Moulsham Times - October 2022

Hi readers,

Welcome to the October edition of the Moulsham Times

Following the very sad news of the passing of the Queen, the funeral was such a well thought out ocassion and really did bring people together. I went to London a few days before and the amount of people and flowers being laid was phenomenal.

Christmas is now on the horizon once more, and the Moulsham Times’ November issue is ideal for advertising your Christmas events and anything Christmassy!

We are fairly well booked up regarding front pages, with the next available slot being April 2023, but we are always able to place adverts inside the magazine.

Regards

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Chelmsford - By Vicky Ford MP

There have been so many words written about the events surrounding the state funeral that it feels almost impossible to add more of my own.

From early morning until late in the evening every pavement around Westminster was deep with crowds. Not a noisy, jostling crowd like those each of us will have experienced before, instead a quiet, reflective and sombre crowd. Each time I passed, I saw gentle gestures of kindness from stranger to stranger giving support to others. Police, St Johns Ambulance volunteers, as well as service men and women flocked from across the country to help out. They were remarkable; full of calm and gentleness, looking out for members of the public in need and giving reassurance.

On Monday 12th September, His Majesty the King came to Parliament to receive addresses from both the Commons and the House of Lords. Overnight, 14,000 chairs had been placed under the hammerbeam roof of Westminster Hall. Two red thrones sat on the standing point halfway up the great staircase. Those who have visited Westminster Hall will know this as the place where brass plaques rest on the floor, marking the locations where others have spoken before. Five times, Her late Majesty the Queen addressed parliamentarians from these steps. Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, and Winston Churchill each also have their plaque. It has been the country’s meeting place for over 900 years. On this occasion, every person was dressed in black with just an occasional flash of purple from an archbishop, reminding us of the church’s role in our lives. Thus began the week of mourning in the Palace of Westminster.

On Monday evening, as His Majesty’s Minister for Development, I left London arriving early in Nairobi on Tuesday for the inauguration of the new President of Kenya. All overseas travel had been cancelled during the mourning period, but Kenya is an important sister country of the Commonwealth and the place where Her late Majesty first became Queen. We felt that she would have liked to be represented at this important time to them. At the inauguration, I received so many condolences from across the African country to share with the people of the UK, a firm reminder of how deeply loved she was across the world.

Before catching the last overnight flight home, I had a quiet cup of tea with the Archbishop of Kenya. I learnt about the extraordinary work that he and others have done behind the scenes over recent months to urge for calm during their recent election. This has been extremely important, as on previous recent occasions there has been much violence during election times in Kenya. I realise that in the past week I have witnessed a peaceful transfer of power of a prime minister, a monarch, and a president.

On Wednesday 14th Her late Majesty’s coffin was brought to Westminster Hall for the lying in state. Staff gathered at every window in Whitehall, bowing their heads in silence as she passed by, overwhelmed with respect not just for our late Queen, but also for our new King and his family, for the dignity that they are bringing to lay their mother to rest.

Late in the evening, I joined mourners in Westminster Hall to pass by the catafalque on which her body was laid. I cannot begin to describe the love, the faith, the emotions of this space. As I turned and curtseyed, I was aware that the elderly veteran on my side, so strong in his beret and with his medals, but with tears rolling down his face. We held hands, face forward and walked through the remainder of the hall hand in hand. Holding our tears together.

Every single part of the arrangements for the past 10 days and Her late Majesty’s funeral were agreed and thought through by her. They have been thought out in such detail, by her, to make sure that as many members of the public as possible had their time to mourn, but also to make sure that the world had a chance to mourn. During her life, our Queen brought people together across this country and across the world. She had set very clear plans, her wishes, for how this moment of grief would continue to bring people together.

Over this period, so many people have worked to deliver those plans. Over Saturday and Sunday, I, and other ministers, have had the huge honour to greet leaders from across the world at Lancaster House, where they have come to sign the book of condolences after visiting the lying in state. This has been deeply emotional for many heads of state from overseas. I was struck by how often I have been told that the Queen wrapped a loving arm around women leaders across the globe, and many women have shared their own personal deep sense of loss and love.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

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The trampoline area offers a huge open jump arena, the infamous Toxic Wipeout, Slam Dunk lanes, two AirBags, two Dodgeball courts and two wall trampolines within a dedicated performance area.

If jumping isn’t your thing, you can relax in the café overlooking all activities and enjoying a selection of food and drinks.

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MT Health: The Universal Addiction - By Chris at Forté Physical Health

Throughout my career, I have come to realise that there is a universal addiction, and that’s ‘progress’.

It’s not the first few weeks of exercise that are fun, but when you start to see fitness gains, it makes you want to keep turning up.

The new diet plan can be hard at first, but you want to keep going when the waistline shrinks and your clothes fit better. Rehab can seem tedious, but when your back feels better, you stick with it!

Progress is addictive, no matter what form it comes in. However, there is an assumption that we can’t keep making progress forever; there comes a time in life when decline is inevitable.

enjoy and has the fewest barriers to entry. Turn up three or four days a week, and you will make progress. This is where it gets fun!

There are professionals out there who can help you too. If pain is getting in your way, that’s our job in the clinic to get you back on track. But if you want to get strong and don’t know where to start, there are plenty of personal trainers and coaches in Chelmsford who could take you under their wing.

Find something that you think you will find fun, and let the addiction of progress take you on a wonderful journey.

If pain and injury are holding you back, we can help in my clinic. We also like to discuss lifestyle factors, not just to get you out of pain but to live a healthy life with well-being as a priority.

If you want to learn more, go to fortephysicalhealth.co.uk, or you can say ‘hi’ at info@fortephysicalhealth.co.uk.

Until next time, have a healthy and happy month!

Rob’s Fitness Tips

Consistency Is King, Variety Is Queen

When it comes to developing your physicality, variety is important. We all have a friend who loves to go running and it’s tempting to label that person ‘super fit’. In reality, he/she is just good at running.

Don’t get me wrong, you can reap tons of health and fitness benefits from such a habit. But if you want more than just a basic level of vitality, if you want to realise your physical potential, then you need to practice a wider variety of skills.

Sure, if you have been doing something your whole life, then yes, your capacity can diminish. For example, if you have been a runner since your teenage years and you kept running every week, you would peak in your late 20s/early 30s, and it’s all downhill from there.

But what if you pick up a new hobby or rekindle an old one? As long as we are alive, we will adapt to the new stimulus, and we will get better at it. This process is known as bioplasticity - we change in response to the stimuli we put in.

There is a common myth that weaves through our culture and drags us down. Daniel Lieberman, a Harvard professor and expert in the science of exercising as we age, says: “The most pernicious and most concerning way we think about exercise in the western world is that as people get older, it is normal to be less physically active.” He stresses that it is essential to keep exercising all through our life.

Walking is the most important form of human movement, and many people get their 10,000 steps in. However, due to our modern conveniences, we have to choose to do other forms of strength and cardio exercise that the natural world would have given us.

In our culture, it is not common to lift heavy weights or sprint as we grow older, but our body is capable if we gradually build up to these things. If you have been out of the habit of exercising, it will feel hard to get back into it. This is also a universal feeling - it’s hard for everyone!

To get started, pick the easiest thing. Choose an activity that you

The human body is the most complex and adaptable tool on the planet. When it comes to movement, we are more amazing than any sophisticated robot, or any other animal for that matter. You might argue that chimpanzees are stronger than us and better at climbing, or that dolphins are much better swimmers. These animals are specially adapted to their environments, but human beings are generalists; we are capable of surviving in many different environments through our ability to learn a vast array of skills. Our physical practices should be an arena for exploring our learning potential. If you already have regular physical practice, why not try something completely unrelated?

Activities/sports are containers for movement. Football and rugby contain a lot of the same movements; running, jumping, and kicking. Ice hockey and rock climbing in comparison do not contain a lot of the same movements and because there is very little overlap they stimulate the body and nervous system in different ways. This variety is the ultimate nourishment for the brain and body. Take a rugby player and teach him salsa dancing and you have a more capable human being and a better rugby player.

The other way to get more variety of stimulus is to choose activities that contain lots of different movements. Most field sports, CrossFit, and BJJ all contain more variety of movements compared to monostructural activities like rowing, swimming or cycling.

www.crossfitcm2.com

Pretty in Pink!

Miss P had big plans for her new kitchen and scoured the internet and local retailers before deciding which companies she might want to use. After reading some of the positive online reviews left for Regal, she decided to visit the showroom for a look around and gather more ideas.

She was introduced to one of our designers, Stacey, who immediately grasped the brief and understood what Miss P wanted to achieve in the space. As her home is very traditional she wanted the kitchen to follow the same path, so she opted for a shaker-style door in Rosethis pink shade of door contrasts really well with the dark grey mirror sparkle quartz worktop and the Belfast sink completes the look she was hoping for.

Top of Miss P’s wish list was a kettle tap which she is very pleased with, but she also owns a lot of kitchen and baking equipment, so it was important to find the right storage solutions to suit the design. Internal drawers, large larder cupboard as well as a corner larder and the open shelving, give her all the storage she needs.

We especially love the oak and lighting details inside the cabinetry which ties in well with the theme of this room. We have provided Neff appliances as well as a range cooker, which make this kitchen practical as well as beautiful, and the client couldn’t be happier with the result.

She says: “Regal understood the specific and unique needs of my design choices from the start. The design showed clear consideration of the information I’d provided and wasn’t a generic solution. All the team are extremely friendly and approachable, with a keenness to explain anything I was unsure about.

“The installation team have done a great job and kept everything as neat and tidy as possible throughout. I’m extremely happy with my new kitchen and would highly recommend Regal to friends and family who want a quality kitchen with solutions designed around their needs.”

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www.regalkitchens.co.uk

Regal Kitchens

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Essex CM2 6HX

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MT Gardening

Goodness me, September has come and gone already and October’s is here with a little hint of the autumn colour to come. With the hot summer we experienced, some plants are still struggling. How has your garden survived? For me, I’ve lost a couple of woodies where their roots hadn’t quite developed fully to search out for that much needed moisture. On the whole it hasn’t been too bad. What has saved most plants was the addition of a good depth of organic matter over the entire soil surface earlier in the year. I’d also replicated this with all my containers. I was especially keen to do this with any new plantings this season. I’ll top up during October and March to just lock that moisture in and keep those dreaded weeds down.

Aside from ensuring soil moisture levels are suitable, I’ve been to the local garden centre to purchase a splash of autumn colour and bulbs for spring interest. It’s an ideal time to spruce up those containers and continue the season of interest. Look out for winter flowering pansies, forgetme-nots, wall flowers and stocks.

In fact, the last three can be treated as short-term perennials. Rather than their traditional use as seasonal bedding, I tend to incorporate them into planters where there are permanent plants. I’ll use these temporary plants to give a much needed boost to the display. It’s also an ideal time to top up compost with fresh potting compost as a topdressing. Don’t forget to underplant with a suitable range of bulbs and corms such as tulips and crocus. Plant them as a cluster in order that when

they start to emerge next year, the clusters look natural. Planting in this way creates a more sustainable display.

For those of you with soft fruit such as raspberries, currants, or strawberries, there’s a little bit of work to get them prepared for the next growing season. With strawberries, now that they’ve finished fruiting, it’s worth cutting the plant down and removing any old mulch, straw or shredded paper. All of this organic matter can be composted. Boost the plant with a good general purpose feed; liquid (tomato feed) or granular (Growmore, or fish, blood and bone) is fine. The liquid feed is a very quick way of boosting the plant. With currants, it all depends on which type you have as to how you prune them. White or red currants and gooseberries can be lumped together. If you’ve got a free standing example, take each main branch, cut back laterals to 2 buds and tip the leader. Repeat for the entire plant. In addition, for gooseberries, ensure the main branches start around 10cm from ground level (known as a clear leg) to improve airflow and reduce fungal diseases building up. Check out this video link for raspberries: www.rhs.org.uk/videos/advice/ growing-raspberries.

Another key job for now, and as we move into October, is hedge trimming, completing any topiary and or cloud pruning. Try to complete any evergreen plant pruning before any significant frosts to avoid any unnecessary browning of leaf shoots. For deciduous hedges such as beech or hornbeam, leave until winter months when all will be dormant. If weather proves too difficult, try to complete this job before bud burst in the spring - and prior to anything trying to nest.

Lastly, check out this link for other jobs for the garden this month, www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/september, and a sneak preview for October here - www.which.co.uk/reviews/gardening-through-theyear/article/gardening-through-the-year/gardening-jobs-for-octoberaZuOD1e7ZLD1.

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.

I looked out of my garden window recently to see my cat having the time of her life, playing with something that kept wriggling every time she touched it. In horror, I ran into the garden believing it to be a poor mouse or bird that she had caught, but instead I found her with a creature I had never seen in person before. Luckily I had seen photos passing around social media of people in Chelmsford with the same question - what is this small creature that is not too dissimilar in appearance to a snake? If you have never seen or heard of the elephant hawk-moth before, then seeing this for the first time would give you a shock, and after moving the caterpillar away from my cat’s reach, I thought it would be interesting to learn a little bit about them.

have used this to their advantage to stay alive. Unlike their predatory counterpart, elephant hawk-moths are completely harmless. The larvae commonly feed on bedstraw, rosebay willow herb and are especially fond of fuchsia.

The caterpillars are seen between the months of July and September, either khaki green or deep brown in colour, and they have a distinctive trunk-shaped appearance (you might now have guessed why they are named after elephants!). They also have two rather large eye spots on their head which they use to their advantage when they feel under attack. When these caterpillars feel threatened, they will make themselves appear larger and emphasise their eye spots as a warning to predators. Many snakes are poisonous and are feared by many prey species, so the elephant hawk-moths

If you have ever seen an olive coloured moth with beautiful, vibrant pink outlines, then you have likely seen the elephant hawk-moth, which is present in many UK gardens during the summer months. Males and females are difficult to tell apart, but the males tend to be darker in colour. They are nocturnal feeders that search for flower nectar during the nighttime hours, and hover over the flower and extend their proboscis (tongue) to suck out the nectar. When daylight arrives, they will rest for the remainder of the day close to the last food source they ate. These clever little insects can reach up to speed of 11mph, though they are unable to fly in windy weather.

There are many types of hawk-moths, but the elephant hawk-moths are one of the most common species in the UK.

Hopefully you have found these colourful critters as remarkable as I have, and if nothing else, I am sure this article will prevent a good few scares in the future!

The Moth of Deceit - By Holly Lucking

Nick Garner’s Music & Ramblings

Well, what a month this has been. We lost our Queen of seventy years, but what a magnificent funeral, as only we here in Great Britain can do. We also have a new leader of the Conservative party which also means we have a new prime minister as well as King Charles lll. What will King Charles do to our perception of the monarchy I wonder? Well, only time will tell.

Many things got delayed or cancelled due the Queen’s death and of course on the day of the funeral many businesses closed for part or all of the day.

We have just had the Heritage Open Days events - did you go to any of the these? I helped with one in the city, which of course was music related - l think you will not be surprised by that!

Well, the summer has come to an end and the kids are back at school and the older ones back to college and university. At long last we have had some much needed rain as well, and my grass is green once more and needs a trim. The nights are drawing in too, which I am not a fan of. I have fired up my heating to give it a test before I have to use it, and sadly need a couple of things doing - I will use PTH Plumbing who advertise in this magazine, as Pascoe is superb.

Music

Here’s what is coming up this month. The Big One for us is the memorial show for our good friend Claire Hamlin on Sunday 30th October. It runs from noon to 10pm at the Chelmsford Social Club and entry is just £10 with all monies going to the two charities we are supporting; Farleigh Hospice and the Helen Rollason Cancer Charity. We sadly lost Claire in June after a long battle with cancer. We all felt we could not let her go without celebrating her life. Claire was one of the world’s top boogie-woogie pianists as well as being one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.

Claire would not have wanted any fuss, so please don’t tell her what we are up to, with her partner Andy’s blessing. So far, we have The Alabama Slammers, The Kingsmen and some of The Alley Cats playing, as well as Steve English (who is also helping with the house band), and with Fergie of the bass and the pianists. We have to date confirmed Zoot Money, Geraint Watkins (McCartney, Slim Chance and Status Quo), Paddy Milner (Tom Jones, Diz Watkins (Diz and the Doormen, Dr John) and Janos Bajtala. Also joining us is Todd Sharpeville along with many others on the day. Be prepared to be amazed and help celebrate her life, raising lots of money for charity.

You can see the upcoming gigs for Black Frog at the Social Club in the advert, but I must mention the legend that is Albert Lee who returns on Friday 14th October. Don’t delay on getting your ticket as we do usually sell out for Albert. I would of course recommend all of the shows as I am lucky to know so many musicians who actually ask to come and play for us.

I am still busy booking for 2023 and have just confirmed Who’s Next return on 5th May. Check out our Facebook page if you can, as most of what is booked so far for 2023 is there - see the Linktr.ee link at the end of this article.

The HotBox has been doing well, with Ural Thomas recently playing a sell-out show and then returning a week later to play yet another sell-out show! Let’s hope they continue to sell shows out, as they are great and do so much for the local scene.

I have had a few shows at The Orange Tree. We had The Sonic Journeymen with Izzy and Jevon returning to play in Chelmsford, this time joined by Jaqueline on vocals. We also had Connor Selby playing a solo show. The same day Connor had joining Jan Jackson and myself at the Rock Blues Festival at Barleylands, which was fun. On the Monday evening, the day of the Queen’s funeral, we had The

One Tree Hillbillies play. We were not expecting a lot of people to show up considering, but it ended up rammed and was a brilliant night (they are back again on Monday 24th October). We also have none other than Dave Sharp of The Alarm playing for us on Saturday 15th October which will be a very special show.

It is back to the Chelmsford Social Club now after our summer break. We came back with a bang, as we had the one and only Chesney Hawkes playing! What a great guy and what a show. He made time for everyone which was nice, and apart from a great show which included that hit song, he also played some of his dad’s tunes, as Chesney is currently standing in for Chip Hawkes with The Tremeloes. To me, he is still on top of his game and his voice is as good as ever, as is his musicianship and his writing. The support on the night was from Charlotte Cox (Lottie) accompanied by Tom Greaves - and what a great player he is. They blew us all away and in fact they sold out of CDs too. We will have them back for sure. On Friday 9th September we had The Feelgood Band playing - and although we have had Dr Feelgood in the past, to be honest I think these guys are better (and I think Wilko and Sparko agree). They have so much energy, and boy it was like watching Dr Feelgood back in the day. Emma Wilson and her band opened the evening. I have known Emma for a long time and this was a first to see her with her own band - and they were very good. Emma has a new album out and her live band all played on it. It’s the album that they mainly played, which was fantastic - everyone thought so, including The Feelgood Band.

The following week, we sadly had to cancel the event due to lack of advance sales. As l keep saying, if you want to keep live music going, please do book in advance whenever possible which you can do with a text or call to 07508 496 411. This is not just an issue for me and my shows, but for all shows all over the country - sadly too many are being cancelled.

There was one last show which l put on just the other day, and that was with 70s legends Lindisfarne. I knew it would be good but could not believe just how good it was! There was no support on the night, and Lindisfarne played two sets - and of course when they sung the hits, as did all of the audience along with them. Everyone had a great time - these will be another act to rebook for 2023.

I went to the Cliffs in Southend the other day to see my friends Elles Bailey and Joe Wilkins opening for Don McClean. I may be biased, but l thought they were better! Don McClean started off a bit flat but did get going and American Pie was good - all fifteen minutes of it. Elles and her band are another for us in 2023, we just have to sort the date out. Yes, we are busy booking for next year now, as you can see from who we have coming up.

If you have anything you think might be of interest to our readers for either publication, then please email us at editorial@itsyourmedia. co.uk - it may be an event or maybe a topic of interest. Or have you done anything unusual this year or are you planning something? If so, we want to know about it too! Do you know of someone who may wish to advertise with us? Please ask them to contact ads@itsyourmedia. co.uk and we can send over full details.

Please note that you can get tickets for our shows in Chelmsford from Intense Records, Hopsters and Chelmsford 4Good - please pay cash in person. Tickets are also available online from www.wegottickets. com/BlackFrogPresents, or via our ticket hotline at no extra chargecall or text 07508 496 411 and you can then pay the advance price on entry to the show.

Please check the following link which will give you links to all our pages to be kept up to speed of where we are at. For all Black Frog Presents gig updates and information go www.linktr. ee/BlackFrogPresents or scan the QR code in my poster in this magazine. It would also be fantastic if you could share our magazines The City Times and Moulsham Times for us. We continue to publish both magazines online as well at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia.

What a busy term we have had at Widford Lodge. Amongst the highlights have been trips to Southend, Kentwell Hall, Mountfitchet Castle, Waltonon-the-Naze and a local walk to look at the history of Chelmsford. The whole school also enjoyed a circus-themed activity day which included a performance by local group, Little Stars Circus.

Form 6 are ending their Widford journey on a high and have enjoyed a marvellous activity week, which included a trip to Adventure Island, a trip to Lee Valley Activity Centre, plus a silent disco followed by camping in the school grounds. They were also invited to watch Essex v Hampshire at the County Cricket Ground. The children also put on a production of Robin and his Sherwood Hoodies which was enjoyed by everyone.

As part of the activity week, the children baked and served afternoon tea to their grandparents, and we also welcomed some of our friends from Miami House. During the afternoon it transpired that one of the residents from Miami House was a cousin of one of the grandparents - they had lost touch and hadn’t seen each other for many years!

We have finished off the school year with Sports Day and a prize giving, which is the first time we have been able to host this event since 2019.

We also spent a lovely evening at St Mary’s Church for the leavers’ service. It was a wonderful evening to celebrate their time at Widford, and they sang two songs beautifully and shared their memories of their time at Widford Lodge School. Good luck to all Form 6 at their new schools.

What a wonderful way to end the summer term.

HMQEII, Casework and Knife Angel

Legacy - By Cllr Marie Goldman

By the time you read this, it will probably be October and things will have understandably moved on quite a bit, but I didn’t feel I could write this month’s column without mentioning the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The pageantry of the funeral was amazing - sombre, majestic and rousing all at the same time. I found it unexpectedly compelling to watch. But even more inspirational for me was the reminder that Queen Elizabeth had devoted 70 years of her life to unwavering public service. I think that’s truly amazing.

So, I’d like to dedicate my column this month to everyone getting involved in public service, whether through paid employment, volunteering, or - in the case of Queen Elizabeth - as tradition, heritage and history decided. Thank you for everything you have done in the service of our country.

Moving on to matters a little closer to home…

Victoria Road

If you’ve travelled along Victoria Road recently, you’ll know just how poor the road surface is, how dangerous the junctions with the Riverside Leisure Centre and the Retail Park can be, and how none of it is very easy to navigate as a pedestrian or a cyclist. I’m trying to get something done about all of this. I’ve asked Essex County Council to look in particular at the junctions. I think if we can get a safe solution implemented there, other improvements will follow. As I (hopefully) make progress, I’ll update you, but in the meantime please take care along here.

Zebra Crossing on Gloucester Avenue

I’m still trying my best to get a new zebra crossing installed on Gloucester Avenue to make it safer to cross the section between Longstomps Avenue and Brian Close. The latest is that I’m waiting for the results of a survey to tell us whether there is any BT infrastructure underneath the surface that would need to be moved - inevitably adding to the cost of the scheme. I have pushed for the Local Highways Panel to spend a relatively small amount of money to get this survey done and I hope to have the results soon.

Gloucester Avenue Junction Protection

Sticking with Gloucester Avenue, I’ve been contacted a few times recently by residents asking for an update about the junction protection (double yellow lines) proposed for several of the junctions with Gloucester Avenue. This is still wending its way through the schemes being looked at by the South Essex Parking Partnership. It’s frustrating it’s taking so long, but I just wanted to reassure residents that it hasn’t been forgotten and is still very much a live project.

Pothole Priority Scheme

Many of you sent me suggestions for potholes in the Chelmsford Central County Council Division that need to be repaired, which I submitted as part of my initial batch of 18 potholes in the councillor pothole priority scheme at the beginning of the summer. Most of these have been repaired and I’m now allowed to submit my second batch. If you know of a particularly bad pothole in the road (sorry, the scheme is for roads only, not footpaths), please send me an email (cllr.marie.goldman@essex.gov.uk) with a couple of photos and, ideally, a What3Words location.

Knife Angel Legacy

Finally, it’s been just over a year since the Knife Angel came to Chelmsford. At the beginning of September, I attended an event celebrating the Knife Angel’s Chelmsford legacy. We were joined by lots of people involved in the Keep It 100 campaign against knife crime. A drawing was revealed of a new permanent piece of artwork being created by the Knife Angel’s amazing sculptor, Alfie Bradley,

and there was a very moving service in Chelmsford Cathedral. We held aloft the beautiful silk flags that were created as part of the Knife Angel’s long-reaching legacy project, and which I was very pleased to be able to fund through my Essex County Council Locality Fund for last year.

Just as Queen Elizabeth II’s dedication to her country has been so inspirational, so has the work carried out by volunteer organisations such as Keep It 100, led by the amazing and unstoppable Luisa Di Marco - and of course, all the volunteers that work alongside her and beyond.

Keep up the great work, everyone. Together, we can create something very special.

Cllr Marie Goldman

Liberal Democrats Deputy Leader, Chelmsford City Council City Councillor for Moulsham & Central County Councillor for Chelmsford Central

Keep It 100 (Freya’s Photos)

Essex Dementia Care, an Essex-based charity, has once again frozen prices charged for services in their annual review. Senior Manager Kelly Bleasdale says: “It has been a very tough time for everyone over the past two years. Individuals, businesses, and charities have all struggled to survive covid.

“Having successfully navigated these challenges, we are now facing the fastest growing rate of inflation for 20 years, currently 10.1%, forecast to rise as high as 18% in 2023.

“Against this backdrop, our clients might have been expecting a price increase, but our board of trustees have decided not to implement one at this time. We want to continue on our mission to help as many people as possible by keeping prices for our activity-based dementia care as affordable as possible.

“Obviously, our own overheads will be affected by price increases. However, as an extremely well run charity we will continue to put exceptional effort into fundraising. This will be the third consecutive year that we have held our prices and we are happy to be able to play a small part in helping people in this challenging economic climate. We will continue to offer a high standard of service at prices that clients and loved ones can afford.”

Essex Dementia Care is a small charity helping people with dementia continue to live active and fulfilling lives. Activity-based care is offered either in a group setting or on a 1-to-1 basis, and loved ones and families are also offered support through the different

stages of the journey.

For more details or to arrange a free Taster Day, please call 01245 363 789 or visit the website at www.essexdementiacare.org.uk.

CCR Latest News

It was lovely to take part in the Apprenticeship Fair at Anglia Ruskin recently, and we are delighted that so many people dropped by to say hello.

We are very excited to share that we will also be at the Anglia Ruskin Science Festival Family Day on Saturday 15th October. Come and see us in the Marconi Building where we will have some hands-on fun with sound effects and maybe even use them to tell a Halloween story... For more details on the Science Festival events, please visit: aru.ac.uk/community-engagement/ chelmsford-science-festival.

The year, 5 Radio Club at Baddow Hall Junior school is now underway, and so far the children have learned about Chelmsford’s ties with radio broadcasting and had some fun with the portable recorders. They are really looking forward to trying out their interview questions with guests - including Chelmsford Mayor Cllr John Galley.

Sandon School Radio Drama Club have recorded the Spooky Hall play, and we hope to be broadcasting this soon. Keep an eye on the social media feeds (@chelmsfordcr) for more information.

We are looking for more schools and organisations to work with, so please do get in touch for a chat. Email michelle.durant@ chelmsfordcommunityradio.com.

Finally, thank you to our lovely community for the continued support. If you would like to explore being involved with our station, contact us through www.chelmsfordcommunityradio.com and someone will come back to you.

Essex Skeptics in the Pub

We’re back! After our relaunch on September 14th, Essex Skeptics in the Pub are back in The Woolpack in Chelmsford from 7.30pm on October 12th with Richard Firth Goldbehere, a historian of aversive emotion, aka disgust. His talk is entitled A History of Human Emotion

Essex Skeptics meet in The Woolpack on the second Wednesday of each month, following the two-year hiatus imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. For those who don’t know, Skeptics in the Pub (SITP) has more than 40 branches in the UK, as well as hundreds around the world, aiming to engage with the public on science and other important topics of the day. Now we are back in Chelmsford and looking forward to some fascinating discussions as we drink while we think. What’s not to love?

Upcoming Speakers

November 9th: Kat Arney, the science communicator and author, will returns to talk about her book Local Charity Plays Its Part in a Challenging Economic Climate. Recent findings regarding the links between air pollution and cancer make this talk a must.

December 14th: Rob Hutton, former lobby journalist for Bloomberg, sketchwriter for The Critic, is the author of Romps, Tots & Boffins and Would They Lie to You? both about the journalist’s trade. He will talk about his latest book Agent Jack, the true story of the man who fooled dozens of British fascists into thinking they were spying for the Nazis in WW2.

More speakers are booked for the new year, so join us to think as you drink on the second Wednesday of each month in the Woolpack, on Mildmay Road in Chelmsford.

www.facebook.com/Essex-Skeptics-in-the-Pub-1748077225420080 www.essexskeptics.co.uk

essexskepticsinthepub@gmail.com

MT History: Canterbury Tales - By Henri Lewi

We can mourn the passing of the monarch and many millions of words will be spoken, written, and broadcasted about the Queen, her life and the huge changes that occurred during her 70-year reign. Nowadays, the public are fully able to participate in the mourning process and whilst we have a belief that this a historic practice, it is in reality a relatively recent phenomenon. The first king to have a publicly viewed lying in state was Queen Victoria’s son Edward VII who died in 1910. Subsequent monarchs have been accorded the same honour. Originally the lying in state, especially in medieval times, was a formality that was performed only within the Royal Court by the king’s close relatives and advisers in order to ensure orderly transition of the Crown.

Like many of the thousands of people who wished to pay their respects to the late monarch, or merely be part of this unique historical event, I too joined the queue at Southwark Park at 7.45 in the morning. Some 13 or so hours later, I passed through Westminster Hall.

Like the pilgrims who’s many stories are recounted in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, people in the queue formed themselves into groups where we chatted, exchanged stories and tales, and essentially looked after one another ensuring we were all fed, watered and rested during the 13-hours that passed during our procession to Westminster Hall. The group that we spontaneously formed, included people of all walks of life just like Chaucer’s pilgrims, and included a military veteran and his wife - a retired nursing sister, a schoolteacher, an accountant, a retired doctor, the wife of a journalist, a health care assistant, and a policewoman from Scotland - an eclectic mix.

Also like Chaucer’s pilgrims, we all met in Southwark, but in the 1380s the meeting point was the Tabard Inn. In 2022 the start point

was Southwark Park some 2 miles distant. The original inn itself was destroyed by fire in 1676 and quickly rebuilt and renamed as the Talbot, finally closing, and ultimately being demolished, in 1873. Unlike Chaucer’s pilgrims whose destination was Canterbury some 60 miles distant, our destination was Westminster Hall only 6.9 miles away.

The route has been well publicised winding its way from Southwark Park via Bermondsey and Tower Bridge, where we received our wristbands - yellow for that particular day - continuing along the southern side of the Thames, past HMS Belfast, Tate Modern, The National Theatre, South Bank and round the London Eye under the watchful and supportive eyes of scouts, The Samaritans, stewards, various security personnel, and the many differing police forces drafted in to help - plus the DCMS supervisors in blue tabards who supposedly had constant updates on the likely time we had remaining in the queue - it always seemed to vary between 5-7 hours, irrespective of where we were.

During the long passage of time that members of the public took in traversing the length of the queue, no-one gave up, and everyone had a sense of it being a truly once in a lifetime historic moment. Like Chaucer’s pilgrims, we passed the time telling tales and anecdotes, and I suspect that sometime in the near future many books will be published detailing stories from the queue. As always, the last leg seemed the longest, crossing Lambeth Bridge to enter Victoria Tower Gardens where the ‘snake’ still required a couple of hours to complete.

The scene in Westminster Hall, which most people have now seen either by live stream, TV broadcast or in real time, was solemn, silent, and befitting a monarch lying in state.

it!

It was sad to hear about the Queen’s passing, but didn’t they give her a great send off? Everyone did their bit wonderfully well. It was very moving, whether you are a royalist or not. It was most impressive, It’s something we do extremely well.

We are away in our motor home - yes again, so I am going to post some photos for you to guess the locations again. We are touring the Somerset, Devon and Dorset areas, so there’s a clue there.

Just one story from the crazy animal reports this month. In Pakistan, a pigeon was arrested for flying suspiciously near one of that country’s borders, because they thought it was spying. It seems that an alert member of the military spotted a brass ring round the pigeon’s leg. Once they caught the ‘spy’ they discovered a secret message on the ring, which, when decoded by experts, the message turned out to be an address. The pigeon was a racing bird that had lost it’s way. Coo, fancy that!

This story reminds me of my family waiting at customs for a cross channel ferry. There were loads of seagulls patrolling the traffic lanes and we convinced the children that the gulls were checking out all the cars and their passengers to save on security staff.

Good luck, back to normal (whatever that is) next month.

Bin End Chuckles (Thank You John Once Again)

Did your hear about the murderer who was a writer? He was sentenced to death...

What do you call a potato wearing glasses? A spectator... Stay well.

(Answers on page 31)

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well and enjoying the summer weather. At least it is still ‘summer’ as I write this - it could be blowing a gale and raining by the time you read

What is this town at the bottom, Lynton is at the top?

Many a royal has been trained here, but what in the name of this coatal town?

Grove Road Evangelical Church

Towards the end of September, our church launched what we call Coffee and Chat. Twice a week - Wednesday afternoons (2pm to 4pm) and Thursday mornings (10am to 12noon) - there is an opportunity for anyone to drop in and chat over a cup of coffee (other drinks are available!) and a piece of cake (other goodies are available to eat too!) with whoever else is there.

The invitation is to anyone, whatever their age, to come along and be part of this community of chat. There are some rules of course, such as no unaccompanied children - though parents can come along with their children but they must stay with them and be responsible for supervising them. Apart from that, anyone - young or old - is welcome and is warmly invited to come along.

We live at a time when despite so much going on, people of any age can occasionally feel isolated and alone. Bearing burdens on our own is never a positive experience! There’s an old saying that we hope you will find true as you come along and chat with other people over

coffee and cake: a trouble shared is a trouble halved.

There is another invitation on offer too, this one from Jesus: ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ Jesus is concerned about the burdens we face each day, and he offers us an alternative to that inner turmoil: rest - inner peace. Learn from me, Jesus says. Walk through life with me, and you will find rest for your souls.

So why not take a first step towards rest? Come along to one of our Coffee and Chat sessions. Everyone is welcome.

Philip Loose, Senior Pastor

Grove Road Evangelical Church (Behind Tesco Express, Moulsham Street)

www.grecuk.co.uk

pastor@grecuk.co.uk

Pilates for Today’s Man - Sort the Men From the Boys at Hummingbird Pilates and Yoga - By

Last month was one for the ladies, and this month in contrast I want to bring the topic of pilates specifically for men to the foreground. Maybe it is a coincidence that we have just had our lovely summer months, but it has seemed a popular time to retire recently and has brought a wonderful welcome to a number of new men gracing our stunning field-backed barn studio. At Hummingbird Pilates and Yoga in Writtle we’ve always had a smattering of testosterone across all classes, proving pilates and yoga are definitely not just for girls, its for our boys as well - not to leave out our wonderful and studio leading yoga instructor Steve, who is part of our foundation running so many of our yoga classes.

Without wanting to specifically name some of the super regular dedicated men that come to me weekly and daily, not only is it great to have the mix of experience in class (proving it is never too late to start), but it also keeps my brain ticking over as I plan my pilates sessions accounting for all those differences in needs between the male and female body. It really isn’t a case of one size fits all when it comes to what our bodies can or can’t do with the stretching, flexibility, core strength and active functional conditioning involved in pilates.

In fact, here simplified is the reason why: A womans pelvis to leg bone position is set at a certain angle to allow child bearing, meaning the muscles in this region can move in certain ways. Our hips through certain angles move easier as a result. Men effectively have a leg bone to pelvis angle that is generally set narrower and more vertical where child bearing isn’t required, meaning the muscles in the region will have different potential range too. It is extremely common that the average man comes to my classes with tight hamstrings (back of thigh muscle) and often lower back discomfort. Regardless of physical/sporting history and habits, there is a trend - but there is no such thing as being too inflexible for pilates!

This is a tiny selection of the sort of great stretches for the men, which can have amazing results and make a big difference.

Open the gate: Standing hip warm up. Stand, hands on hips, lift right knee in front of you towards hip height, open it to the right as wide as it can, place foot down with knee facing out, lift knee again and bring it back to face front, lower foot and repeat this 10 times for each leg. Hold on to some furniture if needed!

Hip flexor stretch: Kneel on floor, have a sturdy chair to hand, keep left knee down, step right foot forward in front (at least 2 feet away), keep chest up, use chair for balance on your right, lean hips forward til a stretch is felt from mid to top of front left thigh, lift left arm to

Erica Foulds

ceiling, hold for 20 seconds, repeat twice each side.

Single leg forward fold: Sit on floor, right leg straight out, left leg folded in sole of foot against right inner thigh. Face your right foot, hands on the thigh, walk hands as far towards ankle as you can and back again 10 times.

Seated butterfly: Sit on floor, bring feet in close to you, soles together, knees dropped and fanned out to sides, pulse the thighs slowly ‘like butterfly wings’ for up to 1 minute. You may need to sit against a wall if you find it hard to sit like this.

At Hummingbird Pilates and Yoga on Reeds Farm in Writtle, we have plenty of classes where no experience is needed. All classes are 8 in studio, simultaneously on Zoom for those who want to take part from home avoiding traffic, expensive fuel, or just fancy being in your own space with the pets next to you. If you’re nervous about trying something new, why not see me for an hour of personally tailored introduction to pilates before coming to a full class? Our unlimited month for £45 gives you as many group classes as you can fit in for your first month. Find out more on Facebook or Instagram by searching ‘@hummingbirdpilatesyoga’ or search ‘Hummingbird Pilates & Yoga Writtle’. Email us at info@hummingbirdpilatesyoga. co.uk - or just call us on 01245 422 556.

See you on the mat!

Erica x

MT Finance - 8 Investment Tips for Better Finances

With finances under some pressure from the rise in the cost of living, here’s a handy investment checklist to help ensure your money is working as hard as possible.

After two decades of low inflation and low interest rates, an abrupt change in the economic climate has prompted many UK households to relook at their personal finances so they can keep up with the rising cost of living.

Our research found that more than half of adults (55%) say they are not confident their finances will hold up against rising prices. Placing cash and assets in the stock market can feel complicated, and at the time of writing continues to be volatile given high inflation, geopolitics, and the possibility that we are entering a recession. However, for those thinking longer term, we have set out some guiding principles which can help to ensure financial well-being for you and your family.

1. Define Your Investment Goals

Do you know what your short term and longer term goals are? Are you saving for a rainy day, to get on the property ladder, a holiday, or your retirement? Having an idea of what you want to achieve will spur you on to plan your finances and save more. It will also dictate the type of investment product you use, such as a Stocks & Shares ISA, Junior ISA (for a child) or self-invested personal pension.

Consider how much you are going to contribute and how often. Like any other type of investing, you’ll need to think whether you can invest as a lump sum, or will you invest in a series of lump sums or monthly contributions. The most successful investment strategies don’t have to be complex and can involve regular deposits, spread over the long term. But it’s also about how long you want to wait before accessing your funds; time horizon is of paramount importance.

2. Watch Out for the Investment Gap

An investment gap opened up over the last decade between those opting for cash savings and investors putting their money to work in riskier assets. A good starting point is to put aside an emergency fund that would cover unforeseen events, which is vital when it comes to building resilience into your personal finance plan. This is usually around six months of income in case of any sudden change in circumstances. But for longer term goals of five years or more, it’s worth considering investing.

Despite being increased by the Bank of England this year, interest rates are still low by historical standards, and a long way short of rises in the cost of living. Over the long term, having more of your wealth invested rather than in cash can help you preserve the spending power of that money and help you meet your goals.

3. Think About Risk

This is usually connected to how long you want to invest for and how much you can afford to contribute. Investing in higher risk shares should be seen as a long term exercise (ie, 10 years plus). If you’re looking for short term investment tips (eg, 5-10 years), you could use a lower risk option, such as cautious or multi-asset funds. Even shorter than this you should stick with cash or fixed term bonds. Remember, you should have paid off expensive debt and built an appropriate rainy day fund (say, six months’ expenditure) before investing.

4.

Make the Most of Tax-Efficient Savings

Saving, particularly for your pension, may not be something you are thinking about right now, but if you don’t you could be missing out. Most people can receive extra money every time they pay into their pension pot through tax relief, and with workplace pensions your employer makes a valuable contribution too.

Taking advantage of the tax benefits of a stocks and shares ISA by using as much of your £20,000 allowance as possible can also make a difference and offer more attractive returns than a regular cash savings account over the long term.

5. Ensure Your Portfolio Is Diversified

Diversifying - spreading your money between different investments and asset classes - is one of the key investment goals for beginners and experts alike, purely for the reason it can lead to a less bumpy ride. If one of the investments is performing poorly, another one could be making up for it. This is the bedrock on how we seek to build portfolios for our clients, blending investments that do not all move in the same direction at any given time.

Always ensure your portfolio is built of various assets so it is not overly reliant on any one area performing well, particularly if you are anticipating volatility ahead. It’s usually too late to rearrange during market-moving news.

Portfolios can also become out of kilter over time as asset classes rise or fall at different rates. Rapid appreciation in some areas can mean a portfolio becomes imbalanced and riskier by stealth. Methodically, taking some profits and topping up with a little of what has done badly can help keep your portfolio balanced and risk in check.

6. Stay Focused On Your Investment Strategy

Financial markets can be volatile, and downs as well as ups are part of investing. Ignoring short term market ‘noise’ to keep focused on a long term investment strategy can be hard, especially when there is so much bad news in the media. But short term declines should not detract from the potential of riskier assets to help meet longer term goals.

Trying to time the markets means investors must get two important decisions right: when to get out and when to get back in. This means there is a risk of having to pay a higher price to reinvest and missing out on any dividend or other income in the meantime. Markets are unpredictable and allowing emotions to drive investment decisions rarely serves investors well. While there are no shortcuts, quantitative investment strategies such as compounding, (as well as time and patience) can help you to maximise returns over the long term.

7. Consider and Re-Appraise Fund Choices

Investment choices depend on specific circumstances, goals, attitude to risk and investing time horizon. This will influence how much money is allocated and, if appropriate, how much of this is invested in the stock market.

If you are already investing, it’s worth periodically re-examining your fund choices to ensure they meet your needs and whether you are getting value for money. Fund charges can eat into your investment performance, so the use of low-cost passive funds or ‘trackers’ that aim to follow market indices could help minimise this effect.

Another route is aiming to pick funds with a reasonable chance of long term outperformance. Active funds try to beat their benchmarks, though there are no guarantees they will do so and they often come with higher charges than passive funds. Active managers need to justify their higher charges by being sufficiently differentiated from simple, low cost trackers - usually by holding a significant amount in stocks that are different to the large ones in the index.

8. Get Some Help or a Financial Health Check if Needed

A financial health check is a comprehensive review of your spending habits, income, and financial goals you are working towards. A financial planner would help you to understand your options and ways to improve or strengthen your money situation, whilst an investment manager can appraise any existing investments you hold and make recommendations.

We also have a dedicated area of our website which has a free guide, articles and pointers that provide a selection of the best investment tips for first time investors. Ensuring you keep these principles in mind in arranging your affairs, will give you a head start on achieving your financial goals.

Graham Austin, Chartered FCSI Investment Director

graham.austin@charles-stanley.co.uk

0207 149 6696

The value of investments can fall as well as rise. Investors may

get back less than invested. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future returns. The information in this article is for general information purposes and is not a trading recommendation.

Nothing in this article should be construed as personal advice based on your circumstances. No news or research item is a personal recommendation to deal.

Charles Stanley & Co. Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office: 55 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 3AS.

Who Invented Kids’ Menus? - By Ola Adamolekun

I’ll start this article with a question - do you and your kids eat the same food? Is that a weird question or what? The reason I’m asking this is that I was reading an article about limiting screen time for kids and my brain drifted to one of my favourite topics - food. A lot of the time our kid’s meals are different from ours.

So, who invented kids’ menus, and do you order off them when you eat out? According to Wikipedia (the fountain of all knowledge!):

‘The first kids’ meal, Funmeal, emerged at Burger Chef in 1973 and succeeded. Discerning the popularity of the kids’ meal, McDonald’s introduced its Happy Meal in 1978, and other fast food corporations, including Burger King, followed suit with their own kids’ meals.’

Doing a bit more research I found out that the concept of kids’ meals dates back to the Victorian age (but don’t quote me on that). Anyway, I’m not here to berate parents - I know how hard it is to feed your children. Trust me, I’ve got three! I’d like to help with a few tips on how to get your kids to eat better without breaking the bank. Here goes:

1. Get creative with fruit and veg: One of my nieces and my youngest child weren’t keen on vegetables. I remember her spending ages eating her vegetables and him hiding is mushrooms in his cheeks! Try ‘hiding’ your vegetable in stews, chillies, and curries. Just bulk them out with veg - mushrooms, onions, peppers, tomatoes - they all disappear once they’re in a sauce and your kids will be none the wiser!

2. Try making smoothies and fresh juices: It may be easier to get your child to drink their fruits and vegetables, especially if they get to see the juicing and blending happen before their eyes. Try combinations like carrot and orange, or banana and spinach.

3. Avoid processed foods when possible: It is unrealistic to expect that your child will eat only fresh, whole, organic foods all of the time, both inside and outside the home. Make a plan to save the processed treats for special occasions like friends’ birthday parties, and stock the pantry with unprocessed snacks (ie, foods without a barcode). Some ideas for snacks are dehydrated vegetables chips with hummus, nuts, and dried fruit.

And just because I’m generous, here is a really simple recipe you can use to whip up a healthy snack for your kids.

Banana Flapjacks

4 medium bananas, mashed well.

280g jumbo oats.

1 teaspoon of cinnamon.

2 tablespoon of nut butter (100% nuts - no Nutella!).

Optional: 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey.

1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Optional: seeds, nuts, flaxseed, dried fruit, chia seeds, etc (50g).

Method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees (fan oven).

1. Put the nut butter, oil and honey (if using) into a small pan and melt over a low heat.

2. Add the bananas to this and mix well.

3. Add the oats, cinnamon, and other dried food to a large bowl.

4. Add the banana mix to the oats and mix really well.

5. Spoon into a 20x20 tin and smooth the top. Bake for 20 minutes and leave to cool in the tin. Slice when cold and store in an airtight container.

Oats are slow release energy. Bananas bring the fruit/carbs, and the nutty butter is a good source of healthy fats and protein - your kids will love you. Enjoy!

Health and Nutrition Coach www.beencouragedwellness.co.uk www.facebook.com/BeEncouragedBeStrong

The Singing Chef

I (unlike our editor and my children) love love love pesto! Cheap jars, expensive jars, supermarket chiller pots - all delicious! But fresh is bestthough it is a little expensive to make. I’ve been working on this lower cost version for a while. My Italian friends might disown me, but needs must!

It’s getting extremely expensive to live in this country and with (nearly) 3 teenagers and a dog to feed, I’ve been looking at ways to make our (in this case my) favourite dishes on our new tighter budget.

Half a cup of rapeseed or olive oil. ¼ cup of pine nuts and or almonds. Squeeze of half a lemon. 2-3 cloves of garlic crushed in sea salt. Pinch of sugar.

Pulse in a good proscessor untill you get your desired texture. Put on any pasta, vegetable, meat, fish, potatoes and enjoy!

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

Before we get into the food, I would like to anounce that The Compass Studio (Baddow Road, Chelmsford) reopens this month and I am taking on new students for vocal, performance and confidence coaching and also offering the studio as a rehersal space with PA set up for up to 6. Feel free to email me or find me on Facebook (‘sarahbethvocalcoaching’), or Instagram by searching ‘Sarahblighsingervocalcoach’.

Back to the pesto - I’ll let you guess which is the expensive stuff! Adapt to your own budget or what you have...

Ingredients

Basil (1 pot, fresh).

50g parmasan or strong cheddar.

Hello! My name is Hayley and I run the café at The Community Station, alongside my assistant (and my mum!) Sue. The Copper Pot Café opened in October last year and next month is our first birthday! Over the past year we have welcomed so many local residents, and we are so pleased to see so many of you coming back.

In the heart of the community we want to create a space to relax, on your own or with friends, or even to make new ones. And what better way to do it than over coffee and homemade cake. Alongside the groups and activities organised by Moulsham Lodge Community Trust, we want to bring people together. We serve breakfast all day (because why should fry ups have a time limit!), hot and cold lunches and a variety of cakes and bakes. Our specials change weekly and

includes dishes like Eggs Benedict, spaghetti carbonara and a firm favourite - chilli nachos!

We make everything in-house - even our teacakes - and we are dedicated to reducing waste. Our bread pudding (below right) is made from all the ends of our loaves of bread, and our soup flavours are chosen by which excess ingredients we have. Precision equals waste, so if you don’t mind a wonky sausage roll and a nobbly treacle tart then you’re in the right place. Supporting local businesses is so important and we are sure our barista-made coffee is better than our large chain competitors.

Whether you fancy a slice of cake or a full English breakfast, pop in and see us! We are open Tuesday to Friday 8am til 4pm, and Saturday 9am til 3pm.

www.mlct.org.uk enquiries@mlct.org.uk 07434 678 999

An Update From Moulsham Lodge Ward - By Councillor Rob Gisby

With the nights drawing in and the temperature steadily dropping off, it’s definitely autumn! I hope that all those heading back to school and college have had a good start and are starting to feel settled into a routine. Also heading into the new term will be many thousands of university students. If you are heading off to university for the first time or going back for another year, then I wish you luck.

Following the sad death of Her Majesty the Queen, it has been a time of reflection for many. I attended the Chelmsford City Council Proclamation of the Accession of Our New King, marking the beginning of his reign. A short but very powerful event, faultlessly conducted by our Mayor, Cllr John Galley.

The Woodland Trust, amongst others, are promoting the commemoration the amazing reign of our late Queen by planting a tree as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative. The cooler months are an excellent opportunity for tree planning and to contribute wonderful legacy. The trust states: ‘Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, and the wishes of His Majesty The King, the initiative will be extended to the end of March 2023 to give people the opportunity to plant trees in memoriam to honour The Queen’. Find details of how to take part at woodlandtrust.org.uk.

Following the fantastic success of the 2021 British Science Festival which was hosted at ARU last year (in no small part due to the efforts of our MP Vicky Ford who was at that time on the Government’s Science and Technology Select Committee), it’s great to see ARU will be hosting Chelmsford’s very own Chelmsford Science Festival this year from the 12th to the 18th October. Currently there are over 20 free events which you can sign up to attend as well as a Family

Science Day on the 15th. For details visit aru.ac.uk, but I will put the full links to the events on my Facebook page.

In terms of council business, Chelmsford City Council has opened a consultation on the Chelmsford Local Plan which sets out the council’s options as to how it will approach planning the city’s future up to 2041. This includes locations for new development of homes, jobs and infrastructure and areas for protection. Once option in the plan which is particularly contentious is the possible development of Hammonds Farm, an area of around 1,100 acres located between Boreham, Sandon and Little Baddow. The proposal for an initial 4,000 homes has left many very concerned including Little Baddow Parish Council, pointing out that the site has the space for a staggering 12,000 houses. The local plan and details of the consultation can be found on the City Council website via Chelmsford. gov.uk. This consultation is open until Thursday 20th October 2022. I encourage as many people as possible to read aspects of the local plan relevant to them and provide feedback on it.

For those following updates on Chislett Row play area, a further meeting on site is now scheduled with Cllr Rose Moore and council officers. As set out in my articles in previous months, residents remain concerned about some aspects on the play equipment and local antisocial behaviour. I am pleased that after mine and residents continued efforts to raise the issue and ask for further scrutiny, Cllr Moore and officers are coming to discuss the concerns. As always, you can get in touch with me via Chelmsford City Council, through my Facebook Page (Cllr Rob Gisby) or via Chelmsford Conservative Association. Please do reach out - I look forward to hearing from you.

Stay safe, keep well, be kind.

Cllr Rob Gisby

In a month where we have all been saddened to hear of the death of our beloved monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, resident Heydi Alvarado gave me her account of how and why she felt compelled to travel to Buckingham Palace to lay flowers, join the queue for the lying in state at Westminster Hall and then go to Windsor Castle for the funeral procession:

“The Queen was an iconic figure worldwide, in Venezuela where I grew up, a president and constitution meant corruption, so the monarchy are very important to me. When they released the information about the lying in state, I told my girls we are going to see the Queen and pay our respects - this is an historic moment for the nation and globally. We went on the Friday which was the busiest time and the queue had been closed for most of the day. We managed to join the queue and waited patiently all night - London was beautiful at night with all the landmarks lit up in honour of Her Majesty.

“After thirteen and a half hours, we were at the top of the stairs at Westminster Hall. The scene in front of us was like a picture on a postcard, it felt surreal. I was overcome with emotion and we walked slowly past to pay our respects. We also went to Windsor Castle to say a final farewell, what an emotional weekend, and memories we will never forget.”

I attended the ceremony at the Civic Centre on Sunday 11th September to proclaim the accession to the throne of our new King, Charles III and it certainly felt strange singing God Save The King. Thank you Ma’am for your 70 years of faithful service and God Save The King.

Update From the New Headteacher of Mildmay Primary School Mildmay Pimary School is Open! After a great deal of hard work from a large number of people, we were delighted to be able to formally open Mildmay Primary School on Monday 5th September, 2022. Cllr John Galley, Mayor of Chelmsford, was in attendance to officially cut the ribbon and declare the school open for business.

With two performances from the Singing and Signing Choir (True Colours and This Is Me), words of welcome from the CEO of Bridge Academy Trust and a special message from the Mayor, the (new) school and nursery opened its doors to over 630 children aged 3-11.

“We were also able to introduce a new member of the team - the school mascot (who will be named by the children) livened up proceedings and was instantly loved by all the children.

“Our new school motto, ‘Growing, Caring & Learning Together’ will set the tone for many exciting years to come for the Mildmay community. The two schools that have merged had a great reputation on the Tile Kiln estate and it will be for us at Mildmay Primary School to work hard to build on their fantastic legacy and to make our own mark.

“I couldn’t be prouder of Mildmay than I am today and I feel honoured to be the headteacher of this new school. I look forward to sharing more of our events and exploits in future editions.” (Dominic Mulholland - Headteacher).

‘A Saviour with the power to forgive’

‘A Saviour with the power to forgive’. Queen Elizabeth II spoke these words in her 2011 Christmas address nearly 11 years ago:

‘Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves - from our recklessness or our greed. Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God’s love. God sent into the world a unique person, neither a philosopher or a general, important as they are, but a Saviour with the power to forgive.’

I wonder how you responded to the death of Her Majesty? Grief? Sorrow? A sense of loss?

Perhaps an increase in anxiety - that’s not unusual, for most of us have known no other monarch. She was perhaps the epitome of selfless service and stability across 70 years of dramatic and unceasing change, which all too often edged into chaos. We like to think the best of ourselves, and the best of people in general. But these last years have shown us something of the truth. As the Queen said, we’re capable of great acts of kindness, but our recklessness and greed mean we also need saving from ourselves. Dare we apply that to our politics in recent years? Certainly we recognise that in the

horrors of the Russian war against Ukraine. Perhaps, we know the truth of that closer to home, too.

The Queen believed in Jesus Christ. She’s clear: the power of God’s love is seen clearly in forgiveness. And it came through His Son, Jesus Christ. Not a politician, not a celebrity, not philosopher, not a general. A Saviour. Our Saviour. Your Saviour. The world’s Saviour.

The Queen was nobody’s fool. She would not be sharing this with the nation unless she believed it, and had true and deep faith in Jesus Christ. And she’s right - look across the world today, what do you see?

We don’t need another prime minister, or a general to lead the warring charge against Russia, or a new philosophy of what it means to be human. We need a Saviour. We need forgiveness.

The Queen knew - forgiveness is still on offer. Jesus Christ holds it out to all who might pause to notice him, and turn to him and receive it as the free gift that it is.

Tim Goodall, Pastor, Tile Kiln Church

tim.goodall@tilekilnchurch.org.uk

YouTube: tinyurl.com/y24qlkvx

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tilekilnchurch www.tilekilnchurch.org.uk

Quiz Time - Who Sang the Song?

You Oughta Know

Torn

Say My Name

The Sign

Always Be My Baby

MMMBop

Barbie Girl

Creep

That’s the Way Love Goes

Mr Jones

All I Wanna Do

Zombie

Macarena

Pour Some Sugar on Me

Don’t Stop Believing Africa

All Night Long

Since Yesterday

Don’t You Forget About Me Open Your Heart

How Bizarre

Tubthumping

Iris

Cotton Eye Joe

Baby Baby Informer

Breathe Again

(Answers on page 31)

The Estate Car - By

Recently, despite the madness within the global automotive industry, I had long ago decided we either finally needed an SUV or, in a perhaps sadly desperate attempt to salvage my fading youthpurchase a ‘cool estate (or wagon) car.’ Troubled waters lay ahead...

Another trouble with this working from home era is the amount of time I seem to be hooked up to the internet. Like the scary Big Brother it’s now everywhere on every device. And for a self confessed but clinically untreatable car nut as myself, this simply equates to more exposure to and browsing of, car selling platforms. You name it, I look - for anything that takes my fancy on any given day. Last week I even found myself ‘perving’ on classic status early Lexus’/Lexi, or however one should say it. An early LS? The IS? Well not for longm when I started noticing the old Range Rover Sports on long dog walks...

It seems as though I’ve been into everything for a time. A BMW E46 coupe - as school fees certainly prevent any hopes of the M3. Or M5 of any era. An old Saab 900 would definitely bring back pleasant memories of the wasted days of campus life. A Mercedes CL took my fancy, but those that I could even remotely entertain were already half way to the wrecking yard. But there has been one constant in the back of my mind for a few years now, the estate car vs SUV.

To be honest I’ve been putting off joining the ranks of most Australian car buyers (about 60%!) in sourcing either a new or used SUV or Ute. While early BMW X5s do tickle my fancy, in reality I’d actually like to outdo every boring suburban dad one Friday at the school gate - in a decommissioned tank. The smug expression of all those Ford Ranger Raptor father’s would be wiped away by calling my son over to the hatch! Let alone the mothers in their Korean or Japanese or - heaven forbid - the slowly budding growth in popularity of the MG SUV.

Or a Dodge, a RAM1500? However I can’t afford that, nor the diesel for some old tank in which the most important element - the turret, must be removed under another pointless road rule for ex-army equipment in Australia. And certainly no ammo’...

The X5s are now so overpriced as is just about everything desirable. I turned my attention to the friendlier estate car while enjoying the lines of early 00s Volvo. Would I dare another Saab 9-5 in ‘wagon’ form as most Aussies in reality refer to them? But I kept on browsing while being very conscious of the retirement fund, and the state of the share market. So did a ‘banger’ beckon? In fact, no. My spare change allowed me to delve into the world of wagons I quite liked with about 160,000 kilometres or so on the odometer.

A classic Mercedes W211 estate car is fairly common, but they are also highly prized in our current global used car pricing madness. Pristine examples in 2006 facelift form with the V6 or even the non-AMG V8 can go for $20,000 (about £11,000). I’d never get the backing of The Opposition (umm, my wife) for such a splash out. Early non facelift W211 estates are much cheaper. A dog carrier like a 2004 W211 E240 is going for well under $10,000 -obviously Aussie dollars I should mention!

Yet the C6 shaped Audi’s look more modern. In fact my final purchase, a 2006 model year A6 Avant is almost a huge coupelike creation. It’s low. So I bend to get in. My egress is almost embarrassing and certainly not graceful. But it’s a wagon, for the school run or ferrying the big lab to a park. So my middle-aged

anonymity is still safe.

It also feels more modern with a slightly nice set of screen graphics and switchgear that remained current until fairly recently. It’s so well built and over-engineered (actually a problem!) with its tight shut lines and I love the real shiny twin exhaust tips. I can honestly call this car ‘a project.’ Almost a day after passing its roadworthy - our MOT the driver-side passenger door won’t open from the outside. My costly LED headlights are throwing error codes despite me having quality resistors installed by an electrician. The terribly heavy tailgate won’t fully raise - it doesn’t seem to be receiving enough electricity so it stops part-way. At least I’m working my muscles in lifting it!

But fixing these issues along with some weird engine cold start rumbles or anything else that any older car with a fully stamped Audi history to the 143,000 kilometres I bought it at will still be a bargain for what it is. Including Australian luxury car taxes which are so ridiculous in this day and age of globalism, this Audi was upwards of $80,000 - over £45,000 when new all those years ago. It has a full suite of front and rear side and roof lining airbags, stability systems, full leather and a very clever Audi drive train. And the Bose stereo system is truly magnificent.

So I still cannot understand the madness of new car buying in a country with very expensive purchase costs versus the massive depreciation even in the current climate. We’re a three-car family as I still keep my 2008 Merc E350 while my wife drives a CLK.

We have three very nice old cars, two of which obviously took a little time and money to get right. And the Audi will also. Every day I walk past lovely old homes lovingly and sometimes lavishly being put right. It’s a nice area which was once working class in a large regional city. But the driveways are lined with SUVs it seems, and I don’t understand why. In reality, I admire early generation X5s as they do possess some serious off-road potential, but the current SUV thing downunder seems out of control... There’s even a Mini on stilts a couple of blocks away!

So, my apologies for the rant as in effect it doesn’t matter what you drive as it doesn’t offend me. Or does it?

By using just the littlest of imagination, our cars could be as interesting as our homes. They’re also a part of the streetscape aren’t they? After all, our cars spend most of their lives parked.

Offload the silly SUV and force car companies to once again build better handling (safer?) cars! And I won’t start on the suburban nontradie ute craze...

Nice cars exist, car companies still make them, and they add to the background as you wander past.

So, back to my new-used toy Audi. A chap sent me a text about it just yesterday. He’s looking to swap his Mercedes estate... I’m far too afraid at this stage to tell my wife, but I feel another long day out visiting a certain Merc estate owner on the other side of Melbourne, down the Mornington Peninsula may be coming one weekend soon...

Cars. Luckily there’s no medication or rehab for people such as myself. Heavily addicted as I am, that is! Will the Audi stay, or go...?!

Quiz and Wordsearch Answers

Jackson

Counting Crows

Sheryl Crow

The Cranberries

Los Del Rio

OMC

Chumbawumba

The Goo Goo Dolls

Rednex

Amy Grant Snow

Toni Braxton

Answers to the photos on Jonny’s World page - Lynmouth and Dartmouth