FAMILY has always come first for Edith Ward, who celebrated her 100th birthday. Mrs Ward had many of her extended family around her for her party at Nazareth House, where she has lived for ten months. She had lived alone in Rochford since her husband
AMERICAN-STYLE yellow school buses could soon be a common sight on Essex roads. First is spearheading a campaign to reduce the number of cars used during the school run, by encouraging children to take dedicated buses. Several schemes already operate
ALASTAIR Cook smashed his maiden One-Day International century as England beat India by 104 runs in the opening NatWest Series match at The Rose Bowl. Essex opener Cook scored 102 of his side's 288-2, with Ian Bell adding 126 not out and Kevin Pietersen
JUST 12 months on from playing non-league football, Basildon boy Michael Kightly was buzzing' after making his England Under-21 debut last night. The former Grays Athletic and Southend United, who is currently starring in the Championship with Wolverhampton
WHEN two young lovers ran away to Scotland to get married having known each other less than three months, their families never thought it would last. But 50 years later Charles and Margaret van-Kempen proved them wrong as they celebrated their golden
A WOMAN was shocked when a video projector she bought to watch Sky TV intercepted CCTV images of a primary school. Tori Heales, from Canvey, settled on her sofa to watch an episode of American show, CSI, only to be faced with shots of Northwick Park
This car got stuck after it hit a bollard and a road sign yesterday, at the roundabout on London Road and Queensway, Southend.
BILLERICAY'S historic clock is leaving town after more than a century of keeping time. The 110-year-old timepiece will soon be removed from its perch on St Mary Magdalen Church, in the High Street, and taken to Derby for vital repair works. Work first
A TRAIL-BLAZING plan has been revealed to join Essex County Council together with a district council under one chief executive. The county council plans to join forces with Brentwood Council to bring services together and provide a single point of contact
SHOPPERS could have taken a bus into Basildon and left with their own set of wheels when the town centre held its first ever motor show. The show featured more than 25 cars including Fords, Mazdas and Fiats, over the weekend. While the adults were busy
A PUBLIC meeting has been called over fears Wickford is being overrun with flats. Wickford Action Group, which formed to fight what it sees as over-development of the town, has arranged its second get-together as plans for the town's masterplan gather
PATIENTS at a Rayleigh surgery have had their medical notes centralised so they can be accessed by doctors across the country. Audley Mills Surgery, in Eastwood Road, Rayleigh, is now on a more efficient IT system called SystemOne. This means that wherever
A LABOURER who admitted punching and headbutting a stranger in the face in an unprovoked attack at a train station faces jail when he is sentenced next month. Garry White, 24, of Kelvedon Close, Rayleigh, pleaded guilty to assaulting Tristan Shelley
A PLEA has been made to a charity shop supporter who has bought a number of VHS tapes, which were mistakenly donated during a house clear-out. Two of the tapes are of sentimental value to their owner Michelle Garwood because the footage is of her grandmother
THE long-awaited new Somerfield supermarket in Rochford town centre will open its doors for the first time on Wednesday, bringing 75 new jobs to the town. Rochford District Council has been trying to attract a supermarket to the town for nearly 20 years
A gambling addict who helped fund his habit with thousands of pounds of fraudulent benefit claims has won a reduction in the amount he has to pay back. Raymond Bartaby, 48, of Alderney Gardens, Wickford, was ordered to repay £51,152 and sentenced to
CABBIES are boycotting Pitsea station because they are fed up with abuse from drivers who park on the taxi rank. The arguments started when the old rank signs were removed a year ago. The drivers hoped the problem would be solved when new parking bays
WHEN two young lovers ran away to Scotland to get married having known each other less than three months, their families never thought it would last. But 50 years later Charles and Margaret van-Kempen proved them wrong as they celebrated their golden
THE SKULL of a teenage girl has been unearthed on a former shop site. Builders digging up the former Rumbelows electrical store in West Street, Rochford, made the macabre find. Matt Gilvray, 33, is working as a contractor for Price Construction and
A FAMILY fear their lives will be torn apart and homes bulldozed to make way for a bypass to link two major south Essex roads. Retired farmer Ronnie May, 77, and his daughter will lose their neighbouring homes if proposals to link the A13 and A130 at
A POLICE community support officer has been arrested on suspicion of deception. The officer, who is based at South Ockendon, was arrested in connection with her utility bills. Essex Police were tight-lipped over the exact nature of the alleged offences
A THUG who stamped on a man's head during an "unprovoked" attack has avoided jail. Lee Marshall was lying in a ditch after he had been beaten up by a gang of yobs, when Darren Foster approached him and stamped on his head. Mr Marshall, 19, was left
CABBIES are boycotting Pitsea station because they are fed up with abuse from drivers who park on the taxi rank. The arguments started when the old rank signs were removed a year ago. The drivers hoped the problem would be solved when new parking bays
A DESPERATE man forged his wife's signature to take out a £75,000 loan. Alan Guy, 51, of Barnwell Drive, Hockley, knew his wife Joanne Guy would never agree to a loan secured on their home, but decided to borrow the cash in both their names anyway.
A WOMEN'S shop held a breast cancer awareness day to inform customers about the disease. Feathering Your Nest, which is in the Berry's Arcade in High Street, Rayleigh, specialises in women's accessories and home decorations. It hosted a breast cancer
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a BMX bike track in ancient woodland look set to be shelved following fierce opposition. Councillors provisionally agreed to create the dirt jump track in West Wood, to give youngsters in Thundersley and Hadleigh a place
A CONTROVERSIAL human rights activist who spent months living with travellers at Dale Farm has left. Zach Scott, 26, a human rights volunteer for the Washington-based Advocacy Project, chronicled his 12-week stay with on an internet blog. This described
AMBITIOUS plans for a new £10million swimming pool have been unveiled - even though no cash has yet been found for the project. Southend Council has hired leading architects Saville Jones to submit a planning application for the new pool at Southend
A GAMBLING addict who helped fund his habit with thousands of pounds of fraudulent benefit claims has won a reduction in the amount he has to pay back. Raymond Bartaby, 48, of Alderney Gardens, Wickford, was ordered to repay £51,152 and sentenced to
ON a positive note, it is good news that the refurbishment of the Victoria Plaza shopping centre is almost complete. Bill Harkness, boss of Delamere Estates, deserves credit for getting on with something other developers have promised, but never achieved
PLANS for a new swimming pool at the Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre in Garon Park are to be welcomed. The existing Warrior Square pool is well past its best and no longer suitable for competitive swimming. But - and it is a very big but - the real
WEST Ham defender Matthew Upson has disputed Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce's claim that he is not good enough to play for England. The centre back - who won seven international caps under Bruce during his time at St Andrews - moved to Upton Park
SOUTHEND Rugby Club's star centre Faapulou Soolefai made an impressive return to action at Warners Bridge on Saturday. The powerful Samoan, who is nicknamed Hats by his team-mates, scored more than 30 tries to help Southend win National League Three
KIDS had a fantastic time letting off steam at a new roller disco on Canvey. More than 60 children packed the hall at Waterside Farm Sports Centre to perfect their skating moves in time to the latest chart hits. The centre's smoke and bubble machines
DIRECTOR-actor Simon Richards, 47, is setting off to travel the world. Mexico, Thailand, Australia, Florida are all on the itinerary. He says: "I'll probably mount the odd show here and there for the ex-pat community - once a showman always a showman
CHILDREN enjoyed a trip to Never Never Land during a Peter Pan-themed day at Hadleigh Castle Country Park. Families were challenged to hunt through the maize maze collecting items from six costumed characters to win a prize. Captain Hook, Smee and
A talk on Historic London Churches is being held at St Laurence Church, Eastwoodbury Lane, on Friday August 31 starting at 7.30pm. Cost is £6 including wine and nibbles.
I was at the party which was the subject of E Negus's letter about noisy parties in Marcus Avenue, Thorpe Bay. There are two sides to every story. It was a garden tea party which lasted between 3.30pm and 6.30pm. Most of the attendees was in their sixties
There will be a by-election for the vacant Southend Borough Council seat in Shoeburyness ward next month. The Conservative councillors' By-election Special newsletter suggests there are no plans to build a car park on East Beach, Shoebury.
I am concerned about plans to replace two bungalows in Weir Gardens, Rayleigh, with a threestorey block of 14 flats. This area of Rayleigh mainly consists of bungalows. There were 31 letters of objection from nearby residents, plus objections
I agree we need more petrol stations in Southend (Letters, August 14), but I feel there is an easier answer for the time being. I live just down the road to the BP garage in London Road, Westcliff and use it regularly. Since the garage started to sell
I have read about the concerns of residents about the proposed BMX bike facility in West Wood, Hadleigh. I have now experienced the first episode of antisocial behaviour related to this proposal. It was when some sweet soul sent out an anonymous and
The Echo Comment in respect of our young soldiers states they deserve our support for decades to come (August 16). Sadly, this is unlikely to happen. Historically - and to our shame - the British regard returning soldiers as lesser beings. After the
An open air church service is being held on Sunday, August 26. It will take place in the grounds of Rayleigh Methodist Church, Eastwood Road, Rayleigh. All are welcome at 10.45am. Call 01268 741043 for details.
A MAN was rescued from his flat after a smouldering cigarette set fire to his bed. The 35-year-old was semi-conscious as he was hauled to safety by two firefighters. Smoke had filled the one-bedroom ground floor flat in Manor Road, Westcliff, when firefighters
ONE man was arrested and another had his car seized as part of a police blitz on drink drivers. As part of the summer campaign aimed at motorists getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol, officers from the Laindon Road Policing Unit patrolled
SOUTHEND United manager Steve Tilson has explained his decision to bring goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan back into the side for Saturday's defeat at Leeds United. Many supporters had expected Tilson to stick with Steve Collis at Elland Road after the the
A charity golf day is being staged at the Ballards Gore Golf Club on Wednesday Septmber 5. Cost for bacon rolls and coffee togwther with 18 holes of golf and a three course evening meal is £37 per person and the event is for teams of four. Proceeds
MICHAEL Kightly will continue to shine at the highest level of the game, according to Mark Stimson - the man who rescued him from the footballing scrapheap. Stimson signed the winger for Grays Athletic on a free transfer after he was released by Southend
THE long-awaited refurbishment of Southend's Victoria Plaza shopping centre is on target for completion by Christmas. The £27million refit will see the centre rebranded as the Victoria with a new image. Coffee shop chain Starbucks has now joined fashion
UP to 40 people were evacuated from an engine testing laboratory at Ford Dunton after the basement filled with smoke. Fire alarms went off in the Power Train Development Laboratory, where Ford engineers test new engines, at 3.51pm yesterday. All the
CHARLIE Dimmock is coming to the Southend Summer Garden Show this weekend to offer help and advice with your garden. The annual event, held at Garons Park, is now in its third year and has become a popular event for outdoor living and garden lovers
The monthly meeting of Rayleigh Castle Townswomen's Guild takes place on Wednesday, August 22. There will be a talk on "Conservation in South East Essex" by Cliff Moore from Essex Wildlife Trust at 7.45pm. It takes place at the Methodist Church Hall
SCENIC shots of Southeast Essex by amateur photographers from a group of dementia sufferers will feature in a 2008 calendar due on sale next month. Carers for the men and women who have taken the digital pictures hope the published works will stimulate
FOOTBALL was the common cause that brought people together in the name of charity. A tournament was held between teams from Catholic United, Old Southendians, Leigh Ramblers, Rochford Town and guest team, Milton Athletic. Organiser Sinclair Walton hopes
THE new Grooms Shaftesbury home for disabled people at Kenway Court, Prittlewell, has been given a £41,000 cash boost. The money will be used for fitting electronic equipment into two of the residents' rooms, buying a motorised opening system for the
SOUTHEND Carnival has revealed the results of the best floats this year. Class A Trading Organisations 1st ASDA-Shoebury 2nd Ann Summers Party Plan 3rd Land of Make Believe Class B Non-trading organisations 1st Mushroom Theatre Club 2nd Art
THEY turned out in droves to say farewell to Southender Sonny Perry - legions of Rotarians, Round Tablers, Masons and others packing Christ Church, Thorpe Bay, and reflecting just some of the many interests and involvements of a remarkable man. Cancer
FAMILIES are being invited to enjoy a free family day with a serious message. Southend Children's Fund and Turning Tides will be hosting a Stay Safe Family Day in Southchurch Park, Southend, on Thursday August 30. On between 11am and 3pm, there will
A FAMILIAR face to Basildon bus users has been hailed a superstar for helping an elderly woman find her bus pass. Darren Hubbard, 41, drives the 5 and 8 buses between Basildon, Pitsea, and Laindon for First. The company's monthly Superstar scheme gives
A TOP student from South Woodham achieved six A-grade A-levels this year and celebrated by living it up at the V Festival. Along with millions of teenagers across the country, Dawn Kelly, 18, a Chelmsford County High School for Girls sixth-former, woke
RICHARD Turner survived a lashing from Anne Robinson's acid tongue - and walked away with £1,300, as a Weakest Link winner. The self-confessed Leigh quiz addict beat eight other contestants to win the cash on the BBC One general knowledge show. Mr
A GRAYS publican will swap pulling pints for the road trip of a lifetime touring India on a vintage motorcycle. Easy riding Glenn Walters, 50, of the Bricklayer's Arms, Bridge Road, will be swapping Carling for a Cobra as he embarks on a round trip from
