Braintree Life November/December 2014

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Issue Number 5 - November/December 2014

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BL Welcome Welcome to issue 5 of Braintree Life.

We hope you are enjoying our magazine, please do write to us if you have any suggestions for us. We are also always looking for one-off articles and new regular writers. Please send us an email to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk if you are interested.

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Paul & Nick

it’s your media ltd Advertising Editorial Nick Garner Paul Mclean 07970 206682 07595 949701 ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk editorial@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.

Christmas Fair at the Warner Textile Archive Celebrate beautiful design, local craft and a festive side to Braintree’s heritage at the Warner Textile Archive’s annual Christmas Fair on Sunday 16th November.

Marking the opening of the Archive’s Christmas shop, enjoy some of the carefully curated selection of gifts, decorations and accessories for the festive period.

The Archive Shop and Gallery will be filled with an array of decorations and gifts embracing all things craft, design and textiles. From hand-finished decorations, specially stitched for the Warner Textile Archive and homewares expertly made by Fairtrade organisations across the world, to unique stocking fillers and luxury accessories, the day will provide the perfect shopping opportunity for the gift-giving season.

As usual, the Archive will be fabulously decorated, including another superb Christmas tree, sure to inspire and get visitors into the festive spirit.

Christmas Store Tours with former Warner & Sons employee Jan Weavers will offer a festive take on Braintree’s heritage. Spaces are free and available on a firstcome-first-served basis - be sure to collect yout tickets on arrival!

Event: Date: Venue: Opening Times: Tickets:

Christmas fair Sunday 16th November 2014 Warner Textile Archive, Silks Way, Braintree CM7 3GB 10am - 4pm £2 per person, on the day

Christmas Events at the Archive Paper Crafting for Christmas, with Jill Beard: Tuesday 18th November - 10am - 1pm Learn the traditional techniques behind German cut paper work and create festive decorations for the home, or unique gifts for your friends and family. All materials will be provided, but please bring small, sharp scissors if you have them. Suitable for a ll skill levels.

Please call 01376 557 741 to book. £15 per person.

Christmas Gift Shop 19th and 26th November and 3rd, 6th, 10th and 17th December - 10am - 4pm Why not pop in and browse the unique homewares, accessories and gifts on display in the Archive’s Christmas Gift Shop? You might find some inspiration for decorating your own home this Christmas time.

FREE admission.

Christmas Shopping Evening Thursday 27th November - 5pm - 8.30pm Enjoy a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine alongside traditional carols as the Archive opens its Christmas Gift Shop for a special festive evening.

FREE admission.

The Warner Textile Archive is a unique design resource highlighting the success and innovation of Warner & Sons, one of the nation’s great textile companies from the late 1800s. All events support the continued conservation of the Archive collection.

For further information, please contact Katie Martin, Marketing & Visitor Services Officer: Email: katie.martin@braintree.gov.uk Telephone: 01376 557 741

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Rotary World Polio Day It was World Polio Day on October 24.

This year it was particularly significant as it was the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Jonas Salk who developed the vaccine that enabled us to finally get to grips with this terrible disease.

Rotary has been at the forefront of the campaign to eradicate polio worldwide.

The project was started in 1985 when there were 1000 cases every single day, including Great Britain, and now the number has been reduced to just over 200 in the world during this year to date. Over 2.5 billion children have been immunised against polio since Rotary began its campaign. There are now just three countries left in the world where polio is endemic.

These are Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria.

You are probably aware and appalled that volunteers carrying out immunisations in Pakistan have been murdered and there is no doubt that this remains a major obstacle in Rotary’s attempt to finally eradicate the disease once and for all. However Rotary is confident that the task will be completed in the next few years and is working closely with governments to facilitate vaccinations in the problem countries. There are several ways you could help. A donation of just £1 will vaccinate two children. You could organise a meal. Rotary is organising World’s Greatest Meal and their website is www.wgmeal.com . A meal could be anything from takeaway, a large banquet, or just having friends round for the evening. All you need to do is register on the website and send whatever you collect to Rotary. It doesn’t have to be a large amount. £5, £10, £100 - each donation will make a significant impact on eliminating polio. And what is even better is that by giving to Rotary your donation will be matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, thereby turning £5 into £15 brilliant.

Of course, money is important but Rotary also adopts a hands-on approach. Many of the people who actually perform the vaccinations are Rotarians who go out to the endemic countries, at their own expense, and help in any way they can. Immunising 170,000 children in a weekend is a major logistical problem but one that Rotary regularly undertakes.

The families need to be notified, many will need assistance getting to the immunisation areas, counselling and advice needs to be on hand as many people are poorly educated.

Locally in Chelmsford and Braintree we have held Purple Pinkie Days where pupils in schools may dress in purple or have their fingers painted purple symbolising the dye that is used to show when the vaccinations have taken place. Children are very enthusiastic about helping others less fortunate.

We have also planted thousands of purple crocuses – our ‘focus on the

crocus’ effort to raise awareness. But it is a worldwide campaign and from the opening of a polio exhibit at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, to the illumination of the Mohatta Palace in Karachi, Pakistan, Rotary members celebrated World Polio Day. Although World Polio Day has passed, the End Polio Now campaign will continue until there are no cases left - so you can still participate.

If you would like further details about eradicating polio, or indeed, on any aspect of Rotary and how you could be part of this wonderful organisation, visit www.rotary1240.org or phone me on 01245 260349. I will be happy to hear from you.

Stan Keller

Lifestyle - CJ’s Top Tips to Win the Battle With the Blankets As the colder months set in, it can become challenging to stay motivated to continue with your regular exercise program. Many of us are not alone in battling with the blankets – imagine, it’s early morning and the alarm goes off in what seems like the middle of the night. ‘You’re joking!’ you say to yourself as you fumble and grasp attempting to turn that thing off. It is at this point the fight begins.

‘Will I or won’t I get up and train?’

The blankets have a firm hold and are intent on not letting go. Their grip is intense and within seconds you already feel you lack the energy to fight against them. Yet you are determined, and you rollover in an attempt to loosen the blanket’s grip. Finally you manage to squeeze one leg free and you poke it out into the contrasting and rather refreshing coldness. This is a crucial moment, and often it is right here that the battle is won or lost.

The blankets tighten the grip on your body, as they attempt to bring that one leg back into the comfort zone. ‘Stay in bed a few more minutes’ is the suggestion. ‘It will allow you to gather more energy and catch the blankets off guard’. Beware! This usually just gives the blankets more time to twist your thoughts, and many have succumbed to this tactic and are now statistics. You can win.

My top tips for victory: • Lay your training clothes out the night before so when your alarm clock goes off you are already dressed, out the door and into the car to your studio before your brain has had time to figure out what’s

going on.

• Remember that your body adapts to what you train it to do. So get into the habit of getting up when your alarm goes off and create good habits.

• Remind yourself how good it feels after your early morning training session. You start your day on a high and always get your workout in before the day takes a hold of your time and energy.

• Realise that 90% of your workout consists of just turning up. The 10% that counts won’t happen without that 90%. Focus on just getting dressed and walking into the studio, the rest will take place in due course.

• If you have trouble getting up early try and go to bed 30-60 minutes earlier than usual. A shower or bath and cup of chamomile tea will help wind the body down and get you ready for sleep.

• Smile, because it’s good to be alive and you can go and exercise when many can’t.

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 Yes, it’s that time of year again (shhhhhhhhh!), when crafting for Christmas begins! Crafting with the kids can be one of the best bits about the festive season, making decorations that you will keep for years to come. I always took such pride in the decorations I had made as a child coming out of the loft and being hung up for another year.

And as a parent, it is a great way of marking the development in your children, reminiscing about years past, seeing how their artistic skills have come on since the year before!

A great quick and easy decoration is to wrap yarn around card to make cute tree ornaments. Cut out the shape you want (a star, a snowman, a Christmas tree, a reindeer head, a bell…) using some stiff card, and poke a hole in the top. Tie a small piece of wire or twine through the hole for hanging. Then take some yarn and wrap it around the shape until it is well covered. Tuck the end of yarn in to the wrapped yarn (you could also use a dab of glue to make sure it stays) and voila! A beautiful tree decoration that is simple enough to be made by toddlers to teens. You could then embellish it further with beads and sequins, making it as fancy as you want.

Lots of our customers have already been in to the shop to buy sparkly yarn to use in their pompom makers – I think Braintree is going to be full of sparkly and festive pompom garlands this year! Stringing sparkly pompoms together on a long piece of yarn or twine is a great alternative to tinsel for your tree, and also looks great hung across festive fireplaces. You could even hang it around your room and then peg your Christmas cards on to it.

If you can knit or crochet, then a great project to be kept for years to come is to make mini stockings or mittens – one for each day of advent. Embroider numbers on each one and attach a little hanging

loop to each. These can then be hung up around the house (or pegged to your pompom garland!) and used as a reusable advent calendar. Pop sweets, mottos or other little gifts in them and you have an advent calendar for life.

And don’t forget, if you need any help or advice on your Christmas crafting, you can always pop into the shop to see us and we will be happy to help.

You can see opening times on the website www.sconch.com.

History: Francis Berrington Crittall - Life, Industry and Philanthropy in 19th Century Braintree It was Francis Berrington Crittall’s arrival in Braintree in 1849 that began an association between the town and the family which would eventually put Braintree on the international map. The town was to become the base of the worldwide Crittall Manufacturing Company, which made metal windows and other metal products for Europe, USA, Australia, Africa and the Far East. This is the story of the Crittall who first came to Braintree and his enormous influence on the town.

The Crittall family was originally a yeoman farming family from ‘Crit Hall’ in Kent.

The earliest known records of Francis’ ancestors date back to the 15th Century.

Francis Berrington was the second of eight children born to Richard and Mary Crittall in the early 19th Century. His elder brother Richard was to inherit the family business – the Swan Inn in West Wickham, Kent - so Francis was apprenticed to an ironmonger. However soon after starting his apprenticeship he met Fanny Morris Godfrey of Cottesmore in Rutland and wished to get married, but could not do so on an apprentice’s salary. Francis therefore sought a location to establish his own ironmongery business, and spent several months travelling backwards and forwards to Essex talking to solicitors to find somewhere suitable.

Finally, in the autumn of 1849 he found an ironmonger’s shop at 27 High Street Braintree (now Bank Street). The ironmonger and his son had both died, and the widow, Mrs Maria Shave, was looking to sell the business. She sold it to Francis for £550 – the property included the shop, yard and warehouse. In mid-October 1849 Francis Berrington Crittall finally arrived in Braintree to start his new life, marrying Fanny soon after. He established a successful ironmongery business, and in 1854 he was able to open a new branch in George Yard, with a 1000sq foot workshop behind which housed tinsmiths, blacksmiths, hot water fitters, gas and sanitary fitters, general plumbing work and metalwork. By the end of his life the engineering side of his business was larger than retail from shop.

Family Life Francis’ family life also flourished – he and Fanny had ten children born between 1850 and 1861. Sadly they also lot one son. However, despite Francis’ success in business this was still a large family to raise and support, and ‘thrift’ was the watchword in the Crittall household. His second son, Francis Henry Crittall, wrote of this frugal childhood in his memoirs ‘Fifty Years of Work and Play’ published in 1934, a book that gives us an insight into life in Braintree in the 19th Century. He wrote that ‘in all my boyhood I cannot recall ever having more than one good meal a day’ and a strict hierarchy was enforced for food in the Crittall household – ‘Eggs were a delicacy enjoyed by father alone… at breakfast, ten pairs of eyes would watch father going through the slow, delicate business of cracking his egg shell, removing the top, dipping his spoon or fingers of bread into the succulent white and yellow mass, and conveying it to his envied lips. Our eyes would be upon him to the

end because sometimes, when he was especially pleased with one of us, he would push the egg shell across to the favoured child and tell him to clean it up’.

Religion also had a very important role in the Crittall household.

Francis became deacon at the Congregational Church and took his duties very seriously - in fact religion actually came to be resented by some of his children for the fervor with which it was practiced.

Francis Henry wrote in his autobiography: ‘My parents’ Nonconformist views caused them to believe that religion was a sort of patent food on which young children could be expected to thrive if only the doses were regular and frequent and intensive. Their method was to administer religion for almost every hour of the Sabbath.’ He went to bed ‘spiritually aching with our religious exercises.’

Braintree in the 19th Century On top of running his successful business and looking after his large family Francis also played an active part in the local community.

When he first arrived in Braintree in 1849 the town was a relative backwater. In the previous March it had been visited by the Board of Inspectors and the report showed that the population of 4000 were living in just 900 houses, the cottages of the poor being broken down and insanitary. The Gas Works were amongst the worst that the inspector had ever seen, being totally inadequate for the needs of the district, the water supply was a disgrace, and he had never come across a worse drainage system. The workhouse had 60 residents but was built to house only 30. During his time in Braintree Francis made many changes to the town to help the residents.

He joined the newly set up Local Board of Health in 1853 and served for 17 years, chairing the sub-committee on sanitation. Francis was responsible for improving the drainage system and installed new mains throughout town. He also promoted a scheme to check for cholera, and converted Manor Street from a muddy private road to a public highway. Francis also persuaded local businesses, despite opposition, to give time off on Thursdays and Bank Holidays to give workers relaxation.

In 1855 he was elected to the Committee of the Mechanics Institute and appointed Secretary, serving for 21 years. The Institute was presented to the town by the Courtauld family and served as the town’s educational and cultural centre. Francis arranged lectures, concerts, fetes, and functions and looked after library. In 1859, when Lord Palmerton asked each area to set up a volunteer Rifle Corps it was Francis who chaired the Committee set up to enlist members and to find a suitable drill ground in case of invasion by Napoleon III. He was the Director of the Marketing Company which managed the Corn Exchange and was Manager of Braintree Savings Bank. Francis was a great committee man, and also sat on the Burial Board and Vestry Committee, the committee of Braintree Cricket Club founded in 1860 and the local branch of the Essex agricultural society.

When he died in 1879, aged just 54, all the shops closed as a sign of respect and the Congregational Chapel was packed with mourners.

In his will he left money to be set aside for the benefit of the local poor. Francis had packed a great deal in to those 54 years and made enormous contributions to the town, making it a much healthier place to live and providing education and entertainment for local people, as well as getting workers the time off to enjoy these new opportunities.

It was Francis’ Berrington’s second son, Francis Henry Crittall who invented the Crittall metal window and really established the Crittall Manufacturing Company. You can learn more about the history of the company in the 19th Century through to the present in our Crittall gallery in the museum.

Jennifer Brown, Collections and Interpretation Office at Braintree District Museum.

Hand in Hand Launches New Appeal, Food for Hope 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.

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.

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, 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.

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 the cards that people have written on their 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 access education and break the cycle of poverty.

You can give Food for Hope in 3 easy steps:

For more information contact: info@hihand.org 01376 510700 www.hihand.org

1. Fill in a Food for Hope postcard with a personal message to the children at New Hope

Leisure FM: Braintree District Radio Leisure FM (107.4fm), your local community radio station, broadcasts across the Braintree district with great music spanning the decades and good news stories and events, from Tiptree to Halstead, Marks Tey to Chelmsford. The radio station was set up in 2010 by husband and wife team, Steve and Debbie Fleming from Coggeshall, who fulfilled a long-time dream to establish the community station which is run entirely by a team of 40 local volunteers and 7 directors.

Tune in to listen to the best of local leisure from arts and entertainment, to theatre and comedy, cinema and restaurants, interviews, sports and quiz nights, take-aways and firework nights, competitions and comedy nights to charity events, Christmas shopping and of course, regular music from the 50s to the present day, all at 107.4fm.

Look out for this regular column to bring you the latest from Leisure FM 107.4.

Tune in to 107.4fm to hear the weekend news at 6pm on Saturdays and at 8.45am and 8.30pm on Sundays and 6pm Mondays. Weekly events are broadcast from Monday to Friday at 3.30pm, 5.30pm, 8.30pm and 10.30pm.

Music spans the decades from the 50s to the present day.

Why not contact us with your local events or for business advertising and sponsorship packages.

Or if you feel you would like to get involved, complete the simple application form on our website and we could see you soon.

For more information, please visit www.leisurefm.co.uk or telephone 01376 561 001.

Gardening This is an autumn that is certainly one of the best that I’ve experienced! Sooooo….warm and enabling us all to enjoy it for a little longer than usual, it won’t continue, but lets enjoy it whilst it lasts.

I’ve just walked out into my little green oasis and I just don’t want to cut down any of my perennials at all. For example, the grasses I would usually leave until around February next year, although last year they were being battered around by wind and rain and so I cut them down; this year they are just looking great. Tall flower spikes still catching the sun and creating a real focal point - I just wantenjoy them for a bit longer.

Key at this time of year is to monitor borders and check that any collapsing foliage/flowers of any perennials is either staked or cut in order that they don’t smoother other choice plants.

I tend to use old prunings of hazel, if I’ve got any, to push in and around plants. Failing this I use cane and twine to loosely keep dying stems upright. Also, if you find like me, that you may have got a little carried away with the planting programme and slightly over planted, this may be a great time to cut down, lift, divide and re-plant in the same area, give away or plant elsewhere. If things are busy in other areas and those jobs take precedent, do this important job before bud burst in the spring.

Now, whilst you are looking at any woody perennials that you may have, take the time to under plant them to enhance the season of interest with bulbs/ corms and or rhizomes.

I tend to always top up colour for the first thing in January/February and again for April/May by using more drifts of snowdrops, winter aconites and crocus for that early splash of colour, and then a load of alliums for a later blaze of purple. This year I’ve used alliums such as A. cristophii for its large architectural flower/ seed heads…and A. ‘Purple Sensation’ - an old favourite of mine. You won’t be disappointed - trust me!

At this time of year I’m also on the look out, through a myriad of seed catalogues, for next years choice plants to use. It’s worth exploring these publications to see what is on offer, is it a new tomato variety that will withstand the dreaded blight or is it a super little flowering bedding plant that will give you a great season of colour? The choices are so extensive it takes careful planning. For tomatoes is there an alternative to ‘Ferline’ and ‘Legend’? Well, yes there is. Try this one from Thompson & Morgan, ‘Losetto’ - an outstanding new cascading bush tomato with built-in blight resistance, producing loads of sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes that can be harvested from July to September. A plant perfect for containers or planters in the greenhouse or on the patio. It can also be planted in a sunny spot in the garden. For flowering plants for next year try Gerbera ‘Sweet Honey’. This form can be grown all year round in borders producing plenty of sunshine, it produces yellow daisy blooms that are twice the size of other hardy Gerberas and make fabulous cut flowers. This type flowers from June to October, getting to a height and spread of 45cm (18"). Whatever you do, plan carefully!

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.

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.

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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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GG’s Camera Tips Hi there, I’m Gemma from Gemma Giorgio Photography and over the course of the next few issues I will be giving you some tip top advise for improving your photographic skills, in some cases by only making the smallest of changes.

As this is my first time writing in here, there are a few things your should probably know about me.

Where it all started? Well about 4 years ago whilst studying art, I discovered the power of the image and since then, photography

has become one of my passions. I find photography an expressive and beautiful tool that allows me to captures moments that would otherwise be lost in time.

Composition - Rule of Thirds Whether you are a smart phone or a DSLR photographer this tip will apply to both. Imagine your photo has a noughts and crosses board over the top of it, splitting the photo into thirds like the image below.

Traditionally people will photograph their subject/objects in the centre of the image whereas the rule of thirds goes against this and suggests for a more interesting composition place your subject along the lines or on the intersection of the lines.

Below my image runs along the left vertical third. The theory is that following the rule can result in more balanced and natural images.

Now that you have learnt the rule give it a go, get creative and see how it improves your photography.

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Pet Corner - Millennium Veterinary Practice The Battle Against Fleas – Protect Your Pet, Protect Your Home!

It’s now winter and while the warmer sunny days have gone for a little while, it doesn’t mean the fleas will. Our houses today have fitted, often deep pile, carpets, which provide a lovely environment for fleas.

In addition, the central heating in our homes matches the optimum temperature for fleas to thrive. All of this has made the flea a yearround problem. It’s important to treat your pet for fleas throughout the year.

Fleas can cause serious disease in cats and dogs, such as flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) and anaemia if the infestation is severe.

Fleas also carry tapeworm larvae, which your pet can become infected with, through ingesting the fleas while they are grooming themselves. Tapeworm is a hazard to humans, so this needs regular worming control, in addition to your flea treatment.

Due to their lifecycle, new fleas may continue to emerge in the home after you have given your pet their flea treatment and it is important to regularly use the treatment, as prescribed by your vet, to prevent any reinfestation. There is no treatment that repels fleas, so you may still notice a live flea on your pet even though they are under treatment. This is normal – fleas have to come into contact with your pet to get the product ingredients that will kill it.

If your pet has fleas, unfortunately the fleas you are seeing are only the tip of the iceberg. To bring an existing flea problem under control, you must deal with the flea larvae that are lurking all around the house - in the carpets, flooring, upholstery and bedding - wherever your pet normally goes. You can do this by using a good quality household flea spray, this is NOT to be used on your pet. Treating all the dogs and cats (and possibly any house rabbits) in your household will be necessary alongside suitable environmental measures.

Fleas can be stopped in their tracks if you give your pet regular treatments. It is important that you are using the right product with the right ingredients at the right dose, to ensure your pet is properly covered. Not all flea control products on the market are effective or suitable for all your pet’s in the family (dogs, cats or rabbits), so we thoroughly recommend you speak to your vet for advice. Only use what is prescribed for each pet in the household for that named pet and don’t share treatments to save money. Some canine flea products can cause severe illness and fatality in cats, others are unsuitable for pets with seizures; so getting the right advise is important.

If you have seen one flea or are living with a flea nightmare then we are here to help. Getting on top of a flea infestation can be costly and time consuming, but we can give you the right advise so you can commence battle again the fleas. Ring us on 01376 325 511.

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Charity of the Month: Crossroads Care Crossroads Care Braintree District & Chelmsford is a non-profit making voluntary organisation, offering physical and emotional support to the growing number of adults and young people who provide unpaid care to people affected by disability, age, illness or mental ill health.

We believe that with a little help and wherever possible, people should be given the opportunity to continue to live in their own homes. We understand the importance of making sure that family carers are supported themselves. We can help carers achieve this by providing a break for a few hours each week, whilst we take care of the person they are caring for.

the day and lunch cooked on the premises, fully trained staff and a carer support worker on site throughout providing information and emotional support and carers’ trips and activities.

Crossroads Care Braintree has been providing respite care for over 30 years and was one of the earliest schemes to be set up. We cover the entire Braintree District area including all three towns, Braintree, Witham and Halstead and surrounding villages. We also cover the Chelmsford area.

Braintree Crossroads is run by a voluntary management committee which employs a care manager and a business manager to manage the scheme, along with a team of fully trained care support workers and a young carers’ project manager.

Our objectives are to help relieve the physical and emotional stress experienced by those who provide unpaid care to individuals affected by illness. We aim to help individuals avoid admission to hospital or residential care by offering carers a break, giving them a little free time for themselves. We are an approved care provider for Essex County Council under the Social Services Direct Payment contract and the Early Invention scheme. Much of our costs are funded by grants from the health and local authority together with donations and fundraising events.

How it all works We have an ‘open referral’ system so anyone can contact us and ask for our help. Once we receive a referral our care manager will come to your home to meet both you and the person you care for to assess your individual care needs. If we are able to help you, we will draw up a care plan together that suits your needs and will include details of the service, the times when support has been requested and the frequency of support needed. In order to ensure your safety and the safety of our staff, all agreed tasks would be risk assessed.

WHAT CARERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT US! Each year we send out a Monitoring and Evaluation form to all carers to help us assess and improve the service we offer. It seems that from our last evaluation that our carers are happy with the services we provide. The trustees and management agree all thanks must go to the care support staff again, as it is their professional and caring attitude which gives us such a good name. Just some of the carers comments can be seen below!

“Look forward to visit” “Crossroads is a real blessing to us”

Many carers are entitled to claim the cost of Crossroads’ services from Essex County Council following a Carer’s Assessment, which all carers are entitled to. If neither you nor the person that you are caring for is receiving any other support from Social Services then we may be able start a service under the Essex County Council’s Early Intervention funding scheme at no cost to yourself for up to 12 weeks.

A carer’s assessment simply establishes whether a carer is entitled to direct payments to cover the costs of our support and does not involve any personal financial reviews (i.e. there is no “means testing”).

If the carer is not eligible for payment, we can still offer support but we will need to charge for the service

“Excellent service from a lovely team, thanks Cathy”

Young carers are children who care or help care for someone who may have a physical or learning disability, a long term illness or mental illness. They may have help with their caring role; or they may be the sole carer; either way we can offer them our support through our Young Carers Club. We offer support to young carers from the age of 8 to 18 in their caring role, giving them a break whilst also giving them a chance to experience activities that they may not normally have the opportunity to take part in.

“Cannot fault the support or care we are given”

As well as the weekly clubs we provide respite opportunities and outings during the school holidays most recently attending Adventure Island during the summer holidays.

We also have a Braintree Day Respite Centre and Carer Support Group which is held every Friday at Braintree Baptist Church, which we provide free of charge. As an alternative to home care, the aim of the centre is to provide a safe, friendly and relaxed atmosphere both for carers and the cared for, with an opportunity to meet and socialise with other people in a similar situation. At the same time their carer will have an opportunity to have some precious time to call their own. We provide professional care and support in a warm and welcoming atmosphere with activities and entertainment throughout 14

“So pleased we got in touch with Crossroads” “A very reliable service. I am able to have a regular break with complete peace of mind” “Staff always nice and helpful, always on time and very patient” “Very satisfied with Jackie. We are overwhelmed with her company”

“The office staff are always on the end of phone and very helpful.

They are extremely pleasant and caring in their attitude” “Crossroads mean so much to my family. Wonderful service” If you would like to support us by making a donation, helping us with fundraising or perhaps making us a beneficiary in your will, we would love to hear from you. Please call our business manager for details.

If you feel our service will benefit you please call us on 01376 529985 or email braintreexroads@btconnect.com. You can also visit our website www.braintreecrossroadscare.org.uk.

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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.

November 14th Nov (Fri) The Pub - Stiff in the Morning Jardins - Roadhouse + Lavendore Rogue 15th Nov (Sat) From 9.00am - Christmas Launch Day - Camels Day From 10.00am - Christmas Launch Day - Father Christmas arrives & opens his Grotto From 5.00pm - Christmas Launch Day - Christmas Lights switched on The Pub - Oink - acoustic band Jardins - Rock ‘n’ Roll 20th - 22nd Nov 9.00am - 4.00pm - Continental Christmas Market - various food & gift-ware stalls 21st Nov (Fri) Alex Webb - Ska 22nd Nov (Sat) The Pub - Gone Rocking 28th Nov (Fri) The Pub - Kettle of Fish 29th Nov (Sat) Jardins - Expose 30th Nov (Sun) 11.00am - 1.00pm - musical performance - High Voltage Big Band under the bandstand

December

4th Dec (Thurs) 6.00pm - 7.00pm - Light Up a Life Service of Remembrance for Farleigh Hospice 6th Dec (Sat) 9.00am - 4.00pm - Living Nativity live animals with Gemma’s Farm 13th Dec (Sat) 1.00pm - 1.45pm - musical performance Crosswinds Band 2.00pm - 3.00pm - community carols - accompanied by Crosswinds Band 20th Dec (Sat) 10.00am - 12 Midday - musical performance Bocking Brass under the bandstand 24th Dec (Weds) 10.00am - 3.00pm - 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

All events under the bandstand are free!

Please send us your events!

We love to list events!

Music events Charity events Reading clubs Jumble sales Boot sales Open gardens Local theatre Please send in to: editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk 15

Baking by Lucy Norwood As we head into the winter months, we are faced with Christmas! I have so many treasured memories baking with my mum and sister all year round, but Christmas especially. From classic fruit cake to Yule logs, and truffles to fudge, we’ve tried all the recipes! There is nothing more special or impressive than having a gorgeous Christmas cake as the centrepiece for your table, or some Christmas themed cupcakes as the centrepiece on your buffet table.

Baked goods also make great gifts. Every year since I can remember, I have given my friends bags of sugar cookies in the shape of Christmas trees, snowmen and snowflakes. Not only do they love them because they taste good but they love the fact that I have put the time and effort into making them for each one of them. I wrap them up in cellophane bags and tie with lots of curling ribbon.

Lakeland usually do special, pretty Christmas themed cellophane bags which also look great.

You could make fudge or truffles and wrap them up in cellophane bags and take them round to Christmas parties. Bags of honeycomb wrapped in tissue paper, cookies with ribbon to hang on the Christmas tree, sweets in little boxes... the list is endless.

If you want to make your own fruit cake, but don’t want all those bags of leftover dried fruit filling your cupboard, Little Lucy’s Bakery have the perfect solution - a DIY Fruit Cake Set. You get all the dry ingredients and a bowl to mix them all in - all you need is a 6� baking tin, butter and eggs. Including brandy soaked dried fruits, flour and lots of spices. Please visit our website: www.littlelucysbakery.co.uk or our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/littlelucysbakery to order.

One of the best autumnal and winter flavours has to be ground ginger. There’s something so warming and festive about the flavour, taste and smell that reminds me of Christmas. The recipe below is one of my favourites to bake around this time of year. Use festive cutters to punch your cute Christmas shapes, and then decorate them. They’re also great fun for the kids!

Whatever you bake at Christmas, the most important thing is to have fun and be proud of what you make. There’s nothing quite like having a snow day with the kids, baking away in the kitchen. Whack on some Christmas tunes and enjoy the perks of this season. It may be cold, but who cares!

egg and syrup into the flour.

5. Mix everything together with a metal spoon until it makes a dough.

6. Sprinkle a clean worktop with flour and gently knead the dough until it comes together and is smooth.

7. Cut the dough in half and roll out one half until it’s about 5mm thick. Keep the worktop topped up with flour to prevent sticking.

8. Cut out the shapes and repeat until you have used up all your dough. Avoid rolling out the cookies too much, as more flour will get added to the mixture and create a different texture.

9. Place the shapes onto the baking trays and bake for 12-15 minutes until light golden. Cool on a rack until cold.

10. Decorate away! Use water icing, royal icing, chocolate or anything you want.

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Christmas Gingerbread Cookies (makes around 20 biscuits) You will need: 350g/12oz plain flour 2 teaspoons of ground ginger 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda 100g/4oz butter 175g/6oz soft light brown sugar 1 egg 4 tablespoons of golden syrup Method: 1. Grease two baking sheets and cover with greaseproof paper.

2. Sift the flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Cut the butter up into chunks and add them to the bowl.

3. Gently rub the butter into the flour, as you would if you were making pastry. Keep doing this until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar.

4. Crack the egg into a bowl and beat in the golden syrup. Stir the

16

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Business: Lynderswood Business Park Braintree’s Lynderswood Business Park celebrates 1200 jobs, 500 Entrepreneurs, £50 million turnover and 25 years in business.

Commercial Business Park celebrates silver anniversary as landlord of successful Essex SMEs. Lynderswood Business Park today announced that it is celebrating 25 years in business, as a commercial business estate, which nurtures and supports Essex businesses. The tenants of Lynderswood Business Park, which was founded in 1989, have contributed over 1200 jobs and in the region of £50 million to the economy.

entertainers), Noisy Visuals (a nappy exporter), Rustic Dish (catering) and Rockchart Ltd (a company that makes bespoke bricks)”, added Fiona Waugh.

Willie Fisher noted, “It has always been our aim to cater for a range of industry sectors and at the moment internet mail order and catering businesses are very popular. Businesses choose to locate at Lynderswood because of the environment here – minimal traffic, adequate secure parking and fast broadband”.

The estate is managed by Fiona Waugh. Founders Sue and Willie Fisher (who are Fiona’s parents) initially created it as a business incubation and seedbed centre for local micro-businesses. Within a matter of months of launch, the fully serviced business units became fully occupied and with a waiting list for new tenants, more development is hoped to satisfy an increasing demand.

Today, the thriving business park is home to 50 successful businesses, which, in turn currently employ over 150 local people.

Essex Dementia Care has its Head Office at Lynderswood and other tenants include Gresham Construction (suppliers to the V Festival), Medics 24 (private ambulances) and Aurora Security.

Congratulating the team at Lynderswood were Penny Channer of Essex County Council, Cllr. Ron Ramage and Ian MacDougall both of Braintree District Council. On a recent visit (pictured) Ms Channer noted “25 years is a great achievement for any business. At Essex County Council we are focused on creating an environment for businesses to flourish locally, which in turn will create new jobs”. Ian MacDougall said “Braintree District Council has substantial planned growth which will encourage local enterprise and entrepreneurship.

The business units here at Lynderwswood Business Park meet an important demand in terms of servicing existing local SMEs”. Cllr.

Ron Ramage commented “From what I have seen today, Lynderswood is a hidden gem. A really well-run operation that nurtures local businesses which, in turn employ many local people.”

Pictured left to right: Willie Fisher, Sue Fisher and their daughter Fiona Waugh of Lynderswood Business Park

“We are both impressed and proud of the success of the Entrepreneurs located at Lynderswood. We’ve been home to over 500 Entrepreneurs over the years. We currently have some really innovative businesses here including Mad Scientists (children’s

sarahBee marketing !

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! the buzz about SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION (SEO) and GOOGLE

Pictured left to right: Penny Channer (Essex County Council), Willie Fisher, Cllr. Ron Ramage (Braintree District Council), Sue Fisher, Ian MacDougall (Braintree District Council), Fiona Waugh

!

1. Content is king! Create professional, engaging copy for your web pages.

2. Great web design! Invest in a modern, well-structured website.

3. Keywords. Use Google Keyword Planner to check search terms and keywords. Don’t forget to scatter your keywords in titles and pages.

4. Blogs. Increase reader loyalty and boost credibility with a blog.

5. Social media. Share your content with all your social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

!

For help with search engine optimisation, blogs, Google Adwords and pay per click visit www.freelanceseoessex.co.uk

!

www.sarahbeemarketing.com | enquiries@sarahbeemarketing.com © sarahBee marketing 2014. all rights reserved

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

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England Versus Australia - a Short Story of Motoring Culture? By Simon Inglis Last month I wrote about the cost of vehicle ownership including puchase in our respective countries and I thought this month I’d raise the issue of motor vehicle ‘culture’ and our country’s car industries.

I own 2 cars – one is a 1.8 litre turbo petrol (in reality a 1998cc motor) the other a 2.0 litre ‘large saloon’ as it is deemed in the UK. Yet in Australia until recent years I would probably be mocked regarding the latter car – it is a sluggish 4-cylinder family saloon, bland and dull to drive yet manufactured by a company with an almost second-to-none reputation for reliability. My other car is much more fun, the turbo spools up and I can feel at one with it – yet I do watch the economy reading and given its servicing and repair costs I tend to use it on ‘Sundays’ as such.

There is much debate and a sadness regarding the Australian car industry - as in the UK but on a lesser scale, we are losing our manufacturing base. Cheaper Asian labour means the factories are no longer viable and have been closing for the past several years – finally Holden will cease in 2017. I have never owned a Holden but this creates a nostalgic sadness – now I want one, very badly. Yet the realities of economics have seen the demise of many once great names and those that do still exist are owned by ‘foreigners’ who are often questioned as to whether their product carries the character of its home country.

I like Jaguars – a lot. Yet are they still British? I had a Rover SD1 once (for a very short time as many readers will understand why!).

That was a beautiful saloon for its time – even today, with an exotic Italian intention becoming a shape worn by the British police on Australian television screenings of The Bill in my youth. I suppose I can sum up my emotions by saying that the last episodes of The Bill that I recall - at least on Aussie television - had Vauxhalls and powerful BMWs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those cars (especially the souped-up 5-Series) yet they were no longer British police cars. Likewise what on earth will replace the Aussie Holdens that the police use?!

So what does a car say about its country? If one does show an interest in cars on an emotional level rather than as an appliance, perhaps my argument matters a little? In the UK I note fleets of onceprestigious Mercedes Benz, BMWs and Audis with their intimidating daylights screaming at you in peak sunshine. The Porsche 911 has become ‘overcooked’ in my opinion – they are great but they are everywhere now. Yet the hatchback rules the present era along with the SUV – to me the latter is a contraption created from the set of Transformers - and they all look the same. Perhaps I am offending people, including my friends and relatives, but I must mention the MPV too. When they age they just might end up in Africa and South

America as taxis (yes I have utilised this form of public transport in the Americas - the exported and converted MPVs being originally family cars from the USA and Canada).

It’s similarly depressing in Australia – more bland Japanese and Korean boxes (yes the Japanese and Koreans can do exciting if they try!), a BMW/Benz or Audi for the company car man/woman, SUVs, MPVs and aggressive-looking Four Wheel Drives for those inner city suburbanites…

So what conclusion am I making before running out of column space? Perhaps a little more local flavour would have been nice – for me a Jag is a slightly unreliable yet beautiful machine from the 1980s and before – but while the modern Jaguars are nice and wellbuilt they do not tickle my fantasies! Rover has, in effect, gone and that is as sad as the litany of names that preceded it – for instance my desire to someday own a Riley. Soon Australia’s home-grown cars will be lost also and my one time irritation at the beer-swilling image of the Holden or Falcon Ute driver, or the loaded exhaust on a Commodore is slowly becoming an interest – and as I infer, perhaps a future love affair.

I certainly hold a dear love of all things Italian and when I see the occasional Alfa Romeo for instance, either here or in my home country, I have a warm feeling in my heart. The Italians always did understand style. Yet, I must concede defeat – you do have the Range Rover in all its forms, those newer Jaguars still look nice enough, I like the proliferation of the Germanic modern-Mini – less than the pre-2000 version but it still looks, feels and drives ‘British.’

I don’t really notice the French cars anymore (why aren’t Citroen making anything bizarre like my old CX?) and I don’t seem to ‘see’ the cleverly reliable Asian brands from Korea. They are good but I do not come home and at 10pm and remember: ‘I saw a Kia today!’ Rather an Alfa stays in my mind and I know roughly where they live around my area here in Braintree!

So all in all, regarding British cars and cultures you still have something to hold on to that I doubt will be lost for some time. I can’t say the same for Australia. Once the final Holden Commodore rolls off the production line some day in 2017 I will shed a tear. No doubt many current owners will hang on to their models and some will become classics, but the thought that there will be no more new ones in 3-4 years-time means England has won the emotional ‘Ashes’ of the motoring industry – by a whisker. No, I shan’t mention England versus Germany for now as it will read like a motoring version of a penalty shoot-out.

Long live the Rangie and may the motorway patrols continue to frighten me when I spot them! (A note to your police – please keep buying them!). Oh dear, I suppose I should just give up and buy a Mustang – after all it has taken me 20 years to warm to certain American cars!

We are always looking for writers!

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

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Fitness by Are you eating the right foods for your mind and body?

Did you know that junk food is just as addictive as some Class-A drugs? That’s right, recent reports have suggested that fatty foods and fizzy drinks activate the same pleasure centres in the brain as drugs. It’s no wonder that the obesity figure is the UK is continually rising each year with a statement like that!

Even though our brains weigh a small amount - no more than 3lbs they actually consume around 20% of your daily calorie intake, the greedy buggers! In order to keep your brain healthy and happy, you need a well-balanced diet which doesn’t include a portion of chips a day!

Concentration In order to boost and maintain concentration throughout the day you need to make sure that you are consuming a steady amount of calories throughout the day. Try 5 meals a day to combat any midmorning or afternoon tummy rumbles. Keeping well fuelled however, is not enough to maintain steady concentration throughout the day.

The body needs a natural fat which can be found in simple everyday snacks such as walnuts or pumpkin seeds.

Stay happy throughout the day Staying in a good mood can be a bit tricky sometimes, especially on a Monday morning! Sugary and fatty foods give of a surge in dopamine, the feel-good chemical in the body. However, this high is then combated by an extreme low, which is why you may actually feel worse after eating copious amounts of chocolate!

We’d suggest bacon and eggs for breakfast every now and again, the natural fat will slowly release throughout the day, causing a good mood feeling to carry you through right until home time!

What was that? I’ve forgotten Do you consider yourself a forgetful person? Our ability to remember things lie within a chemical in the brain, the best way to improve your memory and ability to remember things is by consuming vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. If you’re not a fan of the greens, eggs and soy beans is another great way of improving the memory cells in your brain.

Keep calm, your waistline will be thankful Stress is one of the main reasons for heart disease. Keeping calm and collected in certain situations can be difficult, but did you know that for a lot of people stress leads to binge eating? Stress related eating can lower the stress hormones in your body, allowing you to relax for a short period of time. After a while your body needs more to reach that relaxation state, which leads to further binge eating and an increase in your waistline. Unfortunately, the only way to combat this is to resist the urges. Try other mood boosting activities such as exercising (I know a great gym you could use!) or relaxing by reading a book.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

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Wine Corner Hi there, I hope you are all enjoying the Indian summer. As I write this I am looking out at a lovely blue sky and the temperature is in the 20s. Something different this month. A friend of mine (Shirley Shiraz - Syrah in France) has been on a lovely holiday in France and I asked her if she could write something about her experiences and she has very kindly sent me her blog (whatever that means).

She writes...

My friend and I booked ourselves on a holiday aptly entitled Walk and Wine. We weren’t quite sure what to expect but we had an excellent time, made some good friends and learnt a lot about the Bordeaux region and its wines. Our hosts were husband and wife, Mark and Laurent. Mark is English, Laurent is French and they run several different trips of this type in the various wine growing regions in France. This is a summary of our trip, and I hope you will enjoy reading about it.

“Arrived safely in Bordeaux and transferred to our hotel in St Emilion.

We were staying in the Palais Cardinal Hotel, right in the centre of the town. This hotel is apparently owned by a local wine merchant so all the wines we were having with our meals were supplied by him. We started our holiday by meeting our hosts and the rest of the group. We started our wine drinking by sharing a very nice, chilled Entre-Deux-Mers on the terrace, part of the terrace wall was part of the old city wall - what a setting! The red we had with our dinner was from the vineyards of the hotel proprietor Chateau Clos de Sarpe, I’m not sure what it was but it was extremely nice. We had only been in France for four hours and tasted 2 wines already - a taste of things to come!

“We found out afterwards that we set the record for the number of bottles drunk on the first night – apparently 10 in all. I would add there were 11 in our party and the 3 guys certainly out-drank us!

We set off the next morning on a bright and sunny day on what turned out to be quite a long walk. We walked through St Emilion to Chateau la tour du Pin Figeac. The vines cover an area of 27 acres of gravelly land where some of the best Saint-Emilion wines grow. The combination of soil type, location and exposure to the sun coupled with the blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes gives the wine from here its complex aromas, elegance and a very strikingly fresh finish (well that’s what the owner told us). We sampled three reds in all, 2 from this vineyard and a Pomerol from the owners other vineyard. The Pomerol was a much lighter wine but they were all nice and I would describe them as elegant.

“We had another great meal at our hotel, again drinking the wines of the proprietor and prepared for our move to Blaye the next day.”

Sorry to interrupt Shirley but I was thinking about signs the other day. Some seem to result in the opposite to their aim. Take the road sign “Think Bike”.

Now, when I see it, I immediately start thinking back to my childhood, first shiny red two wheeler with stabilisers. My mind wanders back over the years to all the bikes I’ve had, the times I’ve fallen off and so on. Then I suddenly realise I’ve just driven three miles not really concentrating on the road. I also think local councils could save money with some lateral thinking. The sign “new road layout” is totally unnecessary. Regular users of that piece of road will have been stuck in traffic for three months whilst the change is engineered, so they are bound to know that it’s new.

Anyone who has not used that stretch of road before will not know the old layout! So why spend out on the sign?

“We stopped on the way to Blaye, walking through a small village with a very interesting church. We arrived at Chateau Pey Labrie, in Fronsac after about an hour and were greeted by Eric Vareille, the proprietor. He explained that the wines of Fronsac were the most important in the area until the middle of the 19th century, surpassed only by the wines of Saint Emilion. After phylloxera attacked the vines, Fronsac stayed forgotten until the 1960s and today it is winning back its world reputation. Eric’s father bought the vineyard in the 60s and Eric is carrying on the family tradition. They have 9 hectares which are planted 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, but the mix in the wine varies from year to year. There are two appellations in this region, Fronsac and Canon Fronsac. The Canon Fronsac is the top of the two and this vineyard falls into that category.

“We tried 3 reds here. The first hadn’t been in a barrel and was very light. It had no ‘legs’ but was a very drinkable wine. Eric then gave us a 2008 wine. This was not a good year for wine growing and although the wine was nice, Eric did not consider it was worth keeping - it wouldn’t improve with age. The second was a 2010 which Eric said was a much better year and worth keeping. I couldn’t taste much difference, they both tasted good to me! It was interesting, however, to compare with the wine that had not been barrelled, a vast difference in the taste and ‘feel’ of the wine.

“The Madame du Chateau gave us an interesting talk on the history of the vineyard and the wine making process. Apparently, the vineyard was her grandmother’s dowry and has remained in the family since. The grapes are still picked by hand as are all the grapes in this region but certain other parts in the process owe more to the 20th century, mainly that they are cooled for a couple of weeks before being processed which helps to bring out the aroma of the grapes.

"He then produced a Rose. It was quite dry but full of flavour and on a hot day, this beautifully chilled wine went down exceptionally well with us all!! Eric had lunch with us and provided a seemingly bottomless pit of his wines - excellent! Just a note; the rose was €3 a bottle what a bargain!”

“We then walked through a few vineyards to Montagne-Saint-Emilion where we had the first of Laurent’s wonderful lunches. The family were not at home but had left us plenty of wine to try - to be honest I can’t remember too much about the wine, only that once again it was good. This was another small family run concern, as were most of the vineyards we visited.

Bin end chuckles.

“We walked back to St Emilion - it was a lovely afternoon, 29 degrees - so it was the thought of a nice cold beer when we got back to the hotel that kept us going.

22

More to come soon, thanks Shirley.

Tip: open a bottle of wine to let it breath. If it’s not breathing, give it mouth to mouth.

Remember, alcohol is not the answer, but it may make you forget the question.

Keep calm and carry on drinking (in moderation).

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