IF you want searing insights into the human condition, go to Shakespeare, but for sheer rollicking entertainment value on an epic scale, choose Terry Pratchett. Thalian Theatre Group has done the latter with its staging of the novel, Wyrd Sisters, from
SOUTHEND’S very own photographic night crawler has been out and about, capturing the bright lights of town after dark. Mark Thomasson, 21, has followed in the footsteps of his father, Vic, by making a living via the lens. Vic Thomasson worked as a travel
FAMILY and friends of Southend heart-throb Lee Mead have spoken of their delight after the announcement he is engaged to his Basildon-born girlfriend Denise Van Outen. Former Eastwood School pupil Lee, 27, proposed to Denise, 34, at their home in Kent
A HOLIDAYMAKER has described the moment 50ft waves smashed into the side his luxury cruise liner in the middle of Mediterranean. Dan Carlin, 59, a road safety officer of Sherborne Gardens, Prittlewell, and his partner Rosemary booked a ten-night cruise
CONCORD Rangers will be looking to recapture the winning habit when they host fellow play-off hopefuls Waltham Abbey at Thames Road tomorrow. Rangers saw their League Cup hopes and 12 match unbeaten run come to an end when they lost at home to Premier
GREAT Wakering Rovers will be without unavailable full-back Grant Kohry-Davinson and recent midfield signing Gray Ogilvie for tomorrow’s visit of Leyton. It will leave the village hosts a little short on the left-hand side, but both Jack O’Connor and
BILLERICAY Town joint boss Jason Broom reckons his side need to win 12 or 13 of their last 18 league games if they are to be in the play-off push. Despite a battling home league success over AFC Hornchurch last week, and an edgy League Cup win over Division
CANVEY Island boss John Batch feels his side have sown the seeds of a revival. After a bleak run of five straight defeats, Gulls produced an outstanding battling display to earn a goalless draw at fellow play-off hopefuls Sutton United last weekend.
IN-FORM West Ham striker Carlton Cole has thanked manager Gianfranco Zola for helping him rediscover his killer instinct in front of goal. The 25-year-old, who was a trainee at Chelsea during Zola's playing days at Stamford Bridge, took his tally to
WEST Ham manager Gianfranco Zola must decide whether to change a winning side in the Barclays Premier League match at Arsenal tomorrow. Carlton Cole and David Di Michele were both on target in the 2-0 win over Hull on Wednesday, but new signing Savio
ORIENTAL dancing and traditional calligraphy were just some of the skills pupils at a Canvey school learnt as part of their Chinese New Year celebrations. Canvey Junior School held a host of activities for pupils to welcome in the Chinese Year of the
A PETITION demanding traffic lights are placed at a mini-roundabout on Canvey has been presented to Essex County Council leader Lord Hanning-field. More than 250 people have called for the changes to be made at the junction, between Somnes Avenue and
SOUTHEND United midfielder Anthony Grant will miss tomorrow's clash with Bristol Rovers after picking up a hamstring problem. Grant missed Tuesday night's 2-0 defeat at Leeds United through suspension and will again not figure this weekend.
HEALTH chiefs have bowed to public pressure and decided to keep open Shoebury House. Residents had reacted angrily to the consultation for a new health centre in Gunners Park, which included proposals to close Shoebury House. It was expected the deteriorating
A NEW nightclub will open in Grays town centre. The disused basement club, in the Queensgate Centre, has been sold to Christie and Co. London operator Owen Mcleod hopes to capitalise on the lack of competition in the town and on the location’s links
A ROW broke out at a community meeting over plans to cut the number of lorries using a rat run. Residents living in and around High Road, Langdon Hills, put forward a plan to seal off the road at its junction with Staneway because of the amount of traffic
HAIR, beauty and fashion students at Thurrock and Basildon College showcased their skills on the catwalk. They sashayed in front of family and friends in the main hall of the college’s Grays campus, sporting the latest fashion, hair and make-up
A PUSH to get more residents across Basildon to exercise is working. A national study has shown a jump in the number of people getting active. Basildon Council is celebrating the welcome statistics, which reveal a 2.6 per cent growth in sport participation
BASILDON Council has been attacked for spending even more cash on refurbishing its headquarters. Labour group leader Lynda Gordon has slammed the council’s plans to completely refurbish three rooms in the Basildon Centre which are used by the political
A SOLDIER from Southend is taking part in a two-week military skiing competition in the Austrian Alps. Lance Corporal Jason Redhill is competing against servicemen and women from across the country in the gruelling British Army Telemark Skiing Championships
COMMUTERS have praised c2c rail, backing a survey in which passengers have ranked the firm one of the best in the UK. Figures released from the National Passenger Survey show 90 per cent of commuters using the Shoebury to London Fenchurch Street line
PUPILS at a Southend primary school have been enjoying a week of performing arts workshops, thanks to the help of creative pupils from the town’s secondary schools. Children at St Mary’s Primary School, enjoyed dance, drama and music sessions with students
THE Government has set aside £4.5million to help hard-up south Essex householders keep warm and save energy in their homes. Residents in Castle Point, Basildon, Southend, Thurrock and Rochford should soon be able to apply for a share of the money to
EMERGENCY peace talks are being organised between Basildon’s warring taxi firms. David Abrahall, head of licensing on Basildon Council, is organising a summit meeting between A and B Taxis and Value Cars. A series of fare cuts, introduced by both firms
PLANS to make Southend a national centre for digital technology, bringing together business, education and leisure, have been unveiled. Details of the Digital Exploration Centre were revealed at a meeting of councillors, business leaders and teachers
LEIGH firefighters are getting a taste of reality in their training exercises, thanks to a partnership with a local scrapyard. Since the new year, members of White Watch, based at Leigh fire station in Mountdale Gardens, have been visiting the CWJ Kirby
A YOUNG martial arts enthusiast has been nominated for a national award for his work with disabled people. Talented Sam Waters, 13, has been put forward for the Essex Police Young People of the Year awards which are endorsed by Prime Minister Gordon
AN ENGRAVING made from a whale bone has been sold at auction for more than ten times its original value. The handiwork, which is called a scrimshaw, went for £1,150 to an American collector when it was sold by Stacey's Auctioneers at The Freight
AN ELDERLY couple are angry about plans to introduce a weekly cleaning charge for people living in council flats. Ted and Shirley Darsey, of The Gore, Basildon, don’t think it is fair they should cough up the cash, as they and other residents have kept
PEOPLE on Southend Council’s housing waiting list will have more choice over where they live following a radical shake-up of the housing register. From Monday, families and individuals on the housing register, will be able to compete for
A SENIOR councillor has rejected out of hand any idea of new bus lanes on the A13 running through Southend. Tory councillor Anna Waite spoke after Essex County Council revealed £6million plans to ease congestion on the A13 between Basildon
THE parents of a five-year-old girl from Shoebury who died from a rare form of cancer have set up a charity appeal in her memory. Angelina Vidler was diagnosed with Wilms’ Tumour, a cancer that attacks the kidneys and renal system at just three
A NEW £1million road providing a short cut to a prestige housing development in Shoebury has opened – amid concerns over safety. The 450-home Garrison Development is now easier to get to, with the opening of Barge Pier Road. Work on
Boris Johnson has taken some flack for having the affront to suggest that it may be possible to build an airport in the Thames Estuary. Is it such a bonkers idea as some people make out? Perhaps we should think outside the box sometimes, as we did at
Because of the self-employed structure of the taxi industry, us cabbies are among the least militant of all working people. Hence the blatant example of making the workers pay for the bosses’ crisis which sparked industrial action by drivers (Jan 20)
Where does S Mills (Jan 26) get the idea that lights will have traffic “flooding” through Cuckoo Corner, Prittlewell, and if it did, where would it go? The tailbacks would form at Sutton Road and the Bell as they do now, only worse! When I stood and
Since 1921, I have witnessed and experienced the considerable status adjustment of women. This, in the main, can be attributed to their tremendous contributions during the Second World War. Prior to this they were tied to the house and subservient.
I disagree with the proposed changes at Sadlers Farm and a new road cutting a huge swathe through the countryside. Government once suggested we stagger working hours to ease congestion which only occurs at a certain time of day. In reality little has
PROTESTERS dumped dead fish on the European Union’s doorstep yesterday in protest at a deeply-unpopular fishing policy. The TaxPayers Alliance staged the protest against the Common Fisheries Policy, using the slogan “For cod’s sake, stop the
SOUTHEND’S RNLI lifeboat crews rescued 88 people from the Thames last year, new figures have revealed. The town’s lifeboat station, at the end of the pier, is also the busiest in East Anglia and the sixth busiest out of 235 across the country
EASTENDERS star Kara Tointon made her dad blush with pride when she turned up as a guest at his Wickford club’s dinner. Members of the Wickford 41 club, and its sister club, Tangent, were delighted when Kara, 25, who plays Dawn Swann in the
A DRIVER has spoken of the horrific moment a pedestrian was killed when he ran out in front of his car on the A127. Dad-of-two Billy Burton, 36, was hit by a Mini Cooper as he crossed the London-bound dual carriageway. Choking back tears
X FACTOR finalists will help to open four car dealerships in Southend. Ruth Lorenzo, Laura White, Austin Drage and Rachel Hylton will appear over the next few weeks to open the Vauxhall, Chevrolet, Renault and Peugeot showrooms at the £18m
CELEBRATIONS to mark two centuries of Rayleigh’s iconic windmill started this week. A reception at the Grade II listed building, in Bellingham Lane, saw a number of activities taking place and a taste of what is to come this year. Rochford
BLUES boss Steve Tilson wants his troubled team to get back on the winning trail tomorrow. Southend have slipped to 17th in the League One standings after enduring an indifferent run of results. But Tilson is sure the Shrimpers can triumph against
JOHNNY Herd wants Blues to ease their relegation fears with victory over Bristol Rovers tomorrow. Steve Tilson’s side have tasted just one win in their last 13 league games and are now just six points above the dreaded drop zone. That makes victory
A SEVEN week old baby and her three-year-old sister had to be rescued by firefighters after becoming trapped in their house. Crews from Canvey were called to the home in Furtherwick Road, Canvey, at around 9am on Thursday. The children
FIREFIGHTERS carried out a fire safety check at the home of Tory MP James Duddridge. Mr Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, requested the visit after four people in the area were killed by fires in December. He said: “The deaths brought home
SOUTHEND is gearing up for the 2012 Olympics by shooting a film to showcase what the town can offer international athletes during the games. A basketball match at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre, in Garon Park, was filmed to use on a DVD to promote
POSTERS have gone on the side of council dustcarts warning smokers they face fines for dropping cigarette butts. Basildon Council is introducing £75 fines from February 2 for anyone seen dropping cigarette ends. To get the message across
MORE than 100 people have signed a petition to save a popular field and wildlife haven from development. The Anchor field in London Road, West Thurrock, has become a bone of contention since its mystery owners began to clear hedges, shrubs and trees
SOLDIERS from the Royal Anglian Regiment were welcomed to Parliament this week by MPs Andrew Mackinlay and Angela Smith. Basildon and East Thurrock MP Mrs Smith and Thurrock MP Mr Mackinlay were in attendance as the regiment gave a report about their
COME on and hear the best band in the land, and that’s official. For the 11th year running, the Syd Lawrence Orchestra has been voted Britain’s number one big band. By way of celebration, it has embarked on a nationwide tour which takes it to the Cliffs
