Moulsham Times April 2019

MoulshamTimes

Covering: Old Moulsham, Moulsham Lodge, Tile Kiln and surrounding area

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Record Store Day Saturday 13th April See page 5

Issue Number 74 - April 2019

Almost Two Thirds of Brits Struggle to Use Home Appliances A recent survey by appliancesdirect.co.uk has found that 61% of Brits ‘can’t work all of their home appliances’, with a quarter saying they don’t know the difference between the oven and the grill, and 21% saying they don’t know how to work the temperature switch on their fridge.

The survey, which questioned 1,015 UK adults, also found that 27% don’t know how to use more than one setting on their washing machine. Less than 10% said they use the instruction manual to figure out how appliances work, while 39% turn to the Internet for advice.

A previous survey by Centrica Hive found that ‘millions’ of Brits are ‘baffled by the number of buttons, symbols and switches’ on their appliances, with eight in 10 admitting to a ‘trial and error’ approach when it comes to using them.

With this in mind, Regal Kitchens have launched an exciting new tier to their customer journey. Regal Care has been designed to help give customers one-to-one tuition on their new Neff appliances. Regal send their home economist, armed with groceries, to cook a 3-course meal in the customer’s brand new kitchen to give them a hands-on experience and show them what their new appliances are capable of. This ensures the customers gets the full benefit of their upgraded appliances, as well as Regal keeping to their promise: ’Where client is king…’

Regal Kitchens’ showroom in Navigation Road has many working Neff appliances, working Insinkerator kettle taps and 15 kitchen displays, featuring timeless, elegant and cutting edge design.

The showroom in Chelmsford is open 10am - 4pm 7 days per week. www.regalkitchens.co.uk (T&Cs apply)

MT Welcome Hi readers, Welcome to the April edition of Moulsham Times.

Now that the clocks have changed we can all look forward to the lighter evenings; no doubt the BBQs will be out soon!

Don’t forget that you can also view our magazines online at www.issuu.com/ itsyourmedia.

Sky Installations, repairs & upgrades

Enjoy your month.

Regards Paul & Nick

Advertising Nick Garner 07970 206682 ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk

Editorial Paul Mclean 07595 949701 editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk

it’s your media Ltd

Disclaimer: It’s Your Media Ltd 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 Printwize.

ERS B M ME W E N OME C L WE Chelmsford Conservative Social Club How’s your social life?

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Play darts, snooker, pool, crib or bingo on a Wednesday night!

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Bring this advertisement and come in to the club any Wednesday evening to have a look at what we offer! Bring a friend too!

101 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, CM2 0JG Tel. Bar 01245 250359 Tel. Secretary 01245 262791 www.conclubchelmsford.co.uk www.moulshamtimes.com

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MT Therapy - by Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Are you worried about your relationship with food? Anyone who is familiar with the programmes Fat: The Fight of my Life, or Obese: A Year to Save my Life will also be aware of food addiction. In these programmes personal trainer Jesse Pavelka helps individuals whose food addiction has gotten so out of hand that they are literally going to feed themselves to death unless they do something about it immediately.

Food addiction might sound quite extreme, yet it is much more common than you might think - and you don’t have to take it to extremes to cause yourself harm. Food addiction is distinctly different to other types of substance abuse because we need food to survive.

We don’t need alcohol to survive or drugs to survive. In the case of food addiction, the addict believing that they need food is absolutely correct - they just don’t need the amount (and mostly the type) of food that they’re consuming. If you’re worried about your relationship with food, you may not necessarily recognise food as just a way to fuel your body. Food can be something that enriches life to such an extent that it has become not just a necessity to survive, but a friend.

Perhaps you connect empathy with food; it’s always there to comfort you. Perhaps it fills a hole that you may feel inside. Perhaps you feel insecure and food is filling an emotional gap in your life that you feel unable to fulfil in other ways.

For the record, food addiction is completely different to Prader-Willi syndrome - this is a condition caused by a rare genetic disorder where 7 genes are either deleted or unexpressed and one of the symptoms can be extreme and insatiable appetite leading to morbid obesity. Although it is said to be the most common genetic cause of morbid obesity in children, please note there are lots of symptoms including low muscle tone, short stature, incomplete sexual development, cognitive disabilities, problem behaviours and many, many more traits of this condition. There is currently no consensus as to the cause of an insatiable appetite as a particular symptom.

If you’re worried that you may be suffering with food addiction or you feel your relationship with food is not healthy or normal, please know that you aren’t ‘just greedy’. Many food addicts, or those with an unhealthy relationship with food, suffer considerable psychological and emotional pain when trying to control cravings and the amount of food consumed. For example, some people report that they feel as though they have suffered a death in the family if they cannot have their favourite food or they can’t consume as much as usual. Many people report that they ‘do not feel full’ even when the required calorie intake for the day has been reached.

One conclusion that people reach is ‘I must need more than the average person’ but is this likely? Or is it more likely that thinking like this means that you can carry

on consuming food? Perhaps you feel emotionally empty rather than hungry but you’ve used food to fill this emotional gap for so long that you see emotional emptiness and hunger as one and the same.

Perhaps you’re attracted to high fat, high sugar, high cholesterol foods. This could be because these foods tend to include chemicals and sugars and flavourings designed to give us the best taste possible, and this can feel like a high from a drug. Also, too much sugar can have all sorts of effects on us, think about the effect sugar has on children!

Have you tried to curb your consumption of food and found yourself suffering from emotional and behavioural changes? These could include feeling emotional (possibly crying), being irrational, snapping at people, acting ‘like a child’ etc. This is akin to withdrawal. Although the behaviours may seem very immature, there is a very good reason that you feel like this and a therapist can help you work through and handle these symptoms whilst you work on your relationship with food.

Food addiction can take a while to manifest. If someone has suffered a trauma at a young age, they could’ve used food for comfort. When we take this comfort away, the person might regress to the age they were at when the trauma occurred. If the trauma occurred in later or in adult life, the person might still regress to that age and demonstrate the symptoms of the unresolved issues. Hence behaviours and emotions can range from crying (they’re upset about something) to anger (they’re holding on to internal rage) to panic (they feel vulnerable).

So, how do we treat someone who feels they have an unhealthy relationship with food? Firstly I would ensure that you have been to a see a doctor and had a check up. How at risk of diabetes are you?

What’s your blood pressure like? I believe that it’s important for you to face reality, if there are any physical problems this could affect how you change your diet and your weight loss journey if losing weight is a factor for you. Alternatively, if there are health issues this can be a great motivator to improve your relationship with food and cut back on the sugar and carbs!

When you’re ready to start making changes, the first few months could be rather uncomfortable and definitely a challenge! You will need to make some serious changes not just to your diet, but to your life. If you’re a huge fan of fast food and drive past McDonald’s everyday to work and you can’t resist going in, perhaps finding a different route that doesn’t take you anywhere near any food outlets would be a better option. I would encourage you to look at your life as it is now, how do you feel within yourself? I would encourage you to look at beliefs about yourself and give you coping techniques to help re-write these beliefs, develop better self esteem and confidence and a better relationship with food. Without meeting a client I can’t go too in depth into how I would help, purely because I treat everyone as an individual. Your issues with food might be totally different from my next client’s, but I do believe it’s important to learn about why you feel the way you do about food and about yourself.

I hope this article has been useful. If you believe you have issues with your relationship with food please know you are not alone. You are not a bad person. You are human and going though something. If you want to, you can connect with a therapist and get the help you need.

Jenny Hartill is a therapist and the owner of Cloud9 Therapy and Chelmsford Therapy Rooms. She is a counsellor and hypnotherapist and can help with a multitude of issues. Please see the therapist list on the the website www.chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or you can email info@chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or call 0330 100 5162 to enquire about an initial consultation. Alternatively, Jenny’s own company website is www.cloud9-therapy.co.uk, her email is info@ cloud9-therapy.co.uk, and her telephone number is 07507 307 170.

4 www.moulshamtimes.com

Record Store Day Is Back This April Saturday April 13th will be like Christmas Day for music collectors across the world as vinyl lovers unite at record shops everywhere to celebrate Record Store Day, where they will be able to get their hands on some of this year’s exclusive vinyl releases. The event will also be happening in Chelmsford’s very own independent record shop, Intense Records. This year will be particularly special as Intense celebrates it’s 20th anniversary!

As seasoned Record Store Day participants, Intense Records has seen this event grow year on year with a queue of customers lining along the viaducts by the train station, as the releases are only available in-store during the first week (and then released for online consumers thereafter).

There are hundreds of limited edition releases catering for every taste and genre, including artists like David Bowie, 808 State, Chic, Bronski Beat, Morrissey, Elvis Presley and heaps more - all will be on sale at Intense Records from Saturday 13th April.

This year’s offerings for the rock and indie lover include The Kaiser Chief’s first release Oh My God on 7”, a 10” vinyl from Mumford & Sons as well as a trio of exclusive releases from David Bowie including a picture disc vinyl of the album Pin Ups.

Dance music fans are in for a treat as Fatboy Slim releases a limited edition yellow vinyl of the hit Right Here, Right Now, and Chase & Status fans can get a limited edition double LP of the chart topping album No More Idols, as well as releases from Orbital, 808 State, Hospital Records and many more.

After the sudden passing of Keith Flint, Prodigy fans will surely be turning up in force to grab the limited edition double 7” gatefold vinyl from their latest album No Tourists.

Hip hop lovers can look forward to an exclusive double LP from The Streets, Remixes & B Sides Too, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five re-release their debut studio album The Message and also an LP & comic book release from Czarface.

You can check out all the releases now at www.recordstoreday.co.uk.

To make sure Intense are stocking your favourites, check out the new website at www.intenserecords.com, where you can register your interest and download your very own wish list and send it back to us at enquiries@intenserecords.com.

Open from 9am-6pm, Intense Records will be holding their annual special in-store event with live DJs, local bands, special guest appearances plus competitions, free giveaways, the Intense gourmet BBQ, hot and cold refreshments and much more.

For those that can’t make it on the day, Intense will be opening up especially this Sunday as well from 10am-4pm. The exclusive releases will be available in-store only for the following week, but any remaining stock will be made available online a week later on the 20th April at www.intenserecords.com.

For more info pop into Intense Records, 33/34 Viaduct Road, Chelmsford CM1 1TS (under the arches opposite the bus station).

Chelmsford - by Vicky Ford MP

After nearly two years as Chelmsford’s MP I eventually secured a question to the Prime Minister during Question Time. Each week, questions to the Prime Minister are selected on a random basis drawn by a ballot from over 600 MPs. I chose to use the opportunity to speak out on behalf of Chelmsford’s campaign for increased infrastructure, and especially about our second railway station. Every time I’m out and about in Chelmsford, residents want to discuss the need for improved road and rail links. They understand the need for more homes for local people, but we are all concerned that we need the infrastructure as well. The government has committed a record £5.5 billion to a Housing Infrastructure Fund. Last year, two massive schemes for Chelmsford were successful in making it through to the final round for funding. These are for the new station at Beaulieu Park and a north east bypass which would link the A12 at the Boreham interchange to the A131 near Great Leighs. These would both help to take traffic away from the centre of Chelmsford. Essex County Council has now submitted its detailed final bid for £218 million from the fund. This has been a massive amount of work by our local councils, and as the city’s MP I will keep fighting for it at every opportunity.

There is much concern in our national newspapers about knife crime and people will be very concerned about the recent incident involving a young person in Chelmsford. In Chelmsford and Maldon there were four violent incidents involving knives last year. This is four too many, but it is much less than in many other parts of the UK. Last year 150 additional officers were added to Essex Police and another 240 are coming on board this year. In Chelmsford the police are actively using stop and search to tackle drug and knife crime. The number of stop and searches went up from 80 in the last quarter of 2017 to around 500 in the same period last year. This activity has led to the police being able to make significant arrests. Members of Chelmsford police C Shift team have just won the award for the best community police

response team in the country, and our local Pubwatch scheme was recently ranked as number one in the country, especially for the work they have been doing to make the city centre safe at night. Please do keep reporting crimes and any intelligence into the police. It makes a very significant difference to their work.

I was also very pleased to hear that the Delay Repay 15 minute scheme is going to be introduced on Chelmsford trains from 1st April.

Commuters pay a large amount for their train travel and when there are delays they should be properly compensated. First Buses have also announced a series of improvements that will start on April 28th.

These include a new weekday evening services to Chelmer Village, an additional bus to cover the Galleywood, Great Baddow, Springfield to Beaulieu routes, and additional stopping services to the Vineyards shops. It is vital that the bus services are reliable, and I hope that performance improves.

Many Chelmsford constituents write to me about the environment.

Recently, I joined Members of Parliament for a recent debate on climate change. In the next thirty years the world will be much more crowded and much warmer, and the global population is expected to reach at least 9 billion while the population of Nigeria is predicted to be larger than that of Europe and the US put together. How much warmer it becomes depends on the action we all take. The science is very clear, mankind cannot continue to pump more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere without causing permanent and irreversible damage to our planet. The good news is that the UK has cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than any other developed country, but we are all aware that there remains a great deal of work to do.

Thank you to the young apprentices from Chelmsford whom I met during National Apprenticeship Week. They are an inspiration to all!

As ever please don’t hesitate to get in touch. vicky.ford.mp@parliament.uk

Chelmsford Film Festival 2019

Now in its third year, Chelmsford Film Festival returns on the 7th and 8th June 2019 taking place in the chic setting of Chelmsford’s Everyman Cinema in Bond Street.

www.facebook.com/ChelmsfordFilmFestival www.instagram.com/chelmsfordfilmfest www.twiiter.com/ChelmsFilmFest

Chelmsford Film Festival is an annual celebration of film culture showcasing the best short films from around the world. The main aim of the festival is to promote filmmakers of all levels and backgrounds whilst providing an opportunity to inspire a new generation of film talent.

Mike Lightfoot Memorial Gig

The 2 days include: • • • • • •

Officially selected film screenings.

Industry speakers.

Live interviews.

Networking opportunities.

Awards ceremony.

Presentation of Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema Award.

Previous winners of the Outstanding Contribution Award include iconic British actor Julian Glover (James Bond, Star Wars, Indiana Jones) and one of the UK’s leading female writers and actresses, Alice Lowe (Prevenge, Hot Fuzz, Sightseers). This year’s award winner will be announced in April.

Tickets are on sale now from £22 via www.eventbrite.co.uk.

Over £1700 was raised at The Mike Lightfoot Memorial gig on Sunday 31st March. There is more to follow from the proceeds of a guitar signed by all the acts that played at Chelmsford City FC whcih will be auctioned. Money was raised for the British Heart Foundation and Basildon Cardiac Unit. Pick up the next edition of the City Times for a review.

Connor Selby Band who are also opening for the Who at Wembley Stadium on July 6th

www.chelmsfordfilmfestival.com 6 www.moulshamtimes.com

From County Hall - Dick Madden It’s now April and in only a few more weeks the Chelmsford City Council elections will take place. As I have told you previously I do not intend to stand as a candidate in these forthcoming elections.

It has been a great honour representing you all these past eight years and I wish all the candidates - whatever their political standing - every success and good luck. To those who are eventually elected, you will take on a great responsibility representing all of us, but you will find a community who do care, seeking sometimes guidance and support.

It has been the helping of many of you that has been the greatest reward for myself. I also want to publically thank my wife Kathryn for supporting me these past eight years in my role as a councillor for Chelmsford City Council, she speaks to a lot of you mainly on the telephone and through accompanying me to community events.

Our role in politics is not fully complete, as I will continue to represent you over the coming two years as your representative on Essex County Council, then I will, I hope gracefully, step away from politics and with Kathryn, become full time residents in Old Moulsham.

I met the Police and Fire Commissioner recently to seek clarity on how this money would be spent, but importantly to also understand how leaders in Essex from assorted organisations, including the voluntary sector, will tackle what is a critical social issue. I am confident by working together a positive outcome can be achieved.

To the residents of Moulsham Lodge there is no change, as I will still represent you in Essex County Council, but I do want to mention the Moulsham Lodge Community Trust ably led by Mark Springett: to all of you, thank you. Together over the past several years we have taken control of the old Moulsham Lodge police station and turned it into a community centre that is vibrant, well used and supported.

In the early 1990s I was the Chelmsford Police Community Inspector based at Moulsham Lodge and spent three happy years there. Little did I know I would return to the same building and play a role in ensuring the building did not become extinct, but become an asset to the community.

BE SAFE Dick Madden

This article will also be my last for the Moulsham Times as I believe those residents who are elected in the city elections be given the chance to communicate with you through this excellent community magazine and I would want to say to Paul and Nick, the owners of Moulsham Times, thank you for allowing me to talk to you. I will though, through Paul and Nick not fully disappear, as they have asked that I now take on writing monthly in their other magazine the City Times.

To Old Moulsham residents, after eight years you will note part of our area is to become a 20mph zone which many residents have been seeking for a long time. It’s creation will be monitored for several months to establish what impact it has on us and I hope vehicles travelling around our area develop into adhering to the new speed limit.

My biggest disappointment is the fact that since I was elected we still do not have a permanent day centre in our city we for our homeless individuals who choose to live on our streets. I am pleased though that the City Council has recently approved £300,000 to develop such a location. It will not be available before I leave my city role, but I am confident the task will be achieved in the next two years.

Another matter which is critical, not only to Chelmsford but also in our country, is the social problem of what is known as County Lines, Gangs, drugs and knife crime. I am pleased to state that Essex County Council have approved £500,000 to be added to the Police and Fire Commissioner’s recent £650,000 from the Home Office. This money is to be pooled and invested in addressing this major problem that many of you have raised with me for many months. www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

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MT Health

How to Find Pain-Free Movement if You’re in Pain - by Chris at Forté Physical Health One of the most common pieces of advice that I give to people who are in pain is to ‘keep moving’. The evidence is very clear that staying mobile will accelerate your recovery from injury.

This is true for both acute pain (pain that started recently) and chronic pain (pain that started a long time ago). It’s essential that you start to add load to the area, but in doing so it’s important to try to minimise the pain you feel.

As I’ve been writing, I’ve become painfully aware that this is quite a tricky concept to put across in writing - so if you have got this far, I applaud you!

I have created a video on this where I give a clearer demonstration of the topic and offer examples related to the back, knee and shoulder.

You can find this on our Facebook page or YouTube channel by searching ‘Forte Physical Health’ on your preferred platform.

Sometimes people think everything hurts and that pain-free movement is impossible, but this is rarely the case; we just have to be a bit clever to find the right movement that helps.

Here are a few strategies we can try: 1. Add Stability In cases where it feels like everything hurts, the first strategy is to add stability. This could mean that you have more of your body in contact with your surroundings, or it might mean that you add a brace of some kind to the injured area.

In the first option, having more of your body in contact with your surroundings could be as simple as putting your hands on the kitchen worktop to do your exercises. Or you could get down onto the floor on all-fours and move around from there. Or adding more stability still, laying flat on your front or back will put a large part of your body in contact with the ground. If the pain is in your legs, using crutches or a walking stick gets you moving with added balance.

Adding support (either by touching your surroundings or by adding a brace to the injury) gives your brain a sense of security which then allows you to move more. It also distributes the forces that go through the area, making it less likely pain will occur.

2. Play in 3D Once you have found a level of support that feels right for you, the next step is to start wriggling and moving in 3D. We live in a threedimensional world and your body is a master at moving through these three planes.

As always, if you want advice or think a treatment is what you need to accelerate your recovery, you can get in touch at www. fortephysicalhealth.co.uk.

Have a healthy month!

The planes are; forwards and backwards, side to side and twistie twistie (see the photo on the right).

Most problems in the body will prefer one of the directions from each of the three planes, so for example, you might get a back strain that feels relieved by leaning forward, leaning to the left and twisting to the right.

Deadlines for the March edition:

Often, especially in acute injuries, doing the opposite to the comfortable movements can be painful, so in this example, it would be likely that leaning backwards, leaning to the right and twisting to the left would be sore. All that means is that when building an exercise, these directions should be avoided.

Articles - 17th April

In this example of back pain, the exercise would be to have your hands supported on the worktop and starting with a neutral spine, gently bend forwards, to the left and twist to the right, then come back to neutral and repeat.

Print ready art work 25th April

Finding a pain-free movement with any injured body part helps to send signals up to the brain that reminds it that pain-free movement is possible. This gets it (the brain) to let go of some of the muscle tightness that it creates. Also, at a local level, movement improves blood flow which draws in nutrients to aid healing and squishes away waste, like inflammation.

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07976 693457 or email Info@m-specservices.co.uk

Local, experienced, fully insured reliable carpenter in Old Moulsham.

All Carpentry and building work undertaken such as: • All building works • Extensions • Gardens • Flat roof repairs/Renew • Built in cupboards

• Loft conversions • Kitchens • Doors • Hand cut roofs • Walls etc

Contact us for a free no obligation quote.

Home: 01245 675225 Mobile: 07794137516

Email: mjsbuildingandcarpentry@gmail.com

Electrical Installation & Maintenance M-Spec Services based in Chelmsford cater for all your electrical requirements, no job is too big or too small. You are always guaranteed a professional service at competitive rates.

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Call Michael on

01245 830811 / 07976 693457

MT Gardening

Have you ever tried growing hardy annuals? They’re great ornamental plants which are sown in to the open ground, usually in April, and are grown on in their sowing position throughout the summer to provide an attractive display. Because no sophisticated facilities are required to propagate and grow-on the plants, there is no cheaper way of providing a colourful display than an annual border.

Borders need to be carefully planned to suit the scale of their surroundings. For example, in a border 100m long x 5m wide, the tallest available annuals will be suitable for the rear, eg, Lavatera spp. (mallow), Helianthus annuus (sunflower) or for a bed, 5m x 1m annuals reaching 40cm (15in) in height is advisable.

It is essential to prepare a plan on paper beforehand. Informality of arrangement is usually desirable; aim for broad overlapping drifts with irregular but flowing outlines of not less than 1 x 0.5m.

Some graduation of height is necessary from back to front, there is little point in burying a dwarf plant behind taller growing ones, but the border should not be mathematically graded. Generally, the taller plants should be at the rear and smallest at the front, but occasional irregularity should be introduced - particularly along the length of the border - or the final result will be too formal to attain its full effect.

Site and Soil Requirements Choose an open, sunny position with fertile well-drained soil; contrary to popular belief, annuals, with a few exceptions such as nasturtium, do not thrive on poor soils. The site should also be sheltered from cold winds.

01245 422804/07711 606561

Production of an Annual Border The border should be single or double dug in early winter when conditions are suitable. Perennial weeds should be treated with a translocated herbicide or removed by hand. Organic matter may be added to improve soil structure and nutrient status.

The following spring, when conditions are suitable, hoe annual weeds and dig out or treat with herbicide any remaining perennial weeds.

The soil should be forked over, roughly raked level, light soils trodden to consolidate, and then raked to a fine tilth.

A balanced fertiliser such as Growmore at a rate of 100g/m2, or blood, fish and bone at 70g/m2 may be lightly raked in. The planting plan should be drawn out on the soil surface either using a cane or dry sand.

Use a draw hoe to make parallel V shaped drills, of a depth appropriate to each species, in each planting area. This allows weed seedlings that germinate outside the rows to be easily distinguished.

Alternatively, seed may be broadcast. Thinly sow the seed in the bottom of the drill, cover with soil and label. Water lightly with a fine rose.

The optimum time for sowing annuals varies with the site, soil, latitude, and with seasonal variation, but is usually March or April.

On favourable sites, annuals may also be sown in September for earlier flowering the following year.

Thinning Thin out rigorously at an early stage and continue at intervals until the proper distance between plants has been achieved. Overcrowding must be avoided; it is the cause of more failures in the cultivation of annuals than anything else.

Consult the seed packet to establish the correct distances.

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Staking Most annuals more than 30cm high are liable to be flattened by wind or rain if unstaked.

The best support is brushwood pushed firmly in among the plants when they are a few inches high, the annuals then grow up intertwined with the stakes and are solidly supported. The height of the brushwood can be 15cm shorter than the flowering height of the annual, ie, clarkia - 45cm, brushwood - 30cm.

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Some plants you might like to try: Botanical Name

Common Name

Height

Colour

Calendula officinalis

English or pot marigold

30-60cm

Orange and yellow

Centaurea cyanus

Cornflower

30-60cm

Blue, white or pink

Clarkia elegans

Clarkia

30-60cm

Pink, white or mauve

Eschscholzia californica

Californian poppy

30-40cm

Orange or yellow

Godetia grandiflora

Godetia

30-60cm

Crimson, pink and mauve

Iberis umbellata

Candytuft

15-30cm

Pink, white and mauve

Lavatera trimestris

Annual mallow

90-120cm

Pink

Linaria maroccana

Annual toadflax

15-30cm

Mixed colours

Papaver rhoeas

Shirley poppy

30-60cm

Pink, white and red

Tropaeolum majus

Nasturtium

15-20cm

Red, orange and yellow

Salvia horminum

Clary

30-60cm

White, pink, mauve

Nigella damascena

Love-in-a-mist

30-60cm

Blue

Lastly, if you’re interested in developing your theory or practical horticultural skills as a keen amateur, or someone wishing to pursue a change in career, then please do contact us for more information.

New for this September: We are offering full and part-time Garden Design and Landscape Construction courses. Contact ben.wincott@ writtle.ac.uk for further information.

Certificate in the Principles of Garden Planning, Establishment and Maintenance (starting 14th February - June 2019) and for RHS Level 3 Certificate in Practical Horticulture, email tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk for information on availability of days and times.

We also offer a very comprehensive range of short courses in gardening. Follow this link for further information writtle.ac.uk/ ShortCourses.

For RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture, email christina. lavelle@writtle.ac.uk for information on availability of days and times.

Happy Gardening

For RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture (1 year, day release), RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Plant Growth, Propagation & Development (September - February), RHS Level 2

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

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Music and Blues and Roots in the City - by Nick Garner It has been a great month so far for live music. It started right at the end of February with the One Tree Hillbillies, then The Delta Ladies at the UB - always a great night. Twisty Turns followed, and we ended the week with Yoka and Big Ray. What made the week a bit different was that we had three acts all with double bass and violin/fiddle and then on the Sunday we had saxophone and flute - so you know the UB puts on acts you will not see elsewhere in one week.

have missed hearing and seeing her. But what a terrific show she played. The storytelling was yet again a massive success with around fifty people in attendance. This time they had a guest musician, Isabel Oliver who was amazing and she will be playing a Sunday Session for the UB very soon. There were some new tellers this time and we had some great dark tales which were also very amusing at times and a little risqué too.

The following week the UB started with Steve Hooker and he had the place on fire. On the Saturday we welcomed The Hitman all the way from New York on his UK tour - and what a night. We heard some fabulous songs that made people smile and dance from a great singer and guitarist with a very fine band behind him.

Don’t forget that the Panic Awards will be upon us before we know it and the voting is still open if you wish to vote. This year the awards night will be on the 18th April at the Civic with all profits going to the Cool To Be Kind charity. To find out more go to www.panicawards. co.uk. Good luck to everyone who has been nominated from all of us at It’s Your Media.

The next week was a big one as the UB hosted five nights of live music, starting with Joe Anderton’s regular open mic night which is becoming one of the best open mic nights I know of, attracting great players from all over. Thursday was my Blues & Roots in the City night and I was thrilled to have The SharpeeZ play. It was a gamble to put on a band of this calibre midweek, but I need not have worried as it was a great success and they were stunning. The Friday Night Live was a Jar Records night. I wasn’t there, but I am told it was fab with some great acts. The same night at Chelmsford City, FC Rich Young was opening for The Christians. Rich is no stranger to the big stage and the audience loved his great charm - we love this guy. The Christians put on a really good show and played all the hits and more, and those who were there had a great time.

The St Patrick’s weekend was a big one for the UB, starting in the afternoon with some amazing Irish dancing. It was actually hard to get in as it was rammed - and this was the just the beginning. After the dancing was Barry Owens singing his collection of Irish folk and traditional music. Following Barry, it was the one and only Medicine what a great act to party with, the perfect band for St Patrick’s. I have never seen a whole pub dancing before, but it was hard not to with this band. What a fun night that was.

If you are putting on or know of any events that we should feature and could help to publicise, please email us at editorial@itsyourmedia. co.uk. As ever, please do try to come out and support the great live scene that we have in Essex - if you do not, we may lose it.

For more information on all of the above, see the links below and pick up a copy of the City Times and go to the What’s On pages to see what else in happening in your area. If you go to our Facebook pages look at the ‘Events’ tabs where you can see who is playing and preview the up-and-coming acts. www.bluesinthecity.co.uk www.facebook.com/bluesinthecitychelmsford Twitter: @BluesintheCity1 www.itsyourmusic.co.uk www.facebook.com/itsyourmusic Twitter: @itsyourmusic The Arts and Cultural email: hello@chelmsfordfestival.org www.chelmsfordfestival.org www.facebook.com/chelmsfordfestival Twitter: @chelmsfordaacf

On the Sunday the music started in the afternoon with Barry Owens who was joined by the local legend that is Graham Good of The Redwood Band. They provided a mix of Irish music and the audience loved them. Next on was Dave Ferra and Chris Berry, better known as Porch Swing, who are mainly a blues outfit. But once again the audience lapped them up singing and dancing along to their music.

What an amazing week that was.

The following week it was a trip to the Colchester Art’s Centre to see our mate Hippy Joe playing with none other than Hayseed Dixie and an opening surprise act of Tom & Pete, a duo from Cambridge with Tom playing guitar and singing and Pete on cajon, cymbal and vocals. They gave us a mix of originals and some unusual covers.

Hayseed Dixie feature John and Jason from Tennessee with Tim from North Carolina - and yes, Hippy Joe from Basildon! They have to be one of the best bluegrass acts in the world, and you will never hear anyone else playing Black Sabbath, AC/DC or Led Zeppelin on banjo, mandolin, acoustic bass and acoustic guitar with such energy and vigour and boy, do they rock. naturally enough, they played to a sell out crowd.

Meanwhile, back in the UB it was another Friday and music from Lady J & the Troublemakers. Justine is always lots of fun with her Bakewell tarts for prizes and her big red dreadlocks with a stunning rhythm section. Her singing and playing always provides one of the most entertaining of evenings. On the Saturday Jamie Williams & the Roots Collective played at the Blue Boar in Maldon upstairs in a packed Long Room. Everyone seemed to have a great time and I know we really enjoyed playing for everyone. At the UB Andy Twyman played, which I sadly had to miss this time round, but he is always great and he never disappoints you.

Sunday is double bubble day at the UB with our old band mate the beautiful songstress Lizzie B. She has the voice of and angel and we 12

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More Quizin’ - by John Theedom 1.

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When did Britain start using guide dogs for the blind?

What has happened to you if you are ‘neaped’?

How old is Jennifer Aniston in 2019?

What was the occupation of Private Frazer in Dad’s Army?

In which sport is the expression albatross used?

Edward Heath had a yacht, what was it called?

Where does kelp grow?

Why was the bear often drunk?

Where do snakes keep their old skins?

A sampan is used for what purpose?

In which English county is The Forest of Dean?

What was US singer Michael Bolton’s birth name?

The word mungo refers to what material?

The Amazons are who or what?

What is a stoup used for?

A mistral is what exactly?

Can you eat litchi?

In which county is Fistral Beach?

Which year did Fanny Craddock die?

On which date did Winston Churchill announce that Britain had developed It’s own atomic bomb?

In modern parlance, what does the word peng mean?

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What was the female singer Ima Sumac most famous for?

What was the name of the MP who initiated the use of a beacon at pedestrian crossings?

What was the meat ration per person in WW2?

How much was recently paid for a female sheep dog?

By whom and where was nylon invented?

In which county are Holkham Hall, Cromer and Sherigham?

DNA is now familiar, but when was it discovered and by whom?

In Friends what was Ross’s monkey called?

When Reginald Dwight became Elton John, which middle name did he choose?

What is the meaning of the term ataraxia?

What fruit is traditionally used in an Eton mess?

What type of animal is an indri?

In cookery, which meat is used in char sui?

Which actor played the title role of Boon?

What is meant by the term sangfroid?

On which English river is the city of Nottingham?

What is the term for pan-frying in cookery?

André Previn died recently, how old was he?

In the US, which is the ‘Mormon state’?

Great Baddow Bowling Club Prepares for the New Season New Members Welcome!

The outdoor bowling season is relatively short. Games start at the end of April and continue until late September, but there is a lot of preparation that needs to be done throughout the year. At the fore must be ensuring the green is immaculate. We’ve all heard the phrase that we would like our garden lawn ‘to be like a bowling green’ well, that doesn’t just happen without lots of hard work.

Feeding, mowing, watering and praying are all carried out in earnest as we get near the opening day. We are pleased to see that there are already considerable improvements in the state of the surface from last year.

But the green is only one aspect of the work.

A lot of thought has gone into how to make improvements around the clubhouse and the paving has been completely reinstated to make it safer. Money has also had to be spent on the irrigation system, but this is worthwhile and should stand the club in good stead for many years.

Attention is also being paid to publicity encourage new members.

Bowls is a great way to meet people and the club has a good social side beyond the actual matches. Free bowling taster sessions are open to everyone on any Friday at 6.30pm - just come along! You will be given coaching and advice (please wear flat shoes or trainers).

Whether you are a complete novice or an experienced bowler, you are very welcome.

See our website at www.greatbaddowbowlingclub.co.uk which will

carry more news as the season progresses.

Stan Keller

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14 www.moulshamtimes.com

Personal Finance Clinic: Tax and Pension Changes Happening this Month April 6th heralds the start of the new tax year. This invariably means changes to taxation and pensions.

So, what do you need to know to avoid a shock when you open this month’s payslip?

Personal Allowance Going Up Fantastic news: you can now earn £12,500 a year before you start paying income tax. This is known as your Personal Allowance and is up from £11,850 on the 2018/19 tax year allowance.

The increase will boost almost everyone’s pay packet and is especially good for some lower earners who will be lifted out of taxation completely. If you earn £30,000 a year, the increase means about £13 a month extra net pay. If you earn £60,000 a year, that’s around a £43 per month net increase.

Higher Rate Tax Band Hits £50k You can now earn up to £50,000 a year before you start paying income tax at the higher rate (40%). The first £12,500 is tax-free, the next £37,500 is taxed at 20% (the basic rate band) and then you will pay tax at 40p in the £1 once your taxable income has topped £50,000 a year*.

For years, various governments kept the starting point for the higher rate band more or less the same; the result of which was to drag millions more people into higher rates of tax even when the same individuals may not have received a real-term pay rise in a decade.

At least this year the increase is tangible, taking the higher rate threshold from £46,350 to £50,000 overall.

Minimum Pension Contribution Increasing to 8% By law, the minimum auto-enrolment percentage goes up from 5% to 8% this month. If you know were auto-enrolled into a workplace pension scheme, there’s a good chance you are affected.

In 2018/19 employers only had to make sure 5% of an eligible employees’ salary was being contributed to a pension, with a minimum of 2% from the employer.

From this month, it must legally be 8% of an eligible employees’ salary with a minimum of 3% from the employer.

Unless your employer is generous and pays above the minimum levels, your own contribution will be increased to meet the legal requirements.

Speak with your HR department if you are unsure about your personal position.

Other Points to Consider There is no change to the dividend allowance, which remains at £2,000.

The Lifetime Allowance for pensions (the amount you can build up in pensions before tax is due) increases from £1,030,000 to £1,055,000.

The Capital Gains Tax annual exempt amount increases from £11,700 to £12,000. *Not everyone will receive the full

£12,500 Personal Allowance. P11D benefits such as private medical insurance and critical illness cover will reduce your tax-free band.

Those earning more than £100,000 a year will start to lose their Personal Allowance at a rate of £1 lost for each £2 of earned income over this level. Check your tax coding notice for details.

Lauren Peters, Senior Financial Adviser at Fiducia Wealth Management, is a Chartered Financial Planner. She also holds the Pensions Specialist and Later Life Specialist qualifications.

Fiducia Wealth Management has offices at Saxon House, 27 Duke Street, Chelmsford CM1 1HT (01245 950 922) and at Dedham Hall Business Centre, Brook Street, Dedham, Colchester CO7 6AD (01206 321 045).

You can contact Lauren directly via lauren@fiduciawealth.co.uk, or via 07850 873 126. www.fiduciawealth.co.uk

Life T M Hack Need to test a printer? Print the Google home page, it has all the colours you need to run the test and will not use a lot of ink.

Mt Cooking - Pork Belly with Apricot and Pine Nut Stuffing - by Beverley Matthews I spend my working life cooking for other people’s parties and special occasions, but there is nothing I love more than spending a Sunday in my kitchen cooking something special for my own family. I’m always trying to find new ways to liven up the Sunday roast, and this recipe is just that. This stuffed and rolled pork belly is indulgent, delicious and will satisfy all the meat lovers out there.

Ingredients 2kg pork belly (boneless) 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 handful of thyme 4 cloves garlic 1ltr cider For the stuffing: 1 packet good quality sausage meat 100g dried apricots, roughly chopped 100g pine nuts 2 spring onions, finely chopped Handful of thyme Handful of parsley 1 tbsp fennel seeds Method 1. Score the pork skin (if your butcher hasn’t already done this) then butterfly the joint of meat so you have a larger and thinner piece of meat. This will make it easier to roll.

2. To make the stuffing, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Season with salt and pepper.

3. Once the stuffing is mixed really well, place the pork belly skin side down and spread the stuffing mix on top of the pork meat.

4. Next you need to roll the pork belly up nice and tightly so you are left with the skin on the top of the rolled joint. Use butchers string to tie it together.

5. Mix the fennel seeds, garlic and thyme together in a pestle and mortar, or a food processor with some oil, salt and pepper. Then

rub this mixture over the skin of the pork.

6. Place the joint of meat in a roasting tin and pour in enough cider to cover the bottom half of the joint but leaving the skin dry.

Cover with baking parchment, then foil and roast in the oven at 150oC for around 4 hours. Check half way through and add more cider or water if it’s looking dry.

7. Once the meat is nice and soft, remove the parchment and foil and cook for a further 30 minutes at 180oC, until the skin is nicely coloured and crisp.

8. Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Thanks for reading my recipe. I am the owner of Perfect Day Caterers, an event catering business. We cater for all kinds of special occasions, from small intimate dinner parties to canapé receptions, BBQs and weddings. To find out more about me or Perfect Day Caterers, visit www.perfectdaycaterers.co.uk or email me at beverley@perfectdaycaterers.co.uk. I’d love to hear from you!

16 www.moulshamtimes.com

Christ Church - How Merrie Is the Month of May?

Summer Solstice.

Have you been to a May fair recently?

Since mediaeval times May fairs have been popular throughout Europe, but the tradition goes much further back. The ultimate basis for the May Day festival is Beltane, the ancient Celtic early summer festival, being approximately halfway between the Spring Equinox and the

The May Day festival has always created tensions in Britain ever since the arrival of Christianity in the early centuries AD. The Reformation and the tide of Puritan purges that followed meant that the May Day festival was driven underground in this country until later in the 17th century - but by the mid-19th century the ‘Merrie England’ culture had put it back into the centre of the national spring consciousness.

So I see nothing wrong in celebrating May-time. Pentecost itself is a direct absorption of the Jewish feast of the same name, celebrating the early grain harvest in Biblical times. Jesus would have celebrated this feast of Thanksgiving for God’s bountiful provision - so should we!

Gareth Bennett Music Minister, Christ Church URC To find out more about what happens at Christ Church, visit www. christ-church-chelmsford.com or follow on Facebook or Twitter.

The popularity of the May Day festival has led to it being appropriated - and even moved - by bodies both secular and religious to suit their own purposes.

May 1st is known as Labour (Labor) Day to celebrate workers’ rights; this practice was initiated by Haymarket Fair, an international conference of quasi-socialist organisations that met in Chicago in May 1886. The Church has had its say too. The principal May festival in many European countries was moved to the end of May to roughly coincide with Whit Sunday (Pentecost).

This is a thinly-disguised replacement of the celebration of the blessing of the earth with fertility by the blessing of the faithful with the Holy Spirit. This despite the fact that in many years (2019 being one) Pentecost does not fall until well into June!

But let’s return to May Day, and the maypole. This too has had a chequered history in Britain: banned by the Puritans on account of its pagan imagery, being both sexual (it’s a phallic symbol) and idolatrous - the many-coloured ribbons representing the sacrificial bonfire that was lit to Blodeuwedd (Brigit) the Celtic goddess of spring.

Nowadays, dancing round the maypole tends to be the preserve of local Morris troupes. Yet I remember dancing round the maypole as a child at my local Church of England school. I suspect this was at a Whitsun Fair, the teachers being quite unaware of the covert imagery!

Life T M Hack

Want to cool down your body temperature? Run your writst under cold water for at least 5 minutes, it will cool you blood down.

Moulsham Infant School

What a busy month it has been!

Moulsham Infant School celebrated International Women’s Day with some very inspiring special guests. We spent the day learning about famous women from the past such as Florence Nightingale, Marie Curie and even The Spice Girls!

During the day, Reception had a visit from a female firefighter, Year 1 spent time with some police officers and Year 2 had a visit from Jo Waggerman, a talent and development manager.

As a school we were also delighted to welcome the Mayor, Yvonne Spence, who shared with us what her role involves and even dressed some of our school councillors as mini mayors! We had a fantastic day learning about lots of different women, and we even did a hunt around our own school learning about the jobs of all the women at Moulsham Infant School.

On World Book Day the children and staff looked fantastic dressed up as their favourite book character or ready for a bedtime story in pyjamas.

We celebrated the day with a book character hunt around our school and we voted for our favourite school story, the winner this year being Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. We also wrote our own Moulsham story with the help of all the children in every class.

Year 2 experienced a ‘Life in the Day of a Medieval Castle’ when History Off the Page visited our school and turned our hall into a castle. The children dressed up from the period, and during the morning we were working in the castle and had to make lots of different things ready for battle! We made pastry pies, soap balls, clay lamps, cures for illnesses, leather finger protectors, scent bags, woollen weaving and illuminated letters. During the afternoon we had a banquet! Some of us were servers, jousters, actors, singers, jesters and even archers. Then we had a feast with bread, cheese, apples, pears and ginger biscuits. It was a day that we will not forget!

Comic Relief saw the school turn red for the day!

Everyone dressed up in red and donated money for this good cause. In the afternoon we held three talent shows, one for each year group, and lots of brave children shared their amazing talents with their peers. We had singers, dancers, comedians, magicians and gymnasts.

Moulsham Junior School Supporting charities and helping others is something our staff and children at Moulsham Juniors are passionate about. This was certainly the case on Friday 15th March when all children and staff wore something red to raise funds for Comic Relief.

In the two weeks leading up to the big day, our Head Boy and Head Girl, Alf and Kiera, braved the elements and sold red noses every day after school. They sold 600 noses in just nine days!

Two of our Year 5 girls also took the initiative to hold a cake sale after school on Friday. They raised a fantastic total of £53.42 by selling

delicious homemade cakes.

In total, the school raised £1,289.05 adding to the amazing sum raised nationally for this fantastic charitable event which really does capture all of our hearts.

Well done to everyone who took part!

Mrs Marie Staley, Headteacher

18 www.moulshamtimes.com

Molly’s Thoughts: The ‘V’ Word Not to brag or anything, but I chose the plant life back in 2015, long before it became trendy. At this point, I too roll my eyes any time I hear the much overused term ‘vegan’. However, I have to say that the idea that all vegans are hippies that can hardly introduce themselves without accidentally announcing their veganism really isn’t reflective of reality at all. I am amongst many that will never bring up the fact that I happen to be ‘one of those’ unless necessary - ie, when ordering food, and will only get into discussions about what I choose to eat with those that ask. Some people ask questions that genuinely express an interest in wanting to learn more, whilst others just like an argument. Generally, most vegans are not the pushy preachers that they are often perceived to be and the lifestyle as a whole really isn’t as foreign as it can come across. Off the back of the many questions I’m asked, I thought I’d try to provide a bit of clarity on a few things...

Vegans Eat a Lot of What You Eat: Pasta, potatoes, rice, bourbon biscuits, Oreos, obviously all fruit and veg... There’s really no need to panic if you realise you’ve invited a vegan over for dinner. Usually adapting a meal is as simple as not adding meat to the plate, or using olive oil instead of butter. Vegans are not necessarily health freaks that only eat leafy greens, there are plenty of vegan comfort foods out there - recent game changers include the McDonald’s veggie wrap and the Greggs’ vegan sausage roll (which by the way tastes pretty much the same as a ‘normal’ sausage roll, highly recommended!).

In essence, all I’m really trying to say is that veganism honestly isn’t as foreign as it often seems. Eyes don’t need to be rolled when the ‘V’ word slips out. Honestly people, it’s 2019 for goodness sake - who are you if you’re not doing your bit for the planet? Whether that might be by being cutting out meat, recycling plastic, or by carefully monitoring your smart speaker to make sure it doesn’t come to life and takeover the world - we’ve all got to be doing something...

Vegans Definitely Do Get Enough Protein: Funnily enough, before going vegan no one ever concerned themselves with the nutrients I was or wasn’t consuming, but it’s now an extremely hot topic of conversation that frequently leads to me whipping out some surprising stats; eg, broccoli has more protein than steak (calorie for calorie) and that spinach is about level with chicken and fish. There are copious amounts of high protein veggies out there. Wondering where I’ll get my protein from is not something that keeps me up at night!

Veganism Is Not a Fad: Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are plenty of people out there that claim to be vegan for the benefit of animals, the environment etc, whilst actually seeing it as the latest trend to associate themselves with. But the reality is that the lifestyle is becoming increasingly common across the globe. According to a research study by Waitrose conducted late last year, one in five UK adults say they are following flexitarian diets or reducing the amount of meat they eat. So many people say ‘I’d love to be vegan, but it’s just so hard, I could never do it’.

With so many restaurant chains adapting their menus to be vegan friendly and an abundance of tasty, nutritious substitute products being brought to market, making the change really has never been more achievable. Not only that, but the more passionately we feel about a decision we’ve made, the more likely we are to stick to it.

There are plenty of people that are vegan to benefit the environment and/or to maintain a healthier diet; some have intolerances and others simply dislike the taste of a lot of animal products. Personally, I love animals and when I learned the ins and outs of how we get milk, eggs etc, I came to the conclusion that being vegetarian wasn’t enough to protect my guilty conscience (as Joey in Friends once said: all good deeds are selfish). www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia 19

more than a fifth (22%) claiming technology and social media has made them uncomfortable meeting others in real life.

One of the key findings in the report identifies the importance of groups and initiatives, such as organisations like Rotary and the projects it is involved in. Currently, only 16% get involved in groups or volunteering to help meet new people, whereas nearly one fifth (19%) said they would like to join a group but wouldn’t know how to or where to look.

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland’s State of the Nation Report Examines Social and Community Issues Facing Society Today

Throughout the past year, Rotary clubs have held a whole host of events, projects and initiatives to help combat loneliness and social isolation in local areas. These include: • • • •

Working with local colleges to support befriending services.

Facilitating dementia cafés.

Supporting young carers to have a break and meet people their own age.

Offering pick up services and putting on parties and events to get people out of the house.

Rotary is present within most towns and cities, supporting community cohesion and underpinning the fabric of society. Working alongside other community groups, Rotary is often the facilitator bringing support teams together.

But it is our millennial generations that need to be brought into Rotary to ensure the 113-year legacy is maintained and importantly evolves to ensure relevance in the 21st century and beyond.

With data analysis from our State of the Nation report showing that people have devised tactics to distract from feeling lonely, it was sadly revealed that 62% put the television on, while 27% have spoken to a pet. Results have also found women (49%) are more likely to feel lonelier than men, but more men experience loneliness at work.

Following the success of the first State of the Nation report in 2018, this year the report has looked at the impact that loneliness and social isolation is having on all generations.

Rotary’s survey found that nearly half of people (47%) in the UK and Ireland felt lonely, with a third (32%) feeling more alone than they did five years ago.

It appears that this epidemic is affecting the younger generation in particular with over one in ten (14%) in the 20-34 age group say they feel lonely all the time compared to just 3% of over 55s.

This is despite more than a fifth (22%) of retired people only having face-to-face interactions with just one other person or no one at all during a typical day. Loneliness and social isolation have a huge impact on our mental well-being, and the report found it had the following effect on individuals: 1.

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Low self-esteem (30%) Depression (27%) Anxiety (26%) Trouble sleeping (24%) Irregular eating (16%) Lack of appetite (12%) Headaches (11%) Brain fog, confusion or memory loss (10%) Stomach pains/digestive issues (8%)

Loneliness is affecting the younger generation in particular, with over one in ten in the 20-34 age group saying that they feel lonely all the time.

While social media has been a great tool for connecting people all over the world, it has done little to combat loneliness with a third of people saying it provides a ‘superficial’ connection with people and 20

Worryingly, more people are finding excuses to have face-to-face conversations with people on a daily basis and revealed they have done the following just to see someone during the day: • • • •

Gone to the doctor or GP. Ordered post to have a conversation with the postman.

Answered or engaged with a spam or cold caller.

Gone to the shops.

The question we want to raise is around how Rotary affects change within our communities to address the concerns that have been uncovered. Tackling loneliness and enhancing community spirit and cohesion is at the heart of what Rotary stands for.

Taking part in something meaningful, getting out of the house and meeting others, particularly in a family friendly environment gives a greater sense of intrinsic satisfaction, easing feelings of isolation and loneliness.

The global Rotary network is a great way to meet new people, make lasting friendships and have fun - and just in Chelmsford alone there are five Rotary clubs that meet at different times, so hopefully at least one would be convenient in which you could be involved.

This is particularly pertinent given the feedback from the young adults who responded as they will be able to develop skills, share personal and vocational experience and take up leadership roles all whilst making a difference to the local or international community. The great news is that in Chelmsford the established clubs are in the process of setting up a new, flexible club targeted at younger people, but not exclusively so. This is a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor of an exciting development in Rotary.

To find out further details of Rotary, whatever your age, visit www. rotary1240.org, or give me a call on 01245 260 349.

Stan Keller

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So much for helping visualise the size.

Hi everyone, welcome to my new column. It’s March already and the clocks have changed, so lighter evenings - and summer’s coming...

Do you watch any of the ads on TV and, like me, wonder whether they work or not? There are a few around at the moment that baffle me, not that it takes a lot to confuse me these days. One shows a woman on a station platform, dashing about and finally bumping into a man, who drops his paper. Now, he hasn’t realised that he has lost his daily read, and just about gets on his train as it pulls out. The next shot is one showing the woman walking through a carriage, dropping this chap’s newspaper into the lap of the man who was rushing to get the train. My point? If the bloke only just caught his train as it was about to pull from the station, how did the woman get on the train?

She was clearly left well behind him on the platform...

In another, the picture shows a large dog playing a guitar - and, would you believe it, a cat playing a mouth organ (or it could be a harmonica, not sure of the difference). Anyway, how can I believe what the advertiser is saying about their product when they expect me to believe that these animals can play musical instruments? I guess I could stretch the creditability of the ad and accept that they could be taught the playing skills, but surely they can’t expect me to believe that they can read music...

Sorry, but I am about the break my rules and mention the ‘B’ word. To add to all the worries about post-deal Britain, we are now being told that there will be shortage of pallets if we don’t get stuff sorted. Just when I thought it could not get any worse, I am now concerned that I will not be able to buy pallets, I might buy some now just in case. See, it’s getting worse and I worry more and more, why would I want to buy pallets? To make things even worse, I’m afraid that we might have to live with the word for a long time to come. I think it will be used more and more for describing a right mess: ‘you’ve made a right brexit of that...’ muttered when you have done something for ages with no positive result or just continually messed up!

Have you noticed that, regarding the size or weight of something, the newspapers feel the need to compare the item with other totally unrelated objects? I remember, when they opened the Shard in London it was the tallest building in the country, but instead of just saying that it is 310 metres high, they say it’s equivalent to 71 London buses. Now, hands up anyone who knows how high a London bus is. Even if I did, I would then have to calculate the height, so how does that help? And, why London buses, are they a different size? If the building had been in Liverpool, would it have to be measured in Liverpool buses? To complicate matters, if it were in Chelmsford it would be more buses high, because most of ours are single decked.

22

The high street stores are all blaming falling sales on the Internet, or sudden unseasonable hot or cold weather (like February this year) or the Beast from the East last year. Well, I have got another theory.

Customer service, or the lack of it. I went into a large department store in Chelmsford the other day visiting the shoe department as I was looking for some walking boots. On show are a good selection, well presented, and I spotted one that looked perfect for what I wanted. Taking the one that’s on the shelf, I try in on, great. On the shelf are lots of little notices telling me that there is 20% off. Even better.

Looking around there is not an assistant in sight. Then I see a very well dressed gentleman with an identification tag round his neck, walking amongst the men’s casual wear, and I approach him.

“Excuse me, can you help me with some shoes please?” - “I don’t work here...” is the reply. Thinking he worked in another department, I asked if he could tell me where I could find someone who did. “No, I don’t work in this store...”. What was he doing there then? I wander around the store, shoe in hand and spy someone who looks like an assistant. I’m a bit careful, because this person could be another decoy. No, they went off to find someone. Can I have these in a size 8 please? I will see if we have one in stock. “You should have, this one is an 8” I say. Off she goes. Returns with a box. That’s lucky, the one you had was a size 8, she said. Right, £69 quid less 20%, that’s about £55, not bad. That’s £69 please. I thought that there was 20% off. “That’s just trainers” is the reply.

Falling sales caused by the Internet? I don’t think so. I checked the little 20% off boards, and at the bottom it explains that it may not refer to all products. I could hardly read the writing and I got new glasses last week! That whole episode has wasted 20 minutes of my life. I didn’t buy them; I just walked away, muttering.

Do you ever wonder why certain temporary road signs are used for some things and not others? The other day I saw a sign, one of those fancy dotted lights to make up the words, the ones that normally say useful thing like ‘Wear Your Seat Belt’. Anyway, this one said ‘New Road Surface’. Why? Is it because we are so used to swerving round potholes that we might nod off if there aren’t any? It would be much more helpful to have a sign on roads warning us of the blooming great potholes!

Bin ends chuckles: My doctor said I should walk 5 miles a day. I started a week ago. I am writing this column just outside Colchester Castle...

Whoever said nothing is impossible has never tried to leave the EU with a good deal...

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Spot 10 Differences... (answers on page 24)

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23

Neighbourhood Watch Hi All, Your friendly neighbourhood Ayman here.

This month, I want to discuss an issue that’s had a far more reaching effect than I ever expected. Knife crime. In the last couple of months we’ve had two incidents.

teach at a Saturday school.

One late at night at the Esso Petrol Station on Princes Road (thankfully he’s doing ok). More recently, Oaklands Park and an 18-year old whom a few years ago I use to

He’s resting and now back home after being air-lifted to hospital.

As he was from college and being at the age, news spreads very fast and once the shock of what has happeened has sunk in, the questions begin, to try to understand why.

Our Neighbourhood Watch page was also full of shock, condolences and concerns, which at the time family had no idea about. Even now after a visit I don’t think they fully understand how many people know or the impact it’s had on the community around them.

The police suspect the issue is drug related and I personally don’t want people to be scared of actually going to Oakland Park - I plan to take my little ones next weekend. We should not let the criminals win and create no-go areas on our roads and in our parks. This is what Neighbourhood Watch is all about; creating community spirit and a better neighbourhood.

The best way to reduce street violence and the use of knives is to stop young people from carrying them in the first place. This will only happen through education. Young people need to be better informed about the dangers and the consequences of carrying knives. Too many young people still believe that carrying a knife will help them defend themselves, or that if you stab someone in a certain place on their body, that it won’t cause serious injury.

All young people should be encouraged to have this conversation EVEN IF YOU DON’T THINK IT IS RELEVANT TO YOUR CHILD OR THE YOUNG PERSON THAT YOU KNOW. It is relevant to ALL young people.

Getting started: • Find the right uninterrupted time and relaxed place - let them know you are not there to judge them.

• Listen.

• Don’t expect or demand that they talk. If they do, be patient and try not to react badly to what they tell you. Let them have the voice in this conversation.

• Encourage them to share their fears and, where appropriate, share your own fears - tell them how much you worry about their safety and their future.

• Be positive.

• Reassure them that the vast majority of young people don’t carry knives. If they are scared of someone or something, tell them it can be dealt with without the need for them to carry a knife.

Stick to the facts: • Prepare well and know your facts. You will gain credibility in their eyes if you sound knowledgeable and clued-up.

• Be clear about false ‘bravery’. Emphasise that if someone pulls a knife on them, the safest, wisest and bravest thing to do is to run. I personally have trained in knife defence, but in no way in hell would I stand toe to toe with someone who has one. Why would I? If you can move away, move away it is safer. You can dream about disarming them later!

•

•

• •

The impact if they were to be stabbed: Who else would be affected by that? Help them to think through what would happen and the impact on others, such as their siblings, parents and friends.

Make it relevant. Refer to recent news stories or local events.

Also, try to make yourself relevant to the conversation, as it’s likely the young person will think you are old and out-of-touch and have no idea about the challenges they face. Are there examples you can draw on from your own past?

Suggest alternatives. Find fun, safe activities for young people to do in the area.

If they are already involved in knife crime and you learn some worrying things about the young person, try not to react badly.

You could end up pushing them away. Use the conversation to help them understand the risks and consequences - they could go to prison for life, or end up dead themselves.

KNIFE CRIME - THE FACTS • It is a criminal offence to possess in a public place any item that has a blade, including scissors and craft knives.

• It is illegal for anyone under 18 to buy a knife of any sort.

• It is not legal to carry a knife for self-defence.

• If you are caught by police carrying a knife, even if it was for your protection or you were carrying it for someone else, you will be arrested and prosecuted.

• If you use a knife, even in self-defence, you could be charged with assault with intent, or even worse.

• You can go to prison even if you didn’t use the knife.

• Police can stop and search anyone they believe is carrying a knife.

• If you carry a knife there is a much higher chance that you will get stabbed yourself compared to if you don’t carry one.

• If someone is injured or killed by a knife in your presence, you could be prosecuted even if you didn’t touch the knife. You could even go to prison for murder in what is called ‘joint enterprise’.

• There is no ‘safe place’ to stab someone. A wound in the arm or leg can still kill someone, and if a knife punctures an artery you can bleed to death within five minutes.

Stay safe, be vigilant Ayman Syed Moulsham and Central Neighbourhood Watch

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The Evolution of British Rock ’n’ Roll. Part 8 - by John Power

Not all the discoveries of ‘57 were due to talent. Many crept in as girl fan attraction and had their careers manipulated by management on what they hoped would yield good cash rewards. Such a case, when any artists could get signed, was Larry Page. He was a Welsh lad who had wound up packing albums and singles at the EMI warehouse.

While there, he entered for a TV Times talent contest called Find a Singer. He did a test at Abbey Road Studios and was signed by EMI’s Norman Newall.

When Newall found that he worked for the firm he began to treat him like a piece of merchandise to be manipulated to front a bunch of assembled old jazzer session men for the single Start Movin’ and then a cover of The Crickets Featuring Buddy Holly’s That’ll Be The Day - the result was so short of the original that it sunk without trace.

Yet he still went down fairly well with audiences on a variety tour with a covers of other rock songs. One of many stories of mediocre talent not being encouraged to shine but rather stifled by inept management. His backing group, The Page Boys, did uncover one member who was to go on to greater things. That was Jet Harrris, who was one of the original members of Cliff Richard’s Shadows when they were still called The Drifters. Then he managed a couple of top 10 hits with the Shadows’ drummer Tony Mehan when he pioneered the electric six string bass guitar on two instrumentals called Diamonds and Scarlet O’Hara. Jet was not impressed with Larry, or being a Page Boy, so with guitarist Ian McLean soon left and joined the latest version of Tony Crombie and his Rockets as they headed for a package tour with Wee Willie Harris, Colin Hicks and the Cabin Boys and the Most Brothers, while Page reformed with a group and called them The Front Page Men. One other face that emerged from Six-Five Special in ‘57 after having been the compere for The Viper’s ‘never ending’ skiffle talent contest tour was Jim Dale, who followed Pete Murray and Freddie Mills as anchor men on the Six-Five show, and of course went on to play several parts in various Carry On films. He even received an MBE in 2003 in the Queen’s birthday honours for his acting skills.

Ghosts of variety continued to haunt the BBC, who claimed to be representing British talent but instead managed to quash the amazingly electrifying American music that they copied in slushy ‘Workers’ Playtime’ style if they even featured it at all, leaving listeners craving the original sounds. A short trend for calypso was a sop to attract skiffle fans that fooled nobody. So the age gap grew as youngsters had to make their own sounds or try to hear the real thing through the fluctuating signals they struggled to pick up from Radio Luxembourg. It would take ten years and three more revolutions of Merseybeat, R&B, and psychedelia before the levee broke.

Ironically, although New Orleans jazz had been the parent of skiffle, it was also to outlast it in popularity in England as electric guitars and amplification became more common and began to dominate the development of rock. According to Wally Whyton, who had been in the forefront of skiffle in its prime, by March ‘58 it was all over. So The Vipers took time out to work out what to do next. Other established groups took to opening coffee bars with juke boxes or other related fields on the scene, or went electric. Only Lonnie Donegan was left as a visible reminder of skiffle and kept the songs coming, though not necessary the American themed ones that had got him started.

Among his admirers that had followed in his footsteps were the Saints Skiffle Group from Norwich who had found their way to London to find that things were past their heyday, so split up and went home.

Or in the case of guitarists Kenny Packwood and Tony Sheridan, hung around in London to see what would happen next. The name Tony’s parents had given him when he was born in 1940 was Terence Edmond Sheridan McGinnity. He’d had a traditional musical background of orchestra, choir and even operettas. Seeing Lonnie in Norwich gave him the impetus for change.

Stuck then in London, Tony infiltrated the The 2i’s Coffee Bar and heard Roy Young screaming out Little Richard songs - which were a long way from skiffle, so he bought himself an electric guitar and jammed with the post-Adam Faith, Worried Men. Kenny Packwood on the other hand was offered a job replacing one of Marty Wilde’s Wild Cats. Eventually Tony got to play guitar with Vince Eager (original name Roy Taylor)’s backing band. Later on, in their Hamburg era, Tony was to be backed on record by the Silver Beatles as they were then known. Vince Eager had been born in Grantham in 1940, had had some early musical experience in a church choir, then learned a few chords on a banjo as entry into a skiffle group after seeing Lonnie in Nottingham. They became The Vagabonds, as he changed to guitar, with Brian Locking (who was a later member of The Shadows) on tea chest bass, while John Holt thrashed away at the washboard.

They entered a talent contest where the final places were announced on BBC’s Come Dancing and came second. That gave them enough recognition to do an hour’s slot at the The 2i’s leading to a residency earning only £20 a week between them, which meant some pretty slummy digs, but Paul Lincoln put them in touch with a Decca producer in April ‘58. Larry Parnes got to hear of them and offered them a gig backing Marty Wilde in Coventry, then after the gig, offered to manage them with the suggestion of the name change from Taylor to Eager. Parnes put them on wages enough to let them move into a flat shared with Tony Sheridan, while Vince got a room at Larry’s flat, where many young men - not all musicians - came and went...

Vince’s first single with Decca caused a squabble with Parnes as he didn’t like it, so he filled the gap for him and The Vagabonds with a residency at a swanky Bond Street club called Churchills. When a four track EP did come out, including a track called Lend Me Your Comb, it had suffered the usual uncomprehending production of non-rock-schooled production - and flopped.

Parnes decided then to start his own record label for them, with (a then still learning) Ron Grainer, but its results went the same way leading to the band reshuffling, with the added factor of the band’s dislike of Parnes’ (alleged) gay advances.

In came Tex Makins on bass and Tony Mehan, the future Shadow, on drums from The Worried Men, which by then included sax and piano in the line-up. Finally, in the recording stakes, George Martin took care of them on Parlaphone, after a SixFive Special appearance and provincial tour.

Colin Hicks first provincial tour started off with a cold wet tour of Scotland, but things looked brighter as Parnes sent him and his Cabin Boys off to Italy for a tour of seven major cities with The Platters and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. The Platters had just had a number 1 hit in the States with Twilight Time. It was the Italians’ first taste of rock ‘n’ roll, so the boys put on some wild shows for them that released 2,000 years of repression.

So Colin was a superstar in Italy, but when he returned to England

he found that Parnes had decided to drop him from his stable, as his songs weren’t selling here even after a couple of years exposure, mostly due to inept A&R men. Being Tommy Steele’s brother was no saving grace.

That wasn’t the only split in the wind either: John Kennedy, who had done much of the hard work to get Parnes established had had enough of him and decided to feather his own nest instead. So at that point the Parnes stable stood at just Tommy Steele, Marty Wilde and Vince Eager.

Tommy himself saw a year of changes 1958 too. A South African tour saw him harassed by upholders of apartheid for playing to mixed black and white audiences, and a host of Dundee girl fans mobbed him so badly in May that he was out of action for six weeks recuperating. So he parted company with The Steelmen who had backed him for two years and took to being a radio DJ for a few weeks when the BBC decided to fight Radio Luxembourg’s gains over musical listeners.

Once the Beeb controllers realised they could employ Pete Murray for less than half what Parnes was asking for Tommy, it was time to think again. Acting was certainly less trouble than touring and after The Tommy Steele Story he’d been cast in a double role as a member of the aristocracy and his rockin’ lookalike in The Duke Wore Jeans.

He’d featured in the film adaption of the Six-Five Special too and had performed in panto the previous Christmas.

His fiancé, under an alias, joined with the cast of Expresso Bongo on the West End stage to tell the story of a coffee bar kid who made it big. A role played a year later in the film of the same name by Cliff Richard - it’s not one that gets repeated on TV very often as St Cliff’s rise to glory takes place in a strip club. In May, John Kennedy had his bio of Tommy published, and in September Tommy’s face appeared in wax on a model in Madam Tussauds. The first rock star ever.

07936 198651

MT Charity of the Month - InterAct Improving lives & communities through learning, leisure, sharing and support.

Our overall aim is to inform, support and empower people to increase their independence, choice and control, realise their aspirations and play a full part in society. InterAct offers a broad range of activities and opportunities in Chelmsford and local communities across Essex which include: • • • • •

Activities for young people with autism, learning disabilities and special needs.

Befriending and peer support.

Training and workshops to improve personal, emotional, mental health and well-being.

Volunteering opportunities to provide valuable skills and experiences to a wide range of people.

Increasing awareness and reducing stigma associated with disability.

What We Do Group activities provide fun, friendship and diverse activities for teenagers aged 10-18 with disabilities and additional needs, helping to develop their social and independent living skills. Activities are held regularly during daytime, evenings, weekends and school holidays throughout the year.

Circles of Support A fantastic programme that creates opportunities for young people with learning disabilities aged 13-18, supported by volunteers to make their transition from childhood to teenage years, and move towards adulthood and independence.

Mentoring Providing 1-2-1 support by trained mentors to young people who need the guidance of someone with experience and life skills to help www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

them through difficult times or issues.

Volunteers Local people from all walks of life get involved, giving their time and skills in all areas of our work, from those who volunteer regularly at activity sessions, administration, gardening and mentoring, or help out on a less regular basis to promote or fundraise for InterAct. Volunteers allow us to extend our reach to more people across Essex.

Mental Health First Aid Training Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training is an interactive and practical training course to help you spot the early signs of a mental health problem. It will equip you with tools and techniques to help you, your friends, family and colleagues.

Aspire Centre and Garden A listed building and tranquil area to be enjoyed by as many people possible. It provides opportunities for volunteers to join the Garden Club, a versatile space to meet for individuals or groups and a place for the young people we support to relax and catch up with friends at an evening weekly youth club. Available for hire.

Volunteering in the garden can involve a wide range of jobs. There’s something to suit all interests and abilities such as: planting, weeding, digging, mowing the lawn or simply feeding the birds, sharing your knowledge and making the tea.

To join in or find out more contact us on 01245 608 206, or email us at youngpeopleteam@interact.org.uk.

InterAct, Moulsham Mill, Parkway, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 7PX www.interact.org.uk Facebook: InterAct Essex Twitter: @interactessex

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27

All About Moulsham Lodge

Moulsham Lodge Community Trust

We’ve just had our much anticipated Wildlife Day and it was a resounding success. A constant flow of young and old came to learn about the wildlife and our environment - with a badger and hedgehog joining us too! Many local groups came along to explain the work they do and how we can all make a difference. There were interactive stalls for the children, with many going home with things to plant in the garden, and some planning a bug hotel now they have the insider knowledge on how to set one up.

We were joined by Mayor Yvonne Spence and her consort John Spence (see pic). They came along with their grandchildren and we are told they all enjoyed the event. The Mayor had one official duty on the day and that was to officially recognise the installation of our defibrillator. A lot of hard work from many local groups helped raise the funds needed, and we hope the community can feel that little bit safer in having the defibrillator close at hand, but naturally, we hope no-one needs to use it. An official thank-you party is going to be held for all involved in raising money.

Next in the calendar is our murder mystery evening on 18th May 2019 For tickets, email enquiries@mlct.org.uk, or purchase online at www. mlct.org.uk (see the poster on the right).

New City Voices are organising a quiz night on 8th June 2019 and we

have a summer concert at St Lukes Church on 6th July.

Please put the dates in your diaries. Details of how to get tickets for both these events will be in the next issue.

We are still working towards the internal alterations to the community station and hope to confirm the builders we have engaged and a start date for the work in the next issue.

Dates for your diary: 18th May 2019 - Murder Mystery Evening 8th June 2019 - New City Voices Quiz Night 6th July 2019 - New City Voices Summer Concert 20th July 2019 - Mad Hatter’s Tea Party enquiries@mlct.org.uk 07411 808 731 www.mlct.org.uk Twitter: @MLCTStation (also search for us on Facebook)

Cllr Mark Springett - Moulsham Lodge Ward Many people have noticed a change in my normally chirpy self, but in typically British fashion few have been brave enough to ask whether things are ok. We often ask our friends and colleagues ‘alright mate?’, but this is just a normal everyday greeting accompanied by an equally normal response and never really delves into our real wellbeing. I do have a demanding full time job and I do have other responsibilities outside of this, including being a councillor. Sometimes it becomes overwhelming with everyone wanting a piece of your time or wanting you to make decisions and it is often difficult to take time out for yourself, something I’ve tried to do at least once a week.

The need to look after our mental well-being as well as our physical well-being has been the subject of many recent initiatives, but unfortunately while it is starting to get recognised, we are poorly prepared and poorly funded to meet the demand of so many people.

With 1 in 4 people suffering mental health issues at some point in their lives, it is actually a big problem.

So I asked myself recently, when does what everyone calls ‘stress’ become a mental health problem and where do you go for help, the overstretched doctor, family, Google? It’s difficult to know where to start, and that’s when it can fester and get worse. One thing I can say from experience is that a problem shared can feel like a problem halved. Just offloading on someone who’s prepared to listen can help 28

immensely. One thing’s for sure; we need to make it easier for people to get the help they need. My next bit of research will be to find out where and what the help available is, and if anyone wants to share with me their experiences of this, then I’d be interested in what’s helped and what hasn’t. Thanks.

Social media has been rife with updates on crime in and around the Moulsham and Moulsham Lodge area. In particular shed burglaries, and although there have been 3 arrests recently, another spate of burglaries have happened in the last few days. You may have noticed that some new Facebook groups have being created and lots of information is being shared about suspicious behaviour. What is needed are Neighbourhood Watch street coordinators who can collect information and pass it onto the police as well as feedback updates from the police themselves. If you feel you can take on the role as a co-ordinator, please get in touch with our local NBW scheme through this website: www.chelmsfordneighbourhoodwatch.org.uk.

Please don’t stop reporting crime or suspected crime to the police through the 101 telephone number or online at report.police.uk. If you are not online, ask a neighbour or friend to do it for you, or you can always phone me.

All the best, Mark mark.springett@chelmsford.gov.uk 07411 808 731 Search for me on Twitter and Facebook Blog: www.markspringett.com/blog

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Tile Kiln Corner - by Linda Mascot Each year parents and volunteers make a huge contribution to school life, whether reading to the children, bringing their skills into school or raising much needed funds for extra equipment and activities to enrich pupils’ education. The Friends of Mildmay School work tirelessly all year round to raise money for Mildmay Junior School by putting on events including an annual Summer Fête and Inflatable Day. Last year, this dedicated group of volunteers raised over £10,000.

our children.”

Karen is stepping down as Chair in September, with Rebecca Carter taking over. I’d like to thank Karen for her dedication and wish Rebecca all the best in her new role.

If you have some spare time and are able to help or would like more information, please contact Karen at friendsofmildmay@outlook.com or ring 07720 620 299.

Friends of Mildmay Junior School is a Registered Charity 1128324 mascotlinda@gmail.com Twitter: @lindamascot

Mildmay Inner Wheel Mildmay Inner Wheel, together with Hotfooted Shoes, will be holding their next shoe sale at the Keene Hall Galleywood on Saturday 11th May 2019 from 10am - 12noon.

On sale will be a superb selection of new branded sandals, shoes and handbags, as well as our usual offering of fresh homemade cakes with fresh tea/coffee.

There will be a chance to purchase ladies clothing, crafted jewellery and greetings cards. Please do come along and help us raise funds for the local charity CHESS.

Karen Aslett has been Chair of the Friends of Mildmay for the past four years and explained: “We usually raise £8,000 a year through various fundraising events, but 2018 was a bumper year and we raised over £10,000. We have bought numerous items for the school which they would not have been able to purchase within the normal school budget. In the past four years these have included new iPads, digital cameras, SEN equipment, sports bibs, new books for the library, Christmas pantos, lunchbox trolleys, new sound system for the hall, new dictionaries, thesaurus’ for the classrooms, new projector and screen for the hall, part-funded new daily mile track and new fencing on the playground to generate a quiet area and outdoor space for studies. We are also planning to put a substantial play area on the school field and pay for the Christmas panto this year as well.

“The school lottery is our latest fundraising initiative, it is run by www. yourschoollottery.co.uk (register, then search ‘Mildmay’), it costs £1 a week and 40p of this is paid to the school. There is a chance to win a weekly cash prize for someone within our lottery and a chance to also win £25,000 weekly in the national draw. It is an easy way to support our school with no admin for us!

“Upcoming events,are our Summer Fête on 15th June 11am–2pm which will be 50p for adults with children getting in free. We will have various activities and stalls, bar, BBQ and a mobile petting zoo.

All are welcome. We also have our Inflatable Day on Friday 19th July 4.30pm–7pm. Wristbands cost £5 for unlimited bouncing.

“I am extremely lucky to have such supportive parents who work tirelessly to help me run these events and hope we can continue to make a positive impact to help improve the facilities at Mildmay Junior School.”

Carrie Futter, Chair of Governors at Mildmay Junior School, enthused: “The funds raised by The Friends of Mildmay make a huge difference to the school and we’re all very grateful for their efforts to support www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

Love Your Enemies

As I write, there are two shocking events that we are trying in vain to understand. The first is the murder of at least 50 people in New Zealand, with the murderer arrested, and links with extremist far-right groups being explored.

The second is the murder of three people in Utrecht. Police are still hunting for the perpetrator, but evidence has been found linking him to extremist jihadist groups.

It can feel as if polar opposite extremists are vying to commit the most outrageous atrocities, with the majority of the world sitting in the middle, feeling helpless.

But there’s a third issue that we can’t escape, and it’s making extremists of us all: Brexit. The seeds of extremism are planted when previously friendly neighbours or colleagues are set against one another on the issue. The language we use to discuss Brexit is especially telling - language of bitterness, hate, and anger. Through this kind of language we begin to see those with different opinions as less human than we are. And this is the first step on our way to the kind of extremism we have already seen so tragically displayed.

There is another way. Jesus taught that we should love our enemies.

It wasn’t a fanciful idea for him - he acted on it to the point of death.

We can only do that if we first recognise that, as Christians believe, every human being is created in the image of God and is loved by God. To love enemies doesn’t mean agreeing with everything they do or think or say - but it does mean we treat them as humans.

Each of us face this challenge and responsibility in our increasingly polarised world. Will you step up?

29

The Aussie Road Less Travelled - by Simon Inglis Off the motorways, the A roads, B roads and sometimes C roads lead to the little towns in Australia that are so often mentioned in an idealised, almost romantic nuance.

As a large part of my job involves visiting these small communities, it’s lately those towns, villages and the people who live there that play on my mind when so-called national debates or global events dominate the mainstream media. As Australia heads into an election year, I’m often left wondering what some of the people I’ve met would think.

Regarding the hot topic of recycling I’ve few doubts - especially when it comes to cars. Like the farmer who had a garden of rusty Jaguars from the 1980s, these now unregistrable cars have become farm track hacks. Yards of countless Fords, a BMW 635i rotting in a garden, the chap with a collection of Peugeot 406s to W124 Mercedes, a pile of old Saabs in another place... in fact, this rural addiction to car collecting has begun to make me morph into a hopeful barn-finder! While doing my job I often cruise streets or dusty tracks slowly, in the hope I’ll spot something incredibly rare. At the very least almost every week brings something interesting to my attention!

One of the great unasked questions from Australia to the USA, Britain to the Ukraine or anywhere frankly, is how do these once desirable beauties find their way from a shiny showroom, supposedly down the pecking order of desirability only to be parked and half forgotten in a back garden? The rotting 635i was once worth enough to be brought all the way to Australia from the UK, yet for some reason, now lost in time, it didn’t even get as far as a roadworthiness test or a government permit centre. No one had even taken the number plates off which is telling of quite a story...

imagine what a disposed luxury car means...

These communities are fascinating places. In Australia we know much about the major cities, the so-called secondary cities such as Hobart and Adelaide, and in what appears to be the tail end of an elongated property boom we now hear far more of the satellite cities and towns. While cheaper housing and transport access are paramount anywhere, it’s the sleepy towns of barely a couple of hundred people that currently interest me - and my employer!

These are not dead-end places, the Internet and mobile phone connections shorten the connections to population centres while satellite television and live Melbourne news for example can serve to keep anyone who wants up-to-date. Housing quality can be extremely interesting and solid, as opposed to flaky twenty-five year life-cycle apartment blocks, and Australia has its large share of sea and tree changers!

About a third of Aussies live this way, and many not so much by choice. While making a lifestyle change or being priced out of the capitals and major towns is the new reality, as in Blighty, for many young people, there is still a base of the population who have simply always lived this way. I don’t mean farmers or health care workers, rather that sadly fading population of true small town folk.

I’ve met many in the past twelve months or so. These are not ‘deplorables’ as poorly termed during the last US election. More often they are friendly no-nonsense people with values that I think will outlive the fashions or trends of Australian inner city people with other agendas.

I love old cars. Sure, in most there’s little monetary value and as we race head first into a brave new world of automation the car itself is quickly becoming nothing more than another disposable consumer good. In addition to the more interesting finds, I’ve seen cars with touch screens left out in crushing yards - and why not? For over a decade touch screens have been a big part of our lives, yet it is still somewhat odd to me I’ll admit to seeing these once expensive optional extras just wasting away while awaiting recycling - or in the cases of many small towns I’m visiting, to find a new life under a gum tree for a couple of decades! I have no real idea why people in rural areas collect more cars. It obviously has something to do with having the space, yet I’m often met with a reply that something broke and the car was just parked. I suppose that’s completely honest in our high cost of labour and throwaway society.

As for many locals, the waste itself is often seen as appalling.

Regarding a farm track Sovereign, the question was met with “what a joke! I can’t afford to fix it up and register it but it’s too good! If something breaks I can get a part off another I got in my yard, if it’s catastrophic I’ll just take the battery and tyres and get another one going!” Very often children learn to drive in these cars, as I did myself in a long gone Series 1 Land Rover on a rural property.

It’s no surprise to anyone that in society we are more wasteful these days. Yet off the beaten track it’s a bit less understood. For generations who recall the darning of socks I can only begin to

The politics stops here, I promise! I do love these towns for the beautiful architecture, the colourful characters, the concern for family. I also love what people drive. If a 1985 W124 Mercedes will still crank on its old pistons it’ll be driven to check the fences then parked under a tree, often with the window open and the key left in.

Why? Because who will steal it? Maybe the kids for a ride about, but that’s mostly okay.

I love the common sense approach to life. The ‘if it’s not broke why fix it?’ attitude. And I’m intrigued by what I may find in a one-pub town.

As Australians travel overseas more and more, there’s such a large part of home that is unexplored. It’s the Australia of the true road trip and while it will survive in some form, I wish someone would do a new film about it.

The Un-American Road Trip? That’s not an intended insult towards our American cousins, but rather something I get to see most weeks.

Now, for that barn-find..!

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February 1931 You have run aground on a very high tide 50 Undertaker Golf Morning Cloud In the sea, (seaweed) He was always brewin’ Sheds Transport, (boat) Gloucestershire Michael Bolotin Reused wool Tall female warriors Holding Holy Water A strong north wind Yes, it is Chinese fruit Cornwall 1994 February 1952 Very attractive Very high and low range of her voice Hoare Belisha 10p worth of fresh meat and 2p worth of corned beef A record £14,805 for 2 year old Brenna, sold to US

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Wallace Carothers, in 1935 at Dupont, US Norfolk Francis Crick (GB) and James Watson (US) at Cambridge University, 1953 Marcel Hercules Tranquility Strawberry Lemur Pork Michael Elphick Composure Trent Sauté 89 years Utah

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