Archive
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Blues could face Spurs re-match
Southend United could get the chance to avenge their Carling Cup defeat at Tottenham Hotspur. For should Steve Tilson's side win their FA Cup replay at Barnsley next weekend they would travel to Spurs or Cardiff City in the fourth round over the weekend
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Rollers remembered
He was the pin-up for a generation of girls and will be making hearts flutter once more when he visits Basildon. Former Bay City Roller Les McKeown may have spilt from the original band some 28 years ago, but he's still keeping their hits alive.
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Kelsea twirls her way to top Tinsel title
A mini-majorette has twirled her way to success. Kelsea Hornsby, seven, won the overall champion trophy at the Tinsel Charity Competition, run by the UK Federation of Majorettes. The youngster, of Second Avenue, Canvey, won the freestyle solo twirl
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I logged on and lost two stones
When Julie Thompson first logged on and started dieting, she had no idea it would land her a starring role in a TV ad. The Shoebury hairdresser has lost almost two stones with tescodiets.com and says it has changed the way she thinks about food for
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Walking the sprogs...
Calling all Canvey mums! A new group is being set up to help you shift those Christmas pounds, make new friends and get a healthy dose of fresh air, all at the same time. The group is being set up by Sarah Fryatt, mum of five-month-old Daisy.
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Grieving mum sets up bereavement website
Grieving parents who have lost their baby can now get extra support online, thanks to the launch of a new website. The Forget-Me-Not charity, which has a special bereavement suite in Basildon Hospital's maternity ward for the comfort of mothers who
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£400,000 house in the country (park)
Fancy a country home in an idyllic setting, surrounded by gentle slopes, woodlands and historic castle ruins? Well, if you have about £400,000 to spare, Castle Point Council might have just the deal for you. The council is selling the former ranger's
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Government ‘bottled out’ on cell research
A south Essex MP has accused the Government of "bottling out" over the use of hybrid embryos made from human and animal cells for medical research. Stem cell research, using embryos which are 99.5 per cent human, with a small animal component, is likely
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Is Miss GB a Brazen Hussy girl?
A fashion designer is hoping former Miss Great Britain Danielle Lloyd will wear some of her creations while she's in the Celebrity Big Brother house. Fathom McCormack, who runs Brazen Hussy, in Leigh Broadway, will be voting to keep the model in the
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Smashing party to end balcony battle
Rarely will a balcony have received so much attention. Residents flocked to Billet Wharf in Leigh Old Town to see a rogue balcony demolished. Ron Sverdloff was determined to see the wooden platform out in style after losing his battle with Southend
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Budget could hasten end for home
The eventual closure of a substandard old people's home could mean the loss of another 24 Southend Council jobs, it has been revealed. The council has been looking at closing Saxon Lodge, in Smith Street, Shoebury, for more than a year because it fails
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College award in memory of Bianca
A dedicated teaching student whose life was tragically cut short has been honoured with a college award in her own name. Bianca Trew, from Westcliff, died of peritonitis aged 28 last year, while in her final year at Truro College, Cornwall, but she
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Kids get a taste of TV stardom online
Schoolchildren are broadcasting their own TV programmes over the internet. Online station Southend TV this month launched its Local Schools TV service, in association with Belfairs Media Arts School, in Leigh. They have already produced a variety of
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‘Road closure is ruining business’
Traders who blame an experimental road closure for loss of business are calling for it to be revoked. Southend Council decided six months ago to close Chichester Road, between the junctions with York Road and Heygate Avenue, to ease traffic flow around
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Man’s guide dog barred from cafe
A blind pensioner was refused entry to a restaurant because he would not leave his guide dog outside. Ron Whitt, 70, visited Cafe Mensa, off Billericay High Street, for a cooked breakfast with his wife Tracy and trusty dog Fable. But owner Huseyin
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£1,000 a day jobs insult
Contractors at Revenue and Customs in Southend are being paid up to £1,000 a day - despite hundreds of civil service jobs being under threat. Furious union officials say the huge wages for the IT jobs, based at Alexander House and Portcullis House
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Dad starts blaze trying to destroy documents
A dad worried about identity fraud unwittingly set his home on fire as he tried to burn personal documents. The man, his wife and their two young children fled the home in London Road, Benfleet, after he set fire to documents in a saucepan near a wooden
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Pupils rake in thousands
Generous students, staff and friends of Belfairs High School have raised almost £3,000 for charity so far this school year. Starting in October with Breast Cancer Awareness week the Leigh school raised £1,637 pounds with collections, a games night, and
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Praise for 'nurturing' school
Inspectors have rated Blenheim Primary as a good school with some outstanding features. The Leigh school's latest Ofsted report praises its nurture unit for providing support which can then help children with special needs get into mainstream classes
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A light, airy bar, fit for the Sun King
The champagne is on ice and the chandeliers are polished and gleaming in a stylish new bar which has just opened in Leigh. Louis XIV, has been created in the premises previously occupied by Reds bar - the result of a £500,000 refurbishment. Thanks to
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Youth fought off robbers
A man decided to bravely fight back when he was threatened by a gang of would-be robbers. The 19-year-old man was walking through Stock Road, Billericay when he was approached by the four men. They grabbed him and demanded he hand over all his cash
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‘Police should NOT target speeding cars’
A scathing attack has been lauched on police after figures revealed the number of road deaths have doubled in the past year. The number of people killed in the Laindon Road Policing Division, which covers roads in Basildon and Thurrock, has soared
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Girl told: you'll be locked up
A teenager who admitted attacking a man has been warned to expect to be locked up when she is sentenced next month. Lisa Jones, 18, of Elmsleigh Drive, Leigh, admitted assaulting David Smith when she appeared at Basildon Crown Court. Adjourning the
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Plans for new houses
Plans to demolish a bungalow at 48 Picketts Avenue, Leigh, and repace it with two detached houses have been submitted to Southend Council.
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Missing man found dead
An elderly man who went missing from his Basildon home has been found dead. Victor Hollingdale, 88, was last seen alive at his home in Tyrrell Court on Thursday afternoon. His body was found in a ditch in Bakers Lane, West Hanningfield, at 5pm on
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Smashing party to end balcony battle
Rarely will a balcony have received so much attention. Residents flocked to Billet Wharf in Leigh Old Town to see a rogue balcony demolished. Ron Sverdloff was determined to see the wooden platform out in style after losing his battle with Southend Council
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Young need time to gain experience
Part of the reason youngsters have a lot of accidents is that they can drive around carrying passengers who distract them, they can drive more or less any car they can afford to insure, or drive on their parents' insurance. Passing a driving test, does
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Nurses are at greater risk
What does B Harrington, who complains about nurses who travel too and fro from hospital in their uniforms (Jan 4), expect staff to do - go home naked? The only instruction Southend Hospital gives to its staff is that they should cover their uniforms
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Hoist white flag at Dale Farm
I applaud Jon Austin's excellent journalism in exposing the travellers who lost legal aid (Dec 28). Those who voice support for illegal occupation of green belt, advocate false claims in support of their argument and illegal activities of various forms
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New rape law is bad move
It is being proposed that women whose actions are impaired by drink, are incapable of giving assent to a sexual act, which will be rape. This seems to be removing the onus for protecting themselves from drunkeness and promiscuity and placing the blame
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Travellers play real Monopoly
The Echo's revelations about the manoeuvres of the traveller community, which we publish today, puts the travellers firmly on the defensive. There are things here travellers did not want the rest of the world to know, and which until now they have kept
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At last, a realistic solution for the pier
At last Southend Council has reached a sane and realistic assessment of what is needed to establish a practical, viable future for our pier. The last thing on earth to consider would be a repetition in, inevitably, a truncated state of the excellent
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Rugby Union: It's park strife for Southend
National Three South leaders Southend suffered their first league defeat of the season when they went down 32-15 to fourth-placed Westcombe Park at Warners Bridge on Saturday. Southend remain eight points ahead of second-placed Lydney, who beat Hertford
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Football: Edinburgh confident Grays will survive
Ex-Spurs star Justin Edinburgh was given a clear indication of the size of the task facing him after taking over as boss of Grays. Appointed on Friday after the shock resignation of Andy King, the former Billericay Town manager saw his troops beaten
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Football: Folkestone Invicta 3 Billericay Town 3
Billericay maintained their Ryman Premier honours challenge by battling back from a two-goal deficit to share the spoils at Folkestone Invicta. Damian Abel gave the hosts the lead but Joe Flack equalised. James Everitt put Invicta into a 2-1 lead
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Football: It’s a washout as rain stops play
LOCAL soccer suffered its worst weather-hit day of the season so far as torrential rain swept across south-east Essex on Saturday afternoon. Due to the superb efforts of their groundstaff, who worked on the Park Lane surface from 8am, play did get
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Mystery over who scored, but bookies back Gower
Doubts remain over the identity of the Shrimpers goalscorer on Saturday as both Freddy Eastwood and Mark Gower continue to claim the effort. Eastwood unleashed a low 20-yard free-kick which took a deflection before hitting the back of the net. And
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Flahavan: I don't believe goal stood
Southend United goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan is still struggling to believe that Barnsley's late equaliser was allowed to stand at Roots Hall on Saturday. The Shrimpers seemed to be heading through to the fourth round of the FA Cup after Mark Gower put
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West Ham: Curbishley overshadows FA Cup win with rant at press
West Ham got back to winning ways with a morale-boosting win over League One side Brighton and Hove Albion at Upton Park. Second half goals from Mark Noble - his first for the club - Carlton Cole and Hayden Mullins gave the Irons a much-needed lift
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Bungling robbers drop cash
Robbers knocked a security guard to the ground but dropped the cash box they had stolen as they ran away. The victim was struck from behind as he carried the cash box towards the Abbey branch, in Pitsea Broadway, at 8.40pm on Friday. The robbers
