Moulsham Times - April 2024

MoulshamTimes

MT Welcome

Hi readers,

Welcome to the April edition of Moulsham Times

We all hope that you have/had a good Easter weekend!

With the weather improving, do make sure to lock your sheds and other outbuildings, as we have seen recent reports of break-ins in the Old Moulsham area.

If you would like to advertise in this magazine, please contact us for prices and also for distribution details. We can then send over all the information you will need.

Regards

Paul

Advertising & Editorial

Paul

Mclean

01245 262082/07595 949701 paul@moulshamtimes.com

Disclaimer: It’s Your Magazines 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 Magazines Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the prior written permission of It’s Your Magazines Ltd. Reg Co No. 12080535. Printed by Warners (Midlands) PLC.

Chelmsford - By Vicky Ford MP

World Book Day was a good time to celebrate that our children are now the best readers in the western world - and I have been enjoying visits to local schools and hearing children speak about their aspirations.

The budget measures to expand the eligibility of child allowance will help many Chelmsford families.

The budget also included a big boost for early years childcare - this will help with the roll out of additional free childcare, worth up to £6,000 per child for families with young children.

Many Chelmsford residents also told me they would like a reduction in National Insurance so that they keep more of what they earn. Doctors and NHS staff at Broomfield have also explained that electronic patient records would help them to support patients better - and locally, small business asked to raise the VAT threshold as this helps small businesses to grow. I was delighted that these measures were also in the budget. These changes were all possible thanks to an improved economic situation where inflation has dropped considerably and forecasts for inflation, growth and debt have all

become much more positive.

As a mum, I always wanted my children to have a wide range of choices about what they could do when they get older. Achieving good GCSE results is crucial - without these, choices aged 16 become much more limited. I have been very concerned about how even a small drop in school attendance can impact on results, and I recently met with head teachers from all of Chelmsford’s secondary schools to discuss this with them and will be writing an open letter to Chelmsford parents to share what I have been told. I am also leading a new law in Parliament which will ensure that local authorities have to support schools and remove barriers to school attendance such as transport, mental health and SEND access.

New laws are also now being implemented which will help to make sure social media companies do more to keep children safe and to prevent children accessing online porn. Along with the major children’s charities and the Children’s Commissioner, I am pressing for further steps to improve online safety.

I continue to work on improving infrastructure and visited the Beaulieu Station site where work is continuing at pace. It’s firmly on track to open next year and will reduce congestion in central Chelmsford. The County Council has also gone out to tender to secure contractors for the first phase of the new North-East Bypass.

Finally, a thank you to everyone who has taken part in the consultation on the new Army and Navy junction.

Beach School Explorers, Mental Health Swims and International Women’s Day!

I spent International Women’s Day 2024 with my swimming tribe doing what I love; wild swimming in Heybridge.

The children often ask me about my outdoor swimming and we decided to do some research on International Women’s Day. We discovered that it’s no new thing, this ‘wild swimming’!

Back in Georgian times, women had official jobs of ‘dippers’! The dipper became a famous character at the seaside as it was the dipper’s job to administer the salt water cure. Few Georgians knew how to swim, so the dipper would cajole her client out of the bathing machine and plunge them into the sea, often against their wishes.

As the bather’s heart raced, the bather’s survival instinct kicked in and the dipper would release their grip. Fanny Burney wrote about her first experience of this health boost in Teignmouth, Devon in August 1773, when she wrote in her diary: ‘I had not breathed enough to speak for a minute or two, the shock was beyond expression great’. After her dip and back in her bathing machine, she wrote that ‘she felt a glow that was delightful - it is the finest feeling in the world..!’

Mental Health Swims is an award-winning, mental health peer support community who host free, safe and inclusive swim meet ups nationwide. We host Mental Health Swim in Heybridge and welcome anyone along to our swim meet ups. Participants can swim, dip, paddle or toe-dip and can do what they are most comfortable with.

We are firmly focused on dips, not distance and community, and not competition. You don’t need any previous experience, just enthusiasm and a willingness to get in cold water.

Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions by emailing @MHS_Heybridge @MentalHealthSwims, or search ‘Heybridge Basin Bobbers’ on Facebook.

Vicky at Westlands Primary on World Book Day

Regal Kitchens: Where Client Is King

Kitchen Installation in Mundon, Essex - Mr and Mrs T

Mr and Mrs T had lived in their property for around 2 years. They had quite a modern kitchen which they inherited from the previous owners, but the current layout or amount of storage available didn’t work for them or their family.

They did look at other local kitchen companies, but Mr T’s parents had employed Regal a few years previously and were delighted with their new kitchen, so it seemed right to visit Regal’s Chelmsford showroom.

The entire downstairs of the house is open-plan and therefore the new kitchen needed to be functional as well as beautiful. They saw the kitchen area as ‘the hub of the home’ so it was important that we achieved the right layout that would work for the whole family, as well as installing products that were on their wish list.

As soon as they saw the display of bespoke, in-frame furniture, they knew it was the kitchen for them, so they invited our designer out to visit their home.

It was important to the clients to get the right appliances and as the flooring wasn’t being altered, the design had to accommodate this.

The appliance wish list for their new kitchen comprised of coffee machine, oven, dishwasher, hob, extractor, fridge, freezer, washing machine and tumble dryer, as well as other accessories like a water softener, kettle tap and pull-out bins.

The clients decided on all of the above, and additionally a microwave oven combi was installed. To not make any changes to the ceiling or the island, a new NEFF venting hob was chosen to be installed, meaning their guests can feel involved whilst they are being entertained with no downdraft extractor restricting views and use of

the island.

The beautiful in-frame look and stunning Cambria quartz was continued through to the utility room, where their laundry appliances were housed.

Hello all. Hope you are well. It’s the end of March and getting lighter every dayso, all together now... ‘five o’clock and it’s still light!’.

The weather has been a bit wet lately. It makes it difficult to deliver a dry Moulsham Times I must say. I had to buy a new waterproof after realising that my shirt was getting wet more than once.

Are you watching The Jury on TV? You probably know that it is based on a real life trial and most of the footage is filmed in the Shire Hall in Chelmsford. When the camera pans out on the outside shots, the hall and its surroundings look great. The actual jury setting looks good too. This follows some of the content of meetings in the TV series Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which was shot inside the hall. A good advert for Chelmsford, that’s for sure. Just a comment on the whole situation with the Post Office: It seems, in reality, this has been going on for years and I think the treatment of these people is outrageous. I hope this mess gets sorted as soon as possible. They have suffered enough!

For a number of years, I worked for a pharmaceutical company in Dagenham. Sadly, it was closed some years ago, but has now been regenerated and is the home of many businesses. They have also kept some of the manufacturing equipment and office space, which can be hired for filming, so these facilities have been used in a number of TV programmes and films. It seems weird to see a meeting room in a detective drama and realise that I had made countless presentations, and attended many meetings in them. They are also building a film studio on the site. Although it is sad to see the production facility go, it is good to see that the site in prospering.

The new road between the Boreham interchange and the A131 is great. I used it for the first time recently and found it very helpful. I reckon it took at least 10 minutes off my journey time. I did get a bit confused, joining it from the A12, but that is a reflection of me rather than the layout!

There has been a lot of reports in the media recently on the subject of AI - Artificial Intelligence. Apparently AI is ‘the science of making machines that can think like humans’. It can do things that are considered ‘smart’. Now, I know I’m getting on a bit, but I am a bit suspicious about all this. I am all for progress and I am often amazed by the technology that is available. The process involves ‘deep learning’ (no, me neither). Apparently, this is used already in agriculture to predict crop yields, for example. Also with insurance, where it’s used to figure out damage to cars after an accident and predict the cost. I wonder it if is programmed to say when it’s finished the assessment? Well (sharp intake of breath), this looks like an expensive job. It only looks superficial to the human eye, as smart AI can see that it will need a complete respray. I think the closest I get to AI is on my phone using WhatsApp - yes I can do it... badly. I start entering my message and if I’m not careful it can become total nonsense through predictive text. I must say that I really don’t need AI to produce a totally wrong text message. I can do that perfectly well on my own, thank you.

I think AI is used more and more in cars already. I know it was likely to be an isolated incident, but it was reported recently that the occupant of a luxury car could not stop his car from speeding. I presume that technology had taken control. The car was a high performance model, capable of high speeds, and it was accelerating on a motorway. He was able to call the police, who were able to surround the car until his electric car needed charging and therefore stopped. In this case, I think it was thankful that the actual range of the battery was probably much lower than claimed, otherwise he would have been going for much longer!

We are off to Portugal in a few days and we have just discovered that in order to get our online boarding pass, we have to go through a

process to prove we are who we said that we are. OK, what does this entail? Well, first of all we need to have a smart phone (tick) so that we can upload photos of our passport and signature. Then we need to download a facial recognition thingy so that they can check that ‘we are who we are’. Now, how do we do this? I looked and looked at details and - as expected - was none the wiser. I know a lot of people will find all this easy, but with my technology record, I could end up photographing the dining room wall or ceiling at the very least. Solution? Phone one of the family to help! Lets hope I can report of a great holiday in the next issue of the magazine rather than a long day at Stansted!

Stay safe and look after each other.

Bin End

Chuckles:

A good rule to remember in life is that when it comes to plastic surgery and sushi - never be attracted by a bargain...

Crime in multi storey car parks... That’s wrong on so many levels... (Thanks Tim).

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MT Gardening

A well-maintained lawn enhances the curb appeal of your home, contributing to its overall value and making it more inviting to guests and passersby. Additionally, a healthy lawn provides a safe and enjoyable outdoor space for recreational activities, family gatherings and relaxation. From improving air quality and reducing soil erosion to acting as a natural cooling agent and habitat for beneficial insects and wildlife, lawns play a crucial role in promoting environmental health. Moreover, tending to your lawn can be a therapeutic and fulfilling activity, offering a sense of accomplishment and connection to nature. Ultimately, caring for a lawn isn’t just about creating a picturesque landscape - it’s about nurturing a vibrant ecosystem and fostering a harmonious relationship between your home and the natural world.

Here are just a few tasks that you could undertake at this time of the year to kickstart your lawn:

Edging

A neat lawn edge enhances the overall appearance of a lawn. Recutting the lawn edge should be done when necessary in spring using a half-moon edger. A straight edge, such as a wooden plank may be used as a guide.

During the remainder of the growing season, the edge should be maintained using lawn-edging shears, weekly or fortnightly, cutting

vertically hard against the turf edge. Collecting clippings will avoid the possibility of any taking root in the bed, border or path.

Mechanised tools are also available for both operations.

Repairing a Damaged Lawn Edge

Where small areas of lawn edge have been damaged, for instance, by sprawling plants from the bed or border, repairs may be made by undercutting the sections of damaged turf and moving them forward or turning them round so that an undamaged section of turf is placed at the lawn edge. The resulting gap may be filled with a new piece of turf or a sandy loam and sown with grass seed.

Lawn top-dressing should be lightly brushed into joints and the area kept watered until re-established.

Feeding and Watering

Regular feeding and watering will keep a lawn looking lush and green. It is important to replace the nutrients removed with the clippings. The turf should also be fertilised at the beginning of the growing season to encourage vigorous healthy growth. The spring/ summer fertiliser should contain the three main nutrients - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and may contain magnesium. A typical nutrient percentage analysis for a spring/summer fertiliser would be 12-4-6. Turf can be fertilised again in the autumn with a low nitrogen fertiliser to avoid promoting leafy growth, which could fall prey to fungal diseases. A typical nutrient percentage analysis for an autumn fertiliser would be 5-5-15.

Fertiliser must be applied onto turf when the soil is moist and the grass dry, and it must be applied strictly according to the label. If rain does not occur within 24 hours of application then thorough irrigation is necessary. Turf fertilisers can be applied by hand on small areas or by pedestrian fertiliser distributors on larger areas.

To maintain a rich green sward, irrigation will be necessary in times of drought. As with all plants, thorough watering to a depth of 10cm is preferable to light sprinklings - it will take several hours of watering to achieve this.

Pop-up sprinklers are ideal for lawns and can often be programmed to switch on during the night reducing the amount of water lost by evaporation.

Check out this RHS link to all things lawn: www.rhs.org.uk/lawns.

With a little care and attention, your lawn will soon be the envy of the block!

Tom Cole FCIHort: Online tutor for Learning with Experts, horticultural lecturer (previously Capel Manor College & Writtle University College), RHS Associate and on the RHS Speakers list.

Message me your garden questions to the following email address: tomcole8@hotmail.com.

Nick Garner’s Music & Ramblings

It’s April already, so we should get some showers - as if we need more rain! What we actually want is a bit more sunshine and to see the gardens and wildlife all growing and blooming.

Black Frog Presents was a finalist in the recent PANIC Awards this year for Promotor of the Year. We did not win but we are very happy that Denholm Ellis of Hot Box did. It was great for us to get as far as we did. I also want to congratulate all the winners and the runners up, and all those who took part and to the organisers of PANIC Awards - mainly Andy Poole of course who has been doing this since it all started in 2008. Again, we must congratulate them for raising much needed funds for the mayor’s charity this year, which is the YMCA.

I have been out and about a bit this month - not too far yet, although I am hoping to get further afield very soon as I get my caravan ready for travelling around this year.

As usual, most of my trips have been for music mainly. I went to Cliffs in Southend to see Clearwater Creedance Revival and Kofi Bakers Cream Faith (Sons Of Cream) - two great bands playing superb sets. I also have Malcolm Bruce (son of Jack Bruce) playing Hot Box in June; see all the info in our poster. I have also been to the Station Arms in Southminster to see Del Bromham of Stray play - and I also got to join him for a few numbers playing my harmonicas.

I went on a couple of non-musical trips; one to Milton Keynes for my nephew’s 25th wedding anniversary (25th... how has that happened!?) and then on to a great nephew and niece both having got engaged and buying their own homes (can I really be that old?). My next away from home trip was in fact, closer to home to the Oyster Fleet Hotel on Canvey for a late friend’s wake. It really was a good celebration of his life as we all laughed and remembered the good and fun times with his wife and family, just as Gezz would have wanted. He was a big-time fun guy.

As I am writing this, it has been a little dryer and warmer, so I have been in the garden doing some tidying up. I have not cut the grass yet and want to leave it for the insects for now. Some birds have returned which is great but so has a squirrel that is stripping one of the feeders, I don’t mind them taking a bit but not all of it!

I have been waiting on a spare part for my caravan which has just arrived and now just needs to be fitted. Then, hopefully, we are ready to rock ‘n’ roll away in it.

Don’t forget that besides it being Easter on Sunday on 31st March, the clocks will also go forward an hour, meaning that we lose an hour.

Music

With PANIC Awards in mind, live events and all other entertainment, please rememer that we need you to support it all - whether it is pay to enter or free - without you supporting it, we will lose it.

This year has started off fantastically well, with all our shows exceeding our expectations. We are about to have our first show this year at Hot Box on Sunday 7th April with The Ugly Guys and Craig Joiner. This is a late afternoon show with doors opening at 3pm - we think all of the family will enjoy this one.

We have recently had Jah Wobble (he of Public Image Limited along with Johnny Rotten) at the Social Club on the 12th April. A first of two acts I saw at a festival last year are Splink and Skylines (who play the music of Camel).

If you are a Talk Talk fan then you do not want to miss Held By Trees on the 26th March at the Social Club, as this band pay homage to Mark Hollis and his band. Three of the original members of Talk Talk

are present and we also have cellist extraordinaire opening the night, Calum Ingram - who will also join Held By Trees on stage.

The next day is close to being sold out already: At Hot Box we have John Otway and his Big Band playing. The last show he played in Chelmsford was at the Army and Navy, so quite a long time ago. The cost will be £17 each - just call or text 07508 496 411 to prebook and then pay cash at the door. That number can also be used to book any of our other shows as well. If texting or leaving a voice message, do please make sure to leave your name.

So, that takes care of the next few weeks for us and you can see full details in our advert for the whole of 2024 so far.

This, of course, is just a fraction of what is going on all around us. There is lots happening all over the place - in pubs, club, halls, theatres and even shops. Now with better weather on the horizon, more will be available outside too. We do list a good amount of what’s happening in The City Times magazine in the What’s On section

If you have anything you think that could be of interest to our readers for either publication, then please let us know by emailing editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk - it maybe an event or a topic of interest. Or have you done anything unusual or are you planning something? If so, we want to know about it. If you know of someone who may wish to advertise with us, then please ask them to contact ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk and we can send over full details.

You can get tickets for all our shows in Chelmsford at the Chelmsford Social Club from Intense Records, Hopsters and Chelmsford 4Goodplease pay cash when you buy. Tickets are also available online from www.wegottickets.com/BlackFrogPresents, or via our ticket hotline for both the Chelmsford Social Club and Hot Box at no extra chargecall or text 07508 496 411 and you can then pay the advance price on entry to the show rather than the walk-up price.

For all Black Frog Presents gig updates and information go www. linktr.ee/BlackFrogPresents, or scan the QR code in the poster in this magazine.

Afternoon Cream Tea at St Luke’s, Moulsham Lodge & Tile Kiln Bank Holiday Monday, 6th May, 2-4pm

Are you looking for a delightful way to spend your May Bank Holiday afternoon? Look no further than a traditional cream tea! A cream tea is a quintessentially British tradition that involves a pot of tea, scones, clotted cream and jam. It’s the perfect way to relax and indulge in a sweet treat.

Whether you’re looking for a solo treat or a social gathering with friends, our cream tea is the perfect choice. We hope to offer both indoor and outdoor seating options.

Not only will you be in for a delicious treat, but you will also be helping us to raise much needed funds to install an under-roof to our large hall, which was discovered to have RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) within the roof construction. Many of our community use our large hall each week, whether it’s for Little Acorns Pre-School, Trudi Osborne’s School of Dancing, 1st and 2nd Moulsham Brownies, or for parties - and we want to be able to share our large hall for many years to come.

So why not treat yourself to a delightful afternoon cream tea? We’re offering an early bird discount of £3.50 per person if booked before the day by emailing events@stlukemoulsham.co.uk, or just turn up on the day and pay £5 per person. We look forward to seeing you!

St Luke’s Church, Gloucester Avenue, Moulsham Lodge, CM2 9DT www.stlukemoulshamlodge.co.uk Facebook: @stlukesmoulshamlodge

I usually use this column to talk mainly about hyper-local issues - things like potholes (which I know we all love to hate), broken streetlights, maybe some redevelopment that is taking place, and sometimes some really good news stories that are happening around our neighbourhood. These things are all very important, and I will certainly keep talking about them and giving you updates in the future, but this month I wanted to highlight something that is very different to these issues and which has recently been taking up a lot of my time - and for very good reason.

That’s the crisis in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and the impact that chronic and systemic underfunding is having on children and families right here in Chelmsford as well as across the entire country. There’s a reason it’s even worse in Essex than elsewhere. I’ll get to that soon, but first, for those of you who may not have any experience of this subject, I must explain what’s going on.

There are thousands of children and young people with SEND living in Essex. The chances are, you probably know someone or have a family member who this affects. SEND has an impact on a child or young person’s ability to learn. It can include a very wide range of issues, including autistic spectrum conditions, speech, language and communication issues, physical disabilities and developmental delay. You can read more on this on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Advisory Service (SENDIAS) website here: essexsendiass.co.uk/parents-and-carers/the-definition-of-senand-disabilities/the-definition-of-sen-and-disabilities.

When it is suspected that a child or young person may have a special educational need or disability, the local authority can be asked to carry out an assessment to decide whether an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will be issued to provide additional support for the child or young person. The local authority (LA) that is responsible for this is the LA that has responsibility for education. Here in Chelmsford, that’s Essex County Council.

By law, the LA has 16 weeks from the date the request to assess was submitted to decide whether an EHCP will be issued. If they agree an assessment is needed, they have a total of 20 weeks from the date of the request for assessment to issue the EHCP.

If you’re a parent of a child with SEND, 20 weeks can seem like a very long time. For many parents, it’s an anxious and desperate wait, hoping that the EHCP will finally give them the support that their child sorely needs to help them learn and, in lots of cases, even to attend school at all.

Unfortunately, it has been known for a long time that Essex County Council aren’t often meeting the 20-week deadline. That isn’t really much of a surprise - across the country, only about 50% of EHCPs are issued within 20 weeks. What we didn’t know until just a few weeks ago was that Essex County Council are only meeting the 20-week deadline in 1% of cases. That’s shocking. It makes Essex bottom in the country.

It was finally made public in answer to a question that I raised at a scrutiny committee meeting. You can watch the moment that damning figure was announced on YouTube here: youtu. be/NDCrShXIoGs.

The SEND system in this country is utterly broken and it’s having heartbreaking and devastating consequences for children and their

families, including in our own community here in Chelmsford. I’ve been in tears reading the traumatic battles that parents are having to go through just to get what their children need, deserve and are entitled to. Many of them are having to spend thousands upon thousands of pounds taking Essex County Council to tribunal to get what they need. This can take years. But in some ways, these parents are the lucky ones because the statistics show that across the country, parents win 98% of SEND tribunal cases. But many parents simply can’t afford this option, so they are left without the support they need for their children to get an education that will allow them to lead their best possible life.

It’s disgraceful and it must change.

I could go on and on about this subject, but there is limited space in this column. So I just wanted to say a huge thank you to the many parents and education professionals who have contacted me over the past couple of months, bravely sharing their experiences with me as I have been looking into this crucial issue.

While the sheer scale of this crisis means that I won’t be able to help in every individual case, I’m pleased to say that I’m hopeful for at least some positive change at Essex County Council, who have agreed to my request to set up a Task & Finish Group to look specifically at this topic with a view to improving the experience for all involved. While it will only truly be fixed by a large injection of money from central government to provide the necessary resources, I believe a big difference can be made locally by doing things as simple as improving communication and transparency. I’ll keep working on this and pushing for change.

If you want to get in touch with me about this issue, please send an email to, office@mariegoldman.uk.

Keep well and hold your loved ones tight.

Marie

Non-Spoiler Film Reviews - By Henry Godfrey-Evans

Wicked Little Letters

It’s quite rare nowadays to encounter films that I moderately enjoy, as neutral as the statement sounds. Just a funny, British-feeling film; like a period drama but with ridiculous humour.

It fires out of the blocks with the shock value, and the tone takes you completely off-guard. It also means it was unlikely to have the legs for a full race.

The film loses some of its enjoyment once you adjust to the temperature.

The Holdovers

Finally got a showing at my cinema… and arrived with the loftiest expectations. The film community was going crazy about this one.

Those going in blind will be pleasantly surprised. It rides the reluctant father figure dynamic well. I didn’t find it to be quite as original as I’d hoped, but it doesn’t diminish the quality.

It’s extremely witty, well acted and heartfelt at just the right cues.

Dune: Part 2

The reason this month is so short. It was the blockbuster of the month, and studios didn’t dare release in close proximity to it.

Why? Because the sound and visuals reach a seismic level that makes you realise how much film is evolving. Everything that happened on-screen felt as surreal as witnessing the real thing - if such things were possible.

Denis Villeneuve has said he’s not a fan of dialogue. I am. If we aligned on that then it would have been an all-timer.

Imaginary

Good lord, horror can be very limp sometimes.

I kid you not, I would have fancied myself to predict every false jumpscare, every real one, every single beat - within a margin of few seconds. It was all just disgustingly mundane.

I experience unoriginal quite often: I watch a lot of films. But this is cheap, trope-filled swill that stunk out the horror gaff since the 2010s.

Drive Away Dolls

Misfit friends go on a roadtrip with danger round every corner but they pull through because of comedy. Heard that before, haven’t you?

Oh well it wasn’t bad. The jokes were deliberately outrageous, and landed sometimes. I did think the overacting took away from the situation sometimes though.

You wouldn’t be annoyed if you turned up to watch this, but it is only 1 hour and 20 minutes…

Immaculate

One side of horror is more creepy and supernatural, this was more on the end of violent and disturbing - a genuine PEGI 18 as I live and breathe.

It was fairly mundane for the most part, with some tense moments later on.

The final act was crazy though, and it wouldn’t have worked if not for Sydney Sweeney who has some incredible acting capabilities.

BONUS: Top picks on catch-up

Aftersun (BBC iPlayer)

A slow-building but fascinating slope that ends in the most spectacular manner. Makes you want to study it intently the next day.

Heart-wrenching.

The Father (More 4)

Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for this. It was so upsetting and uncomfortable that I could never bring myself to rate it. A little close to home for those who’ve seen dementia in their family.

But it is superbly done. N/A

At M. Lucking & Sons, we’re proud to have been serving communities of Chelmsford and the surrounding areas for over 360 years. As an independent, family-owned business we have all the regional knowledge and years of experience to make sure everything runs smoothly. We also work in partnership with Golden Charter so you have a simple way to plan ahead with a pre-paid funeral plan. Contact us today for more information and our friendly staff will be happy to help.

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Beans, Beans, Good for the Heart - By Ola

A few weeks ago, one of the participants on one of the classes I teach (the National Diabetes Prevention Programme) brought in 3 trays of gungo peas. Prior to that session, I’d never heard of gungo peas. However, the previous session we had learnt about the importance of protein and how it keeps you fuller for longer. So, she found these gungo peas going for 6p a can and decided to get loads and share them with the group. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I ended up with 6 cans of gungo peas - what to do? In the previous session I had talked about using beans as an alternative source of protein, so here was a chance for me to practice what I preach.

I love beans; haricot beans, black beans, red kidney beans, butter beans... the list is endless, so why not add gungo peas to that list?

As an aside, I put out a post about this incident on LinkedIn and someone told me that gungo peas are actually pronounced ‘gunga’ peas and are used in a lot of West Indian cuisine.

Being an adventurous chef (though I can hardly call myself a chef) I decided to experiment with the gungo peas. One of my favourite lunches is a bean salad, so I thought I’d incorporate said peas into my bean salad. So, I opened the first tin to see what they looked like - they are a wee bit smaller than black beans and slightly lighter in colour.

I don’t think I’ve ever given the readers a recipe, so this is a first!

Mixed Beans and Gungo Peas Salad Ingredients

1 can of gungo peas.

1 can of chickpeas.

1 can of black beans.

2 tablespoons of puy lentils (these are delicious but can be a bit pricy).

2-3 salad onions.

Half a lemon.

A teaspoon of olive oil.

Garlic granules. Smoked paprika.

1 teaspoon of sea salt. Fresh coriander to garnish.

Method

Combine all the ingredients together in a large salad bowl. And there you have it - lunch! You can make up a batch for 2-3 days and keep it in the fridge.

You can also use them to bulk out your chillis, stews, casseroles and even curries. If you want to reduce your meat intake but keep up your protein intake, beans are the way to go. They also provide you with a good clean source of carbohydrates and a bunch of fibre. All round, what’s not to like?

If you can find them (Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons all sell them - but not for 6p!) then give this recipe a try and let me know how you get on. Bon appétit!

www.beencouragedwellness.co.uk www.facebook.com/BeEncouragedBeStrong

Weekly Chair Yoga Classes From the Comfort of Your Home

Does the idea of going to an exercise class with other people fill you with dread? Are you unable or afraid to leave a loved one at home to attend a class in the community? Or perhaps you don’t want to attend a class due to mobility issues? This could be worth a read…

My name is Jo Bushell and I’ve been teaching chair yoga for nearly 3 years in the Chelmsford community. You might have read the article I wrote a year ago about the benefits of chair yoga; the improvement people notice with their mobility and flexibility, and people even being able to reduce pain medication following consistent practice. I regularly hear anecdotally that people are able to get dressed, bend down and put shoes on with more ease and after a class they sleep much better, having left their worries behind for a while. Yoga gives people a zest for life.

I started teaching at the RAFA Club in Moulsham once a week and then set up another bi-weekly class on the back of that at the RHP Bowls Club. Both are wonderful communities and have grown steadily with the RAFA class now fully booked every week. It occurred to me though, my mantra is ‘yoga for all’, but there are people in the community who cannot access these classes… and not just because

the RAFA class is full!

A couple of years ago I met a woman who cared for her husband at home but wanted to try chair yoga. I went to their house and gave a free taster session, which she enjoyed and wanted to come along to the RAFA Club the next week. However, life got in the way and she was unable to leave her husband at home to join the class. I often think about her situation and recently had one of those ‘ping’ moments; starting this May, I am introducing a weekly online chair yoga class that anyone, anywhere can access. Happily, the woman I met two years ago was the first to subscribe.

For a small monthly subscription fee (there will be an introductory offer to see if you like it) you will receive a link to a weekly online class over Zoom - I will provide guidance for those who need help with the technology side of things.

I also intend to set up breakout rooms on Zoom with smaller numbers of people for anyone that wants to stay behind for a chat after the class, as well as twice yearly physical meet-ups for anyone that wants to socialise in person.

If you would like any more information, please get in touch or subscribe through my website with your email address to receive updates. I can be found at www.yogawithjo.net, or my email address is jo@yogawithjo.net.

Record Store Day Is Coming!

Record Store Day 2024 returns on Saturday 20th April at Chelmsford’s only independent record shop, Intense Records - but this year with a twist, as the main proceedings will be held at Intense #2, aka The Meadows pop-up shop in the Meadows Shopping Centre, Chelmsford High Street.

Intense #1 at The Viaducts will still be open with a very limited selection and DJs playing all day long.

There are hundreds of limited-edition releases catering for every taste and genre, including special releases from Noah Kahan, Ringo Starr, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Paramore, Gabriels and The Flirtations.

David Bowie fans will be chewing at the bit to get their hands on Waiting In The Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth) which runs differently from the Ziggy Stardust album and features four songs that didn’t make the final album.

Local band Blur’s iconic third album Parklife turns 30 on April 25th and to celebrate the occasion, they have the album repressed as a zoetrope picture disc.

The younger generation will also be queuing up early for The 1975, and Maisie Peters.

Other ones to watch for include: Jessie Ware, Katy J Pearson, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Noel Gallagher and many more.

You can check out what release are coming out on www.intenserecords. com and submit your wish list there too, so we know what you are after.

For our worldwide customers, the releases go on sale online after the weekend on Monday 22nd April at 8pm.

Intense Records #1: 33/34 Viaduct Road, Chelmsford CM1 1TS

Intense Records #2:

Unit 11, 42-47 High St, Chelmsford CM2 6FD 01245 347 372

www.intenserecords.com

Deadlines for May Edition

Articles: 22nd April

Artwork: 26th April

St John’s Moulsham - By Benson

I’m in the doghouse with my humans at the moment. The favourite scent that dogs like is fox eau de toilette, and I have just found some in the garden. I’m sure all humans who have doggie family members can tell you it’s so enticing that we just must roll around and make sure every part of our body is covered in this gorgeous fragrance. Unfortunately, aroma de fox is not something you humans appreciate - so I was immediately put in the bath and showered down.

Apart from not appreciating the delights of Fox No. 5, you humans seem to move through life at some speed and not stop to appreciate the smells around you. Whether that’s because you don’t have the superior nose that we dogs have, I don’t know. But the smells from all the new growth of nature at the moment are delightful and so new and fresh. This is my first spring and it is fast becoming my favourite season. I love smelling the gorse and blossom, but also the new buds that have an exquisite smell despite not having blossomed yet. I delight on my morning walks (when my humans are not in a hurry) spending time just going out and sniffing the fresh newness of spring.

Rushing around seems to be a thing you humans do - a lot. You always seem to rush from one thing to another, it looks exhausting as you don’t seem to stop and pause or have an all-important doggy doze. Doogle (Google for dogs) has seen a fourfold rise in searches relating to slow living since covid. There are even books and magazines on how to embrace a slower pace of life.

One of my favourite bible verses is Ecclesiastes 3:1. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. You may know it as the lyrics to the popular song from 1965 called Turn! Turn! Turn! by The Byrds. Yes, there is a time to be busy and rush around. But we must also remember there is a time to slow down and try to appreciate the world around us. Spring is a perfect time to do this as there is so much new life leaping into being. You could go on your own walkies (dogs are optional). There are some lovely walks locally, including along the River Chelmer, or around Oaklands Park if you want something a little more sedate. You could also get your own paws dirty planting your own seeds and watching new life begin in your garden, on a windowsill, or even a potted plant indoors. If you’re unable to get outside nature can come to you - if you doogle ‘wildlife webcams’ you can see all sorts of wildlife in nature - from owls in Dorset, to peregrine falcons in Nottingham and even dolphins in Cardigan Bay. It’s all very thrilling and I can spend hours watching them.

For my female human and my church family at St John’s, this is also a very exciting time. We have been awarded a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, and the churchyard at St John’s is soon going to be transformed with a new heritage path around the church, a community garden, a quiet space, as well as a place to come and sit and chat and just enjoy nature.

I want to encourage you all to find time to paws this April and enjoy some of the nature springing into life around you - and you are all welcome to visit St John’s and experience the new and improved grounds when they have been transformed.

Hope you have a pawsome month.

Benson

Grove Road Evangelical Church

We probably all have seen pictures of the magnificent pyramids in Egypt. Some of you may even visited them. While there is still a lot of debate as to how they were built, there is little doubt as to why they were built. They were simply giant tombs for the most important people of Egypt, the pharaohs. All that magnificent work, yet they were essentially just one-way tombs. The person died, they were buried - and they stayed dead and buried.

However, there is one tomb that was completely different. Christians celebrate every year the fact that it was not just a one-way tomb. Jesus was buried in that tomb, definitely dead, having been executed horrifically. Yet just 3 days later he was seen alive again.

What is more, before Jesus died, he predicted that he wouldn’t stay dead. He claimed that three days later he would be alive again. Of course, nobody believed him, not even his closest friends and followers. After all, it is the experience of everyone that you die eventually, and you stay dead. So why would they believe Jesus was going to be any different?

But they were convinced by the evidence they saw that Jesus was different. This Easter, people all around the world will also have weighed carefully all the evidence and will be celebrating the fact that Jesus is still alive, having conquered death. Jesus still says to all who believe him: ‘Because I live, you will live also’. Now that sounds like news worth learning more about, doesn’t it?

Come and find out the truth! We meet Sunday mornings at 11am and would love to introduce you to the risen Lord Jesus.

Philip Loose, Senior Pastor Grove Road Evangelical Church (Behind Tesco Express, Moulsham Street) www.grecuk.co.uk pastor@grecuk.co.uk

Cool to be Kind

Cool to be Kind, a charitable organisation in Essex that supports vulnerable and homeless people, recently had the honour of hosting Charles Bishop, the 843rd High Sheriff of Essex, and his wife Nellie.

During the visit, Helen Wilkerson, the Manager of Street Support, received recognition for her exceptional contributions to the community, including for the Street Support Project. Street Support offers a comprehensive directory of services designed to assist individuals experiencing homelessness, covering areas like financial advice, employment assistance and mental health support.

Dan Skeates, co-founder of Cool to be Kind, said: “Helen’s work with the Street Support Chelmsford project, along with her other significant contributions, represent the ethos of community support that is at the core of Cool to be Kind.”

The High Sheriff and his wife also took time to understand the profound impact Cool to be Kind has within the local community, including supporting on average 130 rough sleepers each week with warm clothes, food and the online directory. This event was further supported by the generous provision of office space from The Essex Community Foundation.

Along with this, Cool to be Kind, is today celebrating after being awarded £20,000 in National Lottery funding to support its work with homeless people and rough sleepers in the Chelmsford and wider Essex community. The group, based in Chelmsford, will use the money to fund Street Support, which offers a comprehensive directory of services designed to assist individuals experiencing homelessness, covering areas like financial advice, employment assistance, and mental health support.

Cool to be Kind has been running since 2015 and is staffed by 22 volunteers. It was founded by five passionate volunteers - Marion

Booth, Jo Hindley, Kellie Jones, Brian McGovern and Dan Skeates - after they noticed a heartbreaking increase of rough sleepers in Chelmsford.

The group now supports on average 130 rough sleepers each week with warm clothes, food and the online directory.

The new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest community funder in the UK, will ensure Street Support continues to run for 2024, providing essential signposting to support services at a critical time for individuals experiencing homelessness, empowering them to navigate their way towards stability and recovery.

Dan Skeates said: “We are deeply grateful for the support from The National Lottery Community Fund. This funding represents crucial support and offers a lifeline to those we aim to help by enabling us to continue providing essential signposting to support services for individuals experiencing homelessness.”

The National Lottery Community Fund recently launched its new strategy, It Starts With Community, which will underpin its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030.

As part of this, the funder has four key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people thrive and enable people to live healthier lives.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year The National Lottery Community Fund was able to distribute over half a billion pounds (£615.4 million) of life-changing funding to communities.

To find out more, visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk.

CCR Latest News

On Friday March 8th, we marked International Women’s Day (IWD) with a resounding theme - Inspire Inclusion. Here at our station, we champion inclusion and kindness, striving to break free from the antiquated stereotypes of broadcasting’s past, where it was perceived as a male-dominated industry filled with clichéd, cheesy DJs. While the world has progressed, some still resist equality, making it all the more imperative for us to lead by example.

So by harnessing the collective strengths of our team and making the most of the moment, we made an effort to honour the incredible women who inspire us, not only within our city but also those from afar who enrich us with their ideals and values.

Throughout the day we opted for an all-female playlist and welcomed lots of amazing guests on our shows.

Debbie Holme, BEM from Essex Dance Theatre, joined Michelle on Good Morning Chelmsford as a guest-host, and we had comedian Ria Lina on Zoom, both of which spoke of their careers, passions and their own take on the days theme (Ria, although not local, will be heading to Chelmsford Theatre with her stand-up show in May).

The fundraising team from the Helen Rollason Cancer Charity hosted a very special IWD programme looking at the work of their cause, set up by the late broadcaster and also featured contributions from other local charities from the area including Denise Whiffin, founder of the J’s Hospice.

Louise Erskine spoke to Scilla Elworthy who holds a Niwano Peace

Prize, Goi Peace Prize and who was nominated 3 times for the Nobel Peace Prize. Scilla spoke of her lifetime of working towards peaceful solutions and how she champions other women to do the sameScilla emphasised the importance of involving women in peace talks as statistically, peace agreement negotiations which involve women last 35% longer.

Rich Lyman welcomed local legend Edith Miller onto the Feel Good Friday show to talk about her valuable work at the Art Place which creates and inclusive and safe environment for many individuals and groups from the city.

All in all, a wonderfully special day - and here’s to next year. But if you can’t wait till then and would like to be included as a guest on our station or involved with one of our projects, please do get in touch via admin@chelmsfordcommunityradio.com.

www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com

How to Find a Pilates or Yoga Class

In this month’s article I am going to write about something that I am often asked about as a physiotherapist. Many of my patients often like the idea of trying a pilates or yoga class, as they are looking for an exercise programme that will either work alongside their rehabilitation or will help them to stay fit and healthy over the long term. Many have heard that they are both excellent ways of gradually strengthening the muscles, working on balance, improving posture and flexibility, encouraging mindful movement and promoting relaxation. They are sold on the idea of joining a class but aren’t sure of where to go and what to look out for.

There are lots of options in the community and you need to find the right one for you and your budget. You need to find a teacher that you feel comfortable with and who is setting a class at the right level for you.

One of the issues with both pilates and yoga is that there are so many different professional bodies. Anyone who has trained with the Australian Institute of Pilates, or equivalent, and has experience working alongside therapists is a good bet. The Body Control Pilates Association is Europe’s largest pilates professional body. Polestar, Stott, Alan Herdman Pilates and The Pilates Foundation are other well respected pilates governing bodies. Although there are many others, this offers a starting point. For yoga, the British Wheel of Yoga is often considered the gold standard in the UK, or the Yoga Alliance.

All teachers should be able to tell you where they trained and have the appropriate certifications and professional liability insurance. Experienced teachers, often complete further training in their areas of interest. It is always worth asking what these are and seeing how well aligned these are with you and what you are looking to achieve out of your practice.

All the teachers at Hummingbird Pilates and Yoga are trained to an exceptionally high standard and have completed training with at least one of the above professional bodies. Our team have a wealth of special interests from introducing true beginners to yoga - pilates for those with chronic back pain, over 50s exercise, yoga in cancer and cancer recovery, yoga in the management of long covid, and pilates to enhance sports performance, pilates and yoga to keep you going and doing what you love away from the mat, and reformer pilates.

Pilates and yoga classes at Hummingbird are classed as small group, so you get plenty of individual attention. Your teacher can watch your practice and help you to improve your technique where needed.

Not all exercises, are right for all bodies and at Hummingbird all the teachers know this all too well and are able to show you how to adapt the poses to better suit you, or to offer an alternative that might work better. Forcing people into uncomfortable positions and taking a ‘no pain no gain’ approach is unhelpful and not how we work. All the team can speak to me with your consent, if there are any specific health issues that might affect your ability to take part or any musculoskeletal problems that need special consideration during a particular exercise - and where I can I’ll offer advice and guidance.

If you like the sound of our classes, please visit our website www. hummingbirdpilates.co.uk and click ‘Book Classes Now’ to see our full schedule and to book in.

Here is a free class code so that you can give it a try for free and see how our classes might suit you: HPYFREECLASS.

Hummingbird Yoga and Pilates

AirHop Adventure

Jump into happy at AirHop Adventure and Trampoline parks! The perfect indoor leisure destination for the whole family, come rain or shine.

With two locations in Essex alone - Chelmsford and Colchester - you are never too far from ultimate bouncing fun. AirHop Chelmsford and Colchester are now proud members of the AirHop Group, which boasts 17 family-friendly parks across the UK.

Experience an array of new features and activities at Colchester, including a multi-sports Airena, an Aerostrike court, the latest in Augmented Reality Trampolines, and a brand new assault course that promises even more family fun!

Chelmsford is home to the world’s largest AirSlides, and adrenalinepumping adventure where you’ll slide on a special mat, launch through the air and land safely on an oversized airbag. The park also has a variety of new attractions, including a Reaction Wall and High 9 challenge to test your reflexes, cutting-edge Augmented Reality Trampolines, and a Freedom Games obstacle course - perfect for developing skills and having fun.

It’s not just about the thrills, it’s about creating unforgettable family memories!

Both parks have upgraded lighting systems, creating an exhilarating atmosphere and turning the parks into Essex’s bounciest dancefloors during weekend After Dark sessions every Friday and Saturday evening. Think of it as a family friendly night club experience, open to everyone ages 4+!

Younger bounce enthusiasts get free rein of the park during Toddler Takeover sessions for ages 1-6 years, so they can bounce in a safe and fun environment.

Add an Easter Egg Hunt to Your Jump!

Available online or to purchase in park, find the Easter eggs hidden around the park and solve the riddle to win a prize.

Planning a Party?

It couldn’t be easy with AirHop’s selection of 100%-fun-zero-stress party packages. Just choose a date and time, invite your guests and leave the rest up to AirHop! Prices start at £17pp.

AirHop is the perfect place for your next group booking. Schools, youth groups, and corporate team building can all be catered for with a choice of packages available. Always with a team of friendly and experienced staff on hand to ensure that everyone is having as much fun as humanly possible! Bespoke packages as well as exclusive hire are available, and organised youth groups can even have a sleepover!

Chelmsford Brew Co HQ and Bar

Chelmsford Brew Co HQ is nestled on an industrial estate (aptly named Brewery Fields, as there was a brewery here in the 1800s) in Church Street, Great Baddow.

We are a small family business that produces small batch artisan craft beers. We enjoy brewing various styles that you can find in bottles, traditional casks and craft kegs and we only use natural ingredients. We have been brewing here since 2017 and what a wild ride it has been. We purchased an award winning kit from Jon at The Foundry in Canterbury and haven’t looked back.

Starting a new business is tough enough in the first couple of years, but what we face now and have faced in the last few years, like so many other small local businesses, means we are lucky to still be around.

We recently opened up a bar in Chelmsford city centre called Voodoo Keller Bar, where our love for beer, local produce and love for music can be expressed. The bar is a cocktail bar with a brewery taproom and has a wonderfully sophisticated clientele, while also offering exceptional value for money.

We are proud stockists of Essex Spirits Company products, who are based in Chelmsford. We only work with local suppliers and we believe this is vitally important for any community to thrive and to get behind each other.

At Voodoo Keller Bar we have a truly eclectic venue for events. Live music, a monthly quiz (probably the biggest prize in Essex), food events and supper clubs. Most of these we work in collaboration with our sensational friend Amie from Parlour Catering.

We do everything we can to promote community and support local. For example, local musical heroes Marc Halls, Jakob Deist, Hadleigh Ford, We Are All Fossils, George Bone, Rachel Brooks, Mandeville, Harry Cash and recent PANIC Award Winner the young James Gold.

We are fortunate to have great artistic talent in Chelmsford but also people who dedicate their lives to the arts. In particular Hot Box Live Events and Martin Jeffries who work tirelessly to give Chelmsford a vibrant scene and help us discover new talent. We hope to see you soon at the brewery or down Voodoo Keller Bar!

Chelmsford Brew Co Shop & Taproom: 2 Brewery Fields, Church Street, Great Baddow, Chelmsford CM2 7LE.

Open Thursday - Saturday. www.chelmsfordbrewco.co.uk.

Voodoo Keller Bar:

Basement, 59 New Street, Chelmsford CM1 1NE. Open Wednesday - Saturday (with Sunday events). www.voodookeller.co.uk.

MT Finance - What Is the British Isa?

A new UK ISA - dubbed the British ISA - was unveiled in the recent spring budget. We outline what we know so far.

One of the more intriguing elements of the spring budget was the announcement of a new British ISA, a proposed additional £5,000 allowance exclusively for UK investments.

The sentiment behind the British ISA is laudable. Shareholder culture among the UK population, in UK companies, has been waning and simultaneously there has been less attention from institutional investors over the past few years both at home and overseas. It has led to a dearth of new listings, as well as low market values that have attracted opportunistic takeovers by trade buyers, often from overseas.

Combined, these trends mean the number of companies listed on the market is shrinking, and a reversal in fortunes is important for the city and for the economy as a whole.

British ISA Details: What Do We Know So Far?

1. There is some way to go before British ISAs are on the market: Although the proposal of a ‘great British ISA’ has attracted a lot of news stories, it’s important to note this is merely an intention at this stage and not set in stone.

The design and implementation are subject of a consultation with industry and others, which ends in June, and it may require the agreement of a future government to put into action. If it does get the green light, it’s unlikely to be available until the 2025/26 tax year. In the meantime, we have more questions than answers about how the British ISA will work, as well as some doubt as to whether it will happen at all.

2. Some uncertainty around British ISA rules: One of the key questions the consultation should seek to address is around what constitutes a UK investment. Some UK listed companies derive a large part of their earnings from overseas, particularly the large banks, healthcare or oil and gas companies as examples. It’s hard to argue that such companies represent investment into the UK economy. However, they do form part of its capital markets, so their liquidity - or ease of trading - and their relative valuation in the context of global markets is important, as it may influence the overall attraction for other companies when they are considering where to list their shares.

Efficiency and recognition are two important attributes in this process, and some important UK companies have eschewed their home market recently. For instance, computer chip designer ARM Holdings opted for America’s Nasdaq exchange last year, thus denying the UK market a rare domestic tech success story.

There is also the question of whether funds or investment trusts should be included. Confining the British ISA to shares could mean investors having less diversification and taking on more risk than is suitable. If funds were included, they would provide a convenient spread, though there would then be a need for a minimum level of UK listed assets to be set to determine eligibility.

Another aspect to be considered is the added complexity to the ISA rules that a new UK ISA would bring. We already have a mindboggling array of different ISA types, each with their own set of rules, that can be difficult to comprehend. Another product could add to the confusion.

3. The British ISA allowance may only have limited benefit for the UK market:

Only about 15% of ISA subscribers contribute the maximum £20,000 available, some 1.6m people.

Even if all these individuals invest an additional £5,000 exclusively in UK equities via a British ISA - a generous assumption as over 40% of these people currently just use a Cash ISA - that’s an additional £8bn a year flowing in. In other words, only around 0.25% of the market’s aggregate value of £3trn.

Furthermore, investors with larger existing portfolios could simply prioritise the British ISA for their UK exposure and free up space elsewhere for other investments, so in reality the impact would likely be much less.

We can’t, therefore, expect the British ISA in its proposed form to significantly increase the flow of capital into the UK market on its own. Far greater impact might be achieved through a raft of measures; for instance, by corralling institutional money, including large pension funds.

Will the British ISA Work for Investors?

For investors, more wealthy individuals happy to tolerate the possibly greater risks will welcome an extra allowance and the ability to further obviate reductions to capital gains tax and dividend allowances that kick in from the start of the new tax year in April. Although increasing the overall £20,000 a year allowance to £25,000 would arguably be a simpler and more expeditious route, and a proportion of this would naturally find its way into UK stocks anyway.

The British ISA plan will likely come with strings attached, though. The existing ISA rules allow transfers between different types and it’s unlikely the same flexibility would apply.

Perhaps the most workable solution is to have a separate British ISA account with a prescribed list of eligible investments that can’t be moved to any other ISA type. Otherwise, people could just transfer away to circumvent the investment restrictions. And if it were to be somehow tacked onto the existing Stocks & Shares ISA, the monitoring of an investor’s proportion in eligible UK assets following buying and selling activity would become fiendishly complex.

Overall, we applaud the sentiment around the British ISA. Reinvigorating London’s capital markets to the benefit of the UK economy is most welcome. There will also be no complaints from investors presented with the option of an extra ISA allowance to use, but could there be a simpler way to embed a deeper shareholder culture in the UK and encourage greater flows from investors?

If the Chancellor wanted to whet their appetite, as well as provide a more straightforward solution than adding to an already cluttered ISA landscape, then removing stamp duty on UK share transactions, or even cutting, or otherwise modifying, capital gains tax for UK listed stocks would be worth considering.

Graham Austin, Chartered FCSI Investment Director Graham.Austin@charles-stanley.co.uk 0207 149 6696

The value of investments can fall as well as rise. Investors may get back less than invested. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future returns. The information in this article is for general information purposes and is not a trading recommendation. Charles Stanley is not a tax adviser.

Nothing in this article should be construed as personal advice based on your circumstances. No news or research item is a personal recommendation to deal.

Charles Stanley & Co. Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office: 55 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 3AS.

The Singing Chef

Who else misses good old fashioned bakers?

Well I do. I worked on the markets selling ladies underwear in my teens. Fridays at Ridley Road in Hackney, Saturdays at Bethnal Green High Street, and Wentworth Street (Petticoat Lane) every Sunday. I loved it!

Every street we worked on had a Percy Ingles, which for those that don’t know was a traditional British bakers - so cakes for breakfast and a toastie for lunch every day. No wonder I’m addicted to carbs!

food trucks. All with the most amazing bread and fresh produce. Propper yummy stuff! My work sits alongside The most epic British Cakes from my pal Charlotte’s family bakery in WickfordBarke Craft Bakery!

You can keep your artisan French-style

I’ve got myself a lovely little morning job prepping up delicious sandwiches, wraps and baguettes with homemade filling (lovingly made by chef Clair) for The Bread Box

pastries and ‘I’m good for you’ sourdough. I’m talking the most beautiful fluffy white loafs and malty granery, crusty rolls and (drum rolll please) AMAZING CAKES!

Slabs of bread pudding filed with huge plump raisins and jam-filled donuts adorned in a shower of granulated sugar. Shiny iced and Belgian buns and good old fashioned overfilled cream cakes, London cheesecakes and Eccles cakes, plus more...

We can send a truck your way: just get in touch! We also do fresh salads for those poor poor ‘no carb’ souls.

We bring the bakery to you, and we do buffets and meal deals.

Search for The Bread Box on Facebook!

www.thebreadboxx.co.uk 01245 976 992

Time doesn’t stand still for anyone, especially the members of MLCT who are busy planning for the rest of the year. With activities for all ages, we invite you to save the dates for all our exiting events.

June 2024 sees the Community Station celebrate 10 years - really! On Saturday June 8th there will be a silent disco with 2 sessions for under 16s - this will need to be prebooked. In the evening of the 8th we will host a barn dance and again, this will need to be prebooked. During the day there will be a range of activities and a family BBQ and picnic. On Monday the 10th June we are holding a knitathon - this will be 10 hours from 10am until 8pm. Do drop in and knit a square or two or sponsor a ball of wool. Ben Fryer from BBC Essex has said he will try to come along too. Squares are to be displayed as a Christmas tree and will then will be sewn into a blanket.

Christmas will also see us holding our Handmade With Love Christmas Fayre on Saturday November 2nd at 10am till 3pm. The big fella himself will also be visiting to have breakfast once more in December - tickets will be available in October.

Naturally, a lot of planning has to go into these events, and as ever we always need volunteers, so if you are interested in helping out, please contact us using our details below. Well, that’s 2024 taken care of and we hope to see some of you at one or all the events!

The New City Voices choir performed recently in High Chelmer Shopping Centre, raising £550 for Baby Basics who are a volunteerled project aiming to support new mothers and families who are struggling to meet the financial and practical burden of looking after a new baby. The photo above shows the choir with some of the volunteers at Baby Basics.

The choir will be performing for the Mayor of Chelmsford and her chosen charity, Essex YMCA, on 20th April and have invited South Woodham Ferrers male voice choir Men2Sing to sing with them. Tickets are available via our website or from The Copper Pot Café.

Copper Pot Café is open Monday - Friday 8am till 4pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. www.mlct.org.uk enquiries@mlct.org.uk 07434 678 999

An Update From Moulsham Lodge Ward - By

Hopefully, you will be able to read this monthly update from your two Moulsham Lodge Liberal Democrat councillors, Ashley Thompson and Simon Goldman, with blue skies outside and not the constant rain we seem to have had for the last few months. Now spring is finally here, there are plenty of bright spots around the area we can point to around the ward...

Let’s start with Chislett Row play area. We’re delighted that the Public Safety Team at Chelmsford City Council have responded to our lobbying by agreeing to install CCTV at this location for a trial period of 6 months. This is now operational as an ongoing deterrent, and if any unwanted behaviour is discovered we will apply for a grant to make the camera a permanent feature.

Ashley Thompson & Simon Goldman

Whilst we’re on the subject of play areas in Moulsham Lodge, we’ve also had some great news regarding John Shennan Field. Funding has been agreed to update the play area at this location and a consultation will soon open, online and elsewhere, so we can get your views on how you’d like things to look going forwards.

We will keep you updated on when the consultation will begin. So please do sign up to our local e-news letter by contacting one of us. Details are below.

Progress is also being made in terms of the long-awaited junction protection double yellow lines on Gloucester Avenue and the surrounding roads. It would seem that only the way to deter those who park inconsiderately on the corners will be to make it a parking offence to do so.

The consultations are now complete and we expect to see these implemented imminently.

There’s loads going on and considerable progress in terms of facilities in Moulsham Lodge, but now isn’t the time to be complacent. If you have any concerns or suggestions about how we can make Moulsham Lodge a better place, do email us any time.

Hope you get to enjoy your Easter eggs!

Take care.

ashley.thompson@chelmsfordlibdems.org.uk simon.goldman@chelmsfordlibdems.org.uk

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Tile Kiln Corner - By Cllr Linda Mascot

Thanks to all who came to the Copper Pot Café at The Community Station for Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea with the Mayor. The sandwiches, sausage rolls, cakes and scones were delicious with proceeds going to the Mayor’s charity, YMCA Essex, who support young people up to age of 25 and their families. Thanks to Hayley, Sue and Mark Springett for providing the food, serving it and supporting the local community so well.

During the Easter holidays, Tile Kiln Church is running Watt-A-Lott Castle Holiday Club for Primary School age children from 8th - 11th April from 10am -12.30pm. Activities include Watt Family Quest, crafts, games, bible stories, songs puppets and guaranteed fun! To book, please email tim.goodall@tilekilnchrch.org.uk or phone 07821 866 301. The cost is £5 per child with discount available for siblings.

On 25th April a new group CAMEO (Come and Meet Each Other), will be starting at Tile Kiln Church on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month from 2-4pm, where you can enjoy some company with a cup of tea as well as playing cards, doing puzzles, knitting and playing games. For more details contact www.tilekilnchurch.org.uk.

Don’t forget too that Lathcoats Farm is just a short stroll from Tile Kiln, and Rebecca Shipman from All Things Alpaca invited me to visit their adorable new arrivals: micro pigs Elvis, Elton and Elma. Chicks have also arrived in time for Easter and lambs will be following. To book an Easter experience slot with 15 minutes in the enclosure with the chicks and lambs for up to 4 participants is £8. For a larger party or more information, email info@allthingsalpaca.co.uk.

Congratulations to Rebecca and her team for being nominated for the Muddy Stilettos Award as Best Family Attraction in Essex!

Ignoring the Broken Shed

Over a few weekends in March, I took a hammer to our garden shed. It’s been in disrepair for a long time, with gaping holes in the roof, rickety walls that act more like doors, and doors that can’t be easily opened. It was long overdue for a trip to the tip!

But it was also very easy to ignore the problem. For months, it was just in the back of my mind, needing to be done. It was important that I did get rid of it, but there wasn’t much urgency - it wasn’t storing anything significant, and because it’s been in the garden since we moved in, we’d just sort of stopped noticing it.

I think we do something similar with our lives sometimes, don’t we? We need to get something sorted out, but actually find it easier to ignore. There’s something in the back of our minds we need to think through, or someone we need to speak to, and they aren’t the easiest of things to do. They’re important, but not urgent (yet). So, we ignore them. Avoid them. Until we can’t.

With the shed in our garden, there was a moment we couldn’t ignore it, when the wind took part of the roof off during one of our winter storms.

For us personally, it is usually a tragedy, an unexpected illness or death or close-call. Then we’ve got to get things sorted - make the will, reach out to that family member, apologise to that friend. Think about what happens after death.

Also, don’t forget to pop into the excellent Bee Shed Café and farm shop while you’re visiting the farm.

If you have any local events you’d like me to publicise, please email me on mascotlinda@gmail.com.

We’ve just celebrated Easter. The time of year Christians all over the world rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, never to die again, and that he’s alive, now - yes, alive, right now and reigning as King of all creation.

The celebration at Easter is that because Jesus is alive, God’s Kingdom has overcome all evil, sickness, suffering and even death. So, even though everyone dies, Christians believe that whoever has faith in Jesus Christ will rise to resurrection life again like Jesus did. This is not a floaty, spiritual kind of life - this is a physical, bodily, new life. The new resurrection life that Jesus has is complete with a new body that never decays or dies. That’s what Christians are promised too - new physical life in bodies that don’t decay or get sick or suffer or die.

I don’t know what you think about life after death, or if you just avoid thinking about it at all. But you’ll need to think it through at some point. And when you do, think about Jesus and his resurrection. Work out for yourself if what Christians believe is true - do the research, don’t just mimic the media or your friends. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most hopeful, profoundly good news the world has ever known. Don’t miss out!

Tim Goodall, Pastor, Tile Kiln Church.

tim.goodall@tilekilnchurch.org.uk 07821 866 301

YouTube: tinyurl.com/y24qlkvx www.facebook.com/tilekilnchurch www.tilekilnchurch.org.uk

Quiz Time - By John Theedom

Who is patron saint of France?

What is the name of the largest country in South America?

Max Aitkin was the real name of which newspaper baron?

Which famous chef made the cake that appears on the Rolling Stones album Let It Bleed?

Which US state is home to the world famous Yellowstone National Park?

Which children’s organisation was founded by William Smith in 1883?

What does pH stand for ?

What does the Latin phrase ‘veni, vidi, vici,’ mean?

On what day of the week does PMQ take place?

Which football team has the nickname of the Trotters?

The Bank of England is located on which London thoroughfare?

What was soul singer Barry White’s only UK number 1 hit?

The White Sox are a baseball team from which American city?

Pittodrie is the home ground of which British football club?

Which fruit is a cross between grapefruit, tangerine and orange?

After how many years would a couple celebrate their crystal anniversary?

What is the smallest city in Wales with a cathedral?

The Curie is an SI unit used to measure what?

Which castle is known as the ‘Key of England’?

The longest road and rail bridge in Europe connects which two countries?

Meyer, Eureka and Sorrento are types of which yellow citrus fruit??

On a clothes care label, what does a circle mean?

What was the first song played on Top of the Pops? Before finding fame as a singer, Matt Monroe used to drive what for a living?

Which two london underground stations contain the letter ‘J’?

Osmology relates to which one of the senses?

Excluding London stations, what is the busiest railway station in Britain?

What was the first ‘Carry On’ film?

Which two countries were divide by the 38th parallel line in a 1953 agreement?

What were the first names of the Kray Twins?

Which ‘D’ is the area outside a ship which can be walked on?

Which graffiti artist is famous for his stencilled images on walls?

In which British city would you find the Liver Building?

The Booker Prize is awarded in which field of the arts?

The Sugar Hut is a nightclub in which reality TV show?

Which actress played Margaret Thatcher in the 2011 film The Iron Lady?

In fashion, what do the initials DKNY stand for?

In the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, how many maids were ‘a-milking’?

What beans are used to make baked beans?

Which river flows easterly into the North Sea at Tilbury?

Office Helpline Volunteer at Families In Focus Essex

We need friendly, patent and reliable volunteers to offer support on our helpline by taking calls and answering enquires that come through our helpline email address and website referral form. The role is based in our office in central Chelmsford, where you will volunteer with a friendly admin team.

Coffee Group facilitator/volunteer - Reach Out for Mental Health

We need reliable, organised volunteers to help run a new coffee afternoon for clients experiencing mental health issues and who may feel isolated and lacking support.

The groups offer peer support and a friendly, non-judgmental, safe space for people to talk and listen about their lives. This would be an ideal opportunity for someone who has experience of these issues themselves and is looking to give back, whilst gaining valuable experience of running a support group, or possibly someone who is working/training in the field of mental health.

Chelmsford Mens Shed - Lead Volunteers

Can you spare 3 hours a week? A warm welcome awaits men wanting

The PANIC Awards

The arts, music and theatre scene of Essex has changed dramatically during the past twenty years. A small team of dedicated individuals who freely give of their free time and hard earned monies in order to give something back to their beloved Essex community.

Mr Andy Poole and Miss Kath Eastoe used to organise PANIC magazine, a classic listings mag - and subsequently various websites which featured arts previews and reviews for the greater Chelmsford area - and now, looking after the associated spin-off: PANIC Awards.

The 17th annual PANIC Awards was held from 7.30pm on the evening of 7th March 2024 at Chelmsford Theatre’s main auditorium in Fairfield Road, Chelmsford. This exciting event has the main purpose of showcasing the very best of performing arts and entertainment that our great county has to offer!

PANIC awards XVII was a not-for-profit event and everyone involved donated their labour and time free-of-charge. The combined door ticket charges of £9 paid by each audience member were collected and donated to The Chelmsford City Mayor’s nominated charity, the YMCA.

The event was presented by the PANIC team and hosted at Chelmsford City Theatres.

Winner’s Roll of Honour

1. Band of the Year: The Cardinals.

2. Venue of the Year: HotBox, Chelmsford.

3. Solo/Duo of the Year: Jack Browning.

4. DJ of the Year: Paul Dupree and Chris Piper.

5. Best Regular Night: HotHouse Drag (Hot Box), Chelmsford.

6. Independent Promoter of the Year: Denholm Ellis (Hot Box).

to join the Shed, but we currently have a waiting list. We need more Lead Volunteers so that the Shed can open more sessions.

Lead Volunteers support the session, help to promote friendly conversation and encourage users to use the Shed effectively and with safe use of equipment. Full training and support will be given at all times, and you’ll shadow another Lead for as long as you need to. Some knowledge of woodworking/tools would be extremely helpful.

Royal Airforce Veterans Social Club - bar steward needed Lovely opportunity to help run a small club bar (no draught beer pipes!) one or two evenings a week, occasional Saturdays if available. RAFA is a charity that supports former RAF personnel though comradeship and social and welfare services. Our club is a very friendly place where veterans can come for a laugh and a chat and to access support. Looking for a fun and energetic volunteer to help out at the bar. A bit of bar experience would be helpful and a sense of humour is vital!

Volunteer Telephone Befriender at Essex Home Help Service Everyone needs other people, but not everyone has someone. We are looking for volunteers to support with our Telephone Befriending Service.

This service is designed to be supportive, reliable and enable friendships to be built for people who are socially isolated. You will come into our friendly offices in Ford End, Chelmsford for a 2 hours per week to make telephone befriending calls.

7. Comedy Night of the Year: The Little Smash Comedy Night.

8. One-Off Event of the Year: Essex Pride Festival.

9. Independent Theatre Production of the Year: Calendar Girls, Billericay Theatre Co.

10. Independent Musical Theatre Production: Calendar Girls The Musical, CAODS.

11. Director of the Year: Sally Warrington.

12. Lead Actor: Corrine Woodgate.

13. Lead Actor In a Musical: Tom Harper.

14. Supporting Actor: Deborah Anderson.

15. Local Podcast/Radio Show: Ian Gilbert, City Sounds Radio.

16. The Brian McGovern Community Spirit Award: Marc Miller.

17. PANIC Rising Star Award: James Gold.

18. Outstanding Contribution Award: Lesley Watson, HMV Retail Ltd, Colchester.

Interval entertainment, in the best PANIC tradition, was provided by some of the nominees for the best soloist/duo, and musicians of varying styles entertained the gathered audience.

Performing

James Gold: Electro/acoustic guitar singer-songwriter.

Jack Browning: Americana/country music, acoustic guitar.

Tom Peplow: Urban folk/indie music, acoustic guitar.

Many thanks to everyone for supporting the Essex live entertainment scene and congratulations to all the nominees and award winners!

Looking forward to next year’s PANIC awards.

Answers

St Denis Brazil

Lord Beaverbrook

Delia Smith

Wyoming

The Boys Brigade

Potential Hydrogen

‘I came, I saw, I conquered’

Wednesday

The Trotters

Threadneedle Street

You’re The First, The Last, My Everything

Chicago

Aberdeen

Ugli

Fifteen

St Davids

Radiation

Dover

Denmark and Sweden

Lemon

Suitable for dry cleaning

I Only Want To Be With You

Bus

St John’s Wood and St James Park

Smell

Birmingham New Street

Carry On Sergeant

North and South Korea

Reginald and Ronnie

Deck

Banksy

Liverpool

Literature

The Only Way Is Essex

Meryl Streep

Donna Karan, New York

Eight

Haricot

Thames