Archive
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I got on my bike to mend my mind
BERNIE Friend is anxious. Not in a regular nagging did I leave the iron on kind of way', his anxiety is much bigger and better than that. He has the kind of doubts and concerns that cramp his stomach, twist his guts and leave him gasping for breath
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Bingham crashes out of World Championship.
BASILDON snooker professional Stuart Bingham this evening crashed out of the World Championship, suffering a 13-9 defeat against Joe Perry. Perry took a 9-7 lead into tonight's final session but twice saw his lead cut to a single frame by a determined
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Powell calls for points deduction.
FORMER Southend United full-back Chris Powell believes deducting points would stamp out the problem of disrespect towards referees. Powell, who made 290 appearances during six years with the Shrimpers, is now the chairman of the Professional Football
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Knife robber’s threat to tyre shop worker
A ROBBER threatened the assistant manager at a tyre shop with a four-inch knife after smashing open the till. The thief ran behind the reception desk of National Tyres in London Road, Hadleigh, kicked open the till and grabbed the money inside. The
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Canvey repairs disruption 'minimal'
A WATER company has assured residents on Canvey they will face minimal disruption during repair work on a main sewerage pipe. Anglian Water has started work on an aging sewer in Long Road, but the company has now said the work will only affect residents
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Scouts honour
SCOUTS from across Castle Point pledged their loyalty to Scout law at a ceremony on Sunday. The annual service, which was held at the Paddocks Community Centre on Canvey, saw youngsters aged from six to 18 renew their promise to honour God and the Queen
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Pensioner on cocaine charges
A PENSIONER accused of smuggling nearly £250,000 worth of cocaine will appear in court this week. David Bancroft, 61, is alleged to have been found smuggling 15kilos of the Class A drug in Dover, Kent at the weekend. Bancroft of Nesbit Close, Wickford
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Scannell bags hat-trick as reserves thump Stevenage
SOUTHEND United's reserves cruised to a 4-0 win at Stevenage Borough this afternoon, with winger Damian Scannell scoring a hat-trick. The former Eastleigh man hit home a trio of strikes and was joined on the score-sheet by Franck Moussa who neatly tucked
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New playgrounds open
THE FIRST two playgrounds in a park renewal scheme worth £1.3million have opened. The playgrounds at Leigh Beck, Canvey and Brook road, Benfleet, opened on Friday and feature ariel swings and skate parks as well as more traditional play equipment like
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My tips for teens
IT'S TOUGH being a teenager. If it wasn't embarrassing enough dealing with spots, strange new odours and sudden growths in body hair, suddenly you have the advances of the opposite sex to contend with. Beauty therapist Deborah Sussex is helping to ease
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Takely threat to Ensign title
SOUTHEND'S White Ensign remain favourites, but see their Premier Division title hopes hanging in the balance after a shock 1-0 defeat at mid-table Benfleet. Ensign, who lead with 48 points and two games to go, visit Bishop's Stortford Swifts next Saturday
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We made art from a load of rubbish
BUDDING artists have shown how to turn rubbish into show-stopping pieces of art. Children at the Merryland Junior School in Cumberland Drive, Laindon demonstrated rubbish can be used in a creative way. They used tin cans and wire to create a sculpture
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Fitness suite for pupils
PUPILS will be able to get fit at a new gym at a Rayleigh School. The FitzWimarc School, in Hockley Road, now has a fitness suite with machines and free weights. The aim is to help pupils develop endurance, strength and cardio-vascular fitness. Headteacher
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Nightmare neighbour sent to prison
A NIGHTMARE neighbour has become the first homeowner in the Basildon district to be jailed for anti-social behaviour. Linda Faulkner's reign of terror towards her neighbours, in Long Acre, Basildon, has ended with her being given a three-month prison
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Thurrock wreck Eastleigh dream
THURROCK wrecked 10-man Eastleigh's play-off dreams with an emphatic Blue Square South victory that capped an exciting second half to the season that promises much for the future. Thurrock took the lead in the 36th minute when Fola Orilo-nishe's cross
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Ljungberg facing Euro blow
FREDDIE Ljungberg could be out of the European Championship finals after suffering a cracked rib in West Ham's 2-2 draw with Newcastle on Saturday. The Sweden captain was enjoying an influential display in a free-role when he was accidentally trodden
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Stop emissions – save the world
A CAMPAIGN to cut down carbon emissions has been launched in Southend. Cut your Carbon is a three-year campaign that aims to bring together communities in the East of England to tackle climate change. It is run by the East of England Development Agency
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New bus services for town
TWO new bus services in Southend are due to be launched next month. The Number 6 bus, operated by Rochford-based Stephensons, will run hourly on a Sunday from Garon Park to the town centre via Hamstel Road and Southchurch Road. There is currently no
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Big guns back bid for airport
ONE of the world's largest insurers is throwing its weight behind a bid for Southend Airport, which could cost in the region of £100million. Insurance giant AIG has formed a consortium with London City Airport to give it the financial muscle to buy the
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Keeper Swain thwarts Rovers
WAKERING saw their bid to end the season with some reward thwarted by a great display from home goalkeeper Mitch Swain. With the village visitors firmly ensconced in 13th place and Northwood three spots higher, there was nothing to play for but pride
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Crondon Park to host darts showpiece?
A SOUTH Essex country club is favourite to host the newly-created PDC Championship of Darts - the first ever tournament to be screened exclusively on the internet. The competition, expected to attract the sports biggest names including Phil "The Power
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Voters told check your poll stations
BASILDON Council is asking voters to check their polling cards for their correct local polling station ahead of the local elections on Thursday. New arrangements in the Queen's Park area, of Billericay West ward, mean the Community Church, in Queen's
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Thieves trash cancer shop and steal just 3p
POLICE are hunting moronic thieves who smashed and trashed a charity shop causing over £1,000 worth of damage... to steal just 3p. The mindless culprits embarked on an overnight rampage at a Cancer Research shop, in Eastwalk, Basildon, where they rifled
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Courtroom farewell to judge
A packed courtroom bid a fond farewell to a much loved judge. Judge Philip Clegg, 65, said his final goodbyes to Basildon Crown Court on Friday, after 12 years of presiding over trials there. He will take up a new role as a roving judge, travelling
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Bingham trails Perry at break
BASILDON professional Stuart Bingham's hopes of staying alive in the 888.com sponsored world championship were on a knife-edge going into tonight's final session of his second round match. After the opening session of his encounter with Cambridge's Joe
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Hammers Analysis: A sign of things to come?
THAT'S more like it. Yes, West Ham threw away a seemingly unassailable two-goal lead against a Newcastle team they were giving the runaround. However, any suggestion that the Irons' players had packed up early for the summer was dismissed as Alan Curbishley's
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Blues analysis: Cool heads are now needed
ALL GOOD things must come to an end and that is how it proved with Southend United's unbeaten run of results on Saturday. Blues travelled to Tranmere full of confidence, having not lost since mid-February, but they were below their best against their
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Credit crunch: Thousands fear losing homes
THE number of people in Basildon who fear they are at risk of losing their homes has shot up by 40 per cent. Basildon Council reported a sharp rise in people calling them, over fears they could be made homeless. A total of 1,100 residents contacted
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Concord clinch title on goal difference
IN surely the most thrilling season in the competition's 37-year history, Canvey's Concord Rangers clinched the title on the final day. In front of a 281-strong crowd, the league's highest of the season, Concord pulled off a 1-0 win at a Barkingside
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Town end season with defeat
VISITORS Staines confirmed their second-place finish that ensures they will enjoy home advantage throughout the play-offs with his 1-0 success. For Billericay, watched by a closing day crowd of 532, this will be remembered as a campaign in which they
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Grays sign off on a high
GRAYS rounded off the Blue Square Premier season in fine style with a second half flourish to overcome relegated Farsley Celtic. It would have been understandable if the players looked tired on what was their fourth game in eight days but they started
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Could Bernie be lord of the dance?
IT FELT like I had beamed down into a real life version of Cocoon - the Eighties film were a group of elderly people were rejuvenated by aliens. Dragging my clubbed feet around the floor of St George's Church hall, in Benfleet, under the guidance of
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Old school pals sign four-year record deal
TWO Southend lads have taken their unique brand of hip-hop and RnB from the playground to the recording studio. Ex Belfairs School pupils, Jamie Levy and Ricci Turner, better known as A Day Or 2, have just signed a four year deal with BRM Music and
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Essex Veterans League round-up
RUNWELL Old Boys needed to win at Dunmow to displace Ford Basildon at the top of the Premier Division. And with goals by Lee and Robinson they duly secured a 2-1 result that sees them leading the league on goal difference. If Runwell Old Boys slip up
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Group probes Essex County publicity bill
A PRESSURE group has claimed Essex County Council spent £4.3million on promoting itself in the past year. According to the figures from the TaxPayers' Alliance, Essex spends the fourth highest amount on publicity out of 34 county councils in England.
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Canvey now has own council offices
LOCAL democracy took a step forward in Canvey with the opening of the island's new town council offices. Islanders now have somewhere to air their views and put forward ideas to improve the town with the opening of the facility. As the sun beat down
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Town council rewards Adam's bravery
HAVE-a-go hero Adam Mapleson has been honoured for his bravery by two of his local councils. Mr Mapleson, 25, from Rayleigh was given a bravery award by Rayleigh Town Council at its annual meeting. The IT technician was also declared Rochford district's
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Updated: Southend RBS jobs safe
JOBS are safe at Southend's Royal Bank of Scotland offices - despite the announcement 7,000 posts could go across the company. RBS, which has a huge credit card operations centre in Prince Avenue, has taken over Netherlands investment bank ABN Amro.
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Gulls back on the up with play-off berth
AS Canvey clinched tomorrow night's play-off visit to AFC Sudbury, you could excuse chairman Dennis Rugg's wry smile. Two years after many had predicted a slow death for the Islanders following Jeff King's departure from the club, Gulls are on the up
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Royal honour for KeyMed
SENIOR staff from KeyMed took part in the first of three ceremonies to mark the Southend company winning a Queen's award for its high-speed camera. Group managing director Paul met the Duke of Gloucester at an official ceremony in Whitehall. The second
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Bank provides workers for spruce-up at school
A SPECIAL school is set to get a makeover of its karaoke room and other facilities for disabled children. The Kingsdown School, in Snakes Lane, Southend, is carrying out five projects with the help of Royal Bank of Scotland. The bank's credit card centre
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Council boss pans pay demand as too costly
SOUTHEND Council leader Nigel Holdcroft has claimed jobs would be cut and services slashed if union demands for a 6 per cent staff pay rise succeed. Council workers staged a protest outside Southend's Civic Centre as part of their campaign for a better
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Mac struggles
AFTER starting with a fine 69, Thorpe Hall's tournament pro Richard McEvoy struggled on his latest European Challenge Tour venture in France. Rounds of 75, 74 and 77 saw him down the field in joint 66th place with a 15 over par total. He is next in
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Lee misses out with calf niggle
BLUES forward Lee Barnard was forced to miss Saturday's match after feeling a slight niggle in his calf. "It's nothing serious but there was no need to take a risk on Lee for a game like this," confirmed manager Steve Tilson. "He only started to feel
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Flavs: Bad day at the office for Southend
SHRIMPERS goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan offered an honest assessment of Saturday's defeat and admitted his team had not done enough to win the game. "We didn't do enough and from our point of view it was a bad day at the office," said the 30-year-old.
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Curbishley laments costly minutes
ALAN Curbishley admitted a "crazy couple of minutes" had cost his West Ham side victory over Newcastle United. The Irons dominated the opening 40 minutes against Kevin Keegan's men at Upton Park, taking a two-goal lead through Mark Noble and Dean Ashton
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Awards ceremony
STUDENTS who have earned child care qualifications were presented with their certificates. The award ceremony took place at Thurrock Training and Assessment Centre, in the Culver Centre, South Ockendon. Centre administrator Lisa Davies, said: "Our centre
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Week Commencing Monday 5th May 2008
Monday May 5th are at:1123and 2335 Tuesday May 6th are at: ---- and 1206 Wednesday May 7th are at: 0020 and 1250 Thursday May 1st are at: 0107 and 1334 Friday May 2nd
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Crash victim named
A BASILDON man who died in a crash in west Essex has been named. Simon Clark, 41, died instantly in the crash on Friday afternoon. He was driving a green Toyota Rav 4 along Loughton Lane in Theydon Bois when it crashed with a silver Audi A2. Mr Clark
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Updated: Two charged over club attack
TWO men have been charged in connection with an alleged attack outside a club. Ian Evans, 20 and 21-year-old Daniel Revill will appear at Grays Magistrates' Court today to face a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. It follows an alleged
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Let cancer jab help protect our girls
A WOMAN who suffered cervical cancer has praised Government plans to vaccinate girls against a cause of of the disease as part of a £100million prevention programme. Girls aged 12 to 13 will receive the jab from September to prevent the sexually transmitted
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Superbugs are beaing beaten in our hospitals
SUPERBUG infections have fallen at both Basildon and Southend hospitals in the last three months, new figures have shown. Reports of the infections clostridium difficile and MRSA have dropped, according to statistics from the Health Protection Agency
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Work starts on Leigh’s £280,000 skatepark
BUILDING work has started on a £280,000 skatepark and youth facility at Leigh Marshes. The project is expected to be completed before the summer, when teenagers will be able to practice their moves without disrupting residents. It became possible after
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Commuters take our parking
Southend Council officers have been told to take a fresh look at commuter parking in Shoebury. How exactly? On the one hand it's free to park anywhere you please in the Shoebury High Street. On the other it's a nuisance having to drive around the block
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Hospital defends cleanliness levels
SOUTHEND Hospital has defended its cleaning standards after a patient complained about the state of its toilets. The patient, who did not wish to be named, was using the male toilets by the hospital's reception area when he noticed parts of the floor
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Sanctuary of pier will be wrecked by rollercoaster
So, Southend Council has completely ignored a huge majority of people who supported, to a great extent, the three pier plans which were on the table for public viewing last spring. The council is about to give in to the people with the most development
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Vote in the posh of Thorpe Bay!
I've been giving some thought to the local elections and have a suggestion. The best looked after, most desirable part of Southend is Thorpe Bay. The people there have made their money and know what they are doing. So don't vote for a party - vote for
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Who are the idots then?
Kathleen Sharland points out Southend Tories are -in the light of the looming local elections - accusing political opponents of using the cause of trying to save our town's swimming pool as a blatant attempt to gain votes (Apr 21) This while at the very
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One call and graffiti vanished
I noticed one morning some unpleasant graffiti daubed on the red-bricked wall of a block of flats on Canvey. The words were written in white paint in letters 2ft high. Neighbours told me someone in a car had stopped to take photographs of it, but it
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Let's debate - left or right
The anti-Fascist movement has a long and bitter history of aggressive confrontation with the far right. It is easy to understand how a policy of no platform has evolved. OK, so let's have a democratic debate on immigration, but let it include the economic
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We have been prisoners of the east for too long
Yet again there are some (Apr 21) who attempt to perpetuate the myth that nobody wants road improvements at Priory Crescent/Cuckoo Corner at Prittlewell. Yes, 20,000 shoppers in the High Street signed a petition to "save the park" - but did they have
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Teachers, just stop this mass whingeing
Whingeing is never a pretty noise, particularly when unjustified. Members of the National Union of Teachers are engaged in a mass whinge right now. The tone is caught by the NUT's Essex boss, Jerry Glazier, who claims lack of money is sapping
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Cleared of sex assault
A FATHER-OF-TWO walked free from court after being cleared of sexually assaulting a teenager in her home. Daryl D'Cruz, 62, was accused of kissing the 16-year-old girl and stroking her thigh when he called at her Shoebury home to fix a wheelchair. But
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Ammuniton ship to be surveyed again
A NEW survey of the wrecked ammunition ship, the Richard Montgomery in the Thames Estuary, is being carried out during this year, Southend Council leader Nigel Holdcroft said. He responded to a question from John Croft, the UKIP candidate for Prittlewell
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Campaigner backs arms embargo call
A SOUTHEND campaigner says the people of Zimbabwe are on the brink of a catastrophic humanitarian disaster. Washington Ali, 36, former chairman of the UK branch of the Movement for Democratic Change, spoke of his fears after the Archbishops of Canterbury
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Road to Leigh station closed
COMMUTERS will face problems for the next two weeks when a main route to Leigh station is closed to traffic. Belton Way East will be closed from today for two weeks while an overflowing sewer is fixed. The route will be closed from the junction with
