The City Times - May/June 2019

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Saturday 6 july 2019

Hylands Park, Chelmsford

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Issue Number 68 May 16th - June 13th 2019

Regal Kitchens Hold Special Open Day to Celebrate 10 Years in Business!

The family run business invited customers old and new as well as the general public to visit its Chelmsford showroom at 2 Navigation Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 6HX between 10am and 4pm on Saturday March 23rd for a cooking demonstration day to mark their 10th anniversary.

Every attendee also left with a goody bag containing kitchen related items and everyone was entered into a free prize draw during the afternoon.

Regal Kitchens is the only independent kitchen company in Essex to have been awarded the prestigious FIRA (Furniture Industry Research Association) Gold Certification for excellence in installation.

The company was also delighted to be accredited with the KBSA as a fully fledged member and has demonstrated its commitment to quality by receiving the coveted Which?

Trusted Trader endorsement. Regal prides itself on its ability to beat any price you might receive from anywhere else for the same level of quality, service and customer guarantees.

Regal Kitchens’ latest achievements reflect its commitment to living up to the company’s ethos - Where Client is King.

During the special event, customers experienced the latest Neff appliances in action and were able to sample some amazing food prepared by official Neff demonstrator Adrienne Cleasby. The event was a huge success and Regal welcomed over 70 people through the doors throughout the day.

The showroom in Navigation Road is open 10am - 4pm, 7 days per week. www.regalkitchens.co.uk

CT Welcome Hello readers,

Welcome to the May/June edition.

We are very sad to say that our food writer John is leaving us after 6 years of writing (page 10). So if you think you could step into his foody shoes and write about the subject of ‘food’ and reach the high standards he has set, please let us know by emailing paul@ itsyourmedia.co.uk.

Please also remember to tell our advertisers that you saw them in this magazine.

Enjoy your month!

Regards Nick & Paul

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Page 3

CT Fashion - Take off on Holiday in Style - Perfect Capsule Wardrobe

and what do you really need?

So you’ve booked your holiday, you’ve prepped the bikini body (remember ladies, if you have a body, and you put it in a bikini, it’s a ‘bikini body’ so eat some ice cream and celebrate) and you’ve got a minimal amount of cash to splash on a few necessary holiday bits. But there’s always a problem isn’t there? What to pack,

Well, the answer my friends is this: you need the perfect holiday capsule wardrobe. 10kg hand luggage? No problem.

Sharing a suitcase with your kids, your husband and your second cousin twice removed?

No problem. Only got a backpack to your name? I salute you, and absolutely no problem. I’ve rounded up a list of the best and most useful pieces to buy within your pre-holiday budget.

1. The Comfy Sandal: There is literally nothing worse than being miles away from home with sore feet (or worse, a twisted ankle) because the heels you brought with you would give the Burj Khalifa a run for its money. Now, listen: sensible and comfy doesn’t have to mean ugly, friend. The comfy mule is still in this summer - the perfect flip flop hybrid for donning en route to the beach. A pair of Birkenstocks will get you through the next few summers to come, and if you’re feeling a bit more robust, Dr Martens have some amazing slider sandals. If you’re walking a bit further, try a flat pair of gladiator sandals - flat and fashionable, win win. If flat shoes isn’t in your vocabulary, you could also go for super comfy flatforms - see Topshop and Office for some cool pairs. The block heel is also in this season if you fancy something new. Think chunky and 90s-esque with buckles if you fancy really strutting your stuff.

2. The Flattering Swimsuit: I can feel you recoiling here. I know, swimsuit shopping is not for the fainthearted, but it can definitely be made easier with a few foolproof tips. If you’re just bringing one swimsuit (which if you’re following the capsule wardrobe idea, then you probably should be) make sure you feel good in it. Should be easy, right? Go for a cut that suits you and select a colour that makes you feel happy. It’s a personal thing. If you need more guidance than that, opt for the classic black swimsuit with a halter neck - elegant and simple. Personally, I am loving the palm print one pieces, especially in F&F at Tesco and Debenhams.

3. The Longline Jacket: Think light and in a sensible colour. By sensible I mean a colour that will match the majority of your wardrobe - I’ve got a great one from Primark that’s a beautiful mink colour, but black, navy and tan are just as good. Just make an informed decision about what suits the majority of your outfits. You’ll need it to be heavy enough to layer for cooler evenings and light enough to wear when you’re out and about during the day. You can pick the longline jacket up from most high street stores this spring/summer, but the best ones (in my opinion) can be found in Topshop and River Island.

4. The Multipurpose Scarf: Every savvy capsule wardrobe

connoisseur takes a scarf on holiday. Choose a design that matches the majority of your capsule wardrobe - a vibrant print, or a simple one with soft hues - and wear it according to your itinerary. Let me explain: Going out for drinks of an evening? Wrap your scarf around your neck under your longline jacket. Sightseeing in the daytime? Use your scarf, which is now a wrap, as a cover for your shoulders or for your lap if you’re having drinks. Not sure if you’ll need the extra warmth your scarf brings? Tie it to your bag as a cute accessory to be worn when you need it. If you’re feeling brave, wear it wrapped around your hairline as a snazzy headpiece. All you need is imagination, my friends. Either way, the scarf is your capsule wardrobe staple.

5. A Dress for All Occasions: These are tricky to come by, but so worth it when you get the right one. The dress for every eventuality. The dress that says, ‘yes, I am wearable all day, but if you fancy that extra glass of wine - or two, and oops now you’re having dinner and… it’s 1am, I’m still completely suitable’.

What would a dress like this look like? Well, it would be a floaty, midi length, and as this season knows, it would have a nipped in waist. It could have a print, such as dots or floral, but it would definitely have a V or button up neckline. You can find a dress like this in New Look or Warehouse.

6. The Beach-Ready Bag: Not sure what you’re doing for the entirety of the day? You’ll need something to carry that’s perfectly sized and functional enough to carry around with you from beach to bar. There’s nothing better than the oversized tote for this. Look for styles with a large, comfortable strap and a fun print. This season’s go-to prints would be palm tree or metallic styles - Mango and F&F at Tesco have some wonderful offerings.

Don’t forget to pack your sunnies, eReader and SPF and you’re ready to set off.

Rebecca Forde is a writer with a penchant for fashion, great literature and drinking a lot of coffee. You can contact her by emailing rebeccaforde@hotmail.co.uk. © All Images: Tesco

Page 4

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Life Arts Wellbeing Festival Comes To Chelmsford City Racecourse 15-16 June (10am-5pm)

Yoga, live music, NHS health checks, pain relief workshops, mindfulness, meditation and more will be on offer at the Life Arts Wellbeing Festival at Chelmsford City Racecourse on 15th - 16th June 2019.

Tickets for this prestigious event, billed as ‘the largest wellbeing festival in East Anglia’ are already on sale. Once inside, the festival visitors will be treated to a wide range of free activities to help boost their wellbeing. The Life Arts Wellbeing Festival will also be raising much needed funds for the Helen Rollason Cancer Charity.

rave! There will also be a Buddha Cave for meditation guidance classes, plus a relaxing chillout space to give visitors the chance to reflect and relax to gentle background music and healing from Buddhist monks.

The festival will also feature over 120 stands, allowing visitors to find out more about a wide range of holistic therapies offering taster treatments, life coaching, feng shui and cutting edge health products including whole plant CBD. The charity Kids Inspire will also be on hand to discuss their therapeutic group workshops for young people.

Tickets for the event are £5 for adults with £4 concessions, £4 for all employees of the NHS and carers of visitors with a disability and under 16s get in free. A fast track ticket is also available (to ensure you jump the entrance queues) for £6. To snap up your tickets and to discover more about the Life Arts Wellbeing Festival, visit www. lifearts.co.uk. *A small admission fee to enter the animal encounters area will be charged.

Organising the event is the festival’s founder, Chris Cozens, he’s excited about what’s in store for 2019: “This year we’ve developed our annual Life Arts event and made it bigger and better than ever before. We’re excited about the festival’s new emphasis on wellbeing, and we’re launching a new yoga studio, and we also have some of the most engaging speakers joining our event. Plus we have over 120 stands for visitors to enjoy.”

He continued: “We’ve tried to think of everyone and this year we’ve created a series of family fun events including, face painting, story time yoga, and animal encounters with Creature Features*. We’re also delighted to welcome a 150-strong Essex rock choir, plus there’s a wide range of nutritious food and drinks on offer from vegan ice creams to healthy snacks and a barbecue.”

Experts from a wide range of spheres will run a series of workshops, including TV presenter, author and superfood chef, Juliette Bryant, who will demonstrate how to cook healthy food on a budget. Top chiropractor Alex Cover will talk about how to let go of pain by releasing blocked energies, and will also be offering free spinal checks. There’s also workshops from mystic Flavia Kate Peters, and shaman Barbara Meiklejohn-Free, to discover how you can face your fears and rid your life of phobias and anxiety.

New wellness zones have been created for the Life Arts Wellbeing Festival including a yoga studio where festival goers will be able to enjoy yoga for pain and stress management, restorative yoga, pilates, hatha yoga, chair yoga, gong bath, drum circle, yoga flow and a family

Music and Ramblings - by Nick Garner

Chelmsford Art’s and Cultural Festival As we are in the midst of ongoing meetings we have nothing much to update you on this month, but there is some good news in that we are starting to get some funding confirmed already for 2020. We are as always still looking for volunteers to help us deliver the most spectacular festival in 2020 - all the contact details are below.

Music and Ramblings The UB at the this year’s Panic Awards won the best live venue in Essex which is great, as the whole team have made such good effort to bring you some of the best live events with the friendliest and warmest of welcomes by the staff. I am proud that Scott has allowed me to be part of it.

There has been quite a lot going on over the last month. Firstly I have some very sad news; my very good friend Vicky Martin of the Delta Ladies sadly passed away after they, along with Jamie Williams and the Roots Collective, played a double headline show at the Slaughtered Lamb in Clerkenwell in London. We were on last and Vicky and Di stayed to watch us. We were all laughing and joking as we had both played fantastic shows which were also filmed. Afterwards as we were all loading out, Vicky was by their car and collapsed. The paramedics and venue staff were all amazing and they tried for almost two hours to bring her back but were unable to - her death was confirmed at the hospital. The Delta Ladies will continue, as Di knew that was Vicky’s wish. The project we were working on, Black Frog, will also continue. The Delta Ladies will be playing at the UB on 22nd June.

Easter was a busy time with lots of great live music going on at the UB, we started on the Thursday with Fran McGillivray band then on Good Friday the return of Big Joe Bone. On Saturday it was Lexie Green and on Easter Sunday Playing for Keeps performed outside in the garden. They were perfect, with piano and vocals. We rounded off on the Monday with the return of One Tree Hillbillies with Hippy Joe back from touring with Hayseed Dixie. All the acts were excellent.

There is lots coming up. On Saturday 18th May at the UB we have a special with the Ouse Valley Singles Club playing. When they played at The Fling a few years ago they were one the best acts of the festival.

On Sunday 19th May Connor Selby will play a solo set. For those of you who have not heard yet, Connor and his band (which includes Joe Anderton) are opening for The Who at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 6th July along with Imelda May, the Kaiser Chiefs and Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam). The manager of The Who saw Connor and his band playing in London and approached Connor after the show. At first Connor thought he was joking - he wasn’t, and they now have an hour long slot to play. I know I will be there, will you? Connor is also playing his warm up show with his band at the UB on Friday 28th June.

Also coming up at the UB is a new guy for us, Gary Hall on Saturday 25th May. Gary is being raved about in the Americana world and certainly from what we have seen and heard we can understand why.

The second May Bank Holiday (31st) sees Dave Sharp from The Alarm return - we can always expect a great show from this man. Remember too that on the second Wednesday of each month we have Joe Anderton’s open mic night - so far, all have been pretty amazing.

There is so much more going on all over - just check the listings in this magazine to see what/who is on, where and when.

Chelmsford City Football Club has some great shows coming up. As this edition hits the streets, Albert Lee is due to play on Thursday 16th May. Robbie Gladwell may be a name you recognise, as he plays with Steve Harley and has also played with Suzi Quatro and many other greats - a classic ‘sideman’. Robbie has put together a band featuring some great players who have, between them all, played with many of the biggest bands and acts in the world, like The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, BB King, Tom Jones, The Zombies and many more. This is truly a band that should not be missed on Friday 14th June. The fabulous Lexie Green will be opening on the night - surely it will be another great night - see the advert in this magazine for full details.

On Friday 12th July, we have Des Horsfall’s Kuschty Rye. Des loved Ronnie Lane (Small Faces, Faces and Slim Chance) and Ronnie was the man who wrote most of the music as well. Des has played with most of the guys from Slim Chance (including Benny Gallagher) and he has formed his own band. They now cover some of Ronnie’s greatest songs as well as playing a lot of really good original music.

This band is in the style of Slim Chance. Rich Young will be opening the night for them.

After that show we take a little break as we are very busy with some other projects, but we return with a bang with the great seventies band Kokomo on Friday 18th October. This band still have eight of the original ten members in the line-up, so if you like soul and funk you will adore them. We will make sure that there is a lot space clear for people to dance! Felix Rabin, who played and wowed the audience at Skegness Rock and Blues Festival and has also played at the UB, will open the night.

In November we’ve two shows for you with acts from the Black Frog stable. First up on Thursday 7th November is Frankie Miller’s old band FullHouse featuring original members including founder member and good friend of Frankie, Ray Minhinnett. With Frankie no longer able to perform, the band found Gregor McGregor who is the closest to Frankie’s voice that you will ever hear - and he has Frankie’s full backing. Opening the night are the one and only SharpeeZ. On Sunday 17th November we are having a Black Frog fest day and a tribute to the late Vicky Martin. This will include the rest of the stable (except for Connor Selby who is unable to make it sadly). We have The Delta Ladies, Roy Mette, The Buzniks (John Bentley, Squeeze’s bass player), Robbie McIntosh (guitarist to the stars), Gregg Sutton (Bob Dylan’s bassist in the 80s and hit songwriter for Joe Cocker, Sam Brown and many others) plus Jamie Williams and the Roots Collective. The final show of 2019 is on Friday 6th December when we welcome back Los Pacaminos featuring Paul Young. With the Ugly Guys opening, it is destined to be another great and fun night.

As ever, please do try to come out and support the great live scene that we have in Essex because if you do not, we may lose it. For more information on all of the above and more, see the links below and go to our What’s On pages to see what else is happening in your area.

Check the Internet too to see what’s on locally - Facebook is always good as is Twitter as well as your local papers and community boards.

Please check out the links below and please ‘like’ our pages on social media and help us by inviting your friends to ‘like’ our pages as well.

Chelmsford Arts and Cultural Festival: hello@chelmsfordfestival.org www.chelmsfordfestival.org Online festival programme: www.issuu.com/chelmsfordfestival www.facebook.com/chelmsfordfestival Twitter: @chelmsfordaacf www.bluesinthecity.co.uk www.facebook.com/bluesinthecitychelmsford Twitter: @BluesintheCity1 www.itsyourmusic.co.uk www.facebook.com/itsyourmusic Twitter: @itsyourmusic

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CT Gardening - by Tom Cole

Now it’s raining... at last..!

In between the showers and intermittent sunshine, the beds and borders are burgeoning with leaf and blooms about to burst forth.

With this in mind, it’s a busy month to try and keep all your garden areas fit for purpose. Where you have gaps, it could be time to pop out your bedding - just be prepared for drops in temperature.

Tips for May • Continue to plant potatoes, but take care of any early plants showing leaves when the weather can be suddenly warm one moment and be cold the next. With the latter, earth up over the crown to protect leafy tips from being burnt or pop horticultural fleece over plants.

• Continue to weed beds and borders.

Manually remove annuals by digging out,

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burying or using a Dutch hoe to sever tops from roots. Dig out all perennial weeds in borders and/ or use a gel based weed killer and always follow manufacturers guidelines. Don’t forget to then use well rotted organic matter, such as leaf mould or garden compost, as a cover (mulch) to a depth of 15cm (6”). This will keep moisture in when sunny and help reduce weeds.

Remove any winter protection from greenhouses, such as bubble polythene, and ensure glass is clean and clear to maximise light transmission and promote good even growth. Ensure vents are fully working and open doors to reduce excess humidity. This has the benefit of hopefully reducing botrytis (grey mould).

Mow your lawns regularly removing any clippings as you go to reduce thatch build up. Keep weeds down by using selective herbicides, but take care as these should be applied 3-4 days either side of mowings for the best results and avoiding any chance of killing grasses or burning.

I’m also eager to mow a few low hedges, however, take care where nesting birds may be present. If they are, just leave until later in the month. If you able to cut the likes of box hedging, do so when dry as this can reduce the potential for box blight.

Lastly, if you want to further your knowledge and understanding of these or other gardening jobs, please do consider one of the following courses at Writtle University College: For RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture (1 year, day release on Thursdays), RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Plant Growth, Propagation & Development (September - February on Thursdays), RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Garden Planning, Establishment and Maintenance and for RHS Level 2 and 3 Certificates in Practical Horticulture, email tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk for information on availability of days and times.

If you’ve got more time. we also offer full time Level 2 & 3 programmes and apprenticeship schemes. New for this September we’ll be offering part-time garden design programmes. Contact ben. wincott@writtle.ac.uk for more information.

20% Discount when you mention The City Times

If you’d like a shorter programme, for say 1 or 2 days, then give our Short Courses a call. We’ve got courses on construction (erecting fences, paving and brickwork), general garden tasks such as pruning, propagation, container gardening, successful care of lawns and growing fruit and veg. For the professional, a whole load of competence based certificates covering arboriculture, pesticide application and use of various machinery and equipment.

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

Page 8 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

Danbury Open Gardens What a day we had in June last year! Over 20 gardens in Danbury and Little Baddow opened their gates and welcomed hundreds of green fingered enthusiasts to explore their gardens.

Over £10,000 was raised on just the one day for Farleigh Hospice, and we hope to beat that figure this year with your help.

2019 is the 20 year of Open Gardens, and we have many new gardens signed up to take part. This year’s event will take place on Sunday 9th June. It is not only a lovely day out for the whole family, but it can also be a very helpful day! Why? Well, if you are having trouble getting inspiration for a specific part of your garden or you want to redesign your garden completely but don’t know where to start, then what better way than having a look at over 20 other gardens! Our garden owners will be happy to talk about their lawns, lakes and lavender and hopefully their beautiful gardens will give you lots of ideas. Many of the gardens also have plants for sale on the day. th

Even if you don’t think gardens are your thing, I’m sure we can interest you in homemade lunches, afternoon teas, Pimms and real ale, a miniature railway - and much more for the whole family.

There is a free hop-on/hop-off bus service linking all the gardens, so all you have to do is park your car in one of the local car parks and let the bus take you on a tour.

For tickets and more information go to www. danburyopengardens.co.uk. Put it in your diary - Sunday 9th June.

See you there!

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CT Food: Last Time - by John Jacobs

going on one.

I pigged out on the chocolate eggs. Far too many. I can’t be sure how many I ate but somewhere there’s a cocoa shortage and this has coincided with the freak occurrence of all my shirts shrinking. I’ve tried convincing my fellow employees that a move to the Steve Job’s style black polo neck is ‘in’ but they opine that I’m just fat. I concede. I’m considering a number of dietary options... including

Whilst mulling the big bang expansion of my waistline from the singularity that was my BMI, I thought I’d check in on our friends at Trip Advisor. The Chelmsford restaurant scene fluctuates almost as much as my collar size. One day your favourite restaurant is here, tomorrow it’s a shop that sells fake Apple watches, fluffy table ornaments that look like road kill and fix broken phone screens on the side. That’s if you’re lucky. There’s always a good chance it’ll reopen as an Italian restaurant, bringing the city’s tally to 307.

I do however sense a change in the wind. The entire city is under new management, namely Liberal Democratic administration. It used to be the case that if you knew the name of your Lib Dem councillor, chances are you were the Lib Dem councillor. Now they’re everywhere, and good luck you plucky politicos. Please note, this magazine is entirely apolitical. As am I. I think of myself as an ecumenical apathist. Back to the feature, Trip Advisor. Last year we tracked the top ten restaurants which were largely static for the whole of 2018. Today, eight of those ten are new entries including a brand new number one. I feel like Gary Davis. Yes, I’m old. Also, I’ve realised I don’t recognise half of them. That’s bad for the food writer right? Vita Bella is still top of the list, but there are a raft (probably not the collective noun) of newbies. Moto Pizza on Baddow Road is in at number three and sporting an impressive looking wood fired pizza oven cooking fresh, handmade food to much acclaim. The Windmill (Chatham Green in Little Waltham) is a beautiful looking restaurant

serving modern British and European food. This is the kind of well presented, well prepared and well made food I’ve grown to love in the last few years. With the sheer volume of reviews, the fact the Windmill has no poor ratings is exceptional in itself. I’m reliably informed it’s a great venue for birthdays and with mine coming up, I think I may well take a peek.

My favourite of the bunch is Shwings. Firstly, five stars for the name.

It calls its menu ‘street food’. I went to a Wing Shack in New Jersey some years ago and this is as close to that bit of heaven I’ve ever experienced. Amazing food, amazing value and something a little different - wings done better than I’ve tasted in years.

So, there are my recommendations to be chomping on with to afford you an opportunity to join me at Slimming World. They are also my final recommendations for this, my august publication. I’ve been writing for the fantastic City Times for six years and it has been a privilege to do so. I’ve enjoyed your emails, your reviews, your menus and even the complaints I received after describing eating at one restaurant as akin to a rectal exam (I did apologise). I’m proud of every word and extraordinarily grateful to Nick and Paul for letting me rant, rave, muse and eulogize in their trusted tome for this city that I made home.

Thank you everyone. Bon appétit.

That is all.

John Editor Note: We would like to thank John for writing for us for the last 6 years, in fact since issue number 1!

If you would like to write our food/cooking column going forward, please email paul@itsyourmedia.co.uk. You may want to write about baking or cooking recipes, or about restaurants and food in general as John has done.

Essex’s First Green Festival Essex’s very first green festival is coming to Cressing Temple Barns this June. With something for everyone from budding young environmentalists to parents and grandparents, Planet Essex will be a celebration of everything environmentally friendly, sustainable and local.

Since Sir David Attenborough and the Blue Planet team showcased the effects single-use plastic was having on our oceans last year, environmental concerns have been hitting the headlines with increasing frequency, with young people growing ever more passionate about their planet.

Now, Planet Essex aims to help all Essex residents and their friends and families to celebrate their environment. This family friendly one-day festival will feature a huge range of activities, local food and drink producers, stalls, crafts and outdoor cinema - with everything included in the entry price.

wide variety of stalls will be selling environmentally friendly products, and a designated kids’ area will be a hive of activity throughout the day with a range of outdoor activities and crafts, plus the outdoor cinema screen!

Planet Essex is at Cressing Temple Barns on Saturday 22nd June.

10am-4pm.

Advance online tickets are priced at: Adult £10, Child £5 and under 3s go free.

Find out more and book: visitparks.co.uk/events.

Visitors are invited to bring broken small appliances along to the Repair Café to fix on the day. Plus, The London Junk Orchestra will be helping children to transform rubbish into instruments and coordinate a performance during the day for them to play their new creations.

Many charities will be attending, including the British Heart Foundation (with a range of second-hand furniture for sale), Essex Wildlife Trust, Hamilton’s Hens, and the RSPCA who will be bringing along some rescue dogs.

Delicious bites will be available to eat from local food vendors and a

ge 10 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk

MONDAYS Millennium Community Centre, Recreation Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow CM2 9RL 9:00am, 11:00am,1:00pm, 5:00pm & 7:00pm Lucy 07801 433626

WEDNESDAYS Springfield Park Baptist Church, Springfield Park Road, Springfield CM2 6EB 5.30pm and 7:30pm Elise 07979 816486

Springfield Bees Preschool, Perryfields School, Lawn Lane, CM1 7PP 7P 5:00pm and 7:00pm Angie 07814 992628

St Michael's Church of England, Junior School, Barnard Road, Galleywood CM2 8RR 7:30pm Lena 07939 675034

Hatfield Peverel Infant School, Church Road, Hatfield Peverel CM3 2RP 5:30pm and 7:30pm Marie 07988 426728

THURSDAY Millennium Community Centre, Recreation Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow CM2 9RL 9:30am Samantha 01245 266442　 266442

TUESDAYS TUESD Broomfield Village Hall, 158 Main Road (behind Angel Pub), Broomfield CM1 7AH 3:00pm, 5:00pm and 7:00pm Victoria 07823 441198

North Springfield Baptist Church, Havengore, off Pump Lane, Springfield CM1 6JP 5:30pm and 7:30pm Victoria 07823 441198

Millennium Community Centre, Recreation Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow CM2 9RL 3:30pm, 5:30pm & 7:30pm Samantha 01245 266442

Newlands Spring Community Hall, Dickens Place, Chelmsford CM1 4UU 5:30pm and 7:30pm Jennifer 07792 516866

WEDNESDAYS Church Of St Augustine Of Canterbury, St Augustines Way, Springfield CM1 6GQ 9:30am and 11:30am Emma 07887 692906

Moulsham High School, Brian Close, Chelmsford CM2 9ES 5:30pm and 7:30pm Marie 07988 426728

Writtle Community Association, Longmeads House, 12-14 Redwood Drive, Writtle CM1 3LY 3:00pm, 5:00pm and 7:00pm Jennifer 07792 516866

FRIDAY The Church Of Ascension, Maltese Road, Chelmsford CM1 2PB 9:15am and 11:15am Samantha 01245 266442

Life Church, Hall Street, off Moulsham Street, Chelmsford CM2 0HG 5:30pm and 7:30pm Angie 07814 992628

Fit n Fab Studio, Village Square (Near Asda), Chelmer Village CM2 6RF 5.30pm Emma 07887 692906

Boreham Village Hall, Main Road, Boreham CM3 3JD 5:30pm and 7:30pm Marie 07988 426728

SATURDAY Springfield Park Baptist Church, Springfield Park Road, Springfield CM2 6EB 8:30am and 10:30am Emma 07887 692906

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 11

What’s on in the Area

May Friday 17th Bassment - Come As You Are: Alternative Party Cathedral - The Gin & Rum Festival Civic - Oliver! (Trinity Methodist music and drama) Cramphorn - The Royal Ballet Mixed Triple Bill (pre-recorded from The Royal Opera House) The Golden Fleece - The Strapless Hideaways - Tribute to The Jam + The Regents Star & Garter - The Strides Two Brewers - Shakster Records 12th Anniversary: Skafonics + The March Fleet + Stealing Signs + Magic Seas United Brethren - Emjay Sessions: Morrissey & Marshall + The Family Dog + Tom McQ Writtle University College - Design Degree Show 2019 Saturday 18th Bassment - Shakey’s Sessions: Play at Fling Festival Competition - Palomino Kings + Palps + Slumber + The Vision + Third Dart (special guest act: Roisin O’Hagan) Civic - Oliver! (Trinity Methodist music and drama) Galleywood Heritage Centre - Essex Society For Family History meeting The Golden Fleece - Mischief Star & Garter - The Statins United Brethren - Ouse Valley Single Club Writtle University College - Design Degree Show 2019 Sunday 19th Civic - Twinkle’s Dream - Baby Ballet Cramphorn - Carmen Suite/Petrushka (live from The Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow) The Golden Fleece - Exposed Acoustic Sessions Star & Garter - Open Mic/Jam United Brethren - Connor Selby (4.30pm) Writtle University College - Design Degree Show 2019 Tuesday 21st Boreham Village Hall - Ballroom and Latin American Dance (classes for beginners & improvers - www.danceasy.co.uk) Galleywood Heritage Centre - Scrabble Group meeting Transition - Power Yoga Wednesday 22nd Civic - M&G Classical Concert: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Cramphorn - Tehran Taboo (15) Danbury Sports & Social Centre - Zumba class (10.45am) Thursday 23rd Cramphorn - Mengele (12+) The Golden Fleece - Quiz night United Brethren - B&RITC Jenny Wren & her Borrowed Wings Friday 24th Bassment - Come As You Are: Alternative Club Night Cathedral - Lunchtime concert Civic - Swan Lake Cramphorn - The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (U) The Golden Fleece - Fleece Fest - Winston & the Lads Ivy Hill Hotel Margaretting - Over 30s,40s, 50s + Disco Dance Transition - Cosmic Sound Bath Star & Garter - The Phil Ball Band United Brethren - Beat Patrol Saturday 25th Bassment - Club Night (from 11pm) Civic - The Upbeat Beatles The Golden Fleece - Fleece Fest (music from 3.30pm + Ultimate 80s + silent disco) Page 12

Saturday 25th (continued...)

Transition - Laughter Yoga United Brethren - Gary Hall (Americana) Sunday 26th Civic - Faust (pre-recorded from the Royal Opera House - with subtitles) The Golden Fleece - Fleece Fest (music from 3.30pm + Skamite + silent disco) Star & Garter - Dead Mans Hand United Brethren - Shakster Records: Pet Needs + Horrible Dolphins + Third Dart + Fret Bear + Rachel Brooks + Louise Parker + Kin + Elle Novella + Chameleon + Adam Nichols + Keeley Leeder Monday 27th Cramphorn - Jibber Jabber Danbury Sports & Social Centre - Strictly Solo (learn how to dance, 9.15am & 11.15am) Galleywood Heritage Centre - Bank holiday walks Tuesday 28th Boreham Village Hall - Ballroom and Latin American Dance (classes for beginners & improvers - www.danceasy.co.uk) Cramphorn - Utoya (15) Transition - Power Yoga Wednesday 29th The Chichester Hotel (Rawreth) - Belvedere Jazz & Music Club: Julian Marc Stringle Dream Band with Jacqui Hicks Danbury Sports & Social Centre - Zumba class (10.45am) Thursday 30th Cramphorn - A Deal with the Universe (15) The Golden Fleece - Quiz Friday 31st The Golden Fleece - 6 String Makeover Transition - WDR Presents: VOWWS + Artificially Yours + Lucy & the Charms Star & Garter - The Locals United Brethren - Dave Sharp (The Alarm)

June Saturday 1st Alehouse - Record Fair Bassment - Rock vs Pop Live, with Sketch Pad And The Dogs Ed The Golden Fleece - Handle With Care Hideaways - John Power (Cast/The La’s) & Chris Helme (The Seahorses) Star & Garter - Illicit United Brethren - Rough & Ready Sunday 2nd Chelmsford High Street - Bearded Gypsy Trade Fayre Cramphorn - Chelmsford Jazz Club - Zak Barrett with Gunther Kurmayr (piano), Manuel Alvarez (bass) and Marc Cecil (drums) Golden Fleece - Asylum’s Sunday Service: Grant Sharkey Star & Garter - Open Mic/Jam United Brethren - Lizzie B (4.30pm) The Woolpack - GC’s Jazz Club: Neale Ridding (flute/ saxophone) & Graeme Culham Trio (8pm) Monday 3rd Cramphorn - Jibber Jabber Danbury Sports & Social Centre - Strictly Solo (learn how to dance, 9.15am & 11.15am) Unit 16, Ekersley Road, Chelmsford - Judo class (1st lesson free - tel 07768 364 435)

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

Tuesday 4th Galleywood Heritage Centre - Talk: Treasure Beneath our Feet (by Gordon Bailey) Old Court Theatre - Sexual Perversity in Chicago Regal Kitchens - Yui Miles - FREE cookaholics event (booking essential) - emma@regalkitchens.net or 01245 351 151) Transition - Power Yoga Widford Village Hall - Natty Chatty Ladies Club (1.30pm3.30pm) Wednesday 5th The Chichester Hotel (Rawreth) - Belvedere Jazz & Music Club: Syd Lawrence Orchestra with Chris Dean (admission £20) Civic - Iconic Cramphorn - The Wild Peartree (15) Danbury Sports & Social Centre - Zumba class (10.45am) The Golden Fleece - Summeroke! Karaoke in the garden Old Court Theatre - Sexual Perversity in Chicago Transition - How to Thrive on a Plant Based Diet Thursday 6th Bassment - Bassment Blues Jam Civic - The Glenn Miller Orchestra The Golden Fleece - Quiz Nationwide Christian Trust - Ladies Day with Anne Coles (Mulberry House, High Ongar, CM5 9NL) Old Court Theatre - Sexual Perversity in Chicago VolFest - Every Minute Matters (www.chelmsfordcvs.org.uk/ volfest) Friday 7th Bassment - Come As You Are: Alternative Club Night Cathedral - Lunchtime concert Everyman - Chelmsford Film Festival The Golden Fleece - The Locals Old Court Theatre - Sexual Perversity in Chicago Old Park Meadow Natural Burial Ground - Fundraising Art Exhibition (preview night) Star & Garter - VT11 United Brethren - The Mighty Bosscats Saturday 8th Bassment - Alex & The A-Sides (covers) Chelmsford Cathedral - Chelmsford & District Welsh Society presents their annual concert featuring the Bridgend Male Voice Choir and the talented trio, Serin (7.30pm) Everyman - Chelmsford Film Festival The Golden Fleece - Blue Mantis Hideaways - The Big Sing: a Choir of Over 1,000 Voices Old Court Theatre - Sexual Perversity in Chicago Old Park Meadow Natural Burial Ground - Fundraising Art Exhibition Star & Garter - The Class United Brethren - Shakey’s Sessions: Play at Fling Festival: Adam Nicols + Barton Young Sunday 9th Galleywood Heritage Centre - Craft Fair & Family Fun Day United Brethren - Martin McNeill (4.30pm) Monday 10th Cramphorn - Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (14+) Cramphorn - Jibber Jabber Danbury Sports & Social Centre - Strictly Solo (learn how to dance, 9.15am & 11.15am) Tuesday 11th Boreham Village Hall - Ballroom and Latin American Dance (classes for beginners & improvers - www.danceasy.co.uk) Civic - Grease - The Musical Cramphorn - Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (14+) Transition - Power Yoga Wednesday 12th The Chichester Hotel (Rawreth) - Belvedere Jazz & Music Club: Adrian Cox (clarinet) Quartet perform Profoundly Blue Civic - Grease: The Musical Cramphorn - Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (14+) Danbury Sports & Social Centre - Zumba class (10.45am)

Wednesday 12th (continued...)

The Golden Fleece - Summeroke! Karaoke in the garden United Brethren - Joe Anderton’s Open Mic (8pm) Thursday 13th Civic - Grease: The Musical Cramphorn - Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (14+) The Golden Fleece - Quiz night Friday 14th Bassment - Come As You Are: Alternative Club Night CCFC - Robbie Gladwell & the Sidemen + Lexie Green Civic - Grease: The Musical Cramphorn - Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (14+) The Golden Fleece - Grounds for Divorce Star & Garter - The Signs United Brethren - Blues Spiders Saturday 15th Bassment - Club Night (from 11pm) Civic - Grease: The Musical Cramphorn - Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (14+) Galleywood Heritage Centre - Essex Society for Family History meeting The Golden Fleece - Cakehole Mafia Star & Garter - Fishing for Robots United Brethren - Beyond The Lights Sunday 16th Cramphorn - Romeo and Juliet (pre-recorded from The Royal Opera House) Star & Garter - Open mic/jam

Please send us your events for the next edition (for events between 17th May to 16th June) to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

CT Business Interview Regal Kitchens - by Derek Threadgall Returning a DVD to Chelmsford’s now defunct Blockbuster store doesn’t normally lead to the borrower being inspired to form a company that over ten years has become a leader in its field, while trading in Chelmsford from a sumptuous showroom in Navigation Road.

This however, is precisely what happened to Nicola and John Martin.

The company? Regal Kitchens (www.regalkitchens.co.uk), an impressive company behind an equally impressive showroom offering a dazzling array of kitchens and kitchen designs to suit most family budgets. Around 150 kitchens have been sold for each of their ten years of business. This remarkable number is shared with their other showroom in Billericay (01268 525 922).

The Regal team is led by CEO Nicola Martin, Design Manager, John Martin and dedicated Customer Service Manager, Janice Pudney.

They are underpinned by Regal’s lively and enthusiastic Business Development Manager, Emma McLoughlin.

offer work experience over two to three weeks for an interested individual. She also organises six kitchen based events each year in the Chelmsford showroom. These popular public events are eagerly attended both by clients and potential clients. Emma’s next event will be 4th June at 12noon and 5.30pm when 2019 Masterchef quarter finalist, Yui Miles, will demonstrate Thai and Chinese dishes.

Regal Kitchens has an impressive presence on social media having nine social media accounts. For further peace of mind, Regal Kitchens are members of Kbsa (the Home Specialists Association - www.kbsa.org.uk). Kbsa is made up of independent retailers and the industry’s leading brands who all have a shared commitment to promoting professionalism in the industry. Included within this is an insurance policy which protects the clients’ finances from the time their deposit payment is made to installation and beyond.

It is hardly surprising that Regal’s showroom in Chelmsford displays an array of awards, which include having been voted Best Company in the Excellent Customer Service category at the Basildon Business Awards Ceremony, winner of an Essex Business Excellent Award and a finalist at the Essex Business Excellent Award ceremony.

Regal Kitchens is the only independent kitchen company in Essex to have been awarded the prestigious FIRA (Furniture Industry Research Association) Gold Certificate for excellence in installation.

Working alongside Janice Pudney, Installations Director Phil Edgell is responsible for ensuring Regal Kitchens deliver on their promises to the client. However, if an unforeseen problem arises during a project, they will inform the client without delay and will endeavour to resolve any issues to the client’s complete satisfaction and at the earliest possible opportunity.

Says Emma: “Once your order has been taken, your project will be placed in the very safe hands of Janice Pudney, our dedicated inhouse Customer Service Manager. Janice has many years experience within the kitchen industry and her role is entirely focused on ensuring that we deliver on our promises made to you. Regal is an exciting and ambitious company. As an independent retailer, we can also offer a sourcing service through our supply chain for clients requiring some of those little extras for their new kitchen. To the Regal team, ‘Client is King’ and we ensure the client remains king throughout the transaction of purchasing or designing their kitchen.

But the client does not stop being king when the installation or design is completed. Regal’s comprehensive aftersales service sees to that.”

The Regal team are justly proud of their links and activity within the local community. For two days, most weeks, Emma spends up to three hours demonstrating customers’ new appliances in their brand new Regal kitchen cooking a three course meal. She has just completed her 25th family home visit this year.

A survey by appliancesdirect.co.uk found that 61% of people can’t work all of their home appliances, 25% don’t know the difference between the oven and the grill and 21% don’t know how to work the temperature switch on their fridge. Clearly, a knowledge gap has opened up between the retailer and the client. With all this in mind, Regal Kitchens have launched an exciting new tier to their customer journey. Regal Care has been designed to help give customers one-to-one tuition on their new Neff appliances. Regal sends their home economist, in the shape of Emma in chef’s whites armed with groceries, to cook a three-course meal in the customer’s brand new kitchen to give them a hands-on experience and show them what their new appliances are capable of.

From Family Homes to Southend University Every six months some twenty interior design students from the university take on a case study for a day. Sometimes, Emma will

It is worth noting that Phil’s responsibilities extend to overseeing the coordination of all aspects of your project, carrying out regular site visits and inspections to ensure Regal Kitchens’ high standards are being maintained and where necessary, making recommendations for improvements to be made, plus completing a detailed quality control checklist at the end of the project.

Using their in-house team of highly experienced and professional tradesmen, Regal Kitchens will ensure that your kitchen installation and any other associated home improvements you may require (for example, tiling, electrics etc) are completed to the highest of standards.

A last word from Emma: “Why not pop in to our showroom and see for yourself what Regal Kitchens are all about?”

Emma makes a great cup of tea or coffee! www.regalkitchens.co.uk

Jems Party & Dance

Tap, Ballet, Jazz Shoes & Dancewear 01245 267765 jems.co.uk 2 Navigation Road, Chelmsford, CM2 6HX

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Hairy Monster - Random Thoughts

So many of my friends (both of them, in fact) have told me they don’t believe in God ‘as such’ but they believe there must be some reason for life, the universe and everything. I see no logic in this. I could go through the age old clichés of ‘if there’s a God or supreme spirit, why does he/she let children suffer and die of starvation in wars and from neglect? Why doesn’t he/she stop wars, hatred and bigotry?’ As a pragmatist I believe that life is random, we are not here for a reason and when our indeterminate stay on our mostly beautiful planet is over we return to the obscurity of our previous state of non-existence.

It may not be as romantic as the idea of going to a place where hand maidens flutter round feeding us ambrosia and nectar while we recline in hammocks made of angel’s feathers but hey, if I’m wrong, I will concede that I’m just a pessimist with no imagination. I have a feeling that if there is a God, he or she will, as we take our final mortal breath, lean over us, wink, and say ‘...good joke wasn’t it?’

We are constantly being advised to shop around for insurance, holidays and service providers, but I’m wondering how many of us simply renew our standing orders without checking to see if we’re being ripped off. Last month my home insurance renewal notice arrived and - no excuses - I didn’t immediately compare it with last year’s premium. A week or so later I had a closer look and discovered the new premium was almost twice that of last year. I phoned the broker and asked for an explanation. I was informed that it was because of a claim I had made. Knowing that I hadn’t made a claim, I asked for specific details. I was kept on hold for ten minutes before a member of the claims department told me that there was an incident involving my property in July last year. It’s true a car had ploughed through my fence and landed in my garden and his insurance company paid out for the damage. My insurers were not involved at all but had obviously checked through an insurance database and decided to use the crash to exploit the situation. I told my insurer that I would complain to the insurance ombudsman and this time I was kept on hold for no more than 30 seconds before being told the incident would be deleted and being offered the same premium as last year. I declined - on the basis that I had lost my trust in them and managed to obtain a better quote online. The moral of this story is... something.

didn’t like school and all I wanted to do was drift through life and ride motorbikes. And I’m proud to say that I have followed my dream for 50 years. The petrol pump job lasted a year, one of my first customers being my ex-headmaster who simply shook his head when I served him. Since then I’ve had more than forty ‘careers’ which have taken me to places I could only have dreamed of as a teenager, others have been nightmares. I haven’t made a fortune but I’ve met - and worked for - people who have and I’ve seen how miserable they are. I’ve made mistakes and I probably haven’t learnt from them, but I can look back and honestly say that it’s all been great fun. There’s a lot to be said for ‘under-achieving’ - it’s stress-free, non-competitive and very rewarding. Mediocrity is not as bad as people will have you believe and if my careers adviser is reading this, I bet you’re on medication I’m not.

On Easter Saturday I joined some friends to attend a special church service to celebrate Święconka Pokarmów Wielkanocnych. This is the blessing of baskets filled with ham, sausage, hand-decorated eggs, bread and a lamb shaped goody made of sugar, butter or cake.

It was a religious celebration, but it was open to all. Whilst I didn’t understand anything the priest said during the service, it was clear that the children, who had mostly brought the baskets, were enjoying the event and happily joined in the singing. After the baskets had been blessed, the priest walked round the church with a long handled brush sprinkling the congregation with holy water. Except, when he drew alongside me, he somehow managed to miss, so I can only assume he could spot an infidel in their midst! I can’t say the service has converted me to Catholicism but I can say it was clear that the 300 or so people present enjoyed the time and it was good to see the mostly Polish men, women and children bringing so much community spirit to the day. And I have to say, those kids must have been a lot more patient than me - they had to wait till breakfast on Easter Sunday to get stuck into the contents of the baskets.

While I’m on the subject of insurance companies’ ethics, I feel it is only fair to point out that there are also many customers who try to make false claims - but most don’t go to extremes like the 21-year old Slovenian lady who amputated her own hand in attempt to defraud her insurance company. She even hid the severed hand so doctors couldn’t sew it back on. A man in the Ukraine cut off his foot to make a spurious insurance claim but this was immediately dismissed - the insurance company said his account of the ‘accident’ was clearly untrue and he didn’t have a leg to stand on.

I’ve always thought that, unlike Easter, the date of St George’s Day (23rd April) was set in tablets of stone. Wrong! This year it was 29th April and the reason for the change is quite simple. When St George’s Day or St Mark’s Day falls between Palm Sunday and the second Sunday of Easter inclusive, it is transferred to the Monday after the second Sunday of Easter, in this case the week beginning 29th April. If both fall in this period, St George’s Day is transferred to the Monday and St Mark’s to the Tuesday. I knew there’d be a logical explanation.

My grandson asked me to buy him a pair of trainers for his birthday so I asked him if he had any particular brand in mind, and to let me know the price and I’d transfer the money to his dad’s account. He told me he would like a pair of Fire Monkeys but didn’t tell me the price so I Googled it. £2.7million. Nice try Mylo. I’ll send him a £10 Lidl voucher - see how he likes that!

At the age of 16 I was told by my school careers adviser that I should aim to go to university, get a degree and forge ahead with a career in the financial world. At least I think that’s what he said. I wasn’t really listening as I’d already decided my 8 GCEs would be more than enough to set me up for my dream job as a petrol pump attendant. I Page 16

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Wildlife Corner by Nick Green April weather was generally calm and dry and river levels were low again.

Thanks to becalmed anticyclone conditions, the end of the month was again quite dry despite Storm Hannah, and temperatures were average throughout. East Anglian farmers were concerned about the prolonged drought and dwindling water reserves. Summer migrants continued to arrive and included the first nightingales and swifts amongst many others.

The orange-tip is a medium sized butterfly and is a common and widespread species. This butterfly is a true harbinger of spring as it does not overwinter in the adult form - and it is one of the first species to emerge.

Thanks to climate change, the first appearance has shifted some 17 days from early May to late April. Adults are present to early/July. The males are very distinctive, with bright orange wing tips (see image), while the females are white with black wing tips. Both sexes have mottled green underwings.

Favoured caterpillar foodplants include the cuckooflower found in damp meadows and garlic mustard alongside ditches and road verges. When hatched, the larva consumes its eggshell before starting on the host plant. The fully grown caterpillar will leave the host plant and will pupate on lower vegetation.

speckled woods, orange-tips, peacocks, commas, small whites, etc.

The Naze: Iberian chiffchaff; Holland Haven: hoopoe; Abberton Reservoir EWT: 2 great white egrets, ortolan bunting; Rainham Marshes RSPB: 2 Caspian gulls, 2 glaucous gulls, 2 water pipit; Vange: American ring-necked duck, marsh sandpiper, 2 black-winged stilt.

National Selected Highlights Shetland Isles: American pied-billed grebe, Tengmalm’s owl; Orkney: snowy owl, American mourning dove; Musselburgh, Lothian: American white-winged scoter; Staffirdshire and Cambridgeshire: Baikal teal; Isle of Wight: American dark-eyed junco; Cornwall: pacific diver; Isles of Scilly: red-rumped swallow. rock bunting (6th record for Britain).

Orange-tip butterfly: male nectaring on a dandelion (copyright Glyn Evans) Essex Selected Wildlife Highlights On the warmer days, butterflies were represented by brimstones,

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CT History: Hubert Ashton MP - by Stephen Norris In these days of identikit politicians, who join the House of Commons after short careers as political advisers, the Chelmsford MP Hubert Ashton would be considered highly unusual. Ashton was born in Calcutta, India, in 1896. After an education at Winchester College and Trinity College, Cambridge, he was commissioned in the Royal Field Artillery in the first war and was awarded the Military Cross.

Incredibly, he managed to play cricket for Essex in vacations during the First World War. Immediately after the war he was a batsman in a strong Cambridge university side and in 1921 and 1922 he scored more than 1,000 runs in a season. After three years in first class cricket, Ashton was averaging 46. In 1921 he was a member of a scratch team assembled to take on the ‘invincible’ Australians at Eastbourne.

2. The Suffragettes in Chelmsford.

3. Chelmsford Lives, Memories of Chelmsford 1940s - 1970s (snippets of interviews with local people plus 100 photos in the background, for the Friends of Chelmsford Museum).

4. The Hoffmann Company in Chelmsford.

5. Life in the Wood Street Workhouse: The Chelmsford Poor Law Union 1835 - 1871.

6. The Poor and Society: The past 60 Years of the Chelmsford Workhouse and Infirmary.

7. QI Chelmsford Councillors and Mayors (in preparation).

For more information or to book Stephen, please email: stephen754norris@btinternet.com.

Ashton rescued ‘England’ by hitting 75 in 72 minutes which helped his side win by 28 runs. This exploit contributed to him being named as one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year. That August tome also felt he should have been picked for the test side. In an extraordinary incident in a match against Lancashire he was bowled, but both bails returned to the top of the stumps, resulting in him being given not out. After 1922 he joined the Burmah Oil Company and he played less for Essex and his last match for Essex was in 1939. He was also evidently a good footballer playing for a number of clubs including West Bromwich Albion, the amateur team the Corinthians, Bristol Rovers and Clapton Orient. In 1941 Ashton became President of Essex County Cricket Club. His three brothers also played first class cricket.

Ashton started his political career by being a member of the ECC. He also served as High Sherriff of Essex in 1943. After losing to Ernest Millington in 1945, he benefited from the local Conservatives being much more organised in 1950 when he won by almost 5,000.

In October 1952 he beat the new Labour Party candidate Norman Hadden by 29,069 votes to 23,775, a majority of 5,294. Hadden had originally withdrawn his candidature after the Labour Party Centre Office nominated Sir Lesley Plummer who had run a ground nut enterprise for the government and managed several socialist magazines. The local party resented somebody they didn’t know being parachuted in and selected Hadden anyway. Four years later Ashton beat a new Labour candidate, FC Floud, by 25,450 votes to 20,301. Floud certainly livened up constituency politics. A year after the election he attacked the Tories as ‘miserable scum’ at a meeting on the Suez crisis. When he started the meeting with ‘Friends and comrades’ he was shouted down by some ‘loud mouthed’ Young Tories at the front.

For the 1959 election, Labour chose their fourth different candidate in successive elections. He was Brian Clapham, a barrister. A brawl was feared on the eve of the election when the Labour Party held a meeting in the Bell car park right next door to a Conservative Party meeting at the Corn Exchange. ITV cameras showed up in Chelmsford because RA Butler was speaking. By this time, Labour were without a full time agent and this, in addition to the fact that the Conservatives were still benefitting from the ‘you’ve never had it so good’ period, saw Ashton increase his majority to almost 10,000.

He was knighted in 1959. In 1962 Ashton decided he wouldn’t seek re-election, which didn’t actually happen until 1964. He was still heavily involved in cricket, being President of the MCC in 1961.

Throughout his period as MP for Chelmsford, Ashton was a fervent supporter of the Agricultural College at Writtle.

He married Dorothy Gaitskell, sister of Hugh Gaitskell the leader of the Labour Party and died in South Weald in 1979.

Stephen currently offers the following talks about the history of Chelmsford to local organisations: 1. 4 QI Chelmsford MPs. Page 18

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Maldon Museum Opened for the Summer Season Maldon Museum, situated in Promenade Park, opened its doors for the summer season at 2pm on Saturday 6th April.

The opening was performed by Christopher Foyle, the owner of Beeleigh Abbey, and to mark this special event a pop-up display about the Abbey and its rich heritage, including findings from an archaeological dig conducted there, was opened for display in the museum. For the first time for some years the museum’s collection of coins and medallions was also featured. These were in addition to displays featuring the famous Pumper fire engine, Maldon railways, cinemas, the famous Fat Man of Maldon and much, much more.

Judy Betteridge is President of the museum, she and the team of unpaid volunteers who run it are very excited about being open to the public again after a long winter of cleaning and improvements to facilities.

Take this opportunity to visit an award winning museum, which is jam-packed with interesting items relating to Maldon district and its history. Combine it with exploring the Promenade Park and the historic riverside area. Parking is convenient for the museum and there is disabled access to the ground floor, with an audio/visual display which highlights the exhibits on the upper floors. Browse the museum shop for a selection of gifts, mementos and books on local topics to celebrate your visit.

Do You Need Help Cleaning a Headstone or Memorial?

Cemeteries and churchyards will make sure areas are not overgrown, but their resources will not extend to looking after individual graves.

Responsibility for maintaining graves rests with the purchaser of the plot, which is usually the family.

Keeping a headstone and grave well tended isn’t easy, especially if you’re ageing, don’t drive, live too far away, are housebound, or busy with work and family.

Regular maintenance is the key to being aware of movement (for referral to a stonemason) as well as upkeep for visiting.

If you are considering cleaning a headstone or memorial, don’t use household cleaning agents. In particular, do not use bleach. For a free guide on how to avoid the biggest mistakes people make when they clean headstones, please see below.

Essex Grave Care is the headstone cleaning and grave tending service for those who need a little extra help. They are based in Chelmsford and currently available in a 19 mile radius.

James Wade is the owner of Essex Grave Care. To discuss your requirements, and to request a copy of How to Clean a Headstone or Memorial call 07518 343 287, or visit www.essexgravecare.co.uk.

May/June Issue Deadlines: Articles - 29th May Artwork - 6th June

Normal opening hours are Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays from 2pm - 5pm, and on Sundays and Bank Holidays from 11am - 5pm.

Admission is £2 for adults and children are admitted free of charge.

Jazz on a Summer Evening Do you fancy spending an evening in the sunshine, with a picnic, in a pleasant environment and some trad’ jazz?

For the 12th year at RHS Garden Hyde Hall, the Rotary Club of Wickford is holding this wonderful event. The evening is held on the bottom lawn in the gardens surrounded by beautiful plants and scenery. What a lovely way to spend a summer evening with a picnic on the grass, walking the gardens with a magical soundscape from a top London band!

After a brilliant welcome at last year’s event, we’re welcoming back the Sunshine Kings Jazz band to RHS Garden Hyde Hall on June 29th from 7pm to 9.30pm. Come along and enjoy the music! There will also be a food stall adjacent to the event.

Tickets are £16 per person available on the night, or in advance from the venue, or from bit.ly/wickfordjazz2019.

All proceeds, as usual, will go to St Luke’s Hospice in Basildon, 30 years ago, the Rotary Club of Wickford ran its inaugural Jazz on a Summer Evening in the garden of one of its members to raise some much needed funds for the then very young St Luke’s Hospice in Basildon, which had been a project supported by the club since its inception. St Luke’s Hospice supports people with life-limiting illnesses and their families through those times during which we all would find hard to cope. Since that first night, we have sent St Luke’s in excess of £60,000. www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia Page 19

Therapy - by Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Can you believe it’s May already? Lot’s of people are booking their summer holidays at the moment and looking forward to going away with their partner or family, or perhaps you might even be going away on your own! Going on holiday is expected to be an enjoyable experience, but for some people it’s the opposite.

I come across many people who have a fear of going on holiday. This might seem like an odd fear, or a far fetched one, but it absolutely exists. This is slightly different to a fear such as a fear of flying (or more likely usually a fear of crashing!) because the fear isn’t necessarily just about the travelling aspect. The travelling aspect can be involved as a fear, but a fear of going on holiday usually manifests as many different fears. The sufferer might display the following symptoms and behaviours leading up to the holiday: • • • • • • •

Worrying about being worried about going on holiday, even a few months before the holiday is due.

A few weeks, or even a couple of months, before the holiday worrying about the holiday.

Anxiety when thoughts and conversations about the holiday come up, maybe even changing the subject.

Reluctance to commit to a holiday.

Overthinking about the holiday or what might happen on the holiday.

Suggesting, or even trying to, cancel the holiday once booked.

Obsessing over the holiday in general, whether that’s about what the accommodation might be like, what activities you may or may not partake in, who might be there etc.

On the day of the holiday, when you’re actually getting ready to go, the sufferer might seem particularly agitated. They might be short tempered or quiet. They may even have anxiety attacks or panic attacks or come across as though they really don’t want to be in this situation, even though the situation should be a positive one.

When actually on holiday they may seem depressed. This might be due to a couple of things. Firstly all of that anxiety is exhausting!

Secondly they might miss home. Some people genuinely prefer to stay where they feel safe and secure. But for those who do want to venture out and go on holiday without being stressed, anxious, depressed etc, hypnotherapy can help.

Hypnotherapy is AMAZING at teaching clients how to relax. I use hypnotherapy as a relaxation tool with 90% of my clients (I specialise in anxiety and self esteem issues but those aren’t the only things I treat). If I have a client with a fear of holidays I always ask them how it started. If there has been an initial sensitising event, such as something bad happening on a previous holiday, this is likely where the fear is stemming from. The subconscious mind is likely just trying to protect my client by warning them that holidays, according to past experience, are ‘dangerous’ and therefore something to be feared. I might use hypnotherapy to rewrite this fear using something called imaginal desensitisation. This is where I take the client on holiday in their mind and ask them to imagine how it would feel step by step, if they were to feel confident and safe in this environment. Those that have read my articles previously might remember me referring to something called Hebbians Law - the neurons that fire together wire together. Something particularly traumatic will have those neurons firing like crazy so that we can protect ourselves! However, the mind works via experience and evidence. When we imagine something, our subconscious mind, our emotions etc, don’t recognise whether it’s real or not. So as long as it feels real in our minds eye we can get those positive neurons firing! Therefore rewiring the brain for an enjoyable holiday.

Sometimes a fear can have in-depth sources and the best way to help a client overcome their fear is to find the source. If a client is suffering with something that goes a lot deeper than a bad holiday experience, it’s likely they’ll have symptoms of anxiety and/or depression in other areas of their lives. Therefore therapy can actually help in many aspects of your life, even if you come to therapy for one specific thing.

Jenny Hartill is a counsellor, hypnotherapist and owner of Chelmsford Therapy Rooms. She has experience in a multitude of issues but specialises in anxiety and self esteem. Please see the therapist list on the website at www.chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or you can email info@chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk or call 0330 100 5162 to enquire about an initial consultation. Alternatively, Jenny’s own private therapy company website is www.cloud9-therapy.co.uk, her email is info@cloud9-therapy.co.uk and her telephone number is 07507 307 170.

Audition to Join the Chelmsford Ballet Company in Its 70th Year The Chelmsford Ballet Company will hold its annual auditions for dancing membership on Sunday 23rd June 2019 at CYGAMS HQ, Chelmsford. Applications are sought from both male and female dancers to join the company, with the closing date for applications set for 9th June.

Following a ballet class before a panel of distinguished adjudicators, successful candidates will be invited to join the company as either junior, general or senior dancing members and will be eligible to audition for its annual production at the Civic Theatre, Chelmsford.

Only auditioned members may dance in this production, for which separate auditions are held later in the year. Following the company’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and 70th Anniversary Celebrations staged in March, its 2020 production is yet to be announced.

In joining The Chelmsford Ballet Company, auditionees will join like-minded dancers who are friendly, dedicated and passionate about dance. The aim of the company is to inspire and progress enthusiastic dancers in a safe, friendly and open environment with a professional approach, whilst having fun along the way. Monthly company classes are held, in addition to other member-only events, such a workshops, held throughout the year.

As an amateur company, The Chelmsford Ballet Company aspires to set professional standards for all its work, with dancers across the county and beyond. The company is based in Chelmsford; however it is not an extension of any dance school. It is a not-for-profit organisation with a dedicated team of volunteers.

Details of the audition schedule will be sent to applicants after the closing date, with auditions taking place between 10am-4pm (registration from 9.30am). For more information, visit www. thechelmsfordballetcompany.co.

If my client’s fear is stemming from something else, perhaps depression or insecurity, then we can take a different approach.

What is the client actually worried about? Are they worried about being judged on the beach? Are they worried that they won’t cope in a new environment? Why are they so adverse to a new environment?

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The Core of the Matter #1 - by Erica Foulds Lets raise a very warm welcome to May. I am so happy to be seeing the longer days already and some glorious sun rises have adorned the studio on my early mornings recently while the exciting words ‘summer holidays’ are appearing frequently in conversations with clients - and the Easter weekend was stunning weather wasn’t it!?

In my last edition, arms were the topic du jour. Now we move on to the next body part, from the top downwards and bringing your torso to the floor - even quite literally! The word ‘core’ becomes a huge and key subject in a lot of fitness genres, especially in pilates. If I were a fly on the wall at Hummingbird Studios I would probably hear it about 150 times a day, for good reason.

By regularly moving and using those muscles, working on strengthening exercises and even noticing if there is a dominant side, we could help to alleviate pain. The most familiar muscle we hear of in the core are the abdominals which are found on the front of the trunk, vertically connecting the bottom of our ribs to the pelvis.

There in fact are layers of ‘abs’, allowing us to cough and sneeze (deep) and those referred to as the ‘6-pack’ (superficial) but both are important to support our spine in daily life. If we can create a healthy relationship between the back and the front muscles then we are on to a winner with creating stronger core. Next month I will be discussing oblique exercises (another significant core muscle) and even more ways to help your back.

In simple terms, the core of your body is our physical centre, not dissimilar to the core of an apple, but our core is all the trunk structures that support us between the collar bones and our pelvis.

It is concerned with how our spines are held up, can articulate back and forth, can support us when we run, jump or throw and the reaction of our body to not fall over when we trip up! When the core muscles aren’t functioning effectively we can accidentally start to create a dominant side, because its easier or just habit. If one set of muscles becomes stronger than its neighbour, this creates an imbalance and could lead to aches and pains, even injuries.

This is the same concept as the shoulder niggles and injuries and posture imbalance discussed in article 2. The most common thing I come across is back pain, which frequently comes out of nowhere, sometimes developing and worsening over time until it is almost crippling. In the absence of a specific trauma or any genetic irregularities, back pain is often related to core strength. For example, the ‘desk posture’, being sat down in a slouched posture daily the natural shape of the spine (usually resembling an ‘s’ ) becomes flattened, strained and weak, pulling our spinal muscles out of alignment creating discomfort in the lower back.

Here are my top three exercises to work the abs and lower back: Heel slides: a) Lay on your back, hands rested on the front of your hip bones, knees bent, feet 8 inches in front of hips, b) Draw your belly button inwards towards your back and without letting your pelvis tilt/ rock off centre (it will want to), c) slide one foot out until the leg is 80% straight then return it again. Repeat alternating for 10-16 slides.

Table top hip rolls: Start as above’s a) and b) - c) elevate your knees to 90 degrees above hips, d) allow one knee to drop/rotate sideways until you feel your pelvis wants to rock then return the leg. Repeat alternating for 10-16 rolls.

Lower back extensions: a) lie on your front, arms by sides, keeping facing the floor, b) on in breath, lift chest and rib cage from floor until the length of your back feels tense, lower on the out breath. Repeat for 10.

Bhramari Pranayama - by Mandy Haynes

To practice bhramari, find a comfortable seated position (you could use a cushion or yoga block to elevate the hips) and allow the spine to lengthen and the shoulders to relax down away from the ears. The ears need to be closed off with the fingers but there are a couple of ways of doing this, depending on what feels comfortable (see images below).

Bhramari pranayama is a breathing practice that soothes the nervous system and calms the mind.

To give you some background, the word ‘pranayama’ is derived from two Sanskirt words; Prana meaning life force (the energy we take in through the air we breathe) and ayama meaning to restrain or master. Essentially, pranayama is altering the breath through various techniques to control, cultivate and modify the prana in the body.

According to The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, an ancient yogic text, pranayama was developed as a method of purification and is important for a healthy mind and body and for gaining higher states of awareness.

Pranayama practices are often featured in Western yoga classes and I try to include a few different techniques every once in a while. bhramari pranayama is also known as humming bee breath as it derives its name from the Sanskrit word for ‘bee’. The pranayama is named this because of the humming sound produced on the exhalation.

It is a simple, accessible and easy-to-learn technique that can be practiced by anyone and it is one of my favourites to teach, as I like that it encourages students to make noise, to be as loud as they want to be, whilst being unaware of anyone else around them. We come from a society that is quite reserved and so I think it can be quite freeing to make noise. Although more often than not I do participate in pranayama with my class, it is also a really lovely one to sit and listen to when you have a group of students practicing bhramari.

Of course, the benefits of bhramari are only really experienced by the practictioner, and it can have tremendous therapeutic potential.

Bhramari has many benefits; it can calm and quieten the mind, soothe the nerves, relieve stress and anxiety, dissipate anger, lower blood pressure and help with insomnia.

If you would like some core health ideas or advise and any other help with exercise, at Hummingbird we can help with 1:1s or small group pilates and yoga classes. You can view our full list of classes and workshops online at www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk, or email info@ hummingbirdpilatesyoga.co.uk or call us 01245 422 556.

Take a breath or two to settle in and notice the state of your mind.

When you’re ready, inhale through the nose and then, for the entire length of your exhalation, make a steady low to medium-pitched humming sound in the throat. Tune in to the vibrations created by the humming. Keep this practice going for as long as you like, but I would recommend at least a couple of minutes. When you have finished your practice, release the fingers from there ears, allow the breath to return to normal and spend a few moments sitting quietly to notice whether there are any changes in your breath or mood.

The noise of bhramari’s buzzing can help to drown out the often endless mental chatter and allow your mind to quieten, even if just for a few minutes. It is this that makes it a useful starting point for those whose minds are too busy to meditate.

‘With regular practice of this pranayama (bhramari) bliss arises in the yogi’s heart’. (Hatha Yoga Pradipika) If you would like to join me for a class and experience some pranayama for yourself, take a look at Hummingbird’s timetable and book yourself in! Visit www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk for a full list of classes available.

Page 22

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Spot 10 Differences (answers on page 31)

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Charity of the Month - Kids Inspire Kids Inspire supports children and young people recovering from traumatic experiences or dealing with emerging mental health difficulties across Essex.

The charity’s Volunteer Support Officer will be joining the VOLFEST team in Chelmsford city centre on Thursday 6th June to shout about the range of volunteering opportunities for those able to gift some valuable time.

you’re a member of the public or someone who has used, or is using, our services and you want to give your time to help others, then please get in touch by emailing louise@kidsinspire.org.uk, or call on 01245 348 707.

Every Minute Matters Join Us on Chelmsford High Street for this year’s VOLFEST. Over 50 feel good activities, with live music, food and fun!

Community is a work of heart...

Be it a day, a month or a lifetime commitment, whatever time and energy you can freely give has the potential to change someone’s life. We are thrilled to announce that on Thursday 6th June we will be celebrating #VolunteersWeek on Chelmsford High Street at VOLFEST 2019, the event organised by Chelmsford Centre Supporting Voluntary Action.

VOLFEST is taking place during National Volunteer Week (1st to 7th June) - a week dedicated to celebrating volunteers and all the good work they do within communities. Keep an eye on social media channels during this week as it will offer an insight into volunteering and how charitable organisations rely on gifted time to deliver work, services and other commitments on offer. Volunteering roles at Kids Inspire can vary from working directly with children, young people, and families, to supporting fundraising efforts, or supporting local community projects.

Mentoring is a favourite volunteer role at Kids Inspire and with 43 committed mentors and 46 mentees (aged 8-18), mentors are recognised as ‘professional friends’ within the Kids Inspire community. All mentoring candidates undergo two full-days of training to prepare them to guide a young person by building trust and modelling positive behaviours in a fun and caring environment. Our new training programme for mentors starts in June 2019.

One constant across all available volunteer roles is the satisfaction and individual fulfilment that is enjoyed by all involved in the Kids Inspire community. One volunteer, Claire, recently said: “I can’t praise Kids Inspire enough, I wanted to volunteer to give back to the children.”

Whatever a person can gift - volunteering time or something else Louise will be on hand during VOLFEST to chat about the services that Kids Inspire offer to children, young people and their families across Essex and to answer any interested questions.

Louise McConnell, Volunteer Support Officer for Kids Inspire, said: “VOLFEST is a fun day full of many local charities, as well as Chelmsford Community Volunteering Service. Feel free to pop over to our stand and ask any of those questions that could be holding you back from doing something really worthwhile. We are fortunate at Kids Inspire as we have some wonderful volunteers and it would be great to have some new volunteer members join the family. The type of support that is required can be as little as occasionally supporting us at fundraising events, to being trained as a mentor or one of our community volunteers that support our youth groups.”

Volunteers are a huge part of Kids Inspire and help the organisation to achieve so much more than would be possible without them. If

Over 50 local organisations will be coming together to showcase and promote their offer in a festival of all the good that can come of our community working together. Come and join us for a day of feel good activities, live music, food and fun!

You’ll be able to see first-hand some of the wonderful ways in which charities and public service support our city, and find out how you and your loved ones can access that help.

Check on your wellbeing by having your blood pressure, weight and BMI measured, or get advice on how to stop smoking and get help with quickly accessing local activities. You’ll also have the chance to learn about all the different opportunities for you to get involved as a volunteer - even if you only have half an hour to give.

Last year’s event was an incredible success. Lorraine Jarvis from the Centre said: “There was the most amazing buzz in the High Street, people chatting to the stalls, to each other, and finding out how all the local organisations showcasing could benefit them. Volunteering really is life enhancing, it was an amazing day!”

So come down on the 6th and help us celebrate the fact that in Chelmsford every person, and Every Minute Matters.

More information the event can be found here: chelmsfordcvs.org. uk/volfest.

BBC Essex will be promoting the event in the lead up and will be present throughout the day.

Follow the event on Twitter @ChelmsfordCVS, using the hashtag #VOLFEST2019 and #VolunteersWeek.

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Quiz Time - by John Theedom 1.

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Which type of animal is a duroc?

Which part of your body is checked using an opthalmoscope?

What is Boy George’s surname?

In the phonetic alphabet, what is the letter ‘L’?

From which animal do we get ermine?

Which year is known as The Year of Three Kings?

In the yachting world, The Fastnet Race starts at Cowes and ends where?

What word is common to cart, sauce and Jack?

What is an auctioneer’s hammer called?

Apart from a sign that your heart is OK, what is pulse?

Who wears mufti?

If Oriental is east, what is west?

Which situation is described as imbroglio?

What is ormolu?

A steenbok is which kind of animal?

How many colours are there on the Greek national flag?

Which word connects high, night and Sunday?

A tetrapod has how many limbs?

What is the term for a complete collection?

In which English county is the town of Huntingdon?

In football, which team is known as The Hatters?

If you are classed as a valetudinarian, what is wrong with you?

What are motes?

Essex Police Choir - 30th Anniversary The Start The story about how the choir began stems from a casual comment that started 30 years of successes. Just before Christmas 1988, one of the Police Musical Society members was talking with police photographer Norman Eastbrook and mentioned that ‘it would be a nice change to read from a score and sing whilst standing still, rather than prancing about on a stage!’ Norman suggested that he could start a choir and that he would be the musical director due to his experience with choirs.

Recruitment took place and 26 people showed interest. They then found an accompanist, a rehearsal space and music - but didn’t have a piano! However, a member was working at Chelmsford Crown Court and spoke to the Senior Judge, Peter Greenwood, who had recently downsized his house and had a spare piano. He agreed to an extended loan of it to the choir, but although the piano was free, the cost of removing it to Police HQ, mechanical parts and tuning, came to over £300 - and this was 30 years ago!

The First Concert On 12th July 1989, the choir received a request from Boreham Women’s Institute for a concert. Panic didn’t exactly set in but it was at this stage that the choir realised that it had to learn a basic group of songs!

On 5th December 1989, the choir performed its first concert with 25 singing members, and to the relief of the choir it was a success.

So, within a year, the choir had gone from throwaway comment, to a reality.

The Ensuing Years Over the next 30 years the choir has attended around 320 concerts, raising over £350,000 for good causes, performing in Essex and

24. What’s the Worst That Could Happen? is a slogan used to advertise which drink?

25. In a river, what is an oxbow?

26. When did the very first teddy bear go on sale?

27. When did Nat King Cole die?

28. What was the first name of Miss Lewinsky in the ‘Clinton Affair’?

29. Who was the Countess of Mercia?

30. What was the name of the actress who played the part of Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in Open All Hours?

31. In the US TV channel CNN, what does the ‘C’ stand for?

32. What is ‘mother’s ruin’?

33. What type of animal is a maltipoo?

34. What is a young hawk called?

35. When did Freddie Mercury make his last public appearance?

36. “You only get an ‘OO’ with...” which product according to it’s advertising slogan?

37. How old was Karl Largafeld when he died in February 2019?

38. What is kleptomania?

39. What is a dory?

40. What connects beer, kitchen and roof?

Answers on page 31 across England and Wales, as well as twice in Canada, Northern and Southern Ireland and Prague.

In 2001, an important decision was made. Whilst the founder and subsequent members had to have a direct association with the force, it was decided that in future the choir would accept members who had no such connection but who would uphold the ethos of the police service.

The Present For 2019, the choir has another busy year with a concert that was very special. On 11th May, the choir performed at the Royal Albert Hall with around 400 voices from more than a dozen police choirs from across the country. It was a superb event and one which will be remembered by members for a long time.

Getting Involved The choir only performs concerts for organisations that are raising money for good causes such as charities, churches, Rotary clubs or any other group whose objectives are to help communities.

The choir is also always on the lookout for new members! It rehearses each Tuesday evening from 7.30pm - 9.30pm at Police HQ in Chelmsford and the subscription is only £75 a year with music and uniform provided.

New members, who do not have to have any connection with the police service, are encouraged to come along for a few weeks to see if they like what is offered. They do not have to read music - although they must be able to hold a tune!

If anyone feels the urge to join a friendly, supportive band of singers then please visit the choir’s website for further information: www. essexpolicechoir.co.uk, or email joinus@essexpolicechoir.co.uk.

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in the world’s top ten charities for an unprecedented eleven years in a row and one reason is that its administration costs are kept to a minimum so over 92% of money raised goes to good causes.

Our Man in Chicago Rotary has its own parliament, the Council on Legislation, to oversee its own rules and regulations in order to adapt to modern working practices and keep it relevant for younger people so that it can continue to support charitable and good causes. Representatives from all over the world are elected to office for a three year period during which time they meet online to consider proposed resolutions and once in person, to debate proposed enactments.

I was privileged to be the elected delegate for District 1240 which covers Essex and parts of Hertfordshire and Havering. To be able to be part of the voting process you first have to undergo training, again both online and at a vigorous session in the Midlands, and then pass an examination. I think the last examination I took was my driving test, so it was with some apprehension that I approached the exam but I am proud to say I passed with distinction.

I joined 531 other delegates from nearly 200 countries in Chicago where Rotary was founded way back in 1905. We had been prewarned that the council would be intensive and they were not wrong. Armed with a 400 page manual setting out all proposals and supplemented by an app with various updates, amendments and notifications, we began work. My day started at 6.30am with breakfast and preparing for the sessions which began at 9am and finished at 5.30pm. At one stage we were getting behind time so we had to start an hour earlier and end 30 minutes later to catch up.

Back to the plenary sessions. What stood out to me was different mindsets of delegates from other parts of the world. Some proposals you thought would have no chance of being carried, yet when you listen to the arguments from say, the Asian representatives, your opinion could be swayed - as voting was for the wellbeing of Rotary as a whole, not just for your own district. The whole process is very hightech these days. Apart from the app, voting is done by a computerised handset and results appear on the screen almost immediately.

It was hard work and we are all volunteers giving up our time, but we did have the evenings to ourselves. This was devoted to finding somewhere to eat. Let me tell you, Chelmsford has more restaurants than Chicago. However, we didn’t starve and walking through Chicago we did get to see the sights. I was very impressed with how clean it is.

Chicago sits on Lake Michigan and, particularly if you like city breaks, I would thoroughly recommend a visit.

Once back home, work as a Council on Legislation representative doesn’t stop. There are reports to write, constitutions to amend and information to impart to grassroots Rotarians. My role ends in 2020 but there is still another round of online resolutions to vote on, and there is the possibility of being elected for a second term. I think I might like another go...

As you can see, I like my Rotary. If you think that this is something with which you can become involved to support your community, then visit www.rotary1240.org to find details of clubs near you. There are five in Chelmsford alone! Alternatively, give me a call on 01245 260 349 for more information. I promise not to bombard you with enactments and resolutions.

Stan Keller

Dare I say it, it was a bit like Brexit poring over the enactments, scrutinising the minutiae of detail and wording but - and some would say this is very sad - I found it very interesting and the days passed quickly. In all, I was in Chicago from the 13th April returning on Good Friday, the 19th April. I am not sure about Chicago being the ‘windy city’ but I experienced all the seasons during my short stay. It was pleasant and sunny when I arrived. Next day there was a snow blizzard so bad that O’Hare Airport was closed, and we then had some rain, some sun and big temperature fluctuations.

On the Tuesday afternoon some of us had an organised visit to Rotary world headquarters in Evanston, a suburb of Chicago. It was interesting to see the development of Rotary over a period of 114 years and there is part of the building which is a sort of museum, so you do the obligatory tourist bit and shake hands with a statue of the founder, Paul Harris. It does however give you a further insight into how Rotary functions as a multi-billion dollar organisation working to do good for people worldwide. Rotary Foundation has been voted Page 28 Please let our advertisers know you saw their advert in The City Times

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Stargazing with Mark Willis - May/June Solar Observing: About this time of year, astronomers focus on solar observing. Transits of Mercury, where the planet is silhouetted against the bright disk of the Sun, are quite frequent. The last one was 9th May 2016. On June 3rd 2014 the Mars rover Curiosity observed the planet Mercury transiting the Sun, marking the first time a planetary transit has been observed from a celestial body besides Earth. The next transit of Mercury will be 11th November 2019.

There was also a transit of Venus on 5th/6th June 2012. However, the next one is 10th/11th December 2117, so very few of us will be seeing that one! The North Essex Astronomical Society will be hosting solar observing days.

When is the Earth closest to the Sun? This year it was closest to the Earth on 3rd January. Seems odd that while scraping the ice from your windscreen, the sun is actually at perihelion, 2 million miles closer than in our summer. 4th July is when the sun is at aphelion, furthest away from the Earth.

On 10th June 1895, Immanuel Velikovsky was born. His book Worlds in Collision (1950) was a best seller in the United States. Sadly, this book falls under the heading of pseudoscience. Carl Sagan writes: “Velikovsky baldly states, ‘Mars emits more heat than it receives from the Sun’.” This statement is, however, dead wrong. Interesting, but not true. Read Carl Sagan’s books instead. He writes so beautifully, and it is true science too!

New Moon: On 3rd June and 2nd July 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 any questions to mark.willis@ chelmsfordcommunityradio.com.

Mark Willis presents Willis Wireless at the new time of 12pm every Tuesday afternoon on Chelmsford Community Radio on 104.4 FM and online at chelmsfordcommunityradio.com.

Twitter: @WillisWireless

Chelmsford Creative Collective Chelmsford Creative Collective (CCC) is a group of friendly, local creatives. We have an active Facebook group where we share events, discuss collaborations and support each others creative endeavours.

We meet on the last Tuesday of the month at a local pub. Please check Facebook or email chelmsfordcreativecollective@gmail.com for details. Everybody is welcome for a drink and a chat.

Who are you and what do you create?

“Hello! My name is Charlotte, aka Pearl Of Thunder. I am a recent illustration graduate with a huge love and passion for the natural world focusing on conservation of species and natural history in particular.”

How would you describe your working process?

“My work has developed into a style that is very controlled, ornamental with meticulous detail into form, texture and colour. I work religiously with fine liner and coloured pencil, but I also love colouring my illustrations digitally sometimes! Taxonomy (the study of classifying and arranging nature) also plays a big part in my work and is seen visually through my work by the way I compose my images on the page. On occasion I also create private pet commissions for people who love dogs as much as I do!”

Who or what inspires you to be creative?

“Quite a lot of things! I love learning about different species so naturally I love going to natural history museums to study and sketch the collections they display. Reading, watching documentaries, exploring nature. I also get inspiration by looking at other artist’s

work, such as Katie Scott and Lauren Marx.”

Tell us about your most recent project.

“My most recent project is something I am still working on, which will be featured in Chelmsford Museum in the summer as part of Just Imagine’s Summer Exhibition. My work will feature lots of interesting species of insects that we do not usually come across in the UK. Watch this space!”

What does Chelmsford Creative Collective mean to you?

“I think its a great group that connects the creative people of Chelmsford and Essex. Since graduating, I found it difficult to find and talk to other creatives locally about arty things, so coming across Chelmsford Creative Collective has been really helpful in keeping those creative juices flowing through showing work, getting inspiration and collaborating.”

Are you on social media so we can check out more of your work?

“Yes! You can find me on Instagram as @PearlOfThunder where I upload regularly. I upload portrait illustrations on @pearlofthunderportraits.

“If you are interested in my work, I sell my prints on Etsy at Pearl Of Thunder Store.”

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Quiz Answers 1.

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Pig Eyes O’Dowd Lima Stoat 1936 Plymouth Apple Gavel Peas and beans Servicemen on leave Occidental Very confused Gold leaf Antelope 2 - blue and white School 4 Caboodle Cambridgeshire Luton Town You are a hypochondriac

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Minute dust particles Dr Pepper U-shaped curve 1903, President Theodore Roosavelt’s nickname was Teddy 1965 Monica Lady Godiva Lynda Baron Cable Gin Do Eyas February 18th 1990 at Brit Awards Typhoo 85 (died in Paris) Stealing urge A flat bottomed row boat Garden

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