The City Times - August/September 2018

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The City Times Including: Boreham, Broomfield, Danbury, Great Baddow, Maldon, South Woodham Ferrers, The Walthams and Writtle 10000 copies distributed monthly

Issue Number 59: August 16th - September 13th 2018

WEDNESDAYS Boreham Village Hall, Main Road, Boreham CM3 3JD 5:30pm and 7:30pm Tracey 01376 521341 Springfield Park Baptist Church, Springfield Park Road, Springfield, CM2 6EB 5.30pm and 7:30pm Claire 07852 638666

MONDAYS Millennium Community Centre, Recreation Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow CM2 9RL 9:00am, 11:00am and 1:00pm Lucy 01245 262457

TUESDAYS Millennium Community Centre, Recreation Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow CM2 9RL 3:30pm, 5:30pm and 7:30pm Samantha 01245 266442

Springfield Community Centre, Perryfields School, Lawn Lane, CM1 7PP 5:00pm and 7:00pm Angie 07814 992628

WEDNESDAYS WEDNESD Church Of St Augustine Of Canterbury, St Augustines Way, Springfield CM1 6GQ 9:30am and 11:30am Emma 07887 692906

Millennium Community Centre, Recreation Ground, Baddow Road, Writtle Community Association, Great Baddow CM2 9RL 9R Longmeads House, 12-14 5:00pm and 7:00pm Redwood Drive, Writtle CM1 3LY Lucy 01245 262457 3:00pm, 5:00pm and 7:00pm Jennifer 07792 516866 Hatfield Peverel Infant School, Church Road, Hatfield Peverel, Life Church, Hall Street, CM3 2RP off Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, 5:30pm and 7:30pm CM2 0HG Dee 07858 874826 5:30pm and 7:30pm Angie 07814 992628 TUESDAYS Broomfield Village Hall, 158 Main Road (behind Angel Pub), Broomfield CM1 7AH 3:00pm, 5:00pm and 7:00pm Victoria 07823 441198

St Michael's Church of England, Junior School, Barnard Road, Galleywood CM2 8RR 7:30pm Tracy 07584 676670

THURSDAYS Millennium Community Centre, Recreation Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow CM2 9RL 9:30am Samantha 01245 266442 North Springfield Baptist Church, Havengore, off Pump Lane, Springfield CM1 6JP 5:30pm and 7:30pm Victoria 07823 441198 Newlands Spring Community Hall, Dickens Place, Chelmsford CM1 4UU 5:30pm and 7:30pm Jennifer 07792 516866 Moulsham High School, Brian Close, Chelmsford, CM2 9ES 5:30pm and 7:30pm Claire 07852 638666

FRIDAYS The Church Of Ascension, Maltese Road, Chelmsford CM1 2PB 9:15am and 11:15am Samantha 01245 266442 SATURDAYS Springfield Park Baptist Church, Springfield Park Road, Springfield CM2 6EB 8:30am and 10:30am Emma 07887 692906

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CT Welcome Hello readers,

Welcome to the August/September edition. The festival season isn’t over just yet, there are still many summer festivals to come - take a look at the What’s On listings on pages 12 and 13 to find out what’s on near you.

As we go to print, there is still time to book for Heritage Open Days, to do so please visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk.

You can also view both our magazines - City Times and Moulsham Times - online at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia.

Enjoy your month!

Regards Nick & Paul www.thecitytimes.co.uk | www.moulshamtimes.com

Advertising Editorial Nick Garner Paul Mclean 07970 206682 07595 949701 ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

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Disclaimer: It’s Your Media Ltd publish The City Times. The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of It’s Your Media Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the prior written permission of It’s Your Media Ltd. Registered offices: 15 Hayes Close, Chelmsford. Reg No 9154871. Printed by Printwize.

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Page 3

CT Fashion - Self-Care Sportswear So the summer’s slowly coming to a close (sob) and we are slowly getting back to our normal routines. The kids will shortly go back to school (thank the heavens!), the summer getaways have got up and gone, and, dare I say it - Christmas is around the corner. So we need something to look forward to, something to feel proud of and something to keep us going. It’s time to sweat out those post-holiday blues and get back into our self-care, active groove.

Sometimes the prospect of buying clothes to get happy sweaty in can be really daunting: what is the appropriate garb to wear to a gym class? Will those leggings cover what needs to be covered (you know exactly what I mean, don’t you)? Is it socially acceptable to ‘activewear’ to a coffee shop (yes), baby shower (maybe) or wedding (definitely not)? Which pieces need investment, which can be saved on? As a bit of a self-care activewear connoisseur, I have all of the answers here...

Daywear Activewear: This is for your ‘I plan on being active sometime throughout the day but I’m not sure when yet, but I do have a lunch date’ days. Or for when you’re feeling like you want to chill and be comfy, with little plans to ‘be seen’ as it were. I’d opt for a black pair of ankle length leggings and a loose fitting, long sleeved top or oversized T-shirt that you can roll up and knot at the waist. I would recommend Fabletics as a brand for good quality, stylish and - more importantly - non-see through leggings. It’s an online shop dedicated to putting outfits together for you and sending you options to choose from. The ankle length is perfect because it means you can pop on a pair of trainers and still look ‘sportswear chic.’ I always buy my activewear tops around 2 sizes too big for me with a very simple logo or not at all, this means they’re perfect for knotting or unknotting and fit for on the couch, at the café, or… at the gym.

Classy Activewear: Apologies, I don’t mean sportswear you might wear to a ball, I mean sportswear you might wear to an exercise class. We’ve all been there; the first exercise class you’ve been to in 3,456,776 years and you don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb.

Your best bet is a comfortable pair of bottoms - either capri or ankle length - and a tank top. These do not need to cost the earth. In fact,

you can grab some great options on the high street: Primark have some amazing outfits, with tops and leggings for around £10 each bargain! Again, I usually go a size up for active wear. You want comfort, not to be cut in half mid-burpee.

Yogi Fit: Maybe your self-care comes in the form of a nice, long, stretch session. Good for you. You need some reliable active wear that’s not going to irritate you by taking the downward dog position seriously whilst you’re perfecting your pose, right? Well, a great brand for trusty yogiwear is definitely Sweaty Betty. With their panelled leggings, hatha yoga harems and comfortable workout bras, they are the go-to brand for yogis everywhere. I’d recommend the reversible leggings because they’re comfortable and versatile. Two different looks for the price of one - you can’t go wrong!

Gym Bunny Style: Perhaps you’re a #strongnotskinny advocate and best found in the weights section of the gym?

Well you’ll need some squat-proof leggings and something to keep you cool as you attempt those tricep dips… bear with me here because I know this might be a bit too much to take in, but, some of the best gym appropriate activewear I have seen has been in supermarkets!

Check out Tu at Sainsbury’s this year again for mesh detailing and cute palm prints. Or Lidl are currently offering some cheap and surprisingly cheerful leggings and top combos at around £6 a piece. I also hear some very good things about the trainers in Lidl. You heard it here first.

Sustainable Sportswear: Perhaps you’re like me and have started to think more about how can treat our world with a bit more kindness, and trust me, your choice in sportswear can show your care for the world as well as yourself. Responsible sports bloggers and athletes have been promoting sustainable sportswear for a while now - even Lewis Hamilton was recently seen advocating beach cleans whilst holidaying in Malta. How does this translate to activewear? Well, Adidas have launched a brand called Parley. Here, you can buy sports gear made from recycled ocean plastic. No, that does not mean squeezing your feet into used water bottles or a stringing yourself into a sports bra comprised of 6 pack ring holders (can you imagine?!)

Adidas collect the plastic and manufacture it into fashionable sports gems like trainers, shorts, T-shirts and also swimwear made by recycled plastic. I can say (from experience) that the trainers are fantastic, especially the ultraboost X styles. At a hefty £169.95 they are not cheap, but they are comfortable and provide that added bounce you need to get you through your workout (because let’s face it, we’ll need it in the run up to Christmas).

Rebecca Forde is a writer with a penchant for fashion, great literature and drinking a lot of coffee. You can contact her by emailing rebeccaforde@hotmail.co.uk. © All Images copyright Littlewoods Ireland

Page 4

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

All Things Music - by Nick Garner

What a summer so far; hot hot hot with just a little rain! It’s been fantastic for the festivals as long as you make sure you have plenty of water and protect yourself against the sun. The Writtle Jazz Festival did suffer some (rare!) rain, but thankfully being mostly undercover I hear it was a massive success and the hard work paid off. Bay Days has just recently passed and this too was a great success. You see, we do know how to have fun in and around our city - and there is still more to come with RiZE and the UB Fest imminent. The Chelmsford Arts Trail has also just taken place and it was fantastic to see so many places exhibiting great local art helping to publicise the cultural side of the city. We are now just starting the planning for the 2019 Chelmsford Arts and Cultural Festival as we want it bigger and better than in 2018 - which I must say was great.

We have put on a couple of great gigs recently too. At the Bassment we had our very own Joe Anderton opening the night and boy was he on fire - a great show that everyone loved. The next act was a band I have known for years, but this is the first time they have played for us; Stevie Smith’s Sin House is a band full of great talent from all over the country. Stevie is a well respected harmonica player and singer and it was a fine night of entertainment all round and all those who attended seemed to love the whole show.

anniversary festival over the Bank Holiday weekend. It all kicks off on the Friday with the Dave Ferra All Stars, then on Saturday there are eight acts playing from 2pm until late. On Sunday there will be a ‘DJ day’ with a whole mix of great music from soul to disco, pop and much more running from 1pm to 11pm. On Monday they have a real legend playing in Denny Newman who used to run the Hermit Club in Brentwood and who has also played with Mick Taylor from the Stones.

Denny is over here from Germany and has agreed to play a special show from 3pm. Along with the fabulous Serious Shake Co and their great range of vegan and vegetarian food, the cool new garden and the fab selection of drinks from the bar, what more could you ask for?

At Chelmsford City FC on the 14th September we have Jim Cregan with his band Cregan & Co. Jim has played with the best, starting out when he was just 14 years old. He has played with Dave Mason (Traffic), Blossom Toes, Linda Lewis, Roger Chapman (Family, and Chapman Whitney Steetwalkers) then with Cockney Rebel and after that with Rod Stewart (for almost 20 years) as guitarist, co-songwriter and musical director. He is also on Rod’s latest album. Jim has recruited a top band which includes Ben Mills on lead vocals and keyboards. Rod Stewart has said that if you cannot afford to come and see him, go and see them - as they are as good and half the price!

Opening the night is the Jackson Line who are playing this as a pre-launch show of their first EP, Don’t Wait. They are a three piece alt country act featuring on lead vocal and guitar Jamie Cook of the Overtures (who played Elton John’s wedding). It promises to be an incredible show. See the advert in this publication for full details.

On Thursday 20th September at the Bassment we are hosting the official launch of Connor Selby’s album Made up My Mind, which I think is fantastic. The night is going to be Connor and his band playing two sets, which we feel is fitting for an event such as this.

There is lots more coming in the next few months at the football club: we have Fleetwood Bac, Slim Chance and Limehouse Lizzy plus awesome opening acts for all of these headliners. At the Bassment the amazing Elles Bailey returning as part of her autumn tour. We also have George Shovlin and Zoe Schwarz & the Blues Commotion, again all with very special opening acts as well.

We also welcomed back an old friend to the football club in sixties legend Zoot Money. Opening was Booga Red, with Claire Hamlin, who had also played with Zoot at the 100 Club in the past. They were perfect and the audience loved their music and banter. Zoot Money played two sets and were having so much fun that they went on until 11.45pm. They were all amazing and so friendly; they all made time for the audience afterwards which I think is great.

Take a look at all of the links below and please ‘like’ our pages on social media and help us continue by inviting your friends to do the same. As ever, please do try to come out and support the great live scene that we have in Essex, because if you do not we may lose it.

For more information on all of the above and more, see the links below and go to our What’s On pages to see what else in happening in your area. Check the Internet to see what’s on locally - and Facebook and Twitter are always good as are your local papers and community boards.

The Chelmsford Arts and Cultural Festival email: hello@ chelmsfordfestival.org www.chelmsfordfestival.org www.facebook.com/chelmsfordfestival Twitter: @chelmsfordaacf www.bluesinthecity.co.uk www.facebook.com/bluesinthecitychelmsford Twitter: @BluesintheCity1 www.itsyourmusic.co.uk www.facebook.com/itsyourmusic Twitter: @itsyourmusic

We have more great acts lined up for the football club and the Bassment, as well as the UB who are starting with their second Page 6

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

30th September 2018

l ti r n u be id m l e va pt 8 r e e S 01 ff O 0th 2 3

CT Gardening - by Tom Cole

Garden Tips for August • Herbs such as oregano, thyme and mint can be pruned hard to encourage a new flush of lush new leaves ready for use in your favourite dishes.

• If not already done, cut back both bronze and green leaved fennel. If they’re left to self seed, they can become a major invader and choke other plants. I used to love fennel - and indeed its fresh foliage is a great boon early in the year as a backdrop to tulips and alliums - but it’s a major thug!

• Cut back lavender by removing the old flower heads and supporting flower stems plus a degree of the new leafy growth to ensure plants remain compact and less woody.

• Stake and tie dahlias, lilies and gladioli. It’s not too late and certainly will help plants keep upright and avoid damaging stems and ruining flowers.

• Capture earwigs on dahlias by putting an upturned pot filled with straw or shredded newspaper on top of canes amongst the plants. The earwigs will crawl into them and you can empty them in the morning. The same method can be used for natural season chrysanthemums.

• Pull alstroemerias - as alstroes go over from their first flowering, pull (rather than cut) the stems, as you do rhubarb. This encourages more growth from below ground to give you a huge second flush of flowers right through the autumn. Make sure stakes are in place too as most alstroes are vigorous and will flop about in the autumn. This is such a super perennial for any border with plenty of sunlight.

• Dead heading of petunias and dahlias will encourage repeat flowering; keep the plant compact and potentially remove growth that could become diseased.

• Harvest tree fruits by cupping fruit in hand and pushing up. As you do this ripe fruit will come easily away in your hands - if not, it needs a little more time to fully ripen. With stone fruit combine harvesting with pruning. In most cases prune to lightly shape, thin and always remove dead, diseased and damaged growth.

01245 422804/07711 606561

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Plant out your leeks and brassicas if you haven’t already, and you can also squeeze in a final sowing of spinach and chard in the first couple of weeks of August.

Watch your tomatoes and potatoes closely for blight. This will first be visible in the leaves as brown/yellow blotches. If your potatoes have blight, cut back the top growth by half and dig up the spuds; they’ll be smaller than usual, but you would have stopped the blight getting to the tuber. it’s a little more tricky with tomatoes; remove trusses of fruit before blight gets to them.

They can then ripen on a window sill.

Look out for seed potatoes to give you new potatoes at Christmas. These prepared tubers can be planted now in a frost free greenhouse or in containers that can be moved under cover once it gets cold. They will take about 12 weeks from planting to cropping.

As growth slows, clip evergreen box and yew balls and hedges.

Choose a dry day to reduce spore spread. Box blight is on the increase - remember that this is a fungus, so ensure that there is good air circulation around the plants. This is key in blight prevention. The fungus also appreciates tight clipping, so this year my box plants will be left to grow looser with a few inner branches being removed. I’m also taking out surrounding plants to within 20in (50cm) of the box and applying a systemic fungicide.

As for anything else, relax and enjoy the garden... you know you’ve earned it!

Lastly, if you want to further your knowledge and understanding of these or other gardening jobs, do consider one of the following courses at Writtle University College: For RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture (1 year, day release on Thursdays), RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Plant Growth, Propagation & Development (September - February on Thursdays), RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Garden Planning, Establishment and Maintenance and for RHS Level 2 and 3 Certificates in Practical Horticulture, email tom. cole@writtle.ac.uk for information on availability of days and times.

If you’ve got more time we also offer full time Level 2 & 3 programmes plus apprenticeships.

20% Discount when you mention The City Times

If you’d like a shorter programme for say 1 or 2 days, then give our Short Courses a call. We’ve got courses on construction (erecting fences, paving and brickwork), general garden tasks such as pruning, propagation, pruning, container gardening, successful care of lawns and growing fruit and veg. For the professional there is a whole load of competence certificates covering arboriculture, pesticide application and use of various machinery and equipment.

Happy Gardening and take care in the heat of the sun!

For any gardening tips contact Tom Cole, Horticultural Lecturer, Writtle College, Chelmsford, CM1 3RR by post (including a SAE) or by email at tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk.

Page 8 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

CT Food: Moorish Mango Salsa - by John Jacobs

My goodness, in the words of the wicked with of the East: “I’m melting...”

You’d think that hailing from a small island in the Mediterranean I’d be used to the blazing sun. In fairness, when it gets to these kind of temperatures Cyprus shuts down for a nap. Can’t do that here.

Unless of course you work for Southern Rail. The newspapers are running out of superlatives. Also, have you noticed the difficulty in buying carbonated drinks? Apparently, we’re also running out of CO2.

Snow in winter and now sunshine in the summer, what in the name of George Michael is going on?

The barbecues are at full pelt. Early evening in the city is like Dickensian Whitechapel sans the brutality. Back to the point. I have a book coming out in November but I’m not going to shamelessly mention that here, as much like a gluten free vegan brownie - it would be distasteful. It’s called Snow Goose. It’s a thriller.

• • • • • • • •

1 complete iceberg lettuce or 2 little gems shredded thinly.

2 just ripe mangos, chopped.

2 firm tomatoes, deseeded and diced.

1 red onion thinly sliced. ½ cucumber deseeded and sliced.

Handful of fresh parsley and coriander roughly chopped.

1 teaspoon nigella seeds.

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar.

Method Place the chopped mango into a bowl with the white wine vinegar and leave for 5 minutes. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.

Told you it was easy...

I’ve discovered the art of the 3-minute chutney. A mixture of colours textures and flavours designed for the less patient and dare I say, lazier gourmet. I am that person. Picture this though, you’re having a barbecue. You invited all your friends over to barbie basecamp to marvel at your grilling prowess, none of whom really care.

Nevertheless, you’re going to give it the full Marco. Your profound lack of imagination has limited the guest choices to two things - burgers and sausages. If they’re lucky, some drumsticks you’ve marinated for at least twenty minutes in a glue like substance you got for Christmas that went out of date sometime around the Falklands Crisis.

You lay your wares on the fold up table only to realise that the entire menu is a sea of beige and random animal body parts that you’re about to cremate into dust. Where’s the colour eh? What happened to that old chestnut about feasting with the eyes? Gone, that’s where.

In an ash cloud of sausage meat and perspiration. What will the vegetarians do? What will the paramedics say when they’re racing you to the burns unit? Lazy. That’s what. It’s incumbent on us to at least look as if we’ve made the effort, so here is my gift to you: This is the marvellous micro-minute mango salsa.

Apart from looking the business, it’s almost calorie free, only takes moments to prepare and tastes fab with unidentifiable carbonised meat. There’s also something called nigella seeds. I really had to reign in the deeply offensive funnies that jumped into my head for that name. They taste like a mixture of onion, black pepper and dried oregano. To all our bearded, man bun sporting millennials, you’re welcome.

Bon appetite readers. Have a great month.

Moorish Mango Salsa (For Four) Page 10 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

WW1 Centenary

To mark the centenary of the end of WW1, Chelmsford Quakers are hosting a free, public exhibition of humanitarian relief initiatives by Quakers in both war and peace. This will be at The Quaker Meeting House, Rainsford Road, CM1 2QL, from midday-5pm over the weekend of 14th-16th September.

Two separate displays will highlight national and local initiatives.

Craft materials will be available to make white poppies, the symbol of grief for all people who have suffered in conflict, both armed forces and civilians.

These can be added to a national art installation which will be displayed in London on Armistice Day. Refreshments will also be provided.

More information can be found at www. midessexquakers.org.uk.

Snow Goose - a Novel by John Jacobs On the release of his first novel, we quick fired some questions to City Times feature writer John Jacobs about his forthcoming book and writing for TV. Snow Goose is the first of three books called the August Hood Trilogy; what’s it about?

“It’s about four hundred pages. You won’t believe how many crayons I got through.”

You just wasted a question. Seriously?

“Understood. It begins with the kidnap of an academic neurobiologist researching a cure for degenerative brain diseases.

A government employee subsequently discovers a covert programme of human experimentation by security services post 911. We then unravel large scale corruption across the globe and political collusion with organised crime. I kept the narrative moving quickly with numerous twists, the odd assassin and a lead protagonist who could beat up Jason Bourne, Jack Reacher and James Bond with just his left nipple.

Alarmingly, the research I did suggests this isn’t entirely fictional. but I’ll let the reader decide...”

Sounds exciting. You’ve been writing for The City Times for five years now, I hope you’re not now expecting to get paid?

“I wouldn’t presume, but I do mention you chaps in the acknowledgments for giving me a forum to find a writing style that I like.”

Your London offices sit next door to the MI6 building at Vauxhall Cross. Did this inspire you and have they rebuilt it since it was Blown up in Skyfall?

“Ha! I’m sure it did. The other great thing about being so close to the Secret Intelligence Service and their high level communications security is that none of our mobile phones work which is joyous.

I’m fortunate to have a friend who worked in this field for many years and was able to get real insight. I did have a scary moment when deeper research caused all my IT to black out at the same time. I genuinely thought I was going to be raided by antiterrorist police!”

What made you cross into novels?

“I was approached to write a TV series called LAWCatz which reminded me how much I enjoyed the process, so I decided to squeeze into my writing bikini and dive in. It’s been a welcome distraction. We’re hoping LAWCatz makes in onto the screen shortly.”

Will you give up the day job?

“I’m lucky. I work for a great organisation called Rethink Mental Illness. They introduced me to the concept of loving my job. I was a solicitor for years specialising in negligence, yet rarely met my clients.

Now I see the difference our work makes to people’s lives. While that keeps happening and while they still want me, I’ll keep my day job. Unless of course Harper Collins gives me a six figure advance - then you won’t see me for the Aston Martin shaped hole in the ether...”

When will Snow Goose be released?

“It’ll be available from Amazon and as a download on Kindle from 1st November.”

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 11

What’s on in the Area

August Friday 17th Bassment - 3 Foot High (single release) + Litter Of Kings + Lost Revelation + Shooting Gal The Golden Fleece - Adrenaline Hylands Park - Rise Festival Saturday 18th Acanteen - The Ted Beament Jazz Trio Bassment - Saturday’s Alright For Dancin’ CCFC (away) - Hampton & Richmond Borough v Chelmsford City FC The Golden Fleece - Acoustic Sessions (3.30pm) - Mushroom Clown (9.30pm) Hylands Park - RiZE Festival United Brethren - Booga Red Sunday 19th Star & Garter - Open mic/jam The Two Brewers - Louise Parker + Rachel Brooks United Brethren - Sunday Sessions: Connor Selby (3pm) Tuesday 21st Boreham Village Hall - Ballroom and Latin American Dance (classes for beginners & improvers - www.danceasy.co.uk) Wednesday 22nd The Chichester Hotel, Rawreth - Belvedere Jazz & Music Club: Ben Holder Quartet (violin/piano) Thursday 23rd Bassment - Acoustic with Connor Selby & Saiichi Sugiyama The Golden Fleece - Quiz night Lion Inn, Boreham - Comedy Club show Friday 24th Bassment - Mercury Rising EP Launch: Spyder Byte + Jack Browning Cathedral - Lunchtime Concert The Golden Fleece - The Sidekicks + Scooby + silent disco Hyde Hall - Contemporary Craft & Design Fair United Brethren - Dave Ferra Allstars Saturday 25th Bassment - Shakster Records: special guest TBA + Grandma’s Waffle Velocity + Sauce Audio + Buddy Lee Dickens CCFC (home) - Chelmsford City FC v Bath City Central Park - Cheesefest Chelmsford City Racecourse - Help for Heroes Family Fun Day The Golden Fleece - Joe Henderson Jazz Band + Skamite + Silent Disco Hyde Hall - Contemporary Craft & Design Fair United Brethren - Spencer Taylor + Andy Twyman + Paolo Morena + Jamie Williams Collective + Ash Mandrake + Jolene Missing + Big Joe Bone + Playlister Sunday 26th Bassment - The Fellowship with Guthrie Govan, followed by indie disco ‘til 4am + silent disco outside The Golden Fleece - The Heaters + Grizzly Bears + silent disco Hyde Hall - Contemporary Craft & Design Fair Star & Garter - Open mic/jam The Two Brewers - Pet Needs + Rachel Brooks + Adam Nichols Star & Garter - Vibes Factory Page 12

Sunday 26th (continued...)

United Brethren - DJ all dayer Monday 27th CCFC (away) - Hemel Hempstead Town v Chelmsford City FC Hyde Hall - Contemporary Craft & Design Fair United Brethren - Denny Newman Tuesday 28th Cramphorn - Journey’s End (12A) Hylands Park - The Tempest Wednesday 29th The Chichester Hotel, Rawreth - Belvedere Jazz & Music Club: Swing Time! Andrew Linham Big Band + Mark Stratford Thursday 30th Bassment - Peace Productions: Mandeville + The Drama Llamas + Wasabi P The Golden Fleece - Quiz Friday 31st Acanteen - Andy Gangadeen & the Jazz Physicians Bassment - Rubber Soul - Jerry Dammers (The Specials) DJ set Cathedral - Lunchtime concert The Golden Fleece - Sons of Southpaw The Viaduct - A Night of Comedy

September Saturday 1st Alehouse - Chelmsford Record Fair Bassment - The Crazy Eights, 10 year anniversary gig CCFC (home) - Chelmsford City FC v Slough Town Chelmsford City Racecourse - Hacienda Classical Concert The Golden Fleece - Head New Hall Vineyard - Wine Festival United Brethren - Andy Twyman Sunday 2nd ACanteen - A Comedy Club Hylands House - Open Day New Hall Vineyard - Wine Festival United Brethren - Sunday Sessions: Joe Anderton (4.30pm) Woolpack - GC’s Jazz Club: with vocalist Paul Wood & Graeme Culham Trio (8pm, free admission) Tuesday 4th Boreham Village Hall - Ballroom and Latin American Dance (classes for beginners & improvers - www.danceasy.co.uk) Cramphorn - Pandora’s Box (PG) Wednesday 5th The Chichester Hotel, Rawreth - Belvedere Jazz & Music Club: Paul Wood All Stars Thursday 6th Bassment - Bassment Blues Jam Cramphorn - Women 100: The Gold Diggers (U) The Golden Fleece - Quiz Heritage Open Days (visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk) Friday 7th Bassment - Shakey’s Sessions: Lemoncurd Kids + Harry Gardiner + Katy Forkings Cathedral - Lunchtime concert

Please note, all events are subject to change. Please visit the relevant websites or Facebook pages for more details

Friday 7th (continued...)

Civic - Woman on Fire The Golden Fleece - Expose Heritage Open Days (visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk) The Two Brewers - The Lemon Curd Kids + Harry Gardner + Katy Forkings Saturday 8th Bassment - Emjay Sessions: Sunscreem + Indigo Face CCFC (home) - Chelmsford City FC v Welling United The Field at Moulsham Mill - Street Eats ‘n’ Beats Festival The Golden Fleece - Ultimate 80s Heritage Open Days (visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk) United Brethren - Belinda & the Beltrons Sunday 9th Heritage Open Days (visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk) Star & Garter - Open mic/jam United Brethren - Sunday Sessions: Jamie & Nick (4.30pm) Tuesday 11th Boreham Village Hall - Ballroom and Latin American Dance (classes for beginners & improvers - www.danceasy.co.uk) Wednesday 12th The Chichester Hotel, Rawreth - Belvedere Jazz & Music Club: Ray Gelato & The Giants (tickets £17.50) Cramphorn - The Merry Wives of Windsor Thursday 13th Bassment - Jazz Funk with Orphy Robinson (on vibes) Civic - Rock and Roll Revolution Cramphorn - La Bohéme The Golden Fleece - Quiz night Heritage Open Days (visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk)

Friday 14th Bassment - Glue Men + Rubber Jaw + Scott Lavene + The Witch Kids Civic - Lucy Worsley - Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother and Widow The Golden Fleece - The Hit Parade Heritage Open Days (visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk) United Brethren - Paolo Morena Saturday 15th Bassment - Oh Maddie (vinyl single launch) CCFC (away) - Wealdstone v Chelmsford City FC Civic - Johnny Cash Roadshow Essex County Cricket Club - Rat Pack Tribute Night The Golden Fleece - 6 String Makeover Heritage Open Days (visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk) United Brethren - Medicine Sunday 16th Cramphorn - The DaSilva Marionette Circus Troupe Greenwoods, Billericay - Health & Wellbeing Festival Heritage Open Days (visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk) Star & Garter - Open mic/jam United Brethren - Sunday Sessions: JB & Brown (4.30pm)

Pass Grade 5 Theory of Music Classes Saturday 9am - 10am (limited places) Chelmsford based small classes/primary & secondary school pupils welcome Naomi Poole BA (mus perf ) PGCE naomipoole@gmail.com www.bluecello.co.uk

Saturday 8th September 2018 Sees the Return of Street Eats ‘n’ Beats This boutique festival is now in its fourth year and offers locals the opportunity to eat, drink and dance from 12noon until 9pm at Moulsham Mill in Chelmsford.

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This year the bar has been set even higher by adding not only more street food trucks and boutique bars than ever before, but also by introducing a separate Tropical Soul area with Caribbean food, a rum bar and reggae DJ. The main DJ stage will be bigger in size allowing dancers to be up alongside this year’s percussionists, the bongo player, violinist, flautist and saxophonist!

New additions to this year’s food traders include The JunkYard Smoke Bloke who serves American BBQ food from a quirky junkyard trailer, Fig & Rye who will delight you with their vegan treats and Wild in Spirit who offer exotic burgers such as ostrich, zebra and kangaroo.

Warm Heart serve soothing hearty stews, The Crabshack, a concept commonly found on the West Coast of America, will have an outstanding selection of seafood - and you’d be ‘quackers’ to miss The Duck Truck or Greek Expectations!

The Gin Truck, which offers 150 rare gins, was previously used as a chicken shed in France until this 1967 Citroën H Van was converted into an immaculately presented mobile bar.

Tickets are now on sale from www.streeteatsnbeats.com priced at £5 for a child, £10 an adult, under 5s are free and a family ticket is available for £25.

Please send us your events for the next edition (for events between 17th August - 16th September) to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

Ct Business - Wonderful Wonderful Chelmsford (Not Copenhagen) - by Lindsay Whitehouse This feature is all about business. So why am I talking about charities and volunteering?

Volunteering; that’s just for old people, right?

Wrong! Charities; well they are not proper businesses are they? Wrong again!

Chelmsford CVS - Centre for Supporting Voluntary Action, to give its full title - is a huge influence for good in the life of our wonderful city.

They are a registered charity and company who provide essential services across a number of areas.

The Chief Executive of CVS is Lorraine Jarvis. She is proud of her Northern roots, but has lived and worked in Chelmsford for over 20 years now. All of her team live locally, so they have a personal investment in the work of the office.

A major area of work is in providing business advice and support for all charities. This includes getting to grips with all the nuances of charity law. The CVS will provide an organisational health check, agree priority action areas, help sort out banking facilities, insurance, and protection of data. They provide trustee training, safeguarding guidance, help in fund raising, help promote charitable events, develop volunteer opportunities, engage positive promotion of health and social inclusion.

Another area of specialism is around volunteering. Do you remember a time when you really pushed the boat out to buy something special for a loved one? Can you remember how good you felt at seeing how happy that person was? Well, that’s the feeling that being a volunteer gives you.

Volunteers gain as much as they give. Volunteers come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. The number of projects for volunteers in the city cover just about every conceivable activity. I quizzed the volunteer coordinator, Sally Medd, about my perception that volunteers were all of my generation. Whilst many are, she told me about the great opportunities for young people to volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to gain work related experience and to prepare for the job market. Many younger people develop self confidence and communication skills through volunteering. Some want to use their long summer holidays usefully, whilst others may just want to give a little back to the community. Young volunteers are guaranteed to make new friends, will enjoy being kept busy, and they will genuinely gain huge self esteem from helping others.

Sally told me that as Chelmsford is now promoting more and more festivals and entertainment events, there is always a need for volunteers. So volunteering can just be for a single event on a single day.

If you are a business, charity, or any type of organisation that needs volunteers, contact the centre through their website, www. chelmsfordcvs.org.uk. The centre will talk to potential volunteers and help signpost them into a project that best suits their skills. If you are a volunteer, contact Sally - do it now!

Another really innovative initiative that CVS promotes is Connect Well.

This is a project that literally connects people with trained social

prescribing champions. Now what is a social prescriber? I asked the coordinator, Sian Brand. She told me that they are people who will meet others on a 1-to-1 basis to help them achieve better physical and mental health and well-being. This is achieved by referring them to all kinds of social engagement and physical activities. The service is funded by the NHS so is currently free to all who use it.

If someone is struggling due to bereavement, separation, or caring responsibilities and it is affecting their work, then Connect Well could help. You can refer yourself, or an employer could encourage staff to refer. Go to connectwellessex.org.uk.

Another variation on the volunteering theme is Timebank and the coordinator is Sandra Marsden. In a nutshell, you can volunteer some of your time to deliver a particular skill or service and bank that time. In the future, if you need it, you or your organisation could ask for a service to be given back to you. I love this idea and this scheme is great for small organisations and individuals. You could offer a meeting room for free in return for a refreshment provider, or a bit of cleaning or tidying - the potential is huge. Email timebank@ chelmsfordcvs.org.uk to set the ball rolling.

The final strand to CVS work involves businesses - Peter Brooks helps businesses develop relationships with charities. Some really big businesses are involved, including Marks and Spencer and QBE, but there is room for small businesses too. Many businesses want and need volunteers and also have an ethical mission to support charities. For example, the Marks and Spencer visual display team delivered training, free of charge, to all high street charity shops to help them present much more professionally and maximise visual impact. That type of work adds value to the whole community and makes our city centre a nicer place to be. Hats off to Marks and Spencer for making this happen.

The whole team want to highlight a current project, Men’s Shed. This is a scheme designed to combat loneliness, isolation and boredom for men. Guys, this scheme is tailor made for us - give it a go, call or email CVS. Chelmsford City Council and Essex County Council provide funding to enable the CVS to exist, but Lorraine and her team still have to work hard to raise more funds. CVS help deliver services, community cohesion and integration with a value far in excess of the money they receive.

CVS is a classic case study of business networking at its finest.

Everything they do is wrapped around good relationships and customer service. Business is tough right now with lots of competition, for a business to succeed it must find out what its customers need and want, and then ensure they deliver to customer expectations. This is a great reminder of what is really important for all my students.

Whether you are a business, charity, a volunteer, young or old, there is something for you at the CVS in Coval Lane. If you are not tech savvy, just call them 01245 250 731, it is a call you will not regret making.

I think our city is a wonderful place to live and the people of Chelmsford make it so, CVS helps them to do it, but your city needs you! www.chelmsfordcvs.org.uk info@chelmsfordcvs.org.uk

I.P ES LE V. BL AB TAAIL AV

ADMIRALS PARK

a new festival is coming to chelmsford a day full of the finest PROSECCO & gin cocktails, wine ITALIAN STREET FOOD live music & djs sp + special guests

( DJ S E T )

(MEET & GREET)

www. i l ove p ro s e cco fe st i va l .co m

Prosecco, Gin & Dance - Saturday 29th September BBC Radio One DJ and TV host Scott Mills will be joining the Prosecco, Gin & Dance Saturday afternoon session to supply you all with those classic floor fillers, which will keep the Prosecco flowing and those feet on the dance floor!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Prosecco-Gin-DanceChelmsford-455721734850176

Very talented live musicians will also be performing, as we listen to some of the finest jazz and swing music!

So what are you waiting for?! Buy your tickets today and join us in counting down to what’s set to be one of the best events to come to Chelmsford this year!

The event is set to take place on Saturday 29th September and will run from midday-11pm.

To view our magazines online visit www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

Sessions Saturday 29th September: midday-5pm Saturday 29th September: 6pm-11pm Sign up now for priority access to both standard tickets and VIP tables.

Event Information Saturday 29th September Afternoon Session: midday-5pm Evening Session: 6pm-11pm

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Where: Admirals Park, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 2PL. Website: www.iloveproseccofestival.com

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01245 863 863

sales@eventsoundandlight.com www.eventsoundandlight.com

Page 15

Hairy Monster - Random Thoughts Well that World Cup malarkey was lots of fun wasn’t it! It was certainly a great distraction from the dreary nonsense of Brexit, the heatwave and the seemingly endless sparring of Trump, Putin and Kim Kong. Am I the only person to switch breakfast television on every morning with fingers crossed that one of them hasn’t pressed the ‘nuke’ button because one of the others has sniped about his wig, his haircut or his macho posing? Or are my fears unfounded and these guys are some of the greatest politicians in history? Answers on a postcard to Viz comic please.

What I like about the broadsheet press is that they don’t sink to the sensationalist nonsense that the tabloids thrive on. It was therefore quite a shock when I saw The Independent headline that eating chips twice a week will double your chance of death. If I’d seen this in The Sun, The Mirror or The Star I would have laughed it off. But The Independent! It must be true. The Internet is awash with video clips of people escaping seemingly impossible situations like almost meeting one’s maker by driving onto a level crossing in front of a speeding train, walking in front of a building in imminent danger of collapse, or opening the door to the Jehovah’s Witnesses. But very few vids of

people eating a second portion of chips. The Independent’s headline was certainly an eye-opener for me as I looked back on how many Saturday nights I must have been close to an untimely death (not so untimely now as I’m definitely into injury time at my age).

Then I read a little further into the article. It seems there are other factors involved in ‘death by chips’. Someone who is morbidly obese, diabetic, has high blood pressure, drinks alcohol to excess and never exercises could be at risk of death if they eat large quantities of fatty foods. The clear alternative is to develop a good work/life balance, eat healthy food, drink alcohol in moderation, exercise regularly and get crushed to death by a falling building when you’re out jogging.

I’ve lived in Chelmsford (on and off) since the early seventies and I can still remember long queues on all the approaches to the Army and Navy roundabout as if it were yesterday. Oh hang on, it was yesterday. What is it about Chelmsford’s road system that our planners are still unable to come to terms with? That nonsensical road widening between Chelmer Retail Park and the Army and Navy still baffles me. Two lanes southbound and one lane north. Is the expectation that half the drivers heading for the town (city) centre will fail to return or did the planners simply run out of money or imagination? Surely our council tax could have been better spent on replacing the obsolete and ‘cancerous’ Army and Navy flyover with a permanent two-way structure or, even better, an underpass. And while I’m having a whinge, I’ve noticed there are several gyratory systems with confusing or non-existent lane markings. Drivers drifting from lane to lane usually suggests they are distracted by their mobile phone, they are intoxicated or, if they are from Norfolk, they’ve seen one of those new-fangled flying machines in the sky. However, in Chelmsford, they are more likely to be bewildered by a lack of signage and lane markings. Whinge number two - can pedestrians please note that Duke Street and Market Road are not pedestrianised and those raised sections are trafficcalming measures, not crossing places and vehicles have right of way? The footfall between Chelmsford Retail Market and County Hall warrants a crossing before some unwary pedestrian becomes the next headline of the Essex Chronicle.

I somehow managed to twist my ankle last weekend and rather than waste valuable NHS resources by visiting my GP or Broomfield Hospital, I carried out a self examination. Nothing broken so it was down to the acronym ‘RICE’ which I vaguely recalled from my first aid training as a boy scout. Luckily I had three of the four items at home. Red wine, Ice cream and Chocolate but I had to order the Egg fried rice, pancake rolls and chips from the local Chinese takeaway.

The following day I felt fine. It appears there is another interpretation of ‘RICE’ which involves Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation, but I’m not really into that homeopathic nonsense so I’ll stick with the old traditional treatments, thank you very much.

Relax and Unwind on Our New Retreats

At Hummingbird Pilates & Yoga we’re excited to launch our new half day yoga retreats. Our first retreat is on 16th September 2018 and will give you the opportunity to relax and unwind. We’ve designed a retreat based on one that we’d love to attend and hope that you’ll join us to enjoy a wonderful afternoon of Vinyasa Flow, Restorative/Yin yoga and relaxation.

Benefit from rest and relaxation between classes, enjoy fresh juices, herbal teas, organic fruits and delicious raw, organic snacks. Use this time to read the book you’ve been longing to start, flick through some yoga magazines or meditate in our gorgeous relaxation room.

Enhance your retreat experience by adding a Thai yoga massage, Indian head massage or holistic massage for the ultimate in relaxation. Your retreat will draw to a close with a guided meditation and relaxation session, leaving you deeply relaxed.

lower back, legs or feet. Our practice will work on balancing out and releasing blockages in your root chakra so that you are able to feel more grounded, stable, safe and confident: “When the energy of the root chakra is flowing well, you feel grounded, yet free as a bird.”

Our September retreat will be based on Muladhara chakra - the root chakra. You’ll learn about its properties and how to bring it into balance. We’ll give you a short sequence of yoga poses to practice at home and a copy of the guided meditation used at the end of the retreat.

LEGO has a temperature controlled underground vault in Denmark with nearly every set they’ve ever made.

Root Chakra - Find Your Balance This energy centre is associated with your root issues, such as your sense of security, satisfying your basic needs, relationships and how at home you feel in your body and on this planet. If there is an imbalance or blockage in the energy centre of the root chakra, you might find that you are constantly bouncing from one thing to the next, which can lead to stress, anxiety and exhaustion. On the flip side an imbalance can result in a feeling of lethargy and being stuck. Physical imbalances may manifest as problems with the colon,

Please join us and book in online at www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk.

Select the workshop tab and then scroll down to find the retreat or give us a ring on 01245 422 556 and we’ll be happy to help. We look forward to welcoming you there.

Mandy Haynes and Ellie Searle

CT FACTS (sourced from the interent)

To Hang Ten in surfing means to have all ten toes over the edge of the board when riding a wave!

The slowest speed information passes around your brain is approximately 260mph.

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Page 17

Wildlife Corner - by Nick Green July proved to be a scorcher and weather phenomenon! The weather was not just better than the amazing summer of 1976, it was the best since records began 55 years ago (BBC). Mercifully there was some heavy rain showers towards the end of the month to relieve the 30C plus temperatures The yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava favissima) is a common summer visitor and passage migrant. But the species has a UK conservation status of ‘Red’ as it is globally threatened; there is a historical population decline in the UK during 1800-1995 (especially since the 1920s), a severe (at least 50%) decline in UK breeding population over the last 25 years. Continued loss of suitable breeding habitat through agriculture and loss of cattle herds are a real threat, though set aside habitat may help the species.

passage begins in late summer as juveniles disperse from breeding areas and peaks in late August and September Essex selected wildlife highlights: Insect life at last benefited from the hot weather and butterfly news was encouraging with purple emperors (featured in June 2018 magazine), silver-washed fritillary and white admirals recorded in new areas. Southern migrant hawker dragonflies too seemed to be spreading northwards from their southern strongholds.

Abberton Reservoir: great white egret, wood sandpiper.

Other migrant waders returning from the Arctic included spotted redshank, curlew sandpiper plus black terns from the continent.

National selected highlights: Yorkshire; greater sand plover at Easington. Sheffield; Audouin’s gull. A sooty tern wandered from the Farne Islands in Northumberland to Aberdeenshire. Cornwall; seawatching produced a Trinadade petrel from Porthgwarra. St Kilda; snowy owl.

Chelmsford Library News After a glorious hot summer and with a new season approaching, come and discover what is on offer at your local library.

To start things off we have Caroline Mitchell, a former police detective who originates from Ireland and now lives with her family in a village on the coast of Essex. Caroline writes psychological and crime thrillers. Most recently Silent Victim reached number 1 in the Amazon charts in the UK, USA and Australia.

Male yellow wagtail (copyright: Glyn Evans) In Essex, the yellow wagtail is associated with open farmland, mostly damp grassland and the seawall/borrowdyke zone. This species winters in Africa and is one of the earliest returning migrants in spring from late March - males usually preceding females. Autumn

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Want to find out more? Come along to Chelmsford Library on Thursday 13th September between 7-8pm. Tickets are £4.00 and refreshments will be available.

How about something different? Chelmsford Library is holding its first Drag Queen Story Time with Bunny Galore, an International phenomenon! This will be On Wednesday 26th September from 2-2.45pm in our sparkling new children’s library. There will be a mix of stories, songs and rhymes Drag Queen Story Times originate in New York where they are recognised as a way of celebrating individuality and as a new way to experience literature. They are also hilarious and familyfriendly. Children and grownups can create their own fabulous crown to take home and a selfie with Bunny is a must. Family tickets available at £7 (2 adults and up to 3 children).

Celebrating 20 precious years of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency without Alexander McCall Smith on Thursday 27th September from 7-8.30pm. An entertaining evening with quizzes videos and a Q&A session. Tickets £4.

On Thursday 4th October as part of The Essex Poetry Festival, Derek Adams and Alex Toms read and talk about their poetry.

Tickets £6.

Book online for all the events above at libraries.essex.gov.uk/ events.

Screen on the Green is Writtle’s very own not-for-profit community cinema operating out of Writtle Library.

September’s film is 12 Angry Men being screened on 6th September. Doors open at 7pm and show time is at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £5 and are available in advance at www. goldengiving.com/wall/screen-onthegreen, or directly from Writtle Library. Toilets not DDA compliant.

For more information on any of these events, contact Essex Libraries on 0345 603 7628, please visit libraries.essex.gov.uk, or follow and ‘like’ us on our new Chelmsford Library Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ ChelmsfordCentralLibrary.

Page 18

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Page 19

Therapy - by Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Wow, this weather is hot hot hot! So many of us are probably having trouble sleeping, right? Hypnotherapy can help with lots of things and we seem to be attracting more clients interested in hypnosis recently.

Combining these two together, Chelmsford Therapy Rooms therapist Anna Yardley has written this article to try and help us all out... (Jenny Hartill)

6 Tips from a Hypnotherapist on How to Sleep Soundly You lie in bed, trying to go to sleep and your mind races. You are desperately trying to stop thinking about your plans and to-do list, you worry about the future, reflect on the past with resentment… the more you try to push these thoughts away the more frustrated and anxious you become… You repeat in your mind: ‘I can sleep, I need to go to sleep, I will be exhausted tomorrow…’ But you still are awake! So you reach for your phone, try to read something, a book, some news… you switch on the radio… You are doing so much to try to go to sleep and you still can’t sleep!

Sleep is not about doing, it’s about not doing - just sleeping.

Somehow you lost this natural ability to drift into this pleasant state easily. Because it is natural and you need to relearn how to do that: simply let go and sleep.

There are different ways in which people experience sleep problems - some people find it difficult to go to sleep, other wake up during the night or early in the morning and can’t go back to sleep and some have mixture of both, and some never feel rested, even after an 8 hour sleep.

In other words we’re chronically sleep deprived, and this lack of sleep limits the body’s ability to repair and restore itself. We don’t perform well if we are not rested. We can’t focus, we feel overwhelmed and can’t enjoy our life.

Sleep is nature’s medicine and in fact poor sleep affects our quality of life. Here you will find 6 tips which will help you drift to sleep easily: 1. Notice your self-talk, your internal voice. Observe it without judging or pushing away. What is your internal voice is saying when you are trying to sleep? There might be very valuable information hidden!

2. Reduce your general life pressure and worries. Learn to say no to taking more responsibilities than you are able to cope with.

Recognise what is really important to you. Allow space and time for yourself. You are important!

3. Create a safe place in your mind. A safe place is a very important part of a hypnotherapy session. Everyone has a different place, where they feel comfortable and calm. It’s unique and related to special memories and moments in life. During relaxation or just before going to sleep you can imagine yourself being there, resting and clearing your mind.

spreading around you, and let yourself drift again.

This exercise is so powerful that even just by reading it I feel sleepy!

5. Listen to a hypnotherapy recording before going to sleep you can purchase them online on various websites. I always give a personalised recording to my clients as a part of their hypnotherapy programme.

6. Let go of perfectionism. Be kind to yourself, not critical. Don’t assume that you should sleep soundly every single night, everyone from time to time has a sleepless night. It is important not to hold on to it. Recognise what could be the cause and eliminate it if possible. Keep your bedtime routine, settle down, listen to a hypnotherapy recording and have some rest you deserve. Focus on positives instead of looking for faults. Don’t put additional pressure on yourself.

A hypnotherapy programme designed for sleep difficulties helps you to relax your body and your mind - hypnotherapy helps you to relieve tension from your body, slows your breathing down. It helps you to achieve the feeling of heaviness in your body. The hypnotic state is just like meditation a state of heightened awareness, it helps you to notice your thoughts and disconnect from them, as this is your choice. Sleep and fall into a deep sleep - a hypnotic state is a state between being awake and being asleep. You are still aware of your surroundings but the transition to sleep is natural. Once you are relaxed, simple suggestions will help you drift to sleep easily. If there is a root cause, hypnotherapy will help you to discover it, understand what keeps you awake and help you to solve it.

Hypnotherapy might help you relax and if necessary to deal with the possible causes of your sleep problems.

If you feel that sleeplessness affects quality of your life, call Anna for a free phone consultation or email her to find out how she can help you. Anna Yardley is a therapist at Chelmsford Therapy Rooms who can help with a multitude of issues. Please see our therapists list on the the website www.chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or you can email info@chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or call 0330 100 5162 to enquire about an initial consultation.

Alternatively, Anna’s own company website is www. justimaginetherapy.com, her email is info@justimaginetherapy.com and her telephone number is 07449 430 340.

4. Practice being drowsy!

An exercise from Paul McKenna: • Remember a time when you felt very tired and remember how your body felt.

• Now, keeping that feeling, imagine you are surrounded by some of your friends who are all just as tired as you.

• As you look around notice that one of them yawns. Watch them yawn. Then another one yawns.

• As more people begin to yawn, notice how you feel and notice that some people are having difficulty keeping their eyes open.

• And let yourself join in the yawning.

• Notice whether your eyes want to close and even if your eyes are already closed, imagine them closing again, imagine them flickering then closing again, over and over again.

• Yawn again and notice where you feel the yawn - in your throat or jaw - and let your mind drift, and every time you find yourself drifting back again, just look around again at the circle of tired, yawning people.

• As you yawn more and more, notice a warm, blue feeling Page 20

CT FACTS (Taken from the internet) When Gene Wilder accepted the role of Willy Wonka, he had one condition: In his first appearance, Wilder wanted Wonka to limp toward the crowd with a cane in hand before falling into a perfect somersault and jumping back up. The reason?

“Because from that time on, no one will know if I’m lying or telling the truth.”

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Back Pain - by the Chelmsford Private Hospital good advantage can get you onto the road to recovery.

Everyone is different, this is the difficulty with getting evidence from clinical trials, especially with something as complicated as low back pain. However, what we do know is that repeated steroid injections for low back pain is not a good idea - though that doesn’t mean that a one-off is a bad idea!

If you have sciatica or leg pain from a bad back with nerve root compression, then a steroid injection is nearly always worth considering as these problems are often time limited and will get better before the need for the dreaded knife!

Current Controversies There has been a lot of press recently about a recent paper in the Lancet regarding evidence behind the treatment of low back pain. I thought I could use this forum to share my views.

Can You Cure Back Pain?

I always say to people you never cure a back you manage it. To a certain extent every episode of back pain is exactly that, just an episode in a lifetime. The important thing is to reduce the frequency of episodes and the intensity of them when they arrive.

The one thing that we do know is that keeping active definitely helps.

If you have pain it is difficult to be active, the things that help are: heat, TENS stretching, sometimes drugs and sometimes injections.

Surgery is rarely effective for back pain, in fact, unless you have a significant structural impairment it usually makes it worse!

Heat and TENS These work through neuromodulation; this is the same principle that makes you rub your funny bone when you bump it, it stimulated different neural pathways in the spinal cord and brain over ruling the pain pathway, this is a good thing!

Non steroid Injections These are diagnostic. We use these to find the source of the pain, and they are very specific in their use and tend to be performed by specialised pain consultants. Often if these are successful they can be used to treat the source of the pain in a more permanent way.

MRI Scans An MRI scan will not tell you where the pain is coming from. It can however be a very useful part of the diagnostic process. The information it provides needs to be taken in context; always get your referrer to go through the MRI images with you - if they won’t, then you might want to consider seeing another consultant.

In Conclusion Keep active, don’t worry, if you take drugs don’t do it for long, find an expert to help you stretch well and if all this fails, book an appointment to see me.

Article written by Dr Mark Alexander-Williams, Pain Consultant. He holds clinics at The Chelmsford Private Hospital on Friday mornings.

For more information see the website www.thechelmsford.co.uk or call 01245 253 760.

Stretching: Most back pain comes from the muscles, these tighten up and the more they tighten the worse the pain gets, this often becomes a vicious cycle. It is often difficult to stretch properly and most people require some expert guidance from a physiotherapist.

Drugs Anti-inflammatory medications work, but they’re not a good idea in prolonged use. The drugs can help you move for a month or so and you have to take full advantage of them and do more moving and exercise, after this period of time they become a lot less effective.

Injections We do two sorts of injections for back pain, the steroid ones are the contentious ones!

Steroid Injections These either go into a joint or around nerves. Into a joint can buy you a couple of months and with an acute episode, as long as you take

September/October Issue Deadlines: Artwork - 6th September Articles - 29th August www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Page 21

P***** and Confused raises £500 for Essex Charity CHARMS In 2018 Chelmsford’s local Bike Club, P***** and Confused, held its Annual Rally on behalf of the Registered Charity CHARMS The Essex Therapy Centre.

The event, which this year took place during the weekend beginning 23rd June, is always activity packed. Bikers escape routine lifestyles, free to explore English countryside. Bikes with up to 2.3 litres engine capacity ridden in convoy, leave a glorious deep throaty impression.

earth stations, Ken is CHARMS’ Lead Engineer (volunteer) for its Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers.

Also present are P***** and Confused’s founder/Chair and Treasurer/Secretary, and CHARMS’ Hyperbaric Oxygen Supervisor and Neurological Counsellor. Until her retirement in January 2018 CHARMS’ Counsellor was its Manager, Judith Wright.

Established in 1984, now with the Medical Research Council as its landlord and backed by a presidential team comprising NHS Medical consultants, including its Honorary Consultant in Hyperbaric Medicine, CHARMS provides: • • • • •

Hyperbaric and Normobaric oxygen therapy.

Counselling and psychological interventions.

Massage and exercise equipment.

Health & well-being advice and advocacy (eg. benefits advice).

Anyone can visit the Chelmsford, Essex-based centre without an appointment on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings.

CHARMS presently works with children aged from five months old, and adults aged up to 70+ years. Diagnoses include cancer, neurological and urological disorders and sports injuries.

This year P***** and Confused raised £500 for CHARMS, with £250 raised during the rally matched by the club from its funds.

Presenting the cheque to CHARMS’ CEO Dr Benjamin Newman Wright, is P***** and Confused’s Quartermaster, Kenneth Bellehewe. A former university director, Ben is an Associate Fellow of The British Psychological Society, a chartered psychologist and a life member of the Indian Academy of Neurosciences. He also has experience with Big Data Technology. Having built satellite

CHARMS treated former captain of the English cricket team, Nasser Hussain and British superbike racer, Ed Rendell. This year it has treated British youth superbike racer, Fenton Seabright.

For further information visit charmshbottherapycentre.btck.co.uk.

CHARMS is also on Facebook (CHARMS Therapy Centre) and Twitter: (@CHARMS_Therapy).

Photography courtesy of Denise Bellehewe

Bell Meadow Park Improvements - Just How Cycle Friendly Is It? You can’t have failed to notice the lavish improvements to Bell Meadow Park opposite High Chelmer Shopping Centre; a vast improvement as Chelmsford continues to move away from its grey concrete seventies past, making the nearby multi-storey car park increasingly stick out like a sore thumb. But if you are a cyclist, you may be feeling rather in two minds about the park refurbishments.

Back in the days when the park area was shielded by tall evergreen trees before they were controversially cut down (where do all those twittering overwintering sparrows go now I wonder…) the second path adjacent to the trees was added - this allowed pedestrians and children to safely use the regular path by the river, while bikes could move, safe in the knowledge that they would not be coming into contact with pedestrians, through the park towards the Marks & Spencer part of New London Road on the new cycle path. Or at least that was the (presumed) plan…

The trees were removed, the park became more open - and pedestrians started to use the cycle route. It soon became clear that as far as pedestrians were concerned, both paths were for them to use, and those annoying cyclists always ringing their bells or shouting ‘…excuse me!’ were a nuisance, but at least they couldn’t use the path right by the river, right - there were barriers after all.

So let’s move on to the present. The white defining lines across the city that separate pedestrians from cyclists on shared paths are in poor repair, and equally, the painted figures of a pedestrian and a cyclist are all but non existent - Time Team would struggle to computer-generate these back to their former glory. Add to this the shoddy path repairs by the viaduct leaving uncomfortable mini humps (can no-one flatten a surface after repair anymore, or do cyclists not matter?), I think at this point any optimism from cyclists about the new pathways in Bell Meadow Park addressing old issues

could possibly be considered naïve at best.

There’s no doubt about it, Bell Meadow Park now looks up-to-date and very inviting; the use of modern hard surfaces, contrasting colours and stone architectural waiting/seating points looks great.

But hang on what’s that over there? It’s a cyclist trying to weave his way onto the cycle path via what appears to have become one of 3 free-for-all areas where shoe leather meets cycle tyre at these park entry points, where there is no real guidance as to who has right of way or who should be where. Even worse - once the cyclist gets to the comfort of the cycle path - there are still pedestrians on it! So much for the ‘upgrade’ then. I checked - there are indeed blue circular cycle signs indicating that this is still a cycle path (the pedestrian path, much improved, remains by the river).

So what is the issue? Simple. There are minimal markings indicating that this is a cycle route - and frustratingly, there is still no discouragement for pedestrians to use the cycle path which goes hand in hand with the poor markings - indeed, the nice shiny new (small) blue cycle signs are only at knee height and barely noticeable. It’s almost as if the council is rather begrudgingly acknowledging that while they ‘must’ cater for cyclists, they really don’t want to put any thought or effort into it (hence the shoddy hump repairs by the viaduct; a source within the council actually told me that there were a few complaints at the time - though clearly not enough to get anything done about it).

So here we are then; sadly a missed opportunity for the council to get it right for cyclists after decades of getting it not quite right. I think that many cyclists who regularly use this route would agree that the risk of a collision has now increased. And as for those markings city-wide, come on, how much does line paint cost?

Sean Neylon

Page 22

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Yoga - Outside the Comfort Zone - by Allyson Smith

Reflecting from my first article for the City Times in June, I thought I would let City Times readers know that Kellie Jones has just finished completing her 300 hour Strala yoga training in New York City and is hopping on a plane back to Chelmsford after a wonderful, uplifting experience making new connections with others. As mentioned in last month’s article, Strala yoga - the creation of Tara Stiles and Mike Taylor based in New York - focuses upon movement through ease, but ease in a way that feels comfortable in your own body.

Many of us move from day to day, month to month without realising how we got there. Taking a moment to tune in and connect with our bodies gives each of us the opportunity to learn something new about ourselves, relax and to truly be ‘present in the moment’. Many forms of yoga encourage what is known as the mind-body connection.

Tuning in with our breath is a great way to begin to create a better mind-body connection with yourself. After all, if we don’t look after ourselves, how can we look after others!? A philosophy that I’m sure many of us could buy into but are not able to adhere to it in our busy lives moving from one day to the next!

Often, societal norms for exercise lead us to believe that unless we are pushing ourselves, or are in some kind of pain whilst exercising, we will not achieve results. Strala yoga encourages a different approach to the way you move in your own body, to try and step

outside of your comfort zone taking your whole self with yourself.

Through tuning in with our breath, movement in Strala could be described as a form of dancing meditation - like the way the wind navigates through the trees, people are encouraged to soften into poses rather than hold an endpoint. You seldom witness a tree and its branches stiff when the wind is blowing… I may hear some of you ask, well if I don’t work out hard how will I achieve results? It’s a fair question - but you will, and yoga is a great way to step out of your comfort zone and try something different. If you are a runner, swimmer or maybe a hardcore weightlifter and have never tried yoga, I would highly recommend you give it a try. It may not have landed us in the final of the 2018 World Cup, but the England team did manage to reach the semi finals this summer for the first time in 30 years with yoga being part of the their training routine!

Yoga gives us an opportunity to connect, not just with ourselves but with others too. It has the ability to create communities in person rather than in a virtual fashion. That’s where the magic happens as we tune in with our own bodies, feeling at ease rather than tense, moving in a way that feels good for us, we build connections not just with ourselves but others too.

If you feel moved to give Strala a try or fancy stepping out of your comfort zone to try something new, please come along on a Tuesday evening and try out Strala yoga or one of the other new classes that are available at the the beautiful Hummingbird Yoga & Pilates studio in Writtle. Check out the schedule at hummingbirdpilates.co.uk, or via the Hummingbird app through Google Play or the Apple App Store.

r fe d f t O ite 5 n im £4 ie Cl Unl for w s ) Ne Day shipapply r s 30 mbe(ts &c Me

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 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 23

Chelmsford’s Carnival - by Stephen Norris The first Chelmsford Carnival was held in 1923 and was designed to raise funds for the Chelmsford and Essex Hospital, which was becoming increasingly short of funds. Fred Spalding was in charge of the carnival committee and the Mayor and the members of the corporation took part in the procession through the principal streets of the town, with an evening fête at the Hoffmann Athletic ground at Rainsford End. All the big firms decorated lorries, including the Marconi entry, the ‘Bolshevic Beaver Bandski’ as well as a gas lorry which was fitted up as a kitchen. The Essex Industrial School Band, the Boy Scouts and the Boy’s Brigade all took part. Fred Munnion gave a concert in the evening and music for dancing was provided

by Crompton’s band. Net receipts were £350, but the following year twice that amount was raised.

In 1924 carnival events lasted all week with the procession happening on the Friday. headlines read: “Many thousands enjoy revelry on the longest day.” And “..there was also a procession of illuminated and decorated boats on the river.” In 1925 the procession started at the market and took two hours to return and 11,400 people paid for admission to the Recreation Ground in the evening. By 1927 the carnival was raising £1,500 and in 1933, the year of the first carnival queen, there were over 17,000 at the carnival fête. The following year the fête was held at the Chelmsford City football ground and featured the Dagenham Girl Pipers, a cabaret, boxing and a wrestling tournament and there was a grand cabaret show at the Regent. The procession started at 3pm and finished with a fête with 11 bands, a fair and various side shows.

Although crowds continued to increase in the 1930s, the money raised was nowhere near the level that the hospital increasingly needed, but the carnival had now become a major event in the life of the town.

Despite the threat of the creation of the NHS hanging over the town’s carnival, record crowds attended the first one after the war in 1946 with 20,000 people at the evening. The carnival of 1951 attracted 50,000 people, including 30,000 at a fair in the Kings Head Meadow. A ministry directive stating that “participation by hospital members or officers in the collection of money for hospital purposes” was not allowed appeared to have put an end to what had become a major event in Chelmsford life. Although as a fund raiser, the carnival was never a big contributor to hospital funds. In 1953 a new committee was formed without the participation of hospital staff.

Despite the drabness of much of town life, the carnival was often a lively affair. In 1953 the maids of honour resigned in a dispute over the new voting system for the selection of the beauty queen and after she was crowned, fighting broke out in the crowd! In 1955 Marconi students had to apologise to the Melbourne Park Flower Queen after drenching her with water, the previous year they had ruined the winning Crompton float. By 1961 the carnival was beginning to encounter difficulties, with the editor of the Weekly News criticising the preponderance of commercial floats (which were little more than advertising) and bemoaning the lack of private entries. Poor weather in 1963 caused the committee to fall back on previously invested funds. Despite large crowds turning up to the evening fête, the carnival was suffering from a lack of financial support from local traders and according to the Weekly News, from the local council.

In 1968 although 20,000 people attended the fête in Admirals Park and only £34 was collected in the streets, although during the 1970s the carnival was generally on a better financial footing and in 1982 it raised £3,000 for various local charities including the League of Friends of the three local hospitals and the local branch of Age Concern. By 1987 the number on the organising committee had shrunk and sponsorship was again difficult to find - just enough members were recruited to keep the event afloat. The early 1990s saw another revival with 50 floats at the 1996 procession, but two years later this had fallen again to 20, with the decline of Chelmsford’s big firms playing a part.

after it made only £450 for charity the previous year. Changes in the route, which no longer included Moulsham Street, were thought to be a cause, as was the lack of street collectors. There had also been a major problem with the floats which were now badly rusted and in need of repair. An attempt to revive the event in 2000 came to nothing, with a lack of sponsorship from local firms being the main reason for the new venture failing to get off the ground, even though a few carnivals still survive elsewhere in the county.

Free Events in Our City in September Chelmsford Heritage Open Days Heritage Open Days will again take place in Chelmsford this September but this year it will be bigger than ever. The event will take place over twelve days and include favourites like Hylands House, Sandford Mill and Pleshey Castle along with some new venues that have previously not been available.

In all there will be over thirty seven events - here are some highlights: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

NEW: A tour and talk on King Johns Hunting Lodge at Writtle University College.

NEW: Special events run by the Stock & Buttsbury Heritage Centre.

NEW: An historical talk at the Greenwood Spa Hotel and a guided tour of the village of Stock.

Open days at the Essex Police Museum.

Guided tours of the Salvation Army building.

NEW: Book festival at Galleywood Heritage Centre featuring local authors.

Guided tours of historical Danbury run by the Danbury Society.

NEW: Three different talks on the theme of Extraordinary Local Women.

NEW: Guided walks along the Chelmer and Blackwater navigation.

Historical tours of Chelmsford Cathedral.

Access permitted to Essex County Council Chamber with its magnificent artwork.

Tours of the Anglia Ruskin University campus and the new medical school.

New London Road Cemetery historical walk.

The Little Baddow History Centre with fantastic cream teas for sale.

Guided tours of the secret mansion now called The Chelmsford Club.

A number of churches and other religious buildings in the area will be open over the period from 6th to 16th September.

All events are free, but most of the talks and tours are bookable. For more information please visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk.

The Chelmsford Heritage Open Days events are co-ordinated by the Chelmsford Civic Society and sponsored by Chelmsford City Council and the National Trust.

In 1999 the Essex Chronicle reported that “the carnival is over” Page 24 Please let our advertisers know you saw their advert in The City Times

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Quiz Time by John Theedom 1. Who was the famous jockey whose first name was 31. Which well known company recently bought Argos?

Willie?

32. What is the technical name for the white of an egg?

2. Where are staves used?

33. What is a tundra?

3. Where are The Pearly Gates?

34. In the educational world, what is STEM? 4. Where can Aunt Sally be found ?

35. In an Italian restaurant, what is grissini?

5. What do the initials PIP stand for?

36. What is President Trump’s wife’s name?

6. What is a zucchetto?

37. How many square inches in a square foot?

7. In morse code, what do 3 dots indicate?

38. Who ‘abdicates’?

8. What is the UK version of the US 39. ‘I’m free!’ was the catchphrase of which TV vegetable zucchinj? character?

9. In the medical world, what is the ’V’ in HPV? 40. Who was the founder of The Salvation Army?

10. On which Beatles album cover does a zebra crossing appear?

(Answers on page 31) 11. What do the initials JIT stand for?

12. Which international organisation was created by Ron Hubbard?

13. Which animal lives in a holt?

14. In golf, what is a ‘threesome’?

15. What are a group of dolphins called?

16. What type of animal is an indri?

17. What were the first names of WB Yeats?

18. What is processed in an oast?

19. What is the capital of Alaska?

20. What was George Michael’s real name?

21, In old London, what were referred to as ‘peculiar’ and ‘particular’?

22. The word robot is derived from which European language?

23. To what does the expression ‘red eye’ refer?

24. Who was the lady who rode naked on a horse?

25. What is the name of the famous girls’ school in Sussex?

26. What is the expression used when you ‘fix’ the favourite in a race?

27. Which actor plays the part of Ken Barlow in Coronation Street?

28. A palamino is what type of animal?

Event organiser Mary Anne McGuiggan maryanne@wellbeingfestival.co.uk 29. Which world famous engineer had the first name Isambard?

30. Where on a bicycle are the ‘rat traps’? www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Page 25

Another Busy Year for Friends of the Museum

This article, the first for a little while from the Friends of Chelmsford Museums, provides an update on a range of activities taking place between now and the end of the year which may be of interest to City Times readers.

10am and 3pm when the Friends will be hosting the site on behalf of the museum and providing refreshments for visitors, who can also book in advance for one of three special guided tours during the day consisting of either the engine house or the nature reserve.

Now that we are well into the summer holiday period, remember to pay a visit to the museum to catch up with what is new. Although redevelopment work is underway in the Victorian house, the rest of the museum is open with much to do and see. In addition to the permanent gallery displays, the current temporary exhibition (until 2nd September) features the work of James Wilkinson, artist in residence at Hylands Park, who has been the official artist at the V Festival since 2012. Having unique access to the artists on stage and behind the scenes, this display of portraits, sketches, photographs and video features some of the greatest artists in music.

Heritage Open Day events across the city between 6th-11th and 13th-16th September are being co-ordinated by the Chelmsford Civic Society. All events are free but most of the talks and tours are bookable - see www.chemfordcivicsociety.co.uk for details where there are Eventbrite links for booking the events.

Do also take the opportunity to see the recently reinstalled beehive. For over 40 years the original beehive could be seen in an upstairs room in the old house, but was removed prior to the start of renovation work. However a public consultation seeking views about displays at the museum found that the bees were fondly remembered from childhood visits by three generations of Chelmsford people. Their wish to see the beehive retained was included in the museum’s plans for the future and the result is the new recently installed beehive designed by a member of the Essex Beekeepers’ Association and paid for by the Friends of the Museum.

It is easy to find on the upstairs landing of the museum, so perhaps you can introduce your children to the beehive which, being glass fronted like its predecessor, provides a rare opportunity to observe the active bee colony which is able to access the park via its own entrance through the wall.

After an enjoyable series of talks and visits earlier in the year the Friends autumn programme includes a trip to Mersea Island on 6th September to visit the church of St Peter and St Paul, the Mersea Mount early Roman burial site and the local museum. Talks this autumn will begin with one on The Development of Television to be given by Andy Fremont from 2pm on 18th October. Also following the Friends AGM on 19th September there will be a talk about the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation canal barge, The Susan, presented by Roy Chandler. The talks are given in the lecture room at Chelmsford Museum - non-members are also welcome. For further information see www.friendschelmsmuseums.btck.co.uk.

The Open Art Exhibition, successfully organised by Chelmsford Museum and the Friends in 2016, is coming back to the museum between 24th December and 13th January. Chelmsford based artists can each enter two original, securely framed, two dimensional pieces of art no bigger than 90cm x 90cm (no photos accepted).

Submission must be made in person at the museum between 10am4pm on 10th November. Further details and a downloadable form (to be included with each work being submitted) can be found on the museum website (see above), any questions call 01245 605 700.

Love your museum, be a friend.

At Sandford Mill over the summer, the Friends are providing volunteer catering assistance to the museum. If you do not know this site, set in tranquil countryside by the side of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation only a few miles from the city centre, it is well worth a visit. It was originally a medieval mill site which was converted into a water works in the 1920s and is now where the museum keeps its industrial collection. Every Friday throughout August, Summer of Science discovery days for children and adults provide an opportunity to visit the site. It is possible to visit the engine house with its displays about Chelmsford industries, notably those on Marconi, Crompton and Hoffmann, to experience Mad Science sessions, and see science of flight displays featuring birds of prey. Tickets for the day should be booked in advance - go to www.chelmsford.gov.uk/ museums/whats-on.

Alternatively, why not visit as a family on Sunday 9th September when Sandford Mill will be open as one of the sites taking part in this year’s National Heritage Open Day event? It will be open between Page 26 Please let our advertisers know you saw their advert in The City Times

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Rotary – Home and Away, the Best Option Many people feel that charity should begin at home. Others disagree and see solving global hardship as the responsibility of those more fortunate. Well, Rotary aims to provide the best of both worlds. If one were to compile two columns - or better still three - it would become quite apparent that Rotarians tackle problems locally, nationally and internationally.

It is an interesting exercise, so part 1 would be assistance in and around Chelmsford: • Treats for the elderly through theatre trips and tea parties.

• Long term support for chosen charities such as Chelmsford Community Transport, Farleigh Hospice and CHESS, assisting the homeless people in Chelmsford.

• Organising major community events such as the Great Baddow 10k and Fun Run. • Developing skills of our young people through our RYLA (Rotary Young Leader Awards) scheme.

• Promoting the talents of young people with various competitions such as Young Musician, Young Chef, Young Photographer, Youth Speak, Young Writer and others.

• Providing a showcase for school choirs with the Primary School Choir Competition.

• Marshalling at events put on by local charities and community events, for example the Chelmsford Festival of Arts and Culture.

• Financial support for numerous local charities and individuals.

• Remembering the sick at Christmas and Easter by visiting at Broomfield Hospital and helping serve meals.

• Each of the five Rotary Presidents in Chelmsford has a chosen charity for the year.

• • • •

Water and sanitation projects in developing countries. We take water for granted, but drinking fresh water or flushing the toilet are still luxuries in many parts of the world.

Improving education facilities, such as providing desks and writing materials.

Sending secondhand computers to Tanzania.

Sending Shelterboxes and Aquaboxes to disaster areas ensuring immediate support for those affected by floods, hurricanes or tsunamis. Both of these charities, which are now stand-alone, were started by Rotarians.

I could elaborate on any each and every one of the examples that I have given because they all have a significant impact on the lives of our fellow citizens. Rotarians do it because they care, because they are looking for a fairer society. They also get plenty back in self-satisfaction and meeting like-minded people, so if you think this sounds like something you would like to know more about, visit www. rotary1240.org or give me a call on 01245 260 349. We are always on the lookout for new members.

Stan Keller

Looking now at part 2 which addresses national issues: • Support through providing essential supplies during the floods in Somerset, Cumbria and Lancashire co-ordinated by Rotary clubs in the respective areas.

• Working with other UK clubs to support Disabled Games in Coventry and funding a team from Essex.

• Sending an Under 12 football team to compete at the England training ground at St George’s Park in Burton-on-Trent.

• Organising regional bike rides in support of prostate cancer.

Part 3 is international: • Top of the list is the eradication of polio campaign.

There were 1,000 new cases every day when Rotary began the campaign - yes, a staggering 350,000 cases every year.

Through Rotary’s efforts the number now stands at just 30 cases in 2018, so very close to seeing the back of polio and worth noting that back in 1985 there were still many cases in the UK.

CT FACTS (From the internet) During Prohibition, moonshiners would wear ‘cow shoes’.

The fancy footwear left hoofprints instead of footprints, helping distillers and smugglers evade police.

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Stargazing with Mark Willis - July/August 17th August - Venus: Looking west in the early evening a very good time to observe Venus. Venus is virtually the same size as Earth, minus just a couple of hundred miles in its circumference.

although you will need at least a 150cm (6 inch) telescope.

20th August: Looking south, 20:15 onwards, Saturn is left of the Moon. To the right of the Moon slightly closer to the horizon is Jupiter.

To the left of the Moon and Saturn, is Mars.

11th September: Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner passes close to M37 in Auriga (late evening).

26th August: Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma reaches perihelion, which is quite near Mars. This is a good target for backyard telescopes.

North Essex Astronomical Society will be holding a solar observing event.

26th August: Mercury is a good morning target today as it reaches Greatest Western Elongation. When viewing Mercury, take great care that the Sun does not get into your main lens or your viewfinder.

23rd September: Equinox.

11th August, 9th September & 9th October: There will be a new Moon on these dates. This means the skies will be extra dark which is a great opportunity to see planets, galaxies and deep space objects.

Events: Saturday 18th August at 12 midday and a stargazing event and Saturday 15th September at 6pm, both events held ar Great Notley Discovery Park.

As usual, email me with any questions.

3rd September: Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner makes a welcome return. Tonight, it is just 1 degree from the bright star Capella in Auriga.

Mark Willis presents Willis Wireless every Monday at 7pm on Chelmsford Community Radio on 104.4 FM and online at chelmsfordcommunityradio.com.

7th September: Neptune at opposition. A great time to observe,

Twitter: @WillisWireless Email: mark.willis@chelmsfordcommunityradio.com

Sing Out Loud - Tenth Anniversary!

As Chelmsford community singing group Sing Out Loud approaches its tenth anniversary, Founder Karen Hughes said: “We are delighted that the Mayor of Chelmsford, Councillor Yvonne Spence, will attend our celebratory evening on 7th November 2018.”

Karen says: “Anyone joining Sing Out Loud in September can perform with us at The Cramphorn Theatre.” We anticipate welcoming past and present members, families, friends, and people interested in joining Sing Out Loud (Tickets £8, profits to the Mayor’s Charities).

Finale guest is singer-songwriter Edwina Hayes (www.edwinahayes. com) best known for covering Randy Newman’s song, Feels Like Home.

People enjoy singing, but wonder if their voice is good enough.

Colchester singer Christine, said: “I love singing but wasn’t confident about myself or my voice. I can’t read music and couldn’t face an audition. I was very unsure, until I read about Sing Out Loud.”

Christine is glad she found the courage to join, “Karen was immediately reassuring. Sing Out Loud is a community singing group,

with no pressure.”

Going somewhere new on your own can be daunting, but Christine felt truly welcomed and her confidence grew. She says: “Give us a try - you are assured of a warm, friendly welcome! It might make as big a difference to your life as it has to mine.”

Jane, a singer since she was little, joined Chelmsford Sing Out Loud on opening night, and says: “It was meant to be. I have been with Sing Out Loud for ten years now and have grown in confidence. It has given me opportunity to carry on enjoying the one thing that makes me happy.”

How To Get Involved Sing Out Loud is open to all ages and singing abilities and has vacancies for men and for ladies with lower-middle range voices.

Ladies with higher voices are always welcome.

For dates, costs, locations (Chelmsford/Colchester), or booking your free taster or Cramphorn Theatre Tickets, phone 07853 132 633 or email info@sing-out-loud.co.uk.

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Answers to Quiz 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Carson.

Barrel making.

Heaven.

At a fairground.

Personal Independent Payment.

6. Roman Catholic skull cap (black - Priest, purple - Bishop, red Cardinal and white - The Pope).

7. S. 8. Courgette.

9. Virus.

10. Abbey Road.

11. Just In Time.

12. Scientology.

13. Otter.

14. When one player takes on 2 opponents.

15. A pod.

16. Leaping lemur.

17. William, Butler.

18. Hop drying.

19. Juneau.

20. Georgios Kyriatos Panayiotou.

21. Smog & pea soup fog.

22. Czech.

23. Long night flights.

24. Lady Godiva.

25. Roedean, Sussex (est. 1885).

26. Nobble.

27. William Roach.

28. Horse.

29. Brunel.

30. A type of pedal.

31. Sainsbury’s.

32. Albumen.

33. Frozen plain.

34. Science, Technology,

Page 31

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Engineering & Mathematics.

35. Bread sticks.

36. Melania.

37. 144.

38. Reigning Royals.

39. John Inman in Are You Being Served?

40. William Boothe.

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