The City Times October/November 2016

The Orange Tree

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Issue Number 37: 14th October - 17th November 2016

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CT Welcome Hello readers Welcome to our October/November edition.

Well, music festival season is over and there were some great events this year - just the Ideas Festival left to go now!

This month we have the Jar Family playing at Chelmsford City Football Club on Friday 21st October and on Friday 11th November the great Dylan Project (see the advert on page 15). Check out www. itsyourmusic.co.uk for the next few events and what will be coming up next year.

Regards Nick & Paul

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk | www.moulshamtimes.com

Advertising Editorial Nick Garner Paul Mclean 07970 206682 07595 949701 ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

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

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CT Fashion - John Lewis and Bond Street -

Open for Business It’s very strange to walk down the same high street that I have walked down numerous times with most of the same shops, then to turn the corner and be transported to somewhere that looks like nowhere I know - like a shopping parallel universe! If you have lost me, I am talking about the £150 million Bond Street development and the addition of John Lewis in Chelmsford. I have shopped in many city centres over the years - Leeds, Manchester, Brighton, London - and I do feel like I could be in any one of those cities when I walk around that part of Chelmsford - somewhere exciting, with more choice for us consumers.

As a customer and a personal shopper, I was struggling to find clothes that I liked and that suited my age group and the age group of my clients. Chelmsford serves young high street fashion very well, with Primark, New Look, Miss Selfridge and Topshop. I relied on H&M for trend pieces, Autograph at M&S for classic pieces and Limited at M&S for something a bit different and Gap for affordable classics, but Gap has gone and Limited and Autograph have been pulled from Marks and Spencer, so John Lewis couldn’t come at a better time.

I avoided the crowds on opening day and I take my hat off to anyone queuing from 7am! I spent the following Saturday and Sunday at John Lewis, checking out the ladieswear (I will be taking a look at the menswear next month).

If you haven’t been to the new Bond Street development yet, the approach to John Lewis reminds me of Westfield, Stratford. In terms of fashion they have Oasis, White Stuff, Joules, Cath Kidston, Jack Wills, Fat Face and Zagger but there is also Hotel Chocolat, Foyles and L’Occitane plus much more. It all looks extremely impressive.

around and there are some gorgeous standout pieces in each collection.

Below are my picks for Autumn/Winter.

John Lewis Best Picks: Whistles Flamenco Dress (black) £140 Whistles Penny Crop Lace Shirt (navy) - £150 Whistles Funnel Neck Stripe Top - £75.00 Collection WEEKEND by John Lewis Twill Pocket Shirt (burgundy) £49.00 Collection WEEKEND by John Lewis Bird Print Dress (black/ivory) £59.00 Hush Etoile Jumper (ecru/black) - £79.00 Hush Stella Jumper (grey marl/rococco red) - £79.00 Hush Emma Jumpsuit (black) - £75.00 Jigsaw Herringbone Wool City Coat - £279 Jigsaw Square Stitch Cardigan (winter clay) - £179 Jigsaw Magnified Flower T-shirt - £89.00 Finery Hanley Scribble Tie Tee (red) - £59.00 Finery Hove Tie Detail Jersey Dress (black) - £35.00 Kin Navy Print Ink Dress - £65.00 Reiss Balas Placket Detail Blouse - £125 Reiss Ona Vest (gold metallic) - £50.00 Reiss Forley Textured Long coat (racing green) - £350 Hobbs Fonda Coat (burgundy) - £249 Phase 8 Madia Crepe Tunic (ivory) - £69.00 Phase 8 Printed Zelda Dress - £89.00 I hope you enjoy John Lewis and Bond Street as much I do, whether you love fashion, cosmetics, the latest gadget or a nice cushion, I can’t think of a nicer place to spend a couple of hours. And if you want to book a personal shopping session with me, see my details below.

Inside John Lewis itself, there is 90,000 sq foot of retail space - and beautifully designed as all John Lewis’s are up and down the country.

The ground floor is dominated by the beauty hall and menswear. On the second floor there is home and electronics. On the first floor you will find ladieswear brands along with accessories. There is so much more to discover on every floor - even a luxury travel agent and a couple of great places to eat and drink.

I was really excited to see most of the fashion brands that appear in the larger stores, like Jigsaw, Whistles, Hobbs, Ted Baker, Phase 8, Mint Velvet, Fenn Wright Manson, Reiss, Pure Collection, Hush, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Finery, Kin, Damsel in a Dress and John Lewis own labels like new label Modern Rarity. I had a thorough look

Emma Smith is a personal stylist. She offers personal shopping and wardrobe planning. You can contact her via her website www.emmasmith.co.uk, or email emma@emmasmith.co.uk or emmapersonalstylist@hotmail.com.

Photographs copyright of Hobbs

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Beer by Simon Tippler of roundtowerbrewery.co.uk As I’m sure you are all aware, the alcohol in beer is made by fermenting sugar with yeast. The sugar is obtained by converting the starch in barley by utilising enzymes during the mash (more on that another month).

However, as we all know there are other sources of sugar out there and we were fortunate enough to be approached

by James from Wildwing Honey (www. wildwinghoney.co.uk), a local bee keeper based here in Chelmsford.

James wondered if we could use some of his honey in our brewery.

After a great deal of deliberation and a fair amount of research, we have plumped for a braggot. A braggot is an ancient style of beer where the fermentable sugar is found both from the malted barley and also the honey. John Bickerdyke (in 1888) said: “To define bragot with any degree of preciseness would be as difficult as to give an accurate definition of soup” - so you can see that we had a fairly free reign with the recipe, but we choose to split it nearly 50:50 barley:honey. After discussion with James, we choose to wait until the late summer harvest of honey had taken place, as he said it had the biggest flavour.

Only time will tell as to how much of the honey flavour has carried into the final braggot. You can find out as well at Christmas when it will be released in 300ml bottles alongside some other fantastic and experimental beers that we have been working on recently.

When enquiring please quote "M&S VOUCHER”

Music by Nick Garner

I have lots to report on this month and I will start with the Trembling Wilburys at Chelmsford City FC. I had seen the band before and loved them and they just seem to get better and better. If you closed your eyes you could easily be fooled into thinking that Roy Orbison had come back to life, as Dave Collison does a great job as Orbison, as does Glen Knowler as George Harrison - he has an uncanny resemblance to him as well... As well as these two, we have Andy McNish (who plays the part of both Tom Petty and Bob Dylan) on acoustic guitar, over the other side of the stage we have Marko Laver on bass (as Jeff Lynne) and at the back we have Howard Robin on keyboards and the great Dzal Martin on all the lead and electric guitars. The man responsible for putting the band together, David Stark, is on drums. This was a night that all who were there will remember for a long time I am sure.

Aces. Again a fantastic set with his mix of blues and ska music, with the Blue Aces behind him, Jerimiah got lots of people up and dancing and singing along.

Day two and what and opening act we had at the Black Horse in Moulsham Street, the multi-award winning Catfish who were amazing and playing for us for the first time. Many people asked me how did I get these to play in a pub and to be honest, I am not sure - I just asked and they all said yes! We then moved a couple of doors along to the Star and Garter and another first for Essex, Elles Bailey from Bristol, who’s amazing voice and brilliant musicianship left many gasping, as (thankfully) did all the acts over the weekend. We then crossed the city to the Ale House and Dove and Boweevil, who played a stonking set for us as always.

Next, my monthly Blues in the City night at the Bassment with Steve Morrison, who made the final three in this year’s Sky Arts’ Guitar Star program. He was supported by the young up-and-coming Connor Selby playing his first ever live acoustic solo show and he did a great job with his amazing guitar skills and great voice. He is one to watch out for. Next Steve came on stage, he plays like no one else I know as he plays bass, lead, rhythm and slide on the one guitar - often playing two parts at once, and with his rich dark singing voice he is spellbinding. He also has so many fantastic stories and tales to tell and can be very funny at times, laughing so much he forgets almost where he is. Try not to miss him if you find out he is playing near you.

We are also looking forward to putting on two great local young talents in the near future, Joe Anderton and Connor Selby. Each show having one of them play with their full band and the other supporting with a solo acoustic set to show you how talented they both are.

Now to my big one; this year’s Blues in the City Festival 6. Before I report on the acts, I must thank Jan without who’s help and patience it would not have happened. I must also thank Jack and Max for the sound and Dave for his Nell drum kit, plus everyone else who helped and to the venues and all the acts - and to you who came and supported these great line-ups, and yes, it was all great live music.

Northsyde plus Mark Howes (Dove & Boweevil) Back to the Social Club where we started with a bang with Saiichi Sugiyama and his wonderful band. With Rietta Austin’s powerhouse of a voice they just blew us all away. Next up was Northsyde, who always deliver the goods. They are the husband and wife team of Jules (guitar) and Lorna (vocals) Fothergill plus a fantastic rhythm section - and they rocked. Mark Howes from Dove and Boweeveil joined them on guitar as well. It was spellbinding and took me back to the Alman Brothers, the two guitars together sounded like heaven while Lorna just sat on the edge of the stage and just let them jam - it was great.

How could we follow that? Well, with Nicky Moore of course and according to him, maybe his last electric show - we will wait and see.

As always the band delivered 100% with Nicky’s cutting wit and with his son Timmy and Danny Kyle on guitars, Ed Collins on drums and Peter Shaw on bass. What was not to like?

Jerimiah Marques and the Blue Aces We started on Friday night at the Social Club with us, Jamie Williams & the Roots Collective, and I must say we played a storming opening set, we were on fire. Next we had one of the big acts of the weekend with Blue Swamp from the north of the country and they were joined by the legendary Robbie McIntosh - and what a set they played. Then to close the night another legend with Jerimiah Marques and his Blue

We finished at the Social Club this year with our Blues Supergroup, which has none other than Richard and Valerie Hayes and Pete Stroud from Bad Influence (also previously Peter Green’s Splinter Group) and Buddy Whittington with Graham Walker on drums (formerly Gary Moore) and Steve Simpson of Slim Chance (ex Meal Ticket) and Frankie Miller among others on guitar, mandolin and fiddle. You knew this was going to be special and it was. The lead vocals were sung by Val and Steve and what a mix of great music and fun it was - a stunning set with some musical greats.

So onto the last day of this year’s festival and another fantastic day.

We started with local band the Blues Consortium at the Black Horse

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who played a fun set and got the audience up and moving for the day. Then back to the Star and Garter and the Delta Ladies featuring the wonderful Alan Glen (ex Yardbirds and Nine Below Zero) on harmonicas. The Delta Ladies had Di on fiddle and keyboards and vocals with Vicky on various stringed instruments and main vocals and they play what I can only describe as their own mix of world, folk and roots with a touch of blues thrown.

We next set off across the city for a first visit to the White Horse in Townfield Street, where the one-man-band of Andy Twyman played showing us his ability to play drums, guitar and sing and play harmonicas all at the very highest level. With his mix of old blues and originals and his often very funny self penned songs, the crowd loved him.

Back to the Ale House for Jimi Whitewolf. This was a fantastic blues rock set from an amazing band with Jimi Whitewolf (Dave Jackson) on guitar and vocals and Jay Jay (Janet Jackson) on bass and Johnny Two Feathers (John Kane) on drums. A very talented band, and with Jimi’s strong vocals it could only have ever been a brilliant set.

Another festival first to the Bassment for our last two acts for this year. We all wondered how many would turn up, but there was no need to worry as the place was packed for what was going to be a rocking night with Red Butler and Salvation Jayne, two young bands who are both heading to the top. This was a first for both bands to be on the same bill and it worked, the audience went mad for both singing along and dancing to both bands, who said afterwards that it was one of the best gigs they have ever played. We know the audience loved them by the amount of merchandise both bands sold on the night. By the end I was done in, but still on cloud nine at how amazing and well the festival had gone.

Sadly, we do not have a total yet for how much we have raised for Remus Horse Sanctuary as we still have a few bits going on and hope to make them even more money. We will let you all know in the near future.

Me with Salvation Jayne and Red Butler Please note that on Friday 21st October at Chelmsford City FC we have the top industrial folk band the Jar Family playing and on Tuesday the 25th October at the Bassment we have the award winning Wille and the Bandits returning. Then on the 11th November at Chelmsford City FC we have the Dylan Project playing Blonde on Blonde in its entirety - the band are are none other than Steve Gibbons, Dave Pegg, Gerry Conway, PJ Wright and Phil Bond. They say this is the band Bob Dylan would have loved to have backing him. Then one more at the Bassment on Wednesday 16th November when we have the Robin Bibi band who will be supported by Joe Anderton.

As ever, please do try to come out and support the great live music scene we have as if you do not we may lose it. For more information on all of the above and more see the links below. www.bluesinthecity.co.uk | www.facebook.com/ bluesinthecitychelmsford | Twitter: @BluesintheCity1 | www.itsyourmusic.co.uk | www.facebook.com/itsyourmusic | Twitter: @itsyourmusic

CT Gardening by Tom Cole This is a fabulous time of the year for colour of all kinds. Wherever you look in the landscape you’ll see a huge array of flowers fading, seed heads standing out and glorious fruit all over the place. In addition, I’m hoping for a myriad of autumnal leaf colour this year.

At the gardens of RHS Wisley the other day I was staggered by the variety of plants that just look perfect at this time of year. At the college we are experiencing some huge changes; golden foliage of birch and stunning seed heads of Rudbeckia and Echinacea - and not forgetting the grasses along the main drive. Even in my own garden I just love ornamental grasses for their waving seed heads, honeysuckle for its vibrant red fruit and the succulent seed heads of Agapanthus. Check out this link for grasses: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/ profile?pid=140.

remembering to choose plants that compliment their neighbours and/or enhance seasonal interest. Whatever you do, add spring flowering bulbs like crocus, daffodils and ornamental onions now, and then in November pop in some tulips. For me I’ll be adding more Queen of the Night tulip bulbs for a super rich mauve bloom in late spring. Check out this RHS link: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/ Profile?pid=362.

Aside from enjoying this bounty of colour, don’t forget to plan ahead for next year. What has worked well and maybe not so well? What do you want to change? Are there gaps literally or times of the year where the border wasn’t so exciting? This is the perfect time to recharge and revamp your garden space to include more colour for next year... Or indeed right now. As the soil becomes a little softer and more manageable, it’s worth singling out those perennials that have outgrown their space and maybe don’t quite work. It’s an ideal time to lift these out of the soil and invigorate the soil with well rotted organic matter, split the perennials and then either replant the best bits and or move them elsewhere. If the latter, what will go into the old space? This is a perfect time to add fresh NEW plantings always

01245 422712 / 07711 606561 www.highwoodlandscapes.co.uk • Trees • Pruning • Hedge Trimming • Roots Removed • Topping • Rotovating • Turfing • Fencing • Garden Design • Decking • Patios • Block Paving • Drives • Tar & Shingle Property Maintenance • Roofing • Chimney Repairs • Building Work • Flat roofs • Guttering • Fascias & Soffits

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Lastly, there’s still time to enrol on the RHS Level 3 Certificate in Practical Horticulture. If you’re passionate about plants and the management of them then this could be the course for you!

We’ll be covering soil testing for pH and nutrients and subsequent soil amendments. The timetable also covers seed propagation, harvesting, collecting, preparing, storing and overcoming dormancy issues. If you’re looking for pruning techniques, then this course will

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expose you to rejuvenation pruning, plus routine and specialist techniques such as topiary. We’ll also cover other plant maintenance tasks.

Your plant knowledge and understanding will be enhanced through plant identification including pest, disease, disorder and weed tests on a weekly basis. Finally, we’ll cover management of the landscape to include planning and scheduling work. For more information contact me at Writtle University College.

Good luck and happy gardening!

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

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Santa is coming to Eleflora

Santa will be in his grotto from Friday November 18th 2016 and would love to meet the good Boys and Girls of Chelmsford. While the children see Father Christmas, why not take a look at our Christmas Trees, Wreaths and decorations we have to offer. Children’s rides, Hot Chocolate, Mince Pies, Mulled Wine and Santa may even bring his reindeers £10.00 Per Child Gifts for all children.

To book your childs place Call: 01245 231074 Email: sales@eleflora.co.uk Web: www.eleflora.co.uk

A donation of £1.00 from every child entry will be made to Children’s Cancer UK

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Page 9

CT Food With John Jacobs

Do schools still celebrate the harvest festival? I remember my mother packing me off with a tin of pineapple chunks, presumably to celebrate the Muswell Hill tropical fruit harvest of 1978. One could barely navigate the burning Ford Anglias on our council estate for random guava halves and kiwi slices. I’m being unappreciative; it all went to the less fortunate in our community. Hopefully someone remembered the tin openers.

When the City Times asked me to write up a harvest celebration, my foggy thoroughfare of memory lane turned over with hymns about scattered seed and a yen for digestive biscuits. Short lived nostalgia, as this was Sunday lunchtime at Live Dosa in the city’s West End who are celebrating Onam, an ancient festival that lives strong in modern day Kerala. It is one of the few Hindu festivals celebrated by a complete state, cutting across socio-economic and religious distinctions irrespective of religion, caste and creed. Onam falls on the Malayalam month of Chingam between August and September and marks the start of the harvest season heralding the return of the mythological King Mahabali.

The story goes that the beautiful state of Kerala was once ruled by an Asura (demon) king, Mahabali. The King was greatly respected in his kingdom and was considered to be wise, judicious and extremely generous. It is said that Kerala witnessed its golden era in the reign of King Mahabali. Everybody was happy in the kingdom, there was no discrimination on the basis of caste or class. Rich and poor were equally treated and there was neither crime, nor corruption.

People did not even lock their doors, as there were no thieves in that kingdom. There was no poverty, sorrow or disease in the reign of King Mahabali and everybody was happy and content. I bet none of you thought you’d learn something from this morning’s commute interlude...

Nothing is out of place. I’m a simple chap in a tourist kind of way and so avoid strategising and theorising on a tactical approach. I find myself jumping from colour to texture to flavour, experimenting with mixing and matching and feeling like Augustus Gloop in the Wonka factory. Also, there is little here that acts as filler, merely dished up to pad the courses - like tracks 3 to 12 on every Status Quo album.

Do watch out for the lime pickle which a reasonably skilled military person could weaponise chemically.

A confident and skilled kitchen produces an eclectic and visually stunning event that I urge you to take part in next year. Frankly, at £19.99 for 20 unique flavours, it’s a gift. Just so you know, when you book for next year’s festival (and I think our right-thinking cosmopolitan readership will) after you finish your meal, fold the banana leaf toward you. It means all is well with the world and your waistline.

Once again I thank Live Dosa for its unique and delicious food and the warmth of their hospitality.

Book Signing

On Saturday Ist October, retired barrister and local girl made good Liz Woodcraft held a book signing event for her fourth novel Beyond the Beehive at the Ideas Hub in Market Square during the Hub’s on-going festival of the month. The book deals with growing up in Chelmsford in the 1960s. A subject Liz returned to give a talk about later in the month. To add to the flavour of the event, Liz managed to bring local band of the era, Mark Shelley and the Deans, out of retirement. It must have been about 1964 when I last saw them at Rainsford Youth Centre!

The restaurant is decked in floral garlands cascading from the walls and billowing with the deep tamarind fragrance of the southern Indian spice store is a burning incense fuelling a nearby table of diners sharing holiday memories of Kerala with owner Fazilla.

An artist’s palette of taster curries, aromatic chutneys, seasoning and sauces is spooned onto a traditional banana leaf that almost covers the whole table. Each precisely placed to be eaten in a specific order according to tradition to maximise the experience - and an experience it is. And we thought the taster menu was a modern day construct!

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TUESDAYS MONDAYS

Millennium Community Centre, Recreation Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow, CM2 9RL 9:00am, 11:00am and 1.00pm Lucy 01245 262457

Springfield Community Centre, Perryfields School, Lawn Lane CM1 7PP 5:00pm and 7:00pm Angie 07814 992628 Saviou Church of Our Saviour, Aston Place Chelmer Village CM2 6ST 5.30pm and 7.30pm Emma 07887 692906 Hatfield Peverel Infant School, Church Road, Hatfield Peverel, CM3 2RP 5.30pm and 7.30pm Lesley 07973 239899 Sandon Village Hall, Woodhill Road, Sandon CM2 7SQ 7:00pm Lucy 01245 262457

Broomfield Village Hall, 158 Main Road, (behind Angel Pub), Broomfield CM1 7AH 3.00pm, 5:00pm and 7:00pm Victoria 07823 441198 Millennium Community Centre, Recreation Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow CM2 9RL 3.30pm, 5:30pm and 7:30pm Samantha 01245 266442

WEDNESDAYS WEDNESD

Church Of St Augustine Of Canterbury, St Augustines Way, Springfield CM1 6GQ 9:30am and 11:30am Emma 07887 692906 Life Church, o Moulsham Street, Hall Street, off Chelmsford CM2 0HG 5:30pm and 7.30pm Angie 07814 992628 Boreham Village Hall, Main Road, Boreham CM3 3JD 5:30pm and 7:30pm New Consultant from 19th October Bobbie 07813 324599 Writtle Community Association, Longmeads House, 12-14 Redwood Drive, Writtle CM1 3LY 5.00pm and 7:00pm Jennifer 07792 516866 Springfield Park Baptist Church, Springfield Park Road, Springfield CM2 6EB 7.30pm New Consultant from 9th November Jane 07960 435604

THURSDAYS

Millennium Community Centre, Recreation Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow CM2 9RL 9.30am Samantha 01245 266442 Newlands Spring Community Hall, Dickens Place, Chelmsford CM1 4UU 5.30pm and 7:30pm Jennifer 07792 516866 North Springfield Baptist Church, Havengore, off Pump Lane, Springfield CM1 6JP 5.30pm and 7:30pm Victoria 07823 441198 SpringHealth Leisure Club, Brian Close, Off Gloucester Avenue, Moulsham Lodge CM2 9DZ 7.30pm Claire 07852 638666

FRIDAYS

The Church Of Ascension, Maltese Road, Chelmsford CM1 2PB 9:15am and 11.15am Samantha 01245 266442

SATURDAYS

Springfield Park Baptist Church, Springfield Park Road, Springfield CM2 6EB 8.30am and 10.30am Emma 07887 692906

St Michael's Church of England, Junior School, Barnard Road, Galleywood CM2 8RR 7:30pm Emma 07887 692906 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 11

What’s On in the Chelmsford Area

October Friday 14th Bassment - Electric Jam with Paolo Morena + Matt Abbott (poet) + Sean Watkins (beatboxer) Civic - Whitney Queen of the Night Cramphron - Carry on Jaywick Fleece - Kinetic Star & Garter - GT40s Saturday 15th Asylum - Nasty High + Bled the Fifth + Taming Addiction + Let’s Build an Empire Bassment - The White Gospel: Album Launch CCFC Away - Gosport Borough v Chelmsford City FC Fleece - 6 String Makeover Star & Garter - The Locals Three Elms - Steak night Sunday 16th Bassment - Sunday Funday Launch! Cinema, Board Games, Video Games, Table Tennis, Hang Out Civic - Andy Fairweather Low and the Low Riders County Hotel - Wedding Fayre Star & Garter - Open mic/jam (3-7pm) Monday 17th Cramphron - Così Fan Tutte (Live from the Royal Opera House) Tuesday 18th Cramphorn - The Nice Guys (15) Wednesday 19th Bassment - Lady Grey & The Earls + Time For 15 + The Insolvents Cramphorn - Lunchtime concert Thursday 20th Asylum - MG Boulter + Alex Fox Bassment - The Witch Kids Single Launch + Vera Lones + Roisin O’Hagan Chelmsford City Racecourse - Race night Civic - Ned Boulting’s Bikeology Cramphorn - The Collector Fleece - Quiz Night Friday 21st Asylum - Up & Go + Pretty Pistol Bassment - Dave Rowntree (Blur) DJ Set Chelmsford City FC - The Jar Family Civic - Steeleye Span in concert Cramphorn - The Collector Fleece - Engine King Edward Grammar School - Rotary Jazz Night (tickets £13 from Civic Theatre Box Office) - bar, bring your own nibbles Star & Garter - Electrum Saturday 22nd The Anchor - Brit Invasion Asylum - Kaine + Winter’s Edge + Memoreve Bassment - Saturdays Alright For Dancin’ CCFC Home - Chelmsford City FC v Hemel Hempstead Town Chelmsford City Racecourse - Race night Civic - Al Murray: Let’s Go Backwards Together Cramphorn - The Golden Age (pre-recorded) Fleece - Dawgfish Star & Garter - Storm Page 12

Sunday 23rd Bassment - Sunday Funday Cramphorn - Unforgettable, The Nat King Cole Story Star & Garter - Open mic/jam (3-7pm) Monday 24th Cramphorn - Sing Street (12A) Tuesday 25th Bassment - Wille & The Bandits Civic - The Illegal Eagles Wednesday 26th Asylum - JAR Records presents: Drive, Raz + Smokey Bandini Bassment - Pepper Collins + We Are All Fossils Chelmsford City Racecourse - Race night Civic - Julian Clary: The Joy Of Mincing (SOLD OUT) Cramphorn - Lunchtime concert Thursday 27th Asylum - The Bridport Dagger +Hands of Kanellos + Leyline Pass Bassment - Stone Thieves + The Southern Generals Chelmsford City Racecourse - Race night Civic - Don’t Dribble on the Dragon Cramphorn - Branagh Theatre Live: The Entertainer Fleece - Quiz Night Star & Garter - Acoustic Jam Friday 28th Anglia Ruskin University - Firewalk for Farleigh Asylum - Khaidian + Metal Castle + Death Valley Knights + Hate Vessel + Distorted Bassment - Reno and Rome + Hot Tramp + Shooty & The Bang Bang + Settle For Less + Luke Fisher Civic - Don’t Dribble on the Dragon Cramphorn - Faustus Fleece - The Strides Star & Garter - Fast on the Draw Saturday 29th Anchor - Halloween Fancy Dress and Karaoke Asylum - Halloween Tim Burton Style: Druids and Party at Your House + Rewind to the 80s DJs Bassment - Frere’s presents Stranger Things Halloween Party CCFC Away - Concord Rangers v Chelmsford City FC Chelmsford City Racecourse - Race night Civic - Joe Brown Cramphorn - Comedy Club 4 Kids Fleece - Cakehole Mafia Star & Garter - Stony Road Sunday 30th Bassment - Sunday Funday Civic - BBC Concert Orchestra Star & Garter - Open mic/jam (3-7pm) Monday 31st Cramphorn - Tale of Tales (15) November Tuesday 1st Civic - Shakespeare Schools Festival Cramphorn - Embrace of the Serpent (12A) Wednesday 2nd Asylum - Grant Sharkey Bassment - Jazz Funk Solar (The Hearn Brothers) Civic - Anastasia (live from the Royal Opera House, London)

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

Wednesday 2nd Continued...

Cramphorn - Lunchtime concert Old Court Theatre - The Unvarnished Truth Thursday 3rd Bassment - Bassment Blues Jam Chelmsford City Racecourse - Race night Civic - Jeremy Hardy Cramphorn - Stunning the Punters Fleece - Quiz Night Old Court Theatre - The Unvarnished Truth Friday 4th Asylum - 2far2jump + Widdershins + A Few Too Many Bassment - Shakey’s Sessions: Rad Pitt + Zen Motel + 3 Foot High Fleece - Voodoo Child Old Court Theatre - The Unvarnished Truth Star & Garter - the Stents Saturday 5th Bassment - The Delta Jacks + Tall Tree Tales + The Hardy Perennials Chelmsford City Racecourse - Race night CCFC Away - Poole Town v Chelmsford City FC Fleece - The Rising Old Court Theatre - The Unvarnished Truth Star & Garter - The Rednotes Sunday 6th Bassment - Sunday Funday Star & Garter - Open mic/jam (3-7pm) Woolpack - GC’s Jazz Club: John Withers Vibraphone & Neale Ridding Trio (8.30pm) Tuesday 8th Civic - Oliver Cramphorn - Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain Wednesday 9th Bassment - Las Kellies (Argentina) + Muertos Civic - Oliver Cramphorn - Lunchtime concert Thursday 10th Bassment - Bassment Acoustic Jam & Open Mic Chelmsford City Racecourse - Race night Civic - Oliver Cramphron - Notes On Blindness (U) Star & Garter - Mojo Moon Friday 11th Asylum - Shakey’s Sessions: Pepper Collins + Sans Wilfred + SickAsFunk Bassment - Rowntree Records Presents: TBC Chelmsford City FC - The Dylan Project Civic - Oliver Cramphron - Mitch Benn: Don’t Believe A Word Fleece - Illicit Star & Garter - Anuva Cover Saturday 12th Asylum - Vienna Ditto + The Silver Medal + Hope For Return Bassment - Tanya Piche Blues Band + Southbound CCFC Home - Chelmsford City FC v Hampton & Richmond Borough Civic - Oliver Cramphorn - The Bright Stream (pre-recorded from the Bolshoi Ballet, Moscow) Fleece - The Repertoire Dogs Star & Garter - Fishing 4 Robots & Solar 9 Sunday 13th Bassment - Sunday Funday

Sunday 13th Continued...

Star & Garter - Open mic/jam (3-7pm) Tuesday 15th Cramphorn - The Full Monty Wednesday 16th Bassment - Blues In The City: Robin Bibi Band + Joe Anderton Civic - Russell Kane: Right Man, Wrong Age Cramphorn - The Full Monty Thursday 17th Asylum - Wolfe Sunday + Mr Happy Chainsaw + Dead Decibels Bassment - Live Indie Rock Cramphorn - The Full Monty Friday 18th Asylum - Lost Revelation + Arcane Militia + Motorcycle Display Team + CreTura Bassment - Mother’s Jam presents: TBC Cramphorn - The Full Monty Fleece - The Stereojacks Star & Garter - The Statins Saturday 19th Asylum - Hell Feeder + Interceptor + See You in Reno Bassment - Secret Company CCFC Away - Bath City v Chelmsford City Civic - The Roy Orbison Story Cramphorn - The Full Monty Fleece - Red Leaf Star & Garter - Indigo Hammer Sunday 20th Cramphorn - Les Contes D’Hoffmann (pre-recorded from the Royal Opera House, London) Star & Garter - Open mic/jam (3-7pm)

Star & Garter Live music every weekend (See listings for gigs)

Real Ale Hand Pull Ciders Free Wifi Free Pool on Monday’s www.facebook.com/star.garter.792

Happy Hour Monday - Friday 5-8pm 159 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford CM2 0LD 01245 690034

Please send us your events for the next edition (for events between 14th October 18th November) to to: editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

Rotary Supports World Polio Day I have written previously about Rotary’s involvement with polio and its campaign to eradicate this crippling and often fatal disease once and for all but there have been recent developments which merit an update of the situation.

World Polio Day is on Monday 24th October and all the main agencies engaged with ending polio will be using the date to highlight how close we are to finally seeing no new cases anywhere on the planet. It was two years ago that Nigeria, one of three remaining endemic countries, saw its last case and so the whole of Africa was declared polio free. However, in July 2016 tragically two new cases came to light and there has now been a third one. Disappointing as this is, it means that it is necessary to redouble efforts and step up the immunisation regime.

In addition, if you would like to find out about Rotary’s other activities locally, visit www.chelmsfordrotary1240.org, or pick up the phone to me on 01245 260 349. I’m always happy to talk and explain how being a Rotarian gives you self-satisfaction and a fulfilling social life at the same time.

Stan Keller

The other two countries where polio is still manifesting itself are Pakistan and Afghanistan and the common denominator of all three is the political situation. The good news is that their governments are now firmly on board and supporting vaccination schemes. You will have read in the press how volunteer vaccinators were murdered in Pakistan and our hearts go out to these brave people who just want to end the misery of children being paralysed when there is no longer a good reason for this to happen.

Rotary has been the driving force behind eradication since 1985 when there were 1,000 new cases every single day - 365,000 cases per year, nearly all of them children - including in the UK. Children spent their lives in hideous iron lungs if they were lucky to survive and lots more walked with metal calipers strapped to their legs.

It’s a long time since Britain experienced a new case and this was achieved through mass immunisation. Rotary has funded vaccination programmes throughout the world ever since and to date this year there have only been 34 cases. So we are very close but as shown in Nigeria, until there are no new cases it is possible for the disease to take a foothold again and spread. It is a virulent virus and only a plane journey away from being transported into countries that have been polio free for many years.

As fear of polio wanes so does awareness, so World Polio Day affords us the opportunity to bring it to the attention of the world. Just this morning as I write this piece I received a letter from a High School in Utah asking how they could help. It is reassuring to hear that the younger generation want to get involved with this campaign. Smallpox is the only other disease that has been eradicated so what a legacy to the world if we can get the job done.

There will be events all over the world and the Rotary Club of Chelmsford will use part of the profits from its Jazz Night to put towards the immunisation programme. Therefore, if you like good jazz or if you would just like to support the scheme, then come along to King Edward Grammar School on Friday 21st October for a great night of live entertainment with the superb Richard Pite Quartet. Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm start. There is a licensed bar, but bring your own nibbles. The school hall will be transformed to exude a night club atmosphere. Tickets available from Civic Theatre Box Office (01245 606 505), online at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres, or from Rotary on 01245 500 347.

Writtle Singers is a small but perfectly formed mixed voice choir dedicated to performing music to the highest standard and enjoying ourselves doing it - that way, we know our audience will enjoy themselves too.

Although Writtle is our home, we come from as far as Southend, Epping and beyond to make music every Monday evening. Our repertoire is varied including some old favorites but also the new and unusual.

We are led by our experienced and talented musical director Christine Gwynn and by workshops with an internationally renowned vocal coach.

We usually perform in All Saints’ Church, Writtle - but occasionally at Chelmsford Cathedral, Ingatestone Hall, Stondon Massey or even in a snowy wood. Over the coming months in this column, we’ll give you an insight into what it’s like to be a Writtle Singer, and some of the fun we have making music.

For more information, visit www.writtlesingers.org.

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Business Interview - Regal Kitchens by Tom Bosher This month I had the pleasure of interviewing John and Emma from Regal Kitchens on Navigation Road. I asked some questions about their business and here’s what they told me.

When did Regal Kitchens first open its doors in Chelmsford?

“We opened in March 2009. It’s proved to be a very good move for us to be in a really vibrant city. Chelmsford is a great place.”

What makes Regal Kitchens stand out from other kitchen retailers?

“Well we’re pleased to be a Which? trusted trader and we were really proud when we recently won the Essex Business Award for our customer service. We offer a bespoke service to all customers and we run a lot of free educational workshops for members of the public as well as the local university. This is something that we really enjoy.

We’re also the only independent retailer in Essex to be awarded the FIRA Gold award for our installations. We believe this sets us apart. All our all customers are added to our IWA deposit protection scheme and this insurance backed guarantee protects our client’s investment.”

What are your are your most popular ranges at this time?

“We’ve found that our painted solid timber doors and gloss ranges still very popular and we can see why.”

What sort of budgets do you cater for?

“We’re happy to help a customer who may just want to do a makeover of their kitchen, this would cost around £4,000 and achieves excellent results. Alternatively there’s a full renovation and remodeling, this would include all the appliances and furniture. The cost for this would typically be £20,000 but could be up to £80,000 depending on the ranges chosen. We feel that we offer real value for money.”

What standards do you look for in the kitchen ranges you supply?

“From our suppliers we would use German cabinets for their durability and rigidity and Italian doors for their aesthetics and design, a perfect marriage of function and form. They are of the highest quality. For us and our clients only the best will do.”

Do you have an in-house design service or is this external?

“Our designers are in-house and all employed by Regal Kitchens.

They have been trained by us to provide our clients with not only a first class but also a consistent service. We offer a free, no obligation quote and design service once our clients have visited one of our showrooms and made their decision. We’re here to help and advise them, after all it’s an important matter when you’re dealing with the heart of the home.”

Can you offer a complete service as in electrical, plumbing, structural changes as well as the kitchens themselves?

“Yes, and much more. Every customer has a project manager who organises and arranges all the other trades and services to minimise any unnecessary hassle. We have also started dealing with extension work to give our clients the best possible service without them having to deal with lots of different builders. It goes without saying that all our trades’ people are fully qualified.”

The kitchen is the heart of the home... Do you feel a huge responsibility in what you do?

“We certainly do. It may surprise you to know that there are roughly 1,000 different components to be found in a customer’s kitchen.

Nowadays there is so much additional building work needed to

transform the space, that we put the onus on ourselves to condense the time scale so that we can manage our clients expectations and give them the service they deserve.”

How important do you feel customer service is and how do you rate yours?

“It’s everything we do, our tagline, ‘where client is king’, is our ethos and everyone involved with Regal adheres to this, giving our customers the best possible service. This is apparent in the level of client referrals we receive as well as our online reviews which really help boost people’s perception of RK and the levels of service we provide.”

Do you have any upcoming events at the showroom?

“Yes we do. On the 3rd November we have a local gluten free spice manufacturer in the showroom giving a cooking demo on how to make the perfect curry. In our Billericay showroom on the 12th November we have a cooking demonstration with an ex Harvey Nichols chef. Finally on the 1st December we have Mourino from Polignano Deli and Neil from the Essex Wine School for an evening of cured meats, cheeses and the wines which compliment them. For details please contact Emma at emma@regalkitchens.net.”

So what is the future for Regal Kitchens?

“Well, we’re moving into the structural building side of our business.

We want to help our customers with their interior design as well their kitchen. Our experience and expertise has shown us that our services don’t have to be limited to the kitchen. We are also looking into manufacturing our own kitchen furniture. This will enable us to provide bespoke furniture to fit unique projects without compromising on quality.”

It was great to find out more about Regal Kitchens and the enthusiastic and highly professional people behind it. It’s yet another example of a thriving and dynamic local Chelmsford business. Why not call in to see them and take a look at their stunning ranges and take advantage of their courses? We’re sure you’ll find it very rewarding.

bestofchelmsford

There aren’t many businesses that don’t need to market themselves in some way, especially if they want to grow. Here at thebestof we offer a way, where we work with our clients on a regular basis. We’re not a web directory, we only want to work with a few businesses in each category. We only want to work with the best businesses in their field and we meet them and see reviews from their customers and clients. Part of what we do for them is to help manage their reputation, letting local people and businesses know what they do and why they’re good at it.

We provide businesses with another platform by giving them a web page on the bestof which links with their own. We make the most of their reviews by posting them on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

We also network on their behalf, showcasing them at expos, supporting their initiatives and publicising their offers and more.

We’re also part of the community, getting news about local events out to local people, giving free use of our events page to clubs, societies, charities and similar organisations. Our village pages also provide additional coverage in Great Baddow, Ingatestone and Stock, Danbury and Bicnacre, South Woodham Ferrers, Hatfield Peverel and Boreham and Burnham on Crouch - helping businesses outside the city to get the message across.

Page 18

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Looking to extend your property?

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Adding an extension may seem daunting but with the right advice you can gain the extra space that you want whilst increasing the value of your home.

Key to achieving success is establishing what works best for you, your property and your budget.

At GPO Designs we'll guide you at each step in the development process from the capturing of initial ideas, the production and refinement of plans and through the planning and building control stages. Understanding a design from conventional line drawings can be difficult which is why we work with a three dimensional design system and produce colour visuals as standard -see examples of previous jobs at our Facebook page www.facebook.com/GPODesigns.

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Our design service starts with a consultation at your property where we discuss and help to develop your ideas.

Measurements and photographs are then taken to allow us to draw up detailed plans. We communicate with you throughout the design process and only once you are completely happy with the design will we then submit the plans to the Local Authority for approval. We produce plans and details for planning permission, permitted development and building regulations applications.

Our aim is to provide a high quality service at the best possible price. We offer fixed rates for our services and these can be found on our website: www.gpodesigns.co.uk. So if you are looking to build a new house, add an extension or a garden room, or if you want a loft, garage or barn conversion, call Mike or George for a free no obligation quote on 01245 835855, or visit our website for further details of our full range of services. We offer daytime, weekend or evening appointments to suit you.

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Page 19

therapy by Jenny Hartill Over the last few articles I’ve been concentrating on various types of anxieties and phobias and how hypnotherapy can be used to help. Although we have now seen a variety of issues that hypnotherapy can assist with, for this month’s article I thought it would be nice to take a break from looking at specific issues and instead take a look at why and when you might see a hypnotherapist.

because even if they are not consciously aware of why they feel this way, they do know on some level that this is not right for them. They do not feel themselves. They feel an improvement can be made.

Crucially - and this really is the crux of why people come to seek therapy - they want to make a change. They want to feel better, they do not want to feel this way anymore. I come across this a lot - but this leads me on to the second item I mentioned above. The ‘when’ to seek therapy. Most clients will seek therapy at a specific time in their lives for the following reasons:

As we have seen over the last couple of years that I’ve been writing these articles, hypnotherapy can be used to treat many different issues, from stress and anxiety and phobias, to weight loss and self esteem issues. Recently I read a disturbing article written by somebody for a mental health charity about some people believing they are not ‘sick enough’ to seek help, or in some circumstances being told that their suffering is unfounded and then informed that they should simply ‘get over it’. What I found the most disturbing about this article was the number of people who’s illnesses and suffering sometimes went undetected by family, friends, GPs and even therapists and this is what has compelled me to write on this subject for this month’s article.

1. They’ve had enough of feeling the way they do. They have literally made a conscious decision that they no longer wish to feel this way and they are seeking help to rectify the situation.

2. A life event has occurred that has switched a light bulb on in full brightness and it will not switch off. They are now consistently aware that their thoughts, feelings and behaviours are not making them happy.

3. They have a goal. Perhaps they are struggling to reach this goal or they don’t know where to start. In this case I would ask the client about their ‘why’ - why this goal and why now. Sometimes a goal could be ‘I’m phobic of lifts and going on holiday - I aim to eradicate my fear of lifts so I don’t have to lug two suitcases that weigh the same as a hippopotamus up twelve flights of stairs!’

Fair enough.

At the end of the day only you know how you feel. Even if you believe you don’t know how you feel, you at least know that you don’t know how you feel and a hypnotherapist can even help with this type of issue. The reason for this is that we are trained to help the client sift through their emotions and to help the client organise their thoughts, feelings and behaviours in such a way that they make more sense to the client. Once this starts to happen, usually the client begins to feel better, purely because things start to make more sense to them.

A hypnotherapist can use hypno-analysis to help the client put things in order by allowing the client to look at their thoughts, feelings and behaviours from a safe place of non-judgement. By this I am not just referring to the client feeling judged by others, more often than not it is actually the client themselves doing the judging and this is predominantly why people often feel confused about they way they think, feel and behave.

The reason that self-judgement affects people in this way is because we really can be our own worst enemy. Whether we judge ourselves to such an extent that we suffer a lowering in our self esteem, or even put ourselves into a box where we ‘feel nothing’, the therapist should be able to pick up on this type of cognition and help the client come to terms with their own self judgement. Let me provide a fictional example: Client A comes to see me because they just don’t seem to get anywhere in life. They believe they have achieved nothing, they are suffering from a lowering of their confidence and esteem and as a result of this are beginning to feel anxious and really quite low. My first question to them would be ‘how do you talk to yourself?’. We all talk to ourselves, we all have conversations/arguments in our heads on a daily basis, whether that’s making decisions or telling ourselves to do something or forming opinions. When Client A starts to tell me some of their cognitions I can tell immediately that they have a very negative view of the world and themselves. They have a voice in their head that is constantly judging them, some of the people in their life unfortunately seem to exacerbate or ‘prove’ this voice to be correct, and this constant self judgement and perceived reinforcement of this judgement by themselves and others has led to a negative view of themselves and the world around them. Put simply.

Client A is constantly thinking about what they don’t have, what they haven’t achieved and all the happy feelings they feel they lack.

Client A’s cognitions are in such a place that, frankly, I am completely unsurprised that they feel the way they do.

The ‘when’ and the ‘why’ to seek therapy is completely up to the client. It is never as simple as ‘oh just pull you socks up’ or ‘it’s not that bad’ etc. If you have tried to explain how you feel to family, friends, GPs and therapists and still feel you are not being heard, perhaps a different type of therapist can help. We should be able to ask the right questions so that you at least feel listened to and understood. Nobody should ever feel they are ‘not sick enough’ to seek therapy.

The very fact you want to feel better is absolutely enough to seek therapy. As I said earlier, only you know how you feel and you absolutely deserve to live and enjoy life to the full. So go for it - us therapists will do everything we can to help you without prejudice, without judgement, and with the passion for helping people feel better and live a more fulfilling life. You get out of life what you put in, sometimes it takes a little more effort, but the long term goals can be amazing and life changing in a positive way. I invested in therapy myself for 2 years, as a result I cured my anxiety and panic disorder, re-trained to become a therapist (my calling in life and a job I love), now own three business including my own private therapy business and an organisation of therapists to whom I provide a flexible room rental service, where we also hold a networking event monthly. Soon I’ll be opening up the CPD Workshop arm of my business. A few years ago I never imagined I would be in this position and it’s all because I decided to change my life and have private therapy. Imagine what private therapy could do for you and what you could achieve...

If anyone is interested in seeing a therapist, I own and run Chelmsford Therapy Rooms. We have a range of therapists that can help with a multitude of issues. We offer many therapies from hypnotherapy to counselling to nutrition. Please see the website www.chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or you can email info@ chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or call 0330 100 5162.

So what do we do to help Client A? Firstly, we have to remember that the reason (the ‘why’) that they have sought therapy at this time is Page 20

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Page 21

Fitness and Well-Being

Why Yoga is my Hero

by Kellie Jones There have been many times in my life when exercise has been my saviour, in fact I believe it was dance that I escaped to for most of the first 20 or so years of my life. But there are some standout occasions that yoga in particular has actually saved me from mostly myself.

had been organised enough to find hotels as near as possible to all the places I wanted to fit in during my stay, (which involves 3 different venues due to the conference I’m teaching at in the middle of my trip).

To be honest, although walking is a phenomenan here in LA, to us Brits it’s no problem, so with my best ‘keep calm and carry on face’ I walked out into the unknown. As part of the Rucksack Project team I can honestly say that Chelmsford’s homeless are luckier than they probably are aware of. There are literally no people in the streets, it’s as if the zombie apocalypse has happened and the only people you see are, well, like the living dead.

Thank you yoga and meditation. Although the streets are unsettling if you aren’t well travelled, a complete contrast between hipster and hobo, I used my sense of awareness, cultivated by regular meditation.

I trust my instincts and it paid off as I found the most awesome juice bar. The owner recommended me to a yoga studio which was the most welcome sanctuary. Wherever you go in the world, yoga is home.

So even though it’s only my first real day here, I am feeling completely different to my initial waking state, mostly due to knowing that yoga was my answer, my saviour, my hero, again.

Watch this space for more tales from LA and Hollywood! In the meantime listen to your instincts and trust them, they may just be telling you to head to Hummingbird!

Today is one of those days as I find myself in a self-induced situation of anxiety as I wake up in a hotel room in Downtown LA on my own with a dead phone and no plug adapter. The lovely hotel staff try their best to help me out with various experiments but it seems I’m broken.

It’s only 7.30am, no shops open yet and having spent a very long time in a shuttle bus getting to my destination the night before, I wasn’t feeling the outside world just yet, preferring the safety of my executive but rather tired hotel room. In fact I admit to feeling a little nervous about being here - what had I done to myself? Well apart from being a little jet lagged, all I had really done was arrive late at night in a place I had only ever seen on cop shows and movies, so I can forgive myself for the nerves.

Kellie x Head to my Instagram, kelliejonesloves77, for more on my LA trip and download our FREE Hummingbird Pilates Yoga app at Apple or Google Play.

Post-coffee and livened up by a shower, (once the hotel staff showed me how to use it - I was very tired), I headed out onto a very empty but sunny sidewalk to search for the nearest office supplies store, which apparently was behind Starbucks, which could be every street corner here! With no sat nav and just my savvy I found it straight away and was like an excited child leaving a toy shop after the helpful store guy made sure it would work for me. Funny how these little modern world devices can install confidence and then just as fast whip it away. I felt a little silly when thinking that once upon a time I would have had a map and a pay phone to rely on. This is where relying on myself suddenly seemed so much more crucial and as soon as I could get onto Google I was searching for yoga studios to help me reconnect with just that.

Before this trip I had been advised to hire a car, I can’t tell you how glad I was that I wasn’t driving the evening of my arrival from the airport, the roads were particularly crazy according to my driver. I had planned my trip around walking, Uber, Lyft and possibly the metro. If you have no idea what Uber and Lyft are, all I can say is that you definitely need a fully charged phone and some Wi-Fi or you’re stuffed! I Page 22

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30 Ne M D w em a C l be ys ien r Un t O (T s & h lim ff C 's i ap p pl f ite er y) o r d £3 5

Pilates, Yoga, Meditation Book your space online or call: Small Classes & 1-2-1’s www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk Inspirational Teachers 01245 422556 Friendly, Community Vibe Reeds Farm Estate, Writtle, CM1 2ST

Perfection is Poison to your Diet Success Google the term ‘diet’ and ‘weight loss’ and page after page after page appears extolling the virtues of diet after diet, most of which are downright ridiculous (as are the credentials of most of their proponents for that matter). Anyway, regardless of which diet you follow, in my experience one of the major reasons why they fail is because people expect perfection. That is when they are on a diet, they are on a diet and they will not deviate from that righteous path. To do so would be regarded as abject failure.

Now this approach is great when everything is rosy and you feel super motivated, but what happens when you’ve had a bad day and your mood is lower than a snake’s belly and your cravings for that chocolate digestive are higher than Pete Doherty on a Saturday night? Simple, you reach for that chocolate topped biccy and munch through it with gusto, and do you stop at just the one? Of course not, just like Taylor Swift and her celebrity boyfriends, you go for another and then another and then another. By this point you’re so upset and despondent with yourself that you are now officially off your diet and end up eating the whole blimmin’ pack of biscuits.

The following morning you wake up with more regrets than a vertigo sufferer who’s just go a job on the waltzer and because you’re now no longer on a diet, you spend the day eating rubbish. A day turns into a week and a week soon becomes a month. Before you know it, you’re back at square one with regards to weight loss - and that’s if you’re lucky. Often, if you’ve followed a fad diet you’re worse off than you were to start with because you’ve ended up losing a lot of muscle mass when trying to shift the fat.

If you adopt this attitude, that anything less than absolute perfection is a failure, unfortunately, just like Danny DeVito entering a high jump competition, you’re pretty much doomed from the start. The trouble

with dieting, as with most things, is that life gets in the way.

So what is the antidote to this perfection poison? It is something called the 80/20 principle, which basically states that if you follow your diet for 80% of the time, the other 20% doesn’t really matter too much, not unless you make it an issue of course. So don’t strive to be perfect all of the time, just most of the time. Think of dieting as learning to ride a bike - you have to expect to fall off now and again!

Another way is not demonising certain foods or food groups. For example, if biscuits weren’t regarded as sinful, perhaps they wouldn’t be the catalyst for binge eating the whole pack. But that’s not to say that biscuits are good for you, of course an apple would be a better option, but then again, eating shed loads of them would have a down side! Perhaps renowned songstress Cheryl (formerly Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, formerly Cheryl Cole, formerly Cheryl Tweedy) summed it up perfectly in her hit song Fight for This Love, when she sang: ‘Too much of anything can make you sick’. As my old nan would say ‘a little bit of everything does you good’.

Thanks for reading.

To book your free trial personal training session, or to book a place at my bootcamp class (every Saturday morning 8.00am at Baddow Recreation Ground) please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Matt matt@mlrpt.co.uk www.mlrpt.co.uk 07939 316 401 www.twitter.com/mlrpt www.facebook.com/mlrpt www.twitter.com/mlrpt

www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 23

Charity of the Month - Kids Inspire

Kids Inspire have been busy this year with the Early Intervention Young People’s Mentoring Programme. This project supports children and young people who need that extra bit of support to get through a difficult period; whether it’s through a transition, a bereavement or something else.

The aim of mentoring is to improve and maintain family stability, resilience and provide early intervention in the face of: • • • •

Breakdown of parental or family relationships.

Conflict within families.

Early emotional distress becoming a complex issue.

Social isolation.

Mentoring is a unique way in which to help. Those who need a positive role model, or a trusting adult relationship, can find this in their mentor, made even more powerful by the fact they are volunteers. Over the last 2 years, many mentors have been matched with young people (mentees) and have developed successful and positive mentoring relationships that have amazing impacts!

“Now I understand how to cope and manage things after all the activities you shared with me and I cannot explain how enlightened it makes me feel.” 17 year old female.

Mentors can use lots of community based activities to help develop the relationship, such as going for coffee, walking the dog, football, attending clubs, farm walks, the park etc. Some of these activities may be completely new to a mentee and so can really broaden their horizon. It enables both mentor and mentee to learn new skills, make friends and try new hobbies.

Kids Inspire are always looking for new mentor recruits and have training booked for the autumn. If you are interested in becoming a mentor to offer time that is meaningful and experiential, then please get in contact with Kids Inspire on 01245 348 707 to receive further information on the next training event.

Mentoring is a proven method to help build confidence and independence in young people, but it also benefits the mentors themselves. Through the use of personal experience, skills and knowledge, it is extremely rewarding to benefit the life experiences of another. The training that Kids Inspire provides develops each volunteer as an individual, drawing out personal attributes that can have a meaningful impact on a young person.

“I was able to provide a listening ear to my mentee of which she didn’t have at home. I was able to mediate between her and her grandparents which meant she felt heard and that her opinion mattered.” - Kids Inspire mentor

To be our charity of the month please email editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

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Spot the Difference - 10 to find - For answers see page 30

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Page 25

The Christy Group Part 2by Stephen Norris William Christy died in 1947 and FF Christy was appointed managing director of Christy and Norris. He had joined the company in 1927 and was appointed to the board in 1934. Christy Brothers had opposed the idea of nationalisation of the electricity supply industry before the war, but in 1948 it was introduced. Christy Brothers Limited immediately lost 80% of its business. This forced a merger of the two separate Christy companies into Christy Brothers (Chelmsford) Limited - a holding company. The financial interests of the two companies were merged by an exchange of shares between Christy and Norris and the new company. Frank Christy became chairman of the Christy Group. This was not the end of the electrical side of the business, the British Electricity Authority allowed the new company to buy back the premises at Broomfield Road together with a number of uncompleted electrical contracts.

In 1958 the group celebrated the centenary of the foundation of the original firm. One family had worked at the Broomfield Road works for all but 20 of the 100 years. RJ Smith worked at Christy and Norris, as did his father and grandfather. JF Mayall, then Works Director, had been with the firm for more than 50 years. With his father, they had between them also completed over 80 years service. Marking the occasion the Essex Chronicle commented: “Nowadays Christy and Norris will build you a milling plant, complete with elevator, conveyors, sifters and separators, which will grind to powder anything but anything.” This could range from pepper to perspex and cardboard to coconut shells.

The nationalisation of the electricity industry was without doubt a blow to the electrical wing of the group, but it was able to put its efforts into general contracting work. It did a wide variety of overhead line and underground cable work. The fact that an increasing number of colonies were getting independence enabled the firm to get a number of electricity supply installation orders abroad. At home the firm became well known for producing and installing floodlights, being responsible for those at almost 200 football clubs, including Chelmsford City. The company lit Southend and Luton Airports and Lowestoft, Felixstowe, Ipswich and Tilbury Docks. It also made and erected the lighting systems for a number of cathedrals, including Westminster, Canterbury and Chelmsford. Similar work was carried out at various British Steel and British Coal sites. In 1952 Christy’s took on the responsibility for the electricity supply of Alderney. The island, not being part of the United Kingdom, was not supplied by the nationalised concern.

In 1957 the Playle Company of Maldon became a wholly owned subsidiary of Christy Brothers. The company specialised in refrigeration and produced display cabinets and manufactured and installed cold rooms. It also serviced and maintained refrigeration equipment. Seven years earlier Christy Brothers had started a retail shop at 95 High Street. It sold electrical goods including sets and radios and repairs were carried out at the back. The motor trade division was also carried on after the Second World War. It supplied garages with a wide range of accessories and also included a brake lining service. Although much of this diversification was successful for a while, it made the group more difficult to manage.

By the 1960s it was obvious that the company was doing less well than previously. Dividends were down and in some years absent. It was probably dissatisfaction amongst shareholders that prompted the group to commission a thorough investigation into the running of the company. The resulting report must have made difficult reading for the company’s directors. It was produced by the management consultants H Whitehead and Partners and should have resulted in a much leaner and more efficient group of companies.

A major fault identified in all parts of the company was a lack of standardisation. Individual draughtsmen worked to their own ideas rather than a basic plan. With the exception of the ‘X’ mill no new designs had been produced in recent years. “The lack of anything which looks new must have made the work of the sales team more

difficult.” This may have been partly caused by friction between the chief draughtsman and his deputy. To remedy this, the report recommended the appointment of a new chief designer.

It would have also helped the sales department if it had standardised products to sell. Greater sales would have helped fill the one third of capacity that was unused. The sales staff were also underpaid, which must have been de-motivating. Although sales was one of the best organized departments, it didn’t feed information on future sales through to the manufacturing departments.

The report said the Christy and Norris electrical part of the works was of modern design with high quality machine tools, but could still be more efficient. Christy and Norris’ output had declined over the previous three years and there had been a big and unnecessary increase in the sub-contracting out of work. This was apparently the only way it could meet delivery dates.

The report was most vicious in its assessment of managerial ability in the group: “We consider that with the exception of the foundry, there is a complete lack of managerial ability from the top to the bottom.”

There were, for example, personality differences between the Works Manager and the Managing Director. The group had Process Planning and Production Control departments which sounded advanced, but the report commented: “It is sufficient to say at this point that in our opinion they are a mess and virtually useless.”

The foremen were old and loyal servants but “unfortunately the foreman is an important link in the management chain and this link is very weak indeed.” All three foremen would need to be replaced if the works were to be placed on a really efficient basis. The status of the shop floor supervisor had to be raised if higher standards were to be set.

No studies were carried out of the methods of production used. The foremen attempted to load the machine shop which should have been the function of Production Control. Vital job cards for individual operations were often lost. “A considerable proportion of raw stock and materials is uncontrolled.” The stock figures on records were known to be wrong and there was no list of shortages. The Production Controller needed replacing. There was no system of pre-allocation of work and materials which was essential in a business where small batch production was mixed with special contracts. The large amount of overtime done did not match the amount of extra work completed.

Even the foundry, where the manager was effective, was probably overstaffed.

The electrical wing of the group came out better in the report. Its workshop was fully competitive, with the switchgear and electrical control panel activities doing well and being capable of expansion.

This indeed was part of the problem because the group should have been concentrating more on these activities, which would require greater space and resources. For this to happen it was recommended that the Manufacturing and Sales departments of Christy Brothers and Christy and Norris should be merged and that all of the present workshop building should be given over to switchgear and control panels. These changes would necessitate a sales plan with targets, dates and sale cost budgets.

The report recommended a streamlining of most of the other diverse elements of the group, in particular the refrigeration business, should be sold unless profits improved within two years. It was doubted whether the shop was of much value to the firm. Its sale would release cash for other activities. Whitehead was impressed by the running of the motor trade division but thought it should have been made into a separate company.

Despite these swingeing criticisms the report was still enthusiastic about the future of the company if its weaknesses were overcome.

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A fifty percent increase in production should have been possible with only a small increase in costs. Such a wide ranging conglomerate needed overall co-ordination and there was a desperate need for new expertise to be brought in. At that time directors and management had no idea how their responsibilities had been fulfilled until four months after the end of the financial year. A ‘root and branch’ change of management was probably needed from the Managing Director down.

Many of the recommendations of the report were ignored. A friendly atmosphere existed in the business between senior employees who were co-operative and hard working but this continued to mask a serious lack of competition between the units. The group seemed to still be run on the basis of ‘you keep off my back and I’ll keep off yours’. The fact that the report had indicated that the group was vulnerable to a take-over unless there was a fundamental change to its approach to profitability and the return on its capital, still failed to force the Director’s hand.

Some of the easier changes were carried out. The refrigeration business was sold but at too low a price and the shop property was sold to Pope and Smith for £90,000. Six years later it would have fetched six times the price. The successful motor trades division was also sold off in the later 1960s despite the report’s recommendations.

In 1967 however, Christy’s obtained its largest ever contract from a Liverpool company for an automatic feed plant. The order benefited both Christy and Norris and Christy Brothers. Three months later though, it was decided to close the iron foundry - it was maintained that it had become uneconomic and that castings could be obtained cheaper from reliable suppliers.

August 1973 saw the death of Frank Fell Christy. During the Second World War after leaving the engineering industry because of its association with armaments, he had worked long hours on his Great Baddow farm. This farm also provided employment for others who objected to violence. After the war he was Managing Director of Christy and Norris for many years and Chairman of the Christy Group until 1960. He was a keen President of the Christy Sports and Social Club and edited the works magazine the Christy News. Frank Fell Christy was also President of the Chelmsford Engineering Society for over ten years. He was a prison visitor for thirty years and served on the Free Church Council.

Occasional big orders couldn’t mask the group’s underlying problems.

In 1970 Christy and Norris produced 76 giant hoppers for a Unilever subsidiary and in 1972 the group were carrying out floodlighting projects for British Rail. They lit up Parkeston Quay in Harwich for the new Sealink passenger terminal. Christy and Norris hit a new export record in 1973 and landed a £500,000 order to supply machinery and electrical control equipment for nine new feed mills in Turkey.

The following year they clinched a one million pound order for seven animal feed plants in Iraq.

There were, however, redundancies as the firm’s difficulties grew and in 1975 alone, 66 were released. There was an attempt not to affect production staff. In 1974 the firm had to give assurances they were not considering pulling out of the town after a dispute over insufficient parking for employees around the Broomfield works.

A possible takeover had already come to nothing in 1973 when a firm called Byrne Brothers had purchased a significant number of Christy shares. This came after electrical contracting had had two good years. Christy’s bought Byrne Investment Management to regain complete control but BIM’s losses wiped £157,000 off the group’s £202,000 profit in March 1974. In 1977 both Christy Electrical and Christy and Norris enjoyed a short lived boom with each taking on skilled workers. Christy and Norris received a £825,000 order for a feed mill in Stroud. Christy Electrical put their electronic equipment www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 27

into one of the largest cargo handling systems in the world at Taiwan’s Keeling Harbour. A belated attempt was made to make the wage structure at the group more competitive with the big three firms in the town.

By 1980 a major shake up at the firm had become inevitable. The group had 350 workers but had lost £119,000 in the last nine months of 1979. There had been no dividend since 1978. Losses were blamed on recent industrial disputes. The Board of Directors recommended to shareholders that they accept the offer of Jim Dyer on behalf of a consortium, when this went through Dyer said that the company had to be made profitable and before the end of the year, workers at the group were on a three day week because of the recession. They had already lost 80 further workers and the order book was continuing to fall. It was rumoured the consortium was looking for a new buyer. The following year however, with the upturn in economic conditions, Christy’s returned to full time working though there were still 24 redundancies. The firm had received a government subsidy for short time working for the previous eight and a half months. In July 1981, order books were still not back to the level of 18 months previously, though a number of orders from Africa however, safeguarded jobs. The largest of these was for the supply of hammer mills for grinding maize and was worth £60,000 and another order was for a tea processor in Zambia worth £50,000. As a result, the company announced a profit for the first time in years.

In the following two years the company had shrunk further and the 350 employees of 1980 had fallen to just 121. The group’s operations were moved to the back of the factory and four of twelve units were leased to small companies.

In 1985 following an amalgamation with R Hunt and Co, Christy’s left their Broomfield Road site and production was moved to Christy Hunt Engineering Ltd at Earls Colne. This was also closed in 1988 after a takeover by Bentall-Simplex of Scunthorpe and a small part of the original business moved to Scunthorpe. The Broomfield Road site quickly became derelict but eventually was converted into a pleasant housing development - Broomfield Court. In the new millennium the name Christy and Norris could still be found on manholes and grates.

This sad end to a once proud company, after a history going back almost 130 years, was perhaps inevitable. The radical changes needed for the firm to progress further in the harsh business environment of the late twentieth century were never likely to come from within a firm so steeped in the family traditions of caring and benevolence.

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Wildlife Corner by Nick Green September again enjoyed some warm weather but little rain - even the farmers were complaining! - but typically temperatures returned to the low 20 degrees Centigrade (C).

In Essex, we are more likely to encounter the kestrel (old name Windhover) at roadsides as it hovers over grassy banks looking for rodent prey (voles and shrews). It is a concern that the species has been listed as Amber due to a population decline according to the BTO (blx1. bto.org/birdfacts/ results/bob3040. htm). The RSPB lists concerns for habitat change, lack of prey due to rodenticides, increasing competition from other raptors and even climate change. The current British population was estimated to be 45,000 pairs in 2009.

Male kestrel, copyright Jeff Delve Essex Wildlife clubs include: Essex Birdwatching Society: www.ebws.org.uk

Family Friendly Jokes Why do bees have sticky hair?

Because they use honeycombs!

Why was the man running around his bed?

He wanted to catch up on his sleep!

What’s black and white, black and white, black and white?

A penguin rolling down a hill!

Why do cows wear bells?

Because their horns don’t work!

What is owned by you but mostly used by others?

Your name!

Which is the flower on face?

Tu - lips!

Can a leopard hide anywhere?

No, he is always spotted!

What happens to a refrigerator when you shut off its power?

It loses its cool!

RSPB: www.rspb.org.uk/groups/chelmsford Essex Field Club: www.essexfieldclub.org.uk Essex Wildlife Trust: www.essexwt.org.uk/get-involved/local-groups/ chelmsford Recent Essex Wildlife News The most noteworthy September 2016 bird news showed: Autumn passage truly was underway with birds heading south to Africa. Unusual visitors included an American lesser yellowlegs at Vange Marsh (to 5th) and Colchester Hythe (from 18th). Scarce migrants included wrynecks, pectoral sandpiper at Blue House Farm Essex Wildlife Trust and an osprey at Fingringhoe Wick Essex Wildlife Trust into October, plus temminks and little stints at Hanningfield Reservoir.

Nationally, in Cornwall the dalmatian pelican (now in Devon) and Hudsonian whimbrel. The western purple swamphen is still present on a reserve near Scunthorpe! A first for Britain, an American western kingbird turned up on Barra in the Western Isles (fleeing to South Uist after all the twitchers) with a yellow-billed cuckoo on Lewis.

hire · sales · install · events

01245 863 863

sales@eventsoundandlight.com www.eventsoundandlight.com

Why do storks stand on one leg only?

If they lifted that, they would fall down!

Which lottery did the broom win?

The sweepstakes!

What sound do the porcupines make when they kiss each other?

Ouch!

What do you call a bear with no socks on?

Bear-foot!

What made the baby strawberry cry?

When he saw his parents were in a jam!

What has a back with four legs and no body?

A chair!

What type of trees comes in pairs?

Pear Trees!

Who won the race between the lettuce and the tomato?

The lettuce was a ‘head’ and the tomato was trying hard to ‘ketchup’!

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Stargazing with Mark Willis - September/October 15th October - Looking east, the planet Uranus is in opposition today, so now is a good time to observe it. Sadly, the planets are making us work hard at the moment. Most of them are not favourable for observation. Although a naked eye object, Uranus is very faint.

Binoculars are best and a telescope is even better. Find the Moon and Uranus lies at 10 O’clock with respect to the Moon.

Looking west is the star Vega. Astronomers believe that images received seem to indicate a planetary system undergoing formation there. Vega used to be the northern pole star back in 12,000 BC and it will be again in the year 13,727. Vega lies at a distance of 25 light years so if they’ve been able to watch our TV, it’s Brittas Empire and Soldier, Soldier...

Looking south west a little lower in the sky is the star Altair. Altair is one of the few stars that astronomers have imaged, so we can see what its surface might look like. It does a complete rotation in 6 hours, in comparison our sun rotates once every 27 days at its equator, but only once in 31 days at its poles. This causes the star to be oblate (looking like the shape of a tangerine). Altair is 16 light years from us so they’ll be watching Goodness Gracious Me, Family Guy and The League of Gentlemen.

The Taurid Meteor Shower peaks in the first week of November.

The Taurids are an annual meteor shower associated with the comet Encke. Because of their occurrence in late October and early November, they are also called Halloween fireballs.

The Leonid Meteor shower peaks around 17th November. The Leonids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Tempel-Tuttle.

You won’t need binoculars or a telescope, just a deckchair and some hot coffee.

New Moon on October 30th and November 29­- These dark skies give you an excellent opportunity to seek out those distant planets, galaxies and meteor showers.

As usual, email me with any questions or call me on the show.

Mark Willis presents Willis Wireless every Monday at 7pm on Chelmsford Community Radio.

Web: www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com Twitter: @WillisWireless Email: mark.willis@chelmsfordcommunityradio.com

CHRISTMAS TREES ALREADY! In the shops, Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier every year and carols in October do seem a little over the top, but it’s never too early to plan your Christmas outings. So here is one for your diary...

2016 the year of the tree - and if you have visited before, come again - 10am till 5pm on Saturday 3rd December and 12noon till 5pm on Sunday 4th December.

On December 3rd and 4th there is a fantastic opportunity to get your Christmas celebrations under way. All Saints Church in Writtle will be full of Christmas trees each one individually designed and decorated by village clubs, organisations, businesses and individuals. The whole building will be a sparkling, glittering explosion of Christmas atmosphere. Come vote for your favourite tree. The festival will be a musical delight with the Chelmsford Community Gospel Choir, Writtle Handbell Ringers, Writtle Singers and others providing a carolling backdrop.

The Craft Fair is open on Saturday from 10am till 4pm only. It’s a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.

For more details call John Howden on 01245 422 023. The festival website is www.gosaints.co.uk and you can follow us on Facebook @ AllSaintsWrittle.

As well as the trees, on Saturday 3rd December there is to be a Christmas Craft Fair in the Writtle Christian Centre (alongside the church). All sorts of ideas for that unusual and unique present to delight the eye and to suit every pocket.

Win a Christmas hamper, purchase an exclusive All Saints Church tea towel and top your visit off with a cup of tea or coffee and some homemade cake - and there are light lunches available on the Saturday. Not bad for £2.50 a head!

If you have never been to a Christmas Tree Festival, come and make

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