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Enjoy your haircut / beard trim in modern, classic surroundings. Complimentary drink with each visit and complimentary use of our massage chairs. Phone/tablet charging points available.
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Mens & Boys Haircuts
Issue Number 101 - May 2021
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Moulsham Barber’s Lounge, 161a Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, CM2 0LD | Tel: 01245 261700
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MT Welcome Hi readers,
Welcome to the May edition of Moulsham Times. Lovely to see so many colourful flowers and plants in our parks and gardens and there is no doubt that the warmer weather brings with it more smiles! This month we welcome two new regular writers, Ola who wrote for us last month but is now joining us on a regular basis, and Henry who is going to be telling us all about history - some local, some not so local. We do still have room for a new writer; a person who could write about art or crafts would be great, so if that is you, please get in touch! Regards Paul
Advertising & Editorial Paul Mclean 01245 262082/07595 949701 paul@moulshamtimes.com 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 Warners (Midlands) PLC.
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Chelmsford - by Vicky Ford MP
As I write, the Queen has just celebrated her 95th birthday. I know that many people in Chelmsford had huge respect for HRH Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, especially for his dedication to young people, wildlife and the environment, as well as his tireless support to HRH The Queen. Our thoughts are with Her Majesty at this time. Spring is a time of hope and rebirth and here in the UK we do have reason to feel hopeful after a truly difficult year. Our vaccination programme is a momentous national effort and achievement and a crucial part of returning to normality. We have almost become used to the enormous vaccination figures - we are now at over 33 million first doses and over 11 million second doses - it is remarkable. Thank you to all the volunteers and professionals who are working so hard behind the scenes on the vaccine rollout. It was very uplifting to be in and around Chelmsford High Street when we moved to step 2 of the roadmap to recovery. Many people were out and about enjoying themselves, meeting friends, having a haircut and checking out the shops. Thank you to everyone who stopped to talk, all the time being very careful and mindful of others. It has been good to see some new businesses arrive in Chelmsford and the cafés, bars and restaurants have clearly put huge work into their Covid-secure preparations. Please do support our High Street
and local businesses.
I know many Chelmsford residents are deeply affected by ongoing fire safety and cladding concerns, and I would like to assure readers that I continue to work extremely hard to support affected constituents. I am meeting regularly with developers, freeholders and managing agents for buildings in my constituency. If you are personally affected by this and would like me to raise your concerns with your management company, developer or freeholder, please do email vicky.ford.mp@parliament.uk so I can help you. During the Easter holidays I particularly enjoyed visiting the Holiday Activities and Food clubs that the Government is now funding all across the country. At the Essex Boys and Girls Club in Rectory Lane there were 45 children having a fantastic time and taking part in lots of fun activities such as football, art, playing games, whilst making new friends. Since the beginning of the pandemic, my small team and I have helped answer over 11,000 individual inquiries from Chelmsford residents on a huge range of subjects. I cannot promise that we will solve every problem, but we do always endeavour to find a solution and will always prioritise urgent cases. The easiest way for us to help you is if you email vicky.ford.mp@parliament.uk. If you have a complex problem, I also hold a regular virtual surgery. If you need an appointment please call 01245 352 872.
Come and Join 104.4FM Chelmsford Community Radio Recently we’ve launched a campaign to encourage more people to join 104.4FM Chelmsford Community Radio and to help support community radio in the city. As part of this campaign, new members will get training on how to present their own radio shows and to develop their presenting style and speech skills.
Remember, all you need to do to support community radio in Chelmsford is switch us on and listen! 104.4FM in Chelmsford and online at www. chelmsfordcommunityradio.com
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Our schedules are packed with interesting local features and interviews, such as a preview of the touring production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth coming to Hylands Estate. Good Morning Chelmsford is a great way to start your day, featuring a regular local interview at around 9.15am most mornings. Chelmsford-based author Sheila Norton who has just published her latest book, Escape to Riverside Cottage, was also recently interviewed on Chelmsford Chatting.
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MT Health: Four Weekly Habits To Look After My Back - By Chris at Forté Physical Health The statistics tell us that eighty per cent of us will experience back pain at some point in our lives. As an osteopath, the only thing I find surprising about that statistic is that it isn’t more! I guess I have a skewed perspective of reality because I always see people in pain. However, I see my job here in these pages of the Moulsham Times to be a voice of optimism for health, and today I am going to discuss the weekly habits I employ to look after my back. I am indeed one of the eighty per cent and I do suffer from acute pain from time to time, but I recover quickly and it doesn’t happen too often. I think that is in part due to this routine. I hope it helps you too. Let’s get into it! 1. Get Adequate Sleep In Matthew Walker’s book, Why We Sleep, he shares research that shows that being sleep-deprived makes us sixty per cent more likely to experience injury the following day. Sleep deprivation is defined not as a huge night of partying, but just as two hours less than the recommended eight hours per night. If you had to get up early to catch that train, or you couldn’t resist the extra episode of binge-worthy TV last night, that could be enough to put your back at risk of injury from small movements. 2. Stretch Every Day I have spoken before about how I stretch every day, but this is easier than it sounds. I’m not talking about doing an hour long yoga session each day (although that would be lovely). What I mean is that each day I test my joint range of motion by using strange movements that normal activity doesn’t test. You can see my three daily stretches on my YouTube channel (search ‘Chris Branch’ and you’ll find it). When the kids are in bed and I’m watching Netflix (being careful not to go to bed too late!), I get down on the floor and wriggle. I loosen my hips, my back and even my feet, all while watching a bit of telly and relaxing.
4. Stay Strong Each week you should be doing a little bit of strength practice. Again, this doesn’t have to be complicated. If you enjoy going to the gym and you have been taught good technique, then yes, weight training is great. But if that’s not your cup of tea, that’s fine too. Strength training just means that you put some effort into some resistance that is hard to do. I aim to do this at least three times a week and I normally only spend twenty minutes or so training. I mostly do bodyweight movements and I have a couple of weights, but I lift them in ways which make it quite tricky for my legs, core and arms. It’s nothing fancy, but it keeps me strong enough to wrestle with the kids, do my job effectively and help prevent injury. So here we have four more tips to help look after your back. I hope they help you and, remember my silly phrase: ‘motion is lotion and movement is medicine!’ Until next time, have a healthy and happy month! Chris Branch is the principal osteopath at Forté Physical Health. The therapists at Forté are specialists in the treatment of back pain, joint pain and sports injuries. The treatment often includes discussion of lifestyle factors to help accelerate healing and wellbeing. If you have any questions, you can find details to get in touch at fortephysicalhealth.co.uk.
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3. Walk Often Walking often is quite possibly the most nourishing thing you can do for your joints. Each time you take a step, movement ripples through your body. This ripple compresses one side of your spine and it opens and stretches the other. On the side that is compressed, fluid is squished out of the joints. This can help get rid of waste and is squeezes blood back to the heart. On the side that is opened, fluid is drawn into the joints that nourishes and repairs them. Walking essentially creates a pump mechanism that feeds and drains our deep tissues and keeps them healthy. One word of warning; since lockdown, I have treated many people who think they are walking enough because they go for a three or even five-mile walk each morning. Of course, this is a great thing to do. However, the most important thing is how often you walk; if you do a long walk each morning but then sit at your home desk all day, that’s not good and you will tighten up. Pretend you are still in the office and get up to do a few steps each time you send an email that once upon a time would have been a conversation with a colleague who sits just around the corner from you.
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MT Therapy by Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Hi Everyone! I hope you’re all safe and well now that we’re coming out of lockdown again. Chelmsford Therapy Rooms is up and running following Government guidelines - risk assessment all done and seeing clients face-to-face. We are getting busier, but we’re being very strict with the number of people allowed in the therapy space at one time to ensure that we are working as safely as possible. We’re also still seeing clients online via Zoom, via email and some of us are also offering counselling via telephone. Lots of us are used to working more online now, and this led me to my inspiration for this month’s article.
People of all ages have been using the internet more. Whether that’s using Zoom for school classes or meetings, using social media to keep in touch and find out about what’s happening, or writing to each other via email. The internet has been a lifesaver for many of us, allowing us to maintain that human connection we all need. However, there is a downside to this too. I’ve been hearing all over the news, and from friends and fellow therapists that there has been an increase in online abuse. There are different forms of online abuse and in this article I’m exploring one of them - cyber bullying.
ghosting will also spread rumours about the haunted knowing this will get back to them. For more information on ghosting, I suggest you watch the MTV show Ghosted. On the show the presenters force the ghost to own up to what they have done and apologise to their victim. You’d be surprised as to why some people ghost... 2. Harassment Harassment is a broad category under which many types of cyber bullying fall into, but it generally refers to a sustained and constant pattern of hurtful or threatening online messages sent with the intention of doing harm to someone. 3. Outing/Doxing Outing - also known as doxing - refers to the act of openly revealing sensitive or personal information about someone without their consent for purposes of embarrassing or humiliating them. This can range from the spreading of personal photos or documents of public figures, to sharing an individual’s saved personal messages in an online private group. The key is the lack of consent from the victim. 4. Trickery Trickery is similar to outing, with an added element of deception. In these situations, the bully will befriend their target and lull them into a false sense of security. Once the bully has gained their target’s trust, they abuse that trust and share the victim’s secrets and private information to a third party or multiple third parties. 5. Cyberstalking Cyberstalking is a particularly serious form of cyber bullying that can extend to threats of physical harm to the person being targeted. It can include monitoring, false accusations, threats, and is often accompanied by offline stalking. It is a criminal offence and can result in a restraining order, probation, and even jail time for the perpetrator.
According to the dictionary, cyber bullying is defined as: ‘The use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.’ Believe it or not we’ve all probably experienced cyber bullying at some point. I’ve even seen it happen in Facebook groups for professional counsellors! So let’s take a look at some of the different forms of cyber bullying. According to Securly, a specialist EdTech company who focus on the online safety of students aged 5-18 (they pioneered the digital student safety movement in 2013), there are ten types of cyber bullying: 1. Exclusion Exclusion is the act of leaving someone out deliberately. Exclusion exists with in-person bullying situations, but is also used online to target and bully a victim. For example, someone might be excluded/ uninvited to groups or parties while they see other friends being included. They might also be left out of message threads or conversations that involve mutual friends. This is a deliberate attempt to make the person feel isolated, to make them question themselves, and make them feel alone and vulnerable. I’m going to add my own contribution here and include ‘ghosting’ under exclusion. When someone ghosts you they literally just do not get back to you at all ever. They block you on everything and seemingly vanish, usually after previously having an intense emotional connection. Sometimes this ghosting happens where the ghost (or cyber bully) then deliberately continues relationships with people the haunted (cyber bullying victim) knows - so our victim can see they’re being deliberately ignored. Sometimes the person
6. Fraping Fraping is when a bully uses a person’s social networking accounts to post inappropriate content with their name. It can be harmless when friends write funny posts on each other’s profiles, but has the potential to be incredibly harmful. For example, a bully posting racial/homophobic slurs through someone else’s profile to ruin their reputation. In order to frape someone, the perpetrator needs the account login details so they can post as the person’s profile. A bully might befriend someone, or use coercive control, to gain access to their profile. This can happen as a result of catfishing... 7. Masquerading/Catfishing Masquerading happens when a bully creates a made up profile or identity online with the sole purpose of cyber bullying someone. This could involve creating a fake email account, fake social media profile, and selecting a new identity and photos to fool the victim. In these cases, the bully tends to be someone the victim knows quite well. In recent years this has been referred to as catfishing. If you’d like to see some examples of catfishing, I suggest the MTV show Catfish. Although it’s primarily set in the USA, a UK version has also just been aired. The victims are almost always young people between the ages of 15 and 25, and they almost always know the person. Sometimes the catfish isn’t outwardly malicious. They may pretend to, or genuinely feel, they have fallen in love with their victim. There are however different subcategories of catfish - including those who extort money out of their victims. Catfishing has become more and more popular and with the pandemic, it is expected that there will be a significant rise in fake profiles and therefore victims of catfishing. 8. Dissing Dissing refers to the act of a bully spreading cruel information about their target through public posts or private messages to either ruin their reputation or relationships with other people. In these
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situations, the bully tends to have a personal relationship with the victim, either as an acquaintance or as a friend. 9. Trolling Trolling is when a bully will seek out to intentionally upset others by posting inflammatory comments online. Trolling may not always be classed as a form of cyber bullying, but it can be used as a tool to cyber bully when done with malicious and harmful intent. These bullies tend to be more detached from their victims and do not have a personal relationship. For example, many celebrities suffer from trolling. 10. Flaming This type of online bullying constitutes of posting about or directly sending insults and profanity to their target. Flaming is similar to trolling, but will usually be a more direct attack on a victim to incite them into getting involved in online fights. Those who cyber bully are often referred to as ‘keyboard warriors’. This is because they let out all of their angst and frustration online feeling protected by their screen, saying things that they would never ever say to someone’s face. I hope this information has been of some help. I’d like to continue to explore cyber bullying and what you can do about in the next issue! Jenny Hartill is a therapist and owner of Cloud9 Therapy and Chelmsford Therapy Rooms. Please see the therapist list on the the website at www.chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or email info@chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or call 0330 100 5162 to enquire about an initial consultation.
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MT Gardening
It is all go at this time of the year in the fruit and vegetable garden! Whatever you are up to, please take care with plant aftercare. Take a look at the following... Watering Critical watering times for vegetables are: • • •
At seedling stage. At transplanting. At flowering and during fruit development, when the vegetable is a fruit or seed, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peas and beans. At regular intervals for leafy and root vegetables.
•
Seep hoses and automatic watering systems are particularly useful in the vegetable garden. Feeding If organic matter and fertiliser are applied as part of ground preparation, it should not be necessary to feed any further - with the exception of nitrogen and potassium for specific crops. Because some vegetables have a high requirement for nitrogen which is lost easily by leaching, a top dressing or liquid feed is beneficial for leafy crops such as potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, leeks, beetroot and rhubarb.
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Weed control is important in the vegetable garden, particularly among seedlings and young plants, as they compete for water, nutrients and light. Mulching, regular hoeing or hand weeding are the best methods of control. Use of chemical sprays is not recommended as they may damage the vegetables. For perennial weeds spot treatment with, for example, glyphosate (a total translocated herbicide) is suitable as it quickly becomes inactive in the soil.
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Lastly, have you thought about using green manures? A green manure is a quick growing herbaceous crop that is grown to be dug into the soil as a form of organic matter. Advantages include: • • • • • •
They prevent nutrients from being leached out of the soil. Their growth helps break up the soil and maintain soil structure. On decomposition, they add organic matter to the soil. Leguminous green manures, such as clover, fix nitrogen and make it available for the following crop. They protect the soil surface against capping and erosion. They encourage and support beneficial wildlife.
Green manures are sown in situ and are usually dug into the soil before they flower. Some are suitable for overwintering and may be left to grow for five or six months or longer. These tend to be used for overwintering. Others are quick growing and dug in in as little as six weeks. These tend to be suitable for spring or summer sowings.
Happy gardening For any gardening tips, please contact Tom Cole, Horticultural Lecturer, Capel Manor College, Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 4RR, or by email tom.cole@capel.ac.uk.
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Long Term Green Manures Winter tares (Vicia sativa) - sow March to September. Suitable for overwintering and digging in in spring. Legume, so fixes nitrogen. Mass of attractive foliage smothers weeds. Hungarian Grazing Rye (Secale cereale) -sow August to October. Suitable for overwintering and digging in in spring. Masses of roots suppress weeds and help break up soils. Very strong growing and good at storing nutrients. Fits anywhere in crop rotation.
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Fast Growing Green Manures Mustard (Sinapis alba) - sow March to September. Very quick growing and can be dug in within six weeks. Greedy plant, absorbing nitrogen which will be released when decomposes. Later sowings can be killed off by frost. Scorpion weed (Phacelia tanacetifolia) - sow March to September. Mass of attractive foliage smothers weeds. Flowers attract hoverflies which predate on aphids. Fits anywhere in crop rotation. For further top tips for May, check out this link for further jobs for the garden: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/may.
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Nick Garner’s Music & Ramblings Hi how are you all?
The gradual unlocking seems to be working so far, so lets just hope that we the public continue to be sensible as it seems a lot better out there now. It has been a strange month with us having had Easter during restrictions and the death of Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh. I know we have lost others too - I have just lost one of my oldest friends of fifty years to cancer, who was still with his teenage sweetheart of over fifty years. His death has affected me. It is strange how the passing of some people affects us more than others. Prince Philip was a husband, a father, a grandfather and great grandfather. Yes, he was 99 years old, but it would have been good for him to reach one hundred I think. He did so much good and I have learnt a lot about him since he died - but most of all, we remember him as the Queen’s husband and consort who always supported her, and for his Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme - along with his loose tongue and wit. I never did the awards, but what a wonderful thing it is - I know many who have done it at all levels. We must not forget anyone we have lost - whether close, or just known to us. Everyone is important to everyone, no matter who they are. I got to see my daughter and her family in their new house for the first time recently - they had moved into their new home in November last year. It was a great day - and how my grandchildren have grown! They are becoming young adults which is scary in itself to me as it makes me feel I am ageing far to quickly (time to regress I think). It has been good to be able to go out to the shops too, but also sad to see those shops that have closed, meaning some have lost their jobs and income. Although there has been a few new shops opening up around us too. Hopefully some who have lost their jobs will have found new ones as a result. I have been to a pub garden once, not to drink as I don’t drink alcohol these days. I went to see Joe Anderton and Connor Selby play live, which was great - I have so missed live music. The whole thing was great fun, although a couple of people went to shake my hand and one to hug me: I said no thank you, it is NOT suddenly over yet you know! Elbows only and keep a distance please. I have started up one of my old hobbies, photography and I have gone and got a great lens and a couple of good camera bodies which I will
which I told you all about in the last edition. Do see the updated poster in this edition, as there are some additions to the line-up for the year. On Friday 16th July we welcome Robin Bibi, who many of you will know as a solo or duo and with his 3-piece band. He has now added three more musicians to the line-up and made it into quite a big band with a brass section - they are stunning. They have only so far played one show which was before the pandemic started, so this will be the second show of many to come, we hope. On the same night, we have Jeff Chapmans Roosters - if you like Dr Feelgood, Wilco Johnson or Mick Green of the Pirates, you will surely love these. We’re thinking of this as more of a double-header and a really good value show.
For the next new show we have got the Trembling Wilburys back on Friday 15th October. These guys have been around now for over ten years, so if you like the Travelling Wilburys they will not disappoint. They are full of talent and have a pedigree longer than my arm. Opening act is yet to be confirmed. I am also waiting on a confirmation for the show on 10th December - if it comes off you will love it! One show we have had to sadly cancel this year due to the venue being double-booked is the Gibson, Martin, Fender show which was booked for Friday 29th October. If you want to go to see them l have got them a show at Leo’s Red Lion in Gravesend in Kent for the same date. I have just heard that it looks like people will need a Covid passport to get into the shows at present. It’s early days, and I am not sure what it might involve as I write... For me personally I am quite pleased with the idea, as I think it will make us all feel safer as the majority of our audience are mostly in their more senior years, like me. As we move forward, let’s hope that we can get the arts opening up more in all venues, from theatres to more spaces outside and inside, and from sports to village fêtes, open gardens and so much more. Do remember if you have anything going on that’s open to the public, please send it to us so we can get our What’s On guide up and running once more in the City Times. Send your listings to editorial@ itsyourmedia.co.uk. Please note that you currently cannot get tickets direct from the football club, nor at present from any local shops. Please buy your ticket online, or via our ticket hotline which is 07508 496 411 (see my advert for full details). Please see my links below to be kept up to speed of where we are at for the entertainment.
also use for live streaming. It is fun going out snapping away now. All I have to do is learn how to use them properly to get even better shots! Have you taken up a new or an old hobby during the past year? If so, we would love to hear about it; our details are further on in this article and on page 3.
We are continuing to publish both the Moulsham Times and City Times online as well at www. issuu.com/itsyourmedia. If you are interested in advertising with us, please contact us at paul@moulshamtimes.com, or if you have a comment or an article please send to paul@moulshamtimes.com and we will reply to you as soon as we can.
Music It is all slowly starting to happen again, and I have been to see some live music outside - wahoo! Now with the pubs soon to be reopening inside, it will hopefully start to gather more momentum as we move forward with care.
For all my updates and information, go to Black Frog www. blackfrogpresents.com or www.facebook.com/BlackFrogPresents. The Isolation Music Festival - Black Frog Presents page for online shows can be found at www.fb.com/isolationmusicfestival. We are also on YouTube at www.youtube.com/blackfrogpresents.
We at Black Frog Presents are starting up with live shows again all being well. We start on 25th June at Chelmsford City Football Club
Stay safe and well please and let’s get back to a new normal where we can all have fun again.
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Active Travel and Speeding By Cllr Marie Goldman
This month, I was hoping to be able to update you on the Active Travel plans being proposed by Essex County Council. Unfortunately, as I write this at the end of April, the new plans haven’t yet come out having been delayed due to required revisions as the original proposals turned out to be unworkable. I’m frustrated by this - we need to get people walking and cycling more, which is the stated aim of the scheme - but on the other hand, I want the final scheme to be the right one, not just the one that could be implemented the quickest and certainly not one that isn’t right for local residents. If and when I find out more, I will of course keep you updated. There will be a public consultation on the proposals and it will be very important for local residents to have their say.
Coincidentally, a few residents have contacted me recently about drivers not adhering to the 20mph zone in Old Moulsham. With more traffic coming back onto the roads I think more drivers are looking for cut-throughs to avoid queues in places like Van Diemans Road or New London Road. Unfortunately, that means taking shortcuts through our neighbourhood and on longer roads like Moulsham Drive, Mildmay Road, St John’s Road and Lady Lane, where motorists can see quite far ahead of them, some seem to forget to stick to the speed limit.
scheme was proposed. I also wish it had been made clear that the police did not expect to enforce the new speed limit, which is something we have also discovered. I’d prefer a more open approach with residents who understandably get in contact because they are frustrated that speed limits are regularly being broken. All of this raises the question of where we go from here. This is something that needs to be addressed by Essex County Council as the Highways Authority and - as many residents have suggested - it may well have to include some physical solutions, such as point closures, which leads me straight back to the start of this month’s article and the Active Travel plans. I very much hope that these two issues will be joined together to provide a wholistic solution taking the opportunity to genuinely make things better and safer for residents.
I look forward to the plans coming out, evaluating them and hearing what you have to say about them. Until then, keep safe and keep well. Cllr Marie Goldman Deputy Leader, Chelmsford City Council Lib Dem Ward Councillor for Moulsham & Central
Pre-pandemic studies suggest that overall the speed of cars travelling through Old Moulsham has come down since the 20mph zone was introduced, but I’m sure we’ve all seen cars travelling much faster than they should be - and that’s understandably worrying, especially for those with young children and (as I’ve recently discovered firsthand) pets. I understand from enquiries that my ward colleagues and I have made, that the 20mph zone was always intended to lower the average speed, but not necessarily to eliminate speeding altogether - I wish that this had been communicated more clearly when the
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3 Simple Tips To Relieve the Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)- by Ola Adamolekun April 2021 was IBS Awareness Month - who knew!? It’s actually an American thing. Anyway, according to IFFGD, the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, 10-15% of people (in the US) suffer from IBS and 10-15% of people worldwide are affected. And according to BUPA, 2 in 10 people (20%) in the UK suffer from IBS. So, or those people that are fortunate not to have experienced it before, what exactly is Irritable Bowel Syndrome? It is a condition that effects the digestive system: The disease generally causes stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation and can be ongoing for weeks, months, or even longer, at a time. The exact cause for this condition is debatable, but research is ongoing. A lot of people will know exactly what I’m talking about. It sounds awful doesn’t it - and it is. This condition is making so many people’s lives miserable. As a health and nutrition coach, this makes me sad because there are some simple lifestyle changes that can help to start to relieve the symptoms of IBS. So here are 3 simple tips to relieve the symptoms - they may sound simple, but sometimes the simple things in life are the things that work!! Bearing in mind, these are just some things to start the relief of the symptoms - some people may have more serious issues that need to be dealt with by a doctor, but conventional medicine working with lifestyle changes can do a world of good. Eat Real Food Improve your diet by increasing the amount of fresh fruit, vegetables
and whole foods and eliminating highly refined and processed foods. Poor diet plays a major role in triggering IBS, so cleaning up your diet will have a positive effect. Avoid highly processed refined sugary foods. Aim To Reduce Stress Stress can trigger or worsen symptoms. A prolonged, unremitting experience of being under stress has a corrosive effect on health. The human body has evolved well to react to and recover from shortterm stressors (eg, facing or fleeing predators - ‘fight or flight’). This type of stress response is of course natural and essential for our survival. However, being in a constant ‘fight or flight’ state influences the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system and our ability to digest food properly. There are many ways to manage stress effectively like meditation, mindfulness, yoga, counselling and even exercise. Exercise Regularly Try and get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity. You also can do a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. Exercise helps to reduce stress and also elevates beta-endorphins which decrease anxiety and depression. Care must be taken to ensure this is done gradually so you don’t do too much too quickly. Here are a couple of bonuses (I know I said 3, but I’m generous): Get plenty of sleep - sleep restores both your mind and body. Finally, reduce or eliminate caffeine, alcohol, smoking and simple sugars where possible. beencouragedwellness@gmail.com 07859 583 242 www.beencouragedwellness.co.uk
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Well, here we are in May and things are definitely looking brighter. We have managed to get away for a few days and had our first pub lunch for a number of months, sneaking into a pub in Sheringham without having to book. Lovely it was too. Sun shades with individual heaters for each table, lovely wine and food and a sunny day. What more do we need? I really don’t see the need to rush to foreign countries any time soon.
is a very serious topic with people sadly being killed or injured on ‘smart’ motorways, but do we need to reminded? If my car breaks down on a motorway, would my first thought be to sing the song that accompanies this ad on the TV? The song is a version of the Village People’s Go West. I don’t think so. I think that I would automatically concentrate on getting safely to the nearside of the road, as I would on any road, and calling for help!
The caravan site was absolutely packed, hardly a pitch to be had. People sat outside in summer clothes. Very relaxing. We are about a 25 minute walk from Cromer. It is a lovely little seaside village with a pier and lots of shops, as well as a few pubs. We booked a table for lunch for the next day just so that we would avoid disappointment. Lovely.
One ad was for a memoir of a TV presenter, another 3 for live concerts - remember those? Others included cruises, plant sales and health products. A couple of these included products that I did not realise I needed. What would I do with a ‘monocular’? Apparently, this is like a pair of binoculars but with only one lens to enable you to see far away things up close. How many of them are they going to sell and what would the purchasers do with them? I shudder to think. Another was for heavy duty shelving bays. They look like ordinary shelves to me and I know they would be great for my garage... if only I could get in there to install them.
Obviously the most significant event so far this month has to be the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh. Like a lot of other people I hadn’t realised what an interesting life he had. We are all aware of his ‘gaffs’ but the more I read of his character, the more I think that these were carefully thought out comments for his and everyone else’s amusement. So many stories have been published about how he impressed so many who met him. A truly remarkable man who will be very much missed by his family and many others. RIP Prince Phillip. On a completely different subject, I picked up a bottle of toilet duck today as you do - the one with the duck shaped top so that you can really get under the rim. Sorry if this is too much information. On the label it said that this one was a limited edition. What on earth can be limited edition about it? Is each one modelled on a specific duck, perhaps a different type for each one? Or has each one got a different name, can’t see that on the label though? I’m tempted to write to the manufacture and ask, but I’m afraid of what the answer might be... What next? Limited edition toilet rolls with bespoke perforations? I enjoy reading the daily newspapers. I especially appreciated the excellent coverage of the various Government announcements during lockdown. I was able to study all of the aspects of each ‘event’. I really did find it all very useful. One thing though, regarding newspapers, is the prolific advertising, especially, for some reason, at the weekends. This weekend, I decided to look at the number and content of the full page adverts. I know, it’s sad isn’t it? I think it is because of the need to find things to do during lockdown and is a habit I am going to find hard to break. Anyway, on this particular Sunday there are sixteen full page ads in the paper. The first for a reminder that drivers should go ‘left if they breakdown’ on a motorway. Now, I know this Remember to tell our advertisers you saw their advert in the MT
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Well, second jab done. As with the first one, it was all very efficient and well organised and the people are so friendly and helpful. I did thank a lot of them for volunteering and they seemed surprised and pleased. Surely I’m not the only person to have done that? Obviously, we still need to the very careful still, but I feel a lot better for having it. Ahead of the appointment we received an email asking for information - the email explains that it will take about 6 minutes. Now, I have discovered that for me, this time is in ‘computer minutes’. This means that in real time I have to multiply it by four. As expected, it took me nearer 24 minutes, but that did include my search for my NHS number. I must say, it might have been easier for them to tell me what this was, as I’m sure they must know... I am going to meet my mate John in a pub garden tomorrow. Hopefully, we will not have to book. It may be a bit cold outside, so big coats may be the order of the day. It should be a good excuse to imbibe some alcohol though, just to keep the cold out, you understand! Stay safe and well and look forward to better times very soon. Bin End Chuckles I tell my friends I’m here for them 24/7, it sounds better than saying I’m only here for them on July 27th... I had dinner with a keen chess player, and there was check tablecloth. It took 2 hours to pass the salt... www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia
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Many of us who’ve been to the US or attended NFL games here in the UK will have stood for the singing of the US National Anthem, but have many of us truly listened to the words and wondered if at all whether it had any relevance to us Brits, especially those of us who live in Essex? The first verse states: O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? During the war of 1812 (which finally ended in 1815), the British Army fought the Army of the United States for control of the North American trade routes. The relationship of Essex with the war was heightened by the presence of the 1st Battalion of the 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot who fought in the Battles of Bladensburg (a victory) and New Orleans (a defeat). In 1814 the 1st Battalion 44th Regiment of Foot was sent to North America to support the British troops in what was known as the Chesapeake Campaign and distinguished itself at the Battle of Bladensburg, when the British forces (outnumbered by 3 to 1) inflicted ‘the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms’. The defeat allowed the advancing British forces to capture and burn Washington - the first and only time the Federal Capital had fallen to a foreign invader. The Battalion itself was singled out for praise by the British Army Commander Major General Robert Ross and the title ‘Bladensburg’ was permitted to be adorned on the regimental colours. The burning of the Capitol and Presidential Mansion (as the White House was originally known) was supposedly a retaliation for the looting and burning of York, then the capital of Upper Canada (a British colony) a year earlier. Not surprisingly, the burning of Washington was loudly condemned by the then European press and various European governments (both allies and neutrals as well as France). There is a myth that the White House was painted white to hide the burn marks from the fire of 1814, but the truth is that the Presidential Mansion had already been whitewashed at the end of its construction in the late 1790s. Although nicknamed ‘The White House’ as early as 1811, it was more commonly referred to as the ‘Executive Mansion’. It became officially named as The White House by Theodore Roosevelt in 1901. Later that year in September 1814 the British Navy, attempting to force a passage into Baltimore Harbour, carried out a bombardment of Fort McHenry, and the main thrust of the assault was the use of the Congreve rockets and mortar bombs launched from a number of bomb and rocket vessels - two of which were The Terror and the Erebus (yes - the same ships recently seen in the TV series The Terror). The bombardment of Fort McHenry lasted for 25 hours from 6am on the 13th of September till dawn on the 14th but inflicted little damage. At dawn on the 14th of September, the American defenders raised an oversized US flag to indicate that the fort had not fallen, and as some have said, to taunt the British Forces. Francis Scott Key, a US lawyer who had been negotiating with the British for the release of US prisoners, was detained by the British forces on board HMS Tonnant and was able to watch the overnight bombardment. Seeing the US flag being raised ‘by dawn’s early light’ he was inspired to write the poem The Defence of Fort M’Henry which later became known as 18 mtmay21-proof2_converted 18
The Star-Spangled Banner, later adopted as the US National Anthem by a Congressional Resolution in 1931. The Congreve rockets and mortar bombs, (‘and the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air’), which, although designed and tested by Sir William Congreve at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, were manufactured at the Royal Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey in Essex. Although the Gunpowder Mills finally closed in 1991, it remains a museum and Heritage Visitor Centre. For further history of the 44th East Essex Regiment, visit the Essex Regimental Museum (part of Chelmsford Museum) in Oaklands Park, Chelmsford. Or read The Historical Record of The Forty - Fourth, Or the East Essex Regiment of Foot, compiled by Thomas Carter, Published in 1864, which is available on Google Play.
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Quiz Time - by John Theedom 1. What is M Eiffel’s first name? 2 If something is ‘brindled’ what colour is it? 3. What sort of creature is pipi? 4. What connects ‘Egg’, ‘Panel’ and ‘Retreat’? 5. What is it called when a thief only steals drinks? 6. In the legal world, what do the initials QC stand for? 7. How did guitarist Jimi Hendrix burn his hand in 1967? 8. What was the birth nationality of George Baker who starred as Inspector Wexford? 9. What are the 2 first names of the inventor of the Singer sewing machine? 10. What is the name of the river Thames at Oxford? 11. What was the former name of HM Prison, Manchester? 12. What is the game where hoops are driven into the pitch? 13. In which English county is the River Uder? 14. What colour is the female blackbird? 15. In which children’s comic did Desperate Dan feature? 16. What is a favela? 17. The zloty is the currency of which European country? 18. Which American rapper won Best New Artist at the 2021 Grammy Awards? 19. With which song did Bucks Fizz win the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin in 1981?
20. Myleene Klass sings, but what instruments can she also play? 21. In 1962, the Russian newspaper Pravda warned against the dangers of a dance called The Twist, why? 22. Which 60s cockney singer was backed by The Bruvvers? 23. On your body, where is your septum? 24. Actor John Wayne only won 1 Oscar, for which film? 25. Which is the 49th state of the USA? 26. Trevor Peacock, aged 89, who died in March 2021, played Jim Trott in which TV programme? 27. What was the song that sent David Bowie to number 1 in 1983? 28. What colour does litmus paper turn when in contact with acid? 29. Who was the TV weatherman who got it terribly wrong in the ‘Great Storm’ of 1987? 30. Which is the odd one out in ‘Mitral’, ‘Renal’, ‘Aortic’ and ‘Tricuspid’? 31. What is the meaning of zoonotic? 32. What is the latitude of the equator? 33. Which goon was called Harry Seagoon? 34. In which British city will you find Moss Side? 35. Which UK football club does Alex Greenwood play for? 36. At which famous establishment do you have to get in line to enter? 37. Who is the choirmaster Gareth? 38 What did Trevor Bayliss invent? 39. In which of Charles Dickens’ novels does Mr Micawber feature? 40. What collective name is given to creatures such as frogs, toads and newts?
(Answers on page 31) 20
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We are looking for writers
We are looking for writers in any of the following subjects: Arts/Crafts | Wildlife| General This is a voluntary post but writers are free to promote their business in the article footer. Please email paul@moulshamtimes.com or call 01245 262082 www.moulshamtimes.com mtmay21-proof2_converted 21
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Weald Park Country Show 22nd and 23rd May
We are extremely excited and cannot wait for the show this year with so many exciting and new attractions. We are delighted to announce a new motorbike display and attraction area at the show on both days with our fantastic motorbike and BMX bike team. Fancy a go with on a BMX with a UK champion? Well the Weald Park Country Show is the show for you! Our main area will have some fantastic demonstrations this year to include barrel racing thanks to the UK Barrel Racing Team, the inspiring Dog and Duck Shows with the amazing Chris Jupp and his beautiful collie dog and fabulous runner ducks, falconry with the World of Wings birds of prey displays thanks to the wonderful Ange and Rick and their excellent routines plus African dancers and Living History displays. Our Festival of Cars area has had amazing array of entries on both days with many different and exciting cars for all those car fans out there. Our food markets area will have some wonderful producers, cookery demonstrations with some amazing chefs including Italian Chef Claudio Bincoletto, plus much more besides. The Festival of Dogs area at the show is hugely popular with Charity Fun Dog Shows (raising £3,800 for charities in 2019), Owner and Celebrity Lookalike Competition, Dog Agility, Dogs Have Got Talent, Flyball and so much more. We have a Circus Aerial Display three times a day, and the Greatest Showman, as well as some magic shows with Was That One Rabbit Or Seven? We are so excited to also announce our outdoor theatre performances of The Buccaneers.
Competition Time A Chance To Win One of Two Pairs of Family Tickets For a chance to win one of two pairs of Weald Park Country Show family tickets for either day, please answer the following quiestion: Which singing contest did Abba win? A: The X Factor B: Opportunity Knocks C: The Eurovision Song Contest Email your answer along with your phone number to paul@ moulshamtimes.com.
The closing date for entries will be Sunday 16th May and the winners will be selected at random on the 17th May and contacted the same day. For ticket terms and conditions, please visit www.wealdcountryshow.co.uk.
Fancy a bit of Abba in our music area? Come along to the show and enjoy the Abba Tribute Band playing daily, along with five other bands. We will also be joined again by the wonderful Wrestleforce team with some wrestling fun, fun, fun. The Weald Park Festival of Kids Come along and meet Classisauras, our T-Rex dinosaur, who will be joined by his storm-trooper friends who will also be at the show this year. There is lots for the children to do including Punch and Judy, Gemma’s Petting Farm, various rides and loads more fun. Rural Crafters Come along visit and support our Avenue of Rural Crafters this year, where crafts will be demonstrated as well as being sold. Visit our Living History Village and try your luck with our Living History Archery, and do not forget too the opportunity to do some amazing shopping with a wide array of stands at the show. The Weald Park Country Show runs 10am - 5pm on Saturday 22nd May and Sunday 23rd May at Weald Country Park, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 5QS. For ticket information, please visit www.wealdcountryshow. co.uk. The show will follow Covid guidelines and we would like to encourage people to book online in advance.
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The Singing Chef
Carribean Jerk Chicken
1 ground star anais. 1 tablespoon ground pimento. 2 tsp soya sauce. ½ squeezed lemon.
Summer is coming! Well fingers crossed, but there are other ways of getting that holiday vibe into you life.
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This month we have another amazing guest chef and friend from St Lucia sharing with us her incredible Caribbean jerk roast chicken. We hand chopped the marinade ingredients for a rustic roast chicken, but you can also blitz in a food processor. I am really praying for the sun to come out so I can make this again on the BBQ and dance round the garden to Bob Marley with my cocktail!
• • •
Wash and clean chicken the prick the chicken with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Stuff and rub the chicken with the marinade and leave for at least 1 hour. Cook at 220 degrees for 1.5 hours (or more depending on size). Or cook on the BBQ if the weather’s good! Serve with rice and peas (kidney beans) or simply in a bap, with coleslaw salad and your favourite BBQ sauce!
I must insist on reggae music and a rum cocktail while you are making and eating this - it adds to the Caribbean ambiance!
Ingredients 1 chicken - the best you can buy. Marinade (mix) 2 spring onions. 1 red or white onion. 2 limes. Inch of ginger (or 2 tbsp powder). 4 cloves garlic. ½ scotch chilli (include seeds if you like it spicy). 1 cup fresh coriander. 3 tsp of preferably brown sugar (if not white will be ok). 2 tsp of ground cloves.
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Moulsham Times Poetry Competition
The categories are: Under 11s 12-17s 18s and over The poems will be judged by Rosie from www.personalpoems.co.uk and the winner from each category will have their poem published in the Moulsham Times in June. You can submit one poem per person and email paul@moulshamtimes.com with your entry. The poem can be on any subject you wish. If you are in the under 11s or 12-17s category please include your age. Closing date for the competition will be 15th May with the winning poems being published in the June edition.
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My Experience of Assisting the COVID-19 Immunisation Programme - by Henry Lewi When we finally look back at the COVID-19 pandemic, we will recognise that one of the key turning points in the management of this problem was the introduction of the COVID-19 immunisation programme and the immense effort carried out by NHS personnel and volunteers in immunising over 36 million people in 3 short months. Whilst the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine was a huge leap forward in dealing with COVID-19, it was the simplicity and ease of use of the Oxford Vaccine (AstraZeneca) that allowed the NHS to accelerate the vaccine programme by allowing non-medical centres such as the Chelmsford racecourse and Colchester Football Club to open up as immunisation centres.
Eventually, when everyone is vaccinated, we will have to live alongside this coronavirus much like the flu and we may have to have an annual top-up vaccine but that is a small price to pay. So the message is GET VACCINATED - IT MAKES SENSE.
I have had the privilege for the last 3 months to work in one of these centres, alongside retired doctors, nurses, paramedics and pharmacists as well as numerous unpaid volunteers in delivering the vaccine - and I repeat, it has been a privilege. People have come out of retirement, given up their free time and worked tirelessly to ensure that the NHS vaccine rollout worked, and the response of the public has been amazing. In the first days after the centre was opened, there was pure joy on the faces of the recipients, who were mostly aged 70 and over and who came up to the centre ‘dressed up to the nines’ - for many it was the first time they had ventured out from their homes in a long time. Incidentally, for the history buffs the ‘Nines’ were the sartorially perfect 99th Wiltshire Regiment, long considered the smartest and best dressed regiment in the British Army. Over successive weeks as the recipients became younger, the clothes became more casual, but the relief and joy did not diminish. The staff all worked tirelessly throughout their shifts, but morale was high and there was a really buoyant feeling in the centre. Clearly the only way for us to come out of this pandemic is to be vaccinated, and although we hear of a few complications, the risk of being infected by COVID-19 far outweighs the minor risk of these complications from the vaccine. Sure, some people experience a transient flu like illness that may last for 48-72 hours and include symptoms of fever, headache, tiredness and aching joints but these are short lived - Covid might not be!
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our decking area and enjoy coffee and cake. Then hopefully by 21st June all legal limits will be lifted on social contact. Our choir, New City Voices, have been rehearsing online during the whole of lockdown. This has been very difficult for some people as the choir ‘experience’ just isn’t the same online. But it just goes to show the resilience of choir members and how important music is to their lives. The photo on the left shows a currently typical rehearsal session. Interspersed in our rehearsals have been social events where we get a chance to chat, have fun quiz nights and just get a chance to check in on each other’s wellbeing.
Hi everyone. Well it certainly looks as though the Government lockdown timeline is keeping on track, with the next milestone coming on 17th May where up to 30 people can meet socially outdoors and six people - or two households - can meet indoors. So if the weather is nice, the Copper Potters can at least meet outside on
The choir are looking forward to our next face-to-face rehearsal, albeit outside and in a field. It is just a chance to see each other faceto-face and to be able to sing all together - something we haven’t done for a whole year. If you are interested in joining the choir, we rehearse on the Thursday evening from 8pm till 9.30pm at St Luke’s Church. We’re going to dedicate our first face-to-face rehearsal to being a social event, so we can catch up and have a chat. Again, you would be welcome to join this as a good introduction to members of the choir. We also want to repeat news of our next major event at the Community Station and we have provisionally set a date of Saturday the 4th of September to hold what we are calling our Showcase Event. Not only do we want to show off our newly configured building with new café space and new facilities, but we also want to showcase local people and organisations - particularly where they provide a supporting role to the community or provide help to local residents, where it helps make a positive change to their lifestyles by offering opportunities for educational, social and recreational activities. If you know of people or organisations that may fit the bill, then please get in touch, as we want to make this a real kickstart to MLCT’s ambitions for the future. The team at MLCT meet monthly and are hopeful we can get back to normal soon. Search for our Facebook page and visit our website for updates. See you soon. www.mlct.org.uk enquiries@mlct.org.uk 07434 678 999
Come.
Jesus has an invitation for you:
Jesus Christ invites you to come to him.
‘Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.’
It’s an invite like no other. The only qualification you need to come to Jesus is that you are weary and burdened. No hoops to jump through, no mess to get sorted, no need to fix things yourself. Bring the mess, the brokenness, the regret, the anxiety, the weariness and Jesus will give you rest.
Rest might be a strange thing to talk about in May, now that (at the time of writing at least!) the restrictions are easing, the days are longer, and we’re planning to see family and friends again over the summer months. But then, the last year has been anything but restful. It’s been full of burden, worry, stress, and we are all weary. We are carrying the burden, aren’t we? Seemingly every day there is another item in the media about how our mental health has suffered over this past year. It is hard work carrying that burden. It is hard work learning to navigate the easing of restrictions and it is hard work being surprised by our own emotional response to situations that just a year ago were totally normal. All of this leaves us weary and needing rest. Deep rest that even foreign holidays can’t fix. 26 mtmay21-proof2_converted 26
Jesus always meets us where we’re at, with open arms. We just need to come. In your darkness, pain, sorrow, weeping, worries, frustrations, regrets, anger… come to Jesus, he will give you rest. We’re running an online Alpha Course (www.alpha.org) - a relaxed course giving you a chance to explore who Jesus claims to be. Get in touch if you’re interested and want to find out more. Tim Goodall, Pastor Tile Kiln Church tim.goodall@tilekilnchurch.org.uk tinyurl.com/y24qlkvx www.facebook.com/tilekilnchurch www.moulshamtimes.com 30/04/2021 13:49
Tile Kiln Corner by Cllr Linda Mascot
If you happened to be in the vicinity of Goshawk Drive on 24th or 25th April you would have seen a hot air balloon made out of 800 biodegradable balloons in Heydi Avarado’s front garden - as tall as her two-storey house. You might also have spotted Mayor Cllr Jude Deakin, Mayoress Helen Deakin and myself admiring Heydi’s handiwork.
same way.
Three different projects were held in 2020 and thousands of artists from around the world took part, creating marvellous works of art to make their neighbours and friends - if even for just a moment - smile. The hashtag #onemillionbubbles was even trending on Instagram on Easter weekend 2020.
Heydi told me why she has chosen to take part in One Million Bubbles: “I have the power to deliver happiness with my balloons and this year I wanted to convey the message of kindness and make people smile in a difficult time. I’d also like to raise awareness of ethical balloons - mine are biodegradable and I advise people never to release them: pin it & bin it! They can all be recycled.” In 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2,200 balloon artists from 81 countries took part in a global campaign to spread love, joy and hope through their art. Whether it was in front gardens, public spaces, windows or balconies, thousands of international balloon professionals joined forces to be a source of light in a darkening world. This ‘campaign of kindness’ known as One Million Bubbles continued on April 24th and 25th this year and Heydi, of Heydi Party Decorations, was participating to help bring smiles to the faces of our local community. The project was founded by professional balloon artist Steven Jones of Balloon Designers in Seattle, Washington. He was inspired to create the project in March 2020 after viewing customers at a grocery store who, out of fear and angst, were abusing and mistreating employees there. He then created a mural made of balloons that went up in front of his business with a simple message: ‘Be Safe, Be Kind’. The message spread throughout his community and soon other local businesses and schools were sharing that same sentiment on digital signs and in their shop windows. It was then that Steven realised other balloon professionals, many of them under mandated lockdowns, could help their towns and communities in much the www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia mtmay21-proof2_converted 27
Thank you to Heydi and her family for bringing a smile to the faces of our neighbours with her kindness. Take care and stay safe. mascotlinda@gmail.com Twitter: @lindamascot
The January, February and March issues of the Moulsham Times are available online at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia
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Spot 10 Differences (Answers on Page 31)
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The Clever Country - by Simon Inglis We in Australia believe we are... We have avoided many a recession. We have avoided - so far anyway - the very worst of COVID-19. Australian leaders currently tell us ad nauseum how well we are doing. Our federal Government simply closed the borders. Yes, our prime minister was also among the first in the world to identify and restrict flights from Wuhan province, finally leading to no international flights at all - unless you’re a famous tennis player. Or Ed Sheeran. I think it wasn’t so easy to compensate our two major airlines and indeed the travel industry has suffered. As have our fellow Aussies stuck overseas faced with astronomical charter flight bills if they want to come home. But if you’re very rich and famous, sometimes there’s an open flightpath.
distance issue could be called a ‘distraction’ for most people in a nation in which very few of us travel further than 50 kilometres a day, if that even. Quite simply, the federal Government has offered no leadership on the issue of electric cars. This seems inexplicable in a country that no longer has a car manufacturing industry. Then, as if to add to the ridiculous state of affairs, both South Australia and Victoria have introduced a per kilometre electric car tax. To be fair it is fairly reasonable, as there is no reason why electric car drivers should use roadways for no fee. Yet the timing could not be more stupid!
Well, Brits will know that Australia is the best at everything. The best beaches. The best lifestyles. The best beer, and the best economy. A resource-rich continent that is a huge barren ‘outback’ thus supporting only 26 million souls. Nevermind the huge lush lands in southern Australia which are kept for ourselves or the tremendous rainfall that goes down the drain - literally... Cars? The average banger out here is about ten years old. SUVs and ridiculously huge American trucks dominate sales, whilst our older private 6 and 8 cylinder fleet is supported by cheap 91RON petrol. No. Australia is not making any noise about banning 91. Most older Fords, Holdens and Japanese cars have been tuned to run on it. So I come to the ‘electric car revolution’. Here in our politically selflabelled ‘clever country’, I do note the recharging bays at our huge supermarkets; maybe 2 or 4 bays among 1,000. I note the occasional Tesla as well. Yet traffic remains those ten year old cars, gigantic Fords, Hilux models, old SUVs and fleet vehicles. There are a lot of Mercedes C, BMW 3 and Audi A4s of most generations too.
I drive older cars and it is fair to call me a motoring enthusiast. I do not want to surrender my BMW E39 or Mercedes CLK for some electric econobox. Yet despite 6 or 7 genuinely long trips each year or my weekly ‘enthusiastic drive’, mostly I’m pottering around the local shops, and as a certified petrol head, I’d gladly take an electric car for most of my driving duties. Indeed, I like my E39 so much I’d even consider converting it to electric if I were required to kick my petrol habit. I certainly understand that we all have a role to play in the environmental debate, yet we do surely elect leaders to hopefully lead. As far as being a rich, First World country and supposed leader among South East Asia, Australia is letting the side down very badly as far as electrifying our huge urban fleet is concerned. I’ll leave the regional issues out for now as Australia is among the most urbanised countries in the world. As far as our equals in the more enlightened US states, Canada or Western Europe are concerned we are very quickly becoming a laughing stock. That may soon change if policy alters, but given the Australians’ new-found love of the primitively engineered American behemoths such as the Ford F150, it would take a very brave government to indulge deeply in electric car policy.
Environmentally friendly? Queensland and New South Wales have annual ‘MOTs’ as such, and I recently took my twenty year old BMW for a most thorough Victorian roadworthy certification. It’s a tougher test than Britain’s MOT so you need to ensure you have a good car as such on testing day, but there’s no real emissions testing beyond a functional non-rattly or rusted muffler system. That’s it. Once roadworthied in Victoria you can drive for literally decades without a test so long as your vehicle stays in your name and is registered annually.
For now there are, at least, hybrids to convert Australian car buyers to the benefits of plug-in technologies - and for that, this ageing petrol head is grateful. As is so often the case down under, it is the people who will ultimately determine policy. Perhaps after all, for that last reason alone I really do live in the luckiest of countries? This time, and for the sake of much of our beautiful flora and fauna - I hope that I’m right!
South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania simply have no test. And regarding electric cars? Besides the Tesla, the Nissan Leaf and the Mercedes EQC, there are used BMW i3s. I think. Anyhow, there’s an excuse for promoting hybrid diesels over electric vehicle imports. The Government excuse up to now has been distance. Indeed Australian distances are the stuff of legend. Our closest capital cities are Adelaide to Melbourne at some 750 kilometres. Given nanny-state speed limiting vigorously policed to within 3kph of posted limits (I kid you not) this drive will take some 9 hours - so most Australians fly. Flying, at least pre-Covid, was cheap. Thus the 30 www.moulshamtimes.com
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Spot the Difference Answers
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Quiz Answers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19 20. www.
Gustave Tawny with streaks of other colours Australian shellfish They can all be beaten Gurgler Queen’s Council His instrument burst into flames during his first night with The Walker Brothers Bulgarian (born 1931) Isaac Merrit Isis Strangeways Croquet Sussex Brown The Dandy Shanty town Poland Megan Thee Stallion Making Your Mind Up Violin, piano and harp
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21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
They said it caused riots! Joe Brown Nose True Grit Alaska Vicar Of Dibley Let’s Dance Red Michael Fish Renal, the others are heart valves A disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans Zero degrees Harry Secombe Manchester Manchester City Kew Gardens Malone The wind-up radio David Copperfield Amphibians
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