Chelmsford The City Times Feb/Mar 2015

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New kid’s page this month

Issue Number 17 - 13th February - 12th March 2015

CT Welcome Hi readers,

Welcome to the February/March edition.

We are pleased to welcome a couple of new writers this month.

Junior Trading Post from Great Baddow are providing our new children’s page and Nick Green is writing a column on wildlife. We hope you enjoy these new articles.

We now have a music booking agency. If you are looking for a band or soloist for an event, festival or wedding please contact us at music@itsyourmedia.co.uk.

Kind regards Nick & Paul

INDIAN RESTAURANT & GRILL

Sahara East offers a combination of time honoured methods of food preparation and fresh ingredients with surprising recipes tocreate mouthwatering dishes of delight with a contemporary twist.

30-32 Broomfield Road Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1SW www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk, www.moulshamtimes.com and www.braintreelife.co.uk Advertising Nick Garner 07970 206682 ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk

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

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Disclaimer: It’s Your Media Ltd publish Chelmsford 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, Chesmford. Reg No 9154871. Printed by Imagery UK.

31st March 2015

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CT Fashion - True Blue

Q. What item of clothing has been the most popular for 100 years?

A. Jeans

Invented during the California Gold Rush of 1850, a young German man named Levis Strauss travelled from New York to San Francisco to sell goods that were in short supply to the gold miners. The story goes that a request was made for men’s hard-wearing trousers as the work was dirty and arduous.

Levi bought his canvas fabric from a tailor named Jacob Davies who was making a riveted work trouser for men. The two men decided to join forces and later the jean was patented. The canvas fabric used was found to be very hard-wearing, but chafed the miners while they worked, so Levi sourced a twill cotton cloth from Nimes, which is when the denim jean was born.

Jeans have been our favourite wardrobe staple for as long as we can remember. Iconic images of film stars and pop stars over the years are proof of that. Check out Marilyn Monroe in hers in the film ‘Misfits’ (she was even wearing them as Norma Jean before she even became Marilyn). James Dean made them cool in the 1950s film Rebel Without A Cause and teenagers took them on board as they were a symbol of rebellion and banned in certain areas of society. In the 1960s, jeans became slimmer in style, more like a cigarette pant, for men and women.

By the 70s jeans had found their stride once again. In TV shows, like Charlie’s Angels and Dukes of Hazzard, they were the wardrobe choice. Also in the 70s rock bands and punk bands adopted them, but in very different ways. The punks slashing them and the hard rockers wearing flares. The 70s also brought us the hippies - the peace and love generation - and their bell bottoms.

Think how many metres of denim, there would have been at the first Glastonbury in 1971...

M & S Jeans

Moving into the 1980s, the popularity of jeans continued. Just look at the charts from that era,: Wham, Bros, Kylie Minogue and Madonna all

rocked jeans, and from the nineties to the noughties to now, we still love our jeans!

Finding the right pair of jeans can be a mission impossible for lots of ladies, but it is possible, as there is now such huge choice on the high street.

Take lots of pairs into the fitting room; don’t just stick with one style, You may be a skinny jean fan, but you may suit a bootcut better.

Remember; try lots on to find the perfect fit.

Light and shade The darker the blue, the more flattering. The lighter shades, like stonewash, will add weight. So if you would like to add a few pounds, then the lighter the better.

Rise and shine Jeans come in low rise, mid rise and high rise. If they are low rise they sit below your belly button on your hip bones. These are best if you have a flat tummy. Mid rise sit on your belly button, so are great if your tummy is an issue. High rise sit on your waist, they are good for hiding tummy bulges and great for adding height, a good choice if you are petite.

Style and substance

Next Jeans

Certain styles are better for certain shapes. If you are straight without curves, with narrow hips and a small bottom, boyfriend jeans are perfect; you can also pull off skinnies.

If you are curvy, skinny are perfect for you - but go for a low or mid rise.

If you are an apple shape, your legs are your assets, but you want to hide your tummy, go for a high rise, skinny or straight. Look for a jean with stretch to pull your tummy in.

If you are a pear shape, high rise or mid rise are the best. You can wear skinnies too but with longer tops, or go for a high rise boot cut which will balance your hips out. For taller ladies you can wear any style, even cropped or rolled up look great, but avoid high rise.

Best Of The high street Next Lift, Slim And Shape Skinny Jeans £45.00 in Indigo - best for bottoms, with a hidden support designed to lift and shape.

Next High Waist Enhancer Skinny Jeans £30.00 in Blue/Black - best for pears and petites and to hide tummy.

M&S Collection Slim Bootleg Denim Jeans T576377 £25.00 - best for holding the tummy in and lengthens the legs, great for any age.

Warehouse Girlfriend Jean £40.00 in Denim - great for boyish figures and curvy, best for narrow hips.

Topshop Moto Pretty Mid-Stone Joni Jeans £36.00 - best for petites.

Emma Smith is a style advisor and lives in Chelmsford.

She offers personal shopping and wardrobe planning.

Contact her at: emma@emmasmith.co.uk Many jeans ake light work www.emmasmith.co.uk Page 4 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Read on to find your perfect pair.

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Australia - Ping Pong Pomes By Simon Culleton

There are few countries that upon arrival you have to check the name of your hotel against a list of ones that have recently burnt down in savage bush fires or that a story in a leading newspaper of a recent crocodile attack only made page 3; couple that with the sledgehammer heat that hits you as you stepped out from the airport terminal into the shimmering midday oven and the hat tipping bus driver which greets you with ‘g’day’, then there is no mistaking you are in Australia.

An estimated 620,000 Brits will holiday on the golden shores of Australia this year, some of whom may decide to settle permanently, never coming back. Australia is Britain’s number one destination to emigrate to: 107,000 over a five year period. Yet for all it’s Antipodean allure, 30% of British migrants discover that Australia is not what they had hoped and return to the UK. Perhaps it’s the animals: Australia has an abundance of deadly creatures to remind Brits that there is ‘no place like home’: Croc’s and dingos lurk in the undergrowth, venomous spiders hide in your boots and under the toilet seat (a great cure for constipation) and it’s not uncommon when out in the bush to see a snakes, of which Australia has 9 of the worlds top 11 most venomous. There’s even a plant that can kill you.

Or maybe it’s the heat; a whopping 38 degrees the day I arrived, which is fine if you are on the beach (most of them are) but not so good if you are trying to do anything outside which involves physical exertion; manual work in such obsessive, dry airless conditions can sap your energy and draw on your strength in no time. Temperatures as high as 45 degrees are not uncommon which is real ‘fry an egg on your forehead’ weather and makes a cold beer at the end of the day so enticing and compelling that you’d crawl over your grandmother to get one.

Or maybe it’s the sheer size of the place, Australia is a vast continent more aptly thought of as 5 cities around a big desert with enough space to fit Europe in twice. With a population of only 23 million - there are 742.5 million in Europe - there are whole swathes of nothingness. Drive on one of the 200 or so road arteries that lead out of Adelaide and a third will run out of tarmac within 40 kilometers and those that remain are long boring featureless drives. I once drove the 3 day journey from Adelaide to Perth across the Nullarbor plain and my sat nav actually said ‘turn left in 1644 kilometers’. You don’t just wave at a passing motorist; you stop and hug them. or maybe it’s the lack of history that entices Brits back home: Australia has a relatively short history by European standards having first been made a British penal colony on January 23rd 1788. It remained that way for the following 80 years, transporting prisoners on a treacherous 6 month voyage, which not all would survive, to complete their servitude for some for the most meagre of crimes: pick pockets and common thieves were amongst the unlucky ones to be banished down under. A Catholic man could be transported for ‘looking suspicious’ and a woman was even found guilty and transported for ‘holding an indecent posture in the yard of an inn for an immoral purpose.’ Even children were not exempt: Mary Wade, aged 11, was found guilty of stealing another girl’s clothes and transported. She was eventually granted her freedom yet remained to live in Australian giving birth to 21 children. At the time of her death

aged 82, Mary could boast 300 living descendants, or as Australians calculate it: 27 cricket teams, all of which would love to beat England.

Yet life can be a beach in Australia, with 85% choosing to live by the sea which is great if you want to cool off, but not so great when you consider it heralds another set of dangers which lurk beneath the crashing surf quite unfamiliar to Brits.

Since 2001, sharks have killed an average of 1.8 people per year (that one leg away from 2 people) and the box jellyfish almost killing the same amount with it’s stinging tentacles that wrap around your legs, pumping heart-seizing poison into your veins... 66 deaths to date. Yet fortunately, at least where the box jelly fish is concerned, if caught in time the symptoms can be easily remedied by pouring vinegar over the affected area, hence life guards in Australia always have vinegar to hand, Although with a killing time of 3 minutes, the box jellyfish doesn’t give you much time to phone for help. (“please hold the line, your call is important to us”).

Realising that migrating Brits are having a difficult time adjusting, the Australian government has set up many helpful websites to aid the Brits to settle, although some can give more alarm than reassurance with headlining questions such as: ‘what should you do when a snake enters your house?’ (scream, exit your house), or ‘remember a ‘huntsman spider is just as scared of you.’ (doubt it) - and my personal favourite: ‘do you know the difference between a salt water croc and a fresh water croc? (one prefers the left leg).

The fact that the website’s authors assume that you’ll be hanging around to study the species goes a long way to explaining just how confusing and misunderstood the problem is. Australians are not a sun-tanned version of ourselves and are as foreign and unfamiliar as any other nationality. They can come across as brash and rude when speaking their minds. It’s not uncommon at a bus queue or in a pub for someone to enter your conversation uninvited to disagree with your view. Although don’t take it personally, they are just as blunt and ‘matter of fact’ with each other and can treat a situation with indifference that a Brit may find embarrassing. I once witnessed a woman in a queue for MacDonald’s quite unabashed in warning the man behind her with a waving hand at her rear, that she’d just farted. Political correctness is about 20 years behind, yet to Australia’s credit, is slowly and painfully being introduced, battling against a quintessential aussie bloke attitude as the following example will show... In a mining town - with a population of 1700 men to 30 woman - a pump operator recently lost his job for sexual harassment following a comment he made to a female co-worker. He recognised her while walking across the airport tarmac while travelling back to Perth for some much needed R and R and tapped her on the shoulders saying: “hey girl, what’s it like to be ugly again?”

So if you emigrate to Australia expecting it to be a sunny version of England think again; you may end up becoming what are aptly called named ‘ping pong poms’ and bounce back to the UK as quickly as you arrived. Then you can moan about the depressing weather, the grey skies and rain, soggy chips, British Rail and a cricket team that doesn’t win - but at least you can go for a swim (avoiding hyperthermia and sewage) without something trying to eat you. simon@limepad.com

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CT Gardening by Tom Cole

If, unlike me, you have not managed to kill that fabulous red bracted Poinsettia over the festive period, keep it in a sunny cool location with high humidity. For best results spray every few days and keep the compost slightly damp. These are tender perennials and should go through to the following Christmas.

This is a good time to closely inspect any other houseplants that you may have. Remove aphids from houseplants using your finger and thumb to squash infestations on small plants. Alternatively, you can use fatty acids (Bayer Organic Pest Control, Doff Greenfly and Blackfly Killer or Greenfingers Organic Pest Spray).

Provide extra protection to houseplants on window sills if it is very cold. Bring into the main room if you can, or use cardboard between the plants and the glass. Be sure the plants don’t touch the windowpanes as this can cause frost-like conditions and die back especially on the likes of many orchids, African violets and Cape primroses.

Fertilise your houseplants with a water-soluble fertiliser and remember to water them. Be sure not to overwater, as that can lead to plant diseases and eventual death of roots. For those growing orchids, try orchid drip feeders - all good garden centres stock them - cut off the top and invert tube of feed for the best results.

Check any bulbs and tubers you may have stored to determine if moisture is okay. Just before December I removed pots with frost sensitive types to the garage in trays of dry compost. Repack bulbs that seem too damp, discarding any mouldy ones. If bulbs seem too dry, try moving them to another location.

seedlings.

Start geranium, begonia, vinca, and viola seeds from March through to mid-April. Begonia and vinca seeds are among the hardest to germinate so don’t be discouraged if your success rate is low or irregular. These tend to prefer lightly less heavy compost - try peatfree or reduced types with additional perlite to add in drainage.

If you haven’t done so already, it’s that time of the year when we come to the annual clean of your greenhouse. A regular clean will help maintain the structure of your greenhouse, particularly if the frame is made from wood and therefore prone to rotting. Dirty windows affect sunlight levels - less light can lead to seedlings becoming straggly. The ideal time for cleaning is just before spring sowing as this will remove over-wintering pests and diseases and the greenhouse is likely to be at its emptiest at this time of year. Try to choose a mild day as you will have to open the doors and vents to clean them thoroughly. You don’t want icy winds damaging valuable specimens.

Also, if you want to develop your garden/landscape skills further or indeed want to know more about everything we offer at the college, why not give the College a call or take a look at our web site: http://www.writtle.ac.uk.

Good luck and happy gardening!

For any gardening tips, why not contact Tom Cole, Head of Faculty for Land & Environment, Writtle College, Chelmsford, CM1 3RR by post (including a SAE) or by email at tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk.

Start a garden record book now, allowing space to record the dates of first and last frosts, seed-planting dates, transplanting, time of bloom, first fruit, fertilizing, problems with pests, and what worked and didn’t work. Over a period of years, this will be an invaluable record. It has really helped me when planning ahead.

Organize, clean, oil, and sharpen garden tools. A splash of bright paint on tool handles will make them easier to spot out in the garden.

Check blades on secateurs, pruning saws and loppers; these need to be ready for any pruning activities as we move through February and March (a busy time for all).

When we get it, gently shake or brush off snow-weighted branches that have no support. Heavy snow cover protects evergreen foliage from windburn, but too much weight will break branches. Last year I lost a super Californian lilac purely through too much snow on its branches.

Prune fruit trees now, but take care. Only pip types - apples and pears - at this time. For stone fruits, do these when in leaf or when harvesting to minimise the spread of two diseases like bacterial canker and silver leaf. The prunes can be gathered up into bundles to be used for kindling after they’ve dried, or I have sometimes used them as brush wood to insert into flower border - a cheaper alternative to link stakes etc.

Avoid walking over the same areas of your frozen lawn, or you may find bald spots in the spring.

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Choose some perennials to start now from seed. Delphinium, Shasta daisy, carnation, digitalis, and armeria are good choices. I have Free written quotes and advice 10 year started to use modules rather than trays, although if you only want guarantee on all work 25 years experieince a few, shallow pans are ideal. Select a proprietary seed and cutting compost; I tend to use John Innes brands for the simple fact they Unit 1, The Paddocks, Highwood, Chelmsford, CM1 3PU retain a little more moisture and give more support to immature Page 8 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

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CT Cooking

by John Jacobs Happy SAD Spinach and Feta Filo tartlets

I’m all a tizzy. Two restaurant reviews in the next month and I can’t decide whether to tell my wife it’s a Valentine’s Day treat or not and retain my title as the world’s tightest husband. After the Easter eggs in her Christmas stocking, I stand a pretty good chance.

muffin pan, allowing the corners to extend over the top. Repeat with 2 more filo pieces, rotating them slightly, to completely cover the side of the pan. Repeat with remaining filo and butter to line remaining prepared pans.

Spoon the spinach mixture among the filo cases. Bake for 30 minutes.

All over the country chefs have been planning their perfect romantic menu to tempt and entice you into a gooey candlelit gastro-fest replete with candied rose petals and Prosecco on ice. Interestingly, as an antidote to the compulsory saccharin huggidom of Valentine’s Day, February the 14th is also Singles Awareness Day, though admittedly, whilst pleasingly inclusive, the organisers could have had more regard for its acronym. Also, did you know that signing off ones name with an ‘x’ for a kiss dates back to medieval times? I’d assumed it was because the majority of my former partners were missing thumbs. That’s by the by.

I refuse to let Valentine’s Day hijack the whole of February. Whilst the month is devoid of any redeeming qualities in terms of food and seasonal ingredients, I recall last year describing February as the Chris De Burg of culinary fare, It is the countdown to spring. We emerge from our dark nights hibernating with hearty stews and the remnants of the bumper box of Chocco-Santas and look to longer warmer days. Central Park springs into life and explodes into vibrant colours carefully planned and nurtured by the hard work of the Chelmsford parks team. Anglers return to the river Cann and we can see the summer warming its hazy way towards us.

With this in mind, this month’s recipe is a spring favourite here at Jacobs Towers. A take on the classic Greek Spanakopita, this light bite that takes little time to prepare, looks great and tastes amazing.

You can be creative with fillings and I never thought I’d say this, but the vegetarian ones are the best.

Ingredients 400g crumbled feta cheese 500g baby spinach 2 finely chopped shallots 6 sheets filo pastry 2 lightly whisked eggs Rind of 1 grated lemon

NG

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush eight 150ml capacity muffin pans with butter.

Wilt down the spinach is a pan with a little water and allow to cool.

Using a sieve, squeeze out as much of the excess water possible.

Combine the spinach, feta, ricotta, shallot, dill and lemon rind in a large bowl. Add the egg and stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

CT

On a clean work surface, stack the filo sheets on top of each other and cut crossways into 4 sections.

If you cover the pastry with a stretch of cling film, this will prevent it drying out. Brush 1 filo piece with butter and place it in the base of 1 Page 10

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Chelmsford Winter Beer & Cider Festival by Simon Tippler of www.roundtowerbrewery.co.uk Once again, the local CAMRA branch are holding their very successful Winter Beer & Cider Festival in at the Grammar School on Broomfield Road. Well situated near the train and bus stations, it is the ideal location for a couple of beers during half term (18th-21st February).

With a selection of over 200 real ales, over 50 real ciders, perries, and pyders, there should be something for everyone. There will also be a wide selection of international beers selected and served by Podge and his team, who incidentally, has written book on beer as well as running regular beer tours to Belgium. Although it is a beer and cider festival, there will be local wines provided by Felstar who have a vineyard a few miles outside Chelmsford near the village of Felstead. To ensure no one is left out there will be soft drink readily available.

The festival is the culmination of months of planning but the hard work doesn’t stop until it is all packed away and the school hall is returned to an environment suitable for education. All the work is done by members of the local CAMRA branch who give up their time to ensure a well run and successful event for the people of Chelmsford and surrounding areas.

Brian, who puts together the beer list for the festival, has spent ages trawling through lists of beer from breweries and distributors and tell me that he has put together a great list of beer the he hopes will

appeal to everyone. I’d love to tell you what is on it, but he is playing it close to his chest and at the time of this going to print he had not yet released it. However, it should be available to download from the beer festival website nearer the event, so you will have the opportunity to see if there are any beers that you especially want to try.

I can tell you that we are pleased to supply the beer festival with three beers this year. Bardfield Bitter 4.8% made with small additions of crystal and chocolate malt and hopped with aurora hops from Slovakia, Leighs 4.1% a golden beer generously hopped with a medley of 7 different hops from around the world and Catcher’s 5.9% a generously hopped dark rye beer.

Remember the people pouring the beer want you to have a good time and enjoy the event and the beer and are always happy to recommend something if you tell them what style you would like to drink and also remember that you can always try before you buy and that you should always be able to fully enjoy your beer.

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CT What’s On In Chelmsford Free Delivery within 3 miles February 13th Ale House - Happen Hosts opening night (see page 26) Ale House - Fishclaw Asylum - Ellis Red + Ayah + Wolfe Sunday Bassment - Live: Secret Company + Wolf Party Civic - Voice Of the Heart Fleece - The Rising Indigo - Shakey’s Sessions - The Kubricks + Up & Go + Fenix Runners Med Fusion - Mr. G’s Acoustic Duo 14th Asylum - By Definition + The Deep + Fineapples Bassment - Scarlet Echo + Edison Square Civic - Purple Zeppelin Cramphorn - Comedy Club 4 Kids!

Fleece - Red Leaf Med Fusion - Valentine’s Day special live music saxophonist White Horse B&L - Valentine’s soul nite special 15th Ale House - Irish music session Asylum - The Natives + Radio is Dead Civic - Community Variety Showcase Fleece - Quiz the nation 16th Ale House - Happen Hosts - drink and draw 17th Med Fusion - Cuban Salsa lessons 18th Bassment - Club Static - The Pearl Hearts + The Franklys + JunkFoxx Beer Fesitval - Kegs Civic - United We Stand Cramphorn - Lunchtime concert Fleece - Dj Darryl 19th Bassment - Soundstock Heat 2 w/ IC7 + Up & Go + Jackals Rose + Ellis Red + Megan Dallas Beer Fesitval - Kegs Fleece - Quiz night 20th Asylum - Laughter in the Attic Bassment - The Sensors + Vinyl Junkies Beer Fesitval - Kegs Civic - Sinatra, Sequins and Swing - The Capitol Years Live!

Cramphorn - Undiscovered Semi Final 1 (See page 17) Fleece - Fly Med Fusion - Special Duo - sax duo 21st Asylum - The Graphic + Failing to Fly + Tirade + Vella Rue + Chloe Hawes Bassment - Meet At Mine (Eclectic Pre-Party Fun) Beer Fesitval - Kegs Civic - Only One Direction - Midnight Memories Tour Cramphorn - Undiscovered Semi Final 2 (See page 13) Fleece - Scooby Med Fusion - Oink 22nd Ale House - Happen Hosts pub quiz Ale House - Ale House Jam Fleece - Quiz the nation

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24th Civic - Guys and Dolls Cramphorn - Der fliegende Holländer Med Fusion - Cuban Salsa lessons 25th Asylum - Quiz night Bassment - Ethno Jam - Musicians Of The World Come Together Civic - Guys and Dolls Cramphorn - Lunchtime Concert Fleece - Dj Darryl The Rose and Crown, Writtle - Elixir Funk 26th Asylum - Fallen Apollo + Bearfist Bassment - Soundstock Heat 3 w/ The Everglows + Annie May Adams + The Velvet Tree + S J Denney + Stephen Foster Pilkington Civic - Guys and Dolls Fleece - Quiz night 27th Asylum - Fistikuffs - The 4130s + Deniers Bassment - Live: Suburban 100 + Greydolf Civic - Guys and Dolls Cramphorn - The Recent History of The Chelmer & Blackwater Fleece - Sax on Fire Med Fusion - Leanne Louise 28th Asylum - The Doors Project Bassment - Meet At Mine (Eclectic Pre Party Fun) Civic - Guys and Dolls Fleece - Repertoire Dogs Med Fusion - VIP Menu launch White Horse B&L - Too Much Pressure. Ska, Mowtown & Norther Soul March 1st Civic - Academy of Ancient Music - M&G Concert Cramphorn - Chelmsford Jazz Club Fleece - Quiz the nation White Horse B&L - Ireland Vs England 6Nations - Big screen special 3rd Asylum - Battle of the bands - Mercury Rising + Amnesia + Osmium Guillotine Med Fusion - Cuban Salsa lessons 4th Bassment - Jazz Funk Monthly - Tony Sandeman Civic - The Reflections Cramphorn - Love Labour’s Won Fleece - Dj Darryl 5th Asylum - Sam Keyes + Alex Baker + Dave Andrews + Keith Hudson + Bethlar Bassment - Bassment Blues Jam Civic - Classic Ghosts Cramphorn - Martin Simpson Fleece - Quiz night 6th Asylum - Scout Killers + Blind Fire Rebels + A Million Pieces Bassment - Shakey’s Special - Roisin O’Hagan + more TBC Civic - Classic Ghosts Fleece - The Heaters

March Continued 7th Ale House - Head First Asylum - Thunderous Jones + The Duvets + Voodoo Prayer Bassment - Meet At Mine (Eclectic Pre Party Fun) Civic - Classic Ghosts Fleece - Break for Cover 8th Cramphorn - Romeo and Juliet City Walk - 2pm - History of Chelmsford - From Ideas Hub Fleece - Quiz the Nation 9th Civic - That’ll Be The Day - SOLD OUT 10th Asylum - Battle of the Bands - The Bophins + Butterfly McQueen Cramphorn - The Government Inspector Med Fusion - Cuban Salsa lessons 11th Asykum - Tearing Down The Skyline + Skarthia + Silenced By Shadows Bassment - Calico + Jackals Rose + 3 Foot High Cramphorn - Lunchtime concert Cramphorn - Natinal Trust Talk 12th Bassment - Acoustic Underground - Green Velvets + Dain Stuart + Oink!

Civic - Stewart Lee - Room With A Stew

Then and Now by Doug Bacon

Stone Bridge C.1950

Please note, all events are subject to change.

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

Please send us your events for the next edition, for events between 13th March and 17th April Email us at editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk.

Stone Bridge 2014

Shakster Records presents Undiscovered Music Contest 2015 2nd Semi Final

With special guests F.O.X ALEX FOX ARCAVES CONNOR SELBY TRIO BAKERSIDE SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21ST 2015 7.30PM-11PM (Doors open 7.30PM First act 8pm) Tickets £4 Advance tickets from theatre box office CRAMPHORN THEATRE FAIRFIELD ROAD CM1 1JG

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CT Business

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Hélène Musso Interview by www.modernmint.co.uk Modern Mint met with Hélène Musso for a coffee to find out more about her training business. Hélène helps take the fear away from public speaking, be it at a conference, business meeting or social or networking events. We were looking forward to finding out more and picking up some tips!

Hélène, originally from South of France, moved to the UK over 25 years ago.

She worked as a drama teacher for most of those years and specialised in creative projects.

She observed the impact the classes had on helping the students develop their personal and social skills and that’s where the idea for the training in public speaking started. “I’ve always had the word ‘confidence’ as such a strong element in my teaching. Most people appear perfectly confident to the outside world but are crippled with self-doubt, negative feelings and low self-esteem. As a coach, I help you to look and feel fully confident when speaking, when expressing yourself and when communicating with others.

“I work with people from all backgrounds on an individual and corporate group basis - but the one consistent factor is that meetings are incredibly interactive and in a group situation the numbers are always kept low to facilitate this. If you go to a large conference with one person speaking to you, it’s more like a brain washing session. Both my students and I learn so much when the setting is interactive.“

So, what’s the technique? How can you improve your public speaking “We learn best by doing and practicing - take a professional sportsperson, they train consistently from a young age. Practice is the key. My workshops offer a safe environment to allow this.” Her testimonials all mention the relaxed environment she allows people to learn in, coupled with challenges she throws in to help grow the students’ ability at public speaking. But practice isn’t everything. As Hélène says: “by also spending time focusing on your mind set and attitude to public speaking we get to really develop the skills of public speaking”.

So, are you the father of the bride this summer and need to make that all important speech and are stressing already at the thought of it? Do you dread your turn at business meetings, never seem to get to say what it is you wanted to? Are you a manager and often find your team could do with some communication training? Or do you fear those social events? Is English not your first language and do you often struggle to find the confidence to speak up in group conversations?

If any of the above reflects how you feel, then Hélène is a must to see! New to 2015 is a series of workshops called ‘Public Speaking Demystified - Tame the Fear’. These are 1 and 2 day workshops that take place in London and later on in the year in Chelmsford.

Feedback from Hélène’s courses so far has been great, with one attendee describing the outcome as “the small group I trained with were converted from anxious mumblers to polished speakers before the end of the day...”

helenemusso.co.uk - offers a wealth of tips and videos on how to build your confidence in public speaking, and testimonials to support her work. Go also to her Facebook page for more information - Public Speaking Demystified!

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A ‘Saffron’ and a ‘Thomas’ and a Reinvention!

This month’s article features the charismatic and bubbly Sarah Boxall, who established her business, Saffron Thomas, back in November 2013. Meeting Sarah was like a breath of fresh air - she is passionate and enthusiastic and clearly loving her new direction!

Saffron Thomas is a career management, employability and recruitment service based in Old Moulsham and established by Sarah to utilise her skills. Her motivations for setting up her business were numerous.

Sarah worked in recruitment for 10 years, based at Hays in Chelmsford. As a young woman in her 20s, she thrived on the buzz of it, the days were long but she loved what she did and was very successful. Working on a commission basis gave an added edge to the job and she rapidly made a very good salary.

After giving birth to her son Thomas 5 years ago she had to adjust her career, changing agencies and cutting down to four days a week. Despite cutting down her hours, it was apparent that having a family and working in recruitment were a tough mix: “you need to be completely available and work really long hours, but I felt I could no longer give it 100%. I always give 100% so it was time for a change”. Sarah therefore took a job at Anglia Ruskin University where she worked 3 days a week assisting students to gain employment and helping them complete CVs and job applications and prepare for interviews in a variety of roles. Sarah enjoyed the ‘helping’ aspect of this role, but felt she needed to stretch herself more - she had more to give.

While on holiday in St Ives 18 months ago, Sarah came to the realisation that what she really wanted to do was start her own business. She thrived on helping people find employment but wanted to reach out to more people and really make a change in their lives. Setting up her own business would enable her to work her own hours so she could dedicate more time to her family, it would provide a challenge and motivation and it meant she could make a real difference to many people’s lives.

The first thing Sarah did was come up with a name for her company - ‘Saffron Thomas’.

This part was easy! She named the company after her children as they were the biggest motivation for her establishing it. Next was the logo - a hot air balloon to symbolise ‘moving on up’ and a happy memory of a hot air balloon ride. She registered her company and then began establishing herself in the field.

Saffron Thomas has grown very quickly into a successful little business. Sarah’s mantra has been ‘think big, start small’ which seems

pretty sensible to me! She offers a number of services to her clients and works with individuals, companies and with schools, colleges and universities. In a nutshell she is helping people to get jobs - jobs they actually want. Therefore, she helps write CVs and applications, prepares people for interviews and gives effective careers advice. She is also helping companies recruit - assisting in creating job specifications, shortlisting and interviewing. Sarah regularly goes into schools and works with a number of charities delivering employability courses. These courses help people develop the skills to get jobs: how to apply for jobs, CVs, confidence building, what to wear for an interview, transferable skills etc. She also conducts mock interview days - all really vital areas to help get towards the interview stage.

Sarah believes in “raising achievement by raising aspirations - people need to believe in themselves and I help them do this.”

Sarah works with lots of mums - people moving across, moving up, looking to find flexible positions to fit in with family life.

Women seem particularly drawn to working with Sarah because she is a mother herself and so she understands.

Sarah’s prices start from £30 an hour but she often tailors prices to jobs. She offers a fabulous deal to young people with a ‘£10 CV’ offer.

offering a really valuable service.

Her enthusiasm for what she is doing is infectious and she really lit up when describing her achievements over the last year.

Sarah was thoroughly delightful to talk to and I shall definitely be recommending her services!

If you would like to get in touch with Sarah or find out more about Saffron Thomas, please email sarah@saffronthomas.co.uk or visit www.saffronthomas.co.uk. She also has a Facebook page - www.facebook.com/ saffronthomascareer - and Twitter account - www.twitter.com/saffronthomascv - where you can read updates about the business.

If you would like to be featured in my column please get in touch at linda@ bunintheovenbirthing.co.uk.

Sarah is really happy with her new career direction. She has based Saffron Thomas on her extensive experience and knowledge and so she knows she is offering an excellent service. She feels she is making a difference to people’s lives and “..that is really important. I have had to step out of my comfort zone and really challenge myself, but that has made it so much more rewarding. Saffron Thomas is growing slowly but sustainably and it is the proudest thing I have ever done.

I feel really fortunate as I am doing a job I love but I also get my family time. I can do the school run and I never have to miss an assembly or Christmas play.”

It was great chatting to Sarah and learning all about her business - she is clearly

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Angel Broomfield City Detective Episode 13 ‘The case of the final final’

By Simon Culleton Angel Broomfield, Chelmsford’s very own private detective, was raised by nuns in a secret monastery in Boreham with only the complete volumes of Sherlock Holmes for company.

Angel is now a resident of 221½ Moulsham Street, home of the City Detective Agency, with his trusty side-kick John and the radiant Helen, Angel is now ready to serve the city.

In the last episode we left John hanging by one leg from a trapeze high wire with no safety net beneath him, with Angel and Helen balancing on a 12 inch circus bike cycling along the wire to save him. Only, the Gesepa brother clowns had the same idea coming from the opposite direction straining the wire until it broke at one end sending them all swinging, Tarzan fashion, through the air. The audience cheered like mad and the circus master, having never seen such a trapeze act, had a 6 months contract ready for signing, although to his dismay, then watched Angel, John and Helen let go at the height of the swing and fall one after another into the barrel of a cannon which promptly fired them out through the canopy of the tent leaving the circus master tearing up the contract. Angel was soon aware that they had yet to land and with Helen holding onto his ankles and John looking up holding onto hers realised that he had indeed grasped hold of the feet of a profession preforming parachutist who’s smoke canisters strapped to his body spewed out a blue smoke as he encircled and landed at a packed Melbourne Athletic Stadium for the Olympic opening ceremony. The Mayor soon announcing for the games to begin as the three were directed to the competitors changing room where they were given no option but to compete in Chelmsford’s own 4 x 4 relay race.

As Angel squeezed into a pair of lycra shorts, he said “let’s win the gold medal and catch the German spy all in one neat package.”

“Speaking of neat packages...” agonised John while struggling in his own lycra ones, “are they supposed to be this tight?” Helen mockingly laughed as she stretched into her tight gymnastics outfit.

“Everyone to the race track”, announced a large lady dressed in a blazer, carrying a clip-board and a starter gun in her hand and who strangely winked and whispered into Angels ear, “good luck Angel...” They all quickly took their places at the starting blocks just before the gun fired and the crowd roared. John, taking the first stint, sprang like a leopard down the track with baton in hand, although it wasn’t long before he was being shoulder bumped by the tequila swigging Mexicans from episode 3 who attempted to trip him with their sombreros. John almost managed to run clear, although was tricked by the dark eyed senorita who distracted him with her bouncing maracas causing him to fall in a cloud of dust. A kindly steward soon helped him to his feet and as he rejoined the race. He could have sworm he saw a nun’s habit underneath her uniform. Yet, John soon made it to the inpatient Helen who was quick to show him her behind as she powered off back into contention. Yet the Irish stag parties from episode 6 slowed her down with their drunken fighting of which she had to side step, jump and at one point summersault to avoid. She made good ground and was ready to handover the baton… but to whom?? The fighting Irish managed to hand over their baton to the Texan tourist from episode 8 leaving Helen desperate to hand the baton to someone, when amongst the dust and confusion, she could see ‘Perfect Peter’ as cool as a cucumber, running a comb through his hair. Helen went weak at the knees and giggled like a schoolgirl as she fell into his arms.

“I say, young filly, no time for that now”, said Perfect Peter, “I’ll just win this race and be back in time for tea and medals.” After a theatrical wink, he ran off to do his bit for Queen and country. Like a Boys Own annual, he powered passed the Texan tourists and fought off an attempt from

the gay Australian from episode 5 who’s dress had become entangled in the Stetson hat of ‘Mad Mickey Maroon (episode 6) causing them to tumble on top of each other in a ‘Broke Back Mountain’ kind of way. Angel waited patiently, jumping on his line ready to go when suddenly he was tapped on his shoulder...

“So, vee meet again..” came an unmistakable voice next to him. Angel turned to see Herr Hoffman in all his German military splendor complete with jack boots, trench coat and a pointy helmet. “ It’s you, the German spy!” Pointed Angel.

“Nien”, came the reply, “ I am zee Englishman unt I have zee ginger hairs and spotty face to prove it.”

“I’ll beat you once and for all” announced Angel proudly.

“But first you must vin ze race” laughed Herr Hoffman as a loyal member of the Hoffman youth (episode 8) came running up to hand over the baton before turning to stamp on Angel’s foot. Angel hopped around like a kangaroo until Perfect Peter appeared to slap the baton in his hand saying, “chop chop old man, don’t let Jerry win the day”. Angel launched himself down the track in pursuit of the German.

Yet Herr Hoffman, with his jack boot studded heels digging into the bend, manage to keep ahead of Angel and led down the last 100 metres. Angel attempted to pull shoulder to shoulder but the German ruthlessly threw salami sausages and sauerkraut from his pockets causing Angel to slip and slide losing ground. With only 10 metres to go all seemed lost with Herr Hoffman already victoriously waving to the crowd.

When, in a split second, the little old lady acting as a steward flung off her blazer to reveal her nun’s habit and looked up to the sky to ask for forgiveness before sticking her foot out and tripping the German. Herr Hoffman fell flat like a pancake, squashing his salami and spraying sauerkraut everywhere.

Angel shot passed on the outside to the elation and standing ovation of the stadium. The humiliated and discredited Herr Hoffman shamefully slid off into the crowd secretly pursued by not one but a number of fist pumping nuns.

Angel, unaware, was held aloft by the people of Chelmsford, the Mexicans, Texans, fighting Irish and even the Chosen 12 of the Women Against Suppression rowing team - all coming together to cheer their new hero. It was a wonderful feeling to be the centre of everyone’s attention... Angel looked up to see Helen staring down at him: “Best take it easy” she said, “you have had a bang on the head”. John was there to help Angel to a seated position.

“How you managed to jump out of the way of the speeding car I’ll never know” he said. As Angel’s eyes focused, he noticed the gathering crowd that surrounded him as he lay on the payment outside 221½ Moulsham street and it all slowly came back to him, the speeding red sports car , the red post box and even the skid mark from episode one. Angel shook his head and said: “Are you telling me this was all a dream?” then in frustration he looked up to the sky towards the author and shouted, “A dream!! Can’t you write a better ending than that!?”

Suddenly the building shock and the ground rumbled. A split appeared in the road which continued to open as an earthquake ripped a chasm across the tarmac. John and Helen managed to get safely to one side but Angel still in a daze, slid into the hole save a finger tip grip that kept him hanging on the edge of the cliff, he was going to fall to his certain death when suddenly…

If you are interested in advertising in our magazines please email ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk

Page 16

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The club runs regular childrenʼs classes with DBS (CRB) checked instructors and has a regular Judo class for those wishing to cross-train.

The clubʼs head coach, Alain Guerra Pozo, is a Black Belt Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor and practitioner with over 18 yearsʼ experience. He is a regular competitor in the sport and has coached a number of athletes who have been successful in competitions at both national and international levels.

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With special guests LITTLE DONKEY GUD HELEN CONNELLY LANTER OF BADDS LOUISE PARKER FRIDAY FEBRUARY 20TH 2015 7.30PM-11PM (Doors open 7.30PM First act 8pm) Tickets £4 Advance tickets from theatre box office CRAMPHORN THEATRE FAIRFIELD ROAD CM1 1JG

Page 17 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

CT History

‘In 1930 the first five cars in the Le Mans

24 hour race were fitted with Hoffmann ball bearings’ (The early days of the Hoffmann Company in Chelmsford - Part 1) by Stephen Norris ,There is little to remind the people of Chelmsford of the existence emphasised that the firm was still dependent for some time on the of the Hoffmann Company in the new city, apart from a blue plaque on the one remaining original building - but during the Second World War the firm employed 10,000 workers in the town.

A ball bearing is an engineering term which refers to a type of roller bearing which uses balls to separate the moving parts of the bearing.

In the later part of the nineteenth century two cousins, Charles and Geoffrey Barrett, were trying to make steel balls for use in the bicycles they were manufacturing at their foundry at the Barbican.

R Barrett and Sons had been in business since 1720. It is probable that the Christy Company in Broomfield had already played a role in a new company owned by the Barrett’s (Westminster Engineering) coming to Chelmsford: Christy’s certainly did, in getting the company established at Springfield Wharf in the early 1890s. The Barretts founded the Preston Davis Ball Bearing Company as the subsidiary to Westminster Engineering. The cousins found however that they couldn’t make accurate balls in any reasonable quantity. Using their lathes, a little snag of metal was always left on the ball which had to be removed, leaving a ball which was not completely round.

Geoffrey Foster Barrett had left school at 15 and taken an electrical engineering course at Crystal Palace. He was apprenticed to a firm of electrical engineers travelling extensively for them home and abroad, in charge of erection and repair work mainly in a coal mining plant, when his cousin Charles Arthur asked him to join him at his two Chelmsford companies.

The Barretts heard of a Swiss American engineer, Ernst Hoffmann, who, working in the US, had developed a lathe which didn’t leave the little piece of metal on the ball. The cousins persuaded him to come to London and bring his patent with him. With Hoffmann, the Barretts formed the Hoffmann Manufacturing Company in 1898. It had the substantial capital of £100,000. They then submitted plans to Chelmsford Borough Council to develop four acres of land at the corner of Rectory Lane and New Street near Bishops Hall. At this time it was opposite the Chelmsford Cricket ground. More importantly, from Hoffmann’s point view, the initial site was surrounded by vast acres of empty land. The original main building, a single storey construction, was completed in 1899. This only carried back 256 feet which gave a floor space of 64,000 square feet. Additions started in 1906 and continued every year until 1914. In time all the spare land was used, as the company eventually engulfed the mill on the River Chelmer in a little over two decades. Another crucial key to its successful location was its proximity to the railway line and a siding was quickly established. This was essential, because huge amounts of metal and coal were needed.

The Barretts quarrelled with Hoffmann and he left the company, they bought him out in 1903. He was described by the board of the company as ‘a very impracticable inventor type’. According to them, he was only interested in further perfecting his patents rather than the urgent matter of making the machines to manufacture the ball bearings. Workers remembered him as a kindly man. He lived for a time in Baddow and also at Dovedale House in Moulsham. MH Cobbold, the firm’s publicity manager in the 1960s, gave Ernst Hoffmann credit however for undertaking the detailed responsibility for the layout of the factory. Cobbold published letters written by Hoffmann to a number of suppliers of steel tubes which reveal him to be not just an absent minded inventor.

Of more use to the Barretts was Otto Schmidt, a practical and very able engineer. Schmidt happened to read an article which described an American, Christian Hill’s, method of grinding spheres and which said that the patent on this method were about to run out.

GF Barrett was sent to America in 1901 to buy the patents, which he successfully managed to do. According to Cobbold, it was these patents, rather than those of Hoffmann, on which the success of the company was founded according to the Barretts. Cobbold however

Hoffmann methods of turning the balls. Initially however production was confined to the Hoffmann Combined Free Wheel and Back Pedalling Cycle Hub. They manufactured a penny in the slot machine under the name of the Sweetmeat Automatic Company. This company also launched an automatic photographic machine, which consisted of a flashlight, sensitised plates and the necessary developing and fixing media; the whole process was completely automatic.

Production of these machines was switched from the Barbican to Chelmsford in order to fill the gap before the machines for producing ball bearings were ready. The money to pay the workers had apparently run out when GF Barrett had to return to London to obtain the necessary cash! After the strain of the situation apparently took its toll on CA Barrett, he had a breakdown, retired from the board and was absent for 15 months. The buying out of Hoffmann proved to be a turning point in the company’s growth. Hoffmann’s new board consisted of J Ashby, Chairman, GF Barrett, PC Low and HF Knight.

The first works manager, FW Witte, had arrived in May 1898 from the Hoffman Machine Company in New York. He brought with him Hugo Witte, a brother, who later became foreman of the turret or Nearing Turning Department and E Detert, who was the first foreman of the Ball Turning Department. According to the Barretts, FW Witte did much to counteract the impracticable schemes of Hoffmann and was responsible for much of the progress in bearing production. He left in 1906 to start a ball bearing factory in Leipzig. Witte was succeeded

by WB Mair, who had previously been the chief draughtsman. Mair was responsible for the development of the Hoffmann roller bearing.

In 1913 CA Barrett suffered a second breakdown from which he failed to recover and he passed away in 1916. PC Low and GF Barrett as joint managing directors led the firm through the difficult war years.

The Hoffman Company certainly benefitted from developing its improved product at the right time. Although the cycling craze had somewhat abated, motor cars were beginning to be bought in significant numbers and these of course used a variety of ball bearings. In addition, the first experiments with flight were taking place. By 1902 the company had started producing steel balls with a mirror finish. These were designed to be accurate to within 1/10,000 of an inch. Roller bearings, which were later to become a large part of production, were beginning to be produced around 1903.

During 1907 it had a stand at the first International Motor Vehicles and Motor Boat Exhibition at Olympia and was already supplying Austin and other motor vehicle manufacturers. Rolls Royce won the Tourist Trophy race of 1906 with a car fitted throughout with Hoffmann bearings The early de Havilland aircraft of 1910 used Hoffman bearings, for which the company received favourable comments.

The expansion of the company was inexorable. After starting in 1898 with 10 workers, in 1906 it employed 308; by 1914 this had risen to 1,800. Such was the wartime increase in demand for roller bearings that by 1921, 4,750 people were employed at the Chelmsford works.

Its capital rose from £100,000 in 1898 to £300,000 in 1911 and £700,000 in 1923.

Before the company was producing anything, it kept an employment register: this starts on the 6th July 1898. The register had a very basic layout featuring the name and address of who was engaged, when they were engaged, when they left and why, their occupation and sometimes other remarks. It is very revealing about the company’s early years before the war. In the first few months when the first works were being built, small numbers of carpenters, painters and general labourers were employed. When equipment was being installed fitters and pattern makers were taken on. All these were paid on daily rates. A fitter for example was paid 7d a day. 1900 saw the first ‘wiremen’ (electricians) employed. Christy’s played a

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prominent role in lighting the factory.

The register shows that from the start the Barretts were hard taskmasters. For example, a fitter, taken on in October 1898, was let go two months later because he was too slow. In contrast, a Mr Harvey of 23 Mildmay Road - a pattern maker - was transferred to permanent staff some months after being employed. Out of three taken on in February 1899, two didn’t last more than a month because they were ‘not satisfactory’. Some workers didn’t last a week. It was rare for workers to leave of their own accord. Relations between employees and the acceptance of authority were seen as important. The firm was often blunt about the reasons for workers leaving. When production was getting going in the early 1900s there was a steady flow of workers departing because they were ‘lazy’.

A milling hand, who was a union man, left supposedly because he objected to working on the machines. Indeed the term ‘union man’ was used on a regular basis in reference to why a worker left and it was obviously an issue with the company. In February 1901 a grinder left and the comment was ‘not enough grinding work, a union man’.

The previous November saw the company’s first apprentice taken on.

In September 1900 an apprentice from Great Waltham, who had only joined in July, left because ‘he wanted to learn a trade and receive high wages at the same time’. After a few years workers started leaving of their own accord. This was, almost certainly, because their skills in the engineering industry became more transferable in the local area with the expansion of the other works.

Despite the firm’s initial anti-union stance it was increasingly forced to negotiate with unions before the First World War. After a small stoppage in 1910 over a new piece rate system, which led to a works committee being set up, there was a much more serious one in 1913. It revolved around the demand for a pay increase of 1/2d per hour because the men’s leader, Tyrell Smith, argued of the increase in the cost of living in the town. After two weeks the strikers asked the local MP, Pretyman, to mediate and as a result 306 machine attendants and labourers had their minimum rate raised to 5d an hour based on a 55 hour week.

MH Cobbold, in his history of the company, said that in the early days of the company, local people tended to regard the firm as an inferior place to work compared with the other two big firms. Fathers tended to advise their sons to go to Crompton’s or Marconi rather than Hoffmann’s. This prejudice tended to ebb away after the first decade.

A reporter from the Essex Chronicle was shown around the works in 1910 by B Mair, the works manager. Close on 1,400 men were turning out one and half million ball bearings a day. “12 years ago the factory was driven by a steam engine. Today there is an immense power house containing two 300hp dynamos in addition to others of lesser power. Another 300hp dynamo is likely to be added. This electric machinery also supplies the lighting. Outside the power house there is a large collection of retorts for the manufacture of gas. Hoffmann is quite self contained and does everything for itself.” The reporter crossed a line of rails directly connected to the GER. Oil was used to keep knives and the bars cool and reduced friction which would have damaged the tools. One shop had a drilling machine which was invented by various members of the staff. It was supposed to be the fastest machine of its kind in the world at the time. Turning lathes produced rings of steel which would eventually become the ball bearings. Semi-automatic and automatic machinery made the rings into the required shape. “Every department has a testing department. Up to date appliances ascertain the trueness of the articles.” They were then put into an oven: carbonisation gave the balls greater wearing properties. A polish then followed. The balls then went to the assembling department where the various parts were put together. Lastly, blemishes were looked for in the “condemned cell”. The biggest ball bearing was three and a half inches in diameter. The smallest was 1/32nd of an inch. Later the biggest was four inches and the smallest 1/64th of an inch. Every ball was guaranteed to 1/10,000 of an inch standard.

(Stephen Norris is the author of From A Borough To A City: A History Of Chelmsford 1888 - 2012. If you want a signed copy of this 600 page book for £14 please leave your contact details at fromaboroughtoacity@outlook.com). Part two next issue.

John Power - Saxon Royal Burial Ground

In the previous City Times, John Power wrote about some interesting local archaeological sites not previously mentioned. These included a Saxon royal burial in Broomfield near what was to become Saxon Way after the excavation in 1894. It was recently discovered that of the grave artefacts deposited in the British Museum only two were still on display, while the rest had been mothballed into a British Museum archive. The matter was raised with the Friends of the Chelmsford and Essex Museum committee, and Museum Curator Nick Wickenden has said that if Lottery Funding can be gained for the necessary stringent security measures, the grave goods could be out on loan to Chelmsford in a couple of years. There is a councillor of the City Council in favour of the idea.

20%

Off

All dry cleaning

John has exhausted most of his enthusiasms in local history topics CT and is happy to pass on the baton to Stephen Norris in the City Times, but will continue to write in the Moulsham Times throughout 2015.

We at Chelmsford The City Times would like to thank John for all his articles over the last 16 issues.

Next Issue Deadlines

CT

CT

Content 27th February Art work 5th March Page 19

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Hypnotherapy by Jenny Hartill

In this month’s article I’m going to tackle the issue of regression. Many people believe that regression in hypnosis causes the person to go back to being a child so they react and sound as they did at a certain point in their childhood. This is not the case. Direct regression is a more interactive form of therapy where the therapist guides the client to a point where an Initial sensitising event took place. Regression therapy is most commonly used as part of hypnoanalysis, and as I have discussed hypnoanalysis in recent articles, I thought it appropriate to discuss regression therapy.

When using regression therapy the client is hypnotised and taken back to an initial sensitising event, they are then encouraged to talk about this event and the therapist can question the client accordingly. In cases of Compound Cumulative Trauma (discussed 3 articles back) associations can be made by guiding the client through their life looking at similarities of cognition, behaviour and anxiety levels.

Abreactions often occur when the client makes associations on their own. Abreaction is a term we use in therapy to describe the expression and release of a previously repressed emotion. They are responses to different thoughts and are generally liberating in the long term. Different people will show different types of abreaction and as a therapist I’ve had to become accustomed to each type.

Not all people will have an abreaction and it’s not essential to have one to come to terms with a repressed memory. Abreactions manifest in different ways, from crying and flinging their arms around dramatically, to hardly even changing their appearance save for a single tear or a slight grimace. One type is not better or more productive than the others. Some people may become childlike and need assurance or security - this is a result of an abreaction not because they’ve been regressed to a specific age though. It is also possible for an abreaction to happen after the session, even in the form of a dream - for example the client may have a nightmare. This is all completely normal and simply a sign that the client has released their repressed emotions. Whatever way a client abreacts, I was always taught in training to be prepared for everything. You have to be strong; a client’s expression of emotion is a normal occurrence and should be expected and dealt with accordingly. All the abreactions I have seen so far usually involve crying, although I have had clients randomly start muttering and I’ve seen some very interesting facial expressions I can tell you!!!

When using regression therapy I always ensure the client has had some form of ‘practice’ with hypnosis first. This is because the client needs to be completely relaxed and able to ‘let go’ in order for the hypnotic state to be deep enough to perform regression therapy. Also the client must be completely comfortable with me as their therapist in order to be in the best state of mind (comfortable and secure enough) to respond. Resistance can also be a problem, especially if the client suffers from anxiety, but again practice and building report with the client will solve this issue.

Clients are often worried that they will remember more than they can handle or uncover things best left uncovered. This is always a risk with regression therapy, but the subconscious is there to protect us and can still do this even when we are hypnotised. Generally the subconscious will protect us from anything we cannot handle. Also, you absolutely WILL NOT tell the therapist anything you do not want them to know. You are always in complete control, if you don’t want to go there you won’t! When using regression therapy there is no guarantee that the road will be easy for the client as retrieving this type of information (for example, information based on negative experiences) is going to be painful, however with the help of a good therapist the road to understanding and acceptance is made easier.

The key to good regression therapy is to ensure the therapist doesn’t inadvertently suggest anything to the client that may not be true. This is more likely to happen with regression therapy than with other types of hypnotic therapy such as free association because the client has more interaction with the therapist. Questions should not contain anything that could possibly lead the client into creating a memory that has been adjusted or made up to enable the client to please the therapist or help them accept their behaviours. This does not always occur - clients in hypnosis may disagree with questions that seem leading in nature. As I said previously - if you don’t want to go there you won’t!

There are many ways to regress clients and as always it is essential to use the right screed for the client. I would use an appropriate PMR and deepener, get the client to their ‘special place’ where they can relax and then I could use any of the following: • Corridors or tunnels of time leading from the client’s special place or house • Attics full of old memories and photos • Libraries of memories • Travelling back in time in some sort of vehicle • Going through a garden and down steps • Looking at reflections in a pool or stream • Steps back in time • A room with many doors leading to various memories My personal favourite that I use most often in regression therapy is to take the client to a room of many doors. Behind each door is a memory, each door has a unique design, I ask the client to examine the doors for a while to give their subconscious mind time to decide which memories will be relevant to which doors as sometimes the doors themselves can take on a life of their own.

For example, my client may choose a door that looks particularly familiar and when they go through it there may be an identical or very similar door inside the memory. The subconscious likes to link things - it’s how we create habits, memories, and good instincts and intuition about people and situations. It is very useful to concentrate on some sort of ‘time travelling’ when using regression therapy. The attic is also a very useful metaphor because the subconscious can be creative.

If anyone would like any further info or has any enquiries about hypnotherapy or counseling, please see my website www. counsellinginchelmsford.co.uk.

If you are interested in advertising in any of our publications please call 07970 206682 or email ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk Chelmsford The City Times Moulsham Times Braintree Life

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While talking with musician friends of mine, it was mentioned that noone has ever done an Essex-only musician Blues festival. That started me thinking with putting on monthly blues events at that Bassment in Chelmsford. Then there is my three day Blues in the City festival which this year is going to from Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th October and as normal will be all over Chelmsford with the Saturday night at the Chelmsford Social Club. I cannot believe it is five years since I started it. I already have the line-up booked and acts contacting me every day from around the world asking to play. I am thrilled with the line-up, which has Robbie McIntosh as the headline act. Robbie has played with - and been part of - bands for many of the greats, including Paul McCartney, The Pretenders, Norah Jones, John Mayer, Talk Talk and currently Tom Jones and Mark Knopfler as well as many others. So you know he has to be one of the best guitarists there is - and he is.

As ever, the festival is a not-for-profit event, so all the profits raised this year are going to the Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary in Ingatestone as they need £440,000 a year to look after the animals in their care. There will more about them and the festival as the months go by.

to put on eighteen acts over twelve hours on two stages. It is going to be non-stop with an acoustic stage where the artists will play a thirty minute set. On the band stage, artists will play for forty five minutes, apart from the headliner acts who will both play longer. On the day there will be great fresh pizzas as well with Woodleys trailer parked up for the whole festival. Entry will be by ticket and you will be supplied with a wrist band allowing you in and out on the day. The cost is only £10 in advance and if any tickets are left, £12 on the day.

Again, see the advert for the line up and where to buy tickets. Do not forget our monthly events as well that are only £5 entry, with all the money going to those who play. The next night will be on Wednesday 18th March with the great Rag Mama Rag and Booga Red. This is a superb warm-up to the Essex Delta Blues Day, as both these acts originate from Essex as well.

So we hope to see you there supporting great live music in our city. To find out more about Blues in the City go to www.bluesinthecity.co.uk and www.facebook.com/bluesinthecitychelmsford.

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Back to the Essex blues event; I thought about it and am now putting on the very first Essex Delta Blues festival on Saturday 21st March at the Bassment, so tickets are limited and selling fast. See the advert in this magazine for details. I have, some might say, madly decided Page 21 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Finding Your Own Paleo Code

by Keith Porter Hands up if this sounds like you: You start a new training regime or diet, go gung-ho into it and then gradually lose your enthusiasm until you’re back to where you started?

Anyone? Ah, yes. Most of you. Me too.

And yet we all keep doing it, despite the fact that we’ve all been down this road before and failed. Finally, I’ve come to the realisation that there is a better way; a more sustainable way. That is to not seek perfection when it comes to a new way of eating or training, but to roll with the punches when they come, and find your own way of doing it your own code of what’s an acceptable deviation from your new path.

Let me give you a personal example. It’s my mum’s birthday later on this month and at some point, a birthday cake will be wheeled out.

Now, my own rules on this are already established. As a real-food eater, I avoid cakes that have been made with grains, sugar and ingredients I can’t pronounce. This pretty much rules out any cake bought in a shop by the way. So the rule is this: if I’m offered a cake

that’s been bought in a shop, I politely decline. I know it won’t make me feel good. However, if someone has gone to a lot of effort to make the cake, even if it has ingredients in it that I wouldn’t normally eat, I’ll have a slice. For me, that’s an acceptable deviation which fits with how I want to be socially.

Critically, I don’t use this as an excuse to eat more rubbish food.

When I’m working with clients on the nutritional side of things, we have a golden rule: ‘make the next meal awesome’. It nips the downward spiral in the bud.

When I first discovered the primal diet (which led to Paleo, then real-food, then to my own version), I was super-strict and didn’t eat anything ‘off-plan’. But, when I did go off-plan and succumb to temptation I felt guilty - ridiculously guilty. Now that I have my own code in place, the guilt doesn’t come; the deviations are all part of the bigger picture, and are there to be enjoyed.

To find out about personal training, Paleo nutrition, or to ask me a question, drop me a line at keith@liveasimplelife.co.uk, or find us online at facebook.com/livesimple.

#SelfLovePlanUnderway by Kellie Jones

Happy February everyone, can you tell I’m feeling better? Well I can tell you myself that I’m feeling amazing and with no wish to ever go back, the #SelfLovePlan is here to stay!!! Meditation, juicing and cooking lovely food have given me the energy to get back on my yoga mat and nail those hand-stands once and for all!

Giving myself the headspace through meditation, I began to realise my own patterns of behaviour and seemingly viable excuses were causing my own dark cloud of dissatisfaction and lack of motivation.

I was horrified when I heard what I had been saying to my own lovely self, ‘I can’t be bothered to cook for you’, ‘It’s boring cooking for you’, ‘It’s no fun cooking for one’. What if I said that to you, how would that feel?

This time last year I just stopped wanting to be in my house, I was heartbroken when my beautiful 16yr old cat, Sweep, died in my arms and I’d had enough of living with an unfriendly lodger. So I just stayed out, which meant eating out and way too much coffee and wine.

Eventually things improved and the lodger left and 2 beautiful kittens arrived in my life, but the habits stayed and as I began to wind down emotionally the physical crash came. Being someone who is always fit and well, this really scared me. So with an enlightened love for myself I have found ways of cancelling out those habits for good.

in for the first monday of every month and I took some of my classes off the schedule to allow me time for my own practise.

I’m planning on having my best body ever by attending Ashtanga and Rocket yoga and my fitness levels are on the up with the addition of a cardio jumpboard for our amazing Pilates Reformer machine. I also survived a 3-day juice detox that I road tested and I’ll be telling you more about that next month...

Finally this month, we have 2 very different workshops happening.

The first on the 18th is Yoga Nidra combined with a Gong Bath, a deep guided relaxation led by Vikki Stevenson, followed by a sound healing journey using gongs and crystal bowls with Clive Beale. Then, if it’s beautiful arms and abs you’re after, Jodie Merrick’s Come Fly With Me workshop is on the 25th teaching you how to connect with your core and take flight with some powerful arm balances! See you on the mat soon!

So what did I do? Well every week I sit in Ellie’s house for our weekly meeting and she cooks lovely fresh food for me with fruit and vegetables that she has delivered from the local greengrocers.

Suddenly it dawned on me that I could have a box delivered too! Then Book yourself in here: www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk with the excitement of a mystery box of food I google the ingredients and pick a recipe, not boring and definitely more fun. I invite friends Follow us here: www.facebook.com/HummingbirdPilatesYoga@ round to share the food with me where possible and when it’s not, HummingbirdPY I share my cooking experiments with all my followers on Instagram!

This makes me make an effort to make my food look tempting too.

See my food here: http://instagram.com/kelliejones07 As I continue to meditate daily, I am more focussed and organised, creating time for me to care for myself. I have a massage booked Page 22 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

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

Euros Success for Chelmsford Team Chelmsford’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athletes swapped the cold and rain for a healthy dose of sunshine in Lisbon a couple of weeks ago when several Carlson Gracie Essex club members competed in the European Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championship - one of the largest and most prestigious and challenging competitions of its type, attracting over 3,400 competitors. The event attracts world-renowned athletes and the Carlson Gracie Essex team was well represented by its members from both Chelmsford and Colchester.

the week and welcomes anyone wishing to train, whether it is to build on existing experience or to try the sport for the first time. The club is truly diverse in that it attracts men and women of all ages and abilities and also has dedicated children’s classes, run by DBS checked and child protection qualified instructors.

Visit us at: Chelmsford City Martial Arts, Unit 21 & 22, Waterhouse Business Centre, 2 Cromar Way, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 2QEX.

Jolie Boyle won bronze in her division and Alistair Tweed won silver in both his weight category and silver in the absolute category after a tough set of matches. Alistair, who turned 50 in September, started training in 2007. “I have a great set of instructors and great team mates. My motto is to love training more than my opponents - it doesn’t mean I will win, but over time, I guess I am more likely to succeed”, he says.

Alain Pozo, the club’s chief instructor and black belt, comments: “the club is proud of its athletes, but we don’t insist on team members competing. It is all about setting personal challenges”.

As a sport, BJJ is challenging both physically and mentally, but it is adaptable to peoples individual skills and age. It is also especially useful for women, who are able to use technique to control bigger and stronger opponents - a real life skill, if there ever was one!

“The club is a place to train, get fit, challenge yourself, de-stress and meet new people from all walks of life” says Robert Simpson, who runs the club with Alain and has had his fair share of competition experience both in BJJ, in which he brought back a silver medal from the World Masters in LA in September last year, and in Judo, in which he is a black belt and qualified instructor.

Carlson Gracie Essex at Chelmsford BJJ runs regular classes during Page 23 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Pom Poms by Sarah from Blooming Felt One of the crafty things I remember making when I was small were wool pom poms.

Do you remember making them? You would cut out 2 rings from cardboard (usually an old cereal packet), find a load of old wool that your nan had given you to play with (nans used to do things like that - do they still do it now?) and very patiently spend ages wrapping it round and round the cardboard rings. Then you’d have to get your mum to cut through the wool because the only scissors you were allowed were those metal things with round tips that didn’t cut a sheet of paper, let alone yourself or some wool, and then tie the whole lot up with another piece of wool, take the cardboard rings off without bending or ripping them so that you could use them again and then - ta-dah!!!! If you were lucky, your pom pom stayed together and you’d attach it to your school bag or pencil case. If you weren’t, it fell apart and you had millions of bits of snipped wool all over the floor!

Well, pom poms have had a bit of a resurgence of late. Queen of Craft(!), Kirstie Allsopp, decided to use pom poms to decorate Christmas presents the year before last and since then, the craft world seems to have gone a little bit pom pom crazy.

them to your shoes or make a pom pom tree (like we did|).

You can even make fluffy little animals! There are books on the subject - the best one I’ve found is called Adventures in Pompom Land. You can check-out our Pinterest Board (www. pinterest.com/bloomingfelt) which is called... POMPOMS (funnily enough), where you’ll find hundreds of different projects. If you need to buy a pom pom maker (because let’s face it, who doesn’t need a pom pom maker?), we stock them on our website, www. bloomingfelt.co.uk.

Thankfully, making pom poms has become a whole lot easier with the invention of proper pom pom making tools (who knew there would be such a thing all those years ago!?) They’re made from plastic, are available in different shapes and sizes and can be used over and over again.

Unfortunately we don’t stock round-ended metal scissors, so you’ll have to look elsewhere for those - sorry!

Sarah x

These days, pom poms aren’t just for decorating your school bag or pencil case. You can use them to jazz up your gift-wrapping (like Kirstie), attach

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Campaigners in Chelmsford Call to Support Fairtrade Fortnight 2015 (23 February - 8 March) Chelmsford City Fairtrade Campaign is calling on the local community to support Fairtrade Fortnight 2015 and bring about positive change for millions of farmers and workers in developing countries.

In 2015 Fairtrade Fortnight will be on a mission to ask shoppers and businesses to choose products that change lives. Campaigners across Chelmsford will join forces with the rest of the country to remind everyone of the dramatic difference Fairtrade makes and why it is still needed.

Chelmsford was awarded Fairtrade City status in 2005 and Fairtrade supporters will have a stall in the High Street on 7th March to promote their activities. Other community groups, including Trinity Methodists and Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society, will be organising events. Following Fairtrade Fortnight a quiz evening will be held on 14th March at St Andrew’s Church Hall, Melbourne Avenue.

Malcolm Wallace from Chelmsford City Fairtrade Campaign said: “over the past 20 years, Fairtrade has paved the way for fairer and ethical trading but there is still a long way to go as trade isn’t working for the poorest farmers in the global south.

“It is easy to get behind Fairtrade Fortnight 2015 and we hope as many residents in Chelmsford as possible will join us by holding or participating in their own events. Every Fairtrade choice counts for farmers and workers, as well as their families and communities.”

70% of the world’s food is produced by 500 million smallholder farmers yet many of them remain trapped in chronic poverty while shoppers enjoy the fruits of their labour. Fairtrade ensures farmers across the developing world receive a fairer price for their work, as well as an additional Fairtrade Premium, used by farmers and workers to invest in their communities. The community then decides what the premium is spent on - whether that’s building a new school or hospital or investing in better environmental business practices.

Adam Gardner, Fairtrade Foundation’s Communities Campaigns Manager, said: “the UK has one of the most powerful networks of Fairtrade campaigners in the world, raising awareness about Fairtrade values in their communities and driving positive change for smallholder farmers and their families, in developing countries.

It is thanks to the support of groups like Chelmsford City Fairtrade Campaign that currently more than 1.4 million farmers and workers around the world benefit from the Fairtrade system.

“In 2015, we want to see more individuals and businesses buying and selling Fairtrade products in the UK. The more that people choose Fairtrade, the more farmers and workers will be empowered to improve their lives through the better terms of trade it offers.”

Fairtrade Fortnight is the highlight of the year for Fairtrade campaigners up and down the country. From 23rd February - 8th March, thousands of events will be held to amplify the campaign in many of Fairtrade’s network of 600 Fairtrade Towns, 1350 Fairtrade Schools and 170 Fairtrade Universities and 7,500 Fairtrade Faith Groups.

01245 471690 www.bloomingfelt.co.uk

D’Ukes embark on their Red & Black tour

One of the country’s top ukulele bands, Chelmsford based D’Ukes, are embarking on a 10 date tour of the south east, starting at Witham Public Hall on Saturday 7th March. Formed out of a jam session at the Orange Tree pub run by band leader Dave Warren, D’Ukes have helped take the little ukulele to new heights of popularity over the past five years. They perform a wide range of tunes by artistes as diverse as Kylie Minogue, Beethoven and Deep Purple using only the four stringed ukes, plus percussion and a rich layer of singing and vocal harmonies.

The band have performed at many theatres and clubs across the south of the UK, including sell out shows at the local Cramphorn Theatre, where they will be returning on 30th May. In 2013 they visited Prague to headline the first ever Czech Republic ukulele festival with artistes from all round the world performing on the same stage.

D’Ukes are no strangers to television either, having been recruited by Big Brother to appear on the show and perform for the housemates.

A more recent appearance on Come Dine With Me saw the band entertaining the guests, much to their surprise.

With concerts coming up at Southend’s Maritime Room (24th April), Queens Theatre, Hornchuch (17th May) and Colchester Arts Centre (13th June), there are plenty You can find out more about Fairtrade Fortnight and how of opportunities for you to go and see the band in action. Visit their to get involved in your local area, at www.fairtrade.org.uk/ website www.d-ukes.co.uk. fortnight or maljan9@gmail.com.

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CT Wildlife Corner by nick Green

Chelmsford town centre has a population of feral pigeons which seem to thrive on all the scraps of food left about by the human population.

A male peregrine falcon on 21st January must have caused some chaos when it powered through town at roof top level and headed south down Moulsham Street!! This bird has probably been seen recently in nearby Boreham and Writtle by other observers.

The lake in Central Park can normally be relied on to see such species as canada geese, coot, moorhen and mallards. black-headed gulls are usually present at this time of year looking for the next bread donation!

The RSPB recent garden birdwatch over 24th-25th January weekend was productive in my Chelmsford garden with 2 dunnocks, 3 collared doves, 2 blue tits, 2 great tits, 2 blackbirds and best of all, 5 longtailed tits. The bird table certainly helps!

Keep an eye on local rivers as kingfishers are being seen regularly of late. Kingfishers are widespread in Essex, favouring mainly the upper reaches of rivers, but they also favour gravel-pits, reservoirs, streams and fleets. The population can suffer badly in bad winters with sub-zero temperatures icing up rivers, however, the population can soon recover with the ability to raise up to four broods and seven young. During winter, adults tend to remain on territory unless moved on by ice. Your attention may be first drawn to a kingfisher by its dog whistle like call as it flies past, when you will see its bright blue rump.

A perched bird is stunning with its orange underparts contrasting with turquoise upperparts and blue rump and red legs.

I have seen the odd bee in my Chelmsford garden in the mild spells in January!

Biber in Chelmsford

Coming soon to KEGS! Grab your tickets early, Biber is coming to the City in March and what’s more he’s going to be sharing a show with Vivaldi. Who needs V-Fest when you can have Baroque Biber?

Leading local choir Waltham Singers have an exhilarating program of Baroque musical treats up their choral sleeves for their next concert.

If your mental image of classical music is slow and ponderous then now’s time for a rethink. During the Baroque period, wealthy patrons spent fortunes on their musicians and literally hundreds of composers created some of the most colourful and vibrant music you can hear. Whilst the likes of Mozart, Bach and Handel grabbed the

Wivenhoe Kingfisher by Glyn Evans In the countryside, the hares are starting to become more obvious as spring approaches. It’s good too see also snowdrops and the first daffodil shoots pushing through Forthcoming Chelmsford wildlife club events include: RSPB - Chelmsford and Central Essex Group http://www.rspb.org. uk/groups/chelmsford - Essex Birdwatching Society www.ebws.org.uk website has all details.

Essex Wildlife Trust - Chelmsford Group www.essexwt.org.uk/get-involved/local-groups/chelmsford. headlines, wonderful music was also plentiful from other sources.

In Chelmsford you will hear some sensational Vivaldi, but also a beautiful Requiem by Heinrich Biber, considered the father of the violin. Last but by no means least will be a dynamic work by Bohemian, Jan Dismas Zelenka, whose music was only recently rediscovered having been hidden from the world since the 17th Century. It promises to be fast, exciting and an opportunity to see and support high quality music locally. Come and join us.

The choir will be accompanied by masters of Baroque, the Meridian Sinfonia. The concert will be held at 7.30pm on 14 March 2015 at King Edward Grammar School in Chelmsford. For tickets please call Kate on 07808584826 or see walthamsingers.org.uk.

Local Art Collective Happen Hosts Stage New Exhibition at Ale House, Chelmsford - 14-26 February Art collective, Happen Hosts, will be launching an exciting new exhibition at The Ale House. Intended to promote the exceptional work of local artists in a unique setting, ‘IN KEEPING’ will run from 14th-26th February, with an opening night on 13th February starting at 6.30pm.

The initiative will be supported and sponsored by local digital marketing agency Freelance SEO Essex.

Co-curator, James Torble, introduces the collective and explains the concept behind the event, which is set to be the first of many in Essex: “We are Happen Hosts, founded to make things happen in Chelmsford and add our voice to the growing art community in Essex.

“We don’t believe that art can only happen in the confines of a gallery. That’s why we’ve teamed up with The Ale House to catch the commuters and pundits sipping their evening pint and bring art to them. With burgeoning locals and hand-picked contributors

from every stretch of England, ‘IN KEEPING’ aims to promote new discussions in amongst your favourite pub chat.”

As part of ‘IN KEEPING’, Happen Hosts are putting on the following events throughout February: • Monday 16th February - Drink and Draw: the much loved quick-fire sketching rally is back in 2015 with a vengeance. Open to all abilities.

• Sunday 22nd February - Pub Quiz: don’t expect your average, but do expect props. Participants will be pitting their wits against some of art school’s brightest minds... how hard can it be?

• DATE TBC - The Artist’s Round: exhibition talk. Firstsite Colchester’s Associate Artist James Torble will lead a discussion based around the exhibition and works on display, plus there will be a unique opportunity to meet some of the artists involved.

Find Happen Hosts’ limited edition, customised beer mats dotted around all good establishments. Sign up to their mailing list to pick up a handcrafted round - on the house - on the opening night.

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Find out the latest with ECM! Essex Community Messaging (ECM) has been launched to give Essex residents a chance to receive up to date information on crime incidents and crime prevention advice via email, text or voice message. This information comes directly from Essex Police officers, Essex Watch liaison officers and other partners, including Neighbourhood Watch.

Free of charge and specifically designed for Essex, the messaging system is jointly funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner and money seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act. ECM gives you the option to select the information that you want to receive, including issues that you might have a particular interest in. This is used to make you aware of crime trends where you live, advice on issues happening in your area, and encouraging you and your neighbours to report suspicious activity to us.

Interested? Please sign up to ECM on www.essexcommunitymessaging.org.

Presents

175 Years of Essex Police!

2015 marks 175 years of policing in Essex - watch this space for news and events on how we’re going to celebrate this amazing milestone!

dating from 1840 to today?

Did you know that Essex Police has a museum with a varied collection

Our aim is to preserve the history of Essex Police and provide our visitors with a friendly and educational service, with information on how Essex Police has developed to become what it is today.

Many people have contact with the police when they are either a victim or the culprit of crime. The Museum gives the public an opportunity to discover more about the police and what they do, in a relaxed atmosphere.

Why not step back in time and see for yourself? Please visit www.essex.police. uk/museum, or telephone 01245 457150 to find out what’s on over the coming months.

If you are interested in helping to sponsor the 5th Blues in the City Festival from 2nd to 4th Oct 2015 contact Nick on 07970 206682 or info@ bluesinthecity. co.uk for more information.

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CT CHARITY -

Art exhibition brings Chelmsford library to life

For a limited time only, Chelmsford library is showcasing the artwork of customers from Chelmsford Wellbeing & Activity Centre, to engage the senses and to warm the hearts of the local community.

Each piece offers a sensory experience, with use of different materials to take you on a journey beyond what you see, creating an interactive display. Tom Gatehouse, Team Leader, explains: “we have such a wide range of abilities among our customers and we believe that through the medium of art, they are able to communicate their thoughts and feelings. Art is extremely powerful and it’s a wonderful opportunity for our customers to communicate and to show off their capabilities to the Chelmsford community.”

The exhibition is open until the end of February and is free to visit.

Chelmsford Wellbeing & Activity Centre supports adults with a range of learning disabilities providing the opportunity to participate in goal orientated activities and to access the local community. The focal point of the centre being it’s large arts and craft area, the staff also work with customers to develop communication skills such as Makaton signing, practical skills for within the home and to encourage social interaction.

West Sussex County Council, the contract will run for three years from October 2012. This was another major achievement for the company as it was the first time a LATC in the adult social care field in the United Kingdom was awarded a contract out of county.

Essex Cares has 1000 employees working across the following services; Wellbeing & Activity Centres, Work Based Training and Supported Employment, Reablement, Regaining Independence Service, Equipment Service, Sensory Service and Outreach.

In January 2014 Essex Cares opened the first Wellbeing & Activity Hub. The Hub @ Harlow had undergone an extensive refurbishment and now offers many of Essex Cares services under one roof and is being used by local groups as an integral part of the community.

Essex Cares has over 40 Wellbeing & Activity Centres across Essex, providing individuals with the opportunity to take part in engaging, beneficial activities throughout the day to help promote individual wellbeing, independence and community involvement.

For more information please contact Nicola Gorsuch on 03330 130059 or at nicola.gorsuch@essexcares.org.

Essex Cares is a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC), which was set up by Essex County Council in July 2009. Essex Cares was the first LATC for the provision of adult social services in the country involving the transfer of services and staff from a local council. From 42 locations across the county, Essex Cares delivers services to over 115,000 people each year.

In July 2012 Essex Cares was awarded the reablement contract from

We require more local charities to feature for this coming year in all of our magazines. If you would like to be featured please send up to 800 words and a photo/logo or both and we will do our best to feature you. Please email editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

Chinese New Year 2015 is the Chinese year of the goat - so why not follow the herd to Anglia Ruskin University to join the celebrations?

On Saturday 28th February, the Chelmsford campus will be a riot of colour to commemorate the Chinese New Year. Highlights include a Chinese lion dance performance, stilt-walkers in costume and music and dance displays.

Anglia Ruskin is launching a new professional practice, Masters in Acupuncture. In conjunction with this, a new community clinic will be offering visitors the chance to experience the benefits of Chinese medicine.

Try your hand at Chinese crafts including calligraphy, origami, Chinese lantern-making and mask-making. Those looking for something more high-energy can learn tai chi and kung fu. Ever wanted to learn Mandarin? Masterclasses will be running, as well as a Chinese tea ceremony and a chopstick challenge.

Displays will include acupuncture, Tuina (Chinese massage) and Qi Gong, an ancient health practice that focuses on aligning body, breath and mind. Enjoy the spectacular demonstrations of Chinese ribbon and fan dancing and take the opportunity to have a go yourself.

The day will also include traditional family activities such as henna hand painting, balloon modelling and face painting.

Rachel Moss, Community Engagement Officer at Anglia Ruskin, said: “we take great pride in celebrating different cultures within our truly international university and we are looking forward to inviting the people of Chelmsford to sample some exciting and interesting cultural activities.

“We hope to see as many people as possible on campus to enjoy the performances, demonstrations and workshops - and it’s all free of charge.”

The event will take place from 10am until 2pm. Booking is not necessary. For more information, visit www.anglia.ac.uk/ communityengagement.

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Stargazing With Mark Willis - February/March 2015 Solar Eclipse - 80% total -- Friday March 20.

It’s a long time to wait for a 100% total solar eclipse that’s visible in the UK - it’s on Saturday September 23rd, 2090. (Saturday, great!

Won’t need time off from work!). However, we need only wait until Friday March 20th this year for an 80% total solar eclipse.

Start of partial eclipse: Maximum eclipse: End of partial eclipse:

08:24 (UT) 09:30 (UT) 10:40 (UT)

At this time of the year the above times are the same as local time.

WARNING! Never look at the sun directly and never through an unprotected scope or binoculars. It can result in blindness. Take a look at this site and get some advice on keeping safe. www.solareclipse2015.org.uk/viewing-the-eclipse Nice line up of planets dancing around The Moon.

Before the eclipse (February 22nd onwards), look west just after sunset. You’ll see venus, mars and The Moon very close together. It’s always nice to see these. Seeing Venus, which is an inner planet to us and also Mars, which is further away from The Sun, reminds us of how amazing the night sky is. They occupy the same space in the sky and yet they are millions of miles apart!

March 20th will be a new moon, which means that if the skies are clear then it’s a fantastic time to get out your telescope, see through someone else’s or look through some binoculars. Jupiter, the Orion Nebula, Venus and Mars will be visible that night.

Any questions? e-mail or Twitter me.

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

Web: Twitter: e-mail:

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

National President of Rotary Impressed by Local Projects Peter King, President of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland, made his official visit to Essex last week and was extremely complimentary about what he saw.

Day one was centred in Chelmsford, beginning with a visit to Baddow Hall Junior School which has a thriving Rotakids club. This is the youngest part of the Rotary family catering for children 7-11 years old. The enthusiastic youngsters welcomed the president and District Governor Stan Keller and showed off their latest project - Spectacular Spectacles which involved collecting old glasses and sending them to Africa.

After this the official party moved on to the Marconi Sports & Social Club, which is the meeting venue for both Chelmsford and Chelmsford Mildmay Rotary Clubs. Members gave a presentation on two international projects. Firstly, Computers for Tanzania where old computers are collected, cleansed of data and then sent to schools in Tanzania. The second was support for schools in Sahiwal, Pakistan providing new toilets and classroom equipment. Both of these projects are previous winners of the District Trophy for Best International Project.

With still no let-up in the hectic schedule, the next step was at Thriftwood College which caters for young people with learning difficulties. This has been a tremendous project and Rotary has donated around £70,000 which has been used to purchase kitchen, music and gym equipment. Another cheque for just over £1000 was presented to school principal Sally Davies, which will go towards the school library.

There was just time for a brief rest before heading off for a dinner in a Chelmsford hotel. This was a terrific occasion with no less than nineteen Rotary clubs being represented. Besides short speeches from President Peter King and District Governor Stan Keller, the two Global Scholars currently studying in Essex gave presentations.

Abigail Tibbetts from Tyler, Texas and Jonathan Porter from Toronto spoke of their background and how Rotary is helping them to further their careers and how this in turn will enable them to make a contribution to the community. Truly, Rotary is a global organisation making a difference in so many ways.

Tired but extremely happy, the President and his wife, Di, retired to bed ready for the following day’s busy programme which was focussed on the South of the District. They remarked that the visit to District 1240 was one of the best they had experienced, seeing so many varied projects and meeting so many club Rotarians who all gave them such a warm welcome.

You don’t need to be the national President to find a welcome at a Rotary club. To find out more about what Rotary does and how to join visit www.rotary1240.org or phone me on 01245 260349.

Regards Stan Keller

The next stage of a packed itinerary saw the entourage entertained by the ecdp (formerly the Essex Coalition of Disabled People) where he was told about the wonderful work being done there and what further plans could be established with Rotary’s support.

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