Now I don’t know about you but although technology is no doubt changing our lives, in my humble opinion it’s not always for the best.

I’m far from keen about automation in supermarkets – I’d far rather be dealing with a real live person, which apart anything else protects their job and livelihood.

And don’t even talk to me about trying to get issues speedily resolved with banking or credit cards, when assuming you can actually talk to a real person, they’re often based on another continent, let alone here in the UK, and more often than not are unable to speak English or unable to understand what you’re trying to tell them!

That being the case I’ll be honest with you that I’m less than keen about having a meal served up to me in a restaurant using a totally automated system.

Nevertheless if the scheme currently being tested by a Japanese restaurant proves successful, this could well be the future.

Customers choose their meal from a touchscreen next to each table, with their choices being sent straight to the kitchen.

Chefs then place the dishes on a conveyor belt which takes them straight to the table.

When finished, diners put their dirty plates through a chute leading to a dishwasher.

The number of empty plates is calculated automatically and is used to generate the bill.

Sounds truly horrific to me.

Anyway being a Tuesday we had a chance to go go back in time with our very own local historian, Margaret Mills.

This week Margaret looked at the life of Arthur Prior, a one-time owner of Hylands House in Chelmsford, who it seems financed the building of a church in Galleywood.

Being the chief benefactor, it was only natural that he would be the guest of honour for the first  service conducted there.

Unfortunately it seems that he was so offended by the sermon delivered on that day that he refused to darken their doors ever again!

If you missed what Margaret said, you can catch bit all again here: –

I very much hope to have the pleasure of your company once again next week,
Scott