The City Times - March April 2021 - Online only

Websites from £325

The City Times

Including: Boreham, Broomfield, Danbury, Great Baddow, Maldon, South Woodham Ferrers, The Walthams and Writtle Online Only Lockdown Issue Issue Number 89 - March 19th - April 15th 2021

Chelmsford Law Firm Donate £300 to Local Hospice

A Chelmsford Law firm has generously donated £300 to local hospice charity Havens Hospices to fund the purchase of patients’ pyjamas.

The Chelmsford Stowe Family Law LLP office, based in Baddow Road, has made the donation to Fair Havens Hospice in Prittlewell, Southend, which provides palliative nursing and supportive care to adults living with complex or incurable conditions.

As a registered charity (not part of the NHS) which receives limited Government funding, Havens Hospices - which includes Fair Havens, Little Havens and The J’s - relies heavily on the generosity of the public, because all its care is free of charge.

Tom Suttill from Stowe Family Law LLP said: “Stowe Family

Law are proud to be supporting Havens Hospices with a donation which will help purchase pyjamas for the residents of Fair Havens. The team at Fair Havens provide vital care to those who have been diagnosed with a complex or incurable condition.”

Rachel Hawksworth, Voluntary Income Team Leader at Havens Hospices said: “It’s thanks to businesses like Stowe Family Law in Chelmsford that we are able to continue ‘Making Every Day Count’ for everyone we care for. The generous donation of £300 means that we have been able to purchase new pyjamas to help patients feel as comfortable as possible during their stay.”

For more information on how people can support the charity and continue ‘Making Every Day Count’ visit: www. havenshospices.org.uk/support-us.

The Challenge Is on - Get Nifty With Your Fifty!

Farleigh Hospice is calling on businesses and organisations across mid Essex to put their entrepreneurial skills to the test in this year’s £50 Challenge. Sponsored by Birkett Long LLP, the challenge is simple - participants will be given £50 and six months to raise as much money as possible in aid of Farleigh Hospice.

The challenge runs from the 1st April to the 30th September and is open to businesses, groups or organisations of any size. Registration is now open and participants can sign up at any point over the next six months, as long as it’s before the closing date of the 30th September.

Michelle Martin, Corporate Fundraiser at Farleigh Hospice, said: “The aim of the challenge is for participants to grow their £50 into hundreds, or even thousands, through their own fundraising activities. We’ll provide the initial £50 and ongoing support, the rest is up to you! You have complete flexibility in what you do to raise money. Activities can be virtual or faceto-face, depending on the pandemic restrictions at the time of your events. The £50 challenge is open to any business, group or organisation of any size - it doesn’t matter if you’re a team of two or 200.”

This year’s challenge is celebrating the amazing work of the Farleigh Hospice nurses who have been working on the frontline of the pandemic, supporting the NHS and delivering hospice care within people’s homes and out in the community.

All the money raised will go towards supporting Farleigh’s nurses, helping them continue to care for people with a lifelimiting illness across mid Essex and offering vital support to patients and their families free of charge.

Birkett Long Associate and Marketing Manager, Jennie Skingsley said: “Birkett Long LLP is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2021, so we are delighted to be supporting Farleigh Hospice’s £50 Challenge again this year. For us, it’s not just about knowing the law, it’s also about the impact we have on our communities. For as long as we can remember, our community has been at the heart of our business. Farleigh is at the heart of its community, so joining forces just makes sense!”

The Farleigh Fundraising Team will provide the materials participants will need for their fundraising, such as posters and banners, as well as offering ongoing advice and encouragement. There will also be a virtual awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of all participants later this year. The success of each organisation will also be shared via the hospice newsletters, website and social media.

Sign up for the £50 challenge on the Farleigh Hospice website at www.farleighhospice.org/events/50challenge. To speak to the Fundraising Team, call 01245 457 411, or email 50poundchallenge@farleighhospice.org.

Local Hospice Charity Offers Free Online Will Writing To Support Their Care Havens Hospices is offering the chance to write wills online for free and help secure local hospice care for future generations.

The charity has teamed with Guardian Angel to offer a free online will writing service where people can either leave a donation to Havens Hospices, or a lasting gift in their will if they wish to.

For nearly 40 years, Havens Hospices has relied on the generosity of its supporters who leave gifts in their wills so they can continue providing palliative nursing and support to those who have been diagnosed with a complex or incurable condition. Last year, legacies helped pay for the care of one in three of its patients.

Emma Hamilton, Legacy and In Memory Fundraiser at Havens Page 2

Hospices, said: “Many people put off making their will, but it is easy to do - especially now that it’s possible to do from the comfort of your own home. By making a will you will feel happier and reassured knowing that your loved ones and any good causes that you support - such as Havens Hospices - will be taken care of in the future. Any gift, no matter how large or small, will help us continue ‘Making Every Day Count’ for future generations in your community.”

To claim the free online will writing offer visit www.gawill.uk/ havens and use the code, HAVENS-FREE.

The charity is also working with local solicitors who are giving their time and expertise for free to help people write their will in return for a suggested donation to Havens Hospices. To find out more, visit www.havenshospices.org.uk/wills.

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

City Times Intro Hello readers, Due to the continuation of the national lockdown, unfortunately we are online only once again this month. We hope to be back in print for the April/May edition.

Stay safe!

Next door to Suraya Tandoori

Mobile Call Out Available

Regards Paul & Nick

www.thecitytimes.co.uk | www.moulshamtimes.com Advertising Editorial Nick Garner Paul Mclean 07970 206682 01245 262082 / 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 Warners (Midlands) PLC.

www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

Page 3

City Times Food Trace Minerals - Are You Getting Enough? - by Lisa Whittle Although we only need trace minerals in very small quantities many of us are not getting enough, without us realising this. Trace minerals are the tiny substances present in food that originate in the soil from the minerals of the earth - if you remember the periodic table of elements from chemistry at school, you’ll recognise many of them from there; things like zinc, chromium, iron and molybdenum. There are around 70 that we are thought to need. Plants absorb them from the soil and build them into their structure, then they get eaten by us - and by animals or fish that we in turn then eat and absorb them that way.

Trace minerals, or microminerals as they are also called, are needed by our body for just about every function it performs.

If you think about iron, it’s needed to make the red pigment haemoglobin in our blood that’s needed to carry oxygen. Zinc is needed for over three hundred different chemical reactions in the body - including those linked to sense of taste, optimum function of hormones, and to the function of the brain affecting mood and thinking ability. Zinc is needed for our immune system to work well too.

too much…

Interestingly there is one mineral called selenium used in the body as an antioxidant and for heart and thyroid health that was already in short supply in the soils of the northern hemisphere because it was unfortunately washed out of the soils by the melt water of the glaciers from the ice ages during the last one hundred thousand years. Consequently, food high in selenium is grown in tropical areas, such as Brazil nuts, or in the sea such as fish and shellfish.

There is another factor too playing a smaller part. In days gone by, people used natural salt to flavour their food, such as rock salt that is often the classic pink colour (made that colour by the mineral, iron), or by sea salt. Both contain many trace minerals - in fact 13 per cent of rock salt and sea salt is thought to be trace minerals. Most of the salt consumed today is refined salt, which is heated to around one thousand degrees centigrade to burn off the minerals and create the free-flowing pure white substance we are familiar with. It has potassium iodide added to it to help people avoid iodine deficiency, but the other minerals are lost.

Now if we go back one hundred years, shortage of trace minerals wasn’t such an issue as it is now. This is because farming carried on in the traditional way using animal manure on the land to keep it fertile - this meant the important trace minerals were returned to the soil each year to replace what the crops had taken out. All food was effectively what we nowadays call ‘organic’ because there was no such thing as chemical fertiliser or chemical pesticides.

Sadly, it is thought that food grown in the standard modern way has maybe half to one third of the trace minerals than the food our great grandparents were eating. One tangible difference is in the reduction of the taste of food - especially noticeable in fresh fruit and vegetables. Gradually over the decades, the taste has reduced in intensity as trace mineral level has declined. It is an interesting experiment to buy two identical products such as apples, tomatoes, potatoes or carrots - one grown organically and one grown ‘normally’.

Cook them if needed (in separate pans), and then do a taste comparison. The organic version will have a more intense taste indicating it has more microminerals within.

Use of chemical fertilisers really got going after World War Two as a way of increasing food production. These fertilisers only give the plants the substances such as nitrates and phosphorous that they need in larger quantities to grow, and no one really gave consideration to trace minerals. This means that 70 or so years on, in your average agricultural field the land is unfortunately depleted in these microminerals as they have been taken out by many years of crops, but not replaced.

As it is a change that has happened gradually; people haven’t noticed in the way that perhaps they should have and we have a younger generation now who are used to food not tasting of

Pure Synergy with its very high trace mineral content is a premium product for this purpose Likewise, in terms of refined flour and refined sugar, these lose their mineral content in the processing. Consequently processed foods and junk foods contain the lowest mineral levels.

Page 4

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Should we be worried about this reduction in trace minerals in our diets and consequently in our bodies, and if so, what can we do about it?

There are specific deficiency signs for serious depletion of each mineral - see the list for a selection. For certain minerals such as iron, you can have have your levels checked by your doctor. But perhaps if your levels are just not at the optimum over a wide arrange of minerals, you just may not know. With so many odd illnesses nowadays and behavioural and mental health issues in children and young people, it makes me wonder if low minerals may be playing a part.

Trace Minerals, Their Functions and Common Foods That Contain Them • Chromium: Helps insulin regulate glucose (blood sugar) levels and can be found in liver, whole grains, nuts, and cheeses.

• Copper: Aids in the formation of bone and cartilage and helps the body use iron properly. Copper can be found in beef, organ meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans.

• Fluoride: Aids in the formation of bones and teeth and helps prevent tooth decay. It can be found in fish, some teas, and water that is either naturally fluoridated or has added fluoride.

• Iron: Critical for the manufacture of blood and crucial in pregnancy and early childhood. Iron can be found in meat, poultry, enriched breads and cereals, whole grains, nuts, and beans.

• Manganese: An enzyme that can be found in many foods, particularly plants.

• Iodine: Found in hormones that help regulate metabolism, growth, and development and can be found in foods that are grown in iodine rich soil. Most people now get iodine from iodised salt, since iodine deficiency is a leading worldwide cause of impaired cognitive development in children.

• Selenium: An antioxidant found in grains, meat, and seafood. Antioxidants are molecules that can help protect against cell damage.

• Zinc: Found in many enzymes in the human body that help make protein and genetic material. Zinc also plays a role in fetal development, wound healing, the immune system, and adolescent development. It can be consumed through meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, and some grains.

Here is a link to a mineral check done via a sample of hair: www.mineralcheck.com.

A simple way of increasing the microminerals in your diet is to swap to using sea salt or rock salt for cooking/adding to your Wheatgrass powder capsules food. Ensure you buy organic food wherever possible for its higher mineral content and eat a wide range of organic fruit and vegetables each day of many different colours, because each colour is linked to a different mineral. There are also dried powders of various nutritious high mineral content organic fruits, vegetables and herbs that can also supplement your diet taken in capsule form or added to a smoothie. My faviourite is Pure Synergy green powder, that has over 100 types of dried produce within it - although expensive, you can’t go wrong with this. Wheatgrass or barley grass powder is another useful source. There are also a range of liquid minerals that are available from heathfood suppliers - go for one with the widest range of minerals.

If you want to know more about the mineral status of your body, it is posslble to have a very detailed check via a blood test at a natural health clinic. There are also test kits that you can buy on the Internet to do at home via pricking your finger for a drop of blood then sending it off to be analysed.

Moringa is a superfood made from the leaf of an Indian tree also high in minerals

Please let our advertisers know you saw their advert in The City Times

Page 5

Nick’s Music and Ramblings Spring may have sprung, but still we must take care and not go crazy for fear of going backwards.

I think that on the whole the whole country is doing pretty well with the vaccine being rolled out at an incredible rate. As long as we all take care, the unlocking should continue.

I know my grandchildren are pleased to be back at school and are very happy with having a couple of tests a week; although not pleasant, they are also not bothered at having to wear masks in class - they both say it makes them feel safer.

Things will likely be very different going forward, as we will be as individuals, having a different outlook and showing more caution - I am pretty sure of that. We will need to change how we approach life in general.

I know there have been some awful things happening recently, like that poor young Sarah getting murdered. Unforgivable of course, and the perpetrators must be caught and dealt with appropriately. Please though, if you do want to protest over anything like these crimes, lets get over Covid first or you could very much put more lives at risk, which nobody wants I am sure.

As we slowly get unlocked, we are hopeful that both the Moulsham Times and City Times will be out in their printed forms from April.

Let’s all look forward to a better summer, where we can enjoy good weather and where we have smiles on our faces and are welcoming to each other. Where if we see someone in need, we will not just pass them by. As I have always stressed, the other colossal thing of concern is our planet. Get on board beware of the amount of plastic we use, our waste, and the way we live that affects the length of life for us humans as the planet will continue - it is us who will not.

Music We are hopeful that we will be back putting gigs on at Chelmsford City Football Club from Friday 25th June 2021. It’s all going to plan so far, and both the club and us at Black Frog Presents are ready and raring to go. The first show we have booked is the amazing Slim Chance, who were once Ronnie Lane’s band. He formed them after leaving The Faces, and four of the six current members were also part of Ronnie’s band. They play Ronnie’s songs, like How Come and The Poacher, and they also play new music too, which is very much in the same vein as Ronnie would have written (I know because I also worked with Ronnie).

Opening the night, we have Essex legends The Ugly Guys with Paul Shuttleworth and Vic Collins of The Kursaal Flyers, as well as Bob Clouter on drums (from Mickey Jupp), and Steve Oliver on guitar (formally of Jerry the Ferret and others) and Nevil Kiddier (formally of The Pinkies). If you have not seen either of these acts, then do not miss them - they are amazing.

We still have more acts to confirm, so most of the year is now booked. We are now going to mostly be on Friday nights, with the exception of Albert Lee who is booked for Wednesday 22nd Page 6

September. We will hopefully also be doing the odd Sunday festival as well.

On Friday 9th July I am thrilled to welcome back to Chelmsford Wille and the Bandits. Wille has a new band and a new album, and of course they are as good as ever with keyboards now added to the line-up. Support act for this night is still to be announced.

We will be taking a break for some of July and August as the festival season resumes - hopefully we will be at some of those too. We return on Friday 10­th September with The Animals, featuring founding member John Steel on drums and Mick Gallagher, who has been on keyboards since 1965 when he took over from Alan Price. Danny Handley is on guitar and vocals and Bobby Ruiz is on bass. The SharpeeZ will be opening the night. Bill Mead (from the SharpeeZ) as always, has a band made up of legendary musicians behind him. They are never let you down with their driving R&B and rock sound.

On Friday 17th we have Urban Voodoo Machine, along with Steve Hooker opening the night. Wednesday 22nd is the aforementioned Albert Lee, Friday 24th is none other than Geno Washington and the Yo Yo’s, all still in fine form - another 60s/70s legend who I saw more than once back in the day.

Into October and on Friday 1st we have Connor Selby. With a new album and with his buddy Joe Anderton at his side, this is a show not to be missed. They were due to open on The Who’s arena tour, but the tour has sadly now been cancelled. So take this surprise opportunity to catch them live locally - and with Danny Boy Piper opening its gonna be fun.

On Friday 8th we have The Hot Rods paying tribute to the late Barrie Masters, their former front man. The band continue with Dipster taking over on vocals. Who knows who may turn up and join them, as this is a local show for the band. Dept S (remember their hit, Is Vic There?) will be opening the night, so this is going to be a big party I think and one not to be missed.

Friday 22nd October sees The Mentulls (support to be confirmed) then on Friday 29th we have GMF, who feature some ex-Pirates in the band - more info to follow.

Friday 5th November will be Jack J Hutchinson and his band coming to us to rock us all out.

On Friday 19th November we have Eric Bell, the very man who started Thin Lizzy. Bell is still going strong with a great band behind him. On Friday 26th we welcome back Who’s Next? - the premier tribute band to The Who. This will also be a tribute to Char Tinsley, who at the time of the gig we will have sadly lost a year previously. It was Char who introduced me to this band.

We are hoping her brother Wayne will be opening the night.

Another band we have been waiting for a long time to come back and play is seventies soul and funk British legends, Kokomo. The band still contains 7 of the original 10 members and wow, their pedigree... I will tell you more about them in the future. We have local soul act 5.com opening for Kokomo on the night, as they were so good that we had to have them back.

In the future we will have Dave Cousins with Chas Cronk and

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Dave Lambert (yes, The Strawbs) with Jolene Missing and Hippy Joe (Hayseed Dixie) opening proceedings. It’s a night we cannot wait for!

Please note that you cannot get tickets from the Football Club at present - with the shops closed tickets are available to purchase online only or via our ticket hotline, which is 07508 496 411.

Please see my links below to be kept up to speed of where we are at present regarding gigs and entertainment.

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

For all my updates and information go to Black Frog at www. blackfrogpresents.com, or for shows: www.facebook.com/ BlackFrogPresents.

The Isolation Festival/blackfrogbands page can be found at www.bit.ly/3cDoCYW. We are also now on YouTube as well; go to: www.youtube. com/blackfrogpresents.

My new band page for Yes It Is can be found at www. facebook.com/yesitis.

Stay safe and well please and let’s start to get ready for the big celebration when we can see over the other side - we know that is going the biggest party ever.

Channel 5 show, Skin A&E, Is Looking for People 5 Star and Boom are looking for people with various medical conditions to appear on Skin A&E which is returning for its second series.

Following on from the success of the first series (which can be viewed here: www.channel5.com/show/people-like-pus) the doors to the Skin A&E clinic will be open for a second time. In the show, a team of top UK dermatologists will give participants a free consultation, advice, and medical treatment if appropriate.

If you, or someone you know has a skin condition that you or they would like help with, then the team at Boom would like to hear from you.

Perhaps your condition doesn’t qualify for treatment on the NH, or maybe your treatment has been delayed... Have you been unable to find the right treatment for your skin condition? Or are you on a long waiting list for a referral to a dermatologist? The show’s team of dermatologists would love to help you!

Applicants who are picked must be willing to talk openly and frankly about their condition and be available for filming for one day in April or May 2021. All applicants must be legal residents of the UK, currently living in the UK and be aged 18 and above.

To get more information and to fill in an application form please email the production company at: skin@boom-tv.co.uk.

Deadline for applications is Friday 30th April 2021.

Applications are welcomed from all sections of the community.

Boom will process your information in accordance with its privacy policy (www.boomcymru.co.uk/boom-cymrus-privacypolicies/?lang=en).

Applicants should be aware that due to the high volume of responses, replies cannot be guaranteed for everyone.

Please let our advertisers know you saw their advert in The City Times

Page 7

Canon Tom’s E-Pistle

Hello everyone. At last, some light at the end of the tunnel! With the roll out of the coronavirus vaccines, many of us are beginning to feel more confident about the future and our opportunities to really be with others again.

My hope is that we won’t too quickly forget some of the important lessons we’ve learned through this last troublesome year. We have seen a growth in concern for others and an awareness of how much we need the company and companionship of other human beings. We have been cheered and inspired by the inventiveness and dedication of people who have wanted to help those who have suffered the most during the pandemic, not least many young people who have acted kindly towards their neighbours or raised money for people they may never meet.

It would be very easy and very human to forget these things all too quickly once we get back to a more regular way of life, but

I think that would be a terrible shame. It would be a pity if we didn’t learn some important lessons about what it means to be a community and make some of our newly learned behaviours more permanent. Looking out for others has become important and it would be great if we didn’t slip back behind the barriers that we had built up before the pandemic but instead, kept open our desire to be good neighbours and friends.

For my part, I’m looking forward to seeing the Church family gathered together again and able to share our stories in person. However, through the wonders of livestreaming, we have learned to reach beyond the bounds of our church building and bring support and companionship to many who are unable to join us in person.

Funny how something as awful as the pandemic has been able to teach us about how to be better human beings.

Tom

Quiz Time - by John Theedom 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

What was Helen Mirren’s birth name?

What type of animal is a samoyed?

What colour are the seats in the House of Lords?

What is the meaning of the word hogget?

Ancient Britons painted themselves with woad, what colour was it?

Where in the world are the Cariboo Mountains?

In which year was the short-lived Sinclair C5 launched?

Who was the author of the book Mein Kampf?

What is the length of a standard cricket pitch?

What is 2021 in Roman numerals?

What do the initials SONAR stand for?

Who uses ‘gutta percha’ in their work?

What type of food is osso bucco?

Which type of flowers can be ‘Hybrid’, ‘Tea’ or ‘Floribundas’?

How many husbands has the TV presenter Jan Leeming divorced?

Who is the Russian goldsmith who created the jewelled Easter eggs?

Which is the longest road in the UK? What is the first name of the singer Ms Estafan?

Who wrote the comedy Blithe Spirit?

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

In which hobby might you come across sepia?

Which instrument did Liberace play?

Which area of the UK is named after a reptile?

In which English county is the River Adur?

How many hours are there in 2 weeks?

What does a vintner sell for a living?

What precisely is manna?

In which English city is the International Slavery Museum?

Melvyn Hayes of It Ain’t Half Hot Mum fame is also famous for what?

Which US president had the nickname ‘Dubya’?

In which fictional town is Coronation Street located?

In which month does Royal Ascot take place?

What is the name for a young hare?

In which English county is Stonehenge?

The Genie was stuck in the lamp for how many years before Aladdin found him?

In our Royal history, who was Gloriana?

In which building are the Crown Jewels kept?

Which fruit has a Victoria variety?

Which 1954 musical contains the song Hernando’s Hideaway?

What was Madonna’s first number 1 single?

In which town was William Shakespeare born?

(Answers on page 23)

Page 8

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Please quote M&S

Over 25 years experieince

20% discount when you mention City Times!

• Trees • Pruning • Hedges • Roots Removed • Topping • Patios • Rotovating • Turfing • Fencing • Garden Design • Decking • Block Paving • Tar & Shingle • Guttering • Chimney Repairs • Building Work• Roofing • Fascias & Soffits • Drainage solutions

www.highwoodlandscapes.co.uk

01245 422804 / 07711 606561 Free written quotes and advice 10 year guarantee on all work

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

Page 9

City Times History

Agriculture in the Chelmsford area (Part Two) - by Stephen Norris This second article on the recent history of farming in the area looks at the new Chelmsford Market, the Essex Agricultural Show, early agricultural education in the town, and the importance of Marriages in the area.

Chelmsford partly owed its existence to its market. By 1880 however, the shopkeepers and those who still lived in the High Street had become dissatisfied with it taking place there. By this time the impressive Corn Exchange building had already existed for 25 years. Nearby land for the new market site was bought for £3,460 and Charles Pertwee was engaged by the borough to design the new market. It was to accommodate 1,100 cattle, 300 pigs and 70 horses. Young beef animals were in the centre, sheep and pig pens on the east side and horses and fat stock on the west side.

Farm machinery and other related businesses could use the space on either side of the market road. The new market cost £15,000 and was opened in April 1881. All the Board of Health members were present at the inauguration, which was followed by a dinner at the White Hart Hotel. The opening had been delayed by a severe outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Petty sessions had been naming the farms affected which were not allowed to move stock; most markets in the county, including Chelmsford’s, had been closed.

The market expanded rapidly during the 1880s despite the depression in farming, and a physical expansion was carried out. In the Weekly News it was noted ‘the Market is developing in importance week by week, and the large and increasing numbers of cattle, sheep and pigs more than fill the pens which were amply sufficient to meet all requirements when the new area was laid out’. The Government insisted that a machine for weighing the cattle was installed, but it was rarely used. In 1898 there was a proposal for a covered market, but there was little enthusiasm for the suggestion.

Interestingly, Joseph Brittain Pash’s agricultural equipment business sold the town’s first milk float in 1884. A veterinary surgeon was regularly attending the market by 1912 and his services turned out to be crucial due to a severe foot and mouth outbreak in Ireland necessitated restrictions on the movement of cattle in the same year. A local man, Harold Orrin, remembered the cattle drovers who used his father’s boot shop; they drove cattle up the High Street. The metal posts were still there after the building of the new market and used with rope to make a cordon to prevent cattle from going into the shop windows. This was not always successful, and Orrin recalled one occasion when the cattle ran amok and one went into a china shop.

The Essex Agricultural Show had been founded in 1858 and held its first show in Chelmsford in 1860. It was intended to highlight Essex farming, its farmers, produce, and equipment at their very best. On average, in the 19th century the Essex Show was held in Chelmsford area every nine years. The town put the Show on in 1887 at no little expense as the local papers pointed out: ‘A large sum of money is being contributed to the prize list by the town. The general committee is offering £1,260 in prizes’. The showground was at the junction of Goldlay Road with Baddow Road and on one side was Goldlay House. The town was decked out in flags and bunting. In 1890, the Royal Show was held at Chelmsford resulting in the Prince of Wales visiting the town by rail: ‘An

enormous number of people lined the route from the railway station to the showground at Springfield Place’. The Chronicle complained about filthy songs sung in the street and indecent advertisings and it urged the police to do something about both! It was again held in the grounds of Goldlay House in 1897 and on the estate of TD Ridley, the brewer, in 1904. This was after Witham dropped out because of the financial outlay that was needed. The Chronicle thought Witham should help Chelmsford with the cost of putting the show on.

Essex County Council was one of the first counties to make use of the so called ‘whisky money’ to make tentative steps into agricultural education. The amount of money available each year depended on the amount collected of whisky and spirits, but in general was substantial during the 1890s.

In 1891 the Essex Agricultural Society received £250 from the ECC to enable them to continue their field experiments and their dairy classes. It wanted to establish ‘a permanent dairy in the town, where pupils could be taught the improved systems of dairying and butter making and initiated into the mysteries of manufacturing soft cheeses from both cream and skimmed milk’.

An office was established in King Edward Avenue and the old grammar school buildings had been bought by 1894.

The building contained two lecture rooms, three biology laboratories, three chemical laboratories and a dairy.

David Houghton and Tom Dymond were the first fulltime appointments for biology and chemistry respectively, and by 1896 there were also two horticulture classes. In 1899 an inspection by the ECC Technical Instruction Committee resulted in an excellent report, followed by a commitment to establish several scholarships.

The early lecturers often felt hindered, however, by what they saw as the poor level of elementary education that the young farmers who took their courses had received. All the pupils were normally between 14 and 25 years of age. As well as horticulture, there were also classes in fruit culture, bee keeping, dairy work, poultry, blacksmith work, the practice of agriculture, livestock keeping and agricultural machinery.

Amongst the 13 students who took a course in practical agriculture in 1900 were two members of the Marriage family (see later).

Meanwhile, three acres had been acquired at Rainsford End along with two cottages to establish a school garden. A further four acres were added later. There was now a site for practical work for horticulture students, but still no farm for agriculture students. By 1909 the work of the Winter School of Agriculture was being assessed by the Cambridge University Department of Agriculture and the school was beginning to carry out experiments in the field. In 1912 the laboratories were renamed the East Anglian Institute of Agriculture. Courses were taken to the villages - eg, a 12-week evening course on How Plants Grow.

In 1896, the buildings had been divided into three separate schools, the Winter School of Agriculture, the School of Horticulture, and the Dairy School. Apart from the courses, a weed, pest and disease identifying service was established and Dymond set up a soil testing laboratory. In 1913 Brittons Hall at Chignal St James was bought for the purpose of

Page 10

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

establishing an educational farm outside the town for four and a half thousand pounds. The war meant that it was never fully converted and it was sold six years later. The intention was to to acquire a new site quickly.

By 1880 the Marriage family were already the leading farmers and millers in the region. They were a Quaker family whose roots could be traced back to the 17th century and had Huguenot roots. The Marriages had mills and farms in Broomfield, Chelmsford, Springfield and Little Waltham by 1865. In the same year, William Marriage had started a partnership with his three sons William, Sampson and Philip, and with Phillip’s son Henry. Henry was apparently once bargaining with a butcher over the sale of some cattle when the butcher swore. He stopped negotiations immediately and sent the butcher to wash his mouth out before the negotiations could be finished.

By 1884 other farms had been acquired; Bedford’s at Good Easter, Parsonage at Broomfield, Gardners and Woolpits at Springfield and Hayrons at High Easter. By then the family were farming over 2,000 acres. Although the family records tend to mention only the bad years during the depression, the partnership stayed mainly with wheat and barley production.

They had already diversified into coal as early as 1855, bringing it up the Chelmer and Blackwater canal to be used at their Broomfield and Chelmer Mills. Later, early in the 20th century, they supplied coal to the Essex Education Authority.

William and Henry Marriage had introduced steam power to the mill at Broomfield which enabled production in all weathers. Their mill on the Chelmer was the only one of 6 on the river to have steam power by 1880. From 1856 the family had also leased Bishops Hall Mill from the Mildmay family.

A great deal is known about the Marriage family’s farming because of their Cropping Book, which dates from 1868, showing the crop rotations used. For example, one field on Brick Barns between 1878 and 1891 was sowed with wheat, clover, wheat, barley, mangold, wheat, triffolium (which was a type of clover), wheat, barley and beans.

There was also an Agreements Book which showed the negotiations involved in selling the crops of the farms and the flour of the mills. The Cropping Book shows the way the family was affected by the depression: ‘We have had a very close trade all year, (1887) and a good many bad debts, also a very considerable drop in the value of horses and other stock. In January we had a bad case of anthrax at Brick Farms, about 40 cows and beasts died. The remainder were killed and got rid of at great sacrifice losing one thousand pounds by the outbreak.’

In 1891 a writer from The Miller magazine visited the Marriages’ Moulsham Mill and noted the improvements they had made: ‘The roller plant has been fitted up in a new brick building of three stories built on the old premises at the back, and when the foundations were being excavated the remains of an ancient water mill were unearthed.

Besides this roller mill, Messrs W and H Marriage have three other mills working on the millstone system, namely the Broomfield Mills, which contain ten pairs of millstones worked by water and steam, the Bishop Hall Mills, having eight pairs of millstones and the Croxton Water Mill with five pairs of www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

millstones.’

In 1898 the family had a new mill built with its own railway siding which was called Chelmer Mill. When the Hoffmann Manufacturing Company wanted to expand their site in 1910 they had to pay the Marriages £400 for land near the mill.

If you have an interesting article you wish to share, please email paul@itsyourmedia.co.uk

Chelmsford Library

Spring is here and with it we can look forward to the end of lockdown restrictions and the opening up of our favourite places - including libraries!

Libraries hope to be open from 12th April, but prior to that, from the 8th March will restart their Click and Collect service for reservations, so if you are notified an item you have requested is at the library, do come and see us.

Our eResources (including eBooks, eAudio, eComics, newspapers and magazines and online courses) remain available at all times. If you’re not a library member you can join online to access these with an online temporary membership number. See our website for more details.

An exciting update is that Essex Libraries are updating to a new library management system from early April. During transition, some library services will be unavailable for approximately 3-weeks - see the website for details.

Watch this space for details of our Summer Reading Challenge this year! Due to the lockdown last year, it was an online event only, but we are hopeful we can welcome children back this year to take part and enjoy reading and receiving their rewards of stickers, certificates and medals for completion of the challenge! We will soon be looking for volunteers to help with this, so if you are aged 14 or over, check our website and Facebook page for details.

For the opening hours of all libraries, or to find out more and to keep up-to-date, search and follow us on Facebook or Twitter. To subscribe to our newsletter go to our website at libraries.essex.gov.uk for more details.

When we reopen, we will adhere to Government guidelines regarding social distancing, face coverings and hygiene to ensure your visit will be safe and enjoyable. See you soon!

Page 11

City Times Finance The Best Use of Your Business Profits: LTD Company Pensions Almost a year on since the start of the first lockdown and finally customer-facing businesses are gradually being allowed to open again.

Certain businesses not relying on physical presence however, remained trading and continued to support a diverse workforce. With the easing of the pandemic in sight and tax year end fast approaching, now is the time to look at how best to utilise business profits for the future using pension provision.

Pension contributions through your limited company represent a practical as well as tax efficient way to save into the ‘current account of the future’, for you as well as your employees.

One of the reasons to consider pension contributions is the ability to reduce your business’s taxable profits along with reducing Corporation Tax liability.

In practice, for every £1,000 profit, the corporation tax is currently £190, leaving a dividend of £810. By the same token, £1,000 put into your pension reduces your tax bill by £190.

Whilst dividends may seem at first, the obvious solution to invest in to a pension, they attract dividend tax (after paying corporation tax first) so this may not be the smartest solution to deal with company profits. In contrast, company pension contributions can be utilised from pre-tax profits meaning that higher-rate taxpayer could benefit from 45% tax relief on said contributions.

For example, if Phil owns a chain of auctioneers, is a controlling director, and also acts in an employee capacity of his limited company, then his pension contributions can be offset against corporation tax. In addition and unlike a salary, any such contributions are exempt from National Insurance of 13.8%. Therefore if he were to put money from his business directly into his pension pot he may be able to save almost 33% in comparison to him drawing a salary.

Mel, an auctioneer and who works for Phil, can elect to use her annual bonus as a salary sacrifice in exchange for pension contributions, thereby either achieving a higher pension contribution for the same net cost or the same contribution at a lower net cost.

As you can see, no matter what business you run and in what capacity, the potential for securing a good financial future - in this case contributing to pensions - is always there.

The ground rules may be straightforward but the details surrounding tax rules and pension schemes can be complex and it is imperative that you seek independent financial advice. If you would like to discuss any of the above, please contact us for a no obligation discussion.

Silvia Johnson Bsc(Hons), DipPFS, EFA, CertCII (MP) is a Director and Independent Financial Adviser at Royale Thames Wealth and provides independent financial advice to individuals and businesses. www.royalthameswealth.co.uk silvia@royalthameswealth.co.uk 07908 109 741 / 020 8720 7249 Royale Thames Wealth Ltd is an Appointed Representative of New Leaf Distribution Ltd which is authorised and regulated

by Financial Conduct Authority number 460421. The value of your investment may go up as well as down and the value is not guaranteed. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. Wills and Estate Planning are not regulated by the FCA.

t o p s s i th n i e s i Advert e City Times in Th 130 + VAT for £ Promote your business to thousands of local people every month!

The City Times Reach 10,000 readers in Chelmsford, Maldon and many villages in between.

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

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

Page 12

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Restoritive Yoga - By Mandy Haynes During the dark, cold, long days of January I felt a real need for something different in my yoga practice, or at least to run alongside my usual Vinyasa Flow style of teaching and practice. With lockdown 3.0 weighing heavy on my body and mind, I turned to restorative yoga. This is a style of yoga that invites you to restore, rebalance and relax deeply.

Restorative yoga is a practice that is all about slowing down and opening your body through passive stretching. As the name suggests, this style of yoga restores your body to it’s parasympathetic nervous system function (which is the rest and digest part of the nervous system) which in turn helps your body to rest, heal and restore balance. By allowing time for longer held poses, restorative yoga helps to elicit the relaxation response which can slow your breathing, reduce your blood pressure, allow your muscles to relax deeply and ultimately, produce a feeling of calm. Because the body and mind relax, literally becoming softer, we also create space to get in touch again with our natural qualities of compassion and understanding of others and self.

As the queen of restorative yoga, Judith Hanson Latimer, says: “Restorative yoga is about opening, not stretching. No matter what condition you are in, it is virtually always possible to find a position of ease that supports you in consciously letting go and resting. Without a doubt, the need for such a practice is great in today’s exhausting and time-pressured world.” In an active asana practice, you are the actor and the pose is the receiver. But in restorative yoga, it is the opposite: here, the pose is acting and you are receiving. The ‘work’ is done by the props, not by you. Your only job is to allow and invite a sense of ease into your body and mind.

When I hold a restorative yoga class, the focus is on just 4-5 poses which are held for around 3-10 minutes at a time with the help of props to completely support you. Whilst resting in each supported pose there will either be a pranayama practice (breathing technique), guided meditation or just some much needed silence. The practice closes with a blissfully long savasana and guided relaxation.

remind ourselves to meet ourselves with some of these qualities: If you would grow to your best self Be patient, not demanding Accepting, not condemning Nurturing, not withholding Self-marveling, not belittling Gently guiding, not pushing and punishing For you are more sensitive than you know Mankind is as tough as war yet as delicate as flowers We can endure agonies but we open fully only to warmth and light And our need to grow as fragile as a fragrance dispersed by storms of will To return only when those storms are still So, accept, respect, attend your sensitivity A flower cannot be opened with a hammer.

(If You Would Grow - by Daniel F Mead)

Next Issue Deadlines: Articles - 3rd April Artwork - 9th April

The main focus of this class is that by relaxing in poses, with the aid of props and without strain or pain, we can achieve physical, mental and emotional relaxation.

With all the busyness, all the stuff that we deal with in the modern world, as well as what we are faced with during the coronavirus pandemic, I think there is absolutely a real need for this type of practice - I don’t think that there is anyone out there who doesn’t need an hour to feel supported, to slow down, to unwind, to quieten and to completely relax.

I will round off this article with a poem that I used in my last restorative class which served as a reminder of how important it is to remember how well we are doing given the circumstances and to www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

Page 13

Rotary - the Wider View

March is designated as Water and Sanitation month in the Rotary calendar. In Britain, running water is something we take for granted, but imagine if you did not have access to clean water at the turning of a tap... This is the reality for 1 in 10 people worldwide. Now imagine if you did not have access to an adequate toilet. This is the reality for 1 in 3 people worldwide.

Rotary is committed to a sustainable approach to sanitation and hygiene. Rotary doesn’t just build wells or toilets and walk away. Sustainability is a key issue in determining whether to allocate funds to a global project - Projects that educate communities to maintain functioning water systems and understand the importance of proper sanitation and hygiene practices.

When children understand the process of disease transmission and good hygiene, schools and homes become healthier environments, meaning communities can develop and grow. When a mother does not have to walk for hours every single day to collect water, she has the opportunity to earn an income for her family. That is the power of water.

Clean water is a basic human right that so many are often denied. Let’s look at the staggering figures: There are 2.5 billion people in the world that lack access to improved sanitation and 748 million people that don’t have clean drinking water. Nearly 1,400 children die each day from diseases caused by lack of sanitation and unsafe water.

From a distance sitting in our comfortable homes in the UK, we nevertheless do understand that if people have access to clean water and sanitation, then waterborne diseases decrease, children stay healthier and attend school more regularly, and mothers can spend less time carrying water and more time helping their families. So, we need to do something about it - to take action.

Rotary’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes combine resources, partnerships, and form infrastructure that will help yield long-term change.

Here are a few examples of specific projects that made longlasting impacts:

Page 14

• In Guatemala, Rotary clubs improved school conditions in the town of Escuintla. This project provided toilets, washing stations, water tanks, and training that supported 10 schools with 1,793 pupils.

• Rotary clubs worked in the village of Kigogo, Tanzania to establish a water supply and delivery system for over 1,500 people. The community was provided with the tools and training to maintain the system and provide hygiene education.

• Partners and Rotary clubs built 222 toilets, 6 rainwater collectors, 7 communal handwashing stations, and 20 biosand filters. The project was based in the Philippines and provided 1,000 people with access to toilet facilities and almost 600 people with clean water supplies.

• Rotary clubs in Essex worked together to build sand dams in Kenya. Sand dams are a novel but effective low-tech means of collecting and storing water in areas which experience flash flooding in otherwise arid areas. As sand is washed downstream on the occasion of a flood, it accumulates behind the dam, and on progressive floods builds up in such a way as to create a porous bank of sand which itself then becomes the means of storing water in a manner which prevents evaporation. The sand acts as a filter so that clean water may be drawn off through the dam wall and used for domestic and other purposes, including irrigation. It saves women and children walking miles to collect drinking water.

There are also special circumstances that arise from time to time. Following a disaster such as an earthquake or tsunami, countries experience water shortages and lose access to some of the most basic human rights: food, shelter, sanitation facilities, and so the global Rotary network collaborates to ensure aid reaches the areas of destruction very quickly.

In 2015 the United Nations introduced their new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty and promote prosperity while protecting the environment and addressing climate change. SDG Goal 6 on water and sanitation encourages all of us to address universal access to drinking water and sanitation along with improved water management to protect ecosystems and build resiliency. Rotarians are committed to reaching the water and sanitation SDG through projects such as building wells, installing rainwater harvesting systems and teaching community members how to maintain new infrastructure.

During Rotary Water and Sanitation Month in March, Rotary is celebrating its commitment to create healthier communities for supplying clean water and sanitation facilities to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We can see how easy a virus can spread as we currently experience COVID-19. In less developed parts of the world such virus epidemics are commonplace, but there is so much that can be done to eliminate some of these.

If you would like to become involved with a Rotary project to contribute to a fairer more equal society, then please visit www.rotary1240.org, or give me a call on 01245 260 349 for information on local clubs.

Stan Keller www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Moulsham Times Poetry Competition

The categories are: Under 11s 12-17s 18s and over The poems will be judged by Rosie from www.personalpoems.co.uk and the winner from each category will have their poem published M in the Moulsham Times in May. You can submit one poem per person and email paul@moulshamtimes.com with your entry.

The poem can be on any subject you wish. If you are in the under 11s or 12-17s category please include your age.

Closing date for the competition will be 15th April with the winning poems being published in the May edition.

www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

Page 15

Do you need a new website?

Below are a few of the websites we have designed and built!

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

£325 Page 16

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Chelmsford Window Gallery Presents...

The Window Gallery Chelmsford was set up in June 2018 to give local artists a space to display their work. Currently we are hosting monthly virtual exhibitions.

have an Etsy shop: www.Etsy.com/uk/shop/Artybitsbygeorge.”

The Featured Artist for March 2021 is Georgina Ralph who creates works inspired by nature. You can check out the video exhibitio,n with music by The Mighty Small, on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.

When did you start making art?

“I got back into art about four years ago, one of these things that you pick up again when your family has flown the nest.”

What sort of art do you create and has this changed over time?

“I tried my hand at charcoal sketches, and pencil sketches, moving onto colour in pencils, then watercolours. I enjoyed my watercolour artwork, painting flowers and animals mainly.

I now use acrylic paints, painting on wooden items and log slices as well, creating more craft pieces.”

What inspires you?

“Everything! Nature, my pets, I spend each day either researching or creating arts and crafts. I see this as my work.”

What do you do if you’re not inspired?

“I research other artist’s work, normally on art and craft groups that I belong to, or socia media, the Internet... I can be inspired by taking my dogs out for a walk, taking in my surroundings.”

Where do you practice art?

“I work from my home. I have taken over all cupboard space, the dining table and have an easel permanently up in my lounge.”

Do you have any connections with the art community in Chelmsford?

“Through social media, but this can be international to be honest.”

How often do you create?

“I am generally working on a project all the time.”

Do you sell your work? If so, is it difficult to part with it?

“Yes, I have sold a few pieces, and yes it is difficult to part with some creations. I have gifted my work too. A recent one was a painting of a kingfisher; I loved it so much that I had a print made up and kept the original!”

What superpower would you have and why?

“I would like to stop time, this would help me to get a lot more done in a day!”

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sketchesbygeorge Facebook: www.facebook.com/sketchesbygeorge YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/ UCz9Lyp8Q1UOZEvmKTUkUWcg Window Gallery: www.windowgallery.org

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

What’s the best thing about being an artist?

“Someone, other than myself, enjoying my work.”

Where have you exhibited before?

“I haven’t, apart from social media platforms. Though I do www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

Page 17

A Year in the Life of the Mayor As we continue in lockdown, I’m delighted to report that City Councillors have agreed to let me carry over the mayoralty to have another year to fulfil our civic duties and raise money for our charities as so many of our events were cancelled during the past 10 months. It’s a great privilege to represent you all as Chelmsford’s first citizen and I look forward to meeting as many people as possible over the coming year.

At the end of February I attended the online Essex Indians celebrations for International Language (Mother Tongue) Day, and the slightly delayed Sawaswati Puja - always a joyful event with beautiful singing and other entertainment.

meet in the Council Chamber later this year.

The Chelmsford City Racecourse is currently being used as a COVID-19 vaccination centre and I have been lucky enough to receive my first dose of the vaccine and hope to receive my second dose in a few weeks time. If you are invited to receive your vaccine I urge you to make the appointment and have the jab.

My visit to the Racecourse reminds me that when we are once again allowed to hold fundraising events for my charities, I hope one such event will be at this great venue.

Although I haven’t been able to do any face to face engagements I have been out and about in Chelmsford for exercise and shopping. I continue to support many of our local run businesses as well as the high street shops and retail market that remain open. As with the first lockdown, our small local shops and businesses need our support now more than ever. Please join me in shopping local whenever you can.

I was delighted to record my 4th mayoral podcast with the Deputy Mayor - thanks to Carl Spaul for putting this together; this is now available on Spotify or smart devices - search for ‘Mayor of Chelmsford’s Podcast’.

We were delighted to have a ‘Mayoral Takeover’ of Chelmsford Community Radio (CCR) on International Women’s Day when Linda and I hosted two hour-long shows and chose our own playlist of female artists and bands. Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed our ever so slightly competitive DJ slot thanks to Michelle Durant for the technical support. We’d love to do it again.

From the beginning of my mayoralty in May 2020 both Councillor Linda Mascot (Deputy Mayor) and I both have to go into the Mayor’s parlour, socially distanced and wearing masks, to collect and return our ceremonial robes. The formal robes are worn by us both at the four full City Council meetings across the year. These meetings are usually held in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre. However, all our meetings are currently held online. We always take the opportunity to have a quick catch up meeting, unusually in person, to discuss engagements, requests and other duties that need to be attended to.

It seems very strange to dress in my formal robes to chair a meeting online from home - at least people get to see me.

The Deputy Mayor is on standby to take over the meeting if I am unable to continue, so has to be in her robes too. The difference is Linda sits in her lounge throughout the meeting with her camera off so no one sees her in her regalia - all dressed up with nowhere to go! Hopefully we will be able to

Another mayoral tradition that was thwarted by Covid was the official planting of a tree to mark my year in office, instead of a formal occasion I was advised it had been planted and saw it when I was out walking the dog!

If you wish to invite the Mayor to attend an actual or virtual event, please email: Mayors.Office@Chelmsford.gov.uk.

Twitter: @chelmsmayor Instagram: Chelmsford_mayor Facebook: Mayor of Chelmsford Podcast: you can search for or ask your smart device to play ‘The Chelmsford Mayors Podcast’ (available on Spotify and other platforms).

Page 18

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

CT Wildlife Corner - by Nick Green Late winter weather proved to be rather variable. Rainfall continued sporadically and it was rather windy at times.

The coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continued to strike on an international and national basis and Essex remained in lockdown. The UK death toll surpassed 135,000 deaths with over 4.24 million cases. The vaccine roll out is proving to be great success however, with fewer hospital admissions and deaths.

The great crested grebe is a fairly common resident, passage migrant and winter visitor, the species is found throughout Europe, Africa and Australasia. In Essex, there are about 70 breeding pairs on shallow waters which have fringing vegetation (like reed beds), but there also used to be a pair on the lake in Central Park in Chelmsford that nested on the small island for a number of years! The county site record count is 2,243 at Abberton Reservoir on 15th November 2018.

The courtship displays are intriguing with mutual headshaking being the most frequent, with the birds in close proximity, head-waggling with crests raised. The weed ceremony sees the birds collect weed under water, approach and abruptly rise in a vertical position breast to breast - the ‘penguin dance’.

White-fronted geese were still in record numbers at various Essex coastal sites. Nationally, the biggest rarity was a longstaying American northern mockingbird at Exmouth - just the third British record. The first summer migrants have arrived in small numbers including little ringed plover, sand martin and chiffchaff.

Keep safe. Keep alert.

Great crested grebe in breeding plumage (copyright: Glyn Evans)

n i e s i t r s e m i Adve T y t i C e h T n i t o T p A s V s + thi 0 2 2 £ for

Discounts available for long term commitments

Promote your business to ten thousand local people every month!

The City Times

u

op

als e W

Reach 10,000 readers in Chelmsford, Maldon and many vilages inbetween.

Discounts for advertising in more than 3 issues! h s bli

MoulshamTimes

For more information please call us on 07970 206682 or email ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

Page 19

City Times Fun

Page 20

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Spot the Difference - 10 to find (answers on page 23)

www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

Page 21

Stargazing with Mark Willis - March/April 20th March - 21:00: Looking due west, you will see Mars at the apex of an imaginary triangle, with a bright star called Aldebaran on the left and the very beautiful Seven Sisters or Pleiades cluster of stars, sitting on the right of the baseline of our imaginary triangle. The Pleiades is much better viewed through binoculars as opposed to a telescope.

Speaking of Mars, it’s getting a little like Piccadilly Circus up there at the moment. China, India, Japan, the former Soviet Union, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union have had, or are in the process of, visiting Mars. Perseverance, the most ambitious probe yet, will have landed on Mars about the time that this magazine hits online. The most memorable sights and sounds were the parachute unfurling against the Martian sky and the sounds of Mars too. There’s also the helicopter, which will be able to survey Mars much more quickly than the Rover. Martian soil and rocks will be collected and then transported to Earth.

Needless to say, that will be scientifically huge!

March 2nd 1972 is 127.475315 AU (Astronomical Units) from Earth. Or, 19,070,035,667km from Earth. If we represent the distance from Earth to Pluto as Chelmsford Cathedral to King Edward VII Grammar School, then that would place Pioneer 10 on Writtle Green!

New Moon: On 12th April and 11th May 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, please email me with any questions.

I would normally be presenting LiteBites every Tuesday at 12 midday on Chelmsford Community Radio on 104.4FM and online throughout the world. As soon as I have had my vaccine, I hope to return to the airwaves as soon as I can. www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com m.willis@hrc.org.uk

Pioneer 10: Pioneer 10 is a probe which was launched on

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

Chelmsford Community Radio 8th March saw International Women’s Day and the team at Chelmsford Community Radio marked the occasion with some very special shows.

Over the day we broadcast interviews with Susie Cornell MBE, Lord Lieutenant Jennifer Tolhurst and The Gene Girl Guide Radio Team speaking to the first female Red Arrow pilot Kirsty Murphy.

We were also delighted to welcome Deputy Mayor Linda Mascot and Mayor Jude Deakin as guest presenters.

Our Drivetime team spoke to Ella Lambert - founder of the The Pachamama Project, as well as TV Presenter Sarah Greene - Ambassador for Target Ovarian Cancer.

Nita rounded off the special day with City Talk guests: Anita Goyal MBE - CEO of the Hemraj Goyal Foundation which focuses on women’s and children’s rights and education, plus High Sheriff Julie Fosh and Dawn Barnard MBE from Chelmsford City Ladies Football Club.

We would like to say a big thank you to everybody who took part and helped to make the day a success. If you missed any of it and would like to catch up, then do head over to our Mixcloud page at www.mixcloud.com/chelmsfordcr and have a scroll through.

Do give us a follow on our social media pages (search for ‘@chelmsfordcr’) for details of guests coming up in future shows.

Page 22

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Quiz Answers

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

Ilynea Lydia Mironoff (b. 1945) Dog Red A yearling sheep Indigo blue A range in Canada 1981 Adolf Hitler 22 yards MMXXI Sound Navigation and Ranging Dentists Stew Roses 5 (five!)

Peter Carl Faberge A1, London to Edinburgh Gloria Noel Coward Photography - colour of old photographs

Classifieds 21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

Piano The Lizard in Cornwall Sussex 336 Wine & spirits Food of the Israelites Liverpool Fostering more than 50 children in 20 years George W Bush Weatherfield June Leveret Wiltshire Around 10,000 years Queen Elizabeth 1st The Tower of London Plum The Pyjama Game Into The Groove (1985) Stratford-on Avon

Spot the Difference Answers

HIGHWOOD ROOFING • roof/chimney repairs • new roofs/flat roofs • facias & soffits/guttering NO JOB TOO SMALL very competitive rates!

All work guaranteed 07711606561/01245 422804

Advertise on our classified page for just £25 + VAT per issue. www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

Page 23