The City Times - October/November 2021

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The City Times

Including: Boreham, Broomfield, Danbury, Great Baddow, Maldon, South Woodham Ferrers, The Walthams and Writtle 10,000 copies per month Issue Number 95 - October 14th - November 17th 2021

One From the Heart in association with Chelmsford City Theatres present

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City Times Intro

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The next edition will be the last full edition before Christmas, so if you wish to advertise your pub, restaurant or event over the Christmas period - then this will be the ideal edition for you!

To publicise your business or event, please contact us using the details below.

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

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City Times Food: How to Eat Local Food in Season - By Lisa Whittle As the abundance of summer has turned to the harvest festival of autumn, it’s a good time to reflect on the benefits of eating local in season food. This is because this season beyond all others has the greatest number of fruits, vegetables and other food products that are ripe and ready to eat. You will know this if you grow your own produce in your garden, your allotment, on a balcony or even windowsill.

So-called ‘seasonal food’ grown locally has a number of benefits.

According to the Japanese macrobiotic approach of eating simple, healthy food in harmony with nature, if we eat local food that is in season we naturally give our body what it needs in terms of nutrients - what is in season matches what we need. Eating locally in season also means that ‘food miles’ (concerns about the environmental cost of transport of food over long distances) are far less. For example, if we stick to UK cabbage and Brussels sprouts in the winter instead of green beans flown in from Kenya, we reduce our carbon footprint.

Eating local, seasonal food is often a money saver too, especially if you buy direct from the grower at farm shops and farmers markets.

Perhaps the iconic vegetable of the month of October is the pumpkin.

Perhaps this is not so much primarily for eating nowadays but rather for Halloween decorations.

Nevertheless, the succulent orange flesh dug out of the centre can be used to make the most delicious pumpkin soup. The same can be said for squashes and gourdes - all types can be used interchangeably for pumpkin soup.

All of these are in season now Artichoke, beetroot, broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, celeriac, celery, chillies, courgettes, cucumber, fennel, garlic, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce and salad leaves, marrow, onions, parsnips, peppers, potatoes (maincrop), pumpkin, radishes, rocket, runner beans, shallots, swedes, sweetcorn, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild mushrooms, apples, bilberries, blackberries, damsons, elderberries, figs, grapes, pears, plums, quince, raspberries, redcurrants, chestnuts, chives, cob nuts (hazelnuts) , coriander, oregano, parsley (curly), parsley (flat-leafed), rosemary, sage, sorrel, thyme, walnuts.

• • •

October 17th Hylands Estate: Farmers & Craft Market, 10am4pm.

November 21st Hylands Estate: Farmers & Craft Market, 10am4pm.

1st Sunday of each month in Chelmsford High Street - Farmers Market 10am-4.30pm.

Local Farm Shops Manor Farm Shop: Maldon Road, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, CM2 7DQ. Barleylands Farm Shop: Billericay, CM11 2UQ. Lathcoats Farm Shop: Beehive Lane, Chelmsford, CM2 8LX (Pumpkin Festival, October 18­th-30­th for pick-your-own pumpkins and pumpkin carving workshops - booking required).

Humphreys C & Sons: Blixes Farm, Chelmsford, CM3 2BH. Stockbrook Farm Shop: Stock Road, Stock, Ingatestone, CM4 9PQ. Useful websites for inspiration for seasonal food: • eattheseason.co.uk • bbc.co.uk/food/seasons • lovebritishfood.co.uk/whatsinseasonwhen

Here’s a great recipe for hearty, warming, pumpkin soup - great for the season (serves 4): • 1kg of pumpkin.

• 2 shallot onions.

• 75g of fresh ginger (or pre-chopped).

• A few sprigs of fresh herbs such as chives, mint.

• Oil. • 1 litre of veg stock (or chicken stock).

• 125 ml coconut milk.

• ½ tablespoon chili powder.

• 1 lime.

Place the chopped pumpkin flesh, shallots, ginger and some oil, such as coconut oil, in a pan. Sauté until soft. Add the chicken or vegetable stock (better than water for a depth of flavour), coconut milk and chilli powder. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes. Blitz in a food processor (or use a stick blender in the pan), then serve with the fresh herbs, lime juice and a splash of coconut milk (or cream/sour cream/crème fraîche).

You can also add a green Granny Smith apple to give your soup an extra zing of sourness, and/or use chopped leeks instead of onions.

Spices such as coriander and cumin work well with pumpkin, as does cinnamon, nutmeg and roasted garlic.

If you are using squash and the skin is hard work to remove from the flesh, try roasting it as a few pieces in the oven for 30 minutes with a drizzle of oil on top. The flesh will then come away easily from the skin and the roasting of the flesh adds to the flavour of the soup.

Pumpkin soup can be frozen for 2-3 months, but best to leave out any cream and add that when you decide to heat and serve. Freeze from room temperature.

Local Farmers Markets Page 4

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Page 5

Nick’s Music and Ramblings Hello and here we are in autumn already. I hope you are all doing well and keeping safe? I have managed to get out to a non-music event for once - unusual I know! I went to the Mind, Body & Spirit event at Chelmsford Racecourse and I am really pleased I did. I took a good friend who is into all of this and she loved it.

more acts that we are just wating to confirm who we will announce as soon as we are able to. Besides this, we are also looking into some small festivals at the social club - plans are afoot for this.

I was a little surprised at the size of it all and the huge amount of people who attended. Talking to the organiser, he said the previous day had been even busier. There was a wide variety of different things to see and experience, from workshops, live music, food stands and clothing, as well as what I think you would expect - like crystal stands, jewellery, massages, healing of all types and tarot readings and just so much more. We spent a good few hours there and could have spent even longer as I found it very informative and came away feeling good and refreshed.

I know it is not for everyone, but I would say it is worth going to one of these types of events. Go with an open mind and maybe you will come away as l did feeling really pleased and refreshed.

I also had the One Tree Hillbillies play at the RHP Bowls Club off St Fabians Drive in Chelmsford the other Monday. They were a lot of fun!

Next, on Saturday 23rd October we have Fire & Water playing - Fire & Water are Trevor Gentry and Belinda Barnes. Entry will only be £5 and there is good parking and a well-stocked and well-priced bar. The event will start at 7.30pm.

I wrote in the Moulsham Times this month about my campaign to get Chelmsford a large event space. I said in that article that this is my last ditch attempt. I have tried both the County Council and City Council over the years but never been able to get even a meeting with any of them. My idea is that we create a large space to accommodate up to 3,000 people - the space would be able to subdivide into smaller areas and be useful for entertainment of all types, plus conferencing, exhibitions and sporting events and much more.

Around the outside there’d be a host of independent units and parking that could be on top and/or below. I feel this would encourage people to visit our city and subsequently make use of the hotels, shops and restaurants and pubs, so creating more employment as well. To finance it I suggested partnerships with O2, Virgin, Eddie Stobart and the likes. Sadly, it seems to be non-starter as no one even wants to talk or listen which I don’t get, as at present there is nothing to really attract people to visit our city. It’s been a good few years of trying to get someone to even listen, let alone meet with me. If you are interested or think you could help then email me at nick@itsyourmedia.co.uk, or my mobile number is on page 3.

We want to hear from you - me especially - regarding an entertainment/arts centre for our city to help make us a true, worthy Essex county city.

I have now had both jabs and l will have the booster when offered. I have also had my annual flu jab, and besides the normal ‘old geezer ailments’, I am feeling pretty good. I hate this getting old lark; why can’t we have all the ailments while we are younger and fitter so we can enjoy our senior years even more? That aside, I am now regressing and misbehaving as much as I can (within so-called reason anyway).

We have had some great shows in the past, like The Animals, Albert Lee, and Connor Selby. All were great and everyone is loving it at the Chelmsford Social Club. The venue is excellent, as are the staff and members. We hope this is the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship.

We have a great line-up of acts coming up at the Social Club as well. One to mention in particular is Kossoff The Band Play On. Do you remember Free and All Right Now? Well Paul Kossoff was the guitarist who later went on to form Back Street Crawler. Paul sadly is no longer with us but Terry Slesser who was the singer continues with this great band which keeps his name. He will no doubt be telling us all some great stories as well. For this show they are being joined on bass by John (Rhino) Edwards - yes he of Status Quo fame. He is also the cousin of the drummer that is Clive Edwards (UFO, Thin Lizzy, Wild Horses, Rainbow, Scorpions). On keys will be Mark Taylor, with John Buckton on guitar - the man that Andy Fraser and Simon Kirk both said that if Free were to come back, he would be their choice to take the place of Paul Kossoff.

Please note that the gig for Friday 8th October with Eddie and the Hot Rods and Dept S has been rescheduled to 28th January.

There is of course lots more going around the city, with Hot Box being very active along with a few other venues in and around us. I know that quite a lot happens in Maldon as well, so keep your eyes on social media where you will find lots of information.

If you have anything to say or an event to publicise, then please send it to the editorial email address below. It would be fantastic if you could share our magazines the City Times and Moulsham Times with others too. We continue to publish both magazines in print and online at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia. If you are interested in advertising with us please contact us at ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk, or if you have a comment or an article, please send to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk and we will reply to you as soon as we can.

For all my updates and information on Black Frog Presents shows and more, just go to www.linktr.ee/BlackFrogPresents or scan the QR code in my poster in this magazine.

Music We have had to postpone Kokomo in December due to some members being on tour with other acts around the world. Playing instead we have a great act - the voice of Kokomo, Tony O’Malley with his own band. So it is still going to be a great soulful/funky night and we still have 5.com opening on the night. Tickets are just £12. Your Kokomo tickets remain valid for the new date of Saturday 12th March 2022 with the whole band confirmed.

So far for 2022 we also have confirmed The Rolling Clones for Friday 21st January, Cregan & Co (Jim Cregan, Rod Stewart, Cockney Rebel & Family) for Friday 18th March, The Electric Strawbs on Friday 3rd June, Lindisfarne on Friday 23rd September, Albert Lee on Friday 14th October and Connor Selby for Friday 9th December. We have a good few Page 6

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City Times Gardening This is the perfect time to start to scour garden centres and nurseries for fresh new plantings of trees and shrubs, plus a few perennials.

Here are a few favourite autumn colour trees and shrubs.

Trees • Acer campestre.

• Acer griseum.

• Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’.

• Malus x zumi.

‘Golden Hornet’.

• Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’.

Check out this link for the perfect planting technique: www.rhs.org. uk/advice/profile?pid=237.

For those with herbaceous perennials, this can be a busy time of the year. Don’t be so keen to cut them all down as a number develop great displays of seed heads and colour changes to foliage. This is especially true for the likes of Hylotelephium (syn. Sedum) and a huge range of grasses.

Check out these other classics: •

Shrubs • Callicarpa bodinieri var giraldii ‘Profusion’.

• Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’.

• Hamamelis x intermedia.

• Rosa rugosa.

• Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’.

•

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Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii.

Hylotelephium (Herbstreude Group).

‘Herbstfreude’.

Aster amellus ‘Veilchenkönigin’ (syn. ‘Violet Queen’).

Liriope muscari.

Echinacea purpurea.

Plus these ornamental grasses: • Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’.

• Anemanthele lessoniana.

• Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’.

• Miscanthus sinensis ‘China’.

• Festuca glauca • ‘Elijah Blue’.

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

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Happy gardening and keep safe!

For any gardening tips, please contact Tom Cole, Horticultural Lecturer, Capel Manor College, Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 4RQ by post (including SAE), or by email at tom.cole@capel. ac.uk.

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Page 8

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Beauty and the Beast: An Enchanting New Family Pantomime In all the decades of staging pantomimes here in Chelmsford, Beauty and the Beast has never been produced at the Civic, and we are so excited for it’s debut this year in association with our long running partners, One From The Heart. This enchanting new family pantomime will run from Friday 26th November until Monday 3rd January in 2022 at the Civic Theatre.

Ten years ago, a prince would regularly hold lavish and elegant parties at his grand castle. On a treacherous night, an old lady knocked on the magnificent palace doors for shelter. The prince, selfish and unkind, turned the woman away and sent her back into the bitter storm. Before his eyes, she turned into a beautiful enchantress and cast a spell on the castle, transforming the prince into a terrifying beast and his rather fabulous personal stylist Mizzo into his equally fabulous magic mirror.

All that can reverse the spell is for the beast to find love and have his love returned by another before his 30th birthday. If he can’t achieve this by the time the decade has passed, the beast will die. Feeling helpless with the deadline fast approaching and only his magic mirror to keep him company, the beast resigns himself to his inevitable demise.

In a nearby village, the kind and spirited Belle spends her days dreaming of an adventurous new life. Her loving father, the inventor Monsieur Labonté, would do anything to make his daughter happy, but is struggling to pay the bills due to their greedy landlord increasing the rent. Seeing both father and daughter suffering, the wicked landlord offers to solve all their money woes in exchange for Belle’s hand in marriage. Determined to make enough money to free them from this evil plan, Monsieur Labonté is tricked into going into the haunted forest to make his fortune.

When he doesn’t return, a worried but brave Belle heads into the forest to investigate and stumbles across an enchanted castle, a

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The prince and his Magic Mirror taken at Hylands House, Chelmsford figure who hides in the shadows, and an adventure beyond her wildest dreams.

Throw in some friendly villagers, a larger-than-life dame and a best friend to help save the day and you have the perfect components for a panto that’ll entertain the whole family this Christmas!

This amazing story of love and transformation will have absolutely everything audiences have come to expect from a traditional Civic pantomime, including fantastic sets, bewitching costumes, roofraising songs and heaps of magic.

To book your tickets, visit chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres, call 01245 606 505, or visit The Civic Theatre in person: Civic Theatre, Fairfield Road, Chelmsford, CM1 1JG.

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Page 9 www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk Page 9

Regal Kitchens - Case Study

Mr and Mrs S - New Kitchen in Ramsden Bellhouse, Essex Mr and Mrs S had an old MFI kitchen which was 12 years old which really needed to be replaced. They had already seen a nationwide competitor and really were not happy with the design they had put forward. Mr S remembered how helpful Regal were when he only wanted to buy some panels for his old kitchen some time before, and decided to give us a try.

Mr S enjoys cooking for the entire family and all family members like entertaining, so having a single, built-under oven simply wasn’t enough.

Purchasing a combi and warming drawer as well as a 71-litre slide-andhide Neff oven really allowed them to ‘cook up a storm’ in their new kitchen.

We originally looked at a large island with seating, but it felt like the kitchen flow would be interrupted with people eating in front of the ovens, so we opted for one island for food preparation and a second island purely for seating, storage and entertaining.

As the kitchen was so large, it was felt that one colour would appear too repetitive, so timber painted Dust Grey was selected for the main kitchen furniture, accented with Grey Mist on the islands, topped with Cambria Quartz.

We continued the theme throughout the utility room and even a small area next to the kitchen in the corridor that leads to the dining room and wine cellar.

Our happy client has commented: “Overall, Regal Kitchens really have the recipe for a great design.” www.regalkitchens.net

Page 10

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City Times Finance

Salary Sacrifice: What Is It and Should You Consider It?

Health and social care sectors have been notoriously underfunded for some time and in the wake of the pandemic, the decision by the Chancellor to announce 1.25% increase to National Insurance has yielded many questions. Today we are going to look at one scenario to find out what can be done, how and why.

Let’s start with pensions; some of us are saving into them, some of us are already benefiting from them, but none of us can afford to be complacent!

One neat option, salary sacrifice, may be just the tool for you. As the name suggests the idea is to ‘give up’ part of your salary in exchange for pension contributions. In effect this alters the way that your Income Tax and National Insurance rates are calculated.

Under the salary sacrifice arrangement, your salary is directly reduced by the chosen amount and that is paid straight into your pension scheme. Only once this has occurred, then the National Insurance Contributions are calculated and paid on the new salary amount, resulting in lower bills for both you as well as your employer.

Another way to view salary sacrifice is to realise that using the same starting figures, it is possible to achieve two different aims.

Edith is a basic rate taxpayer with a salary of £32,000 per annum.

She has decided to opt for salary sacrifice and her goal is to take home the same monthly pay as pre-salary sacrifice. With the help of her financial adviser, she will be able to achieve this as well as use the resulting National Insurance savings to benefit from increased pension contributions.

Rufus, her colleague, receives the same salary and he too has opted for salary sacrifice. But in his case, when he gives up his chosen

amount without any Income Tax or National Insurance being due on this sum, his wish is to maintain the same pension contributions as before but increase his take home pay.

Whilst it can be a great way of securing a bigger pension pot or maintaining it at a certain level, there are downsides as well - discuss these with your independent financial adviser who will be able to provide you with suitable advice. In a nutshell, if choosing salary sacrifice be mindful of the fact that other benefits linked to your salary such as life insurance, gym membership or childcare vouchers will be effected. Mortgage is another one; due to the altered salary amount, the size of possible borrowing will reflect this change.

Salary sacrifice is one of the options to consider in the light of the proposed National Insurance rises from next tax year but as always, your financial adviser will be able to assess your personal circumstances and work with you to achieve your aims, in retirement and now.

Silvia Johnson BSc(Hons) DipPFS EFA CertCII (MP) is a Director & Independent Financial Adviser at Royale Thames Wealth Ltd. www.royalthameswealth.co.uk silvia@royalthameswealth.co.uk 020 8720 7249 / 07908 109 741 Royale Thames Wealth Ltd is an Appointed Representative of New Leaf Distribution Ltd which is authorised and regulated by Financial Conduct Authority number 460421.

The value of your investment may go up as well as down and the value is not guaranteed. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.

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Parish Councils Consultation At a special meeting of the City Council on 22nd September, the Liberal Democrat Administration agreed to continue the consultation on changes to parish boundaries throughout the city of Chelmsford.

Readers will have been advised that changes were proposed for some parts of the city, but it is only now that full details have been published and these are on the council’s website - www.chelmsford. gov.uk/cgr.

This allows you to make comments on the proposed changes and it is important that you do so, but what is missing in the consultation is the cost of this exercise and what the advantages and disadvantages are for residents.

For example, some new parishes are proposed, but no indication is given of where they would meet and how they would be funded.

Where will new parish councillors be found when many of the proposals show that there is already a shortage of people wishing to take on this role and suggest reducing the number of councillors?

precept of around £200 per year. Parish councils do an excellent job, but are the residents being moved into to Springfield being given all the facts so that they can respond? These points will be raised at Cabinet on 12th October.

Residents of those areas most affected are due to receive a letter or leaflet from the City Council, but no list of where these letters will be sent has been published. For those who prefer to avoid the internet it is essential that they get all the facts.

This is a costly exercise at a time when the Council is short of money.

You have until the end of November to complete the consultation, so I will try to get answers to these and other questions in the next few weeks so you can respond with all the facts known.

Councillor Roy Whitehead Leader of Chelmsford Conservative Group

Some areas of the city are earmarked to become parts of existing parishes, while others are taken out of existing parishes. Whilst the areas are shown in the consultation documents, there is little explanation of what the benefits will be for residents.

For example, one proposal is for Springfield Parish to extend to include the Lawns ward (except the new development in the south west corner, which will become part of Marconi ward) and the northern part of Trinity ward.

Next City Times Issue Deadlines: Articles - 7th November Artwork - 11th November Issue Date - 18th November

This will mean that residents in these areas will pay an additional Page 12

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New Rotary Club Opens Locally It is a rare event for a new Rotary Club to be inaugurated and even rarer when the whole journey, from concept to fruition, is accomplished within just five months.

In June this year, several members of a local Rotary Club decided they needed a new and fresh challenge and asked Rotary District leaders for help. The decision was taken to form a new satellite club and Chelmsford Rotary, the original club in the city, kindly agreed to sponsor us, meaning that in the first instance we would be members of their club but run our own affairs (with their help if needed). To become an independent Rotary Club requires 20 members, and at that stage we had just 9. Danbury and its surrounding villages seemed an ideal choice to bring Rotary to a largely unserved area and the satellite application was submitted on 20th June.

Inspire on a sponsored walk up Scafell Pike. We also supported Little Baddow Festival and raised further money from an auction of a cricket bat signed by Essex County Cricket team players provided by one of our members. We are now liaising with local parish councils and schools to arrange the planting of purple crocus bulbs for Polio Plus.

Other charity events are also in the planning stage.

Socially, the afternoon tea mentioned above was a great success, as was an evening meal at Le Benaix in Rettendon. Other social events are planned, but our focus is now on organising a charter celebration when the District Governor, will present the formal documents.

Danbury and Villages is open to new members - men and women - and we are proud to call ourselves a modern, diverse and progressive club. Like all Rotary clubs, we are non-political, nonreligious and actively pursue a policy of equality, diversity and inclusivity.

The first target was to reach 20 members to enable us to apply for full club status. By advertising in local publications and posting our progress and events regularly on Facebook, we were delighted to receive lots of interest and have gradually increased membership until we reached the requisite 20 members plus one to spare! At our Presidents@Home garden tea party on 4th September in Little Baddow, our Chairman Derek Osborne presented the application for full Rotary status to Anne Moriaty, representing the District Governor.

We were delighted to receive notification that our charter application had been approved on 20th September. We are proud to reach this goal so quickly and expect to rise to 26 members over the next few weeks. The only downside is that we have already outgrown our meeting room at The Bell in Danbury (where Dan has looked after us very well), so we must seek a new venue.

Whilst building the club from scratch, we have also been involved in fundraising with Chairman Derek raising some £700 for Kids

Contact Us info@danburyandvillagesrotary.co.uk, or call President Derek Osborne on 07850 151 281, or Keith Clark on 07785 355 765. You will be welcome at our meetings - generally on a Wednesday evening.

The above was written in consultation with the officers of the newest club in and around Chelmsford, but I would remind readers that there are 5 other existing clubs in Chelmsford itself plus several more within a 12-mile radius, so anyone looking to be involved with projects that improve your community or aid international projects does not have far to travel.

Apart from the contact details above, anyone wishing for more general information on what is happening with Rotary can find out more by visiting www.rotary1240.org or simply call me on 01245 260 349.

Stan Keller

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Chelmsford Community Radio Shortlisted in National Radio Awards Our station has made the shortlist in the annual national Community Radio Awards, which was whittled down from more than 430 entries from stations from every corner of the UK. We have picked up nominations in the Arts and Creative Radio, Young Person of the Year, and Best Community Show categories for our work.

Camelot - the Pantomime, nominated for the Arts and Creative Radio category, was broadcast on Christmas Day 2020 and featured a mix of presenters with local contributors along with Essex-based actors, Wendy Morgan and David Streames.

13-year-old Friday Drivetime takeover presenter, Daisy Barker was shortlisted for the Young Person of the Year and Monday City Talk with Nita Jhummu was recognised in the Best Community Show category.

The winners will be revealed in a ceremony at the Coventry Transport Museum, in partnership with Coventry UK City of Culture next month.

Our On Air Director, Hal MacLean said: “We are delighted to have been recognised among a large number of other stations doing great work across the UK. It is gratifying to see the work we do at Chelmsford Community Radio being recognised and I know the presenters feel a great deal of pride knowing their work is of such value. Like most community stations, our priority is the audience in and around our home town, and we are pleased the work we do is being recognised as a high quality output.”

Martin Steers, awards chair, said: “As face-to-face events resumes, it’s great to get together and celebrate the hard work of the last 18 months. Many stations have further cemented their essential community role in this time, and it is great to reflect. It is clear to see from this, that passionate presenters, volunteers and staff are really there for their audiences. We wish Chelmsford Community Radio good luck and can’t wait to host the ceremony in Coventry next month.”

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What’s On All events are correct at time of going to press. Please check with the venue for updates.

Thursday 28th October Civic - The Sensational 60s Experience Friday 15th Hot Box - Jar Records Presents: Mezzotint Chelmsford Social Club - The Trembling Wilburys + Friday 29th Dangerous Daydream Civic - Legend: The Music of Bob Marley Civic - An Evening with Merrill Osmond Hot Box - Cosmology Cramphorn - The Miracle Worker RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair Yoga (10.45am - £6 per Hot Box - Lavinia Blackwell with Stilton + Leo Walrus session - to book phone Sue Eddie: 07794 543 147) RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair Yoga (10.45am - £6 per Saturday 30th session - to book phone Sue Eddie: 07794 543 147) Civic - D’ukes Saturday 16th Hot Box - Rosalie Cunningham + Tuppeny Bunters Civic - Robert White’s Brand New Tank Top Tour Cramphorn - The Miracle Worker The Cricketers - Super Soul Saturday Hot Box - Monster Network Hot Box - Snakes Don’t Belong in Alaska Hyde Hall - Rose Pruning: Climbers & Ramblers The White Horse (Great Baddow) - Solar 9 Sunday 17th Chelmsford RAFA Club (Hall Street) - 40s night The UB - Bring Your Own Vinyl Night Hot Box - Monster Network Hyde Hall - Walk for Parkinsons Monday 18th Civic - Judy & Liza Cramphorn - Radhika Aggarwal Workshop Tuesday 19th Civic - Not: Lady Chatterley’s Lover (a parody of Lady Chatterley’s Lover by DH Lawrence) Old Court Theatre - A Wrong Turn Down Memory Lane Wednesday 20th Broomfield Village Hall - Knit and Natter and Craft (afternoon - 2.30pm) Civic Theatre - Think Floyd: Through The Wall Old Court Theatre - A Wrong Turn Down Memory Lane Thursday 21st Civic Theatre - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Hot Box - The Undercover Hippy + Funke & the Two Tone Baby Old Court Theatre - A Wrong Turn Down Memory Lane Friday 22nd Chelmsford Social Club - The Mentulls + The 251s Cramphorn - Mrs Churchill: My Life with Winston Hot Box - Kungens Man + Guranfoe Old Court Theatre - A Wrong Turn Down Memory Lane RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair Yoga (10.45am - £6 per session - to book phone Sue Eddie: 07794 543 147) Saturday 23rd Civic - Tribute to The Carpenters Cramphorn - Our White Skoda Octavia Hot Box - San Cutter + Magic Seas Hyde Hall - Alpine Garden Society Show Old Court Theatre - A Wrong Turn Down Memory Lane RHP Bowls Club - Fire and Rain The UB - The Velveteen Orchestra Wednesday 27th The UB - Quiz Night

November

Tuesday 2nd Civic - Chelmsford Young Gen presents: Musical Reflections Wednesday 3rd Civic - An Interesting Evening with Steve Davis Thursday 4th Civic - Wired for Sound Cramphorn - The Second Best Bed Hot Box - Resonance Hyde Hall - Curator’s Winter Garden Walk Friday 5th Bay Horse - Fireworks Chelmsford Social Club - Jack J Hutchinson + The Mojo Preachers Civic - The Rolling Stones Story Cramphorn - FRIEND (The One With Gunther) Hot Box - Live Transmission RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair Yoga (10.45am - £6 per session - to book phone Sue Eddie: 07794 543 147) Saturday 6th Admirals Park - Round Table Fireworks Cramphorn - Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri: An Acoustic Journey Hot Box - Yammerer + Sleemo Sunday 7th Civic - Pop Princesses Tuesday 9th Civic - The Fizz: Up Close & Personal Cramphorn - Little Shop of Horrors Wednesday 10th Broomfield Village Hall - Knit and Natter and Craft (afternoon - 2.30pm) Cramphorn - Little Shop of Horrors Thursday 11th Anglia Ruskin Universtiy - The Marconi Scandal with Hugh Pym & Malcolm Noble (book via www.eventbrite. co.uk) Civic - Rave On: The Rise of Rock and Roll Cramphorn - Little Shop of Horrors Hot Box - Emjay Session’s: The Jackson Line Friday 12th Civic - Crissy Rock Cramphorn - Little Shop of Horrors Hot Box - Shakey’s Sessions: TBC

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Friday 12th Hyde Hall - Christmas Gift and Craft Fair RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair Yoga (10.45am - £6 per session - to book phone Sue Eddie: 07794 543 147) Saturday 13th Chelmsford Social Club - KOSSOF Civic - Little Stars Circus End of Year Celebration of Learning 2021 Cramphorn - Little Shop of Horrors Hyde Hall - Christmas Gift and Craft Fair Sunday 14th Hot Box - Jazz Sunday with Zak Barratt & Friends Hyde Hall - Christmas Gift and Craft Fair Thursday 18th Hot Box - Hothaus Drag Presents: Scream & Shout Friday 19th Hot Box - Three Lucifer Sams + Pete Bassman RAFA Club (Hall Street) - Chair Yoga (10.45am - £6 per session - to book phone Sue Eddie: 07794 543 147) Saturday 20th Hot Box - After London + Pave the Jungle

The Maldon and Burnham Talking Newspaper Needs Volunteers Are you good with technology? Would you like to do something positive with your spare time? Then you may be just the people we are looking for to keep this charity afloat!

The Maldon and Burnham Talking Newspaper is wanting to get back into circulation after 18 months’ absence. Some of our volunteers have decided to retire and we now need some new people who can help with the recording process. You would need to be free on a Thursday afternoon or evening once a month for about 2 hours. We also need help with getting the recordings to the Post Office on a Friday morning.

We are a very small charity but we do know that those who receive the recordings find them a lifeline for keeping up to date with local news.

If you want more information, or you think you could help, please contact Helen Taylor on 01621 740 736.

Mad World Fancy Dress Costume Hire And Party Superstore Has Come to Chelmsford!

With three other superstores, two based in London and one near Gatwick, Mad World has continued to expand opening a further retail outlet in this great city.

Being part of four superstores and with a huge warehouse full of stock, we have access to over 60,000 costumes available for hire and a large selection of accessories for sale.

With its convenient location based at 17 Victoria Road, with car parking just yards away and a pedigree of over 50 years’ experience, Mad World provides value for money and a name you can trust.

We are considered to one of the largest fancy dress and party related business in Europe. Our list of celebrities that have frequented our shops include royalty, stars from TV and stage - and Joan the tea lady!

Mad World specialises in Halloween, and our selection of appropriate costumes and scary make-up makes us a market leader. Shake off those problems, make sure that you dress up, don some makeup, entertain the kids and have some Halloween fun.

Our fabulous staff will be appropriately dressed in Halloween costumes, so don’t be scared, they’re quite normal (most of the time!).

Visit our superstore and get some scary ideas; Julia, our Manageress, will be more than happy to assist and welcome you.

Please visit our website at www.madworldfancydress.com for our extended opening times over the Halloween period.

Mad World: 17 Victoria Road, Chelmsford, CM1 1NZ

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City Times History

Transport in Chelmsford (Part Three) - By Stephen Norris The late 1960s saw the first serious proposals for a new Chelmsford bypass. In 1966 a ‘mile a minute motorway plan’ involved a giant loop around the town linking the A12 at Widford and Springfield and skirting Broomfield. A new plan in 1968 raised fears that a motorway might be an elevated road alongside the existing A12 bypass between Springfield and Widford. In 1971 opposition to a central bypass became more organised with Chelmsford MP Stevas being prominent.

By the end of 1972 a proposed southern route was on the table which would take the new route near Sandon. Naturally, opposition groups to both routes were formed. A public exhibition showed three possible routes including a new northern one. Those in favour of the southern route pointed out that it would only result in 5 houses having to be demolished, whereas the central route, going as it would through the centre of town, would result in the demolition of 176 houses. The opponents of the southern route emphasised the likely environmental damage to the area. In August 1972 the Ministry of Transport appeared to come down in favour of the southern route.

Sandon Parish Council prepared for a fight claiming their village would be cut in half. The ECC came out in favour of the northern route. A distraction from this controversy was the possible placing of a motorway only one mile from Chelmsford if the projected airport at Maplin went ahead. Continued protests against the new A12 route inevitably led to a public inquiry which was delayed until 1975.

Meanwhile the traffic congestion in the town was getting worse. The existing Army and Navy roundabout, which had been designed for 3,800 vehicles an hour, was being used by 9,000 vehicles an hour at peak times. A report commissioned by the RDC said that the A12 bypass would be a ‘white elephant’ which would not ease the town’s traffic problems. The 6 roads around Chelmsford would need to be widened - for example the A130 from Broomfield into Chelmsford.

Chelmsford Borough Council considered a switch to the northern route in 1974. The first inquiry, after being postponed three times, showed that the southern route would use 300 acres of land and that the upgrade of the central route would drastically increase pollution.

In early 1976 a bizarre plan emerged to scrap the railway in the town centre and replace it with a fleet of buses - the bypass could then go through the centre of town!

In 1976 the bypass question was thrown into chaos again with the southern route thrown out by the Department of the Environment and the central route being favoured. The loss of agricultural land was adjudged to outweigh the loss of houses on the central route.

It was thought that a new central route could be designed with less environmental damage. In 1977 the central route looked certain when it emerged that the Ministry had already bought 19 houses along that route, with another 12 under consideration. The following year however, the recently unified council rejected the central route by 17 votes to 6: ‘It would run mostly alongside the existing A12, avoiding the congested Army and Navy roundabout and requiring the building of new cuttings, embankments and bridges.’

telling evidence came from the town’s firms, particularly the boss of EEV. He said that his and the other Chelmsford companies needed an effective bypass. The lack of one made the town unsuitable for big firms: ‘No less than 26,000 people were dependent on the continued presence of GEC in the town. The firms needed the best brains but prospective recruits were put off by the traffic holdups. We have had first class engineers resign because the journey across town to work is found to be slow and expensive. We are aware of customers who prefer not to visit us in Chelmsford.’

A recent accident which had caused a 5-hour traffic standstill had cost his company £200,000. The total cost for Chelmsford as a whole would have been far greater. In August 1984 work on the 9.2 mile detour finally started. It eventually opened in November 1986 and immediately relieved pressure on the Army and Navy roundabout. By 1987, the new road was taking traffic far in excess of predicted levels and experts were forecasting that a third lane would be necessary.

In 2008 the A12 was named the worst road in England and Wales by the RAC as it was ‘plagued by closures and long queues as a result of accidents’. The road was given a highway patrol and the police were allowed to treat it like a motorway but cutbacks reduced its effectiveness.

Essex Police Choir Returns to Duty!

Having had over 19 months of no rehearsals or concerts, the Essex Police Choir is back, complete with Covid precautions! The choir has restarted rehearsals at Police Headquarters on Tuesday evening from 7.30pm to 9.30pm and are planning just one concert this year but with a full programme for 2022.

The concert will be a Christmas one - along with the Essex Police Band - at Christchurch, New London Road, CM2 0AW starting at 7.30pm on Saturday 11th December. Tickets are £10 each and can be ordered via www.essexpolicechoir.co.uk.

Covid seems to have boosted choir membership, and the choir has been very pleased to welcome some potential members and is still happy to have more. Anyone can join, as long as they are happy to represent the Police Service in general and Essex Police in particular.

The choir performs around 8 concerts a year to raise money for good causes and sings songs from the shows, popular classics and some well known church music, and encourages anyone who is interested to come along to a few rehearsals and see what they do.

All a person needs to do is to go onto the website at www. essexpolicechoir.co.uk and contact us via the form, or call 07802 414 793.

In June 1978 the council voted for the southern route after a heated debate, as did the County Council. The following year the Ministry of Transport finally backed a rural bypass, a u-turn on their decision of 3 years before. Further delays occurred however and it wasn’t until 1981 that the department decided to press ahead. Great Baddow Parish Council then forced another public inquiry.

At the inquiry the Department of the Environment maintained that the new flyover at the Army and Navy (see later) had improved traffic considerably at peak hours, but was already working at full capacity and congestion would inevitably get worse again. Perhaps the most Page 18

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City Times Fun

Spot 10 Differences (Answers on Page 28)

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

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A Year in the Life of the Mayor

Spot the Difference - 10 to find (answers on page 23) September has been a busy month. I was delighted to be invited to the return of the ‘live’ Lunchtime Concerts in the Civic Theatre.

These free concerts, usually on a Wednesday, have been going for more than 30 years and Jeffery Wilson (playing reeds) has been the man behind them throughout that time, which included going online throughout lockdown. We heard some beautiful live music in a great setting. I understand that they will be alternating between ‘in person’ and ‘online’ concerts for the coming months.

It was lovely to be invited to join the ladies of the Mashbury and Chignal WI to talk about being Mayor during the pandemic and the impact on fundraising for my charities. I was delighted to receive a cheque for my charities from the ladies and I won a raffle prize!

I really enjoyed my tea, served in a fine bone china cup and saucer with the WI logo on it, that was a lovely touch.

The Deputy Mayor and I had the pleasure of opening the newly laid running track at Baddow Hall Junior School in the school playing fields. Some of the children who had fundraised for the project were keen to show us their running skills in the inaugural run.

The Mayoress and I joined the 1st Danbury Scout Group 100th birthday celebrations. We toasted marshmallows on the campfire and ate s’mores with the beavers. Later in the scout hut, we looked at memorabilia from across the 100 years and cut the birthday cake. I also presented the designer of the 100th birthday badge Joseph Pain with a framed copy of his design and the badge.

The Deputy Mayor and her consort Ian were at the MLCT Community Day in Gloucester Avenue and enjoyed spending time looking around the facilities chatting to the volunteers and visitors. The Deputy Mayor was asked to unveil a plaque to officially acknowledge the recent installation of a defibrillator funded by Chelmsford Co-op.

The Mayoress and I attended Chelmsford Cathedral Evensong with Prayers on the Eve of the Seating of the Bishop of Chelmsford, the following day all the Mayoralty attended the Seating of Bishop Guli at Chelmsford Cathedral. It was a beautiful celebration, and I was honoured to welcome Bishop Guli on behalf of the people of Chelmsford. You can watch the service here: youtu.be/y2XVDFnlFWA.

It was a real pleasure to attend my Mayor’s Charities Quiz Night which was held at the Beryl Platt Centre in Writtle. This was the first ‘in person’ event we have been able to hold to fundraise for my charities and a great time was held by all. Thank you to all who came and help raise funds, enjoyed the fish and chips, and congratulations to the winning team. Special thanks to the quiz masters team and those who helped set up and clear down the hall, organised the bookings, the food and the raffle. Raffle prizes were kindly donated

by Morrison’s, Chelmsford Star Co-op, Boots, Wilkin & Sons (Tiptree Jam) and many individuals. It was a very successful evening and we raised over £700, which is down to all of you who attended. Thank

you.

I greeted the arrival of the huge Knife Angel sculpture in Central Park alongside the Lord Lieutenant, the High Sheriff, the sculptor (Alfie Bradley), Luisa Di Marco (Keep it 100) and representatives from all the partners who worked together to bring this to Chelmsford, including the police, councillors and officers of Chelmsford City Council and Chelmsford CVS. The Knife Angel is strangely and soberly a thing of beauty. It will be with us until 4th October 2021.

It was a real pleasure to be in Admirals Park with Cllr Rose Moore and Chelmsford City Council parks staff for a small ceremony to officially declare it as a designated Local Nature Reserve. This doesn’t change the use of the park for residents and local events in the park can continue as they always have, but it helps to enhance and preserve habitats and help make a positive impact on the local environment.

The British Science Festival was launched at Chelmsford Cathedral and we were invited to walk around the BODY installation, which was unusual, interesting and if you managed to get to see it, I’m sure you’d agree it was well worth a visit. This was a fantastic event with many different facets around the city centre during the course of the week.

I spent a lovely afternoon watching an East of England Ambulance Trust football match between Chelmsford Control v West Essex at the Chelmsford Sports and Athletics Centre. I was pleased to see that both teams were inclusive, and every player provided a good game for spectators with lots of goals, Chelmsford came out on top 4-3.

Along with many people from across Essex I attended the High Sheriff of Essex ‘At Home’ Garden Party. It was a lovely opportunity to meet other ‘Mayors and Chairs’ from across the county. The High Sheriff, Simon Brice, took up his post in April 2021 and he spoke of the many places and organisations he had visited and his awards scheme, details of which are here: www.essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk/ high.

I was at Writtle University College to launch the Chelmsford Heritage Open Days, which is part of a country-wide festival supported by the National Trust. A small team from the Chelmsford Civic Society have again delivered a wonderful programme for us all to enjoy with 34 free local events over a two-week period, including the opportunity to visit my Parlour. There is also now a dedicated website for this festival which is www.chelmsfordhod.co.uk, as well as a YouTube channel where online events can be viewed - www.youtube.com/c/ chelmsfordcivicsociety. As part of the Heritage Open Days, I attended St Andrew’s Church, Sandon and enjoyed climbing the tower to look at the bells. The views from the top of the tower are stunning. I was also interested to learn about the many different species of trees planted in the grounds. Their Indian Bean Tree is spectacular. A Mayor’s parlour visit was arranged as part of the Open Days where The Deputy Mayor and I were delighted to welcome 8 people into the parlour - some coming from London just for the day; they were keen to visit Chelmsford and decided to make a day of it. They were going on to visit key Marconi sites, the cathedral, and the museum.

I was invited by members of Little Baddow Festival Group to open the evening session of the Little Baddow Festival. People from a five mile radius of the parish were invited to attend. There had been entertainment earlier in the day for youngsters, and the evening session kicked off with a jazz band and then an open air showing of The Greatest Showman singalong. It was obviously popular and the reaction from the crowd was that they’d really like this to be an annual event.

I was fortunate to see a very powerful performance of R4J (Romeo and Juliet) in Central Park Chelmsford in front of the Knife Angel. This was one of several performances by a very talented group of local actors and their support team. The Mayoress and Deputy Mayor accompanied me for the evening and were equally impressed with

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The Mayoral Party were very pleased to attend the Civic Theatre for the matinée of CAODS performance of Sweet Charity - a very entertaining show with so many well known songs. Our thanks and congratulations to the performers, technicians, back and front of house volunteers. It was a great show and so good to see local groups performing again after such a long break due to restrictions. We were singing Big Spender and Rhythm of Life for days afterwards!

The last Sunday afternoon in September saw the Mayoress and I travel to London for the Costermongers Harvest Festival Service in St Mary-le-Bow Church. There was quite a gathering of Mayors and Chairs from across London and Essex.

this modern production. Well done Chelmsford Theatre and all the support workers behind the scenes.

The Queen’s Awards for Voluntary Services (QAVS) reception was held at Chelmsford Cathedral. This is the highest award given for volunteer services. Organised by the Lord Lieutenant of Essex to acknowledge and thank the 2020 winners, the nominees and winners for 2021 and those nominated for 2022. The Mayoress and I were pleased to talk to many of the winners and groups nominated.

It was a simple harvest festival service, but also remembering several pearly kings, queens and a princess who died during the pandemic.

The reception was held in The Paternoster behind St Paul’s where, after some refreshments, there was a bit of a cockney singalong, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

The Mayoress and I were invited to the awards evening for the North Avenue Youth Centre. The Deputy Lord Lieutenant, the High Sheriff and the Leader of Chelmsford City Council Cllr Robinson were also there to support the youngsters and parents. It was lovely to see so many happy faces as they and the volunteers received their certificates. A joyous evening which ended with tea and cake.

I hope you are all keeping well and staying safe.

Email mayors.office@chelmsford.gov.uk if you’d like a mayoral visit.

Facebook: Mayor of Chelmsford Twitter: @chelmsmayor Instagram: Chelmsford_mayor

More Ramblings from Britain’s Oldest Angry Young Man

The young girl was pretty. We both were waiting for a bus at Chelmsford Bust Station. As she slowly retrieved a cigarette from her bag, she gave me a guilty smile as she lit the cigarette. Why would such a pretty girl transform herself into a seasoned smoker?

I have never smoked apart from a couple of puffs on a cigar proferred to me by an American female film producer over lunch. At nine years old, every morning I listened to my dad coughing up stuff for a full fifteen minutes, after which time he would calm down - and light up another cigarette. During World War 2 he was in Burma. He was one of thousands of servicemen who took advantage of the Government’s misguided philanthropic effort to ensure that the smoking addiction of the time prevailed.

Prior to that war, people lived in communities where work, leisure, education, medicine etc, was all localised to their community. People like my dad had never been abroad, holidaying in Britain but not too far from their communal homes. Family meant everything!

There were seismic shocks as families were torn apart when the breadwinner was taken out of his comfort zone and dumped anywhere-in-the-world to fight for king and country. Hardly surprising then when (or if) the breadwinner returned home after the war, many found it difficult to readjust to community life again.

My dad was one of them.

The common denominator of all this was the cigarette. Nearly everyone seemed to smoke. The evidence was all around us. The popularity of the cinema was a major factor. The beam of light emanating from the projection box on its way to hit the screen could be seen by the audience courtesy of the dust and cigarette smoke.

Actors and actresses (and even American presidents) all succumbed to the addiction that even showed them with a cigarette in publicity

photographs as well as on the screen.

Readers of a certain age will remember the attempts in the 1950s to wean people off the cigarette. Who could forget the cinema short film showing a dish of black stuff allegedly coughed up by someone, or the kissing message depicting a couple attempting to kiss surrounded by billowing cigarette smoke.

So what happened to ‘The Marlboro Man’ (cowboy) plugging his sponsor’s cigarettes? He died of lung cancer! ‘You are never alone with a Strand (cigarette). How cool was that? Did you notice that all the cigarette ads were depicted by men? How macho. Female smokers fell in to two groups, sophisticates or housewives.

When the Americans decided to help us win World War 2, they brought with them their pop-up cigarette pack. Instead of removing the cigarette from the pack with their fingers, they shook the pack and up popped a cigarette. The girls loved it. However, the very best example of the American cigarette influence was in the final scene of the American movie, Now Voyager (1942) with Bette Davis and Paul Henreid.

Both stars are in mid-shot facing each other against a nightime background. Eventually, Paul produces two cigarettes, places both in his mouth, lights both, then gives one to Davis while keeping the other one in his mouth to smoke.

Davis’ response? ‘Oh, Jerry, don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars...’

See what the two cigarette trick can do to you.

You have been warned!

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Chelmsford Window Gallery Presents...

Each week we offer up a photograph of a noteworthy figure in the Chelmsford creative scene for artists to create a portrait from. We’ve been creating portraits of the awesome local people who bring us arts, events, music, culture and more in Chelmsford! You can find out more about each subject through the links and a mini-bio that we will share with each source image.

Kirstie Paints - Submissions by 15 artists Our upcoming portraits include Black Chapel, Adrian Deakes, Rizwana Siddiqui from Essex Multicultural Activities Network, Denholm Ellis from Hotbox, Ruby Violet, and Paul Mclean from The City Times!

Once all of the portraits are submitted, they are combined to create a unique multi-artists portrait. Here are some examples of the mashups that we have created.

Tillie Peel - The Pop Up Club

This project isn’t just for painters and drawers, everybody is welcome to take part in this project. Since it started we have had some amazing portraits submitted including ones made from fruit, one made from Lego, a fabric portrait and more. Please search for the group ‘Collaborative Portrait Project’ on Facebook or email chelmsfordcreativecollective@gmail.com to get involved. You can see all of the past portraits by searching for the Chelmsford Creative Collective Facebook group.

Canon Tom’s E-Pistle Hello friends, recently we’ve seen yet another spell of chaos caused by the so-called petrol crisis, which in all honesty never really existed. It’s amazing how easily we are panicked into believing that we might lose out when there’s a hint of something possibly becoming scarce.

Largely we were led to believe this was a major problem because, when you see queues on the television and then images of petrol stations saying ‘NO PETROL’, the impression is that this is countrywide when in fact, it’s only a small number of places. This then makes us think we all need to top up before things get even worse.

Then of course it does get worse.

It’s a vicious circle, making things far harder than they need to be, particularly for the emergency services and carers who really need fuel for work.

I’m not blaming anyone for this, it’s just an interesting aspect of the human condition. Here we are in a country where many frown upon refugees who are fleeing countries where they are in real danger of death and we panic over the false impression that we might have to Page 24

walk somewhere rather than drive for a few weeks! I certainly see a jarring discrepancy there, don’t you?

What has heartened me through these recent events has been the number of people who have been urging others to look out for those in greater need than themselves. It would be all too easy to say that we’ve quickly lost the spirit of care and compassion that we saw during the Covid lockdowns, but I refuse to believe that. It seems to me that the last year or so has made us a little more edgy than we might normally be, but if we can hold our nerve and continue to be the good neighbours we have proven we can be, then all will be well.

Tom

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A Restoritive Yoga Home Practice - Part 3 Welcome to part 3 of the restorative yoga home practice! If you missed the first two, don’t worry - this can be used as a stand-alone mini practice - or better yet, dig out the previous magazines and put all 3 together to give yourself a real chance to unwind and deeply relax.

down by the sides of your body, palms turned up. Pop on a blanket and an eye pillow if you have one and stay here for 3-5 minutes.

Stretch the legs out along the mat and the arms back behind you and take a few nice deep breaths before rolling onto your side and then gently easing up to seated.

The move into autumn often signifies a time for rest and renewal and with the shorter days and weaker light we start to crave warmth and comfort. A restorative yoga practice can be like a nourishing hug for your soul. Find a quiet spot, light some candles, play some calming music and gather your mat, bolster or pillows and lots of blankets.

If you have time for a longer practice, you will be starting with these poses from the previous articles: Supported Child’s Pose, Reclining Bound Angle, Side-Lying Stretch and Supported Butterfly, before finishing with the poses below.

Set Up for Savasana...

The way all yoga practices should close, and let yourself surrender and settle into a place of relaxed awareness.

Supported Twist: (a spinal twist to calm the nervous system) Lay a bolster or stack pillows lengthways along your mat. Kneel sideways on your mat with your right hip next to the bolster and then with your hands either side of the bolster gently lay your torso down onto the bolster with your belly and chest down and head turned to the right. Your legs can rest how they naturally fall or you could slide the left knee down to sit in the sole of the right foot. Let your arms rest on the floor, either side of the bolster. Pull a blanket over you, close your eyes and let out a sigh as you settle down into your props.

Stay here for 3-4 minutes before gently sitting up and changing sides.

Supported Backbend: (supported backbends say a resounding ‘yes’ to letting go and opening up) Fold 1-3 blankets (bath sheets work really well here too) and place them lengthways along your mat with the folded ends facing the head end of your mat. The blankets/towels need to be folded and positioned in such a way that when you lie over them they support from your tailbone to the bottom tips of your shoulder blades. Start with 1 blanket and add more if you feel you need more opening. The lower ribs should widen and spread towards the sides of your body.

Bend your knees and bring your feet to the floor. Let your arms rest

Chelmsford Library

It’s been great to see the return of our Baby and Toddler Rhymetime sessions in September; we know how much they are valued and enjoyed by our customers. Don’t forget to book a place if you wish to attend as numbers are limited - visit our website at libraries.essex. gov.uk for details of dates and times, and to book your place email chelmsford.library@essex.gov.uk.

Savasana Place a rolled blanket or cushion under the ankles and a bolster or pillow under your knees. Use a small folded blanket for each wrist to rest on and your hands to slide into the folds. Create a head and neck support by folding one blanket that will support your head and to the tops of your shoulder blades and then use another to tuck around under C7 (the knobbly part at the top of your spine) and all around your head. Lie back, make sure that everywhere is supported and that you are super comfortable then cover yourself with a blanket (the heavier the better) and place your eye pillow over your eyes.

Take a long, slow, deep breath in through your nose and then sigh the breath out of your mouth and imagine that you are releasing any tension with that exhale. Repeat this 3 times.

Stay here for as long as you have the time for - at least 15 minutes is ideal. You could play a guided meditation or some gentle music to help keep you present and awake as this should be a conscious relaxation (although sleep does often occur!)

You can join me for a 75 minute restorative yoga class online once a month, or follow with me at @mandyhaynesyoga on Facebook and Instagram.

Mandy Haynes x Hummingbird Pilates & Yoga

well-being charity called Heads2Minds, this event is aimed at families with children aged 5-12. Suggested donation is £5 per family, which will go to a local mental health charity. Booking is required - to book your place, please email chelmsford.library@essex.gov.uk.

Meet Author Sam Scott: Saturday 30th October 2021, 10.30am–12 Noon Come and meet the amazing author Sam Scott and listen to Sam read from her fantastic new adventure for young readers, Sophie Spirit and the Batting Manor Mystery. Pick up some top tips on how you too can become an author.

To keep up-to-date, follow us on Facebook or Twitter or by subscribing to our newsletter; details on our website at libraries.essex.gov.uk.

As we head into autumn, we have some exciting events coming up: Jigsaw Drama Free Taster session: Thursday 21st October 2pm A fun 30-minute session based on We’re Going on a Bear Hunt suitable for new-borns up to age 4. Limited to 15 families, booking is required. Book your place via: bookwhen.com/jigsawdrama.

Please send any local events for inclusion in our What’s On guide from 18/11/21 19/12/21 to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

Family Wellbeing Workshop: Tuesday 26th October 2021, 10am-12 Noon Give your children the opportunity to learn helpful strategies including creative art design, vision boards and relaxation techniques. Run by a www.thecitytimes.co.uk

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Reach over 10,000 readers in Mid Essex and the surrounding areas.

We have space for advertisers who are builders, cafés and sandwich shops deco decorators, dentists, drainage companies, estate agents, hotels, retailers, recruitment companies, restaurants, roofers and many more!

• 10,000 copies of the City Times • 9000 copies of the Moulsham Times • Discounts available for longer runs or when advertising in both our magazines • Editorial/business interview for regular advertisers Email ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk for more information or call us on 07970 206682 Page 26

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New City Girls WI - Fun, Friendship and Education!

Ready for some fun? We are back at Hylands House and you can join now for £22 and get the next 5 meetings included - our infamous Christmas Crafting, An Evening of Magic, Salsa Dancing, The Other Peter Jones, and Treasures From a Local Detectorist!

Not only this, but also a selection of 35 different subgroups to join during the months which include gin tasting, cinema screenings, wild swimming, walking, theatre trips, shopping trips to Norwich, baking and crafting to name a few. We also have an exclusive subgroup called Out of the Box where you can tell us what you’ve always wanted to try - there are sure to be other ladies wanting to do that crazy stuff with you! Zip wiring, fire walking, camping, axe throwing, paddleboarding, kayaking down the Thames, or kayak sunsets at Mersea - just a few of the fun times we have all had.

You can join this fun and friendly WI by getting in touch with our membership team Nicky and Lesley at membership.ncgwi@gmail.com, or myself Lisa Brazier at enquiries.ncgwi@gmail.com.

We have raised over £45,000 for local charities and we are currently supporting Mencap of Chelmsford as this year’s charity - we also need elves for our Santa sleigh!

It’s not all Jam and Jerusalem - the WI is democratic and memberled, and the resolutions process is unique in putting members at the heart of decisions about our campaign activity. WI members have an opportunity to turn a concern into a national campaign every year, backed by the whole of the WI. Some of our campaigns over the years include: Women Police, Equal Pay for Equal Work, Keep Britain

Tidy, Smoking in Public Places, Cervical Screening, Plastic Pollution, Time to Talk about Organ Donation, Supporting UK Dairy Farmers, More Midwives, Carers Welcome - so you can see from this list of campaigns, we make a difference!

We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting for fun, friendship and education - we meet on the second Monday of the month at Hylands House at 7.30pm for an 8pm start. We have a table for new members and you will always be made welcome by everyone.

Lisa Brazier, President and the amazing New City Girls WI Committee!

Campaign for Plasma Donors Begins as Chelmsford Centre Is Only 37% Full Each Day NHS adverts are going live in Chelmsford because there are not enough people donating plasma. Plasma is used to make life-saving medicines, but the Chelmsford Donor Centre in Duke Street is only around 37% full each day, with around 150 appointments going empty every week. The adverts, across social media and public places, will be part of a sustained campaign to drive up donor numbers over the next six months.

The NHS relies on imported plasma medicines, however global supplies are under long-standing pressure due to rising demand. The pressure has increased due to coronavirus affecting donation in the USA. NHS Blood and Transplant started taking donations this year to bolster long term UK supplies but the number of donors is far behind target.

Plasma donation is new and research shows only two in ten people know about it. Awareness is low because plasma donation restarted in April after a break of more than 20 years*.

The 11 new plasma donor centres are in Barnsley, Birmingham, Bolton, Bristol, Chelmsford, Croydon, Manchester, Reading, Stockton, Stratford and Twickenham.

Plasma is used to make medicines full of donor antibodies which fight bacterial and viral infections. This medicine, known as immunoglobulin, is used to strengthen or stabilise the immune systems of people with rare, lifethreatening diseases. Around 1,700 people in the East of England region received immunoglobulins last year.

Robert Garmey, Birmingham Plasma Donor Centre Manager, said: “Plasma is a powerful, lifesaving part of your blood, which can be used to make unique, lifesaving medicines. Since donation restarted we’ve had many fantastic people come in to donate but we still see too many empty chairs every day. We need your help. In the next few months, we need thousands more people to start donating at our donor centre. Plasma donation is safe and easy, it doesn’t take long, and you will help save and improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the country.”

The campaign will headline with the message that plasma is ‘the medicine in you’, emphasising that for some patients there is no alternative treatment is available.

Plasma makes up most of your blood. It’s the fluid that carries everything around the body, including the antibodies which can help the recipient fight infections.

Plasma donation is similar to blood donation. In plasma donation, your blood is gradually run through a machine which separates out some of your plasma. Your red blood cells are returned to you, so you can carry on with your day as normal.

To help save lives by donating plasma, call 0300 123 23 23, search ‘donate plasma’ or visit www.blood.co.uk/plasma.

The plasma from UK donors could not be used for medicines between 1998 and 2021 as a vCJD precaution, but the restriction was lifted this year after the independent Commission on Human Medicines decided it was safe. *

www.thecitytimes.co.uk

Page 27

Quiz Time - By John Theedom 1. Which part of your body is a pollex?

2. In which county is the city of Sheffield?

3. Which type of ice cream is used in the making of Peach Melba?

4 In the catering world, a new law has been passed to protect what?

5. Who is the female who appears with Paul Schofield on morning TV? 6. What is Rod Stewart’s wife’s name?

7. What is the proper name for a daddy long legs?

8. A smuggler was caught trying to bring gold in from Uzbekistan, what method did he use?

9. Who has just released a single with Elton John?

10. What is unusual about a particular pub in in Knogdart in The Highlands of Scotland?

11. Simon Cowell is to hoping sell his Malibu mansion, for how much?

12. Which famous footballer has just died at the age of 81?

13. What is an arboretum?

14. What is the capital of Malta?

15. Who are The Hairy Bikers?

16. What is Rolls Royce hoping to do on the moon?

17. In the world of football, what is VAR? 18. What type of criminal act is Dick Turpin most famous for?

19. What was the former name of Iran?

20. John Challis has just died at 79, but which popular sitcom was he in?

21. How many loaves are there in a bakers dozen?

22. Who wears a bearskin at work?

23. What common garden tool has tines?

24. On board a liner, what are the different levels of cabins called?

25. Kate Garraway presents which TV programme?

26. What colour was Queen Elizabeth I’s hair?

27. What is another name for the Northern Lights?

28. Meerkats live mainly in which desert?

29. In which sport are the contestants required to wear bow ties?

30. In music, which term means ’all play together’?

31. When is the only time that alcohol is allowed in The House of Commons?

32. In Cockney rhyming slang, what is frog & toad?

33. Basildon is in Essex, but where is there another one?

34. What is the name for the inside of your elbow?

35. Who’s idea was it to start using yellow tennis balls?

36. What were Sir Winston Churchill’s last words?

37. How many pubs (approximately) in Britain are named Red Lion?

38. What is the meaning of the word poon?

39. How long does it take for a plastic bag to biodegrade?

40. What was the first advert on Channel 5 for?

(Answers on page 31)

Spot the Difference Answers

Page 28

www.thecitytimes.co.uk

The Long Road to Publishing ‘Thank you for your story Simon. Everyone in the office really enjoyed it although the literary agency no longer owns these premises, we are boat engineers.’

I stayed with London City University and enrolled in a further three workshops as well as traveling three times to Greece for the Athens international School Of Creative Writing. One particular highlight was attending a flash fiction class taught by the most excellent writer Heidi James.

I quite literally immersed myself in the writing world. Although I had yet to find representation; a nagging doubt that was always with me.

One of the hardest things I found about writing a novel is that you have to finish it before knowing whether it will be success.

‘I know a literary agent,’ said my opponent as we passed at the net.

I tried to act casual to disguise my eagerness so waited until we had played two more games and passed again. I feigned breathlessness.

‘Perhaps’, I said still catching my breath ‘perhaps you might want to put in a word for me.’ He sucked the air through his teeth and looked as though I had just asked for one of his kidneys. He waited until we were stood in front of a crowd of people on the clubhouse veranda and answered in a well-meaning manner by counted off three fingers.

‘One, I’ll need a letter of introduction, he said. ‘Two, a brief outline of what the books is about and three...’ he now had the complete attention of a gathering crowd, ‘...and three, I’ll need the full manuscript with no spelling mistakes.’

‘What, no spelling mistakes?’ I didn’t say that of course, I just accepted his request with a subservient bow of my head. I’m a writer, and like all writers am desperate to get published.

I’d love to tell you that I let him win the tennis match; but he far outranked me and was always going to win. I had only agreed to play with him because I heard he had a friend who was a literary agent...

It had been six years since I’d first decided to write a novel, although I had been writing for years before that. I submitting pieces for various publications; a short story broadcast for BBC Radio 4, stories for magazines and humour columns for the mighty City Times had all helped to cut my literary teeth, yet a novel remained elusive.

So I enrolled into a novel writing evening class at London City University. One of the first tasks that our tutor had set for the class was to document why we wanted to write our chosen novel. It was a telling exercise. My answer was honest; ‘I didn’t want to write this novel’, I wrote... It was too personal and raw. More accurately, I continued, ‘the last thing I wanted to do is remember. Yet inevitably, almost fatally, whenever I attempted to write a different story line, all my characters were either divorced or battling in some way for their children. So eventually I submitted. It was always going to be Shadows of Fathers first.’

I remained with London City University and progressed to their year long Novel Studio Course. I enjoyed the twice-weekly structure, although I was forever falling asleep on the train to and from Liverpool Street station.

The Novel Studio Course paid particular attention to obtaining an agent worthy to champion our book. Emphasis was put on presentation, catchy letters to attract an agent: ‘Dear madam I respectfully submit… Dear Sir would you please consider… or Dear Michael I read in your bio that you enjoy stories that surprise you… Hey Sarah, like you I play tennis (badly)…’

During the first lockdown I was becoming despondent until a chance text conversation from an old friend I had not seen since my school days (when we were young teens she had let me hold her hand at the bus stop). ‘I know someone who is a publisher’ she said. A sudden vision of the man standing on the tennis club veranda came into mind. But this was Bernadette, I thought. I had missed a bus for her when I was fourteen.

As it turned out, my well meaning tennis friend didn’t know an agent after all, he only knew the father of the agent and had subsequently fallen out with him (possibly over a spelling mistake).

So once again I sent off my synopsis and the first fifty pages. After a few weeks I received a request to send the rest of my novel. I was just completely a days work on a building site when I receive an online Zoom invitation. Rose Drew of Stairwell books was enthusiastic; an American woman from Florida whose exuberant hand gestures took up the whole of the computer screen. She had read my book and could relate to all my characters and recite any passage from my novel. I had found my champion.

It has been a long and arduous road with weekends and evenings spent writing in libraries and coffee shops, London university corridors and crowded Greek restaurants. At work I was forever scrawling notes for my novel on pieces of timber and newly plastered walls; conversation were cut short while I retained a thought later to be added.

It takes dedication and shear bloody-mindedness to complete a novel and in my case a lot of help and guidance too all of which helped harness my book idea to the finished debut novel that is Shadows of Fathers.

Available for pre-order on Amazon, Google Books and many more and published by Stairwell Books. The first chapter can be viewed on the Coming Soon page at Stairwell Books - www.stairwellbooks.co.uk.

Simon Culleton

To view both the City Times and the Moulsham Times magazines online, visit www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

I sent over fifty. All of which got nowhere, most didn’t bother replying.

I even tried some of the foreign literary agents. A reply email from Hamburg went something like this: www.thecitytimes.co.uk

Page 29

Stargazing With Mark Willis - October/November About now, The Plough has its ‘handle’ pointing downwards. Finding the Plough also finds you M51 (also known as the Whirlpool galaxy).

This galaxy is a staggering 31 million light years distant from Earth.

How to find the Whirlpool Galaxy: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Ny5kOA9A4yc.

Meteor Showers: The Draconids Meteor Shower or ‘Dragon’s Breath’ send us up to 10 meteors per hour and peaks between 8th-10th October. The Orionids peak between 21st-22nd October with a showing of 20 meteors per hour: www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteorshower/orionid.html.

22nd October 1975: Former USSR successfully landed their Venera 9 probe onto the surface of the planet Venus. This video takes up the story with incredible photos! www.youtube.com/ watch?v=K9AdBuN05CE. 31st October: Don’t forget that the clocks go back!

5th November: Uranus at opposition. This is the best time to see this planet, but you will not be able to see it with the naked eye.

Binoculars or telescopes will reveal the planet.

How to find Uranus from Essex: in-the-sky.org/news. php?id=20211104_12_100.

Here’s a Uranus 101 video: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=m4NXbFOiOGk. New Moon: On 4th November 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.

Email me with any questions…

As soon as I have had my vaccine I will return to Lite Bites at 12pm on Tuesdays.

Mark Willis normally presents on Chelmsford Community Radio. www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com mark.willis@chelmsfordcommunityradio.com Twitter: @WillisWireless

Cm1stmas Community Awards Celebrating the Heroes of Chelmsford!

Following on from the success of the popular CM1STMAS Community Awards over the last two very challenging years, Chelmsford For You are excited to be running the awards again for 2021, where the winners will be switching the Christmas Lights on for the city!

chelmsfordforyou.co.uk/chelmsford-awards.

For more information, please contact matt.baker@wearedestination. com.

Residents from across the whole of Chelmsford will once again have an opportunity to nominate and vote for inspiring individuals whose enthusiasm, time and efforts have been of benefit to the community, setting out to identify people who have made a positive impact to those around them.

As in previous years, there will be an opportunity to nominate and vote for ‘local heroes’ across five different categories: • • • • •

Inspirational Young Person.

Inspirational Adult.

Environmental Champion.

Community Champion.

Keyworker of the Year.

The awards competition will commence at the beginning of October, culminating in the great Chelmsford Christmas Lights Switch On event.

Key dates are: 1st October: Launch campaign (inviting nominees).

22nd October: Nominations close.

25th October (week commencing): Judging and confirming nominees.

1st November (week commencing): - Voting goes live.

12th November: Voting closes.

15th November (week commencing): Winners confirmed and contacted.

21st November: Awards Ceremony (Christmas Lights Switch On).

As before, the overall winners will be invited to help switch on the Christmas lights and winners of all 5 categories will be present on the main stage to join in the celebrations and receive their welldeserved awards.

To discover more about the Community Awards scheme please visit Page 30

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Thumb South Yorkshire Vanilla To ensure that staff get the tips that were meant for them Holly Willoughby Penny Lancaster Crane fly Making a set of false teeth in gold Dua Lipa It can only be reached by boat or an 18 mile walk £35 million Jimmy Greaves An area for growing trees Valetta Simon King and Dave Myers Mine for minerals on the moon Video Assistant Referee

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Highway robbery Persia Only Fools & Horses 13 Army guardsman Prongs of a fork Decks GMTV Red Aurora borealis Kalahari Snooker Tutti During the Budget Speech Road Upper Basildon, near Pangbourne, Berks Chelidon David Attenborough, when controller of BBC ‘I’m bored with it all’ 4,000 To prop up a piece of wobbly furniture with a wedge of wood under a leg 1,000 years Chanel No5

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