Latest news with #Maldon
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Safe route past man-made weir created for eels
A project to allow eels and other fish to safely bypass a man-made weir has been completed. The concrete weir, created by Essex and Suffolk Water in the River Blackwater, near Maldon, Essex, was preventing fish from completing their natural migration upstream. The route is particularly important for eels, which travel from the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic. They mature from glass eels to elvers to yellow eels in the River Blackwater and other places in the UK before heading back to the North Atlantic to lay eggs. Project manager Kerri Russell, of Essex & Suffolk Water, said: "We take a great deal of care to make sure the work we do isn't to the detriment of the local environment. "It's a bespoke design, with peg tiles for the eels to weave through and baffle tiles for the fish, to slow the flow of water and allow them to rest if they need to. "We've had a lot of interest from local groups, so recently our teams carried out visits to the site, which is on private land, to explain the work that has taken place and why it is important." The Environment Agency has set up a camera to monitor the fish that pass through the new structure. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. River Blackwater Essex & Suffolk Water Sargasso Sea Commission
BBC News
8 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Safe route past man-made Essex weir created for eels
A project to allow eels and other fish to safely bypass a man-made weir has been concrete weir, created by Essex and Suffolk Water in the River Blackwater, near Maldon, Essex, was preventing fish from completing their natural migration route is particularly important for eels, which travel from the Sargasso Sea in the North mature from glass eels to elvers to yellow eels in the River Blackwater and other places in the UK before heading back to the North Atlantic to lay eggs. Project manager Kerri Russell, of Essex & Suffolk Water, said: "We take a great deal of care to make sure the work we do isn't to the detriment of the local environment."It's a bespoke design, with peg tiles for the eels to weave through and baffle tiles for the fish, to slow the flow of water and allow them to rest if they need to."We've had a lot of interest from local groups, so recently our teams carried out visits to the site, which is on private land, to explain the work that has taken place and why it is important."The Environment Agency has set up a camera to monitor the fish that pass through the new structure. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Blackwater Leisure Centre clubs must leave Maldon sports hall
Sports clubs have been told they must leave a popular facility to make way for a new climbing wall and hall at Blackwater Leisure Centre in Maldon, Essex, has been long been used for activities such as basketball, badminton and five-a-side player Barry Mann said his friends were "absolutely at a loss" after being told they had to move on by 18 District Council said it was working with hall users to provide alternative facilities for them. The badminton club was offered space at a nearby school, but Mr Mann said that removed the likelihood of attracting walk-in members."This facility was widely used and to lose it in this way, I was absolutely shocked," he told BBC Mann said the club would "die a death" within a year by becoming less visible away from the leisure centre."A lot of people a lot older than me are down there every day doing whatever they can to keep themselves occupied and moving," he added. "What is going to happen to these people? They're certainly not going to be climbing a clip and climb wall." Among the other clubs affected is wheelchair basketball team Highrollers, who have since been offered a venue 12 miles (about 20km) away in Ricky Cahill said it was an "absolute nightmare" trying to find a hall that was open during the he said the situation ended in a "pretty positive" way for the club when it secured a move to its new Leisure has been awarded a 20-year contract to run the local authority's leisure venues. It has pledged to invest £6m over that period.A spokesperson for Maldon District Council apologised for disruption caused during the changes."We are committed to working closely with users of the hall – including regular groups and clubs – to provide temporary and permanent alternative options," they added. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Maverick
07-05-2025
- General
- Daily Maverick
Ring the changes with four-hour slow-roasted whole chicken
I roast my chickens for 90 minutes, give or take. Have done for decades. But it's never too late to try another way, and ring the changes. Welcome to the four-hour roast chicken. If you're brave, you'll roast this chicken for the entire four hours. But that entails keeping the oven at a temperature of around 120–140°C, and not being tempted to spike the heat up to 160°C or 170°C. I can vouch for the fact that this is a strong temptation. I nearly caved a couple of times. But I had allocated four hours, so I knew I had enough time. I saw it through. The result: a golden bird preening with beautiful skin, succulent flesh cooked all the way to the bone, and so much flavour, which is the biggest bonus of all the slow cooking. There were a lot of juices, which I siphoned off into a saucepan to reduce and then thicken with cornflour. Every nuance of flavour from the baste and seasoning could be tasted in that gravy, as well as the intrinsic flavour of the chicken itself, of course. There was something of umami about the sauce. There was an additional period of preparation, also involving four hours: I dry-brined the bird by mixing together 3 Tbsp of Italian dried herbs, 2 Tbsp cornflour and 1 Tbsp each of Maldon salt and black pepper. This I rubbed into the skin all over the chicken. Then it went into the fridge on a plate for four hours, which encourages the skin to crisp while also imparting the flavour of the herbs to the chicken early on. Then, before roasting it, I mixed more herbs and seasoning with ginger and garlic paste and a decent glug or two of olive oil. This was for basting the outside of the chicken. A few things are key: There is potential for the bird drying out too much, so I started by making that baste which I spooned under the skin and then massaged the skin above it to spread it around. You need to put something in the cavity too. I cut a small lemon in four, and a medium onion into quarters, and shoved those inside the cavity after seasoning the inside with salt and black pepper. And it makes sense to start with the oven high, around 200°C, just to kickstart it on its way. But it must come down to the lowest heat within 15 minutes. Finally, it should not be covered, otherwise the slow oven will not be able to do its work in turning the skin golden brown and crisp. But — there's always a rider, isn't there? The size of the chicken plays a role in the length of time you cook it, so if yours is a relatively small bird, you'll need to deduct some time. The chicken I roasted was about 2kg — pretty big. So this recipe is for a large chicken. Tony's four-hour roast chicken (Serves 4) Ingredients 1 large chicken, about 1.8kg to 2kg For the dry brine: 3 Tbsp of Italian dried herbs 2 Tbsp cornflour 1 Tbsp Maldon salt 1 Tbsp ground black pepper For the baste: 3 Tbsp of Italian dried herbs 1 Tbsp Maldon salt 1 Tbsp ground black pepper ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil 4 Tbsp La Italia ginger and garlic paste, or similar Zest of an orange 1 Tbsp Italian dried herbs Maldon salt to taste Black pepper to taste Also: 1 medium onion, quartered 1 small lemon, quartered Kitchen string Olive oil Method Rinse the chicken and pat it dry thoroughly with kitchen paper. In a small bowl, mix the dry brine ingredients. Rub this into the skin, all over. Place the bird on a plate and refrigerate it, uncovered, for four hours. Remove the chicken from the fridge an hour before starting to cook it, to bring it to room temperature. Tie the tips of the drumsticks together with kitchen string, tightly. Preheat the oven to 200°C or thereabouts. In a bowl, mix all the baste ingredients. Season the cavity with salt and black pepper. Dip the onion and lemon pieces in some of the baste and push them into the cavity. Prise open the breast skin with your fingers, at the end near the cavity. Take up some of the baste with a silicone spatula, and push it slowly and carefully under the skin flap, then massage the skin above with your fingers or palm to spread the baste around. Repeat with more baste on the same side, then do the same under the skin of the opposite breast. Season the outside of the chicken with more salt, black pepper and dried Italian herbs. Place it in the preheated 200°C oven and roast for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to somewhere between 100°C and 150°C and continue roasting, uncovered, for about 3 hours and 45 minutes more, or until the juices run clear when you insert a skewer right to the bone. Note: the size of the chicken and the temperature — and the fact that ovens have temperaments and don't all behave the same — means that you have to decide when any further cooking will overcook the bird, resulting in dry meat. Therefore, after 3 hours, start testing every 15 minutes and stop when you're satisfied. At the start of the final hour, drizzle some olive oil all over the breast skin. Half an hour later, repeat. Along the way, when you check the chicken's progress and can see that there's a lot of the juices, pour them off into a saucepan. When you've added the final juices at the end of the cooking time, reduce it and thicken with cornflour dissolved in water. Simmer until you're happy that the gravy is ready. Serve with lovely roast potatoes and greens of your choice. DM
The Guardian
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Rainbow vases, vintage soap dishes and crystal bike bells: 15 colourful pick-me-ups to elevate your everyday
Muted accessories are all very well and stylish, but as April showers descend – and with the world in turmoil – sometimes you need things that are a little more joyful to elevate your everyday. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. From a hoodie in a rainbow of colours to a bold, floral enamel tumbler, a bright Birkenstock shoe to a painterly umbrella, these products should provide a much-needed dopamine hit. Many are made by independent makers using recycled materials, so you can feel extra good about that. Maldon butter knife £44 at All Day Goods£44 at Sous Chef This butter knife is hand-forged in Somerset, and its distinctive marbled green handle is made from waste plastic from salt-maker Maldon's production process. Rainbow bud vase From £12.50 at Etsy You know what a bud vase is, right? It's a vase designed to hold a single stem, or at most a small clutch of them. This one, handcrafted in Leeds, is made out of an eco-resin … and turns the splatterware trend all the way up to 11. Pistilla cushion cover £54.01 at Nordicnest£65 at Marimekko If anyone knew about colour it was Armi Ratia, who brought optimistic, joyful-feeling designs to the world through her textile company Marimekko. This abstract, jacquard knit cushion cover by artist Petra Börner is made from recycled cotton. Super Birki 2.0 £80 at Birkenstock When I realised the shoes Birkenstock used to make only for professionals (medics, in this case) are now available to the rest of us, I cheered. Enter: the Super Birki 2.0, the perfect shoe for days spent on your feet. They come in a rainbow of colours, from moss green to baby pink. Available in sizes from 2.5 to 13. Hario V60 ceramic coffee maker size 02 £35 at Copper Coffee Roasters£36.99 at Amazon I bought a brightly coloured coffee dripper for my partner and, while I can't speak for him, the sight of it in the kitchen genuinely lifts my spirits. Making coffee is a daily ritual in many people's lives, so elevate it with a coffee dripper the colour of sunshine. Fiction From £6.99 at Stanfords Fitzcarraldo Editions cotton tote £15 at Fitzcarraldo Editions I've never seen a book by the independent British book publisher Fitzcarraldo Editions that I didn't like (although I'm nowhere near brave enough to attempt Zone by Mathias Énard, which the New Yorker described as 'a five-hundred-and-twenty-one-page novel written in a single swoon of a sentence'). Best of all, they have lovely covers – in International Klein blue. There's also a highly covetable tote bag in the same shade. Cotton ribbed socks £8.50 at Community Clothing A pop of colour is a sartorial magic trick. It can instantly elevate an otherwise standard outfit. For good-quality socks in Skittles-packet brights, handmade in Leicestershire, look no further than Community Clothing. Sign up to The Filter Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. after newsletter promotion Matisse print umbrella £33.99 at Etsy£39 at Original Duckhead A cheerful umbrella will make those inevitable spring showers a little less unwelcome. This Matisse-inspired one from the cult brand Original Duckhead has all the pizzazz of the south of France. Ododo enamel tumbler £15 at Yinka Ilori Designer Yinka Ilori knows his way around dopamine-spiking design and this floral tumbler is inspired by days spent in Richmond Park and Kew Gardens during the pandemic. Perfect for a spring picnic. Ceramic soap dish £21 at Not on the High Street This mint green soap dish, from Hastings-based ceramicist Harriet Cheal, features a geometric design to keep the soap dry. However, if you don't mind a bit of a draining issue, let me also point you in the direction of vintage Charles Amand crustacean gratin dishes, of which there is a plethora on eBay and Etsy. Classic organic hoodie £70 at Fat Buddha Store Few brands speak as directly to those with a love of colour – and comfort – than Colorful Standard, which offers loungewear in everything from ultra-violet to bubble-gum pink, tropical sea blue to sunny orange. All of its garments are made from organic cotton or organic recycled merino wool in Portugal. See Red Women's Workshop – Feminist Posters 1974-1990 £18.39 at WH Smith£18.39 at Amazon The print-making collective See Red Women's Workshop produced many excellent posters, highlighting issues ranging from domestic abuse to racism, gender roles and politics, in the 16 years it ran from 1974. The posters still pack a serious punch (they were included in a recent Tate Britain exhibition). Ghanaian Ashanti chameleon brass door knocker £50 at Etsy This beautiful and fun Ghanaian chameleon door knocker is as much a gift for those lucky enough to visit your home as for yourself. The postman will be happier, your neighbour will have a chuckle. But it isn't all altruism – this will definitely up your kerb appeal and, in my case, distract attention away from the fox stench invariably on our doormat. Tokyo Bell crystal bell £10 at Tokyo Bike This is billed as a kids' bell, but why should they have all the fun? With this crystal bell, which comes in blue, pink, orange, purple and more, you can feel a bit happier every time you have to ding someone that just pulled out in front of you.
