Moulsham Times July 2020

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Issue Number 89 - July 2020

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MT Welcome Hi readers,

Welcome to the July edition of Moulsham Times. We are back in print!

Firstly many thanks to all who have read the online issue over the past 3 months. If you missed any of your favourite articles, these editions can still be found online at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia along with the City Times issues for the same period.

We are a little bit thinner this month while we build back up to full capacity.

Stay safe!

Regards Paul

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

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

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Chelmsford - by Vicky Ford MP After so many months of lockdown it is good to see a return to a new form of normality. The virus and the risks it brings are still with us, so this does need to be done in a careful and phased way, with each of us continuing to follow social distancing guidelines.

It is excellent news that from 4th July the pubs, restaurants and bars have been given the green light to open, along with hairdressers and some leisure facilities such as outdoor gyms and playgrounds, cinemas, museums, galleries, theme parks and arcades, as well as libraries, social clubs, places of worship and community centres. More family and friends will be able to gather, as two households will be allowed to meet up indoors so long as social distancing measures are kept in place. More of us will also be able to go away for the night following the reopening of accommodation sites in England.

The news that those who have been shielding can also start to return to a new normal is also very encouraging. After making such a huge sacrifice not only for themselves but for the NHS, shielders can, from 6th July, meet in a group of up to 6 people outdoors at a 2-metre distance, and from 1st August will be able to stop shielding completely. I know this news will be welcomed by many, but it is important that we remember that this virus has not yet gone away and the Government may put restrictions back in place if the spread of the virus increases.

I know that many families face an entirely unprecedented situation this summer. The Covid Summer Food Fund will provide food vouchers covering the six-week holiday period for those who are already eligible for the free school meal voucher scheme. As well as this, the Government announced that £63 million will be made available for local authorities to use at their discretion to help all families struggling to afford food and other basic essentials.

Thank you again to everyone who has been working in our NHS and other key public services. It is extremely good news that, thanks to clinical trials in the UK, we have discovered that the an antiinflammatory drug Dexamethasone reduces the risk of death from the virus significantly. It is not a cure; but it is a better treatment.

Throughout this time I have been helping a large number of Chelmsford residents with individual enquiries. It has not been possible for me to hold my regular face-to-face surgeries, however I am looking to restart these later in July. Until then, I am holding telephone surgeries for those with complex issues.

If you do need my assistance, please email me at vicky.ford.mp@ parliament.uk. Thank you, I hope you are staying safe and well.

It’s has been particularly tough for those who work in shops and any other businesses which have had to be closed. It’s great to see more people out and about in the High Street and more shops reopening across the city, and I’d like to thank all the staff, stall holders and customers who took the time to speak to me last week. Lots of work and preparation has gone into keeping people safe, with the new one-way system asking customers to ‘stay left’ so that people can social distance, and new cycle and pedestrian lanes. Chelmsford has a very vibrant city centre and it’s very important that we support our local shops to get back on their feet.

It has also been good to hear from a number of Chelmsford schools about the progress they are making in bringing more children and young people back to school. I was particularly impressed to hear from one Chelmsford headteacher saying that of those year groups able to go back, student attendance has been over ninety percent.

I’ve been busy working in the Department for Education as Children’s Minister during this time and especially focusing on setting up networks of support for vulnerable children. This period has been very challenging for children, young people and their families. I would like to see all children back at school as soon as possible and its good news that a full restart is planned for September.

We have also announced a £1 billion ‘catch-up’ programme, to provide tutoring and support for the children and young people who have missed out on much of their education this year. It is so important that every young person gets the education and opportunities that they deserve. This funding includes £650 million for state schools in England over the 2020-21 academic year, which can fund interventions such as small group tuition. It also includes £350 million for high quality tuition for the most disadvantaged children. All secondary schools can arrange a one-on-one face-toface meeting with each student this term, and many have spoken to me about how important this will be to support the wellbeing of our young people.

Deadlines for the July edition Articles - 15th July Print ready art work 23rd July

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MT Health

The Effects of Lockdown on Your Body - by Chris at Forté Physical Health

Howdie Moulshamites!

Isn’t it wonderful to be holding a paper copy of the Moulsham Times again? Oh, I have missed it! As much as I love technology, it hasn’t been the same without the ol’ MT landing on my doormat once a month.

As this is the first physical copy for the last few months, I am going to assume there are some first-time readers here, so allow me to introduce myself. I’m Chris, and I am an osteopath and the owner of Forté Physical Health, a clinic in Old Moulsham which offers osteopathy, sports massage and nutrition. Our passion is keeping you mobile and out of pain so that you can live an active life.

We had to shut during lockdown obviously, but we have been treating patients for the last few weeks, albeit with a reduced team and strict infection control procedures. The reason I am telling you all this is that I have started to notice a pattern in the patients I have treated, and this is the reason for today’s topic.

There has definitely been a difference in the sort of problems I have been treating people for, and the cause has been contrast. I have noticed a trend of people doing lots of exercise during lockdown, which is great, but there has also been a lot more sitting.

Those working from home have found themselves absorbed in their work without having to get up to chat to colleagues or nip out the office for a coffee. They may be sitting on a chair that isn’t the most ergonomic and have a desk set up that strains their back. Because of this, I have been seeing lots of tight upper back, shoulders and necks.

Our body is smart, and it adapts quickly to the stimuli we receive. If the stimulus we give our body is one of staying sedentary for hours at a time with our arms out in front of us resting on a table so we can type and use a mouse, our muscles and joints tighten up.

If you go to our YouTube channel (search ‘Forte Physical Health’ on YouTube) I have made a 10-minute stretch routine which you can follow along to help upper back, neck and shoulder tightness, particularly with home workers in mind (although it will help anyone with tension in the upper back). A routine like this can help unwind some of the tension that builds up and it can be done a few times a week.

The most important thing though is that you move regularly. Ideally standing up every 20 minutes or so. I am also going to make a video about what to do when standing up from your desk, to help loosen the hips, back and shoulders, with little ideas that you can use in 20 seconds of time. If the video isn’t uploaded by the time you look at the channel, hit the ‘subscribe’ button and you’ll see it when it comes out soon.

In the meantime, if you need help with any aches and pains, please take a look at our website at fortephysicalhealth.co.uk. I’m sure we can help get you back to living a pain-free and active life.

Have a healthy month!

The Cool to Be Kind Community Bench The Cool to Be Kind Community Bench appeared in Moulsham Street shortly after lockdown due to the coronavirus. The bench was the brainchild of Brian McGovern, co-founder of Cool to Be Kind a community group which supports local rough sleepers.

Brian explained: “We have been working with rough sleepers for nearly 5 years, however when it dawned on me how serious the coronavirus situation was, I wanted to do something to help the wider community as I realised that many people were struggling financially or were unable to get to the shops. Fortunately I had several food items and toiletries that had recently been donated, so was able to stock the bench and left a note asking people to take what they needed and also if they had any items they wished to donate there.

Believe it or not, this actually makes us a better ‘sitter’. In the same way an athlete trains for competition by repeating the same thing over and over again, if we repeat the same posture over and over again, I say we become ‘Olympic’ sitters! The problem arises, however, when the person wants to do something other than sit, like play with the kids, or do all the exercise they have been enjoying, or get stuck into the garden at the weekend.

It’s this contrast between sedentariness and activity that is causing people problems.

What’s the answer? Well, it’s simple, but I know it’s not easy. The answer is to move more! I have been having this conversation with many people in the last few weeks and the response I get is always something along the lines of ‘yeah, but it’s hard when you’re stuck on a Zoom call for 3 hours and can’t leave the desk’.

Whereas in the office, you have to move from your desk to the meeting room and then go over and chat to a colleague, and then pop to the shop down the road etc. There is none of that movement when working from home.

I know it can be tricky to move during the day (especially when you’re stuck on video calls) but once you understand that it is impacting your body by staying still for so long and this may get in the way of your active hobbies, I’m sure you can come up with some creative ways to move.

“The Old Moulsham Community have since got behind the initiative and we now receive regular donations from local businesses and the general public”.

Marks and Spencer also make regular donations of bread and cakes via Edith Miller of The Ideas Hub. It is lovely to see the community come together to support their neighbours in these difficult times.

Well done Old Moulsham.

For more information visit www.c2bk.co.uk or search for the Cool to Be Kind Facebook page.

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Getting in Touch - by Cllr Marie Goldman Lots of people get in contact with me and my City Council ward colleagues, Cllr Graham Pooley and Cllr Jeremy Lager, for help with a whole range of different issues across the Moulsham and Central ward.

Residents have been in touch for lots of reasons, including seeking help with planning applications, to tell us about an issue in one of our parks, or for concerns about housing. Whether the issue is big or small, we’re here to help and represent you at the Council. Sadly, we can’t promise we can fix everything and we certainly know that we can’t always please everyone, but we’re here to listen and to help if we can, so don’t be afraid to get in touch.

You can email us at mandc@chelmsfordlibdems.org.uk, or you can, contact us via our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ LDCouncillorsForMoulshamAndCentral.

Street Name Signs There’s a lot of focus on the big things at the moment and rightly so. Health and the economy are obviously top of the agenda for very understandable reasons, but that’s no reason to let the little things slip by, and being proud of where we all live is a big part of a sense of community. Having pride in our surroundings means keeping on top of the little things so they don’t build up. One of those little things is our street name signs, and to be honest some of them are getting a bit grotty, like this one opposite St John’s Road on Moulsham Drive.

It really could do with a bit of TLC as could some others. It’s much cheaper to order several new street signs in one go than individually, so I’m compiling a list of those that need replacing.

Can You Help?

While you’re out and about, if you see a street name sign that’s past its prime, please take a photo, note its location (sometimes there are several signs on the same road) and email it to me at marie. goldman@chelmsfordlibdems.org.uk. When I get enough, I’ll send them all off together and hopefully we can spruce things up a bit. It’s a small gesture, but it will help keep our neighbourhood looking lovely so we can all have pride in where we live.

Keeping up to Date As I write this, I’m acutely aware that any information I give out might probably be out of date by the time you read it. Things are changing so rapidly at the moment, it can be very hard to keep up.

So remember that for the very latest information about what’s going on in our city, please follow Chelmsford City Council’s social media accounts.

Here are just a few of the main ones: Facebook: Chelmsford City Life: www.facebook.com/ChelmsCouncil Twitter: Chelmsford City Council: twitter.com/ChelmsCouncil Instagram: Chelmsford City Council: www.instagram.com/chelmscouncil

Of course you can also find out information about all sorts of things on the Council’s website too at: www.chelmsford.gov.uk.

New for 2020 is our YouTube channel. The channel now allows you to watch all sorts of Council meetings, from full council to planning, and from cabinet to licensing, all from the comfort of your own home. The link is: bit.ly/3dy77K1.

Keep well.

Cllr Marie Goldman Deputy Leader, Chelmsford City Council Ward Member for Moulsham & Central

Both this magazine and the City Times are also available online at: www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

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Personal Finance Clinic: Understaning Inheitance Tax “Nothing is certain but death and taxes” said Benjamin Franklin.

For the most part, that statement is true as us Brits have dozens and dozens of taxes to contend with.

However, Inheritance Tax is often referred to as an ‘optional tax’ as there are a range of allowances and exemptions available to help you to reduce - or even eliminate - it.

This article will talk through the main allowances and exemptions you should be aware of.

What Is Inheritance Tax and How Much Is It? Inheritance Tax is levied at a whopping 40% on the value of your estate on death that exceeds any available allowances.

It’s important to note that there is no Inheritance Tax to pay when the whole estate is transferred to a spouse or civil partner, so paying Inheritance Tax typically only becomes an issue on the death of the second spouse or civil partner.

Indeed, when the second person dies, the remaining estate can normally make use of both person’s sets of allowances to reduce any Inheritance Tax due.

If you are not married or in a civil partnership, you cannot take advantage of this. There is no such thing as a common law husband, wife or partner.

What Allowances Are Available?

The first allowance to be aware of is the Nil Rate Band, which is £325,000 per person and therefore up to £650,000 to offset against the estate on the death of the second spouse or civil partner. If the value of the estate is less than this, there is normally no tax to pay.

Plus, if you leave at least 10% of your net estate to charity, you can also cut the rate of Inheritance Tax due from 40% to 36%.

Inheritance Tax Planning Whilst Alive Perhaps you are in a position where, even after you have accounted for these allowances, your estate will still suffer a large Inheritance Tax bill.

Go over the allowances by, say, £1m due to high property values, second properties or other assets and the Inheritance Tax take is a whopping £400,000. Money you may prefer to stay in your own family rather than go to the tax man.

If this is the case, you would benefit from some Inheritance Tax planning advice, which will look at areas such as regular gifting, Potentially Exempt Transfers, insuring to cover the cost of Inheritance Tax, using trust structures or utilising tax-efficient investment products.

Please be aware that the majority of Inheritance Tax planning involves moving assets out of your own estate and into the possession of someone else, which carries its own risk as you no longer have control of it. Therefore, good advice is critical.

The information in this article is based on our understanding of the current tax rules and can change in future.

Lauren Peters is a Senior Financial Consultant and Chartered Financial Planner at Brooks Macdonald Financial Consultancy, 21 Lombard Street, London EC3V 9AH. She can be contacted via lauren. peters@brooksmacdonald.com.

The second allowance is called the Residence Nil Rate Band and this gives you up to £175,000 per person to offset against inheritance Tax where you are passing a property down to children or grandchildren only.

This means that on the death of the second spouse or civil partner, there could be up to £1m worth of allowances to use to reduce any Inheritance Tax due.

Be aware though that the Residence Nil Rate Band can only be used against property, so if a single person’s property value is worth £150,000, only £150,000 of this allowance can be used - not the full £175,000.

Furthermore, if the estate value is more than £2m, the Residence Nil Rate Band starts to be lost. It reduces by £1m for every £2 of the value of the estate.

What About Assets Held in Trust?

Assets held in trust do not typically count towards the value of an estate. This includes most pensions as they are usually held in a trust structure.

If you have pension savings in a personal pension at the time of death for example, these can be passed down to a nominated beneficiary outside of your estate.

Charitable Legacies If you would like to leave money to charity on death, you should state this in your will and the charitable legacy will not count towards your estate.

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MT Gardening Whenever we experience a sudden burst of heat, we need to watch out that all our plants don’t overly dry out. Keep root zones moist at all times but not saturated. Pop your finger deep into the container, and if the compost feels very friable and dryish, start to water. If wet, leave alone for a couple of days before resuming irrigation. As you water, link this activity with feeding to ensure plants are always growing to their full potential. This will also avoid possible nutrient deficiencies. Check out this link for further information: www. rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=456.

reduce the spread of silver leaf and bacterial canker. The latter produces sunken lesions (cankers) that ooze a gummy dark ‘sap’ in spring often leading to shoot die-back and a ‘shot hole’ appearance on leaves from early summer. Prunings should be burnt or popped into the brown recycling bins. If pruning more than one stone fruit, sterilise tools and equipment before moving to the next plant to reduce disease spread.

Did your fruit trees go through a process called ‘June Drop’ earlier in the year? It’s a natural way of the plant shedding excess fruit.

However, even with nature’s help you may still need to thin out fruit clusters. This will ensure those remaining ripen more evenly. It also enables you to cut out any that are misshapen or just too small. It’s all about quality, not quantity!

Aside from fruit thinning, those of you with restricted fruit forms, such as fans, espalier or cordons, will need to complete summer pruning.

This process entails cutting back current season’s growth to just in front of developing fruit (pruning to the basal cluster; a whorl of leaves that develops at the base of one year growth). By doing this the form is maintained, potential pest and disease removed, and light can penetrate the plant to aid in fruit ripening. If you’ve got a free standing tree, a little thinning can take place to allow more light in, improve air flow and also aid fruit ripening.

Keeping with the fruit theme, this is also a great time to prune stone fruits. In fact, any time between now and the end of August works well as this ties in with fruit harvesting. By pruning at this time you’ll

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1. Continue to weed and top up mulches.

2. If you haven’t done so already, prune spring flowering plants such as ornamental currants, Forsythia cvs., Clematis montana and Mahonia cvs.

3. Remember to cover all brassicas such as cabbage, kale and cauliflower with insect proof netting to protect from cabbage white butterfly, flea beetle and birds as soon as young plants are planted out through to harvesting.

4. Feed all container grown displays outside with a suitable liquid feed. Iron based feeds for lime haters such as rhododendrons, which also works well for ALL evergreens irrespective of soil type. Go for high potash based feeds for those displays covering flowers and or fruit.

5. Cut back by half the earlier flowering perennials or those that have grown too long and floppy. This will keep plants more compact and encourage further flower flushes. Works well for cat mint, hardy geraniums and Clematis viticella cvs.

Check out this link for other jobs for the garden as we move into July: ww.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/july.

Happy gardening and keep safe!

For any gardening tips, please contact Tom Cole, Horticultural Lecturer, Capel Manor College, Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 4RQ by post (including a SAE) or by email at Tom.Cole@capel. ac.uk.

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Derek Celebrates Four Special Decades at Essex Police Breaking the wrist of his writing hand during a football match, Derek Hopkins trained his other hand to write by filling in the coupons at the back of newspapers - including an application to become a special constable.

That was back in 1980. Today Derek is the Deputy Chief Officer within the Special Constabulary and continues to keep Essex safe with our Road Crime Team. The 67-year-old regularly carries out roadside stop checks and has helped our communities over many decades. He said: “I’m a police officer 24/7 and I have been for many, many years - so much so that I think people are starting to recognise my face. Earlier this year I popped into a fish and chip shop in Witham and saw two men in there that I pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt. They were understanding and supportive!

“I don’t believe in barriers. I might be a lot older than I was when I first started, however, I still feel physically and mentally fit and I’m still making a difference.”

Derek was born in Forest Gate, East London, before moving to Leytonstone and leaving school to work on a farm in Cornwall and then a petrol station forecourt in Chingford.

He always had a passion for cars and wanted to be a traffic officer but was initially told he was too short, so he ended up working in the parts department for Jaguar and Rover.

Derek married in 1975 and moved to Silver End and worked in the water section for the Essex Fire Brigade.

His role was to make sure the fire engines had another water supply - and in this job he helped to start to create safer communities.

It was following a Sunday morning football match with a local team

in Silver End that he broke his wrist and saw an advert for special constables in the back of a national newspaper: “I had someone turn up really quickly and they went through the process with me,” he says, “before you know it, I had trained and attested and started my special journey. I’ve been a big advocate for improving the special constable experience and since then there have been some really great changes.”

Derek’s memories of being a special constable many decades ago included managing the Witham Carnival and managing scene guards. His first ever job was to make sure a well known comedian was looked after in Hatfield Peverel.

Derek became a DCO in 2017 and thanked many other leaders within the Special Constabulary for their support and enthusiasm, including Superintendent Cat Barrie, who heads our specials, and former head, Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow.

Derek continued: “Special constables can do anything right now.

They are volunteering in all areas including our Operational Support Group, Dogs Unit, Marine Unit, Drones Team, Roads Policing Team and within community and local policing teams. They’ve even helped our detective based departments. The opportunities are endless it’s a fantastic time to join.”

Derek, who is a keen sailor, thanks his wife Julie, who continues to support him in his role. His youngest son, Ben, was also a special constable along with his step-daughter Natalie.

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Quiz Time - by John Theedom 1.

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Which singer duetted with the 100-year-old Captain Tom Moore in May 2020?

What is the definition of the word neologism?

Ed Bailey and his sons Michael and James are characters in which TV programme?

Who is the current president of Germany?

In which country was Cliff Richard born?

Why do we call it a wireless?

Which British ventriloquist was known for the puppets Orville the Duck and Cuddles the Monkey?

On the BBC series Great British Menu, what is surname of the judge Matthew?

Which musical instrument has a double reed?

In the football world, which club has the Stretford End? A ‘monkey puzzle’ is a type of what?

What are the names of Wayne Rooney’s 3 children?

Which is the oldest football club in the world?

Who is the current Health Secretary?

What was the late Baroness Margaret Thatcher’s son’s name?

Robin is the sidekick of which superhero?

In 2020, how old is Sir Tom Jones?

What type of creature is a grampus?

In which country is the city of Mississauga?

What is the singer Beyonce’s sister’s name?

What did Trigger call Rodney in Only Fools and Horses?

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What was Sally Gunnell’s Olympic Gold medal winning event?

Mike Oldfield presented which type of bells?

Which is England’s smallest county?

In Friends, how many babies did Pheobe carry for her brother?

Which is the only American state to begin with the letter L? What is the high security prison on The Isle of Wight?

On TV, did David Soul play Starsky or Hutch?

Pontoon and suspension are types of what construction?

What colour smoke announces a new pope?

Thomas Chippendale is famous for making what?

Where was The Bayview Retirement Home in Waiting for God? What is the first name of the supermodel Ms MacPherson?

In The Simpsons, who is the reverend of Springfield?

In May 2020, which song was voted Greatest Eurovision Song of all time?

What are the 4 types of snooker rests used by players?

As we get older, most of us suffer with canities, what is it?

Where could you see an ‘ollie’ being used?

In Disney terms, who or what was Dumbo?

In which year was Colonel Gaddafi toppled from power in Libya?

(Answers on page 23)

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Nick Garner’s Music & Ramblings Ramblings Hello, and we are back at last in the printed form! I do hope that you are all safe and well and that you all continue to be so as lockdown is eased.

We have of course continued to publish online during the lockdown, and you can find both the Moulsham Times and City Times at www. issuu.com/itsyourmedia. We are hoping to get the City Times out in print very soon as well, so keep your eyes and ears open for our updates.

Personally, I am a bit worried that things are being relaxed too soon.

I do understand that the economy needs to be got going again, but I do not think that it should be done at the potential expense of lives, having seen the rise again in Europe and beyond. Before you think it’s easy for me to say and I must be doing OK financially, I have not earned anything or got a penny in help - so I have gone through this just surviving on my state pension and not in the most perfect health.

I was though thrilled that I have been able to visit my family as I have been on my own during all of this and I have missed my children and their partners and the grandchildren so much as well as my friends.

I do hope that the comradery carries on and that we come out of this all with less political and ethnic biases and then concentrate on what I believe to be most important thing - which is saving the planet instead of destroying it as we are sadly doing. I expect like me that you have got to know your neighbours a lot better which is great. The Thursday night claps were fab I thought, and the VE Day celebrations seeing people out on the streets being sensible but still celebrating was fantastic. Let’s hope we continue to be more caring, thoughtful and loving during these trying times.

I see more people are spending time in their gardens growing food too, which is great. It also helps the kids to realise that it is not all just found on a shelf - let’s hope it too continues! It’s also great to be able to look into the sky and see that it is not full of vapour trails and the roads are not clogged up with noisy traffic and you can hear the birds and see wildlife returning everywhere. Is this not the way you would like to see the world continue?

How have you kept yourself busy during lockdown and what you have been up to? Has this changed your life? We would like to hear from you: email us at editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk.

Personally I have been spending time doing stuff with music - who would have guessed!?

Music We need to remember that all of the artists - not just music but theatrical as well - who rely mainly on performance to earn a living, have not been able to do so recently. You might notice that when many are performing online they have a ‘Tip Jar’ as this is often the only money they can get at present to live on. I think it is going to be a good while before artists can get in front of a proper audience again.

I saw some friends put on an online music festival and thought: ‘I can do one of those’ and so was born the Isolation Festival - 12-weeks and 195 acts later I think that is all there will be for now, sadly. The Isolation Festival was streamed live on Facebook and can be found on YouTube.

Some of the acts that I have put on and are the likes of Hazel O’Connor, Chesney Hawkes and many who play alongside some of the big names but don’t always get the recognition, like Robbie McIntosh, BJ Cole, Geraint Watkins, Sarah Jay Hawley (Massive Attack), Tim Edey (who is one of the world’s top folk musicians), Kate Shortt, Boo Hewerdine... Plus some who are the siblings of some of the greats and doing fantastic work themselves, like Louise Goffin (daughter of 12

Carole King and Gerry Goffin) Malcolm Bruce (son of Jack Bruce) Izzy Kershaw (daughter of Nik Kershaw). Then there are those you may not be so familiar with, like Josh Brough, Katy Forkings, Nancy May, and up-and-coming artists like Connor Selby and Joe Anderton and many others.

Next, we still have plans to put on the odd festival here and there, and we have been working hard on our Black Frog site - something we established over a year ago which is run by musicians for musicians.

We will soon be launching Black Frog Records and we are finalising our first couple of releases. We cannot say more at present, but we are excited. We are also launching our own Black Frog live music online platform where we will be streaming mainly live but all full concerts - these will be pay-to-view on YouTube. Mind you, the cost is going to be minimal at around £3 - and remember that is not per person but for anyone else with you watching and enjoying. We think this is great value and gives the artists a chance to earn a little bit of money. We will be starting off with The SharpeeZ, which will be a recorded show from when they filmed and recorded a live album celebrating fifteen years as a band.

You will be able to go to our YouTube page or the website to see tasters of those who are coming up. You will also be able to purchase artist merchandise or ‘tip’ them, and of course follow them online to be kept up to date. The music will be varied ranging from rock, jazz and folk to classical, opera, electronica and Americana as well as blues and more. I hope you agree this is all quite exciting.

You may have heard that I am no longer a member of Jamie Williams & the Roots Collective after nearly eleven years. So I have got my guitars sorted out by Trevor Gentry who did a great job, and then set about writing my own music - which may surprise some! At first I was going to be a recording artist only, but I have had a few promoters asking what I am planning after hearing tasters of my music.

They suggested I get a band together to perform, so that is what I am looking into. I already have a name - chosen because over the fifty years I’ve been in music and and seeing people point and mumble ‘is that who I think it is’?

So my band name will be Yes It Is. You can find me on Facebook and the website will be coming soon - these are early days and l still have to get the band sorted. We will not do lots of gigs - we will be selective and it will be down to the musicians’ availability as this will not be a small band. It will also a band with some surprises included I hope.

Please stay safe, stay sensible and stay well and keep supporting live artists, many of who have a donation link like PayPal.me - if you can donate or maybe purchase music/merchandise it will be greatly appreciated I know.

It would be fantastic if you could share our Moulsham Times and City Times magazines online as well for us. We will continue to publish both magazines online and hope to be back in the printed form with City Times also before too long. If you are interested in advertising with us please contact us at ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk, or if you have a comment or an article please send to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk and we will reply to you as soon as we can.

Remember you can find both magazines at www.issuu.com/ itsyourmedia.

Black Frog: www.blackfrogbands.co.uk Isolation Festival: Facebook - www.bit.ly/3cDoCYW YouTube: www.bit.ly/3dEG4wK Yes It Is: www.facebook.com/yesitis

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13

MT Therapy - Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Hello everyone! I hope all of you are well! Now that the Government is easing the parameters of the lockdown I thought it a good time to send out an update about the company, the premises, our future and how we will come out of this pandemic as a stronger, more resilient business.

Takeover of DCS Counselling Earlier this year Chelmsford Therapy Rooms began the process of acquiring the longstanding counselling business, DCS Counselling.

DCS has been trading for over 20 years and is a well respected name in the industry. Incidentally, we will now be known collectively as ‘Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Incorporating DCS Counselling’. I know this is a mouthful, so you can still refer to us as CTR if you like.

In addition to the extra website, phone number and referrals, we now also have two IT specialists to run the website and technology and also a virtual assistant service to help us with referrals and answering the phone.

DCS isn’t just a counselling business. They also run a sample collection service in collaboration with Crystal Health, a DNA and drug testing service with laboratories all over the country. At Chelmsford Therapy Rooms we will be continuing to run this sample collection service (when the government allows it) and this will add to our ability to help local people and local businesses wishing to take advantage of this service. The DNA and drug testing service is done on behalf of private companies such as construction companies doing random drug tests for employees and paternity tests for family court cases. Although we are currently unable to offer this service due to COVID-19, this is a service I am keen to grow because we can offer help to some of the referrals that come to us. Many of the cases are sensitive ones, so it’s imperative that the referrals are treated with the same respect as our psychological and nutritional clients as we recognise that a number of the referrals from Crystal Health will want to take advantage of our psychological services.

Decorating I have decided to take this opportunity (with the premises being quiet) to decorate. I’ve been dealing with the DCS/CTR merger for the last couple of months (as well as being audited and managing my own client base of course) so we started the decorating on Friday 5th June.

Room One and Room Two have been given a fresh coat of paint and the waiting room has been freshened up too. The doorway between the waiting room and the rest of the premises now has a fireproof, soundproof, might-as-well-be-bomb-proof, sliding door. This is to ensure we have absolute privacy and confidentiality is maintained.

Not that it wasn’t before, but I just felt that after having the doorway widened to accommodate those using a wheelchair we needed to have the two spaces clearly separated.

My plan was to build Room Three around March time. Unfortunately coronavirus has delayed this expansion, so I will let you all know when we’re in the position to build Room Three and have it decorated.

I don’t have any plans for the kitchen or bathroom as yet, and I won’t be starting work on Room Four yet either.

Seeing Clients at CTR on Premises In light of the continuing pandemic, I have put some measures in place to help keep all therapists and clients safe. First of all it is up to the client to decide whether seeing a therapist face-to-face is a necessity, or whether they are happy to have therapy via an online video platform like Zoom or Skype, or via telephone. This is a conversation I have urged our therapists to have with new and existing clients regularly so that everyone has a clear plan as to how

clients wish to move forward with their therapy.

For those who feel that seeing us face-to-face is something you want to do, I have put measures in place to ensure that both client and therapist maintain the Government’s safe distance of 2-metres apart at all times. I have measured 2-metres (or 6 feet) from the doorway entrance to the reception area and marked this with hazard tape.

(Yes, I already had hazard tape. That’s a long story from about four years ago involving a broken radiator and an over zealous friend...)

I have asked the therapists to follow the following procedure when seeing clients onsite: 1. Leave the front door on the latch so the client can let themselves in.

2. The therapist should stand behind the hazard tape well away from the client as they enter. There is hand sanitiser on the reception desk next to the entrance, and on the bookcase behind the hazard tape, so that both therapist and client can sanitise their hands. There are also masks and alcohol wipes provided in the event therapist or client feels they need these.

The client can then go straight through to the therapy room to sit down.

3. Once the client is seated, the therapist can go through to the therapy room and sit down.

NOTE: All chairs in the therapy rooms are a minimum of 2.1 meters apart. For this system to work so that therapist and client are a minimum of 2-metres apart at all times, clients need to meet the therapist as suggested above and NOT use the reception area.

4. When the client needs to leave, the therapist should leave the room first and stand behind the hazard tape. The client can then leave the therapy room via the front door and the 2-metre distance has been maintained at all times.

5. I have provided alcohol wipes in therapy Room One and Room Two. The therapists are required to wipe down all surfaces that therapist and client have come into contact with after each session, this includes door handles in the therapy rooms, toilet area and the front door as well as tables.

Taking Payment I have suggested that therapists take payment via BACS or PayPal to minimise contact with clients.

We are still taking enquiries so please feel free to contact us - we are here to help!

If anyone has any questions or queries please contact me on the details below.

Thanks everyone, take care and stay safe!

Jenny Hartill is a therapist and owner of Cloud9 Therapy and Chelmsford Therapy Rooms. She is a counsellor, hypnotherapist and mnemodynamic therapist and can help with a multitude of issues.

She and the other therapists at CTR are seeing clients online via Zoom or Skype, but are now beginning to see clients face-to-face.

Please see the therapist list on the the website at www. chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or you can email info@ chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk or call 0330 100 5162 to enquire about an initial consultation. Alternatively, Jenny’s own company website is www.cloud9-therapy.co.uk, her email is info@cloud9therapy.co.uk and her telephone number is 07507 307 170.

14 www.moulshamtimes.com

The Singing Chef

I can’t wait to eat out!!

It’s funny how when someone else prepares you something it seems to taste better. I must say I am and have been a little bored cooking all the time during lockdown...

BBQ, grill or fry for 3-5 minutes each side, depending on the thickness of your pork.

You can use pork chops, but remember any meat with the bone in will take longer to cook.

I’ve managed to hire a very reasonable builder and a very lovely decorator to carry on with some renovations recently and we’re slowly bringing the house back to life after the fire last year. I’m helping as much as I can as a general dog’s body (if the name fits and it sort of does at the minute).

I’ve regrettably had to order a few takeaways as time got away from me with the renovations. Then my friend Kelly’s son, Master Oliver Brooks (9), shared a few lip-smacking dinner creations on Facebook from a popular postal cooking subscription. OMG soooooo good, so easy and super quick. Seriously great way to knock something up if you’re out of time and the flavours are to die for. I won’t be reaching for the phone to call a takeaway anytime soon!

I served this with flatbread and a slaw made from cabbage, red onion and apple dressed in cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. sarahmtfood@gmail.com

This little subscription has sparked a real love of cooking and food for my son Oliver, and they’re great to use for cooking lessons with the kids.

However, I am here to give you one of my recipes, not big up Simply Cook... Whoops. Message me below for a free trial box of 4 recipes. I know... It’s cheating, but cheating cheaply with fresh ingredients. It’s also extremely simple and quick.

I’m keeping it simple as well this week.

Sweet and Smokey Pork Chops The Marinade: Mix together the following • 1 tbsp paprika • 2 tbsp maple syrup (honey will do) • Pinch sea salt and pepper • Score pork loin steaks and rub in the marinade • Refrigerate for at least 6 hours Cooking Remember to tell our advertisers you saw their advert in the MT

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15

St John’s and St Luke’s Churches The last three months have been a difficult time for many people in our community and across the world. The buildings may have been shut but we have kept busy creating worship online, caring for vulnerable people and taking funerals. We set up the Moulsham Support Project which offers practical support to those isolating and many of you volunteered (thank you!). In the last couple of weeks we have opened for private prayer in both churches. We are working out what services will look like, so please watch out for news on that soon.

I have been reflecting on the balance between sadness and hope in the last few weeks. The reality is that this has been pretty awful; people have been sick, some still are, and people have died - I have taken a high number of funerals sadly. Families are having to cope with shortened funeral services with only immediate family members allowed to attend. I have had discussions with people for whom the isolation is causing deep distress and loneliness and people who have lost jobs and businesses.

The Christian faith isn’t fluffy, it doesn’t ask us to pretend that everything is ok when it clearly isn’t. Take a look at the Psalms, they are full of people crying out ‘why?’ to God. The authors don’t get an easy answer to that question and neither do we. It is deeply biblical to express our sorrow and frustration. However, neither are we to despair; there is much to give us hope at the moment. I was deeply concerned for our culture before all of this, it felt like we were heading into a nationalistic, ‘me first’ situation, but now our nation has recognised the value of rubbish collection, supermarket workers, care staff and so many others. We are seeing neighbours connecting, the church mobilising to offer care and support and so many going above and beyond to serve others. I see a much kinder narrative emerging and that gives me great hope.

Hope is at the centre of our faith, after all we worship a God that suffered, died and spent 3 days in a tomb, his disciples feared that all was lost and how wrong they were!

As we start to move out of lockdown restrictions we will need to continue to wrestle with that balance between sadness (the Bible calls it ‘lament’) and hope. There will need to be opportunities to acknowledge the pain, to remember those that have died and those whose lives have changed forever. We will need to support that whose physical, emotional and spiritual health has been affected.

We must hold onto the good; the reassessment of priorities, the community spirit, the kindness. In short, we must not go back to normal and pretend that this never happened. Winston Churchill once famously said during WW2: “Don’t waste a good crisis” I can’t quite agree with the flippancy but the sentiment stands!

We are hoping to create opportunities to reflect on this further in the coming months and we are so looking forward to being back together.

In the meantime we are still live streaming services of Morning Prayer (9.15am on weekdays) and 8am Holy Communion plus 10am Morning Worship on Sundays. These are available on our Facebook pages as well as on the Worship At Home page on the St Luke’s website (www.stlukemoulsham.co.uk/worship-at-home). Feel free to join in at any time. We will continue to live stream when church services restart. Our monthly Bible study has gone virtual too and we would love you to send your prayer requests to moulshamprayers@ gmail.com.

I am praying for us all. I’m praying for you whether you are sad or riding the wave of hope, or perhaps a little bit of both. I pray that in the midst of all of this you feel Jesus with you as an ever present help in trouble, that He may take away any fear and that you may trust in the hope we have been given and in turn be able to offer that hope with others.

Gemma

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Hello everyone, I hope you are all staying safe and well, and staying alert! Thinking back to March when this all started, it was being said that us ‘oldies’ would have to stay in lockdown for three months. ‘No way’ I said, ‘I will not be able to do that’.

Well, three months later and here we are. No visits to a supermarket (or anywhere else come to that). I am surprised that none of my local shopping haunts have not contacted me saying that I had been missed - so much for customer service... My family and friends would often comment about my very frequent shopping trips before lockdown, sometimes going to three supermarkets in a day. Now I can’t remember where they are. Once this is all over I will have to use Google Maps and a route planner to go shopping.

Like a lot of us, I have resorted to some online shopping - with varying levels of success. I am still not a fan I must say. I nearly always end up with at least two of the one item I want in my basket then spend the next half an hour accidentally putting anything other than one in the quantity box, my personal best was to almost order 12! In addition, I have lost count of the number of times I have mistakenly joined a well known online company’s next day delivery service, which after one month free, would cost me nearly £8 per month. I then spend the next two hours trying to cancel it and end up cancelling my order which has taken me two hours to get right. Back to square one, or perhaps ‘did I really need one of those anyway’. Still, at least it passes some time.

As I write this, it has been announced that lockdown rules are being relaxed for pubs, restaurants and the like. They have relaxed the two metre rule and said that the distance can be one metre in some circumstances. Well, if I owned a pub I would think the timing of this announcement was not perfect. I would have just bought loads of two metre stickers and spent hours measuring out the spaces, sticking the stickers on the floor and now they are out of date. The trouble is that to be useful, these stickers are really stuck to the floor with very efficient glue, and it will be almost impossible to get them off. Never mind, I guess it’s a minor irritation in the overall scheme of things.

It will be a bit strange going out to eat. I wonder if the waiters will mind if I take a tray with me and eat my meal while watching The Chase on television.

There is all this talk about how many companies are suffering during lockdown and I am sad to hear this. However, some must be doing a roaring trade. I have just bought some fence panels and I was surprised I was able to get them. I thought it would be a good idea to paint them before I erected (well my son erected, to be fair) them.

Could I get any paint? No! I tried the colours I would prefer, none available. Then I started on the more outrageous ones, silver, blue, dark green, black. Still no stock. All I can say is that we are going to see some unusual coloured fences after lockdown.

Stay safe and well. With any luck, we will be getting close to the ‘new normal’ when next month’s Moulsham Times is published.

Bin End Chuckles I hear that the because of the virus, the makers of sanitation gel are rubbing their hands...

They said that gloves and a mask were all that were required in supermarkets. They lied; everyone else had clothes on...

Talking of time, I have never read so many books in my life. Some are new and some I have, apparently, already read. Often, I do not remember the plots and developments of these until I get to the last twenty pages, when I spoil it all by remembering who dunnit or the twist in the plot in the final chapter.

From my computer desk I can see into our garden. It’s a nice size and has several bushes scattered around. A few weeks ago, I noticed a female blackbird flying into one of these with bits of stuff in her beak, and realised she was building a nest. I watched as she spent every day flying in and out of the bush. Then she was doing the same, but with worms and insects in her beak to feed the babies.

We have a patio next to this bush, and for most of the time she was diving over it to get to the nest. At that time I had not erected the roof of the gazebo. It was just the frame. The day after I put on the roof, the mother blackbird sat on the fence with her baby food in her beak, looking back and forth at the gazebo. I could almost hear her thinking ‘what’s going on here then?’ The poor thing was totally confused and spent ages working out how she could get to her nest.

She eventually worked it out, but I felt really guilty that I had caused her such confusion. Although we missed the event, the baby birds have flown the nest after much encouragement from mum.

I don’t know if you have ever noticed, but over the years some popular songs include sirens to accompany the music. Some years ago, I worked in a factory where they played music over the tannoy system during the shifts. One particular song, Blockbuster by a band called Sweet I think, started with a siren playing. Unfortunately, this siren was very similar to the factory fire alarm. I lost track of the number of times I was up from my seat and heading for the fire exits whenever that song was played. I only remembered this recently when I was driving though Chelmsford, keeping the required two metres social distance from the car in front, listening to the radio when I saw an ambulance coming up behind me with it’s siren blaring. I moved to the left-hand side of the road to let it pass, but it didn’t. Only then did I realise that the siren was on a song being played by Ken Bruce on the radio. The other drivers must have wondered what on earth I was doing. Felt a bit silly, I must say.

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17

Sixties British Blues and R&B Boom 4 - by John Power Guitar Centred Groups Most of the bands we have noted previously, descending from Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, retained a Hammond organ and brass section that linked to the jazz background or R&B in the style of Ray Charles, Jimmy Witherspoon, Otis Redding, James Brown, Wilson Pickett and Tamla Motown artists from the States. But Alexis Korner also spawned The Rolling Stones who led the development of guitar and harmonica groups of Delta and Chicago-style electric blues. It is to that side of the fork at the crossroads that we now need to turn.

May who had also been at Sidcup Art College suggested a less risky semi-pro band, so Dick took up lead, Phil sang and played harmonica and they were joined by John Stax on bass, Brian Pendleton on rhythm guitar, initially Pete Kitley on drums, who was eventually replaced by Viv Prince, a Keith Moon-style wildman of rock. Bryan Morrison who had also been at college with them and subsequently built the Bryan Morrison Agency (which also handled an early Pink Floyd) managed them, and got them a record contract with the Fontana label in 1964.

The Rolling Stones The Stones story is so well known that we don’t need to dwell too long on it. The name came from the title of a Muddy Waters song. Their early influences came from imported American records and the early Ealing Jazz Club sessions of Alexis Korner and Blues Inc. Mick Jagger, Keith Richard and Brian Jones all learnt from and jammed with its members, which included Charlie Watts. Jagger learned harmonica from Cyril Davies. Dick (not Mick) Taylor was an early member of the Stones before going back to college and then joining the Pretty Things. Ian Stewart was a founder member but played off-stage and acted as road manager. Bill Wyman joined in 1962.

The Pretties were very purist blues at first with their first self titled album of 1965 especially favouring Bo Diddley, who’s song Pretty Thing gave then their name, and Jimmy Reed, athough a couple of their own songs were in evidence. Their first three singles all charted in 1964 and 1965: Rosalyn, Don’t Bring Me Down and Honey I Need.

David Bowie covered the first two of these on his tribute album, Pinups.

Jones, Jagger, Stewart and Taylor played a gig at The Marquee in 1962 and Wyman joined later that year. Giorgio Gomelsky became their first manager and got them a Sunday residence at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond in 1963. Andrew Loog Oldham took over later as manager that year; he had been a publicist for The Beatles beforehand. Their first record label was Decca and they began the trend of taking black music back to America, but to a white audience, notably getting Howlin’ Wolf on the Ed Sullivan show at their request. His song Little Red Rooster was their fifth single and reached number 1 in the charts despite not much belief in its chances from Decca.

Brian Jones was the original band leader but became so unreliable due to his drug misuse he has to be fired in 1969 and died in a swimming pool a month later. Mick Taylor took over when invited to join from John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and remained until 1974 when Ronnie Wood replaced him. Taylor had his own blues band from time to time. Ian Stewart died in 1985. Other back-up members have included Nicky Hopkins on piano from 1967-82, Ian McLagan from the Faces (1978-81) on other keyboards, as was Billy Preston in the mid eighties, Chuck Leavell from 1982 and Bobby Keys on sax intermittently.

Early blues and rock fusion influenced numbers included such songs as Not Fade Away, a Buddy Holly song given a Bo Diddley rhythm.

These were soon replaced by numbers penned by Jagger and Richards, aka Nanker/Phelge, the Glimmer Twins. The band went briefly psychedelic after The Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper album with Their Satanic Majesties Request but returned to their blues roots for Beggars Banquet in 1968, Let It Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile on Main Street (1972), a country and Western and disco interlude with Some Girls (1978), and Tattoo You (1981), before a 2-year hiatus with Mick and Keith doing solo projects. All their albums and singles are too long to list, but they tended to be linked to world tours after that time: Steel Wheels (1989), Voodoo Lounge (1994), Bridges to Babylon (1997), Forty Licks (2002) and Bigger Bang (2005). Their retro-roots studio album Blue and Lonesome was released in 2016.

The Pretty Things Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys was a band that included Mick Jagger, Keith Richard and Dick Taylor. Dick and Keith had been at Sidcup Art College together. The three of them joined Brian Jones to form The Rollin Stones (original spelling) in 1962. Taylor played the bass as at that time there were too many leads. Not wanting to risk an uncertain musical career, Dick decided to carry on his education at Central School of Art and Design rather than go professional. Phil

The group were popular in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, where they exhibited fairly anarchic behaviour, especially Viv Prince, who caused visa and permit refusal threats in the latter. He was eventually asked to leave and was replaced by Skip Alan in 1965.

In 1966 they did a cover of a Kinks’ song and charted again. An album called Progress had brass instruments added and moved towards soul music. But the following Emotions album had brass and strings, which proved to be a step too far for many fans. It was their last on Fontana. A change to Columbia as psychedelia dawned saw further changes to their sound on Defecting Grey in 1967 was better received, and was followed by a single, Talking ‘Bout the Good Times/ Walking Through My Dreams.

The band are credited with the first rock opera S.F. Sorrow in 1968, before The Who’s Tommy. The post-World War II gloom theme did not appeal to all though. Skip Alan left the drum stool to be replaced by Twink from the Colchester Band The Fairies, In Crowd and Tomorrow.

Victor Unitt replaced Dick Taylor in 1969 and Twink formed the Pink Fairies in the same year, as Skip Alan returned for the next psychedelic album before the group disbanded in 1971. Other albums for porn and horror movies were done under an alias, Electric Banana.

By 1974 the band had reformed and signed with Led Zeppelin’s manager Peter Grant and their record label Swan Song to record the album Silk Torpedo and then Savage Eye before disbanding again.

From 1978 to 1981 the 1967 line-up reformed but were competing with new wave styles of music and fashion, so they toured in Europe up to 1994 and did a live album of live classics in 1987, Out of the Island. In 1991 Phil May and Dick Taylor joined with Yardbird Jim McCarthy on drums and went to Chicago and teamed up with Richard Hite from Canned Heat on bass and Studebaker John on rhythm and slide guitars and harp to play with a host of Chicago bluesmen for the Chicago Blues Tapes. Rage Before Beauty was a studio album of 2000, then live recordings with Frank Holland on guitar, George Woosey on bass and Jack Greenwood on drums, then a compilation, Come See Me in 2004, The Sweet Pretty Things in 2015 and a tribute album by younger musicians called Sorrow’s Children in 2012.

Brian Pendleton died in 2007 and Phil and Dick announced that their 2018 tour would be their last, owing to Phil’s emphysema, but that they would be doing acoustic London gigs as a duo.

If you missed parts 1-3 while we were online only please visit www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia to view these editions

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Spot 10 Differences (Answers on Page 31)

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19

Tile Kiln Corner - by Cllr Linda Mascot

As we slowly and tentatively come out of lockdown, like a butterfly carefully emerging from a safe chrysalis, the past three months all seem quite surreal. Who could have envisaged the drastic changes we have all made to our daily lives and how quickly we’ve become accustomed to wearing masks, washing and sanitising our hands and socially distancing from every other person, including family members?

garden bingo, music and a great VE Day celebration.

Although it’s a bit south of Tile Kiln, this entry in the Galleywood scarecrow competition, entitled One Day Soon by Mary Wood, summed up the feelings of all grandparents and family members at this time who have had forced separation and yearn to hug their loved ones again.

For me, working in a local junior school, we are in a small ‘bubble’ with a small group of children and still enforcing the 2-metre distancing rule at all times - very challenging, but we’ve all become acclimatised to this new type of normal and its good to be back at work.

Some exceptional people have come forward to help our community in different ways. I’ve mentioned them before, but they have truly stepped forward to make a difference to lives in different ways.

Back in January, Eric and Toni Tatum of Linnet Drive had decided to sell goods at boot sales to fund a defibrillator for Great Baddow Bowls club. They adapted their plans by asking for donations of good quality items and then sold the goods on their driveway. They had a good passing trade most days during lockdown and have now raised the amazing amount of £1,800 which will enable the device to be installed when the club reopens.

I’m certain we are coming out of this with more kindness and consideration for each other. If you know anyone who has gone above and beyond to help others during this epidemic, please let me know so I can thank them on behalf of their community.

Take care and stay safe. mascotlinda@gmail.com Twitter : @lindamascot Heydi Alvarado was unable to trade in supplying party balloons, so made inspiring creations outside her Goshawk Drive house to thank our NHS and key workers every week to tie in with the clapping for carers on our doorsteps.

Darren Thorndick brought many a smile to faces in Moulsham Lodge and Tile Kiln as he took his daily exercise dressed as a Star Wars stormtrooper. Advertising his route on the local Neighbourhood Watch page ahead of his journey, many a curtain twitched as he strode past and his young fan club increased weekly, pictured is Teddy Smee.

Darren also made more than 200 PPE face shields with his 3D printer for local pharmacies, doctor’s surgeries, palliative care teams, care homes and ICU teams - all free of charge.

Neighbours have arranged socially distanced events to help alleviate loneliness and social isolation. Emma Hatcher and Skevi Ioannou started a WhatsApp group for their neighbours and arranged front 20

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Moulsham Lodge Community Trust Whilst we are still in the middle of this pandemic at least some of the restrictions are slowly being lifted. The Community Station and The Copper Pot Café remain closed and we’re not sure yet when they are likely to reopen. This means that we cannot help those in the community who we were set up to help.

We have though been able to provide afternoon teas on two different days and we plan to do the same again twice more for now. If you want to enjoy a cream tea for £8 per person or £15 for two, then keep on eye on our face book page (details below). The next dates will be Sunday 26th July and Sunday 30th August 2020. Two of the boxes will contain golden tickets which will mean a free cream tea on 30th August.

Whilst the building has been closed, CEO Mark Springett has been going in at the weekend (as he is still working full time from home) doing some of the other jobs that need doing to complete the building works. There has been painting, shelves to put up, a utility room to fit out and alterations to be made to the baby changing room and the disabled toilet. Depending on how much longer we are closed will depend on how much more can be done, but hopefully we will have a much better facility available for the community.

Out next project is seating for the outside decking so that when the coffee shop reopens we can enjoy alfresco coffees and lunches. www.mlct.org.uk Twitter: @MLCTStation Also search for us on Facebook and Instagram

Deputy Mayor Cllr Linda Mascot collecting her teas to be enjoyed while socially distancing with her mum

Can New Ever Feel Normal?

There’s much talk now about the ‘new normal’. The things that we will all have to get used to in a postlockdown world. Whilst the talk can tend toward the hopeful, as many anticipate that the new normal will mean more normal’ than new, for many of us that won’t be the case.

Whatever new normal is, it doesn’t yet feel at all normal, and that means we find it difficult to feel anchored, stable, secure. There are some aspects of lockdown that we have grown used to, some aspects we might actually like!

Certainly some aspects of the ‘old’ normal we’d rather not have back.

Some have used lockdown to reassess and ask some of life’s big questions. Many have turned to prayer when their own situation has taken a dark turn. I wonder whether that’s you? Perhaps you’ve found some answers, perhaps you’re still seeking. Let me encourage you to keep seeking - we believe that the answers can be found, and found www.moulshamtimes.com

in Jesus Christ.

At Tile Kiln Church, we’ve continued to worship Jesus Christ, and seek to support one another and the local community. Much of this is online now, and you can find us both on Facebook (www.facebook. com/TileKilnChurch) and by searching on YouTube.

For us, whatever ‘new’ normal means or looks like, there’s one thing that we know never changes: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever and he is the true King over all the cosmos. This anchors us, so that whether normal is new or old, we are secure, stable, anchored in the grace of Jesus Christ.

We’d love to chat and help, so do get in touch through the links above, or email me directly.

Tim Goodall Pastor, Tile Kiln Church tim.goodall@tilekilnchurch.org.uk

21

Have the Real Classics Come Out to Play? - by Simon Inglis Comparisons between Australia and the United Kingdom during COVID-19 are pointless. I say it a lot and I’ve written it often as well: Australia - and New Zealand for that matter - dodged a bullet. The direct flights with China were closed early, those in senior health positions were able to effectively warn our politicians, and for once the Australian state and territory bureaucrats got it right. There have been many errors and many more scares, yet overall and so far, we got lucky. Time shall tell but the European and American debacles are being closely observed and feared. Sometimes a bit of fear works and Aussies are, on the whole, well aware how easily we could be the next Italy or dare I say, the UK. However this isn’t a story about COVID-19. More on a motoring side I want to tell a true story about Aussies going about their motoring lives.

2020 is the first year in about 100 years that Australia doesn’t make many cars. Not only has Holden shut up shop as its grand old nameplate becomes just another lost marque, but Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi have long left. There are tinkerers with kit cars, some talk of an electric car, as well as the limited construction of the Brabham BT62. Yet the motoring landscape is starting to represent many other developed countries.

SUVs and utilities reign supreme at the moment. Ford’s Ranger and Toyota’s Hilux top the sales list and the only sedans in the top 20 are the usual leased BMWs, Mercedes and Audis. In time, all of these will trickle on into the used car market in which everyday people (such as me) will need to struggle with ageing electronics and other technologies of the day!

Yet things happen out here too. So finally to the point of this semilockdown rural-countryside story...

It’s the cars and the landscape of course!

That says so much to somebody like me. At this time of the year the rolling hills have turned green, there’s acre after acre of grazing sheep and cows, a kangaroo often surveys this wintry scene as a deer passes by. The wildlife is wonderful whether imported from Europe or native to the land. The gums nestle among pine trees as Victoria’s road network winds between its little towns, seemingly endlessly through rich farmland and long stretches of glorious tarmac.

And true to the times, it’s a reason to take out your own special car.

The little townships that I pass through really are enlivened for a car lover when cherished vehicles are taken out of their garages to see a bit of rain.

I don’t really know if the threat of a pandemic is changing owner attitudes, but there is certainly a rise in special cars on our roads.

I’ve seen the usual fare such as Ferraris and McLarens, but it’s the far more interesting (to me) personal collections I’m noticing.

In the last week I’ve seen old Aussie muscle cars such as the original Holden Monaro and a circa 1973 Chrysler Charger. A neighbour is using his BMW Z3 daily, our hairdresser is in their 1999 Jaguar S-type and I’m using our 2003 BMW 530i - a very low mileage example almost daily around town.

Seemingly gone are the days in which unreliable motors and transmissions were the major worry as people - again, such as myself - learn the crippling cost of an old sensor which is responsible for changing gears… and we all ‘need’ satellite navigation, colourful entertainment screens, cameras and other gadgetry that a few years ago we never knew we actually really did indeed ‘need’!

But I have also noticed a different and delightful occurrence as such on Victorian motorways. Indeed, classic car shows and various meets have been cancelled due to the need to socially distance, but some of this country’s more influential motoring organisations have been encouraging owners to drive their classics, or just their more special cars, more often.

Our travel radius was initially reduced. Police eagerly scanned our number plates to see if we had strayed from our 50 kilometres from our homes. Being the true nanny-state, Aussie police devoted significant resources to this exercise for some three months. Yet this range has since been removed. It was certainly a relief for our household and we celebrated as such by driving our Saab to the nearby woodlands to go mushroom foraging. Just the ability to go for a drive is nice and fuel prices not seen in two decades mean it’s not a terribly costly thing to do.

Winter in much of Australia does not offer a comparison with the United Kingdom, however there are cold patches. I live in just such an area in which daytime temperatures struggle to double digits and nights hover just above, or below, freezing. Add day after day of rain or drizzle and a cold wind. A large one tenth or so (a large area, believe me!) of Australia is actually very cold, yet admittedly this region is populated by towns such as mine or much less; we are the forgotten Australia of little townships and countless little cities of 10,000 souls or very much fewer.

I live some two hours drive from Melbourne which is our bustling capital of 5 million - it’s the place where everything happens.

Whether it be one of the 4 annual tennis Grand Slams, a Grand Prix, an annual test match, or its eerie gothic architecture, the shopping or the music and live comedy scene. Seemingly, it’s all about Melbourne if one lives in the state of Victoria.

driveway in our street.

Yesterday I saw the first MG I’ve seen outside of summer and there are various old and newer Holdens, Fords, Mercedes, Alfas and then even a Ford Prefect in superb condition crept out of a

I’m not at all keen to own all of these cars, but as I have my own minor ‘classics’ in the driveway, it is great to see what interests others.

Over the years, I’ve completely lost any enthusiasm in whether Koenigsegg or Bugatti is currently the king of speed. Creepy people now own Lamborghinis which as cars are no longer outrageous as I grew up believing that they should be - and Porsche 911s are fabulous to drive, yet unutterably boring to look at.

I’d rather see a slightly road-tatty Porsche 944 or our local Z3. Cars should be driven - that’s why they were made. And I love to see what other people enjoy.

So just perhaps in this little (big in area) pocket of the world, as owners have been encouraged to rediscover the country drive over a binge-series, a global pandemic has opened our minds a little bit more.

Life is tragically short and as humans we waste so much of it. In the car world, few of us will ever get to own a McLaren 720S or a Mercedes-Benz 300SL. Just perhaps, the bad news, fear and unprecedented restrictions on our freedoms, mean that when the restrictions are slightly relaxed some people are learning to live in the moment.

I certainly have. And given all of this, I’m driving my very modest collection far more than ever!

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