HAVING secured their big break playing alongside the likes of Feeder and The Automatic at the Redbourne Festival this month, Doll Set Tones guitarist Lee Probert was determined not to let the small matter of a severed nerve in his arm prevent him getting
SCOUTS from south Essex took to the sea to re-enact the first ever Scout camp, as part of the association's centenary celebrations. Just as founder Lord Baden-Powell sailed with 20 boys to Poole Harbour, Brownsea Island, on August 1, 1907, two groups
A BEAUTIFUL garden described as a tranquil retreat in the heart of Essex has been officially opened. The Robinson Garden has been developed by the Royal Horticultural Society at Hyde Hall in Rettendon. The garden was created in an area formerly known
SCOUTS from Essex who have been missing out on the world jamboree in Chelmsford have been celebrating the centenary of the movement with their own action-packed events. Boys and girls from all over the world have joined their British counterparts in
A MAN has criticised Essex County Council for delaying repairs to a drain which floods his road almost every time it rains. Bohdan Bezdel, 55, of the Common, Benfleet, claimed he reported the problem to the county council's highways department 18 months
FEARS are mounting over the future of Basildon Golf Course after a £1million revamp, promised two years ago, has failed to materialise. Golfers claim players are boycotting the deteriorating public course because of uncertainty over its future. Since
NORTHLANDS Park is to host a puppet workshop for families on Monday, between 1pm and 3.30pm. The event is open to youngsters aged from five to 11, but they must be accompanied by an adult. There are limited places remaining. Book by calling 07808 924389
POLICE investigating a crash in which a biker was killed have renewed their appeals for help. Stephen Fielder, 53, of Steeple in Maldon was riding on his orange and white Laverda motorbike when he was in collision with a white VW van. Paramedics
A MAN has undergone painful stem cell donations to give his sister the greatest gift of all - a chance to live. Wendy Holden, 41, was first diagnosed with leukaemia at Southend Hospital nearly two years ago and sent to St Bartholomew's Hospital, London
FIREFIGHTERS were called to a barn fire in Hockley today (Wednesday). Crews from Hawkwell, Rayleigh and Hadleigh, tackled the blaze, which started just after 2pm. The fire at Vicarage Farm, Church Road, was thought to be accidental and was out by 3pm
BASILDON'S Gloucester Park Lake continues to produce enormous catches of carp, with many anglers taking more than 15 fish. But several fishermen have taken far more, with Nigel Watts netting 37 carp on his first ever visit to the venue. Watts fished
A CRACKING 26lb 8oz common carp was the icing on the cake for Tony Barker and partner Corrine Chipperfield when they spent a night at the Northlands Park cafe lake. The big fish was a personal best for Barker, but for Chipperfield just spending the
THESE remarkable "Easter Island" faces can be seen peering out from the 12-foot high Cupressocyparis Leylandii hedge in Michael Geiger's front garden. Talented Michael, 78, carved the faces using nothing more than gardening clippers and string. Michael
CHAS Mumford has retired after giving decades of exemplary service to Southend. As general manager of Southend Theatres, he has helped shape the cultural landscape by attracting top entertainment to the town. He has been involved with the management
ON-THE-SPOT fines for cyclists abusing the Cinder Path in Leigh are a welcome move. Cycling on any pavement is a menace, particularly to the elderly, disabled or parents with prams. The majority of cyclists try to behave responsibly, but there are a
Cows graze lazily in fields and meadows drenched with the blood of 500,000 men. I am at Passchendaele in north-east Belgium - the site of perhaps the biggest slaughter in the First World War. In 100 days more than half a million British and Commonwealth
POLICE swamped a traveller site after terrified onlookers reported a knife and gun being brandished in a street fight. Up to five police cars and a van sped down Hovefields Avenue, Wickford, after police received 999 calls. Officers made no arrests
MORE than 800 people enjoyed a fundraising day at the Adventure Playground for People with Special Needs in the Fryth, off Whitmore Way, Basildon. Treasurer Mike Atkins said: "The event has already made more than £700 and we're still counting, because
LAKESIDE achieved only their second away win of the season on Monday night when they beat bottom of the table Belle Vue 53-39 at Kirkmanshulme Lane. It was a magnificent effort by the Hammers who were missing Andreas Jonsson and Krys Kasprzak but were
THE latest stage of a £13million revamp of a troubled estate has been revealed. South Anglia Housing's most recent application is for 35 new homes on the 3/4 estate, Vange. The housing association has now put in eight separate planning applications
A COUNCILLOR wants security stepped up at a Canvey community centre, after vandals smashed 26 windows and caused £2,000 damage. The Paddocks, in Long Road, Canvey is used by many local groups and patrolled by a security firm six days a week. However
A WORRIED homeowner fears the mystery virus killing scores of fish in Canvey Lake could have spread to her pond. Sue Howes, 56, of North Avenue, Canvey, was shocked to watch more than 20 of her fish of various breeds die in the past two weeks, after
NHS patients may now choose to be treated at a private Bupa hospital under a Government initiative. Patients needing general surgery, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, gynaecology, ear, nose and throat, and gastroenterology procedures can be treated by Bupa's
CYCLISTS causing a menace on a narrow path have been hit with £30 fines. The on-the-spot fines were handed out to 18 cyclists as they rode along the Cinder Path, in Leigh. Police community support officers have stepped up patrols along the path, between
A PRANKSTER has tricked motorists into cutting their speed by placing a mannequin dressed as a police officer at the side of the road. The dummy, normally used to model clothes in shop windows, was seen propped up against a wall in Westbourne Grove,
SOUTHEND United right back Kerrea Gilbert will make his Shrimpers debut in tonight's friendly with Vitesse Arnhem at Roots Hall. The speedy youngster, who has joined Blues in a six-month loan deal from Arsenal, is set to take on the Dutchmen. And
COURAGEOUS Jennifer Grannell suffers from cystic fibrosis, the same disease that claimed the life of her brother, Richard. She is all too aware of the small, isolated rooms at the Royal Brompton Hospital, in London, where she receives treatment. Now
AN older people's parliament could be set up to help guide Southend Council's plans for the elderly. The idea came from an in-depth study of the council's policies for older people and is backed by Mark Flewitt, councillor in charge of adult social care
A DECADES-old family-run garden centre has closed, because the owners are retiring. LS Mummery Nurseries first traded in Westborough Road, Westcliff, in 1912. It has been run by Judith and Michael Mummery at its present site in Kiln Road, Thundersley
A COUNCILLOR wants security stepped up at a Canvey community centre, after vandals smashed 26 windows and caused £2,000 damage. The Paddocks, in Long Road, Canvey is used by many local groups and patrolled by a security firm six days a week. However
BOBBY Zamora has called on West Ham's fans to be patient as the Irons prepare to launch their assault on the new Premier League season. Having spent nearly £40million in the transfer market since January, many supporters are expecting the Irons to
Full name: Simon Charles Francis DOB: February 16, 1985 Birthplace: Nottingham Position: Right back Former clubs: Bradford City, Sheffield United, Grimsby Town (loan) and Tranmere Rovers (loan) Nickname: Franno FAVOURITE Food: Since
SCHOOLFRIENDS from the 1950s met to celebrate their 70th birthdays and raised money for Southend Hospital's latest appeal. The former pupils of Wentworth High School, Southend, have held a number of fundraising events, including a "Tea at the Ritz",
The Champion of Champions Southend Inter-Sunday League Charity Competition will take place tomorrow. The match, which is the traditional curtain raiser to the season, sees Methane taking on Rayleigh Town at Great Wakering Rovers' Burroughs Park ground
CLUBS across the T.Rippon Mid-Essex League were in mourning this week following the sudden and tragic death of Tillingham president Tony Cowell. Cowell, 62, suffered a heart attack while batting in the club's 2nd XI Division Seven match at Great Baddow
A NEW centre for the St John Ambulance will get the Royal seal of approval next month when a famous face stops by to visit. Princess Anne will visit the volunteer organisation's new South East Essex Centre. The building opened in March and is used as
Cliffs Pavilion boss Chas Mumford has retired in the style he has known for the past 35 years - surrounded by music, laughter, friends and colleagues. The popular managing director of HQ Theatres is standing down, ending an involvement with the Westcliff
Thursday, August 2 Mardi Gras Jazz Club. Hugh Rainey Jazz Band with special guests. £5 admission. 8.30-11pm. Runwell Hospital Sports and Social Club, Runwell Chase, Runwell (off A132) between Wickford/Battlesbridge Parkinson's Disease Society Southend
Thursday, August 2 Mardi Gras Jazz Club. Hugh Rainey Jazz Band with special guests. £5 admission. 8.30-11pm. Runwell Hospital Sports and Social Club, Runwell Chase, Runwell (off A132) between Wickford/Battlesbridge Parkinson's Disease Society Southend
MORE than 5.8million smuggled cigarettes destined for the black market have been seized in south Essex. HM Revenue and Customs officers at Tilbury estimate the haul is worth more than £1million on the streets, and would have represented £1.2million in
This Summer Bluewater is sure to keep your family entertained, whatever the weather! Throughout August, Bluewater will be providing families with exciting children's entertainment, its first ever Motorshow and a 10km run as well as the best shopping
A RELIEVED divorcee collapsed in the dock as he was cleared of raping a woman he met through a dating agency. Paramedics were called to Basildon Crown Court after Laurence McIver fainted when the jury foreman delivered the not guilty verdict. Mr McIver
CANVEY continued their build-up for the new campaign with a 2-0 home win over Ryman Division One South Met Police last night. Ryman One North Gulls were on the offensive from the start and took a 10th minute lead through Leon Gordon and wrapped up
BILLERICAY Town have signed striker Bradley Garness, who scored a great goal in Saturday's 3-3 draw with Peterborough, on a one-year deal. But it was Grays' summer arrival, Danny Kedwell, who grabbed the only goal of last night's friendly encounter
DEAN Ashton silenced the Carrow Road boo-boys as West Ham overcame Championship side Norwich City 2-1 last night. The ex-Norwich City striker, whose every touch was jeered by the home crowd following his £7.25million switch to Upton Park last January
BLUES winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce will not figure against Vitesse Arnhem this evening - but he is expected to be fit for the start of the League One season. The tricky flankster has missed Southend United's last two pre-season friendlies with a stomach
BLUES new boy Nicky Bailey seems to have come up with a unique way of trying to force his way into the Southend United side - by calling his newborn daughter Tilly! Bailey's second child came into the world at London's King's Hospital on Monday.
GENEROUS donors have given more than £1,000 to a homeless charity after the Echo reported it had been burgled. Crooks forced open an office window at the Homeless Action Resource Project, in Valkyrie Road, Westcliff, and escaped with two locked petty
MORE than £1.8million has been spent taking non-emergency patients to and from Basildon and Southend hospitals over the past year, new figures reveal. The costs, which includes taxi fares, ambulance costs and transporting patients between hospitals,
A SCENE of unimaginable horror faced officers called to the scene of a crash involving four dead children. When it emerged the car was being driven by a mother high on drugs, the investigative task they faced was both massive and daunting. Any fatal
A £26MILLION road extension is now a step closer after councillors agreed to press ahead with a public consultation. The scheme, to extend Roscommon Way, Canvey, as far as Haven Road, is one of several multi-million-pound projects backed by councillors
Hundreds of train enthusiasts marvelled at an array of miniature locomotives during a model exhibition. More than 2,500 people flocked to the event at Waterside Farm Sports Centre, Canvey, to catch a rare glimpse of the replica engines in the marquees
A CHANCE meeting with F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton has spurred a car racing fanatic to fulfil his dream of a career in motorsport. Brett Foster, 19, met racing's man of the moment in Budapest after the GP2 season last year and became determined to develop
A CHARITY which houses people with mental health problems is quietly expanding, as it approaches its anniversary. The Koinonia Trust was set up nearly 34 years ago by Roger Collins, preacher at Westcliff Baptist Church, and Barry Walton, of Clarence
A DARING dog scared off a group of burglars. When four shadowy figures attempted to break into his home through a downstairs window, the huge pet pooch used his intimidating bark to send them packing. His owner rushed downstairs to see what was going
A MAN who beat cancer is set to help victims of the disease get support more easily. Roger Crellin has been appointed as Basildon Hospital's first counsellor to specifically support those affected by cancer. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease 20
HOUSEHOLDERS are being warned to beware of security alarm salesmen falsely claiming to be working with Essex Police. The warning from crime reduction officer Ray Stannard followed a spate of complaints from Essex residents about two companies whose salesmen
A PROTESTER has been fined £500 for blockading the gate of a Naval base which is home to Britain's Trident Nuclear Weapons. Anti-nuclear campaigner Irene Willis, 62, of the Parkway, Canvey, has been arrested eight times at the Faslane base since last
RESIDENTS are being given a say in the future of marshland on Canvey. The RSPB organised three public open days on Canvey, spoke to youngsters through the schools' forum and held an exhibition at Castle Point Council's offices in Kiln Road, Thundersley
WORLD stockmarkets may have dropped dramatically in recent weeks with the FTSE100 Index showing a fall of 9.1 per cent since the start of the month, but Leigh investor Mark Goodson is still smiling. Lawyer Mark runs three investment clubs in the Southend
A TRAVELLER site is set for nearly £100,000 worth of improvements. Essex County Council has been awarded £94,897 by the Government to spruce up the Hovefields Caravan Park, in Courtauld Road, Basildon, as part of its annual funding round for authorised
BROWNIES were inspired to raise more than £100 for charity after a guide dog ran away. The girls, from the 5th Burstead Pack, in South Green, had met Fable and her owner, Ron Whitt, to win Friend to Animals badges. So when they heard Fable had run
STAFF and pupils at Manor Infant and Nursery School, in Dickens Avenue, Tilbury, had the perfect end to the academic year after Ofsted described the school as "outstanding". Inspectors also highlighted leadership and management, high-quality teaching
YOUNGSTERS can have their bikes security tagged as part of a scheme that aims to raise awareness of the criminal justice system and good citizenship. The initiative, called Inside Justice, is being overseen by the Essex Criminal Justice Board, which
BASILDON has long been the most forward-looking council in Essex, and continues to work for a better future. Backed by members of the Basildon Renaissance Partnership, we have a clear vision for Basildon district. This is a very exciting time for Basildon
