THE OMENS weren’t good at the beginning of the year with Woolworth’s in Grays, South Ockendon and Lakeside closing. The recession was biting deep. Many thought that the Lakeside shop would herald a mass of shops and units closing down but the reversal was true. Indeed, by the end of the year, new shops such as the Dovespa on Brompton Walk as well as bumper crowds at christmas showed that retailers were dedicated to “not participating in the recession”.
We filmed the Tip Toe Stage School at the Towngate Theatre and became instant fans. The school are like one big family and give everyone an opportunity to shine. They ended the year performing in the West End.
Scary Spice appeared at Tesco, Lakeside. The T-Birds Ladies Rugby team were in action as they continued to plunder all before them. Here they are in action against London Welsh.
We continued our monthly series of blogs with Cllr Tunde Ojetola who throughout the year proved to be one of the hardest working councillors in the borough.
Chadwell St Mary primary entered the new term re-vitalised after the Tory cabinet decided against closing the school.
