Moulham Times December 2016

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Issue Number 48 - December 2016

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MT Welcome

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MT Therapy by Jenny Hartill Last time I wrote about when and why to seek counselling, today I’m going to tackle the common issues affecting whether or not someone acts upon their desire to seek counselling. This article may feel quite similar to the last one I wrote, but I wanted to explore a few of last month’s pointers a little more in depth. This is because 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’.

‘I can’t afford it’ or ‘I don’t have 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 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 change through therapy - but we only guide you to the destination that you want to go. 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”. As I said last month, 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 from 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 that you can make healthy, balanced choices and decisions in life. That’s what us therapists want to help you with.

Next, ‘I can’t afford it’ or ‘I don’t have time’. It’s true that counselling is an investment and usually clients start off with one session of 50 minutes per week. That can seem expensive to some people, but look at it this way: Would you make time for the love of your life each week? If somebody says they’re interested in you but they won’t make the time to see you or even communicate with you and donate even some of their time, are they worth the effort? Now, think about this; how much is your mental health worth to you? Some of my clients do have to save up over a period of time so that they can come and have regular therapy. I commend them! Not only is taking the step to see a therapist brave, it is especially so when it is something you wouldn’t normally be able to afford and therefore it’s a massive investment! So ask yourself this: How much time and money are you spending on maintaining your current coping mechanisms? How much money do you spend in the pub/on cigarettes/on food? How much time do you spend thinking about getting better? Instead of spending hours in the pub every night, could you give up 50 minutes

a week to see a therapist and change your life forever? The money and the time issues are just another way of you talking yourself out of getting better. Sit down, make a budget and make a schedule. Then see if you really can’t afford it or don’t have the time. Give yourself a chance to be realistic about feeling better before writing off private therapy - and writing off yourself!

My last point is about private therapy not occurring to people as an 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 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 being told by their GP that it would take 9 months to see a therapist on the NHS. 9 months! 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 doesn’t 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 also 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 very quickly with private therapy. I aim to see new clients within 24 hours to 1 week tops.

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, I own and run Chelmsford Therapy Rooms. We have a range of therapists that can help with a multitude of issues. Please see the website www.chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or you can email info@ chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or call 0330 100 5162.

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From County Hall by Cllr Dick Madden

I write this article just after Remembrance Sunday and share with you that I attended Arnhem in Holland, as I indicated in my last article, to pay my respects to all our fallen soldiers who had fought in the Second World War battle known as Operation Market Garden, at my own expense, with my best mate Browny. It was a humbling experience for both of us to see where the battle had taken place and to note that 8,000 allied troops had entered the battle and nearly 6,000 troops were either killed, wounded or taken prisoner. This battle was intended to shorten the Second World War, but the outcome was not what was expected. We paid our respects and travelled home in a sombre mood.

Once back in Chelmsford I then ventured off to China to meet politicians and government officials for one week to explore their challenging social matter of looking after a growing elderly population. In my time in China I was made very welcome and exchanged the similarities we have as a nation with regard to a growing elderly population, which as time progresses, we are challenged on how we are to fully fund it. I was given the opportunity to visit elderly residential homes with over 1,000 residents and a children’s home for disabled children. It seems most adult residential and children’s homes are run by charities. My time in China, all paid for by the hosts, was interesting and worthwhile and it is being shared with not only Essex County Council but with the Local Government Association, which all local authorities belong to.

You may note that we at Essex County Council have also recently written to Phillip Hammond, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, seeking him to consider providing more monies for adult social care across our nation in the forthcoming autumn budget statement. This is a growing, challenging social problem. I am an optimist, but keep your fingers crossed!

What of local matters? As we head towards Christmas, our retail outlets are really speeding up with Christmas products, and the city

centre is a place to be. Wasn’t it great news that Chelmsford High Street was named in the top five high streets in a recent Great British High Street competition? We should be proud, as the High Street is in the area I represent for you.

Don’t forget that at Moulsham Lodge Community Centre on Saturday 3rd December the annual Christmas Market will take place and yes, Father Christmas will be in his grotto again - so bring along the children and grandchildren.

Well the weather is turning as we enter our Christmas and New Year period. So please, as I indicate each year, look around at your neighbours and those who are on their own, perhaps frail and in need of support. Either as a family or as an individual offer some Christmas spirit by calling on that particular neighbour to ensure they are warm, fed and not on their own. THANK YOU. BE SAFE Dick Madden

Life T M Hack

Keep a note of all the serial numbers of expensive items you own, If anything unfortunately gets stolen, it’s much easier to prove it’s yours if it gets recovered.

Not sure what to get someone for christmas?

Ask them to guess what you have bought them and you will have a list of ideas!

From The House by Sir Simon Burns Ideas Hub Chelmsford Recently, I was very kindly asked to be a patron of the Chelmsford Ideas Hub. It is a fascinating organisation based in the High Chelmer Shopping Centre.

Chelmsford (CIC).

In 2010, the RSA (Royal Society of Arts), in partnership with the Academy of Urbanism London, Essex County Council, Chelmsford Borough Council, and the Chelmsford Civic Society, formed an organisation called Changing

The overall objective of Changing Chelmsford was to achieve community engagement as this was seen as an area which needed to be improved.

Diverse sectors of the community were invited to take part in a series of events, forums and workshops to collaborate in shaping the future of community engagement in Chelmsford. 109 ideas were born, including: Cultural Town, Tech Town, plus a series of specific initiatives, including Transition Chelmsford.

In 2010, Changing Chelmsford focused on the rehabilitation of four historic buildings in a state of bad repair: The Anne Knight building, the Marconi building on Marconi Road, the Marconi building in Hall Street and Shire Hall.

In 2011, the work of Changing Chelmsford became part of the improvement initiatives to support the application for city status for Chelmsford.

In 2012, Anglia Ruskin University joined Changing Chelmsford as part of an initiative to open the group to the wider community, and a grass roots Ideas Festival was also born.

Mick McDonagh from High Chelmer Shopping Centre offered one of the shopping centre’s empty units as a working space for organising the Ideas Festival and as a venue to run events during the Ideas Festival. This is how The Ideas Hub Chelmsford came to be born.

The Ideas Hub Chelmsford was approved as a registered charity in November 2015, and as well as still providing a venue for events for the Ideas Festival (now in its 4th year), it offers a friendly space six days a week all year round to the community of Chelmsford and continues to build activities to shape the future of community support and engagement in helmsford from its grass roots.

The official objectives of the charity are the advancement for education and the provision of a community space in the city of Chelmsford.

I am delighted to have become involved with this excellent local organisation. If you would like more information about the Ideas Hub Chelmsford, you can visit their website at www.ideashubchelmsford. org.

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MT Fitness

Ice Or Heat For Injury, The Big Debate If I had a penny for every time I got asked ‘ice or heat?’ Well, I wouldn’t be very rich at all - the penny jar would be rather full though, I can assure you.

The story starts way back in the ‘80s when a jolly clever chap called Gabe Mirkin, MD, published a paper explaining his RICE theory (rest, ice, compression, elevation). The idea is that the ice would reduce inflammation and get rid of that nasty swelling, because swelling is bad right?

they can help guide you towards the best way to move without doing any more damage and to actually speed up your recovery.

As always, we love to chat, so if you have any questions go over to our Facebook page at Forte Physical Health, or you can check us out at www.fortephysicalhealth.co.uk.

Have a healthy month!

So for years we have been following this idea, that our injuries need ice, dogmatically.

We see our footballers limp off the pitch and prop their sweaty feet up wrapped in ice blocks.

Our brave Olympians plunge into ice baths after their hard fought races. You may even nervously pull the bag of peas out the freezer because someone like me told you to.

Then out of the blue in 2014 that clever old soul Gabe Mirkin popped up in the literature again holding his hands up saying ‘Sorry guys! My bad. Inflammation is good! Don’t ice it!’

‘What?! You’re kidding me’ us therapists groaned. All those years...

To explain this 180 switch, let’s ask a very simple question: Why is the inflammation there?

Well, inflammation is an essential part of the healing process. It stimulates repair and remodelling of the cells and prevents cell death - and that’s good, right?

However, all that swelling causes pain and we need to get rid of it somehow. Thankfully though our body has a way of getting rid of it naturally, and that’s through movement.

Our movement contracts our muscles and shifts our weight which pumps the swelling away through our lymphatic vessels. Ice, by the way, inhibits the flow of lymphatic fluid so could actually be slowing this process, not speeding it up. It also makes us question the rest component of RICE too, right?

Now some of you are probably thinking, ‘pfft, ice works for me, I’ve felt it’ and you’d be right; ice has been proven to reduce pain - but only for 20 minutes or so. Does it speed up your total recovery time? No. In fact it may slow it down.

So what’s the answer? You could try heat as this will improve blood and lymphatic flow without inhibiting the inflammation, but the best option is to MOVE! What if it’s too painful to move? Well you’d need to see a therapist so that www.moulshamtimes.com

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Strictly Come Dancing Weight Loss: Don’t be Fooled - By Matt Russell As the weeks go by and the wheat is sorted from the chaff, fans of Strictly Come Dancing will grow ever more impressed with the vastly improving dance skills of the sequin clad, seemingly perma-happy celebrities. No doubt they will be impressed in equal measure by the celebrities ever-decreasing waistlines too. As the lifts, jumps and twirls get higher, the celebrities get thinner, so to speak.

As a personal trainer, this is great news for me because it vindicates the idea that if you exercise more you’ll shed a ton of weight, which is of course the case with the aforementioned celebrities. However, can the same be true for us mere mortals?

The short and simple answer is YES. You see, the theory behind weight loss is very simple. To lose weight you must create a calorie imbalance and this can be done in 3 ways: 1. By burning more calories than you eat through exercise or activity.

2. By consuming fewer calories through eating less.

3. A combination of 1 and 2.

In the case of the Strictly celebrities, their weight loss comes about largely due to option 1, because they are training for upward of five hours per day, five to six days per week meaning they can burn a shed load of calories through exercise.

But how realistic is this for us mere mortals? Not very. After all, how many of us can afford to give up work and train like a professional athlete to lose weight? Very few - if any - of us. That’s why for most of us we’d be better off focusing more attention on option 2. That is, to lose weight, reduce the number of calories we consume.

Don’t believe me? Well, think about this; according to the Readers Digest, to burn off just one slice of a 210 calorie Dominos’ cheese pizza, it would take 22 minutes of cycling. That’s over 20 minutes for just one slice - and how many of us can stop at just the one slice? So you can already see just how difficult and time consuming it would

be to burn off at least 4 slices of pizza, and this is the case for many other calorie dense foods too.

At best, we simply do not have the time or motivation to out-run, out-cycle or out-swim a poor diet. At worst, we simply can’t out-train a bad diet, because we aren’t fit enough to be able to train long enough or hard enough for it to happen. Our bodies simply can’t handle it (notice the amount of injuries that happen on Strictly?). Sadly, the irony is that the people most able to train for anywhere near long enough or hard enough to out-train your average poor diet are professional athletes who, by and large, need not worry about their weight in the first place!

So exercise isn’t important then?

No, as your average wannabe gangster rapper would say ‘don’t get this twisted’. Exercise is important, it’s important for a number of reasons. None more so, when it comes to weight loss, than the preservation of muscle mass. You see, when people lose weight they lose a hell of a lot of muscle mass in the process, which isn’t a good thing because muscle helps to burn calories which in turn helps to keep the fat off long term. Exercise, particularly resistance training and an increased protein intake, can help prevent this from happening quite so drastically.

The take home message…

When it comes to weight loss, the most sensible and sustainable approach is to go for option 3 (a combination of exercising more and eating less calories) with your efforts being skewed in favour of focusing on eating less.

Thanks for reading.

Matt matt@mlrpt.co.uk |www.mlrpt.co.uk | 07939 316 401 www.twitter.com/mlrpt | www.facebook.com/mlrpt

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MT Gardening It’s Time to Tidy Your Beds and Borders Cut down herbaceous stems and clear out any messy annuals, but do leave a little Sedum cvs., Rudbeckia fulgida, Echinacea purpurea and grasses.

They will provide winter interest as well as some much needed wildlife shelter - ladybirds especially appreciate winter quarters and will repay your hospitality by disposing of aphids in industrial quantities next year. I also like to rake out any overly wet debris and fallen leaves around plants as these will only encourage pests and disease.

Clean Greenhouses and Ready Them for Winter Clear out the greenhouse, wash pots and trays, clean, mend and oil your tools and throw away anything that is beyond hope or reasonable repair! Cleaning your greenhouse thoroughly will prevent pests from hibernating and leaping into action next spring. Wash the windows inside and out to allow maximum light in over the winter and scrub benches, fixtures and glazing bars with disinfectant, making sure you hose the whole place down really well, especially those dark and dusty corners.

For a little insulation over the winter period, I fix bubble polythene to the inside of the structure. Purchase special glazing clips from any good garden centre, line up the polythene, push the clip through the material onto the glazing bars and twist the clip in place. This will reduce light transmission, however, it does help tender fuchsia, pelargonium and even Heliotrope cvs. get through the worse times.

In the spring they can be potted on and prepared for May to be transferred to the garden or patio.

Turnover Your Border Soil For beds that lie bare in winter, carry on with the winter digging until the soil is too hard - use compost, manure, leaf mould (in fact as much organic matter as you can lay your hands on) to replace the goodness in it. It can be left in a pretty rough state over the winter when the elements will break the clods down, making spring planting infinitely easier!

For text book soil improvement, you should add a layer of organic matter and dig it in by turning over spadefuls so it is buried below the surface. If this seems too much like hard work, just mulch the bed and leave the rest to the worms! If your soil is thin or heavy clay, just fork it over now - too much digging on the former will bring up infertile matter from below whilst great chunks of wet clay will remain rock solid over the winter and become nigh on impossible to break up next year.

An Ideal Time for Planting This is perfect time of the year to establish new plantings. All your good nurseries will be able to supply bare-rooted trees, shrubs, hedging and roses, as well as fruit trees and bushes, for you to pick up or send through the post as mail order. Soak the roots in a bucket of water for an hour first and protect against frost and wind if exposed. If planting trees and young plants as hedging, take care to plant at the correct depth. Look for the nursery mark. This is represented as a colour change from where the plant was in the soil and where top growth has been exposed to the elements. If you plant to deeply, there is a the chance that they will rot off or it could encourage suckers with grated stock.

Remove Leaves from Beds, Borders, Lawns and Pathways Fallen leaves prevent light and air getting to plants and lawns and these dark, damp conditions are also heaven on earth for slugs, snails and an unwholesome array of fungal diseases.

However, don’t waste them given time they will decompose into fabulously rich leaf mould.

Rake them up and throw into a simple frame made of chicken wire or wood. Failing that, black bin liners spiked with air holes will do if you can bear the sight, but remember to dampen the leaves first should they be dry (some hope!). Leaf mould takes about a year to mature (two in the case of oak leaves), makes a great top dressing for woodland plants such as rhododendrons and is an excellent and FREE home-grown substitute for peat. Don’t be tempted to use rose leaves (which can easily carry infection), or evergreens, which take too long to rot down.

For any gardening tips contact Tom Cole, Senior 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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Santa is coming to Eleflora

Santa will be in his grotto from Friday November 18th 2016 and would love to meet the good Boys and Girls of Chelmsford. While the children see Father Christmas, why not take a look at our Christmas Trees, Wreaths and decorations we have to offer. Children’s rides, Hot Chocolate, Mince Pies, Mulled Wine and Santa may even bring his reindeers £10.00 Per Child Gifts for all children.

To book your childs place Call: 01245 231074 Email: sales@eleflora.co.uk Web: www.eleflora.co.uk

A donation of £1.00 from every child entry will be made to Children’s Cancer UK www.moulshamtimes.com

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Create Fantastic Festive Photos

With Christmas fast approaching, many of us will be putting our cameras to good use to capture some of the excitement, magic and stress - sorry, beauty(!) - that Christmas brings. I have compiled some top tips to improve the look of your Christmas photos this year.

Plan Ahead Christmas brings so many fantastic photo opportunities that it can be easy to try and capture everything at once. Slow down and have a clear idea of what moments you want to capture at any time. Once you know what it is you are trying to capture, the more chance you have of getting a stronger set of shots.

but are not a natural photographer, or perhaps love photographing when you have time but Christmas always leaves you exhausted, why not get someone else to do the photography for you? Don’t be afraid to let someone else capture those festive memories if you think they can do a better job.

Declutter The success of any photo relies heavily on what you choose to include or omit from the image and the festive period can prove quite challenging when trying to avoid unwanted distractions in shots. A quick tidy up of discarded wrapping paper, used batteries and empty chocolate selection boxes can instantly improve the look of your photos and help the viewer to know exactly what it is they are meant to be looking at.

Relax Finally, don’t spend Christmas stressing over new techniques or capturing perfect shots. Enjoy spending time with loved ones. Relax, have fun - and have a very Merry Christmas!

Ross Willsher is a social (weddings and portraits) and commercial photographer based in Chelmsford and covering the wider Essex area. He has a passion for capturing the individuality of families, personalities and businesses across the county.

Go in for a Close-Up Close-up shots using any camera (including your phone) can help to highlight expressions and personalities if taking a portrait, or bring out details such as colours, textures and patterns when shooting an inanimate object. Tree decorations, frosted leaves and bows and ribbons are all good close-up material. So get in close… and then get even closer.

www.rosswillsherphotography.co.uk www.rosswillshercommercialphotography.co.uk info@rosswillsherphotography.co.uk / 07590 520 539

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MT

Be Original No doubt your Facebook feed will be overloaded with shots of Christmas trees and as beautiful as they all are, they do start to look a bit generic after a while. Have a think about how you could shoot yours differently using different angles, shooting from outside through the window or deliberately shooting out of focus. Don’t just stop with the tree - for everything you shoot, think how you could capture it differently compared to how you normally might photograph it.

MT

MT

Delegate If you love having memories captured to treasure for years to come 12

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Bradwell 2

Come and visit the newly refurbished

There has been much in the media recently about the building of the nuclear reactor at Hinckley Point. What has been overlooked is that the government are allowing the Chinese to build a new nuclear reactor at Bradwell. Alongside this, radioactive waste from Bradwell’s decommissioned nuclear power station is being dumped directly into the Blackwater Estuary and this waste will be greatly increased by a decision to take waste from Sizewell B and Dungeness reactors and dump that there as well.

This coastline is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Marine Conservation Zone, and is home to the world famous Colchester Oysters, as well as being a thriving tourist and holiday area.

A freedom of information request found that 20 different types of radioactive material is being dumped directly into our estuary including plutonium - and the Environment Agency are considering a request to build a second discharge pipe to dump waste for another 2 years with little or no public consultation or information.

Chelmsford and Brentwood Green Party, along with the pressure groups Friends of the Earth and Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group (BANNG), have called a public meeting on 8th December at 7.30pm at the Friends Meeting House, with guests Natalie Bennet (former Green Party leader) and Professor Andy Blowers (leading expert in the nuclear industry), to debate and discuss this issue.

We invite the general public to come and air your views, learn more about these issues and take any appropriate action on an issue that will affect all who live locally. Please see our advertisement and book your FREE place at Eventbrite by typing ‘Eventbrite Nuclear Essex’ into Google and register.

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MT Baking by Alison Motley

It can be difficult to find the time to bake at Christmas with everything else that needs doing in the crazy run up to the big event, but an afternoon with Christmas music on and festive smells filling the house does seem to do wonders for the soul. Even if it’s just a block of ready made pastry and a jar of mincemeat, it’s a nice way to spend an hour or two.

The trouble with mince pies though is that there is a big difference between a good mince pie and a mediocre one.

For me, the first major element is the pastry. In my humble opinion it must be shortcrust, it must be buttery and crumbly - and it absolutely shouldn’t be too thick.

Now onto the mincemeat; some mincemeat just makes me want to gag! It can be so sickly and sweet and with no texture. The trouble is that unless you make your own, which is time consuming, you don’t know what you are getting until you open that jar.

A few years ago, when I was researching recipes for mincemeat (sad I know but someone has to do it!) I came across an old recipe for Ecclefechan tarts. From what I understand (and apologies to any Scots if I have this all wrong), these tarts come from the village of Ecclefechan in Scotland just over the border in Dumfries and Galloway. An old saying apparently dictates that you were only a true Scot if you could pronounce the word Ecclefechan!

I don’t think they were originally baked just for Christmas, but they do make a nice alternative to mince pies. They are less sweet with a bit of texture and are reasonably quick and easy to do yourself. I would recommend making the effort to make the pastry yourself. Although a little bit fiddly, it does make all the difference. It you prefer to buy ready made pastry try and get an enriched sweet shortcrust pastry.

Don’t be put off by the white wine vinegar in the recipe, it seems strange I know but it just adds a unique piquancy and bite to the filling. If you don’t have it, you could substitute lemon juice, although I don’t think the flavour is quite as good. I believe traditional Ecclefechan tarts never contain spices and I think they taste great without, but you could add some cinnamon or mixed spice. The dried fruit is interchangeable, but after several different versions a mixture of raisins, prunes and dates got the double thumbs up from my exhausted and overfed taste testers! Feel free to experiment but don’t be tempted to use a bag of cheap mixed dried fruit, I tried it once but the resulting tarts received a double thumbs down!

These little tarts freeze well and can then just be popped into the oven to warm from frozen, which is always handy at this time of year.

You can dust them with icing sugar before you serve them if you wish and cream is of course optional!

Happy Christmas and happy baking!

Ecclefechan Tarts (makes 24) For the pastry: 120g butter, chilled and cubed 175g plain flour 50g caster sugar 1 egg yolk 1-2 tablespoons cold water For the filling: 100g butter, softened 100g soft dark brown sugar 2 eggs, beaten 300g mixed chopped dried fruit, eg. raisins, prunes, dates...

100g walnuts, chopped Grated zest of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice 1. For the pastry, place the flour and cubed butter into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Mix in the caster sugar. Add the egg yolk and a little of the water and gently mix with your hands until the pastry comes together in a ball. Add the water gradually as needed taking care not to make the pastry too wet. Once the pastry has come together in a ball, wrap it in cling film and chill for an hour.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5 and lightly grease and dust two 12-hole bun/jam tart tins with flour.

3. To make the filling, beat the butter and dark brown sugar together in a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs and mix again. Add the dried fruit, walnuts, lemon zest and vinegar/lemon juice and mix together.

4. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface to approximately 2mm thick. Using an 8cm cutter cut out 24 circles and use them to line the tins.

5. Spoon the filling into the pastry cases sharing it equally amongst the tins. Each pastry case should be about three-quarters full.

6. Bake the Ecclefechan tarts for approximately 12 to 13 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is slightly risen and browned. Leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes as the pastry is quite delicate, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

I would love to hear from readers with anything baking related.

Drop me an email at motleybakes@aol.com, or take a look at www. motleybakes.co.uk.

www.moulshamtimes.com

15

Traveller’s Tales: The American Mid West: Native Americans Pt.II by John Power The Native Americans’ only language apart from the spoken word to relate tales and tribal legends was pictograms; symbols that never evolved to the point where individual sounds were represented by letters forming an alphabet. Migratory tribes that dwelt in mobile constructions like teepees would use such symbols to decorate them as well as their clothing, but Colorado, Arizona, Utah and Nevada are states rich in mountains and rocks, which bear the oldest records of the Anazasi, the native name for the Old Ones, where the petroglyphs (pictographs) have been carved. Rocky overhangs also provided easily fortified places to build more permanent dwellings.

A small site of this kind is found near Colorado Springs and simply called Rock Dwellings, where Indian dances are performed by Apaches in the summer for tourists. But further south in Colorado in what is now a National Park, is a whole complex surrounding stone built dwellings in a huge overhang at Mesa Verde. The Navajo, Tonto and Canyon DeChelly monuments in Arizona are similar. Montezuma Castle, Casa Grande, Aztec and Watuki monuments are smaller sites also in Arizona. Their names speak of migrations from the south.

In New Mexico, what was once an enormous city built in stone reaches across Chaco Canyon is home to the oldest known Sundial clock in the Americas. That state is also home to El Morro National Monument with cliff top stone pueblos built by Zuni Indians, similar to the Hovenweep National Monument that straddles the Utah-Colorado state line. Pecos National Monument is a combination of stone and the less durable mud brick used for more contemporary pueblos. It was built by the Pecos Indians of New Mexico. Taos Pueblo, in the north of that state, is the finest surviving mud brick pueblo dwelling and attracted such westerners as DH Lawrence searching for a lost paradise and Carl Jung, looking for evidence to support his theories about psychological archetypes that informed ritual and art worldwide.

My adoptive family of Alice, Mike, Paul, Janet and their families, didn’t expect my visits to just be watching an old man die (see part 1), but were active in taking me to see the sights - and many of the sites that I have mentioned. Mesa Verde came first, but we also took Mike’s family motor caravan south into New Mexico and Arizona touching on Utah too. In New Mexico, with my son Joe along for the ride that year, we visited Taos Pueblo and continued on to Chaco Canyon, now in a desert of unbearable midday heat. It is thought that drought and associated climate change caused the complex to be abandoned by the Anazasi. Many places in this area owe their names to Spanish invaders, but linguistic traces put the languages of some of the southern tribes in an Aztec category and show migations from the south of Mexico. DNA samples on the other hand, also show Mongollian traces from migrations from Canada and the north from Asia over ice bridges that existed at times over the Bering Straits.

Pueblos is a name given not only to the mud brick dwellings, but also to tribes that inhabited the region, such as the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni and Apache and many smaller bands that have been given Spanish names. Pueblos were originally built with no entry doors but accessed by retractable ladders and roof entries, that served to keep wild animals and enemy tribes outside. The Navajo also build round, wood and clay dwellings called hogans with roofs that slant from a central chimney.

Beehive shaped makeshift shelters, called wikiups, were used by mobile tribes like Geromino’s Chiricaowa Apache as they fought their running battle with vast numbers of the US Army - and who could have held out indefinately with their superior knowledge of the terrain and innate climatisation. When Geromino did seek terms of surrender, all the Chiricaoa were sent to military detention in Florida and all were unjustly punished for the acts of the few raiding parties. That lasted about 15 years before they were split into three

reservation in their native lands - or Oklamoma - where Geromimo died of exposure after falling off of a wagon while drunk on whisky.

The Utes (which just means ‘the people’) of Colorado were teepee dwellers like most Plains Indians who followed the buffalo and other game.

Treaties were seldom honored by the whites if mineral wealth was found in the lands mentioned in the treaties. Reservations usually consisted of land least suitable for white farmers and then shrank if gold or silver was found. Predominantly, the arid lands of the south are where most reservations are to be found. Oklahoma was designated as ‘Indian Country’, but Arizona is where the largest reservations are (with the Navajo and Hopi the largest of these) which overlap state lines into Utah and New Mexico. San Carlos (Apache), and Papago reservations cover half as much land and five smaller parcels of land make up the rest. Zuni land joins the Navajo land in New Mexico, south of Farmington.

The Apache were split into three: Jicarillo Apache in the north, Mescalero Apache near Roswell and Chiricauhas mainly at San Carlos with four smaller parcels of land. The Mountain Ute are in South Colorado and Uintah and Ouray Utes in the north of Utah.

The Goshute straddle the the UtahNevada State line. Nevada has four small reservations and Oklahoma only has four small ones left. California has 24 very small reservations. Two of the Oklahoma reservations were intended for Cheyanne and Arapaho Coloradans, but the Cheyenne staged a marathon walk back to their ancestral territory. Native Americans have not been confined to resevations for many years, but many choose to stay on them to avoid contact with whites.

Reservations were an anathema to tribes who previously knew no boundaries and followed the game’s seasonal migrations and a death to the way of life that they had known. US rations were poor, manipulated by agents and health suffered to the point of starvation at times. White man’s whisky was an addictive poison for many. Schools were run by missionaries, who cut hair, introduced uniforms, taught by means of punishment not encouragement and banned native dances, rituals and even language for fifty years before legislation began to recognise native rights - especially as Indians were asked to fight for the country yet didn’t have the vote.

However, the education did work ultimately in their favour as now they can fight with lawyers instead of guns and bows - and fight they must to this day, as water supplies are threatened by corporate might enforced with private armies that want to put oil pipelines across Dakota in 2016.

Apart from meagre arable land used mostly to graze livestock, especially sheep, the Native Americans of the south west make a good living from their craft skills making highly collectable items, including pottery, jewellery (especially silver and tuquoise work), basketry, woven rugs and clothing either woven or from animal skins.

Rugs and painted adaptions of traditional designs received from and used to invoke spirits in ephemeral sand paintings, now glued sand collages, are all highly prized. The Navajo especially are skilled craftspeople.

Native traditional beliefs and associated practices, which Jung found to support his ideas on archetypes while he was amongst the natives, were reflected in the arts and also in their way of live. The multi-symmetrical patterns which he found worldwide and called mandalas, of psychic wholeness, after their Tibetan manifestations, not only appeared in the art but their life orientation to the five directions of the compass, as well as above, the four seasons, and times of day, are reflected in their dwellings: The entrance is always in the east to greet the rising Sun and seating places within relate to the directions, whether they be in a teepee, wikiups, hogans, or sweat lodges for purification related to Swedish saunas through Eurasian shamanic practices.

Sun dances held by Plains Indians to test bravery and stamina revolve around central poles around which braves dance while skewered with bones through the chest muscles attached by leather thongs to the pole, starting in the east and continuing until the flesh tears free. Pueblo Indians line those of Taos, the Hopi and Zuni all conduct their rituals in a subterranean circular pits called Kivas with the same orientation. Above ground, Pueblo Indians dress in the costumes of their spirits to dance dances given to them by the spirits, they make dolls of them too - both are called Katchinas. All to the sound of the drum, whistle and rattle.

Solitary vision quests are a rite of passage for young warriors to be granted a vision of their life destiny and include fasting. Medicine Menare those that have been identified by their visions and not only preserve herb lore but advise on health and destiny. Medicine has a different meaning to that used in Europe and is more akin to good fortune, which is often tested by gambling. The sacred pipe, smoked on ceremonial occasions and filled with inner willow bark, tobacco, kinnikinnick, and sweet grass, are the centre of the circle of the nation. A big powwow of many local tribes takes place every year at the Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs.

Mountain men were whites who learned from the natives and served as guides for settlers and the army and often as fur traders. Every

GROVE ROAD EVANGELICAL CHURCH

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Sunday 18th December At 11.00 a.m.

Mulled punch and mince pies will be served after the service

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year in the hills above Denver there is a Mountain Man Festival, which my other step-brother, Paul and his wife Mary, took me to once.

Its a bit like the re-enactment societies in England that have sprung up over recent years, and folk wander between tents and teepees dressed in buckskin or other period clothing (Paul and Mary included, but not Joe and I) selling crafts and indulging in old time pastimes.

Paul’s old four wheel drive got stuck in mud on the way home and we thought we might have to share an abandoned shack with a grizzly bear that night, but did manage to get enough wood under the wheels for grip and got the engine firing at the right time to get going before a search party was sent out. Though Mike did have to come and rescue me and Alice after a collision up in the mountains after visiting an old mining town. That left Alice in a neck brace in a mountain clinic all afternoon waiting for Mike, and the car was a write-off.

There is a Hollywood western town, that still remains after filming, up near the Black Canyon which from a bridge (the Royal Bridge) looking down, looks like a cartoon one, where characters droop endlessly until they create a tiny splash in the river that looks like a stream at the bottom a half a mile below. In the town they now stage gunfights and hangings for tourists.

I’ve been driven in the motor caravan in raging storms with cracking lightning beside mountain pass rivers about to burst their banks and as the lightning cracked, have asked Mike “Is this safe?”, only to be told “Yeah, rubber tyres!” - and lived to tell the tale!

My father died at Pikes Peak Hospice in 1993 while I was there. That was my last visit.

Deadlines for the January edition Articles - 9th December Print ready art work - 16th December

Music and Blues in the City by Nick Garner We have had some great live music and still more to come before the end of year. Please also remember that I also write an article in the City Times each month.

First to say, it looks like Asylum has had a reprieve after falling into debt and the public coming to the rescue, thankfully, as it is such a great venue - even Wilko Johnson got involved when Southend’s Railway Hotel held a fundraiser. Wilko played and had his photo taken and signed them to help raise more money.

On Friday 11th November we had the legendary Dylan Project plus Big Joe Bone play at the football club. Joe played a great opening set which went down really well and he also went on to sell quite a few CDs. The Dylan Project performed the first show of their 2016 tour and played the whole of Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde album along with some other classics like Subterranean Homesick Blues. Steve Gibbons’ voice was superb as was the rest of this star studded band.

It was good to see the band hang out with the audience afterwards too and we look forward to having them play again.

My Blues in the City night had the Robin Bibi band with Joe Anderton supporting. Joe opened with a solo acoustic set, playing a mix of original and unusual covers. Joe will be back at the Bassment on the 7th January with his band, when they will play a double header showcase with another local talent, Connor Selby and his band.

This was the first time Robin Bibi had played as a band for us here and they were showcasing their fantastic new album, No More a Secret - the audience totally loved them. Robin was, as ever, a good showman, even managing to stand on a table and play the guitar behind his head. This is a band we will have to have back to play again.

As this edition comes out, we will have Who’s Next and The Jam Project playing at Chelmsford City FC, but we still have one show to go at the Bassment; a double header to end 2016 with Mississippi MacDonald and the Bad Influence Duo on Wednesday 7th December.

Remember that after this, we move to a Thursday night for 2017.

We are playing a couple of shows in Chelmsford in December. First as The Jamie Williams Collective (as a trio) on Saturday 10th at the United Brethren with kick off at 9pm. Then on Saturday 17th our Christmas show is at the Ale House with the full band.

As always there is lots going on, so do pick up your free copy of the City Times to see what’s on, where and when.

Keep up to date with Blues in the City at www.bluesinthecity. co.uk, www.facebook.com/bluesinthecitychelmsford, Twitter - @ BluesintheCity1.

For the live music at Chelmsford City FC go to www.itsyourmusic. co.uk, www.facebook.com/itsyourmusic, Twitter - @itsyourmusic.

07936 198651 18 www.moulshamtimes.com

What happened to the guitar that you loved so much in the music shop? By Pete of Felson Guitars You bought a fantastic guitar, but now it’s home it doesn’t sound right, doesn’t stay in tune or sounds lifeless. Sound familiar? Here are some pointers how to rectify these problems.

First of all, it sounded good in the shop because they are constantly checked to be playable.

Many problems relate to strings. Dead strings make the guitar sound like it’s rattling, it will not sustain and sound out of tune. Even if you don’t use the guitar strings can sound dull after three months. If you play daily, guitar strings will be worn out in a couple of weeks. This is only a rough guide because string wear varies due to playing style and because the acid on everyone’s hands is different.

As guitars are made of wood they are sensitive to the environment. If the room you keep them in is cooler or hotter, damper or dryer than the shop they had become accustomed to, the neck may need to be adjusted to compensate. Keeping the guitar in a case will certainly help because the climatic changes happen more gradually - and remember that changes from winter to summer can often cause neck movement.

So regularly changing your strings, keeping to the same gauges, and a good set-up at least once a year should keep your guitar playing the way it did when you originally tried it in the shop.

Getting new strings is only a part of the story, next you must attach them properly. If you have machine heads with the string hole in the side of the post, the loose end of the string must be locked against the post and you need perform at least three or four turns on each post to fully secure it. There is a diagram of how to do this at the following link: www.felsonguitars.co.uk (go to Problem Solving/ Frequently Asked Questions). This will help stop string slippage. There is no loose end with Fender style machine heads, but you still need three or four turns round the post.

The string gauge is also significant. When a guitar leaves the factory, the neck is set up to play with a particular gauge of string. If you change them for a heavier or lighter set, then the neck is going to need adjusting. If you’re unsure how to do this, get professional help - it shouldn’t cost more than £60 for a full set-up (including a neck adjustment) from a guitar repairer. Or if buying new, you could ask the shop to put on your preferred gauge of string and make the necessary neck adjustments to secure the sale.

Looking to extend your property?

By Mike Otter

Adding an extension may seem daunting but with the right advice you can gain the extra space that you want whilst increasing the value of your home.

Key to achieving success is establishing what works best for you, your property and your budget.

At GPO Designs we'll guide you at each step in the development process from the capturing of initial ideas, the production and refinement of plans and through the planning and building control stages. Understanding a design from conventional line drawings can be difficult which is why we work with a three dimensional design system and produce colour visuals as standard -see examples of previous jobs at our Facebook page www.facebook.com/GPODesigns.

GPO DESIGNS Planning for your property Drawings and Building Plans for Planning Permission and Building Regulations: ♦ Extensions ♦ New Builds ♦ Garage Conversions ♦ Loft Conversions ♦ Barn Conversions

Our design service starts with a consultation at your property where we discuss and help to develop your ideas.

Measurements and photographs are then taken to allow us to draw up detailed plans. We communicate with you throughout the design process and only once you are completely happy with the design will we then submit the plans to the Local Authority for approval. We produce plans and details for planning permission, permitted development and building regulations applications.

Our aim is to provide a high quality service at the best possible price. We offer fixed rates for our services and these can be found on our website: www.gpodesigns.co.uk. So if you are looking to build a new house, add an extension or a garden room, or if you want a loft, garage or barn conversion, call Mike or George for a free no obligation quote on 01245 835855, or visit our website for further details of our full range of services. We offer daytime, weekend or evening appointments to suit you.

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What is your life Position? By Mark Roberts So, how are you getting on with things?

Is everything working out how you would like? Is life meeting your expectations?

How you answer these questions will depend, amongst other things, on your level of self-regard, what you think about yourself, your skill-sets, your level of selfconfidence - in short, your self-esteem.

I have written about self-esteem before, but it plays an important role in your life and is worthy of further consideration.

Apart from your personal happiness, how you think and feel about yourself will affect every area of your life, it will have an impact on your behaviour and your subsequent levels of performance. If this is all working out well for you, happy days! If, on the other hand you are not achieving the success you want, then you might want to consider your current life position. Because many of us have a life position based upon conditional elements.

Doctor Thomas A Harris was a practicing psychiatrist and author of the best-selling book, I’m OK - You’re OK, based upon the theories of transactional analysis developed by Doctor Eric Berne. In his book, Harris identified four life positions and suggested that most people live out their lives in the, ‘I’m OK - You’re OK’ position, leading to dysfunctional emotional responses to others and life circumstances.

I am not going to trouble you with the psychology behind it, but it is worth considering the four life positions identified by Harris from a pragmatic perspective. This will allow you to gauge your own life position and help you plan a route to greater happiness and personal success.

In his work, Doctor Harris refers to the ‘OK Corral’, which is essentially a grid that identifies the four dominant life positions. I have set out each of the positions below and identified the dominant characteristics of each one. It is worth taking time to consider each of the positions so that you can make a judgement about your own situation. None of these positions are right or wrong, they are simply descriptive and reveal associated traits.

anxiety. They typically lack confidence and can be pre-disposed to depressive states.

I’m OK - You’re OK: This is viewed as the ideal position to be in.

People in this life position are generally healthily assertive. They will be confident and comfortable with who they are and will display high levels of self-awareness. They will have a high regard for themselves and others. They are most likely to be non-judgemental, accepting others for who they are. They will display strong leadership traits and believe in the ability of others to succeed. It is very much an enlightened life position and likely to lead to greater personal happiness.

Conclusions As stated, there is no right, or wrong life position to be in, but the ‘OK Corral’ can act as a useful guide to assess your own emotional circumstances and levels of self-esteem. In truth, it is likely that you do not fit exactly into any one category, but you may display some, or all the traits in a life position contextually. That said, you will probably agree that the I’m OK - You’re OK position is the healthiest place to be and likely to engender more personal happiness.

What Next?

If you are currently entirely happy with your current life position and do not seek change, this is fine and a matter of personal choice. If on the other hand you do seek change, this is also possible through a variety of routes. In the first instance, you may wish to read Doctor Thomas A Harris’ book I’m OK - You’re OK and take the self-help route. You may consider counselling intervention where appropriate.

You may also consider other therapies such as hypnotherapy, or neurolinguistics programming (NLP). You may even consider engaging a coach. Whatever your choice…

Here’s to your success…

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

I’m Not OK - You’re OK: This is described as a submissive position associated with low self-esteem. People in this position are often attracted to professions where they can surround themselves with others who may have more problems than they do. They are likely to display traits such as ‘people pleasing’ and are happy to receive recognition for this. People in this position may be likely to take the blame for the lack of success of others under their charge. They are likely to put the needs of others before their own and can be overaccommodating to them. They may typically not pay attention to their own personal development, avoiding personal challenges.

I’m Not OK - You’re Not OK: This has been described as a passive/ aggressive position, because it acknowledges the submissive element in the previous position and is also associated with low self-esteem. It also incorporates an air of negative judgement about others. People holding this life position are likely to feel a sense of hopelessness about life generally and may also be hypercritical about others around them. This position is likely to be problematic for those who hold management, or supervisory roles, because they may hold negative views about work colleagues and their abilities to develop. They typically may use a negative tone when communicating with those who report to them. Such persons may believe that it is everybody else who has a problem and not them.

I’m OK - You’re Not OK: Those who sit within this life position are typically judgemental and aggressive towards others. They may also display similar traits to those within the two previous life positions.

They are likely to avoid taking on new responsibilities and may be directive in their approach to others, particularly those who report to them in a workplace situation. They are likely to form negative opinions about their supervisors and bosses and may suffer from 20

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Wine Corner

Hi everyone, bloomin’ freezing today; wind was against me walking to the shop this morning so I thought that it would be better going home. Wrong, still freezing. Nothing like England for quick changes in the weather, no gradual reduction in temperature, one day 18 degrees, next 8!

A friend asked ‘How long can I keep wine before I need to drink it?’

Good question, I thought, better see if I can find out. Some wines need to be consumed ‘young’, in other words within a short period of time from the year of bottling. Some people make fine wine an investment and they have bottles to lay down, keep for a number of years and hope to make a profit from the higher price it may fetch later on. Some vintages are better than others and it’s often these that are involved. More expensive and suitable wines can be bought and stored by specialist companies. Overall only about 1% of wines are laid down. I am not one of the people who do this, I buy my wine to drink!

General guidelines show that most reasonably priced red wines can be kept for between 2 and 3 years, with whites just 1 year. Some of the more expensive wines, especially from Bordeaux, can be kept for years.

I have consulted the interweb and found some conflicting advice regarding bottles of wine that have been opened, but in general, I have concluded the following: Once opened, white wine should be stored in the fridge (with a good wine stopper in place to keep it fresh) and consumed within 1 to 3 days. Reds should be kept in a dark place and consumed within the same time frame. As with everything that we consume, care must be taken and if you are not sure then don’t drink it. Wine that has ‘gone off’ smells vinegary or sometimes becomes cloudy. If you buy the boxes (the ones with the little tap), which in my experience, never seem to contain the amount shown on the box or perhaps I just drink it quicker and can’t see how much has gone! - these can last for about a month. This is because the tap is designed to let the wine out but not the air in.

Wines in bottles with corks should be stored in a room at a constant tempertature of about 13 or 14 degrees on their side and at a slight angle to keep the cork moist. I guess that with the popularity of screw cap closures, this is not necessary for those wines.

Cold calls. These really annoy me, you answer the ‘survey, no we are not selling anything’ then for the next six weeks you get more calls from companies trying to sell you all sorts because you recently ‘expressed an interest’ in their product, so the other day I had a bit of time on my hands when I picked up the phone, so I thought I would wind the caller up a bit.

“Can I speak to Mr Merlot?”

“You are speaking to him, but it is pronounced Merlow, a silent t. It’s from the French and is the name of a grape variety. I think people get a bit confused because, with another wine term, Claret, the t is sounded. This is because it is an English term for the wines from Bordeaux. If you see what I mean. Now, how can I help you?”

“I wonder if you have a few minutes to complete a survey...”

“I did not get your name... Ah, Terry, where are you phoning from?”

“Slough.”

“Oh you seem much further away than that, Terry. I know Slough, there was a tackle shop the corner of South Street, I used to go there a lot as a boy. Do you know if it’s still there?”

“Um... I’m not sure, now can we get on? Just a few questions, some are about your likes and dislikes and for a couple we might ask your opinion about current matters, please answer them as best you can.

Firstly, would you be interested in a funeral plan?”

“Well, I don’t see how I could plan my funeral, I mean, to plan something I would have to know the date and time when I fall off my perch so to speak, and I don’t know that, so I don’t think I would be interested.”

“No, Mr Merlow, it’s a financial plan for funeral expenses.”

“Wow, you mean someone will pay it for me? Great, very interested.”

“Well no, oh don’t worry we will get on to the next question. What are 22

your thoughts on Brexit?”

“Well I think my favourite one is a custard cream, I do like chocolate digestives as well, and Nice ones are nice.”

“Mr Merlow...”

“I even like gingers ones, not to everyone’s taste but....”

“MR MERLOW, I said ‘BREXIT’ not biscuit.”

“Oh sorry. Well I was surprised to see that we voted to stay in, it seemed to take people a bit off guard, but there you go...”

“Mr Merlow, we voted to leave.”

“Oh did we? I got that one wrong then. I felt sure it went the other way, that would explain all the newspaper reports, they got me really confused.”

A big sigh on the phone. “I think that will do. Thank you Mr Merlow.”

“Oh no more questions? What a shame.”

As I am just about to put the phone down, I hear six key strokes, he is probably typing ‘nutter’ next to my name! Job done!

Well, it’s nearly here (well it’s not actually nearly here, but according to most shops it was nearly here about three months ago) so I guess we ought to start thinking about the Christmas wine list.

We will have the traditional turkey roast, but I do like to mix up the wines a bit. We will be having a bit of fizz to start. I think we will try a nice Californian Pinot noir with the main and I still have the New Zealand Pinot gris I was given at the Home Show earlier this year.

Sparkling wines and Champagne are very popular, with Italian Prosecco probably the most consumed. A bottle of Champagne will cost from about £16, But can be less than £10 with special offers, with the other two available for £10 or less. There are loads of other sparkling wines. Most wine producing countries will produce at least one sparkling one. Saumur in France produces white, red and rose versions all made by the Methode Traditionalle - like Champagne, and very good they are too. Spain’s Cava has been a favourite for a number of years. The so called discount supermarket chains are selling cases, either mixed or 6 of the same, at very reasonable prices, with some including a bottle of Champagne and Prosecco as well as 4 different still wines.

So plenty of choice out there.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous 2017.

More from me in the New Year.

Bin end chuckles.

Dear wine, we had an understanding that you would make me funnier and a good dancer. I’ve seen the video, we need to have a chat...

A policeman stopped me the other day and asked if I could identify myself. I looked into the rear view mirror and said, yep, it’s definitely me...

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23

Rotary Pays its Respects

All over the country, Rotary clubs have been involved in Remembrance Day parades, laying of wreaths and attending commemorations for our service men and women. I was part of the contingent that marched in Colchester as it is a garrison town in Essex and I was proud to be representing the people of Chelmsford.

The weather was very kind to us and thousands thronged the streets.

It is not just the parade itself where Rotary can be found. It supports the British Legion through volunteering to sell poppies and it collects a generous amount for charities such as Help for Heroes. This year we had a new initiative from the Rotary Club of Chelmer Bridge, one of the five Chelmsford clubs, who came up with the idea of a new combined poppy badge.

The badge is enamel and features both the traditional poppy side by side with the Rotary emblem. It was sold to Rotarians throughout the country and every penny went to the British Legion. As it was a new idea this year, permission had to be sought from the British Legion to ensure there were no licence infringements or other legal issues but as expected, the British Legion were delighted that Rotary was supporting them in such a unique way. I don’t have the figures yet as to how much money was raised or how many were sold, but we do know it was a great success and one upon which we can build in the years to come.

This all came about from the idea of one Chelmsford Rotarian, so it shows what can be achieved when Rotarians work together. Apart from the fundraising aspect, it demonstrates the deep respect Rotary has for our veterans and recently you may have also seen the Rotary float in the Lord Mayor’s Show in London. This year the theme was Purple4Polio which is the Rotary campaign to eradicate polio once and for all. The weather was less kind on this occasion, but it did give members a chance to put the colourful Rotary umbrellas to good use.

Rotary is part of the fabric of our society and if you would like to find out how you could become involved, then visit www. chelmsfordrotary1240.org, or better still, give me a call on 01245 260 349. I would be only too pleased to talk to you about Rotary in general and specifically about what we do locally. If you see any Rotarians with their collection boxes outside Chelmsford station or local supermarkets in the lead up to Christmas, come up for a chat.

All the money from our Christmas collections goes to local good causes for the people of Chelmsford and we are just having a banner made which will give you some idea of the variety of local projects we support throughout the course of a year.

Stan Keller - 01245 260 349

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The Gospel According to Caroline

Christians welcome Advent as a time of anticipation of the coming of Jesus, a time of joy and celebration, but for many amongst us it is a time of quite the opposite. As the adverts come on TV showing the perfect family, with the perfect meal, the perfect (and expensive) presents - it’s an ideal that for so many does not match the reality.

As we battle through the department stores and supermarkets searching for gifts and food, often stressed and not able to afford what we are buying, do we ever stop to reflect on what the coming of Christmas should be about?

What about those in our community that have no family, no presents, no money, maybe even like the baby Jesus, no home...?

During this time of preparing, perhaps we could offer a simple thank you to the harassed shop staff, a Christmas card through our neighbour’s door, or better still an offer of companionship to someone we know will be alone.

Let us put Christ back into Christmas and build His community here on Earth.

To find out what we exciting things are happening at Christ Church, visit our website: www.christchurchchelmsfordurc.org.uk or our Facebook page: Christ Church URC Chelmsford.

Please also have a look St John’s Church, Moulsham Street at: www. stjohnsmoulsham.org.uk.

At The Anchor This December 24th December Xmas Eve Party - DJ and FREE ENTRY

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151 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, CM2 0LD Phone: 01245 250865

Caroline Brown, Church Family and Community Worker, Christ Church United Reformed Church.

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General Knowledge Quiz by John Theedom. Answers on page 31 1. How old is a nonagenarian?

2. What is polyandry?

3. What is blini?

4. JK Rowling, what does the K stand for?

5. Which children’s book did Arthur Ransome write?

6. Who uses a woggle?

7. Where is Rio de Janeiro?

8. What is tetanus?

9. What would you use a bodkin for?

10. What was Bedlam?

11. What is a martinet?

12. Which river features in a Strauss waltz?

13. Where on your body would you wear a mantilla?

14. Who were the ventriloquist act on radio in the 1950s?

15. What is a cedilla?

16. What are you doing when you riffle?

17. What is the name for a triangle with unequal sides?

18. What is the capital city of Peru?

19. Which plants have fronds?

20. What is the longest word with just one syllable?

21. Why are cocker spaniels called cocker spaniels?

22. What is the right hand side of a boat named?

23. What is measured using the Scoville scale?

24. In Midsomer Murders, what is Detective Barnaby’s first name?

25. What is the origin of the word hooligan?

26. What are the first names of the American inventor, Edison?

27. Who was the male star in A Fish Called Wanda?

28. What is albedo?

29. When are The Ides of March?

30. What is a concerti?

31. What is beriberi?

32. If avian applies to birds, what does apian refer to?

33. Where is tallow commonly used?

34. What is a parsec?

35. What is made from bauxite?

36. Where would you use a kreel?

37. Who is the leading character in Bargain Hunt?

38. Who is the man who runs the choir programmes?

39. Which town did the Pied Piper rid of rats?

40. What is sophism?

Life T M Hack

Take a photo of your friend and the item you have lent them on your phone so that you will not forget who you have lent to!

Potatoes should be mashed with warm milk, cold milk turns it grey.

Get Caught in the Ukulele Craze

The ukulele is arriving in Chelmsford. Classes for adult total beginners, in association with the Ideas Hub, start in January 2017 (see advertisement).

This musical phenomenon has exploded over the last five years offering many the opportunity to play a musical instrument for the first time. Although the instrument has only four strings it is possible to play a huge range of music from all genres, including pop, rock and country music styles.

Instructors have been running the same course at Barleylands Craft Village in Billericay for the last three years and now see over 200 people every week for classes, bands and sing along sessions.

Many of the bands now perform in the local community.

No previous experience is required, in fact if you already play guitar this course is probably not for you. It starts from the very beginning and takes the student carefully through each step until you are playing to impress your family and friends.

Plans are in place to support students who complete the course in Chelmsford with weekly organised practice and sing along sessions.

Regarding instruments, we suggest you give us a call for further advice, as some ukuleles are not suitable for students to use in the early stages of playing or for this course.

So, if you want to join in with the laughter and playing, book a place on the course as soon as possible.

Telephone: 01268 533 886

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27

All About Moulsham Lodge & Tile Kiln

Cllr Mark Springett - Moulsham Lodge Ward

This year my wife Sue and I thought we were going to spend Christmas day alone, our youngest daughter we thought, would be on a year’s travel round most of Asia and Australasia and our eldest daughter and husband and grandsons would be spending the day at nanny and pops as it was their turn for Christmas Day (we would have our family Christmas Day on Boxing Day). Last year we had an idea after reading about Marylou’s Café on Byron Road in Chelmsford who announced that they will be providing Christmas Day lunch for the homeless and lonely for the fourth year running. We wondered whether we could try something similar at the Community Station and so embarked on a plan to feed up to 30 people, somewhere, somehow on Christmas Day. A few months on and in the MLCT article below, you can read that we are now on course to spend Christmas Day with a few more people than just each other, including our youngest daughter who returned from her travels early and is now helping us with Christmas Day.

life! So I had some spare money this month, don’t get me wrong I’m not minted but something just struck me with this man, he was someone’s dad who had just had a rough deal at life, so I walked with him to a coffee shop paid for a huge fry up said goodbye and left, I walked round to a shop and got him some bits to hopefully help him, I took them back to him and he couldn’t be more thankful he started crying and asked me why is someone as young as you with your own family and children helping someone like me! And I simply replied, because if it was a member of my family I’d want to know someone would help them. He shook my hand said thank you and I said goodbye, gave a smile and left. Simple acts of kindness really mean more than we could imagine to some people!”

The prospect of spending Christmas alone and isolated is not one anyone should face but is a reality for too many people and not just the elderly. I’m not sure whether it’s modern life or that we’re just more aware of it, but it’s one of these perpetual social issues that seems difficult to address and more often than not relies on charitable organisation to fill the gaps. Gaps that I personally think the Government should do more to fill.

See you next year, best wishes to all.

They say our children learn by example and I hope we’ve provided our children with enough guidance to be able to deal with life as a whole. It seems though that they have also adopted some additional qualities that have given us reason to be proud of our children and sometimes they still do things that surprise you. This was a post from my eldest daughter’s Facebook - she doesn’t share her page with many people! We are proud to have such a caring daughter.

“Today I did something I’ve never done before or ever imagined I’d do. I was in town getting out of my car when I saw a homeless man packing all his stuff away, he looked like a middle aged man not the usual homeless looking person, and I thought to myself, I wonder how he ended up homeless, when was the last time he ate, when was the last time he had a shower, or slept in a bed. So I went over and spoke to him, to find that he’d lost his job, resulting in not being able to pay his mortgage, pay his bills and ultimately losing everything and his wife and his sons now not talking to him. I had a really long chat with him just sitting on a bench talking about

As a councillor, I am more aware than most of the full social spectrum that our lives have to live between, and sometimes I feel utterly frustrated that we as a society can’t do more to help those that really need it. So at this time of year I especially thank all our local and national charitable organisations for all the great they do all year round.

Cllr Mark Springett Find me on Twitter @markspringett and/or search for my Cllr Facebook page - email mark.springett@chelmsford.gov.uk and phone 07411 808 731 (text for callback).

Life T M Hack

@ Xmas

Wrap Christmas lights around an old clothes hanger to prevent them getting tangled.

Use double sided sticky tape for a more professional looking wrapping job.

Use shiny green tinsel to make your Christmas tree look fuller.

Moulsham Lodge Community Trust MLCT wishes everyone a Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year.

These words are commonly used at this time of year, but for some people Christmas isn’t always the joyful time experienced by many families and one where people feel more isolated and alone than at any other time of the year. Inspired by Marylou’s Café in Chelmsford, who over the last 3 years have opened their doors to the lonely and homeless on Christmas Day, we will be providing a traditional Christmas Day lunch for up to 30 people on that day. With the help of some wonderful volunteers who are giving up their time to help us, we hope to provide a bit of Christmas cheer and spirit and have a few fun and games, as well as a visit from Santa himself.

We are also working with local organisations to identify those people who would otherwise spend Christmas alone and with donations and grants from our local Co-op and Chelmsford Voluntary Services, we will be able to provide what we hope will be a festive day of togetherness. We would like to thank the Revd Canon Carol Smith and all at St Luke’s Church for providing their hall and facilities on the day and also for their support throughout the year.

28

This may reach you before Saturday 3rd December when we are having our Christmas event at the Community Station. First of all in the morning, we have Breakfast with Santa (sold out) followed by Santa’s Grotto and Christmas Market between 12.30pm and 4.30pm so please come along and write your letter to Santa before entering his grotto to say hello.

Next year, we hope to have a number of events including our annual Community Fun Day, a Men’s Health Day, Quiz Nights, Volunteer Evenings, Car Wash and Breakfast and some specialist events like How to Cook Vegan and subjects covering computer use such as How Not to Be Afraid of Social Media. So keep an eye out for these and a few more.

Best wished from all at MLCT. Email: enquiries@mlct.org.uk, website: www.mlct.org.uk, telephone: 07411 808 731. Search for us on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram as well.

Remember to tell our advertisers you saw their advert in the MT

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2nd Chelmsford Girls’ and Boys’ Brigade On Sunday 6th November, we held our joint Enrolment Service for new and existing members. We had a great turnout and welcomed 16 new members to our Girls’ and Boys’ Brigade companies across all sections. It was great to see so many girls, boys and parents together supported by members of the congregation.

Our sessions for this year finish in the week beginning 4th December and various seasonal activities are being planned for our last sessions before Christmas.

We restart in the new year and if you know of any 5-11 year olds who would like to join us, then please do contact us via enquiries@2ndchelmsford.org.uk or through the Girls’/Boys’ Brigade national websites.

We wish all our members, past and present, a happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.

Moulsham Lodge Surgery Are you living in the Moulsham Lodge and Tile Kiln area and looking for a friendly, family centred GP surgery?

Moulsham Lodge Surgery is proud to provide General Medical Services (GMS) to the majority of patients living primarily on the Moulsham Lodge and Tile Kiln estates. Our practice has been run by the same family of doctors since the estate was built in the late 1950s and although the original doctors are long retired, their son (Dr David Forbes) and his wife (Dr Elizabeth Murphy) are now looking after the 3rd generation of patients and the permanent GP team is completed by Dr Farah Dewan and Dr Alexander Bradford. During times of sickness or holiday we use a small pool of regular locum doctors to provide cover. We do not like to use agencies.

We have a friendly clinical team of four Practice Nurses and a Health Care Assistant who offer a wide range of skills covering your health care needs. The administrative team is overseen by the Practice Manager and comprises of the Medical Secretary, Audit Clerk, Administrator, Prescription Clerk and a dedicated team of 6 parttime receptionists.

We are sited close to the local Moulsham Lodge shopping parade on Gloucester Avenue, which offers convenient car parking and a local pharmacy when attending the surgery. We have disabled access, baby changing facilities and air conditioning throughout. We offer online patient services which include prescription ordering and booking appointments.

Tile Kiln Corner by Linda Mascot 12 years ago Sue Sharp from Linnet Drive was inspired to raise money by seeing the Farleigh Christmas Tree in Chelmsford where you could sponsor a bulb and Light up a Life of a loved one, which particularly resonated as she had lost both parents around Christmas time.

Sue decided it would be a good idea for her to fundraise herself and started sourcing outdoor Christmas decorations for her front garden, this quickly escalated as she started drawing detailed plans and changing themes each year to have different and more unusual illuminated displays. Sue likes to ring the changes and themes have been North Pole, Winter Wonderland, Amusements and Frozen.

Preparations for the illuminations carry on throughout the year as Sue asks for decorations as presents and donations from family and friends. She is also very resourceful scouring boot sales and eBay for bargains, as well as making and adapting creations to enhance her display.

I asked Sue how long she was planning to continue with this great fund-raising initiative, bearing in mind it takes 4 weeks to construct and needs industrial scaffolding to be erected.

“It takes meticulous planning, including where to place the cables and the extra electricity used costs £1 a day which is my contribution to the charity. I had always planned to stop when I was 60 but as I get older I’m not so sure. One thing I’ve learnt is to always thoroughly test everything before you put it up! I would like to thank all the local people who have visited and generously contributed to the good causes.”

Over £6,000 has been raised from donations and an annual raffle with the proceeds going to a variety of local charities which include equipment and soft furnishings for the former St John’s Hospital bereavement rooms, Farleigh Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support and latterly, Essex Air Ambulance.

This year’s themes are Winter Woodland and North Pole. Sue’s front garden, at 95 Linnet Drive on the corner of Linnet Drive and Dove Lane, is open from 1st - 28th December from 4pm - 9.30pm each evening, with donations gratefully received. This year Sue will also be selling raffle tickets with 1st prize being a very handsome 4ft tall plush Hamley’s teddy bear. mascotlinda@gmail.com Twitter: @lindamascot

We received a ‘Good in All Areas’ rating from our CQC inspection in September 2015.

accessible care in a family orientated environment, by a team of dedicated, well trained professional staff”.

The Patient Participation Group (PPG) meets regularly and helps to shape the way the practice develops; they share views and ideas on the services we offer and give constructive feedback.

If you are looking for a friendly GP Surgery or for further information, you can log onto our website at www.moulshamlodgesurgery.com, or email us at moulshamlodgesurgery@nhs.net.

Our mission statement is: “We aim to provide high quality, easily www.moulshamtimes.com

29

Halloween photos kindly sent in from Sinead in Moulsham Drive

Due to a very full magazine this month we only have space for a couple of jokes. It would be a shame not to use cracker jokes this month, so here they are!

What kind of motorbike does Santa ride?

Holly Davidson!

What do you get if you cross Santa with a duck?

A Christmas quacker!

Why is it so difficult to train dogs to dance?

They have two left feet!

What kind of paper likes music?

Rapping paper!

What’s the most popular Christmas wine?

‘I don’t like Brussel sprouts!’

What’s green, covered in tinsel and goes ribbet ribbet?

Mistle-toad!

Where do snow-women like to dance?

At snowballs!

Puzzles kindly provided by Lin (linholdeman@gmail.com) answers on opposite page.

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Does living near Moulsham High School affect nearby house prices?

This is the time of year that pupils here in Moulsham nervously prepare for their GCSE’s and A-Level’s. This made us think about the effect of schools on property prices in our area. As you all know, there are many factors that contribute to the value of your home besides its size and location. Things like crime rates, transport links, shops and general amenities all have a noticeable effect on the value of your home.

However, proximity to a good local school is one of the biggest ancillary factors, especially for parents. When it comes to buying, education, rather than location, is more often than not the deal maker for this particular demographic.

It’s hard to say exactly when school league tables began to have such a bearing on property prices, but there is growing evidence of a strong link between a good school report and the demand for housing close to it.

In fact many property hunters are willing to overlook the shortcomings of the property itself and spend beyond their original budget to be a good schools’ catchment area.

Did you know that for some house hunters, the search for a property actually begins on the Ofsted website, rather than with the local agents? It’s no coincidence that property portals have invested heavily in displaying the proximity and performance of schools on each property listing. Some local schools also publish information on schools listed as outstanding, giving the names of streets that fall within the catchment area.

We decided to take a look at the properties surrounding the best performing schools across the whole county. We found that on average, properties which were within 1km of a good secondary school sold for 8.4% more than the rest of the housing stock in 2015. Perhaps more interestingly, these same properties had increased in value by 5.2% more than the rest over the last decade. Now of course there are other factors at play here, but the

The link between prices and school performance is strongest for primary schools because of their smaller catchment areas, which get smaller the better the school performs.

However, secondary schools also have a big effect.

impact of the schools will certainly be a major factor.

But how big is the impact on CM2?

Well, one of the best performing schools in the area for 2014-2015 GCSE’s was Moulsham High School.

So far in 2016, the average price of properties within a 1km catchment of this school was considerably higher. In comparison, properties within 2km of the school had on average value significantly less.

But are there any downsides to living near a school. If you are thinking about buying such a property, you might be concerned about traffic congestion. From the conversations we have had with out clients, they don’t see it as a problem. They say it’s only at the beginning and end of the school day (whilst we are working) and the schools are closed for big chunks of the year.

If you want to know more, please pop into our branch and we will give your some friendly advice on finding your perfect home close to a good school.

If your children are preparing for their exams, we wish them lots of luck!