MOST people claim it was a specific event that led them to choose their vocation. It might be a six-year-old who decides to be a nurse after confidently applying a plaster to a friend’s scraped knee, or a scientist looking back to when they first asked
IT’S 7pm on a winter’s night and the streets of Great Wakering are ghostly quiet. The large groups of youths often occupying street corners elsewhere in south Essex are nowhere to be seen. And anyone walking into the village’s youth club would
A small but quality line-up of Southend’s youngsters hit the Chelmsford Indoor Centre for the Eastern Indoor Championships. They collected no less than 13 medals with two of the outstanding youngsters, an under-15 and an under-13, enjoying remarkable
A SCULPTOR gave schoolchildren the chance to make their own works of art during a visit to his studios. Aden Hynes, of the Sculpture Studio, in Southfields industrial estate, Laindon, helped children from East Tilbury Infant School cast an assortment
AN MP is urging residents to take part in a consultation over controversial plans to reduce the number of GP surgeries in Billericay and replace them with one “super clinic”. Tory John Baron wants residents to make their views clear about plans to shake
A SUMMERhouse built illegally on green belt in Benfleet will not be torn down following a meeting of the development control committee. Castle Point Council refused a retrospective planning application for the summer house, in Mount Road, last March.
COPS swooped on a suspected stolen car in the middle of rush-hour traffic. Officers from Basildon were alerted the black Mitsubishi Shogun might be stolen after it activated one of the town’s automated number plate recognition cameras. The cameras scan
TRIBUTES have been paid to a Benfleet historian described by family and friends as a warm and giving person. Geoffrey Johnson recently lost his battle with cancer aged 69. Many will fondly remember him for his work in the community. Geoff, as most people
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to save Billericay High Street after four independent shops shut in just two months. MP John Baron, Billericay Town Council and the Billericay Chamber of Commerce have joined forces to urge residents to spend and preserve
For years, countless letters have been written with regard to the restoration of Southend Pier. They all seem to have an underlying suggestion that Southend could return to being a holiday resort equal to places such as Blackpool. Yet even in its heyday
A YOUNG family have been left homeless after their five-year-old son picked up a stray match and accidentally started a fire. Little Kameron Fincher took a match from the kitchen of his Colchester Road home after his mum left the room for a
Southend Council intends to introduce dog control orders soon which will severely restrict where owners can give their dogs proper exercise. Most dog owners I have approached have heard nothing about it, but there is still time to register objections
I was heartened by the love Conservative leader David Cameron and his wife showed for their son Ivan who died last week. Here was a little boy severely disabled and suffering from epilepsy, who could do little, if anything, for himself, yet he was loved
It may be that on the surface people want a non-religious service (Feb 25), but I can see one of the deficiencies of this new service is there is no pastoral care for the bereaved following the funeral. People need to deal with their feelings of grief
I have a great deal of sympathy and support for the groups opposed to still more developments of high rise flats, like the ones proposed for the site of the former college in Carnarvon Road, Southend. There is already a high level of vacant property
It would be nice to know the times of buses leaving Shoebury’s Asda for Southend. Is it too much to ask for a timetable to be displayed at this location? There has never been one here for buses heading to Southend and yet an electronic sign has been
A FATHER-OF-TWO stepped in front of a lorry the day after he was released from a mental health unit. Neil McGregor, 45, died after he was hit by the articulated lorry on the A130 near the Sadlers Farm roundabout at 12.30pm on Tuesday.
A CHANDELIER which is more than 200 years old will be blessed by the Bishop of Chelmsford on Sunday. The Rt Rev John Gladwin will visit St Andrew’s, in Rochford, to rededicate a brass chandelier which was installed in the tower entrance of the church
PLAYTIME has got a whole lot more exciting for youngsters at a Basildon primary school after their playground was given a £26,000 revamp. Youngsters at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, in Elsenham Crescent, Basildon, came back from half term and
A LANDMARK church in the heart of Rayleigh has secured a £109,000 handout from English Heritage to stop its tower crumbling into disrepair. Holy Trinity Church, a Grade II* listed building, won the grant to restore its 15th century tower, which is suffering
A PANTO is being held to raise funds for wheelchair-bound twins who suffer with cerebral palsy. Rochford District Players are performing Cinderella this week to raise money for seven-year-olds Billy and Grace Gibbons. The money raised will go towards
CAR parks run by Rochford District Council have been given a special award by the Association of Chief Police Officers for reducing crime and the fear of crime in parking areas. All nine of the council’s pay and display car parks in Rayleigh, Hockley
AN office was evacuated after debris between two buildings caught fire. It is thought a discarded cigarette sparked the small fire when it set light to rubbish and leaves that had accumulated in a six-inch gap between the office buildings on Nelson Street
THE latest round of interest rate cuts has been met with cautious optimism. Business leaders in Essex have welcomed the move by the Bank of England yesterday to cut rates to 0.5 per cent. But they fear the move could hit savers hard and will work only
PUPILS and their parents joined together to get some tips on exam revision at a special workshop. The event was held at Cornelius Vermuyden School and Arts College on Canvey. It was designed to give Year 11 students, who are set to take their GCSEs
YOBS attacked a medieval museum just after it received a £15,000 makeover. Southchurch Hall Museum had cladding tiles ripped from the building in the attack. Vandals caused £200 damage to the 14th century listed building by tearing the
A CONVICTED thief who stole more than 50 gold rings from a jewellery shop has been locked up for seven months. Scott Kennedy, 21, walked into Stuarts Jewellers in Rayleigh High Street, in February, and grabbed a tray of rings worth £4,000 from behind
THE management of Basildon Council’s three fishing lakes has changed hands for the first time in 16 years. The council has awarded the contract to run lakes at Gloucester Park, Northlands Park and Lake Meadows to Basildon Angling Centre. This leaves
A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER has celebrated her 100th birthday with a tea for friends and family at a Southend nursing home. Lily Klinger also played host to Southend mayor Gwen Horrigan who dropped in to Raymond House, Clifton Terrace, to join the party on Monday
BOWLING enthusiasts had a helping hand from the mayor of Southend at the switch-on of their new outdoor lights. Mayor Gwen Horrigan switched on the lights at the Priory Park Pavilion in front of members from Priory Park Associated Bowling Clubs, based
I could not believe my eyes as I walked my children to school through Coombewood Drive in Thundersley and saw the workmen taking down the beautiful cherry trees that adorned the pavements. What an earth is the council thinking of? A person who lives
Basildon professional Stuart Bingham admits he badly needs a good run in this season’s World Championship to rescue his year. The new towner started the season 21st in the official rankings but was rated 15th in the provisional list and looked set for
RYMAN ONE NORTH: Tilbury will be in good heart at their home encounter with Waltham Forest. Dockers reached the semi-finals of the League Cup — they host Billericay Town on Tuesday week — with a second successive home success over Premier opposition.
Blue sq south: Thurrock may eventually fail in their bid to escape relegation, but they certainly won’t go without a fight. Having pulled off a 1-1 home draw with Essex rivals Bromley last weekend, they achieved a similar result when they visited promotion-chasers
Blue sq premier: Grays will be hoping for plenty of new support as they step-up attempts at beating the drop tomorrow. Visitors to the New Rec are mid-table Altrincham and, as part of the Grays Football Foundation’s incentives for soccer in the community
RYMAN ONE NORTH: Having hit the top with Tuesday’s win at bottom club Hillingdon Borough, East Thurrock United will be looking to open a gap over the next four days. After tomorrow’s visit to a Thamesmead Town side who were beaten at Great Wakering Rovers
RYMAN ONE NORTH: Concord Rangers joint boss Danny Scopes was delighted to be named as Ryman One North manager of the month for February. He said: “Although I’m the one named, it’s very much an award for my joint manager Danny Cowley and myself. “In
RYMAN PREMIER: Billericay Town’s joint manager Jason Broom insists that his side must now find consistency if they are to make a realistic late run for the play-offs. The New Lodge side revived hopes of being involved in the promotion mix with Tuesday
TOMORROW ESSEX OLYMPIAN LEAGUE Essex Junior Cup semi-final: Kelvedon Hatch v Alemite. Premier Div: Benfleet v M&B Club, Faces v White Ensign, Galleywood v Frenford Senior, Harold Wood Ath v Potter St, Manford Way v Epping, Mountnessing Boca v Kelvedon
RYMAN ONE NORTH:Great Wakering Rovers go into tomorrow’s home derby with Aveley on the back of three wins on the trot in an eight-day spell. But they know they must keep their own former star striker Neil Richmond quiet tomorrow if they are to continue
RYMAN PREMIER: Canvey Island soccer boss John Batch insists there was nothing to learn from Tuesday night’s 4-0 home defeat by relegation-threatened Kent side, Margate. The match was played in near gale force winds and driving rain and was abandoned
Belhus Cricket Club celebrates its 50th Anniversary in 2010 and is researching the club’s history.Contact either youth chairman Cliff Cansdale on ccansdale@hotmail.com 07817 066935 or club president Denis Reed on reed.denis@tiscali.co.uk 07902 307919.
Southend Judo Club continued its winning form when its members competed in the Harlow Judo Championships — taking six medals from eight competitors. Murray Stenhouse, Lewis Turan-sky, Jarryd Nichols, George Abbott and Luca Ramsey-Guidici all won bronze
Southend hockey club’s mens’ first team gained revenged for an 8-2 drubbing earlier on in the season by defeating Fords 3-1 away from home. The Seasiders started brightly, taking the game to their in-form opponents and when Tristan Handley fed Neil
BASILDON Athletic Club’s Kim Wall is hoping to be in action for Great Britain in the Indoor European Championship in Turin this weekend. Wall has been named in the squad for the 4x400m relay and is keen to make the final four for the straight final which
Basildon’s Andy Law went straight from football training to Westley Heights to win the Crown to Crown 5k “Run for a Child” race. The event was organised by Pitsea Running Club in aid of the Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society charity. Although
WESTCLIFF head to Ruislip tomorrow looking to end a run of poor results. The Aviation Way-based side have suffered eight straight defeats. And they will have their work cut out at their fifth placed hosts. Westcliff remain second from bottom in the
A handful of Basildon athletes showed the golden touch when they competed in the Eastern Indoor Championships with considerable success. Gold was certainly the flavour of the day with sprinters Ryan O’Sullivan (under-15 7.4secs ) and Kirsty Shepherd
SOUTHEND Rugby Club coach Ben Green wants his side to forget the pressure of their league position when they host Stourbridge tomorrow. The Seasiders have suffered a catastrophic 13 straight league defeats. They are currently languishing second from
BRITISH Transport Police have released a picture of a man who is wanted in connection with an attempted robbery of three teenagers on a train last month. The incident happened on board the 9.34pm Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria rail service
FIREFIGHTERS were called to an early morning fire at a house in Pitsea. Neighbours raised the alarm after seeing thick black smoke was seen pouring from the terraced property in Braemar Walk at around 5.50am. Crews from Basildon used thermal imaging
A MAN was carried unconscious from a Southchurch takeaway after a suspected arson attack. Firefighters rescued the 48-year-old from the Curry and Chicken King takeaway, in Sutton Road, shortly after 1.30am yesterday. Crews from Southend and Leigh attended
A WOMAN in her thirties was airlifted to hospital after falling from her horse. The accident happened in Hullbridge Road, Rayleigh, at about 11am yesterday. A rapid response vehicle, ambulance and the Essex Air Ambulance were sent to the scene. Paramedic
RAIL passengers faced major delays when a power failure caused signalling problems on the c2c line. Those using the line between London and Southend suffered delays and last- minute train cancellations after a problem at Pitsea station.
SOUTHEND United midfielder Alan McCormack insists continuity, confidence and an increased work-load have revived the Shrimpers season. Steve Tilson’s side seemed set to be dragged into a relegation dogfight at the foot of the table. But they have now
NOT many people want to be labelled with the tag “the biggest loser” but two Billericay super slimmers certainly don’t mind. Ken Westkett, 63, lost three stones and Joan Johnson, 77, lost four, each within six months after they started going to Slimming
SOUTHEND United manager Steve Tilson has missed out on signing another striker on loan. The Blues boss had been keen to bolster his injury-hit forward line ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Walsall at Roots Hall. But he has been left disappointed after
AN extended family gathered at St Gabriel’s Church hall, Pitsea, on Saturday. They came from across the east and south-east of England, covered five generations, and embraced many different surnames. But this diverse bunch all had one
