Nick’s Music and Ramblings

Another month of odd weather from freezing cold to winds, and from lots of rain with flooding to bright sun and warmth. Easter will have just happened by the time this edition hits the streets as well - so let’s hope it was a goodun.

I am currently having my office decorated and do not have my main computer to hand so I’m using a laptop to write this, which I am not used to!

I have just seen that April is Global Astronomy Month, but sadly Essex has nowhere listed in the top 15 places to view stars in the UK, although some of the counties near us do have places.

Since the last edition we had the 3foot People Festival and The Fling Extravagasm events in Central Park, Chelmsford. If you did not go to The Fling then you missed a great event - it was good to see original creator Liam Rich back to organise it, and what a great job he did! Let’s hope that this is the return to the original concept idea of this event and maybe even the return of Street Diversions, who knows.

We have the Chelmsford Festival coming up and Concrete Canvas, as well as the Essex Book Festival. It is good to see other types of festivals taking place, rather than just music events - this may seem a strange things to say as I am so involved in music! I do of course love all the music festivals, but it does all seem to be being a little overdone right now - so much so that I am not going to be putting on a festival this year. I stop from mid-July to early September as I am wondering what the point would be triying to compete with all the other festivals being put on. I will be going to some, but not the really big ones like Glastonbury as such events feel too large for me. These days, I tend to like the ones that have just a couple of stages so l can get to see who I want. These are generally known as boutique festivals.

We are of course heading towards better weather and longer days, and everything is now starting to bud and blossom and the birds starting to nest. I am seeing a few bees about already and I have just cut my grass as well, so let’s hope for a good spring and summer this year and nothing too extreme.

Music

This has been a busy month! We recently had our Stevie Wonder show which blew us all away; this really was a world-class band and Noel’s vocals were spot on. They have started the Sunday Jam session at the Star & Garter in Moulsham Street from 4pm - I went along and got up and blew some harmonica which I really enjoyed doing. I think this will now be every other Sunday with the next jam being on Sunday 16th April.

I went to Blues at the Barleylands a couple of times as well to see friends like Mississippi MacDonald performing, and then the Fran McGillivray Band who invited me up for a number. Fran and Mike’s daughter Katie Brayben (her professional name) has just won the Laurence Olivier Award for the second time. This was for Best Musical Actress in The Eyes of Tammy Faye about the a televangelist. The music was written by Elton John with lyrics by Scissor Sisters’ frontman Jake Shears. Previously, Katie won the same award for her portrayal of Carole King in Beautiful. They are so proud of her, but as Katie says, “I am so lucky to have two such loving and gifted musical parents...” I have to agree with her!

I have also been to Hot Box a few times in the past month and am just getting ready for my first show with Robbie McIntosh playing a special afternoon show on Saturday 22nd April from 2pm to 4.30pm. The day after this, he and his band play for me again at the Social Club. Hot Box is a great place and is so varied with a lovely bar and eclectic collection of stuff all around the venue. Every time I look I see something different. They also have things like chess and quiz nights, open mics and a whole variety of music from jazz to metal and from punk to folk and country.

After we went to the Fling event we went to The Star and Garter and saw Medicine playing, who are led by our own Mark Barnard. As always, they put on a wonderful show and it was a great way to end the evening in good company.

We have had another couple of shows at the Social Club. We had Post Floyd Dream playing (you got it) Pink Floyd, with Rostock opening for them. Both bands were fantastic, although Post Floyd’s lasers did set off the fire alarm! Luckily, we worked it out quickly so not too much upheaval was caused and night continued well... Next we had a night of jive and rock and roll with Bamboozle, a trio from Kent who are outstanding as were the 251s who opened the night.

I went to London the other Friday in an attempt to go to the Palladium to see Connor Selby with Joe Anderton who were opening for Beth Hart on her UK tour. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled just as the doors were due to open. Beth cancelled it, although the rest of tour did continue without fault. I was lucky, as my daughter and her family were going to the theatre so we met up and had dinner together which I loved as I had not seen them since Christmas and then I had a drink with Connor and Joe and others. The other Saturday I was back in London at a new venue for me called Lafayette which is near Kings Cross. Lafayette is both a venue and night club. I went with my friend Martin to see Elles Bailey and Tamara Stewart, and both acts were on fire. I am so pleased I went and got to see some other old friends there as well.

I have confirmed Connor Selby and his band for Friday 1st December. We also have Robbie McIntosh booked for Friday 21st April. Then we have Take It Easy the following week, covering all your favourite American rock classics including some Fleetwood Mac and Bruce Springsteen. We then take a break for a couple of weeks before returning with Who’s Next and local act, Age Of Discovery.

If you know of anything happening or want to comment about anything, please let us know via the email address below.

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For all Black Frog Presents updates and information for shows at the Chelmsford Social Club and other venues, go to www.linktr. ee/BlackFrogPresents, or scan the QR code in our advert in this magazine. You can also pre-book for the paid show with a text or call to 07508 496 411 and then pay cash or card at the door at the advance price without commission.

Chilli Con Carne - By Lauren Capp

As March ends we enter the Easter holidays. I’m really looking forward to having some time off with the children, lazy mornings and my favourite: brunch! My go-to brunch at home is most certainly poached eggs and avocado on toast - quick and easy! I add lemon juice and some chilli flakes with lots of salt and pepper to my avocado to jazz it up.

My top tip for the perfect poached egg is to source really fresh eggs - local farm shop eggs are the best. First bring a pan of water to the boil, just as it reaches boiling point with a spoon stir the water to create a whirlpool - this helps the egg white attach to the yolk. Turn the heat down to a simmer and crack the egg into a small bowl - I find this easier to slide to egg into the pan this way - and cook for 3 minutes. Once the egg is cooked, carefully spoon it out on to a couple of sheets of kitchen towel to dry it and then it’s ready to serve.

Being a trained chef, I’ve always cooked French and traditional cooking. However, I’ve been experimenting with new styles and techniques and as you know if you’ve read my previous articles, I love a dish that is fast, tasty, doesn’t cost loads to make, that the whole family can eat - because at dinner time who wants to be cooking four different dinners?

Let’s talk Jambalaya. Jambalaya is a rice dish that originated in south Louisiana in the 18th century. While there are countless variations, a standard Jambalaya contains rice, protein, seasoning, vegetables and spices. I love this because it means you can literally throw in any spices, veggies, fish or meat that you have - and following on from my store cupboard article last month, a lot of the ingredients are usually in stock, which keeps the cost right down.

The recipe I am going to share is my adaptation of the dish...

Ingredients

6 polish sausages chopped (We use Kabanas).

1 onion finely chopped.

1 green pepper chopped.

2 sticks of celery chopped.

2/3 garlic cloves crushed and chopped.

2 tsp smoked paprika.

1 tsp thyme.

Half a tsp oregano.

Half a tsp basil.

Cayenne pepper to taste.

250g long grain rice.

1 tin of chopped tomatoes.

2 bay leafs.

Half a litre of chicken stock.

250g prawns.

Coriander and parsley to garnish.

Method

Fry the sausages until golden and set aside with the oil they produce. Cool the celery, onion and pepper in Frylight or a glug of olive oil until soft for about 3-4 minutes, then add the herbs, spices, garlic and cook for a few more minutes.

Stir in the rice and coat around the other ingredients.

Add the tin of tomatoes, bay leaf and stock. Cook for 12 minutes until the rice is cooked. You may need to add more chicken stock along the way.

Add the cooked sausages and prawns and combine and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Garnish with fresh parsley and coriander.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do and look forward to catching up next month.

Eat Better to Feel Better - By Demelza Rayner

April is Stress Awareness Month, so I thought this column should be dedicated to some simple strategies you can employ to feel calm and in control, whether at home or at work.

Moderate levels of daily stress can actually be good for us - it motivates us to meet our goals, it helps the body to prepare for danger and it helps us to cope with difficulty. However, when stress becomes chronic - that is sustained, elevated levels of stress - then this can be hugely detrimental to the body, disrupting sleep, reducing immunity and increasing the risk of chronic disease.

So how can you tell if you have chronic stress? The main symptoms include low energy levels, difficulty concentrating, sleep disruption, anxiety and bodily aches and pains.

Even without chronic stress, the frequent pressures of daily life can easily build up, and because it’s such a gradual process, you don’t even notice how stressed you’re becoming. That’s why it’s vital to employ simple strategies to help manage your stress and to switch your body from constant ‘fight or flight’ into a much more relaxed state.

Here are my top tips to help manage your daily stresses:

1. Get outside for a few minutes in the morning to expose yourself to natural light. Not only does this have a positive effect on mood and stress, it also helps you to fall asleep faster at night.

2. If you feel your stress levels rising during the day, take a few minutes to practice some simple breathing techniques. You can find details on box breathing and other effective breathing techniques online. Find one that suits you.

3. Take a warm bath about 90 minutes before going to bed. This will help you to fall asleep more quickly. Good sleep is key to being able to manage your stress levels.

If you don’t have time for a bath then spend 5-10 minutes listening to a guided meditation. The Calm app offers a free trial of its excellent recordings.

In addition to the above, there are also tweaks that you can make to your eating and drinking habits. First of all, caffeine and alcohol consumption can both exacerbate symptoms of chronic stress. Ideally keep to no more than three cups of tea or coffee per day and make sure all caffeine is consumed by 2pm at the absolute latest. Suitable replacements include herbal teas - chamomile is particularly good in the evening before bedtime. You could also consider naturally decaffeinated tea such as Roobios, which also has numerous health benefits.

Moving onto alcohol... It’s a common myth that it helps with sleep. While it may certainly help you to fall asleep more quickly, the sleep will not be restorative and you’re likely to wake up tired and lacking in energy.

Finally, focus on nutritious, whole foods and cut back on refined carbs such as white bread, pasta and flour, along with high sugar, high fat foods such as cakes, biscuits and chocolate. These cause blood sugar levels to rise quickly, triggering a series of reactions in the body that, in brief, cause mood swings, cravings and high levels of stress hormones released into your body.

I hope you have found all my advice helpful. It really is just the tip of the iceberg. If you’d like to discuss your stress concerns in more detail, then please book one of my free 30-minute stress strategy sessions. You can book at www.linktr.ee/demelzaraynernutrition. Alternatively, sign up to receive my free monthly nutrition tips and recipes at www.demelzaraynernutrition.co.uk.