Of the many charming pubs along High Street in Old Leigh, the Crooked Billet is perhaps the most endearing. Dating back to the 16th century and featuring wooden beams and low ceilings, the pub has that authentically old, rickety appearance. What better
BRING on the womenfolk! Lindisfarne, the Southend drama group, staged the all-male, testosterone fuelled Glengarry Glenn Ross, about a group of ruthless salesmen, in March. Now it’s the turn of the ladies, as the company presents Steel Magnolias, one
FIREFIGHTERS were called after residents thought they saw a fire on Canvey. Crews from the station in Long Road were alerted to what people thought were trees on fire at Thorney Bay caravan park at about 9pm this evening but it turned out to be a controlled
TRAIN services on all C2C routes were disrupted due to an earlier train fault. Engineers are working as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Delays were between London Fenchurch Street, to Grays, Pitsea, Southend Central,
MAKE a splash for charity is the message from Havens Hospices as it encourages people to take part in the 2011 Great Pier Swim. The event, on Saturday, July 30, will see participants tackle a bracing 3km swim around Southend pier from Jubilee
PLANS for a cafe and restaurant with sweeping views of across the Thames Estuary have been unveiled. Leigh-based SK Architects has revealed its plan for a two-storey restaurant on East Beach, Shoebury, to replace the wooden cafe ravaged by a fire more
THE fishing continues to be fairly hard at Rochford’s Doggetts lake but fish are definitely showing signs of recovering after spawning. The float fishermen are not getting their normal share of tench but anglers that fish the tip with boilies and luncheon
UP TO 30 jobs could go at the troubled Basildon Academies due to budget cuts. Caretakers, college heads, lab technicians and several teaching assistants are to go as the academies battle with what they say is a cash shortfall due to “Government
Firefighters were called to help free a 45-year-old woman after a crash involving two vehicles, in Vange Hill Drive, at 10.34am Basildon. The woman was trapped and crews used one set of specialist cutting equipment to release her by 10.53am.
AN outdoor screen showing sporting and cultural events will be built as part of the £27million library development in Southend town centre. The large LED screen will be next to the new Elmer Square development, on the site of the Farringdon
A SINGER battled back from bowel cancer to perform at his own charity ball and raise £4,000 for the doctors who helped him. Alex Ashe, 51, raised the money for Southend Hospital’s cancer unit by organising the charity ball as a thank-you for the care
A CHILD rapist has been jailed for 11 years for raping a child. David Wood, 44, of Penhurst Avenue, Southend, appeared at Southend Crown Court today, Wednesday, June 15. He had previously admitted rape, four counts of indecent assault and two counts
DEFENDERS Ian Cousins and Adam Flanagan have left Billericay and signed for Ryman One North side Maldon & Tiptree. Billericay manager Craig Edwards thanked both for their services after they helped the club lift the Essex Senior Cup last season. Edwards
KEEN Southend United supporter Ben Perry has completed the ‘ultimate human race’ – a gruelling 56 mile ultra-marathon across rugged South African terrain. Perry, who is also studying medicine full time at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
PLANS to use a Victorian farmhouse to expand a training centre for vulnerable people have been given the go-ahead. The Salvation Army has been granted planning permission to convert Park Farm, in Park Chase, Hadleigh, into a skills centre for adults
PARENTS are celebrating the fact their special needs children can still attend playgroups, even if it does mean a change of venue. There were concerns the developmental playgroup at Great Oaks Clinic, Basildon, could have closed after rumours surfaced
ESSEX coach Paul Grayson has challenged his opening batsmen to come through their slump – starting tonight against Somerset at the Country Ground. The visitors start the game in second in the southern Twenty20 table and boast the form player in the country
GRAHAM Coughlan is thrilled to be staying at Southend United. The Irishman has put pen to paper on a two-year deal to remain as player-coach at Roots Hall. And he is looking forward to continuing his work. “I’m glad everything
A TEENAGER from Rayleigh will compete against the country’s top swimmers at the national championships in Sheffield today. Verity Goodey will bid for glory in the 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly at the ASA British Gas ASA National Championships at
A MOTORCYCLIST was knocked from his machine in a collision with a car. The crash involved the bike and a red Mini, and happened at the junction of Southchurch Road and Chichester Road, outside the Frankie and Benny's restaurant, at around noon today
STROLLING along Southend seafront with thousands of other walkers in brightly coloured costumes has become an annual celebration of giving to worthy causes. The popular sunlight and moonlight Colourthon walks have, over the past five years,
Police closed off a road following a four car pile-up. The smash happened in Hullbridge Road, Hullbridge, in the middle of rush hour. A purple Fiesta, a black Golf, a blue Ford Focus, and a white Vauxhall Vivaro collided at about 8.45am
A GP who sent a four-year-old girl home with a fatal pneumonia infection can continue practicing medicine after a hearing found he had “learned his lesson”. Dr Shoab Ibrahim failed to listen to the concerns of the girl’s parents and did not carry out
A PETITION backing a charity's plans to build a new 16-bed adult hospice on greenbelt land has gathered more than 6,000 names in little over a month. Havens Hospices wants to build the multi-million-pound hospice on farmland off Belton Way West, Leigh
THANK you! Those were the simple words from little Daisy Palmer after a team of cyclists rode 160 miles to help her. The seven-year-old, who suffers from a rare condition which means she cannot eat or drink, was too unwell to be at the finish
POLICE are hunting a driver who hit two cars before driving off. The incident happened in Ashlyns when the vehicle, the make and model of which is unknown, hit a Fiat Punto and Renault Kangoo. The crash happened at 5.40pm on Tuesday June 7.
SCHOOLCHILDREN had to be rescued from a lift in a leisure centre after it suddenly stopped working yesterday morning (June 14). Firefighters from Hawkwell Fire Station were called to Clements Hall Leisure Centre, Clements Hall Way, at 10am to reports
THERE are fears for wildlife after weedkiller was sprayed on land bordering a nature reserve. The East of England Develop-ment Agency has been criticised for using the spray to clear foliage on a 20-acre area of land off Northwick Road, bordering Canvey
POLICE warned people to be wary of using expensive phones in public following a spate of street robberies. Officers are receiving reports of at least one mugging a day in Southend, Rochford, and Castle Point and have stepped up patrols.
IT WAS a big thumbs-up as a clown cracked the world record for the most high fives in a minute. Mr Giggles slapped hands with 101 volunteers at the Canvey’s Got Talent competition, at Thorney Bay caravan park. The previous record was
RAIL operator c2c is top of the punctuality table for the fourth month in a row. The rail operator, which runs trains from London Fenchurch Street to Shoebury, is celebrating after another four-week period of topping the rail industry with
THE thug who shot this kitten is being hunted by police. The one-year-old white and tortoiseshell female cat was left with this horrific injury when it was hit by a lead pellet sometime between 10.30am and 3.30pm on Saturday. During
