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CT Welcome Hello readers, Welcome to the April/May edition. We hope you are all staying well. Unfortunately, due to the current situation this edition is available online only. While we could have the magazine printed, we would not be able to deliver the 10,000 copies to the usual pick up points and businesses that we normally deliver to.
All of our adverts in this issue have been charged a minimal amount to cover the cost of proofreading. Our largest costs (printing and distribution) are obviously not relevant this month. We have also enlarged the font slightly so that it’s easier to read on screen. Please also remember to let our advertisers know that you saw them in this magazine.
This is the first time in over 6 years that the City Times has not been printed! We will take a view on how to approach the next issue of the City Times in the next few weeks.
Stay safe!
We would be incredibly grateful if you could share this link, www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia,, to any friends and family who usually pick up the magazine.
Nick & Paul
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it’s your media Ltd
Disclaimer: It’s Your Media Ltd publish The City Times. The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of It’s Your Media Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the prior written permission of It’s Your Media Ltd. Registered offices: 15 Hayes Close, Chelmsford. Reg No 9154871. Printed by Printwize.
The Essex Map: Connecting Communities During the Coronavirus Outbreak The Essex Alliance, a co-operative of charities and social enterprises in Essex, is utilising its existing community asset map to help the people of Essex find support, activities and deliveries during the coronavirus outbreak. Residents can search the website to find charities, community groups, and social enterprises, as well as organisations who can offer home deliveries, plus homebased activities and home school resources. The Essex Map also has a page dedicated to the key information on where to find help and advice, including how to volunteer to help your local community. The Essex Alliance is a co-operative group which seeks to raise awareness and inclusion for third sector organisations in Essex. The Essex Alliance’s steering group is made up of representatives from charities and social enterprises. The Alliance (and thereby The Essex Map) are funded by grants, largely thanks to Essex County Council. Visit www.essexmap.co.uk/coronavirus to find out more.
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Essex Police We remain out and about around the county protecting and serving Essex. Our priorities haven’t changed: We’re here to keep people safe and to catch criminals. We remain committed to protecting the vulnerable, supporting victims, being visible in your communities, and tackling those intent on causing harm. Thank you for helping us to help keep you safe in these challenging times. We will continue to be visible in our local communities, maintaining safe distances when we engage, in line with the Government advice on social distancing. However, please ensure that you are only making essential journeys. Assistant Chief Constable Andy Prophet said: “The core function of what policing’s about: helping people, keeping people safe, dealing with criminals - that hasn’t changed, and that will continue. “I’ve been out and about with the Community Policing Team, talking to residents, talking to local businesses, talking to the public, just reassuring them that Essex Police core functions of our services are continuing.” Please read the clear guidance available on how you can keep yourselves and others safe by visiting: gov.uk/coronavirus. #ProtectingandServingEssex
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Look After Your Loved Ones Any Time, Anywhere, With the Smart Home Care System Assurelink are pleased to announce the launch of their new product, the Smart Home Care System. The company has created an out-of-the-box solution for hassle-free, independent living. This new product is a solution to deliver privacy and dignity to the elderly and most vulnerable living alone, as well as complete reassurance to those caring for them. Lee, the grandson of 86-year-old Brian, says, “I saw Assurelink and I thought it would be a great idea for my grandad. He’s very independent and he lives on his own. It’s nice to know now that he’s safe, he’s secure and he’s got that independence that we don’t have to keep checking on him and ringing him all the time.” The product allows users to link straight to the people they care about via discreet wireless sensors that monitor
their activity throughout the home. With the Assurelink app, notifications are sent directly to a smartphone, giving prompts to check in if unusual activity is detected, for example, a door has been left open, or there has been no movement from the bedroom. This solution offers peace of mind to friends and family of the elderly or vulnerable, with quick and easy installation and setup. Setting it aside from its competitors, Assurelink does not require any subscription. The one-off fee gives you lifelong access to the product, so that you never have to worry. Look after your loved ones, any time, anywhere. Find out more about Assurelink and the Smart Home Care System here: assurelink.co.uk.
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Nick Garner’s Music and Ramblings What strange times we are living in. Stuck indoors and the roads are so quiet. I am not allowed out to shop, but thankfully I can still go out for a walk. I am lucky as I live in a house and I have a small garden - I know many are stuck in flats or a room with just a window to the outside world. We will come out of this and I hope as better more caring and loving people as we are all flesh blood and bones at the end of it all. Most of my time at present is spent on the computer working on different projects, like the magazine and organising music. I have - as I expect have many discovered the Zoom app and have used this for family meetings online; I know others are also using it for group meetings and business. Have you noticed all the online quizzes, and lots of cooking and fitness videos and so much more? A friend of ours at the City Times, Ana, is doing a lot of free good online stuff like yoga and mindfulness look up the Bloom Project in Chelmsford. I must say, being stuck in my house on my own and without any pets I do look forward to Thursday nights at 8pm when I see all around me come out to applaud all the key workers who are helping to keep us all going. It is great to see people coming together and being harmonious... let’s hope it continues after we get over this awfulness. I hope that you have been keeping in touch with your relatives and also your neighbours and any people you know who may be of a certain age, or have various health conditions - or are maybe just alone. People will appreciate the contact. We at the City Times will continue online and we will get back to providing physical printed copies of the magazine as soon as we can. Music You may think I have nothing to report, but there is plenty! I have been putting on Facebook a regular ‘festival’ - the Isolation Festival - which can be found at www.facebook. com/isolationmusicfestival. The festival takes place every Sunday from 12.50pm to 6pm, with around fifteen acts performing.
music as possible to entertain you all. There are also many others out there doing lots of similar things; like putting on open mics, jam sessions, etc. A friend of mine has been putting out a song that he starts and plays and then invites people to record a piece to go with it - he then edits it and puts it all together. It’s quite brilliant, check out Baz Morris of Southend. I am lucky that I am able to embrace so many social media platforms, as I feel it keeps me in touch with the world. One of the unknown acts who played for me has now had over 24,000 views online, and to date, my page has had 130,000 views which I think is amazing, as it has only been going for less than a month. As well as putting on the festival, l have had a couple of special shows on a Friday evening and a Saturday afternoon and their will be more. We (Jamie Williams & the Roots Collective) are planning a free single release for download on Saturday 25th April at 4.30pm and then on Friday 22nd May. As we had a live show booked for our album release, we thought instead that we will play the album Do What You Love in its entirety online, as well as telling you about the making of it and about the songs. We will have some special guests on too, those who have been part of the making of it. The plan at present is for this to be from 7.30pm on 22nd May. Do all try to stay safe and well, and please share the link to this online magazine and also the Moulsham Times too, so that as many regular readers as possible can still get to read the mags and stay up-to-date. We will continue to publish both online and hope to be back in printed form before too long. If you are interested in contributing or advertising with us, please contact us at ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk and we will get back to you. Remember, you can find us at www.issuu.com/ itsyourmedia, and the Isolation Festival can be found at www.facebook.com/isolationmusicfestival.
Luckily, after so many years in the music business, I know many artists both big and small, and have had the likes of Hazel O’Connor, Louise Goffin (daughter of Carole King), BJ Cole, Robbie McIntosh, plus also Sarah Jay (Massive Attack), Malcolm Bruce (son of Jack Bruce of Cream) and Izzy Kershaw (daughter of Nik) play the festival. To date, we have had sixty four acts each play a short set of eighteen minutes, giving plenty of variety. We have also had a storyteller and a comedian perform too. All the acts are still available to view on the page (it’s all free as well). I strive to bring some of the better known artists mixed with some of the not so well known who I feel you would like to to see and hear. I also like to cover as many genres of Page 6
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London Community Engagement Agency Supports Essex Horse Charity Sue Burton, Founder of Remus Horse Sanctuary, the horse rescue charity located at Buttsbury near Ingatestone in Essex, was delighted to receive a £500 donation from London-based Skyline Comms during this very difficult time. Despite recent statements from the Government, there was no olive branch for animal charities and furloughing staff is not an option due to the wholly necessary care of the rescued animals.
fundraising events - this is why Skyline Comms is stepping forward now.
Ms Burton said: “We need our staff to care for the 200 horses and donkeys at the sanctuary and the staff still need paying and the animals still need feeding and caring for. No mention was made by Chancellor Rishi Sunak about animal charities. We feel extremely sad that we have been totally overlooked as a sector.
Managing Director James Hockney said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Remus Horse Sanctuary with this donation. Many charities have been hard hit - and especially smaller charities like Remus who rely on open days and fundraising events to cover their costs. When they are having to spend thousands of pounds a month just on medications - before you even consider feed, hay, staff, rent, repairs, utilities - we at Skyline Comms felt the need to step in and help right now.”
“Thank god for companies like Skyline Comms for recognising the important work that we do here and helping us to remain open without any prospect of fundraising or event activity.” Skyline Comms take their CSR responsibility seriously. They aim to support smaller charities and ensure donations where made have the most impact. Whilst being a national company, a significant proportion of their activity is in the eastern region, so they tend to support charities in that geographic area. Skyline Comms are aware that in these challenging times, the Remus Horse Sanctuary has been hit hard by not being able to hold open days and
Skyline Comms Ltd specialises in the community and political engagement on planning projects working with developers. This ranges from scientific commercial hubs to homes for the elderly to residential housing estate developments.
Ms Burton concluded: “I can hardly express how thankful I am to James Hockney and Skyline Comms, as I am even more concerned for the long term future. Clearly we’re going to be in this state for some months - not weeks. Please do support Remus. Our animals rely on your support and need you now more than at any other time.” For further information, visit www.remussanctuary.org or contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356 191.
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CT Gardening - by Tom Cole
lining I suppose...
How is everyone in these challenging times? If, like me, you have a garden area I’m finding that I’m starting to get a lot done! Previously, everything would have been left to the last minute and I would be panicking by now... no such thing this year. Every cloud does have a silver
Jobs for the Next Few Weeks As the recent weather has been so kind to us, it has also had a very positive impact on plants. In my garden, climbers are very quickly searching for the skies and clambering through anything to get to that light source. Now is the time to tie in long stems before they collapse and possibly become damaged. I’ve had to recently tie in a number of clematis and honeysuckle to not only redirect where they want to extend, but also to protect them from damage and disappointment in later months. Use garden twine, tying in loosely to avoid constricting young stems. Moving on from climbers to all those early spring flowering shrubs such as Kerria japonica - its time to give them a prune. Anything that has finished flowering at this time of year has flowered on previous season’s growth. Remove spent flowering stems to the ground or to where there is a well positioned vegetative stem. Once this stage is complete, reduce the vegetative growth by about a quarter to a third. It’s at this stage you should also stand back from the plant and check that the shape you are creating works for you. It’s easy to get carried away and before you know it, you’ve cut too close and produced a somewhat interesting form... but not necessarily a lovely one! Hold back on pruning any evergreens for the time being. It’s tempting to trim the likes of a Buxus sempervirens hedge or thin out Sarcococca spp. but don’t! Pruning now can encourage lush sappy growth which is more than likely going to be frosted. Don’t be easily fooled by the lovely weather we might be having. Prune evergreens anytime from late April/May onwards. In addition, I’ll be leaving my box hedge until late May before I cut, as various birds seem to love it for nesting.
Complete your spring clean of pots and containers in preparation for the rest of the year. Scrape off old compost to a depth of about 2.5-5cm (1-2”) from the rim of the pot in order to add fresh compost to the surface; it also removes any surplus debris that may have collected and so can reduce potential disease problems later in the year. Don’t forget to start liquid feeding towards the end of the month. Look for high potassium feeds for flowering and fruit or high nitrogen feeds for plants grown for their foliage. Remember to read instructions on dilution rates to avoid scorching growth. Alternatively, ask for controlled slow release feeds such as Osmocote; these come as granules or as a pellet. Lastly, take the time to enjoy the sun... we all deserve it! Next time, more on veg and fruit. Happy gardening and keep safe! For any gardening tips, please contact Tom Cole, Horticultural Lecturer, Capel Manor College, Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 4RQ by post (including a SAE) or by email at tom.cole@capel.ac.uk.
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Spot 10 Differences (answers on page 15)
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CT Food: by Lisa Whittle Boost Your Immune System
I hope you’re keeping well in lockdown life and are taking in plenty of antioxidants. Antioxidants are the vitamin and mineral substances from foods that help our immune systems work optimally to protect us from bacteria, viruses and fungi that cause infections, and to help seek out and destroy any defective cells in our own body. Antioxidants are found most abundantly in fresh fruit and vegetables. Certain spices are also rich in them such as cloves, cinnamon and turmeric.
I’m writing this as a reminder that antioxidants really make a difference to our immune system and it would benefit us to consume more and focus our attention on them at a time such as now, amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, when we may need our immune system the most - both for fighting infections and for preventing them from happening, both to ourselves and our loved ones. There was a scientist called Linus Pauling who had a long and distinguished career in both chemistry and peace campaigning and also won Nobel Prizes for both. In the second half of his life, prompted by personal health issues, he turned his attention to the benefits that high doses of vitamin C (an important dietary antioxidant) can give the human immune system to help fight off disease by supporting it in doing its job. Anyone interested in the quest to cure the common cold should read his books Vitamin C, the Common Cold and the Flu (1977), and How to Live Longer and Feel Better (1987). As it is not possible to patent natural substances it is not possible for pharmaceutical companies to make a profit from them so this important information tends to get sidelined and doesn’t make it to mainstream medicine - even when there is plenty of positive evidence. The Linus Pauling Institute in America, linked to Oregon State University, continues Linus Pauling’s work. Here is a link to their current statement on COVID-19: lpi.oregonstate.edu/sites/lpi.oregonstate.edu/files/pdf/ lpi_vitamin_c_special_statement_on_covid-19.pdf. I give you it because it has many useful links embedded within it that you may want to look at to investigate further. The vitamins A, C and E are the most well known antioxidants, but there are others too, such as some amino acids, and minerals such as selenium and zinc. Fruit and vegetables are nature’s main source for most of these. They come in different forms depending on the colour of the fruit or vegetable. For example, eating purple fruits such as blackberries gives you anthocyanins which helps your memory and improves mineral absorption, and red grapes give you polyphenols and resveratrol which can help circulation and heart health. Beta carotene is in red,
orange and yellow fruits and vegetables and helps your eyesight. Geen vegetables, as you many know, are rich in health giving chlorophyll - hence the traditional phrase said to children ‘eat up your greens to be big and strong’. They particularly help you detox and fight infection. By ‘eating a rainbow’ everyday you give yourself a wide range of these vital plant-based substances and so you hopefully wont need the help of our wonderful but overstretched NHS. Eating fruit and vegetables raw is the best way and the nutrients are the most fresh, alive and potent like this, but cooked is good too and better than not having any. I find having a daily freshly made juice or smoothie is the most efficient and reliable way to get enough of these raw fresh fruit and vegetables inside me. Unfortunately commercially made and pre-bottled juices and smoothies have to be pasturised - this means they have to be heated to 60C to kill any micro-organisms, but this also kills some of the vital nutrients too making the end result less potent. Try the comparison yourself: make your own smoothie or juice at home, drink it fresh and notice the immediate zingy feeling you get. Now drink a shop bought one and alas, you wont notice a fraction of that same ‘alive’ feeling. There’s a scientific rating for antioxidant activity in food called the ORAC value, or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. If you google this you will find lists of foods with their ORAC ratings. The highest are cloves and clove essential oil and berries such as tropical acai berries, raspberries and blueberries. Oils from citrus peel, such as lemon and herbs such as rosemary, oregano and peppermint are high on the list too. Scientists believe we need an intake of 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC units a day for good health, but there is controversy over whether having more makes a difference. Some say not and it’s just excreted, while others, such as Linus Pauling, say the short burst of a high dose in the blood stream (before it’s excreted) can usefully stimulate the immune system. The same logic applies to vitamin supplements of vitamin C. On this basis, always get the non-timed release version. Here’s a smoothie recipe called the Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie, adapted from Ross Bridgeford, to get you started if this is all new to you. For 2 servings, in a blender place: 1 inch of fresh ginger Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder I avocado 200 mls of coconut water or water. You may need more. Handful of spinach Handful of watercress
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The juice of one lemon A banana Half a red pepper A handful of parsley of any type Add pinch of caynne pepper if you wish
to 1 hour before eating or drinking anything else. Have something like this daily. There are many smoothie and juice recipes on the Internet.
Blend up and drink fresh on an empty stomach. For best results allow to this to be absorbed for 30 minutes
lisactfood@gmail.com
Keep well, stay safe.
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Community Helpline Launched in Chelmsford
These unprecedented times have left many people across Chelmsford, its villages, and South Woodham Ferrers feeling isolated and in need of additional support. Whether this is food shopping, help with pet essentials or a simple phone call to chat. Chelmsford Centre Supporting Voluntary Action is working in partnership with Chelmsford City Council to identify and deliver local support to assist those in need in the district of Chelmsford. A dedicated local helpline has been set up so that those most in need get the help that they need. You can call the helpline directly on 01245 280 731 from 10am to 12noon and between 2pm to 4pm Monday to Friday. This service is able to help residents of Chelmsford with the following - but not limited to - issues: • • • • •
Collection and delivery of food and essential supplies. Collection and delivery of prescriptions. Pet essentials. Basic welfare calls. Telephone befriending.
This is a completely voluntary service, so it is always advisable to reach out to friends and family first if you can. Please remember these voluntary services are for people with emergency needs. If you need support outside of the above hours then the Essex Welfare Service is also there to help you find support during the COVID-19 restrictions. If you need support with advice, daily living tasks and wellbeing, please contact them on 0300 303 9988. You can also give them a call to report anyone you are concerned about. More information about the service can be found here: chelmsfordcvs.org.uk/covid-19-community-offer. The Centre Supporting Voluntary Action is an independent support and development organisation (sometimes called CVS) set up to champion, support and strengthen local charities, voluntary and community groups: chelmsfordcvs.org.uk. The Essex Welfare Service is supported by Essex County Council and delivered by Provide a Community Interest Company delivering a broad range of health and social care services in the community: www.provide.org.uk
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Wildlife - by Nick Green February weather proved to be the wettest on record, while March weather fortunately proved drier and sunnier, thanks to a blocking anticyclone! River levels were more at ‘normal’ levels.
white, small tortoiseshells and peacocks. First returning bird migrants from Africa included swallow, sand and house martins, yellow wagtail, chiffchaff, sedge warbler, wheatear, black redstart.
Then the coronavirus/COVID-19 struck on an international and national basis. People exhibiting symptoms had to self-isolate. Severe restrictions saw Chelmsford town centre virtually deserted with most shops, cafés, restaurants, pubs and stores having to close. Schools, nature reserves and visitor centres are closed and buses are empty, as indeed are the skies of aircraft.
The brimstone butterfly is a widespread UK butterfly apparently spreading into northern England, though usually appearing in low density. The species is one of the first to appear in spring. Eggs are laid on buckthorn and alder buckthorn (which can be planted in gardens). Summer buddleias may help to promote winter survival. In these lockdown times, recently I was very pleased to see a bright yellow, male brimstone in sunshine near daffodils within a stone’s throw of Chelmsford’s multi-storey car park in Central Park - please continue to observe and appreciate nature. Essex Selected Wildlife Highlights: Wix/Lawford: white-tailed eagle (several nationally). Abberton Reservoir EWT: 3 great white egrets, 2 whooper swan, black-throated diver, black-necked grebe, 2 garganey, 4 scaup, 3 long-tailed duck, 2 smew. Hatfield Forest: 10 hawfinch. Wallasea Island RSPB: 3 great white egret, 4 hen harriers, 7 short-eared owls. Rainham Marshes RSPB: Caspian gull, Iceland and glaucous gulls, water pipit, shorteared owls. Lea Valley: 2 cattle egret.
Brimstone butterfly (image copyright Glyn Evans) First spring butterflies typically included brimstone, small
May/June Issue Deadlines: Articles - 29th April Artwork - 7th May
Writtle Wanderers RFC Donate Easter Eggs Fantastic to see the first batch of eggs donated by Writtle Wanderers RFC to Broomfield Hopsital. Nearly every weekend one of our lads ends up in the hospital, we are used to bravery and guts on the field, but what the NHS staff are doing every single day is phenomenal. It takes real guts to put yourself at the centre of this crisis and keep fighting. This is just a little thank you from us a club. Thank you x Page 12
Due to travel restrictions, national news will be ignored for the most part. On the butterfly front though, it was interesting to note several sightings of large tortoiseshells and Camberwell beauties in south east England.
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CT Finance - COVID-19 and Your Pension As the coronavirus outbreak continues, the economy is looking uncertain, stock markets have fallen and may remain more volatile than usual for a while. It’s a challenging time affecting every aspect of our lives. However, with proper planning the outlook need not be bleak.
What has coronavirus to do with your retirement planning? By definition, a pension is a long-term investment with a long-term outlook, hence if you are some time away from considering retirement, the likely impact on your pension pot is going be different from someone on the verge of retirement. Pre-Retirement - Growth Phase Considering present market volatility, if you are currently contributing to your pension and have quite a few years before your preferred retirement date when you start to draw on your pension, you are likely to ride out any volatility swings caused by COVID-19 between now and the future. The notion is that markets should recover and it could actually be a good time to consider increasing your pension contributions, if you are able to. The reason for this is that each contribution will buy more units now than it did before the crisis due to present lower fund prices. However, if you are close to retirement then volatility is not your friend. Close to Retirement - Protection of Pension Savings and De-Risking Phase Many schemes will have been placed into default ‘life-style’ funds, meaning that the closer you get to retirement the more of your funds are placed in to less risky funds, eg, cash, bonds or gilts. In practical terms, whilst your pension savings were not immune to stock market downturn, your risk was cushioned to some degree than if you stayed invested mainly in stocks and shares. The caveat here is that not all pension schemes offer such life-styling as a matter of course and you should check what funds your pension is invested and speaking to independent financial adviser before deciding on your next move. If on finding that your pension is not in these less risky funds, not all is lost as markets are likely to recover and you have several options. Delaying your retirement, taking a lower income or using your cash reserves for as long as possible. At Retirement If you are aged 55 or over and considering drawing your pension now, then it is imperative that you speak with a financial adviser who will be able to explain all your options in detail. Special Considerations Annuity - interest rate cut to 0.1% means that purchasing a guaranteed income via annuity is a double blow - annuity rates fell and are coupled with fall in fund values. If you are unable to defer your retirement then
income drawdown may provide the solution, your savings remain invested and income can be drawn as and when required. Things to Note State Pension is not affected by stock market fluctuations. Defined benefit - the sponsoring employer absorbs any investment risks. Defined contribution - funds and timescales dependent SIPP - if adopting a riskier strategy, such as investing mainly in shares then the fund value has fallen sharply. Again, strategy should be reviewed to avoid erosion of capital. To sum up, pensions are complex, long-term investments whose performance require regular management, review and monitoring - DIY is simply not an option and talking to an independent financial adviser will save you money and headaches in the long run. Silvia Johnson is a Director and Independent Financial Adviser at Royale Thames Wealth and provides independent financial advice to individuals and businesses. www.royalthameswealth.co.uk silvia@royalthameswealth.co.uk 07908 109 741 / 020 8720 7249
Ct History: Faith in the Chelmsford Area Since 1880 (Part Four) - by Stephen Norris Chelmsford’s Post War Bishops This article shows how the principal utterances of Chelmsford’s post war bishops illustrates, to a considerable degree, changes in attitudes in society. The fourth bishop in October 1950 was the Reverend Falkner Allison who became the youngest diocesan bishop in the country at the time. Meanwhile, two key problems in the diocese remained essentially the same; namely the building of enough new churches to meet potential new congregations in the Essex ‘new towns’ and London overspill, and doing something about the general miserable level of stipends. Help for building now came from the Church commissioners rather than the Sustentation Fund. Some £35,000 of the money raised in the county went on new churches in housing estates in Chelmsford, including St Andrew’s on the Chignal estate, a new church on the Woodhall estate in Broomfield, a new church on the Moulsham Lodge estate and one on the Westlands estate in Widford. The new bishop in 1962 was John Tiarks, who had been a parish priest for 36 years after attending the Westminster School, then Cambridge University. In his early years at Chelmsford, possible moves to merge the Church with the Methodist Church met with strong opposition from the Essex clergy. Tiarks thought it was ‘inevitable that the Diocese of Chelmsford, the third largest in the country, would be reduced in size’. Perhaps surprisingly, there was no enthusiasm from the churches in metropolitan Essex to move away from the Essex diocese. The cathedral successfully restarted holding flower festivals, which proved very popular - ‘for perhaps the first time ever thousands queued to get into the cathedral’. The next bishop, John Trillo, was initially shocked by the size of his official residence, Bishopscourt, and made plans to move to a £65,000 Georgian house with a swimming pool at the front. Perhaps unsurprisingly one observer on a Boreham council estate said, ‘he should live more like us...’ - he stayed at Bishopscourt for a further 10 years. Trillo described himself as a ‘moderate radical’ and in 1976 he spoke against gay marriage but called for greater understanding of homosexuality. In 1979, a pivotal year in politics, he said unemployment was destroying the lives of millions, and also dealt with racism and unconscious racist attitudes. In 1980 he spoke out against the so called Moonie cult (the Unification Church), which was very active in Essex, bemoaning their effect on young people who were attracted by the communal lifestyle. At the same time the local Elim Evangelical Church made a film focusing on those cults after parents had often been prevented from seeing their children. Subsequently, several village church halls in the county banned the cult, including one at Boreham. The early 1980s saw the Church Evangelical Council fighting a battle over council approval for an adult shop in Moulsham Street.
After John Trillo resigned due to ill health, he was replaced by John Waine in 1986. Four years later Waine was surprisingly seen as a front runner to replace Archbishop Robert Runcie as Archbishop of Canterbury. His problem was unifying the diocese as the Essex clergy struggled to come to terms with the issue of the ordination of women priests - a problem which still exists. Waine was against the current church legislation but said that women deacons would be in charge of many churches in the diocese. The ordination of 53 women priests in 1994 caused 8 male priests to resign in Essex. Waine’s successor John Perry played a leading role in the cathedral forging new links with the Brentwood Catholic Cathedral, in what was the first such link in the UK. Perry received national prominence criticising Channel 4 for showing Queer as Folk, depicting what he regarded as ‘paedophile activity’. When Perry retired as bishop in 2003, Essex was the second largest diocese in the country with a population of 2.6 million people, but only 50,000 of these attended Anglican churches in the county each week. At the start of the new millennium however, the cathedral was one of only a handful which had increasing attendances. The new bishop, John Gladwin, came from Guildford and in 2008 he attacked ‘the moral affront’ of the banking crisis: “It is surely time for all of us to challenge this nightmare culture where people are encouraged to think they can have what they want, be it binge drinking or binge banking”. Gladwin was succeeded in 2009 by Stephen Cottrell, who became the tenth bishop and took over the second largest diocese in the country. On his enthronement he saw the need to combat racism as a major requirement. Although Cottrell was in favour of the ordination of women priests, a number of male priests in the diocese threatened to switch to the Catholic Church over the issue. As I was editing this article it was announced that Cottrell had been appointed Archbishop of York. One of the most successful activities in the diocese in the late 20th century was the revived Chelmsford Festival. Originally started as a choir competition in the 19th century, it was first revived in the 1950s and revived again in 1983. By 1994 it was attracting 11,000 performers taking part in events in the cathedral and elsewhere in the town, mostly with a religious theme. The festival was even large enough to have its own fringe for a while, and famous musicians such as Yehudi Menuhin were attracted. In 2005 the Southbank Sinfonia held a concert at the cathedral as part of the festival. Next month, in the final article on the recent history of faith in the Chelmsford area, I will look at faiths other than the Anglican Church.
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Spot the Difference Answers
Important Event Announcement: Chelmsford Marathon It is with great sadness that Havens Hospices has made the decision to cancel this year’s Chelmsford Marathon which was due to take place on Sunday 18th October 2020. During the recent weeks, Havens Hospices has been watching events unfold closely and has come to this decision after many other major running events have been rescheduled to take place in October, making it a very busy month for charity sporting events. The next Chelmsford Marathon will take place next year on Sunday 17th October 2021. Judy Grocott, Voluntary Income Manager said: “We desperately wanted to go ahead with our 7th year of the Chelmsford Marathon, as a lot of hard work and preparation had already gone into the race. The situation around coronavirus is changing rapidly and we would rather avoid prolonged uncertainty to give our participants as much time as possible to reschedule their training plans. “We have not taken this decision lightly as the Chelmsford Marathon raises thousands of pounds every year for our charity, as well as the many other fundraising events which we have already postponed. In the meantime, we hope that our runners will look to other ways to still support our specialist hospice care and we hope to see you at next year’s Chelmsford Marathon!” www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
For those who have already registered for the Chelmsford Marathon, their place will be automatically transferred to next year’s event. Or Havens Hospices is allowing participants to transfer to another event organised by the charity, or transfer the entry to a friend. Havens Hospices are also calling on the support of those runners who are taking part in other major marathon events, such as the London, Paris, Manchester or Amsterdam marathons. They would like to appeal to participants to consider joining Team Havens and raise money for the charity. The charity offers a full support package for our Team Havens runners, providing monthly group training runs, sports therapy sessions, a Team Havens running vest and a group celebration event to share your success. Please contact Judy Grocott at jgrocott@ havenshospices.org.uk for more information and to register. Any funds raised will be ‘making every day count’ for the adults, babies, children and families they care for at Fair Havens, Little Havens and The J’s hospices. Fancy another challenge or ticking something off your bucket list? Havens Hospices organise a number of ‘challenge’ events throughout the year which help to raise vital funds for the hospice. To find out more, visit www. havenshospices.org.uk/events.
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Therapy - by Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Hi everyone, Jenny here. We’re all currently being affected by COVID-19. Whether you’ve had the infection or are suffering from the fallout of having to self isolate or work from home, or just from the lockdown in general, all of us will have our lives completely changed for a few months yet. Looking after your mental health is incredibly important. Many of you will be suffering from anxiety or feeling the effects of being isolated from friends and family, and I want all of you to know that the therapists at Chelmsford Therapy Rooms are here for you at this difficult time. The vast majority of us therapists offer online therapy, so we can see clients via online platforms such as Zoom or Skype or we can FaceTime with you, or just speak over the phone. Most of us offer discounted rates for these forms of therapy. Some hypnotherapists offer therapy online, however please be careful when searching for a therapist that offers this. I highly recommend that you check your therapist has been trained to offer hypnotherapy online. Personally, while I am a hypnotherapist, I don’t offer hypnotherapy online. It is my belief and my supervisor’s belief that we are much better placed to help you should you have an abreaction (such as an emotional reaction like crying) whilst under hypnosis if we see you in person. Also, my hypnotherapy clients have communicated to me that they would much rather have hypnotherapy in person with me anyway, and so some of them have switched to counselling online whilst we get through the lockdown. If you work for the NHS, I know that many therapists are offering discounted rates as we strive to support you through this difficult time. I have clients that work for the NHS and not only am I offering discounted rates, I’m also opening my availability to six days per week because I am aware that your shifts might change constantly as we battle this terrible disease. The therapists at Chelmsford Therapy Rooms are self employed, so luckily we can offer this kind of flexibility to our clients. If you’re suffering with stress and anxiety at the moment, my heart really goes out to you. Please remember to practise self care, here are a few tips: 1: When you’re out exercising (and practising social distancing of course!) try to go somewhere involving nature, like a park, somewhere with open spaces. Take note of the nature around you, really focus on the fact that you’re out of the house, appreciate the beautiful trees and flowers around you. Focussing on nature is a coping technique I use with lots of clients, it helps to calm you down and focussing on lots of different things around you whilst outside will help to reinforce the fact that you have been out and reduce the feeling of cabin fever.
2: Look after yourself and don’t beat yourself up too much about having indulged over the Easter weekend or having that extra cupcake. It’s human nature to self soothe and everyone does this in different ways - lots of people are telling me they’re eating and drinking more! Try to be mindful of this and perhaps balance it out with exercise. You don’t have to go out to exercise, and if you’re injured or ill there’s a personal trainer called Caroline Jordan on YouTube who does chair exercises. You can have a full-on cardio workout without moving from the chair, and believe me it’s hard work! 3: Make sure you keep in touch with friends and family. I’m very lucky to have a wide circle of friends and we already have a huge WhatsApp group. Other than FaceTiming your friends, you can of course Skype or Zoom. However, please be aware that with Zoom if more than two people are talking, it’s usually only free for 40 minutes. If there’s just two of you, great no problem you can talk as long as you like. But if there’s a group of you and you want to chat for more than 40 minutes, you will need to upgrade to their premium service (at the time of publishing this limit has been waived the majority of the time). Also, bear in mind that lots of people might be using the network at once, so if your signal isn’t great or starts to cut out it might be a good idea to have a back-up plan or two so you can continue the conversation! Playing games and quizzes online together is also a great way to be cheered up. My friends and I do a pub quiz every Friday evening; it’s loads of fun and it’s something to look forward to now every week! 4: Remember to relax - this situation isn’t going to last forever; it will end. If you’re feeling stressed and anxious about the situation, try downloading a meditation app and practise everyday. This will allow you the headspace to relax and reload. 5: Try not to submerge yourself in too much coronavirus information. This will just overload you and add to your stress. Try to take time out and distract yourself with other things like your favourite TV show, magazine, book etc. 6: If you feel you need to talk to a professional, please do. Lots of therapists offer online therapy these days so you could always look at the counselling directory, or the hypnotherapy directory or contact one of us at Chelmsford Therapy Rooms - we’d be happy to talk to you. Although COVID-19 is on everyone’s minds, to be honest many clients are talking about issues from before the coronavirus kicked off. The reason for this is that our issues haven’t resolved or gone away because of COVID-19 or the lockdown. For some people it might even add to current issues! So we’re here to talk and we’re here to help you in any way that we can. We don’t want you to suffer, we want to help and will do so in any way that we can. Lastly, I’d just like to say a huge THANK YOU to the NHS and the wonderful staff that are working flat out. You always work hard anyway and I can’t imagine the fear and stress you must be feeling right now. Please know how grateful the entire country is for all of your hard work, your
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compassion, your determination and your caring. The entire country appreciates everything you do and we will do everything we can to support you. Hence the HUGE response to the volunteer request to help the NHS. As therapists at Chelmsford Therapy Rooms we will do everything we can to help and support you. We all think you are truly wonderful and amazing human beings. Jenny Hartill is a therapist and owner of Cloud9 Therapy and Chelmsford Therapy Rooms. She is a counsellor and hypnotherapist and can help with a multitude of issues. Please see the therapist list on the website at www. chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or you can email info@ chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or call 0330 100 5162 to enquire about an initial consultation. Alternatively, Jenny’s own company website is www.cloud9-therapy. co.uk, her email is info@cloud9-therapy.co.uk and her telephone number is 07507 307 170.
Please share the link for this online issue enabling as many of our regular readers to be able to view the magazine as possible: www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia Virtually Hummingbird - by Mandy Haynes It goes without saying that the last month has been an unusual one. There has been so much uncertainty and so much change. In having to temporarily close the doors to our beloved Hummingbird studios due to the coronavirus, we launched Virtually Hummingbird - an online community of interactive classes live from our teachers’ homes to yours.
Feeling good and being healthy is at the heart of our ethos and we hope that Virtually Hummingbird allows you to continue that by giving you the support that you need to keep up your practice and stay fit, healthy and positive. Our online classes stay true to our holistic realistic ethos and continue to be small group classes taught by expert teachers. The classes are interactive, with you being able to see your teacher and them being able to see you to guide you through your practice and give you helpful pointers and modifications. You can even catch up with your classmates before class, which in this daunting period of isolation and social distancing, we hope will provide you with some normality, a sense of community and a laugh! Yoga and pilates benefits your mental health and this has never been more important. When you log on to your class and roll out your mat, you are giving yourself the time and space to move, breathe and quieten your mind.
We are also working on creating free class downloads for the NHS and key workers to support those who are looking after us all and keeping us safe - our team’s way of saying thank you and lending our support. We also hope to use our online platform to offer more to the wider community in this time of isolation and potential loneliness. As well as pilates and yoga, we would like to help people to host book club meetings and games nights, creating a virtual village hall to bring people together and create a sense of fun and distraction from what’s going on in the world. To join us online, you can book your class in the usual way (or create an account to start your Virtually Hummingbird experience) and we will send you an email link to your online class. All you need to do then is take a breath, roll out your mat and enjoy! Stay safe and see you all online soon! “Steve and I want to thank our team for their support and flexibility, helping to negotiate organised chaos to get our classes online. Hummingbird is a place of great strength and hope. We hope that it will continue to be that for all of us now. x” Ellie www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk
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Local Arts for Art’s Sake - by Kenneth Louis Shepherd A while ago in Dedham, the former home of locally-based artist Sir Alfred J Munnings, I found a very lively community in an incredibly inappropriate sounding place! I had refreshments in the Tiptree Tea Rooms and found the local people very welcoming. There are several local pubs which display prints of works of art. I found those in the Sun to be interesting
Upon entering, the art gallery is dedicated to the above named artist as it was his former home. I was surprised by the variety of the works which he produced. I disliked those that dealt with the subject of fox hunting purely for political reasons and not artistic. I especially like his Kilkenny Horse Fair which I have spoken of in my book, Job Opportunities. I love his portrait of Nelly Grey which is sometimes called the Gypsy Girl. I feel an affinity with him, as like me he decided to live in Essex. He came to live in Dedham from Suffolk and in many way his roots are similar to those of Constable. Strangely enough, alongside a memorial tablet in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral which is dedicated to Mannings, is that of Constable. In this piece I shall draw upon the ideas of a person who signs Him or Her self as Corinthian for whatever reason. Munnings is thought as a painter of horses, but I feel that his landscapes are just as valuable. In his ramshackle autobiography he says that he found artistic fulfilment in painting. With the support of his father, he was sent to Norwich at the age of 14 as an apprentice to the local Page Brothers who produced lithographs. This gave him a firmness of line which enabled him to handle the brush when painting. As a result he acquired a directness and a certainty which shines through in his paintings. During his years as an apprentice he travelled to mainland Europe; especially to Paris where he studied. By the time that he was 18 he had exhibited at various prestigious art galleries, and at the age of 22 two of his works found their way in to the Royal Academy. The sale of his work allowed him to set up a studio at a very young age. With the company of a boy named Shrimp and a group of ponies, he led a nomadic life travelling around Norfolk and Suffolk. In many of his works we see this lad and the animals which surrounded them both. In pursuit of light, he seams to have provided a link between Chrome and Constable and the early impressionist mood of his own time.
During WW1, as the result of an eye injury he was prevented from being enlisted into the services, but he did become an official war artist. He produced an equestrian portrait of a mounted General Seely, and the quality of this work sent him along the road to fame. Whilst a young man, Munnings had lost an eye which left him with no obvious mark and is said to have improved his appearance. A London editor who met him much later described his as having a ‘knowing, jokey’ look. He was warm hearted, outspoken and emotionally impulsive. His overwhelming sincerity had an endearing quality and he was an extrovert who loved to be the centre of attention. He was capable of holding an audience spellbound by performing homemade ballads and telling jokes and he had an impish sense of fun and schoolboy type exuberance. I get the impression from reading about him that he never grew up. His appearance was short and upright, and his movements suggested an extraordinary vitality. He made little fuss about the painful gout which he suffered for most of his adult life. He was prejudiced against modern art and was especially critical of Picasso. In this opinion we differ. He lived from 1875-1959 and was a very popular and successful artist. He was involved in the Lord Beaverbrook Canadian War Memorial Fund after WW1, and this led him to become recognised across the pond. In 1919 when he was 40, he acquired the building in Dedham which I have spoken of earlier. Following a visit to the Richmond Horse Show, he met a young widow who was to become his second wife. Though they had no children they were very well suited and spent many happy years together. I get the impression that she had a stabilising effect upon him. In all of my reading upon this subject I have not discovered why he chose to move from Suffolk to Essex. I know why I came here from London - although you do not yet! I will tell you about this in the June/July issue of this magazine. Incidentally, Munnings apparently never lost his Suffolk accent. You can tell where I come from every time I open my ‘north and south‘ to say a ‘dicky bird‘!
He travelled to Devon and Cornwall and was influenced by the artists whom he met there. It was here too that he met his first wife; it was a marriage that was short-lived as she sadly committed suicide. In a 2013 movie called Summer in February a version of events which relate to his life in that place at that time is portrayed. I know little about the film’s content, but I do intend to explore it, although I have seen a review of this film which suggests that it is incredibly shallow. Page 18
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Quiz Time - by John Theedom 1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14.
15.
16. 17. 18.
19.
Who was the only English queen never to marry? What is the Japanese art of origami? Who is the WWII Normandy veteran who was honoured by the Queen with an MBE? From which part of the world does the dog Lhasa Apso originate? Justin Bieber has just made a new album, what is it called? In Roman numerals, what number is represented by LXXX? To which animal does the term lapine apply? Who played the role of a village policeman in Heartbeat and also acted In Eastenders? What sort of creature is a pug? What colour is the flower of the dandelion? What did the F1 racing driver Jim Clarke do for a living before racing? Prescription charges are set to increase in England in April, to how much? Jolly the Fisherman is the mascot of which seaside town? Which well known group formed in Surrey in 1967 is reforming after a 13 year break? England’s smallest church has had it’s 3 foot brass bell stolen, where is the church situated? In the TV programme Dr Who, what colour is the Tardis? What is the term for a squirrel’s nest? Who was the actress who played the role of Nellie Boswell in the 1980s TV sitcom Bread? Who was responsible for creating the paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?
20. 83-year-old ex-Italian PM Berlusconi has dumped his 34-year-old girlfriend for a younger one, how old is she? 21. Milton Keynes is a city in which English county? 22. To which nation is the scarab beetle a sacred thing to be worshipped? 23. In which English county is the town of Stroud? 24. What type of creature is a sturgeon? 25. In ancient times, what was a trainee knight called? 26. In Emmerdale, what is the name of the actress who plays the role of the vicar? 27. Approximately how many Scottish islands are there? 28. How many ribboned medals was Prince Harry wearing at his last Royal duty with Megan? 29. What is the Lohmann Brown? 30. What is the massive animal related problem facing nearly 10,000 churches in UK? 31. How much is Nigella Lawson getting in a refund from the tax man? 32. Which ancient female does Boris Johnson claim helped him shape his life? 33. Pop star Katy Perry is pregnant, but who is the father? 34. Who founded the boy scout movement? 35. The ‘lovely Debbie McGee’ is doing an advert for which company? 36. Which vegetable can be ‘early Nantes’? 37. What animals are pearls found in? 38. What is a quidditch? 39. Apart from the Austin car, what is the meaning of allegro? 40. What is the first name of the soul singer Mr Redding? (Answers on page 24)
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and Get On Board This Train, and last but not least were Wentworth Primary School, Maldon who sang The Bare Necessities and Sing. After each performance the children were presented with finalist certificates.
Catching up on Recent Rotary Events Primary Schools Choirs in Fine Voice for a Nail Biting Finale Coronavirus is restricting Rotary projects, but there are still some events in the Chelmsford area that I have not reported on as yet. “Wow, what an evening!” Those are the words of Spencer Davis of Gepp Solicitors who very kindly sponsored the recent Chelmsford Phoenix Rotary Club choir competition. They have been supporters since the inception of the competition three years ago and have become firm friends of Rotary. After many months of planning, the final was held at the beginning of March. There had been three heats held over three nights leading up to the final to decide on six choirs going competing for the accolade of Rotary Primary School Choir of the Year. The judges were Gareth Bennett, music minister at Christ Church URC in Chelmsford, Carla Hales, a tutor with the county music service and singer with the National Teachers’ Choir, and James Davy who is organist and master of the choristers at Chelmsford Cathedral. The final was held at KEGS before a packed audience including the Mayor of Chelmsford Councillor Bob Massey and the Mayoress Janice Cheese, Pauline Dean, District Governor of Rotary District 1240, and representatives from Gepp Solicitors. Although it was not a fundraiser, thanks to programme sales and bucket collections, the competition did see a surplus and four children’s charities have been chosen to receive donations. Fittingly, these were all local good causes which help young people and representatives were invited to attend from North Avenue Youth Centre, City of Chelmsford MENCAP, Broomfield Hospital Children’s Ward and YMCA.
All of the choirs gave excellent performances and the judges had a difficult decision to make. Whilst they were deliberating, all of the choirs were invited back on to the stage and gave a joint performance of Let It Go from Frozen. The judges gave some comments on the performances they had heard before announcing that the winner was New Hall Preparatory School and the Mayor presented the trophy. In fact, as the results were so close, there were two runners up - Rodings Primary School and The Bishop’s Primary School. Janet Littlewood of Phoenix Rotary Club said: “This is the third year we have run this competition and each year it keeps getting better and better. This year’s contest has been absolutely fantastic and we hope to continue to hold this competition every year. This has again been a great example of children helping children, as any surplus raised will be divided between the four children’s charities.” Obviously coronavirus restrictions have made it more difficult for Rotarians to carry out their usual enormous range of activities. Major events have had to be cancelled including the Regional Finals of the Young Chef, Young Musician and Youth Speak competitions. Volunteer Expo at the NEC in May is already postponed for a year as is the biggest event of the Rotary year - the International Convention in Hawaii in June where around 25,000 people were expected. However, Rotary is continuing to get together online using modern technology such as Zoom, WhatsApp and Skype. Even the telephone has come back in vogue so that Rotarians can keep in touch with the elderly, lonely and vulnerable as best as possible. Rotary is still looking for new members, so call me on 01245 260 349 for more information or visit www.rotary1240.org. There is still a lot to do, and Rotary will be needed more than ever once this virus is behind us. Stan Keller
The choirs each sang two songs of their own choice. Names were drawn out of a hat to decide the order, and the first choir to sing was The Bishop’s Primary School from Chelmsford who performed Larger Than Life followed by May the Road Rise to Meet You. Next was St Pius X Catholic Primary School, Chelmsford, who sang Milk Bottle Tops and Paper Bags and H2O. Third was Rodings Primary School of Leaden Roding who sang Kusimama followed by Sing. They were followed by Great Dunmow Primary School with Music Makes the World Go Around and Jazz is Cool. New Hall Preparatory School, Chelmsford were fifth with I Am a Small Part of the World
Winning school: New Hall
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Chelmsford Window Gallery Presents... The Window Gallery Chelmsford was set up in June 2018 to give local artists a space to display their work. We usually host a new exhibition of local art in our window every month, but as a measure against the spread of COVID-19 will be hosting virtual exhibitions until further notice. Our featured artist for April 2020 is Lynn Excell. You can find her virtual exhibition, interview and pictures on our website and Facebook page at www.windowgallery.org and www.facebook.com/ChelmsfordWindowGallery. When did you start making art? “When I was maybe 6? I used to make fancy lady dress pictures using quality street wrappers, with my Nan Excell. I went to art college after secondary school, but left after a year and changed direction. My most recent bout of making art started with crochet after my brother died 8 years ago. It’s impossible for me to go back now!” What sort of art do you create? “Ah, now there’s a question! I’m not very good at sticking to one particular type of art/craft, I find I get bored if I’m restricted. So I paint, take photos, crochet, embroider and write! Within that, I use a variety of techniques some of my work is loose, some more detailed - it depends on the subject and my mood. I also use all the mediums, like watercolour, acrylic, oil, collage, as well as textile/fibre art.”
I may not want to paint for a while, but then I’ll crochet, or I may not want to crochet, so then I’ll write. If all else fails, I read a book!” How often do you create? “All the time. Literally. Eating and sleeping get in the way!” What’s the best thing about being an artist? “Being able to express yourself - having an outlet. In the difficult situation we are in at the moment, creativity has come into its own. There are live classes, videos, and more people buying crafting materials than ever before. To me, this means that when the chips are down, arts and crafts (and by ‘arts’ I mean film, theatre and the like too) bring us some solace.” Is it difficult to part with your work when you sell it? “Yes sometimes it is, but I love the idea of someone choosing my work to be theirs, and I’m happy for it to go to another home.” What superpower would you have and why? “Hmmm... to be able to fly, for the sense of freedom it would bring - and so that I could see things from a different perspective!” Instagram: @lynnexcellart Facebook: Lynn Excell Art Twitter: @Lynn_Excell www.lynnexcell.co.uk
What inspires you? “Everything! (I know, everyone says that!) I’m not keen on doing landscapes - other people do it better than me and I prefer being ‘in it’ than seeing pictures of it, to be honest. So I prefer people and objects. I like doing portraits, but I’m not particularly keen on hyper-realistic work, so they tend to be me trying to get what the person is all about, rather than completely life-like (plus, again, other people do realism far better than me!). Often, the inspiration comes out of nowhere, particularly with taking photos, I will just see something that I think looks good as a composition, or is a bit quirky, and that’s what I’ll use. “The creative community in Chelmsford is always a big inspiration too. I love being around them, and always feel part of them. Going to meetings, life drawing sessions and other things like this help to get the creative juices flowing.” And what if you’re not inspired? “I think this is where it’s nice that I like different disciplines. I never seem to not want to do at least something creative. www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 23
Stargazing with Mark Willis - March/April 22nd April - Lyrids Meteor Shower: A good time to observe this as the nearly New Moon will provide dark skies to guarantee a good show. The Lyrids are dust particle remnants of Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. Even if you never learn where any stars are located, at least learn where Polaris is. If ever you get lost, and you find Polaris, you will find north. To find Polaris look for the constellation called Ursa Major, or the Great Bear. Inside Ursa Major is the Plough (though I think this part of the constellation looks more like a saucepan than a plough). Find the side of the saucepan which is opposite the handle. Here, you will find two stars, Merak, is the star at the bottom and Dubhe is the star at the top. Following the line they describe upwards takes you to a fairly bright star called Polaris. Now you know where north is! Arcturus is a bright orange star which you can find by following the handle of the saucepan of Ursa Major. This describes a semicircle which leads you to Arcturus, which is 36 light years from Earth. This means we are seeing the
light of the star not as it is in 2020, but as it was in 1983. It’s the beginning of the end for Arcturus. Unlike our own Sun, which is still in the middle of its life, Arcturus has used up its core of hydrogen. Arcturus is about 7.1 billion years old, in comparison to our Sun which formed around 4.6 billion years ago. New Moon: On 23rd April and 22nd May there will be a new Moon. This means the skies will be extra dark which is a great opportunity to see planets, galaxies and deep space objects. As usual, email me with any questions. I would normally present LiteBites every Tuesday at 12 midday on Chelmsford Community Radio.on 104.4 FM and online throughout the world. Sadly, I am in the vulnerable group. I hope to return to the airwaves as soon as I can. www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com mark.willis@chelmsfordcommunityradio.com
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