The City Times - February/March 2022

The City Times

Including: Boreham, Broomfield, Danbury, Great Baddow, Maldon, South Woodham Ferrers, The Walthams and Writtle 10,000 copies per month Issue Number 99 - February 17th - March 16th 2022

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City Times Intro

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Hello readers, Welcome to The City Times February/March edition.

Next month will be our 100th edition - we can’t believe how time flies!

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

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Epping Ongar Railway - An Exciting Programme for 2022 During March we shall be completing our essential maintenance activity and putting the finishing touches to our exciting operating programme for 2022 - please visit www.eorailway.co.uk for the latest details, including our Easter Egg Hunt and other childrens’ events.

We celebrate the 10th anniversary of the reopening of our former London Underground line on 27th to 29th May. We expect this event to feature British Railways Standard 4 steam locomotive 75069 making its first visit away from the Severn Valley Railway since 1994. Further visiting locomotives, including those from our home fleet, will be announced in due course*.

mixedtraffic@eorailway.co.uk. *

All locomotives subject to availability.

Robert Good Epping Ongar Railway Volunteer Society

The Phone Box - By Geoff Swaine The red telephone boxes, which have been such a great part of the British townscape for so long, have diminished in numbers since the coming of the mobile phone.

However, the British people love them so much that they are reluctant to see them go.

Most of the boxes now don’t make a profit for the telephone company, so we are lucky we still have a good number of them around.

BR Standard 4 steam locomotive 75069, courtesy of the Seven Valley Railway The event will also feature the launch of a new book Epping Ongar Railway - The First Ten Years detailing the enormous amount of work carried out to establish the fully working heritage railway that we see today. In addition, the Penny Salon Gallery at Ongar Station will be displaying a photographic exhibition showcasing the Epping Ongar Railway entitled 10 Years of Progress.

On 23rd to 24th April, we will be featuring our regular Spring Diesel Gala. This will include our home fleet of 03170, 20001, 31438, 37029 and 47635, together with Class 117/121 Diesel Multiple Unit.

Visiting locomotives will be announced as soon as possible*.

As usual we will be running a 3-train intensive service throughout the weekend with late running Real Ale Trains on the Saturday. All trains will be running in conjunction with our fleet of heritage buses, which will operate between Ongar, North Weald, Epping Underground and Shenfield National Rail stations.

For those who would like to see the line from the unique vantage point of a loco cab, we will be offering our popular cab rides, and we also plan to offer brake van rides - an additional fare of £5 per trip applies to both activities. Cab rides and brake van trips will be offered on a first come first served basis. These can’t be pre-booked, simply speak to the crew on the day to reserve your place.

Why not come along and volunteer on the railway to help us operate these events? We have opportunities available in all departments, including permanent way, buildings and infrastructure maintenance, steam and diesel locomotive operation and maintenance, carriage and wagon restoration, together with numerous customer-facing roles on operating days.

You can obtain further information by emailing: volunteering@ eorailway.co.uk, or if you are ready to join go to www.eorailway.co.uk/ membership where you will find the membership application form at the top of the page under ‘Join the Epping Ongar Railway Volunteer Society’.

If you would like to receive a complimentary copy of our quarterly magazine Mixed Traffic, please email your postal address to,

For them to be loved so much, Two examples of Scott’s phone the design must be something boxes; these are situated behind the of a classic - and it is. But law courts in London very few people know the origins other that they were designed by Giles Gilbert-Scott. It was around the mid 1920s when the first ones appeared. There were a few variations, but the basic shape was formed and stayed the same throughout.

Gilbert-Scott was the grandson of George Gilbert-Scott, an architect who loved the Gothic style, the style which originated in the Middle Ages with windows being pointed and the buildings having many features like masses of pinnacles to give everything an overpowering ghostly appearance. He revived everything in Victorian times with two notable designs of his being the Albert Memorial and St Pancras Station.

The monument of the grave of Sir St Pancras Station in north London was opened in 1868 John Soane located in St Pancras and it was many decades later churchyard behind St Pancras Station that Giles, walking through the graveyard which is located behind this station, cast his eyes on one particular monument sitting there.

This was of the grave of Sir John Soane, a classical architect whose own personal museum is located in Lincoln Inn Fields in Holborn.

Obviously Scott was an admirer and even more so after he realised how useful the image of the monument was going to be to him. As we can see, he based his design for the phone box on what we can see here.

Geoff Swaine is author of the book London’s Historic Railway Terminal Stations (Pen & Sword Publishers), which contains some 230 of his colour photographs.

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Nick’s Music and Ramblings Hi and how are you - well I hope?

It looks like we are opening up again with restrictions being lifted. I will personally still wear a mask and test and if I do get it I will still self-isolate.

I do hope this is the correct move and gets the economy going once more, and offering more employment. I also hope that more people do decide to now come out and support the pubs, restaurants and venues, etc.

I notice that there are more announcements saying that events are going ahead, like The Tendring Show on Saturday 9th July. There will hopefully be lots more going on all over the area - let’s hope that weather also plays ball, as we also have the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations ahead. For me of course, it is mainly music festivals and I have a few A visitor to my garden booked up already - although I am desperate to get away in my caravan for a few days and use my National Trust membership.

I have a heads up that the end of an era is approaching, as Mick McDonagh, who has run the High Chelmer Shopping Centre for over 30 years, is retiring. A very well deserved retirement it will be as, he as done a grand job. As well as running and managing a great shopping centre, he has also been a great supporter of many charities. So please lets all wish him a very happy, healthy, long and well deserved retirement.

I also see that Tropical Wings Zoo has just reopened as Call Of The Wild Zoo and we wish them good luck with this venture. Keep your eyes peeled on social media and see our What’s On page for all the events and other happenings - you will find most of what you want to find.

Music We are up and running now, and we recently had Eddie and the Hot Rods along with Dept S play at the social club. Both bands were superb and we saw many happy faces during and after the show. As I am writing this I am about to get ready for Los Pacaminos featuring Paul Young, they have played for me a couple of times before at the football club and they are always a lot of fun. Borderline Music are also playing and I expect they will be great too.

more. Casey and his 12-piece band will be playing a mix of Beatles classics and Wings tunes - the way Paul McCartney wanted them played. The week after that we have British soul pioneers of the 70s Kokomo - still with seven original members. They will have you up and dancing as I am sure will Cregan and Co. Jim Cregan was the guitar ace of Cockney Rebel as well as spending 20 years with Rod Stewart after Rod left The Faces.He also played with Family (Rod once said if you cannot afford to see him, go and see Cregan & Co!). We also have Voodoo Room playing the music of Hendrix, Cream and Clapton just the way you would want to hear it. One more I will mention for now is Hamish Stuart of the Average White Band. He also played with Paul McCartney and now is part of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band, who he will be off on tour with shortly after playing for us.

Do you like early Fleetwood Mac and the music of Peter Green? Well look no further as we have just confirmed Supernatural for Friday 1st July along with the Bex Marshall Band. Supernatural play all the early Peter Green material and they are Tim Hain guitar and vocals, Alan Glen (Nine Below Zero and The Yardbirds) on harmonicas and vocals, Robin Bibi (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant) on guitar and vocals, Greg Kofi Brown (Osibisa) on bass and vocals and Omar Tinsley (who has played with too many to mention) on drums. We are hoping for a special guest to be joining them on the night...

So at long last we have Bex Marshall along with her band; Bex is an award winner and finalist in many international awards. She has also played with Big Brother and the Holding Company (Janis Joplin’s old band) as well as Starship - she also played at the Oscars. We have lots more coming up as well of course, including our festival days and charity weekend line-ups to announce very soon.

I have been putting on The One Tree Hillbillies for a few years now, who are as good as it gets when it comes to bluegrass. I recently put them on at the Eagle and Hind in Gloucester Avenue, Moulsham Lodge along with Hippy Joe of Hayseed Dixie. We have them playing there again on Monday 21st March from 8.30pm.

I am going to be putting on some live music for the Orange Tree once a month in Chelmsford, and along with my mate Jevon In Brentwood we are also going to be doing the same at the Essex Arms in Warley Hill next to Brentwood Station - do keep your eyes on our Black Frog Presents Facebook page and our website to see who we have playing.

The Panic Awards are upon us once more and we are up for two awards as promoter of the year and as venue of the year; now let’s see if we can win something like we did last year!

There is more and more going on now all over Essex with music, events, sales and festivals of all types. With spring looming there will also be the garden centres and parks to visit, and those wonderful open gardens as well. In fact, too much for me to mention here; if you search for ‘events in Chelmsford’ on Google there are now listings of many events. We are continuing to stay positive and hoping that things will continue to get better for us all as so many of us are chomping at the bit to get back to normal.

Remember too that if you have anything to say or an event that everyone should know about, then please send it to the editorial email address below.

Los Pacaminos Take a look at our advert in the mag - the line-up for March is amazing! We have Eric Bell playing - he is the man who started Thin Lizzy and the one you hear on Whisky in the Jar, then we have Howie Casey, the man who got The Beatles the gig in Germany and then became the sax player for Wings, The Who, T-Rex and ABC and many Page 6

It would also be fantastic if you could share our magazines the City Times and Moulsham Times with others for us. We continue to publish both magazines in print and online at www.issuu.com/ itsyourmedia. If you are interested in advertising your business or event with us then please contact us at ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk, or if you have a comment or an article please send to editorial@ itsyourmedia.co.uk and we will reply to you as soon as we can.

For all my updates and more information on my shows plus the latest Black Frog Presents updates, go to www.linktr.ee/BlackFrogPresents or scan the QR code on our poster in this magazine.

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City Times Gardening It’s certainly turning out to be a super start to the season with increasingly brighter and warmer days. As the days get longer it gives us more time to get our gardens, patios and balconies fit for the rest of the year. For me, it’s all about pruning, weeding, feeding and mulching - plus a few opportunities to plant something new.

Woodies and Climbers Whilst we’ve enjoyed the myriad of coloured stems over winter, it’s time to be harsh and prune hard the likes of Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’, Salix cultivars and ornamental currants. This keeps the growth juvenile and as a result, stems develop strong vibrant colours for the next winter season. I recently had a great day with my Capel RHS L2 Practical students whilst they pruned Cornus alba. Here are their tips for a successful pruning operation: •

•

If you have time, use the pruning to take hardwood stem cuttings - check out this link: www.rhs. org.uk/propagation/ hardwood-cuttings.

This weekend I’m getting to grips with my Wisteria on a pergola. It’s always worth spending time and effort to keep this beast in check and maintain its form. The technique is fairly straight forward: You’ve just got to remember that it flowers on 2-year old wood, so those whippy, young pliable stems are the ones to remove right back to the old stems leaving a stub containing 2 buds.

Where the framework needs to be extended or a gap plugged, tie in a whippy stem and then shorten the end by a few centimetres to a good outward facing bud.

Always use a good set of sharp tools; bypass secateurs, loppers and a fold up pruning saw.

Take out the dead, diseased and damaged growth first whenever you prune.

Reduce last year’s growth to just infringe of old stems.

Where old stems have become congested, thin out the oldest.

If your pruning is complete, this is your chance to weed through beds and borders • and feed and mulch.

Remove annuals such as chickweed, groundsel and • annual meadow grass as they will spread quickly • through borders. This is very important for the first 2 examples as they can Over 25 years experieince harbour pest and diseases; chickweed is a host for red We will not be spider mite, glasshouse whitefly and cucumber beaten on price mosaic virus, and • Trees • Pruning • Hedges • Roots Removed • Topping • Patios groundsel harbours rust.

• Rotovating • Turfing • Fencing • Garden Design • Decking Aside from these, don’t • Block Paving • Tar & Shingle • Guttering • Chimney Repairs • Building Work• Roofing • Fascias & Soffits • Drainage solutions forget any perennials such

as ground elder, couch grass and bindweed. Once complete, use a general purpose feed such as fish, blood and bonemeal or Growmore at a rate of 35-50g/m2 - don’t forget to lightly work in and complete the process by adding a thick layer of organic matter (as a mulch) to conserve moisture and reduce the spread of subsequent weeds.

A few other jobs to consider:

We jetwash and re-seal patios and driveways

• • • • •

Repair edges and patches on the lawn.

Lift, split and divide perennials.

Cut down grasses and other perennials.

Sort out supports for longer stemmed perennials.

Spruce up patio containers; add splashes of colour and top dress with fresh compost.

Lastly, check out this link for other jobs for the garden this month: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/february.

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Happy gardening and keep safe!

For any gardening tips please contact Tom Cole, Horticultural Lecturer, Capel Manor College, Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 4RQ by post (including a SAE), or email at Tom.Cole@capel. ac.uk.

Unit 1, The Paddocks, Highwood, Chelmsford, CM1 3PU Page 8

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Regal Kitchens - Case Study

Mr and Mrs K knew when they bought their new country home in Howe Green, Essex, that the kitchen was a priority to make their own. They went through the normal routes (high street showrooms and large nationwide companies etc) but could find neither a design that inspired, nor products that they would love.

Mr K had explained his situation to a work colleague who had recently used Regal Kitchens for his own renovation and couldn’t sing their praises highly enough, so that week they visited the Chelmsford showroom and instantly fell in love with their painted in-frame timber collection. Notoriously difficult to design, the clients still had concerns until designer John visited them at home and really started to understand the brief and helped them start to imagine the perfect design for their lifestyle.

The designer was bold enough to discuss removing a wall to give them more space and the island that their home deserved, this gave the clients more inspiration so a second showroom meeting was arranged for them to flesh out the design, colour palette and appliances to be included. Then following a survey carried out by our Installations Manager, they were booked in to start the project.

tap, external plinth on the island and panelling over the support wall would really make this kitchen leap from the pages of any home interiors publication. The shade of Amtico flooring that the clients chose brings a warmth to the room which helps make this beautiful house a home.

Mr K says: “We have had a fabulous experience with Regal Kitchens.

Whether it was the time we spent in the showroom, or when John came to visit to help us design the kitchen, and particularly Roger who fitted the kitchen, they have been friendly, professional, helpful and just a pleasure to deal with. Ours was quite a big project which included removing a wall and putting in a steel beam. We wanted an island and John helped us find a way. We wanted a corner larder and we got that too.

“Our new kitchen is fantastic and I can’t recommend them highly enough. Thank you John, Stacey, Roger, Phil, Janice and Emma!”

Regal Kitchens’ beautiful showroom in Chelmsford is situated at 2 Navigation Road, CM2 6HX and open 7-days per week between 10am and 4pm. www.regalkitchens.co.uk whereclientisking

Although many tradespeople were required, Regal Kitchens managed their teams expertly, on time and on budget, whilst the clients moved into an Airbnb to avoid the upheaval when the structural works were being undertaken.

Although Mr and Mrs K loved the darker in-frame furniture with the black Sensa granite (which contains special stain-resistant protection and no sealing, ie low maintenance), after consultation with the designer they concluded that making a lighter run of furniture under the window with contracting worktop would soften the dominant darker doors. It was decided to do the opposite on the island to give the already rich colour kitchen, extra depth.

Extra details such as internal cabinet lighting, black Quooker kettle Page 10

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Ramblings Through the School Yard and Beyond - By Britain’s Oldest Angry Young Man What’s in a name? Not much it seems, unless you are head teacher at Bolton Street, Catherine’s Academy Church of England school.

Head Teacher, Rachael Lucas, is doing away with the titles Head Girl and Head Boy because she says that the terms are outdated. Pupils elected to the roles would be known as ‘Head’s Ambassadors’. You’ve guessed it, ‘to recognise and celebrate our old friends, ‘diversity and inclusion’. The move provoked anger on social media with comments including: ‘God help us, teachers need re-educating’. ‘The genes don’t lie, male or female, boy or girl. Cannot be anything else’. ‘No wonder our teenagers have mental issues, they don’t know who they are any more’.

Perhaps, Miss Lucas should sacrifice her own title to be fully inclusive with a new title of ‘Students’ Friend’.

Julie Richardson, the Head Teacher at Verulam School for boys in St Albans, has scrapped ‘the madness of discriminatory and archaic’ hair policies. Big afros, long hair, cornrows and manbuns are all acceptable at her school to encourage students to express themselves and their culture. She wants her students to know it is OK to be themselves. Who else could they be? What rubbish!

Not to be outdone, a Chelmsford school has jumped on the JK Rowling persecution band wagon and removed her name from one of the school’s six houses, replacing it with Dame Kelly Holmes.

The persistent hounding of JK Rowling for having the temerity to air her personal opinion on certain sectors of our society has to stop. Frankly, Radcliffe, Watson and Grint should hang their heads

in shame for their disgraceful treatment of the woman who made them rich beyond their dreams. Get this: Following her essay on her website in June last year in which she argued that gender identity should not be given priority over one’s biological sex (her view, which I support), she was labelled a TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist) - trans people must be great with Scrabble. Rowling also rightly mocked the fatuous mouthful describing women as people who menstruate. Debate on her opinion, there appears to be none just an Orwellian parallel universe with its own meaningless language and a culture of self-inflicted angst. Rowling is entitled to voice her personal opinions, as indeed her protagonists are entitled to voice theirs. However, what they are not entitled to do is to eschew debate and replace it with death threats, harassment and abuse on social media (surprise, surprise), all of which sadly demeans the trans community. Perhaps it’s time for the trans community to enter the real world, drop the snowflakes and the do-gooders and encourage the real world into a partnership without rancour, but with respect for each other’s lifestyle.

Also in the doghouse sadly is that once great Hollywood studio, Warner Bros. Suffice to say that Warner Bros has to walk on eggshells regarding its dealings with Rowling - she holds all the relevant cards for survival. So, back off this lady who has become a hard cookie, a veritable 21st century Harry Cohn - Hollywood’s unpredictable and tough mogul who ran Columbia Pictures during Hollywood’s golden age. In the tale of Harry Potter and the Hollywood Power Struggle, she shows no signs of bowing down to the high priests of today’s pernicious cancel culture any time soon.

Chelmsford Community Radio The 90s Mixtape on Thursdays Did you ever make your own radio show as a child with a double cassette recorder and a variety of the latest albums on vinyl or cassette? No? Just me then! I am Paul and I present the 90s Mixtape every Thursday at 2pm on Chelmsford Community Radio.

As well as co-running this magazine and the Moulsham Times I have been a presenter on CCR since November 2020. I had never presented a radio show previously. However, I have been DJing silent discos and at the Chelmsford Record Fair for some years, but always secretly wanted a radio show.

I have known of Chelmsford Community Radio since their inception as Nick and myself worked with them on a few music events many years ago, including a Fling stage and a one-day event for the Tour de France when it came through Chelmsford. I randomly met Breakfast Show presenter Michelle at an event for Heritage Open Days and casually mentioned I fancied a show, a month or so later the presenter of the 90s Mixtape was taking some time off and I got my trial slot. A few months later, the previous presenter needed to stop contributing due to work commitments and I got my show and my very own jingle!

The 90s Mixtape is a ‘guess the year’ show where I countdown the current week’s top ten or twenty from a 90s year and the listeners have to guess the year (it is very easy to be one year out to coin Ken Bruce’s catchphrase).

I have found it a great challenge leaving my comfort zone to do something different, and also good to learn the software and learning to present a show, but the hardest thing for me was hearing my own

voice back on the show - once I had got past that it was a lot easier!

I urge anyone who has secret dreams of being a volunteer presenter, whatever your age of or level of experience, to get in touch with CCR at admin@chelmsfordcommunityradio.com; they are a lovely and really helpful bunch of volunteers and have varying levels of experience in presenting shows - some have been doing this for decades, some for a few months. The station is really diverse with shows from the 80s, the local music scene, as well as the Girl Guides and other organisations.

If you love 90s music and want to hear songs from Aqua to Aguilera or Nenah Cherry to Eagle Eyed Cherry, then tune in on a Thursday at 2pm either online, on the app, or on FM - and remember, if you want to get involved then contact the station using the details below. www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com www.facebook.com/ChelmsfordCR

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City Times Finance Base Rate Increase - What It Means for You? Bank of England Has Increased the Base Rate to 0.50%

On Thursday 3rd February 2022, the Bank of England increased the base rate from 0.25% to 0.50%. This is the second increase in the base rate since December.

What Is the Base Rate and Why Does This Matter?

The base rate, set by the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, is the main driver of rates on mortgages and savings products in the UK. Changes in the base rate are usually likely to impact the cost of mortgages and return on savings. Generally, a higher base rate means banks and building societies are likely to increase the cost of mortgages, whilst savers can expect a slightly higher rate of interest on their savings. However, this isn’t always necessarily the case.

Why Is Base Rate Increasing?

Base rate is increasing as a response to rising inflation. The Consumer Price Index (a measure of the costs of goods and services) hit 5.4% in January, well above the Bank of England target of 2%. By increasing the cost of borrowing, the Bank of England hope to reduce rising inflation.

What Does It Mean for My Existing Mortgage?

Borrowers currently on fixed rate will not see an immediate increase in the cost of their mortgage.

For borrowers on a variable rate mortgage, including a Standard Variable Rate mortgage, rates are likely to rise, though this depends on the type of variable rate mortgage you have.

For those on a tracker mortgage, which directly follow the Bank of England base rate, your rate is likely to increase by 0.25% immediately and payments go up from next month.

For those on a discounted rate, or Standard Variable Rate mortgage, your lender may decide to pass all, some, or none of the increase in rates on to you, but will write to you before your payments increase.

new mortgage deals on sale.

Some lenders will however withdraw mortgage rates and launch new products with higher rates. However, despite the two recent increases, the base rate remains below the pre-pandemic level of 0.75% and mortgage rates in general are low compared to historic levels.

What Should I Do? In any event, the best course of action is to seek advice. Your independent financial adviser can help you with understanding how the increase in base rate might impact you, explore your options for remortgaging or switching rates, and give you help to access support with financial issues such as savings and pensions.

Want to Talk in More Detail?

For more information about the base rate changes and what they could mean for you personally, please get in touch with us here at Royale Thames Wealth.

Silvia Johnson Bsc(Hons), DipPFS, EFA, CertCII (MP) is a Director and Independent Financial Adviser at Royale Thames Wealth and provides independent financial advice to individuals and businesses. www.royalthameswealth.co.uk silvia@royalthameswealth.co.uk 07908 109 741 / 020 8720 7249 Royale Thames Wealth Ltd is an Appointed Representative of New Leaf Distribution Ltd which is authorised and regulated by Financial Conduct Authority number 460421. The value of your investment may go up as well as down and the value is not guaranteed. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. Wills and Estate Planning are not regulated by the FCA. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

What Does It Mean for Mortgage Rates?

For the 80% of UK borrowers on a fixed rate, this rate change will not yet impact your monthly payment. For those approaching the end of their existing mortgage deal, looking to purchase a property with new mortgage, or already on a Standard Variable Rate, it is likely that rates will increase. However, this rate rise has been well forecast in advance of the increase on Thursday and many lenders had already factored the increase in costs into www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

Page 13

Mangroves form an integral part of the coastal ecosystem of the Philippines. They serve as a source of medicines, alcohol, and timber.

They are a haven for coral reef fish and a buffer against typhoons. In a two-pronged effort to shore up the maritime trees and buttress a fishing village’s ecotourism drive, a few Filipino Rotary clubs teamed up and they planted some 1,000 mangrove seedlings and provided the fishermen with bamboo to construct two cottages in the native style for rental to tourists.

A Good Idea Needs to Be Shared Rotary is a worldwide organisation operating in nearly 200 countries, so it is no surprise that when sometimes imaginative ideas come from far afield a local club may think ‘we could do that’. It may be pure fundraising, or possibly something the community could really do with.

While out for a jog, a Tennessee Rotarian discovered a holidayappropriate spot for a break: the old city cemetery in his hometown of Franklin. He was dismayed by the multitude of badly stained and unreadable headstones so he initiated a project to restore several historic cemeteries in the area. About a year later, 127 volunteers, including members from other area Rotary clubs and students from local schools, had cleaned 560 headstones and footstones and 140 plot pillars using brushes and spray bottles filled with a biological solution recommended by a preservation organisation. They identified 81 people buried in one cemetery who were not listed in the town’s official burial register - something that would have gone undiscovered if not for their efforts. What a simple idea that could be replicated in churchyards and cemeteries in Chelmsford.

Mangroves are survivors. With roots submerged in water, these tropical trees thrive in the sort of hot, muddy and salty conditions which would quickly kill most plants; and yet mangroves, with 80 different species, are regarded as a key weapon in the fight against climate change. Thus, mangrove restoration will become one of the key threads of Rotary’s environmental focus. The carbon-absorbing properties found in mangrove ecosystems are reckoned to be up to five times more effective than tree planting.

Unfortunately, large swathes of mangroves have disappeared.

Globally, 30% and 50% of mangrove cover have been lost over the past 50 years. This is partially because locals living in coastal regions have used mangroves as fuel for cooking, or they have cleared the land for more profitable ventures. Rotary is currently hands-on with a number of mangrove restoration projects around the world.

In Kenya more than 80,000 propagules and more than 50,000 seedlings have been planted. While in the Bahamas (which means ‘shallow waters’) a mangrove Rotary led clean up project is clearing waterways of rocks and sediment. Clubs are also working closely with the Bahamas National Trust to protect the island’s mangrove systems. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian was a category five storm and the strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic and mangroves proved to be most resistant to the impact.

All of the projects and fundraising events that we do as a matter of course these days started with one person’s idea. The ubiquitous quiz, a stable component of lots of organisations’ fundraising drives, was once unheard of. The few examples I have cited above are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to innovative projects.

A bit closer to home, after a break in the pandemic restrictions, a dragon boat race sponsored by a Yorkshire Rotary club attracted more than 150 enthusiastic paddlers. Thirteen teams - with sobriquets such as the Komodo Dragons, Craven Ravens, and Rainbow Rockets - collected pledges and raised about £10,000 for the competitors’ chosen charities. Look out for something similar along the River Chelmer perhaps.

One or two from our own Rotary district are worth a mention. Chelmer Bridge came up with the idea of producing a Rotary poppy badge in support of the Royal British Legion. I don’t have the figures to hand, but I believe this has raised in excess of £60,000 and a donation of £10,000 was sent recently to the RBL. On a more prosaic level Dunmow’s Metal Detector rally has raised thousands of pounds and literally dug up some very interesting results.

We can all make a difference, and if you have an idea to share or would like to learn more about joining a club in or around Chelmsford, please visit www.rotary1240.org or call me on 01245 260 349.

Stan Keller

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How to Have Bionic Bones - By Lisa Whittle Do you ever consider the health of your bones? Or like most people, do you take your bones for granted? Bones are rather like pensions, they are a long-term investment for your later years. If you start young and treat them well with diet and lifestyle factors they will be there to serve you well into older age - and by serve you well I mean stay strong so they don’t fracture if you have an accident.

I had a wake-up call about bones recently. My friend, a female in her mid-50s, fell one metre onto her knees and shattered the bones in her lower legs and knee joints. The damage was out of proportion to the accident and osteoporosis is suspected, and it’s a life-changing injury. Osteoporosis is a silent and insidious thing; by the time you know it is there, it can be too late to act. So better to act preventatively - especially if you are female.

It is true we need calcium, but sufficient vitamin D helps the efficient absorption of calcium so we in effect need less calcium. It is interesting to think about the best sources of calcium - although we think of milk as being a good source because the growing young one, whether that is a human baby or a calf, needs plenty of calcium for fast growing bones, how how do cows get the calcium for their milk?

No other place than the grass. Although humans don’t eat grass, other green leafy vegetables are also a good source of calcium such as broccoli, cabbage and spinach - so are seeds and nuts. Being a plant-based source has a major advantage in that vegetables play an important role in keeping our body tissues more alkaline, the opposite of acidity.

Bones do not like acidity in the body. All the lifestyle and diet factors we think of as ‘bad for us’ such as stress, junk food, alcohol, sugar and caffeine are associated with creating a more acidic environment in our body. It is vital that whatever stresses we are putting ourself under that our blood remains very slightly alkaline. This is so the haemoglobin of our red blood cells is able to let go of the oxygen to give it to the cells of the body. Our body maintains our blood’s alkalinity whatever acidity you may be throwing at it, and it does so by borrowing from our bones. Our bones are a large reserve of alkaline minerals - calcium, magnesium and phosphorous - that can get slowly leached away over a lifetime of ‘acidic’ living. But the good news is if you reverse that trend to creating a more alkaline state, this can reverse itself and the body can once again lay down minerals such as calcium into the bones - and potentially begin to reverse osteoporosis.

Green vegetables have the advantage of containing magnesium as well as calcium, and both are needed to build the structure of bone.

They also contain vitamin C which is needed to create and maintain the collagen connective tissue that are part of bone too.

Bones are not the dusty dry objects you may think of them as - ideally they are juicy, flexible with a blood supply and very much alive. The bone marrow within is busy making red and white blood cells.

Interestingly, historians can see from skeletal remains of previous generations that osteoporosis was not an issue until industrial times when people began to get less vitamin D. It is also very much a western world phenomenon, rates in the UK and USA being particularly high - perhaps because of the combination of high stress, low vitamin D and tendency towards an acid diet.

So now you know how to boost your bones so they spring back if you fall and mean you have a happy, healthy and mobile old age.

The dramatic hormone drop at the menopause is linked to declining bone strength as the chemical balance the body is disrupted. If you are female and in your 50s it can be a good idea to ask your doctor for a DEXA bone scan to check your bone density. You can organise one privately for around £100 and it can give you a good indication of how your bones are doing and there is still time to make change and boost your bone density. Men too need to be aware, but as men’s hormones decline more gradually, the issue of bone density loss is more gradual too.

So what can you do in terms of diet to strengthen your bones?

You may associate keeping your bones strong with calcium and by that you are probably thinking this means drinking milk. Milk was promoted to the population as a cure for rickets, which are bowed legs caused by soft bones. But until the industrial revolution rickets wasn’t really an issue. Why would this be? A dramatic change happened in the lives of many working people around this time - they moved from working outside in the agricultural fields to working indoors in the industrial mills. This meant considerably less sunlight and therefore vitamin D for many people, which gives us a clue to the significance of vitamin D in the recipe for strong bones.

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Take vitamin D or ensure sunshine reaches your skin every day, which can be tricky in the UK in winter.

Reduce stress and get enough sleep.

Ensure your diet is as alkaline as possible with plenty of vegetables and salad and minimise acid-producing foods such as sugar, junk food, white flour, caffeine and dairy.

Potentially take a calcium supplement.

Potentially take extra magnesium and silica too.

Vitamin C is helpful for the connective tissue within bones.

Weight-bearing exercise such as walking and running plays a part in keeping our bones strong along the ‘use it or lose it’ principal.

Please send any local events for inclusion in our What’s On guide from 17/3/22 to 17/4/21 to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

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What’s On All events are correct at time of going to press. Please check with the venue for updates.

February

Thursday 17th Civic - Johnny Cash Roadshow Eagle and Hind - Quiz Night Friday 18th Bay Horse - Hot Rock Jukebox Civic - Omid Djalili: The Good Times Tour RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair Yoga (10.45am - £6 per session - to book phone Sue Eddie on 07794 543 147) Saturday 19th Bay Horse - Senior Class Cramphorn - Milkshake! Live - Milkshake! Monkey’s Musical!

Eagle and Hind - Grounds for Divorce RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm) Sunday 20th Cramphorn - Status Update Hylands House - Open day and farmers and craft market Wednesday 23rd Patch - Talks for the LGBTQ+ Community and Allies Quaker Building (Rainsford Road) - Chelmsford’s Industrial School Talk (email info@chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk to book) Thursday 24th Hot Box - Loserhrs Presents: The Mezz + Big Head Tea Drinkers Eagle and Hind - Quiz Night Friday 25th The Bay Horse - Exempt Chelmsford Social Club - Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy) + Stony Road Civic - The Panic Awards Hot Box - Rubber Soul RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair Yoga (10.45am - £6 per session - to book phone Sue Eddie on 07794 543 147) Saturday 26th The Art Place - LGBTQ+ Under 18s Social (12pm) The Art Place - LGBTQ+ Over 18s Social (3pm) Bay Horse - Recharged Civic - Pop Divas Live!

Civic - Purple Zeplin Hot Box - Jar Records Presents: Adam & Elvis + Three Birds Blind The UB - Spencer M Taylor and the Groovy Psycho Wickham Bishops Jazz Club - Kevin Grenfell’s Jazz Giants (7.30pm - Wickham Bishops Village Hall, CM8 3JZ - to book phone Pete on 0754 877 5777) Sunday 27th Hot Box - LGBQT History Month - Open Mic RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Quiz Time (2pm)

March

Wednesday 2nd Hot Box - Tennessee Fields Radio City Sessions Thursday 3rd Civic - Ray Mears - We Are Nature Cramphorn - The Shirt Tail Stompers Eagle and Hind - Quiz Night Hot Box - Resonance Friday 4th Civic - Eric & Ern Hot Box - Live Transmission: The LemonCurd Kids + Myopia RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair Yoga (10.45am - £6 per session - to book phone Sue Eddie on 07794 543 147)

Saturday 5th Chelmsford Social Club - Beatles With Wings (Howie Casey) + 251s Christ Church - Essex Symphony Orchestra: Spanish Celebration Cramphorn - I Spy With My Little Eye Chelmsford Social Club - Record Fair Sunday 6th Civic - I’m Still Dancing ‘Revamped’ Cramphorn - I Spy With My Little Eye Tuesday 8th RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Meeting (12pm) Wednesday 9th Civic - Seann Walsh: Back from the Bed (14+) Hot Box - The Hot Box Big Music Quiz Thursday 10th Civic - Someone Like You - The Adele Songbook Cramphorn - Swan Lake (pre-recorded) Eagle and Hind - Quiz Night Friday 11th Cramphorn - Chelmsford’s Industrial Past Hot Box - Eat Your Own Head + Rad Pitt RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair Yoga (10.45am - £6 per session - to book phone Sue Eddie on 07794 543 147) Saturday 12th Chelmsford Social Club - Kokomo (70s aound pioneers) + 5.com Eagle and Hind - Medicine Hot Box - Cashpoint RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm) Sunday 13th Hot Box - Jazz Sundays with Zak Barrett & Friends Tuesday 15th Cramphorn - Honk Wednesday 16th Cramphorn - Honk Civic - Beatrix Potter™ Tales in association with Frederick Warne & Co Thursday 17th Cramphorn - Honk Civic - Beatrix Potter™ Tales in association with Frederick Warne & Co Eagle and Hind - Quiz Night Friday 18th Civic - Beatrix Potter™ Tales in association with Frederick Warne & Co. Cramphorn - Honk Chelmsford Social Club - Cregan & Co (Jim Cregan) + Richard Townend Eagle and Hind - The Locals Hot Box - Tom Hingley RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair Yoga (10.45am - £6 per session - to book phone Sue Eddie on 07794 543 147) Saturday 19th Civic - Beatrix Potter™ Tales in association with Frederick Warne & Co. Cramphorn - Honk RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm) Sunday 20th Hylands House - Open day and farmers and craft market

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The Power of Breath (Part One) - Mandy Haynes Pranayama (Sanskrit, from prāna ‘breath’ + āyāma ‘restraint’).

Pranayama is an integral part of the yogic tradition and refers to breathing exercises which clear the physical and emotional obstacles in our body to free the breath and allow the life energy (or prana) to flow through the body.

The breath can be incredibly powerful; although breathing is an unconscious process and we all do it automatically, we mostly only use a fraction of our lung capacity and do it without any thought whatsoever.

Pranayama is the conscious awareness of our breath and the different practices but can be vastly beneficial: • • • • •

Reduces stress/anxiety.

Improves sleep quality.

Reduces blood pressure.

Improves lung function.

Enhances cognitive performance.

The practice of pranayama will strengthen the connection between your body and mind. It has the effect of energising, relaxing and healing the body, letting everything settle and fall into place.

My yoga classes will always include some form of pranayama, even if it is simply bringing awareness to the breath by following its natural rhythm at the start to prepare for the practice or at the end to slow down before savasana and relaxation.

Below are some pranayama techniques that you can try at home.

Find yourself a quiet spot and make yourself comfortable; you can be seated or lying down.

Visualising Breathe in and visualise the breath moving in through the nose, travelling down through your body to the tips of your toes. Breathe out and visualise the breath moving back from the toes, up the body and gently out of the mouth. The inhalation fills your body with whatever it is you need right now, the exhalation releases whatever isn’t serving you. It might be something new with every breath or you might be drawing in the same positive with every in breath and releasing the same negative with every out breath.

Chelmsford Library As we look forward to spring, we continue to enjoy welcoming customers old and new back after a difficult time for all. Do keep an eye on what is going on as we are planning lots of interesting events during the year. You can find details on our website, on our social media pages and of course, in our library!

Allow a slow, steady breath in and out of the nose and return to what it is that you need, and what you’d like to let go of. Use an inner mantra here to link in with your breath. Silently repeating to yourself ‘I breathe in... (examples: calm/softness/ease/space)’, ‘I breathe out... (examples: tightness/tension/stress/fatigue)’. Continue for 2-5 minutes.

Interrupted Breath (Viloma) Imagine a staircase within your body with the base at the pelvic floor and the top at your throat. Using an interrupted inhale you climb the stairs with 3-5 steps or until your lungs are full - in, in, in, in - and then with a slow, smooth exhale you move back down the stairs until your lungs are empty. Continue for 2-5 minutes. You might find that you start with 3 stairs (3 breaths in) and after a couple of minutes are able to climb 5 stairs. When you have finished, let the inhale even out and take a few rounds of breath.

Next month, we will discover two more pranayama practices. If you’d like to join me for yoga and pranayama you can find me at Hummingbird Pilates & Yoga. www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk

Essex Symphony Orchestra Spanish Celebration!

Saturday 5th March at 7.30pm.

Christchurch, 164, New London Road, Chelmsford, CM2 0AQ. • • • •

Lalo - Symphonie Espagnole* Glinka - Summer Night in Madrid Bizet - Carmen Suite 1 Ginastera - Estancia: Four Dances

Philippa Barton, violin Tickets: £15.00 (under 18s FREE) *

Available from: Pam Gladwell - Tel: 01245 601 418, or email eso.pam.eso@gmail.com, or via ticketsource.co.uk Or direct from our website: www.essexsymphony.org.uk.

Computers, scanning and printing facilities are available to all customers along with free Wi-Fi, photocopying and study spaces.

Batteries and small electrical items can also be recycled at Chelmsford Library, and lateral flow tests are usually available, depending on demand.

Love Your Library is back once again on Saturday 19th February. Join us for community teatime from 2pm-4pm and discover what your local library can offer.

Bring your children to the library to join in with our superhero themed activities, including arts and crafts and storytime. Come dressed up as your favourite superhero and get photographed in our picture area!

If your children enjoy jigsaws and colouring, come along to our free drop-in Pens & Puzzles activity every Sunday 11am-12.30pm.

Our Baby and Toddler Rhymetime sessions continue each week during term time and are proving very popular, so don’t forget to book a place (chelmsford.library@essex.gov.uk).

Your youngsters can enjoy our sensory wall in the Children’s Library, which also supports children and adults with specific needs, such as learning disabilities, sensory impairment and dementia.

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For more information on all our events and services, visit our website at libraries.essex.gov.uk. You can also follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EssexLibraries) or Twitter (twitter.com/ EssexLibraries), or by subscribing to our newsletter - all details on our website. www.libraries.essex.gov.uk.

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Tales From the Circle - By Sylvia Kent Last month’s introductory article outlining the 1941 origins of Brentwood Writers’ Circle has interested City Times’ readers, which has encouraged several new writers to make contact. A warm welcome awaits! Every writer, at whatever stage they have reached in their quest for publication, needs to spend time with like-minded people as a sounding board for inspiration and possible ideas.

Many of us feel that meeting publishers and editors in the world of books, newspapers and magazines is often a valuable bonus when entering the often tricky business of becoming a published writer.

Listening and meeting experts who visit BWC as guest speakers from the worlds of radio, film or publicity can also help novice writers reach the first step of their particular writing ladder.

Such speakers in the past have led the way for publication of some of our members. Certainly in the case of one member, the late Elizabeth Lord, whose success as a best-selling author of more than 30 novels started when Ruth Rendell addressed our writing group, later encouraging Elizabeth to send her manuscript off to an agent.

Frances Clamp, our previous president who joined BWC in 1972 when she moved to Brentwood remembers: “I felt rather intimidated about joining a circle of writers, believing that they had probably all been published and I most certainly had not.

Numbers were relatively few in those days, and I remember there were more workshops than guest speakers. Major events in the life of the Circle have always been celebrated in our meeting venue and over the years, our membership grew to 60, with a waiting list.

“Over the years I have found constant support and encouragement from other members, something vitally important to any

Give yyrself a eat and visit...

Army & Navy

P Aldi a r k Radio w Cafe a B&M y Located inside Moulsham Mill (Parkway, CM2 7PX)

Enjoy a delicious range of hot and cold snacks and drinks whilst supporting a great local cause!

writer.”

Frances, a former teacher, has now published 14 commissioned books and numerous magazine short stories.

Last Saturday, the actor/writer/poet/ radio presenter Rob West was the Circle’s latest guest in the speaker’s chair and gave us a fascinating afternoon outlining his Phoenix FM98 Arts Programme, co-presenting alongside Claire Gevaux. He also launched his book of poetry entitled Words Words Words.

Useful websites: www.robwest.biz www.brentwoodwriterscircle.com www.sylviakent.blogspot.com

Biggest Record Fair Ever!

February’s Chelmsford Record Fair, held at their new venue Chelmsford Social Club, was the biggest to date with a record breaking (pardon the pun) 20 different sellers, all with a different selection of new or secondhand vinyl, CDs and music memorabilia covering all musical styles from rock, pop, indie, funk, soul, reggae, dance music and more. Whatever your style there is always bound to be something for you.

Located at the back of the Springfield Road Tesco store, the Social Club is a great venue with plenty of space, meaning more sellers and more records. It has a fully licensed bar for tea, coffee and of course beers, plus a massive stage for our DJs and bands to perform.

With the resurgence of vinyl over recent years, record sales are growing year on year and Jon from Intense Records tells us: “We are seeing a lot more faces coming through the doors, both a younger audience just discovering vinyl and buying their first turntable, and others rekindling their love for vinyl, buying back records they previously owned, or getting their old collections out of the loft and filling in the gaps. After all we’ve been stuck inside for so long, there is nothing better than being able to go out and interact with sellers as well as seeing the condition of your records before you buy them.

You have the opportunity to look through various collections - you may come across something which you may have never discovered when looking online.”

The next fairs will be held on Saturday 5th March and 2nd April from 10am til 4pm.

There is still room for new sellers, so if you would like your own stall or have a record collection to sell, then please email us at enquiries@ intenserecords.co.uk or call 01245 347 372.

chelmsfordcommunityradio.com

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Directions: Chelmsford Social Club, 55 Springfield Road, Chelmsford CM2 6JG (01245 261 379). If you are walking, there is access via Tesco Car Park, or if you are driving use the entrance opposite the Two Brewers along Springfield Road.

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City Times History

The Development of Chelmsford (Part Two) - By Stephen Norris This article deals with the changes in Moulsham and New London Road in the town before the First War. The 1876 large scale Ordnance Survey map reveals a great deal about the limited development of Chelmsford and Moulsham at the time. On the edge of Moulsham, Oaklands House at the top of Moulsham Street had been built by Frederick Wells the brewer in 1867 - his ‘FW’ appears on three places on the outside of the building. The gatehouse to Oaklands Park was Oaklands Lodge on the corner of Rothesay Avenue. Further down towards the town at number 103 Moulsham Street today is the former bailiff’s house which also has the ‘FW’ motif. Henry Guy, who gave money for St John’s Church and is buried in the churchyard, had built Hamlet House, now named Dovedale House. After later being the residence of Ernst Hoffmann, it is today in the grounds of Chelmsford College.

Further down on the left were the six Tudor almshouses, which had been rebuilt by William Mildmay of Moulsham Hall in 1758. In Anchor Street off Moulsham Street on the left, was the ironworks of THP Dennis, later to be taken over by REB Crompton.

On the other side of Moulsham Street on the way out of town on the map, St John’s School was smaller than it was to become.

It later bore the inscription ‘This school was erected and the adjoining schools enlarged in loving memory of Thomas Tidboald, Churchwarden of St John’s, by his widow, A.D. 1885’. The tomb of Thomas Clarkson Neale, the secretary of the Chelmsford Philosophical Society and who played a major role in the establishment of the museum, was and is still to the rear of the church. Behind St John’s Church was a brickfield.

Next to the school there were a number of terraced houses, one of which was called Hemp Cottage. They are still present. Further down back towards town on the right was H and T Godfrey who had been rope makers and producing marquees, netting, yarn and sacks since 1828. Today this is the site of Godfrey Mews. Beyond this was Rope Walk (roughly in the position of today’s Grove Road). On the other side also going down towards the town was the Bay Horse Inn, which is still there. It was originally a 17th century building with weather boards and a peg tiled roof.

Like Chelmsford itself, the Moulsham of the 1880s was well served with pubs between Hall Street and Rope Walk, including the Mason Arms and the Kings Arms. The British School was between Blackfriars Place and Friars Place and fronted onto Friars Road. This of course has all been replaced by a section of Parkway. Lady Lane was just a track with no houses at all on either side, and lying back from Lady Lane was the ‘town sewerage depot’.

Heading up from Baddow Road, Mildmay Road was not built up beyond Woodford Villas, ie, beyond Lady Lane. On the lower end of Mildmay Road was a stone and timber yard as well as another maltings. On the corner of Mildmay Road and Hall Street was the silk mill built by John Hall of Coggleshall, later to be used as Marconi’s first factory. A tannery was close to the Can by the Baddow Road.

Towards Baddow Road on Moulsham Street in the 1880s was the Windmill Arms. Also towards the town on the corner of Baddow Road and Moulsham Street was the Old White Hart Inn. Just before the stone bridge was the Cross Keys Inn on the site of what became the Regent. It was a medieval gabled building, the last of the town’s medieval inns. The stone bridge had been built by John Johnson in 1787, probably on the site of the Roman bridge.

At the start of Moulsham Street before the stone bridge, the militia barracks covered a large area including a parade ground that was also the armoury and depot of the West Essex Militia. It had been built on the site of the old prison. The militia’s headquarters were transferred to Brentwood and the buildings were sold around 1890 and most of the site is now occupied by the Chelmsford Star Co-op.

Out of the village, Moulsham Hall had been demolished as early as 1814. It stood near the entrance to the present day Moulsham Infants and Junior Schools. The 1876 map shows the site of Moulsham Lodge as completely detached from town, approachable by a lane off the Baddow Road. Oaklands itself was surrounded by a large area of gardens and woodlands. It fronted onto Moulsham Street up to beyond the lodge house going back towards the town.

Beyond it was Saltmarsh’s nursery with an organised layout of fruit trees and glass houses. On the other side of Moulsham Street there was another nursery between Moulsham Street and the New London Road. John Saltmarsh lived in the building on Moulsham Street which is now the Conservative Club. Nursery Road built at the end of the century refers to the nurseries. Further out of town beyond Oaklands there were gravel pits. St John’s Vicarage is shown on what was then called Longstomps Road (now Vicarage Road).

In the middle of the 19th century, architect James Fenton had been involved with the Copland family in developing a large area, previously part of the Mildmay estate, which became the tree-lined New London Road. Arguably his work for the ‘Chelmsford Company’ left a much more pleasing legacy than the work of the planners who succeeded him more than a century later (see later articles).

It included a mixture of high quality terraced, semi detached and detached properties.

Either side of New London Road was by no means completely built up in 1876. Bellefield, later to be the home of Frederic Chancellor, Thornwoods and Chestnutt Villas are clearly shown, but land which was later to be used for the building of the Chelmsford and Essex Hospital was empty. After the hospital was opened in 1883, Spalding took many photos of the building both outside and inside. In 1880 next to the field that became the Chelmsford and Essex Hospital was the Ebenezer Chapel, designed by James Fenton in 1847-1848.

On the corner of New London Road and New Writtle Street was the Laurel Grove house, now occupied by the Chelmsford Club, where Fenton himself had lived. Coleman and Morton’s Iron foundry fronted on to New Writtle Street and New London Road on the left hand side going out of town. The site was later used by the Crown Windley company. On the 1876 map was the Church of the Immaculate Conception, a Roman Catholic Church which had been built in 18461847. Next to the church, Albert Place had been built in the 1840s.

On the opposite side of the road was the Red Lion pub which had originally been built in 1842. In 1876 there were a number of small private schools on both sides of the road, many of which didn’t last very long. There were several clay pits on the either side of the road up from Queen Street and the nonconformist cemetery. On the right, the land fell away due to brickwork where Brierly Place, the home of John Ockelford Thompson, was later to be built. It is now the United Reform Church. There were no houses between Mason’s Villa and Melford Villas which had been built in the middle of the century.

In 1883 William Augustus Lucking, the son of William Lucking, who was already an undertaker, bought a property next to the nonconformist cemetery in New London Road. George William, his son, carried on the business. He died aged 41 and his wife continued the business with Gus their second son eventually taking it over.

Lucking and Son is still there today after Darren Lucking, a great nephew of Gus, took control in 1996. The nonconformist cemetery had been designed by James Fenton himself and had opened in 1846. Later, eminent Chelmsford people to be buried there included, Frederick Wells and AGE Morton.

In 1887 the Chelmsford Cemetery opened in Writtle Road. The cemetery later contained the graves from the fallen of both world wars and it has since received over 21,000 burials. 41 burials and commemorations were carried out after the First War. There were 38 burials during the Second War, 32 of them on a western part of the

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cemetery. The cemetery also contains the Hoffmann memorial.

A crematorium was a much later addition to the cemetery in 1961.

This original chapel was added to by a second and the original was renovated in 2011. Chelmsford Cemetery now has cremated remains plots and a Muslim section. There are now a number of closed cemeteries around the city including St Mary’s Churchyard, Widford, St John’s Churchyard, Moulsham Street, the New London Road cemetery (the former nonconformist cemetery), St Mary’s Churchyard, Great Baddow, Rectory Lane Churchyard, the Cathedral Church of St Mary, St Peter and St Cedd, Holy Trinity, Springfield and All Saints, Springfield.

Opposite the nonconformist cemetery was the Claremont Villas, originally built in 1851 and later to be occupied by the St Philip’s Priory. On the corner of Elm Road, Cherry Garden Villas had also been completed by 1851. On the other side was Orchard Lodge, which had been built in 1841-2 - this is now the South Lodge Hotel. Numerous Spalding photos show the new Chelmsford and Essex buildings after they had been completed in 1883, both of the outside and the inside.

In 1876 on the New London Road was the original bridge across the Can, later to be swept away in the floods of August 1888. It was replaced by an iron bridge in 1890. Next to the Moulsham side of the bridge was the Congregational Church, again designed by James Fenton in 1840. On the other side of the bridge was the Mechanics Institute built in 1841, which flourished in the middle of the century but was well in decline by 1880 and later to close in 1899. It has since been used by the museum and today is used by the coroner’s service.

James Dace, the music specialist, was established next to the Institute as early as 1859. The firm established shops in Stratford, Romford and Colchester and by the end of the century had moved to

opposite Bolingbroke’s and Wenley’s in Chelmsford High Street.

Next month’s article looks at developments in the High Street before the First War.

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A Year in the Life of the Mayor

Spot the Difference - 10 to find (answers on page 23) Who doesn’t look forward to a trip to a pantomime? The mayoral group really enjoyed watching Beauty and the Beast at the Chelmsford Civic Theatre on its penultimate evening at the beginning of January. The cast and overall production was very good, the audience were very vocal and we loved it! Thanks to all involved in this successful and entertaining production.

I spent a very enjoyable evening with the Mayoress at the Chelmsford heats of the Rotary Clubs Young Musicians Competition held at St Cedds School. There were 11 very talented instrumentalists and vocalists performing a variety of musical pieces. Congratulations to the winners Libby Simmons (vocalist) and Sophia Assitzoglou (violin). Both winners will go forward to the district finals at Chelmsford Cathedral on 19th February.

A very cold and wet Saturday morning early in new year saw the Mayoress and I visiting Generals Farm in Boreham to see the Farleigh Hospice Christmas Tree Recycling operation in full swing. A constant flow of volunteers in a variety of vehicles arrived to deposit the collected Christmas trees by a large shredder. A large shed on site allowed volunteers to stay dry whilst enjoying a cup of tea and a bacon roll before heading back out to collect more trees. It’s a great environmentally friendly way to dispose of your real tree and the mulch is then sold on.

It’s a big logistical exercise which was running very smoothly despite the awful weather. Well done and a big thank you to all of the companies donating premises, equipment and food and drink for the volunteers and staff. A real example of the community coming together for a good cause.

team are doing in the community, as well as showcasing to me the advancement of training and technology in the social care sector that they are utilising as part of their staff training.

I was invited to a briefing at the East Anglia Reserve Forces & Cadets Association in Springfield - a very informative meeting and interesting to hear about the support for ex-service men and women, community engagement initiatives and the many sea, army, and air cadet units across the region. I met a friendly dedicated team of staff on site.

The Deputy Mayor and I were delighted to welcome representatives from the Chelmsford Lions Club to the Mayor’s Parlour. They very kindly presented a cheque for £575 for the Mayor’s charities collected on Chelmsford High Street the day the Christmas lights were switched on - people were so generous. The President (Andrea Cooper) dressed as a lion!

The Deputy Mayor and I had a meeting in the Mayor’s Parlour with Chelmsford author Simon Culleton (above), he was updating us on his recently published book Shadows of Fathers. We wish him every success with this and his future books.

I had the real pleasure of joining Phyllis at Willowmead Care Home for her 104th birthday celebrations, she also received over 50 specially written cards from friends, family and well wishers within the local community. They really made a fuss of her with cakes and flowers.

Thank you Tickled Pink Productions for the entertaining performance.

Phyllis, residents, staff and visitors at Willowmead thoroughly enjoyed the short musical version of Cinderella. A lovely afternoon for everyone.

One Saturday lunchtime the Mayoress and I paid a visit to the Anglian Care stall in the High Street. We chatted with the owners and staff who were promoting work opportunities with Anglian Care. It was a great opportunity for them to showcase all of the things their care

Essex Youthbuild is a very worthwhile charity based in Hoffmans Way. They held an open day at which I officially opened their recently completed mezzanine floor. The charity offers young people the opportunity to try out and learn skills in construction and other related trades, as well as improving maths and english if necessary.

There were several young people who spoke about their desire to qualify as tilers, bricklayers, electricians, etc. A very uplifting morning with some very talented young people and dedicated trainers.

If you wish to invite the Mayor to attend an actual or virtual event, please email mayors.office@chelmsford.gov.uk.

Twitter: @chelmsmayor Instagram: Chelmsford_mayor Facebook: Mayor of Chelmsford

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CT Therapy - Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Hi Everyone! Jenny here. As I mentioned in my last article I’m running regular courses.

My next one is on Imposter Syndrome and it’s running on the 18th February. After that one I’m running my most successful course. It’s a two parter because it’s very comprehensive and it’s all about anxiety. I’m an ex-anxiety disorder and panic disorder sufferer as well as being a therapist, so I feel uniquely placed to write and produce this course!

There are lots of different anxiety disorders out there, and sometimes it can seem like they all merge into one. Many people recognise that they suffer with anxiety, it is a normal emotion to feel in certain circumstances. However, when anxiety feels unmanageable or you feel anxiety often in specific circumstances to the point it becomes a problem, that’s when it’s time to seek help.

Sometimes it can be helpful to have examples of symptoms and thought patters, so in this article I’m giving you some examples of common anxiety disorders and types of anxiety that often present in the therapy room: GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) GAD is commonly described as having regular or uncontrollable worries about many different things in everyday life. Due to the fact there are lots of possible symptoms of anxiety, this can be quite a broad diagnosis. The symptoms that one client experiences with GAD might be quite different from another person’s experiences.

One of the most common symptoms of GAD is that the sufferer feels anxious most days (or at least on edge) and often struggles to remember the last time they felt relaxed. They are often plagued by negative thoughts, if they manage to resolve one anxious thought another will appear immediately. They catastrophise, scenario build, and worry constantly. GAD can ruin lives and it’s one of the worst forms of anxiety disorder I’ve come across.

Panic Disorder Panic disorder is characterised by suffering with multiple panic attacks regularly. During a panic attack a person experiences a range of intense mental and physical symptoms. These symptoms can can come on very quickly and for ‘no apparent reason’ (of course there’s a reason, a therapist will usually work with the client to find out what it is!). Panic attacks are very frightening and distressing.

Symptoms include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Racing heartbeat/palpitations.

Feeling faint.

Sweating.

Nausea.

Chest pain.

Shortness of breath.

Trembling (hot flushes/chills, feeling very shaky).

A choking sensation.

Dizziness.

Numbness or pins and needles.

Dry mouth.

A need to go to the toilet (either way...).

Tinnitus.

A feeling of dread/going to die/are dying/losing your mind.

Feeling like you’re not connected to your body.

Most panic attacks last between 5 and 20 minutes. The number of attacks somebody has depends on how severe their condition is.

Some people have attacks once or twice a month, while others have them several times a week, or even a day. Although panic attacks are very scary, they’re not dangerous.

An attack will not cause you any physical harm, and it’s unlikely you’ll Page 24

be admitted to hospital if you have one. The irony here is that lots of people are admitted to hospital whilst having a panic attack because they believe it’s a heart attack. They’re later advised that it’s a panic attack, but usually not before having lots of tests in hospital. Some people take a while to realise or accept that its anxiety causing them issues rather than something physically wrong with them. This leads us to the next anxiety disorder...

Health Anxiety Health anxiety is the second most common anxiety disorder I come across in private practice (after GAD). It’s characterised by the person worrying constantly that there’s something wrong with them physically. Although the client will often pick up on any niggle and turn it into a death warrant, they will usually focus over one organ or one disease.

When someone has health anxiety it’s important to note that they genuinely believe their symptoms are life threatening. They’ll focus on the symptom and overthink so that it becomes bigger and bigger.

They will frequently check their body for signs of illness such as pain, tingling or lumps and bumps. Those with health anxiety often ask people for reassurance that they’re not ill, but at the same time when they go to a doctor (who should be able to reassure them) they worry that they, or the medical tests, have missed something.

This can lead to the person looking at health information on the internet, googling their symptoms and ‘looking for an explanation’.

They may even exacerbate their symptoms or act as if they were ill, for example avoiding meeting up with people or physical activities.

Often medical TV programmes will scare them, even if it’s fiction (such as Holby City).

The major issue with this type of anxiety disorder is the huge range of physical symptoms caused by anxiety. Can we really blame the sufferer for believing theres something wrong with them when the physical symptoms of anxiety are so terrible? Often anxiety is mistaken for illness. So I would always encourage the client to think rationally.

Phobias A phobia is an acute, and extreme, fear of something specific.

Anyone can be phobic of anything. A phobia is developed either: 1.

2.

Via a traumatic event that is then linked to whatever the person is phobic of.

Via learned behaviour; so a child learns to be scared of spiders by watching the parent be afraid of them.

It is possible to be phobic of multiple things. Overcoming a phobia can be life changing and it is very important that the sufferer understands that they don’t need to be afraid of the fear inducing phobia. Those with a phobia have an exaggerated or unrealistic sense of danger about a situation or object, and on some level they probably know this.

Specific or simple phobias centre around a particular object, animal, situation or activity. Common examples of simple phobias include: • • • • •

Animal phobias: Such as dogs, spiders, snakes or rodents.

Environmental phobias: Such as heights, deep water and germs.

Situational phobias: Such as visiting the dentist or flying.

Bodily phobias: Such as blood, vomit or having injections.

Sexual phobias: Such as performance anxiety or the fear of getting an STI (sexually transmitted infection).

Complex phobias tend to be more disabling than simple phobias.

They usually develop during adulthood and are often associated with a deep-rooted fear or anxiety about a particular situation or circumstance. The 2 most common complex phobias are social phobia and agoraphobia.

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Agoraphobia is often thought of as a fear of open spaces, but it’s much more complex than this. Someone with agoraphobia will feel anxious about being in a place or situation where escaping may be tdifficult if they have a panic attack.

The anxiety usually results in the person avoiding situations such as: • • •

Being alone.

Being in crowded places, such as busy restaurants or supermarkets.

Travelling on public transport.

A common way to treat simple phobias and agoraphobia is using a technique called ystematic desensitisation. This is where the person is gradually exposed to the situation or object they’re afraid of. This technique allows the person to gain confidence and learn the situation or object is safe.

RAFA Club

We have recovered from the disappointment of having to cancel our 2021 Christmas party in our RAFA Club because of Covid restrictions. On the plus side, our weekly chair yoga sessions and our coffee mornings remain well attended. Our priority for 2022 is to activate a membership drive utilising extra input from Branch Cadets and volunteers. Two of our cadets are working with the branch to create and run a new branch website.

Branch Welfare Officer, Jim Machin, is stepping down at our AGM in March after some 34 years service in that role. Throughout 2022, we will be working much closer with the NS(RAF)A who hold their regular meetings in our RAFA Club. 2022 will be an interesting year for our Branch. Derek Threadgall (ex RAF) Acting Secretary for our branch

Social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder, centres around feeling anxious in social situations. If you have a social phobia, you might be afraid of speaking in front of people for fear of embarrassing yourself and being humiliated in public.

In severe cases, this can become debilitating and may prevent you carrying out everyday activities, such as eating out or meeting friends. Social anxiety disorder is often linked to the fear of being judged.

Jenny Hartill is a therapist and owner of award winning Cloud9 Therapy and Chelmsford Therapy Rooms. For therapy enquiries please see the therapists list on the website at www.chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or you can email info@ chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or call 0330 100 5162 to enquire about an initial consultation. For any training enquiries please email info@ctrn-training.co.uk.

Can You Make a Difference in Your Community?

Below are a few examples of what you can get involved with.

Volunteer Driver Would you consider volunteering to be a driver for us at Abberton Rural Training? Our minibus ensures our isolated adults can reach our programmes on Mondays. This is only a 7-seater so can be driven on a standard license. The driver would also be welcome to stay with the group each week and enjoy learning about horticulture and land based studies!

Volunteer Crèche Assistant Mid-Essex Family Centre have an exciting opportunity to work with children from 0-12 years in our 2 hour crèche sessions, 10ammidday, weekdays. No qualifications or experience is necessary, but bundles of enthusiasm, and enjoyment for interacting with children is required!

expertise in areas such as third sector, PR, fundraising, marketing, management and law, although knowledge in other areas is also welcome.

Social Group Volunteer DeafBlind UK need friendly, outgoing people to assist at monthly group meetings in Chelmsford. Our members really enjoy getting together each month to have a good chat and a catch up. For many, it provides a much needed opportunity to get out and to meet and make new friends in a safe supported environment.

Our Chelmsford group meets on the 1st Tuesday of every month from 11am – 2pm with plans to open an additional monthly group soon.

Please contact volunteer@chelmsfordcvs.org.uk or call 01245 250 731 if you think you could help, or just for more information about volunteering.

Volunteer Host for Homeless Young Person NightStop is seeking kind, compassionate volunteers with a spare room who can help vulnerable young people who need a safe bed, hot meal, and a warm shower for just one or two nights. You are trained, insured, and fully supported by the charity.

Charity Trustees City of Chemsford Mencap are looking for new trustees who will bring experience, knowledge, a can-do attitude (and a good sense of humour) to their board. They are particularly seeking trustees with www.thecitytimes.co.uk

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Crafts - By Magali Ellis and Scrap-Circle This month’s craft is about colouring and different ways to use colours.

Colouring is in right now - it is fairly easy to find colouring books for adults and this is another great way to relax!

Colouring helps your mind to unwind.

Did you know that you can do your own? Try out those different techniques: 1.

2.

3.

You can use stamps and ink pads to stamp your own images and then colour them in. These can be turned into cards or tags.

There are different ways of colouring for you to choose from: pencils and felt tips, watercolours, blender felt tips, ink pads and water brush, the list is endless.

You can use stencils and ink pads to create wonderful backgrounds to page layouts in scrapbooking or cards. You could do a monochrome background with one colour, or use 3 colours that match the photo you would like to use. Colours can be as neutral or bright as you want!

Another technique for you to try out is using a gelli plate, a roller and ink pads. It is a fun and exciting way to create backgrounds and you can also use stencils to add depth to your creations.

4.

Journaling is a therapeutic way to jolt down your thoughts, pour out your worries onto paper and then paint and collage over your writing to cover what you want to keep personal and create a beautiful page in the process. I know of many friends who have been helped by using that technique when facing dark times.

You could argue that it could end up being a bit expensive to start up colouring without any guarantees that you are going to like using the equipment. I understand fully: how many times have I bought something only to find out I don’t get on with it?

That is the main reason why it is a good idea to find a craft day or workshop where you can try out stamping, different ways of colouring or using a gelli plate without having to buy everything yourself. A craft day is a fantastic way to use someone else’s craft items, learn new techniques and decide if that is something you would like to invest in. Highwood Village Hall are now offering gelli plate throughout 2022 and you can book your place by going to the ‘Crops & Workshop’ page of www.scrap-circle. co.uk, or contacting me at info@scrap-circle.co.uk.

Sending Compassion - By Mrs Silver I came across an interesting article

by Dr David Hamilton where he spoke of a double blind study whereby the participants sent compassion to various hospital inpatients. The recipients were connected to a device that would monitor their autonomic nervous system. As it was a blind study the recipient would be unaware of when this compassionate intent would be sent.

The results were outstanding and the ANS machine showed that during the times when the intent was sent their bodies had a significant positive autonomic response, meaning that their immune response was definitely boosted.

Even though the recipient was unaware of the intent being sent, their nervous system 100% felt it!

With this in mind, who can we send compassionate intent to now?

Even if it’s just 10 minutes. Focus on someone you would like to send compassion. Go into a meditative state and imagine the person bathed in beautiful light. I like to imagine pink light as for me this is a very loving colour and produces that frequency within myself. Next imagine the recipient smiling and happy receiving your compassion. See them in a scenario where they are happy, healthy and living life to the fullest.

Leave your love and compassion with the recipient and give thanks to the higher beings at work here.

Blessed be Love Mrs Silver For spiritual help and guidance via reiki and Tarot, please get in touch by emailing mrssophiasilver@gmail.com.

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Quiz Time - By John Theedom

1. What was the first name of M Eiffel of the Paris tower fame?

2. Where was Saddam Hussein when he died?

3. What is a spall?

4 ‘Dunny’ is Australian for what?

5. What kind of creature is a Bombay duck?

6. In the sporting world, what is a hammer?

7. Which TV advert uses a bald baby boy with a cockney accent and riding a motor cycle?

8. What was the name of the man who had the world’s first heart-to-heart transplant?

9. How tall was Superman Christopher Reeve?

10. What nationality was J Arthur Rank?

11. In which road is the famous Beatles zebra crossing?

12. Who, where or what is nagini?

13. What are galoshes?

14. What type of food is Brown Windsor?

15. In America, what is a ‘boss of the plains’?

16. In electrical terms, what does AC stand for?

17. What is the smallest native British pony breed?

18. Which religious denomination was formed by John Wesley?

19. What is a baby bear called?

20. In which year did the TV programme Panorama launch?

21. What creature is described as annelid?

22. In Scots dialect, what type of animal is a tod?

23. Which fruit is the main ingredient of guacamole?

24. What kind of creature is a mudskipper?

25. In slang terms, what is wonga?

26. In Eastenders, who played the role of Angie Watts?

27. For what do the initials B&Q stand?

28. How much did they pay Sid for singing that song on stage?

29. TV’s Mrs Meldrew was played by who?

30. When is the next leap year?

31. In WW2, we were told a certain vegetable would help us see in the blackout, which one was it?

32. What is Paddy Ashdown’s real first name?

33. What type of animal is a hinny?

34. Who, where or what is a thrum?

35. Starting at red, what is the fourth colour of the rainbow?

36. Approximately where is the Sea of Azor?

37. What is David Attenborugh’s middle name?

38. Michael Schumacher sustained very serious head injuries doing what?

39. In the TV show Starsky & Hutch, what was the first name of Starsky?

40. What is a barolo?

(Answers on page 31)

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We also design and supply: business cards flyers roller banners brochures In fact, almost anything that is printed!!

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Stargazing With Mark Willis - February/March

21st February - 20:00: Orion, The Hunter, rules the winter skies as it does, until spring - unlike the Plough (Ursa Major, or the Great Bear) which stays in the UK skies all year round. Look south about 25 degrees.

Underneath Orion’s belt is a misty patch which you can see with the naked eye on a very clear night. This is the Orion nebula. A nebula is a ‘stellar nursery’ where new stars form.

Orion is a good constellation to learn about finding your way around the night sky. Sirius, the brightest star in the whole sky, is a mere 8 light years distant from Earth compared to the Orion nebula’s distance of 1,300 light years. The reason we can see the nebula is because it is estimated to be 30 or 40 light years across.

Finding Orion This is a very useful video as you will also learn the shapes of stars

around the Orion constellation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8q82v_ majE.

Alfred Fowler, British astronomer, father of modern spectroscopy, 22nd March 1868 - 24th June 1940: What is spectroscopy? Put very simply, you can find out what a planet’s gases are in its atmosphere using light.

New Moon: On 2nd March and 1st April there will be a new Moon. This means the skies will be extra dark which is a great opportunity to see planets, galaxies and deep space objects.

As usual, email me with any questions. www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com Twitter: @WillisWireless mark.willis@chelmsfordcommunityradio.com

Wildlife Corner - By Nick Green The blackcap is a warbler and a common summer visitor and passage migrant with small numbers wintering. Spring migration peaks in April while return autumn passage features in August and September. It is a highly arboreal species with a mainly European distribution. The recovery of ringed birds show passage through France and Iberia to wintering grounds in southern Spain and northwest Africa, avoiding the Sahel area south of the Sahara which has suffered droughts.

Overwintering birds in gardens favour mistletoe berries and apples, which are also ideal for thrushes like blackbirds and fieldfares. The photo shows a male blackcap with an obvious black cap and rather grey plumage - females and juveniles have brown caps.

Selected January Highlights In Essex, Abberton Reservoir EWT: great northern and red-throated divers, red-necked and Slavonian grebes, up to 7 Bewick’s swans, long-tailed duck, up to 7 scaup. Wallasea Island RSPB: red-breasted goose, 3 spoonbill, hen harrier. Rainham Marshes RSPB: caspian gull, water pipit, Dartford warbler.

Nationally, the major rarities included the long-staying white-tailed lapwing in Lincolnshire, plus in Lancashire the American belted kingfisher. Otherwise; Glamorgan, Eglwys Nunydd reservoir: pacific diver and spotted sandpiper. Devon: buff-bellied pipit.

Male blackcap (copyright: Glyn Evans)

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Quiz Answers

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

Gustave Hiding in a hole in the ground in Tikrit, Iraq A chip or splinter Toilet Fish Metal ball on a chain, for throwing Fairy Louis Washkansky 6ft 3” (29.55cms) English, Yorkshire Abbey Road, St. Johns Wood, North London Large snake in Harry Potter series Waterproof overshoes

14 Soup 15. A cowboy hat 16. Alternating Current 17. Shetland 18. Methodists 19. A cub 20. 1953 21. Segmented worm 22. A fox 23. Avocado 24. Fish 25. Money 26. Anita Dobson 27. Block & Quayl

28. A ‘tenner’ 29. Annette Crosbie 30. 2024 31. Carrots 32. Jeremy 33. Offspring of male horse and a female donkey 34. A continuous rhythmic humming sound, or a short, woven thread 35. Green 36. In Europe, north of the Black Sea 37. Frederick 38. An accident whilst skiing in the Alps 39. Dave 40. Dry red wine from northern Italy

RDS Renovations

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