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Essex | Archive | 1998 | December

Stories for 24 December 1998

Essex News

Review: Dick rocks on his way

Dick Whittington and his Kool Kool Kat is a brash, beaty rock 'n' roll panto for the nineties being premiered at the Queen's this Christmas. more...

Frankenstein panto full of thrills and chills

Watch out for The Curse of Frankenstein -- not the famous old Hammer horror film, but the shadow of doom which hangs over this year's Shoebury panto about the man who made a monster. more...

`I'll see in New Year where my Tina died'

The husband of hit-and-run victim Tina Thorne will toast in the New Year at the spot where she was killed. more...

£2.4 million award for brain-damaged boy, 6

A Stambourne child who was left severely brain-damaged when a mix-up over surnames led to him being given a "mismatched" blood transfusion was awarded £2.4 million damages by a High Court judge. more...

Missing man may have staged disappearance

Police searching for a Burnham businessman, said by police to have drugs underworld connections, are looking into the possibility that he staged his own disappearance. more...

Southend pensioner jailed for indecent snaps

A pensioner who took indecent photographs of a child has been jailed for three months. more...

Still horsing around

If life begins at 40 then by 60 the party should be in full swing. more...

Still hope for Great Leighs bypass

Great Leighs bypass is down, but not out, after last week's government decision on which road works and other transport improvements in Essex should get funding. more...

Christmas survival guide: North and Mid Essex

If shopaholics thought Boxing Day was going to be just another Saturday, forget it. more...

Dreaming of a feather-white Christmas . . .

Debra James, 35, is a co-director of Bruce James Productions, a theatre company which she runs with her husband, Bruce. more...

Essex Furbies are a rare breed

Toy lovers were having to fork out sky-high prices for this year's must-have Christmas present as demand for Furbies outstripped supply in south Essex. more...

Louie ... public enemy number one!

With Christmas shopping frenzy having reached fever pitch and New Year sales looming ... that means it is the busiest time of year for Colchester's only freelance store detective Louie Anderson. more...

Smiling in the face of stress...

What does not destroy me makes me stronger - and in the case of former soldier Sandy MacGregor that strength has flared in his flamethrower zeal for helping those who are still fighting the mental gremlins he has has since defeated. more...

Steve's Christmas castle

Steve Kohler and his family are looking forward to a fairytale Christmas - with all the trimmings. more...

Weight clubs offer to beat festive pile up

Christmas is certain to be a time of weight gain for many people. JANE O'CONNELL finds out how to lose it in the new year more...

Frosty the Snowman is held to ransom

Kidnap victim Frosty the Snowman was today back home for Christmas. more...

Bouncer denies causing GBH in Southend

A bouncer has denied causing grievous bodily harm to a customer. more...

Ray's crackers over Christmas

Wide-eyed visitors are flocking to Ray Linge's home to see his massive Christmas display. more...

A seasonal sighting...?

Children across Essex have been watching the skies on Christmas Eve hoping for an elusive glimpse of a low-flying Santa. more...

Sunshine Christmas wish for Ben

Eating seafood for Christmas dinner and spending Boxing Day swimming in a fresh water lagoon is the dream come true for Brentwood boy Ben Whiting. more...

Christmas in Europe

Christmas celebrations around the world differ very little but here are a few Santa snippets you might not know about other countries: more...

£2m Christmas present for Southend motorists

Southend's roads crisis looks set to be eased - thanks to a £2m Christmas present from the Government. more...

Disabled shopping charity may be shut down

A lifeline to hundreds of disabled shoppers may be forced to shut down in the new year. more...

Brentwood and Billericay quiz

Give the television some time off this Christmas and delve into the history books with 20 "just for fun" questions on Brentwood and Billericay's past. more...

Choirs in demand for festive carols

It's carols galore in Southend again as the town can justify claims to be England's musical borough with choirs and groups of singers travelling around the country to create festive music. more...

Drink-driving: a life a day lost

National statistics show that for every day in December a life is lost as a result of drink driving. more...

Heart op mum's Christmas Furby joy

A woman facing a heart and lung transplant has been granted her dearest wish - the chance to see her daughter's face light up for Christmas. more...

Roy's plea for village post offices

A Battlesbridge businessman has called for councils to give struggling village post offices a break. more...

Panto guide

Cinderella more...

Drivers' fury at fine for `illegals'

Hauliers today slammed Government proposals to fine them £2,000 for every illegal immigrant drivers innocently bring into Britain. more...

Santa's best pub - bar none

Santa certainly has an eye for the finer details - after admiring the bar area of a Ramsden Heath pub. more...

Man dies in Halstead crash

Police are appealing for witnesses following an accident in Halstead in which an 82-year-old man died. more...

Police appeal for witnesses after Basildon crash

Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward following a road accident on the A13 at Basildon. more...

10,000 will watch the mud race

Around 10,000 spectators are expected to watch Maldon's wacky mud race this year. more...

Dump sites ban protest

A bid by Essex County Council to cut the amount of commercial waste dumping at free civic amenity sites such as Drovers Way, Boreham, has run into opposition. more...

Team cheer for Paul

Just days after being badly hurt in a road accident an ice hockey-mad Chelmsford teenager was brought some Christmas cheer by one of the country's leading professional clubs. more...

Essex Sports

Soccer: Colchester star transfer listed

Paul Abrahams has been transfer listed by Colchester United. more...

Ice hockey: Two defeats in two days for Chieftains

A fine battling performance by Chieftains on Saturday against the British National League favourites marked the first game in charge of Chieftains new head coach Erskine Douglas. more...

Rugby: Chelmsford in cup exit

In what proved to be a disappointing result for Chelmsford, they were knocked out of the Essex Cup at the first round stage at Coronation Park on Saturday. more...

Cricket: Memorable day for Tom

Tom, 12, from Newlands Spring in Chelmsford, was the winner of a recent competition run by This Is Essex feeder paper the Essex Chronicle. more...

Golf: Miller makes a good impression

A new name led the way when the members of Regiment Way Golf Centre played in the Monthly Medal for December on Sunday. more...

Tabletennis: Teamwork paid dividends

Ingatestone `A' may just have turned their season around in Division Four of the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis league after a superb 6-4 win over high-flying ECC `K'. more...

Soccer: Iron have to settle for a point

In an ideal world, Braintree would have been repaid for their enterprise in attracting a crowd of over 600, double the normal, with a good win to create the right kind of impression on their potentially new supporters. more...

Soccer: Springett nets a double on Witham return

Witham made changes for Saturday's game with manager George Young playing himself. New signings, Mitchell Springett, who was last at the club 11 years ago, and Julian Charles, a young striker from Billericay Town, were also in the hosts line-up. more...

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