A STRUGGLING actor is hoping to reignite his career after securing a place at a prestigious US drama school. Despite minor roles in soaps such as EastEnders and Holby City and a handful of feature films, 29-year-old Jamie Huggins felt his career was
An Essex County Council representative told us there was nothing the authority could do about heavy goods vehicles, which I think is disgusting, Our roads are already damaged, and these lorries are adding to it. He did say he would get the drains
I usually enjoy reading the letters page, but occasionally wonder whether I am living in the same town described by some of your correspondents. I have been hosting French students, aged 13 to 17, showing them around Southend. They were amazed
With a fanfare of trumpets just over a year ago, smaller businesses were being told via the press that “the local Olympic sites will bring much needed work to local businesses,” and that “local Olympic sites will provide work for local smaller
The recent application for extended hours for the Besafe Laundry, in Prince Avenue, Westcliff, was been turned down because, in the words of the chairman of Southend’s development control committee, the extra hours would not be in the best interest
Whose idea was it to turn the stretch of the A13 London Road from Kents Hill Junction to Tarpots from two lanes to three, to include a bus lane? I thought the idea of these road “improvements” was to improve traffic flow, not to bring it to
At a recent meeting of Southend Council’s planning and development control committee, I was shocked at the lobbying councillors are subjected to. Developers and others with pecuniary interests should not be e-mailing and writing to councillors
I have been following the antics of the company supposedly redeveloping Laindon Centre. It seems with the renewal of its planning application, it now has the power to delay any further work for another three years. This is an appalling situation
The claim that Oxford has seen a 90 per cent increase in speeding since cameras were switched off could mean police have handed out 90 per cent more tickets. I doubt that. The internet shows the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership claiming
It is very kind of sporting figures to remind us to “see the bigger picture” of the Basildon sporting village and to say it’s time people embraced change rather than automatically opposing it. Children use play areas in their formative years,
In response to Steve Horgan (Aug 19). Of the 55.42 acres listed on Basildon Council sites for sale schedule to fund the sporting village the breakdown is as follows: Basildon 23.75 acres, Laindon 20.87, Vange 6, Pitsea 2.80, Billericay 0.70,
So the digital TV switchover promises more channels and better quality pictures (Aug 19). From my experience it is anything but an improvement. At first we had a set top box which could only get a signal half the time. So we were advised to get
I am pleased to see Calor Gas has the equivalent of Bob the Builder on site at Canvey. Perhaps he could be called Philip the Screwdriver, keeping their self-regulating site up to scratch Perhaps Philip was on holiday when, in 2008, there was
It seems I stirred up a hornet’s nest with my letter about playing fields and green space financing the Basildon sporting village. A few days ago I went to Wat Tyler Park, Pitsea. I haven’t been there for years, but what I saw was excellent and
I must offer my support to Father Tim Codling after his exposure of the too prolific practice of sham marriages. I am sure he neither expected nor courted this publicity, but was guided by his frustration over this common occurrence, which mocks
I’m all for protest, but some of the recent whinges in the Echo leave me bemused. How does chopping down a tree where a roundabout once stood in old Southend become such a big issue? Do people really believe a tree is a sensitive being? It’s
I have been looking at ways in which local authorities are considering reducing their public expenditure. One was concerned about the financial support it had given to a seafront airshow, another had investigated the cost of disposing of dead
Verina Weaver (Aug 27) demonstrates her flair for the irrelevant. Of course visitors still enjoy a day in Southend. But how many of our town’s attractions have been lost? People who write to the Echo are not knocking Southend, they are complaining
Does anyone know where all the houses for rental have gone? Plenty of flats in converted houses for rent. thanks to the speculators greedy for a quick profit. Lots of bed-sits and even purpose-built seaview apartments for couples and singles
I am glad the consent for rebuilding the Laindon Centre, awarded in 2004, is expiring. When the former owners displayed their plans at public meetings ahead of the planning committee meeting, it was rightly criticised by local residents. Had
Southend, the town I was born in and lived in all my life is a horrible place to live now. It’s dirty, every road is dug up and we have that multi-coloured student grotto in the town centre, which is a utter eyesore, and moth-eaten palm trees
As I am now in my eighties, my mind goes back a long time. A letter mentioned Chalkwell Hall School, in Leigh. I went there from the infants to what was called the “big boys” until the evacuation, to Derby in my case. In the infants we had
I am becoming increasingly convinced that Big Brother exists and is monitoring my every move. There is not a day goes by when I do not receive at least one phone call from an organisation I have never heard of which tries to sell me something
SOUTHEND Rugby Club started their season with a 35-22 victory over Richmond at Warners Bridge this afternoon. Sonny Gay, Chris Vaughan, Chris Green and Mark Billings all scored tries while Andrew Frost kicked three conversions and three penalties. More
AN unbeaten century from Alastair Cook made sure Essex avenged their 10-wicket defeat by Yorkshire in the first Clydesdale Bank 40 League match of the season by gaining a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the return fixture at Headingley. Yorkshire
There have been a number of negative letters in the Echo about Basildon’s sporting village and, I suspect, from people who either do not appreciate sport, are upset at the loss of some of our parkland or who don’t want to see our region shine
SCREAMING first half strikes from Anthony Grant and Josh Simpson saw Southend United knock Torquay United off the top of the League Two table this afternoon. The midfield duo both scored from long range as Blues triumphed 2-1 in a game of conflicting
PAUL Sturrock has made three changes to his starting line-up for this afternoon's clash with Torquay United at Roots Hall. Goalkeeper Glenn Morris has returned between the sticks in place of Rhys Evans after being rested for the Johnstone's
SOUTHEND United will visit Barnet in the second round of the Johstone's Paint Trophy. Blues defeated Gillingham 4-3 on penalties on Tuesday night, while Southend's fellow League Two side Barnet are entering the competition at the second round
A MAN who brandished a knife at two terrified teenagers and threatened them by saying “do you want some of this?” has been spared jail. Paul Steinbach, 44, pulled out the lock knife in Basildon town centre on the evening of March 24 after he
A HOLIDAYMAKER nearly died when he was bitten twice by a snake. David Cook was airlifted to hospital because his body went into anaphylactic shock after he accidentally trod on an adder. The 54-year-old spent four nights in hospital, and doctors told
A CONVICTED killer from Essex is hoping to secure a new appeal after serving 12 years of a triple life sentence. Michael Steele, 68, from Great Bentley, was convicted in January 1998 of the murders of Patrick Tate, Anthony Tucker and Craig Rolfe. Jack
A CAMPAIGN group fears Wickford is at risk from flooding because the Environment Agency has failed to clear silt blocking a nearby stretch of the River Crouch. Members of the River Crouch Trust, who meet regularly to clear tyres and rubbish from the
THIS is how the new Morrisons supermarket in the centre of Hadleigh could look, if plans are approved by Castle Point Council. The artist’s impression shows the proposed store will have two large glazed entrances opening to the car park and
A COMMUNITY radio station for Basildon is going full-time after securing an Ofcom licence. Gateway FM has been given a five-year licence to broadcast across the internet and its FM frequency 24-hours a day. The station, which also reaches East Thurrock
