Moulsham Times December 2017

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Issue Number 58 - December 2017

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MT Welcome Hi readers, Welcome to the December edition.

A massive thank you to Alison who is now bowing out after writing the baking column for the past 3 years. We’ve had some great articles with some scrumptious looking food in her photos. Alison is handing over to Bev who will be writing in the Moulsham Times from January.

We wish all of our readers, writers, advertisers and delivery people a happy Festive Season and a great New Year!

Enjoy your month!

Regards Paul & Nick

Deadlines for the January edition: Articles - 8th December Print ready art work - 14th December

it’s your media Ltd

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

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

Disclaimer: It’s Your Media Ltd publish the Moulsham Times. The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of It’s Your Media Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the prior written permission of It’s Your Media Ltd. Reg Co No. 09154871. Printed by Printwize.

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MT Therapy - by Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Hi everyone, Jenny here. It’s around this time of year that people are faced with the inevitable Christmas celebrations, with some people wondering if they can actually get through all the festivity, because for some this is a particularly difficult time of year. Today’s article aims to tackle some of the negative self-talk that people might experience when thinking about seeking help. It’s very common for people to do the following: Talk themselves out of seeking therapy ‘the therapist will think I’m being silly…’

Belief that therapy will somehow change someone completely, so they are no longer ‘themselves’ ‘Do I really need therapy? Am I sick enough? I might be wasting their time.’

Private therapy just doesn’t occur to the person as an option, or they believe it ‘isn’t for them’.

In terms of the first point, we absolutely, categorically will NEVER think you are being silly. Believe me, we’ve seen it all! There’s nothing you can tell us that will make us judge you, think you’re being an idiot or shock us. No matter what you may think of yourself or your issue or what other people may have said about it; what’s important to us is that we do everything we can to help you. If it’s bothering you, we believe you are absolutely justified in seeking help and therapists absolutely want to help!

Now let’s to look at the second point; a counsellor is NOT going to make you change into someone or something that you don’t want to become. Of course, people do change through therapy, but we only guide you to the destination that you want to go to. In fact, many people seek therapy because they don’t know who they are! We can’t and won’t change your personality. Therapists are trained to help you feel better. In the dictionary the word therapy is defined as: ‘treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder’.

One of the most popular issues I deal with is overthinking, where people obsess over a subject, or their mind doesn’t seem to shut up. Everyone suffers with this at some point in time, whether or not you feel it is bad enough for you to want to seek help is up to you.

However, that is the point I’m trying to make: therapists are here to help, not to force you to be somebody you don’t recognise or don’t want to be. You may well look back and not recognise the person you were when you sought therapy, but that should be through positive eyes, where you are happy with the person you have become and happy within yourself. You need to find a therapist that you know is a professional, someone who can prove membership and insurance. This is why at Chelmsford Therapy Rooms all therapists are vetted so you can be sure you’re getting a professional. You don’t have to believe all of your worries, remember that some of these thoughts can be random and even irrational. Sometimes it’s better to challenge them so you can make healthy, balanced choices and decisions in life. That’s what us therapists want to help you with.

Now to address the question do you really need therapy. There are lots of different types of therapy out there. All of us have our own psycho-pathologies, our own emotional and psychological makeup, and we’ve all been moulded by our experiences over time. Some of these experiences bother us, sometimes we move on, sometimes we take longer to move on, and sometimes we don’t move on at all.

In a therapist’s eyes, seeking therapy isn’t about how sick you are or whether you’re wasting our time, because you are never wasting our time if you turn up to the session and get to work on whatever it is that is bothering you. If you just need to see us to get something off your chest to an impartial, non-judgemental audience, that’s fine with us. If you feel you have deeper issues and might be in therapy a while, that’s also fine with us. We don’t judge how ‘sick’ someone is,

so please don’t judge yourself in this way and try not to be so hard on yourself!

If you have back problems, you might not know what the cause is, but most people will seek help for the pain/lack of mobility from a chiropractor or physiotherapist who will use their expert training to help that person’s back feel better asap. So, if someone feels in emotional pain or that they need help with their psychological and emotional well-being and decide to visit a private therapist, we’re here to use our expert training to help that person’s psychological and emotional well-being feel better asap.

My last point is about private therapy not occurring to people as a possible option or people believing that it’s ‘not for them’.

Unfortunately, in my private practice I do see people who have been to the NHS but feel they have not received the help that they have needed. The NHS is completely overwhelmed with people suffering with mental health issues. In private practice I have seen people with serious anxiety issues, where they shake with fear and are wondering whether to end it all because of how awful they feel and having been told by their GP that it would take 9 months to see a therapist on the NHS. I have treated clients in this situation that report that they had to seek private therapy because they simply could not handle the thought of living with this level of emotional turmoil for that long.

The private therapists I have met feel it’s their ethical duty to see a client for as long as they need therapy - not for as long as the NHS says they can have therapy. This absolutely does not mean that NHS therapists are unethical, just that they have to work by the guidelines set by the NHS. Mostly, on the health service, patients are offered a certain number of sessions, usually this is just 6 weeks of CBT - you are assessed and sent to whoever they deem is a ‘suitable option’.

In private practice we do of course assess you, but we can give you the level of help and care that you need and respond to those needs as you get better and over whatever period of time that may be. I’m not saying that the therapy on the NHS is necessarily a bad option, I’m not saying ‘don’t go to your GP’, I’m saying go to your GP and discuss the options - all of them, including private therapy. It’s only fair that you have as much information as possible before making a decision. Some people may be fine with waiting to receive therapy on the health service, but for those who are not, we can usually see you privately very quickly. I aim to see new clients within a period of 24 hours to 1 week.

The NHS is there for everyone, but private therapy is also there for everyone. Make sure you have all of your options so you can make the right decision for you.

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.

Life MT Hack

Glue three candy canes together to hold place-setting cards!

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Wishing all our customers a Merry Festive Season and a Happy New Year

Vicky Ford the MP for Chelmsford

I receive many emails about security. In Essex less than one in every hundred homes are burgled each year, but during the winter months thieves take advantage of the darkness, and last year burglaries increased by 13%. Essex Police have launched a new awareness campaign Secure. Protect.

Prevent. This suggests some easy to follow steps that Chelmsford residents can take. Do visit the website, www. essex.police.uk/secure, for more information.

Today, individuals are about 20 times more likely to suffer from cybercrime than from traditional crime. Essex police received more than 10,000 reports of fraud, involving the loss of some £18 million in the first six months of this year alone. Many frauds start with a phishing email asking you to click on a link to confirm your bank details. Do not trust such emails! Always call your bank using the phone number on a genuine piece of correspondence to confirm if the email is real. Make sure your computer has up-to-date antivirus software, a firewall installed and your browser is set to the highest level of security notification to prevent malware issues.

Recently I hosted a meeting in Westminster of Essex MPs with our Police and Crime Commissioner, Roger Hirst, to discuss the funding of Essex Police. This is an important topic; many people write to me asking for greater police visibility. However, the amount Essex

residents pay in the ‘Policing Precept’ element of our council tax is amongst the lowest in the UK. Therefore increasing police on Essex streets would mean also increasing local taxes. Would you be willing to pay more council tax to fund more police? Do let me know.

This week, the House of Commons began its scrutiny of the European Union (withdrawal) Bill. The bill is not another vote on whether we remain in or leave the EU, it is about converting the many important laws currently made at European level into British laws; we need to make sure these laws still exist in order to avoid uncertainty for businesses and consumers. There is a huge amount of devil in the detail and over 300 amendments have been tabled by parliamentarians. I have worked with colleagues on amendments to improve transparency and decision making and I am very pleased that the Government has indicated that they will be supporting these amendments.

Theresa May has proposed that Britain and Europe should establish a new deep partnership, especially in areas like financial services, which is important for many jobs of people in Chelmsford. I’ve been continuing to work with Government ministers, MPs from across the UK and former colleagues from the European Parliament to help find agreement.

As ever I am interested in your views. You can contact me on vicky. ford.mp@parliament.uk.

From County Hall - by Cllr Dick Madden

For the past four weeks I have been out of the country. Firstly, I attended a battlefield tour with my mate Browny, which was the Normandy landings - a moving experience. We travelled just before Remembrance Sunday in company with assorted individuals from all over the UK. It was humbling and an honour to be in the presence of World War 2 veterans, especially those who had survived the Normandy landings on the 6th June 1944.

On returning home, I had a few days with the family and then it was off again with my wife Kathryn to Cape Verde for our first holiday in two years on our own. It was so relaxing, though through the magic of Wi-Fi Kathryn allowed me half an hour each evening to keep in touch with you! Now we’re back home and only a few weeks to go and it is Christmas, where does all the time go?

An important event I want to remind you about is that Chelmsford City Council has invited us residents to a special Christmas service at Chelmsford Crematorium on Sunday 10th December from 2pm. The service will take place in the South Chapel and will include Christmas carols and songs. Names of loved ones will be read out in a candlelit act of remembrance. If you would like to provide the name of a loved one which will be read out during the service, please call 01245 605 630.

To all residents with young children a reminder: You can now apply for children’s reception places. Children entitled to start primary school in September after their fourth birthday, and parents/carers of children born during the period 1st September 2013 and 31st August 2014 must apply between 13th November 2017 and 15th January 2018.

You are encouraged to use all four of the preferences available and to check the admissions criteria for each school you wish to apply for.

Applications can be made online at www.essex.gov.uk/admissions.

With winter now upon us, there is the potential for the weather to be very cold over Christmas. As with every other year, I ask that when you are celebrating the Christmas festivities to remember our residents and our neighbours who now live on their own and offer them some Christmas spirit.

On behalf of Kathryn and myself, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

BE SAFE Dick

GROVE ROAD EVANGELICAL CHURCH

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Mulled punch and mince pies will be served after the service

ALL WELCOME We are situated just off Moulsham Street, behind Tesco Express

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MT Fitness

Beware, the Chair Is the Enemy of Christmas

Ah Christmas, the time of year to eat, drink and be merry and a time for family, rest and fun - I love Christmas! It feels like a line in the sand where we can have one last blast before we move forward with new energy and motivation for the year to come.

From my professional perspective however, I have come to notice something interesting over the years. Every year, without fail, I treat people who get injured by Christmas! I’m not even joking, this is a very real thing.

The thing is though, our bodies just don’t cope very well with this level of activity. Even for those of you who are sedentary in your work, at least you set your alarm, get up early and walk, which loosens you a little and protects your joints.

The extra little lay in, the silly Christmas films, the extra time round the table with family - they’re all part of the reason we love Christmas and it’s the rest we deserve after a busy year, but it can leave us vulnerable to injury.

Even if these things themselves don’t cause injury, they tighten us up so that when we get back to normality, even minor movements can cause pain. This is where people come in to the clinic saying, ‘but I didn’t do anything! I do that all the time and it’s never a problem!’. A small reach or a lift that someone does every day in their working life suddenly causes a problem because their system has stiffened up from the rest.

So, what am I suggesting? Well I am not suggesting you need to deprive yourself of all these Christmas traditions. Like I say, I’ll be in a sugar coma watching Elf just like the rest of you. However, I will also get up and move. Nothing fancy, I’ll just take a 20 minute walk instead of a 5 minute drive when I can. I’ll do the odd stretching session while waiting for something to cook, and I’ll try not to lay in bed for too long (actually, I have a 6 month old son who will make sure of that one!).

All these things will help my body stay conditioned for the normal life I live, and come January I will be able to hit the ground running and remain pain free. Try and be mindful; pay attention to the amount you sit and the position you sit in. If you find you’ve been off your feet for a couple of hours, get up, move, have a yawn and a stretch and you will find this keeps the niggles at bay.

I have written in these pages before that the hidden cause of injury is contrast. Contrast in our lives is what can catch us out, because our bodies naturally become conditioned to the things that we do the most.

I hope you have a wonderful rest, and for all you good boys and girls out there I hope that Santa brings you what you have asked for.

From myself and all of us at Forté Physical Health, Merry Christmas!

Have a very happy and healthy month.

People who are sedentary in their work get caught out when they do 6 hours of gardening on the first sunny day of spring. Physical workers get unstuck when they have to drive for 8 hours on their way to the Lake District.

Let’s be honest, with that in mind, our Christmas routines are pretty alien to all of us!

We all have different traditions for the big day, but there are certainly some common themes: eating too much food, slouching on the sofa unable to move, sitting awkwardly playing board games... any of this sound familiar?

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ll be as pregnant as the next guy come 3pm on Christmas Day. You will have to peel me up off the sofa to play Articulate, bleary eyed as I digest a week’s worth of calories.

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MT Gardening

Writtle University College looked absolutely stunning today, even after a heavy frost! I just love this time of the year with the still, relatively crisp sunny mornings and a touch of winter in the air.

Walking around, a number of plants are really starting to stand out.

All those trees that have now shed their leaves to reveal fabulous coloured and textured barks just looked so magical. Trees like Prunus serrula (Tibetan cherry) showing its peeling dark rusty/red bark and of course the myriad of birch on campus displaying their vibrant white to salmon vivid stems just look simply gorgeous... I need one in my garden. It is Christmas, so you never know what present I’ll be opening on the big day!

On further meandering around the campus, I came across ornamental grasses with their frosted flower heads, the burgeoning and vibrantly coloured hips of shrub roses plus a number of evergreens such as Skimmas, sweet box and a huge range of conifers. This season has so much to offer in terms of interest.

All this looking around is just great, but it doesn’t get the work done.

As a result of surveying the campus grounds, this week my RHS L3 Practical students and I have been busy sorting a few plants out in readiness for next year. We’ve concentrated on a range of climbers such as Rosa ‘Alberic Barbier’, a supertastic vigorous repeat flowering white rose. Thorny as hell, but a must-have for any archway, up a fruit tree or positioned and trained on to a south facing wall. The group got stuck in and did a really great job bringing these beasts under control. Lots of skills learnt: understanding that climbing roses mainly flower on new growth unlike ramblers which produce blooms on previous season’s growth, using string for tying-in and learning new knots. A number of the group are already taking these new skills to their customers - good luck guys.

After a group discussion, the RHS L3 team went about cutting back this year’s flowering shoots to the old established stems, leaving a stub of growth with 2-3 buds on. Importantly, the last bud is left facing outwards, to direct growth away from the plant and assist air flow and potentially reduce fungal attack. Some stems were retained to plug any gaps, tied to the archway, then tipped to an outward facing bud. Finally, the site was cleared of debris and lightly forked.

Feeding and mulching will be added next year from March onwards.

There are other tasks to undertake this month. Here a just a few: • • • •

Continue to clear up leaves and store for leaf mould next spring.

Don’t forget to plant all your tulip bulbs.

Clean out greenhouses - an ideal time to reorganise space and clean down benching and pots in readiness for next year.

Be vigilant of vine weavil grubs; nasty little grubs with brown heads containing vicious mouth parts. Keep tops of pots clear of debris and watch out for wilting at this time of year. If you suspect this pest, lift out the plant from the pot and wash off all soil, then replant in fresh compost and monitor through to spring.

Lastly, why not buy a course for a friend or loved one this Festive Season?

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 (February - June 2018) and RHS Level 3 Certificate in Practical Horticulture, email or call me for information on availability of days and times.

Happy Christmas and have a fab New Year!

For any gardening tips contact Tom Cole, Horticultural Lecturer, Writtle College, Chelmsford, CM1 3RR by post (including a SAE), or call on 01245 424 200, or email tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk.

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Music and Blues & Roots in the City - by Nick Garner Last article for the year! We have two great shows lined up for you in December: first off Who’s Next return to play at Chelmsford City FC on Saturday 9th December supported by a superb opening act, the Sharpeez, who are a great R&B band. For more information and how to get tickets, see the advert in this edition. Next at the Bassment on Tuesday 12th December we have Dave Ferra, who is a favourite of ours and yours - and he will have his Allstar Band with him! Opening the night will be another favourite act of us all - Jack Hutchinson, accompanied by Tom Brundage on harmonicas. Again, see the advert for full details.

We had two fine shows last month. All the way from Wales we had Toriah Fontaine and her band - and what a great band they are too.

Toriah wooed us all with her amazing and powerful voice. Opening the night was the wonderful Mississippi MacDonald and the Cottonmouth Kings who were amazing.

who is playing and preview all 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

Halloween Photos

At the football club we had Los Pacaminos playing (featuring Paul Young) on their 25th anniversary tour. It was the first time I have seen this band and boy, they are good. You could see that they were all having a great time on stage, and with three lead vocalists it reminds me of bands like the Eagles - they are that good. The venue was packed and the audience loved them and with most of them dancing along, it has to rank as being one of the best nights we have hosted there. Jamie Williams and the Roots Collective opened the evening, and - even if I do say so myself - we played a blinder, and judging by the audience response they loved us as well.

With us having a feature on Moulsham in this edition, I thought it only fair to say that we are very lucky to have a lot of the pubs in the area putting on music, and most of them regularly as well. Every month on the 1st, 2nd and last Sunday of the month The Woolpack puts on jazz, Irish and open mic nights and live bands when they have their regular beer festivals. In Moulsham Street the Bay Horse hosts live music most Fridays and always on a Saturday night. Round the corner in New Writtle Street, the UB (United Brethren) hosts live music too: sometimes on a Friday and always on a Saturday and now acoustic on a Sunday afternoon. Back in Moulsham Street the newest bar, The Moulsham Tap, has just started to put on live music too. You will need to go in or look at their Facebook page to see what’s on when.

Sinead from Moulsham Drive has sent us this year’s Halloween house... They were busy with lots of very excited trick or treaters with confetti cans firing through the cannons. Lots of fun!

Popping across the road the Black Horse provides live music on a Saturday night. Further up the street the Star and Garter has live bands every Friday and Saturday and an open mic every other Sunday afternoon, plus another on a Thursday once or twice a month. The Anchor also puts on occasional live music as well, and last but not least, the Cricketers are starting to have live music again as well as their regular Super Soul Saturday nights.

Besides all of this of course, all of these pubs serve good food, beer, ciders, gins and wines - and with The Hop Shop having been the winner of Mid Essex CAMRA Pub of the Year for the last two years, you hardly need to go anywhere else!

It’s good to see more independent businesses coming to Moulsham Street showing people what a vibrant part of the city this is once again. I must also say that the Eagle and Hind in Moulsham Lodge and the Clay Pigeon in Tile Kiln both have regular live music nights too, and both are both also serving good food and drinks.

With all of the above going on and with the host of good restaurants and other entertainment, you do not have to go too far for a varied night out.

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 check out the What’s On page to see what else in happening in your area.

If you go to our Facebook pages, look at our events tabs - you can see 12

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MT Baking by Alison Motley

Sadly, this is my last regular baking article for The Moulsham Times.

I have thoroughly enjoyed both the baking and the column writing over the last 3 years (can it really be that long?) but sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day, so I have reluctantly decided to hang up my apron and pass the reins to another writer who I’m sure is keen to bring some new and exciting recipes to The Moulsham Times.

The December issue is a great one to finish on as it’s my favourite time of the year for baking, and I struggled to choose which recipe to end with. I finally decided on my really easy Christmas Stollen muffins, packed full of the flavours and scents of traditional Stollen and with a little marzipan surprise hidden within - just like the original. However, unlike traditional Stollen, which takes a little effort and quite a while to make, these muffins require no effort whatsoever and are an absolute doddle to make. The ingredients are literally thrown together, making them perfect for the busy Festive Season.

They are wonderful served warm with a hot drink, but you could even serve them for Christmas or Boxing Day breakfast! They can also be frozen once baked, so are great if you want to get ahead with your Christmas baking.

Happy baking!

Christmas Stollen Muffins (Makes approx. 12) 250g plain flour 100g light brown soft sugar 2½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 1 teaspoon mixed spice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Pinch ground cloves 200g mixed dried fruit Zest and juice of 2 small oranges, satsumas or clementines 200ml full fat natural yoghurt 75ml vegetable oil or melted butter 1 egg 100g marzipan, cut into 12 cubes 25g flaked almonds Icing sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 5 and line a muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cases.

2. Weigh the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spices, dried fruit and orange zest and put into a large bowl and stir together.

3. In a large jug, mix together the orange juice, yoghurt, oil or melted butter and egg.

4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they are I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you for reading my little just combined. Take care not to overmix the batter or the muffins column and trying out my recipes, and for offering suggestions and won’t be light and fluffy. for all the lovely comments - it has been an absolute privilege to 5. Divide the batter between the muffin cases and push a cube share some of my baking with you, and I look forward to reading the of marzipan into the top of each muffin. Sprinkle the flaked new column in January’s edition. almonds over each muffin.

6. Bake the muffins for approximately 20 minutes until risen and All that remains is for me to wish everyone of you a very happy golden.

Christmas and a wonderful 2018 as I head off into the sunset, whisk 7. Leave muffins to cool slightly in the tray then remove to a wire in hand... rack and dust them with sieved icing sugar.

14 www.moulshamtimes.com I used a mixture of dried cranberries, sultanas, currants, mixed peel and chopped glacé cherries, but as usual feel free to substitute what you have, and if you are not keen on marzipan by all means omit it as you will still end up with lovely Christmassy tasting muffins. If you don’t have oranges use lemons, or even a mix of the two and feel free to play about with the spices.

Moulsham Street Truly Original would like to wish it’s customers old and new a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Mon-Sat 8am-5.30pm 01245 699187

Star & Garter

Opening Hours Sun -Thurs 12pm-11pm Fri - Sat- 12pm-12am

Live Music This Month

December 2017 Friday1st - Rewind Saturday 2nd - TBC Thursday 7th - Phil Ball Band Friday 8th - The Class Saturday 9th - TBC Sunday 10th - Open mic/jam Friday 15th - Rockhouse Saturday 16th - Lithium Wednesday 20th - Mark Absent & The Registrars Friday 22nd - Thirsty Work Saturday 23rd - VT11 Sunday 24th - Open mic / jam Xmas Special Plus Fishing for Robots Thursday 28th - Acoustic jam Friday 29th - TBC New Years Eve - The Class

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Christmas is coming to Moulsham Street...

Take a wander down Moulsham Street and you will find lots to delight this Christmas with a great range of shops, services, cafés, restaurants and bars. Moulsham Street offers an individual shopping experience with an eclectic range of specialist goods and services not available anywhere else in the city. Moulsham Street features owner-run businesses and retailers delivering great customer service with passion and attention to detail that keeps the customers coming back.

Whether you need a Christmas hamper from one of Moulsham Street’s specialist food shops, a gift for that special person, quirky individual decorations, inspiration for stylish ways to decorate your home or if you simply need a good night out with friends to celebrate the festive season, Moulsham Street has it covered.

Over the years, Moulsham Street has seen many changes with traders coming and going. Some of the longest established businesses include Gallery43, County Interiors and Chelmsford Carpet Centre. Others are newly established over the last couple of years, such as Boudicca and Stella’s Bit of Greece. Some have moved on (but not too far away) like Jems, which has moved just around the corner on to Parkway. Moulsham Street also boasts a few bigger specialist retailers such as The Futon Shop and Fired Earth, both attracted by the unique character and ambiance of the street.

With its range of cafés, pubs and restaurants, you can find refreshments from first thing in the morning to last thing at night.

So while out and about why not take time to enjoy coffee and a festive mince pie? Or perhaps a full English is how you like to start your day.

Stockists of Leading Brands Starter Kits Mods Accessories Massive selection of liquids including MOMO, Nasty Juice, Ruthless, Dinner Lady and many more Family owned offering impartial advice

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16 www.moulshamtimes.com

If you need something on the move, then there are plenty of options in Moulsham Street too and for that special treat. Perhaps try afternoon tea in The Lemon Tree or lunch or dinner in one of Moulsham Street’s pubs or restaurants.

If you’re just out with your mates, there is plenty of choice. maybe a quiet corner in Essex’s first micro pub The Hop Beer Shop, or enjoying some live music in one of Moulsham Street’s lively bars.

Or maybe try out one of Moulsham Street’s newest venues - Bogaz Turkish Restaurant or The Moulsham Tap. If you need something for your home, then Moulsham Street has it covered with a range of specialist shops offering expert friendly advice so you can find the best option for you. if you’re looking for a new carpet, then talk to Chelmsford Carpet Centre. If you need some help with interior design, try Boudicca or Russell Moore.

What about new tiles for your kitchen or bathroom? Talk to Fired Earth. Or for new curtains, try County Interiors or Curtain Talk. If you want something framed or want to buy a painting or limited edition print, then pop into Gallery43.

Moulsham Street can also come to your rescue for special gifts too, from flowers to fine art, unusual gifts or perhaps a pampering session at one of Moulsham Street’s hair dressing salons or beauty rooms. keep an eye on Moulsham Street’s Facebook page for solutions to all your Christmas shopping dilemmas during the run up to Christmas.

With local on-street parking and nearby car parks on Parkway and in George Street, and with wide pavements for a comfortable browsing experience, come and take a look at what Moulsham Street has to offer. We look forward to seeing you soon! www.moulshamst.co.uk www.facebook.com/moulshamst

Contemporary art gallery displaying a range of original art, limited edition prints, ceramics, jewellery, glass, gifts and Christmas decorations.

Expert in-house picture framing service.

43 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford. CM2 0HY

01245 353825 art@gallery43.co.uk www.gallery43.co.uk

Moulsham Schools

On Friday 10th November Vicky Ford, the MP for Chelmsford, visited Moulsham Junior School. Two of our Year 5 ambassadors showed her round our school and told her about life at MJS.

Vicky Ford pictured with the Year 5 school councillors

Our Year 5 class councillors then met with her and asked her questions about her aspirations as an MP and also about her life.

This is a summary of their meeting:

Tell us about your job. How does it develop Chelmsford?

“I represent Chelmsford but also work across the whole country. My three promises when I became MP for Chelmsford were to keep the A&E department at Broomfield (tick), improve the roads and railways, and ensure we keep positive relationships with EU countries.”

You used to work in finance - why did you choose to become an MP? “I want to make a difference. My dad always said that ‘we should leave the world a better place for those we leave behind’. I have a background in international business and this lead me to take an interest in politics.”

How did you become interested in fly fishing - is it a family tradition?

“My dad! Time beside a river is always calm, sometimes when life is so busy you need to just stop. Also when I met my husband, he loves

golf, cricket and fishing - we need to have a shared interest otherwise we would never see each other!”

How do you think coming out of the EU will affect Chelmsford?

“I hope it will be a stable change. It is really important that we keep those positive relationships with the EU countries, especially for the fields of finance, insurance and scientific research.”

Lots of retailers have invested in Chelmsford. What other types of investments are you keen to see?

“More scale-up space, as there are many small businesses in Chelmsford that need to expand - also space for innovation and collaboration. I am excited about the new swimming pool complex and yes - like Yasmin - another doughnut shop!”

You are keen to invest in infrastructure - Chelmsford can have major traffic jams, how would you resolve this dilemma?

“It would be really beneficial if we could build a second train station up near Beaulieu Park. This would have a huge impact on commuters, but also mean less cars driving into the centre of Chelmsford.”

How was your time at Uni? “Fabulous!”

Have you done anything to support Theresa May? “Yes - when Theresa was Home Secretary she did a lot of work to reform gun laws across Europe and I am very proud to say that I helped her with that.”

We had a great time with Vicky and hope that she will be able to visit us again in the future!

Mrs Marie Staley, Headteacher

Moulsham Infant School Judged ‘Good’

by Ofsted

Governors and parents have joined with the children and staff at Moulsham Infant School to celebrate achieving a ‘Good’ rating once again following its latest Ofsted inspection on 31st October 2017.

The school secured a continuing judgement of ‘Good’ in all areas that were looked at.

Highlights in the report include comments that: • • • • •

•

‘Children and pupils at Moulsham Infant School are delightful’.

‘You have created a safe, stimulating environment in which every pupil is keen to learn and play’.

‘Safeguarding is effective’.

‘Children get off to a flying start in the early years, and quickly settle’.

‘The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school. The focus on developing pupils speaking and listening is paying dividends. Pupils are not reluctant to write’.

‘You have created a culture of care and vigilance and are passionate about ensuring that pupils feel safe, both physically and emotionally’.

Acting headteacher, Mrs Jane Landa-Arrese, commented: “we are extremely proud of the school’s achievement and look forward to continuing to ‘be the best you can be’.”

18 www.moulshamtimes.com

50 Years of Excellence at Oaklands Infants School Oaklands Infants School in Vicarage Road, Chelmsford, celebrated its 50th anniversary this year with a special day in school. The children researched key events from the last fifty years and decided on their favourite fifty things about their school. For 4-7 year olds a birthday celebration always means a party, so they enjoyed cake, balloons and a giant game of pass the parcel!

The school opened on January 9th 1967 on the site of the old vicarage, and was built to save young children from having to cross the busy by-pass to Moulsham Infant School. The Moulsham schools were built in the 1930s to replace the old St John’s schools in Moulsham Street. Oaklands Infants replaced the Friars School, the site of which is now under Parkway.

Oaklands Infants initially had 114 children on roll in three classrooms, although Weekly News reported that these three classes could accommodate 180 pupils! A friendly note was struck by the first headmistress, Miss Frances Guiney, when she invited all the prospective pupils to come for a preview of the school, saying that they could bring their parents as well!

When the school opened under headmistress Miss Guiney, it had three teachers: Mrs Furnace, Mrs Tomlinson and Mrs Slatter, as well as two clerical staff, a caretaker, two kitchen staff and two midday assistants. What a comparison with today’s staff of over 35 people! There were no teaching assistants in those days. One of the clerical staff was Mrs Peggy Ager who went on to work at the school for over

thirty years.

William and Kate tied the knot.

In 2007, the school’s 40th anniversary, one of the first pupils Mrs Penny Conti visited the school and described what school was like in the beginning.

She explained that she learned to read using ITA (Initial Teaching Alphabet) a pre-runner of today’s phonics teaching systems. She also remembered there being a paddling pool in the school playground, as well as a statue of a lion, and that all the children had a sleep in the afternoons!

There have been many exciting school visits, multicultural and festival celebrations from a range of faiths, and opportunities for music making, sport and art. The children have also taken part in Forest Schools, involving den building, whittling sticks and making fires.

Over the years there have been many changes to the buildings at the school, with temporary classrooms being erected to cope with rising numbers of children in the early 1980s and later, a library being constructed.

Eventually the demountable classrooms were demolished and replaced with a permanent new wing. In 2015 the school was extended again to meet the rising demand for school places, and it now has six classrooms.

Over the years, many changes have taken place within these walls with the purchase of the first school television, classroom carpets, introduction of a school uniform and provision of free school fruit.

The school logbook records many crises and moments of excitement over the years, from its blessing by Revd Bardsley, who previously lived at the old vicarage, and oil shortages in the 1970s forcing the school to close in very cold weather, to the loss of several very large old trees in the 1987 storm. The school has celebrated the Queen’s Silver and Golden Jubilees with parties, and more recently held its own ‘royal wedding’ in St John’s Church, Moulsham Street when

Staff at Oaklands Infants have always placed great importance on making learning fun and child centred, at the same time as ensuring that pupils achieve academic progress. The school is rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, and is always oversubscribed.

The school has only had five head teachers in all that time: Miss Guiney, Mrs Davidson, Mrs Dennis, Mrs Widgery and the current head teacher, Mrs Cheryl Allard.

Can you help us hold on to the past for future generations?

Oaklands Infants would be very pleased to add to their archives before memories fade and photographs are lost. They would love to hear from any past pupils or staff of the school with their memories or photos of Oaklands Infant School, so please send any accounts or copies of photographs to the school.

One of the activities on our 50th birthday was for the children to create a list of their fifty favourite things about our school: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Yummy school dinners Tyres in the big playground Having fun with friends Letters and sounds Writing stories The lovely toys Drawing pictures Maths, because it’s fun!

Everybody is kind

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

Learning to read Birthday assembly English lessons The outside areas Every day is fun Playtime The water trays in the playground PE lessons The dinner ladies who keep us safe Kind teachers Going on gold Having a pet guinea pig Headteacher’s tea Singing in assembly Going on school trips The football pitch Writing on whiteboards Forest school Tennis Cookery club Reading books in the book corner Learning about the world Food technology Art corner The climbing wall The Oaklands code Finding our own place to sit at lunchtime Clearing our plates Saying please and thank you Times tables Lots of challenges Teachers helping us with our maths We love making snacks We love the pond We like the building on the inside and outside We like the tall trees We like catching the raindrops from the sky The shelter which the mummies and daddies can stand in when it’s raining The buddy stop is good for waiting for your friends The playground is good for hide and seek We love the mud!

www.moulshamtimes.com 19

How Do You Perform Under Pressure? by Mark Roberts Have you ever found yourself saying ‘I work better under pressure?’ I know I have said it myself and I have heard it said quite often.

Conversely, I have heard people say that they do not respond so well. The response to pressure can be a moveable feast and in my experience, is usually contextual.

I found myself saying it recently and it gave me pause for thought as I considered what that statement actually meant to me. Let’s face it, such statements are often made glibly, without any real thought. I’m not suggesting that we should overanalyse every off-the-cuff comment that we make, but some are worthy of closer examination and this one is a case in point.

The impact of this simple and much used statement, can be key to our motivation to succeed. When you understand how and why it works, the knowledge can be applied as a useful tool to leverage success.

Let’s take a closer look…

Wherever the pressure comes from, your ability to cope will always depend on your level of motivation to succeed and this in turn will depend entirely upon the motive driving it forward. It may be, for example, that you want to impress your boss to help with a promotion, or possibly something more fundamental, such as just wanting to keep your job. If you are the kind of person who is driven by a challenge, you may be more likely to respond positively to the pressure being applied. Alternatively, if you do not respond well then you may be more likely to walk away. Either way, it can prompt a ‘fight or flight’ response.

Internally, you will be making a mental assessment on whether the potential outcome is worth the effort and this will ultimately determine whether you pick up the baton and run with it. Much can depend on where the pressure is coming from. Most often it is from an external source such as work. But what about when it is coming from within you? Maybe you want to make a start on that life affirming project you have been dreaming about, or perhaps you are considering a career change, maybe setting up a business. This can bring a whole new level of pressure, which on the face of it, may seem easier to walk away from simply because it is self generated, and you may therefore accord it less importance.

Walking away from your dreams however, may be costlier than you think; how will you feel when you look back in years to come, knowing that you never gave it a go? In the decision making process you will almost certainly have considered the end game, the prize, and consequently the price of that success. However, I also invite you to consider the flipside, the personal cost of giving up on your dreams; what price will you put on this?

This is where it is important to know and understand the driving force behind the dream: what is your motive to succeed and how much do you really want it? When it comes to personal goals and dreams, if you do not believe in yourself, it can be easy to walk away. If you are filled with self doubt, or perhaps question your ability to acquire the resources required to drive the project forward, you may feel like giving up. If this is the case, then your dreams will remain just that: dreams!

But consider this…

What if you found yourself in circumstances where you needed to make a lot of money in a very short space of time (legally of course)?

Let’s imagine that failure is not an option because you, or your family’s future, depended upon it - huge pressure! How creative could you become in that situation? How far would you be prepared to step out of your comfort zone to make that happen? What new skills would you be prepared to learn and how many mountains could you move to guarantee success? In this type of situation, the pressure 20

to succeed can take on a whole new perspective, driving you to take action that you never previously thought possible.

Ok, so I am using an extreme example here, but my point is this: your response to the pressure is hugely contextual to the circumstances, ramping up your motive to succeed. In the urgency of the situation you know that you will find the power and the will to make things happen to ensure success. In this case, as you act in the moment, any self doubt or lack of belief in yourself would simply disappear as you become totally focused on the task at hand, responding to the pressure and rising to the challenge.

Now here’s the real point: You are still the same person that you were before. Nothing has changed other than your behaviour. You haven’t mysteriously been endowed with new powers, because the only magic wand that was waved was the one you waved yourself. You always had the power, you just needed to find the trigger to activate it. In this case, as in all cases, the trigger is always having the right motive.

The key to success always resides in the power of your motivation to succeed. In some cases, there will be external pressure forcing your hand to drive a project forward. With a powerful motive, this pressure can rocket propel you to achieve goals that you may not have previously thought were possible for you. If you believe that this could work for you, then find your motive and bring your own pressure to bear, by setting goals and committing to target dates.

If you didn’t previously believe you could perform well under pressure, think again - you will never know what is possible until you take that first step. Go on, give it a go…

To your success…

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

MJS BUILDING & CARPENTRY Local, experienced, fully insured reliable carpenter in Old Moulsham.

All Carpentry and building work undertaken such as: • Garden walls • Built in Units/cupboards • Kitchens • Doors • Hand cut roofs • Flat roof/tiled roof repairs and renews • Loft conversions • Extensions/building work

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Home: 01245 675225 Mobile: 07794137516 Email: nsteel31@yahoo.co.uk

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Hannah Bennett, 30, from the Moulsham Area of Chelmsford, Will Be Taking Part in the Virgin Money London Marathon Hannah Bennett, 30, from the Moulsham area of Chelmsford, will be taking part in the Virgin Money London Marathon on April 22nd 2018 to help transform the lives of young wheelchair users across the UK.

Hannah will be taking on the challenging 26.2 mile route around the capital alongside thousands of runners to raise money for disabled children and young people’s charity Whizz-Kidz, who provide life-transforming mobility equipment, support and training to help young wheelchair users reach their full potential.

Hannah started running around three years ago, and so far has completed two half marathons. She regularly runs around central Chelmsford, and attends the hugely popular Chelmsford 5k parkrun.

She is also a member of the Little Baddow Ridge Runners running club, who run twice a week around the beautiful countryside of Danbury.

Hannah said: “I have always wanted to run the London Marathon, and I was thrilled when I was offered a place to run for Whizz-Kidz. They came to speak at a charity day at my work, and I was so impressed by the work they did. I had no idea that so many disabled children are waiting for proper equipment and support. I wanted to help raise money for this fantastic charity, and it seemed a perfect opportunity to combine fundraising with a chance to run such an iconic race.

“While I have run half marathons before, running a full marathon will be a huge challenge, particularly getting up early during the winter months several times a week to run in the cold, dark mornings!

Knowing that the money I’m raising will support such great work will help me get through the long months of training.”

Since the first race in 1981, runners have raised more than £830 million for good causes and today the London Marathon is the largest annual one-day fundraising event in the world.

Cecilia Magill, Senior Events Fundraising Manager for Whizz-Kidz, said: “The Virgin Money London Marathon is one of the world’s most anticipated running events, and over the years our incredible runners have raised more than £20m to fund our work. We would like to thank all those who are taking on the challenge to raise funds for Whizz-Kidz at a time when thousands of disabled children and young people are waiting for the right mobility equipment and support to fit their young lives.

“Whizz-Kidz gives disabled children and young people freedom and independence by providing them with the vital equipment and support that they need to help them live the lives that they deserve. Without the invaluable fundraising efforts from runners like Hannah, we could not continue our life-changing work. Thank you and good luck!”

If you would like to donate to Hannah,

please visit: whizz-kidz-london-marathon18.everydayhero.com/uk/ hannah.

Whizz-Kidz has transformed the lives of over 20,000 disabled children and young people since 1990 - often, literally overnight. It supports 2-25 year-olds by providing the vital mobility equipment, support and life skills they need, to help them fulfil their potential and achieve their goals. If you would like further information, please visit their website at www.whizz-kidz.org.uk.

Wine Corner

Hello again, all. Another month flies by and we are definitely in winter mode, the porch lights are going on as I walk by on my way to the paper shop, so that’s all the confirmation I need.

The French holiday seems an age away now, but memories are fresh and the wet weather we are having is a constant reminder of it!

I am hearing Christmas music in the shops now, so I guess it must be round the corner as far as they are concerned. It is a shame how increasingly commercialised it’s becoming. I do enjoy the time and always look forward to it. It does mean though, that it is alright for me to talk about wines for Christmas, so that’s what I am going start with. Good old Malbec is always reliable and the whites I enjoy, like Sauvignon blanc and Pinot grigio, are always acceptable.

Remember that you don’t have to spend a fortune on fizzy stuff. Prosecco is always acceptable these days and it has a lovely taste, along with the French sparkling wines from Saumur, and it’s a lot cheaper than Champagne.

Don’t forget the English sparkling wines are now of very good quality too, a bit more expensive than the others here, but, who cares, IT’S CHRISTMAS!. It is nice to support the English wineries as a special treat over the Festive Season.

I like a nice light red with my turkey Christmas lunch and I have discovered a lovely Pinot noir from Romania. It’s called Helios (sounds a bit Greek to me) and it is just the right balance, with slightly more body than the French ones - a bit like the ones from California - and a lovely fruity taste.

I tend to go for slightly more expensive wines at this time of year, it just adds to the treat. Having said that, I read recently of a couple of ‘studies’ regarding the taste and cost of wine. One said that they had found that if the drinker hears the ‘pop’ of the cork being pulled from the bottle they think the wine tastes better. Well, that puts the screw tops back in their place. I guess you could shout ‘pop’ in a realistic way when opening screw top wines - might do the trick...

Another report said that if the drinker is told that a wine is expensive, they will enjoy it more. Well, I think I might print a few price tickets and accidentally leave them on the table next to the wine. The prices would have to be much more than what I had paid, of course.

Thinking about it, it would not work with people who know me well and know that I would never pay more than a tenner for most of my wine. Worth a go though.

I’ve been thinking about popular sayings again. ‘Talk the hind legs off a donkey’ - what’s that all about? I have stood next to donkeys, not too many since I am a bit scared of them due to an incident with a New Forest pony when I was young. It stepped sideways and knocked me down a hill in Lyndurst. It’s never been forgotten. Anyhow, no donkey I’ve spoken to has ever lost it’s hind legs!

I still hear people say that something was a ‘feather in their cap’.

Now, very few people wear caps these days and even fewer have feathers in them. Does that mean people do not do anything

22

that deserves a feather or it’s a load of old nonsense?

‘The world is your oyster’. Oysters are little white things in a shell, how does that work?

I prefer Arthur Daley from Minder’s version when he said: “the world is your lobster my boy...”

I see that it was reported that some universities, in conjunction with the Georgian National Museum, have discovered evidence that wine was being made about 1,000 years before we thought - in the stone age. I say we, I don’t mean you and me but the boffins, who seem to do a lot of studies on wine. Missed a trick there, I should have paid more attention at school and become a boffin! If you could get some for the festive season, I guess that brings a whole new meaning to the Christmas song “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” - see what I did there?

The papers report that they have discovered that wine, similar to Pinot noir, was being made from Eurasion grapes and as with a lot of early wine production was originally used as a medicine. Perhaps we may be able to get a nice bottle of Chardonnay on the NHS. The Eurasion grape is thought to be the source of the vast majority of grapes that are grown today. What is also surprising is that no monks were involved. This makes me a little suspicious, along with the fact that glass making had not been perfected then, so there would be no bottles available. However, I guess the academics know best...

I read an article recently about cocktails having a revival. Apparently one called Negroni dates back nearly one hundred years. A Negroni is made with gin, Campari and vermouth and has become very popular, they say, as an aperitif - as you would expect, the dominant colour is red. I do like a cocktail, very refreshing, but some can have a high alcohol content, with maybe two spirits and most of the time party goers do not know what they contain, and sometimes even the host is not sure what they’ve used. Powerful stuff.

Back to the wine. It is reported that a group of Essex wine producers have banded together to get their wine officially recognised by obtaining a trade mark for their Crouch Valley wine. New Hall Vineyards, just down the road near Danbury, is one of eleven vineyards concerned. They produce award winning wines and are one of the oldest vineyards in England. I hope they are successful, it would be wonderful to be able to say that we live near a wine producing valley. Hopefully, they will reach their goal of achieving Protected Geographical Indication - that will be fantastic for English wine production.

Have a great Christmas and enjoy a few glasses of lovely wine. All the best for the New Year.

Bin end chuckles: People often cry when they prepare onions, the secret is not to form an emotional bond...

I heard a song about a tortilla, well it was more of a wrap...

Keep calm and carry on drinking (in moderation).

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www.moulshamtimes.com

23

Rotary Is Preparing for Christmas Christmas is a special time of the year, but as we all know it doesn’t just happen. Apart from the religious aspect, many people celebrate the whole experience as an opportunity to be with their families, to treat themselves to those little extras and to stuff themselves with food. Usually - but not always - it is the mums who do the extra shopping, cook the family meal and (for any children who may possibly be reading this article) they ensure Santa Claus brings all the right presents. I don’t want to get into a sexist debate here and we know dads also throw themselves into the party spirit and put up trees and lights, and that sometimes mums do lights and dads do cooking... but you know what I mean, it’s a great time for families!

Rotarians gladly give of their time freely but some things cost money, and so throughout December you will see Rotarians standing outside supermarkets, railway station and other strategic places holding their cans to raise the money to pay for some of these Christmas treats and to finance other events or much needed equipment to benefit the community during the year. When we say for local people, that’s exactly what we mean for the Christmas collections. So please give generously as you normally do and spare a thought for those away from their families who are trying hard to improve Christmas for some of the less fortunate around us.

Rotary is not just for Christmas. Rotarians work hard through the whole year to benefit people - people like you, people like us. All of us need a hand from time to time and it isn’t just about money. It’s about giving time and advice. If you have what it takes to join Rotary, please visit www.rotary1240.org, or phone me on 01245 260 349 for details.

Stan Keller

Missed an issue - view online at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

Just as a family Christmas takes a lot of hard work and planning, then so it is for Rotary clubs as they bring seasonal enjoyment to local people. I can stress local people because the Chelmsford clubs particularly focus on the immediate community.

Help comes in so many ways of which you may already be aware.

Hospital visits over Christmas give much needed relief to hardpressed nurses and Chelmer Bridge Rotary Club has made it one of their signature projects each year to spread the Christmas spirit.

Meanwhile, Chelmsford Mildmay are very active in collecting for food banks. If you are in High Chelmer during the festive lead up, you may well see Chelmsford Phoenix Rotary Club with friends entertaining shoppers with their lusty rendition of popular carols as they have done in recent years.

Then we enter the pantomime season, and rather than concentrate on the young, Chelmsford Rotary Club decided it was a good idea to take the elderly to the theatre for a change. Amazing that we never grow up and our senior citizens can boo and shout with the best of the kids. Each pensioner is picked up from their home and driven to the theatre where they enjoy the show (and an ice cream, of course), plus the chance to meet other people who may normally be on their own.

The turning on of the lights is a highlight of the civic year, and to help on a chilly winter’s night, Rotarians dispense mulled wine and mince pies in the High Street, with an alternative for the younger element and non drinkers. The whole idea is to add to the feeling of well-being in the community, and Rotary will support the Mayor’s charities which this year will be Chelmsford Mencap, Age Concern Chelmsford and Columbus School.

07936 198651

24 www.moulshamtimes.com

Everything a Vinylist Needs for Christmas With the massive rise in popularity of vinyl in recent years, Intense Records, Chelmsford’s only independent record store, are supplying all the gifts on any vinylists Christmas list. Intense have put together some amazing vinyl starter packs from leading brands Rega, Pro-Ject and Pioneer all consisting of a turntable, speakers and a selection of vinyl to start your collection off. Packages start from just £189. Pop in to the shop under the arches on Viaduct Road by the bus and train station or check the website at www.intenserecords.com for more info.

If you already have your turntable, then Intense can provide all the essential accessories to boost up your system from vinyl cleaning products to retro wooden record storage crates that come boxed for Christmas wrapping and are easily assembled. To pimp your deck, choose from a range of popular slip matt designs or a design-yourown option - just bring in a picture or logo and they will print it for you.

If that wasn’t enough, Intense have been sourcing all the most popular records around including some undiscovered gems across all genres including rock, indie, pop, jazz, funk and soul and a massive dance collection.

Intense Records, 33/34 Viaduct Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1TS 01245 347 372 www.intenserecords.com

When enquiring please quote "M&S VOUCHER”

Traveller’s Tales: In Search of Surrealism 1: René Margritte - by John Power We have been to Belgium four times; once to Ostende, once to Ghent by ourselves, but also on a CAMRA booze cruise to there and Brussels, and once to Brussels and Ghent and surrounding area with CAMRA again. With their elaborate medieval buildings and canals, Bruges and Ghent are worth visiting just to see the architecture alone, but the CAMRA trips also offered general historical interest.

One in particular included not only visits to breweries but to four Belgium castles, including that in Ghent town centre with its macabre collection of medieval torture implements. That visit was guided by retired County Archaeologist Dave Buckley, and concluded with a visit to the Menin Gate war memorial to the fallen soldiers of Flanders in the Second World War. We arrived in time for the Last Post to be sounded with ceremony as it is every evening.

Whilst in Brussels on the first CAMRA trip, we decided to take a day out from the touring schedule in search of the work of Surrealist painter René Magritte. There was no indication of a gallery devoted solely to his work, but we walked up the hill to the plateau which houses the Royal Palace, with its elaborate gardens now open as a park to the public, and other buildings of national distinction which include the National Gallery and and Gallery of Modern Art. The opening hours of these were staggered and only the National Gallery was open before lunch when we arrived, so we went to view the exhibits there first. Some of the stiff looking portraits of baby Jesus with his mother were pretty surreal (unintentionally) showing what looked more like a stunted adult than a child. But that was not what we were looking for. When the Gallery of Modern Art was open there were ample examples of most schools of modern art, but only five spaces for local man Magritte’s canvasses - and three of those were out on loan, while the remaining two were not his best work by any means. The empty spaces seemed pretty surreal by today’s gallery standards. However Podge, the CAMRA tour organiser, had provided the group members with maps of the best watering holes in Brussels and this included an indication of where René Magritte’s local was and could still be found. So we managed to connect with the deceased artist in real time (see photo).

Before our next visit to Brussels, some Internet research revealed that there were finally plans to create a gallery dedicated to Magritte’s work. When there, the site turned out to be a refurbished stately building opposite the Museum of Modern Art, and the upward climb to find it was repeated. When we managed to find someone who knew the building we were looking for we discovered that work was still in progress behind schedule, and the activity of the builders was masked by one of those enormous curtains with an image of the intended finished look of the building on it, hung across the three storeys of the frontage - indeed a surreal mural, but not one by the master’s hand! Had we known it at the time, several large genuine murals by the artist were to be found in a large hall on the Belgian north west coast of the English Channel at Knokke-le-Zoute, but we’ve never been to Belgium again to see them or the finished museum. Very surreal... but we

did find his pub...

Magritte was born in the town of Lessines in Belgium in 1898 but went to art school in Brussels, where he studied graphic design. Like many artists who think that this is the best way to earn a living from art, he soon became disillusioned about getting people to spend money on what they don’t need, so he continued also to work on painting which took in the influence of Cubism and Futurism. Then, by 1925, he had joined the ranks of the Surrealists. Whereas most artists working in that stream of thought were exploring interior themes of the mind’s workings, largely from dream imagery, Magritte was more interested in manipulating images from the external world in unusual, incongruous juxtapositions - rather more in line with Italian metaphysical painter, Giorgio de Chirico.

Although the contents of paintings were unusual in their internal relations and scale while assaulting our normal perceptions, like Salvador Dali and de Chirico they were always executed in otherwise formal detail, unlike other Surrealists like Max Ernst who used innovative techniques like frottage that often gave an abstract look to his finished works. Skies could be cut by geometric planes, while clouds were wholly naturalistic, or human torsos might turn into sculptures or animals - unusual but always recognisable.

Unlike the usual bohemian dress of an artist, Magritte found it more of an assault on our preconceptions to dress in the garb of a city gent with bowler hat, black jacket and coat and pinstripe trousers.

Figures dressed in this fashion also peopled his paintings - even in multitudes like raindrops falling from the sky. He continued to live in an ordinary suburban house with his wife Georgette, who was often the subject of experiments with film. He also ventured into the realms of three dimensional sculpture too. The scale of objects in compositions varied immensely as well: a huge feather might lean against furniture, a cycle rest on a cigar, atmospheric effects like flames engulf metal musical instruments, a canvas and easel might have the image continue beyond the frame into the background, floral images fill outlines of figures in landscapes, apples become heads on top of human torsos... The juxtapositions were endless in the visual tricks he created. Such incongruities might be fairly familiar in advertising images or Monty Python cartoon-style images today, but we owe all that to Magritte, while in his day they were an assault on public perceptions of normalcy.

In 1965 Magritte was honoured by a huge retrospective exhibition in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. After a long degenerative cancer he died in August 1967 in Schaerbeek, Belgium.

Christ Church in New London Road Christmas is coming - watch out for sheep!

Advent is a time of waiting and preparation. As you get ready for Christmas this year, look out for our sheep which will be hiding in churches, shops and other public places in Chelmsford. Each sheep has a name and there will be one sheep in each shop or venue taking part. Find the sheep and you may find your reward!

To take part, children will need a Messy Nativity Sheep Trail form.

Contact Sue at susanfleming.cc@gmail.com (phone 07971 462 649), or download a form from the Christ Church URC website at www. christchurchchelmsfordurc.org.uk.

To claim a prize, the completed forms must be returned to one of the places named on the form before 29th December 2017.

The trail starts on Sunday 3rd December - Advent Sunday. Your last chance to return the completed form and claim a prize will be at Messy Church on Friday 29th December. This time Messy Church (run jointly by St John’s and Christ Church URC) will be at St John’s Church in Moulsham Street from 2-4pm. Young and young-at-heart are welcome to come along and have fun making craftwork, playing games, singing and sharing food.

Children must bring an adult with them.

At Christ Church United Reformed Church in New London Road we have lots arranged for Advent: •

•

• •

Shooting Stars will be presenting Aladdin at 2.30pm on Saturday 2nd December (tickets £5 - contact Veronica on 01245 264 689).

Ever feel as if there aren’t enough hours in the day, or perhaps time drags and the waiting seems endless? Join us for four weekly discussions called So What Are You Waiting For? Wednesdays at 3pm starting 29th November.

Carols by Candlelight - a service of readings and music at 6.30pm Sunday 17th December.

Carols in the Pub - join us at the Woolpack, Mildmay Road Wednesday 20th December from 8pm.

Christmas Eve is the last day of Advent - the waiting is nearly over and our youngsters will help lead the service at 10.30am. We will join the services at St John’s in Moulsham Street at 4pm for the ever popular Crib Service, and at 11.30pm for Midnight Eucharist.

On Christmas Day we will celebrate at 10.30am at Christ Church with a service of joy led by Revd Mark Meatcher.

Come and join us - you will be very welcome! www.moulshamtimes.com

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All About Moulsham Lodge & Tile Kiln Moulsham Lodge Community Trust Our delayed annual concert was held on the 18th November; a programme of new arrangements and personal favourites followed by some early Christmas themed songs including some easily recognisable pop and traditional titles.

around £1,000, we should be able to consider options shortly, hopefully working with an organisation which can provide matched funding. If there is any chance of us receiving full funding for it we will convert the money to provide some free and some affordable first aid training in the local community.

A big thank you to St Luke’s for providing the venue.

Breakfast with Santa sold out in about a week - even after we added an extra day - and will be feeding 200 people. Santa is going to be very busy on both those days! We’re sorry if you missed out, but we do intend to repeat it next year.

Looking forward, we are thinking about making our annual Fun Day a World Cup theme next year. We’re not sure of the date yet but we’ll aim to have it in warmer weather. Watch this space.

New City Voices were raising money towards a life saving defibrillator which will be placed at the Community Station. With the total now

enquiries@mlct.org.uk 07411 808 731 Follow us on Twitter: @MLCTStation Also find us on Facebook

Cllr Mark Springett - Moulsham Lodge Ward It’s not often you get to call someone a hero, but that’s just what we have in our midst in Moulsham Lodge. I was driving home a few weeks ago and heard this story with an interview of a post office owner and thought: ‘wow, that was pretty brave’ - only to find out later in the day it was my son-in-law’s dad.

Well done Brian!

Picture and words are from the Essex Police website: Around 12.20pm on Wednesday 5thJuly, a masked man walked into the post office in Market Road, holding an object in a plastic bag.

Mark Dove, 30, of Briardale Avenue, Harwich then threatened staff before taking cash from a till.

What Mr Dove didn’t know is that Brian Smith, 48, from Chelmsford, and Glyn Phillips, 53, from Harwich, had realised what was happening and had positioned themselves to stop him as he tried to leave. Dove was confronted and despite punching one of the men, he was detained by them until police arrived.

School Crossing Patrol Many of you will know about the continued lack of a school crossing patrol on Gloucester Avenue. Cllr Dick Madden has also written about the difficulties in trying to fill this position, even after months of advertising and talking to local groups.

We are both trying to push for some kind of permanent zebra crossing, but the report we received back from highways which was an analysis of cars, speed and pedestrians over a fixed period of time, showed that it did not meet their criteria. However, I did some further analysis of the detailed data and found something quite shocking - and one I believe Essex County Council has no option but to act upon: The data showed that over 50% of cars are speeding along Gloucester Avenue during the time of the school runs, both in the morning and afternoon. I think that the choice is simple to avoid further accidents along this stretch of road, so will be pushing for a solution to this critical issue. mark.springett@chelmsford.gov.uk 07411 808 731 Twitter: @markspringett Also find me on Facebook

Chief Inspector Paul Wells, Essex Police’s new Tendring District Commander, said: “I would like to thank Mr Smith and Mr Phillips for the courage and initiative they showed during this robbery, which must have been really frightening.

“They made the decision to put themselves in harm’s way and this resulted directly in a man being brought to justice and receiving a custodial sentence.

“It’s a heartening reminder of the good will and decency that characterises our communities and I hope it sends a message to the small minority who might commit violent crimes, that the rest of us don’t like it.”

Brian said of the incident: “I happened to be in the area when I suddenly saw a man walk into the post office wearing a mask. Mr Phillips was nearby and we waited outside, grabbed the man and held him until police arrived.

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Tile Kiln Corner - by Linda Mascot When Mike Shah retired in June, the new proprietors of the Clay Pigeon Pub, Andy Thomas and Kate Kill, wanted to continue the family run tradition and offer home cooked food at reasonable prices. They have already spruced up the outside with flowers and revamped the circular restaurant. Their sunday roast is proving a big hit and is very good value as well at £9 for adults and £5 for children. On special offer at the moment are beefburgers in a brioche bun with salad and fries, which are normally £7 each, but buy one get one free from 1.30-5pm,

Wednesdays to Sundays.

There is a DJ every Friday from 8 till late (free nibbles if booked in advance for your Christmas party) and regular live bands, including the popular Boomers on 29th December, with music from the 60s 70s and 80s (free entry).

Andy has lived nearby in Moulsham Lodge for 30 years and told me he had always wanted to run a pub. Kate is from Great Baddow and said: “We have had a warm welcome from regulars and local people, everyone is really friendly and we look forward to introducing coffee mornings to tie in with the school run and other events such as pamper evenings. Families are welcome and we hope local people will come and try our new menu. We are planning to organise a street party next year and are already talking to the church about collaborating, so watch our Facebook page for details.”

I’ll be joining Kate and Andy, along with members of Tile Kiln Church, for ‘Beer & Carols’ on Wednesday 20th December at the pub, accompanied by an an accordion. Come and join us for some festive community fun (carol sheets will be provided). This is in addition to the very popular ‘Carols by Candlelight’ at Tile Kiln Church at 6pm on Sunday 17th December followed by mince pies and coffee. All are welcome.

To book the restaurant or for details of parties and events, ring 01245 358 971 and leave your contact details, or email claypigeonpub@gmail.com, and ‘like’ the Clay Pigeon Facebook page for news of upcoming events.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. mascotlinda@gmail.com Twitter: @lindamascot

2nd Chelmsford Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade

Attendees at the special anniversary service At the beginning of November the 2nd Chelmsford Girls’ and Boys’ Brigade started their 50th year of birthday celebrations with a special church service at Moulsham Lodge Methodist Church. The service included the enrolment of new boys and girls, the commissioning of two new Girls’ Brigade leaders, contributions from the members of all sections aged 5-18 years, as well as presentations of a Boys’ Brigade Queens award and a Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award. Several ex-members and staff attended as well as special guests from Girls’ Brigade and Boys’ Brigade, including Bill Stevenson, the Boys’ Brigade Secretary and Chief Executive. Tea and cake was served afterwards and a collection of £311 started their fundraising for the charity, Young Minds. It was a great morning and so lovely to see the church bursting at the seams!

Also at the service, the two companies launched their ‘50 challenges to do in our 50th Year’. This is a list of 50 things they have set themselves the task of doing before November 2018 and include such things as fundraising for Young Minds, a group bike ride, encouraging wildlife in the community, 50 second challenges, a company bowling competition and many, many more. It looks like it is going to be a fun packed year! www.moulshamtimes.com

Boys’ Brigade Queens’ Badge award holders Please email enquiries@2ndChelmsford.org.uk or phone 07810 644 746 for further information if you have a son/daughter aged 5+ who is interested in joining.

D of E Silver Award

New Girls’ Brigade leaders) 29

30 www.moulshamtimes.com

Highwood Building Services

All roofing work undertaken Home Improvements • Extensions • Alterations Garages • Wall Rebuilds • Free Estimates We are a local family run business with 30 years experience! Call us for a free no obligation quotation

01245 422712 / 07711 606561 - We will beat any written quote! www.highwoodbuildingservices.co.uk info@highwoodbuildingservices.co.uk

Auto Services

A well established local garage based in the heart of Chelmsford for all your motoring needs.

42 Milmay Rd, Chelmsford CM2 0DZ Tel: 01245 262869

Lens Lawnmowers Sales & Service Large showroom, over 100 machines on display. Try before you buy on selected machines

Reeds Farm, off Roxwell Road 01245 422571

www.lens-lawnmowers.co.uk

Advertise on our classified page for just £25 + VAT per issue.

Great Baddow Barber Shop

Traditional & Modern English Barber Established over 4 years ago in Great Baddow, we have a reputation for a quality haircut by professional barbers at a reasonable price.

• Free Parking • Children welcome • No appointment • Credit cards taken

01245476975 www.greatbaddowbarbershop.co.uk 11 Maldon Rd, Gt Baddow, CM2 7DW (next to House of Flowers)

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Web sites from £299 web sites | business cards | flyers | 01245 262082 www.moulshamtimes.com

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