Moulsham Times April 2014

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A Chance to Win Adult & Junior Cricket Season Tickets. See page 6.

Issue Number 16 - April 2014

MT Welcome

Welcome to the April edition of the Moulsham Times.

It appears spring is finally here!!

There is lots going on this month with us, we have some great competitions coming up in this magazine as well as Chelmsford The City Times. Cricket fans need to look at page 6 for a competition to win an adult and junior membership. In The City Times next month there will be a competition to win a T20 season ticket (edition out 17th April).

Well that is all we have space for in this jam packed edition.

We hope you enjoy it. Paul & Nick.

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

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MT Therapy by Jenny Hartill

This is the first in a series of articles about Self Defeating Behaviours. Firstly, what are self-defeating behaviours?

How do we define them? According to psychologists Scher & Baumeister (1988) it is defined as “any deliberate or intentional behaviour that has clear, definitely or probably negative effects on the self or on the self’s projects”.

Sometimes these behaviours will appear to be part of their personality. However if we look a little closer, some of these self-defeating behaviours would appear to be learned responses observed and saved by the subconscious mind for use in the same situation when it arises.

These responses are tried and tested, they were useful once even if they are not now but the subconscious keeps throwing them out there because the conscious perceives the stressful / threatening situation as a learned one and delegates the task of dealing with it to the trusty subconscious which then responds with the appropriate self-defeating behaviour. Here is a list of categories to help us define types of self-defeating behaviour: Misuse/excessive consumption of substances that could be potentially harmful to the person in the long term. For example: smoking, alcohol,

I cannot believe it is spring already, how time flies when you’re having fun.

Firstly our band Jamie Williams and the Roots Collective: since the last edition we have opened the Broadstairs Blues Bash in Kent for the second year running and it was fantastic and we have been rebooked to play twice later in the year. We also played our debut at the legendry Railway Hotel in Southend and again we have been rebooked so we must be doing something right! Our new album is has now been released Dug Deep Found Steel and with some really good reviews, we are getting some great bookings across the UK. Visit our website to find out more and also when you can see us play live at www.jwroots. co.uk.

overeating, drugs.

Unbalanced attitudes: Is someone overreacting / reacting to a situation abnormally? Are they defensive, always worried, hostile, suspicious (with no real grounds), are they a perfectionist, excessively shy, avoid things, have a lack of confidence? (There are loads, I would go on but this would infringe upon my word count!)

Sexual dysfunctions: the mind is a powerful tool so this does not only cover the physical conditions that can infringe upon a person’s sex life but also the psychological issues that can cause impotence and lack of interest in sex.

Procrastination: I am a self confessed expert at this particular self defeating behaviour, it basically means leaving everything to the last minute and avoiding even really important stuff (yes I am typing this article two days later than I should have been – guilty as charged!).

Self-defeat, or not even trying, this can be seen as laziness but the person usually believes they’re not worth it, life isn’t worth it etc.

There is lots of great things in the music world going on now and coming up. On Wed 23rd April we have the amazing Robin Bibi duo playing, and those who saw Robin at the Ale House last Sept during our festival will know this is a world class act not to be missed. Jamie Williams and I will be the support as a duo that night. Asylum have punk legends The Vibrators playing on Sat 12th April.

This year also sees Three Foot People and Fling with a new bigger home in Hylands Park and we at It’s Your Media are proud to be one of the official media sponsors of both events. We are planning, along with Chelmsford Community Radio, to be hosting a live stage at this year’s Fling on Saturday 28th June and are looking for some sponsorship to help us put it on. If you are interested and would like to know

Compulsive / ritualistic behaviour: this is in the excess, not the usual rituals we associate with life transitions. For example when I was much younger I had a ritual where I had to have the light switches off in a certain way so I would run up and down the stairs until I had them in the right order, then of course the landing light would have to be the last light to switch off so I had to make sure the switches were set so they would all be in a certain order before the final switch went down before the landing light went off. Yes it was time consuming and definitely to my detriment. Glad I grew out of that one!

When therapists are working with people suffering with these disorders everyday we would notice many more, but this is at least a basic list.

Next time I’ll look at an individual selfdefeating behaviour from the above list.

If you have spotted a behaviour and want to talk about it, please feel free to contact me either by email or phone.

07528822928 info@cloud9-counselling.co.uk

more about what we need and what you will get in return then please contact either Paul or myself. Our contact details are on page 3.

I am putting on my Blues in the City festival again and it will run from the 26th to 28th September with all profits going to the Helen Rollason Cancer Charity once more. Once again please get in touch if you are interested in helping with sponsorship to enable us to reduce our costs meaning more money for the charity as we are a not for profit festival. To find out more contact me though www.bluesinthecity.co.uk or through the facebook page www. facebook.com/bluesinthecitychelmsford.

Remember, please send all your event listings whether music, theatre, charity, club or festival to editorial@ itsyourmedia.co.uk and we will list you in our what’s on guide. Each edition runs mid month to mid month.

By Nick Garner

www.moulshamtimes.com

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Essex County Cricket Club WIN Full Adult & Junior Membership The 2014 domestic cricket season will shortly be upon us and it looks to be another exciting year.

This year Essex are looking to build upon last season when, after securing a place in the semi finals of the Friends Life T20 Competition they went out to the eventual winners. Essex will again be competing on all fronts battling it out in the NatWest T20 Blast, The Royal London One-Day Cup and the LV= County Championship.

At The Essex County Ground in Chelmsford first up for Essex is Derbyshire on Sunday 13 April in the LV= County Championship with the first home game for Essex Eagles in the NatWest T20 Blast against Glamorgan on Friday 23 May. The Royal London One-Day Cup starts on Thursday 31 July against Leicestershire Foxes.

Essex have an array of talent in the squad including international players in Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Ryan ten Doescate plus Monty Panesar starting his first full season with Essex after joining last season.

So get behind your Essex County team this summer and enjoy a great season of cricket. For more information on tickets and Memberships for this season please visit www.essexcricket. org.uk.

BE ER

The Moulsham Times has a great competition for you to win a Full Essex CCC Adult & Junior Membership for the coming 2014 season.

To be in with a chance of winning this competition please answer the following question.

1. Who is the new Essex CCC limited over cricket captain?

A. Ryan ten Doeschate B. Jaik Mickleburgh C. Reece Topley The closing date for the competition is Friday 11 April.

All answers must be sent to the comp@itsyourmedia.co.uk and be received by the deadline shown. Any late entries received will be discounted from the competition.

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From the House

by Simon Burns MP Chelmsford Cathedral Centenary This year Chelmsford Cathedral and diocese celebrate their 100th anniversary – a celebration that will bring much joy to many people in the city and beyond.

The present See, created in 1914, is conterminous with Essex and the 5 Boroughs in East London. In 604 Augustine consecrated Mellitus, bishop of London, to convert the East Saxons, but the success was short lived. In c.650 Oswiu, king of Northumbria, sent Cedd as Bishop of the East Saxons. The Essex See was independent until 675, when Bishop Eorcenwald moved to London. After that Essex remained within the London diocese until the 19th century.

In 1845 Essex finally was removed from the London diocese and united with Rochester, only to be transferred to the new See of St Albans in 1877. With the creation of the See of Chelmsford in 1941, brought about as a result of the expansion of the population in England, Essex again had a bishop of its own.

As you would expect the diocese will have a full programme of services and celebrations of this landmark achievement and I know many Anglicans – and others - will want to take part in the events to celebrate this very special occasion for the dioceses of Chelmsford.

Computers...... by Martin Houston Welcome to the new computer section in Molusham Times.

Do you have an old PC that is not working too well any more?

Do you want to know more about the Internet than just using it as a giant shopping catalogue?

The Internet holds the answer to these for you in the form of the computer software that has been developed there, co-operatively over the last twenty plus years!

If you have not heard of Linux or the terms “free software” and “open source” that is because this is a movement that has grown across the Internet without the huge advertising budgets of corporations behind it. Linux is now in lots of places though. It is the heart of every Android phone and tablet, what makes most set top boxes and smart

TVs function, powers the Kindle eBook and going up in scale somewhat, power many banks and other big business including three quarters of the worlds stock exchanges and the vast majority of the worlds super-computers pushing back the frontiers of human knowledge including the Large Hadron Collider at Cern in Switzerland!

This silent take-over has happened because Linux is fast and reliable.

These features come from the way it is developed. The “source code”, the computer equivalent of blueprints, is available for anyone to study and to adapt without having to follow any irksome rules (apart from NOT being able to apply any of those rules on anybody else).

If that sounds like chaos to you then you are to some extent right. However the speed of computers and the quality of software tools that has evolved to make

sense of what at first looks like chaos has lead to a very rich and productive ecosystem with the Internet at its heart.

You too can be part of this, to make computers tools that expand your ability to do things rather than just being an amusement.

Linux can work well on the latest super fast computers but because it is efficient works well on computers that are unable to cope with the latest glitz and bloat commercial Operating Systems.

Microsoft finally ends support for Windows XP this coming April. Why not give your XP machine a new lease of life by installing Linux on it?

Martin Houston is a Freelance Linux Consultant living in Chelmsford. You can find his website at: http://www.deluxe-tech.co.uk for info on making the move!

Around the World on a Motorbike by Dan Skeates Life was good - two fantastic kids (19 & 20), a dog, a lovely house in a lovely road in Old Moulsham, a successful career, and great family and friends.

I was the type of person who goes to bed and sleeps until the alarm clock sounds in the morning - I‘ve always been a morning person, up and raring for the day to get going. I was generally calm, in control and knew what I was doing and where I was going… I was happy, part of a great community and smiled a lot.

Life was steady, life was good: no money worries; in fact, no worries at all!

Why didn’t I just get on with it?!

After my divorce 12 years ago I knew I would travel again, having travelled in my late teens and early twenties before family life became my focus. I spent the following years ensuring my kids had a great childhood and would be prepared for adult life. I feel I succeeded in both.

It was about two years ago I decided I wanted to go travelling on a motorbike: you are open to the terrain and weather, there isn’t the protection you get with a car, I feel closer both physically and mentally to people around me when I’m travelling, especially in traffic or urban areas where people can see me without the shell of the car. I hear and see

everything - it makes me feel alive.

I started to dream about taking off and began putting my plans into action. The dream rolled along as the rest of my life had - I was happy planning my travels and sleeping at night. Then, BANG!!

Everything changed about 6 months ago when I began to feel so guilty about leaving my kids. They have their mum, a house, jobs and everything was going well but I felt like such a bad dad. The guilt consumed my thoughts. I talked it through with them but the feelings didn’t wane. A few months later I started thinking that it would be irresponsible to give up a successful career - I would have no income! These uncomfortable feelings are still with me so why on 7th April am I going to attempt to ride my motorbike around the world?

I didn’t anticipate the amount of preparation involved - yes I knew I needed a motorbike, tent and a map but when I started researching the adventure I started to realise there weren’t just a few basic decisions to be made, but hundreds of decisions from ‘can I afford the luxury of spare spark plugs as space is at a premium?’ to ‘how much money will it cost? ’to ‘do I need the 32GB or 128GB iPad air?’. Answers: I am taking spark plugs, it will cost a lot of money and

I

was extravagant and have the 132GB iPad!!!

It’s Tuesday 25th February 2014 and I couldn’t sleep last night. I woke up thinking about leaving my kids; ‘did I tighten that bolt on the bike?’ ’I need to buy a sleeping bag….’ I eventually got to sleep and then woke early wondering, ‘is it too late to apply for the Indian visa or should I get it en route?’

I had a successful job and a home last week! The house has now been rented and at 48 I’m back living with my mum.

Last Friday I handed my notice into my employer after 22 years service. Why, you may ask, would I want to put myself through all of this?

It’s all about people.

Good Luck Dan! Dan will be keeping us up to date throughout his travels.

The Princess Marie Louise Bowling Club

Very few sports clubs have the honour of Royal Patronage, as far as is known there are only two bowling clubs, namely the Royal Household Bowling Club and The Princess Marie Louise Bowling Club, Chelmsford, Essex.

Princess Marie Louise was the youngest child of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein and his wife Princess Helena, Queen Victoria’s third daughter. Born in 1871, at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor, she was named after the Empress Marie Louise, Napoleon’s second wife. In 1891, she married Prince Aribert of Anhalt. Unfortunately he proved an unwilling husband, and after nine distressing years the childless marriage was annulled by decree of Prince Aribert’s father, exercising his medieval right as a Sovereign Prince. The Princess, a devout churchwoman, believed her marriage vows to be binding and never remarried. Princess Marie Louise died in 1956, aged 85 years.

Princess Marie Louise visited the Chelmsford Borough in 1936 to open a League of Nations Union Conference being held at Brierley Place, 160 London Road, Chelmsford, the residence of the mayor, Alderman John Ockelford Thompson - one of Alderman Thompson’s interests was The English Bowling Association.

Alderman John Ockelford Thompson, Chairman of Essex Federal Council League of Nations Union, and editor and part proprietor of the Essex Chronicle Newspaper, was elected to Council in 1907 and served without break until his death. He became a JP in 1916 and was awarded the OBE for services to the community during the 1914-18 war. He served as mayor in 1916, 1920, 1921, 1928, 1929, 1936 and 1940.

He was awarded the CBE in 1938.

Alderman Thompson had a two rink bowling green in his large garden and with a group of friends bowled under the team name of Brierley Place. During the Princess’s visit she complimented the mayor on his fine garden and bowling green, Alderman Thompson took the opportunity and asked if the Princess would favour the Bowling Club with her name. This was agreed, the entitlement being confirmed by the Palace in 1937. In 1940 Alderman Thompson’s house suffered a direct hit from a German bomb, as a result of which, he and his wife, together with one son - Colonel Thompson and his two little daughters were killed. Through Alderman Thompson’s sons, a piece of land in the orchard of the original house (bordering onto Bradford Street) was offered and purchased by the Members of the Bowling Club.

In 1945, the Princess Marie Louise Bowling Club, now boasting a three rink green, was one of the founder members of the Chelmsford and District Bowling Association and is now a patron.

1949 saw the addition of a fourth rink and in 1956, the fifth. Between 1963 and 1995 there were many changes starting with a wooden structure up to today’s brick building housing a pavilion, large enough to accommodate indoor short mat bowls, changing rooms, a kitchen and bar. In 2002 six rinks were established.

MT Gardening Flower Power

Spring is the ideal season for planting summer flowering bulbs like dahlias, gladiolas and lilies under cover. Use a good proprietary potting compost such as John Innes No 2 or a multi-purpose. Tuberous Begonias and Canna should not be set outdoors until all danger of frost has passed, so wait until May. Sow annual seeds of asters, cosmos, marigolds, zinnias in modular trays ready for transplanting by the end of April. And for a more sustainable display try sowing perennial grasses for colour later this year through to the following spring.

When all frost danger has passed you can move your stored fuchsias and geraniums outdoors; mid to late May. Trim them back, feed and re-pot if necessary. Water them well.

When they have finished blooming, you should deadhead your spring flowering bulbs. Do not cut off the green foliage yet! The green leaves continue to grow for a few weeks, and provide the bulb with food for flowering next year. Ideally keep leaves on for 6-8 weeks.

Hybrid Tea Roses should be fertilised prior to buds beginning to bloom.

Using a systemic fertilizer will help prevent insect infestation later in the summer as it feeds your rose. Finish off with a heavy mulch of well rotted organic matter around the base of your plant to keep weeds down and help retain moisture.

If you have a pond or pool you should set aquatic plants any time after the middle of April.

Fruit and Veggies Control weeds and aerate the soil by cultivating between the

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rows of plants.

Plant perennial vegetables such as asparagus, rhubarb, horseradish, etc.

It’s also time to plant peas, carrots, beets, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, etc. Root crops such as potatoes, radishes, parsnips and onions can be planted at anytime. Late this month you can plant beans and corn.

Warmer weather crops such as tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and peppers should not be planted until next month.

As your direct-seeded crops sprout, be sure to keep them thinned out to avoid crowding.

When danger of frost has passed, uncover strawberry beds and keep them wel watered. Keep frost protection to hand as a sudden chill can really check plant growth.

Good luck and happy gardening!

For any gardening tips why not contact Tom Cole, Head of Faculty for Land & Environment, Writtle College, Chelmsford, CM1 3RR by post (including a SAE) or by email at tom.cole@ writtle.ac.uk.

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FROM COUNTY HALL

by Cllr. Dick Madden

Spring is here and I do believe we have got away with the snow, wonderful, anyone want a ton of salt? Actually, it will all be okay as thanks to the generosity of Moulsham High School the ton of road salt I acquired from Essex County Council Highways is secure on their premises waiting for a ‘rainy day,’ no that’s wrong, I mean a ‘snowy day.’

Talking of schools we at ECC are just about to embark on a public consultation regarding increasing Primary School places in Chelmsford. In our area it includes and affects Oaklands School, Moulsham Infant and Junior Schools. At this moment in time I do not know full details but I am to be briefed in the next few days. Watch out for information in the Essex Chronicle and information coming out from the schools I have mentioned. As more houses are built in Chelmsford the demand for school places will increase so if you can become involved in the public consultation, take the opportunity.

I have highlighted below some key activities going on in and around County Hall that will or could effect you, I hope the information is of use to you.

At the Full Council meeting on 11 February ECC agreed a budget for 2014/15 that invests in jobs, people and infrastructure and announced that millions of pounds of additional funding would be spent on key issues including road and footpath repairs, schools, apprenticeships and flood management over the coming year.

ECC announced plans to invest in other areas including: • £2 million for flood management across the county to help put in place protective measures at a time of unprecedented and prolonged bad weather. A further £1m of emergency funding has also been released to tackle road flooding across the county.

•Providing an extra £17 million to tackle the impact the recent bad weather has had on the county’s roads.

•£1 million to provide more equipment and better facilities for young people – helping to build stronger communities.

•£1.4 million for providing care and support to people with physical and learning needs to enable them to live as independent a life as possible.

•£500,000 to support young people looking for jobs through helping to provide an additional 260 Apprenticeships through the Essex Apprenticeship Programme – allowing a total of 515 new apprenticeships to be created under the programme during 2014/15 in key areas like engineering, digital technologies and care services.

The Council needs to save at least £235 million by 2017, with £107 million savings being made in 2014/15 and while ECC had been able to freeze council tax and achieve a balanced budget for 2014/15, further work is needed to fully balance budgets for 2015/16 and 2016/17.

in primary schools through the establishment of the Essex Primary Leadership Academy which will celebrate success, attract the best new talent to Essex, nurture and support the best teachers in the county to become great primary leaders.

Following the longest sustained period of wet weather that Essex has experienced for many years, ECC has announced that £1m of emergency funding will be released to tackle road flooding across the county. District, Borough and City Councils have been asked to identify their five worst flooding hotspots so that ECC can, with their support, begin the emergency operation of dealing with 60 flooding points across Essex by clearing culverts, emptying and jetting gullies and removing debris. ECC is also calling on the emergency services, drainage authorities, landowners, water authorities, rangers and the Environment Agency to play their part in helping to clear up these flooding hotspots.

The route of the Essex leg of the Tour de France which takes place on Monday 7 July has been announced. The cyclists will enter the county north of Saffron Walden and race through Uttlesford, Braintree, Chelmsford and Epping Forest before heading to London.

Roads on and connected to the route in Essex are anticipated to be closed as follows: Uttlesford and Braintree: 7.30am to 4pm Chelmsford: 8am to 5pm Epping Forest: 8am to 5pm Epping Forest A414 area: 8am to 5pm This length of time is needed to allow the route to be prepared, infrastructure to be put in place and removed afterwards, the Tour’s publicity ‘caravan’ of vehicles to travel through the stage, the race itself and the safe dispersal of spectators. The route will need to be clear of all public vehicles prior to the road closure time, with pedestrian access available while the roads are closed through stewarded crossing points.

A map of the route is available at http://www.essex.gov.uk/ Documents/tdf-TheRoute.pdf and more information about the Tour de France in Essex can be found at http://essex.gov.uk/ documents/tour_faq.docx Work is still continuing around the impact of the new Care Bill, the biggest reform of adult social care since 1948, which is expected to receive Royal Assent in April 2014 with the bulk of changes taking place on 1 April 2015. The aims of the new bill include:

• Promoting individual wellbeing by offering a wide range of good quality care and support services, giving people more control and choice.

•Financial protection so everyone will know what they have to pay towards the cost of meeting their eligible needs for care The Schools Improvement Fund will support school leadership and support.

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www.moulshamtimes.com Also announced at Full Council was the provision of £1m for a Schools Improvement Fund to give children the best start in life by raising standards and leadership in primary schools.

•People will be protected from having to sell their home in their lifetime to pay for any care home costs.

•New rights for carers.

ECC welcomes the proposed reforms but has concerns that they are underfunded and estimates that the cost to the Council could be £40m in 2015/16 alone. The Council also feels that the timescales are unrealistic and has called for a one year delay to the changes.

A reminder that the ECC survey to look at how residents use recycling services across the county on is still open.

The survey is available to complete at www.essex.gov.uk/ recyclingcentres and is open until Sunday 20 April 2014.

Paper copies of the survey will be available to pick up at libraries and recycling centres.

This is the start of a process to review and understand how recycling centres need to change in order to meet the long term requirements of residents, and to ensure this service is delivered in the most cost effective way for Essex taxpayers.

ECC currently operates 21 recycling centres located across the county, at an annual cost of around £6.4m. Significant investment in kerbside recycling services has been made in recent years by ECC and district, borough and city councils, which has resulted in fewer residents needing to dispose of waste at recycling centres. In addition, although many of the centres are modern purpose-built facilities, it may be the case that some of the older sites may no longer be best placed to meet the needs of a modern recycling centre.

BE SAFE

MT Cookery

Hi all, well the fantastic Cheltenham Festival and the magnificent Six Nations rugby tournament have both finished in the past week. Both exciting in their own special ways.

For once the weather was kind at Prestbury Park and the racing was just as fine and over the course of the four days the excitement didn’t wane.

The rugby was following the same vein, absolutely brilliant from start to a pulsating finish. As an England supporter the game against Scotland was in the end our downfall, but all credit to Ireland and BOD..

Shout out to “Silent” Mike Collins and all staff for winning the award of Chelmsford and Mid-Essex pub of the year CAMRA, extremely well deserved for quality beers, and all that goes towards making it a special place. Cheers Mike…

Now for munchies…

French Onion Soup Serve 4 Ingredients 30g butter 1 tbsp rape seed oil 675g finely sliced onions 1 tsp sugar Salt a fresh ground black pepper 120ml red wine 2 tbsp plain flour 1.5 litres hot beef stock 8 croutes (large croutons) 1 garlic clove halved 115g of Gruyere cheese grated Method 1/ Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy based pan over a low heat. Add the onion, sugar and season with salt and pepper. Mix well together and cook slowly for 20 or 30mins or until coloured but not burnt, keep stirring.

2/ Stir in the red wine and increase the heat to a medium heat and stir for 5mins. Sprinkle on the flour and cook through for 2mins, then pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and leave to simmer for 30mins. Check seasoning.

3/ Preheat grill to high, ladle soup in flameproof bowls. Rub croutes with garlic and place one in each bowl, and sprinkle with cheese. Grill for 2-3mins or until the cheese is bubbling.

Coq au Vin Serves 4-6 Ingredients 2kg chicken, jointed into 8 pieces 1 tbsp rape seed oil 15g butter

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by Andy Starling

125g piece of smoked bacon, diced 20 baby onions, peeled 250g mushrooms, quartered 3 tbsp plain flour 500ml chicken stock or water 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 2 shallots, finely chopped 1 bouquet garni Salt and freshly ground black pepper For marinade: 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 celery stick, thinly sliced (optional) 1 carrot thinly sliced 6 black peppercorns 375ml red wine 2tbsp rape seed oil 1/ Put the marinade ingredients, except the oil, into a pan.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 5mins. Cool. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour over the marinade, spoon the rape seed over the top. Cover and leave in fridge for 12-18 hours turning occasionally. It may seem a lot of mucking about but it is worth it.

2/ Remove the chicken from the marinade and dry of with a paper towel.

Strain the marinade over a bowl reserve the marinade and the vegetables.

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy flameproof casserole until foaming. Add the bacon and cook until browned. Remove and set aside, add the chicken and sauté for 10mins on each side or until golden brown. Remove.

3/ Add the baby onions to the casserole and sauté until browned. Remove and set aside, then add the mushrooms and sauté for 2-3mins, lift out and reserve.

4/ Discard all but 2 tbsp of oil, from the casserole. Add the reserved marinade vegetables and cook over a low heat for 5mins or until softened. Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Stir in the marinade, the stock, garlic, shallots, bouquet garni, and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil. Replace the chicken pieces in the pot, cover, and simmer over low heat for 45-60mins or until just tender.

5/ Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm. Pour the sauce in the bowl, scoop out and reserve a few pieces of carrot. Wipe out the casserole, then add the baby onions.

Strain the sauce over them, and simmer for a low heat for 10mins.

6/ Add the mushrooms and reserved carrots and continue to simmer for 2-3mins or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Return the chicken and bacon to the pot and reheat gently for 3-4mins and serve hot.

It may seem a lot of mucking about but it is worth it.

www.moulshamtimes.com

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Local Business Woman Denise Randal is a local business women living in Old Moulsham.

Today, she is at home with husband Bob, and beautiful golden retriever, Bruce. She has been enjoying a chilled out Sunday in the sun, and looks forward the week ahead.

“My mum’s coming up but I haven’t got to go into the office, I’ve got 3 events this week and the rest of the time I can spend with her.” And this free time isn’t a one-off treat for Denise. Even earning a full time wage with a flourishing business, she’s got time to walk the dog, catch up with friends and relax in the evening; all in a week’s work. But it’s not always been this easy to find that golden work-life balance.

Having always been a talker, she decided that a career in sales was her calling. She found a job in the city, but soon decided that she wanted to do it all herself. In 2004 she set up her own business.

“It was very stressful, but it was enjoyable because it was building my own business. Until the recession came, and then it started becoming quite painful. I was exhausted, and it really showed me that the business model was flawed.”

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If you have the drive to be successful this is the role for you.

Lots of people start part-time and grow the skills and abilities to grow their income and success....

35 year old company.

Investor in people accreditation at the highest level.

We work as a team and help each other to be successful!

Call me if you would like further information.

Denise Randall - 07782 273634 denise@therisegroup.co.uk

As a company director, going back to getting a regular job was Independent Distributor of Forever Living Products Longbridge Manor, Warwick CV34 6RB out of the question for Denise. “I went business networking, and I met someone who did what I do now, and I became www.therisegroup.co.uk healthierandwealthieryou intrigued about how she could work part time but earn a full Forever is a member of the Direct Selling Association time income. That was music to my ears at the time! So I Aloe drinking gels, supplements, personal and skincare products started with Forever. Now I work when I want to work, it’s how I initially thought it would be running my own business.”

Forever is a market leader in health and nutrition, in order to ensure the highest quality, Forever cultivates aloe vera on its privately-owned plantations - avoiding the use of herbicides or pesticides - which is the staple ingredient in all of their products.

“To begin with it was the business I was really excited about, I hadn’t tried any of the Forever products. But when you start, you receive a box of them to get a feel of how beneficial they can be, and I didn’t think they would make that much of a difference.”

Denise put them to the test, and after a while problems that she thought were unfixable- were fixed. “The only thing I could put it all down to was the Aloe Vera, so I was sold on the product.”

Now 4 years on, Denise distributes the products to her customers, and looks after them as part of her business. The rest of her time is spent coaching and developing other people to do the same thing, and build their own business to the stage that she has got hers to.

All doors conform fully to EU safety directives

“It is very much something that you can do with literally just 3 hours a week and it will actually build you quite a noticeable income. Start spending 7 hours a week, and you can gain an income that’s even more substantial.”

MT

To find out more about how you could do the same, email denise@therisegroup.co.uk, or ring her for a chat on 07782273634. fb:/healthierandwealthieryou.

Interview by Bronya Smolen 16

www.moulshamtimes.com

The Lost Hall of Moulsham by John Power

Most people in Chelmsford are aware of local stately homes of Hylands House and Henry VIII’s palace New Hall in Boreham, but few will be aware of Moulsham House, which stood roughly where Moulsham Schools now stand. After Henry’s break with the Church of Rome and the Dissolution of the Monastries the re-allocation of church lands continued into his son Edward VI’s short reign and daughter Elizabeth’s I’s reign. As Thomas Mildmay, was auditor for this process in Elizabeth’s reign it will come as no surprise that he was able to purchase the town of his birth from the Crown, from the Bishops Hall end we now know as New Street to the parish of Moulsham, from the Crown. When he died in 1566 his estate, including the town, passed to his son Sir Thomas Mildmay, Knight. In 1535 the dilapidated farmhouse at Moulsham had been demolished and Thomas used the site to begin building Moulsham Hall: “the greatest Esquire’s building in Essex.”

The house was so grand by 1638 that in the reign of Charles 1st, Marie de Medici, queen dowager of France stayed en route from Harwich docks to London to visit her daughter Queen Henrietta Maria. With much pomp and ceremony Charles arrived the following day to escort her to London.

But by 1644 Sir Henry Mildmay, the then owner, was so far in debt, that he had to lease it to his son so that it was not technically his property when he had to enter debtor’s prison in Fleet Prison. For several years after the lease passed tactfully around the family. By 1671 it was owned by Benjamin Mildmay, and described as the largest house in Moulsham with 22 hearths. It passed to Charles Mildmay, but he had to surrender many of the contents of it in a divorce, settled along with provisions attached to the house, so that when another Benjamin inherited it, as he had the title Baron Fitzwalter, he had to buy out Charles’ wife’s interests of the 45 acres, with park and grounds. He then spent 20 years rebuilding the house while hampered by his sister in law’s interests in the estate. He died in 1756, childless and the Earldom of Fitzwalter died with him, so the house, furnishings and grounds were inherited by a cousin, William Mildmay.

William and wife Ann moved into the house in 1756. William died in 1771. With no male heir when Ann died the line became extinct and inheritance passed to distant relatives.

At first this was Carew Hervey Mildmay who elected Jane Mildmay, eldest of his nephew’s daughters to be next in line, and according to provisions of Carew’s will her husband had to take the Mildmay name, so Sir Henry Paulet St. John took the name and Arms by Royal Warrant in 1790. He and Jane lived in Hampshire, but the terms of the will said that they had to spend at least three months each year in Moulsham House, staff it, and insure its upkeep. These stipulations and Emperor Napoleon were to lead to the houses demise.

golf course of the 21st century. A line of gun implacements on trench and earth ramparts ran from the barracks to the summit of Galleywood Common where a second fort was built on the racecourse with two smaller redoubts to its south east to guard the road to Maldon. The effect was to cut across the estate within 400 yards of the house. When Sir Henry and Jane arrived in March 1803 for their three month annual visit they were not best pleased, but Henry offered the house to the military as headquarters, as a plan began to form as to how their expensive holiday home could be dealt with, and he had four years obligations to the hall removed by act of parliament.

The army took possession of the house in 1804 on a four year lease and compensation was paid for damage to the land, but the fruit orchards were maintained as a food source for the soldiers. Henry died in 1808, five months after the lease expired. The roof of the hall had been investigated in 1797 and poor repairs made, and again inspected by a surveyor from the barracks before the army moved in, and he recommended further repairs. Jane was left with 15 children in Hampshire to support and could not afford to maintain the Moulsham House, so the trustees for the estate agreed to its demolishion in 1809, when it had once been described as “one of the ornaments of Essex, and Napoleon had never launched his planned invasion of England. The furniture and other contents were sold by auction. The gardens eventually lapsed with the other land into ‘the great wildeness’ until 1912 when they were again cultivated until 1950 when adjoining land was used as the site for Moulsham Schools.

Overgrown remnants of fruit trees could still be found behind high brick walls between Princes Road and Moulsham Drive into the 1960s as surrounding land began to disappear under housing developments, sports fields, arable land, and the final insult the borough council’s refuse tip!

Holmes & Co. Tax and accountancy We are a new family practice established to run alongside our charitable work. (See website for more details) Let us help you with Advice on simple and complex tax issues.

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During the Napoleonic War, in 1803, after the breakdown of the Treaty of Amiens of the previous year, and resulting Fully qualified tax adviser and accountant renewal of hostilities, 30 acres of the Moulsham Estate were with over 23 years experience. requisitioned by the army to build defences for the road from Harwich to London, and also on the west of the estate to T: 01245 206220 or 07785 722350 guard the road from Maldon. It will give some idea of the size of the estate when it is realised where the soldiers from the E: chrisholmes08@sky.com barracks, in what is now Wood Street, built a star-shaped www.holmesaccountants.co.uk fort at Widford from the high land opposite the church to the 18

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Rotary Supports Local Youth It has been a busy time for our youth competitions around the district lately. First of all there are area heats, then district finals and the winners of these go on to regional and national finals. Many schools participate and readers will find it interesting to hear about the range of competitions open to local pupils.

Young Chef The district final took place at Chelmsford College and the standard of cooking was again very high. The judges after much deliberation have first place to Jin Phung sponsored by Bishop’s Stortford club and the runner up was Josefine Pedersen sponsored

by Billericay Mayflower club.

They will both now go forward to the Regional final at Westminster Catering College. The national final takes place in Dundee.

Youth Speaks The district final was held again this year at Essex County Council Chambers in Chelmsford with an intermediate and senior final taking place on two consecutive Wednesdays.

We were treated to some interesting and thought-provoking subjects from the teams of three consisting of a chairman, speaker and proposer of the Vote of Thanks. Each team had ten minutes for their presentation, with the speaker also having to answer a question from the audience.

RYLA – Rotary Youth Leadership Awards The two preliminary rounds will take place this year at Danbury and East Mersea over one day in May, with the final being over a weekend at East Mersea. We are still looking for sponsorship and more contestants to take part.

Interact The district team have been busy and a new club has been formed at Thurrock. This group is for children 12 -18 years old. There is an active club at Chelmsford High School for Girls which has been going for many years.

Rotakids We are pleased to welcome a new club in district at St Johns Green School, Colchester, sponsored by Colchester Rotary and one in Great Baddow. This is for 7 -12 year olds.

You can see how Rotary caters for every age group and all sorts of activities to bring out the best in our young people. The standards are incredibly high and by entering these competitions it helps develop their self-esteem and presentation skills. If you would like to know about joining Rotary visit www.chelmsfordrotary1240.org or phone me on 01245 260349 (office hours).

Stan Keller

The winner of the intermediate completion was the Brentwood School sponsored by Brentwood Rotary on the subject of Autumn and Summer Babies, and the senior competition was won by Colchester High School for Girls on the subject of Arousing Interest in Education, sponsored by Colchester Rotary. The regional final will be held in our district at Bishop’s Stortford College, with the national final in Maidstone.

Young Musician Chelmsford Cathedral was again the setting for the district final, where a big audience was treated to an excellent evening of entertainment with 12 young people from across the district presented us to both vocal and instrumental performances.

The judges had hard decisions to make and finally picked Elodie Chousmer-Howelles, sponsored by Southend on Sea Rotary, playing the violin and the vocal talents of Jessica Edom, sponsored by Chelmsford Rotary, to go forward to the regional final at Dr Challoners School at Little Chalfont. The National final will be in Truro.

Young Photographer and Writer The subject matter for Young Photographer is ‘People’ and for Young Writer it is ‘What a Difference that Made to My Life ‘.

There are three age categories for these competitions, Junior, Intermediate and Senior.

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www.moulshamtimes.com

Wine Corner

Hello again everyone. A bit different this month as I have recently come across some information that will interest wine buyers. A little known piece of EU legislation is to be implemented regarding wine bottling.

About four years ago, forecast data for wine sales in the EU showed a worrying downward trend. As a result, a committee was set up to investigate. After extensive research, they concluded that the main reason for the decline is that a lot of would be wine buyers, who don’t know too much about the product, find it difficult to choose the wine they want, as they were having to take the bottles from the shelf and read the details on the label. This made them feel that they were demonstrating a lack of knowledge of wine and this puts them off of buying.

The committee comprised marketing experts from the top five wine producing EU countries. They concluded that, in future, all wines produced by or imported into the EU will be in coloured plastic bottles.

Apparently, major advances in technology mean that plastic bottles can be as good or better than glass for wine and be produced in any colour.

In summary, each grape variety will have it’s own bottle colour, Merlot bright red, Sauvignon Blanc orange and so on. The coding has already been agreed. Each wine outlet will, by law, have to have a colour code chart at the point of sale, so, when shopping, you just look for the bottle colour of the wine you want and easily spot it on the shelf.

Once this was agreed, they decided to go a step further and help with the identification of the country of origin. This will be included in phase 2. Each country will have a unique colour for the wine cap and label. To make it even easier, these will have an image of an item that is most associated with the the producing country. Maybe a kangaroo for Australia, a wedge of cheese for France or a kiwi for New Zealand. All the designs will need to be ratified by the Committee for Labelling Of Wines Now Sold. The committee would like input from each country to help the implementation. If you have any ideas for the symbol for England, please let me know and I can submit the best to them through their website.

A spokesperson for one major supermarket said that he thought that this was the best idea to come out of the EU for ages. The plastic bottles will be much lighter than glass, reducing transport and handling costs. The coloured bottles will make an attractive display, and this should halt the decline in sales. All the customer has to do is check or remember the colour of their favourite wines, locate them on the shelf with confidence and then check the cap colour or logo if they wish to choose a specific country, all without having to take wines from the shelf to check all the details on the label.

Fantastic. We very much look forward to the implementation of this positive move.

If you would like to see more details then check: European Directive ANAPR 1LF OO1. Target implementation date 1st April 2016.

I hope you found this useful. If you have a view, why not let me know through the letters page of the magazine.

Bin end chuckles.

Just a word of advice, if you can keep calm when everyone around you is panicking, you probably don’t understand the severity of the situation.

Remember, light travels faster than sound. This is why some people seem bright until you hear them speak.

Keep calm and carry on drinking (in moderation).

In a recent customer survey, the response was positive overall.

Some people were worried about not liking the bottle colour of their favourite wine and thought this might mean changing their choice.

The United Kingdom Vineyards Association expressed concern that, given some EU countries views about us, we may allocated be some unattractive colours for English and Welsh wine bottle labels and caps.

22

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Indigo has Opened in the Former Hooga Building Indigo has opened in the building formerly known as Barhouse/Hooga. The venue has a rich history of being one of the most credible music venues in Chelmsford for many years.

I have always wanted my own venue as I have been DJing for the past 23 years which has taken me to clubs and bars all over the country and even around Europe.

peace and quiet.

So if you fancy coming out to enjoy yourselves in a fun a friendly atmosphere then Indigo is the place to be www. facebook.com/indigochelmsford for all the up to date information.

We are trying to use Indigo to promote local talented DJ’s and promoters and give them a platform to express themselves in comfortable surroundings with a friendly atmosphere.

Along with my friend Dan Bateman we have been running a monthly club night in Chelmsford called ‘Local Life Discoteque’ which has the same aims and ambitions regarding the support of local talent.

We have started an open decks night every Thursday at Indigo inviting budding DJs and producers to pop along and have a go at playing in a live environment. This will hopefully uncover some as yet discovered local gems and also help to boost people’s confidence.

Coupled with my aims for local talent, I also have other nights that are being run by various promoters including a Chelmsford based record label ‘Issy’s Grooves’ and also ‘Endemic Digital Inc’ record label who are a major player in the international dance music scene. At Indigo we are also priding ourselves in booking some of the business’s biggest names as headline acts each month and include Jaymo & Andy George 12th April and Graham Gold 4th May. This will be one of Graham’s very few appearences in the UK this year so we are very honoured to have a legend of the scene playing for us.

We have installed in our opinion the best door supervisors in the region to make sure that Indigo is a friendly and safe environment for people to come and party and enjoy themselves without worry. We are also working hard to make sure that noise levels are kept to a minimum so that our local neighbours can be assured that Indigo will not impact on their

Whats On 5th April An Evening with Soprano Jackie Pittman At Ingatestone Hall 11th to 13th of April Cricketers Beer Fest 17th April The Panic Awards at The Civic Theatre In Aid of The J’s Hospice 17th to 20th April Woolpack Beer Fest 23rd April Blues In The City Robin Bibi Duo The Bassment www.moulshamtimes.com

23

MT Charity Essex Mediation

Are you involved in a dispute or a relationship breakdown?

Are you having difficulty reaching agreement over the practical matters?

Are you facing large legal fees?

If you’re trying in vain to reach a solution we can help.

Essex Mediation helps resolve disputes between partners, families and businesses.

We help our clients to communicate effectively, discuss practical matters calmly and reach fair agreement. Helping them to find the best way forward for their future.

This is Paul and Helen’s story.

“It wasn’t a decision we took lightly,” says Paul, 35. “We had been growing part for some time and although we both tried it seemed the more we tried the more we argued. It was horrible.” Paul and his now ex-wife Helen decided to divorce last September after 8 years of marriage.

“I just had no idea just how draining the divorce would be.” says Helen. As well as the stress of coping with separation and worry over whether the kids will be okay, we both found ourselves struggling with huge legal fees.”

Thanks to Hazel at Essex Mediation we’ve been able to get through this. “Essex Mediation saved us a fortune, And we were able to come to an agreement without having to drag it and our family through the courts. It just made the whole thing so much easier. I can’t thank them enough,” says Helen.

legal representation, the government are encouraging people to settle disputes outside of court through Mediation.

Mediation has been proven to be a quicker, cheaper solution than going through the courts. It allows you to find the best way forward for your future and that is the reason why mediation remains the main legally aided solution to resolving family disputes.

Our professional mediators have many years experience and are members of the UK College of Family Mediators, National Family Mediation (www.nfm.org.uk), Family Mediators Association, Family Mediation Council and work to their code of practice. Our Legal Aid contract also means we have obtained recognised high standards and so receive public funding for clients who qualify.

We are professional, neutral, objective and committed to helping our clients reach agreement. We have no vested interests or financial motivation; you can trust us to help you reach the right decisions and find the best solution for everyone involved.

We are based in the town centre near Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, and have additional offices in both Colchester and Harlow.

To find out how Essex Mediation can help you or for more information on our services visit our website www. essexmediation.co.uk or call us to arrange your first appointment on 01245 492200.

“It’s been a difficult few months but thanks to Essex Mediation we have finally got our lives back and are making plans for the future.”

Essex Mediation is a registered charity which means our fees are affordable and flexible. We also hold a Legal Aid contract, which means that if you qualify for Legal Aid all your mediation will be completely FREE. We are specialists in mediation who have no financially motivated vested interests, meaning our only loyalty is to our clients.

Legal Aid reforms have removed Legal aid from private law cases including divorce and child contact. With more changes still to come, and with more people not being able to afford 24

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“Volatile Retribution” a Detective Carter Mystery Written by JR Blake

10 years ago…

Frozen, Samantha began to haul herself onto the green barrier that stood between herself and the plummeting drop into the River Thames. She had been stood on Westminster Bridge for the last two hours contemplating her fate, but she couldn’t escape the overwhelming shame she felt and so she knew the only way out must be to end her own life. She knew that none of this was her fault. She knew she had never led him on, never asked him to look at her the way he did, or to corner her in his office the way he had on that traumatic day. Remembering the harrowing experience made her feel sick, what he had done had ruined her.

She was no longer pure. Her parents had disowned her. The subsequent police investigation had done nothing but throw everything into the media spotlight, his name protected but not hers. Her life was over in spirit, she might as well draw a line under the whole thing and let the freezing Thames cleanse her defiled soul.

A mile or so from the bridge, Constable Carter and her partner Constable Reid had been driving around Westminster most of the evening. Conversation had mainly been centred on the new kitten Carter had just acquired. Reid didn’t understand kittens.

“Carter, I thought you wanted to become a detective?”

“I do.”

“Well a kitten isn’t exactly a status symbol for a detective is it?”

“She won’t be a kitten by the time I get to detective, she’ll be a housecat.”

“Oh, a housecat eh? Well you know what they say, there’s nothing like a housecat that says badass top detective! No Carter, what you need a proper pet.”

“Define a “proper pet” for me then Reid, just so that I’m clear.”

“Seriously Carter have you never seen any cop films? You need a German Shepherd, like in K-9. And you need to give him a badass name, like Khan.

That way you’ll sound really cool when you take him for walks and you call him back to you “KHAAAAAN!!!!” That’s much better than “here kitty kitty” for a detective.”

Carter laughed “Reid, you just quoted Star Trek.”

“Did I?” “yep” “When?”

“KHAAAAAAAAN!!!!!” Carter screamed before descending into a fit of laughter. www.moulshamtimes.com

But then, as they were driving over Westminster Bridge, something caught her eye. A hand moving up the gold and green ornate lamp-post, long brown hair twirling as it caught in the breeze, a figure in the distance slowly moving upwards onto the barrier. Oh God, she’s going to jump…

“Reid, do you see her over there?”

Carter was pointing furiously.

“What, where?” Reid replied, now looking for what Carter was referring to.

“Reid STOP THE CAR!! She’s going to jump, STOP THE CAR!!!” Carter was now yelling at her partner as panic set in, she needed to get to her in time.

“I see her.” He reached for the radio as he pulled over and Carter jumped out of the car. She could hear him informing dispatch as she gingerly made her way over to the girl. The last thing she wanted was for the girl to fall to her death after Carter accidently scared the crap out of her. Carter spoke softly; “Hello?” The girl turned her head quickly, clearly surprised at her newly arrived company “My name is Carter, what’s yours?”

“I’m sorry, I have to do this, it’s for the best…please don’t stop me…” replied the girl.

“I didn’t ask you to stop, I asked you what your name was” Carter said.

“Oh…er” The girl looked to the murky depths of the river and then replied “….Samantha.”

“Pleased to meet you Samantha. Bit chilly out here isn’t it?” The girl turned to look at Carter.

“What? Oh…er..yeah.”

Reid approached cautiously, not entirely sure why his partner was talking about the weather with the suicidal girl. He was pretty sure Carter had a screw loose somewhere. Carter saw Reid approaching.

“Samantha this is Constable Reid, he’s my partner. He doesn’t like my kitten” a confused Samantha said: “Oh..er…right…”

Carter continued, “He thinks I need a proper pet. I think there’s nothing wrong with kittens and he’s a muppet. What do you think?”

Samantha was now feeling disoriented, just a minute ago she had been about to end her life and now she was having a conversation with a police officer called Carter about kittens? She’d had a cat when she was ten, she could remember playing with him…

“I like cats, I had one when I was little.”

Bingo, hit the jackpot, thought Carter.

Now to get the poor girl off that bridge.

“Samantha, I’d like to hear about your cat. Why don’t you come down and tell me all about him?” Carter now moved towards her, hand outstretched.

Samantha looked dazed, she was obviously upset and in a lot of emotional pain.

Samantha wasn’t entirely sure why but she felt herself moving towards Carter. Once her hand and Carter’s were entwined Reid rushed towards her and helped her down off the bridge.

The next thing she knew they were sat in a late night café drinking steaming hot tea. Samantha had refused to go to the police station or a hospital. She’d seen enough of those places. Carter, determined to find out what had driven this bright young girl to attempt to throw herself off Westminster Bridge at 3am in the middle of winter, started asking questions. As Samantha opened up and described what had happened with her professor, it became clear that this was a girl who felt her life had been ripped away from her.

Back at the station, Carter started digging. Secure in the knowledge that Samantha was safe, for now, Carter was hoping she would be able to at least give Samantha some hope that this could be resolved in the future. But there was nothing, no evidence; the professor had an alibi, he was well liked by his peers and his students, there was no DNA, no fingerprints, literally nothing other than Samantha’s statement. Somehow Carter knew that Samantha wasn’t lying but that wasn’t all that bothered her. When Samantha had been explaining what had happened Carter saw a change in her, something in Carter’s gut told her this wasn’t over and this wasn’t the last time she would meet Samantha. She was right, but 10 years ago Carter could not have predicted the next chapter of this saga. Nor how critical the outcome would eventually be…

Tune in next time to see how the story unfolds, 10 years later, in the present day…

Bring & Buy Sale Chelmsford Social Club 11am – 1pm 13th April 2014 If you are interested in selling then please contact Charley 07455 909732. £10 per table.

Raising money for Little Havens Children’s Hospice

25

Then

ed

Ami’s Diary The Muppets Most Wanted world premiere was in Hollywood and I can’t wait to see it here in the UK. It was over a year ago that I filmed scenes with Kermit so I am hoping I will see myself on screen at the cinema.

I haven’t heard back yet whether I have been selected to be in two films in April but I am filming another one in May in which I am dressing as Princess Leia from Star Wars so I am looking forward to that. I have to get a new medical form from my doctor which you need to get every six months to be allowed to take part in commercial performances.

I’ve changed roles in my Theatretrain production of Honk! which is a musical adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen story The Ugly Duckling. I was Jemima the chicken, but I have been promoted to Beaky the duck so I have to learn a new part of the script with different bits to act, dance and sing by the time we perform in June.

I am going to Paris in July with Great Baddow High School Rock Choir which I am a member of. We are busy rehearsing two mornings a week as we are hoping to sing at Disneyland Paris which would be amazing.

I’m then going to Guide Camp in Ipswich for a week at the end of July, which I love as I get to do lots of activities like archery, rafting, crate stacking, abseiling, craft making, cooking on open fires and singing.

I’m busy making Ami’s Candles again as the craft fairs are starting soon. I even got a stall offered to me for free in April as the organiser liked that I am only 11 years old and have set up my own business.

Next Issue Deadlines Copy 18th April Finished art work 22nd April

Spring Has Sprung @ Kids and Koffee!

The sun has got his hat on and Kids and Koffee is the place to enjoy it...

As well as our fantastic indoor soft play area we also have a safe and secure outside area.

Our astro turfed garden area has so many things to keep your little ones occupied from playhouses and little tikes climbing equipment to hopping bunnies and giant Lego!

Kids and Koffee serve fresh food, hot and cold drinks, snacks and homemade cakes!

Relax and enjoy the sun and a great ‘koffee’ whilst your kids play!

We make play time.... YOUR time! www.moulshamtimes.com

27

27

MT Community Moulsham Lodge Community Trust by Mark Springett

We are looking at a number of ideas that will help bind all of the aims and objectives of MLCT together. One of these would be a Residents Association for Moulsham Lodge. Tile Kiln already has a Residents Association (see their a web site www.tilekiln.org.uk) with residents benefiting from a number of projects over the years that they have been running from planting bulbs around the estate to Community Speed Watch.

There are also close ties with Neighbourhood Watch and the local police team. They also produce a newsletter three times a year to keep residents in touch with issues and social events.

If you would like to help your local community and it sounds like something you would be interested in getting involved with or you would like more information, please contact Mark Springett on either Tel 01245 351040 or Mob 07411 808731 or mark.springett@mlct.org.uk.

Beware Scam Emails According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) 14% of all adults have never used the internet. When looking at the over 75 year-olds, this number shoots up to 65% - and even for the 55+ age group it is between 15% and 33% non-users.

Those younger that 55, there is well less than 10% non-usage. But patterns are changing and as we become more and more dependent on the internet and email, we will see more and more attempts to get at our money through the internet. Currently, there appears to be an epidemic of scam emails and phishing – where email messages are designed to steal your identity so that criminals can get your money. With all the benefits of internet buying and banking, criminals seek easy money on the back of these services through bogus emails.

Phishing emails may appear to come from trusted sources - your bank, your email provider, even individuals who you may know. Many of these emails appear to be legitimate: the email address might look authentic, and the contents are becoming increasingly sophisticated making it quite difficult to distinguish between genuine emails and fakes.

Typically, there will be a link to entice you to reveal personal information, pin’s, or passwords, enabling them to hack into your email or your bank account. Sometimes the link may automatically download malicious software onto your computer. Always be very cautious about links in an email, check it out by hovering (not clicking) the mouse pointer on the link to see if the address matches the link that was typed in the message. Likewise, check out the authenticity of an email address by hovering the mouse pointer over the email address in your in-box – but beware, some of the invented email addresses are very clever too – they can look very like legitimate email addresses

Before

After

en our ov Treat y G clean!

RIN to a SP now to Call us . book contact your bank, email provider, or other service provider as appropriate, immediately. Change all your passwords. Many of us don’t actually do this, but it’s good practice to change your passwords regularly – and have different passwords for different sites and services. Don’t use your on-line book buying service password on your on-line banking account, for example.

There is also the scam of copycat ‘official’ websites which try to dupe people into handing over huge fees for official services in addition to standard fees or which they can receive for free: these are websites that often pop up after a search, such as when searching for ‘passport renewal’, ‘tax returns’, or ‘driving licence renewals’. These may be legitimate businesses offering assistance with on-line renewals for these or other services – but at a cost. In many cases, these companies may have a similar appearance to a government website and hide in small print a statement that they are not official. Check the web address has, for example, ‘.gov.uk’ or ‘.nhs.uk’ as an ending.

If you’re a member of a neighbourhood watch you will receive newsletters that give you alerts and advice, and you will be part of a partnership that seeks to keep our neighbourhood safe and secure. But as reported in the last MT, OLD MOULSHAM STILL HAS ONLY 19% NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH COVERAGE and we’ve had no response as a result of that article. Old Moulsham is a safe place, but subject to spates of burglaries from time to time. Perhaps most people feel we don’t need full coverage of neighbourhood watch – but if you’re interested, please to contact us at info@moulshamfirst. org.uk – or send you details to Moulsham Times who will get your contact to us. Over to you, Old Moulsham.

If you are concerned that your security has been compromised Check out our website – www.moulshamfirst.org.uk – your bank details have been accessed or your email hacked 28

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29

Heritage Lottery Fund Awards £10,000 to Chelmsford Civic Society to Mark the First World War Centenary Chelmsford Civic Society has received £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for their Chelmsford Remembers project. Awarded through the Heritage Lottery Fund’s First World War: then and now programme, the project will focus on the impact of the Great War on life and work in the city of Chelmsford.

To mark the centenary of the First World War, the project will enable residents of Chelmsford to preserve the memories and heritage of the people who lived through the First World War. Volunteers will collect photographs, newspaper clippings, documents, letters and photos of keepsakes, as well as family stories passed down so that they can build a picture of what life was really like during the war years.

Chelmsford residents will be invited to bring their contributions to our First World War Heritage to the High Chelmer Ideas Hub. This will become the information centre for the project from October onwards. Here the information will be recorded digitally and an online archive created that will be available to everyone. Our Chelmsford Young explorers will visit local sites connected with the war and record them, using the HistoryPin website. In 2015 there will be an exhibition of the project outcomes held at Anglia Ruskin University.

Chelmsford had been essentially a market town at the beginning of the 20th century but was transformed into an important industrial centre in the run up to the war. Central to that change was the Marconi factory in New Street: having been awarded the government contract for an imperial wireless scheme, essential to the war effort. During the 1914 retreat from Mons, Chelmsford had the feel of a place close to the front line. This was due to the presence of Belgian refugees and proximity to the likely invasion coast.

Malcolm Noble, the project director, explained that Chelmsford Remembers ‘will help us all gain a better understanding of how the war shaped the city of today’. He emphasised the intention to recruit local volunteers to gather and analyse information, suitably trained by professionals from the Essex Record Office.

Councillor Roy Whitehead, Leader of the City Council, welcomed the Heritage Lottery Fund award: saying that ‘this project will complement the contribution from the City Museums Service and therefore improve our appreciation of Chelmsford’s heritage’.

Explaining the importance of the HLF support, the head of the HLF East of England, Robyn Llewellyn, said: “The impact of the First World War was far reaching, touching and shaping every corner of the UK and beyond. The Heritage Lottery Fund has already invested more than £15million in projects – large and small - that are marking this global centenary; with our new small grants programme, we are enabling even more communities like those involved in Chelmsford Remembers to explore the continuing legacy of this conflict and help local young people in particular to broaden their understanding of how it has shaped our modern world.”

About the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported over 36,000 projects with more than £5.9bn across the UK. www.hlf.org.uk. Follow us on twitter @heritagelottery #understandingWW1 HLF-funded First World War projects include: First World War Centenary Project, IWM London An HLF grant of £4.5m is transforming IWM London (part of Imperial War Museums) by creating new ground-breaking First World War galleries.

Flintham Society – Keeping the Home Fires Burning?

Keep the Homes Fires Burning? is a community history project looking at the impact of the First World War on life in the Nottinghamshire village of Flintham.

Tank Museum – Access all Areas, Dorset Holding the world’s finest tank and armoured vehicle collection, The Tank Museum is a popular visitor attraction in the heart of Dorset. HLF’s grant is being used to house 130 ‘at risk’ vehicles, putting the entire collection indoors for the first time.

Through its First World War: then and now programme, HLF is making at least £1million available per year for six years until 2019. It will provide grants between £3,000 and £10,000 enabling communities and groups right across the UK to explore, conserve and share their First World War heritage and deepen their understanding of the impact of the conflict.

To find out how to apply for funding visit www.hlf.org.uk/ thenandnow. If a group needs a grant of more than £10,000 for a First World War project, it can apply to HLF through its open programmes www.hlf.org.uk/firstworldwar UK Government Centenary Plans.

In June 2013, the Government set out its plans to mark the centenaries of the First World War commencing in 2014.

These plans include a £35m refurbishment of the First World War galleries at the Imperial War Museum (IWM); The government’s principal partners in the commemorations will be the Heritage Lottery Fund and the IWM, but will encompass support for a multitude of other initiatives, large and small, as they come together in the months and years to come.

For more information about Chelmsford Civic Society please visit their web site http://www.essexinfo.net/ chelmsfordcivicsociety/

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