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CT Welcome Hello readers
Welcome to the April/May edition. We have two great gigs coming up at Chelmsford City FC this month; The Blow Monkeys with support from Sportsday on Friday 22nd April and The Animals with support from The Sharpees on Friday 13th May and also a special celebration show of the music of BB King on Sunday 15th May at the Bassment. All are set to be fantastic nights. Spring is here at last and that means the festivals will be starting soon! Regards Paul & Nick www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk | www.moulshamtimes.com
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CT Fashion - A Sporting Hero Spring has definitely sprung and what a difference it makes when the sun shines. Spring signifies new starts and being outdoors - and many of us start to think about getting fit as we know summer is around the corner. Us ladies will soon be ditching the cardis and tights and we want to feel as confident as we can with our bodies.
There is no doubt about it, exercise makes us feel good; it improves our mood, gives us energy and tones us up - and long gone are the days when there was little choice when choosing fitness wear (leggings and a baggy t-shirt were regularly seen in gyms and parks up and down the country), now there is a massive amount of choice out there whether your exercise is yoga, spinning or running marathons. From the high street, look at Primark, Gap, Next and M&S. Online, look at Sweaty Betty and Fabletics. But, before you get started, there is one piece of fitness equipment that you need to get right that you shouldn’t be without - the sports bra.
Choosing a Sports Bra
For low impact exercise, like yoga or pilates and if you are a smaller cup size, you can get away with less support. For high impact sport like running, tennis, or horse riding an encapsulation sports bra is best. Like an everyday bra, a sports bra needs to fit well, feel comfortable and support your boobs. It should feel tight but not overly tight, you should be able to fit one finger underneath the band. Straps should be adjustable, so you can loosen or tighten depending on the sport impact level. Straps should not dig into your shoulders and cause marks. Look for padding on the straps. If you require extra support, look for bras that convert to a racer back. The cups should completely cover your breasts - there should be no spillage at the top of the cups or to the sides. Working out in an underwired style should be as comfortable as a non-wired style; you should not feel the wire. An underwire style can offer more support for high impact sports for larger sizes.
Photo - Marks and Spencer Why do I need to wear a Sports Bra?
The underband needs to be wide, as the band offers most of the support.
According to research by the SASI at Portsmouth University, 9.5 million women in the UK have inadequate support whilst exercising. Wearing a sports bra is crucial if you want to enjoy your workout and keep your boobs protected. Whether you are a larger size or smaller size, all women need to wear a sports bra when exercising.
Fasten it on the loosest hook for the fit and as the bra ages you can move it to the tightest hook.
Boobs bounce in a figure of eight motion and up and down - up to five inches whilst running. Wearing the correct sports bra can half this. The cooper’s ligaments can stretch whilst exercising with poor support or no support and can result in sagging breasts and soft tissue damage, which is irreversible. Exercising without the correct support can also cause back pain and shoulder problems, as well as decreasing your athletic performance. Types of Sports Bras Compression - compresses the breast against the chest, which is suitable for smaller cup sizes (32-34A) and for all forms of exercise. Also good for 34-36B sizes during low impact sport. Combination - a mixture of the compression and encapsulation bra, which can be worn by all sizes, but if you are a larger cup size, it is better for lower impact sport. Encapsulation - Like an everyday bra with individual cups which lifts and separates. This style offers the best support for larger cup sizes and will minimize bounce.
Photo - Primark A sports bra should not hold moisture in - it should not be wet at the end of a gym session, it should remain dry and breathable, so check out the fabric. Get measured, try it on, jump around in it, jog on the sport and stretch, if nothing moves and it feels comfortable it’s the one for you! You can buy sports bras at most department stores, high street fashion stores, lingerie retailers and sports shops and there is an amazing choice online. To care for your sports bra, always follow the washing instructions. Emma Smith is a personal stylist. She offers personal shopping and wardrobe planning. You can contact her via her website, www.emmasmith.co.uk, or email: emma@emmasmith.co.uk or emmapersonalstylist@hotmail.com.
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The Fling Festival Saturday 2nd July 2016
The Fling, a boutique festival of live music, cabaret and comedy will take place on Saturday 2nd July from 12 noon - 11pm in the glorious surroundings of Hylands Park in Chelmsford. In all nearly 5,000 revellers are expected to experience The Fling’s intimate village of comedy, surreal theatre, fantastical storytelling, burlesque and curious sideshows amongst a banquet of unique performances from far and wide.
Tickets are priced from £23.00 (concessions), £25.50 (standard), £35.50 (VIP). All tickets are available from the Festival Box Office on 01245 606505 or via www.chelmsford.gov.uk/fling. For up-to-date festival information, visit www.flingfestival.com, like ‘The Fling Festival’ on Facebook and follow @FlingFestival on Twitter.
Open Mic UK Open Mic UK have announced their music competition auditions dates for Open Mic UK 2016! The Open Mic UK music competition auditions will be hosted at 15 regions across the UK and the competition will be searching to find the UK’s best singers, singer songwriters, rappers and vocal groups! It’s a chance for aspiring singers and musicians to perform to music industry judges who are at every stage of the music competition, from the auditions to the Grand Final. Judges include individuals that work for the three major record labels (Universal, Warner and Sony) in attendance at last year’s competition, as well as national radio DJs, regional press and BBC Introducing. The judges get more prestigious as the competition progresses. Open Mic UK is brought to you by Future Music, the company behind the discovery of numerous acts who have competed in the competitions on their way to being signed to major record labels, including Luke Friend and Karen Hardy (both of whom have had major chart success last year), Jacob Banks, Warner Music’s Birdy, Lucy Spraggan, Union J’s Jaymi Hensley and Jahmene Douglas. Both the latter are now signed to Sony Music. For more information and to book your audition, go to the singing competition Open Mic UK 2016 website here: www. openmicuk.co.uk Music Competition Auditions - Open Mic UK 2016 The Open Mic UK music competition auditions are allocated on a firstcome, first served basis and audition places are already filling fast - so get your audition booked now to avoid disappointment! Chelmsford’s heat is on Sunday 28th August at Marconi Social Club, Tydemans (off Beehive Lane), Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 9FH. www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 5
Music by Nick Garner
Spring has sprung and the music scene seems to be getting even better. The Bassment is providing lots of varied nights and Asylum is putting on lots of good stuff too, as well as the Star and Garter with their open mic nights and jams giving everyone a chance to get up and have a go. There is some great live music coming up over the next month in and around Chelmsford. If you are putting on live music anywhere around Chelmsford,, then please let us know about it and we will put it in our listings for free. Have you visited Intense Records in Chelmsford? If you are into vinyl there is no better place to go, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable and they have a great stock of old and new. Saturday 16th April is International Record Store Day and I hear there are over 550 special releases due out. The resurgence of vinyl is amazing and even Sainsburys are stocking vinyl now. Let’s hope that this also inspires music fans to support and watch live music too. Coming up this month at Chelmsford City Football Club we have the Blow Monkeys with Sportsday on Friday 22nd April and then on Friday 13th May we have The Animals - yes, this legendary band from the 60s featuring original members John Steel and Mick Gallagher (The Blockheads, The Clash, Paul McCartney) plus Danny Handley (Spencer Davis, Bobby Elliott, Ric Lee, Ten Years After) and Scott Whitley (Ric Lee - who was also a member of Ten Years After until 1976).
After experiencing some early setbacks, on Saturday 7th May, Denise and Ed celebrate their 3rd birthday running Asylum with two acts: Creme de Chevre and The Lucky Strikes. Well done Asylum, as Chelmsford needs you! What with our very own legend Shakey and all of the other promoters and venues around our part of Essex, there is lots to go and see and enjoy - from Maldon to South Woodham Ferrers, to Southend to Writtle, to Witham and Chelmsford and many others inbetween. There is no shortage of great live music, so as ever, please go and support it as without you we will lose it - and that would make it a sad world. Remember to send us your listings for any kind of event, from the 13th May to 19th June, to be listed (for free) for the next edition of the City Times. Send to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk. www.bluesinthecity.co.uk www.facebook.com/bluesinthecitychelmsford www.itsyourmusic.co.uk www.facebook.com/itsyourmusic
Supporting The Animals will be The Sharpees with Bill Mead on guitar and vocals, Baz Payne on bass and vocals, Brendan O’Neill on drums (Rory Gallagher and 9 Below Zero) and Billy Boy Miskimmin playing harmonicas (The Yardbirds and 9 Below Zero) - so you can see we have a great night in store for you. Blues in the City has a full May as well, with a busy week starting Wednesday 11th with the wonderful Delta Ladies and Dave Ferra returning. On Sunday 15th May we are celebrating the great BB King again as this will be a year and a day since we lost the great man. This year at The Bassment we already have some amazing musicians booked to come and celebrate the wonderful music legacy Riley B ‘BB’ King left us. It all kicks off at 2pm (until late) and there will be a minimal entry of not more than £5 to help cover some of the musician’s travel expenses as they are coming from far and wide. Please remember also that the first Thursday of every month sees the award winning Blue Jam at The Bassment - and you just never know who may turn up to take part... There are lots of forthcoming attractions, what with Cosmic Puffin, The Fling, Brownstock, Bay Days and Walthamstock all on the way and with some of the venues having their own festivals in town. We have just about firmed up this year Blues in the City Festival which is now in year six - and what a line-up we have for all you music lovers out there! We must also mention our very own Jordan Gray who did so well on The Voice. We are certain she has an amazing career ahead, so well done from us all. Page 6
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to a depth of 10cm. Autumn CT Gardening by Tom Cole matter varieties can be cut hard to the ground
Pruning for Fruit We’re just at the tail-end of the pruning season for apples, pears and soft fruit such as raspberries and gooseberries. For stone fruits, such as cherries and plums, there’s still time as these aren’t really pruned until they are well and truly showing growth (usually in July/August) to avoid bacterial canker and silver leaf. The key to pruning apples and pears for the garden is to always remove dead, diseased and damaged growth as well as any suckers from the rootstock and reduce crossing branches by cutting back to outward facing buds - and some light shaping of the overall canopy.
as they flower and fruit on present season’s growth.
For blackberries and other hybrids, treat in a similar way to summer fruiting raspberries by removing last year’s growth and then tying in the shoot growth to a support system by weaving between the top wire and middle wires. Tie in to secure stems.
For summer fruiting raspberries, cut out last year’s growth and tie in vigorous canes into a support system leaving around 10-15cm between each cane. Take out weak growth. The tops can be bent over the top wire and tied to it. Make sure ALL canes are securely attached to supports to avoid any damage during the season. I’d then remove any growth creeping into paths, these can then be used to plug any gaps in the row. Feed with a high potash feed - personally I use Top Rose at a rate of 50-100g/m2. Lastly, apply a healthy layer of well rotted organic With blackcurrants minimal pruning is required. You’re looking at developing a goblet shaped plant. Only remove central older stems if supported by new growth at the base. Any growth growing towards neighbouring plants is cut back to the ground or to where there is an outward facing bud.
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As for gooseberries, red and white currants - treat them together. These all produce flowers and fruit on spurs. Again, you are looking at developing a goblet shaped plant. Work logically round the plant by taking each branch leader, pruning hard any side/lateral growths to 1-2 buds and tipping leader. With gooseberries try to maintain a clear ‘leg’ to enable good air flow and reduce powdery mildew. The leg is an area of clear stem between soil level and where the canopy of the plant begins; it’s roughly 15cm in length. Why not try blueberries this year, in pots if you haven’t got acid soil? If buying plants for the first time, plant them in pots at least 75 x 75cm and do not prune for at least 2-3 years as this will enable the plant to produce a great framework to support flowers and fruit. Feed during the growing season with liquid feeds high in potash. If yellow young leaves develop, drench plant with any products containing sequestrene (contains iron) and mulch the top of the pot with ericaceous compost. Good luck and happy gardening!
For any gardening tips contact Tom Cole, Senior Horticultural Lecturer, Writtle College, Chelmsford, CM1 3RR by post (including a SAE) or by email at tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk.
Unit 1, The Paddocks, Highwood, Chelmsford, CM1 3PU Page 8 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Mary Berry Set to Open National Flower Show at Hylands House National treasure Mary Berry will open the highly-anticipated National Flower Show at the beautiful Hylands House situated in Chelmsford, Essex. The 3-day event will take place on Friday 20th, Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd May 2016. Thousands of garden lovers are expected to attend this year’s show to share their passion for flowers and gardens with one of the nations favourite TV stars. The show will feature a Grand Floral Pavilion which will be filled with a huge range of spectacular floral displays and specialists plants. There will also be a variety of scrumptious food and drink on offer ranging from delicious meats, pies and pastries to traditional cakes and cream teas. With over 300 exhibitor stands, there will be a plenty of opportunities for visitors to enjoy some retail therapy. A new feature for this year’s show is the open Floral Art Competition, which will fill the interior of Hylands House with a showcase of floral designs created by members of the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies. With the theme of ‘Royal Celebration’, one class - a floral birthday cake - will be judged by Mary Berry.
Show director, Matthew Upson said: “We are thrilled to be returning to Hylands House for the second year. An opportunity to bring the UK’s premiere plantsmen and home and gardens exhibitors to the wonderful surroundings of Hylands House is extremely exciting. We are also pleased to welcome Mary Berry to open the show, she is passionate about gardening and I know she enjoys her visits to our shows”. For more information, or to book discounted advance tickets for the National Flower Show, visit: www.nationalflowershow.co.uk. Adult tickets cost £8 when booked in advance and £10 on the gate.
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CT Cooking by John Jacobs
Asparagus Tips... Don’t shoot the messenger, but we’re a quarter of the way through the year already. Spring is in full swing and on menus all over the UK asparagus will begin to appear in its regal, haughty, nouveaux middle class glory. Whilst you can buy this throughout the year, you’ll have to wait until April to source it any more locally than Johannesburg and frankly, British asparagus is the best in the world. UK asparagus is cultivated for three months only though. Not wanting to boast, but the first recorded crops trace back to ancient Greece where it was grown as a cure for toothache. I bet you didn’t think this morning’s commute was going to be a learning experience... For professional chefs, the asparagus menu feature can become quite a competition in originality and novel methods of styling and delivery - often by chefs who are unrestrained by the triviality of edible food. There is a restaurant (that I avoid naming) that turns its entire menu over to it, where you can have, amongst other things, jelly of green asparagus with ginger salmon, ragout of white asparagus with Beurre Blanc, and finish this off with asparagus ice cream and strawberry sabayon. I never went that far, but once cooked asparagus with poached egg and hollandaise for Keira Knightley. I know! I never knew she ate either.
bottom of the stalks and you can get away with keeping it for a couple of days. PREPARING Wash in cold water and remove the bottom ends of the stalks (with fresh asparagus they should snap off cleanly). Boil or steam quickly until just tender - around 4 to 7 minutes depending on thickness. Using an inexpensive asparagus steamer will help ensure perfect results as it cooks the stalk bottoms more quickly than the delicate tips. Around the City Live Dosa has updated its menu and added a taster plate. Made up of the chef’s choices of chicken, lamb and fish dishes, plus two vegetarian treats, it is served with rice, bread and pickles. Live Dosa continues to impress and the feedback from recommendations has remained exemplary. It’s a great experience but book in advance, their tables fill quickly. The Fox and Goose on Wyses Road proved a good find. A little out of the way of the city centre bustle, it is worth a trip. The food is modern British and there’s a very warm atmosphere with above average service.
Whether you want to experiment or simply try something new, there are some things to remember; asparagus tips as it were. BUYING Never, ever buy tinned asparagus. It has the texture of limp spaghetti and smells like something clogged in a u-bend. As for the taste, this is a family magazine. Look for firm but tender stalks with good colour and closed tips. Smaller, thinner stalks are not necessarily more tender - in fact, thicker specimens are often better due to the smaller ratio of skin to volume. STORING Once picked, asparagus rapidly loses flavour and tenderness, so it really is worth eating it on the day you buy it. Alternatively, store asparagus in the fridge with a damp paper towel wrapped around the Page 10 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Beer by Simon Tippler of roundtowerbrewery.co.uk
Spring is truly with us now and it is even warm enough to sit in pub gardens. Many people will start to move away from the darker, malty beers favoured by many over the winter and move towards the lighter, hop driven beers. These golden and pale beers often have a wider audience and are enjoyed by ale and lager drinkers alike. Many golden beers are made with a mix of ale and lager malt. These are both malted barley but they have been kiln dried at different temperatures. As with most malts, the longer and hotter the barley has been kilned for, the more colour it imparts to the final beer. Another thing that makes the proliferation of golden beers acceptable to the majority of lager drinkers is that they are often fermented with a clean, crisp yeast that doesn’t leave much yeast character in the beer and also allows the flavours of the hops to be brought forward.
progresses. These beers are served in the same way as a standard European lager, with the addition of carbon dioxide and nitrogen and passed through a chiller. Fortunately, the new wave of keg beer, sometimes (and rightly or wrongly) referred to as ‘craft keg’ (there is a whole other article there that I may write in the future...) is produced with loads of flavour which survives being served chilled. Beaver Town Neck Oil, often available in The Hop Shop, is a great entry to the new keg beers. Also in various places, you will find the ubiquitous Punk IPA by Brew Dog. Say what you like about Brew Dog - and I know there are strong feelings both ways about their marketing and approach to business - but they have really gone a long way to changing beer drinking in this country. If you are looking for something a bit more challenging, then The Ale House always has a keg beer on. It is usually something that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere outside of London, let alone in Chelmsford.
Furthermore, there are some great keg beers around and I am sure we will be seeing more of them as summer
Shoes, Sandals and Handbags!
It’s that time of year again ladies, time for the Inner Wheel Shoe Sale, so come along and see this year’s new stock. The Inner Wheel Club of Chelmsford Mildmay will be holding one of their twice yearly shoe sales at Keene Hall, Galleywood on 30th April between 10am and midday. We will have the latest summer styles of shoes and sandals, plus lovely leather handbags from Hotfooted Shoes, ladies clothes, gifts, handmade jewellery and greetings cards. Come along and see this season’s new stock. There will also be coffee and our delicious homemade cakes if you need to take a break from shopping. All the profits made at this event will go to our charity, which this year is City of Chelmsford Mencap. Do come along and join us and help support a local charity.
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What’s On In Chelmsford
April Friday 15th Asylum - Charity Northern Soul Night Bassment - Kevin Pearce Band + Christie Isaac + Providence Square Chelmer Valley High School - Spring quiz night Civic - Ballet Central Cramphorn - Into The Woods Fleece - Steal Ideas Hub - Messy Play toddler group (9.45 - 10.45am) Star & Garter - VT11 Saturday 16th All Saints Church Hall - Bingo night Asylum - Lady Grey & The Earls + Violetic + Souls Captive Baddow Antique Centre - Antique Valuation Day (with Mark Stacey from Flog It!) Bassment - Frére’s present Warriors Part II + Panic Awards After Party CCFC - Home: Chelmsford City v Gosport Borough Civic - The Panic Awards 2016 Cramphorn - Into The Woods Fleece - The Strides Keene Hall - Quiz night HMP Chelmsford - Essex Jailbreak 2016 Museum of Power - Farmers Market Star & Garter - The Locals Three Elms - 2 courses for £12 (6 - 9pm) Disco & Karaoke Sunday 17th Civic - Love & Life Cramphorn - Don Quixote Museum of Power - Cars & Coffee meet Star & Garter - Open mic/jam - 3pm-7pm Stone Bridge, High Street - Historic Walk of Moulsham Street Monday 18th Cramphorn - Bolshoi Babylon (PG) Ideas Hub - Crafts coffee morning (10.30am - midday) Ideas Hub - Photography class (£5) Tuesday 19th Cramphorn - The Debt Collectors Ideas Hub - Parents & children coffee morning (10am midday) Old Court Theatre - Sarcophagus (by Vladimir Gubaryev) Wednesday 20th Bassment - The Pearl Harts + Mozes and The Firstborn + Mandeville Cramphorn - Lunchtime Concert Stone Bridge - Chilling Tales Walk (cityhistorywalks@gmail. com) Three Elms - Live Jazz Quartet (8pm) Thursday 21st Asylum - Battle of the Bands Heat 7: A Bribe For the Ferryman + Fatality + Lost Hope-UK Bassment - AT Music Showcase Launch Civic - Gruffalo’s Child Cramphorn -Tell Spring Not To Come This Year (15) Ideas Hub - Art Group (1 - 3pm) Ideas Hub - Sewing group (12.30 - 2pm) Page 12
Thursday 21st (continued) Old Court Theatre - Sarcophagus (by Vladimir Gubaryev) Fleece - Quiz night Stone Bridge- Chilling Tales Walk (cityhistorywalks@gmail.com) The Lion Inn - Chelmsford Comedy Club Friday 22nd Asylum - Shakey’s Sessions: Zen Motel + The March Fleet + Carousel + SJ Denney Bassment - Regime (more acts TBA) CCFC - The Blow Monkeys + Sportsday Civic - Gruffalo’s Child Cramphorn - Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man Fleece - Cowboys from Mars Ideas Hub - Messy Play toddler group (9.45 - 10.45am) Old Court Theatre - Sarcophagus (by Vladimir Gubaryev) Star & Garter - Dr Zero and the Hotheads Three Elms - Fresh Fish Night (takeaway available) Saturday 23rd Asylum - Skaciety + Fisti Kuffs + The Tickturds + Triple Sundae Bassment - Saturday’s Alright For Dancin’ Civic - Gruffalo’s Child Fleece - Cakehole Mafia Ideas Hub - Health, Happiness & Soul Event (10am - 5pm) Marconi ScienceWorx - Use of Wireless at the Battle of Jutland Museum of Power - ‘This England’ Theatre by Serendipidy Productions Star & Garter - Storm Three Elms - St Georges Day: Home made pies & traditional feasts Sunday 24th Hall Street - Industrial Heritage Walk of Chelmsford Ideas Hub - Nam’s beginners yoga workshop (10am - midday) Star & Garter - Open mic/jam - 3pm-7pm Woolpack - Open Mic Monday 25th Cramphorn - Lucia Di Lammermoor Ideas Hub - Crafts coffee morning (10.30am - midday) Ideas Hub - Photography class (£5) Tuesday 26th Ideas Hub - Parent & children coffee morning (10am - midday) Wednesday 27th Bassment - Bitterscene: The Lovely Eggs + Muertos + Paul Dale Civic - Gang Show Cramphorn - Lunchtime Concert Ideas Hub - Local Friends of the Earth group meeting (7.30pm) Thursday 28th Asylum - Battle of the Bands Heat 8: Tom Slater + Greydolf + Settle For Less Baddow Tandoori - Cilla Black & friends tribute - 8pm Bassment - FREAK (live) Chelmsford City Racecourse - Fun Run and Evening race Civic - Gang Show Cramphorn - The Danish Girl (15) Fleece - Quiz night Ideas Hub Art Group (1 - 3pm) Ideas Hub - Sewing group (12.30 - 2pm) Star & Garter - Acoustic Jam
Please note, all events are subject to change. Please visit the relevant websites or Facebook pages for more details
Friday 29th Bassment - Americana Night: Case Hardin + The Southern Generals + Plus Society Civic - Gang Show Cramphorn - The Best Thing Fleece - Sax on Fire Ideas Hub - Messy Play toddler group (9.45 - 10.45am) Star & Garter - Hit Parade Saturday 30th Asylum - JoFest Dystonia Charity Fund Raiser: Mercury Rising + 3 Foot High + Fire At Dawn + Failing To Fly (and more) Bassment - Secret Company (more TBA) CCFC - Home: Chelmsford City v Baisingstoke Town Civic - Gang Show County Hotel - ‘Allo ‘Allo - An Evening Of Murder At The Café Artois Cramphorn - The Danish Girl (15) Ideas Hub - Clothes swap in aid of Huntington’s Disease Association (10am - 4pm) Ideas Hub - Charity status official celebration (from 5pm) Ingatestone Hall - An Evening with Soprano Jackie Pitman Keene Hall, Galleywood - (10am - 12pm) - Inner Wheel Shoe Sale Star & Garter - Solar 9 Three Elms - Steak Night May Sunday 1st Admirals Park - Pedal for the J’s 2016 Bassment - Secret Special Guest Bank Holiday Woolpack - GC’s Jazz Club, guest: Reg Webb Trio Star & Garter - Open mic/jam - 3pm-7pm Monday 2nd Civic - Ireland’s Call Three Elms - Charity Quiz (7.30pm) Wednesday 4th Bassment - Jazz Funk: Mark Nightingale (trombone) Chelmsford City Racecourse - Race night Civic - Ruby Wax Frazzled! A Guide to Mindfulness Cramphorn - Lunchtime Concert Manor Hall, South Woodham Ferrers - From Lunatic Asylum to Edwardian Gem Thursday 5th Asylum - Battle of the Bands: Round 2 Bassment - Bassment Blues Jam Friday 6th Asylum - Nambuca + Shallow Divide + Playroom Bassment - Shakey’s Sessions: The Boy Jones + Sans Wilfred + Antiques + The Kid Genius CCFC - Sportsman Evening with Matt Le Tissier Civic - Graeme of Thrones Star & Garter - Stony Road Three Elms - Folk Music Live Saturday 7th Asylum - 3rd Birthday: Creme de Chevre + The Lucky Strikes Bassment - Saturday’s Alright For Dancin’ Danbury Sports Centre - Blues Dancing Workshop Star & Garter - The Rednotes Three Elms - Tapas Night Sunday 8th Asylum - New Device + Shavargo Cramphorn - Chelmsford Jazz Club Ideas Hub - Nam’s Yoga Workshop (10am - midday) Star & Garter - Open mic/jam - 3pm-7pm The Crix - Ride for Helen Tuesday 10th Bassment - Tall Dark Friend (Jordan Gray) (plus more TBA)
Wednesday 11th Asylum - Holmes & Bond Blues In The City: Dave Onions + Roy Mette Cramphorn - Lunchtime Concert Ideas Hub - Chelmsford Transition meeting (7.30pm) Thursday 12th Asylum - Battle of the Bands: Round 2 (2) Bassment - Acoustic Open Mic & Jam Cramphorn - 1984 Thursday 12th Fleece - Quiz night Star & Garter - Mojo Moon Friday 13th Asylum - Lo Chief + Mangostone Bassment - Fling Festival: Last Band Standing CCFC - The Animals + The Sharpees Cramphorn - 1984 Star & Garter - Anuva Cover Three Elms - Fresh Fish Friday Saturday 14th Asylum - Diamond Days + Tirade + Motorcycle Display Team Bassment - Maverick Sabre (unplugged) + Jorja Smith Cramphorn - 1984 Hylands House - 10km run Marsh Farm - 999 day Museum of Power - Farmers Market Star & Garter - Lithium Three Elms - Homemade pie night Sunday 15th Bassment - BB King Tribute Day Ideas Hub - Nam’s Yoga Workshop (10am - midday) Museum of Power - Cars & Coffee Meet Star & Garter - Open mic/jam - 3pm-7pm
Star & Garter Live music every weekend (See listings for gigs)
Real Ale Hand Pull Ciders Free Wifi Free Pool on Monday’s www.facebook.com/star.garter.792
Happy Hour Monday - Friday 5-8pm 159 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford CM2 0LD 01245 600009
Please send us your events for the next edition (for events between 15th April and 15th May) to: editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk
Rotary Conference Brings a Tear to the Eye
Over the weekend of 1st to 3rd April, I joined some 1,500 Rotarians in Bournemouth for Rotary’s annual national conference. The aim first of all, is to inspire and challenge and it did that in spades. Then it has to inform us as to the successes of the past year and our focus for the year ahead - and as paying delegates, a conference has to entertain. Finally, it affords us the opportunity of renewing friendships with Rotarians scattered across the country and making new acquaintances.
interviewing these wonderful young people on how they help others and also overcome their own difficulties.
I will pick out some highlights to give you a flavour of each facet. There can be no better example of an inspiring young man meeting challenges head-on than paralympic England Rugby team captain Steve Brown, who lost the use of his legs following a freak accident. It wasn’t easy for him, but he told us how in each stage of his life he had overcome adversity. He told his story with humour and without trace of self pity and I am sure there were many amongst us with a lump in their throat. If that didn’t make you dab your eyes, then surely the beautiful voices of the Orpheus Centre children would have. Sir Richard Stilgoe, who used to appear regularly on television on such shows as Nationwide and That’s Life, founded the Orpheus Centre to prepare young disabled people for independent life through performing arts which gives them confidence in everyday tasks. Three young people sang magnificently and had us all joining in at the end to witness what this wonderful programme is achieving. You don’t have to be famous to be inspiring and a Rotarian from Yorkshire told us how he had paddled his kayak 2,350 miles up the Mississippi river to raise money for Giggle Doctors who cheer up children in hospital - a charity I supported at Broomfield Hospital. He was accompanied on his trek by a girl who was on a former Rotary Young Leader Award scheme as they had a dispute on who had carried out the most adventurous fundraiser to date. The only way to settle it was to do something dangerous together - and so it proved.
The International President of Rotary, KR Ravindran from Sri Lanka, was there in person to talk about membership issues and the need to attract younger men and women to join in order to continue the work of Rotary. This article is just a flavour of the weekend and if you think you may get satisfaction and enjoyment from becoming a Rotarian, then visit www.rotary1240.org, or give me a call. It may be one of the best decisions you ever make. Stan Keller 01245 260349
On the information side, we heard from Sir Liam Donaldson, the World Health Organisation’s spokesman on polio. He gave us the latest figures on the numbers of new cases - down to just 9 for 2016 - and thanked Rotary profusely for being the fulcrum of the campaign to eradicate the disease through fundraising, lobbying governments and hands-on immunisation days. He pointed out that because of lessons learnt through polio, the ebola outbreak had been halted just in time before catastrophic consequences took hold. There was so much to enjoy on the entertainment front; there were dinners and dancing and some amusing speakers. Geoff Miller, ex England cricketer and former selector, gave an absolutely hilarious account of his life before, during and after cricket, including the latter part of his career which was spent at Essex playing in Chelmsford. Equally witty was Reverend Richard Coles, once of the pop group the Communards (remember Don’t Leave Me This Way?) whose life took a completely different direction and he became a priest while still doing radio work and public speaking. John Humphrys of Radio 4 fame and the presenter of Mastermind, let out some secrets about some of the guests he had interviewed over the years and how Celebrity Mastermind is perhaps a contradiction in terms. I hope you had the opportunity of watching BBC World News to see the screening of Rotary’s Young Citizen of the Year awards. If you weren’t in tears before, you would be now as we heard Ellie Crisell
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If you need Fresh Flowers, Sundries or Plants Eleflora is where you need to go. Located on the Widford Industrial Estate in Chelmsford we have all you’ll need. All our flowers are brought fresh from the Dutch auction on a daily basis.
Tel - 01245 231074
Web shop - www.eleflora.co.uk Email - sales@eleflora.co.uk Visit - 15-17 Russell Way, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 3AA
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 15
Why Not Visit Maldon is a town on the Blackwater Estuary. The place-name ‘Maldon’ is first attested in 913 in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, where it appears as ‘Maeldun’. Maldon’s name comes from Mael meaning ‘monument or cross’ and dun meaning ‘hill’, so translates as ‘monument on the hill’ Maldon did once have a railway station, which opened in 1848, but it was closed in the Beeching cuts in the 1960s which saw many stations across the country close. Nobel Prize winner, John Strutt was born in Langford Grove in Maldon, He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1904. The town holds the annual charitable Maldon Mud Race where competitors race across the Blackwater Estuary at low tide, along the bank and back through the water. The race generated over £55,000 for charities in 2014. Maldon Slat has been producing sea salt in Maldon for the last 130 years and it is used around the world.
Give your dog a makeover!
In the seventeenth century, Thomas Plume started the Plume Library at St Peter’s Church to house over 8,000 books and pamphlets printed between 1487 and his death in 1704. The collection has been added to at various times since his death. In the church of All Saints is a memorial window to George Washington, whose great-great grandfather, Lawrence Washington, is buried here. Not so long ago you could swim in the lake in the Promenade Park. The lake is now a pond with resident wildlife.
Before
After
All breeds welcome
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Maldon? Maldon also has a great variety of independent shops and businesses, here’s what some of them had to say: Steve from Maldon Fireplace Centre said: “We have been in Maldon for over 5 years now but have been in the industry for over 25 years, we love being in Maldon High Street.” Maldon Tuition have been in Maldon for a year and have places available for primary and secondary pupils available now. At Cute Cuts they offer luxury grooming for your pooch, Vicki has over 9 years eperience and they welcome all dogs and are fully insured. Claire from The Art Cafe in the High Street said: “We try to offer something different, we are an art gallery representing 7 local artists but also a cafe offering fresh food, including breakfasts.” At The Cloak Room at the top end of the High Street, Michael offers tailoring of clothes and curtains. He said: ”I have been in the industry for many years and we love Maldon.” Jeano’s is a newly opened sandwich and coffee house at the top of the High Street, they offer sandwiches, bagels, paninis and jacket potatoes as well as barista coffees, tea and hot chocolate. There are also many pubs and restaurants in Maldon with some over looking the estuary - perfect spots for a warm sunny day!
Open Monday to Saturday 8am-3pm
And don’t forget, on the 1st May there is the annual Mud Race!
Tailoring of all clothing and curtains www.foulkeselectrical.co.uk 104 High Street, Maldon, CM9 5ET T: 01621 853148
Opening Hours Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat 9-4 Wed 9-1 01621 854440 20a High Street, Maldon, CM9 5PJ
CT Business
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Business Interview CameraWorld - by Tom Bosher This month I have been delighted to meet and interview Jason, Managing Director at CameraWorld in the High Chelmer Shopping centre. CameraWorld first opened its doors in 2000 as a London based business just off of Oxford Street and has since then opened a branch in Chelmsford. So Jason, how much of your business is done online? “Well much not really. A percentage is, obviously, but we have a really good following and most of our business is done through the shop door. This is great for us because our concentration is and always will be in the shop where we can give our customers a personal service.” What do you offer that distinguishes you from the internet and the likes of the nationwide appliance stores? “Well, as a specialist in photography, we do offer a much wider range of photographic products, because this is our speciality. All our competitors deal wider ranges of products, which naturally reduces the focus on photography. You will always find the main brands, but you will also find a wider range of accessories in our store. More importantly than that, if you have an old camera we offer a trade in service so you can trade up to a new one. This can be from a 30 or 40 year old camera to something you had bought recently and maybe just fancy the next model up. We offer good prices and you pay the balance and take your new shiny toy away.”
We assume your staff are all keen photographers. Do you offer training to keep them up to speed with the future of photography?
“Absolutely. We encourage our staff to be active photographers. They have access to lots of equipment and love testing out all the latest cameras and we send them on training courses on a regular basis. All of our suppliers do those normally twice a year as new products are coming out and we ensure there is at least one person per product that is fully trained and aligned with it. Mainly their general enthusiasm gets them through. When a new product comes in they start playing with it and can generally learn a lot more that way.” Do you find it an advantage to be one of the few remaining camera shops? “That’s an interesting question, we are one of the few remaining for lot of reasons. There are now less that 100 shops remaining in the UK which is a great shame. The reason for that is that it’s very difficult to make it viable. High street rents are very expensive and also quality staff are expensive. They are trained, enthusiastic and have to earn decent money. Profit margins on cameras have fallen because we have to be competitive with the internet and that is why a lot of competitors have fallen by the wayside. In the last 10 years we have lost probably around 300 camera stores in the UK, so 75% of the photographic industry has disappeared because of the overheads. We survive because we offer a great personal service and have won many awards within our industry for our service. People come back to us because they like doing business with us, our prices are very competitive, we are not the cheapest, but we are very close and we know what we are talking about and can advise customers on their needs - not always easy to get that online.” So what does the future hold for Camera World?
So your ranges are more in-depth? “Yes, as a specialist in photography this is our sole focus and we spend time finding the new and upcoming accessories that are suitable and interesting in our market. We can offer photographic equipment from your entry-level holiday camera to the enthusiast photographer, to those wanting to pursue a career in photography. If you are a hobbyist and you are into photography as a hobby you can come to us and buy all the quality accessories you need to enhance your skills in photography.” What other services do you offer? “We offer camera repairs too and also we are just about to launch an HD printing service online only, where people can go onto our website and order high quality prints. They are more expensive than other places, but if you are looking for the real quality then you will certainly notice the difference when we bring this new service online. In addition to that, we do sensor cleaning. All modern cameras are now digital and have a sensor to process the image. If a sensor is dusty, that dust does appear on the photo and can affect the quality of the image. This isn’t something that has to be done regularly, most do it before they go on holiday.”
“Well there are lots of new developments in the industry. Compact system cameras for example. Basically what this means is everything is getting smaller and people don’t want to carry big heavy cameras around with them anymore. They now want the small cameras but they still want the quality. That’s where it is going so a lot of the manufacturers are bringing out these small but high quality ranges with interchangeable lenses. We are doing very well with these as we are specialists in this area. The future is bright, there are lots of new products coming out that stimulate the market. Our secondhand business is thriving and that is a difficult area for some of our competitors to compete in, as our historical knowledge in the market is so comprehensive. So yes, I am very optimistic about the future. I think its going to be very bright.” Well, it’s been an interesting morning and thanks to Jason for giving us an insight into CameraWorld Chelmsford. If you would like to visit them you can find them at: 7 Exchange Way High Chelmer Shopping Centre Chelmsford Essex CM1 1XB 01245 255510 www.cameraworld.co.uk (See the latest CameraWorld advert on page 2.)
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From Travel Agent to Doula - a Reinvention! by Linda McNeill I interviewed a woman with a fascinating business this month, Steph Grainger of Conscious Birth is a doula and immensely proud to be so. However, this amazing woman holds many strings to her bow. So how many of you know what a doula is?! I work in the birthing field myself (a clue for you there!) so it has become a term I am very familiar with, but before I became a hypnobirthing teacher I would not have had a clue. The word doula is a Greek term and translates as ‘mothers servant’ or ‘mothering the mother’ (although dads are cared for too) but it is a women-centred role. In my opinion, doula’s like Steph offer the most incredible service to women. Taking it right back to basics, Steph’s role as a doula sees her providing support to women and their birth partners in the lead-up to their birth, at the birth itself and also in the post-natal period if they want it. Steph is also a hypnobirthing teacher and as such prepares the couples she works with for the best birth possible - equipping them with the tools and techniques to remain calm and confident throughout their labour and birth. So what does a doula actually DO?! And why would couples choose to hire someone like Steph to support them? “In today’s society communities are sparse, women don’t have family around them so much and gone are the days of close neighbourhoods. As a doula I can help provide the support network that is so often missing. “I get to know the women and couples so well - I get to know their hopes and dreams as well as their fears and anxieties.” With the current model of care in this country, there is often little continuity in provision of maternity services and you are very unlikely to know the midwife who delivers your baby. With a doula you can guarantee that there will be a constant, supporting presence with you at your birth and that they fully grasp everything you are aiming for during your birth journey. Men often need reassurance too. “Doula’s are not medically trained - it is all about nurturing the mother and protecting her while supporting the birth partner.” When I interviewed Steph, she had just been present at her 50th birth and was rightly proud of this milestone. Although she has supported women in a huge variety of different birthing situations, this had been an amazing birth where the labouring mother had achieved all she had wanted to - a natural birth in the comforting surroundings of her own home and it had healed significant wounds left by her first birth. “Birth is something that is now incredibly familiar to me, but it is often unfamiliar territory to the women and her birth partner and a doula’s role is to help guide and navigate them through it. My clients know I have got their back and I reassure them and make them feel safe.” So how did Steph find this unusual path and establish her own business as a hypnobirth teacher and doula? “Before I had children I was a travel agent, but birth has always held a fascination for me and felt like a very normal process. I am really not sure how I first came across doulas, but it felt like a perfect fit for me. I had looked into midwifery but this was not the route I wanted to take.” Steph and her first husband divorced nearly 9 years ago and when she met her second husband this new start provided her with the opportunity to train to be a doula and pursue her vocation.
“I went on an Introduction to the Work of a Doula course in London and instantly knew this was the path for me. Then two weeks later I started the five-day course with Developing Doulas in Cambridge and I have honestly never looked back. My first ‘doula baby’ was born in 2010.” After completing her doula preparation course, Steph joined Doula UK and was mentored for her first 6 births. “Birth offers such a variety of experiences and there are so many different challenges you may meet along the way and all of this can leave your struggling to deal with it emotionally. Your mentor guides you through the birth and you write each one up. At the end of your mentoring you become a Recognised Doula.” Steph is a very proud member of Doula UK and Essex Doulas. “They provide community, support and sisterhood. I am now a mentor myself and part of the management of Doula UK - and this is a service I provide for free as I think it is such a valuable organisation. “What is so wonderful about Essex Doulas is that there is no competition between us - it is all about the women, not about us. Every woman who would like to hire a doula is encouraged to interview at least three, as there has got to be the right personality to match the couple. We recommend each other so that women always find a good match. Essex Doulas really are an amazing circle of women.” So what is the best thing about her role as a doula? “The most privileged part is watching a couple transform into a family. It is an incredible moment to witness. It is also a real honour to help women who may have experienced significant trauma, those who have no family around them or those that have had a difficult previous birth. Women have come on all different journeys and it is my role to guide them. It can be mentally exhausting at times but I am very lucky that my husband and boys are very supportive of what I do - particularly when I disappear at 2 in the morning to attend a birth!” Steph is taking a little time off this year to focus on new ventures within her business. She has been undertaking a hypnotherapy course and has now started a fertility course. This September she will also embark on an EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) practitioners course to compliment all the services she currently provides. Steph is also in the process of launching her Mother Showers. These are similar to baby showers but the focus is on the mother: “It is all about bringing women together and nurturing the mother. She is about to go through an enormous transition and these showers are a celebration - a coming together.” Each Mother Shower is bespoke and can be as mainstream or as quirky as the woman would like it to be! It was fascinating chatting to Steph - she is very down to earth and incredibly passionate about what she does and I can really recognise the value of her role before, during and after birth and I can also see why she loves it so much! If you are interested in any of Steph’s services take a look at her website: www.consciousbirth.co.uk or email her at steph@consciousbirth.co.uk. If you are a local business owner and would like to be featured in my column, please get in touch at linda@bunintheovenbirthing.co.uk.
hire · sales · install · events
01245 863 863
sales@eventsoundandlight.com www.eventsoundandlight.com
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Hypnotherapy by Jenny Hartill Claustrophobia is a common fear that my clients present with, especially those also presenting with general anxiety issues. Claustrophobia is described as an extreme or irrational fear of confined spaces, however when presenting with other anxiety issues this actually extends much wider. Also, much of the time those claiming to suffer with this phobia actually are afraid of specific situations rather than generally confined spaces. Let me give you an example: A client presents with symptoms they identify with as claustrophobia. Specifically this person is afraid of being in an aeroplane as they feel extremely anxious because they cannot get out. This they assume is claustrophobia, however at the time of describing their symptoms to me they are sat in my lovely little therapy room - a confined space in itself with the door closed, windows closed and blinds drawn, and the client is absolutely fine with this. Therefore the evidence would suggest that the client is only claustrophobic in that particular situation (being on an aeroplane), and they are not suffering with this fear in general life. Something I have noticed in my time as a therapist is that clients do tend to label themselves. It’s human nature to look for answers and somehow having that label, even if it’s a bad one, it seems to help people cope. For example, if you label yourself with a phobia it’s easier to avoid certain situations and therefore you feel safer and more in control of your fear. My client with the aeroplane claustrophobia can therefore avoid getting on an aeroplane. It would seem that fears and anxieties are on a bit of a sliding scale, so lets look at how claustrophobia manifests itself in those that suffer with what we call in psychotherapy, a ‘true phobia’. We’re not trying to take away the importance of anyone’s fears and anxieties by labelling something a ‘true phobia’. It’s just that in hypnotherapy it is very important that I know the level of fear someone is suffering. So for example someone with ‘true’ claustrophobia would find it rather difficult to sit through hypnotherapy as my therapy room is in itself a confined space. This means that getting the client to relax enough to allow themselves to be hypnotised is something I have to bear in mind. From an ethical perspective, it may be better that I refer them for a different type of therapy where they can work on their phobia enough to be able to sit comfortably in my therapy room. The thing about claustrophobia is that we have to look beneath the confined space. Some of the places claustrophobics tend to be afraid of include:
phobic cannot escape and therefore they are not in control. To the anxiety mindset this is NOT GOOD. We all like to be in control, but the other snag we have in a phobic’s mind is the fear of fear - otherwise known as the fear of loss of control. The reason these are one and the same is because when we fear a panic attack it is partly because we believe we cannot control it. A panic attack is a lack of control because the primitive part of the brain takes over to protect us. At least that is what is happening when my claustrophobic clients first come to see me... The one thing I teach each and every client that comes to see me is that they have much more control than they think. When you listen to your phobia you listen to your irrational fear. So, are you really afraid of that aeroplane/tunnel/hotel room etc or is there something beneath it? What do you truly believe will happen? Why do you believe this? Often a phobia will develop because of an initial sensitising event - did something happen to make you afraid of confined spaces? We need to find the root of the fear in order to treat it with hypnotherapy. The reason for this is that hypnotherapy is used to ‘re-wire’ your fear. My suggestions would be evidence based, so for example if an initial sensitising event occurred once but never again, I could use this to your advantage, by explaining to the subconscious that the fearful situation only occurred once - you survived it - it hasn’t occurred again. Therefore there is no need to fear the situation occurring because you can cope - you did before, so you will again... The other way I can use hypnotherapy is to literally desensitise you to the phobia. Ever wonder why Harry Potter wasn’t desperately claustrophobic? He was so used to sleeping under the stairs that he had become desensitised. The only thing Harry feared was fear (if we remember the bit with Professor Lupin and the Dementor…) although I admit that I wouldn’t be surprised if Harry was slightly uncomfortable with small spaces considering the systematic psychological and emotional abuse he suffered but anyway... Desensitising a client to a fear is a process where I hypnotise them, take them to their phobia and have them re-live it whilst they are in a state of deep relaxation, calm and in control. Do this enough times and the thing they are afraid of is no longer fearful as the client has re-lived it in a safe environment, so the subconscious is ‘re-wired’ to not have such a fearful reaction. So for example, I could have them visualise themselves walking through a crowd, sitting on an aeroplane, driving through a tunnel etc. If there is an Initial Sensitising Event present, I could have the client re-live that. If anyone requires counselling or hypnotherapy, you can find out more information on my website: www.cloud9-therapy.co.uk. Anxiety and panic is a specialism of mine.
Tunnels Public toilets with locks on the doors Crowds Aeroplanes/helicopters/submarines/trains Underground tube trains Changing rooms with locks Hotel rooms with sealed windows Cars with central locking A car wash What do all of these things have in common? Firstly, it’s the fact that they are all difficult to escape from. If we look at the fight or flight response, in the claustrophobic’s head they cannot use the flight because they cannot run away, they cannot escape, they are trapped. Another common cognitive symptom is the feeling that the air is being sucked out of the room. This is actually the panic mode kicking in, but remember folks anxiety is all about mindset and therefore the phobic looks to the worst possible scenario even if it’s not possible.
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We also have to look at the lack of control in these situations, the Page 20
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Fitness and Well-Being
It’s Ok to Change Your Goals whenever I’ve been in there.
My friend James used to run the iDrums store underneath the railway arches. I say used to, because iDrums is no more. James started his online store just weeks before the financial crisis in 2008 - just the fact that iDrums survived until 2016 is incredible, with drum and music shops shutting down all over the country since then. In fact, let’s pause there to applaud Allegro Music in the High Street, who have always been brilliant
James’ goals over the last eight years changed. His initial dream of escaping the rat-race and starting his own thing drove him forward, but as the business became a struggle year after year, he thought hard about his goals and changed them. IDrums has gone, but James is set to start a new job soon, and is immeasurably richer for the years of lessons iDrums has given him. At the moment, I’m in a similar place. When I quit my grownup job, simplicity was the goal. However, in that first 12 months I managed to make things super complicated! Over time though, I’ve realised that simplicity itself
was not necessarily what I was seeking - it’s actually variety that lights me up. I love training people with a passion. But I also love writing songs and singing in my band, and working on short term communications projects and I need to balance all of that with time with my family. So, my goals have evolved. Having the freedom to choose how I spend my days has become more important than just simplicity. So, with new goals come new rules about how my time is spent. While my overall direction remains pretty fluid - and I’m sure my goals will change again - it’s time to align how I spend my days with my current ambition. Which means stopping certain things... Yep,
you guessed it, this is my final column for the City Times.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it for the past few years, and that some of my thoughts have resonated with you. Writing has helped solidify my thinking as well as hopefully spur some of you to change a habit or two, and now it’s time to move on. Still, if you’re looking for a personal trainer in Chelmsford, you know who to call. If you’d like a free personal training consultation, drop me a line at keith@liveasimplelife. co.uk.
We would like to thank Keith for all his articles and wish him luck for the future.
Anything is Possible… by Kellie Jones
Anything is possible if you believe it enough and this April Fools’ was no exception. Those of you who follow our story will remember the fun we’ve had with you and ourselves the past couple of years with the cheeky promise of Naked Yoga and the hilarious Poga classes, (yoga for pets!). This year, we had got so relaxed following our own advice that we nearly forgot that Levitation was the new class on the schedule this April 1st! So the announcement went out something like this: ‘Levitation classes will be starting tonight at 6.30pm. Steve will teach clients to lighten body and mind, enabling you to be truly uplifted.’ My favourite comments were: “Is there a weight restriction? I’ve been at the biscuits lately?” and “Are Hawkwind gonna be there lol... sounds awesome!” It turns out there are actually electromagnets strong enough to lift you off the ground if you have been at the biscuits. So if you have been following us for a while, you will know that we have transformed ourselves over the years and one of the ways we achieved this is with vision boards. Our original board, a vision of how we look now, has been accomplished. Our idea of the symbol of a human hummingbird is now the recognisable image of our brand, but even more than that, Thanda himself has just been literally levitated in a Sony video. It seems he is destined to be covered in paint too! There have been times when we have almost quit believing, when it seemed as though nothing was ever going to happen, when obstacles appeared and energy was used up. But somehow, with the support of each other, our team, friends and family, we managed to hold onto our belief that we could do it - and we did. In fact, way beyond what we envisaged 3 years ago. We now believe that manifesting what you want or better works, as when we revisited our old vision board we realised that not only had we brought into reality the use of an online booking system, but that on the picture of one of the iPads that we had cut out was the front cover of Om Yoga magazine - and 2 years later our own Ellie ends up on the front cover of that actual magazine!
Now looking at that board, I realise that what we wanted 3 years ago was smaller than what we believe we can achieve now, so with growing confidence grows the ability to envisage a bigger dream. So we spent yesterday cutting, sticking and dreaming up our next mission. They say that we overestimate what we can achieve in a year, but underestimate what we can achieve in 3 years and we are clear evidence of that. I’m really looking forward to 2019!!! This month, don’t miss the Beat the Blues yoga workshop with our very own wonderful Steve Johansen and May is the start of our menopause awareness workshops. For more details go to: www. hummingbirdpilates.co.uk or call 01245 422556.
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30 Ne M D w em a C l be ys ien r Un t O (T s & h lim ff C 's i ap p pl f ite er y) o r d £3 5
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
The 3 Reasons Dancing the Blues is Good for You
Many dancers come to dance classes to get active, find a social life and build friendships. And what a fantastic life it is to be involved in the dance community. However, after mastering a fair few moves, many are left with the feeling, in the words of Bob Geldof: ‘Is that it?’ Not quite sure what else they are looking for, but knowing that ‘IT’ is no longer enough sends some dancers looking for their next legal high dance fix! Non dancers likewise can watch shows like Strictly and wonder how on earth they will ever get all that footwork right when they have two left feet! That’s where blues dancing comes in. Here’s the three main things that blues dancing offers to inspire a more embodied, connected, confident and sensual dance experience.
1. Communication: To have an awareness of the body and to enjoy communication through touch and movement is what most of us in western society have forgotten how to do. We have forgotten how to do it because we have moved out of the body and ‘into our heads’. Our head judges our body and creates shame. If the body moves without a coordinated ease, we are afraid it will draw unwanted attention. We tell ourselves we cannot dance because we have ‘two left feet’. Stopping us from enjoying all the benefits of movement and dance are simply ideas that it is silly, effeminate or shameful. And the sad thing is, it is increasingly easy in this modern world to then become emotionally isolated and touch starved. However, we were born to dance. Since our earliest appearance on this planet, we have danced for all sorts of reasons. Blues dancing in particular encourages us to come back into the body. It encourages us to really feel the music and just make its sound live through our movements. Blues dancing develops our ability to communicate in movement and speech with each other. It encourages sharing, warmth, trust, non-sexual emotional intimacy, increased immunity, peaceful friendships and improved well-being. Developing our communication through dance is one of the most important things
we can do to help ourselves and help each other grow and evolve and as I often say, “If you can walk, you can dance.” 2. Variety: Blues dancing enables a flowing communication between two partners in connection with the music. As the music is the true lead in this dance, both partners are under less pressure to control where it goes. While there is a lead and follow role, communication flows both ways. The lead is not constantly under pressure to keep the dance moving as the follow can also take a turn in interpreting the music and bringing an extra je ne sais quoi to the dance. This means your dance will be different with every partner you dance with, leads and follows. 3. Equality: By equality I mean between the sexes. In the blues dance partnership there does not have to be a gender specific lead and follow (although there often is). Both sexes can lead and both sexes can follow. Part of the playfulness of blues dancing is switching the lead and follow role just for fun! This builds incredible confidence as you learn to become flexible in your dance and gain as much fun following as leading. It also takes the pressure off one sex, usually the guys, to have to be producing all the moves - and at the same time, it gives them incredible insight into how it feels to be a follow, likewise for the traditional female follow role. To be allowed to lead gives women an appreciation of the challenges of leading. It is truly a democratic, fun and educative experience! And of course, it develops community as we all experiment and explore what is possible in the dance. With communication and responsiveness at the core of our dance genre, the delight is in responding to each other’s quirkiness on the dance floor and having great fun! We welcome beginners and dancers looking for a new challenge to join us. We have a workshop in Danbury Sports Centre on 7th May followed by an evening party. For more information, visit: www. facebook.com/groups/allaboutblues, or call or text Jenny on 07773 919071.
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Charity of the Month - Allsorts Charity Shop
We thought it was about time we shared Chelmsford’s best kept secret with the readers. We are an amazing charity shop called Allsorts and tucked away in Sunrise Avenue about a mile from the city centre. Many people may remember the shop as Sunrise Car Spares (we still get asked for the odd tyre or two!). We open 6 days a week (Mondays to Saturday but excluding public and bank holidays) with help from a band of willing and friendly volunteers. We are very well stocked with a wide variety of goods from albums to zips and just about everything inbetween, including sun loungers and snow skis. Amongst the usual items found in charity shops, we also stock furniture from all periods, a selection of electrical goods and items for babies.
interest in the children’s lives building self-confidence. CCHF was established in 1884 and, sadly, there is still a need for our service today. I would, however, stress that CCHF has no connection whatsoever with Kidscape, nor has it ever had any connection in the past. So, do come and see us. If you enjoy browsing through an assortment of merchandise, you won’t be disappointed and parking is not a problem. We are often likened to Aladdin’s Cave but come and see for yourselves. Find us on Facebook - allsorts-cchf.
We raise money for CCHF All About Kids and I have been involved with this charity for over 40 years. We give residential breaks to over 1,500 disadvantaged children each year. Our volunteers ensure that every child has a positive role model providing encouragement, support and
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bestofchelmsford
Our object is to get the best local businesses noticed locally. We are a guide for the people of Chelmsford and the surrounding area to find the best businesses. Our businesses are chosen because they have been referred to us: We meet them personally, we work with them and for them. We are not a web directory and support only a few businesses in each category, those that we and local people consider to be the best. We support and invest in the local community of trusted businesses and people... thebestofchelmsford has been running a ‘buy local’ campaign, we consider ourselves champions of buy local, supporting all local businesses. You’ll see over 350 of our blue Buy Local stickers in businesses across the area. We are now introducing village pages to represent those businesses that are outside the city. Our area extends to Burnham on Crouch, Danbury, South Woodham Ferrers, Hatfield Peverell, Writtle, Stock, Ingatestone and of course Chelmsford. thebestofchelmsford has been approved by Essex County Council Trading Standards and we are members of the Buy With Confidence scheme. With us, you can find local events, blogs, great offers and more - it’s not just about business. On June 15th we are a sponsor of the Boys Toys event at Hylands House, where a Spitfire will be landing in the grounds, it promises to be a spectacular day. We hope to see you there. If you’d like to find out more about getting your business noticed, call Tom or Peter on 01245 701020 or visit our website: www.thebestof. co.uk/local/chelmsford. It could be the start of a great relationship. thebestofchelmsford - think different!
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The History of Brown and Son by Stephen Norris One firm that was inextricably connected with the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation for 150 years was the timber merchants, Brown and Son. The opening of the Navigation in 1798 had transformed the economic possibilities at Chelmsford. Owing to the lack of water facilities at Chelmsford the cost of transporting coal from Maldon - where it arrived by sea - had been high. The opening of the Navigation made it possible to get coal to Chelmsford cheaply. The Brown family bought Coates’ Yard at Springfield which Richard Coates had opened as a coal yard. Early in the nineteenth century the firm had been slaters and tilers, but when they purchased Coates’ business they installed machinery to cut timber, which had previously been cut by hand over pits. Several of these early pits were uncovered in 1922. In 1891, Brown and Sons was incorporated as a limited company. JS Brown, the grandson of the first owner, was a councillor and alderman in the first borough council. During the nineteenth century the firm maintained its business as coal and timber merchants. After the first war, mechanisation of the saw mills was necessary, but during it a fire completely destroyed the mills. The influence of the Brown family in the firm gradually waned. By the 1920s the firm was importing timber from the Baltic. “Steamers from the Baltic and White Sea ports bring their timber cargoes into the Blackwater Estuary at Heybridge Basin, where the company’s yard covers the whole of one side and extensive sheds provide ample storage for timber while awaiting shipment to Chelmsford.” At the Chelmsford end of the canal additional land was bought in 1925 and the whole of the waterfront became one unit belonging to the company. The English timber department was separated from the softwood branch and new mills were provided for each branch of the trade.
times each winter.
By the 1960s the original premises were supported by five branches and showrooms. In 1932 Brown’s had acquired Wray and Fullers, who were builders merchants and stone masons and who themselves dated back to 1700 in Chelmsford. The original Mr Brown had worked as a slater and tiler for the Wray family as well as the builder’s merchants - the monumental department was in Springfield Road. Heavy building materials were kept at New Street. Brown’s became involved in church restoration. An ironmongery department was also started. From a staff of six in 1920, the firm expanded to a staff of 60 with a total number of employees of 300 by the early 1970s. By this time the business covered 15-16 acres - more than five times the acreage covered in 1921. Brown’s stopped barge traffic in 1972 and the site became disused and was vandalised. The firm who took over Brown’s demolished the quayside timber sheds.
John Woods was born at 1 Navigation Road in 1934. This was the end terrace of a number of old weather boarded cottages. “We were surrounded by Brown’s the timber merchants. On the Springfield Road side were the offices and some storage areas. Behind, I believe, were the stables for the horses. Across the road was the lorry depot and extending along Navigation Road to the east was the timber yard.” He remembered seeing a huge crane: “This crane was mounted on a gantry composed of two overhead rails twenty or thirty feet high. Spanning these rails was a large crossbeam on wheels at each end, which travelled along the rails. The crane itself was mounted on the cross beam, again on wheels, and could traverse from one side of the beam to the other. So the crane driver went up the fixed ladder to enter the crane and then could travel parallel to the road and from side to side. He could pick up a tree trunk from a lorry and then stack it wherever in the English timber yard it was required. He could later retrieve the log for debarking and sawing.” Most of the logs remained in the stack for many years; the old saying for hard wood to mature was “seven years in log and seven years in plank”. Later after going to the Grammar School, John Woods worked in the yard in the years immediately following the second war. “The softwood arrived by barge along the canal and I’m fairly sure the barges were motorised.” The wood was already in planks when it came up the canal. The saw mill was powered by electricity but the firm had to use an old gas engine when it failed, as it did several
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Marconi Exhibition: The Battle of Jutland 1916 A century ago, Great Britain faced the possibility of losing the First World War in a single afternoon. Just eleven years before, we were on such good terms with Germany that the British Navy was invited to participate in the celebrations on the opening of the Kiel Canal. The canal enabled the German fleet to move quickly between its Baltic base at Kiel and the North Sea equivalent, Wilhelmshaven. This would allow the whole German fleet to reach the coast of England before the Royal Navy, which was spread around different bases, could gather its full strength. Such dangers were far from the minds of those watching the spectacular gathering of ships at Kiel in1895. Britain was represented that day by William Ewart Gladstone, recently retired Prime Minster. He was accompanied by pupils from the Royal Caledonian Schools in London. It happened to be the anniversary of Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne and she was Kaiser Wilhelm 11’s grandmother. At his command, the ships of all the nationalities present flew the British Ensign. Hugh Proudfoot, one of the pupils, described what happened next: “In the bay we found men of war of almost every nationality. About 6.00pm we boarded a tender and were conveyed around the bay to look at the ships. As we sailed along, we played the bagpipes and the crews of the different warships cheered us. It was a magnificent sight. At sundown cannons were fired from every one of them. The boom of the guns is a thing never to be forgotten.” Marconi and the Radio Direction Finder The German High Seas fleet had avoided battle for the first two years of war. A new fleet commander, Admiral Scheer, had decided to take the offensive in 1916. Two sorties early in the year had led to the bombardment of Lowestoft. He was confident that the British Grand Fleet was anchored too far north, at Scapa Flow in the Orkney islands and Rosyth in the Firth of Forth, to be able to catch him. Not, at least, without considerable forewarning - but on 30th May that is precisely what they got. Scheer was convinced that there was no way that the Royal Navy might guess his intentions. He had reckoned without Marconi. In his book published to coincide with current exhibition, Tim Wander explains how this came about. HJ Round, a Marconi engineer, had developed new direction finding equipment in Chelmsford. He had been seconded to the Admiralty and his work led to direction finding stations being set up all around the coastline. They were built specifically to detect submarines, zeppelins and surface raiders. On 30th May 1916, signals were detected from the German fleet indicating a high level of activity. The signals themselves had changed direction by 1.5 degrees. Admiral Scheer’s fleet had put to sea and the Royal Navy knew it. The next day saw 250 British and German warships steaming towards what would be the greatest naval battle in history. They would meet off the coast of Jutland in Denmark. Join us to find out all about this event, critical as it proved to the outcome of the First World War. On Friday 22nd April Dr Elizabeth Bruton will give a talk on Communications and Signals Intelligence: the use of wireless at the battle of Jutland 31st May - 1st June 1916. This will take place as part of the current Marconi Exhibition: Building the Wireless Age at the original Marconi factory in Hall Street. The exhibition and associated programme of events is organised by Chelmsford Civic Society and Marconi Science Worx in collaboration with BBC Essex. The exhibition can be viewed between 11am and 3pm at weekends and is truly amazing, including a model of the wireless room on the Titanic, input marking 30 years of BBC Essex and material from the Marconi Institute in Italy. Entry is free. The Battle of Jutland The British people hoped for a great naval victory along the lines of Trafalgar, but it was not to be. The British Grand Fleet had 28 dreadnought battleships, 9 battlecruisers, 8 armoured cruisers, 26 light cruisers, 78 destroyers, a seaplane carrier and a minesweeper. The German High Seas fleet had 16 dreadnought battleships, 6 pre-
dreadnought battleships, 5 battlecruisers, 11 light cruisers and 61 destroyers. It started badly for the British. The fleet commander, Sir John Jellicoe, ordered his second in command, Admiral David Beatty, to engage the enemy fleet in what became the first phase of the battle. Two British battlecruisers, Indefatigable and Queen Mary, came under fire, blew up and subsequently sank. Beatty observed that “there seems to be something wrong with our ships today.” The main engagement between the battle fleets followed and at its end the Royal Navy had lost three battlecruisers, 4 armoured cruisers and 8 destroyers. 6,094 British sailors lost their lives. The German fleet had lost a battlecruiser, a pre-dreadnought battleship, four light cruisers and five destroyers. 2,551 German sailors had lost their lives. Yet it was Admiral Scheer who had broken off the action. His fleet remained in harbour until the end of the war. The British naval blockade, in bringing the German people close to starvation, played a significant part in securing victory. However, Sir John Jellicoe was criticised for his caution he exercised after the German withdrawal. Sir Winston Churchill lamented the absence of the “audacious and conquering traditions of the past...” Chelmsford Civic Society The society is also running its ‘Chelmsford Remembers’ exhibition at Anglia Ruskin University. This displays aspects of life in Chelmsford during the Great War. It ends on 10th April. On the 19th April there will be a talk by the local Muslim Association and on 17th May Paul Van Damme from the city council will address us on trees in our city and green spaces. We have arranged a series of workshops with representatives from a range of local organisations, developing a Heritage Strategy in response to the consultations on the city’s new Local Plan. In the autumn, between the 8th and 11th September, the society will be running the Heritage Open Days programme on behalf of the city council. Later on we will be participating in the Ideas Festival between 17th and 30th October. Information on the Marconi Exhibition Programme and on the Civic Society can be found at: www.facebook.com/ChelmsfordCivicSociety www.twitter.com/CM_CivicSociety Our website: www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk Or by email: info@chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk Malcolm Noble - Chairman: Chelmsford Civic Society
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The Ideas Hub Chelmsford - Big Party 30th April The 30th April 2016 will see a big party at the Ideas Hub to relaunch it’s new and improved café, celebrate its registered charity status and to thank and wish good luck to Leonie Ramondt, its founder and director of the 2012 - 2015 Ideas Festivals, before she moves to Wales at the start of May. The evening will also officially recognise Edith Miller as the new Ideas Hub co-ordinator and introduce the 2016 Ideas Festival co-ordinators. Leonie started the Ideas Hub three and a half years ago as a drop in café and event space for the 2012 Ideas Festival in it’s distinct location, the glass fronted two-storey corner retail unit with the huge To Let sign over the door opposite Bell Meadow and the multi-storey car park. This unit is kindly sponsored by High Chelmer shopping centre. Since 2012, the growing team of Ideas Hub volunteers have helped host well over 700 workshops and events from live music, arts and crafts workshops, flea markets, arts exhibitions, science and tech workshops, music classes and jams, through to young parent meet ups and even a salsa extravaganza. The fact that the Ideas Hub is such a warm and friendly place that welcomes people from all walks of life and backgrounds has led to many lasting friendships being started there. In recognition of this, the Ideas Hub was awarded a Heart of Essex award last year. The Ideas Hub is unique because it is run entirely by volunteers. Charity status as a community centre allows the initiative to use
the money generated by the Art Café to sponsor free community activities. The only funding the Ideas Hub has ever received was kindly provided by Essex County Council and has helped to refurbish the café. The Ideas Hub current range of weekly activities includes art & crafts groups, photography, didgeridoo and drumming classes, language conversation classes and baby and toddler ‘Messy Play’ groups and much more. Details of the events can be found on Facebook as well the website (see below) and in the window of the Ideas Hub. From this May, the Ideas Hub are very excited to welcome the Little Star Circus which is run by Diana Entwistle, a British Ice skating medallist who has spent 20 years as a circus performer. Classes in circus skills and trapeze are available for both children and adults. Be sure to book your place as each groups is kept very small. The Ideas Hub couldn’t operate without it’s brilliant team of volunteers, and they are always keen to hear from anyone willing to contribute, or keen to organise events with the Ideas Hub as the venue. If you would like to find out more, become a volunteer and/or support the Ideas Hub, please drop in to see us or email us: hosts@ ideashubchelmsford.org or www.ideashubchelmsford.org. In the meantime, the team invite members of the public to come and join them for art and kids activities, music, sumptuous food and plenty more. The celebrations begin on Sat 30th April from 5pm until late.
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Wildlife Corner by Nick Green March enjoyed mainly mild weather with a few frosts to remind us it was actually winter. Some hedgerows and shrubs did start flowering or start to leaf - even the magnolia tree near the Seax building was budding well. Bluebells, daffodils, primroses and hyacinths emerged and the crocuses around the multi-storey roundabout area put on a good show. African bird migrants started to arrive in numbers, including little ringed plover, chiffchaffs, sand martins and swallows. My last article proved to be rather prophetic! I actually found a Black Redstart in Chelmsford on the 23rd much to my amazement - they usually occur on the coast or reservoirs on passage in Essex. I normally feature a wildlife example, but I must highlight in this issue the first ever Moulsham Lodge Community Trust (MLCT) Wildlife Event at the Community Station and Scout Hut in Gloucester Avenue on Saturday 12th March 2016. Chairman Mark Springett and Lorna Fuller and a host of willing volunteers did an amazing job organising county wildlife organisations, displays, a café, and kids’ competitions and more. There was a brilliant relaxed but focused atmosphere for families - the Imperial Bird of Prey Academy brought along a barn owl which so impressed all visitors - to view a wonderful bird like this at a few feet was AMAZING! Other wildlife organisations were represented by Essex Beekeepers Association, Essex Badger Group, Essex Birdwatching Society, Essex Bat Group, Essex Wildlife Trust, RSPB and Hedgehog Haven. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed myself and all the networking opportunities - I sincerely hope MLCT will consider holding the event again in 2017 to benefit all (Essex) wildlife… Essex Wildlife clubs include:
Essex Birdwatching Society www.ebws.org.uk RSPB - www.rspb.org.uk/ groups/chelmsford Essex Field Club - www. essexfieldclub.org.uk/ Essex Wildlife Trust - www. essexwt.org.uk/get-involved/ local-groups/chelmsford Recent Essex Wildlife News: The most noteworthy March 2016 bird news included scarcer wintering birds like the rough-legged buzzard at Holland Haven CP all month and the great grey shrike (to the 18th) and bearded tits at Heybridge GP. The star rarity was a penduline tit at the Magnolia NR in Ashingdon on 14th - 16th. An elusive glossy ibis also frequented the Abberton Reservoir/Colchester Hythe area. Abberton Reservoir highlights included 3 smew, 2 red-breasted mergansers, blacknecked grebe, bittern and scaup. The EWT Centre café (just north of the Layer-de-la-Haye causeway on the B1025) and butties and cake can be still recommended!
Photo: Moulsham Lodge Community Trust Wildlife Event 2016 copyright Lorna Fuller
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Stargazing with Mark Willis - April/May Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower - April 19th and coming to maximum in May. It’s going to be tricky to see for us northern hemisphere Earthlings, as it’s low down in the sky and it’s not even viewable until around dawn. Transit of Mercury - May 9th 2016 What this means is that it will be possible to see Mercury silhouetted against the Sun. The transits start: 12:12, mid: 15:57 and end: 19:42 0 that’s BST. WARNING: Do not look through a telescope directly. You will damage your eye permanently. The safest method is to use the projection method where a cheap and cheerful telescope can project the image onto a white card. May 22nd - 23rd at 01:00 BST. The Moon passes close to Mars and Saturn, so this is a great opportunity to identify these two planets. Mars is almost directly underneath the Moon and Saturn is roughly level with Mars but is much further to the left. Unfortunately, the Moon is full on May 22nd, but hopefully if it’s clear it should still be worth seeing.
Gravitational waves - what are they and why should we care? Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of the universe caused by the merging of black holes. Any mass or energy, even you or I jumping up and down, can cause tiny gravitational waves. Don’t worry, it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll break the universe! Einstein, back in in 1916, first mentioned gravitational waves in his theory of general relativity. Gravitational waves were born during the Big Bang, about 13.8 billion years ago. Thanks to this discovery of these signals from black hole mergers, this will now help us to understand dark energy better. Thus, we shall now have an outpouring of answers about our universe’s structure that we had no knowledge of before. As usual, email me with any questions... Mark Willis presents ‘Willis Wireless’ every Monday at 7pm on Chelmsford Community Radio. Web: www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com Twitter: @WillisWireless Email: mark.willis@chelmsfordcommunityradio.com
Chelmsford Ex-Serviceman Praises the Support He Has Received from Blind Veterans UK A former army officer and MP who served in the Royal Artillery, has spoken of the support provided by national military charity, Blind Veterans UK, saying that the charity “has made life much easier and better.”
John Cockcroft, 81, from Chelmsford, was commissioned into the Royal Artillery for National Service in June 1953. Having to choose at a young age between carrying on his studies or doing his National Service, John chose the latter, doing what he felt was his duty despite it being easy at that time to avoid undertaking National Service duties. John said: “Originally I was supposed to complete 18 months in the Royal Artillery but it was extended to two years. During that time I have fond memories of the camaraderie and my particular highlight was the passing out parade after my officer training.” Following his time in the Royal Artillery, John joined the Territorial Army (TA), extending his time in service by a further three-and-a-half years. He enjoyed his time in the TA as it was very social. After leaving the army, John returned to his studies. He completed his higher education at the University of Cambridge in 1958 and went on to work in various senior roles as an economist and journalist. John worked at places including the Treasury, GKN and The Telegraph, before becoming a member of Parliament for five years. John has recently written a memoir based on his life. In it he fondly recalls his time serving as the MP for Nantwich from 1974 until 1979. His time in Parliament saw him sit on the Nationalised Industries Select Committee and he was part of the Council European Movement. Before he was in Parliament was also Economics Editor at The Daily Telegraph for seven years. Following his parliamentary career, John returned to working in business, in mergers and acquisitions in the city of London and as a non-executive director of British Rail Eastern Region. In 2004, after he had retired, John began to notice that his sight was deteriorating, especially in his left eye. Over the next two years, the effects of age-related macular degeneration meant that John was left with no central vision in either of his eyes. It was fortunate therefore that after speaking to another beneficiary of the charity, he decided to contact Blind Veterans UK for support in June 2006. John said: “Blind Veterans UK has been brilliant. I was upset that macular degeneration had robbed me of my ability to read for
pleasure, something I had enjoyed doing all my life up until around nine years ago.
“With the support of Blind Veterans UK though, I am able to still enjoy life. The social events and equipment they have provided for me has really made a life beyond sight loss possible. They do a lot for all the veterans they support.” The equipment Blind Veterans UK has provided John with includes a talking watch, talking CDs and a CCTV machine which magnifies text to allow him to read letters, books and other text. John has also spoken very highly of the social events organised by Blind Veterans UK. There are frequent social events in Essex, as well as an annual reunion event. At the last of these reunion events, which was held in a village near Cambridge, John was chosen as a speaker. John said: “I really enjoyed the last reunion event. I got the opportunity to be a speaker and it was a great opportunity to thank Blind Veterans UK for all it does for me and for the other veterans in the area.” John is also full of praise for his Blind Veterans UK welfare officer. John said: “My Blind Veterans UK welfare officer Jennie is superb! It is Jennie who organises the events I attend and I know many of the veterans really rely on her support, all the more so if they are widowed or living alone. “For me, she has been instrumental in getting me my equipment and allowing me to retain my independence. The welfare officers are very friendly and knowledgeable and really help veterans live with sight loss.” Blind Veterans UK plays an important role in helping blind and vision impaired ex-service men and women like John to adjust to life with sight loss and live full, independent lives. The charity provides equipment, training, rehabilitation and emotional support through its centres in Brighton, Sheffield and Llandudno, and a network of welfare officers around the UK. Regardless of how a veteran has lost their sight or when they served, Blind Veterans UK will provide free, lifelong support to them and their families to help them discover life beyond sight loss. If you are a vision-impaired ex-service man or woman, or care for someone who is, find out more at: www.noonealone.org.uk or telephone: 0800 389 7979.
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Marconi and all that Jazz The signs as you enter Chelmsford declare it to be the ‘Birthplace of Radio’, acknowledgment that the Italian Guglielmo Marconi established his first radio communications factory in Hall Street, Moulsham, in 1898. It is therefore appropriate that Chelmsford Museums at its Sandford Mill site takes part in the International Marconi Day. This is a 24 hour annual celebration of the life and work of Marconi, which is held across the world by amateur radio operators on the Saturday closest to his birthday (born April 25th 1874). So if you are looking for a family spring day out, why not visit Sandford Mill on 23rd April?
On this day it will be possible to see many of the Marconi items stored and displayed at Sandford Mill which cannot be shown at the main Museum building in Oaklands Park. Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society will be providing radio-based activities including live radio transmissions from the original Writtle Marconi Research Hut, Morse code and other hand on activities. If the First World War interests you, Dr Elizabeth Bruton, a history of communications expert, will be talking on Marconi’s input into aspects of the First World War. Refreshments will be available provided by the Friends of the Museum. For directions to the mill go to www.chelmsford.gov.uk/ sandfordmill-visitor-information. Radio helped to make jazz popular around the world, so it is appropriate that the current touring exhibition to be seen at Chelmsford Museum is A History of Jazz in Essex: The Faces and the Places. If you have not yet visited this exhibition, it is on until 1st May
and highlights the heritage of Jazz in Essex looking at the musicians involved and the venues where they played.
The first Friends of Chelmsford Museums visit of 2016 will be to the Beecroft Art Gallery, Victoria Avenue, Southend, on 28th April at 2.00pm. There will be a conducted tour of the exhibits, which include a wealth of art and costumes, originally collected by Walter Beecroft and given to the people of Southend (non-members are welcome to join these visits). Love Your Museum; be a Friend – www.friendschelmsmuseums.btck
Family Friendly Funnies
Why do bananas use sunscreen? Because they peel!
Why are gulls named seagulls? If they were by the bay, they’d be bagels! Why don’t oysters share their pearls? Because they’re shellfish! Which letter is the coolest? Iced t! What did one tide pool say to the other tide pool? Show me your mussels!
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