Moulsham Times April 2018

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Issue Number 62 - April 2018

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MT Welcome Hi readers, Welcome to the April edition.

This month, we look forward to the Panic Awards at the Civic Theatre celebrating music and theatre in Chelmsford all in aid of charity.

Check out www.facebook.com/panicawards for more information.

Enjoy your month.

Regards Paul & Nick

Deadlines for the May edition: Articles - 18th April Print ready art work - 26th April

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MT Therapy - by Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Carrying on from my article on The Best You expo last month, in this issue I want to write about careers in therapy. For the last few years I’ve written about various issues and the different approaches available to counsellors to help treat these issues. I meet many therapists through my vetting process when therapists come to view the room or join Chelmsford Therapy Rooms and many have reported that they read my articles. It then occurred to me that there are probably many people out there who would like to help people in a therapeutic way or train as a therapist but don’t know what career or training options are available.

Today I’ll write about some of the options that are available to you job-wise as a therapist and write about training another time.

I’m starting with job options because sometimes the job will depend on specific training and specific types of placements (etc) so if you read these descriptions and decide ‘OMG that’s the kind of thing I’d love to do!’ it might be worth exploring specific training options for that job. Of course some training options might also cover a range of things and there are local options available to you.

If you want to be a therapist you need to look at your motivations; as therapists we must be empathic and the best way to do this is to have been in the same situation as your client. Also, your training will likely bring things up that you need to process and you can do this in your therapy sessions to ensure you remain non-judgemental and objective in your studies.

So, here is a brief run down of some of your options working as a therapist. There are likely more that I haven’t listed but these are the main ones, apologies if I’ve missed something you feel is important: 1. Private Practice: It takes hard work, but contrary to popular belief you can make a living out of private practice. When I started I was told this wasn’t possible and that I’d likely have to get a part time job to survive. This is the main issue with therapists and private practice - the mindset for years has been that private practice is a ‘side thing’ therapists do rather than private therapy being a worthwhile, respectable career. I now own two successful therapy businesses - both in private practice, so it is possible to have a thriving career within the private practice industry. You will need to develop a good business plan and have confidence in yourself and your business; I am writing business training courses to help therapists wishing to work in private practice so watch this space!

2. NHS: When I investigated this originally (at first qualifying) I found that firstly the NHS only considered certain types of therapists depending on the demand in the area (CBT and those able to offer therapy over the phone tend to be VERY popular), and also that they appeared to only take on certain therapists accredited by certain bodies. Being National Counselling Society, when I first qualified I would not have been looked upon as a favourable candidate. Saying that, back in March 2017 the National Counselling Society posted an article on Facebook from NHS employers.org saying: ‘NHS Employers told to acknowledge there are multiple Accredited Registers, and offer jobs to all’ and then on the 6th April 2017 the NCS posted a fantastic development from www.healthcareers.nhs.uk, as under the ‘counselling’ role they have added National Counselling Society accreditation as an entry requirement. So hopefully things are changing. You should check your local NHS’s policy and how they work. As far as I’m aware, most NHS areas don’t take on hypnotherapists but this policy is changing all the time due to the positive outcomes of hypnotherapy, so do keep checking.

For specific information about careers in the NHS, medicine and public health go to www.healthcareers.nhs.uk. This is also the website to keep an eye on for the latest news on all things to do

with health careers and they have a fantastic bank of resources.

3. Working for a Charity or Government Agency: Examples of government agencies would be: the CPS, working as an inhouse therapist in a prison, or working for one of the charitable agencies supported by the government (for example Open Road in Chelmsford is a drug rehabilitation agency where £3.1m of their budget is funded through NHS and local authority contracts), the Big Lottery Fund, charitable trusts and donations (openroad.org.uk/about_us).

This is where it can get a little complicated, some charities are completely self funded through donations and some are further supported by their local government and lottery funding, meaning some budgets will vastly differ from others. It also means that charities that have to apply for funding, for things like therapy services, will be more strict about the types of therapists they hire, but more importantly they’ll be strict about the number of therapists they can hire.

4. Working for Your Placement: All therapists have to gain Therapy Hours and many do this via a ‘placement’. Your placement could be in various places including a hospital, a charity or a government agency. Some practitioners, especially those that have vast experience in a specific sphere like addiction, can get a job with their placement upon qualification. This is because they already know you and your strengths and will have seen evidence that you are capable of working in a variety of disciplines, so they may have seen you work in a mixture of fields including 1 on 1 work, group therapy work and being creative with exercises to use with varying numbers of clients. An example of the type of organisation that would offer this type of placement, possibly leading to a job when you qualify, would be a private rehab clinic.

For more information about about working as a therapist, these membership organisations might be able to help: BACP, NCS and UKCP. I haven’t mentioned schools or universities here because working with children is something I am not trained in. I am aware that schools and universities tend to be very strict about the types of therapists and what training and experience that therapist has before they will consider a therapist’s CV. Also, the criteria varies from school to school and university to university. If you want to work with children I suggest that you research training specifically in this area and ask the membership bodies for more information about how and where you can work with children in terms of working for another organisation.

If anyone is interested in seeing a therapist, Chelmsford Therapy Rooms has a range of therapists that can help with a multitude of issues. We offer many therapies from hypnotherapy to counselling to nutrition. Please see the website www.chelmsfordtherapyrooms. co.uk, or you can email info@chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or call 0330 100 5162.

Chelmsford Therapy Rooms is owned and run by Jenny Hartill, an integrative counsellor and hypnotherapist, who is happy to answer any questions!

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Vicky Ford the MP for Chelmsford

I was in the House of Commons chamber last week when the Prime Minister spoke to MPs about the Salisbury incident and Russian chemical weapons. The mood was very sombre. It was clear that the vast majority of MPs considered this to be extremely serious.

I fully support the Prime Minister’s swift and stern response, her decision to expel Russian diplomats and to investigate further financial sanctions. Ever since Russia first invaded Ukraine, politicians from all across Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltics have told me how they have felt increasingly at risk from Russian aggression. There are many examples of Russian media using false stories and ‘fake news’ to undermine legitimate democracies. We cannot turn a blind eye and must work closely with our allies.

The Prime Minister will discuss Russia with EU leaders at their meeting in Brussels this week. This is also a crucial meeting for the next phase of Brexit negotiations and to agreeing implementation periods. From the end of this March the exit date will be less than a year ahead. Many businesses and consumers need clarity now, because they operate on a 12 month basis. This is especially important for areas like advance ticket sales for air travel which are

From County Hall - by Cllr Dick Madden Some great news this week in that Chelmsford was named the best place to live in the east of England by the Sunday Times. The report compliments the excellent schools in the area, plus praising the city’s transport links to London and affordable house prices.

3foot People Festival Chelmsford City Council has announced that the 3foot People Festival will make a return to Chelmsford this summer. Three days of fun will descend onto the scenic grounds of Hylands Park, Chelmsford, on Tuesday 26th, Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th June 2018.

Aimed solely at pre-school children, the 3foot People Festival welcomes over 14,000 little and big people for an exciting array of playful activities and amusements ready to inspire and entertain.

Children, parents and carers alike will be overwhelmed with wonder as they experience this unique festival of tents, stages and areas.

This year, activities will include music and movement, theatre and storytelling, arts and crafts, sporting and interactive play, with numerous other attractions and performances that will be sure to entertain.

Below are areas I am held accountable for as Cabinet Member for Children and Families, really good news and a request for help.

National Down Syndrome Week This week is World Down Syndrome Awareness Week and at ECC we are raising awareness of down syndrome and the stigma that is often attached to children and adults with down syndrome which can often prevent them from having the opportunity to make a valuable contribution in society. As part of this important week, we are also asking for people who have experience of working with children with disabilities who also have a spare room to make a difference in a child’s life. We are looking for specialist foster carers to provide short breaks for families with children who may have challenging behaviour or complex medical needs. For more information call our friendly team for an informal chat on 0800 801 530. £2.1 Million Boost for Essex as County Council Is Announced as Partner in Practice This is an area I am held accountable for as Cabinet Member for

sold up to 12 months in advance, and for items like car insurance contracts which cover a whole year.

I was also in the chamber to hear the Chancellor give his first Spring Statement. This was not intended to be a budget statement with new spending announcements - that happens in the autumn. The Spring Statement gives an update on the state of the economy. There was lots of good news, with the national debt finally beginning to fall from crisis levels and record employment levels. We heard that inflation is coming down and real wages are set to start rising. The Chancellor did reconfirm that he will fully fund the pay rise for nurses which it is hoped the nurses union will agree on later this year.

During National Apprenticeship Week I visited Chelmsford College and met some of the 5,350 young people who have started apprenticeships in Chelmsford since 2010. I was particularly pleased to hear the Chancellor announce support for small businesses to help them take on apprentices. This will be particularly helpful in areas like training for electricians, where it is often difficult for the student to find a suitable mentor for their apprenticeship training.

As always, I’m interested to hear your views. Please do get in touch via email on vicky.ford.mp@parliament.uk.

Children and Families - really good news. Essex County Council has officially been named as one of eight Local Authority Partners in Practice by the Department for Education, tasked with contributing to a collective approach to improve outcomes for vulnerable children across the country. ECC will be awarded £2.1 million to help other local authorities where children’s services have been rated ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted.

The funding is part of the Government’s £20 million improvement strategy for children’s social care and will see the Partners in Practice programme - children’s services which are rated ‘good’ by Ofsted - develop and share strong practice, and deliver hands-on peer support to other councils.

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Awareness Day To mark Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Awareness Day, the Essex, Southend and Thurrock Safeguarding Children Boards in partnership with Essex Police, have relaunched the I Didn’t Know campaign, focussing on online safety awareness and youth produced sexual imagery. Online abuse is present in over 60% of all cases of child sexual exploitation investigated by Essex Police, making the need for online safety education a priority.

The campaign will target parents and carers, as research shows they are unaware of the dangers of social media and the privacy settings available on social media apps. Additionally, children and young people aged 8-13 years old will be targeted by the campaign, as this is a crucial age where mobile phones and the internet are often introduced.

The campaign aims to reach out to parents, carers and children to share key messages: • • • • •

Highlighting the risks to children from online threats.

Providing tips to parents on what they can do to help keep their child safe online.

Providing advice to parents on what to do if they have concerns.

Supporting children to use their mobiles and other devices safely, responsibly and positively.

Providing advice to children on what to do if they are worried about something they have seen or been asked to do online.

BE SAFE Dick Madden

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National Record Store Day on Saturday 21st April

releases made exclusively for the day.

Intense Records in Chelmsford will once again be taking part in the massively popular National Record Store Day on Saturday 21st April 2018. This is the one day that all of the independent record stores celebrate vinyl and invite music lovers to come and get their hands on special

Jon from Intense says: “This is the busiest day of the year for us, if you want to make sure you grab your favourite release I would advise getting here early. Last year we had a queue of over 200 hungry vinylists outside when we opened.” Check out the picture above from last year’s Record Store Day at Intense.

This year’s list of hundreds of exclusive releases has been revealed and there really is something for everyone across many genres from hip hop, rock, pop to country, dance and everything in between.

Releases from Niall Horan and Rudimental will be enticing a younger generation of music fans, whilst The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd help to rekindle the love of long-time vinyl fans.

Hip hop fans will be pleased to hear of releases from Wu Tang Clan, Run The Jewels, The Notorious B.I.G. and Cypress Hill.

Indie and rock artists include Led Zepplin with a super rare 7” vinyl never released in the UK before, and David Bowie releases 4 different vinyls from the archives which will be highly sought after, as they are every year.

Dance music fans can look forward to special releases from Fatboy Slim, The Future Sound of London and also Goldie with a 25 year anniversary album of unreleased and remastered tracks. Also local techno legend from Chelmsford, Sergio Vilas, will be releasing his first ever exploit to vinyl with the Rebate EP on US label Subsensory Recordings. He will performing on the day so make sure you get your copies signed by the man himself.

any remaining stock will be made available online a week later from the 28th April at www.intenserecords.com.

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

Alternatively, call them on 01245 347 372 or check their website: www.intenserecords.com.

The novelty releases we have picked out this year include the Lovely Eggs’ This is Eggland on a huge fried egg shaped vinyl and The Toy Dolls’ punk rendition of Nellie the Elephant, a classic children’s song, which hit number 1 in the UK indie chart.

You can check out all the releases now at www.recordstoreday.co.uk, and 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 a special instore event with live DJs, local bands and 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 on the Sunday as well from 10am-4pm. The exclusive releases will be available in store only for the following week, but www.moulshamtimes.com

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MT Health

Spring Has Sprung... Be Careful of Your Back

This week I learnt a valuable lesson in not coming up with one’s title before writing one’s content. I’d been thinking of a topical and timely article to write for you, dear reader, and I thought: ‘I know, every year I treat a load of people who injure their backs in the spring, I’ll write about that.’

On that particular day as I had that thought, I was walking through the high street with a light, warm breeze on my face, the sun warming my soul after a long winter.

I banked the idea, letting my subconscious turn it over before letting my fingers loose on the keyboard. Yet, I was premature. I sit here now looking out the window at a grey, heavy day with our second round of snow in as many weeks bringing the nation to a standstill.

I dragged myself out for a run this morning but my hands went past the point of cold and turned into balls of pain. I could barely see straight as brain-freeze set in.

the backflips). Thinking about a movement we are about to do uses the same part of our brain as actually doing it and can prepare the muscles and joints. It’s often when we are not mindful of movement that injury can happen.

So as we pass from winter to spring, enjoy using your body again and take joy in being active and outdoors. Just make sure you have loosened up from hibernation and you are mindful in your movement.

Spring is a busy time of year for us in the clinic and we are always here to help, but we love it when you take control of your own health and keep the niggles at bay.

Have a healthy month!

If you have any questions or would like a basic back loosening routine, get in touch at chris@fortephysicalhealth.co.uk or through our Facebook page (search ‘Forté Physical Health’). We also have a video library with lots of ideas.

Life MT Hack

Spring has most definitely not sprung.

However, the good people at the Moulsham Times have a few days to turn this article around and I am sitting here with optimism that by the time this magazine lands in your lap the birds will be singing, the buds will be budding and my face will be lapping in the warm breeze once again. The title will be relevant, I’m sure of it!

As the weather warms and the days get longer, a wave of excitement passes through the community. It feels that our bodies have been wrapped up a long time and most of us slow down during the darker months.

It’s entirely natural to take it easier over winter, but it does cause our body to tighten up a bit. We’re slightly less nimble than we were and it can take time to get our ‘bounce’ back.

Our backs are vulnerable if we rush back to our old activities without warming up and easing in.

Cut a lemon in half and start rubbing to remove hard water stains and rust from any stainless steel in the bathroom or kitchen.

Plus, this leaves behind a fresh, natural, citrus scent.

If you love being out in the garden but get stuck in for six hours on the first sunny day, you’ll be at risk of injury. If you were riding 50 miles on the bike back in September but expect to do the same on your first outing since then, you may be in trouble! Or as the days get longer and you feel able to hit those early gym sessions again, take it easy on the first few sessions.

The best approach to prevent back pain as we ease back into activity is to have a daily stretching routine. It only needs to be a couple of minutes but spending a little time loosening the hips, back and shoulders each day can prepare us for the life we live (we have videos to follow on our Facebook page if you want to find some ideas of what to do).

It is also incredibly helpful to mentally prepare for the activity you are about to do. We are all familiar with an Olympic gymnast taking a few moments before an awe-inspiring performance - well, the practice of playing something through in your mind can help you too (minus 8

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MT Gardening

Time moves on and there’s loads to do in the garden in readiness for the season ahead. Here are just a few tasks to complete: Pruning of all coloured stemmed shrubs such as willow, dogwood, poplar and ornamental blackberries. Start by taking out diseased, dead and damaged material first. Once this is completed take down all of last year’s growth to just in front of its point of origin. For me this needs to be just in front of the stump or old limbs, leaving around 2cm (5”) of new stem. This keeps the plant more juvenile, and in this case helps to produce vibrant new coloured stems ready for winter interest. The pruning material could be shredded or chipped and used to top up natural pathways. Alternatively, take hardwood cuttings; email me for a fact sheet giving more information.

Once you’ve completed your pruning tasks, don’t forget to use a general purpose feed and then prick over the beds as this will remove your footprints and alleviate any compaction. Feeds such as Growmore or Fish, blood and bone would be suitable.

Have you managed to dig over your veg patch? There’s still time as the weather starts to dry out and soil becomes less wet.

Incorporate well rotted

organic matter such as good garden compost, leaf mould or well rotted farm yard manure. Any of these will be suitable. The same examples can also be used to mulch the surface which helps keep weeds down and suppresses water loss. If the soil is still wet, keep off it as you’ll only cause compaction which leads to water logging.

Other Tasks to Get on With: • Rake any leaves/ debris off beds and borders removing to composting areas.

• Complete pruning of apples and pears.

• Complete pruning of soft fruit such as raspberries, blackberries and gooseberries.

• Top dress blueberries with ericaceous compost.

• Once chitted, plant out potatoes, but watch out for drops in temperature if shoots emerge above ground; earth up to protect or use horticultural fleece covers.

• Start to increase watering and feeding of house plants.

If you want to further your knowledge and understanding of these or other gardening jobs, please consider one of the following courses at Writtle University College: 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 Certificate in the Principles of Garden Planning, Establishment and Maintenance 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 have loads of other programmes on offer. Why not pop in and see us Saturday 21st April 2018 for our next information event?

Happy Gardening!

For any gardening tips 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 & Roots in the City - by Nick Garner Chelmsford Festival of Arts and Culture Update We are moving ahead very fast now and all is coming together. We now have a website (www.chelmsfordfestival.org) and a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/chelmsfordaacf) as well as Twitter (@ chelmsfordaacf) and Instagram (chelmsfordaacf).

We are thrilled that Suzi Quatro has made a short video of support for us to use and we hope to announce another fantastic patron very soon. We have booked the stage for the first weekend of the 23rd and 25th June for the Bond Street Bowl where all the fun will start after the parade arrives there on the Saturday. We have stalls, dance, music and circus acts planned, and the Bearded Gypsy market will also be in the High Street on the Sunday.

There will also be much more going on in around the city centre plus an arts trail and some top artists performing along with workshops such as dance workshops. Music will include choir, rock, classical, jazz, blues, acoustic, country and more. We are going to have quite a lot of storytelling going on as well as comedy and street entertainers.

Almost daily we are adding to the list and we are thrilled that we are working in association with the Maldon Festival and we know the Museum of Power also want to be involved. We are working closely with the museum in Oaklands Park, Moulsham Street as well as Hylands where we are working with their artists who will be hosting a day long event on Sunday 24th June. We have lots more planned with many more pop-up events as well.

On Saturday June 30th the main event, hosted by Essex Music Education Hub, will be Sounds of Essex celebrating the music of pupils from schools all over Essex. The main event will be held in Central Park. Our last day for the festival is Sunday 1st July when we have the River Festival and Dragon Boat Racing in the city centre. we will have lots going on with music and many other acts to entertain you all day.

Please keep your ears peeled and eyes open for future updates and remember, if you would like to get involved in any way or would like to volunteer (we need lots of volunteers!) please send an email to contact@chelmsfordaacf.org.

will be a great night. Opening on the night is our very own Roy Mette.

On Wednesday 25th April we are more than pleased to be welcoming back to the football ground none other than one of the world’s finest guitarists, Albert Lee and his band. If you want to come along you need to get a ticket quickly as they are selling fast. We expect the show to sell out again like last year’s. Opening is Connor Selby who will play a short solo set; a young man who is fast gaining a lot of attention - we think he will be a future star.

There is always a lot more going on in and around Chelmsford and Maldon. In the United Brethren (UB) in Chelmsford you will find good live music every Saturday night and Sunday afternoon from 3pm to 6pm, with acts coming from all over the UK to play. So check them out for sure.

Facebook is a good place to find out what is going on and you can always find listings in the City Times.

As ever, please do try to come out and support the great live scene that we have in Essex because if you do not we may lose it. For more information on all of the above and more see the links below and pick up a copy of the City Times and see the What’s On pages to find out what is happening in your area. If you go to our Facebook pages, look at our events tabs - 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: contact@chelmsfordaacf.org www.chelmsfordfestival.org www.facebook.com/chelmsfordaacf Twitter: @chelmsfordaacf

Music At the Bassment we had a fantastic night with the return of Guy Tortora and Ben Tyzack playing a most entertaining set. They were joined by the opening act Martin McNeill. It was a busy and much loved night.

On Friday 16th March, Jamie Williams and the Roots Collective launched our new album called Diff’rent Gravy for 3M’s Music label at Chelmsford City Football Club. On the night, we opened for the legendary Pretty Things as part of their farewell tour. As well as the CD we will have vinyl coming very soon, we also had a beer brewed by Round Tower in Navigation Road in Chelmsford. This was so popular that it sold out in just over an hour and I did not get a pint sadly.

We are though going to get the beer bottled and I know some of the local pubs are ordering it in cask as well. We also have band T-shirts, badges and beer mats available.

It was an honour to open for such legends as Phil May and Dick Taylor, original members of The Pretty Things. They played a blinder of a set covering their whole career, starting with the blues to the concept album SF Sorrow and to the rock and garage numbers that they have played throughout their very long career stretching back to the early 60s. The band did of course influence so many big acts along the way. They did mention that they may well do the odd gig and still record, it is just the touring they can no longer do. Both Phil and Dick stayed at the end to talk to everyone, sign items and have their photos taken - they were wonderful and really nice people.

On the 5th April at the Bassment we have Denny Newman (Black Dog) and his band joined by blues legend Dave Kelly, who is also part of the Blues Band with Paul Jones and Tom McGuinness. Denny also used to play with Mick Taylor of The Rolling Stones, so you know this 12

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MT Baking - by Bev Matthews Butternut Squash Arancini with Garlic Aioli As a caterer, I provide a range of different catering options for all kinds of events throughout Essex, from buffets, to BBQs to fine dining dinner parties… every function is unique. My favourite kind of catering has always been to create and serve delicious and beautiful canapés. I love the opportunity to be creative with flavours as well as presentation. And serving canapés are always rewarding as you get immediate feedback from guests as they sample the array of bite sized treats that are on offer.

So, for this month’s recipe I’ve chosen one the most popular canapés on my menu, Butternut Squash Arancini with Garlic Aioli. It’s best to make the risotto the day before so it has time to cool down in the fridge, so you’ll need to plan ahead.

Ingredients For the risotto: 1 butternut squash diced into 2cm cubes 50g butter 500ml vegetable stock 500g Arborio rice 1½ pints of vegetable stock 1 glass of white wine 1 onion 2 crushed garlic cloves A handful of flat leaf parsley To Make the Arancini 150g Mozzarella 4 eggs 1 cup of plain flour 1 cup of breadcrumbs For the Garlic Aioli 2 egg yolks 400ml rape seed oil 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 garlic clove Lemon juice to taste

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the butter and fry for a couple of minutes before adding the stock and simmer until the squash is soft. Leave to cool before blending with a hand blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Now to start the risotto… Finely chop the onion and garlic. Add some oil to a pan and fry off the onion and garlic on a low heat until they are soft but not coloured. Add the Arborio rice to the pan and coat in the oil and onion mixture stirring for a few minutes.

Add the wine white to the pan and stir until all the wine has been absorbed, before adding a ladle of hot stock.

Continue to stir the risotto and as each ladle of stock has been absorbed, add another. Keep doing this until the rice is cooked.

Usually when making a risotto you want the rice to still have a slight bite to it, but for this recipe it’s best to slightly over cook the risotto to it’s easier to form into balls later on.

Once the risotto is cooked, stir through the butternut squash purée and fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and put in the fridge to cool overnight.

To make the Arancini balls, roll the cold risotto into small balls, trying to compress it as much as possible in your hand. Create a hole in the middle with your thumb and place a small piece of mozzarella in the middle and continue to roll the ball to enclose.

Coat each ball in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs. Put to one side ready to deep fry (tip: at this point the Arancini balls can be frozen and deep fried from frozen).

Deep fry the Arancini balls in oil at 180 degrees for approximately 5 minutes until golden brown.

To make the Garlic Aioli.

Add the egg yolks, mustard and vinegar to a bowl and whisk together. Slowly add the oil whilst whisking until you achieve the consistency of a think mayonnaise.

Add crushed garlic, season with salt and pepper and add lemon juice to taste.

To find out more about Perfect Day Caterers visit www. perfectdaycaterers.co.uk or email beverley@perfectdaycaterers.co.uk, I’d love to hear from you!

Method 1. Firstly, make a butternut squash purée which will be added to the risotto later. Place the butternut squash in a saucepan with 14 www.moulshamtimes.com

“Board Games? You Mean, Like Monopoly?”

No, not like Monopoly. We’ll come back to Monopoly - I only mention it now because it’s always the first thing people think of when they hear the phrase ‘board games’. Well, almost always, because people are now starting to realise that there is more to board games than they thought.

I first realised this whilst visiting friends in Cardiff a couple of years ago. I was wandering through the Castle Arcade when I found a shop called Rules of Play which had lots of richly illustrated boxes in the window. My wandering feet took me in, and I was confronted with the sight of shelves filled with games from floor to ceiling. I had been dimly aware of something called ‘adult board games’ before then, but I had always imagined them to be rather dry, monochromatic affairs.

Once I saw the amazing art and production values of these modern board games and the huge range of titles, I was hooked - and I knew that I wouldn’t be the only one.

Fast forward two years and my wife Beth and I are now opening the Counter Culture Games Centre in Chelmsford. It’s been a rocky ride there have been times when we questioned if we were doing the right thing. But ultimately, the fear of not trying was greater than the fear of failing. There comes a point in some people’s lives when they stop worrying about becoming rich and successful and simply wish to be able to earn a living doing something they love - and I had reached that point.

When we got back from Cardiff, we looked up local board game clubs, and found the Chelmsford Board Game Club in The Plough on Tuesdays. I was in what is now known as ‘a bad place’ - I was struggling with depression and anxiety that had cost me my job.

There were good weeks and bad weeks, but even during the bad weeks, there was always games night to look forward to. It became a lifeline to me - spending time in the company of like-minded people without having to think of something to talk about. I wanted other people to feel this benefit too. It seemed to me that gaming had a great deal to offer as an alternative to the flood of digital

entertainment we all experience every day.

Games are a tactile, sensory experience. It’s fun holding a hand of cards, rolling some dice, or placing little people shaped counters (‘meeples’ I learnt to call them) on the board. People have a natural urge to gather together, but if you don’t have much interest in sport, it can be difficult to find an outlet for it. Gaming is just a great way to sit quietly together.

It’s a great way to meet new people too. Having the game on the table in front of you means there is always something to talk about (and something to look at, if you find eye contact difficult). We’ve met so many people of varying ages since we started playing. It is cross generational - teenagers and twentysomethings happily sit down with retired people, children with their parents and grandparents.

Which brings us back to Monopoly. It’s the game that most people associate with playing games with their family, and often those associations are not good. People argue over the rules (no, you don’t put income tax in the middle of the board and pick it up on Free Parking; yes, you can buy properties on the first lap; yes, it does go up for auction if you choose not to buy it), you can usually tell who’s going to win quite early, players who are knocked out have to wait for the game to finish and so on.

Because of that, people decide that they don’t like Monopoly. And they think that because they don’t like Monopoly, they don’t like board games. I want to let you know that if you can get past the Monopoly barrier, there’s a wonderful, challenging, fulfilling hobby waiting for you - and a lot of new friends.

Find us at 26 Baddow Road, Chelmsford, or call 07856 382 288. www.counterculturegames.com Facebook: @counterculturegames.com info@counterculturegames.com

Christ Church CHESS Homeless Hub: The New Night Shelter CHESS is one of the charities we support here at Christ Church, both financially and in terms of the time people spend volunteering in a variety of capacities.

Recently there has been renewed interest in the plight of the homeless, highlighted by the wintry weather and the sad death of rough sleeper Rob O’Connor in Chelmsford. Rob was well known to CHESS staff and to the council, but he strenuously resisted offers of accommodation by well wishers. Fortunately, many people who find themselves homeless are willing to engage and accept temporary housing.

The CHESS homeless team work with single homeless adults and begin by offering them a place in the night shelter, but then when people are ready, they move on to satellite houses before getting back into their own accommodation. The night shelter is in the process of transferring to the newly refurbished building at 200 New London Road, enabled by the generosity of the Christ Church congregation and others.

CHESS provides the support services people need to get back on their feet; help with money, work and relationships and referral to

addiction and therapy services. CHESS also run a Winter Project (with council funds) for rough sleepers during the coldest months offering 10 extra beds to those in need.

The night shelter is a dry house and people have to commit to being drug and alcohol free in order to get a placement. There are some people, like Rob, who are not ready for that step, but that doesn’t preclude them from getting support. Rough sleepers are offered daily hot meals and drinks, access to showers, new clothes and all of the support services.

As I said, Christ Church has been generous not only with a gift to CHESS from the Irene Underhill Legacy, but with a loan, now being repaid, to modernise the old Red Cross building in New London Road. However, the cost of running this charitable work is enormous, so if individuals are able to support this ongoing work then please visit the CHESS website. If you are not in a position to support CHESS financially, then your prayers will be equally welcomed.

For more information visit: www.chesshomeless.org.

Pat Bruguier Christ Church URC For more information about the activities at Christ Church please visit www.christchurchchelmsfordurc.org.uk.

Top Comedian Gives Backing in Advance of Community Meeting Top comedian Tom Walker - better known as angry TV reporter Jonathan Pie - has given his official support to the work of Chelmsford homelessness support group Cool to be Kind, as the organisation gears up to host a public meeting next month. Cool to be Kind organises the annual Rucksack Project, which receives donations of rucksacks, clothes and other essentials and then distributes the items to people forced to sleep rough across Essex. It also organised the recent vigil in memory of Rob O’Connor, the homeless man who passed away last month in Chelmsford city centre after a very cold night. Next month’s meeting takes place at Chelmsford City Football Club on Wednesday 4th April at 7pm, with the club house provided free of charge as the Clarets continue to give their backing to Cool to be Kind’s work.

In his statement, Tom Walker said: “There are more people living rough on our streets today than ever before. Whilst retweeting a Jonathan Pie video or a Guardian article about homelessness makes us feel better, it doesn’t really achieve much - and of course giving you small change only helps short term. Cool to be Kind is one organisation that really does make a difference. It offers genuine, practical help to some of the most vulnerable people in our community. Having seen what they do first hand I am proud to support their invaluable work and the positive impact and difference it makes to those who need it the most.”

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The meeting is designed to increase public participation in Cool to be Kind’s work both in terms of its direct outreach to the homeless community collecting clothes and rucksacks and its campaign work putting pressure on the local council. www.facebook.com/TheRucksackProjectChelmsford

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Education is so much more than learning a series of facts! At Moulsham Juniors we pride ourselves on offering a broad and balanced curriculum and providing children with as many experiences as possible to enable them to develop into well-

rounded individuals who are well prepared for their next steps in life.

One of the most important life skills we give our children is to learn about first aid - a skill which we could all benefit from having and one which could easily change the lives of those around us. This term all of our Year 5 classes have been working on their first aid skills as they have each taken part in a one day course provided by Mr Colin Booth who is a search team member with Essex Search and Rescue.

Helen Miles, Head of Year 5, said that the children found the day invaluable, putting people into the recovery position, carrying a stretcher, knowing what to do in a situation, applying a bandage and stopping the bleeding.

The children wholeheartedly entered into the spirit of the course: “I liked carrying the stretcher because it wasn’t as heavy as I thought and I liked lifting it over the obstacles,” reported Erin.

“When I received a bleeding cut I used my skills that I learnt to stop the bleeding,” explained Kiera. Daniel stated: “I learnt what to do if someone is injured and I found it useful to know how to stop bleeding.”

Marie Staley, Headteacher

Moulsham Infant School At Moulsham Infant School, we are very proud of our creative curriculum. During February we held our annual International Week when every class chose a country to learn about, from Australia to Egypt and Sweden to Kenya. The whole curriculum was taught this week using our chosen countries including geography, history, art, DT, English and maths.

especially with all the snow.

As part of International Week, we had an exciting performance from a Caribbean steel pan band. After this, all the children had a workshop session where every child had the chance to play the steel pans.

In March, the Chelmsford School Sports Partnership held their gymnastics competition. We were very proud of both our year 2 and year 1 teams who entered. They practised very hard, tried their best and all enjoyed the experience of the competition.

Our motto at Moulsham Infants is ‘Where learning is fun’ and we have certainly had a creative, fun and exciting start to this half term…

Life T M Hack Clean your dishwasher by placing a cup of distilled white vinegar on the top rack and running it.

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Are you Selfish? - by Mark Roberts Have you ever been called selfish? I’m guessing you have at some time or another and unless you’re completely hard-hearted, I bet it stung! When somebody tells you you’re selfish it’s never said in a good way is it?

Being told you are selfish is always an accusation that you’re putting yourself and your needs above others. It’s a criticism frequently made in general terms, as in ‘you are a selfish person’, or more specifically, ‘that was very selfish of you.’ You will be familiar with those terms, because you are likely to have said - or had - those thoughts yourself, or maybe you were the person acting selfishly. Let’s face it, we have all been there at some time or another.

So, selfishness is almost exclusively seen as self-serving and acted out for personal profit or pleasure. But, is it always wrong to be selfish? Have you ever found yourself saying, ‘I did it for selfish reasons’ and if so, were they good reasons?

Let’s be clear here, I am not advocating selfish behaviour that serves to undermine the needs of others; this would be selfishness for bad reasons. But is it always bad to be selfish? Is it possible that acting selfishly may occasionally be the right thing to do when placed in the context of personal circumstances?

So, what are we talking about here?

Your needs are no less important than anybody else’s. You have the right to be happy and you have the right to have your needs fulfilled. Constantly deferring to others is a form of people pleasing by putting the needs of others above your own. It can also be a form of reverse selfishness, because denying your own happiness can have a detrimental effect on both you and your family.

My point is this: You are also entitled to be happy and to have what you want. Putting the needs of others above yours is not necessarily always the right thing to do. Ok, there is plenty of advice out there extolling the virtues of service and I am not going against that - we all know that it is good to give. But there must be balance, because it is also very nice to receive and on occasions to treat yourself. I am a firm believer in the adage that ‘charity begins at home’.

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noses put out of joint, then they are probably not good friends anyway; anybody who truly knows you will understand.

Get used to being a little bit selfish by do something small for yourself every day. It doesn’t matter what it is and could be as simple as having some time to yourself - a bit of personal space.

In time, you will be ready to move on to even greater acts of being ‘selfishly good’. If your life’s needs are fulfilled, you will be in a better position to help others - a win-win situation!

If you have any nagging concerns, then mentally balance your personal selfishness against any collateral damage to others then assess the likely harm. Maybe it is possible to adjust your actions in way that others can also benefit; also a win-win situation.

Go on, treat yourself and learn to be a little bit selfish.

Go create…

For more about Mark Roberts, visit his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/intelligentlifestrategies.

Life T M Hack

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Think of it it this way: If your life’s needs are being fulfilled then you’re in a much better position to help others. Take an example from the safety advice given when travelling by aeroplane: ‘always fit your own oxygen mask before attending to children and other vulnerable people’. A simple metaphor, but it serves to enforce the point that you can’t help others if you need assistance yourself.

It is all about being aware of your own needs and judging them against the circumstances you’re facing. You will instinctively know the right thing to do. Is it still selfish? Yes of course, but that doesn’t make it bad and you don’t have to justify your actions to anybody - no need to go on a personal guilt trip!

The way forward…

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Be aware of your own needs and your personal right to be happy.

It’s important to understand that you have mental and physical boundaries - it’s not all about them! I am advocating being selfishly good, by recognising your needs and attending to them.

Don’t be afraid to accept generosity - it’s nice to be on the receiving end of kindness and generosity. If you have the slightest tinge of guilt about this, then think of it as developing an understanding of how others feel when you do things for them. It will serve to increase the joy you experience when you are giving back.

Never undermine yourself in favour of others and take positive action to look after yourself first. Supportive family and friends will understand this and will not be offended. If others have their

07936 198651

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Springing Forward at Chandlers Chandler Material Supplies have had an awful lot to celebrate recently. The local Chelmsford family business celebrated being triple award winners at the National Builders Merchant Awards. Presented

by Joanna Lumley MBE, Chandler Material Supplies proudly accepted three of the top awards given; Website & Digital Initiative, Trainee Of The Year, plus the prestigious Independent Builders Merchant of the Year (1-10 branches).

ease.

“We know we have the best people working here giving a great customer experience, it’s absolutely brilliant to have that recognised and to be able to share the great news with everyone. We’re looking forward to a busy and exciting year ahead for us and all of our customers as we build further on what’s been achieved so far. We mustn’t forget that without our customers there’s no need for our existence, so rest assured we’ll keep working to make sure they are at the forefront of everything we do.” (Julie Chandler, Managing Director).

Step into Summer Add a pop of colour to outdoor furniture. A coat or two of colourful paint to a chair, stool or bench can make the world of difference for a fraction of the price it would cost to invest in new, ‘on trend’ outdoor furniture. Whether it’s brights or pastels, this fun style puts pay to previous formal styles, so that the space can be enjoyed all year round, seamlessly linking the house straight through into the garden.

Over the last 4 years, Chandlers has embarked on a huge modernisation project re-engineering every part of the business.

For 60 years the company had built a tremendous reputation for customer service, with family values strongly at its core. As Chandlers continued to grow, it faced a massive challenge in modernising its processes across the board whilst ensuring it kept the culture, values and ethics that had made it such a success from the start, appealing to a long, loyal base of customers - new and old - who continue to say that the larger, generic companies just can’t replicate this approach.

Take a New Look…

To complement this ongoing success, this month Chandlers excitedly opened their new doors to a new look with a fully refurbished shop floor. It wasn’t just the free bacon sarnies and a host of suppliers that impressed the new and old customers, the Mayor of Chelmsford cut the ribbon, and the CEO of the Builders Merchant Federation was also in attendance.

With the lighter days beginning to appear, it’s a wonderful time to get inspired to freshen up your home for the coming summer months ahead.

Whether your chosen pallet is traditional neutrals, or for the more bold, two-tone colour combinations, you can choose from the whole range thanks to Chandlers Dulux Colour Mixing.

No need to worry if your colour is in stock, as both Dulux interior paint and the Dulux Weathershield range can be mixed on site while you wait.

Get the look: Chandlers decorating department stock a range of Cuprinol Garden Shades as well as black barn paint and Sandtex trade masonry paint.

Make a Small Space Amazing You don’t have to have an expanse of space or garden to create an oasis you can escape to. A trellis screen made up of 2:2 batons or installing new fence panels can help create a more private, intimate space where established climbers can do what comes naturally and in no time your green oasis is complete. To make your colour pop even more, creating a black backdrop to an existing tired fence can make a huge difference. This teamed up with a small bistro set and potted plants will serve as a fuss free, low maintenance haven for you to enjoy at the end of a long day.

Get the look: Fencing, gates, sleepers and black barn paint are all available at Chandler Material Supplies.

Create a Comfy Corner

This new increased floor space enables access to more quality products for customers to browse. Navigate through from all building products to paint and decorating products, on to plumbing and heating products, before heading down the steps to the modern bathroom showroom, which is currently displaying the brand new Laura Ashley range.

Springing into Action…

Although the weather hasn’t been very spring-like yet, now is traditionally the season to start prepping for a summer you can just relax into. For many, thoughts turn to painting.

Whether its protecting your outdoor space, existing fencing, or refreshing your interiors, Chandlers have everything you need, including great advice from experts for you to get the job done with

and decking accessories on site. www.chandlermaterials.co.uk

Swap traditional loungers for a shared corner sofa of comfort.

Warm a space up by decking out a corner of the garden solely dedicated to relaxing.

Composite decking such as Millboard and Trex comes in different textures and colours (Driftwood is a personal favourite), plus spare lengths or cut offs can be used to create raised beds or clad the seating area itself.

Get the look: Chandlers stock traditional wood, composite

Wine Corner Hi everyone, March saw the clocks go forward - hands up those who found themselves saying ‘look, half past seven and it’s still light’? My hand is up! As if it does not happen every year! Anyway, it means we should get some better weather and we can look forward to spring.

non-alternative Friday or an alternative Friday? If I get this wrong, I could be stood here for a week. Not much help. As it turns out, I was reading the information wrongly. These little codes belonged to the column of times next to mine!

I’ve been digging (well, ‘surfing the net’) to discover some facts about wine. Wine is produced in almost every country in the world. If you happen to be in Vietnam, as you do, be careful what you order. Don’t risk what little you probably know about the local language, because if they think you are ordering a glass of cobra wine, you will be served a rice wine, covered with snake blood - and the snake is killed in front of you. Acquired taste, I suspect.

More facts. Chilling reduces the sweetness of white wine, and if red wine is too warm, it may lose some it’s fruity flavour. As I have said before, many pubs keep their red wine too warm. Stop it publicans!

The familiar ‘cheers’ and glass clinking we all do these days is said to be from the middle ages when the most popular way to kill an enemy was to poison their wine. To reduce the risk, it was common to put a little drop of your wine into the other guest’s glass. Last fact: one grape vine produces enough wine to fill ten bottles.

Intense fear or hatred of wine is oenophobia - don’t think I suffer from that. Bubbles in wine have been observed since ancient Greece, but they thought it was linked to the phases of the moon or to evil spirits.

Not sure how that one works. The Napa Valley was very big in prune growing before they started on the wine. Mmmm, prune wine, don’t get me going on that! 10,000 varieties of grape are grown around the world. They are Chard... no, I guess I’d best not list them all here.

As well as the churches and monasteries, who made lots of money from wine making, both hospitals and universities also used wine to increase their income. The famous Hôtel-Dieu in the centre of Beaune in France was a hospital and one of the biggest producers of wine regarding that sort of organisation. It is a beautiful building and is now a museum.

Whine Corner: Don’t get me wrong, I am a great fan of the Royal family, they do a fantastic job, but, why do people who are not even part of it get loads of publicity in the papers, just because of a tenuous link? Kate’s parents and sister for example. Who on earth is interested in what they are doing? This business gets free endorsements, because they get a mention regularly in the press and when their other daughter gets married, there’s page after page of coverage, why is this news? The latest is the report that Harry’s girlfriend has allegedly been baptised. Well, that made my day, I have been worried about what may happen on the religious front!

The ‘news’ papers have lost their way a little bit, I think. Some of the stuff I have tried not to read recently has included a report that Harry is teaching Meghan to drive on the left. I would have thought that it would have been easier to get a pair of gloves with L and R on them.

On the same day there were two pages where they were suggesting that Kate’s three fingers were all the same length. Who cares? Finally on this one, I am looking forward to the happy day, I already have it planned. Spend the morning getting all the stuff needed for the afternoon snack, get the wine in, switch on the the television... and watch the FA Cup Final..!

The monks have got themselves in the news this week. No, it’s true.

The famous Buckfast Abbey monks have been making wine for centuries. No surprise there then, but apparently the Scottish Prison Service has been doing some research and suggests that more than 43% of the inmates had consumed Buckfast wine (15% abv) before their last offence. I am not sure how true it is, but I guess if the wine is that potent, it must mean the criminals must be a bit tipsy and easier to catch!

With the abv of wine (generally) on the increase - 15% is not unusual these days, especially from the hotter countries - it may be good to try a few of the lower abv wines, as there are more and more available.

By lower, I don’t include alcohol free wine. To me, this is not wine!

Some wines are naturally lower in alcohol, German Reisling for example is often less than 10%, and to remind you, this means it is 33% lower than the 15% ones mentioned earlier! Most supermarkets sell them and they are often marketed with names that indicate that they are light. Some are not so helpful, with one supermarket labelling their lower ones with the name Sumika, which apparently means light in Japanese. Not sure that will have helped me much looking on the shelf. This wine comes well recommended though. The same supermarket sells an Italian fizz with just 7%. The benefits of all these wines are many, but the most significant ones are to do with how many units of alcohol are in the wine. In general, a bottle of ‘full strength’ is between 9 and 10.5 units. The health services suggests that you should not regularly drink more than 14 units per week.

That’s about one and a half bottles of 13% abv. The other reported benefit is the number of calories in this lower wine.

Bin end chuckles: As a small tribute, I thought I would use a couple of one-liners from the great Ken Dodd who died recently. Apparently when asked if he had met Jurgen Klopp (the Liverpool manager for those who don’t know) he replied: “No, but I have met his daughter Klippity...”

“I have kleptomania, but when it gets bad, I take something for it...”

I was studying a bus timetable recently (no it’s not a hobby, I was actually waiting for a bus) and found that some of the times had Priceless! letters next to them. The one I wanted had FC3 next to it, some had Nsch, some had Sch. When I found the key, apparently mine only Keep calm and carry on drinking, in moderation. runs on alternate Fridays. Now, what use is that to me. Is today a 22

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The registration fees this year will be split between Families InFocus and the Helen Rollison Cancer Charity, both locally based. Individual runners will be able to raise money through sponsorship for a charity of their choice. For further information and how to register google ‘Rotary Chelmsford Mildmay’ and a link will take you to the registration page. It’s one of the main events in the local calendar and eagerly awaited by fun runners and elite runners alike who look forward to a challenge.

Disappointment for Fun Runners One of the most popular ways of fundraising is through fun runs and marathons. As soon as one race is over, work begins organising one for the following year. There are several arranged by Rotary clubs in Essex and one of the largest is the Brentwood Half Marathon which is officially recognised by the British Association of Road Races (BARR) as an elite event.

After an agonising three days of watching the weather, the day before the race (which was scheduled for Sunday 18th March) it was cancelled on the advice of the race referee, BARR and medics because of the potential danger to participants, marshals and spectators. The exceptionally inclement weather with snow, ice and unseasonably low temperatures exacerbated by the chill factor, made it impossible to go ahead. This would have been the 38th annual race organised by the Rotary club and the first time in its history that it has had to be cancelled. The decision, whilst very disappointing, was inevitable bearing in mind that so many young people were involved.

Bad enough for the runners but in some ways worse for the band of helpers who have to stand in the same place for the duration of the race. There is a line between hardy and foolhardy.

Unfortunately, it is not just a case of saying we will run it next week instead. Road closures and other administrative considerations means it will be a missed year. There were also potential issues with the transport system including the ability for ambulances and other emergency services to get through if needed, plus the likely extra workload on hospitals due to adverse weather conditions, so the cancellation was inevitable at the end of the day. Many local charities will suffer as some pledges will not be fulfilled and these usually amount to a staggering £90,000 each year.

However, as I alluded to above, fun runs and marathons are popular in Essex and the Edmund Carr Great Baddow Fun Run and 10 mile Race organised by the Rotary Club of Chelmsford Mildmay is set to take place on 13th May. Despite the strange weather conditions this year Rotary is pretty confident that there will be no cancellation due to snow, ice, windchill, storm or tempest.

There is still plenty of time to enter either the 2 mile or 10 mile races.

The event is another gold standard awarded by the BARR for the highest organisation of a road race. This race is right on the doorstep of Moulsham Times readers and the route will take you through Great Baddow, Galleywood and West Hanningfield.

If you would like further details of events organised by Rotary clubs in which you can join in with either as a participant or a helper, then visit the Rotary district website - www.rotary1240.org. This will also give you access to all the separate Rotary clubs in the area and the range of projects that are being undertaken to benefit the local community and further afield. Alternatively, give me a phone call on 01245 260 349 and I would be pleased to point you in the right direction.

Stan Keller

Life T M Hack

For a quick made at home window washing solution, mix equal parts white vinegar and warm water or add one teaspoon of mild dishwashing liquid to several gallons of water.

But time your cleaning wisely: Sunshine will cause your windows to dry too quickly, leaving streaks - a cloudy day is better.

Chelmsford Quiz 1. When was Hylands House originally completed, a: 1730 b: 1740 c:1765?

2. When was Chelmsford made the county town of Essex?

3. Which two towns is Chelmsford twinned with?

4. When did Chelmsford become a city?

5. Britain’s first public broadcast was made from Chelmsford on June 15th 1920, who was the opera star who sang? For a bonus point which dessert was named after her?

6. Chelmsford Prison appeared in which comedy?

7. When was the first V Festival at Hylands Park?

8. To the nearest 10,000 what is the population of Chelmsford?

9. When did the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation open?

10. Which division are Chelmsford City FC currently in?

(Answers on page 29)

24 www.moulshamtimes.com

Post WWII Women Writers in the US on the Road to Equality 2: Carolyn Cassady - by John Power Ironically Carolyn is probably the best known of the women writers associated with the Beat Generation, yet has said that she thought that the whole genre of literature was created by the media and Allen Ginsberg. She didn’t even like the genre but became central to it not because she was one of the originators of the lifestyle and writing, but because she was a central figure in the writings of those who were the founders of the movement. A multi-talented lady, as time passed by, she was able later in life to use her writing skills to record the events that made her Camille in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, Evelyn Pomeray in his Big Sur, Desolation Angels, Visions of Cody and Book of Dreams and Marilyn in John Clellon Holmes’ Go. Carolyn came from a family of teachers of English descent and was born in Lannsing, Minnesota in 1923, but the family moved to Nashville Tennessee when she was eight years old. Her lifelong interests were in art (selling her first portraits in her teens) and theatre, which developed into the Applied Arts of Set and Costume Design and Make-Up. After high school she got a scholarship to Bennington College and achieved a BA Degree in Drama, after switching from art. By 1943 she was in New York working for a company that produced fabric designs, while continuing her studies in the evenings at Traphagan School of Design. After World War II she worked for the army in California as an occupational therapist. In 1946 she moved to Denver, Colorado, and completed an MA Degree in Fine Arts and Theatre Arts at the University of Denver, then worked there as a teaching assistant while also starting the Theatre Arts Deptartment for Denver Museum.

Meanwhile in the Denver flop houses, Neal Cassady had grown up with an alcoholic father and a gang of hustlers who gave him an education in such skills as car theft.

In the jazz clubs frequented

by Neal and his visiting friends from New York - Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, Carolyn met the man who was to become her lover and eventually her husband in a rather unlikely pairing. When their affair began Carolyn was not at first aware that Neal already had a teenage wife in the alluring shape of Lu Anne Henderson. When Carolyn found Neal in bed with Lu Anne and Allen Ginsberg she left Denver for Hollywood to look for a job in costume design and stayed with her elder sister in San Francisco, but by the time she found a job she also discovered that she was pregnant with Neal’s daughter.

Cathleen Joanne was born in September 1948. Neal took responsibility for Cathleen and the couple lived together for a while, until Neal spent their cash on a car and set off ‘on the road’ with Lu Anne and a pal called Al Hinkle in search of Kerouac in Carolina as detailed in Jack’s first highly edited novel. Carolyn regarded this as desertion and told Neal to get out of her life, but he returned in 1949 after the road trip and dumped Lu Anne and Kerouac in San Francisco. He divorced Lu Anne so that he was free to marry Carolyn and give Cathleen a legitimate name. In 1952 Jack joined Neal and Carolyn in what became an on-and-off ménage à trois up until 1960.

Both men worked for Southern Pacific Railroad, while Carolyn had two more children- Jami, a girl and a son, John Allen - before Neal and Carolyn moved to Los Gatos nearby in California. Even then Jack and Allen Ginsberg often visited. Carolyn continued to paint portraits and design costumes and makeup for the Los Gatos Academy of Dance and four other theatre groups.

In 1958 Neal was ‘set up’ by federal agents who he gave three joints of marijuana to, so was given a jail sentence for supplying illegal drugs. He did two years in San Quentin prison while Carolyn lived on welfare and by painting and theatre work. Neal was not given back his job on the railroad and found getting employment difficult, so when his probation ended Carolyn divorced him in 1963.

He used his beat celebrity status to join author Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters on their LSD fuelled road trips across the States driving their psychedelicly painted bus ‘Further’. He was found dead beside a railway track in Mexico aged 42, as a result of amphetamine driven exhaustion and exposure leading to a heart attack.

Carolyn lived on in Los Gatos. She had developed an interest in the psychic readings of Edgar Cayce while living with Neal and taken an interest in eastern religions and mystical philosophies, as many beat women did, as an alternative to the repressive nature of the prevailing churches. So in 1976 she became the founder of the Academy of Parapsychology and Medicine, acting as secretary and dealing with such characters as psychic Uri Geller and astrologer Dane Rudhyar. She began writing her life story focussing on the years with Neal, Jack and Allen, as Heartbeat which had to be shortened because Kerouac’s publishers wouldn’t let his letters to her be used.

Doubleday published a version in 1976 and it was also made into a Hollywood film. In 1996 a further edited version was published as Off the Road.

Carolyn had come from an English family and much admired the British theatre. In 1982 she was visited by an Englishman called Dr Chris Challis from Ingatestone near Chelmsford in Essex who had completed three degrees studying American and especially beat literature. Along with his girlfriend Heather, Challis was on a road trip across America, which had been suggested by publishers Faber to convert his PhD dissertation about the writers of the Beat Generation into a less academic study, which was published as Quest for Kerouac in 1984.

The long term effects of Chris and Heather’s road trip in pursuit of beat survivors was that some of Chris’s heroes became personal friends. He had already established contact with them for academic purposes before the trip, so many of the stops had been prearranged.

Allen Ginsberg didn’t like hotels so when on tour in Europe Chris’s house was one place where he felt at home. But the most lasting contact turned out to be with Carolyn Cassady. After her first visit to England she realised that she had greater literary celebrity in the UK than the sidelined status of the beats had given her in the US and in 1983 she first moved to Hampstead in North London, then later to Berkshire, on this side of her transatlantic lifestyle.

Chris proved a useful and willing chauffeur in exploring this country supplying a running historical commentary from his encyclopaedic memory. They made several trips to Ingatestone to see Chris’s mum and one of their excursions was to my doorstep - but I was out! Chris made sure that we met up again, as he knew that Carolyn and I had several common interests, and we set about comparing notes on them in lengthy letters. Sadly Carolyn died in September 2013, in Berkshire.

A Chelmsford Mona Lisa Challenged by an inspirational art lecturer way back in 1968 to interpret a painting by a Renaissance artist, I arrogantly chose Leonardo da Vinci’s enigmatic masterpiece. Michelangelo also sprang to mind, but even in miniature, his ceiling of the Sistine Chapel might prove a tight fit in my parent’s flat.

So began a 50 year long saga...

I wanted to be able to draw with defined accuracy, so shunned canvas, choosing instead heavy cartridge as a surface on which to work. But searching high and low across sixties Cape Town struggled to locate anything of adequate size and quality. My father saved the day pitching up one evening with a sheet of architect draughting stock that ticked all the boxes.

Main source of reference would come from an art prize won the previous year, a book on the life and times of Leonardo. The cover featured a close up of the Mona Lisa’s face inside a 11x15cm image of the full painting, that for years would prove to be my main reference. Local library books were thumb worn and tatty. About me lay scattered a motley collection of prints, nary one confirming the other. Very early on, it became readily apparent just how darkened the original painting is - much is hidden by the abusive passage of time and layers of old varnish.

But armed with an eternal optimism of youth, I smoothed out the paper on my parent’s dining room table, measured off precise dimensions of Leonardo’s painting in the Louvre and began drawing.

After blocking off areas to settle down the main bulk of figure and essential background elements, I began tackling her two most challenging features, ie, face and exquisitely crafted hands.

Both took time, loads of correcting, amidst bouts of foul language and clips across the ear from an everpresent father. Nevertheless, she began appearing before me, a ghost softly smiling up at one so young who would dare to once again awaken her.

me, then at the buyers, turning them all down before I could utter a word. After final exams and before leaving school for the last time, he called me in and handed her over, fully framed. “Finish her, lad, and when you do, you come see me, hear?”

Well, it took slightly longer than expected, but I did finish the painting.

My wife, Anne, in a recent message to friends, takes up the story rather well.

The Promise “Back in 1968 as a 15-year old Sea Pointer, Frank, produced a drawing of the Mona Lisa. Apologies for poor image quality, but unfortunately, my only reference to way back then. He also made a commitment to his high school art teacher, the inspirational Jock McCabe - Mac to friends - to complete the piece. Sadly, year after year found her languishing behind dusty canvases and the paraphernalia of a typical artist’s studio, the victim of youthful, career driven ambition. How many times I’d glimpse pleading eyes above enigmatic smile following me as I passed? To add insult to neglect, he actually mixed the ochre base for a large illustration across left hand and top edges.

“Then, out of the blue, a quite superb book was published, the first to peel away ancient layers of varnish revealing her true heart and soul.

The original has darkened in areas to a greenish black, flattening the image and obscuring detail. For instance, the transparent beauty of veil falling in soft curves about head and shoulders is impossible to discern. All old as well as recent prints, along with tiny 11cm x 15cm reference used those many years ago, reveal none of the above. But this book does, oh does it just, in page after page of glowing, life-size plates.

“Securing her onto easel, he began. Often, I wished he hadn’t. One night I found him ashen faced, red rimmed eyes glowing, palette knife in hand, having just washed away a month’s work. Oh my word, therein be dragons! Somehow I managed to tuck him down, hours later still mumbling about the demands of sfumato technique. I recall somewhat desperate remarks. ‘She’s La Gioconda, for goodness sake! Leonardo took 14 years searching for the noble lady you abandoned and in so doing, humiliated, for nearly half a century. Be gentle, Frank, you’ll find each other, just don’t expect her to be easy.’

How the mystery of her smile haunted, but took it to a point where I felt it was essentially there before me. What became apparent in exploring further was a lack of available reference detail. A smile cannot simply occur, facial muscles make it happen, but peer and glare at available pics simply revealed nothing insofar as subtle contractions of anatomical structure. Equally troubling was her veil - which softly falls down around face, ringlets of hair, shoulders and arms - was hidden, along with the delicate interlacing pattern across the upper blouse, not to mention the ornamental French chair upon which she rested. I couldn’t make it up and recall being unwilling to do so. Armed with progress thus far, I reported back to my tutor.

You didn’t want to tangle with Jock McCabe. Mac to all of us, a tough master from Edinburgh University who demanded hard work, rewarded commitment borne of talent, but contemptuous of shirkers to the point of brutality. We were terrified of him, yet loved him dearly.

“Frankie lad! You have a point, so what do you propose to draw, then?” Long glared he, under beetling eyebrows, at my drawing whilst stammered I an explanation as to why it was barely half complete.

“Boeger thud, she’ll do.” With that he snatched her up, selected an appropriately sized piece of smooth hardwood, glued her down and disappeared into his office.

She secured pride of place as central exhibit at end-of-year exhibition, going a long way to help take the seniors’ art prize. For the first (but not the last) time, offers of purchase flooded in. Mac glared first at www.moulshamtimes.com

“She wasn’t. But, he persevered. Then one day, after 50 years… he found her, and met his commitment.

“A promise is a promise: ‘Forgive me, Mac, I really only met half my promise. What I wouldn’t give for you to see her now’.”

Wonder if they’d smile at each other?

Frank Snyders

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27

All About Moulsham Lodge & Tile Kiln

Moulsham Lodge Community Trust As mentioned previously we are very excited to be hosting a Titanic exhibition on Saturday 26th May. With the Titanic forever tied to Chelmsford through Marconi, it will be particularly poignant that we can help show some of the history of this famous ship.

We have also finished our beauty/therapy room. If you would be interested in hiring the room, the rates are as follows: £25 per day (10am-4pm) or £20 per evening (6-9pm) or a rate of £6p/h - please call us if you want to view the room.

Our choir, New City Voices, will be performing for the Mayor of

Chelmsford twice in April, the first time at the Mayor’s annual Community Evening and the second at the Civic Theatre on Sunday 29th April. Tickets are available from the Civic Theatre. See the poster below.

See our website, www.mlct.org.uk, for more details of the Titanic exhibition, beauty room hire and the evening of music at the Civic Theatre.

Request: MLCT requires a new treasurer, if you have the time and experience please get in touch, you would be part of a team that has loads of fun. Email us at enquiries@mlct.org.uk.

Cllr Mark Springett - Moulsham Lodge Ward

Planning applications are often at the top of our case work list. Moulsham Lodge has its fair share of planning applications and with the price of houses ever increasing, sometimes the best option is to expand up or out, and many people already have.

One planning application was brought to my attention recently that deserved further scrutiny by the planning committee, I’ll explain that a bit later.

In the drawing is a plan for 3 bungalows in Alder Drive. Now while we do need to build houses there are cases where these mini developments would create significant problems for neighbours, especially if it is essentially in their back gardens.

Until 2010 back gardens were classed in the same category as Brownfield, the government then gave councils and communities immediate powers to prevent the destructive practice of ‘garden grabbing’ and to decide what types of homes are suitable for their area. Until then planning guidance had classified gardens as ‘previously residential land’, in the same Brownfield category as derelict factories and disused railway sidings. This gave developers a free hand to inflict inappropriate developments, particularly in built up areas. (Source : PA Scott Associates) Now most planning applications will be dealt with by the planning officer under delegation, so for the majority of applications the process is fairly straightforward. However, now and again the local ward councillor will be asked by residents to recommend it to the planning committee. I reviewed this case and due to the number of objections and my own consideration of the negative impact it would have, it was any easy decision to bring it to the committee.

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Local residents then had the chance to speak at the planning meeting, with each person allowed only two minutes to speak, ward councillors speaking on behalf of residents are not limited to time. The two minute rule is a rule applied to all members of the public speaking at any council committee meeting, so it is really important to practice your comments to get your main points across.

At the planning meeting of this application, several residents gave their comments as did I. The committee then deliberated and found that they were inclined to agree with residents and refuse the application. The committee has to give good reason to refuse, especially if the planning officer has recommended it for approval. It’s quite unusual for the committee to go against the experience of the planning officer, but in this case it was quite clear to the committee that overdevelopment or ‘garden grabbing’ was a key factor in refusing the application. This will hopefully be confirmed at the next planning meeting when the grounds for refusal are fully explained.

Contact mark.springett@chelmsford.gov.uk 07411 808 731 @markspringett www.markspringett.co.uk

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Tile Kiln Corner

by Linda Mascot

The shopfront at 155 Robin Way has undergone a colourful transformation recently. The Community Hub has been given a new name, ‘The Kiln’ and Tile Kiln Church will be offering drop in coffee mornings, Knit and Natter sessions, as well as support services such as counselling, training services and homework clubs in the near future. More information in next months issue.

Suzi Quatro Rocks Chelmsford Museum for the Essex Book Festival

Suzi Quatro, the Detroit born Essex residing leather clad rocker, showed her softer side when she read from her recently published collection of poetry to a sold out crowd at Chelmsford Museum on Monday 19th March 2018 as part of the Essex Book Festival.

The seventies rocker, known for the monster hits Can The Can and Devil Gate Drive, as well as appearing in the US show Happy Days, put aside her Fender Precision bass guitar and leather catsuit, for an intimate insight into her life and career, as well as revealing poems from her book Through My Eyes.

Suzi, who has sold over 55 million albums and lived just outside Chelmsford since 1980, revealed that she intends to spend the rest of her life in the house that she has spent over 30 years in. Dave Finkle, Museum Business Manager at Chelmsford Museum, interviewed Suzi and she announced that she is working on new material with Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. She also gave some insight as to what it was like touring with David Essex, Alice Cooper and The Osmonds at the height of her fame.

Suzi spoke about meeting the major music stars of the 1970s including Marc Bolan and David Bowie, and confessed that Angie Bowie, David’s then wife, made a pass at her - which she declined.

Suzi also spoke about her love for Elvis, and that she had to decline meeting him when Elvis turned up backstage after one of her shows, because she was too exhausted. An alternative meeting was arranged, but sadly, Elvis died before the arranged date. However, recording a tribute to Elvis with his backing band has been one of her career highlights.

Meanwhile, across the road at The Clay Pigeon, another music night is planned on 5th May with live band The Rockoons, and on 25th May Crusader are playing. The new Pie and Mash night on Thursdays is proving popular with prices from £6 for pie, mash and liquor. For more information ring 01245 358 971.

Twitter:@lindamascot. mascotlinda@gmail.com

Quiz Answers 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

A: 1730 1215 Annonay (France) and Backnang (Germany) 2012 Dame Nellie Melba (bonus: Peach Melba) Porridge 1996 (‘V96’) 170,000 expected to be circa 173,457 this year (figures sourced from the Internet) 9. 797 10. The Vanarama National League South

Whilst at the museum, Suzi donated some personal items (a pink paisley Fender bass guitar and one of her legendary leather catsuits) to the museum. These iconic items will be on display.

To discover more about Chelmsford Museum, visit www.chelmsford. gov.uk/museums.

www.moulshamtimes.com

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Chelmsford Young Gen Present West Side Story Chelmsford Young Gen are excited to be celebrating 50 years, and they are doing it in style by performing one of the all time greats of musical theatre - West Side Story! Having received nominations and awards for their recent shows, the Young Gen cast (from 8-18 years old) wow their audiences time and time again with the highest quality performances.

Performance Dates and Times Tuesday 17th, Wednesday 18th, Thursday 19th and Saturday 21st matinee: £16 Friday 20th and Saturday 21st - evening: £17 A £1.50 booking fee is applicable per transaction.

To book tickets visit the Civic Theatre Box Office, Fairfield Road, Chelmsford, CM1 1JG or call 01245 606 505 or visit www. chelmsford.gov.uk/theatre.

The rehearsals look amazing and this next production of West Side Story promises to be another outstanding musical. An award winning adaptation of a classic romantic tragedy that explores the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, set in the west side of New York City.

The original 1957 Broadway production, directed and choreographed

by Jerome Robins, was an immediate hit and has earned the place as a firm favourite of many ever since. With Bernstein’s magnificent score for the musical, including Something’s Coming, Maria, America, Somewhere, Tonight, Jet Song and many more, along with the fantastic lyrics from Sondheim, you are guaranteed an incredible show!

Young Gen are directed by Jeremy Tustin with musical direction by Bryan Cass.

(Photo credit: Claire Jefferies)

Rum and Live Music Concept Has Arrived Chelmsford’s Riverside A brand new concept combining cocktails, live music and artisan pizza is now open on Springfield Road, Chelmsford following a £375,000 investment.

The Liquorist promises to breathe more life into the town’s bar and food scene, offering customers a wide selection of glamorous cocktails, premium spirits, wines and craft beers alongside an exciting mix of live music and immersive entertainment that will make sure the venue truly comes alive after dark.

With a 30-strong list of premium cocktails, such as the 5 Star Tea and the Caribbean Pornstar, the site also has an extensive range and expertise in all things rum (rum is the next gin after all!). Hosting regular rum tasting nights and masterclasses for those looking to learn more about the versatile spirit, the bar will even feature a Rum Roulette wheel which will help customers spin a selection of rums and mixers to create a bespoke drink at random.

Philip Sparham-Simpson, General Manager of The Liquorist, said: “We are really excited to bring The Liquorist to Chelmsford. We’ve taken inspiration from hot new venues we found in Manchester, Leeds and London to create something really unique and special for the people of Chelmsford. Our cocktail menu will appeal to every palette and with rum being so on trend, we are sure our extensive range will offer something entirely different to other venues in the town.”

The Liquorist, 7 Springfield Road, Chelmsford, CM2 6JE Opening hours: 11am until late, 7 days per week.

The real party will start at 9pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights though, with amazing live music from national bands followed by a late night DJ to keep the crowds dancing until 4am. To add even more excitement to the customers’ night on the town, the venue’s very own ‘Liq or Twist’ app will give guests the chance to find their favourite drink and then enjoy it for just £5 each - all they have to do is twist! The venue will also host a ‘Finish at Four’ after work offer every day, persuading weary workers and shoppers to down tools an hour early in return for a £5 happy hour on selected cocktails until 8pm.

If that wasn’t enough, The Liquorist will also be one of the first bars in the country to feature the super on-trend Nitro-Draught cocktails with taps dispensing perfect ice cold blends of Espresso and Pornstar Martini’s in seconds.

A food menu, served from 11am until 9pm daily, will offer a range of small sharing plates, artisan pizzas and burgers along with delicious vegetarian and vegan options too.

Editors Note: Along with a friend I visited the Liquorist for a Rum masterclass a couple of weeks ago and it was great fun. We learned all about the origins of rum and made some cocktails inluding a Rum Ting like the one pictured above. The staff were welcoming and the place looked great!

30 www.moulshamtimes.com

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