Archive
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Prawn cocktail in cafe underneath the Arches managed to steal show
T had been a while since I had made the trip to one of the bustling seaside cafes under the Arches. I have always enjoyed a meal there in the past and it was a lovely summer’s evening, so my wife and I thought we’d give it another go.
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Singer and band want their fans to text votes
A LOCAL singer/songwriter and a band are asking fans to support them as they go before a panel in the semi-finals of a major international music competition that will see them play at the O2 Academy in Islington. Adam Duffill, from Hockley, will travel
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Updated: Spy car hits streets of Southend
DRIVERS are being warned to watch out as two council spy cars hit the streets of Southend. The hi-tech Toyota IQs will use CCTV equiment to film evidence of illegally-parked vehicles. Enforcement officers will not need to leave their seats to place
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Chas and his grand piano aim to bring house down
LAST time he played he brought the house down with a classic pub knees up, and the king of the ivories is back to tinkle them once more as Chas Hodges lines up another gig at the Railway Hotel over the weekend. It will see one half of duo Chas and Dave
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Footpaths dug up in cemetery
WORK has begun to dig up several footpaths within Pitsea Cemetery in order to create 150 new burial plots. Basildon Council bosses say they must carry out the work because space for new burials will run out within a few months if no action is taken.
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Trains cancelled after person hit by train
Trains are being cancelled and delayed after someone was hit by a train between Pitsea and Basildon. Trains on the C2C line from London Fenchurch Street to Shoebury are terminating at Basildon. They aren't calling at Benfleet, Leigh,
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Wozstock hits halfway mark in Olympic challenge
A SALESMAN from Leigh who is trying out every Olympic sport, is halfway through his gruelling challenge. Boris Wozstock is currently learning to ride a horse for the first time in his life so he can take part in a show-jumping competition at an equestrian
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Old pupils take a trip back in time
FACES from down the generations flocked to Belfairs High School as it celebrated the history of its old buildings. The school, in Highlands Boulevard, Leigh, will move to a £31million purpose-built block at the start of September. It
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Dad angry after cyclist hit girl, 5, on pavement
A FURIOUS father believes more should be done to stop people biking on pavements after his five-year-old daughter was knocked down by an errant cyclist. David Petherbridge, 43, of Southchurch Road, Southend, wants police to toughen their stance on the
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Dodgy rail power lines will not be renewed for years
UNRELIABLE power lines in parts of Essex’s rail network will not be replaced until 2016 at the earliest. Commuters faced travel meltdown last week after soaring temperatures caused overhead lines to sag. Rail bosses promised the problem would be fixed
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Two crashes cause traffic chaos
Two crashes caused queuing traffic in Canvey and near Sadlers Farm. A crash involving one car blocked the B1014 Somnes Avenue in Canvey. The road was closed near the junction with Link Road, following the crash. The A130 borthbound
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Business centre undergoing £250,000 expansion
A BUSINESS centre for small businesses is being expanded following a leap in demand for space. The Dragon Enterprise Centre, in Stephenson Road, Leigh, is undergoing a £250,000 expansion to create 12 new offices, a second conference room, and increase
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James shines in the sun on north
JAMES Ogilvie enjoyed a great few hours sunshine and fishing on the north bank where he landed his new personal best – a superb 24lb common taken on floaters in a margin swim. The same day Charlie Ridpath banked a very fine 21lb mirror from the margins
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Hopes energy industry will deliver new jobs for East Anglia
With the world’s second largest offshore wind farm being constructed 200 miles off the Norfolk coast and the return of nuclear power to sites in Essex and Suffolk, industry experts believe the developments could provide up to 48,000 new jobs in
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Was Danielle Jones's mobile hacked by News of the World?
THE mobile phone of murdered schoolgirl Danielle Jones may have been hacked by News of the World reporters. Speaking in an emergency debate on the phone hacking scandal, Labour MP Chris Bryant said he had been made aware that the 15-year-old
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Essex upbeat ahead of crunch t20 clash
ESSEX return to the Rose Bowl tonight for the first time since last season’s Twenty20 finals day. And in hosts, Hampshire, they will face the side who squeaked past them in the semis on that rain-swept day in August. And while tonight’s game may lack
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Doctors didn’t spot my cervical cancer
DOCTORS failed to spot cervical cancer in a woman, despite her suffering symptoms for more than five months. Jemma Irwin, of Stromness Road, Southend, was repeatedly turned away from Southend Hospital, which said she was just having a “bad
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Ofsted unimpressed by Hadleigh school’s progress
A SCHOOL which recently appointed a new headteacher and governors in an effort to raise teaching standards has been criticised by Ofsted for making “inadequate progress”. An Ofsted inspector has published a report on Hadleigh Junior School, off Church
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Strauss: Be patient with Cook’s team
ANDREW Strauss has responded to critics of Alastair Cook’s England one-day team by demanding they are shown greater patience. Essex man Cook’s reign opened with a thumping 110-run victory over Sri Lanka at the Oval, but England now trail the series
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Advantages of getting old
I am writing in response to Dennis Swaysland’s letter about insurance costs for the elderly. Actuaries work out their premiums on statistics, and I’m afraid there is more chance of a fit 75-year-old dying on holiday than an unfit 30-year-old.
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It’s all the banker’s fault
We are seeing those who work in the public sector take a stance against what they see as an unjust attack on their pensions. Aside from the argument that the belt-tightening is more to do with right-wing ideology than any response to the deficit
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Sturrock: I'm not resting on my laurels
SOUTHEND United manager Paul Sturrock wants the club to continue moving forward during his second year in charge. Sturrock this week celebrated his first anniversary in the Roots Hall hot-seat. But, despite being pleased with the progress he has made
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Council officers are not above the law
Last October, Southend Council posted planning notices in Broadclyst Gardens for painting double yellow lines on the corner with Branscombe Walk. But the notice read Broadclyst Avenue. I told the council of this mistake and was promised it would
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Judd: I’m ready to take on the world
TEENAGE track sensation Jessica Judd will start her campaign for World Youth Championships glory tomorrow. The 16-year-old, from Canvey, is for the first time testing herself against the best junior athletes in the world. She begins her 800m challenge
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Railway power lines dilemma
The letter from W H Diment (July 1) on the relative merits of the overhead line electrification system into Liverpool Street station, compared with that used on the c2c line, rather oversimplifies a dilemma that has faced electrical engineers since
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Outpatients out of touch
So just whose brainwave was the new touch screen computer booking-in system at Southend Hospital’s outpatients’ department? I like to think I am computer savvy, yet it took me a while to get to grips with it. But those more elderly than me, who
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Hadleigh should not become a town of supermarkets
I write in dismay that yet another opportunity to regenerate Hadleigh town centre is being wasted. The Echo reported that the old Woolworths store is to become a Costcutter supermarket selling alcohol (July 1). Hadleigh is being over run by
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It’s the motorists who are the numptys
I am fed up with unwarranted criticism of the new bus lane on Bread and Cheese Hill, at Benfleet. W A Craddock (June 29) describes the planners as “numptys”. Sorry, but the numptys are actually, from my observations, the motorists who drive
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Fair increase unnecessary
Network Rail’s announcement of a profit is to be welcomed as it is a Government-owned company and any loss would have to be made up by the taxpayer. What is not good news is that the train operating companies, which own the majority of the stations
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Teaching kids wrong lesson
Given the fact the country is staring into a financial abyss, I am appalled the teaching unions, who are in charge of our young in their formative years, are at the forefront of industrial action, indicating that self-interest takes precedence
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What’s wrong with Little Haven site?
I was one of the first to support the plan for its new hospice to be built on Belton Hills, at Leigh. Time has now passed and something doesn’t seem quite right. Yes the idea for an expanded facility is without question what is needed hereabouts
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Cuts hitting youth service
Funding for the Connexions Youth Service has been drastically slashed by Southend Council and staff have lost their jobs. No matter the political spin, Connexions is now operating on a shoestring. The consequences of these cuts are already
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Ban the booze at concert
I spent a wonderful evening at the concert in Priory Park, Southend. It was my first time there and I enjoyed it very much. It was certainly worth every penny. I thank the Rotary Club of Rayleigh Mill and everyone who took part in making it
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Dry Street is not available for building
Once again, we read Basildon Council plans to sell off more verdant pastures to finance its ill thought out projects. Stephen Horgan is quoted as stating: “Losing the green belt space would be a price worth paying”. What utter rubbish. The current
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Lovely park, but what has happened to the museum?
Southend’s Priory Park is blooming lovely! The walled garden is looking at its usual fabulous best in an array of seasonal flowers and the rest of the park is looking superb, too. With concerts coming up in the Bandstand, the park has so much
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Lighter cable right choice?
The Echo (June 29) quotes National Express as saying £200m will be spent to upgrade the Liverpool Street line overhead cabling and mentions 50-60 years as a factor for the most recent failures. The first electric train to run on the c2c line
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Why doesn’t council want fair hearing over green?
Twice now Basildon Council has tried to get the Kent View Road village green application thrown out by Essex County Council. Basildon Council has done this by submitting various legal arguments that have been countered by ourselves. Basildon
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Why not stop dog abuser?
Could passengers on the Southend train not have intervened when they witnessed the abuse carried out on the dog by its owner? If at least some attempt had been made to rescue the dog at the time this man may just have been brought to the notice
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Old suffer high insurance cost
It is the time of the year when pensioners are contemplating a holiday and are forced to endure the travel insurance merry-go-round and for those over 75 to be treated like social outcasts to extract unjustified extortionate surcharges. One of
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Who next for a beach plan?
It is reported (June 17) that the owners of the Roslin Hotel, at Thorpe Bay, are persisting with the proposal to build a platform, for commercial purposes, on a public beach. The present intention – “weddings on the beach” – sounds innocuous
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Residents willing to pay
Responding to S Read (June 22) about parking on Southend seafront, I would like to state how proud I am of representing residents of my ward. Council officers met with residents to discuss resident parking proposals to Pleasant, Hartington,
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Who knows Southend’s seafront is a shared space?
Southend seafront is here to stay. Like Marmite, some people love it and others hate it. I am sure, however, it will bring many extra visitors to the seafront. The lighting columns are innovative, the fountains are great for kids, the planting
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Why Joan is our golden girl after kidney transplant
A GRANDMOTHER given a second chance at life has grabbed it with both hands ...by running and walking her way to five gold medals. Joan Bell, 64, picked up the medals at the World Transplant Games in Gothenburg, Sweden, after having a kidney transplant
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Essex left "shocked" by Foster's ban
ESSEX coach Paul Grayson said the club are “shocked” and “frustrated” by the two-match ban handed to their skipper James Foster. The 31-year-old wicketkeeper received the punishment after at least five of his players broke various rules over
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Essex left "shocked" by Foster's ban
ESSEX coach Paul Grayson said the club are “shocked” and “frustrated” by the two-match ban handed to their skipper James Foster. The 31-year-old wicketkeeper received the punishment after at least five of his players broke various rules over the last
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Balloon spectacular prepares for lift-off
AN international hot air balloon festival is set to lift off in Billericay – in the first event of its kind to grace the skies over the borough. The buoyant balloon bonanza will be the highlight of the Essex Spectacular, a two-day event at the Barleylands
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Couple are forced to camp in street
A HOMELESS couple are camping outside Rayleigh Library while they wait for a new roof over their heads. Paul and Elizabeth Exley, along with their springer spaniel, Patch, and Tiger the cat, have been sleeping rough in the town’s High Street since Saturday
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Runaway moggy had 4 kittens in our shed
A COUPLE’S shed has been doubling up as a feline nursery after a pregnant cat moved in and gave birth to four kittens. The youngsters and their mum are now making themselves very much at home in the shed, which last year was home to a fox and
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Echo Modelsearch: Entry form in today's paper
Have you got what it takes to be a model? Put it to the test by entering the Echo's popular Modelsearch competition. There's an entry form in today's paper (Wednesday)
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Thieves torch a charity box in church for cash
THIEVES broke into a church twice in two days and set fire to a charity collection box to steal cash. The crooks caused nearly £1,000 damage to St Margaret’s Church, Bowers Gifford, to steal just a few pounds from the flower and charity collection boxes
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Dog dies after it is bitten by an adder
AN adder has killed a beloved pet dog. Carol Toplis, 57, from Canvey thinks ten-year-old King Charles spaniel, Daisy-May, was bitten while she was playing in the garden. Mrs Toplis was looking after her while owner, Maggie Vinten, went
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Food waste collections under way
FOOD waste collections started in Castle Point yesterday. The caddies – a small one for the kitchen and a bigger one for kerbside collection – were sent out to homes for all food waste including leftovers, vegetable peelings and teabags. Food waste
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Tribute brings Take That’s magic to life
TAKE That are currently dazzling crowds with an eight-date Wembley run, but if you missed out on the real thing, the Magic of Take That are coming to the Cliffs on Saturday to recreate the atmosphere. The Take That tribute act will bring to life all
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Help us! Residents’ plea after latest flats arson
FEARFUL residents are begging for help after another arson attack at their troubled tower block. A campaign has been launched calling for better security at the Longbow flats, in Sherwood Way, Southend. The latest fire, at about 6.40pm on Sunday, saw
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Shoppers get a taste of panto wonderland
FANTASTICALLY dressed actors have reminded shoppers not to be late for Basildon’s upcoming Alice in Wonderland production. Characters from the Lewis Carroll novel, including the March Hare, Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts and, of course, Alice,
