The City Times Including: Boreham, Broomfield, Danbury, Great Baddow, Maldon, South Woodham Ferrers, The Walthams and Writtle 10,000 copies per month Issue Number 102 - May 19th - 16th 2022
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City Times Intro Hello readers, Welcome to The City Times May/June edition. It’s great to see so many events happening. Starting this month we have the Chelmsford Festival - visit www.chelmsfordfestival.co.uk to see the events on offer. Of course, we also hope you enjoy the extra bank holiday for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. For other events happening, see the What’s On guide in the centre pages. If you would like to publicise your business or event in our What’s On section, please contact us using the details below. Please do also remember to let our advertisers know that you saw their advert in The City Times. 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
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Tiles and Stone Direct in Chelmsford, Essex Features on Channel 4’s Luxury for Less
Tiles and Stone Direct is a local tile showroom based in Springfield, Chelmsford. The showroom celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year and was recently contacted by Channel 4 show Luxury for Less to provide their expert views on shopping for tiles. The team was thrilled to feature on national television and be interviewed by Michelle Ackerley, a well-known TV presenter having been on many TV programmes, including Loose Women. The team compared tiles from high street retailers that charge almost double the amount for the same or similar products. They also showcased porcelain and ceramic tiles that could replace or be substituted for marble and natural stone products that were half the price which resulted in a huge saving for customers. Luxury for Less was aired on Channel 4 on 14th April 2022 and can be viewed on catch up. Business owner Sagren Naidoo has been in the tile industry for over 25 years, and previously worked for national tile retail companies in South Africa, the UK and Holland. Sagren started on the shop floor and worked his way up to senior management and directorships in Holland and the UK. With his experience in the corporate environment, Sagren saw the opportunity to start his own business based on great customer service, quality products and a great shopping experience at affordable prices, which he found was lacking in the branded high street stores. Today, with a team that has grown from 2 to 7 employees, he helps thousands of customers from near and far to remodel their homes. The business’ clientele has grown through word of mouth and customers travel from as far as Kent, Surrey, Hertfordshire and London to be helped by Sagren and his team.
essentials and accessories to create your desired home, office or workspace. For more information about your tiling and bathroom requirements, please make contact via telephone on 01245 461 275, or visit the website at www.tilesandstonedirect.co.uk.
In recent years the business has expanded their offer to 3D designs, and a supply and install service for bathrooms and tiling. The company has a dedicated Bathroom Design Specialist that assists customers with product choices to ensure the customer achieves their vision for their dream bathrooms. Customers can use their design service for free and there is no commitment to buy. The business also gets involved in various community projects, sponsoring Springfield FC under 10s, offering apprenticeship programmes via Chelmsford College, and it has also taken part in the recent Kickstart Scheme that helps youngsters get into work. The showroom offers tiles, outdoor porcelain paving, bathrooms, worktops, flooring and underfloor heating along with the necessary Page 4
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Nick’s Music and Ramblings Spring is here and I love it - I’m sure you do as well. I just adore seeing the planet come to life with all the blossom, and the creatures all waking up and coming out which puts a smile on everyone’s faces! Sadly, the war continues in Ukraine. I so feel for those poor people and I am pleased I was able to help in a little way by raising some money for them. Coming up very soon we have a massive celebration here in the UK: love her and the royal family or not, but I think the Queen deserves this recognition to celebrate 70 years on the throne and giving service. There is bound to be so much going on, including lots of street parties. I heard that in Southend alone there were over 100 applications for street parties, which is amazing. ‘As part of the celebrations, on Thursday 2nd June 2022, we will celebrate another unique milestone in our history, Her Majesty The Queen’s 70th year as our Monarch and Head of the Commonwealth her Platinum Jubilee. It is a feat no previous monarch has achieved. “More than 2,022 beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories, and one in each of the capital cities of Commonwealth countries in recognition of the Queen’s long and selfless service. The beacons will enable local communities, individuals and organisations to pay tribute to her as part of the official Platinum Jubilee weekend of celebrations from 2nd to 5th June 2022.’ The above comes from www.platinumjubilee.gov.uk, where you can find out more of what is planned. Or, simply search for your local area on social media and the internet. Wow, I am almost as old as her reign is long as I was born in September 1953 - and I am growing old disgracefully! Well, I am doing the best that I can anyway... I also cannot see myself ever fully retiring; I will continue with my music forever, or as long as l can. The magazines I do for the pleasure and that hopefully others will enjoy them. There is lots going on all over the country, and as we will have an extra day to join in the celebrations, lets hope this helps people to forget the world sadness for a while and just smile and have some fun for a change. I’m putting on a gig on Friday 3rd June which I hope people will enjoy. It will feature 80s chart toppers The Korgis to entertain us all (I hear you maybe laugh at the name, but do check them out if you’ve not heard of them, they are great). Do also check out our What’s On guide for just some of the celebrations that are happening in and around our area over the long weekend and beyond. If you want to let others know about any events happening, then you can email us - the details are further on in this article - and we will do our best to put it in either the Moulsham Times or City Times for you. Music
The first thing I must say is a huge well done to Sam Ryder of Maldon for coming second in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Ukraine won which is fantastic! Sam’s song Space Man is great too, I really like it, and he was in first place right up until until the public vote... It is also 25 years since my friend Kimberly Rew with his band Katrina and the Waves won the last time for the UK with Love Shines a Light.
drummer having tested positive for covid, but we are already busy arranging a new date for 2023. As this edition is hitting the streets we have Dangerous Daydream and The Homing playing on the 20th May, and two days later on Sunday 22nd May we have our charity fundraising day for the British Heart Foundation. We will have a host of wonderful musical acts playing - all of those involved are doing it for free so that all monies raised will go to this worthy cause in memory of friends and family past and present. All details are in the advert in this magazine, and it is only £15 for 12 hours of entertainment. We have lots of other great music coming up including two one-day festivals in June, which are also part of the Chelmsford Festival. We have now also confirmed our first gig for 2023 - and it is on Friday 20th January with none other than Nine Below Zero. We are of course in negotiations with other great acts for next year too - updates to follow. The other Friday we had Totally Blondie play. I must say I had not expected what I saw and heard! First up we had Surfquake superbly playing 60s classics in their way. They were hugely entertaining and great fun - everyone seemed to love them. Next up was Totally Blondie and they were amazing. Many, me included, thought that Chloe’s voice was even better than Debbie Harry’s! There were 3 costume changes and she and the band blew us away. They certainly got the majority of the audience up and dancing. These are two acts we will be rebooking for sure. Shortly after, I played at Cosmic Puffin on Mersea Island which was a lot of fun. That was on the Sunday. I followed this by playing with the One Tree Hillbillies at the Wheatsheaf pub in Writtle on the bank holiday Monday, which also was a lot of fun. Next up it was time for Connor Selby to play a solo show at the Orange Tree on Saturday 7th May. He certainly impressed everyone with his playing and vocals and the place was packed. He has asked if he can do it again, naturally I said yes and we will confirm another date soon. We have Robin Bibi coming up on Saturday 28th May. Last time he played here as part of the Blues in The City festival in 2014, when he and his band stunned the packed pub with their preformance. I am just in the midst of confirming some future dates for the Orange Tree and will let you know as soon as they are confirmed. If you have anything to say or an event that everyone should know about, whether it’s an open garden, a sale, or whatever it is, then please send it to the editorial email address below and we will try to include it. It would be fantastic if you could share our magazines The City Times and Moulsham Times with others for us. We continue to publish both magazines in print and online at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia. If you are interested in advertising your business or event with us, then please contact us at ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk, or if you have a comment or an article please send to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk and we will reply to you as soon as we can. For all my Black Frog Present updates and information on my shows and more, go to www.linktr.ee/BlackFrogPresents or scan the QR code on the poster in this magazine.
We had to cancel Sari Schorr last month sadly due to her and her Page 6
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City Times Gardening Its getting very busy out there in garden world, what with the sun being out, just a little splash of rain and various garden events taking place. Where to start? I’ve concentrated on mulching the garden just to keep on top of those darn weeds. At the same time this will also lock in moisture and enable plants to ‘pop’ out of the border set against a foil of 30mm soil conditioner. It was heavy work… but worth it. Here are just a few other jobs that I’m currently working on for the remainder of the month that you can do. Start to harden off summer bedding plants in readiness for popping into the garden later this month. Have readily to hand a piece of horticultural fleece should the temperatures drop, or be prepared to put them back into your greenhouse, conservatory or cold frames. I tend to leave out frost-sensitive plants during the day and bring in at night and repeat for a period of one week to ‘toughen’ up plants. This I extend to vegetable plants such as lettuce, beetroot, cabbages and rocket too. Sometimes not hardening them off will lead to ‘bolting’ where the plant is now running to seed at the expense of leafy growth. This can be brought on by erratic temperatures and water stress.
Watch out for aphids. This sap sucking pest can really cause significant issues for those with lush new plants. These little critters will be on the softest part of the plant. Tips: Look out for sticky tissues, sooty mould and curling leaves. Pinch out tips if appropriate, use jets of water to reduce populations, rub off carefully. You could use biological control such as the parasitic wasp Aphidius colemani and the predatory midge Aphidoletes aphidmyza. These can be introduced to reduce populations of the pest in glasshouse conditions. The use of fatty acid soaps could be used as a contact pesticide to reduce severe populations; direct sprays onto the pest as these work by contact. Please note, do not use if you have recently applied biological controls. It looks like there may be still the odd ticket left for The Chelsea Flower Show this year between 24th-28th May. It’s going to be a great show by all accounts. Visit this site for more details: www.rhs.org.uk/ shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show. For those unable to get to the show, don’t forget you can watch it on TV! Failing this, why not pop along to the RHS Garden Hyde Hall Flower Show this coming August 3rd-8th? Visit this site for more information: www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/ hyde-hall/rhs-garden-hyde-hall-flower-show. I’ll be working on the RHS Garden Advice Stand, so I will look forward to seeing some of you there. Lastly, check out this link for further jobs for the garden as we move through May: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/may. Happy gardening!
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• Trees • Pruning • Hedges • Roots Removed • Topping • Patios • Rotovating • Turfing • Fencing • Garden Design • Decking Little Waltham Gardening Club • Block Paving • Tar & Shingle • Guttering • Chimney Repairs Vegetable Self Sufficiency in a changing climate was the title • Building Work• Roofing • Fascias & Soffits • Drainage solutions of our May meeting of the Little Waltham Gardening Club. The
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speaker Maike Windhorst is an enthusiastic organic gardener based in Downham, where she and her husband have 3 acres in which they grow a wide variety of vegetables. A great deal of planning is involved as they combine the traditional ‘bed and row’ systems and rotate groups of vegetables over the seasons. Little goes to waste in their household, with all garden waste going on their paths (between the rows of vegetables) so acting as compost which is conveniently at hand when required. An inspiration to us all. Our chairman Maggie Williams reminded us that the Little Waltham Open Gardens will be on Sunday 3rd July and all proceeds are in aid of Farleigh Hospice. Our next meeting on 1st June is on Culinary Herbs and their Uses which should appeal to both gardeners and cooks. We also have some outings coming up - on 15th June we have a trip to Furzelea Garden in Danbury, followed by a visit to Bridge End Gardens in Saffron Walden on July 13th. Then in August we visit the Gardens of Easton Lodge, so a full itinerary for the summer to look forward to. For more information on the Little Waltham Gardening Club, please check out our website: www.littlewalthamgardeningclub. co.uk.
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May 2022S Which? Trusted Trader of the Month Is Regal Kitchens
Regal Kitchens has been named Which? Trusted Trader of the Month for May 2022. An endorsed trader since 2015, Regal Kitchens specialises in designing, supplying and installing kitchens. Alongside being an endorsed Which? Trusted Trader, Regal Kitchens is also a member of the Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association (KBSA) and the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA). Affiliations with these organisations helps the company to ensure it is meeting the highest standards within the industry. One happy reviewer, who had a kitchen supplied and fitted by the company, said: “All aspects of the service, from initial design to completion, were carried out to a very high standard, and all work was completed in accordance with the agreed schedule and cost. I found that all Regal staff were knowledgeable and experienced, and they were all polite, courteous and helpful throughout the process. My fitters were amazing! They arrived punctually every day and worked so hard to complete everything the way I wanted it.”
in the industry and has been for decades. Customers know that if a company has been endorsed by Which?, they have a ‘gold standard’ of expectation.” He further described how being an endorsed trader helps Regal Kitchens to stand out: “A lot of our customers are very discerning, and so they value the Which? Accolade. Being endorsed by Which? helps us to separate ourselves from local competitors.” Congratulations to Regal Kitchens for winning May 2022’s Which? Trusted Trader of the Month award. Regal’s beautiful showroom is situated at 2 Navigation Road in Chelmsford and is open 7 days per week. www.regalkitchens.co.uk
Innovative Ways of Helping Customers When buying a kitchen with Regal Kitchens, the company offers Regal Care to help customers get the most out of their new purchase. Once the kitchen is fitted, Regal sends a home economist, equipped with enough ingredients to cook a three course meal, to demonstrate the full capabilities of the new kitchen. Regal Kitchens’ innovative approach to helping customers impressed the judging panel, with one judge saying: “Really consumer-centric - love that there’s a member of the team dedicated to customer experience, and the Regal Care scheme is such a good idea!” Which? Endorsement Inspires Trust and Confidence Explaining the company’s decision to become a Which? Trusted Trader, Director John Martin said: “Which? is the most trusted name Page 10
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It’s Time for the Rosy Stalks of Rubarb - By Lisa Whittle Between now and early July is the best time to harvest home-grown rhubarb, so maybe it will cross your path in the coming weeks. Maybe you grow your own in your garden or allotment or maybe a kindly neighbour passes some onto you - or perhaps you buy some in a shop or farmers market. But by whatever means you come by these rosy stalks, do you know much about them and more importantly, how to use them? Let’s investigate further. It has to be said that rhubarb is the key ingredient for some of our best and traditional British comfort food - the sweet and tart rhubarb crumble, rhubarb pie, rhubarb and custard (or fresh whipped cream), rhubarb fool, rhubarb cobbler and rhubarb upside down cake to name a few. And when you think about it, unlike many traditional desserts, most of these are not readily commercially available. So it makes sense to make your own. If you are really new to rhubarb it’s important to know you can’t eat the leaves because they are poisonous with high levels of oxalic acid in them, so steer clear of the green leafy part - it is not a green that is good for you! It’s just the stalks we eat and of course, if you buy it from a supermarket, it’s only the stalks you will be buying. The red/pink colour of rhubarb comes from the anthrocyanins within it which are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory and therefore good for you. If rhubarb has been ‘forced’, which means grown without natural light, it is a deeper red colour, less green and is sweeter. Technically rhubarb is a vegetable, but we use it more like a fruit and sweeten it up. Eaten raw it is very tart or sour and remains that way when cooked if not sweetened. If you are concerned about your sugar intake, healthy natural sweeteners with zero calories include erythritol and stevia. Or you could use honey, coconut sugar or agarve syrup. Stewed Rhubarb Basically, to make it you trim the ends of the rhubarb stalks and chop it into chunks and put it in a little water, perhaps with a cinnamon stick, and add some form of sugar to taste. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. If you want the stalks to retain their shape but still be soft, go for the shorter time. If you want your rhubarb more the consistency of apple sauce, let it stew for a little longer until the stems are soft and collapse. Taste it before serving to check to see if you need to further sweeten it. It is as simple as that to make and lovely served with whipped cream, crème fraîche, ice-cream or the traditional custard. Stewing the rhubarb with other fruits such as apple or raspberries or cherries works well too. In America it is very popular to pair rhubarb with strawberries, stewing them both together or baking
them in pies, but it’s not such a well-known combination here. Other popular spice additions are ginger, nutmeg, or vanilla - and some people add lemon juice too. Rhubard Crumble If you hanker after a rhubarb crumble, making your own crumble topping is easy. Simply make the topping with plain flour, butter and sugar in equal proportions by weight. Add a little salt too (or use salted butter). Rub the butter into the flour until it is like fine breadcrumbs and add the sugar. This mixture can be stored in the fridge for future use. Fill a shallow dish with chopped rhubarb sprinkled and mixed with your choice of sugar. Sprinkle over the topping so it is a couple of centimetres deep. Bake at 180 deg C for 30-45 minutes until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. The rhubarb should be tangy but not tart. Serve with cream, ice-cream or custard. Rhubard Pie or Tart Make or buy some short crust or flaky pastry. If making your own, short crust is more straightforward and is a relatively easy to make combination of plain flour, butter, a little salt and a little water. I’ll leave you to google the details. Roll out the pastry and line a pie dish. Put the rhubarb and sugar in the centre. You may want to add a thickener such as corn flour to the mixture to make the pie contents less runny. To do this mix a few teaspoons with the sugar and add together. You may wish to dot the rhubarb with butter. Make a pastry lid for the pie and bake for around 40 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 deg C. For a tart or flan use a shallow metal dish and leave the pie open or just have a few strips of pastry criss-crossing the top. Cooking time for a tart is shorter, more like 30 minutes. Rhubarb Jam or Chutney This great way to make the most of that sweet/tart flavour with a glut of rhubarb if you grow your own. This involves adding more sugar and pectin to make it set - there are plenty of recipes on the internet. A Little History of Rhubarb (In a Box) Rhubarb was originally known for its medicinal use, its roots are a laxative and was stocked by apothecaries, and it is used for this purpose in Chinese herbal medicine. In the Middle Ages, it was traded from the Far and Middle East via the spice trading routes and eventually grown in Europe. It wasn’t until sugar became more widely available and lower in cost in the late 1700s and 1800s that eating it became a real possibility. Rhubarb was introduced to the Botanical Garden in Edinburgh by the traveller Bruce of Kinnaird in 1774. He brought the seeds from Abyssinia and they produced 3,000 plants which were in cultivation in Scotland by 1786. Gradually, cultivars specifically for culinary use were developed and rhubarb became known more as a food than a medicine.
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Rotarians on the Radio Chelmsford Community Radio This month, we introduce you to not one but two presenters. Meet Rob Peters and Dave Almond from the Rotary Roundup Show. About 7 years ago, 2 local Rotarians took up the challenge of compiling and presenting a monthly programme about Rotary and Rotary clubs for CCR. Dave Almond, a member of Chelmsford Mildmay Club, is a retired language teacher and Rob Peters, Chelmsford Phoenix Club, is a retired accountant. Neither of them had any experience or knowledge of radio or any other media, and their paths had only crossed a few times at local Rotary events. They did however have an enthusiasm to tell people all about the great things that Rotary clubs do. So, with a minimum of guidance, they decided to give it a go and managed to get the first episode of Rotary Roundup broadcast in January 2016. Since then they have only failed to deliver a programme in just 1 month - but Rob did have a heart attack, so that’s probably a fair excuse! From initially knowing very little about what they were doing, both Dave and Rob have grown to really enjoy their roles at CCR, and both are keen to carry on as long as they can. For just about every month, Dave will search out and record a couple of chats with interesting people, either
directly involved in Rotary, or with some other community focused scheme. Rob sometimes chips in with a similar interview and he takes care of most of the more technical side of putting the programme together.
Both are keen on music and each month they pull together a selection of interesting tunes that perhaps don’t get heard that often. The selection will often include tracks from across the past 70 years. You can catch Rotary Roundup at 10am on the third Sunday of each month - or of course, catch up at any time via the app or website. www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com www.facebook.com/ChelmsfordCR www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia
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experience of Rotarians either in management or running their own business is invaluable in helping them get a foot on the career ladder. At the other end of the age scale, many year 7 pupils receive an illustrated Dictionary For Life, designed to give them a better grasp of vocabulary.
Youth Prominent in Rotary
May is designated Rotary Youth Month and its youth programme has often been designated as the ‘jewel in Rotary’s crown’. It was Nelson Mandela who said: ‘The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow’ and it is a core principle of Rotary to create leadership opportunities, and like most things in life, the younger you start the better the chances of achieving your goals.
Mention of the age scale, the youngest part of Rotary in Britain is called Rotakids. Open to children in primary schools and with the support of a dedicated teacher, these children quickly understand how other people may be less fortunate than they are, whether it be in third world countries or through disability or disaster. They organise their own events such as collecting spectacles or litter picking, and this instils in them the need to be aware of the importance of community activities. At secondary school they could choose to join Interact, set up for 14 -17 year group. It has similar values to Rotakids, but is run mainly by the Interactors themselves with some advice and supervision from a local Rotarian. From 18, anyone can join Rotary, but because of the age differences with so many elderly members, some in the 18-30 profile opt to join Rotaract, which has now equal status to a Rotary Club. It has the added bonus of occasionally doubling up as a marriage bureau as like-minded people come together! Rotaractors can also apply to go on a Rotary Youth Exchange to help learn about business practices in other countries, or to be a Peace Scholar - and we certainly know how vital that is in today’s climate. In addition to all these district and national projects, some local clubs organise their own events. An outstanding example of this is Chelmsford Phoenix’s Young Choir which has been held for three years (currently on hold because of COVID-19). It’s so heartening to see hundreds of young children singing their hearts out.
VExpo at the NEC in Birmingham has just finished. This was an exhibition organised by Rotary showcasing the whole voluntary sector. One of the highlights was the presentation of Young Citizens’ Awards recognising ten wonderful young people who have made outstanding contributions to the community. These awards have been going on for over a decade, and some of the early winners have continued to do great things and make a difference. Rotary also runs a vast range of competitions for young people, giving everyone a chance to demonstrate individual talent and, in some cases, working as a team. Young Chef has been particularly popular in Essex and the national winner two years ago was a local girl. Similarly, Young Musician is highly acclaimed and in the recent district final at Chelmsford Cathedral, the vocalist winner was a Chelmsford girl. Not everyone can be a good cook or play an instrument, but perhaps Young Artist would suit. Or what about Photographer, Technician or Writer? There is so much untapped talent and Rotary is keen to encourage young people to develop their skills and interests. Team events include Youth Speak and the excellent Rotary Youth Leadership Award, which brings together dozens of young people for team building and problem solving, usually over a weekend away on an outbound course. There is also recognition for Young Carers who find themselves as the principal carer for a parent with a disability whilst they also have to manage school work and everyday tasks besides. These young people are true heroes and deserve the support Rotary is able to give. There is also support for schools, with many clubs offering mock job interviews to help prepare students about to enter the workplace. The
All these activities rely on Rotarians to organise, finance and manage, so it is essential that we have a stream of new members to carry on this work. If you would like to find out more on how to become a Rotarian, bearing in mind there is always a club near to you (Chelmsford has five clubs), please visit www.rotary1240.org, or give me a call on 01245 260 349. Stan Keller
Please send any local events for inclusion in our What’s On guide from 16/6/22 to 17/7/21 to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk
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City Times Finance How to Utilise Business Profits via Ltd Company Pensions
provisions?
You have probably come across a lot of information about pensions and retirement planning, but what if you are a company director, how does it fit in with your future retirement plans and could you utilise your business profits to improve your pension
his pension pot, he may be able to save more in comparison to him drawing a salary. Alex, who works for John, 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.
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.
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.
One of the reasons to consider pension contributions is the ability to reduce your business’s taxable profits along with reducing corporation tax liability.
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.
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 additional-rate taxpayer could benefit from 45% tax relief on said contributions. For example, if John who owns a chain of shops 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 up to 15.05%. Therefore if he were to put money from his business directly into
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.
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What’s On All events are correct at time of going to press. Please check with the venue for updates.
May
Thursday 19th Civic - The Sound of Music Lion Inn - Chelmsford Comedy Club Friday 20th Chelmsford Social Club - Dangerous Daydream + The Homing Civic - The Sound of Music The Courtyard (Baddow Road) - Happy Days (DJ in the garden 5pm; DJ Goodie - 9pm) Hot Box - Cosmology Hylands Estate - The Stables Summer Series: Sephali Frost RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair yoga Saturday 21st Civic - The Sound of Music The Clay Pigeon - Hustle & Groove (with DJ Aubs & Vince Higgins) The Courtyard (Baddow Road) - Happy Days (live music 4.30pm-8.30pm - DJs - 9pm) Hot Box - Standing Like Statues + Youth Illusion + Palps RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm) Hylands Estate - The Stables Summer Series: Beans on Toast Sunday 22nd Chelmsford Social Club - British Heart Foundation fundraiser (from noon to 10pm with 12 acts playing) Civic - The Big Fest Mica Paris Takeover 2022 Hot Box - The Hardy Perennials Monday 23rd Civic - Chelmsford Gotta Dance The Clay Pigeon - Bingo night Hot Box - Chelmsford Chess Club night Tuesday 24th Beehive Business Centre - Dance Tropicana (salsa classes and social - 8pm) Civic - Chelmsford Gotta Dance Widford Village Hall (turn left at Chandlers) - Country Dancing (barn dance - 7.50pm - £2 - 01245 475 660) Woolpack - Quiz Wednesday 25th Hyde Hall - Plants for Difficult Places Woolpack - 80s bingo Thursday 26th Civic - Some Guys Have All the Luck The Clay Pigeon - Poker night & quiz Friday 27th Chelmsford Social Club - Robbie McIntosh Band + Chris Kipper Roberts The Courtyard (Baddow Road) - Happy Days (DJ in the garden 5pm; DJ Goodie - 9pm) Hot Box - The Lucettas Golden Fleece - Shakster Records Festival 15th Anniversary Weekender: live music and silent disco RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair yoga Saturday 28th Civic - The Take That Experience The Courtyard (Baddow Road) - Happy Days (live music 4.30pm-8.30pm - DJs 9pm) Danbury Sports Centre - Decades of Disco Hot Box - Tigress Hyde Hall Jubilee Planting Golden Fleece - Shakster Records Festival 15th Anniversary Weekender: live music and silent disco Orange Tree - Robin Bibi RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm)
Saturday 28th The Village Hall (CM8 3JZ) - Wickham Bishops Jazz Club: Chris Walker’s Pedigree Hot Five (7.30pm - to book call 07548 775 777) Sunday 29th Civic - Go! Monday 30th The Clay Pigeon - Bingo night Hot Box - Chelmsford Chess Club night Tuesday 31st Beehive Business Centre - Dance Tropicana (salsa classes and social - 8pm) Widford Village Hall (turn left at Chandlers) - Country Dancing (barn dance, £2 - 7.50pm - 01245 475 660) Woolpack - Quiz
June Wednesday 1st Beaulieu Community Centre - The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Children’s Art & Craft Competition Chichester Hotel (Rawreth) - Belvedere Jazz & Music Supper Club: TJ Johnson Quintet (7.45pm - to book 07850 607 075) Galleywood Heritage Centre - U3A 40th Birthday and Queen’s Platinum Jubilee picnic Golden Fleece - Best of British Karaoke Hyde Hall - My Favourite Plants Woolpack - 80s Bingo Thursday 2nd Chelmsford City Racecourse - One Night of Queen The Clay Pigeon - The Statins The Fox & Hounds (Ramsden Heath) - Jubilee Party Golden Fleece - Jubilee Boozy Bottomless Afternoon Tea Hot Box - Resonance Friday 3rd Acanteen - Freddie Mercury Tribute Night Chelmsford Social Club - The Korgis (featuring James Warren) + The Next Agenda The Clay Pigeon - Family BBQ from midday The Courtyard (Baddow Road) - Happy Days (DJ in the garden 5pm; DJ Goodie - 9pm) Golden Fleece - Jubilee Boozy Bottomless Afternoon Tea Hot Box - Chew Hylands Estate - Creamfields South RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair Yoga Saturday 4th Chelmsford Social Club - Record Fair The Clay Pigeon - Chocolate Fireguard The Courtyard (Baddow Road) - Happy Days (live music 4.30pm-8.30pm; DJs - 9pm) Golden Fleece - Jubilee Boozy Bottomless Afternoon Tea Hot Box - Transmission Presents: The Baggios Hylands Estate - Creamfields South RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm) Woolpack - Platinum Jubilee Garden Party Sunday 5th Beehive Business Centre - Dance Tropicana (salsa and Bachata afternoon and social - 2pm) Golden Fleece - Jubilee Boozy Bottomless Afternoon Tea Hylands Estate - Creamfields South The Community Station, Moulsham Lodge - Moulsham Lodge Community Trust Queen’s Jubilee BYO picnic Seymour Pavilion, Ingatestone - Jubilee Community Picnic
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Monday 6th The Clay Pigeon - Bingo night Hot Box - Chelmsford Chess Club Night Tuesday 7th Civic - Tonight Belongs to Us Beehive Business Centre - Dance Tropicana (salsa classes and social - 8pm) Hyde Hall - Wildlife Walk Woolpack - Quiz Wednesday 8th Hot Box - The Hot Box Big Music Quiz Hyde Hall - Getting the Best Out of Your Roses Woolpack - 80s Bingo Thursday 9th The Clay Pigeon - Poker night & quiz Hyde Hall - Summer Pruning Friday 10th The Courtyard (Baddow Road) - Happy Days (DJ in the garden 5pm; DJ Goodie - 9pm) Hot Box - FireFriend / Frankie Teardrop Dead RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair yoga Saturday 11th Chelmsford Social Club - Chelmsford Folk Festival (part of The Chelmsford Festival) The Courtyard (Baddow Road) - Happy Days (live music 4.30pm-8.30pm; DJs - 9pm) Golden Fleece - Indie 500s Hot Box - Shake Rag RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm) Sunday 12th Hot Box - Jazz Sundays with Zak Barrett & Friends Hylands House - Open day and farmers and craft market Monday 13th Beehive Business Centre - Dance Tropicana (Bachata classes and social - 8.30pm) The Clay Pigeon - Bingo night Hot Box - Chelmsford Chess Club Night Tuesday 14th Beehive Business Centre - Dance Tropicana (salsa classes and social - 8pm) Hot box - Helicon Widford Village Hall (turn left at Chandlers) - country dancing (barn dance, £2 - 7.50pm - 01245 475 660) Woolpack - Quiz Wednesday 15th Chichester Hotel (Rawreth) - Belvedere Jazz & Music Supper Club: Ben Holder & Julian Marc Stringle Quintet (7.45pm - to book call 07850 607 075) Civic - Kinky Boots Woolpack - 80s Bingo Thursday 16th Civic - Kinky Boots The Clay Pigeon - Poker night & Quiz Hot Box - HotHaus Drag Hyde Hall - The Curator’s Summer Walk Lion Inn - Chelmsford Comedy Club Friday 17th Civic - Kinky Boots The Courtyard (Baddow Road) - Happy Days (DJ in the garden 5pm; DJ Goodie - 9pm) Hot Box - Acid Under the Arches Hylandsd Estate - Foodies Festival RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair yoga
Saturday 18th Chelmsford Social Club - East Anglia Music Festival (part of The Chelmsford Festival) Chelmsford Library - Family Fun Day Civic - Kinky Boots The Courtyard (Baddow Road) - Happy Days (live music 4.30pm-8.30pm; DJs - 9pm) Cramphorn - Into the Spotlight Golden Fleece - All Out Emo Hot Box - Sun Cutter Hyde Hall - British Cactus & Succulent Society Hylandsd Estate - Foodies Festival RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Coffee morning (10am to 1pm) Sunday 19th Hylands Estate - Foodies Festival Hylands Estate - Open Day & Farmers Market Hylands Stabes - Andy Bell Space Station Hyde Hall - British Cactus & Succulent Society Writtle Open Gardens - Pay at booth on Writtle Green
Writtle Gardens Open Day Sunday 19th June 2022
Tickets are £5 entry with a programme available on the day from a booth on Writtle Green. Accompanied children under 16 free of charge. Sorry, no dogs allowed.
The Writtle Gardens Open Day has been a local event for nearly 25 years and is back on Sunday 19th June after a 3-year break. This has become a special attraction for garden lovers and a chance to enjoy an afternoon in this picturesque Essex village. Visitor numbers have grown year-on-year, with around 1,000 supporters attending the last event in 2019. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of All Saints Church, which dates from the 13th century. Official opening is at 12 noon on Writtle Green by Lord Petre, patron of the charity Friends of Writtle Parish Church. As well as the regular garden favourites, there will also be some new ones to visit. In all, there will be over 15 village gardens to visit from midday to 5pm. Proceedings start at 11.30am on Writtle Green with judging of the children’s scarecrow competition. This will be followed at midday by the official opening and a performance by the Mayflower Morris Men, before visitors head off to visit the village gardens. Afternoon refreshments will include a ploughman’s lunch and afternoon teas in the Christian Centre, plus teas and cakes in the Village Hall. Plants will be available for sale on Writtle Green. For children, as well as the scarecrow entries, there will be a Nature Hunt in many of the gardens, with prizes available from the Green. Everyone is encouraged to make a prompt start in order to see everything. Writtle has limited parking, so we advise any disabled visitors to arrive early. In addition to the central village car park, additional parking is available at Writtle University College’s Lordship Road car park and at the entrance to Brewhouse Hoppit, behind the Co-op in Bridge Street.
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Football Ramblings - By Britain’s Oldest Angry Young Man
Do I really want to know how many shots were on target or how much possession, or number of fouls, or number of saves in a match? There is, in my view, a more important match statistic - how many players are sent off.
Professional football has always had its fair share of villains. Leeds United’s Norman ‘Bites Yer legs’ Hunter springs to mind. Many years ago, I had a delivery for Highbury, Arsenal’s ground. I was talking to one of the groundsmen about a match I watched there in the 1950s between Arsenal and Wolves. I was told that Jack Kelsey (I think) would have been in goal for Arsenal for that match. Jack was now running the Arsenal souvenir shop, and the groundsman suggested I popped there for a chat. Jack remembered that match and what happened to him. “At the time”, he said, “goalkeepers were not protected from bustling centre forwards trying to barge them into the net to claim a goal. Wolves had Peter Broadbent, a big lad, who tried to put me in the net, but I was wise to him. However, during half time I went to the toilet and was peeing blood thanks to Peter. We didn’t have the medical teams that players have today. I just wiped away the blood and went out for the second half.” Like many kids growing up in the 40s and 50s, we played football in the streets and alleys with a lampost and jacket as goalposts and a (virtual) crossbar, the height of which depended on the height - or lack of it - of the goalkeeper. The explosion of car ownership stopped all that. Long before the Premier League, I would travel to London to
watch First Division matches involving Wolves who I supported and still do - although as football, like other sports, is no longer a ‘sport’ but is a ‘business’, today I have only a cursory interest. I recall one end of season match between Chelsea and Wolves which would decide the First Division championship. 80,000 supporters crammed into Stamford Bridge with a further 12,000 turned away. Such was the crush on the terraces that hundreds of small boys who couldn’t see the match were hoisted onto men’s shoulders and passed shoulder high down the terraces and deposited behind the goals. Chelsea won with a late penalty. One-club players was the norm Johnny Haynes’ loyalty to Fulham springs to mind. Unfortunately, television has ripped the heart out of the beautiful game. Players play to the cameras when a goal is scored, their pathetic and childish actions replicated by kids in parks and other playgrounds. Matches are moveable feasts played at all hours of the day negating the traditional Saturday 3pm kick-offs. FA Cup semi-finals used to be played at the same time on neutral grounds on a Saturday. A referee and two linesmen was all that was needed to control a match. Now add yellow and red cards, pitchside monitors - and the biggest mistake of all, VAR whose ‘offside’ decisions have been a joke cancelling ‘good’ goals for the flimsiest of reasons and holding up play in the process. Now I understand that the number of substitutes allowed could be increased from 3 to 5, allowing half a team to be replaced during a match. Might I make a suggestion? Get rid of the referee and the linesmen and let VAR run the whole damn match.
The Repair Shop for Slides and Negatives...
How did Slide to Digital come about? A friend suggested there might be a gap in the market for what I can do - I studied photography at college and remain an avid photographer, but am a designer by trade often working with images. What does Slide to Digital actually do? There’s a few companies out there that will transfer 35mm slides and negatives to digital format, but often digital cleaning is either not included, automated with mixed results, or costs extra. I do it all digitally, but by hand and eye - each single image is treated sympathetically and differently to achieve the best result.
Before
When is you busiest period? Mostly Christmas - a time when people think of family and those not with us anymore. Then they remember that box of slides in the loft unseen for years... I love their reaction to the results; it’s a bit like being The Repair Shop for old slides and negatives! www.slidetodigital.co.uk
After
Why is it important to digitise old slides and negatives? When slides first appeared they were a revelation; the process uses an emulsion to show the image, so there’s no ‘pixelation’ - the only limitation is the ability of the photographer and their camera. Right up until recently, some landscape magazines would still only accept submissions of slide images. But, they are delicate and degrade over time and attract fingerprints and dust - it’s a ticking timebomb for your memories. Fingerprints create mould too which really shows when the slide is blown up. A slide is tiny, so when you blow it up large, dust and dirt gets blown up to - that’s why it’s important to employ someone who can remove this and effectively repair them. Who do you cater for? Everybody! I’ve been doing this for over 10 years and luckily people are very pleased with the ‘wow factor’ of the results possible. Slides are a fantastic medium and I like the challenge of getting a vibrant slide to look just as beautiful and vibrant when it is a digital image. I get commissions from all sorts companies these days, from steam train restorers to graphic design companies, but I still get a joy from scanning family slides for someone who hasn’t seen them in their full glory for years and can now share them with their family. Page 18
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The Development of Chelmsford (Part Five) - By Stephen Norris This article looks at some of the developments in the town by 1939 and early attempts at planning, particularly in the rural area. The 1939 ordnance survey map confirmed the building of the Boarded Barns council housing estate. This included Corporation Road, Kings Road, and North Avenue. Christy’s on the Broomfield Road was completely surrounded by houses, as was the Essex Industrial School. By the start of the Second War, Springfield had become much more densely populated, particularly Stump Lane and around the prison. The ‘ribbon development’ that had started earlier in the century had spread further along the Springfield Road. Springfield Lyon however was still completely in the countryside. By 1939 there had been further development along the New London Road, with Brierly Place, later to be destroyed during the war, built next to Claremont Villas. The football ground was now at New Writtle Street having moved from Kings Head Meadow. There was a new housing development beyond the Arc Works on Writtle Road, including Crompton Street and Waterhouse Street. In Moulsham, middle-class housing had been built in Rothesay and Finchley Avenues by 1939. Oaklands was consequently much reduced in size and Moulsham Drive now had housing on both sides. Lady Lane was now fully built up on both sides down to Van Dieman’s Road, apart from one small allotment where council houses were later built. There was a small amount of housing on the other side of Van Dieman’s Road. The new Moulsham Schools were shown as being off Princes Road on the ordnance survey map, but there was no housing around them or around Moulsham Lodge. Longstomps Avenue was now built up all the way down to the junction of Galleywood Road and Wood Street. Galleywood was now built up on both sides down to Tile Kiln Road, in another example of ribbon development. A first National Planning Act was passed in 1909. It allowed a council to prepare schemes for any land ‘which is in the course of development or appears likely to be used for building purposes’. The number of buildings on a site could be regulated and the space around them, as well as their appearance and the way they might be used. This act proved slow and cumbersome. A 1919 act allowed interim development of a scheme before final approval was considered. Chelmsford Borough council showed little inclination to take advantage of either act. The Chelmsford Rural District Council was much more proactive. Its first attempt at planning came with the parish of Runwell in 1926. Chelmsford RDC was concerned that the motor car was already affecting such places. The Weekly News commented: ‘There can be no doubt that local authorities ought to bestir themselves to ensure their areas are not disfigured by gimcrack bungalows. The Chelmsford RDC deserves the thanks of the public for the adoption of a town policy’. To some extent however, the RDC were pushed into the decision because the Rochford authority, which bordered on to Runwell, already had a planning policy and the council was concerned that private builders might move their schemes to Runwell to escape controls. Two years later the RDC was again making proposals for the Central Essex Town Planning Scheme. It wanted 19 miles of new road to enable the further development of rural parishes. The borough council showed little interest in doing the same, although its transport problems were already emerging with 6 main roads intersecting in the town. In 1930 the RDC put forward a new plan for Ingatestone and Fryerning. It was increasingly obvious that any planning had to be conducted with both authorities co-operating with each other. Any further growth in the borough would increasingly overflow into the surrounding rural areas.
on new business and industrial areas. After much discussion between the two authorities, a Springfield site was agreed for a new aerodrome by the joint committee. The war intervened before this plan could reach fruition. One significant event in the development of the town during the Second War was the removal of the ‘Conduit’ padoga from the corner of the High Street and Springfield Road in 1940, because it was causing such an obstruction to the flow of traffic. It was rebuilt in Tower Gardens where it is now a Grade 2 listed building. It consists of a dome of stone on six tapered Doric columns. On one side there is the inscription ‘This conduit was erected A.D. 1814 by the parish, aided by a subscription of one hundred pounds by Robert Greenwood, merchant.’ On the other side it says, ‘Rebuilt by the parish A.D. 1852’. Spalding Junior’s photos show the outside and inside of the Saracens Head when it was taken over by American soldiers. One of his many photos of his shop windows shows an advert for fund raising in 1942.
Batemans Quilt Raised more than £1,000 A raffle for a unique Batemans quilt, promoted in The City Times and handmade by members of Old Moulsham book club, was won by Dawn Giesler, and raised more than £1,000 for the children’s charity. The charity is well known in Old Moulsham at the home of trustee Suzanne Kuyser for its fundraising curry and quiz nights and special treat boxes during lockdown. It looks after just over 50 children, mainly girls, in Chennai in India. The children are visited, at no cost to the charity, by trustees when possible, ensuring that quality is maintained and we get to know all the children individually. The children are mainly referred to Batemans by Chennai’s social services and are provided with a warm loving home in two hostels, health care and a good quality of education right through to higher education and vocational training. All monies raised go to the Saatkarya Trust which delivers the onsite care under the direction of the unpaid trustees in the UK and India. We welcome anyone who would like to sponsor a child, which costs only £15 a month. Visit www.batemans.org.uk/donating/sponsor-achild, or you can donate via www.justgiving.com/batemanstrust. Suzanne Kuyser Trustee www.batemans.org.uk
The 1932 act enabled local authorities to prepare schemes for any land, not just suburban land. It was supplemented by the 1935 Ribbon Development Act. This made development of all land within 220ft of roads subject to controls. After the 1932 act, the borough began to show a more positive attitude to planning, attending the Statutory Regional Committee. In 1935, agreement was reached Page 20
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The Shire Hall Future? - By Malcolm Noble
Between November 2014 and 2022, Essex County Council commissioned conservation and repairs works. These included structural leaning the front elevation stonework, strengthening works to the County Room floor and minor repairs at various parts of the building. The total costs amounted to £940,000. However, no works were undertaken to secure disability access for the upper floors. Three Principles Set Aside A lease held by the Justice Ministry expired in 2012. The Magistrates Courts had already moved to new premises, and the Shire Hall has been vacant and largely unused for the past decade. Essex County Council engaged the firm Lambert Smith and Hampton (LSH) to conduct a marketing process in October 2012. This included advertising in the Estates Gazette, the Essex, Herts, Bedfordshire Focus Edition, the Essex Chronicle, and direct emailing to developers, investors and retail clients. A dedicated website was created and a consultation portal. A well attended open day was held on 24th November. There were 80 submissions overall, but only 3 detailed expressions of interest. Further marketing was undertaken in August 2015 and this led to 5 submissions which were analysed by LSH, and their conclusions passed to Essex County Council. Meanwhile, a reference group had been established by the council. This comprised Councillor Roy Whitehead, Leader of the City Council, myself from the Civic Society, County Council Offers and chaired by County Council Cabinet Member and City Councillor Dick Madden. The group was tasked with considering the options for the future of Shire Hall. Three principles were adopted by the County Council in order to guide the reference group’s deliberations. These were: • The County Council’s commitment to retain both the freehold of the building and an interest in the future use of Shire Hall. • That any future use of the building will deliver a sustainable financial model that generates income to benefit the residents of Essex. • There will be a requirement for a continuation of public access to the building and a sense of community interest. At that point, what became known as the ‘Madden/Noble Plan’ was put together and submitted to the County Council. Design and financing of the document was arranged by Mick McDonagh, High Chelmer Centre Manager. The Civic Society saw the three principles as a genuine effort to reflect the importance of this Grade II listed historic building to the people of Chelmsford. Their objectives were: • To secure the future of Shire Hall as a publicly owned community asset. • To achieve commercially viable uses for all parts of the building. • To allow for public access. • To manage the County Room as a quality centre for conferences, receptions, dinners and events. • To utilise part of the building as a community, heritage and visitor centre. • To engage the Cathedral and Diocese in determining the future uses of the building. In the event, the 3 principles were to be set aside and in favour of disposal of the building in the form of a 250 year lease. The County Council issued a press release on 16th June 2016 - the opening
sentence declared that ‘the future of one of Chelmsford’s most iconic buildings looks bright after owner Essex County Council agreed a deal to secure its future’. County Council Leader David Finch was quoted as saying that “through this process, the council has been looking for a bid that would both make good use of what is a unique building but also be a long term solution; the finances and business plan had to stack up and I am pleased that Aquila has been selected with a plan to incorporate a restaurant and also create an area for community use.” Aquila was a local developer with a considerable stake in the city. Much of what Aquila proposed was entirely acceptable to the Civic Society. However, on 20th February 2018, it was agreed to amend the lease ‘on terms acceptable to the lessee’. The effect of his decision was to remove any requirement to follow the requirements set by the 3 principles. After 2 extensions of time, Aquila submitted a town planning application. Debates had continued on matters such as means of escape in the event of fire, provision of a lift, and treatment of the foyer. With no determination having been made by the 21st February 2022, decisions on the future of the Shire Hall have reverted to Essex County Council. Chelmsford Cathedral and Tindal Square The Cathedral and Chelmsford Diocese had submitted an expression of interest in 2012 - they welcomed the prospect of redeveloping Shire Hall. The Civic Society had proposed pedestrianisation of Tindal Square which would link the High Street to both the Shire Hall and Chelmsford Cathedral. The result would be to establish the area as the real historic heart of the city. The City Council has now commenced work on this scheme and is expecting to complete it by October. Three Principles Revisited There should now be a formal recognition, by both City and County Councils of Tindal Square, Shire Hall and the cathedral, as representing the historic core of the city. The County Council intend to set up a task force to determine next steps in bringing the Shire Hall into use. Task force members need to include officers and councillors from both City Council and County Council, together with representatives from the cathedral and Diocese and Chelmsford Civic Society; though as owner of the freehold, the County Council will lead. The task force should be charged with agreeing a sustainable financial model and setting up a Community Development Trust (CDT). The trust would then take over management of the building, together with responsibility engaging public interest and provision of facilities for community use. Malcolm Noble Chelmsford Civic Society www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk
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A Year in the Life of the Mayor
Spot the Difference - 10 to find (answers on page 23) At the beginning of April I was invited along to a Homestart family group meeting at Trinity Methodist Church, where it was good to chat to the staff, volunteers, and the mums. A very special moment happened for Tommy (who was attending for the first time) as he played in the group he took his first steps, much to the amazement of his mum. We all gave him a cheer and clapped... just lovely. The Deputy Mayor and I visited Woodcroft Nursery to celebrate their 75th anniversary, where we were helped by some of the children (and adults) to bury a time capsule in the garden. We had a very difficult job deciding the winners in the Easter Bonnet/Hat Parade, and I joined the children in wearing my own version of an Easter bonnet I was pleased to join other mayors and chairs at the Mayor of Thurrock’s Civic Dinner which was held at the Stifford Hall Hotel. A very enjoyable evening with lots of money raised for charity. The Deputy Mayor and her Consort attended the Chair of Harlow Civic Dinner at Canons Brook Golf Course. It was a very lively evening with some mayors and chairs from across Essex and the High Sheriff of Essex in attendance. The Mayoress and I represented the people of Chelmsford at a COVID-19 Memorial Service in the Salvation Army Temple, Hadleigh. It was hosted by the Mayor of Castle Point. The Mayor of Witham Town Council held her Civic Service at St Nicholas’ Parish Church in Chipping Hill, with many distinguished guests. The Deputy Mayor and her Consort Ian attended on behalf of Chelmsford. Very early on in my term of office, I was invited to a Zoom meeting by a group in Sandon. They were trying to raise more than £40k to repair some of the bells in St Andrews Church. It was an interesting meeting, and I learnt a little bit about the church bells. So here we are 20 months or so on… One afternoon I had great pleasure in attending a Service of Dedication in St Andrews to bless the newly repaired bells before they are fitted back into the bell tower. It was almost a full house for the service and a real joy to know the bells will ring out for many more years to come. The bells were then rung for the Easter Sunday service and The Mayoress and I both attended the St Andrews Easter Day Service. It was wonderful to hear the newly repaired and reinstalled bells ringing as we approached the church. One evening in early April the Deputy Mayor and I attended County Hall for the declaration ceremony of the 842nd High Sheriff of Essex Nick Alston. It was lovely to welcome our new High Sheriff, but also good to be able to bid farewell to Simon Brice and wish him well. I dropped in many of the Play in the Park schemes during the Easter holidays. In Melbourne Avenue there were well over 100 youngsters there enjoying the activities, which included meeting some snakes. In Broomfield it was a very breezy morning when the Deputy Mayor and I attended Broomfield Play in the Park, so we decided to stop off at the park’s Cheerful Chai Café for a warming cup of coffee. After one of our regular Friday morning mayoral meetings, the Deputy and I popped over to Boreham to spend some time at their Play in the Park - lots of children were playing with Play-Doh, making Slime, and colouring pictures in the village hall. Others were outside playing games on the field and on the inflatable galleon. I visited Little Waltham and chatted to many parents as their children played. In South Woodham Ferrers, I dropped into the play scheme in Compass Gardens on a lovely sunny day with lots of families making the most of the good weather. I also attended Great Leighs, where they had an inflatable disco dome, and Great Baddow with a variety of activities. Simply Hair in The Vineyards, Great Baddow were celebrating their 5th anniversary, so the Deputy Mayor and I dropped in to congratulate them over a cuppa. I was presented with some lovely tulips and a couple of items for our next fundraising raffle. Many thanks to the staff for their lovely welcome; we really enjoy supporting local
businesses. The Art Place in the Meadows Shopping Centre, Chelmsford was hosting the My Chelmsford Photography Exhibition. Chelmsford College 2nd year students came up with the idea of implementing an exhibition of photographs taken by residents of Chelmsford and surrounding areas. There were hundreds of submissions and the resulting collage was displayed at the Art Place until the end of April. The Deputy Mayor joined me to open the display alongside students, tutors, and sponsors of the event. The Deputy Mayor and I were pleased to attend a fundraiser at Boreham Village Hall for the local church. There were lots of activities going on and plenty of support on hand. A lovely happy event. I was asked to draw the raffle and embarrassingly pulled out my own ticket! I chose the Easter hamper basket and promised to pass it onto Sanctus Homeless Charity for a raffle prize at their fundraising dinner on Saturday evening. Fortunately, there were plenty of other raffle prizes... The Mayor of Brentwood, Cllr Olivia Sanders, invited the mayoralty to her civic dinner. We were all pleased to attend alongside other mayors and chairs from across Essex. Community awards were given out and a collection was made for Ukraine. One afternoon the Mayoress and I really enjoyed the matinee performance of Beauty and the Beast at Riverside Leisure Centre. It was great to see the ice show back again - it’s been missed by skaters and audiences alike. Well done to everyone involved for putting on an entertaining show and thank you for my flowers. The mayoralty spent a lively evening at one of the Mayor’s charities, Sanctus Homeless Charity, for a fundraising dinner. Thanks to the staff, trustees, volunteers and diners for a very successful event. There were lots of donated raffle prizes (raising £550) which took some time for us to draw. There was also live music all evening and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Wow! What wonderful, generous, talented people we have in and around Chelmsford. Lots of those people came together to support my charities at the two Mayor’s Charity Concerts in the Cramphorn Theatre. My thanks to everyone involved for giving up their time to make this happen, particularly Andy Poole and Garry Ormes for putting on two brilliant shows at short notice. We had a ball and raised over £1,000. My thanks to everyone who came. The Deputy Mayor and I hosted the Chelmsford Sea Cadets visit to the Mayor’s Parlour, the group were particularly interested in the Upholder bell which is rung at the beginning and end of the Chelmsford City Council meetings. I was pleased to attend an afternoon tea in the grounds of St Marys Church, Widford. It was put on by local youngsters raising money for their youth group to have a trip away in the summer. It was a lovely afternoon in the sunshine and a very good afternoon tea. The mayoralty were delighted to attend Riverside Leisure Centre to support the Chelmsford Chieftains Ice Hockey Team in a fast and furious game against the Slough Jets. Congratulations Chieftains, for winning the last home game of the season. Sadly, Andy Munro was unable to complete his last game with the Chieftains after sustaining an injury. We all wish him a speedy recovery. I was invited to the Tennyson Road Surgery Wellness Garden to officially open the facilities. This Social Prescribing scheme was first envisaged pre-pandemic, and planned during lockdown over Zoom until it could be brought into being by some wonderful volunteers with support from Tennyson Road Doctors’ Surgery, Chelmsford City Council, RHS Hyde Hall, Chelmsford CVS, the men from Shedders and many more. Anyone could easily lose themselves for a couple of hours watering, weeding and potting there. Very therapeutic.
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I spent a really interesting morning with staff and customers at the ECL Essex Cares, Highfield Centre in Chelmsford which caters for the elderly and adults of all ages with disabilities. I attended the Chelmsford County High School for Girls Presentation of Certificates and Awards evening in Chelmsford Cathedral. After the awards, guest speaker Ms Bridget Kendall MBE spoke about her experiences as a young woman making her way in the world. She spoke about some of the choices she made and how she ended up as Master of Peterhouse Cambridge. A very rewarding and interesting evening.
I was a guest of Cool to Be Kind at Anglia Ruskin University to launch a new partnership initiative to end homelessness - Street Support Chelmsford. Visit this site for more information - streetsupport.net/ chelmsford/advice. The Mayoress and I attended the civic dinner for the Mayor of Castle Point, Cllr Pat Haunts, at the Oyster Fleet Hotel on Canvey Island. There was a raffle and a blind auction which raise lots of money for Open Arts charity.
I enjoyed spending some time at Scallywags Nursery Chelmsford. Such a happy environment for babies and pre-school children. There were lots of activities going on and I met some enthusiastic children who showed me their artwork and around their play areas. We had photos taken by the tree they planted for The Queen’s Green Canopy. I was delighted to be able to attend the civic dinner for the Mayor of Southend, Cllr Margaret Borton. It was held in the beautiful 16th century Porters House. Chelmsford Cathedral was the venue for the Rotary Region 3 Young Musician 2022 final. There were contestants from Essex and as far away as Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire - such an enjoyable evening with very high standards of musicianship. The Lord Lieutenant of Essex and I presented trophies and certificates to the contestants. The winners were Ethan Ng (piano) and Libby Simmons (vocals) and runner up Sophia Assitzoglou (violin) - all from District 1240 (Chelmsford). Very well done to all contestants. The mayoralty hosted the Lord Lieutenant, High Sheriff of Essex, Dean of Chelmsford and others at Hylands Estate at a dinner for nominated volunteers representing so many organisations and charities who for the last two years, and some for much longer, have helped in the community. It was a pleasure to meet so many wonderful people freely giving up their time to help others. At the beginning of the community dinner I was pleased to present past mayor and mayoress badges to Cllr Bob Massey and Janice Cheese and the deputy mayor’s badge to Cllr Janette Potter and her escort Gillian Smith. The presentation should have taken place in May 2020, however that was not possible due to COVID-19. My thanks must also go to Mwaka who played harp, and the ladies group from the Chelmsford Morris Dancers who also gave their time for free to perform for our honoured guests. Their generosity was greatly enjoyed and appreciated by all.
The Deputy Mayor and her Consort Ian were delighted to attend the Chelmsford Muslim Iftar event (evening meal at sunset after the Muslim fast) where they were made very welcome. The children were very interested in the role of the mayoralty and local democracy.
I had the pleasure of opening the new Centre for Sport and Health at Writtle University College. A great new facility which will enhance new educational offers. It will be a benefit to students, staff, and the wider community by promoting health and well-being for all. I attended Essex Mind & Spirit Conference at Chelmsford Cathedral where Sue Bell, Director of Kids Inspire, spoke about the importance of ‘mind body connection’ and the issues around young people’s mental health and well-being. I dropped in to the SVP Springfield Furniture Project earlier today. It was lovely to hear from the volunteers about how they got involved and what they enjoyed most about volunteering. This is a very dedicated group of people doing some amazing work helping others, often at very short notice. They bake some mean sugar-free cakes too! I attended the Holocaust Memorial Day - Yom HaShoah in the Chelmsford City Council Chamber. The Lord Lieutenant of Essex and I were amongst those who lit 12 candles of remembrance. Members of the Chignal and Mashbury WI paid a visit to my parlour. We had a very relaxed afternoon with tea and cake before viewing the mayoral regalia and a Q&A session.
The mayoralty were at the Cramphorn Theatre to watch the matinee performance of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ performed by members of Young Gen. Within minutes we were captivated… it was very funny, had clever set changes, and the performance was very professional. Well done to everyone involved with the show. The annual Chelmsford Scouts Gang Show returned to the Civic Theatre. The Mayoress and I spent the evening being thoroughly entertained by the whole spectacular. There were songs galore, and dances and sketches. We loved the little ‘Riverdance’ piece… very funny. Well done to everyone involved. If you would like to invite the Mayor to an event, please email mayors.office@chelmsford.co.uk. Twitter: @ChelmsMayor Facebook: Mayor of Chelmsford Instagram: Chelmsford_mayor
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Can You Make a Difference in Your Community? Walk Leaders In summer 2022, Chelmsford CVS will be launching a Walking Festival to celebrate our district, it’s natural beauty and the people who call it home.
PR Officer - BASICS Essex Help raise the profile of our Emergency Medical Charity as we approach our 50th anniversary and support us in saving lives across Essex.
The walks will total 100 miles and range from 2-7 miles each. They will involve people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, and will tie in with a beautiful new art installation of 100 community-designed silk flags that represent Chelmsford. We need active people who love the outdoors and love chatting to people to join as a Walk Leaders and guide people along the routes. Training provided (31st May).
In 2023, BASICS Essex - the Essex emergency medical charity will have been supporting volunteer doctors and paramedics for 50 years across the county, providing advanced immediate care for those with life-threatening injuries or illnesses. The charity is activated by the ambulance service, and last year responded over 110 times.
Volunteer Office Administrator - Essex Respite and Care Association We are seeking committed and reliable administrators to help us in our Chelmsford office. If you are well organised, good with IT, have excellent attention to detail and enjoy being part of a team, then please do contact us. This is a great one if you’re looking to booster your CV or get office experience.
We are looking for someone who has previous experience in public relations and social media, is very flexible and able to work 3-7 hours a week. The role is working from home.
Trustees Needed - Multiple Local Charities Trustees play a crucial role in guiding charities, helping make plans and decisions and making sure they stay on track. It is a fantastic opportunity to make real difference to the organisation you volunteer for. You don’t need prior experience, just enthusiasm, dedication and good judgement.
Puppy and Dog Socialiser - Medical Detection Dogs We are at the forefront of the research into the fight against cancer and other life-threatening diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and bacterial infections. Our Bio Detection Dogs are trained to find the odour of those diseases in samples such as urine, breath and sweat. Our work has the potential to benefit millions. We are looking for committed volunteers to help care for and train our dogs/puppies. This role is hard work but incredibly rewarding.
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Trustee meetings are usually just 4 times a year, so this is a great role for people with busy lives who still want to help. Please email volunteer@chelmsfordcvs.org.uk, or call 01245 250 731 if you think you could help, or just want more information about volunteering.
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CT Therapy - Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Hi everyone, Jenny here! Is it just me or is the weather improving? Not that I want to jinx it, but it seems like we’re having warmer and sunnier days! This is perfect weather for us to work on our latest project at CTR - we’re building a therapy and mindfulness garden! This project will have lots of benefits but we hope to help the community, and our clients, twofold: 1.
2.
We will grow herbs and vegetables to give to the local community and clients of CTR. They will be completely free - just come and take what you need! Hold off for now though, we need to grow them first! We will provide a spot outside where you can sit and be mindful. This will have a water feature and raised beds around the seating area. The sound of the water will mask any conversation going on in any nearby rooms, so we are preserving confidentiality as well as providing a lovely place to sit.
We hope to have this space open by July, but I’ll keep you all posted. In addition to the mindful space, we are hoping to take on an extra space that will act as a garden where we have a greenhouse and we can grow more exotic fruit and veg. We also hope to turn this space into another therapy garden, a space where you can be surrounded by nature. In my mind I imagine a beautiful English garden, a place where as soon as you walk in to it, it feels like nature is giving you a big hug.
What colours are present? Are there many colours? What shades are there? What textures are present? What do you like about the things you are describing? Try to think of every angle possible for each animal/mineral/plant/vegetable/synthetic, etc - you choose. I’ll keep you all in the loop, but for now, if you need our help just contact us using the details below. Our lovely PA, Courtney, will be happy to help! We have many therapists at Chelmsford Therapy Rooms and no waiting lists, so if you need us please get in touch! Please see the website at www.chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or you can email info@chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or call 0330 100 5162 for further information on how we can help you. All information is kept strictly confidential. Jenny Hartill is a therapist and owner of Cloud9 Therapy and Chelmsford Therapy Rooms. She is a counsellor, hypnotherapist and mnemodynamic therapist and can help with a multitude of issues but her speciality is anxiety. She is currently seeing clients face-toface and via Zoom.
Chelmsford Library There is so much going on in Chelmsford Library over the next few months that there is bound to be something for everyone, whatever your age! We also work with partners to support particular needs. Menopause and HRT Talk: Talk given by Dr Caroline Marfleet, a Consultant in Reproductive and Sexual Health. Learn about menopause and HRT and have a chance to ask questions. Saturday 28th May, 10.30am-12 noon. Tickets cost £5. Booking required by emailing events.chelmsfordlibrary@essex.gov.uk. 1:1 Reading Support for Adults: Shannon Trust mentors will now be here on Fridays to offer confidential 1:1 sessions, and there are no tests, exams, assessments or classrooms to worry about. Every Friday, 9am-1pm.
If you have a place to sit, or you can visit somewhere like this, one of my favourite techniques to use when feeling anxious is the grounding technique. It works especially well when focussing on natural surroundings: Grounding Technique When you feel anxious, you can try to ground yourself using this technique. This is designed to remind your unconscious that the environment you are in is safe. The objective is to communicate to your mind that you really are ok, that everything around you is exactly as it should be and the situation is normal. It is also helps us to externalise rather than internalise, because focusing on the grounded and calm objects in the outside world can be a positive and constructive distraction rather than focusing on the internal anxiety and turmoil, because when we focus on something it gets bigger. Look around you. Focus on the objects, or the plants and flowers, that you see one at a time. Focus on things that are solid and still. Then remind yourself that you are with this object, the object is fine, it’s still, there’s nothing making the object move or fall over, and if the object happens to be a plant or a flower and a breeze makes it move that’s great - it’s what the breeze is supposed to do! The object is fine and therefore you are fine. Try to pick out specifics about the natural surroundings you’re looking at as this should help distract you from the anxiety and builds a better picture in your mind.
Essex Sight Drop-in Sessions: Essex Blind Charity volunteers run sessions to deliver a range of excellent support services to visually impaired people in Essex. Every first Friday of the month, 10am-1pm. Co-op Bereavement Support Group: An informal gathering of support for anyone needing some extra help, held by Co-op Funeral Directors. Every first Saturday of the month, 9am-11am. Essex Book Festival: Lots of events, including Family Fun Day on 18th June, Essex Authors’ Day, an audience with Patrick Gale, and more! Love Your Library Day: There will be activities for everyone to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and we continue to run our Baby and Toddler Rhymetimes, Work Club, Learn My Way computer course, Code Club, Family History group and more! Love Your Library Day is on Saturday 28th May. For more details on all our events and services and to book your places, visit our website at libraries.essex.gov.uk. You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter or by subscribing to our newsletter - all details on our website.
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Crafts - By Magali Ellis and Scrap-Circle Fashion comes and goes and sometimes the only thing needed in this multimedia-social network age is a celebrity endorsement. This is also true in the craft world. For example, you may remember Tom Daley knitting while waiting for his turn during the last Olympic Games. As a consequence, knitting is back in full swing after decades of being deemed old fashioned. It is so easy to get swayed by the latest fashion and get yourself into this craft or that craft, purchasing everything that there is to buy and then finding out the enthusiasm disappears when another fad comes in. It can be both discouraging and frustrating. Plus you are amassing a lot of stash. The thing is that there is too much choice in the craft world: paper craft, textile, wool, paint, drawing, jewellery, clay, journaling - and the
Letting Go
Animals like us face the flight-or-fight response. We as humans over the years have developed this response to a number of situations, and in some people like myself it can be triggered at random, which if you’re not sure how to deal with it can be very troubling indeed. Recently I read a fascinating journal on how the animal kingdom deals with stress. Imagine you’re a small animal and you’re being chased by a much larger predator - you know you’ll run out of energy soon, so what do you do? The animal’s instinct is to play dead. The animal has to shut itself down completely in order to fool its predator. When the predator leaves, suddenly the leftover residual energy from flight-or-fight is coursing through its veins, so what does it do with it? The animal shakes vigorously, letting all that pent up energy completely go and then it scampers off. Job done! No more residual tension left in the body because it simply let it all go via the vigorous shaking routine. In a Qigong session, one of the most used movements is where we shake up and down on the spot, firmly rooted to the ground. We loosen and then we shake.
In yoga we use ‘lion’s breath’ to fully release any pent up energy and to awaken our bodies and minds. So I have combined the two techniques. Standing feet shoulder width apart, feet connected firmly to the earth. Breathing in through the nose deeply, expanding the belly whilst shaking your body in whatever way feels good. With the outer breath we lower our jaw and stick out our tongue like a lion and we let out a huge sigh of relief... Or our Page 26
list goes on. It would be madness to think anyone could immerse themselves into all aspects of crafts. I know I have to be strict with myself and decide what I want to get into and what I don’t want. For example, although I am attracted to gems, I do not intend to get into jewellery making - but I would be happy to treat myself to a workshop or a jewellery day, just for the fun of it! At the moment, in the paper craft corner, the rage is polaroids, or ‘polas’. They are fun and easy to make, usually colourful and they are very difficult to resist! Why not try your hand out with our online Craft Together Time on Zoom? It takes place at the beginning of each month and the details are on the website. It’s free to attend, but you can get a mini kit if you want to do the same ‘polas’ as I do. The mini kits are cheap and will sent ahead of time so we can scrap altogether. More details are on the website at www.scrap-circle.co.uk, or you can contact me at info@scrap-circle.co.uk.
inner roar! I have decided to share this technique in the hope that it will help you as it has me. As always, love and blessings. Mini readings (3 card spread with healing £15 when you quote The City Times) - Call 07909 078 030 to book.
Jubilee’ve it? POWfest is now under way! Timed to coincide with the Platinum Jubilee and with contributions from three local educational institutions, Chelmsford Art Society and Chelmsford Camera Club, the Parish Centre and Church of the Holy Spirit (Forest Drive, Chelmsford, CM1 2TS) is showcasing more than 170 artworks from 27 local artists and photographers - on now and concluding Sunday 5th June. Themed around Truth and Beauty, the free to visit Parish of Widford Festival of Art (POWfest) is now in the midst of its four week festival, displaying family-friendly artwork from parishioners, young people, local artists and photographers - a perfect way to while away an hour and have a cuppa. Bring family and friends if you like, and if you’re tempted, many of the artworks are actually for sale, though naturally there’s no obligation! To celebrate the Queen’s achievements, we’re also including a Platinum Jubilee celebration display.
Open Weekdays and Saturdays in the mornings from 10am-midday and 3pm-5.30pm in the afternoons, Wednesday evenings from 7pm-9pm and Sunday afternoons from 2pm-4pm, there’s plenty of opportunity to enjoy what you see. To top it off, we have local artists in residence creating artworks with whom you can discuss how the magic happens all day on Saturday 28th May and 4th June, as well as other activities along the way. Check out the details at facebook.com/widfordparishchelmsford. See you there!
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The Moon Salutations - By Mandy Haynes As the summer solstice approaches (21st June) I would normally focus my attention on ‘saluting the sun’. Last year I wrote an article about how the summer solstice is honoured and detailed the sun salutations (Surya Namaskar), so this year I thought we could explore the sun salutations’ sister sequence of moon salutations (Chandra Namaskar). Although they are less well heard of, they complement the sun salutations perfectly and have their place in a well balanced yoga practice. To create equilibrium in our practice, and indeed in our lives, it is helpful to observe the power of opposites; yin and yang, contraction and expansion, effort and ease. Exploring and using the qualities and benefits on each side of the spectrum can help us find a balance between them. Sun salutations are said to be a yang practice - they are related to activity, heat and light and represent a masculine energy. Moon salutations are associated with a yin practice and feminine energy receptive, cooling and meditative. We need a balance of both yin and yang qualities in our lives, and in our yoga practice, so embracing both salutations is a good way to achieve this.
• • • • • •
• • •
As with sun salutations, moon salutations can be included as part of a longer class or used by themselves. The sequence focuses mainly on the lower body with no weight bearing on the arms. It stretches the spine, hamstrings and backs of legs as well as the side body, and strengthens the leg, back and stomach muscles.
•
Each movement of the moon salutations is linked with the breath which encourages slow, steady breathing. This strong connection with the breath together with channeling on the salutation’s lunar energy, which has relaxing, cooling and creative qualities, and the meditative movement of the poses helps to bring a sense of calm to the body and the mind.
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To practice this sequence, we use the long edge of the mat and move from side to side. •
Upward Salute: (Start at the right of your mat) Inhale - stretch arms forward and up, palms together.
• •
Standing Crescent: Exhale - side stretch to the right. Inhale - to the centre. Exhale - side stretch to the left. Inhale - to the centre. Goddess: Exhale - step feet apart, heels in, toes out. Soften the knees and squat, drawing the knees to the little toe side, back straight. Arms bend at the elbow, palms face forward. Triangle: Inhale - turn feet to the right, arms outstretched. Exhale - reach long over the right leg, lower right hand and reach left hand to the sky. Inhale. Pyramid: Exhale - hands frame the right foot, rotate back foot further and square the hips to fold over right (straight) leg. Low lunge: Inhale - step the left foot back and lower the knee, bend into the right knee. Side lunge: Exhale - bring both hands inside right good and turn to the long edge of the mat. Left leg is extended and toes point to the sky. Inhale - move through the centre of the mat. (At this point we turn towards the left leg and rewind the poses). Side lunge: Exhale - bend into the left knee, straighten the right leg and toes to the sky. Low lunge: Inhale - lunge over left foot, hands frame the foot, bring the right knee down. Pyramid: Exhale - step the right foot in a little, straighten the left leg and fold. Triangle: Inhale - adjust right foot and extend the right arms upwards. Exhale. Goddess: Inhale - Lift through the upper body to stand, heels in, toes out. Exhale and bend the knees into Goddess squat. Upward Salute: Inhale - step right foot to join left at the left side of the mat, reach arms up palms together. Standing Crescent: Exhale - side stretch to the left. Inhale - to the centre, Exhale - side stretch to the right. Inhale - to the centre. Exhale - palms to the heart.
You can practice a few rounds in the morning for a soothing way to start the day, or in the evening to restore balance and peace throughout your body and mind. If you would like to be guided in your practice, you can join me at Hummingbird Pilates & Yoga in Writtle.
Tales From the Circle - By Sylvia Kent
As the covid problems seem to be settling down, many Essex clubs and societies are looking upward and restarting their regular meetings. This has been the case with Brentwood Writers’ Circle which was founded in 1941. Although we were unable to celebrate our 80th birthday last year, this month we were able to gather happily at Bardswell Social Club on May 7th. Among our members, many of whom live in various parts of Essex and who enjoy the craft of writing, is Anita Marie Sackett. She has lived in Chelmsford for over 50 years, teaching locally in private and state schools and also in New Zealand and Jamaica.
Poetry is one of Anita’s favourite genres. Many of her excellent poems have been included within anthologies published by Macmillan, Methuen, Bodley Head, Scholastic, Belair- Folens and others. Her pupils have been successful in national poetry competitions and their work has been displayed in the Poetry Library in the Royal Festival Hall in London. For more than 10 years she organised The Essex Poetry Competition for Young Poets with the help of Southend Poetry Society. Anita has successfully published two books - The Street to Mango Moon is a poetry anthology about her life in Northamptonshire (her home county) to Jamaica in the ‘70s. Her latest excellent book is entitled That’s How it Used To Be and is mainly written in prose with some poetry about life in Britain during the 1940s to the ‘60s. This nostalgic book has proved to be very popular in care
homes, Alzheimers’ groups, WIs, history societies, Rotary and other organisations. Anita gives PowerPoint presentations, talks and readings on other subjects such as Christmas, travel, and the world of children’s poetry from nursery rhymes, AA Milne, Robert L Stevenson, to the poets of today and also those from the Caribbean. She is a member of the Society of Women Writers and Journalists (SWWJ), Brentwood Writers Circle, Chelmsford U3A, Chignalls and Mashbury WI and Maldon’s Writing for Pleasure Group. Anita has been a speaker on the Ventura (P&0), the Olsen Line, Saga and Cruise Maritime. Enquiries: miknitahow@ blueyonder.co.uk. Do take a peek at our own website at brentwoodwriterscircle.com, or email kentsylvia5@gmail. com for more details.
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Quiz Time - By John Theedom
1. 2. 3. 4 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
Which area of footwear is known as the vamp? What, who or where is a penumbra? Which word connects the navy and wrestling? What type of animal is an oribi? What is another word for vagary? Of which country is Bucharest the capital? Where was Paul O’Grady born? What does the word TARDIS stand for? What was the footballer Sir Stanley Matthew’s nickname? What was The Beatles’ first US no 1 hit record? Name a mammal that cannot jump? Which sport does the female Emma Raducanu excel at? What is a corncockle? Which ship sent the very first SOS signal? What does the word utopia mean? When is St Crispin’s Day? Which Olympic sport needs a planting box? How many inches wide should a wicket be? Where is Transylvania? What’s the American term for a car exhaust silencer?
21. What is Snoopy’s brother’s name? 22. Where on your body are there rods and cones? 23. Cynophobia is a fear of what? 24. Hispy and quickstep are varieties of what? 25. In Monopoly, how much is the speeding fine? 26. What is the name for a baby kangaroo? 27. Which ABBA album has a French title? 28. What is numismatics? 29. A batavia is a variety of what? 30. What is Whoopi Goldberg’s real name? 31. Who was Lady Creighton-Ward? 32. What is the capital of Ukraine? 33. What is the last word of Rule Britannia? 34. Which animal can be described as vulpine? 35. A papillon is a type of what? 36. What do the initials DPP stand for? 37. What is Margarete Steiff famous for? 38. If A is Alpha and B is Bravo, what is R? 39. What colour were Victorian photographs? 40. How many degrees are there in a semi-circle?
(Answers on page 31)
RAFA Chelmsford Saturday coffee morning and Friday morning chair yoga continues to be well supported. Unfortunately, spasmodic covid outbreaks have forced us to cancel or postpone planned visits and events, most of which we will schedule for later this year. However, we are still hosting the National Service Page 28
(RAF) Association meetings in the Branch Club every two months. We are of course planning for our contribution to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations on 19th June which will include an Open Day at the club for local servicemen and women to see what we get up to. We are also looking ahead to working with our cadets for 2022 Wings Week in September.
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Stargazing With Mark Willis - May/June
Books for the holidays: ‘Are you still reading that book?’ asks your partner. I can only deduce then, that your partner is in awe of your scholarly pursuit of astronomy..! If you fancy some great astronomy holiday reading, then here’s a great book about Mars: 4th Rock From The Sun, The Story Of Mars by Nikki Jenner - highly recommended.
21st June: Summer Solstice. The longest day. Ironically, it is in early January that Earth reaches its closest position to the sun. Astronomers call this point perihelion, and at this time Earth is about 91.4 million miles (147.1 million km) away from the sun, according to NASA. It seems ironic that on 4th July Earth reaches its farthest distance, 94,509,598 miles (152,098,455 km) from the sun, which is called aphelion. 29th June: Early morning 4am. Looking east-south-east, Mars passes just below Jupiter. The planets look almost merged. Longer days, shorter nights appear to limit astronomical
opportunities. However, solar observing events can be very rewarding. In May 2016, I was able to observe the tiny planet Mercury, in transit, taking about 5 hours to cross in front of the Sun. At other times, you can see sunspots on the surface of the sun. Warning! Do not look at the Sun either directly and through standard telescopes or binoculars! That also includes viewfinders too! Amateur astro societies often hold solar observing events where you can safely observe the sun. New Moon: On 30th May and 29th June there will be a new Moon. This means the skies will be extra dark which is a great opportunity to see planets, galaxies and deep space objects. As usual, email me with any questions. www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com mark.willis@chelmsfordcommunityradio.com Twitter: @WillisWireless
Wildlife Corner - By Nick Green April in Essex received just some 30% of expected rainfall and farmers were very concerned for their crops. The blocking high/ anticyclone produced cold NE winds off Scandinavia which were not favourable for insectivorous species, particularly migrants like swallows and martins.
The orange-tip is common and widely distributed butterfly. The first male of the spring is always a very welcome sight. In the countryside, the species occupies lanes, edges of woods and also gardens. The female lacks the orange tips to the fore wings and is often confused with small or green-veined whites. However, both sexes share the characteristic green mottled side to the underside of the hindwings.
plus common migrants. Wallasea Island RSPB: spoonbill, hen harrier. Lower Ray Pits EWT: 3 tundra bean geese. Rainham Marshes RSPB: white stork, cattle egret, Temminck’s stint, Caspian gull, ring ouzel. Nationally, the Major Rarities Included Yorkshire: the long-staying black-browed albatross at Bempton Cliffs RSPB and belted kingfisher in Lancashire (to 19th). Aberdeenshire: pallid harrier. Isles of Scilly: crag martin. Orkney: snowy owl.
Only one brood is produced with the males emerging a week before the females. The orange-tip is on the wing usually from April until early July, though northern populations emerge later. Eggs are laid singly on plants such as cuckooflower, garlic mustard and other crucifers and turn bright orange after a few days. They hatch after a week and the caterpillar stage lasts some 25 days. The chrysalis is formed amongst vegetation to survive some 10-11 months.
Orange-tip male (copyright: Glyn Evans) Selected April Highlights Butterflies included orange-tip, brimstone, peacock, small tortoiseshell, speckled wood, slall and green-veined whites. Abberton Reservoir EWT: lesser scaup, black kite, various red kites Page 30
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