Issue 51
New showrooms now open at Bypass Nurseries, Capel St Mary and Glasswells, Ipswich
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Town Council Update
Cllr Graham Steady
Although Government Guidelines have been abided by, it has not been ideal to hold council meetings via zoom, but it has allowed council
business to continue as normal, as far as possible. Using a rota system of remote working and a presence in the Parish Hall, our office staff have been able to continue to offer a line of communication for residents when needed and support for councillors. This has enabled our Environmental Policy to have its first yearly review and the Neighbourhood Plan Committee, consisting of volunteers and councillors, to hold its inaugural meeting. Our ground staff have been able to maintain all community areas and improvements continue to be planned and implemented. These include new seating at Gravel Field, improvements to The Lozenge and Town Centre improvements. The planting initiative, in conjunction Issue 51
with volunteers, has seen saplings planted near The Grove Cottages, The Lido Trustees, with a band of volunteers, have worked tirelessly to get things up and running for a June opening. Land Registry issues are being constantly reviewed, this policy led to the recovery of the councils’ costs of £54000, of the land tribunal concerning the hard in 2018. The refurbishment of Pawson’s Playground is being planned and a review of the hard and harbour regeneration is being undertaken. A review of our Standing Orders has started and the findings will be used make our policies and structure more robust. Councillors are involved with issues that are sensitive and confidential therefore reporting on these is
not prudent but a vital channel of communication with sometimes vulnerable residents. Partnership working with Tendring District Council and Essex County Council is an area which has potential to leaver in more funding for specific initiatives. I have mentioned several times that there are areas which the town council and we as Town Councillors are being involved in which has never been done before. The landscape of Local Government is changing and as a Town Council we have to meet the challenges which will occur from those changes. To enhance the Town Council’s performance, I think we should explore the opportunities which will emerge.
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Issue 52: 27/05/21 Issue 53: 27/06/21
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A Good Read
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens When a young man is found dead on the North Carolina coast the local police – and local residents – start looking for the culprit. It doesn’t take long before they turn their attention to Kya, also known as the Marsh Girl. But is she guilty of anything more than being an outsider? What follows is actually two stories intertwined. As the hunt for the murderer continues we learn of Kya’s life in the marsh. At the age of 6 she watched Ma walk away from their shack with a blue case and high heeled shoes. Though Kya waited, her
mother never returned and over the following months her siblings left as well, leaving her alone with Pa. He was often drunk or absent, so it was up to Kya to survive, until he finally left when she was 10. To some extent, this is a comingof-age story. It is an unforgettable novel; a celebration of nature and some of the most engaging parts are the descriptions of the marsh world through which Kya glides effortlessly in her canoe. It becomes a character in its own right. There is no denying that this novel will stay with you long after you finish it and feel as if you have been along the journey though the marsh with Kya
A Good Day for Climbing Trees by Jaco Jacobs Don’t let anyone tell you that you are too young to take a stand. Sometimes all it takes is one simple, spur of the moment decision, to change your life forever. Marnus was fed up. No one seemed to notice him. His older brother acts as if he is in charge, and his younger
brother seems to know everything. But a single knock on the door, a petition, and a tree under threat, will ensure that everyone notices him. This charming novel from one of South Africa’s most popular and prolific children’s authors will hook you in straightaway. It will make you laugh and will make you think about grabbing those opportunities that life gives you.
Word Search Can you find all of the circus-related words hidden in the grid?
Amundsen Barbosa Bass Boone Cabot
Cartier Columbus Cook Cortes Dias
Drake Eriksson Fawcett Flinders Gray
Hawkins Heriolfsson Hudson Kingsley Magellan
Park Raleigh Scott Shackleton Sturt
Answers on page 9 6
Tasman Tenzing Vancouver Vasco de Gama Vespucci
Quick Crossword Puzzle Be Fire Safe with a Fire Safe
If your house caught fire, would your important documents be safe?
We should be proactive about protecting critical information in case of a fire. Although lots of us have gone digital when it comes to storage of personal information, certain items still need to come in hard copies. And
ACROSS 1 Backing horse and making a killing (6) 4 I’m trapped by racist waving a sword (8) 9 Pirate lives out by river (6) 10 Violate home by border (8) 11 About to ring to cancel (6) 12 Fresh local pie is a source of inspiration (8) 13 Criminal swindle (3) 14 Opt for mixture of steel containing carbon (6) 17 It’s close enough to catch sound of gunfire, as Cockney says? (7) 21 Trouble experienced over plant (6) 25 Animal starts to play in garden (3) 26 Royal commander twice turned to jelly (4-4) 27 Monk craftily conceals one old Japanese garment (6) 28 Article on Spain confused actor (8) 29 Saudi unusually takes time to make financial checks (6) 30 Beat side struggling with illness (8) 31 Make tough woman a corporal finally (6) DOWN 1 I’m upset by tension with lover (8) 2 Fatty pudding (4-4) 3 Angel represented in English church shows refinement (8) 5 Half of Canada is able to dance (6) 6 Yours truly gets to bank – just (6) 7 Noted problem with new tissue (6) 8 Joint from freezer cooked without zeal initially (6) 12 Pirate from Cairo’s drunk, right? (7) 15 Bill is not entirely suitable (3) 16 Upstanding professor has to show agreement (3) 18 Quiet diplomacy involving one on vessel (8) 19 Element in fuel or explosive (8) 20 Have great fun with student in musical (8) 22 Was profligate and very drunk (6) 23 Woman harassed male in Pennsylvania (6) 24 Bird of prey’s first to appear in new image (6) 25 Mate has excellent, luxurious house (6)
Passports Heirloom jewellery Emergency cash A file containing information: emergency numbers of insurance companies, bank, lawyer, family members, medical prescriptions, GP, and vet details.
Spare keys for house and car
A fire safe is a box designed to protect valuables from heat damage and smoke caused by fire. The level of protection is determined by the type of fire safe and its fire rating.
some things, other than papers, also need to be stored in a safe place. Ask yourself what you need easy access to when you're in an emergency fire crisis? Original birth certificate Wills Business documents Property deeds.
Not all fire safe boxes are alike. Standard fireproof safes protect valuables against intense heat and smoke damage for periods of up to 120 minutes. But it depends on what you want to store. The fire test standards require that the critical maximum temperature of the following media cannot be exceeded: Digital media: 120˚C; Computer data: 52˚C because electronic media melts at a lower temperature than paper combusts. A fire safe rated suitable for paper documents is NOT suitable for digital media. Most homes don’t have a fire safe… but can you afford to be without one?
National Insurance details Insurance documents Car documents Other original documents
SOLUTIONS ACROSS:11 murder. 4 scimitar. 9 silver. 10 infringe. 11 repeal. 12 Calliope. 13 con. 14 select. 17 ear-shot. 21 dahlia.25 pig. 26 agar-agar. 27 kimono. 28 thespian. 29 audits. 30 diabetes. 31 anneal. DOWN:1 mistress. 2 roly-poly. 3 elegance. 5 cancan. 6 merely. 7 tendon. 8 reefer. 12 corsair. 15 tab. 16 nod. 18 taciturn. 19 fluorine. 20 carousel. 22 wasted. 23 Pamela. 24 magpie. 25 palace.
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Why We Love an Online Quiz My friend Sally looked up from her phone and chuckled. ‘Look…this is me as a dog!’ She proffered her phone. The pic was of a Chihuahua, wearing Ray-Bans, lying on a sunbed next to a cocktail…actually pretty representative of Sal, with her diminutive stature and love of beach holidays. Why do we find these online quizzes irresistible? Why do we have the urge to know what we will look like as an old lady, a man, or a biscuit? Most of us are more than a little self-obsessed. We like to talk about ourselves and we like to learn about ourselves. 40% of the words we utter in life are about us! Researchers in psychology at Harvard University ran a series of studies comparing how people felt when talking about themselves, compared to how they felt when talking about other people. The researchers found that, no matter how the studies were set up the results indicated that the reward centres in human brains were stimulated most during self-disclosure. We actually get a brain buzz from talking about ourselves! Online quizzes and surveys tend to ask questions such as, ‘What is your favourite colour from this selection?’ or ‘Would your ideal Saturday evening be spent a) dancing in a nightclub? b) camping in the Cairngorms? c) curled up with a good book in front of a fire?’ etc. The quiz allows self-expression based on personal preferences. We
disclose something about ourselves which releases the shot of dopamine which makes us feel good. But we also like to learn about ourselves. Have you or any of your friends every taken part in an online quiz or survey which starts off by declaring, ‘Every woman has her own Eighties anthem. Which is yours?’ or ‘Which celebrity would play you in the movie of your life?’. You click the link, answer a couple of questions and the song title or photo of the celeb pops up, along with, ‘Tracey is a hardworking woman. She’s been through some tough times but always keeps smiling. She is fiercely loyal and will stand by her friends through thick and thin. If you hurt her, she may not show her feelings outwardly but rest assured, she’ll never forgive you.’ We could all probably be described like that, and even though we know it’s hokum, like horoscopes, we lap it up precisely because these online quiz results are relentlessly positive, and while we love learning things about ourselves, we love learning good things about ourselves even more. We share it with friends because it validates the positive things we feel about who we are. Learning about ourselves is a national pastime. The self-help industry is a £7.5 billion per year business worldwide. Its entire premise is that understanding yourself is the key to a happier, more fulfilled life. People pay serious money to go on retreats, courses or to see a therapist to learn
about themselves, which probably explains why a free quiz claiming to reveal our personality type based on
Wildlife, Nature & The Great Outdoors Get Back to Nature with what’s on you’re doorstep! From the pastoral fields of Constable Country to the Essex coast at Mersea Island there's plenty of the great outdoors to discover in and around Colchester. The beaches, nature reserves and wildlife parks that span the borough are fantastic spots to take a walk on a nature trail, get away from it all, or simply to get a flavour of the unique landscapes and wildlife habitats that Essex has to offer. Highlights include several wildlife sites managed by Essex Wildlife Trust, with the large reserves of Abberton Reservoir and Fingringhoe Wick being of particular significance, and fantastic locations for walks or a spot of birdwatching. There are also a number of local nature reserves managed by Colchester Borough Council, which are great for a breath of fresh air, or stretching your legs if you find yourself nearby. The coastline of Mersea Island is another popular destination, with
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beaches for tourists as well as wilder stretches of coastline on the Eastern side of the Island. It's a perfect location to blow away the cobwebs, take in the famous 'big Essex skies' and refresh yourself (as well as maybe trying a spot of local seafood). For those with more exotic tastes in nature, Colchester Zoo is one of the finest in the country, with an expansive site housing many varieties of animal. You can easilly spend a whole day at the zoo and it a surprising effective way to burn off some energy - for adults and children alike!
In addition to its naturally wild sites Colchester offers plenty of parks and gardens to explore too, including the wonderful Castle Park in the centre of town and the internationally renowned Beth Chatto Gardens, not to mention opportunities for scenic walks and cycling trails. Get out and enjoy
which Avengers character we prefer is so alluring.
As Lucky can be... The History of the Chimney Sweep
Spring is here, and with it the urge to make everything clean and fresh, including the chimney. If your fireplace is clogged and sooty from use during the cold winter months, now is the time to call a chimney sweep. This skilled high-tech profession has a rich and dark history.
wood to coal, chimneys became coated with sticky soot deposits. These had to be cleaned frequently; otherwise, the house filled with toxic fumes. So, chimney sweeps became associated with restoring fresh air in homes and thus became symbols of good health.
The profession of ‘sweep’ dates back to the 16th century. Originally the service was needed only by the wealthy with grand estates, but gradually the trend of installing chimneys in every home caught on, and the demand for sweeps grew. The houses in city streets were tightly packed and sweeps would work from house to house, sometimes roof to roof, cleaning sooty chimneys.
Unfortunately, the sweeps themselves did not enjoy good health. Tiny children between 4 and 11 years old became the primary ‘tools’ used for cleaning because they were small enough to squeeze through the narrow, maze-like chimneys. It must have been a terrifying job, working without light in suffocating cramped conditions. The children, known as ‘climbing boys’ were either sold by destitute parents or were chosen from orphanages. Their job was to scrape the coal deposits from the flue lining. If a young child was afraid to climb, the master would sometimes light a small fire to ‘motivate’ him to move. It’s actually where the phrase ‘to light a fire under someone’ originated.
In the 17th century the government introduced a hearth tax, based partly on the number of chimneys a house possessed. People wanted to avoid the tax, so builders connected flues of new fireplaces with the existing chimney, creating a maze of narrow, pitch black tunnels inside homes. When people switched fuel from
The boys’ only official day off was May Day, and in Rochester they still
commemorate this with the Sweeps Festival (sadly cancelled this year) involving three days of fun, real ale, music, and dancing across the bank holiday weekend. These children suffered bone malformation, soot inhalation, and cancers. Some of them became trapped and died of suffocation inside chimneys. Most didn’t make it to middle age. After many humanitarian appeals to Government, in 1864, the English Parliament finally passed the “Act for the Regulation of Chimney Sweepers” which made it illegal to send a child up a chimney.
sweeps are educated in the science of chimneys and fireplaces as well as in building codes. It is important to employ a qualified professionally trained sweep, from a recognised organisation, so you know they are well-trained and fully insured. Many are also skilled to carry out appliance servicing and fitting chimney cowls etc. National Association of Chimney Sweeps: nacs.org.uk Association of Professional Independent Chimney Sweeps: apics. org.uk Guild of Master Sweeps: guildofmasterchimneysweeps.co.uk
Today’s professional chimney
Word Search solution from page 6
How to play Sudoku it’s simple! Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the numbers 1
through to 9 with no repetition. You don’t need to be a genius. These puzzles use logic alone. Watch out! Sudoku is highly addictive.
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Garden View This month - Purple sprouting broccoli Purple Sprouting Broccoli is a beautiful, tasty addition to the dinner table, and the garden. It has a great flavour, a long harvesting season and is nutritionally beneficial. A single portion provides half your daily requirement of carotenoids, plus high levels of folic acid and vitamins A and C. It's definitely a 'plan-ahead' crop though. If you start planting now you will give yourself something to look forward to next January, and as it is a 'cut and come again' crop, that long season should keep you going until April or May! Purple-sprouting broccoli is extremely hardy, tolerating temperatures as low as -12°C. You can actually start raising seeds in March, for even earlier crops. I usually start the new year with good intentions of staggering my planting like this (because it is one of my favourites veg), then forget and end up planting in April or May.
One of the reasons I love it is that I garden on fairly alkaline soil, in which it thrives. It prefers a heavier soil than mine ideally but seems to do well enough in my garden. I dig in a fair amount of leaf mould and well-rotted manure to bulk it up. Purple sprouting broccoli doesn't like exposed sites, because the wind buffets the stems, so if your garden is more open it will need a bit of protection. Sow seeds into small pots or multi-cell trays, using a good quality multipurpose seed and cuttings compost. When the little plants are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out and transplant them into single 9cm pots. Watering them in well. Once the plants have matured, fork the soil over. Remove large stones and perennial weeds. Even if your soil is heavier it's worth digging in some organic matter to improve texture and moisture retention. I don't need to add
lime to my soil but if you garden on neutral or acid soil, you'd be advised to work some in. Transplant when the broccoli plants are 7-9cm tall. Water them well before removing from their pots, and plant them 50-60cm apart, with a similar distance between the rows. Brassicas dislike loose soil, so make sure you firm around the plants lightly with your foot. Water again after planting. Six plants will produce enough broccoli to feed a family of four. I grow more because I love it.
well developed but before the flowers have actually opened. Cut the central spears with a sharp knife first, as this encourages the side shoots to develop quickly. Then crop the side shoots regularly to extend the cropping time. January seems a long way away right now, but a little planning and preparation will ensure that deliciousness will await when we get there. Happy gardening,
Harvest when the flower shoots are
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kids And Uncertainty
Quick Crossword Puzzle
Helping young people cope in uncertain times
The COVID-19 pandemic turned out lives upside down. As adults we’ve had too many questions and too few answers, and many of us felt overwhelmed in the face of so much uncertainty. Now imagine what it’s like to be a child or teenager in this environment. Young people don’t have the cognitive development, life experience, and coping skills to deal with all the uncertainties we face. So even though we may be struggling, it’s up to us as the adults to help them manage these feelings. It’s not unusual for young people to be anxious about the future, especially as they near the end of school, or transition from one school to another. They might be stressed about the uncertainty surrounding exams, or what might happen about their university place. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created more uncertainty than usual. As a parent, it’s hard not to have answers and reassurances. If your child or teen is anxious it can help give them the sense of some control. Help them to develop a plan A and a Plan B Plan A - The ideal plan they would have followed in normal times. Plan B - An alternative if plan A isn’t viable right now. Plan A may have involved taking a year out to travel overseas. Plan B may be to complete some online training then volunteer for a charity, with the intention of switching to Plan A several months down the
line. The idea of Plan B is NOT to give up on Plan A, but rather to postpone it, while still moving forward in other areas. Show your child how to be okay with uncertainty Tolerating uncertainty is a skill that can be learned by practising how to respond in the best way we can to what’s happening in the present. Try doing small things together differently, such as preparing a meal without a recipe using only what’s in the cupboard or picking a random film to watch or podcast to listen to without knowing anything about it. Validate your child’s feelings and concerns. Accept how they feel and resist the urge to “fix” them by minimizing their worries or making promises that are not within your control to keep. Instead encourage them to be kind to themselves and realistic in their thinking. Listen to them and remind them that this is a very unusual situation; it would be weirder if they weren’t anxious!
ACROSS 1 Rip-off, hoax (4) 4 Twirling (8) 8 Foetus (6) 9 Be angry about (6) 10 Circle (4) 11 Striped feline (5,3) 13 Monty Python's, ____ __ Brian (4,2) 15 Native American home (6) 17 Another word for aubergine (8) 20 Small round salty cracker (4) 21 Cavern, den (6) 23 Womb (6) 24 Supply, material (8) 25 Seize, grab (4)
DOWN 2 Mixing (9) 3 Phenomenon (7) 4 Crow, flaunt (5) 5 Welsh_______, cheese on toast (7) 6 Delicious (5) 7 Female member of religious order (3) 12 Dumbfounded (9) 14 The essence of a food (7) 16 Ardent, impassioned (7) 18 Paved garden area (5) 19 Accord, amnesty (5) 22 Fish eggs (3)
Talk about the things they value It’s usually possible to find something, even a small thing that they value or appreciate. Help them to refocus on the good things in their life. Share some of the things you are grateful for. It’s difficult for most of us to remain calm and focused at the moment, and we all have to accept that we can’t predict the future. It helps our kids to see us focus on the things we can control. We can model strategies and show them that whatever happens, we can cope with it together.
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Surgery Update Website: www.colnemedicalcentre.nhs.uk Facebook:@Colnemedical
Staffing Update We are pleased to welcome Dr Tolulope Odujoko to the practice from May as a salaried GP. Some of you will recognise her from working with us previously as a registrar and then locum doctor. We also have a new dispenser joining us in May at our Alresford branch surgery.
Appointments We are adapting our appointment system from mid May. Please check the practice website or Facebook page for details.
GP Care Advisor We have a GP Care Advisor, Tracey Hogg, who can assist patients with a range of information and advice free of charge on subjects including: x Benefits, she will also assist with the completion of claim forms. x Equipment assessment of your home to include items such as handrails etc. x Occupational therapy assessments for home aids. x Contact with the appropriate Statutory Care services. x Contact with the appropriate voluntary services x Identify whether you are entitled to any form of grant. If you would like help or advice please contact the surgery and leave your details, Tracey will contact you to arrange a meeting with you.
Sun Safety Tips Spend time in the shade when the sun is strongest. In the UK, this is between 11am and 3pm from March to October. Make sure you: x spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm x make sure you never burn x cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses x take extra care with children x use at least factor 15 sunscreen What factor sunscreen (SPF) should I use? Don't rely on sunscreen alone to protect yourself from the sun. Wear suitable clothing and spend time in the shade when the sun's at its hottest. When buying sunscreen, the label should have: 9 a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 to protect against UVB 9 at least four-star UVA protection UVA protection can also be indicated by the letters "UVA" in a circle, which indicates that it meets the EU standard. Make sure the sunscreen is not past its expiry date. Most sunscreens have a shelf life of two to three years. Don't spend any longer in the sun than you would without sunscreen. Thank you for reading Katie Pirie Practice Manager 14
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