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MoulshamTimes
Covering: Old Moulsham, Moulsham Lodge, Tile Kiln and surrounding area
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Issue Number 38 - February 2016
MT Welcome Welcome to the February edition of the Moulsham Times.
We would also like to welcome some new writers this month and remember, we are always looking for one-off articles and regular writers! You can email paul@itsyourmedia.co.uk. Kind regards Nick and Paul
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The Business Rate Riddle
Retail is far from a ‘get rich quick’ career choice. In fact, as many business owners will testify, it’s more of a lifestyle choice and a labour of love. Work hard, balance your passion with pragmatism and you can navigate the vagaries of the marketplace with some success. The example of the family-owned Fenwick group and their blossoming Williams & Griffin store should inspire any independent retailer, as should the Coes Group with their six department stores scattered across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. Yet despite their size, these inspiring indies are all faced with the same challenges. The advent of year-long discounting has squeezed margins and complicated the promotional calendar. Business rates have been unrealistically high or low since the last revaluation in 2010 (based on 2008 rent rates) and remain disproportionate to the turnover of the business trading in those properties.
Retailers in London and the southeast are set to be the biggest losers from the 2017 business rates revaluation, according to new research by real estate agency Colliers International. Its research suggests retailers in 324 high streets and shopping centres across the UK are likely to see a decrease in business rates, while 21 will experience no changes. John Webber, head of rating at Colliers, said: “The 2017 rating revaluation will produce the largest changes to business rates for high street retailers in a generation. The bulk of assessments have been made and local councils are very nervous about widespread reductions in business rates revenue”. Councillor Dick Madden, the Conservative councillor for the Moulsham area, will be actively involved in these debates locally. At the time of writing, Councillor Madden told me: “The details of the system and how it will actually work are still under debate.” Shops with a rateable value of £50k or less will be £1,500 worse off by
April (as the business rate tax relief is amended) so, with the average rateable value sitting at £27K, this is another concern for many retailers. Many indies will feel powerless in these circumstances. It can often feel that being ‘independent’ also means feeling isolated. My experience with the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) is that being part of a group which actively delivers services and support to like-minded retailers is worth every penny in what it saves in time, money and stress. BIRA’s deputy CEO, Mick Weedon, has some very strong views on the subject, which he regularly imparts to ministers: “It’s a bizarre tax, which spreads a predefined burden around the country but only adjusts charges once every five (or in this case seven) years. It is, as I have said to ministers, the ‘gift that keeps on giving’ - if you are the treasury - but economically sane it is not. If income tax worked this way there would be revolution (using the American Revolution as a relevant example). But shops don’t vote and can’t really rebel.” So, while retailers may not be rebellious by nature, they are nothing if not resourceful and resilient. If you choose to make one change this new year, consider getting involved in your sector, taking pride in your industry and supporting those who are actively supporting you. Melissa Wheeler is a freelance fashion writer, fashion PR and also the retail columnist for the Fashion Association of Britain (FAB), a trade association which provides support and business services to independent retailers. Alongside her fashion PR business, Melissa contributes to fashion industry trade titles. @MelissavWheeler www.melissawheeler.co.uk melissavwheeler@gmail.co.uk
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The Adventure Begins Here As part of its ongoing recruitment campaign, the 2nd Chelmsford Boys’ Brigade company, based at the Moulsham Lodge Methodist Church, Moulsham Lodge, is calling on boys aged 5-8 (school years 1-3) to come along and join them. The Boys’ Brigade offers an experience of life beyond what is possible in school or at home. They believe that by engaging in exciting activities, making new friends and having fun, children and young people can discover and develop their potential. The company is staffed by adult volunteers, many of whom have been part of the company as children themselves. All staff have undertaken criminal record checks and are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment. The Anchor section (aged 5-8 years, school years 1-3) is launching on Tuesday 23 February and will run every Tuesday during term time from 6-7.15pm at Moulsham Lodge Methodist Church, Lime Walk, Chelmsford (behind the Moulsham Lodge shops). For more information, please contact Mike Smith, Captain, via anchors@2ndchelmsford.org.uk The Boys’ Brigade works with over 75,000 members in over 1,500 groups in the UK and Republic of Ireland every week. The Boys’ Brigade was founded in Glasgow on 4th October 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith. From this one group formed in Scotland, the BB has grown in to a world-wide movement that now operates all over the world with over a million members. More information can be found at boys-brigade.org.uk.
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From County Hall by Cllr Dick Madden
No snow as I write this month’s article but it is bitterly cold.
In this severe cold weather Essex County Council is urging people to take action to ensure they stay warm and well. The elderly and those with long-term health conditions are particularly susceptible to further illnesses at these times and are often isolated. A good colleague of mine at County Hall, Dr Mike Gogarty, Director of Public Health, said: “Anyone can help elderly friends or relatives by checking on them regularly, particularly during severe weather. “Ensure their home is warm and they have everything they need to manage during the cold spell. “Picking up shopping or medicines for them during bad weather can make all the difference and could prevent them having to leave the house themselves and risk a fall.” Here are some tips for helping a vulnerable person over winter: • • • • • •
Drop in on an older neighbour or friend once a week - more often if the weather turns very cold. Make sure their home is heated to at least 18°C to 21°C in winter. Encourage them to get heating and cooking appliances safety checked and keep their home well ventilated. Ensure the person you are looking in on is eating well and has the essentials as well as meals and soups in the cupboard. Ask if you can collect any prescriptions or take the person to the GP for any appointments. If it snows, clear their path or door areas for them.
The campaign aims to bag-and-bin dog fouling in the city this winter, with officers dropping letters through doors and talking to residents to raise awareness of the initiative. If you see someone else failing to clear up after their pet, you are encouraged to report it to the council by phone or online. “Dog fouling won’t be tolerated in Chelmsford,” says Councillor Ian Grundy, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities. “Having our streets and parks befouled is unnecessary, unpleasant - and more importantly, bad for health, particularly for children who play outside. We know most dog owners are responsible, but there is still a small minority who think the law doesn’t apply to them, and the Dog Watch campaign aims to show them that it does.” Failing to clear up after your dog properly is an offence, which can result in a fixed penalty notice of £50 and a fine of up to £1,000. Where council officers witness an incident, enforcement action will be taken. In one case last year, this resulted in a magistrates’ court prosecution and a total fine of £360. Reports from members of the public help officers to target their enforcement patrols, making them more effective. Targeted patrols mean that the council can be in the right place at the right time to identify and educate the small minority who don’t clean up after their dog. BE SAFE Dick Madden
If they do start to feel ill, encourage them to visit a pharmacist and not leave it. If they feel unwell out of hours they can call 111 and speak to the NHS where they’ll be advised on the best course of action. In this cold weather let us make sure all our neighbours are warm and well fed. Another matter that fills my mail bag with complaints is dog fouling on our resident streets. Chelmsford City Council is launching its third Dog Watch campaign, encouraging people to report dog fouling. While most dog owners are responsible - research by Keep Britain Tidy (2014) suggests that 90% clear up after their dog - it tends to be more of a problem during the colder months.
From The House by Sir Simon Burns MP - Retirement Announcement A few weeks ago, I announced my intention to stand down as the Member of Parliament for Chelmsford at the next General Election.
By May 2020, I will have had the honour to represent the people of Chelmsford in the House of Commons for 33 years and I will be 67 years old. It has been and still is, a great privilege to be the MP for Chelmsford. However, I believe that after 33 years it will be time for someone new to take over representing the people of Chelmsford in Parliament. As a result, I will not be seeking to be the Conservative candidate for Chelmsford at the next General Election. The life of an MP is fantastic and the job itself is hugely varied. Sometimes it is challenging, sometimes it is sad and sometimes it
is highly amusing. On a daily basis, you get to meet a wide variety of people with so many different interests and aspirations. I remain constantly amazed at the range of voluntary and charitable groups who operate across Chelmsford. Their dedication to the local community is exemplary and I have been pleased to support many of them.
I have enjoyed dealing with constituency casework. Some of the casework has been challenging, but I have always tried my best and hope that I have made a difference to those who have come to me with their problems and where I have been able to solve them. Obviously, until the election in 2020 I will continue to serve all the people of Chelmsford at Westminster to the best of my ability. I look forward to attending many more events across Chelmsford and playing my part in securing the future growth and prosperity of our great city.
The Gospel According to Caroline With the onset of February, commercialism dictates that it is the month of love, and soon the shops will be filled with the funny, rude, and sometimes over sentimental cards with the gushing verses declaring love forever. For many of us - myself included - who are single, if we are not careful we can fall into a trap of feeling unloved and therefore unwanted. Love, however, comes in many guises; the love of and for family and friends being an obvious one. Love can be joyful, fulfilling and happy but sadly, for some it brings pain, loss and grief. Love can be shown to each other by a phone call, a text, it can be shown by a hug, a smile, and sometimes it can be seen where no words are spoken at all. As Christians, we know God loves us all whatever our relationship status, so this Valentine’s Day let us all share in God’s love even if it does not involve the giving of flowers and chocolates. Caroline Brown Church Family and Community Worker, Christ Church United Reformed Church. To find out what exciting things are happening at Christ Church visit our website: www.christchurchchelmsfordurc.org.uk
Deadlines for the February edition Articles - 18th February Print ready art work - 25th February
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‘Get on Your Bike’ - The Norman Tebbit Approach to Marathon Training Now that the Christmas festivities are out of the way, many people who’ve entered the annual spring slog-fest known as the London Marathon will turn their attentions away from drinking, dancing and cavorting to, well, running, running and, er more running - and herein lies the problem. For the average untrained individual, simply trying to run for hour upon hour when they are not accustomed to doing so in a bid to ready their bodies for the 26.2 mile course may not be the smartest way forward. The smartest way may be to listen to former tory MP Norman Tebbit. Now, you may be a fan of his politics, or you may not (I of course could not comment either way through fear offending future clients), but when discussing ways of tackling unemployment he famously uttered the words ‘get on your bike’ (incidentally he did not actually say that exactly but that has become the legend over the years, so in keeping with some newspapers, I’m not going to let the truth get in the way of the story!). Although Tebbit was talking about unemployment, he could quite have easily been talking about marathon training. As I’ve already alluded to, if the average untrained individual goes from doing nothing to running a shed load of miles each week, he or she will be walking or should I say running the injury tightrope! This is where marathon training can be a bit of a quandary. On one hand, the body needs to get used to working for long periods at submaximal levels, on the other, this can lead to a range of acute and chronic injuries. A method that I now use to great effect with
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my clients was first brought to my attention by Vern Gambetta in his book Athletic Development. It is basically combining running with other lower impact cardiovascular exercises such as cycling and rowing in a bid to get the body used to doing ‘work’. For example, if you’re aiming to do a 30 minute run (which may be a tough ask if you’re a novice), go and run for the first 10 of those minutes and get the higher impact stuff done first, then cycle for the next 10 minutes and then perhaps go on a rowing machine for the final 10 minutes thus reducing the overall impact on your joints but still allowing your body to ‘work’ for a long period of time. As your fitness improves and your body becomes accustomed to the impact of running, you can begin to run for ever longer periods and reduce the time you spend cycling or rowing. Because ultimately you must get used to being on your feet and running for hours, as the marathon will likely take you between 3 and 4 hours to complete and this method eases you into that gently. Many thanks for taking the time to read this. Good luck with your training. Matt www.mlrpt.co.uk www.twitter.com/mlrpt www.facebook.com/mlrpt www.youtuce.com/mlrpt
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Hypnobirthing by Rebecca Bush With hypnobirthing, I was actually looking forward to birthing my baby. I felt confident, informed and trusted my body to birth my baby in the way thousands of women before me had done. Listening to the scripts daily during my maternity leave gave me a real sense of relaxation, I struggled to remain awake through the scripts at times, but alongside the breathing techniques that I had learnt to calm and ground myself during this time, I felt good. I understood the power of positive language and the effect this has on your mind and body and tried to prompt myself to use words to aspire me and read affirmation’s of positive birthing stories. My other half, Jason, was reluctant to attend our first hydrobirthing session, and he wondered why we wasn’t going to a swimming pool! Haha, but after he attended the first class he could see the benefits - of what he now knew was called - hypnobirthing could offer us. He said “it just makes sense.” So, almost one year ago I birthed our little baby girl, in a birthing pool in my front living room with Jason and our midwife, Jenny. This was the birthing environment I had chosen for my baby, our baby arrived calmly and she was still sleeping when she was born, there were no tears and she had a wonderful calm entry to the world. Not everybody would feel comfortable birthing their baby at home, but hypnobirthing
provides the information so that you can achieve the best possible birth for you, in the environment that you have chosen - whether that is at home, in a birthing centre or a planned caesarean. Everybody’s choices are individual. Learning first-hand how hypnobirthing helped me and Jason, I wanted to study the KG Teaching Programme to teach other expectant mums and birthing couples alike. I am now an accredited KG Hypnobirthing teacher and have set up Breathe Easy Birthing, my own course, to teach in Chelmsford and Essex and I’m super excited to start sharing my programme! Hypnobirthing gave me the tools to understand the process of birth and how our bodies are designed to birth our babies. It also gave me the techniques to relax, focus and breath. It showed me that during pregnancy we have choices - as well as choices when we birth our babies too. The KG course showed me how to achieve this and now I can show others how to achieve the birth for them too. I hope I have inspired some expectant mums to find out more about hypnobirthing and to maybe enquire about my next 4-week course and continue to spread the word that birth can actually be ok, because the female body is amazing. For further information please see my website: wwwbreatheasybirthing.co.uk
If like Rebecca you would like to write for us please email Paul at editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk
MT Gardening More plants for free... if you keep some of your pruning material!
For this and next month - presuming the weather isn’t too bad - I’ll be mainly pruning a range of plants. All of them are shrubs and/ or climbers that flower on new growth. Plants such as Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush), Cotinus coggygria (smoke bush) and climber roses can be pruned now. I’ll leave the coloured stems until the end of February as they’re looking so good at the moment up at Writtle College. Another plant I’ll leave is Corylus avellana (hazel) as the catkins are burgeoning and ready to give a great display - look carefully and closely at this plant during February for the tiny red/ rusty brown star-like female flowers. The key with all plants that flower on new wood is that they can be pruned relatively hard, and although I’m dealing with a few now, a large number are better pruned as you come into the growing season. In fact, hardy fuchsias are better pruned hard during April/May. Do this and they’ll reward you with a myriad of blooms.
disease and some pests.
Key to success is to prune always to an outward facing leaf or bud as this directs growth away from the centre, keeps the plant airy and it’s less likely to be attacked by
Take care pruning the likes of apples and pears at this time of year and look out for any sunken areas on the bark as this could be bacterial canker - later in the spring you’ll get a gummy dark ooze from these areas. A little bit later if you see tiny holes on the leaves, known as ‘shot holes’, it’s the same problem. Prune 60cm (2’) below attack points and burn debris. Watch later in the year on Pyracantha cvs., Cotoneaster cvs. and members of the plum and cherry groups. Going back to my butterfly bush, take back all last years’ growth to just in front of the stump it has grown from. You may need loppers for thicker sections and or a pruning saw but take care as these can be razor sharp. Every few years you’ll need to probably thin out the stump to reinvigorate the plant. The plant will reward you with a bumper crop of flowers during the season. This pruning is actually the same for those coloured woods you may have; Salix alba vitellina var. britzensis (bush willow) and Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ (dogwood). As a result the pruning debris can be used to produce new plants. The technique is hardwood stem cuttings, and they are really straightforward. Select pencil thickness one year old growth and work from the tip down the stem. With Buddleja, the cuttings can be as long as your secateurs. With the willow and dogwoods they needs to be longer - one and a half times your pair of secateurs.
First of all, cut out any dead, damaged or diseased growth cleanly.
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• Place secateurs by stem with blades at tip of cutting, then cut at right angles to the junction nearest end of secateurs. This cut should be flat and just under the junction on the stem. You can continue down the same stem by cutting above the next junction (sloping angle) and then place secateurs by stem and again cut just below a junction nearest end of the secateurs. End of cuttings can be dipped into rooting hormone powder - all good garden centres will be able to help you. Stick cuttings in the ground near to the plant you’ve just pruned and push them in to the ground so that only the top ¼ of the stem is exposed. Check during the year - keeping area weed free. Left carefully in the autumn.
Good luck and happy gardening! For any gardening tips contact Tom Cole, Senior Horticultural Lecturer, Writtle College, Chelmsford, CM1 3RR by post (including a SAE) or by email at tom.cole@writtle.ac.uk.
Unit 1, The Paddocks, Highwood, Chelmsford, CM1 3PU 10
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Live Music Coming Up in 2016 at CCFC Friday 29th January - The Rollin’ Clones
Doors 7.30pm
Tickets £13 in advance and £15 on the door. The Rollin’ Clones were established in 1997 and have worked hard to earn their reputation as the most accurate and complete Rolling Stones tribute show, as well as the nation’s favourite! The Rollin’ Clones have been entertaining crowds across the World for over 17 years.
Sunday 28th February - An Evening with Benny Gallagher (Gallagher & Lyle)
Doors 6pm
Tickets £25 including 3 course meal - Perfoming the hits and telling the fascintaing stories of 50 plus years in the industry and of the people he has met and worked with. Gallagher & Lyle gained their first recognition when they were signed by The Beatles to write for Apple Records' artists.
Saturday 19th March - Class of ‘76 and Headline Maniac
Doors 7.15pm
Tickets £10 in advance £12 on the door. This is a double headliner with Class of ’76 with Barrie Masters & Steve Nicol (Eddie & the Hotrods) Nigel Bennett (Members & Vibrators) Russ Strutter (Wilko Johnson & Tonight) and Headline Maniac a 3 piece Essex rock ‘n’ roll band.
Friday 22nd April - The Blow Monkeys + SportsDay
Doors 7.15pm
Tickets £20 in advance and £23 on the door. With the original line up The Blow Monkeys with hits such as Digging Your Scene and It Does Not Have to be This way. With support from local band SportsDay it is sure to be a great night.
Friday 13th May - The Animals + The Sharpees
Doors 7.15pm
Tickets £20 in advance £23 on the door. The Animals with iconic hits including House of the rising Sun, We Gotta Get Out of This Place and Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood visit Chelmsford for one night only. Join us with what is going to be a night of rhythm and blues with support from The Sharpees.
Saturday 18th June - Chris Farlowe & the Norman Beaker Band + The 60s Project
Doors 7.15pm
£13 in advance and £15 on the door. Chris is best known for his hits Handbags and Gladrags "Out of Time", which rose to #1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1966 and his association with Colosseum and the Thunderbirds. Support from the fantastic The 60s Project.
At the Clarets Bar, Chelmsford City Football Club, Salerno Way, Chelmsford, CM1 2EH Tickets from CCFC call Chelsea 01245 290959 and from The Hop Beer Shop Moulsham Street. CM2 0LD and Intense Records, Viaduct Road, CM1 1TS Or search We Got Tickets - www.wegottickets.com 12
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Quiz Time A Mixture of Questions from John Theedom
(answers on page 31)
1. What are you doing when you nictate? 2. What are parenthesese? 3. How many farthings were there in the pre-decimal £1? 4. Give the common name for the osier tree. 5. Who was the last female to be hanged in the UK? 6. If feline is to cat, what is dog? 7. What does a fletcher do? 8. Who was Old Blue Eyes? 9. What year was the first London Marathon? 10. To which part of the human body does the term thoracic refer? 11. In which year did the UK have 3 kings? 12. What are the colours of the flag of The Republic of Ireland? 13. What honour was bestowed on the Island of Malta by the UK after WW2? 14. Why are the police sometimes referred to as peelers? 15. In Dad’s Army, what was the rank of Jones the butcher? 16. What is an arachnid? 17. Who was the senior vet in All Creatures Great and Small? 18. In pre-decimal times, how much was a gill? 19. What is meant by the term pro bono? 20. Freshco supermarket features in which popular soap? 21. What is astigmatism? 22. What does a thespian do for a living ? 23. What is a gamin? 24. Which girl’s name is given to an item of headwear? 25. Which year did Charles and Camilla marry? 26. What is the first name of Mr Torrance, the golfer? 27. What girl’s name is applied to a part of the human body? 28. What was the name of the inspector in On The Buses? 29. Who lived at 221b, Baker Street, London? 30. What is the name for the pattern of your fingerprint? 31. Who was the famous actor Terry in the film St Trinians, who had a gap in his teeth and a moustache? 32. If you are lupine, what kind of animal are you? 33. What is a panini? 34. What is the capital city of Norway? 35. Who is The Big O? www.moulshamtimes.com
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13
MT Baking by Alison Motley
As I see it, there is nothing better than using local foods when they are in season. Not only do they tend to taste better, but they are usually cheaper to buy due to the quantity being produced and they haven’t had to be air freighted over from the other side of the world. There is even some evidence to suggest that there are health benefits to seasonal food. I certainly think there is a certain pleasure and satisfaction in cooking and eating foods that are in season.
real comfort cake, perfect with a mug of tea on a cold day. The cake itself is very custardy tasting and fairly sweet, but this works well with the blobs of tart unsweetened rhubarb. The rhubarb does have a tendency to sink slightly (especially if the slices are too large) so if you prefer, bake it in a shallow 18cm square cake tin as a tray-bake rather than in a loaf tin (just reduce the baking time by approximately 10 minutes).
Take strawberries for instance. As a child, strawberries at Christmas would have seemed as absurd as brussel sprouts at Easter! For one thing they just weren’t available in December. These days you can buy them year round, but to me they just don’t taste as good out of season. Come June and July, British grown strawberries boast a recognisable sweet heady fragrance and are juicy, plump and full of flavour.
Rhubarb and Custard Cake
To find out what’s in season throughout the year, take a look on the internet, as there are quite a few websites dedicated to seasonal eating. Consider shopping at farm shops or farmer’s markets as they generally only have seasonal produce for sale. In supermarkets, be led by what fresh produce is reasonably priced or reduced compared to usual prices as this is often an indication that these items are in season.
250g unsalted butter, softened 300g caster sugar 3 large eggs 100g custard powder 250g self-raising flour 125ml milk 1 and a half teaspoons vanilla extract 300g rhubarb Handful of flaked almonds (optional)
Rhubarb is the perfect example of a British seasonal vegetable. Beautiful bright pink forced rhubarb (grown in the dark) starts to appear in late December followed by outdoor grown thick green and red stalks in late February and March - and yes, I did say rhubarb is a vegetable, it actually belongs to the buckwheat family and is related to sorrel, although in the UK at least it is generally treated as a fruit. Rhubarb is incredibly versatile, as aside from it’s more traditional use in pies, cakes and desserts, it makes great jam or chutney and can even be sliced raw in salads (popular in France). It goes brilliantly with duck, fish, and orange (also in season now) and is sublime with ginger or custard. And later in the year when the rhubarb crops start to tail off and the first of those strawberries start to appear, rhubarb and strawberry is a match made in heaven.
1. Preheat oven to 180C/fan, 160C/gas 4. Grease a 25 x 11.5cm loaf tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper. 2. Prepare the rhubarb by washing it, then trim off the ends and discard them. Cut the rhubarb into thin slices. 3. Sift the flour and custard powder into small bowl and put aside. 4. Put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. 5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. If the cake batter starts to curdle, just sift in a tablespoon of the flour and custard powder and keep beating. 6. Sift in the custard powder and flour gradually, beating well after each addition. 7. Beat in the milk and vanilla extract until well combined. 8. Spoon half the cake batter into the prepared tin, top with half the rhubarb slices, spoon the other half of the cake batter on top and top with the remaining rhubarb. Scatter over the flaked almonds. 9. Bake for approximately 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. 10. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn it out and remove the baking paper from the base and leave to cool on a wire rack.
This rhubarb and custard cake isn’t at all glamorous, but I make no apologies for that. It’s a cinch to make and reminds me of rhubarb and custard sweets. It has a fantastic yellow custard colour and is a
I would love to hear from readers with anything baking related! Drop me an email at motleybakes@aol.com or take a look at www. motleybakes.co.uk.
Cooking and baking magazines usually offer great seasonal recipes, as do many cook books. Of course, gardening books and magazines are also a great source of information about what crops are ready and when.
Fairtrade Fortnight 2016 Chelmsford City Fairtrade Campaign is calling on our community to support Fairtrade Fortnight 2016 which will take place from 29 February to 13 March. Its objective is to bring about a greater awareness of Fairtrade including why purchasing products with the Fairtrade mark brings about a positive change for millions of farmers and workers in developing countries.
Chelmsford was awarded Fairtrade City status in 2005 and its local supporters will have a stall in the High Street on 5 March to promote their activities. A Fairtrade exhibition will be held from 28th February for a week in County Hall and it is expected that other community organisations, schools and companies will be holding events of their own - the objective being to highlight why Fairtrade is so important to the developing world. Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society will be holding three events with Patrick Kaberia Muthaura, a tea grower from Kenya, being the key speaker. One of the society’s events will be held in Chelmsford Quadrant’s restaurant at 10.30am on 29th February, this will be followed by a Fairtrade evening in the Quadrant which will include a meal. Tickets, which are obtainable at the Quadrant, must be purchased before the event. Following Fairtrade Fortnight, the local campaign group will hold a Quiz Evening at St. Andrew’s Church Hall on 19th March from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Tickets are available at £5. The Fairtrade Foundation was established in 1992. Since then its objective has been to obtain better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers. It supports the development of farming and worker communities so that they have more control over their futures and the environment in which they live and work.
The Fairtrade Foundation also certifies companies that employ large numbers of workers - for example those producing bananas, tea and flowers.
The standards for large-scale units differ, but Fairtrade aims to protect workers’ basic rights, keeping them safe and healthy, allowing them freedom of association and collective bargaining, and preventing discrimination. It also ensures no bonded or illegal child labour and requires employers to pay wages that progress towards a living wage. The producers decide how the Fairtrade Premium should be invested. (The premium is the additional money paid on top of the Fairtrade minimum price that farmers and workers receive.) This premium is used to invest in social, environmental and economic projects to improve their businesses and their communities. Fairtrade products are available in all local self service food shops. By purchasing Fairtrade, we are all winners. Quiz tickets and any information about Fairtrade can be obtained through Malcolm Wallace at maljan9@gmail.com, or telephone 01245 601373.
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15
Essex Rock Histories: Dr Feelgood by John Power
There are few groups to come out of Essex that exemplify the county’s rock spirit better than Dr Feelgood and those that do were probably mates of theirs anyway, as they orbited around the county’s answer to that other great musical estuary city, Liverpool - that is, Saffend-onSea. Lee Brilleaux (because his hair looked like a brillo pad and it sounded more rock and roll than Collinson, the name on his birth certificate), singer, harpist and occasional guitarist, John B Sparkes (‘Sparko’, as he was often found reclining thus), bassist and drummer, ‘Big Figure’ John Martin, had been playing around Canvey Island in jug bands, skiffle groups and various ensembles during the end of the early rock era and into the rhythm and blues era made public by the Rolling Stones. Then they were joined by guitarist busker Wilko Johnson, a rocked-up handle for the previously named John Wilkinson.
It’s generally recognised that 1971 was the year when the recognisable quartet emerged. A couple of lads from Westcliff-on-Sea and a different drummer, had preceded Wilko’s arrival, as the rest of Essex Five who played such venues as the Thorney Bay Holiday Camp, while Wilko busked outside, or played inside, the Monico Amusement Arcade, the Canvey Club, the Admiral Jellicoe or Oysterfleet pubs. He also backed ‘50s rocker Heinz, who had previously been one of the Tornados, who gave the world its first top ten electronic instrumental, Telstar. All this on an Island with a couple of river creeks making up two sides with the River Crouch estuary, reclaimed from the water by Dutch engineers in the 17th century before it became host to numerous oil tanks, with the Shellhaven oil refinery for a backdrop. It inspired the band of R&B enthusiasts to think of it as Oil City, like the Mississippi Delta where all their blues-singing heroes hailed from, in an era when they actually got to visit England and play at such venues as those in Romford or Chelmsford, at the Corn Exchange. Wilko had been a typical child of the sixties, hitch-hiking across Europe to India and Nepal and being a spokesperson for anti-oil tank expansion - a local cause that succeeded although the island was already peppered with tanks. He also went to university and tried his hand at teaching English, but like most of us, got on better with the kids than the school hierarchy that had been promoted out of the classroom. He left after being carpeted by the school head over his appearance, which included shoulder length hair. One of his pupils later became the group’s manager in a very ‘estuary’ kind of way. Wilko’s guitar style was very distinctive, as he was left-handed but played his Fender Telecaster as if he was right-handed and without a plectrum, leading to a very choppy action which combined rhythm backings with bursts of lead solos, a style which he had learned from Mick Green, guitarist with early English rock ‘n’ rollers, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. His liking for amphetamines gave him a manic bug-eyed appearance as he skipped around the stage forwards and sideways, with jerky head thrustings, which later went down well with punks as their music found fertile ground with that era of fans. Dr Feelgood was a nickname originally for doctors who would give out dodgy prescriptions for drugs to patients, like The Beatles’ Dr Robert on the Revolver album. The Essex boys had come across the expression from American blues pianist, Willie Perryman, who called his group Dr Feelgood and the Interns. The expression came to refer to drug pushers generally, and Wilko’s bulging eyes backed up the group’s name in a highly visual manner, even though most of the band were usually happy with a few pints and the odd ‘funny fag’. Wilko, who didn’t drink and was married to his wife Irene quite young, said that his intoxicant preference helped him when it came to writing the group’s songs, a job that his English degree set him up well for. Drummer John had the van (borrowed from work) and off they went on a punishing couple of decades of gigging. At first sometimes straight from work with Lee wearing his suit from his day job in a lawyer’s office. I was lucky enough to be at college with Kursaal Flyer/ Eddie and the Hot Rod’s Graeme Douglas, from 1970 to ‘73 and being another Southend boy, he managed to get the Feelgoods to
play at the college in Brentwood (now subsumed into Anglia Ruskin University) about twice per year at least, it seemed. The music fashions of the time were either progressive rock, pop glam or disco. The Feelgoods were having none of it, not even prog, and stuck firmly with their beloved r&b - and what a welcome change it was. When the pub rock era of groups like Ducks Deluxe emerged in ‘72, the Feelgoods found their niche as the rock world discovered Lee’s rasping blues-shouting voice and wailing harmonica and Wilko’s manic thrashing guitar, with their solid rhythm section. The advantage with the pub rock scene was that it was pretty ad hoc. You didn’t need to be in with the music business managers or record companies, but the Feelgoods became so popular that they caused a storm by getting on the front page of a major music newspaper The New Musical Express before they had a record deal. A deal soon followed as a result with United Artists, along with an established manager, after he had seen one of the live gigs at The Kensington pub. Whereas they had performed cover versions of R&B songs up to then, they were told they’d need to write their own material if they were going to sell records - and Wilko rose to the challenge. Embryonic punks like Joe Strummer, soon to be of The Clash and future Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, became fans - along with Lady Diana Spencer! The first album was Down By The Jetty in 1974 and was followed by Malpractice in 1975. Live music was their biggest strength and so the pressure on Wilko was relieved a bit with the live album Stupidity in ‘76, which hit number one in the album charts. The following album saw a rift appear in the band as Wilko moved to London and became more withdrawn during tours, ostensibly to fill the songwriting role, but probably with an element of drug psychosis and woman double trouble. Lee especially didn’t like the resulting songs and Wilko decided to leave the band. He was replaced by John ‘Gypie’ Mayo until 1981, when he also left to feature in bands that included a re-jigged revival of The Yardbirds, where he was filling the shoes of the grand trio of previous guitarists, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. He also played with rasta blues-shouter and harpist Jeremiah Marques’ Braintree bands, The Marques Brothers and Bluetones. Sadly, Gypie died in 2013. Milk and Alcohol became a top ten single for the Feelgoods in 1979. Wilko on the other hand, ran his own band on and off between gigs with Ian Dury’s Blockheads in 1980 and generally jamming around with his mates. Further band line-up changes after 1981 left Lee Brilleaux as the only original member of the Feelgoods. In the US, not everyone got what the Feelgoods were about, sending R&B back to where it came from. But in New York, where the punk revolution had begun, they were very well received and members of Blondie raved about the album Malpractice when it arrived, admitting to it being an influence on them. Lee’s wife was American and Johnny Guitar played lead for the band in ‘81 and ‘82 so appeared on the album Fast Women and Slow Horses, recorded in ‘82. Tragically, Lee died of lymphoma cancer in 1994, after much chemotherapy - he was working nearly right up to the end. This should have led to the final collapse of the band, but before he died he told the other then members that he wanted them to carry on the name with Pete Gage as singer. Pete could do little but respond to the request and after a re-union gig in ‘95, the group, who had been Feelgoods for at least five years, began touring with Gage in ‘96 until ‘99 when he was replaced by Robert Kane, who had featured in one of the post Eric Burden versions of The Animals. The present lineup has Kane backed by Steve Walwyn on guitar (since 1989), Phil Mitchell on bass (on and off since ‘83) and Kevin Morris on drums (since ‘83). There have been 14 Feelgoods over the years, with another 21 albums and 25 singles after Wilko left. There is a Lee Brilleaux memorial gig every year on Canvey and memorial nostalgia sightseeing walks around the island. There was also a film about the band in 2009 called Oil City Confidential, such is their legendary cult status.
81% of Small Businesses are Now on Social Media Social media is now one of the largest platforms for targeting a specific audience or demographic - fantastic for a small business marketing their product or service and to grow the amount of visits to their website. Facebook is perfect for businesses targeting the consumer - why? Facebook can target a specific audience, for example, age, area and even common interests. This makes your marketing targeted and avoids huge amount of wasted marketing. One of the biggest factors of Facebook marketing is the cost, as business cash-flow is important, with Facebook you can set your daily, weekly or monthly budget to achieve your targets. Building more followers on social media is like building a database of names and numbers, these followers have liked you for a reason, they are interested in your product and it is your job to keep them interested. Uploading a picture of your last project with no message is not good enough! When you are uploading a new status or image, think to yourself ‘so what?’ - what should your customer do after seeing your status? For example: ‘Chef’s special lobster linguine new to the menu, this month book and reserve a table this Friday and enjoy a free glass of white wine with any lobster.’ This has given your followers a reason to buy. We recommend a minimum of 3 status updates a week, with a healthy mixture of industry related news, products and special offers. Keeping your profile updated will keep your followers interested without bombarding them with constant sales messages. Facebook campaigns with Call To Action buttons, found that those ads experienced a 2.85 times higher click-through rate compared to ads that didn’t have a CTA. 74% of advertisers preferred the ‘Shop Now’ button, while only 10% preferred ‘Learn More’ which outshone the former in terms of performance. Adding a CTA to your News Feed ad doesn’t cost extra, so be sure to consider the option when creating your next ad. Tip: If you already have a social media or digital presence, search your own business online - this is where you will find out where you fit
in the market place in rankings. You can also uncover some amazing facts about your business, like for example, what your customers are saying about you, pictures and also you can update any mistakes ie opening times or phone numbers. For more advice an tips contact Matthew at The Local Marketing Team. Web: www.thelocalmarketingteam.co.uk Email: matthew@thelocalmarketingteam.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Local-MarketingTeam/807266749319755 Twitter: twitter.com/marketingteam27
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Music and Blues in the City by Nick Garner It’s only February but what a start to the year - we have lost some legends. I was lucky to know David Bowie as I was part of that scene in Beckenham in the late ‘60s and ‘70s, I also met Lemmy a good few times too. Both were wonderful people.
We have had our first Blues in the City night of the year at The Bassment with two amazing guitar players, Ramon Goose and Martin McNeill. Next month on Wednesday 17th February, we have Katie Bradley with her award winning songwriter partner Dudley Ross on guitar and the harp master Nigel Fiest (also on vocals) and Dave Gwilliam guitar and vocals - and if this is not enough, we also have the Dicemen Brothers, who are Steve English and Fergie Fulton - see the advert for more details and also for information on the Essex Delta Blues Day on Saturday 12th March with twelve hours of nonstop live music on two stages with 18 Essex acts playing. Tickets are on sale now from the Hop Beer Shop, Intense Records, The Bassment or online by searching WeGotTickets.co.uk.
Film in Chelmsford
It’s Your Music’s and Chelmsford City Football Club have plenty coming up over the next few months. In February we have the amazing Benny Gallagher from Gallagher & Lyle who will be telling stories from his career and talking about them being the house songwriters for Apple, The Beatles record label. He will be playing and singing all the hits like Heart on my Sleeve. You will see the amazing list of acts we have coming to play for us in Chelmsford over the next few months in this magazine and tickets for all these shows are on sale now - details on the adverts. One act we are thrilled to have got, as they only play about eight shows a year, is the Dylan Project in Chelmsford on Friday 11th November (venue to be confirmed). For those of you who do not know, the band are Steve Gibbons of the legendary Steve Gibbons Band - who are still going strong today - which evolved out the Idle Race in the early 70s. The we have Dave Pegg and Gerry Conway, the rhythm section from the legendary Fairport Convention who are still a massive band today and who also run the Cropredy Convention festival which is said to be the friendliest festival in the UK and this year will see the 36th year of it in the second week of August. We then have PJ Wright, who is a top session player as well as being lead vocalist with Little Johnny England and lead guitarist in the Steve Gibbons band. Last, but by no means least, we have Phil Bond who was part of Del Shannon’s backing band - he then sailed and travelled all over the world until arriving back in Birmingham where he joined the Dylan Project. Phil plays piano, organ, piano accordion, flute and guitar and turns the band into not just any old tribute act. These guys all have an amazing pedigree and are a not-to-missed act - if you love Dylan, you will see that this is the band he should have had behind him. One quick last gig to mention involves my band, Jamie Williams and the Roots Collective - the official Chelmsford launch of our new live CD Live ‘n’ Kickin’ at the Brasenose Arms on Saturday 27th February at the Ale House from 8.30pm. For full information on all the music that and we put on, go to www. bluesinthecity.co.uk and www.itsyourmusic.co.uk. You will also find us both on Facebook and Twitter. For a full list of what’s on where and when in and around Chelmsford, pick up a free copy of our Chelmsford the City Times.
My earliest memories of visiting the cinema are slightly hazy; I remember many visits with my dad to Cineworld in Harlow, playing Echo the Dolphin on a retro console in the foyer, and getting into the screen early so I could run up and down the stairs between the aisles. I firmly believe these special occasions are part of the reason I love cinema. Film in general, but cinema in particular. The happiness emanating from my dad was palpable on these trips, so when I sat in my foamy, slightly creaky but somehow enveloping chair, I would copy his silence and fix my eyes on the screen. I remember those seconds of waiting when the adverts were finally over and the screen stretched into the proper size and the lights fully dimmed; a mix of bubbling excitement, holding my breath and feeling my body melt into a trance-like state, ready to absorb the world about to unfold on the screen. The instant availability and multitude of platforms that films are now available on is a positive thing in many ways, but for me there is a danger that people will forget the feeling that can only be felt in the cinema. The utterly immersive experience of watching a film on a big screen in the dark and surrounded by strangers cannot, in my humble opinion, be beaten. This could be because of the positive memories I have already mentioned; the associations of the cinema being a special, fun afternoon out with my dad, but it may be because of the intensity of the sound, the size of the picture and the knowledge that this was the experience the film maker had in mind when they created the film. All so that us, the audience, could have a powerful and magical cinematic experience. Hopefully then, you can all join me in my excitement for the new cinema coming to Chelmsford. Not only will Chelmsford have the Odeon that provides the headlining blockbusters, the Chelmsford Film Club which exhibits arthouse and independent cinema in the gem that is the Cramphorn Theatre, but it will also have The Everyman Cinema. A small boutique cinema with five screens and 250 seats, and an absolute emphasis on quality. In my opinion, this is a step in the right direction in making sure film is celebrated in Chelmsford. Let’s hope they have Echo the Dolphin to top it off. By Caitlin Lupton
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CAMRA Winter Beer & Cider Festival by Claire Irons I expect that you may have spotted Home Partnership boards outside various homes in the area and posters in pubs and at the Essex Cider Shop in Moulsham Street advertising the Chelmsford Winter Beer and Cider Festival. Please come along on 17-20th February and join in the fun at King Edward VI Grammar School on Broomfield Road, CM1 3SX (See advert for details). Chelmsford CAMRA, Campaign for Real Ale, plan to give you the chance to enjoy the deep, rich flavours of various winter beers and many more popular and indeed, out of the ordinary, brews. Brilliant brews every day! As always, we aim to provide the full range of beer styles to tantalise your taste buds with something from the rainbow of beers: Golden beers, fruit beers, mild, stout and porter. You can try before you buy! Have a hoppy time! Luscious Locales We define locale as ale brewed in Essex. Support your local brewers and buy locale. The list of pubs selling locale will be in the festival programme. Drink at the locale bar! Scintillating Cider Bar Spice up your life with our special spiced ciders - sure to give you a glow! We have a fantastic range of drinks to satisfy and to provide thirst aid with many award winners of cider, perry and pyder of all styles. Thank you to Cliff at the Essex Cider Shop for supplying so many ciders, all of which are suitable for coeliacs, vegetarians and vegans! Cider Bar Re-Stocked on Saturday! Our website is updated before and during the festival: www.chelmsfordbeerandciderfestivals.org.uk. Organised and staffed by CAMRA volunteers - thenk you to all our sponsors and supporters.
MT Therapy by Jenny Hartill
After a few articles on psychodynamic and psychoanalytical theory, this month I’m writing about behaviourism and two of it’s major theorists; John B Watson and Ivan Pavlov. Firstly to explain what behaviourism is and it’s main principles, Watson describes it very well here:
“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select - doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.” What John Watson is saying here is that all human behaviour occurs as a result of conditioning. Conditioning happens when we interact with the environment. According to the behaviourist model, behaviour can be studied in a systematic and observable manner with no consideration of internal mental states. Pretty much the opposite to the psychoanalytical model! There are two major types of conditioning; classical and operant. Today we look at classical conditioning. This technique is used in behavioural training (for example with animal training) in which a naturally occurring stimulus is paired with a response. Next, a previously neutral stimulus is paired with the naturally occurring stimulus. Eventually, the previously neutral stimulus comes to evoke the response without the presence of the naturally occurring stimulus. The two elements are then known as the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response. This was discovered by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov - probably best known for his experiments with dogs (I always remember this as ‘Pavlov’s dogs’ - I learned about this experiment years ago and have never forgotten it - probably because I had a pet dog at the time!). Pavlov’s dog’s experiment explains classical conditioning very well: Ivan rang a buzzer when the dogs were fed. If the buzzer was sounded when it was close to feeding time, the dogs learnt to associate the sound of the buzzer with food. After a while, at the mere sound of the buzzer, they responded by drooling. The basic principles of the classical conditioning process are as follows: The unconditioned stimulus is one that unconditionally, naturally, and automatically triggers a response. For example, when Pavlov’s dogs smelled the food, they would respond by drooling. In this example, the smell of the food is the unconditioned stimulus. The unconditioned response is the unlearned response that occurs naturally in response to the unconditioned stimulus. With Pavlov’s dogs, the drooling in response to the smell of food is the unconditioned response. The conditioned stimulus is previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually comes to trigger a conditioned response. With Pavlov’s dogs, when they smelled the food, they also heard the sound of a buzzer. While the buzzer is unrelated to the smell of the food, when the sound of the buzzer was paired multiple times with the smell, the sound eventually triggered the conditioned response. In this case, the sound of the buzzer is the conditioned stimulus. The conditioned response is the learned response to the previously neutral stimulus. With Pavlov’s dogs, the conditioned response would be drooling when the dogs heard the sound of the buzzer. I’m not sure if any of you have heard of the next experiment I want to talk about but it’s a controversial one. If you think using dogs in psychological experiments is bad, just wait until you hear about little Albert...
kinda guy, but this next experiment into classical conditioning I think will hit a nerve with anyone. The little Albert experiment was a case study showing empirical evidence of classical conditioning in humans. The study also provides an example of stimulus generalisation (this is a learning phenomenon that illustrates how we tend to develop aversions even to types of food that resemble the foods which cause us illness. For example, if one eats an orange and gets sick, one might also avoid eating tangerines and clementines because they look similar to oranges and might lead one to think that they are also dangerous. This phenomenon can even lead to people becoming phobic of certain types of foods, as demonstrated by various TV shows like Freaky Eaters) The little Albert experiment was carried out by John B Watson and his graduate student, Rosalie Rayner, at John Hopkins University. The results were first published in the February 1920 issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology. After observing children in the field, Watson hypothesised that the fearful response of children to loud noises is an innate unconditioned response. He wanted to test the notion that by following the principles of the procedure now known as classical conditioning, he could use this unconditioned response to condition a child to fear a distinctive stimulus that normally would not be feared by a child (in this case, furry objects). For this study they chose a nine-month old infant from a hospital, referred to as ‘Albert’, for the experiment. Watson followed the procedures which Pavlov had used in his experiments with dogs. Before the experiment, Albert was given an array of baseline emotional tests: He was exposed, briefly and for the first time, to a white rat, a rabbit, a dog, a monkey, masks (with and without hair), cotton, wool, burning newspapers, and other stimuli. Albert showed no fear of any of these items during the baseline tests. For the actual experiment, Albert was put on a mattress on a table in the middle of a room. A white lab rat was placed near Albert and he was allowed to play with it. At this point, Watson and Rayner made a loud sound behind Albert’s back by striking a suspended steel bar with a hammer each time the baby touched the rat. Albert responded to the noise by crying and showing fear. After repeating this procedure several times, Albert was presented with only the rat. Upon seeing the rat, Albert got very distressed, crying and crawling away. Apparently, poor little Albert associated the white rat with the noise. The rat, originally a neutral stimulus, had become a conditioned stimulus, and it was eliciting an emotional (conditioned) response similar to the (unconditioned) distress response originally given to the (unconditioned) noise stimulus. In further experiments, little Albert seemed to further generalise his response to the white rat. He became distressed at the sight of several other furry objects, such as a rabbit, a furry dog, and a sealskin coat, and even a Santa Claus mask with white cotton balls in the beard. So in addition to everything else, little Albert now had a fear of Santa. Nice one John B Watson. Albert was about one year old at the end of the experiment and he reportedly left the hospital shortly thereafter. Though Watson had discussed what might be done to remove Albert’s conditioned fears, he had no time to attempt such desensitisation with Albert, and although he probably continued to fear various furry objects for a time, he would likely have been desensitised by his natural environments later in life. Obviously today such an experiment would absolutely be deemed unethical and in no way would go ahead! Next time, we’ll look at the second major type of conditioning: Operant conditioning and theorist, BF Skinner.
If I can be of any help or for more information about counselling and/or hypnotherapy services, please visit www.cloud9-therapy.co.uk.
Now I’m not sure whether John B Watson was a particularly paternal 20
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Why New Year Resolutions Don’t Work by Mark Roberts With memories of Christmas fading fast, I am wondering whether the New Year resolutions you committed to are also fading? For those of you who are still going strong, well done, and I wish you every success in your continuing endeavours. For those of you whose enthusiasm has dropped off and especially for those who didn’t even make a start, I am here to offer you some solace: There are some good reasons why New Year’s resolutions are prone to flounder at an early stage and some very good reasons why the start of new year may not be a good time to set goals in the first place. The tradition of setting New Year resolutions goes back to Babylonian times, it was then adopted by the Romans and later, Christianity, as an opportunity to reflect on the past year and resolve to do good deeds in the future. The modern-day resolutions as we have come to know them tend to be focused on personal, or family goals, typically including things like losing weight, stopping smoking, saving money, or getting fit. These are easily explained when you consider that Christmas is generally a time of excess; the days that follow, leading up to New Year, offer a perfect time to reflect on our excesses. The 1st January, as tradition dictates, offers the allure of change and a fresh start. New Year resolutions however, tend to have a high failure rate and there are a number of reasons for this. There is often a tendency to set goals that are unrealistic, or goals that are out of kilter with our usual day-to-day behaviour. The difficulty lies with the deeply ingrained habitual patterns we have developed over many years and as the saying goes, old habits die hard. Our habits represent a huge investment in personal identity, they play a big part in defining who we are and what we believe we are capable of accomplishing. All of this, versus the alluring possibility of reinvention in the new year,
offers the potential for internal conflict. It is my experience that most New Year resolutions are set frivolously with little expectation of success, albeit they may be founded in a deep desire for change. Where there is an underlying desire for real change, the prospect of failure can undermine self-belief and discourage real achievement. A better experience would be to create a realistic chance of winning. So, for those of you out there who really want to make meaningful change, here are my seven top tips for success: 1. Make a start on your goals when they are foremost in your mind don’t put them off until the new year. 2. Life is always a work-in-progress and change will happen whether you seek it or not, be sure to make the changes you want, try not to be the puppet of someone else’s agenda. 3. Set realistic goals that are compatible with your values. Your values are generally constant and rarely change throughout your lifetime. Setting goals that are inconsistent with them may not work out well. 4. Take small, achievable steps towards your goal and you will experience success sooner than you think. As you grow in confidence, so will your actions. 5. Develop your self-awareness: Monitor your day-to-day activities and try to identify where you are acting through habitual patterns. This will help you to make thoughtful, wiser choices. 6. Identify a step that you can take immediately to get your journey started - remember the saying, ‘the walk of a thousand miles starts with the first step’ - take that step soon! 7. One last thing - celebrate your successes and have fun. To your success… For more about Mark Roberts, visit his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/intelligentlifestrategies.
Building the Wireless Age A Unique Marconi Exhibition At The Original Marconi Wireless and Telegraphy Works in Hall St Chelmsford, the World’s first wireless factory which Marconi established in 1898. Marconi Science WorX: Chelmsford Civic Society in collaboration with BBC Essex
Open 11th March to 29th May 2016 Every Sat. & Sun.
11.00am - 3.00pm
F Free entry
We are pleased to announce the following talks: • Friday 18th March at 19.00 for 19.30 start. Hall St and Marconi: Building the Wireless Age Speaker Tim Wander, curator, Marconi historian and author. • Thursday 14th April at 19.00 for 19.30 start. The Role of the Wireless in the Titanic Tragedy. Speaker Tim Maltin, Titanic historian, author and broadcaster, this is on the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic • Friday 22nd April at 19.00 for 19.30 start. The Battle of Jutland. Bruton, University of Oxford Speaker Dr Elizabeth Bruton To book tickets, £5 each, please visit www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.eventbrite.com If you would like any more information or you would like to volunteer for this project please visit www.facebook.com/marconiscienceworx or email info@chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk.
Registered charity No:271779
Wine Corner
Hello everyone. Belated Happy New Year to you all and I hope you enjoyed the festivities and tried a few new wines. By the way, I’ve been hearing about this dry January thing and can’t help thinking it has been a bit of a failure. As I write this mid month, it has rained nearly every day so far! This month I thought that I would look into English wines in a bit more detail and see what is available close to home. Using data from 2014, there are some 450 vineyards in England, producing 6.3 million bottles in that year, an increase of over 50% since 2010. The majority of vineyards are in the southern half of the country, but the most northerly is near York. 66% of the wine is sparkling, with still white at 24% with red and rosé making up the rest. Sparkling wines are mainly produced from Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier and sales are expected to exceed 5 million bottles over the next three years. This represents about 12.5% of Champagne imports and whilst the trend is increasing sales, this only represents about 1% of the UK market, so plenty of opportunity for continuing growth. Sales of English wines were up 300% over Christmas according to a recent report and it is expected that this boost in popularity will continue over the next 12 months. Sparkling wines are produced mainly on south facing slopes in Kent and Sussex, where the limestones soil and warmer weather make it suitable for grape growing. The top 15 grape varieties include the well known ones above, but also include Bacchus, a white grape based on German vines, Dornfelder, a German red and Schornburger, again German. Surprisingly to me, wine making in England was started by the Romans and more than 40 vineyards are mentioned in the Doomsday book. However, with the decline of the monasteries with Henry VIII, vine growing declined and there were no commercial vineyards in the UK until 1960.
I’ve been thinking again, that’s the last of the New Year resolutions broken, but it is the one that survived longest. The ‘stop drinking wine’ ended at about 12:05 New Year’s Day! What I am thinking about at the moment is satellite navigation. A brilliant invention, I still can’t understand how it can pick my car out from miles up in the sky. Anyway, a great aid to driving I think you must agree. Like most, mine talks to me in a very pleasant female voice - and like most women in my life, tells me where to go on a regular basis. Mine very kindly turns down the volume of the radio whilst she gives me the latest directions. This, however, is where we tend to fall out. Happily driving to my intended destination, listening to, say, Pop Master on Radio Two. A lovely pop quiz where a question is asked and the contestent has about five seconds to answer. So here we go: “Which group had a number one hit in 1972 with Telegram Sam?” It’s on the tip of my tongue but I can’t quite get it. Five seconds countdown completed and the contestant does not know so the DJ announces: “it was...” “IN TWO HUNDRED YARDS TAKE THE TURNING TO THE LEFT” “... sorry you did not get that one.” I spend the rest of my journey trying to remember and get so distracted the next thing I hear from Ms Sat Nav is “MAKE A U-TURN AS SOON AS IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.” Well, I suppose that’s progress (by the way it was T Rex!). A similar problem with traffic reports and tunnels - driving along the M25 and the presenter passes over to the traffic reporter just as I am coming up to a tunnel. “Look out for traffic hold ups on the M25 at...” STATIC FILLS THE SPEAKERS. I exit the tunnel to be told that it “...would be best to avoid that area.” What area, I murmur just as I pass the offslip that would give me an alternative route and as the brake lights of the cars in front light up like a Christmas tree (see what I did there, keeping it seasonal). Most annoying.
the art of wine making. With her husband, they sold their house to invest in the site and have spent time and effort extending the vines and providing eating facilities in a converted barn overlooking the river Blackwater. There has been a vineyard on the site for more than thirty years, but the current owners, the Mohan family, have been there for about six. Although they made their purchase in 2009, it was not until 2013 that the necessary development work and planting of additional vines was completed and the whole thing went live. They produce about 3,500 bottles of wine each year, comprising award winning wines, a crisp white, a rosé, and sparkling white and rosé, made by the traditional method with second fermentation in the bottle. The vineyard had about 900 vines so they purchased a further 3,000 vines, white Chardonnay and red Pinot noir from the Burgundy region of France. This area is generally know for good quality vines and the ones they chose are a good match for the soil in Coggeshall. Each year, volunteers come along to pick the grapes and end the work with an outdoor meal and a glass (or two) of the last year’s vintage, exactly as they do in France. I asked Jane about the possibility of producing red wines from the Pinot noir grapes, but she explained that it is a very difficult task and that she could not guarantee to produce wine to her own high standards every year, so she sticks to the whites and rosés. The tastings are a very relaxed affair. You don’t have to be an expert, just go along and enjoy the wine and the atmosphere. The flavours of the whites and rosé can be brought out if you are prepared to suck in some air with the first sip or two. This really works, but you so end up making a slurping noise, but you need not feel embarrassed as all experts do this, honest! A tip here: Apparently, it is not acceptable to gargle with the wine to bring out the flavours, a lesson I learned to my cost a few years ago. There are over fifty English wines available for tasting and purchase, along with a range of wines from around the globe. As well as the general tasting, Jane provides sessions where you can learn about various wines from around the world. Some sessions include a meal and include all the necessary information for wine beginners and those with a bit more knowledge. There are also comprehensive menus for meals throughout the day and a nice terrace overlooking the river. A bit cold for this time of year though! Jane is passionate about what she does and is constantly striving for improvement in already well-produced and tasty wines. Quality comes before quantity and she has a simple business ethos, to make the best wines she can. So why not pay them a visit? If you want to try a good range of wines, the number 70 bus from Chelmsford bus station stops right outside. I shall be going back (next time on the bus) and I will be looking forward to visiting one or two of the many other vineyards close to home in Essex. Thank you Jane for your time and for the enthusiastic way in which you explained your business. You obviously enjoy doing what you do and it made me quite envious! Bin end chuckles The other day I was walking past an ice rink and a bloke offered me a go on his ice rink for 10p. I thought what a cheap skate.
I phoned a ladder company the other day. No one answered, it just Essex has its share of vineyards, so I thought that I would visit one rung and rung. to see how they work. West Street Vineyard in Coggeshall came up when I used a pin and list of Essex vineyards, so off I went to meet Keep calm and carry on drinking (in moderation). Jane, who is one of the owners. Jane learned her trade by working in a vineyard in Southern France and gaining several qualifications in 22 www.moulshamtimes.com
Vintage Report - Moulsham Red 2015 by Robert Jones In case you cannot wait until 26th June, when our vines will be on view, when the garden is again open for the Annual Farleigh Hospice Urban Open Gardens, here is the latest vintage report on Moulsham’s own mini vineyard. In the 2014 November issue of Moulsham Times I reported only an average sort of vintage. 2015 was again average, even though it had promised to be a bumper year. The warm spell in the spring promised plenty of flying insects and good pollination of the vine flowers. These are tiny little green things which most people scarcely notice. Then we had a fairly warm summer along with enough rain to keep things growing and plenty of bunches of grapes. In fact, it all looked so tempting that, as with 2014, we decided to put the nets on early for fear of the blackbirds getting at the crop. Lovely though it is to have these smart singing visitors in the garden, they do have a taste for ripe grapes and can strip a whole vine in a few hours, hence the nets. When ‘vendange’ day arrived, October 17th this time, we had a sunny day for the usual hilarious family event. By mid-day the harvest was complete but we were a little disappointed by the volume of grapes. Anyway, we soon had the press going, gushing with its blood-red bounty of grape juice. A bit of sugar is added plus some dried wine yeast, just to make sure the fermentation gets going quickly. It stands in the buckets for a day or so and is then put into the air-locked fermentation gallon jars. www.moulshamtimes.com
The fermentation of the ‘must’ usually lasts a couple of months or so. This 2015 vintage fizzed robustly but had stopped after only a few weeks. Racked off and rested for barely a month, it was ready to bottle by the beginning of January. We were a bit apprehensive about this because we are not usually bottling until late spring. However, the new wine has a splendid aroma, is clear and bright and even at this early stage, tastes good. As I have said, it proved to be only an average year in volume terms and we had just 25 bottles - but they looked impressive. Of course, harvesting, pressing, fermenting and bottling is only part of the job. Once the cold weather has set in, we can get on with the annual pruning. It takes a lot longer than one might imagine and can be a chilly job. Visitors are often aghast by how hard we prune, stripping right back to the main trunks of the vines, leaving them looking very sad and shorn. It’s brutal business! It is also necessary to keep breaking off excess growth throughout the growing year, itself a sometimes tedious, on-going chore. The prunings can fill two brown bins or make a pretty big bonfire. During the process we usually select a few dozen pieces as cuttings. They are just stuck in a pot of ordinary soil and they grow like weeds. In fact, few people realise that the vines themselves grow like weeds and one can treat them quite harshly to keep them under control.
So, if you want to start your own Moulsham Red vineyard, come in and see us on Farleigh Hospice Open Gardens Day, Sunday 26th June. Cuttings will, as usual, be on sale for the good cause. It is a pity that we cannot sell you any wine. We like to keep the precious product for ourselves and a few very special friends. In fact, were we to sell it, we would run foul of Customs and Excise because of the matter of alcohol. 23
MT Charity - Essex Blood Runners Essex Blood Runners is a charitable organization run purely by volunteers who deliver blood and blood related products to hospital departments across Essex out of hours. This is a free of charge service that allows hospitals to call from 7pm to 7am seven nights a week and 24 hours at weekends and bank holidays.
been asked to relay with other blood services outside of Essex which we are happy to cover. We currently cover Southend, Basildon, Harlow, King George, Queens, Newham, Whipps Cross and Colchester Hospital. We also serve One to One, who are the midwives of Chelmsford doing antidrugs runs for new mothers.
All of our drivers and riders do not receive any payment or compensation for any of the work they do, their time and fuel is given up for free in the hope that they could be saving lives. Essex Blood Runners broke away from the group SERV Kent and Essex in March 2010 and in November 2011 it became an independent charity known as the Essex Voluntary Blood Service. The charity group completed 735 runs in 2015 - our most ever, this is estimated to have saved the NHS in the region of £100,000 and we hope many lives too. We receive no funding from the government and rely solely on our volunteers and in taking part in local events for fund raising. Not only do we cover the Essex area, but on many occasions we have
We hope to go live with both Essex Air Ambulance and Herts and Bedfordshire sometime in the spring this year and are always on the lookout for more hospitals to help. Most of our runners are motorcyclists but we welcome car drivers too, If you feel you would like to join our team and can spare a minimum of two call-outs a month as a rider or driver, or if you have spare time to help out at one of our local events, please contact Carol Weller our EVBS co-ordinator on 07966 213787 or 01206 822285. You can also visit our website at www.essexvoluntarybloodservice.com.
Thailand by Dan Skeates I headed straight to the top of the boat, it wasn’t a big boat, I’m sure bearing in mind it was heading out into the Gulf of Thailand for many hours most people would expect it to have been larger. 20 or so people joined me on the upper deck grabbing a space on one of the bench seats. Everyone smiled as we sat waiting for the boat to leave, full of anticipation about the tropical islands we were heading for. An extremely loud horn sounded giving warning that we were about to leave and then we were away bobbing up and down. As my pasty body hadn’t experienced such powerful sun in many months I liberally applied factor 30, sat back, tilted my head up and as the boat picked up speed felt the wind as it cooled my skin, I felt free of the dullness life can feel in winter at home...
It was a year ago I was travelling in Thailand with my motorbike - this time I had a small rucksack... A Canadian guy sat next to me, he must have been at least 6’4” and even though he was sitting down, I still felt small as he towered over me. I guess he was in his mid twenties and it was his first time in SE Asia, he arrived in Bangkok a week ago and after a few days started heading south.
islands, many people (tourists) fly direct from Bangkok to Koh Samui as they are limited on time. An hour on the boat and then 20 minutes for everyone to disembark before we headed to Koh Phangan another hour away where I would stay for a week or so. My Canadian friend would stay on board as he was heading for Koh Tao, one of the smallest inhabited islands and one of the best places to scuba dive. Like me a year or so ago, my Canadian friend was going to book himself onto a dive course, how wonderful, I said as I remember my experience there. We discussed travel and he asked me about the various places in SE Asia that he was heading for over the next 3 or 4 months, and as I had been to most of them he made notes on my thoughts regarding ‘must see places’ and ‘must have experiences’. As mentioned, my body wasn’t used to the bright sun so by the time we arrived at Koh Phangan I was ready to get off. I hadn’t seen my girlfriend Maria for nearly two months and she had said she would meet me at the quayside. The boat was early, which is very unusual for Asia. Time seems to have a different meaning in this part of the world, at home 8.00am means 8.00am whereas 8.00am in Thailand means sometime between 8.00am and ‘whenever-o’clock…’ As Maria sped towards me on her red scooter, I couldn’t miss her beaming smile. Wonderful. Maria had been in Thailand for about a week and like my Canadian friend had been to Koh Tao to learn to dive. She found accommodation for our first few nights and we toured the island the following few days on her scooter looking for a place that would suit us for the next week or so.
The boat’s first stop was Koh Samui, one of the most commercial islands, not so many people disembarked as travellers tend to take the train south from Bangkok and then the boat to the quieter
Koh Phangan is famous for Full Moon Parties. Between 10,000 and 30,000 (yes, thirty thousand) backpackers and young travellers from all over the world descend on the most southerly tip of the island to party until the sun rises the following morning. Maria and I headed north to the very quiet part of the island, we were pleased to find that in the north it is quieter than Koh Samui and Koh Tao, we found an amazing bungalow in the jungle about 200 meters off a perfect tropical beach. The 3 minute walk from jungle to the beach where there were half a dozen restaurants made for the perfect location. Now relax…
Rotary - Come and Meet Us
23rd February is designated Rotary Day because it is the anniversary of the date the very first Rotary club was formed in Chicago by a lawyer named Paul Harris. This was way back in 1905, so Rotary has been helping people for 111 years. Paul Harris arranged the meeting in his office with three friends and they decided to takes turns in whose office they met. This rotation of meeting places gave rise to calling the fledgling organisation Rotary. From such humble beginnings, membership now stands at over 1.2 million spread across 200 countries. Paul Harris was a visionary and many of his views and quotations hold the same relevance today. Certainly the ideas of business networking coupled with putting something back into the community remain the bedrock of the ethos of Rotary which is captured in its slogan, ‘Service Above Self’, all the while enjoying a full social programme and making new friends at the same time.
Over the years the movement has evolved and you do not necessarily have to be in business these days. As long as you want to contribute to the community you would be very welcome. With the explosion of new clubs everywhere Chelmsford also started more clubs to cater for prospective members to make it easier to attend so besides the traditional lunch times there are now breakfast, twilight and evening meetings. The five clubs in Chelmsford City often work together and during the week from Monday 22nd to Friday 26th February 2016 they will be taking over part of the Community Shop in Market Road, adjacent to the entrance to Chelmsford Library. The aim is not to raise money but more to raise awareness of what Rotary is all about. If you drop by you will have the chance to find out which local projects and events Rotarians are involved with and also look at the wider picture regarding aid for international good causes. Rotary has six areas of focus: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Peace & Conflict Resolution Disease Prevention Water & Sanitation Child Health Education & Literacy Community Development. Many of these issues we take for granted in Britain.
Rotary is not all about money, but the great thing about Rotary is that when money is raised it goes directly to the designated charity or individual. There is no middle man, no vast administration cost, no huge advertising budget to cover. Apart from a relatively small team who are employed to help organise training events and support for 1.2 million Rotarians, everyone else is a volunteer freely giving of their time and other resources. We would love you to visit us in the shop for a chat. There will be no hard sell as we think you will be genuinely astonished to learn of the range of projects that clubs embark upon - the numerous ways our young are encouraged and the care shown towards the elderly, the vulnerable and the less fortunate amongst us and the real difference that Rotary makes.
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There are so many ways you can be part of Rotary these days, even if you do not want to be a full member. We live in exciting times and Rotary is adapting to working practices of the younger generation, being far more flexible, so there is really no reason why everyone cannot dip their toes in the water to find out how to help. If you can’t make the shop during Rotary Week then why not visit www.chelmsfordrotary1240.org or easier still, give me a call on the number below. Stan Keller - 01245 260349 (office hours)
Kid’s Page by Alexander Aged 7.
Ami’s Diary
Funnies
For Christmas I got some tickets to see Jamie Lawson which I am really excited about. I saw him support One Direction at the O2 Arena last year but I am seeing him in a much smaller venue this time.
On New Year’s Eve I was painting my bedroom and fell off the decorating step, so I went to hospital where I had some x-rays taken. I have a buckle fracture of my left humerus bone which apparently is an awkward break. It’s not in plaster, which I’m glad about, but I have to wear a sling and it is annoying - especially when I can’t hold a knife to cut up my dinner! The 4-part documentary on Channel 4 about my agency is due to be aired at any time now but I still haven’t got the dates confirmed. I had to perform two audition pieces for my next Theatretrain show - a monologue which I chose from one of my favourite films Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I also performed a song and I chose Shawn Mendes Life Of The Party. I think it went well, but I have to wait to see what part I am chosen to perform. A film director contacted me in 2015 to see if I was interested in auditioning for a role in his new feature film which is shooting all over the country later this year. I’ve got through the first phase of the casting and I’ve now been asked to do a self-tape audition for the second phase. I have to perform part of the script for the role I am auditioning for, which is the main girl who suffers from anxiety and is very shy and is almost unable to speak. I also have to be able to improvise which I find quite easy. I think the next stage will be a face-to-face casting with the director, so hopefully I will get through.
Did you hear about the hungry clock? It went back four seconds! Did you hear about that new broom? It’s sweeping the nation! What is heavy forward but not backward? Ton! Why did the picture go to jail? Because it was framed! Who earns a living driving their customers away? A taxi driver! How do you make an octupus laugh? With ten-tickles! What belongs to you but others use more? Your name! What is the best day to go to the beach? Sunday, of course! What has one head, one foot and four legs? A Bed!
Brother and Sister Win National App Design Contest Siblings have recently won a national schools competition run by organisation Apps for Good to use technology to find a solution to a problem they care about. Over 22,000 students took part in the course, which is open to 10 to 18 year olds.
Ben, who is 13 and 15 year old Rebecca Jilks from the Boswells School in Chelmsford, Essex designed an app called My World of Atoms that introduces 8 to 13 year-olds to the fundamentals of chemistry. The app is a colourful game where the player drives a digging machine through a maze, unlocking hidden elements and making simple compounds, while learning interesting and intriguing facts. Children can challenge their friends to get the highest score and the most compound ‘stickers.’ Ben says: “The concept of our app is gamification, which is the new big thing.” Rebecca: “We are very excited about our app, we struggled with chemistry, but this app helps junior and secondary school children learn some basics of science while having fun. It really brings the periodic table to life.” Since winning, they have been working with professional developers, Rule of Fun, that have built the game. They will shortly see their app launched on Google Play - free to download and without adverts - on 25th January 2016. In June 2015, Ben and Rebecca where amazed to reach the final of the Samsung learning category, which was held at the Barbican, London. The pair had to pitch their idea to the Apps for Good ‘dragons’ (industry leaders along with Apprentice winner, Ricky Martin and presenter Maggie Philbin), then demonstrate their concept to 200 invited guests at a marketplace-style session. Attendees said they were amazed not only by the idea, but also the fact that they had created a demo and animation to give life to the app.
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Since winning, the pair have created their own website (www. myworldofatoms.com) and worked hard promoting the app prototype at schools and education fairs with great success. Ben says: “Young students really love the app and don’t want to stop playing it! They’ve also given us lots of useful feedback that has helped improve the final design.” STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) ambassadors, Simboc Ltd and Ustwo (makers of Monument Valley), have generously helped with marketing and promotion. Boswells School and the head of computing, Penny Cater, have been extremely supportive while the pair juggle both the app and GCSE studies. Rebecca says: “We’ve had some really great experiences so far. My favourite has been visiting the Ustwo design studios, which seems like an amazing place to work.” The next exciting events are a VIP tour of the Samsung offices, then the big official launch day at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 4th February. To find out more about the app, visit www.myworldofatoms.com or Twitter: @myworldofatoms and Facebook: My World of Atoms Development. It is available free to download on Google Play without adverts from 25th January. Intersting Brain Facts (All sourced from the internet) • The weight of the human brain is about 3lbs. • The brain is made up of about 75% water. • The old adage of humans only using 10% of their brain is not true. • Every part of the brain has a known function. • Some people (about 12%) dream only in black and white while others dream in colour
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Moulsham Lodge Communtiy Trust I thought I would take this month as an opportunity to tell you a bit more about the facilities we have here at the Community Station. We hire out our facilities to local and national groups and organisations, we even nearly had Eddie Izzard filming here for a new show he is recording - but we didn’t have any cells! There are two main rooms for hire that can be used for practically anything. They both have whiteboards and internet access, either through WIFI or ethernet, chairs and tables can be provided as well as projectors if required. We will also soon be able to provide IT facilities to enable an IT training room environment and we hope to offer our residents help and advice on using the internet as well as some of the more common software tools such as spreadsheets.
are a regular group not wanting to carry equipment to and fro.
If you think this might suit your needs, you are welcome to come and have a look around. Rates can vary depending on the organisation and length of hire, but as a rule of thumb room charges are around £7.50 per hour.
With the room hire you can have access to the kitchen for use during breaks or lunches, the kitchen itself can also be hired on it’s own and we hope to have better cooking equipment in there shortly. You can also hire the whole building during the evenings and weekends. There is parking available on site for about 10 cars plus a disabled parking bay. Talking of disabled facilities, we are in the process of updating the toilets to make them a bit friendlier for the less able amongst us. We also have a ramp at the front with a push button access door. You can see the plan to the right: The two main room sizes are around 3.5 x 4 metres and can take up to 12 chairs around a conference table fairly comfortably and around 20 to 25 chairs in a presentation configuration. We do have some limited storage if you
www.mlct.org.uk Cllr Mark Springett - Moulsham Lodge Ward There are many issues that residents contact their local councillors about and it’s probably fair to say two of the most common are dog related and potholes. These two are a good example where the responsibilities rest with two different councils. Lost dogs are covered by Chelmsford City Council (CCC) and potholes by Essex County Council (ECC). You can find a full list of responsibilities or services on the respective websites. Both issues can be reported online and is now a lot easier now that many of us have smartphones, we can of course use more traditional methods to report issues to both councils, but councils are trying to move access to more of their services online. This is for a number of reasons such as saving costs and accessibility. We all seem to be leading busier lives so visiting council offices in person is not always convenient especially as so many work outside of the city. Lost Dogs: Every dog owner in England will have to microchip their dog from 6th April 2016. From this date owners will need to have their dog microchipped and registered on one of the authorised databases available. Once your dog is microchipped, you must keep your registered details up to date. Changes include: Change of address, change of telephone number and if the dog has a new owner. Did you also know the Control of Dogs Order 1992 makes it a legal requirement for all dogs to wear a collar and an identity tag in a public place? This requirement still applies if your dog is microchipped. The identity tag must show the name and address of the owner. Chelmsford City Council collects over 130 stray dogs every year. The new law will mean that dog wardens will be able to reunite lost dogs with their owners quickly making it less stressful for the dog and reducing the cost of kennelling fees. 28
To help dog owners in Chelmsford comply with the new law and avoid financial penalties or prosecution, Public Health and Protection Services are offering a free microchipping voucher. Vouchers are available from the City Life magazine or can be downloaded from the web (address below). The voucher is valid until the 15th June 2016. More info can be found on the city council’s website: www. chelmsford.gov.uk/microchipping-collar-and-tags. Potholes: Every day that I drive my car I seem to be avoiding some pretty big potholes and some that have the potential to seriously damage a car or even cause an accident, with our street lights being turned off at night, it’s really important that we report potholes as soon as they appear. Essex County Council is responsible for our highways and that includes street lighting. You can report potholes online at www.essexhighways.org or through the main ECC website. City council meetings in January: Governance, Development, Planning as well as Cabinet - February: Overview & Scrutiny, Regulatory, Planning and finally, Full Council. The public are welcome to come along to any of these meetings and any member of the public may ask a question or make a statement at the appropriate point in the meeting. Each person has two minutes and a maximum of 15 minutes (or 30 minutes for Full Council) is allotted to public questions/statements, which must be about matters for which the cabinet/committee is responsible. So come along and see the council in action, full details of the meetings on the CCC website. Contact mark.springett@chelmsford.gov.uk - 07411 808731 - I’m also on Facebook and Twitter - @markspringett.
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Waltham Singers Premiere, Arion & the Dolphin Presenting new music alongside popular and well-known choral works is always a hallmark of Waltham Singers and the pattern continues for our upcoming spring concert. Amongst contemporary UK composers, there are few more highly regarded than Jonathan Dove - his last composition, an opera, was premiered by the Berlin Philharmonic and Simon Rattle. His newest piece Arion and the Dolphin will be premiered by us here in Chelmsford. The words and music depict the mythical tale of the musician Arion, sung in English. The exciting story depicts Arion winning a music competition, being held to ransom by pirates, escaping and nearly drowning, before being rescued by dolphins. Engaging and interesting, Jonathan Dove will also be attending to offer more insight into the piece for both singers and audience. Take the opportunity to come along and share in the celebration this evening with Jonathan. Alongside this exciting new work, we will also bring you Stravinsky’s famed Symphony of Psalms. Intense, riveting and expressive the choir are relishing the challenge of bringing this superb piece to life for a local audience. Completing the program will be Malcolm Arnold’s John Clare Cantata, a poignant musical setting of poems by this acclaimed 19th century working-class poet famed for his tales of rural England. The choir will be accompanied by the Longford Brown Piano duo who will also be performing some instrumental work. Please join us on 12th March, 7.30pm at King Edward VI Grammar School, CM1 3SX. Tickets £14 (£12 concessions) available via www.walthamsingers. org.uk, James Dace & Sons, or call Jennifer Tait on 01245 467588.
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Tile Kiln Corner by Linda Mascot
I was delighted last month when the Moulsham Times dropped through my letterbox in Tile Kiln, it saves me picking up a copy from the Community Station in Moulsham Lodge where I’m a trustee and is a great way of informing residents of upcoming events and sharing information. I’ve lived here for the past 24 years and been a member of the Tile Kiln Residents’ Association and Neighbourhood Watch for 12 of those - I’m proud of this thriving area with Mildmay Schools, Tile Kiln Church, our local shops and Clay Pigeon pub being at the heart of our community.
As you walk or drive around our estate you may see the daffodils in bloom that were planted by TKRA and local school children in conjunction with Chelmsford City Council as a community project to enhance the area. We have also recently re-vamped some large flower beds near the shops car park, aided by Councillor Freda Mountain, which are now being maintained by local residents. We were delighted to join forces with Neighbourhood Watch 6 years ago as an important link with Essex Police and to encourage good neighbours in this area.
If you would like to get involved in TKRA, please contact Linda Mascot at: mascotlinda@gmail.com, or 07916 594123.
So where did the name come from? The BBC Domesday Reloaded website states: “The Tile Kiln Estate takes its name from the farm whose land the houses are now built on. The farm buildings no longer exist. Brick and tile making had been carried out in this area since Roman times as Essex has no natural building stone and the clay soil here is just right for bricks and tiles. There were once many brick and tile works in the Chelmsford and Galleywood area but none are left today.” The Residents’ Association was formed to provide support and information to all residents living in Tile Kiln formerly via a newletter (Birds’ Eye View) and latterly the website, www.tilekiln.org.uk, to liaise closely with local authorities and other organisations to improve the area and safety of residents whilst promoting a sense of community. Many of you will have seen the fabulous Christmas light display by Sue Sharp on the corner of Linnet Drive and Dove Lane - despite high winds, Sue managed to raise a whopping £838.15 for Essex Air Ambulance from donations, well done Sue. www.moulshamtimes.com
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I Feel Electrified! by Simon Inglis I drive a car with automatically dimming mirrors, a stereo system so lovely it shames the one in our house, automatically heated seats, sensors that demist my windows and mirrors without me doing a thing - then, once done, settles on my preferred climate controlled temperature. The look over my dashboard is a lovely design and then there’s the petrol turbo...
Did you get that bit? Petrol. Or what is referred to in this acronym age as an ICE - internal combustion engine. However, two things stand out. As well as being petrol driven, my favoured car is an ageing luxury car hit with a high annual tax bill. Yet my other car is smaller, pretty comfy and feels more modern. It is far from new, but it is a generation away from the old barge. She shunts through tight spots, can be easily reversed on a single-lane dirt road and is ‘connected’ - if the little TV screen thing ever actually bothers to work. In all it makes more sense, but it’s also an ICE car. So in all I’m pretty pleased with myself - I have two luxurious cars for little money and see little reason in buying a new or newer car just to save a few tax pounds or a fiver a week in fuel with my driving. Also my warranty company did pay up when I needed it to. In the past 20 years not much has really changed in cars. Fuel efficiency and connectivity and the gadgetry I’m mentioning, sure some of it I guess. Yet in 1990 I was very happy in my second-hand BMW 7 Series - rust and a 4 figure repair bill forced my hand at letting that car go. Yet in its original condition I could just as easily circle Australia or drive my family through Europe in as much comfort as I could today in a new car. I honestly can only think of one thing I need to wait for in automotive technology and the Tesla is leading the way. For about ten years I derided electric cars. They were small, annoying and for some inexplicable reason designed to be ugly. Their drivers would wear sandles with socks, avoid shaving and my goodness weren’t they self-righteous? I recall being stuck in a one-way street near a London hospital while trying to rush my fainting infant son to A&E while some bizarre creature berated me for my ‘big polluting car’ - the driver actually got out and started to give me an environmental lecture while my wife nursed our son in the back seat while holding a phone to her ear trying to follow instructions. However, back in my hometown of Adelaide a few months ago, I caught up with a schoolmate who had finally traded his 1988 Mercedes for a brand new Tesla. I was initially a bit sad to hear it as the Merc had been his father’s and we had a stash of great memories in that car as most of us do from our youth. Anyhow, he invited me out to the carpark to overlook this electrified contraption designed in Silicon Valley. From the first gaze to the ‘test drive’ through darkened streets it blew my socks clean off. It was so beautifully made, fast, solid and sleek - it was a proper car. My only bragging rights over that Tesla are a top speed my friend couldn’t match - yet I’d lose my licence for life if I tried that on a public road. So after a long flight home and many evenings googling away I am thinking - this is a Tesla. This is their first car. It’s a car that can handle an Adelaide-Melbourne run at state limits on about one charge with the aircon on (if you include an hour at McDonalds as part of your ‘arrive alive’ fatigue break). What on earth will we be offered in 10 years? We have new electric cars coming out every month now. The intriguing BMW i3, the Nissan Leaf, the Volt, all sorts of usable hybrids so as to place a bet both ways. Sadly, I’m not likely to buy a new expensive car as my friend has on his inheritance, in fact due to depreciation I’d find it personally hard to justify. Yet in 10 years that Tesla should be very cheap in Autotrader. So will a used i3. And goodness knows what’s coming next as few people would have predicted those cars in 2005. Yes I’ve been electrified and I want an electric car. Not now, but in 10 years. So you say that’s no big deal, as you also want one, but you see you are not me. I hate trends or fashionistas, I am not interested in the cult of celebrity, and Hollywood actors rushing to ‘buy green’
bore me. In fact Bono is boring. I heat my home to whatever I want, I leave the telly on if I nip out to the shops, I keep the loo light on for convenience and I really don’t worry too much if the green sea-snail in North Korea will become extinct in 5 years. I hate daft conferences on climate change because they are always held in extremely nice or glamorous locations. I’d take the next climate change conference seriously were it to be held in some polluted Third World mega-city with no 5-star hotels. So I’m not an environmentalist, yet before some sandalista tries to slay me I also stress I’m not an uncaring beast. Rather, like most people I know, I worry about house prices, job security, my children’s schooling, the NHS or its Medicare equivalent in Australia long before that sea snail. I also don’t think the west should lecture countries such as India about their use of coal. However, the electric car is the past and the future. We all know electricity powered cars in the late 1800s before the ‘evil’ oil companies conspired to dominate the industry with the sinister Mister Henry Ford. Well that’s what Señor Beard tells me. However my engineer daddy would tell me bedtime stories that it had something to do with efficient technologies available over the past hundred years. Being serious, there probably isn’t much more we can do with an ICE. Sure, we’ll see even more efficient ones but wouldn’t most of us pay an extra fiver a week and a bit more tax to luxuriate as I like to do in a traffic jam? As for me, I now have a problem. Here and in Australia I have almost worthless cars. Yet they are the most wonderful things I own. They cost a bomb to service but they seldom go wrong, have survived a dozen winters and blazing Aussie summers and yet still almost everything works. My iPhone died after a few droplets of water were leaked over it by my son. Not one tap in the house will still function untouched for 10 years, yet most things in our cars - all of our cars do. A service and your car is worth more than the price you paid for the freedom and joy it gives you. No Boris, when I lived in London, taking my baby to the shops on a bicycle was unacceptable on a cold night. I am now pretty sure the leccy car will carry on a fine motoring tradition. Perhaps not in some places such as southern US States where only a F150 truck will do in order to carter your 8-metre sandwich home. However if you know how I can keep my old beasts going for another decade without some environmentalist-terrorist attacking me I reckon I’ll do what my friend has done, go approved used. I am now really looking forward to charging up my leccy car when I come home at night. I like the whole idea for the first time since Concorde and space shuttle engineers designed something wonderful. So finally, I suppose I must apologise to all those sandalistas I’ve cast dirty glances at over the past decade. Whomever you are I apologise to that bicyclister who was leaning against my car before I decided to creep forward as he grappled for balance. I’m a convert. Yet my greatest worry is that our politicians will almost inevitably find a way to tax electricity more efficiently. They already do and the addicts in treasuries world-over won’t simply stand back and allow this revolution to take place in its current form. I just reckon we all should start thinking about that now. A shame really as I rather admire good engineering. Well I’ve got to end this article as night looms and I want my Christmas lights on until June and I note our 25th television set in the laundry is not tuned in. We run them all you see just in case we miss something... and my wife is asking me to duck out for a fresh bag of coal for the fireplace!! Yet something really is missing tonight. As our phones, tablets and other gadgetry are busily charging, my car is sitting outside unplugged. That no longer feels quite right.
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