Grays street festival set to light up July!

ACCOMPANIED by a steel band and dancers, the arrival of the parade will herald the start of Grays Street Festival when a dozen street entertainers will be in Grays High Street and Grays Shopping Centre causing hilarity and havoc amongst market-goers. Entrance is free to the festival which will run from 3pm to 5.30pm. The street entertainers are all Essex based professionals and will make an interesting spectacle of music, comedy and participation.

MP Metcalfe sings praises of Thurrock Male Voice Choir

THE Choir, now around 40 strong, was formed in 1938 and has been going strong ever since. Mr Metcalfe commented: “I was delighted to be able to support the choir at their 75 anniversary celebration. It is a fantastic achievement to reach this milestone and I hope that there will be many more to come in the future!”

Thurrock and Kent business groups to meet

A JOINT business networking event will be held at the London Cruise Terminal on Thursday morning at 7.30am. There will be speeches by both the leader of Thurrock Council, John Kent and the leader of Gravesham council, cllr John Burden.

School catering efforts rewarded

THREE Thurrock school caterers picked up awards at the annual Havering and Thurrock Catering Services celebration night. The event – at Redden Court School in Harold Wood – saw awards for service excellence go to Lansdowne Academy, Ormiston Park Academy, and Bulphan Church of England Primary.

Thurrock Art Trail: The work of Christian Squibb

WE REALLY enjoyed looking at the work of the four artists in the gallery space at the Thameside Theatre in Grays. So, over the next four days, we will publish our four interviews with the artists.

Special committee to probe new Thames crossing ideas

THURROCK Council is inviting top officials, ministers and councillors to the borough to discuss proposals for another Lower Thames Crossing.

The council’s planning, transport and regeneration overview and scrutiny committee agreed the move and the special sitting of the committee will be on Monday, 1 July.

Dr Shehadeh asks: “Who cares?”

THE GARDEN was impeccably kept. Mr D’s daughter opened the door and led me to her bed-ridden father. The house was perfectly tidy and there were no offensive smells. Mrs D, in her 90’s, was well turned out. I attended to my patient and walked downstairs with Mrs D and her daughter. The daughter was covering for her mother for 2-3 hours every day, so that Mrs D could have some time of her own, just to keep sane. As I was leaving, my eyes caught sight of a black and white picture on the mantel piece showing Mrs D carrying her toddler daughter. The D’s also get some support from carers.

First residents move in to Elizabeth Gardens

THE FIRST residents move in to a new type of housing next week (26 June), geared towards helping older people remain independent for as long as possible. Elizabeth Gardens in Long Lane, Grays, has 18 one-bedroom and 47 two-bedroom apartments. It has a restaurant, hair and beauty salon, laundry, activity room and landscaped gardens, and all the flats are designed to enable people to maintain their independence well into old age.

Linford loan shark to be sentenced

A 62 YEAR old man from Linford in Thurrock who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to illegal money lending, is to be sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday 26th June 2013. Robert Bayford of Stenning Avenue was arrested in July 2011 following a multi agency operation involving the England Illegal Money Lending Team, Essex Police and Thurrock Council. He was charged with illegal money lending, after his home and business premise was searched.

RM19 all addressed for Fused

THE Royal Opera House offers everyone who loves to sing an opportunity to find or develop their voice at the end of June when it presents FUSED: the Thurrock Choral Festival. Following the successful launch of the festival last year, FUSED returns for two days of singing, from opera to beatbox on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June at the London Cruise Terminal in Tilbury.

Basildon Hospital League of Friends AGM

THE BASILDON League of Friends AGM is being held on Monday, 24th June at 7pm in the Outpatient Department of Basildon Hospital. In addition to the Committee members, in attendance will be: Clare Panniker, Chief Executive, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; David Wood OBE, Chief Executive, Attend (formerly the National Association of Hospital & Community Leagues of Friends).

Education boss starts tour of every Thurrock school

AFTER three months in post, one of the first questions the Tory councillors asked then education boss, Oliver Gerrish was; “How many head teachers have you met?” When he replied that he had met a number of “educationalists”, the Tories said: “That will be none then.” The Tories will have to get up early in the morning to catch council leader and education boss, John Kent.

Residents and Traders of Corringham meeting

IF YOU would like to be involved please come along to our next meeting on Tuesday 25th June at 7pm in Corringham Village Hall to join the Residents and Traders Association of Corringham.

Over the next month or two RATA will be en- deavouring to bring some colour to the Town Centre with flowers. If there are any keen gardeners out there who have some spare plants they would like to donate to RATA, in order to help, then please call us on 07938 518576 or email randtofcorringham@gmail.com

Natalie Cassidy to star in Thameside panto!

LEADING the cast will be the lovely Natalie Cassidy who we all know as Sonja Jackson in BBC1’s EastEnders and more recently in BBC1’s Dancing on Ice. Natalie will play the Fairy in this year’s Pantomime and will be joined by the return of West End star Wain Douglas as our Dame who has been a favourite with the audience at the Thameside Panto in recent years.

E-fit released after sexual assault on women in wheelchair

AN efit image is being released of a man who made inappropriate remarks to a woman in Grays in May. The image is being released following a press appeal in May which failed to lead to the identification of the man responsible.

Fire in 25,000 litre diesel tank in East Tilbury

FIRE CREWS are tackling a fire in a 25,000 litre diesel tank which is affecting nearby buildings. Crews are using two hose reel jets to tackle the blaze.

Reward offered as part of pursuit of Purfleet arsonists

IN MAY, two fires at the Spiderfields play area in Purfleet destroyed the play equipment causing over £28,000 of damage. Now the fight is on to find funding to replace the equipment which had been bought through a Mardyke Veolia Trust grant in 2011.

Plans for new primary school in Grays

A NEW primary school should be built in western Grays, new education portfolio holder and Leader of the Council, John Kent says.
Speaking at Thurrock Council’s cabinet, Cllr Kent highlighted proposals for a new school at the top of Belmont Road – which, if all goes to plan should open for September 2014.

Trading standards coming down hard on excess loads

IN the last few months over 60 vehicles – from small vans to HGVs – have been checked by Thurrock Council Trading Standards and VOSA officers – 11 were found to be carrying excess loads. The owners/drivers were prosecuted for the offences at Basildon Magistrates Court last month.

Fields of fire in Ship Lane, Aveley

FIRE CREWS were called to reports of fires in a field in Aveley at just after mid-night (Monday). Three crews went to the Mardyke Bridge Crossing in Ship Lane, Aveley

Staff and governors learn about IT safety

STAFF and governors from many of Thurrock’s schools received a lesson in how to ensure their charges were kept safe online at a training event on Tuesday (4 June).

The Thurrock Children’s Partnership e-safety group organised the event to tell those who have leadership responsibility for e-safety about the challenges faced around safeguarding children and young people in the online environment.

Police probe suspected housing fraud

DETECTIVES have appealed for information about a suspected fraud being carried out in the Thurrock area. Officers are investigating after hundreds of leaflets offering a cheap deal for home-hunters were distributed in the area.

That was the week: June 1988

Pipe fitter and jazz fan John Graham jumped from a 75ft gantry at the Coryton refinery over fears of a visit from VAT officers, his widow told an inquest. Mr Graham was contacted by VAT officers who had been informed about his sideline in selling records, posters and pictures at concerts and festivals. Although he put a lot of effort into the ‘business’, it was actually more of a hobby and barely covered his expenses.

Now it is Ronnie who sniffs out would-be illegal immigrants from Syria, bound for Grays

The 14 men and one woman, all from Syria, were discovered shortly before 5am at the Port of Calais on 6 June when Border Force officers, along with sniffer dog Ronnie, searched the Bulgarian registered lorry as it waited to board a ferry to the UK.