Moulsham Times - September 2023 by Itsyourmedia

MoulshamTimes

MT Welcome

Hi readers, and welcome to the September edition of Moulsham Times

A reminder that this month is Heritage Open Days between the 8th and the 17th September. All the HOD events are listed on www. chelmsfordhod.co.uk.

Many events are fully booked but there are still plenty available; two in Moulsham include the War History Day at Oaklands Museum on the 10th and St Johns Church Open Day on 16th

All events are free and there will also be 10 films/podcasts available at www.youtube.com/c/ chelmsfordcivicsociety.

The next edition will be out from September 28th. Do please contact us for our prices for advertising and distribution details and we can send you a over a detailed price list.

Regards

Paul

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

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

Chelmsford - By Vicky Ford MP

Over the summer recess I have been delivering my Local Survey across many different parts of Chelmsford; thank you to the hundreds of local people who have filled in the survey already. Being able to prove what local people’s priorities are helps me to make a strong case to government and authorities to get local issues resolved and progressed. Please do take a minute and go to my website www. vickyford.uk to fill out the survey.

A positive step on the development of a new junction at the Army and Navy came this month with the Department for Transport making a capital expenditure contribution of £1.657m towards preparatory works. This enables work on the project to continue. The full Outline Business Case for the new Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package is awaiting a decision from Transport and Treasury, where it is being assessed alongside similar schemes across the country. I continue to lobby government ministers to make a decision soon!

Recent statistics show that the reliability of buses in Chelmsford has improved dramatically over the past 12 months and passenger numbers are also increasing. The government has also funded a new £2 bus fare which is proving very popular with Essex residents.

I have launched a campaign to increase GP surgery capacity in Chelmsford. There are more GP appointments available than ever before, but there is also huge demand. You can sign up to support this campaign via the survey on my website.

Thank you to the many people who have given feedback on new online booking systems at various GP practices. It is clear that many people find this system very efficient and helpful, but others have found it challenging. All surgeries should still be offering a phone call service for patients to book appointments. If you have an issue with your surgery, please do email me so I can raise this directly. I am told that construction work on the Beaulieu Medical Centre is due to start very shortly. This will help reduce pressure on GP surgeries across Chelmsford.

Many constituents in the Moulsham Lodge and Tile Kiln area have written to me regarding their concerns over Post Office services in their area and many will know that I have been in regular dialogue with the Post Office regarding services for my constituents.

A new lighter format Post Office branch recently opened on Robin Way. The new Drop & Collect at Express Conveniently Yours at 163 Robin Way will offer Post Office services from a handheld device, providing convenient access for customers to bill payments and prepaid parcel collections and returns.

As ever, if you have an issue or need my help, please do email me on Vicky.ford.mp@parliament.uk.

Elsewhere in Chelmsford, the new Generals Lane Bridge is now nearly complete. This will reduce traffic, especially around Springfield and Beaulieu. Work on the second railway station is also on track and once completed, this will reduce the number of vehicles needing to travel into Chelmsford’s main station. It has also been heartening to see so many potholes being repaired - work continues on others.

Visiting Generals Lane Bridge with Member of Parliament for Saffron Walden, Kemi Badenoch MP

Delivering the summer survey and hearing residents views on Longstomps Avenue

Regal Kitchens Case Study

Having completed projects for them in their two previous homes, it was probably no surprise that that Mr and Mrs Emerson contacted Regal Kitchens when they bought a new property in Benfleet, Essex.

John Martin senior designer at Regal explains the design: “By opting for the Schuller furniture, we were able to integrate the extractor above the induction hob yet keep the bottom of the wall cabinets in a straight line, creating a modern unfussy look. We ordered the handleless trims in brushed metal to compliment the seamless strips joining the NEFF oven and combi. Putting the sink in the island meant that we were able to keep that big kitchen feel without demanding the cook has to jog a marathon to create every meal.

“By housing the freestanding wet appliances in a bespoke deep and wide larder and duplicating that in front of the vertical beam, we were able to hide the structural support, giving us generous storage as well as creating a symmetrical look to the area and clearly defining each zone.

A free-standing wine cooler, a twenty-four-bottle wine rack, a worktop ice maker and wall cabinets with built in LED lights creates a barkeeps dream area without compromising on the homogenous feel of the room.

“Our clients had previously enjoyed the unrivalled capabilities of NEFF products in their previous two Regal Kitchens; this time they opted for a pyrolytic single oven, microwave-oven combi, flexinduction hob with hidden extractor, under-counter fridge and freezer as well as dishwasher to complete their beautiful new space.

“The counter tops are 40mm Schuller laminate to co-ordinate with the top cabinets with a warm grey Alusplash wall covering. The statement piece is the beautiful island worksurface, made from 20mm Cambria Quartz - it contrasts wonderfully in thickness, colour, material and look with the other tops as well as lightening the impact of the sophisticated, dark base furniture. The huge piece not only covers the integrated dishwasher, bins, sink, compulsory kettle tap it still leaves room for additional storage, pop up electrics and seating for four! Really creating that elusive wow factor.”

Mr E said: “The whole experience with regal Kitchens was first class.”

Regal Kitchens showroom is situated in Navigation Road, Chelmsford and is open 7 days per week between 10am and 4pm.

Old Park Meadow

Old Park Meadow Natural Burial Ground offers a natural, peaceful, and personal way of saying farewell.

The setting at Old Park Meadow gives us the opportunity to cater to every and all needs. Whether you are religious or not, would prefer a burial or ash interment with or without a service, a celebration of life or intend to have a catered wake afterwards. Old Park Meadow is open to any request. Everything can be completely personalised, from the type of memorial plaque to the music at the service. Reserving a plot in advance is also possible.

At Old Park Meadow we are committed to caring for the environment. We have endeavoured to create wildflower meadows and young woodland that are both sustainable and beautiful. With advice from the Essex Wildlife Trust, we are creating a nature reserve that makes sure all our flora and fauna contributes to the surrounding ecosystem, providing a haven for local wildlife.

With traditional burial grounds becoming overcrowded, the blossoming, vibrant and sustainable lands of Old Park Meadow offer a stunning alternative to say goodbye.

Old Park Lodge is our venue for services and wakes, the Lodge has the capacity for over 200 guests and its glass surround gives a spectacular view of the countryside. The large reception area also gives access to a kitchen and restrooms, while the building is fully equipped with a hearing loop, accessible toilets, and is step-free, making it suitable for all.

For more information vist www.oldparkmeadow.co.uk, or call, 01245 806 332.

How to Get Strong Part 2 -

Last month, I wrote about how to get strong and why we need it. I focused on the mechanics of how strength training works (the archives of this magazine can be found online if you are interested).

However, there was a gaping hole in my article as word count timed me out. The missing element was, well, what on earth do we do to get strong?

Understanding the mechanisms by which we get strong is fine, but how do we go about it? The nutritional equivalent of this would be how understanding the physiology of digestion is one thing, but knowing what to put on your plate is another.

Today’s article will teach you what to put on your plate.

With strength training for beginners, I like to keep it simple. In life, we push stuff, we pull stuff, we squat (bend mostly at the knee), we hinge (bend mostly at the hip), and we twist. All we need to do is target these five fundamental patterns, and we have most elements of strength covered.

Push

The push motion involves driving weight away from your body. This simple action can be the foundation for developing strong shoulders, triceps, and chest muscles.

Beginner: Wall Push-Up

Stand facing a wall, place your hands flat against it, and push your body away. As you gain strength, increase the angle to make it more challenging.

Intermediate: Standard Push-Up

With hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and feet together, lower your body down and push yourself back up. Ensure your body forms a straight line. Start from your knees to begin with if it’s too difficult from the feet.

Advanced: Bench Press

For the bench press, you’ll need a bench and a barbell. Lie back and press the weight upwards, engaging your chest.

Pull

Pulling actions engage the back, biceps, and shoulders. These movements involve bringing weight towards your body or pulling your body toward a weight.

Beginner: Band Pull-Apart

Hold a resistance band with both hands in front of you. Keep your arms straight and pull the band apart, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Focus on keeping your shoulder blades low, and not letting your shoulders hitch up towards your ears.

Intermediate: Inverted Body Row

Using a Smith machine or TRX bands in the gym, lie beneath the bar or handles. Pull yourself up, keeping your body in a straight line.

Advanced: Pull-Up or Chin-Up

Grab a pull-up bar with palms facing away (pull-up) or towards you (chin-up). Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. This is a tough movement to do, and gyms often have machines that can assist you to help build up to it.

Squat

Squats primarily target the quads, hamstrings, and glutes. They replicate the natural motion of sitting down and standing up.

Beginner: Chair Squat

Stand in front of a chair. Lower yourself down until your buttocks touch the chair, then stand back up.

Intermediate: Bodyweight Squat

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body as if sitting in an invisible chair, then return to standing.

Advanced: Barbell Back Squat

With a barbell resting on your upper traps, descend into a squat, maintaining an upright chest and then drive back up.

Hip Hinge

The hip hinge focuses on the posterior chain, particularly the glutes and hamstrings. This motion is akin to bowing or bending forward at the hips.

Beginner: Glute Bridge

Lying on your back with knees bent, push through your heels to lift your hips off the ground.

Intermediate: Kettlebell Deadlift

Stand with a kettlebell between your feet. Push your hips back keeping your back straight, grasp the kettlebell, and stand up by extending your hips.

Advanced: Barbell Deadlift

With feet hip-width apart, bend and grasp a barbell, keeping it close to your shins. Push through your heels, engaging the glutes and hamstrings to stand.

Twist

Rotational movements or twists work the obliques and help in stabilising the spine. They’re essential for movements in daily life.

Beginner: Cable Woodchop

Using a cable machine, set the handle high. Stand sideways, grasp the handle with both hands and pull it diagonally across your body to the opposite knee.

Intermediate: Standing Band Rotation

Anchor a resistance band at chest height. Stand perpendicular to the anchor point, grasp the band with both hands, and rotate your torso away.

Advanced: Seated Russian Twist

Sit on the ground, lean back slightly, and rotate your torso side to side, hold a lightweight to make it harder if you want to.

To build these movements into a workout, just pick one exercise from each pattern, and do three sets of each with a 90-second rest in between each set. At least one of the sets should feel very hard, meaning that you push as much as you can; this is the thing that stimulates strength improvements in your body. Doing this once a week is enough, but two or three times a week is better.

You’ll notice that some of these movements require a gym. It is entirely possible to build a strength routine at home with little or no equipment, but I do think gyms are a more efficient place to get strong. Gyms are very welcoming - ask friends to see where they go.

Of all the elements of fitness, strength is the one that is most likely to reduce your risk of injury, and this is why I am so interested in it as an osteopath. While there is a growing trend of strength and fitness in the modern world, many of my patients still don’t practice strength training on a weekly basis. This article will be the place I send them when they don’t know where to start. And as with all these habits of health, starting is the most important part.

If pain or injury are holding you back, we can help in my clinic with our team of osteopaths and sports massage therapists. We all love to help people build their fitness routines to help their well-being. You can find out more here fortephysicalhealth.co.uk.

Until next time, have a healthy and happy week!

MT Gardening

I’ve just been out and reserved a containergrown crab apple for a border in a client’s garden, which will be planted once the ground becomes moist and temperatures drop. Trees are generally the largest and longest-lived garden plants and selecting and siting them are major design issues. The fewer trees a garden can accommodate, the more important the choice becomes. Trees help to form the permanent framework, the structure of the garden.

• Trees have many different uses in a garden. They can be used as ornamental features that provide interest from coloured leaves, coarse texture, flowers, fruits, berries and pods, autumn colour and winter bark.

• Screen planting to obscure views of neighbouring houses, or busy roads. Trees used for screening need to have plain green leaves so that they don’t draw the eye towards the feature that is being screened.

• Avenues which rely on the uniformity of tree size and spacing for their effect.

• Shelter belts or windbreaks. Trees are more effective at filtering the wind than a solid barrier.

• Container plants in roof, patio or courtyard gardens.

In a small garden where there is only room for one tree, it is important to select a tree that has more than one season of interest. I have just selected Malus x floribunda, as it produces masses of crimson buds that open to pale pink flowers followed by small red fruits in autumn.

Trees for a Domestic Gardens

• Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Ballerina’

• Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’

• Crataegus x persimilis ‘Prunifolia’.

• Prunus padus ‘Colorata’.

• Sorbus aria ‘Lutescens’.

Trees for Autumn Interest

• Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’ (brilliant red autumn colour).

• Cornus kousa var. chinensis (deep crimson-purple autumn colour and red strawberry-like fruits).

• Malus ‘Red Sentinel’ (glossy dark red crab apples).

• Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ (deep red autumn colour).

• Sorbus ‘Eastern Promise’ (fiery-orange autumn colour and coralpink berries).

Enhance colour for the spring season by using a range of bulbs - eg, Tulipa ‘Ronaldo’. Aim to plant in groups of at least six or seven, as the more bulbs that are grouped together, the better the display. Typically, 25 to 50 bulbs may be needed to make an impressive show of one species.

This method applies to spring-summer and also autumn flowering bulbs. Assuming the border has already been dug over and prepared, if space allows, make a large hole with a spade. Work out the planting depth by roughly measuring the bulb from base to tip and tripling this length - this figure is the rough planting depth. The hole should be at least 3x the depth of the bulb so that when planted it is covered with about 20cm of soil.

Fork over the bottom of the hole adding a couple of handfuls of grit or sharp sand place the bulbs in the hole with their ‘nose’, or shoot, facing upwards. Space them at least twice the bulb’s own width apart Replace the soil and gently firm with the back of a rake. Avoid treading on the soil as this can damage the bulbs.

If the border is densely planted, then use a bulb planter or hand trowel to plant the bulbs individually. Ensure that the hole is deep enough and add some grit to the bottom of the hole. Here are some other suggestions:

• Narcissus ‘Thalia’, Narcissus ‘Tresamble’.

• IIris germanica

• Tulipa ‘Queen of Night’, Tulipa ‘China Pink’, Tulipa ‘Ballerina’, Tulipa ‘Prinses Irene’.

• Fritillaria imperialis

• Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’.

• Allium atropurpureum

Other Jobs to Consider This Month

Start to reduce the height of cut on your lawns. This will help it as we still continue to have a warm dry summer and move into the autumn. To brighten up an area of lawn, why not consider naturalising various bulbs? The following are very good:

• Fritillaria meleagris.

• Galanthus nivalis.

• Eranthis hyemalis.

• Narcissus actaea.

• Lilium martagon

Look at this link for gardening tasks for the remaining month of August: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/august. Here’s a sneak preview for this coming September: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/inmonth/september.

Happy gardening!

For any gardening tips, please contact Tom Cole (Freelance Horticulturist) by email: tomcole8@hotmail.com.

Nick Garner’s Music & Ramblings

We have started to put our City Times magazine on our own website now which has also had a bit of a revamp. There’s still a bit more to do though - so go take a look and let us know what you think of it by visiting: www.chelmsfordthecitytimes.co.uk/ advertising.html.

It’s the start of the last part of the school year, and the exam results are all in. Young people now prepare for a new start to their academic year, and some prepare to start or go back to work after the summer break. It has not been the best of summers here - it has either been wet and windy or extreme heat - plus all the wild fires we have seen around the globe.

I have spent time away at some festivals; some pretty dry although they all had some rain - and one had a lot! Even so, these music festivals were all great, even if Wickham was very wet and l had to be towed out by a tractor!

I have seen some amazing artists; some I know, and some who are new to me and that I hope to bring to Chelmsford at some time in the future. I am hoping to get a few more days away later in September for some rest and relaxing as I also have a significant birthday this year (70) - how I have made it his far is quite amazing really, and I think there some who know me well and may agree! I am also off to see John Otway with his band shortly.

Still away from all that, what else do I have to ramble on about? The weather is somewhat better now so let’s hope that helps with the harvesting of what crops are left.

I have noticed a lack of smaller birds in my garden. I used to get lots on my feeders, but this year they have all gone - things like blue tits, dunnocks, sparrows, blackbirds, thrushes, robins and wrens... Even the bigger birds are fewer.

The other thing I have noticed is there are far fewer insects as well. What is happening? I have not changed my garden much and around me it’s still the same as previous years. I really hope they do return, as they are not only lovely to see but they also do a lot of good, and that includes wasps as they are great pollinators.

Events for the summer are still happening: we have in Chelmsford the Streets Eats ‘n’ Beats Festival, and at Barleylands the Big Classic Motor Show. There are also markets going on in and around and plenty more to go and see - just check out the What’s On guide in our sister magazine, City Times or check out your social media.

Music

Here I am doing what I know best - music. As this edition of the Moulsham Times hits the streets, Black Frog are getting ready to get going again after a little summer break. We kick off with a show at the Star & Garter with the One Tree Hillbillies on Monday 4th September, and then it’s off to Hot Box on Tuesday 5th September with The Ugly Guys, who as well as launching their new album are donating all the door takings to Hot Box fund. They also have Bob Collum playing on the night and a couple of DJs, one being Dave Arscott - so for £15 we think this is great value for money.

On Friday 8th September, we are back at the Social Club with our very own D’Ukes (ukulele band) playing the whole evening, so come and enjoy Dave Warren and his band with us and have a lot of fun!

We are then back to Hot Box on Tues 12th September with Mike Ross, a great Blues and Americana singer-songwriter. He has a special guest to open - Aaron Gardner of Stone Thieves. Aaron is a superb American act.

Back to the Social Club for Friday 15th September with The Kast Off Kinks who are ex-members of The Kinks and The Rubettes. This is not really a tribute band as such, but if you have not seen them and you like The Kinks, then this is the nearest you will get.

We miss a week (the club has an event on) and then return to the Social Club on Friday 22nd September with Carnaby Army who will play all your favourite hits from the 60s and 70s. No one does it better than Carnaby Army, and you can dress up as well if wish.

All tickets for the Social Club shows until the end of the year are printed and available now and available at the shows and other outlets. If you cannot make a show at the Social Club and don’t want to miss it, these shows are being live-streamed at a reasonable cost and are available for 4 days: just go to www.veeps.com/ blackfrogpresents.

So far for the Social Club we have confirmed all Fridays for 2024, Jim Cregan & Co on 9th February, Nine Below Zero on 16th February, Cold Flame (Jethro Tull) on 22nd March, The Jam Project on 24th May, Noasis on 19th July and Merry Hell on 6th December, plus plenty more to confirm.

Recently, Hot Box had Frank Turner and Ratboy with lots more coming up. Take a look at our Black Frog Presents advert in here to see some of the amazing acts that are coming to play at the Chelmsford Social Club and at Hot Box - we are very excited by our line-up.

If you have anything you think that could be of interest to our readers for either publication, then please let us know by emailing editorial@itsyourmedia.co.uk - it may be an event or a topic of interest. Or have you done anything unusual or are you planning something? If so, we want to know about it. If you know of someone who may wish to advertise with us, then please ask them to contact ads@itsyourmedia.co.uk and we can send over full details.

You can get tickets for all our shows in Chelmsford from Intense Records, Hopsters and Chelmsford 4Good - please pay cash in person when you buy. Tickets are also available online from www. wegottickets.com/BlackFrogPresents, or via our ticket hotline at no extra charge - call or text 07508 496 411 and you can then pay the advance price on entry to the show rather than the walk-up price.

Please take a look at our Black Frog Presents adverts in here to see some of the amazing acts that are coming to play at the Chelmsford Social Club and Hot Box.

For all Black Frog Presents gig updates and information go www. linktr.ee/BlackFrogPresents, or scan the QR code in the poster in this magazine. It would be fantastic if you could share our magazines The City Times and Moulsham Times for us too. We continue to publish both magazines online as well at www.issuu.com/itsyourmedia.

Nine Below Zero at A New Day Festival

Welcome to Autumn - By Cllr Marie Goldman

Whatever you were up to over the summer months, I hope you had fun and got to spend it with friends and loved ones. Although it signals the start of the slow decline of the weather and the shortening of daylight hours, in many ways September is also an opportunity for renewal - sure, a different form of renewal than the bounding, unstoppable promise of spring, but after the summer break, for many it’s the start of a new chapter. For some, it’s the renewed energy that comes after a summer holiday and the chance that brings with it to unwind and de-stress. For school children and students across the country (even across the world), it’s the start of a new academic year which may mean a new start at a new school, new courses, new friends, new challenges and new experiences.

In short, September can be a very exciting time of the year. From a political point of view, things tend to start to liven up again after the summer parliamentary recess. On a local government level (ie, councils), it’s time to start putting together next year’s budget - an unenviable task for many years now for councils run by all political parties as costs have soared and revenue hasn’t kept pace. Not all councils have managed to keep on top of that. In Chelmsford, I’m proud to be part of the leadership of a council that has always demonstrated sound financial management, including over the last four years where national and global challenges have made things even tougher each year.

Unlike central government, local councils must set a balanced budget every year. This means that predicted income (revenue) must match predicted expenditure. We must also set aside pots of money, known as reserves, to make sure that if things don’t go according to plan, the council can still cover its outgoings. Accurately predicting income and expenditure for the next financial year - which doesn’t even start until April - isn’t an easy task, and it’s made even harder by the lack of certainty provided by central government. It used to be that central government would let local government know how much funding, in addition to the amount it raises through local taxes, fees and charges (eg, Council Tax, car parks, leisure services) it would receive for several years. This at least gave local councils some degree of certainty and confidence. But that hasn’t been the case for many years now. Despite councils across the country asking the government to provide a multi-year settlement agreement, in general, councils only find out in December what they will (or more accurately what we won’t) get. This gives very little time to adjust their budgets for formal approval, usually at Full Council meetings in February. Sadly, I don’t expect things to be any different this year.

But there’s something else on the horizon, something that will (hopefully) provide desperately needed renewal and new opportunities: a General Election. Although we don’t know exactly when that will happen. Since the scrapping of the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, it’s entirely within the gift of the Prime Minister to decide when the next election will be. The only thing we know for sure is that it must be held by 24th January 2025. But it seems highly unlikely that we’ll have to wait until then. Apart from anything else, that would mean campaigning over the 2024 Christmas period, and nobody wants to do that - I’m also pretty sure very few people want politicians knocking on their doors during the festive season trying to win their vote.

I mention all of this because, as the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Chelmsford (and the former 2019 General Election candidate), I often get asked by residents when the next General Election will be. Most analysts agree that it will either be spring or autumn next year and the decision of when to hold it will be hugely influenced by how well - or not - the economy is doing and how far behind the Conservatives are in the opinion polls. But whenever it’s held, September and the coming months will likely see a surge in political campaigning by all parties, ramping up even more as we get closer to the date where we get to choose who the next member of parliament for Chelmsford will be. And remember, in our extremely flawed and outdated electoral system, that’s the only choice we have. We don’t get to choose who the next prime minister is - only who will

represent us locally. There will be much more information coming through your doors over the next year or so to help you make up your mind which box to cross on the ballot paper. Keep an eye out for it.

Turning briefly to more hyper-local matters, I’ve already submitted my first batch of 18 potholes for priority repair under the rather bizarre Essex County Council Member-led Priority Pothole Scheme. I will be able to submit my second batch soon. Please send me an email with your suggestions for the next batch, remembering to include a precise location (ideally using What3Words) and ideally a photo. Please also note that the new restrictions preventing parking on the verges on Princes Road came into effect on 3rd July. If you have been in the habit of using this space to park to drop off or pick up your children from the Moulsham schools, please find an alternative place to do this. A good option would be to use the Park & Stride location in Tesco car park, and walk the short distance to the schools.

Finally, a few residents contacted me at the beginning of the summer about an overflowing dog waste bin on the corner of Oaklands Crescent. This isn’t the first time that has happened so I am pleased to report that I have managed to get a second bin installed in that location. It’s just a small thing, but I’m glad to have been able to get it resolved. Many thanks to the residents who took the time to alert me to the issue.

Thanks for reading - keep safe and well.

Marie

marie.goldman@chelmsfordlibdems.org.uk

Cllr Marie Goldman

Deputy Leader, Chelmsford City Council Ward Councillor for Moulsham & Central Essex County Councillor for Chelmsford Central Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Chelmsford

Non-Spoiler Film Reviews - By Henry Godfrey-Evans

Oppenheimer

Predictably one of the most powerful visual and audio creations of the 21st century. It also explained the science wonderfully and the acting was great without being overly exuberant.

The slim list of faults includes the lack of pauses and some pretty ruthless pacing, especially for a 3-hour film. However, this is forgiven because there is just so much to learn for the average layman on such a topic as nuclear weapons and Robert Oppenheimer.

The score was fantastic and the film’s final flourish sent chills down my spine.

90/100

Barbie

This was one of the most successful marketing campaigns of all time and probably sold a gimmick of a film. To be honest, though it was actually a slightly samey film about people leaving a perfect land and to the real world. Not that interesting.

The comedy acting was fantastic though. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling really brought the vision of ludicrous macho and feminine stereotypes to life.

The general message about seeking fake and ultimately plastic perfection was good. It lost its subtlety at the end though. There were monologues about things that weren’t really covered in the film, but were just loosely related to the social commentary.

64/100

Talk To Me

This was directed by a couple of YouTubers - so that’s for the parents reading that aren’t supporting their kids’ hobbies...

Immersion was quite easy with this, the sound and the camerawork were great. That really is step one for any film. Do you sort of flinch when they want you to?

All I can say was that I was uncomfortable and I occasionally writhed in my seat. My only other small note is that the character decisions weren’t too stupid, which is always a treat.

76/100

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem I usually try to say ‘each to their own’ but I’ve spent the last fortnight getting frustrated at people who seem to be blissfuly ignoring poor writing. Just because the animation style is so pretty and cool at the moment.

It’s like Across the Spiderverse’s little protege, except utterly uninteresting. ‘It’s for kids though Henry…’. So are Pixar, Disney and Marvel films. They do at least try to cater to all audiences though.

I’m probably coming across a bit petulant, so I’ll stop.

38/100

Meg 2

I mean, this was always going to feel like very expensive trash. It’s basically Cocaine Bear with less support from pop culture.

I did enjoy some bits, it had better cinematography then I expected. But yeah, not good really.

37/100

Joy Ride

This trailer looked so annoying so I did my favourite thing: I watched a film with zero expectations. It paid off!

I quite enjoyed this film. It was still quite annoying but I shrugged it off and there were some solid lines that made me laugh. Fairly unique too.

Stephanie Hsu definitely carried this on her shoulders though.

65/100

Gran Turismo

Haha, they literally started the film like a 10-minute advert for their ‘driving simulator’. It put me in such a bad mood that I was slow to accept when the film was getting better. It was such an obvious ad that I was grumpy.

The races were quite tense and the emotional payoff was very solid. It swan-dived into every competition-related cliché possible. It also felt very long.

I don’t know, I feel tired just thinking back…

63/100

Haunted Mansion

The easy summary is they had just the right amount of jokes, scares and plot to make a nifty little 90-minute movie. Instead, it was 2 hours.

I was miles away for 50% of the film, and having a good time for the other 50%. Not ideal.

Felt very much like the theme park rides and probably a good way of getting a kid to watch a horror film.

59/100

Scrapper

Here’s all some people will need to hear: it’s wholesome and very British. Oh. You think I’m getting the good bits out of the way first? Nope.

It was also funny, very natural and unique. This will be the perfect sit down for UNDER 90 minutes once it comes out on stream.

It did, in my opinion, fail to deliver the emotional payload that it could have, but that’s a preference for me. It might have made it feel less real.

78/100

henrygodfreyevans@gmail.com

Scleroderma & Raynaud’s UK - Catch Up With a Cuppa

Local resident, Susie, and her daughter Rosie, have decided to fundraise for Scleroderma and Raynaud’s UK, a charity dedicated to raising awareness of these conditions and improving the lives of people with them, by hosting a Catch Up With a Cuppa afternoon in aid of SRUK.

Since Susie’s diagnosis, the mother-daughter duo have found SRUK a great source of information and support. The life-limiting condition is relatively unknown, even to professionals, so as well as raising funds for the charity to help them identify the best treatments and ultimately find a cure, it is as important to Susie and Rosie to raise awareness and understanding of the conditions and their effects on daily life.

The Catch Up With a Cuppa afternoon takes place on Saturday 7th October from 1.30pm to 4.30pm at St John’s Church Hall, Vicarage Road, Old Moulsham, Chelmsford CM2 9PH, and all are welcome to come along with friends and family.

If you are unable to attend but would still like to show your support by baking or buying sweet treats for the event, please contact Susie on 07747 010 077 to make arrangements.

Additionally, there is a JustGiving page for those who wish to donate directly to SRUK: www.justgiving.com/page/susienankivell-1690741363640.

To find out more about the conditions and the charity’s brilliant work, visit: www.sruk.co.uk - if you or anyone you know might have any of the signs or symptoms, Susie recommends speaking to your GP as soon as possible, as early intervention is key.

CCR Latest News

How on earth is summer over already? Thank you to all the lovely people who came up to talk to us at the Summerballoo in Tindal Square a few weeks ago. We are overwhelmed with all the nice comments that we had.

Some of our volunteers were invited to visit the new Go-Ape branch at Hylands Park on launch day and had a fantastic time, plus our Award Winning Presenter Daisy Barker was delighted to have the opportunity to interview TV Legend Ben Shephard at the opening of the brand new Ninja Warrior venue, right in the city centre.

We’ll be continuing to be out and about in the city over the next few months. We have a great Eco Podcasting Workshop on the 9th and 10th of September in partnership with the Essex Book Festival Team and also Heritage Open Days.

We’ll also be in Tindal Square the following weekend alongside the Civic Society and a whole host of partners.

In October, we’ll not only be at the Anglia Ruskin Apprenticeship Fair but also be part of the amazing Science Festival - do keep an eye out for us. Oh, and if you’d like us to come along to one of your events then do get in touch via www.chelmsfordcommunityradio. com.

Variety Concert - Friday 6 October 2023

Baskets of fruit and enormous marrows are rarely part of harvest festivals these days, more often churches are adorned with jars of pasta sauce and boxes of washing pods! Many of these gifts go to food banks and this year St Luke’s is supporting the Chelmsford Food Bank at this traditional harvest time.

Food banks also need money to supplement donations and St Luke’s is presenting a variety concert on Friday 6th October at 7.30pm to raise funds. Local amateur entertainers, groups and soloists, both young and old, will show off their talents.

Free entry and light refreshments will be provided, with parking and wheelchair access available, so do come along for a fun evening.

If you are keen to display your own artistic prowess at this or future concerts, get in touch by email (moulshamchurches@gmail.com), send us a message via our Facebook page (@Stlukesmoulshamlodge), or ring Pat on 01245 600 225.

www.stlukemoulsham.co.uk

Cool to Be Kind

Cool to Be Kind is a fast expanding community organisation supporting rough sleepers and the homeless in Chelmsford. We are now looking for more volunteers to join our ambitious team! If you would like to make a difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable people within our community, please come and join us.

We are looking for people who have a range of skills, which may include administration, fundraising or research. We need you to be committed and this can be on a very flexible basis to suit you. We love enthusiasm and kindness, because, you know… it is Cool to Be Kind!

If you are interested in finding out more, please visit our website (www.c2bk.co.uk/contact) and get in touch. We are really looking forward to meeting you.

EPUT to Host First Co-production Conference

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) is to host its first co-production conference in October.

The Trust’s Co-Production Champions Network and Patient Experience team will host the conference on Monday 23rd October to showcase how people with lived experience are helping to co-design the services we provide.

EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Essex, Luton, Bedfordshire and Suffolk.

The trust has more than 100 lived experience ambassadors, including new co-production champions, who play a vital role in helping to shape services and make decisions to ensure we deliver care that best meets the needs of our patients. EPUT also has numerous active patient forums, involving people who have used our services, as well as their families and carers.

Co-production lead Mark Dale said: “We are committed to actively involving people with lived experience to ensure patients and service users are at the heart of everything we do.

“They are supporting us at every level, including sitting on interview panels, working on projects, improving our services, delivering training, supporting service users and staff, and volunteering as a governor.

“This is just a small snapshot of their valuable contribution to our trust and the conference aims to show how empowering and important their work is. Join us to hear more about their work and find out more about opportunities available for people with lived experience at EPUT.”

The conference will be held at Hamptons Sports and Leisure, Beehive Lane in Great Baddow CM2 9FH.

The event is open to people with lived experience and members of the public who already volunteer at EPUT or would like to know more about our co-production projects and opportunities. It is also open to partners and organisations from the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.

Anyone interested in coming along should reserve their free place on Eventbrite using the link below.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eput-coproduction-conference-2023tickets-684227582117.

For more information, please email EPUT’s Patient Experience team on epunft.pet@nhs.net.

Hi, everyone. I hope you are all OK and enjoying the summer weather... Summer was one day last week, by the way! Having said that, it is still only August but the days are getting shorter, so make the best of it.

Tim Vine performed at the Chelmsford Theatre at the end of last month and as he promised when we met him earlier in the year, he gave us tickets and we met him to say hello at the end. It was a great show with the whole audience in fits of laughter from start to finish. The warm-up act was brilliant. Funny, with a bit of audience participation and magic. Very entertaining and he put us in a great mood for Tim. I know I have said this before, but Tim is a very nice chap who enjoys entertaining. How he remembers all his routine is amazing! Very professional.

The self-service tills in supermarkets have been getting a bit of press recently. A lot of people don’t seem to like them. It is their opinion that the shops are expecting customers to do the check out staffs’ job and reduce the number of employees - I must admit, I don’t mind using them. The shop I normally use generally has at least two staff, sometimes more. This means that one of the things that used to cause delays was the need to have someone confirm that I am over 18. I used to have to wait for someone to see my waving hand and come over to authorise the sale. Now, most of the time they can do the deed before I have finished all the shopping. The staff also came to my aid the other day when I was in a different store. I had finished swiping the goods and pressed the ‘finish and pay’ button. I tapped the card on the reader, but nothing happened. After a few unsuccessful attempts, I was started to join the ‘I don’t like these’ brigade, when an assistant came over. ‘Can I help you, sir?’ ‘Yes please, this reader is not recognising my credit card’, ‘Well, that may because you are using your Tesco Clubcard...’ they said. At this point I was grateful to be alone at the till rather than in a queue of people sniggering behind me!

Looking through the newspaper today, I have come across an advertisement I would put in the ‘didn’t know I would want one of these’ category. A full page ad offering a one and a half feet tall bronzed stag sculpture. The stag is standing on a rock. Now, it does look splendid, but I am wondering who would actually buy one of these? I guess the company marketing these understands a lot more about merchandising than I do.

There is an article in today’s health section in the paper I read. I was surprised that it was referring to supermarket trolleys. I have quite a lot of knowledge of these - you can get ones with wonky wheels that have a mind of there own. I am getting better at recognising these as soon as I choose one to use and can avoid risking a trolley which will lead me round the shop taking me to parts of the store that I don’t want to visit. Others, where the simple act of releasing the trolley with a pound coin, can take a number of minutes if you haven’t got

strong finger nails. But why was this in the medical section? It turns out that a trial has taken place on trolleys that can detect an irregular heartbeat. This is amazing. Some people have great innovation skills. I am genuinely impressed.

I must admit, I don’t usually read too many health sections. I have such a vivid imagination that before I’m half way through the article I am convinced that I have most of the symptoms.

I’m the same with patient information leaflets in medication. Even though the possible side effects are quantified, one in ten thousand patients have reported such and such, I still imagine I may have them. Silly, isn’t it...

Like a lot of us, I have a printer. I think it cost me about 35 quid around two years ago. A bargain. Or is it? This week both the black and triple colour ran out at the same time. Now, I know that I am a bit of a cynic, but I find it difficult to believe that they would run out at the same time. I have set the printer to print in black, so only use colour if it is essential. How come they both ran out? Then, the next shock. I pop into the shop to get new ink. The price is horrendous. I have to pay nearly twice as much for the ink as I paid for the printer!

Anyway, I got it home and then started to open the pack. It is wrapped in clear plastic. Very strong clear plastic. I need scissors to cut it, being careful not to cut my hand on the now sharp bits of the packaging. Then I have to cut into the plastic bag that contains the actual product. Ridiculous!

Bin End Chuckles (from Tim): I decided to sell my hoover... It was just collecting dust.

This policeman came up to me with a pencil and a piece of paper: He said ‘I want you to trace someone for me...’

Keep enjoying the summer.

Grove Road Evangelical Church

When I was young, one of the many visitors who called to see my parents was a man named Captain Godfrey Buxton MC. He had joined the army when the First World War began. One day, a shell exploded on the building he was in. Both his legs were crippled due to shrapnel, and he had to walk on two sticks for the rest of his life. He was in his early 20s, and all the plans that he had for the rest of his life were destroyed the moment that the shell exploded.

He came from a Christian family and Godfrey had been looking forward to serving God as a missionary overseas. With his injuries, such hopes were no longer possible. What could he do? He summed up his feelings and uncertainty about the future in these words to his family: ‘What can God do with this bag of bones?’

Well, God went on to use him in a wonderful way, enabling him to train many others to go all round the world to serve God - including my father.

The apostle Paul had been kept in a Roman prison for many years,

though he had not committed any crime. While chained up he wrote these words: ‘I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content… I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.’

What was the secret he learned? It was that no matter how good or how bad his circumstances looked, he could rely on the Lord Jesus Christ to help him through every moment of life.

Come and join us at 11am each Sunday and learn about what God can do for you, no matter what your circumstances, if you put Jesus first in your life.

Philip Loose, Senior Pastor

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

www.grecuk.co.uk

pastor@grecuk.co.uk

MT History: George Washington Field - By Henri Lewi

How many of us knew that one of the former names for Stansted Airport was George Washington Field, named by the US Air Force when it took control of the airfield/airport in August 1943?

Throughout its relatively short history, Stansted Airport has officially and unofficially been variously called; RAF Stansted Mountfichet, No. 2 Tactical Depot, George Washington Field, Station 169, RAF 263 MU, Stansted Airfield and finally, Stansted Airport.

The airfield, with its grass takeoff/landing strip, had originally been called RAF Stansted Mountfichet, and in August 1942 had undergone construction of an all-weather permanent runway by a number of US Engineer aviation battalions and welcomed its first, though unexpected, visitor in February 1943 when a Short Stirling heavy bomber made an emergency landing on its partially constructed runway.

The 9th US Air Force took over control in August 1943 when firstly the 30th Air Depot Group was stationed at the airport. In October of that year 4 squadrons of Martin-26 Marauders of the 344th Bombardment Group known as the ‘Silver Streaks’ - part of US IX Bomber Command - were based at the airport flying missions over Europe and notably in the early phases of D-Day on the 6th June 1944. The four squadrons based at the George Washington Field between August 1943 and October 1944, were the 494th, 495th, 496th and 497th bomber squadrons in addition to the 30th Air Depot Group, which repaired and serviced the group’s B-26 Bombers.

By October 1944, Marauders of the 344th Bombardment Group based at George Washington Field (Stansted) had carried out over 140 missions over occupied Europe.

The Martin B-26 Marauder was a medium range bomber nicknamed in its early days as ‘The Widowmaker’, because of difficulties encountered with both take off and safe landing due to its weight and stalling speeds. Once these problems were overcome the B-26 Marauder became one of the most successful bombers of its day and provided valuable service in North Africa and Europe.

In October 1944 the 344th Bombardment Group was transferred to France, but the airfield continued in its supply, repair and service role until August 1945.

At the cessation of WWII the airfield, now renamed RAF 263 MU Stansted Mountfichet, was handed back to the Air Ministry, which then used it variously as a supply depot and housing for some 400

prisoners of war. In 1946, the airport was leased to a freight charter company called The London Aero & Motor Services Ltd (LAMS) which used ex-RAF WWII Handley Page Halifax bombers for it’s long distance freight charters.

In 1949 the airfield was officially handed over to The Ministry of Civil Aviation, which prepared the airport for its future expanded role in civil and passenger aviation. However, this planning was delayed, as in 1954 the airport was selected as a potential NATO airport and its runway was subsequently extended for use by NATO jet aircraft by the 815th United States Air Force Engineer Battalion in anticipation for this particular role, which however failed to materialise.

The airport was again returned to civil use in 1957 for cargo and holiday charter flights for the next few years, until it was finally taken over by the British Airport Authority in 1966, which expanded its role in passenger transport, and we have now all become familiar with its current major role in aviation.

The developments that have permitted the development of the airport have been, firstly, the construction of the M11 motorway in 1977, and then the subsequent building of a new terminal as well as the Stansted Airport Railway Station, both opening in 1991, which has seen the airport grow in prominence and cementing it’s position in 2023 as the UK’s fourth busiest airport.

Stansted Airport now handles over 20 million passengers per year, with an expected doubling of passenger numbers in the next few years.

Ode to the Deadlift - By Ola

In my last article, I wrote about what I called The Big Three, which was about powerlifting for the everyday person. In this article I’m going to write about my favourite exercise in the whole wide world - the deadlift.

What is a deadlift and why do I love it so much? According to bodybuilding.com, ‘The barbell deadlift is a compound exercise used to develop overall strength and size in the posterior chain.’ In layman’s terms it means picking something heavy up from the floor which the back of your body stronger.

So why do I love it so much? I’m all about functional training, and the deadlift is the epitome of functional training. We deadlift every time we lift heavy shopping, suitcases, boxes at work - or even small children - off the floor. I also love it because it’s challenging and something you really have to work at to become good at it. Plus it seems to suit my body - and there are some exercises that my body simply doesn’t like.

I’ve heard people say they avoid deadlifts because they are dangerous - but so is crossing the road; such things can be dangerous if not performed properly. The best thing to do is to find someone to teach you and be consistent. The other thing I love about deadlifts is that there are so many variations - conventional, stiff-legged, sumo, Romanian, single legthe list goes on and on.

You can also use different equipmentbarbells, dumbbells, bands, resistance machines and good oldfashioned body weight. I’ve even done deadlifts with a combination of a broomstick and a resistance band!

I make sure to programme deadlifts into all my client’s workouts no matter what level they are. Starting with body weight, then progressing onto bands and then free weights. That way they learn proper technique and don’t develop bad habits and as a result, they perform the exercise safely. As usual, I’m going to share some benefits of deadlifting:

1. It’s functional: As I said above, we deadlift every day. It carries over from the gym into daily activity.

2. It makes you strong: along with the squat, deadlifts are the kings of exercise.

3. It saves you time: since you use so many different muscles when you deadlift.

4. It helps with posture: because it uses your back and core.

5. It’s fun and sexy!

Now, going back to what I said about people saying the deadlift is dangerous - it’s only dangerous if you do it wrong. Here are a few steps to keep you safe:

1. Find someone to teach you how to do it properly.

2. Start slow - don’t rush into the gym and start trying to lift 100kg on day 1.

3. Be consistent - try and aim for doing some form of the exercise 3 times a week.

Hopefully, that gives you an insight into the deadlift. And if you don’t believe me when I say it’s fun, just look at the picture that goes with this article - but please don’t try this at home!

If you’re interested about learning more about this king of exercises, then feel free to contact me at beencouragedwellness@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

www.beencouragedwellness.co.uk www.facebook.com/BeEncouragedBeStrong

MT Finance - How to Balance Children

Juggling financial priorities isn’t easy, especially for parents who have to balance the substantial costs of family life with planning for the future.

There are lots of demands on our incomes these days, something that has intensified recently with the challenges of the rising cost of living. That’s especially the case for parents who have to juggle the substantial costs of raising children with planning for the future.

It’s hard to know how to balance these competing priorities, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer because our situations and goals vary. However, here’s a general checklist of how to look at your financial situation in light of those competing demands.

How to Balance Children With Pensions

1. Build Your Foundations

Family finances, just like a house, have to be built on firm foundations. Staying out of expensive debt and keeping your mortgage payments under control are the first steps, albeit this has become more challenging for many people as interest rates have risen over the past year.

Once your house is in order in terms of debt you can put other parts of your financial plan into place. Another important foundation is building a reserve of readily available cash to draw on in the event of an emergency.

Three to six months’ income is often referred to as a rule of thumb, though if you have kids to support, you’ll ideally want more to cover you if life takes an unexpected turn.

2. Protect Your Family’s Future

Nobody knows what is around the corner, so important building blocks to your security involve protecting the family from the consequences of death, ill health, or loss of income of one or both parents. If you are employed, you may have some of these policies such as life insurance and critical illness cover provided for you as part of a benefits package. However, you should check the details of each policy and the level of cover provided to make sure they provide enough support for your circumstances.

If you don’t have them through work, these insurance policies might seem like a monthly expense you could do without. But provided you are healthy they can often be very cost-effective and give peace of mind that the family will be provided for in a worst-case scenario. You should also make sure you make a will so your money and possessions can be distributed according to your wishes if you die. In particular, it is worth noting that unmarried partners and partners who have not registered a civil partnership cannot inherit from each other unless there is a will, so the death of one partner may create serious financial problems for the remaining one.

3. Get Your Retirement on Track and Take Advantage of ‘Free Money’ If you are employed, you will be entitled to pension contributions made by your employer, as long as you keep opted into your work scheme and make the required level of contributions yourself. Although this isn’t a near-term priority when children and family finances are concerned, you should generally maintain this form of investing as far as possible as it is often the most efficient way to provide for retirement by some distance.

Your retirement can also get an extra boost from pension tax relief on payments into a personal pension. This contribution from the government can have a considerable impact on the size of your investment pot and the retirement income you can achieve (see previous articles for further information).

4. Set Your Children’s Goals

To save and invest for the future in a methodical and efficient way, it’s important to set goals for different pots of money and consider whether they are short-term or long-term in nature. Shorter-term needs are generally considered to be less than five years, perhaps

and Pensions

putting money aside for a new car or for a house deposit for example. Longer-term goals include getting ready for retirement or preparing for school or education fees likely to be incurred in at least five years’ time.

Short-term needs are best addressed through saving cash and longterm ones through investing. Unlike cash, riskier assets do not offer security of capital, but over the long term, they tend to do better and therefore they build wealth more effectively.

Your goals not only inform you how you should invest, but also the appropriate type of account. Don’t forget to use appropriate tax ‘wrappers’ for your investing goals such as a pension for retirement, ISAs for earlier access and Junior ISAs for children’s longer term investing. By placing your money in pension or ISA wrappers you can save tax and make your investments work harder for you. You won’t pay capital gains tax on any profits and there’s no tax on dividends from shares or the income earned on bonds.

When your children are old enough it is a good idea to talk to them about money. Currently there tends to be little in the way of financial education in schools, so there can be significant knowledge gaps in this area. Instilling the importance of saving and financial planning will help them develop good financial habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.

5. Start Planning and Investing Early if You Can

The earlier you start saving, the more time your money has to grow. Even if you can only save a small amount each month, it will add up over time - thanks in part to the powerful effect of compounding. It will also help to map out your financial goals - how much money you think you will need and when - to construct a plan to reach them. Once you have been through this exercise you will be able to better judge when you can meet these goals and how to plan your strategy. Of course, much can change over time, so it is also important to be flexible. Maybe you have more or less disposable income to fund savings and investments than you thought. Perhaps your investments are doing better or worse than anticipated. In any plan a lot of assumptions have to be made and it is unlikely things will go exactly how they are modelled in advance. Yet having and a goal in mind, and a roadmap to meet it, will help keep you focused on it and better allow you to take corrective action where necessary.

Balancing providing for your children and saving for retirement is a challenge, but with some careful planning and budgeting you can set yourself up for a secure financial future. You also don’t have to tackle it on your own. Having a conversation with a financial professional can help you to take control of your finances, and there are a range of online resources which can be accessed, such as the Money Saving Expert budget planner (www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/ budget-planning) or Citizens Advice service (www.citizensadvice.org. uk/debt-and-money/budgeting/budgeting/work-out-your-budget) to provide you with guidance along the way.

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. Charles Stanley is not a tax adviser.

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.

The Singing Chef

My wonderful friend Sasha took me for the most amazing afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason for my birthday in August. So what better way to celebrate her birthday this September than having her photo in this month’s MT... She’s gonna kill me!

Now I really don’t have a sweet tooth so I had a savoury cream tea, it was incredible!

Most of the items on the menu, bar the sandwiches, are far too intricate for most of us to recreate - however, the scones are not. They are a super easy and not so sweet and a delicious treat perfect for not just afternoon tea, but for ladies what can now lunch child-free again, or kids’ lunch boxes.

Ingredients

300g plain flour.

100g cold cubed unsalted butter.

1 tsp backing powder.

3 tablespoons sugar.

Pinch of salt.

150 ml milk.

For Savoury:

Swap the sugar for 3 tablespoons cheese, pinch of paprika, pinch of pepper.

Method

I pulsed my dough untill it just came together in my food processor.

Do not over-mix or they’ll end up like rocks!

Press out on a floured board to about 2cm thick and use a cutter or cup to cut out (DON’T TWIST).

Cut straight down and up that way you’ll get an even rise.

To make by hand, crumb the flour and butter together untill they resemble bread crumbs, then add the rest of your ingredients and mix with a knife untill they come together.

Brush with a little beaten egg. Bake in a preheated oven at 200oC for 10/12 minutes depending on size.

Sarah is a singing and vocal coach based in Chelmsford and offers singing lessons to people of all ages and abilities. She has a brand new website at www.chelmsfordvocalcoach.co.uk, or you can email her at sarahmtfood@gmail.com. Sarah is also the chef at Nanny Wilson’s Kitchen in O’Connors in Hall Street.

Could You or Would You Volunteer for Your Community?

Volunteering is a two way experience for both parties or groups. Some community groups or organisations could not exist without volunteers. It may be on a regular basis or on an as-needed basis to enable an event/ activity to be put on for the benefit of the local community.

MLCT exists for the local residents but we are in urgent need of new volunteers to be able to continue to offer clubs and activities. It has been proven that volunteering helps to eliminate isolation and loneliness. Many of our regulars who have found us, share chat and laughter and support from new friends, and are always willing to put their hands up if they if they’re able to help out.

Could you be a part of our team? Come and talk to one of us to see what we get up to, or just come and chat to us. Perhaps you have an idea that we could put on in the future or a skill that would be useful for us or share with others.

In the picture here, you can see some of our Breakfast With Santa event volunteers. This is our main fundraising event of the year requiring volunteers to help with anything from making toast to

making Santa a cup of tea or helping children find our reindeer. We mention this event as it will be fast approaching and tickets will go on sale around the beginning of October. Would you like to get involved in this? Let us know!

In the coming months we also have talks on various topics, ie, cybercrime, shop mobility, prevention of falls, and of course Christmas is currently being planned...

Men’s Shed is proving very popular too on a Friday from 1pm till 3pm. Meanwhile, Copper Pot Café is open Tuesday - Friday 8am till 4pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm.

www.mlct.org.uk

enquiries@mlct.org.uk

07434 678 999

An Update From Moulsham Lodge Ward - By Ashley Thompson & Simon Goldman

We hope that you have had a great summer holiday and got to go and see many of the free events put on by the City Council and Chelmsford For You. Always keep an eye out for the next events going on in the city by signing up to citylife. chelmsford.gov.uk and chelmsfordforyou.co.uk.

When we were both elected to serve you as your city councillors in May, we did so on the basis of three key campaign pledges:

1. To protect John Shennan Field from development.

2. To tackle speeding on Gloucester Avenue.

3. To campaign for Post Office services to be returned to the Moulsham Lodge area.

Well, here we are, just a few months into our four years in office, and let’s see how we’re progressing with each of these!

1) There are no existing plans whatsoever to develop John Shennan Field. We killed off the historic proposals and our commitment to this vital green space remains total and absolute and will do our best to continue with the planting and to also improve the facilities in the area.

2) We are regularly organising Community Speedwatch sessions on Gloucester Avenue, led by us alongside a group of volunteers. The aim of speedwatch is always to act as a deterrent. We’ve seen this in action during the times we are there, with the vast majority of people taking note of the signage and the hi-vis jackets and slowing down in an area close to three different schools. Sometimes, however, we catch people exceeding the limit and pass these details on to the police.

But we could definitely use more help with organising this and we

always need more local volunteers. If you can spare an hour or so every now and again to help make our area safer, why don’t you get in touch with us and join our campaign to stop speeding on Gloucester Avenue? See below for our contact details.

3) Whilst our conversations with the Post Office regarding the return of services within Moulsham Lodge remain ongoing, there has been some movement in the neighbouring Tile Kiln area. A new lighter touch Drop and Collect Post Office branch is in the offing at Express Conveniently Yours, by Moulsham Junior School.

Whilst personal banking facilities aren’t on offer at this new branch (try the full branches in Galleywood or Great Baddow for these services), you can pay bills and collect parcels using handheld devices at Express Conveniently Yours. Opening hours are 7-days a week.

We understand that the management company of the Moulsham Lodge shops are consulting with the businesses about bringing in parking restrictions at the parade; we will keep you updated on the progress of this.

Finally, our apologies to St Luke’s Church, Moulsham Lodge for some slight date confusion in our previous article. Their Edward Bear (Parent and Toddler) sessions start back in the new term from Wednesday 13th September at 1.15pm, and the Coffee Mornings continue to run every Saturday without interruption from 11am.

Meanwhile, Moulsham Lodge Methodist run a similar Coffee Morning every Thursday from 10.30am to 12 noon.

Finally, our next date to meet your councillors and the local police is Coffee and Cops at the Copper Pot Café, 1pm until 2pm on Saturday 3rd September.

As always, if you have any local issues then please do not hesitate to contact us.

ashley.thompson@chelmsford.gov.uk simon.goldman@chelmsford.gov.uk

Tile Kiln Corner - By Cllr Linda Mascot

I hope you enjoyed the summer. I was pleased to see so many free activities for families during the school summer break as the cost of living crisis is affecting us all. I was lucky enough to visit the Play in the Park play schemes at multiple community venues all across Chelmsford and the surrounding areas to see the fun 2 hour sessions, with games and activities provided completely free for whole families to enjoy. This was for children aged between 3 and 11, including those with accessible needs.

These are funded by Chelmsford City Council with local parish councils and included inflatables, a story teller, as well as organised games, crafts and activities throughout the fun sessions. I met grandparents, older siblings, childminders and parents enjoying the facilities (there were gazebos for the rainy days and very hot days to provide shelter). More information can be found on chelmsford.gov. uk.

The YMCA also run Holiday Playschemes in conjunction with Active Essex for unaccompanied children aged 5-11 who are eligible for benefits-based free school meals, as well as working families who also require extra support. These are focussed on providing fun activities as well as providing a tasty nutritious meal all free of charge for eligible children.

For more information about all the services provided by YMCA Essex,

Just

including Young Carer support and Youth Club, email holidayclubs@ ymcaessex.org.uk or phone 01245 355 677. Most of the play schemes had capacity for extra children so look out for these happening near you: take a picnic and enjoy a fun day out in your local park.

On the first Saturday of each month at 10.30am for an hour session, Chelmsford Theatre is hosting autumnal tales storytelling in the main theatre bar with Mike Dodsworth. You can grab a tasty treat and a place to sit while the professional storyteller weaves marvellous tales for young ears. There is limited capacity, so pre-booking is essential, it’s a bargain at £3 per child with accompanying adult free.

With First Bus continuing their £2 maximum single adult ticket price until 31st October, it’s a great opportunity to explore the local area without breaking the bank, see the website for details and the destinations included by visiting, www.firstbus.co.uk.

Galleywood Heritage Centre, on Galleywood Common just off Margaretting Road, is within walking distance of Tile Kiln through Chelmer Park and is a community centre with access to local archives and a tea room. There are halls and rooms available for hire and they have many activities on offer - a recent Pirate and Princess Treasure hunt was a great success at £3 per child and included a colouring competition and games from 11am-3pm. Join their Facebook page for up-to-date information of regular events and tea room opening times. I would recommend their delicious homemade cakes, and all sales support the centre as a registered charity.

For adults there is a talk by Christine and Les Whybro on Galleywood Common from the years 1086-2023 on Tuesday 26th September at 2pm, and David Dunford will be talking about Galleywood races based on his newly updated book Full Circle, the Rise and Fall of Horse Racing in Chelmsford on Tuesday 10th October at 2pm. Tickets for both events are £3 per person and can be reserved by emailing susan.wilson@galleywoodheritagecentre.org.uk or by ringing 07780 763 127.

mascotlinda@gmail.com

a Little Disapointed

I think sometimes, disappointment might be one of those things we live with but never acknowledge. Something that is hard to pinpoint, hard to give expression to, and (like anything that makes us feel vulnerable) hard to admit.

Our world seems awash with people ‘living their best lives now’ - but are they really? I’m not sure. What I do know is that this atmosphere of “‘best life now’ makes it hard to acknowledge the truth - that life is tough, and everyone faces hardship. Often the hardest thing is that life doesn’t turn out the way we want it to, or the way we thought it would.

When that happens, we’re left disappointed. If we layer up the disappointments

- career, holidays, family, relationships, ourselves - we can find ourselves lurching from experience to experience trying to hide from, or make up for, the disappointments.

The question all this leads to is this: where do you go with your disappointment? Covering it up or running from it are two strategies, but they never work for long. Turning to other people is good, but perhaps too often we don’t know what to say to each other, and then our responses can be glib.

Let me suggest another way. Turn to Jesus. When we look at Jesus Christ, we can see the lengths that God will go to in order to establish a relationship with every one of us. Amidst disappointment of all kinds, God does not give glib answers, but his answer is a person: Jesus Christ. Looking at Jesus, especially his death and resurrection, we can glimpse something of the defeating of all our disappointments. The bold message of Jesus Christ is that you can throw anything at God, contend with God - he’ll absorb it.

Turn to Jesus.

If you want to know more, or have any questions, please get in touch!

Tim Goodall, Pastor, Tile Kiln Church

tim.goodall@tilekilnchurch.org.uk

Phone: 07821 866 301

YouTube: tinyurl.com/y24qlkvx www.facebook.com/tilekilnchurch www.tilekilnchurch.org.uk

Quiz Time - By John Theedom

It has been in the news recently, so what is the PSNI?

From which part of the animal does the scrag of mutton come?

What is the name of the area in the USA where 4 presidents are carved in granite?

What is the name of the glass object used by fortune tellers?

What did artist Andy Warhol call his studio in New York?

What, who or where is Grand Coulee?

Insulin injections are used to treat which medical condition?

What type of animal is a cavy?

What is an Eton crop?

What type of fruit is an ugli?

Apart from sorting out a problem, what else can be a fathom?

A ‘kiwi’ is a type of fruit, but what else?

If you are suffering with ennui, what is happening to you?

In which British county is the Eton College located?

What does a vintner do for a living?

Aquaman is from which city under the sea?

In which TV series did the Larkin family feature?

In Disney’s Robin Hood, what kind of animal is Prince John?

What was the first name of the famous artist Goya?

Which island is the largest in the Mediterranean Sea?

Many of you will have had an MRI scan, what do the initials stand for?

What is the nickname of the snooker player Ray Reardon?

Who or what lives in a cote?

Which day of the week do you associate with Robinson Crusoe?

Apart from your head, what else can be a scull?

Which vegetables are used in the making of vodka?

Where did the singer Tony Bennett ‘leave his heart’?

In golf, what is a score for 2 under par for a hole?

What, who or where is an orlop?

Which group had a number 1 hit with Hello, Goodbye?

In which US city is Broadway located?

In which country is the town of Imola?

What word can be a gambler or an improvement to your health?

What is nonage?

Which actress played the role of Evita in the original run of the musical?

What are the four streets in Liverpool named after The Beatles?

In what year did Lord Lucan mysteriously disappear?

Who was the ancient character who carried the world on his shoulders?

What would you do with a sarape?

What is a rood?

Helpers for Seniors Luncheon Club - St Mary’s Church

The Seniors Luncheon Club at St Mary’s Church has been running every Tuesday for over 40 years, and welcomes local older people in for a hot meal, and a warm conversation.

We need to add some more friendly, reliable volunteers to our lovely team. You would be helping us to prepare and cook the meals, tidy the kitchen, serve food and greet and chat to our elderly visitors. We also need car drivers to transport our visitors.

Trustees needed

Trustees play a crucial role in guiding charities, helping make plans and decisions, and making sure they stay on track. It is a fantastic opportunity to make real difference to the organisation you volunteer for. You don’t need prior experience, just enthusiasm and dedication. We are currently recruiting for: Age Concern, Farleigh Hospice, Millrace Furniture, Essex Youth Build, Interact, Essex Community First Aid, Support 4 Sight, RAF Association, Chelmsford Education Foundation.

Community first responders

Our community first responders are volunteers who are trained by us to attend certain types of emergency calls in the area where they live or work. Their aim is to reach a potential life threatening emergency in the first vital minutes before the ambulance crew arrives. We give full training and constant support.

Family group volunteer at Homestart Essex

Your offer of time and support, as a volunteer can mean the world to a family. Becoming a parent, whether it’s the first or the fourth time, can be an isolating experience.

Our Family Group volunteers support at our local Family Groups run by our Coordinators and Play Workers. It’s a friendly structured group where families bond and interactive with their children, learn coping mechanisms, build friendships and peer support, talk openly in a nonjudgemental environment, and improve their mental health.

Construction training for young people in Chelmsford area - volunteer at Essex Youthbuild

Essex Youthbuild is a charity that has been working with teenagers helping them gain construction and employability skills for more than 12 years. You will provide one-2-one support on specific tasks and may accompany and supervise them on building site visits as part of their learning and development plan. Experience of the construction industry and relevant tasks (bricklaying, painting, tiling carpentry and plastering) would be ideal, but a good understanding of manual tasks and DIY types activities is essential.