VAN Gogh, Monet, Michelangelo and Rembrandt – just some of the famous artists whose work adorns the walls of the National Gallery. Now artwork by a handful of talented south Essex pupils will be hanging alongside these artistic heavyweights, as their
THEY say school days are the best days of your life, but these learners have proved lessons don’t have to end with the school bell as the race hots up to find this year’s winners of the Big Skill Awards in Essex. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC)
PUPILS at Wickford County Junior school have won awards for their poems encouraging others not to drop rubbish. Pupils at the school in Market Road, Wickford, were invited to take part in an anti-litter campaign by the green team at the Argos Distribution
MORE than 1,000 people have signed a petition for a new football pitch. Canvey Island Youth FC’s current ground, at the bottom of Haven Road, is facing destruction as a new £12million road is set to plough straight through it. Landowners, National Grid
TALENTED Ashley Banjo told how his group Diversity is planning an even more daring dance routine for Saturday’s live final of Britain’s Got Talent. The energetic 11-strong street dance group, from Essex, made it to the final of the ITV show
HEALTH officials have agreed to produce new questionnaires as part of the ongoing consultation on health services in Billericay. The move comes after the residents complained the surveys were confusing and misleading. For example, residents were asked
A SECURITY guard quit because she refused to force patients and visitors with no money to pay to park at Basildon Hospital. Vicky Winn, 44, of Ravenscourt Drive, Vange, claims she resigned because she was disgusted by a lack of discretion she says was
TORY leaders are rallying behind MP James Duddridge following revelations he used taxpayers’ money to furnish a London flat before switching his second home. The Tory MP for Rochford and Southend East spent about £7,000 of public money on mortgage interest
A SHOP where the public can make suggestions for the future development of Canvey is set to open – as two more stores face closure. Ideas made will be used to help create a masterplan for the island’s town centre, which is currently being put together
A MAN has been given a five-month suspended sentence and ordered to pay £50 costs for neglecting his teenage daughter. The 38-year-old from Westcliff, who cannot be named for legal reasons, assaulted her five times over a five-year period. He appeared
Premier Division: Orsett are in the driving seat following their 53-run over hosts Harold Wood. Orsett were all back in the pavilion for 156 from 45.2 overs. But any hopes the hosts had of inflicting a first defeat on their visitors evaporated when
THE Federation of Chalvedon and Barstable School has once again triumphed at the annual Basildon District Senior School Championships at Gloucester Park, taking overall first place with 782 points from Wickford’s Bromfords (636). The Federation girls
AN ACTRESS who got her big break after being spotted at Tilbury railway station has joined Johnny Depp on the books of a top American agent. Katie Jarvis, 17, the star of movie Fish Tank, recently awarded a top prize at the Cannes Film Festival
A WOMAN was indecently assaulted in a terrifying attack. The woman, who is in her thirties, was walking along Crown Road in Billericay when the attack happened. She was approached from behind by a man who dragged her into bushes before indecently assaulting
PUPILS at a Benfleet school took part in a traditional ceremony in honour of the Virgin Mary. Children from Year 3 at Holy Family Catholic Primary School, in Benfleet, who were taking Holy Communion for the first time, led their school and parish communities
TEENAGERS caused mayhem in Belfairs Woods after starting a bonfire on Friday night. More than 40 youngsters set fire to a pile of wood, near Belfairs golf course, and were screaming and shouting. Firefighters were called to the scene and doused the
A DAD-of-three has to pay more than £2,000 in fines after being found with a haul of fake goods which could have been sold for thousands of pounds. Charlie Ward, 41, was discovered with three fake Apple iPods, ten watches purporting to be made by Emporio
THE quality of the provision for girls’ rugby at Thundersley’s SEEVIC College, over the past three years has gone from strength to strength. Following four girls from the Kiln Road college winning their England caps last year, SEEVIC took nine players
Division One: Westcliff travelled to Ardleigh Green and lost by three wickets after winning the toss and electing to bat. The visitors reached 218-9 with D Bullen (76) leading the way and J Ali taking (5-72). G Marchant top-scored with 63 as Ardleigh
Division One: Leigh on Sea are still looking for their first win after crashing to a seven-wicket defeat away to Hornchurch. The visitors were 28-5 when Matthew Wallace (52) gave them a massive boost before Leigh were bowled out for 137, with
RAYLEIGH'S FitzWimarc School has been awarded Sportsmark 2008. Given by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Sportsmark rewards exceptional delivery of the national school sport strategy. Fitz, in Hockley Road, was automatically assessed
ENGLAND Test opener Alastair Cook hit a Twenty20 Cup best 80 only to have his efforts wiped out by lightning and rain as Kent’s South Division opener with Essex was abandoned only 20 balls into the Spitfires’ reply. Cook, in only his fourth Twenty20
WEST Ham goalkeeper Robert Green is set to be handed his first England start in Kazakhstan next month. Green headed a three-man team selected by coach Fabio Capello for the trip to Almaty on June 6, part of a World Cup double-header which also includes
LEIGH’S Richardson’s Bike Shop have demonstrated their commitment to local sport with the sponsorship of three local triathletes, to tackle the prestigious Monaco Half Iron Man race. This is a great opportunity for the East Essex Tri trio of John Smith
PRITTLEWELL returned to winning ways with a 27-run win as they outgunned Eastwood at the Garrison. I MacDonald hit 46 and Wayne Spear 40 not out as Prittlewell posted 128-2 off 12 overs in the Active Southend Evening Cricket League Premier Division encounter
RICKY Duncan will stay in charge of Southend United’s reserve team next season. The 43-year-old, who is the club’s head of youth, took control of the Shrimpers second string towards the end of last term when Colin West opted to join Hartlepool United
AN INVESTIGATION is underway into the cause of a fire which badly damaged a cricket clubhouse. Firefighters were called to Eastwood Cricket Club, Eastwood Road North, Leigh, at 8.30pm last night after it was reported an unoccupied wooden clubhouse
TRIBUTES have been paid to the widow of former Tory MP Paul Channon, who died just hours after visiting the Chelsea Flower Show with the Duke of Kent. The death of Ingrid Channon came two years after that of her husband, who served as the MP
AN RNLI hovercraft got stuck on wooden sea defences prompting a huge rescue effort at the climax of yesterday’s Southend Airshow. A three-man crew was on standby for the RAF Falcons parachute display team, when the bottom of their hovercraft became
THERE wasn’t a moat, no sign of a floating duck island or even, for that matter, a garden to be tended at taxpayers’ expense. Stepping through the door of MP Angela Smith’s second home I was struck by one thing – how ordinary it is.
THREE teachers are taking a leap of faith to raise cash for new school equipment. Headteacher Jackie Mullan, along with Lucy Trump and Jason Syrett from the St Christopher School in Leigh, are doing a sponsored parachute jump to raise money for play
PRIMARY pupils are getting a taste of war time life after their very own bomb shelter was installed. Thanks to their Anderson shelter, children at Edwards Hall Primary School, Bosworth Road, Eastwood, can experience what civilian life was like
A MAD Hatter’s tea party was held to celebrate the 140th birthday of Sainsbury’s supermarkets. Staff at the store in Furtherwick Road, Canvey, dressed up in silly costumes and raised money for charity. They raised £80 for Little Havens children’s hospice
