A WORLD War II veteran from Chadwell St Mary has become the first-ever recipient of PETA's Compassionate Dad Award for a lifetime of encouraging kindness and empathy for animals. Sidney Pledger, who turns 90 in October and was born in Ireton Place in Grays, was nominated by daughter Sharen for his progressive views and always helping animals in need, having rescued many homeless, sick and injured animals over the course of his life.
THIS year a series of events are being planned to mark the 65th anniversary of the ship carrying 492 West Indians, the first wave of Caribbean migrants to work in Great Britain – starting this nation’s multi-cultural society.
Saturday, 22 June marks the anniversary of this iconic voyage and a celebration is planned which will involve a number of national partners culminating that weekend.
Evidence of a settlement occupied by prehistoric Man was unearthed by bulldozers at the Chafford Hundred development site. Jonathan Catton, Thurrock Council museum assistant, followed bulldozers working on the site on the west side of Hogg Lane, sifting through the earth for articles of historical significance.
Wandworth detectives started the search for a woman’s body at Mucking Tip near Tilbury on 27 April.
Sandra Midlane, 23, failed to return to her Chiswick home following a visit to her husband’s Fulham flat, prompting the hunt for her body.
Initial searches of the areas surrounding their homes bore no fruit so the police switched their focus to Mucking, where a new consignment of domestic refuse arrived from London on 27 April.
AS WE dip into the news from 25 years ago, we find stories about mould and benefit changes...How times have changed...Detectives stepped up their hunt for a dangerous sex pervert dressed in drag who attempted to abduct two young schoolboys in a three day period. Pupils got a chance to meet Thurrock’s Mayor and Mayoress, Cllr John Dunn and wife Mary, during their official visits to three local schools. Members of Springhouse Co-operative Women’s Guild undertook a six-mile sponsored walk, despite the rain, to raise funds for Philip Ward and Barry Stafford from Stanford.
THE FAMOUS house, built by the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, has been put up for sale. The house is owned by the Anglo-Hibernian province of the Congregation of La Sainte Union Des Sacre Couer based in Bath but has been part of the Convent for many years. It has a guide price of £1.5 million.
Lee, 14, of Hamble Lane in South Ockendon, had been walking his girlfriend home at the time of the incident in Broxburn Drive. Police were called shortly before 9pm to find the young boy had stopped breathing. Officers tried their best to resuscitate him and he was rushed to Orsett Hospital under police escort where he sadly lost his life despite doctor’s efforts to save him. The post-mortem revealed the cause of death to be internal head injuries. On Tuesday morning, classmates and friends at Culverhouse School where Lee was a pupil said special prayers at the school.
The State cinema was served with an eviction notice by the company that owned the building, stopping the management from using the premises. Roy Roberts, manager, was ordered that the building be vacated by 19 April.
Mr Roberts said that he would stage a sit-in rather than see the cinema close and hoped that a massive public outcry would help the cause.
The State was previously threatened with closure back in 1985 but public support saved the building from demolition. The building gained listed status through the Department of the Environment and was re-opened by London film impresario Ben Friedman.
Tory MP Tim Janman told Thurrock’s Tory councillors to think twice before objecting to new housing developments as they may bring extra Conservative voters into the borough. Mr Janman also attacked Cllr Chris Hammett for objecting to a Grays building project that would have benefitted the MP and local Tories. Cllr Hammett had recently been ‘sacked’ from his Grays North seat on the council by the Thurrock Conservative Group.
Here is our weekly look back at life in Thurrock from 25 years ago in 1988. Concerns over hospital services and a terrifying attack in Corringham. How times were different.....
William Starkey, 62, was praised by a judge for bravery in trying to stop armed robbers from escaping the scene of the crime following a Post Office raid in Aveley. The retired postman tried to block the raider’s getaway route with his car and followed their vehicle when that failed until he lost track of them. His wife contacted the polic
Chris Hammett, councillor for Grays North for six years and one of the Conservatives’ most experienced borough councillors, was ‘sacked’ by his party executive. He was re-selected for candidature but the Thurrock Conservative Association executive refused to endorse his selection, putting forward their own choice, Lloyd Brown.
Mr Hammond condemned the authority for giving “insufficient consideration” to the twelve patients on the ward at the time of the closure, many of whom viewed the ward as their home. A similar lack of consideration was shown to the old ladies of Patience Ward who had to be moved from their ward to accommodate the displaced gentlemen and to the staff who were looking after the displaced patients, according to the letter. Two members of staff immediately resigned in protest.
Derek explained how on 3rd March 1943 many local people made their way in the pitch dark of the blackout, to file in an orderly manner, down the steps of the unfinished underground station which had been used as a deep air raid shelter since 1940. At 8.27 pm the searchlight went on and three buses unloaded their passengers at the shelter entrance.
