Archive

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Volunteers celebrate 30 years of hospice

THE Mayor of Southend welcomed volunteers and fundraisers to his official residence in Southchurch, to celebrate a hospice’s 30th anniversary – and raise money for a good cause. The Friends of Havens Hospices organised the event at Porters Civic

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Land’s End bike ride to raise cash for sick kids

A COUPLE from Benfleet will begin a 600-mile sponsored bike ride to raise money for the rare condition Dravet syndrome. Health improvement practitioner Ben Barber and his girlfriend Carmen Neagu will set off from Ness Point in Suffolk on Saturday

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LIVE: Essex Eagles at T20 Finals Day

2:14pm Okay, I'm going to write a brief match report for the website then go and get a drink. Hope you've enjoyed the blog, if not the result. I'm always available on Twitter @JamesColasanti if you've got any comments on the

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Teen Reece Topley eyes Essex legacy win at Edgbaston

TEENAGER Reece Topley says he'd love to win the Twenty20 trophy at Edgbaston tomorrow so he can meet up with his team-mates when they have retired to look back proudly on the achievement of becoming champions. The 19-year-old has come of age in

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Tait backs Essex attack to do the business at Finals Day

SHAUN Tait says Essex's in-form bowling attack will give them the edge over their rivals at Finals Day tomorrow. The lethally quick fast bowler is a part of a unit which features the consistency of David Masters, the cunning of Graham Napier, and

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New Hadleigh community hall in the balance

AMBITIOUS plans to build a new £750,000 community hall in Hadleigh town centre have stalled pending the outcome of the £60million masterplan. The Endway Community Association wants to build a new community hall on Endway car park, off Castle Lane

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Let's cover Canvey seawall in community's art

COLOURFUL murals could be painted along Canvey’s sea defences as part of a new campaign to make the seafront more attractive. Lifelong islander Kerry Flack, 43, of Brindles, Canvey, is trying to launch a new project to brighten up the island’s

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I rode the War Horse in an ad... he had his own stunt double!

Actor, and master horseman, EDDIE EYRE, 25, plays Henry Crawford in the stage version of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff, from September 3 to September 7. When, and under what circumstances, did your stage career

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Under-threat Deanes is not out for the holidays

SCHOOL may be out for summer for most children, but for staff at the Deanes School, the hard work continues. The halls may be quieter, but at the Deanes Sports Centre it’s business as usual for another hectic summer. Despite being under threat

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Kate’s gig at Place is treat for folk lovers

FOLK star Kate Rusby comes to the Palace Theatre later this year. After a busy year celebrating 20 years in the music industry Kate returns is embarking on her ever popular autumn tour in mid September. She will be joined on stage by the cream

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Heartache for Jessica Judd at World Athletics Championships

JESSICA Judd was left distraught after being knocked out in the heats of the 800m at the World Championships. The 18-year-old from Canvey believed she could make the final at her first major global championships. But she crossed the line fifth

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MP unveils security upgrade at station

SECURITY has been beefed up to stop faredodgers climbing through holes under platforms as part of a £450,000 upgrade to Basildon railway station. Train company c2c revealed the new look station yesterday during a special unveiling with Basildon

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VIDEO: Meet a new superhero...Echo Boy

  THERE'S a new superhero in town ... and you can get to meet Echo Boy for the first time at Southend's carnival tomorrow. Come along and see what this caped crusader is all about. He'll be in Southend to unveil details of an interesting

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Mum saves young son from burning bedroom in Pitsea

A HEROIC mum battled through thick black smoke and risked her own life to save her son from a raging bedroom fire. The mum-of-four, believed to be 26 and named locally as Natalie, lept into action when the alarm was raised by her younger son as

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Villagers fight car repairs site plans for South Fambridge

FAMILIES fear the peace of their small village could be shattered if plans for a car park and storage facility at a former shellfish packing site are given the go-ahead. Rochford District Council has finished a consultation on an application from

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Child safety worries fuel criticism of Whittingham Playschool, Southend

A PRE-SCHOOL in Southend has been criticised by Ofsted for compromising children’s safety after a youngster left without an adult. The Whittingham Playschool, a privately- run facility at Whittingham Avenue Methodist Church, was rated inadequate

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Canvey man arrested in V Festival raids

A CANVEY man has been arrestd during a series of raids ahead of this weekend's V Festival. Police carried out raids across the county ahead of the two-day festival in Chelmsford. They arrested a man in a raid at a home on Park Road, CAnvey

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Southend United's Mark Phillips: It's been another good week ahead of big Northampton test

IT’S been a good, solid week of hard training ahead of tomorrow’s game against Northampton Town. All of the matches we’ve played so far have been very difficult but Northampton made the play-off final last season and I think they’ll be the toughest

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Post office makes first class return

A POPULAR post office which closed last year will reopen nearby with extended opening hours. The former post office in Prince Avenue, Westcliff, closed in October 2012, because the building was to be redeveloped as new homes. However, a post

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Car wash owner ejected from meeting to shut his business

A BUSINESSMAN was ejected from a meeting as councillors backed plans to shut down his car wash. Brian Blackburn was asked to leave after branding Southend Council “abysmal” in repeated outbursts as councillors agreed enforcement action against

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Carnival procession is tomorrow

AFTER a week of fun, Southend is gearing up for an illuminated parade to mark the end of the carnival celebrations. Tomorrow’s Southend Carnival Grand Illuminated Parade will feature a variety of floats and vehicles, as well as walkers, majorettes

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Southend United's Ryan Leonard wants to keep run going

RYAN Leonard believes his new found fitness levels have been behind his own impressive start to the season. The Blues midfielder has caught the eye with his impressive energy levels in the centre of the park so far this season. And he is now

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LIVE: V Festival 2013

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Prolific church thief given three years in jail

A PROLIFIC thief who stole from churches in Westcliff and Leigh has been jailed for three years. Unemployed Carl Weighman, 30, of Crowstone Avenue, Westcliff, took car keys from an unsuspecting churchwarden at St Margaret’s Church, in Lime Avenue

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Rio bar’s 1am plan

A BAR in Leigh Broadway wants to extend its opening hours until 1am. The Rio is keen to sell alcohol and host live music for an extra hour on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Paul West appeared before the planning and licensing committee

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Coastguard called to rescue yacht with six passengers on board

A lifeboat was called to rescue a yacht with six people on board after it became stuck on the Leigh Middle sands. The 29ft sailing vessel had two adults and four children on board when it ran aground near Southend. The Thames Coastguard received

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Fewest people using Dartford Crossing since 1998

THE number of vehicles using the Dartford Crossing has fallen to the lowest level since 1998. New statistics from the Highways Agency reveal that just over 49 million vehicles travelled between Essex and Kent between April 2012 and March 2013.

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Southend United aiming for their best start to a season in 23 years

JOHN White is aiming to skipper Southend United to their best start to a season in 23 years with victory against Northampton Town at Roots Hall tomorrow. Not since 1990 have the Shrimpers won their opening three league games of a new campaign.

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Soak up three days of free music at Plough’s Big Bash

TIRED of having to fork out for expensive festival tickets this summer? Then the Preview music club’s Big Bash at the Plough, in London Road, Westcliff, may be just the antidote. This three-day live music bonanza will feature 30 acts and, best

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Beyonce flying into Southend Airport rumours untrue

RUMOURS that V Festival headliner Beyonce has flown into Southend Airport today have proved to be unfounded. Reports that the former Destiny’s Child singer was flying into Southend began about three days ago, but have reached a peak today.

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Woman attacks man in his forties with a baseball bat

A MAN was attacked with a baseball bat in Southend by a woman. Police were called just before 8.40pm on Tuesday after a man was assaulted at Temple Court in Pantile Avenue. The man, who is in his forties and from Southend, suffered head injuries

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Firefighters tackle blaze in Southend towerblock

FIREFIGHTERS are tackling a blaze in a Southend tower block. The blaze broke out at around 7am this morning at Quantock Flats in Chichester Avenue, Southend. Fire crews are currently tackling the fire in the third-floor flat.  

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Police stop more than 100 vehicles in crackdown on rogue drivers

MORE than a hundred drivers were stopped in a police crackdown on Canvey to help snare crooks flouting the law. Police flooded the island yesterday and used automated number plate recognition technology to read licence plates and spot untaxed

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Singer heading for the X Factor after being made redundant

By Christine Sexton christine.sexton@nqe.com AN X-FACTOR contestant is hoping it will be fifth time lucky for his bid for stardom. Soul singer Jayson Newland got through a Southend audition and has revealed he will be appearing on the show when

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Leigh cafe proud to be a smooth operator with its easy, squeezy, healthy food

IMMUNITY-boosting, gluten-free, healthy foods, smoothies and unusual beers pack the menu at Leigh’s Squeeze cafe. For the past six years the restaurant, in Grove End, has served up tasty but nutritious meals for the health-conscious diner.

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Jessica Judd crashes out of World Championships...but picks up A-Level in PE

SHE may have suffered a devastating defeat on the athletics track in Moscow, but that proved academic at home as talented runner Jessica Judd scored top marks in her A-Levels. The Canvey-based 800-metre runner missed out on a semi-final spot at