Archive
-
Date
Westcliff: Former cancer victim traded antiques for cannabis
A former cancer victim traded antiques for pain-relieving supplies of cannabis, Southend Crown Court was told. William Austin, 55, of Cotswold Road, Westcliff, was given a two year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £76 costs after admitting possessing
-
Date
Tollesbury: Rare birds find des res
A flock of rare birds have found their ideal des res. Thirty-four pairs of avocets have decided Old Hall Marsh Nature Reserve, near Tollesbury, is the perfect nesting place. And they have managed to produce around 40 chicks in the reserve. The fine-feathered
-
Date
Rochford: Final farewell to Mr Personality
Hundreds of mourners gathered to say a final farewell to "Mr Personality" - jazz trumpeter Vic Wood. Family, friends and familiar faces from the jazz world entered Southend Crematorium on Monday accompanied by a jazz band made up of friends of the well-loved
-
Date
Maldon: Computer company to close
A computer company has ceased trading with the loss of 34 jobs just months after being named one of Britain's fastest-growing firms. Fox Computer Systems, which recently moved to the Maldon's Victorian railway building in Station Road, has been forced
-
Date
Cressing, Maylandsea: Young musicians learn from experts
Young musicians from Maylandsea County Primary School have been taking part in a music project with the English Sinfonia orchestra. Organised as part of the Cressing Temple Music Festival's education programme, the project included workshops by a professional
-
Date
Soccer: Tiptree attain major sponsorship
Tiptree United Football Club have made changes in sponsorship for the forthcoming season. Last season's major first team sponsors of the Jewson League side, Milan Europe Teamwear, have pledged their continued support to the club through the supply of
-
Date
Cricket: Raynes promotion hopes dealt major blow
Hullbridge.............224-5 Rayne..................212 all out (Hullbridge won by 12 runs) (T. Rippon League Division Four) Rayne's promotion hopes were dealt a huge blow on Saturday as old rivals Hullbridge inflicted a defeat which puts them clear of
-
Date
Athletics: Sarah shines at Bracknell
Saturday saw Braintree Athletics Club's women's team at Bracknell, competing against Reading, who were top of the league, Bracknell, who occupied sixth place, Stevenage (eighth) and Oxford, who were just below halfway in the table. Before the match, Braintree
-
Date
Will fraud: Spinster led a simple life
Annie Kay was a private, placid woman who lived a quiet simple life. Born in Lancashire, her family moved to various seaside towns before settling in Westcliff in the 1950s. The daughter of Fred, a dentist, she inherited his surprising wealth, accumulated
-
Date
Will fraud: Police had to dig up bodies at night...
The exhumation of Annie Kay and her companion Patrick Wedd's bodies from Southend cemetery was a first for Essex Police. The decision to re-examine the buried bodies came as officers investigating the possible £1.8 million fraud started to suspect that
-
Date
Braintree Council: Cabinet-style
The newly-elected Braintree District Council, meeting for the first time in full council on Monday, has issued a statement of its priorities for the coming year. The six-point plan will, for the first time, be seen through by lead members - each with
-
Date
Maldon: Meet Maureen, our new minister
Rev Maureen Robbins has scooted into Maldon town to take over as minister at the Baptist Church in Butt Lane. Rev Robbins has been a minister for 27 years and has worked mainly in the West Country. Her last post was at Radstock for nine years. She said
-
Date
Colchester killing: 'Don't be afraid' police urge witnesses
Murder squad detectives have urged Colchester people not to be afraid to help if they have clues which could solve the violent death of a Chinese man in the town. And they called on minicab drivers to come forward if they witnessed events leading up to
-
Date
Basildon: Hunt on after girl is raped
Rape case detectives were today sifting through new information after setting up a road block to quiz potential witnesses. Officers stopped 170 cars in the Felmores area of Basildon exactly a week after a 16-year-old girl was brutally attacked. The teenager
-
Date
Chelmsford: 350 jobs lost at Lloyds TSB
Hundreds of Essex workers face redundancy after banking giant Lloyds TSB announced it is to close its stocks and securities business. 350 staff at its securities services offices in Chelmsford are set to join the dole queue. More than 400 workers in central
-
Date
Laindon: £1.5m fine for train tragedy
Train crash victim Peter Kavanagh's parents were today coming to terms with a record £1.5 million fine meted out on rail operators. Maureen and Peter Kavanagh's son was one of seven killed in the Southall train crash. The promising 29-year-old lawyer
-
Date
Southend: Armed police in siege drama
Armed police were put on standby and a playground evacuated after reports of a shotgun being fired in a Southend street. Officers surrounded Temple Court, Pantile Avenue, concerned that a gunman could be holding hostages inside after a two women and man
-
Date
£35m retail plan for Southend
Plans for three new retail areas in Southend, set to create 760 new jobs, have been submitted to the council. Property company Lansbury Holdings wants to invest a total of £35 million in the projects in separate parts of the borough. The first is a retail
-
Date
Harwich: Interpol asked to help identify bunker body
Police are asking Interpol for help in their efforts to identify a body found decaying in an overgrown bunker in Harwich. Det Sgt Mick Ornellas, part of the investigation team based at an incident room at Stanway, said officers have already been going
-
Date
Soccer: Injury worries for Ipswich
Ipswich Town have been hit by a plague of injuries just a fortnight before the start of the new Division One campaign. Jim Magilton, Matt Holland, Adam Tanner, Mark Venus and Marco Holster are all causing worries ahead of tonight's friendly at Peterborough
-
Date
Soccer: Little ups hunt for midfield ace
Alan Little has prioritised the signing of a midfield dynamo to bolster his Southend United side for the fast-approaching Third Division campaign. With the new season kicking-off against Plymouth Argyle at Roots Hall on August 7, the Blues boss is desperate
-
Date
Wickford: Vandals' history lesson
Youngsters are to be taught about the soldiers who fought and died for their country as part of a tough new vandalism crackdown. Police hope children will show more respect for Wickford memorial park if they realise the men honoured there died close to
-
Date
Motorcycling: National glory for Len
Copford grandad Len Hunt is a new National Classic Motorcycle racing champion thanks his latest successful racetrack exploits. The 60-year-old ace is so far ahead in his field - the Boyer Bransden 501cc to unlimited period class - that he cannot be caught
-
Date
Clacton conference centre plan
Clacton could become a major conference centre if a project to take over two large buildings on the seafront comes off. Colchester Institute is transferring its residential higher education courses from Clacton to Colchester, which will free up the former
-
Date
Ardleigh: Car crash driver dies
An elderly motorist today died after a crash outside the Crown Inn, Ardleigh. The man, from the village, was driving a Peugeot car when it was in a collision with a Ford Fiesta at 10.15am. Firefighters freed him by cutting off the car's roof, but he was
-
Date
25,000 join Colchester cancer care fight
Thousands of readers of This Is Essex and its partner the Evening Gazette have backed our campaign to get a cancer centre of excellence in Colchester. And now a petition carrying an incredible 25,000 signatures has been presented to the House of Commons
-
Date
Westcliff: Street party brings out the clowns
What a party! The residents of Hermitage Road in Westcliff had a great time after their street became the venue for a huge party. The knees-up raised money for Little Haven Hospice in Thundersley. Special guests such as Rochford and Southend East MP Sir
-
Date
Rayleigh: Pub raiders force landlord to open safe
A terrified pub landlord woke to find two men in his bedroom demanding keys to a safe. The 54-year-old man was forced to show the thieves the safe and open it up. The intruders snatched a large quantity of cash and made off from the Paul Pry pub in High
-
Date
Soccer: Iron triumph in friendly derby
Braintree Town won their local derby with Witham Town to record their first friendly victory of the season. A double strike by Gavin Crane won the day for the Iron in a match which turned into a real midfield struggle. The first goal came after just six
-
Date
Soccer: Play-offs the target for Colchester skipper
New Colchester United skipper Warren Aspinall has targeted a place in the Division Two play-offs in the coming season. Aspinall lifted his second trophy in three days after the U's beat Harwich 2-1 to win the Harwich Charity Cup Centenary Shield - and
-
Date
Colchester: Wedding community spirit for Nikki's big day
Forget flowers flown in for Posh Spice and David Beckham - everything for a Colchester bride's wedding is coming from the council estate where she lives. From the post wedding knees-up in the local hall, to the cake being baked and iced by a neighbour
-
Date
Southend school mum drove at traffic warden
A woman who drove at a traffic warden to avoid a parking ticket has been banned from driving for a year. Johanna Osburn, of Honiton Road, Southend, was convicted of dangerous driving at Southend magistrates court after heading for the official and driving
-
Date
Worried dad slams beach iron menace
A worried father today spoke out about the "hidden dangers" on Canvey beach after his foot was ripped open on a rusty metal spike. Stephen Barns, 36, was playing on the beach with his children when he felt a sharp pain in his heel. He looked down and
-
Date
Wickford: Debbie travels to work
A school-leaver has made her mark on the tourism industry just 18 months after starting her first job. Debbie Williams, 17, has been made trainee of the year by her company Intatravel in recognition of all the hard work she has done at their Wickford
-
Date
Rochford: Row over new hall promises
Angry Rochford councillors have accused a housing association of failing to honour an agreement to build a community centre for residents. St Mark's Field was sold to Springboard in 1995 by Rochford District Council, on a 99-year lease, with the condition
-
Date
Rayleigh: Store says farewell
Supermarket assistant, Jean Ashley, was today at home with her feet up after clocking up 20 loyal years at the Somerfield store in Rayleigh. Mrs Ashley, 60, was sent off to retirement in style by her colleagues who arranged a surprise party. The hard-working
-
Date
Maldon: Teenagers can Have-A-Go
From drama to motorised skateboarding there's something for youngsters during Maldon and Burnham's Have-A-Go-Week. Sessions for young people aged 11 to 16 have been organised by Maldon District Council and the Maldon Locality Youth Service and will run
-
Date
Clacton: Youths cause train chaos
Children were blamed for a blaze which brought trains to a standstill on the main line from London to Clacton. Three fire crews from Clacton and Weeley tackled the fire on a railway embankment near the Burrs Road crossing at Great Clacton. The blaze burnt
-
Date
Braintree: Call for public meetings on Monken Hadley future
Braintree Trades Union Council members are seeking an assurance that questions surrounding the possible closure of Monken Hadley old people's home, Bocking, will be given a public forum. In a letter to Braintree MP Alan Hurst, Essex Social Services director
-
Date
Soccer: Powling continues to experiment
Once again, Braintree Town manager Richie Powling fielded an experimental squad for the third of Braintree's pre-season friendlies when they entertained Billericay at Cressing Road on Saturday. Upwards of a dozen newcomers have now been given a run out
-
Date
Basildon: Shops jobs boom
A recruitment frenzy is expected to hit Basildon as the last stores to announce plans to move into Fodderwick tout for staff. Now the £30 million shopping complex even has an official name. After years of being known as Fodderwick - then going under the
-
Date
Road Running: Bailey rises to the challenge
The 'Tour' of Great Baddow started on Sunday and Tiptree Road Runners' Mal-colm Bailey rose to the challenge of four races in consecutive days in races which incorporated some testing climbs on hilly courses. His times were: Sunday (10.7k Road Race) 0
-
Date
Cricket: Philpotts 100 sees off Ipswich
IPSWICH & EAST SUFFOLK II............183-8 MALDON II................................................184-6 (Maldon won by four wickets) Maldon's opening bowlers, G. Sims, 13, and Mike Newman kept the Ipswich batsmen under control inn the early stages
-
Date
Cricket: Cook leads Braintree to a fine win
BRAINTREE .....................................229-5 EIGHT ASH GREEN ..............156 all out (Jaygate Homes Two Counties Division Two) (Braintree won by 73 runs) A superb all round performance by Andy Cook on Saturday ensured Braintree a comfortable
-
Date
Cricket round-up: Rayleigh ease relegation fears
RAYLEIGH FAIRVIEW 219-8 OLDCHURCH 169 all out (RAYLEIGH WON) A fine win littered with splendid individual displays enabled Rayleigh to leapfrog Oldchurch and move out of the Mid-Essex League Division Four relegation zone. Veteran opener Dave Webster (
-
Date
Bowls: Ex-champ ladies go through
A brace of previous singles champions made it safely through to the last 16 of the competition at the 54th Southend Ladies Open Bowls Tournament yesterday. Current holder Peggy Taylor of Prittlewell BC maintained her bid to retain the coveted singles
-
Date
Bowls: Eastwood in a Rush to seal Beharrel triumph
Eastwood bowlers got back to winning ways in the Beharrel Shield with a narrow two-shot win over Shoebury. W Rushton got Eastwood off to a fine start with a 21-19 win over M Ager. However, F Lampton put Shoebury on level terms with a 30-18 victory over
-
Date
Will fraud: Widow says 'I'm not a bad person'...
To call Annette Russill's past chequered is an understatement. The 65-year-old white haired widow from Rochford shocked Basildon Crown Court when she confessed she was illiterate. She defensively told the jury: "Don't think I'm a criminal. It is not my
-
Date
Will fraud: Lawyers who smelled a rat
Had it not been for three men with a wealth of legal experience, Annette and David Spillman could now have almost £2 million in their bank accounts. Annie Kay's original solicitor, Peter Boardman, was suspicious when told she had made a new will with
-
Date
Colchester killing: Were gang heading to illegal card game den?
Colchester - a normally genteel borough famed for its history and proud of its low crime rate - has become the scene of an alleged Triad-gang killing. It is believed the London-based gangs had travelled to the town to visit an illegal gambling den. An
-
Date
Chelmsford: Man released as murder probe continues
A man arrested after the murder of pensioner Violet Dunderdale has been released and placed under the care of the Mental Health Act. Police picked up the man soon after the battered body of the much-loved 77-year-old woman was found in her Chelmsford
-
Date
Canvey: Danny Law guest at awards evening
Students were bowled over when England under 19s cricketer Danny Law turned up at their awards ceremony. Chris Richardson, headteacher at Furtherwick Park School, Furtherwick Road, Canvey, said year nine pupils were rewarded after producing first class
-
Date
Colchester killing: Victim's passion was for gambling
Neighbours of a Chinese man murdered in Colchester have described him as a mysterious character and heavy gambler. Staff at a betting shop near where Hok Wan Leung, 34, lived said he was a frequent visitor. Mr Leung, an unemployed chef, was battered to
-
Date
Southend, Leigh: £1.8 million will sting
Residents at a blind home were celebrating after learning they stand to benefit from a Leigh spinster's £1.8 million will - as those who tried to get their hands on the cash face jail. Annie Kay, touched by the charity, left nearly half her fortune to
-
Date
Benfleet: Boy held after blaze threatens houseboats
Houseboat owners today told how they feared for their lives as firefighters battled to prevent their homes being destroyed in a large grass fire. Some of the owners fought alongside the firemen to contain the flames, which were being whipped up by the
-
Date
Basildon: Sick attack on disabled Derek
A disabled charity worker was today recovering from two severe epileptic fits after being set upon by thugs. Two men tossed away Derek Chittenden's walking stick before dragging him to the ground and standing on his face. They then booted him in the stomach
-
Date
Chelmsford: From mechanic to medic
For four years mechanic Stephen Hill spent his days covered in oil, tinkering beneath the bonnets of cars - but on Monday he starts work as a doctor at Broomfield Hospital, in Chelmsford. Stephen left school at 16 with seven O-levels and took a job as
-
Date
Athletics: Fans enjoy sporting feast
Attention on Sunday centred on Basildon AC high jumper Darryl Stone as the pupil from Thundersley's King John School attempted to repeat the 2.03m leap which won him the intermediate boys English Schools' individual title at Bury St Edmunds a fortnight
-
Date
Cricket: Essex set to slash squad
Essex County Cricket manager Peter Edwards has warned dozens of First Class cricketers could be thrown on to the scrapheap at the end of the season. And as county cricket clubs across the country face up to a looming financial crisis, Edwards confirmed
-
Date
Cressing: Pupils offered help over Philip's death
A primary school is opening its doors today to help youngsters cope with the death of a school friend. Carol Leverett, headteacher of Cressing County Primary School, decided to make the move after the death of nine-year-old Philip Tilbury, of The Street
-
Date
Colchester: Weekends of fun mark new century
A millennium celebration event is still being planned by Colchester Town Centre Management Company. The Colchester Millennium Celebrations will take place every weekend next July to mark the year 2000. The event will be a combination of the Colchester
-
Date
Bright future for Braintree
Watch out Braintree - here come the jobs! That's the optimistic message from council chiefs who are predicting a glittering future for the town's crippled east end. They have spent ten years and millions of pounds sowing the seeds of recovery. Thousands
-
Date
Golf: Essex trio beaten
Clacton golfer Jason Levermore failed at the first hurdle in his attempt to win the English Amateur Championship at St Mellion in Cornwall. And there were also first round exits for Braintree's Robert Oldaker and Andy Pye. Levermore, who celebrated his
-
Date
Bowls: Final four in singles glory
A new name is set to grace the cup in the singles at the 54th Southend Open Ladies Bowls Tournament. Current holder Peggy Taylor (Prittlewell) and 1995 singles champion Barbara Overall (Castle Point) were among the casualties in yesterday's competition
-
Date
Soccer: Another cup for Colchester
From the moment the U's opened the scoring in the 14th minute, they were always going to win this match - and with it the Harwich Charity Cup Centenary Shield. Manager Mick Wadsworth fielded a team with only one player over the age of 19. That player
-
Date
Soccer: Trinity in battle to survive
A Southend club which provides a home for more than 300 sportsmen and women is facing a battle for survival after the town's council increased their rent by a staggering 500 per cent. Trinity FC, who are 40 years old, have been told that their annual
-
Date
Essex coast: Ship owners hit by increase in charge
Ship owners face a rise in costs for the marine survey service - the equivalent of an MoT for vessels - from next month. The Marine and Coastguard Agency is raising the fees from £60 an hour up to £70 an hour from August 1. Richard Snape, watch officer
-
Date
Great Wakering: Soccer-mad drugs dealer jailed
Soccer-loving Andy Taylor was behind bars today for dealing drugs. Taylor, who helped run Great Wakering Rovers, received a six-month sentence for supplying cannabis and possessing cannabis and cocaine. Jobless Taylor admitted selling cannabis to about
-
Date
Castle Point: Traffic wardens at risk
Traffic wardens in parts of Castle Point are having to patrol in pairs because of the abuse and danger they face from angry motorists, it has been revealed. Abuse of wardens has reached such a level in some areas of the borough that their controller refuses
-
Date
Nathalie's a Disney stage star
Ten-year-old Nathalie Emmanuel has eyes that twinkle with confidence, a smile that lights up the room and a lead role in Disney's new musical the Lion King. She has beaten off stiff competition from thousands to be one of four girls who will play Nala
-
Date
Leigh: Sink or swim with Maureen
You know when swimming instructor Maureen Parfett is taking a swimming lesson at Belfairs Pool. The minute you walk through the Leigh swimming centre's front doors you can hear her booming voice. No mean feat when you consider the teaching pool is tucked
