Chelmsford The City Times April/May 2015

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CT Welcome

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Dear Readers,

Welcome to the April/May edition. The clocks have changed and the evenings are getting lighter, which must mean summer is on its way.

This month, we have a lot more events in the What’s On guide, hopefully there is something there you will like.

Well, the Panic Awards have happened and we have a feature on page 26 along with the results.

We need your family friendly jokes, please email them to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk.

Stay safe, Nick & Paul

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk, www.moulshamtimes.com Advertising Nick Garner 07970 206682 ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk

Editorial Paul Mclean 07595 949701 editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

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CT Fashion - Spring Occasion Wear The sun is shining, it’s actually warm outside and everyone has got a spring in their step because spring is finally here. For fashion, this means outdoor events and occasions like weddings, graduations and summer parties are all on the horizon. We start to think about events we have to attend and what we are going to wear. Before we even start to think about our everyday spring/summer wardrobe, we stress about these single events much more, so why is occasion dressing such a headache for us ladies? Maybe, because whatever our personal style, we all know a certain level of effort is expected at an event. Maybe you’re not used to wearing heels, you live in jeans, you only wear black or you just don’t do smart.

So if you have an event coming up in the spring or summer, please don’t panic, just follow my tips for successful occasion wear shopping and don’t forget to check out the gorgeous outfits from Debenhams at the bottom of this page.

Follow Your Own Style If you love black, look for a monochrome printed outfit like a black and white floral dress. Wear with a black cropped bolero jacket and liven it up with a pop of bright colour, either with the shoes or a bag.

If you are a boho girl, look for a ‘70s style maxi dress and a denim blazer and wear with wedges. Basically, don’t stray too far from your own personal style.

A Dress for Your Shape Apple shape: good legs, carries weight around your middle, broad shoulders.

Perfect dress - wrap over with drapes over tummy area, or structured shift.

Pear shape : carries weight on bottom half, bottom, hips and thighs.

Perfect dress - empire line, or tunic shape.

Curvy shape: small waist, hourglass, big bust, in proportion.

Perfect dress - body con, shift or fifties fit and flare.

Athletic shape: slim, toned arms, slim legs, flat tummy and no curves.

Perfect dress - fit and flare fifties, body con and column.

Pick a Colour, Any Colour Thankfully, these days there is loads of choice when it comes to shoe colour. Nude are a great option if you have a few events to attend. If you like to dress from the feet up, there are some amazing coloured shoes on the high street - think bright pink or electric blue. Check out Marks and Spencer and Primark for some great coloured heels. You could also shop for a patterned shoe, like a vibrant floral or a colourful abstract print, but then keep your dress and jacket simple and in one colour.

Jump to It! If you are curvy, or an athletic shape, think about a jumpsuit, they are a great alternative to a dress and look fabulous on.

(Check the dress code first though, are trousers allowed?)

bag and peach shoes. Mix similar tones together, for example, a pale blue dress, with pale pink jacket, mint green clutch bag and nude shoes will look very stylish and on trend.

Don’t Lose Your Head Don’t lose your head when it comes to hats and fascinators. Sometimes for example, a wedding outfit simply doesn’t need a hat or a fascinator, the rule of thumb is: if it adds to the outfit, keep it, if it distracts from the outfit lose it!

If you find the hat or fascinator first and it’s pretty special, then keep the outfit simple like a jumpsuit or a LBD. With some outfits, hats just work: think of a fifties floral prom dress, Dita Von Teese style, with a pillbox hat or fascinator, or a Bianca Jagger-style cream trouser suit with wide ‘70s brimmed hat.

Practically Speaking Think about getting to and from your event, can you walk in those heels? Will you be warm enough in that jacket? Have you got small children, if so, will that white jacket survive mucky little fingers?

Bag a VINTAGE Bag Shop for a really unique bag for your outfit at Chelmsford’s Now and Then dress agency and vintage boutique.

Phase Eight - Debenhams Bergamot dress: Item No. 54510_202899000 £79.00.

Adele blossom fit & flare dress: Item No. 54510_202975405 £140.

Navy and cream marcella spotty dress: Item No. 54510_202878147 £65.00.

Navy and Cream simone layered dress: Item No. 54510_202841147 £150.

Navy and cream marcella spot jacket: Item No. 54510_900726147 £89.00.

Navy alba jacket: Item No. 54510_900730351 £89.00.

Fuchsia valentine jacket: Item No. 54510_900727315 £89.00.

Coast - Debenhams Tori print dress: Item No. 58607_01430698 £95.00.

Millie print dress: Item No. 58607_01423198 £65.00.

Immy Bardot dress: Item No. 58607_01446389 £85.00.

Surella dress petite: Item No. 58607_01409220 £85.00.

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

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

All photographs from Phase Eight.

Matchy Matchy Don’t think everything has to match, if you are wearing a peach jacket, don’t feel the need for a peach dress, peach fascinator, peach Page 4 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

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Blues in The City and Music News

What a month it has been, we had the Essex Delta Blues Day at The Bassment and it went like clockwork and ran to time with 18 acts - which is amazing. My big thanks go to all who played, helped out and came and supported a great day of live music. I am happy to say the day also netted £700 to towards funding the Blues in the City Festival from 2nd to the 4th October. This will allow us to be able to give more to the Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary - our chosen charity for this year. The festival was so good that we will be doing it all again next year with Essex acts. We have added another one day festival called The Bassment Blues Day on Saturday 28th November; this will be with different acts from all over the UK that most you will not have seen before, so keep and eye out for the lineup which will be announced soon. We are very excited, as we have got some amazing artists for this and we are now just waiting for them all to confirm.

Do not forget the great Bassment Blues Jam on the first Thursday of the month. Yes, it’s election day, but what a great way to get away from it all on the 7th May! Shakey has just announced that he is running a festival, the Shakster Records Weekender, at the Golden Fleece on 23rd & 24th May, I am sure he will have a great lineup as he always does.

Blues in the City also has its regular monthly events and the next one is Wednesday 13th May when we welcome back the incredible Bad Influence Duo with the voice of Val Cowell (Hayes), who has been nominated more than once as the best female Blues singer in the UK and Richard Hayes who has to be one of the finest guitarists in the UK today. Jamie Williams & the Stripped Back Roots Collective will be the support for the night.

We have also just had the Panic Awards; see the results in this magazine. In my book, everyone was a winner just to be nominated.

Well done to Andy Poole for organising it all - it isn’t easy but he always does a great job.

Until next month, treat yourself and go and see some live music as there is lots going on in Chelmsford all of the time. Check out the What’s On guide in this magazine to see what’s on where and when in and around the city.

As always, to keep up to date with the Blues in the City go to: www. bluesinthecity.co.uk, or www.facebook.com/bluesinthecitychelmsford, or Twitter at: @bluesinthecity1.

New Home for Chelmsford’s Comedy Club The Comedy Club Chelmsford has been bringing laughter to life here in the city since 1998. Household names, including Michael McIntyre, Al Murray, Stephen Merchant and Milton Jones (to name but a few) have all graced the Chelmsford Comedy Club stage over the years.

The Comedy Club is now very proud and excited to be bringing their comedy nights to a brand new function suite - The Lion House at Essex’s premier restaurant, The Lion Inn in Boreham. From May 14th our famously funny nights will be held at this new venue. Why not make it a complete night out with a pre-show meal in this fantastic restaurant and then be entertained with 4 top comedians from the prestigious UK comedy circuit? Tables in the restaurant are nonbookable and on a strictly first come first serve basis.

If you plan to eat before the show we advise early arrival as food service commences at 5.30pm and the show starts at 9.00pm.

Tickets are £14 and available at www.thecomedyclub.co.uk or by calling 0203 3761 112.

Page 6 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Pensioner Power by Simon Culleton

When I was growing up, pensioners were really old, they wore flat caps, tweed jackets, had beards and smoked pipes. Nowadays a pensioner is more likely to go out jogging in a lycra track suit while checking their heart rate with their watch as they pass you at the bus stop. It seems to me that the old people are getting younger everyday.

The average life expectancy in the UK has again increased - 79 for a man and 82 for a women - and with the advancement of life prolonging medical intervention, they are likely to be healthy for most of that and certainly more active too. Where a mid-life crisis used to be something to be ashamed of, it is now a growing trend to be positively embraced.

In the USA the largest market for Harley Davidsons caters for the over 60s and first time sky divers in the UK are regularly over 50: it’s not unusual to have octogenarians jumping out of planes (or perhaps pushed). Package holidays for the retired are now an estimated 40% of the market. Trips around the world, complete with bungee jumping and hang gliding are all designed to aid the retired to whittle away their children’s inheritance while they still can. Some elderly folk from around the world are continually raising the bar: Yuichiro Miura, a Japanese mountaineer, made it to the summit of Mount Everest aged 80 (they didn’t say whether he made it down again) and as recently as March this year a retired dentist from Switzerland ran the 200 meter sprint in 55.49 seconds, which is not quite the 19.19 seconds that Usain Bolt ran in Berlin in 2009, but then Usain was not 95 years old and there are so many more examples of ‘pension power’ - too numerous to mention here - that show us that perhaps the jokes about the old are as out of date as our perception of the ageing population, (although I still can’t resist this one: ‘What have old people and spiders got in common? They both have trouble getting out of the bath’). Yet it’s not just physical achievements that pensioners are leading the way with, ageing celeb’s continuing to impress: Christopher Plummer won an Oscar at 82 and Vera Lynn, the WII 2 sweetheart, reached 13 in the album chart aged 92. Even Tory peer, Lord Renter, passed his driving test aged 94... ‘turn left at the next junction, turn left at the next junction, I said turn left at… oh forget it, you’ve passed.’

Yet, to be fair, not all pensioners wish to be active and many are happy to go about their lives with no inclination for excitement. Many have grown up in a time when life was not so easy, so just getting this far in life is exciting enough. Central heating and regular food are all luxuries for this generation, not to mention having lived in a time with no mobile phones, microwaves, dishwashers or inside lavatories. (try taking a wee in mid winter). Some may have even grown up in a time where life was even less certain and their very freedom was in jeopardy. My mother once had to jump in a ditch on her way to school to avoid an exploding doodlebug and regularly spent nights in a cramped air raid shelter where the flimsy corrugated walls shook and shuddered to the vibrations of the Luftwaffe’s latest bombing attempt. The nearest I can get to that trauma is the 1990 World Cup quarter final defeat to Germany; 7 to 6 on penalties - still hurts.

Yet not only do the older generation have a wealth of life experience, some have actual wealth as well, with 2 out of 3 people in the UK set to receive inheritance - £180,000 being the average payout amount with an estimated sibling split of £42,000. That’s if your parents decide to keep you in the will; one leading financial report I read stated the 1 in 5 parents were considering revising their wills to cut one or more of their children from their inheritance. So remember, our dear elderly folk are quite literally worth looking after… and with that in mind I’ll have to stop writing now and rush around to my mother’s - she’s just phoned to say the back gate needs fixing and I want to get there before anyone else in my family does. simon@limepad.com Page 7

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CT Gardening by Tom Cole - Greenhouse Problems

Hello Tom,

I thought I’d write to you about a gardening problem I seem to be having. I started taking my garden more seriously from last year when I had the time to get out there more. Last year I had mixed results: some successes, such as my giant parsnips and some failures, such as the thousands of caterpillars I managed to grow. The seed packet said cabbages, but I mostly got caterpillars.

This year I have been given a big grow house. It’s about 2m x 1.2m and is the type that is like a large greenish plastic cover over a sort of tent frame with a zip up door. The end of my garden is a bit of a sun trap (north facing) so the greenhouse is mostly in sunlight (when the sun shines) and I’ve put weed matting down as a make-shift base.

I’m trying to take it seriously this year but I’m on a tight budget.

I wanted to grow everything from seed, so all the windowsills in my house have plant trays and propagators on them. I’m able to germinate most seeds and turn them into small seedlings well enough - I’ve got that part nailed; I can make small plants okay Tom. The problem seems to occur when moving the seedlings from the house to the greenhouse. So far I’ve had a whole tray of tomatoes go yellow-brown and die, and the greenhouse completely fried a whole tray of morning glory and another of lemonade basil as I had left them in a sunny spot. I’ve rescued some sweet peppers from there this morning that had gone completely limp overnight and they seem much happier now I’ve brought them back inside the house.

Basically, my greenhouse is a plant killer. It’s rather frustrating as it was supposed to help me grow plants rather than help me kill them.

Do you have any good advice for new greenhouse gardeners in regards to transplanting seedlings or creating a good greenhouse environment that won’t kill your plants? I’m guessing that I’ve not got the greenhouse set up correctly, or I’m doing something else wrong. There’s little ventilation in it for example, so I leave the door open during the day and shut it at night. I’m not sure if it’s the cold of night, the early heat before I open the greenhouse door up, or

the heat of the sun during the day, but something is certainly not right about my setup. Any tips or advice on setting up a greenhouse and moving seedling trays in there would be much appreciated.

Keep up the good work with your column Tom. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed since becoming a hobby gardener myself, it’s that gardening is universally appealing to a wide and diverse range of people. We all seem to love seeing nice plants grow.

Thanks, Rob ---------------------------------------------------------------------------Dear Rob, Thanks for your letter and thank you for reading the magazine!

I think the main issue here is that you’ve put a lot of effort into getting seeds to germinate, however, the problem occurs when you move them from the perfect environment of the house and into a protected structure outside... when the outside temperature is still too cold. This coldness creates problems for the seedlings to such an extent that they are either killed straight away, just sit there and do nothing or shrivel up and die!

Seedlings need to be gradually moved from where you have germinated them to a cooler place in the house, eventually they should be hardened-off prior to going out. With the likes of tomatoes, cucumbers, squashes, chilli peppers this wouldn’t be until late April or the beginning of May - and only then to the protected structure that you have erected in your garden. Once here, ventilation during the day is paramount; open a door during the day does help move air around and keep humidity down. I also find that if the polythene is clear, you may want to provide some shading to lessen the intensity of sunlight and so avoid scorching.

All the plants you list are frost tender and will need to be grown using your windowsills and then moved to cooler parts of the house until May, where they can go into the polythene house and then outside from mid to late May. Good to read that you had some success with parsnips. Ground conditions need to be free of stones, freely drained and a good depth of soil to accommodate this root vegetable.

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Shame about your cabbages. This is a plant that suffers from pigeons, flea beetles and the dreaded large and small cabbage white butterfly which produce caterpillars. Once the cabbage - and its other relatives - are placed outside, they need to be covered with netting for their entire life. Fine gauge netting or ‘Enviromesh’ can be used over a frame and this will protect the plants from the three pests mentioned above. It’s a little more difficult to weed etc, but worth it for clean, pest free plants.

Check out this site for further information on greenhouse gardening: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/greenhouse - and most importantly, enjoy gardening!

Thanks, Tom

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Open Season at Remus Horse Sanctuary Ingatestone, Essex – Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary is delighted to welcome visitors to its horse sanctuary for the first time this year on Sunday 3 May 2015. Further dates throughout the 2015 season can be found below: Sunday 7th June Sunday 5th July Sunday 2nd August Sunday 6th September Sunday 4th October Open on each of the above dates from 1pm to 5pm, the sanctuary offers entertainment for the whole family including competitions and games, music from local band Midnite Blu, delicious refreshments including sandwiches and homemade cakes, lots of stalls and a raffle. Parking is available on-site, with disabled access and dogs are welcome on a lead. Admission will be charged at just £4 per adult, free for children.

Visitors to the open days will be able to meet foal Dante (pictured), found dumped at Remus’ gate in January, a small Welsh pony named Toffee, Dolly the Sheep who escaped from an abattoir and Bramble the horse who has spent her entire 23 years of life tethered, all new to the sanctuary for 2015.

The sanctuary is currently providing rehabilitation and care for over 200 animals, including horses, ponies, donkeys, cows, goats, sheep and cats. The open days are a vital source of fundraising for the charity which, due to its location on greenbelt land, can only open to the public for a limited number of days each year.

Founder of the sanctuary, Sue Burton, says, “we love inviting the public to come and visit the sanctuary, and we always have such a great time showing off our premises and our amazing animals and giving people an insight into the valuable work that we do.”

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Page 9 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

CT Cooking

by John Jacobs Wagyu-mama

Recommended

Japan has been on my foodie to-do list for years, like visiting annoying, but wealthy relatives, I always mean to but never quite get round to it. So, when an old friend invited me to a promotional seven course dinner of authentic Japanese Kagoshima Wagyu beef, cooked by six highly respected chefs, I of course leapt dolphin-like from my office swivel chair with the customary enquiry about bears and their woods-centric bathroom habits. Even better, it was only forty minutes away by car at The Bull in Blackmore End.

I urge, implore, beg, beseech, plead and insist that all fans of Indian food try Indian Night on London Road. After months of sheer idleness and having their food delivered to my door, I took a trip there with my family in tow and had one of the best dining out experiences in Chelmsford. There’s no real secret to what makes a successful restaurant, the holy trinity being: great food, great service and great value. If you’re a fan of Indian food, this place achieves all three.

Literally translated, ‘wagyu’ means Japanese cow. You may already be familiar with its brands such as Kobe and Mishima and whilst I champion our formidable British cattle for its quality, Wagyu beef is purported to be unparalleled anywhere in the world for its flavour and texture. Dare I say it, I have to agree. This has to do with a line of breed predisposed to intense marbling in the meat, where, chefs will tell you, all the flavour is held.

There are many myths surrounding the treatment of Wagyu cattle, from daily massages of Saki into their skin to feeding them beer.

Having had the opportunity to debunk these apocryphal tales with the Japanese importer, I can confirm that each Wagyu cow is in fact given its own penthouse apartment overlooking the majestic mount Shiroyama and spends its days drinking sherry cask aged Hibiki whiskey and ordering takeaway bunnies from the Playboy mansion. In essence, Wagyu cows are the gangster rappers of the bovine world.

Our humble small island has had its fair share of beef related difficulties in recent years, BSE and the horsemeat scandal to name but two. It was March 2006 when a worldwide ban on the export of British beef was lifted and it has only been since January this year that a 16 year ban on Irish beef was lifted by the United States.

Is it likely however, that we will see a flood of Japanese beef, with its reassuringly traceable blood line and exceptional quality in our supermarkets? Unlikely; firstly, authentic Japanese Wagyu is, at this time, prohibitively expensive and not produced in quantities to be made widely available to a retail market. To give you an idea, a 6oz sirloin at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant in London will set you back £128. Indeed the Kagushima Wagyu is only imported to one distributer in the UK that markets directly to restaurant trade.

Secondly, pop along to the Hawksmoor in Covent Garden - or even Marco’s Steak and Ale, a stone’s throw from Liverpool Street Station - and you can have incredible steaks sourced from UK farms at a fraction of the price. I would never have believed a three course meal courtesy of Marco Pierre White would come in at about fifty quid a head. I have therefore put on my hit list for this month a trip to Chop Bloc to see how we compare here in our humble city.

New in the City A recent addition to the city’s rich food vein is Fulton’s on the Green in Writtle. A destination restaurant of the best kind, the seasonal and locally sourced menu is the baby of Roux trained Simon Silvester.

At the pass is head chef Andrew Kenny, formerly of Muddy Waters; a restaurant that always left me in awe of what could be achieved in a tiny galley kitchen. I am very much looking forward to eating at Fulton’s and reporting back.

As always, if you wish to recommend a restaurant, or maybe send me your recipes or dining experiences in the city, please email me at: cctfood@gmail.com. All submissions are gratefully received and welcomed. Have a great month.

Prawn Bisque This is the far less expensive sibling of bisque, but no less flavoursome. It can take a little patience to prepare, but for me makes the best starter for a spring Sunday roast.

6-8 large prawns, peeled and deveined, (hang on to the shells) 500ml single cream (not for the dieters I’m afraid) 20g plain flour 100ml cooking brandy Pinch cayenne pepper 3 cloves of chopped garlic 1 large chopped onion Heavy splash of good olive oil 1 litre seafood stock 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1. In a heavy based pan, pour in the stock and add the prawn shells. Simmer for a good 10 minutes then strain off to remove the shells and put aside.

2. Fry the onions in olive oil adding the garlic, cayenne and prawns and gently cook until the prawns have changed to their pink colour. Once that happens, add the brandy.

3. Transfer the entire prawn and onion mixture to a food processor and blitz until it becomes a course puree.

4. In the same frying pan, melt the butter and flour to make a roux whilst stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the cream and stir until thickened. Add in the purée and heat gently until hot, but not boiling. Season to taste and serve with heavily buttered crusty bread.

View all of our magazines online at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

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CAMRA Pub of the Year by Simon Tippler of roundtowerbrewery.co.uk A big congratulations to Mike and the team at The Orange Tree in Lower Anchor Street for winning Pub of the Year in the local area for the second year running.

Congratulations shouid also go to John and Tina at the Railway Tavern and Joss and the team at The Compasses for coming runners up this year. A good effort by all involved.

This award is voted for by local CAMRA members who score each pub and the beer that is served when they go in there. The scoring is done on a national scoring system and because so many people use the same system, even though there will be some variation in opinion from person to person, overall the variations are averaged out over the whole sample.

course of a few years. I do know of some pubs in the local area which still serve great beer but have been omitted this year, I hope they make a return next year.

Not sure what to do or where to go?

Check our What’s On guide on pages 12 and 13.

The scoring system is a simple 5 point system that rates the quailty of the cask beer in the pub and is as follows: O = No cask beer available.

1 = Poor. Beer that is anything from barely drinkable to drinkable with considerabie resentment.

2 = Average. Competently kept, drinkable pint but doesn’t inspire in any way, not worth moving to another pub but you drink the beer without really noticing.

3 = Good. Good beer in good form. You may cancel plans to move to the next pub. You want to stay for another pint and may seek out the beer again.

4 - very good. Excellent beer in excellent condition.

5 = Perfect. Probably the best you are ever likely to find. A seasoned drinker will award this score very rarely.

There is the option to give half points if it is difficult to decide which category that it falls into.

If you would like to find out more then you can visit: www.whatpub.com/ beerscoring.

The system only works if a lot of people are invoived, otherwise the results are only reflective of a few people’s opinions.

The pub scoring system not only goes towards awarding Pub of the Year, but also helps to decide which pubs make it into the CAMRA Good Pub Guide each year. This is a topic that causes a great deal of heated discussion, as there are only a limited amount of pubs that can be put forward for inclusion into the guide. In the local Chelmsford and mid-Essex area, there are a lot of good pubs and it is inevitable that some pubs may have to feature only every other year to make room for all the good pubs in the area to get in to the guide over the

VALUATION ROADSHOW Essex County Cricket Ground New Writtle Street, Chelmsford, CM2 OPG Friday 24th 10 am - 5 pm Saturday 25th April 10 am - 5 pm The event provides and opportunity to Come and meet Bonington’s team of valuers and gain an expert opinion on of the history and value of your antiques, fine art, jewlllery and collectables. Consort Insurance will also be present at the event for you to discuss the specialist insurance products available for your fine art, antiques, valuables and other collectables.

John Maclauchlan Milne (British, 1885-1957): Floral still life, £3,000-5,000 to be entered into The Country House Sale, 15th July.

Entries now invited For more information or to arrange a home visit contact Brett...

Brett Tryner: brett@boningtons.com 101 Lower Anchor Street, Chelmsford, CM2 OAU - 01245 352213 Open for valuations Monday - Friday 9am - 5.30pm www.boningtons.com

Page 11 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

CT What’s On In Chelmsford April Friday 17th Asylum - Engraved Disillusion + Coronach + Saigon Kiss + Awake by Design Bassment - Fling Battle of the Bands - heat 1 Civic Theatre - Kate Rusby Fleece - Joker Hyde Hall - National Open Gardens Day Med Fusion - Sax evening Saturday 18th Asylum - Stealing Signs + The Fine Apples + The Trend Bassment - B-Side Disco Chelmsford City FC - Singles Night in aid of J’s Hospice - 8pm Civic Theatre - Grumpy Old Women Cramphorn Theatre - Comedy Club 4 Kids!

Fleece - LMAZ Hyde Hall - Spring Gardening and Wildlife Weekend Med Fusion - Oink Star & Garter - Storm Sunday 19th Asylum - David Apps Art Exhibition Chelmsford City FC - Bingo Essex v Kent - The Essex County Ground (4 days) Hyde Hall - Spring Gardening and Wildlife Weekend Hylands House - Fab Felting Day Monday 20th Cramphorn Theatre - Cats Tuesday 21st Asylum - A New Beginning + Our Hands in Ruin + Before Kings Civic Theatre - The Business of Murder Cramphorn Theatre - Cats Hylands House - Flower, Leaf Swags & Garlands Workshop Wednesday 22nd Asylum - Battle of the Bands - semi-final 1 Ethno Jam - latin, jazz, folk fusion Civic Theatre - The Business of Murder Cramphorn Theatre - Cats Hylands House - Nordic Walking Thursday 23rd Asylum - Battle of the Bands - semi-final 2 Bassment - The Natives Civic Theatre - The Business of Murder Cramphorn Theatre - Cats Hylands House - Six-Session Watercolour Course Fleece - St George’s Day Quiz Night Friday 24th Asylum - We Die Tonight + Shark City + Pravitas + Fallen Apollo Bassment - Invasion of the Boogie Snatchers Boreham Village Hall - 39th Annual Open Art Exhibition & Sale Civic Theatre - The Business of Murder Cramphorn Theatre - Cats Fleece - Superfruit Indigo - Shakey’s Sessions - Zen Motel + Junkfoxx + Richard Lomax + The Velvet Tree Star & Garter - Fishing for Robots Med Fusion - Tall Dark Friend Maldon Mud Race Saturday 25th Ale House - Half Ton Man

Saturday 25th (continued) Asylum - 2nd Birthday Party + Battle of the Bands final + Loose Joints Bassment - B-Side Disco Boreham Village Hall - 39th Annual Open Art Exhibition & Sale Chelmsford Ciy vs Borehamwood Chelmsford Museum - Marconi Day Civic Theatre - The Business of Murder Cramphorn Theatre - Cats Fleece - Hit Parade Hylands House - Heavy Horse Experience Day Med Fusion - Harley Crossman Sunday 26th Boreham Village Hall - 39th Annual Open Art Exhibition & Sale Ideas Hub - Historical Walk of Chelmsford 2pm - 3.30pm Woolpack - Open mic Tuesday 28th Ideas Hub - Naked Brunch Business Networking Hylands House - Mosaic for Beginners Wednesday 29th Bassment - Psych Civic Theatre - Jump Right In - Chelmsford Scouts and Guides Gang Show Hylands House - Nordic Walking Thursday 30th Asylum - The Midnight Barbers + Black Rooster, Black Shag + Junkyard Choir Bassment - Bad Grammar + Muertos + Three Birds Blind Chelmsford City FC - bar open for pool tournaments Civic Theatre - Jump Right In - Chelmsford Scouts and Guides Gang Show Fleece - Spring Beer Festival & quiz night May Friday 1st Asylum - Shakster Sessions - Feb 21’s + The Ends + The Lowriders + Suburban 100 Bassment - Shouting Signals + Such Strange Arts Civic Theatre - Jump Right In - Chelmsford Scouts and Guides Gang Show Cramphorn Theatre - The Andy Fleet Band Fleece - Spring Beer Festival + The Strides Med Fusion - sax & guitar duo Saturday 2nd Asylum - Los Bastardos Finlandeses + Meanstead Bassment - B-Side Disco Civic Theatre - Jump Right In - Chelmsford Scouts and Guides Gang Show Fleece - Spring Beer Festival + The Earnshaws + Mayweather v Pacquaio Hyde Hall - Craft fair Med Fusion - Sarah Hughes Soundstock Festival - www.soundstockfestival.com Sunday 3rd Ale House - The Jives Bassment - Mike Joyce (The Smiths) DJ set Civic Theatre - European Union Chambers Orchestra - M&G Concert Chelsmford City FC - Antiques Fair 9.30am - 4pm Chelmsford City FC - Bingo Essex v Gloucestershire - The Essex County Ground (4 days) Fleece - Spring Beer Festival + from 3pm with Hilary Cornell, Richard Townend, Andy McClaine & Oink + Skamite Hyde Hall - Craft Fair Hylands House - Farmers and crafts market Ideas Hub - Historical walk of Moulsham Street

Sunday 3rd (continued) Pedal for the J’s Hospice - Central Park Soundstock Festival - www.soundstockfestival.com Woolpack - GC’s Jazz Club Monday 4th Asylum - Raw in Sect + Alone with Wolves + Knell Fleece - Star Wars Day! Beer festival and live music from 2 - 7pm Hyde Hall - Craft fair Tuesday 5th Civic Theatre - Rich Hall Cramphorn Theatre - La Fille Mal Gardée Wednesday 6th Asylum - Deep Space Eternity + Mystified + Trowler Bassment - Jazz Funk with Paul Higgs Civic Theatre - Sex In Surburbia Cramphorn Theatre - Lunchtime concert Thursday 7th Asylum - The Graphic + Failing to Fly + Ellekaye Bassment - Blues Jam Chelmsford City FC - Bar open for pool tournaments Chess Charity DInner - Indian Nights Civic Theatre - Sex In Surburbia Cramphorn Theatre - Pope Head Fleece - Quiz night Hylands House - Six-session watercolour course Friday 8th Asylum - Core of i0 + Invein + Sweet Ether Bassment - Shakster Sessions with Connor Selby Trio + Pepper Collins + Serrata Civic Theatre - The Tiger Who Came to Tea Fleece - Stone the Crows Med Fusion - Leanne Louise Saturday 9th Asylum - One Machine + Huron + Breed of Burden Bassment - B-Side Disco Civic Theatre - The Tiger Who Came to Tea Fleece - Cakehole Mafia Med Fusion - Mr G & Dom’s Duo Sunday 10th Chelmsford City FC - Toy Fair 10am - 2pm Chelmsford City FC - Bingo Cramphorn Theatre - Chelmsford Jazz Club Woolpack - Irish music Tuesday 12th Asylum - Anihilated + The Outside + Osmium Guillotine Civic Theatre - Pirates Of Penzance

Charity Fundraiser Charity fundraising dinner on 7th May at Indian Night restaurant. Tickets are £20 pp with £10 going to Chess.

Dinner comprises of a 2 course meal. Tickets can be purchased from Jan Guy at the Chess Support Office, 133 New London Rd, or call 01245 281104.

Please note, all events are subject to change.

Please visit the relevant websites or Facebook pages for more details.

Please send us your events for the next edition, for events between 15th May and 20th June to: editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk.

Wednesday 13th Bassment - Blues in the City - Bad Influence + Jamie Williams + Stripped Back Roots Collective Civic Theatre - Pirates Of Penzance Cramphorn Theatre - Lunchtime concert Thursday 14th Asylum - Bearfist + Skarthia Bassment - Acoustic Underground Civic Theatre - Pirates Of Penzance Fleece - Quiz night Red Lion Boreham - Chelmsford Comedy Club Friday 15th Asylum - Wonk Unit + Jo Carley + The Old Dry Skulls Bassment - The Vryll Society + Double Headed Jester Civic Theatre - Pirates Of Penzance Fleece - Kinetic Med Fusion - Sax evening Saturday 16th Asylum - Sacrilege + Forged in Black Civic Theatre - Pirates of Penzance Bassment - Elixir + B-Side Disco Essex v Surrey - The Essex County Ground - Natwest T20 Blast Fleece - Summer Garden Party - live music from 2pm, Mark Corbett, Marcus Brown, Hilary Cornell, Oink, The Flying Vees and Barney & The Rubbles.

Med Fusion - Jazz night Sunday 17th Civic Theatre - Rock Around the Sixties Hylands House - Book fair

Friends Support International Marconi Day

On Saturday 25th April the Friends of Chelmsford Museum will join museum staff at the Sandford Mill site to help make this year’s International Marconi Day another resounding success. As usual, an activity packed day is promised for those who come along.

Chelmsford owes much to Guglielmo Marconi and to the company which he established in the town at Hall Street in 1898 to take forward the new invention of wireless telegraphy. The town saw developments which make it known as the ‘birth place of radio’.

These include transmission of the first radio signals across the Atlantic in 1901, the first publicised entertainment broadcast with famous singer Dame Nellie Melba from the New Street site in 1920 which was followed by regular sound broadcasting, then the design of equipment which resulted in the first regular television service in the world in 1936. International Marconi Day celebrates these events.

The day is an opportunity to see some of the Marconi artefacts held by the museum including the WWI Marconi Hut from which the first regular radio broadcasts were made from Writtle between 1922-23. There will be special displays and demonstrations by the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) of the impressive Morse Key display with the opportunity for youngsters to try their hand.

In the Barn, John Bowen will be giving thee presentations titled ‘Saving Lives at Sea - up to and including the RMS Lusitania’. The guest speaker will be radio communications historian Dr Elizabeth Bruton, who will give a talk on Marconi which will give details of the vital wartime contribution made by the Marconi Company during World War One. This is a day for the whole family, with attractions for all ages and is open from 10.00am until 5.00pm. There is no charge for entry and refreshments are available from the Friends of the Museum.

Love Your Museum, be a Friend: www.friendschelmsmuseums.btck. co.uk

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CT Business

sponsored by:

Brown Bread Interview by www.modernmint.co.uk This week we took time off from our garden shop at Modern Mint to visit Steve Brown, owner of Brownbread. You will see Steve’s team on a Friday and Saturday in Chelmsford High Street, selling (without doubt) top quality products - if you haven’t yet tasted their artisan bread and cakes, you must make a trip this week and do so!

What is so special about your bread Steve?

“Our bread is made the old fashioned way! Other bread is quicker to produce, and is often full of additives. A retailer is not obliged to tell you what is in it; the packaging does not always tell the whole truth.

Typically our breads contain flour, yeast, water and salt. No nasty additives! We also offer a range of sourdoughs that contain little or no yeast and these are extremely popular, a range of rye breads (wheat-free) as well as a spelt loaf.

“Spelt flour makes interesting bread - it has a nutty flavour, is easy to digest and can often be eaten by people with wheat intolerances. It keeps well too; the Romans used it as food to march on!”

What is difficult about selling bread?

“The difficulty is educating people about what is good about our bread. Just because mass produced bread looks good it doesn’t mean it is good for you. If you buy our bread it is not only better and healthier, it also shows you care about what you feed your body.”

Is Chelmsford a good place to sell quality food?

“There is a good mix of people in Chelmsford, and they love the bread. The rye bread sells well and so do the sourdoughs.”

Cakes and patisseries?

“They sell well too. There are a lot of families in Chelmsford on Saturday and the cakes are easy to pick up and go.

“We have come a long way since starting out at Chelmsford just once a week. We now have thirty markets a week plus you can find us at shows and events through the summer. We are always on the lookout for good quality, regular sites that suit our product. It means we are building 10-15% every year consistently - we even go to Newbury in Berkshire twice a week to sell our bread, because this sort of product can’t be found elsewhere.”

Why did you set up your own business?

“You want to push yourself and your ideas. That is why you work for yourself…”

How did you start as a market trader?

“I started in Walthamstow many years ago. There was no supermarkets then - we had a fishmonger who smoked his own fish, vegetable stalls, salad stalls, banana stalls and surprisingly, an offal shop!! nowadays people will seek this out, but back then it was commonplace.

“When I first set up on my own in business, I bought a van and just sold bananas.”

That’s amazing, to think you had a stall just for fruit, or just for salad, on the high street. I’ve only ever really known the supermarkets…

“We did a great trade on ethnic produce - so bananas, yams, sweet potatoes - but then the supermarkets became too strong. They sold bananas as a loss leader (and still do). There became less and less money in it. Also the second or third generation West Indians would

buy maybe one yam a week, instead of a bag full. The eating of just West Indian food had been eroded…”

What happened next?

“People around us were going under, but we never looked at what else was happening - we thought we must be doing so well, but the truth is we just lasted longer. It is easy when running a business to get caught up in what you are doing and not look around you. So we sold the business and saw the opportunity in selling bread at farmers markets.”

You can see for yourself what Brownbread sell by visiting Chelmsford High Street on Friday and Saturday every week.

3 breads we recommend you try from Brownbread in Chelmsford High Street: Heritage Bloomer - a traditional French country bread, made using wheat flour with a touch of rye. Incorporated with sunflower seeds, brown flax seed, yellow linseed, sesame seed and malted wheat flakes.

Italian Sourdough - a crusty, open textured sourdough with a hint of yeast. Perfect with cheese, toasted or just on it’s own. A good all rounder for the whole family.

Hoxton Rye Levain - wheat and yeast free, developed from a German recipe, this bread is dark and rich in flavours. The crust is thick yet the middle moist, which makes a fantastic combination of textures.

We have tried this with jam and butter, but it is an equally good foil for smoked salmon.

By Darren Lerigo

thebestofchelmsford Have you noticed that when you’re part of a web directory there are lots of similar businesses listed with you? Sometimes there’s also a list of businesses nearby who are your competitors!

Here at thebestofChelmsford we will only work with a few businesses of each type and they must be the best. We work alongside our businesses, we know them personally, we encourage them to let us have reviews from customers. We want to know what’s happening in their business and any offers they wish to promote so that we can let local people know.

We combine our business pages with our listings of local events.

There are pages of these designed to let people know what’s happening locally throughout the year. Events can be listed at no charge - we’re pleased to help. You’ll also find great value offers from the best local businesses.

That’s not all. Our community hub serves local charities, clubs, associations who want to get noticed for what they are doing for local people. So at thebestof we’re not just about one thing, we’re a business that works with business and the local community.

Why not get involved with us, whether you’re a business or an individual? Contact us on 01245 701020 or visit our website at: www.thebestof.co.uk/chelmsford.

“We’re proud to be a link in the chain that makes Chelmsford such a special city. thebestofChelmsford”.

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A Passion for Events and a Reinvention This month, keeping and web design. In her own words: really stressful, but it is SO rewarding and I

Maggie Johnston and I treated ourselves to a glass of wine and settled down for a chat about her business. Her career reinvention has led her from a PA post in a prestigious company, to setting up her own business specialising in event managing. Maggie is yet another wonderful example of a brave woman stepping out from the protection of a large company and daring to set up on her own. It was great to hear her story.

Maggie launched her business, EVS (Executive Virtual Support), in 2010. She had always wanted to be a businesswoman and the seed began to take root in 2007 when she went to an office conference at Excel. There was a stand called The VA Mastery Course. Maggie realised this was the opportunity she had been waiting for she had all the skills in place to be a virtual assistant - and seeing this confirmed that this was what she wanted to do. At that time, she was working for protection specialists LifeSearch.

She was PA to the CEO and was also the event manager for the company.

“I loved the diversity and responsibility, but the most rewarding side was the events. I really enjoyed my role but I was looking for an opportunity to set up my own company.”

“My passion, and biggest career satisfaction, is seeing individuals and businesses grow as a direct result of the support I give. I take enormous pride and ownership in supporting business, from streamlining processes right through to running high profile events and award ceremonies. My vision is to find the right solutions to grow your business, increase your revenue and save you both money and time - and always with a positive ‘can do’ attitude.” That all sounds wonderful to me!

love a challenge!”

MiraBelvadereEvents will be launched this summer and for this project Maggie has collaborated with Helen Slater (her assistant at EVS) and her husband, Alan Johnson. Maggie recognises that there is strength in numbers - she can achieve more with 2 people. Maggie describes Helen as “energetic and a brilliant support. She is passionate about her role and reinforces ideas and supports ‘doubts’.” As the business grows, she is looking forward to taking on more assistants.

Maggie’s biggest challenge? “Making people aware of how long it takes to plan an event... all the detail involved, you have to be completely meticulous. People often do not realise how much is involved.”

A very proactive woman, Maggie is now in the process of launching a second company, MiraBelvadereEvents. She has found organising events to be a major strength and creating a company to specialise in this area has been an organic process. Maggie has found demand for event organising to have blossomed enormously. Two years ago she was being asked to coordinate four events a year, but this demand has quadrupled having organised four in the last three months. All these events have been through referrals word of mouth is a powerful thing! She has coordinated many prestigious events through EVS such as corporate awards ceremonies, overseas conventions, corporate away days, sport club dinners and private events such as birthdays and parties. “I have a passion for events, I particularly enjoy the charity nights I organise - people having fun but also raising huge amounts of money for charity. I also really love awards ceremonies because they are very challenging to organise and I have to be meticulous. On the day it can be

Maggie was a real joy to interview - brimming with enthusiasm for what she does and always seeking new challenges. Her career reinvention has certainly paid off and it is wonderful to have met her on the brink of her next new adventure. Maggie’s words of wisdom for other women thinking of making the break and setting up their own business?

“If you have a good idea the right time and right circumstances will happen and it will fall into place. Take your time and wait for that opportunity”.

If you would like to find out more about the services Maggie offers, please find her at: www.executivevirtualsupport. co.uk, or contact her on maggie@ executivevirtualsupport.co.uk.

If you are a woman who has reinvented her career and would like to be featured in my column please get in touch on linda@ bunintheovenbirthing.co.uk.

Maggie’s journey towards setting up her business was not immediate and it took the birth of her son, Archie, to fuel her towards her dream. “We underwent IVF to have our son and going through this process and having Archie gave me courage. Having a child made me feel I could do anything and I wanted to build a future for him. Giving birth and raising children really focuses you - it felt like now or never.”

It was a “leap of faith into uncertainty” but a very exciting jump! Maggie established EVS the day after her son’s first birthday in November 2010 when approached by her first client who she was once PA to - Kevin Carr of Carr Consulting & Communications.

She has not looked back since. Indeed, LifeSearch became her second client where she continues to organise their events, one of the most rewarding part of her business.

Her company offers many services, including PA and admin’ support, event and meeting managing, PR and marketing, book Page 15

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First Release of Exciting Artists Announced for The Fling Festival 2015 The Fling Festival, a unique summer festival of live music, cabaret and curiosity, will once again welcome adults of all ages to the glorious surroundings of Hylands Park in Essex on Saturday 4 July from 12 noon. This year marks the festival’s seventh anniversary and sees the exciting addition of camping, allowing festival goers to continue this exclusive party with alluring late night entertainment and Sunday morning activities.

The Fling offers a large yet intimate village of music, surreal theatre, fantastical storytelling and curious sideshows amongst a banquet of unique performances from far and wide. Headlining this year’s musical feast will be the world-renowned Dub Pistols. Fronted by Barry Ashworth, the Dub Pistols have worked with The Specials, Madness and have taken their ‘mighty reggaematic bass-driven live machine’ around the world. Renegade Brass Band, “The best brass band working out of Britain!” (according to Craig Charles, BBC 6 Music), combine eight horns with two percussionists, plus a scratch DJ and live MC, to bring their raw brass sound and high-energy live show to The Fling Festival 2015. BBC 6 Music’s Shaun Keaveny will be making a very special DJ set appearance, and the festival also welcomes Essex’s Leddra Chapman, hailed as one of the most gifted young songwriters in Britain today.

Excellent value hospitality packages for local businesses to entertain clients, staff or friends are now available. Please contact events@chelmsford.gov.uk as soon as possible.

For up-to-date festival information, visit www.flingfestival.com, like ‘The Fling Festival’ on Facebook and follow @FlingFestival on Twitter.

The Fling Festival is produced by Chelmsford City Council Cultural Events Team with support from Essex & Suffolk Water, High Chelmer Shopping Centre, First Group, The Printing Place, The Essex Chronicle, BBC Essex, 1159 Productions, The City Times, Sshhh Events and Dancing Giraffe. The Fling is kindly supported by The Bassment, Bella Rose Events, The Comedy Club Ltd and Heybridge Creative.

All of this plus an abundance of regional talent across four music stages, including Little Donkey and The Midnight Barbers, ukulele group, D’Ukes, Band of Fools, Tall Dark Friend, Ady Johnson, Animal Noise, Papa Shango, Bakerside and 12 piece group, Nat & The Noise Brigade, who will be bringing their eclectic mix of brass, wind, strings and more to Hylands Park.

The Fling Festival isn’t all about the music, with hundreds of comedy, poetry, dance, cabaret, side-shows and other performances taking place across the day. Other acts already confirmed include: Buffalo Tank who will present a world of wonders with Mosschops and Sidewicket, Burlesque Jems, Eddie Muir, Millie Dollar, Afro Brazilian Arts and Culture, Aylmer the Singing Worm, The Elation Station, Footprint Theatre Company, Imagination Station Puppets and Jo Peacock’s Horse World to name but a few.

Tier Two Tickets for The Fling Festival are available from £22, or camping, including VIP access and Sunday activities from just £53.50 via the Festival Box Office on 01245 606 505 or via www.FlingFestival. com.

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Victoria is Chelmsford’s Golden Girl!

A weight loss expert from Chelmsford has struck gold for the exceptional work she does in helping more than 100 people to lose weight at her local group every week.

Victoria, who runs the Broomfield Slimming World group every week, has been awarded Gold status by the national slimming club because of her success in supporting slimmers to reach their dream weight and the super service she provides to those members.

The accolade is given to Slimming World consultants who consistently have 100 or more members in their group over several months and when the service they provide is so good that members come back week after week because they’re losing weight beautifully and wouldn’t miss their weekly group for anything. It represents the highest level of service in slimming and places Victoria in the top 5% of the organisation’s 3,500 consultants, meaning Broomfield is home to some of the best slimming support in the UK. It is the first time the award has been achieved by a

Chelmsford consultant.

Victoria says: “I am delighted to have received the Gold award.

I absolutely love my job, I’m passionate about helping people to transform their lives by losing weight and seeing them succeed is reward enough, but being given this recognition for the whole group really is the icing on the cake. This award belongs to the Broomfield group’s members. They’re the ones who make our group the success that it is with their fabulous commitment, the wonderful support they give each other every week and obviously their impressive weight losses while following Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan.

They make the group a fun, buzzy place to be and I can safely say I always look forward to going to work. I truly believe I have the best job in the world.

“The Broomfield group has really put healthy weight loss on the map in Chelmsford. Obesity is at record levels everywhere and with 25% of adults in Chelmsford being affected, many people here are suffering a range of weight-related health problems from diabetes to heart problems and feelings of low self-worth that impact on their working and personal lives every day. It’s never been more important that overweight people get the support to make changes to and lead healthier lives - both for themselves and the future generations and their children too.”

To join the Broomfield group, which is held every Tuesday at 3.30pm, 5pm and 7pm at Broomfield Village Hall, either pop along or give Victoria a call on 07823 441198.

Brave Officers Win Prestigious Trophy Two Chelmsford police officers who saved two elderly women trapped in a burning building have been awarded a prestigious trophy.

PCs Paul Barry and Paul Downes won the Essex Police Wilson Trophy, awarded in recognition of performing the most commendable or meritorious act.

The trophy was presented to both officers by Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh. They were the first on the scene at Humber Road, Chelmsford, after a report came in that a fire had taken hold at a house and that there were people trapped inside. They arrived to find smoke billowing out of the house, and the fire service had not yet arrived. Finding that the front door was locked, both officers forced their way into the house to try and save anyone inside. After battling through a wall of thick smoke, they detected that the fire was coming from the kitchen. The officers crawled into the house on their hands and knees to shut the kitchen door, preventing the fire from spreading. They then called out to check if there was anyone in the property, and heard two voices upstairs. Braving the choking smoke, they crawled up the stairs to rescue the two women, aged in their 70s and 80s, who were trapped in an upstairs bedroom. Both women were taken to Broomfield Hospital, where they received treatment for smoke inhalation. PC Barry and PC Downes emerged from the situation miraculously unscathed.

circumstances and including those vulnerable to crime or social exclusion.

The aim is to prepare young people for their future by providing varied activities and opportunities to develop qualifications, enhance inter-personal skills and confidence, and achieve a sense of pride through supporting community policing. Although this is a universal programme open to all young people, priority will be given to young people who are vulnerable to crime or social exclusion and who may therefore need and benefit from the opportunities most.

We expect a high level of applications for this programme, so please register your interest as soon as possible. A decision will be made on successful applications for the first cohort at least two weeks before the start date, and successful applicants will be notified.

For further information about the VPC scheme, or to request an application form, please email: volunteer.police.cadets@essex.pnn. police.uk.

Mr Kavanagh said: “This is testimony to their selfless actions and putting themselves in danger in order to save the lives of others.

Policing is an often dangerous job, and this award recognises their dedication, commitment and heroism. What they have done is truly humbling”.

Volunteer Police Cadet Unit Coming Soon Chelmsford will be the base for a new Volunteer Police Cadet Unit, which will be opening later this year. The Volunteer Police Cadets (VPC) is a uniformed voluntary youth organisation, supported by the Police, and open to young people aged 13-18 from across the UK’s diverse communities, irrespective of their background or financial Page 17 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

CT History Ernest Millington can certainly lay claim to have been the most unusual member of parliament for Chelmsford over the last 120 years. Apart from a short period from 1923 to 1924, when a Liberal managed to become MP, Chelmsford has always been a safe Conservative seat, before and since Millington’s term as an MP. His autobiography, Was That Really Me? describes his early life in Ilford and attending an independent grammar school in Chigwell.

After looking into the merits of various religions, he joined the Labour League of Youth at 14 and became friendly with Ted Willis, later to be the author of Dixon of Dock Green. Political differences lead to his father telling him to leave the family house when he was sixteen after achieving 3 Higher Certificates of Education. Despite working in Mitcham, he enthusiastically attended the Ilford WEA, where he met his first wife Gwen Pritchard. Millington joined the territorials to be ready to meet the mounting fascist threat. He was a member of a searchlight unit.

In 1939, he was called up into the army, but managed to transfer for officer training in the RAF. He was posted to Spitalgate near Grantham. After training as a pilot, he joined Bomber Command.

He was promoted to the rank of wing commander after criticising proposals that attacking planes should fly in formation. His exploits in the air led him to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Interestingly in his autobiography, Millington spoke up for Air Chief Marshall Harris, the chief of Bomber Command, castigating the establishment for disowning him after the war.

In 1944 he offered himself as a parliamentary candidate for Chelmsford - what he thought was an unwinnable seat! His extreme left wing Commonwealth Party didn’t feel bound by the coalition pact not to fight by-elections when the sitting MP, Colonel ‘Jack’ Macnamara, was killed in northern Italy. Macnamara himself had an interesting backround; in the 1930s he and his secretary, Guy Burgess, had made regular trips to Berlin. Burgess of course was later to become infamous as a spy.

The Commonwealth Party had among its founders JB Priestley and the former Liberal MP, Sir Richard Ackland. The party took a ‘libertarian’ socialist view rejecting the state-owned form of socialism. It was able to take advantage during wartime of a public looking forward to the introduction of Beveridge’s welfare state reforms and win three by-elections before the end of hostilities.

These were Eddisbury, Skipton and Chelmsford. Millington overturned a previous majority of sixteen thousand. Part of the reason for this gigantic turnaround was that Chelmsford’s electoral register had been updated to include the masses of industrial workers who had come to Chelmsford during the war. In addition, Millington thought one reason for his success was an: “Unforeseen and virtually unexpressed deep and almost universal desire for change. Traditional trade union and Labour Party members and supporters reacted adversely to their leadership, which gave them explicit instructions to vote for the Tory candidate.” Sybil Olive remembered that she hadn’t been surprised that Millington had won.

His campaign was well organised and although there was an element of a protest vote, people in the constituency genuinely wanted change. He became the youngest sitting MP. The attendances at meetings in the constituency before the election were enormous and he had to field endless questions about bombing operations. “They seemed to hold me personally responsible for the destruction of German cities.” To Millington’s embarrassment, the Daily Mirror adopted his candidature and pandered to the general bloodlust after the blitz, stating: “While Wing Commander Millington was flying through thick flak to bomb Berlin, his Tory opponent... was signing important documents for the Air Ministry.” When he was elected in January 1945 he fulfilled his election pledge and moved to Boreham. After being presented with the DFC, he went into the House of Commons when a Tory MP, who had been a military officer in the RAF with the rank of squadron leader, came up to him saying, “You are improperly dressed. Your DFC ribbon is too wide.” He was

Wing Commander Ernest Millington MP

not expecting Millington’s reply: “If you are talking to me as an RAF officer: stand to attention, take your hand out of your trouser pocket and address a senior officer as ‘Sir’. If you are talking as a fellow member of parliament, mind your own business and **** off.”

Millington was the only one of three Commonwealth Party MPs to be re-elected in the general election after the war. This was because, although he offered to stand down in deference to the official Labour candidate, the latter stood down instead. He was re-elected, not just because of his war credentials, but because of his pledge on the issue most immediately in the minds of Chelmsfordians and the whole country; namely housing. He was a diligent MP in all matters: after the fire at Bollinbroke and Wenley for example, he was the first to call for an enquiry. Unfortunately for him, Chelmsford (after making a good start) house building was held up, like in every other authority, by the shortage of materials and general bureaucratic muddle and this contributed to his fall in local popularity. He joined the Labour Party in 1946 and there was quite considerable support for the suggestion that he should step down so that a bi-election could be held. Millington struggled financially as an MP with no independent source of income and a young family to support. He openly doubted in the local papers whether the town continued to want him. In his book he admitted that it was with some relief that he was beaten by Sir Hubert Ashton in 1950. It was therefore no surprise that he stepped down as a future candidate later that year.

Initially he found it difficult to find employment and decided to return to the RAF as a flight lieutenant. His political views, particularly on Suez, were well known and may have been the reason he was accused of misappropriating the proceeds of dances. He was the subject of a court martial and dismissed. He always denied the offence, but the poor state of his finances doubtless counted against him. After a spell looking after a pub, he trained as a teacher and had a successful career in East London. He divorced in 1974 and later married another teacher, Ivy Robinson, and moved to the Dordogne in France. When he died in 2009, he was the only surviving member of the 1939-1945 parliament. His political views remained little changed and unsurprisingly he was a vehement critic of New Labour.

Future articles in this magazine should include one on the life of Norman St John Stevas partly for balance, but also because he led a very interesting life. Other articles will include the St Giles leper colony at Bicknacre, punk in Chelmsford, the Chelmsford Corn Exchange, suffragism in Chelmsford and the story of Britvic.

If you should want a signed copy of my 600 page book, From a Borough to a City: A History of Chelmsford 1888 - 2012, (costing £14), please send your contact details to: fromaboroughtoacity@ outlook.com.

Look Who We Met

We were asked to come in and meet Gennaro when we were putting our latest edition of the magazine in the entrance of Trattoria. He was there filming for one of the many television shows he appears in.

Gennaro is Jamie’s partner in the Italian restaurants across the UK, including Jamie’s Trattoria in Chelmsford and said he loved our review in the magazine and loves to cook here. He was very kind to give us some time to talk to us and have his photo taken.

Marconi Day

Saturday 25 April, 10.00-5.00

Celebrating the legacy of Guglielmo Marconi

Free admission (donations welcome) • Live radio transmissions, • Talks • Military vehicles • Morse code and TV Camera demonstrations • Refreshments Sandford Mill, off Sandford Mill Road, CM2 6NY www.chelmsford.gov.uk/sandfordmill

Stewarts

‘The friendly little blue tea shop in Tindal Street’ 01245 265766 If you are looking for a truly independent, family run tea shop, serving great tasting freshly made food, come and find us!

15% off

Bring this advert to receive 15% off of your total lunch bill, eat in or takeaway

We are tucked behind the High Street, near the cathedral and next to Allegro Music. We look forward to welcoming you.

Freshly made sandwiches, baguettes, jacket potatoes and paninis and a great range of homemade cakes (gluten and dairy free available). stewarts deli and tearoom @4tindalstreet

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Hypnotherapy by Jenny Hartill

A very common question I get asked is ‘can hypnotherapy improve my memory?’ or more specifically, as I have been asked recently ‘can you hypnotise me to pass my exam?’.

There isn’t really a simple answer to this question, because the subject of memory is a complicated system that remains not fully understood.

As I mentioned in my last article, the memory is an unstable thing and although hypnotherapy can help, we can’t go round hypnotising ourselves every time we decide we want to remember something! For example, what if you’re driving and you pass somewhere you want to remember to visit? You can’t stick yourself in a trance whilst driving a car! Therefore I believe a great way to improve your memory is actually by firstly understanding how your memory works, then learning and applying certain techniques to help your memory storage and recall and then, if appropriate, you can use hypnosis to help with the storage and/or recall - depending on what it is you’re trying to remember or to store.

Research literature on memory and hypnosis is full of studies that document the power of hypnosis to enhance memory. Most studies are laboratory based experiments that usually show a significant increase in the recall of hypnotised subjects as compared to normal controls. Articles about psychology are full of stories of people who recover lost things or recall memories that presumably were lost.

The key to understanding the ability of hypnosis to improve memory is found in how our memory works in the first place. Here’s a quick break down: Sensory memory lasts less than a second.

Short term (also called ‘working’) memories (like recalling a phone number) last under a minute.

certain meaning to you. Under a light trance I would take you back to the day you created the password, take you through step by step what you did that day, all the way up to creating the password. Because hypnosis has allowed you to focus your attention on the important details of that day, an important detail also being the creation of the password, it is likely that this focus and level of attention due to hypnosis would allow you to recall the password. The power of hypnosis is ultimately in the workings of the human mind. Trance allows deeper access to parts of the subconscious mind (where our implicit memories are stored) that are normally outside our ordinary wakeful consciousness (where our explicit memories are stored).

If you needed to safely store that password so much, but perhaps were distracted in the process, your subconscious mind may well have buried it so deep that recall was particularly difficult. A hypnotic trance allows us to snoop around the inner labyrinth of the mind.

You actually never know what you may come across. In general, we usually do not have bizarre hidden memories but, there are many things we would never remember if we did not make an extra special effort to recall it - like for example that forgotten password. When it is really important, do not underestimate what hypnosis can do for you.

For more information on hypnosis or counselling you can go to my website www.counsellinginchelmsford.co.uk.

If you are interested in advertising in any of our publications please call 07970 206682 or email ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk

Long term memory can last a lifetime. This is where it gets complicated. Long term memory is split firstly into two types: Implicit Unconscious Memory and Explicit Conscious Memory. Implicit memory then is subcategorised into Procedural Memory - these are skills and tasks like driving a car or touch typing. Explicit memory is subcategorised into Declarative Memory (facts and events), Episodic Memory (events and experiences) and Semantic Memory (facts and concepts).

Each of these sections of memory work in their own unique way.

Apart from this, we also have to bear in mind the fact that each of us has our own learning modality which can have a bearing on our memory storage and recall, so you may store memories and be more likely to recall memories based on this modality. For example those with a visual learning modality may be more likely to remember things in images, those with an auditory learning modality may be more likely to remember things in sounds and those with a kinaesthetic learning modality may be more likely to remember the emotions associated with an experience. Memory works in a two stage process.

First you store the experience somewhere in your mind and secondly, we have to recall that memory. Problems may occur in either system the storage or retrieval. Remember, hypnosis is a trance that focuses attention on a limited area and can slow down thinking, heighten the imagination and prevent distractions. Hypnosis can help focus attention on either part of the memory system; how the information was stored or how to recall it.

NG

If you have forgotten something, the first question is what and how were you trying to store that information. What cognitive mode you were using (visual, auditory, written, sensory, etc) and what was the context of the situation; were there any associations about the information? Here is an example of how hypnosis can help to retrieve information.

CT

Say you have a password for something that you’ve completely forgotten and need to remember. It’s likely this password has a Page 20

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The Panic Awards 2015 in Aid of Little Havens And the winners were: Venue of the Year - The Bassment Newcomer of the Year - Sound Mirrors and Bearfist Solo Performer of the Year - Paolo Morena Promoter of the Year - Denise Wood Best Regular Night of the Year - Bassment Blues Jam Comedian of the Year - Rob Saunders Theatre Production of the Year - The Haunting of Hill House Chelmsford Theatre Workshop One Off Event of the Year - The Fling DJ of the Year - Darryl Butcher Outstanding Achievement Award - Jon Holland Band of the Year - Crème de Chèvre Once again, it was a great show this year.

The Bassment collecting their award.

Jamie Williams and the Roots Collective opening the show.

Denise from Asylum collecting Promoter of the Year award

Band of the Year, voted for by text for the first year, Crème de Chèvre

Jenni and Nick collecting The Fling’s award

Paolo Morena receiving his Solo Performer of the Year award.

Host for the night, Andy Poole

A Spring Clean for Your Brain

by Keith Porter

Being a personal trainer used to be just about helping someone to work out in the gym, but these days, with more and more research showing the links between a healthy body and a healthy mind, a lot more factors come into play.

What’s the point of being fit if you’re not healthy? What’s the point of a heavy squat if you aren’t flexible and mobile? And what’s the point of looking great if you don’t feel great?

One of the things that changed both my training and my mindset was the concept of decluttering. My training was overcomplicated, as was my home. So I set out to simplify both. With my training, I read great books by Dan John and Mark Rippetoe and started to focus on the big barbell lifts, cutting away all of the distracting fluff that had crept into my routine.

At home, I looked around my house and saw useless ‘stuff’ everywhere. So, it all went and my house - and mind - were calmer for it. It all started with a drawer: Tip out the drawer and lay everything out. Get rid of the stuff that is genuinely rubbish. Old receipts, chewing gum from 1998, pens that

don’t work.

Identify anything that causes an ‘I’ll keep that just in case’ reaction.

Trust me, ‘just in case’ isn’t coming. Either bin it, or put it aside to get rid of. Don’t think about it. Just do it.

Bin the rubbish, putting aside anything that’s going but has value. We ended up taking most of our stuff to the charity shop. It made me feel good to give stuff away, but also, it made me realise how much money I’d wasted on ‘stuff’ over the years. This was a big lesson for me, which has made me think much more before making any purchase.

If you’ve done this properly, you’ll now be left with a nice, clean, empty drawer. Second best is a nice, clean drawer with a few useful items that you need. Anything more than that, and it’s time to get even more brutal with your selection - are you sure you need it? Could it be put into the charity pile?

That’s how I started. Which drawer will you tackle first?

To find out about personal training, drop me a line at: keith@ liveasimplelife.co.uk, or find me online at: facebook.com/livesimple.

Yoga for Pets or Happy April Fools Day! by Kellie Jones

So last year we got the gossip going with our posts about naked yoga classes starting and we wondered how we could top it, but we definitely had even more fun this year with the launch of Poga classes or yoga for pets. Not being known for doing anything by halves, we literally did yoga with our cats in our Coga outfits and held a class with clients and their dogs in Dogapants! Then in the morning of the 1st of April the Essex Chronicle online reported ‘Chelmsford women launch yoga classes for pets’, the photos and announcements went out on Facebook and a lot of hilarity erupted and somewhat reluctantly, around 1pm, we confessed that Poga was an April Fools prank.

have been following my #selfloveplanunderway campaign then you will probably realise that part of looking after yourself is making time for fun and laughter. Here are just some of the benefits: • Boosts immunity • Lowers stress hormones • Relaxes your muscles • can help prevent heart disease • Eases anxiety and fear • Relieves stress • Enhances resilience • Strengthens relationships • Attracts others to us • Enhances teamwork We have a responsibility as a wellbeing and lifestyle company to lead by example and we can guarantee that you will hear laughter at our studios frequently!

Our April workshops are filling up fast as more and more people come to join us and take care of themselves. On April 8th we have another Yoga Nidra & Gong Bath, sold out again!

We also have the lovely Jodie Merrick with us again running her 21 Day Spring Cleanse workshops, including Juice-Vibe juices. To book this series of 3 workshops, just click on the ‘book now’ tab on our website: www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk.

I’m off now to deliver chocolate eggs to my beautiful nieces, so I’ll wish you all lots of laughter at Easter and see you all next month when I’ll be packing my bags ready for a big trip to Oz! So you may be wondering what do we do all this silly stuff for? We do See more of our April Fools story at www.facebook.com/ take our business seriously, just not ourselves. Well yes, obviously its HummingbirdPilatesYoga, essexchronicle.co.uk, or follow us on for PR and drawing some attention to our business, but also if you Twitter here: @HummingbirdPY. Page 22 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Pilates, Yoga, Meditation Book your space online or call: Small Classes & 1-2-1’s www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk Inspirational Teachers 01245 422556 Friendly, Community Vibe Reeds Farm Estate, Writtle, CM1 2ST

CHELMSFORD GOLF CLUB (FOUNDED IN 1893)

MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE ONE OF THE OLDEST TRADITIONAL, PRIVATE MEMBERS’ CLUBS IN THE COUNTY. A BEAUTIFUL PARKLAND COURSE, DESIGNED BY JAMES BRAID AND HARRY COLT. A HIDDEN GEM TUCKED AWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF CHELMSFORD.

WE WELCOME LADIES, GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS AS MEMBERS.

• Full Membership • 3 Month Trial Membership • Starter Membership • Cadet Membership FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON CHELMSFORD GOLF CLUB AND MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CONTACT THE CLUB DIRECTLY.

TEL: 01245 256483 EMAIL: OFFICE@CHELMSFORDGC.CO.UK WEBSITE: WWW.CHELMSFORDGC.CO.UK

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Crafting with Kids by Sarah from Blooming Felt Running a craft business means I am of course a great believer in everyone having a go at crafting. Kids in particular love to learn new skills and are never too young to start colouring and painting (hopefully on paper or in books and not on the walls or themselves), cutting (preferably paper and not their own hair) and sticking bits of paper together (not their hands)! They hopefully then move on to sewing, knitting, designing and making things from wood, clay and other materials.

My own children have been overloaded with all sorts of crafts over the years and whilst my daughter’s friends are always asking to visit the Blooming Felt studio to play with buttons and ribbons, my daughter is quite blasé about the whole thing and would rather play in the garden! Of course, that’s no bad thing but when the weather isn’t being kind, it’s nice to be creating a mess indoors!

This month I thought I’d do a round-up of some of my favourite craft kits for kids (and big kids) that are currently on the market. Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list (there are literally thousands of kits available), but I hope I’ve given you a good idea of some of the more different kits available from various websites, all of which I’ve bought from in the past and can therefore recommend.

Peg Doll Kits from Button Bag available as fairies, adventure figures and nativity figures. All suitable for age 5+ and priced from £12.95 - www. buttonbag.co.uk.

Learn How to Knit kit from Button Bag this is a great kit containing everything you need to learn how to knit. It even comes in a handy miniature suitcase!

Suitable for age 8+ and priced at £20.00 - www.buttonbag.co.uk.

Fantastic needlepoint kits in a huge range of designs from The Stitching Shed. Suitable for both boys and girls. Age 7+ and priced at £17.00 (at the time of writing they have a 25% off promotion).

Chelmsford City Muay Thai With over 60 students, Chelmsford City Muay Thai is Chelmsford’s premier Muaythai club, catering for juniors and adults alike. There are dedicated classes for juniors, aged from 5 years and above, mixed adults and junior classes so parents can train with their children, and adult only classes. The classes are mixed gender and ability, so everyone gets the best from each and every class.

Based at Chelmsford City Martial Arts Centre, Units 21 and 22 Waterhouse Business Centre Chelmsford CM12QE - a dedicated Martial Arts Dojo - Chelmsford City Muay Thai has the luxury of some of the best equipment to use that can be found for Muaythai, such as Sandee, Fairtex MTG. The club instructors and assistant instructors have all trained at different clubs and different martial art styles during their martial art careers. This brings a wealth of knowledge and consolidates the best elements into the club and each class that is run.

The Stitching Shed also have a large range of needlepoint and cross-stitch kits which are perfect for adults too www.thestitchingshed.co.uk.

Origami Planes by Djeco - learn how to make fantastic paper planes in a range of designs. Suitable for age 6+ and priced at £5.99 - www. crafts4kids.co.uk.

Screen Printing Workshop by Djeco - this is a great introduction to the art of screen-printing. Suitable for age 8+ and priced at £13.99 - www. crafts4kids.co.uk.

Build your own Wooden Birdhouse

by Melissa & Doug - a great kit which is easy to put together and then decorate. Suitable for age 5+ and priced at £9.99 - www.crafts4kids. co.uk.

Modelling Clay & Moulds - choose from dinosaurs, jungle and pets.

Suitable for age 6+. Moulds are priced at £8.99 and casting powder from £3.99 - www.bakerross.co.uk.

These will stand the test of time: I still have the Paddington Bear I made from a mould and casting clay when Paddington was popular the first time around!!

Do please let me know if there’s something crafty in particular you’d like me to cover in future editions - it’s great to hear your views.

You can contact me via email: info@bloomingfelt.co.uk, or visit my website: www.bloomingfelt.co.uk. Don’t forget, our Shedquarters is also open to visitors most Friday mornings from 10.30am until 1.30pm (see website for details). their martial art journey has had to so the same thing, they can remember their first day, so everyone is made to feel welcome when the come through the doors at Chelmsford City Martial Arts Centre.

To make the journey as easy as possible the club policy is: • No egos - you leave those as the door when you arrive.

• Each class is run according the students that train on the day, • No pre-subscribed classes that students cannot follow.

• Train at your own pace, do not try and keep up with someone more experience that you on your first day.

• Everyone is treated as an equal.

• Above all, have fun.

Chelmsford City Muay Thai trains traditional Muaythai and Muay Boran. Often in class you will find yourself using techniques from both formats in one combination. This enables students to progress to a good level quickly, in a fun and structured format. The club instructors - and each student - are all fully insured, with the instructors also members of the UKMF (UK Muaythai Federation), which is part of the WMC (World Muaythai Council).

Whether you have wanted to try train Muaythai, just for fitness, interclub sparring, or to fulfil a life goal and follow the fully grading path to 1st Dan and above, you will find everything at Chelmsford City Muay Thai.

For more information, feel free to call: 07793 661601 or visit the clubs website: www.muaythaichelmsford.com. We look forward to training with you.

The instructors know what it is like to turn up to the club for the first time, it can be very daunting, each and every person that has started Page 24 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

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CT Wildlife Corner by nick Green Spring is definitely in the air with blooming hedgerows and budding and leafing trees. On the warmer days, insects are becoming more obvious, particularly bees and even the odd butterfly is on the wing.

The Butterfly Conservation Organisation does a tremendous job for butterflies and moths, as well as other insects - discover the best insect-friendly plants for your garden at: http://butterfly-conservation. org/292/gardening.html.

The earliest returning summer bird species - as predicted - did include warblers like chiffchaffs and blackcaps plus wheatears. As I write, March has proved to be rather cool, so migration has been rather slower than expected. At the lake in Central Park, the mallard ducks have been pairing up and prospecting potential nest sites in the local area such as ponds and streams. Blackbirds have been nest building and the dawn chorus (for early risers!) is getting louder.

The yellowhammer is a typically a farmland bird in Britain, but can also be found on heaths, commons, scrub and edge of woodlands.

The species can be found on the outskirts of Chelmsford in suitable habitat, as indeed for most of Essex. The male is easily identified by its bright yellow head and underparts with a chestnut breastband.

The female is somewhat drabber and both sexes have a chestnut rump. The male’s song is typically described as ‘a little bit of bread and no cheese’.

Forthcoming Chelmsford wildlife club events include: RSPB - Chelmsford and Central Essex Group: http://www.rspb.org. uk/groups/chelmsford.

Essex Birdwatching Society website has all details: www.ebws.org.uk Essex Wildlife Trust - Chelmsford Group: www.essexwt.org.uk/getinvolved/local-groups/chelmsford.

Essex Field Club: www.essexfieldclub.org.uk.

Recent Essex Bird News The most noteworthy March news is of an immature white-tailed eagle found initially at North Fambridge on 13th March, then on the next day it was tracked heading north at Wivenhoe, Kirby-le-Soken, then Ixworth in Suffolk, winding up in north Norfolk! Writing at the end of March, the bird may have returned to Essex and the Stour estuary. This sighting may constitute just the second 21st century record since the last in 1929 and 2010!

Abberton Reservoir, south of Colchester, has recorded summer visitors like chiffchaffs, sand martins, little ringed plovers and even a male black redstart! The Essex Wildlife Trust (EWT) Visitor Centre can supply the latest news - and a hot cuppa! Please visit: www.essexwt. org.uk/reserves/abberton-reservoir.

Surf scoter - Essex’s third ever specimen continues to frequent the River Stour in the vicinity of Stuttoness Point, Suffolk. The bird favours the area from Bradfield to Wrabness EWT in the deep water channel, as demarcated by big buoys and has been present since November 2014.

Rough-legged buzzard - the over-wintering bird since November 2014 can be seen from the car park on Wallasea Island RSPB, near Canewdon.

To read about the RSPB’s Wild Coast Project, please visit: http://www.rspb.org.uk/whatwedo/campaigningfornature/casework/ details.aspx?id=tcm:9-235089.

Family Friendly Joke Time Male yellowhammer, copyright: Glyn Evans

National Record Store Day Intense Records, under the arches along Viaduct Road, are Chelmsford’s only remaining independent record shop and once again will be taking part in National Record Store Day held on Saturday 18th April 2015.

This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music with special one off vinyl releases made exclusively for the day.

Records from The 1975, Chvrches, George Ezra, Gorgon City and Calvin Harris, will be enticing a younger generation of music fans whilst David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and The Kinks help to rekindle the love of long-time vinyl fans. Others to look our for include Mumford and Sons, Foo Fighters, Johnny Marr, David Bowie, Noel Gallagher, The Prodigy and The Sex Pistols.

To view the full list of releases, check www.intenserecords.co.uk and for enquiries email: info@intenserecords.co.uk, or call 01245 347372.

Intense Records will be holding a special in-store party open from 9am-6pm, with live DJs, bbq and special guests, including Mark System (Exit Records), LSB (Soul:R) & Villem & Mcleod (Spearhead).

What happens to a frog’s car when it breaks down?

It gets toad away.

What nails do carpenters hate to hit?

Fingernails.

What did the mama cow say to the baby cow?

“It’s pasture bedtime.”

I have a fear of speed bumps, But I’m slowly getting over it.

continuing the party at Indigo, formerly Barhouse, on Victoria Road in Chelmsford. Intense residents will be warming up proceedings with a blend of Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Hip Hop & House. The club will be open straight after the shop from 6pm - 3am. Advance tickets are available from Intense Records, or pay on the door.

If you cant get to Intense on the day, a huge selection of the releases will be made available following the main celebrations. so pop in anytime or check the website a week afterwards on the 25th April, when the sought after wax is officially allowed to be sold online.

Remember, don’t pay the over-inflated prices on eBay, trust your local independent, we will do our best to feed your vinyl addiction.

Punch this into your sat nav to find the shop and discover the holy grail of vinyl: Intense Records, 33/34 Viaduct Road, Chelmsford CM1 Following the celebrations, Intense, plus special guests, we will be 1TS. Page 27 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

CT CHARITY -

This month we have two marathon participants and their chosen charity

My First Marathon by Jo Sullivan Wow. I’m running the London Marathon!

In just under 4 weeks I’ll be running the famous streets of London along with approximately 40,000 other people, including Mo Farah and Paula Radcliffe.

Even writing these words makes my palms start sweating and my heart beat faster with nerves!

I’ve entered the London Marathon ballot 3 years in a row hoping to be one of the lucky people receiving the ‘YOU’RE IN!’ magazine on their doorstep, but it wasn’t to be, so in 2013 I decided to take matters into my own hands and applied to Anthony Nolan to run for them in the 2014 marathon. To my amazement they phoned me to accept and I spent the rest of the day in a daze, not quite believing I was in!

I applied to Anthony Nolan as I’m a regular blood donor and am on the British Bone Marrow Registry, but I am unfortunately too old(!) to be a donor for Anthony Nolan, so this is my way of helping to fund the amazing life saving work they do. Anthony Nolan has been saving the lives of people with blood cancer, such as leukemia, for over four decades by matching them to people willing to donate their bone marrow, or blood stem cells, for lifesaving transplants. Around 2,000 people in the UK need a bone marrow (or stem cell) transplant from a stranger each year. This is usually their last chance of survival.

Unfortunately, this was clearly not my time to shine as not long after, I ruptured the ligaments in my ankle resulting in weeks of being on crutches. It was a huge disappointment, as training had been going so well and all of a sudden I was hobbling around with bright pink kinesio tape on my leg. Anthony Nolan were absolutely brilliant and assured me I could defer my place to 2015 which is what I did. After months of physio, I was back on my feet and went up to London to watch the 2014 marathon and cheer on all the amazing runners, such an emotional and inspiring day which really renewed my desire to run in 2015.

Training has been going well so far, with 2 half marathons under my

belt I feel almost ready for the big day - I just need to get a long run in this weekend up to 20 miles (20 miles!!). On 15th March, I ran the Adidas Silverstone Half Marathon, along with 6500 other runners, which was a great experience and gave me a taste of what it would be like on the big day.

The day itself was freezing cold with strong cross winds which made the run very difficult at times, but help was at hand in the form of bands and DJs around the track providing great music. There were also words of encouragement from the volunteers at the water stands and the crowd cheering with a few high fives along the way!! After 13.1 miles, my feet crossed the finish line in 1:58, which I was very pleased with as my target was 2 hours.

My finishing position was pretty much in the middle of all those that took part at position 3514 and I’m really proud that out of 2416 women, I finished in position 711, so in the top 29% of all female runners!!

I’ve come such a long way from running 2-3 miles a few months ago and I’m so proud of my achievements, but I’ve still got a long way to go so if you feel tired just reading this, imagine how I feel!

I’m running 26.2 miles in aid of Anthony Nolan, please visit their website to see the amazing work they do to save a life in the fight against blood cancer: http://www.anthonynolan.org.

How your money can help: • £100 could add a new lifesaver to our register.

• £21 could fund one hour of research into ensuring more people survive blood cancer.

• £10 could pay for a ‘spit kit’ which is the first step in recruiting each lifesaver to the register.

• £5 could get vital information to a patient and their family.

Please, please, please sponsor me and donate to Anthony Nolan to help fund life saving opportunities for those less fortunate than us. http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/JoSullivan2. Thank you :)

Paul Brazier Raising for City of Chelmsford Mencap Paul Brazier, a local builder in Old Moulsham, is running the London Marathon on Sunday 26th April 2015 for the City of Chelmsford Mencap. Established in 1951, City of Chelmsford Mencap is a local independent charity for children and adults with a learning disability.

It provides social clubs, education and respite schemes for people of all ages as well as information and support services for members and their families and carers.

Our local Mencap is based in Mildmay Road in Old Moulsham and is easily passed by. About a year ago, the local Mencap put a request out on the Old Moulsham Facebook page to see if anyone could do some small building work at their premises. I volunteered to help them out and suddenly realised what a wonderful place it was and what great things they do. As soon as I got my ballot place in the London Marathon, I decided I needed to raise money for a local charity that meant something to me. I chose The City of Chelmsford Mencap as it seeks to address all learning difficulty challenges and provides lifelong support - from its Daybreak holiday club for children, which provides much-needed short breaks for parents, carers and siblings, to its Outreach Academy, which operates every weekday and helps members aged 19+ develop their social, work and life skills and maximise their health and independence.

Although affiliated to Royal Mencap, City of Chelmsford Mencap does not receive any direct funding and therefore relies entirely on grants and donations to fund its services. Many of the charity’s funding streams have been affected by the current economic climate. At the

same time, changes to the welfare system are impacting on the daily lives of people with a learning disability.

City of Chelmsford Mencap is facing these challenges and embarking on an exciting period of development, including the extension of its Daybreak and Outreach Academy programmes and the introduction of Discover Health, an innovative initiative that will directly address the low life expectancy of people with a learning disability.

The members make the most of every opportunity for fun, learning and realising their potential. They are the embodiment of the motto: Life’s for living, live it well.

Any questions - please contact Lisa Brazier: 07841 371 391.

Please donate at: https://www.justgiving.com/PAUL-BRAZIER1.

Best of luck to both, in fact to all participants. Hopefully Jo and Paul will write a follow up in next month’s edition.

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Preparing for the Care Act in Essex The introduction of the Care Act 2014 means we now have more choice and control over the care and support we receive. In Essex, the county’s leading provider of adult social care services is restructuring its services to meet the demands of the new act.

Essex Cares supports over 50,000 adults who have learning and physical disabilities, sensory impairments, or dementia, helping each of them live active and fulfilling lives.

Living Longer One of the reasons behind the new care act is that more of us are now living longer than ever before. To maintain a good quality of life, we need to keep active and independent in our own homes for as long as possible and this is an area in which Essex Cares can provide a full range of support.

year regain their independence.

If you have a spell in hospital, the Reablement Service will help you get back on your feet by helping you with daily tasks until you feel well enough to do them yourself. The service helps thousands of people in Essex each

Service can provide equipment to detect falls, inactivity, smoke or gas.

Keeping Active and Independent Essex Cares has 30 local Wellbeing & Activity Centres across the county, offering activities for adults with a range of needs. The centres offer a series of fun and inspiring things to do which are tailored to customers’ individual needs, aims and personal goals.

Elsewhere, Work Based Training provides work experience opportunities to adults with learning disabilities in a fully functioning business. They gain knowledge, skills and confidence, enhancing their opportunities for employment in the future.

In the Community Essex Cares also offers Outreach services to people who struggle to get out and about, socialise and do the things they enjoy. Support Assistants can help customers to access local facilities, helping to combat loneliness and isolation.

Finally, Sensory Service supports adults with sight loss, hearing loss or both. It helps to maintain their independence by developing daily living and communication skills, offering mobility training and providing a Sighted Guide Service.

Adapting Homes Meanwhile, the Equipment Service can help to adapt your home and For more information on Essex Cares’ range of services and to talk to make it safer for you as you get older by installing items such as grab someone about how the Care Act will affect you, call: 0800 035 9770 rails, wet rooms and pendant alarms, while it’s Telecare Response or visit: www.essexcares.org.

Page 29 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Stargazing with Mark Willis - April/May 2015 There’s another partial eclipse on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. This will be roughly the same order as this March’s eclipse. The 2026 eclipse will be 83% - stunning if there are no clouds! Well worth the wait!

Begins: Max: Ends: Duration:

6:17pm 7:13pm 8:06pm 1 hour, 49 minutes

But you don’t have to wait that long provided you’re prepared to travel: Monday, August 21, 2017, 18:26:40 Universal Time. The USA: Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, north-eastern Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, south-western Indiana, western Kentucky, Tennessee, south-western North Carolina, north-eastern Georgia, South Carolina. Being on a continent, if the weather is dodgy in one place, if you have access to a car you can drive to another! The best part is that this eclipse is total.

16 - 25 April: The April Lyrid meteor shower peaks on the 21st and 22nd April and this is during a new moon which means that there is

no glaring moonlight to spoil the show. Although there are only about 15 meteors per hour, they are fast and they leave nice trains. The Lyrid meteor shower is the remnants of Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher.

16 April - 26 May also has the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. These are the remnants of Comet 1P/Halley.

23 May: Saturn will be at opposition. What this means is that the planet is the closest it will be to Earth.

Next time in City Times Stargazing with Mark Willis, as the night sky goes on its summer holidays, so solar observing beckons.

Mark Willis presents Willis Wireless every Monday at 7pm on Chelmsford Community Radio.

Web: Tweet me: Email:

www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com @WillisWireless mark.willis@chelmsfordcommunityradio.com

Essex Schools Win Through to Rotary Regional Finals We know that teenagers like to have their say and that it is often very different from the opinions of their parents. The Youth Speak competition, organised by Rotary, gives young people the opportunity of choosing their own subject and speaking about it within prescribed rules. There are two age groups intermediates (for 14-16 year olds) and seniors (for the 16-18s).

Each team consists of three members: the chairman who does the introductions, the main speaker and finally the person giving the vote of thanks. There are strict timekeeping rules and should anyone exceed the limit penalties are imposed.

There are many other competitions that Rotary organises for schools including Young Musician, Young Chef, Young Photographer, Young Writer and the Rotary Youth Leadership Award scheme, so it’s never too early to become part of the Rotary family. If you would like to find out more about these competitions or how to join a local Rotary club visit: www.rotary1240.org or phone me on: 01245 260349.

Schools from all over Britain take part and they have to fight their way through area heats, district finals and regional finals before the national final.

Stan Keller

And finally, a reminder about how you could be part of the World’s Biggest Quiz and get into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Details on the website above or to order tickets www.rotarybigquiz.org Saturday 6th June 12-4pm at Southend United Football Ground.

In Essex, we enjoyed listening to such diverse subjects as ‘Two Plus Two = Five!’, ;Just How Much Influence Does America Have on British Culture?’ and ‘There is No Such Thing as Rape Culture’.

Our regional final recently took place in Cambridge and covered Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, London and Cambridgeshire. I am delighted to let readers know that both our teams were winners in their class and progress to the national finals.

The intermediate winning team was Colchester Royal Grammar School, their chosen subject ‘The Importance of Learning Languages’.

The team consited of chairman - Charlie Price, speaker - Gorak Rajesh and vote of thanks - Harry Hesketh-Patterson.

The senior wining team was Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School with their subject ‘Why I Hate Cotton Wool’. Chairman - Bryony Colton, speaker - Anna Jones and vote of thanks - Millie Binnell.

In both competitions it was a hard task for the adjudicators to choose a winner, as the teams were so close in the markings. Of course, everyone is a winner as the young people learn presentation skills and gain confidence in standing in front of a large audience. Rotary and the audience are also winners as these events are so enjoyable and satisfying.

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Page 31

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3 Gladstone Court - £125,000

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Main Road - £299,995

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Wells Crescent, Marconi Plaza £180,000

2nd floor luxury apartment One bedroom Concierge & video entry phone No onward chain Widford Grove - £395,000

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