Around town magazine march 2015 billericay edition

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March 2015 Edition 28

“WE’VE GOT YOUR TOWN WRAPPED UP!”

Delivered to 22,000 Homes in Billericay, Ingatestone, Ramsden & Stock

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Design your own ring from start to finish with us.

Bring in your old jewellery, and we can help you design a brand new modern ring.

We understand that your jewellery may have sentimental value with It, Russell and the workshop team can work with you to create something fresh and new using hand drawn designs and step by step images of your ring being made.

All Jewellery repairs are done by Russell and his workshop.

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... Around Towners to Billericays’ leading community magazine!

Dark and cold evenings are a thing of the past after this month! We are already seeing much longer days now and come Sunday 29th March, when the clocks go forward, it will really feel like Spring is on the way. Another date for your diary this month is Mothering Sunday (15th March). Check out Jo’s article and the food section (towards the back of the magazine) for places to treat Mum this year.

If you’re Irish, or just fancy a pint of the black stuff, St. Patrick’s Day (17th March) is the perfect excuse to have a craic with friends down the local pub and celebrate in true Irish style! Lots to look forward to this month and more articles and advertisers inside this edition, please read on and enjoy!

From the Around Town Team

Features 10 The Cook Report Mother’s Day 15 Martin Lewis The Money Saving Expert 19 Know Your Tradesmen P.J. Carpet Cleaning 20 Nature Notes EWT Volunteer Neil Sumner 26 John Baron MP The Fun Walk 30 Round Table / Lions Club Organisations ‘Around Town’ 33 A View from the Church Rev. Paul Carr 38 What’s On When and Where...

40 Around Town Sports Focuses on Skiing 42 On Your Plot Gain the upper hand now!

43 Useful Numbers

Why Advertise?

We hand deliver 22,000 copies every month to homes and businesses covering Billericay, Ingatestone, Ramsden & Stock.

This includes several thousand copies being available from venues throughout the towns and an online edition.

To Advertise Contact our Sales Team today, details below.

Booking deadline for our April edition of Around Town is: Friday 13th March.

Copyright 2014. 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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Price List Gents Fade (including bald fade) £12 Short back & sides £10 Scissors Cut £10 OAP’s £8 Crew Cut £8 Kids (under 12) £8

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Independent day school For girls and boys age 3 - 16

Join us for our Open Day Thursday 12th March 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Telephone - 01277 623070 E-mail - registrar@stjohnsschool.net www.stjohnsschool.net

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FIRST KICKS SOCCER SCHOOL Football training for pre-schoolers

Come and join the fun!

We aim to develop your child’s co-ordination, balance, health & fitness, agility, social & team building skills through fun imaginative play.

Colours, letters, numbers and shapes are made fun through our range of engaging games.

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Monday mornings: Emmanuel Church Hall

Saturdays: Stock Brook Country Club

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Wednesday mornings: Stockbrook Manor

Sundays: Hannakins Farm

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Friday mornings: Noak Bridge Village Hall

All places must be pre-booked

(Basildon) For more information about times and locations visit: www.myfirstkicks.co.uk

Enrolments and enquiries: CALL: 01277 654404 OR 07990976297 Email: myfirstkicks@googlemail.com All coaches are FA qualified & CRB checked.

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RUGBY TRAINING

for children aged between 2 - 7 years old

At First Tries we aim to enhance the enthusiasm for rugby within your child by developing them in such a way that builds confidence, agility, team work, discipline and a rugby skill set.

More importantly we aim to have fun in the process.

Every Saturday morning

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Our venue, Stockbrook Manor in Billericay provides us with an ideal and premium training location by means of AstroTurf for sustained and continued training... and of course mud free!

Contact our coaches Lee & Glen for more information

07592 579 902 myfirsttries@gmail.com All our Coaches are fully qualified and CRB checked.

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Celebrate all things great about Mum this March There’s definitely a hint of spring in the air, and as we begin to enjoy the lighter nights and brighter mornings, and start to look ahead to our plans for the warmer months, we also take time out to reflect on the greatness that is all things Mum. On Sunday 15th March we celebrate Mother’s Day, or Mothering Sunday as traditionally known. With both religious and secular origins, Mother’s Day has been widely celebrated in the western world since the middle of the twentieth century. It is now seen as an ideal opportunity to spend quality time with our Mums and spoil them with gifts and flowers, a nice pub lunch or a fun family day out.

So what’s on the agenda Around Town in terms of Mother’s Day this year? You don’t need to look much further than Billericay to find plenty of restaurants, bars and other entertainment

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venues offering special deals and events which will really help Mums feel extra special this Mother’s Day. Fancy a Sunday lunch with a difference?

The Ship Inn, Stock is now taking bookings for Mothers Day and has a great menu available too!

Set in beautiful Essex countryside surroundings, the Ship is the ideal venue for all Mums! Visit www. theshipinnstock.co.uk or check out this months advert for more details.

For Mums looking for a little taste of Europe, La Toscana, just off Billericay high street, is offering a three course Italian set menu for £31.95 per person - details at www. latoscanabillericay.co.uk or see this months advert for full details. Alternatively, for those Mums who prefer something more traditional, both The Coach and Horses in Billericay High Street and The King’s Head in South Green offer a Sunday roast in a cosy pub atmosphere,

call 01277 622873 for The Coach and Horses or 01277 637135 for The King’s Head to book. Or for Dads with little ones looking to celebrate Mother’s Day with a family day out, Barleylands Farm Park is offering free entry to Mums when accompanied by at least one paying child on Mothering Sunday. In addition, on Saturday 14th March Billericay Youth Town Council are holding a Mother’s Day Craft and Gift event from 2pm in the Reading Rooms on the High Street. Children from ages three upwards can go along and make lovely gifts for their Mums. Cost is £5 per child for materials.

So as you can see there’s plenty of opportunities to spoil Mums this Mother’s Day. So why not venture out Around Town and treat Mum to something that little bit special.

By Around Town Journalist Jo Cook

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We Go The Extra Mile For Your Smile

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These cold dark days of winter leave many dreaming of summer. Yet don’t let travel lust destroy your wallet. Most people book holidays in the early months of the year, so if you’re jet set on tripping abroad this year, here’s my top tips on how to use the web to pay less to get more.

Slash flight costs using the RIGHT comparison. Unlike package holidays with scheduled flights, leaving it until the last minute means prices rocket. So make sure you’re booking in advance and use the right site for the job.

- Cheapest price on normal flights: Here, just use a flight comparison site. I like www.kayak.co.uk (for gizmos), www. skyscanner.net (for ease), and www. travelsupermarket.com (for breadth).

- Check cheap charter flights comparisons too: If you’re flying to a traditional package holiday destination, like Majorca, you should also check for spare capacity being sold on tour operators’ own flights. The comparisons that include these ‘charter flights’ are www.travelsupermarket.com, www.avro.co.uk & www.flightsdirect.com.

- Find the perfect time to book: Use the Flight Insight tab on comparison site www. momondo.co.uk, eg, on average 59 days ahead is the perfect time to book, but it varies by destination, so worth a check.

Flight booking - the clever stuff to cut costs. Once you’ve found the cheapest price via a comparison, if you want to push harder, you need to get clever.

- Book the wrong date trick. Easyjet’s Flexifares let you switch dates by a few weeks without paying more. So bag cheap term-time flights, then swap for your chosen school holiday dates. One of my users saved £700 on her family’s break, yet there are pros and cons. Full step-bystep in www.mse.me/easyjet.

- The codeshare trick. Sometimes two or more airlines sell the same flights and booking via one partner is cheaper, eg, a United flight from Birmingham to New York can be cheaper via Lufthansa.

- Ethnic travel agents trick. If you’re going somewhere with a big UK ethnic or immigrant community, check out niche travel agents catering to them. Eg, London’s Shepherd’s Bush has some Caribbean specialists, or the Jewish Chronicle advertises cheap flights to Israel.

- The credit card flight freebie trick. You

can get a ‘free’ Flybe flight anywhere or a BA European flight (you pay taxes) just by signing up to a fee-free credit card, and doing normal spending on it. For a full list of freebies see www.mse.me/ccfreebies.

of travel, yet of course there’s restricted choice and you may need to be flexible.

So if you need special facilities (eg, for families) you need to book now and try to cut prices down.

Cut the price for your hotel room. Forget the star system. There’s no world standard and it’s often about facilities, not quality. To find the hotel you want to stay at read reviews on the ubiquitous www. tripadvisor.co.uk, but always ignore the best and worst 10%. Check comparison sites, both www.trivago.co.uk and www. travelsupermarket.com allow you to see who’s selling your hotel room for less.

How to cut prices? Remember tour operators make holidays, travel agents sell them. So one operator’s holiday may be on sale at many travel agents - the aim is to find who’ll sell it cheapest. Either scan for discounts, or often more lucratively, but more time consuming, is to haggle.

Then also be aware there are commonly promo codes available for the big hotel booking sites which can cut your costs by a further 15% for a full list of current ones see www.mse.me/hotelsales.

Tricks to uncover 5-star hotels at 3-star prices. If you’ve time to play and want the really big discounts, then there are two naughty (but legal) routes.

- Uncover secret hotels. www.lastminute. com sells secret hotels at big discounts, where you know the star rating, description and rough location, but aren’t told the name till you’ve paid. Yet by cutting and pasting key words into google then matching up the ‘ratings’ you can uncover them before you book – full step by step in www.mse.me/secrethotels.

- HUGE discounts with the Priceline bidding loophole. www.priceline.com is a huge US booking site (it works for some European cities too). The trick is fiddly, but devastatingly lucrative as forumite 5*dealhunter found: “Got the 5* Renaissance Barcelona Hotel for £59 a night for 3 nights instead of £310 - a saving of 81%.” If you’ve got 30 minutes to try it see my instructions at www.mse. me/priceline.

Package holidays can undercut DIY web bookings... especially for 7, 10 or 14 days in a traditional resort like Majorca, Mykonos or Malia (and some that don’t start with an M). In brief...

When to book? Massive savings are possible in the late market, where deals are done within eight weeks

To do this first find the trip you want, then write down all details, then take it to the travel agents who advertise on places like www.teletext.co.uk to see if they will sell you the same holiday for less. Go to a few to find the best price, but to be fair if one has spent a lot of time helping you, always give them the last chance to match it.

How to get package holiday protection.

Package holidays have long been protected under the ATOL scheme, so if something goes wrong you get your money back (or help coming home).

Yet book a flight plus separate hotel or car hire together (or within 24 hours) from the same travel (not airline) website, and since 2012 you’ve also got ATOL protection, just like with a package.

So check if it’s not much more expensive compared to booking the cheapest flight and hotel separately. Also bear in mind www.expedia.co.uk, www.travelocity.co.uk, www.ebookers.com and www.lastminute. com often give extra discounts for flights and hotels booked together.

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Brothers Phil and Kris Jackson have been running PJ Cleaning for thirteen years, originally starting out offering window cleaning services commercially and privately in Billericay, Rayleigh and surrounding areas. Phil and Kris quickly found their feet, offering

good quality service at affordable prices, and soon branched out into carpet & upholstery cleaning, which they felt was a perfect match for the services they already offered.

Today, P J Cleaning offers carpet & upholstery cleaning, office cleaning and window cleaning services to commercial and domestic customers in Billericay, Rayleigh, Canvey, Southend,

To feature your business contact:

Chelmsford, Basildon and Brentwood. Kris said ‘We’re a small family run business and as such our main focus is value for money. We always manage to keep our prices low, but do not let this affect the quality of the service we offer’.

In their spare time, both Phil & Kris enjoy spending time with their family and friends, and Kris likes to unwind by playing golf.

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Go to my website for the latest tips and recent jobs

Boiler Repairs Power Flushing Landlord Certificates Servicing and Installation

T: 01277 219277 M: 07778 353870

E: nkplumbing@msn.com W: www.nkplumbing-heating.co.uk

PLANTING TURFING PONDS SHEDS PATIOS FENCING DECKING PERGOLAS BRICKWORK DRIVEWAYS We have over 20 years of experience and offer a wide range of services.

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In many ways, it looks like any other office. The HQ of Essex Wildlife Trust has open plan rooms with desks, computers, files and wall charts. There is a small area of desks used for breaks and informal meetings and on one desk there is a meeting of people with pens, paper, phone and tablets.

But the neighbouring desk today is not typical of any office that I have seen before. Two people sit around a tray of water in which there are a number of floating stoollike objects. They carefully pick each one out, dissect with tweezers and extract small skeletons and skulls onto kitchen roll paper. They are examining the pellets of Barn Owls, to find out what they have been eating.

This is the undigested material, accumulated into small sausage-shaped objects which are ejected from the owl’s mouth. A few pellets revealed Field vole, Common Shrew and Pigmy Shrew, given some insight into the mammal species on the farm.

Shortly after witnessing this activity, I visited a local farm here in the south of the county where the landowner has reported seeing barn owls. Nest boxes are installed for the owls as well as kestrels. I missed the owls on the last visit but was given some complimentary pellets which are awaiting dissection. The male kestrel was sitting guardedly near his box where they have bred for the last three years.

We know the small rodent population here is good and when we planted a hedge a few years ago they were scurrying beneath our feet. There are skylarks and brown hare and we have plans to dig a pond and introduce a wildflower strip. There are adders here too, seen by the bee-keepers and sadly a deceased one was found in a hay bale.

March is the time when adders emerge from hibernation.

Adders also prey on voles, as well as amphibians and lizards, and swallow them whole: unlike the owls they can digest all parts of their prey. Their priority is to find a sunny patch and warm their bodies. When we approached the adders they scurried away but we stood still and they were so keen to lie in the sun that they re-emerged, giving us lovely views. Essex does quite well for adders but they are struggling to survive in many areas due to habitat fragmentation which makes them accidentally interbreed and more susceptible to disease as their gene pool weakens. Like many animals, adders need wildlife corridors to allow them to move between areas of habitat.

I mentioned last year that adders are not aggressive so bites are usually due to them being accidentally trodden on and are very rarely fatal. If you are lucky enough to find one, enjoy the view from a distance and keep the dog away.

Neilsumner123@aol.com follow me twitter.com/neilsumner123

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Aprofessionalfamilyrunbusiness Honestandreliablewithover20yearsexperience Aprofessionalfamilyrunbusiness Honestandreliablewithover20yearsexperience Aprofessionalfamilyrunbusiness Honestandreliablewithover20yearsexperience ..fromatapwashertoafullheatingsystemcall.. Honestandreliablewithover20yearsexperience ..fromatapwashertoafullheatingsystemcall.. Honestandreliablewithover20yearsexperience ..fromatapwashertoafullheatingsystemcall.. ..fromatapwashertoafullheatingsystemcall.. ..fromatapwashertoafullheatingsystemcall..

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All Digger Work - Drainage - Tarmacadam - Hand & Machine Lay - Hot Tar & Shingle/Resin Bonded Block Paving/Concrete - Council Vehicle Crossings Brick Work - White Lining Hot Thermo Plastic & Rubberized Traffic Paints RJB Construction & Lining are a well established family company based in Billericay. We provide a complete service including road reinstatement, driveways and lining work. All our employees are fully trained to high standards, eliminating the need for sub contractors meaning quality of product throughout. We are efficient, ambitious and hardworking and we pride ourselves on carrying out our work to the highest standard.

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At Cedat Tree Care we offer the following services: d d d d d d d d d d d d d d

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21

T TO

LE

T LE TO Billericay

£1,600

(PCM)

(PCM)

Located within Buttsbury and Mayflower School Catchment areas is this three bedroom mid terraced home being offered unfurnished for occupancy mid March. The property is located in a quiet residential culde-sac and keys are held at our High Street office for ease of viewings.

Call on 01277 654446 to arrange a viewing.

T

R

SA

LE

FO

TO Billericay

£1,200

LE

Having just been redecorated and refurbished this five bedroom town house is available now and located at the end of a pleasant cul-de-sac positioned just off Norsey Road. The ground floor has an entrance porch, spacious hallway and a kitchen/ breakfast room overlooking the rear garden. The first floor comprises of the primary reception room, family bathroom plus the master bedroom with en suite with the four further bedrooms and second bathroom occupying the second floor. Externally the property benefits from a westerly facing rear garden in excess of 50ft with off road parking to the front aspect.

Billericay

£950

(PCM)

Located just moments from Billericay High Street and Station The Property Specialists of Billericay are pleased to offer for occupation mid March this well appointed two bedroom ground floor apartment. The property is accessed by a communal door which utilises the facility of a secure phone entrance system.

Internally the property commences with a spacious hallway leading to the newly fitted kitchen, open plan lounge diner with patio door leading to a balcony, two bedrooms, the master of which having the added advantage of fitted wardrobes. Also led from the hall the bathroom is refitted and benefits from part tiled walls, complimentary flooring and a white three piece suite incorporating low level w/c panelled bath and pedestal wash hand basin. An internal viewing is highly recommended not only to appreciate the size and quality of accommodation on offer but also the fantastic location. Call The Property Specialists on 01277 654446 now to arrange a viewing.

Billericay

£335,000

Situated in a modern quiet cul-de-sac in the popular village of Ramsden Heath, is this extremely well presented three bedroom family home. The village itself is only a short drive from Billericay High Street and mainline railway station serving London Liverpool Street. The property is presented to a high standard with a modern fitted kitchen with its range of fitted appliances is a great room for entertaining. To the first floor there are three bedrooms, with master suite benefiting from an en-suite shower room in addition to a modern fitted family bathroom. Outside the property there a tandem car port with parking for two vehicles, the rear garden is neatly laid out with an artificial lawn for low maintenance.

Call The Property Specialists on 01277 654446 to arrange a viewing.

135 High Street Billericay Essex CM12 9AB Tel: 01277 654446 www.thepropertyspecialists.co.uk C M

L E G IA U T H EN T

M

PO

O ER C IA L

Stock

£750,000

Positioned with the heart of Stock village centre is this detached building which currently consists of a first floor 1100 sqft apartment and the well respected Pietro’s Italian Restaurant to the ground floor. A much deserved retirement will sadly bring the curtain down on Pietro’s as we know it but the building now provides an exciting investment opportunity for a new owner. The ground floor area is approximately 102 sqm/1100 sqft and blends well to being divided into two separate spaces thus creating two individual commercial units. Please note the restaurant fittings for 38 covers together with the fitted bar and professional kitchen are available by separate negotiation should a turnkey operation be required. As mentioned there is also a large 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment to the first floor which has its own entrance door with a ground floor reception hall together with a courtyard garden which is accessed via double wooden gates and could if preferred provide option parking.

Billericay

£495,000

PLANNING PASSED FOR SINGLE STORY SIDE AND DOUBLE STORY REAR EXTENSIONS PROVIDING SYMPATHETIC CONVERSION TO A SUBSTANTIAL FIVE BEDROOM DETACHED FAMILY HOME. Enjoying a surprisingly good sized garden on a modern development which is considered to be within walking distance of the town and railway station, is this four bedroom detached home. The property provides well planned accommodation decorated in neutral colours and with stylish improvements made since construction. The four bedrooms are located to the first floor and served by a both an en-suite shower room and family bathroom. The ground floor of this house consists of a pleasant airy reception hall with stairwell window, a cloakroom, a nice sized lounge with a bay window and a kitchen/diner with utility room that has doors opening onto the patio. The lawn rear garden here is particularly generous for a modern development being approx 65’ in depth and with an established outlook. Copies of granted planning applications are held on file in our High Street Office.

B

N

G IN D T IL O U PL

EW B U IL D

Billericay

£1,200,000

**PRELIMINARY ANNOUCEMENT ** COMING SOON IN 2015** Construction of this brand new detached home in Stock Road will begin early 2015 and by registering your interest now you will have the opportunity to get involved with choosing fixtures and fittings. The intended accommodation includes an impressive 40’ x 25’ “L” shaped kitchen day room, two further sizeable reception rooms plus an additional games room and five/six bedrooms with two en-suite shower rooms and two bathrooms. Full details of the intended finishing specification and allowances will follow. The property will occupy a westerly facing established well stocked plot measuring 151’ x 53’ within both the Buttsbury and Mayflower School area. Full plans are available to view on line or at our High Street offices.

Billericay

£575,000

Offering a great opportunity for redevelopment and with planning already approved for substantial enlargement is this four bedroom detached home which occupies a corner plot within a sought after residential area convenient for pedestrian access to both the town centre and railway station. Internally the current accommodation is well planned and would benefit from some updating should you chose to use it as a family home prior to enlargement. Plans are available to view online at Basildon Planning with planning reference 13/01274/FULL or paper copies are held at our Billericay High Street office.

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BASILDON

01268 508805

THE FUN WALK

This year’s Fun Walk will take place on Sunday 12th July, once again at Barleylands Farm. This is slightly later than usual, on account of the General Election in May. As before, the committee of the Fun Walk Trust organises the whole event. Last year, 110 local causes and charities raised almost £100,000 – bringing the total raised by the Fun Walk to £636,000 since its inception in 2002.

Many local charities now see this as their main fundraising event of the year.

A unique feature of the Walk is that, because of the generosity of corporate and individual

26

By John Baron MP sponsors, each charity and good cause will receive a bonus over and above what they raise themselves. In 2014 for example, for every £100 raised in sponsorship, £60 was added by way of a bonus.

This year’s ‘bonus pot’ has got off to a flying start, with sponsors already pledging over £35,000. This amount looks set to rise, as some have yet to decide how much they will contribute. Sponsors

so far are: Swan Housing Association, Butyl Products Ldt, c2c Ltd, Hallmark Care Homes, IFE Global Logistics, Private Ambulance Service Ltd, Finmeccanica – Selex ES, Ford Motor Company Ltd, Mr Barrie Stone, and others.

If you know of a project that would benefit, then do come and join us. For more information please contact us on 07544 324 218 or on funwalk@hotmail.co.uk – we will then send you a Factsheet and registration forms. More information is available at our new website www.thefunwalktrust.co.uk.

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LOCALLY BASED COMPANY IN BRENTWOOD WITH OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE. NO JOB TOO SMALL!

24 HOU EME R

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FREE ESTIMATES WITH NO OBLIGATION. We also offer general maintenance and building works.

• ALL TYPES OF PLUMBING / HEATING • NEW BOILER / REPAIRS / SERVICING • BATHROOMS / KITCHENS • POWERFLUSHING • DRAINAGE WORKS

OTHER SERVICES INCLUDE:

• ALL ASPECTS OF DOMESTIC, COMMERCIAL AND ELECTRICAL WORK CARRIED OUT • SECURITY SYSTEMS AND ALARMS • REPLACEMENT CONSUMER UNITS • PERIODIC INSPECTION & TESTING • FULL REWIRES / PAT TESTING / FAULT FINDING

THERMAL IMAGING, LOFT INSULATION, ALL GUTTER/ROOF WORKS, DRAINS, PLEASE CALL US WITH YOUR REQUIREMENTS. Tel: 01277 810005 Email: t-p-s-l@btconnect.com www.timminspsl.co.uk Unit 15 Cockridden Farm Estate, Brentwood, Essex CM13 3LH

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REPAIR SPECIALIST

Glass & Glazing Services Single & Double Glazing Repair Specialist

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Constable Landscapes Ltd WE CAN TURN YOUR GARDEN INTO A PICTURE

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29

BILLERICAY LIONS CLUB Hello again, welcome to the Lions’ corner.

Life is forever busy in the club with social visits planned to Comedy Shows and Bletchley Park and our all important Charter Anniversary. This year we are planning something a little different with a Sunday lunch for members and families at a local restaurant. In the past we have always held a big dinner but in the way these things go it seems not to be as popular and time to ring the changes.

Our elections for new officers for the coming year are held this month, where has this year gone?

Every year we change the President and all other officers have to be elected or re-elected by club members. In this way enthusiasm in the club is kept fresh with new ideas for fund raising and social activities, and the duties of all members do not become too onerous.

There are some interesting Fellowship nights planned for the near future with a darts tournament and speakers on the Cross Rail project and the Concorde crash in Paris in 2000. These are all thanks to our ‘Lion tamer’ who is responsible for organizing our fellowship programme. With a recent enjoyable evening of the old TV programme ‘Call my Bluff’ he will be a hard act to follow next year!

For details of all Lions events please visit our website www.billericaylions.com or telephone 0845 833 9849.

Well, we’ve had a couple of very interesting Round Table meetings in the past month or two, and as a result, Billericay Round Table are proud to announce a couple of donations that have been made to some seriously deserving local charities.

Hanningfield Sailability is an organisation that aims to get people with disabilities out sailing on the open water at Hanningfield Reservoir. They are reliant on volunteers and sailing boats loaned to them, but were in desperate need of their own specialist boats to allow them to confidently offer a sailing experience to as many people as possible. Billericay Round Table have pledged £11,000 to the group to allow them to purchase two specialist sailing boats, and as this article is being written, orders have been placed and they will hopefully be available for use early in the sailing season. SNAP (Special Needs & Parents) is a charity based in Brentwood that has been running for 20 years. As well as providing care for special needs and disabled children between the ages of 0-25, they aim to inform, encourage and support parents, so that they can grow in strength and knowledge and become better equipped to give the best possible help to their children. Billericay Round table have pledged £600 towards helping SNAP update their online directory that allows parents to access all sorts of advice and information to help with the care of their children. Needless to say, as ever, we feel very privileged to be able to make donations like this, and to be making a real difference in the local community. On top of these donations we’ve also had some great nights out, ten-pin bowling, karting and watching the Rugby! If you’d like to find out more about us and what we do, email us at membership@billericayroundtable.co.uk and we’ll let you know when our next meeting is. We’d love to meet you and welcome you in to what we think is the best club you could be part of – so what are you waiting for Be Part Of It!

30

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Interior & exterior Painter & decorator

ALL ASPECTS OF BUILDING WORK UNDERTAKEN

Wallpaperin g and other

EXTENSIONS & CONSERVATORIES

specialized w all coverings

GARAGE & LOFT CONVERSIONS

30 years experience

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS DESIGNED & INSTALLED BRICKWORK & PAVING

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Ian’s curtains & blinds

Curtains | Tracks and Poles | Roman Blinds | Roller Blinds | Vertical Blinds Venetian Blinds | Wooden Blinds Pattern books also available.

FREE QUOTE - Call today on Wickford: 01268 410516 | Mobile: 07743562384 ian.dipple@yahoo.com | www.ianscurtainsandblinds.co.uk PLEASE MENTION AROUND TOWN MAGAZINE WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTS

31

Garden Design

S

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I

C

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All aspects of domestic & commercial electrical work undertaken

& Construction for over 40 years

• Patios • Driveways • Decking

ttobin@chantryelect1.demon.co.uk chantryelectricalservices.co.uk

• Artificial Grass • Turfing • Brickwork • Lighting • Planting for a free quote call

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32

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Mothering Sunday Mothers Day this year is celebrated on 15th March. It is a day of mixed emotions and means something different to each of us. For some it is a day of celebration and for others it is a day of sadness as we say a prayer of thanksgiving for those mums we have loved and lost. But we learn a lot from our Mother’s don’t we? For example: • They taught us religion: “You better pray that I can get that stain out of the carpet.”

• They taught us the science of osmosis: “Shut your mouth and eat your supper.”

• They taught us about hypocrisy: “I’ve told you a million times, don’t exaggerate.”

• They taught us about the weather: “It looks like a tornado just went through your room.”

• They taught us to plan ahead: “Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident.”

• They taught us: “Because I said so, that’s why.”

• They taught us about behaviour modification: “Stop acting like your father!”

But do you know how Mothers Day began? Mothering Sunday, as it officially known, began, not as some people think, as a celebration of Mary the mother of Jesus by the early church, but in the 1600’s. At the time,

Christianity was the fastest growing faith in Europe and it was a day when servants, apprentices, farm labourers, girls in service and those who lived at the houses of their employers, were given a special day off to return home to their ‘mother church’. They believed that the spiritual connection from doing this would sustain their faith for the year to come.

Mothering Sunday always falls on the 4th Sunday of Lent and it was deliberately introduced in the middle of the Lent so that families could have a break from their Lenten fast and share a celebration meal with those returning home.

An interesting and popular ceremony called ‘church clipping’ took place on Mothering Sunday when people would express their love for their ‘mother’ church by forming a circle and walking round the building holding hands and then tightly grip the church building or pews as an expression of coming home.

During the early part of the 20th Century, as English culture began to be influenced by American culture, we took on their traditional Mother’s Day celebration and, following the Second World War, blended Mothering Sunday with the Mother’s Day celebration and people began honouring their

mothers instead of the church although it still continues to be celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent.

What are your plans for Sunday 15th March this year? Might you consider returning to your ‘mother church?’ I’m sure many of the churches here in Billericay would love to see you return to the church of your Baptism, Childhood or Wedding on this very special day. At Emmanuel, we have a fun-filled family service at 10.30 am - who knows, we may even enjoy a bit of ‘church clipping’ at that service, too!

With my very best wishes for a blessed, and memorable, Mothering Sunday celebration.

Web: www.emmanuel-church.info Email: paul@billericaychurches.org Tweet: @EmmanuelCM12

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35

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37

What’s on in March 2015?

Ride for Helen

The Railway

The Chequers

Sunday 10 May 2015 - 15, 30 and 60 mile circular cycle rides through the picturesque Essex countryside, in aid of Helen Rollason Cancer Charity. £15 for Adults and £8 for Juniors (16 and under) - Whether you are a serious cyclist or recreational rider there is a route for you, and it promises to be a great day our for people of all ages. The ride will start and finish at The Crix, Hatfield Peverel, CM3 2EU. To register go to: www.rideforhelen.co.uk

6 Nations Rugby all matches Wednesday 4th March – Quiz Night Sunday 8th March - Mags goes Mod (3pm) Wednesday 18th March - Quiz Night

Monday 2nd March - Acoustic Night Thursday 5th March - Wyatts Band full blast acoustic rock Thursday 12th March - The Blox fantastic Ian Dury tribute!!

Tuesday 17th March – St. Patrick’s Day - ‘Medicine’ - kick ass swashbucklin’ folk rock!!

Sunday 29th March - The man, the legend - DOOZER MCDOOZE!!!

(4pm)

FREE LISTINGS From next month’s edition (April) we will be printing a free listings section under the banner of ‘What’s On?’ If you would like to promote your club or event then please email a maximum of 70 words to admin@aroundtownmagazines.co.uk.

We would like to include any clubs or events that promote care in our community.

So if you are part of any clubs that involve; Children’s Events, Single Parents, Care for the Elderly and Charity Events etc then this is your opportunity to get your message across to your community... Free of charge!

Please ensure that all telephone numbers and contact details are included in the 70 words.

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Nige Kirby The Singing DJ Party DJ Treat Mum on Sunday 15th March Special 3 course set menu ÂŁ18pp

21b High Street opp. Billericay Homecare (1st Floor), Billericay, Essex CM12 9BA

Tel: 01277 632 424 | Fax: 01277 637 103

Karaoke DJ Background Singer Open Mic Host

07778 353870 email: thesingingdj@hotmail.co.uk

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39

The closest I get to Skiing is slipping and sliding on an icy morning on the way to work. For the Essex holiday maker a resort in Austria or Switzerland gives the skier in them the fix that they need and they have the sun burnt faces in all the holiday snaps to prove it.

impaired skiing guide. The Essex Ski Racing Club certainly has a pedigree!

However, there is a competitive skiing presence here in Essex.

The Brentwood Park and Dry Ski Slope are providing the facilities and more people than we think are taking to the slopes and seem to have found their passion in the adrenaline junkie sport.

I asked a former coach at the club a couple questions.

Gone are the days of Eddie the Eagle being our sovereign representation of British skiing hopes. Thanks to ‘The Essex Ski Racing Club’, Essex actually boasts a national champion from the National indoor skiing championships. Also one of the racing club’s former members, Caroline Powell, who started at the club at age 9, has just come back from the Sochi Winter Olympics with 3 Silver medals and one Bronze medal as a visually

Who knew that such targets are being hit by people from little old Essex in a sport that is fairly down the list of ‘Most popular sports in Britain’.

What is it about skiing for you and why are more and more kids signing up?

“Variety is kind of the answer to both questions. I went into it from a young age as I had been on holiday and didn’t want to just come back and drift into being average at the sports we had to practice in school. I wanted to try and excel at something that is considered different and the fact that not many people were skiers was definitely an attraction for me. I also found it fun and even taking and tumble and getting the occasional bruise made wasn’t a problem, as it made it more humorous for me and my friends. Kids and adults now join for that same feeling of trying something different from the mainstream and then you start to see the same people develop a knack for it. Some adults I think also want to avoid embarrassment on their next skiing trip abroad” With all the clothing and equipment needed, it cannot be cheap, does the expense put people off?

“I think when you automatically think of Skiing, you do think of pound signs, however due to the club running for so long we are able to help with loan equipment and we state that you will only need is a helmet, long sleeved tops and long bottoms. We will always help where we can.”

Every Thursday at the Brentwood Park and Dry Ski Slope at 7pm the club trains for 2 hours and for an annual fee of £15 you can join other enthusiasts whether it be for fun or for the intention of taking to the slopes in competitive races. You will be trained by experienced coaches and have a chance to be part of well run club that practice a growing sport.

Of course Skiing is not going to be practiced in schools etc and is never going to capture a major audience in this country, perhaps down to our climate alone; however there is no doubting that holiday makers and adrenaline seekers will love this sport. Wherever you are in Essex, the Brentwood Dry Ski Slope and the Essex Ski Racing Club seems like the place to try it out.

www.essexskiracingclub.org.uk www.brentwoodskicentre.co.uk

‘Swing into Spring’ with Stephen Dunnett Friday March 27th Stephen will be singing classics from the likes of Buble, Sinatra, Neil Diamond and many more

Mothers Day Sunday March 15

th

Let us worry about the cooking and washing up!

Treat Mum to that very special lunch at……

La Toscana

3-Course Lunch ~ £31.95

Children Under 10 £10.50 ~ 2-Courses £15.00 ~ 3-Courses Dining Times: 12.00 Noon to 4.30pm (Last Orders)

£35.00 per Person

(Including 3-Course Dinner)

Check our website for details of these events at www.latoscanabillericay.co.uk Book by telephone or call into the restaurant OLD BARN COURT, HIGH STREET, BILLERICAY, ESSEX, CM12 9BY TELEPHONE 01277 630120

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41

Spring should really be on it’s way by the end of this month and there’ll be plenty of jobs to keep you busy on your plot.

There’s nothing quite like sowing seeds and the thrill of watching those first tiny seedlings appearing just a week or two later. Weather permitting the soil should be warm enough to be sowing outdoors in March. Your new seedlings will need all the help that you can give them if they are to flourish so don’t forget the weeding and pest control too!

Jobs for March:Prepare beds for sowing by raking level when the soil is dry enough.

Get a supply of containers and fill with compost ready for sowing (supermarket plastic trays containers are handy to reuse for this!)

Make sure you have all the seeds you need and sort them into the order that you’ll sow them in.

Plant first early potatoes later in the month.

Keep on top of the weeding and pest control.

Sow carrots, peas, parsnips, lettuce and radishes.

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There’s no doubt that the weather during the first part of the year lived up to our expectations of a month of extremes - with mild temperatures and homes and gardens hammered by incredible rainfall. Hopefully March should see the weather settling down and Spring truly starting to emerge.

Most seed packets give you some guidelines as to which month/ or months are best to sow in but personally I think that it’d be a lot more helpful if they gave a little information about the temperature required, not to mention just how long germination is likely to take.

Soil temperatures of at least 6º are needed for most seeds - if you don’t want to guess at this you can get a soil thermometer to check. Don’t forget that by using products such as fleece, or cloches, over your beds you can raise the temperature.

Some seeds, such as parsnips, are notoriously slow to germinate taking up to 3 weeks for seedlings to appear - a good idea with slow starters like these is to sow quick growing crops such as radishes on either side of the row. This will help mark the rows out until your parsnips appear and the radishes will quickly be grown and ready to harvest.

Take note also of the depth that the different seeds should be sown at too shallow and they’ll either blow away or be eaten by the birds, too deep and you may bury them alive!

Try to space seeds evenly, though if you sow too many you can thin out the weaker seedlings after they

appear. Do remember that with many crops it is better to sow just a few and then sow again in a few weeks time to avoid having too many ready to harvest all at once. Salad crops such as lettuce will bolt if left too long, and other vegetables which may have a short harvesting period can be enjoyed for much longer if you save the seed and sow a few in succession every few weeks.

As the soil warms up for your new crops so it also warms up nicely for the weeds about now! For many people part of the attraction of growing your own is eating chemical free produce and organic methods of pest control will therefore be preferred. Little and often is best - take a quick walk around the veg patch each morning and hand pick any emerging weeds. Hoeing also works well and if you are careful not to let weeds set seed you’ll avoid a long-term problem. Of course the situation isn’t helped by the fact that your patch is likely to have large amounts of bare soil on it between widely spaced rows at this time of year. Some crops, such as potatoes will obligingly grow to ultimately block out the light and deter weeks, but if you’re really having problems then think about putting down a thick, organic, mulch to cover the bare soil.

Slugs will also emerge to attack your young seedlings - there’s no end of organic ways to do battle from hand picking at night and beer traps to watering in nematodes. Strike early and gain the upper hand!

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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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