General Builders Chelmsford

General Builders Chelmsford Essex

Approximate Population: 120,000

Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England – the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford.   It is located 32 miles (51 km) northeast of Charing Cross in London.   Chelmsford is steeped in history and was one of the original settlements in the United Kingdom.   Residents of Chelmsford are known as ‘Chelmsfordians’.   The town has a population of roughly 120,000 and is still growing.   It is a modern, well placed town that has a large number of commuters who work in the City of London financial sector.

The town is surrounded by many small villages that retain their original charm (examples of these are Writtle, Good Easter, Roxwell, Mashbury, Chignal Smealy, Broomfield, Great and Little Baddow, Great and Little Waltham, Pepper’s Green and Pleshey). Chelmsford is home to three active local radio stations. Essex FM has been on air since 12 September 1981 and is owned by Global Radio. It moved to studios in Glebe Road in late 2004, having previously been based in Southend.

Since the 1980s Chelmsford has suffered from a decline in its defence-related industries, most notably Marconi with several factories closing. Also the one-time largest employer in Chelmsford, Hoffman’s, closed its Chelmsford site in 1988 the buildings remain and have been converted to apartments and a health club. However, the town’s location close to London and at the centre of Essex has helped it grow in importance as an administrative and distribution centre.

Originally an agricultural and market town, Chelmsford has been an important centre for industry since the 19th century. Following the opening of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation in 1797, cheaper transportation and raw materials made milling and malting the main industries until the 1850s, when increasing prosperity created a local market for agricultural machinery.

General Builders Chelmsford Essex

General Builders Widnes

General Builders Widnes Cheshire

Approximate Population: 53,410

Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn. Upstream and 8 miles (13 km) to the east is the town of Warrington, and downstream to the west is the neighbouring area of Speke, of the city of Liverpool.

Historically part of Lancashire, prior to the Industrial Revolution Widnes consisted of a small number of separate settlements on land which was mainly marsh or moorland. In 1847 the first chemical factory was established and the town rapidly became a major centre of the chemical industry. The demand for labour was met by the immigration of large numbers of workers from Ireland, Poland, Lithuania and Wales. The town continues to be a major manufacturer of chemicals and there has been a degree of diversification of the town’s industries.

The most usual explanation for the origin of the name Widnes is that it comes from the Danish words vid, meaning wide, and noese, meaning nose and that it refers to the promontory projecting into the River Mersey. However the Widnes promontory is not particularly wide and another possible explanation is the first part derives from the Danish ved, meaning a wood and possibly referring to a tree-covered promontory. Earlier spellings of the name have been Vidnes, Wydnes and Wydness.

There are nineteen primary schools in the town and three nursery schools. The four secondary schools are Fairfield High School, Saints Peter & Paul Catholic College, The Bankfield School and Wade Deacon High School. As part of the Building Schools for the Future program, there are plans to close down Fairfield High School and merge with Wade Deacon High School. The former colleges, Halton College and Widnes and Runcorn Sixth Form College, merged in 2006 to form the single Riverside College Halton. There are three special schools. Also in Widnes are the Saints Peter and Pauls City Learning Centre in Highfield Road, which is on the same site as Saints Peter & Paul Catholic College, and Woodview Child Development Centre in Crow Wood Lane. Kingsway Learning Centre offers opportunities for Adult Learning, Basic Skills and Skills for Success.

General Builders Widnes Cheshire