Moulsham Times February 2020

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Issue Number 84 - February 2020

Regal Kitchens Workshop Chelmsford based kitchen studio Regal Kitchens has teamed up for the second time with leading international manufacturer and supplier of furniture fittings, Häfele, to host a workshop for design students from University Centre South Essex.

forward as they develop their careers.”

The event, hosted by Regal Kitchens - a Häfele Studio Partner educated the group on how lighting can change the look of textures and colours used in a kitchen before being set a brief to design a fresh, bright kitchen in a space with limited daylight.

www.regalkitchens.co.uk

The workshop, which was led by Matthew Lissaman, Häfele’s Regional Sales Manager, and Darren Bull, Häfele’s Local Area Sales Manager, introduced the company’s Loox lighting range and considered how various shades of white light ranging from 3000k to 5000k impact on different materials and finishes.

They also learnt about maximising space using intelligent storage solutions from Häfele such as Vauth Sagel.

Armed with their new knowledge, the students were tasked to design a full kitchen, including cabinetry, lighting, worktops, tiles and splashbacks, which was then presented to a panel from Häfele and Regal and a winner chosen.

Emma Mcloughlin, Business Development Manager at Regal Kitchens, said: “We were extremely impressed with the designs. The student’s presentations were amazing and it’s easy to see that they are all going to do brilliantly well in whatever career they choose after their course finishes.”

Lissaman added: “The standard of work was incredibly high, and it made choosing a winning concept very difficult. However, the winning team managed to follow the brief to the letter, showed a very good use of light and incorporated AluSplash, an innovative splashback solution from Häfele into their design.

“Lighting can often be overlooked when designing a kitchen, but it was clear from the day’s presentations that the students really grasped the concept and we hope they’ll take what they’ve learnt

Regal Kitchens showroom in Chelmsford, which is situated in Navigation Road, is open 10am - 4pm seven days per week.

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

Remember this year is a leap year so an extra day in February (good job it is a Saturday!)

Please do remember that you can contact us at the email address below if there is anything local you want to send in.

You can also view our magazines online at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia.

Enjoy your month!

Regards Paul

Advertising & Editorial Paul Mclean 01245 262082 07595 949701 paul@moulshamtimes.com

It’s Your Magazines Ltd Disclaimer: It’s Your Magazines Ltd publish the Moulsham Times. The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of It’s Your Magazines Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the prior written permission of It’s Your Magazines Ltd. Reg Co No. 12080535. Printed by Printwize.

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Chelmsford - By Vicky Ford MP With the dust settling after the December election and the New Year recess now over, MPs have returned to the House of Commons.

There is a very different atmosphere from that of the past two years.

Many new faces on the green benches are bringing extra energy, experience and enthusiasm. As well as moving beyond Brexit, I am looking forward to a plethora of maiden speeches.

I’ve learnt how easy it is to become distracted in Westminster. The inbox rapidly becomes stuffed full of invitations, meeting requests and inquiries, questions need to be tabled, and there are urgent debates one wants to attend. An MP’s diary quickly becomes very packed and it can be challenging to keep focus on the big picture.

In Chelmsford, I’ve spoken to First Bus about concerns over changes to timetables and delays. The Army and Navy Task Force will meet next week and I’m calling in Greater Anglia as the service is not good enough. I’ve also set up meetings to catch up with our local police leads, NHS bosses and the prison governor, as well as the bosses of Network Rail, about plans for our second railway station. My fortnightly surgery sessions for constituents with individual queries have also restarted.

Supporting schools, colleges and local businesses is important, so I always try to meet any that have issues they want discuss. I am also looking forward to hosting Chelmsford’s first Apprenticeship Fair next month, so please do get in touch if you want to know more.

In the election, much mention was made of One Nation Conservatism. Last year a caucus of One Nation MPs worked together to agree a Declaration of Values that bid us together as a force of the centre right. It was an uplifting exercise.

One Nation Conservatism is about reaching out to all parts of our country and holding together our United Kingdom. This is vital, but it is also about a broader set of political priorities.

The One Nation Values include a commitment to public services well funded through a growing economy, to active global leadership through our aid, trade and security commitments, to social responsibility and to life chances - believing that everyone in our country has an equal right to a fair chance in life.

The ten values include a specific commitment on Environmental Stewardship. The UK is uniquely placed to lead action on this most urgent of issues as we work towards hosting the next Global Conference on Climate change in Glasgow this December.

The values also include commitments on upholding press freedoms, human rights, the rule of law and an independent judiciary.

So, at the beginning of this busy political year, I have pinned a copy of the One Nation Declaration of Values by my desk. When multitasking through the emails and WhatsApp messages, I will lean on it to help keep the focus on the big picture too.

As ever, please do stay in touch at vicky.ford.mp@parliament.uk.

Moulsham and Central Ward

• •

The apartments will be overlooked by office workers in neighbouring Amlin House.

All the apartments are single aspect north facing and will result in a gloomy environment with insufficient natural light.

We know that the inner workings of council can seem dull to residents, but when it comes to planning, the council has a legal obligation to decide each application on its adherence (or otherwise) to planning regulations, or face the prospect of an applicant successfully appealing against a decision, and incurring great expense on behalf of the residents.

Back Inn Time It cannot have escaped the attention of many readers that a planning application to redevelop the site of popular local restaurant Back Inn Time has been submitted to the planning department by the restaurant’s landlord. In essence, the scheme proposes to demolish the existing building and build a new structure with some retail space on the ground floor and then 11 apartments above.

There have been an astonishing number of objections to this scheme, and while heartening for the owners, unfortunately not many at all refer to planning regulations. Your Moulsham & Central councillors have raised a number of issues with the planning officers that they believe do raise planning regulation concerns, and met to discuss them in the first week of the year: • •

The proposed scheme has a negative impact on the curtilage of the neighbouring grade II listed building Imperial House at 12 Cottage Place.

The scheme is for 11 apartments, yet makes no provision whatsoever for affordable housing.

At the meeting, the officers told us that they shared our concerns, and we have told them that should they be minded to approve the application, one of us would feel compelled to ‘call it in’, meaning that rather than the planning department officers deciding the outcome by themselves, it would be decided in public before the planning committee, so that all concerned parties would be given a chance to make their representations in public, and the decision would be made by councillors rather than officers - we hope this is good news for Back Inn Time and local residents.

Our next surgery is 8th February 2020 at Riverside Leisure Centre café in Victoria Road.

Please contact us about any issues you may be facing with council services.

Marie, Jeremy and Graham Marie Goldman: marie.goldman@chelmsford.gov.uk, 07970 445 675 Jeremy Lager: jeremy.lager@chelmsford.gov.uk, 07486 551 196 Graham Pooley: graham.pooley@chelmsford.gov.uk, 07940 576 825

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MT Therapy - by Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Blue Monday Happy New Year everyone! Jenny here. In the week I’m writing this article we had ‘Blue Monday’ - supposedly the ‘most depressing day of the year’. Because this day is reported on year on year by the media, I wanted to write an article about it (again). Also, if I’m honest, I’ve got a stinking cold so frankly I’m not feeling in the best of moods myself! I hardly ever get ill, and honestly Blue Monday doesn’t affect me (doing a job I love greatly helps this), but there can be so many reasons that people feel down this time of year. You never know, writing this article might even be a little cathartic for me!

The moniker ‘Blue Monday’ is given typically to the third Monday in January. It first appeared as part of a press release in 2005 from holiday company Sky Travel written by Cliff Arnall who was then a tutor at the Centre for Lifelong Learning (attached to Cardiff University). Although scientists have since reported the formula to be ‘nonsensical’ and consider the idea as pseudoscience, Blue Monday is still reported by the media as the most depressing day of the year, every year. Mr Arnall claims that it was never his intention to make Blue Monday sound negative, but that he actually wanted to inspire people to take action and make bold life decisions. To be honest I believe that you can do this any time of year, whether it’s January or not. That said January is seen as a time for new beginnings.

So, how are you feeling at the moment? Are you affected by the weather? Are you further in debt because of the festive period?

Do you feel you have failed, or have given up on, your New Year’s resolutions? Do you feel unmotivated, but also feel the need to take action?

You are not alone.

Typically in January I see an increase in enquiries. The types of enquiry vary, anything from weight loss (to shed those festive pounds!) to a feeling of needing to change something in their life but perhaps not quite knowing what that might be.

So how can therapy help? Counsellors offer a non-judgemental space for you to talk about what’s bothering you. If you are feeling particularly down around this time of year, a counsellor will help you talk through how and why you feel that way and help you to process and feel better. Some people believe that Blue Monday undermines mental health, personally I think it depends on how you look at things. Feeling down doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s highly unlikely that you will feel down on just one day of the year. For example, my change of mood this week has definitely been caused by my cold. I’m noticing stress symptoms: my neck has been killing me, and I feel a sudden urge to shop (weirdly, for bed linen and lamps...). A counsellor is there to help you get to the root cause of why you think and feel the way you do.

We can then offer coping techniques and a safe space to process and help you to improve your mood.

then think about what might cheer you up. For example, if it’s as simple as a cold (like me) then what can you do help you feel more comforted? For me it’s about cooking. I love cooking. I find it relaxing and distracting, I don’t think about how I can’t smell or taste the food so well, because I cook a recipe I’m familiar with so I know it will be amazing! I feel a sense of accomplishment once it’s done. I currently have a bolognese on the go (and yes, a glass of red wine. Most went into the bolognese but one shouldn’t waste a decent red…). I can just about make out some sort of smell, my heating is on full blast, and later I’m going to listen to my favourite meditation recording to help me to relax this evening. I’ll also be trying out that new linen sometimes making an effort for yourself can really make a difference.

Self-care is important. If you’re feeling a little down remember to look after yourself.

If you’re suffering and feel it’s more than just a brief issue that will resolve itself and want to speak to someone, please know that it’s ok and a counsellor will never judge you or your situation. If you are feeling down there could be many reasons as to why, and a therapist is there to help you find out why and help you work through things.

I don’t believe anyone feels more down on a certain day of the year because a scientist told us that we would do. I do believe people are more likely to feel down on specific days because of their own set of circumstances and their reactions to those circumstances.

What I’m saying is that everyone has their own ‘blue’ days, and that’s ok. It’s completely normal to have down days - nobody is happy all of the time! But if you find that those down days are getting more than you think they should be, a counsellor can help you figure out what’s going on and help you to experience more positive days than blue ones.

For now though I’m off to check on my bolognese and finish my glass of wine!

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

If you’re feeling a slight dip this time of year it might be helpful for you to consider why this might be. If you think you can pinpoint the cause quite easily, 6 www.moulshamtimes.com

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MT Health

Runner’s Knee Rehab Tips

by Chris at Forté Physical Health

Is it here yet? Is spring springing? I am always grateful to be living in a country that has distinct seasons and I do find beauty in each of them, but by February time I must admit I am looking forward to the first signs of spring.

For many of you, spring signifies the time to get back into the garden, go for walks or get out on your bike. However, there is a slightly crazier subgroup of the community who have kept on running all through the winter (I’m one of them!). Some even have to increase their training volume in the darkest months because they have a marathon looming in April.

We have been treating a few of these brave souls in the clinic recently, so I thought I would dedicate this month’s article to ‘runner’s knee’.

Confusingly, runner’s knee is a term that refers to one of two problems; iliotibial band friction syndrome (ITBFS), or patellofemoral syndrome.

ITBFS is where the lower part of the iliotibial band, a connective tissue that runs down the side of the thigh, can become irritated by the repetitive nature of running. Patellofemoral syndrome is an irritation to the joint between the kneecap (the patella) and the thigh bone (the femur).

You can easily tell the difference because ITBFS is found on the outside of the knee and patellofemoral syndrome occurs at the front

movement in something we call the frontal plane. This is the sideto-side motion of our body. When our foot hits the floor in walking and running, our knee bends a bit and it drops inwards a bit. This dropping inwards is known as frontal plane motion. It’s entirely normal to have frontal plane motion in walking and running, but it can be excessive on one side, and this is what causes problems.

There are two main reasons why this might be happening; firstly, if the foot is overpronating as it hits the floor, it drives the tibia (the shin bone) inwards, thus driving the knee in. Secondly, if there is weakness in the lateral glute muscles behind the hip, that causes instability of the femur, which also allows the knee to drop too far inwards.

As with all pains in the body, it is best to see a professional to help you understand what is causing your problem, because sometimes it can be tricky to see the issue yourself. If however, you have quite asymmetrical feet and one rolls in much more than the other, it may be likely that the foot is the culprit. Or if you feel unbalanced or weak in certain leg exercises, maybe it’s the hips that are at fault.

Sometimes, the problem may only show up when running. In the clinic, we film people running outside with a special app on an iPad, and this is the way we can diagnose where the problem is coming from.

With all that being said, the exercises I’ll outline below will help most runners, whether you have pain or not. The only group of people that may not want to do them are those I mentioned earlier who have clicking, locking or a traumatic onset of knee pain.

Movement is hard to put into words, or at least it’s hard to put into a few words, so I will let the pictures do most of the talking. I have also made a video over on YouTube with more explanation. You can find it by searching ‘Forte Physical Health’ in the YouTube search box where you can find all our recent videos.

If you are suffering from runner’s knee, it is helpful to keep the quadriceps (the muscles at the front of the thigh) stretched and the ITB treated with a roller. You may also find strengthening the glutes to be helpful. There are many ways to do this, but using a resistance band can be a useful tool because it leaves no hiding places for the glutes - they can’t ‘cheat’! Here, I show a basic hip extension exercise and a standing ‘fire hydrant’ exercise (imagine a dog peeing on a fire hydrant!).

By keeping the tissues supple and the hips strong, this can help to mitigate the problem.

In many cases, stretching the area and keeping it strong is enough to reduce symptoms, but an osteopath’s favourite question is ‘why?’.

Why did it start in the first place? Why are the tissues tight? Why is the knee dropping in? Why are the glutes weak? Why does the foot overpronate?

of the knee. Both problems typically build up gradually and occur the more you run, they don’t normally come on suddenly. They also don’t click or lock, so if you have knee pain that came on traumatically, or if it clicks or locks, the advice in this article is probably not for you.

If you have one of these runner’s knee problems though, there are a few things you can do to help it.

Both problems are most commonly caused by having too much

If you try these exercises and the pain persists, it may help you to see an expert where we can help to answer these ‘why’ questions and give you a personalised plan for recovery.

In the meantime, keep on running!

If you want to get treatment for issues like runner’s knee and other sports injuries, visit www.fortephysicalhealth.co.uk.

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9

MT Gardening This can be an ideal time to give some tender loving care to existing hedges prior to the nesting season getting into full swing. It’s also a great opportunity for planting in general.

There are many different plants suitable for use as hedging material. They must all be tolerant of trimming, be compact and fairly dense in habit. They need to be quite tough too as hedges are often neglected as far as watering and feeding are concerned. When choosing a hedging plant, consider the use for which it is intended and make sure that it will be suitable. For example, a hedge planted to improve privacy should be an evergreen.

A hedge intended to keep people out might be prickly or have thorns.

Informal hedges are suitable for gardens where a more relaxed or cottage style is desired and may be allowed to grow loosely. They are often grown for their flowers. Plants used include shrub roses such as Rosa rugosa, compact growing Philadelphus such as P Manteau d’Hermine and in mild areas hedges of Fuchsia magellanica.

They are usually only trimmed once a year during the growing season, but this must be carried out with the flowering season in mind.

Formal hedges require trimming to a crisp outline and should have a dense habit. They are often evergreen or deciduous species that hold onto their leaves, such as Carpinus betulus (hornbeam) and Fagus sylvatica (beech). Suitable evergreen species include Taxus baccata (yew), Buxus sempervirens (box), Lonicera nitida (shrubby honeysuckle) and Lavandula angustifolia (lavender).

To remain formal in appearance, they must be kept well clipped which may be as many as three times a year. Slower growing hedges

such as Taxus reduce the time spent on trimming.

Trimming is carried out during the growing season (May to September) when there is no danger of frost. It may be carried out by hand or machine (remember to read machinery manuals prior to use and to work with health and safety in mind). In order to remain ‘clothed’ to the ground, hedges should be trimmed with a slight ‘batter’ or slope - this allows light to reach the base preventing leaf loss.

So, if you have thoughts about a new hedge or screen, read through these top tips for success.

Soil Preparation • Weed: Remove all weeds from the site. A total translocated herbicide may be used to treat perennial weeds, as they are difficult to eradicate once the hedge is planted.

• Cultivate: Single dig a strip of ground 1m in width (1.5m for a double row). On a large site a rotary cultivator will make the task easier. Organic matter such as spent mushroom compost can be added to improve the soil.

• Firm the soil to remove any air pockets.

• Rake level.

Planting • Using a tape measure and short canes, mark the planting stations.

• Dig individual planting holes ensuring they are large enough to easily accommodate the root system or root ball.

• Apply a base dressing of fertiliser such as bonemeal at a rate of 70g/m2 and incorporate into the soil.

• Holding the plants at the right height backfill, taking care to firm the soil to remove any air pockets.

• Water thoroughly.

• Mulch with material such as bark chips to a depth of 7cm.

Maintenance Spring • Fertilise: Apply a top dressing of balanced fertiliser such as Growmore at a rate of 100g/m2.

• Trim: Once frosts have passed trim hedge.

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Summer • Irrigate when necessary - ‘leaky’ pipe systems are particularly suited to use with hedge.

• Check for pests and diseases and treat accordingly.

• Trim again if necessary.

Autumn • Plant new hedges or ‘gap up’ if required.

Winter • Remove heavy snow fall from hedges.

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We still have a few spaces on RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Garden Planning, Establishment and Maintenance (Starting 13th February - June 2020), email tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk for information on availability of days and times.

We also offer a very comprehensive range of full time and short courses in landscaping, design and garden maintenance. Follow this link for further information: writtle.ac.uk/ShortCourses.

Happy Gardening!

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

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Quiz Time by John Theedom 1. Where is the tomb of Henry VIII? 2 What is the 50th state of the USA? 3. In which century did the Black Death kill 200 million people?

4. What does a pugilist do for a living?

5. What type of animal is the euglossa bazinga of Brazil?

6. What is wasabi?

7. What did Sir Noel Coward do in America in WW2?

8. Apart from being a small peg or plug, where else will a spigot be used?

9. Which British town was first to switch on it’s street lights after WW2?

10. What used to be sold by an apothecary?

11. Where on your body is your scapula?

12. What does the word utopia actually mean?

13. Which Dickens’ novel was set in Cloisterham?

14. Plantain is a type of which fruit?

15. What is the most popular form of green beryl called?

16. Which type of pasta’s name means ‘little worms’?

17. Which river burst it’s banks to flood the city of York in 2002?

18. What is the olfactory sense?

19. What colour are the spots on a plaice?

20. What type of pulses are used in hummus?

21. What is a crate of 12 bottles of wine called?

22. What does an aardvark feed on?

23. Which is the shortest British bird?

24. By what other name are the Northern Lights also known?

25. A strudel is usually filled with which fruit?

26. What was the first Lassie film called?

27. On TV, what was the first programme on Channel 4?

28. Which tree do we get turpentine from?

29. Where would a melanoma appear?

30. Who sang Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head in the film?

31. In which film did Elvis Presley play the role of Pacer Burton?

32. Who had the car Registration Number X CZECH? 33. Where, in London are The Royal Botanical Gardens?

34. What type of leaves does a koala bear feed on?

35. Of what, is ‘lux’ a unit?

36. What was the very first talking cartoon?

37. Which American president served two non-consecutive terms?

38. Which Commonwealth country was the first to issue a Christmas postage stamp?

39. Who or what was the fabulous Cullinan Diamond named after?

40. Which Tamara has just had £50millilon worth of jewels stolen?

(Answers on page 31)

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11

Nick Garner’s Music & Ramblings Ramblings While I am not so involved with the Chelmsford Festival anymore, it is still close to my heart. I’m pleased to say that the festival returns this year, and with 2020 also being science year, this is a big year for Chelmsford, Essex and for the festival. There is now a date set for the carnival, so if you are interested and want to get involved, the date is Sunday 5th July as the festival closer.

The Chelmsford Festival 2020 will take place from June 13th­- July 5th­2020 - a special extended period to help celebrate Marconi Day on June 15th. The festival brings together key organisations delivering a celebration of arts and culture, including events such as A Celebration of Science, Essex Pride, Art In The Park, 3Foot People Festival, Make Music Day, In The Park Concerts and Chelmsford Carnival. To find out more and how you can get involved, simply go to www.facebook.com/chelmsfordfestival and go to the ‘About’ page for contact details.

This year the band I am in, Jamie Williams & the Roots Collective, are releasing a new album entitled Do What You Love. It will be out on vinyl, CD and available to download. We are really excited as this is without a doubt our best in eleven years and the band is in the best shape ever. We also have a few very special guests playing on the album as well, including Chelmsford’s very own Naomi Poole, queen of the cello. We will have a couple of Chelmsford gigs soon, but we also play the 100 Club in London on Wednesday 8th April (for which I do have tickets available). Then, the album launch show will be at the legendary Half Moon in Putney on Friday 22nd May where we will also feature album contributors Naomi Poole, BJ Cole and Robbie McIntosh. Our very special guests to open the night, hot from their tour opening for The Who, are Connor Selby and Joe Anderton. For tickets and more information go to www.halfmoon.co.uk. We hope to see you there! Find out more about us at www.jwroots.co.uk.

Among the usual plethora of local events, this is also the 75th anniversary of VE Day - a day to celebrate the end of WW2 - we would all no doubt be in a very different place right now if we had not won.

I just hope the world will learn and that peace will prevail across the planet and that we can concentrate on saving the planet instead.

We welcome a new food outlet to Moulsham Street. Where Primrose once was we now have the Eat Plant Café - a vegan café that cooks from scratch and is great, so go along and treat yourself. Moulsham Street and Baddow Road I feel are really coming alive again, just as the high street sadly seems to be dying a little. We have new places opening up and showing the strength and desire for more independent places where you really feel cared for.

If you use social media remember to keep an eye on Facebook What’s Going On Chelmsford is a great page to help keep your finger on the pulse. Most areas will have their own community hub pages too of course.

Music In The City Times there is a What’s On guide with everything from theatre to charity music and everything in between. You will find the magazine in all your major supermarkets as well as online at www. issuu.com/itsyourmedia.

Gig-wise, it has been a good start to the year so far. We started the 12

year with Bex Marshall and her band (pictured) who blew everyone away with her amazing voice and the great musicianship of the whole band. Bex is also confirmed as playing at the Susie Wong Oscars event which is one of the biggest events during the Oscars. We then had the soulful Dave Jackson Trio with vocals that remind us all of the late great Joe Cocker. Big Joe Bone’s band is always a crowd pleaser, and we had them the following night. As I am writing this, I am getting ready for Robbie McIntosh and Steve Wilson to play on Friday night - and I know they will blow everyone away too.

Now for gigs at the UB. On Saturday 1st­February we have That Blue Patch, a great duo who play an array of instruments and cover songs you will all know as well as some you don’t. All done their in their own inimitable way. On the 7th we have Steve Hooker returning - not to be missed. On the 8th we have a double bill with two top acts. Opening the night will be Two Ways Home, a great duo who play all over Europe singing folk, Americana and country. They have some amazing harmonies to look out for. Then we welcome back Jackson Line. This will be the full band playing their brand of country and Americana.

On Monday the 10­th it’s One Tree Hillbilly time. Yes, they are back to put a smile on all our faces. Then on Wednesday 12th we have Joe’s second open mic of the year, and if the last one is anything to go by it will fantastic - and very busy.

A good friend I’ve known for over 50 years is over from Holland to play on Valentine’s Day: William Dashwood (Woody) will perform his own amazing songs which can be either funny, sad, moody or loving. As well as being a musician, he is also an actor of stage and screen and a mime artist. He is also an author too.

Saturday 15th February sees Spencer Taylor’s Do in the D. What on earth is that I hear you ask? Well, it’s where songwriters sit around a table and talk about their songs and play them to you. A night we are sure you will enjoy.

Friday 21st at Chelmsford City FC we have Imagine The Beatles playing, and opening on the night will be Roy Mette. I am sure it will be a good fun night with us all singing along to all those well known songs. At the UB that same night it is the first EMJAY Session with Steo Wall.

At the end of the month. we have two special nights. On Friday 28th all the way from Germany we have Michi from the Michael Ortel Band, along with Matt Woosey. Two great singer-songwriters who play their own songs ranging from blues to folk to Americana. Both have fantastic voices and are great guitarists. Then on Saturday 29th February that one day in four-years appears - so get ready boys as your girl may propose to you! We have a great way to celebrate too, with Tom Hingley from Inspiral Carpets performing for you. We are sure he will do some of those classic Inspirals songs as well as many new ones. It’s completely free too, so come along and watch in the UB. Do check out the listings in the City Times to see what’s on around the area. These are not just for music of course, but for everything that the public can attend. If you know of something going on then please drop an email to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk.

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 pages to see what else in happening. If you go to our Facebook pages look at the ‘Events’ tabs where you can see who is playing and preview the up-and-coming acts. www.itsyourmusic.co.uk www.facebook.com/itsyourmusic/events Twitter@itsyourmusic www.facebook.com/theunitedbrethren/events www.visitessex.com/events

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L Mus ive ic Frida Every y Satur and day

1 Bridge Street, Writtle, Chelmsford, CM1 3EY 01245 422 891 www.pakwaan.co.uk Mon-Sat 12pm-2.30pm & 5pm-10.30pm Sun 12pm-10pm www.moulshamtimes.com 13

Christchurch February…. What Does This Month Represent to You? It used to be known as February fill dyke, because the rivers and roads were awash with rain and melting snows making the fields and streams overflow and turning paths to a slippery ooze. Seemingly, climate change has given us particularly low rainfall these last five Februaries, so maybe no more sloshing around in wellies! One thing that hasn’t changed is Valentine’s Day on February 14th. We can guarantee that red roses and romantic dinners will again be popular, and purveyors of flowers, greetings cards and chocolate will be rubbing their hands together in anticipation.

However, the main event for the UK will be Brexit - now a foregone conclusion that we will be going it alone after the 31st January 2020.

The 3 years since the referendum have been a somewhat frustrating time for many. A little book which has been circulating around the churches, written by Graham Tomlin, the Bishop of Kensington, called Looking Beyond Brexit - Bringing the Country Back Together compares Brexit with the English Reformation when the English Church declared independence from Rome. The task ahead will be the same as it was 500 years ago, harmonising opposing factions, rising above division and showing love to our neighbours. The good news is that it was (eventually) accomplished back then - and can be done so again given good will on all sides.

For Christ Church, 2019 was a year of getting and giving, both in equally large measures. We have been able to refurbish much of our building, particularly the Sanctuary which now boasts a 5 metre screen, state of the art audio/visual system, and modern heating.

Our worship is moving towards the contemporary too and we have a new Worship Leader, guitarist Rob Blackman, who is introducing us to modern songwriters in addition to the more familiar hymns sung to piano or organ accompaniment.

Giving, with both time and money, is a strong driving force at Christ Church. Much of our resources are focused on providing facilities for the community, and many local groups use our building at reasonable rates. We operate a Day Centre for the elderly and a Toddler Group for carers of young children - both heavily subsidised by our congregation.

In addition, our people have sponsored the London Marathon, the Great Baddow 10k run, Toybox (a charity helping street children around the world) the Food Bank, CHESS, Breast Cancer Research, Farleigh Hospice, Samaritans Purse and Home-Start UK and the Essex Young Musicians Trust. It is our mission to be ‘Christ’s Church, alive in our Community’ and you would be very welcome to join us any Sunday morning at 10.30am to learn more about Christ Jesus, who is always at the heart of our Church life.

For more details about Christ Church and its activities, visit www.christchurch-chelmsford.com, or search on Facebook or Twitter.

Pat Bruguier

14 www.moulshamtimes.com

Moulsham Junior School

great fun - and a little bit tiring!

This half term, Year 5 children at Moulsham Juniors will be doing sitting volleyball. As an introduction to the sport, they have had the most amazing opportunity to be taught by the 2012 Paralympic coach, our very own Mr Day. The whole session proved to be utterly inspiring,

Mr Day, our caretaker, is not any old caretaker. He managed the Sitting Volleyball team who represented Great Britain both at the 2010 World Championships and the 2012 Paralympics. He taught Year 5 sitting volleyball and fascinated us with his sport.

Mr Day has practiced sitting volleyball for years and he taught us the techniques we need to play the game. At the end of the lesson, he brought in some enormous volleyballs and we then played a huge game of sitting volleyball with the whole class - even though at professional level it’s only a 6-a-side game! We learnt lots and laughed lots. You never know, perhaps one of our Year 5s could be in the team who become sitting volleyball champions.

Deadlines for the March edition: Articles - 12th February Print ready art work - 20th February

Moulsham High School Football Fun Weeks Moulsham High School are running an Easter Football Fun Week during the week commencing 6th April.

Over 260 Boys and Girls aged from 5 to 12 enjoyed the 3 Football Fun Weeks at the school last year, with total bookings of over 360 children! The children all receive a football kit, a football, two professionally taken photos, a medal and a certificate.

For an application form and more information, please go to the school website at www.moulshamhigh.org/200/football-fun-weeks or search for ‘footballfunweeks’ on Facebook.

Report prepared by Jack and Ava - 5 Pettet

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The Singing Chef Love is always in the air and this month we have Valentine’s Day to remind us. I do have a new love in my life and that is Bella, our beautiful new dog, very handy to help us walk of this EPIC, calorific and creamy lemon posset dessert.

100g Caster or granulated sugar Melted chocolate

Make your lemon posset at least 2 hours before you want to serve it, so it can set in the fridge. These treats can be served together or eaten individually. This makes the perfect end to a romantic meal and can be served in any glass of your choice; you can even use a glass jar with a lid if you need to transport your posset.

•

January was a very busy month and Paul our editor really wanted an article on lamb tagine, which we had (it was delicious). I wrote the article, But my oh my, typing out the list of ingredients gave me a cramp in my hand so I decided to scrap that (though feel free to email me if you would like the recipe), and decided to choose something else. This recipe is for Debbie, at the school that was mad for the chocolate brownies in December. As were quite a few of you!

It was so lovely to hear from you and some even sent photographs of successful creations. It makes me incredible happy when my recipies are used.

•

• •

Combine all ingredients and rub with the tips of your fingers until the dough comes together.

Flatten out with your hands or a rolling pin until roughly 1cm thick.

Cook for 12 minutes 180o then remove from oven and leave to completely cool; its going to be the longest half an hour for you and everyone in your house...

Cut into shapes of your choice and dip the cooled into the melted chocolate then leave to harden.

Melt your chocolate - slowly - in a bowl over saucepan of simmering water. You can leave your posset plain, or top with frozen of fresh berries of your choice. Please don’t do what I did and try to save time by melting in the microwave; it’s really not a good look!

Enjoy my lovelies x

This is so easy - even the measurement is easy to remember! You also don’t have to navigate a last minute run to the shops to get the right sugar, just use what you have.

Lemmon Posset (This recipe serves 4) 300ml double cream 150g granulated or caster sugar 1 lemon, juice and grated peel •

•

Heat the cream and sugar in a pan until you get a nice jolly boil, boil for 3 minutes, leave to cool.

Once cooled add the lemon, decant into your chosen vessels and chill in the fridge for 2 hours or more.

Shortbread 300g plain flour 200g unsalted butter

I would also like invite any budding singers out there to take up a special MT only offer of a trial vocal coaching session for just £10. I teach from my studio in Baddow Road. What have you got to lose?

Sarah is a singer and vocal coach based in Chelmsford and offers singing lessons to people of all ages and abilities. You can email Sarah at sarahmtfood@gmail.com or search for ‘Sarah Beth Vocal Coaching’ on Facebook.

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Personal Finance Clinic: How to Get Started With Investing Investing for the first time can seem daunting, but over the longer term, investing your money gives you a better chance of a higher return than is possible with savings. Note that I said better chance as there are no guarantees with investing and you need to be clear on this from the start.

So Where Do You Start?

Firstly, you need an account to invest in. For most people, a stocks and shares ISA will be most appropriate. It’s worth remembering that an ISA is just a tax-efficient ‘wrapper’ for your collection of investments - or ‘portfolio’. In other words, you could simply build a portfolio in a general investment account, but if you hold it in a stocks and shares ISA instead, there’s no tax to pay on returns or capital gains.

You should have enough saved up to cover outgoings for at least three months (and ideally six). Usually it’s best to clear debts first too, especially if they are expensive debts to service.

Lauren Peters is a Chartered Financial Planner, pension specialist and later life specialist. You can contact her via laurenpeters16@ hotmail.co.uk or via 07850 873 126.

There are lots of stocks and shares ISAs available. Look for one with low fees and a good reputation.

Given that this is your first foray into investing, it’s likely you will either have a lump sum of up to £20k to invest or you are planning on depositing at least £250 a month into your account. Any lower and you should think about building up a cash lump sum first or the fees will eat away at your deposits too much.

What Do You Invest In? It’s tempting to invest directly into household name companies like Amazon, Netflix and Tesco, but for first time investors this is rarely a good idea!

It’s expensive and it’s highly unlikely you will be starting out with enough money to invest in a large enough range of companies directly - known as ‘diversifying’ - or the nerve to cope with the high levels of volatility that comes with investing into companies directly.

View both our magazines online at

www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia Along with many previous months magazines.

Instead, try investing into funds. Funds are essentially ready-made portfolios. A fund pools lots of investors’ money to invest in a range of companies; perhaps around 30, but you can find out exactly how many by reading the fund factsheet.

There are a wide range of funds to choose from; investing in anything from UK companies to precious metals to Japanese companies to pharmaceuticals.

All will have different risk ratings so you will need to be clear on the possible losses as well as returns. Riskier funds will be more volatile than safer funds, meaning that you could see big returns but, equally, you could suffer big losses.

Should I Seek Advice?

If you don’t feel confident picking funds yourself, don’t hesitate to seek advice from a financial adviser who can work out your risk profile, select an account for you to invest in and then design a portfolio of funds for you. There will be a fee levied for this service of course.

What Else Should I Remember?

Don’t start investing until you have enough cash saved up for emergencies.

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Rotary National President Comes to Chelmsford It’s another of those myths about Rotary that to be a member you need to be a professional - that is, a white collar worker, doctor, dentist, lawyer, surveyor, teacher. Another fallacy is that Rotary is a men-only organisation. Well, when the President of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland came to Chelmsford a couple of weeks ago both misconceptions were instantly debunked. Donna Wallbank is certainly female and she is a hairdresser.

Incidentally, to reinforce the dual gender profile of Rotary, in the photo you will see the current District Governor, Pauline Dean, and you will note that she is also of the feminine sex.

One innovation President Donna is encouraging us to engage with is the VExpo which will take place at the NEC, Birmingham 1st - 3rd May 2020. Although Rotary is behind the exhibition, it will not be billed as a Rotary Expo, as the emphasis is on the whole voluntary sector and several large charities will be represented. There will be a Rotary village with stands showcasing many of the projects undertaken by Rotarians, but the aim is to get the public involved in volunteering in general. Many high profile speakers have been booked and it look like an exciting event and a far cry from national conferences we have had in past years.

Rotary has always been at the forefront of youth competitions and an innovation at VExpo is that there will be three national finals running on the same day: Youth Speaks Debate, Young Musician and Young Chef. Not sure how all that will fit in, especially bearing in mind that for the first two there are separate categories for Intermediate and Senior, but whilst the hierarchy may feel some trepidation, I am sure it will be all right on the day. Even if it doesn’t work you don’t know until you try, so I am in favour of trying something new.

National President Donna Wallbank She has progressed in her job and now runs her own establishment but nevertheless, her occupation is of no relevance to what she, or anybody else for that matter, contributes to Rotary and the community. The point being here that if you feel you would like to be part of a worldwide organisation making a difference to so many people, then please do not be put off from visiting a local club to find out if it is for you. In fact, a proposal last year to include the word ‘occupation’ was carried by the Council on Legislation to make it clear that every occupation was welcome in Rotary, so it is now reinforced in writing.

Donna and her husband Steve hail from Gwent, and they drove to Chelmsford on a wet and windy Wednesday to see what the Essex clubs, including the six in Chelmsford, are actually doing. The internal theme for the year is Rotary Connects the World and she definitely made that connection at our District Forum in front of some 150 Rotarians. She listened to our achievements and brought news of plans on the horizon. Ideas were exchanged for increasing membership and where we should be focussing our support.

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District Governor Pauline Dean sounds the bell to commence the Forum As I have indicated, it is public-facing - and the good news is that it is free to get in. Please visit the dedicated website at www. vounteerexpo.co.uk where you will see details of the programme day by day. You may wish to make a weekend of it and attend all three days. If you can’t attend then the next best thing is to go along to your local Rotary club to find out what they are doing. It may just be the push you need to join this great organisation - whether you work as a doctor, a builder or a shop assistant, or even if you aren’t in employment.

In fact, a note for your diary. The Rotary Club of Chelmsford is planning a follow-up showcase event on Thursday 21st May midday -2pm at Chelmsford Rugby Club. See details on www. chelmsfordrotary.org. The club is also running a quiz on Saturday 2nd May at Writtle Sports & Social Club in support of Families InFocus, Essex. Teams can consist of 6 or 8. If you would like to attend either event give me a call on 01245 260 349 to book your place.

Stan Keller

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Chelmsford Foodbank Thanks the Public for Their Generosity Over the Harvest and Christmas Period Chelmsford Foodbank would like to thank the local community for their incredible generosity over the harvest and Christmas periods.

From September until the end of December last year, they received over 27 tonnes of food donations, including Christmas foods and treats. During December alone, they gave 578 3-days emergency food supplies to people in the Chelmsford area.

In the lead up to Christmas, the Foodbank was astounded by the generosity of the public. Donations came from many sources including schools, individuals, businesses, community groups and churches. The issues that many face during the year are exacerbated during the winter months and especially at Christmas when the added strain on income can leave many people struggling to put food on the table. The incredible community spirit and desire to reach out to neighbours expressed through the Foodbank has meant that many have not only received three days worth of food supplies, they will have also received festive treats, toiletries and gifts.

“It is incredible to witness the support and generosity of the public, especially at Christmas” said Project Manager Ruth Leverett. “We cannot thank the public enough. Without their donations, we would not be able to help the many people that we see every day struggling

to make ends meet here in Chelmsford. It is difficult to see families finding things hard, especially in the run up to Christmas, but it is heart-warming to see the impact of the donations on those who access our service.”

Chelmsford Foodbank comprises of five distribution centres across Chelmsford and a warehouse. The Foodbank is dependent on the generosity of the public. Since Chelmsford Foodbank started in 2012, the public have given over 212 tonnes of food, and 24,000 people (15,000 adults and 9,100 children) have been fed. They currently have over 100 volunteers working in the distribution centres, warehouse and doing office tasks and were finalists in Essex County Council’s, Who will care? Awards 2017 for the category of Volunteer Team Award. In addition, the Foodbank has pioneered More Than Food programmes, including 4families, a holiday club which provides meals and activities for families who would normally receive free school meals during term time.

To find out more, or to give financially to the vital work of the Foodbank, please visit their website at chelmsford.foodbank.org.uk.

Taking up the Dementia-Friendly Challenge

Lead by the Patient Participation Group (PPG), everybody at Sutherland Lodge Surgery in Baddow Road is taking up the challenge to work towards becoming dementia-friendly. With the support of the Alzheimer’s Society (AS) and Mid Essex CCG, we hope to become one of the many surgeries in Mid-Essex to achieve this status.

session followed by film as well as an informal coffee morning being planned at The Orchards, off Meadgate Avenue. Watch this space!

As part of this challenge, Sutherland Lodge PPG are arranging a public meeting to discuss Dementia - Remaining Independent. This will follow a very short PPG AGM. Everybody is invited, whatever your interest in the subject. It should be an interesting evening.

The event will take place on Wednesday 11th March 2020 9.15pm (doors open 7pm) at the Millennium Centre, Recreation Ground, off Baddow Road. Tea and coffee will be provided and there will be plenty of time to look at a selection of table displays,

The panel of speakers will include one of the surgery doctors, Carers First Essex, a care giver, and representative from Virgin Care (to update everybody about progress of the various projects within the surgery). We will endeavour to make the meeting itself as dementia-friendly as possible, aim to avoid medical jargon, and keep the positive aim of our project to the fore.

Further info: Cathy Trevaldwyn Chair PPG at Sutherland Lodge, patientsgroup.sutherlandlodge@gmail.com.

As part of the project, we hope to run monthly dementia support clinics, provide clearly accessible information for our patients and train our staff to become Dementia Friends. The PPG already run a Memory Group within the surgery and this will continue as part of our new service.

The PPG also has exciting plans to make use of our current technology in order to make it easier for patients to access support information. This will include a newsletter, an information resource bank and reminiscence picture packs, which will be accessible via our website. There are even rumours of a regular sit-down exercise www.moulshamtimes.com

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Hello everyone. Have you broken any of your New Year’s resolutions yet? I have kept my one so far, but then that was that I wouldn’t make any, so it’s a bit of a cheat really.

This month’s fiasco is an easy one: members of the Royal Family.

At the end of last year, we had all the reports of Prince Andrew’s alleged goings on, then just as the poor Queen thought that it could not get any worse, Harry and Meghan drop the ‘no more royal duties’ bombshell... ‘oh, and we’re moving to Canada’. One of the reasons given was that they wanted to minimise all the publicity they receive.

Well that hasn’t worked. Next day, the paper I read had sixteen pages or more of photos and commentary by just about everybody. Next day, lots more and the next day even more. The TV news broadcasts led the news programmes with the story. Ironical eh? They want to get away from the press and end up having even more publicity than normal. I think that newspaper editors should contribute to the couple’s finances, as they have provided content to replace all that coverage of the ‘B’ fiasco.

Do you like rap music? No, nor me. Perhaps it’s an age thing, but I just don’t get it at all. The other thing that I don’t get that they have, what I tend to think, are very strange names. Names like Snoop Dogg (where does the extra g come from?) 50 Cent, Jamie Foxx (does this extra letter mean something?). Another one - LL Cool J. Wait a minute, what about band names in my day, with names like the Bonzo Dog (one g) Doo-Dah Band, Dave Dee Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich and Lieutenant Pigeon, who had a hit with that classic, Mouldy Old Dough. I bet my parents thought they were silly names back then.

Hmmm...

I have recently bought some new hearing aids. As they were quite expensive, I decided to add them to my household insurance policy.

Can’t get it sorted on the Internet (no surprise there then), so I have to ring up. A very efficient person asked me lots of questions like what make they are, how much were they and so on. Then she asked me what my flat roof was made of. Well, I know they like to cover all the risks, but I could not imagine how the flat roof material on the house could possibly affect the chances of me losing or damaging my hearing aids. I was totally baffled, so I had to ask what the roof had to do with my hearing aids. She then explained that, apparently, the question about the roof on my original phone call about house insurance was missed and the system flagged this up. Why is it that everything gets complicated these days? Anyway, the aids are now covered, even if I damage them while standing on the flat roof!

We have decided to decorate the dining room. The original wallpaper was that very thick stuff, so I had to buy a heavy duty wallpaper scrapper to strip it off. The exposed walls showed why the thick wallpaper was used, lots of small cracks and lumps. Lots of sanding

required. Now, I know I have a sander somewhere, a quick look in the garage, no sign. Rather than delay the work, I go onto the Internet to search, and found one for £7.50, bargain! Then I have to get the sandpaper, nearly £5 a pack. Not such a cheap deal then.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but there seem to be more and more programmes about cooking (or is it baking?) on television these days.

They are usually hosted by ‘celebrity’ chefs, or is it cooks? They are either presented like lessons, with the presenter showing how to produce a meal, or are in the format of a competition. I don’t watch them, but I know they are very popular. What I don’t get is why they often give contestants a time limit for the job. Well, I suppose I do get that it is to intensify the ‘excitement’ but I don’t get excited I’m afraid.

Ones I do enjoy are those like Gino’s Italian Escape where he travels to interesting places and just cooks ordinary local dishes.

Talking of food, I read in the paper recently that one of these chefs has opened a restaurant where the dishes are named after films or books, a dish called ‘Always Playing With Fire’ is apparently a little piece of steak, a stuffed onion and a chip! Yes, one chip. To make it even more surprising, you have to pay about £145. Who on earth would be willing to pay that for a meal that would keep you away from hunger for about 15 minutes? Another one for the Daily Mail Richard Littlejohn’s ‘you couldn’t make it up’ category.

Here’s some of the crazy news reported recently. Let’s get all the happenings in the press in proportion. Let’s get serious. Somebody who ordered a Christmas dinner in a pub was served pigs in blankets - without the blankets. I don’t know if he was disappointed with the lack of bacon, or if the sausages were cold without their blankets.

We went to see the Rolling Stones Story at the Civic last night. What a great show, the band was fantastic. The lead singer was strutting round the stage, all the musicians were very talented. A lovely evening with people dancing in the aisles (not me though).

Just a little moan. What has happened to the need to have bells on bikes? It is a legal requirement to supply them with a new bike but how many leave them on and use them? I have lost count of the number of time recently when a cyclist has come riding up behind me at speed, not a sound or warning to be heard. Just one step toward the curb could see me pushed into the road. One ring on a bell would be sufficient as warning.

Bin End Chuckles: Thanks for explaining the word ‘many’ to me, it means a lot...

Don’t spell part backwards: It’s a trap...

22 www.moulshamtimes.com

Spot 10 Differences (Answers on Page 31)

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Neighbourhood Watch - Campaign Alarm Hi all, your friendly neighbourhood Ayman here. In this month’s article I thought I’d focus my attention on one thing only. We have kicked off a campaign for Alarms! With the imaginative title of, Campaign Alarms!

This past month we’ve had 5 house burglaries. A fifith of those had a house alarm (with that alarm turned off).

Two neighbour homes next door to each other were robbed, and a few weeks later the same road was targeted again with neighbours next door to each other being targeted.

As you can tell with this example, if a road is hit once it’s very likely they will be back again. There are a number of reasons for this, but mainly that the criminals have got familiar with the road and setup and see it as an easy target. Therefore the mission and message to make your area safe is really simple: Get a house alarm.

The choices and cost does not have to be huge or break your bank.

You can get fake alarms that look like the real thing and these can be adapted so they become the real thing for £35-50.

Don’t think that if your window or door is broken then your neighbour will hear it; often they will not. In these examples, a number of homes next door were occupied and no one heard a thing. An alarm going off will make the thief worry that they can’t hang around.

It’s worth noting that these robberies also happened during the day, a time when many people are out working, not at night as most people might think.

Ensure you have pictures of item and receipts too if possible.

Whatever you do, don’t leave it until after you’re robbed or the heartache could be worse.

Wishing you guys the best, and please get an alarm and advise your neighbours to also do the same.

All the best and stay vigilant.

Ayman Syed Moulsham and Central Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator

Father Christmas Santa Sleigh What a great community we live in! We have to tell you about the amazing Father Christmas Santa Sleigh that was designed and built for our children at Moulsham Infant School by the Carpenters students and the Painting & Decorating students from Chelmsford College, Princes Road.

S.M.I.L.E, an amazing group of parents and teachers from Moulsham Infant school, approached Curriculum Area Manager - Construction, Wendy Johnson, at Chelmsford College and asked if their students would like to build a Santa sleigh for our Father Christmas visit, to which they agreed. All we needed to do was pay for the materials, and what an amazing sleigh they made! We would like to give a HUGE thank you to Simon and all the students that took part in designing, building and painting the sleigh - you all made our children’s santa experience magical. Everyone was totally amazed - including the teachers - thank you all again!

So Down to Business What Are You Options?

Buy a fake alarm on the Internet that looks like the real thing, something that blinks like the real thing is a good start. You can also get stickers to place on your window and doors to add more of a deterrence.

One bit of advice I received from Andy Morss, a security company specialist, is that patio doors are particularly vulnerable because the glass is so easy to break and just walk through. Therefore if you do have an alarm make sure the trigger for this is not a door trigger alarm but a PIR or motion (passive infra red) sensor - or place a vibration sensor on the door.

Another useful item was a PIR device placed in the garden or gate.

This will then set the alarm off when someone passes that sensor alerting you to the fact they are in your garden or driveway, scaring them off before they have even touched your house! Such things have been tested to not be triggered by pets.

This has worked for a couple that had their cars targeted last year.

The device is linked to your house alarm.

Moulsham Infant School are always looking to work alongside our community businesses to help provide a better learning experience for our children and we hold various fundraising events throughout the year. If you could please help with either donating a gift we could use in a raffle, or offering a service to aid our childrens learning and developing experience, please email smilepta@hotmail.com.

A Word on Insurance Finally, a word of advice about insurance. Talk to your insurance company about an alarm that you are thinking of purchasing. Ask what impact this will have on your insurance (price should drop; also mention if it’s a NhW area). Crucially, find out whether they will pay out if you did not have your alarm turned on. They should do so, but it’s worth having this conversation to save a future headache.

Also discuss expensive items that you may have with your insurance company. Do they expect these items to be in a safe? Will they limit how much they will pay for a single item (this happened to me: they had placed a price cap on every item). For example, you may have 5 items costing in total of 10k but if your insurance will only pay 1k per item then you’ll be in trouble.

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Mersey Beat: Part Seven - by John Power Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas (1963 and On) Billy, born William Aston in the Mersey suburb of Bootle, was, possibly - apart from Gerry and the Pacemakers - the best selling recording artist of the Mersey boom besides The Beatles - and that was probably because his best selling songs were almost all written

by Lennon and McCartney. When Brian Epstein spotted him he was singing with a group called the Coasters, but they weren’t willing to turn professional, so Epstein found a group from Manchester called the Dakotas to back him. He then arranged a recording contract with Parlophone with George Martin as producer, and the Dakotas agreed to turn professional.

To begin with Billy was offered an album track from The Beatles first album: Do You Want to Know a Secret, backed by another of their unreleased songs, I’ll Be On My Way. Unbeknown by record buyers the ‘secret’ in the A-side title, written by John Lennon, was that he married Cynthia Lennon when she was expecting Julian Lennon.

Brian Epstein thought that this would put teenage girls off of their juvenile fantasies of relationships with John, so he had urged John to keep it secret. The single reached number 1 in the UK and 2 in the USA. His second release was also another pair of Lennon and McCartney songs Bad to Me c/w I Call Your Name, which was not only a number 1, but also earned him a gold disc. I’ll Keep you Satisfied the following year was also written by the Beatle duo, and reached number 4. From a Window, I Call Your Name and Bad to Me were all written especially for him. These hits earned him numerous appearances on TV in the UK and the USA. The Dakotas, proud of their background, also managed to score a hit in 1963 with an instrumental, The Cruel Sea, written by Mike Maxfield, which in a reverse of transatlantic covering was put out by The Ventures, who often referred to their version of the song as The Cruel Sea (The Cruel Surf). A follow-up a year later failed to chart, but the four sides of both numbers was released as an EP. To break his dependence on Lennon and McCartney’s writing, Billy turned down their One and One is Two and released a cover of a US song, Little Children in 1964, although the b-side was one of his old writing pals’ songs. It was also one of a couple of hits in the States and it made the top 100 straight away. For his next single he returned to Lennon and McCartney with From a Window, which also reached the top 10 in the UK. In 1965 he turned to a ballad It’s Gotta Last Forever, but it failed to chart as Merseybeat had run its course and other music trends were taking over. He had more luck with a cover of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song Trains and Boats and Planes, which managed number 12 in the charts but failed in the States due to Dionne Warwick having also recorded a version of it.

The Dakotas decided to go in a more rocky direction, joined by Mick Green, who had been central to the sound of 1950s rockers, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, while Billy’s route into ballads yielded less success.

In the late ‘60s Billy had moved out of Merseyside activity and was in Warwickshire working with a new band on the cabaret circuit. In the 1970s he formed yet another backing band for cabaret work in the UK and Europe. He eventually moved to the US and a couple of CDs appeared in 2012 and 2013. In 2015 he took part in the British Invasion nostalgia tour on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Dakotas reformed in the ‘80s with Eddie Mooney as vocalist and session musician Toni Baker. Pete Hilton on drums and Alan Clare on guitar have also been in the line-up and a band using The Dakotas name continues to tour today.

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The Liverbirds (1963-1968) This group first came together in 1963 when Valerie Gell on vocals and guitar, Mary McGlory on bass and vocals, and Sylvia Saunders on drums, joined forces. Sheila McGlory and Irene Green joined for a while but left to join other bands, so Pamela Birch on guitar and vocals made up the numbers. They were the only girl rock band (as opposed to vocal or folk group) in the world the time, and did as many male bands had done before them and served their apprenticeship at The Star-Club in Hamburg, where they were hyped as ‘the Female Beatles’, and became a top attraction. They released two albums and several singles on Star-Club Records. Diddley Daddy, the Bo Diddley song, reached number 5 in the German charts. Three of the group settled in Germany and married natives working in the music business, while Sylvie Saunders relocated to Spain.

Their recordings include the From Mersey to Hamburg CD On Big Beat Records and Star Club Show 4 and More of the Liverbirds on Repertoire Records CD. They broke up in 1968 but reformed for occasional gigs right up to 1998. Pam Birch died in 2009 and Val Gell in 2016.

The Black Knights (1963 and on) The Black Knights were a 3-piece band originally consisting of Ken Griffiths on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Bill Kenny on vocals and later drums, and Taffy Jones on drums, who later left to join The Tempos. Allan Schroeder from Cliff Roberts and the Rockers then filled the instrument gap.

They were involved in the Gerry and the Pacemakers film Ferry Cross the Mersey. Their first single, in 1965, was I Gotta a Woman c/w Angel of Love. The latter was written by Griffiths and both produced

by George Martin at Abbey Road Studios. They toured with The Animals from Newcastle, and Moody Blues from Birmingham, and like many Mersey groups played The Star-Club in Hamburg for a six week residency, but split up soon after. Allan Schroeder used the name again for a band he formed later in the ‘90s and ‘00s.

The Cryin’ Shames (1963-1966) The group originally named themselves after a children’s TV comedy puppet show called The Bumblies. The core of the group then and after was Charlie Crane on vocals, Joey Kneen on vocals, John Bennett on guitar, Phil Roberts on bass, and Charlie Gallagher on drums. Bennett was replaced by a 16-year-old Ritchie Routledge from The Aztecs. He also worked for the Disc & Music Echo, a music paper owned by Brian Epstein. They became The Cryin’ Shames during Christmas 1965.

Their single, Please Stay, was written by Bacharach and Hilliard and produced by Joe Meek just before he died, and reached 26 in national charts. It had previously been released and popularised

by Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band, and The Shames copied his arrangement.

Routledge was involved with Anglo-German bands in the 1970s, and as musical backing for Liverpool poetry and sing-song band, Scaffold, as a session musician. Crane worked with Gary Walker’s band Rain that he had formed after leaving The Walker Brothers.

Apart from their single releases a couple of songs also appear on the English Freakbeat series Vol 5 compilation.

The Koobas (1964-1969) The Koobas (or sometimes Kubas) were latecomers to the Merseybeat scene, so lasted through Mod, R&B and psychedelia eras. Members of other groups called The Thunderbeats and The

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Midnights, had come together to form the group: Stuart Leatherwood on guitar and vocals, Roy Morris, guitar, Keith Ellis, bass and John Morris on drums. Tony O’Reilly joined them when Brian Epstein got them a Pye Records contract in 1964. So they had been around since 1962 and had played at The Star-Club in Hamburg in 1963.

In 1965 they were also involved in the Gerry Marsden film Ferry Cross the Mersey, but their scenes never made the final cut. Their first single, I Love Her c/w Magic Potion never charted, but they did get to support The Beatles on their last UK tour. In 1965 they were the summer’s resident group at Butlins in Ayr, Scotland.

Although the Merseybeat craze was over, they never rushed to move to London, so their songs failed to chart, but they did get to back some other star performers, like The Who at London’s Saville Theatre, and Jimi Hendrix on a tour of Switzerland. By 1967 they had gone psychedelic themselves and started to write their own material.

In 1968 they cut a version of The First Cut Is the Deepest, but it was eclipsed by PP Arnold’s version that made the top 20 in the charts and was later successfully covered by Rod Stewart. EMI were working on their album in 1969 when the band split up. They had scored a couple of hits in charts compiled by pirate radio stations: numbers 21 then 4 on Radio London, with John Peel’s help.

Tony O’Reilly joined Yes, then Bakerloo. Keith Ellis played with Van der Graaf Generator, Juicy Luicy then March Hare. All their recorded output was gathered in 2000 on a CD on The Beat Goes On label.

Other Cultural Developments Around 1960s Merseyside I have confined my research above to major beat groups around 1950s and 1960s Merseyside, and mentioned many others on the way, but there are other cultural developments that grew alongside the main musical interest. Not only The Spinners, who were a very successful Liverpool folk group of the era, but new forms of poetry and performance art that paralleled the Pop Art that was challenging academic painting and sculpture, exemplified by Peter Blake, David Hockney and RB Kitaj in London, who took the snobbery out of the visual arts and looked at the everyday and commercial forms of design for inspiration.

Well aware of these changes amongst Liverpuddlians was Adrian Henri, an art school lecturer, as well as poet, musician and performance organiser. His work alongside that of Roger McGough and Brian Patten attracted, amidst all interest in lyricists like Lennon and McCartney, Penguin Publishers, who took the ground-breaking step of putting the trio in print in the Penguin Modern Poets series in 1967, in an edition titled The Mersey Sound, which took poetry from its limited academic position and, with humour and innovation, made it accessible to all and everyone with a general interest in poetics, opening the door for performance groups like The Liverpool Sound and Scaffold to broaden the local, and then national, outlook and to open the way for others like John Cooper Clarke, Benjamin Zephaniah, and Attila the Stockbroker to give a voice to the growing, alternative, counter culture... ...but more of that next month.

February to Love Movement, Love Pilates, Love Yourself ! - by Erica Foulds

Welcome to the second month in 2020, how many times did it take to get used to writing the date!? I admit my worst mistake was writing ‘1920’ signing off a new joiner, oops! Now that the commonly known longest month is over, we all surely deserve a high five. The pressures of those imposing rules and expectations can be tough, so I hope you are still walking, or running, firmly on that positive and motivated track, well on your way to meeting your goals.

Down at the Hummingbird studio it’s has been brimming and beaming with lots of new faces trying out yoga and pilates and our unlimited £45 for a whole month has proved extremely popular.

Thats not just for January, we run it year round, so if you like the sounds of trying something new without breaking the bank then this includes any class, any instructor, any day, without committing to more than your £45. I know personally that finding something that works perfectly for you can be tricky, but is so important in fitness and wellbeing and in achieving long term. Having worked in the fitness industry for well over a decade, I’ve had the joy and pleasure of teaching a number of genres and types of workouts, from fun gruelling spin or sweaty bootcamp cardio training classes through to meditation style mat pilates, I have seen and discussed many times issue of ‘keeping going past January’, but the simple answer is, til you know what works for your body, your mind, your weekly schedule and lifestyle it can be hard but don’t give up.

If you really want to feel something, your body might love the feeling of dynamic movement and strong moves of a mixed pilates class, or if you are already rushing around to and fro daily, your mind may need a calm and relaxing candle light yoga. Or maybe both could fit nicely into your diary - especially ending a busy week with our gorgeous candle light yoga on Friday evening. With this being a wonderful month, the fun month, the month for celebrating love and feeling wonderful, whoever you are sharing the love with, at Hummingbird we want to encourage you to celebrate loving yourself and giving yourself more me time.

Loving the body and mind is so important for overall wellness and motivation to keep going, to keep on track with goals, to keep on top of every day stress and strains. Simple natural spinal movements can be a real treat for your body and your mind, but if you just don’t have the energy, the answer may be a knot-busting massage or energising facial, (yes we offer this at Hummingbird). www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

If you are one of the many who sit at a desk, or hunched over a device for work, the dentists and hairdressers amongst you may find your spine and posture ends up pulled into some unnatural, painful positions leading to a back injury. Last month I outlined 3 stretches, mini treats for your back, so heres three more, notching up the challenge to strengthen weak and underused core muscles!

You tried cat cow, now HOVER: On all 4’s, curl toes under resting on ball of toe, draw belly button up toward spine and hover both knees 2 inches from floor. Hold 5 seconds (rpt x5).

You tried mermaid, now SIDE PLANK: Lay on side with elbow under shoulder, knees stacked one on top of the other bent at 90 degrees.

The top hand resting on top side of waist, lift hip and waist from floor creating a long diagonal from knee to neck for 10 seconds (rpt x5).

You tried seated twist now SAW: Sit with legs straight out at 45 degrees so legs in a big ‘V’ in front of you. Sit tall, stretch arms wide at chest height, twist right and reach left hand to right foot, sit tall, twist left, reach right hand to left foot (rpt x10).

If you are interested in trying pilates or maybe already know about the great results this super form of exercise gives, then come along, indulge yourself on Sunday February 9th at our beautiful studio at Reeds Farm Writtle for a 4 hour pilates retreat. I will be running the afternoon for all levels, with 3 classes; 1) Foundation Skills, 2) Equipment Based Workout and 3) Full Body Stretch to Relax class.

There will be relaxation and ‘me time’ break in the middle too healthy snacks of course provided!

For details on all of our classes and retreats at Hummingbird Yoga and Pilates Writtle, visit our website. Book and pay online with our online booking system. Email us at info@hummingbirdpilatesyoga. co.uk, or call 01245 422 556 and we can get your place reserved for the Sunday 9th of February.

Search for us on Facebook and Instagram too, hoping to give you some daily positivity and encouragement. We’ve frequent fun give aways and competitions to win classes, retreat places and other goodies from the studio!

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All About Moulsham Lodge Moulsham Lodge Community Trust We are pleased to say The Copper Pot is gaining more customers each week as word gets around. The lunch menu has included homemade soups, jacket potatoes and the favourite toasties. Don’t forget to call in on a Tuesday - coffee is between 10am and midday with lunch from midday till 2pm.

We have just provided our first catered party for an 80th birthday. The marquee was decorated, heated and we provided a ploughman’s lunch for 40 guests. The photo (below left) shows that a good time was had by all. If you would be interested in hiring the premises or the catering team, then get in touch via the details below.

When the café is open on a Tuesday, we also hope to offer IT assistance in the future, so keep your eyes peeled for dates.

Happy Birthday Janet (centre in the photo) who has also volunteered at a few of our events - you’re never too old to volunteer.

The team had a major strategy meet one Sunday afternoon spending over 6 hours discussing the upcoming year and beyond. We’re hoping to be able to offer more opportunities to visit the station with a number of activities being set up. We plan to set up a calendar of events are the next monthly meeting and this will be posted these here. We are looking to include bingo, rock painting classes, quiz nights and german lessons - the sign language classes and knitting group will continue. If you can either provide a class or, if there’s something you’re interested in doing, then let us know and we’ll see if it can be included.

www.mlct.org.uk enquiries@mlct.org.uk 07411 808 731 Also, search for us on Facebook and Twitter

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Cllr Mark Springett - Moulsham Lodge Ward We’re looking for the Champions of Chelmsford! Do you know anyone who goes above and beyond to look after their local environment and make Chelmsford the great place it is? Chelmsford City Council is now accepting award nominations for this year’s Chelmsford Champions Awards.

Created to recognise the extraordinary individuals that make Chelmsford a wonderful place to live, the Chelmsford Champions Awards have been running since 2016 and help celebrate the important part that our residents play in looking after the city.

The awards are open to anyone who lives in Chelmsford and the surrounding borough. This year we want your nominations for those who have demonstrated a commitment to making a positive difference to their community. This could be anything from litter picking and planting flowers to doing something creative or helping others get involved in improving their local area. More details at bit. ly/CCCChampions.

The techniques used, including intricate glazing, photo-transfer and designs marked into the clay are typical of his work from this period.

The Julie Tile was made almost 20 years later and is one of the pieces created for A House for Essex, one of Perry’s most ambitious projects to date. The holiday house in Wrabness is a shrine to Julie Cope, a fictional Essex everywoman, telling the story of her life through its decoration. The tile is one of hundreds made to adorn this extraordinary building overlooking the Stour Estuary, designed in collaboration with FAT Architecture.

Councillor Marie Goldman, Deputy Leader of Chelmsford City Council says residents have a unique opportunity to see these works by one of Britain’s most-loved artists: “Our local museum is here to bring visitors the very best of our city’s heritage and its collections and exhibitions are completely free. Grayson Perry’s work is in demand around the world - don’t miss out on the chance to see pieces of such relevance to Chelmsford.” Much more details here: bit.ly/ CCCGraysonPerry.

Chelmsford Museum is giving visitors the chance to see two works

by Grayson Perry with a special connection to the county. Mad Kid’s Bedroom Wall Pot and a Julie Tile have been loaned to the museum over the coming months, and together they give a fascinating insight into the development of the Turner Prize winner’s style.

Tree Pledge We pledge to plant a tree for every resident in Chelmsford over the next 10 years. A start of 5,000 trees has been made with the help of some amazing volunteers. At some point in the next 18 months we hope to be planting trees in John Shennan and with the help of local residents we will make a big dent in our pledge. Watch this space for news over the coming months.

Mad Kid’s Bedroom Wall Pot was created by Perry in 1996. The classically shaped pot takes the viewer into the bedroom of an unhappy teenager, featuring a poem by the artist which ends with the lines ‘I was a mad kid and now I ain’t. I got out ‘coz I could paint’.

mark.springett@chelmsfordlibdems.org.uk 07411 808 731 www.markspringett.co.uk/blog Twitter: @markspringett (and also on Facebook)

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Tile Kiln Corner - by Linda Mascot Sue Sharp’s Christmas lights on the corner of Dove Lane proved very popular in December with a constant stream of delighted visitors, including me on several occasions when the grandchildren were visiting. Sue was very pleased that she raised so much money for charity and said: “This year I decided to theme the Christmas light display as Frozen to coincide with Disney’s Frozen 2 release. I was honoured to have the lights officially turned on by Ben and Sonia from BBC Essex. I would like to thank all those visitors who kindly donated to the Air Ambulance - we raised £696.61 and wish you all a belated happy New Year.”

Food on Friday is a biweekly lunch club held at Tile Kiln Church which is organised by a team of enthusiastic volunteers for those who find it difficult to meet other people either due to age related restrictions or other factors. This club has proved invaluable to my mum, providing support and friendship through illness and bereavement. Currently the club has space for new members. If you or someone you know lives on Tile Kiln or Moulsham Lodge and would like to find out more, please contact Mary Wood on 07778 549 331.

the afternoon there is an Art Club and once a month a Men’s Club meets in the evening. Friday has Baby Basics during the morning and the evening is for Boy’s Brigade, and we have a Messy Church for children and their parents meeting on Wednesday afternoons every 6 weeks throughout the year.

Every Sunday we pray for the people living in different roads on the estate. During February we will be praying for Edward Drive, St Anthony’s Drive, May Walk, Crossways and Rose Glen. In March we will be praying for those living in Waltham Glen, Loftin Way, Fairway and Westbourne Grove. If you would like a specific prayer then please email us at gillianpickett@btinternet.com, or post your prayer in our prayer box outside the church and we will include you in our prayers. Alternatively, come along on a Sunday at 11am and join us for worship.

We have a website, www.moulshammethedist.org.uk, and produce a monthly magazine called the Messenger. You can also follow us on Facebook by seeking out Moulsham Lodge Methodist Church.

If you would like to know more, then please contact us at the address below.

We look forward to meeting you one Sunday or at one of our clubs, more details of which are on our website.

With every blessing Clive Pickett - Senior Church Steward 01245 267 459 clivepickett@btinternet.com

Building for the Future

As one of your Chelmsford City Councillors, I hold an advice surgery on each first Saturday of the month at St Luke’s Church coffee morning, please come along and have a chat over a cup of coffee and a biscuit.

If there are any community events in this area you would like to publicise, please email me with details at mascotlinda@gmail.com.

Twitter: @lindamascot

An Introduction to Moulsham Lodge Methodist Church We are tucked away behind the shops in Gloucester Avenue and are a very busy church. Our congregations average around 40 when we meet for Morning Service every Sunday at 11am. Being a Methodist Church, we have a variety of leaders for services which include our Minister, Rev Mark Pengelly, and then visiting local preachers for other services. Services are mainly traditional, but each month we have a Café Service with a band and occasionally through the year we have a Parade Service for our boys and girls brigade companies.

The church is busy throughout the week. On Mondays we have a Friendship Club (for those of mature years), Tuesday is Girls Brigade and Junior Boys Brigade night, Thursdays there is a prayer group meeting at 9.30am followed by a Coffee Shop through to noon. In www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

At Tile Kiln Church, we believe that Jesus is alive and has called us to love and serve the community. We do that by telling folks of who Jesus is and what he’s done - we believe that we are to live our lives as witnesses to the utterly miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the possibility that if we trust Jesus, we too will be raised to life again one day! Death need not be the end of life!

And we also do that through serving and loving the community of Tile Kiln. Whether that be through Fledgelings pre-school, our youth events, community days (Sunday 7th June this year), coffee mornings at The Kiln (Monday and Wednesday mornings - just drop in!), or through the small, silent, behind the scenes loving of neighbours that every member of Tile Kiln Church engages in day in, day out. We love Tile Kiln, and we love to serve and care for our community.

To that end, we are planning to redevelop and extend our church building. Our goal is not so much a bigger church, but a better served community and we believe that the proposed plans will allow us to create an improved environment, providing hospitality and being open to the community whilst maintaining and improving the safe place for Fledgelings pre-school that operates within.

This edition of MT comes out just before we’re holding an open evening for the community to come and view our plans: Tuesday 4th February 7.30pm at Tile Kiln Church. We’d love for you to come and see what we’re planning. If you’ve just missed it and would like to view our plans, please do get in touch with me direct on the email below.

Tim Goodall tim.goodall@tilekilnchurch.org.uk 29

Australia Is Not Quite on Fire, but Some of It Certainly Is - by Simon Inglis In November I wrote a somewhat prescient story for this magazine about a small town not far from where I live. In the still cold and wet drizzle, I had wondered about the blazing summer temperatures and the one main road in and out of that town.

Gladly, that town is quite safe mostly due to the milder temperatures in my neck of the woods so far. However, I have certainly proved no soothsayer in predicting some enormous conflagration in a country of extreme climates. Despite the cold and winter snow in the country’s east, it is the Australian summer that is utterly brutal. As I mentioned in the December issue, this is a sparsely populated land and many people who have never experienced a 5-hour domestic flight may have little concept of how big Australia actually is.

The State of Victoria is roughly the same size as England. With a population of roughly 7 million, it is Australia’s most populated state per square mile. It is also the mainland’s smallest state. A drive between Melbourne and Adelaide is about 500 miles and Melbourne and Adelaide are the two closest capital cities. Although many adventurous Brits may disagree, a drive from Melbourne, Sydney or Adelaide to Perth is just ridiculous. Perhaps backpacking young and healthy foreigners do undertake this drive, yet apart from the heavy trucks, few locals will bother taking 3 days and risking their cars to cross the continent at a boring speed limit. Most of us who know the country will fly to Perth; it is quicker and cheaper.

species of bugs and insects.

The preservation of native flora and fauna is laudable, but at the expense of the human population? Despite the natural beauty of the local winding B and C roads, on a hot and fire danger warning day, there is no way in the world that I’d go for a drive along these ‘one way in/one way out of town’ roads. During the long winter when we would drive these routes my wife and I often spoke of the summer to come and the fuel build-up.

I would suggest all sane Australian residents care about the natural environment. People are better educated and more aware than ever before about it; and about the effects of pollution, of littering - local people love their animals and the land environment. An ancient gumtree is an inspiring sight as are the little creatures that depend on them.

Yet there are the small towns. What is often not written, is that many of Australia’s not so well off people live in these small towns. Some are farming communities, fruit or wine regions, and some are just little settlements. Often they are cut off from the rewards of living in larger centres. Less employment opportunities leads to cheaper land.

All people need to live somewhere and as much as there are ‘two Englands’ in the north-south divide, there are many Australias.

Yet back to the bushfires - and no, the continent is not on fire.

However, this is indeed the first time that I can recall plumes of smoke over Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. Those Australians resident in the cosy inner suburbs suddenly smelt the nasty smoke or ash. But there have been dreadful fires before which have incinerated more homes and cost way more lives. The real issue for our leaders is, what do we do? What have we learned? Australia simply does not have the population build-up between cities and towns which would otherwise have offered themselves as fire-breaks.

The sparsely populated towns of the eastern states grow lush during the long autumn and wintry months. I’d even suspect a lot of people are in a state of ‘bushfire-denial’ in that time, not cleaning gutters or controlling ivy build-up around their homes. In July it is difficult to contemplate the burning summer sun - but in Australia it will certainly come!

During the recent Christmas period, two small towns near a beautiful pine forest were threatened with fire. Small blazes had erupted and residents of the towns had been advised to leave with their pets and medications. It’s an eerie thought as we know those places very well. In the autumn and spring months after a few days of rain, I take my young son mushroom hunting in the forests. The C roads that wind through this undulating country past the towering pines are magnificent. Next to the European-introduced pines are gum, or eucalyptus trees. Worryingly for many of us the current state government is seeking to ban logging or clearing old growth forests from 2024. As well as killing off an industry, one wonders about the so-called ‘fuel loads’ - or wood build up in just such an area if such forests can no longer be cleared. None of us want koalas or kangaroos burnt - eastern Australia is also heavily populated by vast armies of European introduced rabbits and foxes. Indeed, all of the native species thrive, as do a now totally uncountable number of

The term ‘the bush’ has always irritated me. Much of the country affected by the current fires is not bush-land but rather ‘countryside.’

‘The bush’ is a romantic notion of an untamed outback, whereas rural land 200 kilometres from Melbourne should not be considered remote. Quite simply, the affected areas included many small towns which are home to ordinary Australians.

It is these Australians who are at most risk, including near to where I live. As we are about half way through the summer and that in reality, temperatures are yet to soar for the week or two-week heatwaves common to an Australian summer, I wonder whether the contributions of inner-urban ‘chattering class Australians’ will be worthwhile. As we all hope and many of us pray that the worst is behind us - for this year at least - we all know it may not be. Yet to me, the most valuable environmental and land management discussion will be the contributions of those near the centre of the fires: Farmers, residents of small rural communities, those that manage our National Parks, local government. Those views alone will conflict, but at least they all have a vested interest in the so-called ‘bush.’ As for those of the chattering classes? For once, just for once, I do wish they could virtue signal each other, not talk down to the people who must live out in the affected communities.

And as for a drive? I’m sticking to the coastal roads and I am writing this from a hotel on mainland South Australia. Earlier today my family stood near a clifftop overlooking our cancelled summer holiday on Kangaroo Island. The tragedy across the smoky strait of water is tremendous, and yet another stark reminder to me that this can be a very brutal continent indeed. The Indigenous peoples told the white man so, but will we finally listen?

30 www.moulshamtimes.com

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Windsor, in St Georges Chapel Hawaii 14th, 1346-1353 Box Bee Japanese plant with a taste of strong horseradish Acted as a spy As a tap in a wooden barrel Renfrew, near Glasgow on December 16th 1944 Medicines and drugs Shoulder blade ‘No Place’ (Greek) The Mystery of Edwin Drood Banana Emerald Vermicelli River Ouse Smell Orange Chick peas A case Ants and termites Wren Aurora Borealis Apple Lassie Come Home Countdown Pine On your skin BJ Thomas

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MCFHP MAFHP

Home Visiting Foot Health Practitioner

Treatment of common foot problems • Routine nail care • Corn & callus • Ingrowing toenails • Hard skin

01245 917744 or 07583 477846

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

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Spot the Difference Answers

31

SALES 74 MOULSHAM STREET, CHELMSFORD, CM2 0JA

LETTINGS 152 MOULSHAM STREET, CHELMSFORD, CM2 0LD

YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT ESTATE AGENT SERVING OLD MOULSHAM FOR OVER 27 YEARS FOR A FREE PROFESSIONAL VALUATION CALL 01245 266980 Redcliffe Road £340,000 Upper Bridge Road £335,000 Beehive Lane £425,000

Semi-detached bungalow Four bedrooms Rear garden in excess of 100ft Off street parking/garage

Older Style Terrace House Three bedrooms Approximately 90ft rear garden Many original features

Hillside Mews £300,000

Finchley Avenue £585,000

Semi-detached house Two bedrooms Spacious lounge Off street parking Queen Street, Chelmsford £945 PCM

Victorian terrace house Two bedrooms Recently renovate Many original features Alma Avenue, Hornchurch £1,200PCM

• Semi-detached house • Four bedrooms • Master bedroom with en-suite • Off road parking

Semi-detached bungalow Two bedrooms Parking for two vehicles UNFURNISHED

Great Gibcracks Chase, £2,500 PCM

Moulsham Drive, £1,500 PCM

LET AGREED • Basement Apartment • Two bedrooms • Allocated parking • UNFURBISHED

Unique Property Six bedrooms Four reception rooms • Ample parking

Semi-detached house Four bedrooms Three reception rooms Ample off street parking

01245 266980

www.mccartneyestateagents.co.uk