Oracle Magazine January 2022 by Oracle Publications

Your all-seeing local

January 2022

ORACLE Thorpe Bay, Southchurch, Garrison, Shoeburyness, Leigh, Chalkwell, Westcliﬀ & Southend Conservation Area. Circulation: 14,000

Est.2005

Why ORACLE

COMMENTS

COMPETITION WIN! Tickets to see FASTLOVE - A Tribute to George Michael at the Cliﬀs LOCAL ISSUES Civic Pride by Phillip Miller SPOTLIGHT The British Horse Society on Road Safety

has this been allowed to happen? Southend’s crime rates have risen sharply, especially around the areas of Southend Central, Victoria and the Kursaal.

Front cover image taken 20/12/21

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January 2022

ORACLE

WELCOME

2022 is going to be a very special year for Southend with its new City Status award. Let us hope that this year Covid will stop creating the havoc that it has over the past two years and Southend begins its long-awaited road to recovery. This month Oracle has focused on the town’s social and economic problems with the High Street often being the focal point of these issues (see pages 9,10,26 & 27). Oracle welcomes open debate with residents/businesses for suggestions/ideas on this subject to try and improve the situation in the town. Please write to info@oraclepublications.co.uk as we would very much like to hear your views.

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On a different note, this month I invited the British Horse Society to write an article. Being a horse owner, I know first-hand how dangerous it can be to ride on the roads. BHS are determined to raise awareness on this national problem. This month’s competition prize is to win a pair of tickets to see Fastlove – A tribute to George Michael at the Cliffs Pavilion on Saturday, February 5, 2022, at 8pm. To enter the Oracle/Southend Theatres January competition visit: www.oraclepublications.co.uk competition page. Closing date Thursday, 20 January 2022. Good luck and a very Happy and Healthy New Year to you all!

Emma Wynne-Morgan Publisher

170 The Broadway Thorpe Bay SS1 3ES

01702 393838 Oracle House, 11 Clarence Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS1 1AN

www.oraclepublications.co.uk info@oraclepublications.co.uk Oracle is now 100% recyclable

Oracle Publications and Creative Media @oracle_essex Est. 2005

01702 588 599 www.huntroche.co.uk

Printed by Print Acumen, Rettendon, Essex

January 2022

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CONTENTS 9/10

Civic Pride Local Issues by Philip Miller MBE

Safety

16/40

Spotlight by The British Horse Society

Hacked Oﬀ! Hair & Beauty by Craig Smith

Why has this been allowed to happen?

26/27

Comments by Emma Wynne-Morgan

Crunchy topped

Cumberland pie Recipe by Judy Barden

Happy New Year! Health & Wellbeing by Jacqui Sayer

Useful Numbers

Advertiser Index

Advertorials Hightech Membrane

44/45

All rights reserved. No part of Oracle Publications UK Ltd may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means either wholly or in part without prior All rights reserved.of Nothe part publisher. of Oracle Publications UK Ltd may be UK Ltd permission Oracle Publications reproduced or used in any form or by any means either wholly or in editorially autonomous and theOracle opinions expressed partis without prior permission of the publisher. Publications UK are not those of the publisher unless expressly Ltd is editorially autonomous and the opinions expressed are notstated. those of the publisher unless expressly stated.

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January 2022

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January 2022

LOCAL ISSUES

Civic Pride W ithout doubt the passing of Sir David Amess must have been one of Southends worst ever moments in it’s history. I wish all of David’s family long life.

One small ray of hope emerged when the Queen announced that Southend, in honour of Sir David’s life and sacrifice that the town would be granted City status, January 2021

an elusive goal David had been chasing on our behalves for many years. Now we have it, let’s not waste it. The big question on most people’s lips is what City status will mean for Southend? I’m not sure there is a definitive answer. It has been said that City status gives our council access to government grants. Fantastic if the cash is spent 

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LOCAL ISSUES 

wisely. The trouble with free money is because it is unearned, it tends to be wasted and spent on pet schemes of council officials, that the shareholders i.e., rate payers of the town have no say in at all. Look at the millions spent on the Victoria Circus muddle; I have yet to meet anyone who actually prefers it to the old roundabout that worked well for years. Millions more spent on what I call the most dangerous cycle lane in the world along Western Esplanade, or the so called shared space along Marine Parade which when walking at times, is like being part of that seventies cult film Death Race Two Thousand.

We need to garner some Civic Pride Looking forward to City Status, if we can achieve anything out of this prestigious award, we need to garner some Civic Pride. Nobody really cares much about the bits that are wrong if the truth be known but it wasn’t always like that. Things changed I believe, when the rules of employing chief officers who had to live within the boundaries of Southend changed. The thinking behind this was, if they lived in the Borough, they would notice the faults, for instance the schools their kids went to might need help. They would care about what their neighbours thought of them if they were doing a good enough job. These officers would then spot problems on their travels and act. Just look around at the decay all over the town that in some cases a coat of paint might solve. The trouble is simple effective solutions have no glamour attached. I could go on ad nauseam. 10

Other towns have stolen a march If you feel strongly about things that need fixing my advice is as the late great Sir Teddy Taylor told me, make as much noise as possible about all the little things as well as the big things that are wrong. Take your local councillors to task and make them earn their money! They in turn should get on to all the Sir Humphries at the Civic Centre and make things happen. Other towns have stolen a march on us, time to catch up! Happy New Year to all, Philip Miller MBE

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January 2021

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SPOTLIGHT

Safety

The British Horse Society

id you know, according to a recent British Equestrian Trade Association survey, there are currently three million horse riders in the UK with 1.8 million of these riding regularly? The public rights of way network in England and Wales is continually shrinking, resulting in more and more horse riders having to ride on busy roads in order to travel between bridleways.

BHS Press Oﬃce E: Pressenquiry @bhs.org.uk T: 02476 840521

recent statistics released revealed that there were 1,010 incidents reported to the charity during 2020-2021, with 80% of them occurring due to vehicles passing by too closely and close to half were subject to road rage.

With the increasing number of vehicles on our roads and the speed at which they travel – roads are becoming more challenging, especially for vulnerable road users such as horse riders. A key part of The British Horse Society’s (BHS) work is to help raise awareness of and better promote equestrian safety, to ensure all riders feel as safe as possible when riding out.

In Essex there were 15 incidents

Part of the BHS’s work includes collating statistics on the rate of incidents involving horses on UK roads, through their ‘Horse i’ reporting app. The equine charity’s most

In the East of England, more than one incident involving horses and vehicles occurs each week on roads, with 76 incidents reported in the region. In Essex alone, there were 15 incidents reported and, tragically, one horse fatality. The BHS estimates only one in 10 incidents are reported, so this number is likely to be much higher. A new study commissioned by the BHS and funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) is believed to be the biggest ever equestrian safety survey and involved 937 East of England  (continue in page 40)

THE BRITISH HORSE SOCIETY As the largest equine charity in the UK, The British Horse Society is dedicated to education, equine welfare, protecting and increasing access to bridleways and equestrian routes, and safety for horses and riders. The Society’s thriving and active community of staﬀ and volunteers are committed to improving the lives of horses everywhere.

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January 2022

Month 1 12

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The above is what you pay for 1 month or 12 months with the Southend Pass and how many parking hours it offers you You can have more than one car registered on your phone You know that you can now only go into the main town to do your banking; with the Southend Pass it is 3 hours for 28p instead of £3.30 If you park on the seafront for 1 hour you will pay £2.50. 3 hours is £6.50. With the Southend Pass it is 28p

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HAIR & BEAUTY

Hacked

OFF A

s you mooch through the morning paper, casually eating breakfast, I wonder how many of you have looked into the coffee grounds in your mug or cafetiere and thought, ‘Ooh, face scrub!’ You might not have, but somebody else has. To be fair, in the relentless pursuit of a glowing complexion, I can see merit in the idea. So long as the grounds aren’t too fine, those jagged little granules could indeed be quite effective exfoliators. By mixing the coffee grounds with honey – for its antibacterial properties – you could create a natural face mask. Or indeed try Greek yoghurt and see what effect the combination of mild lactic acid and Arabica beans has on your skin.

Banana skins are nutrient rich

by Craig Smith Director of Grateful Heads Hair Salon

could be fun giving it a try, but a professionally-produced retinol-based eye cream and a concealer is probably a better way of hiding the facts that you had a very good Christmas and New Year. During the festive period, news reached Grateful Heads Towers of a new take on the old beauty hack, of placing cucumber slices over your eyes to reduce puﬃness.

Similarly, there’s a rather novel ideal that putting banana skins over your eyes will reduce dark circles around your eyes.

The cold can shrink blood vessels

It’s a theory that’s not entirely as bonkers as it ﬁrst seems. Banana skins are nutrient rich and contain salicylic acid, which is a gentle exfoliant. It

This time, we’re supposed to be rubbing frozen hunks of the stuﬀ in a bid to tone and stimulate our skin. Ironically, the cold can shrink blood vessels, the cause of the aforementioned dark circles, so it’s probably best to stick to using cucumber in your salads and sandwiches. Or, if New Year, New You isn’t quite your thing, chuck it in your gin.

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ORACLE Comments

Over the last 16 years since launching the Oracle, I have never used the magazine to write my own personal views, however I feel I can’t stay silent any longer. I know my sorrow and frustration regarding Southend’s accelerating demise, is shared with many of you. Share your views on this issue by writing to info@oraclepublications.co.uk

Why has this been

grew up in Southend and I remember a very busy and vibrant High Street. As a teenager, the highlight of my week was to catch the bus to meet friends on a Saturday, walk the high street, shop and enjoy a Knickerbocker Glory at Tomassis's!

Alarming crime rate

The reason I have decided to speak out is that I have been shown some alarming figures about Southend which I want to share with you all. According to Crimerate.co.uk for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Southend’s crime rates have risen sharply, especially around the areas of Southend Central, Victoria and the Kursaal. I feel the time is right to share this information with you not only because Southend has recently been given the prestigious honour of city status but my confidence in the people running our city council is dwindling. The circumstance surrounding Southend’s City Status award was horrendous but making this award count

is vitally important to the town. My fear is that larger businesses won’t be interested in Southend especially when they visit the High Street in its present state. Debenhams has recently gone, leaving another large retail unit empty and the town less inviting to would-be shoppers. Amongst the visitors Southend seems to be attracting these days are too many undesirables and to top it all the town’s police presence is at an all-time low.

Treat the cause

There are obviously many factors arising outside of the council’s control, but we must ask why there is increased crime? What socio-economic factors have contributed to this rise? A campaign to highlight these issues could be effective, but we need to treat the cause rather than the symptoms. Is it a public health issue rather than a police issue?

Suggested satellite police station

In the short term, I have suggested to the Council that a satellite police station

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January 2022

Possession of Weapons

399

Other Crime

Public Order

69 Robbery

Shoplifting

1,321 Violence

158

and Sexual Oﬀences

Drugs

275 Criminal

Bicycle Theft

Damage and Arson

147 66

Theft From the Person

Source of data: www.crimerate.co.uk

Amount of reported crimes for Southend Central - 2020

1,150 Anti-Social Behaviour

allowed to happen? By Emma Wynne-Morgan

be placed in the High Street to deter anti-social behaviour. I feel if the town was to focus on improving Southend’s alarming crime rate, then perhaps shoppers would feel safe enough to return. This in turn would encourage outside investment to the town centre and the city status award would not have been in vain.

Chelmsford, with its city status, has a bustling and thriving High Street and I know that many Southend residents shopped there prior to Christmas as our own High Street currently has so very little to offer. Our town is unable to attract restaurant chains such as Brasserie Blanc, Cote Brasserie or Rick Stein. We don’t even have

a Pret a Manger! Is it because they don’t want to be seen here?

Spend locally Southend needs its residents to spend their money locally to thrive again; creating a safe environment for that to happen would be a start. It is simple, the town needs the senseless disagreements at the top of the council to stop. This is not about political point scoring or egos; this is about Southend and its residents. Shame on anyone who has been given the privilege to represent this town and wasted that privilege with-in house politics! The town is now at an all-time low and it is crucial that Southend’s council work together with local businesses and residents to create a brighter, safer and more prosperous town.

Neighbourhood

Crime Count

Crime Rate per 000’s

Danger Rank

Southend Central Victoria Kursaal Chalkwell Shoeburyness Prittlewell Eastwood St Lukes Blenheim Park Westborough

2,860 2,965 2,291 1,207 1,121 993 820 876 861 753

244 230 186 115 93 93 78 77 77 67

First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth

Source of data: www.crimerate.co.uk

Crime in Southend-on-Sea’s Neighbourhoods - 2020

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THE WINDOW MAN 29

RECIPE

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Soften the celery, onion, carrots, bay and 1 thyme sprig in a casserole with 1 tbsp oil and the butter for 10 mins. Stir in the ﬂour, followed by the purée, Worcestershire sauce and stock cubes.

Gradually stir in 600ml hot water, then tip in the beef and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hrs 30 mins, then uncover and cook for 30 mins -1 hr more until the meat is really tender and sauce thickened. Season with salt pepper and a pinch of sugar and this is the stage to thicken if needed. Mix a little cornﬂour or bisto powder with cold water and stir through the casserole until you get to the thickness you like.

Crunchy topped Cumberland pie Serves 4-5

Ingredients 2 celery sticks, sliced into 1cm pieces 1 onion , chopped 2 really big carrots , halved lengthways then chunkily sliced 5 bay leaves by Judy Barden Next month: Malaysian Sea Bass

his is a hearty family dish that is comfort food at its best. Especially on a cold winter’s night, it will please everyone. Braising, chuck, feather or blade steak is great for this slow cooked dish. Enjoy!

3 thyme sprigs 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp butter 2 tbsp each plain ﬂour, tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce 2 beef stock cubes , crumbled 850g feather blade beef , or other braising cut, cut into large chunks Cornﬂour or bisto powder to thicken, if needed 850g-1kg large potatoes 25g each mature cheddar and parmesan, finely grated

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Meanwhile, cook potatoes in a pan of boiling water until they are about 5 minutes from being done and drain. Leave to cool slightly.

Transfer meat to a baking dish. Slice potatoes into 1cm thick rounds and gently toss with seasoning, the remaining oil and thyme leaves. Layer on the beef, scattering with the cheese as you layer. You can cover and chill the pie now for 1 day, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Increase oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for 30-40 mins until golden and crispy, and sauce bubbling if the dish went in cold. Serve with peas.

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Happy New Year! H

appy New Year and welcome to this page. I hope you have been fortunate to have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, ﬁlled with happiness and laughter with your loved ones.

Alone

Sadly there were many people who were alone this Christmas due to COVID restrictions, family or friends living so far away or the loss of a loved one and it being the first year without them. Times are different now and we need to learn to adapt to many changes and restrictions which can be daunting especially if we are lonely.

Always look forward because what ever happened yesterday is in the past, in fact even a moment ago is the past so plan good things to look forward to and keep moving forward. I don’t mean forgetting our loved ones but by living as they would wish us to live, happily.

I tell my client’s to start a journal and take the time out to write down at least 5 things that were good that day and then at the end We all need to be loved but by starting of the week look back and notice to love ourselves is the foundation of that not every thing is negative. happiness. Take time out for you to do something you enjoy doing or just New Year Resolution make a call to someone to show that you care. By helping another Start the year as you mean to go and showing that you care can forward look for the positive things make you feel good too. each day and be grateful for them.

If you would like help with changing how you feel or overcoming grief please contact me for a free 30 minute consultation.

You cannot help your thoughts but you can choose what you do with them Most of us by nature are negative but you can change this by being conscious of your thoughts, instead of saying “I can’t do that “change it to “I can do that but I choose not too at the moment.” By having the choice and controlling your thoughts you can change your inner language that will really help how you feel emotionally.

H.E.A.L.L JSN Therapies 34

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Cloudy2Clear, A Local Service With A Smile. I think we can all agree that the sooner we see the back of 2020 and this dreadful corona virus the better. That said, there are also some heart warming positives that we can take out of this situation. It has often been said that we can only really get to know one another and realise what is truly important in times of crisis. I think few would argue that in this case what has proven to be important is local community spirit. When talking to the Manager of Cloudy2Clear windows Chris Miller it became clear that these values have been held dear for a number of years. Since starting the business some years ago Cloudy2Clear have remained true to their core values of

supporting the local community by providing a service that saves the public money. The Cloudy2Clear service only requires the glass to be replaced and not the whole window once the unit has failed. Chris commented “Cloudy2Clear were able to assist our community through the last financial crisis in 2008 due to the savings that can be made in using our service. Unfortunately we might be going through something similar again soon and the public can rest assured that we will be there to help again”.

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SPOTLIGHT (continue from page 16)

 participants (over 7,000 nationally). Shockingly, it showed that only 2% of equestrians in the East of England said they never felt stressed/anxious when using roads while 46% did so more than half the time.

Alan Hiscox, Director of Safety at The British Horse Society said: “The number of incidents involving horses on Britain’s roads remain far too high. It is evident that there is still a great need for better education on how to safely pass horses on the road. It is also deeply concerning that close to half of riders were subject to road rage. All road users have a right to feel safe on the roads and no one should face abuse for exercising this right.” The BHS is urging drivers to be careful when passing horses on the road and encouraging them to adhere to its Dead Slow campaign messages. Dead Slow was launched to help better educate drivers on how to safely pass horses on the roads. The campaign consists of four key behavioural change messages to drivers:

If I see a horse on the road; then I will … 1Slow down to a maximum of 15mph 2Be patient, I won’t sound my horn or rev my engine 3Pass the horse wide and slow, (if safe to do so) at least a car’s width if possible 4 Drive slowly away

Always pass horses slowly The BHS encourages all road users to be courteous and patient with one another whilst sharing the roads. It’s important to understand that horses are prey animals and their usual 40

Most horse riders would prefer not to ride on the roads. However, a lack of off-road access means using roads is a necessity for many riders, whether it is to reach an off-road route, or to connect one bridleway to another. Here are some helpful tips for equestrians when heading out: Familiarise yourself with the Highway Code rules to ensure you follow their guidance on how you should behave on the road and interact with other road users. Be alert at all times, make eye contact with drivers and thank those who make any effort to accommodate you. Treat others as you’d want to be treated yourself. Wear hi-viz and reﬂective equipment on both yourself and your horse. We would recommend a minimum of a tabard or jacket for a rider, and leg bands for the horse. Report any incidents of dangerous or irresponsible driving to the BHS, via the Horse i app. The app is free to download and easy to use. Understanding the rate of incidents helps strengthen the BHS’s voice when lobbying for change, identifying local hotspot areas and improving road safety for vulnerable road users across the country. Horse riders have the same right to be on the road as motorists, cyclists or any other user group. With a bit of understanding and consideration on all sides, there’s room for everyone to use the roads in harmony and safety.

response to danger is ﬂight. However well-trained and calm a horse normally is, they can still be unpredictable and frightened by something they perceive as a threat. This is their natural instinct and means a horse’s reaction to a threat is to try to escape the situation. A horse’s range of hearing is greater than a human to higher frequencies (over 33kHz in the horse compared with under 20kHz in humans). They use their hearing for three primary functions: to detect sounds, to determine the location of the sound, and to provide sensory information that allows the horse to recognise the identity of these sources. Horses will react to unexpected or loud noises. Therefore it’s vital to always pass horses slowly and with plenty of room.

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For more information on the BHS Dead Slow campaign and downloading the Horse i app, please visit: https://www.bhs. org.uk/our-work/ safety/dead-slow To read more about the new Horse Incident Reporting Study, visit: https://www. bhs.org.uk/ our-charity/ press-centre/ news/2021/ november/ equestrian-roadsafety-report

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DIRECTORY ACCOUNTANTS Santry Davis 49 AIRPORT TRANSFERS Air & Back 47 BATHROOMS John Howard Bathrooms 32 BLINDS & SHUTTERS Worth & Co. 19 BLOCK PAVING Brooks Paving 47 BUILDERS Essex Home Extensions 33 CAR DEALERSHIP Fairfield BMW 2 CARE AND SUPPORT ENS 31 CARPETS & FLOORING Gainsborough Carpets 12 Trade Carpets 5 CHARITY Mid & South Essex Hospitals 23 CLEANING Molly Maid 21 DELIVERERS WANTED Oracle Publications 48 DENTAL Royal Mews 25 DOORS & WINDOWS DG Supplyline 7 DOUBLE GLAZING A1 Glazing 41 The Window Man 29 DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIR Cloudy2Clear 39 EAR WAX REMOVAL Hear Hear 14 ELECTRICAL DSJ Electrical Services 41 DMB Electrical 36 Emergency Electrician 46 Need an Electrician 13 RDM Electrical 24

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January 2022

Highgate Furniture

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FURNITURE RESTORERS Richard Attfield

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NEW ELECTRIC FIRE SHOWROOM NOW OPEN

WE OFFER THE HIGH QUALITY OUR CUSTOMERS EXPECT Highgate is one of the largest garden furniture and leisure showrooms in Essex and we only work with brands that we trust. We have ample free parking for our customers. Come visit our ﬁreplace showroom featuring a large selection of electric ﬁres on display selected from the best brands in the industry.

Call 01702 904000

327 Southchurch Road, Unit 8 Southchurch Business Park, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 2PE www.highgatefurniture.co.uk | sales@highgatefurniture.co.uk

January 2022

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