Moulsham Times May 2015

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MT Welcome Dear readers,

For all you parents of children of 5 and under, we are running a competition for a chance to win 3foot People Festival tickets again this year - see page 28!

For the adults, there is a chance to win Fling tickets in the May/ June Chelmsford the City Times, so be sure to pick up a copy from 15th May! Good luck!

Regards Nick & Paul

Editorial Advertising Paul Mclean Nick Garner 07595 949701 07970 206682 ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk Disclaimer: It’s Your Media publish the Moulsham 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. Reg Co No. 09154871. Printed by Imagery UK.

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35 years experience 3

I’ve Been Travelling for One Year - Dan’s Update You Can Follow Me at: www.danskeates.com My dreams and preparations before leaving were to ride my Dakar (motorbike) east; the ultimate dream was to ride as far as I could without putting my Dakar on a plane, or use boats where there was a

forever.

My Dakar has been great, there hasn’t been one occasion where I have wanted a different bike. I’ve serviced it and had repairs done along the way and used 3 sets of tyres with no punctures! I slid down a wet road in Croatia for 10 metres, hit a cow in India - and a car hit me in India - with no injuries. I’ve dropped my bike countless times!

People. It’s all about the people. The hundreds - or maybe thousands - of encounters I’ve had with people wherever I’ve been has been an inspiration.

I have so many memories of amazing landscapes and wonderful people, be they other bikers or locals. Borders have both frustrated me at times and made me laugh at others, I was put in jail when I crossed from Iran into Pakistan for my safety and had to wake the immigration official up when I crossed from Laos into Cambodia as he was asleep when I arrived!

The most danger I’ve experienced has been from bus drivers, whether a mini-van bus or large one. They are reckless and have no regard for other road users wherever I’ve been.

My most fulfilling experiences have been when my kids, Beth and Olly, travelled with me riding form Taftan to Quetta and the Karakorum Higway (KKH) in Pakistan where I arrived at the Chinese border.

Riding along the highest navigable road in the world in the Himalayas peaking at 5,379 metres, the Leh-Manali Highway, also in the Himalayas, where I rode the second highest navigable road in the world, and lastly Varanasi in India, is there a more fascinating place in the world?

I arrive in Indonesia in a few days and continue east.

land alternative. Heading east meant arriving in Southeast Asia would have been amazing and at that time more than I could visualise. Had I just arrived in Iran and returned home would have been great.

One year on and yesterday I loaded my Dakar onto a boat here in Penang (Malaysia) to be shipped to Medan (Indonesia) in a few days. This means I’ve achieved my dream - London to Malaysia overland; that’s 29 countries, 23,000 miles and the only boat crossing was from Dover to Calais!

I could have arrived quicker and with an easier route.

There aren’t many people riding a motorbike around the world and most people I’ve met or know decide to fly their bikes from some countries to others, maybe across seas or areas of conflict. Many people ride more days than me.

I have discovered I love stopping and getting to know an area, the people and the culture.

I could have taken easier options; maybe given in to the many refusals from Iran not to give me a visa, avoided Pakistan and the conflict there and given up on the possibility of being one of the first in a group of people to ride across Myanmar from India to Thailand. Taking the difficult option and having the resilience not to accept ‘no’ has meant I’ve realised my dream. The fact that I have been in tough, uncompromising situations has made my journey all the more fulfilling. Riding through thousands of miles of desert in temperatures above 45° across the rocks and dirt of the Himalayas and Pakistan, where the possibility of being kidnapped was very real, has made for an amazing experience, something that I will smile about

What started out as no more than riding a motorbike east has developed into so much more. After one year away, I feel very relaxed, calm and have no signs of stress.

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The Fling Festival of Live Music, Cabaret and Curiosity This unique summer festival will once again welcome adults of all ages to the glorious surroundings of Hylands Park in Essex. The seventh year of The Fling Festival also sees the exciting new addition of limited VIP camping, with alluring late night entertainment and Sunday morning activities.

On Saturday 4th July from 12 noon, prepare to experience an intimate world with music, surreal theatre, fantastical storytelling and curious sideshows amongst a banquet of unique performances from far and wide.

Musical headliners for this year’s festival include Dub Pistols, Shaun Keaveny DJ set (BBC 6 Music), Leddra Chapman, The Midnight Barbers, Animal Noise and many more.

For the first time ever, limited camping is available for £19 for those who have purchased a VIP ticket. From 11pm, grab yourself a drink from the VIP bar and head to the festival’s infamous silent disco, featuring some of the top DJs around.

Not in the raving mood? Then grab yourself a scrummy midnight snack (from one of our fabulous late-night caterers) and settle down to enjoy a night of storytelling, acoustic music and other special shenanigans. On Sunday morning, The Breakfast Club is open, and we invite campers to join in with The Sunday Stretch with yoga and other activities.

For up-to-date festival information, visit www.flingfestival.com, like The Fling Festival on Facebook and follow @FlingFestival on Twitter.

The Fling Festival is produced by Chelmsford City Council Cultural Events Team, with support from Essex & Suffolk Water, High Chelmer Shopping Centre, First Group, The Printing Place, The Essex Chronicle, BBC Essex, 1159 Productions, The City Times, Sshhh Events and Dancing Giraffe. The Fling is kindly supported by The Bassment, Bella Rose Events, The Comedy Club Ltd and Heybridge Creative.

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Tier Two Tickets for The Fling Festival are available from £22, or camping including VIP access from £53.50 via the Festival Box Office on 01245 606 505 or via www.flingfestival.com. www.moulshamtimes.com

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Music News by Nick Garner It has been a busy month for me organizing another day festival which will be called Bassment Blues Day to be held on Sat 28th November 2015. This will be a nine hour event from 2pm to 11pm, with 8 acts playing non stop and the lineup is already confirmed.

More about this in the coming months.

Our last Blues in the City night was epic, we had two amazing acts playing. Firstly, Roy Mette playing acoustic had the large audience in the palm of his hand.

Next we had Cherry Lee Mewis - and yes, it is her real name. They ended up as a duo, as Robbie the bass player had to sadly stay with his broken down car, while Cherry and Max Milligan, her extraordinary brilliant guitar player, just made it in time from Bedford.

They did not disappoint us at all. In fact I think they excelled knowing they were to be a duo on the night and pulled out all the stops for us. At the end, Cherry sung two Janis Joplin songs that were incredible. In fact, one very talented but critical musician in the audience said he did not know we had the ‘Welsh Janis Joplin’ in he thought she was that good.

So what’s coming up next? Well, to blow away the election blues, on the 7th May it’s the Blues Jam at the Bassment and we are

assured that there is going to be a very special guest playing that night. The following week we do it all again with the next Blues in the City night on Wednesday 13th May at the Bassment - and (yes I know I always say it, but it’s true) we have another stunning night lined up

with the return of Bad Influence playing as a duo with Valerie Lee Hayes on vocals and rhythm guitar and her husband Richard Hayes, who has to be one of the very best lead and slide guitarists about.

The support act will be the wonderful Jamie Williams and Stripped Back Roots Collective, so you know it makes sense to come and see this night of great live music.

To add to all the other great live music going on in the city, we welcome another new venue; the Two Brewers has just been taken over and they are putting on live music again which is great to hear.

To find out what is going on and where, pick up our Chelmsford the City Times for the free and go to the What’s On guide. If you are hosting an event, or know of any - whether an open garden, a quiz night or a gig - we want to know about it. Just send your listings to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk. The next relevant dates will be from 15th May to 21st June.

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Quiz Time - The Beatles The answers are all Beatles songs. Just name the song.

See how many you can get and look out for a new quiz next issue.

Answers on page 31.

1. What is the musical currently running at the Garrick Theatre, London?

2. You will perhaps need this for a ferry trip to the Isle of Wight, though the spelling is slightly different?

3. Who picked up the rice in the church where a wedding had been?

4. In which we all live?

5. She manages to make ends meet?

6. Where trees grow in Scandinavia?

7. What was JoJo told to do?

8. Who hopes we will enjoy the show?

9. Who sings in the middle of the night?

10. Where will you find a barber showing photographs?

11. When I stay out till quarter to four, will you lock the door?

12. Who is the parking meter attendant?

13. When did all my troubles seem so far away?

Event For Your Diaries

14. You’d get by if you sang out of tune?

15. In what you would like to be under the sea?

If you would like to write a quiz for the next issue on a subject of your choice, please email editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk.

To write us a letter please email us at: editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

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16th May: 1pm - 4pm Marconi Ponds Nature Reserve Open Day

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MT Gardening It’s a hat trick for Writtle College students and staff!

The team behind the Writtle College entry to the Young Gardeners of the Year 2015, held at The Ideal Home Show at Olympia in London, not only got a Gold medal and Best in Show, they have also now comprehensively filled up their mantelpiece with a People’s Choice Award having received around 11,000 votes - hurrah!!!!

So if you want to be part of Writtle College’s award winning success and relish either getting into horticulture as a career or to just improve or develop your own skills further, then pop along to our Open Day on Saturday 25th April between 10.00am and 2.00pm; we’ll all be there to answer any questions you have and hopefully point you in the right direction for a course that suits your needs.

With that aside, isn’t the weather just glorious at the moment?

Everything is burgeoning in the garden, so don’t turn your back on it for too long, there’s a load to do.

out and in the future, help develop further flowering junctions.

Once done, I’ll thin out any deadwood on the honeysuckle and tie in loose stems. The wisteria will flower well this month and then if you’re lucky, will flower again in the summer (a smaller flush). During summer, prune back young whippy leafy growth back to two leaves, again, this is to control spread of the frame. Then your task is complete.

As the weather is on the up and weed growth is increasing, why not remove unwanted plant material from beds and borders and finish off with a mulch over all exposed soil surfaces with well-rotted organic matter? For the best results, I tend to add around 10cm (4”) of mulching material, as this is perfect for suppressing weeds and also keeps moisture around the root zone of your choice ornamentals.

What can I use? For me - if available - I use garden compost (but check, as this can contain weeds!) or I have used composted bark which is great, but can be a little more expensive. All good garden centres will help you out.

Lastly, check tree ties and all wall shrubs and or climbers are securely attached to any support system. Equally, ties need to be checked in order that they are not overly constricting stem growth.

Loosen if required and if they could, they would thank you for it.

Good luck and happy gardening!

For me, this is a perfect time to prune my super fabulous Wisteria sinensis, which is climbing over the pergola together with a rampant honeysuckle. All whippy young growth on wisterias will not flower; they only flower on old growth - and are just about to do so. This is fairly

For any gardening tips, contact Tom Cole, Head of Faculty for Land & Environment, Writtle College, Chelmsford, CM1 3RR by post (including a SAE), or by email at tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk.

simple but crucial to maintaining the framework/shape of the plant and controlling its tendency to take over if left unchecked. Simply cut whippy stems back to two buds. If you want to extend the frame then just select a young limb to tie in the general direction of where you want it to cover. Once tied in place, cut the end of the shoot by about 4-5cms (about 2”) as this will cause all the buds below it to branch 10

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Time for a Confession!

I think that now is the time I have to come clean. I have to acknowledge the situation. I feel I must let everyone know that... that... I enjoy holidays in our touring caravan! There, it’s done now and I realise that I have already lost a fair number of readers who don’t wish to read on. But be patient, as you would need to be following me on the open road, it still could be interesting - I think.

I know that we are not amongst the most popular road users, but some of the reasons for this is not in our hands. On single carriageway roads, the speed limit for a vehicle towing a caravan is 50 miles per hour, so although the car I use to tow is capable of towing at a higher speed, I would be breaking the law if I did so.

We do a lot of our caravanning in Europe, so it’s not me holding you up most of the time! We have had some experiences that I would like to share with you...

When we first visited France some years ago, we pitched up on a nice site and settled down to a meal and a sip of wine, lovely.

Sunshine, food and a cheeky Sauvignon blanc is a great way to start a holiday.

Later, I visited the toilet block. There were about 15 cubicles, many of them empty, so I couldn’t understand why a lot of British people were queuing for just two at the end. I’m not waiting here, I thought, so off I strode, smugly, to an empty cubicle. In I go, glancing at the queuing masses, sniggering. Then my attention was drawn to the contents of the cubicle. A porcelain base, with indented foot prints each side of a hole!. Now I am horrified, no instructions for use, should I stand up, or ridiculously try to sit down, or just crouch? Sorry if you are eating lunch at the moment.

So what should I do? The people queuing are aware of the situation, so they are giggling behind cupped hands and whispering to one another about the new caravanner being caught out. So in the end, I just stood where I was for a few minutes, flushed the toilet (at this point, water flows freely across the porcelain base and soaks my shoes) and boldly walk (squeaking) back to the caravan. I then had to wait a scary hour until all the campers had left the toilet block and then revisit the toilets, ducking down behind bushes on my way to avoid being seen. Needless to say, on my next visit I just joined the British queue for the ‘proper’ toilets! What a start to caravanning in France.

On another occasion, we decided to be adventurous and try the Czech Republic. The site looked very good and had good transport links to Prague, wonderful.

English cars, because he stormed round to the nearside of the car and was about to demand that the window was opened, when he noticed that the driver was sat knitting a jumper. First he looked surprised, then it suddenly dawned on him that the car was righthand drive. He was very annoyed and stomped back to my side of the car, shouting that I was German. Now I know he is upset, so I tried my best to look friendly and not to look at his gun. He got more annoyed when I could not understand what he was saying in German. He ordered me out of the car and as I got out, I wondered if I was on my way to a dark cell somewhere. He led me to a little shelter and then got out a pencil and paper. I was stood next to him in my scruffy tee shirt and shorts, him in his big hat, shiny uniform and big boots. Pointing at the paper, he started to draw a car and caravan, and very good it was too, I thought about trying to win him over with a compliment for his artistic flair, but thought better of it.

Under the picture he wrote 83kph, then pointed to me and wrote 100kph!. It was then I realised that what I had assumed was a 60mph speed limit for caravans on dual carriageways, was actually 50 here. Oh dear.

Next he completed a form and handed it to me. It was a speeding fine. As I looked, all I could see was the number 500. Oh no, that’s the holiday money gone. Returning to the car, I paid the fine and off we went, wondering where we could stay with very little money. At the next stop, I was able to see that the fine was in local currency (obvious I know but, in my fear and panic, it had not dawned on me).

It worked out to be about £12.50. I kept at 50 for the rest of a very enjoyable stay, keeping clear of shiny hats and boots.

So next time you are following a caravan, cheer yourself up by visualising me, totally bemused and wet footed, in a French toilet cubicle, or in my shorts, shaking whilst waiting to be carted away to a prison in the Czech Republic! Some might say that’s what caravaners deserve!

We travelled through Germany, all the time wondering what was in store for us. I was particularly worried about the state of the roads. Well, my fears were totally unfounded. We crossed the border (they were not in the EU then) and joined a fantastic newly built motorway. After a few miles, going down a long downhill stretch, I could seed something on the carriageway.

As we got closer, I could make out a person holding up a little wooden baton. He was stood in the middle of the road. I slowed down and as we approached, I could make out a man in a uniform and the baton said what I presumed meant stop, so I did. Close up now I see the man is wearing a big hat with badges, a very smart uniform, and - oh dear - a gun! A policeman!

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MT Baking by Alison Motley

I was recently asked by a first time baker for some recipes to get them started.

Initially, I was really chuffed that said novice (a) wanted to have a go at baking and (b) had come to me for advice, but I also felt a great sense of responsibility. My suggestions could either set her on the road to baking heaven or put her off home baked goods for life! I’ve read numerous times that ‘cooking is an art, baking is a science’ and largely I agree. In cooking, you can add a bit of this and a dash of that, tasting it as you go, but with baking, you don’t know the end result until it is out of the oven, and by then it is too late to do very much if it hasn’t turned out as expected. You can certainly be creative with baking by changing flavours and inventing new recipes, but pushing the boundaries of modern baking with a chocolate and chutney flapjack is probably not sensible for your first attempt!

So if you are thinking about giving baking a go, here are a few things you might like to consider: 1. Invest in a good baking book with decent photographs, from a respected source such as Good Housekeeping, Mary Berry or BBC Good Food, as these recipes will have been rigorously tested. Be wary of using a recipe from the internet unless you can confirm it has been tested. Photographs of the finished bake are helpful as they will inspire you and you can see what you are trying to achieve.

2. This may seem obvious, but start with a simple recipe that appeals to you - there is no point in baking something you are not likely to eat. Biscuits and tray bakes are ideal to start with as they tend to be quite forgiving and do not require any great decorating skills.

3. Read the recipe several times to ensure you understand it and look up any baking terms you are not familiar with.

4. Allow plenty of time, as even the best bakers will not produce great results if they are too rushed (watch The Great British Bake Off for proof!)

5. Get all your ingredients and equipment ready before you start.

Not only will this bring eggs and butter to room temperature, but will also avoid floury fingers on fridge door handles!

6. Invest in some basic baking equipment, but don’t rush out and spend a fortune on complicated gadgets until you are confident you will use them. Essentials are scales, a large mixing bowl, a cooking timer, a sieve, a wooden spoon and measuring spoons.

Cheap baking tins are false economy in the long run, but until you are sure you want to bake regularly just buy the basics - eg a muffin tin, sandwich tins, a baking sheet and a tray bake tin.

7. Always preheat the oven and don’t put your bakes in until the

correct temperature has been reached.

8. Don’t keep opening the oven door during baking. Wait until you are towards the end of the cooking time to check, or your cakes will sink.

9. All ovens have slightly different temperatures, so baking times will always be approximate. Test if a cake is cooked by inserting a skewer, it should come out clean. Trust your instincts if you feel your bake is done a little early or needs a little longer. An oven thermometer is a good tool to have if you intend to bake regularly.

10. Pay attention to egg sizes, some recipes will specify which size to use but if not use medium eggs.

Most importantly, enjoy yourself - and don’t be too disheartened if your first attempt isn’t brilliant. Practise makes perfect and I guarantee any home bake will taste miles better than it’s shop bought equivalent!

Talking of which I’m off to try out that chocolate and chutney flapjack idea...

Orange Chocolate Chip Biscuits (Makes 12) 150g soft butter 65g icing sugar 150g plain flour 30g cornflour 50g dark chocolate chips Grated zest of 1 large orange 1. Preheat oven to 180c/160c fan/gas 4.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy in a large bowl.

3. Sift in the flour and cornflour.

4. Add the orange zest and chocolate chips.

5. Beat mixture together thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

6. Using a tablespoon, scoop out the dough and roll each scoop into a ball.

7. Place balls well apart on a large ungreased baking tray and flatten each one with a fork.

8. Bake for 20 minutes.

9. Leave baked biscuits on tray to cool for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

I would love to hear from readers with any suggestions and ideas for recipes they would like to see here, or any hints and tips. Drop me an email at motleybakes@aol.com.

Jean Roberts - Obituary Jean Roberts was born in Marlow Buckinghamshire in the year 1914 at the start of the Great War. She moved to Old Moulsham as her husband Frederick gained employment at the Marconi works as a designer just before the Second World War. Jean was appalled by the rise of the fascists at home led by Oswald Mosley and of the nazis in Germany. She had been taken to a Nazi Party rally and saw immediately that this meant suffering and war.

Jean had become a primary school teacher at a time when women had to resign on marriage. Later though, she was able to teach sociology.

After the Second World War, Jean’s strong sense of civic responsibility led her into local politics. This was the time of Clement Attlee’s reforming Labour government. Jean was elected to the borough council as a Labour Party member. Her qualities were soon apparent to her colleagues and she was appointed by them to the position of Borough Alderman, a position that no longer exists in English local government.

Further recognition came in 1961 when she became the first woman selected to serve as mayor of Chelmsford, This was deemed a controversial appointment at the time; one traditionalist suggesting that Jean be addressed as ‘Mr Mayor’. Jean by contrast embraced the modern age. She took to computing early and with enthusiasm.

However, Jean served as an opposition member throughout her period on the council. Early on, she had perceived the necessity of engaging local residents in civic affairs. Thus was born the Chelmsford Civic Society in 1962. Her drive and experience of the decision making process provided strong leadership in the first years. In this way, Jean was involved in campaigns to protect Chelmsford’s heritage, claiming that the “town did not make enough of itself”. She sought to remedy that and thereby involved herself in local campaigning in the 1960s and 1970s to preserve Bell Meadow, restore Hylands House and latterly to oppose a development at the Marrable House in Great Baddow.

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Jean Roberts was a woman of independent mind. She was a committed member of the British Humanist Association and characteristically - founded an Essex Branch. Her views were republican, but she was happy to welcome Elizabeth the Queen Mother to Chelmsford, in her mayoral year.

In 2013 the Very Reverend Peter Judd retired as Dean of Chelmsford and relinquished his position as president of the society. Jean Roberts was elected president of Chelmsford Civic Society - just over 50 years from her original initiative in setting it up. She chaired the March 2014 annual general meeting, telling us how much she was looking forward to her 100th birthday. This joyful occasion was featured in the Essex Chronicle, from her home at the Palmerston Lodge retirement home in Great Baddow. Jean Roberts died on 9th April 2015, in her hundred and first year. She is survived by her four children. She will be much missed.

Malcolm Noble Chairman Chelmsford Civic Society

Heritage Open Days Chelmsford Civic Society are proud to be running Heritage Open Days this year on behalf of Chelmsford City Council. This year the dates are 10th-13th September. Chelmsford Civic Society are busy planning the event schedule as we speak.

The event will be sponsored by Chelmsford the City Times and Chelmer Web Design. Look out for further information over the coming months

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A Unique Ceremony in Hall Street

A unique ceremony was last night (Monday, April 13, 2015) performed by Chelmsford Sea Cadets of HMS Upholder outside the world’s first wireless radio station at Hall Street - not its purpose-built successor, New Street, which is now apartments and commercial premises.

On the dot of 19:12 hours to mark the Titanic disaster which took place overnight on April 14th and 15th in 1912.

Introductory speech at Hall Street Ceremony

Ladies and Gentlemen, Sea Cadets and Marconi Veterans, thank you for attending tonight’s unique ceremony, on the eve of the sinking of a ship they said was unsinkable.

My name is Chris Neale, I am chair of the Marconi Heritage Group, but tonight I represent the Old Moulsham and Central Committee Trust that had the original vision for this ceremony.

The Trust is right now sending out its own SOS message in a bid to ‘save’ part of this iconic building for the nation. A heritage task force, Marconi Science WorX, is currently negotiating with the local developer, who has bought this building with planning permission for six apartments and commercial space.

Our thanks tonight are directed chiefly to the Chelmsford Sea Cadets of HMS Upholder.

They have admirably risen to the challenge of honouring the role played by the men and women who worked in this factory, to whom so many seafarers - including those serving particularly in the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy - owe their lives.

SOS An SOS to raise £350,000 to ‘save’ part of the iconic Marconi building for the nation is being sent out by the newly formed Old Moulsham and Central Community Trust.

The Trust has set up a heritage task force, Marconi Science WorX, to negotiate with the local developer who has bought the very first Marconi Wireless and Telegraphy Works in Hall Street with planning permission for six apartments and commercial space.

pioneering work can be displayed, together with an area where our young people can experiment in a safe environment with science, technology, engineering and maths at regular STEM Clubs, to encourage a new generation to pursue science careers and help bridge the skills gap.”

They also want to provide much needed community space in Moulsham that local groups can hire for a range of activities that could include arts and crafts, talks and exhibitions (especially Marconi) as well as a community café with modern toilet facilities.

Chris Neale, chair of the Marconi Heritage Group, said: “This is the very last opportunity for Chelmsford and its residents to save a piece of Marconi history in the city that welcomes people to Chelmsford - birthplace of radio.

“If you want to support our mission, please visit www.marconichelmsford.uk and add your support and encourage your friends and family to do the same.”

Pam Swaby, who is also a member of

It’s a special night, because it is the first time that citizens of Chelmsford and the people of Essex have commemorated the part played by this, Marconi’s first wireless factory, here in Hall Street.

Marconi took over what was originally a silk mill back in 1898 and through his inventive genius, it played a vital role in the rescue of 700 survivors of the Titanic disaster when it sank overnight on April 14 and 15th 1912.

Two young Marconi wireless telegraphy officers, Harold Bride and Jack Phillips, bravely tapped out the SOS that alerted other shipping to the impending doom and Jack went down with the liner, still sending out the vital alert.

The piece of equipment these heroic young men made good use of was made right here inside this building.

Marconi always knew that his equipment would be vital in saving lives at sea and his company were already in the process of building a bigger factory in New Street, Chelmsford, which was then to see its order books filled by the demands of shipping lines all over the world as direct result of this dramatic event.

The new, purpose built factory was constructed in a matter of 17 weeks and the Hall Street manufacturing was transferred there over a single weekend and subsequently closed down. www.moulshamtimes.com

Not only is Hall Street the first Marconi works in the UK, but - if the task force is successful - it will be the only former Marconi building in the country dedicated to the great man and encouraging young boffins of the future.

Although much of the former New Street Marconi HQ has been saved from the bulldozer by developers, it now entirely consists of apartments and commercial premises. Marconi Science WorX aims to obtain the former wireless factory’s ground floor for community use.

They aim to dedicate the very building which made the equipment that saved more than 700 Titanic survivors and to look to the future to encourage young scientific inventors and entrepreneurs to be inspired

by Marconi’s legacy.

Ros Webb, who is also chair of the Friends of Chelmsford Museum, said: “The first aim is to purchase or rent and refurbish the ground floor to provide a dynamic, multifunctional space where the history of Marconi’s

Chelmsford Civic Society, said: “Although this will be primarily a science hub, we hope to have examples of Marconi memorabilia displayed and also hold exhibitions during the course of the year.

“We have also approached Chelmsford Sea Cadets inviting them to parade outside the Hall Street Works on Monday April 13 2015 and they have kindly agreed to attend with their padre, who will say a few words before those present observe a minute’s silence at 19.12 hours to mark the 1912 sinking of the Titanic. We believe it will be the first such ceremony in Marconi’s home town to mark the vital role played saving lives at sea and especially, the vital role of Hall Street in helping to save of more than 700 lives from the stricken Titanic”.

By Stephen Clow Remember to visit: www.marconichelmsford. uk.

17

Essex Rock Histories The Paramounts/Procol Harum

they worked with a symphony orchestra and choir and recorded a live album (called Live) in 1972 - and Conquistador became their first single since A Whiter Shade of Pale.

Mick Graham replaced Dave Ball for a 5th incarnation of the group from 1972 to 1976. Still at times featuring orchestral backing, this lineup produced three more albums - Grand Hotel, Exotic Birds and Fruit and Procol’s Ninth. The US president admired them so much that they played a gig in Mexico City at his request.

The first incarnation of Southend band, The Paramounts, was as early as 1959, as The Raiders, doing early rock covers around the local youth centre circuit, with a variety of drummers until BJ Wilson took over that stool right through until they morphed into Procol Harum.

When the 1960s beat and then blues booms arrived, they became The Paramounts (in 1961). Keyboardist Gary Brooker and guitarist Robin Trower were the two long term members of the band. Chris Copping came and went and returned on bass and then later on the organ. Diz Derrick took over the bass for a second Paramount lineup in 1963.

The Rolling Stones played on the same bill as The Paramounts in Deal, Kent on one occasion - and on the Saturday evening music TV programme of the ‘60s, Thank Your Lucky Stars, they announced that in their opinion, the Southend boys were ‘the finest R&B band in England’ and gave them guest billing on many of their subsequent gigs, all of which helped to bring them to public notice. EMI signed the second lineup in 1963 and their debut single, Poison Ivy/I Feel Good All Over, reached a modest 35 in the charts. That was followed by Little Bitty Pretty One/A Certain Girl, One Who Loves You/ It Won’t Be Long, Bad Blood/Do I?, Blue Ribbons/Cuttin’ In and You Never Had it so Good/Don’t Ya Like My Love? A lot of the blues and soul standards that the group had borrowed from black American artists were being used by many bands by then and they lost their advantage, having to resort to backing gigs for Sandie Shaw and Chris Andrews - another Essex pop singer - for bread and butter money. They eventually split in to other groups - Robin Trower into a band called The Jam - not to be confused with the ‘70s post-punk mod revivalists.

One further lineup change occurred to the band before the 1977 punk shake-up of the music scene, when Chris Copping vacated the organ stool for Pete Solley who had played with Chris Farlowe, Arthur Brown, and Snafu. Chris stayed in the band but played bass. Their final album, in 1977, was called Something Magic. Gary Brooker recorded solo and joined Eric Clapton’s band for a while, BJ Wilson joined Joe Cocker’s band and The Robin Trower Band carried on as it was.

Gary Brooker later joined Bill Wyman’s star-studded band, The All Stars and brought about a renaissance for Procol, leading to a reformation of the group for special occasions like the yearly Cropredy Festival organised by Fairport Convention - which they played twice - and a two-day event to celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary. In 2003 Gary Brooker brought another orchestra and choir to a packed Chelmsford Cathedral as part of the annual Cathedral Festival.

By John Power

Gary Brooker decided to concentrate on songwriting and teamed up with fellow writer, Keith Reid. They then decided to form a group to perform their songs. That group became Procol Harum in 1967 and all the members of The Paramounts came and went through the group’s ranks. The original lineup was Gary Brooker on piano and vocals, Matthew Fisher on organ, Dave Knights on bass, Bobby Harrison on drums and Ray Royer on guitar. They only did half a dozen gigs and put out one single, but that was of course the world best seller, A Whiter Shade of Pale, backed by Limestreet Blues.

After July ‘67, Harrison and Royer were replaced by old mates BJ Wilson and Robin Trower and that lineup cut three albums: Procol Harum and Shine on Brightly in 1968 and A Salty Dog in 1969. The surreal lyrics of A Whiter Shade of Pale didn’t provide a formula for repetition and with management problems as well, they went into eclipse in England and fared better in the US. The third lineup for the band, from 1969 to 1971, was back to the original Paramounts after Chris Copping finished university and returned to the fold. They did one more album for contractual obligations called Home and got a new deal with Chrysalis for the album, Broken Barricade. Robin Trower left in 1971 to form his own guitar centred group, The Robin Trower Band, making way for Dave Ball on guitar in Procol. When this lineup set off on its next US tour,

Sponsor MT History

Why Would Anybody Need a Personal Coach?

by Mark Roberts I had not heard about personal coaching until about 12 years ago and at that time I was involved in the world of training, with a dedicated interest in personal development. I understood that personal achievement centred on the key areas of self-awareness, personal responsibility and taking action; they also formed the basis of most coaching models.

I discovered coaching by chance. Whilst browsing through a magazine in a dentist waiting room, I spotted an article on life coaching. I was immediately intrigued by the idea that coaching could apply to life and I knew instantly it was for me. I was soon scouring the internet and bookshops for related material.

I found The Life Coaching Handbook in a well known high street book shop and it became my bible. I read the book from cover to back several times and was soon contacting the author, Curly Martin, asking for more information. Within a short time I attended one of her training courses and the rest, as they say, is history.

I coached anybody who was prepared to let me practise on them.

I met with other coaches, became involved in coaching forums and attended regular meetings with various groups, honing skills and developing new techniques. There has been a good deal of water under the bridge since then and I am privileged to have worked with some excellent clients along the way; clients who have had success and allowed me to develop as a coach.

So, what does a personal coach actually do and why would anybody want to engage one? Before I answer that, back to the dentist waiting room...

I was browsing a well known glossy style magazine for men and came across an article discussing life coaching in a rather scathing manner. As I recall, the rant went something like this: “If I could afford to hire a life coach why would I need one?” Good question, I thought. Well, here is my explanation of what good coaching should provide…

Imagine having access to somebody who is always on your side, who champions your cause as much as you do, believing in you and your ability to achieve; someone who listens to you at the deepest level, without judgement; somebody who asks you great questions, unlocking resources and potential you didn’t know you possessed; someone who helps you to see your world differently, enabling you to create results that would have previously seemed impossible; somebody who helps you to create realistic goals, challenging you to take those first tentative steps towards success. For me, this is the basic minimum that you should expect from a great coach.

So, why would anybody need a personal coach? In truth, nobody actually needs a personal coach, in reality, everybody would benefit from engaging one.

For more about Mark Roberts, visit his Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/intelligentlifestrategies.

www.moulshamtimes.com

19

MT Therapy by Jenny Hartill

In this month’s article, I’ll look at soft drugs. Soft drugs are not thought to cause physical addiction. They do however, cause psychological addiction.

Examples of soft drugs are cannabis, psilocybin (the chemical derivative from ‘magic mushrooms’), LSD and DMT. There have been reported longer term side effects from taking certain soft drugs over a period of time. Let’s have a look at some examples of soft drugs individually: Cannabis: This soft drug as been termed as being ‘as addictive as alcohol’. According to www.addictionsandrecovery.org, approximately 10% of people who smoke cannabis will get addicted to it, meaning that for them cannabis is not just a harmless herb.

They will have difficulty controlling their use, and they will continue to use even though it has negative consequences to their life.

Every day, people enter rehab’ programs or go to a 12 step group to deal with their cannabis addiction. So, what about the cognitive, emotional and health affects? Significant brain abnormalities have been found in 18 to 25 year olds who smoke cannabis at least once a week. The abnormalities were in the emotion and reward centres of the brain. This suggests that even casual cannabis use can increase the chance of developing other addictions later on and may affect people’s ability to feel and deal with emotions.

Cannabis is neurotoxic to the adolescent brain. One study followed over 1,000 individuals who began using cannabis as adolescents.

The study compared their IQ at 13 and 38 years old. During this period, IQ would normally remain stable or slightly increase.

But for regular cannabis users, their IQ declined by 6 points on average. Furthermore, stopping cannabis use did not fully restore the damage (Meier, MH, Caspi A, Ambler A, Harrington H, et al). It is widely known in therapy circles for cannabis users to be more likely to develop depression. One study looked at 1,920 people and followed them for 16 years. It discovered that people who smoked cannabis were 4 times more likely to develop depression (Bovasso GB). Cannabis increases the chance of developing psychotic symptoms. A 3-year study followed 4,045 psychosis-free people. It came to the conclusion that cannabis smokers are three times more likely to develop psychotic symptoms (including manicdepression) than non-smokers (van Os J, Bak M, Hanssen M, Bijl RV, et al). Although studies are great for giving an overview of the effects of cannabis, in ‘real life’ one of the most common symptoms that I’ve come across in my therapy room is memory loss. Clients also feel tired constantly, feel ‘out of it’ and generally have a lack of lustre for life. A common line I hear is ‘it’s the only way I can relax’ - but sometimes clients develop anxiety as a result of their using.

This can be due to various reasons including that, for example, they always have to have a ‘stash’ or that they cannot afford to carry on, but still feel they must. These are both symptoms of dependency.

Now we move on to hallucinogens: Addiction to hallucinogens is rare, this is because tolerance builds up very quickly so the user has to keep increasing their intake to get the same effect. If the person is psychologically addicted this could lead to problems, including using a harder drug instead, which could lead to addiction to get the same effect. Poly-drug addicts (people who are addicted to several drugs) frequently abuse hallucinogens as well. Users with a history of mental illness should not take hallucinogens because they can trigger or aggravate conditions like schizophrenia, mania, or depression.

Magic Mushrooms: Psilocybin is produced synthetically or extracted from the psilocybe mexicana mushroom and other 20

mushroom species. It is chemically related to LSD. The drug is most often sold in the mushrooms themselves and are known by names like psychedelic mushrooms, magic mushrooms and ‘shrooms’. Mushrooms have been taken in religious rituals in indigenous cultures in Mexico and Central America for thousands of years. Recreational users today take them as a hallucinogen that is considered gentler and more natural (less chemical) than LSD. Users report feelings of mild euphoria and tingling physical sensations. They also report increased sensitivity to music and visual sensations. Some users experience such extremely unpleasant hallucinations that the fear of that experience remains with them for life. The other problem with magic mushrooms is that if someone had a bad trip, even if they do not suffer with mental health problems, they can suffer with flash backs for quite some time.

LSD: This hallucinogen is typically seen as slightly harder or ‘more chemical’ than magic mushrooms, even though LSD is pretty much derived from the same active ingredient. While the drug does not cause physical cravings, LSD is seen as a ‘party drug’ and therefore individuals who take it often associate it with particular people and circumstances and make a habit out of using the drug whenever they are in those social situations. This can make quitting difficult, since it may require that the user stop associating with friends who use LSD in order to break the habit of using it as a social ritual. Like magic mushrooms, tolerance builds quickly and higher doses carry a higher risk of bad side effects, so increasing the dose can quickly become dangerous. The effects of LSD can differ from person to person, however most people experience some form of mood change. This can include feelings of euphoria, depression, anxiety, or peacefulness. The user might also cycle between different moods. A high dose of LSD can produce hallucinations, delusions, or changes in the way the user perceives sound, colour, movement, and touch. Some users experience ‘crossing over’ - a state in which senses are confused, such as when colour is perceived as sound or taste. In some cases, the user may experience feelings of terror or panic. Physical effects include dilated pupils, nausea, loss of appetite, a rise in body temperature, sweating, a rise in blood sugar, an increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, dry mouth, sleeplessness and tremors.

Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): DMT is a strong hallucinogen that provides the user with a powerful euphoric feeling, similar to LSD but more intense. This drug can be injected, snorted or smoked.

Users are likely to experience a distorted view of objects and reality.

DMT can produce very random and sometimes very frightening effects which feed off a person’s imagination. People have been known to harm themselves during a bad trip from using DMT - this usually occurs when the taker is in a bad or anxious mood. The other problem with DMT and some other hallucinogens is that it can trigger mental health issues the person was not previously aware of.

So, there you have it. Although hallucinogens and cannabis are not physically addictive, taking them can produce very unpleasant effects and mental health issues. Use of these drugs usually begins by being taken in social situations. This can then become a habit and then the person finds it very difficult to stop, or they believe they need the drug. Perhaps, in their eyes, the drug is the only way they can relax or they ‘don’t feel right unless they’ve had a hit’ (or sometimes a certain number of hits). Perhaps they feel left out if they don’t participate. Whatever the reason, these so called soft drugs can lead onto much more harmful things and the psychological addiction to them is very real for the person addicted.

If I can be of any help or if anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me via my website: www.counsellinginchelmsford. co.uk.

www.moulshamtimes.com

Forget Your Troubles and Escape to the Magic World of Circus Starr!

“Circus Starr turned a bad day into a great day!” George, 10.

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“My daughter normally struggles with noise and crowds, but the sight of her dancing ringside, so relaxed and carefree, will stay with me always.” Mum to 7 year old Maisie, who has autism.

“I laughed so much my sides ached.” Tara, 8.

“At Circus Starr things are different. Everyone comes from a place of empathy. The staff are accommodating and understanding, so everyone can just forget their worries under the magical spell of the starry canopy.” Dad to 6 year old Alex, who has learning difficulties.

“My boy enjoyed every minute. He gets to see fabulous circus skills at close quarters and be part of a shared experience. As for me, I look around the audience in all its diversity and wish to myself: if only the world outside these tent walls could be a bit more like Circus Starr.” Mum to 12 year old Kim, who has Down syndrome.

Quailty Attire for the larger Gent

Now open in Moulsham Street

Circus Starr returns back bigger and better than ever before to dazzle a discerning and deserving young audience at 28 UK venues.

The Big Top Spring Tour runs from Saturday 25th April to Thursday 18th June 2015 and boasts a world class troupe of artistes including cheeky Mexican clown, Chico Rico, and the gravity defying Serik brothers with their jaw-dropping act on a Chinese pole and straps.

Back by popular demand, the acrobatic high jinks of the Kenyan Warriors, who will have audiences cheering from their seats and dancing in the aisles. Other highlights include the captivating balance and dexterity of Las Chicas Morales on rolling globes.

The Orange Tree

From Russia, award-winning aerialist Victoria Antipova is guaranteed to have audiences on the edge of their seats as she showcases her amazing Corde Lisse skills high in the big top.

The enchanting Romy Bauer makes her debut performance with Circus Starr, with a stunning act performed in a suspended giant globe.

Now in its 28th year of touring, Circus Starr continues to bring the magic of live circus performances to more than 27,000 vulnerable children and their families. Local businesses in each of the towns on the tour pledge thousands of pounds to fund free tickets that are donated to local children and their families through community groups. Businesses are pleased to have the chance to give back to their communities and children enjoy a rare treat, forget their troubles and escape to the circus with their families. A new show-reel has been created, available to watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWyFUQ8ua3E.

Lower Anchor Street, Chelmsford

Chelmsford & Mid Essex CAMRA

Pub of the Year 2014 & 2015 \

For more information, images and case studies, please contact Cath Logan at: cath@circus-starr.org.uk or Rachel Oliver at: rachel@circus-starr.org.uk.

Address:

Promenade Park, Park Drive, Maldon CM9 5JG Dates: Thursday 21st May 2015 Times of performances: 4.45pm & 7.00pm Duration: Approx. 1 ½ hours (including a 15 minute interval) Website:

www.circus-starr.org.uk Facebook:

www.facebook.com/circusstarr Twitter:

twitter.com/CircusStarr

Home Cooked Lunches Tuesday Nights - Charity Quiz

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Thursday Nights - Steak & Curry Night

Sunday Lunch Roasts

01245 262 664 | The-OT.com info@The-OT.com

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21

Wine Corner

Hello everyone. As I write this month, I realise that summer has come and gone. After two days of double digit temperatures, we are back to the cold and rain. Oh well, that’s the shorts back in the drawer again.

This month, I would like to explore certain common things about wine, but often those that some of us may not really understand.

‘Corked’ wine is a phrase I have heard a lot. It is the fear of Sommeliers, because you cannot know that a wine is corked until it is opened. If, like me, you thought that this problem was because of air getting into the bottle or problems with bits of cork, you would be close but no cigar. It also known as cork taint and is caused by the presence of chemicals in the wine. These chemicals (trichloroanisoleTCA and tribromoanisole-TBA - don’t ask me how to pronounce them) can be transferred through the cork or even from the barrel. I have seen people sniffing the corks, but in fact, affected wine will have a smell that has been likened to a wet dog, or damp newspaper. Not harmful, but the wine will not taste so good. You wouldn’t want to lick a damp newspaper would you? So next time you are buying a bottle of wine, check the smell, you will know immediately if it is corked, so hand it back.

Letting wine ‘breathe’ is also commonly used. This is when the bottle is opened and left aside for a period of time. In reality, in order to get the best out of wine (especially reds, but also some whites) it should be decanted to get air into the wine to bring out the flavours and then left. The length of time for this is a bit variable, but if you pour some into a glass and swirl and taste it, you should be able to gauge when the flavours are released and it gives you an excuse to have some wine before your guests!

I have heard people say that a wine has ‘legs’. Well after a few drinks I sometimes have trouble with mine, but that is neither here or there.

If you swirl your wine in the glass, it helps to release the flavours, but is also leaves some wine running down the inside of the glass. These look like legs and the more prominent they are the stronger the wine.

So if a wine has good legs, it means it is probably higher in alcohol, but not necessarily of good quality. Wine legs are also known as ‘tears of wine’ or ‘church windows’ apparently, but I have never heard of either of these terms. Might be good as a quiz question though!

So the TV may be smart, but perhaps I am not smart enough to have one. Never mind, I am sure I will work out how to change channels any time soon!

California came into wine production relatively late, when the Spanish planted vines in the 1800s to make wine for the sacraments as well as for drinking with food and entertainment. It now accounts for about 90% of the USA’s wine production and to put this into context, this represents about a third of the whole output of Australia. The leading grape varieties are those that are most well known around the world including Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot noir (which is delicious) and Sauvignon blanc.

I have come across a lovely range of Californian wines. They are becoming increasingly available in supermarkets and are tasty and reasonably priced. The range includes most of the above plus other favourites like Pinot Grigio. So next time you are in the supermarket’s wine aisle, have a look in the North American section. You will not regret it.

Bin end chuckles: My teacher at school had a nervous tic. We always got really good marks.

Godzilla fell asleep on the A12. He left a massive tail back.

Stay calm and keep drinking, in moderation.

How do you get on with modern technology? I sometimes find that to have up-to-date stuff is not entirely advantageous. A while ago, I had to replace my TV. I started researching the market and kept coming across this thing called a SMART television. It was definitely what I needed, state of the art and so reasonably priced, at least they said 350 quid for one was.

Getting it home I begin looking at the instructions, yes some of us men do you know, and find the ‘quick set up’ procedure. Oh good, quick and clear, I’ll be watching The Chase in fantastic HD very soon.

Well, firstly, I discover that the set has to be connected to my router, as it needs to have access to the internet. Eventually, after referring to the ‘easy’ quick start stuff, I switch on the set. I say this as if I found it easy. The ‘on’ switch, I discover, is on the back of the set, part of a little circular thing that had to be pressed and moved about.

I wear bifocal glasses and often it is difficult to get my head at the right angle to see through the bit of the lens needed for reading small writing. Needless to say, it takes 10 minutes and a stiff neck but on comes the set. I already have a remote for the satellite programmes, but that doesn’t seem to work with the new TV, so I use the one that came with it.

SMART TV appears on the screen, not The Chase as I expected. Oh no, what now? Back to the now ‘not so quick’ start up procedure. I see there is another button to press. The screen shows lots of icons, and The Chase is being played on a little bit of the top right of the screen. Eventually after referring to the ‘ever so slow’ quick guide, I get The Chase - full screen, sound just right and HD picture, just in time to hear the host say see you next time.

22

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Are You Busy Enough to Be a Rotarian?

It’s amazing the range of activities with which a single Rotary club engages.

To illustrate the point, I have taken the Rotary Club of Chelmer Bridge as an example. The club meets at the South Lodge Hotel on a Thursday evening. Here, besides a good meal, there is fellowship and banter whilst the important planning also takes place. Chelmer Bridge is one of five clubs based in Chelmsford each of which meet at different times of the week.

in Chelmsford, but Trevor’s view was that the number is somewhat higher, as many homeless do not wish to be located or traced. CHESS is heavily dependent on donations and volunteers for its services, so if anyone has some free time to become involved, they would love to hear from you! For the past two years, members of Chelmer Bridge have been through their wardrobes and drawers looking for surplus pullovers, windproof jackets, duvets, sleeping bags etc which they have then been able to donate to CHESS to provide some warmth for their users. It is a sad reflection on 21st century Britain that an affluent and prosperous city such as Chelmsford should have homeless people living in dire circumstances.

Here is an overview of the past couple of months at Chelmer Bridge, which also shows that the perception that Rotary is only about raising money for charity is inaccurate. The club welcomed Nick Alston, the police and crime commissioner for Essex, as guest speaker and Nick gave an excellent and enthralling talk which provided an insight into his role and the challenges that he faces. The club is hoping that Nick will visit them again in the future to tell something of his other experiences in what has been a fascinating life and career.

On Good Friday, Chelmer Bridge Rotarians undertook their annual Easter Egg run, delivering Easter eggs to Broomfield Hospital’s children’s ward, burns unit and Chelmsford’s Women’s Refuge bringing a bit of good cheer. By the time you read, these same Rotarians will have put on another major concert in Chelmsford Cathedral and be well on their way to completing the spring horse ride they organise each year which raises funds to support local good causes.

A few days later, several members supported Chelmsford Rivermead’s champagne breakfast. They were entertained by a speech from the high sheriff of Essex, who was highly amusing as well as informative. The next evening members joined the Yuletide Stride organised by Anglia Ruskin University and after walking just over five miles, they were ready for a most enjoyable Chinese meal at a local restaurant. The walk took in some roads and streets some had never before visited in Chelmsford. Rotarians are always keen to try new things.

Tickets for the World’s Biggest Quiz The whole of the district is working hard to get in the Guinness Book of World Records for the World’s Biggest Quiz on Saturday 6th June 12pm - 4pm at Southend United Football Ground. Cost is just £2 per ticket, available from any Rotary club or online at: www.rotarybigquiz. org. It promises to be a great day for all the family, so come and be part of the record breakers.

On New Year’s Day, a large audience greatly enjoyed Chelmer Bridge’s traditional concert at Chelmsford Cathedral. This was the 28th year that the club had organised and hosted the event. Once again the Essex Young People’s Orchestra showcased their talents under the enthusiastic direction of Mark Messenger, recognised internationally as a violinist, teacher and educationalist. The orchestra was splendidly led by Emily Jessop, a 16 year old student at Chelmsford County High School for Girls. The programme was chosen by Mark Messenger and included pieces by Paul Patterson, Glazunov, Holst, Greig, Shostakovich and Prokofiev. The encore, with audience participation, was the Radetsky March by Johann Strauss. An excellent conclusion to a splendid evening. The chosen charity for this year’s concert was the Invicta Foundation, an Essex based charity dedicated to helping with the rehabilitation of service men and women injured in conflict or suffering from PTSD. At the end of the evening an exit collection was held for CHESS, the local charity that provides overnight shelter and help for the homeless in Chelmsford. Our audience very generously donated £300.

For details of how to join Rotary, or for tickets to the World’s Biggest Quiz, phone me on: 01245 260349 or email: stan@graphicimpressions.co.uk.

By Stan Keller

Another traditional event occurred on the 22nd January when Burns Night was celebrated with due ceremony and faux Scottish accents and President Steve Lester resplendent (as always) in kilt and full attire, addressing the haggis. The haggis was in fact excellent and full marks to the chef for his efforts!

February 5th saw the Rev. Tony Cant, chaplain at Anglia Ruskin University spoke about ARU’s projects in Ukraine, Botswana and Kenya. Tony, being a laid back Australian, describes himself as the ‘religion bloke’ at ARU and proved to be an amusing but interesting speaker. Tony has lived in Australia, New Zealand and for the last 15 years in the UK, so he has a pretty rounded view of the world!

Precisely two weeks later the club invited CHESS to send a representative to receive a cheque for £500 towards their funds.

The representative was Trevor Myatt, formerly one of their support workers, but now a chaplain to the charity. Trevor gave an illustrated talk about the shelter in George Street, Chelmsford and the work the charity does and the support that they give to the homeless in the town. Based on the last official count there are 13 homeless www.moulshamtimes.com

23

MT Charity

Diamond Jubilee of Braintree District Mencap We are holding a reunion on Saturday 20th May at Charles Leeks House, 7 Coggeshall Rd, Braintree from 2-5pm. £799

We are searching for people, past and present, who have had a connection with our society. Have you or your family ever worked, volunteered, or supported Braintree Mencap in any way over the past 60 years?

Yes? Then join us all at Charles Leeks House to catch up with old friends and make new ones over tea and cake, at our reunion.

Sixty years ago this year, a small group of parents gathered for a meeting in the living room of a house in Aethric Road, Braintree.

They came together because they had a common problem: Each family had a child with a learning disability, or mental handicap as it was then called. There were virtually no support services available to help them and their children were denied schooling.

That first meeting led to the formation of the Braintree branch of the National Association of Parents of Backward Children. That archaic name soon gave way to a more appropriate name for the organisation, now known as Braintree District Mencap Society.

From those small beginnings, the society has grown to become one of the largest voluntary groups in the area, providing services for - and campaigning on behalf of - several hundred families in Braintree, Halstead, Witham and the surrounding villages.

Literally hundreds of people have helped the society to grow and develop over the 60 years and present chair, Janet Brown and her fellow trustees, are anxious to make contact with as many as possible to share in celebrating the organisation’s achievements.

It is hoped that as many friends and supporters, past and present, will go along for tea and cake and the opportunity to view nostalgic memorabilia and enjoy reminiscences of six successful decades.

Pleased call Michael on:

07976 693457 or email Info@m-specservices.co.uk

If you would Electrical Installation & Maintenance like to be M-Spec Services based in Chelmsford the featured cater for all your electrical requirements, charity please no job is too big or too small. You are always guaranteed a professional service email at competitive rates. editorial@ • Smoke Alarm Installation • Fault Finding itsyouredia.

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If You Haven’t Got Something Worthwhile to Say, Don’t Say Anything at All

If I am being completely honest, I have struggled to write this article.

I have been suffering from a mild form of writers’ block! The reason being is that I have not had anything new or worthwhile to say when it comes to the latest developments in the fitness industry.

Similar to what your parents used to tell you: ‘if you haven’t got something nice to say, don’t say anything at all’. I have followed this advice but switched the ‘nice’ to ‘worthwhile’. Unfortunately, this same advice is not followed by many of the journalists who contribute to fitness magazines.

It seems every month there is a new and exciting training regime which is guaranteed to boost your physique within weeks. If you have the time or inclination, do a quick google search of fitness magazine front covers. You will soon see there are endless headlines that guarantee you bigger biceps or a 6-pack within weeks - but logic tells us they can’t all be right!

Simply speaking, these magazines have a vested interest in hyping up a particular training regime, after all, if they didn’t, they’d have nothing to put in their magazine and therefore no one would buy it.

So in effect, their livelihoods depend on creating a buzz around these training programmes.

These articles are not falling on deaf ears though! I have lost count of the number clients that have come to me asking my opinion on such programmes which have seen a Hollywood A-lister go from skinny to beef cake within weeks ready for their latest role in an action movie.

My reply is always the same: there are numerous ways to reach the same destination and just because a certain celebrity went through a supposedly gruesome training regime, he may well have got their anyway with a more conservative, less fancy regime. (Oh and the use of performance enhancing drugs may well have helped him too).

What I am trying to get at is don’t always believe what you read in the magazines. Remember, these magazines have a financial interest in hyping different training regimes. Choose a regime that works for you and stick with it. After all, by the time you have finished flitting from one regime to another you will probably have found out that you would have benefitted from sticking with the first one and just tweaking it slightly, rather than constantly changing - consistency is often the key when it comes to exercise improvement!

Chelmsford Jewish Community

Chelmsford Jewish Community recently celebrated the second night of Passover with a communal Seder service. It was again ably conducted by one of our lay readers, Arnold Klein. As a preamble to the service, Arnold explained how in his opinion, the Passover service almost takes precedence over other services, including the High Holydays. This is because throughout the liturgy, the significance of the Exodus from Egypt is highlighted.

Some thirty-six members of CJC enjoyed a traditional Passover service, accompanied by a delicious meal.

For further details please phone 01245 475444.

Moulsham Lodge Community Trust Station Tots is going from strength to strength with a lovely group of ladies and tots going in every week. New faces are always welcome for a chat, a coffee and time for the children to enjoy playing with new friends. Station Tots is every Monday morning from 9.45 - 11.45am, costing £2 for each child and £3 for families, which includes a tea or coffee and a biscuit.

Trying to ensure we offer what the community needs, we have tried to get a health visitor to join us to weigh the little ones each week and so far we have been unsuccessful, so we are now going to buy a set of scales and become a self-weigh centre. You will be able to weigh your little ones while you enjoy the morning session, or if you are unable to stay, you can just drop in and weigh your baby.

Planning for our community fun day is going well and we hope to have lots to offer on 30th May between 10am and 4.30pm. We are working together with St Lukes Church and The Eagle & Hind to provide performances from New City Voices Choir and other local groups, a bouncy castle, a bbq, a guest beer, a photo booth and two areas providing refreshments as well as other activities yet to be confirmed.

In order to provide a fun filled day we need a number of volunteers to help, so if anyone can offer us even an hour of their time on the day, please contact us using any of the contact details provided below.

Room hire: Just a reminder that we have rooms for hire. As a rough guide, they are £7.50 an hour depending on the length of time and what sort of organisation you are (the photo above is our conference room).

Knitting: Last month the published time for the knitting group was incorrect. The correct time is 2pm to 4pm.

For sound, balanced fitness advice, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

We will be having a toy sale in aid of Station Tots on our community fun day, so if you have any toys in good order, please get in touch.

Thanks for reading - Matt. www.mlrpt.co.uk matt@mlrpt.co.uk 07939 316 401

Email us at: enquiries@mlct.org.uk. Mark Springett - mobile: 07411 808731, or text and we’ll call you back.

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Send your letters to editorial@itsyourmedia. co.uk, we would love to hear from you.

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Kid’s Page by Alexander Aged 6.

Ami’s Diary

During Easter, Theatretrain was closed, so I couldn’t wait to go back after the holidays. I got offered a role in a short film called Child Soldiers, which highlights issues with child abductions. But the filming was in London on the first Saturday I was back at Theatretrain. We’ve only got a couple of months until we perform our show called Applause Applause at the Kenneth Moore Theatre in Ilford, so I had to turn the film role down as I want to make sure my performance as Fagin in Oliver is perfect!

A few weeks ago, I went to a casting for a main role in a feature film. I thought it went really well but I found out I didn’t get the part. I was disappointed, as it was a major role and there is meant to be a series of films so it could’ve been my big break. For most castings, you are never told how you get on - you just don’t hear anything so just have to guess that you didn’t get the job. But my agent sent me an email from the casting director who wanted to thank me for meeting them. They really enjoyed my interpretation of the role, so want to keep me in mind for future projects. I did feel better to hear that and I hope I am suitable for something else as I got on with the casting director really well.

I did have some good news - my agent has offered me a place in their Elite section, which is reserved for a small number of suitable kids. I am due to update my portfolio photos in a few months, so I’ll have an extended sitting for my new Elite profile. My agency is being filmed for a major TV programme, so when I go there, I may be included in the filming, which would be good fun.

Funnies What do you call a sleeping bull?

A bull-dozer.

Where do polar bears vote?

The North Poll.

Why is a fish easy to weigh?

A: Because it has its own scales!

The female lion does ninety percent of the hunting.

Some male songbirds sing more than 2000 times each day.

No two tigers ever have the same stripes and this is how individual tigers can be identified.

Two dogs were among the Titanic survivors.

The oldest recorded elephant lived for 82 years.

A group of frogs is called an army.

The slowest fish is the sea horse, which moves along at about 0.01 mph (0.016km/h).

Hummingbirds beat their wings 60 to 80 times per second.

The bat is the only mammal that can fly.

Tickets Sold Out in Record Time for The 3foot People Festival

Why do fish live in salt water?

Because pepper makes them sneeze!

How do bees get to school?

By school buzz!

Facts You May or May Not Know (All Sourced from the Web)

Tickets for this year’s The 3foot People Festival have sold out in record time.

The event, which will be returning to Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex on 30th June, 1st and 2nd July 2015, sold nearly

14,000 tickets in just 48 hours.

This award winning event (Best Event 2014 - Essex Mums, Best Festival 2014 - Essex Tourism and Hospitality Awards, Best Outdoor Event 2014 Runner Up - Primary Times Star Awards) curated especially for pre-school children, welcomes nearly 14,000 big (and little) people across 3 days within the beautiful grounds of Hylands Estate.

This year the festival will be celebrating its 10th

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birthday and will feature Glastonbabies, a giant sandpit, All Star Mini Kickers, Baby Ballet, Little Stars Theatre, Arnolds Big Adventure, Garlic Theatre, Get Ready Club, Jo Jingles and a whole host more!

Your only chance to get tickets for this sell-out Festival is through competitions, where you could win tickets for any day of your choice.

See page 28 of this magazine for their competition.

The 3foot People Festival is produced by Chelmsford City Events and kindly supported by Seymour House, High Chelmer Shopping Centre, The Printing Place, 1159 Productions, Essex & Suffolk Water, The Essex Chronicle, BBC Essex, Sshhh Events, Dancing Giraffe and Chelmsford the City Times.

Remember to tell our advertisers you saw their advert in the MT

27

Rewards from Cash Given to Congregation

In autumn 2011, Galleywood Vicar Andy Griffiths stunned his congregation one Sunday morning by giving them £1100 cash in mixed-denomination bank-notes and challenging them to grow it and bring back the proceeds. Cakes were baked, books were written, investments were made and rumour has it a horse was even backed. And in March 2015, 31/2 years later, a £280 000 church redevelopment project is nearing completion.

“It wasn’t just thanks to the bank-note give away” says Rev. Griffiths. “For example, we wouldn’t have got it done without selling a property that the church had owned. But one way or another, it’s all thanks to the incredible generosity of St Michael’s people - we haven’t had a penny in grant funding or from charitable trusts of any kind.”

The project sees the creation of three new rooms, the installation of a disabled-access toilet, and the enhancement and re-siting of the church’s pipe organ, as well as extensive plumbing and electrical work. “We needed it more rooms for Sunday mornings, when we had no proper spaces for youth and children’s groups,” says Rev. Griffiths. “But we also needed this project to serve the Galleywood community a bit better. We asked Galleywood residents what they’d

find most helpful and by a great majority, they said a way of getting information when there are issues of debt or finance or doubt about benefits would be the best thing - so we’re launching a project together with Citizens’ Advice Bureau to give supported information.

And all sorts of other local organisations will be able to work out of our revamped building.”

One notable feature of the new work is a hand-produced wooden screen featuring an oak tree. “The church members voted on what they wanted depicted on the screen a few years ago”, says Rev. Griffiths, “but then it took so long for the project to get under way that most of us had forgotten all about it till suddenly the hoardings came down, and there it was! There’s been a bit of impatience understandably so - but now we’re all excited to see the results, and massively grateful to Derek Martin, our project manager, without whom none of this would have been possible.”

The vicar has no further plans to distribute bank notes, but last Sunday he started the sermon in wellies, from which he poured real fish. “We never quite know what’s going to happen next...” said one church member.

3Foot People Competition - We Have 6 Pairs of Tickets to Be Won For This Sold Out Festival!

As media sponsor to the 3Foot festival, we have 6 pairs of tickets up for grabs again this year.

All you have to do is answer the following question:

20%

Off

Disney’s Frozen is based on what story?

A: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens B: The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson C: Rapunzel by The Brothers Grimm

All dry cleaning

Please email your answer to: competition@itsyourmedia. co.uk stating your prefered day (30th June/1st July/2nd July) and a contact phone number. The winners will be drawn from the correct entries on the 31st May. Only one entry per person please.

MT

If we do not hear back from the winner within 7 days, we reserve the right to re-draw for that pair of tickets.

Ticket terms apply as detailed on the 3Foot Festival pages www.chelmsford.gov.uk/3foot.

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MT

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Remember to tell our advertisers you saw their advert in the MT

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Garden Furniture Now in Stock

Where’s My Bike? by Bridget Metcalfe Recently a man asked me how come I’d landed in Chelmsford. Landed.

Good choice of word, I liked it. It sounds quirky and fun.

I’d like to say that I’d arrived at breakneck speed in a top flight rocket, passing through galaxies, dodging meteorites, asteroids and other floating bits and pieces and spotted the heart of Essex, Chelmsford as a place to call home.

But actually I came on the bus.

I have to say that my arrival wasn’t accidental, it was planned.

There’s a main line railway here so that I can easily get into London, or indeed to anywhere else on the planet beyond London. So, for me that makes Chelmsford the centre of the universe.

However, I also wanted to be near BBC Essex, where I could arrive in a trice (or on my bicycle) to interview top stars from around the world.

Status Quo to Chas & Dave, Billy Ocean to The Osmonds. There have been 921 star guest interviews in my BBC show. Keeping that ‘space’ theme going, they were all stars.

There was one other idiosyncratic little thing, which is the day I picked up a Chelmsford town map. It’s a pocket sized, handy and easy to use fold out map. It was produced by Chelmsford Borough Council and it has a colourful drawing of the town centre and its main landmarks.

The four corners of the map stretch from Rainsford Lane to just www.moulshamtimes.com

beyond the Riverside Ice & Leisure Centre, from Lower Anchor Street to almost the Army & Navy roundabout. It’s like looking at a picture in the kind of book you loved as a child, with captivating drawings showing lots of intricate details which draw your eyes over the page and then again and again, just in case you missed something. I still have my map and am looking at it now. It makes Chelmsford look like it’s part of a fairy tale.

Then there are the things I’ve discovered since I moved here. I love the vibrancy of the market and its stalls. I like the open feel of the broad High Street and its stores. I’m in one of those shops so frequently that I’m sure the staff thinks I’m the manageress. I like the little cafes and restaurants, sometimes tucked away as independent eateries sometimes are and sometimes fully floodlit like the well known brands they are. I love Moulsham Street too with its varied wealth of interesting shops that are just that little bit different.

It takes a while to settle somewhere new. Over time, I’ve found that I recognise people and they recognise me in return. It’s the people who make this city what it is, otherwise it’d be cold and barren and there’d be tumbleweed rolling past The Meadows as if in a dusty old western movie. Instead, we have a city worth its weight in gold because - and I can’t think of a better reason - I like it.

Finally, there are plenty of places where I can lock up my bicycle and wander from there. My only mishap was the day I forgot where I’d left it! I eventually found it safe and sound and cycled home; very much ‘at home’.

View all of our magazines online at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia 29

Volatile Descent: A Detective Carter Mystery by JR Blake - Part 5 DS Carter and DC Reid have arrived at their hotel to begin their investigations. So had DS Carter’s ex-husband DI Eric Carter and he was ready and waiting to assist them…

“My name is Detective Inspector Eric Carter and I would you like to tell me what your meeting with Stephen Jones was about 2 weeks ago in the hotel restaurant.”

DS Carter sat at the end of the bed contemplating her next move.

She had managed to avoid her ex-husband finding out her room number and he was waiting at reception so they could begin their enquiries. Out of her pocket she took the evidence bag with the white cloth in it embossed with the hotel’s logo. The first thing to do would be to identify whether the victim had any connection with the hotel. When she had spoken earlier to her superior, DCI Maslow, about finding the cloth, he told her never mind interviewing him as planned (as he knew the victim), get herself to Cardiff pronto.

And that’s what she did. Maslow had always been convinced this case was connected to Wales, he wanted this sorted asap. So, who would murder a Roman Catholic priest, best mates with a DCI, originally from Wales, in Westminster Cathedral? Time to do some digging...

“Why do you want to know that?” David Thomas asked.

“Because he’s dead. Murdered, actually.” Eric replied.

DS Carter emerged from her room and bumped into DC Reid in the corridor.

“Ready?” She asked him.

“Yep. Where shall we start?” Reid asked.

“You take the restaurant area, talk to anyone involved with putting these embossed cloths out. We need to find out where it came from and as it looks like a napkin, it could be from the restaurant floor, or it could be from room service. Either way, find out if any of the waiters, waitresses, bar staff etc saw anyone weird, anyone pocketing one of these, anything out of the ordinary. Find out if they knew the victim, Stephen Jones. Leave the management to DI Carter and myself.”

“You sure you wanna work with Eric so soon?” Reid asked, more out of sticking up for Erin than being genuinely worried.

“Has to happen sometime, may as well be sooner rather than later.

I have the feeling I’ll be setting some boundaries…” Erin replied as they came around the corner and approached the reception desk, where DI Eric Carter was flirting away with the receptionist. Erin flashed her warrant card at her: “My name is DS Carter, this is DI Carter. We need to speak to the hotel manager immediately.”

“I’m sorry, the hotel manager is in a meeting and so not available.” the receptionist replied without looking at Erin or her warrant card.

Her gaze was affixed upon Eric… DS Carter smacked her hand on the reception desk: “I am Detective Sergeant Carter and this is Detective Inspector Carter, we are investigating a murder and your hotel manager may be in a meeting but he is not unavailable for questioning because I am sure, in the best interests of your five star hotel and spa, he would like to co-operate in any way possible and therefore is very much available at this present time.” Said DS Carter. Shocked, the receptionist replied: “I’ll call him down here.”

“You do that.” DS Carter said.

“I love it when you’re authoritative.” DI Carter flirted with DS Carter.

“Do you always flirt with possible suspects when making enquiries on a murder investigation?” Erin replied.

“Depends on the information it’ll get me. For example, this lovely lady here had heard of the victim. In fact. he stayed here a couple of weeks ago - had quite an intense meeting with someone in the restaurant apparently. Stephen Jones may be quite the popular name in Wales, but when you’re also a Roman Catholic priest having a secret meeting in a five star hotel - that’s the kind of thing that draws attention. Especially when said priest ends up dead.”

Eric replied, rather proud of his discovery.

“Who was Jones meeting with?” Erin asked, now intrigued.

“Wait and see…” Eric replied as the hotel manager came around the corner. He did not look happy at being asked to leave his meeting.

“My name is David Thomas I’m the hotel manager, would you like to tell me what was so god darn important that I had to be dragged out of the annual finance meeting?”

David Thomas was clearly shocked.

“I… er… I think we should talk privately. The restaurant is empty, I’ll get us somewhere private.” He said.

“Looks like you hit a nerve. Good work Detective Inspector Carter.”

Erin said to her ex-husband.

“Why thank you Detective Sergeant Carter.” Eric replied. They both followed Davis Thomas into the restaurant and were shown to their seats.

“So, Mr Thomas, restaurant manager, what was your chat with Stephen Jones all about then?” Erin asked.

“Ok look. I’ve known Steve for over 35 years. We were at uni’ together. He found something out, something that would really rock the boat for all of us if anyone else knew. He wanted advice.”

“Advice? I thought priests dished that stuff out, not asked for it unless from him upstairs of course.” Eric asked.

“This was different. It was a personal issue.” David replied.

“What would rock the boat and who is ‘all of us’? Who else is connected to this? What’s this personal issue?” Erin asked, she could tell she was on to something. Davis Thomas hesitated: “It’s linked to an incident that’s over 30 years old. An unexplained death. Steve had always suspected the outcome and the investigation wasn’t right and then he found something out that changed everything. We’d always suspected, but I think Steve had proof. I think Steve could prove what really happened out there, all those years ago... out on the cliffs...” David Thomas seemed to go into a world of his own now. Erin needed to snap him out of it “Mr Thomas, what are you talking about? What incident? What death?” David Thomas looked up at her and replied: “I think you need to ask your DCI Maslow about that.”

Tune in next time to see how the investigation continues to unfold and how DS Erin Carter’s boss DCI Maslow is connected to this case much more than he could have ever thought...

If you would you like to write for any of our magazines, or have a one-off article to send us, please email: editorial@ itsyourmedia.co.uk

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Quiz Answers 1. Let It Be 2. Ticket to Ride 3. Eleanor Rigby 4. Yellow Submarine 5. Lady Madonna 6. Norwegian Wood 7. Get Back 8. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band www.moulshamtimes.com

9. Blackbird 10. Penny Lane 11. When I’m Sixty Four 12. Lovely Rita 13. Yesterday 14. With A Little Help From My Friends 15. Octopus’s Garden Remember if you would like to submit a quiz to us, please email: editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk.

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