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News

High as a kite

THE proportion of drug users seeking help for cocaine addiction is higher in Havering than in any other part of the country, statistics show this week. Although our number of addicts is relatively low, one in three drug users in the borough trying to kic...

Wheelchair man's fall sparks road chaos

A DISABLED man who was injured when his mobility wheelchair overturned in Romford sparked a major traffic jam. Spencer Pindus, 60, who weighs 25 stone, was splayed on South Street for more than 30 minutes on Tuesday morning (February 2) as emergency crews...

Tory immigration leaflet 'alarmist'

ROMFORD Conservatives are standing by a controversial immigration leaflet slammed as misleading and dangerous by a government minister. The leaflets, distributed in the Mawneys Ward over the weekend, declare Labour opened the floodgates to mass immigr...

Care trust bristles at £7million 'deficit'

HAVERING S Primary Care Trust has defended its financial position after being shamed as having the fifth highest overspend in London. The figures, which show a £7million deficit in NHS Havering s budget, were collated in a study by think tank Civitas and...

'End of my sordid three years' hell'

A SENIOR member of Havering College was forced to quit his job after management failed to meet his needs in the face of cancer, an employment tribunal found. John Morahan, former area head for youth work, counselling and higher education development, won...

Our pride of place - nine out of 10 get chosen spot

MORE than 90 per-cent of Havering secondary students have been offered a place at one of their top three schools. Of the 2,782 students who applied for places in the borough, just under 76 per-cent got their first preference, it was revealed on Tuesday. I...

Teenager's hit-run ordeal

A TEENAGER who survived a hit-and-run crash is trying to trace the driver of a car who stopped to help her. Dancer Victoria Blackholly was on her way home from work when she was struck by a car, which had come from Barton Avenue into Rush Green Road in R...

Residents battle to save green land

OUTRAGED residents are preparing to mount a legal challenge to fight Havering Council s proposals to sell a parcel of land to developers. At least £7,000 has been collected from residents by Cllr Mark Logan (BNP, Gooshays) for the Havering fighting fund...

Business on road to ruin?

ANGRY Harold Hill shopkeepers have accused Havering Council of dragging their feet over roadworks outside of the shopping centre. The traders based in Hilldene Avenue, claim that they have lost out on passing trade since Farnham Road and Hilldene Avenue...

Nun's death a tragic accident

A NUN, who was knocked down in a minor road accident yards from her convent during a moment s lapse in concentration , tragically died later in hospital from pneumonia. Sister Claire, 73, walked into the path of a black Peugeot 307 in St Marys Lane, Upm...

Letters

Planning protest

Councillor Mike Armstrong, apart from the following comments being observed, we suggest you resign from the Regeneration Committee receive some basic planning and urban design training and then you will see why we are extremely disappointed in the proposa...

What's the definition of affordable?

LIVING opposite the land (corner of Gooshays Drive/Petersfield Avenue) due to be sold for housing development my interest is obvious. I am a firm believer in affordable homes for the people of Havering and so too is Steven Kelly, deputy council leader (Re...

Coaches just a cash cow

HAVERING must be the only London borough with no coach dropping off or picking up point and has a spy car or fixed cameras filming whenever coaches stop for passengers and fining them £60. I use Chiltern Coaches and sometimes Young s coaches for OAP day t...

Hill history lesson

I LIVED on Harold Hill for 55 years and served as a councillor for 12 of those years. I now live in Aberdeenshire and no longer feel entitled to join locals in having an input into the future of Harold Hill. But I do believe I have the right to correct s...

Hammers

West Ham boss Zola: We can beat Chelsea

WEST HAM boss Gianfranco Zola has issued a rallying call to his beleaguered team to bounce back from their dismal home defeat against Bolton and cause a surprise at Chelsea this weekend, writes Dave Evans....

Hammers legend Ludo set to leave

Goalkeeping coach and Hammers legend Ludek Miklosko is set to leave the club. The 48-year-old Czech, who made 365 appearances for the club between 1990-98, was appointed as the goalkeeping coach by Glenn Roeder in 2001. He will be replaced by Kevin Hitchc...

Dyer’s hitting back at critics

IT WAS A sickening tackle which left the midfielder writhing on the ground in agony, his leg broken in two places and his future career in doubt, writes DAVE EVANS. Aaron Ramsey for Arsenal against Stoke City a little over a week ago? No, it was the momen...

Behrami: ‘It will be harder now’

WEST HAM midfielder Valon Behrami admits Premier League survival will be a lot harder following Saturday s dismal home defeat by Bolton Wanderers, writes DAVE EVANS. The 24-year-old Swiss international, who has been linked with a move back to Serie A in t...

‘Franco hails Green display

LAST WEDNESDAY S England international may have been a slightly disappointing one for West Ham defender Matty Upson and striker Carlton Cole, but for the other Hammer in the party, it proved to be a good night. Upson s slip, blamed on the precarious Wembl...

Zola hints at international excuse

WEST HAM boss Gianfranco Zola felt that losing so many players to international commitments last week did not help the team s cause when it came to tackling Bolton Wanderers at Upton Park on Saturday. The Hammers had eight players away on international du...

Gabbidon shows the way

WEST HAM began their preparations for this Saturday s trip to Chelsea, with a behind-closed-doors friendly at Upton Park on Monday. It was a chance for some of the fringe players to improve their fitness, and despite a 2-0 defeat to MLS team San Jose Eart...

Vose at the double

West Ham 3 Crystal Palace 0 SCHOOLBOYS Dominic Vose and Robert Hall proved too hot to handle for Crystal Palace on Saturday morning as West Ham s Academy team returned to winning ways. The under-18s have not been at their best since their disappointing FA...

Hammers' Dixon back for Ireland

WEST HAM striker Terry Dixon may not have made the first team squad yet, but he was back in an Ireland shirt last week. The 20-year-old, who is slowly recovering from a career-threatening knee injury, was a substitute for the Republic, creating the Irish...

Chelsea v West Ham big match preview

Chelsea v West Ham United Saturday, March 13, 3pm Stamford Bridge IF WEST HAM are faced with a few injuries and a couple of scandals the likelihood is that they would crumble under the pressure. Not so Chelsea. First they are likely to be missing Ricardo...

Sport

Super Scott strolls to a top-10 finish

ILFORD AC walker Scott Davis claimed a top-10 finish at the Molly Barnet and CAU Inter-County Championships on Saturday....

Muir the merrier as he claims third spot

ILFORD AC athletes were out in force on a busy weekend of athletics action....

Cricket: Unbeaten Redbridge qualify for Lords tournament

REDBRIDGE boys cricket team will play at Lord s Cricket Ground on Saturday, after they emerged from the qualifying rounds of the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games Indoor Cricket Cup at Harrow Leisure Centre at the weekend....

Athletics: Young gun MacDonald impresses at Roding Valley

ILFORD AC s rising young star Iain Macdonald was the club s star performer at Sunday s Roding Valley half-marathon....

Speedy Scott clinches silver

ILFORD AC walker Scott Davies clinched a silver medal at the National 10 Miles Road Walking Championships at the weekend. Over 10 twisting circuits at the Lee Valley Sports Complex in Ponders End on Saturday, Davies, finished behind eventual winner, Steyn...

Athletics: No hiccups in Sidcup for Ilford

THREE Ilford AC runners took to the roads of Kent last Sunday to compete in the Sidcup 10-mile road race....

Athletics: Chris Tomlinson putting aside rivalry for World Championships

CHRIS TOMLINSON admits he has let his British rival Greg Rutherford get under his skin, but says domestic rivalry will be the last thing on his mind at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, writes Tom Reynolds....

Geele glory but team fall short

NEWHAM & ESSEX Beagles runner Moumin Geele claimed a magnificent silver medal at the National Cross Country Championships on Saturday, writes BEN WELCH. But the Beagles, who triumphed in the team event in 2009, had only the bare six athletes for the team...

Athletics: Seasons best for Beagle ace Lewis

NEWHAM & ESSEX Beagle Steve Lewis cleared a season s best in the pole vault in Germany....

Beagle Harun is ‘Love Run’ champ

HARUN ABDI of the Newham & Essex Beagles club took first place in the men s section of the City of London West Ham Park 5km run series. In the event held at West Ham Park on Valentine s Day, and dubbed the Love Run , Abdi clocked a time 17 minutes 51 sec...

Boxing: Newham success at Royal Navy Schools Championships

THERE was double delight for Newham Boxing Club, when 12-year-olds Joe Temple and Viddal Riley clinched ABA Schools titles at the Royal Navy sponsored championships in Brentwood on Sunday....

Boxing: Deadly Dudley takes crown

West Ham s Dudley O Shaughnessy served notice that he is once again a real threat on the 2010 ABA title trail when he outpointed Repton rival Ahmet Patterson to win the North East London Divisional crown at Dukes Hall, Hornchurch, on Friday night....

Boxing: Peacock Gym ace Camacho edges out super Dupre

PEACOCK BC S Wadi Camacho came out on top in his battle with heavyweight rival, Dagenham s Robin Dupre, at the North-East London Divisional ABA Championship finals held at Dukes Hall, Hornchurch on Friday....

Camacho clips Robin’s wings

ILFORD'S Wadi Camacho, a member of Canning Town's Peacock BC, came out on top in his battle with heavyweight rival Robin Dupre of Dagenham BC at the North-East London Divisional ABA Championship finals held at Dukes Hall, Hornchurch on Friday....

Boxing: Macho Man looks to rock rival Robin

THE 2010 ABA Championship trail starts with a promising duel between England heavyweight rivals Wadi Camacho from Ilford and Dagenham BC prospect Robin Dupre, who look set to steal the show at the Dukes Hall, Hornchurch, on Friday night, writes LEN WHALEY....

Peacock star Wadi is looking to rock Robin

THE 2010 ABA Championship trail starts with a promising duel between England heavyweight rivals Wadi Camacho of the Peacock BC and Dagenham BC prospect Robin Dupre, who look set to steal the show at the Dukes Hall, Hornchurch, on Friday night, writes LEN...

The Hit-Man comes to town

MANCHESTER S popular Hit-Man Ricky Hatton comes to town as a promoter on Friday, March 26, when he brings championship boxing back to Dagenham s Goresbrook Leisure Centre. The show is headed by a promising top-of-the-bill clash, when Deptford s Anthony...

Hillyard’s hopes dashed as Prince takes crown

CANNING TOWN hope George Hillyard s ambitions of boosting his ring career – and his bank balance – with a £32,000 winner s cheque in the Prizefighter light-middleweight tournament at York Hall on Friday night were shattered in his first contest of the tou...

Johnson bounces back!

NEWHAM S 2009 National Schools champion Desmond Johnson bounced back from the disappointment of defeat in this year s quarter-finals to record a good points victory on his own club show at East Ham Working Men s Club on Friday night. Johnson and Charlie...

Boxing: Basi boys are bang in form

AS USUAL, the Basi boys were in form when Fairbairn staged their latest show at East Ham Working Men s Club on Friday, with a 10-bout bill to entertain the fans....

Rowe Nicks medal win

WOODFORD GOLF CLUB held its previously postponed January medal at the weekend. Division One was won by former captain Nick Rowe, playing in the afternoon, with 37 stableford points off his handicap of 12, a score which equalled that of early starter Bill...

There’s plenty of Larkin about

Thurrock 3 East London 4 ADAM LARKIN gave a captain s performance to help lead East London Hockey s men s team to a crucial away victory against promotion rivals Thurrock at the weekend. The narrow win leaves East London two points behind Thurrock with on...

Hockey: Unbeaten weekend for East London hockey

EAST LONDON'S men s first team edged out local rivals Wapping by a single strike at Mile End Stadium at the weekend....

Patience is a virtue in win

Brentwood 0 East London 3 PATIENCE was the key for East London as a controlled performance at Brent-wood earned them another precious league victory. The home side sit at the foot of League Division Three SE, but they were no pushovers as East London were...

Wanderers lose

Woodford 10 Civil Service 54 WOODFORD suffered a heavy home defeat against title-chasing Civil Service at the weekend, writes Richard Howard....

Title glory for youths

Woodford 40 Chelmsford 5 WOODFORD under-15s secured the Essex Division One title at the weekend after a superb victory over Chelmsford....

A host of mini adventures for Woodford

WOODFORD MINIS took part in the Essex Cup Festival at the weekend....

Maldon mauled by East London

Maldon 22 East London 57 EAST LONDON returned to winning ways with a convincing victory over mid-table rivals Maldon on Satur-day. Following the narrow defeat to Thames three weeks earlier, the visitors appeared refreshed after their two week break and p...

Tennis: Pritchard wins Essex invitational

New Compete Tennis member Ben Pritchard won the Essex Mens Singles Invitational event at the weekend, in an tournament which had a host of members from the squad based at Redbridge Sports Centre....

Tanya tops the tennis tournament

COMPETE TENNIS member Tanya Li was crowned champion of the David Lloyd Basildon under-16 Junior Spring tournament last week. The youngster saw off the challenge of Ellie Wilson, Nicola Judge, Angela Borowski and then Michelle Kogbe 6-4, 6-1 in the final t...

What's On

Shutter Island (15)

LEONARDO DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese team up again for SHUTTER ISLAND (15), based on Dennis Lehane s creepy mystery. It is 1954, at the height of the Cold War, and US Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are summ...

Ondine (12A)

SYRACUSE, a simple fisherman, catches a beautiful and mysterious woman in his trawler s nets. The woman seems to be dead, but then she comes alive before his eyes and he thinks he may be seeing things. With the help of his ailing, yet irrepressible daugh...

Legion (15)

IN SUPERNATURAL action thriller LEGION (15), an out-of-the-way diner becomes the unlikely battleground for the survival of the human race. When God loses faith in Mankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity s only hope lie...

Alice in Wonderland (PG)

LEWIS Carroll s children s classic gets the Tim Burton treatment as ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG) goes goth. Burton regulars Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter) and Helena Bonham Carter (Red Queen) are joined by a cast of big names including Stephen Fry (Cheshire Cat),...

Case 39 (15)

DEVOTED social worker Emily Jenkins has seen it all – lies, neglect, abuse – domestic horrors of every type. That is, until she takes on the case of 10-year-old Lillith Sullivan, whose eerie, secretive family leaves Emily shaken and disturbed. When Lill...

The Shouting Men

THE magic of the FA Cup is brought to the big screen in comedy drama THE SHOUTING MEN. Lowly Gillingham FC are drawn against Premier League giants Newcastle United – yes, well, you have to suspend belief – in the FA Cup quarter finals. A small group of...

Chloe (15)

JULIANNE Moore is Catherine, a successful doctor who suspects her handsome husband David (Liam Neeson), is cheating on her. To silence or answer her suspicions once and for all Catherine hires an irresistible and alluring young woman, Chloe (Amanda Seyfr...

Leap Year (PG)

AMY Adams stars in quirky Irish love story, LEAP YEAR (PG) as a young woman who has an elaborate scheme to propose to her boyfriend on February 29. However, she faces a major setback when bad weather threatens to derail her planned trip to Dublin. With...

Extraordinary Measures (PG)

INSPIRED by true events, EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES (PG) tells the story of John Crowley, a man who defied conventional wisdom and great odds, and risked his family s future to pursue a cure for his children s life-threatening disease. From his working class...

Teen Patti

PERCI Trachtenberg (Ben Kingsley), widely regarded as the world s greatest living mathematician, meets Venkat Subramanyam (Amitabh Bachchan), a reclusive maths genius from India, who has cracked a theory that could redefine the principles of probability a...

Electro-pop pays the Rent for Alexander

ARMED with a dancefloor full of electro-pop anthems, his own clothing designs and a kitsch girl dance troupe to wear them, Alexander Price is living the dream, writes MATT TROLLOPE. Growing up in Sheffield, the 25-year-old got his first taste of London li...

Amar shows off her new songs

TWO YEARS in the making and with Grammy Award- winning record producer Timbaland overseeing its creation, Amar s long-awaited second album is ready to wow audiences around the world. The 27-year-old from Gants Hill sings entirely in Hindi on Indo-urban po...

Stevie Hoang tours with JLS

HAVING cut his teeth on tour with fellow R&B performers N-Dubz and Tinchy Stryder early last year, Stevie Hoang is now touring with JLS and has an addictive single, No Coming Back, due for release on March 8. Stevie, who was born and grew up in Walthamsto...

Louie Vega headlines Soul Heaven party

SOUL Heaven celebrates its 10th birthday with a bash at Ministry of Sound, Elephant & Castle, on Saturday, January 23. A cracking line-up sees Masters At Work producer extraordinaire Louie Vega headlining. Soul Heaven resident Phil Asher is in support, an...

Addictive - a duo to get hooked on

BY DAY they are Aisha Stuart and Louise Bagan, but clubbers might know them better as Addictive – one of the hottest new music duos around. The girls, of Balaam Street, Plaistow, have already tasted success thanks to a massive club hit last year, Gonna B...

Let's hear it for the B-Boy

A TALENTED dancer who has featured in pop stars music videos and world tours, is hoping to scoop the top prize in an international B-Boy competition. Ashley Garcia, 28, of Green Lane, Ilford, is a member of Soul Mavericks – a team of dancers from all ov...

Raindance's 20th birthday

THE EAST London rave event that helped launch the careers of bands like The Prodigy and DJs like Carl Cox, celebrates its 20th birthday next weekend with a massive party at London Bridge. Raindance began life on September 16 in 1989 as an illegal rave in...

Cauliflower's new monthly has Wow factor

REMEMBER those heady days of the 90s when The Island, High Road, Ilford, played host to bands like Squeeze, and had a regular club night called Revolution? When The Island closed down, Revolution moved to The Pigeons, Romford Road, Stratford. Now the man...

DJ Excalibah's new club night at The Broadway

AN urban music club night at The Broadway theatre, Barking, could become a regular thing and promoters hope the 18-plus clientele it attracts will go on to explore other events at the venue. Former BBC 1Xtra and Radio One presenter, DJ Excalibah heads Clu...

Chase & Status interview

CHASE & Status (Saul Milton and Will Kennard) are producers who made their name on Essex drum and bass label Ram Records, working in studios across east London, and with regular DJ appearances at Fabric in Farringdon. With five Ram releases under their b...

Win paintball day out for eight people

A WEEKEND dodging paint pellets in the woods turns into a battle for survival for eight strangers in the action-packed and blood-soaked movie Paintball (18). The film is available on DVD from next Monday, courtesy of Icon Home Entertainment. And to cele...

Ideal Home Show - win tickets

IT S the famous, trend-setting show that made home-making a national passion. The Ideal Home Show is returning for its 102nd year, with a new look and 17-day format from March 20-April 5 – and the Recorder has five pairs of tickets to give away. The show...

Cathy Murphy in Martina Cole's Two Women

I VE read all Martina Cole s books, so to get a chance to play one of her characters in the first theatre production of her work is brilliant. Actress Cathy Murphy is speaking in a break from rehearsals of Two Women, at the Theatre Royal Stratford East....

Oliver! - win tickets to West End show

NOW in its second year, Oliver! is one of the most beloved British musicals, vividly bringing to life Dickens timeless story of the boy who asked for more. And the Recorder is giving away five pairs of tickets. Griff Rhys Jones, one of the country s most...

La Dolce Vita - win tickets to Italy show

ITALOPHILES are getting a taste of La Dolce Vita as the best of Italy s food, drink, property, travel and design comes to London. And the Recorder is giving away five pairs of free tickets. From March 11-14, The Italian Festival in London takes over the B...

Royal biographer

VETERAN actor, archivist and a teller of tales Murray Melvin laughs heartily and agrees that he is finally able to sleep deeply after spending three years compiling the history of his beloved Royal , writes KAY ATWAL. The Royal to which he refers is th...

Gary Lucy: I'm petrified by Dancing on Ice

IT IS worlds away from hanging out at Romford Ice Rink, and Chigwell s Gary Lucy admits his appearances on TV show Dancing on Ice have left him far from his comfort zone, writes JENNY COOMBES. But the former Bill and Hollyoaks star says he is having the...

Author who turned down Johnny Depp

LESS than two years ago Saci Lloyd was eking out a living as head of media at Newham sixth-form college, writes ELEANORE ROBINSON. Now a bestselling author, she has publicists on both sides of the Atlantic and has turned down the advances of one Mr Johnny...

Bollywood dancer answers BBC's call

BOLLYWOOD dance is heading to the small screen thanks to a choreographer Honey Kalaria s involvement in a reality television show for dancers, writes ANNA NALBORCZYK. Honey, Bollywood actress, model, dancer and founder of Honey s Dance Academy – which ru...

Ray Winstone talks about his new film

SINCE he emerged to great acclaim in Alan Clarke s Scum 30 years ago, Ray Winstone has become one of Britain s busiest and most popular screen actors. In his new film, 44 Inch Chest (18), he plays Colin, pictured, whose life is turned upside down when hi...

Win tickets to The Members' gig

THE Members were one of the wittier guitar bands to emerge in the aftermath of the 1977 punk explosion, and we are giving away tickets to their gig at The Bridgehouse II, Canning Town, on March 27. Having got together in the sleepy suburbs of Bagshot and...

Reggae festival at Hainault

A THREE-day festival boasting the country s biggest gathering of reggae stars is set to be held in Hainault this summer. The One Love Festival will see thousands of music-lovers converge on Hainault Forest Country Park. The reggae and dub celebration, whi...

Punk band 999 at Bridgehouse II

PUNK band 999, best known for their 1978 single Emergency, return to The Bridgehouse II, Bidder Street, Canning Town, on Saturday following their sell-out success last year. Tony Nicholls, of The Bridgehouse, says last year s show was one of the best the...

Doves join V line-up

INDIE rock band Doves and electro pop extraordinaire Calvin Harris are the latest to join the bill for the V Festival at Hylands Park, Chelmsford, on August 21 and 22. Kings of Leon, Kasabian, Cheryl Cole, Pet Shop Boys, Stereophonics, Paul Weller, Floren...

Kasabian, Kings of Leon and Cheryl Cole at V Festival

BRIT winners Kasabian will headline this summer s V Festival in Chelmsford on August 22, with Kings of Leon doing the honours on August 21. Festival organisers announced the line-up this evening. Cheryl Cole will make her solo festival debut, while Pet Sh...

Keeping up with Kid Jones

LADS about town Kid Jones are hoping to inject a twist of electro in to textbook indie rock, and are prepared to graft to get their success, writes MATT TROLLOPE. The Leytonstone foursome – David Hewson (lead vocals/ guitar), Mike Slader (bass guitar), Sa...

The Mynx reunion

A FORMER school band are planning a re-union to celebrate their 60th birthdays. The Mynx were formed at Dagenham County High School – now Sydney Russell – in 1965 and plan to play a gig in the school hall on May 15. John Lane, Derek Haynes, John Orley, Jo...

George lights a Fuze

TEENAGE singer-songwriter George Kirchner is certainly one to watch as this new decade unfolds, writes MATT TROLLOPE. Just 15, but with the maturity of a rock veteran, George, a pupil at Trinity Catholic High School, Mornington Road, Woodford Green, has s...

The Poison Berries

THEY dream of making it big in the pop music world, and four local acts took a step towards fulfilling that dream when they won through auditions to reach the London East regional final of this year s Live and Unsigned competition. There s still a long w...

Invisible Afros come into view

DESPITE forming just six months ago,Woodford band The Invisible Afros have been plucked from 20,000 hopefuls to perform in the first round of a national music competition. The three-piece ska/punk/indie band have been practising religiously since they rec...

Kenny winners

ILFORD S Kenny Awards were announced yesterday (Sunday), rewarding those involved in shows at the Kenneth More Theatre, Oakfield Road, Ilford. The winners were: Judy Walker Award for Young Person of the Year – twins Lee and Nicky Caulfield Best Actor - Jo...

Women's week

STRATFORD Circus Upfront East and Newham Sixth Form College present a series of events for International Women s Week. The Speed of Dating, on Monday, 8pm, is a comedy about a woman trying to find love, but ending up in a string of awkward dates that sen...

Play On! at Parkside

THE hilarious Rick Abbott comedy Play On! is staged by Parkside Players this week. When a community theatre group are offered a royalty-free play – Murder Most Foul – from new playwright Phyllis Montague, the group welcome the chance to put the theatre ba...

Cole-fired play has true grit

THE dark violent world of a Martina Cole novel is not one that immediately springs to mind as an entertaining evening in the theatre. The first adaptation of one of her best-selling books for the stage is so gritty it could have solved this winter s snow...

Marriage made for laughs

STAND-UP comedians are difficult people. They love adversity, they love controversy, but above all, they love themselves. So what if two comedians got married? Aaron Counter and Liz Stephens did. Then they wrote a show about it. Mr and Mrs is a comedy two...

Redbridge Stage make a killing

IN ITS 35-year history, Redbridge Stage Company has put on many mystery thrillers by writers such as Agatha Christie and Francis Durbridge. But there has been nothing like its latest production where the murderer could be anybody on stage. The prolific A...

Martina Cole's Two Women on stage

AN EXPLOSIVE play based on a Martina Cole novel gets its world premiere at the Theatre Royal Stratford East on Friday. Cole, who still lives close to where she grew up near Tilbury, is one of the UK s most popular crime writers, renowned for her gritty, r...

Kennys nominations

IT S almost time for this year s theatre Oscars – the Kennys. The awards, to be presented in a lavish event at the Kenneth More Theatre, Ilford, on March 7, honour those who work so hard to stage quality shows there week...

Redbridge Brass third in competition

CHAMPION band Redbridge Brass maintained their successful run of podium placings with third at this year s Mineworkers Open National Brass Band Festival held at Skegness. In this demanding contest the band impressed the audience with some masterful playi...

Actress signs the songs of the divas

MOUSY Sue Graves runs a funeral parlour in Bingley Bridge. No one knows she is a diva fanatic, until the day she is offered a cabaret spot at Harry s Place. Overnight, Tammy Frascati is born and Sue finds herself hurtling to stardom and Las Vegas, perform...