The small village of Bradwell-on-Sea is preparing for an influx of thousands of people in three weeks time for the annual pilgrimage. Christians from all denominations will be descending on the village to take part in the annual pilgrimage to St Peter's
The owners of a troubled table dancing club have decided to sell up and move out of Southend The decision to sell off Cheeks comes after a market survey carried out by owners Cherokee Leisure. Bosses of the firm took stock of the Southchurch Road business
A haulage company is facing a crisis after thieves stole nearly half its transport fleet. A tractor unit and three trailers belonging to Jayvale Transport were stolen while they were parked in Bramston Link, Laindon, in the early hours of Sunday morning
This year's Southend-on-Sea "Jim Peters Memorial" Half Marathon held on Sunday was preceded with a minutes silence, in memory of Jim Peters who died earlier this year. In windy conditions, which finally broke with a torrential downpour, the mildly undulating
Tiptree Road Running Club's Alan Fisher, following an excellent marathon win at Halstead less than a week earlier, blitzed the Kirton trail to take third place and again become the first Veterans 50. Chris Applegate and Michael Beckett also finished under
Sunday saw Witham & District Cycling Club's John Tivey in action in the Maldon & District 50 mile time-trial on the Dengie Peninsula. It was a difficult course but Tivey did well to record 2 hours 25minutes 35 seconds. The winner was Rick Van
Glendene C.C.'s Richard Whitehorn, 15, broke the Club's schoolboy record on Thursday when riding in the Crescent C.C. Evening 10 near Harlow. Richard's time of 23m 24s was an improvement of 11 seconds on the record held by Ken Shuttleworth since 1976.
Heybridge Swifts Football Club manager Robbie Nihill is looking to the future and has appointed Pat Garrett as manager of the club's Eastern Junior Alliance Under 18 squad. Garrett has been involved in youth football for many years and will be a great
Mistley's Jaygate Two Counties cricketers shrugged off the shock departure of their overseas star Evert Ferreira by unearthing a new hero in Robert Smyth. Smyth, a 30-year-old right-hander, cracked his first century for the title-chasing first division
A former Essex County Council employee has been killed in a white water rafting accident in Austria. Mark Richardson and three Irish nationals died when their raft plunged over a man-made weir on an Alpine river near Salzburg during a tourist trip. Mr
A popular secondary school is looking to expand to cope with growing demand - by building ten new classrooms. Chalvedon School and Sixth Form College has applied to Basildon Council for permission to build the two-storey classroom block on its Wickford
Public toilets at the centre of a gay sex investigation are to re-open - after police were accused of lying about evidence of illegal activities at the loos. The men's toilets in Hart Road, Benfleet, were closed on police advice after claims they were
A man was today being questioned by police in connection with the murder of two people in Westcliff. The bodies of Jane Phipps, 24, and Steven Keys, 28, had been discovered in a flat. A post mortem revealed they had died from multiple stab wounds, inflicted
Colchester United will be playing Norwich City in a pre-season friendly at Layer Road. And they will also be involved in a four-team, two-day tournament at Southend United two weeks before the new season. The U's host East Anglian rivals Norwich at Layer
Eight soldiers from Colchester Garrison were among those who took part in a 90ft abseil down Chelmsford Cathedral. The soldiers joined Liberal Democrat European Parliamentary candidates Adrian Duff and Rosalind Gill, and daring members of the public,
Councillors have demanded compensation after two foul-ups at a sewage treatment works. Members of Castle Point Council's environmental health committee want to be recompensed after a clear-up operation following a spill which left sewage coving part of
South African overseas star Evert Ferreira has walked out on his Mistley team-mates just four games into their new season. Members of the championship chasing Jaygate Two Counties League cricket club were still in shock yesterday after learning that their
An MP is demanding Channel 4 apologies to the town and its people over the Soldier Town programme. In a letter to the chairman of Channel 4 Vanni Treves, Bob Russell , MP for Colchester, said: "Soldier Town is grossly offensive about my town in general
A disillusioned Braintree shop owner, who was fined after he lost a sex discrimination case, is closing his shutters for the last time at the weekend. Barry Evans, of Supercare health and beauty, will be selling all his stock in a half-price clearance
Hi-tech pagers are to be handed out to Wickford shopkeepers in the ongoing battle to crack town centre crime. The equipment will mean store owners can quickly contact each other and the police to let them know of any trouble. Most of Wickford's major
Feisty MP Teresa Gorman - bored of hearing about Betty Boothroyd's Tiller girl fame - has boasted she could high-kick the Speaker out of the Commons. Mrs Gorman, Tory MP for Billericay, was quoted as saying she was "sick" of talk about Miss Boothroyd's
The race is on to scoop a fabulous rare four-day outing to Silverstone. The British Racing Drivers' Club has donated two all-inclusive tickets - worth £250 each - to this year's British Grand Prix. Canon Lionel Webber is now holding a raffle to find the
A 9lb zander taken at Basildon's Gloucester Park has caused a stir in local angling circles. The big fish was landed by Mark Acton who was fishing for carp at the western end of the island. The zander was a personal best for Mark, being the first one
Budding karate star James Eves today jetted out to Sweden aiming to succeed where the England football team failed - but this time in the World Cup. James, from Essex Close, Rayleigh, trains at Pitsea and raised more than £300 to compete in his sport's
Southend's Elizabeth McKinnon returned from swimming's British Grand Prix the new holder of the Essex County Ladies 200 metres butterfly record. She set a new mark twice in one day at Sheffield - once in the heats with 2 mins. 18.01 secs. and then again
Reigning champions Boxted stay top of division one despite a weekend of frustration. They were handed the points from Saturday's match when Great Bromley failed to put out a side and so conceded the game. But Boxted were denied another victory over St
Colchester is within the top 30 locations in the country being targeted by the Youth Hostel Association to provide accommodation in the area. Councillors agreed at last night's arts and leisure committee to look at all the possibilities with the YHA with
A woman was praised today for saving the life of her diabetic neighbour after a fire started in her flat. Catherine Boyer-Besant, 30, alerted fire crews after smelling smoke in her home at Quayside Court, Harwich. She set off the fire alarms in the building
The Archbishop of Canterbury is to speak at a civic service at St Michael's Church, Braintree, as part of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of the church. A full congregation of invited guests from local churches and organisations is expected
A civilian worker at Basildon police station has escaped prosecution for animal cruelty - but could still face disciplinary charges. The employee, who has not been named, was investigated by the RSPCA and police after Rambo the dog was left lying in his
A number of decaying Tendring landmarks are at risk, according to a new report released yesterday. The buildings have been included in English Heritage's second register of buildings at risk. In Clacton, the seafront Martello tower is included. The tower
Essex Police have failed three quarters of the annual performance targets they set themselves. The force achieved in full only two of its eight objectives to improve its service and reduce crime. It has fallen short of time limits for attending emergency
Increased housing in Maldon has forced changes in the town's school admission policy. A report to Essex County Council's education committee says parents applying to send their children to Maldon County Primary School will no longer be guaranteed a place
A new managing director has been appointed at one of Braintree's largest employers. John Pyatt has taken over the post at Crittall Windows in Springwood Drive, after being promoted from his job as sales and contracts director. Mr Pyatt, who has been an
After another 4-3 victory in the Ladies Bronze Shield at Basildon, the Warren Golf Club team of Sheila Foxton, Ann Pledger, Lynne Kirkham, Claudia Juncker, Margaret Alston, Gill Mandl and Agnes Hill completed their series by winning five out of six. With
TATTINGSTONE..............................231-7 BRAINTREE......................................187-6 (Match abandoned due to rain) (Jaygate Homes Two Counties Division Two) With Saturday's match building to an exciting climax, with Braintree requiring
Nicola Taylor talks to Nigel Havens the managing director of one of Southend's oldest family-run stores as it prepares for its centenary and the new millennium When Rawdon Havens set up his china and glass store in Westcliff in 1901 he would have had
An Essex Roman Catholic church will be making history by becoming the first in the country to set up a hotline to the clergy. Confessions by telephone are set to become a reality at the Church of our Lady Immaculate Church in Chelmsford, which is behind
A motorist had an amazing escape yesterday after a car drove off Clacton seafront - and on to rocks. The car had been going along the lower promenade near First Avenue, Clacton, when it left the carriageway. It then drove on to some sea defence rocks
Four "lost" paintings that were unearthed in an ancient Coggeshall barn are expected to fetch more than £4,000 when they go on auction later this month. The works of art were discovered in a Cistercian barn at Abbey Farm. Arts experts at Vost's auction
The controversial A130 bypass linking Chelmsford to south east Essex was today branded nothing more than an "M25 bypass" which will cause traffic chaos. Work starts this autumn on the new £92 million dual carriageway which will run alongside the existing
Talks aimed at averting strike action at Stansted Airport are taking place tomorrow. A threatened walk-out at the busy airport could cause havoc for thousands of holidaymakers heading for the sun. Members of the General Municipal and Boilermakers Union
Heavy drinking, drugs and under-age sex in a wooded area of a quiet residential estate are making residents lives a misery. Urgent measures will be taken by Colchester Council to try to stamp out late night activities which are turning part of Prettygate
Essex-based Paul Cooper had mixed fortunes at the fifth round of the Honda British Motocross Championship at Wakes Colne. A poor start in his first race left the SoCal Husqvarna rider in a lowly 20th place first time past the finish line, before a superb
Disgruntled market traders have threatened to bring Colchester town centre to a standstill if their demands to return to the High Street are not met. They warned they are prepared to block roads or clog traffic routes around the town centre - and the
James Scowcroft has been offered an extension to his two-year contract as George Burley looks to cement his current squad. If Kieron Dyer's expected sale to Leeds United or Middlesbrough for between £6million and £7 million goes ahead Burley will not
Witham soccer player Victoria King has just been voted young player of the year after her first season with West Ham Ladies. Midfielder Victoria, 15, has helped her team win promotion to the first division of the Greater London League. But she admitted
A holiday-maker killed in a white water rafting tragedy in Austria lived and worked in Chelmsford, it has been revealed. Mark Richardson, who worked for Essex County Council, was killed on Monday along with three Irish nationals when their raft plunged
It was standing room only when mourners packed Southend Crematorium to pay their last respects to Manny Weiss, a tireless champion of the people. Manny, 83, of Brightwell Avenue, Westcliff, died in the Royal Marsden Hospital after a long battle against
Blues fan Christopher Bennett has been banned from every Southend United match until after the millennium for invading the Roots Hall pitch. Bennett will also have to be photographed by Southend police by Friday for identification purposes. Southend Magistrates
Premier League new boys Watford will provide the star turn at a four-team pre-season weekend tournament being staged by Southend United at Roots Hall next month. The competition - which will take place on July 24 and July 25 - will also see former Blues
A St Osyth clay pigeon shooter is aiming to become world junior champion - if he can give his nerves the bullet. David Bond, 14, who practices at Parkford Shooting Centre in the village, will be up against 60 others when he aims for glory in Finland in
Colchester United misfit Tamer Fernandes could be playing Second Division football against the U's for Oxford United next season. One of nine players handed a free transfer by U's boss Mick Wadsworth at the end of last season, the former England youth
Club captain Paul Harris celebrated with a century as Halstead moved back into the top two of the East Anglian Premier League with the competition's first-ever maximum 25-point win. But there was disappointment for Clacton who suffered their first defeat
Coarse anglers should note that Hadleigh reservoir is now closed until midnight June 15. The last week saw the excellent run of fishing continue at the exposed water with Malcolm Reed enjoying the most action by landing no fewer than 35 carp in the last
With the past two weeks proving hectic at Rochford's Doggetts fishery, sport has been comparatively slow with the weather becoming more variable. However, luncheon meat and maggott combined with plenty of groundbait are still providing good sport for
Major plans for a £250,000 family leisure attraction at Walton have been thrown out by councillors. The scheme, which would have seen an adventure park and play area, a boating lake, adventure golf and mini go-kart track on part of Bath House Meadow,
Some of our most historic buildings are in danger of crumbling away and vanishing forever, a top-level report claims. A national hit-list, compiled by preservation watchdogs English Heritage, names over 1,600 buildings which it says are at risk from "
Campaigners are feeling deflated today after losing their fight to stop an air-filled plastic dome being used for all-weather tennis. Councillors voted last night to allow the scheme at Frinton Tennis Club. But there was more hot air when Roy Caddick
The inflatable dome is the latest blow to Frinton's old-world charm. Die-hards are still reeling from losing the battle to stop a pub opening in swanky Connaught Avenue. Before that, councillors voted for a floodlit games pitch at Tendring Technology
