Moulsham Times September 2020

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Issue Number 93 - September 2020

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

Heritage Open Days is back this year, albeit with some virtual events alongside the regular ‘real’ events; see pages 15 and 19.

Stay safe!

Regards Paul

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

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

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Chelmsford - by Vicky Ford MP Over recent months the Government has been focused on protecting livelihoods and jobs as well as health priorities. Over 15,200 people in Chelmsford have benefited from the furlough scheme and many thousands more from the support for the self-employed scheme - hundreds of local businesses have also received financial support. With that in mind, it is good to see people returning safely to our shops, bars and restaurants and I would like to thank everyone who is supporting local businesses. However, there may still be difficult times ahead for many people.

I recently visited the Job Centre Plus in Chelmsford to hear first-hand how their large team of experienced job coaches are supporting those looking for employment. They offer advice with CV writing, training opportunities and interview preparation. This support is available to everyone registered on Universal Credit, even if they are not currently receiving benefits. The Job Centre team can also give advice to those who are not currently registered.

All Chelmsford schools have been working hard to ensure that all children will be able to return to school safely this September.

Funding for Chelmsford schools will increase by 6.1% next year - well ahead of the national average of 4%. This follows the campaign led

by Essex MPs for fairer funding for Essex schools. Eight schools in Chelmsford will also benefit from funding to improve school facilities this year.

number of people were stopped in possession of cannabis and one has been held in custody. Thank you to everyone who has reported intelligence about drugs related behaviour.

Thank you too to everyone who has contacted me regarding social distancing around Chelmsford. The vast majority of Chelmsford businesses and customers are operating extremely sensibly and responsibly. Though one pub, The Bay Horse, has had its licence revoked due to recent incidents. If you do have concerns about social distancing, please submit these via the Essex Police website online form at www.essex.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/c19/tell-usabout-possible-breach-coronavirus-measures. Thank you also to everyone who has supported local businesses via the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

Many congratulations must be given to Chelmsford resident Cait Cotter for being picked by Swim England for their development training programme. This is particularly impressive as Cait was born with the very rare disease, phenyl ketonuria, and is a longstanding campaigner for better treatments for this condition.

Finally, congratulations to Essex Cricket for their fabulous performances in recent games. We are so lucky to have the top team in the country based at our County Ground in Chelmsford.

As ever, do stay in touch and if you need my assistance, please email me at vicky.ford.mp@parliament.uk.

This has been a very difficult year for many young people who have been unable to take their exams. I want to make sure that the vast majority of students are able to continue with their plans to further their studies or enter the workplace. To ensure students can progress to higher education, the Government intends to remove temporary student number controls and work with the sector to create additional capacity. I must say big congratulations to all those who received their results in this tremendously challenging year. If you are affected by the results and have an issue with your application to university or other courses, please do email me so I can help with the latest advice.

Our local hospitals are set to receive an additional ÂŁ4.8 million to support A&E capacity ahead of the winter months. This will go to the Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust which includes Broomfield Hospital.

Housing Minister Chris Pincher MP came to visit Chelmsford to see the progress with Beaulieu Park and meet developers and local residents. This was also an opportunity to discuss our infrastructure plans. Funding for Chelmsford’s second station and North East Bypass was awarded last year - it is the largest grant from the Housing Infrastructure Fund in the country and work on both projects is continuing. The station project is particularly complex as it involves moving tracks on the Great Eastern mainline and splicing in the passing loop. Therefore parts of the construction need to be very carefully phased in order to minimise disruption to trains. Planning, design, procurement and approval phases will continue over the next few years, with the current date for completion set for 2025. Work is also continuing on the long term solutions to the Army and Navy junction.

Our local police continue to work hard to protect us. I recently joined an operation between Essex Police and the British Transport Police to target county lines gangs bringing drugs into Chelmsford by train.

We also were joined by our Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst and 2 year old Dudley, the drugs detection dog. A

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MT Health

The Myth of Motivation - One Simple Trick to Kickstart Your Habits of Health - by Chris at Forté Physical Health

If you’re anything like me, even though the gyms have opened up you might be lacking the motivation to get stuck back in. I felt that I lost so much strength over lockdown when the gyms were closed and now the thought of going in and picking up heavy things fills me with a little bit of dread!

Well, I think I have found the answer, a little mindset shift that will help me get the ball rolling.

I have been reading a book recently, The Motivation Myth by Jeff Hayden and there is a simple but profound theme that runs through the book.

When I read it, it was a bit of a penny-drop moment for me. He shows a workflow that goes like this: success > motivation > more success > more motivation (and on and on).

The penny-drop moment for me (and the main lesson in the book) is that motivation comes after success - you don’t start with it.

So let’s say you have a goal of becoming a runner. You see all the people running through the park and you wish you could do that too. But then when it comes to putting your trainers on for that first run, the negative chat enters your mind and you start to put it off.

You don’t quite feel motivated enough so you put it off for tomorrow.

Maybe you’ll feel motivated then?

I know this story well because I have done it so many times in my life with all sorts of different things!

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 of how to get in touch at fortephysicalhealth.co.uk.

Virtual Baddow Races: 13th September 2020 In consideration of the health and safety of both runners and volunteers, the Great Baddow Races have been cancelled, but in their place on the 13th September 2020 we have organised a Virtual 10 mile Road Race, under UKA licence, and a Virtual Family Fun Run. All entries made from the 1st July will be entered in the virtual races.

You are welcome to gain sponsorship for your own charity and we would encourage a donation to our nominated charities as listed on the website.

Go to www.baddowraces.co.uk for all information and entry details.

Thanks, and run safely and good luck!

Chelmsford Mildmay and Chelmsford Rivermead Rotary Clubs

But here’s Jeff’s way of looking at it...

You want to be a runner? Cool! Put your trainers on and go for a run.

It’s gonna suck! You’ll hate it. It won’t feel good, you’ll feel unfit, but you’re running. A few days later, go for another run. That’s going to suck too! You’ll hate it. It won’t feel good, you’ll feel unfit, but you’re running... again!

Rinse and repeat a few times and you’ll start to notice something.

You’re improving. That feels good! Having success in running makes you motivated to do more running, and as you do more running, you get even better at it, so then you want to do even more of it!

This can be applied to anything of course, but for me, the main lesson is that when you have a goal of doing something but the negative chat fills your mind and procrastination starts to grip, you’re supposed to feel like that!

Get up, let go of the negative chat in your mind, do the thing anyway, and understand that the motivation will come later when you start to make progress. I have found this a wonderfully liberating way to look at things and I have restarted some habits that slipped to the wayside by using this strategy.

What habits would you like to build, but have found yourself procrastinating over? What would your first step be to get the ball rolling?

Deadlines for the September edition: Articles - 16th September Print ready art work 24th September

It should be a small step - and there should be no expectation of enjoying it! But once you start and rinse and repeat a few times, I’m certain the motivation will follow.

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Making Democracy Local by Cllr Marie Goldman

Street Name Signs Thanks to the many, many residents who responded to my plea on social media and in the Moulsham Times for help compiling a list of street name signs that need a bit of TLC. I have now sent off the list to the Council. It may take a few months to smarten up the signs that need it and replace those that are broken or missing, so please bear with us, but thank you to those who have helped by sending me photos of signs that have seen better days.

Flooding The sudden downpours of recent weeks resulted in some severe flash floods around Chelmsford, including on Van Diemans Road, Parkway and the Army & Navy roundabout. Sewage pipes were so overwhelmed in some places that water was gushing out of manhole covers with pipes unable to cope with such a sudden, large volume of water. On Van Diemans Road however, the consequences of this were a bit more serious. In one place the force of the water had completely lifted off the large manhole cover in the middle of the southbound carriageway, leaving a gaping hole - dangerous, but entirely invisible to drivers attempting to navigate the deep water. Not all of them were successful. You can see a video I recorded here: youtu.be/ d5Tk1I13WVs. Please be very, very careful when driving through water - you never know what is lurking beneath the surface.

New CCTV in Oaklands Park I’m very pleased to say that I was a member of the Chelmsford City Council panel that approved funding for the new CCTV cameras in/around Oaklands Park and that these are now being installed.

As I write this article towards the end of August, the camera at Longstomps has been replaced, an extra, static camera is being added to cover the pedestrian entrance to Oaklands Park on Vicarage Road, and a new camera will soon be added on the other side of the park covering the entrance. This latter one will have automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) for vehicles entering the park.

I hope the presence of these cameras will act as a deterrent for the antisocial - and sometimes criminal - behaviour that we occasionally see in our beautiful parks. Unfortunately, some of this is likely to continue. I know it can be tempting to want even more cameras, but we need to get to the root of the problem: what is causing that behaviour and how can we stop it before it even starts? I think that calls for deeper solutions, such as more and better youth services, providing genuine alternative activities for young people and a more radical approach to dealing with drugs and drug addiction. I’d also like to see a much more joined up approach between central government, legislation, the police and local authorities.

For the moment, that sadly feels like a bit of a pipedream, so in the meantime, we’re working hard at Chelmsford City Council with the Community Policing Team to keep our residents safe. These new cameras are just one small part of that work.

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

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Essex Urged to Give up Clothes for Good

This September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and people in Essex are being called on to clear out their wardrobes to help more children and young people survive cancer.

They are being urged to donate any pre-loved quality clothing, accessories and homeware they no longer need to TK Maxx’s Give Up Clothes for Good campaign, in support of Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People.

For many across Essex, the extra time spent at home during the COVID-19 outbreak has provided an opportunity to focus on decluttering, which can now be put to good use.

When sold in Cancer Research UK shops, each bag of items donated could raise up to £25 to help fund research into children’s and young people’s cancers.

There are around 170 new cases of cancer in children each year in the East of England*. Patrick Keely, Essex spokesperson for Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People, said: “The truth is COVID-19 has slowed us down, but we will never stop.

“Cancer in children and young people is different to cancer in adults from the types of cancer, to the impact of treatment and the longterm side effects survivors often experience. That’s why it needs different, dedicated research which campaigns like Give Up Clothes for Good help to fund.

More children are surviving cancer than ever before, thanks in large part to the work of Cancer Research UK. TK Maxx is the biggest corporate supporter of the charity’s work into children’s and young people’s cancers and, since 2004, has raised more than £37m to help improve survival.

Jo Murphy, Assistant Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at TK Maxx, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to our associates and customers in Essex who have helped us to raise millions for research into children’s and young people’s cancers.

“We’re making every effort to ensure that people can donate safely, so we can keep transforming their pre-loved items into vital funds.

We hope the local community will show their support, because their donations really could help to save lives.”

Give Up Clothes for Good is one of the UK’s longest running clothes collection campaigns. It also provides an environmental benefit through the re-use and recycling of goods.

People can donate at any TK Maxx store all year round, including locations at Basildon, Chelmsford, Southend. Supporters can also help raise funds by wearing a gold ribbon badge - the awareness symbol of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month - available from TK Maxx and Cancer Research UK stores throughout September.

For more information visit cruk.org/childrenandyoungpeople.

“Cancer still claims the lives of around 510 under 25s every year in the UK**. We want to help more children and young people survive cancer with a good quality of life. So, we hope as many people as possible will help to get our life saving research back on track by donating any quality clothes or goods at their local TK Maxx store.”

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MT Gardening

water logging and bolting.

Check out this link on diseases and disorders: www.rhs.org. uk/advice/plant-problems/ diseases-disorders.

Hurrah, it’s rained! What a relief for us gardeners and our plants, especially the lawn! After just a few days of soaking, everything seems to be thriving, with plants displaying a new found lushness.

Even the brown lawn is once again a vibrant green. Watch out though as weeds can rear their ugly heads.

As we move towards the end of August there’s loads to do and plan for before moving into the autumn.

Continue to harvest vegetables such as carrot, beetroot and salads like lettuce, spring onion and radish. As onion tops topple over and brown, they will be ready for lifting.

Don’t forget second earlies and maincrop spuds. This needn’t be the end of your supply, hopefully you’ve been sowing to extend the season, and it’s still not too late to sow intercrops such as lettuce and plant out winter cabbage.

This is also a perfect time to prune stone fruits such as cherries and plums. By pruning at this time of year you’ll minimise the spread of silver leaf and bacterial canker.

Although we have had a load of rain, don’t get complacent. Continue to ensure that the soil or compost that your plants are thriving in remains moist - not saturated. Try to ensure water levels are maintained in order to avoid disorders such as blossom end rot,

01245 422804/07711 606561

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Vegetables and fruit aside, it’s a perfect time to get a great range of ornamentals off to a great start by sowing this month. Sow pot marigolds (Calendula officinalis), cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus), Forgetme-nots (Myosotis sylvatica) and Californian poppy (Eschscholzia californica).

For those that like to collect seeds, check out this link with tips and guidance to ensure success: www.rhs.org.uk/

As lavenders finish flowering, prune to keep the plant compact.

Remove spent flowers down into fresh new leafy growth. By doing this every year you’ll maintain a bushy shape. Try not to cut into woody growth as lavenders don’t always regrow.

Take stem tip cuttings of bedding and other tender geraniums, fuchsias, penstemons and heliotrope. Always select vigorous vegetative growth avoiding any flowering stems.

Work back from the tip of plant stems and select a cutting no longer than 7.5cm. Ensure bottom cut is just under a node (junction on the stem), strip off bottom half of leaves, dab rooting hormone powder on cut end, tap off excess and insert into a suitable propagation compost. Water well and place in a covered propagator or insert pot and cuttings into a plastic bag and tie up. Roots should emerge in around 4-6 weeks. Check out this link for further information: www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-totake-softwood-cuttings.

It’s also now a good time to plan for spring colour by selecting bulbs and corms at your local garden centre or online.

Lastly, check out this link for other jobs for the garden as we move into September: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/inmonth/september.

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Happy gardening and keep safe!

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

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Regal Kitchens Case Study: Mr and Mrs W in Leigh-on-Sea

Essex based retailer Regal Kitchens provided Mr and Mrs W, who live in Leigh-on-Sea, with an exquisite bespoke unique two colour kitchen with an in-frame shaker-style door.

home with a beautiful new kitchen, please visit Regal in Navigation Road, Chelmsford CM2 6H. The showroom is open 10am-4pm daily with staff on hand to help with your queries. www.regalkitchens.co.uk

Their designer, John Martin, added clever storage solutions in the way of magic corners, LeMans pull outs, as well as full larder pull outs and internal bins. He also incorporated an S-Box in the new Quartz island for ease of use with smaller appliances.

The cabinets in the bespoke ornate mantle are fully working, therefore maximising storage space above their new range cooker.

The island, finished in quartz, utilises an overhang to seat up to six people comfortably and the wine cooler was added to the kitchen side so as to not affect the clean lines of the dining room in what is a beautiful open space.

To find out how you can transform the space available inside your

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Nick Garner’s Music & Ramblings Ramblings Summer is almost gone and the children return to school after the one of the longest times away in our recent history. My grandson is about to start secondary school and will be joining his sister there. I know he will be fine as we are lucky, they are both fantastic children who do enjoy school and love learning.

The weather has been very up and down, with extreme heat and then flash floods and gales. Along with the coronavirus, this is a year that I think will never be forgotten - it will certainly go into the history books.

I have just been doing something a bit different - towing a friend’s caravan 30 miles with strong winds and rain! I have to say that was quite an experience. We also had a problem at the start when the caravan actually came off the car; luckily we had just pulled off and were going very slow. The incident did cause some discussion and a silent drive, but we arrived safe and sound in the end. I have done a bit of travelling around here and there as well since things have been opening up this month, and it has been nice to see the countryside.

We have a bank holiday coming up as I write this article and I wonder what it will be like if the weather is good - I just hope that people are careful and sensible especially with the children going back to school as well. If people are not, I would like to see the authorities come down hard on such behaviour as it does not matter if they don’t care about themselves, but it does matter to care and respect others around you.

I have surprised myself (and others!) and been rather practical. I have fitted a front door video camera (and it works) and I also got a new water feature for my garden which I have fitted and got working. Being an old half of a whiskey barrel, it needed filling a few times to get the oak to swell and seal which it has now done. I then had to fit the pump and put the rocks in.

The birds and the insects are loving it. I do find the sound of running water soothing.

We have also got a new van for the City Times, it is smaller and so more eco-friendly as well which we both like. Sadly we cannot go electric as I cannot charge at my house as I would have to have a cable run over the pavement.

Do you have a story or something you would like to share that you think maybe of interest to our readers? If so, please do send them into paul@moulshamtimes.com.

Music Things seem to be starting up slowly again, though not yet at Chelmsford City Football Club: We have just rescheduled Albert Lee to Wednesday 19th May 2021 as we all agreed we could not be sure where we will be on 29th September. This is normally a sell out show, so we decided with Albert that it was best to postpone. We have at present left in two shows, one on 13th November with The Strawbs and on 11th December with Kokomo - although we are watching and waiting to see how the tide flows, so keep your ears and eyes open for updates on these two gigs.

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I have been to two outside gigs since the last edition came out.

The first was at the beginning of the month at Leo’s Red Lion in Gravesend, Kent to see The SharpeeZ who we also filmed for broadcast. It was also recorded for a live album release. The band were on fire and Mark of Celtic Pirate Productions did a superb job of filming and editing the show. The next gig I attended was Los Pacaminos featuring Paul Young at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire - a wonderful location. It was part of Screen Space who had run a whole series of outdoor events from the 4th July to 23rd August. They finished with the only live band they had play, Los Pacaminos. A fitting film followed this, The Three Amigos.

This show, like The SharpeeZ, was also filmed for broadcast via my Black Frog Productions and will be put out online for your enjoyment.

There will be a small charge so that the musicians can hopefully earn a little money, as most of them being full time musicians have not earned anything since lockdown. We are thinking of a £4 ticket price, but remember that is per screen and not per person - so I hope you will agree that this is a very fair price, and when you see the quality I am sure you will agree with us it is more than worth it.

We are planning some live concerts as well after these first two have gone out. We have some great acts lined up for you, so please go and ‘like’ our page on Facebook (search ‘Black Frog Bands’) or go to our website: www.blackfrogbands.com.

I have to say I did enjoy both live concerts and it was good to go to both with some really good friends who also enjoyed themselves. I also met up with people who know me through Facebook and the music I have put on. It was nice to meet them.

I have also been busy with my own new musical project called Yes It Is. You can find it on social media and a website is coming soon.

I have been busy writing some tunes and now have some amazing friends putting some lyrics to them. The next move is to get recording for an EP I think. I am lucky to be surrounded by some amazing musicians who are up for playing with me. I do hope that I surprise and please you with what we do.

I know that some venues are opening up, but they have to implement a lot of rules due to the current situation. We all hope the people going respect what they have to do to make it work. It may be that entry costs may have to be a little higher as that they can only allow a fraction of the people in compared to pre-lockdown numbers. You may have free entry still in some venues and see a bucket or jug being passed around. If you can, do please contribute as this may be the only money the artists get for entertaining you.

If you have anything to tell us all about, we would love to hear from you. Just send an email to editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk and we will see what we can do.

It would be fantastic if you could share The Moulsham Times and The City Times magazines for us. We will continue to publish both online at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia. If you are interested in advertising with us please contact us at paul@moulshamtimes.com.

Black Frog Bands is where we will now be putting on music. For all the info and links go to www.blackfrogbands.co.uk.

The Isolation Festival - Black Frog Bands Facebook page can be found at www.bit.ly/3cDoCYW. We are on YouTube as well - go to www.bit.ly/3dEG4wK. Finally, my new band page is at www.facebook.com/yesitis.

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Personal Finance Clinic: How to RecessionProof Your Finances

for the first time in 11 years.

What a year 2020 has been - and it’s not even over yet! We’ve already had a pandemic to contend with and now the UK is officially in recession

Unlike the last recession, which occurred after the global financial crisis of 2008, this time around Boris et al effectively put us into recession on purpose as they elected to shut down UK Plc in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19. Lots of businesses have already announced redundancies and it’s likely there are more to come as companies struggle to cope with tough economic conditions.

Taking stock of your finances now will help you to weather potential fiscal storms ahead.

Budget, Budget, Budget When money is tight, it’s essential to go through your spending with a fine-tooth comb. Can you cut back on areas of non-essential spending, like satellite and TV packages? Have you shopped around on price comparison websites for the best utility bill deals? Now is the time.

Pay Down Debt Personal debt levels are at the highest level they have ever been with individuals across Great Britain owing £1,669 trillion according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in November 2019.

If you are able to, pay down debt now and put yourself in a better financial position should hard times be on the horizon. This is especially true of debt charging high rates of interest.

Start Building Your Emergency Fund Life’s ups and downs are easier to cope with if you have an emergency fund. Start building yours now. Ideally, you should have enough cash in savings to pay the bills for at least six months, but anything is better than nothing.

Could You Apply for Marriage Allowance?

If you are married or have a civil partner, it’s worth checking if you could apply for Marriage Allowance. This is available where one person is a basic rate taxpayer (generally, this means you earn less than £50k a year) and the other earns less than £12,500 a year (known as the Personal Allowance for Income Tax). It allows the lower earner to transfer some of their unused Personal Allowance to the other and claims can be backdated to 5th April 2016. Check your eligibility here: www.gov.uk/marriage-allowance.

Use the Rent a Room Scheme?

Taking in a lodger can help with paying the bills and you can receive up to £7,500 a year, without having to pay tax on it, from renting out a furnished room in your only or main house. Find out more details here: www.gov.uk/rent-room-in-your-home/the-rent-a-room-scheme.

Safeguard Your Family If you have lost your job, changed jobs or started up your own company, you may not have any life insurance in place anymore, such as ‘Death in Service’ cover. So, what happens to your family if you were to die unexpectedly? Would your surviving partner be able to continue with mortgage or rent payments without you?

It can be relatively inexpensive to arrange life cover, especially if it’s only for say 10 years until the mortgage is paid off or if you are young, in good health and don’t smoke. Why not speak to an adviser about arranging some cover?

Invest for Your Future Stay hopeful that we will eventually emerge from this recession and there will be better times ahead. You may be able to take advantage of these good times if you have spare cash available that you don’t need for any other purpose for at least 10 years.

Consider investing this money, but remember that investing carries a number of risks that you need to be fully aware of, including that the value of your investments can go down as well as up and it is possible that you could lose all of your money. If you would like assistance with investing, don’t hesitate to speak to a financial adviser.

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

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MT Therapy: Chelmsford Therapy Rooms Hi all, I hope you are all well!

This issue my article is a little different as I wanted to share with you firstly some amazing news.

It is my absolute pleasure to announce that Chelmsford Therapy Rooms has this year won an award! We have been awarded the GHP Excellence Award for Exceptional Mental Health Services - Essex!

I am very proud of all of the team at Chelmsford Therapy Rooms.

We’ve done our best to continue to offer the best service that we can throughout these challenging times. We are seeing clients face-toface, online and via telephone, so if anyone needs our help please don’t hesitate to contact us!

As well as therapy services, we do strive to offer extra related services too. Over September and October I’m running courses on everything from imposter syndrome and how to overcome it, to the basics of online and offline media, to narcissism. The first course is about imposter syndrome so I wanted to give you a little background about what this is.

Usually imposter syndrome is described as ‘a feeling of imminent failure’. A feeling that you’ll get found out at any given moment that you’re actually an imposter and you really don’t deserve to be in your chosen career, or at the level that you are, or have achieved that degree or diploma, or basically deserve to be where you are in life. But imposter syndrome is much more than this. It isn’t just about feeling like an imposter, it’s actually about not owning what you’ve already achieved. It’s about not recognising the successes and achievements you have already gained in your life. So in order to really understand what imposter syndrome is, we need to take into account what you recognise as achievement. Where do you set the bar? Because the bar is different for all of us. Although those with imposter syndrome often report that they fear being judged by others, in fact they are judging themselves. By not recognising your achievements, by not owning your own success, by ignoring everything you’ve already learned in life you are automatically saying to yourself: ‘I judge thee as not worthy of this achievement and therefore you do not belong here’ If you ignore your own successes you separate yourself not just from ownership of that success, but from everything that it represents. As therapists we talk to our clients about interpretation. We analyse how our clients interpret the world in order to help them to sift throughout their internal world and process what they need to. So, how are you interpreting your success? How do you define failure/incompetence/ success etc? What does failure mean to you? If we boiled it all down are we actually asking:

but this is just one part of the puzzle. An example of this would be a woman who is given the opportunity to be promoted to a powerful position in a male dominated field. Before accepting the promotion, the woman might stop and consider the ramifications of this success.

How might she be seen? How might her male, and female, colleagues react? If they react negatively, what does that mean about her?

When someone acts negatively towards us and we react with fear, what do you think that means? Something is reacting with fear, so are we actually thinking unconsciously...

‘What if they’re right?’

Our unconscious mind looks for validation all of the time. It likes to be right. It looks for evidence that our belief system is correct. This helps us to feel secure because we know that our view of the world is correct. In my private practice I specialise in treating people with anxiety and self-esteem issues. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed with some clients it’s this.

• • • • • •

I’ll give my anxiety client a coping technique that will lessen their anxiety.

They don’t use it.

They still feel anxious.

I give them another coping technique.

They don’t use it.

They still feel anxious.

I could go on but I think you get the drift! Why is it that some of my clients do this? One explanation is that it’s because they’re used to the cycle. The cycle is horrible, but it’s a constant. And it reinforces their belief system of ‘I am an anxious person’. So how do I help those clients? I help them by asking them to own their anxiety, and I say to them: ‘You are not your anxiety. Anxiety is something you have, not something you are. You are not defined by your anxiety. You define it’ This is the same with imposter syndrome. It’s not necessarily as easy as it sounds, but it’s a start!

Jenny Hartill is a therapist and owner of Cloud9 Therapy and Chelmsford Therapy Rooms. She is a counsellor, hypnotherapist and MnemodynamicTM therapist and can help with a multitude of issues. She, and the other therapists at CTR, are seeing clients online via Zoom or Skype but also beginning to now see clients face-to-face. Please see the therapist list on the website at www.chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or you can email info@ chelmsfordtherapyrooms.co.uk, or call 0330 100 5162 to enquire about an initial consultation. Alternatively, Jenny’s own company website is www.cloud9-therapy.co.uk, her email is info@cloud9therapy.co.uk and her telephone number is 07507 307 170.

‘Am I good enough to have achieved this success?’

Because although imposter syndrome holds us back from the future, it also holds us back from the present. By not owning your own success as it is now, you’re not living in the present. Whatever it is that caused the imposter syndrome, whatever belief system you’re buying into, that’s where you are. Belief systems are interesting because they aren’t just formed by our intimate and personal experiences, they’re formed by sociocultural expectations, attitudes and experiences. Sometimes our self-limiting beliefs and behaviours are formed because we’re just fitting into what’s expected of us.

If you have a one-off article of local interest you wish to submit please email paul@moulshamtimes.com

Imposter syndrome has also been described as a ‘fear of success’, 14 www.moulshamtimes.com

Chelmsford Heritage Open Days 11th - 20th September

Live Events

Marconi Audio Tour Throughout HOD Stream via YouTube

Pioneering Women Talk Hidden Writtle Friday 11th @ 7pm University Draw Live on Zoom Saturday 18th Book Via Eventbrite Book Via Eventbrite

City Centre Heritage Heritage Drawing Trail Portraits from Sunday 13th Scavenger Hunt the Past 1pm Throughout HOD Sunday 13th & 18th Via Civic Web Site Via Civic Web site Via Civic Web Site

Hidden Nature of Springfield Lyons Heritage Triangle Talk Essex Book Galleywood Common Saturday 12th & 19th, Tuesday 15th @ 7pm Festival's Tuesday 15th Sunday 13th,& 20th Manifesto For Essex Live on Zoom Book Via Eventbrite Book Via Eventbrite Book Via Eventbrite Throughout HOD

Virtual Events Via You Tube

Marconi Virtual Walk Friday 11th 10am

Springfield Lyons Tour Saturday 12th 10am

Chelmsford Museum Non Conformist “On Air” Exhibition “Within these walls” Tuesday 15th Wednesday 16th 10am 10am

Shire Hall Virtual Tour Saturday 18th 2pm

Hylands House Virtual Tour Sunday 19th 10am

Heritage Free Art Friday 11th & 18th Via Civic Web Site

Marconi and the Battle of Britain Friday 18th 7.30pm Live on Zoom Book Via Eventbrite

Military Vehicles Tour Saturday 12th 2pm

Chelmsford War Memories Sunday 13th 10am

Tour of the Mayoral Parlour Monday 14th 10am

Hidden Nature Danbury Church Thursday 17th 10am

Sandford Mill Nature Reserve Friday 18th 10am

Chelmsford Cathedral Tour Saturday 19th 10am

Electric Voice Theatre Presents...

Sunday 20th 2pm

www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk | www.chelmsfordhod.co.uk www.eventbrite.co.uk | www.facebook.com/chelmsfordcivicsociety

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15

Both this magazine and the City Times are also available online at:

I Like Music by Evie McLean (Aged 13)

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Hello readers, after my introduction last month, I am going to begin to talk about different bands/artists each month that I feel have influenced me and my music taste over the past year or so.

I am going to start off with Queen, who are the first band I ever really listened to and who I call myself a fan of. Before, I would just listen to a variety of songs by different artists - usually what I heard on the radio. From what I can remember, I first started listening to Queen when the Bohemian Rhapsody movie was popular, and before watching it I had heard the song Killer Queen.

I thought it was good and quite unlike what I had been listening to back then. I later watched the Bohemian Rhapsody movie and recognised most of the songs from the soundtrack, and I found myself liking them. From then on, along with one of my best friends, I started listening to many popular Queen songs and then moved onto the lesser known ones. Over time I also learned about the history of the band and its members, from the band Smile in the late 1960s to Freddie Mercury’s death and John Deacon’s retirement, and now, with Brian May and Roger Taylor continuing to perform with Adam Lambert, the band’s new frontman.

My favourite album is by far Sheer Heart Attack, and although it wasn’t very popular at the time of release, I personally think that it is one of Queen’s best works. My favourite song from the album being She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos). My favourite Queen song overall is probably Keep Yourself Alive, followed by White Queen (As it Began) and Liar. I definitely prefer Queen’s music of the 1970s over the 1980s, but I still think the eighties music is still very good, as it was songs like Another One Bites The Dust that made them international stars. Along with many others, I too think Queen’s Live Aid performance in 1985 is one of the best, and it really showed how talented Freddie Mercury was as a frontman.

I would also like to mention that in January, I was lucky enough to get tickets for a concert that will be a part of Queen and Adam Lambert’s Rhapsody Tour. The original date though has now changed to next year. I will be going with one of my best friends who is also a massive Queen fan and my mum, and I am very excited to be able to witness such great musicians live.

I don’t listen to Queen as much as I used to and I would say that I prefer other bands over them, but that doesn’t mean I am not grateful for the impact the band and its music has made on me.

Pictured left is a top I made inspired by stage wear worn by Brian May, designed and made originally by Zandra Rhodes.

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Hello all. Hope you are continuing to cope with the current circumstances. We seem to be getting used to it now, but we are all hoping, I’m sure, that things will improve soon.

We have been away in the motorhome recently. We went off to Moreton-in-Marsh for a few days. The site was well organised, with signs regarding distancing and what the rules were. The one thing we were not sure of before we went, was what will happen with the amenity blocks. We do have facilities in the motorhome, but normally use the site ones for showering. The system they were using was quite simple. Outside the door, there was a little tray with disinfectant in it, along with three pretty blue wrist bands. If there was a band in the tray, you could take it and were allowed in. If not, you needed to wait until someone came out. It all went well until one day, a couple of people took a fancy to the bands and took them back to their pitch. Complete chaos reigned - it soon got sorted though! I was just grateful that I was not one of the people who forgot they had a band on!

I was thinking about the new skills that have been developed since the dreaded ‘L’ started. People in service industries have had to learn how to stick that yellow and black tape to the floor in straight lines. I can tell you that this skill is not always demonstrated and there are many very wavy ‘straight’ lines about.

We have all learned how difficult it is to put on a face mask. We now have even more admiration for people who have been doing this for years. I have a particular problem, as I wear hearing aids. On the first few occasions, after a couple of minutes of wearing a mask, my hearing aids were catapulted across the room as soon as I moved.

The means that I have to take the offending instrument out of my ear to a avoid a very expensive repair, which in turn means that the already mumbled words of people talking through their mask are made even more difficult to make out. It is so easy to answer the wrong question and end up with an embarrassing misunderstanding.

We have learnt how to get a credit card through those ridiculously small rectangular holes in plastic shields in shops without scratching the back of our hand on the edges.

Even people like me, who are convinced that all computers are programmed to annoy you, have managed to get invited to a Zoom meeting. In the other direction, more people like me have made new friends after joining a meeting full of strangers by mistake...

We now know that one way systems in shops do not work. Most of the directional arrows are on the floor, and it is almost impossible to obey

these and do your shopping in less than an hour. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have forgotten something and had to go all the way round the shop and back to the first aisle (I have to admit, sometimes I cheat and look as though I am shopping at the end of the aisle, then sneak against the arrows when there is nobody close).

Naughty, eh?

I am still limiting my visits outside the house. I have been to the hearing aid shop (exciting) and to supermarkets, but not much else.

However, we did visit a couple of pubs when we were away recently.

At the first one we managed to get a table in the garden and it was a nice sunny day. I wasn’t sure what to do about ordering so I went inside to ask. I thought afterwards that this defeated the object really, as, if I had to order at my table, it was too late as I was already in the pub. Then I realised that to add to my errors, I had gone in through the wrong door. By the time I got my order, I thought I had earned my drink.

I see that poor Meghan and Harry are still getting coverage in the press. They do seem to do stuff that attracts attention, although having said that, I don’t know how all this information is gained by the media. As soon as they buy a new house for example, the papers are full of details of where it is, how many bathrooms it has and lots of other detail that I guess must be available to people who know where to look. I am looking forward to the time when they all get fed up with all this, and realise that this is not ‘news’.

Despite all the doom and gloom spread during the ‘L’, we are at last getting some good news. Lots of companies are reporting rising sales. Car sales for example, are driving past previous levels and sales of loft conversions are going through the roof. Fresh vegetables sales are growing, sales of inflatable toys are expanding, and boat sales are up, keeping companies afloat. Electric bicycle sales are going along nicely. Companies that make soap and surface sprays are cleaning up.

See, there’s lots of good things happening if you look hard enough.

However, on the down side, parachute sales are dropping. Steering wheel sales have taken a turn for the worst. Demand for bed pillows is going down. Sales of slimming tablets are reducing.

Bin End Chuckles Black beauty... Now there’s a dark horse.

I’ve given up asking rhetorical questions. What’s the point?

Stay safe and well!

Both this magazine and the City Times are also available online at: www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia Remember to tell our advertisers you saw their advert in the MT

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17

Sixties British Blues and R&B Boom 6 - by John Power

Cream/Blind Faith We have already looked at Eric Clapton’s career in The Yardbirds and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, and Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce’s history in Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated - and with Graham Bond: a CV that allowed them to use the name Cream for the group where they played together. This trio of top rank musicians came together in 1966 but only lasted until 1968, during which time they built a huge international following and sold over 15 million records.

The idea for the group came from a conversation between Ginger and Eric in which Eric also suggested that Jack Bruce would be a good choice for bass and vocalist. Ginger was not so sure, not so much on musical grounds but as he and Jack had a history of disagreements that had contributed to the breakup of The Bond Organisation, but he finally agreed, and Jack was approached about the idea. Eric and Jack had worked together in the Powerhouse, and briefly in Bluesbreakers, so Eric knew of his skills, which included fine harmonica playing as well. The band first came to the notice of the public with their second gig at Windsor Jazz and Blues Festival in 1966 playing mostly blues standards but in their own improvisational way, before original songwriting entered their repertoire as a response to psychedelia in 1967. Although Jimi Hendrix was American, Chas Chandler, the one time Animals bassist, had brought him to England where his talent was first fully spotted.

Not only was he a big influence on Eric but they became great pals and often jammed together. Where many groups like Cream followed the outward trappings of psychedelic fashion, there was little doubt that Jimi’s songs and guitar style came from the spacey realms of LSD trips.

Cream’s first album, Fresh Cream in 1966 reflected mainly their blues influences but with the odd Bruce song and a Baker drum solo. There first single, Wrapping Paper by Bruce and poet Pete Brown (not on the album) was a calmer, more mellow balled and actually entered the singles chart in the top twenty. The album tracks were around five minutes, but stretched out to greater length in live performances.

1967 was the year that psychedelia emerged from the cultural underground, and saw more of Jack Bruce’s songwriting with Pete Brown appearing when their second album Disraeli Gears appeared, with songs like Strange Brew and Sunshine of Your Love - even one

by Martin Sharp, illustrator of Underground magazine Oz, contributing with Tales of Brave Ulysses, as well as with the design of the dayglo album sleeve. With Eric already known in the US because of The Yardbirds, the album reached the top five on both sides of the Atlantic. Their blues roots were still in evidence.

Although they were predominantly an album group, their record company, Reaction, did release successful hit singles: after I Feel Free that reached number 11, Sunshine of Your Love reached number 5 in the US charts, White Room number 6 (US), Crossroads number 28 (US), and Badge, number 18 (UK). It was however their live act of long improvisations mixed with the shorter songs that attracted the most attention. In 1968 the bands next album, Wheels of Fire, was a double album with one record devoted to live recordings. White Room and Politician were among the Bruce/Brown songs on the other album. By August 1967 the group had been headlining gigs at the Fillmore West in San Francisco and elsewhere in the States, but soon the relentless touring, high volume performances, and Bruce-Baker antagonism were leading to the group’s demise. The farewell tour began in California in 1968, although they had effectively broken up six months earlier. The album, Goodbye recorded in Los Angeles in 1968 had six songs. Again three were long and live. One of the studio tracks, Badge, was co-written by Eric’s mate George Harrison under

a pseudonym. The Farewell Tour had nineteen US dates and finished with two at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Blind Faith and Other Projects If Cream had a short career, then Blind Faith’s was even shorter effectively less than a year. Eric had long wanted to play more with Steve Winwood from The Spencer Davis Group who he had worked with on the What’s Shakin’? Electra Records collection, where they were part of an ensemble they called The Powerhouse. After Cream it seemed a good time to try. Ginger Baker turned up at Eric’s house and talked himself on board, but his hard drug habit probably had a lot to do with their short career. Rick Grech from Family was on bass, while Steve Winwood was on Hammond organ and vocals. Another problem was that there was no real songwriter among them. After that Eric’s career was fairly solo, although after a stint with southern US acoustic bluesers Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett and Traffic’s Dave Mason, he did put together the first of his backing bands that he called Derek and the Dominoes which at times included Allman Brothers guitarist Duane Allman on songs such as Layla.

Jack Bruce also went solo with a group of jazzers for backing. The album Songs for a Tailor came out in 1969. He avoided playing any of his Cream songs for many years.

Ginger Baker formed Ginger Baker’s Airforce with Winwood and Grech from Blind Faith and his old boss Graham Bond on keyboards, as well as Denny Laine from The Moody Blues, before Denny joined Paul McCartney in Wings. Later bands included the Baker Gurvitz Army and time playing with Hawkwind, who claimed that they got him off heroin with two bottles of whisky per day!

The Spencer Davis Group In 1963 when Spencer put this group together in Birmingham with himself on guitar, Pete York on drums, Muff Winwood on bass and child prodigy brother Steve Winwood - still of school age - on organ and vocals. He called them the Rhythm and Blues Quartet.

By 1964 they had a recording contract with Fontana Records after being spotted by Chris Blackwell, producer for the then small label of Island Records. At this point they changed their name. Steve’s soulful deep gravelly voice was ideal for delivering the songs of black performers. Their first recording was a cover of John Lee Hooker’s Dimples, Followed by an EP with It’s Gonna Work Out Fine, Midnight Special, Every Little Bit Hurts and I Can’t Stand It, which had also been a single. All went on their Their First LP in 1965. Their 1965 single, Keep on Running went to number 1 in the charts. The follow up Somebody Help Me did well in the UK, but was not promoted in the States. Two more albums, The Second Album and Autumn ‘66 followed. Then in 1967 singles Gimme Some Lovin’ and I’m a Man were both million sellers and sold on both sides of the Atlantic, on the United Artists label.

In 1967 Steve Winwood left to form Traffic, in response to various psychedelic stimuli, and was replaced by Eddie Hardin as singer, and Phil Sawyer on organ and they released the single, Time Seller/ Don’t Want You No More. Muff left at the same time to work for Island Records. Music from both bands featured in the film Here We Go Around the Mulberry Bush. Mr. Second Class was the second Spencer Davis single without Steve in 1967, along with the album With Their New Face On. Then Ray Fenwick replaced Sawyer. After Tea was also a minor hit, but the band had become more pop than blues by then, and after one more single disbanded. York and Hardin formed a duo.

The band had never been the same after Steve left. The singles he had sung on have been covered by many artists worldwide. Spencer Davis himself revived versions of the group in later years.

Traffic’s career began with the album Dear Mr Fantasy as he and the band escaped to a rural creative idyll in a Berkshire country cottage.

Traffic consisted of Winwood, on keyboards and vocals, Jim Capaldi on drums, Chris Wood on wind instruments (like flute), and Dave

18 www.moulshamtimes.com

Mason on guitar and vocals for a short time. Steve experimented with a mellotron and harpsichord, and Mason with a sitar. The first single was Paper Sun, followed Hole in My Shoe after which Mason left, having sung and written it, but the rest of the band were not keen on it. A joke cover version of it was released by Nigel Planer (as Neil from The Young Ones) in the eighties.

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush was also released as a single, more for the record company than as an example of the band’s real musical direction. Other albums were Traffic in 1968, Last Exit in

1969 and John Barleycorn Must Die in 1970. During 1968 Steve often played with Jimi Hendrix and was on the Electric Ladyland double album anonymously.

The band formerly disbanded in 1969, and Steve joined Blind Faith and then Ginger Baker’s Air Force. There have been partial reunions but Chris Wood died in 1983, so only Winwood and Capaldi made the last one, but then Jim died in 2005. In 2007 Paul Weller and Pete Townsend helped create a tribute version of Mr. Fantasy at the Roundhouse.

• •

tour of this famous building.

A Manifesto for Essex exhibition organised by the Essex Book Festival.

The grand finale will be a production from the Electric Voice Theatre.

We have some positive news despite the current situation and restrictions: Chelmsford Heritage Open Days will be taking place this year with a ten day festival in September.

The event this year however will be a bit different to previous years, as together with Essex 2020 we have come up with a programme that is unlike anything seen before.

Yes, there will be visits to some of our great buildings - but these will be virtual. Outside events are very much the order of the day and there will be lots of these, including some hidden nature walks and self-guided trails.

The great new attractions are all from creative input we have received and this has resulted in some really special events.

The dates of this free festival are between 11th and 20th of September. Here are few highlights just to whet your appetite: • • • • • • • • • • •

Heritage Free Art Friday. Free artworks that will appear around our city just for that day.

Some amazing new video footage depicting stories from our local people’s past.

City Centre Scavenger Hunt. A real history discovery trail.

Marconi celebration events, including virtual walks and talks together with an audio tour.

Virtual lectures on Pioneering Women of Science and the Chelmsford Heritage Triangle.

Real and virtual tours of our Bronze Age enclosure in Springfield.

An online tour of the Chelmsford Museum On Air exhibition.

Actual guided tours of the Hidden Nature of Galleywood Common.

Video tours of our historic Hylands House and the majestic Shire Hall.

A real Hidden Nature Draw staged at Writtle University.

The Dean of Chelmsford Cathedral will give us a virtual guided

To screen the virtual events, we now have our own fabulous YouTube channel and this can be found at www.chelmsfordhod.co.uk or by searching ‘Chelmsford Civic Society’ on www.youtube.com.

All events are free, but some of the events are bookable, see chelmsfordcivicsociety. co.uk for more information on all the events.

Chelmsford Heritage Open Days events are co-ordinated by the Chelmsford Civic Society and sponsored

by Chelmsford City Council and the National Trust.

Search for Chelmsford Civic Society and subscribe to our YouTube channel

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19

Spot 10 Differences (Answers on Page 31)

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21

Quiz Time - by John Theedom

1. Which UK motorway has been rated as the worst in England?

2 What nationality is a strudel?

3. ‘Half a pound of tuppenny rice’ is from which game song?

4. What is it that ‘makes the heart grow fonder’?

5. What connects ‘Dark’, ‘Field’ and ‘Opera’?

6. On the London Underground map, what colour is the Circle Line?

7. What type of vegetable is a shallot?

8. In which sport are the terms ‘8 Ball’ and ‘Straight’ used?

9. Which geometric term is the opposite of zenith?

10. If solar is ‘of the sun’, what is the expression for the moon?

11. What would you use a besom for?

12. What, who or where is a levee?

13. On which part of your body would you wear a kepi?

14. Why are the Beckhams in the news about with their £6.15m home?

15. What is the stage name of the actress Jo Brand?

16. Who sang the theme tune to Minder?

17. Why was there a queue of 500 cars and lorries on the M60 recently?

18. What do the initials USSR stand for?

19. What is the first name of the singer Mr Keating?

20. Which is the largest species of penguin?

21. Maryhill and Govan are in which UK city?

22. What coin was used in France before the euro?

23. What type of animal is a griffon?

24. Who played the role of the villain Emillo Largo in Thunderball?

25. What was the famous Mrs Beaton’s first name?

26. Who is the compere of the TV show It Pays To Behave?

27. What is the national flower of Ireland?

28. Where is the Yukon River?

29. What date is The Ides of March?

30. On TV, what do the initials PBS stand for?

31. How old is multi-millionaire Deborah Neaden of Dragons Den? 32. Who were the 2 stars of the TV show What Not To Wear?

33. What is the name of the wife of Dick Strawbridge of Escape to the Chateau fame?

34. The Muppets are returning, but what is the name of the green frog?

35. What does the British Academy Television award look like?

36. Prince Harry served in which branch of the armed forces?

37. What musical instrument did Elvis Presley play?

38. What are the names of the two judges on the final ofs Bake Off: The Professionals?

39. The actor Mikey North, plays which role in Coronation Street?

40. The Marquess of Bath lives in which stately home?

(Answers on page 31)

22 www.moulshamtimes.com

The Singing Chef

Boozy (Back to School) Black Forest Gateaux This one’s for the mums, the dads and the carers of children who have now gone back to school.

Make this cake for some time to reconnect without little ears and tummy’s listening to our conversations and eating our cake!

With coffee, booze and chocolate, there is no better cake for this occasion. It took me about 4 hours as I wrote this in mid-August with 4 kids in the house.

I kept saying to Izzy, ‘leave mummy darling so I can concentrate on this cake and write this article’. Izzy said, ‘don’t worry mum, you just concentrate and get it done’ This happened every 15/20 minutes without distraction this can be done in 2.5 hours!

2 tsp vanilla extract.

Cherry’s soaked in Kirsch or tinned cherries in syrup.

Method Cream together the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time.

Add all the flour, biocarb and coco powder.

Slowly add the hot coffee, vanilla and sour cream.

Pour the batter into 3 greased and lined cake tins.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Once cakes have been removed from the oven, use skiers to prick the cakes all over.

Drizzle the syrup or Kirsch from your cherries over the cakes and leave to cook.

Whisk together your cream, sugar and vanilla until super thick.

Layer your cakes with your cherry conserve, cherries and freshly whipped cream.

It’s totally up to you how you do this and decorate your cake as you see fit.

I had odd sized cake tins (oh and I broke one of my sponges in half).

Mine looked like I had dropped it, but who cares... ITS GOT BOOZE, COFFE AND CHOCOLATE IN IT!!

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

Chocolate Sponge 150 grams caster sugar.

150 grams dark brown muscovite sugar (or any other brown sugar will do).

200 grams butter (add half a teaspoon of salt if unsalted).

3 large eggs.

2 tsp vanilla (I used vanilla bean paste, its more expensive but was worth it).

350 grams plain flour.

1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda.

80 grams cocoa powder.

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda.

100ml soured cream.

120ml strong coffee.

Touch of milk if needed.

Cream and Cherry Filling 600ml whipping cream (or two of the weird 284ml cartons).

75g icing sugar. www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia

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Moulsham High School A level and BTEC Examination Results After five months of uncertainty, Moulsham High School students have finally been able to celebrate success in their A level and BTEC examinations today. Their results will enable them to move on to their next step, whether this is at university or college, on a degree level apprenticeship or in employment.

Moulsham High School is particularly delighted with the results in

English Literature, computer science, history, PE and sociology.

Headteacher Julia Mead said: “We are very proud of all our Year 13 students for their results in what has been a difficult and challenging year for them. We would like to thank their parents and teachers who have worked together to ensure that they have achieved the best possible outcomes. We wish our students every success in the future”.

GCSE Examination Results Moulsham High School students have received their GCSE results today. The last five months have been extremely challenging for them and we hope that the success they have achieved will give them a new sense of direction and optimism for the future. We are confident that the grades they have been awarded are well deserved and a testament to their hard work over the last two years. Headteacher Miss Mead said: “This has been a real team effort on the part of students, staff and parents. We are very proud of all of our students and wish them well as they begin the next stage of their education”.

Harvest Dates for Your Diary If you’ve walked past either St John’s or St Luke’s recently you will have noticed that we have slowly started to re-open our church doors - each church is open for a couple of hours during the week for anyone who wants to come inside and spend some time in quiet contemplation. We have also been able to have some Sunday services and funeral services. This is a great step forward in welcoming our communities of Old Moulsham, Moulsham Lodge and Tile Kiln into our buildings, which are so well known in the area.

We are continuing to offer services online though - both pre-recorded and live-streamed, so if you have always wondered what our worship services were like, then joining online provides a fantastic opportunity to find out. We are also live-streaming services of Morning Prayer (9.15am Monday, Tuesday and Friday). Check out our Facebook pages (@stlukesmoulshamlodge, @stjohnsmoulsham) or the St Luke’s website for more information (www.stlukemoulsham. co.uk/worship-at-home).

As we head into autumn, we will shortly be holding our Harvest Festival services. Christian scripture is full of references to the creative power and wisdom of God, and the arrival of the harvest has long been marked in Jewish and Christian worship.

Did you know that the origins of the Harvest Festival in the Church of England can be traced to the work of the Revd RS Hawker, a parish priest in Cornwall? In the mid-nineteenth century, he chose the first Sunday in October to mark the arrival of the harvest, although there is evidence to suggest that thanksgiving services of this kind were already widespread. From this point, an annual church celebration of the harvest established itself rapidly with great popularity and was first recognised officially in the Church of England in 1862.

Last year, a survey of 4,000 adults found that two thirds of participants (65%) said their memories of Harvest Festival were positive, with the main perceived benefits listed as generosity to people in need (62%), giving thanks for the good things in our lives (51%) and teaching children where food comes from (48%). Over a third (37%) also said that learning about sustainability and the impact of growing food on climate change and the environment was

important.

Everyone is welcome to come along to our Harvest Festival services; there will be more information available nearer the time, but here are the dates for your diary: Sunday 4th October, 10am - Harvest Festival at St Luke’s Sunday 11th October, 10am - Harvest Festival at St John’s Jacky and Mary (Churchwardens) St John’s Church, Moulsham Street Lucy and Richard (Churchwardens) St Luke’s Church, Gloucester Avenue

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Moulsham Lodge Community Trust By the time you read this we will have completed our final summer MLCT Cream Tea; these have kept some volunteers busy and have helped raise some funds to meet our ongoing costs. We now need to reflect on where we think we are and where we are going with COVID-19 constantly biting at our heels. We have considered another cream tea around Halloween, and Breakfast with Santa is looking unlikely but what are our options? Suggestions welcome.

circumstances were different we could still have been located there. This led to thoughts of the history of the geographical area of Moulsham Lodge. From the many photos we have at MLCT there are quite a few that were presented at the ML50 celebrations way back in June 2011. With ML60 just around the corner, we need to look ahead in the hope we can once again celebrate the community we are lucky enough to be part of.

The trustees meet once a month (currently via Zoom) and at our last meeting we were on the brink of a limited re-opening, but with spikes in numbers, we decided that for the time being we wouldn’t re-open as we didn’t want to be part of the problem. This is disappointing, as running as a small charity our opportunity to raise funds is limited the cream teas were a way to earn some money and at least pay the utility bills.

We have suggested clubs along the lines of a ML history club, working with the museum and Essex Records Office to find really local and interesting facts and photos. If you would be interested in getting involved please let us know, because we could start by meeting online via Zoom or even Facebook or WhatsApp. Below are two aerial pics of Moulsham Lodge, and both I noticed include John Shennan when it was not a field. If you have any pics of ML from the past please let us know as we would love to add to our collection.

As and when we do reopen, we want to continue to increase the opening times of the café, so will be looking for volunteers to help out on the coffee mornings and if possible on the lunchtime rota for the Tuesday lunches. Our contact details are at the end of the article if you want to help.

We haven’t asked the wider public for donations as our events have been able to raise enough revenue to keep our activities going. However, with no way of holding events we need to find alternatives and were thinking along the lines of a local lottery where there is an opportunity for you to win cash prizes. Hopefully by the next edition we will be in a position to tell you more about this.

Stay safe everyone MLCT You can contact us by email: enquiries@mlct.org.uk - Search for us on Facebook and Twitter and now mobile, 07434 678999.

We have been reflecting on our roots and the community centre that was in Waltham Glen: if

Cllr David Jones - Moulsham Lodge Ward Although it has only been a month, it seems like an age since I put ‘electronic pen to paper’ for my first Moulsham Times article at the end of July. After lockdown everything seems to have been happening at once.

On a personal level, my younger daughter got married on 25th July. Like most couples, she and her fiancée had planned a big event with friends and relatives attending from all over the country - COVID-19 put paid to that! It wasn’t what they had planned, but the 16 people that were present all enjoyed it and now she and her husband have the excuse for another celebration next year. So many other couples have been far less fortunate with their wedding plans.

On the one hand, coronavirus seems to have brought out the worst in some people. For example, people have been seen arguing vigorously about whether or not they have to wear face masks and then in due course, many of those face masks join the more usual items of litter clogging the gutters. Some people are exempt from wearing a face covering because of a medical condition; remember that you cannot tell the difference between someone who is simply refusing to wear a mask and someone who can’t wear one just by looking at them.

Worries about being challenged can be really concerning for some and could even stop them from going out.

To those who can’t wear masks: You can find a set of nine cards on the Essex Coronavirus Action Facebook page to download, print and carry with you (if you wish) when you’re out shopping. You don’t have to have a card to prove exemption, but having one and being able to show it may help you to feel more confident if you are worried about

being asked.

To those who can and do wear masks - thank you. You’re doing the responsible thing, protecting others from the virus and from a return to lockdown.

Though it has also brought out the best in others too; many local people have given up their time to make sure that elderly people and those shielding have had the provisions they need. Also, it was good to hear how a number of ladies in a walkers’ group in Moulsham Lodge and Tile Kiln, appalled by the sight of all those discarded masks, have set about improving their environment with litter picking equipment loaned from our City Council. If you have a group that would like to make a difference too, items such as litter pickers and hi-vis waistcoats are available on long or short term loan.

It is never too early to become environmentally aware! Chelmsford City Council’s 3foot People Festival has teamed up with Love Your Chelmsford and put together a 3foot Recycling Activity Pack.

Designed for pre-school aged children, the pack aims to teach our younger generations about the importance of recycling and encourages them to try out some activities at home to help reduce and reuse their family’s waste.

Finally, the roads in the vicinity of Lidl/Farm Foods have desperately needed protection from dangerous parking for some time. It’s good to see that the yellow lines near the entrance to have been extended at last, making it safer for all!

Stay safe everyone!

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Tile Kiln Corner - by Cllr Linda Mascot From the middle of March the lunch club held every 2 weeks for local elderly residents in Tile Kiln and Moulsham Lodge, Food on Friday, was suspended due to lockdown. Organisers Mary, Val and Philip from Tile Kiln Church, have been communicating with their regular attendees via newsletters and phone calls. Mary described Food on Friday as a ‘community of friends’ and the bi-weekly newsletter was set up to share ideas, news and help each other through this difficult time.

who passed away used to work on the estate as a forester. She finds preparing meals difficult and has them delivered regularly. Imagine her surprise when she opened the door to find the Royals, Prince William, Kate and 3 children standing on the doorstep. Little Princess Charlotte said ‘we have brought your dinner today’, what a lovely surprise!’

Mary has also made a video of the songs they normally sing at their toddler groups which is available to parents so the children could watch and join in.

Mary told me: “Keeping in touch with 55 elderly friends who don’t text or have the Internet has not been the easiest, but we felt it was important to keep in touch. We felt the newsletter might be a good way to do this. It is put together by ideas from the Food on Friday leaders. Included in the newsletter has been news and interesting stories of each other and their families, a biblical story or short thought, helpful topical information, cartoons, jokes and puzzles to come, supported by photos of the lunch friends and helpers.

“The ideas are edited and produced by Philip and then sent by email or post. They all seem to love it. We have also phoned them for chats and called round with homegrown produce, flowers and meals where necessary and chatted at a distance on their doorsteps in all weather. Each lunch friend has either a neighbour, friend or family or a small team of helpers from the church to help with shopping etc.

“Of course none of us imagined that the pandemic would keep these dear folk isolated for so long. We pray for them regularly and they know they can call us at any time. They have told us that they are tough and have been through a war and many other things over the years, so are taking one day at a time to get through this. We have seen so much interest in the newsletter, and thank Philip for his hard work collating this every 2 weeks.”

Included in the newsletter have been shared pictures of grandchildren, days out and stories including this unique insight into life on the Sandringham Estate by Iris:

During lockdown Mary’s eldest 2 grandchildren, Olivia 6 and Abigail 4, were upset that they couldn’t see each other so they made this paper doll family (picture above) of their family so that they could all be together.

If you would like any further information please email Mary at marywood2012@icloud.com. mascotlinda@gmail.com Twitter: @lindamascot

‘A friend of mine lives on the Sandringham Estate, her husband

In a Hurry?

I always find September arrives too abruptly. August is slower, calmer then September barges in and we’re all in a hurry!

It’s felt quite different this year though. Throughout lockdown, no one has really been in much of a hurry, especially in the early weeks.

I know some people really enjoyed the change of pace that early lockdown afforded them - space to think, assess, pay attention, slow down. I know others who really struggled with the change of pace - uncertain what to do, fidgety, almost like ‘busyness withdrawal symptoms’!

Now that lockdown has been eased for a few months, the pace of life is quickening. We might be forced to slow done again, but for now, ‘hurry’ and ‘busy’ are back.

In the slowness, some have been asking deep questions about life and purpose and meaning. Some have been praying. Some have been seeking God. All of that tends to require some space, slowness, and especially our attention.

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to interpret sometimes convoluted guidelines, and getting used to a rhythm of opening up and locking down (well, our attention to the more important things of life might be waning, it’s tempting to forget the need for a slower pace of life) needed for our own wellbeing, for our relationships, and even for our world. A lack of ‘hurry’ helps us to realise what the most important things of life are, and that there is much more to life than we usually suppose.

At different times throughout these past months, I’ve been asked ‘where is God in all this? Why is he so hard to find?’ I believe, as do all followers of Jesus Christ, that God is everywhere, all of the time.

But the problem is that too often, we’re just not paying attention. Or we’re just not that keen on searching for him. Jesus promised: ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.’

God is waiting to be found. I invite you to pay attention to him - he is not far from any of us. Don’t let ‘busyness’ and ‘hurry’ rob you of finding God. He can be found, and he longs to bless you.

Tim Goodall Pastor Please get in touch! tim.goodall@tilekilnchurch.org.uk www.facebook.com/tilekilnchurch 27

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