AN abundance of stinging nettles may conjure up memories of sore legs and futile searches for dock leaves for many for us. But at Hadleigh park it means for a great day out foraging and a tasty lunch. I should have known better, however, than to turn
WHEN it comes to UK electronic music festivals, events like Creamfields, Global Gathering and South West Four lead the way. Their dominance of dance, however, could be about to change. That’s if Jimmy Lee has his way. The 26-year-old, along with his
POLICE swooped on an address in York Road after reports a man was threatening his neighbours with a seven-inch knife. Armed response units, dog units and four police cars surrounded a flat in York Road, just after 6.30pm yesterday. Police
A WAR veteran who survived five years of hard labour as a German prisoner of war will tell his story in a documentary marking the 70th anniversary of the famous Dunkirk evacuation of 1940. In one of the largest rescue operations of all time, more than
Southend Hospital's eye unit will introduce a new partial booking system to avoid losing vital appointments through cancellations and non-attendance. The new system will give patients the ability to choose appointments which suit them meaning that,
RESIDENTS are being urged to put their bins out early to make sure they are collected. Operational changes are being made to the way Rochford District Council collects rubbish to ensure collection vehicles will have shorter distances to travel
FORMER MP Angela Smith is to be made a member of the House of Lords. The former Labour minister of state is to be made a life peer after being recommended by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown to the Queen. Mrs Smith grew up in Basildon
THE world’s biggest Mexican-style fast-food chain, Taco Bell, has announced plans to open its first UK outlet – in Essex. The company will soon be selling burritos, quesadillas, and nachos at Lakeside Shopping Centre at the end of June. The move by
Canvey’s ageing Waterside Farm Leisure Centre could be replaced with a smart new facility, if the borough council accepts an offer from a leading construction firm. Swedish builder Skanska wants to build a multimillion pound sports centre
WORK to replace the crumbling road surface of a busy Southend Road will start at 9am Tuesday June 1. Resurfacing work on Whitehouse Road is expected to make the road surface stronger and smoother when the work ends a week later. Access for residents
A TALENTED young football freestyler has his sights set on the big time as he prepares to compete in a world championship. Reece Sargeant, of Green Lane, Eastwood, is hoping his ball control skills will win him the title in a competition in
Police have appealed for information to find a man who is wanted for a recall to prison. Pascal McGeoghan, 35, who also uses the first names Mark and Patrick, has been recalled after breaching his parole licence conditions. He is known to frequent
A MASTERPLAN has been drawn up to help soaring numbers of young people who are unemployed and not in education or training. There are 550 16 to 18-year-olds in this position across Basildon, Wickford and Billericay – more than any other district or borough
A MCDONALD’S drive-through has been given the go-ahead to open around the clock, but only for a year’s trial period. Southend councillors voted to approve plans by the global fast food giant to keep its branch on the Southend Airport retail park open
FOR clubbers, bank holidays are like buses. They wait ages for one, and then two come along in quick succession. But with an impressive range of artists lined up for the second long weekend of May, revellers in Southend are unlikely to be worrying about
POLICE are reappealing for witnesses to a crash in which two men are seriously injured. The crash happened on Oliver Road, Grays on Sunday May 9. During the crash two men were thrown from a green Peugeot. Both of the men are still at the Royal London
THE OLYMPIC flame could be carried through Southend on its way to the 2012 London games. Southend Council has put together a bid for the honour of having the Olympic Torch Relay in the borough, along with other councils in Essex. The
OUTRAGED families have launched a petition about a proposed needle exchange outside their homes. They fear drug addicts will be drawn to the car park outside the tower blocks in Coleman Street, Southend, if a van is set up there for addicts
ADVENTURER Phillip Harwood braved treacherous rapids, civil unrest and was even jailed with prostitutes as he undertook what he believes to be the first ever descent of the Congo river, in Africa. Phillip has just been honoured by the Duchess of Cornwall
DOG owners can take their pooches for a day out in the park. The Paws in the Park event is being held at WIck Country Park in Tresco Way, Wickford. There will be an obedience and agility display by the Billericay Dog Training School. The event takes
A WOMAN whose niece was stillborn is raising money for a special place at Basildon Hospital which helps grieving families. Jenna Tucker, 24, has organised a charity evening for the Forget Me Not room in the Maternity Unit, where women are taken
A 10-year-old boy had a lucky escape after he was in collision with a car. The boy was in Darenth Lane in South Ockendon when he was hit by a silver Toyota 4X4. He was taken to Basildon Hospital following the crash, which happened at 6.20pm on Thursday
Recently, I was amused to see a new cycle track being used by a jogger who was holding up two cyclists behind him. Another cyclist appeared to be oblivious of the cycle track and was still using the road. I have a feeling we will soon be seeing
Reading Echo (May 20), there were two items that beggared belief. First, the story of an untaxed vehicle being pushed on to the road so grass could be cut for someone’s funeral. Within hours a council unit was on hand to clamp the vehicle on
Ralph Walker commented about seeing an oyster under Southend Pier, which obviously surprised him. Having been a sea angler for more than 50 years, always digging my own bait, I can tell him there are now many thousands of immature oysters off
A report by the House of Lords in June last year indicated Scotland was receiving a £25billion subsidy from England under the Barnett formula. This has given it benefits, particularly in health and education, denied to the English. The Tories
PAUL Benson will achieve a life-long ambition when he walks out at Wembley this weekend. But the Dagenham and Redbridge striker will only be fully satisfied by winning promotion. Benson, who just five years ago was playing in the Essex Olympian League
Malcolm Buckley, Basildon councillor responsible for the environment, should not be making threats of housing estates to be built on Basildon Golf Course simply because the defenders of the site are concerned with the area’s biodiversity being
Seafront traders are angry because a car park is being closed for the airshow weekend (May 21). In answer, the council says it is encouraging visitors to use public transports. It claims bus operators will be supplying additional buses during
A CAMPAIGNER who is pressing for a shake-up in local politics has welcomed Government moves to give councils more freedom to choose how they are run. Colin Letchford, from Canvey, has almost 3,000 signatures on his petition calling for an elected mayor
CLAMPERS have been kicked off a car park after the landowner heard about the exorbitant fees being charged to release motorists. The Echo has reported on a number of drivers forced to pay hundreds of pounds in fees after their vehicles were clamped behind
COPS have been out in force patrolling an estate hit by a wave of car crime. Just last week, it was reported residents on the Five Links estate, in Laindon, were at the end of their tether after cars were broken into and two cars were torched by vandals
A COUPLE whose home went up in flames have thanked their neighbours for rallying round to help them. Mick and Kathleen Judd were devastated when their bungalow in Wick Lane, Wickford, was destroyed on Tuesday afternoon. They lost most of their possessions
FOUR of Southend’s beaches have been rated as having excellent water quality in the latest Good Beach Guide. The Marine Conservation Society, which rates beaches for the 2010 guide, gave the highest recommended status for East Beach, in Shoebury
FASTER trains and stations to be staffed all the time – that is what a rail passenger watchdog has outlined as its main priorities for the c2c line. The contract for the Shoebury to Fenchurch Street line is up for grabs from next year and the
Southend Hospital has been served with two legal notices to improve its services. The first relates to a failure to meet Government targets for waiting times. Patients should wait no longer than 62 days following an urgent GP referral for treatment
THE amazing work done by St Luke’s Hospice is clear. Anyone who has had a loved one cared for there knows all too well the hospice is a necessity, not just a nicety. Yet despite being in more demand than ever to help people through terminal
THE number of pupils regularly absent from school has risen in Essex primary and secondary schools. Figures released by the Department for Education show the number of persistent absentees from the county’s schools has gone up 2.3 per cent, to 6,950.
LITTLE over a month ago, the skies above Southend were free of vapour trails and the drone of jet engines as the Icelandic volcano wreaked havoc to UK air travel. In little under two days, those same skies will be filled with smoke streams and the roaring
SOUTHEND United boss Steve Tilson has made little progress in his search for a new assistant manager. Tilson’s long term number two Paul Brush was dismissed last March following a 3-0 defeat at Hartlepool United. He was briefly replaced
THE stark words of an ex-burglar rang through the ears of shoppers as part of a crackdown on break-ins. People stopped to watch the filmed interview with the former crook, who told how easy it was to get into houses. Shown on a giant TV screen, the
DAMIAN Scannell is close to committing his future to Southend United. The 25-year-old winger produced a series of fine displays for Blues last season before breaking his foot against Walsall in March. But he now looks set to still be
