colchester 101 september 2011

Colchester’s Access All Areas Magazine

Issue 11 September 2011Issue 11 September 2011

Eating Out inColchester Guide

Essential Events Guide

Gig Review

WIN an imitationpearl necklace from Ciro (see page 6)

Eating Out inColchester Guide


Gig Review

WIN an imitationpearl necklace from Ciro (see page 5)

L I S T I N G SC O M M U N I T YFA S H I O NH E A LT H & W E L L B E I N GH O M E & G A R D E N

Angry Vs the Bear

FreePleasetake one

FreePleasetake one

Angry Vs the Bear

WIN a pair of Christian Louboutinshoes worth over £2000 (see page 6)

WIN a pair of Christian Louboutinshoes worth over £2000 (see page 6)

ExclusiveInterviewExclusiveInterview

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Colchester 101The StudioTye RoadColchesterEssex CO7 7BN

Tel: 01206 544700 Email: [email protected]: Simon Crow and Paul ClarkSales and Marketing: Rebecca PriceFood Editor: Melissa PorterFashion Editor: Angela MitchellDesigner: Paul Clark, Tonic Creative Solutions

Thanks to our contributors:Adrian MultonAndrew DellCraig FookesPeter SherlockBecky DavisKem Izzet and Colchester UnitedSven WombwellJason CobbHazel HumphreysAngela MitchellOcean WhiteHawkJo WeatherallSir RazLuke O’Loughlin and the Mercury Theatre

Front cover and page 3 photos courtesy of Adrian Multon www.adrianmulton.co.uk

All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole without publisher’s written consent is prohibited. Whilst every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of all details and information the publishers are not liable for errors and omissions to any features, listings or advertisements. Any views expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers.

www.Colchester101.co.uk

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Welcome to the September issue of Colchester 101

t’s September already! Where did the summergo? Ok, so I know the weather has been a bitof a mixed bag, but what a great summer ithas been, culminating in the second annual

Colchester Free Festival which took place in Castle Park atthe end of August and proved to be an even greatersuccess than last year’s event, with some of the town’s topmusical talent entertaining a crowd of over 15,000 peoplethroughout the day. Following almost immediately on fromthis celebration of the town’s growing music and artsscene, here at Colchester 101 we can’t wait for theopening of firstsite on September 25th with their inauguralexhibition CAMVLODVNVM.

So now the kids are back at school, the football season isunder way, and most noticeably the days are gettingshorter, so this month we have crammed Colchester 101full of articles, features and interviews to keep the blues atbay as we head towards Autumn. You can read all aboutone of Colchester’s top bands Angry Vs the Bear in myexclusive interview with the band’s singer Mitzi Fox, JoWeatherall takes us on a trip down memory lane with herMemories of a Misspent Youth in Colchester in the Early80s, Jason Cobb takes a look at the relationship betweenthe town and the University in his 101 Blog as well asprofiling jazz musician Chris Allard ahead of his shows inColchester and Wivenhoe, Sir Raz brings us his newmonthly wine column, while Ruth Jordan talks about thehelp and support available for mental illness from Health inMind, something that will affect one in four of us during ourlives. And we welcome for the first time the MercuryTheatre’s new 101 column.

You will also find all our usual features this month,including Hazel Humphreys’ View from the Funny Farm,television’s Sven Wombwell’s tips on how to make themost of your garden, and Bid TV and Price Drop TV’sPeter Sherlock talking about Autumn scents.

I hope you enjoy this month’s Colchester 101 as much aswe have enjoyed putting it together for you.

Simon CrowEditor

I

Angry Vs the Bear - Page 14

:: Stop Press ::Join Colchester 101 at the first of our

events on Satrurday 17th Septemberwhen we take over the new Judge & Jury

music venue on St. Botolph’s Circus. The full line up on the night will be Buddy Lee Dickens, The 633 and

Surfquake, with 101’s very own DJ Gilly spinning the decks.

Colchester101

Presents

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The Jason Cobb 101 Blog

Almost that time of year again - almost time to welcome theundergraduate intake of Essex University into our town. Thebookshops and bars of Colchester must be rubbing their hands -and so should the rest of us.

The Wivenhoe Park campus has much to offer Colchester, andI’m not talking about just the night time economy either. The daysof Town Vs Gown have now thankfully long disappeared with agenuine Town and Gown relationship in place.

Many students come to Colchester not knowing much about theplace where we all live and work. They like what they see aroundthem and decide to stay. I know what I’m talking about here - thisis precisely what happened to me.

The three years spent working towards a degree teaches you farmore about life than any knowledge in a library could ever offer.Colchester has ample to tempt young folk coming into our town -a unique sense of local history, stunning countryside and sceneryto explore and yes, even the student ritual that is late night sessionat Liquid nightclub.

The decision to charge the maximum £9k in tuition fees by theUniversity is going to introduce a different type of undergraduateto Essex. There’s no polite way of putting this, but it’s going to bestudents with a little bit more dosh that will be arriving at NorthStation over the coming weeks.

The change in profile will also include an increase in foreignstudents, something which Colchester has traditionally been verygood at welcoming and accepting. This new money and sharing ofdifferent cultures has to be a welcome input into the town.

Essex University isn’t a bubble that simply exists betweenColchester and Wivenhoe. Those Towers are looking a little tardyright now, and keeping the students on campus leads to cabinfever. Exploring Colchester and Wivenhoe gives both Town andGown the opportunity to learn from one another.

£9k may be too steep a figure to keep some locals kids fromapplying for a formal education on campus, but the benefits thatthe University brings to our area rub off all around the town.Drink in any Wivenhoe pub during the week and chances are thatthere will be an academic propping up the bar. Give them anudge, question their wisdom and hopefully share and share alikewith what you can both learn from one another. Make sure theyshout you a round as well - £9k or no £9k tuition fees.

If the bar room bores of academia aren’t quite your thing, thenthere’s always the facilities that the University can provide for thelocal community. It is disappointing to learn that discounts aren’tavailable, but prices for the sports centre and the magnificentLakeside Theatre are certainly competitive. Failing that and youcan always blag a round of frisbee golf, something that you mostdefinitely won’t find at Oxbridge.

Meanwhile the expansion of Wivenhoe Park continues apace,with the new Knowledge Gateway rapidly appearing, reachingdown as far as the Hythe. The story of both Essex University andColchester is one of change over the past fifty years, and thislooks like continuing to take place with this new shift.

At the centre of the new project is a prestige centre forInternational Conflict Resolution. Here’s hoping that the futureworld leaders can put into place the theory that they learn duringtheir time spent working and playing in our fine town.

Jason Cobbonionbagblog.com

Town and Gown

C O M M U N I T Y

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ince its inception in 1978 the JubileeSailing Trust has strived to enablepeople of all physical abilities to sail.

S

16 AA Bdewere given theopportunity totake six of ourinjured soldiersfor a day’ssailing onTenacious, oneof two shipsowned by the

Jubilee Sailing Trust, Pte Meenagh 2 Para,WO2 Hagans 1 R Irish, Pte Kirk 5 Scots, PteLaws 5 Scots, Sgt Caldwell 3 Para and CplPritchard 5 Scots accompanied by CaptainTom Watson 49 Bde PRU and Carol BrowneWounded, Injured, Sick Co-ord 16 AA Bde HQ.

The day began at 0830hrs fromSouthampton with bacon butties and coffeeon board followed by the safety brief,including how to use the lifts which are onboard to get those in wheelchairs, belowdeck. Then it was down to some serioussailing. The course set for the day took usfrom Southampton past the Isle of Wight andthen back to Southampton. This involvedsailing along side the hundred’s of yachtswhich are taking part in Cowes week. Anamazing sight to see and also for those on

the yachts to have a tall ship in their midst. The soldiers were given the opportunity to

steer the ship, pull plenty of ropes and climbthe masts. A task that, for most of us thatwas slightly challenging, but for PteMeenagh this was a huge feat. Pte Meenagh,a double amputee, suffered severe injurieswhen he stepped on an improvised explosivedevice in Afghanistan and has beendetermined to take advantage of theinitiatives on offer to injured personnel. Hissheer determination, stamina and as he says‘stubbie power’ saw him climb the mast,which was a proud moment for all.

Sgt Caldwell, who also suffered severeinjuries in Afghanistan, took charge of thehelm supervised by the ship’s Captain MrsBarbara Campbell. He managed tomanoeuvre his way through the numerousyachts and not even so much as near miss.Sgt Caldwell thoroughly enjoyed his day and is now extremely keen to sail again on the Tenacious.

The whole day from start to finish was sorewarding for the guys, not only for theirrehabilitation but for morale, team building,

learning new skills and also testing theirmotor skills, strength and endurance.

The ship has many adaptations to enabledisabled soldier’s to experience sailing at it’sbest. After a day spent on board the guys arenow keen to extend their knowledge and goon a week long voyage with Tenacious and

her crew, the majority of which are made upof volunteers.

This was a huge success and one whichwill hopefully carry on as an annual event.An awful lot of work goes into organising aday such as this for which the injuredpersonnel are very grateful and I would alsolike to extend our thanks to the Business/Rotarian supporters who provided financialsupport for the day’s events.

If you would like further information or wishto support the Jubilee Sailing Trust pleasevisit their web site at www.jst.org.uk.

By Carol Browne Wounded Injured Sick Co-ord 16 AA Bde.

Sailing Day forInjured Soldiers

Sgt Paddy Caldwell 3 Para. Pte Scott Meenagh 2 Para. WO2 Hagans 1 Royal Irish.

Captain Tom Watson and Carol Browne.

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One of the ways we stay connected and centred in our all-pervading goodnessis meditation. Meditation is now a common tool that people use to de-stress,improve their health and concentrate better. Artists, writers and designers use itto increase their levels of creativity. Athletes use it to enhance theirperformance, as a calm, focused mind has a direct strengthening effect on thebody. Business people use it to relax their busy minds and tense bodies. Thebenefits that meditation brings are countless.

There is also a higher purpose to regular meditation practice, and thepayback for this is considerable. This will make sense when we open our mindto the invisible realms. First, there is a higher as well as a lower nature in us.The lower nature is our superficial self and is preoccupied with worldlymatters and survival issues. It has short-term interests. Fear is its trademark.Our higher nature, however, works with a different paradigm. It is our Love-self and is aware of the bigger picture. It has implicit trust in goodness, andimmovable faith in the divine. Love is its motivator. Meditation or stillness

permits us to access this higher nature, our wisdom. Meditation allows us to go beyond the static noise of worldly confusion to

the inner silence where answers lay waiting. The practice of sitting in stillnessprovides a chance for the mud of fear to settle and for clarity to reveal itself inthe face of whatever uncertainty we have. Through training, the mind iseventually silenced enough to enter into the all-knowing stillness. For thosewho have their faith in God, ‘Be still and know I am God’ become words ofgreat significance. It is said that when we pray, we talk to God, but when wemeditate, our mind is stilled and God speaks to us. This inner voice becomesthe direct guide to each and every move we make, and we will never be faraway from deep peace,happiness and fulfilment of the soul. Taking the time tomeditate is like putting your plug into the heavenly socket, which leaves usspiritually energised and strengthened. Reality for us will be effortless andsweet when we are not running around like a worn-out battery.

Stillness in meditation is the key that unlocks this inner treasure house.Vibrant health, abundance, sublime peace, loving relationships, beauty, grace,miracles, joy, wisdom and freedom are neatly stacked on these golden shelves,waiting patiently to be claimed. Everything is generously available when weunlock this inner door. The door to this inner vault can only be opened by thestillness of our being. In silence, we will discover that we are an energy fieldof pure potentiality. Contained within us is a matrix of infinite possibilities. Wecan be as successful, as joyous and as abundant as we desire. All we need todo is: 1) Believe it is possible 2) Focus our intent and attention on it. We useour thoughts to manifest what we want from this field of pure potentiality. Thisis how the realm of the Unmanifest becomes manifest into our reality. We areindeed architects of our own destiny.

One of the rare occasions where Ocean WhiteHawk will be teachingworkshops at the Girls Weekend Show 24th & 25th Sept at The Charter Hallat Leisure World in Colchester on ‘How to Hit Your Money Spot’ & ‘Gettingthe Best out of Your Relationship’. Join her there to learn some great tips!

Ocean WhiteHawk is author of ‘JuicyWoman - A Spiritual Guide to YourFeminine Radiance’. She mentors on health, personal & spiritual developmentand affairs of the heart. www.oceanwhitehawk.com

Dog About Town

For the first time since her playful nips of puppyhood,Berta bit me the other day. But before you scream‘Destruction Order’, let me explain...Most dog lovers will have noticed that TV advertisement - the one for a well-known brand of teeth cleansing chew sticks that amusingly recommends ‘doggydentures’ and superimposes large, human teeth onto various dogs. There’s somedebate around whether those sticks actually make a difference to a dog’s teeth,but effectiveness aside, Berta loves them and would happily gnaw through asmany as I cared to give her.

A dog’s dental health is very important. I’d read that their teeth and gums areas vulnerable to disease as our own, and dental problems are the most commonlydiagnosed health condition in all dogs over the age of three. I’ve spent manyunhappy hours in the dentist’s chair. In fact, I’m not sure I have one sound tooth inmy head. I didn’t want to inflict anything similar on my little dog so I checked onher teeth and, sure enough, there was a little plaque and staining.

So I invested in some doggie toothpaste and a toothbrush – the kind that youattach to your finger like a miniature scrubbing brush and get your hand rightinto their mouths. Hence the bite.

I’m pretty sure it wasn’t an intentional bite. No, really. It was just a naturalreaction - a clamping of the jaws to avoid that brush. That’s my story and I’msticking to it.

Potential savagery aside, looking after your dog’s teeth is pretty easy - just thesame as looking after your own. But with less brushing. Plaque can accumulatein just the same way and with the same consequences. Typically in dogs, plaquewill collect on the outside of the teeth especially the upper molars - the teethright at the back. If plaque is not removed it hardens to form tartar or calculus.This tartar can then irritate the gums causing gingivitis, noticeable as a reddening ofthe gums close to the tooth. It’s also a major cause of bad doggie breath.

So keep an eye on those teeth if your dog is over three years old. Examineyour dog’s mouth regularly for signs of oral disease. Bad breath is the mostobvious indicator, but look out for reddened, bleeding or swollen gums, crustedyellow-brown tartar build-up on the teeth and drooling. And get your dog usedto a tooth brushing 3 or 4 times a week. A thick, coarse cloth wrapped aroundyour finger will do. Concentrate on the outside of the teeth where plaque ismost likely to build up - and don’t forget to praise your dog and give him or hera treat as you finish each session. They’ll soon get used to it.

It’s also worth mentioning that vigorous chewing on very hard objects oraccidental injury during games can fracture your dog’s teeth. Check for brokenor worn teeth when you examine your dog’s mouth and encourage chewing ondog chews / toys rather than stones / sticks.

And if you’re at all worried about a bite that’s worse than a wriggling, grumpyMiniature Schnauzer can inflict, just get your dog down to the vet for a dentalcheck up instead.

Meditation - Harnessing the Juicy Power of Your Mind

The Juicy ColumnBy Ocean WhiteHawk

Life With Miss Berta

Name:Email:Contact number:

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We have the perfect piece for any occasion.Sept 1 - 17: New season promo, 20% off

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Please return to the Ciro counter at Williams & Griffin, or post to Ciro, c/o Williams & Grffin, 152 High Street, Colchester CO1 1PN.If you do not wish to be contacted with offers from W&G or Ciro in the future, please tick here

Win this beautiful imitation pearl necklace

By Andrew Dell

05

H E A LT H & W E L L B E I N GC

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H E A LT H & W E L L B E I N G

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FA S H I O N

Doing battle with the town’s chain stores Koko hasrecently opened on the corner of Lion Walk by localbusinessman Tony Taylor and his partner Karla Edmunds,bringing Colchester’s fashion loving men and women the very best in designer labels, at prices you simplywon’t believe.

Koko specialises in selling vintage second hand clothes,stocking everything from Jimmy Choo, ChristianLouboutin, Vivian Westwood, Ralph Lauren, vintagedresses and bags and much, much more besides.

Tony, who also runs Taylor’s Pie and Mash shop justround the corner, told us “It’s just what the town has beencrying out for. We know that many women dream ofowning a pair of Jimmy Choo, or a pair of ChristianLouboutin shoes but never thought they could afford it.Well now they can, and what could be better in arecession than browsing round a vintage boutique full ofaffordable designer clothes. With Koko we have createdan Aladin’s Cave of ‘must have’ designer brands.”

Tony’s words certainly ring true whenever 101 hasvisited the shop. Whether it be a wet Monday morning intown, or slow Tuesday afternoon, Koko has been busy.Very busy. Karla continues “The interest we have had hasbeen amazing. Our stock goes out the door as fast as wecan get it in... no sooner do we put something on displayand it is gone again. Quite literally, if you blink you miss it!”

They don’t just sell the items on display in the shop, ifthere is something that you particularly want Tony and histeam will do their very best to find it for you.

Even X Factor winner Matt Cardle visited the shop on arecent trip to Colchester. “He was walking past and camein for a chat. He seemed very impressed with what we aredoing and promised to return.”

Karla and Tony are delighted with the way Koko hasbeen received in the month since they opened their doors“Taylor’s Pie and Mash has been a huge success and madean impact on the town by bringing it something that it hadnever seen before. Koko follows in those same footsteps”Tony tells us, before Karla adds “With all the talk of adouble-dip recession, and all the other doom and gloom,we are proud to be bucking the trend and giving ourcustomers something very special for their hard earnedmoney.”

A D V E R T O R I A L

To enter, go to the Koko Vintage Boutique Colchester Facebookpage and send us a message with your details. You will then beentered into the Prize Draw, which will take place on Friday14th October. Winners will be notified via Facebook.

WIN a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes worth over £2,000.

There’s a whole newclothes revolutiongoing on in ColchesterHigh StreetBy Carrie Bradshaw

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THE

SCENTTRAIN

Peter Sherlock’s Scent Train

Bid TV and Price-Drop TV’s resident expert gives his regularlowdown on scents for both men and women, old and new, goodand bad. This month, Peter welcomes the change of seasons withsome scent selections for Autumn.

You can find plenty of fragrance bargains and loads more besides at Bid TV and Price-Drop TV.

Peter is Managing Director of The Scent Train, aunique organisation that provides fragrance salesvideos for online retailers and creates bespoke staff training courses.

www.TheScentTrain.com

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FA S H I O NC

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Not much of a summer, eh? Even as I write inlate August, there’s a steady and rather heavyrain pounding on the windows, the terrier’s stilldamp from his walk and the light, citrussycologne that I spritzed with abandon thismorning feels wholly out of place.

However, I must confess that Autumn, aslong as it’s not excessively wet or inclement, ismy favourite season. We’re heading into thedays of layering and accessorizing - big, cosycoats with bright scarves and hats on a jauntyangle. And the time of year when my favouritekinds of fragrances really come into their own.As John Keats reminds us, Autumn is theseason of “mists and mellow fruitfulness”. It’salso the time for rich, bright, confident perfume.

Categorising fragrances for seasonal weargoes beyond the feelings they can evoke.Clearly, light and transparent scents, laced withzingy citrus fruits or delicate florals, feel betterin the hotter months when they cool andrefresh and don’t overpower our senses. But itcomes down to basic chemistry as well. Heatencourages scents to evaporate faster. A rich,deep, or heavily spicy fragrance provides toomuch sillage on a hot day but can warm andenvelope us in cooler weather.

There’s a classic women’s perfume from1971 that immediately makes me think ofAutumn and all its joys. To some, Aromatics

Elixir by Clinique may feel a little dated but Ihave a number of female friends who remainresolutely loyal to its unique charms and I’durge you to consider it with an open mind.There are rich, autumnal herbs and oakmossalongside deep, fleshy florals. It feels sexy andanimalic but in a feminine, wholly unthreateningway. It’s incredibly complex and classy.

Ricci Ricci by Nina Ricci was launched justa couple of years ago and remains a firmautumnal favourite for me. It has a beautifulbalance of heady sandalwood, dense tuberoseand sharp, tart rhubarb notes. It’s a fashionable,fruity-floral of the highest quality.

Lolita Lempicka’s eponymous perfume waslaunched in 1997 in those schizophrenicscented days when light, clear aquaticperfumes went head to head with all the deep,creamy, gourmand fragrances that appearedafter the huge success of Thierry Mügler’sAngel. And strangely, it manages to straddleboth camps. There’s a warming woodiness withdense vanilla and liquorice set against abeautiful, crisp, clear note of violet. The littleapple-shaped bottle with its ‘stalk’ sprayer isreally cute and this is a fragrance that worksreally well on men too.

Where do you stand on celebrity perfumes?If you’re the kind of person who dismissesthem out of hand, I’d recommend a little more

tolerance. Of course, there are some shockinglycynical, cheap and nasty creations out there,marketed under the ‘brand’ of those tiresomegossip column regulars, but give some of thema chance and you may be pleasantly surprised.Reece Witherspoon’s In Bloom from Avon isa case in point - and a great scent for Autumn.The heart of creamy flowers rests on abeautiful, woody base with a voluptuousabundance of juicy peaches at the top. Verynice indeed.

And for the fellas? If last year’s big releasefrom Marc Jacobs, the hot and peppery Bangwasn’t to your tastes, check out the newflanker, Bang Bang. In a smart, blue version ofthe original crushed silver flacon, this reworkingretains all the warmth and distinctiveness of itspredecessor but brightens it up with somecologne-like citrus notes and smoothes out the drydown with some soft musks. I prefer it to the original.

But my personal Autumn selection has to bethe hilariously bold and sexy Quorum by Puig(pronounced “pooch”). You can find it at onlinediscount stores for a ridiculously low price,especially when a little goes such a long way. Itcombines woods, moss and spices with deep,fresh tobacco and big, butch leather notes.Take it from me – this is one that’ll warm yourcockles on those cold, dark nights.

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Fashion Tips& TrendsBy Fashion Editor, Angela Mitchell, Alter Ego Hair Design

FA S H I O N

AutumnSeason

Delve into the

AutumnSeason

Delve into the

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FA S H I O NWith this being the final season of the first year of this new decade, andalso the season that will go a long way towards defining 2012’s fashiontrends autumn/winter 2011 is a crucial period for building your wardrobeand evolving your own personal style.

When we look at what is in fashion this season for menand women there are still strong influences from 70sfashions, including the likes of flares and wide-legtrousers. Also what we see as carry-over fromspring/summer to autumn/winter is the biker chic or bikerdude and punk chic. So if you love those skinny jeansthen you’re still in luck. Now, if you’re feeling a good oldchange in fashion this season, than this is just for you.Go back in time this autumn/winter. Leave fashion’ssummer obsession with the 70s and look to the 60s styleicons Mary Quant, Twiggy and Julie Christie to inspireyour new season’s look. Look for fabrics that holdstructure, like felt and wool, this will bridge the gapbetween ladylike and MOD perfectly. Look for coatswith sloping shoulders and bracelet sleeves to wear withpolo neck tops, miniskirts, knee-high boots or a pairof dainty heels. To add to these great looks forautumn/winter we are seeing lots of leather, from trousersto dresses, and fur accessories and jackets. The jackets arebeautiful and fluffy to keep you nice and cozy through thecold season.

Another great look continuing from spring/summer toautumn/winter 2011 is the Palazzo trousers (the extreme inwearing flares). Absolutely gorgeous if worn in the rightway, especially if you do not have stilts for legs. Embracethe flowing fabric and team it up with a neutral top and anude belt to clinch in your waist, creating fabulous curves.But don’t forget that fantastic pair of wedges or platformsto get that added height. Add a large rimmed hat and youwill love this tall elegant look for autumn.

As for colours in fashion for autumn/winter the topstatement hues are burnt colours or shades. Between nowand then just about every label and retailer out there willoffer something in a burnt shade of colour that sitssomewhere between red and yellow. That means thisburnt colour trend is inclusive of orange, a burnt hue.Now this is a great colour for all of those out there withwarm skin tones but for our cooler skin toned fashionconscious people out there, don’t worry, all of the boldcolours are in this season including fabulous shades ofpurple, blues and greens. The burnt orange shades are whatwe are adding in as “new” to this autumn/winter 2011 looks.

Now, when we look at hair and beauty at Haute CoutureFashion Week they command outstanding looks and when

it came to the autumn/winter 2011-12 catwalk shows, themaestros of hair and make-up world certainly fulfilled thattall order. They made statements with hair embellishments,from glittering jewels at Valentino to wild feathers atAlexis Mabille. These looks were used to full effect at themajority of the couture shows, making it the biggest trendat fashion week. In some of our earlier issues of 101 wetalked more about keeping it simple and making thingsless embellished, but when we are looking atautumn/winter hair and beauty couture, we definitely seethings being much more embellished, but with a whole lotmore grace. Beehives were tall and proud at Jean PaulGaultier while others were wearing a side parting thatswept across the forehead keeping things clean and neat.Try a headband for a more preppy appeal with made-upeyes that flick at the sides definitely bringing some va-va-voom to the look.

Beneath the dynamic headwear make-up looks were just as prominent. Metallic touches added an otherworldlyfeel to pretty pink cheeks and bold colours were everywhere.

I know it is just coming to the tail end of summer but Imust say I am very excited about this new fashion seasonthat we are heading into. Bring on the comfy jumpers andknee high boots.

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Companies are being given the chanceto promote themselves to thousands ofwomen at a two-day festival forfemales in Colchester this September.

Girls Weekend, taking place atCharter Hall on September 24 and 25,will feature stands and exhibitions froma variety of different female-focusedindustries including fashion, beauty,food and wellbeing.

Organiser Chris Cozens explainedthat the event, which includes anappearance from The Only Way IsEssex’s Mark Wright, will be a greatplatform for businesses to marketthemselves.

“We’re expecting thousands ofwomen to come through the doors overthe course of the weekend,” said Chris,a complementary health tutor andtherapist. “So it’s perfect for businessesto sell themselves and get the word outthere to their target audience.”

Chris said he is particularly lookingfor cosmetics companies, alternativetherapists and food and drink retailersto take low-cost stands or providedemonstrations at the event.

Among those already signed up isMark Baumann of Baumanns Brasseriein Coggeshall who will be offering tipsand ideas for visitors, while new girlband FE-NIX will perform their brand

of urban inner city dance musicThere will also be style and beauty

demonstrations and free dance workouts,while close-up magician Equador theWizard will perform an array of magicalillusions. Leading local hotel Five Lakesare also taking a stand, ahead of a secondGirls Weekend there next year (May 19and 20).

Tickets are selling fast for the event,priced at £10 on the door or £8 inadvance, available viawww.girlsweekend.me.uk or from the Charter Hall box office on 01206 282020.

Chris said: “We’ll also have a stand at the Colchester Free Festival in CastlePark on August 27, where peoplebuying tickets will get them at areduced rate.”

He added: “Girls Weekend is set tobe a great two-day event - leave thekids with the other half, bring yourmum and your friends and enjoyyourself!”

Girls Weekend is being held onSaturday, September 24 between 10amand 5pm and on Sunday, September 25from 10am until 4pm.

For further information or for thosewishing to exhibit, please visitwww.girlsweekend.me.uk.

Businesses to set out theirstalls at Girls Weekend

10

FA S H I O N

101issue11v6SL_Layout 1 30/08/2011 14:01

“Men’s and Women’s”...Used and Vintage designer clothes.

Designer and Vintage bagsand much more...

We buy your unwanted clothes...

KOKO Vintage Boutique44 High Street, Colchester. 01206 572448

101issue11v6SL_Layout 1 30/08/2011 14:02

Saturday 27th August was the date, the town’sCastle Park was the venue, and for the second yearrunning over 15,000 people passed through the parkgates to enjoy the Colchester Free Festival. This nowannual event not only featured the best of the localmusical talent on three stages, including AdyJohnson, Cav OK, Anna Pancaldi, Lady Bird and theLarks, as well as headliners Modern English, there

were DJ sets in the Bandstand, art installationsaround the park, and Kidstival, a whole festivalexperience created especially for children wherethey enjoyed face painting, storytelling and much,much more…

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Wivenhoe Cricket Club is not used tobands from the 1980s NWOBHM(New Wave Of British Heavy Metal)playing on its pitch, so to find thatPraying Mantis had been booked toplay there on the Wivenhoe Regattaweekend was a rare treat indeed.So along I went on a beautifulsummer’s afternoon to be taken on atrip back to the music of my youth.There have been various line upchanges in Praying Mantis over theyears but the band’s foundingmembers, brother Chris (Bass &Vocals) and Tino Troy (Guitars andVocals) were very much in evidence,along with Andy Burgess (Guitars)Benjy Reid (Drums)and Mike Freeland(Vocals).

The ‘family afternoonout’ crowd were treatedto some great guitarriffs, bass solos, andfantastic vocals as theband played two setsconsisting of their ownmaterial, some of theirwell loved classics as

well as songs from their new albumSanctuary, along with some classicheavy metal covers - ok so I know 101likes to champion originality but afterover 30 years in the business I thinkthese guys have paid their dues bynow and earned the right to drop acover or two on an appreciativeaudience. And appreciative they mostcertainly were as the friendlyWivenhoe crowd rocked the afternoonaway.

My only gripe? The sound systemreally wasn’t loud enough to get thefull heavy metal effect.

Catherine Hart

Live Review:

Praying Mantis

Colchester Free Festival

@ Wivenhoe Cricket Club

By Simon Crow

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When you think of the world’s mostfamous jazz stages, The RoyalFestival Hall, The Barbican orMontreux Jazz Festival might springto mind. Wivenhoe is a little waybehind the billing. The connectionbetween the prestige concert halls andthe sleepy estuary town is local ladChris Allard. Having played aroundthe world with his unique style of jazzguitar, Chris is set to return to hishometown on October 8th to play ashow at St Mary’s Church.

“I’m fond of Wivenhoe and I havejust moved back here,” Chris told 101.“I’ve played with my band at theColchester Arts Centre before and atthe Lakeside Theatre at the University.One of the aims I set myself whenmoving back to Wivenhoe was tobring a leading international jazz bandto the local church.”

Wivenhoe may have a bohemianoutlook, but the line up of JacquiDankworth (Daughter of Sir JohnDankworth and Dame Cleo Lai ne) andCharlie Wood to accompany Chris atthe church is something that is alreadystarting to get people talking around

the town.Jacqui has been described by The

Times as “one of our finest Singersregardless of category.” Charlie Woodwas nominated by Downbeat in theUSA for Best Blues Album 2010 and isa former keyboardist for Albert King.

Such leading lights on theinternational jazz circuit have becomecontemporaries of Chris after his ownjourney from the backstreet pubs ofColchester and Clacton, via Londonand then recognition as one of thefinest guitarists currently on thecircuit.

After attending school inBrightlingsea, Chris’ talent led him tofurther study in London where he soonstarted to pick up awards andsponsorship for his unique musicalstyle. Connections were made, concertbookings soon followed.

Having played all around the worldin places such as New York and theHollywood Bowl, how did Chrismanage to convince Jacqui Dankworth- the rising star of modern jazz - toplay a concert in a church in littleWivenhoe?

“We did a gig at Snape Maltings andit made sense for the band to comeand stay over. They were veryimpressed at how lovely Wivenhoewas. We’ve been friends for ages and Ijust suggested that we organise a gig.”

The logistics of the show aresurprisingly straightforward. The altarwill become the stage for the evening,the audience will sit in the pews andthe splendour of the 14th Centurybuilding should provide the perfectacoustics.

The move back to the Colchesterarea is a return for Chris to placewhere he feels most comfortable, andcan still continue to learn his trade andprogress with his music:

“It’s possible to be a professional

musician based around Colchester andto make a living. It’s a wonderfulcreative base in which to have. I alsoteach guitar at the ColchesterInstitute.”

And what of Chris’s memories oflearning his trade around thebackstreet boozers of Colchester?“...they served me well!”

The Chris Allard Band, featuringJacqui Dankworth and Charlie Wood,will be playing at St Mary’s inWivenhoe on 8th October. Tickets areon sale now from WivenhoeBookshop, priced at £10. You canreserve them on 01296 824050.

Chris also has a show coming up atthe Colchester Arts Centre on 13thNovember.

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Born in 2010 and hailing from Liverpool,Colchester, Chelmsford and Reading, Hero& Leander share their origins with theBeatles, Blur, and, more significantly,Little Chef. Gary Cansell (vocals, guitar),Marc Sephton (guitar), James Halls (bass)and Scot Lewis (drums) knew each otherfrom previous band “Neatpeople” signed byBlur’s manager Andy Ross. Keeping itlocal, Kissy Sell Out did a remix of one of the singles, “Baby Im Bored”.The band then wanted to change the style and move onto a new project. Theymet Andy Jones (piano, vocals) and Emily Sills (vocals) online. When Emilyfirst met Gary and Andy, she thought they might be internet killers orsomething, and she made sure her friends knew where she was. Happily, itturned out well. They sang songs, ate crisps, and told the rest of the band that“it sounds quite good, actually”.

So far Hero & Leander have just finished writing and recording the debutEP which was released 29th August with plenty of London Shows bookedand a slot booked on Harvest at Jimmys festival with the likes of the Kooksand Eliza Doolittle! H&L have got backing from Bloody Awful Poetry PR inLondon who have already got amazing reviews and response from the EP,from lots of blog pages, magazines and regular plays on XFM... this is just the start...

‘Collider’ doesn’t flirt with slow build ups or tricksy time changes, it just fires up and flies along in a blur of super-catchy melodic pop, with the interplay of Emily Sills’ and Gary Cansell’s voices standing out. Alongwith a Blur influence, there’s a touch of Fleetwood Mac and Arcade Fire in the mix but, rather than listen for influences, you just get swept away on the perfect pop melodies. The three other EP tracks show that they havemore than a solitary idea; the speeding rhythms of ‘One Mississippi Two’remind a little of Architecture in Helsinki while ‘Kettle’ has a harder, angrieredge in its opposition to the Met’s response to the recent student protests.Maybe it’s not as legendary as their namesakes but this is still infectious and alluring pop music.

Review:

HERO and LEANDERCollider EP

Preview:

Chris AllardBy Jason Cobb

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14

L I S T I N G S

This Month’s Essential Events GuideSponsored by Cool Publicity www.coolpublicity.co.uk

Thursday 1st SeptemberColchester United Football Club, WestonHomes Community StadiumThe Comedy Club with 3 of the bestcomedians as seen on TV.

Mercury Theatre, Balkerne Gate Rhinestone Mondays. Join the maverickmembers of the Warbleswick ‘Monday NightAll Star Line Dancing Club’ as they fight andfeud. There is a traitor in the ranks andmutiny on the horizon… (Theatre)

Molloy’s, 66 North Hill4 Play Karaoke

Slack Space, 19-29 Queen StreetWA Fesitval. Consisting of a world premiereof images by Japanese photographerRyuichiro Baba, showing ordinary peoplewithin the devastation of the earthquake,along with Japanese educational materials andartefacts on show, including beautifulJapanese lanterns and banners, Tanabata and aJapanese garden. Plus, Origami ClubPlus, Introduction to Haiku workshopPlus, Japanese stab bookbinding workshop.

The Bull, 2-4 Crouch StreetThe Fabs. (Live Music)

The Judge & Jury, 4 Magdalen StreetLive Music

Tin Pan Alley, 7 Queen StreetLive Music

Friday 2nd SeptemberColchester Arts Centre, Church StreetColchester Farmers Market Plus, The Laughter Zone: Dave Twentyman,Sarah Pascoe and Lee Camp. (Comedy)

Mercury TheatreRhinestone Mondays. (Theatre)

Molloy’sAngel Fire. (Live Music)

Slack SpaceWA Fesitval. Plus, Introduction to Haikuworkshop

Stoke By Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa,Keeper’s Lane, LeavenheathFleece Jazz: John Etheridge & John Horler.(Live Music)

The BullLaura and Nick, and Matt White and TheEmulsions are in the Main BarThe Lowriders are in The Soundhouse. (LiveMusic)

The Gallery, 20 Church WalkInk. Artists featured include Tom Berry, OllieJohns, Snublic, Nem Sarton, Emily Turnbull,and members of the Essex Print Club.(Exhibition)

The Judge & JuryCakehole Mafia. (Live Music)

Tin Pan AlleyPistols & Vultures, Paper Cages, Yan Baker,Jack Howe (Live Music)

Victoria Inn, 10 North Station RoadThe Struck Bats. (Live Music)

Saturday 3rd SeptemberCastle Park, High StreetThe Colchester Free Oyster Festival. Stallswith oysters, seafood and hot food. Musicwith Garrison FM and the Colchester Pipesand Drums Band.

Mercury TheatreRhinestone Mondays. (Theatre)

Molloy’sLive Music

Slack SpaceMatsuri - Japanese Festival Day. A specialone day Japanese festival led by the Japanesecommunity in Colchester.Plus, WA Fesitval.

The Bull Graffiti are in the Main Bar. Bob Collum is inThe Soundhouse. (Live Music)

The Fat Cat, 65 Butt RoadLive Music

The Gallery, 20 Church WalkInk. (Exhibition)

The Minories, High StreetThe Twilight Festival: Wide Eyed Order,Killamonjambo, Lady Bird and The Larks,Frankie, Dionysus (DJ Set). (Live Music)

The Judge & JuryThe 60 Beats. (Live Music)

Tin Pan AlleyLazy Habit. (Live Music)

Sunday 4th SeptemberStanway Rovers FC, New Farm RoadColchester Jazz Club: Barry Palser’s SavoyJazz Band. (Live Music)

The Headgate TheatrePlay Day with Gari Jones. An exciting one-day workshop that uses devising techniques tocreate stories, relationships, characters andstyle.

The Judge & JuryOpen Mic Night with guest musicians

Tin Pan AlleyJam Night (7pm). (Live Music)

Victoria Inn, 10 North Station RoadJamie Williams and The Roots Collective(5pm). (Live Music)

Monday 5th SeptemberMercury TheatreRhinestone Mondays. (Theatre)

Molloy’sRadio Play (Acoustic). (Live Music)

The BullJam Night. (Live Music)

Black Buoy, WivenhoeOpen Mic Night with Gary Osborneshowcase. (Live Music)

Tuesday 6th SeptemberMercury TheatreRhinestone Mondays. (Theatre)

Molloy’sRichard Dobney Blues Band. (Live Music)

Slack SpaceWA Fesitval. Myths and Beasts, a talk on theYokai monsters in Japanese Culture.

The BullAcoustic Bull. Jack Howe, Sleeper Cell, ColdNorton. (Live Music)

Wednesday 7th SeptemberMercury TheatreRhinestone Mondays. (Theatre)

Molloy’sIce Breaker Promotions presents… (LiveMusic)

Slack Space WA Fesitval. Japanese Film Showing: AkiraKurosawa Seven Samurai (1954). Plus, SlackStitch. Weekly Knitting & Crochet Circle

The BullOpen Mic Night hosted by Theo Pearce.

(Live Music)

Thursday 8th SeptemberMercury TheatreYoung Pretender. At 25 years old the brilliantbut reckless Bonnie Prince Charlie rebelled ina blaze of glory. By the time he was 26 hisdreams lay in ruins and he was fleeing for hislife. Amidst the chaos of war and in the faceof defeat, the Young Pretender is forced toconfront the moment when idealism dies andrealism sets in. (Theatre) Plus, RhinestoneMondays. (Theatre)

Molloy’s 4 Play Karaoke

Slack SpaceWA Fesitval. Japanese Film Showing:Yasujiro Ozu Tokyo Story (1953)

The Bull (Main Bar) Krussh are in the Main Bar. Jazz Project is inThe Soundhouse. (Live Music)

The GalleryInk. (Exhibition)

The Judge & JuryLive Music

Tin Pan AlleyVietnam Invades: IntoTheNorthSea, Mil &Dan. (Live Music)

Friday 9th SeptemberColchester Arts CentreThe Beat of Burlesque. (Burlesque)

Colchester United Football Club Maybe Gaga (Lady Gaga tribute).

Mercury TheatreYoung Pretender. Plus, Rhinestone Mondays.(Theatre)

Molloy’sBatman’s Cat. (Live Music)

Slack SpacePianofriday (11am-6pm). Plus, WA Fesitval.Plus, Art Not Apathy: Gulls, Jorneta Stream,Manic Minor, Origami Noise, Meet Me AtThe Border, Videotapes. (Live Music)

Stoke By Nayland Golf ClubFleece Jazz: Dave Lewis Quartet. (LiveMusic)

The BullTom Sanderson, and The Reason are in theMain Bar. The 633 presents The Raging Bullis in The Soundhouse. (Live Music)


The Judge & JuryThe CCJs. (Live Music)

Tin Pan AlleyNational Snack. (Live Music)

Victoria InnJam Night. (Live Music)

Saturday 10th SeptemberArena Leisure Centre, Circular RoadEastJump Back Boogie with The Westernaires.(Live Music)

Charter Hall, Cowdray AvenueHealth & Healing Festival. This New two-dayMind Body Spirit Festival has over 90exhibition stands as well as inspiring talks,workshops and demonstrations, live musicand dancing.

Colchester United Football ClubThe U’s host Leyton Orient. (Football)

Mercury TheatreYoung PretenderPlus, Rhinestone Mondays. (Theatre)

Molloy’sTime Out. (Live Music)

Slack SpaceWA Fesitval.Slack Folk. This month featuring traditionalJapanese folk music from Shamisen playerHibiki Ichikawa and singer Alika Mochida.Plus, DAL08: Fuzzy Lights, DoomsdayApocalypse Special, Bangstick, LostHarbours. (Live Music)

The BullNext Of Kin are in the Main BarKeep Colchester Cool featuring Snippet is inThe Soundhouse. (Live Music)

The Fat CatLive Music


The Judge & JuryMajestic. (Live Music)

Tin Pan AlleyJukebox Jonah and the Random Rummies.(Live Music)

Sunday 11th SeptemberCharter HallHealth & Healing Festival

Stanway Rovers FCColchester Jazz Club: Dennis Armstrong’sGreat Northern Jazz Band. (Live Music)



Victoria InnNavacross (5pm). (Live Music)

Monday 12th SeptemberColchester Arts CentreColchester Folk Club: Martin Carthy &Swarbrick. (Live Music)

Mercury TheatreDeath by Fatal Murder. (Drama)

Molloy’sAcoustic Night. (Live Music)


Tuesday 13th SeptemberMercury TheatreDeath by Fatal Murder. Inspector Pratt’srecord of crime detection at Bagshot House isnot enviable. In his previous visit, the bodycount mounted disastrously as he looked on,helpless and hopeless! Now he is back and, asusual, chaos reigns supreme. (Drama)

Molloy’sNext Of Kin. (Live Music)

The BullThe Acoustic Sessions. (Live Music)

Wednesday 14th SeptemberMercury TheatreDeath by Fatal Murder. (Drama)

Molloy’sIce Breaker Promotions presents… (LiveMusic)

Slack SpaceExposure 37. ‘Exposure 37’ invitesphotographic work (photographs, photo-ledinstallations, art videos) which explorealternative elements of photography as atheme through metaphor. Plus, Slack Stitch.Weekly Knitting & Crochet Circle

The BullOpen Mic Night hosted by Theo Pearce withshowcase. (Live Music)

Thursday 15th SeptemberMercury TheatreDeath by Fatal Murder. (Drama)

Molloy’s4 Play Karaoke

Slack SpaceSouterrain. Singing workshop for everyonePlus, Exposure 37.

The BullMaxwell, Hammer & Smith are in the MainBar. Paper Cages are in The Soundhouse(Live Music)



Tin Pan AlleyLive Music

Friday 16th SeptemberColchester Arts CentreEmmy The Great. (Live Music)

Headgate TheatreRemember When… Mr Rock’n’ Roll (Elvisand Showaddywaddy tribute). (Live Music)

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L I S T I N G SMercury TheatreDeath by Fatal Murder. (Drama)

Molloy’sAngel Fire. (Live Music)

Slack SpaceExposure 37.

Stoke By Nayland Golf ClubFleece Jazz: Nina Ferro. (Live Music)

The BullJoel Fisk, and Stone Shuffle Jones are in theMain Bar. The John Young Band are in TheSoundhouse. (Live Music)


The Judge & JuryAs Worlds Collide. (Live Music)

Tin Pan AlleyThe Red 8. (Live Music)


Saturday 17th SeptemberColchester United Football ClubSt Helena Hospice Night Vision Relay event2011. A 12 hour fun-filled team relay eventopen to people of all ages and abilities. Theaim of the relay is for participants to walk,run, jog or stroll around the course, keeping atleast one team member on the track at alltimes. Plus, Next Of Kin. (Live Music)

Colchester Arts CentreColchester Symphony Orchestra EveningConcert #1: Meet The Orchestra. (Classical)plus, The Jackie Generation. (Live Music)

Mercury TheatreDeath by Fatal Murder. (Drama)

Molloy’sCushti. (Live Music)

Slack SpaceTeenage Kicks, an afternoon of live musicfrom young people aged 16 and underPlus, Exposure 37

The BullBouncing Off Concrete are in the Main BarEssex Rocks presents Drive Through Therapy,The Manic Shine, Meet Me At The Border isin The Soundhouse. (Live Music)


The Headgate TheatreColchester Theatre Group’s Acting TheatreWorkshop 1. Exploring the connectionbetween acting and vocal skills, and howdelivery and clarity of the text are extremelyimportant. Plus, AcoustiCity: 3 Boxes (CliveGregson, Mark Griffiths & Andy Roberts),Bob Rafkin. (Live Music)

The Judge & JuryColchester 101 presents Surfquake, The 633,Buddy Lee Dickens. (Live Music)

Tin Pan AlleyWhite Bone Rattle. (Live Music)

Sunday 18th SeptemberColchester Arts CentreMartin Newell’s Golden Afternoon

Stanway Rovers FCColchester Jazz Club: Sarah Spencer & HerTransatlantic Friends. (Live Music)

The Judge & JuryOpen Mic Night with guest musiciansTin Pan AlleyJam Night (7pm)

Victoria InnThe Medlars (5pm). (Live Music)

Monday 19th SeptemberColchester Arts CentreColchester Folk Club: The Carrivick Sisters.(Live Music)



Tuesday 20th SeptemberMolloy’sBlack Cat Bone. (Live Music)

The BullJoel Fisk. (Live Music)

Wednesday 21st SeptemberMolloy’sIce Breaker Promotions presents (Live Music)

Slack Space Exposure 37. Plus, Slack Stitch

The BullOpen Mic Night hosted by Theo Pearce withShowcase. (Live Music)

Thursday 22nd SeptemberMolloy’s4 Play Karaoke

Slack SpaceSouterrain. Plus, Exposure 37.

The BullThe Reason are in The Main BarKartell are in The Soundhouse. (Live Music)



Friday 23rd SeptemberColchester Arts CentreAmor Flamenco: Sol Y Sombra. (Flamenco)

Lion Walk United Reformed Church,Lion Walk PrecinctDorothy Rowe “What do we mean byEmpathy”. The world renowned clinicalpsychologist and writer presents a lecture.

Mercury TheatreThe Winter’s Tale. Shakespeare’s tale of loveand betrayal skirts the boundaries of tragedyand comedy to deliver one of the Bard’s mostmagical, mysterious and ultimately heart-warming plays.

Molloy’sStiff In The Morning. (Live Music)

Slack SpacePianofriday (11am-6pm) Plus, Exposure 37

Stoke By Nayland Golf ClubFleece Jazz: Barb Jungr. (Live Music)

The BullBlack Cat Bone, and Circa Fall are in theMain Bar. Elephant Shelf are in TheSoundhouse. (Live Music)

The Headgate Theatre KATS ‘Is it Time Yet Dad?’ and ‘We’ll BeHome Tomorrow’ by Wayne Denfhy and‘Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations’ by A. Thejoys of taking children on holiday, childrenand Christmas, and a boy with a very vividimagination all add up to an evening of funand laughter with these three short plays,performed in different styles.

The Judge & JuryHeavy Metal Night: Skreamer, Emcoil and alocal band. (Live Music)

Tin Pan AlleyAnimal Noise, Joel Fisk. (Live Music)


Saturday 24th SeptemberCharter HallGirls Weekend. A fun packed weekend forgirls of all ages. Over 100 stands, demos andworkshops.

Colchester Arts CentreDr Palfi: Not The Flying Tortoise Show.(Kids) Plus, The Magnets. (Live Music)

Colchester United Football ClubThe U’s host Walsall. (Football)

Mercury TheatreThe Winter’s Tale.

Molloy’sVoodoo Child. (Live Music)

Slack SpaceSlack Jazz. Young people led Jazz JamPlus, Exposure 37.

The BullBeagles are in the Main Bar. Wolfpack are inThe Soundhouse. (Live Music)

The Fat CatLive Music.


The Headgate TheatreKATS.

The Judge & JuryBlack Cat Bone. (Live Music)

Tin Pan AlleyThe Great Malarkey, Dingus Khan. (LiveMusic)

Victoria InnDice People. (Live Music)

Sunday 25th SeptemberCharter HallGirls Weekend

Colchester Arts CentreDavid Christophersen: Piano Recital #1.(Classical)

firstsite, High Streetfirstsite’s opening exhibition, Camulodunumcelebrates the cultural and artistic heritage ofthe town and the region, which becameestablished as the capital of Roman Britain

Stanway Rovers FCColchester Jazz Club: East Coast Wanderers.(Live Music)



Victoria InnLizzie B Showcase (5pm). (Live Music)

Monday 26th SeptemberColchester Arts CentreColchester Folk Club: Jonny Kearney andLucy Farrell. (Live Music)

firstsiteCamulodunum. (Exhibition)

Mercury TheatreThe Winter’s Tale



Tuesday 27th SeptemberColchester Arts CentreMartin Rossiter. (Live Music)



The BullThe Bull Introducing… (Live Music)

Wivenhoe Town Cricket Club, Rectory RoadWivenhoe Funny Farm. John Mann +Support. MC Hazel Humphreys (Comedy)

Wednesday 28th SeptemberfirstsiteCamulodunum. (Exhibition)


Molloy’s Ice Breaker Promotions presents... (LiveMusic)

Slack Space Slack Stitch. Plus, Exposure 37

The BullOpen Mic Night hosted by Theo Pearce. (LiveMusic)

Thursday 29th SeptemberfirstsiteCamulodunum. (Exhibition)


Molloy’s4 Play Karaoke

Slack SpaceRecorder Orchestra

The BullCamel Foot Raiders. (Live Music)


Wivenhoe Funny FarmWivenhoe Town Cricket Club, Rectory Road

Friday 30th SeptemberColchester United Football Club He’s The One (Robbie Williams tribute).


Molloy’sBatman’s Cat. (Live Music)

Qube, 8 Crouch StreetSHAFT: Soul Classics, Jazz, Funk,Weekender Anthems, RnB - DJs Gilly, JimmiDixon, Chaz J

Slack SpacePianofriday (11am-6pm). (Live Music)

Stoke By Nayland Golf Club Fleece Jazz: Kevin Flanagan. (Live Music)

The BullLady Bird and The Larks, and Voodoo Childare in the Main Bar. Friday Night Blues Jamis in The Soundhouse. (Live Music)

The Judge & JuryShake 101. (Live Music)

Tin Pan AlleyPhillious Williams, Russell Joslin, OwenWilliams. (Live Music)


Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of theinformation contained in our events listings, we cannotaccept responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions.Events may be cancelled or postponed, and you aretherefore advised to check with the relevant venuebefore travelling.

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Church Ale Festival Saturday 17 and Sunday 18

September in St Mary’sChurch, Wivenhoe.

St Mary’s Church, parts of which are wellover 700 hundred years old, costs about£70,000 a year to keep it running. It alsohas a Fabric Fund, which aims to raise up to £100,000 for essential restoration

works to the church tower.

www.church-ale.org.

101issue11v6SL_Layout 1 30/08/2011 14:02

By Simon Crow

16

met Angry Vs theBear’s singer Mitzi Foxfor a drink and chat onthe terrace at the back

of The Bull on Crouch Street andimmediately she tells me she hasbeen fronting bands since she was 15,but it’s her fourth band, Angry Vs theBear that is the one that seems tohave the right ‘fit’ and shared passionfor success. Mitzi makes one thingvery clear, she is driven to succeed inthe music industry. Music has alwaysbeen the biggest thing in her life.“My dad is really into Rock andBlues and my mum is more into popso there was always music going on.A lot of my cousins are into musictoo but more on the classical side. SoI have a lot of good influences. I’vegot such diverse taste, at the momentmy thing is reggae, particularly roots

reggae, and 50s R&B and soul. I likeso many different bands it’s like amassive eclectic mix of differentpeople. It’s the same for the rest ofthe band. We have very eclectic taste.That’s how we get our sound.”

She started Angry Vs the Bear withschool friend Darren, and Pat whohad been in all her previous bands.“We’ve always been togethermusically.” The three of them wereall Stanway School pupils, as wereDamon Albarn and Graham Coxonfrom Blur before them “They weremy idols, my absolute idols, when Iwas at school.” Ross joined themwhen he responed to an advert theyplaced on the Internet. “It was fatewhen we met him. We just knew itwas going to work” she tells me.

This is the first band she has beenin that she feels really works well

together. “Everyone puts the bandbefore everything else. We don’t havejobs any more. We all still live athome and we’ve given up everythingto fund what we do and we do thatbecause the band is the mostimportant thing to us.”

Although for much of her life herdream had been of getting a record

deal, that focus seems to have shiftednow and the band’s focus is ‘livingthe life.’ They now realise that arecord deal does not necessarily haveto be a part of that. I’m impressed byhow they keep as much control aspossible over the band, even tellingpotential new managers that this isvery important to them. There is analbum in the pipeline, in fact theywent into the studio in Brighton atthe end of July, and plans for a tourof Europe, along with a return toAmerica after having taken theSXSW festival by storm in 2009 and 2010.

“We just applied on the website”Mitzi explains. “We knew in advancehow difficult it would be so I filled inthe form and just kind of forgot aboutit.” Weeks later she happened to beawake in the wee small hours when

I

“Ross crowd surfed out the

window and down thestreet...”

Angry Vsthe Bear

The Bear is anything you want it to be. Whatever you areangry at. To Angry Vs the Bear, one of the most excitingbands at the forefront of Colchester’s burgeoning musicscene, the Bear represents the music industry and theirdetermination to succeed, whatever obstacles they may face.But more of that later.

101issue11v6SL_Layout 1 30/08/2011 14:02

C O V E R S TA R Sthe email congratulating them on beingselected dropped into her inbox. Sheexcitedly called the rest of the band totell them “It was first thing in themorning and we were all jumpingaround and very excited!”

Having only been together for fivemonths they really hadn’t expected tobe chosen, and were even moresurprised when they turned up at thevenue they were to play at to learn thatthe huge queue was to see them. “Wethought there must be someoneamazing playing but they said “No it’sfor you.”” American music lovers hadbeen checking them out on the internetand some had even travelled 200 or300 miles to see them. The venue itselfonly had a capacity of 250 but thestreet outside had to be closed becauseit was packed with people desperate tosee them through the huge windowsbehind the stage. “We couldn’t believeit, we got mobbed! Ross crowd surfedout the window and down the street…it was absolute chaos! We lookedround and he had disappeared then sawout the window he was travellingdown the street on people’s shoulders.It was insane”

Nervous at returning the followingyear they were met with an even moreenthusiastic reception, with four oftheir five shows selling out.Americans obviously love theirdistinctive sound, but Mitzi believestheir look also plays an important role too “People seem to get it moreover there.”

Back home they are very careful notto over expose themselves to the sameaudiences, realising that if people areforce fed the same thing every weekthey will end up hating you. “We try tolimit what we do as much as possible.We have to turn down gigs here thatwe’d really like to do but we have tothink about the long-term.” Money isnot important to them and does not

drive any of the band. They are happyto survive on what their music makesthem and travel and reach new people,and cracking America is firmly ontheir horizon “We’d really like tomove over to work as we go down sowell there.” They have alreadyreceived a lot of industry attention atSXSW and know that once it takes offfor you there things can happen veryfast in America, whereas here theindustry has become very close-minded, and a lot of A&R people seemto forget it is about the music, not them.

I ask Mitzi what she says whensomeone asks her why they don’t goon the X Factor. “It’s my most hatedquestion. I get it every day and I haveto control myself when people suggestit. The music industry is saturated withbands that have developed from XFactor. Every chance they get, everyspace they take up, is an opportunitythat bands who work hard and writetheir own songs are not going to have.I think it will come back round, it’snever gone away and it’s still here atthe moment, and I think people willbecome so sick of anything to do withthe X factor they’ll want anythingother than that.” Let’s hope she’s right.

Angry Vs the Bear were recently thefirst band to play an amplified gig inthe Houses of Parliament, having wonthe Rock the House’s Best Live Bandcompetition where MPs nominated oneband each from their constituencies.The competition was the brainchild ofMike Weatherley MP with the aim ofpromoting the intellectual propertyrights of unsigned and up and comingmusicians. Even so, with their strongfeelings about the X Factor why enterthis competition? “It was more of anaward. We were told we’d beennominated by Bob Russell then weretold along the way we were in the finalfive and we were like “The final fiveof what?” as we didn’t really know

much about it.”Being in the final five meant they

had to go to London to play in front ofa panel, and though they would notusually get involved with competitionsthey were now in it too deep, so offthey went to London. It turned out tobe a good move as not only did theyend up winning, the panel included thehead of A&R at Warner Music and theHead of Press from HMV. “Normallywhen we send out demos out it’s notthe same as them seeing you live so

this was a chance for them todefinitely see us perform three songs.But I didn’t think we’d win.”

But win they did which resulted in atrip to the House of Commons to playon the terrace overlooking the Thamesas well as, amongst other prizes,receiving some Gibson guitars, amasterclass with Yamaha soundengineers who have worked with thelikes of the Prodigy and Duran Duran,and a gig at The Beatles old haunt theCavern Club in Liverpool. Could thisbe the event that springboards them outof the local music scene and gets themthe national recognition they deserve?

Mitzi is full of enthusiasm for thecurrent music scene in Colchester andpraises Dave at The Bull for the majorpart he plays in it. “He’s a really goodsupporter of all kinds of music and heprovides somewhere with a properatmosphere for bands to play. It’s aperfect venue. Now we’ve also got TinPan Alley, Fat Cat... there’s a lot moreplaces for bands to play these days anda lot of bands coming through.” On thelocal scene she thinks that Cav Ok areone of the best bands around “Theywork very hard and practice a lot and Ithink that shows. They really try topolish their sound and theirsongwriting and get better and betterall the time.” She is also a big fan ofSurfquake, and shares my hopes thatAdy Johnson is set for bigger andbetter things.

It’s a hope that Colchester 101 alsohas for Angry Vs the Bear.

17Photography by Adrian Multon www.adrianmulton.co.uk

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Via the wonders of Facebook, andmore specifically through a groupentitled ‘Memories of a misspentyouth in Colchester in the early 80s’, arising number of forty and fifty-somethings have been re-living theColchester music scene of their teensand early twenties.

The group was set up by RobertEvans, who now lives in London, buthas fond memories of his teenageyears in the town. He invites us toparticipate with tantalising referencesto the past: “Dust down those leg-warmers, ra-raskirts and piano key tiesand get sharing. If Boots CountryBorn Gel was your God and cobwebmohair jumpers were your best friendthen welcome home!”A trawl throughthe Group’s photographs reveals thatColchester, like many towns in theearly eighties, spawned sartorially-based bands and fans alike. It was asmuch about the hair, make-up andridiculous trousers as it was about themusic. Julie Day reminisces aboutthose times, “I remember having greatfun - brilliant music, weird andwonderful clothes, big hair, boys withmake-up and gate-crashing lots ofparties!”

The photos of Julie and her friendsbear witness to these observations:girls and boys alike are flamboyantlyand artfully attired. The early eightiesgave everyone the chance to releasetheir inner transvestite. Sharon Bruce,who borrowed the Boy George look inits entirety, has also appropriated andparaphrased a well-known quote aboutthe 1960s: “If you can remember the80s you weren’t doing it properly.”

Bands like Modern English,TheFabs, Special Duties, Swimmingin the Sea, Troops for Tomorrow andMeat for Monsters kept the localsentertained in venues such as WoodsLeisure Centre and the ColchesterInstitute. Band members were drawnfrom the cool crowd who frequentedThe Colne Lodge (on a Friday andSaturday night), The Cups (on a

Saturday lunchtime) and The EmbassySuite (on a Sunday night) - mostlychosen for their ability to play, butalso for the cut of their (long,sweeping) fringes and batwingsleeves.

The Facebook group has given thecool kids of the early eighties (a littleolder but still cool) a forum to sharetheir memories, pictures and videos.JonMurfin, who worked in a localdepartment store, says: “I could runfrom Keddies to Parrot Records in 3minutes 49 seconds.” Parrot Recordswas at the centre of the record-buyinguniverse in Colchester at the time -and at the opposite end of the HighStreet, making Murfin’s claim all themore extraordinary. He also claims itwas possible to “pop into the Cups fora quick pint of Kronenbourg andblackcurrant then rush back, clockback in and breathe alcohol all overthe old ladies... rock and roll.”

The fascinating thing aboutnostalgia is that our memories arenever the same as the next person’s.

Murfin and fellow fashion enthusiastGeoff Waugh are having a runningbattle on the exact location of theclothing shop Mintz and Davies.

Waugh: “I’ll put money on it. It wasopposite Sainsburys in the arcadewhich became Kingsway. I boughtmany a Crombie there.” Murfin: “Noit wasn’t, you are thinking of FirstChoice... a fiver says Mintz andDavies was in Queen Street oppositethe old police station.” The last weheard, the matter had been referred tofashionista extraordinaire, BridgetStanford, who is Colchester’sforemost authority on retro styling(and unarguably the most glamorouswoman of the 80s posse). The ColneLodge is now a home for the elderly,The Embassy Suite is a Chinese buffetand Fat Face has moved into TheCups, but the music scene is still aliveand kicking. DJ Gilly (nowperforming without sidekick Choc) isstill on the decks, entertaining a new

generation of music fans at venuesaround the town; some of themusicians playing twenty-five yearsago can still be heard locally: GaryLeach, Nel, Anton Pace and GrahameAndrew to name a few. There aremany familiar faces at the annual Fabsgig at the Arts Centre - both on andoff the stage. The event is an excusefor the old crowd to get togetheragain. It is like walking into the ColneLodge, turning right (never left) andrealising with a jolt that 30 years havepassed. The clothes are much thesame, but the hair has diminished andwaistlines expanded (in some cases).

One of the familiar faces from theeighties is that of Jeanette Lynes, whois now a member of the vocalharmony group, Lady Bird and theLarks and has been known to join theFabs on stage. She also performs withThe Significant Others, a grouprecently formed by members of theerstwhile Colne Lodge crowd. Lynessays “the music scene in Colchester isreally taking off again, but we want toremind people that Colchester had avibrant music scene in the 80s too andmany of us are still very much a partof it.” She adds, with a cheeky wink,“of course, I was only a very youngschoolgirl at the time.”

But it wasn’t all about frilly shirtsand pixie boots. There were othersubcultures existing happily side-by-side. As Corroll Beales points out, “wehad punks, rockers, skinheads, bikers,etc. and not to forget the soul boys!The embassy all nighters were great ifyou liked soul, and if you didn’t -even a few punks (including myself)loved to go. It didn’t matter what youwere into in Colchester in the 80s aseveryone got on (well, most of thetime).” Our sons and daughters arenow reliving our misspent youth.Young bands like Broken Heads andDingus Khan are treading in well-worn footsteps, creating their ownfollowing amongst their peers, andstill dancing to the same music we did(courtesy of Gilly). Most of the oldstomping grounds have gone, but theyhave been replaced with new ones:The Bull, Tin Pan Alley, The PurpleDog and Twisters for example, wheretoday’s youth (and a few of theoriginal crowd) are as enthusiasticabout fashion and music as we wereback in the day. The eighties vibeappears to be back, and is takingColchester by storm.

Photos courtesy of Jon Murfn, Corroll Beales, Bridget Stanford andJo Weatherall.

‘Memories of a misspent youthin Colchester in the early 80s’By Jo Weatherall

Saturday lunch time at The Cups

Jon Murfin

Special Duties

Sharon and Fran, 1982

Corroll Beales and Sharon

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If you see the likes of Shaun Williamson, best known as Barry from EastEnders,Faye and H from the 90s chart-topping group Steps and Lyn Paul, who taught theworld to sing with the New Seekers, wandering the streets of Colchester in earlySeptember then your eyes are not deceiving you! All four will be in town for theworld premiere of Rhinestone Mondays; a line dancing comedy at the MercuryTheatre.

Shaun Williamson is no stranger to Colchester having performed at theMercury in 2009 in the sell-out production of Porridge: “I had a blast inColchester, we all had some preconceived ideas that it might be quite a toughtown, but when we got there we found a place full of character, with so muchhistory and lots of small independent shops.”

“The audiences were some of the best we had on the tour, everyone really gotit there. The thing I really liked about the Mercury was the balanced programme.They were an intelligent audience who knew a lot about theatre, I’m really gladwe are opening the Rhinestone Mondays tour in Colchester.”

Rhinestone Mondays sees Shaun singing some classic country hits on stage. Iasked if he found it daunting singing and dancing alongside such seasonedperformers as Lyn Paul and Faye and H from Steps;

“Well I started out as a Butlins Bluecoat so it all comes quite naturally to me. Iloved being up on stage so I moved from this to amateur dramatics groups andthen drama school. I got the role of Barry straight out of drama school and thetime demands of EastEnders put an end to me being on stage for a while.”

“I’m really looking forward to being in such a fun show. It’s something I think everyone can enjoy and there is a big finale at the end. Get ready for some surprises!”

Rhinestone Mondays is at the Mercury Theatre from Wednesday 31 August toSaturday 10 September. Tickets priced £9.80 - £21.75 are available from theMercury Theatre Box Office on 01206 573948 or online atwww.mercurytheatre.co.uk

A R T

The Japanese community ofColchester is holding a very specialevent to express their gratitude to thetown for its generosity and supportfollowing the devastation caused bythe earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Soon after the quake and tsunamistruck Japan’s Tohoku region on 11March 2011, Colchester artsorganization, Slack Space, organised a12-hour marathon fund raisingconcert. It was one of the first suchevents in the country and succeeded inraising £4,000. Over 80 performerstook part and 1,000 local peopleattended and donated generously.

The support of the people ofColchester greatly moved Japaneseexpats in and around the town. Inresponse to this, they are hosting the‘WA’ project, a “thank you” event tobe held until 10 September at SlackSpace in Queen Street.

WA is a cultural exchange project inwhich the Japanese community ofColchester aim to share and celebrateelements of their culture with thepeople of the town.

WA features the World Premiere ofa powerful photographic exhibition, ABeacon of Rebirth, portraying theresilience of the tsunami victims in theprocess of reconstruction.

The highlight of the project will be a

Matsuri (Summer Festival) day from11am on 3 September. There will beplenty of opportunities for the peopleof Colchester to experience variousaspects of Japanese culture, includingtaiko drumming, sushi tasting,Japanese tea ceremony, trying-ontraditional kimono and much more.

Other events running alongside theexhibition include origami andcalligraphy workshops, traditionalJapanese storytelling, Jiriki, Japanesefilm showings, folk music andchildren’s crafts.

The Festival is open Wednesday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm.

Local Japanese community says

‘Thank you Colchester’

Life, Love andLine Dancing…Stars turn out en masse for country musiccomedy at the Mercury Theatre.

By Luke O’Loughlin

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F O O D

September for us means back toschool, oh the misery of the first weekback into the old routine. It’s thegetting up that I just can’t abide, ifonly we could start school at 12 andfinish at 3... then I’d be happy!

Yet I digress, what I wanted to talkabout in relation to heading back toschool is School Dinners. Since JamieOliver poked his nose in a few yearsago, we would be led to believe thateverything is rosy in the schoolkitchen. Apparently our little darlingsare being fed an organic wholesomemeal that is not only good for them butthey enjoy wholeheartedly every day.Is this the reality in your school? Iasked myself the same question andmy answer was “I have no idea!” Weare sent home a menu which includesfish fingers & chips, pizza, sausage &mash and sausage roll with sautépotatoes. Not the radical change thatJamie was hoping for I fear.

There are days when they providewhat sound like more wholesome food;spaghetti bolognaise, a roast dinner and

chicken tikka wrap with a mixed salad,to name a few, but without ever seeingthe actual plate it’s very hard to judge.We are not told what suppliers theschool uses, or what proportion of thefood is home made. It’s the quality ofthe food that makes all the difference.Even a humble spaghetti bolognaisecan vary greatly from a greasy, cheapminced beef variety, containing apacket of powdered flavours, to anauthentic bolognaise using a wonderfulmix of fresh ingredients that an Italianmama be proud of. Where on the scaledoes the food stand at your school?Don’t you think it’s time we knewmore about it?

I’m not one of those food evangeliststhat want to wipe all the fat and fun outof children’s food, but we should atleast be getting value for money andfeel comfortable with the food ourchildren are being fed. If we wouldn’tbuy it ourselves to feed them at home,then why should we sit back and let theschool canteen feed them food withunknown provenance. I want to know

the quality of the food they use. If theydon’t buy fresh, local meat andvegetables, I want to know why.

Eating out has it’s problems too. Somany restaurants immediately offer a‘children’s menu’. It’s not that I don’tappreciate the smaller portions and thesmaller prices, but why is it alwaysbased on the same four things; burgerand chips, chicken nuggets and chips,spaghetti bolognaise and pizza. I’msure your children eat all manner ofdifferent foods at home, rather thanliving on processed rubbish. My girlslove nothing more than a bowl ofmussels when we eat out. Manyrestaurants will offer a child sizedportion from the main menu if you ask.If we all start to complain about thedemeaning menus our children areoffered maybe things will start to

improve. Our experience in Europe,

particularly France has been verydifferent. Many restaurants don’tprovide a child menu, they simplyexpect you to order half a portion fromthe main menu. If they do offer aseparate children’s menu it is often fullof similar things to the adults anyway,not a chicken nugget in sight!

I look forward to finding out wherethe food comes from that my childreneat every day at school, I don’t knowwhy I haven’t thought to ask before now.If you could do the same and let meknow, [email protected],maybe we can encourage our schoolsto buy together from local sources,meaning better food for all our childrenat better prices for our schools. Let’sstart our own Kids Food Revolution.

Back to School DinnersBy Melissa Porter

Food for Thought

As this rather wet summer drips to aclose, I’m thinking of summers past. Ihope it’s not just us but we love to popinto a vineyard or two when we’reaway, especially if it’s in France.We’ve visited some great wine regionsand we always like to bring backsomething from an area to remind usof those summer days (and oh thosesummer nights).

Our last vineyard trip was in theLoire, a brief day on the way furthersouth. Chinon was once the seat ofpower for the Plantagenet’s, birthplaceof Richard the Lionheart. There’s lotsof history; a fortified Chateau, awarren of medieval streets and winebars on each street corner serving thelocal wine. Our hotel had a balconyoverlooking the tree shaded square

filled with café tables, very ‘Allo‘Allo. We absolutely loved it. Chinonis now more famous for its red wine,made from 100% cabernet francthey’re wines that smell of pencilshavings and berry fruit. In warmeryears they’re a good substitute for leftbank clarets like St.Emilion. Alsothere is white wine from the Cheningrape and rosé too, we liked bothmuch more than we thought wewould. Situated in a lovely villageclose by, Baudry-Dutour has anextensive range of wines on offer. Wetasted a lot and bought several, withthe little French girl’s lack of Englishand our schoolboy French it wassurprising we didn’t buy a string ofonions, a bike and a beret. We alwayssoldier on in our poor French and get

there in the end, “mange tout, mangetout” as they say on “Only Fools andHorses”. Later that day we visitedOlga Raffault, a lovely lady whosewines are excellent but hard to find.We tried vintages back to 2002 in bothred and white. It was a real treat, butdifficult to decide what would still fitin the car. The fact they age so wellmeans we still have a small stock totry when we need reminding of thosesummer days.

RecommendationsYou can get a taste of Chinon at homefrom these locally availablehumdingers Chinon Clos de Danzay

2000 Pierre-Jacques Druet £11.99 or£9.99 for two from Majestic.Absolutely superb example of fullymature Cabernet Franc. Deep favouredand smooth, the fruit has mellowedand has a tobacco edge. Bourgueil LesCent Boisselées 2003 Pierre-JacquesDruet £9.99 or £8.99 for two fromMajestic. Not a Chinon but from justacross the Loire. Has developed asavoury edge whilst retaining its freshacidity.Valdivieso Single VineyardCabernet Franc, 2007, Chile £10.95from www.thewinesociety.comUpfront fruit, much more New World,but still typical, cedary Cabernet Francwith lovely lead-pencil.

The Last ofthe SummerWinesBy Sir Raz, The Wine Guy

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Serves 2-36 good quality Pork Sausages1tbsp Oil

For the Batter;3oz Plain Flour1 Large Egg3fl oz semi-skimmed MilkSalt and Black Pepper2fl oz Water

Pre-heat oven to gas mark 7, 425F (220C)You will need a solid based roasting tin, and a baking tray.

Begin by making the batter, sieve the flour into a large bowl. Make a wellin the centre, break the egg into it, add some salt and pepper. Whisk the egginto the flour, adding the milk and water gradually as you whisk.

Place the sliced onions in a bowl, add the oil and sugar then toss the onionsaround to get the lightest coating. Spread them on the baking tray.

Next arrange the sausages in the roasting tin, place the onions on a highshelf in the oven, with the sausages on a lower shelf. After 10 mins remove thesausages from the oven but leave the onions in for a further 4-5 minutes - theyneed to be nicely blackened round the edges. When they are ready, removeand leave to one side.

Place the roasting tin containing the sausages over direct heat, if thesausages haven’t released much fat add the tablespoon of oil. When the tin isreally hot and the oil is beginning to shimmer - it must be searing hot - quicklypour the batter in all around the sausages. Immediately return the roasting tinto the oven, this time on the highest shelf, and cook the whole thing for 30minutes. Now for the gravy.

Add the onions to a saucepan with a little more oil and stir in the plain flour.Using a whisk gradually add the stock, Worcestershire sauce and mustardpowder to the pan, whisking all the time.

Bring up to simmering point and gently simmer for 5 minutes. Taste tocheck the seasoning and pour into a warmed serving jug. When the toad isready, it should be puffed brown and crisp and the centre should look cookedand not too squidgy.

Serve it immediately with the gravy; it’s absolutely wonderful with mashed potato.

For the Onion Gravy;8 oz onions, peeled and sliced2 tsp oil1 tsp sugar1 good shake of Worcestershire Sauce1tsp mustard powder15fl oz vegetable or chicken stock1 dessert spoon plain flourSalt and Black Pepper

Toad in the Hole with Roasted Onion Gravy

Mum,I’m

Hungry

By Melissa Porter

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Fingringhoe ExplorersThursday 1st SeptemberFingringhoe Wick Visitors Centre10:30-15:00

A full day of bush craft activities: Shelter building,campfire cooking and bush craft skills. Donation£10.00 per child. Telephone the visitor centre on01206 729678 for more information or to book yourplace.

BIG Garden Volunteering ThursdaysThursday 1st, Thursday 8th, Thursday 15th,Thursday 22nd September A short walk from High Woods Country Park VisitorCentre10.00am to 1.00pm

Colchester’s most exciting organic fruit and vegetablecommunity garden. There are many ways to getinvolved and support the development of the garden.People of all ages and abilities are welcome tovolunteer and have a share in their harvests. Contact the community gardener on 01206 855 287 or07950 243904

Colchester Farmers MarketFriday 2nd SeptemberColchester Arts Centre, Church Street, Nr MercuryTheatre 9.30am - 2.00pm Free Admission

Quality foods, locally produced. Over 20 Stalls. Makea date to support your local producers.

The North Norfolk Food Festival 2011Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th September Holkham Hall, Norfork 10.00am - 5.00pm Free Entry

A celebration of all that is best about food that isgrown, reared, caught or made in North Norfolk.Cookery demonstrations, advice from eminent NorthNorfolk chefs and celebrity cook-off challenges usinglocal produce, will all be found in the Food Theatre.

Colchester Oyster Free FestivalSaturday 3rd September Upper Castle Park, ColchesterFree Entry

Celebrate Colchester’s most famous food.

Pebmarsh Country ShowSunday 4th September Hunts Hall, Pebmarsh, Halstead, Essex CO9 2QE10.30am - 4.30pm Adults £5 Children FREE

Incorporating PLOUGHING PAST & PRESENTIncludes: Food Hall, Craft Hall, working day ofVintage Tractors, Vintage Car Show, Motor Cycles,Stationery Engines, and Commercial Vehicles. OtherAttractions include: trailer rides, demonstrations, beertent, car boot sale, traditional side shows, ring events& dog show.

Harvest at Jimmy’s9th - 12th SeptemberJimmy’s Farm, SuffolkAdults Day Ticket £36, Weekend £97.50Children (5-15) Day Ticket £10.50, Weekend £36

Harvest is a celebration of food and music for friendsand for families. At the festival, youíll be able to feastyour ears as well as your belly. The nationís fetedchefs rub shoulders with the makers of very popularmusic and everyone jumps up and down. Bingo.

British Food Fortnight 2011Saturday 17th September - Sunday 2ndOctober

Now in its TENTH YEAR! British Food Fortnight isthe biggest national celebration of the diverse anddelicious range of food that Britain produces.Hundreds of shops, pubs and restaurants take parteach year with special menus and promotions. Theevent is also an established date on the schoolcalendar with hundreds of schools using it as anopportunity to teach children about FOOD!

Aldeburgh Food and Drink FestivalSaturday 24th - Sunday 25th SeptemberSnape Maltings, Nr Aldeburgh, Suffolk, IP17 1SR£5 per day or £8 for the weekend (children under 13free)

The Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival celebrates andpublicises the abundance of local produce and aims tohelp people reconnect with the countryside and thefood it provides. The main festival weekend is alwaysan impressive two day programme of talks, workshopsand cookery demonstrations from top chefs.22

Food Eventsin September

F O O D

Seasonal Food GuideBy Melissa PorterFruitApricots, blackberry, blueberries,apples, dates, figs, lemon, pears,plums, and tomatoes.

VegetablesAubergine, beetroot, broccoli,brussels sprout, butternut squash,cabbage, cauliflower, celery,carrots, courgettes, cranberry,fennel, globe artichoke, leek,lettuce, mushrooms, peas,peppers, pumpkin, radishes,

runner beans, spinach, sweet corn,swiss chard and watercress.

HerbsBasil, garlic, mint, parsley,rosemary, sage, sorrel, tarragon,thyme.

Meat & GameGame season between 1stSeptember & 1st February.mallard, partridge, pheasant,pigeon, teal, venison, widgeon,

woodcock, wild rabbit.

FishBrill, clams, cockles, cod, coley,conger eel, crab, dover sole, greymullet, haddock, hake, halibut,herring, john dory, lemon sole,lobster, mackerel, monkfish,mussels, oysters, pilchard,pollack, plaice, prawns, salmon,sardines, scallops, sea bass, seabream, sea trout, shrimp, squid,turbot, whelks and whitebait.

Figs have been grown in the Mediterraneanregion for thousands of years. The common figis shaped a bit like a small pear, and usually haspurple-black skin (though some varieties come inshades of green). Inside, they contain a soft, jammycentre full of tiny seeds. Figs are a good source ofpotassium, manganese and iron. They also containvitamins A, B and C, and plenty of fibre.

In seasonSeptember to October. Figs are notcommercially grown in the UK but are a greatfruit to grown at home in your garden.

StorageFigs hate travelling, and they don’t store well.Shops often sell them cradled in individual littlepaper cups, and once you get them home, it’sbest to eat them within a day or two. Make sure they’re soft and ripe when you buy them, because they don’t ripen any further once picked.

Quick serving ideasA ripe fig is delicious just as it comes, or youcould serve them as part of antipasti. Cut themin half to expose their ruby-red interiors, drapeslices of prosciutto, torn mozzarella & basilleaves around them, drizzle the plate with somegood extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze ofhoney over the figs. They work well with goat’scheese and stilton too. Serve as a canapé; smallpieces of walnut bread with a slice of stiltontopped with a piece of fig.

Figs are sensational as a dessert. Cut themopen, drizzle some honey over the open flesh,and pop under a grill for a few minutes beforeserving with ice cream or a dollop of Greekyoghurt, and a scattering of crushed pistachios.

Use it upFigs really need to be used up quickly, becausethey’re so perishable. You can freeze them cutinto pieces in a sealed bag, but you’re better offincorporating them into a sticky cake orcompote first.

Did you know?Like dates, figs have a long history and arepresent in lots of ancient records. Stone tabletsdating back over 4,000 years record the use offigs in southern Iraq and the harvesting of figsis depicted in an Egyptian tomb painting fromaround 1,900 B.C.

What! I hear you say, not talking about Christmas already. Sorry,but every year I say I’m going to make cakes and pudding forChristmas and put them away, but never have I actually gotaround to doing it. They really do taste so much better if youhave been feeding them brandy for months (no surprises therethen!). If you can put a Sunday afternoon aside now and getbaking you’ll reap the rewards later when you are too busy toeven run to the shops and buy one, let alone make one!

750g mixed dried fruits 100g blanched whole almonds, roughly chopped 100g chopped peel 200g dried figs, roughly chopped 100g glacé cherries, well rinsed and quartered 300g plain flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon1 tsp grated nutmeg zest 1 lemon250g lightly salted butter 250g light muscovado sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract2 tbsp clear honey1 tbsp black treacle 4 large eggs1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tbsp milk 3 tbsp brandy, plus extra to feed

Heat oven to 140C/120CFan/Gas 1. Line the base and sides of a 20cm cake tin first with a doublelayer of brown paper, then with a double layer of bakingparchment. In a large bowl, mix the fruit, almonds, peel, figs andcherries. Mix well, then add the flour, spices and lemon zest. Ina separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar thoroughly, add thevanilla extract, honey and treacle. Still beating, incorporate theeggs, then stir in the fruit and flour mixture. Dissolve thebicarbonate of soda in the milk and stir in thoroughly. Add thebrandy by the spoonful, until you have a soft dropping consistency.

Turn the batter into the cake tin and make a dip in the middleusing the back of a spoon. Bake for 31/2 hrs, insert a skewer - if itcomes out clean, it’s ready. If there is any cake mix on theskewer, give it 10 mins more and test again. When it’s done,remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in its tin. Thenext day, remove from the tin, wrap in fresh greaseproof paper,then put it into an airtight tin or wrap tightly in foil. The usualthing is to keep the cake for at least a month before icing it, (ifyou intend to) I like to top mine with glazed fruit and nuts.Unwrap and sprinkle it occasionally with more brandy. It will beperfectly moist and boozy by Dec 25th.

Spotlight on...‘Figs’Fig & Honey Christmas Cake

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PIZZA AND PASTAStrada 19-20 North Hill CO1 1DZ Tel: 01206 542854

Valentino’s 11 High St, Wivenhoe CO7 9BE Tel: 01206 825738

Ristorante Favoloso 2-4 Balkerne Passage CO1 1PA Tel: 01206 549080

Finezza45 Osbourne Street CO2 7DBTel: 01206 619128

Ask Colchester 16 North Hill CO1 1DZ Tel: 01206 366379

Pizza Express 1 St. Runwald’s Street CO1 1HF Tel: 01206 760680

Zizzi 12 Headgate CO3 3BT Tel: 01206 576816

Prezzo1 Culver Street East CO1 1LDTel: 01206 573388

Granata’s Restaurant 42 North Hill, Colchester CO1 1PY Tel: 01206 762277

Portofino Haven Rd, Colchester CO2 8HT Tel: 01206 795043

Pizza HutTurner Rd, Colchester CO4 5JR Tel: 01206 546545

Mussi’s3-7 Museum Street CO1 1TN.Tel: 01206 762000

GASTROPUBSRose & CrownNayland Road, Great Horkesley CO6 4AHTel: 01206 271251

The Anchor 26 Court Street, Nayland CO6 4JL Tel: 01206 262313

FAMILYBalkerne Gate Brewers FayreIpswich Road CO4 4WPTel: 01206 852932

Harvester186 London Road, Stanway CO3 8NZTel: 01206 575456

Nando’s Chicken Restaurant 11-13, Head St, Colchester CO1 1NX Tel: 01206 760344

AMERICANSloppy Joe’s American Dinner 37 High Street CO1 1DH Tel: 01206 577229

Clowns Restaurant61a, High Street CO1 1DNTel: 01206 578631

Frankie & Benny’s Tollgate West CO3 8RH Tel: 01206 216220

TRADITIONALThe Coast Inn 108 Coast Rd, West Mersea CO5 8NATel: 01206 383568

The Lion Public House The Street, Ardleigh CO7 7LD Tel: 01206 230083

The CricketersSpring Lane, Fordham Heath CO3 9TGTel: 01206 583357

Beefeater Restaurant & Pub The Albert, Cowdray Ave CO1 1UT Tel: 01206 561914

Dedham Restaurant & Boat Hire Boat House, Mill Lane, Dedham CO7 6DHTel: 01206 323153

Fountain House Dedham Hall, Brook Street, Dedham CO7 6AD Tel: 01206 323027

The Greyhound Pub and Restaurant62 High Street, Wivenhoe CO7 9AZTel: 01206 825573

Green Room RestaurantNorth Hill Hotel, 51 North Hill CO1 1PYTel: 01206 574001

ORIENTALFai’s Noodle Bar 26-27 St. Botolphs Street CO2 7EA Tel: 01206 762288

Banquet 1408 Chinese Restaurant342 London Rd, Stanway CO3 8LT Tel: 01206 211588

North Hill Noodle Bar 2 North Hill CO1 1DZ Tel: 01206 618790

House of China 19-21 Crouch Street CO3 3EN Tel: 01206 575111

Embassy Oriental Buffet 2 Balkerne Hill CO3 3AA Tel: 01206 572266

Orientation Oriental RestaurantMercury Theatre, Balkerne Gt CO1 1PTTel: 01206 368100

Chef Canton Chinese Restaurant 2a Crouch Street CO3 3ES Tel: 01206 572703

China Blue 25 Head Street CO1 1NH Tel: 01206 761876

China Chef 73 Crouch Street CO3 3EZ Tel: 01206 546953

SPECIALITY Le TalboothGun Hill, Dedham CO7 6HP Tel: 01206 323150

MilsomsStratford Road, Dedham CO7 6HWTel: 01206 322795

Chystal Restaurant 49, St. Botolphs Street CO2 7EB Tel: 01206 545566

The Barn Brasserie Brook Road, Great Tey CO6 1JE Tel: 01206 212345

Bellapais St. Johns Street CO2 7AHTel: 01206 571830

Baumanns Brasserie Ltd 4-6 Stoneham St, Coggeshall CO6 1TTTel: 01376 561453

Naree Thai Restaurant10 North Hill CO1 1DZTel: 01206 560633The Thai Dragon 35 East Hill CO1 2QX Tel: 01206 863414

Thai 1 82a East Hill CO1 2QW Tel: 01206 870011

INDIANAlishan Tandoori Restaurant 19 Osborne St CO2 7DP Tel: 01206 564009

Ashiana Tandoori 181 Magdalen Street CO1 2JX Tel: 01206 570533

Tandoori Villa 6 Villa Road, Stanway CO3 0RH Tel: 01206 369600

Curry India Tandoori Restaurant 119-121 Crouch Street CO3 3HA Tel: 01206 571555

Raj Palace 28 North Station Road CO1 1RB Tel: 01206 760920

Way to the Raj 90 Coggeshall Rd, Marks Tey CO6 1LSTel: 01206 211495

Titash Restaurant Ltd 40b High St, West Mersea CO5 8QA Tel: 01206 381778

ENGLISHFountain House Dedham Hall, Brook Street,Dedham CO7 6AD Tel: 01206 323027

BISTROS AND BARSLove Bistro The Minories, 74 High St. CO1 1UE Tel: 01206 765131

The Anchor 26 Court Street, Nayland CO6 4JL Tel: 01206 262313

The Peldon Rose Inn Colchester Rd, Peldon CO5 7QJ Tel: 01206 735248

The Angel St. Marys Square, Kelvedon, CO5 9AN Tel: 01376 573746

Jardine140 High Street, Wivenhoe CO7 9AFTel: 01206 820390

Restaurant at The George Hotel116 High Street, CO1 1TDTel: 01206 578494

EUROPEANThe East Street Grill East Street CO1 2TZ Tel: 01206 866677

Cafe Rouge - Colchester59 High Street CO1 1DHTel: 01206 541839

La Tasca 14-15 North Hill CO1 1DZ Tel: 01206 768060

La Cascada Fox St, Ardleigh CO7 7PP Tel: 01206 864030

The Old Siege House 75 East Street CO1 2TS Tel: 01206 792333

BAR AND GRILLQube Bar & Grill 8 Crouch Street CO3 3ES Tel: 01206 578800

Copacabana Bar and Grill62 High Street CO1 1DNTel: 01206 765090

FISH ‘N’ CHIPSFish N Grill 120 High Street CO1 1SZ Tel: 01206 540333

Myland Fisheries32 Nayland Rd, Mile End CO4 5EQTel: 01206 841495

Rons Plaice56 London Rd CO3 4DFTel: 01206 540436

Nindys 28 Dugard Ave, Colchester CO3 9EJ Tel: 01206 769184

The Islander 37 High St, West Mersea CO5 8QA Tel: 01206 382305

MODERN CUISINEThe Bakehouse 5 High St, Wivenhoe CO7 9BJ Tel: 01206 824569

Parliament Restaurant at The Red LionHigh Street CO1 1DJTel: 01206 577986

The Lemon Tree48 St Johns St, Colchester, CO2 7ADTel: 01206 767337

The Lexden Crown235 Lexden Rd, Colchester, CO3 4DATel: 01206 548490

Warehouse Brasserie12 Chapel Street North CO2 7ATTel: 01206 765656

MimosaThe Crescent, Colchester Business Park CO4 9YQTel: 01206 751555

FISH AND SEAFOODWest Mersea Oyster Bar & SeafoodRestaurant Oyster House, Coast Rd, West Mersea,Colchester, Essex CO5 8LTTel: 01206 381600

The Company Shed129 Coast Road, West Mersea CO5 8PATel: 01206 382700

Your Guide to eating out in and around Colchester

For your restaurant to be considered for inclusion inColchester 101

please call us on01206 544700

or [email protected]

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H O M E & G A R D E N

Many years of advising both landlordsand students have proved invaluable inproviding Liz with first-handknowledge of what both parties needand want. Liz will give you honestadvice on how to achieve the bestfrom your property in order tomaximise its rental potential.

Whilst working at the University,Liz set up and ran a propertyAccreditation Scheme in conjunctionwith Colchester Borough Council andlocal landlords. Liz is keen to create a similar scheme for Colchesterlandlords in general and would bepleased to hear from any interestedparties.

Liz has set up her own lettingscompany, Hale Letting Ltd, andprovides a bespoke service to

landlords who want to rent to thestudent community as well asprofessionals. If you’re new to renting,Liz will guide you through the mazeof regulations as she is not onlyqualified by the National Federation ofProperty Professionals (NFOPP) butalso qualified in the Housing Healthand Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

Hale Letting have been exclusivelyengaged by the University to secureaccommodation for students arrivingin October with guaranteed rentsavailable. Properties should be asclose to the Wivenhoe Campus aspossible with rents to include utilities.Landlords interested in the schemeshould contact Liz to arrange aninspection of their property and rentalappraisal.

Personal, Friendly,Professional Service

for Landlords andTenantsAfter successfully managing the Private Sector

Accommodation Office for the University of Essex, Liz Richfield decided she needed a new challenge andknew that she could offer both landlords and tenantsthe professional but friendly service they deserve.

Student LettingsSpecialist Callsfor Properties

[email protected]

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4 bedroom town houseto letMcCluskeys Street, Colchester.£1,000pcm

A newly built luxury three storey 4double bedroom town house situatedon the popular NorthfieldsDevelopment within a short distanceof Colchester’s General Hospital andNorth Station. Family/dining room, kitchen/utility room with integratedfridge/freezer, dishwasher, built-in double oven and halogen hob, utility areawith integrated washing machine. To the first floor there is a sitting room withJuliet balcony, family bathroom, 2 double bedrooms. To the second floor thereis the main bedroom with en-suite shower room and further double bedroom.

Call Belvoir: 01206 364444

4 bedroom bungalowfor saleWormingford Road,

Wormingford. £1,000,000

Regents House is acontemporary and unique newbuild property with excellentequestrian facilities, providingextensive and versatile familyaccommodation. Approached from the road through electric security gates, alonga sizeable tree-lined sweeping driveway and set well within 7.7 acres of privateland, the property enjoys an enviable degree of privacy. Internallythe extensive accommodation includes a vast kitchen/breakfast roomfitted to an extremely high standard. The majority of the propertyhas a built in entertainment system with iPod docking equipment.

Call Palmer & Partners: 01206 572233

3 bedroom linked semi-detached house to letMaltings Park, West Bergholt. £800pcm

Ezelet are delighted to offer this threebedroom linked semi detached house. The house benefits from a lounge,conservatory, utility room, lowmaintenance garden, three double bedrooms, gch, parking, en-suite shower room,family bathroom, cloakroom.

Call Ezelet: 01206 564700

3 bedroom semi-detachedhouse for sale

Ideally located to the South of Colchesterwithin easy reach of the town and manylocal amenities is this bay fronted 1940’s3 bedroom semi-detached residence. The

property benefits from double glazing, a downstairs cloakroom, 2 receptionrooms, off road parking and a 160ft+ rear garden. Thisfamily home we feel offers good sized accommodation ina much sought after location. CHAIN FREE.

Call Boydens: 01206 762244

25

e ezlet

Editor’s Choice Our top four homes of the month

P&Palmer & PartnersProperty sales with service


BELVOIR!the lettings specialist

Layer Road, Colchester.£229,995

firstsite, Rafael ViĖoly Architects, HayesDavidson CGI, 2006

• Building Surveys •

• HomeBuyer Reports •

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• Specialist Commercial Property Services •

• Rental and Property Management Advice •

• Small Business Rates Advice •

• Town Planning Matters •

• Property Developments •

The Property Detective

Telephone: 01206 545139Email: [email protected] Prettygate Road Colchester Essex CO3 4EQ.

Leslie J Long FRICSChartered Surveyors, Valuers, Property Consultants & Managers

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1: Don’t over complicate things All too often when people go aboutcreating their gardens they go mad.Keep hard landscaping materials downto a maximum of three different types,natural stone, brick and gravel forexample will all visually work inharmony together whereas a medley oftoo many materials is an assault on theretina. The same applies to planting,keep to a simple colour palate ofcomplimentary colours unless ofcourse you are a confident plants-person who can pull off the rainbowlook! This also applies to the actualdesign itself, keep it clean anduncomplicated a bitty design will beincoherent and uncomfortable to be inand look at.

2: Grow plants from seed Fully grown plants in shops can cost afortune and a couple of grand willsoon disappear from your budget evenin the smallest space. Spend moneyon a few key plants and then fill thegaps with stuff you can grow fromseed. Even perennials such asEchinacea and Rudbekia are easy togrow from seed; one packet canprovide you with a large swathe ofcolour for around a quid.

3: Grow some fruit and veg Home grown is all the rage these daysbut with allotment waiting lists aslong as the great wall of China andmost of us not having the gardens bigenough to warrant a vegetable, gardenspace is often hard to find. Thesolution is to plant some ediblesamongst your borders. Sweetcorn,cabbages and lettuce can all lookgreat. You could even create an archedtunnel using some fantastic squashes.Try courgette ‘Tromboncino’ or theheirloom squash variety ‘Trombetta di

Albenga’ both of which will happilyclimb up a support and create a realfeature in the garden.

4: Look after your soil The soil in your garden is the mostimportant source of food for yourplants. Many people simply shovesome lovely plants in the ground andexpect them to thrive……and usuallyend up being disappointed. Beforeplanting anything remove all theweeds, and incorporate lots ofcompost or even better well rottedmanure. This will improve the soil inthree main ways; it will improvedrainage, improve water retention, andalso give the plants all the nutrientsthey need to live happily. Rememberthough as they grow the plants will betaking out nutrients that are notreplaced, an annual mulch of organicmatter such as compost will replacethese lost nutrients and keep thingslooking healthy.

5: Be prepared to do somemaintenanceUnless you simply concrete over yourentire plot there is no such thing as ano maintenance garden. Plants areliving things that require looking afterby pruning, dividing, deadheadingfeeding and watering so if you wantthe garden to keep looking good, tryand learn a few basics. For examplewhen routine pruning floweringshrubs you need to look at when theplant flowers to determine when theyshould be pruned. Shrubs that floweron current seasons growth in summerand autumn should be pruned inwinter after flowering, Whereasshrubs that flower in spring on lastyears growth should be pruned afterthe blooms fade and die... easy!

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I was chatting to friends the other day in the pub and as sooften happens, the discussion moved on to them asking meabout what they should be doing in their gardens. This got methinking about what are the most important tips or advice as a garden designer I could offer... well here they are!

My company specialises in design, consultation, garden construction andmakeovers which start from £99 and we also offer a full planting service. If you want to chat through any ideas please feel free to get in touch at [email protected] or call on 0845 4085 382/0790 4087 188.


Top fivegarden tipsBy Sven Wombwell

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Call today on 01206 564700Email: [email protected] 7a Magdalen Street, Colchester.

www.ezelet.co.uk

Let your property the way

At eze let we know that each landlord’s requirements are unique. Our highly experiencedteam will work with you to ensure a stress free,tailor made solution to letting your property and ensuring the best return on your investment.

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e101issue11v6SL_Layout 1 30/08/2011 14:02

unning a gig is, as Swiss Toni from the Fast Show would say, very much like making love to a beautiful woman. You have to dim the lights, play soft music, provide alcohol and make sure they’re facing the right direction. Let’s face it;the real reason that Russ Abbott loved a party with a happy atmosphere is that it gave him a better chance of not being

stuck with Bella Emburg at the end of the evening. Comedy is a form of illusion which needs a certain environment to encouragepeople to fall under the laughter spell.

The diary of an independent comedy promoter by Hazel Humphreys

R

View from the

Funny Farm

NewSeasonKicks OffWith a Win

I’m lucky to run a gig at a venue that tolerates myquirky attempts at scene-setting, but not allpromoters have this indulgence. I played a new gigrecently (set up by an “events team”). The largeroom was starkly lit with clinically arranged formaltables. There was no music as the audience dribbledin, or during intervals, and two fruit machines blaredout. I politely asked the barmaid if the fruit machineswere going to stay on throughout the gig. “Oh yes”she replied curtly, and proceeded to have loudconversations with her colleague at the back duringmost of the acts. “It’s not my gig” I told myself,resisting the temptation to start tinkering. I found itdifficult to connect with the audience (partiallythrough fear of falling off the aloofly high stage).Whilst I can’t blame atmosphere for a so-so gig,

getting a touch of relaxed intimacy into a room canadd a vital spark and, most importantly, give thepaying punters a better night out.

I ended up having to cancel the pub open mic gigdue to a last minute change of management and thenew boss stating plainly that they didn’t wantcomedy at present. Whilst it’s a shame, it’s pricelessto know in advance that a venue won’t supportcomedy as it saves the promoter causing offence byswitching off the telly in order for comedians to beheard. In the past I’ve run gigs at venues where itbecame clear the management didn’t understand thatcomedy is different to other forms of entertainment.One lady thought the comedians would go roundtable to table telling jokes to small groups, confusingcomedians with either magicians or insane social

inadequates (OK she had a point). One landlordthought nothing of holding a rowdy music gig rightnext door to the comedy show (another pub held awake next door to the gig and didn’t want to closethe door that would have divided the two events…funnily enough there was more than one death tocommemorate that glorious evening). I’m waiting forsomebody to genuinely ask “Comedians? Will theyjust sit on the trees outside and change colour toblend in with their surroundings?”

The distinctively homely atmosphere of WivenhoeFunny Farm will next be available to sample on 29thSeptember, with seasoned headliner John Mann.

See www.wivenhoefunnyfarm.co.uk for more details.

Hello again and I hope most of youhave made your way up to the WestonHomes Community Stadium for agame or two already this season. Thefirst game of the campaign was onlyin the first week of August but thatseems a long time ago now, with anumber of games having taken place since.

And didn’t the season start with abang for us, with the fantastic resultand performance at Preston NorthEnd. They are one of the promotionfavourites and we went up there andreally took the game to them from theoff. Amongst many positives was the

fact that we scored goals, somethingthat didn’t come easy for us awayfrom home last season.

Another plus was the fact that wedidn’t buckle under the pressure whenPreston scored their goals. On bothoccasions, it cut our lead to one goalbut within five minutes of both theirgoals, we had regained our two goaladvantage and quietened their crowddown in the process. It was a happychanging room after the game but no-one got carried away for a second andwe were already planning for the nextgame by the time we were completingthe warm down.

Since then, we have had a mixedbag of results, including an extremelyentertaining Carling Cup tie atWycombe. The game finished 3-3after extra time but unfortunately, wewent out on penalties. The leaguegame between us also finished in adraw and we have suffered defeat atthe hands of Charlton andHuddersfield.

I think that both these two sideswill finish in at least the play-offpositions and while it wasdisappointing not to take any pointsfrom them, there were positive signsthat we can easily compete with them.

We are in a league where there areplenty of teams that will feel that theyhave got a good chance of promotion.We have the ability to be one of themand will be doing all we can to be asnear to the top as possible. Hopefully,we’ll see a good number of you guysat the stadium cheering us on toachieve it.

Kem Izzet

Photo: Rob Sambrook Photography

UNITED FC COLCHESTER

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HELPLINES If you need help and support to deal with an addiction or crisis, below are contact details for organisations dedicated to providing support and advice for a variety of problems.

If you have a story to tell then send it to us at [email protected]

A Problem Shared

What is your role at Health in Mind and howlong have you been there?I’m the clinical lead, which means I’m a qualifiedpsychotherapist with responsibilities for helping theteam deliver psychological therapies to the peoplewho need them. There is plenty of evidence to showthat these types of therapies, often called talkingtherapies, can really help people to recover andmanage their mental health problems. I came here asa senior therapist a year ago, and was promoted tothis job earlier this year. It’s a team of great people,and we are lucky to have built in job satisfaction.

What do you offer?We provide psychological help for people with mildto moderate mental health problems, such as anxietyand depression. The main treatment we use isCognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) which is anactive form of therapy encouraging people to helpthemselves using skills for understanding andmanaging or reducing their symptoms. We providethis therapy in a number of new and flexible wayssuch as over the internet and telephone, througheducational courses for groups of people, as well asmore traditional face to face sessions.

How many people do you help?In the North East Essex area, about 500 people cometo us every month. Many are helped with atelephone interview and may be referred on to otherservices and sources of help to suit their individualneeds. For those who choose one of our therapies,we offer around 1200 therapy sessions a month.

Why do you think so many people arecoming to you?About nine out of 10 people with a mental health

problem have symptoms that are mild to moderate.For many people their mental health problems arerelatively short lived and often people can recoverwithout any treatment, if they have the support offriends and family. It is quite new to have this kindof therapy available on the NHS and finally attitudesare changing in society so people are more openabout what they are experiencing. People are betterat recognising signs of distress in themselves andothers, GPs are better at recognising it, andfortunately we now know what helps people torecover and stay in good shape. In time perhaps ifwe do a good job for the population, fewer peoplewill need our help!

What are some of the key issues you areseeing among the people you help?There are everyday life issues that affect us all butcan cause some people to become depressed oranxious more than might be expected. It could bestress at work, relationship difficulties, studyproblems, physical illness, adjustment to lifechanges, such as losing a loved one, coping withfamily changes, such as teenagers in the house, orretirement. As a result of the current financialdownturn we have seen an increase in peoplegrappling with debt, redundancy, and benefitchanges that can cause them to become more thanusually distressed and find themselves needing help.

What can people do to help their mental health? There are lots of things we can do to help our mentalhealth. Connect: build up and keep in touch withfamily and friends for enjoyment and support. Beactive: keeping physically active helps us to staymentally in good shape too - exercise helps us to

feel good! Take notice: practice appreciating thesmall things that make life worthwhile, a glimpse ofa beautiful view, or a good cup of coffee shared witha friend. Keep learning: try new things, go on aworkshop, give yourself a challenge. Give: be goodto someone else in your life and enjoy their reaction,volunteer for something worthwhile in yourcommunity.

What should you do if you think a friend orrelative is showing signs of mental illness?Talk to them! Take an interest and offer support.Human beings are adaptable and capable and canoften cope with huge difficulties and recover fromlife events without professional help. Everydaystress and distress can be reduced with ordinaryfriendship and support. But if the distress persistsand takes forms that worry you, for example ifsomeone is feeling very hopeless about the future oris struggling to do normal day to day activities andthis doesn t improve in a few days or a couple ofweeks, then recommend they see their GP, or call uson 01206 217450 to see if this is something that wecan help with.

Get in touchIf you, or someone you care about, is affected by amental illness then visit Rethink Mental Illness swebsite www.rethink.org where you can find lots ofinformation and resources on how to find support.

Rethink Mental Illness also operates an advice linewhich provides expert advice and information topeople with mental health problems and their familyand friends, as well as giving help to healthprofessionals, employers and staff.Telephone: 0845 456 0455 or 0207 840 3188 Email: [email protected]

30

Mental illness will affect at least one in four of us at some point during our life yet there is still a stigma attached. Here inColchester the charity Rethink Mental Illness, in partnership with Mind and North East Essex Foundation Partnership Trust, isworking hard to help people with their mental health problems at the joint service Health in Mind.

Ruth Jordan is a senior psychotherapist responsible for helping the team deliver psychological therapy to people who come to the service. Here she talks about her role and the importance of looking after your mental health.

Colchester 101 talks to Ruth Jordan

Rethink Mental Illnessin Colchester

Alcoholics AnonymousSupport group for persons needing help toovercome and recover from alcoholism.Helpline 0845 769 7555Email: [email protected]

Al-Anon Family GroupsSupport for anyone whose life is, or has been, affected by someone else’s drinking.Helpline 020 7403 0888Email: [email protected]

Narcotics AnonymousSupport group for persons needing help toovercome and recover from drug addiction.Helpline 0300 999 1212www.ukna.org

Cocaine AnonymousSupport group for persons needing help toovercome and recover from cocaine addiction.Helpline 0800 612 0225From UK Mobile Phones 800 612 0225Email: [email protected]

Colchester Gay SwitchboardHelp and advice for gay, lesbian, bi-sexualand transgender individuals and those affectedby HIV and AIDS.Helpline 01206 869191 or 0845 1 23 23 88www.gayessex.org.uk

BrookFree and confidential sexual health adviceand services for under 25s providing professional advice on Contraception, STIs and Pregnancy.Helpline 0808 802 1234 www.brook.org.uk

Overeaters AnonymousOvereaters Anonymous is a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience,strength and hope, are recovering from compulsive overeating.Helpline 07000 784985 www.oagb.org.uk

beatThe leading UK charity for people with eating disorders and their families.Helpline: 0845 634 1414Email: [email protected] 0845 634 7650Email [email protected]

RelateSupport and advice, relationship counselling,sex therapy, workshops, mediation, consultations and support.Telephone: 0300 100 1234

Families Need FathersSupport and information if you are separatingor divorced and are worried about not seeingyour children, or the effects on them. Open tomothers, fathers, grandparents, new partnersand extended families.Helpline: 0300 0300 363 www.fnf.org.uk

SamaritansIf you are in crisis, feel distressed or are perhapsthinking of suicide, Samaritans trained volunteerscan give you the time and space to talk aboutyour feelings, help you explore your optionsand perhaps seek a way to face the future.24/7 Helpline 01206 561234www.Samaritans.org

Open RoadReducing the harmful impact of drugs and alcoholon users, their families, partners and society.Telephone: 0844 499 1323

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Colchester 101 is the Colchester magazine writtenby LOCAL people, for LOCAL people, about LOCALpeople, LOCAL issues and LOCAL events, and someother pretty cool stuff thrown in too!

Economicrevival? Or just wishful thinking?

Would a rebrand or corporate identity makeover give your company a competitive edge?

Maybe it is time to refresh your website to make it truly work for your business?

Do you want sales and marketing literature that will really get you noticed?

Then talk to Tonic, Colchester’sgraphic design and creative communications specialists.

Your future growth depends on effectively promoting your business.

The Studio, Tye Road, Colchester, Essex CO7 7BN. Email: [email protected]

Call today to find out how we can help you take your business forward.

01206 544700www.TonicOnline.co.uk

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AdvertiseColchester 101 is a full colourFREE A4 Colchester magazinebursting at the seams with local news, interviews, things to see and do, reviews, music,theatre, sport and much more...

Advertising OpportunitiesINSIDE FRONT PAGE Type area 270 (high) x 190mm (wide)Full Bleed 303 x 216mm (297 x 210mm type area)

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Advertorial FeaturesGet your business noticed

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Issue 11 September 2011Issue 11 September 2011

Eating Out in

Colchester Guide


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L I S T I N G S

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H E A LT H & W E L L B E I N G


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ester101.co.uk

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I moved in with

Martin & Co Colchester11 North Hill, Colchester, Essex CO1 [email protected]

01206 760950www.colchester-martinco.co.uk

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colchester 101 september 2011

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