SWING is in the middle of a major resurgence, and it seems we modern guys and gals can’t get enough of those vintage sounds. Petticoats, Forties hair, jive and the lindy-hop are back and eager to get in on the swing scene’s new-found popularity, so it
Essex Police will have to take £5.5million from reserves to pay for redundancies. The money has been allocated to pay off the 1,000 back-office staff who are expected to lose their jobs over the next four years. In total, the force is
RUSSIAN pianist Nikolai Demidenko, regarded as one of the greatest interpretors of Chopin’s work, brings his magic to the Palace Theatre, London Road, Westcliff, on Sunday. He will perform three Beethoven sonatas including the ethereal Moonlight
A British water-ski champion died after hitting a boat's wake at more than 100mph during training in what a coroner ruled was a tragic accident. Karl Brooks, 25, from Wickford, Essex, was training on Lake Mead near Las Vegas in June 2007 when he fell
ROAD closures will hit Southend next week because of the three major infrastructure schemes taking place in the town. Daytime lane closures will take place along every section of the A127 every Tuesday for the next five weeks to allow repairs
POLICE want to trace a 4x4 driver who pulled an attacker off of a man in his 70s. The elderly man was left with a fractured cheekbone after being punched in the face while out walking his dog in Paglesham. Police are renewing their appeal for information
TEENAGERS are being blamed for terrorising a Vange housing estate. The unruly teenagers have been hanging around in large groups and making life a misery in Ravensfield where they bang on front doors. They have been emptying the dog poo bin before throwing
A FRUSTRATED resident wants the council to fix her forgotten strip of road. Michelle Thompson, lives at the bottom of unadopted Voorburg Road, in Canvey, but a quirk means a 40-metre stretch of the close outside her house is still the responsibility
TRAFFIC cops pulled over 43 lorries to check they weren’t breaking the law. They checked over the vehicles at Thurrock Services, on The M25, last Wednesday and Thursday. One lorry was seized for having no insurance. Officers also found 16 lorries with
THREE men caught in a huge police sting have admitted selling crack and heroin to undercover officers. Aneese Uddin, Delan Edward and Christopher Zammitt all pleaded guilty to suppling Class A drugs at Southend Magistrates’ Court today.
MORE youngsters look set to miss out on free school transport as the council slashes its spending. Planned cost cutting measures will see primary school pupils facing a longer walk to school, free travel for college and sixth-form students cut and pupils
A CHILDREN’S charity, inspired by the heroic little boy known as “Superted” is marking a milestone in its mission to warn of the symptoms of a killer disease. Be Child Cancer Aware was founded by a small group of parents of youngsters affected by the
FORTY three years on the job and not one day off sick – that’s the remarkable record of a man who has turned up for work every day since 1968. Basildon Council worker Jim Owens has struggled into work come rain or shine for more than four decades. Modest
How sad the closing down of the Rescuers Wildlife Sanctuary, in Benfleet, is. It was heartbreaking to see all the people who the Mephams have helped over 26 years, volunteers like myself, now cannot do the job we loved, looking after the animals
Do not consider St Luke’s Ward, in Southend, to be one of the most deprived areas in the country as a recent Conservative newsletter claims. I have lived here for more than 30 years and the only deprivation I can see is the way that it is talked
Recently, there was a house fire on Canvey and when firefighters rescued the unconscious woman from the property they said she had less than one minute to live. If we had this new system of using only retained firemen in place she would certainly
We wrote to our MP, Mark Francois, expressing our concern at the closure of two wards at Southend Hospital, given the previous Government’s diktat that a further three to four thousand houses were to be built in our area. He pursued a reply on
The suggestion that building more high-rise blocks of flats is the answer to Southend’s housing problems seems to be ignoring lessons of the past. In the Fifties and Sixties, London had problems with high-rise buildings and bad behaviour by
I am at a loss to understand how Martin Terry concludes he has applied pressure on the Conservatives with regard to the licensing of landlords in Southend (Jan 18). Mr Terry has not even taken the time to talk to me about housing policy, nor
POLICE officers will not be forced to retire when they reach 30 years of service. Fears were raised that Essex Police Authority could impose this condition as part of tough cuts to spending. The regulation, called A19, would have forced
MYLES Hesson could return from a long term ankle injury when Essex Pirates host Plymouth Raiders tomorrow night. Hesson has been out since early October since fracturing his ankle against Worcester Wolves. But he could be back in action this weekend
PATIENTS arriving at Southend Hospital will soon be able to check themselves in using touch screen kiosks. The technology, in place at many doctors’ surgeries , is to be introduced at Southend Hospital’s outpatients’ department which is undergoing refurbishment
SOUTHEND Rugby Club coach Andy Holloway wants his team to get back to their best on a consistent basis - starting with tomorrow’s home game with Worthing. The Seasiders had been well set for a promotion push until suffering three defeats in six games
A FURIOUS daughter says her father suffered unnecessary pain from a life-threatening condition for five hours in Southend Hospital’s A&E. Helen Goodwin, 44, plans to launch a support group to help people who have had similar experiences at
THEY’VE been called “unique” and “impeccable” now a karate kicking trio from Canvey are set to wow TV viewers with their knockout moves. Dance troupe Elmes 3style are into the semi-finals of Sky One’s popular Got to Dance competition. The group, made
RUNAWAY London One North leaders Westcliff will be confident of continuing their fine run of results when they host Eton Manor tomorrow. Westcliff have won 15 of their 16 fixtures so far this season and are 13 points clear at the top of the table. In
GRAHAM Coughlan is loving combining his coaching role with a place at the heart of the Southend United defence. The 36-year-old Irishman has started 10 of Blues’ last 11 games and has also been assisting manager Paul Sturrock since Tommy Widdrington
PROTESTERS are gearing up for a rescheduled demonstration against fuel price hikes. Plans for a blockade outside Coryton Oil Refinery, in Manorway, Corringham, on Saturday were called off, after organisers claimed police had intimidated them. The
HE’S best known for his badboy film roles, but tonight Danny Dyer will be paying a special visit to Mayhem in Southend – where he’ll take a turn on the decks. “I do love Mayhem,” says the EastEnd actor, who’s starring roles include parts in Human Traffic
Basildon Hospital has launched a series of investigations into serious incidents, including the deaths of two people from medical blunders. One patient died three months after being given an “inadvertent overdose” of medication, while another
A VICAR has said he will forgive thieves who stole copper piping from his church as long as they give themselves up. The Reverend Colin Hopkinson said the thefts had put back plans to expand the pre-school at St John the Evangelist Church in
RESIDENTS have won their fight against a fast-food chain’s bid to extend its opening hours until midnight. McDonald’s wanted to change the opening hours of its restaurant and drive through, near the Fortune of War Roundabout on the A127 at Laindon.
A DERELICT car dealership site could be transformed into a storage depot as part of new plans lodged with Southend Council. A planning application has been submitted for a new Lok’nStore at the old Lookers Garage site in Priory Crescent. Company bosses
BILEL Mohsni again looks set to start in attack for Southend United at Barnet tomorrow, with Blues boss Paul Sturrock hoping the Frenchman can turn in to his latest striking find. Sturrock converted Stoke City star Kenwyne Jones in to a forward
AS ladies who lunch – or rather dine – my flatmate and I were on the hunt for somewhere with an element of chic to dissect the gossip, and fill our stomachs. Living on Leigh’s London Road, with its abundance of chip and kebab joints, we feared
