Archive
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Hammers finally get Upson
West Ham finally completed the capture of long-time transfer target Matthew Upson from Birmingham. City boss Steve Bruce had been reluctant to part with the want-away centre-back and rejected bids of £4m and £6m for the former Arsenal defender from
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Police hunt armed robbers
Armed robbers carried out two terrifying raids while brandishing handguns at shop assistants. Threshers off-licence in London Road, Westcliff, and Alldays in Spa Road, Hockley, were both targeted by two men who burst into the shops and demanded money
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Gardiner looks to bloom in Turkey
John Gardiner will be flying the flag for Britain when he takes on the Europe's finest next month. The 18-year-old first dan black belt fighter has been selected for the British team for the 34th European Cadet and Junior Karate Championships in Izmir
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Bonanza time for boats
Southend, Crouch, Canvey and Bradwell boats are reporting lots of codling, whiting, pouting, dabs and bass. Southend Pier head is fishing well for codling, whiting and dabs, with the pier stem the place for flounders. Southend's beaches are still
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Bike shop saddled with sponsor title
Southend Sports Council's sponsor of the year award-winner Richardson Cycles proved a hit with several sports. Both cyclists and triathletes nominated the firm, which is based in Elm Road, Leigh, for the award. All of them said the company had supported
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GB call as Jo-Jo takes junior honour
Swimmer Jo-Jo Cranfield toasted her call up to the British swimming team by being named Southend Sports Council's junior sports personality of the year. The 13-year from Leigh is part of the nine-strong GB squad competing in the Danish Open at Esbjerg
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Busby has right number
A nail-biting finish at Sunday's Gloucester Park Open saw Wickford Angling Centre man Alec Busby snatch victory by a narrow margin. He weighed in 47lb 1oz of bream and cap to win the Basildon event, which also produced enormous bags of roach as well
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Cook to draw on Ashes positives
Alastair Cook hopes he will benefit in the long run from his part in England's 2006/07 Ashes whitewash. The Essex batsman, who scored one of England's three Test centuries this winter as they suffered only the second 5-0 series defeat in Ashes history
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Shrimpers net Motherwell ace Foran
Southend United have splashed out £200,000 on Motherwell striker Ritchie Foran. The Irishman moved south on transfer deadline day from the Scottish Premier League club to link up with former team mate Steve Hammell. Foran, who has scored 14 goals
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Thieves net £70,000 from break-in
Thieves netted goods worth more than £70,000 during an afternoon break-in. A top silver Mercedes 350 Si worth £60,000, a £9,000 Cartier watch, a Cannon digital camera and a Sanyo laptop were just some of the items taken during the raid. The thieves
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Angry householders complain of powercuts
Furious residents have been complaining to an electricity supplier after their power kept failing. About 200 homes in Westcliff were affected by a faulty transformer at a substation. The transformer in Fairfax Drive failed at 11.32pm on Sunday and
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Officials give new flats their backing
Flats proposed for a quiet street, straddling the border between Leigh and Hadleigh, have been backed by Castle Point Council planning officials. They are recommending approval for the controversial scheme, which involves the replacement of five two-storey
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Born in just a minute
Terror turned to joy when a first-time mum gave birth on her friend's bathroom floor. Heavily pregnant Marsha Parker had thought some turkey curry was the reason for her tummy upset after she went to visit her friend, Linda Scales, for lunch. But
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Digger falls on man
A man suffered pelvic and abdominal injuries after getting trapped in the roll bar of a mechanical digger which toppled over. Paramedics from Corringham were called to a house on the A128 in Bulphan. The man, who is in his 30s, had tried to get
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Goalpost theft hits football club’s kids
A children's football team can no longer play games after part of their goal was stolen. Scott McDonagh, the manager of the Chalvedon Boys Football Club Under-8s team, said thieves had stooped to a new level when they stole from school children.
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Ex-gangster's driving ban
Celebrity ex-gangster Dave Courtney has been banned from driving for six months after failing to reveal who was driving his car when it was clocked by speed cameras. Courtney, 47, failed to tell police at the speed camera enforcement office in Billericay
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Town is housing hotspot
House prices look set to boom in Basildon and Thurrock after they were identified as hotspots for investors. Influential property consultants Hometrack has highlighted the two areas - alongside nine other local authorities across the country - as likely
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Going for gold with some real-life treasure hunters
When the metal detector tells you it's found something, you never know whether it's going to be the ringpull from a can of drink or a piece of history. It's that buzz that motivates enthusiasts to search fields and beaches, listening to the strange
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A friend of royals who devoted his life to Southend
"A fine Parliamentarian, an excellent cabinet minister and, above all, a good friend." Those were the words used by Baroness Thatcher to pay tribute to former Southend West MP Paul Channon, who has died at the age of 71. A spokesman for the former
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Bunny tale's a bedtime favourite
Settling down to watch television with her grandson Dennis has prompted Hazel Morris to pick up the pen. Now the 58-year-old secretary's story about a rabbit has made it to the top 15 bedtime stories in a competition run by TV channel Nickelodeon
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When that watchful eye goes all hi-tech
You're already running late. You drop your child off at nursery for them to decide that this morning, of all mornings, they'd really rather not be there. After doing your best to reassure them, you leave with the image of your trembling-lipped child
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Mystery slimmer is talk of the town
Angela Upton is quickly getting used to being talked about wherever she goes. The former Echo slimmer of the month is now the star of a new WeightWatchers commercial, in which husband and relatives talk about the difference her 3st weight loss has
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The Worst Burglar Ever
This is the NON SILENT version of "Worst Burglar Ever".
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Stadium is great, but how do we get there?
Yes, I sympathise and can rejoice with the Blues fans that are in heaven over the proposed new stadium for their team. Not that I share their joy, as I am not a footie aficionado. However, everyone needs an interest to occupy his or her minds. I am a
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Saturated with fast-food choice
My objections to a planning application for a fast food outlet in Tarpots, Benfleet, seem to have been misunderstood by Aubrey Stein (Letters, Jan 25). At no time did I degenerate fast food. I simply stated given current health concerns, was the planning
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Sports facility is not vital
Mr Silk says in his response to me (Letters, Jan 19) that part of the deficiency in infrastructure in Wickford is the lack of top quality sporting facilities. Maybe so, but his additional sporting facilities are not fundamentally crucial to our town's
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Coaching tips for male singers
Male singers are being encouraged to brush up their vocal skills at a special choral workshop. Leigh Orpheus Male Voice Choir is holding the session, where coaching will be given by members of the Southend-based semi-professional singing trio Trillogy
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A friend of royals who devoted his life to Southend
"A fine Parliamentarian, an excellent cabinet minister and, above all, a good friend." Those were the words used by Baroness Thatcher to pay tribute to former Southend West MP Paul Channon, who has died at the age of 71. A spokesman for the former Prime
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Officials give new flats their backing
Flats proposed for a quiet street, straddling the border between Leigh and Hadleigh, have been backed by Castle Point Council planning officials. They are recommending approval for the controversial scheme, which involves the replacement of five two-storey
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Man denies spitting
A man who allegedly spat at a police officer trying to arrest him has appeared in court. Simon Hanks, 38, of Grange Road, Leigh, is alleged to have committed the offence at around 9pm last Sunday. He pleaded not guilty to assault when he
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Asbo brothers’ photos witheld by council
Southend Council is steadfastly refusing to release pictures of two "kids from hell" who have terrorised their community for years. Danny and Aaron Wright, aged 12 and 15, have both been given antisocial behaviour orders banning them from a huge area
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School changes throws town plan into disarray
A £140,000 consultation on the future of Canvey has been stalled...because of another consultation on the future of the island's schools. Castle Point Council employed consultants Urban Initiatives to produce a plan for the future of Canvey more than
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Traders set to take Asda battle to court
Traders who fear their businesses will be destroyed by a planned Asda supermarket are planning legal action to halt the scheme. The superstore giant finally gained planning permission for the store in Rawreth Lane, Rayleigh, following a public inquiry
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Wheel death family call for law change
The family of a great-grandmother killed by a wheel that fell off a trailer are calling for a change in the law for the upkeep of farm vehicles. Doris Smith's family want the law - which says farm vehicles travelling below 20mph on public roads do
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The end of a dynasty by the sea
The demise of Lord Kelvedon brings to a close not just an extraordinary Southend saga, but also an epoch of British political history. As Paul Channon MP, he was possibly the last of the great Parliamentary grandees, a man who inherited fabulous personal
