Se7en Elephants formerly known as Coriander on Baddow Road now offering you
ALL YOU CAN EAT SUNDAY BUFFET
12.30 - 5PM - OPEN ALL DAY For reservations call 01245 353366
The City Times Including: Boreham, Broomfield, Danbury, Great Baddow, Maldon, South Woodham Ferrers, The Walthams and Writtle 10000 copies distributed monthly
Issue Number 58: July 19th - August 19th 2018
HIGH QUALITY
PHOTO PRINTING
EXPRESS PHOTO PRINTING
NEW LATEST TECH EXHIBIITON QUALITY
available in-store & online now!
10% OFF DIGITALCITY10PRINTING
*
Exclusive reader discount! Use code:
in-store & online
50 6x4 Prints Only £10.00 25 5x7 Prints Only £12.50 Canvas Prints from £30 Enlargements from £2 Collage Prints from £5 Film Developing from £11
PRINT FROM YOUR
PHONE
FREE C with
all pr int
D
s
Download the FUJIFILM Imagine app and sign up to the CameraWorld account to get started!
APPLE & ANDROID High Chelmer Shopping Centre
CHELMSFORD
Essex CM1 1XB | 01245 255510 chelmer@cameraworld.co.uk also at: LONDON W1T 3PB & STEVENAGE SG1 3BG
cameraworld.co.uk/photo *
Sign up to Fujifilm Imagine CameraWorld account and use discount code to receive 10% off digital printing with your first order. Full T&Cs available online & in-store. Goods and delivery services subject to stock and availability. Prices subject to change. Pictures are for illustration purposes only. E. & O.E.
CT Welcome Hello readers,
Welcome to the July/August edition. Well what an amazing World Cup that was; I am not sure anyone could have predicted that set of results with some of the higher ranked teams being knocked out so early! Well done England on some great perfomances - roll on Euro 2020! You can also view both our magazines - City Times and Moulsham Times - online at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia. Enjoy your month! Regards Nick & Paul www.thecitytimes.co.uk | www.moulshamtimes.com
Advertising Editorial Nick Garner Paul Mclean 07970 206682 07595 949701 ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk
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 Printwize.
Is your conservatory roof leaking? Is it freezing in the winter and roasting in the summer? Noisy when it rains? A tapco UPVC lightweight slate roof is what you need making your old conservatory roof cool in the summer warm in the winter never leaks again and looks amazing!!! Save thousands of pounds with us!
• New roofs • Roof repairs • Soffits • Fascias • Guttering • Moss removal • Fibre glass flat roofing 01206 807 598 / 07506 367 774 www.roofservicesessex.com info@roofservicesessex.com
Before
After
Colchester based family run business Public Liability Insurance
All major credit cards accepted
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Page 3
CT Fashion - Savvy Summer Style Upgrades: Break into Your Wardrobe, Not the Bank If the scorching sun and the bright blue skies haven’t already told you, then I can confirm that summer is officially here and yes, with the country seeing some of the hottest days for the longest time EVER on record, it’s safe to say it’s sticking around for a while - we hope. The summer shindigs have already started; I bet you’ve been to a few BBQs already, and it’ll definitely be half past Pimms o’clock by the time this article goes to print. With summer coming early this year we’ve definitely been forced to think about our summer style selections a little prematurely. If you’re anything like me, you’ve reluctantly dug out last year’s attire, hoping that no one will notice the same maxi you wore at a similar shindig in 2017… and 2016… Last weekend, I stared into the dark abyss that is my wardrobe and felt a tad sad that I hadn’t got any new togs to summer-dance in. Then again, I was also very aware of how little cash I had due to the old spent-all-ofmy-money-on-that-fartoo-expensive-holidaythat-I-definitely-haven’tpaid-off-yet error. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle - the fashion gods shone their lights down on me and I had an epiphany: I would buy a FEW pieces that would update my wardrobe, make me feel like I had my sassy pants (literally) back on and I could strut my summer stuff back into style. Champagne fashion, lemonade money. Win win. Here are my upgrade your summer wardrobe hacks for 2018; try one or two of these and I promise 1. your summer wardrobe will be on trend and 2. your bank balance will still be a happy little fella. You can thank me later. 1. P-P-P-Pick up a Pastel: You’ve probably noticed that most high street shops have some pretty pastel colours donning their shelves, and there’s nothing that says summer quite like looking like your favourite childhood ice cream is there? Neopolitan slab, anyone? The best pastel picks I could find were in H&M and River Island, ranging from cute T-shirts to statement trousers. Choose a colour and a piece that suits you, from pale pink, mauve, pale green, mellow yellow, or peach. If you’re feeling a little more flush, you might invest in a pastel statement piece like a blazer (I’ve spotted a gorgeous linen offering in Mango for £79.99). My recommended pick would however be a stylish pair of palazzo trousers that can be dressed up for days out that turn into drinks out
- find several styles and colours of these at Quiz in Debenhams priced from £24.99. 2. Flirty Florals: I’ll admit it, they’re my absolute FAVOURITE for the summer, and with florals returning year after year, there’s no way that you’re not INVESTING IN YOUR FUTURE if you have a teeny splurge. Floral prints are girly, easy to style and perfect for any summer occasion. Wedding? Check. BBQ? Check. Meeting with your boss? Check. Dressing up a top to toe wide leg floral playsuit or jumpsuit with a wedge and jacket is perfect for when a few hours shopping turns into a few hours dancing. Not to mention the floral dress for this summer; you can’t swing your tote on the high street without knocking off a cold shoulder and frill wrap style floral dress from its hanger. This summer, I’ll be teaming my florals with a pastel blazer to make sure I am 2018 summer-ready. I suggest you invest, ladies. Best places to look? Miss Selfridge, Topshop and River Island. 3. Perfect Palm Print: Get the banners out - no, honestly, I am not trying to ‘palm’ you off palm print is here to stay (see what I did there?)! This print is literally splashed all over the high street at the moment, from homeware to clothing and you wouldn’t be updating your summer wardrobe without it. I’ve seen the best pieces online, especially in clothing stores such as AX PARIS (also found in New Look). I’m thinking a statement jumpsuit or a palm print Maxi. Alternatively, you might consider a revamping your swimwear with some palm print - shein.co.uk is ridiculously affordable with various palmy pieces. 4. A Bum Deal: An extremely simple way to update your summer wardrobe would be to invest in a statement bag. You might consider - now, take a deep breath - are you sitting comfortably? The bum bag. Yes, you did read that correctly, the bum bag is making a comeback and why the hell not? Versatile, comfortable and HANDS-FREE (just think of how many gins you’ll be able to carry without the worry of a clutch!) there’s no wonder the bum bag is gracing waists across the country this summer. Okay, so they’re not strictly calling them ‘bum bags’ - oh no, the much more refined ‘belt bag’ is what you can expect to see at festivals and on shopping trips. Of course, Gucci offer a beautiful quilted offering at £765. But, I promised you a happy bank balance, so if you’re interested you might consider Topshop’s quilted offerings for £15. Go on, live a little. Rebecca Forde is a writer with a penchant for fashion, great literature and drinking a lot of coffee. You can contact her by emailing rebeccaforde@hotmail.co.uk. © All Images: Dorothy Perkins
Page 4
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
6th - 16th September 2018
13th & Friday 14th September Essex County Council Tour of the Historical Council Chamber and Foyer Bookable Tours at 10.00 & 14.00
8th & 9th September Danbury Hilltop Heritage Tour Tour 1500-1630
16th September Pleshey Castle Bookable Tours 14.00, 15.00 and 16.00 01245 605700 to book
9th September 6th & 8th September Chelmsford Cathedral History Sandford Mill Industrial Museum Open 10.00-15.30 Tour Bookable Tours 8th Tour 11.00 of the Museum Open 10.00 - 16.00 10.30, 12.00 and 14.00
9th September 14th &15th September Little Baddow History Chelmsford Museum Centre & United Reform Open 10.00 - 17.00 Church Bookable Tours 14th at 12.00 & 15.00 Open 1400-1630 Call 01245 605700 to book
8th September 16th September Church of St John the St. Mary & St. Edward’s Parish Evangelist, Moulsham Street Church West Hanningfield Open 10.00-16.00 Historical Open Day 10.30 – 15.00 Service 9.30 - 10.30 - Talk 11.15am
7th September “Women’s Suffrage Movements and the Great War” a lecture by Dr Viv Newman at Anglia Ruskin University. Bookable 19.30 - 21.00
September 8th & 9th Great Waltham Church Flower Festival Open 10.30-16.00
14th September Anglia Ruskin University & New Medical School Bookable Tour 11.00
8th September Stock & Buttsbury Heritage Centre Open 10.00-12.00
8th September 15th September 14th Sepember ‘The Peculiar People' Evangelical Chelmsford Jamia Mosque “Anne Knight & Grace Chaplow” Church, Grove Road, Moulsham Open 10.00 - 17.00 A talk by Grace Scott Open 10.00 – 16.00 the Transition café Bookable 19.30 - 20.15
9th & 10th September Hylands House Open 1000-1600
6th September Writtle University College Talk “King Johns Hunting Lodge" Bookable Talk 16.00-1800
9th September Sandford Mill Bookable Tours of the Nature Reserve 10.45, 12.30 and 14.00
8th & 15th September Marriage’s Flour Mill Tour Bookable Tours 10.00 & 13.00
7th September Marconi History Walk Finishing inside the 1912 factory building Bookable Tour 10.00
13th September 11th September 8th, 13th & 15th September Staplegrove “a secret 19th “Industrial working women of Guide walk along the Century Mansion” now the Chelmsford” a talk at the Chelmer & Blackwater Canal Chelmsford Club Galleywood Heritage Centre by Bookable tour 1100-1500 Bookable tours 11.00, 12.00, Tim Wander and Alan Pamphilon. 13.00, 14.00 & 15.00 Talk 14.00 – 15.00
6th, 7th, 7th, 8th & 9th September 8th September St Mary with St Leonard St Mary’s Great Baddow Open 10.00- 15.00 Parish 11th Century Church Broomfield Open 10.00 – 1200 & 14.00 -16:00 9th 10.30-12.00, all welcome 14.00 - 16.00 Pet service on the Green 15.00
9th September Tours of the Non Conformist’s cemetery in New London Road Open 10.00 -16.00
8th September Local authors day at the Galleywood Heritage Centre Open 10.00-15.30
8th & 9th September 8th September 8th & 15th September 15th September New London Road Baptist Essex Police Museum – Backstage Back stage tours of Marconi Ponds Church (Formerly Ebenezer Strict the Civic Theatre Tour Open 10.00-16.00, Nature Reserve Baptist Church) Bookable Tours 10.30, 11.30, Bookable Tours at 11.00 and 14.00 Historical walking tours Open 8th 11.00 - 16.00 13.30, 14.30 & 15.30 To book email Bookable tour 14.00 9th 10.45 - 12.30 Service hannah.wilson@essex.pnn.police.uk Call 01245 606505 to book
9th September Stock Windmill Open 1400-1700
13th September Greenwoods Hotel Bookable Local History Lecture @ 10.00
13th September Guided tour of All Saints Church, Stock Open from 12.15
13th September History Tour of Stock Village Bookable tour 11.15
For more information or to book visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk
16th September Springfield Lyons 10.00-16.00 Bookable Tours 11.00 and 15.00
6th September Salvation Army Citadel Building Open 1000-1400 Bookable tours 1100 &1300
All Things Music - by Nick Garner
Music It has been very busy since the last edition went out; we had the amazing U2 Tribe play at Chelmsford City Football Club with The Velvet Tree opening for them - and they were both fantastic. U2 Tribe featuring Chelmsford’s very own Paul Stevens playing the role of the Edge. I think the Edge would be scared for his own position in U2 if he heard and saw Paul play! What a show, the whole band were stunning. The Velvet Tree are a local Essex band playing original music and again they wowed the audience and we will be having them back again I am sure.
thank everyone involved too, although there are too many to name as individuals, but you all know who you are I am sure. I must thank my fellow trustees and the rest of our close team for helping me pull this off and realising a dream to put together a spectacular event for everyone of all ages and ethnicity from across Essex pulling the whole community together. We know we had people travel a good way to attend and to take part in the festival. The parade that opened the festival was bigger and more spectacular than anyone thought and you could hear people saying ‘the carnival is back’ - we are so pleased.
The following week at the Bassment we welcomed back Dave Onions from the Midlands with Roy Mette opening for him again. These two work so well on the same bill that I would love to hear them actually play together, as they complement each other so well. Roy, whether he is playing electric or acoustic guitar, with a band or solo, is always fantastic. Dave is a master of both the guitar and mandolin and like Roy is a great singer-songwriter as well, Dave played for about two hours and everyone stayed till the end as the whole night was just so good.
I must also thank all of our sponsors especially One Chelmsford for having the faith in us. We had so many people helping us, without whom without we could not have succeeded. There were also a lot of people in the background writing and designing for us too, so we thank Polar for our great branding and website. Then there were those who helped with the lunchtime concerts, the parade, the River Festival, the art exhibitions and the storytelling and so much more; you all helped us - thank you from us all! We also thank Little Stars Circus for their breathtaking shows and Bearded Gypsy for their market (and to all the other traders) and Hyve Dance for a spectacle that the city centre has not seen the likes of before. We also thank the Mayor and Gilson Lavis for opening the festival for us - and finally to all of the participants who took part and preformed for us all and the venues who hosted events across the city - and to you for coming along.
We have two more shows coming up very soon. At the Bassment on 26th July we have top harmonica player Steve Smith with his band. Joe Anderton will open the evening (see the advert for full details). Then a couple of days later on 28th July at the football club we welcome back sixties legend Zoot Money and his Big Roll Band; this line-up is often star studded so is surely not to be missed, with Booga Red are special guests on the night. it is going to be a fabulous night again and full details can be found in the advert below. I must also mention that at the end of July from 27th to 29th the Writtle Jazz Festival is on again with a great line-up of top acts. Visit their Facebook page or website for full details (writtlejazzfestival. co.uk). Chelmsford Arts & Cultural Festival Before I start, I must emphasise that our aim is not to get people to just come to the festival, but that the festival should be a showcase of what great talent we have in Chelmsford and Essex and what a great place it is. You just want to keep coming back to visit, as there is stuff going on all year round. We did have doubters that thought we would not pull it off and at times I must admit we were a little worried, but we had no need to be, as it worked and was better than any of us could have imagined. I must
To have had so many well established institutions and big business involved, including both of our universities and Chelmsford college, the museum and both the city and county councils, as well as our three big shopping centres, is amazing. Next year (yes, we are already starting to plan for next year) we want it be bigger - not just the parade, but the whole festival, so we need you to get involved please. I was going to write a review but there was just so much that went on I cannot possibly write about everything I would like to as I think it would almost fill the magazine up! See page 9 though for a piece about the Yarn Bombing which was amazing. Sadly, I could not get to everything, it was impossible, but I would have loved to have seen the vintage bike display, the model boats and all the events that took place in Central Park and at the universities - but if I did not make it, we certainly did have at least one trustee who did. Do visit our Facebook page and website to see photos and videos of the various happenings during the festival. As I said before we need more help please, if you can offer to help plan an event or volunteer or help us with our programme (are you a designer or proof reader? Are you good with spreadsheets or on the computer? Can you help us write for grants? There are just so many areas where we can do with your help to make the festival even bigger for 2019. You will see all of the links below; please like our pages on social media and help us by inviting your friends to like our pages as well. As ever, please do try to come out and support the great live scene that we have in Essex, because if you do not - we may lose it. For more information on all of the above and more see the links below and go to our the What’s On pages to see what else is happening in your area. Check around the Internet see what’s on in your area and also check out your local papers and community boards. Chelmsford Arts and Cultural Festival: hello@chelmsfordfestival.org www.chelmsfordfestival.org www.facebook.com/chelmsfordfestival Twitter: @chelmsfordaacf www.bluesinthecity.co.uk www.facebook.com/bluesinthecitychelmsford Twitter: @BluesintheCity1 www.itsyourmusic.co.uk www.facebook.com/itsyourmusic Twitter: @itsyourmusic
Page 6
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
CT Gardening - by Tom Cole
I hope you’re all trying to enjoy your garden this summer as well as keep up with various garden shows. Oh and Wimbledon - and did someone say football!? Whatever you’re up to, take care again with watering. For the best results, avoid watering during the height of the day as this evaporates really quickly, best to do this job early or later in the day.
•
•
• •
•
Here are a few other jobs in the garden for the next few weeks: •
• •
If the your grass has grown long while you have been on holiday, give it a cut with the blade set quite high and then lower a few days later, this reduces the chance of the grass going into shock and allowing weeds to get established. Cut back the sideshoots to just in front of fruit clusters of any trained fruit trees. This maintains the framework and allows sunlight into the plant to help ripen fruitlets. Staying with fruit, feed container grown fruit trees with a liquid potash fertiliser; any tomato feed would suffice. Caution: do this when the compost is moist to avoid potential scorching.
•
•
Continue to earth up potatoes to stop the tubers being exposed to light and turning green. Ensure plants are watered regularly to assist with crop size. Check shrubs regularly for pests such as aphid and various caterpillars. Pick off anything visible and/or treat with premixed soapy mixes or chemical sprays such as pyrethrum based products. Watch out for adult vibe weevils emerging - crush them when you see them. Continue to pick strawberries as soon as they are ripe. Left on the plant they will over-ripen, rot and encourage pests and diseases. Continue to feed tomato plants fornightly with a liquid fertiliser (this must be diluted in water to prevent burning the plants). Don’t forget to remove side shoots on cordon tomatoes and cut off terminal growth point once top reaches the roof eaves if growing in greenhouses. Ensure that soil in hanging baskets and patio planters is kept moist. Removing fading and dead flower heads from plants will encourage new flowers. Feed hanging baskets and planters weekly with liquid fertiliser if a slow release fertiliser was not added when planting the basket. This is also an ideal time to replace poor fading bedding and replace with new. Stake and tie perennials to prevent them being broken by wind and rain - should we get it! Remove fading delphinium, geranium and kautia flowers to encourage a second flowering. With salvias and catmint you can reduce plants by half and be rewarded by a second flush of flowers later this month. Continue to weed and complete the process by spreading compost from the compost bins over the borders and vegtable patch. This adds valuable nutrients to the soil and acts as a mulch, which will help retain moisture and reduce weed growth. Ensure that the soil is moist before adding mulch.
Lastly, well done to our graduating students this year in further education on completing their courses and now moving into various job opportunities or coming back for further study. But as one year ends another is just around the corner, and planning is well underway to produce a bumper fantastic programme of study options from this coming September. If you want to further your knowledge and understanding of these or other gardening jobs, do consider one of the following courses at Writtle University College: For RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture (1 year, day release on Thursdays), RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Plant Growth, Propagation & Development (September - February on Thursdays), RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Garden Planning, Establishment and Maintenance and for RHS Level 2 and 3 Certificates in Practical Horticulture email tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk for information on availability of days and times. If you’ve got more time, we also offer full time Level 2 and 3 programmes plus apprenticeships.
20% Discount when you mention The City Times
If you’d like a shorter programme for say 1 or 2 days, then give our Short Courses a call. We’ve got courses on construction (erecting fences, paving and brickwork), general garden tasks such as pruning, propagation, container gardening, successful care of lawns and growing fruit and veg. For the professional, a whole load of competence certificates covering arboriculture, pesticide application and use of various machinery and equipment. Happy Gardening For any gardening tips contact Tom Cole, Horticultural Lecturer, Writtle College, Chelmsford, CM1 3RR by post (including a SAE) or by email at tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk.
Page 8 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Yarn Bombing at The Chelmsford Festival Wikipedia says: “The practice of Yarn Bombing is believed to have originated in America, with Texas knitters trying to find a creative way to use their leftover and unfinished knitting projects, but it has since spread worldwide!“ Well it reached Chelmsford last month as a part of the Chelmsford Festival! Essex Knitters and Stitchers meet once a month in the John Lewis Store, Chelmsford Haberdashery Department, 2nd Floor, 2nd Thursday of the month 10.00-12.00.
Any level of ability. All very Welcome. Join them and learn about their interesting projects Contact: wendywbm@hotmail.co.uk - Telephone number: 01245 233482 Also in Maldon Library, 1st Tuesday of the month,10.00-12.00 Hatfield Peverel Library, 2nd Wednesday of the month, 10.00-12.00 We think it looked great, well done to all involved in brightening up the High Street!
Fling Fest 10th Birthday
CT Food: Burger v Beetroot - by John Jacobs Wow, how hot is it? Are we still in the World Cup? What’s happening in Wimbledon? All questions we will know the answers to by the time this month’s City Times is published, most of which I feign little interest in.
What I have been following with quite a bit of interest is the fastest growing food trend in the UK at the moment - namely, veganism. Over the years vegans have been much maligned for their lifestyle choices, and vegan food for lacking in essential nutrients, and largely tasting of something that one would bury to avoid attracting insects. Recently however, there has been a change in the perception of vegan food and food companies are latching on to this minor volté face. Fair enough, but this has all become a touch confusing, even for those livin’ la vegan loca (don’t touch, I’m copyrighting that). Next month, Tesco is launching something called the ‘bleeding’ vegan burger. Made of pea protein, coconut oil and potato starch, it contains beetroot juice to give the impression that it is bleeding (though all you readers know that meat doesn’t bleed when cooking, it releases myoglobin). Granted, I’d much rather eat one of these than a lab grown burger created from animal stem cells, but I rather suspect that this rather misses the point of veganism. But wait, here’s the thing that a little digging into the marketing strategies of our biggest food providers has revealed and is certainly a revelation to me. As more of us in the UK drop meat from our diet for health or ethical reasons and manufacturers are racing to cater for them, their target audience is what they call ‘flexitarians’. Not vegans or vegetarians, but those who want to reduce or cease consumption of meat but who still enjoy the taste and texture of an omnivore diet. A couple of years ago the Gourmet Burger Kitchen got into a bit of trouble with its advertising campaign, namely, the picture of a skyscraper sized tower burger above the caption, ‘Vegetarians, resistance is futile’. Interpret that as you will, but no-one foresaw the backlash that followed as a result. GBK were on the receiving end of a bizarre hate campaign that began ‘Veganism is not a joke’. They were subsequently branded the Gourmet Murder Kitchen and trial by Twitter ensued. GBK may well have been out of touch with the mood having launched their campaign during the selfdefined month of Veganuary (no really), but then the authors of the anti-burger campaign then went on to make a formal complaint to the ASA that they were being singled out for being a minority. I find that kind of rationale exhausting. I am not self-important enough to have an ideological issue with any type of food movement or trend, but my concern with veganism is that it comes with a moral weight of guilt. Its proponents appear to define it as an ethical code, a philosophy and as such should be adopted without
question by any right thinking human being of average height and weight. I think we used to call that organised religion. That’s no big deal because it won’t happen and I would not be churlish enough to argue against it. Your choice, you choose, good for you. The bleeding vegan burger is no existential threat to the meat industry. I don’t profess to speak for the moral majority, but I do take issue with being deemed one of the immoral majority simply because I eat foods processed from animals. There are a number of new restaurants in the city that now solely cater for the vegetarian and vegan diner. The one that looks particularly interesting is Primrose Natural Food and Juice Bar in cosmopolitan Moulsham. Their website says that I can cleanse myself with juice, discover a healthier me and also have a holistic beauty treatment. That’s quite a lot for a lunch hour but I’m going to go there, review impartially and leave my meat based prejudice at the door. This could be the onset of an entirely new way of life for me. If not, there’s always one of Mr Ram’s kebabs across the road. As always, I enjoy receiving your emails with recipe’s reviews and recommendations. If you want to submit something, please send them to cctfood@gmail.com. Have a great month.
SUMMER BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL 2018 THE THREE ELMS CHIGNAL ST. JAMES, CM1 4TZ FRIDAY 10TH – SUNDAY 12TH AUGUST OPEN 11AM EACH DAY 18 REAL ALES. OVER 20 REAL CIDERS. LIVE LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT ALL WEEKEND. FOOD AVAILABLE.
FREE ENTRY! Live performances from Indigo, James Burrage, Alex & The A Sides, Connor Selby & Joe Anderton and The Blues Experience! Please see our website or Facebook for more details!
the-three-elms.com facebook.com/thethreeelms
Page 10 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Triple Win for Chelmsford Local Family Builders’ Merchant, Chandler Material Supplies Presented by Joanna Lumley MBE, Chandlers proudly accepted three of the top awards at the recent Builders Merchants News Awards. Judged by a panel of independent industry experts, the BMN Award adjudicators collectively have years of experience in the construction sector.
award is a great recognition to everyone in the team who worked so hard on the site.” - Ben Chandler, Finance Director. WINNER: Independent Builders Merchant of the Year (1-10 branches) Over the last 4 years, Chandlers has embarked on a huge modernisation project re-engineering every part of the business. For 60 years the company had built a reputation for tremendous customer service with strongly family values. As Chandlers continued to grow, it faced a massive challenge in modernising its processes whilst ensuring it kept the culture, values and ethics that had made it so appealing to a loyal base of customers young and old.
Investing in its staff from an early age, Chandlers has always tried to differentiate itself from competitors by having knowledgeable patient staff to help customers. WINNER: Trainee of the Year - Lauren Penney
A culmination of the success of a computerisation project, site expansion, new website, rebrand, marketing and people strategies.
Having started in the business as a Saturday cleaner, Lauren Penney joined the business fulltime as an Apprentice Administrator in September 2015. As a small 1 branch merchant, she was soon to work where she was needed, with her first 12 months seeing her work as a finance assistant, a PA to the management team, a project administrator, counter salesman, as well as studying a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Business Administration.
The outcome of these initiatives has evolved the customers’ experience at Chandlers, in turn increasing customer numbers over the last 5 years, building a framework for a sustainable future for the business, its 46 employees, and its customers.
“I’m proud of my achievement, but most importantly I’m grateful to the company, not only for giving me the opportunity to be recognised within the industry, but also for the constant support of all of my colleagues and managers.” - Lauren Penney, Operations Assistant.
“To have been selected as winners of the award for Independent Builders’ Merchant of the Year is a wonderful achievement for our company, however one that wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and commitment from our terrific teams here at Chandler Material Supplies.
Congratulations and well done to all the team at Chandlers.
“We know we have the best people working here giving a great customer experience, it’s absolutely brilliant to have that recognised nationally and to be able to share the great news with all the staff, and our customers.” - Julie Chandler, Managing Director. WINNER: Website & Digital Initiative of the Year Award At the centre of the business for the last few years, Ben Chandler led a project to deliver a new, modern website to support the business and its next generation of customers. The site went fully live with 2,500 products priced and available to buy online at www. chandlermaterials.co.uk. This functionality was unprecedented by a small local merchant at the time, with even national name competitors not yet offering this to their customers. “We were absolutely thrilled to win the Website & Digital Initiative of the Year award. To be recognised as having the best website nationally across all Builders Merchants this year is a real honour. We put the customer at the centre of the whole design process, to try and make the site as user friendly and engaging as possible, and this www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 11
What’s on in the Area
July
Friday 20th Bassment - Pieface (Small Faces, Faces & Humble Pie) Cramphorn - Romeo & Juliet (pre-recorded from The Royal Shakespeare Company) The Golden Fleece - Barney & the Rubbles Saturday 21st Bassment - Foxymophandlemama (Pearl Jam tribute) Civic - Around the World The Golden Fleece - Acoustic Sessions (3.30pm) The Repertoire Dogs (9.30pm) The Three Elms - Tapas Night (6-9pm) United Brethren - A Light Left On Sunday 22nd City Centre - Chelmsford Race for Life Civic - Right Here, Right Now Cramphorn - The Square (15) United Brethren - Sunday Sessions: Lexie Green (3pm) Tuesday 24th Boreham Village Hall - Ballroom and Latin American Dance (classes for beginners & improvers - www.danceasy.co.uk) Civic - Dance Projection - Stand Out Wednesday 25th The Chichester Hotel, Rawreth - Belvedere Jazz & Music Club: Mississippi Swamp Dogs Civic - Dance Projection - Stand Out Thursday 26th Bassment - BRITC: The Stevie Smith Blues Experience + Joe Anderton Cramphorn - Saul (pre-recorded from the Glyndenbourne Opera House) The Golden Fleece - Quiz night Friday 27th Bassment - The Confessions Cathedral - Lunchtime Concert Civic - Rhythm of the Dance (UK tour) Cramphorn - Shiraz (U) The Golden Fleece - Bay Days X United Brethran - Delta Ladies Writtle - Writtle Jazz Festival Saturday 28th Bassment - The Story-Tellers Acoustic Tour (Stewart Mac & Dean Roberts) CCFC - Zoot Money Civic - Gruffalo’s Child Marconi Club - Revolution Pro Wrestling The Golden Fleece - Bay Days X United Brethren - Steve Hooker Writtle - Writtle Jazz Festival Sunday 29th Civic - Gruffalo’s Child Star & Garter - Open mic/jam United Brethren - Sunday Sessions: Howling Matt (3pm) Writtle - Writtle Jazz Festival Tuesday 31st Cramphorn - Journey’s End (12A) Page 12
August
Wednesday 1st The Chichester Hotel, Rawreth - Belvedere Jazz & Music Club: Anita O’Day Song Book - Jo Harrop Qnt Cramphorn - An Evening of Magic Thursday 2nd Bassment Blues Jam The Golden Fleece - Quiz Friday 3rd Bassment - Shakey’s Sessions: Rachel Brooks + Callum McFee (more TBA) Cathedral - Lunchtime concert The Golden Fleece - The Strides Saturday 4th Alehouse - Chelmsford Record Fair Bassment - WDR & Dayz Of Purple And Orange (all day psych fest!) Bond Street - Roundtable & Ladies Circle Summer Fête Civic - The Wizard of Oz The Golden Fleece - Acoustic Sessions (3.30pm) - Choice (9.30pm) Hylands House - Open Day St John Payne School Patching Hall Lane Chelmsford - Fuchsia Society Annual Display The Two Brewers - 33RPM United Brethren - CM2 Sunday 5th CCFC (home) - Chelmsford City FC v Torquay United Civic - The Wizard of Oz St John Payne School - Fuchsia Society Annual Display Star & Garter - Open mic/jam The Two Brewers - Elie Rees United Brethren - Sunday Sessions: Roy Mette (3pm) Woolpack - GC’s Jazz Club: Guest: British Jazz award winner Julian Stringle & Graeme Culham Trio (8pm) Tuesday 7th Boreham Village Hall - Ballroom and Latin American Dance (classes for beginners & improvers - www.danceasy.co.uk) CCFC (away) - Dartford v Chelmsford City FC Cramphorn - A Quiet Passion (12A) The Three Elms - Charity Quiz Night (7.30pm) Wednesday 8th The Chichester Hotel, Rawreth - Belvedere Jazz & Music Club: Tribute to Frank Sinatra - Stephen Triffitt Qnt The Three Elms - Live guitar & vocal duo Angie & Dave (8pm) Thursday 9th Bassment - Jazz Funk Monthly Cramphorn - The Magic Flute (PG) The Golden Fleece - Quiz Friday 10th Bassment - Backwater Channels: Live indie rock Cathedral - Lunchtime concert Chelmsford City Racecourse - Razorlight The Three Elms - Ale & Cider Festival (live band ‘Indigo’ 7pm) Saturday 11th Bassment - JAR Records: Live indie rock CCFC (away) - Hungerford Town v Chelmsford City FC
Please note, all events are subject to change. Please visit the relevant websites or Facebook pages for more details
Saturday 11th (continued...) The Golden Fleece - Acoustic Sessions (3.30pm) - Kinetic (9.30pm) The Three Elms - Ale & Cider Festival (live acoustic solo James Burrage - 3pm, live 60s band The Sounds - 6pm, Connor Selby & Joe Anderton - 9pm!) United Brethren - Martin McNeill Trio Sunday 12th Star & Garter - Open mic/jam The Three Elms - Ale & Cider Festival - The Blues Experience (2.30pm) United Brethren - Sunday Sessions: Paul Mardon (3pm) Monday 13th CCFC (home) - Chelmsford City FC v Dulwich Hamlet Tuesday 14th Boreham Village Hall - Ballroom and Latin American Dance (classes for beginners & improvers - www.danceasy.co.uk) Cramphorn - The Magic Flute (PG) Baby Cinema Cramphorn - Vanessa (live from The Glyndebourne Opera House) Wednesday 15th The Chichester Hotel, Rawreth - Belvedere Jazz & Music Club: Simon Thorpe’s Jivin’ Miss Daisy (9 piece band) Thursday 16th Bassment - Live indie rock The Golden Fleece - Quiz night Friday 17th Bassment - 3 Foot High (single release) + Litter Of Kings + Lost Revelation + Shooting Gal The Golden Fleece - Adrenaline
Saturday 18th Bassment - Live indie rock/indie disco CCFC (away) - Hampton & Richmond Borough v Chelmsford City FC The Golden Fleece - Acoustic Sessions (3.30pm) - Mushroom Clown (9.30pm) Star & Garter United Brethren - Booga Red Sunday 19th Star & Garter - Open mic/jam United Brethren - Sunday Sessions: Connor Selby (3pm)
A New Summer Celebration A New Summer Celebration in the Heart of Chelmsford On Saturday 4th August 2018, between 10am and 4pm. Chelmsford Round Table and Ladies Circle will be hosting their first ever summer fête in the heart of Chelmsford at the Bond Street event space. Activity stalls with your fête favourites will be hosted by local charities and family entertainment including Punch & Judy shows, a science show, balloon modelling and face painting all there for your enjoyment. At the heart of the Summer Fête is the main stage and seating area, where your ears will be soothed by an eclectic mix of musical talent as well as some improvisational comedy from The Laughter Academy. The Round Table family is very excited about this new event and look forward to seeing you on the day. If you want to find out more, please visit the Chelmsford Round Table Facebook page at bit.ly/ ChelmsfordSummerFete18.
AUGUST 2018
SUMMER WEEK AT THE TWO B ENDS REWERS LIVE MUSIC SATURDAY NIGHTS & SUNDAY AFTERNOONS Upcoming dates Sunday 22nd July 3PM Miss Vintage Voice Sunday 29th July 3PM Differential Check the website for updated listings www.twobrewerschelsmford.com
NEWLY REFURBISHED | FAMILY FRIENDLY 80 Springfield Rd, Chelmsford, CM2 6JY
NEW DAILY FOOD OFFERS
MON 50% off all food TUES Beer & Pint £9 WED & THURS 2-4-1 Pizza FRI Fish & Fizz WEEKEND Brunch & Sunday Roast GREAT FOOD | REAL ALES | LARGE BEER GARDEN 01245 269055 | twobrewerschelmsford.com
Please send us your events for the next edition (for events between 17th August - 16th September) to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk
CT Business - Education, Education, Education - by Lindsay Whitehouse As parents and grandparents we always want the very best for our children. If you are a parent working full time in a busy demanding job you may not have as much time as you would like to help your child develop and reach his or her full potential.
Arati Hirani, an Essex entrepreneur, faced that issue when she had her children. She had been working in financial services in the city. With a First in maths and computing, she had a skillset that was highly prized by business. When she became a mum she wanted a better work/life balance but she still wanted to use her skills to their maximum benefit. She decided to go into business as a tutor/business leader and she has spent the last 3 years developing her own education centre in Chelmsford. She researched the market carefully before deciding which organisation she wanted to work with. After due diligence, she opted to invest in a franchise business with Kip McGrath Education Centres. She particularly liked the Kip model and brand because Kip McGrath actually teach children rather than just give them worksheets to do. Kip McGrath specialise in tutoring children in maths and english. Arati’s learners range from reception age children to those about to take their A levels. Arati has built up an impressive client base and now has about 120 children working in her centre each week. Classes are small, tutors are well qualified, resources are plentiful and an individual programme is mapped out for each child based on their needs identified by Arati at initial assessment. Chelmsford is a city with two grammar schools and an 11Plus entrance examination. There is a strong demand from parents who want to ensure their child has the best possible preparation to be accepted at the school of their choice. This is where Arati and her team of tutors come in. However, they like to see themselves as people who work with schools and not in competition to them. Some of her learners travel from as far afield as Colchester and Bishop’s Stortford to learn at her centre. Clearly the parents involved must believe that the journey time and tuition fees are worth the time and effort in terms of what their child can achieve.
children to clubs and events. Sometimes it just means Arati can be a mum to her boys and not feel that work is getting in the way of her relationship with them.
Kip McGrath does not cherry picker its learners. Children of all abilities, including some with special educational needs are catered for. The strong focus on initial assessment is vital to ensure the programme delivered can best meet the children’s needs. Whilst use of computer software is important, some learners do not go near a computer and all their learning is tutor led and facilitated. Kip McGrath is OFSTED registered which should reassure parents that they are buying from a reputable and trustworthy provider which has to demonstrate its fitness to work in this area. Not all education centres have this level of accreditation. Arati is clear in her own mind that her centre is a business. She spent a lot of time researching the market before setting up her centre. She has invested money in resources so that she has capacity to be able to meet growing demand. She was influenced and guided by her father, who is a successful businessman. His support was really important in the early stages as Arati dealt with landlords, builders, solicitors, health and safety inspectors and the other myriad of organisations that consume time and money when a business is first set up. She does all her own marketing and recruitment of tutors and has a very high retention rate for her staff, so parents know they will have continuity of support for their children. Arati has prioritised staff satisfaction as a vital component of her business model. She therefore pays her tutors very well and ensures that they are all rewarded and recognised in other ways. Indeed, one of her former learners is now a member of staff. That illustrates loyalty and commitment. I have always stressed to my business students that a robust, well planned and easy to operate staff recognition and rewards scheme is essential to any business. Businesses are successful because of the input of their staff. All customers like to be well treated, receive the service that is advertised and to be respected for their patronage. Only well motivated, well trained, loyal staff can ensure that all these things happen. More and more women are going into business for themselves, with many looking to go into business under the banner of a franchisor as Arati has done. I asked her for some top tips: She was clear that you must do your research. You must plan for every eventuality. Ensure that all your numbers add up. A new business must have a realistic budget, and analysis against this budget is vital. You must have a positive cashflow projection. She advises any potential franchisee to visit other franchisees in the chain to seek their opinion and establish if the franchisor really does what they claim to.
Arati has a strong social conscience and is keen to develop a programme for some children from families without the money to pay for tuition to be able to attend her centre on a scholarship basis. She is hoping to be able to meet local head teachers to talk about how best to implement this scheme. Her centre is open for 5 days a week, with the busiest day being Saturday. Arati, and her tutors are able to do their lesson planning from home by utilising bespoke Kip McGrath software. This gives her more time to carry out those essential parental duties of taking
Arati is keen to build sustainable contacts and networks in the community and her business model is sound, her lease is secure and her customers pay in advance for her services. She can demonstrate success by the results of her learners. Not all the results are measured by passing an exam though. Arati wants her learners to develop self-confidence, teamwork skills and to be comfortable with social interaction across a whole range of spectrums. Her team regularly write puzzles that are maths based which engage children and adults alike - this serves to illustrate that learning is fun. Her parents and their children come back for more, so clearly they feel that Kip McGrath delivers against its strapline of nurturing fearless learners. kipmcgrath.co.uk/chelmsford-south
31st August 2018
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
l ti n u st d li gu a v Au18 r e h 0 ff 0t 2 O 3
Page 15
‘Kids Go Free’ on Park and Ride Buses This August Make the most of the summer holidays with children travelling for free on Park and Ride buses to Chelmsford. Many parents will be starting to think about how to entertain their children during the long break. Taking days out can be expensive, particularly if you factor in travel on top. The good news is that getting into Chelmsford should be a doddle now that Essex County Council has launched its ‘Kids Go Free in August’ Park and Ride promotion. The promotion allows under 16s, accompanied by an adult, (unaccompanied £1) to hop on a Park and Ride bus to Chelmsford for for free after 9am each day this August. The new group fare has also been introduced for up to 2 adults and 3 children for £5.
Fundraising for UK Lyme Disease and ME Research
Calling people of Chelmsford!!! Are you looking for a fun night out to start your Christmas celebrations, or a brand new way to celebrate your works’ Christmas do? We have the answer for you and it’s happening on 23rd November at the County Hotel... We are proud to introduce the first ever Christmas version of The Mid Essex Man Auction Ball© in order to fundraise for UK Lyme Disease and ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) research. Lyme disease is here and it is serious, but we are fighting back. Meal, Music and Man Auction What more could you ask for? How about some games, prizes and gifts that will be on offer for you too - and a fantastic live music performance is in the planning, details of which we hope to disclose soon; it’s a good surprise!
A daily ticket costs just £3.50 for adults with discounts available for weekly and monthly fares. Concessionary pass holders travel free from 9am Monday to Friday and all day Saturdays.
Full event details and menu options are listed on Eventbrite, just search for ‘Mid Essex Man Auction’. This is set to be a fun evening that you can be a part of from the beginning and help us get research underway to defeat Lyme whilst having a good time.
Chelmsford is served by two Park and Ride sites: Chelmer Valley (CM3 3PR) to the north and Sandon (CM2 7RU) to the south.
Naturally we shall continue to welcome all sponsorship support and if any men out there have a particular appeal, talent or skill to offer. Feel free to get in contact before the end of August. Don’t be shy - if you are good at what you do, or you have a new business you would like to get seen that is something we like and haven’t already included, let us showcase you.
Services run to and from each site at regular intervals throughout the day from Monday to Saturday. There is also a shuttle service available from Chelmer Valley to Broomfield Hospital Monday to Friday. For more information, visit www.essex.gov.uk/ parkandride.
Search for Lucas Bedlam on social media and add yourself to the new Lucas Be Fundraising on Facebook for the event updates and ticket opportunities we may bring to you www.facebook.com/lucasbefundraising
Hairy Monster - Random Thoughts You know what really upsets old people? Everything. The price of coal. Car drivers. Buses that are late. Buses that are early. Babies crying. The weather. Children. The colour of grass. Today’s fashion. Words. Modern music. Television programmes... Old codgers constantly perpetuate the myth that life in the good old days was nothing short of perfect. Well, it wasn’t. Yes, kids played in the streets, climbed trees and didn’t need mobile phones to communicate. They also had holes in their shoes, suffered from illnesses long since eradicated and were oblivious to the outside world. Luckily, we have moved on since those ‘halcyon days’. Youngsters today have different aspirations. Boys don’t want to be train drivers, chimney sweeps or coal miners. Girls don’t aspire to be a housewife, a cleaner or a washer woman. Technology has given them so many more options. If you see a young adult engrossed in his or her phone, don’t think he or she is wasting their childhood, think: ‘I hope that young person is going to help find a cure for cancer, will teach my grandchildren more tolerance than I possess, will live a happy, peaceful life’. Life moves on, so must we. On a very positive note, a teenager in South Woodham Ferrers has adopted a beautiful lady fox whom she has named Tank. Tank was in a very poor state with cuts, an infected eye and a bad cough when Demi and her mum found her last summer and decided that she needed help. They have nursed her back to health and she is now a regular visitor to their garden. Demi has since posted some beautiful pictures of Tank’s progress on a local forum but sadly (and predictably) has been criticised by a few locals for her actions with tales of babies being snatched from their cradles by wild foxes,
an impending rabies outbreak and lots of other ‘end of the world’ stories. Whilst most teenagers would almost certainly be upset by such negativity, Demi has remained calm, collected and focused on her mission to help and protect wildlife. As someone with a love of all creatures great and small, I admire anyone who can remain positive and humane in the face of some pretty vicious criticism. I’m sure Demi’s mum is proud of her daughter and I hope that in time her detractors can see that this young lady has the best of intentions and is motivated by respect for the lives of her fellow creatures. If they can’t see the good in someone like this, then we are lost! Want to save on gym membership fees? Leave the car at home, walk to the gym. Then turn round and walk home again. Last month it seems there was a shortage of carbon dioxide. Now from my vague recollection of photosynthesis, I’m pretty sure I know where it all went. Trees took it. Why is that cyclists seem to believe they have some sort of divine right to ride with total disregard for other road users and pedestrians? When was the last time you saw a cyclist look behind them before veering across a traffic lane? Chelmsford Council, in a rare moment of clarity, spent shed-loads of money widening the footpath between Boreham Village and the interchange to accommodate cyclists and protect them from speeding traffic. They don’t use it. In some countries, children are not permitted on public roads until they have taken a proficiency test. It’s time we did the same here in Chelmsford, and not just for children. The Lycra mob need to be educated too, and not just about cycling but also about fashion sense.
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Page 17
Wildlife Corner - by Nick Green May weather was apparently one of the sunniest Mays ever (according to the BBC), but the earlier cooler wetter weather was disastrous for bird first broods. June proved to be equally sunny, but temperatures struggled to exceed 20C and encourage insect life, but the last week proved to be a bit of a scorcher!
on Blakeney Point; St Kilda, snowy owl; Argyll, American pied-billed grebe.
The purple emperor requires large tracts of broad leaved woodland and/or dense scrub where the food plants are found, which include great willow, grey willow and sometimes crack willow. The species is expanding its range in Essex which is very Male purple emperor (copyright Glyn Evans) encouraging. This butterfly is single-brooded with the adults from late June to mid August. Most of the time is spent in the canopy in ‘master’ trees where males set up territories. Females tend to stay in the tree tops but descend to lay their eggs on young willow trees. The males occasionally descend to the ground mid morning where they use their proboscis to probe for mineral salts from road surfaces to animal poo!
Chelmsford Library News
Essex Selected June Wildlife Highlights A national invasion of rose coloured starlings was apparent and Essex could boast records from Colne Point and the outskirts of Rayleigh; black-necked grebe at Bowers Gifford Marsh; Southern migrant hawker dragonflies and white admiral butterflies in the Southend area.
Enjoy discovering new authors along the way. The Reading Challenge runs through out the summer holidays, so pop in and sign up to take part in this popular free event.
National selected highlights: Norfolk, Meltoni’s subalpine warbler
t o p s s i th n i e s i Advert e City Times in Th 120 + VAT for £
Promote your business to thousands of local people every month!
The City Times Reach 10,000 readers in Chelmsford, Maldon and many vilages inbetween. Discounts for advertising in more than 3 issues! We also publish
MoulshamTimes
For more information please call us on 07970 206682 or email ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk
07703 388009
Summer has well and truly arrived and Chelmsford Library has some wonderful events happening through the long holidays to entertain all the family.
Author Josie Dom will be at Chelmsford Library on Saturday 21st July from 10-11am. Josie will be reading from her book LUM at 10am, 10:20am and 10:40am. Get involved with some group art and create a comic of Lum’s Beano Adventure. Tuesday 24th July we have children’s author Jonkers here between 11am and 12am. There will be poetry reading and book signing on the day. We have a Master Builders Construction Club for children aged 7 plus - build your skills and make new friendships. Next events Saturday 28th July and the 25th August between 3-4.30pm. On Wednesday 8th August in the Children’s Library between 10am-12noon come along for a Summer Crafting event aimed at 4-year olds and above; use your imagination to create some exciting crafts. Our Babies and Toddler Rhymetimes on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings are taking a summer break. However our New Parents Rhymetime on Wednesday afternoons between 3.304pm will be carrying on, so do come along, meet new parents and make new friends Upcoming events for the grownups include an author talk by Caroline Mitchell at Chelmsford Library on the 13th September between 7-8pm. Caroline writes psychological and crime thrillers, the most recent being Silent Witness, which has been described as ‘brilliantly gripping’ and ‘deliciously creepy’. Tickets for this event cost £4 and are available from Chelmsford Library or via our link: libraries.essex.gov.uk/ events. For more information on any of these events, contact Essex Libraries on 0345 603 7628, please visit libraries.essex.gov.uk, or follow and ‘like’ us on our new Chelmsford Library Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ ChelmsfordCentralLibrary.
Page 18
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Page 19
Therapy - by Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Hey folks, this issue our nutritionist Sarah Day has written something for us. Considering the weather at the moment, I think lots of us are feeling rather lethargic and in this article Sarah looks at other possible causes for feeling frequently drained from her perspective working as a nutritionist. (Jenny Hartill) Tired of Feeling Tired All the Time? One of the things I come across frequently with clients which is quite common in today’s society is low energy levels. If you are frequently pressing the snooze button every morning, reach for the caffeine as soon as you get up and go for the sweet treats to combat your afternoon slump, then help is at hand! There can be a number of reasons why you are feeling tired all the time.. Blood Sugar Levels One of the biggest influences on energy levels is keeping your blood sugar levels balanced - the body can only deal with a teaspoon of sugar in the bloodstream at a time, so if this goes over with the consumption of refined sugar products, refined carbohydrates or fizzy drinks for example, the body releases insulin which then removes the sugar out of the blood and into the cells to be used as energy. If this is happening regularly throughout the day then you will experience highs and lows of energy as you get the sugar rush and dips. My advice for clients experiencing this is to help to slow this release of sugar by either having protein with meals and snacks, as this takes longer to break down in the body, or by swapping refined carbohydrates - such as white bread and pasta - for wholegrain versions which are more complex and take longer to break down. Poor Quality Sleep Poor sleep hygiene is another contributor to low energy levels. If you are experiencing trouble falling asleep or wake up frequently in the night, this can leave you feeling unrested the next day. Turning off electronics at least an hour before bedtime can have a positive effect as there have been studies that show the blue light that these devices emit can disrupt the sleep hormone melatonin which is required for falling asleep and staying asleep. Reducing caffeine during the day, especially in the afternoon, can also aid in better sleep as can relaxation techniques such as meditation or a warm bath with lavender essential oil which will also help you wind down and prepare you for sleep.
neglect. Water is essential for all of the cells in the body to function effectively and when you are dehydrated then your heart sends oxygen and nutrients around your body at a slower rate leaving you feeling tired, unable to concentrate and with ‘brain fog’. It is recommended to drink approximately 2 litres of water per day, more if you are exercising. Due to the different causes of low energy, it is recommended in the first instance to have a blood test done to check your levels of the essential nutrients and rule out conditions such as anaemia. Blood tests with a full blood count, a check of iron with ferritin, vitamin D, B12 and a thyroid screen would be a good place to start. The thyroid is an important gland which controls your metabolism and has an impact on nearly every bodily function, so if this isn’t working effectively it can cause low energy levels along with other symptoms such as hair loss, weight gain, dry skin or brittle nails. If you do find it hard to get out of bed in the mornings and struggle through the day relying on caffeine and sugar to get you through, then it would be worth seeking advice from a health professional who can assess your symptoms, recommend testing and guide you into feeling more energised! Sarah Day Sarah Day is a therapist at Chelmsford Therapy Rooms who can help with a multitude of issues. Please see our therapists list on the the website www.chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or you can email info@ chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or call 0330 100 5162 to enquire about an initial consultation. Alternatively Sarah’s own company website is www.renewedhealthnutrition.com, her email is sarah@ renewedhealthnutrition.com and her telephone number is 07935 297 909.
Stress When you are experiencing high levels of stress, either emotionally, physically or mentally, this has a great impact on the body and energy levels. Your adrenal glands are what helps to manage stress levels by producing the hormone cortisol to control the ‘fight or flight’ response to perceived stress. If you are under a high amount of stress on a daily basis then this can lead to adrenal fatigue where the glands can’t keep up with the constant demand for cortisol production and can then lead onto chronic fatigue syndrome. It is therefore very important to practice stress reduction techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing exercises, or seek professional counselling services. Regular exercise is also useful for managing stress as it helps to regulate hormones, improves insulin resistance and releases endorphins which help to lift your mood. Nutrient Deficiencies It is also wise to consider nutrient deficiencies when dealing with low energy levels. There are many nutrients which are required for energy production in the body’s cells, the main ones being B vitamins, magnesium, iron and zinc as well as CoQ10. Including foods rich in these nutrients such as wholegrains, beans, pulses, leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, greens, dark lettuces and good quality meats (if you are not vegetarian or vegan) can help to boost your levels of these required nutrients. A good quality supplement can also help while you are adjusting to increasing your intake of these foods.
August/September Issue Deadlines: Artwork - 1st August Articles - 9th August
Dehydration It can be as simple as drinking more water! Most of us know we should be drinking enough water but sometimes it can be easy to Page 20
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Does your web site have the same impact on a smart phone as on a desktop or laptop?
If not we can build you a brochure site which has impact and is easy to read on both types of device! R E F F p O o t Y k L s U We also create: J de b site e g a 3 p bile we • Business Cards & mo lly £550 st £499 • Flyers Usua ly Now ju • Roller Banners In Ju e CTDISC d standard 0h1o8sting • Brochures Quot o.uk domain unnatmilethaen 31st July 2 d c r vali des . Inclu year. Offe for 1
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Page 21
Round Table AND LADIES CIRCLE Present
• Professional local eye care • Bespoke service • Over 20 years experience as a qualified Optometrist • Proud to provide that individual attention to detail • Friendliest caring team in Chelmsford
s f m ord l e h C R E F M E M TE U S A Day of Family, Fun & Community Bond Street, Sat 4th Aug ‘18 10am - 6pm
Bar
Call now to make an appointment with Nicky
Mr Anish Chauhan, Optometrist
T. 01245 352803
www.broomfieldopticians.co.uk
Do Good, Get Fit
You may have spotted us running around town. You may have seen us at Parkrun. You may never have heard of us. We are GoodGym, a charity and community of runners that combine getting fit with doing good. Every Wednesday at 6:30pm, winter or summer, we set off from Anglia Ruskin University’s Mildmay Gym for a run. We run between 2-5km to a local community organisation and help them with anything and everything before running back the same distance. From helping transform the garden for InterAct, painting for Mencap and planting flowers at Broomfield hospital, we’ve done tasks all over Chelmsford. We don’t take ourselves too seriously and every week we have a run report up on the website with an often terrible pun for the title!
Scan QR code or go to bit.ly/ChelmsfordSummerFete18 to find out more.
With loneliness and isolation of elderly people featuring prominently in the news in recent times, GoodGym does its part through ‘coach runs’. You can be paired up with an older person and make a huge difference to their life by running to see them weekly. We occasionally also undertake ‘Missions’ where we run to help out older and isolated people with one-off practical tasks that they are no longer able to do on their own. I always used to struggle to get the motivation to get up and exercise. With GoodGym, because all abilities are welcome and it’s a wonderful way to get fit and do some good, I find myself looking forward to our runs (and charity work!) every Wednesday. Don’t worry if you aren’t the strongest runner, we always have someone to back-mark to ensure no one is left behind. Exercise and volunteering are two things people often choose for resolutions that soon fall by the wayside, but coming to GoodGym with the combination of exercise and knowing you’ve achieved something to help your local community really makes you feel good, with great people, it makes you stick to it! And if you can’t make it every week, there’s no obligation to do so. If you’d be interested in either coming along for a run, or if you’re a local community organisation who’d like some (free) help, visit www. goodgym.org, or email davidc@goodgym.org. As long as you’re up for getting sweaty, everyone’s welcome.
Page 22
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Living Life with Ease Part 2 - by Allyson Smith
In last month’s edition, I concluded my last paragraph with a quote by the late Dr Wayne Dyer: “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change”. Quite profound and particularly in the context of meditation. Let’s pause for a moment and reflect... how many of us have been letting the wonderful sunshine pass us by in the last two months? In an unprecedented summer for a few years, England and much of the UK have basked in some beautiful weather since May, including a rather unusual sunny Bank Holiday weekend! Spending time in nature, maybe by sea, on a summer’s evening gives us a real opportunity to connect with ourselves or our inner being. Many studies conclude that spending time in nature has a beneficial effect on our bodies. Together with the power of breathing correctly, this can also be a fantastic tool to feel present in the moment and truly appreciate our surroundings. Tuning in with our breath has the ability to help us navigate our way through a hot summer’s evening with ease rather than irritation!! This is where I’d like to introduce the philosophy behind Strala Yoga. A relatively new kid on the block in the yoga community, Strala Yoga has been inspired by Tara Stiles and her husband Mike Taylor, both based in New York. In the book Guiding Strala, the word strala means ‘to radiate light’ and the key words are soften, relax and move with ease.
Perfect thoughts as we navigate through these hot summer months and method of movement I would encourage everyone to try one evening or especially if you are fortunate enough to have a holiday... Experimenting with yoga or meditation or simply moving with ease out in nature can be a perfect antidote to our normal day to day routine. It allows us to connect with our body and mind. Try this simple exercise the next time you find yourself in a local park or by the sea... Sit on the grass in a comfortable position and take three slow deep breathes, inhale for a count of four and slowly exhale for a count of four... and if you feel comfortable whilst breathing deeply, close your eyes and then upon opening your eyes gently focus on what is around you and see what you notice. I hope that if you do try this and that you will notice something that you didn’t previously, maybe a butterfly landing on the grass, the detail on the trunk of a tree or a shell sitting in front you, and the things that you notice will change. The simple act of breathing more mindfully allows us to notice more of what surrounds us in the present moment and calm our bodies - and who knows, can maybe come with the added bonus of helping us cool down without a fan! If you are feeling more curious about learning to breathe more easily and connect with your breath to move, come along and check out Strala Yoga or one of the other many yoga classes on offer at Hummingbird Pilates & Yoga in Writtle. Everyone is welcome, and if you are looking for a way to get back in shape after the holiday we look forward to meeting you soon. Enjoy the rest of this wonderful summer. Namaste
r fe d f t O ite 5 n im £4 ie Cl Unl for w s ) Ne Day shipapply r s 30 mbe(ts &c Me
Pilates, Yoga, Meditation Book your space online or call: Small Classes & 1-2-1’s www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk Inspirational Teachers 01245 422556 Friendly, Community Vibe Reeds Farm Estate, Writtle, CM1 2ST www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 23
The History of E2V in Chelmsford: Part One - by Stephen Norris The English Electric Valve Company (EEV) had its roots in Marconi research before the second war. Marconi had developed a vacuum laboratory for the production of valves. It used a corner of the New Street factory and was run by Doctor George M Brett. “The vacuum laboratory as I took it over was a single room, maybe 20ft by 25ft which contained a diffusion pump outfit, glass bench, spot welder, hydrogen furnace, my desk and little else. The place was gloomy, claustrophobic and I thought a poor exchange for the HH Wills Physics Lab which I had just left in the summer.” Marconi’s agreement with GEC and EMI prevented them from producing valves in the 1930s and it was for this reason that the company established a factory in Czechoslovakia in 1936.
Jim Young went from the New Street Laboratory to take charge of production in that factory. The New Street Laboratory was moved to Great Baddow but then taken over by the government when the war broke out. This produced the Stabilovolt valve. Magnetron production, a key component in radar, started in 1940, however limited space caused Marconi to establish a manufacturing base at Waterhouse Lane which was to become the centre of EEV after the war. After 1945 the demand for defence radar valves disappeared and the workforce at Waterhouse Lane declined from 450 to 150. A separate company had to be formed in 1947 away from Marconi to produce valves because the latter was still bound by the agreement not to produce valves, even after the takeover by English Electric. Initially the new company was known as the Phoenix Dynamo Company Ltd, but before one financial year was completed this was changed to English Electric Valves Limited (EEV). Most of the new company’s orders were from Marconi in the first year, but there was also one from a French company. Soon the occasional order came from English Electric. Jim Young, back from Czechoslovakia, became a founding member of EEV. He and Maurice Esterson, an engineer who had joined Marconi in 1940 and spent the rest of his career at EEV, turned their attention to civil radar. The company produced the first hydrogen thyratron which was used in radio receivers. EEV also started producing shutter tubes, which enabled pictures to be taken of X-ray exposures. In the early 1950s the company started producing image orthicons which convert light into electronic signals in a television camera. The firm provided these for the cameras used in the TV broadcast of the Coronation. EEV also produced a new type of klystron used by Marconi in their transmitters at the new Crystal Palace station. When the company became the biggest producer of orthicons in the country, the Waterhouse Lane factory had to be expanded. In 1952 for example, image orthicons were exported to Canada, Spain and Bolivia, as well as being installed at the United Nations. They were also used in the first studio broadcasts by the BBC from the new Studio E at Lime Grove. Two hundred and fifty thousand image orthicons had been produced by the company when production of these devices stopped in 1982. Jim Young became general manager of EEV in 1956, replacing Simon Aseinstein who had escaped from the Russian revolution and had risen within EEV to become general manager. In the 1950s, with enormous technological advances being made, most of the workers were women who had the manual dexterity required. Better cathode technology enabled the company to provide cathodes for televisions. The company produced magnetrons for civil radar which had a longer lifespan than their military predecessors. As with Marconi, the onset of the Cold War meant that military demand for the firm’s products soon picked up. Image orthicons were adapted for use for underwater cameras and they were first used to identify a submarine. By the end of the 1950s EEV employed about 200 people and its turnover was £2.5 million. The early 1960s saw a big expansion and increase in the variety of the firm’s products fuelled by strong leadership by Jim Young. He achieved a balance of civil and military contracts, whilst also ensuring that exports remained healthy. The AEI Valve Company was acquired
in London and a new factory was built in Maldon which opened in 1961. In a bid to further relieve pressure on the Waterhouse Lane factory, a factory was built at Benfleet but it soon closed in 1968. In 1962 offices were also opened in Toronto and New York. In 1968 after the GEC takeover of English Electric, EEV was merged with the GEC Marconi Osram Valve Company. The company escaped the ‘Weinstock purge’ mainly because Weinstock had faith in Young. By the end of the 1960s EEV was producing over 200 different types of magnetron. Five hundred of the company’s klystrons were in use in TV transmitting stations around the world. They were also used as oscillators in radar receivers and the Doppler radar used in navigation and speed measuring equipment. The 1960s saw the rapid expansion of the company’s workforce to over 2,000. Two hundred of them were engineers and physicists, most of them graduates. Pressure of space saw the company bid for the old Crompton Parkinson site. Most of this site was taken over by Marconi but EEV was given a small part of the rebuilt factory. In 1968 the firm won a Queen’s Award for Industry for the high degree of accuracy of its image orthicons. Despite this overall success the late 1960s saw the first signs of industrial unrest at the Chelmsford factory. A walk out by AEU workers in September 1968 was followed by a work to rule by the draughtsmen at Waterhouse Lane a few months later. Just over a year later there was a full blown strike by 1,150 workers over pay - though they came back for a day to qualify for holiday pay! The workers were able to use their industrial muscle to get large pay increases several times in the 1970s. By the early 1970s the Waterhouse Lane factory was ten times larger than it had been in 1947. Two further units were built on the site. By 1980 its space at the old Crompton works was open, as well as a previously empty factory which it took over at Witham. Twenty years previously its main customers had been the UK government, Marconi and Decca, but by the early 1970s it was selling a wide variety of power valves, microwave tubes and light conversion techniques to hundreds of customers from all over the world. The biggest export market was North America. In the 1970s the company helped produce the thermal imaging camera and it was also involved with the development of the first full colour TV screens for outside events, which were known as Starvision. These, using Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD), were the earliest version of the large screen TV screens that are today such a part of outdoor events. The company also provided LCDs for TV game shows such as Family Fortunes, The Price Is Right, 15 to 1 and Bob’s Full House. Later, LEDs caught up with the Starvision technology and within a decade EEV stopped producing its large screens. In October 1981 the company announced a takeover of the LCD division from a subsidiary of Westlands Aircraft Limited. Its manufacture of liquid crystal displays was transferred to the EEV part of the Crompton site. During the 1970s, big developments in the company’s image intensifiers for night vision occurred. Initially they had weighed several pounds and were not easy to move. The second generation of this equipment was much more compact. War in the Falklands resulted in a camera that could see through smoke and a camera for use specifically by fire fighters.
hire · sales · install · events
01245 863 863
sales@eventsoundandlight.com www.eventsoundandlight.com
Page 24 Please let our advertisers know you saw their advert in The City Times
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Ear Microsuction by the Chelmsford Private Hospital What is ear microsuction and why is this the safest and most thorough procedure for clearing the ear canals? Ear microsuction is not a new procedure. It has been used for many years in NHS and private ENT departments in hospitals, mainly for in-depth examination of the ears and for treatment of more complex conditions like severe outer ear infections, removal of foreign bodies, clearing the ear canals after surgery etc. Ear microsuction must be used when ear irrigation/syringing is contraindicated (perforated or thinned/scarred eardrums, young children, cleft palate, acute ear infections, history of past ear surgery, unilateral deafness, history of vertigo or tinnitus generated by ear irrigation in the past). Ear microsuction offers more thorough clearing of the ear canal because it is performed with a specialist microscope which offers excellent lighting and magnification. The earwax, the foreign body or the discharge are extracted easily and painlessly with specialised instruments and a gentle suction device. The procedure does not use water inside the ear canal. The microscope allows excellent examination of the eardrum at the end of the ear microsuction procedure. When Do We Need to Have Our Ears Cleared? Earwax is a mixture of cerumen, dry skin, hairs, dust inside ear canals. It needs to be extracted if it causes symptoms like blockage, pain, itching, cough, dizziness, tinnitus or if the ear needs to be viewed for diagnostic purposes. Our ear canals are 1 inch long and they self-clean in normal circumstances. However, if we use cotton
buds, ear plugs or hearing aids on a regular basis, the earwax can be pushed deeper in the ear canals. Also, allowing water to enter our ear canals is likely to cause sore and blocked ears. Our ears need to be kept dry as this will allow the skin to perform its self-clean function efficiently. It is likely that you will benefit from ear microsuction if: • The ear feels blocked and using olive oil for 5 days has not helped. • Recurrent ear discomfort and blockage after washing hair or swimming. • The hearing aids are underperforming or whistling. • The ear canal is infected, sore, discharging. • A foreign body in the ear needs extracting. This information was written by Dr Mihaela Carmaciu who holds an ear microsuction clinic every Thursday afternoon at The Chelmsford Private Hospital. For more information check our website: www. thechelmsford.co.uk.
To view our magazines online visit www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Page 25
Page 26 Please let our advertisers know you saw their advert in The City Times
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Quiz Time by John Theedom Firstly apologies for the error in last month’s quiz. The answer to question 33 should have been Me and My Girl and not My Fair Lady. Well done to Gill for spotting the error. 1. What type of animal is a weimaraner? 2. In which TV game is it unlucky if ‘it is riding’? 3. ‘Plus fours’ are so called because they were 4” longer than which other kind of trousers? 4. What is the ‘M’ in MI6? 5. A lacuna is what? 6. What is Dirty Harry’s surname? 7. An axylotl is which kind of creature? 8. BAD in the medical world, stands for the British Association of what? 9. A rorqual is which kind of animal? 10. What is the value of a tithe? 11. What is the name of the partner magician to Teller? 12. Which is the England’s largest lake? 13. What kind of animal is an elver? 14. What is a bothy? 15. Where is College Green? 16. What nationality was Pablo Picasso? 17. For which event did Jessica Ennis-Hill win a gold in the 2012 Olympics? 18. Name the river that runs beneath the city of London? 19. What is tahini the main ingredient of? 20. What is or are seraglio? 21. The Beckhams’ have 4 children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and who?
22. 2018 Eurovision Song Contest was held in which city? 23. Which year was The Festival of Britain held? 24. Taiwan was once called what? 25. The River Thames changes its name in Oxford to what? 26. Which band was Roger Daltrey in? 27. What is the job of an akela? 28. Who was the creator of Noddy? 29. On which article would you be happy to see a watermark? 30. What is the first name of the boxer, Holyfield? 31. ‘Jeep’ is a corruption of which 2 words? 32. Which medal was awarded to Malta in WW2? 33. How old is Vera Lynn in 2018? 34. Which meat is used in Melton Mowbray pies? 35. Which year was Spaghetti Junction opened? 36. Which word connects burglar and scanner? 37. In Only Fools & Horses, what was Trigger’s job? 38. On a car, which country has the identity plate GBZ? 39. What is processed in an oast? 40. What are the first names of the Irish poet WB Yeats? (Answers on page 31)
Please let our advertisers know you saw their advert in The City Times
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 27
Rotary Going Round in Circles
Alan Swash, Chelmer Bridge; Tony Stringer, Chelmsford Rivermead; Anne Moriaty, Chelmsford; Jan Dear, Chelmsford Phoenix; Roger Spall, Chelmsford Mildmay
Another Rotary year began on 1st July with all the usual enthusiasm of the new leadership team keen to tackle the challenges facing the community, both locally and much further afield. There are five Rotary clubs in the city of Chelmsford alone with different meeting times as well as several more within a twenty mile radius, so there is a club to suit everybody. By way of a change I would like to introduce the five new Presidents in Chelmsford. In club alphabetical order so as not to upset anyone: Chelmer Bridge meets Thursday evening at Channels Golf Club. New President is Alan Swash, relatively new to Rotary having joined just a few years ago. He was a quantity surveyor working in one of the UK’s largest architectural practices. Alan is also chairman of his village conservation society. Chelmsford Club is one of the oldest in the country being chartered in 1927 and currently meets every Thursday lunchtime at Hampton’s Sports & Social Club in Beehive Lane. New President is Anne Moriaty, a qualified chartered accountant who practised in Chelmsford for 30 years before retiring this year. Anne is very keen on youth activities. Chelmsford Mildmay is a Tuesday lunchtime club and meets at Little Channels. Incoming President, Roger Spall is also a newcomer to Rotary joining in 2016. Now retired from the civil service and local government, he devoted a lot of time to scouting and being a school governor before taking on the challenge of Rotary President. Chelmsford Phoenix, the newest club in the city but celebrating ten years of service. Jan Dear is the President, a keen scout leader recently awarded the Silver Wolf. Jan works in banking and human resources. Phoenix meet at the Chelmsford Catering College on Thursday early evening and is called a twilight club. Jan intends to continue with the new projects organised locally by Phoenix as well as finding a couple of extra ones. Chelmsford Rivermead, the club for people who like an early start, particularly those who need to get to work. They meet for breakfast and have just changed venue as their previous meeting point is about to close, so hopefully the Two Brewers in Springfield Road will become permanent. Tony Stringer is President and has spent the last ten years as a senior lecturer at ARU University. Tony has been instrumental in overseas aid through Rotary, particularly as money donated goes to those in need through Rotary clubs and not on administration.
Rotarians involved with a raft of youth activities, community and vocational projects, besides bringing practical help overseas for water and sanitation issues and others whose job it is to encourage a membership drive and raise public awareness of what Rotary actually does. From the rogues’ gallery above it is clear that both men and women can join Rotary, putting to rest the misconception that it is male only. This article can barely scratch the surface of what Rotary does and what it can achieve, so if you would like to know more then visit one of our Rotary websites: www.rotary1240.org, or www.rotarygbi. org, or simply give me a call on 01245 260 349. I am one of those Rotarians on the membership drive, so help me out by getting in touch. I should point out that whilst all the clubs meet weekly it is not a requirement that everyone has to attend every week. That being the case I am going on holiday and will miss the meeting. ‘Miss’ in both senses of the word, because I do enjoy the social side of Rotary - the friendships you make are very important. Stan Keller
Summer of Science at Sandford Mill Chelmsford Museum has created the perfect formula for the school summer holidays: crazy science experiments, interactive learning and acres of space for children to let off steam! Each Friday throughout the school holidays the Summer of Science sessions will be jam-packed with ‘edutainment’ in the Science Theatre from mad science, including carbon dioxide balloon racing, hands-on workshops to create the colours of the rainbow - plus awesome explosions - as well as exploring the science of flight with flying displays from birds of prey and other exciting activities. Sandford Mill is part of Chelmsford Museums and is located at Sandford Mill Road, Chelmsford, CM2 6NY. Summer of Science takes place every Friday from 27th July until 31st August and is £5 per person. Sessions must be booked in advance at www.chelmsford. gov.uk/museumevents.
So they are the experienced club presidents leading their teams of Page 28 Please let our advertisers know you saw their advert in The City Times
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Transformer Workshops! - by Eleanor Searle
workouts.
At Hummingbird Pilates & Yoga we’re really excited to have launched our pilates reformer workshops. Reformers are machines which we use to add resistance to pilates workouts making them more effective. Reformers are the most famous pieces of pilates equipment. We lovingly refer to our new machines as the transformers, as they supercharge your
Pilates is well known for improving strength, flexibility, postural awareness and promoting a leaner physique through a series of low repetition, low impact stretching and conditioning exercises. Reformer pilates goes far beyond the muscles of the back, abdomen and pelvis, providing you with a complete body workout. You’ll feel muscles working that you didn’t even know that you had! Reformers enable us to add resistance in all the different planes of movement, working your muscles through their entire range of motion. We can gradually progress the amount of resistance that we use to make exercises more challenging. Reformers have multiple attachments, which mean that we can create a workout that is truly tailored to you. If you crave a challenge, we can up the resistance and range of movement to ramp up the difficulty of your workout. Alternatively, if you need to chill out and reduce the challenge, we can easily reduce the difficulty of any exercise by reducing the range of motion and resistance. Reformer workshops are for all ages and fitness levels, as the machines can be set up and adjusted throughout your session so that they provide the perfect level of challenge for you. Once you get proficient using the reformer you’ll progress from exercises where
you’re lying on the machine to ones where you’re sitting, kneeling or at advanced levels standing! All our workshops are taught by Sarah, a really experienced reformer pilates teacher, who is GP referral and sports injury trained. She is a brilliant teacher, who is passionate about the benefits of reformer pilates. She also previously taught A level PE. Sarah teaches a maximum of 4 people in each workshop, to ensure that you get plenty on individual attention and a watchful eye. Benefits of using the reformer: • Challenging, toning pilates workout. • Increased strength. • Increased stamina. • Improved flexibility. • Improved fitness. • Improved posture and body awareness. • Injury prevention/rehabilitation. • Enhanced athletic performance. • Reduced muscle tension and improved muscle balance • Stress relief. Reformer Pilates provides you with the ultimate pilates workout! We are sure that you’ll reap the benefits of using this piece of equipment like we have! If you’d like to book one of our 4-week Reformer Workshops please visit our website www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk and then select the ‘Workshop’ tab for more information and to book in, or call us on 01245 422 556 and we’ll be happy to help. Also, check out or Facebook and Instagram pages, as in August we’ll be running a competition to win one of our workshop spaces worth £100! www.facebook.com/HummingbirdPilatesYoga
Please let our advertisers know you saw their advert in The City Times www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 29 Page 29 Please let our advertisers know you saw their advert in The City Times www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Stargazing with Mark Willis - July/August 20th July - 21:30 - looking south west: The Moon is close to Jupiter this evening. This gives you the opportunity to see Jupiter - a pair of 7x50 binoculars will reveal the planet well. The glare of the moonlight may dampen your chances of seeing the Galilean Moons as clearly as might be possible. 24 July - 21:30 - looking south-south-east: The Moon is close to Saturn this evening. It’s a sobering thought that Saturn is virtually the Earth/Jupiter distance again. Nevertheless, there’s everything to gain from going after Saturn. th
27th July - look south early on 28th at 00:30: Opposition of Mars: It’s worth mentioning this again. (This was covered in last month’s column). Opposition means that Mars is the closest to Earth. Don’t miss it. The next chance like this one will be in September 2035! 11th August: New Moon and also a partial, very partial solar eclipse. The Moon will obscure a tiny part of the Sun’s disk and it is also only the best observed in northern Britain. 12th, 13th August - looking high north-east at around midnight: The Perseids meteor shower will be at its peak. This will be possibly the best meteor shower this year with around 80 meteors per hour.
17th August - looking west-south-west at 20:15: Venus is at Greatest Eastern Elongation, a posh, astronomical way of letting you know that this is the best time to observe Venus. Venus will be at its highest point above the horizon in the west - it’s very bright. 26th August - early morning jaunt (05:30) looking east: where Mercury is at Greatest Western Elongation, where, you’ve guessed it, an excellent chance to spot the very elusive Mercury. Look toward the horizon just before sunrise. Please be very careful of the Sun rising here! New Moon on 11th August and 9th September: 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. Mark Willis presents Willis Wireless every Monday at 7pm on Chelmsford Community Radio on 104.4 FM and online at chelmsfordcommunityradio.com. Twitter: @WillisWireless Email: mark.willis@chelmsfordcommunityradio.com
Review: Play the Fling Festival Contest - the Bassment, Friday 15th June by Kevin Adair Our mid Essex metropolis may well now be a proper city, but it still lacks the musical heritage of say, Liverpool, Manchester or Sheffield. But on this balmy, World Cup Friday night, one man is doing his utmost to put Chelmsford on the musical map. Yes, it’s Shakey’s Play the Fling Contest at our own iconic live music venue, the Bassment. It may be a music contest, but if you’re thinking X Factor, then think again, because the acts playing tonight have real talent. For a start, instead of cover versions, original compositions are what will win the day here. Plus there is no house band full of professional musicians, no team of lighting technicians with lasers and pyrotechnics and no make-up artists to ensure every performer looks like an extra from a cosmetic commercial. And if Shakey is Simon Cowell then I’m Robbie Williams. Instead, this is music in the raw: seven hopeful musicians, original songwriting by the artists themselves and an acoustic guitar. Ed Sheeran would be proud. The prize at stake? The chance to perform on Shakey’s Unplugged Stage at the Fling Fest on June 30th. With such a unique opportunity on offer the quality was high, with the top four acts finishing with barely a judges’ point between them. This content proved that Britain truly does have talent, but with only a pair of places available, who were the talented two? The deserved winner was the impressive Chantelle. Although clearly inexperienced, the performance was confident and self-assured. Her storytelling, almost folksy style, together with a clear, fresh vocal style created a unique performance which was warmly received by an appreciative audience. Chantelle’s great vocal range was employed with both power and subtlety, giving her performance an air of vulnerability which charmed the crowd. Overall, it was a very accomplished set. The runner-up and therefore also appearing at The Fling was Calum McFee. His varied repertoire was also impressive, covering a multitude of music genres. His strong, forceful vocals married to a percussive guitar style made a big impression on the crowd and clearly wowed the judges too. With a voice which could cover everything from a deep booming bass to a delicate falsetto, it seemed as if he could cover just about any kind of music style he wanted. Which he then proved with the delivery of a stark rapping section with parental advisory lyrics included. Never Meant To Be was a particularly heartfelt song which was very well received and I felt
sure Calum would go down well with the festival audience. It was a quality night all round, with a total of seven local acts all contributing to a great contest. Chris Macaree, Adam Nicholls, Thomas Lock and the Ruby Kids also played their part, and in truth all would have graced The Fling acoustic stage. But a special mention must go to Rachel Brooks, who drew the short straw and had to play first at the unfashionably early time of 8.30pm. The only artist to forgo the obligatory acoustic guitar in favour of keyboards, she delivered a delightful set. Confident yet self-deprecating, her songs varied from a quirky ditty about her Volkswagen called Po, to the heartfelt Twenty Years, recounting her times of struggle in the music business. She also appeared to be channelling Kate Bush. Stop Press: it appears those twenty years of strife may finally be about to pay off, as Rachel was also added to the bill, earning a place on The Fling Unplugged Stage.
Page 30 If you would like to advertise with us please email ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
Classified Adverts Advertise on our classified page for just £25 + VAT per issue.
Balti King
Lens Lawnmowers Sales & Service
ALL FOOD WITH THIS VOUCHER FROM THE EAT IN MENU 7 DAYS A WEEK - SMALL OR BIG PARTIES BOOK IN ADVANCE OR TELL US IF YOU ORDER TAKEAWAY/DESERTS NOT INCLUDED THIS OFFER IS N NOT TO BE USED IN CONJUNTION WITH ANY OTHER OFFER
Large showroom, over 100 machines on display. Try before you buy on selected machines
190 MOULSHAM STREET, CHELMSFORD TEL: 01245 264038/354450
www.lens-lawnmowers.co.uk
50% OFF
01245 261104
Reeds Farm, off Roxwell Road 01245 422571
Advertise on our classified page for just £25 + VAT per issue.
Answers to Quiz 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Dog Tipping Point on ITV Knickerbockers Military Gap or hiatus Callahan An aquatic salamander Dermatologists Whale One tenth Penn Windermere Baby eel Common house Opposite the Kings Gate of Houses
of Parliament 16. Spanish 17. Heptathlon 18. The Fleet 19. Hummus 20. An inmate of a harem 21. Harper 22. Lisbon 23. 1951 24. Formosa 25. Isis 26. The Who 27. Cub Scout Leader 28. Enid Blyton 29. On a photo or legal document
Page 31 Advertise on this page for £25 + VAT per issue
30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
Evander General Purpose The George Cross 101 Pork 24th May 1972 Cat Road sweeper Gibraltar Hops for brewing William Butler
www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk
YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT ESTATE AGENT SERVING CHELMSFORD FOR 25 YEARS FOR A FREE PROFESSIONAL VALUATION CALL 01245 266980 Cressy Quay £239,995
1 bedroom riverside apartment Spacious private terrace Allocated parking space NHBC warranty Parker Road £350,000
Victorian EOT house Two double bedrooms Attractive rear garden Situated in a pleasant cul-de-sac Bouverie Road £385,000
• Three bedroom house • Old Moulsham location • Walking distance to City Centre • Conservatory
Harberd Tye £189,995
Impressive top floor flat One bedroom Allocated parking Long lease Rochford Road £315,000
• Semi-detached house • Two bedrooms • Courtyard style rear garden • Off street parking Vicarage Road £550,000
Semi-detached house Three bedrooms Scope for extension STPP • Direct access to Oaklands Park
Jeffcut Road £189,995
Modern freehold house One bedroom Allocated parking No onward chain Upper Roman Road £550,000
Victorian semi-detached house Three double bedrooms Many original features 90ft rear garden Creance Court £275,000
Purpose build apartment Two bedrooms Overlooking River Chelmer Two allocated parking spaces