Braintree Life Dec 2014/Jan 2015

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Issue Number 6 - December 2014/January 2015

BL Welcome Hi readers, Welcome to the December/January edition.

We would like to express our season’s greetings to all of our readers, advertisers and writers and hope you have a great festive break.

We will be back in January 2015 with the next edition.

Happy New Year!

We hope you enjoy reading!

Nick & Paul

it’s your media ltd Advertising Editorial Nick Garner Paul Mclean 07970 206682 07595 949701 ads@itsyourmedia.co.ukeditorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk Disclaimer: It’s Your Media Ltd publish Braintree Life. The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of It’s Your Media Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the prior written permission of It’s Your Media Ltd, 15 Hayes Close, Chelmsford, CM2 0RN. Registered Company number 9154871. Printed by www.graphic-impressionsco.uk.

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Mid Essex ITT Mid Essex ITT has been running for over 20 years and during this time it has trained over 500 teachers, many of whom still work in Essex schools.

Mid Essex ITT relocated to Notley High School over the summer and we are now ready to recruit the trainee teachers of 2015 2016 - we have space for 91 people to train with us next year.

Let’s talk about the money...

• Many subjects are eligible for a tax-free bursary up to £25,000, which does not have to be paid back.

• There are also salaried positions available for anyone who has 3 or more years work experience (in any sector) where you will start receiving a wage straight away.

• Student Finance England provides loans to cover the tuition fees and can also offer extra grants/loans for people needing extra financial support.

Am I eligible? The minimum requirements are: • 2:2 or above at degree level.

• GCSE Maths & English at grade C or above.

• An enthusiasm for learning!

We recruit from all over Essex and place our trainee teachers in over 20 schools around the county.

To find out more, contact me at www.midessexitt.com.

The Playlist, by Richard Merriman Richard Merriman, musician and DJ with @GodsJukebox, lends his ear to the local music scene.

First up, let’s talk about a group of lads from South Woodham Ferrers. Laika, who take their name from the first dog in space, have some real ambition in their sound, setting them apart from the usual indie-boy wannabies. Mark Fenton (guitar and vocals), Cem Ozer (drums) & Sam Cowie (bass) craft a noise which sits in the same spikey, math-rock ball-park as groups like Foals but with a refreshing, melodic edge and bags of energy. Opening track on the 100% EP, Glass Eyes, kicks things off with a pleasingly psychedelic reverse guitar soundscape before launching in an accomplished anti-love song. Then, Throw your Voice is reminiscent of the Wombats without the annoying blokeisms.

Fenton’s vocal is refreshingly honest and his classic indie guitar action keeps the momentum up.

The EP is a shared effort with SWF chums, Died in Orbit: James Looby (drums and vocals), Torben Macrae (lead guitar), Adam Pattrick (vocals and guitar) and Matt Shorter (bass), who have built a less epic, but equally creative, alt-pop noise. There are some cracking shared girl-boy vocals on Never Gonna Work courtesy of guest vocalist, Abby Greensmith, stop start structures and some welcome glockenspiel to add another colour to the mix. A polite beginning gives way to a glorious punky noise and some really satisfying energy. The final track on the split EP, Faster, is a more standard affair and lacks Greensmith’s charming contribution, but still benefits from some great dynamics and despite the angsty lyric, never descends into self-pity. Overall, if this EP is representative of the

state of rock and roll in South Woodham Ferrers then there’s clearly a lot more going on in the satellite town than I expected, and I’m looking forward to seeing both of these young, clever and vibrant bands at a gig very soon.

Search for Laikaband and Died in Orbit on soundcloud.com to hear this record and other tracks, and keep up with their movements at facebook.com/wearelaika and facebook.com/DiedInOrbit.

An entirely different kind of racket can be heard emanating from whatever garage is currently being shaken by Colchester based The Tickturds. Rik Spanner (guitar/vocals), Clive Chaotic (lead guitar), James Balcombe (drums) and Luke Fisher (bass/vocals) offer up classic punk sounds without ever falling into the trap of sounding too much in awe of their influences. Latest long player, Tickturdius Maximus, is an impressive fifteen track slice of anger and mayhem which never takes itself too seriously. Spanner describes The Tickturds as, “either the hardest working band in Essex, or the worst band in Essex.” Sadly, at the time of going to press I was unable to gain independent verification of either of these claims, but you can decide for yourself by checking out their back catalogue at thetickturds.bandcamp.com and looking out for their upcoming appearances via facebook.com/TheTickturds. They gain extra brownie points, at this time of year, for having a Christmas single called, The Santa Clause, free to download from their bandcamp page. Don’t expect to see it on any cuddly Christmas compilation too soon. Mary’s Boy Child it ain’t!

If you are a local musician and would like Richard to plug your latest record or up-coming gigs then get in touch with biographies, music links and social media @GodsJukebox.

Charity of the Month: Hand in Hand This Christmas at Hand in Hand we are turning our thoughts to New Hope Children’s Centre, Kenya, where the food bill alone amounts to £25,000 for one year. We want to show the children at New Hope that we care. They remind us that Christmas really is all about giving. New Hope provides a haven of love and safety for over 120 orphaned and vulnerable children in the local area. These children are given a ‘home’ in the truest sense of the word, with food playing an important role.

Incredibly it only costs 60 pence to feed one child, three meals, in one day.

The Food for Hope appeal is all about making sure these children don’t just have enough food for Christmas, but for every meal in the year to come.

Local charity, Hand in Hand, is delighted to have the support of the Bishop of Chelmsford Stephen Cottrell and BBC Essex and Chipping Hill Primary School in Witham for the appeal. Children across schools in Essex have experienced a taste of life at New Hope this week as Cecilia Wambui has delivered the assemblies sharing an insight into the life of a child at the home.

You can give Food for Hope in 3 easy steps: 1. Fill in a Food for Hope postcard with a personal message to the children at New Hope.

2. Send the card with a donation of £5, £10 or £30 for a food parcel to show you care.

3. Come along to Carols for Hope on 6th December at Woodend Farm, Witham CM8 1EH to send the cards on their way.

Outline of the Event - Carols for Hope The Carols for Hope event on 6th December is the culmination of the Food for Hope campaign. It will be a fantastic way to get people in the Christmas spirit - there will be stalls, children’s activities etc.

There will be a group from the Salvation Army playing music, the Bishop of Chelmsford delivering a short message and Chipping Hill Primary School choir are coming to sing so it promises to be a great event. We will also be sending all the cards that people have written on their merry way!

About Hand in Hand Hand in Hand is passionate about transforming the lives of children born in poverty. We partner local grass roots projects and help them so they can do their job to the best of their ability. We support children from 0-25 in East Africa, helping them access education and break the cycle of poverty.

For more information, contact us at: Email: info@hihand.org Telephone: 01376 510700 Website: www.hihand.org

Braintree Life Jobs/Recruitment Freelance PHP/MySQL Developers We are looking for freelance web developers to join our team.

You will ideally have experience of WordPress and OpenCart.

Email info@chelmerwebdesign.com

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Our market leading client person to sell our advertising space, based in south Essex are mainly in the Braintree area. recruitng a .Net developer Please email your CV and details of your sales experience to to join their team. Salary Neg ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk + benefits. Send your cv to paul@essexitrecruitment.co.uk Essex IT Recruitment is a recruitment agency based in Chelmsford.

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Chelmsford Civic Society The Society came close to folding last January. However, a packed meeting showed that members felt that there was still a need for a society determined to care for the ‘appearance, history and character’ of Chelmsford. At the AGM on 19th March, a new committee was elected with ten members.

Please complete the form below. If you require further information please Since then, we have arranged a full programme of events for members and the general public. These included: meeting the magistrates, historical walks, visit to Hylands House and a talk from the Dean of Chelmsford. We also have a visit to the Coroner’s Office arranged for 19th December. Next year’s programme has a talk on the restoration of Chelmer navigation and a visit to the Stow Maries First World War airfield. We were involved in this year’s Heritage Open Days with the County Council’s ‘Essex at War’ event in Hylands Park. We organised five events during this year’s Ideas Festival.

The Society has been working with the county and city councils on the future of the Shire Hall for the past two years. With the removal of scaffolding, the newly cleaned frontage is now visible to all. We will continue to press for the protection and appropriate use of our heritage buildings.

visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk

Our Heritage Lottery Fund bid for the Chelmsford Remembers project on the First World War centenary was successful and is now underway. We are working in partnership with the High Chelmer Centre: with the ‘Dead Man’s Penny’ display in the central shopping area.

Details of the project and our programme can be found at www. chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk. We can be found on Facebook and followed on Twitter. If you wish to join, please complete and return the form below or contact us via our website.

Malcolm Noble - Chairman

Jardins available for hire - contact us for available dates for 2015

Chelmsford Civic Society is a registered charity No:271779.

3 sessions for £15 Lim it tim ed e onl y

Phone 01376 323341 www.elmspersonalfitness.co.uk

Lifestyle - CJ’s Top Christmas Dinner Swaps At this time of year it feels like we get bombarded with excess and indulgence with endless social functions. It’s the classic “let’s do a Christmas catch up” as if it only ever happens once! Christmas is an annual event and life does go on after it, and far too often people spend the rest of the following year trying to lose the weight gained during the festive fun.

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Swap brie, camembert and blue cheese for goats, sheep or cottage cheese on your after dinner cheese plate.

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Swap bubbles for still - instead of celebrating every toast with a glass of champagne, alternate each alcoholic drink for a mineral water with freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice.

As we get closer to the day where the big fat man in red falls down the chimney to drop off a sack full of presents in exchange for a mince pie and sherry, create your action plan to avoid packing on the pounds.

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Instead of creating a food mountain on the dinner table, get creative with decorations so there is less room for multiple plates.

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Serve food in smaller bowls that are not piled high - let your guests know there is plenty more in the kitchen. This will encourage everyone not to over eat.

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Swap leftovers for sharing; give your guests a goody bag as they leave to remove all temptation to snack or graze.

This festive season, let’s break some traditions and whilst exchanging gifts make some swops in the kitchen. Follow these tips to ensure you stay lean and healthy rather than feeling like you resemble Santa!

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Make your stuffing with low GI wholegrain bread or oats instead of white breadcrumbs and swap sausage meat for chopped nuts.

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Why not barbecue vegies instead of roasting? Break tradition this year and grill asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms and capsicum instead of roasting vegetables that are laden with lard.

•

Swap cream and ice cream for Greek yoghurt or crème fresh.

Like us: www.facebook.com/braintreelife

For more easy tips on healthy living, or for a personal nutrition and training plan check out cjfigureworks.com or email cj@cjfigureworks.com.

You can also follow me on Facebook - CJFigureworks.

Crafts - by Sam Conway from Sconch New Year’s resolutions - have you made them? I have been thinking a lot over the last couple of weeks about whether to make any and specifically whether to make any crafty resolutions. I’ve had a quick look back at the Sconch blog (www. blog.sconch.com) and have noticed a very definite pattern of making resolutions and then (like so many of us!) a few months later seeing a post where I am noticing that I haven’t really stuck to them and then the following January pledging to do them this time round…

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be less stressed

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quit smoking / junk food

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spend less time on Facebook / watching TV

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spend more time with the kids

We have been a bit inundated with customers at the shop asking for new classes to be held, as we have had a couple of month’s break from holding them, what with one thing or another, meaning I haven’t had the time to put any on, but we are in the process of planning classes for January right now. The biggest request has been for crochet classes - these are always the most popular - but also for felting classes.

If you want to learn something new and tick off a few things from your New Year’s resolutions list, why not let us help you? Classes can be found here: www.sconch. com/classes or ring the shop on 01376 743123.

So this year I have decided to not set any resolutions and instead to concentrate on helping all of our customers with their resolutions.

Learning a new craft is not only good fun, but it is also a great way of learning something to help you relax. Having something to do that isn’t work, or looking after the family, or anything else that you do on a day to day basis; a little space in your hectic life for just you.

Learning a new craft or brushing up on a craft that you haven’t done for a while, or just expanding on skills you already have, also has the benefit of knocking a few more things off your resolution list.

According to several surveys, the most popular resolutions include:

All of these things can be aided by learning a new craft - having something else to focus on can be a really great way of quitting something (such as smoking) and obviously crafting has the benefit that you can then share your skills. Having a craft afternoon once a week (or even once a month) with the kids can be a great bonding time.

We also have Craft’n’Cake at the shop - a great way to meet new people whilst crafting. There is no need to book, just turn up with your craft and we will give you cake. It only costs £3 for the 2 hours and can be a great way to give yourself some ‘me’ time. We hold them every Tuesday morning (10-12) and Thursday nights (6:308:30) as well as the first Saturday of the month (10:30-12:30).

But no matter what you decide, Happy New Year from all of us here at Sconch. ☺

History: The Ghost of Christmas Past...

As December dawns and Christmas approaches, join me for a journey through the museum’s collection of historical photographs to discover images of Christmases past. Below are just a few images from our collection of over 7000 photos and films.

On 30 November this year the museum took part in the Braintree Christmas town event and Christmas light switch on, with storytelling, carol singing, cheerleading and much more. The tradition of Christmas carols dates back to 4th century Rome and many of the carols we still sing today, including ‘Good King Wenceslas’ and ‘The Holly and the Ivy’, are medieval tunes. It is the medieval musical chord patterns that give these carols their distinctive sound. Caroling has always been popular in Braintree district and below is a photograph of carol singing on Halstead High Street on Christmas Eve 1952.

send it to distant relatives to show off their home town and send a Christmas card all for the price of just one stamp.

We associate Christmas as a time at home with family, but there have been many reasons through the centuries why people have not had this luxury. This year we are remembering in particular those separated from loved ones through the First World War and the men who spent Christmas in the trenches. This region was also home to various branches of the USA Air Force between 1944 and 1990.

Below are a selection of photographs from Wethersfield air base, with the Americans and their families celebrating Christmas in a ‘foreign land’.

Christmas cards are far more recent, first appearing in Britain during the Victorian period in 1843. Perhaps surprisingly, the early designs did not show wintery or religious themes, but flowers, fairies and other images that would remind the recipient of spring. Initially the cards were for the wealthy - priced at a shilling each they were too expensive for ordinary people. However, in 1873 the lithograph firm Prang and Mayer began to produce cards for the popular market.

Today trends are changing again as more and more people turn towards e-cards.

This next picture is a Christmas card featuring Braintree and Bocking public gardens. Perhaps it would be used by those staying with relatives in Braintree over Christmas, or maybe locals would

A large number of our historic photographs have been digitalized and can be browsed in the museum gallery.

You can order digital or hard copies of any of these photographs to turn into lovely presents, from calendars to personalized mugs etc. For more information please drop in to the museum or give us a call on 01376 328 868.

Jennifer Brown, Collections and Interpretation Officer, Braintree District Museum.

“...And Absolutely No-One Discovered Us...” By Andrew Ings Do you realise that it is more than 50 years since Cliff Richard‘s record, Move It, hit the streets? All those years ago and it is still played - and is still one of the best. It will no doubt feature in his 75th birthday tour next year.

“Move It” was a song recorded by Cliff Richard and the Drifters - the band that would later become The Shadows.

Originally intended as the b-side to Schoolboy Crush, it was released as Cliff’s debut single on 29 August 1958 and became his first hit record. It is credited with being one of the first authentic rock and roll songs produced outside the United States and was written by Ian Samwell.

Move It effectively brought in the sound of British rock. At the start of the 1960s, his backing group The Shadows was the most successful instrumental group. So, Suddenly Cliff was a household name, but as he once told me, he never knew what to expect.

“Elvis was king, though he hadn’t been crowned! and Tommy Steele was being hailed as the UK’s answer to him. I wanted to be Elvis with the quiff hair and everything. Obviously I used to use Brylcreem, but tried other stuff as well. On one occasion, I even used lard - but it just stank...

“I and my friends were still in school but about to leave. Of course, we knew that Tommy and - quickly on his heels - Terry Dene had been discovered at The 2 I’s and we were desperate to get there to compete. So one night we just showed up and said we’d like to play, and they said, ‘OK, come back next week’. It was as easy as that! We played every night from Monday to Friday - and absolutely no one discovered us!

“But two things did happen. A guy who ran a ballroom offered us a job for one night only and, because he wanted a name to front The Drifters, ‘Cliff Richard’ was born. The second thing was meeting Jan Vane, who thought we were so good she wanted to start a fan club what excellent taste she had! - and her club eventually became the biggest in Britain.

if he had a fan club. Cliff said no, but liked the idea, so she became fan club secretary.”

Bruce Welch, who was at the plaque ceremony, had found the 2I’s in April 1958 and as he has said before, it was a place for what we today call wannabees.

Everybody knew about it because Tommy Steele had supposedly been discovered there in 1956. He had teamed up with Hank Marvin and had worked four nights a week for about five months for the equivalent of 80p per night for a four-hour set.

During his time there he met Jet Harris and Tony Meehan, on the nights he wasn’t singing, he would go downstairs and try and sell orange juice.

One night he said some guys came down - Cliff and the Drifters. Cliff had real charisma according to Bruce. Today most people seem to be on a charisma bypass.

By September 1958, Hank was very well known at the I’s, along with Tony Sheridan - they were a great team.

Apparently one afternoon, Cliff’s manager, John Foster, came down and offered Hank the chance to join Cliff’s band. Hank said ‘only if my mate Bruce can come as well…’

So they went off to a tailor shop in Dean Street where Cliff was being fitted with some stage gear. They all boarded a Green Line bus to Cliff’s house in Cheshunt where they auditioned. They did about twenty minutes then Cliff said: ‘right, you’re in!’

Well that just goes to show that if you don’t try, you will never know how life might turn out. Good on yer Cliff - Keep rockin’.

For a signed copy of my book on the history of the 2i’s, please contact me at andrew.ings@talk21.com or phone me on 01376 322 884.

I am also available to come to your rock ‘n’ roll night and give a talk on the 2i’s - so do get in contact if you’re interested!

“But the experience at The 2 I’s was awesome for us as young musicians - having a nightly audience that was excited by what we were doing was fantastic. I’ll never forget that sweaty little ‘cave’ in Old Compton Street and us with our new shirts bought specially for the occasion. At one end there was a stage, but there was no backstage as such, so we fought our way down, played, and then fought our way back to get a juice or coffee before heading home.

“I don’t think that amateurs are allowed to drop in and play at clubs these days. What a loss of opportunity for the clubs and the amateurs...

“For me, The 2 I’s played a vital part in my career. I played to my first rock audience and though I wasn’t ‘discovered’ there, I did discover myself. I knew what I wanted to be, and had the feeling that I could make it! The 2 I’s is forever part of British rock history, as is The Cavern in Liverpool, but the 2 I’s led the way by a good few years and played a major role in many music careers. Had I never been there of course, I would never have found Hank, Bruce or Tony Meehan. For that alone, The 2 I’s has my eternal thanks!”

Jan Vane, was taken to the 2 I’s one Saturday night by her boyfriend as a treat for her sixteenth birthday. Never having been anywhere like the 2 I’s before, she had the impression that if Cliff was playing there he must be famous. She stayed behind after the show and asked Cliff

Each month Sarah Brockwell will give us her top tips on a variety of subjects. www.sarahbeemarketing.com (T) 01371 859104 (M) 07955 132149

Gardening Thanks to all those of you that wrapped up against the cold to come to Writtle College for our pre-Christmas Information Event on the 3rd December - what a turnout! Hopefully all of your questions were answered.

Don’t forget we have NEW courses starting in January and February 2015. Ask for details on Practical Horticultural classes; ideal for anyone on Job Seekers Allowance or other related benefits.

Equally, we have Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) classes starting mid-February in Garden Planning - check out this link for more information: http://www.writtle.ac.uk/RHS-Level-2-Certificate-in-thePrinciples-of-Garden-Planning-Establishment-and-Maintenance.

It’s only a few weeks till Christmas day and still there’s a load of jobs yet to complete before you rest up and enjoy the festivities. I for one am still trying to clear the garden of this years old dying perennial foliage - other than the grasses which I leave until February before raising to the ground.

They can look so good covered in frost. Try out these personal favourites of mine, Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ (Feather reed-grass ‘Karl Foerster’); it gets to about 90cm, non-spreading habit, upright with beautiful dense branching flowering panicles in summer. Another is Anemanthele lessoniana (New Zealand wind grass); this is a great semi-evergreen grass with feathery sprays of tiny reddish-brown

flowers. And lastly, every garden should have Pennisetum setaceum (African fountain grass); usually grown as an annual, forming a mound of narrow, upright leaves, with slender feathery pinkish flower panicles. For me, the latter is perfect with late flowering asters… with both not being cut down until late winter.

Haven’t got the space? Then all three are perfect for pots and containers. You just need to have a suitable depth of at least 60cm by around 60cm in width. For compost I tend to use soil-based examples such as John Innes No2 Potting Compost (it’s an equivalent

to multi-purpose loam-less composts). If you can still find spring flowering bulbs, add these to the container to extend the season in the spring when the grasses will not be looking so spectacular.

Whatever you do over the festive period, have fun… but be prepared for the onslaught of work in the spring. It could be all you need to get rid of those Christmas excesses.

Good luck and happy gardening!

For any gardening tips why not contact Tom Cole, Head of Faculty for Land & Environment, Writtle College, Chelmsford, CM1 3RR by post (including a SAE) or by email at tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk.

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GG’s Camera Tips So the countdown is on and Christmas is on the way, exciting I know!

Christmas is the perfect opportunity for dusting off the camera and capturing all the magical moments it can bring. Last year when photographing my family, my favourite images of the day were of the joy on the children’s faces as they ripped the wrapping paper off in seconds in the excitement of discovering what was inside!

Anticipating the Perfect Photograph In this issue I wanted to discuss anticipating the perfect photograph, this is aimed at both smart phone and DSLR photographers.

this is one of the key skills that great photographers will employ every time they use their cameras.

Watching situations develop is really important, sometimes waiting for particular emotions require patience. Photo opportunities often develop quite fast so always have your camera to hand. Another bit of advice would be turning on multiple shots on your camera so you can fire a quick burst of images hopefully capturing the desired image. I know with the new iPhone you can hold down the camera button for a number of seconds and it will take a burst of images.

Sometimes the situation will not always develop into the photograph you imagined, but having this mind-set will help get you some great photographs.

I hope this quick tip helps. Have a lovely Christmas!

It may seem simple to have to wait for a photograph, but

Gemma Giorgio Photography

Offer valid until 31st January 2015.

Pet Corner - Millennium Veterinary Practice Is Antifreeze really poisonous to cats?

Unfortunately, the simple answer is yes and many people are unaware of the danger of fatal antifreeze poisoning in pets. The RSPCA are investigating a poisoning outbreak where 22 cats were poisoned in a single village over the period of a month and are concerned that this was a deliberate attack. Backed by members of parliament, the government is being lobbied to add a bitterant (Bitrex) to antifreeze, the ideal being that the resulting bitter taste will discourage animals from drinking it. Commonly though, this occurs from accidental poisoning caused by spills or leaks, as well as leaking water coolant, from vehicles. The following explains the consequences, signs and some guidance on this subject to help avoidable deaths.

How do cats get poisoned?

Cats Protection reported that nearly 1,200 cats have suffered fatal antifreeze poisoning since November 2012. Alarmingly, this equates to 50 cats a month across the country. We have had our fair share of antifreeze poisoning cases to treat ourselves at Millennium and it is heart-breaking for us and our clients, especially as it is preventable.

Perhaps not a cheery article to give you during the Christmas period, but it is important to raise awareness especially at this time of year.

For our opening times over the Christmas period, please visit www. millenniumvets.co.uk, and from all our staff at the Millennium Veterinary Practice, we wish all Braintree Life readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dot Creighton (Registered Veterinary Nurse)

Cats will lick antifreeze as it is thought to be sweet in taste, but they do this to their peril as it if not treated quickly it will be fatal. The poison contains highly toxic ethylene glycol. Even very small amounts can be fatal as it causes crystals to form in the kidneys leading to a very rapid onset of kidney failure. Treatment to reverse this is likely to be ineffective - once the kidneys are damaged they are unable to repair themselves.

How will I know my cat has been poisoned?

If you suspect your cat could have come in contact with antifreeze or leaked water coolant, or is showing any of the following signs, it is important you take them to see a vet immediately.

• • • • • • •

Vomiting Seeming depressed/sleepy Appearing drunk and uncoordinated Seizures (fits) Difficulty breathing Increased thirst Increased urination

The signs of poisoning can start to develop very quickly - as little as 30 minutes after ingestion. It will only take 2-3 days before the signs of kidney failure are seen.

The sooner you take your cat to your vet the better, as it increases their chances of survival. This should be treated as an emergency.

Without immediate treatment their pain, suffering and distress will ultimately cause death.

How do you keep your pet safe?

• Regularly check your car to ensure it isn’t leaking water coolant • Take care storing, using and disposing of antifreeze and water coolant • Always keep antifreeze in clearly labelled, robust, sealed containers, away from pets and their environment • Clean up spills immediately, no matter how small and ensure pets cannot access the area until it’s clean and safe • Always dispose of antifreeze and water coolant safely and responsibly, (you can contact the local authority for further advice on this.)

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Safety Is No Accident - by Simon Culleton

For the purposes of health and safety I must first warn all the readers that this column may contain overly long sentences, with numerous syllabled words that some readers may find arduous and stressful. Also sarcasm and if possible wit - may be interjected throughout and if not completely understood, may induce confusion followed by a distinct loss of humour.

I therefore strongly advice that you resist the urge to comprehend something that you may later not fully understand. For more information contact www.getalife.com.

Health and safety does seem to have gone crazy recently, although it has been with us for a surprisingly long time - over 150 years in fact, with the first laws in 1847 restricting the working week. Although it’s only been since 1974 (when they should have banned flared trousers) that health and safety as we know it today really took hold. It’s noble purpose being to protect us at work and at home, which in fairness it does.

Yet, mention health and safety now-adays and people will recoil in frustration and most can recall an occasion where it is used more as an excuse not to do something for fear of being sued than for protection: a school in Gloucester banned girls from wearing frilly socks because it was a trip hazard and a Yorkshire woman had her parasol confiscated at a day at the races for fear it would hurt others - although she was allowed it back when it rained. My favourite was in the West Midlands where a fish monger, under the guise of health and safety, refused to fillet a fish for a customer on account that it was ‘too slippery’.

Even a council who proclaimed to be proud to fly the flag of health and safety later, because of a fire risk, banned the flying of flags from their council flats. It’s examples like that which cause people to believe that health and safety has gone mad.

Now, at this festive time of year it seems that health and safety has come like the ghost of Christmas passed to dampen our sprits. Last year, a growing number of councils replaced human Santa’s on the top of floats with plastic ones for fear the human ones will slip off; (ho ho ho aaah).

Some department stores advise their Santa grottos not to give out sweets for fear of allergies and children not to be encouraged to sit on Santa’s knee and if they persist to be placed there only by a parent. A fact that a Santa Claus working in Selfridges realised at the expense of his job in 2008 when he not only encouraged the child but it’s pretty mother to sit on his knee as well (“what would you like for Christmas?”)

His defence was “I just wanted her to get

involved in the moment”.

Yet, for all its confusion, misuse and stagnating affects, health and safety is there to protect us and one cannot deny the impressive and overwhelming statistic that since 1974 there has been an 87% reduction in work related deaths. We now enjoy shorter working days, machinery that doesn’t rip your hand off, houses with smoke alarms and fire exits, gas fires are less likely to suffocate us with carbon monoxide and we can enjoy the use of electrical goods without fear of electrocution. (Unless of course you are on ‘death row’ in Texas).

In short; thanks to health and safety we now have a better chance of ending our working careers alive and with all the arms, legs and fingers that we started with. But, if you are still concerned about your health and safety over the Christmas holidays, especially when opening presents, then you can always wear eye goggles, ear defenders, gloves and a face mask… and don’t forget; if you are going to leave some milk and biscuits out for Santa; make sure it doesn’t contain nuts.

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What’s On Braintree District Arts is pleased to work in partnership with Braintree Life, supplying information for this column as we are not currently producing a What’s On this quarter.

December 13th Dec (Sat) 1.00pm - 1.45pm - George Yard Shopping Centre musical performance - Crosswinds Band 2.00pm - 3.00pm - George Yard Shopping Centre community carols - accompanied by Crosswinds Band 20th Dec (Sat) 10.00am - 12 Midday - George Yard Shopping Centre musical performance - Bocking Brass under the bandstand 24th Dec (Wed) 10.00am - 3.00pm - George Yard Shopping Centre Father Christmas - see Father Christmas in his Grotto 26th Dec (Fri) 10.00 - 4.00pm - Boxing Day - Some shops are open in George Yard Shopping Centre 27th Dec (Sat) Jardins - The Melting Pot

Preserve your h¾™íhĂ–Ă&#x;>Ă&#x;ü½™Õüh¾òĂ&#x; memories... Ă“hÖÚà ½=ÂśĂ&#x;Ă“Ă–jh½åĂ&#x; à –žĂ&#x; –ÖÂ?à š@ÔÔÔĂ&#x;

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Baking by Lucy Norwood Christmas is upon us and the festive season is in full swing! I get asked this question a lot - “what are the essentials I need to start decorating cakes?” Well, I’m going to tell you my top ten. In the sales with the money you get at Christmas, you can start your collection now!

Sugarcraft supplies can often be seen as expensive and although this is sometimes true, there’s always a cheaper option out there. To get you started, look online where you can often pick up sets of cutters and punches to get your collection started.

1. Non-stick rolling pin A great piece of equipment. Avoids the fondant from turning into a sticky mess! Start off by buying a small rolling pin, there are big ones for sale online, but you really only need a mini one to begin with.

2. Non-stick board Means the icing will not stick to your worktop. Again, just get a small one to start with!

9. Piping nozzle and piping bag An essential! You can get sets of piping nozzles which all have various uses and shapes. Some are curved to make piped roses with, you usually get a lot of star nozzles and even grass nozzles.

10. Turntable I can’t live without my turntable. I have one that I picked up for £2.99 online and it’s fantastic. Again, don’t go with anything fancy, it’s not a fancy piece of kit, as long as it spins!

Practice makes perfect - so don’t get frustrated if your ideas don’t go to plan on the first try! Here is a recipe for some really easy sugar biscuits. Practice rolling out your icing, cutting out your toppers and practice your piping skills on something small and easy like biscuits before starting on a big cake. As it makes quite a few, you’ve got plenty of opportunities to try out different designs.

For decorating, put a bit of edible glue, or some water icing on the cookie to help stick the fondant down. Try piping round the edges, making sugarcraft decorations and you will soon be confident in using you new equipment!

3. Smoothing tool

Basic Biscuit Dough

This is honestly a lifesaver. Forget using your hands and getting all sticky, this is great to smooth down rolled icing. If you have an air bubble, you can get rid of it by making sure the icing is smooth by using this tool.

Makes 40 biscuits

4. Basic flower cutter

2 tsp vanilla extract

There are a lot of rose petal and fancy flower cutters out there, but start with a basic plunger. You can do so much with one fondant cutter, have an experiment with different colours and styles.

2 tsp lemon zest (grated)

5. Basic leaf cutter

325g softened unsalted butter

425g/15oz plain flour 75g/3 oz caster sugar

4 egg yolks

Again, start with a simple one. Go for a rose leaf or holly leaf cutter.

6. Basic butterfly cutter Something you will use on a lot of female birthday cakes or cupcakes!

A great piece to have in your box. You can get plungers that also push down to press a pattern onto the top of the icing, which really finishes off any cake project.

7. Formers You can buy foam pads which look a bit like egg trays, and the aim of these is to form your icing into a certain shape whilst it dries. For example, you can put flowers in them to look more lifelike because when they dry they will have a curved shape to them.

8. Modelling tools You can buy sets of tools, including ball tools, online. They have various uses but I mostly use them for modelling.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (Gas Mark 4). Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper.

2. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix together until it forms a dough. Alternatively, use an electric food mixer.

3. Bring the dough together and flatten out into a rough circle.

Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured worktop until about 5mm thick. Use various cutters in shapes of your choice to cut out the dough.

5. Place onto a baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly golden. Allow to stand for a few minutes before lifting from the tray and moving onto a cooling rack.

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Fashion by Emma Smith Last time I wrote about Christmas partywear, this month I will be covering Christmas accessories for ladies and gents.

I will be featuring sparkly stuff and luxury accessories from the high street, with great high street prices. These are my best buys for pre-Christmas, whether you want to liven up your outfit for the party season, or want to find a Christmas gift for a girlfriend, boyfriend, best friend or member of your family. There is something for everyone here.

Brooches

If you are tired of buying the same old body lotion for a gift and want to buy something unique this Christmas, head to Now and Then Dress Agency and Vintage Boutique. I saw two beautiful brooches on my visit, the Large Diamante Brooch £10.00, which would dress up any blazer or coat and the Vintage Christian Dior Brooch £32.00 - an amazing pressie for someone special.

Evening Bags Ladies, are you looking for a statement sparkly clutch to dress up your outfit?

There are loads on the high street currently. My favourite, for it’s vintage look, is the Lexi Hardcase Clutch Bag 6893359700 £45.00 from Accessorize.

Or try out the pared down, but stylish, Metallic Woven Abbey Clutch Bag 6892238100 £29.00, also from Accessorize. For an absolute bargain, head to Primark, they have some lovely encrusted jewelled bags, that are only £10.00; Gold & Grey Beaded Evening Bag £10.00, Primark. For that special present and something that will be treasured, the 50s 3 Way Clutch £29.00 is stunning, it’s from Now and Then Dress Agency and Vintage Boutique.

Necklaces Multi Stone Fan Necklace £12.00 from Warehouse looks far more expensive then it is, it will go with any outfit as it’s black and gold and is a statement piece without being OTT. If you know someone who loves big, bold and blingy, then head to Marks and Spencer and snap up the Limited Edition Necklace ref 290175 £22.50, it’s a gorgeous, gem encrusted, collar style necklace, which will dress up your LBD. Shoes If you are searching for some fabulous heels, there are a couple of pairs that really stand out; you’ll find them at Now and Then Dress Agency and Vintage Boutique. Both pairs are perfect for the Christmas party season; 1980s Gina Shoes £39.00 in dark silver Each Sarah Brockwell will give us her top tips on a variety of with fan month detail and M&S (St Michael) Shoes £35.00 in glitter.

At subjects.

Next, take a look at the ‘oh so sparkly’ Mid Point Courts £26.00 in Shimmer. Or, if you are on a budget, then head over to Primark and www.sarahbeemarketing.com check out these gorgeous and very wearable going out shoes; suede(T)courts 01371in859104 look electric (M) blue07955 93769132149 £12.00 and black suede-look Mary Janes 73446 £12.00. There are also some great deals to be had at

Debenhams; Carvela has reductions on party shoes in all sizes. For the guys, at Topman, I spotted some smart loafers, Grail Black Tassle

Loafer £36.00 97O01IBLK and Grail Perforated Black Suedette Loafers £36.00 97O10IBLK. Hats For the gents, if you want to get ahead this party season get a hat!

Topman have trilbies and fedoras on offer. Over at Marks and Spencer, they have the very dapper M&S COLLECTION Pure Wool Fedora T090802M £23.60, this could be a stylish but practical gift for your dad.

For the ladies, you will find a wide selection of hats at Accessorize.

My favourite hat, was at Miss Selfridge - the Teal Felt Fedora Hat 49A34MGRN £17.50.

Gloves Next should be your first and only stop if you are looking for gloves for a gift. You will not go far wrong with their selection of ladies Leather Gloves £16.00. They come in a wide variety of colours from berry to green. And nothing beats a classic leather glove for warmth and style.

Bow Ties For the guys that are determined to dress up this Christmas, or as a perfect gift for your boyfriend, husband, dad or grandad, it must be a bow tie.

You’ll find some on-trend and slightly quirky bow ties at Topman.

For something more classical, head over to Marks and Spencer or Debenhams. M&S have the M&S Collection Pre Tied Velvet Bow Tie T128570, £12.50. At Debenhams you’ll find the Hammond and Co Designer Navy Embroidered Pheasants Bow Tie, 0970103903, £16.00.

Scarves A great addition to a man’s wardrobe is always a scarf, why not tart up an outfit with a tartan one? M&S Blue Harbour Pure Lambswool Checked Scarf T096043B £20.00. And ladies, you don’t have to miss out, there are lovely blanket scarves available from Accessorize; Bright Check Blanket Scarf 6872569900 £19.00 and Indigo Aztec Blanket Scarf 6871504100 £19.00.

Happy Christmas Everyone.

Emma Smith is a style consultant and lives in Chelmsford. She offers personal shopping and wardrobe planning.

Contact: Email: emma@emmasmith.co.uk. Website: www.emmasmith.co.uk.

Photo credit: Now and Then Dress Agency and Vintage Boutique.

Braintree At Christmas...

On saturday the 15th of November there were some camels in the George Yard shopping centre in Braintree. My brother and I rode on two of the camels, they were all dressed very nicely.

I was really excited about riding on a camel because it was my first time and also the first time I had even seen a camel. I was so fascinated to see a camel.

My brother said that he was also very excited to see the camels, they were all dressed in Christmas clothes and were very soft to stroke and looked very fancy.

The camel ride was so much fun and we hope to be able to ride them again next year at Christmas time.

Summer (age 10) and Sammy (age 9)

Innovation Majorettes are a group of children, young adults and adults who enjoy performing at carnivals, fetes, events and competing across the country.

We teach military, military freestyle, pom pom, baton, flag, combination, cheerleading and dance routines using such equipment as mace, baton, poms, flags, ribbons, hoops and several props.

18

Innovation have members from Witham, Braintree, Silver End and even Clacton and they train Wednesday nights 6.30 – 8.30pm at Witham Football club and Sundays 10.00 – 2.00pm at the Black Notley Community Hall. If you would like to come and join us please either turn up or email our leader trainer Emma Dillard via emmadillard29@ aol.com.

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balloon power!

When Will England Win the World Cup?

By Simon Inglis Please forgive the sarcasm about to follow this month - it is apparently a national characteristic and I am full of such thoughts when I hear/ read or watch anything about The Premiership.

Us silly Aussies tend to think of England as a cricketing nation (well, aside from The Ashes, it isn’t). The summer series against India passed by with hardly a note. Newspapers, unlike during last year’s Ashes, barely seemed to refer to England’s test-match turn-around (after all, isn’t test cricket the pinnacle, then the one-day game, then that convoluted T-20 show - which is good fun to watch but surely not take seriously?!). Until Kevin Pietersen’s book was published, cricket barely seemed to enter the sports or opinion pages on these shores.

I suppose I shouldn’t comment on that too much, suffice to say that a batsman with some 100 tests, plus an average pushing 50, should surely have been managed differently. Then again, Australia has also dropped gifted players for various reasons also. However, despite my countrymen’s jokes, he, and other ‘foreign born’ cricketers were English to me and cricket in England remains dotted with players who actually speak our language - oh no, I’m not meaning to sound like a raving nationalist, but regarding English football I probably and unashamedly will.

Do I like English football, in particular The Premiership? Do I follow it?

Do I care who wins? In a simple answer - NO. Not a jot. However, does this ‘Aussie-rules beer-swilling ocker’ follow the world game? Indeed!

I’m happy as ever that Australia finally has a fair run to the World Cup, that my home town team in Australia has started it’s domestic season rather well; I was in two-minds as to whether to support Germany or Argentina in the World Cup Final, but I was gutted when Brazil were beaten 7-1. So yes I do love the game. Though I do not like what it has become.

I believe it was the chairman (or some-such) of the FA who described Manchester City’s last title win as ‘depressing’ with only one or two Englishmen in the team. To me and to many observers and indeed to many English people, the game’s soul has been sold for the mighty - um what is it - pound, dollar, Euro? Or whatever currency is applicable.

We already face the absurdity of a World Cup in Qatar and I’ll say no more about that. Yet here in England who really cares who wins The Premiership? I reckon if I were born in or near Manchester my interest would equally fade, rather I’d probably forge an interest in the lower division clubs such as Macclesfield. In fact, the lower divisions offer more interest regarding the future of the national team as, in reality, do any Englishmen play in the top league? Yes they do, but so do the world’s millionaires. The game is a business - we all know that. Yet surely it shouldn’t be secondary to the concerns of the national team? The Euro’s and World Cup rotate every 4 years as major international prizes. How on earth can Chelsea, the Manchester clubs, Liverpool or Arsenal et-al be of greater importance than the national team?!

Australian Rules and rugby made great strides following the US-NFL

draft system. With each club restricted to a player salary cap, those who support ‘poorer’ clubs eventually will - and do indeed - see their team rise to the top, if not they get close. In Australia, few teams stay at the top for long. This is controversial but it makes the seasons interesting. A low finish means key draft picks of the best talent in the land, watching that talent develop then hopefully with good selections, one’s club has a shot at the top every 5-10 years.

The rich clubs remain rich in lean times - they simply are forbidden to splash their cash and when caught out (as is often the case, admittedly via sly ‘benefits’ to players) they face enormous financial consequences. Yet, like in the US, the draft is keenly observed - our bottom four clubs are almost as fascinating as our top four as they are seen to be an indication of the future.

So imagine such a system for English football along with a quota of English players - no, just English - not Welsh, Irish or Scottish as they have their own teams. It is not the cure nor answer to that elusive World Cup or even a European Championship, but it just may help surely?

I understand that vested interests will probably never allow it to happen and we will continue to be subjected to ridiculous advertisements on television illustrating old men and young children waiting in the rain at bus stations for their weekly/twice-weekly football fix. Attendees and viewers earning £7 per hour will pay the exorbitant prices to see these overpaid and at times vulgar - and yes, foreign - in the worst possible sense live in England for one reason - money. Those who love England and their team must be beyond despair about the national team - I read recently that my country has a 30-40 year plan to win a World Cup - indeed, it will take that long to groom the game and develop players further. I also think it could well take that long in the current situation for England to repeat it’s performance of 1966. How very sad - feel free to mock me if I am wrong!

On this basis however there may yet be a silver lining; a World Cup Final between England and Australia sometime around 2050?! Don’t laugh, however unfeasible today, it just may happen. China may be around the mark by then as well. I’ll attempt to finish with a misquote of the late John Lennon: “imagine there is no FIFA, it isn’t hard to do….”

In the meantime, I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! Keep an eye on the two World Cups to savour in 2015; from an English perspective, rugby union looks more exciting than the cricket at this stage, but who knows, anything can happen as I’ve inferred above!

PS: at the time of submitting this article, the tragic news of Australian cricketer Philip Hughes’ death has been confirmed. Philip is not worth a mention because he is a fellow Australian, nor indeed for the fact that he was playing for my home state - rather that he has passed away playing a game so many of us dreamed we would be able to play ourselves when young. It’s a passing that has naturally crossed nations and for what it’s worth, my prayers and sympathy go out to his and other’s at both professional and amateur level who have suffered horrific sporting injuries. Let our prayers also be with the young bowler who truly was only just doing his job, and in time let us hope the cricketing fraternity finds a way to further protect our sportsmen and women - be they professionals, or our own children playing weekend games.

We are always looking for writers!

If you wish to write for us about a subject of your choice which we do not already have featured, please email: editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk 20

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Fitness by Post-workout: what should you be doing?

You look at the clock and realise your session is over, you’re probably feeling relieved that you can relax knowing that you don’t have to lift another weight or run another lap around the treadmill. So what do you do next? Slump in front of the TV with a large glass of wine and a ready meal? I hope not!

During a 60 minute group personal workout did you know that you’re breaking down muscle tissue which will need repairing? The best way to do this is by consuming some form of protein. Also after your personal workout your body will be lacking carbohydrates, so it is important to eat something which includes carbs. These carbs will aid the recovery of the muscles, helping you to get back into the gym sooner!

Our training sessions allow you to consume a decent amount of carbs post-workout due to the high intensity training. Eating carbs postworkout is actually better for you, as your body will use it as energy rather than store it as fat for later.

Now don’t leave it too long to eat after working out. There may be too much cortisol in your system after working out which will throw your body into eating its own muscle to fuel itself, which creates a situation where your fat is still stored and will result in you getting bigger rather than slimming down!

Aside from eating, it is important to get your stretches in after your workout and make sure you spend at least 10 seconds on each stretch, just because the Champions League is on shouldn’t mean you skip those quad stretches! Remember to think about all the muscle groups when stretching after a session and not just your legs!

Most importantly, watch what you are drinking - before, during and after your workout. Water and coconut water is a great electrolyte drink and a perfect alternative to sugary energy drinks.

If you need any advice or want to talk over your eating, pre and post workout, talk to your trainer,t who will be more than happy to help!

If you need any more help and advice relating to your exercise and help with your diet, talk to our personal trainers at your local club!

Visit: www.elmspersonalfitness.co.uk or telephone: 01376 323 341.

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Rotary at Christmas As it’s Christmas, I thought I would give you all a flavour of the various events and activities that clubs are doing around the district. Starting close to home in Chelmsford; at the recent turning on of the Christmas lights there were Rotarians from the local clubs handing out mulled wine and mince pies for a modest fee and this raised over £1100 for the mayor’s charity as well as raising the spirits of the shoppers.

Also round and about, you will probably come across Santa’s sleigh or meet up with Rotarians with collection tins. These Christmas collections are all for local good causes and the Essex folk are always so generous when it comes to support for those less fortunate.

In Chelmsford we will be taking some of our senior citizens to the pantomime, which is one of the highlights of the year for them as many live alone and they really look forward to this special treat.

We particularly look to support CHESS, the homeless shelter and a small charity called Sanctus in Chelmsford which is a cafe that provides free meals to all those who need them. Sometimes this can be as many as 40 people in a single day - a sobering thought in affluent Chelmsford. This, coupled with the Foodbank, shows that many people are struggling to make ends meet.

The Rotary Club of Chelmer Bridge will be putting on the traditional New Year’s Day Charity Concert in the Cathedral, featuring the Essex

Young People’s Orchestra and admission for this is just £10 for adults and £5 for those aged eighteen or under. Tickets will be available on the door and the concert starts at 7.30pm.

Our Essex team recently returned from the 33rd Disabled Sports Championships in Coventry and Rotary clubs support the games financially and through escorting all the competitors. A new trophy has just been introduced for Sports Personality of the Championship in memory of David Lee, who died earlier this year and who was instrumental in getting Rotary’s involvement.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when talking about Rotary and Christmas, but there is also lots of fun and parties in the Rotary clubs themselves because Rotarians know how to have a good time. All the usual stuff - silly hats, brussel sprouts, crackers and carols! So whilst Christmas is a time for sharing and caring for the less fortunate it is also a time to spend with friends.

We are always on the lookout for like-minded people to join us to put something back into the community, so if you would like more details as to how you can be part of a Rotary club, visit www.rotary1240.org or phone me on 01245 260349. You will get so much enjoyment and satisfaction.

Happy Christmas and a healthy New Year.h Stan Keller

Wine Corner Hello again. I hope all is well with you and that you are looking forward to the festive season. We are already in Christmas mode as the grandchildren are already putting in their requests!

If you remember, Shirley Shiraz was about half way through her blog last month so here is the second bit...

“There were no more tastings today, as we were transferring to a stunning hotel in the citadel in Blaye overlooking the estuary. It really was the most magnificent setting and we saw the most amazing sunset whilst enjoying, yet again, a lovely dinner.

“Monday: after breakfast we set off to Chateau Tayac. This was a really beautiful chateau and the Madame de Chateau gave us a history of the chateau and surrounding area. We tasted a rose, two reds and a white - all Cotes de Bourg. The wines again are all made in the traditional way and were all very good. They could all be kept and again the reds were a mixture of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The white was 40% Semillion, 40% Sauvignon and 20% Muscadet. These wines were all excellent value and our hostess was most entertaining, and she gave us some bottles to have with our lunch - very generous of her and we certainly managed to drink them, it would have been rude not to!

“We had another superb lunch overlooking the river, followed by a short walk. My friend and I set off on our own, as some of the group weren’t quite ready to go. Mark told us to wait when we reached the port. We reached what we can only describe as a large sandbank with about half a dozen boats on it; we thought that couldn’t be described as a port, so carried on walking. We knew we were walking the right way back to our hotel, but had no idea where the rest of the party were. When they finally caught up with us (in the minibus), one of our group (a former US marine) assured us he’d been tracking us the whole time and was proud that he had ‘rescued‘ us! I can’t say we agreed with that, but at least it made a funny story for later and we can now claim we have been rescued by a US marine!

“The next morning we crossed on the ferry to the Medoc. Wine classification here was decided in 1855 and was created to present famous Bordeaux wines at the Paris Universal Exhibition. The responsibility for drawing it up was given by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce to the ‘Bordeaux Trade Brokers’. The idea was to establish a classification based on many years of trade experience, which was the recognition for each estate of its Terrior and reputation.

Information of course, came from the most reliable sources.

Published on April 18 1855, the classification was the confirmation of an existing market and the evolution over more than a century. The land was originally marshland, but the Dutch came over in the 19th Century and used their expertise to drain the land.”

22

Jonny here. Do you ever reflect how much times have changed? I was walking under a horse chestnut tree recently and nearly slipped on the dozens of conkers that were on the ground. Well, this would never happen in my day. Conkers were eagerly knocked from trees using sticks thrown from hthe ground (no ‘elf ‘n’ safety then you see) then taken home to have holes drilled in them and string threaded through, then straight outside to smash other peoples conkers to bits - great fun but not for present times. I almost found myself bending down to pick a few up, but managed to stop (people were looking). The same day, I was taking my granddaughter to school when she met a friend to walk with.

Was the conversation about conkers? Well no, they were discussing what apps they wanted for their computers. Ah! Perhaps I have found a gap in the market, I should design a computer game for playing conkers. Now where should I start...

“We visited the Lynch-Bages Chateau. This is very big operation and all their wine is sold whilst still being produced. There is a whole village - Village de Bages - on this site, with a bakery, deli, butchers, wine shop and bistro. Compared to the smaller vineyards we’d visited, this was a very slick operation. They maintain a museum and showed how wine was made a century ago, comparing to how it is done today.

We tasted one wine here but it wasn’t actually for sale. I think as group, we all preferred the smaller, friendlier places we’d visited - but that may have been because generally we had been given more than one wine to sample! In the afternoon we visited Chateau PontetCanet, an organic biodynamic vineyard. This means the plant and soil working together. They only use natural pesticides, which they cultivate themselves and they are gradually introducing horses back into their harvest process as they do less damage to the soil. They use a mix of old and new technology and although their wines do go to the authorities to be tested (as does every other wine produced), they tend to ignore the results and leave it to nature to sort out any problems.

They don’t trim the vines as they do in most vineyards; they wrap the vines around themselves. Although this is time and labour intensive, they consider they get a far better crop. The wine was very good but very expensive!

“On our last morning, we called in at Chateau Lilian-Ladouy. This was our earliest wine-tasting – 10.15am! The chateau was named after the owner’s wife – it was considered to be a very romantic gesture!

This vineyard is now owned by the Chinese, as are several in the area. They are investing, but they really want to turn out cheap wine and that isn’t what the region is about – the quality of all the wines we tasted was very good. It will be interesting to see how this all develops going forward.

“We had a long walk to the banks of the river and the last of Laurent’s fabulous lunches. Again, we had wine from some of the vineyards we’d visited – there always seemed an endless supply!

After lunch, we had a short walk to our last visit of the trip, Chateau

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Loudenne, famous for its white wines, unusual in this region. This Chateau is also a hotel and a venue for weddings etc and again was a stunning location. We were taken through the wine making process at this vineyard, which was a bit different as they mostly produce white and therefore don’t have the storage needs.

well it hadn’t been used as I could imagine it would have been most unpleasant being inside!”

“In the evening, we were taken to a Chateau for our final dinner – it was the most beautiful setting and the food and wine was once again, excellent.”

vineyards than I care to remember. We sampled some excellent wines, ate some amazing food and all in good company. A great way to spend time!!”

“Just a small history note. We visited a small vineyard which had been in the family since the 15th century and contained a small wine making museum. The owner had been very ill, so generally this isn’t open, but Laurent has known him for some time, so he opened up for us. There were many interesting artifacts and was well worth a visit. What I wanted to mention was the large dovecote next to the museum. The French bred pigeons for food and the larger the dovecote, the more wealthy you were. This dovecote was extremely rare, as most were destroyed during the revolution and also, it had never been used. From our point of view, it was perhaps just as

Thanks Shirley, I would like to try this holiday.

“During the trip, we learned so much about wine making, both old hand new methods, the region, the people, the history and saw more

Bin end chuckles.

A mummy covered in chocolate and nuts has been discovered in Egypt, experts think it may be a Pharaoh Rocher.

I have friends who claim to dream in colour. I think it’s just a pigment of their imagination.

Keep calm and carry on drinking (in moderation).

Braintree Belle’s by Nickschofieldart.co.uk

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