Moulsham Times August 2015 by Itsyourmedia

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MT Welcome

Dear readers,

We have another competition for you this month; on page 13 a local author tells us a little about himself and there is a chance to win a choice of two football quiz books! We had a great time at the festivals in July. First up was The Fling, then Chelmsford Beer Festival and Brownstock. Our stages were received well at both The Fling and Brownstock fingers crossed for next year. As always please tell our advertisers you saw their adverts in here as it helps them gauge the effectiveness of the adverts. Enjoy the summer! Regards, Nick & Paul

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Disclaimer: It’s Your Media publish the Moulsham 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. Reg Co No. 09154871. Printed by Imagery UK.

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After Fifteen Months, 25,000 Miles and 17 Countries I Said Goodbye to Asia... Dan’s Update - You Can Follow Me at: www.danskeates.com After fifteen months, 25,000 miles and 17 countries I said goodbye to Asia and hello to Australia. I was very emotional about such a dramatic change of landscape and people having had such a wonderful time there, I was torn between wanting a new experience and not wanting to leave. Asia was wonderful, with such a diverse landscape from deserts to mountains, to jungle and warm blue seas and such welcoming and lovely smiling people, I couldn’t imagine Australia would get even close to the happy engaging people of Asia. It’s All About the People. I worked and lived in Australia 25 years ago so knew what to expect and was interested to see how it had changed. My daughter, who’s also travelling, met me at Darwin Airport. We hadn’t seen each other for 6 months and had a lovely week or so together whilst I was there.

into this new world. What I discovered over the following week or two is that Australia is big; the distances between everything are massive, most days I didn’t see people, vehicles or houses for hours. Many towns had only 10 houses and a roadhouse which has petrol, food, beer and somewhere to put your tent up. The landscape didn’t change much in the first 1,500 miles, just red dirt and dust, cattle stations the size of England and dead kangaroos by the side of most roads. It’s the dry season so all I saw was the biggest, bluest skies imaginable every day. Wherever I went the people were helpful, as soon as they saw my registration number plate was UK they asked questions and many offered to put me up for the night when I was in their part of Australia. Australian people are good. I’m now in Queensland over half way to Sydney...

Getting myself and my motorbike into Australia was a challenge, the usual paperwork was tripled with quarantine inspections and more paperwork and bureaucracy than you could imagine. I had been used to things always working out well in Asia but in Australia, as in many other western countries, if ‘computer says no’ then nothing happens. In Asia a smile goes a long way and gets you through many situations where, if they had a computer and if it did say ‘no’, they would still look at you and say something like ‘ok, go through’ or ‘quickly then’ or ‘no problem’. Life where people make good and sensible decisions based on feeling is so refreshing. My time in Darwin felt like I had been hit by a steam train having to reprogramme myself to bureaucracy, procedure and people that seemed like they’d had their emotions and common sense trained out of them by government departments and multi-national companies. I had been contacted by many Australian bikers over the previous year offering to help me out whilst I was there, I stayed with Dave in Darwin and he ensured I was fully prepared for the great Australian outback before I left. My destination was Sydney which was over 3,000 miles away, but my route was unknown, I left Darwin early afternoon on a Saturday with a fully serviced bike, new tyres, new battery, spare petrol, 8 litres of water, camping gear, a small stove and food. I was warned to not ride at dawn or dusk due to the animals (mainly kangaroos) on the road and the roadtrains (lorries with 3 or 4 trailers that can be over 50 metres long that cannot easily move out of the way on small roads and create such a dust cloud on dirt roads that I would just have to get out of the way and stop). You can add to this the spiders, snakes, saltwater crocodiles, blistering heat, dry dusty desert and petrol stations hundreds of miles apart. So to say I was slightly nervous was an understatement. For the first few days I stayed in Kakadu National Park, camping out under the thousands of stars you can see in the outback. I travelled on a combination of tarmac and dirt roads and eased myself slowly

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2015/2016 Fixture List AUGUST 2015 Tue 04, 19:45 - Home - Charlton Athletic XI Sat 08 15:00 - Away - Oxford Mon 10, 19:45 -Home - Hemel Hempstead Town Sat 15, 15:00 - Home - Hayes & Yeading Utd Tue 18, 19:45 - Away - Bishop's Stortford Sat 22, 15:00 - Away - Whitehawk Sat 29, 15:00 - Home - St Albans City Mon 31, 15:00 Away - Maidstone United SEPTEMBER 2015 Sat 05, 15:00 - Home - Havant & Waterlooville Sat 12, 15:00 - Away - Wealdstone Mon 14, 19:45 - Home- Concord Rangers Sat 19, 15:00 - Away - Maidenhead United OCTOBER 2015 Sat 03, 15:00 - Home - Oxford City Sat 17, 15:00 - Away - Basingstoke Town Sat 24, 15:00 - Home - Ebbsfleet United Sat 31, 15:00 - Away - Bath City NOVEMBER 2015 Sat 07, 15:00 - Home - Truro City Sat 14, 15:00 - Away - Hayes & Yeading Utd Sat 21, 15:00 - Home - Eastbourne Borough DECEMBER 2015 Sat 05, 15:00 Away - Gosport Borough Sat 19, 15:00 - Home - Wealdstone Sat 26, 15:00 - Home - Dartford Mon 28, 15:00 Away - St Albans City

JANUARY 2015 Sat 02, 15:00 - Away - Dartford Sat 09, 15:00 - Home - Weston-Super-Mare Sat 16, 15:00 - Away - Margate Sat 23, 15:00 - Home - Whitehawk Sat 30, 15:00 - Home - Sutton United FEBRUARY 2016 FEBRUA Sat 06, 15:00 - Away - Hemel Hempstead Town Sat 13, 15:00 - Away - Havant & Waterlooville Sat 20, 15:00 - Home - Margate Mon 22, 19:45 - Home - Bishop's Stortford Sat 27, 15:00 - Away - Weston-Super-Mare MARCH 2016 Sat 05, 15:00 - Away - Truro City Sat 12, 15:00 - Home - Maidenhead United Sat 19, 15:00 - Away - Eastbourne Borough Sat 26, 15:00 - Away - Concord Rangers Mon 28, 15:00 - Home - Maidstone United APRIL 2016 Sat 02, 15:00 - Home - Bath City Sat 09, 15:00 - Away - Ebbsfleet United Sat 16, 15:00 - Home - Gosport Borough Sat 23, 15:00 - Away - Sutton United Sat 30, 15:00 - Home - Basingstoke Town

Remember why support a Town when you can support a For sponsorship, advertising or match day hospitality information please CITY!

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Chelmsford’s Newest Independent - Bake n’Grape - Bakehouse-Bar-Grill During recent years, Essex’s newest city has been booming, with the regeneration of the older parts of the centre, the construction of various new housing developments and the ongoing Bond Street development. Hand in hand with this thriving hub, the Chelmsford social scene has undergone rapid growth and evolution. In particular, Chelmsford has seen several new independent eateries open in recent years, such as The New London, 59 New Street and Olio, which is a reflection of the ever more sophisticated and demanding local audience, looking for something new and interesting without the need to travel into London. The latest offering to Chelmsford comes in the form of Bake n’Grape, the brainchild of co-founders Chris Windram and Martin Hobby, who felt there was a gap in the local market, telling The Moulsham Times: “Both we, our partners and our families sometimes struggle in Chelmsford to escape the chains dominating the High Street. We wanted to create somewhere warm and friendly where people could get together to eat, to drink, to socialise, to do business or simply to take 5 minutes out of their day for themselves. Crucially however, we wanted to do this against a backdrop of local produce lovingly presented along with top notch customer service - to differentiate ourselves.” It seems their goals have been realised. BnG occupies substantial premises on Baddow Road which following a 4 month total renovation and is virtually unrecognisable from what it was before. Use of natural materials has yielded a modern finished product with a real sense of space and light, but retaining a sympathetic nod to the location in a conservation area. Zones have been created so whether you’re looking to tuck into an expertly cooked steak in the upstairs grill house, enjoy a drink at the outdoor bar in the sun drenched courtyard or get comfortable on the cosy sofas with coffee and cake, there’ll be that perfect spot waiting for you. The BnG executive team has developed a menu with a range of options to appeal, whatever you fancy. Whether you’re popping in for

locally sourced eggs with the papers for a lazy breakfast, tucking into a succulent steak or indulging in freshly baked scones with a glass of fizz, the underlying ‘Best of British’ theme shines through. This is complimented by a varied and creative drinks menu - the BnG team are proud of their range of cocktails, particularly their non-alcoholic offerings for the designated drivers or those simply choosing to avoid alcohol, along with the more traditional options on the extensive wine list. BnG has been inspired and founded by Chelmsford’s residents, with an offering tailored to the needs of the local community. Chris and Martin look forward to welcoming you through their doors on Baddow Road from 31st July 2015.

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From The House by Sir Simon Burns MP National Lottery Funding

In recent weeks there has been plenty of press coverage of the changes that will be made to the National Lottery later this year. These will be some of the biggest changes in the history of the Lottery which was launched in November 1994.

important to many towns and villages across the country. It has also helped individuals too, like the Second World War widow from Chelmsford who received a grant of £300 towards travel costs for a commemorative visit to Holland in 2005. This is just one of 57,000 commemorative visits which the National Lottery has funded and in the year that we mark the 70th Anniversary of VE and VJ Day, it demonstrates the enormous contribution which good cause funding has made to the UK.

Whilst there are 6 million winners on National Lottery products and games every week, over the past 20 years it has also delivered a staggering £33 billion to good causes. In the Chelmsford constituency, 426 projects have benefited from a total of £43,430,311 of National Lottery funding. The income raised for National Lottery projects from ticket sales is paid by the operator, Camelot, into the National Lottery Distribution Fund and then allocated to a formula set by Parliament, which is broken down so that health, education, environment and charitable causes receive 40%. The remaining 60% is then split 3 ways between sports, the arts and heritage projects.

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Some of the largest grants awarded locally over the last 20 years include £1.198 million to Chelmsford Hockey Club in 2003 and £2.351 million to the then Chelmsford Borough Council in 2001 for a new athletic centre at Melbourne Park. However, many of the grants are much smaller and have supported local organisations and charities in their work; organisations like the Great Baddow Flower Club, the 276 (Chelmsford) Air Training Corps, Moulsham Junior School, Moulsham Lodge Camera Club, Chelmsford Canoe Club and The J’s Hospice to mention just a few. The investment which the National Lottery has provided to communities over the past 20 years has been hugely

Discount applies to metered fairs only. The voucher must be given to the driver to receive the discount. Expiry 31/8/15 MoulshamTimes

From County Hall by Cllr Dick Madden I’ve just got back from taking some of the grandchildren up to Oakland’s Park. The weather was so hot - and they got me going down the zip wire. You know, the one that has been there for years. Even at my age in my early sixties I thought I was so cool (well the grandkids did!)

As I represent the city centre, Old Moulsham and Moulsham Lodge areas on Essex County Council, I was looking, as I always do, at our estate roads and pavements, the dreaded potholes and each street’s cleanliness as we were walking to and from the park. With all the developments going on in the city and the pavement improvements in Gloucester Avenue, many potholes have been filled since the winter. Although there’s still more to do and two more of our estate roads need to be fully resurfaced. I also came to the conclusion that I love living in this part of Chelmsford with my wife Kathryn and all my family, but yes I acknowledge, as I have stated recently, that some pavements are - in your eyes and mine - a bit dodgy. I recently met with the Essex County Council cabinet member of highways maintenance, Eddie Johnson - and more monies will be made available across Essex for more work to be carried out on pavements needing repair or replacement. It won’t happen overnight 8

but yours and my lobbying has helped.

I need to mention the proposed development of the Riverside Leisure Centre briefly. Several residents have contacted me stating they are unhappy that the local City Council have approved the plans for this centre. I have to state that the matter that went before the full council of the Chelmsford City Council was the result of a feasibility study on the existing Riverside Leisure Centre, its replacement and what could be financially afforded. The council approved for the feasibility study to now proceed to the planning process. So members of the public will still have the opportunity to make constructive comments regarding such plans over the coming months. The schools break up within the next few days, so hurrah for the kids - I loved the summer holidays as a boy. Anyway, with the schools out, daily vehicle congestion should be so much better. I have to state that the new slip road out of the city by the Army and Navy roundabout has proved to be good and to travel into the city in the mornings (especially down New London Road) will be so much more pleasant - enjoy. Talking of holidays, please tell your neighbour or family when you are going away on holiday so we, as a community, can all keep an eye on each others’ homes. Enjoy your holidays, have fun, sun and rest. BE SAFE - Dick Madden

Quiz Time - General Knowledge! (Answers on Page 30) 1. What is the origin of mesmerise? 2. What are the 2 common sources of sugar? 3. In which sports do you use freestyle? (Name as many as you can).

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4. Where is The Elizabeth Tower? 5. Who plays Doc Martin on ITV? 6. How many bones are there in the human body? 7. How much (currently) is an MP’s pay? 8. What are the colours of the Greek flag? 9. What is the official residence of the Chancellor of The Exchequer? 10. Where will you find an isobar? 11. Which bird is associated with peace? 12. What is the opposite of starboard? 13. What is the name of the pub in Emmerdale? 14. What does hi-fi stand for? 15. Who launched the Amstrad computer? 16. What is the leaf on the Canadian flag? 17. What exactly is fracking? 18. How many colours of peppers? 19. What does a pugilist do for a living? 20. Which bank uses a black horse as It’s logo? 21. What was the first name of the American singer Durante? 22. Who is the latest police inspector in Midsomer Murders? 23. What is the name of the daughter of Kate and William?

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24. Whose catchphrase was ‘ooh you are awful, but I like you’? 25. How many years did Queen Victoria reign? 26. What is the approximate population of the UK? 27. Who is the leading personality on Britain’s Got Talent? 28. On the stairs, the step is the tread, but what is the other bit called? 29. What is lexicography? 30. What was Mr Brunel’s first name? By John Theedom of Old Moulsham

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MT Gardening It’s cooler - hurrah. Thank goodness as it was getting a little oppressive for plants and to be quite frank, little old me!

Hopefully you’re all enjoying time in the garden and not just becoming a slave to it. Just the other week I found it great to unwind and sit out and enjoy my own yard... Of course, it did help that I had in my view a lovely bottle of chilled wine and the log burner was glowing to just take the chill out of the air as night descended. This year I’ve popped a few sparkly lights up so that I’m not suddenly plunged into pitch black darkness. I think next year I’ll take a look for something a little brighter. Lights can really change the atmosphere of a garden space and certainly some of the planted areas have taken on a whole new look - try it.

1. If you have a lawn you’d better make sure that it’s fed, as this will encourage good green healthy growth. Water the lawn during dry spells as it is key not to let them dry out; for best results set mower blades higher as this will reduce stress. With the warm weather, weeds will thrive so use a specific selective weed killer. 2. In the flower garden, continue to deadhead old flower heads if seed heads aren’t required. Deadheading will keep plants more compact and can encourage repeat flowering. Go one step further with perennials where they have faded or finished - cut down by half plants such as hardy geraniums. And where you have plants in baskets and other containers make sure that you feed well and keep

In the meantime, I’ve got to get back to tending the garden. As we all know there is plenty to do in terms of pruning, sowing and just a general tiding up. Here are just a few tasks for now:

watered for lush bright foliage and a myriad of flowers. For those of you with wisteria who are unsure about pruning, check out this link (this is the time to do the 2nd prune of the year): www.rhs.org.uk/ advice/profile?pid=242. 3. At this time of the year the kitchen garden is truly burgeoning. You’ll need to keep on top of watering and feeding (high potash feeds especially for anything in pots) and further re-sowing of quick inter-cropping vegetables such as lettuce, radish and spring onion. Also at this time of the year ‘June drop’ has occurred and fruit trees have naturally shed some excess fruit. However, a further thinning now will enable the production of enhanced and better sized fruit and can help to prevent brown rot - check out this link: www.rhs.org. uk/advice/profile?pid=340. Continue to pick runners as this will encourage more to develop and reduce stringiness. Don’t forget other vegetables such as beetroot, peas, carrots, chard, potatoes, salad leaves, lettuce and tomatoes will also need to be harvested. 4. Keep plants healthy by checking for pest and diseases. There are a number to look out for this month. In the greenhouse, reduce the chances of grey mould by ensuring good air flow by opening doors and checking vents. Also remove any plant debris from the bases of plants, on floors etc. to discourage other fungal diseases. At the college we also use sticky traps to help catch flying pests such as white fly.

Summer is here don’t delay call today

With fruit, protect them from the prying eyes of birds and squirrels by placing netting over plants. Look out for apple scab (scabby marks on the fruit and leaves of apples) and apply a fungicide containing myclobutanil. Check out this link for further information: www. gardenersworld.com/how-to/problems/fruit-and-nuts/apple-andpear-scab/372.html. And lastly, prune your stone fruits such as plum, apricot, peach and cherry trees now. By pruning in summer you’ll reduce the risk of these trees getting silver leaf disease. Good luck and happy gardening! For any gardening tips, 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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Essex Entrepreneur and the Future of Gardening... Changing the habits of gardening enthusiasts is a nigh on impossible task. If only there was a local champion of modern agricultural methods to bring us up to speed on new technologies... Cue Daniel Roberts from Future Garden, a Chelmsford entrepreneur bringing the future of gardening to your doorstep. I’m sure you have read the usual tabloid articles scapegoating hydroponics as an act only performed by criminals. What the papers tend to ignore is that the vast majority of the fresh produce you find in supermarkets is grown hydroponically. Not just for the obvious reasons like faster, bigger and tastier crops, but also for the less obvious ones too: Fewer problems with pests/diseases and fewer resources used throughout the process as a whole. The seasoned gardeners out there are likely thinking: ‘my harvests already taste miles better than anything I’ve had from the supermarkets - I’m not convinced...’ Well my stoic friend, the varieties you’ll see gracing the chain store’s shelves will have been bred and grown solely for their production and storage values, not for exceptional taste like the heirloom varieties that your grandad has passed down to you have been. Even you hardcore organic growers can save yourselves the aches and pains from the usual back-breaking labour right in the comfort of your own home - all year round. Growing with hydroponics can be easier, less expensive and much more productive than traditional growing methods, and Dan of Futuregarden in Chelmsford (and Chigwell) has

There’s a whole host of unfamiliar products waiting for the gardener to explore...

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Just one of the many tents containing hydroproduce at the Chelmsford store.

We caught up with Dan to see exactly why he is so passionate about hydroponics: “I’ve always been a keen gardener, but since I’d discovered hydroponic gardening and realised I could grow fruit and veg at home tastier than what I could buy from the shops, I’ve never looked back. Now with the affordable and more reliable products I’ve brought to the market, I’ve been helping everyone that I can to do the same ever since. Growing using hydroponics might seem a little daunting, but our staff are very knowledgable and always on hand to offer bespoke advice to our customers”.

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been teaching people how to grow with hydroponics for almost 20 years. www.moulshamtimes.com

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It’s Your Letters Reduced Speed Zone

Money Raised

Dear Sir

Dear Moulsham Times

The speed at which cars drive through the Old Moulsham area, particularly Moulsham Drive, is concerning many residents.

On Saturday 20th June The Community Station in Gloucester Avenue hosted a coffee morning in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care. Cllr Freda Mountain volunteers for the charity and said: “ This was a great venue for our event and we made £342.65 which we were very pleased with. Thanks to all who came along or made cakes.“

The roads are often used as a cut through to avoid the Army and Navy roundabout, and something should be done to address this. Many of the roads have no - or insufficient - off-street parking which causes added danger to children crossing roads. The area has many schools. Surely a 20mph zone would be safer and discourage those using as a cut through? The problem in Lynmouth Avenue has only become worse with the building of 65 flats without sufficient parking provision, meaning crossing and driving is more dangerous. It might be hard to enforce and flouted by some, but I think the community would self-police this and it is proven that the risk of serious injury from accidents is greatly reduced at 20 mph.

Many thanks Linda

Allotments at Seymour Street Dear Editior There must be many green fingered wannabes out there in the Moulsham area.

Surely it’s time for a reduced speed zone to discourage the cut through and make the area safer to live in. A concerned resident and parent

Can you spare a few hours per week to grow your own fruit and vegetables?

3 Foot Thanks Dear Moulsham Times

Can I just say thank you so much for the tickets. My daughter and I had the best day ever at the festival and were amazed at all of the activities that the festival had for the under 5s. Toni - 3 Foot Festival Ticket Winner

A hidden secret in Moulsham is the Seymour Street allotment plots. Tucked away behind Seymour Street you wouldn’t know they were there unless you were told of their existence. Most allotment plots in England are council owned and there are people who have been on the waiting lists for years to rent one. The Seymour Street allotments are privately owned by Higgins Homes and are managed by Kelmsley in New London Road. Even better news, the annual rent is a fraction of that charged for council plots! There are just 12 plots available to rent. Eight are currently being maintained to a high standard as you can see from the pictures. The 12 plots are secured by fencing with a coded padlock to enter the gate.

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If you are interested in renting a plot right now, it is not too late as there are still plants that can be grown this far into the summer. Or you could put your name down for a plot to start working at the beginning of the next growing season. Call Mrs Christine Woolmer at Kelmsley on 01245 342031. Happy gardening!

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O’Connors Pub Charity Fundraiser O’Connor’s pub charity fundraiser is on Bank Holiday Sunday, 30th August 14:00 - midnight! Entry is free to the family fun day with a raffle, face painting, BBQ, adult and children’s games plus a cake sale. Last year a regular at O’Connor’s, Dan, was in an accident while away with work and suffered a severe head and brain injury. Resulting in permanent brain damage and a life long diagnosis of epilepsy. Following his injury, his fiancé planned an event to fundraise for Southampton hospital, where Dan’s life was saved and he was treated. With the help of family, friends and local businesses, Rochelle and the team managed to raise £3,756. This year Rochelle and Dan are fundraising together in aid of the charities who have helped with Dan’s rehabilitation and transfer to civilian life. These charities are Style for Soldiers, Cakes for Casualties, SSAFA and The Royal British Legion. Each charity has helped Dan and many other injured soldiers in different ways to help keep their lives as normal as possible, Cakes for Casualties is a single woman who bakes cakes and delivers them to various hospitals to keep the men and women in high spirits, she even takes requests and makes a variety of old school favourites, while Style for Soldiers visit the victims and measure them up for their own handmade, tailored shirt and walking cane, giving them a new lease of confidence for those all important interviews for new employment and special occasions, such as the Style for Soldiers Christmas reunion, where soldiers and guests are invited for an evening of canapés and champagne in the beautiful Spencer House in London. SSAFA and the British Legion both work in different ways to support both the injured and their families. One way this helped Dan and Rochelle was that while Dan spent 5 months in Headley Court Military Hospital, SSAFA supplied free accommodation for Rochelle to stay close by and be able to spend more time with Dan. The house they offered also meant that Dan’s two young children were able to visit him for a couple of hours without the scary aspect of a hospital. The event is free entry and will involve a BBQ, raffle, games, face painting, children’s games and a cake sale. You can follow updates on the event or make a donation at: www.gofundme.com/oconnorsfundraiser. O’Connor’s Chelmsford, 7 Hall Street, CM2 0HG. Tel: 01245 299 126

To write us a letter or send us a quiz, please email: editorial@ itsyourmedia.co.uk www.moulshamtimes.com

Free entry family fun Charity day with a raffle, face Fun Day painting, BBQ, 30th August adult and children’s games and a cake From sale along with live 2pm music!

Www.gofundme.com/ Www.gofundme.com/oconnorsfundraiser oconnorsfundraiser

7 Hall Street, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 0HG 01245 299 126 www.oconnorschelmsford.com

Why Not Visit Chelmsford Museum During the Summer Holidays? Chelmsford Museum (with the Essex Regiment Museum) is set in the beautiful Oaklands Park off Moulsham Street (CM2 9AQ - just down the road!) The Victorian House is complemented by a modern extension which tells the story of the town’s industrial past (Marconi, Hoffmann, Crompton etc). Entry is free. The displays include local history, the city’s music and carnival scenes and archaeology, coins, natural history, glass, ceramics, art and a temporary exhibition programme. Popular exhibits include Boris, a stuffed brown bear and a live observation beehive. There is a busy summer programme of events and workshops. The museum’s education suite, overlooking the park, is available for hire for meetings and corporate functions. Phone 01245 605700 or visit the website at: www.chelmsford.gov.uk/museums. We are awaiting the decision of a lottery bid that would see investment in new displays and - finally - a cafe (so cross your fingers please!) We look forward to seeing you soon!

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MT Baking by Alison Motley

There are very few times when I’m not in the mood for baking, but if we get a decent spell of weather when it’s actually dry, warm AND sunny on the same day, I do feel less inclined to spend time in the kitchen. The trouble is, we often seem to only get a day or two of nice settled weather and then it turns too hot and humid, with chaos on the rail network and melting pavements followed by massive thunderstorms. Needless to say, you can’t really plan for a weekend barbecue can you? Guaranteed you will start the week with a beautiful sunny Monday so you spend Tuesday and Wednesday night looking at bbq recipes. On Thursday you invite everyone and on Friday you spend a small fortune on sausages, Pimms and ice cream. You wake up on Saturday to a 15 degree temperature drop and torrential rain! However if everything does come together and you get the chance to eat al-fresco nothing is better than a summer dessert that requires little effort but looks and tastes really good.

biscuits for the base. You can easily swap the lime jelly, zest and juice for lemon or orange or try another flavoured jelly with a citrus juice (strawberry and lime are great, as are peach and orange). Perhaps add some fresh fruit to the top of the cheesecake too. If you don’t have a spring form tin, use a loose-bottomed tin or line a normal cake tin with cling film; however, this will make it trickier to get the cheesecake out. Buy an unwaxed lime if you can, or scrub the lime really well before grating the zest to remove the wax. Crush the biscuit crumbs by placing in a plastic bag, covering with a tea towel and hitting with a rolling pin or blitz them in a food processor. This cheesecake can easily be made the day before and left to set in fridge overnight.

So if you are going to risk a barbecue this summer, here are a couple of ideas for easy desserts you can cook on the coals:

Lime Jelly and Ginger Cheesecake Serves 8 - 10 in a 20cm spring form tin.

1. Slice a fresh pineapple into thick rings, sprinkle with brown sugar and a dash of rum and grill on the bbq until golden brown - great served with coconut ice cream, if you can find it. 2. Slice strawberries and pop into a foil parcel with some grated orange peel, a little orange juice and some ground star anise. Pop on the bbq until soft and warm and serve with cream, ice cream or Greek yoghurt.

150g ginger nut biscuits 75g butter 1 lime jelly 200ml boiling water 1 lime 200g cream cheese 200ml double cream Fresh fruit to decorate

For a couple of no work, no-bake ideas, try the following: 1. Jazz up a chocolate refrigerator cake recipe with pistachios, rum soaked raisins, chopped crystallised ginger or a dash of your favourite liqueur. Roll the refrigerator cake into a log, wrap in cling film and then chill. Slice to serve as a grown up after dinner treat. 2. For little cheesecake jars, break up a digestive biscuit for each jar and place in the bottom. Beat together the same quantity of cream cheese and cream until thick and stir in a little icing sugar to taste. Add a large spoonful to each jar. Mix some cut strawberries with a little softened strawberry jam and spoon onto the cream cheese mixture. This month’s recipe is an easy no-bake cheesecake, which is summery, light and fluffy, and not too sweet. The fresh lime juice and zest really lift the flavour and you cannot tell it is made with jelly (and I should know, as I’m not a great jelly fan!) As always, feel free to change the flavours by using alternative

1. To make the base, crush the biscuits into crumbs, melt the butter and stir together. Press into the spring form tin and leave in the fridge to harden. 2. Dissolve the jelly in the boiling water. Grate the lime zest into the jelly and squeeze in the juice from the lime. Leave until just starting to set. 3. Beat the cream cheese to soften it and then beat in the cooled jelly. 4. In a separate bowl whip the cream into soft peaks and then gently fold into the cream cheese and jelly mix. 5. Pour the cheesecake mix over the biscuit base and leave to set for 2-3 hours. 6. Remove the cheesecake from the tin just before serving and decorate with fresh fruit. I would love to hear from readers - drop me an email at motleybakes@aol.com, or check out my new blog at www. motleybakes.co.uk. Happy baking!

Music News by Nick Garner

Here we are in midsummer and the festival season is well under way. The Fling was a great success and we are now looking forward to next year’s event. It was also our first time running a stage at Brownstock, which was great fun. We had seventeen amazing acts from all over the UK playing the stage and it rocked. The feedback so far has all been great and we must once more thank Brownstock and the events team from the city council for inviting us to be part of the festival, as well as Chris Jones and Roger Hoodless for sound and lighting and Event Sound and Light for the sound system for The Fling and High Chelmer Shopping Centre for proving the stage. We must also of course thank all of the artists and all of you who came and supported us and enjoyed our stages.

Mal from Pie Face at The Fling Of course, there are still many other festivals going on all over the UK, small and big, including V Festival in Hylands Park in August. We at Blues in the City are very proud to have Robbie McIntosh, who is Tom Jones’ guitarist, playing for us at the Bassment on Tuesday 11th August. He is playing with Steve Wilson - also a guitarist and singer. Robbie has also been the guitarist for Paul McCartney, The Pretenders, John Mayer, Talk Talk, Norah Jones and Mark Knopfler to name just a few. He is rated as one the best slide players in the world. If that wasn’t enough for a great show, we also have Joel Fisk (nominated for best guitarist for the third year running at the British Blues Awards) with the great Geoff Johnson who is also part of Joel Fisk & the Breakdown. Joel is also part of Wolfpack and LaVendore Rouge. So I think you will agree this a night not to be missed and at just £5 entry, it’s lots cheaper than going to see Robbie play at the V Festival. Last month, saw a great night at the Bassment with Noel Gander (Cold Norton) who is destined for great things, then we had the great Robin Bibi and Tony Marten returning. These two stun us every time with their vast talent, just like Noel. I am so proud that I am able to bring some of the greatest players we have in the UK for your enjoyment at the Bassment each month. The band I play with, Jamie Williams and the Roots Collective, are very busy playing festivals all over the UK and we have few local shows around Chelmsford. On Saturday 8th August we are at the Three Elms in Chignal St James, where there will be a barbeque as well. This is an award winning pub, voted Essex Cider Pub of the Year. On Friday 4th September, we are very pleased to be playing the

Woolpack Beer Festival - always one of the very best pub festivals with lots of great beer and cider and food to choose from. There is as always lots of other great live music in the area; the Star and Garter puts on live music every weekend and there are lots of gigs all over the city for your enjoyment, so pick up your free copy of Chelmsford the City Times for the What’s On guide. Keep supporting live music or we could lose it! Check out all the originals acts who are playing what may one day become the covers of tomorrow... Remember we are getting close to the Blues in the City Festival 5 from the 2nd to 4th October - and yes, this is our fifth annual festival raising monies for good causes. This year it is the Remus Horse Sanctuary in Stock, who do amazing work and need £500,000 just to operate. I could not do it without my great team of volunteers and the sponsors who are AD BLY Construction, Event Sound and Light, A&M Tiling, Round Tower Brewery, Recognition Express, Sign Masters and Chelmer Web Design. To find out more about who these companies are and more about the festival and where to get tickets, visit our website: www.bluesinthecity.co.uk.

Mississippi MacDonald and the Cottonmouth Kings at Brownstock

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My Brownstock Experience by Linda Mascot

Hearing the word ‘festival’ I think of queues of traffic to get there, pushing through crowds to get nearer a stage, noisy camp sites, pricey food and ‘hold your breath and don’t look down’ portaloos. What a refreshing change to go to my 5th Brownstock on 10th July. There was little traffic to get there and although security was tight, meaning a wait to get through the gate, I didn’t expect to be having spa treatments, sitting on a proper settee and not queuing at all for a drink all weekend. Even the toilets were pretty clean (and with toilet paper) which is unusual. The site is regularly litter-picked and the wide variety of music across six different venues makes for an enjoyable experience. I do have a confession, living in Chelmsford I don’t actually camp, but take it in turns with friends to drive home to my own soft bed and warm shower, and return the next day refreshed and renewed. I also had a relaxing facial by Gina from Beauty Boutique in Moulsham Street at the B-pampered Spa which is a welcome addition this year. Spray tans, nails, hair and make up were also on offer.

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01245 830811 / 07976 693457 the festivities began.

On Friday night, local bands Creme de Chèvre (frantic ukulele songs) and The Kubricks with their ska music warmed up the crowds for DJ Fresh, whilst the sun shone, tents went up and

On Saturday Sigma played a great set including their recent hit with Paloma Faith - Changing. Later, Basement Jaxx enthralled a packed audience on the main stage, the whole crowd was moving to classic songs such as Where’s Your Head At and Do Your Thing. One of my favourite acts (and tip-for-the-top) was Rayleigh Ritchie (Game of Thrones actor Jacob Anderson) on Sunday - a sleepy crowd were soon on their feet to the catchy music. The Darkness had the crowd in the palm of their hands as Justin Hawkins displayed such exuberance on stage, he stood on his hands and clapped with his legs at one point. Example finished on the main stage with his popular set thousands of people bouncing in time is a sight to behold. I had a great weekend, the atmosphere was friendly with all ages enjoying the music. Thank you Brown family for letting us inhabit your farm see you next year.

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Photographs: Paul Mclean

Did you know you can hire Chelmsford Rugby Club for your function? • Two function rooms for hire • Up to 120 seated guests • Professional bar and kitchen facilities • Disabled access • Free car park • Bookings morning, afternoons and evenings

Beer Fesitval

4th & 5th September with over 10 beers and ciders. Open to non members too! www.chelmsfordrfc.com | 01245 261159 | kellums@hotmail.co.uk Chelmsford Rugby Club, Coronation Park, Timsons Lane, Chelmsford, CM2 6AG

Chelmsford Rugby Club - For Hire

Chelmsford Rugby Club is our local club and the excellent club facilities are available for hire. The new season is going to be a challenge, by winning the league last season we have gained promotion to London 1 North and are looking for new supporters and members to come along and get behind the team and at the same time enjoy the rugby played at Chelmsford. You will be made very welcome. The first home game will be at 3pm on the 5th September versus Chingford (Beer Festival Day at the club). Our bar and kitchen are always open on match days so refreshments are available before, during and after the game for all our supporters and members. With the Rugby World Cup almost upon us, we’re please to say that the majority of the games will be shown live on our 100” HD megascreen. Please come along to watch and enjoy our hospitality.

with a dance floor and an up-to-date projector and wide screen. If you are interested in booking, it’s available days and evenings, 7 days a week. We have ample parking and easy access from the city centre. 01245 261159 kellums@hotmail.co.uk www.chelmsfordrfc.com Chelmsford Rugby Club Coronation Park Timsons Lane Chelmsford CM2 6AG

At Chelmsford, the rugby starts from the age of 5. The youth, mini and ladies section go from strength to strength and the club is always looking for new players, coaches and volunteers. Club Facilities We are fortunate to have a recently built new club house. A multifuntional venue able to adapt to most requirements, which is being used for more and more non-rugby events. It has two rooms which can be interlinked or kept separate. It depends on customers need in terms of space. All the facitlities are on the first floor overlooking Coronation Park. Access is via a lift or stairs. It will seat a maximum of 120 guests around circular tables. Ideal for many events including anniversaries, seminars, keep fit classes, wedding receptions, meetings or training courses. It also has its own kitchen and bar which the club can manage for you, along www.moulshamtimes.com

Liz Woodcraft: Local Girl Makes Good - By John Power

I first met Liz when we were teenagers, hanging around town on Saturday mornings and when she worked in Wainwrights Milk Bar on the corner of Tindal Street and London Road, if anyone remembers that. We got to know each other better when we were students who started travelling daily to the North East Essex Technical College and School of Art: she was doing ‘A’ levels, while I was at the School of Art.

Liz had grown up on Woodhall Estate and attended the Girls High School, She also went to the legendary ‘60s music gigs at the lost, lamented Corn Exchange, during the mod era, much like most young trendy girls of that time. But it was at Colchester College from 1966 to ‘68 where many of her talents took shape at the beginning of a very long extended education. From there she went to Birmingham University from 1968 to 1971, emerging with her Bachelors Degree in Philosophy. Then she went to Leicester from 1971 to 1972 to take a course for her Post Graduate Certificate in Education to enable her to teach. She began teaching English in Leicestershire in 1972, then took a break in Tours in France, teaching English as a foreign language for a year, before returning to a Leicester college to teach English as a second language. From 1975 to 1977, Liz became National Co-ordinator for the National Women’s Aid Federation while studying at the University of Westminster for a Diploma in Law (1977 - 1978). She helped the Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act make its

way through parliment, and continued her legal studies at the Council of Legal Education: ‘Reading for the Bar’, between 1979 and 1980. She has been a barrister (a member of the Middle Temple) from 1980 to 2014, when she retired. During her time at the bar, she has represented causes including Greenham Common Peace Protesters, anti-apartheid demonstrations, striking miners, battered women, children that have suffered sexual abuse and gay parents.

All through her career she has continued to develop her own writing skills and has written four novels. Her experience of the legal world gave her an insight that led to plausible crime novels, where she created the fictional character Frankie Richmond and recounted fictionalised experiences in two novels, Good, Bad Woman, and Babyface, published by Harper Collins. Good Bad Woman won the Lanbda Literary Award in the US in 2002. There is a third novel in the Frankie Richmond series in progress as I write. It will be called Crazy Arms. Liz’s two other books are of local interest as they are set in Chelmsford in the 1960s. A Sense of Occasion (published in 2014 by Ladder Press) recalls the boom-town era, with its coffee bars, mods, rockers and the emerging R&B music scene in the form of lightly veiled personal experiences of Liz’s youth and the people she knew. A second title of fictionalised recollections, to be called Beyond the Beehive, is due to appear in mid 2015 with memories of people going on Aldermaston marches, groups like Eric Burden’s Animals playing at the Corn Exchange and Chelmsford Football Club matches. Not a bad way to spend your retirement as a writer of novels after such an illustrious career... and all from a girl from a ‘60s council estate.

5 5 ge 201 TE 01 A ita s r2 D er ay be H D E n em H pt pe O E T Se V 3th SA - 1

Have you ever wanted to look around a building you cannot usually access?

This year Chelmsford Civic Society have been tasked with organising Heritage Open Days on behalf of Chelmsford City Council. This years event takes place over 4 days from 10th - 13th September! Save the date. This year venues include: The Salvation Army, Chelmsford cathedral, Hylands House, Moulsham Mill, County Hall, Galleywood Heritage Centre and many more! More details of timings in the local press in August and early September.

This years event is kindly sponsored by

and

Local Author - Chris Cowlin - Plus Competition Time Although I own a publishing company which was established in 2002, I didn’t start writing quiz books until four years later. I hadn’t planned to write one book let alone the vast amount I have under my belt.

The first book I wrote was The West Ham United Quiz Book, of which there are now eight different editions. Someone else had been commissioned to write the book but due to work commitments they were unable to meet the deadline. I stepped in and I am glad that I did. The book sold tremendously well and I raised several thousand pounds for charity with a percentage of the proceeds being donated to The Willow Foundation. Many of the books I have written are about football and stem from my love of the game. As a child, I used to accompany my dad to watch Spurs play and on a Monday morning, I used to quiz my classmates about the match, asking who scored the goals, what was the attendance and who wore the number 7 shirt, etc. I found that writing quiz books was similar to firing questions at my friends in school, just on a more professional level.

successful. Many of my books have been endorsed by celebrities and sports personalities, including Jonathan Ross, Sir Alex Ferguson and Gary Lineker, which is a huge honour. Last year, I wrote a children’s book, Harry Loves Mud, inspired by my own children, Harry and Aimee. I am always up for a challenge, so who knows what I may find myself writing about in future! 5 Copies of Each Book Signed by Chris to Be Won

West Ham: Q: What is the name of West Ham’s ground? Spurs: Q: What is the name of Tottenham’s ground? To enter please email your answer to: competition@itsyourmedia. co.uk, including your name and postal address. If you do not wish to be added to the email list for the Moulsham and City Times please state ‘opt out’ in your email. Closing date fro the competition is 20th July 2015. Copies will be posted to the address given.

I have researched and written eight books on my beloved team, Tottenham Hotspur and official quiz books on football clubs such as Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Ipswich Town, Norwich City and Watford to name but a few. Football has always been my passion and to write about the subject doesn’t feel like a job at all. I feel privileged to be able to do something I enjoy and to promote the sport. When the first book received excellent feedback, reviews and sales I wrote another, quickly followed by another, then another - I am now up to 138 books! In October 2014, I was named the world record holder for Most Quiz Books Published By A Single Author by RecordSetter. Over the years, I have diversified into writing about television series, films and pop stars, which have all been immensely popular and

What is Blocking Your Success? by Mark Roberts I frequently coach clients around personal and professional development. This is not hard to understand as it covers those areas that impact upon daily life: health, wealth, happiness and career. Typically, clients will speak in general terms, expressing dissatisfaction with their life circumstances; wanting something more than they currently have. It is not unusual for clients to extend these feelings of ‘lack’ with thoughts that they could have done better, or achieved more, leading them to that wistful state of ‘if only I had had this or that opportunity’ or whatever other thing, or circumstances they believe would have made them more successful. It is also common to hear clients express life-limiting beliefs about what they believe is possible for them, often making unrealistic comparisons with friends, or colleagues who appear to be doing so much better. In extreme cases this can lead to blame and feelings of low self-worth. The good news is that provided there are no underlying psychological issues requiring a different professional intervention, then coaching is in most cases appropriate. In my experience, feelings of ‘lack’ are often combined with a lack of real clarity about what success actually means. Most people, whether in a coaching situation or not, are able to identify what they www.moulshamtimes.com

‘do not want’ and it is a recurring mantra of many that life could be better. The challenge arises when the question is asked, ‘what specifically would make life better?’ With no clear definition of what success, looks, sounds or feels like, any chance of achievement would be akin to trying to hit a bullseye, with no idea where the target was located whilst wearing a blindfold! A primary role for me is to encourage the client to dig deep and identify what they really want, because only when success is defined can the client identify a target to aim at. The next steps involve keeping the target in sight and identifying what needs to be done to reach it. This will almost certainly require a review of the client’s current situation, because only then can an assessment be made of the challenge that lies ahead. When the challenge is defined, all that remains is to plan the route and take the first crucial steps along the path. Coaching Footnote A key element weaving its way through all coaching involves the subtle raising of personal awareness; such awareness is a pre-cursor to clarity of thought. With clarity comes the knowledge that you have always had all the resources you need; that you have always been enough and that your success has always been within your grasp. For more about Mark Roberts, visit his Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/intelligentlifestrategies. 19

MT Therapy by Jenny Hartill

Before I begin this month’s article, I just want to let you guys know of a company I have recently signed up with who are entering into the private psychotherapy market. The company is called Zesty (www.zesty.co.uk) and they specialise in private healthcare appointments for individuals seeking help. Sometimes it can be hard to email a therapist or to call or even text to make an appointment. Taking that first step can be extremely difficult, with Zesty you can go onto their website, choose a therapist and then book your appointment privately online for free! This is especially helpful for those that can only attend therapy at certain times or because of busy schedules; you request the appointment and then a text is sent to you with a code that you have to enter in order for the therapist to receive your contact details. I would then contact you to ensure the issue presented is something I am qualified to help you with and then we confirm the appointment. It’s simple, free for the client to use, confidential and allows you to plan your therapy in advance or book an emergency appointment asap. They also provide this service for many other healthcare sectors, including private dentists, physiotherapists and podiatrists. Remember, the hardest thing about therapy can be making the appointment in the first place - this system makes it even easier for you to take that first step. However, just a quick reminder that I cannot see someone where an appointment is made on their behalf. As much as you may want to help someone and believe they would benefit from counselling, it absolutely has to be client who would receive therapy that makes the appointment. I do receive enquiries from family members and friends on behalf of someone else, mostly it is the family members and friends that want therapy for their loved one rather than the loved one wanting therapy! I cannot ‘fix’ people it is up to the person to help themselves. It has to be their decision; part of the therapy process is making the decision to change. Now, onto the next article. Today I will look at social implications and possible causes of abuse, in particular domestic abuse. Some scholars argue that hundreds or thousands of years of male dominated societies have created negative attitudes towards women among many men and that wife abuse stems from ‘normal psychological and behavioral patterns of most men.’ Feminists seek to understand why men in general use physical force against their partners and what functions this serves for a society in a given historical context. Similarly, Dobash and Dobash (Professor Russell Dobash is Professor of Criminology & Social Policy at Manchester University and is is an internationally recognised expert in the area of domestic violence) claim that: “Men who assault their wives are actually living up to cultural prescriptions that are cherished in Western society - aggressiveness, male dominance and female subordination - and they are using physical force as a means to enforce that dominance,” while another theorist has claimed that men exhibit a “socialized androcentric need for power.”

While some women are aggressive and dominating to male partners, the majority of abuse in heterosexual partnerships is by men. Some argue that fundamentalist views of religions, which have developed in male-dominated cultures, tend to reinforce emotional abuse, citing the Book of Genesis as an example of a text that has been used to justify men abusing women: “in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children: and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”

to portray men as aggressive and in control, while the females are there only for their sexual allure; women are portrayed as wanting to be chased and caught when they run away.

I believe that the term ‘psycholocial abuse’ goes for all forms of abuse, whether it is physical, sexual, bullying in the playground or the workplace, domestic abuse etc. It is important to look at the client’s specific situation, this includes their social and religious position as these would have to be considered for ethical reasons. Also, I would bear in mind whether the client had been abused or is being abused in other situations: were they bullied at school or in the home as a child? Is abuse therefore a running ‘theme’ in their life? As therapists, we do not want to be seen as the one responsible for breaking up a marriage or the breakdown of a family because we have told the person to leave their spouse/family etc. It has to be up to the client to deal with their situation as they see fit and as therapists we have to work on the psychological and emotional wellbeing of the client. The exception in this situation of course is if the client or children are in immediate danger, or if there is sexual abuse happening as we still have to work within the remit of the law and inform social services when need be. Other factors we have to look at are where the abuse has begun - is it something that is a repeating pattern since childhood or has the person found themselves in an abusive situation when they have never experienced this before? We would definitely have to look at their state of mind. Personally I would use the psychodynamic approach to ascertain what could have led them to this situation in the first place. I would find out what their relationship with the abuser is. Other factors to bear in mind include where the abuse takes place, how often the abuse is, is there just one abuser, is there a cycle of abuse and what effects has the abuse had on client emotionally? I would definitely look at their social situation, find out they have any emotional support from friends or family members for example. All these external factors are important to bear in mind as well as working with the client on the psychological and emotional factors of abuse within a therapeutic setting. If I can be of any help or if anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me via my website: www.cloud9-therapy.co.uk.

Chelmsford Heritage Open Days September 10th - 13th 2015

The Chelmsford Civic Society is coordinating this year’s Heritage Open Days in the city. These are taking place from Thursday the 10th September until Sunday 13th of September. A wide variety of tours and talks will be taking place over at least seventeen sites in and around the city. Venues vary from the Salvation Army building and the YMCA, to RBS in the High Street which includes the robing room for the judge at the Assize. Many of these sites are not normally open to the public. The Essex Cricket Museum for example is open on two non-match days to non members of the cricket club. Apart from the cathedral and Guy Harlings (The Diocesan Office), three churches are participating. For full details about each site, especially those that require booking, please see our extensive advertising in the local media in late August and early September. If you are making a special trip into the city centre, it will be possible to visit a number of venues on the same day.

Critics also suggest that fundamentalist religious prohibitions against divorce make it more difficult for religious men or women to leave an abusive marriage. Many older - and some not so old - children’s Visit www.heirtageopendays.co.uk and select ‘Chelmsford’ in the stories contain gender stereotyping, and music videos and computer search area for more details. games for children and teenagers have been criticised for continuing 20 www.moulshamtimes.com

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Wine Corner

Hello everyone. Another month has gone by so quickly, but for me I guess it was because I spent most of it in France on holiday. I find time strange; if I am waiting an hour for something good to happen the time drags and it seems like an eternity. However, if I’m waiting for a dental appointment, that same hour seems to zoom by. Odd that, don’t you think? So, this month a bit a about my holiday. We went over on a midday ferry from Dover for our first overnight stop in Calais. There were no problems and we had some nice Sauvignon blanc with dinner. Next down to Normandy, to a town near Honfleur, which is a Norman town and port on the channel where the mighty river Seine enters the sea. Its lovely little harbour is surrounded by cafés and restaurants. We had lunch there a couple of times during our stay. Vines are not grown this far north in France, but the area is famous for cider and Calvodos - an apple brandy. Very nice. As you approach the area from the north, you have to use the famous Pont du Normandie, a series of two high bridges on the motorway. I don’t like heights and often have to close my eyes when going over the QE bridge, but then I remember I am driving and have to risk opening them. I know I don’t like the height, but cannot seem to resist looking at the Thames flowing 65 metres below. That’s when I start shaking, so to have to drive over two high bridges was not a good start. I made it though - albeit slowly with 40 tonne-plus trucks flying by me! We then travelled to the south of Brittany to a town called La Trinite Sur Mer, a smashing town on the edge of the massive bay of Quiberon. Again, loads of cafés and restaurants, but no local wine. I’m beginning to wonder why I chose these destinations. However, there was plenty of wine available from western Loire just up the road, so I had to try a few. It’s was hard but someone had to do it. I know the French are expert wine makers and make delicious cheeses, but I have just found something else where they have had success. In their supermarket fruit and vegetable section, they have plastic bags as you would expect, and they are really easy to open. No need to wet your finger and thumb and spend two minutes trying to open the blooming things, they just open as you take them out of the dispenser, wonderful. UK supermarket purchasing executives, get over to France immediately and find out where they get them from. They will save me many frustrating hours a year! Just another unrelated thing, with this hot weather we’ve been having, have you noticed that the people complaining about the heat are the same people moaning about the cold about three months ago? Or is that my imagination... Near where we stayed was a beach bar and restaurant, just a 5 minute walk (but 10 minutes back). Needless to say, a few visits were made, including an afternoon looking across the huge bay, drinking a cocktail. Just the one, honest. Things changed for the better on the wine front when we moved to the village of Montsoreau, right on the Loire. It’s a lovely little village with a couple of bars, some restaurants and three caves within easy walking distance. For those who don’t know, a cave, in this case, is not a cave, although there are caves there (grottes in French) but it is a place where you can taste and buy wine. The one right in the village sells wine from two local vineyards, and the wine is absolutely lovely. The sparkling white is called Cremant de Loire, made from Chenin blanc and Chadonnay grapes. The red is called L’Ardoisier and is made of a blend of Pinot noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This red is especially nice, a little bit sweet for me, but ideal to accompany a dessert or for drinking a toast. It tastes like the French 22

cocktail, Kir, which is a mixture of whtie wine and Crème de Cassis, a blackcurrant flavoured liqueur. When the white wine is champagne, it is called a Kir Royale. This fizzy stuff tastes just like that. The appellation covers Saumur, Anjou and Touraine. They also produce still wines, with Saumur-Champigny amongst the most famous reds, made from Cabernet Franc grapes. Again a lovely wine which I will save to drink with Christmas dinner! I also got a bit hooked on the local Saumur blanc, which is usually made from Chenin blanc grapes sometimes mixed with Chardonnay and I could definitely identify that in the ones I had. Great on a warm day, sat outside a little café, watching the world go by. I really enjoy going to these caves. As you walk in you are greeted with those exiting words: “would you like to taste some wine?” No not really, I just came in to look at the bottles - not. So off we go, sipping this wine, then the next. When offered the opportunity to spit the wine out, I quickly swallow and explain that it’s too late. It was too late on each tasting, so I ended up having a few. They don’t seem to mind too much if you don’t buy, but I generally do. I went to that cave three times and bought each time. On the last visit, I walked in to see a British couple being served, the proprietor looked up and said: “here we are, ask this man how good my wines are...” Well, embarrassing or what? I had to recommend both the white and red fizzy, but she did not offer me any commission for the sale. Perhaps she thought she had given me enough wine during the tastings! So then after over three weeks, we headed home to the hottest July weather on record; I’m glad we did not spend time and money going to the south of France! We can look back on a wonderful holiday with wine at less than £2.50 a glass, diesel at less than £1 a litre - and we also managed to avoid the delays at Calais, what a result.

Bin end chuckles... I recently met a family called Cheddar. The father was enormous. I guess he was the big cheese. On the radio recently they reported that the last wildebeest had sadly died, then added, well that’s the end of the Gnus, now here’s the weather forecast. Keep calm and carry on drinking, in moderation.

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CITYdiversions Festival returns

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Tickets for Big Top Event on sale now Central Park, Chelmsford, Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th

BOX OFFICE 01245 606505 www.chelmsford.gov.uk/CITYdiversions

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Please note that although tickets are available from those aged 11+, parental discretion is advised. Tickets are now on sale for both The 3foot People PARTY and The Fling Family Cabaret online at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/citydiversions

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Then, on the evenings of Friday 25th and Saturday 26th September, The Fling Family Cabaret will take place. From 7pm onwards a succession of world famous tantalizing and comedic cabaret acts are lined up to delight the audience.

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2015 marked the 10th anniversary of The 3foot People Festival, so as a further celebration, from 24th – 26th September CITYdiversions invites you to The 3foot People PARTY. With one morning and one afternoon session per day featuring arts, crafts and live shows, there’s plenty of opportunity to relive those wonderful 3foot memories or maybe experience it for the first time! Sessions will run from 9.30am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm and 4:30pm each day. Please note that there is very limited capacity to these sessions.

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On Saturday 19th September CITYdiversions Festival once again welcomes dozens of the best outdoor professional street performers from the UK and beyond as they descend on Chelmsford city centre, presenting numerous free promenade performances and shows that will both bemuse and amuse. If you miss anyone you wanted to see? Then CITYdiversions will be making its way to South Woodham Ferrers on Sunday 20th September to continue the first festival weekend.

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This September CITYdiversions Festival of Arts and entertainment returns to Chelmsford. Now across multiple weekends, CITYdiversions brings two whole days of free outdoor performances, on Saturday 19th September in Chelmsford city centre and in South Woodham Ferrers on Sunday 20th September. Then for the first time ever, CITYdiversions: 3foot People PARTY and Fling Family Cabaret set up camp in Central Park, Chelmsford, from Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th September.

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or via calling 01245 606 505. Please see the festival website or find CITYdiversions Festival on Facebook for all the latest information. CITYdiversions Festival is kindly supported by The Essex Chronicle, Meadows Shopping Centre, Essex & Suffolk Water, The Printing Place, Seymour House, High Chelmer Shopping Centre, 1159 Productions, Sshhh Events and The City Times.

MT Charity - Helen Rollason Cancer Charity If you love all things vintage, then Helen Rollason Cancer Charity (HRCC) can help transport you back to a bygone era as the charity’s annual Vintage Fayre returns to Cressing Temple Barns on Sunday 6th September. The event is shaping up to be another classic and includes something for everyone to enjoy while raising funds for HRCC. Popular rock ‘n’ roll band, The Kingsmen, will again be performing throughout the day, playing their music from the fifties. DJ Rockabilly will also be performing, and dance group A2 Jive will be wowing the crowds with their distinctive 1940s style. Bringing that quintessentially British flavour to the day will be the Chelmsford Morris Dance group. Traditional entertainment for children will be provided with Punch and Judy shows, donkey rides, swing boats and face painting running throughout the day. There will also be plenty of opportunities for shopping with a large variety of stalls selling a cornucopia of vintage clothing, crafts, jewellery, collectables, upcycled items, accessories and food. Refreshments will be available, including a pop-up vintage teashop. You can also get your hair styled courtesy of the Juggling Jules hair salon. To add to the ‘car-nival’ of entertainment will be a display of vintage vehicles. Helen Rollason Cancer Charity, is an Essex-based charity that supports people living with cancer. HRCC Fundraising Manager Kate Alden said: “Our annual Vintage Fayre is one of the most important and enjoyable days in our calendar; it’s a real celebration of all things vintage and a superb day out for everyone.” Volunteers are still being sought to help before or during the event, so if you have a spare couple of hours and would like to take part, please contact the Fundraising Team on 01245 380719 or email fundraising@helenrollason.org.uk.

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HRCC fundraisers Sue Hayden, Michelle Andrews and Kate Alden relish a vintage hat trying-on session ahead of the Vintage Fayre day! Helen Rollason Cancer Charity Vintage Fayre is on Sunday 6th September 2015, between 10am and 5pm at Cressing Temple Barns, Witham Road, Essex, CM77 8PD. Admission prices: Adults £5, Concessions £4 and Under 16s go FREE. There is also ample free parking.

New Sponsor for Chelmsford City FC Chelmsford City Football Club are delighted to announce that Big Cars Ltd are the Club’s new main sponsors. Big Cars Ltd is the UK’s leading professional car dealer and offer their clients a main dealer service with the flexibility to offer every brand at competitive prices. You can take a look at their website at www.big-cars.co.uk The company, based in Chelmsford and Witham will appear on the front of the Clarets’ new home and away shirts, with D&B Scaffolding appearing on the back as they did last season.

bacon or egg buttie before a return coach transfer to the racecourse. A fish and chip supper will await you on your return and hopefully a chance to celebrate your winnings from the day too! Tickets only £25 per person.

Italian sportswear company Errea, who previously supplied the kit for the Clarets between 2010-2013, are this season’s kit manufacturers and have designed this classy strip with the white collar and claret shirt, shorts and socks being the home kit. The away kit is a blue shirt with a white collar, blue shorts and blue socks.

We are looking for match day, match ball and programme sponsors for all our upcoming home games for the new season, which includes a pre-match meal for up to 10 people in the Don Walker Suite. We are also looking for sponsors for our U14’s, Walking Football and Football in the Community teams, plus our new penalty competition for U13’s.

The new shirts were unveiled at the Club’s Family Fun Day on Sunday 26th July and despite the rainy weather, supporters turned up in their numbers with a variation of stalls, a walking football tournament and the Supporters’ Club Beer Festival all taking place. The club would like to thank everyone that attended and welcome Big Cars Ltd on board for the new season. Another exciting event happening soon at the home of the Clarets is An Evening with Ronnie Irani, ex Essex and England Cricketer, and Mark Ward, ex West Ham United Football Player, on Friday 4th September. As well as some interesting tales from their sporting lives, you will be guaranteed some great banter and there will be a Q and A session at the end. Doors open 6.30pm for a 7.30pm sit down, where you will be served a delicious 3 course meal followed by a raffle and an auction. Tickets are only £30 per head so book fast and don’t miss out on this fantastic double header! We also have our Sport of Kings Raceday on Friday 25th September. Experience a pulse racing, first class sporting event at the historic home of racing - Newmarket Racecourse. Firstly, you will be treated to a beer or Prosecco upon arrival at the clubhouse, then enjoy a hot

Don’t forget we are also playing Championship League side Charlton Athletic XI at Melbourne Stadium on Tuesday 4th August at 19.45, in our last friendly before the new season kicks off!

For more details on all our upcoming events and to keep up to date with all the latest CCFC news please visit our website www.chelmsfordcityfc. com, our Facebook page - officalchelmsfordcityfootballclub and our Twitter page - @officialclarets. You can also follow us on Instagram chelmsfordcityfc For further sponsorship, advertising or match day hospitality information please phone Mick Hull, Head of Commercial & Sales, on 07789225501 or email mick.hull@chelmsfordcityfc.com. Remember why support a Town when you can support a CITY!

New Year in July? It Must Be Rotary! We all celebrate New Year’s Day on 1st January, but that is not the only year start by any means. In February there is the Chinese New Year, April has the tax year, September will see the Jewish New Year and I’ll throw one more into the pot - 1st July when the Rotary year begins. Plenty of opportunities to make resolutions, change how you behave, alter your priorities and vow to make a difference in the year ahead. All over the world there are Rotary Club presidents taking over the mantel of office and setting out their stall on their plans for the next twelve months. Here in Chelmsford alone there are five Rotary Clubs. The one called simply Chelmsford was founded way back in 1927 and still meets every Thursday at lunchtime. As the club grew too big, a separate lunchtime club was formed in 1972 called Chelmsford Mildmay and in order to avoid a clash, they elected to meet on Tuesdays. With changes in working practices it became apparent that the town (as it was then) needed a club that met in the evening. So in 1984 Chelmer Bridge was chartered and with still more changes, Chelmsford Rivermead opened its doors in 2004 as a breakfast club enabling people to attend meetings before going off to their places of employment. Not content with this vast choice, a twilight club, Chelmsford Phoenix, was born in 2009. www.moulshamtimes.com

Each club has its own characteristics and baby Phoenix is attracting many married couples which is a new phenomenon in the city. Personally, being a night owl I would prefer a midnight club and although I say this in jest, who knows what might be further down the line. The hierarchy of Rotary also changes on the 1st July and as the district governor for 2014-15 at the head of 60 clubs in our district, I handed over the baton to Alan Clark of the Rayleigh Mill Rotary Club. Whilst innovation is welcomed - positively sought in fact - Rotary is also about continuity as some projects span many years and training and consultation is fundamental to ensure they come to fruition or successful events continue year on year, such as the Chelmsford Mildmay Great Baddow 10k and Fun Races. I must stress Rotary is not about chains and badges. These are just there on formal occasions as a mark of respect. Rotary is about making a positive difference to the lives of other people - those less fortunate than ourselves or giving a helping hand to our young people, inspiring them to fulfil their potential, or being at the forefront of the major problems facing society today. Issues of literacy, health, sanitation, education, the elderly - this is where Rotarians make a difference. If you would like to find out how you can be part of this worldwide organisation, contact one of the local clubs or visit www. chelmsfordrotary1240.org, or phone me on 01245 260348 (office hours). Enjoy the sunshine. Stan Keller

Kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Page by Alexander Aged 6.

Ami’s Diary

I performed at the Kenneth More Theatre in Ilford with the Chelmsford and Ilford Theatretrain groups. I played Fagin and sang You’ve Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two, which I really enjoyed and think I performed really well. I was cast for a campaign film about parents who have drug problems and they even changed the child character from a boy called Harry, to a girl called Harriet just to cast me. But then the filming date was too short notice for me to be able to get a license which I needed to get time off school, so I had to turn down the part which I was disappointed about. I had a party for my 13th Birthday and 50 of my friends came to a hall. There was a fantastic DJ who had a big TV screen which played the Just Dance moves to the songs and we also did karaoke. I have received the call sheet for the Zombie movie I have been cast in. The call sheet has the details of the filming and we have to be on location at 7:30am and then finish about 8pm for two days, so I’m glad it’s in the school holidays as I think I might be tired. I’m looking forward to having the special effects makeup and we’re allowed to take photos while being prepped and behind the scenes - but not during filming. The producers from the Channel 4 documentary who are filming my agency are probably going to be on set filming us making the movie, so hopefully it will be shown on the documentary. I have a casting for a main role in a modern version of a Joan of Arc movie set in a gangster environment in south east London. The first auditions are in September or October and then the second auditions are January or February next year, so I hope I get cast and then I’ll have a film already lined up for next year.

Funnies Why shouldn’t you tell an egg a joke? Because it might crack up! What did the baby corn say to its mom? Where is pop corn? What kind of nuts always seems to have a cold? Cashews! How do you make a walnut laugh? Crack it up! What do you give to a sick lemon? Lemon-aid! What kind of keys do kids like to carry? Cookies! Why shouldn’t you tell a secret on a farm? Because the potatoes have eyes and the corn has ears! Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing! Where do tough chickens come from? Hard boiled eggs! What’s orange and sounds like a parrot? A carrot!

Facts You May or May Not Know (All Sourced from the Web) This month, food facts: An average ear of corn has an even number of rows, usually 16. One of the most popular pizza toppings in Brazil is green peas. Ketchup was used as a medicine in the 1800s to treat diarrhea, among other things. SPAM is short for spiced ham. Apples float in water, because 25% of their volume is made of air. The most popular carrots used to be purple. www.moulshamtimes.com

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First Love by Simon Inglis

There she was, finally in my Mum’s driveway. To me she was a pearl white goddess, already comfortable to be with on that first night. I knew then and at that precise moment I’d made a wonderful decision that would guide me through life. It didn’t matter that in hindsight she was rather old, or not exactly a model of care and safety, or that she would simply succumb to my latest and silly whims until she tired from exhaustion. She was my first love, a Renault 12, registration SAR 767 - Australia’s Car of the Year in 1970. Yet mine was a ’76... It was 1989 and we were, I guess, both teenagers. Times changed and we went our separate ways after another young lad mistook red for green and destroyed SAR 767, so I do know she no longer could possibly exist. In 1989 my love wasn’t strong nor sincere as I coveted others, but now some 25 years later I realise she was the one. That old Renault was my rite of passage as it has been for decades of youths in almost every country and culture. Half funded by my dad, the rest on a sold bicycle and television set, plus scrapping a few dollars where I could get them. Yet didn’t we have fun?! I pushed her hard indeed, watching that rev counter climb into the orangy bit then backing off. I guess the 1.2 (or was it a 1.4 in Australia then?) was capable of 100mph. How did I know, um - a private road? Very private. Later I moved on to what I believed were more modern or prestigious cars, yet if I could have that old R12 back I would. I probably wouldn’t drive it much in fear of a lack of airbags, traction control and all the other safety and comfort trinkets in more modern cars. I certainly wouldn’t be able to lunge it into a corner as I could later cars and come home without breaking speed limits let alone injuring myself on icy nights. I’m inclined to write about this as recently I read that teenagers in the West are falling out of love with cars. I guess I can understand it with ever increasing running costs and silly taxes brought about by ‘institutions’ convincing rather dim-witted politicians that one’s run-about is killing seals in Antarctica; so we go and crank up the heating another notch just to lounge about the house in deep, dark winter in shorts and a t-shirt while firing up another cigarette and hobbling about home with our 27 television sets, 42 old computers, 12 washing machines and the dishwashers blasting away.

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So what do kids really lust for? Well, mobile phones of course and the very latest, naturally. A lad recently belittled my two-generation old (that’s a 2013 model btw) phone while whipping out his latest equivalent faster than John Wayne in a gunfight. Oh, yes sure, it’s great. It makes calls, sends texts and emails and has a camera. It is great for being ‘connected’ whatever that is. The thought of being constantly harassed into checking someone whom I have never met and seeing a photo of their dog doesn’t particularly interest me.

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Yet I understand these kids. Governments punish us mere mortals just for having petrol or diesel in our tanks, insurance companies question everything down to our underwear habits, then there’s the fearsome cost of insuring a clapped out unreliable old car, the annual roadworthiness tests and then facing garages in general with our vehicle’s mystifying problems which genuinely do confuse many mechanics who hold various NVQs. Maybe were I 13 or 14 I’d also want an iPhone 255 or a Samsung Galaxy Plus Ace model 762 instead. I suppose it’s all too hard when you add irrational council parking ticket revenue or police who stop you the moment they spot a pimple on your face. Yet here we are.

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A fancy phone will set you back say £45 a month plus - in my country it’s about the same. It can do amazing things, no doubt. That little handset of various models we now all carry about has more technology than the rockets sent to explore the Moon. Yet it’s all kind of sad. Us older readers may ridicule the hoodies peering at their phones under the bus shelter while we lament the loss of buttons for stupid touchscreens that need de-greasing every 12 seconds, but think about the financial and legal burden of owning a car. A lad I met told me he works at the pub “just to pay £4,000 a year for my car insurance.” I can’t remember what he drove, but it

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didn’t seem particularly exciting or, in fact, very new or safe. Surely (and this is another issue), we want our children in modern safe cars? Um no - the insurance companies will hit an 18 year-old harder than Adam Gilchrist could a cricket ball if he or she drives a 4 year old BMW 1 Series. So the old Vauxhall it is then. It’s much the same in Australia for teens of course. Yet I suggest this - even if you’re Mister Car Insurance Man and laughing at me as you read this in your coffee break - when you have a moment go and look at your car. I mean look inside it. In the back there’s that coke stain your little girl spilt last weekend when you went to the park and have forgotten to clean. On the floor is the baby rattle just below the baby seat. Maybe there’s a few plastic toys or if you have teenagers, that set of headphones your son asked about last night. In the passenger seat pocket there’s still that receipt from that restaurant you took your wife to 5 months ago. Open the glovebox and you may find more. A map from last year’s jaunt to Spain? A chip packet your ex left half eaten 2 months back? On the outside, while vulgar stickers are relatively a rare sight in the UK, we do see many displays of pride. A number plate with Welsh or Scottish flag decals? A tiny sticker illustrating your undying love for your hapless football club? So that’s what our cars are. Another room of the house, our personal space, our CD or downloaded collection of music which we wouldn’t play to strangers for fear of hysterics. It’s our little home. Back then, my little Renault was freedom. A car still is despite the savage costs I pay to have one. Governments and bureacrats probably know this - look at Cuba, they just keep on driving their 50 year old cars with any patch up job and insane fuel prices - and you would too. The kids aren’t wrong to ditch the car for a phone or an Xbox. The kids are more sensible than us financially. Yet the modern nanny state has made them somewhat impotent. They stay at home, catch buses and hang around in the high streets. It’s a different rite of passage to what I had and to this scribe it’s totally bereft of danger, high jinks, adventure, exploring and pleasure. The nanny state is winning so many wars - can’t the kids just have their cars back? Then maybe, just maybe they’ll be allowed to dream a bit more of someday ‘driving’ aeroplanes and spaceships. Someday they may come up with an idea instead of an app and we’ll actually get to Mars. Or will our bureaucrats come up with ever more idiotic reasons to tax the car? Will the future self-driving and automated cars be regulated to speed limits via some little black box and we’ll need to fork out £150,000 an hour on a private track to take ‘manual control?’ If your 14 year old wants to start saving for a car, it may do him or her more good than staring at imaginary friends on their phones and feeding gigantic profits to phone companies. Yet who will lead the charge and as I write this, as so-called political correctness has claimed yet another victim in one of the last bastions of motoring sanity - Top Gear. But I’ve started my own middle-aged rebellion - I hanker for a storming V8 with a primitive set of pistons and a screaming exhaust. I want to drive it past Boris Johnson’s bicycle with exhaust plumes making him disappear in my rear-view mirror. Then I’d like a Camaro or Corvette designer to come over to Old Blighty and join hands with an architect and design a ridiculously handsome super scraper in the heart of London. With clean energy that really does save rare butterflies in Vietnam - and I want those fuddy duddy sandalistas and weird beards to leave me alone in my car. I mean my mobile room. Is anyone with me?

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Volatile Descent: A Detective Carter Mystery by JR Blake - Part 8 Last time we saw the team uncover vital new evidence, the napkin they had found at the murder scene of Stephen Jones was over 30 years old and there were possible finger marks on the body that could indicate a struggle, meaning that Benjamin Closer’s death 30 odd years ago may not have been an accident or suicide. This time we see DCI Charles Maslow arrive at the scene to help with the investigation, with dire consequences... DCI Maslow kept pressing redial on his mobile. John was not answering the flaming phone, Maslow had pressed redial at least 20 times but nothing. He was beginning to get agitated. He pulled into the hotel car park where he was meeting DS and DI’s Carter and DC Reid. And then he saw an old familiar face - David Thomas. Maslow had always thought there was something strange about him, maybe it was the close friendship he’d had with Ben before he died. Those two were best mates when Maslow, Steve and John met them at Uni. Maslow always had the impression David worshipped Ben a little. He wasn’t the same after Ben’s death. Maslow parked up, exited the car and walked towards David. He gave Maslow a nod: “Got hold of John yet?” David asked his old friend. “No. You?” “No. I have reception trying to get hold of him, he’s on redial every five minutes. Has been for the last hour. He’s going to wonder what the hell’s going on...” David replied. “Right now Davo, I’m wondering what the hell’s going on...” and Maslow entered the hotel. David Thomas followed Maslow inside as he approached his officers. DS Carter greeted her boss: “Good morning sir. How was your drive?” “Hectic, I can’t get hold of John Wood, the other friend that was with us when Ben died. Any news your end? Dr Looker, did you find the previous coroner?” “I did. He didn’t have much to say though to be honest” Diane replied. “And why is that doctor?” Maslow asked, intrigued and slightly annoyed. “Because he’s dead sir. Natural causes a few years ago, he was on his last legs for quite a while from the sounds of it” she replied, disappointed she couldn’t provide more info. DS Carter jumped in: “We haven’t managed to get hold of the b&b owners yet either sir, DI Carter has offered to find the next of kin and flirt his way to an interview but...” Maslow interrupted: “Do it.” “But I don’t think it’s necessary sir…” DS Carter insisted. “Two of my friends have died, likely murdered. It’s necessary DS Carter.” “I’ll get right on it sir!” DI Carter replied. Just then DCI Maslow’s phone rang. It was John Wood. Maslow answered: “Bloody hell John where the heck have you been?” Maslow shouted at his friend “...and why on earth don’t you have voicemail? EVERYONE HAS VOICEMAIL!!” “Jesus mate, chill out! Why all the calls?” John replied. “Steve’s dead. Looks like Ben was murdered after all, I was right John, I was right all along. There’s something very wrong with these cases, I feel it!” “Wait, wait, what do you mean Steve’s dead? Our Steve? As in Steve the Priest we all used to take the mick out of for getting his communion wine from Aldi?” “Yes, that Steve. We need to meet, pronto. See if you remember anything at all from when Ben died - and he didn’t get his communion wine from Aldi.” “You know, Steve and I spoke recently. In fact, we spoke about Ben. One minute we were chatting and the next he was out of the door like a shot. It was when we were talking about that night we went camping, I thought I saw something weird then... but... I dunno. Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick...” “The night we went camping?” Maslow replied, perplexed. “I don’t remember much from that night…”

“I’m not surprised mate, you were bladdered!! You passed out at, like, 9pm! Look, I can meet you in a couple of hours - how about we meet where we went camping? It might twig some more memories.” “Good idea, we’ll meet you where we camping then at, say, 12pm? “Nice one mate, be great to see ya. It’s been too long.” “Yes it has John, see you soon” and Maslow hung up the phone. Almost two hours later, DS Carter, DI Carter, DC Reid, DCI Maslow, Dr Looker and David Thomas arrived a few minutes early. As they waited surveying the landscape, DS Carter suddenly felt something wasn’t quite right. She didn’t know why, but her detective’s spider sense was aroused. She looked around, searching for an explanation. Maslow was surveying the site, her ex-husband was surveying Diane’s backside, Diane was doing a bad job of covering her surveillance of DC Reid by glancing at him every few seconds, DC Reid was doing an excellent job of ignoring her and scanning the horizon with Maslow and David seemed to be focused on one particular spot. Probably where they had camped all those years ago, she thought. A figure appeared on the horizon and waved in their direction. “That’s him, that’s John” Maslow said. John seemed to point at one spot and walk towards it. He gestured to the group to follow, they took a few steps forwards... BOOOOOOOM!!!!! Bits of the landscape seemed to fire everywhere, everyone ducked out of instinct but most people got a splattering, and when they looked up John was no-where to be seen... Tune in next time to find out what happened to John Wood and the detectives begin to unravel the truth about what really happened 30 years ago...

Quiz Answers 1. After the Austrian hypnotist who first used it on patients, Dr Mesmer. 2. Cane & beet. 3. Swimming/BMX/ ice skating/ mountain biking/ skateboarding/ snowboarding/skiing 4. The new name for the tower containing Big Ben. 5. Martin Clunes. 6. 206. 7. £64.000. 8. Blue/white. 9. No 11 Downing Street. 10. On a weather map. 11. Dove. 12. Port or Larboard. 13. The Woolpack. 14. High Fidelity. 15. Sir Alan Sugar. 16. Maple.

17. Fracturing (of rocks in oil production). 18. 3, red, green and yellow. 19. Boxing. 20. Lloyds. 21. “James/Jimmy” 22. Barnaby. 23. Charlotte (official title, HRH Princess Charlotte of Cambridge). 24. Dick Emery. 25. 64 years. 26. 64 million. 27. Simon Cowell. 28. Riser. 29. Making of a dictionary. 30. Isombard. Remember, if you would like to submit a quiz to us, please email: editorial@itsyourmedia. co.uk.

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Sleep Yourself Thin

Well, sort of! It is not so much that the more you sleep the more weight you lose. It is more a case of if you are not getting enough sleep you are more likely to put weight on.

Think about it, if you are tired at work; you are more likely to reach for a coffee or an energy drink and a bar of chocolate for a quick burst of energy (rather than some water and a piece of fruit). Come the evening you are less likely to do any exercise because you are too tired and because you have not got the energy, you reach for something highly processed to eat rather than preparing yourself a decent meal. So exactly how does this lack of sleep affect our ability to lose weight? Researchers are not exactly sure, but much of the science points to a lack of sleep affecting some of the body’s hormones, in particular leptin and ghrelin which are responsible for controlling our appetites. Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone which tells us when to eat and when we do not get enough sleep we produce more of it. Leptin on the other hand is the ‘stop’ hormone that signals for us to stop eating. When we do not get enough sleep our bodies produce less of it. In short, more ghrelin plus less leptin makes it harder to control your appetite which almost certainly leads to weight gain and some studies have shown that sleep-deprived individuals can chomp www.moulshamtimes.com

through an extra 600 extra calories per day! Incidentally, other research has hinted at the possibility that sleep deprivation could make it harder to retain muscle whilst dieting, although this is a discussion for another day it must be noted that losing too much muscle whilst dieting is not a good thing at all! So how much sleep should we be getting? Most experts agree that on average we need about seven and a half hours of quality sleep per night and if you are not getting enough, there is plenty of information out there on how you can improve your sleep habits. If you are getting this already, please be aware that an extra two hours sleep per night will not make you lose half a stone, but if you are a four or five hour sleeper and you start sleeping for seven to eight hours per night you may well start seeing the weight dropping off! In conclusion… Despite there being many weird and wonderful diets out there and the seemingly endless number of food supplement companies producing pills which they claim will make you slim ‘overnight’ sensible diet and sensible exercise regimes are proven methods of achieving weight loss. It therefore seems sensible to conclude that these regimes would be more difficult to adhere to if you are not getting enough sleep. For any exercise or nutrition advice, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Matt - matt@mlrpt.co.uk | www.mlrpt.co.uk| 07939 316 401 31

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