STYLE took centre stage at a gala night celebrating the best of hairdressing in Essex. Hair salons from across the county joined Basildon and Chelmsford-based hairdressing school J&E Training for a black tie extravaganza to mark their annual achievement
THIS Saturday will be a proud and memorable day for Southend. The town is to be honoured with a VIP visit from the head of the British Army on a special day to mark the sacrifices of service men and women in past and present conflicts.
HUNDREDS of revellers turned out to enjoy a myriad of entertainers as Basildon went carnival crazy. This year’s Basildon and Pitsea Carnival was a community triumph, as baton twirlers, musicians, and street dancers paraded through the town alongside
THOUSANDS of people turned out for this year’s Castle Point Show. Crowds packed Canvey’s Waterside Farm Showground to sample a wide array of activities, entertaining stalls and colourful displays. With live tribute bands and DJs on stage, dancing performances
BRITAIN'S top soldier is to visit Essex on Saturday to take part in local Armed Forces Day celebrations. Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt will join veterans and serving soldiers parading on Southend High Street as part
A WOMAN who almost lost her leg in a freak accident has praised the actions of a vet and and off-duty paramedic who helped saved her her life, too. Wendy Knowles’s left knee was shattered and the skin torn from her leg in a horrific accident outside
BOOKS on poverty and a digital camera are among items claimed by James Duddridge. Under incidental expenses, the Tory member for Rochford and Southend East claimed £25 for three books from the Amazon website. He also claimed £236 for camera equipment
RAYLEIGH MP Mark Francois paid the town’s Conservative association £24,000 over four years from his expenses account. He also claimed £2,937 for website design and support in 2007/08, and paid an accountant £613 for tax advice on matters relating to
THE Southend West MP has paid back £106 of his expenses claims, despite previously telling the Echo no repayments were neccessary. David Amess made a statement saying both the Fees Office and Conservative Party scrutiny committee had said he was not
BASILDON MP Angela Smith has paid back more than £1,000 of wrongly claimed expenses on her second home. The Labour minister has joined a growing list of MPs who have paid back money, but says she spotted the mistake and volunteered the repayment, rather
EX-FORCES MP John Baron’s office expenses claim included a receipt for three action movies. The DVDs, bought as a three-for-two deal at WH Smith, were Robert DeNiro movie Men of Honour, thriller Man on Fire, starring Denzel Washington, and
A CROOK swiped a new mum’s handbag as she carried her baby from Basildon Hospital’s maternity unit. The 30-year-old woman is devastated, as the bag contained her diamond engagement ring. The woman was leaving the hospital, in Nethermayne, Basildon,
COUNCIL tenants are set to receive a cash boost from a lower-than-expected rent increase which will save them about £100 over the next year. Basildon Council has already increased charges by 5.8 per cent, but following a Government U-turn on the hikes
Firefighters from Leigh firestation have been called to a fire in Lansdowne Avenue near to its junction with Leigh Road. A tandoori restaurant is thought to be involved and a large plume of smoke has been reported.
A SCHEME designed to get people in Castle Point exercising regularly has won national recognition. Walk Tall organisers arrange 30-minute walks from various locations around the borough. Now Natural England has given Walk Tall, a project set up by
THE reopening of Southend’s Palace Hotel will create 60 new jobs for the town, bosses have said. The landmark hotel is being restored and will reopen later this year as the Park Inn Southend, part of the Rezidor Hotels group. At a Southend Business
TESCO has again been criticised for dropping low-cost housing from its new town centre store plan for Southend. The company said the economic situation made it no longer viable to include new affordable homes in its plan for the B&Q site next to Southend
I find it very strange how many people who don’t live in Basildon or Wickford are pro gipsies and travellers. My advice to them would be to come and live near them before they give an opinion. I own a property between the two major sites, this
Jousting, sheep racing, fishing, donkey rides and ferret racing are some of the activities advertised for the Robin Hood Country Show, in Southend. The show's website refers to “all aspects of country living, including country sports such as
Ian Robertson Councillor for public protection wants to ban dogs from the beaches stating it would help us gain a Blue Flag status. Do we still pump treated sewage into the estuary, or has this stopped? I’m sure as the tide comes back in the
John Haran is right to remind us David Amess believes he represents a safe seat (June 12). This much was clear in July 2008 when he was one of the MPs who blocked reform of the “John Lewis list” element of MPs’ expenses. MPs voting this way
It is possible people are unaware of Southend Council’s intention to construct a cycle track along the cinder path from Chalkwell to Leigh. Plans for this project are not yet complete, but although it will benefit a small number of cyclists,
Having recently visited Southend’s bandstand, at Priory Park, I must say it does Southend proud. Not only is it free, the entertainment is excellent. I was amazed and a little jealous of the performers from the Seasiders band and the
SUDDENLY finding your-self unable to catch your breath must be a frightening experience. However, it’s something with which thousands of people with the lung condition Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease have to cope every day. The disease covers
Poor old Hadleigh. With the Crown pub becoming a second drive-through fast food outlet, Morrisons usurping the Lookers site, another carwash, the fire station’s demise, all the empty shops, another chemist allowed right next door to an existing
A CONSULTATION has begun to learn rail passengers’ views about plans to provide extra rolling stock and more seats on trains. National Express East Anglia will spend the next 12 weeks asking what travellers think about proposals to provide 11,000 more
A MAN who aims to scale Britain’s three tallest peaks for a children’s hospice has hit a snag – his transport has broken down. Richard Hession and four friends from the Kent hospital where he works, are planning to attempt the Three Peaks Challenge
A GROUP of Southend United fans are to take on TV’s brainboxes on the BBC quizshow Eggheads. The six friends met online on the Shrimpers’ fan forum ShrimperZone, and decided to form a team to take part in the BBC2 show, hosted by Jeremy Vine. They will
PLANS for a huge eco-friendly power station in Crays Hill could be back on. Basildon councillors have met with KTI Energy over the firm’s plans to build a wood-burning power plant, even though the council had previously rejected proposals for such a
A COUNCILLOR has said he is worried about morale among council employees following the news they took more days off than expected. Tory councillor Tony Archer made the comments after a report revealed Basildon council had dropped below its target for
HUNDREDS of revellers turned out to enjoy a myriad of entertainers as Basildon went carnival crazy. This year’s Basildon and Pitsea Carnival was a community triumph, as baton twirlers, musicians, and street dancers paraded through the town alongside
A MAN is in a serious condition in hospital after he was viciously attacked with a pick axe handle. The assault took place in a flat in High Road, Benfleet in the early hours yesterday. Officers arrived at about 3.30am to find a 28-year-old man from
THOUSANDS of people turned out for this year’s Castle Point Show. Crowds packed Canvey’s Waterside Farm Showground to sample a wide array of activities, entertaining stalls and colourful displays. With live tribute bands and DJs on stage, dancing
A TEENAGE girl sexually assaulted in a Southend car park could have had her drinks spiked. It is believed the girl's drinks were spiked while she partied with friends in the Varsity club, in Chichester Road. The attack, which involved
A TEENAGE motorist, who smashed into a police car after a scuffle, has been ordered to spend three months in custody. Armed police had to be called after the 17-year-old accelerated towards officers on March 20. Prosecutor Bob Rowlingson told Southend
SPEEDING motorists got their comeuppance when cops armed with speed guns took to the streets. Officers from Pitsea carried out the crackdown on motorists flouting speed limits, after residents raised it as one of their top concerns. Residents highlighted
MORE than 100 pupils from St Mary’s Primary School, Boston Avenue, Southend, took part in a production of the musical, Calamity Jane. Years 4, 5 and 6 pupils took on roles in the play, as well as arranging the set design, lighting and stage
A FUNDRAISING night for a charity that provides support to families who have stillborn babies has raised nearly £900. Hazel Latcham, 62, and her daughter Jenni, 24, organised the night at the Maharaja restaurant, in Benfleet, after three couples, all
STUDENTS have brightened up Hadleigh’s Salvation Army farm with a mural. The 8ft by 18ft painting, depicting the seven days of creation, was crafted by Seevic College art and design students as part of their course. The colourful work has been mounted
HEALTH chiefs want to reduce the number of terminally-ill patients who die in Basildon Hospital. The plan is to boost end-of-life care by creating more hospices and improving home and residential care. This comes after health bosses admitted some
