RAVI Bopara believes his nightmare in Sri Lanka spurred him on to his current run of form that brought a third consecutive Test century in today's second Test against West Indies at Chester-le-Street. Essex team-mates Alastair Cook (126 not out) and
RAVI Bopara today put himself in elite England company with a third century in successive Test innings as he and Alastair Cook took control against West Indies before a paltry Riverside crowd. Bopara's feat added his name to a list containing four all-time
NINE people were treated for inhaling fumes after a chemical spill near Harwich Port. A lorry leaked nitric acid as it left Parkeston quay yesterday at about 8.40am, causing roads to be closed for more than ten hours. It is understood the driver returned
A PAIR of lovebirds braved swine flu to get hitched in Mexico. Trudi and Stephen Mowle, of Towse Close, Clacton, only learned they had arrived in the heart of the pandemic after touching down on the last UK flight into the country. They
DEVELOPMENTS with as few as three new homes will have to contain housing for people on low incomes, under new Colchester Council policy. The authority will ask developers hand over 35 per cent of properties to social landlords in a no-nonsense
A TRADITIONAL fundraising balloon race at a Colchester primary school is going ahead – despite opposition from some pupils and parents. North Primary School, in John Harper Street, has held a balloon race every May for more than a decade. Now the
AN up-and-coming Colchester author has had her first novel published at the age of 75. Great grandmother Fay Cunningham hopes her new page-turner, Sleeping Dogs, will be the first in a series of up to ten novels. Its release comes after a lifetime of
A RECORD fine has been handed out to former bosses of a Colchester restaurant for employing illegal workers. The £96,000 fine is the largest ever handed down by a court in the UK for such an offence. Company Bo & Sum, which ran Temptations Chinese Restaurant
NINETY one criminals have been arrested and charged in Essex over the past 12 months thanks to information from the charity Crimestoppers. That figure is up from 39 in 2007/08, a staggering 133 per cent increase. Over the past year, the charity has
THE new owner of a racecourse has just two weeks to secure a licence so it can hold races next year. The multi-million-pound Great Leighs Racecourse appeared safe last week when a new buyer was found after it closed down when the group of companies running
A COURT has given Colchester police permission to temporarily keep almost £10,000 from two Colchester care home owners. Police and social services officials searched nine properties owned by husband and wife David and Linda Ramchurn. The couple, aged
IN this current economic climate, it’s good to know there is at least one profession that isn’t been squeezed by the credit crunch. The health industry is positively booming in terms of employment opportunities, so much so that one local NHS trust is
A SUMMER fete will be held to raise money for St Helena Hospice in Colchester. The event will take place on Saturday, May 30, at the hospice in Barncroft Close, Highwoods, from 11am to 3pm. There will be stalls selling gifts, cakes, plants and toys
MUMS and mums-to-be have been getting advice on breastfeeding as part of an awareness campaign. Information has been distributed across north Essex as part of National Breastfeeding Awareness Week. Midwives from Colchester General Hospital have been
A SMALL piece of Tiptree will be on display to members of the Royal Family at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. Three women from Tiptree and District Flower Club have been selected to exhibit at the world-famous show for the first time in the club
DESPITE not having picked up a bicycle in 25 years, Sandra Godbold is enjoying her re-discovered skill. The 35-year-old is part of a new cycling group set up to help adults with learning disabilities in Colchester. The group was established
Jon Walters is on schedule to be fit for the start of pre-season training. The Ipswich Town midfielder suffered an ankle injury towards the end of last term. However, he is progressing well and will have a scan early next month. “We’ll know the severity
Colchester United chief executive Steve Bradshaw has warned there is no ‘bottomless pit’ of transfer funds at the U’s. But the club have vowed to fully back manager Paul Lambert in his efforts to revitalise his squad. Bradshaw expects Colchester to
Adrienne Strover emerged from a field of 62 ladies to be the clear winner of the Centenary Gold Medal at Colchester Golf Club. She put together a solid round to return a gross 87 – clear of the chasing pack of Helen Tartellin, Liz Lennox and the ladies
Jamie Moul has shown he has what it takes to compete at the top of the PGA Challenge Tour leaderboard. The 24-year-old golfer from Colchester is currently ranked 12th on the tour, with two top 20 finishes from his opening two events after winning his
What does Ravi Bopara have up his sleeve next? Not only is he scoring Test Match hundreds, he’s celebrating in style as well. I asked him what those hand signals were all about after he scored his brilliant hundred at Lord’s against the West Indies
BY day they are six very successful local businessmen, but by night they are one of north Essex’s most enduring rock groups. For the last 20 years, the Poachers have helped raise more than £100,000 for charity and their latest mission is to
GIRL band Fe-Nix have been named as the supporting act for chart toppers N-Dubz who are on stage in St Osyth at the weekend. The four-piece pop group will appear at the Venue in Seawick on Saturday. Fe-Nix have just released their debut album single
YOUTHS causing trouble in a village face being caught on camera. Police officers patrolling Tiptree are to be trained up on CCTV in an effort to catch the troublemakers. Currently, just one officer is trained on the CCTV system, but all six police patrolling
AUDIENCES were treated to a four-day festival of silent films. The Electric Palace, in Harwich, one of the oldest purpose-built cinemas in the UK, hosted it’s first Silence Festival – giving film lovers a chance to see a variety of classics from the
CONSERVATIVES have elected a new leader in their battle to regain control of Colchester Council. Kevin Bentley has promised to curtail what he described as the “yah, boo, sucks” style of politics in favour of promoting Colchester. The
THE man who became the first person in the region to be infected with swine flu has made a full recovery. The man from Clacton received treatment and returned to work, health bosses said yesterday. No details on the man were ever released
TEENAGE sailors had a lucky escape after venturing out on the water in dangerous weather conditions. Thames Coastguard were called by three 18-year-old men who were drifting past Burnham Yacht Harbour in a dinghy on the River Crouch.
AUTHOR Kim Hayes gave her gran the perfect birthday present when she dedicated a book of poetry to her. Kim presented the first copy of The Journey Home, to Eileen Polley, at Little Holland Hall nursing home, in Holland Haven. Mrs Polley, 90, has been
A “VITAL” new community centre could be on the cards, depending on the outcome of a feasibility study. Town councillors have talked about a much-needed community centre for Halstead since 1980. The study will be completed by September. Former Halstead
YOUNGSTERS discoverered a new pirate galleon in their garden. Jaywick’s Sure Start scheme raided their treasure chest to rig up a new play area. Children at the Hemmington House project, in the Broadway, dressed up as pirates to celebrate. Even Iggle
A WOMAN whose ex-soldier husband broke his neck took the plunge to raise more than £1,000 for a military charity. It was fourth time lucky for Lisa Stapleton, who leapt from 13,000ft in a tandem skydive for the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families
