Moulsham Times February 2017

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Issue Number 50 - February 2017

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MT Welcome Hi readers Welcome to the February edition.

We have received a letter from Debbi, who says: “Thank you for your continued hard work on Moulsham Times. I live in Goldlay Road and unlike many things that drop through my door, I’m always pleased to find a copy of Moulsham Times on the doormat. It’s wonderful to have a really local publication, and I find it really helps me to feel part of the community here in Old Moulsham.”

Thanks Debbi, and if you too would like to write to us, please email editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk.

This month we welcome the Moulsham Schools as writers. They will be letting us know what is going on at the school, as well as sharing some articles written by the pupils (see page 19).

Regards Paul & Nick

it’s your media Ltd Editorial Advertising Paul Mclean Nick Garner 07595 949701 07970 206682 ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk Disclaimer: It’s Your Media Ltd 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 Printwize.

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MT Therapy by Jenny Hartill

same way within each one.

One of the New Years Resolutions that I covered in my last article was about relationships. Rather than write another article about couples counselling I thought I would write about relationships in a little more detail, as another common issue clients come to me with is the fact their relationships either all end the same way, or they are treated the

The main thing I encourage clients to do is to look at patterns that reoccur. Don’t just look at the type of person you are dating, look at their background and yours. For example, have you dated lots of different types of people, but all of them have a parent that has rejected or abandoned them? Do the people you date have different personalities but perhaps have a problem with alcohol? Relationship issues are never just one thing, they are a mixture of things. Freud said that we date our mother or father (depending on sex and sexual orientation). More recent research has suggested that we actually date a mixture of both parents! There is another very important component to relationships that we need to consider - our belief systems.

Our core belief system is formed from a very young age (about 0-7 years old) and we spend the rest of our lives attempting to test and reinforce these beliefs. One of the reasons for this is so that we feel secure in our own decisions. If you feel rejected over and over again by various people ask yourself, who do you feel might have rejected you as a child? Did you feel abandoned at any point? Remember, the way a child interprets the world is vastly different from the way an adult may interpret the world consciously, but it doesn’t necessarily matter that if looking back using your adult conscious mind, you feel you were not rejected or abandoned. What matters is the way you felt as a child, the way your subconscious mind will have saved this feeling and the perceived situation around it, so that you can test this theory later in life.

It is possible to test and tweak belief systems so that you stop repeating these patterns. Sometimes we do this automatically as we grow and develop different types of beliefs to add to our core belief system - we do have the ability to shift and change. For example, if you used to go for the bad boy/girl that would reject you when you were younger but now have happily settled down with a loving partner, or have decided to remain single until that wonderful person comes along - well done you! You have realised and learned that this negative belief was no longer beneficial to you and therefore decided not to reinforce or test this belief any longer. What people don’t realise is that it is likely that your new wonderful partner will still share some (even minor) traits of that bad boy/girl because it is a mixture of things - not just one thing - that attracts us to another person. Choosing which traits we do and do not like is part of how we mature. We make decisions in our lives that affect how we interact with people in the future. These decisions shape us as human beings and contribute hugely to our personality types and choices that we make about the people we have in our lives.

Something very important to remember in therapy when talking about relationships isn’t just the learned behaviours from our past and belief systems around them, it’s also important to remember self awareness. How aware are you of the choices you make when looking for a partner? What do you find attractive and what is not attractive about them and why? Very importantly, what is your payoff for being in this relationship? Payoff is something we talk about a lot in therapy. The reason for this is that humans categorically do not do anything without there being some sort of payoff. Payoff can be positive of negative, depending on what belief it is reinforcing. For example: The person that always goes for someone completely out of their league and is consistently rejected: The payoff could be (a) that

they are reinforcing that they are not good enough and will always be rejected. Or (b) this will always happen to them, but at least they know what to expect!

The person that always goes for the bad boy/girl: The payoff could be (a) being with this person makes them feel more interesting and exciting. Or (b) they are, or are not, as boring or will end up as boring as they think/are afraid that they are.

The person that always goes for the partner who has been rejected or abandoned by a parent: The payoff could be (a) that they get to ‘rescue’ this person. Or (b) rescuing their partner makes them feel important and loved, that they have meaning in the world.

Another thing we need to look at is reflection. Sometimes we choose partners because subconsciously they reflect a part of us that we want to explore or have an issue with. I have seen this happen with people who suffer from mental health issues, such as anxiety, who then go out with another person who also has an anxiety disorder. For example, person A tends to feel anxious in social situations, meets person B who has a social anxiety disorder. Person B cannot go out with person A to dinner, parties etc because of their disorder. This is how I would analyse person A: 1. Is person B reflecting how person A feels inside on an inflated scale? Is person A subconsciously attracted to person B because they see something in common, reflective within their own psyche?

2. Who does person B remind person A of in their past? I’ll stick a fiver right now on the fact it will be a parent…

3. How does person B reinforce person A’s beliefs about the world?

Do they reinforce person A’s fears, or does person A wish to challenge their beliefs as a result of seeing how person B’s anxiety disorder has impacted on their life?

4. What payoff does person A gain from being in a relationship with person B? Could the payoff be that person A gets to listen to their own anxiety, believe in it even more and therefore has someone to spend time with away from the social situations they are afraid of, as opposed to challenging their fear because being with person B is easier? Thus, person A’s anxiety is reinforced…

Whatever you feel the issues are with your personal relationships, it’s important to try not to internalise to much. This will just cause things to swim around in your head and will likely drive you potty through overthinking! Try to find someone to talk to about your analysis so that you can gain more input and knowledge and get another perspective. You never know what epiphanies await you when you share your analysis with another individual….

If anyone is interested in seeing a therapist, I own and run Chelmsford Therapy Rooms. We have a range of therapists that can help with a multitude of issues. We offer many therapies from hypnotherapy to counselling to nutrition. Please see the website, www.chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or you can email info@ chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or call 0330 100 5162.

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Writtle Portrait Group Exhibition at Chelmsford Library - 3rd to 26th February 2017

Writtle Portrait Group are proud to display members’ recent work at Chelmsford Library during February - a return after a three year gap.

Bringing artists’ interest in human features and expressions into the present day, the portraits are varied in style and the media used - from pencil or pastel, to paint. Some work is also for sale at reasonable prices.

This group of around thirty members meets in Writtle weekly to draw or paint a portrait from a model.

Members come from as far afield as Epping, Upminster, Kelvedon, Mayland, Billericay and Canewdon. We range from near beginners to professional artists and teachers. We welcome new members; the only requirement is an interest in making portraits! Most sessions are not taught, but we enjoy occasional artists’ workshops and demonstrations and are supportive critics of each other’s work.

5.30pm and Sundays 1-4pm.

For further details of the exhibition contact: President Don Elliot done11iott@tiscali.co.uk, 01621 892 319, or Anne Lutyens-Stobbs - annelh60@hotmail.com, 01245 604 518 (contact Anne for images of works to be shown).

For details of membership or to sit as a (clothed) model contact Secretary Gill Gardiner - gillg237@hotmail.co.uk, 01277 822 584.

Models are usually friends or acquaintances of members and we are always glad of new faces, of any age, sex or race. We pay models a small fee, or sometimes models take a portrait as payment. It is surprising how many recognisable but different aspects of someone’s personality show up when drawn by a number of people!

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From County Hall by Cllr Dick Madden We have missed a bullet to date; no snow, but isn’t it cold!? Now that Christmas and New Year has evaporated, our plod through winter continues. Kathryn and I had the Queen’s cold over Christmas, three weeks of coughing and spluttering, and I know many of you suffered as well, so as we approach spring let’s all try to attain our good health, good humour and enjoy our local community.

Having returned to County Hall following the Christmas holiday we have turned our attention to council tax. What I can tell you? For the fifth time in the past six years we have frozen your core council tax, however due to pressures on our social care budgets - a national issue - we have adopted the 3% Government tax increase we are allowed, even though this will not cover the cost of increased national living wage and inflation in our adult social care area.

What does this mean to you financially? It means we limit the increase for a band D homeowner to less than an increase of £33 per annum, equivalent of 65 pence per week.

For over three years now ECC have strongly lobbied our Government on the growing challenge of funding adult social care, not only in Essex but nationally, and you will note in the national media that a debate is gradually growing on this matter.

As the Cabinet Member for Adults and Children I have personally met and engaged with MPs and Lords of all parties seeking a joined up all party debate on this subject. The good news is that we are all living longer and healthier lives, but because there are more of us over 65 and living to really old ages, when we need support and care we do not have enough money in our local authorities. So we need to think differently and fund the gap differently. Watch this space; I will keep you updated, not only from a local perspective but also a national one.

Talking of ‘watch this space’, I am concerned about scaremongering from local sources that our accident and emergency department is to be closed or downgraded, when in fact a consultaion is being progressed - and we, the public and residents of Chelmsford, can engage with views. The fact is, our National Health Service and Clinical Commissioning Groups (they basically fund our local health services and hospitals) have not got enough money to fund the services. It’s the same argument as in Adult Social Care, the funding cannot meet the demand so we must think and deliver differently. So get involved in the debate, I am and will keep you updated on facts and not speculation.

Early start tomorrow: I am being interviewed and making an appeal on BBC Essex radio breakfast show, as in Essex over the coming months we will need about another 100 new foster families for the impending arrival of more unaccompanied asylum seeking children from Syria and the refugee camps around Europe.

Recently I authorised four of our ECC children’s social workers to be able to assist the Home Office and travel to France to assess and help unaccompanied asylum seeking children who have travelled from war torn countries. These children have often been witness to the most horrific acts to their families and themselves, resulting in them being unaccompanied in countries they have no knowledge about. I emphasise that these are unaccompanied children...

In our county we already have fantastic foster carers providing loving and safe homes for hundreds of children each year. With a number retiring and demand continuing, I will be appealing for a further 100 foster carers. If you are interested, prospective foster carers must have a spare bedroom, be financially stable and available before and after school and during the school holidays. You would receive excellent local training, 24/7 support and a competitive financial package.

As a local authority we are not-for-profit, so our primary focus is always what is best for each child and finding the best possible match with a foster family.

If you are interested and want more information, go onto our ECC website, www.essexadopyionandfostering.co.uk/fostering.

BE SAFE Dick Madden

Life T M Hack

I know this one works as I did it!!!

Accidentally written on a white board in permanent ink? Scribble over it with a white board pen and it will remove the permanent ink! Thanks to Rob for the tip!

From The House by Sir Simon Burns Tesco Neighbourhood Food Collection Just before Christmas, I visited the Tesco store on Princes Road, Chelmsford to support their 9th Neighbourhood Food Collection, which is held in partnership with The Trussell Trust and FareShare.

I was overwhelmed by the generosity of shoppers who contributed to a collection which, nationally, provided more than 2.8 million meals to people in need across the country.

Since Tesco launched the collection back in 2012, a staggering 41 million meals have been collected.

Tesco now runs collection points in over 600 of its stores. In some stores the donations will be collected for The Trussell Trust and in others for the regional FareShare depot from where it is distributed to community groups and local charities.

The support which supermarkets offer is not only invaluable in providing support to people who really need it, but since 2012 it has also helped tackle the growing issue of food waste. Working with FareShare, Tesco has diverted over 5,900 tonnes of surplus food from its online and fresh food distribution centres to charities and community groups around the UK. This is enough to provide 15 million meals to people in need.

For many years, people have been writing to me to complain about Donation points in supermarkets and churches help people who the sheer volume of food that is wasted in this country and it is very often find themselves in desperate need of support. There are many encouraging to see that positive steps are being taken to tackle the reasons why people may find themselves in this situation, from problem. receiving an unexpected bill when on a low income to being alone and struggling to fight an addiction.

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MT Fitness

10 Easy Steps to Becoming a Clean Eating Guru!

By Matt Russell

Making your way in the fitness and nutrition industry is a tough task, especially if you’re a stickler for science and insist on giving evidencebased advice.

Luckily for you, you don’t have to: Here is my 10 step guide to becoming a clean eating guru, which, if you’re lucky, may culminate in a book deal, TV deal or even a chain of restaurants!

NOTE: This article is written with my tongue placed firmly in my cheek and I urge you not to follow this advice. However, if you do, unfortunately you’ll probably make a shed load more money than your average professor who dedicates their life to advancing our knowledge of nutrition!

Step 1: HAVE A SOB STORY Now this isn’t a prerequisite but it sure helps. Choose some sort of ailment to suffer from; this can range from the rather mild such as headaches or stomach cramps to the more extreme, such as a life limiting illness. You’re probably better off opting for the more severe here as this will add weight to your future claims (and profits).

Not keen on putting a personal slant on your story? No problem, simply claim that the world is in the grips of an epidemic, or even better - a pandemic!

Step 2: CHOOSE A GOODY OR A BADDY So you’ve got your ailment, now you must choose either A or B: A is a SUPER BAD foodstuff for which you can pin all the blame on for causing your ailment. Or B, a SUPER GOOD foodstuff which will defeat your evil ailment.

You can opt for a combination of both A and B but I don’t advise this because this could all get a little too nuanced for your consumers.

Remember you want to start a social media movement here and there isn’t space for areas of grey, it’s strictly black or white.

Step 3: SHOW A COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR SCIENCE This is probably the most important of all the steps. You must show a complete disregard for whatever the overwhelming scientific consensus is telling you. Don’t listen to the experts. You must disregard them almost as much as TOWIE star Gemma Collins disregards the need for using manners! Well almost… If you want to have the slightest whiff of credibility you can cherry pick the odd, flawed study which kind of substantiates your claims.

Step 4: FAUX SCEPTICISM That’s right, you must claim to be a sceptic. Whatever you opted for, option A or B, you must at least claim to have been initially very sceptical about it. This is a must because it builds a rapport with your customers. Initially, when they hear about the claims you’ll be making, they will probably be very sceptical, but if you claim that you were as well way back in the beginning, it builds a certain affinity with them.

Step 5: AMAZING RESULTS If you go for option A, you must claim that abstaining from eating that super bad food stuff has left you feeling AM-AZ-ING. Similarly, if you prefer option B you must also claim to feel AM-AZ-ING but not because you’ve cut something out of your diet but because you’ve added in some food item with mythical super powers!

Step 6: DISCOUNT OTHER (MORE RATIONAL) REASONS WHY YOU FEEL AMAZING That’s right, you must discount other reasons as to why you’re feeling better. Often when people begin to alter their diet, they make other lifestyle changes too, such as exercising more, sleeping better, eating more appropriate portion sizes, drinking more water... and it’s the cumulative effects of these which combine to make someone feel better.

entertain it for the most fleeting of moments. You must believe, or at least claim to believe, that this improved feeling of self worth is brought about purely because of the dietary changes you’ve made.

Remember, soon you’ve got a restaurant to open and after all you do want to send your kids to private school, don’t you?

Step 7: POST YOUR STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA Join Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat or whatever and endlessly post about your ‘journey’. It’s a tough task here but you must post more pics of your grub, than the average new parent posts of their new born. This will be extraordinarily tough, but you can do it. Oh, and always be sure to include the hashtags #cleaneating or #eatingclean Step 8: KEEP POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA That’s right, post, post and post some more, oh and when you think you’ve posted too much, just like Postman Pat, keep posting.

For particular kudos, you could also begin including the hashtags #traindirty, #vegan or #glutenfree (but these are optional).

Step 9: INFORM PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE NO QUALIFICATIONS WHATSOEVER IN SCIENCE OR NUTRITION You must come clean at this point and inform your social media followers that you have no qualifications in the field you are incessantly talking about - but don’t worry, this won’t affect your chances of getting that future book deal whatsoever. After all, social media ‘likes’ trump science any day of the week!

But as a slight word of warning, don’t bang on about your lack of qualifications too much, we wouldn’t want any of your more freethinking followers thinking you’re a complete fraud and charlatan would we!

Step 10: BE ATTRACTIVE This isn’t written in stone anywhere (unlike Ed Miliband’s election pledges) but I must stress that the more attractive you are the more likely you are to achieve clean eating guru status.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at the gurus who’ve had books published, to say they’re easy on the eye is an understatement! Many of them look like they’ve just stepped off a catwalk.

Still, as a former model myself (mainly of gloves and balaclavas) there’s hope for me yet!

In conclusion…

If I need the electrics altered in my house I seek the expertise of an electrician not a window cleaner. Similarly, if you’re having trouble altering your health seek the expertise of just that, an expert in the form of a doctor or dietician not someone who is more interested in collecting likes and followers rather than collecting letters after their name.

Thanks for reading, Matt To book your free personal training session, or to book a place at my boot camp class, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. matt@mlrpt.co.uk www.mlrpt.co.uk 07939 316 401 www.twitter.com/mlrpt www.facebook.com/mlrpt www.twitter.com/mlrpt

You can’t let this possibility enter your thoughts though. Don’t even www.moulshamtimes.com

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O STEOPATHY & S PORTS M ASSAGE IN C ENTRAL C HELMSFORD We’re here to help...

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The Myths of Back Pain At last, the newspapers are catching up! I always use the Sunday papers as a litmus test for what the public are thinking about and it was great to see some recent articles breaking common misconceptions about back pain.

Back pain is the one of the most common ailments that afflicts us in the UK, and it will affect 84% of us at some point in our lives. Yet, with all the incredible breakthroughs in other areas of medicine that are improving health and increasing life expectancy, back pain incidence is increasing.

As with most things related to our health, there are many reasons for this. Our chairs, our phones, our laptops and our busy lives all have a lot to answer for, but recently a study in the Lancet also stated that some of the advice that’s been given for decades has been wrong.

Not just wrong in the sense that it’s not very helpful, but so wrong that it may have been doing us harm!

Let’s run through some of these myths and break them down: You CAN twist and bend! We have always been told to keep our back straight and bend from the knees, but studies show that those who limit their range of motion have a higher risk of injury. I wrote an article a few months ago giving the analogy of walking over a patch of grass. If you walk the same path over and over, it wears out. Yet if

info@fortephysicalhealth.co.uk www.fortephysicalhealth.co.uk facebook.com/fortephysicalhealth

you walk down one side, then the other side, then diagonally, by the time you get back to the first bit it’s repaired itself. The back is the same; if you move over and over in the same way it wears out. People who can bend and twist with higher variability are less likely to ‘wear things out’.

Lift heavy weights! We’re often told that lifting heavy weights is a cause of back pain, but honestly, the people I see in the most pain in the clinic are people who have lifted tiny things during a lapse of concentration. People who introduce heavy lifting in their weekly routine are less likely to have pain. Remember, your own body can become a heavy weight if you move in the right way so you don’t have to go to the gym if it’s not your thing. Just get good at controlling your own body.

Searching for a 6-pack can injure your back! An entire industry has been built on core training in an attempt to find the ever-elusive 6-pack. And it has now been shown that if you do too much of it, especially with movements which isolate the abs, it can increase the risk of back pain. It’s still important to improve our strength and coordination of the core muscles, but it should be done in an integrated way, not an isolated way. A good example would be to do various crawling patterns where our hips, core and shoulders are all talking to each other to achieve the movement.

There are a whole load of other myths which I could bore you with all day, but my word count is looming. On Wednesday 8th February I will be running a free talk on The Myths of Back Pain at 6.30pm in ACANTEEN, so feel free to come along if you want to learn more.

Sign up to the event on our Facebook page at facebook.com/ fortephysicalhealth, or on EventBrite if Facebook’s not your thing. We look forward to seeing you there.

Have a healthy month!

MT Gardening

The last few weeks have really been trying for us gardeners and have certainly caused us at Writtle University College to amend our timetables to accommodate the weather. Nonetheless, we’ve had all our classes on the grounds able to still undertake a number of jobs.

Only last week my RHS Level 3 Certificate in Practical Horticultural students managed to get a good number of shrub roses pruned and take the opportunity to start learning to identify conifers - a challenging plant identification test for the best of us!

With the shrub roses, which tend to flower on previous seasons wood, my group proved a dab hand at pruning them. In order to get them all set for the new growing season they should be pruned in the following way:

• • • • •

Remove dead, diseased and damaged growth.

Remove last years’ flowering wood either to the ground, or to where there is a strong well spaced vegetative shoot by cutting to an outside facing bud.

Cutting to outward facing buds encourages greater airflow and as a result reduces diseases such as blackspot, rust and/or mildew.

When pruning, take your time to stand back and look at the overall shape. Try to develop a goblet or vase form and always consider neighbouring plants.

Prunings can be recycled by chipping and shredding if free of disease. If not, pop into your municipal waste or incinerate.

As it was still frosty in parts on the campus, mulching will occur in March once feeding has taken place. Use a strong potash-rich feed for roses, such as Top Rose, to enhance flowering and good all round growth. Lightly incorporate the feed and then add a generous mulch of well rotted organic matter. We’ll be using compost produced at the college and adding it around plants to a depth of 10cm (4”).

A task that we’ve delayed due to the frosty conditions is lifting and diving perennials. It looks like later this week, or at least by early February, we should be able to get on with this important and necessary job. Perennials need lifting up totally every 3-5 years as they die out in the centre and or spread out and take over beds.

This technique also enables for the invigoration of the soil and the potential to redesign. It also gives you a huge number of spare plants for friends and family.

Lastly, if the weather remains cold don’t forget that there are loads of other jobs to do. Check out these: • • • •

Keep paths and drives free of leaf litter; this reduces slippage for those walking over them and also removes debris that can be composted.

Continue to prune climber/rambler roses plus bush and shrub types.

Clean down greenhouse structures including benches, pots and canes. I use a disinfectant to surface sterilise all areas.

Don’t forget those house plants; reduce watering and move to where the light is best to ensure good even growth. For orchids use a drip feeder - all good garden centres will stick them.

Happy gardening - and take the time to visit a local garden near you.

Ever so slightly biased, but I do love to visit RHS Garden Hyde Hall over in Rettendon. Give them a call to check out any events/activities on 0845 265 8071.

For any gardening tips contact Tom Cole, Senior Horticultural Lecturer, Writtle College, Chelmsford, CM1 3RR by post (including a SAE), or by email at tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk.

10

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11

Music and Blues in the City by Nick Garner I have just one show to review this month as all the others I reviewed in the latest edition of the City Times which is also available now.

We were please to start 2017 at the Bassment with Peter Nathanson and Infinite Blue who were supported by the LaVendore Rogue duo of Joel Fisk and Jo Jo Burgess.

The latter two opened the night, with Joel playing acoustic guitar and both Joel and Jo singing. They covered material from LaVendore Rogue and their previous band Hokie Joint and wowed the audience with the power of Jo’s voice and Joel’s great guitar playing (he has been nominated a few times as best blues guitarist in the UK). We are now hoping to book LaVendore Rogue (the full band) to play at the Bassment at some point this year.

This was the first show for Peter Nathanson and Infinite Blue in the UK. Peter is an American who now lives in Paris and writes and plays fantastic songs with a band of top English session musicians - they were a little loud some said, but also very good and all the audience loved them, as shown by the amount of CDs they sold after the show. We cannot wait to get him back, but fear he may outgrow our venue very soon as his popularity rises and more people get to hear his album, Opium Kiss.

- Eric once said: “Albert is the greatest guitarist in the world”. He also went on to win Best Country Guitarist award in Guitar Player Magazine five years in a row. Albert has also played with the Everly Brothers and with Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings and Hogans Heroes among many others.

You will find details for all the above in this magazine - be warned, all the shows are selling well so do not delay in getting your tickets.

There is plenty more going on in and around Chelmsford. The Bassment Blues Jam this month is on Saturday 4th February and on Friday 10th at Asylum there is the Essex Undiscovered competition heat. Over at the Bassment is Electric Jam with special guest Rodney Branigan (the man who plays two guitars at once). Steve Hooker will be playing at Asylum on the 11th February and there is of course lots more going on in and around Chelmsford too. We, the Jamie Williams Collective, are also playing at the United Brethren pub on Saturday 18th February.

There is as always a list of what’s on where in the City Times and if you know of anything going on that is open to the public, whatever it is, then we want to know about it so that we can list it for you. Send to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk.

As ever, please do try to come out and support the great live music scene that we have in Essex, because if you don’t, we may lose it. For more information on all of the above, see the links below and see our What’s On page in City Times to see what else in happening in your area. www.bluesinthecity.co.uk www.facebook.com/bluesinthecitychelmsford Twitter @BluesintheCity1. www.itsyourmusic.co.uk www.facebook.com/itsyourmusic twitter @itsyourmusic.

Coming up at the Bassment in February we have Todd Sharpville and his band. Again, a band of top musicians from the likes of Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa and Van and James Morrison. They will play the songs from Todd’s up and coming new CD, Medication Time. This is the very first time any of the songs will have been played live. The support is Essex’s very own Roy Mette playing solo. Roy has to be one of the most talented people that I know, whether playing solo or with one of his various bands, he always amazes me.

We have two legends coming up at Chelmsford City Football Cub, first we have Zoot Money and his Big Roll Band. Back in the sixties Zoot was a regular favourite at the Chelmsford Corn Exchange but has not played in Chelmsford for many years. It was because so many people asked if we could get him to play that we have happily booked him for Friday 24th February.

I had a phone call to ask if we would like to put on Albert Lee and his American band; they said ‘we have a date we could fit you into’.

Obviously our response was a big ‘yes please’, so on Thursday 2nd March we have Albert and his band playing for you.

Albert Lee’s history is amazing, having started out playing lead guitar in Chris Farlowe’s Thunderbirds, he then went on to form Heads Hands and Feet, one of the legendary seventies pub rock bands which also featured Chas and Dave. He went on to front Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band and then played with Eric Clapton for five years 12

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MT Baking by Alison Motley

February doesn’t have a lot going for it, does it? Short cold days, Christmas credit card bills still hanging around and spring is months away. However, miserable weather and a lack of funds does encourage me to stay indoors and bake - and one thing to celebrate in February is Valentine’s Day, so why not have a go at making this chocolate, orange and whisky cake for your other half to show them how much you care?

It’s simple to make, and looks quite pretty when you cut into it with its orange and chocolate marbling. I used orange Matchmaker chocolates to decorate the top, but you could use grated orange zest, orange cupcake sprinkles, edible glitter, sweets, chocolate truffles... whatever you fancy really. In fact, if you have any ganache left over you could make truffles by refrigerating it until firm, then rolling spoonfuls of it into balls and dusting them with cocoa or edible glitter.

Don’t be put off by making ganache even if you have never made it before. It’s quite straightforward, just chop the chocolate into even sized pieces, take care not to overheat the cream, and resist stirring the ganache until the cream has melted the chocolate. A good quality dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids or above also helps avoid any problems with the ganache ‘seizing’ - turning it grainy.

Chocolate, Orange and Whisky Marble Cake 225g butter, softened 225g caster sugar 225g self-raising flour 4 large eggs Zest of 1 orange 2 tablespoons orange juice or one teaspoon orange extract Orange food colouring (optional) 3 tablespoons whisky 3 tablespoons cocoa powder Chocolate whisky ganache: 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids or above) 225ml double cream 2-3 tablespoons whisky (to taste) To decorate: Orange Matchmaker chocolates •

You don’t need a fancy heart shaped tin, I made this cake using a plain round tin. After baking, cut the cake into a heart shape by cutting out a ‘V’ shape approximately 4cm deep and 18cm wide at the top. Cut this piece in half and place the halves on the opposite side of the cake, reversing positions to form a point. You may need to trim the pieces a little to get them to fit snuggly. Stick the pieces together and to the main cake with a little of the ganache.

•

You also don’t have to include the whisky. I did because it’s my husband’s favourite but you can always replace it with another liqueur, some of the zested orange peel or leave it out completely, the cake will still taste good.

•

As to which whisky (or whiskey) to use I won’t get into the Scottish versus Irish or single malt versus blended debate as personally I can’t stand the stuff, I just used the bottle we had at home (Aberlour 10 year old, in case you’re interested). And this cake wasn’t about me it was baked for the one I love. Having said that, he did share the cake with me and even if I say so myself it wasn’t half bad!

Even if you don’t have a significant other to share it with, why not make a cake all for yourself - there’s advantages to being single and not having to share cake must be one of them, right?

Happy baking and happy Valentine’s Day!

• •

• • •

•

Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160/Gas 4 and grease and base line a deep 23cm cake tin.

Measure the butter, caster sugar, flour and eggs into a large bowl and beat for 3-5 minutes with a hand beater until well combined.

Spoon half the cake batter into another bowl and add the orange zest, orange juice or orange extract and a little food colouring and mix well.

To the remaining cake batter add the whisky and then sieve in the cocoa. Mix to combine.

Add alternate spoonfuls of each cake batter into the cake tin and use a skewer to swirl a pattern through the batter.

Bake for 50-55 mins until risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the icing chop the chocolate into even sized pieces and put into a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small pan until just boiling, then pour the cream over the chocolate and leave to melt. Stir until smooth. Add 2-3 tablespoons whisky, depending on personal taste and stir in.

Set the ganache aside to cool until lukewarm and spreadable (about an hour) then spread over the cake and decorate with the orange Matchmaker chocolates.

I would love to hear from readers with anything baking related.

Drop me an email at motleybakes@aol.com, or take a look at www. motleybakes.co.uk.

Chelmsford Ladies in shock!

Chelmsford has had men and women Morris dancers for nearly 45 years, but the women are in a state of shock after the men announced that 2017 may have to be their last year. The women’s group is thriving and will continue, but they want some more men to carry on the tradition too.

Morris dancing is a piece of old English heritage. The men of Chelmsford Morris perform the stick and hanky dances of the Cotswold area, the iconic image of Morris dancing. It is vigorous and energetic but some of the current dancers are feeling their age and the team needs new blood.

The team have found it hard to find more members. Kieran Fitzgerald, the ‘squire’ of the Morris, says: “What better way to unwind after work midweek than getting some exercise through dancing practice and then going to the pub with new friends? Although our women’s group practises on a different night, we all go to performances together. It’s a whole social life. Anyone who wants to shake off the Christmas pounds should come along and have a look.”

Everyone is welcome to see what it’s all about. The men meet on Wednesday nights in Writtle.

For more information visit www. chelmsfordmorris.co.uk.

Contact: Celia Kemp bagman@chelmsfordmorris.co.uk 01245 263 753

Deadlines for the March edition - Articles - 17th February Print ready art work - 25th February

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15

Traveller’s Tales: Goa by John Power On a second trip to India we took the easy route of using Goa on the mid west coast as a port of entry for a less adventurous visit than that of Kerala. Goa is the smallest state of India and was colonised by the Portuguese for 450 years before India reclaimed it in 1961, so there are many churches in their style to be found in the area.

Native temples have been revived since colonial annexation but there are still active Christians using the churches that make up over a quarter of the population. The state capital is Panjim, but the largest city is Vasco Da Gama, named after the Portugeuse sea captain who spearheaded the colonialisation. The beaches of Goa are better known for their hedonistic pleasures, since the hippie invasion of the 1960s, featuring beach parties - especially at full Moon around Anjuna. Yet the state does have a rich and ancient history, with the oldest rock carvings in the sub-continent having been found there.

We found a hotel near Calangute. At the time of our visit there was an old tanker grounded in the middle of the expanse of the beaches, which was left (rumour had it) to make the resort less desirable to foreigners, not realising the hippie mentality which welcomed the landmark as an addition to the adventure playground. It may well still be there... Seafront roads have become quickly developed by endless bars, cafes, restaurants and hotels since the 1960s and are augmented by many seasonal beach bars too. The net effect is a watered down, sanitised version of India for tourists over the later years. It is the wealthiest Indian state, but this is not wholly due to tourism.

Inland from the resort, the terrain is not especially hilly as in Kerala, until the boundary with Mahashastra, but we did take excursions inland and found a Siva temple, not ornate like the ancient edifices, but fairly modern and functionalist in its building with portable sculptures added around. Another temple we found - dedicated to the ancient holy man, Dattatreya - was more elaborate but also spoke of post colonial construction. We arrived as the priest was performing a Vedic fire rite for a few locals and unlike many Hindus who do not welcome foreign intrusions and believe that you need to be born into their Dharma, or mystical truth, he let us join in the activity.

Another excursion that we failed to make but which is very popular as a visitor destination is to Hampi, a complete medieval city deserted in the Middle Ages but now populated by a small community serving

Keene Crafter’s Corner

Hello there, I’m Donna and I have been crafting ever since I can remember. However, for the last five years I have also been sharing my creativity with others by running local papercrafting workshops and one which is popular is Scrapbooking or Memory Keeping.

If you are anything like me, I snap away photos of my children, special memories and places we visit on my phone and then at some point my mobile memory gets full and I either have to delete some or transfer to our computer, where we may look at them once a year or so and try to remember where and when they were taken!

Well, Scrapbooking and Project Life are ways of preserving those memories by printing the photos and journaling those moments.

Scrapbooking is a traditional hobby where a large sheet of card is stamped on or decorated around a photo which preserves the stories behind the photos (called journaling) it can also hold memorabilia (tickets, certificates, letters, etc.).

Whereas Project Life ™ is a more modern, quick and easy way of doing this, as instead of stamping and prettying up your page, you have a set of cards that are already stamped and pretty which you fit into wallets along with any photos, tickets and other bits that go with that occasion. So start a New Year’s Resolution by printing a set of photos a month and writing on the back where and when they were taken, this will help you when it comes to journaling them.

I run both classes, so if you are interested in trying one or both, it is a great way of meeting like-minded people. Here are some details:

the tourist trade. It is accessible by train over the Mahashastra state border. The line then continues to the east coast, Madurai (Madras) and Tamil Nadu.

We did also dutifully inhabit the beaches and bars for a more relaxing holiday than the Kerala excursions and daily passed an old lady plying her wares. We told her we would look closer when we were near the end of our stay. She obviously knew when flights were scheduled as on the day before we left she said: “You lied. You have not bought anything! Something bad will happen to your flight...” It didn’t, but it struck us as a quaint way to frighten a living out of the superstitious amongst visitors by cursing them into increasing your profits.

Scrapbooking - every 3rd Tuesday of the month (next one 21st February) 7.30 - 9.30pm at Chelmer Village Hall, cost of £14 for 2 pages.

Project Life - 28th February 8.00 - 10.00pm, cost of £40 which includes album, cards and accessories pack, plus two 2 hour workshops.

For more information find me on Facebook (head-over-heels) or email me at head-over-heels-by-dlm@hotmail.com.

Next month we will be looking at another craft, so if you have a particular crafty hobby or would like to find out about a particular craft, get in touch using my email above.

Until next time… Carry on crafting!

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Spot 10 differences - answers page 31...

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Moulsham Schools

Oaklands Infant School is located in Vicarage Road in Old Moulsham. It really is a wonderful place to attend as a pupil or member of staff, supported marvellously by our amazing parents and grandparents. We love being a part of this great Moulsham community, and are keen to share a snapshot of our school life with fellow readers of the Moulsham Times.

Everyone involved here at Oaklands works hard to provide a vibrant curriculum underpinned with rigorous teaching of basic skills to set children off with the very best start to their schooling. This term, our learning is being enriched through a range of art based themes, ably supported by sixth formers from Moulsham High, who are sharing their artistic skills with our Year 1 and 2 classes each week. We have been using the works of Van Gogh as starting points, moving to applying painting skills to our own creative pieces. We are working up to creating a whole gallery for parents and children to enjoy at the end of term. The children’s works of art will then be displayed at Chelmsford Library for the month of March if you would like to see them.

We recently renewed our Healthy School status, and sport and active lifestyles are a high priority. Thanks to the fantastic work of Sara Robson and her team at the Chelmsford School Sports Partnership, there is now a good range of competitions available for infant children to participate in. This gives a great early experience of the thrills of competitive sport within a supportive environment, where participation and excellence are both valued. In the autumn term Oaklands were the overall winners of the cross country event held at Melbourne Park and by the time you read this article, some of our Year 2 girls will have taken part in a four-a-side indoor football competition and we will have sent a mixed team to the gymnastics competition held at the Chelmsford Sport and Athletic Centre. We will let you know how they got on in the next issue.

I would like to finish with a thank you and a plea. First a thank you to the Moulsham traders, who once again came up trumps with huge support in the form of donations for our Christmas Bazaar in December. Secondly a plea: Oaklands is currently one of three community projects you can vote for via the token scheme anytime you make a purchase at Tesco (community funding from the money they receive from the sale of plastic carriers). Your support in this would be greatly appreciated and will go towards improving the school playground for the next generation of Moulsham children.

Cheryl Allard Headteacher

Hello! Each issue we aim to bring you news from the four schools within our community namely: Oaklands Infants, Moulsham Infants, Moulsham Junior and Moulsham High. Sometimes we will hand the editorial over to students or dedicate the piece to something topical or an up-and-

coming event. We really hope you enjoy reading news from your community schools.

This year at Moulsham Junior School saw the election of our first Head Boy and Girl (girl in recent years). Please find below an article from Nicolas and Maariya.

“Hello, my name is Nicholas and I am the Head Boy at Moulsham Junior School. Being Head Boy is an honour and makes your timetable very full!

As Head Boy it is important for me to set a good example for everyone. An example could be to dress smartly at all times.

“As well as that, I must show pupils how to behave and which side to walk down the corridor. Of course, there are many other things but these are the basics. I also have a big responsibility to be a voice for the students. If someone has an idea they want to bring up in a meeting or just wants to have a chat, they can come to me. I don’t bite! I think it is important that people have their own opinions about what they like and don’t, or maybe what they would like to add.

“Another important quality for a Head Boy is to be friendly and I think that I am a friendly person. People shouldn’t be afraid to approach me. After all, I’m not a monster!”

“Hello, my name is Maariya and I am the Head Girl of Moulsham Junior School. Being Head Girl means I have to take on a lot of responsibility. This includes being able to talk confidently in front of fellow pupils, teachers and parents alike.

“I will also have to represent the school, along with the Head Boy Nicholas, at various functions. Another responsibility is to be a good role model for all the pupils in my school.

“One of the main reasons I applied for this job was to be known as someone who people can trust and rely on for help. I will do my best to help wherever I can and be the best I can be as a voice for Moulsham Junior School.”

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Are you Wasting your Time?

Do you have sufficient time in your life to do the things that you really want to do, or maybe should be doing? If you are anything like me, you may feel that life is moving too fast and just passing you by.

So, has life really sped up, or am I just imagining it? We have just seen out the old year and 2016 now seems a distant memory. The kids have only been back at school for what seems like 5 minutes and the half-term break is just around the corner. Valentine’s Day is almost here and Easter eggs are already in the shops. Holiday companies have been advertising deals for 2017 since 2016 and summer clothes will soon be hanging on the rails. All this whilst we are still in the grip of winter. Oh, and Christmas is only just over 10 months away - phew!

I know things have probably always been this way, but it does feel like the world is somehow conspiring to push us at an even faster pace; forcing us to think about the next date in the diary before we’ve even finished this one. We live in a world where information can be shared across the globe instantly using social media and where almost anything can be ordered, paid for and delivered the next day just using a phone. The pressure to be constantly moving forward seems inexorable!

Technology alone has completely transformed our lives; it is difficult to imagine daily life without a smartphone - now a lifestyle necessity.

The use of phones as phones has been dwarfed by their capability to run so many other aspects of life, like banking, controlling the heating, programming the TV and downloading books to name but a few. Technology has become a powerful zeitgeist, with a siren call into the virtual world where everything seems possible, where you can shop 24/7, where tomorrow is available now!

Overall, I am a fan of technological progress, mainly because the tech’ stuff has allowed us to work smarter and more efficiently.

Technology has enabled us to automate some of the more mundane tasks that would otherwise have required human intervention, freeing up time for other, more enjoyable pastimes. At least that should be what is happening. But are we really benefitting from this newfound free time? This is where my concern about technology really lies: Are we really making the most of the potential advantages that technology brings, or have we simply substituted one set of timeladen tasks with another more insidious time-thief?

The virtual world can be extremely alluring, one click leads to the next, which leads to the next and so on. Before you know it, a lot of valuable time has passed. I am not saying there is anything wrong with this, but I am suggesting that it is good to be aware of how you are spending your time.

I can’t honestly say that the pace of life has got faster, but it does sometimes feel that way. I am not really blaming technology for what is probably bad time-keeping on my part, there are, after all, many aspects of modern life that contribute to that perception. Think of my mild attack on technology as a metaphor for blame, so please feel free to substitute your own gripe here.

In truth, what is happening in these seemingly pressed times is more likely to have a simpler solution than the effect of random outside influences, such as the pace of life. In my experience, it is more likely to be a simple matter of time management. When it comes to making the most of your time it is important to be aware of how you are actually spending it already. It is all too easy to lay the blame somewhere else without considering how you may just be squandering it - all by yourself.

It’s easy to believe that you have made the most of your time during the day, because you will delude yourself into believing that you have done the best in the circumstances. The truth however, is often 20

completely different to what you believe to be the case.

I am not suggesting that you should get involved employing some expensive or complicated time management software, there are simpler methods that won’t cost you a penny and for that matter, won’t take much time either. The benefits though, will far outweigh the very small investment in time.

A simple way to assess your time management is to carry out a brief stock take at the end of each day. Try spending 10-20 minutes each night when you get into bed and just go over your day. Go over the whole day, from when you got up in the morning, right up to the moment you are in and be honest with yourself. You will find the practise quite enlightening, especially when you recall the points in the day when you were not perhaps being as productive as you could have been.

Of course, it is ok to have downtime and you shouldn’t berate yourself too much for those moments, but it will allow you to be more aware of how you are actually spending your time.

The most important thing to remember is that you can only act in the moment, you cannot act in the past because it has gone. No matter how much you feel pressed to constantly move on to the next date in the diary, the only real action you can take is now - the future has not arrived yet! All you ever really have is a series of nows - nothing else exists. So, when you have done your stock take, consider how much of the time you spent was actually based in the moment, in the now - it will give you a totally different perspective on how you choose to spend your time.

To your success…

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

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Wine Corner

Hello everyone, I hope you’re back into the old routine. Some of you are back at work (not me!) and thinking Christmas and New Year is now just a long forgotten holiday. Never mind, only about 325 days to the next one. Get the sprouts on!

This month, I thought I would take a look at beers. I must confess, I am not a beer drinker so don’t know much about it (some of you may think the same about my wine knowledge!) but I will do some research and see what comes up.

The first thing to notice in recent years is the increased availability of micro pubs. We have our own Hop Shop in Moulsham Street and there are two in Maldon, one at the top of the High Street, the Mighty Oak Taproom, and one nearer the bottom, the Farmers’ Yard. They are very cosy and friendly and when you visit, if you are not joining a conversation with some of the other patrons in a couple of minutes, I will be surprised. They sell beers, lagers, wine, soft drinks and tea and coffee, so plenty for everyone.

In some, the beers are straight from the cask, others stock bottles and they all have tasting notes to accompany them. Always a good range. Take care to check the abv though, some of them are quite strong. Nothing wrong with that but it is good to know.

There are also micro breweries, like the one our own Mr Tippler runs.

Well, beer has been brewed since the fifth millennium BC, yes BC, in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Later, that area was involved in the early production of wine. There is evidence of beer production in that area in the form of a tablet depicting people drinking a beer like substance through a straw, very posh.

Beer was typically brewed in the home by women. By the 7th century AD the monks had got involved (well there’s a surprise). By the 19th century brewing methods were improved with the development of the hydrometer and thermometer to increase control of the process.

Beer can be produced using almost any cereal crop that contains sugar, as this is required for the fermentation process.

Apparently there are over 1,400 breweries in Britain and a new brewery is opened at the rate of three per week. The production of craft beers account for a significant part of this increase and overall, the beer industry employs nearly 890,000 people. Who says beer is not good for you when all these people make a living from it!? In 2015 the south east of the country had the most breweries at 192, just beating the north east at 189.

The world’s strongest beer is claimed to be one brewed in Keith in Scotland, right in the middle of the famous whisky trail. Normally, beer is between 4 and 6 percent abv, but this special one, called Snake Venom, is, well have a guess, 20%? 30%? Surely not over 50%? Yes, 68%! That’s over fifty percent stronger than some spirits. Needless to say you do not drink it by the pint, unless you are bonkers, but as with spirits, a tot at time. Even so, it would not take many of those to start me wobbling! WOW. In second place is one from the same brewery (Brewmeister) at just 65% and called Armagedden - sounds like you just need one of them. There are another couple from Scotland in the top ten at a meagre 55% and 41% - and there’s me thinking that country’s great claim to fame is whisky. It seems to me they just like producting alcoholic drinks!

Over Christmas I was thinking of how different it was when I was young. The stocking (which we were allowed to open when we awoke - generally about 4.30am - contained things like an orange, an apple, some nuts and perhaps if we were lucky, a small toy or two.

Not so now I don’t think. I don’t get a stocking at all! Well I guess I’m a bit old for that, but a nice bottle of wine would fit in nicely. I must remember to start hinting later this year... But the grandchildren still do and I think if they opened it with our contents they wouldn’t be too 22

impressed.

I was looking at the government advice regarding what people should take if they have to make a journey in bad weather. This list includes blankets, extra food, torch, water, warm clothing, topped up mobile phone. I went out in the snow the other day and got some very funny looks from the other passengers on the 42 bus to Chelmsford. I had to take up two seats.

Just a thought, we watch quite a few of the detective series on television. What would be the reaction of a couple living in Midsommer deciding to go to the Caribbean to avoid the frequent murders, and ended up booking two weeks in Saint Marie, the location of Death in Paradise? Bit unlucky that, but could be the start of a new series!

There are also regular beer festivals, this month is the Winter Beer and Cider Festival at Kegs (see page 26) and the big one in Admirals Park in the summer and lots of others during the year. A good opportunity to sample many different beers. Just a thought, why don’t they have wine festivals? I may have come up with an idea there; time to get my thinking cap on!

On to wine. I read this week about an entrepreneur who has put wine in a flat bottle so that it can be posted through the letterbox. It’s not April 1st already is it? The idea is that even with good packaging, it could be pushed through the letter box. The bottles are made from a tough plastic compound so they do not break when delivered. A novel idea, but if I had my monthly wine order delivered this way I would not be able to open the front door!

I don’t drink sweet wine generally, but I do recognise that it has its place in the whole wine appreciation thing. I was visiting a friend for dinner recently and had a drop of sweet wine with the starter, a sort of paté thing, very nice it was too. Saved a bit for the dessert and enjoyed it again.

One of the most famous sweet wines is produced in Hungary and is called Tokaji Aszu. It is a protected growing area, like Champagne, where only grapes grown in this area in that country can be named as such. Another popular sweet wine is Moscato. Unlike the Tokji, these are grown throughout the wine world. As you may guess from the name, it originated in Italy and is made from Muscat Blanc grapes.

There are three main types, Moscato Asti, a sparkling version from Italy which is sometimes pink (the result of adding a small amout of merlot for the colour). There is also a still wine that uses either Muscat Blanc or Zibibbo grapes. Be careful though because some of these are actually dry wines, so check the label. The third is Dessert Moscato, produced in the south of France, Southern Spain, Australia and the US. It is tawny in colour and a thick oily texture. It is often oaked.

Believe it or not, sweet red wines are also available, but you have to look carefully to get a good one, so maybe stick to the whites.

Bin end chuckles: Why do people believe you when they are told there are over 4 billion stars, but have to check if you tell them the paint is wet?

When in doubt, mumble.

Keep calm and carry on drinking (in moderation). jonnymerlot@gmail.com

www.moulshamtimes.com

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Rotary Prepares for the Next Shakespeare Schools Festival

Like painting the Forth Bridge, as soon as it is finished you are starting again and so it is with preparations for the Shakespeare Schools Festival.

The idea of Shakespeare Schools Festival (SSF) is to give young people across the United Kingdom the chance to engage with the playwright’s most famous tales and the months of preparation culminate in exhilarating performance evenings in professional theatres and schools.

In 2016, over 30,000 young people took to 131 stages from the length and breadth of the country, including a number of schools in Essex with support from their local Rotary clubs.

Children between the ages of 12 and 18 performed Shakespeare classics such as Macbeth, Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in front of packed houses. As well as lending their support during some rehearsal sessions, Rotarians also donated money towards the casts’ costumes to ensure they looked the part, as well as acted it.

Richard Green, Rotary/SSF co-ordinator, commented: “The performances were of a very high standard; the enthusiasm, energy and obvious enjoyment shown by the youngsters fully justified the support given to SSF by Rotary and we certainly plan to carry on and indeed expand next year.”

Through SSF, young people change their attitude to learning. The process instills curiosity and empathy, aspiration and self-esteem with profound results in and out of the classroom. The charity strives to work with those from the hardest to reach backgrounds and with special educational needs.

Rotary’s focus for the year had very much been education, so they were full of pride as pupils took to the stage. Work on the 2017 festival is already underway so that SSF can add to the number of lives which has been changed and stands at over a quarter of a million children plus their teachers.

In this 400th anniversary since Shakespeare’s death, SSF has shown their work to a wide range of audiences - including the Queen and the Prime Minister. The performers have taken to stages at the SSF reception at No. 11 Downing Street, the garden of No. 10 Downing Street, Middle Temple Hall, Windsor, in Poet’s Corner (in front of Shakespeare’s memorial and literally on the shoulders of Olivier) and

on a West End stage for our anniversary gala.

Shakespeare Schools Festival acknowledged and thanked Rotarians who have supported them and the schools who participate in the festival each year.

So we are now in the period where all the hard work starts again for the students, for SSF and for Rotarians who help provide such a

fantastic opportunity. Children in our area are preparing to take to the stage to share their achievements. For many, it will be their first experience in a theatre, let alone to perform in one. As partners to Shakespeare Schools Festival, Rotary wants to make sure that their first experience is as special as possible.

This is yet another way you can get involved with Rotary and in turn, promote such a wonderful charity as Shakespeare in Schools. The young people benefit and you will benefit. There are so many reasons to join a local club and with five in Chelmsford alone, it is easy to become a member. The hardest decision is which club to join.

For information visit www.chelmsfordrotary1240.org, or give me a call on 01245 260 349.

Stan Keller

General Knowledge Quiz by John Theedom (answers on page 31) 1. What is a heliotrope?

2. In which year was the law compelling children to be educated introduced?

3. Which animal builds a fortress?

4. What is the meaning of nom de guerre?

5. What did elephants in India have fitted in 2003?

6. What was the name of the North Sea oil rig that caught fire?

7. How much was Mike Tyson fined for biting Holyfield’s ear?

8. Which year was the NHS started?

9. Where do ‘all roads meet’?

10. What is Donald Trump’s middle name?

11. What colour is tartrazine?

12. Which star sign is October 24th - November 22nd?

13. What do the Scots call New Year’s Eve? 14. Give another name for the aardvark.

15. Who was the actress who died on December 26th 2016 aged 95?

16. Who wrote Watership Down?

17. What is a young salmon called?

18. What is the top speed of a cheetah?

19. What is Sir Philip Green’s nickname?

20. Why is a London taxi called a Hackney carriage?

21. Who discovered the pasteurising process?

22. What was the name of Charles Darwin’s ship when he sailed to the Pacific in 1831?

23. What nationality was Marlene Dietrich at birth?

24. What is a bitcoin?

25. Which year did the Berlin Wall come down?

26. What are you doing if you consign something?

27. What does a toxophilite do?

28. Which member of the nobility disappeared in 1974?

29. Which was the last year of the £1 note?

30. When was Prince Charles born?

31. What did Frederick E Blaisdell invent in 1895?

32. When were the 1st Christmas postage stamps issued in UK? 33. Who developed the process of deep freezing food?

34. The hovercraft was invented in 1955 by who?

35. What nationality was the painter Pablo Picasso?

36. The Cutty Sark tea clipper caught fire in which year?

37. What did Isaac Singer patent in 1855?

38. When were postcodes introduced in UK? 39. What was the make of car that James Dean died in?

40. Who was the world’s first billionaire?

The Gospel According to Caroline

A playground rhyme which some of you may remember goes as follows: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can also hurt me.”

And oh how true is that? Who hasn’t been deeply hurt and wounded by malicious words, that can often stay with us long after they have been spoken? Too often we don’t know what we have until it is gone. Too often we are too stubborn to say ‘sorry, I was wrong’. Too often it seems we hurt those closest to our hearts and we let the most foolish things tear us apart. Too often it is easy to lash out at those we love the most just because we have had a bad day, feel ill, or are just in a contrary mood!

day? I don’t think so!

February 14th is apparently the day of love, is that then saying we should only show and express love on a specified

In the Bible, in Corinthians 13:4, we are told: ‘Love is patient, love is kind’ and this chapter is often used at wedding ceremonies. I fear however that for most of us on a day to day basis, we very often are not kind or patient to those we love in so many ways, such as our family, friends and colleagues.

So perhaps this February instead of buying expensive flowers and chocolates, show those you hold dear in your life how you feel by acting with patience and kindness, and expressing in words from your lips your love for them.

To find out what we exciting things are happening at Christ Church, visit: www.christchurchchelmsfordurc.org.uk or Facebook: Christ Church URC Chelmsford, and St Johns, Moulsham Street at: www.stjohnsmoulsham.org.uk.

Caroline Brown, Church Family and Community Worker, Christ Church United Reformed Church

Chelmsford Winter Beer and Cider Festival is Coming!

King Edward VI Grammar School (KEGS) is the place to be from noon to 11pm, Wednesday 15th through to Saturday 18th February.

How are your New Year’s Resolutions going? If you did not resolve to try interesting and tasty beers and ciders then why not do so now? Chelmsford & Mid-Essex CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) also campaigns for real cider and pubs and drinker’s rights.

CHEERS!

Claire Irons, Publicity Officer Chelmsford & Mid-Essex CAMRA

Come to KEGS for the opportunity to try beer and cider you have never had before and may not be available in pubs. For instance, we have secured a limited edition beer from Bartram’s called Comrade Santa Bartram’s Egalitarian Anti Imperialist (ho ho ho), Soviet stout 8.5% to have straight from the cask. If that does not blow the winter blues away how about trying some spiced cider to give you an inner glow?

There will many new beers from Essex brewers and a full range of beer styles throughout the week from nationwide brewers including Scotland. You cannot get much more local than Round Tower Toffee Hammer brewed by Simon Tippler right here in Chelmsford.

Alternatively, choose from a range of wine from the Felsted Vineyard including prosecco to give you a buzz. Having whetted your appetite choose from the Hopleaf range of curries, burgers and daily specials or for simple snacks, Pipers Crisps and Oddfellows Chocolates will be there to tempt you.

Check out our advertisement on this page, our website www.cbcf.info and social media @ChelmsfordBeer for more details.

Soft drinks are provided free, but a donation to our charity CHESS would be appreciated. CHESS, based in New London Road Chelmsford, seeks to relieve homelessness and related hardship and distress for homeless people in Chelmsford and Essex. Your donation will help provide support, food and temporary accommodation for those in need.

THANK YOU for your support. There will be great offers if you join CAMRA at the festival, including free trips and FREE beer and cider.

You can pick up a copy of The City Times at the Beer & Cider Festival

The Art of Tai Ji Quan The iconic images of Tai Chi (Tai Ji) you may have seen in the media are usually groups of Chinese people performing a slow moving exercise in parks early in the morning. There are a number of important things to understand about this phenomena. These people are practising a martial art, albeit in a very slow, accurate and relaxed manner. These, in some cases very elderly, people are motivated to get up early, are concentrating, focused and enjoying performing a precise series of slow (meaning measured) considered, not excessive, but demanding and stretching exercises.

Why? Because they have usually been practising Tai Ji for many years and they are able to maintain a level of fitness that we in the west are trying to retain or recapture with our gym memberships and pavement pounding.

In my mid forties, having kept mobile with squash and swimming and a little added roller skating and cycling with our children, I found myself, having completed a couple of years Tai Ji, beginning to think - I can do this. The intervening (more than) twenty years have taught me, with a stream of insights from my SiFu (teacher), contemporaries and students, that I can continue to keep relatively fit. By fit, I mean in both terms of strength and most importantly, flexibility, agility and balance, without resorting to higher impact, joint damaging exercise

All of this is because traditional Yang Family style Tai Ji is a complete system, not just the iconic moves from the exercises that one sees that are called the form. There are a whole range of preparatory exercises together with innumerable standing and moving meditations such as the eighteen Tai Ji Qigongs. In the wide curriculum, there are many strength building exercises and specific exercise sets including Eight Pieces of Brocade and Dao Yin. The fundamental hand forms can provide students with a gateway to Push Hands and various weapons forms. All of these disciplines are designed to sustain and extend the student’s skills and ability to enjoy this martial art.

FAQ What is the teaching like?

All of our groups provide friendly and comfortable environments and despite a large curriculum no one is expected to absorb it all at once. So we begin slowly and carefully with plenty of support from instructors and supportive students and all are taught at their own pace.

If I join, who are the other students?

Across our groups students have a whole spectrum of experience from novice to advanced and a whole range of interests, background, ages and gender mix. We focus entirely on Tai Ji free of any religious, political, ethnic or social divisions.

I teach traditional Yang Family style Tai Ji, its lineage tracing back through nominated teachers to the Yang family members. My class in Chelmsford is part of the Tai Ji Quan Yi School, led by SiFu David Miller, who provide other classes in Essex, Hertfordshire and South Devon. I am a qualified instructor under the BCCMA (British Council for Chinese Martial Arts) and an Instructor Member of the Tai Chi Union of Great Britain.

For more information, visit www.artoftaijiquan.com, or phone Ian on 01371 856 288.

regimes. By awakening my mind to each part of my body during our exercises I begin to feel how I can improve my Tai Ji for myself, my teaching and my demonstrations.

Many people seeing these iconic images of Tai Ji think that it is undemanding and only for the elderly, not recognising that these Tai Ji players are still able to train effectively and are continuously developing their fitness.

One of Tai Ji’s real advantages is that you can start it later in life because of its low impact nature and the opportunity it provides to steadily and continuously improve with enormous benefits to mind and body. Anecdotally, a number of my own students wish they had started Tai Ji much earlier in life. To start, it does need a little patience and awareness, qualities sometimes less well developed in the young. Now I would say all of this because I teach Tai Ji, but this is because I want more people to enjoy the benefits.

Some people dismiss this particular martial art as they think it is not cardiovascular, but like all exercise one can perform to relax or heal the system or at a different level to challenge the strength and stamina of anyone. One can get the heart pumping standing still in Tai Ji if you need that challenge.

So what are its benefits? All those things you need to build your strength: Fitness and flexibility core muscle strength, balance, stretching and joint flexibility, co-ordination, concentration (a concentration that keeps you in the here and now, called ‘mindfulness’ these days), properly balanced relaxation (not flopping) and bodily self-awareness. Add to this the benefits of a discipline system that can challenge young and old alike to increase their own levels of fitness and agility. www.moulshamtimes.com

07936 198651

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27

All About Moulsham Lodge & Tile Kiln Moulsham Lodge Community Trust

Christmas Day lunch for people who would otherwise be alone was a partial success for MLCT. For those that came along we enjoyed a traditional meal plus a few games in the hall at St Luke’s Church (picture below). We had set a target of 30 people for lunch but even after contacting quite a few third party organisations it became apparent that the logistics and coordination would be more of a challenge than we thought. It has flagged up an issue in our community, which is probably duplicated around the country, which is that social isolation is a common issue that we need to find ways to overcome. MLCT will be looking at this issue in more detail and taking this on as one of our main themes for the future. If you have any experience or ideas on how we could address this issue please get in touch.

www.mlct.org.uk enquiries@mlct.org.uk Mark: 07411 808 731 (phone or text)

An important date for your diary is the 17th of June, this is the date of our Community Fun Day. Yes, it’s Father’s Day the day after so we plan to put on some activities and treats for all the dads and grandads out there. The main theme for the day will be an old fashioned village fete... Is there someone you want to see in the village stocks?

At the end of the month we will be presenting at the 2nd @ ChelmsfordSoup for a chance to receive a donation based on a project on the theme of Waste Less. Our project hopes to use waste food from supermarkets to supply our new Community Café project.

If you don’t know about the soup initiatives it’s quite simple, you turn up, pay for and enjoy a bowl of soup, listen to 3 or 4 organisations present and pitch, vote with your soup spoons by putting them in a bowl which represents the charity of your choice, the charity with the most spoons wins the pot of money from the soup money.

Cllr Mark Springett - Moulsham Lodge Ward

Potholes and paths have been the significant theme of my postbag these last few weeks.

The condition of paths and roads around Moulsham Lodge has been deteriorating slowly over the last few years, but all of a sudden (and this latest spell of cold weather won’t help) things have got a lot worse. To make matters worse the emergency repairs that have taken place have been of such poor quality to have created additional problems. We have lots of curb stones missing and displaced, we have big holes in the road around key traffic areas, we have unknown and large structural depressions in the road. The biggest of these is Waltham Glen where the whole

of the bottom section of the road has ‘sunk’ and I think it has been spreading further up the road. Some areas have got so bad that residents have been driven to create and present a petition which has been passed to Essex County Council (ECC) in support of all of the other complaints. To the left is an example.

Now, ECC is aware of most of the potholes and pathway issues, but I’m sure there are many more that haven’t been reported. If you think there is a highways issue that needs reporting then please do report it. In general the more complaints ECC get the higher the priority it gets. Here is the link to report a pothole, www.essexhighways.org/ transport-and-roads/tell-us/report-pothole.aspx, or find the link on my Facebook page.

Over the next few weeks I will be mapping out ALL of the highway problems around Moulsham Lodge and presenting the report to ECC (I will try and create an interactive map).

You can always email me with photos, or put a photo on my Facebook page with a comment, or you can also contact me via Twitter using @ markspringett - use #MoulshamLodge & #pothole or #path to make it easier to identify.

Email: mark.springett@chelmsford.gov.uk. Tel: 07411 808 731.

Twitter: @markspringett or search for me on Facebook.

28

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Cold Homes Can Affect your Health One of the best ways of keeping yourself well during winter is to stay warm. This can help prevent colds, flu or more serious health conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, pneumonia and depression. The chances of these problems are higher if you’re vulnerable to cold-related illnesses because of one or more of the following:

and medicines so they don’t need to go out during very cold weather?

• You’re over 65.

• You’re on a low income (so can’t afford heating).

• You have a long-term health condition, such as heart, lung or kidney disease.

• You are disabled.

Great News

Keep Your Home Warm If you have reduced mobility, are 65 or over, or have a health condition such as heart or lung disease, you should heat your home to at least 18C. It’s a good idea to keep your bedroom at this temperature all night. During the day you may prefer your living room to be slightly warmer.

Make sure you wear enough clothes to stay warm.

• If you’re under 65 and healthy and active, you can safely have your house cooler than 18C, if you’re comfortable.

• Use a hot water bottle or electric blanket (but not both at the same time) to keep warm while you’re in bed.

Eat Well and Stay in During Winter Make sure you have hot meals and drinks regularly throughout the day and keep active in the home if you can. If possible, try not to sit still for more than an hour or so.

Wear Warm Clothes Wrap up warm. Wear lots of thin layers - clothes made from cotton, wool or fleecy fibres are good at maintaining body heat. Wear shoes with a good grip to prevent slips and falls when walking outside. If possible, stay inside during a cold period if you have heart or respiratory problems.

Help Your Neighbours in Winter Check on older neighbours or relatives to make sure they’re safe, well and warm enough - especially at night. Do they have stocks of food

More detailed information is available on the NHS Live Well web page: www.nhs.uk/Livewell/winterhealth/Pages/KeepWarmKeepWell.aspx.

Patricia Clampett, Practice Manager, Moulsham Lodge Surgery

The new City Capital Programme proposes a new children’s play area for Moulsham Lodge. The proposal is to refurbish four play areas in the city and we are top of the list. I would not let my children play on the current facilities located at Orange Tree Close and Lucan Avenue so totally understood the number of requests for something to be done. I have learnt during my so far short tenure as a councillor that my key weapon is persistence. After many phone calls/emails/visits to the council offices, I am chuffed that this persistence has paid off and we are top of the list.

No. 45 bus: The fight continues. To simplify the issue, if the service does not have a minimum amount of passengers it is considered unviable and will be withdrawn. I have queried the results of the consultation and am pleased to say it is being investigated by the Passenger Transport Team and no final decisions have yet been made. I am sure the Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport is getting rather bored of me, but when I knocked on your doors before the last election, I promised to be proactive and I am doing my best to honour that promise.

I am here to help and serve. I have been contacted about issues ranging from parking to refuse collection and am pleased to say I have solved a number of problems. I cannot solve all the issues that are put to me, but I will always make myself available and do my best.

Don’t worry, I won’t bombard you all monthly but if I have anything of interest to report, I may pop up again.

Councillor Simon Cook, Moulsham Lodge Ward simon.cook@chelmsford.gov.uk 07507 152 244

Tile Kiln Corner by Linda Mascot

Earlier this month I was inspired by an initiative in Colchester where Paramedic Fay Sibley with her friend, midwife Jo Bailey, put a rail of coats outside the library with a sign saying ‘Need a coat? Take one. Want to help?

Leave one’. This quickly escalated after being shared on social media over 1,000 times and more than 40 coats were donated and taken helping local homeless and vulnerable people to keep warm during the cold weather.

The simple effectiveness of this idea appealed to me and in a short period of time managed www.moulshamtimes.com

to acquire a large number of donated coats before contacting County Councillor Dick Madden to enquire about setting up a similar scheme in Chelmsford. I was delighted to be introduced to Bonnie Roberts, who works for Essex County Council as a project co-ordinator supporting adults over 55 and adults with disabilities. Bonnie had the same idea and has coordinated the scheme in Chelmsford Library, which I helped her set up at the end of January.

Bonnie commented: “It’s nice to support others around you in the community that would benefit from some warm clothes this winter.

It isn’t difficult to make a difference to somebody, instead of feeling that there are people suffering out there you can find a small way to help make it better.”

It’s refreshing to meet a young person who is so enthusiastic about helping others and prepared to put herself out to support her community. I hope her enthusiasm encourages other people to start similar schemes in their areas.

If you know of anyone in need of coats - children or adults - the rail is in Chelmsford Library from Monday - Friday. Donations of coats also gratefully received.

For more information, email mascotlinda@gmail.com, Twitter: @ lindamascot, or Facebook: Coat Exchange.

29

Forget your phone, your car is the most incredible thing you’ll ever own The car has been legislated against by nearly every country on the planet, the freedom it brought people in the twentieth century is something, in my conspiracy orientated moments, our dear leaders detest. The concept that the masses, from the richest visiting arabs in their supercars to the most humble of us in £100 or $1,000 bangers, can enjoy the unforeseen freedom of mobility strictly forbidden to our ancestors, must grate on the minds of the overprivileged classes.

scandal involving a major European manufacturer shows, 25-30mpg is all you’ll get in the real world whether your car was built in 1997 or 2017.

How else to explain the most bizarre traffic laws and taxes that our collective bureaucracy can dream up and then ask an understaffed and irate constabulary to enforce? I could go on but enough is said when a parking ticket in central London can be more expensive and inconvenient than a truly dangerous incidence of dangerous driving.

After returning to Australia and starting this new episode of life in Victoria’s high country, we endured heavy rain, ice, sleet and even mild snow from September. Yet in recent days the incessant Australian heat began. As I type, feet in an ice bucket and fans on in the house, we are enduring hot winds and a 3rd consecutive day near 35 degrees. Given the surrounding countryside is an ocean of rich fields and forest, the concept of a bushfire creeps into one’s head.

Home medications have been moved to the refrigerator, tablets and phones are half charged as the devices get hot (and we now know all about those exploding lithium ion batteries!), the fridge feels warm at the back, the fan is rattling away and the local railway tracks have buckled in places resulting in ‘restricted services’. Children, the elderly and sick are advised to stay at home.

Yet in our drive we have 3 cars. One is old, the other certifiably very old - bolted together in 1989. None of the cars are mollycoddled, newer or older. They receive their annual services and any issues deemed necessary attended to. In fact a quick mental calculation would indicate that bureaucracy is the single most expensive factor in owning a car. Taxes on purchase, taxes on servicing and repairs, taxes to use the roads, two-thirds of my fuel bill filling government coffers, insurance, taxes on taxes (ie GST or VAT in the UK) - it never ends and that doesn’t include those ridiculous (not serious!) penalties which, if we are honest, we all get in time.

However in the past three days we have had to run erands, lifts to and from work, a pharmacy, supermarket and just running the car down the street to get some cold drinks. It doesn’t matter which car or its age, they all work; well almost always. That 1989 car’s airconditioner is quick to spring to life, as was its defrosting system just 2 months ago. Reverse engages after a short idle, the radio filters music through the cabin, the seats are comfy, the electrics all work. If something should fail, as anywhere there are a multitude of people nearby to fix things. Seldom is a breakdown catastrophic these days (by that I mean since about 1980).

My smartphone was once exposed to a few drops of water, I followed the process and shut it down immediately, it was bathed in rice, sent to Colchester where technicians of some sort tried to dissect the fault. No good. The expensive mini computer had died a fast rusty death. Likewise, so many other pieces of technology from televisions, CD and DVD units, that rattling fan, the toasters, kettles - on it goes, a litany of electrical and mechanical gremlins.

Yet most cars will go on and on long after their owners believe for some bizarre reason, that they must have a ‘16’ on their number plates and endure financial hell paying back a ridiculous loan. Or that on its 10th birthday, the family car is somehow transformed into a dangerous, obsolete and unreliable piece of junk that won’t carter young Liam to school anymore. Pure nonsense. A car has no age limit - as well maintained classics illustrate. Further, nearly every car built in the past 25 years is comfortable and most cars from the last 20 years are pretty safe (so long as I don’t mention a few notorious names!). The US Air Force is allegedly flying their B52s until the age of 80 or 90, Air Force One is good for a 40 year life, the space shuttles had accidents but did go up for 25 years and plenty of fighter jets from the 1960s are still in reliable service. Environ-mental-ists (hyphens intended!) tell us our ‘old cars’ are dirty. Yet as a certain

(Above, a 1995 Honda with aircon, full electrics, 80,000 miles, history, MOT and 30-35mpg - bought for £500 in 2014).

Sadly, our kids are being harassed out of the car by ever increasing taxes and tests. If they scrape enough spare job money, beg mum and dad, then our most precious people, our kids, are forced into bangers that adults didn’t touch when they were new. After that a minor transgression will see those same kids financially penalised to the point where mum and dad will need to remortgage the family home and insurance companies will charge a 17 year old 10 times the value of their old Peugeot 206 to simply drive to the shops. So the kids are saying effectively ‘blow this, I’ll buy a phone, stay home and become a super-nerd with 500,000 imaginary friends’. If they venture out of their rooms they’re on a freezing bus. Driving is no longer a right of passage, the cheap, replaceable and unreliable phone now is.

I hate that. Our 17 year olds are not driving, their parents are trying to impress the neighbours with their latest-plate Kia and you can see this lack of passion in the world around. Boring cars, boring lives and boring ambitions.

What we need to do is keep our cars for 25 years. Maintain them.

Make all parking fines, anywhere, a sensible £10. Drop stupid taxes and enforce compulsory third party insurance in Britain. We need a political party that bans boring cars (I won’t start!). We all need to get back to the Sunday drive through the twisties and the road trip. Then our kids can grow up dreaming of their first car, a 20 year old BMW with 10 airbags, ABS, traction control and a car they want to drive and will look cool in. Only then will we progress as a race and build the next Concorde, space shuttle and actually go to Mars. As adults however, we really must lead by example - so keep your old car, go for a drive and switch your phone off. Better still, throw it in a skip bin when you’re next out.

(Below, now sitting as an exhibition at Duxford, once as fast as anything we travel in today and still beautiful).

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Answers to Quiz

1. Plant of the borage family, with purple or blue flowers, or bloodstone 2. 1870 3. Mole 4. An alias in wartimes 5. Rear reflectors at night 6. Piper Alpha 7. $3 million 8. 1948 9. Rome 10. John 11. Yellow 12. Scorpio 13. Hogmanay 14. Ant bear or earth pig 15. Liz Smith 16. Richard Adams (died 28/12/2016) 17. Parr 18. 70mph 19. Mr Shifty www.moulshamtimes.com

20. From the French ‘hacquenee’, meaning ‘general purpose horse’ 21. Louis Pasteur (1822 - 1895) 22. HMS Beagle 23. German 24. Digital cash (1 is equivalent to approx. £730) Spot 25. 1989 26. Send it by carriers 27. Archery 28. Lord Lucan 29. 1984 30. 14th November 1948 31. The pencil 32. 1966 33. Clarence Birdseye in USA 34. Sir Christopher Cockerell 35. Spanish

36. 2014 37. Sewing machine 38. 1959 39. Porsche 40. John Davison Rockefeller (1839 - 1937)

the Difference Answers

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