Chelmsford the City Times February/March 2016

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Fling Festival returns Saturday 2nd July!

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

Issue Number 20: 19th February - 17th March 2016

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CT Welcome Hello readers

The evenings are getting lighter and it’s not too long until the clocks change - spring is on its way!

This month, The Fling and 3foot People festivals have been confirmed more information in the coming issues.

We hope you enjoy our magazine this month - look out for the feature on Great Baddow in this month’s edition on pages 16, 17 and 18.

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

Advertising Nick Garner 07970 206682 ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk

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

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Page 3

CT Fashion - Date Dressing Valentine’s Day may have been and gone and you may either be secretly relieved, or you may love a bit of romance. Whatever your feelings about Feb 14th are, date night dressing can be a bit of a challenge for both sexes. With the popularity of shows like First Dates and The Undateables, we all have one thing in common; wanting to make a good impression. But how do you get date dressing right whether it’s your first date, you’ve been married for years, or you are single again and dating? Even if you are happily single and regularly meet up with your mates, what do you wear for a day or evening out?

This edition, I will be concentrating on the guys and next time around I will be focusing on date dressing for women.

Read my tips on finding inspiration, what not to wear, and male grooming. You will also find some great outfit combinations (all high street) for every kind of date.

Outfit Ideas for Men Daytime Date or Relaxed Evening Date

Date Dressing Tips for Him

1. Double check the location of your date if someone else is deciding for you. Are you going bowling, to the theatre, a restaurant or maybe a walk (with pub lunch thrown in)?

If it’s bowling for example, then go for a relaxed look that’s easy to move in (see left - brunch date). Do you need a waterproof coat or a small umbrella or a warm jacket? If you are going to be out for a while, be prepared! If you are you going to a club, are they ok with trainers? Some places, believe it or not, still require you to wear a tie, so just check out the details.

2. Wash your hair or even have a haircut. If you have a beard, trim it so it’s neat, you want to channel Ryan Gosling not Grizzly Adams.

If you are clean shaven, then shave and moisturize. Deal with any nose or ear hair, you can buy trimmers specifically for this job. Don’t use tweezers (ouch!), if you are worried about doing it yourself, visit the barber.

3. Even if you are casually dressed, make sure you are smart, check everything is washed and ironed. Joggers and scruffy jeans are definitely out, as are scruffy trainers or scuffed shoes, women always check out what a man is wearing on his feet, so polish or invest in a new pair of shoes or trainers. If you are wearing white trainers and they are a little dirty, try baby wipes to get them looking new again.

Outdoor Date

4. Check out male celebrities for inspiration, looking at photos of celebs like Becks and Bradley Cooper, or anyone that you think looks good, can really help - just copy their look with something similar from the high street. You can also get inspiration from websites like Oliver Spencer and Mr Porter, they are great sites for trends and looks.

5. Save the comedy for over the dinner table, don’t wear it! Those Bart Simpson socks, or that Minion t-shirt, just leave them in your drawer...

Brunch Date

Emma Smith lives in Chelmsford and is a style consultant. She offers personal shopping and wardrobe planning. You can contact her via her website: www.emmasmith.co.uk, or by email at emma@ emmasmith.co.uk.

Photographs: Daytime Date Jumper, jacket, jeans, boots - all Topman

Evening Date

Outdoor Date Jumper - Topman, coat - M&S, jeans - Next, scarf & boots Debenhams.

Brunch Date Polo shirt - M&S, jeans - Next, jacket - M&S, trainers - Topman.

Evening Date Shirt - Debenhams, trousers - Topman, coat, scarf & boots Debenhams.

March/April Issue Deadlines: Artwork - 10th March Articles - 4th March Page 4

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Get In! City Camps, Skills Clinics and Active Fun Chelmsford City Council run an exciting and extensive holiday programme for children aged 18 months to 16 years, including Get In! City Camps, Skills Clinics and Active Fun.

half day (£15 standard) and £25 (£30 standard) for the whole day.

The children receive City Camp passports where they earn stamps for every camp they attend plus extras for shining stars such as friendship, sportsmanship, excellence, courage, respect, determination, inspiration and creativity. This helps them to work towards getting City Camp branded gifts such as a pen, pencil case, frisbee, bag, water bottle, arena cup, yo-yo, t-shirt, baseball cap, lunch box and much more! They can also try to be crowned the Best at Camp (receiving a medal and certificate) - plus there’s also Scraggy’s birthday club.

Dates and activities vary depending on centre. Please check the website for more information: www.chelmsford.gov.uk/getin.

Get In! City Camps are fun, creative and active multi-activity camps run during Essex County Council school holiday periods and are ideal for working parents. They are now run across six venues - the council’s four leisure centres (Riverside Ice and Leisure, Chelmsford Sport and Athletics Centre, Dovedale Sports Centre & South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre) plus Hylands Estate and Chelmsford Museums. Prices start from just £25 per day!

Mini City Camps are for children aged 4 to 7 years and City Camps for those 8 to 12 years. The camp programme provides half days (9am 12.30pm) or whole day (9am - 5pm) sessions with the option to ‘add on’ the early club (8am - 9am) and late club (5pm - 6pm). Activities include ice skating, swimming, athletics, gymnastics, badminton, go-karting, orienteering, nature trails, soft play, trampolining, dance, parkour, cricket and much more! Early bird bookings are £12.50 for a www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 5

Music by Nick Garner The year has kicked off with a bang and the first Blues in the City night with Ramon Goose and Martin McNeill was just amazing. It’s been a long time since I have seen Ramon and I’d forgotten how good he is - and when coupled with Martin, the pair just blow you away.

We held our first full night at Chelmsford City Football Club with the Rollin’ Clones, who were not only fantastic musically, but were also very funny and knew how to ham it up. The audience loved them and we had a good house and lots of people dancing to all the great classic hits. We will be getting them back again, that’s for sure, as we know they enjoyed it as well.

so we hope to see lots of our old and new friends there having a great time. The album is being well received by the public and media and we love it and hope you do as well.

If you are a budding musician or just love to get a chance to play, remember that there are a variety of open mics, jams and blues jams taking place across Chelmsford. Try The Bassment on the first Thursday of every month or the Blues Jam at the Start and Garter every Sunday afternoon into early evening. There is also a Jam and open mic at the Woolpack on the last Sunday of each month and there is a great open mic and the Ale House have from 4pm on the third Sunday of each month and Irish music jam and on the fourth Sunday a Blues Jam from 4pm. These are just some that we know about, if there are more please let us know by emailing editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk.

The Rollin’ Clones at Chelmsford City FC We have a special coming up this month on Sunday 28th February, with the great Benny Gallagher of Gallagher and Lyle. This will be in form of an evening with, where Benny will play and sing the hits and also tell us lots of stories from his 50 years in show business and it is certainly a fascinating life he has had so far. Tickets must be purchased in advance as we are serving a three course meal for the event so need to know numbers for catering purposes.

We are now booking the year up and are getting some great acts for you to enjoy, so keep and eye out for who is on and when. The information can be found on www.itsyourmusic.co.uk or on our Facebook page (bluesinthecitychelmsford) and in our publications.

Also confirmed is our stage at this year’s Fling Festival on Saturday 2nd July and we are lining some fantastic artists for you. More will follow about this in the coming issues.

Blues in the City has a busy time ahead as well with my regular Wednesday nights, and on Saturday 12th March I am putting on the 2nd Essex Delta Blues Day at The Bassment again with 18 acts playing on two stages non-stop from noon to midnight. I think it’s a great line-up - see the poster for full details of all the acts and where to get your tickets.

For our regular monthly on Wednesday the 16th March, we have the Mighty Boss Cats who are supported by Big Joe Bone, so in a way this is a double header I would say, and great value at just £5 entry.

It’s only February and I am almost booked up for the Blues in the City Festival 6, which this year is from Friday 30th September to Sunday 2nd October, and again we are donating all the profits to the Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary. If you are interested in helping to sponsor the festival, then please contact me through the magazine - my contact details are on page three.

Our band, Jamie Williams and the Roots Collective, are on our Live ‘n’ Kickin’ at the Brasenose Arms album launch tour and on Saturday 28th February we will be playing at the Ale House as usual. It will be party time and we have plenty of new songs for you to enjoy as well,

Suzi Quatro at Bassment Blues Jam There is much more going on throughout Chelmsford at all the other venues too - you can find out what is on and where in our events listings. If you know of anything happening that we don’t, we want to know about it please!

As always, please keep supporting live music in our city as without you we will lose it and we don’t want that do we. www.bluesinthecity.co.uk, facebook.com/bluesinthecitychelmsford and Twitter: @BluesintheCity1. www.itsyourmusic.co.uk, facebook.com/itsyourmusic and Twitter: @itsyourmusic.

Page 6

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Local Food Survey We are hoping at some point this year, with the help of Transition Chelmsford, to set up a food assembly system at the Ideas Hub where you will be able to order and collect boxes of food from local suppliers. Before we start, we need to assess if there is an interest or a demand for buying local food and we would really appreciate your input.

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The Ideas Hub is making good progress on its refurbishment. For all you budding artists, we would like to offer Ideas Hub chairs as a canvas for your expression. Feel free to style, paint, and decorate your wooden chair of choice.

The only house rules are: One chair per artist and the finishing layer must be waterproof/washable.

The Ideas Hub provides space for an occasion (birthday, anniversary etc). If you are looking for a space, for example to hold a party, the Ideas Hub can be rented for £75 (3 hours) on Sundays.

Ideas Hub Chelmsford, 1-4 Market square, Chelmsford (opposite Chelmsford indoor market).

Chelmsfords Only 3D Printer - RAPIT My name is Ray Hurd. About three years ago I discovered 3D printing at an exhibition I attended. I came home having fallen in love with 3D printing. It was not long before I bought a 3D printer in kit form to build myself. Why in kit form? because I could foresee I would learn a lot by putting together all the parts. The printer is known as the FDM (Filament Deposition Modelling).

Why not read my book available on Amazon called 3D Printing - What Is It? You can find it by searching ‘Raymond Hurd’ or ring me 01245 466 023.

There are many other types of 3D printers around the world, which for example print human tissue, metals and food as well as many other things.

I was already considering how 3D printing could apply to me and could certainly see some exciting possibilities - manufacturing things to sell on eBay for example, There seemed an endless range of possibilities.

It took me quite a while to build my first machine, in fact several months, but this period included learning a lot about 3D printing in general to the point where I decided to write some books on the subject. Eventually I finished building the machine and was delighted to get it working. The thrill of watching something being created in front of my eyes was a totally new experience. Over the last few years, I have built quite a few machines and also sold a few. I gave up doing that because that challenge had been satisfied. I now enjoy modelling and 3D printing parts for individuals and trade to provide prototypes for (perhaps) a new design.

As far as I know, I am the first 3D printer offering printed parts in Chelmsford. If someone thinks of a new idea and can draw a sketch of it and send it to me I would be pleased to make a plastic part of it. I now have three printers so I can usually give a quick delivery.

One example could be a part which is no longer available. Ideal to replace a broken part around the house or a new thing that you have invented and would like to see it held in your hand. Any work I do for trade clients or any individual is treated in the strictest confidence. I am also at times available for lectures on 3D printing.

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Page 7

forget to winter prune a few CT Gardening by Tom Cole Don’t favorites before bud-burst in the spring!

This is a perfect time of the year to tidy up hard standing surfaces such as patios or graveled areas. With gravel, I just rake through debris and cut the likes of Santolina chamaecyparissus (cotton lavender) back to the edge, leaving an outward facing shoot to clamber along the surface. Sometimes this low growing plant layers itself. Any rooted sections that come away are used to plug gaps further along the gravel pathway. I tend not to use any chemical products, but do top the gravel up every now and again. Also I’m not so keen to remove all the vegetation growing in it. I’ve allowed hardy geraniums and grasses to take root, but I do tend to thin these out from one year to the next, especially Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass), as it can take over!

Once paths and surfaces are cleaned through, its worth topdressing planted containers with fresh potting compost. make sure that for lime haters, such as blueberries and Azalea species, ericaceous compost is used. For a little weight and improved anchorage I tend to use John Innes as my tried and tested friend, as plants always seem to respond well.

Just take the top 5cm (2”) of compost away and replenish with your newly purchased composts. Add the older scrapping’s to surrounding beds and borders.

01245 422712 / 07711 606561 www.highwoodlandscapes.co.uk • Trees • Pruning • Hedge Trimming • Roots Removed • Topping • Rotovating • Turfing • Fencing • Garden Design • Decking • Patios • Block Paving • Drives • Tar & Shingle Property Maintenance • Roofing • Chimney Repairs • Building Work • Flat roofs • Guttering • Fascias & Soffits

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I’ve got to finish off the wisteria and Japanese quince. The aim of winter pruning is to encourage flowering spurs to develop. This is achieved by shortening the sub-lateral shoots back to four buds. These four buds will develop into flower panicles in the spring. Dead, diseased and damaged wood should also be removed.

In March I’ll top-dress with a general purposed slow-release fertiliser

such as fish, blood and bone to boost all plants that are in beds, borders and containers - read the rates carefully. I tend to go for a rate of 3550g/m² and then lightly incorporate it into the top surface of soil, being careful not to agitate any bulbs just emerging.

Lastly, if you have a spare moment and want to discuss courses with the team at Writtle College, we have an information event on Wednesday 24th February 2016 (6 - 7.30pm).

These are ideal for those looking to study a college-level course including post-GCSE, certificates, diplomas and apprenticeships or want a specific short course such as pruning or fruit and veg growing.

If, however, you are looking to study at either degree (undergraduate) or masters (postgraduate) levels this coming September, then pop along to a Writtle Experience Day, Wednesday 17th February 2016 (8.45am - 4pm).

Good luck and happy gardening!

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

Unit 1, The Paddocks, Highwood, Chelmsford, CM1 3PU Page 8 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

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Page 9

CT Cooking by John Jacobs

Have we gotten over the January blues yet? Never quite understood that. One of those ridiculous time-centric invectives designed primarily to remind us it’s an awfully long time between December the 24th and the next pay day. I have. I exercised through it. Regular readers will be surprised by that. I’m not prone to gratuitous and foolhardy bouts of preventable exertion, nevertheless, as the Jacobs’ personal renaissance splutters forward like a Mondeo on a cold morning, I went to the gym. Older readers among you will recall the scene from The Omen when young Damien, resplendent with his mark of The Beast, is driven to Sunday service for the first time. Much has been my reaction to the prospect of walking into a modern day temple designed for the spiritual honing of beautiful bodies. I need not have worried.

Accompanying me is my friend and neighbour, Geoff. A man so physically well constructed, people, cars and small buildings get out of his way as we make our way onto the training floor, parting like a red sea of sweaty Adidas hot pants. Are there too many biblical references here? That’s a revelation. Ha! Much like altering one’s diet for the sake of longevity, attending a gym should be done gradually. Fortunately, young Geoff was sympathetic to my years of physical inactivity and eased me into a gradual routine whilst all the time hiding his inner monologue that said: “This may seem gentle, but in forty eight hours you’re going to need a complex mechanical exoskeleton and full time carer to put your socks on...” Even so, I’ve altered my diet and begun this year four stone lighter.

I’m no martyr to health and fitness. At one point I had considered the easy option of surgically vacuuming my BMI into manageable numbers and made enquiries at the Tangier Cosmetic Clinic and Falafel Bar, North Africa, tempted as I was by their marketing promise of a free electric fan with every procedure. Exercise and a better diet seemed cheaper, and less fatal.

You may also be in the throes of a new and better you. January does that to us. No cigarettes, cutting back on the booze, just the one slice of bacon with your tiramisu on toast. I wish you all well with that. I am indeed a happier man for it. To help you along, this month’s recipe is a flavoursome substitute to tofu and mineral water. Dieting is bad enough, but there’s no point in giving up great food. Have a fantastic month Chelmsford. See you all at Park Run. STUFFED AUBERGINES WITH LAMB AND MOZZARELLA Feeds 2.

2 aubergines sliced in half lengthways dash of olive oil (not the good stuff) 1 red onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves crushed garlic 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (sounds weird, but this really brings out the flavour of beef) 200g lean minced beef (you can buy 5% fat mince from most supermarkets) 400g canned chopped tomatoes 200g mozzarella, grated 1. Preheat oven to 180C. Cut 2 of the aubergines in half lengthways and using a small knife or soup spoon, scoop out the centre of the aubergines leaving a 1cm thick shell. Place the shells in a roasting dish lined with baking paper. Chop the scooped out part and add this to your stuffing mix.

2. Fry the onion with the garlic, add the seasoning and cinnamon.

Remove from the pan and set to one side.

3. In the same pan, brown the minced beef and then add back the onion and garlic.

4. Add the tomatoes and 100ml water and bring to the boil. Turn to a simmer and cook with a lid on for 20 minutes. Take the lid off, give it a stir and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently. Taste for seasoning.

5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared aubergine halves and bake for 30 minutes, then top with mozzarella and bake for a further 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Chelmsford Counselling & Therapy Centre www.chelmsfordcounsellingcentre.co.uk

Contact us for any of the following services:

Counselling (age 16 and over) Everyday Mindfulness 1-1 Course Midday Mindfulness and MBCT Self help group for sexual abuse victims Visit our website for further information or call us on 07840 772 729

Page 10 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Longer Days by Simon Tippler of roundtowerbrewery.co.uk

As the days start to get longer and Dry January is just a distant memory, pubs start to get busier after the slow period of January and February.

By the time this goes to print the Chelmsford and Mid Essex CAMRA Winter Beer & Cider Festival will be in full swing. It is a great opportunity to try lots of different beers from local breweries such as Round Tower (incidentally we will be celebrating our 3rd birthday at the Winter Beer Festival). In fact, there are beers available from 18 breweries in Essex, some of which are rarely seen in Chelmsford. There is also the option to try beer from breweries from further afield. Of particular note are Cloudwater from Manchester, Siren in Berkshire and Thornbridge in Derbyshire.

Also to celebrate our 3rd birthday, we will be launching our bottles of #100 8.9% imperial stout. They will be available, alongside a cask, in The Hop Shop on Moulsham Street. So make sure you keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter so that you can be among the first to get your hands on some of the limited release of 100 bottles.

Also on the horizon are the start of beer festivals based in pubs. The Woolpack in Mildmay Road always puts on a fantastic festival over the Easter weekend as does The Ale House. Or if you fancy travelling a bit further afield, then the Mersea Island Vineyard have their annual festival.

Look out for more pub festivals over the coming months and into the summer.

Charity Boxing Match for Local Disabled Girl On March 19th at Evoke Nightclub Chelmsford, boxers from Lions Boxing and Fitness will be competing on the Fight-For.com show to raise funds for Amber.

Amber is an 8 year old little girl who has a rare chromosome disorder called Phelan McDermid syndrome.

Having this syndrome means she has no speech and severely low muscle tone, which results in her being unable to walk or crawl - she needs help with every part of daily living. Amber has no independence and needs 24 hour care for the rest of her life.

Despite all of her troubles she is a happy and determined little girl. In the last few months, Amber has amazed her family - with the help of a special walker, which keeps her upright, she has been able to take a few steps.

With the help from fundraising this will enable her family to pay for specialist physiotherapy and equipment to help them reach their ultimate goal - their special little girl being able to walk independently.

We aim to raise at least £5,000 to support her care and ongoing treatments.

If you want a great night out and help support a local cause then we look forward to seeing you.

Tickets are available on the door or in advance from Scott (07912 857 671) for only £28 and £35 for VIP. www.lionsboxinggym.com www.gofundme.com/fightingforAMBER

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 11

What’s On In Chelmsford

February Friday 19th Asylum - Snide + Antibodies + Slutdrop + Drop This Bassment - Changing Seasons + Wax Colour Cramphorn - Undiscovered Semi Final Heat 1 Fleece - Scooby Kegs - Winter Beer Festival Star & Garter - Bare Wire Saturday 20th Asylum - The Marksmen + Stage Frite + Spring Yard Bassment - Saturday’s Alright For Dancin’ CCFC Home: Chelmsford City v Margate Civic - Dillie Keane Cramphorn - Undiscovered Semi Final Heat 2 Fleece - Red Leaf Hyde Hall - Family Scarecrow Making Weekend Kegs - Winter Beer Festival Star & Garter - Indiscreet Three Elms - Seafood Night! (6 - 9pm) Sunday 21st Cramphorn - Bassett Star & Garter - Open mic Monday 22nd CCFC Home: Chelmsford City v Bishops Stortford Wednesday 24th Bassment - Rock ‘n’ Roll Bingo Civic - The ELO Experience Cramphorn - Lunchtime concert The Hub - Chelmsford and Maldon Friends of the Earth monthly meeting (7.30pm) Thursday 25th Asylum - Battle of the Bands Heat 1: Breaking Illusion + State of the Art + Friends Like These Baddow Tandoori - The Rat Pack aka Tony James.

Bassment - Americana Night: Dan Raza Band + Cold Norton + The Lion Inn - The Comedy Club Chelmsford The Southern Generals Friday 26th Asylum - Bearfist + Wychhound + AffluenzA + Buried By The Thousand Bassment - Norman Jay (MBE) + Stretch Soul Gang (live) + Rubber Soul DJs Chelmsford City FC - Sportsman’s Evening with Alan Mullery Fleece - Charlie’s Aunt Star & Garter - Andy Robinson Band Saturday 27th Asylum - The Lemoncurd Kids + Jez Kemp + Alex Fox Alehouse - Jamie Williams & The Roots Collective Bassment - Drama Llamas + The Disney Guy + The Kid Genius CCFC Away: Weston Super Mare v Chelmsford City Civic - Brian Conley: Alive and Dangerous County Hotel - Murder on the Gallops at The County Hotel Cramphorn - Wilde Without the Boy Fleece - The Earnshaws Star & Garter - Broadway Clash Three Elms - Steak night (6 - 9pm) Sunday 28th Chelmsford City FC - An Evening with Benny Gallagher Page 12

Sunday 28th continued...

Greenwoods - Wedding Open Day at Greenwoods Star & Garter - Open mic Monday 29th Three Elms - Quiz night Tuesday 1st Civic - Legally Blonde Wednesday 2nd Asylum - Battle of the Bands Heat 2: Standing Like Statues + Lights Out + Playground Bassment - Jazz Funk with Marc Cecil (drums) Champions Manor Hall - The origins of Essex as a diocese and Chelmsford as its cathedral (01245 321518) Civic - Legally Blonde Cramphorn - Lunchtime concert Thursday 3rd Bassment - Bassment Blues Jam Civic - Legally Blonde Fleece - Quiz night Friday 4th Asylum - Maplerun + Dean Wallace + State of Decay Bassment - Shakey’s Sessions: Echo Town + Tom Peplow Band + Louise Parker Civic - Legally Blonde Cramphorn - Annual Museum Lecture Star & Garter - VT11 Saturday 5th Asylum - Acoustic afternoon Asylum - The Franklys + The Baskervilles Bassment - New Town Kings Camera World - Fujifilm In Store Demo Day: New product including the long awaited X-Pro2. Come along and see all the latest products and talk to the experts from Fujifilm.

CCFC Away: Truro City v Chelmsford City Civic - Legally Blonde Sandford Mill - Sandford Mill Ghost Hunt Star & Garter - Strongbox Sunday 6th Civic - Tell Me On A Sunday Cramphorn - Chelmsford Jazz Club Star & Garter - Open mic Woolpack - GC’s Jazz Club: With guest, Richard Exall (saxophone) & Sam Edwards Trio (free, 8.30pm) Tuesday 8th Civic - The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter Wednesday 9th Asylum - Battle of the Bands heat 3: Penny Antics + The Insolvents + First Order Bassment - Live Indie Rock Civic - The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter Cramphorn - Lunchtime concert Thursday 10th Asylum - Matt Calderbank + Fish Slice + Cheryl C Hemmings + Aimee Heloise Bassment - Acoustic Night: Elie Rees + Amy Westney & friends Civic - Stewart Frances - Pun Gent Essex Police Museum - The Police Dog - Blues and 2s

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

Thursday 10th continued...

Fleece - Quiz night Stone Bridge - Chillings tales of Chelmsford: A tour of the city describing the more unpleasant side of its history (7pm) Star & Garter - Mojo Man Friday 11th Asylum - Facelesss Dolls + Hate Vessel Bassment - Rowntree Records Presents Cramphorn - Arabian Nights… and Days Star & Garter - Adrenelin Saturday 12th Asylum - Brightlight City + Glad He’s Dead + Sick as Funk Bassment - Essex Delta Blues Day CCFC Home: Chelmsford City v Maidenhead United Chinery’s Southend - Undiscovered Final Kegs - Waltham Singers - Spring concert (7.30pm) Salvation Army Hall - Chelmsford’s Got Talent 2016 Star & Garter - The Lucetas Three Elms - Celebrate National Pie Week with Homemade Wholesome Pies!

Sunday 13th Industrial Heritage walk: Covers the rich and varied industrial past of the city. Starts at the end of Hall Street (2pm) Star & Garter - Open mic Tuesday 15th Cramphorn - Bugsy Malone Wednesday 16th Asylum - Battle of the Bands heat 4: Settle for Less + The Horse Heads + Castaway Bassment - Blues In The City: The Mighty Bosscats + Big Joe Bone Civic - The Sleeping Beauty Cramphorn - Bugsy Malone Cramphorn - Lunchtime concert Thursday 17th Asylum - Station to Station Bassment - 808 Studio Presents Civic - The Sleeping Beauty Cramphorn - Bugsy Malone Fleece - Quiz night Friday 18th Asylum - Kaine + Core of iO + Goat Monsoon + Blessing of the Torchbearer Bassment - Mother’s Jam with Minerva Falls + Settle For Less + The Horse Heads + Revolve Civic - The Sleeping Beauty Cramphorn - Bugsy Malone Star & Garter - The Stents Saturday 19th Asylum - Loose Joints + The Electric Shakes + Distorted DJs Bassment - Saturday’s Alright For Dancin’ CCFC Home: Chelmsford City v Eastbourne Borough Chelmsford City FC - Class of ‘76 + Headline Maniacs Civic - The Sleeping Beauty Cramphorn - Bugsy Malone Star & Garter - Solar 9 Sunday 20th Civic - M&G Concert: Northern Chamber Orchestra Cramphorn - Spartacus Stone Bridge - Uncover the hidden historical gems around the city (2pm) Star & Garter - Open mic

Star & Garter Live music every weekend (See listings for gigs)

Real Ale Hand Pull Ciders Free Wifi Free Pool on Monday’s www.facebook.com/star.garter.792

Happy Hour Monday - Friday 5-8pm 159 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford CM2 0LD 01245 600009

Please send us your events for the next edition (for events between 18th March and 15th April) to: editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

1 wh 0% o e f 3kg n you f pro of bilt buy o d this uct w ng adv ith ert

Open to the public and the trade

Authentic South African Biltong, Droewors, Boerewors & Other Groceries Sold in the UK

www.mrbiltong.co.uk

Open Tue - Fri - 9.30am - 4.30pm Sat - 9am-3pm Unit 7F Reeds Farm Estate, Roxwell Road, Writtle, CM1 3ST, 01245 421232

People are Looking for Your Business Online!

A staggering 85% of people today look online to find the local businesses they require.

Does your business have that essential web presence?

At thebestofchelmsford we give local businesses another platform in order to show the community how good they are. One great way we do this is to encourage our businesses to ask for testimonials. A lot of businesses do not realise how powerful these can be. A regular flow of good fresh reviews can significantly enhance your ranking in search engines.

This year we will be carrying on with and revisiting the businesses that supported our Buy Local campaign. We want to know how you are marketing your business and see if we can help you raise your profile locally. We really are passionate about Chelmsford, the community and its great businesses.

Do you have a favourite local business that shines out from the rest?

If you do we want to hear about them. All the businesses featured on thebestof have been recommended by local people just like you.

We would like you to get in touch with us by visiting our website at www.thebestof.co.uk/chelmsford or by giving us a call on 01245 701020.

By Tom Bosher of thebestofchelmsford

Page 14 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Focus on Great Baddow The urban village of Great Baddow is south of Chelmsford and stretches from the Army and Navy roundabout to Galleywood Road and out towards Sandon.

With a population of around 13,000, it is one of the largest villages in the country.

The village has been known as Great Baddow since the late 1100s. Some say the name was derived from the River Beadwan, now the Chelmer, others say it was originally Baduven, so it is not all that clear. I don’t know where the ‘great’ came from, but I guess we should be grateful that we did not follow Little Baddow and call it Big Baddow, not quite the same ring to that I think you would agree... The main street, Maldon Road, was a frequent route for journeys from London to Maldon in horse drawn transport days.

Mothers Day Lunch & Dinner 6th March 2016 £29.95 per head, £15.00 for under 10s Lunch served from 12 noon till 2pm and dinner from 5pm Plus a 10% Suggested Gratuity on the Final Bill

Greek Night 31st March 2016 £27.95 per head Plus a 10% Suggested Gratuity on the Final Bill

St Mary’s Church stands in the centre of the old village and it is thought to be over 900 years old.

Close to the church is The Vineyards Shopping Centre. Originally it was the site of a fine Georgian house and later became a hotel, which was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the shopping centre which retained the name.

As well as the shops and restaurants in the of the Vineyards, there are three pubs and a number other shops, restaurants and small businesses close by in the surrounding roads. The range of shops includes hairdressers, food shops, a chemist, a charity shop (where the window is always presented very well), a bespoke tailor, a fishing and gun shop and Essex Carpets housed in a splendid old building near by. Just up the road is the Bringy with it’s specialist shops and showrooms. It is serviced by a several bus routes. At one time it had it’s own brewery, but this has been converted to commercial outlets.

There is also a library.

I have lived in Great Baddow for 35 years and my first experience of the centre was the day we moved in. There were delays in getting access and we did not get the key until late afternoon, and on entering the house we realised that the kind vendors had taken all the light bulbs! Along came the Vineyards to save the day.

There are several car parks in the vicinity, including two adjacent to the shopping centre where you can park free for up to two hours.

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Page 15

Business Focus

House of Flowers Flowers and gifts for all occasions

• Weddings • Funerals • Birthdays • Corporate • Gifts

Don’t forget Mother’s Day 6th March

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13 Maldon Road, Great Baddow, CM2 7DW

GREAT BADDOW BARBERS SHOP TRADITIONAL AND MODERN ENGLISH HAIRCUTTING

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£8.00 £6.00 £6.50 £11.00 £13.00 £11.50 £6.00 £7.00 £3.50 £4.50

Opening Hours Monday to Wednesday 8.30pm to 5.30pm Thursday 10am to 7.00pm Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm Saturday 8.00am to 4.00pm 11 MALDON ROAD, GREAT BADDOW, CM2 7DW

www.greatbaddowbarbershop.co.uk

01245 476975 Congratulations

Specialised card shop, helium balloons, party lines and gifts. We now have in house facilities for printing on to mugs, tea light holders and money boxes personalised with names, text and photos from digital devices while you wait, only £9.99 including gift bag .

6b The Vineyards, Great Baddow, CM2 7QS 01245 477045 Open Mon to Sat 9am to 5pm

Great Baddow Barbers is in Maldon Road adjacent to the Vineyards.

The owner explained that he had worked in Colchester in the family barber shop when he decided to go out on his own. On visiting the village he decided that it was an ideal location for a barbers, with parking in the lay-by outside. He explained that Baddow has a great reputation for it’s local shops, so people come from other areas to shop at the Vineyards.

Next door is the House of Flowers owned for more than ten years by Debbie. She previously had a shop in Chelmer Village before moving to Baddow. Flowers are delivered from Holland three times a week and this ensures that flowers are always fresh, which is good for Debbie because she knows that the quality of her products is paramount.

In the same parade of shops is Anthony’s Kitchens. Chatting to Anthony, he explained Arthur Anthony Kitchens Ltd is an official dealer of Stonehams fine furniture which holds the royal warrant and he was recently invited to Buckingham Palace. You are welcome to come along to our showroom in Great Baddow where we can show our range of handmade, for 150 years, British produced bespoke kitchens.

Amongst the shops in the Vineyards precinct is Thurley’s Meats, a family business where Steve had been for sixteen years. He explained that all his meats are sourced from local farms, with sausages and burgers made on the premises using high meat content products. He will always cut the products to the customers individual requirements.

He likes his Vineyards location and finds it a nice place to serve his friendly customers. He has also noticed that people like the safe environment of the centre being traffic free, a good place to shop with the family.

Just a few shops away is Congratulations. David is the owner of this independent specialised cards, balloons gifts and party shop, which is now also doing personalised gifts. He explained that his friendly staff

Bespoke Curtains and Blinds Curtains Blinds Cushions Fitting Service Free Home Consultation Dawn 07784 194400 Carole 07966 232027

Baddow Antique Centre, Church Street, Great Baddow, CM2 7JW

will always make you welcome. Adams Hair is at the entrance to the Vineyards where they have been trading for the last ten years. Jamie explained that the team are proud to offer customers a professional experience with their hair and beauty treatments, ranging from just a cut to full chemical straightening and everything in between. All this is provided in an inviting atmosphere and offers good value for money. He invites customers to look out for offers in social media and the City Times.

Just a few yards away is My Fairytale Wardrobe. Jane said: “Baddow was the perfect place to start our business 2 years ago. We immediately fell in love with the shop. Bell Street was the perfect location - very accessible with great parking. We envisaged a boutique with character and charm that would make our customers feel at home whilst shopping for that perfect outfit or gift. They could choose from our new discounted designer range, pre-loved designer rails or high-end discounted cosmetics and jewellery - a fairytale under one pretty little roof!”

Sell your luxury and high end high street pre-loved clothing, handbags, shoes and accessories and find new treasures at a fraction of the retail price.

Bell Street Opening hourss Great Baddow Mon-Wed 9:30-2:30 CM2 7JS Thurs-Sat 9:30-5:00

Set behind My Fairytale Wardrobe is Russells Restaurant, the heart of the Restaurant is a magnificent timbered tithe barn, Grade II listed as being of architectural and historical Importance. The barn has been dated by experts as being originally built in 1372, so making this one of the oldest surviving buildings in the Chelmsford area.

Russells Restaurant opened in 1989, but was taken over by Barry Warren-Watson the present proprietor and executive head chef in 1991, where he continues to take the restaurant from strength to strength. He has always had a hands on personal touch to the business, and with his excellent team hopes to take the business right in to the future.

By Jonny Merlot.

ADAMS & CO HAIR & BEAUTY

Celebrating 10 years in the Vineyards

50% OFF COLOUR SERVICES Call 01245 472787 to book 15 The Vineyards Great Baddow CM2 7QS www.adamsandcohair.co.uk Terms and conditions may apply, valid until 29/4/16

Samsung and Panasonic main dealer Computer & internet support & fault finding Wall mounted TV installations TV, Aerial and Dish installations

2 High Street, Great Baddow, CM2 7HQ, 01245 471465

Family run butchers since 2000 Meat sourced locally Home made sausages Pickles and sauces Chicken cooked daily

Bargain Buys!!! £3.99 Packs or 3 for £10 Lamb Stew Pack £3.99 Beef Stew Pack £3.99 Pork Steaks £3.99 Chicken Thighs £3.99 1lb Pork Sausages £3.99 C hicken Legs £3.99 Beef Mince £3.99

4 The Vineyards, Great Baddow, CM2 7QS 01245 472843

CT Business sponsored by: Business Interview Biggerlad by Tom Bosher “This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Terry the owner of Biggerland. It’s yet another great independent store situated at the Parkway end of historic Moulsham Street. They specialise in quality clothing and accessories for the bigger man.

I asked Terry how the business started and who established it. He told me that he’d been in the clothing trade for 40 years. When he began it was in the regular size sector. He’s been in the bigger sizes sector for the last 20 years so he’s got a wealth of experience. He got fed up with the normal regular size business as it changed, life changed and the nature of the business changed. He saw a larger men’s store in Edmonton Green north London and when the owners wanted to retire he bought them out. He found this side of the business very pleasing and has remained in it ever since.

As trade changed over the years both he and his staff found that they really enjoyed dealing with the bigger sizes as the customers were absolutely wonderful to serve. As Terry pointed out “ we’re old fashioned shopkeepers, we like to give service. People come in here because we’ve been doing this for so long we understand, we can judge the man’s size. Our sizes are always right”.

out of customer satisfaction. His experience and expertise benefits the larger man who wishes to be stylishly attired in quality clothing that fits correctly. He still loves what he does and always strives to do everything he can to please his customers. I can assure the larger gentlemen of our city that after a visit to Biggerland you’ll become yet another loyal customer. He’s got you covered!”

Visit Biggerland: 206 Moulsham Stree Chelmsford Essex CM2 0LG 01245 356057

We’d like you to get in touch with us by visiting our website at www.thebestof.co.uk/chelmsford, or by giving us a call on 01245 701020.

The Biggerland chain has two stores including Chelmsford. The other is at Stevenage. They all are well established and enjoy excellent reputations.

The demand for bigger size clothing has increased over the years and as a nation we are getting bigger and this has been reflected in the business: Terry told me “I’ve found that once the customer finds us and we give the service that we give, we’ve got them for life. We’re a niche business because we specialise in the larger sizes. Many shops offer larger sizes but our sizing is always right and of course it’s what we concentrate on.”

The Tough Reality of Running a Small Business

by Linda McNeill

In the weeks leading up to Christmas I was really shocked and saddened to hear that the fabulous Make Do and Mend was in the process of closing down. This was on the back of the Junior Trading Post Shop closing in November and also The Pampered I asked him what he looked for in stocking styles for the bigger man, Chef Company ceasing to trade - all within here’s what he said “we like to cater for everyone from customers the same period. I had featured the four wonderful women who were who only want to spend a little to those who only want the best running these businesses in this column last year and by the end of quality. It’s good when a customer comes in and he’s very frustrated, the year they had all closed their doors. Hoping I was not the common he’s been out shopping and he can’t find a reasonable pair of denominator, I was really keen to meet up with them again and find out trousers that fit. He will leave us with trousers that fit.” more - I did not want to ignore the fact that this had happened. What had changed and why had they closed? Also, was this the end of the The range of clothing and accessories stocked is staggering as is the road for their businesses or were they in the process of reinventing range of sizes from 1XL to 8XL. The best sellers are the basics such themselves for a second time? as polo shirts, easy care trousers, jogging bottoms, every day casual wear. But this is just the start, you’ll find everything you need except I met with Margaux and Jo of Junior Trading Post in December 2014 footwear. There is formal dress wear, lounge suits, casual and formal and they were featured in the January 2015 addition of the Chelmsford shirts, accessories and underwear all of great quality and of course City Times. For those of you unfamiliar with Junior Trading Post, this fit. There are also exclusive lines available only from Biggerland was an amazing pre-loved baby and children’s clothing shop, cum café, with superb finishes from top European manufacturers. Apart from cum kids craft emporium with a gorgeous function room at the back, all footwear in Terry’s words: “There is not a thing we don’t cover.” housed within their quirky and fun shop in Great Baddow. I was so sad to hear this was closing last November, because for so many parents I asked him why he decided to open up in Chelmsford, he said “my in the Chelmsford area it offered something different and original and lease finished in Loughton and we decided not to renew. My daughter was a great place to go with your children. On a slightly more selfish has lived in Chelmsford for the last 12 years so we looked around, note, I also was a regular hirer of the function room for my hypnobirthing these premises came up so we decided to open here. My footfall teaching, it was a perfect space for this! So... why did a business that customers from Epping, Loughton, Chigwell and Harlow have come seemed to fill a niche in the market so brilliantly have to close? When I here so when we moved here the shop had a good start. We have met up with Margaux this month, unsurprisingly it mainly came down to a good following of loyal customers. Terry made it clear that once a money. “We knew at the end of two years there would be a rent review gentleman finds his shop they’re loyal for life. and it was going to be a junction. The next stage would have been a 5 year contract leading to a more established future. However, in He sees the future as bright. He and his staff feel that with their October we had a letter from our landlord with a huge rent rise - it was decades of experience in this sector, and his growing following of old thousands of pounds more. He had been a good landlord until this point and new customers and the growing demand for quality larger sizes and we were hoping a mistake had been made, but unfortunately not.” that fit properly, he’s going to need bigger premises. It’s a part of the Margaux and Jo looked into the figures. They had not taken a salary clothing trade that is thriving. for the first two years but this was not something they could sustain for another five: “We realised pretty quickly we were going to have to close I really enjoyed meeting Terry, he’s someone who gets great pleasure the shop - it was gutting.”

Page 18

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Unsurprisingly, money was a common theme in my conversations with all of the ladies. Hannah Elgie, owner of Make Do and Mend before its closure in December, was also very frank about this.

Hannah’s article appeared in the September edition of Chelmsford The City Times and at the time - at least to me - the future seemed very bright. Make Do and Mend was a wonderful concept - a gorgeous shop offering workshops for all kinds of fabulous crafts such as crochet, dress making, book binding... you name it, they provided it. In a similar way to Junior Trading Post, it absolutely filled a local niche in the market as crafting and upcycling is very en vogue at the moment. However, a month after Junior Trading Post closed I received an email from Hannah detailing the plans for Make Do and Mend’s closure. As a fellow business owner, crafter and customer of her shop I was stunned and saddened to hear this news. Again, I was keen to find out why this has happened.

“My profits from the business were going into the staff. The clincher was that every month there seemed to be another outgoing something else to add to my list of things to pay for. The latest ridiculous one was the government’s decision that small businesses have to pay pensions to all staff. This was completely unrealistic and unaffordable. This government is not geared up to help small businesses - big businesses are helped and small businesses are swallowed and demolished. It is really devastating.”

Hannah was keen to stress that her closure was not due to decreased demand. I had assumed one factor might have been the local community not supporting small businesses enough but this was not the case. It was far more to do with constant outgoings and the pressure of running a business alongside being a mum.

“There was always something else to pay for and I frequently had to substitute my family for my business, yet I was not making any money for myself. I valued my staff and tutors and chose to pay them. One of the major issues really boils down to the issue of women working.

Women can choose to do anything but we always have to choose between family and work. It is not easy.”

The third business to close at the end of last year was Pampered Chef. This is an international company which chose to cease trading in the UK at the end of last year. Nastassia Player had her own Pampered Chef business based in Chelmsford and it is fair to say she loved what she did! When I interviewed her back in July last year she was brimming over with enthusiasm. Nastassia hosted Pampered Chef parties in other people’s homes whereby she would showcase kitchen equipment by cooking with the guests at the party. Because of her love for her business I expected to chat to a very downhearted Nastassia when I caught up with her in January, but in fact she was very positive: “When Pampered Chef left UK at the end of the year I was very shocked to begin with as I had not seen it coming. However, I reflected on the amazing things I had got out of the opportunities they had provided, for example, the amazing way it empowered women - especially stay-at-home mums - and it had been great to work for a business that recognised your achievements.”

So what happens next for these four hardworking and talented women? Are they reinventing themselves all over again?

Margaux and Jo of Junior Trading Post are absolutely determined this is not the end for their business. “Our short-term plan is to continue as much as possible in the same vein but without a shop. When we were in the shop it was very hard to keep stock up to date on the website because it is a laborious process. We only ever get one of anything as we sell pre-loved goods so we have decided continue to grow the online side of the business.” Check out their latest stock at www.juniortradingpost.com. However, they have not disappeared in the real world all together! They have started running pop-up events with different focuses. They hire a venue for a day or a few hours and run a pop-up shop. The first event was held back in December and was a smaller version of their shop - pre-loved children’s goods, a café and crafts. The second one purely focused on children’s clothes and maternity wear and they have a designer event planned for February with a craft one later in the year.

When Margaux and Jo were still in the shop they used the attached function room at weekends to hire out for parties. This has been another element they have expanded since the shop closed. “We call ourselves Party in a Box and take the party to a venue, set it up and run it. We decorate the venue beautifully and provide a number of different themes, we also organise bespoke parties. Our latest party was a daytime slumber party where we made play-tents for the kids to sleep in - they loved it!”

If you are interested in hiring JTP to run a party for you, get in touch at www.juniortradingpost.com. The closure of the Junior Trading Post shop clearly does not spell the end for these creative ladies: “We are super determined that it will be a reinvention and not the end.”

Hannah of Make Do and Mend has embraced the closure of her shop to make a significant lifestyle change. “One of the hardest things I ever had to decide was choosing to close my shop. I was thinking about it for about a year. Life was too hard and too stressful. All I could think about when I went to bed was where the next round of money would come from and this had a significant impact on my family. Since the decision was made life seems to have lifted.”

Hannah is expecting her second baby in March and she has taken a step back. “I am just going to be a mum for a while. I have always got my knitting needles and crochet hooks to hand and will always sew. I am taking the time to look inwards a bit more. I am making things for my family and feeling the joy of seeing my children in clothes I have made.” Hannah is not sure what they future holds at this point, she is now officially on maternity leave and time will tell whether she want to do more teaching or something completely different. “Make Do and Mend has such potential to be brilliant - being my own boss, doing things my own way and developing my own ideas, but it began to seem impossible at every turn because something always came up.

I have begun to think that the simple life could be a better one and I never thought I would say that!”

And Nastassia of Pampered Chef? “I originally decided not to go back into direct selling but went along to a colleague’s house to hear about another business she was getting involved in and to my surprise I fell in love with it!’ This business is called My Showcase and is described as social selling rather than direct selling, which is what really appealed to her. It is a ‘department store’ of skincare and makeup brands which have been carefully selected because they have a story behind their brand. Most of the products are designed by women and most of them are British. “It is another business which is empowering women with their own businesses and is also fantastic for customers as it provides them with products that are appropriate for their needs whilst also making them feel amazing. The My Showcase experience is all about making people feel special and that really is what selling of any kind should be about.”

This is not the only big step happening to Nastassia however, as she is also relocating to Cornwall in February - she took the opportunity of her business closing to make some big changes in her life and it is time for exciting new beginnings! If you want to check out Nastassia’s new business, have a look at her website: www.myshowcase.com/ stylist/nastassia_player, or get it contact at myshowcasenastassia@ gmail.com.

Getting back in touch with Margaux and Jo, Hannah and Nastassia was a very thought provoking experience. I applaud them for their bravery and honesty and how they are all embracing the new challenges thrown at them, whether it be redirecting their business, focusing on their family or relocating - or all three! Being a small business owner is TOUGH as you are at the mercy of so many aspects that are out of your control. As consumers we need to value and utilise our local, small businesses as much as possible, for we will be very sorry when they have gone.

If you are a local business and would like to be featured in my column, please get in touch at linda@bunintheovenbirthing.co.uk.

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Page 19

Hypnotherapy by Jenny Hartill Last month I gave you a brief insight into OCD. Today we look at why people may develop OCD and how we can use hypnotherapy to treat it.

Ok people, lets get technical. Everyone put your learning hats on!

It is thought that OCD is caused by a number of contributing factors that are neuro-biological, genetic, behavioural, cognitive and environmental. Lets break these down: Neuro-biological: Research has focussed on a couple of things in this area. Firstly, a circuit in our brains that is very primitive but does serve an important purpose. This circuit relays information from a part of the brain called the orbitofrontal cortex (front part of the brain), to another area the striatum, and the thalamus (deeper parts of the brain). It also includes other regions such as the caudate nucleus of the basal ganglia. When this circuit is activated, these impulses are brought to your attention and cause you to perform a particular behaviour that appropriately addresses the impulse. For example, after going to the loo, you (hopefully!) wash your hands to remove any harmful germs you may have encountered. Once you have performed the appropriate behaviour - in this case, washing your hands - the impulse from this brain circuit diminishes and you stop washing your hands and go about your day. It has been suggested that if you have OCD, your brain has difficulty turning off or ignoring impulses from this circuit. This in turn means the obsessions and compulsions continue leading you to wash your hands again and again. Secondly, serotonin is thought to be linked. Serotonin is the chemical in the brain that sends messages between brain cells and it is thought to be involved in regulating everything from anxiety, to memory, to sleep. Medications known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are often used to treat OCD, although it is not fully known why the SSRI medications seem to help some people with OCD. Genetic: Research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), based in the US, examined DNA samples from patients with OCD and related illnesses, and the results suggest that OCD may be associated with a rare combination of two mutations within the human serotonin transporter gene (hSERT). The two mutations appearing together result in a significantly lower amount of serotonin available within the synapse than is seen with either one of the mutations alone, resulting in greater biochemical effects and more severe symptoms. However before you all start freaking out about mutant genes, we are not surrounded by secret X-Men where their only superpower is OCD. Read on...

Behavioural: According to learning theory, OCD symptoms are a result of a person developing learned negative thoughts and behaviour patterns, towards previously neutral situations which can result from life experiences. For example, if a child saw a parent clean as a way of de-stressing or processing negative events or emotions (hello mum), this information may be saved in the subconscious mind. At a later date this witnessed behaviour could become a learned behaviour and develop into something more severe, like OCD.

the obsessions and because the thoughts are so distressing, the individual engages in compulsive behaviour to try to resist, block, or neutralise the obsessive thoughts. Some researchers believe that this theory questions the biological theory because people may be born with a biological predisposition to OCD but never develop the full disorder, while others are born with the same predisposition but, when subject to sufficient learning experiences, develop OCD. Environmental: Our last contributing factor. As much as I personally like the cognitive explanation, environmental is my second favourite.

The reason for this is because I believe there’s no smoke without fire, so as much as someone can have a very faulty belief system and negative thought patterns, when teamed with a severe environmental factor this can turn that burning flame into a roaring, self destructive fire. For example, stress is often cited as an environmental factor, as is ‘parenting styles’ however, what if a major event occurred in the person’s life? Perhaps a heartbreaking loss, or witnessing a horrific event? Now that’s the kind of thing when teamed with faulty thought patterns is likely to turn into something psychologically troublesome, painful, or even dangerous to the sufferer.

So, how do we help an OCD sufferer using hypnotherapy? Firstly, as I am not a genetic engineer or a doctor, there’s nothing I can do about the neuro-biological or the genetic factors! I can, however, look at the rest. So firstly I need to ascertain which factor, or combination of factors, has contributed to the development of my client’s OCD. Have they learned anything from a parent or caregiver? Do they have any faulty beliefs or negative thoughts? Have they witnessed something horrific or been under a significant amount of stress?

Next I need to take this information and decide what from of hypnotherapy I’m going to use. Does the client need to be desensitised to something? Do they need to remember something fully? Therefore do I need to use hypno-analysis rather than traditional suggestion based hypnotherapy?

If I do need to use suggestion based hypnotherapy i must remember that this is about re-formatting already formed thought patters. So, how am I going to word this so that the subconscious doesn’t reject my suggestions? This is likely also a habit as well as a compulsion, so how can i tackle this also? I need to look at other coping mechanisms to relieve the feelings of anxiety and fear, as this is likely what is driving the client’s OCD. When looking at treating someone with OCD, it is important to look in depth at the client’s history, at their thought patterns, at their environment, at their past behaviours and importantly, how their internal dialogue presents itself. Often the internal dialogue will be catastrophic, negative, pushy, overwhelming, shouty, fearful, sometimes even like someone screaming at them. I would give the client counselling with coping techniques to help them as well as hypnotherapy as OCD really can be a difficult one to shift - but it certainly isn’t impossible and therapy is so worth it to overcome your fears if you’re prepared to put in the hard work :-) If anyone has any questions or you would like to get in touch please contact me via my website: www.cloud9-therapy.co.uk.

Cognitive: Now for my favourite explanation - only because this is, in my experience, the one that lends the most weight and is the most sensible. I know I’m repeating myself from last month but: Many cognitive theorists believe that individuals with OCD have faulty beliefs, and that it is their misinterpretation of intrusive thoughts that leads to OCD. According to the cognitive model of OCD, everyone experiences intrusive thoughts from time-to-time. However, people with OCD often have an inflated sense of responsibility and misinterpret these thoughts as being very important and significant which could lead to catastrophic consequences. The repeated misinterpretation of intrusive thoughts leads to the development of Page 20

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Blues Music - The Grandfather of All Modern Music?

Ask most people what blues music is and they may well only have heard of the modern rocky blues style, often portrayed by long haired, unshaven would-be hippie biker types, palely emulating Muddy Waters or BB King and playing electric guitar accompanied by bass and drums. But the roots of blues music goes way back into the 19th century at the peak of the enslavement of black Africans in southern USA and is wrought and tormented into existence through the plight of the African slave.

Captured and shipped in grotesque style to the cotton fields of the colonial conquerors in virgin America, the black African was put to work, often 7 days a week, in the most gruelling of conditions and often beaten, starved and worked into the grave. The colonialists, in their ignorance and fear, sought to break the proud spirit of generations of guardians of ancestral knowledge shared by African tribal communities in their native countries. The only way to survive such privations was to sing, or chant a phrase in time to the rhythm of labouring in the fields. Often there would be a solitary caller, or ‘hooly’ who would start the call and the response would come from the rest of the workers in the field. Typical of a call and response kind of phraseology is immortalised in following words:

When available, musical instruments - a simple harmonica or guitar, often with only a couple of strings - would punctuate the singing and the irrepressible African spirit found its expression in a soulful, hypnotic kind of music, heralding back to the beat of their African roots but profoundly changed by their common reality in America.

These early songs developed through the 1800s into a genre all of their own, each song becoming more layered with changes in pulse, breaks, tempo, vocals and instruments. It was the music that kept the spirit alive and subdued the fear they lived with. It was the music that carried the soul of Africa through into 20th century USA when blues music started to develop into a much more structured sound.

Yet it was still another 50 years till the electric blues sounds that we have come to associate with the blues.

By Jenny Lynn - blues dance teacher and personal development mentor Blues dance classes at the Two Brewers Pub - Thursday nights from 8pm. For more information, telephone 07773 919 071.

Call: “Well I’m driftin and driftin...”

Response: “Like a ship on out to sea...”

Whenever they could, African workers would meet in the Juke Joints, small roadside shacks made of wood and corrugated iron. Saturday nights especially would be full of people, men and women, drinking cheap rum and moving and singing in unison in these makeshift bars. To the white man it was the ‘Devil’s music’.

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Page 21

Fitness and Well-Being

Work-in as Well as Work-out

I’m a sucker when it comes to reading fitness articles which promise to teach you the secret of all secrets when it comes to losing weight, gaining muscle and being lean and strong.

(Spoiler alert: do squats).

This week, I was reminded of a concept that life had conspired to make me forget for a while, as among the usual ‘make sure you squat, make sure you pull-up’ advice was adding yoga, tai chi or meditation.

I’ve been a real subscriber to this philosophy for a long time, and I’ve always felt better when introducing these kind of things into my training programme (and my life). When you workout, you’re expelling energy from the body. When you do one of these more mindful activities, you ‘work-in’, feeling energised and refreshed. In fact, just being calm and focused will reduce your stress and therefore your cortisol, which could help you sleep better, which will help you recover better when you train, which will help you train harder...

You get the idea.

If you’ve tried meditation and found it very hard to switch off, here’s a few ideas on how to balance the yin and yang in your

life.

Find a Class Chelmsford has a ton of opportunities for yoga at all the gyms, but also specialist places like Moulsham Mill and the Hummingbird Centre. Not all yoga is the same, so it’s worth trying a few different styles and a few different teachers until you find the right one for you.

Download an App I tried the Headspace app last year, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

When I sit down for some peace, my mind races, but I found that listening to someone talking me through it made it much easier.

Still hard, but easier. You can try 10 sessions for free.

Go for a Walk One of the simplest ways to reconnect is to walk in the countryside. We’ve got a lot of good places to do that around Chelmsford (try the woods at Hylands Park for an easy start), so a simple, peaceful walk, surrounded by trees and trying to focus on only the sights and sounds around you could make a world of difference.

Good luck! Drop me a line on our Live Simple Facebook page at facebook.com/LiveSimple if you have any other suggestions!

If you’re interested in personal training in February and March, drop me a line at: keith@ liveasimplelife.co.uk.

Do You Love What You Do? by Kellie Jones Over the years in business we have most certainly done a lot of things we didn’t love to do and personally speaking, being someone who thrives on learning, I have had a few duff lessons. But hey, how else can you find out?

We get a lot of enquiries asking if we do a trial lesson but in my experience, (which is a lot!), new clients are quite often not confident or clear on what they really like, or their own ability and therefore that one trial may not be what they’re looking for. More often than not people are self-deprecating and worry about not being bendy, strong or good enough, which is mostly due to myth and misconstrued media.

With this knowledge, our ethos is that we want you to love what you do and if that’s not with us then we hope you find it somewhere. We give every new client 30 days of unlimited access to all classes with confidence that most find what they are looking for - even if it’s not what they expected.

So why do so many not really know what it is they love to do? I expect that this could be a long debate, but my theory is that what we supposedly ‘should’ be doing is being steered by advertising companies, TV, newspapers and the internet as well as being moulded at school to fall into line or you’re in trouble. I’m not an escapee either, having spent many years suppressing my ‘weirdness’ and trying to fit in. At mainstream school I was always finding reasons to skive off until luckily the opportunity to go to fulltime theatre school presented itself and I grabbed it with both hands, I’m ever grateful to my parents and all concerned for that and I never had a day off again. Having loved theatre school so much, I struggled to find somewhere after that. To be a dancer back then you had to have a certain height or look which I never seemed to be. When I finally decided to get a ‘real job’ I never quite found what I was seeking, although I am truly grateful again for the experience it gave me, because when I finally started working for myself I was absolutely sure it was for me. The same can be said for personal life but that’s a whole other book I’m currently writing!

either doing nothing because we don’t have a clue what we love, because we’ve spent our time doing what we think we should be doing according to the society, culture or place we find ourselves in.

Maybe this year - the year of the monkey, according to the Chinese zodiac - is ‘ideal for a quantum leap in your life! Now is the time to shake things up, create change, and innovate a new path, when risks are rewarded and anything can happen. Even the most ambitious plans can succeed’.

If you want to shake things up, why not try our new Barrecore pilates class, or maybe sign up for one of our inspiring talks or workshops.

This month, Paul Flint will be educating us on the biochemistry of wellbeing and next month I’ll be sharing the stage with my coach, Michael Hilton, telling you all our self-love journeys.

Find out more at www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk or download our new Hummingbird Pilates & Yoga app at the Apple App store or Google Play.

With all this in mind, my conclusion is that we can spend a lot of time Page 22

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30 Ne M D w em a C l be ys ien r Un t O (T s & h lim ff C 's i ap p pl f ite er y) o r d ÂŁ3 5

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

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 23

Charity of the Month - Sailing for Young People with a Disablement If you have a disablement and are between the ages of 14 to 24, we have an exciting opportunity for you. Learn and sail with us on the calm waters at Hanningfield Reservoir every Wednesday and Thursday, 10am to 2pm during the summer sailing season (April to August).

No experience is required, we will teach you how to sail and to enjoy this exhilarating, rewarding and relaxing outdoor activity.

We supply everything for your safety and if required, we have specialist lifting equipment and volunteers to enable you to safely enter and exit the boats.

All of the people sailing will have a disability, so you will be joining a like-minded group of people. We are a friendly group of disabled sailors who have come together to offer sailing opportunities for others with disabilities. Being disabled ourselves we fully understand the day-to-day problems associated with our conditions, so we appreciate the trials of getting afloat - but be assured the feeling of freedom and achievement is well worth the effort.

Cost per sailing session is just £5, everyone is welcome for a cup of tea or coffee, come with your carer or guardian if you would like to.

Find us during the sailing season next to The Fishermans Lodge, Hanningfield Reservoir, South Hanningfield Road, CM3 8HX. If you would like any more information please contact Ron Hollington on 01245 401052 Sailing exclusively for the Disabled run by the Disabled

Museum Offers a Fun Day Out and More Spring is almost here and you may be looking for places that offer a fun family visit, if so then go to Sandford Mill on either Saturday 19th or Sunday 20th March. It will be open on these days between 10am 4pm as part of British Science Week (BSW), a ten-day programme of science, technology, engineering, maths events and activities for all ages held across the UK. Sandford Mill is Chelmsford’s Industrial Museum Store and Science Education Centre where the city’s unique collection of industrial items is kept. Members of the Friends of Chelmsford Museum provide volunteer help at the mill and will be assisting at the open weekend when, using hands on equipment, visitors will be able to experience sound, forces, electricity and more as they make their way around special trails across the 32 acre site. How does sound work, what makes the lightbulb light up, are bigger wheels better than small wheels, what design works best on an aircraft, are just a few of the questions you will learn the answers to as you enjoy the site.

Chelmsford local radio club will also be in attendance to show you how radio can stretch around the world and beyond (for how to get there go to www.chelmsford.gov.uk/sandford-mill-visitor-information).

The Annual Museum Lecture will this year be given at the Cramphorn Theatre on Friday 4th March by Maureen Scollan. She has published a book on the Essex Police and is closely connected to the Essex Police Museum. Her subject will be I Spy Blue Coats - Policing in Essex in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1840 Essex was one of the first counties to set up a full-time paid police force, which for some

years afterwards ran in parallel with a local policing scheme. The talk will explain how such 19th century practice operated and will also look at 20th century innovations, which include that of the employment of women. Tickets are £6 and are available from the theatre booking office.

If the history of the brick, tile and pottery industries in Essex is of interest to you, this is the topic for the Friends’ spring talk by Adrian Corder-Birch. He will look first at these activities during the Roman period, moving into the medieval era and continuing right up to date with emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. The talk will include the history of various brickworks and potteries around Essex, working conditions, the use of products, transportation and buildings constructed with bricks made in the county. Reference will be made to the two surviving handmade brickworks in Essex. It will take place in the lecture room at the museum in Oaklands Park on Thursday 24th March, commencing at 2.30pm, tickets cost £6.50 for non-members who are welcome.

If you have not been to Chelmsford Museum recently there is always something new to experience. Why not check it out on TripAdvisor, which awarded the museum a Certificate of Excellence in 2015 for consistently earning great reviews from visitors?

Love Your Museum, be a Friend www.frindschelmsfordmuseum.btck.co.uk

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If you need Fresh Flowers, Sundries or Plants Eleflora is where you need to go.

Located on the Widford Industrial Estate in Chelmsford we have all you’ll need.

All our flowers are brought fresh from the Dutch auction on a daily basis.

Tel - 01245 860406

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Page 25

You’ve been Tangoed! (The History of the Britvic Company in Chelmsford) Britvic can certainly be traced back to a chemist shop run by a borough councillor James Tomlinson at 2 Tindal Square in the 1890s, although it is probable that its origins were even earlier in the middle of the century. The 1892 edition of Kelly’s Directory lists Tomlinson as a chemist, druggist, mineral water manufacturer and, interestingly, an artificial manure merchant. Tomlinson moved the business way from upstairs at the shop to Cottage Place, off Victoria Road. The 1902 entry in Kelly’s has Tomlinson’s premises being used solely as a chemist shop. Tom Turner remembered there being a small factory at Cottage Place during the Edwardian period. In the Victorian period, soft drinks became increasingly popular partly because of strong opposition to heavy drinking. ‘Effervescent’ concoctions were based on injecting carbon dioxide into drinks. New bottle stopping techniques meant that industrial production was possible. In most towns like Chelmsford however, production was on a very small scale, often above pharmacists such as Tomlinson’s. Tomlinson would have sold his tonics, lemonades and other soft drinks to his local customers along with his other products. He mixed fruit juices, sugar and other ingredients. By the early twentieth century the firm, now called British Vitamin Products, was based at the premises off Victoria Road.

Ralph Chapman was born in India, but in the late 1930s after a spell as an electrical engineer, he was looking for a business with potential to invest in. He recognised that the Depression had affected the health of many people in the country and therefore the firm he chose was British Vitamin Products. Chapman bought the existing business from J Macpherson. His aim was to bottle fruit juices with concentrated vitamin C then sell them at affordable prices. In 1938 he started producing bottles at Victoria Road using a method which did not require using preservatives. A tomato cocktail produced that year did well enough to convince him he was on the right track.

Chapman was making plans for a proper production line when the war broke out. He spent the conflict doing further research and making plans. The product was re-launched in 1949 and tested first on the people of Chelmsford, Colchester and Brentwood. The firm grew very rapidly. In 1949 the firm employed 80 people at the Victoria Road works, but by 1954 this had increased to 800 and production was already getting too big for the existing works. Profits had increased from £2,352 to £304,533. The quick expansion led to increasing complaints about conditions at the factory. For a while the nightshift had to be discontinued. The firm made an application to acquire a larger site on the new Widford business park than they had originally been promised.

commercial television and TV, the door was opened to advertising by companies such as Britvic. Britvic regularly slashed its workforce in the winter months because it was the off season for many of its products.

In 1961 Britvic became part of a larger group when VP merged with Showerings and Waterways. It was only a matter of time before this group was absorbed by a large alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks conglomerate and in 1968 Allied Breweries bought the firm for £100 million. Britvic then became Allied’s operating company for its soft drinks division. In 1971 British Vitamins Products formally changed its name to Britvic. The link with a major brewer gave Britvic access to a nationally operating network of ‘tied pubs’. This spurred the company to develop new products. In 1973 it launched a new brand of mixer drinks. Britvic also developed its own range of diet drinks starting with Slimsta in the early 1970s. In 1972, to take further advantage of the Allied Breweries pub network, it launched draught versions of its most popular soft drinks. Later the company launched Britvic 55 which was only available in pubs.

Britvic, like other UK soft drink producers, was coming under pressure from US competition. Coca Cola and Pepsi had been produced in the UK in the 1950s under licence. Britvic obtained the licence to sell Doctor Pepper in 1987, spending £600,000 to launch the new brand. The company was however suffering from intense competition. Half of the shares of Britvic were sold to Alan Bond’s Australian conglomerate, Castlemain Tooley’s. After a swift revival in the fortunes of the British company it was again sold, this time to the Bass group. It was then merged with Canada Dry Rawlings (CDR) which produced the R Whites brand. The new company was called Britvic Soft Drinks Limited. This was after the merger had been examined by the Office of Fair Trading. The new company was responsible for 9% of the British soft drinks market with Bass in control of the company. Meanwhile, CDR’s offices at Kettering were closed and the newly merged company was run from Britvic’s administrative offices in Broomfield Road. The merger was quickly followed by another change of name to Britvic Corona and in the same year, 1986, the company acquired the Tango brand and the advertising image was quickly changed for Tango to target the youth market. In 1995 Tango twice featured in the top 5 most complained about TV adverts, with one advert showing Tango drinkers with their heads being blown off.

The first part of the new factory was built in the record time of 47 weeks and began production in May 1955. It cost half a million pounds and immediately employed 500 people. It was reckoned to be the most modern fruit juice factory in the world. It could produce 250 thousand bottles of fruit juice a day and huge storage tanks were built underground. Meanwhile at Wembley, the firm was already making automatic vending machines for its products.

In 1987 Britvic made a major step forward by obtaining the UK production and bottling rights for Pepsi. The company also acquired the rights to produce and sell Seven Up, which Pepsi had only recently acquired. The deal worked for both companies because Pepsi, which had struggled to make headway in the UK market, soon established a strong market showing. In 1994 Bass appeared set to sell its 51% share in Britvic under pressure from the Monopolies Commission. The deal failed to go through however, after disagreement between the various parties, which also involved Allied-Lyons and Whitbread. After this, the company continued to look for new expansion possibilities obtaining the licence for launching Lipton Ice in Britain. In 1995 Britvic bought a major UK soft drinks rival, Robinsons. The latter had a history even longer than Britvic, going back to the early nineteenth century as Robinson and Bellville.

With Britvic’s marketing expertise Robinson began a major period of expansion. In 2000 Britvic bought Orchid Drinks which brought further brands to the company including Ame, Purdey’s and Aqua Libra. The company entered the rapidly expanding bottled water market in 2001, when it acquired the marketing rights for Abbey Well in parts of the UK. In 2002 it bought Red Devil to get a share in the new market for stimulant drinks.

British Vitamin Products continued expansion was of course helped by the boom in soft drinks in the 1950s. The advent of television played an important role in this. People needed something to drink when they were watching on the couch. During the start of

In the mid 2000s Britvic’s position again looked precarious when Bass announced its intention to sell its parent company Britannia Soft Drinks. Pepsi however, which owned 10% of Britvic shares and vitally owned the Pepsi brand in the UK, was reluctant to let the

In 1954 Chapman, perhaps surprisingly, decided to sell British Vitamin Products to Vine Products, the maker of VP Wines and Babycham. He received £1 million - not a bad return on his original small investment of a few thousand pounds. Chapman sold the business partly because the firm, even when its new factory at Widford was completed, would still have been too small to cope with the rapid increase in the demand for its products. He chose to sell rather than convert it into a public limited company. British Vitamins Products needed the expertise and capital of a larger firm behind it. Chapman remained managing director for a time, but severed all connections with the fruit drinks industry in 1955.

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company get into the hands of private equity groups. This it was felt might lead Coco Cola to obtain control of Britvic, Pepsi’s UK bottler.

Bass reversed their original decision. Britvic’s intention to list on the Stock Exchange was also abandoned. Despite these various uncertainties, an expansion was carried out at the Widford factory. A new high speed production line for Robinson Fruit Shoot led to a 17% increase in production in 2005. By this time Britvic had risen to be the second biggest producer of soft drinks in the UK. By 2012 the Britvic site at Widford covered 15 acres, with its art deco clock tower still instantly recognisable to car passengers passing by.

‘Entering through the high green gates, conveyor belts jammed with bottles whizz behind Perspex screens at dizzying speeds while they are filled with colourful liquids, stamped with caps and smacked with labels. Pipes and tubes churn out clouds of fruity aromas with members of staff kitted out in the trademark green coats, hard hats and blue hairnets, assessing each and every process that allow the 13 million cases of soft drink to be produced every year.’ In 2012 most of the staff lived in Chelmsford. By then it was producing with a Royal Warrant. There were production lines creating well known brands such as Pepsi, J2O and Fruit Shoot. ‘Each of lines produces thousands of litres an hour before automatically cleaning themselves before moving on to the next batch.’ Manufacturing manager Craig Sinclair said the process from start to finish took less than 10

minutes for mixing, pasteurisation and packaging. “On each of the lines, the drinks process starts at the beginning of the week with the diet, light in colour, fizzy drinks before moving on to the sugary, dark and more viscous products towards the end of the week.” As with the previous big three firms in the town, it was not uncommon for several generations of the same family to have worked for the firm by 2012.

Although the headquarters of the firm were moved to Hemel Hempstead, the firm remained a major employer at Widford despite having five factories elsewhere in the country. Late in 2012 yet another merger was announced between Barr and Britvic. Barr are the Scottish manufacturer of Irn Bru. Britvic shareholders were to have 63% of the new company, Barr Britvic Limited, although its headquarters would now be in Cumbernauld. The company was strong enough to withstand this change as well as the enforced recall of Robinson Fruit Shoots in 2012 because of a safety issue with new packaging. This merger was on hold as it was being investigated by the Office of Fair Trading when early in 2013 the shock announcement that the Britvic factory at Chelmsford was to close was made. Two hundred and twenty seven people were employed at the factory. The decision was announced at a time when the company’s Fruit Shoots were increasingly being produced in France and a new factory was being established in Ireland.

By Stephen Norris

Rotary - 111 Not Out

Rotary is celebrating its 111th birthday on Tuesday 23rd February. Now if this was cricket we were talking about the number 111 is considered extremely unlucky.

There are several theories regarding the reason for this but perhaps the most logical is that the number 111 resembles the three stumps without the bails on, so the implication is that you will be dismissed without adding to your score.

experience.

Some Chelmsford Rotarians are doing the O2 Dome walk to raise funds for Water Aid or Rotary’s own charity simply called The Rotary Foundation. Many fundraising events will go towards the End Polio Now campaign to eradicate polio once and for all and as I have written previously, we are very close to achieving this goal. Here in the Chelmsford city centre, the community shop in Market Road will be manned by members and everyone is welcome to come along for a chat to find out more about Rotary and how you might find it something that you would like to be involved with.

On the 27th February, Chelmsford Phoenix are holding a quiz night, but all tickets are now sold out for what promises to be a fun night.

There will be other quiz nights within the Essex area and also the finals of the Rotary Young Musician competition at Chelmsford Cathedral. There is so much to look forward to but Rotary week also provides us with the opportunity of planning for next year’s activities because, like the Forth Bridge, as soon as you finish one end you start again and the analogy is that a new team comes in with fresh ideas whilst ensuring continuity. Therefore, planning is the key as we look to the future and the changing face of Rotary in the next decade.

The number 111 is referred to as a ‘Nelson’ in cricket and this may be because the famous English Admiral only had three limbs following some very famous skirmishes. However, whatever the reason for cricketing superstition there is no such dampener in Rotary circles and all over the world there will be special celebrations of this date.

The largest service organisation in the world started with humble beginnings with four friends meeting in one of their offices in Chicago. Now there are over 1.2 million Rotarians all working to improve the lives of those less fortunate or giving something back to the community through their vocational expertise and business

Come along to the shop next to the library any time during the week from 22nd to 26th February for a chat. You can also listen in to our two hour radio slot online at www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com from 10am to 12 noon every third Sunday in the month. Alternatively, visit www.rotary1240.org to find details of a club near you.

It’s so easy to become part of Rotary these days and if you would still like to find out more then pick up the phone and call me on the number below. I am enthusiastic about Rotary and that was because many years ago someone asked me to become involved - one of the best decisions I ever made.

Stan Keller 01245 260349 (office)

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Page 27

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Wildlife Corner by Nick Green December 2015, as expected, broke all records being declared by the Met Office the wettest month EVER since records began in 1910, particularly for Scotland and Northern Ireland thanks to the jet stream being positioned over Scotland - and also the warmest, due to the air holding more moisture. Essex, on the east coast, avoided the worst of the wet weather, but January actually gave some real wintry weather with a number of frosty, cold days and even a sprinkling of snow in places. Some severe gales struck the north of Scotland with winds approaching 100mph but Essex in the ‘rain shadow’ area escaped the worst weather.

January and February sees the early flowering plants making the best use of the lack of leaf foliage, notably snowdrops, daffodils, primroses and hyacinths emerging amongst others. Early breeding bird species include grey heron and tawny owl - this year the cormorants at Abberton Reservoir have been noted with early breeding activity between the causeways.

Photograph copyright Jeff Delve

The curlew Numenius arquata does not breed in Essex, but in north Wales, Scotland and east to Scandinavia and as far as Siberia.

However, the RSPB is investigating why the UK population is declining. In Essex, the species is a common passage migrant

and wintering species. Being our largest wader with its long bill designed to probe into deep mud for worms and shellfish, long legs and brownish plumage and distinctive ‘curlee curlee’ call (almost onomatopoetic!), it is one of the easier wading birds to identify on all UK coasts. Our top favoured estuaries include the Thames, Roach, Blackwater, Colne and Stour, but most coastal areas are frequented over the passage periods and winter, particularly August to April.

Essex Wildlife clubs include: Essex Birdwatching Society: www.ebws.org.uk RSPB: www.rspb.org.uk/groups/chelmsford Essex Field Club: www.essexfieldclub.org.uk Essex Wildlife Trust: www.essexwt.org.uk/get-involved/local-groups/ chelmsford Recent Essex Wildlife News The most noteworthy January 2016 bird news: Scarcer wintering birds included the rough-legged buzzard at Holland Haven Country Park all month, a glossy ibis occasionally at Wat Tyler Country Park and the great grey shrike at Heybridge GP. A redbreasted goose was in the Foulness area for a few days mid-month.

Abberton Reservoir highlights included Bewick’s swans, Slavonian & black-necked grebes, red-breasted merganser, 4 smew and goosanders - the café at the EWT Visitor Centre is proving ever popular! Southend Pier can boast some 30 Mediterranean gulls plus a few kittiwakes, guillemots and common scoter - and both common and grey seals were noted. Best time to visit is probably on an incoming tide in winter. The train and café at the end of the pier will be appreciated!

Chelmsford Ballet Company

Wells of the Royal Ballet).

The Chelmsford Ballet Company’s upcoming production of The Sleeping Beauty at the Civic Theatre, Chelmsford, will see professional dancer, Andrei Iliescu, join the much-loved company as Prince Florimund.

As a fantastic introduction to ballet, the company’s 2016 production of The Sleeping Beauty in particular is ideal for those new to the art form, however familiar they might be with the classic fairytale. This production will delight audiences of all ages, with familiar music framing the family favourite. The programme runs from 16 - 19th March at the Civic Theatre in Chelmsford.

Iliescu was born in Romania, where he began dancing at the National College of Arts. He competed in the prestigious Prix de Lausanne competition in Switzerland and was consequently awarded a full scholarship to attend Central School of Ballet in London. During his training, Iliescu worked with renowned choreographers such as Christopher Marney of Sir Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, Sharon Watson of Phoenix Dance Theatre and Christopher Hampson of Scottish Ballet.

Chelmsford audiences will have seen Iliescu perform in Ballet Central’s 2015 graduation tour.

For tickets contact the box office on 01245 606 505 or visit www. chelmsford.gov.uk/sleeping-beauty.

www.thechelmsfordballetcompany.co.uk

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Adding further grandeur and talent to the company, Iliescu recently made his West End debut in celebrated choreographer Marney’s critically acclaimed production of McQueen The Play. Marney is one of the company’s patrons, alongside The Marchioness of Londonderry (Doreen Page 29 Please let our advertisers know you saw their advert in The City Times

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Stargazing with Mark Willis - February/March Apart from Orion, the constellation of Gemini is very visible. Gemini can be found to the left of Orion. The two main and most famous stars are the heavenly twins, Castor and Pollux. Castor is the upper one (51 light years distant) nearer the Pole Star and Pollux (34 light years distant) is under it nearer the horizon. Castor is not a single star. It comprises of 6 stars. A chance to easily spot Pollux comes up on 19th February at 17:49 (Universal Time) when the star is just 11.2 degrees north of the Moon.

Looking much further afield but in the same part of the sky, you’ll be able to spot M44 (Praesepe) or the Beehive located next door in Cancer. It’s an open cluster, (577 light years distant). Assuming we could broadcast news back in 1439, people on a planet inside Beehive Cluster would be hearing about the noteworthy event on November 12 - when Plymouth became the first town incorporated by the English Parliament.

about naked eye visible, however, good binoculars will transform the loveliness of M44 and even better with a telescope.

February 24th at 06:00 (Universal Time) a nearly full Moon, roughly west southwest, will have Jupiter right next to it. Although the Moon will be pretty bright, Jupiter manages to be pretty bright too, even though it’s roughly 5 times the distance away from us. If you google ‘Jupiter’ in place of ‘Moon’ you will see some impressive pictures of what Jupiter would look like if it were in the same position in the sky as our Moon!

Next time in City Times Stargazing with Mark Willis - Meteor showers, enjoy!

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

In fact, in September 2012 two planets were discovered in the Beehive Cluster. The first planets detected orbiting stars like Earth’s Sun that were situated in stellar clusters. The planets have been designated as Pr0201b and Pr0211b. The Beehive Cluster is just

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Choral Music at KEGS This Spring

Clare Cantata by Malcolm Arnold. It should be an interesting and rewarding program.

There’s another opportunity to dip your ear into the vibrant Chelmsford choral scene when popular local choir the Waltham Singers perform their Spring concert 7.30pm on 12th March at KEGS Hall.

Topping the bill is an exciting and very listenable new work Arion and the Dolphin composed by acclaimed British composer Jonathan Dove. Alongside will be Stravinsky’s dramatic and powerful Symphony of Psalms and a rarely performed setting of rural poetry The John

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

The choir will be accompanied by the Longford Brown Piano Duo and an intriguing array of percussionists. They will also be joined by the choir from New Hall School.

Tickets are £14 (conc £12). To buy tickets or find out more about the choir please visit www.walthamsingers.org.uk. Alternatively call in to James Dace & Son on Broomfield Road.

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Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro I’m Matt Foley and I’m from Chelmsford, but started at Loughborough University in September 2015. Since being at Loughborough I have had the opportunity to get involved with some amazing things.

Towards the beginning of the academic year I signed up to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the largest mountain in Africa (5,895 meters above sea level). It seemed like a crazy idea to begin with, but when I found out that it would be in aid of Meningitis Research Foundation I knew that the climb would be worth it.

Meningitis affects so many people in the UK and globally, especially the under 5s. Before starting my fundraising I was unaware of how serious the illness was. My target is to raise £3,000 for the charity to help fund research projects, support visits, awareness talks and so many more life changing things. Raising awareness of the illness could put a stop to so many deaths worldwide and the vision of the charity would be to one day live in a world free from meningitis. The

thought of that is what will drive me to complete the climb.

My trek will take place in September 2016 and lasts for approximately 6 days. I’m sure it will be one of the hardest experiences of my life, but it will be worth it to know that a difference has been made to people who are in desperate need of support. I am currently receiving donations through my supporters page at: www.loughboroughrag.everydayhero. com/uk/matt. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.

Have A Fun Time at the Great Baddow Charity Races and Raise Money Too The date is the 15th May 2016. Whether you are a serious runner or just enjoy a Fun Run with the kids, there is something for you.

For the serious runner our ten mile road race is classified by the British Association of Road Races as Gold Grade. For the fun runners there is a two mile Fun Run which anyone can take part in, any age and any ability. Bring the little ones in a pushchair, dress up in fancy dress and just come along for the fun of it.

Not only is this event great fun, but it is an ideal opportunity to get sponsored and raise money for your choice of national and local charities and good causes. If your school has a project or your club, scout group (etc) are trying to raise funds then you can run for them and every runner that completes the race gets a medal.

There will be stalls, amusements for the children and some food outlets. Everything to make the day a special event for all the family.

The races are organised by the Rotary Club of Chelmsford Mildmay and this will be the races 32nd year with up to 2000 runners taking part. This year, all profits from the races will be going to charities which include City of Chelmsford Mencap, Barrow Farm Riding for the

Disabled and League of Friends of Hargrave House. However, you can be sponsored for any good cause of your choice.

If you would like to enter you can at www. runnersworld.co.uk/ baddow16 - don’t leave it till the last minute!

Why don’t you get a group together to run? If you have a group of more than five for the Fun Run, just email us at gbcraces@gmail.com with your name and the name of your organisation and we will send you easy entry forms.

Come and join us on 15th May, have a great time and raise money for your good cause.

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