GOVERNMENTS across the world spend fortunes every year on think tanks, consultants and surveys about how to improve race relations. But the solution is much simpler than that according to Ros Green, who is putting on the second annual Polish Arts Festival
Billy Wright and Benjamin Grosvenor grew up on the same street in Westcliff. They are both young, incredibly talented musicians, and have played major music festivals this year. However for all the similarities their accounts of the summer are
OLD Leigh will be buzzing this weekend as an expected 20,000 vistors arrive for the annual regatta. The event has been running in its current form for the past 37 years, but the tradition stretches back hundreds of years. It started with the fishing
Chinese restaurant Gold Coast was recommended to me by a friend from Singapore. As someone who lived in China for a couple of years, I can never resist the prospect of good Oriental cuisine within a mile or two of home. Gold Coast is in a great location
I correct a number of inaccuracies stated by George Whatley (Sept 1). I reassure Canvey residents Calor Gas is not “self-regulating”. On the contrary, it is classified as a top-tier site subject to strict regulation. Regulations require top
I applaud the diligence of Father Tom Codling in exposing a sham marriage. This is a problem that is not confined to the Thurrock area as it is becoming an increasing problem to Basildon clergy. My own church has married non EEC members to those
I’m pleased the Government is to encourage local councils to cut back on unnecessary street furniture and signage. Drive along the London Road from Leigh to Southend and it is obvious that over enthusiasm from the road planners is evident from
I have sympathy with those concerned about the selling off of playing fields in the Basildon area and everybody should have a chance to air concerns. However, at council meetings residents can ask ward councillors to represent them. That’s why
The exchanges between Southend councillors Anna Waite and Ian Gilbert on housing shortages (Aug 19) fail to address the problem. Last year I visited South Africa where the provision of low-cost housing has full cross-party agreement. There are
Since cycle lanes have been constructed in Southend it would seem their use would be less likely to cause danger to pedestrians, yet some bikers still insist on using the pavements of the town for riding on. I recently witnessed an incident
What a sad fellow Trevor Murdin seems to be (Sept 1). The sight of trees, in their spring and autumn colours, or in the fullness of summer, even in their stark filigree patterns of winter can lift the heart, apart from the services and home
I was interested to read the letter from Dr Handley, of Southend, who defended councillor Mo Larkin’s handling of the recent Basildon Council meeting. I can tell Dr Handley that Phil Rackley is well aware of the rules and constitution regarding
Over the last 13 years, 4,000 new laws have been passed, causing concern among civil liberties organisations. Unfortunately a great many law-abiding citizens have been snared by fines that are arguably needed to pay for said enforcement. The
We should get some facts straight about Basildon’s sporting village, supported by Vin Harrop (Sept 2). Residents of Vange, who I speak to are not opposed to the sporting village, but they are strongly opposed to children’s playing areas and recreation
I recently took a walk in the peaceful area of Canvey Heights. It was the first time I had been able to get there for three years. I was appalled to see the presence of webs containing the caterpillars of the brown-tailed moth. These insects
Verina Weaver (Aug 27) says how marvellous Southend is. Some of it I agree with, but she failed to mention she and her husband were both senior ruling Conservative councillors until recently. They overdeveloped the town. They have created a
I agree with the comments expressed by J Collins (Aug 30) regarding the downside of digital TV. I have a number of sets which receive perfectly acceptable pictures from the analogue transmitters using set-top loop aerials. However, with the
Councillor John Buchanan’s attempt to make excuses for the state of Billericay war memorial can be refuted by anyone visiting the site. His guided tour stating “the red flowers are blooming nicely” does not hide the fact that the beds are engulfed
I read that there is to be a huge development, including 163 homes, at the Stambridge Mill site in Rochford. You couldn’t make it up. I know this area well and it can be subject to flooding and, yes, it’s on the expanding airport’s flight path
Despite valid concerns and criticisms of the palm trees along Southend seafront, Southend Council is again ignoring the town’s residents and is planting a load more. Throwing good money after bad springs to mind, as the cabinet demonstrates
Further to my letter about roads being in a better condition in the north of England, confirmed by another reader, I thought it was time for another road trip. Trying to get out of Southend proved difficult with all the road works. However,
I wish to pay tribute to Karon Grant and Colin Millar, two of the team with the responsibility of keeping Southend clean. It is obvious some residents and visitors take little pride in our environment. While many find the bins to recycle their
Following the timely intervention of Father Codling in stopping a sham marriage in Tilbury, is it not time for the Government to remove from the Church the right to act as registrar? In the Chelmsford diocese, when either of a couple is not
Reading the propaganda spouted by Southend Council’s architect for the seafront museum scheme (Aug 26), left us feeling thoroughly disgusted, disgust engendered by the fact that the Saxon King and his treasures have been sidelined by blatant commercialism
I don’t totally dismiss the Basildon Sporting Village, as at least we will have a new pool. But instead of an Olympic-size pool, that probably most people in Basildon would find it hard to swim the length of, I would have liked the council to
I reported to Southend Council the large amount of debris, stones, glass and grit on many roundabouts and at road junctions. This causes accidents, vehicles to skid and, when accumulated in patches, is caught in tyres and catapulted at high
FILM music is synonymous with a moment in time. Be it the iconic Star Wars theme in the Seventies or the heart-wrenching Schindler’s List soundtrack in the Nineties. Now fans of the music genre can enjoy the likes of James Bond, Slumdog Millionaire,
ALMOST 28 years after they first ventured out on to the stages of south Essex, veteran rhythm’n’blues band Automatic Slim are back. Tim Aves and two of the band’s other four members – guitarist Ian Cundy and bassman Howard J Bills – have been
WHEN Matt Boulter left for Wales to play an intimate gig in front of a few hundred people, he had no idea he would be headlining a major festival just a few days later. Boulter, a talented multi-instrumentalist from Leigh, was playing lap steel with
ROAD surface repairs will be carried out on the anti-clockwise M25 in Essex between junctions 29 to 28 tonight. Work will start at 10pm and is expected to be complete by 5am tomorrow morning, weather permitting. The work will close several lanes on
BLASE Walton regained the men’s singles title at Westcliff Lawn after a dramatic comeback in the final. Walton was a set and 0-4 down in the second when he recovered to win nine consecutive games to set up a 6-7 6-4 6-2 win over Nick Spillett and reclaim
A HARDY fundraiser who spent more than 15 hours swimming the English Channel, was back at his desk the very next day. Determined Jonathan Spriggs, 43, braved gruelling water temperatures to swim the 22-mile stretch from Dover to Calais, raising £16,000
BASILDON Hospital has been praised for the way it cares for patients needing hip operations. An in-depth report, published by the Royal College of Surgeons, has found the hospital’s “shared care” approach to dealing with hip fracture patients, has
BASILDON snooker professional Stuart Bingham lost 5-3 in the Shanghai Masters today to Essex rival Ali Carter. The Tiptree player will now meet Matthew Stevens in the quarter-finals in China.
BILLERICAY Rugby Club is hoping gaining the RFU thumbs-up for its youth work will stand the club in good stead for the future. The club has spent most of this year ensuring it reaches the criteria for the Rugby Football Union’s mini and youth seal of
A HEALTH trust serving Basildon and Thurrock is set to slash 100 jobs. Workers at NHS South West Essex were dealt the devastating news yesterday that redundancies are in the pipeline for a quarter of its workforce. The move has come as the primary care
A COUNCILLOR has restated his innocence after being voted back into the Conservative group following suspension. Castle Point Council’s Tory members voted to allow Bill Sharp’s return following a heated meeting, where the party’s leadership sought assurances
THORPE Hall golf Club won the Hudson Trophy at the South Herts Golf Club in North London on Sunday. Professional John Fryatt played with Spencer Wells and they finished two under par. Their round featured a hole-in-one by Spencer. Matt Southgate played
AN eyesore derelict building on Southend seafront recently given planning permission for a major development is up for sale. Esplanade House, in Eastern Esplanade, is half-demolished and has been empty for about seven years, but the site is
WITH a score of 45 points, Kevin Lapage and Colin Wyatt were the winning pair by two points from Vic Askew and Dave Grimble 43 points in the Autumn Shield. Next in were Tony Choppin and Pete Sanders’ 42 points better back nine, James Moyser and Dave
A RETIRED couple who sought refuge on a Canvey caravan park after their home flooded said they made lasting friends during their stay. Jean Hill, 64, and husband Peter, 61, were left with nowhere to go when their static caravan in Kings Park retirement
A BIKE shop owner is back in business, almost a year-and-a-half after arsonists reduced his premises to rubble. Just Bikes, in London Road, Leigh, was destroyed last April, along with half of the neighbouring furniture store Mad Dogs and Englishmen
CONCERNS have been raised about a new care centre putting even more pressure on the emergency department at Southend Hospital. Councillors fear the assessment centre, being built to reduce the strain on A&E, will actually do the opposite. The plan is
POLICE patrols have been stepped up at a Leigh park to deter antisocial yobs who leave broken glass strewn about the playground. Residents have raised concerns about Bonchurch Park, off Manchester Drive, where there have been reports of underage drinking
JOE Galbraith and Rob Moss came out tops in Rochford Hundred’s big 36-hole scratch and handicap day on Sunday – the biggest event in the club’s calendar. Galbraith took the scratch cup with a two under par 140 - two better than cadet Ben Franklin with
THE Essex Pirates have conjured up a competition in pursuit of the town’s best dancing groups. The professional basketball team, who are based in Southend, are keen to spice up their British Basketball League (BBL) matches. And the Pirates
ROB King held his nerve to score three penalties which gave Canvey a deserved win over derby rivals AFC Hornchurch. The midfielder won all his personal duels with Urchins’ keeper Ollie Morris-Saunders to move John Batch’s side in touching distance of
EAST Thurrock United went top of Ryman Division One North with a convincing 3-1 win at high-flying Brentwood Town. John Coventry’s free-scoring side went three up with goals from Kris Newby, Neil Richmond and Kye Ruel, before Brentwood notched a consolation
AN accident partially blocked the A13 both ways in Leigh, at Birchwood Drive and Woodfield Park Drive today. A car hit bollards. There were long tailbacks.
BASILDON snooker professional Stuart Bingham will play Essex rival Ali Carter in the second round of the Shanghai Masters today. Bingham defeated Irishman Mark Allen 5-2 in the first round in China, although the pair were level at the interval. But
MATT Walker has signed a contract extension with Essex Cricket Club. The 36-year-old, who joined Essex from Kent in 2009, has committed for an additional year until the end of the 2011 season. Walker has scored 733 runs so far this season in
PAUL Sturrock is aiming to become Southend United’s very own special one. The Scotsman, who is attempting to transform Blues’ fortunes after their recent troubles, has learned from some of the top managers in the game. But some — including current Real
CANCER patients at Southend Hospital are the first in the county to receive a revolutionary treatment. The hospital is the first in Essex to offer intensity modulated radiation therapy, which produces tailored radiation doses which wrap around
Basildon Council has been accused of “ripping off” local Sunday League teams after it emerged it charges the most for football pitch hire in south Essex. An Echo investigation has revealed it charges hundreds of pounds more than neighbouring
RESIDENTS turned out in force to protest against houses being built on much-loved playing fields in Laindon. The second of a series of public meetings over Basildon Council’s plans to sell off playing fields across the district to housing developers
A NEW law which would allow more slot machines in arcades has given hope to beleaguered amusement centre owners. In July, the Echo reported a third of arcades in Southend had folded in the past two years because of the 2005 Gambling Act, which placed
YOUTH nuisance plummeted by 43 per cent in Shoebury over the summer holidays. Police had set up Operation Carnival to increase patrols around the troubled Four Rivers Estate while children were off school. Officers also focused on Shoebury East Beach
FIVE homes were evacuated and part of a street was sealed off for three hours following a gas leak. Engineers, the police and fire service were called to Sandon Road in Basildon, at about 10am yesterday after a resident reported the smell of gas. The
COUNCIL tenants waiting for home repairs have been left in the lurch as maintenance contractor Connaught called in the administrators. The social housing services company, which has contracts with several Essex housing associations, was yesterday
A YOUNG man was electrocuted as he and a friend stole copper cables from a railway line, an inquest heard. Paul Fowkes, 20, was killed while trespassing on railway tracks near Fort Road, Tilbury, last July. An inquest at County Hall
SOUTHEND Airport has been given the thumbs up to build a new 129 bedroom hotel. Southend Council's development control committee has today approved the plan for the hotel on land adjacent to the Harp House Roundabout. The hotel will
A COUNCILLOR suspended by his party for comments he made about his constituency on Facebook is standing down. Tory councillor Neil Rockliffe, who represents the Chafford Hundred ward on Thurrock Council, will resign from May, but denied his decision
COMMUTERS on the c2c line into London enjoyed almost perfect punctuality last month as the operator scored a record-breaking performance. New figures released by Network Rail show that c2c, which runs services between Shoebury, Southend and
A 12-year-old child is has been seriously injured in a traffic accident outside a Shoebury School. Police closed Constable Way following the accident outside Friars Primary School at 3pm yesterday (Wednesday). The boy, who was struck
