INDIE covers band Short Round say fans will have to get in early to catch their gig at the Ship this weekend as they’re expecting quite a crowd. Drummer Dave Allen says the Southend band have gathered an impressive following and he’s expecting a packed
THE sound of pure rock will fill Chinnery’s in February when the Crave pay the Southend venue a visit. The Brighton band have played with the likes of Deep Purple and the Foo Fighters, and most recently supported Brit legends Status Quo, but this time
WHEN he first saw his uncle plying his trade, seven-year-old Dean Oldfield knew he wanted to be just like him. But unlike most youngsters hero-worshipping an older relative, his uncle is Martin Gore, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter for
COPING with a cancer diagnosis, the gruelling treatments and their effects can be a daunting experience for any woman – but handy make-up tips are helping them in a practical way. Southend Hospital and a leading international charity, Look Good…Feel
A BRACE from Hayley Froment gave Basildon a hard-earned win over Gillingham Anchorians. The result left Basildon seventh in the East 2SE table. Basildon restricted Anchorians the chance to a few breaks and any danger was easily snuffed out by Danielle
HAVING a toddler means meal times can be a battle – as one mum knows all too well. Heidi Beesley used to struggle to get any goodness on to her son Harrison’s plate. The three-year-old simply refused to eat vegetables. In despair, stressed-out
A CHILDREN’S party descended into a riot after drunken youngsters, some as young as 12, went on the rampage. Stunned police arrived at the Lamb and Lion, in Station Road, Westcliff, to find children behind the bar serving their own booze. Officers even
A HOUSE has been renovated to provide a place for homeless families. Workmen have spent three weeks renovating the three bedroom terraced house in Link Road, Canvey, sparking fears the house might be being converted into a bail hostel. Families living
A MAJOR shortage of pink recycling sacks has led to residents being told to store their recycling in black rubbish bags until next week. Castle Point Council has had to order more pink bags after high levels of recycling over Christmas caused a shortage
A PROSTITUTE has been banned from part of Southend after being convicted for the fourth time of selling sex. Christine Mulligan, 41, was already barred from several roads in the borough between the hours of 6pm and 6am. Mulligan was spotted by police
A SPECIAL presentation was made to the winning Thornton Cup Plate team at Rochford Hundred’s prize-winners supper when all the trophies for the year were handed out in front of almost 100 members. The victorious line-up who took the Essex County team
SOUTHEND will be treated to a look at Olympic gold medal hopeful Tom Daley this weekend as the country’s top divers come to town to perform on our world-class dive tower. World and Commonwealth champion Daley will be the star attraction at the three-day
ROB Womack admitted justice had been done at the IPC World Athletics Championships after winning a challenge against officials to finish seventh in the shot put final. The Southend-based Womack left the track in the F54/55/56 shot at Christchurch’s Queen
TUESDAY night’s 4-1 win over Macclesfield Town was, for me, a result that had been coming for some time. Apart from the game with Port Vale and maybe Crewe, when I got the system wrong, I think we have been on top in spells during all of our home games
WOULD-BE Olympians from Thorpe Bay and Leigh have made impressive starts to their British team selection campaigns at the world’s first true international regatta of 2011. The duo are members of Britain’s Olympic sailing squad and are competing in Miami
SOUTHEND United’s Bilel Mohsni has scored three goals in two games as a striker. But the Frenchman insisted he would rather still be playing at centre-back. Mohsni netted as a substitute against Bury last Friday and then bagged a brace in Tuesday
CONTROVERSIAL plans to expand a primary school look set to be pushed through despite fierce opposition. Southend Council wants Porters Grange in Lancaster Gardens, Southend, to temporarily take on an extra 30 pupils a year for four years. The school
Aren’t we lucky to have six concrete eyesore plinths between the Kursaal and Pier Hill in Southend. Now they are lit up to provide beacons of light that undoubtedly distracts some motorists from keeping their eyes on the traffic. I have had
While I agree with Mark Flewitt when he says far too many of Southend’s historic buildings have been lost, the present system, where the same councillor is chairman of both planning and conservation committees, plainly does not work. Since 1959
The Yorkshire Ripper has had his request not to have to serve the remainder of his natural life in prison, turned down. It has cost the taxpayer some £400,000, simply to arrive at a ruling that possibly the vast majority of the population would
Nostalgia is playing an important part in influencing the efforts of the Coalition as it attempts to assuage the demands exerted on it by the economic situation and its desire to establish what it calls the Big Society. GPs, we are told, will
Southend Conservative councillors are accusing the Independents of not having a party ideology. I thought that is what Independents are supposed to be? I think it’s good, I wish we had more non-party ideologists on the council. It was a party
The old, infirm and disabled are being kept at home due to clubs and centres closing. How dare Southend Council do this to my son and every other kid that goes to all these clubs. My son won’t be able to join in with his mates, have fun, socialise
BURGLARS were able to break into homes in Westcliff and Leigh through unlocked back doors. A computer, computer equipment and a camera were stolen from a home in Glenwood Avenue in Westcliff on January 26, between 9.45am and 1.45pm where the suspects
A TEENAGE girl who told police she was raped in Westcliff has withdrawn her allegation. Police appealed for information about the attack in Glenwood Avenue on November 9, 2010. The girl claimed that a man in a vehicle drove behind her and then stopped
A WOMAN has called for CCTV after her car and two others were hit by vandals for the second time in a few months. Lucy Evans, 21, of Kenway, Southend, and partner Dean Maguire, 24, face repairs of up to £400 after vandals ripped a wing mirror from their
A TEENAGER was inches away from being hit by an out-of-control stolen car. Gracie Line, 14, was walking her chocolate labrador dog Frankie in Manchester Drive, Leigh, yesterday at 6pm when she had the lucky escape. The car, which is believed to have
A SCHOOL theatre which reopened just over a year ago after a £60,000 revamp is closing to external productions from the end of August. The Eastwood Theatre, based at Eastwood School, Rayleigh Road, Eastwood, was relaunched specifically for school pupils
TEN people, arrested during a series of raids, will appear in court this morning. Seven men and three women have all been charged with drug-related offences following the day of police action on Wednesday. They will appear at Southend Magistrates' Court
A LATE-NIGHT noise complaints service is set to be axed under public sector spending cuts. Basildon Council is considering scrapping its out-of-hours noise monitoring scheme because it is not cost-effective. The decision would also mean
RYMAN One North clubs are expecting to hear this morning what the fall-out will be from crisis-club Leyton’s withdrawal from the league. The Echo understands it is almost inevitable the east London club’s record for the season will be deleted
YOUNGSTERS are missing out on their favourite toys following a yob attack. The louts struck at a pre-school, badly damaging a metal shed of toys by jumping on the roof and kicking the doors. The structure now leaks and water has damaged stored dolls
OAK trees, some 100 years old, have been chopped down at a Laindon park to make way for allotments. Residents are outraged after seeing some of the trees cut down yesterday at Victoria Park. The trees are being felled and shrubs are
A CAMPAIGNING councillor has called for flood defence budgets to be safeguarded to protect the public in face of changing weather patterns. Ray Howard, a member of the regional flood defence committee, called for the organisation’s budget to come directly
RACHEL Riley’s mum has spoken of her pride at her daughter’s engagement to a “lovely boy”. Channel 4 Countdown host Rachel, 25, has agreed to tie the knot with long-term boyfriend Jamie Gilbert – and her family are simply delighted.
A CABBIE was left with torn hand ligaments after being arrested by police. Roy Salter, 69, claims police were too rough when arresting him for using a mobile phone while driving. Mr Salter says he was bent over the wall of St Mary’s
THE costs of residents’ parking permits and pay-and-display tickets could rise if a new partnership to prevent councils losing money is set up. Proposals are being considered for Basildon, Castle Point and Rochford councils to join forces with Chelmsford
