Chelmsford, Essex is famous for many things, from being the birthplace of radio, to the home of the only man ever to score a hat-trick in the football World Cup final. It was also once the capital of England, albeit only for a few days, when the seat of Government was temporarily moved to the town six hundred years ago.

Today, Chelmsford is home to many fine sports teams, will be a base for several countries competing in the London Olympics in 2012. It is also home to the annual V Festival, and has been the county town of Essex, due to its geographical location in the centre of the county, since 1215. 

Being located just thirty miles from London, and in the centre of Essex, Chelmsford has cemented its place in not only UK history, but World history as well, with several landmark achievements. The most important of these by far is the first radio broadcast by Guglielmo Marconi.

Marconi & the Birthplace of Radio
On 15th June 1920, the dulcet tones of Dame Nellie Melba were heard in the first ever official radio broadcast, from the Marconi Factory in New Street, Chelmsford, Essex. Following on from this, the first regular wireless broadcasts began broadcasting from the Marconi laboratories in Writtle, just outside Chelmsford, in 1922.

Other famous companies to be based in Chelmsford were Cromptons Electrical Engineering & Hoffman Ball Bearings, both of which were the first factory of their kind in the UK, the English Electric Valve Company, and soft drinks company, Britvic.

Chelmsford - Capital of England!
For a short period in 1381, Chelmsford was by all intents and purposes the capital of England after the seat of Government was relocated by Richard II to quell the Peasants Revolt. From 1st July to 6th July, during which the King revoked concessions he had made to the peasants, many of the ringleaders were executed on the gallows at the area now known as Primrose Hill.

Famous Places in Chelmsford, Essex
Hylands Park is home to the annual V Festival, which takes place every penultimate weekend in August, and attracts fans and artists from all over the world. Now in its sixteenth year, the two day music event is always a guaranteed sell-out and tickets are hard to come by. Other events at Hylands Park in Chelmsford, Essex include music concerts with such famous artists as Katherine Jenkins, Russell Watson, Tom Jones, Billy Ocean, JLS and Olly Murs, a local boy from just down the road in Witham.
In 2007, it was also home to home the 21st World Scout Jamboree, which attracted over two hundred scouts, leaders, and visitors from 158 different countries.

Famous Sports Teams in Chelmsford, Essex
Essex County Cricket Club is based at the Ford County Ground in the heart of Chelmsford, and is one of the eighteen counties which make up the professional game in England. Founded in 1876, their first trophies were not secured until over one hundred years later when they won the County Championship and the Benson & Hedges in the same, 1979 season. Since then, Essex Cricket Club have gone on to win several more championships and one-day trophies, as well as producing England captains Graham Gooch, Keith Fletcher, Nassar Hussain, and more recently, Ashes hero & ‘Man of the Series' in 2011, Alistair Cook.

Chelmsford City Football Club play in the Blue Square Conference League South and have for the last three seasons been pushing for promotion to the highest level of non-league football, twice losing in the first round of the play-offs.
Chelmsford City's most famous feat is taking Birmingham City to a fourth round replay in the FA Cup in 1939, only to lose 6-0 to the First Division side. Jimmy Greaves, Nigel Spink, & Mervyn Day are some of the more well known former players for the Clarets.
With a supportive chairman, ambitious manager, and a strong playing squad, Chelmsford City Football Club expects to make an impact at the Football League level in the near future. Chelmsford, Essex is one of the largest settlements in the UK without a Football League team.

Chelmsford Chieftains Ice Hockey Club play at Chelmsford Riverside Ice & Leisure Centre and are only one of two ice hockey teams in Essex, the other being their fierce rivals, the Romford Raiders.
In 2008, the Chieftains took the tough decision to withdraw from English Premier Ice Hockey League after nine seasons, and now play in the English National Ice Hockey League. Since this move, they have been successful, dropping only one point in the entire 2008/2009 season.
Since there inception, the Chelmsford Chieftains motto has always been ‘Local Players' with the majority of the current crop of players having come through the junior set up. To emphasise this point, the club captain, who is chosen by the players themselves and not by the head coach, is given the title of ‘Mayor of Chelmsford'.

Famous Chelmsfordians
There have been a number of famous people born in Chelmsford, Essex over the years and can rightly lay claim to be a true Chelmsfordian.
Right across the whole spectrum, from famous footballers to Olympic swimmers, record breaking international Rugby Union players to politicians, pop stars to actors & actresses, and even a Turner Prize winning artist, Chelmsford has seen its fair share of famous people being born in the town over the past two hundred or so years.
In no particular order, please find below a list of famous Chelmsfordians. If you know of any others we have missed, please contact us and we will happily add them to the list.

Norman Fowler (born 1938) - Conservative politician who served as a member for Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet in the 1980's. Held a number of ministerial posts and was Chairman of the Conservative Party.

James Gibson (born 1980) - Former World Swimming Breast stroke Champion who competed at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Geoff Hurst (born 1941) - Former West Ham United & England footballer who scored a hat-trick in the World Cup Final. Despite Hurst being born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, he grew up in Chelmsford and is claimed by the town as one of their own.

Penny Lancaster (born 1971) - Fashion model. Known as ‘Hot Legs', but more famous for her relationship with singing legend Rod Stewart.

Harry Judd (born1985) - Drummer with the incredibly successful boy band McFly.

Nigel Spink (born 1958) - Former Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion, & England goalkeeper. Won a UEFA Cup final winners medal in 1982. Also played for Chelmsford City and was a junior goalkeeper at Writtle Minors football club.

Mervyn Day (born 1955) - Former professional footballer mainly for West Ham United. Also played for Aston Villa, Leyton Orient, Luton Town, Leeds United, Sheffield United and Carlisle United. Only goalkeeper ever to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Ian Stannard (born 1987) - Current English cycling track and road racing cyclist.

Grayson Perry (born1960) - Turner prize-winning artist. Mainly known for vase design and for cross-dressing as his alter ego, Claire.

Andy Jenkinson (born 1979) & Tom Jenkinson (born 1975) - Musician brothers, also known as "Ceephax Acid Crew" & as "Squarepusher" respectively.

George Clift King (born 1848) - Former Mayor of Calgary, Alberta, Canada and often known as Calgary's first citizen.

Anne Knight (born 1786) - Quaker. Pioneer of feminism & anti -slavery campaigner.

Amanda Root (born 1963) - TV & theatre actress. Voice of Sophie in the film of Roald Dahl's ‘The BFG'.

Malcolm O'Kelly (born 1974) Former Irish international rugby union player and once holder of the record number of caps for his country. Also played for the British Lions and Barbarians.

Leanne Lakey (born 1979) - Actress appearing in Eastenders, as Belinda Peacock, and Family Affairs. Played netball for Essex.

Tom Payne (born 1982) - Waterloo Road actor and played George Best in a BBC 2 film about the legendary Northern Ireland and Manchester United footballer.

Sir Nicholas Conyngham Tindal (born 1776) - Judge, lawyer, and for seventeen years, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Responsible for the introduction of the special verdict, "Not Guilty by reason of insanity", into English Law.

James Harper (born 1980) - Current professional footballer with Hull City. Turned down the chance to play for Ghana at the 2006 World Cup.

Peter Collins (born 1948) - Professional footballer with Tottenham Hotspur where he scored within 9 minutes of his debut. Also played for Chelmsford City.

Najma Akhtar (born 1962) - Jazz singer with a traditional Indian vocal ghazal style of music.

Liam Chilvers (born 1981) - Currently a professional footballer with Notts County. Product of the Arsenal Football academy.

Sarah Cracknell (born 1967) - Lead singer with the band, Saint Etienne. Daughter of the film director Stanley Kubrick's first assistant, Derek Cracknell.

Hazell Dean (born 1956) - Singer & songwriter, with three top ten singles in the 1980's.

Greg Halford (born 1984) - Professional footballer with Wolverhampton Wanderers, but is currently on loan at Portsmouth.

Did you Know? Other interesting Facts About Chelmsford
Chelmsford Cathedral is the second smallest cathedral in England, after Derby Cathedral? It was built in the 15th & early 16th centuries and was the parish church for the very prosperous medieval town.

Robert the Bruce may have been born in Chelmsford at Montpeliers Farm, in 1274. It is rumoured that he was born here, although some historians claim it was actually his father.

The 1979 film special of the TV series Porridge was filmed on location at Chelmsford Prison (while it was closed for repairs after a fire). In the film it was known as Slade Prison, with its most famous resident being Norman Stanley Fletcher played by the legendary comedian, Ronnie Barker.

In 1566, the first witch trial in a secular court in England was held in Chelmsford. The first of the witches to be tried was Elizabeth Frances, who confessed to using a cat called Sathan to harm a number of people. The cat was given to Agnes Waterhouse, who was found guilty and hung, but Elizabeth Frances was only sentenced to a year in prison.
In 1579, the unfortunate Elizabeth Frances appeared in the Second Chelmsford Witch Trial, where along with several other women, she was found guilty and hung.
The Third Chelmsford Witch Trail was held in 1589, which saw a further three women found guilty of witchcraft, and again, all of which were hung.

Despite being one of the most stressful places to work, Chelmsford is the second most healthy place to live in the UK it was revealed in a recent study by food supplement manufacturer Biocare. Residents take regular exercise and eat a healthy diet, although workers admit not taking their holiday allowance and working late nights.

In 2007, the Channel 4 property programme, ‘Location, Location, Location', voted Chelmsford as the eight best place to live in Great Britain, although it has since dropped out of the top 20 due to the list being constantly updated via the shows dedicated website.

As part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012, towns in the UK are encouraged to apply to become for ‘City' status. Chelmsford Borough Council has recently announced, (1st March 2011), that it will be applying and hopes that Chelmsfordians will get behind their bid.
This will mark the third occasion that the town has applied, after failing to achieve City status in 2000 Millennium awards, and the Queens Golden Jubilee awards of 2002.