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The Mayor visited Essex Community Foundation (ECF) to meet CEO Caroline Taylor and Chair of Trustees Nick Alston to hear about the great work of the foundation in supporting the community andvoluntary sector in Chelmsford.

Baycroft Care Home in Great Baddow held a barbeque for family and friends of their residents which the Mayor and Deputy Mayor were pleased to attend. They joined staff and residents in singing and dancing to local crooner Robert Jerome and were impressed to see the facilities on offer during a tour of the home.

The Mayor and her Consort attended the opening night of Bill Kenwright’s award winning musical Blood Brothers at Chelmsford Theatre. The sold out show featured incredible performances from the cast and ended with a full standing ovation from the audience.

Chelmsford store.

Kaani Kaana in Duke Street invited the Deputy Mayor to join guests tasting their vegan dishes for a new vegan menu. Everyone agreed the food was delicious. The vegan menu is now available alongside their standard menu in their Lodge coaches held their annual coach and car vehicle show at their Good Easter garage on Sunday.

Lodge Coaches has been family owned since 1920 and their Director Robert Lodge runs the luxury coach business supplying vehicles for holidays, excursions, schools and restored vintage vehicles which feature in film and TV programmes.

Robert is working with Graham Hayden and the Worshipful Company of Carmen to provide ambulances, other vehicles and supplies to warstricken Ukraine.

The Mayor and her Consort enjoyed seeing all the vintage cars and meeting presenter of Bangers and Cash, Derek Mathewson.

The YMCA run local summer holiday camps in conjunction with Active Essex for eligible children aged 5-11 as well as working with families who need extra support. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor have a particular interest in the work of the YMCA as they are the chosen www.thecitytimes.co.uk

Mayor’s charity for the year. They visited two of these at Braintree Sport & Leisure Centre and Larkrise School in Great Baddow to see the fun activities provided and were pleased to hear from Head of Childcare & Youth Services, Ben Gibbons and Youth Services Manager, Becky Whitaker how they plan sports, crafts and teambuilding challenges, as well as providing a nutritious hot meal for the children every day.

Chelmsford Ice Hockey Academy held their Ice Hockey children’s camp at Riverside Leisure Centre this week where the Mayor and Deputy welcomed three Swedish coaches who had travelled to Chelmsford especially to coach the young people and enrich their experience, they also supported the Chelmsford coaches with their knowledge and insight of the game. The Mayor and Deputy watched a game on the ice at the end of a session with the Mayor dropping the puck to start the games. All the children had a great time and really enthused about the camp and the skills they learnt.

ART (Abberton Rural Training) held an open day at their premises behind Moulsham Mill which the Mayor and Deputy Mayor were pleased to attend. CEO Jacqui Stone explained that in 2022-23, 467 people attended courses learning new skills, improving mental health, improving the environment and gaining qualifications.

ART support 100% wounded and injured armed forces personnel and their families in the process of medical discharge and recovery, including mental health support and debt advice. They have also had a direct hand in suicide prevention of 14 people and supported 27 into employment: 79.5% of employees have a disability or are carers for someone with a disability.

The Mayor and Deputy heard that the demand for services had never been higher, and ART provide an important and much-needed service for improving and saving lives of our residents.

The Mayor was invited to see the Reed in Partnership Restart Scheme for participants who are unemployed and referred by the Job Centre. Partnership Manager, Ian Whittle, explained how they offer a comprehensive Employment Adviser Meeting and a personal plan with mutually agreed steps, access to bespoke Skills Academy training, a Wellbeing Centre for emotional support, an Online Careers Centre and financial support, which includes a grant for suitable interview clothing.

The one-to-one support continues at least fortnightly with monthly reviews. The Mayor spoke to employees and service users who all agreed this was a much-needed service to support Chelmsford residents.

Tesco have also kindly donated clothing available for unemployed participants and their families.

Chelmsford District Scout Council invited the Mayor to their AGM in Writtle, where young people who had taken part in scouting trips abroad presented their experiences from South Korea, USA and Jersey. The Mayor was impressed by their presenting skills and pleased to hear of their resourcefulness and resilience during these trips. They had all made new International friends and brought back life-affirming experiences.

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A History of Leisure and Entertainment Part 2 - By Stephen Norris This article deals with the development of leisure and entertainment in Chelmsford in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods.

Fred Spalding promoted a wide variety of entertainments in the light nineteenth century. In 1888 for example, he put on a production of Sleeping Beauty for three nights at the Corn Exchange. The inmates of the workhouse came in for free. In the same year he arranged for Mr Doyly Carte to bring his production of HMS Pinafore to Chelmsford.

Each year, Spalding brought a pantomime to the town. As late as 1910 the council gave permission for an ‘electric theatre’ to set up in Kings Head Meadow. Occasionally, a well known celebrity visited Chelmsford such as Oscar Wilde in 1884, who gave a talk on ‘Dress’, leading to the Chronicle naturally enough to give a long description of his apparel.

The strength of the town’s shopkeepers’ hold on the old Board of Health showed in the vote in 1884 to abolish the town’s fair which was held twice a year, supposedly because of ‘the great nuisance caused to those living close to the market’. The money such fairs brought to the town brought about a rethink and a May fair was held the following year at Bell Mead.

In the late nineteenth century, many workers could not afford proper holidays, but the work’s outing was increasingly popular. In 1887 for example the Crompton Arc Works had their annual outing to Southend.

Forty workers set off from the Chelmsford Post Office at 6am and they stopped at Battlesbridge for breakfast. There was time at Southend to take the steamer across to Rochester as well as numerous other seaside enjoyments. In 1892 a much larger number of the firm’s employees (254) went to Great Yarmouth for the day, and during 1906, Hoffmann workers went to the same resort. These outings were not restricted to the big works and in 1880 for example, the Industrial School took their annual trip to Walton-on-the-Naze and there were regular Sunday school outings.

Chelmsford’s big firms established social clubs with a wide variety of activities in addition to their sporting activities before the First War. Smokers’ concerts were popular before the war. In 1891 a Crompton Arc Works smokers concert included comics and the works’ band played, and during 1892 a concert was put on at the Corn Exchange in aid of the Arc Works Sick Benefit Society - an orchestra played the music of Mendelssohn.

new member would donate bottles of claret. In 1903, one of its oldest members, a Mr Kemble, died. He had been a member for over half a century.

Another exclusive society in the town was the Old Town Jury Club, which usually met at the Saracens Head and whose membership was also made up from the town’s establishment. During the club’s annual dinner in 1881, strong anti-co-operative comments were made. At its annual dinner in 1892 at the White Hart Hotel, Alderman WW Duffield (clerk to the Chelmsford Board of Poor Law Guardians) presided and Fred Spalding was Vice President. Edmund Durrant, the publisher was present. Usborne, the local MP, was missing but usually attended.

Councillor Cramphorn proposed a toast to the army, navy and auxiliary forces. By the 1930s the club was defunct.

The Chelmsford Club was established in 1884 for ‘the benefit of the professional and business men of the town’. Directors of the club included prominent local business men such as JS Brown, JG Bond and THP Dennis. Buildings in Museum Terrace, New London Road were obtained. ‘The accommodation will comprise of a spacious and well furnished reading room, liberally supplied with leading newspapers and magazines and works of reference: a lofty and well ventilated billiard room with two tables; a commodious smoking room, a chess and card room and a refreshment buffet under the charge of responsible steward. Arrangements will be made with one of the telegraph agencies for transmission to the club of important events. The club will be open daily from 12am to 12pm. In our opinion it will supply a want that has long been felt among the gentlemen of Chelmsford. Less than six months later the club had 110 members with all the 5,000 £1 shares taken up.’

In 1892 many of Chelmsford’s ‘great and good’ were present at a dinner, including T Usborne, Mayor Whitmore, Chancellor Duffield and Councillor Bodkin. The dining room was especially lighted for the occasion with three large electric lamps.

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Promenade concerts also started to be performed at the firm’s sports ground at Wood Street. In 1903 a smokers concert was held at Wood Street to celebrate the opening of new recreation rooms. The works also regularly hosted groups of minstrel players. In 1907 the Hoffmann Company launched its Athletics and Social Club, and it soon had 350 members. By 1910, the club had rooms in Baddow Road, where it was also putting on dances. In 1911, Marconi opened social club premises in New London Road.

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During the inter-war period whist drives took over from smokers concerts as popular entertainments at the works’ social clubs and elsewhere in the town, and by 1923, Hoffmann was attracted 500 people to their whist drives. The New Year festivities at the Hoffmann club hosted 450 people in fancy dress in 1922 and in May 1925 the club had a big party with over 750 people present.

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Chelmsford’s better off citizens had always had their own clubs of course. The Chelmsford Beefsteak Club was one of oldest clubs of its type in the country, founded in 1768, although no books older than 1781 survive. It still existed in the 1990s.

There were a set of rules to be observed by the membership when they dined first at the Black Boy and then later at the Saracen’s Head.

Membership was limited to 40 and consisted of an elite group of influential local people. They discussed matters of common interest over a meal and minutes were deliberately not kept. Fifteen high sheriffs were members, but other members included Frederick Carne Rasch, Edward Pretyman MP, Henry Marriage, and George Taylor. Each

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Standing Forward Bend - By Steve Johansen, Hummingbird Pilates & Yoga In all the years that I’ve been teaching yoga, the most common excuse that people give for not giving it a go is their belief that they aren’t flexible enough! I often hear, ‘I can’t even touch my toes’, followed by bending forward to show their lack of flexibility as their hands reach their knees. However, Standing Forward Bend Pose isn’t about being able to touch your toes or even your knees.

Uttanasana, pronounced as (OOT-tan-AHS-ah-nah), is comprised of 3 words, and each Sanskrit word can have several meanings. Ut meaning intense, powerful, or deliberate. Tan meaning to stretch, extend, or lengthen. Asana meaning pose or posture. Arguably the true translation should be ‘standing intense stretch pose’. However, I don’t feel that this truly describes the ethos of the pose and this is why I often use the Sanskrit words as well as the English translations during my teaching in order to impart a truer meaning of yoga and the poses.

For me. forward bends - whether they be standing or seated - are not about being able to touch your toes. They are all about a full, back of the body stretch (from the soles of the feet to the top of the head). To find this intense stretch, I nearly always include Urdhva Uttanasana.

Urdhva meaning half, so Half Standing Forward Bend, sometimes called Deep Forward Bend, to create the length and strength through the front of my body to target and stretch the back of my body, especially the hamstrings.

Where to Start Start in Mountain Pose, grounding yourself through the feet, hip width apart, with your toes pointing straight forwards. Make sure your weight is evenly distributed over the four corners of your feet. Soften the knees, keeping them hip width apart, roll the pelvis slightly so the tail bone points downwards to the heels helping you to stand taller. You should feel the fronts of the thighs tighten, along with your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles or Mula Bandha. Try to lift evenly from the sides of your chest, roll your shoulder blades backwards and towards each other, rotate the palms to face forwards, stretching the fingertips down. This will help open the collarbones, relax your

shoulders, and deepen your breath. Find your Dristi, an unfocused gaze, on a point at eye height. Take a moment to feel strong here.

On your next inhalation sweep the arms upwards, to upward salute.

On your exhalation, keeping a flat back and a strong core, bend the knees as you fold from the hips bringing the fingertips to the floor either side of your feet in line with your toes. Allow your abdomen to rest on your thighs, and the crown of your head to hang downwards, lengthening the spine. Keep your abdomen on your thighs as you draw your kneecaps and quadriceps upwards. Start to straighten your legs, until you feel your hamstrings and glutes beginning to stretch.

You might not be able to completely straighten your legs, depending on your hamstring length.

On your next inhalation, lift into Half Standing Forward Bend by drawing your sternum and gaze forward engaging your abdominal muscles. Roll your shoulder blades backwards and towards each other; this will create the length and strength through the front of your body. Keep this feeling as you draw the kneecaps up and engaged the front of your thighs, straightening your legs - you’ll begin to feel the stretch through the back of your body, glutes and especially the hamstrings.

To develop the length and flexibility of the hamstrings and to intensify the stretch throughout the back of your body, I recommend practising transitioning from Standing Forward Bend into Half Standing Forward Bend for a minimum of 3 or 5 repetitions. Making sure to move in time with your breath, whilst keeping your core strong and your back flat, shoulders drawn back and legs straight. On each out-breath, fold forward from the hips, into Standing Forward Bend and on your in-breath lift into Half Standing Forward Bend.

For those of you who would benefit from seeing both versions of Standing Forward Bend Pose taught in action, you can find a video on our at Hummingbird Pilates & Yoga Facebook page both pinned to the top and as one of our reels. Alternatively, book now and join me at the studio using this free pass code HPYFREECLASS. My gift to you.

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Can You Make a Difference in Your Community? activities for all levels of access and know-how. Tuesday mornings.

Community Speed Watch volunteer Community Speed Watch groups consist of volunteers from their local community, who all share the same concerns about speeding through their local villages. These volunteers are from all walks of life, with a variety of skill sets and knowledge, who give up their free time to assist with reducing the number of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads.

Customer service volunteer - Springfield Library We need you to join our friendly team of volunteers in the library, welcoming customers, supporting them to use the library, and enabling them to make full use of the services available - must be happy using computers and the internet.

Volunteers needed to join SWF Community Garden Meadowcroft Garden Centre have donated a beautiful piece of land for local people to grow flowers, harvest vegetables, learn new skills and enjoy being with friendly people in a lovely location. The sessions are supported by an expert from the RHS. We need volunteers who can help get the garden started and then carry it forward for the community. A bit of gardening knowledge would be lovely but is not essential, and we’ll always strive to provide

Knit and crochet for good causes! - ladies’ knitting group Are you a keen knitter or have you always wanted to learn how?

We are welcoming volunteers to join a ladies’ only knitting group at Hamptons Sport & Leisure Centre in Great Baddow. The group includes experienced knitters, complete beginners, refugees, older people, and ladies who’ve dealt with difficult circumstances or sad times. Over lots of coffee and cake we chat, create, laugh and make things for good causes! Monday mornings.

Giving advice - Chelmsford Citizens Advice Bureau Are you a good listener? Can you give calm, thoughtful advice and assist people accessing information? This role is assisting clients by phone to help resolve their practical issues/problems.

By using questioning and listening skills to gain as much detail as possible, you will help worried clients decide what the next best steps are.

This could be by researching and providing them with information, signposting to other organisations, referring clients to other services and charities, or arranging for the client to receive full advice from one of our experienced advisers.

You will receive full training, constant support and advice. You are not expected to know all the answers!

Introducing Dave Heaney - Chelmsford Community Radio Hi, I’m Dave Heaney and I present Tuesday Lunchtimes on Chelmsford Community Radio.

very exciting. I’ve had plenty of wonderful experiences since then including interviewing some pretty impressive artists and performers, including the lovely Ramin Karimloo who played the lead role in Phantom of the Opera - such a big star from the West-End and Broadway! It made my day to have him live in the studio talking about his new album. He then gave an impromptu performance of Bring Him Home from Les Miserables! Such an unforgettable experience, especially as going to see shows is one of my hobbies.

I’ve always been passionate about music ever since I was very young and used to get in to trouble at home for playing my music too loud (sorry mum!).

When I’m not on air (and not off to the theatre) you can catch me driving around Essex, watching sport, or down at the gym.

I put my passions to good use and got involved with a number of hospital radio stations including Barnet, Moorfields and North Middlesex. I spent 12 wonderful years keeping the patients entertained, but it wasn’t until I moved to Braintree and started helping there that I landed a slot on 107 Garrison FM - I was over the moon!

If you’d like me to play you a song request or give you a mention, then get in touch on 01245 806 807, or email studio@ chelmsfordcommunityradio.com.

My very first show on Garrison was such a big moment for me and

I’ve been part of the team at Chelmsford Community Radio for over a year now and it’s been good fun so far. I really look forward to coming in and being in the company of friends.

It would give me great pleasure if you’d join me for the lunchtime show every Tuesday from 12 - 2pm where I will keep you up-to-date with things going on in our city, travel updates and trivia, alongside a great mix of music.

chelmsfordcommunityradio.com

To view the City Times online, visit www.thecitytimes.co.uk where you can download the last 12 issues.

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Crafts - By Magali Ellis and Scrap-Circle There we are, at the end of the summer with our head full of holiday memories! Like anything, memories can fade quickly and then you are left struggling to remember details. Our craft cruise to Spain and Portugal at the beginning of August went really well but now a month on, I will endeavour to use some of the ideas below to record this fantastic holiday.

Which of those craft will you try out to capture your memories?

Start a Bullet Journal: it is a cross between a journal and a diary using a notebook whose pages are dotted instead of lined. It offers the flexibility to be used as creatively as you want. The lack of lines is liberating and whist you can use the dots as lines, you can also add boxes, florals, and many more other forms. You can use ink and stamps, stencils, all different types of pencils and highlighters to record your daily thoughts, inspirational quotes, photos, travel notes and all other forms of plans; be it savings, books or films. It is just the most bespoke form of journalling.

Make a Scrapbooking Album: Especially if you have a lot of photos, a scrapbooking album is ideal to record travels and family celebrations.

They can be themed - for example a seaside paper pattern - but they do not have to be. Scrapbooking is a relaxing activity to do, emptying

your mind of all the stresses of life while you are making the different pages. Colours, shapes and embellishments help create gorgeous pages making memories to look at much later on in the year. You can buy an already made album or you can challenge yourself to make an album yourself. That is what happened on our craft cruise and the delegates enjoyed using different techniques to make their album from scratch.

Postcards and Tags: these are short little craft to make and can be incorporated into a layout, or bundled together in book form with special binding. The postcard or tag is heavily decorated (including photos) on one side and detailed journaling on the other side. A friend of mine actually buys and writes herself postcards from the places she travels to and she sends them to herself. When she comes back from holidays, she looks forward to receiving them and she puts them together in little booklets.

If you feel you would like to try out a new paper craft, why not come to one of our craft days at Highwood Village Hall near Chelmsford?

We are meeting on the following Saturdays: 23rd September, 28th October, 11th November and 16th December.

Check out the website for details and booking information: www. scrap-circle.co.uk.

The Art Place: Stories of Crafters and Artists With this issue, we bring you more stories about crafters at The Art Place in the Meadows Shopping Centre - the must-stop in Chelmsford to buy gifts with prices for all budgets, ranging from £1 to £1,000.

Julie Cumbers Julie’s business name is Julie’s Craft. Julie says: “I was born in a small mining village in the area of Durham in the North East. I married and moved south 43 years ago but have lived in Essex for 33 years. My mother taught me to sew when I was 8 years old. I love to try different crafts from wood carving to make making models from clay. I love to hand sew. I work for the NHS, and in the evening sewing helps me to relax. I started sewing small bears 5 years ago. I made my first bear for a friend who was suffering from anxiety - because the arms and legs move she would sit and fiddle with them also she said that sometimes she would talk to it to help ‘think out loud’. I have added other felt creations such as elephants, birds, rabbits and dogs. I try to make each one individual and unique by changing colours, buttons, adding waistcoats etc.”

Francesca Hutt “All my work is freehand, and I’m attracted to detail. I like to draw

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wildlife, architecture, portraits, flora and maps. Sometimes I use colour and other times just use graphite pencil.

“I have gone through a number of styles and techniques throughout my life. I now have a few styles and I go from one another depending on my mood and what I’m drawn to. I have enjoyed creating my work that is displayed in The Art Place.”

When you buy a gift from The Art Place you are supporting a local charity - the Ideas Hub Chelmsford. This enables the charity to deliver its wide range of local work, all aimed at supporting the well-being of Chelmsford residents. At the same time, every gift you buy from The Art Place also supports a local crafter. All together, sales from The Art Place support over 150 crafters. For every gift, 75% of the price goes directly to the crafter, and 25% goes to the charity to cover its costs and charitable work.

Why not book one of our creative workshops? We offer a great range including watercolour, scrapbooking, jewellery, and plenty of other options during the school holidays. If you want to know more about our charitable work, workshops and support services, please visit, www.ideashubchelmsford.org.

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Interior Design Tips for Your Home - By Tania Dadd Mood Boards for Dsigning You Home You might ask if it’s worth making a mood board or what is it for?

A mood board is sometimes called an inspiration board. It’s an initial collection of ideas, colours and styles you might like to use in room design.

You can collect pictures from magazines or brochures of furniture, fabrics or room styles. Anything you have seen that you would like to incorporate. You might not end up using all your ideas, but it will help you narrow down what you do and don’t like.

photos of anything you see when out shopping that you really like.

Here are my tips: • • • • •

Paint charts for colour ideas from DIY stores.

Wallpaper samples to try against your walls.

Carpet of flooring samples.

Fabric swatches for curtains of upholstery on sofas and chairs.

Don’t make your room scheme fit around a bargain piece of furniture you don’t love (you will only end up replacing it later).

Place all your ideas together on a board, tray or big piece of card. You can use more than one board to start with.

Mood boards can help give a sense of direction, you can see if you have too much of one colour or if the scheme looks a little bit flat.

Where to Begin Start with the thing you love the most... It could be a sofa or piece of artwork, then add items that work with it. Three paint colours or three fabric swatches. Then you can start to edit it and see what works and most importantly that you like it.

A great mood board has balance, try to team some inspirational pics with smaller product items. Adding the swatches and paint or wallpaper will bring the scheme together.

Inspiration Look for ideas in magazines - Pinterest is also great for searching for anything home related, you can also save your ideas for later. Search for paint of fabric on Google. Visit home stores for inspiration. Take

If you need some advice on how to elevate your home, please get in touch by visiting www.saltmarshinteriors.co.uk.

Our services include interior design. colour consultation, decluttering and styling.

Book your free consultation: 07979 66 33 39.

Or email info@saltmarshinteriors.co.uk.

Tales From the Circle - By Sylvia Kent

Perhaps the topic of writing one’s own life story has lately been overmentioned in the press/radio and general media nowadays, there’s an avalanche of folk wanting to write their memoirs. Celebrities invariably find a ghostwriter to do this, but now ordinary people like the idea of leaving their families their own personal history.

At Brentwood Writers’ Circle on Saturday - just after our 82nd Annual General Meeting - this topic was mentioned, along with other genres - and we were treated to a couple of fascinating excerpts from members’ memoirs which are to be included in their newly published books.

Everyone, it seems, has a book in them. However, the witticism of both James Russell Lynes and Christopher Hitchens is useful. Few would deny that the form in which the statement usually does the rounds on internet quote sites, ie, ‘Everyone has a book in them, but in most cases that’s where it should stay’ is wittier and more memorable than the original reference. Whoever was responsible for the honing and chiselling that finally moulded the sentiment into its current form is perhaps cynical, but maybe honest!

Nevertheless, I know at least a dozen writers (of all genres) who are enjoying researching their own past; talking to family members, foraging in the attic for those dusty family photograph albums and, hopefully, finding mum or dad’s diaries. Maybe even their own. Yes, I am doing this myself and can honestly say that the undertaking of researching and writing your own memoir is fascinating, if not a little self-indulgent.

There are many books around to give advice, but as always, perhaps joining a local writers’ circle can provide help and advice. Another route - in order to make sure of background and dates - is to log onto the web via Google, the brainchild of Larry Page in California. Today, as I write - the 25th birthday celebrations of this useful research platform will take place in Menlo Park, California. Wikipedia also is valuable, but both (as always) need careful research verification and sometimes citing permission to use material and images.

Following our AGM, Brentwood Writers’ Circle is set for another successful and productive publishing year. Prospective members are welcome for a free first visit and full details are available at www. brentwoodwriterscircle.com.

Meetings are held monthly on the first Saturday at 2.30pm - 4.30pm at Bardswell Social Club, Weald Road, Brentwood. For more details, go to www.sylviakent.blogspot.com.

Author & Creative Writing Tutor IAN AYRIS will host our ANNUAL WRITERS’ DAY - Saturday, 7 October. £17 including lunch.

Details at www.brentwoodwriterscircle.com www.thecitytimes.co.uk

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Quiz Time - By John Theedom

Who is the female singer who has the same name as a sweet?

2. What is a ‘red top’ newspaper?

3. How did two passengers get injured being driven by Chris Evans?

4. In what year did Martin Luther King Jr make his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech?

5. What does the word bucculent mean?

6. Which kitchen company and small bird have the same name?

7. Who was the author of the book Swallows and Amazons?

8. How many cubic feet are there in a cubic yard?

9. What is a topi?

10. In which board game do they use the rating called the ‘Elo system’?

11. What was Shakin’ Steven’s first number 1 UK hit in 1981?

12. Which 2 countries hosted the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup? 13. What type of animal is America’s marmoset?

14. Which musical instrument did Stephane Grappelli play?

15. In our government, what is the MOJ? 16. What are twitchers?

17. What word can be found in trousers and cricket?

18. Who is the German physicist who discovered X-Rays?

19. What is the military structure for storing ammunition?

1.

20. Which type of fruit starting with ‘O’ has a girl’s name?

21. What was the Enola Gay? 22. Apart from an animal, money, and a make of knife, what else does buck mean?

23. What is legerdemain?

24. The dahlia is the national flower of which country?

25. Which German model of car has the name of a sport?

26. What is gnocchi?

27. Why is the Dead Sea dead?

28. You may be able to dance the hula hula, but what is a hula?

29. In France, what is la mer?

30. What word connects gents underwear and shortage of breath?

31. What is a husk?

32. In which UK county is the town of Ascot?

33. What would you do with a escallop?

34. Which famous pub burned down on August 9th 2023?

35. If you were caught osculating, what might you be doing?

36. Since 1935, every UK general election is held on day of the week?

37. What do the initials RAAC stand for?

38. What are brills?

39 What is the name of the legal drama that Meghan Markle starred in?

40. What pop group had a hit in 1980 with Going Underground?

Wordseach by thewordsearch.com

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(Answers on pages 30 & 31)

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Stargazing With Mark Willis 16th September: Mars is close above and to the left of the thin crescent Moon. I love these encounters as they are an easy way of locating the planets. Binoculars would be good or a 6inch (150cm) telescope is even better!

17th September: Mars above Spica. A good opportunity to spot Mars and also the star, Spica, which is 250 light years distant. Spica lies very close to the ecliptic. The ecliptic or ecliptic plane is the orbital plane of Earth around the Sun. It is also a celestial line where you are most likely to spot all of the other planets.

19th September: Neptune at opposition. Try to observe on or near this date using at least binoculars or preferably a 6inch telescope.

Neptune cannot be seen with the naked eye.

21 September: Moon right of the star Antares. Antares is a red star which is 600 light years distant. st

23 September: Autumn equinox. This is the night where the length of the day is equal to the length of the night. rd

21st October: Orionid Meteor Shower peaks tonight. Viewing conditions are very favourable this year. Orionids appear every year when the Earth travels through an area of space littered with the debris from Halley’s Comet.

Wildlife by Nick Green

24th October: Saturn right of Moon. Saturn was the late Sir Patrick Moore’s planet. It’s existence was known even to astronomers like Ptomley (100 - 170AD) was an Alexandrian mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer and music theorist. Patrick named one of his cats, Ptomley.

28th October: Partial Lunar Eclipse. A partial lunar eclipse happens when the Earth moves between the Sun and the full Moon, but they are not precisely aligned. Only part of the Moon’s visible surface moves into the dark part of the Earth’s shadow.

29th October: Jupiter rises to the right above the Moon. Jupiter, like Saturn is a gas giant. Again, known even back in classical times.

29th October: British Summertime ends. Don’t forget to put your clocks back one hour.

New Moon: On 15th September and 14th October there will be a new Moon. This means the skies will be extra dark which is a great opportunity to see planets, galaxies and deep space objects.

As usual, email me with any questions. www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com mark.willis@chelmsfordcommunityradio.com

August 2023 experienced variable weather with the highest temperature about 32oC. Europe experienced high 40o+C temperatures and unfortunately wildfires. A super Blue Moon was an astronomical highlight!

The osprey is a cosmopolitan species found on every continent except Antarctica and is principally a summer visitor to the Western Palearctic, breeding mainly in North and Eastern Europe and some Mediterranean countries. In the British Isles, it was a common breeder in Scotland but with severe persecution, it became extinct in 1917. However, it resumed in 1954 and the population has slowly increased with the Rare Birds Breeding Panel reporting 242 pairs in 2020. In Ireland, the species bred until the late 18th century but returned in 2023. The adults return from late March and juveniles usually fledge in July. Most have migrated back to West Africa by October.

In Essex, the osprey is an uncommon but increasing passage migrant with spring passage peaking in mid-May with another for second-summer birds in mid-June. It is widely recorded within the county visiting Hanningfield and Abberton Reservoirs and the coast and estuaries. This autumn, 3 were reported from Geedon Marshes, near Fingringhoe Wick EWT on the Colne estuary.

Adult osprey soaring (copyright: Glyn Evans) Selected August Highlights Butterflies: large and small whites, red admiral, holly blue, gatekeeper. Dragonflies: red and ruddy darters, banded demoiselle, southern and migrant hawkers.

The birdwatching scene was set alight when a pelagic trip from the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, recorded a red-footed booby, a second for the UK from 4th into September - maybe it arrived from the Tropics by a strong weather system from the Caribbean resulting in Storm Antoni. More remarkably, the bird decided to roost at the Bishop Rock Lighthouse, much to the delight of many twitchers. Then on 28th, a brown booby (tenth UK record) was found on the same rock!

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Quiz & Wordsearch Answers 1.

2.

3.

Candi Staton Tabloid He overturned the Tuk Tuk he was driving, trying to do a U-turn.

4. August 28th 1963 5. Blub-cheeked, wide-mouthed 6. Wren 7. Arthur Ransome 8. 27 (3x3x3) 9. A pith helmet, worn in hot climates or a type of antelope 10. Chess

11. This Ole House 12. Australia and New Zealand 13. Monkey 14. Violin 15. Ministry Of Justice 16. People who are avid bird watchers 17. Crease 18. Röntgen 19. An arsenal 20. Olive 21. The first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb

22. To resist the trend of something 32.

33.

23. Someone capable of fast-fingered illusions 34.

35.

24. Mexico 36.

25. Golf 37.

26. Italian dumplings 27. It is too salty for anything to survive in it 38.

39.

28. Hawaiian skirt 40.

29. The sea 30. Pants 31. Outer covering of a grain

of wheat Berkshire Eat it The Crooked House Kissing!

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