Archive
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Wickford: Canon backs bid for new school
The fight for a new junior school in Wickford was yesterday stronger than ever, as church education bosses offered their backing. Mums urged diocesan director of education, Canon Peter Hartley, to help them find extra places for junior pupils in the town
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Pub firm pulls out of Frinton deal
Controversial plans for Frinton's first town centre pub are not to go ahead after all. Brewery giants J D Wetherspoon confirmed yesterday they had pulled out of the hard-fought bid. The shock announcement comes after months of campaigning by protesters
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Colchester: 'We're happy daughters are home'
The families of two runaway Colchester schoolgirls yesterday told of their happiness to have them home. Fourteen-year-olds Marnie Aldridge and Katherine Barham, both pupils at Philip Morant School, were reunited with their families yesterday after they
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Soccer: Colchester back training
Colchester United returned to training today after their summer break with assistant boss Steve Whitton enthusing "let's play football". Training began without manager Mick Wadsworth, who has been absent through illness all week, so Whitton took charge
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Wickford: Student writers show off creative style and talent
Four budding writers and poets are to have their work recorded on tape by the Wickford and District Talking Newspaper after winning this year's Basildon College Creative Writing Competition. The competition, open to students of all ages, is jointly sponsored
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Ongar: Mild weather leads to dramatic rise in rats, mice and cockroaches
A dramatic rise in the number of rats and mice in the Ongar and North Weald area is being tackled by pest control officers. Last year there were nearly 1,500 appeals for help to control rats in the Epping Forest district, a figure which reflects a steady
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Festival at Burstead attracts 1,000 revellers
The future of Great Burstead's historic village church is considerably brighter this week, thanks to revellers at this year's FAB celebration. Last weekend's Festival at Burstead, at St Mary Magdalene Church on Church Road, once again attracted hundreds
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Basildon: Family need cash for Budapest clinic
The family of brave cerebral palsy sufferer Vickie Bristow are appealing for local support to raise money for her to have treatment in a Budapest clinic. The Basildon family need items to sell in a boot sale, to raise money for the trip that will enable
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Big drop in Essex fire service emergency call-outs
Emergencies dealt with by the county's fire brigade have dropped substantially. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service was called to deal with 9,700 incidents, ranging from blazes to false alarms, in six months. That is a drop of more than 500 on the calls
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Southend gears up for city status bid as rival disappears
Southend has vowed to press ahead with its bid for city status after Colchester, Britain's oldest recorded town, dropped out of the running. A formal application is being drawn up by campaigning council officials who want to win the title to mark the
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Billericay: Anger over post box arsonists
Thoughtless vandals responsible for an arson campaign against Billericay's post boxes have been urged to consider the potentially devastating consequences of their actions. Billericay Police made the plea following two attacks on post boxes in the town
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Billericay and Wickford welcome new bargain bus fares
Billericay and Wickford pensioners are being promised the ''bargain of the year'' now that Basildon Council has slashed the price of some bus passes. From October, the cost of the Essex half fare bus pass, which lets the elderly travel for a greatly reduced
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Brentwood: Teenager in fatal crash
Friends and family this week paid tribute to a "quiet, gentle" teenager who was killed in a tragic road accident in Gubbins Lane on Friday morning. Eighteen-year-old Chris Speller, of Hutton, was returning home on his moped after spending the night at
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Colchester: Parrot masterminds the snake escape
The great snake escape in Colchester, which put a school on its guard, was masterminded by... a parrot. Teacher Rachel Goodfellow, of Philip Morant School, spotted a black, red and yellow banded snake in the school woods. After being captured it was realised
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Cricket: Ian's drive for the top
Howzat! There cannot be many county cricketers who can claim to have been given out leg before coal bucket or caught in the outfield by a vase. Essex opening batsman Ian Flanagan can. And the cricket crazy Colchester left-hander is equally at home whether
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Cricket: Half-century of service for John
John Wright is halfway to his 50th century and it has taken a good deal longer than the previous 49 accumulated by one of the most stylish and prolific run-getters in club cricket. Wright made his second team debut for Colchester and East Essex 50 years
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Soccer: Keeper tops Colchester's wanted list
Management and club officials returned to Layer Road yesterday to set about securing a new goalkeeper for Colchester United. Assistant manager Steve Whitton said a keeper was the U's top priority with the new Nationwide League season only five weeks away
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Cricket: Brittle batting to blame
Halstead suffered their first defeat in the East Anglian Premier League away to title contenders Cambridge St Giles. Brittle batting was the reason for Halstead's downfall and St Giles are now threatening to turn the championship chase into a two-horse
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Brentwood: High Street bid sparks fury
Furious Tories claim the council should "come clean" on town centre plans which they believe could amount to nothing less than pedestrianisation and a dreaded ring road. They stormed out of last week's council meeting in a bitter row over proposals for
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Billericay: Anger at plan to spend £25,000 on town statue
Billericay and Wickford councillors have launched a stinging attack on plans to lavish £25,000 on a statue for Basildon town centre. The scheme won the backing of the committee's Labour and Liberal Democrat members, but Billericay and Wickford's Conservative
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Billericay, Wickford: Advice centres under threat
Billericay and Wickford's citizens advice bureaux have been plunged into crisis after their Basildon rival reneged on a funding deal and demanded a bigger slice of the available cash. Both are facing the possibility of major cutbacks after an agreement
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Colchester: 'We deserve to be city' says mayor
Colchester mayor Martin Hunt said today he believed scrapping the town's application for city status was wrong. A committee of Colchester councillors decided on Tuesday that the bid to switch from a town to a city might jeopardise the Colchester boast
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Cricket: No more sides left unbeaten
There are no longer any teams cherishing an unbeaten record in the Osborne League. The last three were sent tumbling at the weekend with defeats for Cressing in division three, Hatfield Peverel in division four and fifth division Real Oddies. What's more
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Motorsport: Annie's steady race
Brentwood racer Annie Templeton, driving the 'Talk Radio' backed MGF, was back in action at Brands Hatch last weekend in round six of the 1999 MGF Cup Championship. For Templeton, the weekend started with qualifying, where she qualified in 22nd place,
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Romford: Court gives gas boiler repairer suspended jail sentence
Gas engineer James Morris, walked free from court on Tuesday - after he "patched up'' a lethal boiler which claimed the life of a Brentwood nursing home worker. The day after he worked on the device in February 1997, Catherine Walsh, 50, was found dead
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Ongar: Cat owners anguish over airgun attack
A pet lover has run up vet's bills of more than £1,000 after her cat was shot by a mystery marksman. Dusty, a six-year-old moggie was badly wounded by someone with an airgun in the fields behind High Ongar Primary School. Now his owner, London Ambulance
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Harold Hill: £125,000 handout to help pupils
Schools in Harold Hill will receive a £125,000 cash boost to help them get the very best out of their pupils. The money is part of a £500,000 windfall for schools across the borough. It was raised by the Havering Business and Education Partnership, which
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Brentwood: Pedestrianisation looming?
Brentwood Tories have seized on a statement in the county's transport plan saying it shows the council does want to pedestrianise the High Street. Brentwood Council's contribution to the Essex's local transport plan says that the most important road scheme
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Brentwood: New technology may help reverse rise in car crime
Police are turning to new technology to pinpoint car theft hot spots after a surge in car crime in Brentwood. They appealed to motorists to be extra vigilant as the figures revealed a black period for vehicle break-ins and theft. Thanks to the latest
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Woodham: Fed-up families to buy own health facilities
Families in South Woodham Ferrers are so fed up with the town's lack of health facilities they are saving up to buy their own. Campaigners are furious amid claims they have been neglected by the powers-that-be and have now made their first target a £12,000
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Southend: Boys come out in wigs and dresses for drag spot opening
Bar Central officially announced its arrival in Southend with a flick of hair and a flash of leg, darling. Gay nightclub host John Quick donned his best frock and make-up to welcome the crowds to his alternative Lucy Road spot. Men were dressed to kill
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Southend: Bingo pals say goodbye to 'Mama Mecca'
A lifelong bingo fan paid one last visit to her second home. Friends said their farewells to Dolly Johnson as the 86-year-old's funeral cortege pulled up outside the Mecca bingo hall in Southend. It was Dolly's dying wish - to say goodbye to the home
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Southend: Airport facing the duty-free axe
The axe has finally fallen on duty-free shopping at Southend Airport. Bosses did everything they could to stop the end of tax free shopping within the European Union which came into action at midnight last night, but despite organising petitions and campaigns
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Essex fans queuing in force for tickets to Star Wars
Star Wars fanatics queued for hours at cinemas across Essex to get their hands on gold-dust tickets for the show's opening night. At cinemas in both Southend and Basildon, fired-up fans got comfortable on pavements outside the Odeon and UCI around 8pm
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Mundon: Man and dog die in crash
An elderly man died and another was seriously injured in a road smash. A dog was also killed in the crash which happened shortly after 11pm last night near Maldon. Police and fire crews from Maldon, Chelmsford and a rescue vehicle from Leigh-on-Sea were
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Baby fights for life: Laindon couple held
A six-week-old baby was today in a hospital's intensive care unit with serious head injuries. An Essex police spokesman said the baby was in a serious but stable condition at Basildon Hospital. A Laindon couple, both in their twenties, were being questioned
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North Weald: Council throws down the gauntlet
People of North Weald and the surrounding area are to be given the chance to decide for themselves the destiny of the airfield that dominates the village. They will not only be consulted over plans for the former Battle of Britain HQ but will also be
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Westcliff van driver died after spinning off slip road
A driver died after his van spun off a motorway slip road. David Martin, 32, of Westbourne Grove, Westcliff, was driving at speed when he lost control, an inquest heard. Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray yesterday recorded a verdict of accidental death.
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Southend: Black cats unlucky
These black cats, busy trying to deliver good fortune to others, are having trouble being their own lucky mascots. Unless they find homes soon, they will have to be put down. The four strays are being cared for at Medivet, in Eastwoodbury Lane, Southend
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Canvey: Award for horse rescue firemen
Bighearted firefighters on Canvey are in line for a special award for saving the life of a helpless horse. Animal Aid is to present the team with an award for rescuing Dallas, a 25-year-old horse, who nearly died after getting stuck in a ditch last May
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Billericay: Sun Corner fair to lift town spirits
Community spirit is set to be given a boost in Billericay - all in the name of charity. The town's second fun day, organised by the Mayflower Rotary Club, is aimed at bringing the town's residents together in support of the hardworking charities. Up to
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Basildon: Pupils paddle their way to canoe honour
Ten hardy pupils from a Basildon school had their self-confidence boosted with a gruelling weekend of canoeing. The treat was organised by members of Basildon District Venture Scout Unit who offered to take the youngsters to the Scout Boating Centre on
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Ingatestone: The hot team
What, you might ask, do a plumber, retail manager, two landscape gardeners, a painter and decorator, a lighting technician and a couple of builders have in common? Well, for a start, none of them are frightened of heights which is just as well as they
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Builders want more south Essex homes
Thousands of extra homes could be built in Southend, Castle Point and Basildon if the House Builders' Federation has its way. The group claims the number of new homes planned for south Essex is too conservative - and believes thousands more should be
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Southend: Means testing for elderly on the way
Pensioners and the disabled are among those who could face means testing as part of an overhaul of social services charging in Southend. Councillors have provisionally backed moves to introduce the new system, based on a client's ability to pay. Currently
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Rochford: Care home to be bulldozed
A former old people's home could be reduced to a pile of rubble. The future of the Bungalow in Rochford hangs in the balance today as Essex County Council decides what to do with it. The building, just off North Street in the town centre, has stood empty
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Family firm bucks trend of closures
A family firm fed up with the number of shop closures in Braintree High Street is fighting back by opening another store. Three generations of the Hawkins family are backing their new business next to their Betta Buys store not only to boost their own
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Castle Point: Our Barney's top dog
Meet Mr Handsome. That is the title rescued dog, Barney, bounded home with from the Castle Point Show after melting the hearts of judges. Barney, believed to be two years old and a cross between a border collie and a St Bernard, also collected a string
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Memories: Battered by an outraged headmistress
On April 8 Memories looked back exactly 60 years, to the time of the phoney peace of early 1939. Under the guise of "peace in our time", Southend and the rest of the nation quietly prepared for war. Active among those doing their bit for the preparations
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Dovercourt: Claire's new lease of life - thanks to her dad
Student Claire Rogers has been given a new lease of life after her dad Paul donated one of his kidneys to her. Claire, 20, was diagnosed with kidney problems in November 1996. Doctors told her the organs would continue to function for about three years
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Pilgrims Hatch: Head marches class out of sex education play
Children from Pilgrims Hatch were led out of a sex education play at Brentwood Theatre halfway through because their head teacher thought it was too explicit. The children were attending a performance of We Don't Talk About It, an English translation
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Brentwood: Trust fined £20,000 after death of patient
A health trust has been fined £20,000 after a Warley Hospital patient was killed by a reversing lorry. Pensioner Albert Walters, 72, died minutes after the lorry, carrying prepared food, crushed him in the grounds of the Brentwood Hospital. Barking, Havering
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West Bergholt: Wedding holiday woe
A distraught bride-to-be will miss her honeymoon this weekend because her passport is sitting on a desk in Peterborough. Tanya Trood marries her fiance Steve on Saturday in a fairytale white wedding in Little Horkesley. But the fairytale has fast descended
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Cricket round-up: Halstead rattle up new record score
Halstead racked up a new record score for the league when they smashed an almighty total of 441 for five off 45 overs in their 1st XI League Cup clash against nine-man Achilles. The cup holders, whose top side now play in the East Anglian Premier League
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Basildon: Forgery was 'non-starter'
A forgery expert told a jury it was not possible for a Basildon man to run a counterfeit operation producing £20 notes. David Brown, a currency scientist, said if defendant James Scrivener had wanted a forgery business it would have been "far too amateurish
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Brentwood: Four arrested during blitz on shoplifting
Brentwood Police say a major new operation to combat shoplifting in the town has proved a great success. Plain clothes officers mingled with High Street shoppers and commuters at Brentwood railway station last week in an attempt to catch suspects after
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Billericay: Scaffold scare in High Street
A terrified Billericay family escaped death by inches on Sunday after a tangled mass of heavy scaffolding came crashing down on the High Street behind them. The accident happened just before 5pm as Karen and Colin Edmondson from Chapel Court and their
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Essex fans in line for Star Wars
As Hollywood blockbusters go, they don't come bigger than this. Star Wars - the Phantom Menace finally opens in Britain in two weeks' time, and excitement for the most hyped film in cinema history has firmly set in. The 80 or so fans who stood patiently
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Bowls: Ager earns stalemate
A spirited fightback by Mike Ager's rink, who picked up six shots on the last three ends to earn an 18-all draw, saw Shoebury to a 55-50 win over Alexandra in the Beharrel Shield. Ager's men had been involved in an even affair early on, but Mark Stainer
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Tennis: Thorpe Bay crushed by in-form Westcliff
Westcliff Hard Courts' men were too strong for their Thorpe Bay rivals in Division One of the Essex Tennis League. Thorpe Bay were swept aside by their visitors as Westcliff put on a top drawer performance to give their hosts a 7-2 drubbing. Two Westcliff
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Golf: Clacton and Braintree keep the flag flying in cup
Clacton and Braintree will fly the north and mid Essex flag in the quarter finals of the countywide Thornton Challenge Cup. In the third round of the competition, Clacton built their victory on an outstanding morning in the foursomes against Rochford
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Soccer: Burley bid to keep Petta
George Burley is still hoping to persuade Dutchman Bobby Petta to stay at Ipswich Town. A club spokesperson said today the Portman Road boss would be meeting the unsettled 24-year-old tomorrow in the hope of settling a deal. Petta is understood to have
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Cricket: Essex crumble to Murali magic
Lancashire finished the second day of their championship match with Essex enjoying a lead of 172 runs with nine second innings wickets remaining. On a wicket that already provided spinners with 18 of the 21 wickets to fall thus far, Essex will need to
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Golf: Alan's best of the county's seniors
Alan Macnaught is the new Essex senior golf champion. The 52-year-old Scot, who plays for Colchester Golf Club, lifted the prestigious new trophy after winning the two-round competition held at Chelmsford. Staged for only the second time, the over-50s
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Soccer: Alvin breaks Blues silence
More than three months after quitting the Roots Hall hot seat, former West Ham and England star Alvin Martin finally broke his silence today to speak out about his turbulent reign as Southend United manager, and life after the Blues. With the Blues plummeting
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Soccer: Noble act for Maldon
Maldon Town's leading goalscorer last season Tommy Noble has signed a new one-year deal with the club. Delighted manager Ben Embery said: "I'm very happy Tommy has signed. It's a big, big plus for us. "He scored something like 27 goals last season and
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Soccer: No Colchester bid to bring in Brad
Colchester United will not make new moves to bring free agent Bradley Allen back to Layer Road. The striker, who was on loan at the U's last season, has just been released by Charlton and is currently interesting Peterborough, Walsall and Grimsby. But
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Cricket: Leaders inflict heavy defeat
Colchester and East Essex slipped to fourth place in the Shepherd Neame Essex League first division after a heavy defeat at the hands of leaders Chelmsford. They were put into bat on a wicket of uneven bounce. However, both Simon Wild (42) and John Butcher
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Cricket: Billericay close on the leaders
LOUGHTON I ..........................174 all out BILLERICAY I..................................175-1 (Billericay won by nine wickets) (Shepherd Neme Essex League) Billericay strengthened their position in the upper reaches of the Shepherd Neame Essex
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Tennis: Preparing for championships
Essex mens and ladies teams are in action in the LTA Inter County Grass Court Championships in a couple of weeks. The men are back in Group One after three years in the lower reaches and play at Eastbourne and hoping to win the national title. They will
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Golf: Stars come out for charity day
Golfers scored a superb £15,000 boost for good causes when the 10th annual charity day was staged at Boyce Hill. The money will be split between the three local hospices, Fair Havens, Little Havens, and St Luke's and adds to the the huge sum raised in
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Ongar-Epping railway plan still on track
The boss of the reborn Ongar to Epping railway this week angrily denied claims that the project was behind schedule. Instead, former Ford chief Bill Camplisson pledged commuter trains would be running again before the target date of October 2000. Mr Camplisson
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Chigwell: Care worker, 28, awarded for dramatic capture of two thieves
Have-a-go hero Sylvia Seago yesterday picked up a prestigious commendation from Havering Police for her bravery in tackling two pickpockets in Romford last year. The 28-year-old care assistant from Harold Hill received the award at a special ceremony
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Rettendon: Gardens add visitor centre
Hyde Hall Gardens in Rettendon will soon boast a new visitor centre. An old timber-framed barn is to be converted to provide information about the gardens. The centre, which should be finished by next spring, is being made possible thanks to a three year
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Historic Rochford's museum bid
Calls for Rochford to have its own museum have reached the ears of the town's working group. Lib Dem councillor Heather Glynn, who is a member of the forum, would like to see something in the town showcasing its history. Mrs Glynn said: "The Cramphorns
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Canvey: School heads think Ray's the best
A ceremony has been held to honour a man who has devoted 30 years of service to two Canvey schools. Ray Howard has been a governor at Northwick Park infants school and junior school since they first opened in 1969, and a buffet tea was arranged to mark
