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... Around Towners to Billericays’ leading community magazine! Summer has well and truly arrived! The kids are off school and we hope you’re enjoying some well deserved time off work too. Whether at home in the UK or far away in foreign climes, please enjoy, stay safe and have fun. As always, we have some different events for the kids this August, to both entertain and educate. Not forgetting our ‘What’s On’ section for all the regular listings of events happening ‘Around Town’ for kids and adults alike.
Features 8 Round Table / Rotary Club / Lions Club Organisations ‘Around Town’ 12 The Cook Report Billericay Community Cinema 16 On Your Plot Gardening Tips 18 Nature Notes EWT Volunteer Neil Sumner 21 Know Your Tradesmen Bay Tree Gardens 24 Martin Lewis The Money Saving Expert
If you’re looking to dine out this month, check out the restaurant food section towards the back of the magazine, for discounts and offers at selected pubs and restaurant.
28 John Baron Political Update
‘The Cook Report’ is back and delivers an informative piece on the new community cinema project about to take Billericay by storm (p11) along with the usual suspects delivering news from around our great towns.
34 Around Town Sports Focuses on Athletics
With this and a whole lot more inside, please read on and enjoy!
43 Useful Numbers
From the Around Town Team
30 A View from the Church Rev. Paul Carr
36 Auto-Biography 2015 Ford Mustang 42 - 43 What’s On When and Where...
Why Advertise? We hand deliver 22,000 copies every month to homes in Billericay and the surrounding area. This includes several thousand copies being available from venues throughout the town and an online edition. To Advertise Contact our Sales Team today, details below. Booking deadline for our September edition of Around Town is: Friday 14th August.
Copyright 2015. Around Town Billericay is an independent magazine and does not endorse the products or services that appear in the magazine. Opinions expressed in Around Town do not necessarily represent those of the editors of Around Town Magazines. Around Town Magazines are published by Black Square Print Media Ltd produced by Black Square Litho Ltd.
Around Town Magazines Graphic House, Radford Way, Billericay CM12 0DE
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Frozen Shoulder Tension Headaches Lower Back Pain Plantar Fasciitis
Tennis/Golfers Elbow Shin Splints Neck and Shoulder Stiffness Muscle Spasms and Cramps
As well as helping many sporting injuries remedial and sports massage can also be effective in relieving aches, pains and stiffness in any part of the body.
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MAYFLOWER ROTARY CLUB News Thank you to everyone in Billericay who supported Summerfest on Sunday July 12 with special thanks to our sponsors Burstead Farm Shop, FJG Solicitors and The Property Specialists with BDRA once again providing Punch & Judy and Round Table the climbing wall. The arena and stage events proved popular as did the stalls, donkey rides and classic cars. Over 1000 pints of beer, lager and cider were consumed as the crowds enjoyed some reasonable weather. This was the best attended Summerfest and it is estimated that we had 8,000 visitors over the course of the day. In addition to being a great community event, £4,000 was raised for charity. Planning for Christmas Market on Sunday Dec 6 is almost complete and all stall positions are already sold. www.billericaychristmasmarrket.com.uk Other Upcoming Events Sep 13: Bell Boat Race get your entry in for this fun event (like Dragon boat racing) on the River Chelmer email barrymhowe@yahoo.co.uk for details. Oct 3: Swing Dinner & Dance at Burstead GC all welcome email barrymhowe@yahoo.co.uk Casino Evenings: Mayflower offer a fun casino evening at competitive rates with all proceeds going to charity. Email colin.breathwick@btinternet.com for details. Why not join Mayflower Rotary? Applications welcome from all ages and genders. Why not use your energy, skills and enthusiasm to help raise funds for charitable causes? Join Mayflower Rotary and be a part of the team that delivers Christmas Market, Summerfest and many other events like the Quiz, Magic Night and Bell Boat Racing while enjoying social evenings in the company of like minded people. We meet 8pm every Thursday at Burstead GC. Email: andy.hunter@perficiam.com
BILLERICAY LIONS CLUB It’s great to report that the recent Billericay Beer Festival at Billericay Football Club exceeded expectations to become the most successful to date. The Lions thank all those who attended and made for such an enjoyable weekend. We had a hectic time serving over 3000 pints of beer and 840 pints of cider to over 1000 real ale and ciders lovers. The weather was superb and the music from The New Crawdaddy Blues Band and guests was outstanding. Thanks also go to the 30 local sponsors and to the volunteers who helped put together a fantastic event. We couldn’t have coped without you. All profits are channelled back into local, national and international charities, straight to the sources through our global sister clubs rather than through governments and agencies. Talking of good causes we were soon out again with the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline trip to Adventure Island in Southend on 9th July. This year we hosted 12 children from Belarus who were in remission from leukaemia contracted from the environment where they live. The children were treated to lunch, an evening meal and unrestricted access to rides. It was wonderful to see the happy faces on kids who have had such bleak experiences. A number of social events are also under review for later in the year including a Chelmsford Race Night and a Taster Quiz, details of which will be published shortly.
For details of Lion’s events please visit our website www.billericaylions.com or telephone 0845 833 9849.
Well, July was again a fantastic month, full of fun, laughs and plenty of community spirit! Sunday 12th of July became entitled “Super Sunday” as our members got involved in a variety of different activities three of our members ran in the Vitality British London 10K, raising money for Round Table Childrens Wish, a few of our guys went on the John Baron walk, whilst the remainder (and a few ex members) helped out at Summerfest! As well as “Super Sunday” we also had a very entertaining game of cricket at Billericay Cricket Club, embracing the excitement of the current Ashes series with a match between a “Gentlemens” side and a “Great Unwashed” side! The quality of the cricket may have been dubious, but the sledging was legendary! We also went to Tollesbury to have a go at the High Ropes course… Even if you are safely harnessed, walking along a beam 12m in the air is quite some challenge! August is typically a bit of a quieter month as lots of people go off on holiday, but we’ve still got some fantastic activities! Are you looking for something new to do in August? •Friday 7th to Sunday 9th August Welsh Adventure Weekend. We’ve got a weekend of camping and outdoor activities planned in Wales, including: Coasteering, Kiteboarding and Kayaking! On top of that, we’ll no doubt have a few camp fires, a night out in Cardiff, and we may even make it to Barry for the sake of the Gavin and Stacey connection with Billericay. •Sunday 30th August Rowing Boat Races. Most of us have at some point watched “The Boat Race” and we will be recreating this at the Ahoy Centre in Deptford! After an hour or so of rowing, some liquid refreshment may well be called for afterwards! These aren’t the only events we’ll be involved in during August, so as you can see, it’s another fun packed month! So if you’re an active and adventurous guy aged 18-45 who wants to get out and DO MORE,come and try us out! Get in touch by emailing us at domore@billericayroundtable.co.uk or contact us via Facebook!
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Fun Holiday Activities at
Wat Tyler Park!
Weekdays Thursday 23rd July to Friday 28th August (excluding bank holidays):
Booking Arrangements: Turn up on the day, book and pay at Wat Tyler Centre. All
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15/07/2015
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Hollywood to Hit the High Street with the Launch of Billericay Community Cinema
Local voluntary non-profit organisation @BillericayCine is set to bring a slice of Hollywood to the High Street with the launch of Billericay Community Cinema. The group was established by Billericay resident Adam Adshead following the ‘Billericay’s Big Do’ back in March, an event run by Essex County Council to help the community identify ways of making better use of Billericay Library and Burghstead Lodge. With the last cinema in Billericay being The Ritz on Chapel Street, which closed back in 1971, the group are excited to be giving residents an opportunity to indulge their movie passions, while retaining business in the local
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community. Adam Adshead, @ BillericayCine chairman said, ‘We want to ensure we give more people the opportunity to enjoy a social night out at the cinema, as a cheaper more affordable alternative to the established multiplexes. One of our key motivations is to give something back to the town’. The cinema, set for a trial launch in early September and the grand opening later that month, will screen two films a month, one for adults and one for children. The films chosen for screening will be from a wide range of genres and include recent blockbusters, musicals and classics, as well as niche genres such as independent UK & foreign language films for the more arty types. @ BillericayCine’s aim is to make the cinema accessible and appealing to as many people possible, with family ticket prices planned to start for as little as £7, and special access/ screenings planned for the disabled. Refreshments such as tea & coffee, wine, beer and cocktails will also be available.
Also in the planning stages are themed movie nights, giving children and adults alike an opportunity to dress up as their favourite film characters, with a Bond night, Rocky Horror Show evening, and a ‘Christmas Movie Special’ all in the pipeline. Since starting the project, Adam and the team have been overwhelmed by the support they have received. Adam said ‘@BillericayCine was just a vague idea a few weeks ago. We’ve had wonderful support from Essex County Council, Billericay Town Council, residents and local businesses. We’ve already hit our fundraising targets and are really looking to bringing a little bit of Hollywood to our High Street’. To find out more about the project, you can visit www.billericaycine. com, like their Facebook page www.facebook.com/ BillericayCommunityCinema or follow them on Twitter @BillericayCine.
By Around Town Journalist Jo Cook
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We now have an alcohol licence!
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on your
PLOT Hoarding
It’s hard to remain excited when you’ve had courgette at every meal for a week, and marvellous though raspberries are there is a limit to just how many you can eat at once. Take a bit of time to store your harvest and you can be enjoying home grown right through the winter. Jobs for August:Water regularly - try to water either in the evening or early mornings. If you are growing main crop potatoes, watch out for signs of blight. Brown patches on the tops and edges of leaves are usually a first sign. Pinch out the tops of runner bean stems that are outgrowing their supports. Keep harvesting courgettes!
those
Sow turnips and oriental salad plants such as Pak Choi and Chinese Cabbage Strawberry runners that were potted up in June to produce new plants can be planted out now.
If all has gone to plan (that’s a big if!) then August should be a very satisfying month on your plot, with your hard work being repaid by ample harvests of a good range of fruit and veg.
Blanching and then freezing works for loads of vegetables. Key to success is to cool quickly after blanching so have a bowl of cold water at the ready and don’t forget to label what you are freezing!
The reality tends to be that the excitement of seeing your crops grow and ripen is initially followed by much enjoyment of the first fruits of your labour which can soon be replaced by a panic stricken ‘What the heck do I do with all these’! Certain crops (courgettes and tomatoes spring to mind) can almost guarantee this sequence of events!
Another option, and one that can work well for all those tomatoes, is to find a good recipe that you can cook, freeze and use later (how about a wonderful pasta sauce with your own tomatoes and home grown basil?). Even ‘difficult to freeze’ veg such as courgettes can either be incorporated into a sauce, or blanched, frozen and then added to a stew at a later date.
Sharing with friends and neighbours is great but very often they will have a glut of exactly the same thing at just the same time. What is called for are some simple ideas for storing and preserving your produce. It may be a long time before you are harvesting fresh peas or raspberries again but that doesn’t mean that you can’t be enjoying your home grown produce throughout the winter - it just takes a little planning and now is the time to do it.
Cooking and freezing can work well for fruit too - apple or rhubarb are good stewed and frozen all ready for use in a crumble or pie. If you have a truly wonderful fruit crop then why not arm yourself with a good recipe book and get started on some jam making? It’ll be delicious on your toast in the morning, and what better gift than a pot of homemade raspberry jam?
Onions (and garlic) that have been lifted and left to dry can be plaited and hung in a cool, dry place. Net bags, or tights, also work if you don’t fancy plaiting. Potatoes can be stored in boxes or paper sacks in a dark, dry building but you should check them regularly, removing any that show signs of rotting. A good size freezer is a real boon for making the most of your produce.
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It’s amazing how many books there are that tell you how to grow your fruit and veg, but how little information there is on just how to store it all! One wonderful little book, that deals with just this question is ‘How to store your garden produce’ by Piers Warren. It’s packed with information about how to store just about anything and a great addition to any gardeners library. Happy harvesting!
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Its school holiday time and for many parents this presents a challenge of how to keep their children occupied through the long summer holidays. For any family with this problem, I hope that getting out and enjoying nature is part of the solution. Before
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I was lucky in my primary school years, being brought up on the Suffolk coast in the 60s, we were often outdoors and wildlife was often noticed. By the sea we identified the different species of gulls and terns and caught hermit crabs, on our bikes we passed fields with rabbits and partridges, by weirs we found clusters of eels and occasional a lurking pike and on farm tracks there were numerous swallows, swifts and martins hunting around us. Of course in those days there was more countryside, and less people and the roads were safer, allowing children to venture out. There was more wildlife but we didn’t see some animals that we see today. Birds of prey are more numerous now there are less toxic chemicals in the food chain. Climate change, though detrimental to some species, has given us more instances of Hummingbird Hawk Moth and new colonisers such as Little Egrets. Much of the wildlife I saw as a boy can still be seen today but it is more likely to be enjoyed on nature reserves, where wildlife viewing is more organised and informative. In South Essex we have many fine reserves, Rainham, Thameside Nature Park, Belfairs to name a few and many council run reserves such as the Country Park at Hadleigh.
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Many of us who care about wildlife do so not just for our own indulgence but also because we want children to enjoy what we have enjoyed. And it is healthy for them to be outside, exercising their bodies and minds. But to get children outside enjoying the natural environment they need to be doing something. An example where this need is met is the Wind in the Willows trail at the EWT reserve at Hanningfield. The characters are fictional and faithful to the book but the brass rubbings create drawings of the real animals on which they are based. There are family events at many of our local reserves in the holidays and you can find these on their websites and on Facebook. In August, migrating birds start to make their return journey from the north whilst at the same time, if warm weather persists, some butterflies and moths continue to move in from the south. If you can get out and enjoy a local nature reserve you may be lucky and see something of interest, perhaps a butterfly you haven’t seen before or a Hobby hunting dragonflies. You might even see that Humming Bird Hawk Moth, although this is just as likely in a back garden as it is in the countryside.
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small businesses by sourcing all their
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If you are looking to give your garden the time and energy it really Bayplease Tree Gardens deserves then in contact with us. We are Bay Tree Bayget Tree Gardens Gardens, a young and dynamic team who can be relied upon to If you are If looking tolooking give your garden timethe andtime energy reallyitdeserves then then you are to give yourthe garden and it energy really deserves make your Garden space beautiful once again. Our passion is please getplease in contact us. with We are TreeBay Gardens, a youngaand dynamic get inwith contact us. Bay We are Tree Gardens, young and dynamic gardening, whether you simply want your garden mowing or a team whoteam can be relied upon to make your Garden once again. who can be relied upon to make your space Gardenbeautiful space beautiful once again. complete overhaul, wewhether will never leave you feeling disappointed. Our passion gardening, whether you simply your garden mowing or a or a Ourispassion is gardening, youwant simply want your garden mowing completeFor overhaul, we will never leave you feeling For a no a no overhaul, obligation quote please call Lewis on: complete we free will never leave you disappointed. feeling disappointed. For a no
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B e a u t i f u l l y
K i t c h e n s
C r a f t e d
B e d r o
W: w w w. c r o w n w o o d p r o d u c t s . c o . u k
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CHILDCARE
This is an important warning for anyone who pays for childcare. There are major changes due to take place to the system this year and you need to decide rather soon how they affect you. If you leave it too late, you could miss out on thousands of pounds.
put in a new childcare account, the government will add 20p on top which can be used to pay for Ofsted approved (or equivalent) childcare for under-12s. The maximum the Government will contribute is £2,000 per child per year.
Are you eligible for childcare tax credits?
Most childminders, after-school clubs are Ofsted approved, as are many nannies.
The most important start point is to check if you’re entitled to what’s technically called the ‘Childcare Element of Working Tax Credit’ this is NOT the same as Child Tax Credit. You can usually claim it for children up to age 15, provided you pay for approved (Ofsted or equivalent) childcare.
Current childcare voucher scheme. Here you usually trade in your pre-tax salary for vouchers. For example, a basic rate taxpayer can swap £1,000 of salary, which after tax and National Insurance is only £700ish in your pay packet, for £1,000 in childcare vouchers. So you’re up £300 per £1,000.
Sadly the eligibility criteria are very complex. So I’ve tried to distil it in a simple rule of thumb: ‘if you’re a single parent working 16+ hours a week, or a couple BOTH working 16+ hours a week, and your total household income is under £46,000, you should definitely check out if you’re entitled.’
The maximum you can get is £55 week per year per parent, which would be a gain of £930 for a basic rate taxpayer. Any parent can do this, even if their partner doesn’t work, provided your employer offers it (many do, but many don’t). Yet if you’re not signed up to this by the time the new scheme starts, you can’t do it after. So if it’s right for you sort it soon.
Please read this carefully, I’m not saying you are entitled, just that it is worth checking, as this is big money. The average pay out is around £60 week. That’s over £3,000 year. If you’re not entitled to tax credits, decide now which other scheme works for you. This is where everything is changing. If you’re eligible for tax credits, you’re likely to be better off getting that. If not, there are other schemes to look at. This autumn, the new ‘tax free childcare’ scheme launches and the current childcare vouchers scheme that lets many pay for childcare from their pre-tax income will close for new applicants. So if you’re eligible for vouchers, but won’t be for the new scheme, get in quick. New tax free childcare scheme: If you’re a single parent who works, or a couple where BOTH work, and you each earn under £150,000, for every 80p you
“ THE AVERAGE PAY OUT IS AROUND £60 WEEK” Tax free childcare vs childcare vouchers. If you’re a couple where only one works, the vouchers win hands down, as you won’t be eligible for the new scheme. Plus, if your childcare costs are low, it’s likely vouchers win due to the tax and National Insurance savings. Yet for the self-employed, those whose firms don’t offer the vouchers, or those with more than one child and high childcare costs, the new scheme wins. This is just the tip of the iceberg, full analysis of which wins at mse.me/ childcare. What about free childcare for three and four year olds? The Government have announced plans to give working parents with
three and four year olds 30 hours of free childcare per week. If made law, pilot schemes will start in Sep 2016, though there’s scepticism about whether it’s deliverable. Yet already for at least 38 weeks a year (each week of the school year), if you’ve a three or four year old, you’re entitled to 15 hours a week of free childcare. Families with a low income may also get free early education for two year olds. Contact your local council to check if your child qualifies at (a good place to start is gov.uk/find-free-early-education). If they do, go to finder.familyandchildcaretrust. org for info on which childcare providers you can use under the scheme. You then liaise directly with the provider to get the free childcare. Is there help for paying for summer schools? If you’ve got older children and work, check whether there are any summer schools in your area that they can go to. Some schools, community centres and youth groups have their own schemes. Most are Ofsted (or equivalent) registered, so if you pay for them, you qualify for childcare tax credit or you can use childcare vouchers to pay for them.
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July’s emergency budget contained
next April will take even more people
to £3,000 from April 2016, a 50%
a
measures
out of income tax altogether. Estimates
increase
to help working people. In this it
suggest that nearly 900 people in
businesses, meaning that a firm could
continued the ‘One Nation’ theme of
Basildon and Billericay could cease
employ four people full-time on the
this Government, with both income
to pay income tax, with 43,000
National Living Wage and pay no
inequality and poverty having been
also benefitting from tax reductions.
National Insurance at all.
significantly reduced by the previous
Raising the 40p tax rate threshold
Coalition Government.
to £43,000 will also take 130,000 people out of the higher rate.
number
of
excellent
will
further
cut
tax
for
Finally, I am pleased the Government has committed to meeting the NATO commitment of spending at least 2% of
In particular, the Chancellor’s creation of a National Living Wage will lead to
There was also good news for our
GDP on defence. At a time of growing
2.5 million people receiving a direct
small businesses. Corporation tax will
international instability, not to do so
pay rise. Workers currently on the
be reduced to 18%, giving Britain the
would be unwise.
minimum wage will see their pay rise
lowest rate in the G20 and helping
by over a third during this Parliament,
to
an increase of over £5,000 for a full
Extending the Employment Allowance
time worker. Moreover,
keep
our
competitive.
JOHN BARON raising
the
personal
allowance threshold to £11,000 from
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Basildon and Billericay
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Silence is Golden Silence is a rare commodity these days. Never before in human history have so many words been so widely thrown about with such remarkable ease. The advent of social media has launched a new age of words, words and more words: Email, Text, Twitter, Facebook, TV and everything else in between. In his 1851 work ‘For Self Examination’ the Christian thinker Søren Kierkegaard wrote: “Everything is noisy; and just as a strong drink is said to stir the blood, so everything in our day, even the most insignificant project, even the most empty communication, is designed merely to jolt the senses or to stir up the masses, the crowd, the public, the noise!” We seem, he continues: “To have become sleepless in order to invent ever new instruments to increase noise, to spread noise ... on the greatest possible scale.” Kierkegaard’s remedy to a noisy world is to: “Create silence!” There are obviously many good things about the digital age, but Kierkegaard’s observations were more prophetic than he would have ever imagined. It is often said that silence has its roots in listening to others. We have, after all, been blessed with two ears and one mouth a reminder (I speak for myself, here) that we are to listen twice as much as we speak! The Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament echoes this when it says there is: “A time to be silent and a time to speak” (3:7). But it’s also the case that the significance of silence rests in the fact that
once spoken, we can never unsay something we have said. Indeed, political spin doctors make their living out of interpreting, and re-interpreting, the use of inappropriate words, however as someone wryly observed: “Silence cannot be misquoted!” We are not accustomed to thinking in silence, though, are we? We want to put out a statement, give a response, open the conversation, comment on a recent event etc. As the Tremeloes sang back in the late 1960’s: “Silence is golden, talking is cheap!” New York Times cultural columnist David Brooks comments that the world of “fast and loud” prevents us from hearing the quieter sounds around us when those sounds are often the ones we most need to hear when we want to speak words wisely. The New Testament letter of James knows the power and purpose of silence. The author writes rather bluntly: “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless” (1:26). In contrast to many other ancient writers on speech and silence, James knows that silence is the human way God’s compassion is often revealed. A constant talker cannot hear the cry of the widows and orphans (1:27). Later, the author reflects on the remarkable power of the tongue: “It is like a rudder that guides a massive ship, or a bit that can check a powerful steed. Used improperly, it is a match that can ignite a raging
forest fire, or an instrument of cursing, but properly disciplined, the tongue is nothing less than a source of blessing” (3:1-12). We might be right to conclude that bridling the tongue is impossible without the discipline of silence. In the midst of so many words: ‘Silence is golden’ and something we simply cannot do without if we want our words to bless and our faith to be true. Why not experiment, over this next month, with a response of silence rather than words and see how much your life, and the life of those around you, is enhanced? With every blessing in Jesus’ precious name. Web: www.billericaychurches.org Email: paul@billericaychurches.org Tweet: @revPACman
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ATHLETICS The anniversary games had a familiar feel to them as Usain Bolt charged to victory in under 10 seconds, however with the World Championships in Beijing looming, there is somewhat of a question mark over the fastest man ever. The pantomime villain, Justin Gatlin, is lurking with intent and probably goes in as favourite to take the 100 metre gold in the birds nest where Bolt announced himself to the world with a run of 9.69 in 2008. British hopes as ever will firmly rely on the form on Jessica EnnisHill and Mo Farah. Ennis-Hill has announced that she will compete and Farah has had a year he would like to forget in terms of his media presence, but his performances on the track still make him Britain’s best chance of gold in China come the end of August. I have spoken in previous articles about the London 2012 impact on minority sports such as Triathlon, and Track and Field Athletics. They have both been reaping the rewards from the London Olympics. Locally we have seen our gyms and leisure centres receive funding and turn from quite standard places to train, to state of the art facilities. Basildon Sporting Village hosted national teams during the Olympics to conduct their training, mainly due to its Olympic sized swimming facilities. However, its running track still remains a focal point for Athletics meets whether it be school or district tournaments. For further information on Basildon Sports Village and its facilities/events, please see their website. Having been to a local school and having been a keen follower of sport from youth level to professional, it is not hard to see why our children of today are not taking to track and
field over other hobbies. Apart from the Olympics and the World Championships, Athletics is hard to catch on the television. Flicking through channels you may notice it on BBC Two or perhaps even BBC Three. The lack of big names at events like The European Championships and The Commonwealth Games mean that they too struggle to encapsulate an audience. This makes it hard for youngsters that were gripped by the London 2012 Olympics to stay motivated in emulating the stars of track and field that put on such an amazing show just up the road in Stratford. The second big problem is money! Apparently, money makes the world go round and while I do not disagree with its importance, it seems to be an obession in people’s lives even from such a young age. The sporting dreams of youth today are money motivated. Football, Tennis and Golf seem to be much more attractive in terms of pay packets and perhaps the gruelling hard work of getting your body in peak physical condition to run, throw or jump is not as appealing. However, there is no doubting the intoxicating adrenaline that you get when just watching the 100 metre final at the Olympics and with the welcome breaks of field events and more long awaited climaxes of a 10,000 metres, there is no doubting that top level Athletics has the nation glued to their screens, dare I say it, with a larger and more varied audience than Football! There are a lot of people out there that doubt the validity of the sprinting game at the moment and that perhaps puts people off the sport as a whole, however the icon of the sport at present is Usain Bolt and so far so good in
terms of his squeaky clean record. A life of healthy eating, disciplined application and the fact that there is a certain humbleness to most athletes when they win their individual pursuits, I think Athletics is something that I would love my children to take up! However, the next Mo Farah or Ennis-Hill will have to come from somewhere and while running in the end of term school sports day is one thing, there will need to be a club or additional training pursued in order to make it to the top. There are a couple local Athletics clubs that you are able to join to partake in a variety of events from long distance races to track and field tournaments. Chelmsford Athletics Club and Southend on Sea Athletics are flying the flag for track and field in Essex. See their websites below. www.southend-on-sea-athleticclub.co.uk www.chelmsfordat hleticsclub. hitssports.com www.everyoneactive.com/centre/ basildon-sporting-village
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controlled via the steering wheel and seen in the instrument panel. They include accelerometer, acceleration timer and brake performance, which assess braking time and distance from a set speed. But what’s really out of the ordinary is the Launch Control system, offered on the 5.0-litre manual model. It keeps the engine at a pre-set value between 3,000rpm and 4,500rpm with the accelerator pressed into the carpet. When the clutch is released, torque delivery to the rear wheels is harnessed for greatest traction and unfailing standing starts. The V8 Mustang is wicked off the line. Its muscle welds the back of your head to your headrest, and it’s all complemented with a tremendous musical engine note. Equally exhilarating, is the electronic Line Lock system, also available for the 5.0 litre V8. It applies only the front brakes, permitting you to ‘heat up’ the rear tyres. In other words, if you want to burn rubber quickly this gadgetry is for you. I tried it on test in Germany and felt a bit of a lout leaving smoke and black marks on the beautiful Bavarian bitumen. That said; it was an
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01277 658444 sales@blacksquarelitho.co.uk Graphic House, Radford Way, Billericay, Essex CM12 0DX PLEASE MENTION AROUND TOWN MAGAZINE WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTS
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TWO BASILDON BORN LADS ARE PUTTING ON A NIGHT OF ENTERTAINMENT AT OUR VERY OWN TOWNGATE THEATRE.
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BOOK NOW! 01268 465 465|TOWNGATE THEATRE|BASILDON WWW.TOWNGATETHEATRE.CO.UK
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01277 840201
Stock Rd, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 8LB
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Basildon and Billericay Greenway Ramblers Our group meets at 10:00am every Tuesday (5-6 miles) and Sunday (longer walks of 10+ miles usually with a break for lunch) New members are welcome. See our website at sites.google. com/site/greenwayramblers/ walks-programme-1 or phone Joe Lawton on 01277 631119.
Belvedere Jazz & Music The Chichester Hotel Tudor Room
enterprising mums back in 1977. Today, its main function remains the same as 38 years ago, to provide support and advice to families with twins, triplets and more! Our Nursery Group meets every Monday in term time, from 10:30am until midday, in the church hall at the rear of Christ Church in Perry Street and costs £4 per family per session. For more information about the club visit our website: www.billericaytwins.co.uk or telephone Amanda Deacon on 01277 653752.
Old London Road Rawreth, Nr Wickford SS11 8UE Tel: 07850 607075 www.belvederejazz.co.uk
Buttsbury Billericay W.I.
Belvedere Jazz & Music Club is non-profit making, receives no external funding and is run entirely by voluntary jazz enthusiasts.
We meet every 2nd Tuesday of the month, 8pm-10pm.
5 August Julian Stringle & Dominic Ashworth Quintet 8pm -10:30pm. £10 12 August Paul Wood/Jim Mullen Quintet 8pm -10:30pm. £10 19 August Gary Wood’s Swing Quintet 8pm -10:30pm. £10 26 August Al Nichols’ Blue Harlem Sextet With Sophie Shaw 8pm -10:30pm. £10
Billericay Twins Club The Billericay Twins Club is a voluntary organisation, established by two young
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Come and join our friendly group for evenings of variety and fun!
Canon Roche Church Hall Laindon Road Billericay CM12 9LL Please contact Jan Nash for more info. 01277 630147
Buttsbury Ladies Choir We meet every Wednesday evening in term time from 7:30pm - 9:30pm at Brightside School, Billericay. Our repertoire is varied and includes folk, musical theatre and popular songs. We hold our own concerts twice a year and perform to local clubs. If you enjoy singing why not give us a try? No audition required! For further information please ring 01277 840303 or 01277 651740
Chelmsford Community Gospel Choir Chelmsford Community Gospel Choir presents Women of Gospel. Saturday 10th October at 7:30pm. An evening of soulful, uplifting sounds celebrating the matriarchs of gospel music. This year our concert coincides with World Mental Health Day, with the theme Dignity in Mental Health. It is well known that group singing supports physical and mental health. Our performances aim to express and share dignity in ordinary but powerful ways. Join us for a very special evening. At the Life Church (Elim), Hall Street, Chelmsford, CM2 0HG.
www.chelmsfordgospelchoir.com
Fun Day! Great Burstead and South Green Village Council are hosting a Fun Day on The Green, Southend Road, Billericay, Essex, CM11 2PR on Sunday 30th August 2015 from 1 - 4pm. There is no entry fee. Family entertainment to include bouncy castles, punch and judy, facepainting, coconut shy, hoopla, hook a duck, brass band, zumba,dog show, craft stalls and various information stalls. greatbursteadandsouthgreen parishcouncil.gov.uk
Mayflower Wine (and social) Club The club meets on the first Wednesday of the month at the Day Centre, Chantry Way, Billericay at 8:00pm.
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New members always welcome. First visit this time free and our annual subscription is £22.00. More details phone Paulette on 01277 652001.
Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary Fun Casino Night Have fun and at the same time help us raise funds! Saturday 17th October, 7:30pm until 11pm Holiday Inn Brentwood £20 entrance including finger buffet. Convert your fun money into prizes! Roulette, Black Jack, Wheel of Fortune, raffles,
professional croupiers and a surprise celebrity guest! Contact Linda for payment methods. 07946 382869 or 01277 633252 Linda@croton.org.uk
Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary Open Day and Novelty Dog Show Little Farm, Buttsbury Nr, Ingatestone CM4 9NZ Sunday 6th September. Fun Dog Show £1.50 per class. Entries taken from 1pm. Judging starts at 2 pm. Rosettes 1st - 6th place. Classes include Best Dog Hero,
Cutest Puppy 6-12 months, Best Tail Wagger and lots, lots more. Best in show trophy to keep. Meet out ponies in the yard including Dante our beautiful young foal. Meet all our goats and sheep. Listen to Midnite Blue while enjoying your refreshments. Lots of stalls, raffle, children’s games plenty to do for all the family. Admission Adults £4, Children £2, Members with cards £3 For more information contact Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary on 01277 356191 or remusoffice@aol.com If it has rained hard prior to the day please ring and check event is still on.
If you would like to promote your club or event then please email a maximum of 70 words to:
admin@aroundtownmagazines.co.uk Please ensure that all contact details are included.
USEFUL NUMBERS POLICE Billericay Police Station
01277 631212
HOSPITALS Brentwood Hospital Basildon Hospital Broomfield Hospital Essex Nuffield Hospital Mayflower House Queen’s Romford Southend Hospital St. John’s Spire Hartswood Hospital
01277 695000 0845 1553111 01245 443673 0800 688699 01277 621130 0845 1304204 01702 435555 01245 491149 01277 232525
HELPLINES Alcoholics Anonymous Childline DIAL Disability Helpline Drugline Essex Home Start
01245 256147 0800 11 11 11 01268 294400/1 01708 749151
(Helping families under stress) 01277 263325
In Focus
(family disabilities support)
Narcotics Anonymous Parentline Samaritans S. Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre Victim Support Essex Women’s Refuge
BIRTH, DEATH MARRIAGES REGISTRATION
TAXIS Advanced Taxicall Billericay 01277 800001 Mayflower Cars 01277 624000 Swift Cars 01277 757473
CHEMISTS Boots the Chemist, Billericay Filmcroft Ltd, Billericay Lloyds Pharmacy, Billericay Moss Pharmacy, Billericay Shadforth M.W Billericay Shadforths Pharmacy, Billericay Shadforths Pharmacy Ingatestone
UTILITIES Anglian Water 0345 145145 Electricity – Power Supply Problems 0800 783 8838 Gas – Urgent Calls / Gas Escapes 0800 111999 Minicom – Transco 0800 371787 Thames Water (Supply or Wastewater Services) 0845 9200 800 Three Valleys Water 0345 823333 Water – Essex & Suffolk Water 01245 491234
0845 6037632 01277 233565 01277 221155
BLOOD TEST Booking Line NHS Direct
01277 655233 01277 624862 01277 622828 01277 653035 01277 622927 01277 652241 01277 352125 01268 242159 0845 4647
ROAD & TRAVEL UPDATES Essex Travel www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/essex
01245 353575 01277 655352 0808 800 2222 08457 909090
COUNCILS Basildon Billericay Town Council Chelmsford Ingatestone Stock Parish Council
01268 533333 01277 625732 01245 606606 01277 353315 07757 114952
01375 380609 0845 4565995 01268 541140
TRANSPORT Bus Service Rail Service
0870 6082608 08457 484950
VETS Best Friends Veterinary Surgery House & Jackson Ingatestone Veterinary Centre Summerdale Veterinary Centre Vet Savers LIBRARIES Basildon Billericay Ingatestone Wickford
01277 651009 01277 655524 01277 353612 01277 631889 01277 652100 0845 603 7628 01277 624624 01277 354284 01268 561963
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