GET Cape Wear Cape Fly - alias the musician Sam Duckworth - is hoping for superstardom with the release of his album in the USA. The Southend singer and songwriter's debut record, the Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager, went on sale in the States yesterday
Southend United slipped to two points from safety in the Championship after relegation rivals QPR and Burnley both won tonight. Queens Park Rangers beat promotion-pushing Preston North End 1-0 at Loftus Road to increase their advantage over Blues from
Two teams who looked afraid to lose played out a less than memorable stalemate at the New Lawn. Misplaced passes and raised offside flags were only outnumbered by groans of frustration from the home fans, as Forest Green dipped well below this season's
RYMAN PREMIER: Billericay Town climbed to the top of the table on goal difference last night when they fought out a goalless draw on a cold and windy night on the Kent coast at Margate. But the team they displaced, Hampton and Richmond Borough, now
PATIENTS and staff at Basildon Hospital will soon be told to stub it out when a total smoking ban comes into force. Smokers will be prohibited from puffing anywhere in the hospital's grounds, as the hospital follows in the footsteps of its Southend counterpart
THE revamped Basildon Market officially opens on Good Friday. The £160,000 facelift gives the market a more traditional feel. Its layout has been changed and many stalls have been covered, so shoppers are now sheltered from the worst of the elements
A CRIME boss who stashed £100million of cocaine in a Leigh lock-up has been jailed for 30 years. Brian Brendan Wright, 60, known as the Milkman - because he always delivered - ran the most successful global trafficking network ever discovered in Britain
A MAN has been found guilty of the brutal murder of his ex-wife. A jury at Preston Crown Court took just over an hour to convict Daniel Goldsmith, 30, of murdering mother-of-one Debbie Smith at her Blackpool home on March 4, last year. The court was
PATIENTS and staff at Basildon Hospital will soon be told to stub it out when a total smoking ban comes into force. Smokers will be prohibited from puffing anywhere in the hospital's grounds, as the hospital follows in the footsteps of its Southend counterpart
A STROKE survivor hopes to raise £25,000 to help fellow sufferers at Southend Hospital. Geoff Sharp is raising funds to boost the campaign for a new stroke unit at the hospital, which will be launched next month. The campaign aims to kit out the unit
CASTLE Point Council is looking to pay up to £15,000 a year leasing a car for civic events. The council has confirmed is will enter into a three-year lease agreement for a car for the mayor and other dignitaries to use for engagements. Chief executive
THE loveliest ladies in town will send pulses racing when they compete for the title of Miss Basildon 2007. Nearly 60 girls have applied to take part in the beauty pageant, at Jumpin Jacks nightclub, Festival Leisure Park, and more applicants are welcome
THE Cliffs Pavilion hopes to attract bigger touring productions once a £300,000 refurbishment of its backstage area is complete. The revamp marks the first big improvement by HQ Theatres, which took over running the Cliffs, in Station Road, Westcliff
leigh Rotary Club presented two cheques for a total of £3,000 to two different charities. Mayor Ron Price visited the club for lunch at the Old Vienna Restaurant. He was given a cheque for £500 for his charity to provide specialist heart equipment for
RADICAL measures to stamp out vandalism have been unveiled in the wake of shock figures showing yobs are costing Basildon taxpayers £500,000 a year. Graffiti-spraying youths will be made to clean up their own mess. "Mosquito" devices, which let out
A PERVERT with a beer belly who has exposed himself to several woman in Northlands Park, Pitsea, is being hunted by police. Detectives said his usual victims are groups of teenage schoolgirls, but his latest was a woman in her 30s who was on her own.
COMIC-book fans from all over the country have nominated two south Essex writers for a prestigious award. Andy Winter, 40, of Rutland Avenue, Southend, has been shortlisted for an award as the nation's favourite black-and-white comic artist in the 2007
A CANVEY seafront amusement park may have its plans for expansion halted by Castle Point Council. Scott Petty, owner of the Leisure Island Fun Park, has submitted an application to extend his enterprise on Western Esplanade by more than 1,000sq m and
THE families of three schoolgirls who were indecently assaulted by a pensioner erupted in fury after he was spared jail. Dennis Roe, 77, of Salisbury Avenue, westcliff, was given a three-year community rehabilitation order and ordered to take part in
Southend United's star striker Freddy Eastwood could be set for a shock international call up - for Wales. The Basildon-based forward - who has scored 16 goals for the Shrimpers this season - has been found to have a Welsh ancestor. And the Welsh
Southend United defender Efe Sodje is urging his side to ignore all of the other sides down towards the foot of the Championship. Despite suffering a 4-0 hammering at Hull on Saturday, the Shrimpers are still only one point from safety. And Sodje
Kent is very much the key word for Billericay Town tonight as they continue their bid for Ryman Premier glory with a trip to Margate. Not only are the New Lodge favourites playing in the county, but three coach loads of fans will be making the trip
Southend continued their charge for the National League Three South title with a comfortable 49-5 victory over bottom club Chinnor at Warners Bridge. Samoan centre Faapulou Soolefai continued his sensational season as he went over for two more tries
Billericay crowned a magnificent season by sealing the Essex Division One championship with a convincing 47-3 victory at Ilford Wanderers. The in-form visitors - who have also reached the final of the EDF Energy Junior Vase at Twickenham - took the
With both Canvey and Basildon going into this game knowing that nothing less than a win would do, it was always going to be a tense affair in this London Four North East match. With the wind blowing diagonally across the pitch at Tewkes Creek, Canvey
Football Academy students from Southend's South East Essex College fly to Spain on Thursday of next week where they will spend five days on a football development tour with La Liga giants, Valencia. Having the opportunity to go to Europe and visit
Retiring Southend High School for Boys headteacher Michael Frampton had every reason to be proud when he presented the trophies at the annual Southend Senior Schools' soccer finals. For Southend High won four of the five cups - only missing out at
What a difference a week can make. With two home wins in as many games, Grays Athletic have climbed out of the Conference drop zone and they will be looking for a third consecutive win when they travel to Forest Green tonight. Justin Edinburgh's men
Great Wakering Rovers, who climbed two positions to sixth from bottom place with Saturday's win at Tilbury, can move up another place tonight. Victory over visitors Bury Town at Burroughs Park would lift them above the team they are playing into 16th
A FORMER Southend writer has been nominated for a top sci-fi award, for the script he wrote for an episode of TV favourite Dr Who. Toby Whithouse, 36, wrote the episode, School Reunion, part of the popular second series starring the current Doctor, David
THE loveliest ladies in town will send pulses racing when they compete for the title of Miss Basildon 2007. Nearly 60 girls have already applied to take part in the beauty pageant, at Jumpin Jacks nightclub, Festival Leisure Park. Contestants, who must
A TOY store is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year by raising money for charity. Argosy Toyshop, in London Road, Westcliff, wants to mark the landmark by getting as much money as possible for the Southend branch of the Huntington's Disease Association
I have a theory that a woman's handbag reveals more about her true psyche than she realises. When I was young (er), I carried a bohemian, hessian shoulder bag with tassels on the bottom. It almost always contained a purse, some cigarettes or tobacco
A MUM is calling for action against people who allow their dogs to foul the pavements near her home. Mum of three Lorraine Stokes, 27, says the problem is at its worst in Cample Lane, Broxburn Drive, and Cawdor Avenue, South Ockendon - the route she
I have a theory that a woman's handbag reveals more about her true psyche than she realises. When I was young (er), I carried a bohemian, hessian shoulder bag with tassels on the bottom. It almost always contained a purse, some cigarettes or tobacco
There had been rumours that Mr Brown was about to up the road fund licence fee on gas-guzzlers. I thought this might be a good time to dump the 2.5 190hp mean machine. So what to get next? Another muscle car perhaps? No, this is the age of "pollution
I was interested in the proposed history trail (Mar 22), particularly as the moat seems to have been relocated overnight to Clickett Hill. We have lived in East Thorpe for 49 years, and the moat has always been in front of our house. As the site is
The graffiti team in Southend does a fine job and I am pleased that their work has been recognised. The removal of graffiti is essential and costly. Thankfully Adventure Island assists the council and sponsors a vehicle, otherwise there would be an even
Is Gladedale, the company developing the Garrison site at Shoebury, using the same technology on Gunners Park that was used in Dr Who's Tardis, ie 17 acres bigger when it has built all over the park than it was before it started? Melvyn Sach Seaview
A publicly funded, publicly provided health service is the fairest and most efficient way of providing high quality health care to all. It must be based on rational planning to meet the specific needs of all the people it serves. Accountability suffers
BIG-HEARTED builders popped into Willowfields pre-school to repair a fence and build a shed to store garden toys. The school, based at Steepleview Community Hall, Laindon, has been targeted by vandals and it is hoped the improvements will help keep
A MAN had a lucky escape after tackling a chip pan fire in his flat. The 46-year-old man, of Lakeside Path, Canvey, was making a snack after a night out when the fire broke out in his kitchen early yesterday. The man threw damp towels and a bucket
SHOPPERS were shown the consequences of leaving chip pans unattended as they watched a spectacular demonstration by firefighters. The Essex Fire and Rescue service headed to the Knightswick Centre, on Canvey, to send out a warning about the dangers of
SOUTHEND United's proposed new stadium could be delayed by up to a year after being called in by the Government. Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said plans for a 22,000-seater stadium at Fossetts Farm should go to
AFTER months of anticipation and excitement, the winners of the Echo's We Wanna Make You a Star competition can be revealed. The winners were announced after an arduous day of auditions at the Whitehall College of Performing Arts, in Eastwood. Nicola
COMMUTERS suffered delays of several hours after overhead cables went down on the c2c rail line. Some passengers heading home from London Fenchurch Street last night even had to be evacuated and herded on to Tube trains as an overhead line problem between
COMMUTERS suffered delays of several hours after overhead cables went down on the c2c rail line. Passengers heading home from London Fenchurch Street last night faced delays of more than two hours. The Echo was told of reports that commuters had to
BASILDON MP Angela Smith is expected to lead talks at an anti-fascist public meeting. The junior minister has confirmed she will attend the Basildon Unite Against Fascism talks in St Martin's Church hall, St Martin's Square, Basildon. The meeting plans
A NEWLY-fitted smoke alarm helped save an elderly blind man's life after a fire broke out in his kitchen. Neighbours rushed to help the 85-year-old after hearing the alarm go off at his home in Berg Avenue, Canvey. He had accidentally placed his plastic
RAYLEIGH'S parish church has been given a £20,000 boost thanks to the efforts of a fundraising group. As president of the Friends of Holy Trinity Church, Tory MP Mark Francois presented the cheque. The group, set up just over ten years ago, has raised
THURROCK drivers have been promised hefty reductions at the Dartford crossing when a price hike comes into force next year. MPs celebrated the news and the hope the cut will be as high as 90 per cent when the toll increases to £1.50 from next January
A FORMER gin factory has been converted into a hi-tech training centre for firefighters. A suite of offices in the old Gilbeys site in Laindon is the base of what the fire service has called the Operational Command Assurance Team. Essex Fire and Rescue
THE place to be on the first weekend in July will be the Sutton With Shopland Festival. The event, which mixes music, film, art and multimedia is set to take place once again at the Sutton Hall Farm estate in Rochford. Local businesses are being encouraged
IF you're still in a spin following the last Bond outing, then welcome to the Ace of Diamonds shop where you can buy into the world of 007's Casino Royale. The store, in Stock Road, Billericay, provides a product that is available for purchase on the
CAR company Essex Ford is poised to start work on a £6.5million dealership complex which is the centrepiece of its expansion plans. A ground-breaking ceremony for the new development was due to be held today on a five-acre site next to the Ford Technical
